10 Tips to Get a 100% Site Health Score in WordPress 5.2

WordPress 5.2 added a new Site Health score to your WordPress dashboard and, as with any score, that probably has you wondering how to get a perfect, 100% score.In this post, were here to help. First, well introduce you to what the new Site Health feature is. Then, well take you through ten tips you can follow to score 100% on your Site Health in WordPress 5.2. Once you update your WordPress website, youll find two new pages under Tools Site Health.The first page displays your Site Health Status with results categorized as:CriticalRecommendedGoodThese tests are what WordPress uses to calculate your Site Health Score. Needless to say, the critical tests weigh more heavily, and not faring well in them can dampen your chances to get 100% Site Health score.The health check results show critical information pertaining to both performance and security. The performance checks include checking for:WordPress versionLatest PHP versionSQL server versionInstallation of recommended PHP modulesUT F8MB4 supportScheduled eventsWorking HTTP requestsREST API availabilityPerforming loopback requestsThe security checks include:Active themesUp to date pluginsHTTPS connectionSecure communicationDebug mode offCommunication with WordPress.orgBackground updates enabledThe second page is the Site Health Info page that contains a load of information related to your site health. Theres a convenient button here that can copy all the information to your clipboard so that you can share it with a developer whos supporting you. For example, if youre asking a plugin author for help, this gives you a convenient way to provide them with information about your site:Ten tips to get a 100% Site Health score in WordPress 5.2Now that you know the checks that WordPress runs to assess your website, heres what you can do to get a 100% Site Health score.1. Keep WordPress up to dateWeve heard this often enough, but in practice, not many of us pay attention to the update notifications that appear with (anno ying!) frequency on our dashboard for major updates. Fortunately, updating WordPress is now just a one-click affair.  By default, minor changes happen automatically.And while its possible to disable background updates, its really better not to do so.The test results will let you know if your site is up to date and if its communicating with WordPress.org. For the best way to run these updates, check out our guide on how to safely update WordPress.2. Keep themes and plugins up to dateDont stop with updating the WordPress core. Go the whole distance and update all the themes and plugins as well. You can update these extensions from the regular WordPress updates area (Dashboard → Updates), as well as the respective  Themes and  Plugins areas:3. Remove unused themes and pluginsBeyond updating themes and plugins that you  are using, youll also want to remove any themes and plugins that you are not using. Themes and plugins that are not updated are a security risk, which is why its safer to remove them.There is one exception, though leave the latest default theme installed, even if youre not using it (e.g.  Twenty Nineteen).4. Use the latest SQL server versionYour database servers software is what powers the database that WordPress uses to store your content and settings. There are two common options, depending on your hosts configuration:MySQLMariaDB (a fork of MySQL)To improve your sites performance and security (and Site Health score), youll want to make sure youre using the latest version WordPress recommends running MySQL version 5.6+ or MariaDB version 10.1+.If youre not sure how to do this, the best way to get started is to reach out to your hosts support.5. Upgrade to the latest PHP versionPHP is the programming language that powers much of WordPress functionality.Upgrading to the latest version  offers big performance improvements, as well as better security (because older versions no longer receive security updates).Currently, WordPress recommends that you use PHP  7.3+.Many WordPress hosts give you an option to choose your PHP version from your dashboard. Or, you can reach out to your hosts support for help.Either way, wed recommend you follow our guide on how to safely upgrade to PHP 7+.6. Make sure debug mode is turned offWordPress has a few built-in debugging tools that generate helpful messages to developers. The most important tool is WP_DEBUG in your WordPress install.However, on a live site, the debug mode should not be turned on because it can reveal a load of information about your website to visitors and is, therefore, a security risk. Thats why WordPress will ding your Site Health score if you still have debug mode turned on.To configure the debug mode, find this line in your wp-config.php file:define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );To turn it off, you can either change  true to false, or just delete the entire line.7. Install SSL certificate and use HTTPSHTTPS (Secure HTTP) is a method of encryption that secu res the communication between your server and the browser of any user visiting your website, and its what gets you that trust-building green padlock in web browsers.Additionally, Google Chrome will eventually start marking all non-HTTPS pages as Not Secure::To avoid this, and get your Site Health score up, youll need to install an SSL certificate and then migrate your site to HTTPS.Many hosts now offer free SSL certificates via Lets Encrypt that you can install with a few clicks, or you can find other free and cheap SSL certificates. Once youve installed your SSL certificate, follow our guide to safely move to HTTPS.8. Leave the REST API enabledThe WP REST API helps your WordPress core communicate with the various web, desktop, and mobile applications on the internet. This helps WordPress work effectively as a content management system, storing and serving up content to be visible on the internet.By default, the WP REST API is enabled, but some plugins (especially  security plugin s)  and developers will disable it.However, if you want to get a perfect WordPress Site Health score, youll need to leave the WP REST API enabled. Most plugins or tools that disable the REST API will also give you a setting to leave it enabled.9. Make sure WP Cron is enabledNormally, WordPress handles a number of routine tasks such as backing up, publishing posts, or checking for updates. This function is handled by the cron job system, a special technology used by servers to handle scheduled tasks or recurring events. Many plugins also rely on the WordPress cron system to carry out tasks, but sometimes they hog most of the resources.To check if WP Cron is working, you can use the free  WP-Cron Status Checker plugin to get a new dashboard widget that tells you its status:If its not working, you can check if the following line is in your  wp-config.php file:define('DISABLE_WP_CRON', true);To re-enable WP Cron, you just need to remove that line. Or, if thats not the issue, you c an reach out to your hosts support for more help.10. Install all the recommended PHP modulesPHP modules play an important role in executing the tasks on the server that make your site run. The WordPress core relies on a list of PHP modules to help it execute tasks. If you dont have a certain module on your server, WordPress will either have to use a more inefficient method for that task, or it might just remove the functionality.If youre missing one of the  recommended and required modules, WordPress will tell you which module is missing and ding your Site Health Score:To fix this, ask your hosts support if they can help you to install the module.Dont stress about your WordPress Site Health scoreWhile it can be satisfying to see a perfect 100% score in the Site Health area, you dont need to get a perfect score to have a secure, functioning WordPress site, and  some developers have expressed views against this new scoring methodology.Overall, you should definitely fix the critica l issues, and try to implement recommended issues. But dont stress yourself out if you cant eliminate every single recommended issue. Here's how to get a perfect Site Health score in #WordPress 5.2 💉 Click To Tweet Do you have any questions about the new Site Health score feature in WordPress 5.2? Ask away in the comments!Free guide5 Essential Tips to Speed Up Your WordPress SiteReduce your loading time by even 50-80% just by following simple tips.

