Onlinr registration Essay Example for Free

Onlinr registration Essay Student Information System (SIS) is a web-base application soft ware designed to introduce a conducive and structured information. Exchange environment for integrating student, parents, teachers and administration of school or college (Ajhay 8). On the contrary, Manual Registration means that people are required or using physical skills and energy and worked or by hand and not by machine. The difference of these two kinds of registration are: before computer technology is not yet popular then that’s school or colleges are using manual registration. The students who undergo in enrollment procedure, which is very inconvenient, and hassle on the part of the student and of the enrollment staff as well. Here they need a lot of efforts to finish the steps that need to be done in a specific time. Steps are like filling up an application forms, falling in line passing it to a certain personnel and more. In addition, manual registration is time consumable and costly by means of transportation and other expenses. But now a days, with modern technology, it’s makes student’s life simple in many ways. In other college and university, like Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) they are already implementing this kind of system, for the easy and convenient of the student the system provides for students the option register courses, without the advisor`s prior approval, offered by their colleges during the scheduled registration periods. In this, the students can modify their course selection by adding and for dropping courses. Background of the Study The purpose of the topic is to know what is more efficient, effective and convenient way on how student can enroll. In these days, time, effort and money are such vital things that have to be use very efficiently to have a satisfactory outcome whatever work is to be done. Many student encountered lots of problem on how to enroll in their school, they get confuse on what is convenient when it comes in registration. Some people prepare manual than online registration because for their different reasons and vice versa. This research will know which more is, likely to use of students community. The main reason of choosing this study is to help our fellow students to choose what is the best way to be enrolled. Sub-reason is not to lose their time, effort and money in registering in their schools. We also come up to this idea because in Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) students are undergoing in online registration unlike in our former schools, which uses the manual registration. Since we are freshmen of this school, we first encounter online registration and we are confused using online registration (SIS). This research will help us and other students to know which is better, the manual or the online registration. This will also serve as our guide to choose which kind of system we will going to use in our next enrollment. Significance of the Study This research is important because it will provide convenience to the student who will undergo registration process. It will help them to choose which is the easiest way to enroll is and will also help them to decide which system of registration they will use. Statement of the Problem The research that we will conduct, will let us to find out what is most efficient, effective and convenient way to register by the students of Bachelor in Cooperatives, Polytechnic University of the Philippines of SY 2013-2014 This study will let us to the answer to the following research questions. Manual Registration advantage and disadvantage 1. 1. Is it costly? 1. 2. Is it time bound? 1. 3. Is it accessible? 1. 4. Is it time consuming? 1. 5. Is it reliable? 2. Online Registration advantage and disadvantage 2. 1. Is it costly? 2. 2. Is it time bound? 2. 3. Is it accessible? 2. 4. Is it time consuming? 2. 5. It is reliable Scope and Limitation This study seeks which is moreefficient to use manual or online registration; their advantages and disadvantages. Only 50 students from Bachelor in Cooperatives, Polytechnic University of the Philippines of SY 2013-2014 will involve. The study focused only on manual and online registration system, which is more likely to use between the two. Not include the manual operator and other online system. Definition of Terms Registration [mass noun] the action or of registering or of being registered (Oxford dictionary). Manual RegistrationMeans that people are faxing, mailing o phoning in their registration (Eply, 2010) Online RegistrationStudents allow through internet, to register, dropped or add courses within registration period and the adviser to do advising to the students by approving/reflecting some requested courses by the students by recommending (Ajman University). InternetAn electronic communications network that connects computer networks and organizational computer facilities around the world (Merriam Webster). Chapter 2 Review of Related Literature and Studies Local literature In other schools they are already implementing the online registration system for the ease and convenience of the students. However, some are still undergo in manual enrollment procedure which is very inconvenient and hassle on the part of the students, hence this is more easily to use because you don’t need to use some modern technologies that some students don’t have. (Butcon 9). These two has advantages and disadvantages. One is the generation of forms. The students needed to fill up four copies of registration form (copy for the student, accountant, registrar and dean). Students were consuming a lot of time in doing such. Since the students are manually filling-up the official documents of the school, data redundancy has a great possibility in causing further complexity in the enrollment process (Butcon 9). In the contrary, some colleges preferred online registration system because it is easier, accurate and organize when it keeping data. Tani says that â€Å"Online registration is more convenient to use because it is easy and fast they’re also more accurate than you probably are, when it comes to mathematical natural calculations. † Although manual registration is a waste of time, it is reliable and accessible because you are directly registered in a specific office. While in online registration, sometimes failure of connection occurred. Though modern technology arises some people don’t have it yet so others need to go to the place where they can avail internet connection. Foreign Literature There are many advantages of the online system over the manual system. The manual system is tedious and it is more error prone in comparison to the online system. We can handle our work much efficiently with the online system and it helps to save our time and money. The popularity of the online system is increasing day by day and most of the systems are being computerized nowadays. Now, you can buy your movie ticket through the online system, you neednt go to the several offices to pay your monthly utilities bill etc. You can just login into the system and pay instantly bills thus living the hassle free life. The online system is especially useful for getting information instantly. US department of Homeland and Security is using the online system to track the status of all the foreign student. Imagine, is it possible to know the status of millions of students if there is no such online system? Definitely answer is not. Another advantage of the online system is it is not as error prone as the manual system. When people need to do the same job then they usually make mistake, which causes the problem in information representation. The online system avoids such error and makes the life easier. Our life will be really green when everything is done through computer and there is no paper work. (John 2010) Local Studies In past few years the Iloilo State College of Fisheries Barotac Nuevo Campus relies only on a manual Enrolment System which in return it was uneasy, inaccurate and unreliable to the sake of the students and personnel involved. The lack of latest technology innovations specifically computers was one of the big reason why the proposed system was still on vision. Financial aspects is also a main concern why the institution still depend on a manual form of Enrolment System which has a great impact to a student and faculty in return specifically in Enrolment System (Pio 2013). During enrolment, it is undeniably noticeable on some problems and difficulties arising from each respective procedure, hence leading to minor errors and inaccuracy (Antony 2010). The technology today plays a vital role in our society. It makes man work easier and fast. It lessens error of work by using machines. It reduces costs to an organization from paper works up to computerized working system. Many manual transactions can be computerized by using software applications or computer systems to make work easier and efficient (Eunice 2011). Foreign Studies On these days, time, effort and money are such vital things that have to be used very efficiently to have a satisfactory outcome whatever work is to be done and some colleges and universities give importance about it. In the past couple of decades, computers and technology revolutionized one–slow processes, saving industries time and money ways not previously possible (Anderson 30). Online registration was beginning to be recognized for its operation in assisting university administration (Chao 3). A better understanding of the online registration should boost faculty and students self-confidence in using computer technology (Chao 14). But it is not bad to back in the basic- the manual registration like we used to do; hence use of online registration can help students realize some key characteristics using online service: simplicity, effectiveness, and convenience. Chapter 3 Research Methodology Research Design The research design was a descriptive method, particularly the survey. This method is use to know which is more efficient, effect and convenient to use, the manual registration or the online registration, by the students of Bachelor in Cooperatives in Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), in the present day. Respondents The target respondents of the survey are 50 students from the Department of Cooperatives and Social Development, College of Social Science and Development, Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), Sta. Mesa Campus. This number of respondents are not too numerous but it enough to testify the research. Research Instrument The checklist structured survey, wherein the researchers prepared a list of questions that the respondents will check the level of their satisfaction according to their perception. The researchers also put a comment box, so the respondents can share their opinions about the topic assigned. Data- Gathering Procedure The data is gather form 50 students from the Department of Cooperatives and Social Development, College of Social Science and Development, Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), who interview by the researchers. The researchers conduct the survey test in the students of Bachelor in Cooperatives, in their free time. The survey paper that they answer is recorded by the researchers as a whole. Statistical Treatment All responses are tallied before the researchers put in the table for the statistical treatment. Percentage is use to express the data gathered for subproblems 1 and 2. The formula for the percentage is: Where:p = percentage f = frequency N = total number of respondents

