Role of Religion and REN in Wells and Byrn Essay

Role of Religion and REN in Wells and Byrn - Essay Example This essay declares that H.G. Wells in his work titled The Discovery of the Future and E.W. Byrn named The Progress of Invention during the Past Fifty Years discuss how future might pan out influenced by various factors. Wells examine the ways past and present determines future, with various psychological and philosophical aspects playing inducing roles. On the other hand, Byrn focus on various scientific and technological inventions and discoveries of the past and the ways those things are orienting contemporary times and might sway future as well. Although both writers take a distinct approach in formulating their vision of progress, they both deal with how religion and REN play an optimal influencing role, and in other cases, how they take a ‘backseat’ and allow humans to play their roles in future and their vision of progress.This discussion stresses that  humans play prominent roles, there are occasions when religion subtly and even explicitly plays a role in peop le’s living and thereby influences their future and progress. That is, religion in the form of god or superior power is shown to influence individuals or society and in a way their future.  Although humans has invented and discovered many life sustaining and useful things, there is a view that superior powers and religion mainly played the facilitating role in that process.  Wells point out that future is something that is ambiguous, complex, and difficult to grasp.

Training And Development Analysis Essay Example for Free

Training And Development Analysis Essay Training and education have been increasingly conceived as contributing to the quality and productivity of work and thus the profitability of the organization. When good employees are hired, the organization is benefited by investing in their skill development. The training and development of the employees serve many purposes, apart from quality and productivity improvement. The organization becomes ready to adopt advanced technologies and is also able to find replacements when personnel move up the organization or leave it (ZeroMillion, 2002). Employees become more efficient and motivated and the organization also has adequate human resources for its expansion plans. In earlier times, people were selected and developed as managers based on knowledge of their work and understanding of the organization’s requirements. Workers were told on the requirements and expectations of the management, and the workers delivered it. There were no programs directed at career counseling and performance reviews. The need for stress counseling, interpersonal skills improvement, career advancement, recognition and rewarding was not felt. However in the 1950s to 1980s, the management began focusing on the need to train on core functioning areas like planning, finance, sales and accounting etc. Participants deeply involved themselves on a topic and then moved to another topic. Most management schools did not emphasize on an integrated curriculum of all topics. These managers could hardly solve problems as problems were integrated and the approach to solving them was only restricted to the topic relevant. A manager can solve problems effectively by integrating his knowledge and expertise across various domains. With wider recognition of human relations aspect in managing organizations, training programs were developed to improve efficiency and productivity through coaching, motivation, career development etc. (McNamara, 1997)   Today management schools review diverse management topics, analyze them, and apply that understanding to workplace requirement. Training and development play a vital role in an organization’s attempt of total quality (TQ). Training workshops facilitate stimulation of the attendees’ interest and knowledge, which would drive them towards TQ realization. When training workshops fail to encourage the attendees towards TQ realization, then such workshops have very little or no bearing. Many management personnel believe that interest in TQ would be automatically inculcated when employees mingle and share with each other. Thus, they anticipate great positive changes with every training session. However, many people in the managerial and supervisory roles would see the impending changes as a threat to their position and authority, and therefore indulge in tactics to avoid the implementation of changes. Training can bring about changes and wonders when planned and implemented properly. It should be noted here that training is not considered necessary by all companies, as most training events and sessions cannot be directly attributed to outcomes. Therefore some managers tend to perceive training as a luxury of larger companies who can afford to absorb the costs. Training initiatives need to be related to specific outcomes (Atkinson, 1998). By appropriate planning, the trainer is focused to deliver positive and tangible outcomes. When training is managed properly, the required changes or outcomes are successfully realized. However generalized training using inappropriate material, video presentations and irrelevant case studies are more directed towards the self interest of the trainer rather than the organization. Along with technological innovation and, research and development, training and development is also one of the most important investments a company can make for its progress. The quality of the employees is determined by their experiences and exposure within the organization. When these experiences are restricted in terms of time or opportunity for development, then the employees cannot be expected to solve bigger problems. The employees only tend to keep improving their expertise within the scope of their narrow field. Training in management is similar to athletic training in several ways. In athletics, the successful coachers are those who have undergone similar experiences like those of their trainees. The coach here understands how skills are acquired and how mental blocks like attitudes, hinder effective training. The athletic coach wouldn’t straight away plan a training strategy to make the athlete competitive for the Olympics.   The coachers learn the past performances of the athletes, their ups and downs and appropriately design training strategies. Similarly in management training too, the earlier experience and performance of the managers, their strengths and weaknesses are looked into, while planning their training. Past experiences and its associated success and failures, would help in predicting future behavior with and without training. Sometimes training can create problems by fueling hostility from mangers, mainly because of previous disappointments and sustained ill repute, rendering the training a waste of time and resources. However, determined policy makers can convert hostility into meaningful partnerships. Effective partnering can be developed by trainers crediting success and achievements to the managers. Historically, disappointments associated with training are less intense and take longer time to surface. This is because of the strategy adopted by trainers to play safe by ensuring their programs look successful. The trainers incorporate only standard, mild designs and methods to avoid slipping on the outcomes and attempt to camouflage this by asking for more time, staff and resource requirements. Even when managers have a slight positive attitude, there exists opportunities for better collaboration. Such managers would only demand evidence of the worth of the training. The training partner should welcome this and be ready to slow proof. Managers may sometimes want trainers to design programs or modify them to address their needs. By appropriately creating or modifying programs, a partnership is forged and strengthened. There are other managers who support training and partner with it without any critical examination. These managers don’t listen or speculate on informal concerns and go about answering, signing and scheduling the training. Such kind of cooperation and support would be sufficient for training programs that have been well established. However for training associated with change strategies, this support would not be sufficient. When managers presume ownership of training and are in charge of training, they assume a powerful role (Lynton and Pareek, 2000). They actively participate with the trainers and explore opportunities, options and situations for effective training. Proceeding further, managers acquire required competencies in training and join the training team. Managers have detailed understanding of the work settings and work process and their presence in the training team can be very beneficial. Preparing a training budget is an important administrative responsibility of the training manager. An organization’s concern for training is reflected by the amount sanctioned for training against the requested, budgeted amount. It is important for training managers to strive hard to position training within the organization as something that would enable employees to gain what the organization wants them to acquire. Training should not be perceived by internal customers as a mere classroom program or a teaching department. When, due to any finance crunches, budget cutting is required; it would most probably come down to the training budget. However, if the organization at any later date wants to impart some training or sees a need for training, can easily bring in funds from other programs or departments. Thus learning, if deemed necessary, would always be funded. An organization funds its training programs in several ways. Some organizations have a central training budget from where funds are efficiently transferred to the training department to take care of the organization’s training needs. Sometimes the training department is allocated sufficient money to run its own affairs, like its department’s salaries, supplies and over heads etc. The funds required for the conduct of the programs comes from the budgets of the departments requiring the training. The training department normally raises a charge for its services. Organizations use various terminologies for its budget like budget accounts or chart of accounts; and its own terminology for budgeted items. However a typical budget for the training department includes salaries, benefits, recruitment, consulting, supplies, postage, travel, communications etc. After allocation of funds, the training department tracks its spending on the basis of the same categories. Using a spread sheet, a report is generated showing the expenses for each category in the current month, year-to-date expenses, budget amount for the year and the remainder left for the year. All organizations have their own policies and format for reporting financial data and the training manager too has to conform to this. Employees rely on training, not only to improve their expertise on their current job, but also to help them prepare for responsibilities and prospects. Each job must be designed to provide opportunities for learning and growth. The jobs must be able to enhance skill variety, incorporate task significance and also include autonomy and feedback. Job dissatisfaction is an obvious outcome caused by jobs that are seemingly unrewarding in themselves. Employee resignations and turnover is also increased when people are not trained properly. Employees begin to feel that the demands made on them cannot be fully delivered without proper training. When new employees are not provided adequate training, they experience an ‘induction crises’. Learning and training programs raise existing skills and competences among employees to expected standards, while increasing their morale and confidence. Employees must be encouraged to acquire new skills so that they can assume bigger responsibilities and perform various tasks. Such multi-tasking would also help them to earn more under skill-competency based pay structure. Training is very important when organizations experience change. All successful change implementation efforts need to be supported by enabling structures like retention programs, rewards system and outplacement programs. Retention programs are very crucial as change implementation can turn out to be a major cause for employee turn over. Employees are generally encouraged to those aspects of work, which are rewarded and discard those aspects, which are not rewarded. Thus employees can be reallocated by appropriate training. Sometimes, change implementation may involve downsizing. However, the organization should work out to ensure minimal damage by downsizing, as downsizing can jeopardize any change implementation effort. Before laying off any employee, the manager must consider if the employee has any skills that can be deployed in another position or division of the organization. Here again the prospects of training for adapting is considered. Only when the employee looks incapable of acquiring newer skills or when the employee is not very enthusiastic of