Importance of “patriotism” during war Essay

Wilfred Owen in his poem â€Å"Asleep† and Andrew Hudgins in his poem â€Å"Listen? The Flies† have analyzed the concepts of death, war and violence. Even though both poets experienced the military actions themselves, they did not describe the life of soldiers and the philosophy of war from the patriotic point of view. On the contrary, in their poems Owen and Hudgins illustrated the most horrible scenes of war that emphasize that war can never be justified because it destroys human life and brings physical and moral sufferings. Both poets portray death as the only way out for soldiers, express compassion towards soldiers as the greatest victims of war and describe low importance of human life as the result of military actions in order to disprove the idea of patriotism that plays upon the mind of soldiers and exploits them for the mercenary interests of their governors. First, Andrew Hudgins and Wilfred Owen justify death to some extent because it rescues soldiers from anger of war and occurs as the natural process unlike war that goes against all moral laws.   When Hudgins talks about war in his poem he describes human life as purity that was shaded by war and turned into putrefaction: â€Å"everything that lives is pitched from purity to putrefaction, back and forth†.   At the same time Wilfred Owen, uses comparison in order to show that death becomes more pleasant than life during war. He compares death to the deep sleep: â€Å"his deeper sleep lies shaded by the shaking of great wings, and the thoughts that hung the stars.† The soldier in the poem has finally got a chance to have some rest after long days of battle. The main characters of both poems are not afraid of death and to some extent they accept it because even death cannot be more frightful than war. Thus, in the poem â€Å"Asleep† Wilfred Owen describes the soldier who does not suffer in his dead sleep because he is â€Å"above these clouds, these rains, these sleets of lead†, above all severe weather conditions, constant attacks and stress from killing and being killed. Moreover, those soldiers who are still alive envy the dead soldier that does not have to wake up in the morning and see the horrors of war again. Similar to Wilfred Owen, Andrew Hudgins refers to Bible to justify death. He uses allusion and gives quotes from the Bible to show that death is more natural for a soldier than war: â€Å"from ash to ash, it says, from dust to dust, with fire and dirty water in between†. Hudgins depicts how soldiers were waiting for death in prison camps praising the flies. The flies are symbols of death that is always near. In the last part of the poem the author killed a fly that got in his room but he knows that there will be more flies in the future. The main character of the poem does not see any point in struggling for life because it’s easier to accept death that is unavoidable during war.   Thus, according to both authors, the horrors of war lead to the condition when death becomes a happy end for a soldier because it sets him free from all the hardships that he has to go through during war and it can be explained by laws of nature. Second, the authors stress the cruelty of military actions by describing the dead soldiers as the greatest victims of war and showing their compassion for them. The length and the concentration of events in both poems are the brightest indication of the authors’ ability to awaken in the mind of readers the same kind of sympathy that both poets have for their characters. The length of the both poems does not let the reader to remain indifferent to the events which take place and arouses the feelings of grief, horror and deep sorrow in the reader’s mind. Thus, the poem of Wilfred Owen is short that enables us to read it at one sitting at the highest degree of excitement. The phrases in the poem â€Å"Asleep† are abrupt that turns the reading into the process when there is a minute to think and move to the next line. The poem by Andrew Hudgins is longer; however, most of the sentences are short and it provokes the reader to pay attention to every detail and not to leave anything without attention. All events which occur in the poem â€Å"Asleep† are concentrated in one place during certain time interval; at the same time in the poem â€Å"Listen? The Flies† the author tells about events which happened in different places during different periods of time. The concentration of time and place in the poem by Wilfred Owen is used because the author wants stay-at-home citizens to be carried to the battle field for a moment, experience what the soldiers experience every day and see the â€Å"backstage† and the reality of war. Lack of focus on time and place in the poem by Andrew Hudgins makes the reader see the war from the different standpoints and contemplate more about the meaning of life. Thus, at the beginning Hudgins describes how he noticed the body of the dead soldier, and then he points out that death took away many people in prison camps, after that he explains death using quotes from Bible and at the end he goes back to the symbolic scene with the flies. Third, both authors illustrate that military victory and destruction of enemies during war have higher importance than life of a person. The soldiers in both poems are described as some human bodies without soul rather than as human beings. In the poem â€Å"Asleep† no one notices the dead soldier; his head â€Å"confuses more and more with the low mould† and his hair becomes of the same color â€Å"with the grey grass of finished fields†.   It seems like the soldier is the machine that is out of order. Andrew Hudgins describes with certain irony the scene when the soldiers â€Å"walked the marsh† and sang the patriotic song; however, their friend was dead. The author portrays how someone’s death can be neglected because patriotic idea supported by political and economic interests plays more important role.   The dead soldiers are heroes because they were killed for their country. However, the question remains whether the interests that they defend are the interests of people or the interests of politicians. Both poems lead us to the conclusion that the consequences of patriotism are death and emotional breakdown. The poets used different techniques to emphasize that the glorious idea of military patriotism is based on political ambitions and soldiers are only instruments. The romantic beliefs about nobility of military actions made both characters of the poems the victims of war whose life lost its value and death became the answer to sufferings and hardships.

Mine Accident

The Sago Mine Accident in January, 2006, left the world wondering how things were so bungled.   Communication in the incident was almost as large a disaster as the mine explosion itself. Many questions still hound the company and the families of those who died. If the mine had been cited for numerous safety violations, why was it not shut down until those were repaired?   Why had the safety violations not been address by company, union or mine safety officials? Reports indicate it was nearly an hour and half after the explosion before rescue crews were brought in. Why?   Furthermore, when rescue workers began to receive information about the fate of the trapped miners, why was the information released to the families and the news media before it could be verified. While there was nothing the company could do to change the fate of the miners, being told they were alive and then learning that they had died, except for one survivor, demoralized the nation and the families, compounding the tragedy. The question remains why did the company not have better emergency communication procedures in place and why, once rescue workers were in place, were facts no verified before being released to the waiting families? At first glance, it appears that simple communication preparation could have helped the entire incident to be handled more smoothly.   If the union, the company and mine safety officials had better documented the infractions and the response to those refractions, they would have been spared the negative attention from the national media. If the company had had a designated procedure for dealing with crisis communications it might better have been able to reach rescue workers and get them to the mine sooner. The timing of the incident contributed to the communications errors because people were on vacation and the mine had to find other ways to communicate with mine safety officials. Finally, the communication problems during the mine rescue could have been avoided if all information were channeled through one person and then distributed accordingly.

Case Study about the Capital Gains Tax

In the given case, Dave Solomon age 59 is planning to get retired at an age of 60. He has decided to plan out his assets in the best possible way so that he has enough money at the time he gets retired. With an intention to save maximum amount available with him at the time of retirement, he decides to collect $1,000,000. HE decides to rent a city apartment and withdraw the tax free amount that he has saved in the superannuation fund for the retirement purposes. He was living in St Lucia from the past 30 years. He in order to raise the money that he has decided he plans to sell out his home through an auction. He conducts and auction and sells the house for $850,000 which has cost him $70,000, 30 years back. During the auction process, Dave has forfeited $85,000 from one of the customer, who first agreed to buy the house but after he fails to meet out his commitment. In this process Dave has paid $15,000 to the agent who has helped in fetching the right customer for the process. Cons idering all these points, Dave has made profit of $850,000 for the sale transaction. A person is not required to pay any capital gain tax on the profit that the person has earned on the sale of his residence. The exemption that has been given in the Australian tax laws is applicable only on the property in which the person is living or residing into. Thus, a person is required to pay the capital gain tax only on the property that has been earned by the person only on the property that has been held by him as an investment. In the given case, Dave has been living in his house located at ST Lucia which he has sold for $850,000. Being this property is the only in which Dave is living from past 30 years. Thus, in light to the above provision, being a property which has been used by the person is his own residence does not attract capital gain tax. Thus in that case, the capital gain earned by Dace worth $850,000 is not eligible for capital gain tax. As per the Australian tax laws, a person is not eligible to pay any capital gain tax liability arising on the profit that he has earned on sale of personal and collectible assets. In case of personal and collectible assets we have a separate classification which would be used for such taxation and thus the same in no case should be mixed with the provision of normal capital gain tax laws. The collectable and personal asset in this case includes art work such as drawings, paintings, photographs etc., jewellery, antiques, coins etc. In the given case, the painting of pro hart that has been sold by Dave would be covered in the definition of personal and collectible assets and thus the profit worth $110,000 that he has earned on such sale would be covered under the separate category other than capital gain. A person is not eligible to pay any tax liability on the gain that he has earned on sale of personal assets. The personal assets in this case includes car, resident property etc.   In the given case, the assessee sold motor cruiser for $60,000 which he has purchased for $110,000. In light to the above provision, Dave is not likely to bear any capital gin tax from sale of his personal assets. Although, Dave has incurred loss on the above transaction, thus being the gin is not taxable, the loss so incurred by Dave would also not be carried forward or set of from any taxable capital gain. Dave during the year has taken a loan of $70,000. He has utilized the sales proceeds on purchase of shares which he has sold during the year for $80,000. On this sale, Dave is required to pay brokerage and stamp duty worth $750 and $250 respectively. In case of sale of shares, a person if carrying out the same a business, he would be eligible to bear the tax on ordinary income basis; else the income so earned would be taxable as capital gain. Dave in the above case has to bear interest cost worth $5,000 on the loan amount. While calculating the capital gain tax all the expenses that have been incurred in earning the profit on such sale would be allowed as deduction. However, the interest that the individual has paid on the loan amount that he has utilized for purchasing the shares, would not be allowed as deduction being the same does not have any direct link with generation of income. In this case, Dave made a profit of $9,000 on the transaction. The interest amount of $5,000 would not be allowed as deduction. Considering the above points, Dave during the period has earned the following as capital gain: Dave in the last year has a net capital loss of $10,000 that he has earned on sale of shares. The capital loss so incurred by Dave can be carried forward and will be reduced from the gain made in the current year. The amount that has been earned by Dave during the period would be used by him for meeting his retirement needs.   ATO. Gov, Statutory formula method for Car FBT taxation, viewed on 1 st June 2016. ATO. Gov, FBT Tax rate 2016, viewed on 1 st June 2016. ATO. Gov, Market Interest Rate 2016, viewed on 1 st June 2016. ATO. Gov, Collectables and personal use assets, viewed on 1 st June 2016.

The Global Pharmaceutical Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Global Pharmaceutical Industry - Essay Example Using PEST-L analysis to prepare for strategic plans in taking advantage of opportnities in the external environment and addressing eminent threats, one understands that the consumers of the pharmaceutical industry are patients who need the drugs and medications to address various health concerns. As the prices of medicines were highly dependent on the amount, level and extent of research and development, consumers have no control nor say on the strategies involving prices. As shown in the chart on one of the branded prescription drugs marketed in the U.S., when compared to other areas around the world, the chart would reveal that the price of Lipitor was highest in the U.S.. Buyer power, is therefore considered restricted and limited as it is highly dependent of the prices dictated by drug manufacturers. In addition, the demographic profile of consumers affect and influence strategies designed by drug manufacturers as these profiles affect the demand and purchase of the products. As disclosed from the case, ageing population significantly affect the stragies designed since consumers from this age range more frequently buy drugs than those from the younger age ranges. Therefore, aside from considering the prices of this drugs to ensure that they could be afforded by the older generation, strategies would also consider the media by which products are advertised and promoted; the availability of substitutes, as emphasized in Porter’s threat of substitutes; and the manner by which these products are distributed and made available to the consumers. Political factors could be closely evaluated using the PEST-L analysis where laws and regulations impact on the industry’s operations and performance; as well as in the development of strategies. As the industry was characterized to be â€Å"subjected to rigorous regulatory scrutiny† (Holland, 2010, p. 548), the length required for clinical trials to ensure safety and security of consumers are considerably long. Further, the patent protection of 20 years also influence strategies of manufacturers of pharmaceutical drugs since upon expiry, the threat of entry from generic drug manufacturers rise and significantly affect the level of sustained demand and consumer purchase. Legal factors encompass laws in terms of government controls on pricing and the extensive efforts taken into consideration from discovery and clinical trials to approval and final marketing. The imposition of parallel trade strategies in response to price control have influenced the global pharmaceutic al industry in terms of protecting not only drug manufacturers but moreso the consumers who get to evaluate significant price differentials as drugs could be sourced from other low priced markets. The implication for this is that international health organizations, like the World Health Organization, must monitor and address pricing strategies of global pharmaceutical companies to ensure uniform standards and benefits are accorded on a universal perspective. In an article written by Shah (2010), the author clearly cited Stiglitz work which

Analysis of the problem of Employees stress in the work place Essay

Analysis of the problem of Employees stress in the work place - Essay Example This paper briefly analyses the causes, effects and solutions for employee stress at workplace. According to Dale Collie (2004), the major reasons for employee stress at workplace are due to the lack of; control, communication, appreciation, feedbacks (good or bad), clarity in policies, clarity in career prospects etc. He also pointed out mistrust, unfairness, office politics, uncertainties, random interruptions, treadmill syndrome (a state of too much or too little to do) etc as the other major factors which can cause stress at workplace (Collie, 2004). Current organizations are functioning at a rapid pace and in most of the times; these organizations fail to communicate properly with the employees. Lack of communication may often results in the development of ambiguity among the employees about their responsibilities, career prospects, organizational policies etc. Sometimes the employees may have too much workload whereas some other times they may have less workload. Too much workload may result in fear of failures which may increase the stress. On the other hand, less workl oad may also develop stress because of the concerns of the security of the employment. Imtiaz and Ahmad (n. d) have mentioned that â€Å"higher level of stress existed with no managerial concern for solution consequently lowering the employee performance; staking organizational reputation and loss of skilled employees† (Imtiaz and Ahmad, n. d, p.1). It is difficult to avoid stress completely; but it is possible to reduce it. Too much employee stress is not good either to the employer or to the employee. The employee may loss his productivity because of too much stress. Moreover, too much stress can cause physical and psychological problems to the employees. Stress can increase the blood pressure which can lead to heart problems, stroke, paralyzing etc. It can also cause psychological problems like depression, anxiety,

History of a 10th grade reader Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History of a 10th grade reader - Coursework Example The results of these metrics were then used to pick the optimal world history textbook for the tenth grade. The first metric, the Fry readability graph, uses the length of words, measured in syllables, and the length of sentences to form a rough gauge of grade level. To use the Fry method, one takes three one hundred word samples from different section of a work (two from the beginning, one from the end) and counts the number of syllables and sentences (to the nearest tenth) in each segment. Once those measures have been averaged, they are plotted on a readability graph to form an approximate grade level. The second metric used is the SMOG readability, which, like the Fry formula, counts the number of polysyllabic (two plus syllable) words in a given number of sentences. This method uses three passages of 10 sentences in length, two from the begging and one from the end (like the Fry graph). The number of syllables of those words was counted, its square taken, then three was added to the result – this gives approximated the appropriate grade level for the textbook according to the SMOG metric. The final method used to analyze the readability of the text was the Flesch-Kincaid grade-level score, used through a utility in Microsoft office. ... World History: Patterns of Interaction Patterns of Interaction (figure 1) was evaluated using all of the above methods. With an average of 154 syllables/100 words and 7.5 words/100 words, the Fry readability graph gave this work a ninth grade reading level. The SMOG formula produced a grade level of 11 through, while the Flesch-Kincaid grade level formula was 23+30+22=75. The square root of 75 is approximately 8, which added to 3 produces 11. The Flesch-Kincaid gave a grade level of 9. Bader’s text book analysis demonstrates that this text is incredibly average, having few weaknesses but just as few great strengths, and reading through it the reading level may be too simple for tenth grade. World History (Pearson Prentice Hall) Pearson/Prentice Hall’s World History (figure 2) proved to be the most grade appropriate of all three textbooks evaluated in terms of readability. With 156 syllables/100 words, and 5.6 sentences in the same span, this work was spot on the tenth g rade reading level. The Flesch-Kincaid also agreed with a tenth grade reading score, with only the SMOG formula differing, providing a grade 12 reading level, somewhat higher than the other two. With reference to the Bader analysis chart, this textbook proves to have very appealing visual form, and does a good job accommodating visual learners using webs and diagrams. One of its few failings was perhaps not spending enough time making sure all new concepts and visuals were fleshed out properly and could be understood. World History: the Human Experience The final work examined was World History: the Human Experience (figure 3). It consistently scored the highest within all three readability metrics; with an average of 149 syllables and 4.4 sentences/100

History of US Army National Guard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

History of US Army National Guard - Essay Example In 1636 Massachusetts followed in the footsteps of Virginia and established laws for militia on 13th December at the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The Dutch settlers in America also formed an organization on the similar lines as the English militia and named it the Burgher Guard. However, in 1653 the Dutch and the English engaged in a conflict over land. Such conflicts would arise time and again but in 1964 the British captured Amsterdam and the Burgher Guard surrendered and was then transformed to foot soldiers under the leadership of Captain Nicholas Bayard. The militia of each colony was responsible for its own funding and upkeep, thus the militia of each colony was vastly different from one another on basis of military equipments and substantial training. The militia assisted the Continental army during the Revolutionary wars and though it is believed that the militia had no crucial role in the winning strategy, it steadily gained importance. The Continental Congress passed its own f irst Militia Act on 18th July, 1775 while New York coded its own Provincial Militia Act on 22nd August, 1775. Federalists were of the opinion that instead of a militia regiment, fully trained and professional soldiers should be hired. But, no one paid attention to their arguments. In fact in 1776, New York’s militia was reorganized into two divisions. The first division included all the Manhattan (present New York) units while the Second division included the rest of the units. Again in 1789 the U.S constitution was signed and soon after in 1792 the U.S. Militia Act was passed. Both these steps proved that U.S supported the idea of including citizens in the military. Though such measures showed the firm belief that the Government had in the militia’s ability, but for some time the ability could not be tested because there was no such need. But, soon enough the militia got an opportunity to display its skills to safeguard the interests of the U.S. The British and the Fr ench were engaged in wars between themselves which interfered with the sea-trading rights of the U.S. The goods ship of several U.S. merchants were seized by the Europeans illegally At last the U.S congress had no other choice but to propose the Embargo Act in 1807 on the recommendation of President Thomas Jefferson which was finally passed as law on 22nd decenber,1907. On12th February, 1808, New York successfully passed the Act of Defense of the Northern and Western Frontiers, to protect its own interests. This increased hostility among the countries and in June, 1812. U.S declared war on Great Britain. This war, known as the War of 1812, continued for almost three years. However, here again the militia had no substantial role in the victory, because the militia was poorly funded and lacked good equipment and leadership. Yet, the U.S won because of the fact that Britain had no interests in the war and was fighting it almost for show. In fact all of Britain’s resources were e ngaged in war with France. Even after defeating France in the wars, Britain had no interests in the War of 1812 and again engaged herself with the colonization of the Eastern parts. The U.S had won the War but Britain did not acknowledge the defeat and offered peace to U.S on 11th February, 1815. The treaty of peace was signed on 20th

Grieving and Support of a Dying Patient Case Study

Grieving and Support of a Dying Patient - Case Study Example It was important to conduct an assessment before this decision, so Mary's needs and wishes can be ascertained and incorporated in the care plan. Her assessment included the nature of her condition, type 2 diabetes, social circumstances, experience of healthcare, approach to life, mental health status, psychological wellbeing, and cultural, religious, and spiritual views. Taking Mary's condition into account, she lives in a remote area, where healthcare access is sparse, and the acute specialized care available will be less. Therefore, an open and honest communication with Mary was initiated. She was obviously grieving, and it was my job to identify the triggers for discussion. In this discussion, she was communicated regarding the agreed care plan, and over the time, review of her needs and preferences were made. The needs of care included not only maintenance of her diet and blood sugars, and prevention of other complications without heroic treatment, since she preferred to die at home. The ultimate outcome for dying patients is to achieve good end of life care and a good death.

Don Quixote's madness Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Don Quixote's madness - Research Paper Example Unsuccessful in his first major quest, he set out on a second adventure with his servant Sancho Panza whom he pleaded with to accompany him on the journey as a squire. As a measure of compensation, Don Quixote promised to make Sancho the Governor of an Isle. Sancho, a farmer and a family man was chosen as the squire who will accompany him throughout his quest into claiming lands and portions for his self-glorification. They both rode on his horse across the cities of Spain in quest of glory and fame. In addition, there was a woman whom Don Quixote fell in love with and at every point he is in distress, he recognizes her as a point of strength and fortress. On his second mission, he encountered people that influence and shape his idea and disposition about life even when such disposition negates his belief and the reason for his conquest. He met a boy in the custody of an evil man and decided to leave him because he was assured of his safety. Sancho, being a loyal servant never for on ce departed from him even though he received the brunt for Don Quixote’s ill judgment. ... He refused to heed to the words of Sancho, rebuking him not to meddle with his quest saying he is not a knight and does not have the instinct of facing giants at war (Ludlum 146). Since he never wanted to hearken to the advice of Sancho, he advanced further at the mill with the mind of attacking the giants he saw instead of the windmills, as he charged further, there was a heavy wind that caused the sail in the windmill. When he saw this, then he believed the giants were trying to use magic that multiplied their hands. On sighting the multiple hands of his perceived giants, he sought for the support of his lover Dulcinea as a way of encouraging himself to fight his giants (Cervantes 65). This was common of Don Quixote throughout the novel as he frequently have his mind set on Dulcinea (Mancing 147), making the whole story seem as if he was on the quest to impress her rather than set himself as the greatest knight. He approached the windmill and launched his sword, but his sword and l ance were crushed by the windmill and fell to the ground. Sancho saw the bad state of his master and he quickly rushed to help him, instead of Don Quixote conceding to his mistake, he was bent on an enemy enchanter turning the giants into windmill. He was still under the influence of the stories of major knights he had read about, his ambition to surpass their achievements, and coupled with his desire of experiencing the love affairs those knights had in the books he read. Because of this, his quest for love became stronger and he would sacrifice himself for beauty that seems to put him in trouble. His nature of doing things got him into trouble with two monks he perceived as enemies capturing a princess. He engaged in a combat with one of the monk and threw him over

Climate change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Climate change - Essay Example Nevertheless, global community is facing a new threat – climate change. People need to understand that it affects all spheres of their life. Being an international crisis, climate change concerns all countries. Mankind should learn how to deal with climate change and adapt to it. Climate change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns when that change lasts for an extended period of time. It effects the environment every day. There are â€Å"national and global issues that are occurring due to the climate change† (â€Å"The current and future consequences of global change†). Climate change poses great risks: extreme weather, melting ice, rising seas, shifting rainfall, floods, droughts, cyclones, and health problems. And it is not the full list. It affects the whole world, but not all regions are in the same positions. Some countries face critical problems right now. Others will face them in the near future. Risks of climate change can be grouped into different categories, for example â€Å"risks to human health, global food security, economic development, and to the natural world† (â€Å"Consequences of climate change†). Climate change transforms the natural world. Oceans and rivers become bigger, ice melts, flora and fauna changes: new species appear, while other species become extinct. Expanding oceans due to rising temperatures concern every nation in the world, but northern and island nations are under the greater impact. According to Jim Hwang, Taiwan is especially sensitive to the impact of climate change. Because of flooding, people there lose their homes and can’t produce enough food (1). One country cannot cope with it. Only cooperation can solve this problem, but it is hard to reach an agreement between all nations. Some countries do not want to spend money on studies about climate change, while others do not have money to spend. Climate change is a great challenge for international law, too. Differences in bills and

Assessment Criteria Essay Example for Free

Assessment Criteria Essay Tesco has given its incoming new chief executive a ‘blank sheet of paper’ to determine the company’s future. The shareholders are demanding radical change at Britain’s biggest grocer. Dave Lewis who was head of unilever’s personal care business started his new role as Chief executive with Tesco in September 2014 at a time when sales fell 4% in the three months to mid-August (Kantar World 2014). Mr Lewis has already been given the title ‘desperate Dave’ and Shore Capital (2014) believes around 5000 head office jobs could be lost. (Based on article in the Sunday Times 31. 8. 14) Requirement This assessment contains one task with two components, both of which must be completed. Your team represents a group of marketing consultants with experience of driving innovation in large organisations. You have been asked to meet Mr Lewis and senior colleagues at Head Office and suggest ways in which Tesco can respond to the disruptive innovation strategies being used by other organisations with the market. Your specific task is to;  ?Identify and evaluate the disruptive strategic innovations developed by the key competitors to Tesco, such as Aldi ( but not exclusively) ?Recommend and justify a suitable response by Tesco which can be agreed by the board Time Available You have 15 minutes to make your presentation and afterwards there will be a short period following the presentation to take questions from the board. ? Your presentation and supporting documents will be assessed according to the criteria below. For your work to be assessed you must;?have mailed one copy of your presentation to ray. [emailprotected] ac. uk, or E. [emailprotected] ac. uk by 10. 00am on the morning of the presentation together with your Contribution Log and the signed confirmation of the mark allocation. ? COMPLETE ONE ELECTRONIC COPY OF THE ASSESSMENT FORM TO ACCOMPANY THE PRESENTATION BRING ALONG TWO COPIES OF THE PRESENTATION WHICH MUST BE PRINTED O? WITH FOUR SLIDES TO A PAGE AND BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE STUDENT DECLARATION FORM. Asda has introduced same-day delivery at 250 of its click-and-collect points after a trial on the London Underground. The service is available for customers who order products online before 1pm. Of the 250 collection points, 120 are ‘drive through’ units at which shoppers can receive goods directly in their cars. Asda has 300 click and collect points in total. Delivering Customer Value: Presentation Cover Sheet Module Title: Delivering Customer Value MC6050 Module Code: Year: 2014/15 Group Name: Name of Case Study Tesco- Submission Format Op? ons: Please ? ck one box and sign below. Peer assessment requires documentary evidence Equal Shares Peer Assessment No Agreement Family Name Initials ID number Signature †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â₠¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. MC 6050 Academic Year 2014-2015 GROUP REPORT: Assessment Criteria/ Feedback Student Names: Student ID: Tutor: Ray Donnelly Due Date: Assessment Criteria Weigh? n g Mark Comments The concept of disrupve innovaon is understood  and clearly explained within the presentaon. 35. The presentaon iden(ed and explained the disrupve innovaons developed/being developed by the key competors. 30 Ability to link innovaon with other related concepts 10 Evidence of relevant theorecal concepts being used to support and jusfy the recommendaons. 10 Quality and ming of presentaon/ supporng materials. Ability to handle quesons. 10 Clear evidence of team work 5 Overall Comments Agreed Mark: Refer: Please note your mark remains provisional until the moderation process has been completed.

The Effect of Leadership Style on Security Guards’ Performance Essay Example for Free

The Effect of Leadership Style on Security Guards’ Performance Essay The following are the specific objectives of the study: 1. To determine the job performance level among security guard in Riyadh military hospital. 2. To examine the influence of leadership style on security guard’ performance in Riyadh military hospital. 3. To investigate the security guard mean differences in job performance based on level of education and experiences in Riyadh military hospital. 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS Three research questions are as follows: 1. What is the job performance level among security guard in Riyadh military hospital? 2. What is the direct significant influence of leadership style on security guard’ performance in Riyadh military hospital? 3. Is there any significant difference in security guard’ performance based on level of education and experiences in Riyadh military hospital? 1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY As mentioned earlier in the present study, the objective of the study is to explore the influence of job leadership style variables on security guards’ performance. If the findings of the study turn out to be true, the study will contribute to both theory and practice. Through the present research, the researcher expects the findings to shed light on the pertinent facets of the topic and add to the body of knowledge concerning leadership style towards security guards performance in Riyadh Military Hospital. On the practical side, the study possesses significance because it will attempt to give an insight into one of the major issues in Saudi Arabia’s security sector. In addition, the stakeholders in Ministry of Defense can also benefit from the research by using it to identify, investigate as well as examine the proposed factors that are found to influence security guards’ performance. 1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY The study looks at leadership style towards security guards job performance at Riyadh Military Hospital, Saudi Arabia. The participants of this study were security guards of Riyadh Military Hospital in Saudi Arabia. The total number of the security guards who participated in the study was 34 security guards 30 males and 4 females. In order to achieve the research objective in the present study, a survey conducted. Questionnaires distributed to the security guards in Riyadh Military Hospital from 15 October 2012 to 9 November 2012. 1.7 SUMMARY The present chapter discussed background of the study, problem statement, objectives of study, questions of study, scope and significant of the study. The next chapter (chapter two) will expound literature review of study variables, chapter three related methodology, and finally chapter four discussions of the findings and suggestions.

Benefits of Social Network Marketing for the Business

Benefits of Social Network Marketing for the Business Chapter One Introduction For some marketing managers, the twenty-first century may appear a very strange place indeed. Much of that strangeness comes from the ‘electronification of traditional marketing practices. OConnor et al (2004) said that direct and database marketing might be fairly well understood, but what about the concepts such as social network marketing. This is one of the latest tools available to todays marketing managers. The most popular social network marketing tools are Facebook, Twitter, My Space, LinkedIn, etc., but there are some other different social network marketing methods like blogs, e-mail marketing, video promotion on YouTube and many more. In truth, the migration from traditional marketing to internet marketing is part of a process that has taken place over the past decade. But what is Social network marketing and how it is different from ordinary marketing, advantages and disadvantages of social networking, its impact on other businesses has been researched in this disse rtation. Aim To analyse how social network marketing can help in the effective marketing of a business Objectives Analyse the impact of social network marketing on other businesses. Analyse the advantages and the disadvantages of the social network marketing in a business context. Analyse the effectiveness of social network marketing. Chapter two Research Background The Cumin Restaurant The Anand family have a long and successful history of catering, originating from their home in Nairobi, Kenya. They came to the UK in 1975 and have been in the catering business ever since. Their first restaurant in the UK was The Brilliant, followed by Madhus, both in Middlesex. These were followed by Curry Craze in Wembley, Curry Special in Ilford and Curry Fever in Leicester, all of which are still very successful today. The restaurant capacity is 74 cover over two floors 20 on the ground floor and 54 on the first floor. Being in the city centre, they are also an ideal place to hold business meetings or lunches. (The Cumin Restaurant online, 2011) Chino Latino, Park Plaza Their central Nottingham hotel features Chino Latino, the multi award-winning, on-site restaurant.Chino Latino serves fresh, gourmet Pan-Asian cuisine and Latin-inspired cocktails in a relaxed, modern atmosphere. One of the top Nottingham restaurants, Chino Latino offers a fantastic choice of a la carte, set, tasting and bento box menus. The bar offers an array of exciting cocktails, bottled beers and bar platters in a distinctively Latin atmosphere. Chapter three: Literature Review Introduction A literature review is a survey and discussion of the literature in a given area of study. It is a concise overview of what has been studied, argued, and established about a topic, and it is usually organised chronologically or thematically. A literature review is written in essay format. It is not a commented bibliography, because it groups related works together and discusses trends and developments rather than focusing on one item at a time. It is not a summary; rather, it evaluates previous and current research in regard to how relevant and/or useful it is and how it relates to your own research. (University of Toronto Online, 02.12.2009) Ridley (2009) described literature review as the part of the thesis where there is extensive reference to related research and theory; it is where connections are made between the source texts and the research among these sources. It also refers to the process involved in creating the review that appears in the thesis. The changing media environment The mainstream print and broadcast media have faced major challenges in recent years, with many newspaper titles facing closure and television channels facing shortfalls in revenue. An important reason for this has been migration of significant amount of advertising budgets to online channels. Research by Forrester Jennings (2007) has indicated that audiences and attention is shifting to online channels as 52 per cent of Europeans are regularly online at home. Around 36 per cent of European internet users watch less TV, 28 per cent have reduced their newspaper and magazine reading and 17 per cent have decreased listening to the radios since going online. This shift away from conventional media has been further exacerbated by the recession from 2008 which led many advertisers to cut their budgets, resulting in print and broadcast media receiving a diminishing share of the declining total budget (Jennings, 2007). Online advertising has been the beneficiary of recent changes in the allo cation of advertising budgets, but this general shift hides a number of different formats for communicating with target audience, ranging from mass appeal banner ads placed on frequently visited websites, through to personalised e-mail campaigns in which the message can be uniquely tailored to the requirements of individual target buyers. Social media can be characterised as â€Å"online applications, platforms and media which aim to facilitate interactions, collaborations and the sharing of content† (Universal Maccann International, 2008, p.10). the importance of social network media lies in the interaction between consumers and the community, and in the facilitation of asynchronous, immediate, interactive, low-cost communication† (Miller et al, 2009, p. 306). Social network sites allow individuals to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system; to articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and to â€Å"view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system† (Boyd and Ellison, 2007, p. 211). On larger social network sites a connection, individuals are typically not looking to meet new people but are more interested in managing relationships by maintaining contacts with old friends who are already part of the extended so cial network (Boyd and Ellison, 2007; Hart et al, 2008). To sum up, social network sites can be seen as alternative communication tools which support existing relationships and activities in a fun and colourful way that can enrich the users experience (Ofcom, 2008). Many social network websites have emerged; attracting distinctive groups on users in terms of their demographics, for example the average age of users of Bebo is lower than for Facebook. Many appeal to communities with specific shared interests. In addition to consumers-oriented social network sites, many professional and trade associations have set up networks to exchange information of particular interest to member, for example the social networking site â€Å"LinkedIn† is particularly aimed at professionals. There is now lot of evidence that social network sites have become mainstream and it has been reported that globally, these sites account for one in every 11 minutes spent online. In the UK, this figure is even higher one in every six minutes (Neilson Company, 2009). Over half (54 per cent) of internet users between 16 and 24 have set up their own page or profile on a social networking site (Ofcom, 2008). The take up of online social media has been at the expense of traditional media, and a study by Ofcom of the media habits of UK 15-24 year olds shows that since using such media for the first time, the amount of time spent reading national newspapers declined by 27 per cent; reading local newspaper by 22 per cent; reading magazines by 21 per cent; listening radio by 15 per cent and watching TV by 13 per cent (Ofcom, 2006). Online social media offers opportunities to connect these hard-to-reach audiences drifting away from traditional media. Social Network Marketing Marketers need to be where their customers and potential customers are, and increasingly this is on social networking sites. Most of their marketers have started using social networks to market their businesses and to gain financial freedom. It also markets and then offers the product or service to the relevant audience and provides significant benefits using the dialogues and personal connections and to gain a wider audience for the product, but according to Scott (2007, p.229), ‘marketing on these sites can be tricky because the online community at social networking sites hates open commercial messages. There are abundant amount of active users across sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Hi5; 2.6 billion minutes are spent on Facebook each day (Shih 2009). Social networking has become a rapidly growing global phenomenon spreading across the world. According to Chaffey and Smith (2008) well-run communities on the social networks strengthen relationships, trust and loyalty, as well as maintaining brand awareness in the minds of the community members. Communities also allow a unique opportunity to stay close to customers, their concerns, their worries and their desires. Despite these benefits, building an active community can be time consuming and difficult though cheap. Careful moderation and seeding of topics from a subject expert may be required. An alternative approach is to link up to an established community that has greater independence. Either way social networks are the part of the dynamic dialogue and dynamic opportunities that todays marketer enjoy. Social network networking has many advantages which makes it an interesting and a useful marketing tool for any business. This tool is cheap compared to other methods of advertising, when it comes to costing to reach the target audience. Another advantage is that it is easy to record and review any marketing campaign which makes it easier to analyse the changes that need to be made in service or products. But when we look at the negative side of it, social network marketing has got some disadvantages as well. According to Shih (2009), the biggest drawback of social network marketing is that the business could be the main targets for the detractors and their criticism which would make people who are interested in the business turn off by reading the negative comments. Some of the common disadvantages of social networks are security and safety of the business, violation of copyrights, vulnerable to thefts and scams. (Sethi and Adhikari, 2010) In general, the problem with the social networks is they need frequent updating and it is time consuming as well. Branding on Social Networks Social networking sites offer brands many opportunities for engagement. When brand profiles are created, the brands can exist as â€Å"people† on the sites. Friends can interact with the brands, share information, photos, and videos, and participate in two-way communication. The brand as person enhances the ability of a brand to use conversation marketing. Building a brand persona strengthens brand personality, differentiates brands from competitors, and sets the stage for a perceived relationship. Assuming the brands persona is likable and credible, it can facilitate message internalisation (the process by which a consumer adopts a brand belief as his or her own). (Tuten, 2008) Why would a person â€Å"friend† a brand? There are lots of incentives for friending brands, as explained in the Never Ending Friending report. These include incentive-driven motives like getting invitations to upcoming events, receiving information on sales and special offers and relationship-oriented motives such as a desire to support the company because it offers high quality products, to associate with the brand and its image, and to respond to a friends recommendation about the brand. The value proposition is already in place. (Clifton, 2009) Ultimately, branding on social networking sites promotes brand awareness, brand recall, and, if done well, builds on brand loyalty and brand equity. Social networks offers opportunities for brand promotion and engagement for those brands that learn to leverage the unique attributes of network in question. (Clifton, 2009) However, social networking is not without its flaws. Advertising, even when developed and distributed in superlative online venues, still suffers from the limitations facing all forms of advertising. Clutter is a tremendous distraction for people as they are faced with advertising in and on every imaginable media. Online readers are bombarded with sometimes numerous ads on a single page. With the many display ads, profile components, and widgets visible on social network pages, clutter is an issue. There is also limited inventory for advertising space on the sites. (Tuten, 2008) Social networks offer the greatest benefits to brands when the brands play to a networks culture, developing brand personas and engaging friends in dialogue. However, the workhorse of social network advertising is still the display ad. Unfortunately, display ads are not nearly as effective on social networking sites as they are on other types of websites. Clickthrough rates are much lower. (Clifton, 2009) Marketing in Post Modernism world Postmodernism invites a unique perspective of how to manage marketing and how to understand the consumer. Postmodernism says that social experiences are an interplay of myths which produce regimes of truth and that much of what we understand or believe about the individual, self, freedom, structure and so on is arbitrary and short-lived, fleeting rather than essential and fixed. We need to change our views as the customer changes. â€Å"The main conditions of postmodernism marketing are hyper-reality, fragmentation, reversals of production and consumption, decentring of the subject, paradoxical juxtapositions (of opposites) and loss of commitment.† (Kotler, 2009, p. 27) Ø Hyper-reality: Exemplified by the virtual words of cyberspace and the pseudo worlds of theme parks, hotels and heritage centres, hyper-reality involves the creation of consumption sites and marketing phenomena that ‘more real then real. Here the distinction between reality and fantasy is momentarily blurred. (Kienscherf, 2004) Ø Fragmentation: Marketing in postmodernity is unfailingly fast, furious, frenetic, frenzied, fleeting and hyperactive. (Kotler, 2009) Ø Reversals of production and consumption: Postmodern consumers are active in the production of meaning, of marketing, of consumption. They do rather than have ‘done to them. (Kotler, 2009) Ø Decentring of the subject: Centeredness is where individuals are defined by their occupation, social class, demographics, postcode, and personalities and so on. Postmodernism suggests that this is not so, and that the harder marketers try to pin down the decentred consuming subject the less successful they will be. Ø Paradoxical juxtapositions (of opposites): We have examples of the mixing and matching of opposites and the combination of contradictory styles in the world famous Irish dance show Riverdance or Lord of Rings. (Kienscherf, 2004) Ø Loss of commitment: Growing disillusionment with the delivery of promises and the willingness to try different experiences has resulted in a loss of commitment. The postmodern consumer takes on multiple, sometimes even contradictory projects, to which he/she is marginally and momentarily committed. This is observed in all walks of life: in relationships, in professions, and consumption. Marketing managers experience this when consumer loyalties to brands change. (Kotler, 2009) Customer Perception and satisfaction Customers perceptions of the quality of a service and their overall satisfaction have some observation indicators. Customers may smile when they talk about the product or service. They may say good things about the product or service. Both actions are manifestations or indicators of an underlying construct we might call customer satisfaction. The term customer satisfaction and perception of quality are labels we use to summarise a set of observable actions related to the product or service. (Hayes, 2008) The largest contributor to customer satisfaction, however, is something an organisation cant fully control; the customers perceptions. Whether theyre based in fantasy, fiction, or some other state of unreality, perceptions have the weight of fact. In the business of pleasing customers, perceptions are fact. Perceptions are also wildly inconsistent. Two different customers can consume the exact same product and have radically different perceptions about its quality. The differences may result from expectations each customer brought to the transaction, or they may simply result from varying powers of perception. Moreover, even one customer with consistent expectations might have varying perceptions about a products quality, depending on his or her mood, or stress level, the time of day, the alignment of the planets whatever. Its tempting to conclude that customer satisfaction is whatever the customer happens to think it is at any point in time. (Hayes, 2008) Customer Psychology and behaviour Apruebo (2005) defined consumer Psychology as the study that deals with the activities directly involved in selecting, obtaining, and using products, services and ideas to satisfy needs and desires, including decision process that precede and follow these actions. It is an applied branch of psychology on consumer behaviour. Consumer behaviour is the study of buying units and the exchange processes involved in acquiring, consuming, and disposing of goods, services, experiences and ideas. First and foremost, emerging definition refers to the concept â€Å"an exchange process,† as a fundamental element of consumer behaviour. A consumer is inevitably at one end of an exchange process in which resources are transferred between two parties. (Solomon, 2009) Consumer behaviour is an interesting field of study. Its nature is dynamic and an interactive process. All of us are consumers because our tendency or impulse can direct us to market our everyday purchase decisions in the marketplace or any shopping place. Summary The review also identifies the impact of social network marketing on businesses along with its advantages and the disadvantages. The literature review gives a greater understanding on the chosen topic set out in the aims and objectives, by the comparative study by different authors, and by highlighting areas of research that have not been fully explored. The information found enabled the researcher to come across different theories and ideas that need to be considered so as to proceed further into the research. The limitation that was faced while doing the literature review were that it was sometimes quite difficult to find the information on certain areas of subject as topic being very contemporary and not many books or journals being published on this topic. The upcoming section will be examining methodology, where the usage of different types of research will be discussed in order to gain appropriate and thorough information. Chapter four: Methodology Introduction to methodology The research methodology defines what the activity of research is, how to proceed, how to measure progress, and what constitutes success. It provides advancement of wealth of human knowledge, tools of the trade to carry out research, tools to look at things in life objectively; develops a critical and scientific attitude, disciplined thinking to observe objectively; skills of research particularly in the ‘age of information. According to Fisher (2007) methodology is the study of a whole academic field. It is a stepping-back from a subject and a consideration of it at a broader and deeper level. The research methodology is a science that studying how research is done scientifically. It is the way to systematically solve the research problem by logically adopting various steps. Also it defines the way in which the data are collected in a research project. Several different methods are commonly used in research project and it would vary according to the nature of the aim and objective, scope of the topic and thesis and the sources of data which are used. (Jankowicz, 2005) Triangulation Triangulation is the use of multiple methods; usually quantitative and qualitative research, in the study of the study of the same research problem. Triangulation is a complex methodology that usually requires a term of qualitative and quantitative researchers to maintain the integrity of both methodologies. The philosophical basis and assumptions for both quantitative and qualitative research must be maintained when these methodologies are combined, if the findings are to be meaningful. (Grove, 2005) Objective one: Analyse the impact of social network marketing on other businesses. Marketing managers from two organisations will be interviewed in order to justify the first objective which helped him to have a thorough knowledge of the impact of social network marketing on the businesses. They are very short personal interviews which will mainly offer realistic data which is much appropriate to obtain a detailed vision into the first objective, with the hopefulness of achieving first-hand knowledge or primary data. The questions which are designed will be same to all the marketing managers. The researcher was encouraged by the words of Fisher (2007) that the idea of an interview is straightforward, the interviewer engages in informal conversation with the respondent about a particular area of interest. The interviewer may steer the conversation a little, by picking up on the cues and themes raised by the respondent, but generally the respondent leads the direction of the interview. More comprehensive information can be obtained during an interview, however the co re strength of an interview cannot always be accurate as some interviewees may feel forced into providing better responses, but actually contributing prejudiced data. Some online articles, books and case studies will also be referred to elaborate the impacts of social networking marketing on the businesses. Objective two: Analyse the advantages and the disadvantages of the social network marketing in a business context. The mix of personal and the email interview will the method which will be relevant for second objective and will justify the same. It will be made sure that the format of the questions is simple, easy to understand, concised and precise so that the respondents are able to understand each one of it. There would be around 8 questionnaires in the interview with the mixture of closed and open questionnaire. The difference between closed and open questionnaire is simple. The closed ones have lots of tick boxes for respondents to fill in, whereas open questionnaires allow a free response so that people answer using their own words. (Long, 2007) The second objective which will analyse the advantages and disadvantages of the social network marketing, mix of secondary resources like books, internet, journals, case studies etc. may be helpful to the research and to get some elaborated information because some people may feel shy sharing the information during face-to-face interview and questionnaires and therefore giving a good backup to the objective. Objective three: Analyse the effectiveness of social network marketing. The third objective is to analyse the effectiveness of social network marketing so in order to obtain exceptional outcomes the researcher thinks that it is reasonable to procedure explanatory research, making a precise blend of interviews, statistical data and facts, books and various other methods. The researcher thinks that the information or data relevant to objective three is very limited and hence using a blend of interview, statistics, books etc. is very simple in the growth of knowledge to gain a better understanding. Fisher (2007) thinks that observation is relatively underused method in research hence it will be sensible thing to use this method as it provides good examples and information to illustrate the objective. Observation can be used as a technique to gather quantitative data, and quantitative data may be combined into a participant observation study as it is most commonly associated with qualitative research derived from an ethnographic tradition of studying different peoples way of life (Long, 2007). The researcher would be observing his workplace (Cumin Restaurant) to justify third objective as Facebook community page was made by the researcher so as to observe the effectiveness of the social network marketing. Summary This report has examined some insight into the theoretical outline that constructs the essentials of the methodology. It demonstrates and explains the choice and use of various research methods that are appropriate to the aims and objective of the research project chosen. It is a sound justification of chosen methods, including evidence of secondary data supporting the choice of methods. Alternative methods have been demonstrated confirming malfunction is not a possibility because of external restrictions and limitations. Some objectives are justified by a single method but there are some objectives which required more than one method to justify it. Chapter five: Findings Introduction to aim and objectives This is the largest and probably the most important part this research. This chapter gives an opportunity to discuss the research findings, based on the methods used that were already been discussed in the methodology. These findings are derived from the analyses of statistical data and interviews used for research collection and the measurement of data. Important points of this chapter are linked back to principle ideas in the Literature Review with the evidence obtained in the research. Aim To analyse how social network marketing can help in the effective marketing of a business. Objectives Following are the objectives of the report: Analyse the impact of social network marketing on other businesses. Analyse the advantages and the disadvantages of the social network marketing in a business context. Analyse the effectiveness of social network marketing. Findings from Personal Interview Mr. Sandeep Anand Owner, Manager, The Cumin Restaurant, Nottingham 1. Do you or your business have a profile on any social network? Which? Sandeep: Yes I had a personal profile on Facebook previously but as I came to know that now businesses can make their community page on it as well, I made my business profile. 2. How often do you update your profile? Sandeep:My web designer generally updates my business page which is usually updated once a week. 3. Did it make any difference to your business? Sandeep: Not really at the moment, because the profile is quite new, not many people know that we are in Facebook but I hope as the time passes we will get some customer through it. In my knowledge I have got three costumers giving reference from Facebook. 4. Did anybody recommend you to have a profile on social network? Sandeep: Yes, my web designer recommended me to have one, which I thought is a good idea. 5. If no, then what made you join? 6. Have you identified any business advantage of using Facebook over traditional media? Sandeep:The biggest advantage of using Facebook is there are good choices which you can make according to your budget and if you are not interested to spend any money just make a profile page and dont publish it. But you have to put extra effort to make it more effective. 7. What are the drawbacks of social networks to the business? Sandeep:I have seen some business which has got negative comments which can be viewed by all viewers which is not good for the business. So I think privacy and security is the biggest drawback. 8. Would you recommend anyone to have a business profile on social networks? Why? Sandeep: Yes definitely, because it gives you an edge over other businesses with very little cost and is more effective than the traditional forms of advertising if used effectively. I will highly recommend to the small and medium businesses which are coming into this sector as a fresher with a minimal budget. Findings from Email Interview Ms. Srijana Gurung Restaurant Supervisor (Chino Latino)/Duty Manager, Park Plaza, Nottingham A same set of questions was sent to Ms. Srijana Gurung who is a Restaurant Supervisor and a duty manager in Park Plaza Hotel in Nottingham. Answer 1: Yes I have a personal profile and a profile for my hotels restaurant Chino Latino. My hotel gave me liberty to make a profile page for their restaurant as it is good for their hotels business and for their restaurant as well. Answer 2: I go on to the profile daily just to have a look and to make necessary updates for eg. I introduced a new staff uniform for my restaurants staff, so I have put the pictures of it. Answer 3: Fan following and liking has gained good publicity of our restaurant but we havent measured any difference but I hope it goes well in the future. Answer 4: No, nobody recommended me. Answer 5: It is one of the most upcoming trends of having a profile on the Facebook and in this post recessionary period many businesses have made their pages on Facebook and results are very positive. So I thought of having one for my restaurant. Answer 6: Yes, I am sure there are many advantages of social network marketing over traditional media. They are very cheap, cost efficient, easy to manage and operate and the bst one is they are very contemporary. Answer 7: They take time to show results. There is very less privacy. Anybody can have their profile page on these social networks and even fake profiles can be made and some of these fake profile. Answer 8: Yes absolutely, they are here for us to use and to use efficiently and as they are very cheap they are very affordable but has to be managed properly and updated regularly. But do maintain the businesss privacy level so as to protect from spam and fraud. Statistical Data (Econsultancy, 2010) * Facebookclaimsthat 50% of active users log into the site each day. This would meanat least 175 million users every 24 hours†¦ A considerable increase from the previous 120 million. * Twitternow has75 million user accounts. * LinkedInhas over50 million members worldwide.This means an increase of around 1million members each month since July/August last year. * Facebook currently has in excess of350 million active users on global basis.Six months ago, this was 250 million†¦ meaning around a 40% increase of users in less than half a year. * More than 35 million Facebook users update their status each day. * Wikipediacurrentlyhas in excess of14 million articles, meaning that its 85,000 contributors have written nearly a million new posts in six months. * Photo uploads to Facebook haveincreased by more than 100%.Currently, there are around2.5 billionuploads to the site each month this was around a billion last time I covered this. * There are more than70 translations availableon Facebook. Last time around, this was only 50. * Back in 2009, the average user had 120 friends within Facebook. This is now around 130. * Mobile is even bigger than before for Facebook, withmore than65 million users accessing the site through mobile-based devices.In six months, this is over 100% increase. (Previously