International Trade and International Logistics

International trade and international Logistics The rapid expansion of trade liberalization and the growth of global capital markets and integration, information technology and the progressive development of communication technology, making the original messy market countries and regions gradually evolved into a unified global market.Worldwide production and management of multinational corporations or foreign trade enterprises in order to achieve competitive advantage, increase their profits, so they must adding their power within the scope of the global co-ordination of resources to arrange the logistics of its production activities. However, due to the consumers around the world have different needs, coupled with the longer distance of transportation and supply chain operations to expand making the world become increasingly complex logistically activating.So how to solve the contradiction between the global market growth and global diversity and global logistics supply and marketin g channels, this complexly problem has become an international trading activities of every company to force in solving it. The relationships between international logistics and international trade International logistics development together with the development of international trade; there is a very close relationship between them.To achieve international trade, the completion of goods from one country to another country and to the customer’s designated locations, these are the reason why we have to achieve international logistics Therefore, international logistics is not only to ensure the international trade, but also the supply of commodities cross the borders the borders to the needs of States. it is a physical flow process in space, in time, and entities The entire process of international logistics, including the exporting country's export goods leave the country, it has been entered into the importing country's border (Douglas C. Long 2003, P. 230).Before explaining the relationship between them, first we note by the definition, what is the international trade and modern logistics: International trade is technical exchange of goods and services between countries or regions, including both imports and exports, from a national point of view, this exchange activity is called the country's foreign trade, from the international frame of reference , The world's total foreign trade plus together constituted the international trade; About the logistics, according to the definition of Logistics Association American, logistics is a network of interconnected businesses involved in the ultimate provision of product and service packages required by end customers, spans all movement and storage of raw materials, work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point of origin to point of consumption.The following will specifically analyze the relationship between them. 1)International trade promotes the development of modern logistics It is basic prerequis ite of survival for modern logistics, also promote its international. And the International trade and modern logistics are two indispensable aspects of the world's development, international trade make the ownership of goods exchanged, and modern logistics are embodied in goods between countries or entities in the transfer of its domestic. They Promote each other, interdependence and mutual restraint each? Modern logistics is developing based on the modern international trade, Efficient operation of modern logistics also promoting the development of international trade, in this case, the international logistics have emerged, which has brought the logistics industryDevelopment opportunities and challenges 2) International Logistics is a necessary condition for international trade Worldwide community large-scale producing would inevitably lead to the different international division of labor, because of the increasing of the international division of labor getting refinement and speci alization, there must be a kind of international cooperation and exchange between countries, thus requires the conduction of international trade to adapted with international logistics, to deliver whatever overseas customers Need, transfers the goods to the destination according to the quality and quantity timely and by appropriate manner at low cost, by this way to improve their customers products in the international market even more competitiveness and expand the foreign trade,While also imported into the country needed equipment, supplies and other goods timely, efficient at low cost, to satisfied the people's livelihood, production, construction, science and technology and economic development needs in domestic 3)International Trade also promoting the Logistics to International Transnational business and international trade development, promoting the goods and information extensively exchange of a large number of flows in worldwide, international logistics became an Inevitable trend way of develop the international trade and world economic. On another hand, international trade is a prerequisite and infrastructure for the survival of international logistics, the Development of international trade determine the speed and scale of the development of international logistics, and now day’s international logistics became more scientific and reasonable, it’s also a beneficial protection of international trade development. International Trade brings new demands on logistics:With the rapid development of world economy and the performance of some new trends and characteristics in international trade, such big steps made the newer and higher demands on logistics. Quality requirements: The structure of international trade is undergoing some tremendous changes, Traditional primary products and raw materials and other trade goods gradually giving way to those high-value and precision machining products. Due to the high value-added, high-precision flow of goods increased, At the same time the diversity of demand in international trade, resulting in the logistics getting more variety, small batch, which requires international logistics developing To even more quality services and diversification. Efficiency requirementsThe concentrated expression of the international trade is entered into the contract and to perform it, but the Performance of international trade contract is to complete by the international logistics activities, Therefore it requested the logistics to carry out the contract more efficiency, Hence the management of logistics need to be more strengthen, According to international trade in different commodities, by Corresponding the giant cargo ship? Berths and large professional machinery transport equipment to Improving logistics more efficiency Safety requirements As the international division of labor and professional development of social production, Most of the goods are distributed and produced around worldwide, f or example, the U. S. brand Ford, a car production needs its raw materials, Spare parts in more than 30 manufacturers in 20 countries, products are sold to more than l00 countries and regions.The logistics involved in lot of countries, vast territory and in a long time transit, and also Great impact of climate conditions? Geographical conditions and other natural factors and also Politics, the workers strike events? war and other social, political or economic factors. therefore,we must pay a lot of attention to the climate conditions, geographical conditions even political situation, economic conditions, when organizing and selecting the transport routes and the mode of transport to passing through different regions in international logistics, To prevent the loss of goods caused by human factors and the irresistible forces of nature Economic requirementsThe characteristics of international trade, Determined the international logistics have lot of procedures and long period for Prepa ration and transportation. In the field of international logistics lower the transport and vehicle select costs is the best cost control solution for those international logistics companies. Improve the logistics economy, reduce logistics costs and guarantee the service quality, is an effective way to enhance competitiveness The efficiency and reliability of international logistics Logistics involved in a wide field, including material management in production areas, transportation, and the distribution and consumer services in Circulation areas.Rapid economic development in today's world is getting faster and faster, the developed countries are all constructing the new world economic structure by using the strategy of â€Å"economic globalization†, â€Å"information highway† and â€Å"international logistics network, † The growth rate of international trade even higher than the rate of world economy growth. Through the development of international trade, intern ational logistics could continuous improving and developing. Truth has proved that international logistics as a tool of international trade, countries must maximize broken down the geographical and national boundaries, in order to maximize the reduction of the cost of international logistics.On the other hand, international trade is a prerequisite for the survival of international logistics and infrastructure, international trade determine the speed and scale of the development of international logistics development, and the international logistics getting scientific and reasonable development is beneficial to secure the international trade? Logistics on the international role in promoting economic development on the expansion of multinational companies have to verify already. there are About 45,000 global multinational companies currently, their production and trade value has about 50% of world trade value, the tentacles They stretch to the global market is logistics industry. just in-time and zero inventory Became the corporate goal forever, the U. S. ogistics industry had establish an efficient supply chain already, some companies, such as Dell, the order from company confirmation to make the shipment of goods only 2-3 day,As the depth of modern logistics services, process length, the increasing breadth of coverage, to improve the production, supply, marketing, overall economic benefits of transport and promote the development of world economy and the role of trade is immeasurable, the Development of modern logistics brings three advantages to the International trade; That reduce the overall cost of international trade? Improve its competitiveness on the core business? Reduce investment in trade activities. conclusion he free trade, except brings benefits to both parties of the trade, also brings additionally positive impact on the existence of multiple Technological innovations of their own,As mankind enters the era of knowledge economy and trade liberaliz ation in the mainstream situation, in a static sense, the level of technological innovation in developing countries will affect their trade pattern, size and interests; in the dynamic sense, international trade will affect the overall technological level and economic growth, In fact, only from the terms of the relationship between international trade and technological innovation, they are interacting each other; but for most developing countries, International Trade and the impact of its technical innovation should be more specific and profound, Because of international trade-related technical innovation in developing countries shows the way and play its â€Å"advantages of late launch â€Å" Strategy and also a important means of bring them into the growth and take-off stage of economic. ? References: http://www. trade. gov/exportamerica/TechnicalAdvice/ta_tradelogist101. pdf TRADE LOGISTICS 101’[PDF], By William Corley. August 2002 EXPORT AMERICA http://en. wikipedia. org /wiki/Logistics. ‘International logistics ‘second edition 2006 By Donald F. Wood, ISBN: 0-8144-0666-1 Pg. 126 to Pg. 169. ‘International logistics: global supply chain management’ 2003  By Douglas C. Long 2003058808 Pg. 225 to Pg. 231

