Saudi Consumers Perceptions and Reactions Research Proposal

Saudi Consumers Perceptions and Reactions - Research Proposal Example Hypothetical structure and theory are likewise evolved in the light of existing writing while at times the scientist has utilized useful guides to legitimize the focuses. The scientist has discovered that not many analysts led research on Saudi consumer’s discernment with respect to CSR activities of organizations thus specialist has the extension to satisfy the hole in the writing by directing exploration on the subject. Likely examination strategy and course of events of the exploration work has additionally been talked about in the proposition while understanding essentialness of the examination will be another vital part of this paper. Section 1: Introduction/Background Over the most recent 50 years, the world has gotten progressively worldwide and the business world has seen advancement of different administration ideas, for example, corporate social duty (CSR), partner hypothesis, corporate administration, corporate morals and so forth. Nalband and Al-Amri (2013) called attention to that authenticity has become key mantra for progress for corporate over the most recent 15 years. Exploration work of Nalband and Al-Amri (2013) uncovers the way that hypothetical focal point of the researchers are moving from vital administration issues to authenticity and great stewardship for organizations. Partners and investors are likewise requesting for good stewardship for executives in the associations and combination is occurring in worldwide capital markets. In such setting, Nalband and Al-Amri (2013) has theoretically called attention to that significance of CSR has been re-imagined by organizations over the most recent few years. In the evolving scene, CSR has two measurements, 1-governments are urging organizations to improve corporate administration rehearses and guarantee moral arrangement makings so as to raise capital assortment from residential and remote financial specialists and 2-organizations are attempting to expand social government assistance a nd stewardship exercises not exclusively to give social great to unprivileged segments of the general public yet additionally to improve brand picture among outer partners, for example, clients. Nalband and Al-Amri (2013) found that Practice of corporate social obligation (CSR) is rapidly getting acknowledgment among associations Saudi Arabia yet for most clients, CSR isn't in excess of an administration language. Nalband and Al-Amri (2013, p. 285) expressed that â€Å"Nobody in Saudi Arabia, I figure still right up 'til the present time, can plainly differentiate between noble cause or generosity and CSR.† Surprising truth is that, despite the fact that Nalband and Al-Amri (2013) brought up issue on the understanding degree of Saudi buyers with respect to CSR activities of organizations yet till date, not very many analysts have led research on the subject. Consequently, huge measure of exploration scope exist for specialists to lead research on the subject named as â€Å"S audi Consumers observations and responses to organizations CSR (corporate social duty) initiatives.†

Electricity Essays - Deists, General Electric, Telegraphy

Power Essays - Deists, General Electric, Telegraphy Power The present logical inquiry is: What on the planet is power? What's more, where does it follow it leaves the toaster? (Hughes) Here is a straightforward examination that will show you a significant electrical exercise: On a cool, dry day, scrape your feet along a rug, at that point venture your hand into a companion's mouth and contact one of his dental fillings. Did you notice how your companion jerked viciously and shouted out in torment? This instructs us that power can be an amazing power, however we should never utilize it to hurt others except if we have to get familiar with a significant electrical exercise. (Ronald A. Anderson) It additionally shows us how an electrical circuit functions. At the point when you scraped your feet, you got bunches of electrons, which are extremely little articles that cover producers mesh into cover with the goal that they will draw in earth. The electrons travel through your circulatory system and gather in your finger, where they structure a flash that jumps to your companion's filling, at that point go down to his feet and go into the floor covering, in this way finishing the circuit. (Celebrate in the Lord) Stunning ELECTRONIC FACT: If you scraped your feet long enough without contacting anything, you would develop such huge numbers of electrons that your finger would detonate! Be that as it may, this is nothing to stress over except if you have covering. (Helps Awareness) Despite the fact that we present day people will in general take our electric lights, radios, blenders, and so forth for in all actuality, many years prior individuals didn't have any of these things, which is similarly also on the grounds that there was no spot to connect them. At that point along came the primary Electrical Pioneer, Benjamin Franklin, who flew a kite in a lightning storm and got a genuine electrical stun. This demonstrated lightning was fueled by a similar power as floor coverings, however it additionally harmed Franklin's mind so seriously that he began talking just in endless adages, for example, better safe than sorry. Eventually he must be given an occupation running the mail station. After Franklin came a crowd of Electrical Pioneers whose names have become some portion of our electrical phrasing: Myron Volt, Mary Louise Amp, James Watt, Bob Transformer, and so forth. These pioneers led numerous significant electrical examinations. Among them, Galvani found (this is reality) that when he connected two various types of metal to the leg of a frog, an electrical flow created and the frog's leg kicked, despite the fact that it was not, at this point joined to the frog, which was dead in any case. Galvani's disclosure prompted colossal advances in the field of land and water proficient medication. Today, gifted veterinary specialists can pay attention to a frog that has been harmed or killed, embed bits of metal in its muscles, and watch it bounce once again into the lake where it sinks like a stone. In any case, the best Electrical Pioneer of them everything was Thomas Edison, who was a splendid designer in spite of the way that he had minimal proper training and lived in New Jersey. Edison's first significant innovation in quite a while the phonograph, which could before long be found in a huge number of American homes, where it essentially sat until 1923, when the record was created. In any case, Edison's most prominent accomplishment came in 1879 when he developed the electric organization. Edison's structure was a splendid adjustment of the straightforward electrical circuit: the electric organization sends power through a wire to a client, at that point quickly recovers the power through another wire, at that point (this is the splendid part) sends it directly back to the client once more. This implies an electric organization can sell a client a similar bunch of power a huge number of times each day and never get captured, since not very many clients set aside the effort to analyze their power intently. Actually, the most recent year any new power was produced was 1937. Today, because of men like Edison and Franklin, and frogs like Galvani's, we get practically boundless advantages from power. For instance, in the previous decade researchers have built up the laser, an electronic machine so ground-breaking that it can disintegrate a piece of machinery 2000 yards away, yet so exact that specialists can utilize it to perform fragile activities to the human eyeball, if they make sure to change the force setting from Piece of machinery to Eyeball. From Diary of Irreproducible Results

How Do You Accept a Compliment With SAD

How Do You Accept a Compliment With SAD Social Anxiety Disorder Treatment and Therapy Social Skills Print How Do You Accept a Compliment With SAD? By Arlin Cuncic Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of Therapy in Focus: What to Expect from CBT for Social Anxiety Disorder and 7 Weeks to Reduce Anxiety. Learn about our editorial policy Arlin Cuncic Updated on February 19, 2020 Social Anxiety Disorder Overview Symptoms & Diagnosis Causes Treatment Living With In Children People with social anxiety have trouble accepting compliments. Floresco Productions / Getty Images If you have  social anxiety disorder (SAD), you might have a hard time gracefully accepting and  giving compliments. For example, when someone positively comments on something about you, your tendency might be to dismiss and downplay the compliment. For instance, when a coworker tells you that you did a good job on a project, you might respond by saying something like, Well, anyone could have done what I did. You might think youre being humble, or perhaps you genuinely dont feel that you deserve the praise. When you negatively respond to compliments, it implies that you dont value your work, your appearance, your homeâ€"or whatever it is that you have been complimented on. Over time, this negativity will erode your confidence. Learning how to graciously take a compliment is an important social skill, but particularly if you are dealing with social anxiety. How to Respond to Compliments There are four steps to properly receiving and responding to a compliment. Say thank you. Even if you cant think of anything else to say, at the very least try to remember to be gracious when someone compliments you. Try not to pause too long before saying Thank you or your sincerity might be questioned.Add a positive comment. When someone says something nice about you or something that youve achieved, keep the positivity going rather than negating it. Respond affirmatively with something like, I put a lot of effort into this project, or, I spent a long time choosing the color scheme for this room.Return the compliment. As long as its genuine, returning a compliment can also be a positive response. For example, when you receive praise from a mentor you might respond by saying, Thank you! I appreciate that coming from you because I really respect your opinion.Use a conversation opener. A compliment can be a great way to start a conversation. To keep a pleasant chat going, follow up on a nice comment with something like, Ive been meaning to ask... or I wanted to ask your opinion about... 10 Unique Ways to Give Compliments Example Scenario Sarah is preparing to attend a holiday party at her new office. She goes to the hair salon and is convinced to try a new style. She loves the result and is feeling pretty good about how she looks, though shes still anxious about the party. However, when she arrives at the function, a coworker greets her and immediately says, I love your new hairstyle! Embarrassed by the attention, Sarah hesitates. After an awkward pause, she replies, You think so? I am not sure if I will keep it this way... Scenarios like Sarahs can be common for people with SAD. Heres an example of how she could have gracefully accepted her coworkers compliment and given her self-esteem a boost. Thank you, I just had it done! I really like the style too. And I really appreciate the compliment coming from youâ€"your hair always looks amazing! 100 Positivity-Boosting Compliments Compliments can also be great ways to start conversations. If someone offers you a compliment, its often a sign that they would like to get to know you better and would be receptive to conversation openers. To keep the conversation with her coworker going, Sarah could have added: I went to the new hair salon downtown. What salon do you go to? If you tend to respond negatively to compliments, it will take practice to learn how to respond in a positive way. Compliments and Social Anxiety Disorder If social anxiety is getting in the way of giving or receiving compliments, a mental health professional can help you determine if underlying anxiety is preventing you from participating in these valuable social exchanges. How to Give Compliments When You Have Social Anxiety

