Exams Are Over Time to Recover

Tests Are Over Time to Recover Presently that finalsâ are over, you’re presumably upsetting in the manner in which you can. Shockingly, a difficult night of drinking and depravity may not be what your body and psyche need to relinquish the synthetic concoctions that your unpleasant tests have left in your cerebrum. Rather than pushing alcoholic and getting into difficulty, it may be insightful to see precisely how stress influences you and become familiar with some sound (and fun) methods of unwinding from your tests. Stress Effect As indicated by Nicky Hays, editorial manager of Foundations of Psychology, test pressure impacts can be extreme, prompting stress, poor rest propensities, and diminished memory work. Truth be told, the more distressing the test is, the more your body will create adrenaline-related hormones to help you â€Å"fight† your dread. Expanded times of pressure can affect your body, as well. The adrenaline hormones discharged during these occasions can make your resistant framework debilitate, making you increasingly powerless to ailment. It has even been appeared to change the shade of your hair. Post-Exam Stress: The Unsung Killer Lamentably, in light of the fact that your tests are over doesn’t imply that the pressure is. Actually, late exploration from the Journal of Behavioral Medicine shows that your cells might be less ready to fix DNA after your tests are finished. Also, there is a relationship between's dread about the future and despondency following an upsetting test week is finished. Incorrect Way to Distress What’s the purpose of this? In all actuality, after you have finished unpleasant tests, your body is in a tricky position. Your resistant framework is brought down, your cells can’t react as fast or just as you expected, and you are at a higher danger of getting wiped out. This is the most exceedingly awful an ideal opportunity to debilitate your framework significantly further with liquor, drugs, or other unsafe practices. Truth be told, finals are an especially awful an ideal opportunity for both liquor and medication related â€Å"celebrations† and are measurably almost certain occasions for understudies to be casualties of liquor harming, savagery, and assault. That as well as recouping from tests with these sorts of practices can prompt suspension or removal from your school. Cause Stress To leave Here are some extraordinary options in contrast to soothing finals’ stress that won’t hurt your wallet or your liver. Go on a short excursion with a couple of companions. You can escape from the grounds, center around accomplishing something you love, and let your cerebrum unwind.â You may be intrigued to check the rundown ofâ the least expensive summer goals for understudies. Start an activity program. This mitigates the overabundance adrenaline that is caught in your muscles and discharges positive endorphins that won’t leave you hung over. Join a city sports club. Being engaged with a games group has all the advantages of working out, however you likewise get the chance to meet individuals who are keen on things you like to do, as well. Go out to see an interesting film. Examination from the University of Maryland has indicated that giggling diminishes feelings of anxiety and brings down circulatory strain †particularly if you’re watching it on the big screen. Tune in to old style music. Mitigating music has found to calm weight on both the body and brain. A few investigations have indicated how it can bring down pulse, improve state of mind, and even encourage inventiveness! Make something shrewd. Ongoing examination from the Journal of Academic Medicine touts the de-focusing on advantages of dull creation in exercises, for example, weaving. These activities can discharge muscle pressure, lower pulse, and let the psyche center around something that is totally tranquil. Maybe, youll locate these strange side interests more energizing than standard weaving. Eat a banana. Analysts have discovered that eating these Vitamin B-mixed natural products can ease the weights on your sensory system. Furthermore, the common sugars in bananas give your mind a little portion of endorphins, which fights off gloom. See an old companion. An investigation distributed in Developmental Psychology expressed that individuals who experience unpleasant circumstances with an old buddy aren’t as harmed by it. That implies, seeing a companion after tests may help lighten your pressure and cause you to feel better about yourself. Rundown Regardless of how terrible your end of the year tests felt, recall that they are not the apocalypse. Deal with your brain and body by unwinding in manners that will guard you sound and. Not exclusively will your body and brain feel much improved, however you won’t have any second thoughts to feel worried about the morning after your last day of tests. How would you recoup from pressure and recover after tests? Offer your tips in the remarks beneath!

Social impact of the DIAMOND INDUSRTY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Social effect of the DIAMOND INDUSRTY - Essay Example Jewel stones furthermore might be organized under the high loads and temperatures at the site of meteorite influences. The valuable stones organized all through an impact might be commonly junior, anyway a couple of falling stars hold star dust, trash from the end of a star, which may fuse gem jewels. One such falling star is known to hold little valuable stones more than 5 billion years old. The bonds are encircled when carbon is at high temperatures and under high loads. Trademark valuable stones are made where it includes down in the earth, about 180km underneath the surface, where high temperatures and loads exist regularly. Under the universes body is the rack, which is comprised of fluid shake, metals and various materials (Zoellner, 2007). Jewel stones are used for cutting glass and now and again in the coarseness of smoothed out sandpaper. Gems are known for being the hardest trademark realized material on Earth. They should be scratched by an other valuable stone thus they are used for cleaning gadgets. Jewel mining or any sort of mining is clearly not sensible. You tunnel an opening; you remove stuff from the hole, and take it somewhere else. Over the long haul, the hole goes through the stuff you were revealing. That isn't efficient. Regardless as a development, valuable stone mining may be made to support sensibility. Initially, we recognize that headway is imperative to abstain from dejection and to give money related choices to northern society (Davis, 1999). Earnings from Diamonds stones accept a key part in driving budgetary improvement. They are our single most noteworthy speculation influence, and fortify turn of events and adventure. Our relationship with governments and gatherings help us to change trademark resources into bestowed and suffering national fortune. The overall Diamonds stone industry uses in the ballpark of 10

A View From the Class Andres Ochoa Toasa James Schalkwyk COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

A View From the Class Andres Ochoa Toasa James Schalkwyk COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog The SIPA Office of Alumni and Development is excited to share  A View from the Class, a SIPA stories series, featuring current SIPA students, recently graduated alumni, and SIPA faculty. Andres Ochoa Toasa Andres graduated from SIPA in May 2017 with a Master in International Affairs, concentrating in Economic and Political Development (EPD) with a specialization in Advanced Economic and Policy Analysis. Here, Andres discusses his EPD workshop project and how it impacted his SIPA experience. Why did you choose SIPA and the EPD Concentration? I chose SIPA over four other graduate schools to which I was accepted because of SIPA’s international public policy focus and because SIPA has built a community that reflects global perspectives through its faculty and students. My interest in the EPD concentration grew more organically. I have a law degree specializing in human rights and my professional experience is mainly in international development. I was drawn to the EPD program, not only for the strength of its courses, but also for the depth of the workshop projects, which stand out as practical and impactful. How did you decide on your EPD Workshop? What was the process like? It was a difficult decision because there were so many choices. My development background is in youth engagement; however, at SIPA, I chose to focus my studies on courses related to monitoring and evaluation, the United Nations, and management. I applied for projects that combined these topics and were outside of my regional area of Latin America. I applied for projects based in Kosovo, Nepal, Cote d’Ivoire, and Myanmar; ultimately, choosing the project based in Kosovo. In the end, it was a very fun process because it showed me how much I had grown in two years and what continues to drive me as a development professional. How did you spend your time in Kosovo? What were some highlight experiences? In Kosovo, I worked very hard with another SIPA student on a project mobilizing young Kosovars to pursue sustainable development goals (SDGs).   We conducted all of the stakeholder analysis and interview processes, laying the groundwork for a second student group. We reached out to ministers, ambassadors, NGOs, youth movements, human right activists, journalists, and even artists to see how youth could begin mainstreaming the SDGs. One highlight experience occurred during our last meeting with an official who complimented us on our impressive understanding of youth engagement in Kosovo. In what direction do you see your career moving? How do you think the EPD Workshop contributed to your future goals? My career is now moving rapidly into international development. Through the workshop, I developed many tools and greater experience that complement my development background and professional experience and will allow me to address and take on global challenges.  James Schalkwyk James is a SIPA Fund Fellow and a second year student pursuing his Master of Public Administration, concentrating in Urban and Social Policy (USP) and specializing in Advanced Policy and Economic Analysis (APEA) and the U.S. Region. Here, James discusses his motivation for attending SIPA and his SIPA experience thus far. What did you do prior to attending SIPA? I grew up in Cape Town, South Africa, and studied music and English literature at the University of Cape Town. After interning with DARPA in Washington, DC, which focused on how to encourage private investment in interstellar space travel, I became interested in how governments and the private sector can work together to achieve technological and social breakthroughs. This led me to NASA Ames in Silicon Valley, where I worked in public-private partnerships and public and governmental affairs. In addition to putting together agreements touching all aspects of NASA’s work, my group focused on encouraging the emerging “NewSpace” industry in and around Silicon Valley. My office devised the innovative funding mechanism that gave rise to SpaceX and the Orbital Sciences Corporation, which helped renew the ability of the U.S. to service the International Space Station. The summer before coming to SIPA, I worked for the former director of NASA Ames on The Breakthrough Initiatives, a new program funded by Silicon Valley billionaire Yuri Milner, aimed at sending a probe to Alpha Centauri within a generation. Why did you choose SIPA? Several things influenced my decision to attend SIPA: I spoke to an alumnus who was extremely enthusiastic about his time at SIPA; I attended an event in San Francisco where Nobel Laureate and Columbia University Professor Joseph Stiglitz spoke to a small group about his work and our interests; and finally, and probably most importantly, I received a fellowship offer. Graduate school is a huge investment, and I cannot understate the importance of any level of financial assistance. This assistance made SIPA possible for me. How did you choose the Urban and Social Policy (USP) Concentration? Despite my experience in aerospace, I was becoming increasingly interested in domestic policy. I originally applied to the Economic and Political Development concentration; however, during my first semester, I found myself drawn to topics related to local governance. The outcome of the November U.S. elections also helped guide my decision, highlighting the importance of ensuring that government provides services and protections to the people who need them most. After choosing my classes for the spring semester, I found that almost all of them were in the USP concentration, cementing my decision to switch. What has been your experience at SIPA so far? I’ve made friends from all over the world and discovered a love for economics and statistics. This past summer, I worked with the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Civic Innovation on city partnership programs with private companies and startups, which allowed me to get to know city government from the inside and increased my interest in “Smart Cities” and the “GovTech” space. Thanks to an opportunity through USP, this fall I will begin working part-time with the Citizen’s Budget Commission, a nonpartisan, nonprofit civic organization that attempts to influence change in the finances and services of New York City and New York State government. SIPA has both deepened my existing interests and opened up brand new vistas, and I feel more confident, engaged, and excited about the future.

