Countries of Central America and the Caribbean

Central America is a region at the center of the two of the American continents. It fully lies in a tropical climate and has savanna, rainforest, and mountainous regions. Geographically, it represents the southernmost part of the North American continent and it contains an isthmus that connects North America to South America. Panama is the border between the two continents. At its narrowest point, the isthmus stretches only 30 miles (50 km)Â  wide. The mainland portion of the region consists of seven different countries, but 13 nations in the Caribbean are also normally counted as a part of Central America. Central America shares borders with Mexico to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the west, Colombia to the south and the Caribbean Sea to the east. The region is considered part of the developing world, which means it has issues in poverty, education, transportation, communications, infrastructure, and/or access to health care for its residents.The following is a list of the countries of Central America and the Caribbean arranged by area. For reference the countries on the mainland portion of Central America are marked with an asterisk (*). The 2017 population estimates and capitals of each country have also been included. All information was obtained from the CIA World Factbook. Central America and the CaribbeanCountries Nicaragua*Area: 50,336 square miles (130,370 sq km)Population:Â  6,025,951Capital: ManaguaHonduras*Area: 43,278 square miles (112,090 sq km)Population:Â  9,038,741Capital: TegucigalpaCubaArea: 42,803 square miles (110,860 sq km)Population:Â  11,147,407Capital: HavanaGuatemala*Area: 42,042 square miles (108,889 sq km)Population:Â  15,460,732Capital: Guatemala CityPanama*Area: 29,119 square miles (75,420 sq km)Population:Â  3,753,142Capital: Panama CityCosta Rica*Area: 19,730 square miles (51,100 sq km)Population:Â  4,930,258Capital: San JoseDominican RepublicArea: 18,791 square miles (48,670 sq km)Population:Â  10,734,247Capital: Santo DomingoHaitiArea: 10,714 square miles (27,750 sq km)Population:Â  10,646,714Capital: Port au PrinceBelize*Area: 8,867 square miles (22,966 sq km)Population:Â  360,346Capital: BelmopanEl Salvador*Area: 8,124 square miles (21,041 sq km)Population:Â  6,172,011Capital: San SalvadorThe BahamasArea: 5,359 square miles (13,880 sq km)Population:Â  32 9,988Capital: NassauJamaicaArea: 4,243 square miles (10,991 sq km)Population:Â  2,990,561Capital: KingstonTrinidad and TobagoArea: 1,980 square miles (5,128 sq km)Population:Â  1,218,208Capital: Port of SpainDominicaArea: 290 square miles (751 sq km)Population:Â  73,897Capital: RoseauSaint LuciaArea: 237 square miles (616 sq km)Population:Â  164,994Capital: Castries Antigua and BarbudaArea: 170 square miles (442.6 sq km)Antigua area: 108 square miles (280Â  sq km); Barbuda: 62 square miles (161Â  sq km);Â  Redonda: .61 square miles (1.6 sq km)Population:Â  94,731Capital: Saint Johns BarbadosArea: 166 square miles (430 sq km)Population:Â  292,336Capital: BridgetownSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesArea: 150 square miles (389 sq km)Â  Saint Vincent area: 133 square miles (344 sq km)Population:Â  102,089Capital: KingstownGrenadaArea: 133 square miles (344 sq km)Population:Â  111,724Capital: Saint GeorgesSaint Kitts and NevisArea: 101 square miles (261 sq km)Saint Kitts area: 65 square miles (168 sq km); Nevis:Â   36 square miles (93 sq km)Population:Â  52,715Capital: Basseterre

Traits Differentiating Scholars from Normal Students

According to the Oxford dictionary, a scholar is those who specialises in a particular branch of study, especially the humanities. If the word is to be further defined, in archaic terms it means a student or pupil. In an institute, there would be students and scholars. However, most scholars are students too. What are the traits that distinguishes them from normal students? This will be further explained below. First and foremost, the most common trait a scholar needs to have is humility. This trait is most commonly known to be defined as the quality of having a modest or low view of one’s importance. Therefore, a scholar should always view himself as an equal towards others and never as a superior, which will lead to negative values such as arrogance and egoism. In my opinion this trait is what led many scholars to succeed, as they would always be humble of their actions, which in result they would be well respected and looked upon. Thus humility is a trait that must be present in a good scholar. In relation to the trait ‘humility’, another noticeable trait of a scholar is integrity. This trait is defined as the attachment to moral and virtuous principles, such as honestly. As a result, this trait would be present in everyone, however, not everyone practices this. For example, an honest person would be trusted more than a person who repeatedly lies. This would show that the scholar would uphold the value of integrity. 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Gatsby is Presented Mysteriously Essay Example For Students

Gatsby is Presented Mysteriously Essay Bob Gragetty1/21/99EnglishChapters 1-4Through the first four chapters of the book The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is looked upon as a character who is secretive and mysterious. This is clearly showed through Gatsbys lifestyle, money, acquaintances, his past and the his non problematic attitude towards life. In chapter one, Gatsby makes his first appearance in the novel. Nick, Gatsbys neighbor while on his was home, sees a man acting very odd and mysterious. The man (Gatsby) is standing outside his estate, all by himself, stretching his arms out across a lake; he is trembling to himself while he glares at a green light on a dock a far. When Nick attempts to get a good look at Gatsby, he seems to have vanished into the night. When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished, and I was alone again in the unquiet darkness(P26) In chapter two there was a rumor that was passed when Nick was having a conversation with Catherine. The rumor was that Gatsby gets all his money from Kaiser Wilhelms. Well, they say hes a nephew or a cousin of Kaiser Wilhelms. Thats where all his money comes from.(P37) The others think that this is a scary thing and seem to want to have nothing to do with Gatsby. In chapter three Gatsby is mysterious because has another big routine party and has no real reason to e ven do so. The interesting thing about Gatsbys parties is that most of the people who wind up coming to the party are not invited, they just show up cause they know they will be allowed into Gatsbys house and have fun. People however look on as Gatsby as sort of scary and strangely eerie. At a previous party a girl named Lucille tore her dress on chair; Gatsby got her name and address and he replaced the dress for her even though he had nothing to do with the direct involvement of the dress being destroyed. He doesnt want any trouble with anybody(P48) During the middle of Gatsbys current party there is a time when Nick is looking everywhere for Gatsby and he can not find him. I havent even seen the host(P52) This interestingly odd, because it makes no sense to not be able to find the host of a party in the owners house. Many rumors about Gatsby do surface at his party. There were two references to Gatsby killing a man; one reference to Gatsby being a German spy during a war; however a countering reference saying that Gatsby was in the American army during the same war. A final reference saying that he is an Oxford man. In conclusion, Gatsby is a very interesting man with a quite developed mysterious character. Gatsby is so because has quite a fortune from a mysterious source, he is alone and stretches his arms out in the night towards green lights far away, he can not be found at his own party and he has a whole slew of rumors about himself and his past. This makes Gatsby out to have quite a lot of experience in his life, all the experience makes him almost seem as if he has a secret that lies within himself.

Philosophy - In Search Of Absolute Beauty From Platos Symposium Essays

Philosophy - In search of Absolute Beauty From Plato's Symposium Webster defines beauty as the quality or the aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit. Is this correct? Cannot one person's definition of beauty differ from another person's definition? One person may find beauty in something another person finds repulsive. When someone says a woman is beautiful and another person says that a type of music is beautiful are he or she talking about the same kind of beauty? Everyone has a different idea about what is beautiful, so how are we to know what true beauty is? If everyone has his or her own opinion about what is beautiful is there a standard on which to base beauty (Dye 1)? Plato said that we see beauty in its simplest form, but with the right guidance we can see beauty in its purest form. He put forth the notion of ideal forms as a way for us to view the world in which we live. In Republic, Plato used a myth, the Allegory of the cave, to explain ideal forms. In the Allegory of the cave, prisoners are chained in a dark cave and facing the back wall of the cave. A fire casts shadows of the outside world on the wall of the cave and these shadows represent the real world to the prisoners. They assume that the echoes from the outside world are made by the shadows and they even gave names the shadows, just as we have names for objects in the real world. The prisoners are released and led to the surface of the earth and are very confused. They are unable to comprehend the true forms of things, which cast the shadows in the cave. And when the prisoners looked into the sun this new, foreign light, which is so brilliant, would blind them. The prisoners must grow accustomed to the sight of the upper world. ?At first, he will see shadows best, next the reflections of men and other objects in the water, and then the objects themselves. Last, he will be able to see the sun, and not mere reflections of him in the water, but he will see him in his own proper place, and not in another, and he will contemplate him as he is.? This myth can be used to explain absolute beauty. We are like the prisoners, living in a dark cave, only seeing the shadows of what is real. If we have proper guidance, we can see the world in its true, pure form and not just a world of appearance. You cannot see the true forms at first, just as the prisoners could not see the real world at first because of the blinding sun. But they took small steps and were able to see and understand more and more as time went on. We too can see the world in its pure form if we take the right steps toward ideal forms (Plato 514a-521b). We still don't know what pure beauty is, only that we cannot see it without being enlightened. In Symposium, Diotma explained to Socrates what absolute beauty is and how to attain it. It cannot be explained in one idea, but many which described the different aspects of absolute beauty. To understand absolute beauty you must perceive beauty as itself and by itself, not as an object or idea. Human ideas, perceptions, and actions can partake of it but they cannot improve upon or lessen it. Absolute beauty is eternal. It has no start or no end. It does not come to be or cease to be and it doesn't increase or diminish. Absolute beauty is unchanging. It isn't attractive at one time, but not at another or attractive in one setting, but repulsive in another. Once absolute beauty is achieved, everything else in the world will pale in comparison. True beauty itself can make life worth living (Plato 211a-211d). Diotma says that things in the physical world can partake of absolute beauty, but nothing is absolutely beautiful itself. I find this hard to believe. I have experienced many things in my

Representations of Australia and its Soldiers essays

Representations of Australia and its Soldiers essays Different people think differently of Australia and its soldiers in the First World War. They have been depicted differently by many sources. It is obvious that there is a general opinion that the Australian soldiers at Gallipoli were eager, determined and very brave. But some have described them in a very different way. In the film Gallipoli, the character of Archy is seen to be a determined and brave young man who lost his life in what seemed a useless attack on the Turks. Frank is a cautious and sometimes bad tempered man who is also very brave and had to run through places where snipers could easily get him. He doesnt die but did a lot to help the Australians. These two, though, also had some bad points. They scratched their names on the pyramids, Frank started to argue with a shopkeeper and Archy shouldnt have been at the war at all because he was underage. In a book called Australia and the Great War, one extract says that Australians were riotous, undisciplined, loutish and disobedient. They supposedly had wild donkey ides, riots in Brothels, threw drivers off trams, scratched their names on the pyramids and had fights with shop owners. In a newspaper article, Australian soldiers are said to have made an inspiring scene in which to make her European debut as a fighting unit of the Empire. They say that after already doing this they should get all the Australians back home. In Gallipoli, once again, you get the idea that it was the Britishs fault for the loss of so many lives in Gallipoli. The British were said to be drinking tea when the Australians were fighting. The officer who order the continuation of the assault at The Nek has a British accent in the movie when he was actually Australian. This shows that many people think that in was the British who killed the Australians. Most sources tell of Australia as a country with a red, barren and harsh environment. Most people then onl...