MNCs in China: Recruitment and Selection Practices

MNCs in China: Recruitment and Selection Practices Research Proposal: The Study of Recruitment and Selection Practices of MNCs in China As an increasing number of organizations enter the global business arena, the number and extent of business representatives crossing international borders has surged dramatically (Graf, 2004). It is, thus, imperative for multinational corporations (MNCs) to attract, select, develop and retain employees who can live and work effectively outside of their own national borders (Caligiuri, 2000). Simultaneously, accompanied by the increase of local employees, these MNCs have begun to recruit qualified members from local labour market in their host-countries. In China, owing to these MNCs competitive salary and good work condition, the recruitment often attracts many peoples attention. However, Chinas historical development, political structure and culture, international relations influence its economy and foreign trade. Also, Chinas special infrastructure and energy structure, legal framework pose a challenge to business. Therefore, some standardized recruitment and selection methods dev eloped in home country have to be modified according to Chinese situation. In that case, the study of recruitment and selection practices of MNCs in China, actually, illustrates how to develop IHRM practices under conditions of high cultural and institutional distance between partners. LITERATURE REVIEW Nowadays, a number of studies have examined the degree to which subsidiary HRM practices resemble those of host country organizations, an indication of transfer of practices from the MNC parent company to overseas units (e.g. Lu Bjorkman, 1997; Wang, 2002; Dana, 2005). These body researches have identified a range of host country, MNC home country, MNC, and subsidiary factors associated with the pattern of HRM in overseas units. However, these literatures speak more to describe the continuity and change between home- host-country in strategic level and analyze the different patterns of HRM in foreign subsidiaries than to concentrate on one area of HRM practices in a specific and systematic way and the means of transfer. Additionally, the limited empirical work that has been carried out on the processes of HRM transfer has typically adopted an MNC control and coordination perspective to describe and explain how HRM is diffused across borders, often revealing the use of multiple mech anisms both direct and unobtrusive in nature (Myloni Mirza, 2004). In depth case studies, on the other hand, have typically focused on a broader range of mechanisms or HRM practices, but have typically concentrated only on cultural or power relations explanations behind their usage (e.g. Martin and Beaumont, 1999; Ferner et al, 2005). In light of the above discussion, my study will focus on recruitment and selection practices of MNCs in China through which detailed practices are transferred to foreign subsidiaries. The goals of this research are 1) to describe these recruitment and selection practices how to manipulate in their Chinas subsidiaries in a specific and systematic way, especially concentrate on their recruitment and selection methods in practical, 2), to analyze the means and influences of transfer these recruitment and selection practices to Chinas HRM and 3) to find out why there are systematic differences found in the use of integration mechanisms for different recruitment selection practices. As Gary (2006) said that there was basically no enterprise-level human resource management in China between 1949 and the 1990s. Until now, in terms of selection and recruitment process, Chinese enterprises do not have systematic policies as complicated as those of MNCs. When MNCs import the selection and recruitment process from their parent company, actually, they also introduce the advanced selection and recruitment concept to China. However, they have to pursue recruitment rules in line with the local legislations. Therefore, studies on the manipulation and transfer of recruitment and selection practices in MNCs will come to further recognise the pertinence of the individual HRM practices and the HR function. Furthermore, it is significant and practical to study the MNCs recruitment methods in China, which can help us to have a further understanding to the IHRM and the development of the HRM in China. This study seeks to fill the gap by evaluating the MNCs recruitment and selectio n practices in China and provide a new perspective to Chinese local enterprises in how to introduce these practices and manipulate them. From it we can know in what aspects the MNCs recruitment and selection practices are more rational and scientific than Chinese local enterprises. RESEARCH QUESTIONS The purpose of the paper is to determine and empirically examine the multinational corporations how to manipulate recruitment and selection practices in China. For the purpose of this paper I present followed questions in order to exhibit a panorama of MNCs recruitment and selection status quo in China. The first question is Who do they want? Large multinational corporations, along with domestic Chinese companies, are finding that acquiring talented employees is more than ever, one of their greatest challenges in China. Strangely, China has long been known as a largest source of labor. Why these MNCs still feel the shortage of employees? What kind of people do these MNCs want? Do they have some common characteristics? Do they have some different requests when they recruit people in China and from their parent country? Therefore, the first step is to define the job and the person firstly, namely, how to determine a job vacancy in these MNCs? How many steps to determine it? All of these relevant questions will be addressed in this part. It will portray an explicit scene to readers about the preliminary phase demand of MNCs recruitment in China. The second question is How do they attract the people they want? As Iles and Salaman (1995) said, the actual channels or vehicles used to attract candidatesseem to influence whether the right kind of applicants are encouraged to apply, and to persist in their application. Organisaitons can choose from a wide variety of methods, including the use of informal personal contacts, formal personal contacts, notice boards, advertising, and external assistance. Which methods are the most popular and useful? How to choose the methods? Is it relevant to the level of the vacancy and its importance within the organization? The third question is How do they identify them? The stages described above constitute recruitment, and are primarily concerned with generating a sufficient pool of applicants. The focus now shifts to selection, and the net stages concentrate on assessing the suitability of candidates. There is no denying saying that various selection techniques are available, and a selection procedure will frequently involve the use of more than one. The most popular techniques will be outlined in my paper, and their validity, effectiveness and cost also will be discussed in Chinas context. Are they still useful? Are they need to be modified when introduce them to China? The last question is How do they know they have got it right? The final stage of the recruitment and selection process concerns measurement of its success, both qualitatively and quantitatively. ACAS guidelines suggest that any recruitment and selection system should be based on three fundamental principles: effectiveness, efficiency and fairness (ACAS, 1983). Furthermore, we should not forget that ethical issues arise concerning the treatment of people during recruitment and selection which always make the recruitment and selection be more complexity. Therefore, what methods could have been used to monitor the effectiveness of the recruitment campaign? And what could be done to integrate national and regional recruitment? RESEARCH DESIGN Research Approach To avoid analysis paralysis, it is important that the business analyst not delve into too much detail too early in a project. It is more important to understand the forest than worrying about each and every tree. Of key importance is not to fall into the black hole of technical detail and exception (Yin, 2003). Yet, as discussed by Whetten (1989), two different approaches may be taken, or combined. In the first, the researcher works within an explicit theoretical framework. Therefore, a theoretical framework becomes a researchers first cut at making some explicit theoretical statements (Miles Huberman, 1994). This approach is known as deduction. In the second, the researcher tries not to be constrained by prior theory and instead sees the development of relevant theory, propositions, and concepts as a purpose of the project. This approach is generally known as induction. However, it is often the case that much research starts with testing a given theory or literature bust also seeks to generate new insights into these topics possibly by investigating this in different contexts and therefore, this research is iterative in its approach to theory. It adopts a flexible approach by seeking to use the literature but extend this to different research settings to generate new insights in order to modify, adapt or qualify the existing theory on the field of study. In that case, in this research both approaches will be combined since the main intent is to study a relatively un-researched topic -from the practical manipulating perspective to study the MNCs recruitment and selection practices in the background of China, within the bounds of an already well-established research program (theory of recruitment and selection practices in MNC). Hence, I choose not to ignore previous work in the field. I intend to develop a conceptual model built on over ten years of research that is a conceptual advance on the literature. The model of the participation context within which MNCs in China operated is comprised of at least four sets of issues. These issues will be then used to develop the initial coding scheme for the qualitative analysis of data. However, given that this study is aimed at theory building, not theory testing, the theoretical framework and conceptual model will be used solely as a guide. It