Gowers Crisps Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Gowers Crisps - Essay Example Firstly the company has to arrange for outside suppliers for additional quantities of potatoes. Secondly it will require more employees and space to enhance its processing facility that consists of hand frying. Lastly it will need to have a marketing strategy to sell this higher quantity of the product to new customers in a wider area. Amongst them marketing strategy is the most important as the company has not required it for arriving at the present status. But now it cannot do without giving it the due importance. Markets are heterogeneous and are created by reasons of different values, needs wants, constraints, beliefs and incentives. Customers differ in their values and perceptions and want to purchase things that have value for them. Value is not just the monetary part, but also the usefulness and emotions that with go with it. The need and want play a great role in determining this value. The price actually determines the location from which this purchase will be made. An important method of finding the competitiveness is by using the Five Force Analysis devised by Porter M.E. (1985), often called the Porter’s five force analysis. This will help the management to devise appropriate marketing strategy to take care of vital issues. Porter divides the competitive environment into five forces of ‘powers’, these are Power of buyers, Power of suppliers, Threat of new entrants, Threat of substitutes, Intensity of rivalry between existing firms. (Porter, M. E.1985) iii Promotion. Image plays a very important role. Whether it is the image of the product which enhances value or status or the image of the buyer when he acquires a product, both factors are extremely important for the buyer in arriving at a purchase decision. In recent years the 4P concept has come under criticism and as a result different marketing mixes have been put forward by Kotler P,. (1986);

Personal journal entry 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Personal journal entry 5 - Essay Example Feminist theory argues that legal positivism is the main reason women have been dominated by men in the past. The theory argues that the law has been written historically baymen to favor the position of men over women. ïÆ'Ëœ Women should be given genuine equality with men in all areas of life as opposed to the current provisions by the law. This is in direct opposition to legal positivism. A good example is the 19th amendment to the USA constitution which gives equal rights to voting for both women and men3. The feminist theory fights for the recognition of the differences between the two sexes as opposed to the sameness that are advocated by the legal positivism. The feminist theory argues that, it is until the law acknowledges the differences between men and women, that it can bring equality between them4. In conclusion, presently, the position of women is much better than it was five decades ago. The effort of the feminist movements has ensured that women achieved considerable progress in the campaign. The position of women in today’s society can be attributed to a large percentage, to the changes in the legislation that have happened over the

Factors that lead to employee motivation

Factors that lead to employee motivation Employees are considered as one of the most valuable asset of an organization and they contribute to various activities of an organization. There is a need in every organizational to motivate their employees in order to render organizational commitment of the employees and if an employee is committed toward to an organization than there will be strong desire in an employee to work toward s the goals of an organization and to remain in the organization which will in turn lead to success of the organization. The purpose of this research is to examine and evaluate the factors which motivate the employees. One reason for choosing this topic is that it is an important fact that employees spend a lot of time at work for almost 40 years of their lives therefore it is important that employees should be satisfied with their job and the working environment. Apart from this topic being so interesting and important, there are different theories than can be used to look at motivation from different angles. Reasons for choosing Pepsi Pepsi co has a work oriented approach with highly skilled and knowledgeable employees. Pepsi is a world leader in producing beverages and other consumer product. PepsiCo in Pakistan produces financial rewards for its investors and provide growth opportunities to its employees. The aim of the management of PepsiCo is to build a work force that is motivated and associated with the objectives of the organization. At PepsiCo both financial and non financial practices are undertaken to motivate the employees. My research will focus on the non financial practices for motivation. Project Objectives and research questions: The objective of this research is to understand the factors that motivate employees. Employees not only focus on financial rewards but also non financial rewards and benefits which are responsible for motivation among employees. The objective of this report focuses on the impacts of non financial practices on employee motivation. A smaller part of this report will focus on the financial factors responsible for motivating employees. The main aim of this research is to identify and analyze the factors that motivate the employess using different theories of motivation. Both primary and secondary sources will be used to identify these factors. Primary research will give more detailed and in depth analysis. The main primary question will be: Are PepsiCo employees motivated? What factors lead to employee motivation? How can PepsiCo improve motivation of its employees? The answers to the above three questions will help in identifying and analyzing the areas of strengths and weakness in overall motivation process at PepsiCo. At the end recommendation will be given that how Pepsi can improve and work on their areas of weakness. Overall research approach: To begin with the research first of all I will analyze whether the employees at PepsiCo are motivated or not. I will use results obtained from primary research and secondary sources to do the overall analysis of motivation. Once I have found that employees at PepsiCo are motivated or not I will identify and analyze the factors that are responsible for motivating employees or responsible for their dissatisfaction. The factors that I will use will be based on the theories of motivation I will be using. There is at least one question in the primary research questionnaire for each factor. The questionnaire will ask the participating employees to put in order of importance the factors they consider are most important and will motivate them. The theories that I will be using are: Herzbergs motivation hygiene theory Vrooms expectancy theory From the information that I will obtain from primary and secondary research I will make recommendations to PepsiCo that on which factors they can improve on and which factors they should not focus on as they do not help in motivating employees. Finally in the conclusion I will discuss the overall effectiveness of the motivation process of employees at PepsiCo. Part 2: Sources and methods used for collecting information: The secondary sources that I am using for my research are websites, books and business magazines, whereas primary research will be conducted through a questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed among different employees working at different positions at PepsiCo. The questionnaire has at least one question relating to the factor considered. The participating employees were asked to put in order of importance the factors that the considered are the most important for their motivation. This help me identifying that where PepsiCo is putting its emphasis and on what factors it is not putting much emphasis. Limitations of your information gathering Ethical issues and how they were resolved The main ethical issue concerned was of confidentiality as this report discusses private personal information as well as information about PepsiCo which gives PepsiCo completive advantage. To overcome the issue of confidentiality the surveys are kept anonymous and individual results will not be shown. I am a customer of PepsiCo and I am an admirer of it. However I ensure that my results are not biased in favor of PepsiCo. I made sure that I focused on the factual data for my results. Accounting and/or business techniques and their limitations Motivation is the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behaviour (Princeton, 2010). There are two types of motivation theories, process theories and content theories. According to content theory man has needs which tend to change over time. Man will be motivated when these needs are satisfied. Therefore the theory identifies factors that are needed to be satisfied in order to motivate an individual. Whereas process theories believe that motivation leads to actions which will satisfy an individuals need. Content theory believes thats if needs of an individual are satisfied then he is motivated whereas process theories believe motivation leads to actions that can satisfy needs. There are two types of process theories, expectancy theory and equity theory. According to expectancy theory an individual has to expect that their ability and skill will help them to complete a task which will lead to fulfillment of desired need. Therefore a job design is important. Equity theory analyzes the ratio between an individual input and the expected outcome. An individual input includes his effort, his ability, his training etc where as the expected outcome includes the pay he is getting, his status etc. An individual is de-motivated when he believes that his input to output ratio is not similar to his coworkers in the company. For example if one employees earns à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬200,000 of revenue for the company in a year and earns an income of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬30,000 whereas his coworker who has been at the company for 4 years longer than him earns an income of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬40,000 even though he also earns à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬200,000 of revenue for the company. For my research project the motivation theories I have chosen is one process and one content theory, which are discussed below: Herzbergs Hygiene Motivation theory Frederick Herzberg (1966) was a student of accountants and engineers in Pennsylvania and he identified the two-factor theorem for job satisfaction. He noted that the opposite of satisfaction is not, no satisfaction but is dissatisfaction. Therefore the two factors he indentified ere hygiene factors and motivating factors. The hygiene factors are those which remove job dissatisfaction and motivating factors are those which cause job satisfaction. Hygiene factors are the needs which an employer must provide in order to stop an employees dissatisfaction. Some of the primary hygiene factors are : Company policy Supervision Working conditions Relationship with peers Salary Security These factors are all external and will satisfy human physiological needs. Physiological needs include such as food and shelter etc Whereas motivating factors will satisfy a persons psychological needs and are fundamental. The important motivating factors are: Achievement Recognition Work itself Responsibility Advancement and Growth Motivating factors will not be met until and unless hygiene factors are not met. However if both factors are successful then the employees will be loyal and will be more productive. Now looking at the limitations of the theory: The first limitation this theory has is that it does not see employees as individuals with different personalities. As all human beings have different needs and different wants therefore it is inappropriate to consider that same factors will motivate everybody. The second limitation with this theory is that it assumes that only motivated employees are productive however this may not hold true in some cases. Therefore it can be seen that theory does not consider an individuals ability and his skills. Also at time the managers blame that hygiene factors lead to employees dissatisfaction and they tend to ignore the motivating factors, which may be the main reason for an employees de-motivation. Vrooms Expectancy theory of motivation. Vroom presented the following equation for motivation: Motivation = Valence x Expectancy (Instrumentality) In this equation Valence means the depth of want and expectancy and instrumentality considered the employees perception about his chances of receiving bonus or reward. This theory is based on the employees ability to predict whether he will be able to complete the given task. This ability to predict can be low for tasks which are complex and in such cases the theory will be considered ineffective. Part 3 Results, analysis conclusions and recommendations Are employees at PepsiCo motivated? Interest in task According to the content theories, when an individual is attracted in what they are doing it motivates them to complete the task. According to Herzberg this is an essential factor and therefore is a need to develop this factor in the employees. Therefore it is important to understand that if the need for interest of the employees is satisfied than they will be motivated to work and perform the task successfully. Process theorists also agree that interest fac t is important for motivation bur however according to them, individuals are motivated because they believe that they will get the desired reward. According to Vroom if an individual is interested in their wok and are satisfied with their job then they will believe that they will succeed and they are motivated to work for their success. Hence Interest in task by the employee is an important factor and PepsiCo should give time to it. Graph exp As in the questionnaire question 1 and 2 are about the factor interest in task. The results shows that employees at PepsiCo believe that their work task gives them personal satisfaction as they have answered these questions as agree and strongly agree. None of the employees said that they were dissatisfied with their job, however it is seen from the survey that satisfaction level of some employees need to be improved therefore there is a room for improvement for PepsiCo. Also on the important list of the survey this factor varies from levels 1 to 9, which shows that how different employees view this factors importance. This shows that the result match with Vrooms theory because the employees feel that interest in task does not have a positive relation with skills and ability and the results does not correlate with Herbergs theory which believes that interest in task is a motivator. Recognition Recognition means that you are acknowledged by the other because of your good performance in a task. According to Herzberg recognition is an important intrinsic motivating factor because it gives an employee the feeling of self worth and an employee feels good about himself. If an employee feels good about him and is confident then he will be motivated as well. According to Vroom recognition makes an employee motivated to do the work again as he knows that it will lead to success. Process Theorist believe on larger rewards such as financial bonuses where as Herzbergs theory prefers smaller rewards and frequents recognitions for making one feel good about himself. Graph Working environment According to Herzberg working environment is a hygiene factor that is required to keep away dissatisfaction but it is not a motivator itself. According to Process theories a factor is only motivating if it helps individuals in achieving a specific goal. According to Vroom a working environment is a motivator as it is required to perform a task. This factors shows that how both theories have different conclusions about it. Graph n explanation 4. Relationship with peers According to Herzberg relationships are not needed by individuals as they are an external factor. Content theories don not encourage companies to spend their resources on building relationships among peers. According to Vroom the need for relationship among peers is important depends on whether it is an important factor in achieving success. According to the equity theory motivation depends how individuals sees themselves by comparing himself with the others in the same organization. Graph n explanation Relationship with senior The use of the theories for this factor is alike to the conclusion drawn in the above factor relationships with peers but process theorist would see this factor as a motivating factor because it is important to build relationship with seniors and gain their respect in order to get promotion. Graph n explanation Reasonable expectations from the organization Reasonable expectations mean that a just quantity of work is given by the manager. According to Herzberg this factor is a hygiene factor and not a motivator because unreasonable expectations from the manager will lead to dissatisfaction even if other motivating factors are also present. According to Vroom this is a motivating factor because if they expectations are reasonable the employee will believe that he will be able to succeed and hence will be motivated to perform the task. Graph n explanation Career advancement According to Herzberg career advancement is a motivating factor because it indicates personal growth and the employee who is given growth opportunities and promotions will be motivated to work. According to process theorists career advancement is a motivating factor as long as the individual feels that it is realistic and the expectations for promotion are high. According to Vroom career advancement is a motivating factor as this will lead to employees ability to succeed. Graph n explanation Company Pride Graph n explanation 9. Monetary rewards Graph n explanation 10. Job Security Graph n explanation Sample questionnaire Gender: Male Female Age Length of time working at the company: Less than 1 year 1-3 years 4-6 years 7-10 years More than10 years Department: The numbers indicate the following: 1 Strongly disagree 2 -disagree 3 Neutral 4 -agree 5 Strongly agree My work is interesting. 1 2 3 4 5 . Strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly agree Doing my job fine gives me personal satisfaction. 1 2 3 4 5 . Strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly agree My manager gives me recognition when I do an excellent job. 1 2 3 4 5 . Strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly agree The company has reasonable expectations from its employees. 1 2 3 4 5 . Strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly agree I am satisfied with the working environment 1 2 3 4 5 . Strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly agree There is a feeling of teamwork in the company. 1 2 3 4 5 . Strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly agree The people I work with improve my job satisfaction 1 2 3 4 5 . Strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly agree I respect my manager as a capable professional. 1 2 3 4 5 . Strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly agree My manager treats me with respect. 1 2 3 4 5 . Strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly agree I have satisfactory opportunities for professional growth in this company. 1 2 3 4 5 . Strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly agree I am satisfied with the level of training 1 2 3 4 5 . Strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly agree I am rewarded for the work I perform 1 2 3 4 5 . Strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly agree I would leave the company if I was offered better salary at another company 1 2 3 4 5 . Strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly agree I feel my job is secure 1 2 3 4 5 . Strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly agree I expect to leave the company within the next 12 months 1 2 3 4 5 . Strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly agree I am proud to work for the company. 1 2 3 4 5 . Strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly agree Overall, I am very satisfied with my job at the company. 1 2 3 4 5 . Strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly agree Put the following in order of importance to you regarding your satisfaction (number 1 most important, 9 Least important, next to each item) Interest in job Recognition Working conditions Relationship with peers Relationship with seniors Reasonable expectations from my manager Career progression Monetary rewards Job Security Other Please state