Personal experience at Real Estate Development and Investment Essay

It was either to be a blessing or cursing. I had just come from the university as a fresh graduate. Job insecurity is a thing that sends chills of tremor down the spine of each graduate. Thank goodness this never happened with me but a new challenge was ahead. The firm which I was operating was quite meticulous in its activities; was I to be their down fall as an omen of failure. No certainly I must work breath out of me to sustain or even improve if there was anything to improve. The workplace was the carrot to reward my personal and professional development or a cane to spank my etiquettes. This was what I was up to when I joined the Real Estate Development and Investment, in Chicago. In customer care office, there were new and old problems which were brought to our attention by the clients. This is when I recognized the question which was posed to me during the interview. The question was what I would do if the length of my tie varies interchangeably during the course of wearing it. Certainly here I was dealing with two anti-parallel problems brought forward by the clients. There were those who wanted new residential houses while there were those in pursuit of selling their houses. With time, I believed that my solid performance would improve. I remember the day a client came complaining we have delayed to find a potential buyer of her house. The lady was pugnant and cantankerous in her behavior. Not a single answer she would hear. I was perplexed because I was new and such an answer would only be averting from attending her problems. Certainly, customers are kings and should be attended to regardless on who first dealt with him/her. After all will s/he have to go home and wait till who attended him/her come? No this would be suicidal to the business. So here I was juxtaposed between a rock and a hard place. The information which I had acquainted myself with was the only arrow in the quiver. Now I had to give an answer for unfamiliar situations and conclusion on the problem raised by the client. To start with I answered that there was already a willing buyer but what he was offering was meager amount and thus we never saw the need to inform her. This was after realizing from her pass that the lady came from California. It was plausible that the house was in Chicago and not California and apparently the cheapest house was selling at $ 210,000. Therefore, by excusing the house was bargained at $ 110,000, the lady will accept that certainly this was cheap and not worth to inform her of such a buyer. Luckily, it turned that what I had said was the case although I had not dome an empirical enquiry on what had happened. Form this is learnt that it’s appropriate to give wrong information than no answer to the client as it would appear rude. Barely a week was not over and there was a crisis. The manager who assisted me to secure the placement at Real Estate Investment Development was linked to a corruption scandal in the organization. So bad for those were affiliated to him. The company decided to pay them prior to sacking them. I merely escaped the crack of whip which was lashing over the innocent and those assumed to be guilty. It was a hectic time trying to convince the management that I was not involved in the graft. Were it not for the quality work that I was delivering to the customers, I would have disappeared together with the rest. The customers complained bitterly of losing an agile and kindhearted official. Besides, everything I did was in accordance to the stipulated rules of the company. Other worker also considered me friendly and my latency was shown through teamwork. Jackson, whenever we meet considers that I came to replace him; therefore it was better not to have considered my request. However, we find ourselves laughing at the idea it was like a substitution reaction which we had earlier learnt in organic chemistry. The firm was behaving like alkanes; it functions by substituting what it previously had. The week days were exceptionally busy for me. I had to equip myself with the current changes in business trends. Changes that are inevitably setting in with advent of technologies were eyesore to the conservatives but an impetus to the radical. At lunch break, fifteen minutes I would spare to browse in the internet and peruse on books so as to keep abreast with changes taking place. My food I would take as if I was in a food eating competition. Two to three spoons were enough to summarize the heap of food lying before me. It was quite symbolical that for any firm to succeed must seize the opportunities as they come just as I was gulping at the food. In the afternoon long queues of people I would find awaiting me as if I was God and on mission to rescue them from Satan. In this case the Satan was financial issues. It was crystal clear that less time was required for each client and at the same time ensuring that a comprehensive and satisfactory answer is given. Most clients were eager to know the factors which they should put into consideration while investing in real estates. Though the factors appear to be obvious, I had to put them in a way they appear new to the client’s ear. To start with, I would give a preamble of what a good investment would include while enlisting the factors to consider. Through this short encounter with customers, there was what I would call ‘resonance transfer of information’. I would make sure the client and I resonate at the same frequency and phase. Anything beyond my scope I would simply seek the information over it for the customers. Real Estate Investment Development was like the components of the table salt how they complement each other. During the course of my internship, I was also experienced the leadership vacuum which arose after summary dismissal of my friend. Jackson even though he had a lot of wiles which led him to rub the management the wrong side; he had the potential to handle any difficulties which emerged. For example, there was no one who was directly responsible for the transactions of the business. The Real Investment Development was using other firms to do their advertisement and the profit leapt was divided according to the proportion of their contribution. The number of new customers dwindled since they feared joining a corporation where you don’t know who is really in control. Collective responsibility cannot fully be trusted since there vices such as sabotage still exist. Attempts to increase the number of directors only increased the cost of management and had little change if any. At Real Estate Investment Development, the number of ladies was more than the number of gentlemen. This though was not meant to be a problem turned out to be a problem. A competition arose among the ladies over men. The dressing code was the most affected. The skirts were shortened by quite a large number. Some were the length of a bow-tie and others were as transparent as a crystal. As if this was not the only problem, the shoes were irritating to the ears as they tried to attract the attention of the men. It was a wake up call of sort, trying to wake men from the cocoon of fleeing form ladies for lack of wooing words. The administration tried to address the problem of Lorita but this never changed the situation. Moreover, the number of absentees increased due to feministic issues which are inevitable. At first I thought the problem was not to affect me. My belief is that a seed needs decomposing materials to germinate. In this case, I was the germinating seed and the ladies the decomposing materials. In the office I was located at the corner at the desk and a lady was located opposite to my desk. This is where the drama started. The way she sat was embarrassing. Thighs ajar and a finger placidly put between the slit on her skimpy dress. This sometimes made my brain go blank as I found myself carried into nitty gritty of even knowing the weekly series of her knickers. This lass was quite provocative besides teasing her wanton eyes and leg theatrics as a seductress lady. At one time she made the boss to suspect there was a beef as she was mostly found reeling on my desk with her merely chest protruding forward. The last experience which I cannot forget was the amount of work. The work was quite exhausting. The number of clients attended to were quite many and the number of staff was a few. All days we were busy searching from the internet for information, replying some emails from clients or discussing with the clients in the office. Within a month my weigh had decreased by two kilograms the exact figure stipulated by physician for the AIDS sufferers. In fact I had to be examined to know my status.

Coffee Crisis Essay

Introduction Stephen Quinlan and Jose Gomez-Ibanez describes, in â€Å"The Coffee Crisis†, that in 2004 the governments of coffee producing countries were considering how to respond to rapid decline to coffee prices. In 2001, coffee prices hit a forty-year low, which resulted in extreme hardships for the local farming communities. On that note, this decline in coffee prices was considered â€Å"the coffee crisis. † The coffee crisis came to be thanks in part to coffees: overproduction, under-consumption and oligopoly market structure. International Nature and Structure. At best, coffee should be grown in an area with a warm climate and an abundance of rain. Coffee is centrally grown near the equator; however, it is primarily consumed in the northern hemisphere. It is traded in 60-kilo bags and the annual crop exceeded 100 million bags in recent years. â€Å"In 2003, for example, 101 million bags were produced of which roughly 95 million bags were consumed and the remaining 6 million added to storage in the hopes of fetching higher prices in later years†(Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, p. 1, 2004). Coffee is comes in two types: Arabica, which is milder in flavor, and Robusta, which is acidic. Robusta, which is grown in Asia and some countries in Africa, is easier to grow and is primarily used to make instant coffee, espresso and local consumption in the producing countries (Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, p. 2, 2004). Arabica, which is grown primarily Latin America makes up, historically, two-thirds of the coffee produced and is the longest to produce. The long production time begins with a two year period before the coffee seedling can bear fruit followed by several more years before reaching full production (Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, p. 2, 2004). Supply and Demand Analysis There was a rapid decrease in coffee consumption due to an increase in soft drink consumption. In the U. S. , it is estimated that coffee consumption fell from 36 gallons to 17 gallons per person and soft drinks increased from 23 to 53 gallons per person (Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, p. 2, 2004). As U. S. coffee consumption began to slow down in the 1990s, due in part to the increased liking to premium coffees thanks to Starbucks, Pete’s and other coffee chains, European coffee consumption increased along with other countries helping offset the U. S decline. Beginning in 1962, the International Coffee Organization (ICO), an association of coffee exporting and importing countries, managed the coffee market by negotiating exporting and import quotas to support target prices (Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, p. 3, 2004). The ICA collapsed in 1989 and this opened the door for non-traditional suppliers like Vietnam and traditional supplier Brazil. During this period, Brazil had always been the world’s largest coffee producer, growing Arabica by traditional labor-intensive methods in frost-prone areas (Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, p. 3, 2004). Since most Arabica coffee is grown on steep slopes, Brazilians utilized new plantations on leveled ground; developed new large-scale coffee plantations in less frost-prone areas, mechanical harvesters along with other cost-cutting devices to replace donkeys in how they produce coffee. Vietnam, who had never exported coffee before through government assistance, was able to build irrigation systems to help in the production of Robusta coffee beans (Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, p. 3, 2004). These beans produced in Vietnam had a poor quality, less flavorful and were processed at lower quality standards than traditional Arabica. Within a couple of years Vietnam had become a top supplier and was setting the price in which all other Robusta producers would have to compete. By the end of the decade, Vietnam had become the largest Robusta producer in the world, although its costs were rising as the rapid growth in the Vietnamese economy was increasing local income and wages (Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, p. 3, 2004). Market Structure The overall coffee market resembled that of an oligopoly, which is defined as â€Å"a market dominated by a few large producers of homogeneous or differentiated product. Because of how few exist, oligopolies had considerable control over their prices, but each must consider the possible reaction of rivals to its own pricing, output, and advertising decisions† (McConnell, Brue & Flynn, 2012, p. 223). Oligopolies are also characterized by barriers to market entry (McConnell, Brue & Flynn, 2012). Although there were many countries producing and exporting coffee, the market was largely dominated by a few countries (i. e. , Brazil, Colombia, and later on, Vietnam). Oligopoly, by its very nature, limits transparency in the market place. Within ten years this country grew from a relatively insignificant producer to the world second largest – ahead of Colombia (producing ~11 million bags accounting for 10% world export) but behind Brazil (producing ~35 million bags accounting for 35% world export) – producing well over 11 million bags annually and accounting for approximately 12% of world exports (CRB, 2006). Factor Markets From the ICA collapse bringing forth Vietnam’s entrance into the coffee market to the quality degradation, the coffee crisis affected more than just the market. With a drop in coffee prices, the farmers not being able to cover all of their costs so grower’s families many had to remove their kids in order to help out at the farm (Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, 2004). There was the merging of coffee blends and the experimentation of new ways of creating low quality coffee beans in an effort to meet demands. As a result many of the beans were of poor quality, which caused the coffees to taste cheap. Furthermore, such an increase in low-quality beans causes the price to drop in order to remain competitive (Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, p.3, 2004). Many major roasters experimented with technical advances in finding new ways to mask the bitterness of the acidic bean. They even went as far as combining Robusta and Arabica beans together. This line of production caused the price of coffee to decrease, which hurt many producers because the profits weren’t enough to cover most of their overhead (roughly 65-90 US cents per pound) (Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, Exhibit 6, 2004). This caused the quality of coffee to diminish because many roasters were using beans that should have been discarded. It also caused countries whose costs were high (Central America, Colombia and Mexico) with average or lower quality coffee to be in trouble (Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, 2004). Reference: Commodity Research Bureau (CRB). (2006). The CRB Commodity Yearbook 2006. [eBook] Retrieved from http://books. google. com/books? id=GmzxkvNhxnIC&printsec=frontcover McConnell, C. R. , Brue, S. L. , & Flynn, S. M. (2012). Wage Determination. Economics (19th ed. ), (pp92-114). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Quinlan, S. & Gomez-Ibanez, J. (2004). The Coffee Crisis. Capella University. McGraw-Hill.