Beowulf - Light vs. Dark essays

Beowulf - Light vs. Dark essays Traditionally, light means good and dark means evil. This assumption is proven in many instances of Beowulf, though in all three battles we also see contradictions to this assumption. Sometimes, what we see or assume may not always be just that. The light and dark imagery used in Beowulf helps to create this ambiguous theme and furthermore makes the contrasts between the battles more evident. In the Grendel episode, light and dark imagery are very evident. Before Beowulf arrives in the Danish kingdom he hears stories of the powerful Grendel and how he never dared to touch king Hrothgars glorious throne. This is the first instance where light and dark imagery collide. Grendel wouldnt touch the throne because the throne represented glory, or light, and Grendel represented evil, or dark. The second occurrence is the actual attack of Grendel. He moved quickly through the cloudy night...toward that gold-shining hall. In this imagery we see an obvious light and dark conflict but we also see a good vs. evil conflict as well. Grendel comes to attack the mead hall at night, which reveals that the dark, or evil, is attacking the light, or good, in which case the good overcame the evil. We notice this in the third example. When morning came, crowds surrounded to behold the monsters great staggering tracks and watch as his great body was dropped deep in murky darkness...as hell opened to receive him. Evil was defeated, and treasures were given in return. In this case, the death of Grendel is representative of darkness and the treasures Beowulf received is representative of light. After Grendels death, Grendels mother seeks revenge against Beowulf for his actions. Beowulf dives into the lake, representative of the underworld, or hell. This symbolism of hell is one example of light and dark imagery in Beowulf. Its almost like a relig...

Microeconomic Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Microeconomic Questions - Assignment Example Unfortunately, since the heavy commercialization of Pepsi and Coca Cola in the 1980s, RC Cola has struggled to keep up with bringing its name forth to the general public. Presumably, RC Cola did not see the merit of wasting so much revenue on advertisements; its owners now of course, see the errors of their ways. RC cola must resort to advertising rather an lowering its prices because both Pepsi and Coca Cola have substantially-prominent name-recognition. Rather than using penetration pricing strategy (a strategy that involves undercutting the prices of competitors), RC Cola must get name recognition out there to compete on the same level as Pepsi and Coca Cola. Monopolistic Market Structures have a unique set of stratagems for optimal pricing and optimal profits. In a monopolistic market structure, the competition is between firms selling similar but not entirely-substitutable products. It is open to all firms that want to earn profits. The firms within a monopolistic market structure are profit maximizers and all of the firms have some market power. Saudi Arabia has strong government controls over major economic activities. It possesses one-fourth of the worlds proven petroleum reserves, ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. With its multiple oil reserves, the country still maintains low production costs and therefore will most likely remain the number one exporter of petroleum for a long time to come. The oil reserves also help in lowering the unemployment rate which generally hovers around 15%. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of revenues and 45% of GDP. About 40% of GDP comes from the private sector.1 By producing a consistently high amount of oil daily, the prices per barrel have continued to rise, as an increasing demand meets the expected quota. Other countries have ceased exporting their own oil because of the adequate amount produced by other leading contributors of the world’s

Calculus II - Integration and Statistics Term Paper

Calculus II - Integration and Statistics - Term Paper Example Task A: This task requires the creation of a real-world science question/problem that requires the application of differentiation for it to be solved by the carrying out the following tasks: 1. A description in the context of the above real-world problem of the following terms using appropriate units. a) Independent variable b) Dependent variable c) Range d) Domain 2. An explanation of what the real-world problem above is about or is addressing 3. The problem created should involve taking the second and the first derivative of the above problem which includes the following components: a) Describe how f’(x) describes the behavior of f(x) within the context of the real-world application. b) Describe how f’’(x) describes the characteristics and changes of f(x) and f’(x) in the context of the real-world application. 4. Provide an answer that comprises of all relevant mathematical justifications for each step in the real-world solution context. Question A jet f ollows a path with distance in km, which is given by: Given that the horizontal velocity is expressed as V(x) = x, find the direction and magnitude of the velocity when the jet hits the ground if time taken is in minutes. The assumption made here is such that the terrain is all level (Bourne, 2011). Solution Let us first see a graph of the motion, to clarify what is going on. It can be seen that the jet hits the ground again somewhere around x = 9.5 km. At this point, the horizontal velocity is positive (the jet is from going left to right) and the vertical velocity is negative (the jet is going down). "V(x) = x" means that as x increases, the horizontal velocity also increases with the same number (different units, of course). So for example, at x = 2 km, the horizontal speed is 2 km/min, and at x = 7 km, the horizontal speed is 7 km/min, and so on. To calculate the magnitude of the velocity as the jet hits the ground, it is important that we know the vertical and horizontal aspect s of the velocity at this instance. (1) Horizontal velocity. In order to find the exact point the rocket hits the ground, it is necessary to find a solution for the following equation we only need to solve the following: Factorizing gives: And solving for 0 gives us x = 0, x = -3v10, x = 3v10 We only need the last value, x = 3v10 ? 9.4868 km (This value is consistent with the graph above). So the horizontal speed when the rocket hits the ground is 9.4868 km/min (since V(x) = x). (2) Vertical velocity. We now need to use implicit differentiation with respect to t (not x!) to find the vertical velocity. However, we already know dx/dt and x at impact, so we simply substitute: This gives us a negative velocity, as we expected before: So now, we need to calculate the magnitude of the velocity. This considers both the horizontal and vertical components. Magnitude = Substituting, we have: Velocity has magnitude and direction. Now for part of the direction. Angle of motion: Substituting our vertical and horizontal components, we have: In degrees, this is equivalent to -1.107148718 ? 57.25578 = -63.3907Â ° We can see that this answer is reasonable by zooming in on that part of the graph where the jet hits the ground (with equal-axis scaling): Therefore, in summary, the velocity of the jet when it hits the ground is 21.2 km/min in the direction 63.4