Desriptive Essay On Wrestling :: essays research papers

Descriptive   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When a person walks into a building to see a live wrestling event they do not know what to expect. They wonder who will be wrestling. They wonder where their seats are. All of the suspense gets them ready for the show. The suspense gets them pumped and ready to for the show to start.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the lobby they see many people standing around or buying T-shirts, hats, and other paraphanaliea of their favorite wrestling superstar. There is a smell of popcorn and other snacks in the air. It is very noisy from people talking about who they hope is there.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the people try to find their seats it can be frustrating because it is dark and they do not know the layout of the arena. Once they end up finding their seats there are normally people sitting in them or they are in the wrong one and have to move.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When they see the wrestlers they are so much bigger than they thought. The wrestlers have big and powerful wrestlers. They are always in top condition. The smaller wrestlers still have muscles but they are not as powerful as the bigger ones. The smaller wrestlers rely on their speed to win their matches.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the event there is a smell of smoke in the air from the fireworks that had gone off. There is a general noise throughout the building that gets louder as the wrestlers do a special move or look to the crowd. When a wrestler enters the ring the only thing that you can hear is the first part of their theme song because as soon as the crowd knows who it is they either cheer or boo. The sound of the wrestlers being slammed against the mat is very loud. When a wrestler does his final move you can hear the crowd burst into pandemonium as they all stand and cheer or boo, it all depends on who the wrestler is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main event is the best. That is where you get to see your favorite most of the time.

Job Hunting

â€Å"The United States economy seems to be at its lowest at the moment,† can be found headlining The Los Angeles Times. The unemployment rate has been at its highest since the Great Depression and statistics have shown that for over a year now the unemployment rate in the Inland Empire has been at 12 percent. As our society continues to stumble, America continues to decrease the number of job openings available. Because of this job hunting today is a very difficult process. To begin with due to a staggering economy there are fewer job openings available but more people trying to look for jobs.People all over the country are being laid off due to budget cuts. For example it is said that three hundred teachers are to be laid off this year all over San Bernardino Unified School District, Rialto Unified School District, and Riverside Unified School District. Teachers being laid off will cause a struggle for those on the hunt for a job because those who are currently looking for w ork will now be competing not only with the ones already on the hunt but also with three hundred others who have just been added to the statistics.For example a friend of mine, ten years ago was a business man working for a large corporation receiving great pay. Now my friend, the same one who was once a businessman can be found working at McDonalds as a cook, getting paid minimum wage because the corporation he worked for went bankrupt. He didn’t have any other options open for him and he had to settle with whatever it was that he could find at the time. The elderly have families to support at home and the young have their own bills to pay as well. Competition increases day by day and to be able to find a job just gets harder and harder.Furthermore, many people don’t have much education and with not much education the situation becomes harder on them to find a job. Education now plays a great role when applying for a job. In our society there are those people with AA degrees and/or BA degrees that are applying while others have nothing at hand. For example I recently applied at a hotel for a desk front clerk. At my group interview I was competing against a lady who held an accounting degree and who previously had experience. I, on the other hand, only held a high school diploma and had fast food experience.I was turned down because I had neither a degree nor experience. Being able to attain a job becomes harder on those who are just entering the workforce. With budget cuts all around the state and cities there aren’t many options open to civilians. For example my best friend who is at an academy to become a cop has just been told that there will be no job openings available for him once he’s graduated. His situation is due to the fact that the County of San Bernardino will be cutting 50 percent of the county’s work force such as paramedics, police, and firefighters.Situations like this slow down the process and make it harde r on one to be able to attain a job. Lastly due to the advancement in technology companies/corporations are cutting down on workers. Our society now needs less manual labor than what it once used to. A robot can do the job that a hundred people used to perform, in less amounts of time and with no pay. For example America once had manual labor being performed at car factories but with the invention of robots manual labor is not needed anymore.Car parts are now being made by robots and having robots benefits the company because the company can now produce more quickly and save millions of dollars on labor. Computers are another example of automation competing against human kind. For example over the course of the next three years Foxconn, the world’s largest electronic manufacturer, will be adding a total of one million robots and computers to the corporation. The only meaning this holds is that over the next three years there will be thousands and thousands of people left unem ployed.With robots and computers taking over, hundreds are left without a job and by the looks of it our society will continue to become more computerized and programmed. There are thousands of people who are unemployed today. Job hunting today is affected by a staggering economy, education, and the advancement in technology. Under the circumstances it becomes crucial for one to be able to find some kind of job. Day by day job hunting becomes more competitive with fewer chances to a new opportunity.

Client-Server Networking Essay Essay

The problem in the given scenario for the user is that the new driver installed to be compatible with the graphics adapter was not downloaded correctly or was incomplete. This is what causes the secondary malfunctions with the screen. When he was seeing the wavy lines it meant that the driver needed to be updated to use the new graphics adapter. He then checked the device manager and saw that it could be updated. He did so and restarted the computer afterwards. As it started he began hearing the noises because the driver was not downloaded correctly. And he then lost the display and could not diagnose the issue properly. In order to resolve this issue you must first restart the computer. As it comes back up from restarting you would put it in safe mode. It should give you the option to do this like it does to start windows normally. Now that you are in safe mode you are able to use a generic graphics driver that it has within it. But you must first uninstall the new driver that was showing the issues and re-install the driver you have before. From here you just wait for the next compatible driver for that graphic adapter to come out for use. Do not attempt to download the new driver again. From there your issue is temporarily resolved.