help make sense of what occurred in the field, e nsured that important issues will not be overlooked, provided a set of provisional constructs to be investigated, and guided my interpretation and focus. Subsequent analysis iterations can then delve into the exception situations and details. This use of the theory accords with Klein Myers (2001) recommendation that the empirical research needs to be guided by (or at least informed by) one or more social theories. Research Inquiry After this initial review of the research questions and research approach, the research inquiry most appropriate to the problem would be descriptive and exploratory. Descriptive research, also known as statistical research, describes data and characteristics about the population or phenomenon being studied. Descriptive research answers the questions who, what, where, when and how (Kotler et al., 2006). The object of descriptive research is to portray an accurate profile of persons, events and situations. Exactly, the first step of my research is to establish an explicit profile of these MNCs how to manipulate the recruitment and selection practices in China. Exploratory research, which also will be used in my dissertation is a type of research conducted because a problem has not been clearly defined (Kerlinger, 1986). Exploratory research helps determine the best research design, data collection method and selection of subjects. Given its fundamental nature, exploratory research ofte n concludes that a perceived problem does not actually exist. The results of exploratory research are not usually useful for decision-making by themselves, but they can provide significant insight into a given situation (Kotler et al., 2006). In my dissertation, I will focus on through clearing about the MNCs manipulation practices on recruitment and selection in China exploring new insight to this topic. When framing descriptive questions in research we must clarify our unit of analysis. It is the major entity that is being analyzed in the study. It is the what or whom that is being studied (Earl, 2005). The unit of analysis in my dissertation is group, the MNCs subsidiaries in China. Research Design Exploratory research often relies on secondary research such as reviewing available literature and/or data, or qualitative approaches such as informal discussions with consumers, employees, management or competitors, and more formal approaches through in-depth interviews, focus groups, projective methods, case studies or pilot studies (Kotler et al., 2006). And the descriptive research describes characteristics of a population on phenomenon and tries to understand the nature of the problem. Therefore, the secondary research and survey are the main research design. Secondary data, which is historical data mainly include previously collected, census of population and literature survey. And the survey design is most frequently associated with deductive strategy because it is often based on testing a theory. As Saunders et al (2007) note that surveys allow for the collection of a large amount of data from a sizable population. The survey data also allows a lot of control over the data an d makes generalizations by using sampling procedures rather than surveying the entire population. The type of survey is cross-sectional studies (also known as cross-sectional analysis), which form a class of research methods that involve observation of some subset of a population of items all at the same time, in which, groups can be compared at different sections with respect of independent variables (William, 2006). Research Site The type of organization that I would study is the subsidiary of MNC in China, especially the top 500 companies. Compared to other companies, these top 500 companies always have a good reputation at their mature, systematic and advanced management techniques. These companies almost spread all over the economic sector in China and produce important influences to Chinese economy and society. Furthermore, owing to these top 500 MNCs more competitive salary and good work condition, their recruitment often attracts many peoples attention. Most of these companies are concentrated on Chinese big cities, such as Shanghai and Beijing. The theoretical sampling is the sampling way I will choose. The goal of theoretical sampling is not the same as with the probabilistic sampling; the researchers goal is not the representative capture of all possible variations, but to gain a deeper understanding of analysed cases and facilitate the development of analytic frame  and concepts  used in their r esearch (Charles, 1994). RESEARCH METHODS There are mainly two research methods would be used in my dissertation. The first is the review of current relevant articles focusing on recruitment and selection practices in MNCs. It will help me to build the main theory framework of the dissertation. This method is often the most feasible one, particularly for students or others with restricted time and resources, and can legitimately be used provided its limitations are clearly understood and stated. Furthermore, it also has the bigger and more representative sample in related field. I will screen papers by recruitment and selection and by numerous variants of keywords, focusing specifically on China, MNC, assessment center, and work sampling etc.. Source papers will be chose just from refereed research studies, surveys and empirical reports conducted by companies official website, local offices of international HR consulting firms, and articles from professional journals and news sources. The second research method is the survey, which is the most important source of supplementary material to the dissertation. That is, based on the theory framework, the results of survey can be a supplement to these theories and provide practices examples to them. These surveys covered five areas, including the recruitment and selection process, the recruitment methods, the selection methods, the recruitment and selection principles, and other archival documents will also be collected. Furthermore, it also can provide some new insight to the dissertation through the open-ended interviews. Here, personal interviews, telephone surveys, mail surveys, and computer direct interviews will be conducted. In-depth survey, based on semi-structured questionnaires and open-ended interviews with general managers, HR directors, and employees in HR Department will be carried out over a period of two months. Now, there are a lot of chat groups on the internet through QQ (the most popular chat softwar e in China) and MSN. Once you join these HR professional chat groups, you can know hundreds of people who are engaged in the work related HR and get the contact way of them, most of time is email address. Through these chat groups I have known a lot of people who are working in different subsidiaries of MNCs in China. Some of them are employee in HR department, but some of them even are the HR directors in these company. Furthermore, some of my pre-classmates and friends are working in MNCs, they also can help me to finish the surveys. Therefore, I intend to distribute approx 400 questionnaires through email and at least 20 interviews through face-to-face, computer, or telephone to achieveà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’ from June through August of 2008 in Beijing and Shanghai. Compared to the telephone interview, face-to-face interview, and computer direct interview, email surveys are both very economical and very fast. It allows the respondent to answer at their leisure, rather than at the often inconvenient moment they are contacted for a phone or personal interview. For this reason, they are not considered as intrusive as other kinds of interviews. However, many people dislike unsolicited email even more than unsolicited regular mail. (Selwyn and Robson,1998). Furthermore, in order to get more detail data, face-to-face interview is necessary. Longer interviews are sometimes tolerated. Particularly with in-home interviews that have been arranged in advance. People may be willing to talk longer face-to-face than to someone on the phone. Considered some inconvenient factors, telephone interview and computer direct interview also can be a supplementary method. METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERTATIONS The empirical paradigm holds assumptions based on the supposition that an external world of objects exist, that the assumptions can be measured independently of one another, that these objects are lawfully interrelated, and that the relationships are mediated by a real force in objects that is called causation (Cook, 1983). In order to determine causal relationships in a test environment, generalizability is of utmost importance (Runkel and McGrath, 1972). Yet if I wish to generalize my findings, scope and variance must be emphasized generalizability. One solution to this problem is to perform a greater number of observations, which has a dual effect: first, it increases the sample population, which heightens generalizability; second, precision can be reasonably maintained because the random errors between observations will average out. However, no matter how carefully these three forms of generalizability are applied, there is no absolute guarantee that the results obtained in a stu dy will occur in every situation outside the study (Firestone, 1993). Reliability refers to the degree of consistency with which instances are assigned to the same category by different observers or by the same observer on different occasions. As mentioned in above, through studying MNCs recruitment and selection practices in China, I hope it could be a good reference to Chinese local enterprise when they introduce and use these recruitment and selection methods. Therefore, I should consider more related environmental and social factors in a big background. Furthermore, in order to enhance the reliability of study, all of the respondents I will choose are those who are working in subsidiaries of MNCs in China. Generally, in qualitative research measurement validity is considered to be high because the researcher is close to the research setting and is responsible for data collection. Therefore, in qualitative research validity always relates to whether there is a good match between researchers observations and the theoretical ideas they develop (Bryman, 2001) On the one hand, I choose to use the literature review to build the basic framework of the dissertation, which can make sure I can get the most reliable, extensive and completed data. On the other hand, questionnaires and interviews can help me to get new insight and practical examples to this topic. Furthermore, there are a lot of conventional approaches to enhance the validity of qualitative data. Generally, theoretical sampling which I intend to use in this dissertation can be viewed as a technique of data triangulation: using independent