Business Law-201 Writing Assignment 1 - 2057 Words

Lizbeth Gerena Business Law 201 Writing Assignment 1 Prof. Benichou May 3, 2015 Case Study 1 Crime: The students at Gigantic State University (GSU) committed several crimes when they decided to take over Dunfee Hall. The most dangerous was the assault with a deadly weapon (firearm). Whether it was real or just a play gun it was used to represent a real gun. The victim thought it to be real and she collapsed in a sobbing heal on her desk. The second crime that was committed that was the most alarming, was the hostage take over. They stormed the building and blocked Mr. Chandler in his office and would not let him out. Even†¦show more content†¦Negligence is defined as the failure to use reasonable care to avoid a foreseeable harm to a person, place or thing. A person has acted negligently if he/she has departed from the conduct expected of a reasonably prudent person acting under similar circumstances. The hypothetical reasonable person provides an objective by which the conduct of others is judged. The law considers a variety of factors in determining whethe r a person has acted as the hypothetical reasonable person would have acted in a similar situation. These factors include the knowledge, experience, and perception of the person, the activity the person is engaging in, the physical characteristics of the person, and the circumstances surrounding the person’s actions. Yes, the negligence in this case is that the students were negligent. They engaged in a threatening act that a reasonable, prudent person would not by painting what appeared to be a weapon at a person and threatening their life. Just the fact that they stormed the building fits the definition of negligence. Even if their intention was not to hurt anyone physically, they did hurt people mentally in the case of Prudence. There are many different ways in which they could have gone about this in a more peacefully way, which makes this negligence in itself. Who should be held liable for the damages (physical and mental)? All of the students who participated in this event should be chargedShow MoreRelatedEssay on Business Admin2889 Words   |  12 Pagescinnes@fullerton.edu Course Prerequisites: Grade of C or above in English 101 and BUAD 201, or their equivalents. You may not be enrolled in BUAD 201 and BUAD 301 simultaneously. Course Description: In BUAD 301 you will build upon skills acquired and developed in BUAD 201. Using these basic, but crucial, communication skills you will continue to produce documents but of a more sophisticated nature. Whereas in BUAD 201 the messages were relatively straightforward, as you became familiar with producingRead Morebusiness law chap 92036 Words   |  9 Pagesï » ¿ DE PAUL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF COMMERCE DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT BUSINESS LAW - 201 INSTRUCTOR: SAMUEL B. GARBER, M.B.A., J.D. PHONE: 312-362-6788 Course Description: Legal Environment of Business: History of law from the Common Law down to the present Uniform Commercial Code, including ethical considerations and social responsibilities fundamental principles of law pertaining to business and persons, contracts and principal-agent relationship. (Prerequisite: Sophomore Standing)Read MoreContracts Outline28401 Words   |  114 PagesNd Contracts Outline Professor Murray 1. Contract Remedies (Chapter One) What is a contract?- promise or set of promises, for breach of which the law gives a remedy or the performance of which the law recognizes as a duty. Types of contracts- a. express: formed by language, oral or written b. implied: formed by manifestations of assent other than oral or written language; by conduct. c. quasi: not contracts at all, construed by courts to avoid unjust enrichment, by permitting plaintiffRead MoreBus 201 Spring 2009 Final6713 Words   |  27 PagesBus 201 Spring 2009 Final Prof. Isler May 28, 2009 The final exam will be given at 8:10 and will end at 10:10. In the True/False section mark a for True and b for False. In the multiple choice section you should select the best answer. Raw exam scores, the exam and exam answers will be posted today by 5:00 PM. The exam is not cumulative. Place only your Student ID Number on your Scantron not your name. Five questions will be deducted if your name or Social Security Number is placed on yourRead MoreGrocery, Inc.2030 Words   |  9 Pagesinternational corporation contracts. Team B will make clear facts of contractual law and remedies available to parties involved. Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)Several sections of article 2 in the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) pertain to Grocery, Inc. and the vendors. Grocery, Inc. also has common law contracts with vendors. The UCC has several articles that pertain to purchasing of goods and contracts (Requirements, n.d.). Section 2-201 deals with contracts and legal remedies in regard to contracts for theRead MoreThe Contract Law Of The United States3076 Words   |  13 PagesEssay Paper on the Contract Law of the United States Introduction Contract Law of The United States of America In order to have civilized interactions between people contract law is an invention that creates good faith and fair dealing. The United States people have a government that has a legal system that enforces agreements called contracts. An agreement without enforceability leaves the parties vulnerable to mistakes, dishonesty, changes of mind, illegality. Also, a contract means thatRead MoreEssay about Strategic operations issues and Lean Synchronisation3031 Words   |  13 PagesIssues ASSIGNMENT TOPIC: Using your own organisation, identify a strategic operations issue or problem that needs to be addressed. WORD COUNT: 2545 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Lean Synchronisation is a growing trend as the market becomes increasingly competitive due to customer’s/client’s expectations that a product or service be provided instantaneously. This analysis considers the application of lean synchronisation principles to the simple process of signing out mail within a law firm whereRead MoreEssay on Case Senario2965 Words   |  12 Pages 17 years old, is spending his summer vacation working for Tom in the produce department. Assignment: Using the scenario above, give detailed answers to the following questions: 1. Does Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) apply to the contracts between Grocery and its vendors? Do common law contracts apply? Explain, in detail, why or why not. Your answer should compare and contrast common law contracts and UCC Article 2 contracts. The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) Article 2 appliesRead MoreEssay on Grocery Inc4653 Words   |  19 Pagesvendors to obtain the products they sell in their stores. There are many laws and guidelines that, like other similar businesses, Grocery, Inc. must follow in order to operate in a compliant manner. Common Law Contracts and UCC Article 2 Contracts Both common law and UCC Article 2 contracts would apply between Grocery Inc. and their vendors; however for domestic purposes the UCC Article 2 contract would supersede that of the common law contract. Grocery also has international vendors which make it a bitRead MoreDebonairs Pizza Product-Market Expansion Growth Strategies27204 Words   |  109 PagesMASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (MBA YEAR 1) COURSE AND ASSIGNMENT HANDBOOK JULY 2010 INTAKE Course and Assignment Handbook – July 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. WELCOME MESSAGE FROM PRINCIPAL INTRODUCTION TO MANCOSA THE MANCOSA MISSION OUR VISION MBA PROGRAMME STRUCTURE 5.1 Overall Programme Objectives 5.2 Programme focus 5.3 Module description and rationale PROGRAMME ADMINISTRATION 6.1 Programme Management 6.2 Programme registration 6.3 Registry and despatch 6.4 Finance 6.4.1 Fee