Conquistadors vs. Aztecs the Battle of Otumba

In July of 1520, as the Spanish conquistadors under Hernan Cortes were retreating from Tenochtitlan, a large force of Aztec warriors battled them on the plains of Otumba.Although exhausted, wounded and severely outnumbered, the Spanish were nevertheless able to drive off the invaders by killing the army commander and taking his standard. Following the battle, the Spaniards were able to reach the friendly province of Tlaxcala to rest and regroup. Tenochtitlan and the Night of Sorrows In 1519, Hernan Cortes, at the head of an army of some 600 conquistadors, began the audacious conquest of the Aztec Empire. In November of 1519, he reached the city of Tenochtitlan and after being welcomed into the city, treacherously arrested Mexica Emperor Montezuma. In May of 1520, while Cortes was on the coast fighting the conquistador army of Panfilo de Narvaez, his lieutenant Pedro de Alvarado ordered the massacre of thousands of unarmed citizens of Tenochtitlan at the Festival of Toxcatl. The enraged Mexica laid siege to the Spanish intruders in their city. When Cortes returned, he was unable to restore calm and Montezuma himself was killed when he tried to beg his people for peace. On June 30, the Spaniards tried to sneak out of the city at night but were spotted on the Tacuba causeway. Thousands of ferocious Mexica warriors attacked, and Cortes lost roughly half his force on what came to be known as the noche triste or Night of Sorrows. The Battle of Otumba The Spanish invaders who managed to escape from Tenochtitlan were weak, dispirited and wounded. The new Emperor of the Mexica, Cuitlà ¡huac, decided that he had to try and crush them once and for all. He sent a large army of every warrior he could find under the command of the new cihuacoatl (a sort of captain-general), his brother Matlatzincatzin. On or about July 7, 1520, the two armies met in the flatlands of the Valley of Otumba. The Spanish had very little gunpowder left and had lost their cannons on the Night of Sorrows, so the harquebusiers and artillerymen would not factor into this battle, but Cortes hoped he had enough cavalry left to carry the day. Before the battle, Cortes gave his men a pep talk and ordered the cavalry to do their best to disrupt the enemy formations. The two armies met on the field and at first, it seemed as if the massive Aztec army would overwhelm the Spanish. Although Spanish swords and armor were far superior to native weapons and the surviving conquistadors were all battle-trained veterans, there were far too many enemies. The cavalry did their job, preventing the Aztec warriors from forming up, but there were too few to win the battle outright. Spotting the brightly dressed Matlatzincatzin and his generals at the other end of the battlefield, Cortes decided on a risky move. Summoning his best remaining horsemen (Cristobal de Olid, Pablo de Sandoval, Pedro de Alvarado, Alonso de Avila and Juan De Salamanca), Cortes rode at the enemy captains. The sudden, furious assault took Matlatzincatzin and the others by surprise. The Mexica captain lost his footing and Salamanca killed him with his lance, capturing the enemy standard in the process. Demoralized and without the standard (which was used to direct troop movements), the Aztec army scattered. Cortes and the Spanish had pulled out a most unlikely victory. Importance of the Battle of Otumba The improbable Spanish victory over overwhelming odds at the Battle of Otumba continued Cortes run of phenomenal luck. The conquistadors were able to return to friendly Tlaxcala to rest, heal and decide their next course of action. Some Spaniards were killed and Cortes himself suffered grave wounds, falling into a coma for several days while his army was in Tlaxcala. The Battle of Otumba was remembered as a great victory for the Spaniards. The Aztec host was close to annihilating their enemy when the loss of their leader caused them to lose the battle. It was the last, best chance the Mexica had of ridding themselves of the hated Spanish invaders, but it fell short. Within months, the Spanish would build a navy and assault Tenochtitlan, taking it once and for all.   Sources: Levy, Buddy... New York: Bantam, 2008. Thomas, Hugh... New York: Touchstone, 1993.

Similarities and Differences of Paradise Lost and...

Between the two novels, Paradise Lost and Frankenstein, there are many striking similarities. What makes these two books so wonderful to read is the author s ability to write about the ultimate struggle; the struggle between God and Satan, or Good and Evil. The characters in Paradise Lost and in Frankenstein seem to be very similar to one another. God and Victor Frankenstein have many similarities. One of their similarities is that they are both creators of new life. The monster, Victor s creation, also shows remarkable similarities, but not with God. The monster shows similarities with Satan and Adam. At first these characters seem very plain and tasteless, but as the stories go on and the characters become deeper beings, the interest†¦show more content†¦Just as Satan and Adam both fall from God s grace, the monster appears to fall from the grace of his God and his creator as well, Victor. Because the stories are so similar, it s almost as if the monster is living the epic poem Paradise Lost! In both novels the reader is able to feel sorrow for the evil beings. The reader almost feels compassion for the beings suffering. Is this because we, as people, better relate to sin? It seems that the reader wants to side with evil because even when our key examples, Adam and Eve, seem faultless, they can t refuse to into a life of sin. Through this, the reader feels sympathy for someone or something that is an outcast. Outcasts of these two stories are Adam and Eve to God, Satan to God, and the monster to Victor. We, as readers, also begin to see the unfairness of our society today. While most of Frankenstein resembles God and Satan or Gad and Adam, Eve is not forgotten. Eve is just less noticeable. Mary Shelly did this on purpose. All of Mary Shelly s good verses bad relationships seem superficially masculinized. By making Frankenstein more masculine, Mary Shelly is pulling away from Milton s idea of Eve and his female illustration that the fall was due to a woman. Whenever Paradise Lost is mentioned in Mary Shelly s novel, Frankenstein, Eve is always left out. Eve is never mentioned. The absence of the Eve character is seen when the monster asks Victor for a female companion. The monsterShow MoreRelatedTheme Of Allusions In Frankenstein987 Words   |  4 PagesFrankenstein Allusions Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein, references many other works of literature in her renowned book. To name a few of the referenced works there were John Milton’s Paradise Lost, the Greek â€Å"Prometheus myth†, and the widely known poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, â€Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner†. Each of these allusions gave a new meaning to Shelley’s story, affecting how each of the readers interpreted her words. Paradise Lost shares many parallels with Frankenstein. TwoRead MoreFrankenstein1237 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Literature: Frankenstein Essay Frankenstein is a gothic horror novel that was written by Mary Shelly and was published in 1818, when gothic aesthetic, romanticism and science were beginning to spike in western culture. The novel follows the story of Victor Frankenstein in creating a monster which causes destruction around him, as Victor had ambition and thirst to reveal the secrets of nature. The novel could be viewed as a warning to the readers and audience about having a greed for knowledgeRead MoreFrankensteins Origin: Assessing Thompsons Argument for the Creatures Literary Ancestors 1443 Words   |  6 PagesThe greatest modern stories often hail from ancient myths, and Mary Shelleys novel, Frankenstein, proves no exception to this claim. Replete with references to John Miltons Paradise Lost and the ancient Greek myth of Prometheus, the story of Frankenstein seems, in many ways, very much like the Creature himself—which is to say, cobbled together from various scraps of previously existing parts. Terry W. Thompson, however, argues convincingly that scholars continue to ignore one of FrankensteinsRead MoreThe Foil Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein, And The Modern Prometheus1046 Words   |  5 Pageswhose traits, by differences and similarities, help to emphasize and enhances the qualities and actions of the protagonist. Many characters, such as Elizabeth Lavenza, Henry Clerval, Robert Walton and Frankenstein’s creature, in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Or, The Modern Prometheus qualify as foils for Victor Frankenstein, the protagonist. However, Frankenstein’s creature is the most effective foil for Victor Frankenstein. The creature’s similarities and differences with Frankenstein along with hisRead MoreJohn Milton s Paradise Lost2313 Words   |  10 PagesThe concept of revenge has prevailed as an integral component of literature,  exemplified in Paradise Lost written by John Milton among other works. In Paradise Lost, Satan acts as the main proponent of revenge. The actions of his character create the basis for a Miltonic ideal of revenge, later modified by Emily Brontà « and Mary Shelley. Wuthering Heights written by Brontà « presents Heathcliff as a modernization of Satan. The characters share the experience of evolving from their lives as outcastsRead MoreFrankendoodle And Frankenstein1079 Words   |  5 PagesFrankenstein is a classic science fiction novel written by Mary Shelley, through the ages, many adaptations have taken the story through various forms of popular culture. SpongeBob Squarepants, a popular children s television show often alludes to classic literature, and makes it entertaining for all ages. While this example is quite comical, it does hold classical elements associated with Frankenstein, but takes a spin on the classic science fiction novel. In this essay I will consider the similaritiesRead MoreA Comparison Of Frankendoodle And Frankenstein1199 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Frankendoodle† in Comparison to the Original text â€Å"Frankenste in† Frankenstein is a classic science fiction novel written by Mary Shelley, through the ages, many adaptations have taken the story through various forms of popular culture. SpongeBob Squarepants, a popular children s television show often alludes to classic literature, and makes it entertaining for all ages. While this example is quite comical, it does hold classical elements associated with Frankenstein, but takes a spin on the classic scienceRead MoreWhy Does Frankenstein Begin and End with Waltons Letters?1188 Words   |  5 PagesWhy does Frankenstein begin and end with Walton s letters? Victor Frankenstein is a scientist whose ambition will be fatal. His story is central to Mary Shelley s Frankenstein. Nevertheless, Shelley gave a frame to Victor s tale as Frankenstein begins and ends with Captain Walton s letters. In this analysis, I will show that Shelley did not insert the letters by chance, but that they add a deeper dimension to the novel. Walton s letters play an important role for the reader may find manyRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein 1758 Words   |  8 PagesFrankenstein was published over 200 years ago. Ever since it was published, it has been one of the most famous books known to literature. History.com Staff states that this book, by 21-year-old Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, is frequently called the world’s first science fiction novel (History.com Staff). According to Wikipedia, Shelley was an English novelist. She was born August 30th, 1797. She died on February 1st, 1951 (Wikipedia). Shelley came up with the idea of Frankenstein as she andRead MoreThe Renaissance And Romanticism During The 19th Century1245 Words   |  5 Pagesconsidered one of the greatest poets of the English language(†¦). His most popular work is Paradise Lost, about? which he wrote during the Renaissance(†¦). Ben Johnson is known for writing satires(†¦). His most famous works are Volpone, â€Å"On My First Son†, and â€Å"Song: To Celia† (†¦). â€Å"On My First Son† was written after the tragic death of his 7-year-old son(†¦). The major works produced during this time are Paradise Lost by John Milton, The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