training should lay off be considered. If layoff is inevitable, the organization should ensure that a comprehensive outplacement services are offered to him, so that the employee holds the organization in high esteem in his further association with the industry (Harvard, 2005). When organizations introduce technological changes, the work processes are changed and training is required to help employees to perform their new responsibilities with ease and confidence. The machine and its human operator are two complementary units of the work process, and none can replace the other. Science-driven changes are fast and multidirectional. The impact of technology and its bearing on competition is very vast. Different technologies have varying impact on management systems. Technologies used in their work processing in banking, insurance, production line etc., require system redesign and new operator skills. In steel and power generation plants, the central control is carried out by electronic technology. Genetic, bioengineering and instrumentation technology backed procedures require considerable amount of decentralization and cooperation at operator levels. Thus change of technology or introduction of new technology into the work cycle, create certain demands to redesign the work process and work environment, for which training is necessary (Saini and Khan). While training programs are mainly proposed at the employer levels, work unions can also play a crucial role in training and development. The achievements of British trade unions is a standing example of what it can achieve for its members when it’s focused on training and learning. During the last few years, the British trade unions have adopted training and learning as an important element of their agenda. The role of unions in establishing ‘learning agreements’ with employers, creating union learning representative (ULR) and several union learning programs are seen as success stories associated with unions. Unions have also been provided a stakeholder role in the vocational education and training system (VET). Today, most of the important institutional bodies include a formal representation of unions. Unions are represented in the learning skills council (LSC) and the sector skills council (SSC). New sector skills agreements and regional skills agreements have been formed in sectors where unions are present. The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has a formal representation on the National Skills Alliance to advice government on the implementation and progress of skills strategy. Although unions have very limited role at the policy formulation level, they have a larger new role in improving workplace learning. The establishment of the union learning representative is perceived as an innovation of the central union. The role of the representative is to support and motivate workers in taking up workplace learning. The success of workplace learning is evident from the associated facts and figures. As of December 2006, the TUC claims to have trained over 13,000 ULRs. More than 3000 workplaces have been covered with over 450 union learning projects, while over 67,000 learners benefit from these courses each year. There have also been many cases where unions have been in partnership with employers to develop learning and skills acquirement. It is important to note here that employers and employees perceive training and training success in different ways. Employers prefer to develop-specific skills that directly help their business. Union and employees on the other hand, would want to develop broad transferable skills, which can help in an individual’s employment and career. Such programs are very valuable to the employees and sometimes be a life changing experience for many. It helps them to advance their career, while also encouraging them to become more active in the union. A unionlearn random postal survey has highlighted an enormous latent demand for learning (Unionlearn, 2007)  Ã‚   Over 96% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that it is important to always be learning. People also wanted to take to learning for various reasons. About 81% of people wanted to study for their personal development or as a leisure time activity, while 56% wanted to learn, to benefit at their work. Sometimes workplace training is imparted remotely too through e-learning. The benefits of technology in learning is not just restricted to classroom learning alone, but also to workplace learning. The workplace trainer here needs to have appropriate teaching skills to help the understanding of remote students. The remote workplace trainer requires technology-based instructing skills, comparable to that of an academic teacher. In the coming years, probably all teachers, academic or workplace, would be trained to handle remote teaching, given the trend of e-learning. Successful e-learning for the American workforce calls for combined action by the public and private sectors. Quality issues, assessment and certification, and access to e-learning opportunities are vital areas that need to be focused to make e-learning more beneficial. Business houses need to realize the potential of e-learning and integrate e-learning into their strategies and operations. A training program is designed based on the assessed needs or requirement of the members.   The learning needs are separated into groups and the groups connected in a logical manner. Each group is then associated with goals or outcomes to be realized at the end of the training program. The goals are split into learning objectives, which are specific requirements that a trainee must know or be capable of, once the program is completed. For instance, if an organization’s needs are assessed and found that its supervisors should learn more on performance management, then the training program should have the following outcomes: 1) Supervisors should know the company policy on performance management. 2) Supervisors should manage employee performance only according to the rules and procedures of the company. 3) Supervisors must conduct themselves with the legal limits when addressing performance management issues. When a training program is to designed, it is essential that all departments are involved in it with the training department (O’Connor, Bronner and Delaney, 2003). A wider representation and involvement is necessary as the training outcomes would virtually affect everyone in the organization. The design team should also be represented by members from HR and Legal Departments. Based on the identified needs and the training outcomes, the duration of the training program and the modules are planned. The training professional must ensure that the program activity incorporate good instructional and adult learning principles. The program should have various activities giving priority to group work and interaction than individual readings or lectures. The programs should reflect the organizational culture while being focused on individual learning. The design of the training program should have relevance to the experience and knowledge existing already with the participants. The program should stop once the required learning has been accomplished. Segmenting a designed program helps the training team and the participants to focus on packets of contents, one at a time, for more clarity. The program content may be divided into days, with each day divided into units and each unit divided into modules. The effectiveness of a training session can be evaluated by several parameters. The training can be said to be efficient and effective when it has achieved its objectives. The validity of the training is determined by ascertaining whether the training has been able to solve problems associated with output, service and outflow. The validity of the training program is also seen from the perspective of the participants, whether it has met their needs.   The training program is evaluated by measuring the overall cost benefit of the program while validation is the judgment of objectives achievement. Using a series of tests and assessments, internal validation can be carried out to ascertain whether the participants have acquired knowledge, skills or experienced attitude modification. Common measuring instruments are the opinion of the attendees, opinion of trainers, opinion of managers and opinion of peers and colleagues.   The knowledge gained by training can also assessed through oral, written, objective or practical tests. The skills acquired can be assessed by asking the trainee to demonstrate the skills with a checklist and without a checklist, before judges (Ramaswami, 1992). The checklist must reflect the actions or procedures required to be performed. The attitudes of trainees are measured by actual observation of behavior, by judges, or by an attitude scale for reference. Apart from the training imparted, it has been perceived that certain attributes of the trainer itself can contribute to the influence of the participants. When the trainer is prepared and confident, the participants are convinced and feel at ease. When the trainer is enthusiastic and purpose-oriented, the trainees become interested and get a clear objective. The responsibility and involvement in enhancing productivity has gradually shifted from the management level executives to the capable and knowledgeable workers. The management facilitates and encourages workers to work independently and determine ways of doing things in a better way. This approach is significantly different from its earlier approach of controlling and instructing workers. The management also wants its employees to share their knowledge and expertise with others so that the organization benefits from the new knowledge. With more work being automated, workers have to think of ways and techniques appropriate to the speed and requirements of the automated facility. Learning is necessary to realize and understand better, the ways to doing things that would benefit the customer. Learning is very different from training, which is imparting of skills required for a particular task or work requirement. Learning is an ongoing process, which doesn’t require exclusive sessions or classes; and is perhaps the heart of productive activity (Thite, 2004). Given the globalization and intense competition in the market place, a suitable idea from anyone is appreciated as long as it contributes to process improvement. Ideas even help transform organizations by breaking new grounds. People are encouraged to think of solutions and apply them to their daily work. Organizations need to realize the power of learning and benefit from it to successfully face global competition. REFERENCES Unionlearn.(2007) The role of trade unions in the formation and distribution of learning and skills, [Electronic Version] downloaded on 12th May, 2008 from http://www.unionlearn.org.uk/policy/learn-2042-f0.pdf ZeroMillion (2002). Employee training and Development [Electronic Version] downloaded on 13th May, 2008 from 4. Employee Training and Development McNamara C. (1997) Brief History of Management training and Development. [Electronic Version] downloaded on 13th May, 2008 from http://www.managementhelp.org/mgmt_dev/history/history.htm Atkinson P., (1998) Creating Culture Change; Strategies for Success, Jaico Publishing House O’Connor, Bronner and Delaney (2003) Training for Organizations, Thomson Learning, Singapore Ramaswami N, (1992) A Handbook of Training Development, T.R. Publications Lynton R.P, Pareek U., (2000) Training for Organizational Transformation Sage Publications    Harvard (2005), The Essentials of Managing Change and Transition. Publisher: Harvard Business School Press. Thite M., (2004). Managing People in the New Economy. Response Books. Sage Publication Saini D.S, Khan S.A., (2000), (Eds) Human Resource Management. Perspectives for the New Era, Publisher: Response Books, Year of publication 2000.

The Sex during the Victorian Era Essay -- discrimation, sex, women

The Victorian era brought about many changes and the introduction of new things. One issue that stood out was â€Å"The Sex.† Many things evolved around this issue like changes in laws all over, it became a topic for literary poets/ writers and also for the woman question. This term means discrimination based on a person’s sex and during the 19th century this was a vast issue toward women. This all Started from the early Victorian era with queen victoria, who was the monarch of the united kingdom of Great Britain from 1837- 1901. Being the queen she played a very substantial role during this time. As a wife she showed a domestic side. She supported Prince Albert, had his children, became very submissive and devoted to her husband a family. This image she portrayed became a trend to the outside world. Most people looked at this as what the ideal woman was during this era. The sex was a topic that began to spread and women started to fight for their voices to be heard. There were introductions of new laws in many countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and etcetera....

