Book and Popular Essay

1. Introduction Popular Holdings is a Singapore-based company that is listed on the Singapore Exchange. Popular is best known for its chain of Popular Bookstores under the Retail and Distribution unit. The Group currently carries out its publishing activities through subsidiaries operating in countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Canada. Its bookstore operations have a network of over 90 Popular Bookstores and 360 Popular managed bookstores with its core businesses in retail, distribution, publishing and e-learning. 2. History of the Company |1924 |Popular started in Singapore under the trade name of Cheng Hing Company, established by the late Mr Chou Sing Chu. It distributed | | |Chinese storybooks. | |1930 |Established World Book Company in Singapore to distribute Chinese books and later moved into the publishing business. | |1936 |Established Popular Book Company in Singapore to sell Chinese books. | |1949 |Incorporated World Publishing Company in Hong Kong to publish magazines and Chinese books for both local and Asian markets. | |1952 |Set up United Publishing House Pte Ltd in Singapore and Malaysia to publish textbooks. | |1975 |Started offering English titles in Singapore and was positioned as â€Å"The Bilingual Bookshop†. Business grew dramatically. | |1984 |Opened the first bilingual bookshop in Malaysia. | |1990 |Introduced the POPULAR Card to cultivate customer loyalty. | |1993 |Expanded the business scope by retailing music products and audio accessories under the brand name of â€Å"CD-RAMA†. | |1997 |Listed Popular Holdings Limited (â€Å"POPULAR†) on the Singapore Exchange. | |2000 |Set up joint venture, EdnoLand (HK) Limited, to provide interactive learning programmes to preschool children. This signified the start | | |of the Group’s e-learning initiatives. | |2002 |Entered the e-learning market of Mainland China | |2003 |Incorporated a wholly-owned subsidiary, Popular Digital Products (Shenzhen) Ltd in January, leaving the first footprint in Mainland | | |China’s publishing market. | |2003 |Ventured into Taiwan publishing market. | |2006 |Successfully organized the inaugural BookFest@Singapore and BookFest@Malaysia, drawing over 400,000 visitors. | |2008 |Successfully organized the inaugural BookFest@Hong Kong 2008. | |2009 |Launched â€Å"UrbanWrite†Ã¢â‚¬â€a lifestyle stationery concept store that goes beyond the basics. | |2009 |Opened a new concept bilingual bookstore { prologue } at ION Orchard. | |2010 |Celebrated the 5th anniversary of BookFest@Singapore and BookFest@Malaysia. Both BookFests managed to achieve record turnouts of over | | |half a million visitors each. | 3. Management Structure Popular Holdings has a centralized organizational structure. Mr Chou Cheng Ngok is the Executive Chairman of the Board. In view of the Group’s single leadership structure, Mr Vangatharaman Ramayah was appointed as the Independent Director to lead and coordinate the activities of non-executive directors in circumstances where it would be inappropriate for the Chairman to serve in such capacity. The Independent Directors, Mr Vangatharaman Ramayah and Mrs Lim Soon Tze ensure that there is a good balance of power and authority to enable independent exercise of objective judgement of corporate affairs. All major decisions made by the Chairman are reviewed by the Audit Committee (chaired by Mr Vangatharaman Ramayah). The Nominating Committee (chaired by Mrs Lim Soon Tze) reviews his performance periodically and the Remuneration Committee (chaired by Mr Vangatharaman Ramayah) reviews his remuneration package. Hence, the Board believes that there are adequate safeguards against an uneven concentration of power and authority in a single individual. For management purposes, the Group is organised on a worldwide basis into business units based on their products and services, and has four operating segments as follows: Retail and Distribution, Publishing and E-Learning, Property Development and Corporate. Ms Lim Lee Ngoh and Mr Poon Chi Wai Ponch are the Executive Directors who are in charge of the performance of the businesses. [pic] 4. Markets Served 4. 1 Countries Served As of 30 April 2012, Popular had 148 bookstores – 63 in Singapore, 70 in Malaysia and 15 in Hong Kong. Popular is the biggest book retailer in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong (Chairman’s Statement, Annual Report 2012). Popular is making fast and extensive inroads into the Greater China market, especially in China and Taiwan. There have been marketing offices and subsidiaries set up in Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Taipei. 4. 2 Customer Groups Served Due to the various branches in its core business and the variety of products offered at retail stores, Popular serves different customers of all ages, including students who constitute a large portion of their customer base. Popular’s customers range from individual consumers to corporate groups. 5. Products Offered Popular has its core businesses in retail, distribution, publishing and E-learning. As stated in the 2012 Annual Report, â€Å"though the book business is often labelled a sunset industry, retail and distribution [of books] are one of Popular’s strong core businesses†. Popular’s bookstores have products such as books (textbooks, assessment books, storybooks, reference books), CDs, DVDs, educational software, computer accessories, art materials, stationery, electronics, toys, games and gifts. 6. Recent Performance of the Company Popular Bookstore has been achieving increasing turnovers for 3 consecutive years. As seen in Fig 1. 1, Popular achieved a turnover of S$439 million in 2011 in its Retailing and Distribution sector, improving from the past results of 2010 and 2011. The increase in turnover in the Retail and Distribution segment is mainly due to 9 new outlets opening in various locations in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong and the book voucher programme held in Malaysia, where Malaysian students were each given a book voucher worth RM$200 each as part of Malaysia’s government budget in the education sector. Also, the increased turnover is due to reduced costs – In 2010, Popular reduced costs by reducing its retail store space from15200m2 in 2009 to 13700m2 in 2010. Its Publishing and E-Learning sector is doing well as well, with its turnover increasing from S$69 million in 2011 to S$72 million in 2012. Go-Easel is one of Popular’s initiatives which led to this increase in turnover. Go-Easel features digitalised assessment books which provides instant marking and step by step solutions. It gained popularity among students and parents due to its convenient and effective way in helping students academically. [pic] Profits before tax (PBT) in the Retail & Distribution of Popular Bookstore experienced a positive growth as shown in Figure 1. 2, with PBT of S$29 million in 2012, improving from S$19. 1 and S$10. 9 million in 2011 and 2010 respectively. However, there was a drop in PBT in the Publishing & E-Learning sector, decreasing about 24. 7%, from S$9. 7 million in 2011 to S$7. 3 million in 2012. This was due to the closing of one of its magazine distribution business due to restructuring. However, because this closure is only a one-off cost, the prospects of the Publishing & E-Learning sector in Popular Bookstore still remains hopeful for future growth and greater profits. [pic] 7. Macro-Environment Analysis 7. 1 Political Forces Education policies implemented by the government can improve Popular’s sales. For example, in Malaysia, as part of the budget allocated by the government in 2012, every student in Malaysia received a one-time book voucher worth RM$200. This policy led to greater spending in bookstores by the Malaysian community. Popular was the biggest bookstore company with 70 bookstores in Malaysia, and so Popular experienced an increased turnover in 2012. However, governmental regulations may limit demand and reduce profit for Popular Bookstore. The Media Development Authority in Singapore prohibits any import of books, publication, audio materials that contains content that may be â€Å"objectionable on moral, racial or religious grounds, or deemed detrimental to Singapore’s national interest. † (MDA, 2011) Thus, Popular Bookstore is restricted in their range of books and media as it has to comply with these regulations, causing it to lose some of its competitive edge to online E-books retailers. Book readers in Singapore may be able to purchase the restricted materials from these retailers, as these retailers are based overseas and are not restricted by the Singapore law. 7. 2 Economic Forces The relatively high inflation rate in Singapore (4. 1%) and Hong Kong (4. 0%) in 2012 and the bleak global economic outlook is fortunately, not much of a stumbling block for Popular Bookstore, with it achieving positive growth in its Retail and Distribution sector. This could also be attributed to the items that Popular sells, which are mostly books (Eg. Assessment books, textbooks)and stationery. The demand for these items has a small, positive value of income-elasticity because they are necessities and normal goods for students. Hence, a decrease in incomes due to poor economic conditions results in a less than proportionate decrease in demand for Popular’s books , thus Popular has not been badly affected. 7. 3 Social Forces In today’s world, many deem education as an important tool towards a better paying job and a better life. Thus, the spending on education, which includes spending on textbooks, stationery and assessment books, is increasing. For example, in Singapore, the consumer spending on education has been increasing at a steady rate, from US$ 84. 1 million in 2008 to US$155. 4 million in 2011. (GMID,2012). This shows that Singaporeans are increasing willing to spend on education-related items, such as textbooks and assessment books, to supplement the learning. As a bookstore with a niche product market of assessment books and textbooks, Popular Bookstore is able to benefit from this trend of increased spending in education. With the relatively high inflation rates, especially in Singapore and Hong Kong, consumers are becoming more value conscious. Popular Bookstore has done well to cater to the demands of the consumers and projecting a ‘value for money’ image, by offering membership cards and promotions on their items on a regular basis. One of such promotions is the back-to-school promotion, allowing students and their parents to purchase stationery and books at discounted prices. 7. 4 Technological Forces The increasing connectivity of the Internet island wide (e. g. 4G mobile network and OpenNet in Singapore) has led to more online consumers. The size of the online shopping market is large, reaching S$1. 1 billion in 2010, and is expected to reach S$4. 4 billion in 2015. (Techinasia, 2011). This could possibly mean that customers who usually purchase from brick-and-mortar shops like Popular would now shop at online bookstores such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble. While Popular does have an online bookstore, it is not well-known or often-used. Thus, the presence of well-established international online bookstores become a substitute to Popular Bookstores. Also, the affordability of e-books can pose a threat to Popular’s sales of hardcopy books. The price of Kindle Fire, an e-book reader manufactured by Amazon, dropped to US$159, making it more affordable for consumers. Amazon uses the pricing strategy of loss leader, which involves setting the price of Kindle Fire at cost price, and making significant profit from the sale of e-books. Therefore, e-books have now become a substitute of hard-copy books, such as those sold by Popular. 7. 5 Legal Forces The introduction of the Lemon Law in Singapore in September 2012 could affect Popular Bookstores. With the lemon law, consumers can ask for an exchange or even a full refund if goods â€Å"do not meet standards of quality and performance. † (CASE, 2012). This could mean decreased earnings for Popular Bookstore if consumers keep returning to the bookstores to exchange their purchased goods. Without proper enforcement or monitoring, the Lemon Law could even be abused by consumers who repeatedly demand for an exchange or refund, leading to a loss of efficiency and profits. However, Popular is unlikely to be threatened by the Lemon Law, as it already has an exchange policy in place, where it allows its customers to exchange faulty products within 7 days of purchase. 7. 6 Impact of Macro-Environment Forces on Popular Bookstores Popular Bookstore still remains a strong name in the book industry. The fact that it has the majority of the market share in Singapore and that the company’s PBT has been steadily increasing proves that the company has been staying competitive despite the huge number of macroenvironment factors it faces. 8. Market, Industry and Competitive Analysis for Book Buyers in Singapore Our selected market is the market of book buyers in Singapore. These include customers who buy books from both physical bookstores and online bookstores. 8. 1 Market Size The market for book-buyers is that of an oligopoly, with few incumbent firms. Hardcopy book format is still a multi-million dollar industry in Singapore going strong in the face of stiff competition from online book stores. The total market size of brick-and-mortar stores is worth around $165million. In 2011, Popular Bookstores hold about 62. 5% of the total market share, with Kinokuniya (25%) and Times Bookstores (12. 5%) as Popular’s main competitors. 8. 2 Market Trends. Popular Bookstores is still experiencing a growing trend as its value sales grew from $4,106 million in 2006 to $5,107 million in 2011. This may be due to the growing affluence of the Singaporean population, resulting in higher demand for books for both leisure reading and education. However, this trend might not continue in the future. This is in light of stiff competition faced from e-books and online stores such as Amazon, Book Depository. Fortunately, Bookstores like Borders and Page One have all exited the Singapore market and thus there is less competition from these large, well-established firms with Popular Bookstores. 8. 3 Industry SWOT Analysis for Book Buyers in Singapore | |Positive Effect |Negative Effect | |Interna|Strengths |Weaknesses | |l |Popular has a widespread chain of stores throughout Singapore, |Low variety of books as compared to other bookstores such as | |Factors|especially in the heartlands. This makes it very accessible and |Kinokuniya | | |convenient for the customers. |Lack of awareness of its online bookstore | | |Wide range of textbooks and stationery with very strong monopoly power |â€Å"Limited choice† of books on its online bookstore (e.g. Twilight, | | |over assessment books and textbooks |Lord of the Rings, Animal Farm) | | | Existence of { prologue } and Epilogue ( a book cafe located in { |â€Å"Poor interface† (Survey, 2012) of online bookstore | | |prologue } ) to provide an alternative book-buying experience: ‘a novel|Absence of a proper feedback system on its online bookstore | | |brand of book retail therapy, distinctively designed to give a bespoke |Under-utilization of Facebook page resulting in inactivity and | | |multifaceted lifestyle experience’. |unresponsiveness | | |{ prologue } was awarded the Premium Service GEM Award for the Books | | | |and Stationery Category by the Singapore Retailers Association in | | | |recognition of POPULAR’s effort in delivering excellent customer | | | |service. (Chairman’s Statement, Annual Report 2012) | | |Externa|Opportunities |Threats | |l | Growing incomes of book-buyers lead to greater demand for books for  |Local brick-and-mortar competitors such as Kinokuniya are trying | |Factors|leisure and education |to improve their presence by setting up a fourth store in Jurong | | |Many of the target audience are tech-savvy but have yet to purchase |East MRT (JEM) to reach out to more customers. | | |e-book readers such as Kindle or Nook |Due to technological advancement, the Popularity and accessibility| | |Well-established firms like Borders and Page One have previously left |of online bookstores (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository) and| | |the Singapore market, reducing the amount of competition |e-books is decreasing the demand for hardcopy books at physical | | | |stores | | 8.  4 Detailed Industry Analysis of Bookstores | | |Physical Stores |Online Stores | | |Kinokuniya |Second-hand Bookstores |Amazon/Barnes & Noble |Book Depository | |Description |Kinokuniya bookstores are located in central city |Various second-hand bookstores in Singapore |Both Amazon and Barnes & Noble are American online retail |Book Depository is a UK-based | | |locations, with its flagship store located at Ngee Ann |sell many classic and contemporary titles at |giants specialized in selling books in both hardcopy and |independent online bookstore | | |City. Kinokuniya offers a wide range of titles and also a |extremely cheap prices. |e-book formats. They are grouped discussed together in this |which sells mainly hardcopy | | |cafe within its store. |There are many second-hand bookstores in Bras|table due to their similar characteristics. |formats. | | | |Basah Complex. (Eg. Evernew Bookstore, Pro | | | | | |Saint Bookstore, Book Point, Knowledge Book | | | | | |Centre) | | | |Strengths |Offers a wide selection of titles in various languages | Extremely cheap prices will attract |They own an ecosystem of their own through their Kindle and |Provides free shipping services, | | |including English, Chinese, Japanese, French, and German |consumers looking for a good read. |Nook tablet products that allow readers to buy e-books and |which allows prices of books to | | |Successfully marketed itself as a premium bookstore in |Good for casual reading, if the reader is not|download it to their tablet reader immediately. |remain cheap | | |Singapore with majority of its stores in the city area. |looking for a particular title |Online stores result in decreased operational fixed costs such|Occasional discounts of up to 90%| | |Niche market focus on casual book readers | |as rental charges and staffing costs compared to |makes books very cheap | | | Premium membership strategy i.e. More expensive membership| |brick-and-mortar stores. Therefore, they are able to sell | | | |card ($21) offering limited