Learning Another Language Such as English To Survive in a Globalized World

Learning Another Language Such as English To Survive in a Globalized World To Survive in a Globalized World The age of globalization is upon us. This means that people from different cultures have opportunities to interact with each other, thus, they need to find ways to communicate better. Learning a second language on top of their native one may be one step in reaching out to people from another culture.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Learning Another Language Such as English To Survive in a Globalized World specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Parents are now becoming more keen in letting their young children learn second, third and even multiple languages to prepare them for the competition they have to face in the world when they grow up. Children’s television shows such as Dora, the Explorer and Sesame Street are very popular, because these shows feature learning words in another language other than the child’s first language. Young children find exposure to more l anguages at an early age due to the encouragement of multicultural education. English has become the global language for businesses world wide, so many people from foreign countries engage in learning it as a second language. However, several issues have come up regarding linguistic diversity. Educators need to investigate and understand these issues so that they can better design second language learning strategies to implement in their multicultural classes. This paper will investigate language learning and discuss concepts, principles, theories and methods in learning language, specifically a second language. It will also discuss how learning a second language affects the first language as well as determine if age is a factor in learning a new language or if strategies employed in the learning of the language can override the age factor. This is in consideration of more and more adults wanting to learn a second language for their own benefit. Language Acquisition and Development Language acquisition and development has been a point of keen interest of educators, psychologists and researchers that numerous studies have been done to unveil more knowledge about it.There have been many theories conceptualized as to how language is acquired by human beings. A great deal of a child’s acquisition of linguistic structure occurs during the first five years of life. This is the period when he is most active in discerning a set of underlying organizational principles of language from the expression that surrounds him. It is amazing how at a very young age, he is capable of abstracting meaning from direct experience with other language users depending on his own context.Advertising Looking for research paper on linguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Beaty (2009) explains that even at an infant stage, the baby’s early nonverbal communication helps in preparing her for the spoken and w ritten language to follow and at 6 months, she has become a language specialist, based on the sounds she hears most frequently. At 20 months, she may possess a sizable vocabulary if she hears adults around her talk to one another and to her all the time. Of course good hearing and sensitive listening are paramount to language development. According to Lightbrown Spada (1999), like the first language, â€Å"learner’s age is one of the characteristics which determine the way in which an individual approaches second language learning.† (68). Language has four elements, and these elements have related skills necessary to develop a proficiency in language. According to Larsen-Freeman (1986), the natural order that children follow when learning their native language in terms of skill acquisition is: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Crucial to the development of teaching approaches is an understanding of such processes involved in language use. Learning of language and literacy is very much interrelated. With young children, it is essential that the learning approaches in teaching literacy be selected appropriately. Educators use different approaches to help children become literate: Whole language approach: emphasizes a holistic, meaning-based and context-based approach in linking printed text with spoken language. Little attention is paid to specific or isolated skills and limited emphasis is placed on the role of focused practice. Language and literacy are viewed as integrated systems, and specific components of language such as sounds of each letter are not learned in isolation (Norris Hoffman, 1993). Phonetic approach: emphasizes phonological awareness training value the provision of specific and focused opportunities to practice segmenting words into phonemes, blending phonemes into words and learning to rhyme. Natural literacy: expands the concept of emergent literacy by emphasizing the role of interactions with adults or more competent peers in a child’s learning experiences. Although the whole language approach and the phonetic approach seem to be opposing camps, there is good reason to suggest an integration of both for more effective literacy development. Watkins Bunce (1996) gives the rationale: â€Å"On the one hand, because the process of literacy acquisition occurs through natural, meaningful experiences with print and reading, these experiences should play a role in efforts to facilitate such skills. On the other hand, because phonological awareness contributes to early reading achievement, some focus on particular phonological awareness abilities appears warranted. Thus, a rationale exists for integrating whole language and phonological awareness perspectives in attempts to promote literacy proficiency in young children.† (n.p.) The activities teachers of young children should plan for them should comply to the requirements necessary to meet the developmental needs of young chi ldren in terms of their language and literacy development. Not only should children be literate, but they should also become good communicators in the future especially if they are exposed to more of developmentally-appropriate activities in their very young age.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Learning Another Language Such as English To Survive in a Globalized World specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Otto (2010) differentiates language acquisition and language learning as thus: in language acquisition, a child learns language unconsciously in a natural way because he needs to understand meaning. On the other hand, in language learning, a child consciously learns rules in formal instruction in learning a language. Emphasis here is on the form of the language. Vygotsky (1962, as mentioned in Clay, 1998) emphasizes the value of children’s talk and their growing ability to articulate their understanding of their world orally and in writing. Taking part in negotiating meanings is part of the educational process, and Vygotsky believes that just being with others helps children learn. Benson McMullen (1998) agrees that children’s collaboration with their peers in problem-solving sessions encourages listening to each other’s ideas and in turn, express their own thoughts clearly. The varied ideas on dealing with problems evolve in group discussions making children understand that there may be more than one solution to a problem. It also prompts children to negotiate with others which solution to try. Adults play a huge role in the language development of children, as they need someone who uses simple language in correct form and is flexible enough adjust his language to suit the child’s (Clay, 1988). Lindfors (1987) notes that the child’s language environment includes a set of specific sentences, however, it is not this set of sentences that he acquires, but deduces from these an underlying set of organizational principles and sound-meaning relationships. To illustrate, children as young as two do not talk by simply using the specific sentences they hear, but rather, they construct sentences according to their own early version of organized principles underlying the specific sentences they have heard. Perhaps due also limited language and motor skills, the child’s early linguistic system is different from the adult’s and results in telegraphic and grammatically erratic sentences like â€Å"He no want to sit me.†, â€Å"I not like it†, and â€Å"He gived it to me.†Advertising Looking for research paper on linguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Over time, his language system will be revised in many different situations, and his sentences will become more adults of story themes are protagonists who dealt with race issues and children who solved problems successfully. Lesson plans should incorporate culturally relevant ideas in each diverse classroom (Edwards Kuhlman, 2007). For children learning a second language at an earlier age, it is important that their cultural background will not be discounted, as it makes up so much of their personhood. CBI strategies that are known it widely include content in its teaching strategies should focus more on the culture the learner comes from along with the culture of the second language he or she is learning. Having a good second language teacher is essential to learning the language more fluently. I do not discount the fact that imitation of proper pronunciation and intonation is necessary. Hence, learners should have attentive ears and retentive minds, and of course, cooperative to ngues to be able to speak fluently in such language. I also believe they need opportunities to practice speaking and listening to the second language outside the language lessons, so that means they need a support system of learners to interact with. I agree with the behaviorists’ concept of language learning through imitation, repetition and reinforcement; socioculturalists’ concept of social influence in language learning and Ausubel’s need for meaning in order to learn language. Thus, it makes sense that I would lean towards the communicative approach in second language learning. For me, it is more practical and user-friendly. I am not restricted to just learning the second language exclusively, but I am given freedom to refer to my native language for meaning. I also get to engage in meaningful activities that would make me appreciate the language better. I do not agree with â€Å"getting it right the beginning† because I see the value in making mista kes. I know they do not have to remain mistakes because the lesson is that they need to be corrected and stay corrected the more I get proficient with the language. I liken it to a child first learning how to write. To correct her in her attempts at writing and spelling may discourage her from exploring her own learning capacities and may just stifle her motivation and quit. I believe, this affects her self-esteem and confidence. However, when she feels liberated to explore writing, she will be more interested and passionate about getting it right that she would initiate asking if what she wrote was correct or not. She will come to a point that she would welcome corrections from adults to set her in the straight and proper path. I believe there is richer learning in this process rather than just being spoonfed information to memorize by rote. For me, meaning is more important than form. My beliefs in second language learning is happily validated by the research literature. Although the many theories I have discussed have different points, I derive what I think best suits my own philosophy. I agree with the sociocultural perspective of learning through interactions with others. A supportive environment will prop up beginning learners to reach their goals. I also believe that people have different learning styles. Some may be content with the traditional ways of listening to a teacher and regurgitating back information to her. For these students, the oral and aural learning styles are preferred. The study of learning styles have unearthed other styles which might have been considered unorthodox in the past. There are kinesthetic learners, who learn through actions and movement. It is fortunate that there are now learning approaches that cater to such learners who provide more active learning activities such as singing, games, dancing, interactive activities, etc. and not restricted to paper and pencil tasks and board work. I believe I am a more experiential lear ner, and teaching-learning methodologies that get me up my chair to actively participate will capture my interest more and make me retain new knowledge and skills better. Activities like dining in a restaurant that serves the food of the country where the language I am studying comes from (ex. French restaurant) and order using that language will be a very fruitful experience from me which would keep me on my toes to use the new language I have learned to good use. Another example is watching a foreign movie with subtitles. I can try watching it by turning the subtitles off and see if I can understand it. If not, then I have the freedom to turn the subtitles back on. I still believe in immersion strategies. Ideally, being in the country where the second language originates will leave the learner no choice but to learn, understand and use the language in order to survive. However, that does not mean that the first language gets pushed down in his psyche and forgotten altogether. It w ill serve as the learner’s anchor to understand the second language better. I also believe that the foreign environment can influence the learning process of the second language with the condition of a proper interaction, where according to the social network theory â€Å"personal relationships an individual shares with others such as relatives, friends, coworkers, and neighbors mediate variable linguistic behavior.† (Mantero, 2007, p. 192). The numerous issues on second language learning, especially English, only prove that it is creating much impact on the development of children from diverse cultures. More and more people consider its advantages and possible disadvantages. Such amount of attention is worth it because people think up of ways on how to maximize its benefits. Learning another language apart from one’s native language helps children be ready to be highly competent in an increasingly globalized world. Ausubel, David. A. , Educational Psychology: A Cognitive View. New York: Holt, Rinehart Winston 1968. Babbitt, Marcia. â€Å"Making Writing Count in an ESL Learning Community.† In I. Leki (ed), Academic Writing Programs, Alexandria, VA: TESOL. 2001. Benson McMullen, Mary., Thinking before doing: A giant toddler step on the road to literacy, Young Children, vol. 53, no. 3, pp. 65-70. 1998. Bonk, Curtis J. Cunningham, Donald J. â€Å"Searching for Learner-Centered,  Constructivist, and Sociocultural Components of Collaborative Educational  Learning Tools† in Electronic Collaborators. 2011. Web. Brewer, Joan., Introduction to Early Childhood Education, Allyn Bacon, 2001. Brown, H. Douglas., Principles of Language Learning and Teaching, 2nd Ed. NJ: Prentice Hall Regents 1987. Carroll, John B, The Critical Need in the Study of Language. College Composition and  Communication, Vol. 13, No. 3, Annual Meeting, Chicago, (1962), pp. 23-26. Chiswick, Barry R. Miller, Paul W., Language skills and earnings among le galized aliens, Journal of Population Economics, 12: 63-89, 1999. Chomsky, Noam., Aspects of a Theory of Syntax. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1965. Clay, Marie., By Different Paths to Common Outcomes, Stenhouse Publishers, Maine, pp. 5-32. 1998. Clifford, James.. Travelling culture in L. Grossberg, C. Nelson, and P. Treichler (eds.). Cultural Studies. New York: Routledge. 1992. Crandall, JoAnn. (ed), ESL through Content-Area Instruction, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1987. Curtain, Helena, Haas, Mari. â€Å"Integrating foreign language and content instruction in grades K-8†, 2011. Web. Curtain, Helena, Pesola, Carol Ann Bjornstad, Languages and children: Making the  match, Foreign language instruction for an early start grades K-8., White Plains, NY: Longman, 1994. Doman, Evelyn, â€Å"Current Debates in SLA†, Asian EFL Journal, Vol 7, Issue 4, Art. 8. 2011. Web. Duenas, Maria, A Description of Prototype Models for Content-Based Language  Instruction in Highe r Education, Department of English Studies, University of Murcia, 2002. Echevarria, J. Short, D.J., â€Å"The Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP)†, 2011. Web. Edwards, Sarah Kuhlman, Wilma, Culturally Responsive Teaching: Do We Walk Our Talk?, Multicultural Education, 2007. Ellis, Rod. SLA and language pedagogy. An educational perspective. Studies in Second  Language Acquisition, 19, 69-92. 1997. European Commission, â€Å"An Excellent Way of Making Progress in a Foreign Language† 2011. Web. Herrero, Annabelle H., Content-Based Instruction in an English Oral Communication Course at the University of Costa Rica, Actual Investigations in Education, Vol.5, No. 4, 2005. Kachru, Braj B. The second diaspora of English, In T. W. Machan and C. T. Scotts (eds.), English in its social contexts. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 230– 252, 1992. Kern, R.G., â€Å"Literacy as a New Organizing Principle for Foreign Language Education.† In Reading Betwe en the Lines, New Heaven: Yale University Press, 2002. Kramsch, Claire Sullivan, Patricia, â€Å"Appropriate Pedagogy†, ELT J 50: 199-212, 1996. Larsen-Freeman, Diane, Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. Oxford University Press, Inc. 1986. Lenneberg, Eric H.,â€Å"The Capacity for Language Acquisition†, in The Structure of Language, ed. J.A. Fodor and J.J. Katz. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, Inc. 1964. Leon, Edgar, Challenges and Solutions for Educating Migrant Students , ERIC, ED393615, 1996. Lightbown, Patsy M. Spada, Nina, How Languages Are Learned. New York: Oxford University Press. 2006. Lindfors, J.W., Children’s Language and Learning, 2nd Ed. Prentice Hall, Inc. 1987. Lyster, Roy Ranta, Leila, Corrective Feedback And Learner Uptake. SSLA, 20, 37– 66. Mantero, Miguel, Identity and second language learning : culture, inquiry, and dialogic activity in educational contexts. Charlotte, N.C.: IAP. 2007. Merryfield, Merry M., †Å"Institutionalizing cross-cultural experiences and international expertise in teacher education: The development and potential of a global education PDS network†, Journal of Teacher Education, 46(1), 1-9., 1995. Met, M.J.L. Learning Language through Content, Learning Content through Language. Foreign Language Annals 24 (4). (1991). Mohan, B., Language and Content. Reading, MA: Addison Wesley, 1986. Nagata, H. Testing Oral Ability: 1LR am ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interviews.†Ã‚  JALT Applied Materials 12, 1995. Norris, J., Hoffman, P., Whole Language Intervention for School-age  Children. San Diego: Singular Press. 1993. Otto, Beverly. Language development in early childhood. (3rd edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. 2010. Pakir, Anne, Bilingual education with English as an official language: Sociocultural  implications, Georgetown University Round Table On Languages And Linguistics. Georgetown University Press/ Digital Georgetown and the Department of Languages and Linguistics, 1999. Pessoa, S., Hendiy, H., Donato, R., Tucker, G.R., Lee, H., Content-Based Instruction in the Foreign Language Classroom: A Discourse Perspective,  Foreign Language Annals 40 (1) (2007). Platt, John T. (1982) â€Å"Bilingual language policies in a multilingual nation: Singapore†. Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, Vol. 5, pp. 17-20. Prodromou, L., â€Å"What culture? Which culture? Cross-cultural factors in language learning†, ELT J 46: 39-50, 1992. Slobin, Dan.I., â€Å"Comments on ‘Developmental Psycholinguistics’†, in The Genesis  of Language: A Psycholinguistic Approach, ed. F. Smith and G. Miller. Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press, 1966. Song, Balin, Content-Based ESL Instruction: Long-term Effects and Outcomes, The American University: Elsevier Ltd. , 2005. Stoller, E., Promoting the acquisition of knowledge in a content based course, In J. Crandall D. Kaufman (Eds.), Content-based instruction in higher  educa tion settings (pp. 109-123). Alexandria, VA: TESOL. 2004. Stoller, E, Grabe, W., The six-Ts approach to content-based instruction. In M.Snow D. M. Brinton (Eds.), The content-based classroom: perspectives on  Integrating language and content (pp. 78-94). New York: Addison-Wesley Longman 1997. Stryker, S.N. Leaver, B.L. Content-Based Instruction in Foreign Language Education. Washington DC: Georgetown University Press. 1997. Swain, Merrill Lapkin, Sharon, Task-based second language learning: the uses of the first language. Language Teaching Research 4,3 pp. 251–274, 2000. The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements. (n.d.). â€Å"Cultural and linguistic differences: What teachers should know†. 2011. Web. U.S.ENGLISH Foundation, Inc., â€Å"Language Research: Language in everyday life: The use of language in everyday life, e.g. education, broadcasting, and other†, 2011. Web. Van Lier, Leo., Forks and hope: Pursuing understanding in different ways. Applied  L inguistics,15, 328-347. 1994. Watkins, Ruth. V., Bunce, Betty. H., Promoting language and literacy skills in preschool classrooms. Invited presentation, Kansas Division for Early Childhood, Manhattan 1996. Widdowson, Henry.G.,.The ownership of English. TESOL Quarterly 28/2: 377-88, 1994. Yoon, Yeotak T., New Directions for KFL as a Scholarly Discipline, Seoul National University, 2001.