How Social Media Communities Impact Consumer Behavior Essay

Social media has increasingly become a constant in our lives. Many people reach out to friends or family through social media, sometimes on a daily basis. Through Facebook, people can view pictures and read status updates. Twitter allows others to read status updates that are limited to 140 characters. Each of these social media tools has its advantages and disadvantages but each opens up the doors to creating an online community with others that may not be possible offline. George Herbert Mead’s theory of symbolic interactionism states that our interactions with individuals and communities shape our identities and influence our actions. Is it possible that his theory could apply to the ways in which a persons’ social media community influences his or her purchase decisions? This paper will seek to find the answer. The following thesis will include an analysis of Mead’s theory of symbolic interactionism, a literature review about communities in social media, the method used to collect data, an analysis of the data, and implications from the study. Importance of the Study As a professional marketer, I have always been fascinated with social media. At the very essence of human nature is a desire to be social. Social media has provided humans an outlet to create online communities making it easier to network with others, which satisfies some of our deepest social wants and needs. Additionally, social media has allowed users to increase the amount of people included in their personal communities, as social media is both viral, which is to say that information travels rapidly between social media users, and transparent. Social media can be considered transparent as users of sites such as Facebook and Twitter post their thoughts, pictures, and locations to their followers, which often consist of people who are not close friends or family. Social media tools have become superb channels for marketers to reach consumers. The article titled, â€Å"Expand your Brand Community Online† states that social media is important for marketers because it allows them to dialogue directly with consumers, which in turn engages consumers directly with company brands (Hanlon, Patrick, Hawkins, & Josh, 2008). Many companies, such as Audi and Dunkin’ Donuts have used social media very effectively to reach consumers. According to Wasserman (2011), out of all other brands on Facebook, Audi’s fans are the most engaged of all major corporate brands on Facebook. That consumers can reach out to companies and their personal communities via social media has created a power shift between companies and consumers. Lee (2010) contends that social media has become vastly popular for â€Å"normal people† because it allows anyone to interact with content or deliver it (p. 112). This model of communication is vastly superior to the traditional format of one-way communication between major media and its intended audience (Lee, p. 112). A company that uses social media is more likely to create relationships with members of its target demographic rather than traditional media where conversations between the medium and the audience are unlikely. Now, social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter have made it easy for consumers to post product reviews and reach out to other like-minded individuals in their communities. As social media infiltrates our lives as consumers, before people make purchases, they are increasingly reaching out to their social media communities for opinions (Drell, 2011). Goal Consumers often want others’ opinions about items before they make a commitment to purchase. For example, they may ask about the color of a shirt, or if they should purchase a large or small purse. Social media communities provide an outlet for consumers to seek opinions, but how often and at what point in the purchase process do consumers reach out to their online communities for advice? Do the opinions provided by social media communities actually impact consumers’ purchases? These are among the key questions I will seek to answer in this thesis, including the overarching question of whether social media communities impact consumers’ purchase behavior. An exploration of Mead’s concept of the â€Å"self† reveals how it can help a company realize its brand identity and ensure the â€Å"self† portrayed on Facebook remains consistent with its understanding, and the public’s understanding of the brand. In Mead’s theory of symbolic interaction he suggested we create our â€Å"self† by figuratively peering through a looking glass to see ourselves as others do, which leads to the creation of an identity (Griffin, 2009, p. 63). As we interact with others, the â€Å"self† is constantly changing and adapting to further shape our identities, which, Mead contends, are ultimately based on how others view our â€Å"self† (Griffin, p. 63). Mead’s concept of the â€Å"self† is an apt metaphor for the process in which a Facebook profile is created and refined through communicative engagement with consumers in a digital marketplace. Using Mead’s theory of symbolic interactionism, this thesis will attempt to identify how social media communities affect consumers’ online purchasing behavior. To help answer the question of how people’s social media communities affect their online purchases, I will use numerous research methods to gather data relevant to my thesis topic. For the collection of literary sources, I will use two primary sources. First is the online databases offered through the Foley Center Library at Gonzaga. There, I will discover and collect academic peer-reviewed journal articles about the history of social media, the psychology behind the creation of personal communities and how people interact with them, and current trends in consumer purchase behavior. Another resource I will use is the online magazine Advertising Age, a primary resource for marketing professionals that includes articles about trends in digital marketing. From Advertising Age, I will search for articles about new technologies that help consumers more efficiently reach out to their social network communities. ProQuest will be my main literature database source as it contains a wide variety of academic journals suited for a thesis. Advertising Age will be a complementary source while the databases Business Source Complete and Communication & Mass Media Complete will likely serve as complementary sources. I will employ survey research to help collect data. I will create a survey instrument with a list of questions that pertain to people social media communities and how these communities affect their purchases. The survey will include a Likert-like scale of 1-3, and will allow for collection of data regarding people’s rankings of the influence their social media communities have over their purchases. Additionally, the survey will include situational questions, i.e., â€Å"If you were to buy a large purchase, would opinions from your Facebook friends impact your purchase?† Lastly, the survey also will gather information that could have an impact on the thesis question, including respondents’ age, other demographic data, and item amounts purchased online vs. offline. Organization of Remaining Chapters The following thesis will be organized into the following chapters. The second chapter will be the literature review. This chapter will cover Mead’s theory of symbolic interactionism and its relation to the creation of online communities. The literature review will also review the theory of hyper-symbolic interactionism as well as the benefits to online communities, how social media has transformed the power dynamic between companies and consumers, the differences in millennials’ and non-millennials’ use of the Internet, and gender differences in relation to Facebook. The third chapter of this thesis will introduce the scope and the methodology used to gather data. The scope of the project will be limited to people who live in Western Washington, use social media, and purchase products online. The methodology will be a Likert-like survey distributed through the survey tool Surveymonkey.com. The fourth chapter will analyze the data gathered from the survey. Lastly, the fifth chapter will conclude the thesis. It will contain method limitations as well as future studies that should be considered. How Social Media Communities Impact Consumer Behavior, 10 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Introduction Symbolic interactionism theory was created by Mead to describe how humans form their identity and construct a reality of social norms through interactions with others. Although human interaction methods have changed over time, most recently with the digital age, Mead’s theory remains relevant in today’s world. Applying the theory of symbolic interactionism to online networks, it can be hypothesized that online communities shape individuals’ identity and reality, and provide a vast network with which to create relationships. This literature review will further explore Mead’s theory of symbolic interactionism and its application to online communities within social networks. It will also explore how social network users create relationships that can influence their online purchasing decisions. Overview of Symbolic Interactionism Theory The theory of symbolic interactionism includes three core principles that describe how humans interact with each other through meaning, language, and thought to create our â€Å"self† (Griffin, 2009, p. 60). Mead believed that interactions are â€Å"central to the development of one’s social identity and functioning according to shared norms and values† (Tormey, 2007). Meaning is found in how a person constructs a social reality (Griffin, p. 60). The way one interacts with others, verbally or nonverbally, derives from the meaning one assigns to various interactions (Griffin, p. 60) For example, a person may see a protestor on the street picketing very loudly. This person may view the protestor as obnoxious and intrusive, whereas another person may view this person as progressive and inspirational. Each of these people has assigned a meaning to the protestor, which in return constructs a reality. The protestor’s true meaning, however, cannot be concretely defined, for each person will assign a different meaning to the protestor and interact based on the meaning he or she has constructed. The meanings one assigns to another is created through the use of language (Griffin, 2009, p. 60). When the first person sees the protestor, he or she uses language to assign a certain meaning to the protestor. Calling the protestor obnoxious assigns a negative meaning to the protestor through language. To Mead, â€Å"naming is the basis for human society† (Griffin, p. 61). Lastly, thought occurs when we refer to our inner dialogue to interpret symbols and their meaning (Griffin, p. 62). According to Mead, a person needs language to create this inner dialogue (Griffin, p. 62). Without symbolically interacting, one cannot think and create this inner dialogue, which in turn allows a person to assign meaning to others (Griffin, p. 62). When the three principles of meaning, language, and thought occur, the idea of a â€Å"self† begins to emerge (Griffin, p. 63). Mead believed we had to look outwardly to truly understand our inner selves (Griffin, 2009, p. 63). This occurred when the concept of the looking glass self was used (Griffin, p. 63). When the looking glass self is applied, people construct their identity based on how others view them (Griffin, p. 63). One’s â€Å"self† is created through interactions with others involving the use of language (Griffin, p. 63). Thus with each new interaction, a person’s self can change, which is how we evolve and create our identities. When we interact on a one-to-one basis with another we create a self based on how another views us, but when people interact within an entire community, their self is created based on the expectations and responses of the community (Griffin, p. 65). When interacting with a community, a person creates a â€Å"generalized other† based on what expectations and responses the community is perceived to have, Mead noted (Griffin, 2009, p. 65). This generalized other is our guide to behavior when interacting with community members (Griffin, p. 65). It helps a person assign meaning to actions, and to act based on the meaning one wants to assume within the community (Griffin, p. 65). As interactions become more frequent within communities, norms and boundaries are created (Lynch & McConatha, 2006, p. 89). To Mead, a community consists of, â€Å"individual actors who make their own choices. Yet they align their actions with what others are doing to form healthcare systems, legal systems, and economic systems† (Griffin, p. 65). Although Mead formed this theory long before the Internet was created, it also applies to online social network interactions. Using Mead’s concept of the lookingglass, one can see how a Facebook page is actually a creation of our â€Å"self.