Impact Of Globalization On Nation States - 1186 Words

The phrase ‘nation state’ is often referred to as two quite separate terms. ‘State’ is known as an individual political community which has its own rules and regulations which makes them separate from other communities. A ‘nation’ is primarily known as a large body of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language, living in a particular state or area. Globalisation is the trend of money and businesses to grow past their own national market and reach other nation-state markets around the world. This ultimately connects nation-states and their markets to one another. There are said to be four related dimensions of globalisation in which all can have an impact on nation-states: economic, political, cultural, and technological. These four dimensions provide evidence that globalisation has had a significant impact on nation states. One impact that globalisation has on nation-states is on the economy. Globalisation effects the economy by the vast flow of capital into the nation-states, allowing certain states to become interdependent on specific goods. If this capital is to run out or become unavailable, then it will have an instant impact on the states using it, thus creating an economic crisis. The nation-states of today have a lot more trade now which can result in our economies becoming more interconnected. An example of this is the ‘subprime’ mortgage crisis in the USA. This was triggered by a great drop in home prices, which lead to mortgage misbehavioursShow MoreRelatedThe Impact Of Globalization On Citizenship For A Nation State1574 Words   |  7 PagesGlobalization is a phenomenon that is crucial and fundamental to the development of our world which also has an increasingly amount of influence that played an important role in the flow of migration and immigration of individuals seeking for better opportunities. As a result, it is a given that globalization will significantly impact the pr ocess of citizenship for a nation state. Thus, the objective of this paper is to demonstrate the way in which the influence of globalization upon citizenshipRead MoreImpact Of Globalization On The Nation State Within A Global Context2001 Words   |  9 Pagesexamine the impact that globalisation has on the nation-state within a global context. Next, it respectively study the political, economic and cultural influences caused by globalization over the nation-state.Robertson is one of the first sociologists to characterize globalization as the pressure of the world and the escalation of awareness of the world overall (Robertson,1992:8). Tailing him, there are a gathering of perspectives and research on the issue with respect to globalization. GlobalizationRead MoreImpact Of Globalization On The United States And Our Relations With Other Nations Essay2272 Words   |  10 PagesGlobalization is a process which involves the establishment of economic, cultural, and socio-economic rela tions between nations around the world. It is a concept that has fascinated me for quite some time because of it’s influence on topics such as; why one country gains while another loses, why certain people thrive while others diminish, how technology impacts human labor and workforce, etc. Specifically, I have always been drawn to the economic consequences of globalization and how they impactRead MoreAdvantages and Disadvantages of Global Integration1476 Words   |  6 PagesAND DISADVANTAGES Globalization is the process by which different societies, cultures, and regional economies integrate through a worldwide network of political ideas through transportation, communication, and trade. Generally, globalization has affected many nations in various ways; economically, politically, and socially. It is a term that refers to the fast integration and interdependence of various nations, which shapes the world affairs on a global level. Globalization has affected the productsRead MoreGlobalization And The Speed Of Globalization1726 Words   |  7 PagesThere has been acceleration in the speed of globalization in current years. Its scope has too widened past the realm of economies to involve the domains of cultural, political and social practices and norms. This powerful shove has been connected with far-reaching cost for economic well-being, political processes and social structures in countries across the world. The diverse parts of the entire world have actually become so co -dependent in so many respects that it is not possible any longer toRead MoreEffect Of Globalization On Neediness Essay1164 Words   |  5 Pages2000). In spite of the fact that the correct effect of globalization on neediness is exceptionally hard to evaluate, look into assessments demonstrate that destitution has expanded by 82 million, 14 million, and 8 million in sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and Central Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean separately. Investigating this, globalization itself can t be considered in charge of the vast majority of the neediness in creating nations as different variables, for example, terrible administrationRead MoreImmigration And Globalization1734 Words   |  7 Pagesimmigration impact an individual’s likelihood to identify with a national identity, or a larger global identity? Does immigration, a component of globalization, impact one identity more than another? These questions are increasingly relevant with the well-documented rise of European nationalist parties, but there are still questions about whether these are empirically connected phenomena. Immigration, a facet of globalization, is widely discussed, as well as other impacts of globalization, confirmingRead MoreGlobalization : The Super Story1366 Words   |  6 PagesFriedman’s article, Globalization: The Super-Story, he defines globalization as the inexorable integration of markets, transportation systems, and communication systems to a degree never witnessed before. In simple terms, globalization is the process of international mingle that comes from the interchange of world views. Friedman is one of the key protagonists of the concept of globalization and defines this new system with a series of key words and three balances which make up the globalization system. FriedmanRead MoreGlobalization and International Finance, Questions and Answer1533 Words   |  7 Pages Q1. History of your topic (i.e. product, country(ies), article, etc)? Please explain in detail your topic selection. Globalization is defined as moving towards a world in which barriers to cross-border trade and investment are declining; distance is shrinking due to new advance in transportation and telecommunications technology, material culture is starting to look similar the world over; national economies are merging into an interdependent, integrated global economic system (Hill). The wordRead MoreThe Impacts of Globalization on Developing Countries Essays1365 Words   |  6 PagesGlobalization, love it or hate it, but you can’t escape it. Globalization may be regarded as beneficial from an economic and business point of view, but however cannot be perceived the ditto when examined from the social sciences and humanities side of it. Globalization can be argued as a tool for economic growth, advancement and prosperity through co-operation between the developed and developing countries. The pro-globalization critics argue that the benefits that globalization brings to developing

Lego Structure Free Essays

Structure is dependent on strategy. If an organization has vertical integration then they operate a functional structure, which gives efficiency through economies of scale. If an organization uses a diversification structure then there is a business unit structure which gives customer responsiveness. We will write a custom essay sample on Lego Structure or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, many firms have a hybrid structure; this type of structure balances efficiency and customer responsiveness. A company also can choose to outsource through a contract with another company for them to perform an activity along their value chain. Many companies choose to outsource work which is not vital to their core in order to take advantage of cheap labor, there is a trade-off between cost and quality. LOGO has a functional structure as it is split into sectors such as markets products, global supply chain community, education direct. Under each of these functions are executives for each product and regional area, which proves for an effective centralized communication structure. Since its creation LOGO has been privately owned by the Kirk Christiansen family. The Corporate management of LOGO consists of the CEO, SCOFF amp; 4 executive Vice Presidents who each have their own business area. Previously, to develop stronger leaders with skills to take groups into new areas managers were moved around rapidly. After 6-12 months in one position, managers were rotated or replaced by someone who could do better. The reasoning for this was general leadership experience was considered more valuable than specialized direct experience with LOGO toys. Also during this period (1999 – 2004) senior management consolidated 25 country-level sales companies into 5 regional entities. In late 2003, LOGO was facing a dire situation and changes were required. Ploughman (CEO) and 4/14 person management team were asked to leave the company by the Christiansen family. 517 senior manufacturing executives were fired due to differing views on what direction LOGO needed to take to become successful again. New CEO, Inductors also decided to change the management team policies. LOGO has become focused on specializing their managers to make them the best they could possibly be. Managers have stayed in the same position for the last few years and are focused on upgrading their capabilities and becoming more strategic as they truly understand their roles and business areas. LOGO has been focused on having a family like atmosphere and an approachable CEO to encourage owner/CEO relations, strong alignment with their brand vision, celebrating loyal employees and a willingness to give your best. To create an environment for employees to thrive, LOGO had their management emphasize collaboration between different departments and create opportunities for people to meet other employees through inter-department meetings. In the early sass, many of the LOGO groups competitors outsourced their manufacturing to the Far East due to the cheaper costs. LOGO kept their manufacturing processes in-house as their strategy is highly focused on quality to maintain their brand reputation upheld since 1932. The mentality of keeping expansions in-house was to protect the LOGO brand, and that only LOGO sufficiently knows their brand and the expression of it could therefore not be outsourced. LOGO later decided to outsource to Flatirons, an electronics manufacturing service Flatirons and move production back in-house as manufacturing is core to LOGO. Flatirons was too different from LOGO and their inventory accuracy fell, McCollum betimes shortened because of lower maintenance levels and in some cases purchasing costs rose instead of falling. LEO now mainly outsource where they lack the in-house capabilities like LOGO NOMINATORS electronics. Overall, LOGO has made appropriate changes to better match their structure to their strategy by having experienced managers in specialized roles with specific knowledge and experience of LOGO products. Their functional structure has allowed LOGO to continue with their efficiency required for their innovative build, differentiation strategy. How to cite Lego Structure, Papers