A Good Friendship Free Essays

The Bible: Ecclesiastes notes that â€Å"two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe unto him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. † A good friendship is one of the most important relationships we will have in our lives. We will write a custom essay sample on A Good Friendship or any similar topic only for you Order Now What is a friend anyways? It’s one who comforts you and has a lot in common with you. Sure, we have family, but it is often a friend we go to when we need comfort and advice. Being a true friend requires certain important characteristics. A friend needs to be dependable, supportive, and giving. First, dependability is part of being a good friend. A good friend is dependable and you can trust them. She makes you feel safe and secure. Your friend will not share your secrets with others. She sticks with you in good times and in bad. When you ask for advice, a good friend points you toward the right direction. Privately, she points out your mistakes and also helps you overcome them. A good friend always tells you the truth, even if it’s something you don’t want to hear. Secondly, not only do good friends have to be dependable, they also have to be supportive. A good friend is supportive of you reaching your goals. She doesn’t try to change who you are or drag you into situations that make you feel uncomfortable. A good friend doesn’t wait for you to call; she makes an effort to keep in touch with you, even if it is through a quick phone call or an email. When you need to talk, a good friend is always there. In a time of crisis she is the first person to come to your aid. Also, she doesn’t allow you to indulge in any addictions or illicit activities. She understands that you have family, other friends and colleagues who are part of your life too, and she doesn’t cling to you always. A good friend respects your privacy. Whether you have good news to share or grievances, she gives you her full attention. Another very important attribute of being a good friend is giving. A good friend gives more than what is asked of her. When she sees a need, she responds before the other has a chance to ask for help. She doesn’t expect anything in return. A good true friend shares her time if you need help with a project or a goal, she is there. She shares her knowledge on how to successfully complete the project, or she may even offer a few words of wisdom. When you’re between a rock and a hard spot, she gives you her assistance. It might be to loan you money. Also, she shares her possessions, such as a simple screwdriver to finish the project. It might be more complicated such as the loan of a beautiful dress to go on that special date. Best of all she has a generous spirit. A good friend can be defined in many different ways. Some examples: In kindergarten, my idea of a good friend was the person who let me have the red crayon when all that was left was the ugly black one that no one wanted. In ninth grade, my idea of a good friend was the person who would go with me to a party thrown by a senior so that I wouldn’t be the only freshman there. The summer after graduation, my idea of a good friend was the person who helped me clean up bottles from a party and helped me sneak out of the house when I just couldn’t deal with my parents. She helped me pack up for college and just silently hugged me as I looked through misty eyes back at 18 years of memories I was going to leave behind. As I get older, friendship grows and means so much more. As of right now, my idea of a good friend is still the person who gives me the better of two choices and most of all, lets me know that I am always loved. How to cite A Good Friendship, Essay examples

Role of Zakat in Alleviation of Poverty †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Role of Zakat in Alleviation of Poverty. Answer: Introduction: The Zakat or instinctive almsgiving as the measure through which Islam attempts to address poverty. The theory of Zakat might appear strange to any person who is not acquainted with the region of Islam. Nevertheless, it is a noteworthy concept of theory that attempts to address the issues of global poverty (Yaacob et al. 2013). The Islamic world particularly those nations having high populations of Muslim has attempted through Zakat to address several issues related to poverty. Considering Zakat as an instrument for the state it can be extremely effective in alleviating poverty since it will legitimize institutions that in the private provinces are not passing through the appropriate channels, are not recorded, without any kind of planning and not the part of any strategy and it would be difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of the Zakat. An argument can be bought forward by stating that when Zakat is implemented appropriately in case of the poverty related institutions, which can be an effective manner of alleviating poverty problems (Muhammad and Saad 2016). Role of Zakat in alleviation of Poverty: The system of Zakat provides huge amount of benefit. apart from the purification of heart and soul Zakat not only purifies the wealth but also acts as the major tool of distribution of wealth and reduces poverty. As prescribed under the Islam affluent individual is provided with the legal share of wealth especially for the poor section of the society as the Zakat. Hence, wealth starts flowing from rich people to the poor people (Clarke and Tittensor 2016). Therefore, Zakat plays an important role in the allocation of wealth and as a result helps in alleviation of poverty. Paying of Zakat helps in narrowing the gulf between the rich and the poor, the standard of living of the underprivileged individuals starts to improve. As an outcome, the friction between the two classes of people is eliminated and their relations turns out to be harmonious. Alleviation of poverty possess paramount importance in the fiscal and the development policies of Islam. Zakat makes the use of the institutional approach under its distributing scheme in order to address any of the socioeconomic issues that are conflicting with the society (Ali and Hatta 2014). In respect of the concentration of wealth, it helps in advocating and suggesting a fair distribution of the wealth whenever there are instances of insufficient. As such the system of distribution is not centralized, instead decentralized and needs every person from the community to look into the needs of the near relatives, neighbours, locality and society at large. Such approach possess as an important economic and social implications. The institutional approach of the Islam makes the use of Zakat in the form of distributive instrument for the solution to several of the problems both in respect of the economic as well as the social. Zakat forms an instrument that might be used effectively for the reduction and eventual alleviation of the poverty from the society (Huda and Islam 2016). This is regarded as the multipurpose strategy that is not only used to alleviate poverty but also it is used to rectify inequalities and the overall goals of the system of Islam. Numerous attempts have been made to prove the effectiveness of the Zakat. The collection of Zakat is viewed as the appealing one because instead of limiting the collection to certain communities or specific people, the entire countries of the people can obtain the access of the programs which could significantly lower poverty. Zakat acts the major contributor in the generation of the employment. According to the opinion of jurist professional individual such as tailors, iron smiths, butchers etc might be granted with the monetary assistance to purchase their tools involved in their trade. A person engaged in cultivation of crops might be granted with capital from the Zakat funds to purchase plot of land to grow cops. In such a manner Zakat would help in increasing the opportunities of employment for underprivileged people and would help in the alleviation of poverty. As described by Huda and Islam (2016), Zakat is a cooperative society, an insurance firm or a provident firm for the Muslims. Zakat is a fund for assistance of the unemployed and acts as the means of livelihood for disabled, the sick, the orphans, widows and the unemployed. Zakat can be regarded as the guarantee that no person shall be lacks of necessaries of life in the community of Muslims. In the modern world capitalism is resulting in poverty on the higher side. On the other hand, there are large number of peoples that are deprived of their destitute while there are peoples that have handful of agricultural stocks lay unsold in their store (Johari, Aziz and Ali 2014). Under the system of Zakat it provides people with purchasing power. This was introduced in the time of Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz (R.A) when the wealthy people search went in vain for those that required help from fund of Zakat. In Islam, people hoarding their wealth are subjected to Zakat and if such wealth is not invested in a profitable business then it is likely to get exhausted in the few years (Dhar 2013). As evident in Muslim community, people generally want to put their wealth in business ventures, private firms, and partnership or Mudarbah firms. As a result of this the economy would grow and expand with increase in the opportunities of job. Such practice would ultimately help in alleviation of poverty (Ahmad and Ma'in 2014). Hence, it can be stated that Zakat is considered as the most important tool of social security that can play an important role in the alleviation of poverty. The Zakat is not unique in its capacity as the religious institutions as several communities across the world has been reliant on the religious institutions for obtaining services (Amos 2016). What makes zakat an important element in the alleviation of poverty is that its jurisdiction goes further than the religious leaders. As an alternative religious administrations and even governments have made themselves in responsibility of the gathering and supply of the zakat. Numerous attempts have been made to prove the effectiveness of Zakat. The collection of Zakat by Ali and Hatta (2014), is considered to be an appealing one. This is because instead of restricting the collection to certain communities or certain people all the people across the countries will have the access to the programs that can significantly reduce poverty. It is only because of this reason the study states that proposing a mandated program for the collection of Zakat could help in analysis of the shortfalls and probable Zakat collection can help in alleviation of the poverty. The study can be concluded by stating Zakat is an important tool in the alleviation of poverty if the system is used as the robust macroeconomic policies, which increases the growth and redistributes the income since the collection of Zakat, can be used for numerous productive purpose (Ahmad, Othman and Salleh 2015). Conclusion: The concept of Zakat is considered as an interesting topic since it is imposing the already created institutions and implementing for use in the modern society. As Zakat has been created long before it is vital for the people to understand what it signifies for the modern society. An important assertion can be bought forward is that it helps in the creation more globalized system of Zakat because if the system of Zakat is understood on the wider macroeconomic terms it can be easily translated and implemented in the Muslim countries across the world. References: Ahmad, I.H. and Ma'in, M., 2014. The efficiency of zakat collection and distribution: Evidence from two stage analysis.Journal of Economic Cooperation Development,35(3), p.133. Ahmad, R.A.R., Othman, A.M.A. and Salleh, M.S., 2015. Assessing the Satisfaction Level of Zakat Recipients Towards Zakat Management.Procedia Economics and Finance,31, pp.140-151. Ali, I. and Hatta, Z.A., 2014. Zakat as a poverty reduction mechanism among the Muslim community: case study of Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Indonesia.Asian Social Work and Policy Review,8(1), pp.59-70. Amos, C., 2016. Overflowing Riches: Generosity, Divine and Human. InPoverty and Wealth in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam(pp. 275-286). Palgrave Macmillan US. Clarke, M. and Tittensor, D., 2016.Islam and development: Exploring the invisible aid economy. Routledge. Dhar, P., 2013. Zakat as a measure of social justice in Islamic finance: an accountants overview. Huda, M. and Islam, A.S., 2016, July. SOCIAL BUSINESS: MEANING, SCOPE, AND EVALUATION. In2016 Global Marketing Conference at Hong Kong(pp. 1262-1281). Johari, F., Ab Aziz, M.R. and Ali, A.F.M., 2014. A review on literatures of zakat between 2003-2013.Library Philosophy and Practice, p.0_1. Muhammad, S.A. and Saad, R.A.J., 2016. THE IMPACT OF PUBLIC GOVERNANCE QUALITY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS ON INTENTION TO PAY ZAKAT: MODERATING EFFECT OF TRUST ON ZAKAT INSTITUTION.International Journal of Management Research and Reviews,6(1), p.1. Yaacob, A.C., Mohamed, S., Daut, A., Ismail, N. and Don, M.A.M., 2013. Zakat disbursement via capital assistance: a case study of Majlis Agama Islam Johor.Journal of Emerging Economies and Islamic Research (JEEIR),1(2).

An Evaluation of the Use of the PRINCE2 Project Management Methodology

An Evaluation of the Use of the PRINCE2 Project Management Methodology Introduction PRINCE2 is an acronym standing for PRojects, IN Controlled Environments. It is a method that is used by project managers in managing projects. This method is commonly used by the UK government, although it is also used in other countries. It covers both the organization and management of a project. PRINCE2 can be defined as a method used by project managers to manage projects.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on An Evaluation of the Use of the PRINCE2 Project Management Methodology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It helps them to decide who should be concerned with certain projects and what is expected of them, that is, the project team and its responsibilities. PRINCE2 gives a set of processes that should be adopted in a project and explains the kind of information that should be incorporated in a given project. Nonetheless, it is important to understand that the method does not perform any task and will never give an assurance of a project success. It just gives a guideline of what should or should not be involved in a project and leaves the project managers to make their own decisions. A triumphant project, that is, one that delivers quality results within the set budget and on time depends on the eminence of people who are concerned in its execution. This includes project board and the project team which does most of the work. Today, projects engross different groups of people including but not limited to the clients, contractors, and the users. The most important objective behind the use of PRINCE2 is to make sure that there is a universal language amongst the concerned parties. Customers and suppliers are brought together by contracts, whereas the project team and the project board are brought together by the responsibilities expected of them by the customers and or the users of the project. By using PRINCE2 project managers have been able to manage projects more easily and thi s ensures that the products that are delivered from the project are of the right quality. This paper looks at the history of PRINCE2 as a project management method, its relationship with project management and programme management, some of the advantages of using this method to the project managers, and the disadvantages. It also looks at the processes, components and techniques of PRINCE2. Brief History of PRINCE2 PRINCE2 was derived from PROMPTII and PRINCE project management method that was discovered in 1989 by the government of UK. It was discovered in 1996 as a more efficient management method than PROMP TII and since then, it has become a popular method and it is increasingly being used for managing project in the UK (Haughey 1).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It has now become a common method used by project managers, not only in the UK but in 50 other co untries. The most recent version of PRINCE2 was released in 2009 by OGC, although the name did not change to PRINCE3 as it would have been expected, was an indication that the method is still faithful to its ideologies. However, it had been going through a series of revisions since 1996 in order to be compatible to the present global business environment. The major dissimilarity between PRINCE2:2009 and the previous version is that, the 2009 version entails the use of two instruction manuals; one for the management victorious projects and the other for directing projects. Pass mark has been increased to 55 per cent (for the practitioner assessment) but that of foundation examination stays. Further, the practitioner exam will not take 3 hours as it used to but 2 and a half hours (Haughey 5) Project Management The work of a project manager is to organize and control a project within an organization. To do this, he selects human resources who are competent enough to work on the project and it is his responsibility to supervise their work to ensure that it done timely and according to laid down standards. The project administrator proposes the project arrangements that spell out the task of the project as well as its duration. A client pays for the project whilst the user is the individual who employs the results of the project or rather one who the product impacts on. However, in some cases, the consumer and the client can be the same person and the person whose proficiency is being used on the project is known as a consultant. For the project to deliver the expected results, these people have to co-ordinate with each other. They have to ensure that, the project does to exceed the set budget, it is of the right quality and it is delivered on time. Each PRINCE2 must have a project panel composed of the client, the user (or his delegate), and the consultant or purveyor (Anon. â€Å"PRINCE2 methodology overview† 4). In PRINCE2, these people are known as the c lient, senior consumer, and the superior contractor. It remains the duty of the project manager to report to the project panel on the development of the project and any foreseeable challenges or predicaments. In return, the project board provides the project manager with appropriate decisions on how to handle the project and how to overcome any challenges that comes his way.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on An Evaluation of the Use of the PRINCE2 Project Management Methodology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More PRINCE2 is a knowledge-based approach that covers a wide area in project management. It provides a process model composed of eight processes that act as a guide to a project manager in planning and managing projects. PRINCE2 project management method can be applied to a vast number of projects and in a wide range of intricacy. Moreover, the PRINCE2 instruction manual on the management of unbeaten projects gives a number of mechanisms that help a project manager in using the process model. One advantage of PRINCE2 is that, it helps to standardize the activities in an organization while allowing project managers to adopt a range of products using the same processes and terminology. The major constraint is that, it limits the level of creativity in the methods applied by managers in managing projects (Anon. â€Å"PRINCE2 methodology overview† 5). Programme Management Programme management involves managing groups of projects for a desired benefit. It involves structuring and controlling projects in a group so that they give effective results. Large and complex projects are normally broken down into small and inter-related projects for easy management. In doing this, one has to take into consideration, the time and the budget allocated to the specific projects. The importance of using PRINCE2 in programme management is that, it helps in grouping of projects according to their purpose an d urgency. Just like in project management, PRINCE2 assist programme managers in setting a procedure that has to be followed in seeing that all projects yield the expected results. It helps them to set the roles and responsibilities of the different people involved in programming and also give a guideline to be followed in supervising projects. Advantages of using PRINCE2 to both project managers and programme managers Risk Management Many people take about risk management but rarely do they do anything in connection to it. The major problem is that many people do not know whose responsibility it is to manage risk. PRINCE2 provides a solution to this since it defines the method of handling risk. The latest version PRINCE2:2009 which was released in June 2009 provides a strategy for managing risk.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This involves identification of risks, evaluation, and how to deal with identified risk within a project. It also gives an idea of who is accountable for carrying out the diverse roles implicated in risk management. It sets out the number and types of risks that an organization can be able to bear within a project. The first step in risk management is to identify the risks in a project; this can be done by following the approaches given in the new manual (Hinde, â€Å"Better Risk management with PRINCE2† 1). Some of these approaches are: reviewing critical issues from previous projects, conducting a risk brainstorming session, and establishing a structure for breaking down risks. A risk structure is a diagram that resembles an organization chart but it is divided into different ways, for instance by the use of the PESTEL analysis. Risks can also be identified by reviewing the different aspects of a project, such as percentage of approvals, issues raised regarding the project, defects captured in the projects, just to name but a few. After identifying the possible risks in a project, the next step is to assess the risk exposure. In this progression, each threat is measured in terms of percentage and the pecuniary impact it can generate in case it happen to occur. The fraction of incidence is multiplied by the pecuniary impact to arrive at the supposed value in case the risk takes place. By adding up the expected values of the all the expected risks, we get a monetary value that represent the risk exposure of the project in question. PRINCE2 recommends that, each risk should be recorded when they are expected to occur in order to give the proximity of the risk. It also suggests that the possibility and the impact of a risk ought to be put into consideration to establish whether this show a discrepancy over time. Apart from just considering when a risk may or may not occur, PRINCE2 considers the causes of risks. This gives a deeper analysis in identifying and assessing risks thereby providing a better approach to the process of risk management. Not all risks results in negative impacts; some risks are opportunities. According to PRINCE2, there are three approaches to an opportunity: exploitation of the opportunity by ensuring that it occurs, increasing its probability of occurrence, or rejecting the opportunity (Hinde, â€Å"Better Risk management with PRINCE2† 5). The responsibility of a project manager entails searching for more prospects that would make a project better, by making this a component of the process of managing risks; the project manager are in a position to recognize more risks Project Assurance Normally, the work of project assurance is to provide independent views on the progress of the project. In PRINCE2, the scrutiny of project reassurance is divided into three; client, organization, and the specialist. Project assurance is all about checking the progress of the project to ensure that it remains within th e budget and that it is cost effective, this is referred to as business assurance. User assurance entails examining whether the consumer’s requirements are being offered whilst specialist reassurance involves inspecting whether the project is offering the anticipated solution. In the majority projects, assurance is carried out by a self-regulating panel (referred to as the â€Å"project assurance team†), although in other assignments, it is the panel in the project board that carries out the assurance (Anon. â€Å"PRINCE2 methodology overview† 3). Project Support Projects involve a lot of administrative work, everyone has to be informed about the progress, meetings have to be arranged, plans have to be updated, and files have to be kept properly, among other activities. In small projects, the project managers do most of this work, but if the project is big, they delegate some of these duties to members of the project team. PRINCE2 recommends that a project suppo rt office should be set up to help the project manager carry out his duties effectively and also gives a guideline of how some of the responsibilities should be delegated to the project team members. Controlling Change PRINCE2 involves more than just describing and analyzing the responsibilities required of each member. It also explains how risk can be managed, how to achieve quality results, and how to control the project. Management of risk involves forecasting on the future and determining the problems that can be encountered in the process of the project and designing appropriate mechanisms to tackle such challenges. On the other hand, the management (quality) is all about probing the value of the work done through appraising or re-examining it (Office of Government Commerce 342). During the project’s life-cycle, many alterations take place, for instance, members from the team may well change their mind, the client or user possibly will change some of the given instructio ns, or other things may perhaps take place, which may possibly affect the value of the project. PRINCE2 has a unique technique that enables project managers to control the changes that may take place in the execution of a project in order to ensure that such changes do not impact the project negatively. Disadvantages At times, PRINCE2 is regarded as unsuitable and unproductive for small projects, because of the work implicated in preserving and generating documents, and lists. This time and again results in a misinterpretation of which parts of PRINCE2 should be useful. PRINCE2 does not take into consideration the size of the projects but assume all projects are the same and that they should follow the same procedure. However, this may be quite ineffective for small projects which have a smaller budget. Creating and maintaining some of the documents