14 College Memes That Will Make You Laugh Through Tears

14 College Memes That Will Make You Laugh Through Tears Studying in college is something you can cry or laugh about. However, its better to choose the latter. Though college life can be really challenging at times, good sense of humor will defenitely help you to go through this difficult and yet amazing period of your life. Social media communities are full of funny memes created by college and high school students just like you. Some of them we previously published on our Facebook page. Heres the list of the most popular and hilarious memes about college life and challenges that our Facebook audience have found the most attractive. #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 P.S. If youd like to see more fun memes about college and high school, just click any of the listed images and visit our Facebook page. Well be glad to get more likes from you 🙂 Cover image credit: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Biography of Chandragupta Maurya, Indian Emperor

Biography of Chandragupta Maurya, Indian Emperor Chandragupta Maurya (c. 340–c. 297 BCE) was an Indian emperor who founded the Maurya Empire, which rapidly expanded across much of India into modern-day Pakistan. Maurya did battle with Alexander the Great, who invaded the Indian kingdom in 326 BCE, and prevented the Macedonian king from conquering the far side of the Ganges. Maurya went on to unite almost all of what is now India and defeat Alexanders successors. Fast Facts: Chandragupta Maurya Known For: Maurya united ancient India under the Maurya Empire in 322 BCE.Born: c. 340 BCEDied: 297 BCE in Shravanabelagola, Maurya EmpireSpouse: DurdharaChildren: Bindusara Early Life Chandragupta Maurya was reportedly born in Patna (in the modern-day Bihar state of India) sometime around 340 BCE. Scholars are uncertain of some details about his life. For example, some texts claim that both of Chandragupta’s parents were of the Kshatriya (warrior or prince) caste, while others state that his father was a king and his mother a maid from the lowly Shudra (servant) caste. It seems likely that Maurys father was Prince Sarvarthasiddhi of the Nanda Kingdom.  Chandragupta’s grandson, Ashoka the Great, later claimed a blood relationship to Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, but this claim is unsubstantiated. We know almost nothing about Chandragupta Maurya’s childhood and youth before he took on the Nanda Empire, which supports the hypothesis that he was of humble origin- no records about him exist until he founded the Maurya Empire. Maurya Empire Chandragupta was brave and charismatic- a born leader. The young man came to the attention of a famous Brahmin scholar, Chanakya, who bore a grudge against the Nanda. Chanakya began to groom Chandragupta to conquer and rule in the place of the Nanda emperor by teaching him tactics through different Hindu sutras and helping him raise an army. Chandragupta allied himself to the king of a mountain kingdom- perhaps the same Puru who had been defeated but spared by Alexander- and set out to conquer the Nanda. Initially, the upstart’s army was rebuffed, but after a long series of battles Chandragupta’s forces laid siege to the Nanda capital at Pataliputra. In 321 BCE the capital fell, and 20-year-old Chandragupta Maurya started his own kingdom. It was named the Maurya Empire. Chandragupta’s new empire stretched from what is now Afghanistan  in the west to Myanmar (Burma) in the east, and from Jammu and Kashmir in the north to the Deccan Plateau in the south. Chanakya served as the equivalent of a prime minister in the fledgling government. When Alexander the Great died in 323 BCE, his generals divided up his empire into satrapies  so that each of them would have a territory to rule, but by about 316, Chandragupta Maurya was able to defeat and incorporate all of the satrapies in the mountains of Central Asia, extending his empire to the edge of what is now Iran, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Some sources allege that Chandragupta Maurya may have arranged for the assassination of two of the Macedonian satraps: Philip, son of Machatas, and Nicanor of Parthia. If so, it was a very precocious act even for Chandragupta- Philip was assassinated in 326  when the future ruler of the Maurya Empire was still an anonymous teenager. Conflicts With Southern India and Persia In 305 BCE, Chandragupta decided to expand his empire into eastern Persia. At the time, Persia was ruled by Seleucus I Nicator, founder of the Seleucid Empire, and a former general under Alexander. Chandragupta seized a large area in eastern Persia. As part of the peace treaty that ended this war, Chandragupta gained control of that land as well as the hand of one of Seleucus’s daughters in marriage. In exchange, Seleucus received 500 war elephants, which he put to good use at the Battle of Ipsus in 301. With as much territory as he could comfortably rule to the north and west, Chandragupta Maurya next turned his attention to the south. With an army of 400,000 (according to Strabo) or 600,000 (according to Pliny the Elder), Chandragupta conquered all of the Indian subcontinent except for Kalinga (now Odisha) on the east coast and the Tamil kingdom at the southern tip of the landmass. By the end of his reign, Chandragupta Maurya had unified almost all of the Indian subcontinent. His grandson Ashoka would go on to add Kalinga and the Tamils to the empire. Family Life The only one of Chandragupta’s queens or consorts for whom we have a name is Durdhara, the mother of his first son Bindusara. However, it is believed that Chandragupta had many more consorts. According to legend, Prime Minister Chanakya was concerned that Chandragupta might be poisoned by his enemies, and therefore  started introducing small amounts of poison into the emperor’s food in order to build up a tolerance. Chandragupta was unaware of this plan and shared some of his food with his wife Durdhara when she was pregnant with their first son. Durdhara died, but Chanakya rushed in and performed an emergency operation to remove the full-term baby. The infant Bindusara survived, but a bit of his mother’s poisoned blood touched his forehead, leaving a blue bindu- the spot that inspired his name. Little is known about Chandragupta’s other wives and children. Chandraguptas son Bindusara is likely remembered more because of his son than for his own reign. He was the father of one of India’s greatest monarchs, Ashoka the Great. Death When he was in his 50s, Chandragupta became fascinated with Jainism, an extremely ascetic belief system. His guru was the Jain saint Bhadrabahu. In 298 BCE, the emperor renounced his rule, handing over power to his son Bindusara. He then  traveled south to a cave at Shravanabelogola, now in Karnataka. There, Chandragupta meditated without eating or drinking for five weeks until he died of starvation in a practice known as sallekhana or santhara. Legacy The dynasty that Chandragupta founded would rule over India and the southern part of Central Asia until 185 BCE. Chandraguptas grandson Ashoka would follow in his footsteps in several ways- conquering territory as a young man and then becoming devoutly religious as he aged. In fact, Ashokas reign in India may be the purest expression of Buddhism in any government in history. Today, Chandragupta is remembered as the unifier of India, like Qin Shihuangdi in China, but far less bloodthirsty. Despite a paucity of records, Chandragupta’s life story has inspired novels, movies such as 1958s â€Å"Samrat Chandragupt,† and even a 2011 Hindi-language TV series. Sources Goyal, S. R.  Chandragupta Maurya. Kusumanjali Prakashan, 1987.Singh, Vasundhra.  Maurya Empire. Rudra Publishers Distributors, 2017.

Revised pieces 2,3,4,5,and structured Research Paper

Revised pieces 2,3,4,5,and structured - Research Paper Example Nevertheless, the actions of Capone did not allow this Act, to be effective with the numerous illegal beer breweries that he carried out. Capone’s money, power and glamour are accompanied by ruthless activities which he engages in be it murder, violence so long as his goals are achieved. His violence is clearly seen in the St. Valentine’s Day massacre becoming one of the most horrifying events in Chicago’s history. A lump sum reward will accorded to any person who brings in any invaluable information to the authorities. Contact the address at the bottom of the page. Piece 4 board games The following game is to be played by following rules and instructions Paying rent on a utility if you throw a dice and it falls on a utility owned by another player, you pay him thrice the value of the property. Timing and trading, this can happen any time, but only when you are playing. Buying a mortgaged property when buying a mortgaged property you can pay for it later in the g ame or pay for it immediately. The game includes ladders that will help you in climbing as you gain more and more wealth. Every time your dice ends in square with a ladder use to climb up The game includes jail card you will get a jail card if you fail to pay on time for rent or mortgaged property. Owners of a property are required to pay taxes failure to which they will be sent to jail. The tax will be 15% of the value of the property. The more properties you the more taxes is required of you Piece 5 how to gain and keep power Be ironic; never trust your friends too much, learn how to make use of your enemies just like AL Capone who expressed his good intentions towards his enemies by sending them flowers during their funerals. Learn to keep your intentions to yourself because you may never know who will use them against you. Get other people to do the work for you, but take the credit. AL Capone maintained his power by providing what was needed by the majority that is the poor who depended on alcohol to absorb their sorrows away. Always learn to win people by your actions, Al Capone was always there to help people who were in need and therefore despite the evil side of Capone people could care less of his criminal activities. Capone was an elegant person who valued family; he always played the part of a self-made millionaire, whose actions did not depict anything unusual that would brand him a social misfit. Although Capone died many years ago living behind a character that is emulated by script writers for various movies. Piece 6 tabloid article Al Capone’s illegal nature started way back when he was a teenager, when he joined a criminal organization by the name five point gang. After he moved to Chicago, Capone’s involvement with Colosimo, a criminal gangster led him together with Torrio to expand operations after his death. In the 1920s, he had a booming criminal; an empire that included beer breweries, night club gambling organization and a prostitution circle. Although he was a criminal, he was considered a successful businessman though the means by which he gained that fame is questionable, which is a benefit of cheating your way up to power. His fame was accompanied by admiration by those who regarded him as a business tycoon rather than a criminal gang. Often the society forgets the criminal nature of

The intrusion of new technologies into the life-world lies at the Essay

The intrusion of new technologies into the life-world lies at the heart of the story about 20th century modernity - Essay Example For the modern geographer, the nature of time and space, the relationship between technological innovation and social space, the implications of the modern condition in the construction of subjectivity in the context of the technological advancements especially the impact of industrialization and the spread of manufacturing houses in the twentieth century, become essential studies. Use of technology has provided a choice, to act responsibly given the type of tool in hand or, to reject; to choose selectively and communally and to make a conscious choice of weeding out the superfluous and bettering what is perceived to be good (Robinson, 2001). This dissertation shall analyze the advent and progress of industrialization, concept of factories as the spatial basis of modernity, its impact on the society its, especially in relation to the concepts of time and space, and the economic implications, through various perspectives of modern philosophers and geographers like, Max Weber, David Ny e, Michel Foucault, Georg Simmel, Marshall Berman, Henri Lefebvre, to name a few. In the process, it is attempted to study the relevance of their observations, their limitations, drawing attention to their future connotations for the future. The Industrial Revolution: The term 'technology' was born in 1828 and spread with the railroads. The very first of such technologies is the rise of the telegraph system, which allowed important news to be transmitted across the country with rapid speed, and more pointedly the stock quotes, that aided the stock market bloom. Then, the railroad system, that allowed goods and people, to travel around anywhere at a faster pace. The importance of the railways was not only its speed and automation, but that it gave its riders freedom. Nye (1994) has wondered "What better way to measure oneself against nature than through the great works of manufacturing and engineering" Even more speed was achieved with the advent of the petroleum system, which with the use of pipes and railroads, was utilized move products and people. Then the telephone system that allowed people to interact with each other over long distances. This was closely followed by the advent of the electric system, which was deve loped by Thomas Edison, with the aid of Michael Faraday's electric generator. When Edison invented the light bulb, he founded the Edison Electric Illuminating Company of New York. Very rapidly, almost within months, the world was witnessing a great transformation. Consequently, the United States of America and the European nations were being transformed from agricultural societies to those that were industrially dependant societies. Many farmers and other people were giving up the rural life and moving to urban and city areas to find jobs in factories. The Rise of the Factory: The history of technological revolutions in the past two centuries may be said to have started with the Industrial Revolution of 1760-1830, which witnessed the "rise of the factory." (Mokyr, 2001) Actually, there have been numerous precedents for large-scale enterprise and for people working in large plants

Comparative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Comparative - Essay Example The president, George W. Bush says the hatred is because of America’s greatness. This greatness brings forth rage especially for the countries that cannot get freedom. The other opinion is from a minority group who think America is hated because of its support for some regimes especially in Middle East which can be repressive. According to America’s democracy, some of these ideals are not really acceptable. Wade thinks that America looks at the inward such that even the spending of money is much far than other countries like India. The emergence of original and more so unique cultures in America leads to celebration of individuals at community’s expense. Examples of these are human affairs innovations and the sociological event of atom splitting (Wades, p247). The United States people are quite unwilling to know or rather learn anything outside their borders. The difference in classes has led to emergence of groups such as al-Qaeda of Osama bin laden. Wade thinks al-Qaeda forms due to rich as well as poor differences. For example the leader Osama may be rich but fellow al-Qaeda may not be. The culture of America is much modernized, but for most uncivilized people especially from Africa, some of the things seem mean as they view from televisions’ programs. They conclude that that’s how the American people. Another example is where the people in the Middle East believe America’s values are questionable. ... It is not clear however, what happens to these children as they turn into young adults or thereafter leading to low leaving standards. In Kenya, most youths after getting some literacy end up unemployed and thus dwell in slums in Nairobi and some hate their ancestral lifestyles. Throughout the world, people forget the old and traditions but the fact is that they have to struggle to survive. According to anthropology, people and cultures that are under stress bring forth ideologies which are strange or weird and unexpected. For example, the case of Boxers of China who beheaded and murdered missionaries and displayed these heads as well (Wade, p249). Wade on page 250 also says al-Qaeda does not have full Muslim faith and so is partly Muslim, partly not. A sociologist from Harvard Daniel Bell wrote that the state of the nation is too small compared to the world’s big problems yet too big for the world’s small problems. Modernization has led to changing in the cultures; eve n languages are not taught to the children. He also thinks that the past may end up defining the future and its culture. He gives the example of Archduke Ferdinand’s assassination that took place in 1914. This incidence may turn out to define the fate of two different worlds in even 100 years to come. As a conclusion, Wade strongly points out that there must be aspiration to a new type of pluralism spirit which must be an international one. True democracy according to Wade, is supposed to be globally available, so that several cultures which are unique whether they are small or large, have the right to be in existence. Interdependent declaration moreover, must also be global in its existence as it is very essential for survival of