The Position of Marketing Assistant Personal Statement - 8

The Position of Marketing Assistant - Personal Statement Example I have worked as marketing and salesperson at Long’s advertising company, China. I also worked as a salesperson for GZGB motor sales and services company, China. I strongly believe that my work experience from these two companies makes me the best candidate for the position. While at GZGB, I was recognized as the best salesperson of the month. I have the strong customer focus and I am also sociable, which are fundamental for every marketing professional to successfully execute his or her duties. Coupled with my hard work and determination, these traits have enabled to create innovative ideas for promotional activities, organize and manage events, and meet my sales targets. I have the ability to communicate efficiently, which also remains crucial for this position. Further, I have perfect computer skills, including email and internet, which are success determinants in marketing in the contemporary connected world where almost everything is virtually online. For more details, please see my curriculum vitae and other testimonials attached. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you for taking your time to review my application.

Understand a range of techniques to analyse data effectively for Essay

Understand a range of techniques to analyse data effectively for business purposes - Essay Example Mode can be applied by employees in knowing their salary scale. Mean can be applied by businesses to know the average cost of the employees’ salaries and it can be used to estimate the future costs. Mean can be used by employees to calculate the expected salary. Employees get an average salary of  £1248 Standard deviation is the measure of how numbers are spread out. In this case it shows how the salaries of employees are spread out. It shows how the salaries are different from the mean (Lind, Marchal & Wathen, 2010). A business may use quartile and percentile to make decisions. For instance, to set the prices of goods and services, they may also be applied in the setting of employees’ salaries. Correlation can also be applied in business decision making. Correlation is used to measure the linear relationship that is between two variables (Lind, Marchal & Wathen, 2010). If a relationship between the two variables is strong then altering one of the variables will affect the other variable. Thus a business is able to determine if it should change the variable and to what

Case study of Strategic Management - New Balance

Of Strategic Management - New Balance - Case Study Example SO strategies use a firm's internal strengths to take advantage of external opportunities. WO Strategies aim at improving internal weaknesses by taking advantage of external opportunities. ST Strategies use a firm's strengths to avoid or reduce the impact of external threats. WT Strategies are defensive tactics directed at reducing internal weaknesses and avoiding environmental threats." (David, 180-181) In order to understand the external environment of the Company it is important to undertake the PESTLE analysis, which is as follows: Political: Decrease in demand due to unstable political situation. Economic: Imposition of Tax or quota from the Government on the major players of market in order to avoid monopoly in the market. Socio-cultural: The population of U.S is getting more conscious about the problems related to health. Any product accused of effecting health of the people can lead to the loss of market share. Technological: Achievement of advanced technology by the competitors resulting in shape of economies to scale. Legal: Legal actions against the company as a result of disease due to the raw material production in unconventional manner. Environmental: The Company can face environmental threat because of the Agro-terrorism. New Balance currently maintains a well-qualified and teamwork-minded staff who is dedicated to innovation and excellence in workmanship. This is a significant resource for a business, which relies on domestic manufacturing facilities as a means of cost control. In many respects, the company maintains quality human resources focus which, in the event of excess capital availability, could drive high-quality, low-cost training to minimize complications with labor. Different manufacturing capabilities give them a...Opening the doors for public trading, as had previously been considered by ownership, would raise the capital required for a variety of projects and investments, both internal and external. Additionally, the company does not experience high media visibility, a crucial element of the entire New Balance philosophy for the general public. These issues are currently a threat to New Balance long-term stability in a business environment where competition is fierce and growth is obtainable. "The Threats-Opportunities-Weaknesses-Strengths (TOWS) Matrix is an important matching tool that helps managers develop four types of strategies: So Strategies, WO strategies, ST Strategies, and WT Strategies. New Balance currently maintains a well-qualified and teamwork-minded staff who is dedicated to innovation and excellence in workmanship. This is a significant resource for a business, which relies on domestic manufacturing facilities as a means of cost control. In many respects, the company maintains quality human resources focus which, in the event of excess capital availability, could drive high-quality, low-cost training to minimize complications with labor. Different manufacturing capabilities give them a modest competitive edge in terms of issues of supply chain, however this edge could potentially be lost in the event tha

Analysis of Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals by Kant Emmanuel Research Paper

Analysis of Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals by Kant Emmanuel and James W Ellington - Research Paper Example Time was of the essence as the woman’s condition continued to deteriorate despite the application of certain remedial measures. According to standard practice, the doctors required the assent of the next of kin in order to perform the dangerous experiment. After several futile attempts to contact the family members, the doctors decided to proceed with the abortion with the intention of rescuing the life of the mother. The operation went on successfully as the fetus was aborted. However, both the woman and her family members expressed their disappointment in the loss of the child and vowed to sue the doctors and the hospitals for what they deemed as professional negligence. Attempts by the hospital administration to explain the difficult situation in which the doctors found themselves failed to calm down the irate family members. According to their culture, abortion is a taboo and should not be performed under all circumstances. The family members implied that they would have p referred the woman to die in her own efforts to give birth rather than performing an abortion. The issue elicited sharp responses on both sides of the abortion debate. Much of the arguments were focused on the moral question of rescuing a mother in danger and the necessity of performing an abortion that led to the death of the child.  In the Grounding of Metaphysics of Morals, Emmanuel Kant expounds on his philosophical perspective on the principles of morality by providing specific frameworks about the nature of morality. Kant makes a significant effort in replacing the cultural assessment of moral principles by his alternative perspective that is grounded in logic (Kant and James 40). He seeks to provide critical tools for use in certifying certain actions as moral by basing them measuring them against consequences and motives. According to his position, actions can only be described as moral if indeed some specific moral laws motivated them.  

Seeking Treatment In Houston Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Seeking Treatment In Houston - Essay Example The center is ranked number 1 in cancer care by the U.S. News and World report. The center is also the best ranked in the number of grants and research, having invested more than $647 million in 2002 (M.D. Anderson 1). The M.D. Anderson Cancer Center receives as many inbound patients as outbound patients in its cancer center. An independent body dealing with international patients traveling to the M.D. Anderson is necessary to deal with the issue arising from medical tourism. The hospital needs to set up a center that welcomes international patients, while offering consultancy services from skilled personnel not directly related to the center so as to not compromise advice given to patients. The center should also have interpreters and people whose main duty is to find accommodation and to explain the different types of services that can be offered. Challenges of Medical Tourism One of the main challenges of medical tourism is language barriers. According to Hodges, Turner and Kimbal l (256) most of the patients who seek medical tourism in the United States come from less developed countries that do not use English as the main language. This causes problems in interaction between the patients and medical practitioners. According to a study reported from the Center for Studying Health System Change in 2010, almost 50% of American Doctors stated that language differences can be the reason for hampering high quality care (Reschovsky and Boukus 2). Without dealing with these problem, doctors may be unable to correctly identify the problem hence introduce an inappropriate cancer treatment method. Patient may also be unable to choose between the various treatments available as they do not fully understand the advice given by healthcare practitioners. International patients may also be faced with lack of full disclosure about all the possible treatment techniques from the doctors (Stolley and Watson 46). This may not be due to malice but due to lack of understanding of the patient capabilities or want. Doctors may also decide to choose a particular course of treatment for the patient without consulting the patient fully. Patients, especially those from poor countries, may lack enough knowledge about treatment techniques available thus following the advice they received from doctors in their home countries without fully appreciating the advanced systems of M.D Anderson Cancer Center. Another problem patients from abroad face is difficulty in managing resources especially finances (Stolley and Watson 126). Due to the time taken by cancer treatment courses, patients have to live temporarily in the United States. This means they have to find housing, food, utilities and other needs in a country that is foreign to them. Patients also have to contend with medical bills that range from treatment courses to medicine during this time. While the patient may have saved some money for the treatment, it is usually very likely that they undermine other expense s involved in living in a foreign country. A suitable solution for this problem has to be availed so as to ensure that the patient is able to smoothly maneuver during the cancer treatment period. With help in the management of finances, patients may drop