and lists is an expensive process which can not be done by the project manager alone. He has to hire an additional employee which may n ot be possible according to the budget. PRINCE2 provides many ideas for the management of projects. However, the quality approach can sometimes be entirely inappropriate because it redefines the original meaning of quality. According to the dictionary, the word quality means standard of excellence. On the other hand, PRINCE2 defines quality as something fit for the purpose, which it can be designed without taking into consideration the standards of excellence. This re-definition of quality creates a lot of controversies in the application of PRINCE2 to many project managers (Hinde, â€Å"Why PRINCE2’s approach to quality is flawed† 2). At the start of PRINCE2 project, the project manager agrees with the customer about the attributes to be created from the project, in other terms known as the acceptance criteria. After the products have been delivered to the customer, he will only sigh against them if they fulfil the acceptance criteria. However, this is under the assum ption that, the customer understands what they want, but in most cases, the do not. This is a problem in PRINCE2 projects which assumes that users know the quality of the products that they want. PRINCE2 defines a project according to its uniqueness and the more unique a project is, the harder it becomes to specify what is required of the end product. PRINCE2 Processes PRINCE2 process that was revised in 2009 takes place in almost 40 separate activities which are organized further into seven processes. This can be summarized in following chart. [from: aipm.com.au/resource/PRINCE2%20Overview%20-%20AIPM%20v1.pdf} Starting Up a Project The first process is the start up of a new project. A project team is appointed in this process, and the purpose of the project including the expected outcome is prepared. It is in this process that decisions regarding the approach to be adopted are made and the next process is discussed and planned for. After doing this, the project board authorizes th e stage that follows, that is, the initiation of the project. Key activities in the start up process include but not limited to selection of the project manager and a supervisory member, management panel selection, project brief preparation among others (Anon. â€Å"PRINCE2 processes, components, and techniques† 2). Initiation Stage Main activities involved in this stage include planning for a quality approach, planning for the project, redefining project brief into business case, creating project files, creating project controls, and bringing together a project instigation document. This process continues with the work instigated in the start-up stage and augments the brief into a business case. The executive, project manager, and project management team work together to define an approach for testing quality of the project with a general objective of controlling the entire project. This stage involves the creation of project files which act as a general plan for the entire project. The next stage is also created and all information resulting from this stage is forwarded to the project board for the purpose of authorization. Directing a Project The main activities in this stage include but not limited to authorization of project initiation, authorization of projects, authorization of a stage plan, giving of direction, and project closure conformation. In this process, the roles and responsibilities of the project board are stipulated; the main role of this board is to control the entire project. As seen earlier, it is the work of the project board to authorize the initiation stage as well as the project itself. The directing stage stipulates how the project board is supposed to approve a stage plan, and other plans that are designed to replace the stage plan due to unforeseen conditions (Murray 2). This stage also gives an overview of how the project board is expected to direct the project including the activities involved in closing down a project. Co ntrolling a Stage According to PRINCE2, projects should be divided into processes and sub-processes dictating how each phase ought to be monitored and controlled. This includes the method of authorizing and receiving work packages. It also explains how the progress of a project ought to be monitored and how major outcomes of the project ought to be reported to the board. The controlling stage also puts forward the technique to be espoused in capturing and gauging issues interrelated to the project and how counteractive action should be implemented. It suggests the method to be adopted in delivering project issues to the project board. The key activities in this stage include authorization of work packages, reviewing progress, investigating project issues, assessing the stage of the project, report major events to the board, taking remedial action, and rising project issues. Managing Stage Boundaries As seen above, the controlling process suggests what must be done in a given stage. On the other hand, the managing stage boundaries suggest what have to to be prepared when a stage is near completion. This phase also states what ought to be done if a stage is going through difficulties or of it has gone ahead of those levels that can be tolerated, and how the finishing point of the project have to be reported to the panel. The core actions in this phase include: bringing up to date the plan for a project, business case, and the risk record, setting up a stage, reporting the end of a project, and creation of elimination plan. Managing Product Delivery The purpose of this stage is to ensure that, there is co- ordination between the project team and the project manager. Main objectives are; To make certain that the project manager consents to the work of the group and that it is decided upon by the panel members To certify that the panel members, the project administrator, and suppliers comprehend the anticipated result, and that they are able to work within the set time limit, and cost to produce outstanding results (Watling 2) To ensure delivery of every products as per the project’s arrangement and within the financial plan To make sure that the project director is provided with truthful information on a habitual basis as regards to the development of the venture in order to deal with the expectations satisfactorily In summary, the core activities involved in this phase include: recognition, implementation, and work-package delivery. Closing a Project This comprises of the actions that have to be completed just before the end of a project. In this stage, the project is officially de-commissioned and resources distributed to other activities. Then the project is evaluated and follows on actions identified. The key activities in this stage include: project decommissioning, project evaluation, and identification of the follow-on actions (Watling 4). PRINCE2 techniques Quality Review The purpose of this technique is to ensure that, the products resulting from a project are of good standard, that is, they meet the quality criteria. More often than not, this is done in a quality reassess meeting in which inaccuracies in products are recognized. It is worth noting that the quality review meeting is not under any obligation to resolve the errors identified in products, its work is to bring the interested people together and to help the project team in addressing the identified issues (Anon. â€Å"PRINCE2 processes, components, and techniques† 3). Product Based Planning This technique defines a project according to the output and not its activities. Before a project is initiated, the project managers have to understand the products required by the users. This helps them in planning for the activities that should be incorporated in the project but it is not the activities that determine the end product (Murray 4). Change Control This technique gives a procedure on how to log and assess the impacts of a project, h ow to escalate issues to the board, and how to manage changes. PRINCE2 Components The components of PRINCE2 are given in the outer part of the chart below [From: aipm.com.au/resource/PRINCE2%20Overview%20-%20AIPM%20v1.pdf] PRINCE2 has eight main components, these are: Business case- This is a justification for a project Organization- This gives an overview of the roles and responsibilities of all the people involved in a project, this includes project managers, project team, and the project board. Plans- This gives a definition of products expected from a project, how work is shared and carried out among the parties involved. This includes; timescale of the project, budget, and when to make frequent reports to the project board (Anon. Managing and Directing Successful Projects with PRINCE2 3). Controls- This component gives an overview of the procedure to be followed by project managers and the board in controlling the activities of a project Management of risk- Every undertaking involves taking risks; this component explains the approach to be adopted in managing risks in a project. Quality in a project Environment- This explains how quality products are ensured within a project and how such products are delivered Configuration management- This gives an explanation how to identify and track the products of a project Change control- It is common for changes to occur in the process of execution of a project. Change control explains how such changes should to be managed to ensure that, the quality of the end products are not compromised. Conclusion PRINCE2 has made Project management easy since it contains well defined framework. It provides a clear procedure on how to coordinate activities and the project team members, how to plan for the project, how to supervise it, and how to handle the challenges that comes along the execution of the project. PRINCE2 defines all the processes involved in a project with specifications on key inputs, output, goals, and act ivities to be undertaken. This helps project managers to control any deviations that may occur in the plan. It also ensures that all available resources are controlled efficiently, projects are carried out in an organized manner and they are easily monitored in an organized way. PRINCE2 is a well structured method that is widely acknowledged and understood by many project managers who have done either the foundation or practitioner examinations. It provides a basis for communication where all participants are able to communicate in a common language. Major tasks and duties concerned in the managing of a project are illustrated without a doubt and are well-matched to the proficiency of a firm and the complexity of the project. PRINCE2 also helps project managers in indentifying risks, evaluating the risk exposures and how to exploit risks into opportunities. Many people just talk about risks but hardly do anything to mitigate them. Others think that it is not their responsibilities t o manage risks and just sit down and watch things go out of hand. According PRINCE2, it is the work of the project manager to manage risks although he can delegate the same to a member of the project team who he feels is in a position to do the work. This management method provides a guideline on how to indentify risks, assess them, or even turn them into opportunities. Management of risk involves forecasting on the future and determining the problems that can be encountered in the process of the project and designing appropriate mechanisms to tackle such challenges. Some of the major shortcomings of PRINCE2 are: it assumes all projects to be the same and does not give a separate procedure for smaller projects and also it re-defines the meaning of quality by assuming that users are knowledgeable of the quality of the products they are requesting for. PRINCE2 method involves different processes, components and techniques. The processes include: start-up of project, initiation stage, directing a project, and controlling a project. Some of the components are: plans, organization, controls, business case, and change control. It has only three techniques; quality control, product-based planning, and change control Anon. Managing and Directing Successful Projects with PRINCE2. Press release, June 2009. Web. best-management-practice.com/gempdf/PRINCE2_2009_Overview_Brochure_June2009.pdf. Anon. â€Å"PRINCE2 methodology overview.† ILX Group plc, 2010. Web. PRINCE2.com/prince2-structure.asp Anon. â€Å"PRINCE2 Processes, Components, and Techniques.† Aipm, 2010. Web. aipm.com.au/resource/PRINCE2%20Overview%20-%20AIPM%20v1.pdf Haughey, Duncan. â€Å"The History of PRINCE2.† Project Smart, 2010. Web.. projectsmart.co.uk/history-of-prince2.html Hinde, David. â€Å"Better Risk Management with PRINCE2.† Project Smart, 2010. Web.. projectsmart.co.uk/better-risk-management-with-prince2.html Hinde, David. â€Å"Why PRINCE2’s Approach to Qu ality is flawed.† Project Smart, 2010. Web.. projectsmart.co.uk/why-prince2s-approach-to-quality-is-flawed.html Murray, Andy. â€Å"Best Management Practice for Project, Programme, and Risk Management.† White paper, 2007. Web. best-management-practice.com/gempdf/PRINCE2_White_Paper_v3.pdf Office of Government Commerce. Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2 (5th ed.). The Stationery Office, 2009. ISBN 978-0113310593. Watling, Shaun. â€Å"A Procedural Worksheet on PRINCE2 Project Management.† Project Smart, 2010. Web.. projectsmart.co.uk/procedural-worksheet-on-prince2-project-management.html

King Alfred essays

King Alfred essays Why was King Alfred concerned with literacy and learning? It is clear that literacy and learning played an important role in the life of King Alfred. In his biography of the king, Asser tells us that from an early age Alfred showed an aptitude for book learning which was encouraged by his mother. The reason why Alfred developed this interest from an early age was probably the fact that he was the youngest child of his family and so it was probably expected that he would become a clergyman rather than king and so could focus on more intellectual training needed for work in the Church. Although the reasons that he developed a personal love of learning in his younger years are clear, this does not explain why he put so much emphasis on the literacy and learning of his subjects in later years. One of the ways in which Alfred encouraged literacy and learning was having a number of key ecclesiastical works translated from Latin into English. One of the main reasons for Alfreds huge concern for literacy and learning was his sincere belief that the Viking raids on his kingdom were a punishment from God because the people had abandoned religious learning. Alfred did a lot to strengthen Englands military position by building a huge network of burhs , and by making sure that there was always an equal balance of men working the land and doing military service. However, he felt that these military preparations were merely a temporary solution to the problem. In the long term the King believed that the Vikings would only be stopped when God had been appeased. There are clear indications that in the time of Alfred there was a lack of new manuscripts being created. It is also evident that very few people were educated enough to read Latin and even fewer to write it. Alfred believed that this lack of learning had turned the English into a brutish and uncultured race. He believed that teaching was an important way to bring ...

CRJ-Q Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Understanding Leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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The consumer decision process

The consumer decision process Section 1: The Consumer Decision Making Proccess The foundation of this research project is to analyse why consumers make purchase decisions through the theoretical paradigm of the Consumer Decision Process (CDP) (Blackwell, Miniard, Engel 2006) it is therefore essential to understand how the CDP works and its uses and limitations. The CDP is a model used to understand how consumers make decisions and the processes they go through before purchasing products. Diagram 3 shows the core process of the CDP which starts with need recognition, this is where a consumer feels a need which has not yet been met, or a problem which has not been solved. Consumers then search for information on satisfying their needs and problems, once they have collected enough information consumers evaluate suitable products identified in the search. Consumers may then purchase the product that they think will meet their needs. Once the purchase has been made consumption occurs, this is where the consumer actually uses the product. Consumers then evaluate the experience and decide whether it met their needs, this last process will influence the chances of repeat purchases and brand loyalty. A benefit of using the CDP is it gives marketers an understanding of what happens after the purchase of a product. This is useful for marketers as it helps them realise that for consumers to purchase an item again, the consumer needs to be satisfied in the consumption and post evaluation phase. Consumer decision process limitations and critisisms A limitation of the model is that it is a simplistic view of how consumers purchase products. Many consumers do not go through a search for information or evaluation before purchasing an item, they may just get what is cheap or something that is easily available. Many consumers also shop in whats known as beta mode (reference) meaning they are not actively evaluating products but choosing items they are familiar with. To thoroughly analyse how consumers make purchase decisions it is necessary to adapt the CDP model and extend it to encompass other needs and decision making processes. Diagram iofreof overleaf shows an extended version of the CDP which includes important influences on decision making such as memory, environmental influences and individual differences. This model gives a more in-depth insight into how consumers make decisions and is a useful tool for locating problems in existing marketing strategies. Although the extended model encompasses further aspects of consumer behavior further criticism has been directed at the rationality of the CDP model for presenting an idealised version of the way consumers make purchase decisions. Arguments against the rationalistic nature of the CDP model suggest that consumers operate in an imperfect world and often posses limited knowledge and skills and that certain values might dominate their goals and decisions. Rational consumer behavior thus seems too idealistic and simplistic (Eramus, Boshoff, Rouseau 2001 pp.84). Dr Dhar on the subject of the CDPs explanation of irrational purchases adds that:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The assumption made in hierarchical models of consumer decision-making, namely that the decision to choose is independent of which alternative to choose, and that the decision-making process necessarily proceeds through the various stages to come to a final decision, may not always be valid. Consumers often decide to choose or not to choose depending on the existing situation. This implies a more definite impact of in store search activities during consumer decision-making rather than preparedness before entering the store. Traditional consumer decision-making models do not portray this possibility clearly. The rationalistic approach of the CDP has also been critised by (reference stewart)who argues that the CDPs assumption that consumers make a purchase after need recognition, search and evaluation is overly simplistic. Futrthermore he argues that consumers often do not know the reasons for their actions and behavior because decisions often become automated (Stewart, D. 1990). Stewart reinforces his argument with an alternate model which proposes that consumer decision processes have no obvious beginning or end. Although it is true not all consumer searches lead to purchase behavior, and consumers solemnly make informed purchase decision, the extended CDP still offers the most relevant and practical way of understanding consumers. The criticisms against the CDP specifically focus on its simplicity, logical process and lack of flexibility; however it could be argued that these are its strengths which allow marketers to effectively analyse consumer behavior better than other consumer decision models. John Whitney argue that in reality the decision making process happens much quicker than implied by the CDP model, but none the less follows its basic structure of need recognition, limited search evaluation and the possibility of purchase (John and Whitney 1983 pp.661-666). This theory is supported by Du Plessis, Rosseau, Blem who take the view that involvement determines how strictly a consumer follows the process (Du Plessis, Rosseau, Blem 1991), for example if a consumer is highly involved in the purchase decision they may undertake a thorough evaluation of competitor products and possibly purchase, however if they have low involvement they may just purchase a trusted brand name. When using the CDP to analyse consumer behavior it is advisable to allow for some flexibility to cover irrational purchase decisions and ones which feature low involvement, as suggested by its critics and supporters. An example of using the CDP in a flexible and analytical way would be analyzing a consumer purchasing chewing gum whilst buying coffee to freshen their breath after consuming the coffee, the consumer would have recognised the need and purchased the gum without any additional search or pre-purchase evaluation undertaken. Section 2: Need Recognition Need recognition is defined as the perception of a difference between the desired state of affairs and the actual situation sufficient to arouse and activate the decision process (Blackwell, Miniard, Engel 2006). There are many theories which suggest how needs are satisfied and why consumers develop the need to purchase certain items, one of the most widely used theories is Maslows hierarchy of needs. Maslows hierarchy of needs is a theory that suggests a consumers needs and desires are graded by importance and can only be satisfied once lower level needs are met. Image jkdnvkidsn below shows a diagram of Maslows hierarchy of needs, on the bottom layer there are fundamental needs such as breathing, food and water which people need to function and stay alive. Once these basic lower level needs are met consumers then strive for higher level needs such as self esteem, creativity and problem solving, these needs are important for a good quality of life but not necessary to survive. The drawbacks of Maslows theory are that consumers needs are rarely met in this structured order, for example people may forgo sleep to work hard at something which to them provides self esteem. The theory is difficult to use in practice particularly when dealing with consumer behavior (Jahnsson-Boyd 2010), empirical research has also suggested that there is little or no support for a hierarchy of needs. To effectively examine consumer needs an alternate approach is needed to Maslows Hierarchy of Needs. A more adaptive view of why consumers seek to satisfy needs through consumable items is the theory of need recognition (Blackwell, Miniard, Engel 2006) which is explained in diagram iuriuhw. The advantage of using this model over Maslows is its broad nature of satisfying needs, it does not segment needs in terms of importance or place them in a hierarchical sequence which in reality rarely happens, furthermore it also explains how marketers can in fact stimulate a need through education of a consumers current state of affairs. A possible problem with the need recognition theory is a lack of detailed information as to what needs take precedence or what the possible end purchase decision satisfies in terms of tangible and intangible benefits. Catherine V. Jansson-Boyd suggests that this can be explained by separating needs into utilitarian; such as the need to eat, and heuristic needs; such as eating at an expensive restaurant to meet a self image need (Jansson-Boyd 2010). This theory explains the short comings of the need recognition model and illustrates how needs develop, thus allowing marketers to analyse how and why needs are stimulated. As suggested by the CDP model needs are commonly stimulated by marketer and non-marketer controlled stimuli an example of a marketer controlled stimuli would be an advert which educates a consumer about the dangers of spyware on computers, after seeing this advert they may feel a need to purchase an item which will safe guard their computer. A non-marketer channel may be a word of mouth (WOM) recommendation from a friend who has bought a new TV and recommends it. This theory works well with the need recognition mentioned above as it explains why actual state and desired state perceptions change and create needs. Section 3: Search After consumers have recognized a need the CDP suggests that consumers then commence a search for a product to satisfy those needs. As mentioned in section 1 consumers may sometimes forego searching for an item and purchase a brand they trust or a product they have tried and tested, however it is arguable that a preliminary search would have been carried out and stored in memory for future purchase decisions. It is therefore assumed that for most consumer purchase decisions some form of a search however small has been carried out. Although this theory is useful when analyzing what routes consumers use to search for product information it does not begin to explain what part internal searches such as memory have in the search process. Memories of past purchase decisions or information stored from personal or impersonal sources relating to the current product search will significantly affect how the search is carried out. The CDP model suggests that consumers either make internal or external searches or a combination of the two this explains how consumers use memory in product searches however it does not explain why consumers choose internal searches over external or vice versa. For consumers to purchase products solely from an internal search they must possess some confidence in their knowledge of the product category and the reliability of memories related to personal or impersonal stimuli of the product. When consumers lack confidence in their memory or existing knowledge of the product then some form of external search may be conducted if only to validate the adequacy of existing knowledge (Blackwell, Miniard, Engel 2006). This also explains why consumers can become brand loyal, as consumers who are satisfied with a previous purchase decicion remember that satisfaction and can sometimes only undertake an internal search based on previous memorized experience (Geoffrey, Kiel, Roger 1981). This is also highlighted in the consumption and post evaluative consumption segments of the CDP model. The level of involvement during the search phase of the CDP is an important factor for marketers to analyse as it can highlight places where consumers go to search for information and provides them with opportunities to market products more effectively. There are many theories relating to why consumers undertake extensive searches for information when purchasing products. One view of why there are different levels of individual search involvement is the cost versus benefit perspective which suggests that:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People search for decision-relevant information when the perceived benefits of the new information are greater than the perceived costs of acquiring this information. This theory explains the amount of effort consumers are willing to make when purchasing items but does not take into account a theory by Kiel and Layton that as potential consequences rise in significance perceived risk also increases so extensive searching is carried out to minimize risk (Kiel, Layton 1981). Research by Betty, Sharron and Smith also suggests that as total search effort increases positive attitudes towards shopping for the product also increases (Sharron, Smith REFERENCE!), this phenomena can in some way be explained by both Urbanys theory and the model put forward by Kiel and Layton, as feeling s of risk minimization and making more informed purchase decisions result in greater perceived benefits, this would ultimately lead to positive feelings of the overall shopping experience. Section 4: Pre-purchase evaluation of alternatives Before consumers can compare contrast and evaluate alternative products and services they need to know which products to specifically evaluate, this process has been identified as producing a consideration set. A consideration set is defined as the product or service alternatives considered during decision making (Hauser, Wornfelt 1990). This theory suggests that once consumers have undertaken a search they then choose a selection of items to critically evaluate and compare, however it has been theorised that if consumers are brand loyal to a particular product then they may forgo composing a large consideration set. What is important to marketers is how consumers construct these consideration sets before making a decision, the CDP proposes that consumers use the same stimuli (marketer dominated and non-marketer dominated) used in the search phase of the CDP. Information gathered from marketer and non-marketer stimuli in internal and external searches stored in memory and easily retrieved become known as the retrieval set (Alba, Chattopadhyay 1985). The retrieval set is important for consumers when constructing their consideration sets as the ability to recall or recognize products seen in marketer or non marketer stimuli increases the chances of that product being considered for purchase. This partly explains why brand names are so important to consumers when making purchase decisions. Consideration sets are a plausible theory of explaining how consumers choose products to consider for purchase however what remains a wide subject of debate is how consumers evaluate and compare the products selected within their consideration set. One of the most famous and widely regarded theories on how consumers evaluate products based on their attitudes and beliefs is Fishbeins multi attribute model (Fishbein 1963) which suggests that consumers purchase goods and certain brands because they have favorable thoughts and feelings for the products salient and determinate attributes. To illustrate how Fishbeins model works table yvuvuv shows a comparison of three mobile phones, the scores would be filled in by consumers who have a scale of -3 for disagrees strongly to +3 agrees strongly. In table uyvbuyv the iPhone scores highly in terms of fashion, size, colour, price and simplicity. This means the marketers at Apple have been effective in shaping consumers beliefs towards these attributes. The one area where the iPhone does not score so well is unique purchase, meaning how unique the act of purchasing an iPhone is. This weakness could be exploited by other brands who could market their product as possessing this attribute. By using Fishbeins model brands can also try and change how important this belief is to consumers, thus altering the evaluative criteria. By using Fishbeins equation in box 1 and calculating the totals shown in table mlkmlkm, the theory clearly