Refugees and Asylum seekers in the U.S Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Refugees and Asylum seekers in the U.S - Essay Example The U.S has people from almost every part of the globe with the general population characterized of different races. The US operates under a motto â€Å"e pluribus unum† (Martin, 3) insinuating that from many nations to one nation and as such it is a well framed structure. Therefore, since traditional periods, immigration has been acknowledged in the U.S through providing the immigrants with opportunities to better themselves as well as the United States as a nation. The dominant immigration patterns have been noted since early periods of 1820 with statistics revealing a great influx of about 66 million legal immigrants from all over the world. Germany and Mexico has been in the lead for having high populations of immigrants to the U.S ever since. However, the country has also harbored hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, which has in the past triggered quite heated debates of the fate of such persons. The search for employment and education has equally been associated with the influx of the immigrants into the United States of America over years. People move from one country to another for different reasons: voluntary on basis of work and employment, political reasons, family re-unification, natural happenings like disasters, need for one to voluntary change natural surroundings, poverty or for general economic reasons. Involuntary reasons may stem up from running away from natural disasters such as earthquakes, political or civil wars, involuntary deportation as well as seeking asylum as refugees. Asylum seekers are persons who get to foreign countries looking for protection against mistreatment or persecution within their homeland and who may not necessarily be refugees. On the other hand, refugees are persons who would be persecuted within their own countries of nationality on basis of their religion, race, nationality, political stand or opinion or better still membership to a social group. The U.S has been credited over years to work by a principle that restricts her to deport foreign nationals to their countries of orig in where it is proved that their lives or freedom is at a threat (Wasem, 1). Immigration is a common feature within the U.S, though there are guidelines and frameworks that are responsible for regulating the issue. Moreover, apart from internal regulatory frameworks that govern migration of persons as refugees or even asylum seekers in the U.S, there are international frameworks

What is the greatest challenge or obstacle you've confronted What are Essay

What is the greatest challenge or obstacle you've confronted What are the ways in which you have handled it How did it change you - Essay Example The initial response to this challenge was the usual crying and falling back on at least the comfort of hearing the familiar voices of my family through frequent telephone calls. This went on for some time and then I started realizing that I was falling in arrears of all that I needed to do at college, because of this obsession with home and the sorry state I was in away from home. I needed to do something about it. I observed that the times when I felt the worst was when I did nothing other than sit and mope about home. So I decided to steep myself in activities indoors with my studies and outdoors in extracurricular activities. My increased effort in my studies saw the return of good grades, my confidence in my academic abilities and smiles from my tutors and professors. However, it was from my extra curricular activities that I learnt a lot that made me a changed person. I had to interact with a lot of individuals from differing backgrounds and countries in the course of my extra curricular activities. This resulted in me realizing that there was more to the world than the four walls of my home. There was a lot to be learnt from interacting with individuals other than my family and developing healthy relationships with them. New perceptions of the world and life emerged from such relationships bringing among other things happiness into my life. I realized that I had missed a lot by limiting myself to my family and the environments of my home. By the end of the first term at college, I was no longer homesick and starting to enjoy my experiences in this new world I had found. College life away from home has changed me. I no longer fear an environment away from home and family. I am no longer reluctant to meet others. I enjoy interacting with others and sharing thoughts and ideas. I have become more adventurous willing to give new activities a try to see if they suit me. In all I believe my two years at college, away from home, has made me a

What was the ultimate importance of the Sino-Soviet split in the Essay

What was the ultimate importance of the Sino-Soviet split in the context of the broader Cold War . . . How may the Cold War have played out had this split not occurred - Essay Example t can be posited that had the split not occurred, the Cold War could have gone on for much longer, as the two big socialist countries could have presented a united front against their counterpart democratic, free-capitalist countries like the United States of America, Great Britain, France, and all the other countries belonging to the free world. Some historians assert the real cause of the split was the transfer of nuclear technology (Khoo 19) as Russia feared a nuclear-armed China, unsure what China will do with such a capability. The ultimate importance, significance, and also benefit of the split was an earlier end to the proxy wars between the communist and democratic countries, made the world probably a safer place as it allowed the two sides to reduce their nuclear arsenals. The split could have contributed to the bankruptcy and eventual collapse of the Soviet Union while it also allowed China to pursue another ideological alternative when it concerns its economic policies, which is now capitalist and enabled China to become an economic superpower itself. China is now the worlds second-largest economy with the biggest foreign currency reserves. If the split did not happen, the world could be still in Cold War uncertainties. The split made for a warmer and improved relationship between China and America possible (Arnold & Wiener

What is the greatest challenge or obstacle you've confronted What are Essay

What is the greatest challenge or obstacle you've confronted What are the ways in which you have handled it How did it change you - Essay Example The initial response to this challenge was the usual crying and falling back on at least the comfort of hearing the familiar voices of my family through frequent telephone calls. This went on for some time and then I started realizing that I was falling in arrears of all that I needed to do at college, because of this obsession with home and the sorry state I was in away from home. I needed to do something about it. I observed that the times when I felt the worst was when I did nothing other than sit and mope about home. So I decided to steep myself in activities indoors with my studies and outdoors in extracurricular activities. My increased effort in my studies saw the return of good grades, my confidence in my academic abilities and smiles from my tutors and professors. However, it was from my extra curricular activities that I learnt a lot that made me a changed person. I had to interact with a lot of individuals from differing backgrounds and countries in the course of my extra curricular activities. This resulted in me realizing that there was more to the world than the four walls of my home. There was a lot to be learnt from interacting with individuals other than my family and developing healthy relationships with them. New perceptions of the world and life emerged from such relationships bringing among other things happiness into my life. I realized that I had missed a lot by limiting myself to my family and the environments of my home. By the end of the first term at college, I was no longer homesick and starting to enjoy my experiences in this new world I had found. College life away from home has changed me. I no longer fear an environment away from home and family. I am no longer reluctant to meet others. I enjoy interacting with others and sharing thoughts and ideas. I have become more adventurous willing to give new activities a try to see if they suit me. In all I believe my two years at college, away from home, has made me a

Company Employment Essay Example for Free

Company Employment Essay Sheena had worked for the same Fortune 500 Company for most 15 years. Although the company had gone through some tough times, things were starting to turn around. Customer orders were up, and quality and productivity had improved dramatically from what they had been only a few years earlier due company wide quality improvement program. So, it comes as a real shock to Sheena and about 400 of her co-workers when they were suddenly terminated following the new CEO’s decision to downsize the company. After recovering from the initial shock, Sheena tried to find employment elsewhere. Despite her efforts, after eight months of searching she was no closer to finding a job than the day she started. Her funds were being depleted and she was getting more discouraged. There was one bright spot, though: She was able to bring in a little money by mowing lawns for her neighbors. She got involved quite by chance when she heard one neighbor remark that now that his children were on their own, nobody was around to cut the grass. Almost jokingly, Sheena asked him how much he’d be willing to pay. Soon Sheena was mowing the lawns of five neighbors. Other neighbors wanted her to work on their lawns, but she didn’t feel that she could spare any more time from her job search. However, as the rejection letters began to pile up, Sheena knew she had to make an important decision in her life. On a rainy Tuesday morning, she decided to go into business for herself taking care of neighborhood lawns. She was relieved to give up the stress of job hunting, and she was excited about the prospects of being her own boss. But she was also fearful of being completely on her own. Nevertheless, Sheena was determined to make a go of it. At first, business was a little slow, but once people realized Sheena was available, many asked her to take care of their lawns. Some people were simply glad to turn the work over to her; others switched from professional lawn care services. By the end of her first year in business, Sheena knew she could earn a living this way. She also performed other services such as fertilizing lawns, weeding gardens, and trimming shrubbery. Business became so good that Sheena hired two part-time workers to assist her and, even then, she believed she could expand further if she wanted to. Questions 1. In what ways are Sheena’s customers most likely to judge the quality of her lawn care services? (10 Marks) 2. Sheena is the operations manager of her business. Among her responsibilities are forecasting, inventory management, scheduling, quality assurance, and maintenance. (a) What kinds of things would likely require forecasts?  (b) What inventory items does Sheena probably have? Name one inventory decision she has to make periodically. (c) What scheduling must she do? What things might occur to disrupt schedules and cause Sheena to reschedule? (d) How important is quality assurance to Sheena’s business? Explain. (e) What kinds of maintenance must be performed? (20 Marks) 3. What are some of the trade-offs that Sheena probably considered relative to: (a) Working for a company instead of for herself? (b) Expanding the business? (10 Marks) 4. The town is considering an ordinance that would prohibit putting grass clippings at the curb for pickup because local landfills cannot handle the volume. What options might Sheena consider if the ordinance is passed? Name two advantages and two drawbacks of each option. (20 Marks)