The Role of Social Media in Recruitment

Introduction Human resource management is the practice within organizations that deals with people, that is, the work force within an organization. It is responsible for such tasks involving recruitment of employees, ensuring employee welfare, promotion criteria, employee sanctioning and rewarding, communication among employees, among other functions that revolve around employees.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The Role of Social Media in Recruitment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More All these functions are geared towards providing a conducive environment for maximum employee performance. The human resource department policies, if well and effectively applied, will lead to effective and productive contribution of the employees to the overall mandate and goals of the organization. Social Networking This is an online site, whose primary purpose is to build social relationships and networks of people from all walks of life. Some are general sites where people can express varied opinions over varied issues like politics, finance, social life, over about anything. Some are more specific and cover narrower topics like issues to do with love and romance. Most of these sites are web-based and the users need the access of theinternet in order to access them. Users are able to share ideas, activities and interests within their networks. Examples of social networks include: Facebook, twitter, Google+, badoo, blogster, buzznet, cafemom, classmates.com, diaspora*, Flickr, Friendster, hi5, to name just a few. The Dilemma of Social Networks in the Work Place The 21st century has seen an aggressive use of the internet, with the streaming line of social networks. Face book for instance boasts over 400 million users in the world and twitter over 60 million. These networks can be quite interesting and entertaining to many users as they allow one to make friends, view their profiles, establish relationships a nd above all, share gossip. This rise in the popularity of social networks has jeopardized the human resource department in most organizations, with the managers caught between punishing the employees who use office resources for these networks, and the danger of interfering with employee privacy motivation. Huczynski and Buchanan (2010) say that another dilemma that the managers face is employee motivation. Studies have shown that when employees are left to work freely with minimum supervision, given the freedom to vent their inner emotions and feelings, their morale is boosted and productivity is raised. Such networks are seen to be points of releasing this tension among the employees and breaking monotony in the work place.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More If they get sanctioned therefore, for accessing these networks, there is high probability that they will harbor resen tment towards theirsupervisors and the management in general, and are likely to engage in more anti-social activities as a way of breaking boredom, and this may negatively affect the operation of the organization. At the same time, these networks are addictive. Some people cannot just get out once they are in, most cannot concentrate on other issues, and they waste resources. How for instance can an accountant concentrate on doing the math if his mind is on more interesting gossip, or a customer care worker handle clients when his mind is elsewhere. Following these, it is therefore necessary that organizations develop sound and practical policies regarding the use of social networks among employees, which balance these two extremes to ensure that the organization productivity improves, at the same time that employees are well motivated to do their work. The Role of Social Media in Recruitment More and more employers log in to social networks in an effort to secretly study the person ality and lifestyle of potential employees. This information isused by the employers to analyze the potential employer, and deduce how the potential candidate can impact on the organization, positively or negatively. Some employers deny the candidate work if they feel that his profile individual is wanting, for instance if he posts derogatory comments orobscene pictures.Some go to the extent of discriminating against religion and marital status. Questions on whether this isethically correct or not, are neutralized by the fact that the users create profiles that are free for anyone to view, so the managers argue that they are not actually breaking any privacy law, as access is not denied or restricted anyway. The disclaimer however, is that employers should bear in mind that most stories on these sites are not entirely true. Most people take advantage of the cover of anonymity to make create a personality that is not necessarily reflective of their true identity.Therefore, they shoul d not entirely rely on these profiles forassessment of the employee. However, they can help give a limelight of the employee’s personality.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The Role of Social Media in Recruitment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Advantages of Using Social Networks at the Work Place Social networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn can be used professionally, like to connect with others in your field of work and share experience or solve a problem related to work. Employees in the same industry could be friends or former classmates, and through these sites, they could share a lot including encouraging each other to further their studies. At the same time, these sites contain news on various industries that once you â€Å"like† the page, you can receive recent news and updates on the goings-on in the industry. This way, the employee is able to follow on relevant news of what is going on in line with his work. Employers should take note of these positive effects and put measures in place that can tolerate the employee access to this information These sites can be used to polish one’s image.For instance, if one posts positive and constructive comments, he/she is able to gain respect from among the network. If the comments are work related, they can also polish the company’s image as well. This way, the employee sells the company name to the public, and his polished image boosts his business transactions, as many from the network will be willing to listen to his advice, for instance, on product and services as a marketing strategy.This can help one advance his career. If one can strictly monitor oneself on the amount of time spent on these sites in line with the company policy, it can only work to enhance their performance by acting as a morale booster. Positive comments from friends in these networks can lighten up damp moods, consolation as well over s ome loss or disappointment, birth day wishes and even simple greetings or a â€Å"like† on your comment can go a long way to put a smile on your face. This can push one through the pressure at work, so long as work does not get compromised. It is a natural desire for one to want to know what is happening around them, in one’s town, country and even the world at large. This can inform an employee’s decisions, and give them something to think or talk about apart from work. Social networks can provide this necessary information, instead of one having to tune on the radio or TV at the end of the day to get updated.This way, theemployee stays connected with the rest of the world, and understands his environment more and is informed of any precautionary measures he may need to take, to make him feel secure and relaxed to work Tyson (2006) says that the fact that your employer trusts you as the employee with the freedom to access the social sites at any time at the sam e time trusting that you will do and accomplish your work effectively goes a long way to boost the employee’s confidence in the employer, and leaves you with the responsibility of not failing this trust and wanting to make the employer trust you more.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It creates a more cordial relationship between the two, a key ingredient in employer-employee cooperation leading to better performance. Through these sites, companies can chat with their customers and clients. This can improve the relationships between the two, bringing it down from an overly casual attitude to a more friendly and flexible relationship.They can discuss about their products and services and positive feedback will help the companies improve. The customers also become freer with the companies, encouraging business transactions. This can therefore be a good medium for marketing and building Public Relations. Disadvantages of Using Social Networks in the Work Place Chatting, especially, on personal non-work related issues only serves to waste the employee’s work time. Studies show that average users of sites like face book spend up to 56 minutes of their work time on social sites, and this number can go up for users using mobile internet like mobile phones. This therefore wastes time as a resource for the company. Employees accessing these sites during work time are often stealing the time; therefore, their attention is divided between chatting and work. This is a big risk as they are likely to make errors and mistakes that can cost them or the company a great deal. This compromises the productivity of the employee and the company’s goals are not met. Sinrod (2007) says that another problem of using these networks in the work place in the risk that the company software is exposed to. The company software gets exposed to viruses and spyware, this can lead to loss or corruption of important data, and recovery can be an unnecessary added cost. Productivity levels go down. The Impact of Negative Comments Kiser (2011) says that employee posts can negatively impact on the image of the company. Such comments as badmouthing the supervisors, fellow employees, commenting negatively on the company products, will reduce consumer confidence towar ds the company, loss of clients and scare away potential clients. Comments that reveal the company’s secrets to the public can make the company lose on competition with other companies as they are able to sabotage this information and use it to their advantage. If for instance an employee reveals who their major clients are, other competing companies can use incentives to lure these clients to their companies. The same with a company’s plans like expansion, new products and enumeration. If this information falls on the hands of competing companies, they are likely to use it to their advantage. Some comments posted on these sites can pose legal risks and can destroy the reputation of a company, however jokingly the intention might have been.For instance a post that the employees have gone two months without pay can raise legal questions, industrial actions. The company may be regarded as insensitive to its employees, and many might not want to work in the company. Deali ng With Negative Comments In dealing with the problem of negative comment and its impact in employees, most companies are coming up with policies to curb this. This is one of the best ways for a company to protect itself from the effects of social network; having a clearly defined online social media policy. The policy should give clear specifications on who is allowed to speak for the company, so that any other employee who comments anything about the company is outlawed and does it illegally and is subject to sanctions. This will also safeguard confidential information from leaking to undesirable environment. Depending on specific policies in various companies regarding the use of social networks, some employers fire the offending employees while some take upon them disciplinary actions, like paying damages to the company, demotion or suspension. The policies can outline which social sites employees can access, probably those with the least potential harm to the company like Linke dIn than Facebook. This way, they give the employees access to the sites but in a controlled way, to limit potential harm. The policies should be clearly communicated to the employees, make them understand what is and is not permitted regarding the access of the sites, and explain your reasons for the restrictions and spell out the penalties in cases of breach. Conclusion The issue of social networks in the work place is a complicated one that needs careful address by both the human resource managers and the employees. Neither party can solely tackle the issue; it needs the effort of the two parties. The managers need to come up with policies that offer a balanced approach, one that will ensure that the workers enjoy their privacy and some form of out-of-work attention/recreation, at the same time, ensuring that work gets done, and done efficiently. The employee on the other hand is tasked with the responsibility of living up to the company goals and objectives, and should ensure th at his personal needs are well regulated so as not to interfere with his work. Whichever policy chosen, the management should as much as possible avoid coercive measures. These kill employee morale, and sneaking on the manager to steal time for chatting will increase, worsening employee-employer relationship and productivity. Reference List Huczynski, A and Buchanan, D., 2010. Organizational Behavior. Harlow, Essex: Pearson Education Ltd, FT Prentice Hall. Kiser, P., 2011. 5 Reasons Why Ignoring Negative Social Media is a  Career Ender: Social Media Today. Web. Sinrod, E.J., 2007. Can Social Networking Co-exist With the Work  Place? CNET NEWS Corporate and Legal. Web. Tyson, S., 2006. Essentials of Human Resource Management. Oxford: Butterworth- Heinemann. This report on The Role of Social Media in Recruitment was written and submitted by user Asia H. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Mortgage in Saudi Arabia

Mortgage in Saudi Arabia In contemporary Saudi Arabian economy, demand for residential housing is on the rise; according to a Saudi Arabia Housing Sector Outlook, the economy’s demand for new housing is expected to grow at a rate of 18% per annum during the period of 2010 to 2013.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Mortgage in Saudi Arabia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The report further clarifies that by 2015, the country is in need of 1.65 million new residential units. With the hiked demand for housing, the mortgage industry has grown drastically: banking and financial institutions are tapping these markets and developing effective means to mitigate losses as a result. Demand for housing has grown due to an increasing youthful population that is setting small families at younger age; the country has a high population growth rate having doubled for the last forty years to 28.7 million, all these people have lead to the growth o f the housing industry (Saudi Arabia Economic Statistics and Indicators). This paper discusses the countries mortgage business trends. Borrowers risk and residential mortgage lending Residential mortgage lending means housing financing of homes; this is where a borrower takes a loan facility in the form of a mortgage to buy or construct a house to live in. The main difference that the facility has with commercial leading is that the bought house is expected to be the living premises of the borrower and not rented out for business purposes. The sector is the fastest growing in Saudi Arabia where young people are looking for homes to buy, or be financed to be build one. With the rise in demand of residential mortgage lending, and the need to make them affordable and protect the lenders, Shura Council has developed some lending policies. An amendment was passed in April 2011, where the countries housing authority was upgraded to a full ministry and expected to use $67 billion to build 500,000 homes; the ministry is expected to have a budget of $4 billion. In Islamic banking, of which are the majority in Saudi Arabia, residential mortgage lending follows regulations of SAMA; it happens that the lender engages into a contract by a third party, buys the house and rents the house to the customer. The amount of rent will have an element that goes to the bank as a gain from investment what is the financial benefit to the bank and another amount that goes to the principal amount.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When lending banks and other financial institutions under the regulations of SAMA have a structure that works as the contract between the lender and the borrower; the contract is made with the prevailing condition at the time of lending taken to task; however, the situation may change creating some difficulty in the honor of the payment agr eement. Any change or chances of a change that might result to strained payment or default is called borrows risk. Borrows risk can thus be defined as the chances at which a borrower will default (willingly and unwillingly) paying the loan (Raymond, Ying-Foon and Ming 5-32). Factors you think are relevant in determining borrower’s risk When offering loans, a bank has to gauge the chances of success of the loan; the same happens with mortgage financing; the following are the factors that need to be considered: Borrowers Information When evaluating a borrower financing institutions/lenders considers the current and historical information of the lender, SAMA maintains a credit, history software were lenders are supposed to run the information of the borrower with the system and the history of the borrower will be offered. A high relationship exists between a person who have defaulted in the past and the chances that they are likely to default in the future. Those people who ha ve had a history of defaulting are given the facilities with more restricted terms or denied all together. Other than the government records, in case someone is an employee, the reputation of the company he is serving should also be looked into, there should be a letter signed by the employer guarantee the loan facility (Sfakianakis and Banque). Property Information When offering a facility, the property that is being mortgaged will be the subject of the contract; the lender values the property and determines the amount of money he is going to offer the property.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Mortgage in Saudi Arabia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The main concern here is that there should be value for money, properties should not be over or undervalued. When looking at the value, there should be respect to local government and ministry of land instructions regarding the amount that the property should co st. The contract should ensure that there is mutual benefit on among the two. Loan information Depending with the facility that a financier is offering, the nature will take different forms; loans are made with different packages to meet the demands of different categories of people. With increase in competition in the industry, every company is looking for the best ways it can sell to the larger community; on the other hand, the government through housing authority is seeking to improve the affordability of the facilities; it also ensures that businesspersons do not take advantage of the situation. When lenders are gauging the potential of a borrower, they consider what the borrow can afford, they put into consideration other loans that he might be financing, his living standards, his responsibilities and try to determine the amount that can be committed to the mortgage. This assists in ensuring that when someone id financing a facility, he is not pushed to the wall that he can d ecide to default payments. It is also SAMA rules that someone should commit his income to financing of loans only to a certain percentage. Side incomes are also considered (Zainab). Relationship between the three types of borrower’s risk and residential mortgage lending The above risks have interrelations and connections; when one area is overlooked, then it is likely to be the weak point of the whole process. In case the lenders observes that the prospective borrow has the potential and have good credit history, as it is required by borrowers information, then goes ahead to advance a facility without looking into loan information of the borer, then the borrow is likely to default paying the loan because he has been constraint by financial budget.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On the other hand, loan information and property information are found to be okay but the lender overlooks borrower’s information; it is risking chances that the borrower has just made things look better but he is a defaulter. All the risk analysis tools through seeking information should be considered before advancing a loan facility to a borrower (SAMA). Global financial crisis and Saudi Arabia’s Real Estate sector According to Saudi Arabia’s commercial Real Estate sector report for the third quarter in 2010, the effect of global financial crisis was more felt in real estate’s industry than it was felt by the entire economy; the sector of the economy has been responsible for the growth of mortgage industry. The economy faced a reduction in business in the real estate of up to 10% where rental and the value of housing reduced accordingly. Global crisis brought about a contraction in lending rates in banks thus the demand for real estate’s also wen t down. People could hardly have enough money to demand for homes. In 2010, the situation seemed to have taken a different route while the government focused on a boost in the industry other than the traditional oil industry (Gulf base). Recommendations The growing population of Saudi Arabia and improved living conditions in the country is offering an opportunity for residential mortgage business; however, some measures that should be enacted by lenders to ensure they benefit from the opportunity, they include: Although Saudi Arabia is more of a capitalist nation, lenders should ensure they do not overprice their mortgages since there is high demand for the youths. Demand is higher than supply and according to law of demand, the prices should increase, as much as this is true, lenders should go ahead further and consider value for money. They should not overprice and take advantage of the high demand. Learning from experience is important since the failure of the United States mortg age industry in 2007 was because of unjustified increases in mortgage prices. I would recommend my bank to consider the borrower and value for money; this will lead to continued flow of customers. The next important factor that the bank should look into is the historical background of the borrower, the credibility of the borrower should be proved beyond doubtful doubts. In case of a red flag, the company should hold back and analyze the situation. To be sure, of credibility, third parties like employers, other bank’s statements, spouse consents, and utility bills holders should be consulted. With globalization, I would develop flexible mortgages facilities that allows for restructuring of loans; however, it should be in accordance to SAMA regulations. Gulf base.  Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia. GCC Stock Market, 2010. Web. Raymond, Chiang, Ying-Foon Chow, and Ming Liu. Residential Mortgage Lending and Borrower Risk: The Relationship between Mortgage Spreads and Individual Charact eristics. The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics 25.1 (2002): 5-32. Print. SAMA. Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency. Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2010. Web. Saudi Arabia Economic Statistics and Indicators. Economy Watch. 2010. Web. Sfakianakis, John, and Banque Fransi. Saudi Arabia Economics. Web. Zainab, Fattah. Saudi Arabia’s Mortgage Law Advances Amid Mideast Unrest. 2011. Web.

How to Write a Science Fair Project Report

How to Write a Science Fair Project Report Writing a science fair project report may seem like a challenging task, but it is not as difficult as it first appears. This is a format that you may use to write a science project report. If your project included animals, humans, hazardous materials, or regulated substances, you can attach an appendix that describes any special activities your project required. Also, some reports may benefit from additional sections, such as abstracts and bibliographies. You may find it helpful to fill out the science fair lab report template to prepare your report. Important: Some science fairs have guidelines put forth by the science fair committee or an instructor. If your science fair has these guidelines, be sure to follow them. Title:  For a science fair, you probably want a catchy, clever title. Otherwise, try to make it an accurate description of the project. For example, I could entitle a project, Determining Minimum NaCl Concentration That Can Be Tasted in Water.  Avoid unnecessary words, while covering the essential purpose of the project. Whatever title you come up with, get it critiqued by friends, family, or teachers.Introduction and Purpose:  Sometimes this section is called background. Whatever its name, this section introduces the topic of the project, notes any information already available, explains why you are interested in the project, and states the purpose of the project. If you are going to state references in your report, this is where most of the citations are likely to be, with the actual references listed at the end of the entire report in the form of a bibliography or reference section.The Hypothesis or Question:  Explicitly state your hypothesis or question.Materials and Meth ods:  List the materials you used in your project and describe the procedure that you used to perform the project. If you have a photo or diagram of your project, this is a good place to include it. Data and Results:  Data and results are not the same things. Some reports will require that they be in separate sections, so make sure you understand the difference between the concepts. Data refers to the actual numbers or other information you obtained in your project. Data can be presented in tables or charts, if appropriate. The results section is where the data is manipulated or the hypothesis is tested. Sometimes this analysis will yield tables, graphs, or charts, too. For example, a table listing the minimum concentration of salt that I can taste in water, with each line in the table being a separate test or trial, would be data. If I average the data or perform a statistical test of a null hypothesis, the information would be the results of the project.Conclusion:  The conclusion focuses on the hypothesis or  question as it compares to the data and results. What was the answer to the question? Was the hypothesis supported (keep in mind a hypothesis cannot be proved, onl y disproved)? What did you find out from the experiment? Answer these questions first. Then, depending on your answers, you may wish to explain the ways in which the project might be improved or introduce new questions that have come up as a result of the project. This section is judged not only by what you were able to conclude  but also by your recognition of areas where you could not draw valid conclusions based on your data. Appearances Matter Neatness counts, spelling counts, grammar counts. Take the time to make the report look nice. Pay attention to margins, avoid fonts that are difficult to read or are too small or too large, use clean paper, and make print the report cleanly on as good a printer or copier as you can.

Upcoming Technologies within the healthcare Industry Research Paper

Upcoming Technologies within the healthcare Industry - Research Paper Example In the present world technology plays a vital role in our personal lives as well as in every industry. Health care is definitely one of the most crucial industries among them. The improvement of technology is required for saving countless lives all around the world. It is such kind of big field where innovation is required at each and every step. There are so many areas in the health care industry where improvement is required. Information technology, pharmaceuticals, bio technology etc are the most important areas among them. Development of equipment and medical devices are also required for improving the health of people. From the small innovation [like innovation of ankle braces or adhesive bandages] to large innovation [like innovation of MIR machines, Scan machines, artificial organs etc] all are required to felt an impact on the health care industry. Research objectives will help to clarify the research project and give some specific goals to the researchers to achieve the desired level of outcomes. This helps to define the focus on the research topic, indicate various steps which are involved in the research and establish the limit of the research or avoid collection of data which are unnecessary. There are so many objectives in case of improvement of technologies in the health care field. These are as follows: Improvement of technologies will also reduce the burden of more manpower resources. The productivity will increase by decreasing labor intensive work forces especially in this industry (Carlsson, 2002). It will also help to reduce the processing time. Without the technologies people have to wait long time for getting admission inside of a hospital. The testing procedure also was time consuming before applying the improved technological tools. Technology can solve the problem for waiting a long time before starting a treatment. Mobility can be stated as another objective of this research which will help to reduce the waiting time of

Bob Beall at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation c Case Study

Bob Beall at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - Case Study Example It is an orphan disease means that it is hard for it to get funding for research on the area. This means that Cystic Fibrosis Foundation had to suffer issues with funding. Because Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is a rare and also a genetic disease makes it hard for research on the disease to be done as smoothly as other non-genetic and maintain diseases. The kind of leadership that Bob Beall displayed was the democratic leadership. It is very clear that he uses democratic leadership. In the case study, it has been identified that he never pressured his researchers to deliver the result. His favorite quote was â€Å"no pressure† which means that he always believed that his researchers did not have to be pushed or micromanaged to be able to perform better. However, this did not mean that he did not have compassion for the patients who needed to have a working medication as soon as possible. His passion to start working for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is enough proof that he was determined to develop a solution for this issue that was affecting so many lives, especially the young ones. One of the major advantages of this kind of leadership is that it allows innovation. In the long term, this is good for such an organization that is focused on research to develop a solution that has not been developed in the past. Democratic leadership has the advantage of the fact that the subordinates are allowed to be in control of their work. This increases motivation as people are naturally happy with autonomy and are not happy when they are being micromanaged. In such an environment where people with such specialized and expert-level skills as the kind people who were doing research at Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, it is necessary to give them freedom since this kind of research requires them to be creative and do not operate under a structured environment. This allows them to explore all the possibilities and allows them to be flexible in what they do, thus  raising the chance of successes.

Customer Satisfaction in Shopping Centre

Customer Satisfaction in Shopping Centre In the previous chapter, secondary data such as books, journals and online journals are used to conduct the literature review. In this chapter, primary data is collected through the case study. This chapter will cover the research framework consists of research purpose, research method, sampling method, research instrument and information collected from the case study. The analysis of the data is discussed in the next chapter. This case study is conducted for the purpose of investigating the level of customer satisfaction of the local customers towards the performance of a shopping centre. Mid valley megamall is chosen as the subject in case study. The time frame for the whole research is 1 month. RESEARCH FRAMEWORK: First of all, the measurement objectives must be specified in order to simplify the research process. Basically, there are four types of customer satisfaction survey which is based on the measurement objectives of the research (Vavra, 2002). Since this research is used to investigate the level of performance of a shopping centre from the customers satisfaction in general, thus, it is known as overall status survey. According to Vavra, overall status survey is emphasized more on the general issues, overall performance, and overall customers satisfaction. (2002). RESEARCH METHOD AND PURPOSE: This research is conducted using quantitative research method. From the customer satisfaction survey, the research information collected from the sample is the primary data. The aim of this study is to investigate the level of customers satisfaction in a shopping centre, to identify the actual need of customers through the distribution of questionnaires to the sample and to clarify whether the performance meet the customers expectations. POPULATION AND SAMPLING METHOD: Sampling method is a method of choosing a group of peoples from the entire target population in order to obtain the required information. Basically, there are two types of sampling designs: probability and non-probability. This research has adopted non probability sampling technique which is most suitable for a widely dispersed population such as the customers of Mid Valley Megamall. It is impossible to use the probability sampling method for this research due to the difficulty in identifies the target populations as it is too large for research. The sample is selected to estimate the gross results because less cost and time required and the sample is easily obtained while compared with the probability sampling technique. The target populations for this research are the Malaysian customers of Mid Valley Megamall and the sample is limited to adult from 18 to 50 years old. This sample is chosen because these groups of person visit the shopping mall more frequently than other demographic profile. The sample size of 100 customers ranged from 18 to 50 years old is considered as representative of Malaysian customers of Mid Valley Megamall. DESIGN OF QUESTIONNAIRE: Questionnaire is used as research instrument for this study. The questionnaires are prepared according to the objectives which set up at the beginning. In order to obtain better response from the sample, the questionnaires are designed to be simple and easy to be understood. If the length of the questionnaires is too long, it will affect the rate of response. According to Vavra, there are four types of question can be collected, namely facts, attitudes, prediction behavior and demographics. (2002). Diversified types of question are more interesting for the customers. The questionnaire consists of three sections. The first section is about the demographic profile of the respondent. The objective is to know the respondents background. The second section is about the general information regarding the relationship between the respondents and the shopping mall. Besides, it is used to identify the actual need of the customers. The third section is about the investigation on the level of satisfaction of the customers from the sample chosen towards the location, product performance, staff, building layout, infrastructure and facilities provided in the shopping mall. This section is important in determine whether the shopping mall meet the requirements of the customers. Furthermore, it includes the recommendations from the customers in order to help the shopping mall to enhance their performance in the future. SCALE: For the questionnaire, every question has its own response options such as open-ended response and close-ended response. Open-ended questions require the opinions of the customers regarding the overall performance of the shopping mall. Close-ended questions are more efficient and quantifiable because it consists of numeric scales which used by the customers to express their feelings in a simple way. The scale is known as Likert Scale. The 5-point numerical scale is adopted which ranging from 1 to 5, 1 represents not satisfied, 2 represents somewhat dissatisfied, 3 represents neither satisfied or dissatisfied, 4 represents somewhat satisfied and 5 represents strongly satisfied. The scale help the respondents to make a clear decision based on their level of satisfaction. DISTRIBUTION METHOD: Distribution method also known as field method and it defined as the way used by the interviewer to distribute the questionnaires to the sample. The questionnaires in research are distributed to the customers personally at the Mid Valley Megamall and at the same time they return the questionnaires. CASE STUDY: MID VALLEY MEGAMALL: BACKGROUND: Mid Valley Megamall is one of the Malaysias largest urban development projects in the world. It was one of the projects inside the Mid Valley City. Mid Valley City desires to be the most modern and integrated mixed-use developments in the world. The construction starts in year 1995. At present, it comprises Mid Valley Megamall, Cititel Hotel, Menara IGB, Boulevard Offices, Boulevard Hotel, Northpoint Mid Valley City, Centrepoint North and South Towers, The Gardens Retail Gallery, The Gardens Hotel, The Gardens Residences and two landmark office towers. IGB Corporation Berhad, a property and investment holding company listed on Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad is the developer of Mid Valley City while the Mid Valley Megamall is owned and operated by Kris Assets Holdings Berhad, a listed IGB subsidiary company. A two dimension master plan of Mid Valley City is enclosed in appendix. DESCRIPTIONS OF MID VALLEY MEGAMALL: Mid Valley Megamall is selected for the case study. Mid Valley Megamall is launched in year 1995 and it was opened in November 1999. Mid Valley Megamall is a complex consists of a shopping mall, an office tower block, 30 signature offices and two hotels. It is the first shopping mall comprises four successful anchor tenants, namely Jaya Jusco, Metrojaya, Carrefour and Golden Screen Cinemas. Besides, it comprises 13 junior and mini anchors and 403 specialty shops. Mid Valley Megamall has a gross floor area of 4.5 million square feet and net lettable area exceeds 1.7 million square feet. Mid Valley City is planned and developed as a City in a CityMid Valley Megamall is a key part of Mid Valley City. It was awarded the Best Shopping Complex Award 2000 by Tourism Malaysia and Best Retail Development Award 2001 by FIABCI Malaysia (International Real Estate Federation). Mid Valley Megamall is a good choice for the local residents and foreign tourists. MISSION AND VISION: Mid Valley Megamall is aimed to fulfilling everyones needs. In order to achieve the mission, the highly energetic and talented professionals are appointed in departments. In fact, Mid Valley Megamall emphasizes on their service standard and it wishes to create a modern and stylish shopping paradise for their customers. As long as the customers are in the Mid Valley Megamall, they will make sure everyone enjoy the services and products provided. Besides, Mid Valley Megamall aims to maintain the growth of the shopping mall in the competitive retail industry. FACTORS INFLUENCE THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: LOCATION AND ACCESSIBILITY: Mid Valley Megamall is strategically located between Kuala Lumpur Central Business District and Petaling Jaya. It is located in a convenient location that can be easily accessible from all corners on the Klang Valley. Besides it is surrounded by Petaling Jaya, Bangsar and Damansara. There is a KTM Komuter train-stop and a LRT Station nearby while taxis are available at the entrances of Centre, North and South Courts. The KTM commuter station can be accessed through a covered pedestrian bridge to the Megamall. Its believed to bring an average of 10,000 passengers each day. The station is disable-friendly, and facilities comprise toilets, lifts, covered platforms, ticket and information counters and ticket vending machines. Furthermore, Mid Valley has offers free complimentary shutter bus services (Trinton Bus) at an interval of 30 minutes to 1 hour that travel between Bangsar LRT Station and Mid Valley South Court. Other option of transportation is the public transport available. Mid Valley Megamall can be accessed through five major highways and two railway lines. In the future, the improvement of road and public transportation will be done. It includes a designated monorail station, a link bridge to the Putra LRT Station and the upgrading of internal traffic flow. Being located in between Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya, an amount of RM250 million was invested in constructing a flyover and enhance the network of road for the purpose to connect the Federal Highway and all the major catchment and residential suburbs or businesses premises within Klang Valley to Mid Valley Megamall. The location plan is enclosed in appendix X. Meanwhile, the location of the department stores is also very important for the convenient of the customers. NFRASTRUCTURES AND FACILITIES: Mid Valley consists of four entrances located at the direction of east, south, north and west respectively. Information Counters are available in Centre, North and South Court at ground floor. They are willing to assist those customers by showing a helpful attitude. In terms of car parking, Mid Valley is provided 4000 car parks in order to cater the need of high crowd during peak hours. Effective from 5 May 2008, the basement car parks of Mid Valley Megamall The Gardens Mall were separated where the car parks for Mid Valley Megamall are zones A and C. The exact location of the parking area is shown in the plan enclosed in appendix. Besides, Mid Valley Megamall also provides washrooms and baby changing facilities. The washrooms provided for the benefit of all the customers while the baby changing facilities are provided for the benefit of a mother. In addition, Mid Valley Megamall is comprises five lifts which enable the customers to travel from floor to floor. Escalators also available at East, South and North Court and there are two travelators that connecting the lower ground floor with basement which is very convenient for the customers. A proper floor plan is enclosed in appendix for further clarification of the exact location for the facilities and infrastructures. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES: Mid Valley consists of five floors where each floor is specifying for certain products and services. Lower ground floor is for daily essentials such as hypermarket, supermarket, pharmacies and money-changers. Besides, this floor is providing a numerous fast food outlet and local delights. Ground floor is mainly for the adults which include the apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty care, health care, bookstore and others essential items that fulfill the desires of an adult. First floor is the paradise for a kid, which include the fashion for kids, beauty and hair saloons for the adults. Second floor is specialized for those who wish to decorate their house. Besides, IT Centre is also available in this floor to cater the need of young generation in the ever changing technology of the world. Third floor is for entertainment such as Golden Screen Cinemas, Mid Valley Exhibition Centre, Pets Wonderland, Cosmic Bowl, Megakidz and a food court. Besides the products, the proper display area also being taken into consideration in order to be easily accessible by the customer. Mid valley is able to stimulate customers to spend more time and money in Mid Valley through the visual display merchandising. The store directory: PERFORMANCE MONITORING IN A SHOPPING CENTER BASED ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CHAPTER THREE: Anchors. Accessories. Apparel. Discounters. Entertainment. Exhibition/ Property Showroom. Food and Beverage. Health/ Personal Care. Houseware and Furnishings. Information Technology. Jewellery. Leisure. Luggage. Shoes and Bags. Sporting Goods and Apparel. Sundry and Services. Tailoring. Textile. Watches and Pens. PERFORMANCE MONITORING IN A SHOPPING CENTER BASED ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CHAPTER THREE: Mid Valley Megamall also provides certain services for the convenience of the customers. The services provided: PERFORMANCE MONITORING IN A SHOPPING CENTER BASED ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CHAPTER THREE: ATMs. Banks. Cobbler. Laundrette. Money Changers. Post Office. Alteration Shop. Clinic. Dentist. Locksmith. Newstands. Print Shop. PERFORMANCE MONITORING IN A SHOPPING CENTER BASED ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CHAPTER THREE: STAFF: In addition, Mid Valley Megamall is continually investing in a comprehensive staff training and skills development programme which aimed at improving both the soft and hard skills of the staff and enable them to perform their responsibilities in a right manner. The quality and attitude of the staffs will be indirectly affecting the level of customer satisfaction towards Mid Valley Megamall. The important qualities of the staffs are friendliness, helpfulness, communication skill and responsiveness. BUILDING LAYOUT: Challenge of the management team of Mid Valley Megamall is to ensure the customers willing to visit Mid Valley Megamall repeatedly. Mid Valley Megamall is a customer-centric shopping centre which offers best and wide range of services. It is operated by an experienced team of industry experts to ensure the innovative marketing and leasing initiatives. Besides, Mid Valley Megamall was invested over millions in comprehensive store renovation and upgrading activities in order to improve and enhance the malls environment. In terms of marketing, Mid Valley Megamall has planned the promotion aggressively with the mission to provide the delightful shopping experience to the shoppers. In order to bring excitement and hour of enjoyment to the shoppers, visual merchandising are used in creating a unique atmosphere for the public and enhance the competitiveness of Mid Valley Megamall. The marketing and promotional activities are supported by themed and strong-concept in-house events throughout the mall such as Mid Valley Megamall Fashion Week 2009 which introduce the hottest spring or summer collections through the fabulous design and chic runway shows. This show is designated for the fashion lover. During different festivals such as Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Merry Christmas celebration, Mid Valley Megamall will decorate the centre court into atmosphere with unique and attractive theme. Mid Valley Megamall was the only shopping mall in Asia that achieved international recognition in MAXI Awards ceremony held in Hollywood last year. This award is organized by International Council of Shopping Centres. For the Hari Raya celebration 2008, Mid Valley Megamall themed as Cherish The Good Old Days in a Brand New Way that create a harmony atmosphere. This unique theme help Mid Valley Megamall won in the Visual Merchandising category of the MAXI Award. SUMMARY: This chapter has discussed about the research process which include the research framework, research method and purpose, population of questionnaire, the scale for the questions and distributing method. A case study in Mid Valley Megamall has been discussed in this chapter; it includes the background, description, mission and vision of Mid Valley Megamall. Furthermore, the factors that influences the customer satisfaction being discussed for the case study of Mid Valley Megamall. The factors are location and accessibility, infrastructure and facilities, product and services, staff and building layout.