American Legal Regimes and Wealth Creation Term Paper - 1

American Legal Regimes and Wealth Creation - Term Paper Example Most historians described this as the conflict between labor and capital. The conflict that was filled with a lot of damage of properties escalated well into the 20th century and ended when the war started. By early 1900, the country was already filled up (Cohen 234). Major cities all over the state were packed with hundreds of thousands of poor American laborers who worked in deplorable conditions. Corruption during this period is considered the most escalating issues that brought all the problems that the country was facing. The progressive movement is considered to have been the solution to the problem that seemed to be driving the country way ward. It is hard to say that the movement fixed everything, however, remarkably little passed unchecked. The movement grew outside the government since none of the politicians was willing to support the economic and social change that the progressive movement brought. However, after pressure was applied b\y the movement the government finally decided to stand alongside the movement as it fought corruption out of the system. Most historians accredit the year 1896 as the period during which the progressive era began (Hayek 12). It is also viewed that most reforms that the movement had advocated for begun just before the country join t the war in 1917. However, even with is mind it is considered that most of the reforms begun way back during the colonial period although none of them had picked up until the modern era this being the 1900s. One cannot claim that all citizens and domestic workers have a fair playing field even now. It is also had to claim that the countries politics are free from corruption. Thus, it is considered that the movement that begun back in the late eighties lives on pushing for reforms and a corruption free political system (Cohen 234. During this era, which is most commonly

Major Art Styles of the 18th and 19th Centuries Essay

Major Art Styles of the 18th and 19th Centuries - Essay Example "Cupid a Captive', as with most Rococo paintings, appeals to our sense of escapism with the offer of a playful romp with delicate indulgence. In the late 18th century artists began to remove the fanciful trappings of Rococo and saw a return to a more formal style of painting referred to as Neoclassicism. In Jacques-Louis David's "Oath of the Horatii", we are presented with a more hardened subject with brighter colors and more contrast. Neoclassicism is typified by straight lines, confidence in the mechanical structure, and a willingness to elevate its subjects to the standards of high ideals. David's painting depicts classic subjects in conflict, yet posed in its portrayal of balance and symmetry that is indicative of the Neoclassic period. Art from this period is often a reflection of allegiance to authority as mirrored from the society that produced it. The early 19th century was highlighted by the Romantic style of art. It embraced the notion of a relaxed state guided by feelings of romance and love. The "Entombment of Atala" painted by Girodet-Trioson, shows the more personal viewpoint of emotions as it appeals to our sense of love and tragedy. The romantic treatment given this painting shows in the artists use of natural lighting on subjects that are struggling against their own helplessness.

Leadership styes used in modern Russia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Leadership styes used in modern Russia - Essay Example Under the modern Russia, there are various leadership styles which have become very apparent. This report shall consider and critically assess these leadership styles applied by companies/individuals in modern Russia. This paper seeks to assess what type and how these leadership styles are being applied in modern Russia, and how effective they are in helping achieve the economic and political goals of the country. Body During the transition period from the totalitarian governance to the free market, Russia has managed to overcome the major changes within the microeconomic and macroeconomic framework, including the political processes and cultural practices and behaviours (Fey and Dennison, 2001). It is therefore important to evaluate and understand the present progression of Russia under a global setting, and to evaluate the elements which indicate effective leadership and the impact of culture within the transition economy. Throughout the years, Russia was able to gain the values of both the West and the East, mostly in relation to reason as well as inspiration. It also provided a bridge between the East and Western values and traditions (Gratchev, 2001). These qualities helped push Russia to success, often encouraging it to concentrate its efforts towards gaining control over its large geographic space. Diversity In modern Russia, the role of the state and corporations in economic activities is very much significant. Their economy is controlled by a few financial and industrial conglomerates and considered significantly power than the government (Bollinger, 1994). Russia’s future will have to depend on the relations between the different major players in the economy and the government. Within the competitive framework of the modern economic Russia, the country’s management core is diverse in its economic and political interests (Gratchev, 2001). Some groups are known as the Old Guard who are highly adept at large-scale activities, including the management of technological innovations (Gratchev, et.al., 2005). These leaders also manage to access the primary decision-making points and utilize connections in order to control resources. These leaders manage large industrial corporations in highly competitive sectors including oil, gas, space travel, and shipbuilding (Gratchev, et.al., 2005). The other set of modern Russian leaders are known as the New Wave leaders. These leaders work based on the initiation of economic reform. These are also the younger leaders who seek success and business education. Another group of leaders are known as the Unwilling Entrepreneurs (Gratchev, et.al., 2005). These are leaders who are prompted to take the initiative due to their fears of unemployment; and most of their transactions are in the small-scale trade. Based on these diverse elements and motivations, modern Russian leadership contains elements of the diverse, and their distinct and diverse quality is their motivation for engaging in bu siness (Gratchev, et.al., 2005). Authoritative not authoritarian leadership Russia is traditionally based on authoritative leadership, and the new era of capitalism supports this tradition. Even with strong entrepreneurship competencies among its businessmen, these businessmen have significant power within organizations (Kets de Vries, et.al., 2004). Followers see their leaders as superior individuals who have unique

Visual Evidences on the Genocide in Darfur Essay Example for Free

Visual Evidences on the Genocide in Darfur Essay There is an old saying that goes â€Å"a picture paints a thousand words. † There is almost perfect truth in this proverb. Images are worth more than the medium on which they were created, the colors they show, the shapes and textures they protrude and the subjects they portray. They keep inside literally a million of information. In fact, the human mind registers images better than words or sounds. This concept can be seen in teaching grade school students, where images are used a lot. Also, presenters use a lot of pictures in their slides to illustrate points and mark their theses. Ultimately, photographs are tools used not only to capture still life images, but also to relay messages and thoughts. Sometimes these informations are vague, and hard to understand. Such as that in abstract paintings, where different observers and art critics can have varying interpretations, each having perfect sense. But there are images that have straightforward notes, photographs that have only one perfect meaning and description. These clear cut photographs were used by Nick Kristof in one of his works. These were just a few taken from an archive of photographs on the genocide in Darfur (Kristof, 2005). He posted these on a website, available to the masses, with some paragraphs of his own editorial. By doing so, his article gained a huge advantage over other essays found regarding the same topic. This is due to the attention catching theme of the photographs. Kristof posted pictures of dead humans, killed in bizarre and very disturbing ways. An onlooker would immediately notice the article as something unusual, something catchy and probably worth their time. But the real essence of these photographs was their ability to portray several principles and concepts about the genocide happening in Darfur. First it gives an idea of who are killed. Of course, the editorial gives us information about it. The author wrote all about the Arabs driving out the Africans (Kristof, 2005). But by the pictures themselves, one can decipher that fact without prior knowledge of the genocide – the four photos show four corpses of Africans. These images are powerful enough to stir a looker’s consciousness towards these Africans. Another is the idea of mercilessly killing anybody. The first picture greatly stresses this point. In this image one can see a young boy, lying dead and facing the ground. From his small body one can estimate his age to be no higher than about 4 years old. At a very young age, he was attacked, as the editorial notes, together with his brother and mother. He was still wearing his home clothes, and even had a pair of shoes on his feet when he was killed. This represents one of the many child killings that happened during the genocide. There was no space to spare anyone, and every African was subjected to death. The photographs also show the mutilations and tortures the victims endure before finally being put down. On one image, a skeleton lies with the hands tied together with pants pulled down up to the knees. This suggests the possibility of sexual torture before killing the victim (Kristof, 2005). This image in particular tends to stick out because of the skeleton corpse. This shows the lack of proper burial, and that the dead bodies of the Africans are just left to rot and decompose on the hot sand. These pictures do tell their own story. As a matter of fact, I think the four images are enough to portray the misery and darkness in Darfur. By themselves, a lot of information can be taken about the mistreatment and inhuman actions of the Sudan government towards the Africans. The author’s action in accompanying his editorial with these photographs took his subject a level higher. Not only did the pictures catch all important attention, they also created a kind of tension that tends to spark feelings on observers. These visual evidences on the genocide in Darfur are very strong and more effective compared to voices and texts describing it. By placing photographs, the author created a face-to-face frame, where the audiences are faced with the dark truth and evidence about the slaughter. References Kristof, N. D. (2005). The secret genocide archive. The New York Times website. Retrieved March 11, 2008 from http://www. nytimes. com/2005/02/23/opinion/23kristof. html? _r=2oref=sloginoref=slogin

