Research Korner: Methodology

Research Proposal for Masters Studies on Motivation and Its Impact on Job Performance

Title             The title for the proposed study is Motivation and Its Impact on Job Performance.   Background of the Study/Literature Review Motivation at work has been an accepted area of literature for a long time, particularly from the 1930s and on wards (Lee-Ross 2002). Motivation is defined as the process of gratifying the internal needs of individuals via actions and behaviours. It focuses on the complexity of mental and physical drives, joint with the environment which makes the people perform the way they do. Robert Dubin described motivation as the force which moves the person to action, and enables him to continue in the course of action that has already been initiated (cited in Kumar & Sharma 2001). Therefore, without motivation, employee or worker will not contribute to the success of performance of the organization (Agrawal 1995). Employee needs the skills, knowledge and capabilities in order to acquire the results according to the requirements of the organization. However, it is also vital for them to have the will to achieve the said results. The degree of motivation of the employees is connected to their level of commitment towards their work and determination to work based on high standards (Pergamon Flexible Learning 2005).   Aims and Objectives             The main aim of the study is to investigate how motivation can influence job performance of employees. In line with this, the following are the specific objectives of the study: ·         to assess the importance of motivation in an organization; ·         to evaluate the different factors which motivates employees; ·         to analyse how motivation can enhance job performance; and ·         to recommend actions and strategies to be implemented in order to sustain motivation inside the working environment.   Methodology Descriptive method will be used in the study. According to Creswell (1994) it can help in order to show the different facts that are connected with the nature of the status of the current problem or condition as it happens at the time of the study. This is the reason why, it is considered as one of the most applied methodology in most studies. Furthermore, it will also be helpful in order to offer logical use in the studies which focus on dissemination of information, at the same time, it can help in order to investigate based on normative standards. It will be helpful in order to focus on the practices which exist, beliefs and processes that are currently going on and the effects that are being felt and experienced, together with the trends that re currently developing (Best, 1907). The target population will be 200 employees from different sectors and industries. They will be chosen via random selection process. The researcher will first ask for the consent of the companies then the consent of the individual respondents. They will be informed about the nature of the study, and its significance. Survey questionnaire will be used in order to gather primary data from the respondents. Likert scales will be used, where in the respondents will be asked to rate the level of their agreements towards the statements given. This will also be advantageous because it will make filling up questionnaire a lot easier and faster. The equivalent weights of the answers are:    Range                                Interpretation 4.50 – 5.00                             Strongly Agree 3.50 – 4. 49                Agree 2.50 – 3.49                             Uncertain 1.50 – 2.49                             Disagree 0.00 – 1.49                             Strongly Disagree     All of the data will be evaluated with the use of SPSS software. Thus, in order to come up with the results and findings of the study, frequency, percentage and weighted mean will be calculated. The following are the formulas to be used: 1.      Percentage – will be calculated in order to determine the magnitude of the responses to the questionnaire (Research Methods Knowledge Base, n.d.).   2.      Weighted Mean   References Agrawal, P K 1995, Motivation and Indian Bureaucracy, M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. Best, J. W. (1970). Research in Education, 2nd Ed. Englewood Cliffs. N.J.: Prentice Hall, Inc. Creswell, J.W. (1994). Research design. Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage. DuBin, A 2008, Essentials of Management, Cengage Learning. Kumar, A & Sharma, R 2001, Personnel Management Theory and Practice, Atlantic Publishers & Distri. Lee-Ross, D 2002, ‘An Exploratory Study of Work Motivation Among Private and Public Sector Hospital Chefs in Australia’, Journal of Management Development, vol. 21, no. 8, pp. 576 – 588.

Research Proposal for Masters Studies on Motivation and Its Impact on Job Performance

Title The title for the proposed study is Motivation and Its Impact on Job Performance. Background of the Study/Lite...

Research Proposal on Mainstreaming ill and Disabled Students into the Public School System

