Discuss Ways in Which Edward Thomas Presents Memory in ‘Aspens’ Essay

Empty as sky, with every other sound No ceasing, calls there ghosts from their abode† Discuss ways in which Thomas presents memory in ‘Aspens’. In your answer, explore the effects of language, imagery and verse form, and consider how this poem relates to other poems by Thomas that you have studied. Memory is presented as either a way of life or a community of change, as demonstrated in ‘Aspens’, ‘Old Man’, ‘Aldestrop’. He does this through the variety of techniques such as change in form, use of imagery and alternations in the tone of each poem to explore memory. As well as this, Thomas explicates the devastation of emptiness due to the consequence of war, which is portrayed through the use of soft consonantal sounds or the use of sibilance to carry the silence through the poem as it does in the places described in each poem. Quatrain A, B, A, B combined with the iambic pentameter shows regularity in the stresses of the beat, which reflects the motion of the Aspens as they sway consistently in the breeze. Alternatively, the regularity in the rhythm could reflect the beat of the hammer of the Blacksmith’s, as mentioned in the second stanza to emphasise how the vignette was once active, busy and lively. This is also seen in the sonnet by Robert Frost, Acquainted with the Night, where iambic pentameter could have been used to reflect the constant depressive state the poet experienced at the time. This contrasts with another of Thomas’ poems, ‘Tears’, where his thoughts are disjointed and disorganised as he tries to recollect his memories. Thus the use of free verse and an 18 line stanza, unbroken, is appropriate as it reflects how he struggles to remember. Despite this, the whole stanza is in iambic pentameter but Thomas has used this technique in order to reflect what is going on in his memory. For example, the last 6 lines of the stanza regulate, as all are of the same length, which expresses the formality of the soldiers marching and their systematic organisation. In comparison, ‘Old Man’ has an irregular structure and this use of free verse conveys Thomas’ uncertainty in dealing with the subject of memory. It would be deemed applicable to say that the struggle to reminisce is present in ‘Aldestrop’ as Thomas uses the hyphen at the end of the first line to show the pause in his recollection, as seen similarly and previously in the first line of ‘Tears’ as the use of two hyphens portrays Thomas’ thought process. The theme of emptiness is seen throughout Thomas’ poems. The wartime poet writes of his memory of livelihood and activity in villages, such as the one described in ‘Aspens’, and then how it begins to disappear as a result of war. This is shown as the village is left with a ‘lightless pane and footless road’ causing the village to appear as ‘empty as sky’ and this simile gives a sense of vastness of the effects of the war, emphasising on the emptiness in the poem. Further, the mention of the ‘cross-roads to a ghostly room’ explicates that the village is so empty that it is leading nowhere. This metaphor is ironic as cross-roads are suggestively open gateways and a sense of choice in direction. However this connotation is altered as Thomas uses the metaphor ‘ghostly room’, to portray the vacant village and this is supported by the cross-roads as they lead to emptiness and isolation. This is also seen in ‘Old Man’ as the paradox ‘only an avenue, dark, nameless, without end’ gives a sense of no lead despite the fact that an avenue should lead somewhere. It is clear here that Thomas’ state of depression is reflected in this last line as the imagery conjures connotations of death, gloom and finality. The emptiness is also portrayed in ‘Aspens’ as Thomas describes the ‘ghosts from their abode’, which suggests he is referring to the ghostly memories of the village, comparing them to how things have changed. We also see emptiness in ‘Aldestrop’ as Thomas explains how the unexpected stop is ‘bare’. The reason for this could be because the train was not due to stop at Aldestrop; on the other hand it could indicate the effects of wartime, particularly desolation. Loss of memory is seen in many of Thomas’ poems through different ways. Edna Longley, critic, points out that the part of the mind that remembers is the same part of the mind that generates poetry- the subconscious and comments that in ‘Old Man’ ‘perhaps / thinking perhaps of nothing’ is a rhetorically cunning line break. The verb ‘think’ is central to the poem as is the verb ‘remember’. Particularly in ‘Old Man’ Thomas uses the metaphor ‘I have mislaid the key’ to present his attempt of recollecting his first memory of the plant, Lads-Love. He portrays this as tantalising as he can ‘think of nothing’ when sniffing the herb, which suggests he finds loss of memory as frustrating. This is shown from the anaphora of ‘no’ at the end of the poem as it rightly expresses that the more he tries to remember the less likely the memory will reappear, which further shows his frustration of struggling to regain his memory. Despite this, Thomas makes it clear that the memory brings him sentimentality and this is clearly important to him. He shows that although the smell of the bush is ‘bitter’ he admires the plant because it brings back memories of his daughter. In comparison, Thomas also mentions that names are important in ‘Aldestrop’ as ‘I remember Aldestrop -/ The name’ suggests that the name brings every detail for him. A sense of change in community is seen in various poems by Thomas, due to the effects of war. Most specifically, ‘Aspens’ shows clearly how vibrant and animated the village was once before through the onomatopoeic sounds ‘clink, the hum, the roar’ as they reflect the vivacity that was once present before the war. This is contrasted as the silence is emphasised through the dominance of sibilance through ‘a silent smithy’ and ‘a silent inn’, which emphasises the hollow atmosphere. The silence is further shown by the sibilance in the penultimate line ‘ceaselessly, unreasonably grieves’, which allows the silence of the trees to continue through to the end of the poem. A sense of change is also seen in ‘Aldestrop’ as Thomas uses the metaphor of ‘all the birds’ to represent the people of England as they suffer from the effects of the war as a whole. The fact that Thomas mentions countryside towns such as Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire shows how much Thomas values traditional English scenery and therefore shows his devastation of the effects of war. Thomas uses lots of different techniques in order to portray memory through a communal change, emptiness and as a way of life. Through his language, structure and symbolism within his poems, the reader is able to understand Thomas’ thoughts about memory (those being that it is frustrating to have ‘mislaid the key’ and how memories can change over time) and relate their own experiences with Thomas’ due to his profound and truthful portrayal of memory.

Microsoft

Question 1 Developing customer intimacy is essential for developing a sustainable competitive advantage. Whether the products of an organization will have any market potential depends on whether the customers like them or not. Therefore the management of an organization will have to develop an intimate understanding of the customers’ tastes and preferences if that organization is to stay of ahead of the competition. The process of developing customer intimacy is to conduct periodic market research on what the customer expectations are. One of the first companies to market itself through developing customer intimacy was Dell Computers. Michael Dell wanted to build computers not through idea generation from its internal engineering personnel but through data collection on what the customers’ tastes and preferences were. The founder of the company himself spent a significant amount of time with the customers to determine what they wanted to see most in a computer. The hardware manufacturing company also developed a website by means of which the customers could share their opinions with the company. As a result, the company hit the fortune 500 list in a very short time. Being in constant touch with customer requirements enabled Dell to develop customer intimacy that also enabled them to develop their products and services very quickly. Question 2 The external environment of an organization is the industry in which it operates. The industry is affected by a number of forces such as political, economic, sociological and technological. Therefore a business organization in particular has to conduct a PEST analysis periodically. A company such as Microsoft has to take into account the forces of the external environment very carefully. On first appearances, the political environment would not seem to affect Microsoft’s operations significantly. However Microsoft is frequently thrust into anti-trust suits the outcome of which would depend considerably on the prevailing political environment. The company would be hard hit if the country it is operating in went through an economic downturn. Whenever there is an economic downturn, companies tend to invest less and one of the first operations that experience cost-cutting is information technology. Therefore, demand for Microsoft’s products and services would go down when the economic environment is unfavorable. Corporate social responsibility is a very critical issue in today’s business environment. Therefore Microsoft has to fund community projects from time to time in order to endear itself to the society. That is part of the sociological environment. Also relevant in this respect is how the society views the complexities of adopting new technologies. Microsoft would also be affected very significantly by technological shifts. For example, when the use of the internet caught on, Microsoft had to reengineer itself completely to stay in business because previously it had decided not to enter the Internet. Question 3 Price is the risk that is at the forefront of the customers’ minds when making a purchase. When making a purchase, consumers must make sure that the price they are paying is equivalent to the value they are receiving in return. If this risk remains high for the customer, then the company will have a negative image in the minds of the customers. Therefore the management of that company must work to reduce that risk. One method is to offer customers price guarantees. This means that the customers will be paying the lowest possible price available anywhere. Some companies even offer to lower the price even further by a certain percentage if after purchase, the customer comes across another company offering a lower price still. Price guarantees are an admirable way to attract customers in the current age of the Internet because a lot of customers prefer to make their purchases online if the products they are looking for are available there. This enables to them go price shopping. Rather than walking miles to compare prices, customers shopping online can simply surf and compare sitting in the comforts of home. If they come across a certain company offering price matching or price beating, then customers will be hooked immediately because they can stop price shopping right there. Another perceived consumer risk is how they will be viewed by the society when they buy a certain product. The way to mitigate this risk is to promote certain products as status symbols and the demographics of the people who purchase those products. That will have a positive effect on the customer psyche. Question 4 The phenomenon of price sensitivity is a function of demand and supply. When prices are lower, people buy more and vice versa. However there are times when demand peaks and during these times there is lower price sensitivity. Business organizations can take advantage of these times to raise the prices of their products and services in order to maximize their revenue. For example many people like to go skiing during school vacations. As a result, skiing resorts raise their prices when school is in half term because that is the time when demand for skiing is very high. All the parents like to take their kids skiing during that time and they are willing to pay a higher price at the time. So peaks and troughs in demand are the top influencers of price sensitivity. In other words, the management of the business organization has a powerful tool in the form of price sensitivity by taking demand seasonality into consideration. However price sensitivity also depends type of goods. If the goods in question are necessity goods, then price sensitivity will significantly affect buying behavior. If the goods are status symbols however, then raising prices will not affect demand. Question 5 A business organization must promote its products and services in order to attract demand. The management has four methods with which to conduct the promoting. It might want to go for advertising. Usually the media used for this form of communication is radio, television or the internet. It is a non- personal form of communication. The advantage with this form of communication is that it has a wide reach. If the advertising is broadcast by means of the television for example, then millions of people will be exposed to the message. It also has a high emotional value. The second form of communication is personal selling. As the name implies, this has a personal touch because usually the company sends out its sales representatives door to door promoting its products and services. The advantage with this form of communication is that consumers can ask questions and find out whatever they need to find out about the products immediately. Another form of communication is sales promotion whereby consumers get something else into the bargain when they purchase a product. The advantage with this form of communication is that it motivates the consumers to consider buying something that they had not bought before. Last but not the least in the list of communication techniques is public relations. This promotional technique is most useful when the management is trying to build a good corporate image. BIBILIOGRAPHY Kotler, Philip., and Gary Armstrong. Principles of Marketing. Prentice Hall. 2005. Cateora, Philip, and John Graham. International Marketing. Prentice Hall. 2005. Kerin, Roger A., et al. Marketing. McGraw Hill/Irwin. 2005. Nagle, Thomas T., and John Hogan. The Strategy & Tactics of Pricing: A Guide to Growing More Profitably . South western college pub. 2007. 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GE Bildungsroman