mapping migrations essays

mapping migrations essays Sometime this winter, waterfowl experts from across Canada will gather for their annual "wing bee." Their task will be to sort through a small mountain of duck wings obtained from a randomly selected group of hunters, and assign the wings to piles by species, age and sex. Together with statistics from similar shindigs held in the United States, this information will provide a picture of the year's kill and will also offer hints about the ups and downs of duck populations. That may seem like a lot to learn from a heap of dried-up remains but, to Len Wassenaar of the National Water Research Institute in Saskatoon, a room full of duck wings is like an archive that can be studied for clues about each bird's life history and movements. Wassenaar and his colleague Keith Hobson of the Canadian Wildlife Service have developed a technique for reading a feather's chemistry and tracing it onto a map. The story begins with rain, which always contains a minute percentage of heavy water. That's regular H2O burdened with deuterium, a rare isotope of hydrogen. In North America, the amount of deuterium in rainfall is greatest along the PaciÞc coast and decreases to the east and south, as weather systems sweep across the continent. Every region has a unique "hydrogen isotope signature" - a characteristic ratio of ordinary hydrogen to deuterium - imprinted onto the ecosystem, passing from the rain into soil, soil into plants, plants into birds and animals. When the hydrogen is incorporated into hard tissues, it provides a lasting clue to where those tissues were made. Last year, Wassenaar and Hobson used this fact to resolve a mystery that has troubled researchers for decades. Since the mid-1970s, we've known that monarch butterflies congregate for the winter in a dozen remote locations in central Mexico. Several hundred million monarchs from Eastern Canada and the U.S. settle onto the hills ...

Research 6 artists work from different eras Essay

Research 6 artists work from different eras - Essay Example The Baptism of Christ was commissioned by the monks of Vallombrosa. The work was narrative, telling the baptism of Christ as told by the Bible. The artist was evidently guided by the descriptions in the scripture as well as other pictorial conventions. There are evidences that the background have been reworked and painted by Leonardo at a later time. (Matteo 1990, p. 76) For instance, there is the palm tree that symbolizes salvation and life. It looks archaic, a contrast to other painterly elements. All in all, the medium used was helpful in conveying the idea of the artist. Verrocchio used tempera to paint his part of the canvas, which explains the dull color as opposed to the lighter gentler shades of the oil used found in the background and the reworked portions such as the body of Christ. The main components of the painting by Verroccio are typical of his style – hard and rigid. One sees this in the rocks in the middle ground and the details of the images of Christ and John. The painting, Madonna with Child in front of the Ruined Basilica also emanated from his workshops. His other popular works as a sculptor includes David and the Bust of the Lady with a bunch of flowers. The View of Toledo is one of the only two landscape paintings painted by El Greco. It emphasizes a distortion of the city of Toledo, as with in his other paintings, that seems to presage the emergence of the twentieth-century Expressionism. This particular work presents an exaggerated view of the city of Toledo with violent extremes of color and light, particularly between the sky and the hills. It has a dynamically charged composition and puts color above form. The View from Toledo presents a landscape that is caused by some exposure to the interaction afforded by the physical basis of the aesthetic object. Because of this, there is an experience of the

Examine the relative role of institutions in the rise of Europe Essay

Examine the relative role of institutions in the rise of Europe - Essay Example These formal institutions include such diverse tools as constitutions, laws and property rights. Institutions have always been created by human beings throughout history to create order in their various societies and reduce uncertainty in trade. Taken together with the standard constraints imposed by economic logic, institutions define the set of available choices in economic interactions. This has an effect of directly influencing economic behaviour and hence, economic outcomes in any given society (Acemoglu, Johnson, & Robinson, 2005). Institutions evolve incrementally over time meaning that the economic history of any society has to be comprehended in the context of the evolution of its institutions. The fundamental role played by institutions is that they provide the incentive structure for the given economy. As such, the direction of evolution of this structure in time determines the direction of movement of an economy whether towards growth, stagnation or decline (North 1991). A constantly evolving system of organisation and exchange in medieval Europe’s long-distance trade between the 11th and the 16th centuries eventually led to the rise of Europe as the dominant world power (North, 1991). The first significant institutional change was the innovation of systems and tools that lowered transaction costs in exchange. The transaction cost of any exchange is defined as the cost, other than the cost of the product or service being exchanged; that is incurred in executing the transaction. This cost consists of various components such as the cost incurred in the search for information about the sellers and their product, the cost of negotiating and closing down on the contract, the cost of enforcing the contract, etc. (North 1991) The organisational changes, tools and various techniques of exchange that lowered transaction costs for medieval Europe’s long-distance trade included: Among the

Students Persistent Failure in English Language Examinations in Nigeria Essay Example for Free