Ethics, Gender and Family - Legalising Same-sex marriage for the Research Paper

Ethics, Gender and Family - Legalising Same-sex marriage for the benefit of children - Research Paper Example Different religions tend to have different point of views on same sex people; and the same could be said about the politicians also (Maylor and Blackmon, 2005, p. 209). Today same sex marriage is legally recognized in countries like Belgium, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Denmark, etc. Another major issue that has evolved over the past few years along with same sex marriage has been the issue of partnership and adoption issues related to same sex marriage. There are people who believes that same sex marriage should be legalized mainly for the benefits of the children; however there are those who believe that same sex marriage is something which is not natural and it may not actually benefit the children. The present study has been conducted in lieu to understand the issues involved in the debate against and for same sex partnering by recognizing the attitudes, prejudice, stereotypes, myths involved in the lesbian and gay individuals in the role as parents. Hereby it is also needs to mentioned that secondary research has been used for the collection of secondary data, which has been used for the analysis to draw the final conclusions. A child is defined as an individual person below 18, except the national regulations and laws identify the age of majorities earlier. The controversy of same sex marriages is growing every day. Several options are rising with fear or courage. It is quite difficult to understand to find out the appropriate argument. Smart (1991) has argued that, psychoanalytical theories have labelled the homosexuality as the trait of deviant psychiatric. It is evident that, the attitude of human beings has changed in recent years (Staver, 2004). Still a prejudice element exists regarding the same sex parenting. It is assumed that, children may be flat with the confusion about gender. Moreover, in this case children may get confused over the sexual orientation and stigmatisation. In several countries, the identification of same sex couple is wel l established. Denmark is the first country who has introduced same sex union’s legal reorganization. By observing this, several other countries also have granted several legal rights to these kinds of same sex couples. Civil marriage rights are exist in eight jurisdictions, such as Spain, Belgium, Canada, Netherlands, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts and South Africa (Laycock, Picarello & Wilson, 2008). In these countries, there is no distinction between the heterosexual and same sex couples. In the year 2008, the parliament of Norway has adopted a marriage law considering the same sex couples (Wardle, 2003). In the year 2006, the supreme court of New Jersey has passed a law about the same sex couple. Moreover, the higher courts of New York City and Washington D.C. have defined the same sex marriage (Eskridge & Spedale, 2006). In the same year, the supreme court of New Jersey has announced that, the couples of same sex will enjoy the same social benefits similar to the couples of opposite sex. The same sex marriage was legalized in the year 2009 in the supreme court of Columbia, New Hampshire and Vermont. Moreover, the states of Washington and Maryland have legalized the same sex ma