† Symbolic interactionism theory plays an important role in the creation of Facebook profiles and how individuals identify themselves through engaging in online communication. â€Å"When Facebook users communicate ‘what’s on their mind’ or update their status, they are offering a representation of the ‘self,’ which is based on their social interactions with others† (Ellis, 2010, p. 39). According to Ellis, there is a three-step process in which a Facebook profile reflects one’s identity in light of Mead’s theory of symbolic interactionism (p. 39). First, a Facebook user, through actions, allows other Facebook users to become aware of his or her intentions. These intentions are made clear in a person’s Facebook profile picture and profile name (Ellis, p. 39). Secondly, communication occurs, as the profile picture becomes the user’s â€Å"self.† This image is what they would like others to perceive to be their identity (Ellis, p. 39). For example, if a How Socil Media Communities Impact Consumer Behavior, 13 veterinarian laboratory chose a picture of a smiling veterinarian and a happy dog, this lab is portraying to the world via Facebook that the company is not only a veterinarian laboratory with happy veterinarians, but one that caters to dogs, and in return, the dogs will be happy. Lastly, in the three-step process the profile picture means something to Facebook users who use it to decide what their identity will be (Ellis, p. 39). The user has created a â€Å"self† through this profile picture as it brings about an identity utilizing the symbolic act of communication (Ellis, p. 39). Hyper-symbolic Interactionism Theory Hyper-symbolic interactionism is a revised theory of symbolic interactionism for online networks (Lynch & McConatha, 2006). Theorists like Mead who used symbolic interactionism to describe socially constructed worlds did so before the invention of the Internet. The classic application of symbolic interactionism theory needs to adapt and evolve to fit today’s digital society (Lynch & McConatha, p. 88). Additionally, advancements in sciences require symbolic interactionism theory to be re-analyzed (Lynch and McConatha, p. 88). Advancements in such subjects as neuroscience and psychology have allowed us to learn more about the human mind than Mead knew when he created symbolic interactionism theory (p. 88). The generalized other, as Mead explained, forms when one creates his or her â€Å"self† based on a community’s expectations and responses (Griffin, 2009, p. 65). Thus, the â€Å"self† one creates is constantly changing and evolving based on interactions with others (Griffin, p. 65). One can assume that the creation of online communities, which use different means of interaction, allows one’s â€Å"self† to evolve even more than Mead ever thought one could (Lynch & McConatha, 2006, p. 89). Lynch and McConatha propose that the creation of a generalized other still exists, but exists differently online vs. offline (p. 89). While the generalized other still helps one form a â€Å"self,† the generalized other in the digital space is different than the one Mead described (Lynch and McConatha, p. 89). Lynch and McContha (2006) claim that the generalized other humans perceive today is different than Mead’s because of technology (p. 90). Due to the decrease in varying methods of human interaction, such as phone calls and verbal communication, and an increase in similar digital interactions, we are creating our self based on a different generalized other than Mead described (Lynch & McConatha, p. 90). The generalized other that impacts one’s self in the digital age is based more on consumerism than the generalized other described in the classic theory of symbolic interactionism (Lynch &McConatha, 2006, p. 90). Hyper-symbolic interaction is Lynch and McConatha’s (2006) solution to the immediacy of the Internet (p. 91). Hyper-symbolic interaction theory explains the creation of a new type of reality based on symbols found digitally. The theory â€Å"comprises the smallest symbols such as the l’s and O’s of computer language and the tiny pixels of digital imagery, as well as the complex contemporary imagery of advertisements and commercials produced daily† (Lynch & McConatha, p. 91). The larger symbols and imagery that these details create lead to new values and norms different than other nondigital communities (Lynch & McConatha, p. 91). This digital community is filled with marketers and advertisers, which in turn affect the reality humans’ construct, including the norms and values we abide by, as well as the meaning we give to symbols. We socialize very differently in digital reality than we do in real life (Lynch & McConatha, p. 91). Additionally, the increase in digital advertising causes us to perceive marketers and ads as reality (Lynch & McConatha, p. 92). Neuromarketing is a new term to describe marketing that has emerged from this shift in reality. Neuromarketing involves the study of how consumers react to marketing messages and is based on the idea that we have three brains, the new brain, the middle brain, and the old brain (Lynch & McConatha, 2006, p. 93). There are claims that neuromarketing actually drives consumers to purchase more products through a process of discovering consumers’ needs and then integrating them within their reality (Lynch & McConatha, p. 94). Neuromarketing also taps into what is believed to be a human’s old brain, the decision-maker that makes choices based on what will help one survive (Lynch & McConatha, p. 94). A human’s reaction to the decisions made by the old brain creates a constructed reality of what we essentially need and should react to (Lynch & McConatha, p. 94). Recently, Delta Airlines used neuroscience marketing to create a budget airline called â€Å"song.† The word â€Å"song† had no meaning to the airlines, but they used neuroscience marketing to discover the word â€Å"song† produces a pleasant feeling for consumers (Lynch & McConatha, p. 94). Delta Airlines is tapping into meaning consumers associate with symbols. Do consumers realize this or is it so engrained within our newly digitally created realities? Social Network Communities The article â€Å"Consumer Behaviour in Social Networking Sites: Implications for Marketers†(2011) identifies how humans use social media and how marketers should approach users of social media (Diffley, Kearns, Bennett, & Kawalek, p. 47). Its authors assert there are two methods marketers can use to reach consumers via social media: push THE STUDY Introduction For a week, I collected survey results through Surveymonkey.com. After asking co-workers in Seattle, people on Facebook and Twitter, and others in the Gonzaga community to take the survey, I amassed 154 responses. The survey responses came from Western Washington residents who use social media, and purchase items online. Survey questions asked were specific to Facebook and/or Twitter to gain more insight into how the two social media tools affect consumer behavior online (Appendix A). Data Analysis Of the 154 total individuals who answered the survey, the majority of people were 30-39 years of age (34%), 64% were female, 57% used both Facebook and Twitter, 55% used Facebook daily and 53% never used Twitter. The majority of individuals had 200299 Facebook friends (24%) and 52% of individuals had met all of their Facebook friends. In comparison, 40% had 1-99 Twitter followers and 40% had never met their followers in person. From these data it can be deduced that those who use Facebook typically â€Å"friend† others (meaning they are added as friends in their Facebook profiles) they also know offline while those who use Twitter tend to follow or be followed by strangers. Of all Facebook and Twitter respondents, 60% responded they purchase items online and offline at the same rate. These respondents noted they typically purchased clothing and accessories online (70%). Additionally, 68% of respondents bought travel accommodations online, 50% bought housewares, 32% buy electronics, and 10% buy insurance online. When asked if they would be more likely to listen to a stranger’s online review over that of a friend, 65% said they would be somewhat more likely while 30% said they would not be likely. To determine whether a person’s Facebook or Twitter community impacts their likelihood of online purchases, I asked a series of questions in the survey regarding Facebook and Twitter. From the results of these questions, I was able to gather enough data to indicate that Facebook communities have a higher impact on how consumers purchase products online than Twitter users. These results vary slightly from my hypothesis, which posited both social media tools would influence consumer behavior. Fifty-four percent of Facebook users said that they sometimes reach out to their Facebook communities before purchasing a product. This is a large percentage of Facebook users who view their Facebook communities as a trusted source for product opinions. Overall, How Social Media Communities Impact Consumer Behavior, based on the survey results, the majority of Facebook users sampled in this study said they are open at times to the influence and opinions of their Facebook communities, while Twitter users say their communities rarely influence their purchase decisions. When asked how often they reach out to members in their social media communities for opinions about products before they purchase them, 47% of respondents said they never reach out to Facebook friends before purchasing an item. Ninety percent said that they never reach out to Twitter followers before purchasing an item. Two sets of questions asked in the survey reveal the point in the purchase funnel in which people reach out to others on Facebook or Twitter. Fifty-two percent of individuals never gather opinions from Facebook friends at any point during the purchase funnel. However, 20% reach out to Facebook friends before researching products to buy, 26% while they are comparing products after the initial research phase, and 2% directly before purchasing a product. How Social Media Communities Impact Consumer Behavior, 30 Ninety-two percent of Twitter users never reach out to followers during the purchase process. Only 2% of Twitter users reach out to followers before researching products to buy, 5% before comparing products after the initial phase and 0% directly before making a purchase. When asked how likely it was that Facebook friends would influence one’s online purchases, 48% said that it is not likely, while 51% said that it is sometimes likely. Only 1% said that it is always likely. How Social Media Communities Impact Consumer Behavior, 31 Twitter appears to have significantly less of an effect on one’s online purchasing behavior as 92% said that Twitter is not likely to affect their purchase decisions. Six percent of Twitter users said that other Twitter followers will sometimes influence their purchase decisions and 1% said that other Twitter followers almost always have an influence. How Social Media Communities Impact Consumer Behavior, 32 Fifty-seven percent of Facebook users said that they have later