Customer Relationship Management Systems

Customer Relationship Management Systems Abstract: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) focuses on customer retention through development of sustainable relationships. Establishment of these relationships is based on customer satisfaction and an organisations ability to sustain high standards that identify them from competitors. CRM is also concerned with attracting new customers. In order to ensure customer satisfaction, there is need to understand customer requirements through studies which is essentially the function of CRM. Evolution of information technology has given rise to CRM systems which make this function even easier so that long-term profitability resulting from customer loyalty and cost cutting is realized. The use of these systems has proved invaluable so that higher education institutions are highly being encouraged to make use of them in order to enhance their ability to retain existing customers and attract new customers. Executive summary The use of Customer Relationship Management Systems is a strategy that has been received with high levels of enthusiasm in the business world. Many businesses have embraced the use of Customer Relationship Management Systems; simply known as CRM systems to enhance satisfaction of existing customers and to attract new customers. This has been referred to as a shift from transaction-specific to cumulative customer oriented satisfaction through incorporating information technology in CRM. CRM systems are attributed to the growing concept of customer-centrism which focuses more on customer satisfaction to increase profitability. Institutions of higher learning have not been left behind and several of them have already turned to the use of these systems. The high level of competitiveness in institutions of higher learning as more investments are made in the sector has prompted them to adopt more proactive approaches to customer attraction and retention. Constant changes in customer expectations and demands have also played a big role in the adoption of these systems in order to help in meeting these needs. It is however notable that many institutions are still stuck with the traditional manual system of customer care. This is mostly due to the unavailability of funds or ignorance of the benefits that they are likely to obtain from CRM systems. This paper aims at filling this knowledge gap so that institutions of higher learning may realize how much they stand to gain from investing in CRM systems. It clearly demonstrates how they can use these systems to retain existing customers and recruit new ones. A study conducted in various universities and colleges revealed that customers would appreciate the use of CRM systems which would ensure that their queries are solved efficiently. The fact that CRM could help in saving time made it even more important to the customers. The study which incorporated high school seniors, university and college students, parents, staff and alumni in a study sample made note of the importance that customers placed on efficiency citing that long procedures are tiring and demoralising. Most respondents were quick to note that websites eliminate a great deal of unnecessary inquiries since most of the information required about the institution was likely to be available from the website. This way they did not have to contact the administration when they had questions. This study reveals that the use of CRM could actually save institutions from the unnecessary expenses resulting from customer dissatisfaction. This is done through the identification of customer needs which are then assimilated into the institutions strategy to meet these needs. This way, complaints are eliminated which saves the institution from loss of customers and loss of money. Stefanou and Sarmaniotis (2003: 623) note that dissatisfaction of customers is not only costly to the institution but to the customer as well. When a customer loses in a deal, the probability that he or she will utilize an organisations services again is greatly reduced. CRM systems could help institutions of higher learning to cut on their costs significantly thereby improving their profitability. In the study, the question of costs is raised and it is considered one of the limiting factors towards the acquisition of CRM systems. On the same note however, the study establishes that the cost involved in the acquisition is worth considering the benefits that the institution is likely to obtain in the long-run once the system is in place. In concluding the study, the need for caution during the selection of CRM systems to be used in the institutions is also emphasised. Chapter 1 Introduction/Background 1.10 Statement of the problem Institutions of higher learning are often overwhelmed by the high numbers of customers that they have to handle. Consequently, they end up not satisfying every customers need and instead opt for ways to collectively address customer needs. This however could be detrimental to the institutions because needs vary from one customer to the other. Further, there is a risk of losing customers as a result of the high number of colleges and universities that have emerged thereby raising the level of competition. In public institutions, it is common for customers who are mainly students being taken for granted. The administration is likely to be tempted to assume that it is the students who require education and hence demand their services and not vise versa. Conant (2003: 3) however notes that this kind of ignorance could culminate into deleterious effects on the institutions performance and even loss of customers. This according to Cleary (2001: 33) would be quite unfortunate because even t he best institution is ineffective when its customer focus is lost. Every student, parent, alumni and any other type of customer that the institutions serve is of great importance and deserves to be treated right. For this reason, understanding their needs and integrating this with the company strategy to better satisfy them is quite inevitable. Whenever such kind of a proposition is put forward, several questions are bound to arise: What options do institutions of higher learning have in ensuring that their customers needs are properly taken care of? Can any given institution cope with the ever changing customer needs in order to satisfy them? What about the ever rising levels of competition? Which is the right criterion to address these issues? Is it possible to gain positive results from their implementation? How much will it cost the institution? These are some of the problems and queries that this paper seeks to demystify. Many options are available when a company needs to meet its customers needs. A customer care strategy that caters for the present as well as the future needs of customers is what any modern organisation requires in order to survive the rising levels of competition. The most recent strategy and whose popularity is growing at a high rate among organizations not necessarily in the education sector is the use of customer relationship management systems. As put forth by various studies, customer relationship management systems will undoubtedly help in the provision of better services, management of existing customers and recruitment of new ones in higher education institutions. A proper understanding is however necessary if these institutions are to use CRM systems as their customer care strategy. This study is therefore justifiable and its findings will come in handy in ensuring that higher education institutions can manage their customers better. 1.20 Justification of the study Increase in competition among institutions of higher learning has been on the rise hence the need for strategies aimed at retaining current customers and attracting new ones. Just like in any other business entity, institutions must aim at satisfying their customers. This way, they are assured of increased profitability. This study will form a discussion on customer relationship management which is in essence a sophisticated way of ensuring customer satisfaction through establishment of sustainable customer relationships. This study could therefore be of great importance to institutions of higher learning which have not yet embraced the use of CRM systems into their programs. There is a general agreement that technology is advancing at a high rate and that customers are now turning towards information contained on the internet to make their purchasing decisions (Bull, 2003: 593-594). This new trend calls for a change in strategies used by companies to attract and retain new customers. By the use of the internet, customers can now get information about products and services, their prices and unique characteristics which they can then compare to others available over the internet. Making such information available over the internet is therefore very vital in todays business world. This applies perfectly to prospective students and staff who are likely to make use of the internet information to make important decisions about their school of choice. By making use of CRM systems, institutions are able to attract new customers and their customer base can be improved. A study focusing on the importance of CRM systems which are basically computer-based strategies is therefore justifiable as it will help institutions to better understanding of its working and importance. 1.30. Objectives of the study To make this study plausible in addressing the research issues and concerns, several objectives were set to guide the study. The major objective was to determine characteristics of customer relationship management systems that make them useful to higher education institutions and why institutions should adopt them to improve their competitiveness. Other objectives included: To find out whether costs of CRM systems impact on organisation ability to attain the systems. To establish whether there are any risks involved in the use of CRM systems. 1.40. Research questions What constitutes of customer satisfaction according to customer satisfaction theories? Does ensuring customer satisfaction contribute to the business effectiveness, productivity and profitability? What is meant by Customer Relationship Management Systems? Is there a relationship between Customer Relationship Management and customer satisfaction? Are they useful in higher education institutions? If so, how can they benefit from adopting Customer Relationship Management Systems? 1.50. Methodology outline This study makes the use of reliable sources of information through conducting interviews and using secondary data from previous studies conducted by various scholars in the same field. By making use of an example of Imperial College, this study will show that adopting the use of CRM systems could lead to a tremendous transformation in an institutions service delivery. Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1. The customer satisfaction theory 2.1.1. Customer satisfaction Customer satisfaction forms the core in the attraction and retention of customers into a business. It is for this reason that customer satisfaction is often considered very vital for business survival. Customer satisfaction is used to refer to contentment, happiness or well-being of an organisations customers (Anderson, 1973: 38). It is all about doing what is desirable to a customer. In the classical definition however, the degree of correspondence between a customers expectations and what is actually provided in the perceived product or service is what constitutes customer satisfaction (Stefanou and Sarmaniotis, 2006: 619). Should the service or product exceed expectations or just fulfil it, customer satisfaction is deemed to have occurred. The level of at which the product meets the customers needs then determines whether the customer is satisfied, moderately satisfied, highly satisfied and so on. Depending on the customers attitude, this could work well towards improving the busi ness customer loyalty. If a product or service is below the customers expectations, dissatisfaction occurs and the probability of losing the customer to competitors increases (Anderson, 1973: 38-39). In measuring customer satisfaction, a comparison between the expected and the perceived quality are objectively compared. The expected quality is what the customer expects from the company and which should be provided by the company. It is what represent the customers wishes, expectations and needs and is referred to as the Should factor (Wilson 1991: 152). On the other hand, what the business actually gives the customer is what is referred to as the perceived quality. Perceived quality is known as the is factor (Wilson, 1991: 152). The basic factors are those referred to as must have aspects or dissatisfiers. Basic factors do not afford the customer any satisfaction and they are deemed to be obvious. In other words, the characteristic is in essence what the customer wants and if this is not there then he would not even buy the product or service in the first place (Croteau, 2003: 25-26). For example, any customer will expect that an institution of higher learning provides education as a prerequisite and is bound to take this for granted. This characteristic does not trigger any sort of excitement from the customer as it is considered normal (Kano, Seraku and Tkahashi, 1984: 40). It is other factors that drive the excitement towards making a particular choice. This leads us to the excitement factors which are also known as satisfiers. These factors are the attractive characteristics of a good or service meant to generate delight in the customer (Croteau, 2003: 26). They are also considered as the factors that di stinguish an organisation from its competitors. It is these same features and characteristics that an organisation should emphasise on when advertising their goods to prospective customers so that they choose them over their competitors. Finally, the performance factors serve the purpose of providing the explicit needs of the customer (Conant, 2003: 7). When the performance is high or when the customers needs are completely met, the result is customer satisfaction. If there is low level of performance however, customer dissatisfaction results and this could cause detrimental effects on the company through loss of customers. 2.1.2. Significance of customer satisfaction Numerous empirical findings are of the view that customer satisfaction forms the basis of establishing competitive advantage. It is through customer satisfaction that the business can be assured of a bright future through repeat sales (Kano, Seraku, Takahashi and Tsuji, 1984: 39-41). Customer satisfaction helps to gain loyalty and hence retain current customers besides attracting new customers to a company. Unsatisfied customers are likely to leave because as Wilson (1991: 156) notes, only four out of every one hundred customers come back to complain. Instead, they go on and switch companies opting to keep the discontentment to themselves. This is to mean that satisfaction is extremely vital for the survival of any business and should therefore be highly regarded. Stefanou and Sarmaniotis, 2003: 619) contend with the fact that retaining the existing customers is much easier than attracting new ones hence the need to build strong customer relationships through striving to satisfy thei r needs and meeting their expectations. Consumer satisfaction is therefore vital for any organisations success and should be taken seriously. With this kind of knowledge, business strategies are now being inclined towards customer satisfaction. To do this, Customer Relationship Management has been embraced by many businesses (Grant and Anderson, 2002: 36; Conant, 2003: 21; Light, 2003: 607; Kirker, 1994: 12). Recommendations made by customers are said to attract almost the same number of customers that the business attracts on its own. This happens through recommendations. Wilson (1991: 103) notes that every satisfied customer is bound to say something positive about the product to her friends and relatives. These individuals could eventually end up being loyal customers to the business thus increasing customer base. Dissatisfied customers will complain and talk ill of the product or service such that prospective customers are discouraged and may never take the companys product following negative remarks from those that had used it before (Wilson, 1991: 157). 2.2. Understanding Customer Relationship Management The survival of any business is to a large extent determined by the level of customer satisfaction. This understanding has seen the rise in the customer-centrism strategy as a means to retain and attract new customers (Patterson, 2007: 5-6). The rise in globalization has led to high levels of competition so that every business must work towards addressing customer needs to keep them from turning to competitors. According to Oliver (1996: 88) customers are likely to move to competitors if they feel that they are not obtaining what they want. Loss of customers could be detrimental since a business cannot exist without customers. In this kind of competition for customers, the notion of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has gained an important role in business management. Light (2003: 603-604) refers to CRM simply as the management of company-customer relationships while Stefanou and Sarmaniotis (2003: 617) call it relationship marketing. Seeman and OHara (2006: 25) add that CRM aim s at increasing customer satisfaction by customizing the service provided to each consumer. Further, Seeman and OHara refer to CRM as the process by which business information and consumer information are brought together through a centralized system. Major components of CRM include communication management, marketing, recruitment, customer support and service among others. It is a strategy that places the customer as the major focus in the organisation. Stefanou and Sarmaniotis (2003: 613-617) refers this as a customer-centric strategy where understanding the customer life cycle is essential. There is also need to understand the ever changing customer needs triggered by changes in lifestyles and income changes. CRM has often been described as a shift from the transaction-specific to cumulative customer satisfaction through relational orientation (Raab, 2008: 132). In order to satisfy this prerequisite, CRM has been divided into two major procedures; the operational function and the analytical function. While the operational function involves the collection of data from customers, the analytical function is concerned with analysis of data in order to understand the customer needs so that they can be effectively addressed (Peelen, 2005: 63). Data can be collected through the use of interviews and questionnaires, customer feedback, complaints and physical reactions among others. Using this kind of information, the customer service department can easily determine whether customers are satisfied with their products or not (Kirker, 1994: 14). If they are not satisfied, strategies aimed at addressing the various needs must be formulated. With the increasing level of globalisation, technological advances are being strongly felt in the business world. Further, customer relationships have become more complex due to consumer mobility and the rise of suburbs (Milliron, 2001: 52). Customer tastes and preferences are changing by the day as people embrace the modern world. In response to this, more companies have taken up technology-led techniques to further enhance their performance. It is for this reason that the CRM systems have emerged and companies are now turning from the manual CRM to computerised CRM. 2.3. Customer relationship management systems The use of Customer Relationship Management in institutions of higher learning is a relatively new genre of technology operations whose popularity is growing at a high rate (Light, 2003: 605). The application which is computer-based has aided in making sure that the relationship between customers and businesses can be effectively managed (Peelan, 2005: 79). Information Technology advances have been a catalyst in customer relationship management systems. Traditional analysis of data is slowly becoming outdated and the use of software to perform such duties is being adopted by the day. CRM systems have gained widespread popularity especially with the so called forward thinking managers(Croteau, 2003, 29). These systems not only analyze customer needs effectively but also make work easier for managers thus saving the time required for data analysis. Bradshaw and Brash (2001: 522) define CRM systems as a combination of discrete software tools which serve the purpose of enhancing customer satisfaction, reducing costs, identifying new opportunities, increasing revenue and attraction new customers among others. They note that organisations have no reason to fear initial costs of acquiring these systems because the benefits to be gained in the long-run exceed the costs incurred in the acquisition. Research shows that sophisticated technology has brought about the emergence of more advanced CRM systems (Milliron, 2001: 51). Further, it is notable that organisations that are currently using these sophisticated CRM technologies are gaining competitive advantage over their competitors who make use of basic data collection approaches (Abbott, Stone and Buttle, 2001: 27). Information Technology has aided companies to effectively customise their customer care procedures so as to ensure that they are well served. Following the emergence of CRM which aims at individualising customer needs, companies are now demanding technologies which make it easier to keep records about individual customers. This eliminates high numbers of record which have to be retrieved every time a customer visits the business (Bull, 2003: 31).Using the various CRM systems available in the market, it is possible for companies to collect all available data about a certain customer which is then saved in the company database. Whenever an enquiry is made by this customer, the customer care representative just needs to feed the necessary details in the database to retrieve everything about the consumer (Grant and Anderson, 2002: 26). This way, it is becomes easier to address these customers needs depending on the situation at hand. The use of web technology is one of the most prevalent applications of CRM technology (Milliron, 2001: 52). Savvy managers have realised the high rate at which the world is suddenly becoming computerized. The ease of internet navigation and development of broadband services has turned customers into active internet users. To maximise on this, internet marketing has emerged with more companies now displaying their goods in popular web pages such as networking sites (Kotler and Fox, 1995:96). It is not only the goods that they advertise on the internet however, websites containing company information have been developed so that customers can easily access any information they desire from the website (Light, 2003: 605). Most websites often have customer inquiry sections where questions can be asked and complaints deposited (Light, 2003: 606). The use of chat rooms to answer customer questions directly from the help care desk is also used in certain sophisticated websites. While websites are likely to serve customers who are already familiar with the company, new ways of directing prospective customers have been established. In popular web pages for example, clicking on a certain advertised good or service takes the prospective customer to the companys website where he or she can now access more information on about the company and other goods and services offered by the company. This is to mean that while company websites were previously used by companies to showcase their activities and other information about the company, they are now doubling up as marketing tools to retain existing employees and obtain new ones (Light, 2003: 606). 