A Research Study On The Basic Positive And Negative Effects Of Gaming Essay

Abstract The purpose of this study emphasizes on both, the positive and the negative impacts of playing video games on the teenagers. Over the last 30 years video games have made an impact on the way teenagers spend their leisure time. This research hypothesizes that social interaction, psychological, in particular aggressive behavior, health and academic performance is greatly affected by the extensive use of video gaming. The research proposal is further supported by the literature review of various articles including an article by Brandon T, which states that video games influence the beliefs and self esteem of children. In another article by Steven J Krish, it was proven that a positive relationship prevails between video gaming and self aggression, among the age groups of 11-17. In order to prove our hypothesis, both the primary and secondary research was conducted. The primary research was followed by questionnaires that were distributed among the targeted group and also an interview was conducted with a gaming technical. Our secondary research consisted of various articles. The information narrowed down brought very sensitive issues into the limelight. It was observed that almost 72 % of the teenagers suffered from acute aggression, bad grades and health issues, thus proving our hypothesis correct. However only strategic games were given a positive response as they sharpen the minds of the players but on the whole the negative effects overshadow the positive side of playing video games. Video Games and Teenagers: A Research Study On The Basic Positive And Negative Effects Of Gaming A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. It has been one of the most preferred leisure activities by the teenagers . The history of video games goes as far back as 1940s, when in 1947 Thomas T. Goldsmith, Jr. and Estle Ray Mann filed a US patent request for an invention they described as cathode ray tube amusement device. This patent which the United States Patent office issued on December 14, 1948, details a machine in which a person uses knobs and buttons to manipulate a cathode ray tube beam to simulate firing at â€Å"air-borne† targets. Video gaming would not reach mainstream popularity until the 1970s and 80s, when arcade video games, gaming consoles and home computer games were introduced to general public. Since then video gaming has become a popular form of entertainment and a part of modern culture in the developed world. There are currently considered to be eight generations of video game consoles. The most common consoles used by the teenagers nowadays include Xbox, game boy, play station and Nintendo Game Cube. There are numerous genres of video games that have been available to the consumers for the past 30 years. One of the oldest genres of video game is the classic shooter. Shooters are games that require the player to blow away enemies or objects in order to survive and continue game play. Another of the first video game genres, especially from the computer platforms, was the adventure game. Another preferred genre is the strategy or the tactic games. These games attempt to capture a sense of realism for the game player to experience. However, these titles are often turn-based as opposed to real-time and they give the player a greater sense of specific control over a situation. Video games are a unique form of entertainment which encourages players to become a part of the game’s script. Our research will focus on the following issues: What appeals teenagers to play video games? What do teenagers experience while playing video games? How does playing video games effect teenagers positively? How does playing video games effect teenagers negatively? Should parents show concern regarding their children playing video games? Douglas A. Paul J. Lynch et al (2004) Gentile, in their article â€Å" The effects of violent video game habits on adolescent hostility, aggressive behavior and school performance† have discussed the effects of video games on teenagers. Their research stated that in 2000 the revenue generated by the gaming industry was $20 billion. Teenagers contributed the most in the consumption of the gaming consoles. Also 54 independent tests on relation between video game violence and aggression were conducted ; five consistent results of playing games with violent content were retrieved through this research i.e. playing violent games increases aggressive behaviors, aggressive cognitions, aggressive emotions , physiological arousal and decreases pro-social behavior. In the article â€Å" Perceived influence of negative and positive video game† , Shu .F .Lin (September 2010) stated the perceived effects between self and others in terms of both negative and positive video game. According to the researcher, the games were promoted through the mode of entertainment media in an array of content like sports, fighting, stimulation and role-playing etc. The positive impacts include increased socializing , controlling and cognitive skills, while negative effects were depression , anxiety and psychological disorders among teenagers. Steven J. Kirsh (1992) in his article â€Å"The effect of violent video games† found a positive association between video game play and self and teacher reported aggression in the age group of 11-17 years. In their study Anderson and Dill (2008) demonstrated a relationship between violent video games and lab aggression in college students .It has been found that children and adolescents play video games on average between 1.2 to 7.5 hours per week. It has also been suggested that psychological and biological factors are also correlates of aggression. Moreover the Anderson and Bushman’s (2002) General Aggression Model (GAM) has been successfully developed to further stress upon the effects . GAM can be used to explain the birth of aggression in the adolescents and the difference in vulnerability to the influence of violent games for every individual. In the article â€Å"The impact of video games on children† , Rick Missimer has put forth positive aspects of playing video games. He proposed that most of the video games are creative and fun intended. It is a medium that serves to get rid of stress by diverting their attention towards fun and entertainment. It reinforces the confidence level of children when they start mastering the games. It provokes innovative thinking and strategic thinking skills. Some games also aid children in their educational curriculum and help them get more familiar to technology. Kimberly Young ( 2004), Peter Laurie (1981) [1967], Jennifer Seter Wagner (2008) researchers conducted a research and discussed about the concepts of digital games and its application in forms and shapes. Being keen towards their research they illustrated about the history, symptoms, addiction, side effects ( physical, social ) benefits, and prevention against digital game playing. They further discussed about the addictive theories and how it impacts young brains. The study showed that addiction could be of many kinds and gaming is a negatively charged one, the symptoms of addiction are that youngsters feel depressed, restlessness and lack of self control between themselves, which is further supported by the side effects that they become victims of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, weight gain and migraines, social problems which occur are Withdrawal, Lose touch with reality and misuse of money in form of extra hours of playing. The benefits were that the teenagers enhanced superior ‘ visuospatial’ abilities, ‘Wiihabilitation’ and ‘Exergaming’. They concluded their research with prevention against video gaming that were unimaginable like few treatment centers specializing in against game addiction and training for enhancement of social skills. Another researcher (Roni Caryn Rabin, 2011 ), a reporter of New York Times has discussed in her article Video games and the Depressed teenagers , one of the major concerns regarding video game playing i.e. depression in teenagers. He has talked about the study which was conducted on a large group of teenagers. The results were published in the Journal of Pediatrics. The study found that children who spent most of the time playing video games were very impulsive and were hesitant while socializing. Their school grades were also affected and most importantly they had worse relationship with their parents. This study was supported with another research conducted on Chinese teenagers. The results of this research were published in the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine. It indicated that teenagers who used internet excessively ended up being depressed. Most of them used internet for playing video games. But Dr. Gentile , an associate professor of psychology at Iowa State University negated this study . The reasoning he provided was that teenagers who were socially isolated and impulsive are more likely to indulge themselves in activities such as video games. Once they become gamers , their school grades are likely to be affected and their relationship with their parents deteriorated. Dr. Gentile said that when teenagers start playing excessively , they are more likely to become depressed and isolated. One other author (Donna St. George, 2008) a reporter at Washington Post discussed about the behaviors of kids after playing mature games. The writer gave the reference of three researches held in USA and Japan. The results were almost same in both the countries, and this showed that video gaming and violence in teenagers was not the problem of USA only. Though, people used to believe that aggression due to violent video games was only the problem of an American teenager but now it was thought of as a general phenomenon that occurred across cultures. In USA, the researches focused on large groups of teenagers 364 and it was concluded that there was an increasing likelihood that a child would indulge into a fight or get physically aggressive after sometime of playing a game with violent content, as compared to other children. As compared to USA, the researchers were more curious in Japan. So, they conducted their research on more than 12 hundred people, and they focused on children as well as on adolescents. The results were quite same as were in USA. The researcher also talked to the parents of teenage gamers. Some parents did not allow their children to play mature games but despite that their children played and were found to be aggressive. On the other hand some parents were not uncomfortable with their children playing mature rated games but they didn’t find their children aggressive or hostile. The researcher suggests that it is important for parents to pay attention to the nature of games their children play and keep a check on the behavior of their kids after playing such games. A reporter at a magazine (Rebecca Scarlett, 2010) discusses very important beliefs of people, that games only portray a picture of violence and physical disorders. However just like two sides of every story it’s true that a large number of games do depict violence and useless themes, but a large number of games are now focusing on more constructive niche like physics games or math games or puzzles that provoke strategic thinking. Interestingly enough these niches are becoming rapidly popular among teens. These games help the kids and teenagers learn the complex and rather boring equations and formulas in a fun way which also develops logic skills as well as visual-spatial manipulation skills. Recently many parents have wished that they could get their children off the games to spend more time reading. Successfully the gaming industry has provided children with such Role-playing games. These games involve long quests with plots that are as Intricate as any novel, and these plots are revealed mostly through dialogue. Such that it becomes impossible to play the game successfully without a good deal of reading The author further explains that studies have shown even better results that kids who play more video games have better hand-eye coordination and they react on time. The speed of most video games demands quick decision-making in response to what appears on the screen, and many kids become so lightning fast while playing them. Even though video games have been demonized, there are many games out there that, when played in moderation, can actually have beneficial effects. (Mark.D.Griffiths,1998), another researcher discussed that video game playing is a leisure activity for most of the adolescents. He said that the literature provided by Loftus and Loftus (1983) and Griffiths (1991,1993) clearly indicated that teenagers took videogames as a source of entertainment. Furthermore, he also stated that boys play more videogames on average as compared to girls. He has also put forth the common argument regarding videogames i.e. it is potentially addictive. He has discussed the study regarding the computer games addiction by Shotton (1989), where he stated that most of the adolescents were addicted by computer games for than five years. He also pointed out a positive aspect that these people were intelligent and motivated, but they were often misunderstood. Our research methodology was designed to get the most accurate answers. Research Design Our primary research included survey method. Questionnaires were given to the respondents. Participants We have targeted teenagers (13-19 years) and their parents. Our sample size was 25. Our secondary research included articles from the web. Measures Questionnaires were designed such that they were divided into two sections; the first section has demographic questions and the second section is based upon the statements regarding our variables. Procedure Participants were of two kind, both teenagers and their parents. They were asked to answer the questions in the two different types of questionnaires. One was designed to collect the responses of the teenagers and the second one was designed to collect responses from the parents. Later on these responses were further analyzed to conduct our research. Like other related forms of media, video games have been a subject of controversy and our study focuses on the impact (positive and negative) of video games on teenagers. Discussion One of the major goals of our research was to know the factors that motivates teenagers to play games. According to our research, the greatest chunk i.e. 72% of respondents said that either they played videogames to avoid boredom or took it as a mode of entertainment. Few individuals also said that videogames help them to stay active. Whereas, a small percentage of the sample either played games to release frustration or as a hobby. The data is quantified visually through the following pie chart: Another important question is that despite having numerous substitutes available to videogames like physical sports etc, why do teenagers choose videogames as a source of leisure activity. Most of the teenagers said that it took their mind off their problems and the feeling of mastering the game is addictive. Furthermore, in this era of competition teenagers are in a constant pressure from their peers, so they have two options; either they face it or they don’t . They choose not to face it and just to take their mind off such problems; they take video games as a source of distraction. When the teenagers were asked about the hours they spend on gaming and for how long have they been playing, most of them play for approximately 3 hours on a stretch and have been playing for more than 2 years. Most of the parents too gave the same answer that their children play for so many hours (3 hours) without taking any break. Even our interviewee Mr. Waseem Yousaf said that children become too addicted after they start coming to gaming zone. The numbers of hours they play keep on increasing gradually and they start visiting on frequent basis. When asked about the genres of games that were preferred, most of the respondents replied in favour of action, strategy and sports. Even our interviewee said that the most popular games in gaming zone are action, sports and strategy. Another important aspect of video gaming is the effect of the violence depicted in video games. 72% played violent video games and 64% of our respondents (teenagers) feel that such games greatly influence their mood. More importantly 72% teenagers find themselves quite aggressive. Now let’s have a look at the health issues associated with video game play. Most of the parents said that their children have become negligent of their heath due to video games; they become so engrossed in it that they do not take care of their health and their children face health problems. Most of the teenagers also said that they have health issues because of playing video games. 24% of the respondents experienced backache, headache and eye strain, 36% had headache or backache out of which 24% had headache once in a month. 