Students Persistent Failure in English Language Examinations in Nigeria Essay Abstract Education is now a global product with institutions worldwide competing for students and finding ever more creative ways to satisfy student needs and preferences. The optimism and belief in educational progress has gingered the new wake of marketing approaches that boarder on how to properly deal with the intricate issues of qualitative educational service, value as well as customer satisfaction. With the continuing rise in the preference for flexible distance learning, educational institutions are finding that when students and faculty have significantly different cultural backgrounds and learning styles that the expectations of the learning experience can be unfulfilled. Today in Nigeria, education is the responsibility of government, religious organizations as well as private individuals, although in recent years, the private sector has entered the market providing educational services at all levels. There are over 90 universities in Nigeria with more than 2.000.000 students enrolled in these universities. Of these students, less than 100,000 are registered in the National Open University of Nigeria which is the largest of the universities that provide distance education in the country. With such large student numbers, competition between the public and private universities for students has intensified particularly over the last decade. As a consequence, the need to develop strategies for attracting students has become more important. The contribution of technologies to education processes has been immense with students and faculty each learning to adapt to an environment of continuous change and opportunities. This paper therefore, seeks to explore the marketing approaches that could galvanise the growth of the Open and Distance learning institutions, and is subsequently predicated on the view that a competitive advantage in marketing of the Open and Distance learning programmes can be attained by customizing learning experiences for students in a pro-active and constructive way. INTRODUCTION The fast competition that is taking place in the current global market has affected the educational sector. In Nigeria for instance, it has been observed that when education is taken for granted not only the state institutions providing conventional education are prevailed. Starting from the early 1990’s higher education has been provided by either public or private universities either conventionally or extensively. The increase in the products and services that are provided by different parties has affected the educational institutions and the power of marketing communications is utilized in order to pull more customers both by private and state institutions. The marketing of education is a controversial issue. Although the opinions on the signification of the educational institution as a product and the students as the customers still remains arguable the transformation of the instruction process as a student-based model requires the utilization of the marketing opportunitie s are used. Teaching has been increasingly developed as a learner-centered model, shaping the process as a life-long learners experience to match their existing knowledge and skills is crucial. At the open and distance education institution level, being market oriented means adapting a client-centered perspective and managing the institution in a way that matches the needs of primary and secondary clients. This student-based model is not much different than the client-based utilization of marketing strategy. In the marketing approach, the needs and desires of the customers are given a primary and major importance so they are treated as â€Å"kings†. When this strategy is employed in the open and distance education, the course programmes and materials are observed to be shaped in accordance with the needs and desires of the students. The multimedia used is also observed to be very common with those that are presented within the most appropriate channels to the students. The customer â€Å"king† then transforms into the student â€Å"king†. Marketing is about achieving organizational goals, and these are determined by the values of the organization (its culture) and shape its decision-making. Good marketing techniques will definitely help the Open and Distance learning institutions achieve set goals that will help them identify with those clients for whom they offer an appropriate range of learning opportunities. The objective of this study therefore, is to discuss the notions like advertisement, public relations, personal sales and fairs that make effecting marketing communication strategies possible in a nationwide manner and compare the Open and Distance learning educational institutions in Nigeria and other nations of the world to concentrate on the marketing of effective educational programmes, quality educational service and the appropriate pricing of the educational programmes because these are some of the major approaches that can satisfy the wishes of the consumers of their educational services. WHAT IS OPEN DISTANCE LEARNING (ODL)? Open and Distance Learning is the combination of on-line learning (e-learning) and other distance education delivery methods. It is the introduction, utilisation and application of ICT to enhance open and distance education thus implementing open and distance learning policies in order to make learning activities more flexible and enable these learning activities to be distributed among many learning venues. It is an amalgam of two approaches to different forms of education that focus on expanding access to learning. It is a sort of blended and distributed learning, which incorporate elements of tutor mediated and self-directed and resource-based learning process. The pedagogical shifts from face-to-face traditional way of teaching or even the traditional distance education (called correspondence education) to on-line education is what Open and Distance Learning is all about. It represents significant changes in the assumptions on which teachers, learners and support staff go about their business and to the technological infrastructure and skill base that support the moves. According to Reju S. A. (2007), this type of education is characterised by two factors: its PHILOSOPHY and its use of TECHNOLOGY. The Open and Distance Learning Philosophy aims at removing barriers to education allowing students to study what they want, when they want and where they want. In summing up the Open and Distance Learning Philosophy, it aims at increasing educational ACCESS and increasing educational CHOICE of students. As for the TECHNOLOGY, in order to achieve a complete migration from the post-box and hard text delivery of conventional distance education to on-line education, operators must satisfy at least three preconditions: First, the technical infrastructure needs to be transparent to users. Second, its operational framework must address teaching and learning decisions when it describes its functions. Third, systematic and local professional development in online teaching and learning using a just-in-time and just-for-me approach must be available to academics (Nunan, Reid, Mc Causland 2002 :10) BASIC OPERATING SYSTEM OF ODL INSTITUTIONS CHARACTERISTICS AND ADVANTAGES OF ODL The nature and characteristics of Open and Distance Learning gave it wider opportunities as advantages over the classical and conventional system of Education: †¢ Accessibility – overcoming barriers related to: – Prior academic credentials – Time – Physical location – Financial constraints – Personal characteristics – Social responsibility †¢ Flexibility and easy access to instruction in order to ensure broad availability of educational opportunities to all characterized by: – Frequent admission periods – Self-pacing – Optional support services (tutoring, counselling, advising) †¢ Learner control over content and structure †¢ Choice of delivery systems: Instruction delivered through a variety of media including print and other information communication technologies to learners, Learners have control over the course delivery system(s) that suits their purpose †¢ Accreditation – characterised by: †¢ Recognition of courses accredited by other institutions for transfer of credit. †¢ Opportunities for learners to â€Å"challenge† courses for credit. †¢ Provision for â€Å"experiential learning†. †¢ Instruction by a mode other than the conventional face-to-face method †¢ Physical separation between the teacher and the learner †¢ Openness disregard age, previous level of academic achievement, and other factors, creating artificial barriers to education as a life-long pursuit in a democratic environment †¢ Cost-effective system of instruction independent of time, location, pace and space †¢ Used for a variety of learning situations: primary, secondary, tertiary, vocational and non-formal education †¢ It allows for wider Range Extension †¢ Thrives on economy of scale †¢ It is weapon of mass instruction †¢ ODL is more suited to Adult Learners †¢ It democratises and liberalises education †¢ It is more of learner centred and learner friendly programme which includes all in its planning and execution †¢ Focused on QA, well designed instructional packages, student support: It gives learners Qualitative Education and Course Range. VISIBLE PROBLEMS THAT COULD RESULT TO FALL OF SALES AND PATRONAGE IN ODL SYSTEM A good marketing strategy has two parts. The first includes an overview of your industry and how your company fits within it. It identifies who your marketing should be targeted at and what challenges you may face when trying to read your target audience. This part also helps you hone in on your specific marketing goals (i.e. increase client base by %). The second part is all about what you will do to reach to overcome the challenges identified in part one and how you will reach your goals (i.e. develop brochure/ website, etc.) The following issues can create a fall of patronage in the Open and Distance learning system. †¢ Poor quality educational service, poor value and customer dissatisfaction. †¢ Poor and inadequate designing of educational programmes. †¢ Unnecessary overpricing of educational programmes †¢ De-emphasising quality, especially service quality †¢ Regular students frustration in learning how to get on-line (especially for novices). †¢ Time lapse between student input and feedback -Time lapse between need for learner support and resolution †¢ Occasional internet provider downtime (server usually inaccessible to students) †¢ Student become less active and less self-directed in the learning environment which depends largely on individual motivation and initiative. †¢ Occasional feelings of isolation- Potentially less group support for learners leading to isolation and possible non-completion of programme †¢ Instructional design for group activities and group interaction more demanding on the instructor †¢ Demands large effort and cost to develop appropriate materials †¢ Demands large effort to create and maintain the technological infrastructure When these problems persist, the message becomes very clear; ‘Distance Education is not for everyone’. – Unfortunately, the problems becloud the fact that Open and Distance learning is not for undisciplined learners nor inflexible instructors. QUALITY ASSURANCE AND GOOD MARKETING STRATEGY AS PANACEA TO ADDRESS PROBLEMS OF FALL OF SALES AND PATRONAGE IN ODL SYSTEM What is Quality assurance? According to Wiley (2009), Quality assurance, or QA for short, refers to a programme for the systematic monitoring and evaluation of the various aspects of a project, service, or facility to ensure that standards of quality are being met. It is important to realize also that quality is determined by the program sponsor. QA cannot absolutely guarantee the production of quality products, unfortunately, but makes this more likely. Two key principles characterise QA: fit for purpose (the product should be suitable for the intended purpose) and right first time (mistakes should be eliminated). QA includes regulation of the quality of raw materials, assemblies, products and components; services related to production; and management, production and inspection processes. It is important to realize also that quality is determined by the intended users, clients or customers, not by society in general: it is not the same as expensive or high quality. Even goods with low prices can be considered quality items if they meet a market need. QA is more than just testing the quality of aspects of a product, service or facility, it analyzes the quality to make sure it conforms to specific requirements and comply with established plans. Accuracy of Quality Assurance There is an extensive process of trial and error in order to ensure quality assurance. By the end of the trials you arrive at an acceptable process that helps you decide the reliability and efficiency of the sample. The process involves meeting specifications such as performance measures and depends on environment operation. The cost of resulting in failure is very high which result in the process of Quality Assurance to be extensive and it is acceptable to delay production until all tests are done and double-checked. Steps for Quality Assurance Process †¢ Test previous article †¢ Plan to improve †¢ Design to include improvements and requirements †¢ Manufacture with improvements †¢ Review new item and improvements †¢ Test new item The process for Quality Assurance is very rigorous and requires a lot of testing and planning. The team or firm has to comply with previous requirements, implement new requirements and improve the old item. Other than following requirements, the team or firm has to comply with consumers needs. WHAT IS MARKETING? Marketing is defined by the American Marketing Association as the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large Simply stated, marketing is everything you do to place your product or service in the hands of potential customers. It includes diverse disciplines like sales, public relations, pricing, packaging, and distribution. In order to distinguish marketing from other related professional services, S.H. Simmons, author and humorist, relates this anecdote. If a young man tells his date shes intelligent, looks lovely, and is a great conversationalist, hes saying the right things to the right person and thats marketing. If the young man tells his date how handsome, smart and successful he is thats advertising. If someone else tells the young woman how handsome, smart and successful her date is thats public relations. You might think of marketing this way. If business is all about people and money and the art of persuading one to part from the other, then marketing is all about finding the right people to persuade. Marketing is your strategy for allocating resources (time and money) in order to achieve your objectives (a fair profit for supplying a good product or service). Yet the most brilliant strategy wont help you earn a profit or achieve your wildest dreams if it isnt built around your potential customers. A strategy that isnt based on customers is rather like a man who knows a thousand ways to make love to a woman, but doesnt know any women. Great in theory but unrewarding in practice. If you fit the classic definition of an entrepreneur (someone with a great idea whos under-capitalized), you may think marketing is something you do later after the product is developed, manufactured, or ready to sell. Though it may feel counter-intuitive, marketing doesnt begin with a great idea or a unique product. It begins with customers those people who want or need your product and will actually buy it. Entrepreneurs are in love with their ideas, and they should be. After all, why would anyone commit their energy, life savings, and no small part of their sanity to anything less than a consuming passion. Because entrepreneurs are passionate about their idea, product, or service, they innocently assume other people will feel the same. Heres the bad news it just doesnt work that way! People have their own unique perceptions of the world based on their belief system. The most innovative ideas, the greatest products, or a superior service succeed only when you market within the context of peoples perceptions. Context can be many things, singly or simultaneously. To name a few, you may market to your customers within the context of their wants, needs, problems solved, or situation improved. Entrepreneurs need to be aware of many other contexts, such as social and economic trends or governmental regulations, which well discuss another time. People dont just buy a product. They buy the concept of what that product will do for them, or help them do for themselves. People who are overweight dont join a franchise diet center to eat pre-packaged micro-meals. They buy the concept of a new, thin, happy and successful self. Before you become consumed with entrepreneurial zeal and invest your life savings in a new venture, become a smart marketer. Take time at the beginning to discover who your potential customers are, and how to effectively reach them. Without a plan, your entrepreneurial dream is really wishful thinking. While a marketing plan can be a map for success, remember that the map is not the territory. A strategy that ignores the customer isnt an accurate reflection of the landscape. A good marketing plan can help you focus your energy and resources. But a plan created in a vacuum, based solely on your perceptions, does not advance the agenda. Thats why market research, however simple or sophisticated, is important. Just keep in mind that research attempts to predict the future by studying the past. It reveals what people have done, and extrapolates what people might do not what people will do. Planning is imperative, research is important, but theres no substitute for entrepreneurial insight. After all, as Mark Twain wrote, You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. Marketing strategy’ Wikipedia dictionary defines ‘Marketing strategy’ is a process that can allow an organization to concentrate its limited resources on the greatest opportunities to increase sales and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. A marketing strategy should be centered on the key concept that customer satisfaction is the main goal. Services marketing Services marketing, as the label suggests, relates to the marketing of services, as opposed to tangible products (in standard economic terminology, a tangible product is called a good). A typical definition of a service (as opposed to a good) is thus: †¢ The use of it is inseparable