Mainstreaming Ill and Disabled Students into the Public School System Introduction The tension between exclusion and inclusion has been a shaping force in United States society and education. Public schools, in particular, have experienced stages of incorporating a larger number of children with disabilities into classrooms. During the 19th and much of the 20th centuries, there was a lengthy period of institutional segregated education for persons with disabilities. Today, many previously segregated learners have benefited from the social movement toward inclusive education. This movement has been sometimes slow and hesitant, but the overall result has been progress (Karagiannis, Stainback & Stainback, 1996). Several researches had already made the claim that integrating the ill and disabled students in the classroom shall deter their development and disrupt the learning of the regular students. However, I argue otherwise for three main reasons: (1) Including students with disabilities in general education classrooms heightens the awareness of each interrelated aspect of the school as a community; its boundaries, its benefits to members, its internal relationships, its relationships with the outside environment, and its history (Taylor, 1992); (2) ill and disabled students’ progress can be heightened by making them experience the regular classroom. It will further help them in coping with normal students. Finally, evidence shows that ill and disabled students does not disrupt the learning of the regular students. For this reasons, I find it imperative that school administrators, teachers, parents and students alike view the integration of ill and disabled students in the classroom more positively. The bias and stereotyping associated with ill and disabled students is hoped to be minimized particularly in Tucson, Arizona by the conduct of researches in this nature. Moreover, since there is a very limited number of schools accepting ill and disabled students in Arizona, it is the hope of this proposed study that public schools open the doors to the inclusion of ill and disabled students in the regular classroom. Background of the Study Mainstreaming ill and disabled students had been a hotly debated issue in the education journals. One school of thought contends that inclusion will deter the academic learning of the regular students. Another argue that it will not affect the learning of the regular students. Some even went to the extend to propose that it actually helps in the learning process of the students. The state of Arizona currently suffers from the discrimination of ill and disabled students’ inclusion in the public school system. This is evidenced by the very few schools that accepts them in the regular classroom. This is primarily because, the art of facilitating inclusion involved working creatively with the state of heightened awareness to redirect the energy bound up in fear toward problem solving that promoted reconsideration of boundaries, relationships, structures, and benefits Stainback & Stainback, 1996). When this redirection failed, students with disabilities remained on the outside of education, or they drifted with their individualized education programs (IEPs) and their aides (Schnorr, 1990). When this redirection succeeded, the life of a classroom shifted, in surprisingly quiet ways, to make room for new relationships, new structures, and new learning (Logan et al.,1994). Statement of the Problem Many educators agree that schools need to effectively integrate students with learning disabilities into the general education classroom. Students with learning disabilities are often characterized as inactive learners, remaining on the periphery of academic and social involvement in elementary and secondary classrooms (Torgeson, 1982). Central to the argument for effective integration of these students is that for a part of each day, most are removed from the general education curricula, and from their peers without disabilities; as a result, students with disabilities must continually reestablish themselves as members of the mainstream (Gartner & Lipsky, 1987; Reynolds,Wang, & Walberg, 1987). This proposed study seeks to compare the learning process and academic learning of the students in four classrooms: two from public schools that integrates ill and disabled students in the regular classroom and two from public schools that does not include ill and disabled students. The independent variable shall be the classrooms without ill and disabled students. The dependent variable shall be the classroom with ill and disabled students. Hypothesis             This proposed study shall test the following hypothesis: 1.      Using the result of the survey questionnaire, there is no significant relationship between performance of classrooms with ill and disabled students and those that does not include ill and disabled students 2.      Using the grades and state test scores of students, there is no significant  relationship between performance of classrooms with ill and disabled students and those that does not include ill and disabled students Definition of Terms: Inclusion: can be defined as the practice of serving students with a full range of abilities and disabilities in the general education classroom - with appropriate in-class support. Learning Disability (LD): A disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written, which may manifest in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations which adversely affect the student’s educational performance. Public Law (PL) 94-142 ,the Education for All Handicapped Children Act: To the maximum extent appropriate, students with disabilities are educated with students who do not have a disability, and that special classes, separate schools or other removal, from the regular education environment occurs only when the nature of severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactory. Regular Education: Instruction that is content-driven directed by a teacher who concerns him or herself with whole group instruction, record keeping and grades, and does not take into account any individual learning differences. Limitations of the Study The findings of this study cannot be generalized to other School systems. It is limited to the state of Arizona particularly in the High School level. Significance of the Study The information gathered from this study will public school administrators, teachers, counselors, parents, and others in determining whether exposure to an inclusion program benefits the student academically, socially, and from a family standpoint. Secondly, the data gained as a result of this study will be made  available to individuals and agencies for the purposes of evaluating and planning inclusion programs. Literature Review Several studies have shown that inclusion is a viable method of instruction for students with disabilities as well as for students without disabilities. Affleck, Madge, Adams, and Lowenbraun (1988) compared the performance of students without learning disabilities placed in integrated and mainstream education programs and reported no significant differences between the two groups, suggesting that normally achieving students are not adversely affected by being placed with students with LD. They concluded that the students in the integrated programs more often reduced inappropriate behaviors, increased communication skills, exhibited greater independence and engendered higher parental expectations. As evident by these various studies, the concept of inclusion enhances the education of students with and without disabling conditions. It promises to streamline the educational system and better allocate its most important resource, teachers. Yet, many if not most, of the schools have a long way to go before all students can enjoy the full benefits of inclusion. Research by Autin (1992) clearly establishes that integrated models improve the academic and social performance of all students. It also shows that comprehensive inclusion presents the best alternative to segregated special education, or exclusion. This system of exclusion finds its roots in the 1954 decision, Brown v. Board of Education, (Murphy, 1996) where a separate education was also considered unequal. The African American students were shortchanged; they were separated from the mainstream and were provided an inferior education that would prove harmful in their lives. That same concept, inequality, is paramount with regard to the inclusion movement. Students who are emotionally disturbed, physically challenged, visually impaired, and learning disabled are often excluded from the total school population. From the standpoint of legal history, the establishment of the basic concept that no child can be denied or excluded from a publicly supported education because of a handicap is expressed under the document Public Law (PL) 94-142, or the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) which mandated appropriate education for all students with disabilities. Public Law 94-142 recognized and supported this need for the education of students with disabilities in regular classroom settings, by creating a presumption in favor of educating children with handicaps in regular education environments (Danielson & Bellamy, 1989, p. 448). Students who are learning disabled may exhibit a wide range of traits, including poor reading comprehension, spoken language, writing and reasoning ability. Hyperactivity, inattention, and perceptual coordination problems may also be associated with LD, but are not examples of LD. Other traits that may be present include a variety of symptoms of brain dysfunction, including uneven and unpredictable test performance, perceptual impairments, motor disorders and emotional characteristics such as impulsiveness, low tolerance for frustration and maladjustment. One possible cause for the failure of many programs serving youth with serious emotional disturbance to promote increased integration may be that little research has been undertaken to isolate specific variables that promote integration or increase the likelihood that children with serious emotional disturbance will be reintegrated (Schneider & Byrne, 1984). Of the studies investigating the decision to mainstream children with serious emotional disturbance, the focus has typically been on (a) the behavior or academic achievement of the student or (b) the characteristics of the regular education (mainstream) teacher (Carran, Rock, and Rosenberg, 1994). Although the behavior of the child with serious emotional disturbance might logically be considered a major determinant in placement decisions, there is evidence to indicate that behavioral, social, interpersonal, and task-oriented skills are not being considered when reintegration decisions are made (Downing et al., 1990). Further, neither behavioral improvement nor academic achievement has been shown to differentiate students who were reintegrated from those who were not (Downing et al., 1990; Foley, Cullinan, & Epstein, 1990). Methodology This study will use the descriptive approach. This descriptive type of research will utilize interview, observation and questionnaires in the study.  