pieces of information to get a better fix on something that is only partially known or underst ood (Charles, 1994). Also, the Refutability Principle which I will obey stresses that we must avoid the temptation to jump easily into conclusions just because there is some evidence that seems to lead in an interesting direction. Instead, we must subject the evidence to every possible test. Compared to other practices, recruitment and selection are always assumed to have high compatibility between countries because they are characterized by the technical ingredients attached to various positions (cf. Anderson, 1992; Watson, 1994). However, owing to directly utilizing some commonly-applied western theoretical frameworks and instruments, findings may not fully detect the cultural nuances in the Chinese employees; the narrowly geographically-concentrated sampling and access may prevent generalization of findings to the broad Chinese context. Obviously, with the limitation of the data, additional research is needed to develop the topic further, which until now has been largely black-boxed. References Anderson, G. (1992) Selection. In Towers, B. (ed.) Handbook of Human Resource Management. Oxford: Blackwell, pp. 167-85. Bryman, A. (2001), Social Research Methods, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 271. Caligiuri, P. M., (2000), Selecting Expatriates for personality Characteristics: A Moderating Effect of Personality on the Relationship Between Host National Contact and Cross-Cultural Adjustment, Management International Review, Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 61-80. Charles C. Ragin (1994), Constructing Social Research: The Unity and Diversity of Method, Pine Forge Press. Cook, T.(1983). Quasi-experimentation: Its ontology, epistemology, and methodology. In G. Morgan (Eds.), Beyond method: strategies for social research , Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, pp.78. Dana B. Minbaeva (2005), HRM practices and MNC knowledge transfer, Department of International Economics and Management, Copenhagen Business School, Copenhagen, Denmark, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Vol. 34 No. 1, pp. 125-144. URL: www.emeraldinsight.com/0048-3486.htm. Earl Babbie (2005), The Practice of Social Research, 10th edition, Wadsworth, Thomson Learning Inc., Ferner, A., Almond, P., Colling, T. (2005), Institutional theory and the cross-national transfer of employment policy: the case of workforce diversity in US multinationals, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 36 No.3, pp.304-21. Firestone WA. (1993) Alternative arguments for generalizing from data as applied to qualitative research. Educational Researcher 22:pp.16-23. Gary Dessler (2006), Expanding into China? What Foreign Employers should know About Human Resource Management in China Today? Graf, A., (2004), Screening and training inter-cultural competencies: evaluating the impact of national culture on inter-cultural competencies, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 41, No. 1, pp. 31-44. Iles, P., Salaman, G. (1995), Recruitment selection and assessment, in Storey, J. (Eds), Human Resource Management: A Critical Text, Routledge, London.,. Kerlinger, F.N., (1986), Foundations of behavioral research, Holt, Rinehart Winston, New York. Klein, H., Myers, M., (2001), A Classification Scheme for Interpretive Research in Information Systems, chapter 9 from Trauth (2001), 218-239. Kotler, P, Adam, S, Brown, L Armstrong, G (2006), Principles of Marketing , 3rd edn, Prentice Hall, Frenchs Forest, NSW Russell K. Schutt, Investigating the Social World, 5th ed, Pine Forge Press Lu, Yuan and Bjorkman, Ingmar (1997) HRM practices in China-Western joint ventures: MNC standardization versus localization, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 8: pp. 614 628. Martin, G. and Beaumont, P. (1999) Co-ordination and Control of Human Resource Management in Multinational Firms: the Case of CASHCO, International Journal of Human Resource Management, 10, 1: 21-42. Miles, M., Huberman, A., (1994), Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook, Sage, Thousand Oaks.. Myloni, B Mirza H.R. (2004), Host country specific factors and the transfer of Human Resource Management practices in Multinational Companies, International Journal of Manpower, vol. 25 (6), pp. 518-534. Runkel. P and McGrath.J, Research on human behavior: A systematic guide to method, Holt, Rinehart Winston, New York (1972). Saunders, M, Thornhill. A, Lewis. P (2007) Research Methods for Business Students (Fourth Edition), Prentice Hall, pp. 138. Selwyn, N. and Robson, K. (1998) Using E-Mail As A Research Tool, Social Research Update, issue 21. Wang, Cindy (2002), Human Resource Management in Transition: A study of MNEs in China, Manchester Metropolitan University Business School Working Paper Series, October. Watson, T. (1994) Recruitment and Selection. In Sisson, K. (ed.) Personnel Management. Oxford: Blackwell, pp. 185-252. Whetten, D., (1989), What Contributes a Theoretical Contribution?, Academy of Management Review, Vol 14, No 4, pp 490-495. William M. K. Trochim (2006), Research Methods Knowledge Base, Web Center for Social Research Methods. URL: http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/timedim.php Yin, R., (2003) Case Study Research: Design and Methods, 3rd Ed, Sage, Beverly Hills, California

The Chocolate Industry In India

The Chocolate Industry In India Introduction This assignment deals with the organization whose current main product is at maturity stage in the market life cycle and its sales have been reduced, to sustain its market share the organization has to go for product development to defend it from its rivals. The organization chosen for this particular scenario is Lotus Chocolate Company Limited. An Overview of Chocolate Industry in India The chocolate industry in India as it stands today is dominated by two companies, both multinationals. The market leader is Cadbury with a lions share of 70 percent. The companys brands (Five Star, Gems, Éclairs, Perk, Dairy Milk) are leaders their segments. Till the early 90s, Cadbury had a market share of over 80 percent, but its party was spoiled when Nestle appeared on the scene. The latter has introduced its international brands in the country (Kit-Kat, Lions), and now commands approximately 15 percent market share(rediff.com).The Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) and Central Areca nut and Cocoa Manufactures and Processors Co-operative (CAMPCO) are the other companies operating in this segment. Competition in the segment will get keener as overseas chocolate giants Hersheys and Mars consolidate to grab a bite of the Indian chocolate pie. Per Capita Chocolate Consumption (in lb) of first 15 countries of the world Rank Countries Per Capita Consumption (in lb) 1 Switzerland 22.36 2 Austria 20.13 3 Ireland 19.47 4 Germany 18.04 5 Norway 17.93 6 Denmark 17.66 7 United Kingdom 17.49 8 Belgium 13.16 9 Australia 12.99 10 Sweden 12.90 11 United States 11.64 12 France 11.38 13 Netherlands 10.56 14 Finland 10.45 15 Italy 6.13 INDIA, stands nowhere even near to these countries when compared in terms of Per Capita Chocolate Consumption. (Data sourced from LMC International, The world cocoa market outlook).Chocolate and confectionary market is valued around US$ 282.6mn and which is divided into three main sectors or groups namely sugar boiled confectionery with US$ 65.2mn, next comes chewing and bubble gums with US$ 87mn and the major chunk goes to milk chocolate with US$ 130mn.Chocolate Consumption Structure by age groups are as follows- Children 55% Adults 12% Young Adults 33% (Data sourced from Overview of Indian consumer goods) The chocolate market in India grew by 19 per cent and reached the market value of INR 17.9bn(2007), low consumption patterns have been changing due to the raising economy(www.just-food.com). The market is divided into two segments urban and rural segments, the consumption of chocolate is higher in urban areas and lower in rural segment,the growth rate of urban is higher( Data sourced from Overview of Indian consumer goods). This poses a high potential for chocolate manufacturers as the raise in population who are opting for chocolates as alternatives as local mithais, as a part of cultural transition due to the high influence of western cultures at work and other areas(The Dark Chocolate Rush). Background of the organization Lotus Chocolate Company Limited is established in the year 1992 (www.lotuschocolate.com), It is renowned for its innovative chocolate design and their variety taste when compared with competitors. The plant is located at Medak district Andhra Pradesh. They provide consumer and industrial solutions for different chocolate manufacturers. The famous chocolate brands/products produced are Chuckles, Superr Carr and Tango. Lotus is also famous for producing customized chocolate gift packs upon consumers request(www.lotuschocolate.com).The core target market of the organization is the low end niche group(children young adults). The organization lost its core market share due to the increased marketing efforts and rapid development of new products based on changing customer trends(The Hindu Bussinesline). Issue-1 Decline of Lotus chocolate brands (Superr carr, Tango chuckles) in the market due to changing consumer and chocolate industrial patterns, high competition from well established multinationals such as Nestle Cadbury. The main objective of Lotus chocolate company ltd. is to regain its market share and stand against competition. SWOT Analysis Strengths Experience in chocolate industry. Brand presence in the market. Established industrial supplier. Medium production capacity. High suppliers base. Customized products facility for consumers. Weaknesses Limited distribution facility outside South-India. Poor advertising strategies. Limited product range. Limited resources. Opportunities Strong growth potential in South-India urban region. Raise in chocolate consumption. Market expansion into North-India. Changing consumer behavior patterns. Threats Aggressive market penetration by multinationals Price sensitive market. Competitive position of Lotus is fragile. Increasing production costs. Vast cultural influences on buying patterns. Alternatives to regain the market position and share by using Ansoffs Matrix Option A (Market Development) Developing markets other than core markets, such as moving into north Indian market or entering into other markets where the product or brand is not present. Option B (Diversification) This option deals with shifting the interests of the organizations core interest into other businesses interests, for instance moving away from chocolates and entering into cold drinks or clothes or etc. Option C (Market Penetration) This option deals with penetrating the existing core market with lower prices and more products with enhanced distribution processes. Option D (Product