16% did not have any heath issues. The ones who did not have any health issues had an active life style and played physical sports regularly. The following pie chart depicts the above mentioned statistics graphically. When asked about the influence of videogames on schooling and grades, it was found that the parents and teenagers negated each other’s answers. Most of the children said that their grades were not affected by video game play but the parents said the opposite. It was also found through our study that many children became very defensive when they were asked about their gaming habits. It was deducted that 72% of teenagers lie about their gaming habits/hours to their parents. This shows that the teenagers are very supportive of video games unlike parents; they want to play as much as they want but parents have a genuine concern regarding it. They do not want their children to become addicts of games and neglect important things like studies. Our research shows that teenagers have equal preferences for outdoor sports as well as videogames; but still according to our research teenagers are more inclined towards video games as compared to the outdoor sports. However, with the introduction of Consoles like Nintendo Wii and Xbox Kinect ® the level of physical activity has increased. This is because these add-ons ensure that there is handsome amount of physical movement while playing games. Our interviewee said that places like gaming zones have a very healthy environment and teenagers prefer coming here and use gaming consoles that require physical exercise as well. Another thing worth discussing is the money teenagers spend on video gaming. Our interviewee said that on average a teenager spends an amount of Rs.500 for 3-4 hours which includes gaming rent as well as money spent on snacks. This has been a matter of concern for parents because teenagers have started demanding an increase in their pocket money more often now. Most of the parents have been unsuccessful in reducing the amount of time that their children spend on video games and many parents said that their children start to play significantly more than what they have been playing if they are asked to reduce the number of hours they play. This shows that children retaliate if they are asked to change their gaming habits. Hence, we can say that parents should not impose restrictions on the amount of time they spend in front of video games, instead they should try to logically convince them. Lastly, we would shed some light on the positive effects of video gaming. As discussed earlier most of the teenagers prefer playing strategic video games. About 52% respondents (teenagers ) said that due to such games they feel they can make decisions efficiently. Similarly, 64% believe that these games have sharpened their minds. Even our interviewee says that players who usually prefer playing strategic games are seen to be sharper and they grasp and master games quickly as compared to other players. Teamwork, working in collaboration, and cooperation is also another important positive outcome of videogames. Most teenagers play games which involve one or multiple players. When we asked our interviewee about the attitude of gamers, he said that players show team spirit and they play in collaboration. He also discussed that gaming zone and such venues provide a very healthy environment for teenagers; mostly teenagers from good family backgrounds come here. and it also provides an easy way of socializing with others. Conclusion & Recommendations The information narrowed down brought very sensitive issues into the limelight . It was observed that almost 72 % of the teenagers suffered from acute aggression , bad grades n health issues, thus proving our hypothesis correct. However only strategic games were given a positive response as they sharpen the minds of the players but on the whole the negative effects overshadow the positive side of playing video games. Parents should monitor video game play the same way you need to monitor television and other media. Be a loving, attentive parent who disciplines their child well. An aggressive child is more a product of dysfunctional parenting than anything else, including violent games and TV. According to Los Angeles-based psychotherapist Robert Butterworth, PhD, dysfunctional parenting, children with little guilt, and accessibility to firearms with little parental supervision can create violent children. â€Å"Most children who commit violent crime show an early combination of personality and family factors that include having trouble getting along with playmates in preschool,† Butterworth says. â€Å"By second or third grade they’re doing poorly in school, and have few friends. By the age of 10 they’re picking fights and getting labeled by their peers as social outcasts.† What’s more â€Å"they typically come from families where parents are poor at disciplining because they are indifferent, neglectful, too coercive or they use harsh physical punishment with little love.† Although playing video games can be a learning experience, give your kid a variety of entertaining things to learn from, so your kid will not be addicted to just one thing. Be sure to make him read books, play sports, interact with other kids, and watch good TV. Everything should be taken in moderation. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children not spend more than one to two hours per day in front of all electronic screens, including TV, DVDs, videos, video games (handheld, console, or computer), and computers (for non-academic use). This means seven to fourteen hours per week total. Limit the amount of time they could play and also used the video game ratings to limit the content of the games have children who do better in school and also get into fewer fights. Monitor the effect of video games on your child. Observe their behavior. If it appears that they’re becoming more aggressive with his siblings or friends during the period that they’re playing violent games, stop them from playing the games. If they become interested in history after playing historical games, then the game is beneficial to them. References Perceived influence of negative and positive video game by Shu Fang Lin Journal of Media and Communication Studies Vol. 2(10), pp. 208-214, December 2010 ISSN 2141 – 2545  ©2010 Academic Journals The effects of violent video game habits on adolescent hostility, aggressive behavior and school performance by Douglas A. Paul J. Lynch et al (2004) Gentile Journal of Adolescence 27 (2004) 5–22 The effect of violent video games on adolescents by Steven J. Krish Aggression and Violent Behavior 8 (2003) 377 – 389 The impact of video games on children by Rick Missimer from the website www.healthguidance.org Video Games: Effect on childhood Development by Brandon T. McDaniel 146 E. 800 N. Provo, Utah 84606 http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/18/video-games-and-the-depressed-teenager/# http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/02/AR20081102023 92_2.htm Can Video Games Actually Have Positive Effects? By Rebecca Scarlett, Effects of violent games on aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition. Anderson, C. A., & Bushman, B. J. (2001). Impact of entertainment violence on children. American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, & American Medical Association (2000). URL http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/jstmtevc.htm Hostility, Type A behavior , and stress hormones at rest and after playing violent video games in teenagers. Lynch, P. J. (1999). Psychosomatic Medicine, 61, 113. The physiological and psychological effects of video games. Paschke, M. B., Green, E., & Gentile, D. A. (2001). Poster Presented at the 36th Annual Minnesota Undergraduate Psychology Conference, St. Paul, MN, April 2001. What Do Teens See in Video Games?† By Barbara Geller, MD Published in Journal Watch Psychiatry March 25, 2004 Haninger K and Thompson KM. Content and ratings of teen-rated video games. JAMA 2004 Feb 18; 291:856-65. â€Å"Video Games and Depressed Teenager† By Roni Caryn Rabin The New York Times, January 18, 2011. Appendix Interview Questions 1. What types of games do you have in your game zone ? 2. Which age group mostly and regularly come to play games ? 3. What is your view about kid’s attitude towards games ? 4. Do teenagers become addicted to games , if they start coming regularly ? 5. Do teenagers spend a lot of money on games ? 6. What is the attitude of parents towards gaming? 7. Which class (elite, middle, or poor) mostly come to play games in gaming zone ? 8. What is the affect of gaming zone’s environment on kids (especially on teenagers) ? 9. Do you consider that places such as gaming zone is a good source for socializing? 10. What is your opinion regarding teenagers indulgence in video games these days? Interview What types of games do you have in your game zone ? We have many types of games in our gaming zone but the most preferred are strategy, action and sports. Which age group mostly and regularly come to play games ? We have a lot of customers who visit us on frequent basis. People as young as 8 years and as old as 40 years come and play games here. But it is the teenagers who mostly visit the gaming zone regularly. What is your view about kid’s attitude towards games ? Different kids have different attitudes towards games. (Pause) Mostly children who play action games become more aggressive while playing and become impatient and hostile on losing. But children who prefer playing strategic games are quite quick in grasping the techniques of playing other games. Do teenagers become addicted to games , if they start coming regularly ? Yes, teenagers become quite addicted if they start coming on regular basis. The number of hours they stay in gaming zone keeps on increasing gradually. And most of the teenagers come straight from their schools and stay with their friends for too long playing games. Do teenagers spend a lot of money on games ? Yes, they do. On average, a teenager spend Rs.400 for 3-4 hours in gaming zone. We usually charge Rs.90 per hour for a game but kids prefer snacks along with the games so they end up spending a considerable amount of money on this activity. What is the attitude of parents towards gaming? Usually parents accompany young kids who are aged between 8 to 13. They seem to enjoy games along with their kids but they do not visit us on frequent basis. Parents of adults and teenagers do not visit gaming zone. They are maybe negligent of the gaming habits of their children because these teenagers spend a lot of money as well as time in our gaming zone and are never accompanied by their parents. Which class (elite, middle, or poor) mostly come to play games in gaming zone ? Mostly it is the elite and middle class who visit gaming zone. What is the affect of gaming zone’s environment on kids (especially on teenagers) ? The environment of gaming zone is very good. Teenagers from good family backgrounds come here and enjoy playing games. I think it creates a good impact on teenagers. Do you consider that places such as gaming zone is a good source for socializing? Yes, of course it is. It provides a healthy environment where people from different age groups come and spend quality time together playing video games. Most games involve multiple players and in such games the teenagers are seen to play as one team. They show team spirit as well as play in collaboration. What is your opinion regarding teenagers indulgence in video games these days? I believe that video games is a good source of entertainment. I know most of the teenagers prefer it over other leisure activities but at the same time I would say anything done excessively is not good. Teenagers need to have a balance in their lives regarding fun and studies. As far as they are able to maintain that balance I would support video game play. QUESTIONNAIRE 1 This is a research study on video games by BBA/BSc.I students of Lahore School Of Economics. Do not feel obligated to answer all questions if you are uncomfortable to do so. Thank you for your participation. Demographic information 1. Name ( optional ) _____________________ 2. Gender: 3. Age: 4. Occupation: Please choose the desired option Q5. How many child/children do you have? a) 1 b) 2 c) 3 d) More than 3 Q6. Your child is aged between: a) 8 – 10 b) 11 – 15 c) 16 – 20 Q7. Are you a single parent? a) Yes b) No Q8. What is your occupational status? a) paid employment fulltime b) paid employment part-time c) supported employment d) self employed Q9. Does your child show signs of video game addiction? a) Yes b) No Q10. On an average weekend, your child plays video games for: a) 0 – 1 hour. b) 2 hours. c) 3 hours. d) 4 hours. e) 5 or more hours. Q11. How many times have you unsuccessfully tried to reduce the amount of time that your child spends on video games? a) Never b) One time c) Two times d) Three times e) Four or more times Q12. If you fail to set a limit to video game time, your child would play: a) About the same amount as he / she does now b) Somewhat more than he / she does now c) Significantly more than he / she does now d) Far more than he / she does now Q11. Does your child have access to video game in his / her room? a) Yes b)No Q12. Does your child have interests outside the world of video games? a) Never or rarely b) Occasionally c) Often d) Always Q13. Does your child seems to have few friends outside the gaming world? a) Not at all b) Maybe c) Most certainly Q14. Does your child lies about the time he/she spends on video games? a) Yes b) No Q15. Does your child prefer playing video games over going out with friends? a) Never b) Occasionally c) Frequently d) Always Q16. Have your child’s grades been suffering from excessive video gaming? a) Not at all b) Somewhat true c) Definitely true Q17. Is your child permitted to play video games before the completion of homework? a) Never b) Occasionally c) Frequently d) Always Q18. Is your child an active member in the formal school activities or clubs? a) No, none at all b) Yes, one activity or club c) Yes, two activities or clubs d) Yes, three or more activities or clubs Q19. Does your child neglects his/ her health because of excessive video gaming? a) Never b) Occasionally c) Often d) Always Q20. Is your child employed as a part time worker? a) No, he / she is too young to work , or I prefer that he / she does not work b) No, he she is too involved in other activities (not including video games) c) No, I would like him / her to work but he / she refuses to do so d) Yes, but he / she has difficulty holding onto jobs e) Yes, and he / she successfully holds onto jobs Q21. Does your child becomes irritable or anxious if he/ she cannot access his/her favorite video game? a) Never b) Rarely c) Often d) Always Q22.Does your child becomes angry or defensive if asked about his/her gaming habits? a) Never b) Occasionally c) Often d) Always Q23. As a parent, do you decide what kind of video games does your child plays? a) Never b) Occasionally c) Often d) Always Q24. Will your child have difficulty giving up all of his/her video games for a week? a) No, not at all. This would be very easy for my child b) My child wouldn’t like it, but he / she could do it without too many complaints c) My child would have great difficulty giving up video games for one week d) It would be entirely impossible for my child to give up video games for one week Q25. Does your child plays video games at the first available opportunity? a) Never b) Rarely c) Sometimes d) Always Q26. Does your child gets headaches, red eyes, sore fingers or wrist pains from playing video games? a) Never or very rarely b) Sometimes c) Often Thank you for your co-operation! QUESTIONNAIRE 2 This is a research study on video games by BBA/BSc.I students of Lahore School Of Economics. Do not feel obligated to answer all questions if you are uncomfortable to do so. Thank you for your participation. Demographic information 5. Name ( optional ) _____________________ 6. Gender: 7. Age: 8. Education Level: 9. Institution: Please choose the desired option 10. How often do you play video games? Daily Once a week Twice or thrice a week Once a month 11. What gaming technology do you have in your house? PS-2/3 X- box Gameboy Laptop/Pc Others 12. How long have you been playing video games? 6 months year 2 years more than 2 years 13. How did you started playing video games; who or what motivated you? Self interest Friends Advertisements ( magazines, TV) Others 14. What is the longest you have ever played without taking any break? 3 hours 4 hours 5 hours More than 5 hours 15. What genres of game do you play? Action Sports Puzzle Strategy Others 16. How many players participate with you? One Two Multiple players e.g. online gaming Myself only 17. Do you play violent video games ( usually rated 18 + )? Yes No 18. Do you think that the result of the game has a direct effect on your mood after playing? Yes No 19. Would you consider yourself an aggressive person? If yes then rate yourself on a scale of 1-5? 1 20. What would be your major reason to play video game? Keep yourself active at home To avoid boredom Hobby Entertain or spend time with your friends Frustration Other 21. What is it you like best about video game? The feeling that I am in the control of the situation It takes my mind off my problems The feeling of mastering the game Other 22. Do video games improve your ability to make decisions quickly? Yes No 23. Do you feel video games have sharpened your mind? Yes No 24. Do you have any health problems after playing video games? Yes; backache, headache, eye strain etc Sometimes I get a headache or backache I get headache once in a month No, I don’t have any health issues 25. Have you had problems at school that are related to gaming? Yes; I am tired all the time and never get my homework done I had turned in late assignments because I was playing games instead of doing homework No; I have never let games interfere with my schoolwork 26. Do you play any sports? Only video sports I split my time between sports and video games I play only one sport I play more than one sport 27. Are your parents comfortable with your gaming? Yes No 28. Have you ever tried to quit playing video games? Yes; but I always start playing again No; I play as much as I want and it isn’t a problem for me No; I don’t play enough for it to be a problem Thank you for your cooperation! Graphical Data