Proposal for Fashion Industry Essay

Age: The consumer club of Espire company would like to know how customer spend their money every day. Many customers complain that they do not have enough money at the end of the month. The purpose of this questionnaire is to find out the inequity of our customer. It will determine where they go to shopping, How much they spend on items they buy, is the product is affordable and etc. The data will be kept confidential. Please return completed questionnaire to your introduce or put it in the envelope in front of room g15. Indicate your feeling about the following items by ticking ( / ) on the appropriate line. 1. What is your work status? Student Working Self-employed 0thers, please specify __________ 2.What is your annual spending on designer and fashion accessories in a year? Less than RM100 RM100-RM400 RM401-RM900 RM901-RM1500 More than RM1500 3.Do you think our products are affordable to buy? Yes No 4. How important are the following features of a shopping experience to you? Important Unimportant Price On-Trend Brand Convenient Location Store Atmosphere Product Quality 5. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statement. Agree Disagree Espire has low prices Espire has a contemporary image Espire has a well known brand name Espire has a convenient location Espire produces high quality products Espire is a trendsetter Thank you for your cooperation ESPIRE COMPANY QUESTIONNAIRE Â  Name: Gender:Â  Age: The consumer club of Espire company would like to know how customer react on usage of real animal fur .Many customers complain that they don’t encourage the usage of real animal fur in our daily life. Meanwhile the others prefer to use real animal fur in our daily life.The purpose of this questionnaire is to find out which type of society is majority in this world. It will determine what type of material they use , what items they buy, is the product is worth it and etc. The data will be kept confidential. Please return completed questionnaire to your introduce or put it in the envelope in front of room g15. Indicate your feeling about the following items by ticking ( / ) on the appropriate line. Yes No 1. I do not use clothes and accessories made from real animal fur. 2. I change my clothes made from real animal fur regularly. 3. Clothes and accessories made from Real animal fur is popular among Teenagers and adults. 4. Where do you get information about products made from real animal fur? friend magazine tv/radio the internet newspaper other, please specify _________________ 5. Please rank the following criteria you use in materials used in fashion industry (1- Most preferred to 5 –lease preferred) real animal fur cotton pvc price brand name

Human Resources Management (Study Notes) - 4758 Words

PGDBM Human Resources Management Name: Anthony Koegelenberg Assignment 1: Human Resources Management Student No: 123895 Page 1 of 21 Human Resources Management Student No: 123895 Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................... 3 Question 1 ................................................................................................................ 4 Answer 1 ................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 4 Fundamental of Human Resources†¦show more content†¦It also provides work for a large proportion of the labour market and accounts for a significant contribution to our gross domestic product. (Loosemore, 2003). Basil Read’s founding principles – hard work, team effort and integrity – are evident in every contract we undertake. A combination of innovative technology and unwavering attention to detail enables Basil Read to meet and exceed clients’ requireme nts. Source: www.basilread.co.za/financials/2011/BR-AnnualReport-2011.pdf The success and growth of Basil Read as detailed in the case study illustrates the key role that human resource management (HRM) plays in determining the survival, effectiveness, and competitiveness of businesses operating in South Africa today. The construction industry in South Africa is typically characterized as a labour-intensive and low-tech sector influenced by continues labour strikes and union politics. Meanwhile, it is also the sector consistently found the least productive. Commonly cited reasons for such poor performance in this sector are fragmentation, project-based culture, labour brokers and casual labour. These factors have something in common, they point to the difficulty in managing human resources within the construction industry. Therefore, as per our case study organisation, Basil Read, and their continuous success is to increase theShow MoreRelatedCase Study : Job Redesign For Expanded Him Functions856 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis Of Case Study By Elizabeth L ayman (2011), Job Redesign For Expanded HIM Functions. The principal of the goal setting applied in this case is implicated new changes to employees by working smarter and reducing the stress overload on a daily basis. Changing the nature of it employee work environment. Introducing culture, policies, procedures, technology and the volume of task and the type of task an employee preforms. Another goal setting is for managers and directors may use indicators asRead MoreThe Business Management Academic Discipline1216 Words   |  5 Pages Teaching Case Details Discipline Focus The teaching case will be focused within the business management academic discipline. Teaching Topic Area The teaching case will be concentrated in the area of organizational behavior and will examine the employee interactions with the company’s business environment. It will address the organizational change component within the organizational development (OD). More specifically, it will evaluate this construct from the context of a proactive component.Read MoreA Review of the Relationship between the Workplace Learning and Development Opportunities with the Employee’s Psychological Well-being.1743 Words   |  7 Pageseffectiveness. When it comes to the employees, among other benefits workplace learning provides confidence to the employee to work in a competent manner. In their study, Panagiotakopoulos (2011) found that workplace learning and training reduces employee errors while helping employees to work in a competent manner. Conceptually, various studies in abundance have concluded that workplace learning and development opportunities helps employees achieve job satis faction lesser burnout leading to psychologicalRead MoreA Study on Job Satisfaction of Faculty Members1622 Words   |  7 PagesA STUDY ON JOB SATISFACTION OF FACULTY MEMBERS IN EDUCATION SECTOR K.R.Sowmya1, Dr.N.Panchanatham2 Abstract Job satisfaction is in regard to ones feelings or state-of-mind regarding the nature of their work. Job satisfaction can be influenced by a variety of factors, eg, the quality of ones relationship with their supervisor, the quality of the physical environment in which they work, degree of fulfillment in their work, etc. Education sector is the most dynamic and developing sector.TheRead MoreQuestions On Organizational Communication Concepts Essay1559 Words   |  7 Pagesd.). Every culture is dynamic, always changing and guides the construction of reality in a social community. There are 7 elements of culture which include metaphors, rituals, stories, artifacts, heroes and heroines, performances and values (class notes, Oct. 25). In the movie â€Å"The Terminal† the culture is constantly changing and when Viktor Navorski arrives, just his presence and the things he does changes the culture of the terminal and those people that he comes in contact with. One element isRead MoreOrganizational Psychology Paper Psy 428924 Words   |  4 PagesOrganizational Psychology Paper Shanna Brookins PSY/428 12/12/2011 Organizational Psychology Paper Introduction Organizational psychology is the study of a formal organization and how individuals and groups act within that organization; in other words, the scientific study of the workplace. The goal of organizational psychology is to help organizations function the best way possible. This is achieved by helping people understand their interactions with each other and create an environmentRead MoreManagement1697 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Part A – Case Study 1. How will you provide formal informal feedback to staff? One of the most efficient procedure to provide feedback to staff, is providing a system of ongoing feedback on issues of performance which creates an open dialogue with staff about any issues or problems happening in the workplace. Supervisors and managers should make staff comfortable about the feedback to be given or received in order to make them improve their performance and bring positive results to the organizationRead MoreCompensation Practice: World Atwork. Name. Institution.1699 Words   |  7 Pages Compensation Practice: World atWork Name Institution Introduction Compensation practices in this study have been used to refer to the remedies that an organization s management chooses to implement in order achieve it set a goal and the same time satisfying the needs and wants of both consumers and employees. In this examination, WorldatWork has been considered for careful and extensive research to give insight into the issues that are directly/indirectly involved in compensationRead MoreJob Enrichment And An Organization934 Words   |  4 Pagesthat they can be in control of their duties and also perform more tasks to develop personal skills. An important aspect of job enrichment is job redesign and it deals with the modification of the tasks assigned to workers in an organization. The case study that will be analyzed for Job enrichment theory in this paper is the expanded HIM functions. In order to fully employ Job enrichment in an organization, the motivational goals must be put in place. Goal setting is a medium in which managers can helpRead MoreEnterprise Industrial Relations Essay1710 Words   |  7 Pagesactive discussion amongst Australian businesses with regard to interpretation of the Fair Work Act (FWA) a relatively new piece of legislation introduced against the context of a difficult economic environment and continued challenges with workforce management (Todd, 2012:334). Whilst organisational and union negotiations have continued throughout this period Todd (2012) observes that many businesses are resorting to alternative mechanisms to reach agreement over aspects such as pay, working conditions

Marketing Of Online Shopping For Fashion - 1306 Words

Introduction Online shopping for fashion started off well in South Korea due to the convenience and comfort of home, especially for young women. The fashion market in South korea is saturated with fast fashion at affordable pricing. Soo-Hee Kim, founder of StyleNanda, saw the chance to provide vibrant and unique fashion clothing to young women, thus StyleNanda started out online in 2005. A) Business market of StyleNanda Customer base: Demographics The age range of StyleNanda’s customer base is women between age 18 to 35. The company predominantly targets young middle class working women with high disposable income. They fall under the category of young female individuals from generation Y (Posner, 2011) who look for clothing steered towards complimenting their personality. Needs of customer base: Following the fashion trend The fashion design hub in Asia emerged in 2003. The yearly fashion week in Seoul has provided a front window for the world to understand trends coming from Asia. (Jamshed, 2015) Customers who are fans of Korean fashion keep a look out for new trends and designers in the market, with the focus mainly on street-style fashion. At the same period, Korean pop, part of the â€Å"Korean hallyu wave† infiltrated the consciousness of potential customers globally. (Narasaki, 2014) Customers of StyleNanda replicate the styles of their favourite idols, and are constantly on the search for fashion products to fulfill their needs. Fast fashion StyleNanda’sShow MoreRelatedCoordinate Brick And Mortar And Online Platforms1722 Words   |  7 PagesCOORDINATE BRICK MORTAR AND ONLINE PLATFORMS All parts of the brand must be consistent, particularly brick and mortar stores and online platforms. This is of high importance because of the rise in online shopping. According to Nick Hodson and Marco Kesteloo, two members of PwC’s Strategy group, three fourths of retail sales growth has occurred through online channels. About 15% of retailers’ total sales are occurring online. This steady online growth is giving back new life to the physical storesRead MoreA Statement Of Problem / Opportunity / Purpose Of Plan1250 Words   |  5 Pagesword of mouth marketing to market her trunk show events and she would like for me to find some other alternatives for her to market her events to people outside of her circle. B. Company Background: Carol Anderson has always had a love for the fashion industry. She moved from Omaha to Los Angeles where she had the opportunity to design for Nordstrom, her clothing quickly became a beloved brand by many, giving her a loyal customer following in stores across America. As the fashion and retail industryRead MoreThe Marketing Mix Of Nordstrom1236 Words   |  5 PagesIn Menswear of Nordstrom, they hold a very strong marketing mix. Within their marketing mix, they have product. Men’s wear in Nordstrom has a very large scale of items from mid-tier to high fashion. It consists of more than hundred brands. Some brands are offered exclusively at Nordstrom only for men’s wear, such as Paul Smith lines. The items for men’s wear is quality oriented and mostly British styled. The selection of items are also vary from suits to casual and even sportswear, too. In serviceRead MoreThe Driving Forces Of E Commerce For Asos1581 Words   |  7 Pagesperception of the product is about the quality, the variety, the fashionability and the price of the clothes. As the largest online fashion and beauty retailer, the 3rd most popular website for buying clothes, Asos stands for â€Å"As Shown on Stage† and fashionability. Meanwhile, Asos is developing a plan to control products quality as soon as they are made (Asos plc, 2014). The shopping experience is another aspect which customers care about. The website should be users-friendly. Asos is communicating withRead MoreThe Downfalls of Topshop1059 Words   |  4 Pagesbe knowledgeable on such a wide range of products. Website needs Improvement Topshop also has a poor, difficult to navigate website. Customers have difficulty with the Graphical User Interface which greatly inhibits the efficiency of the online shopping experience. Pest Analysis Opportunities Further Global Expansion With Topshops heavy establishment in the UK and the beginning of expansion into North America, further focus on market penetration in markets outside of the UK is key. ForRead MoreBarneys Marketing Plan1630 Words   |  7 PagesBARNEYS MARKETING PLAN Executive summary Barneys is planning to extend the target market by embracing budget fashionistas as well as current target customers who are fashion connoisseurs with a high disposable income and cutting-edge taste. It is because, according to Spending Pulse, Sales of luxury goods fell 27.6% in December 2009 compared with December 2008 including credit cards and cash. The pullback in luxury spending due to the deteriorating economy brought about a sharp slowdown and aRead MoreZara - Marketing Research1034 Words   |  5 PagesTask 1 zara marketing research Zara is a spanish chain store in Inditex group, one of the worlds biggest retail store in the world who are also owners of zara home. Zara is a fast industry bt its unique business model is based on innovation and flexibilty. they design and distribute a garment to the market in just 15 days. they always have new products but in limited supply. the customer feels there is an exclusitivity , since only a few items are on display even though stores are plannedRead MoreShopping Online at Zalora is the Best! Essay792 Words   |  4 PagesBackground of Zalora ZALORA.com.my is the No. 1 Online Fashion shopping site in Malaysia. There are more than 600+ local and international brands, 30,000+ products across menswear, womenswear, kidswear, traditional wear, sportswear, lifestyle products and beauty and more. ZALORA Online fashion provide FREE nationwide delivery, FREE 30-day returns, Cash On Delivery, Phone Orders at +603 2382 2208 and more. ZALORA’s brands range from International favorites, High-end local designers and also an eclecticRead MoreSituational Analysis : The Wildlife Fund Of Kenya1237 Words   |  5 Pagesis under collaboration with Nikki Reed, an actress and a philanthropist, she has combined her passion for protecting animals with her fashion expertise to collaborate with the brand. Reed firmly believes that the transparency of a sustainable brand would reflect the quality. The idea of sustainable fashion should also mean ethical fashion – a cruelty-free fashion in its entirety. Before, Freedoms of Animals’ handbags started out as a trunk show in Bloomingdales Soho and are now sold in NordstromRead MoreBusiness Strategy And Why It Works1260 Words   |  6 Pagesseason. During one of my long online browsing sessions, I stumbled upon an online shoe store called ‘JustFab’ or in my words ‘a little piece of heaven!’ I have spent countless hours shopping on this website because they have what I desire. They are trendy, chic and affordable! However, in this blog article I will focus on their business strategy and why it works in the modern world of retail. â€Å"JustFab is an online store that offers an engaging and personalized shopping experience to over 35 million