Development) This option deals with developing new products to compete in the market and to sustain the companys presence in the market . Recommendations A mixture of market penetration ( C)and product development (D) because for the following reasons This gives opportunity for Lotus chocolate to develop a product to sustain its brand value,market share,to increase its financial position and consumer base. Due to increased competition in the market, developing innovative tastes and along side producing chocolates with lower health effects such as Organic chocolates. As the organic market is gaining interest among the higher class segment(Indias booming organic market, rediff.com). Market penetration helps Lotus chocolate to revitalize its distribution systems and revitalize its brand image among the targeted consumers at sustainable price as the brand has its presence already in the market. Product development helps Lotus chocolate to over come its past weaknesses and product is the core and brand enhances its value. The rising chocolate consumption poses an opportunity which can be converted into financial means, develop a strong brand image and loyal consumers. Why not for Market development Diversification can be justified by the following sentences- Market development needs much heavier finance and it needs to invest more time resources , it deals with entering into new markets which are more complex and the risk is higher, in-turn concentrating on new markets may led to the fall of existing markets. Diversification deals with completely moving from core operations into new businesses and it is very risky and needs much time to develop and build reputation from scratch, these two options would need high monetary resources. Based on the present situation and Lotus chocolates swot analysis the best and feasible options are market penetration and product development which deals with existing markets. After deciding on what course of action to be carried for sustaining and developing the brand value and consumer base. The options and strategies chosen are product development and market penetration. After deciding to go for product development next comes what product to develop and whom to target, how to reach them and what are the core benefits the product is to deliver and the value chain process from suppliers to consumers. The strategy opted for reaching the perceived state of position is focused differentiation strategy coupled with best cost provider strategy from porters five generic strategies(Thomson etal,pg. 134).The focused differentiation strategy concentrates on a narrow buyer segment and outcompeting rivals by having lower costs than rivals, best cost provider strategy deals with giving customers more value for their money by incorporating good to excellent product attributes at a lower cost than rivals. According to an article named Indias booming organic market states that India would be both a major organic food producer and consumer, the potential of consuming organic food products are on a raise due to increased awareness about health and having environmentally friendly raw-materials. According to article named Global Organic Business the consumption of Organic beverages and confectionary would increase drastically in India by 40 % by 2020, starting early would be better option to reap the future benefits and would help us to establish ourself in the market. The core target group is children aged from 14 to 18 years old,teens and adults from rich urban segments and upper middle class sections. Branding of Hercules Branding adds value to the products and gives additional identity to the products and their consumers, products mite change but brands will not change and once a brand decides its characters and features it remains steady for longer time. Developing optimal brands needs a change in corporate management culture and their attitude. The influence for deciding a brand character is explained below Branding is one of the main ingredient in the success of the product in the market, the proposed brand values for Hercules is its premium nature, pure nature and energy, individuality and freedom. As Hercules is not a just a chocolate its more than an luxury experience. Marketing Mix Marketing mix consists of 4 Ps namely product,price, promotion and place (distribution). The right strategies for all these Ps are necessary for success of the product or service in the market. Product Product is the physical representative of the companys core value transition from organization to the consumers. Product strategies deal with the issues such as package, product shape,product features and product quality. The package is designed based on the target market and product features. The shape is also designed based on the perceived best by the target market and brand image. Packaging also has implications on the perceptions of the consumers which visually appeal them and classify the product into premium product. The levels of product are as follows- Core Product- The core benefits of the organic chocolate is that of its health benefits and taste variety. Tangible Product- The tangible are those benefits which are positioned by the packaging and advertisements. For this organic chocolate the tangible benefits are premium quality. Augmented Product- The augmented benefits are the values which reach the consumers expectations , which are non-tangible and can be measured only in-turns of consumer reply in favor of praising the product. Potential Product- The potential product benefits surpasses the expectations of consumers and the core-product, which would obtain large consumers delight. Product differentiation strategy provides the primary source for competitive advantage, this also provides a platform for developing future products under the same brand. Product strategy is directly linked to the strategies of the organization. The product line is available in two versions of weight namely 100gms and 200gms. Name of the Organic Chocolate is Hercules Price Pricing strategy deals with pricing the product based on the current market pricing structure, organizations break even, psychological pricing. The pricing strategy is also based on the product and the targeted consumers. The pricing strategy used for this product is a mixture of premium pricing and quality-based strategy. The cultural aspects of the target market has a profound impact on spending and food habits. The costing of the new product is one of the tough jobs of management. The cost of the product has direct relationship with positioning of the product. The factors to be considered while deciding a price for Hercules are as follows The consumer spending structure and their patterns are to be analyzed and find the average and the best cost in the market for Hercules. The companies costing systems and proposed investments for developing Hercules and the rate of returns expected by the organization. The brand strategies and the positioning strategies proposed for the Hercules also have their share on deciding the price. According to the article defining the premium chocolate market, the appearance of luxury chocolates in the super marts as the aspirants for consuming luxury has become a trend and even those who cannot afford the luxury goods are having premium chocolates as alternatives to satisfy their urge to feel good. A research presentation from Ledbury Research states that there would be 140,000 families in India with annual income around $230,000. The consumers spending have dramatically increased on apparels,food and entertainment. The pricing strategy which has been decided is value-based pricing and quality based pricing, the price decided after calculating the ROI,manufacturing costs , promotional costs distribution cost is 75 rupees for 100gms and 150 rupees for 200gms. This is unpriced structure across the market. The custom ordered chocolates online are priced based on their ordered quantity and their flavor structure. Pricing is done in a way to differentiate from competitors and duplicate products which are a major threat in Indian market, Organization to move towards price excellence for better market acceptance. Distribution Distribution deals with making product available to the consumers at right time and right place, the considerations for designing the distribution network deals with the consumers choice, companys resources and market infrastructure. The distribution sector in India is fragmented and completely complex due to the large size and fundamental infrastructural problems such as electricity, roads and warehouses. The main distribution system is divided into three segments namely distributors, wholesalers/super-marts and retail stores. The major factors which influence the distribution strategy for the Hercules is the product strategy, organizations strategy for business, target consumers. The strategy which is selected for distributing this project is selective distribution which means the company selects few distribution channels to reach target markets through which the product availability can be controlled by the company, this also assists Lotus chocolates to keep their brand image and to maintain the premium image of the product. Based on the competitors distributions channels, consumers choice and feasible options of the organization the selected ways to reach the target market are super markets , premium chocolate stores, hyper malls , airports(duty free stores ) and through internet directly to consumers (online). The distribution picture can give you a complete idea about Lotus chocolate distribution channels for Hercules. The picture states that they are single layer channels, double layer channels and triple layer distribution channels to reach the targeted consumers. As developing a strong customer base and differentiating the Hercules from other competitive brands and products, Lotus chocolate has developed a program for its customers to design their own organic chocolate online with the available options, through this options customers can directly buy and give their feedback directly. Promotion This is one of the most important aspect of the marketing mix which would decide the success of the Hercules(Organic chocolate ) in the market. Promotion deals with promotional activities such as advertising, promotional strategies such as offers, discounts, public relations and publicity. The promotion aspects aim at creating an impact about the Hercules on the mind sets of targeted consumers. We are going to use one of the oldest marketing strategy for promoting the product to the target market through AIDA model (www.changingminds.com), AIDA means to attract by visual appeal such as cool ads, create interest among the target market, then develop desire among consumers by proving more information about core and potential benefits of Hercules and the final one is action this is considered done when the consumers by the