To illustrate the descriptive type of research, the researcher will be guided by Creswell (1994) when he stated: “Descriptive method of research is to gather information about the present existing condition.  The purpose of employing this method is to describe the nature of a situation as it exists at the time of the study and to explore the cause/s of a particular phenomena. The research described in this document is based solely on quantitative research methods. This permits a flexible and iterative approach. During data gathering the choice and design of methods are constantly modified, based on ongoing analysis. This allows investigation of important new issues and questions as they arise, and allows the investigators to drop unproductive areas of research from the original research plan. This proposed study basically intends to investigate the effects of including ill and disabled students in public school classrooms in Tucson in terms of the academic achievements and development of the ill and disabled students and the regular students. This shall be compared to classrooms which do not have ill and disabled students. The effects of inclusion of ill and disabled students shall be monitored using two classrooms in Tucson whereas two classrooms in the same year level shall also be monitored using a public school which does not accept ill and disabled students. The academic performance of students shall also be based on the grades of the students. In assessing the relationship of mainstreaming in public schools- the following variables shall be tested. The independent variable shall be the classrooms without ill and disabled students. The dependent variable shall be the classroom with ill and disabled students.             The primary source of data will come from a survey questionnaire which has already been used in previous researches which will be given to the respondents. This will be used instead of a research-made questionnaire in order to ensure that the questionnaire is properly validated and highly reliable. The respondents of this study will be from four public schools in Arizona; two classrooms which integrates ill and disabled students and two classrooms which does not include ill and disabled students. The academic records of the students shall be evaluated including state-wide examination results. This data will be asked from the teachers and the school administrators. Moreover, interviews shall also be conducted on the classroom teachers of the students and the school administrators. The teachers will also be asked to assess the students based on groupings the ill and disabled and the regular students.             The secondary sources of data will come from published articles from education and psychology journals, theses and related studies on educational psychology. For this research design, the researcher will gather data, collate published studies from different local and foreign universities and articles from social science journals, distribute sampling questionnaires; arrange interviews; and make a content analysis of the collected documentary and verbal material.  Afterwards, the researcher will summarize all the information, make a conclusion based on the null hypotheses posited and provide insightful recommendations on the dealing with the debate on the inclusion or exclusion of ill and disabled students in public schools.  Validation of the Instrument Since this proposed study shall be using a standardized survey questionnaire, the validity and the reliability of the instrument to a certain degree is already established. However, to double check the applicability of the instrument on students in Tucson, Arizona, the researcher will initially submit a survey questionnaire and after approval, the survey will be given to 12 students, three for each classroom. After the survey questionnaire will be answered, the researcher will ask the respondents for any suggestions or any necessary corrections to ensure further improvement and validity of the instrument.  The researcher will again examine the content of the survey questionnaire to find out the reliability of the instrument.  The researchers will exclude irrelevant questions and will change words that would be deemed difficult by the respondents, to much simpler terms. Administration of the Instrument The revised instrument will then be administered to the respondents of the study which will be chosen through a combination of cluster and random sampling.  The researcher will exclude the ten respondents who will be initially used for the validation of the instrument.  The researcher will also tally, score and tabulate all the relevant data in the survey questionnaire. The result of the interviews on the teachers and the school administrators shall be transcribed for validation purposes. After designing and validating the survey instruments, the researcher shall be inviting school systems and nonpublic schools to participate. First, school administrators shall complete a brief (one-page) information sheet reporting the total number of students who had been enrolled and the number of children reintegrated from their restrictive programs during the previous school year, indexed by each classroom teacher or case manager. Administrators shall also provide information on programmatic elements related to reintegration, such as reintegration procedures and options. Next, the classroom teachers of students with LD and Ill students in each participating schools shall complete a survey on personal background, program information, school reintegration practices, and opinions regarding reintegration. Data will be coded and analyzed using SPSS statistical software (SPSS, 1988). Statistical Treatment of Data When all the survey questionnaire will have been collected, the researcher will use statistics to analyze all the data. The statistics that will be used in this study shall be the frequencies and percentage for the demographic profile of the respondents; weighted mean and chi-square in determining the relationship of the demographic variables and the responses of the students on the questionnaire; a multiple regression analysis using ANOVA shall also be conducted in determining the significant relationships between variables. The researcher will be assisted by the SPSS in coming up with the statistical analysis for this study. Conclusion             The research faces three difficulties. First is the conduct and the administration of the survey and the cooperation of the school administrator, teachers and the students. In order to solve this problem, coordination among the actors in this research shall be cleared. Moreover, letters shall be distributed to several schools so that in case, one school declines, there will always be fallback. Second, the documents needed for this research (grades, test scores, personal backgrounds of the students) may not be readily provided by the teachers. Thus, it will be cleared in the beginning before the agreement of their participation on the documents and records needed in the study. Finally, the confidentiality of the school’s name, the teachers, administrators and the students may be requested and waived by the participants. A letter signifying the nondisclosure of names as requested by the participants shall be provided. References Affleck, J.Q., Madge, S., Adams, A., & Lowenbraun, S. (1988). Integrated classroom versus resource model: Academic viability and effectiveness. Exceptional Children, 54, 339-348.   Autin, D. (1992). Segregated and second rate: Special education in New York. (Report No. NCERI-RR-92-4). Long Island, NY: National Center on Educational Restructuring and Inclusion. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 357 573)   Carran, D., Rock, E. and Rosenberg, M. (1994) Variables affecting the reintegration rate of students with serious emotional disturbance. Exceptional Children, Vol. 61.   Cullinan, D., & Epstein, M. H. (1990). Academic and related functioning of mainstreamed and nonmainstreamed seriously emotionally disturbed students. Severe Behavior Disorders Monograph, 13, 80-89.   Danielson, E.C., & Bellamy, T. (1989). How we might achieve the radical reform of special education. Exceptional Children ,60, 441-450.   Downing, J. A., Simpson, R. L., and Myles, B. S. (1990). Regular and special educator perceptions of nonacademic skills needed by mainstreamed students with behavioral disorders and learning disabilities. Behavioral Disorders, 15(4), 217-226.   Gartner, A., & Lipsky, D.K. (1987). Beyond special education: Toward a quality system for all students. Harvard Educational Review, 57(4), 367-395.   Karagiannis, A., Stainback, W., & Stainback, S. (1996). Inclusion: A guide for educators. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company.   Logan, K., Fiaz, E., Piperno, M., Rankin, D., MacFarland, A.,& Benjamin, K. (1994). How inclusion built a community of learners. Educational Leadership, 52(4), 42-44.   Murphy, D.M. (1996). Implications of inclusion for general and special education. The Elementary School Journal, 96(5), 469-480.   Reynolds, M.C., Wang, M.C., & Walberg, H.J. (1987). The necessary restructuring of special and regular education. Exceptional Children, 53(5), 391-398.   Schneider, B., & Byrne, B. M. (1984). Predictors of successful transition from self-contained special education to regular class settings. Psychology in the Schools, 21, 375-380.   Schnorr, R. (1990). Peter? He comes and goes....First graders perspectives on a part time mainstream student. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 15(4),231-240.   SPSS, Inc. (1988). SPSSX Version 3.1)   Stainback, S., & Stainback, W. (1992). Curriculum considerations for inclusive classrooms: Facilitating learning for all students. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company.   Taylor, P. (1992). Community. In E. Keeler & E. Lloyd (Eds.), Keywords in evolutionary biology (pp. 52-53). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.   Torgeson, S. (1982). Caught in the continuum: A critical analysis of the principle of the least restrictive environment. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 13, 41-53. 1