purchased an item they heard about on Facebook, while only 17% of Twitter users said the same. The majority of Facebook users (54%) believe that Facebook is sometimes useful when looking for opinions about what products to purchase while 41% said it is not useful. Twitter is even less useful according to respondents as 79% said Twitter was never useful when looking for opinions about what products to purchase and only 19% said it is sometimes useful. When filtering the data to discern the difference in millennials (younger than 30 years of age) and non- millennials (30 years of age and older) it appeared that millennials were more open to influence from Facebook communities than non-millennials. The majority of non-millennial respondents used Facebook everyday but never used Twitter. Sixty-four percent of millennials used Facebook every day and 27% also used Twitter on a daily basis. Millennials were more likely than non-millennials to have both a Facebook and Twitter account (61% of millennials have both compared to 53% of nonmillennial). Sixty-one percent of non-millennials purchase about the same amount of products online as they do offline and 73% of their purchases are for travel accommodations. In comparison, 57% of millennials purchase about the same amount of products online as they do offline and the majority of their purchases (77%) are for clothing and accessories. Fifty-four percent of non-millennials say that they never reach out to Facebook friends for opinions before they purchase products online, while 51% of millennials said they sometimes reach out to Facebook friends for opinions. A large majority of both millennials and non-millennials said that they never reach out to Twitter followers for How Social Media Communities Impact Consumer Behavior, opinions before purchasing a product. Millennials were more likely than non-millennials to reach out to Facebook friends before researching products to buy. Additionally, 24% of non-millennials stated that they reach out to Facebook friends to compare products after the initial research phase, and this was around the same amount for millennials (29%). Seventy-eight percent of millennials said they hear about products on Facebook that they later buy 51% of non-millennials said the same. Forty-eight percent of nonmillennials believe that Facebook is not useful when looking for opinions about products to purchase online while only 35% of millennials believed that it is not useful. The majority of millennials (61%) believe that Facebook is sometimes useful when looking for opinions about what products to purchase. Both millennials and non- millennials agreed that Twitter is not useful when looking for opinions about what products to purchase. The majority of male and female respondents who took the survey were 30-39 years of age. Sixty percent of males used both Facebook and Twitter while 36% only used Facebook. In comparison, 54% of women used both Facebook and Twitter while 43% used only Facebook. Forty-seven percent of males used Facebook daily while a large percentage (50%) never use Twitter. Women tend to use Facebook and Twitter more often. Sixty-two percent of women use Facebook daily while, like males, a large majority never use Twitter. When asked the question, â€Å"About how many of your â€Å"friends† on Facebook have you met in person?† Forty-four percent of men responded that they knew all of them, whereas 53% of females stated that they knew all of their Facebook friends offline. How Social Media Communities Impact Consumer Behavior, Sixty-four percent of men said that they typically purchase the same amount of items in store and offline with 65% of purchases being travel accommodations. On the other hand, 59% of women typically purchase the same amount of items in store and offline with 73% of purchases being clothes and accessories. When asked how often they reach out to Facebook friends to provide opinions about products they may purchase online, 57% of men and 51% of women said they never do. Fifty percent of men also said that it is sometimes likely their Facebook friends will influence their purchases and 53% said that they often hear about products that they later purchase on Facebook.. Whereas, only 47% of women said that it is sometimes likely their Facebook friends will influence their purchase decisions but 59% said that they hear about products on Facebook that they later purchase. Both genders saw Twitter followers as having only a small influence on their purchase decisions if any at all. Results of the Study Mead’s theory of symbolic interactionism states humans are influenced by community members (Griffin, 2009, p. 65). Using Mead’s idea that communities impact our perception of what is a norm, I hypothesized that social media communities would impact consumer online behavior. My belief was, that if Mead believed that communities impact our perception of reality and what is normal, then by default social media communities should influence what one purchases online. One would purchase based on what the community believes to be the best purchase. The survey results showed that Twitter communities tend to not significantly impact social media users’ online purchase behavior, but Facebook communities typically do and have the potential to become even more of influencers for consumers. How Social Media Communities Impact Consumer Behavior, Facebook results seem to fall right in line with Mead’s idea of communities as influencers. While for Twitter, the survey results indicate that Twitter communities behave differently than offline communities and Facebook communities. As the majority of Twitter users stated that their followers are strangers, they may not feel the same type of intimacy and companionship as those who use Facebook feel. This is something Lynch and McConatha (2006) touch on when introducing the theory of hyper-symbolic interactionism. Lynch and McConatha believe that due to the marketing-based reality constructed on the Internet, we no longer have the same type of community interactions as we do offline (2006). If this is so, then it is plausible that one’s Twitter community has less of an influence, especially for those who are avid Twitter users. For marketers, this study can be interpreted in two ways. First, it implies that marketers who focus on the sharing of products among social media communities to boost sales should rethink their strategy, especially if they use Twitter more than Facebook. Second, the results of the survey should inspire marketers to find a marketing method that will increase the influence online communities have on other social media users. My study showed that Facebook communities typically influence some users and have the potential to influence even more in the future. Many Facebook users surveyed seemed to value their Facebook friends’ opinions when it came to purchasing items online, and sometimes these opinions impacted their purchases. Marketers should use community influence on Facebook users as a way to increase sales and/or brand awareness. Another takeaway for marketers is the difference between Facebook and Twitter. Most of the respondents use Facebook on a daily basis and Twitter was not used nearly as How Social Media Communities Impact Consumer Behavior,   much, if at all. Out of the two social media platforms, Facebook communities are more of a community than Twitter. More people on Facebook know their Facebook friends offline, while many Twitter users did not know most of their Twitter followers offline. When comparing all of the questions pertaining to Facebook and those pertaining to Twitter, it is apparent that those who use Facebook have more of a relationship with their friends than Twitter users do with their followers. For marketers, this information is beneficial when deciding what channel would be the best to focus their attention on. CÄÆ'rtÄÆ'rescu (2010) stated that online communities create places for members to â€Å"share a sense of belonging, have a specific culture, a specific set of norms (‘netiquette’), affective ties that bind them together and a sense of shared history† (p. 82). These elements appear to be lacking in Twitter as most respondents to the survey answered that their Twitter communities were typically comprised of strangers who did not impact their purchasing decisions. Based on CÄÆ'rtÄÆ'rescu’s definition of an online community, and the lack of survey participants that use Twitter, it is questionable if Twitter constitutes a community, especially one that influences. Rather, it can be identified as a communication tool to reach out and converse with strangers but probably is not able to build relationships like Facebook does. In my opinion, Facebook feels more like a community than Twitter. Answers from the survey support this notion, as many of the respondents stated that they knew Facebook friends offline, while Twitter followers are comprised mostly of strangers. Based on Mead’s concept of a community as an influencer, I assumed that people would reach out to their Facebook communities to help shape their opinions, more than they would on Twitter. What my survey discovered was a good portion of Facebook users felt How Social Media Communities Impact Consumer Behavior, like Facebook was a good method of gathering opinions before purchasing a product, as 50% of survey respondents used Facebook communities this way. Respondents seemed to regard Facebook as a community full of influences, which could help shape not only the Facebook users’ identities, but their purchasing opinions. Greenleigh (2010) found that 84% of millennials turn to online communities before purchasing an item. The survey results from my study found the opposite. On average, 50% of millennials who responded to my survey said that Facebook influenced their purchasing decisions. In particular, when asked how often they turn to Facebook communities before purchasing an item, only 51% of millennials said that they sometimes do and 47% said that they never do. Greenleigh also found that millennials were 51% more likely to trust strangers when purchasing products, over family and friends. Again, my study contradicts Greenleigh’s notion. Sixty-five percent of millennials said that they would sometimes listen to a stranger’s online review of products over their friends. While 29% said they would not be likely to and a small margin of 6% said they would always listen to a stranger’s online review. According to Thompson and Lougheed (2012), women are on Facebook more often than men and due to this have increased anxiety. While my study did not measure the amount of anxiety one feels from social media, it did find that women tend to spend more time on Facebook than men much like Thompson and Lougheed stated. Forty-seven percent of males used Facebook daily while 62% of women use Facebook on a daily basis. What is surprising about the results when comparing men and women’s Facebook tendencies, is the smaller influence Facebook communities have on women than men. Although women said that they used Facebook more often than men on a daily basis, they How Social Media Communities Impact Consumer Behavior, were less likely to be influenced by Facebook communities when purchasing a product online than their male counterparts. However, women tend to contradict this statement when they are later asked how often they purchase items after hearing about it on Facebook and 59% say that they sometimes do. In comparison, a smaller percentage of men say the same. How Social Media Communities Impact Consumer Behavior, SUMMARIES AND CONCLUSIONS Limitations of the Study While my study produced interesting results, I believe there is room for my improvement within my study that would have produced better results and more reliable data. One such issue that I would have changed was my desire to limit the location of participants in the survey. My study focused solely on Western Washington individuals with the belief that they would believe an adequate sample size to study. While my sample size provided reliable data and provocative