product. In addition to the AIDA model, the consumers interest through sharing benefits and values, opinions with customers and asking for their feedback via blogs, post and emails. The channels used to reach the target market are through print media, internet, television, out-door campaigning and point of sale. The basic message in the strategic marketing communication would be more of product oriented and would explain about the products core benefits and its core values which add value to the target market. The chocolates are advertised through 360 degree for complete. The television channels which are known for reaching target markets and their share are explained below The subliminal message which we want to pass on to consumers is that Hercules is not just a chocolate but its a wonderful and joyful experience and its merely more than a chocolate. This also needs to break and build the present brand image of Lotus chocolate company Ltd. Promotion and popularity of the product are directly proportional to each other. Emotional flavor infusions in the marketing campaigns would attract the targeted consumers. While marketing in India you need to understand the cultural aspects of the target market. Hofstedes cultural dimensions would assist in understanding cultural aspects of the consumers and also helps in designing an innovative message. The chart below explains power distance index, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance index and long term orientation. Sourced from (http://www.geert-hofstede.com/hofstede_india.shtml) As the above graph indicates that higher PDI means higher inequality among different sections of people, its also indicates that India is a collectivistic society, uncertainty avoidance is lower at 40 per cent which indicates that people are open to any uncertain situations and ideas. (wwww.geert-hofstede.com). By understanding the above graph the message through with we need to reach our target market should be designed and developed in way that it should touch them culturally and explain the health benefits and environmental benefits Hercules is going to provide. Other than television ads, there are also other channels through which we can reach consumers such as wall paintings, print media advertising such as publishing in premium magazines of sports, movies,business and animation. Point of sale posters at shelves at super stores, out-door campaigning at malls and multiplex cinema halls, conducting competitions on environment at international schools for faster promotion among schools. Another important form of advertising through online such as website ,pop-ups at yahoo, google,windows mail, orkut, twitter,face-book and much more. One more aspect of promotional channel which is gaining popularity is mobile advertising such as through mobile phone messages and mobile games. The utilization of full resources at maximum rate would help Lotus chocolate to create an impact in the market and target market and helps to establish the Hercules. Evaluation of the Hercules Success in the Market Evaluation is done based on the sales patterns. Consumer feeling are collected using feedback such as compliments and complaints. Key partnership with retailers and examining the consumer behavior towards Hercules. A primary research for understanding the current advertising strategy and the message passed through them and what target consumers understand and perceive. Marketing Production Schedule/Plan for Hercules Production objectives The main objective is to procure green or organic or chemical free cocoa and other raw-materials. Insure the quality is double checked. Ensuring that the process flow is smooth and meets the production capacity. Targeted production percentage is to produce 75 per cent of Hercules than other nominal brands which are out competed. Production of customized Hercules for customized orders are to be produced 25% of the total capacity. Marketing management objectives Increase the awareness about Hercules among the target market segments by 30% per annum. Decrease the potential customers resistance by 25 percent per annum. Position the brand image of Hercules as premium luxury chocolate and stand differentiated among the competitors by providing customized chocolates for consumers. Strengthening of non-priced competitiveness, business restructuring by rebranding the image of lotus chocolates company and Hercules brand. Demand creation, sustainment and enhancement of quality advantage and healthy products. Increase the sales of Hercules by 5-6 per cent per quarterly. Marketing Plan 02/05/10 Brand image and product development 05/06/10 Product testing for quality, taste, color and odor 20/06/10 Promoting Hercules brand through television commercials 25/06/10 Promoting through out door campaigning, print media, radio. 30/06/10 Passing the product through distribution channels and making it available to the target consumers. 10/07/10 Evaluating the outcomes of the advertising campaigns promotional activities. 20/07/10 Developing alternative and going for aggressive campaigning. The alternatives for promoting Hercules is by pairing with brands which are identical and supports each other in promoting themselves as premium brands. For example promoting Hercules (organic chocolate) with BMW or any luxury brands. Or Promoting Hercules with premium airlines through giving complementary packs to business class flyers, or promoting with premium star hotels.

Mister Rogers Positive Influence on Children Essay -- Television Emot

Mister Rogers' Positive Influence on Children It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood, A beautiful day for a neighbor Would you be mine? Could you be mine? I’ve always wanted to have a neighbor just like you. I’ve always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you. The comforting words of this familiar childhood jingle bring memories flooding back and invite us to join the loving and patient man who once taught us that everyone is special and unique. Over several decades, strong morals and values have filled each 30-minute segment of the popular children’s television show. The skills of Fred Rogers as a loving creator and host, combined with the activities and educational settings of the show and the content of his messages -- are all evidence that â€Å"Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood† is a positive influence on children. â€Å"Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood† has been a success throughout its airing of over 45 years. In its long success, few contradictions surface when discussing the positive influences of the famous children’s television show. However, many spoofs have been created about â€Å"Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood† and general complaints about the show and Rogers’ personality have been created also. Some television critics have abused â€Å"Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.† Several statements declare he is a wimp because of his general caring approach on the show. Not only have television critics made negative remarks, but the children’s show has also been made fun of on late night television shows such as â€Å"The Tonight Show† with Johnny Carson as well as Eddie Murphy on Saturday Night Live (Bianculli 43). On a different level of criticism, the older siblings of those who watch the show develop negative opinions of â€Å"Mister ... ...te.com/tv/20001112rogers2.asp Rogers, Fred. You Are Special: Words of Wisdom from America’s Most Beloved Neighbor. New York: Penguin Books, 1994. Rowe, Claudia. â€Å"Some Things Never Change, and Thank Heavens Mister Rogers is One of Them.† Biography 4:3 (Mar 2000), 102-107. Academic Search Elite. Palni Site Search. Goshen Public Library. 6 November 2001. Trotter, Andrew. â€Å"Media.† Education Week 22 Nov. 2000: 5. Valkenburg, P.M. and S.C. Janssen. â€Å"What do Children Value in Entertainment Programs?: A Cross Cultural Investigation.† Journal of Communication 49:2 (Spr 1999), 4-25. Zoba, Wendy Murray. â€Å"Won’t You Be My Neighbor?† Christianity Today. 6 Mar 2000: 38-47. NOTE: Citations for Family Communication website are as follows: (â€Å"Mister† What Is) â€Å"Mister† = Reference source What Is = Link where information is found located on left bar of website.

Sanctity of Life Essay -- Science Biology

Sanctity of Human Life Does a person have the right to kill another human life, at any stage of development? A city council debates over whether to sacrifice Bill, a man with no earthly attachments, to save five members of society. Two parents face the choice of using an embryonic stem cell treatment to reverse their son’s paralysis, or leave him paralyzed from the neck down. The mother wishes to employ the treatment while the stepfather is against the treatment because it kills an embryo. In both situations, sanctity of life compels one not to sacrifice an innocent human life, potential or existing, to improve the well-being of another. An embryo is potential human life; therefore, one cannot sacrifice it. Potential human life is present at the point of conception, when the egg and sperm join. Only nine months separate this embryo from being a developed human. Letting an embryo die to increase the well-being of the young man disregards the sanctity of human life. The young man still has potential; he is not dead. The embryo personifies the rawest potential in human life. Both are human lives that have inviolable potential. Kant’s categorical imperative is applicable here. The embryo is an end, not a means. It should be valued for its very existence; it is a significant life with equal standing alongside other lives. A universal law is moral only if applied to all persons. If one believes all should be honest, then he or she must be honest or that law is not universal. Universal application of the sanctity of life deems sacrificing one to save another as immoral, for then one is making an exception to that law . Thus, no form of human life is worthy of sacrifice. In the organ-harvesting dilemma, the sanctity of life prevents... ...at endangers others. Works Cited Weston, Anthony. A 21st Century Ethical Tool Box. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford, 2008. Print. Pgs.127-144 Anthony Weston has taught ethics for 25 years and currently is a professor of ethics at Elon University. He has written numerous books regarding ethics and the employment of them. This book is a guide discovering ethics, their morality, and application. He utilizes vivid excerpts from renowned authors and philosophers to impart information effectively. While reading this book, one discovers new concepts about the world around one and oneself. Weston credits collaborative professors of similar studies, with helping produce this book in the beginning of the text. Information taken from Weston’s book was crucial for understanding ethics, especially the excerpt from Kant’s Grounding for the Metaphysics Morals.

Effect of cashless police in nigeria Essay

Vol. 1 (2), pp. 040-043, April 2013. Research Article Impact of Cashless Economy in Nigeria *Omotunde Muyiwa1, Sunday Tunmibi,1 and John-Dewole A.T.2 1 School of Computer Science, Mathematics and Information Technology, Houdegbe North American University, Republic of Benin. 2 Department of Computer Science with Electronics, Faculty of Information Technology and Applied Sciences Lead City University, Ibadan. Nigeria. *Corresponding Author’s email: folatunde2004@yahoo.com ABSTRACT This paper studied the impact of cashless policy in Nigeria. The policy was introduced by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in December 2011 and was kick-started in Lagos in January 2012. Survey research was adopted with questionnaire as data collection instrument. Responses from the respondents show that cashless policy will increase employment; reduce cash related robbery thereby reducing risk of carrying cash; cashless policy will also reduce cash related corruption and attract more foreign investors to the country. The study, therefore, shows that the introduction of cashless economy in Nigeria can be seen as a step in the right direction. It is  expected that its impact will be felt in modernization of Nigeria payment system, reduction in the cost of banking services, reduction in high security and safety risks and also curb banking related corruptions. Keywords: Cashless economy, Cashless policy, Lagos State, Nigeria. INTRODUCTION Cashless economy is an economy where transaction can be done without necessarily carrying physical cash as a means of exchange of transaction but rather with the use of credit or debit card payment for goods and services. The cashless economy policy initiative of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is a move to improve the financial terrain but in the long run sustainability of the policy will be a function of endorsement and compliance by end-users (Ejiro, 2012). The CBN cash policy stipulates a daily cumulative limit of N150, 000 and N1, 000,000 on free cash withdrawals and lodgments by individual and corporate customers respectively in the Lagos State with effect from March 30, 2012. Individuals and corporate organizations that make cash transactions above the limits will be charged a service fee for amounts above the cumulative limits. Furthermore, 3rd party cheques above N150, 000 shall not be eligible for encashment over the counter with effect from January 1, 2012. Value for such cheques shall be received through the clearing house. All Nigerian banks were expected to cease cash in transit lodgment services rendered to merchant-customers from January 1, 2012. The policy through the advanced use of information technology facilitates fund transfer, thereby reducing time wasted in Bank(s). Wizzit, a fast growing mobile banking company in South Africa has over three hundred thousand customers across South Africa. Likewise, M-PESA was introduced in Kenya as a small value electronic system that is accessible from ordinary mobile phones. It has experienced exceptional growth since its introduction by mobile phone operator (Safaricom) in Kenya in March, 2007 and has already been adopted by nine million customers, which is about 40% of Kenya’s adult population. Wizzit and other mobile financial services including MPESA in Kenya are helping low income Africans make financial transaction across long  distance with their cellphones, thereby reducing their travel cost and eliminating the risks of carrying cash and also avoiding most banking charges (Akintaro, 2012). It is assumed that the proper implementation of mobile phones and other technologies can aid the implementation of cashless policy and hence, the growth of cashless economy in Nigeria. The introduction of the implementation of cashless policy (policy is program of actions adopted by government) began in Lagos State, Nigeria. Why Lagos? According to Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN, 2011) Lagos state accounted for 85% of POS and 66% of cheques transaction in Nigeria. Cashless economy aims at reducing the amount of physical cash circulating in the Nigeria economy and thereby encouraging more electronic–based transaction. According to Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN, 2011) the policy is expected to reduce cost incurred in maintaining cash-based economy by 90% upon its full implementation in Nigeria. This study aims to look at the impact of cashless economy in Nigeria. www.gjournals.org 40 Greener Journal of Internet, Information and Communication Systems Vol. 1 (2), pp. 040-043, April 2013. 2. BRIEF LITERATURE REVIEW Cashless economy is not the complete absence of cash, it is an economic setting in which goods and services are bought and paid for through electronic media. According to Woodford (2003), Cashless economy is defined as one in which there are assumed to be no transactions frictions that can be reduced through the use of money balances, and that accordingly provide a reason for holding such balances even when they earn rate of return. In a cashless economy, how much cash in your wallet is practically irrelevant. You can pay for your purchases by any one of a plethora of credit cards or bank transfer (Roth, 2010). (2004) observed that developed countries of the world, to a large extent, are moving away from paper payment instruments toward electronic ones, especially payment cards. Some aspects of the functioning of the cashless economy are enhanced by e-finance, e-money, e-brokering and e-exchanges. These all refer to how transactions and payments are effected in a cashless economy (Moses-Ashike, 2011). Marco and Bandiera (2004) argue that increased usage of cashless banking instruments strengthens monetary policy effectiveness and that the current level of e-money usage does not pose a threat to the stability of the financial system. However, it does conclude that central banks can lose control over monetary policy if the government does not run a responsible fiscal policy. Echekoba and Ezu (2012), in a research carried out in Nigeria, observed that 68.2% of the respondent complained about long queues in the bank, 28.9% complained of bad attitude of teller officers (cashiers) while 2.89% complained of long distance of bank locations to their home or work places. Likewise, in her 24th NCS national conference in December 2011, CBN data shows that 51% of withdrawal done in Nigeria was through automated teller machine (ATM), while 33.6% was through over the counter (OTC) cash withdrawals and 13.6% through Cheques. Payment was also done through point of sales machine (POS) which accounted for 0.5% and web 1.3%. Therefore, if the introduction of ATM in Nigeria cash withdrawals system reduced OTC withdrawal; then it will implies that introduction of cashless policy supported by application of information technology can achieve more to reduce over dependent on cash payment in Nigeria economy system. However, Akhalumeh and Ohioka (2011) observed some challenges with the introduction of cashless policy. Their findings show that 34.0% of the respondents cited problem of internet fraud, 15.5% cited problem of limited POS/ATM, 19.6% cited problem of illiteracy and 30.9% stayed neutral – the respondent not been sure of problem been expected or experienced. While in some quarters there was fear of unemployment, some believe it will create more jobs especially when companies manufacturing POS machine are cited in Nigeria. More so, data sourced from Central Bank of Nigeria portal shows that Lagos state, with a population of 17 million people, only has sixty one  Point Of Sales, twenty bank branches and twenty four ATMs per 100,000 people which are far less to satisfy the needs of the population. These data verify the claim of Echekoba and Ezu (2012) on the problem of cash based economy and cashless policy in Nigeria. For effective cashless implementation in Nigeria availability of sufficient and well-functioning infrastructure (notably electricity), harmonization of fiscal and monetary policy, regular assessment of the performance of cashless banking channels, consideration of the present state and structure of the economy, redesign of monetary policy framework and greater efforts towards economic growth whilst managing inflation should be considered (Odior and Banuso, 2012). 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This study was carried out, using accidental sampling method, in Lagos state, Nigeria. A total of 500 traders, students and civil servants were sampled. Questionnaire was used as data collection instrument, with questions on demographics and benefits of cashless economy in Nigeria. The major statistical technique used was descriptive (use of frequency tables and charts). 4. RESULT 4.1 Demographics responses on gender show that male respondents accounted for 55.6% while the female respondents are 44.4%. Figure 1 and Figure 2 presents the responses on age and occupation, respectively. For age, majority of the respondents are between 18 to 25 years, this is followed by those between 26 to 40 years while the least number are between 41 to 60 years. For occupation of the respondents, the highest percentage (44.4%) is traders, followed by students (33.3%) and civil servants (22.2%). www.gjournals.org 41 Vol. 1 (2), pp. 040-043, April 2013. Greener Journal of Internet, Information and Communication Systems 41-60 years 22% 18-25 years 45% 26-40 years 33% Figure 1: Age of Respondents 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Traders Students Civil servants Figure 2: Occupation of Respondents 4.2 Benefits Table 1 shows the view of respondents on benefits of cashless economy in Nigeria. The lowest percentage, 11.1% of the respondents, believed that cashless policy will increase employment. A higher percentage, 22.2% of the respondents, believed that cashless policy in Nigeria will reduce cash  related robbery thereby reducing risk of carrying cash. The highest percentage of the respondents believed that cashless policy will reduce cash related corruption (33.3%) and cashless policy will attract more foreign investors to the country (33.3%). Table 1: Benefits of Cashless Economy in Nigeria Benefits of Cashless Economy Increase employment Reduce cash related robbery Reduce cash related corruption Attract more foreign investment Total Percentage (%) 11.1% 22.2% 33.3% 33.3% 100% www.gjournals.org 42 Greener Journal of Internet, Information and Communication Systems Vol. 1 (2), pp. 040-043, April 2013. 