Direct Marketing Summary

Direct Marketing Summary DIRECT MARKETING Direct marketing is a type of marketing that set sights on establishing and maintaining long term, structural, direct relationships between a supplier and its customers (Hoekstra and Zwart, 1993; Raaijmaakers et al., 1992). A relationship builds up through regular interaction, in which both parties react to one anothers actions. Direct marketing may be adopted at many levels in the distribution chain: producers, wholesalers as well as retailers may choose for direct marketing (e.g. Marshall and Vredenburg, 1988; Voorhees and Coppett, 1983). Developments in information technology, individualization tendencies, rising distribution costs and the increase of dual-income households have been known as the responsible factors for the increased confidence on direct marketing (Pettit, 1987). Direct marketing is escalating at two times the rate of traditional retailing methods (May, 1989). A Time magazine cover story anticipated the number of Americans responding to direct marketing solicitations to be 92 million in 1989 and the dollar amount of purchases to be $183 billion (Time, 1990). According to Statistical Fact Book (1993-1994), the percentage of adults spending $200 or more per year on products ordered through direct marketing rose from 16% to 21% in 1992. As a matter of fact, more money is currently spent on direct marketing programs and solicitations than on magazine or television advertising (Direct Marketing, 1994; Marketing News, 1992). Particularly, direct mail embraces the third largest percentage of all advertising expenditure, increasing from 16% in 1982 to 19% in 1992 (Statistical Fact Book, 1993-1994). In addition, a growing number of firms are now members of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), including Fortune 500 firms and leading advertising agen cies (Direct Marketing-Annual Survey, 1984; Statistical Fact Book, 1993-1994). The following media can be used to communicate directly with specific individuals and/or households in order to transmit direct marketing offers and solicitations:  § direct mail: an addressed, written, commercial message that is delivered at the addressees by a postal service;  § telephone; and  § interactive devices like interactive TV and Internet. As a result of the growth of direct marketing, the use of direct media, in particular direct mail, increases continually (Direct Marketing Associations Statistical Factbook, 1993). The increase of the use of direct mail also stems from heavier reliance on the medium, both by previous users as well as by new users. DIRECT MAIL Unlike earlier years, when the direct marketing industry was subjugated by small, morn-and-pop businesses, many large firms are now members of the direct marketing industry, including Sears, Montgomery Ward, AARP, L. L. Bean, and Lands End. This has steered an increased level of competition among firms in the industry. The increased level of competition, sequentially, has led to the surplus of consumers with direct mail solicitations, predominantly that of catalogues (Business Week, 1993a; Miller, 1994; Schwadel, 1988; Storholm and Friedman, 1989; Tixier, 1987). Over 64 billion direct mail pieces finished up in consumers mailboxes in 1989 (Time, 1990). In the literature attention has been primarily focused on the selection of households. In contrast, little attention has been given to the optimization of the design of the mailing, although direct mail practitioners often apply the manipulation of characteristics (Hoekstraand Vriens, 1995). Two studies have been concerned with the elements of the direct mail package. Akaah and Korgaonkar (1988) studied the relative importance of risk relievers in a direct marketing offer. They found that direct marketers can enhance the effectiveness by offering money-back-guarantees rather than free trials/samples, by using established manufacturer names rather than unknown manufacturer names, and that both new and established products can be sold by means of direct marketing. James and Li (1993) studied the importance of the design characteristics of the mailing, by interviewing both consumers and managers through a direct questioning procedure asking about the attractiveness of a number of separa te design characteristics of the mailing. However, letting respondents self-explicate the importance of the various design characteristics of a mailing may not constitute an appropriate task for the respondents, and may produce invalid results (e.g. Green and Srinivasan, 1990). Communicating with target audiences through direct mail is an elegant alternative to total reliance upon broadcast and newspaper mass media. Sending information by direct mail gives an opportunity to make contact with target audience in their homes. The payoff of direct mail fit in the potential for reaching larger target audiences competently, the low cost as compared to many other modes of communication, and perhaps most prominently, its flexibility (Murray, et al., 1988). Direct mail has many advantages over other media. For instance, direct mail can engage in precision targeting to a greater degree than other media, it offers the opportunity to personalize to any desired degree, and there is a large flexibility with regard to formats, timing and testing. However, the relative high cost per potential customer, compared to alternative media, requires sufficient response rates to ensure profitable implementation. So, it is important to develop ways to improve the effectiveness of direct mail campaigns. Vriens, et al. (1998) proposed a method to improve the effectiveness of direct mail by determining the optimal mailing design. They proposed two approaches, based on conjoint methodology, to determine optimal mailing characteristics efficiently. First approach presented a model of the consumer response process and second discussed the mechanism to influence the consumer response process. Another approach for improving the effectiveness of direct mail concerns manipulating the characteristics of the offer and the design of the mailing (e.g. Akaah and Korgaonkar, 1988; Fraser-Robinson, 1989; Roberts and Berger, 1989; Throckmorton, 1992; Và ¶gele, 1992). Characteristics that are essential to the design of the mailing relate to its form (size of the envelope, use of graphics etc.) and to some aspects of the contents (style of writing, use of testimonials etc.). In order to be able to manipulate the characteristics of the offer and the design characteristics of the mailing, the direct marketing manager needs to know exactly to what extent the various characteristics of the offer and the mailing influence the behavioral components of the response process. Milne et al., (1993) conceptualize direct mail as an implied social contract between marketers and consumers. Four attributes constitute the direct mail social contract: volume, targeting, compensation, and permission. An examination of public opinion polls [Equifax 1990, 1991; Hume 1991; United States Postal Service 1992] and proposals to change the direct mail environment [Baker 1986; DiTalamo 1991; DMA 1990; Jones 1991; Miller 1991; Westin 1990] suggest that these four attributes are critical to consumer decisions to participate in direct mail social contracts: Targeting— there seems to be universal agreement that the targeting of direct mail needs to be improved, enabling consumers to receive information of interest to them, but not that which they perceive to be too personal or perhaps even offensive. Volume— most consumers have strong opinions about the volume of mail they receive, and the majority of proposals influence mail quantity in some way. Volume varies more than targeting in terms of preferences. Some people would like more mail, whereas others would like less [United States Postal Service 1992]. Permission— the third criteria used to decide whether to enter a social contract relates to how the information provided to complete a transaction is used subsequently. For example, once an organization obtains information about consumers, that information could be considered their property to do with what they wish, including selling it to other organizations. Alternatively, the information could remain the property of the consumer, and no organization would be permitted to use it for any other purpose without the permission of the consumer. Once again, there is disagreement concerning which option is best. Compensation— a final consideration included in the evaluation of the attributes of a direct mail contract is compensation. Some have suggested that consumers receive compensation (e.g., coupons, rebates, special offers) for providing personal information that is used for direct mail purposes [DMA 1990; Westin 1990]. Others have charged consumers a fee to place them on the mailing lists of their choice [Miller 1991]. Milne measured the trade-offs consumers make among these attributes. The results suggest consumers want improved targeting efficiency and lower mail volume, and they are not willing to pay for these improvements. These findings suggest that consumers consider several attributes in their evaluation of direct mail social contracts. Mentioning name on the envelops of direct mail solicitations yield very positive results in terms of consumers response. Dignan Bahnson (1994) carried out an experiment to investigate causes of influence on the effectiveness of direct mail advertising. Direct mail has exposed promise as a method for getting to target audiences that are complex to reach with other mass media advertising approaches. A randomized experiment was performed to estimate the influence of form of postage and address upon the response rate to direct mail. Results specified that there was no considerable advantage from use of first class over bulk rate postage, but the payoff was significantly larger when the envelope bore a name rather than resident or occupant. With direct mail, artistically built-up educational materials can draw the receivers attention towards the solicitation in a manner where there are less competing solicitations than in TV, radio, or newspapers. For audiences with restricted access to mass media, direct mail can be an imperative means of outreach. For example, those people with limited transportation may not come across billboards, posters, and other identical mass media, but they are more likely to obtain regular mail delivery. Additionally, unlike television and radio solicitations, educational materials, sent by direct mail, can be kept for future reference (Gillespie and coworkers, 1983). After all, direct mail put forward an opportunity to expand two-way communication with