2.4. Customer relations in institutions of higher education Starting the mid-80s and into the late 90s, many higher education institutions engaged themselves in restructuring and engineering their administrative operations so that costs were reduced and consequently better services could be provided (Grant and Anderson, 2002: 24). The focus is slowly shifting from these operational changes meant to improve service delivery to identification of customer needs. These needs are then being used to identify the areas that need to be improved in order to effectively satisfy customers. This has been described as a proactive action because institutions can learn what their customers want then work towards satisfying these needs before they lose them to other institutions which meet such needs (Bull, 2003: 593). Customer relationship management (CRM) is fast gaining popularity as more institutions realize that maintaining healthy relationships with customers is vital for business success. Organisations that make use of customer relationship management report increased sales resulting from the good relationships established with their customers (Croteau, 2003: 29). Customer relations management (CRM) enables the analysis of past customer behaviour in a bid to anticipate future trends and hence do everything in their capacity to ensure that customer needs are met. While many institutions have embraced CRM, few have ventured into the use of customer relationship management technologies (Conant, 2003: 3-5). For some, it is because of inadequate information about customer relationship management (CRM) systems while for others is because of fear of initial costs associated with installing such systems. Seeman and OHara (2006: 26) note that at least 75 percent of the students entering higher education institutions have a substantial exposure to technology. The new generation of students are described as technology savvy students due to their undeniable contact with technology. As a result, their expectations about technology resources available in the institutions are very high (Milliron, 2001: 16). From what they have learnt over the internet and other technology literature, technology has been used to make procedures easier for customers unlike when manual systems were used. In their minds, institutions of higher learning should fall under this group that has acquired these systems in order to serve them better. Their absence therefore could frustrate their expectations which could culminate to serious consequences (Croteau, 2003, 31). For existing students, they could change schools and discourage their counterparts from joining the school. The use of CRM also serves the purpose of unifying the university or college administration such that the needs of customers can be catered for without having to move from one office to another. Many businesses today have now introduced websites through which they serve their customers needs. In the same trend, colleges and universities should take on this innovative method of communication to reach out to their customers without necessarily requiring them to visit the institution physically (Kotler and Fox, 1995: 96). This reduces physical and geographical barriers through providing all the information that current and potential customers would like to know about the institution. In designing a website, the technician involved must collect all the information that the institution wishes to put on the site (Milliron, 2001: 17). This information is then arranged in such a way that given links can lead the customer to the desired departments so as to access the required information. Chapter 3 Methodology Introduction This section of the paper quantifies the ability of the study to effectively satisfy the set objectives. Besides giving the procedures, methods and samples used in the study, it also outlines major limitations faced during the study. 3.1. Research scope The essence of this study is to establish whether Customer Relationship Management Systems could be of help to higher education institutions. As such, the study delimits itself to the role of customer relationships in institutions of higher learning. The importance of Customer Relationship Management systems forms the basis for this study and hence the advantages of this strategy form a core subject of the study. Due to the large geographical coverage of institutions and financial constraints, only schools in Madrid and Canterbia in Spain were used for the study. 3.2. Data and data collection Collection of data forms influences the outcome of the study to a large extent. For this reason, the data collection procedure was applied in the best way possible to enhance efficiency and to give the most accurate results. Both primary and secondary data were applied in the study. a) Primary data Factual information from the respondents was vital in making effective conclusions. To obtain this information, two separate types of questionnaires were set. These focused on current customers and potential customers. For simplicity, senior high school students who are most likely going to join universities and colleges after graduating were interviewed to determine the qualities they considered important in a college. Further, they were required to suggest the various components they would like incorporated in the college and university CRM systems. Current customers included students at colleges, staff, parents and alumni. The questionnaire directed at this group was aimed at finding out the application of CRM in their schools and how they thought it could be better improved to by incorporating technology. For those whose schools had already adopted CRM systems, they were asked to give the advantages they had witnessed and the difference with what they heard from colleagues in oth er schools not using CRM systems. Questionnaire were read out and filled by the researcher as the respondent gave their views. b) Secondary data Equally important was the use of secondary data which gave the study a theoretical background. Without the use of books, journals and periodicals among other written works, there was no way of justifying the concept of Customer Relationship Management Systems. The literature review in particular was solely dependent on previously published works. As such, secondary data was highly employed in the study. 3.3. Sample selection, technique, and size The study sample consisted of ten college students, ten university students, twenty high school seniors, twenty staff members and a random selection of twenty parents and alumni of various colleges and universities. Due to the large population of probable respondents, a method for selecting a sample had to be identified. The strategic sampling method was used to identify respondents for the study. 3.4. Ethics of the research methodology Before the beginning of the study, an objective of reducing respondents compromise as far as possible was set. The views contained in the questionnaires were for research purposes only and no third party was allowed to come into contact with them. With such an assurance, respondents felt free to give out information considered sensitive. For privacy purposes, no respondent was required to give out his or her name during the interviews. This raised confidentiality as required in scholarly research. 3.5. Limitations of the study As mu Customer Relationship Management Systems Customer Relationship Management Systems Abstract: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) focuses on customer retention through development of sustainable relationships. Establishment of these relationships is based on customer satisfaction and an organisations ability to sustain high standards that identify them from competitors. CRM is also concerned with attracting new customers. In order to ensure customer satisfaction, there is need to understand customer requirements through studies which is essentially the function of CRM. Evolution of information technology has given rise to CRM systems which make this function even easier so that long-term profitability resulting from customer loyalty and cost cutting is realized. The use of these systems has proved invaluable so that higher education institutions are highly being encouraged to make use of them in order to enhance their ability to retain existing customers and attract new customers. Executive summary The use of Customer Relationship Management Systems is a strategy that has been received with high levels of enthusiasm in the business world. Many businesses have embraced the use of Customer Relationship Management Systems; simply known as CRM systems to enhance satisfaction of existing customers and to attract new customers. This has been referred to as a shift from transaction-specific to cumulative customer oriented satisfaction through incorporating information technology in CRM. CRM systems are attributed to the growing concept of customer-centrism which focuses more on customer satisfaction to increase profitability. Institutions of higher learning have not been left behind and several of them have already turned to the use of these systems. The high level of competitiveness in institutions of higher learning as more investments are made in the sector has prompted them to adopt more proactive approaches to customer attraction and retention. Constant changes in customer expectations and demands have also played a big role in the adoption of these systems in order to help in meeting these needs. It is however notable that many institutions are still stuck with the traditional manual system of customer care. This is mostly due to the unavailability of funds or ignorance of the benefits that they are likely to obtain from CRM systems. This paper aims at filling this knowledge gap so that institutions of higher learning may realize how much they stand to gain from investing in CRM systems. It clearly demonstrates how they can use these systems to retain existing customers and recruit new ones. A study conducted in various universities and colleges revealed that customers would appreciate the use of CRM systems which would ensure that their queries are solved efficiently. The fact that CRM could help in saving time made it even more important to the customers. The study which incorporated high school seniors, university and college students, parents, staff and alumni in a study sample made note of the importance that customers placed on efficiency citing that long procedures are tiring and demoralising. Most respondents were quick to note that websites eliminate a great deal of unnecessary inquiries since most of the information required about the institution was likely to be available from the website. This way they did not have to contact the administration when they had questions. This study reveals that the use of CRM could actually save institutions from the unnecessary expenses resulting from customer dissatisfaction. This is done through the identification of customer needs which are then assimilated into the institutions strategy to meet these needs. This way, complaints are eliminated which saves the institution from loss of customers and loss of money. Stefanou and Sarmaniotis (2003: 623) note that dissatisfaction of customers is not only costly to the institution but to the customer as well. When a customer loses in a deal, the probability that he or she will utilize an organisations services again is greatly reduced. CRM systems could help institutions of higher learning to cut on their costs significantly thereby improving their profitability. In the study, the question of costs is raised and it is considered one of the limiting factors towards the acquisition of CRM systems. On the same note however, the study establishes that the cost involved in the acquisition is worth considering the benefits that the institution is likely to obtain in the long-run once the system is in place. In concluding the study, the need for caution during the selection of CRM systems to be used in the institutions is also emphasised. Chapter 1 Introduction/Background 1.10 Statement of the problem Institutions of higher learning are often overwhelmed by the high numbers of customers that they have to handle. Consequently, they end up not satisfying every customers need and instead opt for ways to collectively address customer needs. This however could be detrimental to the institutions because needs vary from one customer to the other. Further, there is a risk of losing customers as a result of the high number of colleges and universities that have emerged thereby raising the level of competition. In public institutions, it is common for customers who are mainly students being taken for granted. The administration is likely to be tempted to assume that it is the students who require education and hence demand their services and not vise versa. Conant (2003: 3) however notes that this kind of ignorance could culminate into deleterious effects on the institutions performance and even loss of customers. This according to Cleary (2001: 33) would be quite unfortunate because even t he best institution is ineffective when its customer focus is lost. Every student, parent, alumni and any other type of customer that the institutions serve is of great importance and deserves to be treated right. For this reason, understanding their needs and integrating this with the company strategy to better satisfy them is quite inevitable. Whenever such kind of a proposition is put forward, several questions are bound to arise: What options do institutions of higher learning have in ensuring that their customers needs are properly taken care of? Can any given institution cope with the ever changing customer needs in order to satisfy them? What about the ever rising levels of competition? Which is the right criterion to address these issues? Is it possible to gain positive results from their implementation? How much will it cost the institution? These are some of the problems and queries that this paper seeks to demystify. Many options are available when a company needs to meet its customers needs. A customer care strategy that caters for the present as well as the future needs of customers is what any modern organisation requires in order to survive the rising levels of competition. The most recent strategy and whose popularity is growing at a high rate among organizations not necessarily in the education sector is the use of customer relationship management systems. As put forth by various studies, customer relationship management systems will undoubtedly help in the provision of better services, management of existing customers and recruitment of new ones in higher education institutions. A proper understanding is however necessary if these institutions are to use CRM systems as their customer care strategy. This study is therefore justifiable and its findings will come in handy in ensuring that higher education institutions can manage their customers better. 1.20 Justification of the study Increase in competition among institutions of higher learning has been on the rise hence the need for strategies aimed at retaining current customers and attracting new ones. Just like in any other business entity, institutions must aim at satisfying their customers. This way, they are assured of increased profitability. This study will form a discussion on customer relationship management which is in essence a sophisticated way of ensuring customer satisfaction through establishment of sustainable customer relationships. This study could therefore be of great importance to institutions of higher learning which have not yet embraced the use of CRM systems into their programs. There is a general agreement that technology is advancing at a high rate and that customers are now turning towards information contained on the internet to make their purchasing decisions (Bull, 2003: 593-594). This new trend calls for a change in strategies used by companies to attract and retain new customers. By the use of the internet, customers can now get information about products and services, their prices and unique characteristics which they can then compare to others available over the internet. Making such information available over the internet is therefore very vital in todays business world. This applies perfectly to prospective students and staff who are likely to make use of the internet information to make important decisions about their school of choice. By making use of CRM systems, institutions are able to attract new customers and their customer base can be improved. A study focusing on the importance of CRM systems which are basically computer-based strategies is therefore justifiable as it will help institutions to better understanding of its working and importance. 1.30. Objectives of the study To make this study plausible in addressing the research issues and concerns, several objectives were set to guide the study. The major objective was to determine characteristics of customer relationship management systems that make them useful to higher education institutions and why institutions should adopt them to improve their competitiveness. Other objectives included: To find out whether costs of CRM systems impact on organisation ability to attain the systems. To establish whether there are any risks involved in the use of CRM systems. 1.40. Research questions What constitutes of customer satisfaction according to customer satisfaction theories? Does ensuring customer satisfaction contribute to the business effectiveness, productivity and profitability? What is meant by Customer Relationship Management Systems? Is there a relationship between Customer Relationship Management and customer satisfaction? Are they useful in higher education institutions? If so, how can they benefit from adopting Customer Relationship Management Systems? 