Research Proposal on Mainstreaming ill and Disabled Students into the Public School System

Mainstreaming Ill and Disabled Students into the Public School System Introduction The tension between exclusion and inclusion has be...

Managing Cultural Diversity in Crew Resource Management Program: A Research Proposal

Managing Cultural Diversity in Crew Resource Management Program   Research Aims This proposed research attempts to achieve the following objectives: 1.    To illustrate the need for a Crew Resource Training and Management Program in reducing the incidences of accidents and human error in the aviation industry 2.    To analyze the Chinese cultural background (using Cathay Pacific as a case study) in relation to their work and training in the aviation industry 3.    To evaluate the demand for a crew resource management program that shall integrate cultural factors and diversity problems in training using Cathay Pacific as a case study 4.    To recommend a training program that integrates the need for a crew resource training that responds to the cultural diversity in the aviation industry particularly that of China   Research Questions In accordance with the research aims of this proposed study, the following will be asked: 1.    What are the cultural differences of Western and Chinese (Cathay Pacific) aviation workers and crew resource management practices? 2.    What are the needs of the Chinese aviation industry (Cathay Pacific) and how effective is CRM in addressing these problems? 3.    Is there a need for a culturally specific CRM training in Cathay Pacific? 4.    What kind of CRM training program is effective in the Chinese aviation industry?   Introduction According to Salas, Bowers and Edens (2001), the goal of CRM is to improve safety, to reduce human error, and to promote effective teamwork and decision making in aviation. This is because in aviation, accidents and mishaps have been attributed to human error in 60% to 80% of cases (Bowers, et. al., 2001; Freeman & Simmon, 1991). A large part of these are attributable to failures in coordination among cockpit crews (Bowers, et. al., 2001). For example, poor pilot performance and faulty crew resource management (CRM) have been cited as contributing factors in numerous accidents and incidents reported by major airlines during the period covering 1983 to 1985 (U.S. General Accounting Office, 1997). The U.S. General Accounting Office (1997) found that CRM deficiencies (e.g., lack of coordination among cockpit crews, captain's failure to assign tasks to other members, and a lack of effective crew supervision) were a contributing cause in approximately half of accidents that occurred between 1983 and 1985 that involved one or more fatalities. In an effort to manage some of these problems with teamwork and the resulting safety issues, the aviation industry introduced the concept of CRM (Salas, Bowers, & Edens, 2001; Wiener, Kanki, & Helmreich, 1993). CRM was introduced as a way to train aircrews to use all available resources -- equipment, people, and information -- by communicating and coordinating as a team. CRM has been used within the aviation industry for more than 20 years and has undergone several evolutions with varying foci (Helmreich, Merritt, & Wilhelm, 1999; Maurino, 1999). Thus, CRM training is now a global psychological intervention. Johnston (1993) reported that the accident rate in some emerging nations is nearly eight times that in industrialized nations. As a result, CRM has made its way into other cultures. In fact, a body of research is available to CRM training developers that can aid in the development of CRM programs for airlines in other nations. According to Helmreich and his colleagues (Helmreich & Merritt, 1998; Helmreich, Wilhelm et al., 2001), cultural differences often impede the implementation of off-the-shelf CRM programs developed in the United States. Helmreich and Wilhelm (1998) identified four types of culture that influence CRM: national culture of the pilot, professional culture of the pilot, organizational culture, and the organization's safety culture. The professional culture of pilots reflects certain attitudes toward stress, fatigue, and vulnerabilities to stressors that may have an impact on the effectiveness of CRM (Helmreich & Wilhelm, 1998). In addition, Merritt and Helmreich (1996) found a relationship between organizational climate and CRM attitudes. Their study revealed that pilots who endorse organizational climates that the majority view as negative demonstrated less positive CRM attitudes, whereas a positive organizational climate correlated positively to CRM attitudes. The organizational culture also determines the safety culture. Furthermore, it has been shown that national culture plays a powerful role in determining the effectiveness of CRM training programs (Maurino, 1994). Specifically, attitudes that define the core concepts of CRM differ dramatically across national borders (e.g., individualism/collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and division of roles between sexes; Hofstede, 1988). As such, initial attempts to apply CRM globally were often unsuccessful because of a failure to recognize the power of national culture (Helmreich, Wilhelm, Klinect, & Merritt, 2001). Finally, anecdotal evidence and reactions to CRM training generally suggest that cross-cultural CRM training can prevent accidents (Kayten, 1993) and that CRM is being applied i n domains outside aviation (Flin, 1995). This body of evidence suggests that successful CRM training depends on many factors outside the program itself, such as cultural sensitivity on training, expectations of trainees depending on their cultural background and values, management support for training, a climate that supports learning, and trainee expectations about and previous experiences with training. As such CRM training cannot be isolated from other factors that influence its success.   Significance of the Study This proposed study seeks to motivate both scientists and practitioners to continue working on understanding human performance in complex environments and providing training and other interventions as solutions. It seeks to present a useful resource book for many professionals and researchers interested in human error and team functioning.   Conceptual Framework The utilization of Kirkpatrick's typology in this proposed study and corresponding revisions serves several important functions within the training evaluation process. First, it has served to organize the type of information that should be collected in the assessment of training. Second, it has served to argue for the added benefit and/or importance of collecting more than one level of evaluation information. Although both points perform important functions, the second has been more difficult to put into practice than has the first. The most popular framework for guiding training evaluations is Kirkpatrick's (1976) typology. Kirkpatrick argued for a multilevel approach to training evaluation consisting of four levels of evaluation: reactions, learning, behavior (i.e., extent of performance change), and results (i.e., degree of impact on organizational effectiveness or mission success). Within recent years, this typology has been expanded by several researchers (Kraiger, Ford, & Salas, 1993; Salas & Cannon-Bowers, 2001). Goldsmith and Kraiger (1997) have built upon this work by describing a method for the structural assessment of an individual learner's knowledge and skill, a method that has been successfully used in aviation research efforts (Kraiger, Salas, & Cannon-Bowers, 1995; Stout, Salas, & Kraiger, 1997).   Methodology This proposed study will use the descriptive approach- utilization of interview, observation and questionnaires in the study. The purpose is to describe the situation as observed by the researcher. The study will determine whether cross-cultural CRM techniques can resolve problems in the aviation industry. Particularly, the integration of personal values, traditions, skills and cultural background of the crew needs to be taken into consideration in devising a crew resource training program.             The primary source of data will come from the research-conducted questionnaire distributed to CRM trainers and strategists, and aviation crews who have undergone CRM training. Secondary data will consist of interviews, published articles from journals, theses and related studies on CRM, trainings and cross-cultural implications of training.             For this research design, the researcher will gather data, collate published studies from different local and foreign universities and articles from social science journals, distribute sampling questionnaires; arrange interviews; and make a content analysis of the collected documentary and verbal material.  Afterwards, the researcher will summarize all the information, make a conclusion based on the null hypotheses posited and provide insightful recommendations on the management of Crew Resource training in the aviation industry.   References Bowers, C., Burker, S., Salas, E. and Wilson, K. (2001) Team training in the Skies: Does Crew Resource Management (CRM) training work? Human Factors, Vol. 43.   Flin, R. (1995). Crew resource management for teams in the offshore oil industry. Journal of European industrial Training, 19(9), 23-27.   Freeman, C., & Simmon. D.A. (1991). Taxonomy of crew resource management: Information processing domain. In R. S. Jensen (Ed.), Proceedings of the 6th Annual International Symposium on Aviation Psychology (pp. 391-397). Columbus: Ohio State University.   Goldsmith, T., & Kraiger, K. (1997). Structural knowledge assessment and training evaluation. In J. Ford, S. Kozlowski, K. Kraiger, E. Salas, & M. Teachout (Eds.), Improving training effectiveness in work organizations (pp. 19-46). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.   Helmreich, R. L., Merritt, A. C., & Wilhelm, J. A. (1999). The evolution of crew resource management training in commercial aviation. International Journal of Aviation Psychology, 9, 19-32.   Helmreich, R. L., Wilhelm, J. A., Klinect, J. R., & Merritt, A. C. (2001). Culture, error and crew resource management. In B. Salas, C. A. Bowers, & E. Edens (Eds.), improving teamwork in organizations: Applications of resource management training (pp. 305-331). Mahwah, NI: Erlbaum.   Helmreich, R., & Wilhelm, J. (1998). CRM and culture: National, professional, organizational, safety. In Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Aviation Psychology (pp. 635-640). Columbus: Ohio State University.   Hofstede, G. (1988). McGregor in southeast Asia. In D. Sinha & H. Kao, Sr. (Eds.), Social values and development: Asian perspectives (pp. 304-314). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.   Johnston, N. (1993). CRM: Cross-cultural perspectives. In E. L. Wiener, B. G. Kanki, & R. L. Helmreich (Eds.), Cockpit resource management (pp. 367-398). San Diego: Academic.   Kayten, P. J. (1993). The accident investigator's perspective. In E. L. Wiener, B. G. Kanki, & R. L. Helmreich (Eds.), Cockpit resource management (pp. 283-314). San Diego, CA: Academic.   Kraiger, K., Ford, J. K., & Salas, E. (1993). Application of cognitive, skill-based, and affective theories of learning outcomes to new methods of training evaluation. Journal of Applied Psychology. 78, 311-328.   Kraiger, K., Salas, E., & Cannon-Bowers, J.A. (1995). Measuring knowledge organization as a method for assessing learning during training. Human Performance, 37, 804-816.   Maurino, D. E. (1994). Cross-cultural perspectives in human factors training: Lessons from the ICAO Human Factors Program. International Journal of Aviation Psychology, 4, 173-181.   Maurino, D. E. (1999). Safety prejudices, training practices, and CRM: A mid-point perspective. International Journal of Aviation Psychology, 9, 413-427.   Merritt, A. C., & Helmreich, R. L. (1996, April). CRM: I hate it, what is it? Error, stress, arid culture. Paper presented at the Orient Airlines Association Air Safety Seminar, Jakarta, Indonesia.   Salas, E. Bowers, C. and Edens, E. (2001) (Editors). Improving Teamwork in Organizations: Applications of Resource Management Training. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 356 Pages.   Salas, E., & Cannon-Bowers, J. A. (2001). The science of training: A decade of progress. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 471-499.   Stout, R. J., Salas, E., & Fowlkes, J. E. (1997). Enhancing teamwork in complex environments through team training. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 1(2), 169-182.   U.S. General Accounting Office. (1997). Human factors: FAA's guidance and oversight of pilot crew resource management training can be improved (GAO/RCED-98-7). Washington, DC: Author.   Wiener, B. G. Kanki, & R. L. Helmreich (Eds.), Cockpit resource management (pp. 399-420). San Diego, CA: Academic.

Managing Cultural Diversity in Crew Resource Management Program: A Research Proposal

Managing Cultural Diversity in Crew Resource Management Program Research Aims This proposed research attempts to achieve the follow...

Relevance of Human Relation to Managers Research Proposal

Relevance of Human Relation to Managers   Introduction             What had come to be practiced until today was the human relations movement spearheaded by Elton Mayo. Attention was given to the individuals within the organizations and what they can contribute to the growth. Human relation movements as perceive today concern the establishment of positive human relationships. Human relationships is consists of individualism or groupism, participation and involvement and role relationships. Human activity considers doing, being or being-in-becoming and work, family and personal (Schein, 1992).             Human relations refer to the processes of maintaining effective and sustainable relationships which contribute to satisfactory productivity, motivation and morale. It concerns the prevention of and resolving problems involving individuals that arise out of or affect work situations. As such, human relations are critical in achieving optimal performance. It is a strategic process of managing people risks. While for the employees, these are psychological contracts which lead to superior economic performance. These are evidenced by working together principles and people’s capabilities which tend to put importance on employee relationships. The clear manifestations of human relations governance and the organizations is evident on the latter’s commitment for positive workplace practices.             Such a notion has direct implication on the role of managers specifically the HR manager(s). A manager’s role is increasingly becoming important in terms of taking the initiative and engaging subordinates toward the achievement of certain goals and toward higher levels of expectations and achievements vital to the organisation’s subsistence (Armstrong, 2006). For instance, managers who are skilled in basic human relations are successful as career counselors. Developing a caring attitude toward employees and their careers is most important. Being receptive to employee concerns and problems is another necessity.             Managers also served as an instrument for achieving corporate objectives and strategic plans through comprehensive, customised policies and procedures. In lieu with this, managers continuously contribute in shaping corporate culture while also encouraging a company-wide integration and cooperation (Armstrong, 1999). Managers facilitate functional flexibility, high-level participation processes and continuing open dialogue with the workforce through information sharing and defining expectations.    Aims and Objectives             The main aim of this study is to explore to what extent and in what specific ways do managers perceived and believed that human relations are relevant to their professional roles. Managers have direct interfaces both on the staff and customer levels hence there is a need to create effective, credible and sustainable relationships with both of them. In lieu with this, the study will address the following research objectives. <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> 	<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt"> 	 	Explore how human relations affect the role of the managers within the 	workforce context</li> 	<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt"> 	 	Determine what roles are created and what new roles emerge in lieu with the 	process of creating relations</li> </ul>   Methodology             The research strategy that the study will utilize is the descriptive method. A descriptive research intends to present facts concerning the nature and status of a situation, as it exists at the time of the study. It is also concerned with relationships and practices that exist, beliefs and processes that are ongoing, effects that are being felt, or trends that are developing. In addition, such approach tries to describe present conditions, events or systems based on the impressions or reactions of the respondents of the research.             In this study, primary and secondary research will be both incorporated. The reason for this is to be able to provide adequate discussion for the readers that will help them understand more about the issue and the different variables that involve with it. The primary data for the study will be represented by the survey results that will be acquired from the respondents. On the other hand, the literature reviews to be presented in the second chapter of the study will represent the secondary data of the study. The secondary sources of data will come from published articles from contents of books, journals, theses and related studies and newspaper and magazines.     References Armstrong, M. (1999). A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. London: Kogan Page Limited. Schein, E. H. (1992). Organizational Culture and Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Relevance of Human Relation to Managers Research Proposal

Relevance of Human Relation to Managers Introduction What had come to be practiced until today was the human relati...

Research Report on Perception and Customer Satisfaction towards Hong Kong Disney Land

TABLE OF CONTENTS    TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u I.                       EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. PAGEREF _Toc224722899 \h 2 II.                      COMPANY BACKGROUND.. PAGEREF _Toc224722900 \h 3 III.                     research objectives and research problem.. PAGEREF _Toc224722901 \h 5 IV.                    Methodology. PAGEREF _Toc224722902 \h 5 V.                     Limitatons. PAGEREF _Toc224722903 \h 6 VI.                    RESEARCH PROCESS. PAGEREF _Toc224722909 \h 7 VII.                   Processing and Analyzing Data. PAGEREF _Toc224722910 \h 9 VIII.                  Major Findings. PAGEREF _Toc224722911 \h 9 IX.                    CONCLUSION. PAGEREF _Toc224722912 \h 12 X.                     Recommendations. PAGEREF _Toc224722913 \h 13               I.      EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Hong Kong Disney Land, one of the most visited theme park in Hong Kong. With its Motto, “The Place Where Dreams Come True”, the company is given people the chance of achieving their fantasies and making them real. The company is a joint venture of the Walt Disney and Hong Kong Government, sine the latter would want to enhance their tourism industry. However, the management have not been able to anticipate the problem because of its poor performance in terms of number of tourists visiting the theme park. Accordingly, the expectation of the investors have not been met as the number of visitors are still not increasing since its opening in September 2005.  One of the reasons why this is happening is because of the unpopularity of the mainlanders with Disney characters.  In order to solve such issue, the marketing department were appointed to determine and explore other reasons for this unpopularity.  In this study, a survey was conducted. This research study considered the use of both qualitative and quantitative research approach through the use of primary and secondary data. In this study, it has been found that the low popularity of the Disney characters among local residents was one of the reasons for its low profit. On the other hand, other reasons include the price of the ticket and restaurants in the theme park.  In order to solve such issues, recommendations of management approaches that can be used were provided.   II.    COMPANY BACKGROUND Founded in 1922, the Walt Disney Company has been known for its production of quality entertainment for children and adults alike. From its previous developments, the company is now able to operate at the global level, with thousands of employees and shareholders worldwide. The Walt Disney organization is a highly diversified company operating within four major business segments including Media Networks, Studio Entertainment, Parks and Resorts and Consumer Products. Walt Disney’s Media Networks is comprised of the organizations radio and television networks, international and cable/satellite broadcast operations, television program production and distribution as well as internet operations. The company’s Studio Entertainment business segment on the other hand, handles and creates the animated and live action motion pictures, musical recordings, live stage plays and television animation programs [1]. The Parks and Resorts segment operates the company’s four destination resorts within the United States, France and Japan. In late 2005 or early 2006, Hong Kong Disneyland is scheduled to open as Disney’s fifth resort. Finally, the Consumer Products business segment is in charge of license issuance of all the original character creations and intellectual properties to retailers, manufacturers, publishers and show promoters. Hong Kong Disneyland was opened on September 12, 2005 and is under control of Hong Kong International Theme Part.  This is a joint venture of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and Walt Disney with shares 57% and 43% respectively. It can be said that at present time, there are not other Disney Park which is owned partly by the government. The aim of Walt Disney is make Disneyland closer to people as part of the international expansion strategy.[2]  The opening of Hong Kong Disney Land has marked the first Disney theme park in Mainland China and laso the 11th Disney Theme Park in the world. It consists of four major parks which include the Main Street U.S.A., Fantasyland, Adventureland and Tomorrowland.    Although it is said to have a total area of 126 hectares, it is still considered as the smallest Disneyland compared to other Disneyland's in the worlds. The company aims on expanding with new ventures, along with its continuous innovation management and operation to meet the needs of their target market..[3]  The major target market of HK Disney are the local people of Hong Kong and Mainland China tourists. However, the company’s expectation of competitive advantage has not been met which is to have 5.6 million visitors for the first year of their operation. During its first year, the market has only recorded 5 million visitors.[4] Both the sales and attendance expectations have not been achieved. The management is worried that if these trends will not change, then their promised performance from investors and bank lended will then be pushed for refinancing the US$294 million (HK$2.29 million) in debt taken out for the theme park.[5] To solve this issue, a market research will be conducted through survey questionnaire approach to determine the reasons for the low popularity of the theme park and Disney characters among visitors.   III.   research objectives and research problem The main goal of this study is to determine the reasons why Hong Kong Disneyland on its opening has a low popularity as compared to the total number of 25.5 million visitors[6]. herein, the total number of mainland visitors arrivals recorded for the following years was 13.6 million, in which 51.9% of them have traveled under Individual Visit Scheme. The secondary data have shown that the visitors from the mainland are unfamiliar with Disney Cartoon characters which may explains the reasons for the low percentage of the visitors from mainland as compared to the total number of the arrivals of the visitors. In order to have some substantial evidences, a survey will be considered. In addition, this aims in exploring other possible cause for the low number of visitors than the expectations of the management.   IV.  Methodology In order to achieve the objective of this research,  a survey will be conducted. For this market research, the main questions which are going to consider are the customers satisfaction and theme park expectations. As this research aims on finding out the reasons, the study will be best conducted before summer vacation. The management will assign staffs to handle the marketing research. Herein, the time frame for the research completion is 40 days and face to face interviews will also be considered out at the exit of HK Disneyland to capture fresh moments and experiences of the visitors. The marketing staffs will conduct approximately 33 questionnaires in a daily basis at the exit gate and will consider 3 sessions for the day which include early afternoon, afternoon and closing to have first hand information from the visitors.  To foster the willingness of the visitors to join the survey and interview, they will be given a token such as badge and others to show some appreciation. before having the formal questionnaire, the staffs will consider pre-testing stage by utilizing a small sub sample to note whether the research is feasible or suitable enough to minimize errors that might happen. After this, the questionnaire will be revised to make the final one (see Appendix 1). The interviewers will be well-oriented and trained to fully understand the aim of the study and the questionnaire to avoid systematic errors.   V.   Limitatons The target visitors of this research will include the visitors from China mainland and Hong Kong residents. These represents 58% and 32% of the total respondents, respectively.  These group comprises 90% of the total population. The remaining 10% of the visitors are from other nations which include Singapore, USA, Korea, Japan and other expatriates. Due to the limitation of staffs, time and budget, this market research will only focus on the two large groups (Hong Kong and Chinese people).  Although under these situations, the research could not analyze the reason from the answers of all visitors, it does represent the experience of the participants.  In this research, another excluded group of people are those who are under age of 15, whom the researched consider to not fully understand all the questions provided in the questionnaire.   VI.  RESEARCH PROCESS For this market research, the secondary data will be used to identify the general expectation of people for a theme park.  After which, primary data will be conducted through interviews and survey questionnaires. First, the researcher gathered all the secondary data and found that people from the mainland China are unfamiliar with Disney characters in China and they are lacking knowledge about the Disney Characters.[7] These are considered as influential factors that affects the expectation and likes of the visitors to come to Hong Kong Disneyland. A.         SECONDARY DATA Due to the limited timeframe and resources, secondary data will be utilized as the basis of the study. Herein, secondary data is collated and plausibly processed by other people excluding the research. Herein, the market situations will be considered. Accordingly, Hong Kong Disneyland was the 11th theme park opened by the Walt Disney Company and it became one of the most famous tourist attractions in the country. In its first year of operation, the park has recorded only 5 million visitors in its first year of operation against its objective of 5.6 million visitors.[8] Since the launch of HK Disneyland in September 2005, the company has difficult time in casting spell over their local media and more essentially, the public with a communication directive that appears to talk up the good, while maintaining tightlipped about its bad Since the Hong Kong Disneyland launched in September 2005, it had a difficult time casting its spell over the local media and, more importantly, the public, with a communications directive which appears to talk up the good, while remaining tightlipped about the bad.[9]  Because of the bad reputation of the theme park to the public during its first year, the company ahs influenced the attraction and expectation of the customers to visit the park.     The major target market of the theme park is a mix of family and non-familial visitors which include married couples without children, young adults, and the elderly. About half of the family visitors came from China mainland. Accordingly, the visitors of Hong Kong Disneyland during the summer of 2006 have boomed and 50% of the total visitors came from China Mainland.[10]    B.              PRIMARY DATA After the face to face interviews had been accomplished, the set of primary data were collected which had been consolidated into a table file.  [appendix 2].        VII. Processing and Analyzing Data Before the data is inputted through a coding system, the editing will be done to correct defaults that happened during the interview. After which, a statistical analysis will be done to have the findings and an interpretation of the information will be reported. The conclusions and recommendations will be provided for managerial decisions. -      Total days taken for whole research process = 30 days -          Respondents rates = 98.5% è 985 questionnaires were fully completed Aforementioned, the total number of questionnaires received is 985 paces. These 985 questionnaires were validated and assess whether it provides adequate information for the research. To make sure that this research will have enough valid and completed survey questionnaires, all the interviewers/staffs had been well-trained. Although there are still some systematic errors noted in the completed questionnaires, hence, only 985 were considered. The summary of the result that covers all the questions are seen in Appendix 2. the major determinants for this research includes Q1, Q4, Q5, Q6,Q16 and Q17.   VIII.       Major Findings Based from the collated date from the 985 returned questionnaires out of 1,000 provided, and based on the secondary data collated, the following are the major findings of this study.             In Q1, the research has found that 83% of the total respondents have visited the park for the first time and 9.6% are second timer while 7% have visited the park many times.              In Q2, it has found that 58% of the visitors came from mainland China while the other 32% are Hong Kong locals as indicated in the secondary data collated. The other 10% were visitors from other countries such as Singapore, Australia, USA, Africa and others. It has also been found in Q3 that 39% of the total respondents have been able to visit Disneyland parks from other countries and the remaining 61% have noted that they have never been into any Disney parks than in Hong Kong.             In line with Q4, 80% of the total respondents have noted that they are visiting with their families, 19% were visiting with their friends and only 5 respondents were visiting along while 7 are accompanying their business colleagues during their business trips in the country. In Q5, it has been proven that the secondary data is correct by showing that at least 50% of the total respondents came from mainland China were unfamiliar with Disneyland characters (55%) and 13% of them are unsure about the Disney Characters. Q6 focuses on exploring the expectations of the respondents. In this research, the findings have shown that most of the participants (634) are coming because of the interest of their children.  475 visitors from China Mainland are visiting as part of the tour package and 258 visitors are visiting because of the media promotion. In this, 129 visitors have came because of the brand name of the Walt Disney and only 102 visitors came because of the recommendations of their friends. From Q7 to Q10, the research have found that 18% of the total respondents thing that Hong Kong Disneyland is an attractive tourist destination. 14% of the total respondents have considered the theme park as the place where their dreams come true.  Majority of the respondents have enjoyed the show performances and parade (40%) and 35% have enjoyed the cartoon characters.  46% (457) out of 985 respondents have pointed out that the price ticket is too expensive and 30% (299) have least interests in the souvenir items of Disneyland. In Q11and Q12, it has been revealed that only around 17% of the total participants will be happy to suggest Disneyland to their relatives or friends or will be happy to visit the park again, while around 59% of the respondents will not recommend the park with their friends because the overall image of Hong Kong Disneyland is not as good as the Disneyland Parks in other nations. some respondents perceived that the park is too small and there is not much to see and enjoy. Some respondents also noted that environment is not clean because of most visitors are not well-disciplined. Most of the respondents have expressed their dissatisfaction on the park in Q14 because of the high price of the products and restaurants. 49% which comprises 486 of the total respondents are dissatisfied and 28% are very dissatisfied. 36% of the total respondents have neutral comments in the attitude of the employees while 29% are satisfied with the employers while 23% are dissatisfied. In Q16, the survey revealed that 46% of the visitors are dissatisfied while 16% are very dissatisfied as compared with only 15% satisfied and 5% very satisfied visitors. 18% have neutral perception. In line with the price value worthiness in Q17, only 7% out of 985 respondents were on the high and 3% have perceived that the price is very high. 18% of the total respondents find it to be average and 58% gives low or negative feedback. In terms of the demographic information, the research have found that most of the visitors (54%) considered as at the age of 26-40 years old, married female who became housewives in their secondary education, with a family income over HK$20,001 or above.   IX.  CONCLUSION   Based on the result of the survey conducted, this study have drawn into the following conclusions. In this, the major findings of the research shows that 817 visitors are first time visitors with only 168 people who came for the second or third time. This shows that the re-visit percentage for HK Disneyland is extremely low. Among the 1,000 visitors, more than half of them came from China. And the reasons for visiting is because the visit is pre-scheduled or tour package inclusive. Most of the respondents have no knowledge or even never heard names and the characters of Disneyland.             It has been revealed that the main reason why local residents wanted to visit the park is because of the interest of their children. The feedback on the questionnaire have shown that most visitors have noted that the ticket and the restaurant prices are too costly,  In terms of attractiveness, souvenirs, rides and environments and services, the overall rating from the visitors are negative, except on the show performance and parade. Most of the visitors have been hesitant in recommending the park to their friends, and are wondering if they will be visiting again in the future or rather visit other Disneyland in other nations.             From the demographic profile, most of the respondents are young adults whose age ranges from 26-40, married female, housewives in their secondary education with a monthly family income of  HK$20,000.  The visitors have noted that their main concerns in the theme park is to add more facilities which will give benefits to their kids.   X.   Recommendations   Based on the conclusion provided, it has been found that 80% of the respondents are visiting with their families. Such kind of date is very essential for the marketing department to have better strategies. Thus, the following marketing measures will be recommended to Senior Management for consideration:-       Since most of the people in Mainland China are unfamiliar with the Disney cartooned characters, the management should be able to actively educate these people by showing more Disney cartoons in terms of Media through television channels.  Further, the management can also consider the sponsorship of some Children program. This is to help Chinese people in recognizing Disney characters and enhance their interests to seem them live. In addition, more print ads, and visual media advertisements and promotions can also be considered.       For local Hong Kong residents, majority of the visitors have considered that the price of the ticket are too high, hence this should be considered to have some promotional approaches to provide discounted tickets for the Hong Kong people, like free visit for birthday boys and girls on their birth month excluding their family members. In this way, the revenue and sales can be boosted. IN addition, another discount can be given to birthday boys and girls if they choose to celebrate at all Disneyland restaurants.       On one hand, as shown in the result of the survey done by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. Up to Q2 2007, there were 11, 320, 000 cards issued by Hong Kong.[11].  With the penetration of the credit cards in the country,  HK Disneyland can also consider partnership with banks and credit card users to redeem free tickets with their points on their credit card or they may buy tickets using this at a discounted rate.     XI. References Disney World Website (2009), “Walt Disney World” Available: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/index. retrieved March 13, 2009. D’Agostino, D. (2003, December 1), Case Study: Walt Disney World Resorts and CRM Strategy, CIO Insight, Ziff Davis Media, Inc http://www.tarp.com/index.html http://www.justdisney.com/disneyland/history.html ProQuest : Paula M Miller. The China Business Review. Washington: Jan/Feb 2007. Vol. 34, Iss. 1; pg. 31, 3 pgs Business Daily News. London (UK): Apr 9, 2007. pg.1 ProQuest: Marketing Week. London: Sep 7, 2006.  pg. 7 http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1124114701&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=68428&RQT=309&VName=&cfc=1 http://www3.news.gov.hk/isd/ebulletin/en/category/businessandfinance/071227/html/071227en03002.htm http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=2&art_id=37951&sid=12132412&con_type=1&d_str=20070209 JUSTINE LAU. Financial Times. London (UK): Sep 5, 2006. pg. 27 - http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1122909991&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=68428&RQT=309&VName=PQD Paula M Miller. The China Business Review. Washington: Jan/Feb 2007. Vol. 34, Iss. 1; pg. 31, 3 pgs - http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=4&did=1260548581&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1210773582&clientId=68428 James Murphy. Media. Hong Kong: May 19, 2006. pg. 15, 1 pgs - http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=10&did=1062787541&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1210774405&clientId=68428 Paula M Miller. The China Business Review. Washington: Jan/Feb 2007. Vol. 34, Iss. 1; pg. 31, 3 pgs - http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=4&did=1260548581&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1210773582&clientId=68428 http://gia.info.gov.hk/general/200708/15/P200708150201_0201_30737.doc Wasko, J. (2001), Understanding Disney: The manufacture of Fantasy, Polity Press, Cambridge, UK.     XII. Appendix APPENDIX I Thank you for participating in this Survey. Your candid evaluation of Hong Kong Disneyland services is invaluable and much appreciated.  We are endeavoring to do everything possible to be “The Place Where Dreams come True”.   1.      Is this your first time visit to Hong Kong Disneyland?             □          Yes                 □          No, please specify(           )     2.      Where do you come from? □  Hong Kong        □  China          □  Other country, please specify(       )   3.      Have you been to other overseas Disney Parks? □  Yes                   □          No               4.      Who come with you?             □          Family                         □          Friends                                    □          Alone                          □          Others, please specify (       )   5.      Are you familiar with Walt Disney characters before your first time Hong Kong Disneyland visit?             □          Yes                             □  Not Sure                      □  No                                 6.      What is your reason(s) for visiting Hong Kong Disneyland? (multiple selection)             □          Recommended by friends                               □          Part of tour package                                        □          Media promotion                                                        □          For my children’s interests                              □          Walt Disney brand name                                □      Others, please specify (             )   7.      Do you think Hong Kong Disneyland is attractive?       □          Strongly agree                         □  Agree                                      □  Neutral                                                □  Disagree                                              □  Strongly disagree                      8.      Do you agree Hong Kong Disneyland is “the place where dreams come true”? □  Strongly agree                         □  Agree                                      □  Neutral                                                □  Disagree                                              □  Strongly disagree                      9.      Which of the following you think is/are the attractive points of Hong Kong Disneyland? (Multiple Selection) □      Cartoon Characters (E.g Mickey mouse, Minnie mouse, Donald Duck etc.) □      Rides □      Souvenirs □      Magical feelings of Disneyland □      Environment of Disneyland □      Services □      Ticket Price □      Others, please specify (        )                            10.  Which of the following is/are the unattractive points of Hong Kong Disneyland? (Multiple Selection)         □  Cartoon Characters are not attractive □  Rides are little and bored □  Souvenirs □  Environment of Disneyland □  Service □  Location □  Show performances                                                                                                    □  Others, please specify(           )              11.  Will you recommend Hong Kong Disneyland to your relatives or friends? □  Yes      □  Not Sure                      □  No       (Why?)   12.  Will you come again ?             □          Yes                                          □  Not Sure                                              □          No                                             13.  What facilities do you think the park to be added?     Please write down the facilities               i)                                                               ii)                                                              iii)                                                             iv)                                                             v)                                                   14.  How do you feel about the price of the restaurants at the Hong Kong Disneyland? □    Very satisfied                          □    Satisfied                                              □    Neutral                                                □    Dissatisfied                             □    Very dissatisfied                       15.  How do you feel about the attitude of our “employees”? □    Very satisfied                          □    Satisfied                                              □    Neutral                                                □    Dissatisfied                             □    Very dissatisfied                           16.  What is your overall rating for Hong Kong Disneyland? □    Very satisfied                          □    Satisfied                                              □    Neutral                                                □    Dissatisfied                             □    Very dissatisfied                       17.  Please rate your experience of Hong Kong Disneyland compared with price paid. □    Very high value                                   □    High value                                           □    Average                                                           □    Low value                                           □    Unacceptably low value                        Others Information   18.  What is your age group? □    15 – 25 years old                     □          26 – 40 years old         □    41 – 60 years old                     □          over 60 years old           19.  What is your sex?            □    Male                            □    Female                           20.  Are you married?             □          Yes                                                      □          No                                             21.  What is your occupation? □    Students          □          Professionals   □          Financial          □          Services □    Owners            □          Housewife       □          Others   22.  What is your educational level? □    Primary school            □          Secondary school        □          College □    University                   □          Master             □          Others (                  )       23.  What is your monthly income (equivalent to Hong Kong dollars)? □    Below $5000   □          $5,001 - $10,000         □          $10,001 - $15,000 □    $15,001 –$20,000       □          $20,001 and above          Name (optional)  :                           Email address (optional):                              	 		 		ALL 		THE ABOVE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDED WILL BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL. THANK YOU. 	       Appendix 2: See Excel Files. 	   	 		 		 		 		[1] 		Wasko, J. (2001), Understanding Disney: The manufacture of Fantasy, 		Polity Press, Cambridge, UK. 	 		 		 		 		[2] 		ProQuest : Paula M Miller. The China Business Review. Washington: 		Jan/Feb 2007. Vol. 34, Iss. 1; pg. 31, 3 pgs 	 		 		 		 		[3] 		ProQuest : SinoCast China Business Daily News. London (UK): Apr 9, 2007. 		pg.1 	 		 		 		 		[4] 		ProQuest: 		 		Marketing Week. London: Sep 		7, 2006.  pg. 7 - 		http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1124114701&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=68428&RQT=309&VName=&cfc=1 	 		 		 		 		[5]http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=2&art_id=37951&sid=12132412&con_type=1&d_str=20070209 		 	 		 		 		 		[6] 		http://www3.news.gov.hk/isd/ebulletin/en/category/businessandfinance/071227/html/071227en03002.htm 	 		 		 		 		[7] 		 		JUSTINE LAU. 		 		 		Financial Times. 		London (UK): 		 		Sep 5, 2006. 		pg. 27 - 		http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1122909991&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=68428&RQT=309&VName=PQD 	 		 		 		 		[8] 		 		Paula M Miller. 		 		 		The China Business 		Review. Washington: 		 		Jan/Feb 2007. 		Vol. 34, Iss. 1; pg. 31, 3 pgs - 		http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=4&did=1260548581&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1210773582&clientId=68428 	 		 		 		 		[9] 		 		James Murphy. 		 		 		Media. 		Hong Kong: 		 		May 19, 2006. 		pg. 15, 1 pgs - 		http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=10&did=1062787541&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1210774405&clientId=68428 	 		 		 		 		[10] 		Paula M Miller. The China Business Review. Washington: Jan/Feb 2007. 		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Research Report on Perception and Customer Satisfaction towards Hong Kong Disney Land

TABLE OF CONTENTS TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . PAGEREF _Toc224722899 \h 2 ...