insights, I am curious whether a larger sample size would have impacted the results I received. Would people in Eastern states view Facebook and Twitter differently than people in Western Washington? I think my sample size was drawn too narrowly to make a conclusive statement. A second problem with my study is due to time constraints. I was only able to gather data using one method. With more time, I would have implemented an additional method. Another data source would have provided more insights on how social media communities impact consumer behavior online. While my survey, provided adequate enough data to analyze and make a prediction, a method, such as an in-person user research study, would have provided additional results to analyze. Further Studies or Recommendations For further evaluation of how social media impacts consumer behavior online, other studies should be explored. While my thesis only looked at the impact of social media communities on consumer behavior online, another avenue I would have liked to pursue would have been the impact of a company’s Facebook page on consumer behavior How Social Media Communities Impact Consumer Behavior, online. For instance, if an online consumer likes or interacts with the Nordstrom Facebook page, are they then more likely to purchase from Nordstrom online? Additionally, another study that could provide interesting results would be how Facebook advertisements impact consumer behavior online. Many companies purchase these ads hoping that they will entice Facebook users to visit their company page, purchase their product, or recommend the product to others. While data are available on these advertisements to the companies that purchase them, such as number of clicks on ads, a study could help indicate if they actually influence Facebook users to perform the wanted action. The data only show numbers, but a study could help identify the psychology behind the numbers and why a person may click on one company’s Facebook ad over another. Conclusions Social media continues to play a role in many people’s lives. From finding information about friends to perusing a company’s Facebook page to gain insight into their products, many of us use social media constantly. While our purposes for using social media may vary, we all have created communities we interact with within our social networks. According to Mead’s theory of symbolic interactionism, the way we interact with individuals shapes our identity. Thus, it can be thought that how we interact with others on social media also can shape our identity. Mead also described the importance of a community’s influence. My thesis seeks to understand if a social media user valued their social media communities’ influence when it came to purchasing products online. I hypothesized, based on Mead’s rationale, that if offline communities How Social Media Communities Impact Consumer Behavior, 41 impact our identities and actions, then social media communities should perform the same way. To obtain this information I distributed a survey to respondents in Western Washington who use Facebook and Twitter as well as purchase items online. When analyzing the results, many interesting insights were noticed. The respondents of the survey interacted more with friends and family on Facebook than they did on Twitter. The majority of Twitter followers one had were strangers. Thus it can be deduced that Facebook is more like an offline community that Mead describes than Twitter. When it came to answering my overall thesis question of whether or not social media affected consumer online behavior the survey showed surprising results. It was found that Twitter had very little influence on consumers and more than likely they never reached out to Twitter followers at any point during the purchase process for opinions. Facebook friends, on the other hand, had more of an influence on Facebook users. Around 50% of Facebook users reach out to their Facebook communities before purchasing an item. Thus, results for Facebook align with Mead’s theory of symbolic interactionism. In conclusion, the survey I distributed found that social media communities in general, do have an influence on what products social media users purchase online, with Twitter having a very minimal amount of influence and Facebook communities having a relatively high level of influence. How Social Media Communities Impact Consumer Behavior, 42 References Budzanowska-Drzewiecka, M. (2011). Social conditioning of purchasing decisions of 9-11 year-old consumers. Journal Of Customer Behaviour, 10(2), 143-160. doi:10.1362/147539211X589555 CÄÆ'rtÄÆ'rescu, I. (2010). Utility of online communities — ways one can benefit from one’s online life. Journal Of Comparative Research In Anthropology & Sociology, 1(2), 79-91. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy.foley.gonzaga.edu/ehost/detail?vid=54&hid=110 &sid=9a83f789-ffbb-4d09-ad3369f906fba08e%40sessionmgr14&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d# db=sih&AN=55558221 Dellarocas, C., Gao, G., & Narayan, R. (2010). Are consumers more likely to contribute online reviews for hit or niche products?. Journal Of Management Information Systems, 27(2), 127-157. doi:10.2753/MIS0742-1222270204 Diffley, S., Kearns, J., Bennett, W., & Kawalek, P. (2011). Consumer behaviour in social networking sites: implications for marketers. Irish Journal Of Management, 30(2), 47-65. Drell, L. (October 25, 2011). Social consumers and the science of sharing. Mashable. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2011/10/25/social-consumersharing-infographic/ Ellis, K. (2010). Be who you want to be: The philosophy of Facebook and the How Social Media Communities Impact Consumer Behavior, 43 construction of identity. Screen Education, (58), 36-41. Retrieved fromhttp://proxy.foley.gonzaga.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/l ogin.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=51533387&site=ehost-live Garfield, Bob and Levy, Doug. (January 2, 2012). Ignore the human element of marketing at your own peril. AdvertisingAge. Retrieved from http://adage.com/article/news/dawn-relationship-era-marketing/231792/?page=1 Greenleigh, Ian. (January 24, 2012. Talking to strangers. How social influences millennials shopping decisions. Retrieved from ‘ http://www.bazaarvoice.com/blog/2012/01/24/infographic-millennials-willchange-the-way-you-sell/ Griffin, Em. (2009). A First Look at Communication Theory. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Hanlon, P., & Hawkins, J. (2008). Expand you brand community online. Advertising Age, 79(1), 14-15. Retrieved http://proxy.foley.gonzaga.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login. aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=28225980&site=ehost-live Lee, D. (2010). Growing popularity of social media and business strategy. SERI Quarterly, 3(4), 112-117. Ligas, M., & Cotte, J. (1999). The process of negotiating brand meaning: a symbolic interactionist perspective. Advances in Consumer Research, 26(1), 609-614. Retrieved from http://proxy.foley.gonzaga.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login. aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=6686384&site=ehost-live How Social Media Communities Impact Consumer Behavior, 44 Lynch, M. and McConatha, D., (2006). Hyper-symbolic interactionism: prelude to a refurbished theory of symbolic interaction or just old wine? Sociological Viewpoints, Spring 2006, Vol. 22, p87-96, 10. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy.foley.gonzaga.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?si d=9a83f789-ffbb-4d09-ad33-69f906fba08e%40sessionmgr14&vid=44&hid=110 Tormey, P. (2007). The thursday speeches: how coach don james used words and mental images to build a college football powerhouse. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. Wasserman, T. (2011). Audi has the most engaged fans on Facebook. Mashable. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2011/04/22/audis-facebook-bieber/.

Dell Summary

DELL INC STRATEGIC POSITION, CHOICE AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS Table 1: PESTEL | | |Meaning to dell? |Dell’s ability to | | | | |address. | |Political Factors |China’s five-year plan has a clear set of social objectives. 23) |Good chance for Dell to grow |Very good. | | |Increased government spending helped China for the first time to beat the US to become the |in BRICS nation. | | | |world's biggest PC market. (24) | | | | |Restrictive policies in many countries for the protection of domestic companies. 25) | | | | |BRICS sign framework pact for local-currency credit lines. (26) | | | | |European Commission Unveils New intellectual property rights (IPR) Strategy (27) | | | |Economic |The US Debt Crisis and Downgraded Credit Rating. 28) |Global consumers spending |Moderate | |Factors |Global Economy growth forecast 4 % in 2011 and 2012. (Advanced economies 1. 6% and 1. 9 % |less Increased competition. | | | |Emerging and developing economies 6. 4% & 6. 1% ,US 1. 5 % & 1. 8%,China9. 5 9. 0 ) (29) | | | | |Canalys predicts 14% growth in PC market for 2011. 30) | | | | |China has topped the US as the largest PC market worldwide (31) | | | | |Economies in developing countries like growing at faster rates than developed countries. (32)| | | |Social | Education affects brand consciousness, product demand. 42) |Consumers willing to pay more|Very good. | |Factors |Income levels (40) |for higher quality. | | | |Cultural aspects affect sales. (39) | | | |Technological Factors | Fast technological advances (33) |Needs continuous products |Good. | |Increased research and development. (33) |innovation and redesigning. | | | |Short product life cycle. (41) | | | |Environmental | Adds to Global warming. (34) |Requires focus for |Moderate. | |Factors |High Environmental effects. 35) |sustainability. | | | |The global volume of e-waste generated is expected to reach 93. 5 million tons in 2016 from | | | | |41. 5 million tons in 2011 at a CAGR of 17. 6% from 201 1 to 2016. (36) | | | |Legal Factors | Minimum wages restrictions in many countries. Effects to its profit margin. |Good. | | |Strict recycling laws in some countries. (37) | | | | |Existence of consumer rights and labour rights. (38) | | | | |Competition laws, employment laws, health and safety legislation. 38) | | | Table 2: Porter’s 5 Forces | |Forces |Factors |Strength | |1 |Threat of New Entrants | |Low | | | |In PC industry, not many competitors emerging on a yearly basis. 17] | | | | |Chance of a new PC vendor entering the market and gaining significant market share is pretty| | | | |slim. [18] | | | | |Entry barriers are higher now than they ever have been. [18] | | | | |Capital required is huge. 18] | | | | |Cost and distribution are two of the entry barriers that are making entry into the PC market| | | | |tough. [18] | | | | |Computer industry is highly competitive with continuing developments. 17] | | | | |People likely to go with big brands they ‘knowâ⠂¬â„¢. [17] | | |2 |Power of Suppliers |Suppliers such as INTEL and Microsoft holds significant amount of power. [17] |High | | | |Intel’s microprocessor chips are used in approximately 80% of personal computers. [18] | | | | |Microsoft operating systems are used in 90% of computers. 18] | | |3 |Power of Buyers |PC has become a commodity. [19] |Moderate | | | |There is no brand loyalty among PC users. [19] | | | | |Use of industry standard hardware and software means a user can easily switch from one brand| | | | |to another. 19] | | |4 |Threat of Substitute | Organizers, PDAs, blackberries and Tablets are the substitutes of PC industry. [20, 21] | | | | |PC market growth has been impacted by media tablets and next-generation smartphones. [21] |High | | | |It is anticipated that tablets will Cannibalize 10 % of PCs by 2014. [21] | | |5 |Existing Rivalry |1. 6Acer, Apple, Hewlett-Packard and Lenovo are the major competitors of Dell. [17] | | | | |1. 