The first stepping stone in Pip's coming of age is finding a place to belong. A quote that shows the fact that Pip did not know where his place was is when he says â€Å"l am ashamed to say it,† I returned, â€Å"and yet it's no worse to say it than to think it. You call me a lucky fellow. Of course, I am. I was a blacksmith's boy but yesterday; I am-?what shall I say I am-?to-day? † (Dickens 196). Before Pip knows where he belongs he lives the dreaded life of a blacksmith. He knows what he wants, but he must grow to achieve his goals.An instance in which Pip shows that he has found where he belongs is when he says â€Å"As passed the church, felt†¦ Sublime compassion for the poor creatures who were destined to go there, Sunday after Sunday, all their lives through, and to lie obscurely at last among the low green mounds† (Dickens 139). This quote shows how much Pip despised his old small town life. At this point in the story, he seems to know what he wants, and has no intention Of living and dying in the same place.Another quote which shows that Pip comes of age by finding where he belongs is when he tells Estella ‘You have been in every prospect I have ever seen since – on the river, on the sails of the hips, on the marshes, in the clouds, in the light, in the darkness, in the wind, in the woods, in the sea, in the streets† (345). Pip, completely infatuated with Estella, has found his place physically in London, but mentally with Estella. No matter what he cannot stop loving Estella and is convinced that she is the one for him.Pip had to first find where he was destined to be to come of age. Once Pip finds where he belongs, he also figures out who he can depend on, which is another milestone in Pip's coming of age. The first lifelong companion that Pip figures out he can depend on is Joe when he tells him â€Å"l sis it was only me that got put out, Pip; I wish there wasn't no Tickler for you, old chap; I wish I c ould take it all on myself†¦ † (50). Through Joe?s comforting and caring words, Pip knows he can depend on him as not only a best friend but a father.Despite the abuse of Mrs.. Joe, he wants to do right by women, and more than anything else, he wants to protect Pip, in which Pip comes to realize and respect about him. Another person Pip learns he can depend on is Biddy, from which he says â€Å"She was not beautiful – she was common, and could not be like Estella ; but she was pleasant and wholesome ND sweet-tempered† (131). Although he will never love her in the way he loves Estella, Pip will always trust and depend on Biddy because of her patient behavior and her role in helping Pip with his education.Biddy is a constant in Pip's life, a stable aspect in which he knows he can always depend on. Another person who Pip depends on throughout his coming of age is Miss Having when she says â€Å"You made your own snares. Never made them† (361 Pip can depe nd on Miss Having to be honest with him. Without the honesty from Miss Having, it would be harder for Pip to grow up. Once Pip learned whom he could depend on, those individuals helped him grow up and come of age.After learning who was most important in his life, another stepping stone in Pip's coming of age was learning what is most important in life. A quote that shows the fact that Pip did not know what was actually important is when he says â€Å"l was to leave the village at five in the morning†¦ And I told Joe that was to walk all alone. I am afraid†¦ That this purpose originated in my sense of the contrast there would be between me and Joe, if we went to coach together (156). Pip was so concerned about his social status that he Was ashamed to be seen with Joe.Before Pip learns what is most important in life, he thinks it is his social status. A quote showing Pip's transition into realizing the important aspects of life is when he thinks, â€Å"It was fine summer w eather again, and, as I walked sunshine should be softened as they thought of me (260). In this thought, Pip is reminiscing on his childhood and with this develops a hope to be remembered after he is gone. Pip comes to realize in the back of his mind that he wants to be remembered or his personality, and not so much his status.Another quote in which Pip finally realizes what is most important is when he states â€Å"l washed the weather and the journey from my face and hands, and went out to the memorable old house that it would have been so much the better for me never to have entered, never to have seen† (270). Pip comes to the conclusion that he would've been better off if he had never entered the sati house or ever became infatuated with the idea of being wealthy. Pip opens his eyes to realize that the road to wealth and status never even mattered, and this is here he comes of age.

NIH and WebMD Websites Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

NIH and WebMD Websites - Essay Example The secondary audience for NIH could include NIH employees, the general public including young and old people who have the ability to read. Medical students and individuals seeking administrative work, fellowship programs, and executive careers among others may also find information on NIH website useful. Partaking in NIH’s clinical trials is also eligible to people of any age irrespective of their health status. Practicing medical experts and fitness specialists may also use WebMD when peer reviewing some of the medical and fitness information contained on the website. Additionally, health communication specialists and bloggers of health issues may also use the website as a reference when reporting on different medical conditions. This is because the website contains diverse range of health related information. Both NIH and WebMD use claims in striking rapport with their primary audience.  NIH, for instance, claims to be America’s leading supporter of medical researc h that transforms discovery into health. NIH’s mission is an example of logos that appeal to its primary user’s logical reasoning on the benefits on research on health. In addition, the website establishes a connection with the audience through social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter blog as well as through their email and RSS feeds. Additionally, information links and navigational bar on the homepage is conspicuously designed for users’ ease of specific information search within the website.

Applied Learning Assignment Agency and Employment

Applied Learning Agency and Employment - Assignment Example Both parties might be found through the principle of vicarious liability, which holds the employer as secondarily responsible for the torts of the employees. Therefore, the driver will become liable for primary liability while the trucking company will become liable for the vicarious/secondary liability. The trucking company would not have to indemnify the employee driver, since under independent contract relationship; the employer is not primarily responsible for the actions of the independent contractor. 8. Assume that all of the plaintiffs listed in Question 2 above sue both of the defendants in Question 3 above. Also assume the jury finds that both parties are responsible and awards a large judgment to the plaintiffs. If the court does not specify how much each defendant will pay, which of the following is true? 9. In class, we have learned there are two circumstances under which a court will allow a jury to consider whether punitive damages are in order. Identify the circumstances and state whether each would apply to each of the defendants in this case. 10. Assume the state where this accident occurred has a law similar to the one in Indiana regarding punitive damages. If punitive damages were awarded to the plaintiffs in this case, which of the following is true? If the trucking company had authorized or was responsible for causing the driver t work excess hours that are in excess of the provision of the law, the trucking company would be criminally liable for violating the law, and thus liable for criminal

Principles of Accounting-- ratio analysis Essay

Principles of Accounting-- ratio analysis - Essay Example This report provides the financial analysis of e-Generation. Financial ratios will be used as the main approach of financial analysis. Horizontal analysis will also be provided to compare the financial performance of the business in different periods. The calculations will be provided based on the software generated financial information for the business. Although the ratios will be provided for the month of January, comparison will be made between the results at the end of January and the results on 10th of January. This analysis will be important in understanding and evaluating the performance of the business in order to acquire information necessary for decision making by stakeholders. There was higher profit margin in period 2 than period 1. The profit margin foe e-Generation for period is 10.61%. This means that for every unit of sales the company makes 0.1061 profits (Sutton, 2004). This means that the company is making positive profit. This reflects a decrease from the profit margin of period 3 which was 13.38%. Therefore, the company controlled its expenses in period 3 better than period 4. The company did not control its expenses consistently throughout the moth because profit margin ratio fluctuated. Period 2’s gross profit margin was lower than period 1’s. The gross profit for period 4 was 26.3% meaning that the company made a gross profit of 0.263 for every unit of sales. This is a good performance and an increase from period 3. This means that the business managed its cost of sales in period 4 more than period 3. The return on assets ratio was 4.08% in period 4 which means that for every single unit of asset the business earns a profit of 0.0408. In period 3, the business record ROA of 3.7% which means that the company earned more profits for every unit of assets in period 4 compared to the period 3. In period 1 ROE was low compared to period 2. The ROE at period 4 is 12.06% which indicates that the company made a profit

Folic acid food fortification is associated with a decline in Essay

Folic acid food fortification is associated with a decline in neuroblastoma - Essay Example Neuroblastoma is one of the most common cancers affecting children today, forming 8%-10% of the total seen from birth through age 14 years.   It affects one in every 6,000 to 7,000 children in North America (Nutra ingredients.com, 2003). It is a disease in which cancer cells are found in certain nerve cells within the body. Neuroblastoma typically begins in the abdominal area either in the adrenal gland (located just above the kidney) or around the spinal cord in the neck, chest, or pelvis (Pressinger & Sinclair, N.D.). Studies show that folic acid food fortification has more than halved the incidence in Canada of the deadly childhood cancer neuroblastoma. Chemically Folic acid has the molecular formula C19H19N7O6 with a molecular weight of 441.40. The scientific name of folic acid is N-[p-[2-Amino-4-hydroxy-6-pteridinyl) methyl] amino] benzoyl]-L-glutamic acid. It is a complex organic compound present in liver, yeast, and natural sources; it also may be prepared synthetically (RxList, 2004). Metabolically, folic acid is converted to coenzyme forms required in numerous one-carbon transfer reactions involved in the synthesis, interconversion and modification of nucleotides, amino acids and other essential structural and regulatory compounds (Bailey, et al, 2003). As an essential cofactor for the de novo biosynthesis of purines and thymidylate, folate plays an important role in DNA synthesis, stability and integrity, and repair, aberrations of which have been implicated in colorectal carcinogenesis. Folate may also modulate DNA methylation, which is an important epigenetic determinant in gene expression, maintenance of DNA integrity and stability, chromosomal modifications, and the development of mutations. (Kim, 2004). Daily ingestion of 400  µg of folic acid alone during the preconception period reduced a womans risk of having a fetus or infant with a neural-tube defect. The

The letter of Galileo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The letter of Galileo - Essay Example What Galileo is up to and what is he trying to say? In the letter Galileo states that his discovery regarding the solar system was unique. People who went against him doubted that his discoveries would upset nature and jeopardize science. Galileo in the letter tried to emphasize that discoveries based on truth helps in the growth in knowledge. With the passage of time his discoveries were considered to be correct by other eminent scientist. Galileo suggests that his book must be destroyed if any disparity is found between his views regarding Copernican system and the Church. (Galilei) A war began between science and Christianity. Europeans discovered they were residing in a world and era of ever growing opportunities. The Church no longer held its power over the truth owing to the reformation. The knowledge gained from university courses was no longer considered sufficient and it was time for natural philosophers to get their worth (Ede and Cormack, 103). In modern world scientists t hroughout the globe possesses variety of belief with respect to different religions. Some scientists claim that both religion and science are different entities and both are equally important in one’s life. ... Both are independent by their own nature and discover separate realms. The methods of both science and religion are similar and they both can help in enhancing each other. Religion offers a philosophical structure required to do science. Galileo always believed that science and religion is constantly in war with each other. Galileo’s discovery that earth orbits the sun was strongly denied by Church because they were ignorant about science. The Church was against the ideas of Galileo because they could never relate religion with science. Galileo along with his discoveries wrote that his discoveries never contradicted with Bible. Christians argue that according to Bible, science is younger than Earth. They believe that science or religion either of the one must be wrong or deny the fact that these two entities can ever reconcile with each other. If science is unable to find any natural mechanism for any particular event or phenomena then many people believe that behind the cause of the event is some supernatural force and that is God. But after few years when scientist discovers a natural mechanism which clarify the event, then the existence of god becomes questionable. (Stewart, 107-110) Difference between Science and Religion Religious belief was a hindrance to the progress of science during the Galileo’s period of time. A heated disparity aroused regarding the understandings of some of the verses in the Bible especially from lyrical sections of the Psalms. If it was imagined that these scriptures should be read as science rather than poetry then it could have be easily interpreted that Earth was centrally located in the universe. Galileo agreed with the theories of Copernicus that this ideology was

Marketing Management Strategies Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Marketing Management Strategies Analysis - Essay Example Multi-domestic strategy is often pursued by food, beverage, clothing and fashion industries where a country by countryapproach is undertaken to satisfy the tastes and needs, laws and regulations of particular markets. The concept of multi-domestic strategy is mainly of ‘we were successful in the home market, lets export the management talent and processes, not necessarily the product, to accommodate another market’ (Cavusgil, Knight, & Riesenberger 2007, Chapter 11)FeaturesMulti-domestic strategy is most suited for franchises, subsidiaries and joint venture type businesses. The multi-domestic strategy has decentralized authority with substantialautonomy at each business. Using a multi-domestic strategy means that the organization is accommodating the local needs and tastes of each individual country, hence producing a customized product for each of its different markets. Control and authority is de-centralized to each of the different locations in order to facilitate dec ision making based on the local needs and requirements.This strategy is most useful when large differences are evident between countries such as cultural, language, religious and major ethnic differences. A multi-domestic strategy value chain means that each of the functions of Research and Development, Marketing and Distribution will be done at a local level in each country. Each of the country managers is highly independent entrepreneurswho enjoy their room for autonomy and responsibility and do not have much incentive. to share their knowledge and tactics with managers elsewhere. The managers recognize and emphasize the market differences that vary from country to country and are often allowed subsidies by the internationalizing company to vary products, services and business functions to meet the needs of the individual markets specifically. Competition varies on a country to country basis and each subsidiary country has its own set of competitor firms. Industries that havecompetition on a country

Risk management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Risk management - Research Paper Example This process is to benefit from the use of the PDCA cycle, as well as the FOCUS model-based situation analysis (Yoder-Wise, 2010; American Society for Quality, n.d.; Garkovich, 2009; Wilburn, 2012). In the case at hand, the patient was admitted into the ER as a stroke suspect, but the tests yielded negative for stroke with the CT scan. The urine tests showed the presence of opiates, leading the staff to suspect the use of IV drugs by the patient. He is negative for aphasia, and has no signs of having had a seizure, even though that was the suspicion,. He was under observation the past 24 hours. Not being certain of the problem in Mr. Xs case, the care staff moved him to a unit on acute care. There he is left without restraints, shirtless, and wearing just a pair of boxing shorts. As nurse administrator, the flag for Rapid Response showed the patient hysterical and asking for help. The intervention given was an facial mask-delivered oxygen, and following the protocol of getting the cardiac monitor attached to the patient as per the Rapid response protocol. The staff seemed paralyzed and unable to know how to deal with the crisis. The protocol fails, as the patient only takes a m inute to start acting up again, and removing the mask and the monitor. The EKG reading was normal, and the protocol having failed, the staff did not know how to proceed. The patient escapes and is seen at home. The patient returns the next day with a headache and discomfort in the chest area that are self-reported. The same unit as the previous day accommodates him, but the staff are understandably wary. Three hours hence they recorded another emergency from the patient The patient complained of pain in the stomach. The doctor is called, but the nurse in charge of the case and the other staff keep their distance from Mr. X (Yoder-Wise, 2010; American Society for Quality, n.d.; Garkovich, 2009; Wilburn,

The 2010 Annual Report of PSA Peugeot Citroen Essay

The 2010 Annual Report of PSA Peugeot Citroen - Essay Example AMF is the French regulator or the counterpart of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the US. Its role therefore in the development of financial reporting in France would be the same as SEC. It is tasked along with SEC to develop principles on cooperation in the supervision of markets and market participants whose operations cross international borders (Casey, 2010). In the US, SEC adopts the issuance of FASB’s on accounting standards on financial reporting and so with the same reason that AMF will give the legal force by accounting standards set by the standard-setting board in France. The AMF was established with the task of ensuring or protecting public savings invested in financial instruments as well all other investment that would result or metalize in a public offering. It also has supervision of the prepared financial information as conveyed to investors. It has, therefore, is the purpose of effectively promoting the proper running of financial markets. Its contribution to France regulation of these markets extends in European and international level (International Monetary Fund, 2005). The European Union’s Fourth Directive allows four income statements format. Explain the structure of PSA Peugeot Citroen’s income statement on page 204 in terms of the options allowed under the Fourth Directive and IAS 1. In addition to AMF, the European Union’s Fourth Directive can affect how PSA should present is financial report to users. The said directive, in particular, allows four income statements format. Explaining the structure of PSA Peugeot Citroen’s income statement on page 204 in terms of the options allowed under the Fourth Directive and IAS 1 could give an insight how to interpret PSA’ financial statements for 2010. The structure of the company’s income statement on page 204 appears to be consistent with options allowed under Article 25 of the Fourth Directive of the EU (EUR.Lex, 2011). The format under Article 25 starts with turnover, which must be reduced by the cost of sales, to get the gross profit loss.  

Technologies vs Traditional Skill Essay Example for Free

Technologies vs Traditional Skill Essay The traditional skills seems to be forgotten and dying due to the betterment of technology. The enhancement of technology improves the quality of life in the aspect of education, medication, and communication. The advantages of the improvement of technology can be seen in the field of education. The advancement in technology helps the students in their learning. The use of technology like projector in class makes the learning fun and easy to be understood by the students. In some schools, they use e-learning as a medium for the students to easily accessed to their teachers and learning. Now, a teacher does not need to use chalk and wasting their energy to write on the blackboard. Another contribution of the development of technology is in the aspect of medication. The body of a person can easily be analyzed by using the x-ray technology, microscope, scanners and many others. The revolutionized medicines and surgical tools make the treatment and surgery become less painful. The treatments become more efficient and many health problems can be cured easily. Lastly, communication is no longer limited because of the development of technology. In the past, people wrote and sent information through letter and telegram, which requires a long time to be received by the receiver. But now, information can be sent and received just by a click. Whether it is emergency services, friends, family or work related issues; we now have cell phones, PDA’s, email, and other ways of electronically transferring information we need to communicate for whatever reason. To sum up, there is no need to retain the traditional methods as the advanced technologies have already made the life ultimately easier.

Brand Equity for the Indian Telecom Market

Brand Equity for the Indian Telecom Market INTRODUCTION Background Telecommunication may well be Indias best told story and an apt indicator of its current economic potential. In around a decade, this booming industry has seen more growth and coverage in newspapers than any other sector. Aiding this superlative growth s of being one of the fastest growing markets in the world, is Indias rising incomes, dropping tariffs, more options with newer entrants and more competition. Also, external conditions like friendly government policies and a stable growing economy over the past decade has resulted in the Telecom sector becoming one of the key areas in Indias growth story. Indias wireless subscriber base as of December 2009 stood at ~ 525 million subscribers with new mobile connections for that month at ~ 19.1 mn which is a 8.5% growth M-o-M.(Edelweiss Monthly Telecom Tracker, 2010) With the markets saturating in most of the developed markets, the wide consumer base and potential in this market has attracted a number of new entrants with players such as Uninor that was launched in only 8 circles (out of the total of 23 Telecom circles present in the Indian market) adding an impressive 1.2 mn subscribers within the first month of its launch. Rationale for this Study There is steadily a paradigm shift that is happening in the way mobile devices are to be used in the future and it could well become the one-touch-point with the convergence of mobile and networking. Rural consumer base is a segment all providers are eyeing with the increasing saturation in the urban markets and growing competition. Given the nature of this highly competitive sector and the rapidly changing needs of the Indian consumer it is highly relevant today for these service providing brands to look at means at targeting subscribers beyond just a pricing or a product strategy. Tariff wars though common to this sector, would in silos prove to be unsustainable and a short term gain strategy. Porter (1990) suggests that branding as a key means of ‘differentiation and one of the most important ‘positioning strategies. The significance of branding from the strategic perspective has been widely acknowledged across marketing literature (Kapferer, 1994, Keller 1999). Aaker (1989) argues that a brand provides a sustainable competitive advantage for firms. According to Farquhar (1989), brands with high equity show greater resilience towards competitor promotions as well as create high barriers to entry. Although the literature identifies several dimensions of brand equity from other industries, specifically Consumer Products and Goods, existing literature on service firms and specifically with respect to the Telecom market is sparse. Despite the growing importance of this sector and its growing contribution to the Indian services market, the topic of how Telecom service providers build brand equity and their focus areas appears to be under researched Expected Contribution By applying the widely accepted Consumer based brand equity model for gauging the components, this study aims at empirically studying the inter relationships and impact of components to the overall equity within the context of the Indian Telecom market. The identification of components of brand equity from the consumers perspective in the context of the Indian Telecom Market Understanding the relationship between the dimensions of brand equity and the overall equity for the top 4 brands in the Indian Market (Source: TRAI, Nov 2009) Testing the relative importance of the dimensions of brand equity towards brand building for the 4 brands considered A comparative framework in understanding the relative changes in perception and ideological differences between the four brands under consideration Implication of Findings Results would provide the relative significance of dimensions contributing to the overall brand equity and hence provide a direction for managers in their brand building in terms of the weight ages to be assigned to the indicators The measurement of the brand equity would help in evaluation of the marketing mix elements. Gaining a knowledge of the relative importance of the dimensions would provide direction to the managers in terms of deciding the promotional support Originality/value The principal contribution of the present research is that it provides empirical evidence of building brand equity, supporting Aakers and Kellers conceptualization of brand equity for the Indian Telecom market. Not only has the CBBE model not been widely adopted in India, the brand building of Telecom service providers has also not been widely explored. Also, it provides a comparative framework for understanding the dimensions across the four brands Flow To accomplish the above stated goals, this paper offers a brief introduction to Indias Telecom market, an overview of the top service providers, their offerings, strategies and technological advances in the field. This is followed by a review of relevant theoretical literature to arrive at the research gap and the research objectives. Next, it describes the methodology and rationale for measuring customer-based brand equity. Analysis, Interpretation, conclusions and managerial implications would be arrived at the end of the study. LITERATURE REVIEW Brand Building in the Indian Telecom Market Strong brands provide a means of competing beyond just functionality and price. Strong brands that connect with the customers provide a better path to growth and the added value to the customers in this case is beyond just features and pricing strategies (Ehrenberg, Goodhardt, Barwise, 1990) Although in the current Indian Telecom market, the aggressive competition has resulted in a virtual price war, empirical analysis states that competitive strategies based on pricing provide only short term and less effective measures (Tayebeh, Farahani Manjappa, 2008) In this context, the identification of dimensions of brand equity and its significance in building brands becomes highly relevant. Indian Telecom Market Overview Market Potential: Enormous business potential for entrants given the low tele- density which is around 42% as per QPAC- Indian Telecom Industry report. Role of Foreign players: The increase in the FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) limit from 49% to 74% in 2005 has further aided in this increasing number of players in the market bettering their offering in terms of functionalities and price.(Telecom Pulse- Enam Securities, 2009) Competitive Landscape: The landscape is highly competitive with aggressive entry of new players in the GSM market. The price wars have forced even the incumbents to join in, in order to arrest the fall in their market share Newer players in the market such as Tata Docomo (TTSL) topped the industry in terms of subscriber adds of upto 3.3 mn in December 2009 while the new entrant Uninor garnered up to ~ 1.2 mn subscribers in the first month of launch as per Edelweiss Telecom Tracker, Dec 2009. Players like Telenor and Elsihat DB are also set to launch their operations in India by June 2010 (Sector Review- India Infoline, 2009) All this indicates that the incumbents no longer can afford to rely on short term measures to hold on to market shares Changing Market Scenario: Attractive Rural Markets: As per government statistics, the mobile penetration in rural regions is only around 13% as opposed to 73% in urban areas (Telecom and Technology Report- Economic Intelligence Unit, 2009) Challenges Faced: Despite the strong growth s, there are issues the market is facing in terms of Increase in fragmentation in the urban markets Competitive nd Aggressive Pricing Strategies Technological Updates: Atleast 60 to 80 million mobile subscribers will be 3-G enabled by 2012 which changes the market scenario. (QPAC- Indian Telecom Industry Report, 2009) The growing acceptance of Value added services (VAS), 3G would allow companys to increase their ARPU (Average Revenue per User) s by shifting from voice to non-voice segments CUSTOMER BASED BRAND EQUITY (CBBE) CONSTRUCT Given the context, companies have realized that investing in the right band building efforts will make brand equity one of their invaluable assets. Developing, maintaining and enhancing brand equity becomes the prerogative for brand building by any company Brand equity theory as proposed by Aaker (1991) was further developed from the consumers perspective by Keller (1993). According to Keller (2008), â€Å"customer-based brand equity is the differential effect that the brand has on consumer response to the marketing of the brand† (p. 70). The brand equity concept is measured broadly from two perspectives Financial based measure Consumer Based measure Various researchers have worked on developing a good model and constructs for its measurement as this is the basis for managing brand equity. In our paper we consider brand equity from the consumer perspective in terms of the value if provides to the consumer. CONCEPTUAL MODEL Aaker (1996) defines brand equity as a multidimensional concept and the components he associates with it include: Brand Awareness Perceived Quality Brand Associations and Proprietary Assets Consumer based brand equity has also been used as a measure has been previously by several researchers such as Yoo and Donthu (2002) and Washman and Plank (2002) Every company and sector looks at building and managing its equity as a means of gaining long term competitive advantage. In the model developed by Yoo and Donthu (2001) based on consumer based equity model, the authors have adopted the following four dimensions for the brand equity construct; Brand Loyalty Brand Awareness Perceived Quality Brand Associations An interesting fact contended by researchers by Srinivasan, Park and Chang (2005) was that apart from product related benefits, ‘non attributes also form strong preferences in terms of building brand equity and associations and forming points of differentiation. This is of high significance in our research given that we are working with service brands. For the purpose of our study, we adopt four dimensions to measure brand equity Generic brand Equity Dimensions Adopted 1 Brand Loyalty 2 Brand Awareness 3 Perceived Quality 4 Brand Associations The understanding of these generic dimensions in the context of the Indian Telecom market is done through the Pilot Qualitative research. This is further applied and tested onto the four brands using the Quantitative research KNOWLEDGE GAP The knowledge gaps identified are as follows: The existing literature points to the presence of various consumer based brand equity models and constructs, but there has been very few studies done in this field in terms of a particular sector but rather the focus is on development of a valid measurement model There are very few studies conducted in this field in the Indian context and specifically there are almost none that have been done from the perspective of identification of components for services There is hence paucity of literature about building service brands. Also, no previous research has examined the link dimensions of brand equity to the overall brand building for the Telecom market There is almost nil literature that is available that relates to branding and its impact on the Telecom market across the world. This would provide a whole scope of opportunities for future research in providing managers specific indicators and relative significance of factors that contribute to brand building. The research has further not been restricted to student samples only and is to be conducted on the actual consumers This article focuses on the measurement and impact of the dimensions on overall rand building exercise which is of paramount importance to the managers specifically in the field of Telecom where there has been sparse research done to arrive at the sector specific factors that contribute to building a strong brand. This research aims to address this need gap in both geography and sector (Indian Telecom market) through this study RESEARCH PROBLEM DEFINITION Research problem To measure the components of brand equity and explore the impact of the different dimensions on the overall equity specifically for the top four service provider brands operating in the Indian Telecom Market. Also to find out which is the most important component of the branding that leads to success in the Indian Market by the application of Consumer based brand equity (CBBE) model. Here, the category is a part of the design as we are specifically looking at how the components work in the case of service brands. Hence, the research findings would be applicable, if any, to other service categories than CPG or Durables. Research Questions To gauge the indicators of different components of Consumer based Brand Equity specifically in the context of the Indian Telecom Market* To Investigate the causal relationship between the dimensions of brand equity and the overall equity for top four service provider brands operating in the Telecom market* in India To use the Customer based Brand Equity model to test the relative importance of the dimensions of Brand Equity towards brand building for the Indian Telecom market* To provide a comparative framework in understanding these dimensions from the perspective of the four brands under consideration. * Here, the top 4 brands in the Indian Telecom Market (Airtel, Vodafone, Reliance and BSNL as of November 2009) are considered as a part of the analysis RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 1.1 Research Design: In order to achieve the objective as explained by the previous section, the following stages are proposed as a part of the research design. RESEARCH DESIGN AND ANALYSIS FRAMEWORK Storyboard PILOT QUALITATIVE RESEARCH The imperative behind this pilot Qualitative Analysis is to identify various parameters that are specific to the Indian Telecom market as derived on the basis of the CBBE model. These parameters are further taken as input for the Quantitative stage in the questionnaire. Data Collection Techniques Depth Interviews was used as the primary means of obtaining the qualitative data. Given the generic nature of the attributes to start with, the depth interviews provide flexibility in data collection and insights on pattern of usage. The purpose of these exploratory and unstructured interviews was to uncover the underlying motivation behind a persons behavior and actions. A guideline/discussion guide (Please refer to Appendix for a snapshot of this guideline used) was prepared for giving a direction and including the information areas to be probed in the discussion. The interview was free flowing on the basis of the responses obtained. A total of 8 depth interviews were conducted to understand the nature of subscribers need satisfaction when it comes to communication. Also, it aims to understand the emotional and functional benefits that is derived The discussion guide prepared broadly follows the below structure: Perspective on the Indian Telecom current market scenario The manner in which communication has changed over time Factors influencing choice of service provider Benefits sought in terms of functional and emotional attributes Brand Associations and Image associated with current players Association of Service Providers with instrumental and terminal values Drivers and restraints in choosing provider The tools and techniques used in order to probe included Projective Techniques such as Word Association, probing on attitudes and behavior with respect to their usage patterns and the emotional and functional benefits sought. Also, Projective and Enabling techniques such as Personification and Bubble drawing was used. The respondents were required to enter their thoughts associated with the provided brands. Data Elicitation techniques such as Sentence Completion and Clustering were used for the identification of instrumental and terminal values with the service providers apart from Brand Mapping QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH The various parameters that have been identified from the pilot qualitative questionnaire are to be tested to apply the CBBE model to the 4 top brands. The questionnaire is used for this purpose in order to identify the brand preferences and test the veracity of the parameters identified from the qualitative research. For this study, for the purpose of data accuracy and constraints, the top 4 brands in the Indian telecom market (as of Nov 2009) are considered Airtel, Vodafone, Reliance Communication and BSNL. Also, this selection allows us to compare and analyze the differences between diverse brands such as Airtel and BSNL. Also, it allows us to analyze the change in perceptions in the market towards brands such as BSNL over the years despite its strong head start in the market. The various parameters that have been identified from the pilot qualitative questionnaire as being variables leading to brand equity interact with each other as well. The independent variables identified are the 16 variables from the factors given below: a) Brand Knowledge b) Brand Associations c) Social Image d) Brand Loyalty e) Product Benefits f) Brand Usage i. These 16 variables have been expressed in form of attitudinal statements for each of the 4 brands. ii. The respondents are required to rate them on a 5 point scale between Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree on the basis of their usage/perceptions. iii. Apart from this, the personal profiles of the respondent including the fundamental demographic details are collected. iv. Also, the usage habits in terms of their brands and the services utilized are also collected for further analysis. The questionnaire that is used is present in Appendix for reference. Following the data collection, the analysis is done using SPSS 15. This is further elaborated in the Data analysis section. 1.2 UNIVERSE SELECTION Qualitative Stage: In the first Qualitative Stage where we are looking at having Depth interviews to identify and assess the parameters specific to the Indian context, it is important to have a representation of the top 4 brands that is to be analysed. Hence the universe selection is as follows for the Qualitative Stage: City Gender SEC Age Current Service Provider DIs Bangalore M A2 20- 35 Reliance 2 Bangalore M B2 26- 40 BSNL 2 Ahmedabad F A1 23-28 Airtel 2 Ahmedabad M B1 25-35 Vodafone 2 Quantitative Stage: In the next stage of Quantitative analysis, we are looking at seeking responses and assessing the parameters identified to apply the CBBE model for the 4 brands. Hence, this should broadly meet the following criteria: Born and Currently residing in India Male or Female Age group between 20 60 Must be a user/have used at least one of the following four brands Airtel, Vodafone, Reliance or BSNL As the questionnaire was to be primarily administered online, it also necessitated the presence of a internet connection and was geographically dispersed across Metros and Tier I cities pan India SAMPLING DESIGN The Pilot qualitative research required Depth interviews from the perspective of the 4 different brand users. A total of 8 depth interviews was conducted for this purpose across genders and SECs. the sampling technique was stratified random with stratification on the basis of he brand Quantitative Stage: a. The questionnaire for the Quantitative stage was administered online. The targeted size was 130 to 150. This was arrived at considering the constraints given that each respondent was to provide responses for all the four brands thus providing rich data per response. b. The current offerings offered by the service providers are not segment-specific. Covering the difference in attitudes depending on changes in age, gender or geographic dispersion is not within the scope of this study and is not statistically analyzed from the point of future research. Hence there is to be no age or gender restriction in the sample selection. c. The cities chosen for sample selection include the metropolitans across the country and Tier I cities which would give a snapshot into the various geographic circles where the service is present within the constraints of administering the questionnaire online. Out of the total of 172 respondents, the number of complete valid responses obtained was 121. The demographics of this set are as follows: The completed responses have been filtered as per the following criteria: a. Location Constraint b. Usage Constraint: User/have used at least one of the top four brands Airtel, Vodafone, Reliance and BSNL Stage 2: DATA ANALYSIS Pilot Qualitative Study The broad parameters arrived at from the in- depth interviews are as follows: Performance of the Brand With the evolution of the Indian Telecom Industry and the emergence of multiple players with competitive offerings, the Indian subscribers are at a stage where the minimum expectation from any new entrant is the presence of a good working model with uninterrupted service quality, responsive customer service and flexible tariff options. â€Å"†¦. Having a clear connection cannot be a factor in choosing†¦.everyone provides that†¦.† â€Å" I would expect the provider to have good and responsive customer service to cater to complaints and resolve issues immediately† â€Å" †¦Apart from the basic services, I would also be interested in new offerings such as music and game downloads..† â€Å" †¦. I prefer lower recharge coupons and flexibility in payment plans..† Loyalty towards the providers Certain subscribers usually tend to stick with the current players unless there is a shift in either their needs or environment. Changes in provider are usually done when there is a shift in location geographically or a personal need. Also, there is the segment of consumers who do not really face an issue of number portability and are willing to switch to a different provider for want of a better offer or tariff â€Å" ..When I went to college, I found my friends with ‘X connection and hence got one as well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦This second connection was bought when I shifted from Hyderabad to Bangalore for my job..† â€Å"I like the friends circle plan that is offered by brand ‘Y and it suits my usage habits†¦..† Trust Worthiness Presence of a brand for a long duration in the market or with long term usage, subscribers develops a sense of attachment towards the brand that leads to the feeling of trust. â€Å"†¦ I think this brand is good and trust in subscribing to their offerings†¦.† â€Å" I think they are the best in the market, being the leaders in this region..† Brand Association/Image Most urban subscribers are conscious about the fit of the brand with their personalities. The youthfulness of the brand or the positioning also dictates their preference towards it. â€Å" †¦I would like it to be a bit classy and not for everyone†¦.† â€Å".. Trendy, with offers for the students is something I would look out for in my brand..† â€Å" ..The corporate connections are available only with these providers..which says a lot about these brands..† Hence narrowing down from the Pilot qualitative research, the factors that are taken into consideration for Quantitative analysis are as follows: Questionnaire Data Collection- Parameters for Assessment 1) Personal Profile a. Age b. SEC (Data regarding Education and Occupation of the Chief Wage earner is collected and then coded to extract the SEC of the respondent) c. Place of Residence 2) Brand Awareness a. Brand Recall i. Un-Aided ii. Aided b. Identification of Brand Elements i. Color of Brand Logo ii. Associated celebrity iii. Associated Tag Line 3) Brand Knowledge a. Brand Visibility across media 4) Brand Equity (Dependent variable) a. Rating of brand as the ‘Most Preferred Service Provider 5) Brand Associations a. Sincere b. Exciting c. Competent d. Rugged e. Sophisticated 6) Social Image a. I believe the brand is good and would subscribe to its offerings b. Trust 7) Brand Loyalty a. I believe this brand is worth the money I pay for its offerings b. Recommend ability of the brand c. Switching Likelihood to competitors brand given better offerings 8) Product Benefits a. Affordability b. Good Connectivity c. Clarity of Voice d. Responsive Customer Service e. Broad Set of Services and features 9) Brand Usage a. Number of Providers used thus far b. Current Service provider c. Name of brands used so far d. Choose type of services availed from the service provider . Stage 3: DATA ANALYSIS Brand Awareness and Usage pattern study Respondent Profile a. Age Dispersion: 20-60 years b. Locations considered: Metros, Tier I Cities pan India. Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad c. By Gender: Male 62.8% Female 37.2% d. By SEC Classification From fig , it is seen that amongst the total valid respondent s, there is favorability towards SEC A. Given that most of the survey has been online in nature and that locations considered being metros and Tier I cities of India , this is justifiable. Further fig , provides the split across the 4 brands on the basis of SEC. It is clearly seen that both Airtel and Vodafone are mostly similar in terms of their positioning and having a higher incidence towards SEC A1 and A2 Brand Awareness It is interesting to note from fig that apart from Airtel that enjoys almost 95% unaided recall, the other brands are comparable in terms of their recall quotient. Specifically, BSNL as a brand has a higher recall on consumers minds over Vodafone and Reliance. In fig , when aided recall is considered, the disparity amongst brands reduces to a large extent and almost all brands fall between the 93 to 95% range except for new brands such as MTS which currently have a presence only across 11 out of 23 circles. An interesting fact to note from fig above is that in spite of the time elapsed, the ‘Hutch pug still holds a strong bond with the brand and subscribers compensate for the absence of celebritys through these brand symbols Usage Pattern From the fig it can be seen that most of the respondents on an average cluster around the possession of 2 service providers till date. Also, the average period of usage for respondents is around 24 months as is seen from fig STAGE 3: DATA ANALYSIS QUANTITATIVE Step 1: Identifying the important components of Brand Equity brand wise Using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) The various parameters that have been identified from the pilot qualitative questionnaire as being variables leading to brand equity interact with each other as well. These 16 variables have been expressed in form of attitudinal statements for each of the 4 brands and the subscribers are to rate them on a 5 point scale between Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree on the basis of their usage/perceptions. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is used to get this inter relationship or pattern between these variables and to reduce the number of variables. The resulting independent variables are termed ‘factors. The resulting factors and their variable groupings are observed to explain the nature of the factors and the resulting factors or components would be used in further analysis. Further, this is performed for each of the four brands. As a heuristic, factors with close loading on two or more components are rejected as they are not explained uniquely by one component. Further Eigen values are used to identify the number of factors. Principal Component Analysis is the extraction method that is used. Step2: Extracting the Scores of the components of Brand Equity brand wise The score of each of the resulting components of Brand Equity such as Perceived Quality, Brand Worthiness, Brand Loyalty, Brand Knowledge and Brand Personality have been computed using the mean of the weighted average of all the variables that are included within each component of the brand equity. This is calculated for each brand. For example: The component Airtel Brand Worthiness consists of 7 variables. The score of the 7 variables is multiplied by their respective factor loadings. The mean of the ‘weighted score of all the 7 variables is the score of the component Airtel-Brand Worthiness for Brand Airtel. These computed score of the factors and the scores of the dependent variable for Brand Equity are used to calculate the impact of components on the overall brand equity in the next stage Step3: Impact of Components of Brand Equity on the overall Brand Equity brand wise Using Multiple Regression Model On aggregating the variables on to different components brand wise, the next stage is to analyze the impact of these various components on the overall brand equity brand wise. Score on overall equity The dependent variable has the following attitudinal statement to get a brand wise score on the following statement that is measured on a 5 point scale â€Å"Your preference/liking levels for each of the 4 brands as the ‘Most Preferred Service Provider† It is seen that the variables that load onto the components vary brand wise. It is important to find the impact of these components on the overall brand equity for each brand in order to understand the significance each component plays on brand preference for each of the 4 brands. Hence, the weighted scores of the components are used as dependent variables to find their impact on the overall brand equity (as measured by the above rating) using Multiple regression analysis. This is calculated for each of the four brands. The regression model is given as follows: Y = a + b1X1 + b2X2 + b3X3 + b4X4 + †¦..bnXn + e Y = Score on the overall brand equity as given by the dependent variable for each of the brands X1 = Score on Component1 for each of the 4 brands X2 = Score on Component2 for each of the 4 brands X3 = Score on Component3 for each of the 4 brands Xn = Score Brand Equity for the Indian Telecom Market Brand Equity for the Indian Telecom Market INTRODUCTION Background Telecommunication may well be Indias best told story and an apt indicator of its current economic potential. In around a decade, this booming industry has seen more growth and coverage in newspapers than any other sector. Aiding this superlative growth s of being one of the fastest growing markets in the world, is Indias rising incomes, dropping tariffs, more options with newer entrants and more competition. Also, external conditions like friendly government policies and a stable growing economy over the past decade has resulted in the Telecom sector becoming one of the key areas in Indias growth story. Indias wireless subscriber base as of December 2009 stood at ~ 525 million subscribers with new mobile connections for that month at ~ 19.1 mn which is a 8.5% growth M-o-M.(Edelweiss Monthly Telecom Tracker, 2010) With the markets saturating in most of the developed markets, the wide consumer base and potential in this market has attracted a number of new entrants with players such as Uninor that was launched in only 8 circles (out of the total of 23 Telecom circles present in the Indian market) adding an impressive 1.2 mn subscribers within the first month of its launch. Rationale for this Study There is steadily a paradigm shift that is happening in the way mobile devices are to be used in the future and it could well become the one-touch-point with the convergence of mobile and networking. Rural consumer base is a segment all providers are eyeing with the increasing saturation in the urban markets and growing competition. Given the nature of this highly competitive sector and the rapidly changing needs of the Indian consumer it is highly relevant today for these service providing brands to look at means at targeting subscribers beyond just a pricing or a product strategy. Tariff wars though common to this sector, would in silos prove to be unsustainable and a short term gain strategy. Porter (1990) suggests that branding as a key means of ‘differentiation and one of the most important ‘positioning strategies. The significance of branding from the strategic perspective has been widely acknowledged across marketing literature (Kapferer, 1994, Keller 1999). Aaker (1989) argues that a brand provides a sustainable competitive advantage for firms. According to Farquhar (1989), brands with high equity show greater resilience towards competitor promotions as well as create high barriers to entry. Although the literature identifies several dimensions of brand equity from other industries, specifically Consumer Products and Goods, existing literature on service firms and specifically with respect to the Telecom market is sparse. Despite the growing importance of this sector and its growing contribution to the Indian services market, the topic of how Telecom service providers build brand equity and their focus areas appears to be under researched Expected Contribution By applying the widely accepted Consumer based brand equity model for gauging the components, this study aims at empirically studying the inter relationships and impact of components to the overall equity within the context of the Indian Telecom market. The identification of components of brand equity from the consumers perspective in the context of the Indian Telecom Market Understanding the relationship between the dimensions of brand equity and the overall equity for the top 4 brands in the Indian Market (Source: TRAI, Nov 2009) Testing the relative importance of the dimensions of brand equity towards brand building for the 4 brands considered A comparative framework in understanding the relative changes in perception and ideological differences between the four brands under consideration Implication of Findings Results would provide the relative significance of dimensions contributing to the overall brand equity and hence provide a direction for managers in their brand building in terms of the weight ages to be assigned to the indicators The measurement of the brand equity would help in evaluation of the marketing mix elements. Gaining a knowledge of the relative importance of the dimensions would provide direction to the managers in terms of deciding the promotional support Originality/value The principal contribution of the present research is that it provides empirical evidence of building brand equity, supporting Aakers and Kellers conceptualization of brand equity for the Indian Telecom market. Not only has the CBBE model not been widely adopted in India, the brand building of Telecom service providers has also not been widely explored. Also, it provides a comparative framework for understanding the dimensions across the four brands Flow To accomplish the above stated goals, this paper offers a brief introduction to Indias Telecom market, an overview of the top service providers, their offerings, strategies and technological advances in the field. This is followed by a review of relevant theoretical literature to arrive at the research gap and the research objectives. Next, it describes the methodology and rationale for measuring customer-based brand equity. Analysis, Interpretation, conclusions and managerial implications would be arrived at the end of the study. LITERATURE REVIEW Brand Building in the Indian Telecom Market Strong brands provide a means of competing beyond just functionality and price. Strong brands that connect with the customers provide a better path to growth and the added value to the customers in this case is beyond just features and pricing strategies (Ehrenberg, Goodhardt, Barwise, 1990) Although in the current Indian Telecom market, the aggressive competition has resulted in a virtual price war, empirical analysis states that competitive strategies based on pricing provide only short term and less effective measures (Tayebeh, Farahani Manjappa, 2008) In this context, the identification of dimensions of brand equity and its significance in building brands becomes highly relevant. Indian Telecom Market Overview Market Potential: Enormous business potential for entrants given the low tele- density which is around 42% as per QPAC- Indian Telecom Industry report. Role of Foreign players: The increase in the FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) limit from 49% to 74% in 2005 has further aided in this increasing number of players in the market bettering their offering in terms of functionalities and price.(Telecom Pulse- Enam Securities, 2009) Competitive Landscape: The landscape is highly competitive with aggressive entry of new players in the GSM market. The price wars have forced even the incumbents to join in, in order to arrest the fall in their market share Newer players in the market such as Tata Docomo (TTSL) topped the industry in terms of subscriber adds of upto 3.3 mn in December 2009 while the new entrant Uninor garnered up to ~ 1.2 mn subscribers in the first month of launch as per Edelweiss Telecom Tracker, Dec 2009. Players like Telenor and Elsihat DB are also set to launch their operations in India by June 2010 (Sector Review- India Infoline, 2009) All this indicates that the incumbents no longer can afford to rely on short term measures to hold on to market shares Changing Market Scenario: Attractive Rural Markets: As per government statistics, the mobile penetration in rural regions is only around 13% as opposed to 73% in urban areas (Telecom and Technology Report- Economic Intelligence Unit, 2009) Challenges Faced: Despite the strong growth s, there are issues the market is facing in terms of Increase in fragmentation in the urban markets Competitive nd Aggressive Pricing Strategies Technological Updates: Atleast 60 to 80 million mobile subscribers will be 3-G enabled by 2012 which changes the market scenario. (QPAC- Indian Telecom Industry Report, 2009) The growing acceptance of Value added services (VAS), 3G would allow companys to increase their ARPU (Average Revenue per User) s by shifting from voice to non-voice segments CUSTOMER BASED BRAND EQUITY (CBBE) CONSTRUCT Given the context, companies have realized that investing in the right band building efforts will make brand equity one of their invaluable assets. Developing, maintaining and enhancing brand equity becomes the prerogative for brand building by any company Brand equity theory as proposed by Aaker (1991) was further developed from the consumers perspective by Keller (1993). According to Keller (2008), â€Å"customer-based brand equity is the differential effect that the brand has on consumer response to the marketing of the brand† (p. 70). The brand equity concept is measured broadly from two perspectives Financial based measure Consumer Based measure Various researchers have worked on developing a good model and constructs for its measurement as this is the basis for managing brand equity. In our paper we consider brand equity from the consumer perspective in terms of the value if provides to the consumer. CONCEPTUAL MODEL Aaker (1996) defines brand equity as a multidimensional concept and the components he associates with it include: Brand Awareness Perceived Quality Brand Associations and Proprietary Assets Consumer based brand equity has also been used as a measure has been previously by several researchers such as Yoo and Donthu (2002) and Washman and Plank (2002) Every company and sector looks at building and managing its equity as a means of gaining long term competitive advantage. In the model developed by Yoo and Donthu (2001) based on consumer based equity model, the authors have adopted the following four dimensions for the brand equity construct; Brand Loyalty Brand Awareness Perceived Quality Brand Associations An interesting fact contended by researchers by Srinivasan, Park and Chang (2005) was that apart from product related benefits, ‘non attributes also form strong preferences in terms of building brand equity and associations and forming points of differentiation. This is of high significance in our research given that we are working with service brands. For the purpose of our study, we adopt four dimensions to measure brand equity Generic brand Equity Dimensions Adopted 1 Brand Loyalty 2 Brand Awareness 3 Perceived Quality 4 Brand Associations The understanding of these generic dimensions in the context of the Indian Telecom market is done through the Pilot Qualitative research. This is further applied and tested onto the four brands using the Quantitative research KNOWLEDGE GAP The knowledge gaps identified are as follows: The existing literature points to the presence of various consumer based brand equity models and constructs, but there has been very few studies done in this field in terms of a particular sector but rather the focus is on development of a valid measurement model There are very few studies conducted in this field in the Indian context and specifically there are almost none that have been done from the perspective of identification of components for services There is hence paucity of literature about building service brands. Also, no previous research has examined the link dimensions of brand equity to the overall brand building for the Telecom market There is almost nil literature that is available that relates to branding and its impact on the Telecom market across the world. This would provide a whole scope of opportunities for future research in providing managers specific indicators and relative significance of factors that contribute to brand building. The research has further not been restricted to student samples only and is to be conducted on the actual consumers This article focuses on the measurement and impact of the dimensions on overall rand building exercise which is of paramount importance to the managers specifically in the field of Telecom where there has been sparse research done to arrive at the sector specific factors that contribute to building a strong brand. This research aims to address this need gap in both geography and sector (Indian Telecom market) through this study RESEARCH PROBLEM DEFINITION Research problem To measure the components of brand equity and explore the impact of the different dimensions on the overall equity specifically for the top four service provider brands operating in the Indian Telecom Market. Also to find out which is the most important component of the branding that leads to success in the Indian Market by the application of Consumer based brand equity (CBBE) model. Here, the category is a part of the design as we are specifically looking at how the components work in the case of service brands. Hence, the research findings would be applicable, if any, to other service categories than CPG or Durables. Research Questions To gauge the indicators of different components of Consumer based Brand Equity specifically in the context of the Indian Telecom Market* To Investigate the causal relationship between the dimensions of brand equity and the overall equity for top four service provider brands operating in the Telecom market* in India To use the Customer based Brand Equity model to test the relative importance of the dimensions of Brand Equity towards brand building for the Indian Telecom market* To provide a comparative framework in understanding these dimensions from the perspective of the four brands under consideration. * Here, the top 4 brands in the Indian Telecom Market (Airtel, Vodafone, Reliance and BSNL as of November 2009) are considered as a part of the analysis RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 1.1 Research Design: In order to achieve the objective as explained by the previous section, the following stages are proposed as a part of the research design. RESEARCH DESIGN AND ANALYSIS FRAMEWORK Storyboard PILOT QUALITATIVE RESEARCH The imperative behind this pilot Qualitative Analysis is to identify various parameters that are specific to the Indian Telecom market as derived on the basis of the CBBE model. These parameters are further taken as input for the Quantitative stage in the questionnaire. Data Collection Techniques Depth Interviews was used as the primary means of obtaining the qualitative data. Given the generic nature of the attributes to start with, the depth interviews provide flexibility in data collection and insights on pattern of usage. The purpose of these exploratory and unstructured interviews was to uncover the underlying motivation behind a persons behavior and actions. A guideline/discussion guide (Please refer to Appendix for a snapshot of this guideline used) was prepared for giving a direction and including the information areas to be probed in the discussion. The interview was free flowing on the basis of the responses obtained. A total of 8 depth interviews were conducted to understand the nature of subscribers need satisfaction when it comes to communication. Also, it aims to understand the emotional and functional benefits that is derived The discussion guide prepared broadly follows the below structure: Perspective on the Indian Telecom current market scenario The manner in which communication has changed over time Factors influencing choice of service provider Benefits sought in terms of functional and emotional attributes Brand Associations and Image associated with current players Association of Service Providers with instrumental and terminal values Drivers and restraints in choosing provider The tools and techniques used in order to probe included Projective Techniques such as Word Association, probing on attitudes and behavior with respect to their usage patterns and the emotional and functional benefits sought. Also, Projective and Enabling techniques such as Personification and Bubble drawing was used. The respondents were required to enter their thoughts associated with the provided brands. Data Elicitation techniques such as Sentence Completion and Clustering were used for the identification of instrumental and terminal values with the service providers apart from Brand Mapping QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH The various parameters that have been identified from the pilot qualitative questionnaire are to be tested to apply the CBBE model to the 4 top brands. The questionnaire is used for this purpose in order to identify the brand preferences and test the veracity of the parameters identified from the qualitative research. For this study, for the purpose of data accuracy and constraints, the top 4 brands in the Indian telecom market (as of Nov 2009) are considered Airtel, Vodafone, Reliance Communication and BSNL. Also, this selection allows us to compare and analyze the differences between diverse brands such as Airtel and BSNL. Also, it allows us to analyze the change in perceptions in the market towards brands such as BSNL over the years despite its strong head start in the market. The various parameters that have been identified from the pilot qualitative questionnaire as being variables leading to brand equity interact with each other as well. The independent variables identified are the 16 variables from the factors given below: a) Brand Knowledge b) Brand Associations c) Social Image d) Brand Loyalty e) Product Benefits f) Brand Usage i. These 16 variables have been expressed in form of attitudinal statements for each of the 4 brands. ii. The respondents are required to rate them on a 5 point scale between Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree on the basis of their usage/perceptions. iii. Apart from this, the personal profiles of the respondent including the fundamental demographic details are collected. iv. Also, the usage habits in terms of their brands and the services utilized are also collected for further analysis. The questionnaire that is used is present in Appendix for reference. Following the data collection, the analysis is done using SPSS 15. This is further elaborated in the Data analysis section. 1.2 UNIVERSE SELECTION Qualitative Stage: In the first Qualitative Stage where we are looking at having Depth interviews to identify and assess the parameters specific to the Indian context, it is important to have a representation of the top 4 brands that is to be analysed. Hence the universe selection is as follows for the Qualitative Stage: City Gender SEC Age Current Service Provider DIs Bangalore M A2 20- 35 Reliance 2 Bangalore M B2 26- 40 BSNL 2 Ahmedabad F A1 23-28 Airtel 2 Ahmedabad M B1 25-35 Vodafone 2 Quantitative Stage: In the next stage of Quantitative analysis, we are looking at seeking responses and assessing the parameters identified to apply the CBBE model for the 4 brands. Hence, this should broadly meet the following criteria: Born and Currently residing in India Male or Female Age group between 20 60 Must be a user/have used at least one of the following four brands Airtel, Vodafone, Reliance or BSNL As the questionnaire was to be primarily administered online, it also necessitated the presence of a internet connection and was geographically dispersed across Metros and Tier I cities pan India SAMPLING DESIGN The Pilot qualitative research required Depth interviews from the perspective of the 4 different brand users. A total of 8 depth interviews was conducted for this purpose across genders and SECs. the sampling technique was stratified random with stratification on the basis of he brand Quantitative Stage: a. The questionnaire for the Quantitative stage was administered online. The targeted size was 130 to 150. This was arrived at considering the constraints given that each respondent was to provide responses for all the four brands thus providing rich data per response. b. The current offerings offered by the service providers are not segment-specific. Covering the difference in attitudes depending on changes in age, gender or geographic dispersion is not within the scope of this study and is not statistically analyzed from the point of future research. Hence there is to be no age or gender restriction in the sample selection. c. The cities chosen for sample selection include the metropolitans across the country and Tier I cities which would give a snapshot into the various geographic circles where the service is present within the constraints of administering the questionnaire online. Out of the total of 172 respondents, the number of complete valid responses obtained was 121. The demographics of this set are as follows: The completed responses have been filtered as per the following criteria: a. Location Constraint b. Usage Constraint: User/have used at least one of the top four brands Airtel, Vodafone, Reliance and BSNL Stage 2: DATA ANALYSIS Pilot Qualitative Study The broad parameters arrived at from the in- depth interviews are as follows: Performance of the Brand With the evolution of the Indian Telecom Industry and the emergence of multiple players with competitive offerings, the Indian subscribers are at a stage where the minimum expectation from any new entrant is the presence of a good working model with uninterrupted service quality, responsive customer service and flexible tariff options. â€Å"†¦. Having a clear connection cannot be a factor in choosing†¦.everyone provides that†¦.† â€Å" I would expect the provider to have good and responsive customer service to cater to complaints and resolve issues immediately† â€Å" †¦Apart from the basic services, I would also be interested in new offerings such as music and game downloads..† â€Å" †¦. I prefer lower recharge coupons and flexibility in payment plans..† Loyalty towards the providers Certain subscribers usually tend to stick with the current players unless there is a shift in either their needs or environment. Changes in provider are usually done when there is a shift in location geographically or a personal need. Also, there is the segment of consumers who do not really face an issue of number portability and are willing to switch to a different provider for want of a better offer or tariff â€Å" ..When I went to college, I found my friends with ‘X connection and hence got one as well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦This second connection was bought when I shifted from Hyderabad to Bangalore for my job..† â€Å"I like the friends circle plan that is offered by brand ‘Y and it suits my usage habits†¦..† Trust Worthiness Presence of a brand for a long duration in the market or with long term usage, subscribers develops a sense of attachment towards the brand that leads to the feeling of trust. â€Å"†¦ I think this brand is good and trust in subscribing to their offerings†¦.† â€Å" I think they are the best in the market, being the leaders in this region..† Brand Association/Image Most urban subscribers are conscious about the fit of the brand with their personalities. The youthfulness of the brand or the positioning also dictates their preference towards it. â€Å" †¦I would like it to be a bit classy and not for everyone†¦.† â€Å".. Trendy, with offers for the students is something I would look out for in my brand..† â€Å" ..The corporate connections are available only with these providers..which says a lot about these brands..† Hence narrowing down from the Pilot qualitative research, the factors that are taken into consideration for Quantitative analysis are as follows: Questionnaire Data Collection- Parameters for Assessment 1) Personal Profile a. Age b. SEC (Data regarding Education and Occupation of the Chief Wage earner is collected and then coded to extract the SEC of the respondent) c. Place of Residence 2) Brand Awareness a. Brand Recall i. Un-Aided ii. Aided b. Identification of Brand Elements i. Color of Brand Logo ii. Associated celebrity iii. Associated Tag Line 3) Brand Knowledge a. Brand Visibility across media 4) Brand Equity (Dependent variable) a. Rating of brand as the ‘Most Preferred Service Provider 5) Brand Associations a. Sincere b. Exciting c. Competent d. Rugged e. Sophisticated 6) Social Image a. I believe the brand is good and would subscribe to its offerings b. Trust 7) Brand Loyalty a. I believe this brand is worth the money I pay for its offerings b. Recommend ability of the brand c. Switching Likelihood to competitors brand given better offerings 8) Product Benefits a. Affordability b. Good Connectivity c. Clarity of Voice d. Responsive Customer Service e. Broad Set of Services and features 9) Brand Usage a. Number of Providers used thus far b. Current Service provider c. Name of brands used so far d. Choose type of services availed from the service provider . Stage 3: DATA ANALYSIS Brand Awareness and Usage pattern study Respondent Profile a. Age Dispersion: 20-60 years b. Locations considered: Metros, Tier I Cities pan India. Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad c. By Gender: Male 62.8% Female 37.2% d. By SEC Classification From fig , it is seen that amongst the total valid respondent s, there is favorability towards SEC A. Given that most of the survey has been online in nature and that locations considered being metros and Tier I cities of India , this is justifiable. Further fig , provides the split across the 4 brands on the basis of SEC. It is clearly seen that both Airtel and Vodafone are mostly similar in terms of their positioning and having a higher incidence towards SEC A1 and A2 Brand Awareness It is interesting to note from fig that apart from Airtel that enjoys almost 95% unaided recall, the other brands are comparable in terms of their recall quotient. Specifically, BSNL as a brand has a higher recall on consumers minds over Vodafone and Reliance. In fig , when aided recall is considered, the disparity amongst brands reduces to a large extent and almost all brands fall between the 93 to 95% range except for new brands such as MTS which currently have a presence only across 11 out of 23 circles. An interesting fact to note from fig above is that in spite of the time elapsed, the ‘Hutch pug still holds a strong bond with the brand and subscribers compensate for the absence of celebritys through these brand symbols Usage Pattern From the fig it can be seen that most of the respondents on an average cluster around the possession of 2 service providers till date. Also, the average period of usage for respondents is around 24 months as is seen from fig STAGE 3: DATA ANALYSIS QUANTITATIVE Step 1: Identifying the important components of Brand Equity brand wise Using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) The various parameters that have been identified from the pilot qualitative questionnaire as being variables leading to brand equity interact with each other as well. These 16 variables have been expressed in form of attitudinal statements for each of the 4 brands and the subscribers are to rate them on a 5 point scale between Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree on the basis of their usage/perceptions. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is used to get this inter relationship or pattern between these variables and to reduce the number of variables. The resulting independent variables are termed ‘factors. The resulting factors and their variable groupings are observed to explain the nature of the factors and the resulting factors or components would be used in further analysis. Further, this is performed for each of the four brands. As a heuristic, factors with close loading on two or more components are rejected as they are not explained uniquely by one component. Further Eigen values are used to identify the number of factors. Principal Component Analysis is the extraction method that is used. Step2: Extracting the Scores of the components of Brand Equity brand wise The score of each of the resulting components of Brand Equity such as Perceived Quality, Brand Worthiness, Brand Loyalty, Brand Knowledge and Brand Personality have been computed using the mean of the weighted average of all the variables that are included within each component of the brand equity. This is calculated for each brand. For example: The component Airtel Brand Worthiness consists of 7 variables. The score of the 7 variables is multiplied by their respective factor loadings. The mean of the ‘weighted score of all the 7 variables is the score of the component Airtel-Brand Worthiness for Brand Airtel. These computed score of the factors and the scores of the dependent variable for Brand Equity are used to calculate the impact of components on the overall brand equity in the next stage Step3: Impact of Components of Brand Equity on the overall Brand Equity brand wise Using Multiple Regression Model On aggregating the variables on to different components brand wise, the next stage is to analyze the impact of these various components on the overall brand equity brand wise. Score on overall equity The dependent variable has the following attitudinal statement to get a brand wise score on the following statement that is measured on a 5 point scale â€Å"Your preference/liking levels for each of the 4 brands as the ‘Most Preferred Service Provider† It is seen that the variables that load onto the components vary brand wise. It is important to find the impact of these components on the overall brand equity for each brand in order to understand the significance each component plays on brand preference for each of the 4 brands. Hence, the weighted scores of the components are used as dependent variables to find their impact on the overall brand equity (as measured by the above rating) using Multiple regression analysis. This is calculated for each of the four brands. The regression model is given as follows: Y = a + b1X1 + b2X2 + b3X3 + b4X4 + †¦..bnXn + e Y = Score on the overall brand equity as given by the dependent variable for each of the brands X1 = Score on Component1 for each of the 4 brands X2 = Score on Component2 for each of the 4 brands X3 = Score on Component3 for each of the 4 brands Xn = Score

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Lab Report 1 Allison M. Shaw Bio 302L Sec: 009 Thursday February 12th, 2014 Introduction: HL-60 cells were initially taken from a Caucasian female that had acute promyelocytic leukemia (Cirtain, Mittelstadt, Higgins, Pollson, 2002). These cells are good for studying cellular processes and under favorable conditions, are â€Å"immortal†. HL-60 cells have a relatively quick doubling time of no more than 48 hours, and do not experience apoptosis, which makes them â€Å"immortal† (Cirtain, et. al, 2002). The HL-60 cell line’s immortality is instrumental when it comes to finding possible treatments for patients with leukemia, which is of interest to researchers. This immortality attribute is also critical for studying mechanisms of monocyte and granulocyte differentiation (Collins, 1987). Another quality about the HL-60 cell line that is equally important is its ability to differentiate into the white blood cell line (Collins, 1987). Granulocytes and monocytes are the two most important types of differentiated cells in this experiment, although white blood cells also differentiate into macrophage-like cells and eosinophils (Collins, 1987). Compounds occurring naturally that induce HL-60 cell line differentiation include Vitamin D (Collins, 1987). Chemical inducers, such as DMSO and PMA in this experiment, can induce HL-60 cells to differentiate into cells along the myeloid path (Cirtain et al,. 2002). DMSO is studied as a control for PMA treatment conditions and is used to make PMA solution. It causes HL-60 cells to differentiate mostly into granulocytes (Cirtain et al,. 2002). The control in this experiment is cells treated with DMSO, and is done to show DMSO has no effect on PMA (Cirtain et al,. 2002). Using kinase C, PMA activates cert... ...he line. Further studies could allow researchers to gain valuable information possibly leading to cures for numerous cancer types. References: Cirtain, Mittelstadt, Higgins, Pollson. â€Å"Chapter 3.† Power Point. Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory Manual. Great River Tech. Web. 8 Feb 2014. Cirtain, Mittelstadt, Higgins, Pollson. â€Å"Chapter 4.† Power Point. Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory Manual. Great River Tech. Web. 8 Feb 2014. Collins, S. J. "The HL-60 Promyelocytic Leukemia Cell Line: Proliferation, Differentiation, and Cellular Oncogene Expression." The Blood Journal 70 (1987): 1233-1244. Xie, Bei, Amale Laouar, and Eliezer Huberman. "Fibronectin-mediated Cell Adhesion Is Required for Induction of 92-kDa Type IV Collagenase/Gelatinase (MMP-9) Gene Expression during Macrophage Differentiation." The Journal of Biological Chemistry (1998): 1576-1582.