the target audiences because the mail can be used to encourage the recipient to act in response to the programs information as well. Gerber and Green (2000) conducted an experiment to study the effects of canvassing, telephone calls and direct mail on voter turnout. The experimental tradition harks back to Gosnells (1927) studies in Chicago, which assigned certain city blocks to receive nonpartisan mail reminders to register and vote. Gosnell found that turnout increased by 1% in the presidential election of 1924 and 9% in the municipal election of 1925. Furthermore, the principal experiment to examine the effects of personal canvassing in conjunction with mailings that used varying types of nonpartisan appeals was conducted by Eldersveld (1956; Eldersveld and Dodge 1954) in two Ann Arbor, Michigan, municipal elections. In both cases the effects of canvassing and mail were statistically significant. Gerber launched a series of turnout experiments in which randomly selected households were exposed to mailings, telephone calls, or personal appeals before the general election. The study was designed to measure the ef fect of personal canvassing, telephone calls, and direct mail appeals on voter turnout. To study the impact of direct mail, an experiment was intended to measure the turnout effect of both the number of mailings received and the message conveyed. To gauge the first effect, the treatment group was divided into three subgroups and sent one, two, or three mailings, respectively. The mailings were sent out at three intervals: 15 days, 13 days, and 8 days before the election. The subgroup that received two mailings was sent mail on the two dates closest to the election, and the single mailing was sent 8 days before the election. The findings indicate that personal canvassing is highly effective, much more so than the direct mail and telemarketing campaigns that have come to displace it. Personal canvassing had a far greater influence on voter participation than three pieces of professionally crafted mail delivered within two weeks of Election Day. Less effective than direct mail were cal ls from professional phone banks. Commercial marketers have been the most fruitful client of direct mail (Dillman, D. A., 1978). For them, response rates vary usually depending on the type of good or service promoted and the complexity of the advertisement. Response rates range from 2-3 percent for a simple direct mail advertising of consumer products to 20 percent for mailings that put forward free products as enticement for future orders (Kanuk, L., and Berenson, C., 1975). Direct mail can be executed efficiently by using commercially prepared lists of recipients mailing addresses (Kanuk, L., and Berenson, C., 1975). Such lists are organized from utility company records, telephone directories, voting records, and further sources. Direct mail also gains importance in not-for-profit organizations. These firms define direct mail in their own perspective as â€Å"Direct mail† is the term used to depict the letters forwarded by philanthropic organizations in an endeavor to raise funds for support. In several respects, these letters are not dissimilar from the promotional direct mail sales letters sent out by businesses (Abelen, Redeker, and Thompson, 1993; Bhatia, 1998). Direct mail is a massive business in the U.S., and there are a few not-for-profit organizations that do not use the direct mail advertising medium in one way or another (Torre and Bedixen, 1988). As Abelen, Redeker, and Thompson (1993) indicated, the direct mail letter is the â€Å"most important instrument for communicating the ‘good cause of a nonprofit organization to a wide range of prospective donors† (p. 325). It is in this solicitation that the prospective donor has to be swayed to give money. In a small scale study, com paring Dutch and American direct mail letters, Abelen et al (1993) reveal that direct mail letters do follow general persuasive strategies which can differ from culture to culture. Besides that, direct mail is considered as one of the imperative marketing tools in arousing the significance of health and dietary practices. Direct mail advertising has been used with extensive success by community-based health learning programs. The Minnesota Heart Health Program deployed a form of direct mail as a strategy to stimulate action by community residents at risk for hypertension (Murray, et al., 1988). In his study, 28.2 percent of the community residents who received a single direct mail letter recalled receiving the message encouraging them to focus attention on screening for hypertension by discussing their blood pressure with a physician. Of the 28.2 percent, 12 percent reported taking action and having their blood pressure checked. Moreover, Gillespie and coworkers (1983) conducted a research to study the effectiveness of using direct mail to improve dietary practices. Of 621 eligible families, 24.5 percent were enlisted for the direct mail nutrition education pro gram. Results portrayed that those completing the program improved productive family interactions about nutrition. Race is a leading communicator cue in taking buying decisions from the medium of direct marketing. This may be primarily relevant in the case of industrial direct mail advertising where straight rebuy and modified rebuy purchasing decisions are inclined to be low rather than high involvement (Hutt and Speh 1998). In such instances, peripheral cues (race) have been found to be an imperative factor in attitude formation and change (Petty, Caioppo and Schumann 1983). In exploring the black consumer market, it has been found that the use of black models in print media might determine, to a great notch, who gets the black segment of the buyer market. In the consumer direct mail advertising medium, Wilson and Biswas (1995) found that the depiction of black modals in consumer specialty catalogs was about 4 percent. Each of these studies concluded that the percentages of blacks in consumer studies trailed their representation in society. Stevenson and Swayne (1999) studied the portrayal of blacks in industrial advertising into a new medium, business-to-business direct mail, and endeavor to determine if the representation of African-Americans in this medium is consistent with that found in other print media. Results showed that the percentage of ads portraying blacks was quite close to the presence of blacks employed in the business world. Moreover, it was found that the qualitative portrayals employed in business-to-business direct mail differed from those found in other industrial media. Thus, it appears that business-to-business direct mail advertisers are responsive to the increasing presence of African-Americans in the buying center. On the other side, some researchers contend that very large volume of such mail is acknowledged to cause consumer annoyance (Schwadel, 1988). Also, it adds to consumer concern about invasion of privacy (Williams, 1991). Thus, the consumers who are concerned about too much catalogue or direct mail solicitations are likely to evince negative attitudes toward direct mailing. This emergent perception regarding direct mailing results in the invasion of consumer privacy which has led to limit marketing practices. These restrictions on practices could be evaded if direct marketers segment their markets based on their consumers attitudes toward direct marketing practices. Milne Gordon (1994) form segments that measured consumers attitudes toward privacy and direct marketing. Data was used from a conjoint study that evaluated 151 consumers attitudes toward diverse direct mail environment scenarios (Milne, et al., 1993). Each scenario was explained using four attributes: targeting efficiency, quantity of mail received by the consumer, com ­pensation, and permission. These attributes and levels were selected because each had been included in at least some of the proposals for re ­stricting direct mail practices (DMA (1990), Di Talamo, Nichoias (1991), Dickson, Roger, and Hollander, Stanley (1986), Miller, Annetta (1991), Westin, Alan F. (1990)). Results of the study suggest that consumers differ in their atti ­tudes toward direct mail, and therefore, in what they consider acceptable in terms of direct mail practices. Principally, the Demanding Middle segment is against paying for mail solicitation. In addition, the Demanding Middle seg ­ment reports a high utility for better targeted mail. The Prospective Lobbyists reported they are sent too much mail. Lastly, The New Right group was comfortable with the status quo. As the youngest of the segments, it may be the most contented with the computer age and feel that direct mail is an acceptable way of doing business. This group had the highest rating of direct mail across all three segments. The governing body of the European Community has proposed a far more restrictive direct mail environment. The proposed regulations would prohibit the use of information about consumers without their permission and require that companies notify consumers when and for what purpose this information is forwarded to another party. The regulations would provide for compensation if information about a consumer is misused. While these regulations apply to direct mail in Europe, they have implications for direct mail in the United States as well. This is because they would prohibit the transfer of data outside the European Community unless the receiving country could assure that the previously described measures would be followed (Di Talamo, Nichoias, 1991). Moreover, several researches find out the fact that potential consumer most often experience risk while purchasing through direct mail. Homer E. et al., (1970) determined whether or not consumers perceive greater risk in the act of buying by mail than in buying from a store or a salesman. For 20 products studied, consumers perceived more risk in the mail-order situation than in the store/salesman situation. ATTITUDE Attitudes are favorable or unfavorable dispositions toward social objects, such as people, places, and policies. Attempts to establish the validity of the attitude construct have most often sought to demonstrate positive correlations between measured attitudes and the favorable-unfavorable aspect of observed behavior toward their objects. The frequently weak correlations observed in these attempts define the predictive validity problem for attitudes (documented especially by Wicker, 1969; see also Festinger, 1964, and LaPiere, 1934). A notable accomplishment of modern research on attitudes has been the solution of this predictive validity problem. That is, conditions under which attitudes strongly correlate with behavior have now been well identified (especially by Ajzen Fishbein, 1980; Fazio, 1986, 1990b; Fazio Zanna, 1981; Fishbein Ajzen, 1974; Zanna Fazio, 1982). Myers (1990) summarized these and related programs of research as showing that our attitudes predict our actions. . .if, as we act, we are conscious of our attitudes (Myers, 1990, p. 40, emphasis added). Similarly, in the description of attitude-behavior relations in their recent treatise on the attitude construct, Eagly and Chaiken (1993, pp. 208-211) referred to the importance of attitudes [coming] to mind and the perceived relevance of attitude to action. Although the modern synthesis achieved by the Fishbein-Ajzen (1974) and Fazio-Zanna (1981) research programs is now well established, it is difficult to avoid concluding that the attitude construct lost scope in the process. For those who can remember it, there might be justifiable nostalgia for an era in which Allport (1935) was able to proclaim that attitude was social psychologys most indispensable concept. The following list gives several definitions that have been influential in guiding scholarly and empirical treatments of attitudes, as indicated by their frequent citation in other works. Although the list may appear dated (the most recent entry is from 1962), it nevertheless remains current. Recent works (e.g., Eagly Chaiken, 1993; Fazio, 1986; McGuire, 1985; Petty Cacioppo, 1981; Zanna Rempel, 1988) continue to draw on them and remain within their boundaries. Attitude is the affect for or against a psychological object. (Thurstone, 1931, p. 261) An attitude is a mental and neural state of readiness, organized through experience, exerting a directive or dynamic influence upon the individuals response to all objects and situations with which it is related. (Allport, 1935, p. 810) Attitude is . . .an implicit, drive-producing response considered socially significant in the individuals society. (Doob, 1947, p. 136) An attitude is a predisposition to experience, to be motivated by, and to act toward, a class of objects in a predictable manner. (M. B. Smith, Bruner, White, 1956, p. 33) [Attitudes] are predispositions to respond, but are distinguished from other such states of readiness in that they predispose toward an evaluative response. (Osgood, Suci, Tannenbaum, 1957, p. 189) [An attitude is] a disposition to react favorably or unfavorably to a class of objects (Sarnoff, 1960, p. 261). Attitudes [are] enduring systems of positive or negative evaluations, emotional feelings, and pro or con action tendencies with respect to social objects. (Krech, Crutchfield, Ballachey, 1962, p. 139) The lack of mention of consciousness in this collection of attitude definitions accurately reflects a long scholarly tradition of nonconcern with the distinction between conscious and unconscious operation of attitudes. At the same time, nothing in this scholarly tradition actively opposes either the possibility or the importance of unconscious operation of attitudes. Standing starkly in the above list as suggesting unconscious operation is Doobs (1947) definition, which labels attitude as an implicit, drive-producing response. In spite of Doobs association with a behaviorist theory (Hull, 1943) that had no use for conceptions of either conscious or unconscious cognition, it is clear that Doob did conceive attitude as operating unconsciously (May Doob, 1937, p. 13). Lately, Doob commented, before World War II we all were impressed by psychoanalysis in addition to behaviorism, suggesting that, even though it may have gone unmentioned in many published treatments, the idea that attitudes operated unconsciously was quite acceptable in the 1940s and earlier. That conclusion is supported also by several passing references to the possibly unconscious nature of attitudes in Allports (1935) review chapter. Recent work has established that attitudes are activated outside of conscious attention, by showing both that activation occurs more rapidly than can be mediated by conscious activity (Bargh, Chaiken, Govender, Pratto, 1992; Fazio, Sanbonmatsu, Powell, Kardes, 1986) and that activation is initiated by (subliminal) stimuli, the presence of which is unreportable (Greenwald, Klinger, Liu, 1989). The present analysis of implicit attitudes extends work on automatic activation to explain how the attitude activated by one object can be (mis)attributed to another. An implicit attitude can be thought of as an existing attitude projected onto a novel object. The interpretation of several important existing findings as implicit attitude effects substantially expands the predictive and construct validity of social psychologys attitude construct. It also prompts the empirical search for further members of the potentially large class of implicit attitude effects. In the domain of attitude chang e, two recent theoretical analyses (Chaiken, 1987; Petty Cacioppo, 1986) have distinguished relatively thoughtful (central or systematic) from relatively thoughtless (peripheral or heuristic) roles of cognition in persuasion. The implicit processes conceived in the present analysis are, in part, subsumed by the notions of peripheral or heuristic processing, but also involve processes operating even further from the range of conscious thought than conceived in these analyses. Several researches on the attitude of people towards direct mail revealed that people evinced positive attitude towards direct mail. Implied social contract provides a basis for evaluating attitudes toward direct mail and temporal changes in attitudes. On the attitudinal questions a four-component solution revealed the following dimensions: (1) favorability towards direct mail, (2) direct mail seen as a resource, (3) list management concerns, and (4) environmental concerns. Respondents concerned about list management and the environmental impact of direct mail. Report a somewhat favorable attitude toward direct mail on average, but do not strongly view it as a resource. (Milne Gordon, 1993) Although it is appealing to infer consumer attitudes by directly observing behavior (e.g., patronage/non-patronage of direct marketing products), it is often difficult and subjective to draw conclusions about attitudes from behavior. A consumer observed purchasing a given product might have done so to take advantage of a special deal on price rather than because he/she particularly liked the product. Moreover, the relationship between attitude and intention lends itself more readily to cross-sectional research than the relationship between attitude and future behavior. Indeed, the viability of patronage intention as a surrogate measure of future behavior is well established in the literature (Darden and Lush, 1983). Furthermore, the theory of reasoned action (as noted previously) suggests that consumer behavior is influenced by intention to engage in the given behavior. Intention, in turn, is influenced by consumer attitudes toward the stimulus (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980). The results of the study by Bagozzi (1982) suggest that attitudes influence behavior but through intention. Additional support for this direction of linkage is provided by Bagozzi (1992) and Korgaonkar, Lund, and Price (1985). However, the linkage from intention to attitudes remains to be empirically established. Articulation of the norms that govern the direct mail social contract is useful in understanding why attitudes toward direct mail are changing and how they might evolve in the future. Norms have played an increasingly important role in shaping the direct mail environment and can be expected to do so to an even greater extent in the future. Illustrations of this are the growing percentage of customers who are aware of how information obtained through transactions is used by organizations [Equifax 1991], calls for consumers to receive compensation for their information [Westin 1990], and the practice of businesses charging a fee to provide certain types of offers (i.e., mail order catalogs). Because different types of individuals operate using different sets of norms, they will evaluate the attributes of the direct mail environment differently. Norms guiding the behavior of the majority of individuals and those who are most vocal in their opinions regarding direct mail can be expected to guide the evolution of the direct mail environment. However, researchers strived to identify the dimensions that derive knowledge of consumers attitudes toward direct marketing and the factors that underlie their attitudes but most of them have neglected the domains that determine the attitude of people towards direct mail. The significance of such knowledge lies in the fact that attitudes influence most aspects of consumption behavior (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980; Sheppard, Hartwick, and Warshaw, 1988). As such, knowledge of consumer attitudes and their determinants is vital to the proper identification and implementation of corrective measures. This notwithstanding, not much empirical research has been conducted on the topic- exceptions being the studies by Jolson (1970) and Lumpkin, Caballero, and Chonko (1989). Moreover, neither of the two studies focused directly on the determinants of consumers attitudes toward direct marketing. Ishmael R Akaah et al., (1995) explored empirically the influence of shopping orientation factors as determinants of consumers attitudes toward direct marketing and the linkage between their attitudes and intention to patronize direct marketing offerings. The study results indicate that four of the five shopping orientation factors examined significantly underlie consumers attitudes toward direct marketing, i.e., too much direct mail, like to examine product before purchase, retail people are pushy and past direct marketing experience. The results also suggest that consumers attitudes toward direct marketing significantly influence their intention to patronize direct marketing offerings but not vice versa. Fishbein and his associates attitude model have received the greatest amount of attention (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980; Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975). Accordingly, the framework adopted here is Fishbeins attitude towards object model (Fishbein, 1963; Fishbein and Ajzen, 1967). Concerning direct marketing, Fishbeins attitude-toward object model would suggest that consumer attitudes are a function of how positively or negatively its various attributes are evaluated. Thus, consumers overall attitudes toward direct marketing would be positive if they relate positively to direct marketing attributes and negative if vice versa (Ajze