Motivation across cultures

Motivation across cultures EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of the study was to find out what motivates employees across cultures. To thoroughly study various motivational theories and international researches and studies done to relate these theories to an international perspective. To study the various aspects and psychological process of motivation and to study how to motivate employees. Research Methodology:- RESEARCH TYPE:- DESCRIPTIVE STUDY METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION:- I have used secondary data for my research. And this has been collected from:- Various internet sites. News papers. Books. Journals. Motivation Across Cultures objectives of the study DEFINE motivation, and explain it as a psychological process. EXAMINE the hierarchy-of-needs, two-factor, and achievement motivation theories, and assess their value to international human resource management. DISCUSS how an understanding of employee satisfaction can be useful in human resource management throughout the world. EXAMINE the value of process theories in motivating employees worldwide. RELATE the importance of job design, work centrality, and rewards to understanding how to motivate employees in an international context. The Nature of Motivation Motivation A psychological process through which unsatisfied wants or needs lead to drives that are aimed at goals or incentives. Motivation is the activation or energization of goal-oriented behavior. Motivation may be intrinsic or extrinsic. The term is generally used for humans but, theoretically, it can also be used to describe the causes for animal behavior as well. This article refers to human motivation. According to various theories, motivation may be rooted in the basic need to minimize physical pain and maximize pleasure, or it may include specific needs such as eating and resting, or a desired object, hobby, goal, state of being, ideal, or it may be attributed to less-apparent reasons such as altruism, morality, or avoiding mortality. The Nature of Motivation The Universalist Assumption The first assumption is that the motivation process is universal, that all people are motivated to pursue goals they value what the work-motivation theorists call goals with high valence or preference The process is universal Culture influences the specific content and goals pursued Motivation differs across cultures The Assumption of Content and Process Content Theories of Motivation Theories that explain work motivation in terms of what arouses, energizes, or initiates employee behavior. Process Theories of Motivation Theories that explain work motivation by how employee behavior is initiated, redirected, and halted. The Hierarchy-of-Needs Theory The Maslow Theory Maslows theory rests on a number of basic assumptions: Lower-level needs must be satisfied before higher-level needs become motivators A need that is satisfied no longer serves as a motivator There are more ways to satisfy higher-level than there are ways to satisfy lower-level needs The Hierarchy-of-Needs Theory International Findings on Maslows Theory With some minor modification researchers examined the need satisfaction and need importance of the four highest-level needs in the Maslow hierarch Esteem needs were divided into two groups: Esteem including needs for self-esteem and prestige Autonomy including desires for authority and opportunities for independent thought and action The Hierarchy-of-Needs Theory International Findings on Maslows Theory The Haire study indicated all these needs were important to the respondents across cultures International managers (not rank-and-file employees) indicated the upper-level needs were of particular importance to them Findings for select country clusters (Latin Europe, United States/United Kingdom, and Nordic Europe) indicated autonomy and self-actualization were the most important and least satisfied needs for the respondents Another study of managers in eight East Asian countries found that autonomy and self-actualization in most cases also ranked high. The Hierarchy-of-Needs Theory International Findings on Maslows Theory Some researchers have suggested modifying Maslows Western-oriented hierarchy by reranking the needs Asian cultures emphasize the needs of society Chinese hierarchy of needs might have four levels ranked from lowest to highest: Belonging (social) Physiological Safety Self-actualization (in the service of society) The Hierarchy-of-Needs Theory International Findings on Maslows Theory Hofstedes research indicates: Self-actualization and esteem needs rank highest for professionals and managers Security, earnings, benefits, and physical working conditions are most important to low-level, unskilled workers Job categories and levels may have a dramatic effect on motivation and may well offset cultural considerations MNCs should focus most heavily on giving physical rewards to lower-level personnel and on creating a climate where there is challenge, autonomy, the ability to use ones skills, and cooperation for middle- and upper-level personnel. The Two-Factor Theory of Motivation The Herzberg Theory Two-Factor Theory of Motivation A theory that identifies two sets of factors that influence job satisfaction: Motivators Job-content factors such as achievement, recognition, responsibility, advancement, and the work itself. Hygiene Factors The Two-Factor Theory of Motivation The Herzberg Theory The two-factor theory holds that motivators and hygiene factors relate to employee satisfaction a more complex relationship than the traditional view that employees are either satisfied or dissatisfied If hygiene factors are not taken care of or are deficient there will be dissatisfaction There may be no dissatisfaction if hygiene factors are taken care of there may be no satisfaction also Only when motivators are present will there be satisfaction Views of Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction The Two-Factor Theory of Motivation International Findings on Herzbergs Theory Two categories of International findings relate to the two-factor theory: One type of study consists of replications of Herzbergs research in a particular country Do managers in country X give answers similar to those in Herzbergs original studies? The others are cross-cultural studies focusing on job satisfaction What factors cause job satisfaction and how do these responses differ from country to country? Two-Factor Replications A number of research efforts have been undertaken to replicate the two-factor theory they tend to support Herzbergs findings George Hines surveyed of 218 middle managers and 196 salaried employees in New Zealand using ratings of 12 job factors and overall job satisfaction he concluded the Herzberg model appears to have validity across occupational levels A similar study was conducted among 178 Greek managers this study found that overall Herzbergs two-factor theory of job satisfaction generally held true Cross-Cultural Job-Satisfaction Studies Motivators tend to be more important to job satisfaction than hygiene factors MBA candidates from four countries ranked hygiene factors at the bottom and motivators at the top while Singapore students (of a different cultural cluster than the other three groups) gave similar responses Result:- Job-satisfaction-related factors may not always be culturally bounded Lower- and middle-management personnel attending management development courses in Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Japan ranked the importance of 15 job-related outcomes and how satisfied they were with each Result:- Job content may be more important than job context Job-Context Factors In work motivation, those factors controlled by the organization, such as conditions, hours, earnings, security, benefits, and promotions. Job-Content Factors In work motivation, those factors internally controlled, such as responsibility, achievement, and the work itself. Achievement Motivation Theory The Background of Achievement Motivation Theory Characteristic profile of high achievers: They like situations in which they take personal responsibility for finding solutions to problems. Tend to be moderate risk-takers rather than high or low risk-takers. Want concrete feedback on their performance. Often tend to be loners, and not team players. A high nAch can be learned. Ways to develop high-achievement needs: Obtain feedback on performance and use the information to channel efforts into areas where success will likely be attained Emulate people who have been successful achievers; Develop an internal desire for success and challenges Daydream in positive terms by picturing oneself as successful in the pursuit of important objectives. International Findings on Achievement Motivation Theory Polish industrialists were high achievers scoring 6.58 (U.S. managers scored an average of 6.74) Managers in countries as diverse as the United States and those of the former Soviet bloc in Central Europe have high needs for achievement Later studies did not find a high need for achievement in Central European countries Average high-achievement score for Czech industrial managers was 3.32 (considerably lower than U.S. managers) International Findings on Achievement Motivation Theory Achievement motivation theory must be modified to meet the specific needs of the local culture: The culture of many countries does not support high achievement Anglo cultures and those that reward entrepreneurial effort do support achievement motivation and their human resources should probably be managed accordingly Hofstede offers the following advice: The countries on the feminine side . . . distinguish themselves by focusing on quality of life rather than on performance and on relationships between people rather than on money and things. This means social motivation: quality of life plus security and quality of life plus risk. Select Process Theories Equity Theory When people perceive they are being treated equitably it will have a positive effect on their job satisfaction If they believe they are not being treated fairly (especially in relation to relevant others) they will be dissatisfied which will have a negative effect on their job performance and they will strive to restore equity. There is considerable research to support the fundamental equity principle in Western work groups. When the theory is examined on an international basis, the results are mixed. Equity perceptions among managers and non-managers in an Israeli kibbutz production unit:- Everyone was treated the same but managers reported lower satisfaction levels than the workers. Managers perceived their contributions to be