Say No to the Death Penalty

Counting the seconds and minutes to your death. Inhaling your last breath. The next thing you know, the prison doctor has just injected a lethal drug into you. How do you not feel pain, empathy or sadness? But, you know that the doctor brushes it off as if it nothing happened. All because of something we call ‘The Death Penalty.† The death penalty affects people who are wrongly convicted, the positive affect because there isn’t a death penalty in our society and human morality. How do you feel about innocent people dying? Innocent people are wrongly convicted on a daily bases, so why put these people in jail. Those who opposed this argument say †the people who commit a crime, deserve to die. ‘Six Canadian prisoners were convicted of a dangerous crime and later released due to their innocent. The six Canadians were condemned for the first degree murder and if there were death penalty then these six innocent people would have died. Another reason is that the prisoners should have the time to prove their innocence. I say this because after the trial. If new evidence is found then it’s very difficult to start another trial. It’s a life of a person in your hands and nothing should be neglected. Such as David Milgaard who was sentenced to life in prison. He was the suspected killer for the murder of Gail Miller. He spent 22 years in prison and was freed by DNA evidence. Once you go to prison, it makes a profound impact on your life. Have you read the human rights from the United Nations? In the third law it states †Any person right to life, liberty and security of person.† If Canada, reinstates the death penalty that's violating the human rights. It would be a very embarrassing moment for Canada for all we stand for and worked for. We are a country that is highly respected and is known for fighting for our rights. We have all the right to life. Do you think the death penalty affects things in our society? First reason is that there are fewer murders because there is not the death penalty. Since, there is no death penalty in Canada; the murder rate has decreased since 1970's. In 2009, the murder rate in Canada was 1.81 homicides per 100.000 populations. If we compare the static between Brazil is a big difference. Canada was 1.81 homicides and Brazil at 25.2homicide rates. Also, Brazil has no death penalty since 1988.

The Influence of Gangs in Teenagers

Gangs are a violent reality that people have to deal with in today†s cities. What has made these groups come about? Why do kids feel that being in a gang is both an acceptable and honorable way of life? The long-range answer to these questions can only be speculated, but in the short term the answer is easier to find. We must find ways and means to effectively implement the various strategies to end gang violence. I believe that three important institutions play a vital role in our struggle to fight gang violence. Some believe that gangs are caused by peer pressure. Many teens in gangs will pressure peers into becoming part of a gang by making it all sound glamorous. Other teens will use money as a crucial factor. A kid is shown that they could make a couple of hundred for small part time gang jobs. This includes selling drugs and robbing other people. In other areas like Bronx or the very worst case, Compton, children will be beaten and robbed if they do not join gangs. This is one reason why teens in these areas have to have friends in order for them to survive. Poor parenting also play†s a role why teens turns to gangs. Imagine in poor families with many children or middle-class families where parents are always working, the children will often feel deprived of love and attention. Parents often feel that putting food on the table is enough love. Children of these families may often go to the gang firstly out of boredom and to belong somewhere. As time goes on, a form of love develops between the gang members and the child. It is then that the bond between the kid and the gang is complete because the gang has effectively taken the place of the family. Most parents do not have enough time to talk and listen to their kids. They do not spend any social activities with their children. Even teaching their kids the right values is jeopardizes. Most of the time, parents do not know what their children are doing for two reasons. First, most of the parents† lives is outside the local community, while the children†s lives are lived almost totally within. Second, in a develop community, the passage of relations gives every parent, in a sense, a community of guards who can keep him informed of his child†s activities. In modern living-places, like cities or suburbs, where such a network is abused, he no longer has such sentries. Last but not least is the poor educational system. A lot of students are deprived of basic educations, which includes good skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic. If the educational system somehow ensure that each student actually does have access to equal opportunity for a quality education, then perhaps we will find these kids have a better future that holds something more than quitting school, hanging out in the â€Å"hood†, and making money at selling drugs. This is why gangs are more predominant in public school than private school. I am interested in this issue because I want to find out the best way I could prevent my kids from joining gangs. I do not have any experience growing up in this type of environment. I grew up in a place where gang affiliation is unheard of. This is why this is a major concern for me. These are the major factors why most of the teenagers turn to gangs. I believe that proper parenting plays the major role in preventing kids in joining gangs. Everything starts at home; from teaching your kids the right values and helping them develop self-esteem. Parents should teach their kids to value education because this is their key to better future. Parents should serve as a role model to their children. They should do everything possible to involve their children in supervised, positive group activities. Parent need†s to praise their children when they are doing well and encourage them to do their very best, to stretch their skills to the utmost.

Applications in Corporate Finance. Buildalot Essay

Applications in Corporate Finance. Buildalot - Essay Example Background of the company Buildalot is a 50 years old construction company of Ireland. The company was incorporated 30 years back as a group of companies. This consists of many wholly owned subsidiaries that operate in different segment of construction industry. Three segments where company’s business operates are major construction projects, house building construction and office building construction. Subsidiary that operates in major construction project is based on types of undertaken projects. Office building subsidiaries undertake projects related to office constructions. It operates in Europe and Middle East along with successful penetration in the home country of Ireland. The company House building subsidiaries also operate in internationally. The company initially used to engage in residential house building in Ireland started these constructions in these major segments after incorporation in 30 years back. . Business environment analysis Market economy The company operates maximum in domestic market i.e. Ireland. Therefore, this market has substantial influence on this business. Age of democracy and age of the company is similar. So, the company has experienced gradual growth of expenditure of people of this country over the years. Inflation rate in this economy has remained 4% annually over last few years and GDP of this country has been expected to grow 4% annually for next few years. Countries in European Union are the main trading partner of this country. Market competition The extent of competition among the firms in construction industry in this market is high. Eight large companies have been leading the construction market in Ireland. There three other companies including Buildalot who are highly involved in construction work in domestic market as well international markets. According to company’s annual financial data of 2010, it constructed 12% of total new units during this financial year. But, in case of internati onal operation, its business is very small compared to other international companies. The company has generated substantial market share in Ireland especially in office construction segment. Construction projects subsidiaries also awarded many contracts in foreign markets also. Therefore, the company has successfully developed competency and brand value in domestic as well foreign markets. Equity capital structure of the company Buildalot is public limited company which has 441.6 million shares in issue out of total 800 million shares. Issuing price of share is ?0.50. Company’s shares price rose up all time high at ?13.82 at 30th June, 2011. This is a good indicator of company’s growth and it was because of its more than expected results in 2010 financial year. Institutional shareholders have maximum stake than individual shareholders

Art and Architecture of Africa-Pictures Assignment

Art and Architecture of Africa-Pictures - Assignment Example The function of the object: the masks were worn during ceremonies such as circumcision, initiation and funeral ceremonies. They were a sign of authority and were also worn by the Bwadi ya Kifwebe association which was a policing society that provided control and behavior in the community. The function of the object: these sculptures were made to complement the reliquary containers and were ancestral representations that were memorized and addressed in times of need through relics that were preserved in the attached container (Kowalski, pg12). The function of the object: the object was used in Mukudj dances that were commissioned by the community leaders in memory of a great person or the visit of an honorable individual in the community (Bingham, pg33). The function of the object: they were placed on the top of the baskets containing the bones of the ancestors to act as guardians of the bones and at the same time ward off the evil spirits (Dowling, pg50). Kowalski, Marek Arpad. Art and history: incidental notes on carvings of the Fang tribe in the collections of the National Museum of Ethnography in Warsaw. Warsaw: National Museum of Ethnography in Warsaw, 19751976.

The Five-Paragraph Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Five-Paragraph - Essay Example Climate change made storms fiercer causing numerous deaths and destruction of properties. The deaths associated with pollution are also increasing. O’Toole suggested two ways on how to reduce the problem of transportation in cities around the world. He proposed an expensive solution and a low cost solution. The expensive solution is to build more highways which could be costly not only in terms of constructing it, but also cannot be optimized during off hours. In addition, the construction of those highways takes years to finish not to mention that it also creates unbearable traffic during its construction. The other less costly solution is â€Å"to encourage a few of the people who want to drive during those peak minutes to travel during a different part of the day† (O’Toole). The best way to do this is to charge a toll during peak hours and if charges already exist, make it higher so that people will be discouraged to use the roads during peak hours. This would discourage motorists to use the road during peak hours unless it is absolutely necessary. This solution has many advantages. One is this will decongest the roads because unnecessary travels can instead be move to off hours to avoid the toll or do car pooling to minimize the cost in toll fees. Second, it will lessen carbon emission in the atmosphere hence lessening the pollution that contributed to carbon change and our deteriorating health. This has already been done in other industries such as hotels and airlines where airline companies and hotel operators charge more during peak season and offer discounts during off season. It worked on these industries so it should also work in addressing the problems caused by

Bussiness Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Bussiness Innovation - Essay Example Simply, innovation can be any item, thought, & process, which is new to a specific area but not essentially to the whole world. According to Austrian economist Schumpeter, J. A. (1982)1, there are 5 cases of innovation, such as- Dynamically Continuous Innovation: It involves the creation & radical change of a product. Example is compact disks as in case of this, 2 dependable factors are regarded. Like- dependence on the application & dependence on originality. Relative Advantage: This idea can be judged on the basis of other facts like advantage of storage or unpredictable & uncontrollable facts like war because relative advantage in innovation do not require so many labors who may be absent in the war time. Complexity: If the innovation is hard to understand or least perceived value to implement, the adopter will consume it less. For example, though the online trade policy of Amazon.Com is easy, for a person who does not use internet system will be very much intimidating. Communicability: It simply states that when the advantage of innovation does not promptly solve a consumer’s problem, it will refuse to diffuse through a community or society relative to the innovation that is more appropriate for problem solution.4 According to â€Å"Smart Spenders, 1000 Global Innovation† which is an article in strategy & business magazine, writers like Rakesh Bordia, Barry Jaruzelski, and Kevin Dehoff have identified 4 basic stages of innovation. But we can elaborate these stages into 8 major parts that are described below- Business Analysis: - Once management has decided on its product concept & marketing strategy, it can evaluate the business attractiveness of the proposal which involves a review of the sales, cost & profit projections for a new product to find out whether they satisfies the company’s objectives.6 Product Development: - For many new product concepts, the product may have existed only as a word description, a drawing,

Not Finishing Well Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Not Finishing Well - Essay Example We accept warfare or conflict as a normal part of life. The Divine Teachers want us to free ourselves from this condition by not looking backward but instead, by looking ahead. In Christian spirit, one sees that the most essential discipline is the nearness with Christ. Nearness implies the fidelity in carrying the teachings of Christ and applying them to one's daily life. This gives a person some plans or purpose in life. It is incumbent upon the followers of Christ to promote amity or harmony among the believers. They should enlighten and educate children to instill a growing hope. Ignoring this call is like a journey back, a failure. In his article Longevity with Distinction and Dignity-Finishing Well, Pastor Eugene Harder echoes that "Jesus died to remove the curse that prevented people from finishing well." We are reaching a new era in the history of mankind. And springtime is knocking at the door. For our brief sojourn on this life-giving planet, we could say that even though we did not start well, we could indeed find time to finish well.

Value Chain Analysis of Michelin Group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Value Chain Analysis of Michelin Group - Essay Example As per Value Chain Analysis there are specific activities that cumulatively determine the position of the company. These are the primary and secondary activities. Primary activities include inbound logistics, Operations, Outbound logistics, Marketing and sales and Service. The Support activities are Procurement, Human Resource Management, Technology Development and Firm Infrastructure. (Roberts, 134-35) The Value Chain Analysis of Michelin would be based on these criteria. The position of Michelin in the tire industry is very well placed. The main aspect of the success story of Michelin is that they produce quality materials at an affordable price and is wonderfully backed by very efficient team of after sales service. In addition to that Michelin is helped in an extremely positive manner from the field of advertisements. The Michelin Man can be enumerated as a icon in not only the tire industry but the essence has reached beyond that. However, it can be mentioned that the inability to tap the heavy automobile industry in a full extent remains a greater weakness of the company. In this context it should be mentioned that the Annual Report 2006 promises to better this particular sector. In today's world market of tire business Michelin holds a very prominent presence. With the current market being a $100 billion industry the position of Michelin is noteworthy. These two leading figures were followed by Goodyear with 17.2% of the market share. (King, 122) The rest of the market segments were divided among other average sized manufacturers with a cumulative amount 28.8% of the market share. Further more, it was reported that an additional 17% of tire sales was instrumented by local producers. (Lock, 245-46) Thus being a huge player if the world tire industry the effective Value Chain Analysis of Michelin becomes more important. The Value Chain Analysis can be enumerated as below: Inbound logistics of Michelin shows that the raw materials and storage and handling c harges of materials increased by about 12% from 2005 to 2006. On the other hand it was found that the Operations relating to the production of products was almost at par with the last few years (2002-2006) with an increase of 6%. (Annual report: 2002, 201)The same cannot be said for the operations outbound segment and there was an increase of 5% on the valuation of production channeling. However the Marketing and sales indicated that the company showed an additional usage of 9.6% for the means of promotion and advertisements. The services sector under the determination of Value Chain Analysis showed that the total valuation was raised by about 3% reflecting the developing market structure in favor of the company. (Kar, 201-205) The support activities when taken into consideration also show a similar amount of development in terms of net valuation for the company. The procurement factor reflected the variables that enabled Michelin to get the best possible materials for the lowest pr ice and in this context it ca be summarized as a net gain of 15% in relation to 2005.

Chp 26 dis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Chp 26 dis - Essay Example This is because the lawnmower by Sears was a non-inventory collateral because the debtor (Cosmo Fiscante) retained the good. This therefore automatically perfects the PMSI of Sears and hence the Sears have the legal obligation to regain the lawnmower and take it back and not the other creditors who claim it. A Purchase Money Security Interest (PMSI) is a type of legal guarantee for a seller against other creditors in case the debtor becomes bankrupt or is unable to meet his or her obligation. The PMSI is only considered valid if it is perfected by the seller. Perfecting of the PMSI depends on whether the good sold is an inventory or non-inventory collateral. Inventory collateral has to be followed by a notification to the debtor in order for the PMSI to be considered perfected. In the case of non-inventory collateral, no notification is required and once the good is given to the debtor, then the PMSI is considered to be perfected (Miller and Jentz,

Organisational System Security Internet Security Issues Essay Example for Free

Organisational System Security Internet Security Issues Essay Adware – Is a software which you get when you have downloaded a different program or software for free or at a reduced price. Its main purpose is to download adverts to your computer screen when you visit websites. Adware is seen by a developer as away to recover costs of making software. But to the general user adverts on there monitor are annoying because it puts them off of what there doing and they have to close every advert down manually. Blackhat – Is a name given to a hacker whose purpose is to access data with out permission and to damage it or change it. Blackhat hackers can do this for arrange of reasons to make profit or as a hobby. They may also send other users viruses, internet worms or spam them. This type of hacker is known as the bad guy in the computer world. Botnet – Is a software robot, when a spammer sends out viruses to general users a Bot is attached to it. Once the spammer has control of the infected computers then they will have to purchase a Botnet which then lets them operate the controlled computers, then the spammer will send out a message to the computers cause them to send spam to mail servers, resulting in users opening up there mail will have tons of junk. Denial of service – Is an attack which leaves users with out use of the services of a website which they would normally use. The DoS attack does not normally mean the controller of it has stolen information, but has cost the company which it has targeted money and time. This can cause users that use that company’s website to purchase what they want from another website meaning that company’s business rivals are making money from the DoS attack on them. Exploit – Is a software which contains commands that take advantage of a computer system with weak security, the purpose of an exploit is to give a user more privileges on a computer system allowing them to access more data which was previously restricted from them. A weakness in the exploit is that it stops running when a newer version of the software is installed. Keylogger – Is a device which you can get as software or hardware it is connected or installed inside your keyboard. Its function is to log in keystrokes. There are many different reasons why we may use this such as helping fix computer system errors or seeing how an employee users there keyboard to see if there good at there job. You can purchase Keylogger’s off the internet. Malware – Is a software, its task is to damage a computer system such as to give a computer system a virus. Malware gets its name from the beginning of the word malicious and the ending of the word software. Malware’s include arrange of harmful programs such as computer viruses, worms, Trojans, rootkits and sometimes adware. Packet sniffing – Is a software or hardware which is used to analyze traffic that is passing through over a network. The packet sniffer checks each packet then decodes them so that they can be analyzed, to check there content. The analyzing is useful for finding out network problems, monitor network usage from users and debug client and network protocols. This will help maintain a network. Phishing – Is a term given that is a breech of security by a hacker. Such as attempting to acquire sensitive information on other computer users like there usernames, passwords and credit card information. The hackers target popular websites such as eBay, MySpace and PayPal. They get hold of user’s personnel information by sending fake emails pretending to by your bank. Piggybacking – Is a computer word which refers to a user connecting there laptop or computer to another persons internet connection. Then using the internet without the permission of the owner of the internet connection. But if you own a cafà © and have a hotspot this is not considered piggybacking because you have given permission to people to use your hotspot to connect to the internet. Spyware – Is a computer software that is secretly installed on to your computer and can take control over something’s that you do on it. It can install software which you did not want on your computer also it can make you go on websites that you did not click to go on and it could led you to harmful viruses that could affect your computer. When turning off your computer spyware can even change your computer settings. Trojan – A Trojan is a computer virus that appears on your computer designed to cause your computer harm. It has been know to be similar to a worm. Some Trojans may not cause harm to your computer but the six main types of Trojans are ones that cause remote access, data destruction, download, get on to a server, anti – viruses software disabler and denial of service attack. Whitehat – Is the name given to a hacker, who’s purpose is to prevent a breech of security within a company or organization. They are normally employed by a company to protect against there counterparts blackhat hackers who want to hack and steal information and data that does not belong to them. In the computing world the Whitehat hacker is know as the good guy. Worm – Is a computer program which sends copies of its self to networks, designed to cause harm to the network that they have targeted. It likes to eat up the bandwidth used on the network. Worms can also cause serious harm and damage to a computer operating system by attacking the weak parts of the computer. Zero-day Attack – Is a threat to computers, by trying to take control of computer applications that are unknown or patchfree. The attacker that controls the zero-day attack normally sets it up on a public forum because of the number of users that it could affect. Zombie – Is a computer that has been attached to the internet by a computer hacker. The owners of zombie computers do not know that there computers have be compromised. They are normally used as part of a botnet, but while they have been put in zombie mode the hacker can use other user’s computers to send Trojans or other harmful viruses. Resources Adware http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adware Blackhat http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_hat Botnet http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botnet http://www.ibiblio.org/botnet/flora/indexstart.html Denial of service http://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid92_gci213591,00.html Exploit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploit_(computer_security) Keylogger http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystroke_logging http://www.actualspy.com/ Malware http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malware http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/alerts/info/malware.mspx Packet sniffing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packet_sniffer http://netsecurity.about.com/cs/hackertools/a/aa121403.htm Phishing http://www.antiphishing.org/ http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/p/phishing.html Piggybacking http://www.thefreedictionary.com/piggybacking Spyware http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyware Trojan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_horse_(computing) Whitehat http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_hat Worm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_worm#Protecting_against_dangerous_computer_worms Zero-day Attack http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-Day_Attack http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-zero-day-attack.htm Zombie http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombie_computer

Cost Centres, Profit Centres, Investment Centres Essay Example for Free

Cost Centres, Profit Centres, Investment Centres Essay The increasing complexity of today’s business environment makes it virtually impossible for most firms to be controlled centrally. Decentralisation is a necessary response to this increasing complexity and involves the delegation of decision-making responsibility by senior management to sub-ordinates. The structure is such that decision making is dispersed to various units within the organisation, with managers at various levels making key decisions relating to their centre of responsibility. These centres of organisational activity are known as responsibility centres and may be defined ‘as a unit of a firm where an individual manager is held responsible for the unit’s performance. ’1 The performance of each centre and its manager is measured and controlled through a system of responsibility accounting which is based on the principles of locating responsibility and tracing costs/revenue/investments etc. to the individual managers who are primarily responsible. The division of the firm into separately identifiable units of responsibility allows for more accurate measurement of managerial performance because local information is more thorough. Overall, in order to obtain an accurate measurement of managerial performance, measures should be based on elements which the manager can control or significantly influence. There are three main types of responsibility centre. A cost centre is the lowest level of responsibility, and performance is measured in terms of the costs incurred by it. Cost centres do not generate revenue and therefore have no profit objectives, which differentiates it from profit and investment centres. Managers of cost centres are accountable only for controllable costs and are not responsible for level of activity or long-term investment decisions. Managerial performance is measured by efficiency of operations in terms of the quantity of inputs used in producing a given output. The basis of this type of measurement lies in comparing actual inputs to budgeted controllable costs or some predetermined level that represents efficient utilisation. Cost control and efficiency of operations are the main elements of this type of unit. However, costs in general can be difficult to measure, trace and allocate and it can be difficult to differentiate between controllable and uncontrollable costs. This poses a major drawback for the evaluation of cost centres and their management, since cost is its main element of measurement. The focus being mainly on costs, makes this centre some-what weak in terms of evaluation and measurement of managerial performance. Cost centres can be split into two different types; standard cost centres and discretionary cost centres. In the former, measurement is exercised by comparing standard cost with actual cost. Variances would be indicative of the efficiency of the centre and therefore its managers’ performance. Discretionary cost centres are centres where output cannot be measured in financial terms, for example advertising and publicity, RD etc. ‘Control normally takes the form of ensuring that actual expenditure adheres to budgeted expenditure for each expense category.’2 However, a major problem with this type of responsibility centre is the measurement of the effectiveness of expenditure and the determination of the efficiency of the centre itself and its management. A profit centre offers an additional element to the measurement process in that both inputs and outputs are measured in monetary terms. The manager of a profit centre has increased autonomy as s/he is responsible for revenue as well as costs; hence it is easier to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of managerial performance in financial terms. ‘In this situation, managers are normally free to set selling prices, choose which markets to sell in, make product-mix and output decisions and select suppliers.’3 A profit centre differs form a cost centre in that its main objective is to maximise profit and the performance of the manager is measured in terms of profit made. Top executives allocate assets to a profit centre, and the manager is responsible for using these assets to make a profit. Each profit centre has a profit target and has the authority to adopt such policies that are necessary to achieve these targets. Profit centre managers are evaluated by comparing actual profit to targeted profit. Profit analysis using profitability ratios or segmented income statements are used as a basis for evaluating managerial performance. The major issue with profit statements is the difficulty in deciding what is controllable or traceable, and in order to assess the managers’ performance rather than the economic performance of the unit, measures must be based on controllable profit only. Another difficulty arises in allocating revenue and costs to profit centres, as it is unlikely that the profit centre is completely independent. This has prompted many firms to use multiple performance measures such as a balanced scorecard, which measures non-financial as well as financial elements of the unit. The measurement of profit is also compounded by the use of transfer prices and agreeing on its ‘fairness’. Transfer prices are allocated to goods transferred from one unit to another within a firm. The implication of transfer prices is that for the selling unit it will be a source of revenue and for the receiving unit it is an element of cost, and as a result each division may act in its own interests. Transfer pricing therefore has a significant bearing when calculating revenues, costs and profits of responsibility centres. The choice of transfer pricing method is important because it affects goal congruence as well as performance measurement. However, it is difficult to determine the correct transfer price, as there are a wide variety of methods available, varying from negotiation to approaches based on the market or based on cost. The investment centre manager has increased responsibility in comparison to the cost and profit centre managers and as a result there are further options for managerial performance measurement by top management. The investment centre manager has responsibility for revenue and costs, and also has the authority to make capital investment decisions. This type of unit represents the highest level of managerial autonomy. An investment centre differs from a profit centre in that investment centre management is evaluated on the basis of the rate of return earned on the assets employed or the residual income earned, while profit centre management is evaluated on the basis of excess revenue over expenses for the period. The manager in charge has the objective of profitability, depending not only on sales but also on profitability of the capital used. Overall, investment centres offer the broadest basis for measurement in the sense that managerial performance is measured not only in terms of profits, but also in terms of assets employed to generate those profits. Performance can be measured using a variety of tools, and this ensures that the drawbacks of one method are overcome by the merits of another. This in turn leads to more accurate results and is one of the main reasons why investment centres are so popular as a means of managerial performance measurement in large companies. Both the effectiveness and the efficiency of the manager can be assessed by reference to the accounting data available. Investment centres offer many qualities required for good managerial performance measurement. For example, they provide incentives to the unit manager, they can recognise long-term objectives as well as short-term objectives and the increased responsibility means there are more controllable factors for use in performance measurement calculations. Return on investment is a measurement approach in common use in investment centres. This method has the advantage of being simple and easy to calculate. ‘ROI expresses divisional profit as a percentage of the assets employed in the division.’4 It has the further advantage of motivating managers to achieve the best return on investments in order to achieve the associated rewards. ROI provides a return measure that controls the size and is comparable to other measures. It can be used as a common denominator for comparing the returns of similar businesses, such as other divisions within the group or outside competition. It is widely used and most managers understand what the measure reflects. However, some complications arise in the calculation of this method. For example, difficulties regarding the calculation of profit, some of which are described above. Profit can be defined in a number of ways and this enables the figure to be manipulated. In the case of the figure for investments, the question arises whether this should be total assets (gross or depreciated), total operating assets or net total assets. The result would differ in each case, but if consistency is maintained throughout the organisation, decisions would remain unaffected. Another difficulty that may arise in relation to this method is that managers may focus on self-interests rather than the overall goal of the organisation and some profitable opportunities may be ignored because s/he fears potential dilution of existing successful endeavours. Furthermore, ROI does not adequately recognise risk. A manager who generates a large ROI result may be investing in riskier assets which may not be consistent with organisational goals. Use of ROI as a managerial performance measure can lead to under or over investment in assets or incorrect asset disposal decisions, in order to achieve the result the manager requires to accomplish his reward. To overcome some of the above difficulties, many firms use residual income to evaluate managerial performance. This method seeks to motivate managers to invest where the expected returns exceed the cost of capital. For the purpose of managerial performance measurement, ‘it compares the controllable contribution of an investment with the targeted rate of return.’5 There is a greater possibility that managers will be encouraged to act in the best interests of the company. Another advantage of this method is that it is more flexible because different cost of capital rates can be applied for different levels or risk. Though ROI and RI operate on a similar basis, RI proves better in certain circumstances. For example, if ROI is chosen as the measuring technique, managers may be reluctant to make additional investments in fixed assets as it may bring down the ROI for their centre. RI calculation results would be more accurate in these situations. However, residual income does not overcome the problem of determining the value of assets or the figure to be used for profit. If RI is used in a short-term perspective, it can over-emphasise short-term performance at the expense of long-term performance. Investment projects with positive net present values can show poor ROI and RI results in early years, leading to rejection of projects by managers. Residual income also experiences problems in comparing managerial performance in divisions of different sizes. The manager of the larger division will generally show a higher RI because of the size of the division rather then superior managerial performance. Another drawback for this method is that it requires an estimate of the cost of capital, a figure which can be difficult to calculate. Economic value added is an extension of the residual income measurement. It measures surplus value created by total investments which include funds provided by banks, shareholders etc. Its key element is the emphasis on after-tax operating profit and the actual annual cost of capital. The latter aspect differentiates it from the RI measure, which uses the minimum expected rate of return. EVA is a further step towards encouraging centre managers to concentrate on the overall goal of the organisation rather than their own self interests, hence reducing dysfunctional behaviour. The above measures are financial measures. As stated previously, it is important also to study non-financial aspects, such as customer satisfaction, quality, internal processes, growth etc. in order to get a more complete picture when measuring managerial performance. The above measures also focus on performance within the investment centre and do not consider the performance relative to overall company objectives. In conclusion, it can be stated that in order to assess managerial performance as opposed to the economic performance of the division, it is vital to make a distinction between the controllable and uncontrollable elements used in the chosen calculations. Each measurement technique is not without limitations, but these difficulties can be overcome by using a wide variety of measurement tools and striking the right balance between them. Of the three types of responsibility centre, an investment centre can be considered to yield better results, as it allows for the broadest basis for measurement, making it widely popular as a means of managerial performance measurement. 1 C. Drury, Management and Cost Accounting, 6th Ed. P. 653 2 C. Drury, Management and Cost Accounting, 6th Ed. P. 654 3 C. Drury, Management and Cost Accounting, 6th Ed. P. 654/655 4 C. Drury, Management and Cost Accounting, 6th Ed. P. 845 5 IPA Manual, Management Accounting, P 239

Beauty Product Advertisements: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Beauty Product Advertisements: A Critical Discourse Analysis Beauty Product Advertisements: A Critical Discourse Analysis ABSTRACT This study deals with the study of advertisements about different beauty products from critical discourse analysis perspectives this research mainly concern with the use of language in the beauty product advertisements and how these ads influence the costumers. This study is basically focused on Fairclough’s three dimensional frame works. A qualitative research was conducted on the beauty product advertisements of famous beauty products. The main reason to choose this topic was my interest in English language and advertising, for the most part from linguistic point of view. I find advertising language fascinating; therefore, I want to discover its principles, strategies and structure of creative writing and grammatical structures. Advertising has become the part and parcel of present-day life. From everywhere around us, advertisements of different types attack our privacy. In spite of it, there is an attractive power, which is able to control the consumer; an invisible voice o f advertisement advocates, encourages, asks, announces and deeply embeds into peoples’ minds. INTRODUCTION Advertising is an inevitable part of our modern capitalist consumer society whose outstanding feature is its competitive fight. â€Å"†¦advertising is not some external curiosity which we examine, from which we are separate and superior, but something of which we are part, and which is part of us†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Cook 1996: 182). â€Å"Advertising, generally speaking, is the promotion of goods, services, companies and ideas, usually performed by an identified sponsor. Marketers see advertising as part of an overall promotional strategy.† (http://www.wikipedia.org/) The American Heritage Dictionary says that the advertising is: â€Å"The activity of attracting public attention to a product or business, as by paid announcements in the print, broadcast, or electronic media. The business of designing and writing advertisements. Advertisements considered as a group: This paper takes no advertising.† Advertisement is a concrete manifestation of advertising; â€Å"a paid public announcement appearing in the media.† (http://www.motto.com/glossary.html) Another definition of advertising is according to the Investor words glossary: â€Å"Description or presentation of a product, idea, or organization, in order to induce individuals to buy, support, or approve of it.† (http://www.investorwords.com/129/advertising.html) METHODOLOGY Advertisements are seen as media discourse as they involve language and social processes. Hence fair Clough’s framework is used to show the link between the nature of social practice and the properties of language â€Å"texts†. Beauty product advertisements in English Language were analyzed. The sample which I have taken for my research are the several international beauty brands named as L’Oreal, Olay, Garnier, Himalaya, Dove, Vaseline, Lancà ´me I have taken some ads of these two brands on different products. The data analysis is based on Fair Clough’s Critical Discourse Analysis framework (2001). Hence this framework is used to show the link between the nature of social practice and the properties of language â€Å"texts†. His three-dimensional framework includes a conception of discourse as text (micro level), discourse practice (meso level) and socio cultural practice (macro level). Its aim is to explore the relationships among language, ideology and power and to find out how advertisers persuade the women to buy their products. Th us, this study focused on analyzing the linguistic features of beauty product advertisements and highlights how the use of language tends to influence women beliefs based on the content of the advertisements. Literature review Cook (1992, p.5) states that advertising is a famous discourse type in practically all fashionable societies, and we live in a society where it is already well established_ or rapidly gaining ground. The important distinguishing feature of ad discourse is its function, because this is always to convince people to buy a particular product. But, this is not the only function. According to Durant Lambrou (2009, p.93), at the same time, advertising conveys information, so that consumers know what is available, who makes it, and where and how they can get it. FEATURES OF CONTEXT IN ADVERTISING DISCOURS E 1 .Substance (physical material of ad) 2. Music and pictures 3. Para language (voice, gestures, type and size of letters, etc.) 4. Situation (the properties and relations of objects and people in the vicinity of the text, an s Perceived by the participants) 5. Co-text (text which precedes or follows that under analysis†) 6. Inter text (text which the participants perceive as belonging to other discourse but which They associate with the text under consideration, and which affect their interpretation†) 7. Participants: senders, addressers, addressees and receivers. 8. Function :(what the text is intended to do by the senders and addressers, or perceived to Do by the receivers and addressees†) (Cook, 1992:1-2) ANALYSIS Textual analysis This portion of my research deals with the linguistics features of the advertisements to be analysed.At this level we analyze vocabulary, syntax and rhetorical devices use in the ads to be analyzed. In the study there was a great use of direct talk in the advertisements. The use of the second-person personal and possessive pronouns such as ‘you’ and ‘yours’ seek to address the readers directly and personally. When people are addresses individually rather than as part of group viewers, it is considered highly valued. This handling of people on an individual basis is referred as ‘synthetic personalization’ (Fairclough, 1989:62).The ads which I have taken for my research mainly used direct address. Examples are given below Because you’re worth it (L’Oreal) Open up to your beautiful potential (Olay) Why do you want to try Vaseline spray? (Vaseline spray) Can your body wash nourish this deeply? (Dove) Keep your skin pure.(Himalaya) Love your lips.( Lancà ´me) Tired of whitening promises? We have proof (Vaseline) In the advertisements there are also questions forced to the readers to create a personal relationship to engage with the readers. Can your body wash nourish this deeply? ( dove body wash ad ) Is your volume true? Or â€Å"false†? (cover girl mascara ad) By using questions and imperatives the advertisers are trying to create a closer bond with the readers Another type of policy to simulate everyday way is the use of disjunctive syntax, that is, sentences without verbs or subjects. These sentences consist of one or two grammatical items only. Examples are: Take care (Garnier) 24 hours of care (Vaseline) The other important strategy which advertisers use in their ads is use of positive adjectives to manipulate the customers. There are the positive adjectives which were use in those ads which I have taken for analysis these are: Vibrant, True, Beautiful, Fairness, Pure, Soft, Clear, High Potency, Anti aging, Luxury, long wear, Beauty, Moisture, Touchable soft. Negative adjectives Some negatives adjectives are also used in the ads. These are: Mess, Oily skin, Dark spots, Crow’s feet ,forehead wrinkles, laugh lines, brightness, evenness, Dryness, Dullness, Neck slackening, aging, Dark spot, lines and wrinkles, open pores uneven skin tone. The use of pronouns in advertisements helps create a friendly atmosphere to persuade the audience. It creates a positive and friendly environment between customers and advertiser. Examples of pronouns in the beauty product advertisements in this study are: Keep your skin pure. Purifies to give you naturally skin. Love your lips. Aura is our science. The skin tone of your dreams. Advertisers also use technological and scientific words to attract readers. By using such words they hope to imitate an image of professionalism and advancement in technology. In order to impress the consumers, advertiser’s choice to scientific words and information to create an impression that they are new with technology. The followings are extracts from the commercials in this study. Protects skin from UV rays with SPF-18, preventing skin dullness and melasma. with 100% herbal activities of neem.For naturally soft and clean skin Advertisers use different techniques to make their advertisements more attractive .the main technique which advertisers use in beauty products advertisement is the use of metaphors. In the ads metaphors are used such as: new cats eyes [ mascara ad] life is a fairy tale [ face wash ad] The bribery is another skill to attract the customers to the product Such as: Buy one get one free Get a free sample shop it now. Get a chance to buy a free bottle. The use of numbers in an advertisement is a technique to catch the attraction of customers towards the product. For example in following advertisements. 24 hours of care (Vaseline) 200 % more volume zero clumps(mascara ad)  ¼ moisturizing cream hydrates skin (dove) Get up to 2 tones fairer in just 7 days.(garnier) 6 hours high potency lip color (Lancà ´me lipstick) 100% black 100% bold (L’Oreal mascara) Fight 15 signs of ageing (L’Oreal ) The uses of short slogans make it easy for people to remember the brand, the product and the message. For example Go fresh (dove) Take care (garnier) Feel it, wear it ,love it (L’Oreal) Love your lips ( Lancà ´me) References Cook, G. (1992). The Discourse of Advertising. 5. London: Routledge. Durant, A. Lambrou, M. (2009). Language and Media.93. London: Routledge. Cook. (1992):The Discourse of Advertising. Londons :Routledge and Kegan Paul

Power & Authority :: essays research papers

Week 9 Essay 1 Power and Authority   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although they are very closely related, power and authority are two different concepts. Power is needed in order to establish authority, yet it is also completely distinct from authority (Week 9 Study Notes).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Power is defined in the course study notes as the â€Å"ability of individuals or groups to get what they want despite the opposition†. Power is derived from a variety of sources including knowledge, experience and environmental uncertainties (Denhardt et al, 2001). It is also important to recognize that power is specific to each situation. Individuals or groups that may be entirely powerful in one situation may find themselves with little or no power in another. The county Registrar of Voters, who is my boss, is a perfect example. In running the local elections office, she can exercise the ultimate power. However, in a situation where she attempted to get the county selected for a desirable, statewide pilot project, she was powerless, completely at the mercy of the Secretary of State. Power is difficult to measure and even to recognize, yet it plays a major role in explaining authority. In organizations, power is most likely exercised in situations where à ¢â‚¬Å"the stakes are high, resources are limited, and goals and processes are unclear† (Denhardt et al, 2001). The absence of power in organizations forces us to rely on soley hierarchical authority.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When power becomes legitimate, it is then recognized as authority (Denhardt et al, 2001). Power becomes authority when it is accepted and even desired by society. As stated by the course study notes, â€Å"authority refers to a situation where a person (or group) has been formally granted a leadership position†. An individual has authority when everyday norms and regulations support the exercising of power by that individual. In an organizational setting, â€Å"authority is hierarchal and vested in positions† (Week 9 Study Notes), which are defined by â€Å"organizational charts, positions and rules† (Week 9 Study Notes). Generally, power in authority also involves the possibility of rewards such as promotions and good performance reviews.

Executive Summary :: essays research papers

In our business world we have to provide quality atmosphere service to our customers. The purpose for this introduction is to explain how we treat our internal and external customers in order to provide satisfaction. The base of this executive summary will be on where we work at with our current employer or former.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The information collected for this executive summary will be on my last employer. My former employer was Eppies Restaurant. Mainly this small business was in Madera California. Now that we addressed the company, we now can adopt quality principles in theory for my former employer Eppies Restaurant. As I stated in the past, Eppies Restaurant has been open for several years until they closed recently. Since Eppies Restaurant is a food service industry, I can tell you from experience, that it can be very stressful for employees.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We as managers must understand that not just people from the community is our customers, but also our employees are too, and business partners, suppliers etc. For example, we have owners (managers), waitress, busboys, dishwashers, cooks; these were the employees who worked at Eppies Restaurant. Employers have always have choices about how they want their business run, but today managers must be more user friendly. Since business runs a cycle one company relieves on other companies services, this would be an external customer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eppies Restaurant had many external customers. For example, we had M& D services they deliver meat and other products. Then we had Rainbow and they deliver bread. We also had a Towel Service they would wash our towels that we use to clean the restaurant. And finally the soda industry and dishwasher industry that supplies their product to any fast food companies. They all provide a service. Eppies Restaurant would buy an extra order for their product and in return they would get a discount. Finally we have our customers who buy our foods. The fast food industry can be very busy especially mothers day. We get anger customers because foods are brought late. The service is bad and seating customers has a big affect on our service to the community. The lesson learned steps in. This also applies for internal employees who work to provide the quality service.

Psychology As Storytelling Essay -- essays research papers

<a href="http://www.geocities.com/vaksam/">Sam Vaknin's Psychology, Philosophy, Economics and Foreign Affairs Web Sites Storytelling has been with us since the days of campfire and besieging wild animals. It served a number of important functions: amelioration of fears, communication of vital information (regarding survival tactics and the characteristics of animals, for instance), the satisfaction of a sense of order (justice), the development of the ability to hypothesize, predict and introduce theories and so on. We are all endowed with a sense of wonder. The world around us in inexplicable, baffling in its diversity and myriad forms. We experience an urge to organize it, to "explain the wonder away", to order it in order to know what to expect next (predict). These are the essentials of survival. But while we have been successful at imposing our mind's structures on the outside world - we have been much less successful when we tried to cope with our internal universe. The relationship between the structure and functioning of our (ephemeral) mind, the structure and modes of operation of our (physical) brain and the structure and conduct of the outside world have been the matter of heated debate for millennia. Broadly speaking, there were (and still are) two ways of treating it: There were those who, for all practical purposes, identified the origin (brain) with its product (mind). Some of them postulated the existence of a lattice of preconceived, born categorical knowledge about the universe - the vessels into which we pour our experience and which mold it. Others have regarded the mind as a black box. While it was possible in principle to know its input and output, it was impossible, again in principle, to understand its internal functioning and management of information. Pavlov coined the word "conditioning", Watson adopted it and invented "behaviorism", Skinner came up with "reinforcement". But all ignored the psychophysical question: what IS the mind and HOW is it linked to the brain? The other camp was more "scientific" and "positivist". It speculated that the mind (whether a physical entity, an epiphenomenon, a non-physical principle of organization, or the result of introspection) - had a structure and a limited set of functions. They argued that a "user's manua... ... inaccessible, recesses of his mind. He feels that he is being reintegrated, that "things fall into place". In psychodynamic terms, the energy is released to do productive and positive work, rather than to induce distorted and destructive forces. c. The Purgatory Principle - In most cases, the client feels sinful, debased, inhuman, decrepit, corrupting, guilty, punishable, hateful, alienated, strange, mocked and so on. The plot offers him absolution. Like the highly symbolic figure of the Saviour before him - the client's sufferings expurgate, cleanse, absolve, and atone for his sins and handicaps. A feeling of hard won achievement accompanies a successful plot. The client sheds layers of functional, adaptive clothing. This is inordinately painful. The client feels dangerously naked, precariously exposed. He then assimilates the plot offered to him, thus enjoying the benefits emanating from the previous two principles and only then does he develop new mechanisms of coping. Therapy is a mental crucifixion and resurrection and atonement for the sins. It is highly religious with the plot in the role of the scriptures from which solace and consolation can be always gleaned.

Big data analysis Essay

THE NEW INTELLIGENT ENTERPRISE Some of the best-performing retailers are using analytics not just for finance and operational activities, but to boost competitive advantage on everything from displays, to marketing, customer service and customer experience management. Big Data, Analytics and the Path From Insights toValue How the smartest organizations are embedding analytics to transform information into insight and then action. Findings and recommendations from the first annual New Intelligent Enterprise Global Executive study. BY STEVE LAVALLE, ERIC LESSER, REBECCA SHOCKLEY, MICHAEL S. HOPKINS AND NINA KRUSCHWITZ IN EVERY INDUSTRY, in every part of the world, senior leaders wonder whether they are getting full value from the massive amounts of information they already have within their organizations. New technologies are collecting more data than ever before, yet many organizations are still looking for better ways to obtain value from their data and compete in the marketplace. Their questions about how best to achieve value persist. Are competitors obtaining sharper, more timely insights? Are they able to regain market advantage, neglected while focusing on expenses during the past two years? Are they correctly interpreting new signals from the global economy — and adequately assessing the impact on their customers and partners? Knowing what happened and why it happened are no longer adequate. Organizations need to know what is happening now, what is likely to happen next and what actions should be taken to get the optimal results. COURTESY OF BEST BUY THE LEADING QUESTION How are organizations using analytics to gain insight and guide action? FINDINGS Top-performingorganizations are twice as likely to apply analytics to activities. Thebiggest challenges in adopting analytics are managerial and cultural. V isualizing data differently will become increasingly valuable. WINTER 2011 MIT SLOAN MANAGEMENT REVIEW 21 THE NEW INTELLIGENT ENTERPRISE ABOUT THE RESEARCH To understand the challenges and opportunities associated with the use of business analytics, MIT Sloan Management Review, in collaboration with the IBM Institute for Business Value, conducted a survey of more than 3,000 business executives, managers and analysts from organizations located around the world. The survey captured insights from individuals in 108 countries and more than 30 industries and involved organizations from a variety of sizes. The sample was drawn from a number of different sources, including MIT alumni and MIT Sloan Management Review subscribers, IBM clients and other interested parties. We also interviewed academic experts and subject matter experts from a number of industries and disciplines to understand the practical issues facing organizations today. Their insights contributed to a richer understanding of the data and the development of recommendations that respond to strategic and tactical questions that senior executives address as they operationalize analytics within their organizations. We also drew upon a number of IBM case studies to explore further how organizations are leveraging business analytics and illuminate how real organizations are putting our recommendations into action in different organizational settings. To help organizations understand the opportunity of information and advanced analytics, MIT Sloan Management Review partnered with the IBM Institute for Business Value to conduct a survey of nearly 3,000 executives, managers and analysts working across more than 30 industries and 100 countries. (See â€Å"About the Research. †) Among our key findings: Top-performing organizations use analytics five times more than lower performers. (See â€Å"Analytics Trumps Intuition. †) Overall, our survey found a widespread belief that analytics offers value. Half of our respondents said that improvement of information and analytics was a top priority in their organizations. And more than one in five said they were under intense or significant pressure to adopt advanced information and analytics approaches. The source of the pressure is not hard to ascertain. Six out of 10 respondents cited innovating to achieve competitive differentiation as a top business challenge. The same percentage also agreed that their organization has more data than it can use effectively. Organizational leaders want analytics to exploit their growing data and computational power to get smart, and get innovative, in ways they never could before. Senior executives now want businesses run on data-driven decisions. They want scenarios and simulations that provide immediate guidance on the best actions to take when disruptions occur — disruptions ranging from unexpected competitors or an earthquake in a supply zone to a customer signaling a desire to switch providers. Executives want to understand optimal solutions based on complex business parameters or new information, and they want to take action quickly. These expectations can be met — but with a caveat. For analytics-driven insights to be consumed — that is, to trigger new actions across the organization — they must be closely linked to business strategy, easy for end-users to understand and embedded into organizational processes so that action can be taken at the right time. That is no small task. It requires painstaking focus on the way insights are infused into everything from manufacturing and new product development to credit approvals and call center interactions. 22 MIT SLOAN MANAGEMENT REVIEW WINTER 2011 Top Performers Say Analytics Is a Differentiator Our study clearly connects performance and the competitive value of analytics. We asked respondents to assess their organization’s competitive position. Those who selected â€Å"substantially outperform industry peers† were identified as top performers, while those who selected â€Å"somewhat or substantially underperform industry peers† were grouped as lower performers. We found that organizations that strongly agreed that the use of business information and analytics differentiates them within their industry were twice as likely to be top performers as lower performers. Top performers approach business operations differently than their peers do. Specifically, they put analytics to use in the widest possible range of decisions, large and small. They were twice as likely to use analytics to guide future strategies, and twice as likely to use insights to guide day-to-day operations. (See â€Å"The Analytics Habits of Top Performers,† p. 24. ) They make decisions based on rigorous analysis at more than double the rate of lower performers. The correlation between performance and analyticsdriven management has important implications to organizations, whether they are seeking growth, efficiency or competitive differentiation. Three Levels of Capabilities Emerged, Each with Distinct Opportunities Organizations that know where they are in terms of analytics adoption are better prepared to turn challenges into opportunities. We segmented respondents based on how they rated their organization’s analytics prowess, specifically how thoroughly their organizations had been transformed by better uses of analytics and information. Three levels of analytics capability emerged — Aspirational, Experienced and Transformed — each with clear distinctions. (See â€Å"The Three Stages of Analytics Adoption. †) Aspirational. These organizations are the furthest from achieving their desired analytical goals. Often they are focusing on efficiency or automation of existing processes and searching for ways to cut costs. Aspirational organizations currently have SLOANREVIEW. MIT. EDU few of the necessary building blocks — people, processes or tools — to collect, understand, incorporate or act on analytic insights. Experienced. Having gained some analytic experience — often through successes with efficiencies at the Aspirational phase — these organizat ions are lo oking to go b e yond cost management. Experienced organizations are developing better ways to collect, incorporate and act on analytics effectively so they can begin to optimize their organizations. Transformed. These organizations have substantial experience using analytics across a broad range of functions. They use analytics as a competitive differentiator and are already adept at organizing people, processes and tools to optimize and differentiate. Transformed organizations are less focused on cutting costs than Aspirational and Experienced organizations, possibly having already automated their operations through effective use of insights. They are most focused on driving customer profitability and making targeted investments in niche analytics as they keep pushing the organizational envelope. Transformed organizations were three times more likely than Aspirational organizations to indicate that they substantially outperform their industry peers. This performance advantage illustrates the potential rewards of higher levels of analytics adoption. Information Must Become Easier to Understand and Act Upon Executives want better ways to communicate complex insights so they can quickly absorb the meaning of the data and take action. Over the next two years, executives say they will focus on supplementing standard historical reporting with emerging approaches that make information come alive. These include data visualization and process simulation as well as text and voice analytics, social media analysis and other predictive and prescriptive techniques. New tools like these can make insights easier to understand and to act on at every point in an organization, and at every skill level. They transform numbers into information and insights that can be readily put to use, versus having to rely on further interpretation or leaving them to languish due to uncertainty about how to act. ANALYTICS TRUMPS INTUITION The tendency for top-performing organizations to apply analytics to particular activities across the organization compared with lower performers. A likelihood of 1. 0 indicates an equal likelihood that the organizations will use either analytics or intuition. Tendency to Apply Tendency to Apply Intuition Analytics Financial management and budgeting Data Is Not the Biggest Obstacle Despite popular opinion, getting the data right is not a top challenge that organizations face when adopting analytics. Only about one out of five respondents cited concern with data quality or ineffective data governance as a primary obstacle. The adoption barriers that organizations face most are managerial and cultural rather than related to data and technology. The leading obstacle to widespread analytics adoption is lack of understanding of how to use analytics to improve the business, according to almost four of 10 respondents. More than one in three cite lack of management bandwidth due to competing priorities. (See â€Å"The Impediments to Becoming More Data Driven. †) Strategy and business development Sales and marketing Customer service Product research and development Top Performers Lower Performers General management Risk management Customer experience management Brand or market management Work force planning and allocation Overall Average 0 SLOANREVIEW. MIT. EDU 22. 1 Operations and production 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 WINTER 2011 MIT SLOAN MANAGEMENT REVIEW 23 THE NEW INTELLIGENT ENTERPRISE What Leaders Can Do to Make Analytics Pay Off — A New Methodology It takes big plans followed by discrete actions to gain the benefits of analytics. But it also takes some very specific management approaches. Based on data from our survey, our engagement experience, case studies and interviews with experts, we have been able to identify a new, five-point methodology for successfully implementing analytics-driven management and for rapidly creating value. The recommendations that follow are designed to help organizations understand this â€Å"new path to value† and how to travel it. While each recommendation presents different pieces of the information-and-analytics value puzzle, each one meets all of these three critical management needs: Reduced time to value. Value creation can be achieved early in an organization’s progress to THE ANALYTICS HABITS OF TOP PERFORMERS Top-performing organizations were twice as likely to use analytics to guide day-to-day operations and future strategies as lower performers. THE THREE STAGES OF ANALYTICS ADOPTION Three capability levels — Aspirational, Experienced and Transformed — were based on how respondents rated their organization’s analytic prowess. ASPIRATIONAL EXPERIENCED TRANSFORMED Motive †¢Use analytics to justify actions †¢Use analytics to guide actions †¢ se analytics to prescribe actions U Functional proficiency †¢Financial management and budgeting †¢Operations and production †¢Sales and marketing †¢All Aspirational functions †¢Strategy/business development †¢Customer service †¢Product research/development †¢ ll Aspirational and Experienced A functions †¢Risk management †¢Customer experience †¢Work force planning/allocation †¢General management †¢Brand and market management Business challenges †¢ ompetitive differentiation through C innovation †¢Cost efficiency (primary) †¢Revenue growth (secondary) †¢ ompetitive differentiation through C innovation †¢Revenue growth (primary) †¢Cost efficiency (secondary) †¢ ompetitive differentiation through C innovation †¢Revenue growth (primary) †¢ rofitability acquiring/retaining P customers (targeted focus) Key obstacles †¢ ack of understanding how to leverage L analytics for business value †¢Executive sponsorship †¢ ulture does not encourage sharing C information †¢ ack of understanding how to leverage L analytics for business value †¢Skills within line of business †¢ wnership of data is unclear or O governance is ineffective †¢ ack of understanding how to leverage L analytics for business value †¢ anagement bandwidth due to M competing priorities †¢Accessibility of the data Data management †¢ imited ability to capture, aggregate, L analyze or share information and insights †¢ oderate ability to capture, aggregate M and analyze data †¢ imited ability to share information and L insights †¢ trong ability to capture, aggregate and S analyze data †¢ ffective at sharing information and E insights Analytics in action †¢ arely use rigorous approaches to R make decisions †¢ imited use of insights to guide future L strategies or day-to-day operations †¢ ome use of rigorous approaches to S make decisions †¢ rowing use of insights to guide future G strategies, but still limited use of insights to guide day-to-day operations †¢ ost use rigorous approaches to make M decisions †¢ lmost all use insights to guide future A strategies, and most use insights to guide day-to-day operations 24 MIT SLOAN MANAGEMENT REVIEW WINTER 2011 SLOANREVIEW. MIT. EDU analytics sophistication. Contrary to common assumptions, it doesn’t require the presence of perfect data or a full-scale organizational transformation. Increased likelihood of transformation that’s both significant and enduring. The emerging methodology we’ve identified enables and inspires lasting change (strategic and cultural) by tactically overcoming the most significant organizational impediments. Greater focus on achievable steps. The approach used by the smartest companies is powerful in part because each step enables leaders to focus their efforts and resources narrowly rather than implementing universal changes — making every step easier to accomplish with an attractive ROI. Whether pursuing the best channel strategy, the best customer experience, the best portfolio or the best process innovation, organizations embracing this approach will be first in line to gain business advantage from analytics. have repeatedly heard that analytics aligned to a significant organizational challenge makes it easier to overcome a wide range of obstacles. Respondents cited many challenges, and none can be discounted or minimized: Executive sponsorship of analytics projects, data quality and access, governance, skills and culture all matter and need to be addressed in time. But when overtaken by the momentum of a single big idea and potentially game-changing insight, obstacles like these get swept into the wake of change rather than drowning the effort. THE IMPEDIMENTS TO BECOMING MORE DATA DRIVEN The adoption barriers organizations face most are managerial and cultural rather than related to data and technology. Lack of understanding of how to use analytics to improve the business Lack of management bandwidth due to competing priorities Lack of skills internally in the line of business Ability to get the data [RECOMMENDATION 1 ] First,Think Biggest Existing culture does not encourage sharing information Focus on the biggest and highestvalue opportunities Does attacking the biggest challenge carry the biggest risk of failure? Paradoxically, no — because big problems command attention and incite action. And as survey participants told us, management bandwidth is a top challenge. When a project’s stakes are big, top management gets invested and the best talent seeks to get involved. It’s extraordinarily hard for people to change from making decisions based on personal experience to making them from data — especially when that data counters the prevailing common wisdom. But upsetting the status quo is much easier when everyone can see how it could contribute to a major goal. With a potential big reward in sight, a significant effort is easier to justify, and people across functions and levels are better able to support it. Conversely, don’t start doing analytics without strategic business direction, as those efforts are likely to stall. Not only does that waste resources, it risks creating widespread skepticism about the real value of analytics. In our discussions with business executives, we SLOANREVIEW. MIT. EDU Ownership of data is unclear or governance is ineffective Lack of executive sponsorship Concerns with the data Perceived costs outweigh projected benefits No case for change Respondents were asked to select three obstacles to the widespread adoption of analytics in their organization. Don’t know where to start 0 10% 20% 30% 40% Percentage of respondents [RECOMMENDATION 2 ] Start in the Middle Within each opportunity, start with questions, not data Organizations traditionally are tempted to start by gathering all available data before beginning their analysis. Too often, this leads to an all-encompassing focus on data management — collecting, cleansing and converting data — that leaves little time, energy or resources to understand its potential uses. Actions taken, if any, might not be the most valuable ones. Instead, organizations should WINTER 2011 MIT SLOAN MANAGEMENT REVIEW 25 THE NEW INTELLIGENT ENTERPRISE start in what might seem like the middle of the process, implementing analytics by first defining the insights and questions needed to meet the big business objective and then identifying those pieces of data needed for answers. By defining the desired insights first, organizations can target specific subject areas and use readily available data in the initial analytic models. The insights delivered through these initial models will illuminate gaps in the data infrastructure and business processes. Time that would have been spent cleaning up all data can be redirected toward targeted data needs and specific process improvements that the insights identify, enabling iterations of value. Companies that make data their overriding priority often lose momentum long before the first insight is delivered, frequently because a data-first approach can be perceived as taking too long before generating a financial return. By narrowing the scope of these tasks to the specific subject areas needed to answer key questions, value can be realized more quickly, while the insights are still relevant. Also, organizations that start with the data or process change often end up with unintended consequences — such as data that is not extensible or processes that are ultimately eliminated — that require rework and additional resources to solve. Speeding Insights into Business Operations Compared with other respondents, Transformed organizations are good at data capture. (See â€Å"What Data-Transformed Companies Do. †) Additionally, Transformed organizations are much more adept at WHAT DATA-TRANSFORMED COMPANIES DO Transformed organizations felt more confident in their ability to manage data tasks than Aspirational organizations, which seldom felt their organizations performed those tasks â€Å"very well. † Percent of respondents whose organizations perform these tasks very well. Capture Information Transformed Aspirational 9% Aggregate Information 36% 4X more likely Analyze Information 28% 3% 9X more likely 26 MIT SLOAN MANAGEMENT REVIEW WINTER 2011 Disseminate Information and Insights 34% 4% 8. 5X more likely 21% 2% 10X more likely data management. In these areas, they outpaced Aspirational organizations up to tenfold in their ability to execute. Enterprise processes have many points where analytic insights can boost business value. The operational challenge is to understand where to apply those insights in a particular industry and organization. When a bank customer stops automatic payroll deposits or remittance transfers, for example, who in the organization should be alerted and tasked with finding out whether the customer is changing jobs or planning to switch banks? Where customer satisfaction is low, what insights are needed, and how should they be delivered to prevent defections? To keep the three gears moving together — data, insights and timely actions — the overriding business purpose must always be in view. That way, as models, processes and data are tested, priorities for the next investigation become clear. Data and models get accepted, rejected or improved based on business need. New analytic insights — descriptive, predictive and prescriptive — are embedded into increasing numbers of applications and processes, and a virtuous cycle of feedback and improvement takes hold. [RECOMMENDATION 3 ] Make Analytics Come Alive Embed insights to drive actions and deliver value New methods and tools to embed information into business processes — use cases, analytics solutions, optimization, work flows and simulations — are making insights more understandable and actionable. Respondents identified trend analysis, forecasting and standardized reporting as the most important tools they use today. However, they also identified tools that will have greater value in 24 months. The downswings in â€Å"as-is† methods accompanied by corresponding upswings in â€Å"to-be† methods were dramatic. (See â€Å"Where Are DataDriven Managers Headed? † p. 27. ) Today’s staples are expected to be surpassed in the next 24 months by: 1. Data visualization, such as dashboards and scorecards SLOANREVIEW. MIT. EDU 2. Simulations and scenario development 3. Analytics applied within business processes 4. Advanced statistical techniques, such as regression analysis, discrete choice modeling and mathematical optimization. Organizations expect the value from these emerging techniques to soar, making it possible for data-driven insights to be used at all levels of the organization. For example, GPS-enabled navigation devices can superimpose real-time traffic patterns and alerts onto navigation maps and suggest the best routes to drivers. Similarly, in oil exploration, three-dimensional renderings combine data from sensors in the field with collaborative and analytical resources accessible across the enterprise. Production engineers can incorporate geological, production and pipeline information into their drilling decisions. Beyond 3-D, animated maps and charts can simulate critical changes in distribution flow or projected changes in consumption and resource availability. In the emerging area of analytics for unstructured data, patterns can be visualized through verbal maps that pictorially represent word frequency, allowing marketers to see how their brands are perceived. Innovative uses of this type of information layering will continue to grow as a means to help individuals across the organization consume and act upon insights derived through complex analytics that would otherwise be hard to piece together. New Techniques and Approaches Transform Insights into Actions New techniques to embed insights will gain in value by generating results that can be readily understood and acted upon:  ¦ Dashboards that now reflect actual last-quarter sales will also show what sales could be next quarter under a variety of different conditions — a new media mix, a price change, a larger sales team, even a major weather or sporting event.  ¦ Simulations evaluating alternative scenarios will automatically recommend optimal approaches — such as the best media mix to introduce a specific product to a specific segment, or the ideal number of sales professionals to assign to a particular new territory.  ¦ Use cases will illustrate how to embed insights into business applications and processes. SLOANREVIEW. MIT. EDU New methods will also make it possible for decision makers more fully to see their customers’ purchases, payments and interactions. Businesses will be able to listen to customers’ unique wants and needs about channel and product preferences. WHERE ARE DATA-DRIVEN MANAGERS HEADED? Organizations expect that the ability to visualize data differently will be the most valuable technique in two years. Other techniques and activities that are currently delivering the most value today will still be done, but will be of less value. Today In 24 Months Historic trend analysis and forecasting Data visualization Standardized reporting Simulations and scenario development Analytics applied within business processes Data visualization Regression analysis, discrete choice modeling and mathematical optimization Analytics applied within business processes Simulations and scenario development Historic trend analysis and forecasting Clustering and segmentation Clustering and segmentation Regression analysis, discrete choice modeling and mathematical optimization Standardized reporting Respondents were asked to identify the top three analytic techniques creating value for the organization, and predict which three would be creating the most value in 24 months. In fact, making customers, as well as information, come to life within complex organizational systems may well become the biggest benefit of making data-driven insights real to those who need to use them. [RECOMMENDATION 4 ] Add, Don’t Detract Keep existing capabilities while adding new ones When executives first realize their need for analytics, they tend to turn to those closest to them for answers. Over time, these point-of-need resources come together in local line of business units to enable sharing of insights. Ultimately, centralized units emerge to bring a shared enterprise perspective — governance, tools, methods — and specialized expertise. As executives use analytics more frequently to inform day-to-day decisions and actions, WINTER 2011 MIT SLOAN MANAGEMENT REVIEW 27 THE NEW INTELLIGENT ENTERPRISE this increasing demand for insights keeps resources at each level engaged, expanding analytic capabilities even as activities are shifted for efficiencies. (See â€Å"How Analytics Capabilities Grow with Adoption. †) Sophisticated modeling and visualization tools, as noted, will soon provide greater business value than ever before. But that does not mean that spreadsheets and charts should go away. On the contrary: New tools should supplement earlier ones or continue to be used side by side as needed. That lesson applies to plines. (See â€Å"How Analytics Propagates Across Functions. †) In Transformed organizations, reusability creates a snowball effect, as models from one function are repurposed into another with minimal modifications. Over time, data-driven decision making branches out across the organization. As experience and usage grow, the value of analytics increases, which enables business benefits to accrue more quickly. Add Value with an Enterprise Analytics Unit HOW ANALYTICS CAPABILITIES GROW WITH ADOPTION The frequency with which analytics is used to support decisions increases as organizations transition from one level of analytic capability to the next. At the same time, analytics migrate toward more centralized units, first at the local line of business level and then at the enterprise level, while the portion of analytics performed at points of need and with IT remain stable. Percent using analytics frequently Where analytics performed 100% 80% Centralized analytic units 60% Line of business analytic units 40% 20% At point of need IT department 0% Aspirational Experienced Transformed nearly every way that analytics capabilities should be nurtured as an organization becomes more ambitious about becoming data driven: The process needs to be additive. As analytics capabilities are added upstream at increasingly central levels of management, existing capabilities at point of need shouldn’t be subtracted. Nor should they be transplanted to central locations. As new capabilities come on board, existing ones should continue to be supported. There are other ways that capabilities grow and deepen within an organization. Disciplines like finance and supply chain are inherently data intensive and are often where analytics first take root. Encouraged by early successes, organizations begin expanding analytic decision making to more disci28 MIT SLOAN MANAGEMENT REVIEW WINTER 2011 Organizations that first experience the value of analytics in discrete business units or functions are likely soon to seek a wider range of capabilities — and more advanced use of existing ones. A centralized analytics unit, often called either a center of excellence or center of competency, makes it possible to share analytic resources efficiently and effectively. It does not, however, replace distributed and localized capabilities; rather, the central unit is additive, built upon existing capabilities that may have already developed in functions, departments and lines of business. We found that 63% more Transformed organizations than Aspirational organizations use a centralized enterprise unit as the primary source of analytics. A centralized analytics unit can provide a home for more advanced skills to come together within the organization, providing both advanced models and enterprise governance through establishing priorities and standards by these practices:  ¦ Advance standard methods for identifying business problems to be solved with analytics.  ¦ Facilitate identification of analytic business needs while driving rigor into methods for embedding insights into end-to-end processes.  ¦ Promote enterprise-level governance on prioritization, master data sources and reuse to capture enterprise efficiencies.  ¦ Standardize tools and analytic platforms to enable resource sharing, streamline maintenance and reduce licensing expenses. In three distinct areas — application of analytic tools, functional use of analytics and location of skills — we found that adding capabilities without detracting from existing ones offers a fast path to full benefits from analytics-driven management. SLOANREVIEW. MIT. EDU [RECOMMENDATION 5 ] Build the Parts, Plan the Whole Use an information agenda to plan for the future Big data is getting bigger. Information is coming from instrumented, interconnected supply chains transmitting real-time data about fluctuations in everything from market demand to the weather. Additionally, strategic information has started arriving through unstructured digital channels: social media, smart phone applica