Henry V :: Chorus

In Henry V, the Chorus informs us before each act what happens and where the action takes place, notifies us if the play skips over certain periods of time. However, one of his main goals is to compensate for what the staging is unable to achieve, ask the audience to use their imagination, and try to see what cannot be shown on stage. If we read this speech, we can observe that everything the Chorus tells us can actually be summarized in a few sentences (The English fleet sails from Southampton and the siege of Harfleur begins by the English army. The ambassador returns with an offer from the French King: the hand of his daughter Katharine, with some dukedoms of little importance. The offer is rejected, and the the siege goes on†¦). However, the importance of the speech lies in something different- the approach and literary techniques (language, style, tone†¦) that Chorus uses to arouse our attention, suspend our disbelief and stimulate us to use our imagination. The Chorus does so very intelligently in its use of verbs as in â€Å"Suppose† (Henry V, Act 3, scene 1, line 3), â€Å"Play† (7), â€Å"behold† (7), â€Å"Hear† (9), etc. Such phrasing gives enormous energy to the speech and we feel encouraged to take part in the play and make the most out of it. The styl e is adjectival, as in the following line: â€Å"With silken streamers the young Phoebus [fanning].† (6) ; Imaginative, as when the Chorus compares ships at sea to â€Å"A city on th’inconstant billows dancing† (15). The speech also contributes to the heroic tone of the work which is highly patriotic and celebratory, and which, together with a lot of hyperbolic words, leads to creating an epic, exaggerated and almost mythical view of the whole military operation: â€Å"Work, work your thoughts, and therein see a siege: behold the ordnance on their carriages, with fatal mouths gaping on girded Harfleur.† (25-27). The "ordnance" on the "carriages" are compared to "fatal mouths" that turn towards Harfleur as the English army starts its siege of this French city. The description of these mouths that "gape" at Harfleur certainly help to exaggerate the power of Henry's army. Henry's fleet is described as â€Å"majestical.† (16). The Chorus is keen to pr esent the fleet as being powerful and numerous so as to exaggerate the military power of Henry.

Postmodernism

First of all, it is important to be aware of the differences between postmodernism and modernism. While modernism always tries to find a new way to express something, postmodernism has no such concern. Modernism itself is representational, normative, original and Universalism. It has a linear progress. Postmodernism has no concern about being original. Moreover postmodernism claims that there is not possible way to create something brand new anymore. So, contrary to modernism's originality, postmodernism is quotation based. It is simulation and relativistic.While it is common to encounter alienated self in postmodernism, there is a decanter self in postmodernism. It will be useful to adopt the major characteristics of postmodernism into the postmodern movies. In postmodern films, we usually do see barcaroles. Those barcaroles are inspired mostly from the past. It is possible to say that the postmodern films have a mission of recycling the past. Moreover, since the high and low cultur e got stuck in the modern times, it is not possible to come across a separated culture in postmodern films. Postmodern films bring them together and melt them in a pot.They do not have one specific genre. Genre-cross over is commonly recognized in postmodern movies. A postmodern movie can be attached to several genres at the same time. One of the major characteristics of postmodernism, quotation shows itself as intellectuality. It can also be engaged to non-linearity in some examples. Postmodern movies mostly contain references to other movies. That's a major element of intellectuality. While it is common to recognize reference to other movies it is also possible for a postmodern movie to reflect upon its own process.Parodies and pastiches have also a major part in postmodern movies. We usually do see the parodies of horror movies. A postmodern film also bends the time and creates confusions over the time and space. By the time it also blurs the lines between dream and reality. Espe cially the hyper reality blurs the lines by creating a simulation of reality. Also the element, metrification is used in postmodern films. For instance if a character speaks directly to the audience, it can be said that one of the elements of metrification is used. Metrification breaks the spell of the movie.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Depression in Non-Institutionalized Older Women essays

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Depression in Non-Institutionalized Older Women essays In a study of Omega-3 fatty acids, researchers Ma and Taylor sought to identify what effect the Fatty Acids have on mood and depression in elderly women. The focus on elderly women was chosen due to a high occurrence of both depression and risk of improper nutrition in those subjects. Researchers emphasized that understanding what nutritional aspects are fostering depression in elderly adults assists in improving the overall quality of life for those elderly individuals. Their hypothesis was that of a positive link between lack of Omega-3 fatty acids and depression in the elderly women test subjects. Subjects were chosen from a group volunteers who were not currently living in a nursing home and were women 65 or older. The original volunteer group was given one interview where they took a self-administered diet questionnaire, biochemical assessments, and erythrocyte fatty acids profile. Applicants physical profile was taken and they were also assessed for depression using MMSE, GDS, ADLs, and IADLs questionnaires. Of the applicants, 33 women participated. Subjects were mostly 65-84 years of age, white, widowed, with moderate education, and living above the poverty level. Ten of the 33 participating women were considered depressed. The diet questionnaires of each woman were analyzed and compared. Women who were depressed by researchers standards were shown to have significantly lower levels of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids in erythrocytes when compared to those women who were not depressed. Researchers report that the lower Omega-3 levels in their study appear to be from long-term lower dietary intake of Omega-3 fatty acids putting subjects at risk for depression. The authors are qualified researchers in their fields. Martha L. Taylor, PH.D., R.D., is Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro (U.N.C.G.). Bo Ma, M.D. is the Associate Dire...