1.50. Methodology outline This study makes the use of reliable sources of information through conducting interviews and using secondary data from previous studies conducted by various scholars in the same field. By making use of an example of Imperial College, this study will show that adopting the use of CRM systems could lead to a tremendous transformation in an institutions service delivery. Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1. The customer satisfaction theory 2.1.1. Customer satisfaction Customer satisfaction forms the core in the attraction and retention of customers into a business. It is for this reason that customer satisfaction is often considered very vital for business survival. Customer satisfaction is used to refer to contentment, happiness or well-being of an organisations customers (Anderson, 1973: 38). It is all about doing what is desirable to a customer. In the classical definition however, the degree of correspondence between a customers expectations and what is actually provided in the perceived product or service is what constitutes customer satisfaction (Stefanou and Sarmaniotis, 2006: 619). Should the service or product exceed expectations or just fulfil it, customer satisfaction is deemed to have occurred. The level of at which the product meets the customers needs then determines whether the customer is satisfied, moderately satisfied, highly satisfied and so on. Depending on the customers attitude, this could work well towards improving the busi ness customer loyalty. If a product or service is below the customers expectations, dissatisfaction occurs and the probability of losing the customer to competitors increases (Anderson, 1973: 38-39). In measuring customer satisfaction, a comparison between the expected and the perceived quality are objectively compared. The expected quality is what the customer expects from the company and which should be provided by the company. It is what represent the customers wishes, expectations and needs and is referred to as the Should factor (Wilson 1991: 152). On the other hand, what the business actually gives the customer is what is referred to as the perceived quality. Perceived quality is known as the is factor (Wilson, 1991: 152). The basic factors are those referred to as must have aspects or dissatisfiers. Basic factors do not afford the customer any satisfaction and they are deemed to be obvious. In other words, the characteristic is in essence what the customer wants and if this is not there then he would not even buy the product or service in the first place (Croteau, 2003: 25-26). For example, any customer will expect that an institution of higher learning provides education as a prerequisite and is bound to take this for granted. This characteristic does not trigger any sort of excitement from the customer as it is considered normal (Kano, Seraku and Tkahashi, 1984: 40). It is other factors that drive the excitement towards making a particular choice. This leads us to the excitement factors which are also known as satisfiers. These factors are the attractive characteristics of a good or service meant to generate delight in the customer (Croteau, 2003: 26). They are also considered as the factors that di stinguish an organisation from its competitors. It is these same features and characteristics that an organisation should emphasise on when advertising their goods to prospective customers so that they choose them over their competitors. Finally, the performance factors serve the purpose of providing the explicit needs of the customer (Conant, 2003: 7). When the performance is high or when the customers needs are completely met, the result is customer satisfaction. If there is low level of performance however, customer dissatisfaction results and this could cause detrimental effects on the company through loss of customers. 2.1.2. Significance of customer satisfaction Numerous empirical findings are of the view that customer satisfaction forms the basis of establishing competitive advantage. It is through customer satisfaction that the business can be assured of a bright future through repeat sales (Kano, Seraku, Takahashi and Tsuji, 1984: 39-41). Customer satisfaction helps to gain loyalty and hence retain current customers besides attracting new customers to a company. Unsatisfied customers are likely to leave because as Wilson (1991: 156) notes, only four out of every one hundred customers come back to complain. Instead, they go on and switch companies opting to keep the discontentment to themselves. This is to mean that satisfaction is extremely vital for the survival of any business and should therefore be highly regarded. Stefanou and Sarmaniotis, 2003: 619) contend with the fact that retaining the existing customers is much easier than attracting new ones hence the need to build strong customer relationships through striving to satisfy thei r needs and meeting their expectations. Consumer satisfaction is therefore vital for any organisations success and should be taken seriously. With this kind of knowledge, business strategies are now being inclined towards customer satisfaction. To do this, Customer Relationship Management has been embraced by many businesses (Grant and Anderson, 2002: 36; Conant, 2003: 21; Light, 2003: 607; Kirker, 1994: 12). Recommendations made by customers are said to attract almost the same number of customers that the business attracts on its own. This happens through recommendations. Wilson (1991: 103) notes that every satisfied customer is bound to say something positive about the product to her friends and relatives. These individuals could eventually end up being loyal customers to the business thus increasing customer base. Dissatisfied customers will complain and talk ill of the product or service such that prospective customers are discouraged and may never take the companys product following negative remarks from those that had used it before (Wilson, 1991: 157). 2.2. Understanding Customer Relationship Management The survival of any business is to a large extent determined by the level of customer satisfaction. This understanding has seen the rise in the customer-centrism strategy as a means to retain and attract new customers (Patterson, 2007: 5-6). The rise in globalization has led to high levels of competition so that every business must work towards addressing customer needs to keep them from turning to competitors. According to Oliver (1996: 88) customers are likely to move to competitors if they feel that they are not obtaining what they want. Loss of customers could be detrimental since a business cannot exist without customers. In this kind of competition for customers, the notion of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has gained an important role in business management. Light (2003: 603-604) refers to CRM simply as the management of company-customer relationships while Stefanou and Sarmaniotis (2003: 617) call it relationship marketing. Seeman and OHara (2006: 25) add that CRM aim s at increasing customer satisfaction by customizing the service provided to each consumer. Further, Seeman and OHara refer to CRM as the process by which business information and consumer information are brought together through a centralized system. Major components of CRM include communication management, marketing, recruitment, customer support and service among others. It is a strategy that places the customer as the major focus in the organisation. Stefanou and Sarmaniotis (2003: 613-617) refers this as a customer-centric strategy where understanding the customer life cycle is essential. There is also need to understand the ever changing customer needs triggered by changes in lifestyles and income changes. CRM has often been described as a shift from the transaction-specific to cumulative customer satisfaction through relational orientation (Raab, 2008: 132). In order to satisfy this prerequisite, CRM has been divided into two major procedures; the operational function and the analytical function. While the operational function involves the collection of data from customers, the analytical function is concerned with analysis of data in order to understand the customer needs so that they can be effectively addressed (Peelen, 2005: 63). Data can be collected through the use of interviews and questionnaires, customer feedback, complaints and physical reactions among others. Using this kind of information, the customer service department can easily determine whether customers are satisfied with their products or not (Kirker, 1994: 14). If they are not satisfied, strategies aimed at addressing the various needs must be formulated. With the increasing level of globalisation, technological advances are being strongly felt in the business world. Further, customer relationships have become more complex due to consumer mobility and the rise of suburbs (Milliron, 2001: 52). Customer tastes and preferences are changing by the day as people embrace the modern world. In response to this, more companies have taken up technology-led techniques to further enhance their performance. It is for this reason that the CRM systems have emerged and companies are now turning from the manual CRM to computerised CRM. 2.3. Customer relationship management systems The use of Customer Relationship Management in institutions of higher learning is a relatively new genre of technology operations whose popularity is growing at a high rate (Light, 2003: 605). The application which is computer-based has aided in making sure that the relationship between customers and businesses can be effectively managed (Peelan, 2005: 79). Information Technology advances have been a catalyst in customer relationship management systems. Traditional analysis of data is slowly becoming outdated and the use of software to perform such duties is being adopted by the day. CRM systems have gained widespread popularity especially with the so called forward thinking managers(Croteau, 2003, 29). These systems not only analyze customer needs effectively but also make work easier for managers thus saving the time required for data analysis. Bradshaw and Brash (2001: 522) define CRM systems as a combination of discrete software tools which serve the purpose of enhancing customer satisfaction, reducing costs, identifying new opportunities, increasing revenue and attraction new customers among others. They note that organisations have no reason to fear initial costs of acquiring these systems because the benefits to be gained in the long-run exceed the costs incurred in the acquisition. Research shows that sophisticated technology has brought about the emergence of more advanced CRM systems (Milliron, 2001: 51). Further, it is notable that organisations that are currently using these sophisticated CRM technologies are gaining competitive advantage over their competitors who make use of basic data collection approaches (Abbott, Stone and Buttle, 2001: 27). Information Technology has aided companies to effectively customise their customer care procedures so as to ensure that they are well served. Following the emergence of CRM which aims at individualising customer needs, companies are now demanding technologies which make it easier to keep records about individual customers. This eliminates high numbers of record which have to be retrieved every time a customer visits the business (Bull, 2003: 31).Using the various CRM systems available in the market, it is possible for companies to collect all available data about a certain customer which is then saved in the company database. Whenever an enquiry is made by this customer, the customer care representative just needs to feed the necessary details in the database to retrieve everything about the consumer (Grant and Anderson, 2002: 26). This way, it is becomes easier to address these customers needs depending on the situation at hand. The use of web technology is one of the most prevalent applications of CRM technology (Milliron, 2001: 52). Savvy managers have realised the high rate at which the world is suddenly becoming computerized. The ease of internet navigation and development of broadband services has turned customers into active internet users. To maximise on this, internet marketing has emerged with more companies now displaying their goods in popular web pages such as networking sites (Kotler and Fox, 1995:96). It is not only the goods that they advertise on the internet however, websites containing company information have been developed so that customers can easily access any information they desire from the website (Light, 2003: 605). Most websites often have customer inquiry sections where questions can be asked and complaints deposited (Light, 2003: 606). The use of chat rooms to answer customer questions directly from the help care desk is also used in certain sophisticated websites. While websites are likely to serve customers who are already familiar with the company, new ways of directing prospective customers have been established. In popular web pages for example, clicking on a certain advertised good or service takes the prospective customer to the companys website where he or she can now access more information on about the company and other goods and services offered by the company. This is to mean that while company websites were previously used by companies to showcase their activities and other information about the company, they are now doubling up as marketing tools to retain existing employees and obtain new ones (Light, 2003: 606). 2.4. Customer relations in institutions of higher education Starting the mid-80s and into the late 90s, many higher education institutions engaged themselves in restructuring and engineering their administrative operations so that costs were reduced and consequently better services could be provided (Grant and Anderson, 2002: 24). The focus is slowly shifting from these operational changes meant to improve service delivery to identification of customer needs. These needs are then being used to identify the areas that need to be improved in order to effectively satisfy customers. This has been described as a proactive action because institutions can learn what their customers want then work towards satisfying these needs before they lose them to other institutions which meet such needs (Bull, 2003: 593). Customer relationship management (CRM) is fast gaining popularity as more institutions realize that maintaining healthy relationships with customers is vital for business success. Organisations that make use of customer relationship management report increased sales resulting from the good relationships established with their customers (Croteau, 2003: 29). Customer relations management (CRM) enables the analysis of past customer behaviour in a bid to anticipate future trends and hence do everything in their capacity to ensure that customer needs are met. While many institutions have embraced CRM, few have ventured into the use of customer relationship management technologies (Conant, 2003: 3-5). For some, it is because of inadequate information about customer relationship management (CRM) systems while for others is because of fear of initial costs associated with installing such systems. Seeman and OHara (2006: 26) note that at least 75 percent of the students entering higher education institutions have a substantial exposure to technology. The new generation of students are described as technology savvy students due to their undeniable contact with technology. As a result, their expectations about technology resources available in the institutions are very high (Milliron, 2001: 16). From what they have learnt over the internet and other technology literature, technology has been used to make procedures easier for customers unlike when manual systems were used. In their minds, institutions of higher learning should fall under this group that has acquired these systems in order to serve them better. Their absence therefore could frustrate their expectations which could culminate to serious consequences (Croteau, 2003, 31). For existing students, they could change schools and discourage their counterparts from joining the school. The use of CRM also serves the purpose of unifying the university or college administration such that the needs of customers can be catered for without having to move from one office to another. Many businesses today have now introduced websites through which they serve their customers needs. In the same trend, colleges and universities should take on this innovative method of communication to reach out to their customers without necessarily requiring them to visit the institution physically (Kotler and Fox, 1995: 96). This reduces physical and geographical barriers through providing all the information that current and potential customers would like to know about the institution. In designing a website, the technician involved must collect all the information that the institution wishes to put on the site (Milliron, 2001: 17). This information is then arranged in such a way that given links can lead the customer to the desired departments so as to access the required information. Chapter 3 Methodology Introduction This section of the paper quantifies the ability of the study to effectively satisfy the set objectives. Besides giving the procedures, methods and samples used in the study, it also outlines major limitations faced during the study. 3.1. Research scope The essence of this study is to establish whether Customer Relationship Management Systems could be of help to higher education institutions. As such, the study delimits itself to the role of customer relationships in institutions of higher learning. The importance of Customer Relationship Management systems forms the basis for this study and hence the advantages of this strategy form a core subject of the study. Due to the large geographical coverage of institutions and financial constraints, only schools in Madrid and Canterbia in Spain were used for the study. 3.2. Data and data collection Collection of data forms influences the outcome of the study to a large extent. For this reason, the data collection procedure was applied in the best way possible to enhance efficiency and to give the most accurate results. Both primary and secondary data were applied in the study. a) Primary data Factual information from the respondents was vital in making effective conclusions. To obtain this information, two separate types of questionnaires were set. These focused on current customers and potential customers. For simplicity, senior high school students who are most likely going to join universities and colleges after graduating were interviewed to determine the qualities they considered important in a college. Further, they were required to suggest the various components they would like incorporated in the college and university CRM systems. Current customers included students at colleges, staff, parents and alumni. The questionnaire directed at this group was aimed at finding out the application of CRM in their schools and how they thought it could be better improved to by incorporating technology. For those whose schools had already adopted CRM systems, they were asked to give the advantages they had witnessed and the difference with what they heard from colleagues in oth er schools not using CRM systems. Questionnaire were read out and filled by the researcher as the respondent gave their views. b) Secondary data Equally important was the use of secondary data which gave the study a theoretical background. Without the use of books, journals and periodicals among other written works, there was no way of justifying the concept of Customer Relationship Management Systems. The literature review in particular was solely dependent on previously published works. As such, secondary data was highly employed in the study. 3.3. Sample selection, technique, and size The study sample consisted of ten college students, ten university students, twenty high school seniors, twenty staff members and a random selection of twenty parents and alumni of various colleges and universities. Due to the large population of probable respondents, a method for selecting a sample had to be identified. The strategic sampling method was used to identify respondents for the study. 3.4. Ethics of the research methodology Before the beginning of the study, an objective of reducing respondents compromise as far as possible was set. The views contained in the questionnaires were for research purposes only and no third party was allowed to come into contact with them. With such an assurance, respondents felt free to give out information considered sensitive. For privacy purposes, no respondent was required to give out his or her name during the interviews. This raised confidentiality as required in scholarly research. 3.5. Limitations of the study As mu