17 Attractive new gadgets such as Apple's iPad making PC industry saturated. [22] |High | Table 3: Value Chain Analysis |Primary Activities: | | |Inbound logistics |Higher density container & trailer shipment via sea, air & road to reduce fuel consumption. 1] | | |Use of foam pallets instead of wood for shipping, which reduce cost of freight by reducing weight. [1] | | |Dell relies on its highly reliable suppliers for materials. [2] | |Operations: |Produce built to order computers according to individual costumers needs. [2] | | |Use the knowledge from direct contact with its customers. 2] | |Outbound Logistics: |Logistics teams leverage the best transportation and logistics providers available in the industry. [1] | | |Dell sends computers monitors directly from its supplier to customers reducing the cost of storage and time of transfer. [2] | | |Use of direct selling models reduce coast to customers. 2] | |Marketing and sales:|Expanding relationships with retail partners around the world [1] | | |Use o f direct selling model thereby reducing cost of distribution channels and communication gaps between customers and company. | | |[2] | | |Direct selling models helps to understand unmet customer needs. 2] | | |24000 retail outlets worldwide, including contracts with Walmart Brazil and Maxico , and Gome Group, the largest electronic | | |seller in Chaina. [16] | |Services: |Dell spent lot of money in training segment managers to provide state of the art customer advice. 2] | | |Customer solutions team collaborate with customers to fulfil there unmet needs. [2] | |Support Activities: | | |Procurement: |Material used is not protected under any trade mark or copy right. [2] | | |Any competitors can use the same materials from same suppliers as suppliers tend to sell generally to all players in industry. | |[2] | |Technology: |Introduce new and relevant technology much more quickly than competitors who use slow moving distribution channels. [2] | |Infrastructure: |Revolutionized compu ter industry’s traditional value chain by introducing direct selling model. [2] | | |Use ROIC as mean of managerial performance and individual business units performance. [2] | | |Inventory turnover is 6 days. 2] | |Human Resources: |Dell staff has to be knowledgeable and customer focused to provide best outcome. [2] | | |Train its segment managers to provide state of the art customers’ service. [2] | Table 4: Generic Forces | | | | |Broad |COST LEADERSHIP DIFFERENTIATION | |Market | | | | |Supply chain efficiencies. [62] |Unique Customer services. [63] | | |Direct sales model allowed Dell to pursue Cost |Dell (PRODUCT)RED signature products contribute directly to Global Fund to help | | |Leadership Strategy. 62] |eliminate AIDS in Africa. [64] | | | |Robust market share by holding 12% of worldwide pc market. [65] | | | |Alienware M11x the first ultraportable gaming notebook. [66] | | | |Dell precision Mb6400 a high-performance mobile workstation. 67] | | | |Dell Str eak 7 is the first 7† tablet that has dual-core processor that supports 4G. [69] | |Narrow |FOCUSED LOW COST |FOCUSED DIFFERENTIATION | |Market |Introduced low-cost notebooks for consumers and small |Dell first introduced Streak Android-based tablet computer for doctors and other | | |businesses in Asian markets. [66] |clinicians. 70] | Table 5: Ansoff Product Market Matrix: | |Existing products |New Products | |Existing |1. 1. $155 million acquisition of MessageOne Inc(industry leader in |1. 4 Announced new tablet latitude XT3 for business customers that allows | |Market |SaaS) enables enterprise level email business continuity, |grater mobility, security and manageability. 6] | | |compliance, archiving, disaster management. [4,5] |1. 5 Announced 24 new products including smart phone, tablets, netbooks, | | |1. 2. Introduced existing alienware and XPS laptops with HD 3D |desktops etc. [7] | | |screen. [9] | | | |1. Unveiled new series of printers, projector and monitors in | | | |2011. [12] | | |New Market |1. 6 Introduces 4 new low cost PC for emerging markets like China. |1. 10 Introduced new android based smart phones and windows phone. [8] | | |India etc in 2008. 11] |1. 11Introduced android based streak tablet designed for doctors and | | |1. 7 Launched comprehensive rage of printers in India in 2011. [12] |clinicians. [10] | | |1. 8 Contracted with Gome Group, the largest electronic retailer in |1. 12 Introduced cloud computing that provide IaaS based on VMware. | | |china. 16] |[14,15] | | |1. 9 Only 5. 1% Indians and 9% Chinese have computers. 75% Americans| | | |have computers. [16] | | Table 6: Boston Construction Group Matrix |Relative Market Share (Cash Generation) | |Market Growth Rate |HIGH |HIGH |LOW | |(Cash Usage) | | | | | | |Stars: |Question Marks: | | | |Personal computers [43] |Dell tablet [45] | | | |cloud computing services[44] | | | |LOW |Cash Cows: |Dogs: | | | |Customised systems [46] |Printers [48] | | | |Ink ca rtridge [47] |5 inch Streak Smartphone [49] | Table 7: Dells Acquisitions. Success of Dell’s Acquisitions | |Ingredient acquisitions [72] | |Acquired KACE in 2010 increases 1200 business customers and tripled in value. [72] | |HP doubled the Dell’s bid for 3PAR INC. a storage network company. [73] | |Made 12 acquisitions in last year. [74] | |Virtually all acquisitions were successful [74] | |Acquired ‘equal logic’ 3 years ago and turned revenue of $100 m into $1 Billion post acquisition [75] | Table 8 : Suitability, Acceptability, Feasibility | | | | |GENERIC STRATEGIES |BCG MATRIX STRATEGIES | | | | | | | | | | |Cost Leadership|Differentiation |Focus / Low Cost |Focus / Differentiator |STARS |CASH COWS | |   |   |YE 30/1/09 |YE |YE 28/1/11|YE |YE |YE |YE 31/10/08 | | | | |29/1/10 | |31/12/08|31/12/09|31/12/10| | Table 10: Financial Ratios for DELL Inc (2006-10) |   |   |2006 |2007 |2008 |2009 |2010 |Industry Average|Ref | |   |Profitabilit y Ratios |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |2 |Net profit margin (%) |4. 5 |4. 82 |4. 05 |2. 71 |4. 28 |6. 7 |[51,52] | |3 |Return on total assets (%) |13. 05 |3. 89 |12. 54 |6. 01 |8. 68 |8. 14 |[50,52] | |4 |Return on capital employed (%) |43. 22 |42. 86 |29. 35 |14. 87 |18. 57 |16. 42* |[50] | |5 |Return on equity (%) |58. 19 |76. 97 |58. 02 |25. 4 |33. 93 |13. 65 |[50,52] | |6 |Solvency ratio (%) |17. 32 |13. 89 |16. 12 |16. 76 |20. 12 |25. 9* |[50] | |   |Efficiency Ratios |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |8 |Net asset turnover |7. 32 |6. 77 |5. 25 |3. 6 |3. 22 |1. 51 |[50,52] | |9 |Debtor days (days) |30 |36 |29 |41 |39 |45. 25* |[51] | |10 |Creditor days(days) |80 |86 |61 |97 |84 |52. 5* |[51] | |   |Liquidity Ratios |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |12 |Quick ratio |1. 08 |1. 01 |1. 3 |1. 22 |1. 42 |1. 15 |[51,52] | |   |Stability Ratios |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |14 |Interest cover |68. 22 |76. 44 |34. 3 |13. 57 |17. 25 |2. 5 |[50,52] | |15 |Debt/Equity(%) |12. 82 |9. 45 |44. 44 |60. 57 |66. 26 |21. 43 |[51,52] | |   |Investors Ratios |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |17 |P/E ratio |23. 16 |15. 48 |7. 45 |17. 61 |9. 64 |14. 2 |[50,52] | |18 |Dividend yield |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |2. 09 |[50,52] | [pic][76] 77] Figure 3: Financial Rations (Table 10) |REFERENCES | | |http://content. dell. com/ – Accessed 6 October 2011. |http://www. oppapers. com/essays (accessed: October 8, 2011) | |http://ivythesis. typepad. com/ Accessed 6 Oct 2011. |http://www. scribd. com/doc (accessed: October 9, 2011) | |http://www. businessweek. com/ – Accessed 27 September 2011. |http://2point8. blogspot. com/2006 (accessed: October 9, 2011) | |http://www. dell. com/us/ Accessed 17 Oct 2011. |http://knol. google. om/k (accessed: October 9, 2011) | |http://www. gartner. com/ Accesses 17 Oct 2011. |http://it. tmcnet. com/topics (accessed: October 9, 2011) | |http://techmento. com/2011/02/14/ Accessed 17 Oct 2011. |http://www. usatoday. com/tech (accessed: October 9, 2011) | |http://www. pcmag. com/ Accessed 17 Oct 2011. |IPPR, China in the global economy, July 2011 | |http://www. unwiredview. com/2011/09/30/ Accessed 17 Oct 2011. |Owen Fletcher, China Passes U. 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Ideal Hero Essay Essays

Ideal Hero Essay Essays Ideal Hero Essay Essay Ideal Hero Essay Essay A hero is competent and confident. A hero has abilities and endowments nevertheless extraordinary or mundane they may be. A hero is witting of the universe he or she lives in. the society and the people around. A hero besides has a strong moral compass. A hero is passionate and dedicated to a cause. He or she is besides influential non merely because of celebrity but because of the ability to promote people to back up an ideal. A hero is one who gives his or her life to a cause bigger than oneself. He or she should hold a web of people non merely people to act upon but besides people to acquire inspiration from. A hero has concern for other people and compassion to set other people’s demands before his or her ain. A hero is able to give. hold the witting attempt to give up something so that others can profit from it. It is the giving up of something personal to accomplish something greater. Last. a hero is relentless and keeps working towards a end despite multiple reverses from all sides of a state of affairs. Part 2: Qualities of a National HeroA national hero should hold a construct of state and has aspirations for a nation’s public assistance. He or she works for the battle of a nation’s freedom and finally his or her countrymen. The national hero should hold contributed to the freedom or even the constitution of a better state. His or her plants should hold been dateless. utile both in the past and future battle for the involvement of the state. The national hero should stand for the state. Part 3: Explain A hero should be competent significance he or she should hold the abilities and endowments to act upon people otherwise his or her cause. whatever it is should non win. The motive to be a hero is needed for the hero to be dedicated and non give up. This motive or inspiration can be from a figure of things but most heroes work and move because of their compassion and concern for others. Last. heroes sacrifice. it may non be the forfeit of life but the forfeit of anything personal or of value to him or her is a signifier of forfeit. Sacrifice is giving up something non because you need to but because you want to ; that is being a hero. There are a batch of sorts of heroes but national heroes. as described in the authorities archives. are heroes who have greatly contributed to the national as a whole and non merely his or her part. First the construct of state should be present otherwise the thrust to work for the nation’s benefit is a adrift enterprise. The part to freedom and order to the state is of import since this is how the state. the people would idolize the hero as a great individual of the state. Timeless work is the property of the hero’s part that would enable it to be animating to the people non merely during his or her clip but besides in the hereafter for the usage of the nation’s new coevals of heroes. And in conclusion. a national hero should stand for the state. person who the mean citizen identifies to. a bigger version of the ordinary citizen. larger than life but still approachable. To heroes who committed flagitious offenses but did a batch of parts to his state. do they still deserve to be called heroes?Heros who have committed flagitious offenses do non merit to be called heroes. Heros are non named jus because they contributed to the state. if that was the instance. there would be a batch more heroes today. they are named because they have the extraordinary moralss. bosom and head that drove people to be inspired to contend and be good. An illustration is Emilio Aguinaldo the first Philippine president. Yes he did a batch to form the democracy but behind it all he did atrocious things. One his the fact that he supported the Japanese. What sort of nationalist would back up a group who blatantly abused the state and the people that hailed him a hero? The people he claims that he love.