Business Productivity Growth Hypothesis Essays - Free Essays

Business Productivity Growth Hypothesis Essays - Free Essays Business Productivity Growth Hypothesis In this assignment, we will attempt to study the effects that difference in Income Ratio (henceforth known as I.R.) between the years 1980 and 1990 have on the Productivity Growth (P.G.) during the same period of time. The Income Ratio of one specific year can be found if we take the average income of the richest faction of a country (the richest 20% of the population) and divide it by that of the poorest faction (the poorest 20%). In this assignment, the Income Ratios that were used were those of 13 different countries. The I.R.'s on both 1980 and 1990 were taken for all these countries and, to find the difference between them, the I.R. for 1990 was divided by the I.R. for 1980, for each country. These new numbers illustrate the change of I.R. between the two years so that we can compare how the P.G. changes in relation to the changes in the I.R.. On this assignment, we use inductive reasoning to examine the data and find a theory (a hypothesis) that would combine the data given in a way that would make sense, based solely on our data. How do we know if the "theory" that we formulate makes sense? In this case we will plot the points (derived from the column "I.R. 1990/1980," going on the x-axis, and the column "Productivity Growth 79-90," on the y-axis). According to how the points are on the graph in relation to the Average Point (0.94,1.45) (point that is an average of all values and which divides the graph into four Quadrants), if 80% of these points are where they would be expected to be to conform to the hypothesis, then there is no reason to reject this hypothesis. If, on the other hand, the majority of the points does not conform to our hypothesis (are not where they were predicted to be), then it is rejected. Another method of reasoning frequently used by Mainstream economists is "deductive knowledge," as opposed to "inductive," described above. Their theory is formulated and only then it is applied to the data. Their theory on this subject suggests that productivity within a country grows when the population has incentives to work harder (or to work more). When the gap between rich and poor increases (an increase in I.R. form 1980-90, resulting in a larger ratio on the column I.R. 1990/1980), so does the population's eagerness to work, therefore increasing the Productivity Growth. Since when one variable goes up the other also goes up, there is a positive (or direct) correlation between the two. Mainstream economists use deductive reasoning to deduce that there exists a positive correlation between the two factors. In short, their hypothesis is that when the Income Ratio increases, the Productivity Growth also increases, since people are more motivated. For this to be true, we would expe ct a line going up and to the right on the graph, passing by Quadrants II and IV. Most points (80% or more) would have to be on these two Quadrants. This, however, is not the case (see graph), since only about 30.77% of the points plotted satisfy these conditions. Since the original hypothesis was rejected, we might want to see if there is a negative correlation between the two variables (that is, as one goes up, the other goes down). Our new hypothesis would then be "as the Income Ratio increases, the Productivity Growth decreases." Then, in the case of a high I.R., people in lower classes would rationally start to feel insecure and that their work is not being recognized by society, therefore losing motivation and producing less. In this case, since there's a negative correlation, one would expect the line on the graph to go downwards, from left to right, passing on Quadrants I and III. If this hypothesis were valid, 80%+ of the points would have to be on these Quadrants. This is also not the case, for only 69.32% of the points are on the appropriate Quadrants. Like the first, this second hypothesis also has to be rejected. After analyzing these two relationships and seeing that neither is valid, we conclude that there is no direct relationship between the two variables tested. That does

Real World Application of OD Principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Real World Application of OD Principles - Essay Example A young entrepreneur, like me, would see this as the best opportunity to grow operations in the town and strive to become the major employer following automotive support industry’s departure. This task would not be an easy one, as it involves turning around the company, giving it a three-sixty degree change to position it for business growth and success. Development and change does not only need to take place in one department but at an organizational level. For any  organizational  development to occur there must be a set of sound and clearly specified principles or guidelines. These principles perform the task of a compass  to  navigate  the course of an organizational developmental project, making use of the right  framework and bringing in to practice the perfect tools and technology.  In absence of these clearly defined strategic and operating principles, decisions and choices related to the organizational development framework, tool and technology will miss the desired target.  One will not be able to ensure the achievment of complete organisation development for sustainable efficient performance. There will be no guarantee of achieving  total organization  development for sustainable high performance. Instead, one will be relying on luck. (OD Synergy, 2008) However, in order to incorporate organizational development principles in our practice, it is imperative to understand what organization development is. Organization Development (OD) is an effort (1) planned, (2) organization-wide, and (3) managed from the top, to (4) increase organization effectiveness and health through (5) planned interventions in the organizations â€Å"processes,† using behavioral-science knowledge. (Richard Beckhard, 1969) OD holds the key of an organization’s long-term success. It is easy to make money in the short run; however, making an organization that sustains even in hard times is not an easy task. OD takes into consideration the i dea that if employees are given respect and importance, they will be more productive and organization as a whole would benefit. (Honorable Leadership, 2010) In order to capitalize on the given opportunity I, as CEO of Fortune Mart (chain of stores), need to efficiently apply Organization Development principles and guidelines and strategize accordingly. First and foremost it is vital to ensure that employees are given respect and everyone’s opinion is given importance. My next step towards this would be ‘Empowerment’ of my current human resource. This would primarily be done to provide job security to employees in order to counter the threats they would face from the prevailing rise in unemployment that might bring down their efficiency and productivity. Therefore in order to motivate them, OD intervention must empower the people so that they operate flawlessly for high performance. In the long run, this would result in a stable and loyal workforce. Third step wou ld be to create a ‘Vision and Mission’ to drive the organization further. The basic purpose behind written vision, mission and short term objectives is to make sure that the employees’ aims and objectives are aligned with those of the organizations. Apart from that, vision and mission give the outsiders a picture of what the company is and what it aspires to be in the future. The next step in

Exam - 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Exam - 3 - Essay Example nal integration with highly qualified management, external technical assistance, and good project communication (Applegate, Austin & Soule, 2009:317). Low structured-high technology projects: These refer to projects that are even more complex, considering that such projects entail the combination of low technology and unknown outcomes (Applegate, Austin & Soule, 2009:351). Thus the level of uncertainty is very high, since the expectations are uncertain, while the technology being used is novel and experimental, putting such projects at a great risk of project failure. To avert the chances of such projects failing, the tools that are necessary are the internal integration and the external integration tools, comprising of teams of highly qualified developers, and the excellent application f communication skills (Applegate, Austin & Soule, 2009:317). High structure-low technology projects: These are projects that have the lowest level of risk involved, since they comprise of well understood technology and well-defined outputs and user-requirements (Applegate, Austin & Soule, 2009:316). The essential tools for such type of projects include formal control of results and formal project planning. Low structure low technology projects: This are projects with low levels of risk, because the technology applicable is well known, so the only difficulty is the high rate of volatility of user requirements (Applegate, Austin & Soule, 2009:313). Such projects require the application of good project communication and excellent external integration as the tools to assist in the ever-changing user requirement. Before the incident: At this stage, the issues that need to be considered are the sound design of the project. Further, there also needs to be the consideration of the level of execution, where a high level of disciplined execution is required (Applegate, Austin & Soule, 2009:281). Further, it is important to have detailed documentation of all process and procedures, as