Benefits of Social Network Marketing for the Business Benefits of Social Network Marketing for the Business Chapter One Introduction For some marketing managers, the twenty-first century may appear a very strange place indeed. Much of that strangeness comes from the ‘electronification of traditional marketing practices. OConnor et al (2004) said that direct and database marketing might be fairly well understood, but what about the concepts such as social network marketing. This is one of the latest tools available to todays marketing managers. The most popular social network marketing tools are Facebook, Twitter, My Space, LinkedIn, etc., but there are some other different social network marketing methods like blogs, e-mail marketing, video promotion on YouTube and many more. In truth, the migration from traditional marketing to internet marketing is part of a process that has taken place over the past decade. But what is Social network marketing and how it is different from ordinary marketing, advantages and disadvantages of social networking, its impact on other businesses has been researched in this disse rtation. Aim To analyse how social network marketing can help in the effective marketing of a business Objectives Analyse the impact of social network marketing on other businesses. Analyse the advantages and the disadvantages of the social network marketing in a business context. Analyse the effectiveness of social network marketing. Chapter two Research Background The Cumin Restaurant The Anand family have a long and successful history of catering, originating from their home in Nairobi, Kenya. They came to the UK in 1975 and have been in the catering business ever since. Their first restaurant in the UK was The Brilliant, followed by Madhus, both in Middlesex. These were followed by Curry Craze in Wembley, Curry Special in Ilford and Curry Fever in Leicester, all of which are still very successful today. The restaurant capacity is 74 cover over two floors 20 on the ground floor and 54 on the first floor. Being in the city centre, they are also an ideal place to hold business meetings or lunches. (The Cumin Restaurant online, 2011) Chino Latino, Park Plaza Their central Nottingham hotel features Chino Latino, the multi award-winning, on-site restaurant.Chino Latino serves fresh, gourmet Pan-Asian cuisine and Latin-inspired cocktails in a relaxed, modern atmosphere. One of the top Nottingham restaurants, Chino Latino offers a fantastic choice of a la carte, set, tasting and bento box menus. The bar offers an array of exciting cocktails, bottled beers and bar platters in a distinctively Latin atmosphere. Chapter three: Literature Review Introduction A literature review is a survey and discussion of the literature in a given area of study. It is a concise overview of what has been studied, argued, and established about a topic, and it is usually organised chronologically or thematically. A literature review is written in essay format. It is not a commented bibliography, because it groups related works together and discusses trends and developments rather than focusing on one item at a time. It is not a summary; rather, it evaluates previous and current research in regard to how relevant and/or useful it is and how it relates to your own research. (University of Toronto Online, 02.12.2009) Ridley (2009) described literature review as the part of the thesis where there is extensive reference to related research and theory; it is where connections are made between the source texts and the research among these sources. It also refers to the process involved in creating the review that appears in the thesis. The changing media environment The mainstream print and broadcast media have faced major challenges in recent years, with many newspaper titles facing closure and television channels facing shortfalls in revenue. An important reason for this has been migration of significant amount of advertising budgets to online channels. Research by Forrester Jennings (2007) has indicated that audiences and attention is shifting to online channels as 52 per cent of Europeans are regularly online at home. Around 36 per cent of European internet users watch less TV, 28 per cent have reduced their newspaper and magazine reading and 17 per cent have decreased listening to the radios since going online. This shift away from conventional media has been further exacerbated by the recession from 2008 which led many advertisers to cut their budgets, resulting in print and broadcast media receiving a diminishing share of the declining total budget (Jennings, 2007). Online advertising has been the beneficiary of recent changes in the allo cation of advertising budgets, but this general shift hides a number of different formats for communicating with target audience, ranging from mass appeal banner ads placed on frequently visited websites, through to personalised e-mail campaigns in which the message can be uniquely tailored to the requirements of individual target buyers. Social media can be characterised as â€Å"online applications, platforms and media which aim to facilitate interactions, collaborations and the sharing of content† (Universal Maccann International, 2008, p.10). the importance of social network media lies in the interaction between consumers and the community, and in the facilitation of asynchronous, immediate, interactive, low-cost communication† (Miller et al, 2009, p. 306). Social network sites allow individuals to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system; to articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and to â€Å"view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system† (Boyd and Ellison, 2007, p. 211). On larger social network sites a connection, individuals are typically not looking to meet new people but are more interested in managing relationships by maintaining contacts with old friends who are already part of the extended so cial network (Boyd and Ellison, 2007; Hart et al, 2008). To sum up, social network sites can be seen as alternative communication tools which support existing relationships and activities in a fun and colourful way that can enrich the users experience (Ofcom, 2008). Many social network websites have emerged; attracting distinctive groups on users in terms of their demographics, for example the average age of users of Bebo is lower than for Facebook. Many appeal to communities with specific shared interests. In addition to consumers-oriented social network sites, many professional and trade associations have set up networks to exchange information of particular interest to member, for example the social networking site â€Å"LinkedIn† is particularly aimed at professionals. There is now lot of evidence that social network sites have become mainstream and it has been reported that globally, these sites account for one in every 11 minutes spent online. In the UK, this figure is even higher one in every six minutes (Neilson Company, 2009). Over half (54 per cent) of internet users between 16 and 24 have set up their own page or profile on a social networking site (Ofcom, 2008). The take up of online social media has been at the expense of traditional media, and a study by Ofcom of the media habits of UK 15-24 year olds shows that since using such media for the first time, the amount of time spent reading national newspapers declined by 27 per cent; reading local newspaper by 22 per cent; reading magazines by 21 per cent; listening radio by 15 per cent and watching TV by 13 per cent (Ofcom, 2006). Online social media offers opportunities to connect these hard-to-reach audiences drifting away from traditional media. Social Network Marketing Marketers need to be where their customers and potential customers are, and increasingly this is on social networking sites. Most of their marketers have started using social networks to market their businesses and to gain financial freedom. It also markets and then offers the product or service to the relevant audience and provides significant benefits using the dialogues and personal connections and to gain a wider audience for the product, but according to Scott (2007, p.229), ‘marketing on these sites can be tricky because the online community at social networking sites hates open commercial messages. There are abundant amount of active users across sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Hi5; 2.6 billion minutes are spent on Facebook each day (Shih 2009). Social networking has become a rapidly growing global phenomenon spreading across the world. According to Chaffey and Smith (2008) well-run communities on the social networks strengthen relationships, trust and loyalty, as well as maintaining brand awareness in the minds of the community members. Communities also allow a unique opportunity to stay close to customers, their concerns, their worries and their desires. Despite these benefits, building an active community can be time consuming and difficult though cheap. Careful moderation and seeding of topics from a subject expert may be required. An alternative approach is to link up to an established community that has greater independence. Either way social networks are the part of the dynamic dialogue and dynamic opportunities that todays marketer enjoy. Social network networking has many advantages which makes it an interesting and a useful marketing tool for any business. This tool is cheap compared to other methods of advertising, when it comes to costing to reach the target audience. Another advantage is that it is easy to record and review any marketing campaign which makes it easier to analyse the changes that need to be made in service or products. But when we look at the negative side of it, social network marketing has got some disadvantages as well. According to Shih (2009), the biggest drawback of social network marketing is that the business could be the main targets for the detractors and their criticism which would make people who are interested in the business turn off by reading the negative comments. Some of the common disadvantages of social networks are security and safety of the business, violation of copyrights, vulnerable to thefts and scams. (Sethi and Adhikari, 2010) In general, the problem with the social networks is they need frequent updating and it is time consuming as well. Branding on Social Networks Social networking sites offer brands many opportunities for engagement. When brand profiles are created, the brands can exist as â€Å"people† on the sites. Friends can interact with the brands, share information, photos, and videos, and participate in two-way communication. The brand as person enhances the ability of a brand to use conversation marketing. Building a brand persona strengthens brand personality, differentiates brands from competitors, and sets the stage for a perceived relationship. Assuming the brands persona is likable and credible, it can facilitate message internalisation (the process by which a consumer adopts a brand belief as his or her own). (Tuten, 2008) Why would a person â€Å"friend† a brand? There are lots of incentives for friending brands, as explained in the Never Ending Friending report. These include incentive-driven motives like getting invitations to upcoming events, receiving information on sales and special offers and relationship-oriented motives such as a desire to support the company because it offers high quality products, to associate with the brand and its image, and to respond to a friends recommendation about the brand. The value proposition is already in place. (Clifton, 2009) Ultimately, branding on social networking sites promotes brand awareness, brand recall, and, if done well, builds on brand loyalty and brand equity. Social networks offers opportunities for brand promotion and engagement for those brands that learn to leverage the unique attributes of network in question. (Clifton, 2009) However, social networking is not without its flaws. Advertising, even when developed and distributed in superlative online venues, still suffers from the limitations facing all forms of advertising. Clutter is a tremendous distraction for people as they are faced with advertising in and on every imaginable media. Online readers are bombarded with sometimes numerous ads on a single page. With the many display ads, profile components, and widgets visible on social network pages, clutter is an issue. There is also limited inventory for advertising space on the sites. (Tuten, 2008) Social networks offer the greatest benefits to brands when the brands play to a networks culture, developing brand personas and engaging friends in dialogue. However, the workhorse of social network advertising is still the display ad. Unfortunately, display ads are not nearly as effective on social networking sites as they are on other types of websites. Clickthrough rates are much lower. (Clifton, 2009) Marketing in Post Modernism world Postmodernism invites a unique perspective of how to manage marketing and how to understand the consumer. Postmodernism says that social experiences are an interplay of myths which produce regimes of truth and that much of what we understand or believe about the individual, self, freedom, structure and so on is arbitrary and short-lived, fleeting rather than essential and fixed. We need to change our views as the customer changes. â€Å"The main conditions of postmodernism marketing are hyper-reality, fragmentation, reversals of production and consumption, decentring of the subject, paradoxical juxtapositions (of opposites) and loss of commitment.† (Kotler, 2009, p. 27) Ø Hyper-reality: Exemplified by the virtual words of cyberspace and the pseudo worlds of theme parks, hotels and heritage centres, hyper-reality involves the creation of consumption sites and marketing phenomena that ‘more real then real. Here the distinction between reality and fantasy is momentarily blurred. (Kienscherf, 2004) Ø Fragmentation: Marketing in postmodernity is unfailingly fast, furious, frenetic, frenzied, fleeting and hyperactive. (Kotler, 2009) Ø Reversals of production and consumption: Postmodern consumers are active in the production of meaning, of marketing, of consumption. They do rather than have ‘done to them. (Kotler, 2009) Ø Decentring of the subject: Centeredness is where individuals are defined by their occupation, social class, demographics, postcode, and personalities and so on. Postmodernism suggests that this is not so, and that the harder marketers try to pin down the decentred consuming subject the less successful they will be. Ø Paradoxical juxtapositions (of opposites): We have examples of the mixing and matching of opposites and the combination of contradictory styles in the world famous Irish dance show Riverdance or Lord of Rings. (Kienscherf, 2004) Ø Loss of commitment: Growing disillusionment with the delivery of promises and the willingness to try different experiences has resulted in a loss of commitment. The postmodern consumer takes on multiple, sometimes even contradictory projects, to which he/she is marginally and momentarily committed. This is observed in all walks of life: in relationships, in professions, and consumption. Marketing managers experience this when consumer loyalties to brands change. (Kotler, 2009) Customer Perception and satisfaction Customers perceptions of the quality of a service and their overall satisfaction have some observation indicators. Customers may smile when they talk about the product or service. They may say good things about the product or service. Both actions are manifestations or indicators of an underlying construct we might call customer satisfaction. The term customer satisfaction and perception of quality are labels we use to summarise a set of observable actions related to the product or service. (Hayes, 2008) The largest contributor to customer satisfaction, however, is something an organisation cant fully control; the customers perceptions. Whether theyre based in fantasy, fiction, or some other state of unreality, perceptions have the weight of fact. In the business of pleasing customers, perceptions are fact. Perceptions are also wildly inconsistent. Two different customers can consume the exact same product and have radically different perceptions about its quality. The differences may result from expectations each customer brought to the transaction, or they may simply result from varying powers of perception. Moreover, even one customer with consistent expectations might have varying perceptions about a products quality, depending on his or her mood, or stress level, the time of day, the alignment of the planets whatever. Its tempting to conclude that customer satisfaction is whatever the customer happens to think it is at any point in time. (Hayes, 2008) Customer Psychology and behaviour Apruebo (2005) defined consumer Psychology as the study that deals with the activities directly involved in selecting, obtaining, and using products, services and ideas to satisfy needs and desires, including decision process that precede and follow these actions. It is an applied branch of psychology on consumer behaviour. Consumer behaviour is the study of buying units and the exchange processes involved in acquiring, consuming, and disposing of goods, services, experiences and ideas. First and foremost, emerging definition refers to the concept â€Å"an exchange process,† as a fundamental element of consumer behaviour. A consumer is inevitably at one end of an exchange process in which resources are transferred between two parties. (Solomon, 2009) Consumer behaviour is an interesting field of study. Its nature is dynamic and an interactive process. All of us are consumers because our tendency or impulse can direct us to market our everyday purchase decisions in the marketplace or any shopping place. Summary The review also identifies the impact of social network marketing on businesses along with its advantages and the disadvantages. The literature review gives a greater understanding on the chosen topic set out in the aims and objectives, by the comparative study by different authors, and by highlighting areas of research that have not been fully explored. The information found enabled the researcher to come across different theories and ideas that need to be considered so as to proceed further into the research. The limitation that was faced while doing the literature review were that it was sometimes quite difficult to find the information on certain areas of subject as topic being very contemporary and not many books or journals being published on this topic. The upcoming section will be examining methodology, where the usage of different types of research will be discussed in order to gain appropriate and thorough information. Chapter four: Methodology Introduction to methodology The research methodology defines what the activity of research is, how to proceed, how to measure progress, and what constitutes success. It provides advancement of wealth of human knowledge, tools of the trade to carry out research, tools to look at things in life objectively; develops a critical and scientific attitude, disciplined thinking to observe objectively; skills of research particularly in the ‘age of information. According to Fisher (2007) methodology is the study of a whole academic field. It is a stepping-back from a subject and a consideration of it at a broader and deeper level. The research methodology is a science that studying how research is done scientifically. It is the way to systematically solve the research problem by logically adopting various steps. Also it defines the way in which the data are collected in a research project. Several different methods are commonly used in research project and it would vary according to the nature of the aim and objective, scope of the topic and thesis and the sources of data which are used. (Jankowicz, 2005) Triangulation Triangulation is the use of multiple methods; usually quantitative and qualitative research, in the study of the study of the same research problem. Triangulation is a complex methodology that usually requires a term of qualitative and quantitative researchers to maintain the integrity of both methodologies. The philosophical basis and assumptions for both quantitative and qualitative research must be maintained when these methodologies are combined, if the findings are to be meaningful. (Grove, 2005) Objective one: Analyse the impact of social network marketing on other businesses. Marketing managers from two organisations will be interviewed in order to justify the first objective which helped him to have a thorough knowledge of the impact of social network marketing on the businesses. They are very short personal interviews which will mainly offer realistic data which is much appropriate to obtain a detailed vision into the first objective, with the hopefulness of achieving first-hand knowledge or primary data. The questions which are designed will be same to all the marketing managers. The researcher was encouraged by the words of Fisher (2007) that the idea of an interview is straightforward, the interviewer engages in informal conversation with the respondent about a particular area of interest. The interviewer may steer the conversation a little, by picking up on the cues and themes raised by the respondent, but generally the respondent leads the direction of the interview. More comprehensive information can be obtained during an interview, however the co re strength of an interview cannot always be accurate as some interviewees may feel forced into providing better responses, but actually contributing prejudiced data. Some online articles, books and case studies will also be referred to elaborate the impacts of social networking marketing on the businesses. Objective two: Analyse the advantages and the disadvantages of the social network marketing in a business context. The mix of personal and the email interview will the method which will be relevant for second objective and will justify the same. It will be made sure that the format of the questions is simple, easy to understand, concised and precise so that the respondents are able to understand each one of it. There would be around 8 questionnaires in the interview with the mixture of closed and open questionnaire. The difference between closed and open questionnaire is simple. The closed ones have lots of tick boxes for respondents to fill in, whereas open questionnaires allow a free response so that people answer using their own words. (Long, 2007) The second objective which will analyse the advantages and disadvantages of the social network marketing, mix of secondary resources like books, internet, journals, case studies etc. may be helpful to the research and to get some elaborated information because some people may feel shy sharing the information during face-to-face interview and questionnaires and therefore giving a good backup to the objective. Objective three: Analyse the effectiveness of social network marketing. The third objective is to analyse the effectiveness of social network marketing so in order to obtain exceptional outcomes the researcher thinks that it is reasonable to procedure explanatory research, making a precise blend of interviews, statistical data and facts, books and various other methods. The researcher thinks that the information or data relevant to objective three is very limited and hence using a blend of interview, statistics, books etc. is very simple in the growth of knowledge to gain a better understanding. Fisher (2007) thinks that observation is relatively underused method in research hence it will be sensible thing to use this method as it provides good examples and information to illustrate the objective. Observation can be used as a technique to gather quantitative data, and quantitative data may be combined into a participant observation study as it is most commonly associated with qualitative research derived from an ethnographic tradition of studying different peoples way of life (Long, 2007). The researcher would be observing his workplace (Cumin Restaurant) to justify third objective as Facebook community page was made by the researcher so as to observe the effectiveness of the social network marketing. Summary This report has examined some insight into the theoretical outline that constructs the essentials of the methodology. It demonstrates and explains the choice and use of various research methods that are appropriate to the aims and objective of the research project chosen. It is a sound justification of chosen methods, including evidence of secondary data supporting the choice of methods. Alternative methods have been demonstrated confirming malfunction is not a possibility because of external restrictions and limitations. Some objectives are justified by a single method but there are some objectives which required more than one method to justify it. Chapter five: Findings Introduction to aim and objectives This is the largest and probably the most important part this research. This chapter gives an opportunity to discuss the research findings, based on the methods used that were already been discussed in the methodology. These findings are derived from the analyses of statistical data and interviews used for research collection and the measurement of data. Important points of this chapter are linked back to principle ideas in the Literature Review with the evidence obtained in the research. Aim To analyse how social network marketing can help in the effective marketing of a business. Objectives Following are the objectives of the report: Analyse the impact of social network marketing on other businesses. Analyse the advantages and the disadvantages of the social network marketing in a business context. Analyse the effectiveness of social network marketing. Findings from Personal Interview Mr. Sandeep Anand Owner, Manager, The Cumin Restaurant, Nottingham 1. Do you or your business have a profile on any social network? Which? Sandeep: Yes I had a personal profile on Facebook previously but as I came to know that now businesses can make their community page on it as well, I made my business profile. 2. How often do you update your profile? Sandeep:My web designer generally updates my business page which is usually updated once a week. 3. Did it make any difference to your business? Sandeep: Not really at the moment, because the profile is quite new, not many people know that we are in Facebook but I hope as the time passes we will get some customer through it. In my knowledge I have got three costumers giving reference from Facebook. 4. Did anybody recommend you to have a profile on social network? Sandeep: Yes, my web designer recommended me to have one, which I thought is a good idea. 5. If no, then what made you join? 6. Have you identified any business advantage of using Facebook over traditional media? Sandeep:The biggest advantage of using Facebook is there are good choices which you can make according to your budget and if you are not interested to spend any money just make a profile page and dont publish it. But you have to put extra effort to make it more effective. 7. What are the drawbacks of social networks to the business? Sandeep:I have seen some business which has got negative comments which can be viewed by all viewers which is not good for the business. So I think privacy and security is the biggest drawback. 8. Would you recommend anyone to have a business profile on social networks? Why? Sandeep: Yes definitely, because it gives you an edge over other businesses with very little cost and is more effective than the traditional forms of advertising if used effectively. I will highly recommend to the small and medium businesses which are coming into this sector as a fresher with a minimal budget. Findings from Email Interview Ms. Srijana Gurung Restaurant Supervisor (Chino Latino)/Duty Manager, Park Plaza, Nottingham A same set of questions was sent to Ms. Srijana Gurung who is a Restaurant Supervisor and a duty manager in Park Plaza Hotel in Nottingham. Answer 1: Yes I have a personal profile and a profile for my hotels restaurant Chino Latino. My hotel gave me liberty to make a profile page for their restaurant as it is good for their hotels business and for their restaurant as well. Answer 2: I go on to the profile daily just to have a look and to make necessary updates for eg. I introduced a new staff uniform for my restaurants staff, so I have put the pictures of it. Answer 3: Fan following and liking has gained good publicity of our restaurant but we havent measured any difference but I hope it goes well in the future. Answer 4: No, nobody recommended me. Answer 5: It is one of the most upcoming trends of having a profile on the Facebook and in this post recessionary period many businesses have made their pages on Facebook and results are very positive. So I thought of having one for my restaurant. Answer 6: Yes, I am sure there are many advantages of social network marketing over traditional media. They are very cheap, cost efficient, easy to manage and operate and the bst one is they are very contemporary. Answer 7: They take time to show results. There is very less privacy. Anybody can have their profile page on these social networks and even fake profiles can be made and some of these fake profile. Answer 8: Yes absolutely, they are here for us to use and to use efficiently and as they are very cheap they are very affordable but has to be managed properly and updated regularly. But do maintain the businesss privacy level so as to protect from spam and fraud. Statistical Data (Econsultancy, 2010) * Facebookclaimsthat 50% of active users log into the site each day. This would meanat least 175 million users every 24 hours†¦ A considerable increase from the previous 120 million. * Twitternow has75 million user accounts. * LinkedInhas over50 million members worldwide.This means an increase of around 1million members each month since July/August last year. * Facebook currently has in excess of350 million active users on global basis.Six months ago, this was 250 million†¦ meaning around a 40% increase of users in less than half a year. * More than 35 million Facebook users update their status each day. * Wikipediacurrentlyhas in excess of14 million articles, meaning that its 85,000 contributors have written nearly a million new posts in six months. * Photo uploads to Facebook haveincreased by more than 100%.Currently, there are around2.5 billionuploads to the site each month this was around a billion last time I covered this. * There are more than70 translations availableon Facebook. Last time around, this was only 50. * Back in 2009, the average user had 120 friends within Facebook. This is now around 130. * Mobile is even bigger than before for Facebook, withmore than65 million users accessing the site through mobile-based devices.In six months, this is over 100% increase. (Previously