The Edict of Nantes essays

The Edict of Nantes essays Here in America most Americans aren't very aware of the freedom that has been bestowed upon us. Thousands of men, women, and children died in various wars over the years to protect our basic rights: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. As for myself I know I take that freedom for granted and I know many others have also. If we believe in one God or six gods, it doesn't matter here in America. You won't be killed for your religious beliefs unless you're some crazy activist. Up until the late 1500's that was the case. If you did not follow the religious beliefs of the King or the Lord of the land you were killed or exiled from the land. In 1598 King Henry IV passed the Edict of Nantes granting religious freedom to the commoners, also known as Huguenots. Henry IV (1589-161O) was the Protestant king of Navarre who led the Huguenot cause during the French wars of religion. His grandmother was Marguerite de Navarre and his mother Jeanne d'Albret, both educated and remarkably talented women. Henry achieved the French throne through a series of accidents, the last of which was the assassination of Henry III in 1589. It was clear that no Protestant could ever command the allegiance of the mass of French people or peaceful rule in the Catholic capital of Paris. Henry converted to Catholicism, defeated his enemies, and ended the long years of religious warfare. The Edict of Nantes was the compromise settlement that granted limited toleration for the Huguenots. It was a landmark in the history of religious toleration, though its main features were watered down under Louis Xlll. The Edict was finally rescinded under Louis XIII in 1685. The Edict of Nantes ended the series of religious wars between Catholics and Protestants that ravaged France from 1562 to 1598. During these wars, several ineffective treaties were concluded, embodying privileges for the Huguenots. These "French wars of religion" pitted Calvini ...

What Is a Research University Complete Definition

What Is a Research University Complete Definition SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips In many lists of colleges, research universities are listed or ranked separately from other schools that focus exclusively on the undergraduate experience, like liberal arts colleges. Why? What's the point? In this article, I’ll list the main characteristics of research universities, give you some information about what life is like at a few different schools, and help you decide whether a research university is the right choice for you. What Is a Research University? As you may have guessed from the name, research universities are universities where the main focus is on the research of professors and graduate students.These universities may be less oriented towards undergraduate teaching, but they can still provide excellent experiences for students who are willing and able to seek out the resources they offer. Here are some of the main characteristics of research universities: More Interaction with Graduate Students Since all research universities have graduate programs associated with them, you’ll have more opportunities to interact with grad students as an undergraduate.This may give you insight into your future or lead to collaboration on research projects conducted by more advanced students. State-of-the-Art Research Facilities The main mission of a research university is to produce new and exciting research, and to do that it needs to provide the best equipment to its students and professors.This is a big plus for students focused on the hard sciences because large research universities will usually have access to the latest technology. Wide Variety of Majors Research universities, due to their size and diversity,offer a wide range of majors to students.Although it’s sometimes more difficult to change your major or create your own major at these universities due to a large bureaucracy, you’ll have lot of choice in the first place. Larger Class Sizes with Less Individual Attention For most research universities, large class sizes, particularly at the introductory level, are common.You may find yourself in lecture halls with more than 100 students, which means less attention and personalized feedback. However, most of these large classes are split off into discussion sections taught by graduate students, so you'll get a chance to interact with other students and TAs.Also, as you take more advanced classes, class sizes will shrink.Many of these universities also offer honors programs to qualified students where the environment is more like that of a small college. Distinguished Faculty Research universities attract well-known faculty because of the resources and opportunities they offer.You'll have the chance to network with very important people in fields that interest you. You may even be able to work side by side with high profile researchers on lab projects and become a coauthor on published research. International Reputation Research universities have better reputations on a global scale than smaller teaching colleges. Since big discoveries and scientific breakthroughs often take place at research universities, they get more recognition abroad than other colleges that might have excellent undergraduate programs but less robust research capabilities. Advantages for Future Graduate Students Spending four years as an undergraduate at a research university can give you a leg up in the competition for graduate school admissions.You can get letters of recommendation from top researchers in your field that will encourage other universities to accept you based on reputation. Don't let anyone get in the way of your dream to wear the fanciest shapeless sack at the next gathering of silly hats. What Is the Student Experience Like? The learning environment at a research university will be different fromthe learning environment at a small college in most cases.Here are a few examples of research universities along with some details on what the student experience is like. All student quotes are from theFiske Guide to Colleges 2015: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Learning at MIT is based on research and hands-on experimentation.Students in electrical engineering and computer science have the option of pursuing a five-year degree, meaning they obtain a masters upon completion of their studies. One student says, â€Å"The average MIT student can be characterized as having a passion and singular drive for what they really want in life.† The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program facilitates student/faculty research projects and allows students to earn course credit and stipends for research. There are nine Nobel laureates on the MIT faculty at present. MIT is home to many, many different research facilities. Currently under construction is a $350 million facility called MIT.nano, which will provide resources for students to do research in the exciting new field of nanotechnology. The Pierce Engineering Laboratory at MIT University of Colorado - Boulder At UC Boulder, the 45,000 square foot Discovery Learning Center has 12 labs where engineering students can work on different technological challenges with high-tech capabilities and video conferencing.A student says that â€Å"professors and graduate student instructors alike have taken a keen interest in students’ progress, success, and learning, making themselves available to students as a valuable resource for extra assistance with class concepts and assignments.† Programs such as the Special Undergraduate Enrichment Program and Presidents Leadership Class give high-performing students the ability to stand out from the crowd.Students say that â€Å"It’s such a large, broad campus that just about any sort of student can be found† andâ€Å"every student, teacher, and department always has something new and exciting going on. It would be very hard to get bored here.† Beautiful scenery at UC Boulder! Washington University in St. Louis Students say that Washington University in St. Louis is â€Å"a place to grow and learn while having an unbelievably fun time.†Undergraduates enroll in one of five schools: arts and sciences, architecture, art, business, or engineering, and the University also accommodates interdisciplinary majors and double majors. The medical school runs a faculty exchange program with the undergraduate biology department, giving biology majors the opportunity to conduct advanced lab research.A program called the University Scholars Program allows students to apply for both undergraduate and graduate admission before entering college. Unlike some research universities, Washington University in St. Louis gives students the chance to have one on one mentoring relationships with impressive faculty members.According to one student, â€Å"one of my classes was a 150-person lecture class, and another was a 12-person seminar...despite these disparate class sizes, I was on a first-name basis with both of the professors.† A reading room at the Library at Washington University in St. Louis Should You Consider a Research University? You may still be unsure about whether a research university is the right choice for you.If these characteristics apply to you, you should consider research universities as options in your college search: You Plan to Go to Grad School As mentioned above, many research universities have programs that will put you on track for a strong graduate school application or even provide extended five-year programs that allow you to graduate with a masters.These schools offer a more streamlined path to graduate school considering their reputable faculty and research opportunities. You’re Interested in the Sciences The advanced facilities and resources at research universities will make the most difference to students who are interested in the sciences. The most cutting-edge scientific discoveries are occurring at these universities, so you'll have many opportunities to meet people who are leaders in their fields (and even collaborate with them on projects). Libraries at research universities are excellent, but at most colleges you'll be able to get the resources you’re looking for in the humanities. If you’re interested in science, however, other colleges might not give you access to the same high tech equipment available at research universities. You Want to Do Research as an Undergraduate It should come as no surprise to you that research universities are the best places to do research!This goes hand in hand with a desire to continue your education past an undergraduate degree.If you plan on going on to grad school (particularly in the sciences), you will almost certainly be expected to do research as an undergraduate for your thesis and other projects. If you fit these characteristics, a research university may be the right choice for you, but it’s not necessarily the only good choice.There are many small colleges that will afford you similar opportunities on a slightly smaller scale and may give you more one-on-one time with professors and a stronger advising system.Students sometimes have to be very independent at research universities since the focus is not explicitly on undergraduate teaching.However, these schools offer great opportunities to gather hands-on experience in the subject areas that interest you and connect with the brightest minds in any field. Your brain on research. What's Next? Still trying to decide what type of college you want to attend? One factor you might consider besides a school's research capabilities is its status as a public or private institution. Read this article to find out which is a better fit for you. If you're thinking of attending a research university, you may be looking at schools that are far from your home town. Learn more about the pros and cons of going to school out of state. Not sure whether a large university is the right choice for you? Take a look at this article to see whether a big or small college will be a better fit for you. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: