Research Korner

T.M.A. 02 Option 1: RESEARCH WITH CHILDREN

EK310 – Research with children   TMA No 2 – Option No 1   Can power relations ever be equal between adults and children?   The title of my essay is already suggesting that power relations between adults and children are unequal. Obviously adults are older than children and rules and respect play a big part, but underneath these facts isn't it true that children now have more rights than they have ever had, and they are slowly closing  the power relations with adults gap.   The question of power relations and differences between adults and children can depend on a number of factors, not least including the age of the child and the location of the research, but the fact whether the research is on children or with children can make a big difference in how adults treat children and vice versa.   The main part of my essay will be spent looking at examples of whether relationships between adults and children are equal or unequal or both. I will mostly be using the chapter on 's research in Reader A.   I will also touch on the subject of how gender can fit into the matter of power relations, and whether it makes any difference in them, I will use various sources to do this.   Another point I will be looking at will be the ways in which children can play an active role in research and how adults can view them.  and  believed there were four ways that children and childhood have been identified in research: as an object, as a subject, as a social actor and as a participant/co-researcher, (, 2002, , within )   I will look at whether location figures in power relations and whether it makes any differences in them, I will use various sources for this question.   I will broach the subject of ethics in power relations with the  help of  and Dr 's work on the subject.   I will also talk about situations where power relations are minimal.   And finally I will examine what the future of the state of power relations between adults and children may be like.                           EK310 – Research with children     Children as active participants?   Many researcher do try to include the child in their research by using their opinions and ideas to improve it, whilst others may start out with definite theories and methods where they will not include the child in this way but end up changing their minds, including them and bettering their project in the end.   Also although children can be active participants and can play a major role in the research, if they are not fully involved in every aspect and treated equally, then the adult researchers will still hold the power to interpret and write reports, and put in what they choose. (, 2004, ).   It may be true that when doing researching with children, the adults are in charge, they have to do the organising, obtaining permission, finding resources, and designing the questions, they are the guides.   On the other hand without the children's participation in the research, all the planning is for nothing, one needs the other to function, so the question of the adult being in charge and of there being a power imbalance is sometimes questionable when looked at from this angle.   , I believe got the balance right, she treated the children as equals by being one of them and trying not to lead, She took the time to build a good and strong relationship with the children and their families, so that they then treated her as one of them and they took her into their confidence. (, 2004, )   Living with children, in their community for such a length of time, carrying out activities with the children meant  could form a relationship of vital trust for gathering data. Perhaps this put her on a more equal footing with the children and power differences were not as obvious. (,2004, )   In Bolivia, as in many other countries, many children were the the main wage earners, this meant they could have equal or even more power than the adults in some cases. This could mean that family relations of interdependance may have been stronger.                                 EK310 – Research with children     Children hold power too!   Some children had more responsibilities with the household tasks and looking after their siblings, often though children would challenge adult imposed boundaries to try to gain control and assert their autonomy.   They would seize the initiative to do something, try some bargaining with their parents or siblings, so that they could gain access to more time and space that they could call their own, taking action to shape their own life, seizing control and challenging parental rules. Many children seemed to be re-negotiating their boundaries time and time again to try to gain more independence and freedom from their chores, (, 2004, ) .   Indeed children can hold power in other ways too when it comes to asserting their autonomy and re-negotiating their boundaries. They can fake illnesses to get out of a day at school, have temper tantrums when they want an extra sweet and look extra cute when they have done something wrong and want to be treated more leniently. (,1991, , within )   Children can also rebel against adults and authority by gambling, smoking and refusing to do certain tasks. South African children, (, 1991, , within ).   However there are extremes starting from compliance building to rejection, and children's strategies emerge as they manage their responses to adult control. (, 2004, ).    did find that a balance needed to be struck when she was playing the role of adult, friend, researcher, teacher and assistant teacher. She also found when she was in the role of assistant teacher that this tended to reinforce power inequalities between herself and the children, as she was telling them what to do and was 'in charge' of the class. Where possible she let the children decide what role they wanted her to play. (, 2004, ).   One of the methods of research used by  was semi-participant research, she found it useful to learn by doing, giving her a greater understanding of the children's activities. It was time-consuming though because of the time taken to build up the relationship , and for the time taken to trust her, but also because it could only be done with limited numbers. (,2004, ). This might have meant there was a greater power imbalance apparent until everyone started to trust her.                         EK310 – Research with children     Does gender matter?   The gender of the researcher can be important to children, they may have pre-conceived ideas and choose not to fully trust the researcher, thus hampering the research and making the researcher work that bit harder to build up their trust in them.   In a study carried out by frosh et al 2002 some boys interviewed in groups accounted for the rapport they established with the interviewer in terms of their shared gender and their assumed shared distancing from females.(, 2002, , within )   Whereas 's study based in a girls youth club showed how difficult it was for her to fit in with the girls groups and for them to accept her. She said the girls saw her age as a barrier in being one of the girls, and also the girls had constructed her as a figure of authority.   The girls had also developed small groups, these girls  suggested were constructing their femininity and creating spaces for themselves through this kind of opposition.    did try to get close to her respondents in order to understand actions from their perspective, but met with resistance from them and others when trying to fit into their groups, the girls saw this as an infringement to their private territory and made this hostility clear. (, 1978, , within )   Why would location matter in power relations?   The location can play quite a big part when looking at power relations between adults and children.   When researching at a school, the environment there is one of structure and routine, adults are respected by children and rules are to be followed during the school day.   Thorne spent a lot of time in schools researching gender play with amongst children, she ate with them, played with them and even became like them when she participated in secret exchanges with them. (, 2004, )   She did find that being so close to them and in a school environment stirred memories. (, 2004, ). This may have meant she could relate to them better and through this gain a clearer understanding of them.                       EK310 – Research with children       Perhaps doing research in a place of the child's choosing, such as at their home, would make the child feel more at ease, and enable the researcher to see a different side to them.   Although some children can hold power over the researcher whatever the location, they may know the information needs to come from them, and choose not to to do what is being asked of them correctly and become withdrawn.    researched children both at home and at school, she saw children in their own time, own space and their own 'natural' environment. She has to get used to different customs, learn new cultures and learn to live in a new environment. She tried to keep her research unstructured and tried as best as she could to fit into the children and their families' worlds, so she wasn't so much of an outsider and any power differences were not noticeable, she became like them.   At school she took on many roles, but perhaps the children viewed her differently when she took on the role of authority, especially where there is a set routine and the adult has to be listened to. (, 2004, ) So perhaps living with them in their own environment was the best location for her research as she was a friend to the children and their parents, and she lived their daily life with them, there was nothing anyone could hide not from  or the children as she saw nearly everything as it is.   Power differences within the ethical status of children in research?   The ethical status of children in research is important when looking at the power relations between adults and children, and how although overall adults do hold the most power in research, things are changing...   The three main levels of involving children in research can show crucial power differences in children's status. They can be unknowing objects of research not aware that they are being researched nor asked for their permission. Aware subjects, where they are asked for their consent, and they have agreed to being questioned or observed, but within projects designed and controlled by adults without much leeway. The third level of involving children in research is featuring them as active participants, where they have given permission and the project is about them, using their views, personal accounts and photos, and they are also involved with the planning, directing and reporting. The advantages of this level of involvement has proven that children not only have greater control over analysing their own data but they also enjoy the process far more.                 EK310 – Research with children       There are ethical risks though, the children may reveal far more about themselves and may later regret it or feel shame, and even if this was the way forward, adults overall still hold the power to interpret and write reports. (, 2004, )   The discussion on ethical issues on Audio Band 3 in the coursework was very interesting. Dr  spoke of how you can still know a lot about a child, and when you are talking to them not reveal this, this can be true when talking to their sibling or friend. When researching this can be a deception, it is holding back information from them and in effect holding some power over them.   All the professionals involved in the discussion admitted they had paid children at some point in their careers to be involved in research, but one researcher did try to justify her actions by saying that everyone's time had a value, and that some children were from poorer families who could have done with the money. (, 2004)   This is holding power over the children but also vice-versa, as again without the children's consent and involvement their research would be futile.   Modern medical ethics have forced medical researchers to change their methods. They now carry out less risky research with children and they inform, respect and protect researched children to greater extent. Children and young people now share in planning, conducting and reporting research, and then meeting policy makers to see how it can be used.   A research information leaflet can be useful when explaining in plain english what the children's rights are in research, at the same time informing and reassuring parents and teachers.   A few examples from the points to ask on a research leaflet may be to mention:   ✔ It is ok to say no ✔You can stop to have a break when you want ✔You can pass on any questions.   This would aid in showing the child they have rights, they will be shown respect and they too have some power in the process. (, 2004, )                             EK310 – Research with children     Moving on to talk about where there can be situations where power relations are minimal and why. I believe the best situation for a child and adult to be in is where one person knows the other well, where they trust each other and feel at ease with each other. The best place to do this would be in a place of the child's choosing, such as at home, loosely structured, where the child feels they have some control and that the adult has to learn or follow.   The future of power relations in research with children?   I believe adult-child power relations are changing, the child is more informed and nowadays have more rights, whether that be at school, home or on the world of research.   They are gaining more respect and equality and are protected by law, whether that be the Childrens Act 1995, or the United Nations European Convention of the Rights of the Child 1989. All adults need to thread more carefully as children are more aware of these rights and the adult could be taken to court if they have broken the law in any way.   Even though children are involved in research a lot more nowadays, I believe there is a bigger role for them to play.   They could not only help design a project, they could ask the other children the questions themselves, and even help in the dissemination. They could evaluate it by making suggestions on how to better it, or by saying what parts could be omitted.   I believe power relations can become more equal between adults and children, if children are involved more, asked of their opinions, informed more about what will happen to them, and kept up to date on their rights and what is expected of them.     WORD COUNT- 2517                                       EK310 – Research with children         REFERENCES