from its purchase (,i.e. a service is used and consumed simultaneously) †¢ It does not possess material form, and thus cannot be smelt, heard, tasted, or felt. †¢ The use of a service is inherently subjective, in that due to the human condition, all persons experiencing a service would experience it uniquely. As examples of the above points, a train ride can be deemed as a service. If one buys a train ticket, the use of the train is typically experienced concurrently with the purchase of the ticket. Moreover, a train ride cannot be smelt, heard, tasted or felt as such. Granted, a seat can be felt, and the train can be evidently heard, nonetheless one is not paying for the permanent ownership of the tangible components of the train. Services (by comparison with goods) can also be viewed as a spectrum. Not all products are pure goods, nor are all pure services. The aforementioned example of a train ride can be deemed a pure service, whilst a packet of potato chips can be deemed a pure good. An intermediary example may be a restaurant (as the waiter service is intangible, and the food evidently is tangible in form). VARIOUS STRATEGIES AND APPROACHES OF GOOD MARKETING THAT COULD HELP IN GROWTH OF SALES AND PATRONAGE OF ODL PROGRAMMES It is the explicit recognition of the tensions between old and new learning styles which our paper seeks to highlight as the basis for attaining a marketing advantage. To allow students to learn in styles that commence with recognition of diverse foundations provides an environment where students are given greater opportunity for academic success. The view that all students can be blended into one learning environment as though one stylized type of pedagogy would be suitable for all students in a mixed cohort, presumes that a standardized approach to learning is indeed appropriate. The concept of ‘one size fits all’ education may have been appropriate in old economies where students represented a homogenous group from the same cultural group with a known entry level skill set. Where students do not fit this form of stereotyping it makes sense to approach the task of designing an appropriate learning environment which suits the majority of learners. Eisner also claims that communication and multiple intelligence literature suggest that effective teaching involves reaching students, and that reaching students involves taking their frames of reference into account. Knowing where our students are coming from and meeting them there may increase the chance that students will absorb the information we seek to teach (Eisner 2003, 34-5). Indeed, the arrival of technologies to supplement, enable, enrich and mediate learning experiences challenges traditional education pedagogies. To actively respond to such pressures in a way that is positive can contribute to academic outcomes. Businesses and governments have called into question the relevance of quality of the education that has been provided by post-secondary institutions as well as their continued ability to deliver education in a manner that the new forces of the globalizing marketplace would deem efficient (Montgomery, L., M. Canaan, J., E.) (2004). Nagy (2007) demonstrated via a case study that student outcomes could be dramatically improved by specifically recognizing the needs of the cohort and tailoring assessment tasks to suit the cohort. This style of customization is a reaction to market needs in a proactive way to ensure that student success is achieved without variation in the quality or content of course design. To take this analysis one step further, for a chosen unit of study where it is known that the student population incorporates variable educational foundations within the student population, a university could recognize this variation and provide 2 streams of learning for the same material using alternative pedagogies to achieve outcomes. One alternative could embrace student centered learning and the other teacher centered learning. Each of the alternatives may then employ the best practice pedagogies appropriate to the identified style of learning, and utilize different assessment strategies. Students are then free to choose which alternative learning environment best suits their learning foundations and preferences, at the commencement of the subject. This approach has the potential to promote a more confident attitude to learning with less alienation from the learning environment, greater student self esteem and improved learning outcomes. The term learning styles is used as a description of the attitudes and behaviors which determine an individual’s preferred way of learning. Some students tend to focus on facts. Some respond strongly to visual forms of information; others are able to learn more from verbal forms written and spoken explanations. Some prefer to learn actively and interactively; others function more introspectively and individually. No one learning style is better than another; it is simply that people learn in different ways. The best learning style is the one that works for an individual in a particular situation. Those universities with sufficiently large and diverse student cohorts may be able to further refine a process of variable pedagogies. Costs would not be significantly different and yet the provision of alternative learning experience can be employed for both on campus and distance education institutions representing a way of marketing subjects that may entice particular students to particular universities. Our suggestion places the emphasis back on the student; with the student selecting the mode of learning best suited to their personal learning style. These choices made available to students can thus be regarded as part of a suite of marketing tools that universities can make use of. Generally, action must be taken to develop a complete marketing program to reach consumers (life-long learners) by using a combination of factors which can be referred to as the 4P’s. The 4 P approach to marketing includes product, price, place and promotion are illustrated as follows: Product: It is a good, service or idea that the consumers need for satisfying their wants. Physical product can be described in terms of its physical characteristics and is what most people actually think of as the product Sussane and Chris(2010) suggest that education is a product, and see distance education as a product instead of a tool for distributing education. They say that in order to most efficiently use our resources, the needs of the student/consumer should be assessed. By doing so, we can learn from the students and then apply that knowledge to attract future students while meeting the needs and improving upon the services offered to the current students. The products have a different name, logo, color and physical attributes. We can say that Distance Education institution is a brand and a brand is a way of differentiating one product from another; the greater the perceived similarity of products, the more important the brand in establishing the differences. Some schools will clearly feel that they are different from others, or that the market perceives differences, which makes it less important for them to establish their corporate identity (Galbraith, K. 2003). Price: This concept embodies more than a value that someone will pay for it. The meaning associated with price changes is contextual. Institutions have different pricing policies and all institutions compete against each other to increase their application and enrollment rates. Pricing policies will impact student choice between institutions. Place: It is a means of getting the product into the consumer’s hands. The personality of the place sends messages to the target audience. The vehicle which is used to reach the students can be a physical location or a virtual space where the connection speed of internet used, e-mail, can serve as a differentiating mechanism. Promotion: Promotion is a means of communication between the seller and buyer. It includes advertising, public relations, personal selling, publicity, and sales promotions. If one higher education institution wants to enroll more students than other, it will need to use corporate advertising or engage in activities that create a liaison between the students and the institutions. Publicity provides media coverage to the institutions and visibility can create confidence about an institutions reputation and quality perceptions. Marketing initiatives include print based products and internet-based advertisements, brochures, and word-of-mouth (WOM) communication. According to Buttle (1998: p. 242) WOM has been shown to influence a variety of conditions: awareness, expectations, perceptions, attitudes, behavioral intentions and behaviour. Because of these factors positive WOM may affect the awareness of the open and distance university and this awareness can turn the behavioral intentions of students. Fairs are also benefited to communicate with the students. Every year education fairs should be organized and all universities that run distance learning programmes should be represented. Where the cost of registration is same between universities, the image of the university plays an important role in the process of selecting that university. The image consists of two criteria. One of it is tangible criteria like, academic staff, profile of the graduated, facility of the university, curriculum, and opportunity for internship etc. Intangible criteria are good or bad experiences about university, negative or positive WOM. Internally developed strategy Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and/or video signals which transmit programs to an audience. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of the whole, such as children or young adults. Here, the FM station of NOUN becomes important. In his essay, John Durham Peters wrote that communication is a tool used for dissemination. Durham stated, â€Å"Dissemination is a lens- sometimes a usefully distorting one- that helps us tackle basic issues such as interaction, presence, and space and time†¦on the agenda of any future communication theory in general† (Durham, 211). Dissemination focuses on the message being relayed from one main source to one large audience without the exchange of dialogue in between. There’s chance for the message to be tweaked or corrupted once the main source releases it. There is really no way to predetermine how the larger population or audience will absorb the message. They can choose to listen, analyze, or simply ignore it. Dissemination in communication is widely used in the world of broadcasting. Broadcasting focuses on getting one message out and it is up to the general public to do what they wish with it. Durham also states that broadcasting is used to address an open ended destination (Durham, 212). There are many forms of broadcast, but they all aim to distribute a signal that will reach the target audience. Broadcasting can arrange audiences into entire assemblies (Durham, 213). Effective use of the University website According to Ms.Bindu Rathore, CEO WebTotal Marketing, Many Educational Institutions have a website, but they don’t know how to combine offline and online marketing to increase their profits and reduce their advertising costs. She therefore recommended that the concept WebTotal Marketing is now available to help such Educational institutions to have a complete web marketing system so they can enhance their brand and attract more prospect students at an affordable cost.† This postulation is basically predicated on the fact that students have become very Internet savvy these days and are cautious in their selection of institutions of higher learning. They actively participate in forums and group discussions along with feedbacks from past students to analyze a particular college or university before they make their decision. University Publications The word publication means the act of publishing. To publish is to make content available to the public. While specific use of the term may vary between country, it is usually applied to text, images, or other audio-visual content on any medium, including paper or Electronic publishing forms such as websites, E-books, Compact Discs and MP3s. THE ROLE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS, GIFT ITEMS/SOUVENIRS, EVALUATION (of process, input and products) AND AFTER-SALES-SERVICES IN GOOD MARKETING Promotional merchandise, promotional items, promotional products, promotional gifts, or advertising gifts are articles of merchandise that are branded with a logo and used in marketing and communication programs. They are given away to promote a company, corporate image, brand, or event. These items are usually imprinted with a companys name, logo or slogans, and given away at trade shows, conferences, and as part of guerrilla marketing campaigns. The giving of gifts goes back throughout the hostory of man. Gifts would be, and still are, given for various reasons including: to welcome, for appreciation, and for celebration. In the late 20th century a new industry evolved around the concept of giving gifts. Industry and commerce recognised the benefits that could be gained by a company and corporate organisation in giving gifts to existing and prospective customers. Promotional merchandise is now used globally to promote brands, products and corporate identity. They are also used as giveaways at events like exhibitions and product launches. Almost anything can be branded with a company’s name or logo and used for promotion. Common items include t-shirts, caps, key chains, posters, bumper-stickers, pens, mugs, or mouse pads. The largest product category for promotional products is wearable items, which make up more than 30% of the total. Most promotional items are relatively small and inexpensive, but can range to higher-end items; for example celebrities at film festivals and award shows are often given expensive promotional items such as expensive perfumes, leather goods, and electronics items. Companies that provide expensive gifts for celebrity attendees often ask that the celebrities allow a photo to be taken of them with the gift item, which can be used by the company for promotional purposes. Other companies provide luxury gifts such as handbags or scarves to celebrity attendees in the hopes that the celebrities will wear these items in public, thus garnering publicity for the companys brand name and product. Brand awareness is the most common use for promotional items at 12.59%. Other objectives that marketers use promotional items to facilitate include employee relations and events, tradeshow traffic-building, public relations, new customer generation, dealer and distributor programs, new product introductions, employee service awards, not-for-profit programs, internal incentive programs, safety education, customer referrals, and marketing research. Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. According to Galbraith, K. (2003). â€Å"Customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction – that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer expectation. Its importance varies by product, industry and customer; defective or broken merchandise can be exchanged, often only with a receipt and within a specified time frame. Customer service may be provided by a person (e.g., sales and service representative), or by automated means called self-service. Examples of self service are Internet sites. However, In the Internet era, a challenge has been to maintain and/or enhance the personal experience while making use of the efficiencies of online commerce. Writing in Fast Company, entrepreneur and customer systems innovator Wiley, J. made the point that Online customers are literally invisible to you (and you to them), so its easy to shortchange them emotionally. But this lack of visual and tactile presence makes it even more crucial to create a sense of personal, human-to-human connection in the online arena. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organizations ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. CONCLUSION In many countries, open and distance learning methods have become an effective and equitable means of providing learning for people in all situations and of all ages. Our postulation in this paper is that the effective marketing of the operational infrastructure for the delivery of an Open and Distance Learning programme is critical to its success. Yet all too often this element is overlooked or seen as incidental to the design and quality of the distance learning materials and programmes themselves. We then went ahead to address very salient issues that can help the Open and Distance Learning institutions adopt new approaches as regards the rapid strategic marketing of ODL systems that will ultimately lead to increased success in the operation of the system worldwide. These issues include †¢ coming to grips with the socio-cultural drivers of education in the 21st century †¢ anticipating the future and activating the potential of innovation as a prerequisite for outstanding success and †¢ interpreting latent educational needs and effectively creating a demand for the ODL system worldwide. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Buttle, F. (2005). Word of Mouth: Understanding And Managing Referral Marketing, Journal of Strategic Marketing, (6) 241–254. Eisner, S. P. (2004). The Class Talk Show: A Pedagogical Tool, SAM Advanced Management Journal, Winter 2003, 34 49. Galbraith, K. (2003). Towards Quality Private Education in Central and Eastern Europe, Higher Education in Europe, XXVIII, (4) pp. 539-558. Garrison, D. R. Anderson, T. (2003). E-Learning in the 21st Century, Routledge- Falmer, London. Wiley, J (2009) The Quality Assurance Journal http://www.interscience.wiley.com/journal/15634/home Durham, J. P. (2006) Communication as Dissemination. Communication as†¦Perspectives on Theory. Thousand Oakes, CA: Sage,. 211-22. Montomery, L., M. Canaan, J., E. (2004). Conceptualizing higher education students as social actors in a globalizing world: a special issue, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 17 (6), 739-748. Nagy, J. (2007). Market forces in higher education: cheating and the student-centred learning paradigm, book chapter in â€Å"Ethical Practices and Implications in Distance Learning† Indira Gandhi National Open University, Simonetta C. Christian V. (2009) Path to a new Prosperity; A new Approach to Marketing. London, Keegan Paul. Suzanne .A. Chris. P. (2010) Managing expectations: effective support systems for distance learning the experience of the Warwick MBA by distance learning. www.effectivemarketing.com