greater than other groups in the kibbutz and felt under compensated for their value and effort. Employees in Asia and the Middle East often readily accept inequitable treatment in order to preserve group harmony Men and women in Japan and Korea (and Latin America) typically receive different pay for doing the same work due to years of cultural conditioning women may not feel they are treated inequitably These results indicate equity theory is not universally applicable in explaining motivation and job satisfaction Goal-Setting Theory A process theory that focuses on how individuals go about setting goals and responding to them and the overall impact of this process on motivation . Specific areas that are given attention in goal-setting theory include: The level of participation in setting goals Goal difficulty Goal specificity The importance of objective Timely feedback to progress toward goals Unlike many theories of motivation, goal setting has been continually refined and developed There is considerable research evidence showing that employees perform extremely well when they are assigned specific and challenging goals that they have had a hand in setting Most of these studies have been conducted in the United States few have been carried out in other cultures Norwegian employees shunned participation and preferred to have their union representatives work with management in determining work goals.Researchers concluded that individual participation in goal setting was seen as inconsistent with the prevailing Norwegian philosophy of participation through union representatives In the United States employee participation in setting goals is motivational it had no value for the Norwegian employees in this study Expectancy Theory A process theory that postulates that motivation is influenced by a persons belief that Effort will lead to performance Performance will lead to specific outcomes, and The outcomes will be of value to the individual. Expectancy theory predicts that high performance followed by high rewards will lead to high satisfaction Does this theory have universal application? Eden found some support for it while studying workers in an Israeli kibbutz Matsui and colleagues found it could be successfully applied in Japan Expectancy theory could be culture-bound international managers must be aware of this limitation in motivating human resources since expectancy theory is based on employees having considerable control over their environment (a condition that does not exist in many cultures) Motivation Applied:- Job Design, Work Centrality, and Rewards Quality of Work Life: The Impact of Culture Quality of work life (QWL) is not the same throughout the world. Assembly-line employees in Japan work at a rapid pace for hours and have very little control over their work activities. Assembly-line employees in Sweden work at a more relaxed pace and have a great deal of control over their work activities. U.S. assembly-line employees typically work somewhere between at a pace less demanding than Japans but more structured than Swedens. Sociotechnical Job Designs:- The objective of these designs is to integrate new technology into the workplace so that workers accept and use it to increase overall productivity.New technology often requires people learn new methods and in some cases work faster. Employee resistance is common. Effective sociotechnical design can overcome these problems. Some firms have introduced sociotechnical designs for better blending of their personnel and technology without sacrificing efficiency Eg:- General Foods- Autonomous groups at its Topeka, Kansas plant, Workers share responsibility and work in a highly democratic environment Other U.S. firms have opted for a self-managed team approach Multifunctional teams with autonomy for generating successful product innovation is more widely used by successful U.S., Japanese, and European firms than any other teamwork concept Work Centrality:- The importance of work in an individuals life can provide important insights into how to motivate human resources in different cultures Japan has the highest level of work centrality Israel has moderately high levels The United States and Belgium have average levels The Netherlands and Germany have moderately low levels Britain has low levels Value of Work Work is an important part of most peoples lifestyles due to a variety of conditions Americans and Japanese work long hours because the cost of living is high Most Japanese managers expect their salaried employees who are not paid extra to stay late at work, and overtime has become a requirement of the job. There is recent evidence that Japanese workers may do far less work in a business day than outsiders would suspect In recent years, the number of hours worked annually by German workers has been declining, while the number for Americans has been on the rise. Germans place high value on lifestyle and often prefer leisure to work, while their American counterparts are just the opposite. Research reveals culture may have little to do with it A wider range of wages (large pay disparity) within American companies than in German firms creates incentives for American employees to work harder. Impact of overwork on the physical condition of Japanese workers One-third of the working-age population suffers from chronic fatigue The Japanese prime ministers office found a majority of those surveyed complained of :- Being chronically tired Feeling emotionally stressed Abusive conditions in the workplace Karoshi (overwork or job burnout) is now recognized as a real social problem Job Satisfaction EU workers see a strong relationship between how well they do their jobs and the ability to get what they want out of life U.S. workers were not as supportive of this relationship Japanese workers were least likely to see any connection This finding suggest difficulties may arise in American, European, and Japanese employees working together effectively Reward Systems Managers everywhere use rewards to motivate their personnel. Some rewards are financial in nature such as salary raises, bonuses, and stock options. Others are non-financial such as feedback and recognition. Significant differences exist between reward systems that work best in one country and those that are most effective in another. Incentives and Culture Use of financial incentives to motivate employees is very common in countries with high individualism. Financial incentive systems vary in range Individual incentive-based pay systems in which workers are paid directly for their output Systems in which employees earn individual bonuses based on organizational performance goals Many cultures base compensation on group membership. Such systems stress equality rather than individual incentive plans An individually based bonus system for the sales representatives in an American MNC introduced in its Danish subsidiary was rejected by the sales force because It favored one group over another Employees felt that everyone should receive the same size bonus Eg:- Indonesian oil workers rejected a pay-for-performance system where some work teams would make more money than others. Workers in many countries are highly motivated by things other than financial rewards The most important rewards in locations at 40 countries of an electrical equipment MNC involved recognition and achievement. Second in importance were improvements in the work environment and employment conditions including pay and work hours. Factors that concern employees across cultures French and Italian employees valued job security highly while American and British workers held it of little importance Scandinavian workers placed high value on concern for others on the job and for personal freedom and autonomy but did not rate getting ahead very important German workers ranked security, fringe benefits, and getting ahead as very important Japanese employees put good working conditions and a congenial work environment high on their list but ranked personal advancement quite low Conclusion The types of incentives that are deemed important appear to be culturally influenced. Culture can even affect the overall cost of an incentive system. Japanese efforts to introduce Western-style merit pay systems typically lead to an increase in overall labor costs. Companies fear that reducing the pay of less productive workers may cause them to lose face and disturb group harmony. Hence, everyones salary increases as a result of merit pay systems. Factors that motivate employees varies across culture. People from different cultures give different preferences to the factors involved. So while deciding the ways to motivate the workforce the factors that concern to that culture specifically should be kept in mind. References http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation http://www.squidoo.com/selfmotivation http://www.willingly.net/intrinsic_motivation/encyclopedia.htm http://www.mood.ws/motivation/encyclopedia.htm http://ironfistkungfu.com/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=65Itemid=66lang=en http://www.answers.com/topic/motivation http://daymix.com/Motivation/ http://academic.uofs.edu/organization/faculty-senate/curriculum/HADM331.doc http://www.squidoo.com/hypnosis-motivation http://www.borrowimmediate.com/Intrinsic_motivation/encyclopedia.htm http://imotivatemyself.com/ http://www.motivationproducts.com/ http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Arousal http://www.verzu.com/search?q=Motivationalqt=3 http://www.webcrawler.com/webcrawler200/ws/redir/_iceUrlFlag=11?rfcp=TopNavigationrfcid=407qcat=Webqkw=Motivationnewtxn=falseqcoll=Relevance_IceUrl=true http://www.webcrawler.com/webcrawler200/ws/redir/qcat=Web/qcoll=relevance/qkw=Motivation/rfcp=RightNav/rfcid=302363/_iceUrlFlag=11?_IceUrl=true http://msxml.excite.com/info.xcite/ws/redir/qcat=Web/qcoll=relevance/qkw=Motivation/rfcp=RightNav/rfcid=302358/_iceUrlFlag=11?_IceUrl=true http://kf.mysearch.myway.com/search/redirect.jhtml?qid=8D1A3BDA72F94F392B39773BD138270Daction=clickp=GGmainss=subptnrS=KFst=barcb=KFpg=GGmainord=15searchfor=Motivationtpr=jrel3redirect=GGmain.jhtmlct=RR http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/0072920378/62068/5_5.doc http://www.examstutor.com/business/resources/studyroom/people_and_organisations/motivation_theory/4-herzbergstwofactortheory.php?style=printable http://www.projectalevel.co.uk/as_a2_business_studies/motivation_in_theory http://www.intimatecuisine.com/_cite_note-0 http://www.flashcardmachine.com/international-management-final1.html http://www.examstutor.com/business/resources/studyroom/people_and_organisations/motivation_theory/4-herzbergstwofactortheory.php

Factors Influencing Brand Loyalty Among Notebook Users

Factors Influencing Brand Loyalty Among Notebook Users In this new era of globalization, the rapid development of the technology is growing so fast and more challenge to manufacturers or marketers. A huge number brand of notebook was in the market and more competitive among the manufacturer. It is easily to customers or users to switching to another brand if they feel not satisfied with current brand and choose the better notebook brand. So this study was to determine the factors that influencing brand loyalty among notebook users. The data was collected by questionnaire survey at Universiti Utara Malaysia. This study found that satisfaction is the most factors that can influence users loyal to the notebook brand. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of Study In this era of globalization, rapid development in technology is not something strange and familiar to us. Advances in telecommunications, information system and society knowledge is in line with changes occurring in technology. Furthermore, in this 21st century, the international community has shifted from the industrial era into the era of information technology without borders. As well as the growth of new technology devices such as mobile phones, laptops, cameras, and others where many additional features offered in these devices. Once a notebook may be categorized as luxury goods, but with the times as well as improved quality of life we can have it. Notebook technology is one of the tools that community choose because of the characteristics who are always renewed by the marketers. Notebook are designed as a tool that is easy to carry anywhere, small and light to be placed on a individual lap when using it. Manufacturers often refer to laptop as notebooks, this is to avoid warm thigh complaints from customers and consequent opportunist liability suits (Wikipedia, 2007). The use of laptops is very wide so that the whole world. The rapid growth in the technology sector is also effect increasing the number of competitors in the market. This cause-marketers and also academicians or practitioners focus on customer decision making in the purchase of a portable PC industry (Nasir, et al., 2006). To satisfy the customer would be something quite challenging in the modern business world. What customers want and how they think are the questions often played in the minds of marketers or companies. Complex in users mind contribute to volatility in profits. When customers loyal to a brand or company, they indirectly help them expand market share, increase bottom line and sustain companys advantage. Brand shows a reputation of a companys through their products or services. Brand is also a sign that memorable in the minds of customers. The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of prototype, intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers, and to differentiate from bear fight them of the competitors (Kotler, et al., 2009). Brand can become the heart of marketing and business strategy. Success of the brand is able to generate profits by attracting new customers and retain existing customers. With the brand, it is a sign of the signal in some level of quality which the buyer is satisfied with the easy to choose any of the products. Brand loyalty provides a forecast of demand for the company and may also explain the willingness of customers to pay for higher price. Although competitors are easy to duplicate the process and product design, they are not easy to match the description in the individual and the organization from year to year in any marketing and product development. Therefore, the brand became a very influential in the world competition. ListenRead phoneticallyAccording to Malaysia Laptop (2008), top ten notebooks for October 2008 are: Compaq Presario CQ40 Acer Extensa 4620Z Acer Aspire One Acer Aspire 2920Z HP Pavilion dv5 HP Pavilion dv2700 Acer Aspire 4530 Apple MacBook ASUS Eee PC 1000H Dell Latitude E6500 In 1986, battery powered portable computers had just 2% worldwide market share. But today, notebooks are becoming increasingly popular, both for business and personal use (Economics, 2005). In 2008, it is estimated that 145.9 million notebooks were sold and in 2009 the number grow to 177.7 million. The third quarter of 2008 was the first time when notebook PC shipments exceeded desktops, with 38.6 million units versus 38.5 million units. 1.2 Problem Statement Notebook were originally considered to be a small niche market and were thought suitable mostly for specialized field applications such as the military, accountants and sales representative. But today, notebooks are becoming more popular for student and general use. In addition, new products of notebook launches to the market, acquisitions and mergers in the sector, rapid developments in the nano technology, integrated wireless networking and decreased price make the customer are more influence to buy a notebook (Nasir et al., 2006) which at the same brand or may switch to other brand. This study intended what are the factors that influence notebooks users to be loyal of the notebook brand. 1.3 Research Questions Bases on the discussion earlier in the background of the problem, the research question developed will be: Does price influence brand loyalty among notebook users? Does brand name influence brand loyalty among notebook users? Does promotion influence brand loyalty among notebook users? Does features influence brand loyalty among notebook users? Does satisfaction influence brand loyalty among notebook users? 1.4 Research Objective The objectives of this research are: To determine whether Price influence brand loyalty among notebook users. To determine whether Brand Name influence brand loyalty among notebook users. To determine whether Promotion influence brand loyalty among notebook users. To determine whether Features influence brand loyalty among notebook users. To determine whether Satisfaction influence brand loyalty among notebook users. 1.5 Significance of Study In general, this study is to help marketers and consumers in order to develop more effective marketing strategies. This study also allows us to identify what is the real motivation that exists inside of every made of purchase and what is needed by the user. Therefore, more efficient marketing activities will be implemented. Marketers also can predict the reaction shown by the user of their marketing strategies that has been implemented. And marketers can look whether the strategies that are practiced can maintain the customer that are loyal to their products and also can attract other customers to buy their products. This study is expected to provide useful information in marketing to attract the loyalty to the brand. 1.6 Scope of the Study The study was conducted that involving notebook user. In this study, questionnaire will be formed and it will be complemented by the notebook user. In addition, the collection of secondary sources is also used in this study. This includes the findings of several studies carried out by several previous researchers, journals, books and resources derived from electronic media such as the internet. 1.7 Limitations of the Study Since this study includes some students at the Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), the results of this study is more relevant applied to the student in UUM. These findings did not reflect the entire population of notebook users in Malaysia as a whole, the factors influencing brand loyalty among notebook users. This study was carried out in a relatively short period, time constraints also exist. If this study can be implemented in the longer term, the material or related information can be increased in further. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction This chapter review literatures in the context of this study. In this section, discussion will be based on the brand loyalty and factors that influence brand loyalty such as price, brand name, promotion, features and satisfaction among notebook users. Research framework and research hypothesis are also discussed in this chapter. 2.2 Brand Loyalty Loyalty reflects the strength of the relationship between individual attitudes and repurchase. It contains a number of objectives in planning marketing strategies and describes the development of fundamental importance in maintaining a competitive advantage. For example, customers remain loyal to the brand of the same product, the suppliers or services providers in the long term and not easily changed. They also showed their loyalty to the brand by spread kindness to others. Listen Read phonetically Brand loyalty is a commitment by consumer to repurchase or continue to using the current brand. It can be look by the repeated buying in a variety of market context such as product, service, and store. Loyalty is thought to be important for market practitioners for a number of reasons such as generating greater profits, brand extension and increase market share (Thiele Mackay, 2001). Building brand loyalty requires investment in marketing programs that are target to the current and potential customer. Consumers that are loyal only repurchase the same brand even there is an alternative brand in the market. Marketers often pay attention to identify the characteristics of brand loyal consumers and the degree of brand loyalty of consumers so that they can directly and effectively focus their marketing and promotional strategies on these consumers who share similar characteristics among the large population (Lau, et al., 2006). Previous study shows that the brand loyalty is measured by behavioural and attitudinal loyalty. Typically, brand loyalty is defined with reference to either attitudinal or behavioural components (Bennett, et al., 2007)). Behavioural loyalty measures defined brand loyalty in terms of the actual purchase observed over a time period and attitudinal loyalty measures are based on stated preferences, commitment or purchase intention (Thiele Mackay, 2001). A variety of factors also have been found to impact the development of brand loyalty. Lau, et al., (2006) found that brand name, style and promotion are the key brand factors of customer loyalty. Others authors have reported that advertising, price and brand have a significant impact on brand loyalty (Othman Ping, 2006). Sales encounter satisfaction, in turn, leads to brand loyalty by enhancing brand attitude and salesperson loyalty (Brexendorf, et al., 2009). 2.3 Factors of Brand Loyalty 2.3.1 Price Price is one of the important factors that affect on brand loyalty. Consumers with high brand loyalty are willing to pay for a high price for their favourite brand, so their purchase intention is not easily affected by price. In addition, customers have a strong belief in the price and value of their favourite brands so much so that they would compare and evaluate prices with alternative brands (Sidek Yee, 2008). Dovaliene Virvilaite (2008), state that price is one of the most flexible marketing mix elements that can be quickly changed, after changing specific product and service characteristics. People with higher incomes and higher product involvement willingly pay more for features, customer service, quality, added convenience and the brand name (Kotler, et al., 2009). Price variations for consumers favourite brand may only affect their purchase quantity but not their brand choice decision. Consumer satisfaction can also be built by comparing price with perceived costs and value (Lau, et al., 2006). The results from the previous study show that price have a significant to influence on brand loyalty (Lau, et al., 2006; Sidek Yee, 2008; Othman Ping, 2006). Based on the above discussion, the first hypotheses should be as follows: H1: There is significant and positive relationship between price and brand loyalty among notebook users. 2.3.2 Brand Name The brand name is quite often used interchangeably within brand, although it is more correctly used to specifically denote written or spoken linguistic elements of any product. In this context a brand name constitutes a type of trademark, if the brand name exclusively identifies the brand owner as the commercial source of products or services. Famous brand name can disseminate the benefit of product and lead to higher recall of an advertised benefit than a non-famous brand name (Kotler, et al., 2009). They are many unfamiliar brand names and alternatives available in the market place. Consumers may prefer to trust the major famous and popular brand name (Lau, et al., 2006). These prestigious brand names and their image attract consumers to purchase the brand, affect repeat purchasing behaviour and reduce price related switching behaviours. Consumers are more sensitive to brand name and usually used it in buying decision. This lead to the second hypothesis: H2: There is significant and positive relationship between brand name and brand loyalty among notebook users. 2.3.3 Promotion Promotion is one of the four elements of marketing mix (product, price, promotion, distribution). It is the communication link between sellers and buyers for the purpose of influencing, informing, or persuading a potential buyers purchasing decision. Promotion includes the use of advertising, sales promotions, personal selling and publicity (Kotler, et al., 2009). Promotion is an important element of a firms marketing strategy. Advertising induces brand loyalty in consumers who would otherwise purchase the cheapest alternative on the market. Firms first invest in advertising, and then compete in prices for the remaining brand indifferent consumers (Chioveanu, 2008). Sales promotions are typically viewed as temporary incentives that encourage the trial of a product or service (DelVecchio, et al., 2006). Promotion was considered as one of the most important factors in determining a consumers brand loyalty (Sidek Yee, 2008). Therefore, the third hypothesis is developed as follows: H3: There is significant and positive relationship between promotion and brand loyalty among notebook users. 