T.M.A. 02 Option 1: RESEARCH WITH CHILDREN

EK310 – Research with children TMA No 2 – Option No 1 Can power relations ever be equal between adults and children...

ADVERTISING INDUSTRY: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

1) European Advertising Industry: Issues and Challenges             The global advertising industry had shown definite signs toward recovery in the aftermath of worst-ever slumps in advertising. Media-burying firms, TV broadcasting, billboard companies and even print advertising had witnessed dramatic changes over the past few years, with the participation of recent technological developments that made possible the e-adverting, online and mobile advertising. Europe is not an exception to the booming advertising industry with United Kingdom (UK), Germany and France as the main players. The European advertising industry is a self-regulated within a framework of legislation whereby undesirable advertising practices are closely monitored (, 2005).             Advertising in Europe is categorized as ‘above the line’ or ‘below the line’. Above the line advertising refers to media advertising while below the line is consists of all other marketing communications including sales promotions, direct marketing, events, public relations and packaging among several others. When referred to advertising though, this is generally understood as advertising in the media. For the purpose of regulating both categories, the European Commission created the concept of ‘commercial communications. Essentially, advertisers, advertising agencies and the media agree on a code of advertising standards to ensure that any advertising is ‘legal, decent, honest and truthful’ ( and , 2004, ). Demography is the first macro-economic issue that impacts the industry as manifested by the growth in various segments of audiences (i.e. children’s, news program and sports); and that how we perceived commercials will greatly depend on the values and assumptions. Demography is seen is to be a vital aspect of the forces that are currently shaping and reshaping the world as well as relating to the features of the societies (, 1994). In addition is also associated with trends that relate to characteristics of age, gender and distribution of wealth. For instance, the preference of advertising medium such as the press including newspapers, magazines and directories will greatly differ in two leading ad markets in Europe: British with 45.3% while French with 41.7% market share only (, 2005).   Identity, which relates to the central bonding attributes of different communities and culture, is the second macro-environmental concern. Whether explicitly or not, the European Union as collective as an organisation should be also conforms to distinct identities when dealing with marketing and promotion and how such identity should be encouraged and integrated in advertisements (, 2005, ). In the UK, for example, ‘Royal Highness’ is a prefix that is generally referred to the British Royal Family; therefore, must not be offended, insulted or insinuated something else other than what is acceptable. The use of the phrase ‘Royal Highness’ is even regulated in the Code on the Scheduling of Television Advertising. Technology is the third major factor impacting the advertising industry in the Europe. Technology as a mean of development and survival also finds its way into advertising. Online advertising in Europe, as an example, is reported to be closing the gap on the United States (US) with 40% upsurgence to €11 billion in 2007. The European online advertising industry grew to a market value of €14.5 billion compared to that of the US as taken within the same period. According to Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe (IAB Europe), 65% of European online ad budgets were spent in UK, Germany and France. Greece, Spain and Slovenia are smaller markets which also enjoyed high growth rates (, 2008).                   While at it, the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA) was founded in 11992 to support self-regulatory bodies across Europe. The main reason for the formation of such alliance is to take a role to resolve cross-national advertising issues or the cross-border complaints as well as to operate as a measure of parity across its member countries, which is made possible by the fourth element that impacts the dynamics of European advertising – globalisation. Inherent to every advertising regulatory body are adjudicating on cases bought to their attention and acting as censorship bodies, ensuring fair claims and not misleading on advertisements especially in the era of ‘Americanisation’ of advertisements (, ). The more pressing issues is how the advertising industry should comply and employ ethical rules, prepared with a social responsibility to the consumers and the society as a whole and with due respect to the rules of competition. In Europe, self-regulation is achieved through established set of rules and principles of best practice to which the advertising industry voluntarily agrees to be bound. The problem now, however, is how the European advertising industry will consolidate the advertising-driven businesses in light of the product placement proposals, a perennial dilemma about how law and self-regulation can and should interact in modern Europe (, 2006, ). The European Union is now considering issues regarding advertising targeted at children as well and whether there should be a European-wide ban or regulation. Responsible advertising for children is at the forefront of pan-European debates and how the advertiser groups should address the threats to the freedom to engage in responsible marketing communications to children both in the European Union and worldwide. Media literacy is another issue wherein how children should be taught to understand and interpret marketing in the context of their daily lives and is widely recognised by regulators, teachers and consumer groups is critical. The importance that is being put on it is on the efficacy and future-proof response to the challenge of protecting minors in a rapidly changing media environment (Advertising and Children).   Subsequently, another challenge is an offshoot of this which is the reinforcing of trust of the empowered consumers. How the advertising industry should position itself more efficiently is the challenge. There is the necessity to improve the way the advertising sector should communicate the positive role and value of advertising in the society; its contribution to the financing of media, to culture, to the sports sector and to the economy as a driver of growth by way of fostering competition, driving lower prices, as well as triggering innovation and employment. The European challenge is also vested on the new EU directive on audio-visual media services that comes with streamlined television advertising rules. To wit, self-regulation has an important role to play in responsible commercial communications where the involvement of media is pivotal (, 2008).       2) Product Placement and Children Product Advertising             Much of the advertising is aimed at children which promotes food, drink, music films and clothing aside from toys and candy. The recent trend, conversely, is on imposing restrictions on advertising that targets children and the most recent campaigns of banning advertising to children under five years of age, specially in Britain. At its simplest, targeting TV advertisements to children is unethical since they cannot distinguish advertising from programming and cannot judge whether an advertisement is misleading. Further, children are not yet able to resist sales pitches (, 2004).             Primarily, children have little or no money of their own and have to persuade their parents to buy products fro them. Instead of advertising directly to parents, companies, encourage children to nag and whine for what they see, honing a behaviour that could lead to bad feeling between children and parents. Advertising that presents products to children as must have is also socially divisive as it makes children whose parents cannot afford the newest fads feel inferior and parents often go into debt to satisfy their children. The latter is especially true when they see certain people using, eating and drinking such products on TV, films, videos and others.                Further, advertisements to children have negative social consequences as commercials encourage gullible children to consume junk food which create obese, unhealthy younger generation. These exploitative advertising also brainwashes children into becoming eager consumers given that commercials are enticing them to be materialistic so that they could associate happiness with purchasing power and the possession of particular goods. However, there remains the fact that restricting advertisement to children will not affect broadcast revenues significantly and so the ongoing fight against targeting children in advertisements ().             Though the product placement proposal could undermine specific children products such as the advertisement of breakfast cereal products, for instance, advertisement still must target not the children per se but the parents without mere jeopardy of the consequences the advertisement will imply for children consumption. The modern commercial concept of cereal food originated in the vegetarian beliefs of American; but nevertheless, these breakfast cereals are often sweetened with sugar, syrup or fruit (to which the amount will depend on the preference of the children); just one of the unhealthy impact of child-targeted advertising (, 2005). On the other hand, the Office of Communications maintains that “placement is not advertising, clients do not pay by the second nor do they interfere in the creative process, these are seamless integrations of brands within the programming. The main benefit to the client is the opportunity to exploit the association through all the normal advertising, promotional and PR channels.” This is more critical since foods that are increasingly marketed to children through strategic product placement which becomes part of the story or game has a pinch of truth in there and children were encouraged to try products sometimes without the knowledge of their parents (, 2005, ). Anyhow, what will make the product placement for breakfast cereals to children will be limited by programme genre as codes demonstrate in detail that there will be no placement in children, current affairs and news programming, and the limited air time will be exacerbated by programs like game shows, reality shows and etc that are typically marketed for adult audiences and thus the non-materialisation of product placement of breakfast cereals on these shows. Though breakfast cereals too are marketed to increase the market share by expanding the image of the average cereal eaters to include adults in addition to children who eat cereals at a time other than breakfast, the creation of scenarios that will feature breakfast cereals product on programs like soap operas will require much creative prerogative if not to sacrifice the quality of the show ( and , ). Embedding products on programming other than breakfast cereals raise questions on the ethical credibility of the program, not to mention the blurring demarcation between programming and advertising. Such not-so-subtle endorsements by chosen programmes have become a booming business in the entertainment industry despite the fact that “viewers have developed tactics for “tuning out” traditional commercial breaks, including simply leaving the room or fast-forwarding past them using new technologies like digital video recorders” (, 2005). Several consumer groups argue that without prominent disclosure, product placements are nothing more than ‘stealth’ advertisements that are inherently misleading. The challenge is to determine how much product placement is too much in the eyes of viewers especially for the young audiences who are otherwise have limited facilities to process what they can see or witness on televisions, stating that product placements viewed by children are no different from ordinary advertising (). Product placement is similar to word-of-mouth advertising also as the recent pattern is to draw away from food advertisements on television which occur principally as 30 second commercials within programs directed to children, or within other programs directed at a more general audience into product placement within programs in the film, video or TV program, or placed somewhere conspicuous on the set. Without the presence of the parents also during conversation or the actual integration of the products as viewed by the children, this could lead to misleading or deceiving children, misinform them and may not contain any information regarding the nutritional value of the product; the last being particularly true through product placement. This leads to conveying the message that those foods as seen on TV in the hand of characters with age same as theirs are encouraging children to the view that what's good to eat is "good for them"; children are susceptible to advertisements, intentionally or otherwise (, 1992).       3) At the outset, digital channels are designed to be more flexible and efficient than analog television, allowing higher quality images and sound and more programming choices that analog does. In terms of advertisement, as  (2003) puts it, as subscriber counts for digital cable services continue to rise, so do the reasons for offering local advertisements on digital channels. The old ways won’t in any way blend with new ways in this digital transition era; as a matter of fact, inserting local advertisements into digital channels will not be the same as inserting local advertisements into analog channels. But even so, digital channels will have a fair share of advertisement revenues as digital channels provide a cost-effective niche for local advertisers, markets and advertising groups. Digital marketing provide a ground for advertisers to promote products and services to reach customers in a timely, relevant, personal and cost-effective manner. As such, the emergence of of so many digital and satellite channels has opened up the opportunity for brands, products and services or all kinds to get in on the act too. Provided that most new channels have equally ‘niche’ or more defined target markets, advertisers could pay much lesser to reach and influence their desired audience while also adding value to the other parts of the advertising campaign which raise the profile brands moreover. Apart from this, digital channels are new avenues for advertisements emphasises direct selling than subtle brand exposure which could also mean an instant return on investment for advertisers as target audience get to respond more immediately (). Next, web-based broadcasting include computer-implemented methods of related sources of viewing content, a method which include the receiver of a user input that specifies a URL address. These addresses correspond to a web page that determines a corresponding television channel and displaying the corresponding television channel. Web-based TV providers or Internet-content providers can control the simultaneous display of web content and TV channels to cause a TV channel to be displayed when a particular web page is viewed aside from display as a web content screen based on a specific TV channel's status. Through the process, the Internet-based TV provider can change the format of the web content screen based on the availability, or lack thereof, of a feature tuned channel. In addition, web-based TVs have methods comprising of selecting for display an advertisement and selecting for display an advertisement hot spot based on the corresponding selected television channel. The choice of advertisements also corresponds to the text/graphic template selected and based on the corresponding selected channel. In the case that the channel is not available, the advertisements may be designed so that they do not rely on viewing the channel to provide context for the product promoted. The choice of the extent of display of information is also available for web-based TVs through feature tuned channel, making possible the abbreviation of the international content of the advertisement. As a result, advertisement space usage and efficiency are enhanced while also giving the viewer enough information of the products to have made a purchase decision. Therefore, the purchasing-inclined viewer would be interested in learning how to purchase the product, and less interested in seeing repetitive information about the product (, 2004). Finally, consumers are increasingly being able to video record programmes they desire. Digital video recorders (DVR) or personal video recorders (PVR) are the most commonly used commercial skipping devices since they enable anyone to record video in a digital format to a disk drive or other medium within the device. These devices are equipped with time shifting features much more convenient, and also allows for "trick modes" such as pausing live TV, instant replay of interesting scenes, chasing playback where a recording can be viewed before it has been completed and skipping advertising (, 1999). Further, VCR enabled viewers to record television programs onto magnetic tape encased in a user friendly format, the videocassette. While recording, consumers could press the pause button during commercial breaks to omit advertisements and resume recording once the program began again. In addition, while playing the tape, viewers could skip through portions of the program, including commercials, using the VCR’s fast-forward functionality.The application of commercial skipping devices is in heat of debates, asking manufactures to disable the ad-skipping features since most of the industry relies on selling advertisements especially since commercial skipping is the second most important thing people are looking for from a DVR (, 2006).                From a personal standpoint, it is clear that the convergence of Internet with television, the growth of wireless communication and the increasing use of digital video recorders provides new challenges for advertisers apart from offering new avenues. The digital age has brought an even more efficient way to record and replay television, and with it, more efficient ways to skip through commercials. The viewership of the audience had also experience a dramatic change whereby the audience holds greater control on their programming preferences. As the new technology begins to incorporate certain features on the consumers’ devices, they also implicitly provided them the decision to skip advertisements for all they want without realising that what they are doing could be equated to the decline of profitability of the advertising industry because it offers convenience. Aside from commercial skipping, devices are also endowed with other features that allow them to schedule and even restart programs at their desire and the personalisation of programming principally targeted at advertisements.                       References

ADVERTISING INDUSTRY: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

1) European Advertising Industry: Issues and Challenges The global advertising industry had shown definite signs toward re...

Research Proposal on Human Resources Development Problems

Human Resources Development Problems Introduction Human resource management and the associated strategies are important part of the employment nature within an organization. The support and development in this area is expected and argued to be complement with a specific policy or program. The human resource is also anticipated to evolve due to the influence coming from the globalization and modernization, therefore, development among the manpower should be the center of the human resource. Background and Problem Statement Through the various applications of the training and development policies and programs for the manpower, it is anticipated that the workforce can have the tactics and strategies that can increase the morale and motivation in terms of work deployment. In addition, the development in the human resource management, the internal management can understand the needs of the employees and thereby influence the operating on the behavior of employees.  There is doubt, that human resources play a crucial role in the national development of the economy. The policies that were made by governing bodies should be focused on the development of the utilization of the resources that might answer the major problems in human resource management. However, what are the problems that plaguing the human resource development and should be addressed to develop the ideal human resource development? Research Aim and Objectives The main aim of the study is to investigate the problems that are present in the human resource development. In order to gain the information regarding the topic, there are objectives that should be followed. First is to review the literature regarding the traditional and modernized human resource management. Second is to describe the contemporary human resource in the organization and what the principles that the department is keeping in control. Third is to identify the ideas such as theories and models that are present within the human resources. And fourth is to give the factors that might increase the problems in human resource management. Literature Review The problems in human resource development (HRD) are identified to be in number of factors. All of the problems tend to influence the optimum allocation of human resources. Among them are the policies relating to recruitment, training, employment conditions, and the deployment of personnel. Equally important are the prevailing management environment, socio-economic conditions, and the traditional work culture. The changes in the business environment redefined the role of human resources (HR) professionals. HR executives are increasingly being called upon to team up with business managers and to take a more active role in strategy development and organizational design. One of the most drastic changes in the requirements of the HR professional, in recent years has been the increasing need for the top person in the function to see the business perspective. This business dimension has grown in importance in the last 10 to 15 years. However, it is highlighted that the HRD should focus in the development of workforce and believes that they are the people suites for the success. Traditionally, management has tended to view labor in terms of supply and demand with employees viewed as short-term expenses to be minimized at every opportunity. Personnel management was seen largely as playing a passive maintenance role, undertaking tasks that had to be done but that had little impact on organizational performance. Thus, personnel departments were the dumping ground for "welfare-oriented" organizational deadbeats who had failed in line management.  The present-day human resources management (HRM) approach refutes this fallacy and asserts the view that employees can rightly be considered as assets. Value can be placed on them and they can be managed in the same way as a portfolio of stocks: to increase their value to the organization. The work of the HRM should be strengthening the recruitment policies and practices, training and manpower development, employment policy and conditions, management environment, supervisory, and external environmental factors in which the problems are commonly to be found. Methodology The method in the study is the use of secondary data in which the researcher/s can gain from the case studies, human resource development reports of the organizations, and other context regarding the human resources management and its evolution. Through reviewing the data, the study can find the related information on what would be the problems that might affect the human resource development. In addition, through the collected information, the study can also jump in making a comprehensive analysis on why the problems still affects the modern human resource development and create a brief recommendation to find solution on the problems.  References: Balogun, M.J., (2003) Nigeria’s Public Service Reform Process: Human Resource Issues [Online] Available at: http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/CAFRAD/UNPAN011072.pdf [Accessed 20 September 2010]. Dunn, J., (2006) Strategic Human Resources and Strategic Organization Development: an Alliance for the Future? Organization Development Journal, 24(4):69+ Shonhiwa, S.O., & Gilmore, H.L., (1996) Development of Human Resources: A Portfolio Strategy, SAM Advanced Management Journal, 61(1):16+

Research Proposal on Human Resources Development Problems

Human Resources Development Problems Introduction Human resource management and the associated strategies are important part of the empl...

HK Local Airline Industry

Hong Kong Local Airline Industry   Cathay Pacific Cathay Pacific is an international airline servicing over 90 destinations and carrying over 15 million passengers each year. Cathay Pacific Airways, based in Hong Kong offers scheduled cargo passenger services to over 90 destinations throughout the globe. Cathay Pacific is deeply committed to Hong Kong, where the company was founded in 1946, and continues to make substantial investments to develop Hong Kong’ aviation industry.   Oasis Hong Kong Oasis Hong Kong started its operations if October 2006. The Hong Kong-based airline aims to make frequent long haul travel accessible to everyone. Oasis provides its passengers with low fares and high standards of comfort and service.   Objective Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways, one of the biggest airlines in the region is not exploring the budget airfares’ market and that the emergence of the low-cost carriers does not hurt the business. Cathay Pacific is claiming that they intend to cater to a different market segment. Cathay Pacific believes that the key to the competition is value for money and offering the best services.   Oasis Hong Kong Airlines on the other hand is focusing their attention on budget conscious market. The airline company aims to make air travel available for everyone. Oasis Hong Kong offers budget long haul flights without compromising the quality of service.   Consumer Demand The Oasis Hong Kong Airlines is using a low-cost strategy to attract its target market. The target market that Oasis wants to attract is the budget conscious passengers who are willing to trade some extra product features for a lower price. These passengers are more satisfied with the basic services that an airline can offer and try to avoid extra expenses caused by added services. Oasis Hong Kong Airlines is catering to a different market segment. The company believes that there is a great demand from business and leisure travelers seeking value fares and direct routes from Hong Kong to major cities around the world. Oasis Hong Kong Airlines offers affordable luxury for smart travelers. The company is committed to making long-haul flights available to more people. The company offers a new choice for the smart passengers who want value for their money.   Cathay Pacific Cathay Pacific uses Differentiation as its target market positiong strategy. According to  (2000), a differentiation strategy is one where wide product ranges and higher quality products are offered for the convenience of customers as well as added services. A differentiation strategy in which a product offering is different forms that of one or more competitors in a way that is valued by the customers. The emergence of cheap long-haul airlines does not bother Cathay Pacific Airways. The company maintains that they cater to a different market which values service and product features more than price. Cathay Pacific offers quality service and luxurious features and amenities. Interior layout and configuration of the aircraft is one of the considerations of Cathay Pacific’s passengers. Space is considered as the key comfort variable. Another important offering of Cathay Pacific that sets it apart from its competition is its high in-flight service and catering standards. In flight service and catering standards according to  (2002), cover the nature and quality of food and beverages provided, the number of cabin staff for each class of cabin, the availability and range of newspapers and magazines, in-flight entertainment and communications, give-aways for passengers as well as for children and so on. Cathay Pacific exerts a great deal of effort to the planning of airline meals and meeting target catering standards. Another competitive advantage of Cathay Pacific is the services offered to passengers on the ground. Cathay Pacific’s super hub at Hong Kong International Airport offers a wide range of services and benefits aimed at making the passengers’ arrival, departure and connections as smooth, convenient and pleasurable as possible. Other intangible aspects of comfort and source of differentiation that Cathay Pacific is offering are efficiency, helpfulness and friendliness of staff, both the cabin crew in the air and the ground staff at check-in, in the airline lounges and at the boarding gates.   Nature of Competition The key issue in the nature of competition in the airline industry is whether an airline wants to be a global network carrier or a niche player. A global carrier would aim to provide a worldwide network of routes and destinations. It can do this by linking its own wide route network with that of a handful of alliance partners through their respective hubs to create a truly global system. The alternative is to be a niche carrier. The niche to focus on may be either geographical or a particular type of service (2001). At present Cathay Pacific is a global carrier while Oasis is focusing on the alternative approach and still remains as a niche player. Hong Kong was one of the most competitive places in the world with 70 airlines serving the state and 4 to 5 airlines serving most of the major routes. Passenger in Hong Kong have a wide variety of choices of airlines, flight schedules and airfares.   Maintaining Cathay Pacific’s Current Price Since Cathay Pacific caters to a different market segment than Oasis Hong Kong, it is more advisable for Cathay Pacific to maintain its current price rather than lower it. Cathay Pacific uses a differentiation strategy that is difficult to copy by its competitors. Cathay Pacific is renowned for its quality service, top of the line technology and superb added features. The differentiation strategy of Cathay pacific is able to create a loyal market for the airline company. A market that values comfort, luxury, accessibility and unique facilities and services along with Cathay Pacific’s reputation. I think that it will not be an advantage for Cathay pacific to lower its price. The reason why Oasis Hong Kong has a lower price is because it has lower operating costs. If Cathay Pacific opts to lower its price to match Oasis Hong Kong, it must endeavor to lower its operating costs. Cathay Pacific will have to sacrifice their service, facilities and other amenities to reduce its price. It is more advisable if Cathay Pacific maintains its price and at the same time offer promotions and programs that will give discounts and flexible fare to the price sensitive passengers.   Influence of Demand on Costs There are two aspects of demand, which have impact on costs, namely route traffic density and sector length. The traffic density on a route and the sector length on that route will influence  the size and type of aircraft chosen for that route. Aircraft type, and more especially the size of the aircraft, is a key determinant of unit costs. Route traffic density also influences the frequencies which are needed and will thereby affect the annual utilization, that is, the number of hours flown by each aircraft. The higher the utilization the lower the costs. Cathay Pacific has a competitive advantage that is built on its differentiation strategy. If the company chooses to adapt the low-cost strategy that Oasis Hong Kong has, the company would have to give up its objective which is to offer its passengers with superb experience through excellent products and outstanding service. Cathay Pacific’s acquisition of DragonAir last 2006 offered opportunities for the airline to penetrate the mainland market. Perhaps one strategy that Cathay Pacific can use instead of lowering its price is to strengthen its differentiation by establishing customer loyalty. According to Philip Chen, Chief executive of Cathay Pacific, the people at Cathay Pacific understand that they are in a business of selling an experience. Cathay Pacific believes that the emotional bonding with the customers builds loyalty and encourages the passengers to repurchase its products. It can be argued that Cathay Pacific can retain its price and still gain competitive advantage. Differentiation is not enough because many airlines can copy Cathay Pacific’s strategy. It is the people at Cathay Pacific that differentiate Cathay Pacific from its competitors. A change in the airfares in Cathay Pacific may affect the demand for Oasis, it does not affect the demand for, but only the quantity demanded for Cathay Pacific. In a free market, the point of intersection of the supply and demand schedules is of particular significance. At this particular price, and only at this price will the desires of demanders and suppliers be simultaneously satisfied. At any other price, either demanders will want to buy more than suppliers want to sell (shortage) or suppliers will want to sell more than demanders want to buy (surplus). If Cathay Pacific reduces its price there will be a possibility of unequal supply and deman.         Demand Elasticity Demand elasticity according to O’connor is assumed to refer to price elasticity. Price elasticity refers to the sensitivity of the public to the price of a product. The concept of elasticity of demand is used to describe a particular property of demand curve. It describes the effect of a change in practice on quantity demanded – the extent to which quantity demanded stretches when price changes. The consumers of Cathay Pacific developed loyalty to the airline so the price is not the main issue why the consumers are purchasing the products and services of Cathay Pacific.   Match Oasis Hong Kong’s Price Consumers are expected to benefit if Cathay Pacific will engage in a price war with Oasis Hong Kong. Better quality service and lower prices are expected. I think it is impossible for Cathay Pacific to maintain its company objectives and at the same time enter to a price war with Oasis Hong Kong. Cathay Pacific would have to copy the low-cost strategy of Oasis Hong Kong and would have to give up its differentiation strategy. The company will have to take measures in order to lower its price. On the other hand, Cathay Pacific can lower its price as a Predatory pricing strategy.  Predatory pricing behavior involves the reduction of price in the short run so as to drive competing firms out of the market or to discourage entry of new firms to gain larger profits via higher prices in the long run than would have earned if the price reduction had not occurred (2000). In the case of Cathay Pacific and Oasis, Cathay Pacific holds a much larger market power associated with the segmentation of markets. Cathay Pacific may use the predatory attempt as a precursor to merger acquisition.   Conclusion Studying the local airline industry in Hong Kong revealed that the airline industry is open for competition and that new players like the Oasis Hong Kong Airlines can freely enter the market. The Hong Kong airline industry is one of the most competitive markets in the world. The stiff competition among different airlines provides a considerable advantage to consumers, offering them wider options and pushing the airlines to improve their products and services. So is it necessary for Cathay Pacific Airways to reduce its price to match Oasis? It can be argued that as Cathay Pacific holds more market power, the region’s biggest airline may opt to weaken and eventually drive Oasis out of the competition. Cathay Pacific once it decides to reduce its price in order to drive out Oasis will gain monopoly of the airline industry in Hong Kong. Unreasonably low fare is described as predatory. This is a fare set so low that it threatens to drive a competitor out of a market and that, moreover, is not justifiable by the airline’s cost and demand situation.   It is not advisable for Cathay Pacific to reduce its price just to match Oasis Hong Kong’s. Cathay Pacific and Oasis are catering to different market segments. Cathay Pacific caters to consumers who value service, comfort and luxury while Oasis is attracting passengers who are more price-sensitive. When we analyze the elasticity of the consumers of Cathay Pacific we will discover that the airline tries to encourage loyalty among its consumers to lessen their sensitivity to the price of the product. It can be argued that increasing o0r reducing the airfares at Cathay Pacific will greatly affect the consumers’ perception. In addition, sudden changes in price has a possibility to produce unbalanced supply and demand. However, Oasis is planning to stiffen its competition with Cathay Pacific. Oasis is currently expanding its fleet and planning to widen its routes and destination. The expansion of Oasis’ fleet will also enhance the airline’s cargo capacity. If the competition will continue, the consumers can expect better products and services in the future.

HK Local Airline Industry

Hong Kong Local Airline Industry Cathay Pacific Cathay Pacific is an international airline servicing over 90 destinations and carr...

A Critical Review of The Matrix Movie

Introduction             One of the most talked about sci-fi Hollywood movies, The Matrix had definitely made its impact in 1999. It has probably been one of the movies who had garnered the most movie reviews as well as fans and followers. The Matrix is a story about a programmer who discovers that his world isn’t what it seems. Neo, played by Keanu Reeves, is the lead character of the movie adjusting to the thought that all he ever knew was an illusion encoded into his head by the computers who now enslaved the world, and according to the leader Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), he is The One destined to deliver humanity (Tomkins, 2003). This movie with its not so ordinary and complex plot is packed with mind-bending action and thriller scenes, not to mention a powerful cast of actors. The Matrix is an allegorical film questioning the true face of reality.                In line with this, the paper seeks to argue that science fiction movies are avenues of exploring the social and cultural characterization of the world we live presenting fascinating themes not just to entertain the audience but also to impart information for the public to gain knowledge in watching the movie in digesting the issues illustrated by the plot. The movie The Matrix is used to present this argument by enumerating the educative moments in the film and discussing the scientific basis of the information that were utilized in the movie along with some discussions of the way science knowledge were presented. Moreover, the paper illustrates how fact and fantasy were collaborated in a continuous story line emphasizing the roles played by the “scientists” in the film as the characters who channeled factual information to the viewers. The essay concludes by considering the cultural impact of the film by highlighting distinct ethical and moral concerns of the story.      The Use of Color as Fascination Themes Noticeable in this film is its use of color themes, where a single color dominates a scene in the movie. A similar visual technique had been used by movies such as The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and His lover and Temptation of a monk to cite a few (Observations from the Matrix). By the use of certain color themes, representations and symbolism can be depicted. Like for instance, the use of green is symbolic of the matrix code. According to the Wachowski brothers, the use of green tint was a whole motif inspired by the phosphorous green of old PCs thus, the color of the objects inside of the matrix.   The real world is symbolized by the blue color. It is also a symbol of hope and inspiration. Being the color of the sun and fire, orange emits a warm, positive feeling, suggesting energy, strength and vitality. Such color theme was used in the Oracle’s kitchen as the Oracle’s presence and demeanor reflects the qualities of the orange color. Drive, ambition and enthusiasm is also represented by this color which was exemplified in the Dojo scene with Morpheus as the confident and determined teacher and Neo as an eager student up to any challenge. Since the medieval times, the Devil has been known to have red skin or wear red clothes. Thus, the agents as well as Cypher are seen wearing red in the movie. When Trinity appears for the first time, she was all clad in black in a dark room as if masking her real intentions. This makes black the color of mystery, secrets and intrigue (The Symbolic Use of Color from the Matrix).   Psychologically speaking, the color themes in the movie were also used in order to show other symbolisms such as emotion and descriptions. For example, green is often associated with sickness, decay or impending death making it the appropriate color of the mold and Mr. Yuk.  An envious Cypher also had a shade of green. Cypher in a reddish hue symbolizes a Cypher in love with Trinity (The Symbolic Use of Color from the Matrix). The Matrix is not only and purely science fiction with lots of guns and special effects.  In fact, the movie is deeply symbolic right from the characters’ names, religious beliefs, history and racial diversity.   The Educative Moments in the Film Most would say that the story is as if patterned in the life story of Jesus and Christianity in which the name Neo which is actually a Greek word for “new” and an anagram of the word “one” or Neo as The One. However, this is not so, for there are some noted elements in the movie that are not comprised within the Catholic faith. For instance, there is no idea of sin, repentance or forgiveness in The Matrix. Instead, people just need to be liberated from illusion, which seems to be more Buddhist than Christian. Another Buddhist adaptation in the film is the belief of the people that there is no God in charge and that their lives is ruled by fate (Tomkins, 2003). Then there is Trinity who effects the resurrection of Neo after professing her love and belief in him as the Chosen One. In a way, Trinity reminds us that Neo is to be seen as a Christ-savior character, one of the Holy Trinity of the Catholic faith. Cypher, the one who betrayed Morpheus, is name which precisely means “a message in code”. The name as a code is hidden within yet another code, for the message in code applies as much to the Judas symbolism (Grisso). Furthermore, the Gnostic belief was also integrated in the film. It was said that in the second century, many Gnostics embraced the story of Jesus but somehow changed its meaning. Instead of Him coming to save them from sin, they believed that He came to give them true knowledge which frees them from the material world. What is interesting is that both Buddhists and Gnostics hope to escape it into a good, peaceful, disembodied existence. However, when Neo escapes the Matrix, he was neither in Nirvana nor Heaven, and he was not supposed to escape this one, but to liberate it. Thus, bringing us back to Christianity which claims that the world is basically good as it is bad, and one should not escape from it but repair it (Tomkins, 2003).   Aside from religious symbolism and mythological relations, The Matrix is a movie depicting many realities. One is that Matrix follows very closely the model of a Western, late-capitalist society.  Whites hold positions of power in the corporate sector and in law enforcement (a close viewing will reveal that only whites serve as representative of the law within the film).  Non-whites even seem absent from the prosperous streets of Acme City (Cunningham).  Secondly, there was the reality of racism. In fact, several scenes within the film, most of them featuring Morpheus, draw upon cinematic codes of African-American enslavement and oppression. A prime example of this subliminal coding appears during a long pair of sequences in the middle of the film.  Having tested his protégé's mettle in a number of combat training programs, Morpheus decides to take Neo into the Matrix to see the Oracle.  Upon returning, three Agents and an entire host of law enforcement ambush the Morpheus entourage.  The desperate group attempts to escape by descending through a cavity between the building's walls, only to be discovered by the Agents.  To ensure Neo's escape, Morpheus bursts through the wall of a bathroom and tackles the only person in the room, Agent Smith (Cunningham).   The Collaboration of Fact and Fantasy The Matrix is not most Hollywood movies. The audience may have been bedazzled by its special effects, however, through deep scrutiny, the movie has many deeply embedded messages for us to decipher. The movie was able to make the viewers feel as if they were watching the past, present and the future. Its filmmakers were able to integrate visual techniques, a symbolic plot and reality all rolled into one, producing one massive hit of a movie.   Science usually connotes the study of phenomenon, creatures, people, and things as well as the laws that govern their ways and existence.  Science provides explanation, clarifications and understanding on things that cannot be comprehended at face value.   Such studies and interests provide rational and empirical approach of appreciating the otherwise complicated realities of things.  It is a valid way of understanding the creation of life whose application can be utilized in a wide range of discipline.  Science is a methodological discipline in which observations, studies and researchers are conducted and facilitated in order to develop and examine theories and principles that will act as guiding knowledge of depicting reality.  It discerns records and manipulates physical data so as to reach into valid and reliable findings from which conclusions will either confirm or contradict the claims of a particular theory.      The film is a masterpiece tackling the most controversial beliefs regarding life and reality which makes the film even more compelling. It presented claims and arguments that question the grounds of man’s existence as well as the possibilities of a multi-dimensional world. It wittingly disrupted the distinction between fact and fantasy as the movie transcended the audience to cross socially and culturally defined beliefs. The movie lured the viewers to think outside the confined notions of reality and existence by illustrating possible impossibilities. Interestingly, the factual and scientific information in the film were presented as fantasy as the plot narrates that dominance of machines over humans. The unreal themes of the movie on the other hand are the common beliefs that people hold today regarding the origin and birth of life, the dreamlike present time, and the liberated connotations of the future of mankind. Actually, the philosophical aspects of the film were strategically manipulated in order to bring confusion to the audience thereby drawing their attention and heightening their interest.      Morpheus as the “Scientist” Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream, Neo? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world? -                      Morpheus, The Matrix (1999)   The characterization of Morpheus is that of a “scientist” who has all the information regarding the explanation of things and events in the film. Through his role, the claims pertaining to the real reality or the act of information and knowledge channeling is made possible by the educating character of Morpheus. Morpheus could mean a lot of things that is related to its character. For one, Morpheus is the Greek god of dreams (Matrix Explained). Morpheus may also be a representation of Orpheus from the Greek mythology, a character who almost rescues his wife Eurydice from Hades. Relating it to the movie, Hades corresponds to the Matrix and one who is almost rescued is Neo (Grisso). The real world was named Zion, representing heaven in the sense of the final gathering place of true believers. It is also used, especially by the Rastafarians, for example some of Bob Marley’s songs distinguishing those of the faith from those beholden to Babylon. If the real world of the movie is Zion, then the Matrix must symbolize Babylon (Grisso).   Morpheus’ ship was named Nebuchadnezzar, a king of Babylon whose dream fell to Daniel to interpret. That this is the symbolism intended is confirmed by the choice of Nebuchadnezzar, as the name given to the space-ship in Zion. Nebuchadnezzar was a king of Babylon, spoken of in the Bible, whose dream fell to Daniel to interpret. In his dream, Nebuchadnezzar saw an image with a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, and feet of iron mixed with clay. The feet of iron mixed with clay was struck down by a stone made without hands, and the entire structure came down. In the interpretation of this dream, Daniel said it foretold four world empires including and starting with that of Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylon of his day, represented by the head of gold, and ending with the destruction of the final Babylon represented by the feet of iron mixed with clay. Not only, therefore, does the Matrix represent "Babylon," but by making the allusion to Nebuchadnezzar, we have to conclude that the authors wish to allude also to Daniel's prophecy (Grisso). All these were symbolized in the film in the individual story that revolves around Morpheus’ character and role.   Conclusions They say that the only permanent thing in this world is change.  Life is a constant hello’s and goodbyes.  Whether you like it or not, things do happen beyond your control.  The reality speaks of endless possibility that makes the life of every man very complex.  Our powerlessness to understand and thereby adapt to the changes makes it more difficult and troublesome to grasp the system and function of our being. The lack of knowledge on things, animals, events and people is supplemented by data and information that will fill the void of rationalizing why things are the way they are.  Chaotic amount of available facts that explains a phenomenon are made clear through detailed analyses and interpretations guided through the use of rational explanations.  Understanding is the ultimate goal of science.  The elucidation that science offers to the community keeps the people on firm grounds making them logical, wiser and strategic in performing their everyday function as human beings.  Animate and inanimate creatures and things that coexist with men are likewise understood through the accounts and logical reasoning that science gives.   In this sense, The Matrix movie was able to demonstrate the capability of film as not just an entertainment source but also as an educative tool. The movie was made popular not just by its highly technological film effects but the contribution of the story line and the arguments and claims of the plot. Questions regarding the cultural and social context of the audience realities were cultivated in the film almost threatening the general belief of our existence. As such, The Matrix was applauded for boldly analyzing and critically analyzing the order of our reality as we know it. The film is highly cultural and socially-relevant in this aspect as it left the audience wondering and thinking of the possibilities that were tackled in the plot. But in the process, moral and ethical issues became obvious with respect to the religious beliefs of the public. Religiously speaking, the claims made by the film makers regarding the inexistence of God were significantly opposed to the teachings and doctrines of most religious beliefs. This resulted to the impact ethical impact of the film in its alternative portrayal of a possible reality.       References: Cunningham, Douglas A. Stalling Zion: Hegemony through racial conflict in The Matrix. Available at [http://www.rhizomes.net/issue7/cunning.htm] Accessed 27/04/04. Grisso. The Key to The Matrix. Available at [http://theafrican.com/Magazine/matrix.htm] Accessed 27/04/04. Matrix Explained: Symbolism in the Matrix. Available at [http://www.matrix-explained.com/symbolism_in_the_matrix.htm] Accessed 27/04/04. Observations from the Matrix. Available at [www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Heights/6495/] Accessed 27/04/04. The symbolic use of Color in the Matrix. Available at [http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Theater/9175/neo/matrixcolors.html] Accessed 27/04/04. Tomkins, Steven. (May 14, 2003). Forget sci-fi and guns - The Matrix is really about religion. Available at [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3027027.stm] Accessed 27/04/04.

A Critical Review of The Matrix Movie

Introduction One of the most talked about sci-fi Hollywood movies, The Matrix had definitely made its impact in 1999. It ha...