Prejudice: We Can Change the World :: social issues

Prejudice: We Can Change the World When a person hears the word prejudice, he or she might think it only refers to the racial prejudice often found between those with light skin and those with dark skin. However, prejudice runs much deeper than a person's color. Prejudice is found between gender, religion, cultural and geographical background, and race. People have discriminated against others based upon these attributes from the beginning of time. Prejudice has become a complex problem in our society today and much of our world's history is based upon such hatred. In the 1600's, white men used Africans as slaves and treated them as if they were not human. "Colored" people were not even allowed to use the same drinking fountains as white people until the mid-1900's. Hitler and his men killed over five million people because they were Jewish or were not their definition of "normal." The Ku Klux Klan exists today and openly professes its hatred towards Jews and colored people. Our society is riddled with such hatred based upon peoples' beliefs and origins and it seems millions are fighting each other for no relevant reason at all. I do believe that we can greatly reduce the amount of prejudice in our world today, yet I do not think that it will ever completely go away. Society has seemingly come to except all races, religions, and genders, and supposedly has achieved "political correctness," yet there will forever be individuals who discriminate based upon these issues. These individuals often form large groups that recruit new members to enforce their hatred of those with a certain religion or skin tone. Obviously, no one can tell these people that they cannot have their own opinions or beliefs, for they have the right to hate whomever they like. However, I believe we need to raise our children to accept all people, no matter what god they do or do not believe in or what color skin they may have. If children are raised around people who are not the same as they are, then they will most likely not think anything different of people who do not look the same as them or believe what they believe. If we raise our children to believe all people are equal from the start, then prejudice will slowly disintegrate over time. We, as the human race, need to focus on not judging people before we know them for who they are.

American Community Survey

American Community Survey An Overview of the American Community Survey Have you ever thought about how, or why, new roads, schools, after-school programs, or hospitals are placed in communities? What makes communities attractive to new businesses or tourists? Why there is no ATM or video store on a street corner? The answers often lie in the numbers: numbers that reflect what our communities look like, how our communities have changed, and how those changes impact our daily lives. Most importantly, the numbers reflect how our communities are meeting the needs created by these changes.Traditionally, these numbers have been collected during the census every 10 years. Those numbers play a critical role for states and local communities in determining their share of federal money for schools, roads, senior citizen centers, and other services. In today’s world, our communities can change very quickly. Between decennial censuses, local governments, organizations and businesses need t imely data to assess and plan for local needs. Costly mistakes can result when planners do not have current data on which to base their decisions. That is one of the reasons why the U. S.Census Bureau has moved to a whole new way of gathering data to help answer those questions. Rather than taking a snapshot of a community once every ten years, the American Community Survey provides a dynamic and much timelier moving picture of the nation, every year. Overview * What is the American Community Survey? * Content * Survey Methodology * Data Products * How is it different from Census 2000? This presentation will give you an overview of the American Community Survey. We will answer the question â€Å"What is the American Community Survey? † and then move on to discuss the content, methodology, and data products.We will wrap up with a brief summary of how the American Community Survey is different from Census 2000. What is the American Community Survey? The American Community Surve y, sometimes referred to as the ACS, is a nationwide survey that collects essentially the same information on people and housing that was collected on the long-form questionnaire used in Census 2000. The American Community Survey is a continuous survey, in which each month a sample of housing unit addresses receives a questionnaire. About three million addresses are surveyed each year.The American Community Survey is a critical element in the Census Bureau's new approach to future censuses. Decennial Census In Census 2000, the census used 2 forms 1. â€Å"short† form – asked for basic demographic and housing information, such as age, sex, race, how many people lived in the housing unit, and if the housing unit was owned or rented by the resident 2. â€Å"long† form – collected the same information as the short form but also collected more in-depth information such as income, education, and language spoken at home * Only a small portion of the population, called a sample, received the long form.Two forms were used during Census 2000. The â€Å"short form† asked several questions on the most basic demographic and housing topics. These questions asked about age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, the number of people living in the housing unit, and if the housing unit was owned or rented by the resident. The â€Å"long form† collected the same information as the â€Å"short form,† but it also asked questions on additional topics. Thirty-two questions were asked of each resident of the housing unit on such topics as marital status, education, language spoken at home, employment, occupation, and others.Twenty-one questions were asked about the housing unit itself, so only one resident of that housing unit was asked to provide information on such topics as plumbing and kitchen facilities, type and cost of utilities, value of the property, and others. Only a sample of the total U. S. population received the long form. The dat a from the long form are called â€Å"sample data. † The basic data collected on both the short and the long forms are called â€Å"100 percent data† since these questions were asked for 100 percent of the U. S. population. 2010 Census and American Community Survey * 2010 Census will focus on counting the U.S. population * The sample data are now collected in the ACS * Puerto Rico is the only U. S. territory where the ACS is conducted * 2010 Census will have a long form for U. S. territories such as Guam and U. S. Virgin Islands * Same â€Å"short form† questions on the ACS The upcoming 2010 Census will include only one form sent to the entire U. S. population. That form will ask only questions similar to those contained in previous census short forms. The 2010 Census will provide a basic count of the U. S. population, collecting only the most basic demographic and housing information.Detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data will no longer be col lected as part of the decennial census. * The data that were collected from the long form sample are now produced from the American Community Survey. * The American Community Survey collects data from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, where it is called the Puerto Rico Community Survey. The American Community Survey does not collect data from the other U. S. territories, such as Guam and the U. S. Virgin Islands. The 2010 decennial census will continue to collect long form type data for these areas. The questions that are asked on the 2010 Census are also asked on the American Community Survey questionnaire.American Community Survey Content The content collected by the American Community Survey can be grouped into four main types of characteristics – social, economic, housing, and demographic. Let’s take a closer look at the type of information each of these categories contain. American Community Survey Social Characteristics * Education * Marit al Status * Fertility * Grandparent Caregivers * Veterans * Disability Status * Place of Birth * Citizenship * Year of Entry Language Spoken at home * Ancestry/ Tribal Affiliation Social characteristics include topics such as education, marital status, fertility, grandparent caregivers, veterans, disability status, place of birth, citizenship status, year of entry, language spoken at home, ancestry and tribal affiliation. American Community Survey Economic Characteristics * Income * Benefits * Employment Status * Occupation * Industry * Commuting to Work * Place of Work Economic characteristics include such topics as income, benefits, employment status, occupation, industry, commuting to work, and place of work.Data on the economic characteristics of the population are collected to assess the well-being of individuals and households. American Community Survey Housing Characteristics * Tenure * Occupancy ;amp; Structure * Housing Value * Taxes ;amp; Insurance * Utilities * Mortgage/M onthly Rent Housing characteristics include topics such as tenure, occupancy and structure, housing value, taxes and insurance, utilities, and mortgage or monthly rent. This housing data gives us a measure of the housing stock of the country. American Community Survey Demographic Characteristics * Sex Age * Race * Hispanic Origin The American Community Survey also collects the basic demographic characteristics such as sex, age, race and Hispanic origin. This is the same information that will be collected by Census 2010. American Community Survey 2008 Content Changes * Three new questions * Health Insurance Coverage * Veteran’s Service-connected Disability * Marital History * Deletion of one question * Time and main reason for staying at the address * Changes in some wording and format Several changes were made to the American Community Survey questionnaire at the beginning of 2008.Three new questions were added and one question was deleted. The three new questions are on heal th insurance coverage, veteran’s service-connected disability, and marital history. These new data will begin to be available during the data release in 2009. The deleted question measured the time and main reason for staying at the sampled address. These data were used for internal research purposes and the data were not published in the data products. Changes were also made to some of the demographic questions so that they are consistent with the questions that will be on the 2010 Census questionnaire.American Community Survey Methodology * Sample includes about 3 million addresses each year * Three modes of data collection * mail * phone * personal visit * Data are collected continuously throughout the year About 3 million addresses are selected for the American Community Survey sample every year. The American Community Survey data collection operation uses three modes that take place over a three-month period: mail, telephone, and personal visit. For most housing units th e first phase of data collection includes a questionnaire mailed to the sample address for the household to complete and return by mail.If no response by mail is received, the Census Bureau follows up with computer assisted telephone interviewing, or CATI, if a telephone number is available for the address. If the Census Bureau is unable to reach an occupant of the unit using CATI, or if the household refuses to participate, the address may be selected for computer assisted personal interviewing, or CAPI. At any point in this process, receipt of a completed questionnaire from the sampled address results in the address being removed from the data collection workload. Data for the American Community Survey are collected continuously throughout the year.Interviews conducted between January 1st and December 31st of a given year are aggregated to produce annual estimates for calendar years. For example, interviews conducted between January 1st and December 31st of 2009 are aggregated to produce estimates for 2009. American Community Survey Target Population * Resident population of the United States and Puerto Rico * Living in housing units and group quarters * Current residents at the selected address * â€Å"Two month† rule Interview and residence rules define the target population for a survey.These rules therefore identify the units and the people eligible for inclusion in the survey. The sampling frame reflects this choice of universe, as do the instructions on the forms and in the procedures used by survey interviewers during follow-up. The American Community Survey collects data from all persons without regard to their legal status or citizenship. In 2005 the target population was limited to the housing unit population of the US and Puerto Rico. For the first time in 2006, and for every year thereafter, the American Community Survey has included the resident population living in BOTH housing units and group quarters.The American Community Survey resid ence rules were established to collect data from people who are currently living at the selected address. For inclusion in the survey, these rules require that, at the time the questionnaire is completed, the respondent is living or staying at the housing unit address for more than two months. American Community Survey Group Quarters Group quarters are places where people live or stay that are normally owned or managed by an entity or organization providing housing and/or services for the residents.These services may include custodial or medical care as well as other types of assistance, and residency is commonly restricted to those receiving these services. The group quarters population is divided into two categories, the Institutional group quarters population and the Non-institutional group quarters population. The Institutional group quarters population includes residents under formally authorized supervised care. Examples of these facilities include skilled nursing facilities, adult correctional facilities, and psychiatric hospitals. The Non-institutional group quarters population includes residents of college/university housing, ilitary barracks, and group homes. American Community Survey Period Estimates * ACS estimates are period estimates, describing the average characteristics over a specified period * Contrast with point-in-time estimates that describe the characteristics of an area on a specific date * 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year estimates will be released for geographic areas that meet specific population thresholds American Community Survey period estimates describe the average characteristics of the population or housing over a specified period of time. In the case of American Community Survey one-year estimates, the period is the calendar year.For example, the 2007 American Community Survey data describe the population and characteristics of an area from January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2007, not for any specific day within the year. The Ame rican Community Survey collects survey information continuously nearly every day of the year and then aggregates the results over a specific period of time – one year, three years, or five years. The data collection is spread evenly across the entire period represented so as not to over-represent any particular month or year within the period. American Community Survey Data Products Release ScheduleAmerican Community Survey period estimates describe the average characteristics of the population or housing over a specified period of time. In the case of American Community Survey one-year estimates, the period is the calendar year. For example, the 2007 American Community Survey data describe the population and characteristics of an area from January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2007, not for any specific day within the year. The American Community Survey collects survey information continuously nearly every day of the year and then aggregates the results over a specific period of time – one year, three years, or five years.The data collection is spread evenly across the entire period represented so as not to over-represent any particular month or year within the period. American Community Survey Data Products Profiles * Data Profiles * Narrative Profiles * Comparison Profiles * Selected Population Profiles Tables * Detailed Tables * Subject Tables * Ranking Tables * Geographic Comparison Tables * Thematic Maps * Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) Files The American Community Survey data products are similar to those produced from the decennial census long form.Like the decennial sample data products, the American Community Survey products show the characteristics of the country’s population and housing. These products include four broad types of products – profiles, tables, thematic maps, and Public Use Microdata Sample, or PUMS, files. There are multiple types of profiles and tables – data profiles, narrative profiles, compar ison profiles, selected population profiles, detailed tables, subject tables, ranking tables, and geographic comparison tables. All of the data products are available on the Census Bureau’s American FactFinder.The data products are explored in depth in the presentation titled â€Å"Data Products from the American Community Survey. † American Community Survey Learning More * ACS Main Page * 2007 Data Product Details * Subject Definitions * Guidance on Comparing 2007 Data to Other Sources * Design and Methodology Report * The ACS Compass Products The American Community Survey Web site has a lot of information about the program, its data products, and evaluation of the data. The next several slides will present some valuable resources for learning more about the American Community Survey.We will look at the ACS Main page, the 2007 Data Product Details, Subject Definitions, Guidance on Comparing 2007 Data to Other Sources, the ACS Design and Methodology Report, and The ACS Compass Products. The upcoming slides show static images of the American Community Survey Web site taken in late-September 2008. As the Web site is continually updated, these images may differ slightly from what is currently on the active Web site. At the bottom of each of the upcoming slides are the Internet addresses for the Web page that the slide is referencing. American Community Survey ACS Main PageThe American Community Survey Main Page has links to valuable information. Currently, one of those links is the â€Å"2007 ACS Data Release. † It is accessible under the â€Å"Highlights† section on the main American Community Survey Webpage: http://www. census. gov/acs/www. The Highlights section changes periodically so the most recent American Community Survey happenings are highlighted. You can always access information on the latest data release by clicking on â€Å"Access Data† in the top menu bar or by directly typing in the Web address, http://www. censu s. gov/acs/www/Products/. American Community Survey 2007 Data ReleaseThe 2007 ACS Data Release page includes links to four ways to access American Community Survey data. They are the American FactFinder, the File Transfer Protocol or FTP site, the Public Use Microdata Sample or PUMS files, and Request a Custom tabulation. It also contains data user tools and tips as well as important documentation. This page is where you can access much of the information you may need when using American Community Survey data. In the image on this slide, arrows highlight hyperlinks to 2007 Data Product Details and Comparing ACS Data, both located under the Data User Tools and Tips column.Under the Documentation column, arrows highlight hyperlinks to Subject Definitions, Errata, User Notes, and the ACS Design and Methodology report. We will now briefly explore each of these resources. American Community Survey 2007 Data Product Details The 2007 Data Product Details contains table shells and their ID numbers, maps, geographic areas, and more. At the top left of the page, you can use the drop down menu to select the state you’re interested in and it will produce the list of geographic areas that are published for that state. There will be a similar tool for the three-year estimates that will be released in December 2008.The box in the middle of the page allows you to look at table shells by topic. These table shells do not contain any data, however they are a useful mechanism for seeing the data that are offered and the format of those data before going to American FactFinder to begin your data retrieval. At the bottom of the page you’ll find some downloadable files that contain detailed documentation on the data products. One of these files allows users to see if the 2007 American Community Survey produced a table that is comparable to a table produced from the Census 2000 Summary File 3.Another file lists all of the tables that are new, have been deleted, or have been modified since the release of the previous year’s data. Also on this page is a document that provides instructions for applying statistical testing to American Community Survey data, so that you can test to see whether changes in the data are statistically valid. Each of these files will open in a new window and can be saved on your computer. American Community Survey 2007 Data Product Details The image on this slide shows the table crosswalk that is found by clicking on the link titled â€Å"Census 2000 Summary File 3 detailed tables with comparable ACS tables. The crosswalk offers information about the table’s title, id number and the subject area for both the Census 2000 Summary File 3 and the 2007 American Community Survey. It also contains information on how the 2007 American Community Survey and Census 2000 Summary File 3 tables correspond to one another.This is available as a downloadable Excel file from the Data Product Details page. American Community Su rvey Comparison Guidance * Comparing 2007 ACS to 2006 ACS * Census Bureau supports comparisons made between 2006 and 2007 ACS data * Comparing 2007 ACS to Census 2000 Differences between the 2007 ACS and Census 2000 include residence rules, universes, and reference periods. The Census Bureau provides guidance to users that want to compare 2007 American Community Survey data with data from other sources. You will also find a link on this web page to guidance on comparing 2006 ACS data to other sources. Guidance is needed before drawing conclusions because in some instances comparisons could be misleading due to differences in questions or methods. The Census Bureau supports comparisons made between 2006 and 2007 ACS data.When comparing 2007 American Community Survey data to Census 2000 data, the user should keep in mind the differences that exist between the 2007 ACS and Census 2000. As noted earlier, these include differences in residence rules, universes, and reference periods. For example, the 2007 ACS uses a â€Å"two-month† residence rule – defined as anyone living for more than two months in the sample unit when the unit is interviewed whereas Census 2000 used a â€Å"usual residence† rule – defined as the place where a person lives or stays most of the time.We encourage you to review the guidance on our website which provides useful information for every variable. American Community Survey Comparing Data The Census Bureau provides guidance to users that want to compare 2007 American Community Survey data with data from other sources. You will also find a link on this web page to guidance on comparing 2006 ACS data to other sources. Guidance is needed before drawing conclusions because in some instances comparisons could be misleading due to differences in questions or methods. The Census Bureau supports comparisons made between 2006 and 2007 ACS data.When comparing 2007 American Community Survey data to Census 2000 data, the u ser should keep in mind the differences that exist between the 2007 ACS and Census 2000. As noted earlier, these include differences in residence rules, universes, and reference periods. For example, the 2007 ACS uses a â€Å"two-month† residence rule – defined as anyone living for more than two months in the sample unit when the unit is interviewed whereas Census 2000 used a â€Å"usual residence† rule – defined as the place where a person lives or stays most of the time.We encourage you to review the guidance on our website which provides useful information for every variable. American Community Survey User Notes The user notes section provides important information about the data by specific year. For example, the first note listed on the screen references the â€Å"Modification Made in 2007 ACS Weighting Methodology for Orleans and St. Bernard Parishes in Louisiana. † It states the following: â€Å"The review of the 2007 operational data disco vered evidence that suggests a high incidence of misclassification of uninhabitable units as vacant units.The effect of misclassification was almost entirely removed through a modification in the weighting methodology for Orleans and St. Bernard Parishes. The effect of the weighting adjustment was to down-weight units that had the vacancy status of ‘Other Vacant. ’ This modification resulted in more consistent and accurate ACS estimates of the number of vacant units and ‘persons per household’ in these two parishes. This modification was also made to the 2006 ACS weighting methodology. † American Community Survey Errata NotesThe Errata notes page will provide users with information on any updates made to the data due to detected errors. For example, the errata note 46, which is the first entry on the screen, references â€Å"Subject Table S2101 and Base Table B21002 for years prior to 2007, period of military service. † The errata note states t he following: â€Å"Due to an editing error, veteran's period of service (VPS) was being incorrectly assigned for some individuals. The majority of the errors misclassified some people who reported only serving during the Vietnam Era as having served in the category â€Å"’Gulf War and Vietnam Era. The remainder of the errors misclassified some people who reported only serving between the Vietnam Era and Gulf War as having served in the category ‘Gulf War. ’ These errors have been resolved for the 2007 tabulations. â€Å" American Community Survey Subject Definitions The Subject Definitions document is a glossary of all American Community Survey measures. In the 2007 version, definitions of the quality measures describing American Community Survey data have been added. Versions for the 2002 through 2007 American Community Surveys are available. American Community SurveySubject Definitions The Subject Definitions document includes explanations of the measures. For example, the partial definition of the â€Å"Language Spoken at Home and Ability to Speak English† measure that is shown on this slide tells us that the questions are only asked of people aged 5 years and older. The full definition provides other important information about this measure. American Community Survey Design and Methodology Report * Important reference document covering methods used in producing ACS data * American Community Survey How to Use the DataThe ACS Design and Methodology paper describes the basic design of the American Community Survey and details the full set of methods and procedures that are currently in place. An updated version of the paper is forthcoming. This report can be accessed from the 2007 Data Release page. American Community Survey How to Use the Data The geography notes section provides a brief explanation of the Census Bureau’s geographic terms. Geography notes are located on the â€Å"How to Use the Data† Web page. The yellow toolbar that sits just below the American Community Survey banner is accessible from all pages on the AmericanCommunity Survey Web site. Click on â€Å"How to Use the Data,† which is the fourth tab from the right. American Community Survey Geography Notes The geography notes provide an overview of the types of geographic areas that are presented in American Community Survey data products. At the bottom of the page are printable . pdfs for the current year and past years of the American Community Survey. American Community Survey The ACS Compass Products * Set of educational handbooks aimed at specific audiences * Presentation slides on important ACS topics E-learning tutorial In recognition of the need to provide guidance on new concepts and the challenges they bring to users of American Community Survey data, the U. S. Census Bureau is developing a series of educational materials called The ACS Compass Products. The ACS Compass Products include user-specific handbook s, PowerPoint presentations, and an on-line tutorial. The handbooks provide user-friendly information about the ACS and the multiyear estimates available in 2008. Each handbook targets a specific user group including first time ACS data users.The PowerPoint presentations, such as this, provide important information on various aspects of the American Community Survey. These presentations were developed for two main purposes: (1) for individual to use to learn more about the ACS and (2) to provide a wide audience with the tools needed to conduct training on the ACS. Each presentation consists of approximately 35 slides and the accompanying speakers’ notes. The presentations have also been recorded as multimedia files so users can learn about the ACS without having to read the presentations or attend a training session.An on-line tutorial that enables users to understand and appropriately use ACS data is also planned for future release. American Community Survey Similarities wit h Census 2000 * Same questions and many of the same basic statistics * 5-year estimates will be produced for same broad set of geographic areas including census tracts and block groups Now that we have explored the American Community Survey program and products, let’s wrap up by answering the question â€Å"How is the American Community Survey different from Census 2000? As mentioned earlier, the American Community Survey asks many of the same questions and produces many of the same basic statistics as the sample data from Census 2000.American Community Survey data will be produced for geographies as large as the nation and as small as block groups. Five-year estimates will be produced for the same broad set of geographic areas that received sample data from Census 2000, including census tracts and block groups. American Community Survey Key Differences from Census 2000 Beginning in 2010, data for small geographic areas will be produced every year versus once every 10 years * Data for larger areas are available now and data for mid sized area will be available in December 2008 * Census 2000 data described the population and housing as of April 1, 2000 while ACS data describe a period of time and require data for 12 months, 36 months, or 60 months As opposed to the decennial census which produced data once every 10 years, the American Community Survey will provide a continuous stream of updated information for states and local areas.Updated data from the American Community Survey will be released every year. Updated data have been available since 2005 for areas with populations of 65,000 or more. Data in the form of three-year estimates will be available for areas with populations of 20,000 or more in December 2008. American Community Survey estimates provide information about the characteristics of population and housing for areas over a specified period of time.American Community Survey single-year and multiyear estimates contrast with â€Å"point-in -time† estimates, such as those from the decennial census long form samples, which are designed to measure characteristics as of a certain date or narrow time period. For example, Census 2000 was designed to measure the characteristics of population and housing in the United States based upon data collected around April 1, 2000, and thus its data reflect a narrower timeframe than American Community Survey data. American Community SurveyKey Differences from Census 2000 * The goal of ACS is to produce data comparable to the Census 2000 long form data * These estimates will cover the same small areas as Census 2000 but with smaller sample sizes * Smaller sample sizes for 5-year ACS estimates results in reductions in the reliability of estimates In Census 2000 approximately 17 percent of the housing units received a long form. Statistics from this sample were produced for a broad set of geographic areas including the nation, all states, counties, census tracts, and block groups.Fi ve years of American Community Survey data are needed to produce estimates comparable to the estimates produced from the Census 2000 long form. A benefit that users will gain from the American Community Survey is the more timely issuance of the data and the greater frequency with which the data are released. Also, it produces information for small areas, including tracts and block groups, which will be updated every year instead of once every decade. The sample sizes for the 5-year ACS estimates will be smaller than the sample sizes were for Census 2000. This will result in a reduction in the reliability of the estimate.

Organizational behavior of HK Disneyland Essay

Introduction Hong Kong Disneyland, opened to visitors in 2005, is one of the two largest theme parks in Hong Kong. It successfully brings magical experience of Walt Disney to all the visitors just like other Disneyland around the world. Hong Kong Disneyland has created a culture for their employees with open communication with their managers and subordinates, professional training, and rewards. This philosophy of treating employees well has long been adopted by Walt Disney for many years. The belief of Walt Disney is that you can have joyful guests as long as you have employees who enjoy working for Disneyland and bringing happiness to visitors. With the comprehensive training for each employee, they make all visitors  experience a memorable magical moment. No matter the cast of Disney characters, or the people working in Disneyland’s restaurants or hotels, all of them receive comprehensive training. This training can ensure that every Disney employee can work together as a team, and provide excellent customer services to cater for their customers’ needs. In this report, we will illustrate how Disneyland incorporates organizational behavior concepts to create a culture for their employees where they feel satisfactory for their work environment and feel that they are important to the team. Motivation and learning are two main focuses in our research. We will also provide suggestions on how Disneyland can further improve in terms of organizational culture. Motivation Hong Kong Disneyland has many ways to motivate its employees to work. Our team is going to apply Theory X and Theory Y, Herzberg’s two-factor theory, and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need these three theories to analyze the employee motivation methods of Hong Kong Disneyland Theory X and Theory Y Here is a brief introduction on the Theory X before the application on Disneyland. Theory X based on pessimistic assumptions. It is impediment to employee morale and productivity. For example, it assumed that labors are inherently lazy and avoid to work, only interested in money and in need of close supervision. Also, they would have little ambition without incentive programs, avoid responsibility and need to be driven through control systems. So, once the manager adopting this theory, they will end everything in blame without evaluating the situation, structure the work, energize the employees and also in authoritarian style based on the threat of punishment. Here comes to the application on theory X. According to the spokesperson of Disneyland, Angela Bliss, Disney employees have to adhere to strict guidelines and rules for their behavior and appearance. Once hired, they have to maintain the â€Å"Disney Look, and the Disney look is a fresh, clean and  approachable look, ensuring that every guest feels comfortable with our entire cast. Therefore, â€Å"Cast members,† Disney’s way of referring to their employees, receive a â€Å"Disney look book† that details all of the requirements, emphasizing a natural look with natural hair color and makeup. The purpose in doing this is to keep the focus on the ‘show’ and not on the individual cast member. Besides, a cast member with purple hair may not appear approachable to all of their guests. According to Disney rules, anytime a cast member confronts a guest who appears lost or frazzled, the employee must offer their help and point them in the right direction. Pointing must always be done with either two fingers or the full hand. So, the above showed that the workers in Disney are suffered serious and high intensive instructions and rules by the theory X style managers. What’s more, with reference to the article by Jason Garcia, Orlando Sentinel on November 16, 2010, The Walt Disney Co. has issued a new policy banning employees from texting while driving on the job. The ban applies to all of the Burbank, Calif.-based entertainment giant’s worldwide employees — including its roughly 60,000 workers at Walt Disney World. The policy, which recently took effect, also prohibits employees from making or receiving phone calls while driving on the job unless they use a single earpiece. It applies to workers who are either driving company vehicles or using their own vehicles while on the job. Disney punishments for workers caught violating the driving policy will be decided on case-by-case basis. The policy does not apply to employees during their drives to or from work. In short, the evidences above status that the management of theory X style, use to set up regulations and punishments to motivate their ‘‘actors’’. On the other hand, here comes to the theory Y. On the contrary, it based on positive assumptions, and also more positive view of workers and the possibilities that create. For instance, they assumed that employees are ambitious, self-motivated and anxious to accept greater responsibility. Employees exercise self-control, self-direction, autonomy and empowerment,  also exercise creativity and become forward looking. So, once the managers are adopted this theory, they believes that people want to do well at work, have a pool of unused creativity and that the satisfaction of doing a job is in itself motivating. Here comes to the application on theory Y. The Walt Disney Co focuses on creating a culture in which employees can flourish and find meaning in their work. Together with more than 10,000 online reference materials and resources, instructor-led classes, performance support systems, and education reimbursement for job-related degree programs, The Walt Disney Company offers an array of tools. From the website of The Walt Disney Co., they claimed that ‘It takes a special kind of person to work at The Walt Disney Company. Our employees and cast members contribute to the success of our many brands in a way no other company can match. That is why our employees and cast members are the most valuable part of our organization. But we know your life isn’t just about work. You have additional things going on – family, friends, personal interests, education and more. The Walt Disney Company offers a comprehensive total rewards package that helps you live your best life, grow p ersonally and professionally, and get rewarded for the results you deliver. The programs, benefits and perks you receive as an employee or cast member may vary based on where you live and work. But when you add it all up, the total package provides the same results: your total rewards support you throughout all stages of your life and career.’ Herzberg’s two-factor theory The two-factor theory states that there are certain factors in the workplace that cause job satisfaction, while a separate set of factors cause dissatisfaction. The theory suggests that to improve job attitudes and productivity, administrators must recognize and attend to both sets of characteristics and not assume that an increase in satisfaction leads to decrease in not pleasurable dissatisfaction. Two-factor theory distinguishes between motivators and hygiene factors based on the notion that the presence of one set of job characteristics or incentives leads to worker satisfaction at work, while another and separate  set of job characteristics leads to dissatisfaction at work. Therefore, satisfaction and dissatisfaction are not on a continuum with one increasing as the other diminishes, but are independent phenomena. Motivators such as challenging work, achievements, recognition, responsibility, or anything else that given positive satisfaction, arising from intrinsic conditions of the job itself, which is based on the long lasting working environment but not short-lasting achievement. The Walt Disney Company offers a comprehensive total rewards package that helps employee live better life, grow personally and professionally, and get rewarded for the results they deliver, for example, there are incentive and special recognition programs which includes quality of work, length of service, community volunteerism and employee of the month recognition. Reward will be varied by company, job status, location and/or the terms of any applicable collective bargaining agreement. The company have a diverse workforce is critical to the business. Variety of opinions, ideas and perspectives to ensure staff and their managers continue to top the performance and represent the company’s global marketplace. When employee reflects the communities, it can enhance the way for them connect to guests, audiences and consumers. Employee can feel that they work toward an inclusive environment that fosters creativity, innovation and camaraderie across all of the Disney companies. The c ulture can also inspire the workers. For instance, they are committed to a tradition of innovation and technology. Employee can be easily given job satisfaction from setting a high standard of excellence and maintain high-quality standards across all product categories. Apart from that, working in The Walt Disney Company can always enjoy in the joyful atmosphere as the entertainment is about hope, aspiration and positive outcomes, they can create positive and inclusive ideas about families and provide entertainment experiences for all generations to share. The rewarding, inclusive and supportive work environment is committed by the company. Thus, the staffs are able to gain satisfaction from working in Disney. Hygiene factors, for example, status, job security, salary, work conditions,  the benefits for employee, that do not give positive satisfaction, though dissatisfaction results from their absence. The Walt Disney Company provides employee base salaries with the total compensation opportunity and health and wellness benefits which includes medical, Disney Health Pursuits Wellness resources, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), behavioral health, prescription drug coverage, dental, healthcare and dependent day care flexible spending accounts, accident and disability Insurance, long-term care insurance. Besides, the employee can have enough time off working in Disney. They can have 11 paid holidays per year, vacation, sick pay and short-term disability, leaves of absence, bereavement and jury duty, personal life resources, group legal plan, adoption assistance program and onsite childcare centers. Moreover, they can also enjoy the retirement and financial benefits. 401(k) savings plan wi th company match, retirement savings plan for salaried employees and employee stock purchase program would be included. Also, they can enjoy special extras which are complimentary theme park admissions, employee discounts, merchandise discounts at Disney-owned stores, company-sponsored events and services, Disney employee matching gifts, commuter assistance program and many other unique advantages. Last but not least, some world-class training programs are customizable for employee to join such as professional development, management and leadership development, computer skills, business immersion programs and individual career development as the company encourages staff to learn and reach their goals. To sum up, the Herzberg’s two-factor theory can be applied into The Walt Disney Company as motivators and hygiene factors can be found in the policy of the company and working environment. It can satisfy both motivators and hygiene factors of employee and that is the reason staffs enjoy to work there. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need Maslow’s theory relates motivation to a hierarchy of needs. At the bottom are essential physiological needs such as air, food, shelter and clothing. As individuals satisfy one level of need, their motivations change as they aspire to reach the higher order needs. Therefore, to motivate an individual Maslow suggests that it is necessary to know where within the hierarchy each  employee is placed so that these factors can be taken into account. Physiological needs – Hong Kong Disneyland offers competitive salaries. This gives employees the means to acquire the basic needs for living. Also, provide benefits programme to employees which suit them. These benefits and competitive salaries help workers’ pay go further and so motivate them to be loyal to the company. In Hong Kong Disneyland, empolyees can earn more than just a pay-check and will receive a total rewards package that consists of different types of compensation and benefits, such as: Cast exclusive MTR discount scheme Comprehensive group medical insurance, including outpatient, hospitalisation, specialist, Chinese herbalist and dental services Group life and group personal accident insurance Discretionary gratuity Paid annual leave, maternity leave, marriage leave and examination leave Overtime payment for frontline overtime eligible positions Overnight shift premium Laundry services for uniforms and costume Safety needs – Hong Kong Disneyland values the safety of all employees. It is committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment to prevent accidents. Hong Kong Disneyland provides a clear rule and regulation to employees. For example, how to access the control of the machines; therefore employees are accountable to create a safe working environment too – that means they have to take responsibility for observing the health and safety rules and practices. Hong Kong Disnetland also offers employees a range of working patterns. For example, it provide a flexible working schedule, some employees may want to work as a part-time, they can choose among the schedule. This helps employees to choose the best option for a healthy work-life balance. Social needs – These are associated with a feeling of belonging. These provide informal opportunities for employees to get along with each other. This helps strengthen teams and enhances workers’ sense of belonging. Having an open approach to communication keeps everybody focused on the Hong Kong Disneyland’s aims helps individuals contribute to the company. In Hong Kong Disneyland, there is a RACE Club which provides a variety of interest programs, instructor-led courses and outdoor recreational activities for cast members and their family and friends. The RACE Club strives to promote diversity and work-life balance for cast members. It is also a platform for passionate and talented cast members to unleash their potential by being program instructors. Esteem – All employees in Hong Kong Disneyland have a need to be respected and to respect themselves. Esteem is the normal employees desire to be accepted and valued by others. Employees need to engage themselves in activities, to gain recognition and a sense of contribution. Esteem needs can intersect with motivation in the Hong Kong Disneyland too. For example, employees’ voice will be heard at the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. Cast members are welcome to share any feedback employees may have with the Cast Advisory Council (CAC). The CAC meets regularly to listen to cast member feedback and make suggestions to improve the working environment. Self-actualisation – Hong Kong Disneyland provides employees with the opportunity to take on challenging and stimulating responsibilities. This enables them to develop and improve. Hong Kong Disneyland offers more than 100 instructor-led programs to all cast members, including the Operations and Professional Teams. As a full time cast member, Employees can receive an average of 35 training hours per year to help them excel in their career. Typical instructor-led training courses include: Classes for All Cast Members: Disney Traditions Training Communicating Effectively in the Workplace Giving and Receiving Feedback in Disney Style Influencing Team Members as a Role Model Good Show Begins with Me Classes for All Managers: Coaching for Win-Win Outcome Problem Solving & Decision Making Skills Time Management Seminars and conferences hosted by Guest Speakers Learning Organizational Learning in Disneyland Learning in Disneyland take parts in three aspects, it includes Disney University, DU Learningland and Emerging Leader Program. 1. Disney University The Disney University (DU) offers more than 100 instructor-led programs to all cast members, including the Operations and Professional Teams. As a full time cast member, people can receive an average of 35 training hours per year to help them excel in their career. This also acts as a guide to providing world-class service to our guests. Typical instructor-led training courses include: Classes for All Cast Members: -Disney Traditions Training -Communicating Effectively in the Workplace -Giving and Receiving Feedback in Disney Style -Influencing Team Members as a Role Model Classes for All Managers: -Coaching for Win-Win Outcome -Problem Solving & Decision Making Skills -Time Management -Seminars and conferences hosted by Guest Speakers 2. DU Learningland The DU Learningland provides a wide variety of self-learning materials to study at workers own pace. There are about 1,000 collections including Disney feature films and books on career development as well as personal growth. 3. Emerging Leaders Program Hong Kong Disneyland Emerging Leaders Program can help workers develop for future leadership roles at the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. The six-month program focuses on developing your core leadership competencies. During the training, workers and other cast members work on group projects, attend classroom training and do on-the-job shadowing with a Guest Service Manager. Current situation of learning aspects in Hong Kong Disneyland 1. Explicit knowledge Explicit knowledge is Knowledge that is articulated through language, such as documents. Hong Kong Disneyland provides training to its workers. With the aim to progress along a steep learning curve, Disneyland offers learning opportunities for the trainees, including classroom training that give workers guidelines of the way workers should behave. 2. Tacit knowledge Tacit knowledge refers to knowledge acquired through observation and direct experience. From the recruitment post of Hong Kong Disneyland, it suggests that previous work experience at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort (e.g. Part Time Host / Internship) or any other Disney theme parks will be considered as an added advantage. This proves the workers are likely to have some experience of welcoming guest before they enter the firm. Moreover, abundant mentorship and mentoring workshops are offered to colleagues so that that new workers can have deeper understanding about Hong Kong Disneyland more easily. 3. Skills Most of the job offered in Hong Kong Disneyland requires that applicants should have excellent command of English and Chinese, including spoken Cantonese and Mandarin. Despite the language requirement, Hong Kong Disneyland further requires candidates have the ability to demonstrate strong computer proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, familiarity with Apple presentation products, and willingness to learn new software programs Generally, Language skills and computer skills are the two fundamental skills that Hong Kong Disneyland is looking for. 4. Attitude Hong Kong Disneyland demands that workers should demonstrate outgoing personality with good communication skill. Moreover, applicants should be those that are energetic, strong team-players and passionate about Disney. That is to say, Hong Kong Disneyland tries to let co-workers to imagine working for an organization that brings smiles to millions every year, or working with people whose passion for what they do is simply indescribable. Problems of Disney Learning Style From the above description, we find that Disneyland provide extensive training program to their employees. These training programs have equipped their employees with basic knowledge on facilitating daily operation of Disneyland; however, these training programs do not equip employees with creativity on how to make their service better. In other word, the training programs of Disneyland do not give enough reinforcement to their employees. Reinforcement is classified into two categories: positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement. Positive reinforcement occurs when positive consequence is presented to a desired behavior while negative reinforcement refers to the presentation of negative consequence to undesired behavior. Both operant conditioning and classical conditioning state that extinction of particular behavior will occurs if reinforcement is no longer presented upon the completion of behavior which is previously reinforced. Moreover, social learning theory also suggested that human will learn though observing because of self-reinforcement. In other words, reinforcement has played a very important role in every types of learning. Without reinforcement of desirable behavior and severe punishment of misbehavior, employees may not have any incentive to perform better. Some of them may even lose their incentive to maintain their expected performance and withdraw from Disneyland. This may lead to severe consequences Disneyland in a few aspects. First, with employee losing their work incentives, there will be a reduction of average customer service quality. As Disneyland aims to bring the greatest experience to its customer, their reputation as the world most famous theme park may be harmed. Moreover, if employees resign from Disneyland frequently, the turnover rate of staff is high. In this case, not  only the cost of training newly join staff will increase, the time of training new staff will also be boost as every Disneyland staff needs to receive sufficient training before they become available to work. With the total c ost increase in a great proportion, this will lead to a loss of comparative advantage of Disneyland. To solve the problems mentioned above, Disneyland may need to provide enough external reinforcement and self-reinforcement to their employees. Suggestions 1) Since Disneyland is a service industry, their staffs are required to provide high-quality customer services. And this kind of customer service is not only an explicit knowledge, but also a tacit knowledge. That is, knowledge acquired through observation and direct experience, it cannot be obtained directly through knowledge, such as document. Explicit knowledge is provided by Disney University, while tacit knowledge can be learnt from on-job training, new worker are asked to observe their mentor and learn. At the same time, employees are required to deal with different scenarios to obtain customer satisfaction, and they can only learn through real-time experience since there are many unexpected situations happened in reality. So, extensive training can just provide the existing and past experience to their employees and after they obtained the explicit knowledge from Disney University, they can apply it to customers and make a change to satisfy customers with different needs. And this implies practice makes perfect, only through dealing with actual cases with continuing improvement to obtain a high-quality customer service and that is a tacit knowledge. 2) Positive reinforcement can be used since it occurs when a positive outcome follows a desired behavior. In this case, desired behavior will be the high quality service provided by employees, positive outcome can be bonus and commissions. It is the common way for manager to create learning among their employees, and it becomes the motivator for employees to provide a better service in order to achieve the target set by Disneyland. Before the positive outcome launched, employees will less be motivated since they think there is no problem to work as usual. But after having this positive  outcome, it will motivate employees to provide a better customer service as they want to get the bonus based on the checkpoint set by Disneyland which is related to themselves, the monetary benefit. So, it can create a win-win outcome that Disneyland can continue to have a positive reputation and a continuing improvement on customer relationship through the effort provided by employees, at the same time employees can receive bonus as rewards to affirm their effort directly. Employees can learn from social learning theory. First, behavioral modeling and learning behavior consequences are observing and modeling behavior of others and its consequences afterwards; Since one department have lots of employees who have their own method to deal with customer matters, like the ways to deliver customer service when dealing with customers with different tempers, so everyone can be a role model towards the others. For example, for a host at Chef Mickey (Food and Beverage), there are many staff to serve customers, such as ordering, serving, and cleaning up. They can first observe how the other staffs perform their job responsibilities to get customers’ satisfaction, and then the consequence is they can improve themselves to provide a smoother customer service after observation and modeling. For self-reinforcement, it is a conclusion that employees should reinforce their behavior with consequences within their control after the learning from observation. Disneyland can carry out the performance management through defining the criteria: define what is high-quality customer service by the management department, items may include customer preferences, establishing rapport, dealing with complaints, promoting and up-selling; measuring and appraising employees’ performance: how often to carry out quality assessment and when will have appraisals based on the needs with the current situation, like the peak season for Christmas or The Lunar New Year; providing them either positive or negative feedback: using face-to-face approach in order to deliver their feedback directly: self-reinforcement will occur if the feedback is positive, employees can accumulate a higher marks for the overall performance in order to get the bonus and rewards from achieving the checkpoint set by Disneyland. And their performance can be  improved through providing a better service to achieve the bonus and rewards, learning from colleagues, personal development, such as the goals and schedule set by an individual to provide a better customer service. 3) Using a reward allocation decisions can shape ones behavior in Disneyland. Which people to reward: who meet the requirement of providing high-quality customer service, how to reward them: whether using monetary or non-monetary term. When to reward them, depending when will the appraisals be released. Since Disneyland is a service industry, using team reward systems will be more appropriate as employees should have a good interpersonal and communication quality, and this reward approach can emphasize cooperation and joint efforts, also employees can share their experience to others in order to achieve a better performance and gain a higher reward through cooperation. At the same time, competency-based reward should be used as a financial reward practice as it is the fundamental part of employment relationship. The pay has multiple meanings, such as symbol of success which provides high-quality customer service performance, reinforcement and motivator, reducing anxiety that the worries about how is their own customer service providing performance. Competency-based reward is a pay increases with competencies acquired and demonstrated. It is a skill-based pay which means how well is the customer service provided, pay will be increased with skill modules learned. The advantages is having flexibility on the workload with a better quality, since different employees will provide different customer service, they can learn from dealing with real-time cases in order to adjust how can the customer service be delivered better. Not only is this reward focusing on individual rewards: commissions, but also team rewards: gain sharing and the most important part – organizational rewards: profit sharing, stock options, balanced scorecard. 4) It is suitable to use the job rotation in Disneyland. The existing one is  called the Internal Transfer Process, which is eligible to regular full time cast members who have been employed at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and held their current position for at least six months. And the purpose is to provide Cast Members with cross-functional transfer opportunities and equip them to be multi-functional and multi-tasked. Cast members can first have six-months experience in their department, after being familiar with its job responsibilities and they feel it is time for them to experience the different challenges, they can submit the application for internal transfer without getting a supervisor’s approval. They can transfer within a Single Team, across different teams or between Operations Team and Professional Team with the same career path. And they can have job rotation after their demonstrated performance, education background, as well as work experience being assessed. Undoubtedly, it has a slightly difference with the job rotation approach since cast members need to submit their application and be assessed. However, the goal is actually similar that offers their employees a chance to have internal transfer. It can minimize repetitive strain injury and reduce the job boredom after staying as the same position for a long time; it is good for employees to experience different customers’ needs through working in different department and it is the only way for them to obtain a real experience through working by their own but not on books or documents. At the same time, there will be some drawbacks that cannot be ignored, such as the extra resources on training as some employees may only work for six months and have internal transfer, that means they need another training which lead to an extra cost on training, the extra training cost will be much higher for employees transferring between Operations Team and Professional Team because the trainin g criteria are totally different; also employees may not be an expert in all fields, this problem may occur frequently also in the case of transferring between Operations Team and Professional Team, since the job requirement will be totally different and they need more theoretical knowledge to manage employees or work out for a win-win outcome and also have decision making which will have a significant influence of Disneyland’s market share or status. Conclusion Hong Kong Disneyland has demonstrated how a world class theme park creates a working atmosphere for its employees. As motivation and learning are always two most important aspects of employee management, so our team has taken these two factors for study. In motivation aspect, we have introduced Herzberg’s two-factor theory and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need to explain the motivation of employees. The two factor theory and the hygiene factors can be applied in the ways that how Hong Kong Disneyland motivates its employees. The Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need explains how Hong Kong Disneyland motivates its employees according to the five stages of needs, that is, physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem, and self-actualization. In learning aspect, currently, Hong Kong Disneyland provides Disneyland University and mentoring sections for its employees to acquire both explicit and tacit knowledge. Its problem is that is does not give enough reinforcement to the employees on bettering the services, resulting in lower incentives and even job resignation. Therefore, we have suggested Hong Kong Disneyland to provide positive reinforcement such as bonus and team reward to boost their motivation and arrange job rotati on to keep the employees’ passion about the company as well as their job. In a nutshell, Hong Kong Disneyland is an international level organization hiring thousands of employees for operation. Its employee management method is a great model for studying but there are still rooms for improvement.