2.3.4 Features Features are qualities or characteristics of the product or service. According to decision making model, consumers process the environmental cues; the physical factors of the product, psychosocial cues such, such as advertising, and consumers put these cues into a set of perceptions that shape their preferences (Hong Lerch, 2002). Based on these preferences, consumers make their choices subject to situational constraints, such as price and people evaluate various objective features when buying an IT product (Hong Lerch, 2002). Nasir et al., (2006) find that features are a factor that influences consumers laptop purchase decision. Hence, the fourth hypothesis shall be as follows: H4: There is significant and positive relationship between features and brand loyalty among notebook users. 2.3.5 Satisfaction Satisfaction is a measure of how products and services supplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectation. The impact of satisfaction on loyalty has been the most popular subject of studies. (Ha, et al., 2009) state that power of satisfaction significantly lies in its ability to reinforce brand loyalty formation. Similarly, the satisfaction had a significant influence on loyalty (Kuusik Varblane, 2009). A minor change in satisfaction can lead to a substantial change in loyalty increment. Moreover, a small increase in customer satisfaction boosted customer loyalty dramatically (Bowen Chen, 2001). The customers will feel satisfied when the goods are beyond their expectation and otherwise when their expectations are beyond the goods actual condition (Sheng Liu, 2010). The discussion leads to the development of the fifth hypothesis: H5: There is significant and positive relationship between satisfaction and brand loyalty among notebook users. 2.4 Theoretical Framework The dependent variable in this study is brand loyalty. The independence variables are price, brand name, promotion, features and satisfaction. CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction The research methodology involved the administration of questionnaire on a sample of accounting students. This section outlines the operational definition, instrument and measurement of variables, data collection and sampling 3.2 Research Design Aspects of the study include demographic factors like gender, race, education level, age, and notebook brands that respondent have (Part 1) while Part 2 is to assess the factors influencing brand loyalty among notebook users. The questions in part 2 are divided into six key dimensions of price, brand name, promotion, features, satisfaction and brand loyalty. Unit of analysis in a study comprised of individuals, groups, organisations and societies. Unit of analysis is a key feature that will be analyzed in an investigation. Individuals selected as the unit of analysis in this study in which students from UUM, Sintok. It is to examine the factors that influence them to be loyalty to the notebook brand. This study using a survey method whereby questionnaire form will be used because it is more beneficial than other methods of data collection such as interviews and observations. Questionnaire will be distributed to UUMs students because most of the UUM students use notebook for their learning. 3.3 Operational Definition Price the degree to which the notebook users that price  can influence them be loyalty to notebook brand. Brand Name the degree to which the notebook users that brand name  can influence them be loyalty to notebook brand. Promotion the degree to which the notebook users that promotion  can influence them be loyalty to notebook brand. Features the degree to which the notebook users that features can  influence them be loyalty to notebook brand. Satisfaction the degree to which the notebook users that satisfaction  can influence them be loyalty to notebook brand. 3.4 Instrument and Measurement of Variables The questionnaire was divided into two parts. Part 1 of the questionnaire consists of demographic information such as gender, age, and education level. Part 2 contains questions on factors which influence brand loyalty such as price, brand name, promotion, features and satisfaction. It also contains a question on brand loyalty. The entire question in Part 2 using a five point Likert scale (1= strongly agree to 5 = strongly disagree). 3.5 Data Collection Data collection is divided into primary and secondary data. Primary data is from original source. Secondary data is data collected by previous researchers. In this study, data secondary as journals, reference books and the Internet data collected to obtain an overview of the study. Secondary data also provide an initial overview for researchers and makes a deeper study. Primary data is used to help answer research questions and test hypotheses based on studies objectives. So, to test this hypothesis, a questionnaire was chosen as the primary method of data collection. Beneficial uses of these questionnaires are: Help researchers get the data easily. Information in a simple questionnaire to be encoded. Advantages to the scientific research on which measurements are valid and reliable. Easily answered by the respondents. Data can be obtained by mail, this means that research can be conducted even though the extent of geographical breadth. More efficient when compared to the interview method. Respondents answer truthfully honest answer without fear (Hair, et al., 2007). 3.6 Sampling Hair, et al. (2007) defined a few procedures in the sampling process. The procedures are: Defining the target population. Choosing the sampling frame. Selecting the sampling method. Determining the sample size. Implementing the sampling plan. The population in this study consisted of all students of UUM with the number of 31, 251 students are PhD students from about 1,186 students, a total of 44 Graduate Diploma students, Graduate After Diploma total of 780 students, a total of 4,030 Postgraduate students and the Undergraduate student is about 25,211 students. The sample in this study is the Undergraduate and Postgraduate students of UUM COB. Respondents were selected by convenience sampling in which samples are available to choose to participate in this study and may provide necessary information. Convenience sampling was chosen because of time constraints inherent in this study. The population or the unit of analysis for this research will be the College of Business (COB) students in Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM). These COB students of UUM were chosen because COB has a large number of students under them. 3.7 Data Collection Method The questionnaire will distribute to COB students. Responses given by COB students in answering questionnaire is the most important resource in term of data collection. Findings of this study are one of the instruments that can measure the factors influencing brand loyalty among notebook users. 3.8 Method of Data Analysis Some statistical analysis was used to analyze the data in this study. All data were analyzed using the statistical package for social science (SPSS) software version 12.0. Descriptive analysis was used to see or understand the demographics of the respondents in this study. This method was also used to examine the dimensions of the study variables. To test the reliability of each factor influencing brand loyalty, the Cronbach coefficient alpha is used. The size of the correlation coefficient is used to quantitatively describe the strength of the association between two or more variables. The Pearson correlation was also used to measure the relationship between two variables. This analysis explains the positive or negative relationship between the two variables. Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the dependent variable and several independent variables. It determine the relative importance of others independent variable in predicting the dependent variable. CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND ANALYSIS 4.1 Introduction This chapter discusses the findings derived from data collected by the respondents who participated in this study. This chapter will also discuss the descriptive analysis for respondents demographic, the reliability of the factors and multiple regression analysis. 4.2 Respondents Demographic This study has a total of 31 respondents. Respondents demographic were asked in Part A that is gender, race, education level, age and notebook brand. The summarizing of the result from this part is show in Table 4.2.1 below. The table show that the ratio of both genders is 25.8% for male and 74.2% for female. So the percentages of female students are higher than male students. The results also show the race of the respondents where Malay consists of 17 students (54.8%), Chinese consists of 9 students (29.0%) and Indian consists of 5 students (16.1%). In education level, the number of undergraduate students that involves in this study is 22 students (71.0%) and postgraduate are 9 students (29.0%). And in age distribution, Table 4.1.1 shows that the higher percentage was 74.2% for 24 years and below, 22.6% for 25-35 years and 3.2% for 45 years and above. The result also show that most of the respondents use Compaq brand that consist of 9 students (29.0%) followed by Acer brand that consist of 8 students (25.8%). For HP brand consists of 5 students (16.1%), Dell brand consists of 3 students (9.7%), Toshiba and Lenovo brand consists of 2 students (6.5%) and last one is FTEC and Sony brand that only 1 students (3.2%). Demographic Variables Frequency Percent (%) Gender Male 8 25.8 Female 23 74.2 100.0 Race Malay 17 54.8 Chinese 9 29.0 Indian 5 16.1 100 Education Level Undergraduate (degree) 22 71.0 Postgraduate (master) 9 29.0 100.0 Age 24 years and below 23 74.2 25-35 years 7 22.6 45 years and above 1 3.2 100 Notebook Brand HP 5 16.1 Compaq 9 29.0 Dell 3 9.7 Acer 8 25.8 Sony 1 3.2 Toshiba 2 6.5 Lenovo 2 6.5 FTEC 1 3.2 100.0 4.3 Reliability Tests In this study, the reliability test is used to measure the coefficient and consistency each variables. The internal consistency reliability showed by coefficient alpha, also referred to as Cronbachs alpha. Hair et al., (2007) show the guidelines for the reliability as rules-of-thumb to interpret alpha values (Table 4.3.1). Table 4.3.1 Roles of Thumb about Cronbach-Alpha Coefficient Alpha Coefficient Range Strength of Association Poor 0.6 to Moderate 0.7 to Good 0.8 to Very good > 0.9 Excellent From the test, it was found that the Cronbach alpha for price factor is 0.567 from 4 variables item. For brand name factor, each of the 4 variables item to total correlation at moderate strength is 0.655 and for promotion factor the Cronbach alpha is at 0.635 from total correlation of 4 variables item. In features factor, each of the 4 variables item to total correlation was at moderate strength is 0.692. The Cronbach alpha for satisfaction factor is 0.909; total correlation of 5 variables item and for brand loyalty, the Cronbach alpha was 0.943 from 4 variables item. Table 4.3.2 illustrates the Cronbach alpha of the variables. Table 4.3.2 Cronbach Alpha of Variables Variable Cronbach Alpha Price 0.567 Brand Name 0.655 Promotion 0.635 Features 0.692 Satisfaction 0.909 Brand Loyalty 0.943 4.4 Hypotheses Testing To test the hypotheses in chapter 2, the Pearson correlation was use. This Pearson correlation can measures the linear association between two metric variables. It was range from -1.00 to +1.00 and zero representing no association between the two metrics variables. -1.00 and +1.00 show the perfect correlation or association between the two metrics variables. The correlation can be positive or negative depending on the direction of the relationship between the variables (Hair et al., 2007). 4.4.1 First Hypotheses H1: There is significant and positive relationship between price and brand loyalty among notebook users. The result show that correlation between price and brand loyalty is -0.641 and the significance level is 0.000. It is found that price have a negative relationship with brand loyalty which the significance level is small (p If the notebook providers increase the value of the price, it influenced the notebook users not to stay or loyal to the same brand because the price is more expensive that before and price not the factor that influencing brand loyalty among notebook users. Table 4.4.1 Correlation between Price and Brand Loyalty Price Loyalty Price Pearson Correlation 1 -.641(**) Sig. (2-tailed) . .000 Loyalty Pearson Correlation -.641(**) 1 Sig. (2-tailed) .000 . ** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). 4.4.2 Second Hypotheses H2: There is significant and positive relationship between brand name and brand loyalty among notebook users. The result show that correlation between brand name and brand loyalty is 0.538 and the significance level is 0.002. It is found that brand name have a positive relationship with brand loyalty which the significance level is small (p In other words, if the notebook providers more emphasizes on their notebooks brand name it can increase the users loyalty to the brand because they believe that the brand is reputable, prestigious and attract them more to purchase from the same brand. So brand name can influenced brand loyalty among notebook users. Table 4.4.2 Correlation between Brand Name and Brand Loyalty Brand Name Loyalty Brand Name Pearson Correlation 1 .538(**) Sig. (2-tailed) . .002 Loyalty Pearson Correlation .538(**) 1 Sig. (2-tailed) .002 . ** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). 4.4.3 Third Hypotheses H3: There is significant and positive relationship between promotion and brand loyalty among notebook users. The result show that correlation between promotion and brand loyalty is 0.422 and the significance level is 0.018. It is found that promotion have a positive relationship with brand loyalty which the significance level is small (p Promotion is need for all the marketers to introduce their product or services to the customer. So, if the notebook provider more emphasis on their promotion, the number of loyal customer to their brand more increases. It shows that promotion one of the factors that influencing brand loyalty among notebook users. Table 4.4.3 Correlation between Promotion and Brand Loyalty Promotion Loyalty Promotion Pearson Correlation 1 .422(*) Sig. (2-tailed) . .018 Loyalty Pearson Correlation .422(*) 1 Sig. (2-tailed) .018 . * Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed). 4.4.4 Fourth Hypotheses H4: There is significant and positive relationship between features and brand loyalty among notebook users. The result show that correlation between features and brand loyalty is 0.383 and the significance level is 0.033. It is found that features have a positive relationship with brand loyalty which the significance level is small (p < 0.05). This means it is failed to reject the hypotheses of there