illustrates how favorable beliefs about the product add up to create a favorable attitude valence t owards the product. The benefit of using Fishbeins theory is its diagnostic power, which enables marketers to see what consumers believe about the products salient and determinate attributes and how important these beliefs are as evaluative criteria. The theory is also useful when analyzing purchase decisions which require extensive evaluation between products or purchasing a particular product category for the first time. A drawback of using Fishbeins multi attribute model is it relies on assuming the consumers has perfect knowledge of the product their buying (which is rarely the case) it therefore does not explain what part memory plays in evaluating products and how it can skew consumers perception of the product and brand they are purchasing. The Accessibility- Diagnosticity theory (Feldman, Lynch 1988) attempts to explain how memory influences pre-purchase decision making. Accessibility relates to how easily a piece of information can be retrieved from memory, and is increased when a stimulus is highly salient, vivid or when the consumer engages in elaborative processing. Diagnosticity is to do with the perceived relevance and increases as the perceived relevance between two variables increases. The Feldman and Lynch theory helps to explain the effect of memory and consumer knowledge on pre-purchase evaluation and explains why consumers will sometimes decide to purchase inferior goods because of a lack of knowledge or because of past negative experiences. A criticism of Fishbeins and Feldan and Lynchs models is that they do not explain why consumers make purchase decisions with minimal pre purchase evaluation. Catherine V. Jansson-Boyd proposes that there are a number of ways consumers make decisions when there is low involvement and motivation these are shown in table niunciw and are collectively known as choice heuristics (Jansson-Boyd 2010). Choice heuristics offers a more realistic view on how consumers make pre-purchase decisions with low involvement and its theories are likely used by every consumer at some stage in their life. Throughout this section focus has been directed as to how consumers evaluate different products, to gain a thorough understanding of why consumers make certain purchase decisions it is necessary to briefly analyse how marketers can influence consumers perceptions, attitudes and beliefs. In all of the models and theories previously mentioned in this section it is assumed that consumers make purchase decisions based on the attributes of the product, these attributes can either relate to the products tangible or intangible properties. Attributes therefore send signals to consumers which they then use to evaluate products and services (Blackwell, Miniard, Engel 2006), an example of this would be a high price may signal quality to certain consumers (Dodds, Monroe 1991) or a cheap price as lower quality (Raghubir, Corfman 1999). The signals that products send are crucial to how consumers will evaluate their consideration set and is one of the reasons company spend so much on advertising to create favorable signals. Table iebhwwb shows how marketers can influence signals by using different advertising tools, which can shape consumers attitudes and beliefs towards products and services (Lutz 1975). Section 5: Purchase After consumers have evaluated the product they can then proceed to purchase their chosen item. Purchase decisions can however change for a number of reasons such as unavailability, a change in the expected perceived attribute of the product i.e price, or lack of motivation. It is important to understand that when consumers go shopping for items to satisfy their needs they may not always have a specific brand, or specific product in mind to satisfy those needs. Blackwell, Miniard and Engel suggest that that once a consumer decides to purchase an item to satisfy their needs it can lead to three types of purchase; A fully planned purchase (product and brand chosen in advance), a partially planned purchase (intent to buy the product exists but brand choice deferred to until shopping), or an unplanned purchase decision (both the product and the brand are chosen at point of sale) (Blackwell, Miniard, Engel 2006). Assuming that this theory is correct it suggests that the retail environment influences and motivates a considerable amount of consumer purchase decisions. In a retail environment consumers are exposed to hundreds possibly thousands of advertisements promoting individual products and services all of which are trying to grab consumers attentions so they are considered for purchase. Consumers cannot however take in every piece of advertising information in a store therefore they become selective of the advertisements they choose to process. For consumers to focus their intention on advertisements it is thought that adverts must pass through three phases of consumer cognitive resources (Atkinson, Shiffrin 1968) diagram uinf shows how attention grabbing stimuli pass from being noticed by a consumers senses through to being stored in their long-term memory. The cognitive resource model gives a good explanation and understanding of how consumers process advertisements and marketer controlled stimuli and is therefore an essential tool for understanding why and how some advertisements work so well and increase brand awareness. It is however important to remember that this model does not cover the broad aspects of consumer attention such as subliminal messages and is therefore limited in its capacity to analyse all types of advertising however for the purposes of this research it is useful as it illustrates how conspicuous advertising works. If consumer attention is to be analysed through the framework of the cognitive resource model then it suggests that for an advertisement to be successful it has to significantly stimulate the sensory store, be thoroughly processed in short term memory and memorable enough to be stored in long term memory. Table uhiru below shows a brief list of ways marketers have used different tools to stimulate consumer sensory stores for their advertised products to be noticed and processed. The CDP model suggests that if marketers have been successful in focusing the attention of consumers on their product and sufficiently motivated them a purchase may be made. This theory however can be disputed as to logical because this type of purchase behavior only happens in a perfect setting it therefore does not take into consideration factors outside the marketers control such as availability or accessibility. The focus of this research is however on what marketers can do to influence the CDP process so although criticisms can be drawn from this view of purchase decisions it still arguably offers marketers the most information as to how they should theoretically sell their products. Section 6: Consumption After a purchase has been made consumption can occur, consumption is the point where consumers make judgments on the products they have bought, these judgements will influence consumers perception of satisfaction and increase or decrease the chances of the product being bought again. One of the problems marketers have with building brand loyalty is influencing consumption behavior after the product has been bought, influencing consumption behaviors is important as it can affect the amount of satisfaction gained from the item and the speed at which it is consumed. Table nuiernu below shows different consumption variables and how marketers try to influence them to increase satisfaction for consumers. Although the above table describes how marketers can affect consumption patterns it does not offer an analysis as to how consumer satisfaction and dissatisfaction influences the consumers experience and chances of repeat purchases. Blackwell, Miniard and Engel theorise that the chances of products being repurchased depends upon the feelings experienced during consumption (Blackwell, Miniard, Engel 2006). These feelings can either lead to positive reinforcement; where a consumer receives a positive outcome from the consumption experience, negative reinforcement; where consumption enables consumers to avoid a negative outcome and punishment; where consumption leads to negative outcomes, these three processes are shown below in Diagram ueinwfi. What this model does not include is more complex consumption such as watching old videos that remind consumers of previous experiences or family heirlooms that consumers may feel proud and privelaged to use. A model of consumption proposed by Schiffman, Kanuk and Hansen aims to include these complex emotions in a broad description of how consumers consume items (Schiffman, Kanuk, Hansen 2008) this is shown in diagram iunieun. Although this model attempts to explain how consumers complex emotions are connected with consumption it still does not signify how any of these positive or negative feelings link to repeat purchases or brand loyalty, it is therefore assumed that although Blackwell, Miniard and Engels model does not give a complex view of how consumers experience the consumption phase of the CDP it does offer an explanation as to how consumers use experiences for future purchase decision. Section 7: Post-consumption Evalaution Once consumers have consumed their purchased product according to do the CDP satisfaction or dissatisfaction then occurs (Blackwell, Miniard, Engel 2006). The CDP suggests that if consumers are satisfied they will either purchase the product again or at least consider it for future purchases, however it has been argued that satisfaction does not always ensure repeat purchases and that consumers must experience some sort of delight which only occurs when consumers are expectations of the product are exceeded and completely satisfied (Higgins 1997). This theory has been proven by research conducted which suggests consumers who report to be totally satisfied are also six times more likely to purchase the same product again (Thomas, Jones, Sasser 1995) customer satisfaction has also been shown to lower consumers price sensitivity when purchasing the product again. Although it is helpful for marketers to realise what satisfaction can do for a business it is also important to analyse what actually creates feelings of satisfaction in the minds of consumers. It has been suggested that there are three different determinates which influence customer satisfaction (Blackwell, Miniard, Engel 2006) the first of which is the products performance which relates to how the product actually performed during consumption. The second determinate is the feelings consumers have when consumption occurs this was briefly mentioned in the previous section and featured in diagram urinefvu. The last determinate is how the product met consumers prior expectations, which has been conceptualised in Richard Olivers expectancy disconfirmation model. The expectancy disconfirmation model proposes that satisfaction depends on a comparison of pre-purchase expectations to consumption outcomes ()based on this proposition Olivers suggests that consumers can experience three outcomes when comparing expectations; negative disconfirmation where a product does not live up to expectations confirmation where the product performed as expected and positive disconfirmation where the product exceeded expectations. This theory offers an explanation as to how consumers become satisfied with products, however it is not complex enough to be able to explain why some consumers will purchase items again even if they have had a negative experience, and why other consumers choose to purchase an alternative product, over a previous product they were satisfied. It is therefore assumed that that the two other determinates in consumer satisfaction (product performance and feelings) further influence the way consumers perceive the product to have met expectations. Consumers may also purchase alternative products rather than ones they are satisfied with as consumers often have a need for variety. Although expectations cannot fully explain repeat purchases and consumer satisfaction it is still a significant contributing factor, it is therefore important that marketers set expectations at a reasonable level to ensure expectations are either confirmed or positively disconfirmed. Methodology 500 research design To analyse the research question a mixed method approach to gathering data will be used. The quantitive research will predominately look at secondary data such as Colgates financial reports and industry information that highlights current trends in the market. Primary quantitive information from the questionnaire shown in appendices urnein will be used in conjunction with the financial and market data to analyse consumer behaviour in relation to the toothpaste market and the Colgate brand. Primary qualitive information will be used to interpret the results of the quantitive research, this will include Colgate promotional material, packaging designs and in-store promotions and positioning. A mixed method has been used to analyse the research question as it allows the CDP process to be examined from a consumer point of view whilst including information as to how their feelings have affected the popularity, sales and brand loyalty of the Colgate brand. Survey design The survey design has been constructed to answer specific questions about how Colgate has influenced the CDP with its existing customers and how Colgate can possibly attract consumers who are not using the brand. Consumers who have not purchased Colgate previously will still be allowed to fill out a smaller section of the survey, as it is hoped that by looking at their decisions before purchase it may highlight oppurtunities that Colgate could use to appeal to these consumers. The questionnaire will be placed online where participants can fill out their information; the website used will be www.surveymonkey.com an established site which hosts multiple questionnaires from internet users from around the world. To gain a broad perspective of consumer behaviour and identify popular trends 100 participants will be required to participate in the survey which will give a sample size of uniern? Survey pilot To ensure the survey design is coherent and unambiguous to participants filling out the survey 10 pilot tests were carried out to monitor and gather information about how the participants interacted with the survey. Table inireunf below shows the comments and criticism made by the participants and the modifications made to correct the problems a comparison between the pilot survey and the survey actually used for the research project can be found in appendicies urnieun. Limitations and criticism of methodology Several limitations arise when using questionnaires to study behaviour, as there is no guarantee that participants will answer the questions honestly or indeed understand how their natural consumption behaviour works. An ideal setting to test consumer behaviour would be in a controlled environment where consumers can be observed whilst purchasing toothpaste, however due to constrained resources this type of research s not possible but is recommendable for future studies on the subject. As the answers given are multiple-choice, participants are limited to what answers they can give, the problem with this is that answers participants may wish to give may not be available and therefore important behavioural information may be lost. Allowing participants to enter their own information may be the best way to analyse their CDP however to get a sense of general feelings towards Colgate a set of defined answers is necessary. Participants who take part in the survey are not segmented in