5. CONCLUSION The study, impact of cashless economy in Nigeria, focused on the three major categories by which Nigerians can be divided – traders, students and civil servants. More number of traders was sampled, compared to students and civil servants, because they are more into business and financial transactions. More so, a higher number of respondents within the age bracket of 18 and 25 years show that apart from students, quite a number of Nigerian youth are  also into trade. This study shows that the introduction of cashless economy in Nigeria can be seen as a step in the right direction. It is expected that its impact will be felt in modernization of Nigeria payment system, reduction in the cost of banking services as well as reduction in high security and safety risks. This should also include curbing banking related corruptions and fostering transparency. It is also assumed that the introduction of cashless policy in Nigeria will help to reduce the amount of bills and notes circulating in the economy. This should, therefore, reduce handling operation cost incurred on conventional money, as well as reduction in cash related crimes. It should also help to provide easy access to banking services for Nigerians. REFERENCES Akhalumeh, P.B., and Ohiokha, F. (2011): Nigeria’s Cashless Economy; The Imperatives. International Journal of Management & Business Studies. vol.2 pp. 12 – 17. Akintaro, S. (2012): Going Cashless. IT & Telecom digest, online magazine, august,2012 CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (2011): Towards a Cashless Nigeria: Tools & Strategies. Nigerian Journal of Economy. 3(2), 344 – 350. Echekoba, F.N., and Ezu, G.K. (2012): Electronic Retail Payment Systems: User Acceptability & Payment Problems in Nigeria. Arabian Journal of Business & Management Review. vol.5, pp. 60 – 63. Ejiro, O. (2012): What Nigerians Think of the Cashless Economy Policy. Nigerian Journal of Economy. 4(6), 97 – 102. Humphrey, D. B. (2004): ―Replacement of cash by cards in U.S. Consumer Payments, Journal of Economics and Business, 56, 211–225. Marco, A. and L. Bandiera (2004): -Monetary Policy, Monetary Areas and Financial Development with Electronic Money, IMF Working Study, IMF. Moses-Ashike, H. (2011),â€Å"Cashless Economic can Reduce Risk of Carrying Huge Cash†, [Online] Available: http://www.businessdayonline.com/†¦/22217. Odior, E.S., and Banuso, F.B. (2012): Cashless Banking in Nigeria: Challenges, Benefits & Policy Implications. European Scientific Journal. Vol 8, pp. 12 – 16. Roth, B. L. (2010). â€Å"The Future of Money: The Cashless Economy – Part 1†. [Online] Available: https://www.x.com/†¦/future-money-cashless-economy—part-i. Woodford M. (2003). â€Å"Interest & Price: Foundation of a Theory of Monetary Policy†, Princeton University Press. www.gjournals.org 43

Succubus Shadows Chapter 25

Not even when I felt his life energy come into me. I kept going. He pulled me into his condo, deftly kicking the door shut with his foot. His arms gripped me close, and we never broke the kiss as we stumbled through the living room and into his bedroom. We fell onto the bed, removing each other's clothing with practiced ease, almost like Mexico had just been the warm-up. My hands ran over the lean muscles of his chest, the scent of his skin drowning me. Letting down all restraint made me feel that much giddier – as did the sweet, glorious taste of his soul wrapping around me. Was it my imagination, or was it a little purer than it had been in Mexico? Had one decision to come back and face his fears cleaned that darkness even a little? I didn't know for sure, and even if it wasn't perfect, the energy still felt amazing. â€Å"Why?† he asked at last. His thoughts and feelings were coming through with the energy, and I'd wondered when he'd bring up the question warring with his desire. His hands continued touching me the whole time, one sliding up between my thighs. â€Å"Why now?† I arched my hips against his, crying out softly as his fingers slid into me. His mouth crushed mine, killing off my response for a moment. â€Å"Because I'm tired of fighting it. You're right. We're going to keep coming back to each other over and over†¦.† My eloquent speech was put on hold again when his mouth moved down to my breast, letting his tongue toy with my nipple. â€Å"You've said before you'll risk the shortening of your life†¦. I'll risk your mortality. I'll risk it all to be with you†¦to help you. If you still want it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes,† he breathed against my flesh. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"I won't leave you alone through this,† I murmured. â€Å"And I don't want to be alone either†¦.† Those were my last coherent words. He gently rolled himself onto me and slid his hands up my arms so that they could hold my wrists against the bed. I spread my legs, welcoming his body as it pushed into mine. Just like the first time we'd had sex, there was one perfect moment – one moment of astonishing, total completion. Like we'd found something we'd lost and were afraid we'd lose it again if we moved. Then, the metaphysical sentiment was gone, replaced by the driving desire of our bodies. He thrust into me, gently at first, then steadily increased the strength. I stared at him wide-eyed, taking in every feature, refusing to miss one instant of this experience. And believe me, I was getting quite the experience. Aside from the ecstasy of our bodies moving together, I still had his energy and feelings coming in. Knowing what he was thinking as we made love added a whole new dimension to it all. Sometimes with men it would be coherent thoughts. With him, it was just pure emotion. Love and trust and longing†¦feelings so strong that he was willing to risk anything for them, anything to be with me. Even his life. My body burned against his, growing increasingly turned on by the rapture and love on his face juxtaposed with the fierceness of the way he held me and kept pushing into me. Everything grew more intense – both physically and spiritually – and my body finally reached its breaking point. I came with a loud cry and thrashed against him, wanting to free my arms and wrap them around him. He continued holding me until he came, which didn't take much longer. The full burst of his soul's energy flooded me with his orgasm, and I heard myself moaning again at the joy of it. He thrust in a few more times, the motions growing slower and longer as his body took its release. The grip on my wrists loosened, and he shifted over to his side, taking me with him. I pressed against his chest, feeling the racing of his heart and sweat on his skin. My own heart was pounding too as my body reveled in its own satiation. Every part of me still tingled, and though there was really no way to get closer, I tried anyway. I wanted as much skin to touch as possible. I wanted as much of him blending into me as possible. He brushed the hair from my face and rained kisses down upon my forehead. â€Å"So that's the full succubus effect, huh?† â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"Worth it,† he murmured. Already, I could see the loss of energy taking its toll. â€Å"Whatever the cost, worth it.† I refused to allow myself to ponder that cost. Making love in the full throes of my succubus abilities might have added a powerful element, but it had undoubtedly taken years off his life. It wasn't for me to decide if it had been worth it, though. He'd made this choice. Said choice was exhausting him, and I knew he'd soon sleep for a very long time as his body and soul recovered their losses. I shifted so that we changed positions, bringing his head to lie against my breasts. â€Å"Rest,† I said, wrapping my arms around him. He tilted his head, looking up at me with warm, sleepy eyes. â€Å"Don't want to sleep yet†¦I want to stay with you. Will you be here in the morning this time?† â€Å"Yes,† I said, kissing the top of his head. â€Å"I promise. I won't leave you again.† A small smile played over his lips, and he allowed his lids to close. He snuggled against me, body relaxing. â€Å"The world†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he said softly, as sleep began taking him. â€Å"You are the world, Letha†¦.† I stiffened. â€Å"What did you say?† My voice was too loud, jarring enough to momentarily startle him out of the slumber his body now longed for. â€Å"Hmm? I said you were the world, Georgina.† He gave a small yawn. â€Å"That's not what you called me,† I said, trying to keep my voice calm. â€Å"What did I call you? Thetis?† Oh, if only. If only it had been his nickname for me. â€Å"You called me†¦Letha.† He fought to keep his eyes open and yawned again. â€Å"Why would I have said that?† â€Å"I†¦don't know. Where did you hear it?† Yes, indeed. Where would he have heard my name? Hardly anyone knew it. Greater immortals knew it, and that was pretty much it. The only lesser immortals who did were Niphon and Kristin, who'd had access to my records. I was pretty sure they'd never told my other immortal friends. I was confident they'd never told Seth. Seth's brow furrowed a little, then smoothed as he closed his eyes again. â€Å"Don't know. Greek myths, I guess. The River Lethe, where the dead go to wash away the memories from their souls†¦to forget the past. Isn't that right?† â€Å"Yes,† I said, scarcely breathing. Where did he pull that name from? â€Å"Letha, Lethe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I could barely hear him now. â€Å"Almost the same.† â€Å"Almost,† I agreed. My voice was nearly as inaudible as his. My name. He shouldn't have known my name. A panic I couldn't explain began fluttering within me. Something about my mood must have still penetrated his haze because he stirred slightly, though his eyes remained closed. There was worry in his drowsy words. â€Å"What's wrong?† â€Å"Nothing. Get some rest.† Where had he heard my name? Minutes ago I'd been on fire. Now I felt cold. â€Å"You sure?† he murmured. â€Å"Everything's okay?† He exhaled deeply, and I felt him succumb to sleep with those last words. â€Å"Fine,† I said, staring off into the night. â€Å"Everything's fine.†