discounts to entice consumers | |both e-books and hardcopy formats at a discounted rate. | | | |to purchase more titles to get back their money’s worth. | |Extremely wide collection of titles. | | | | | |It is easy to search for titles because the search process is | | | | | |automated. | | |Weaknesses |Books are priced higher than its competitors due to its |Limited range of titles, especially newer |Penetration of their respective ecosystems are not widespread |It is relatively unknown to the | | |premium branding and higher rental costs in the city |titles, consumers looking for specific books |in Asia |crowd in Singapore. | | |Limited market penetration due to its limited number of |may not be able to find what they want. |Shipping costs and waiting time negates the benefits of online| | | |stores. | |shopping as price of shipping from America is usually high. | | | | | |Asian titles are not as diverse / rich as they are | | | | | |America-based. | | 8. 5 Competitive Analysis –Using Porter’s Five Forces 8. 5. 1 Threat of New Entrants The threat of new entrants in the physical bookstore industry is relatively low because there are low barriers to entry. This is due to strong customer loyalty to established players like Popular and Kinokuniya dominating the market, high sunk costs and economies of scale setting in late. Also, the book industry is also deemed as a â€Å"sunset industry†, which is less attractive to firms as this is associated with low profitability, so firms are less likely to enter the market. However, these low barriers to entry only apply to the industry of physical bookstores. Popular still faces a different kind of competition from online bookstores, which are close competitors with physical bookstores. 8. 5. 2 Degree of Substitutes There is a high degree of substitutability. In terms of physical bookstores, book buyers in Singapore have many alternatives to turn to – such as big industry players like Kinokuniya and Times and second-hand stores at Bras Basah Complex. Kinokuniya and Times are strong competitors because they offer a greater variety of books from different countries, and have marketed themselves as premium bookstores due to their location in the city area. Second-hand bookstores at Bras Basah Complex (Eg. Evernew Bookstore, Pro Saint Bookstore, Book Point, Knowledge Book Centre) are also a threat because they offer very cheap books. Besides physical stores, online bookstores like Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Book Depository are dominating the book-buying market in Singapore. These online bookstores offer a quick and easy way to purchase books without being physically at the store, and the benefit of having purchases delivered to customers’ doorsteps. E-businesses can also offer more competitively-priced books than Popular because there is no need to pay for rental, which takes up a huge proportion of fixed cost. For example, Amazon sells a book titled â€Å"Act of Valour† at $9. 99, whereas Popular sells the same book at $17. 00. Furthermore, with an increased access to fast and free internet services such as those offered by Wireless@SG, and the availability of safe and convenient electronic payment, e-businesses are becoming closer substitutes to physical bookstores than ever before. 8. 5. 3 Bargaining Power of Buyers The bargaining powers of buyers are relatively low in terms of physical book stores. They have little access to information such as the prices of books, because physical bookstores do not openly publish their prices online, except when there are promotions. Also, most bookstores located in a certain region would sell books at similar prices, so customers who are unwilling to travel would have a low tendency to switch to other physical bookstores if the switching cost exceeds the savings gained from only slightly cheaper books. However, the increased popularity of online bookstores is likely to increase the bargaining power of buyers. Buyers become less dependent on existing channels (ie. Physical bookstores) and can now switch to purchasing books online instead. 8. 5. 4 Bargaining Power of Suppliers There is low bargaining power of suppliers. In terms of the book-buying market, Popular Bookstores’ suppliers are mainly publishing firms. Because there are many suppliers in the market that engage in publishing work, there is a low supplier to firm ratio. This means that Popular Bookstore can switch suppliers easily. Furthermore, there is low switching costs for Popular because they can easily turn to their own subsidiaries such as Novum Organum Publishing House Pte Ltd and Educational Publishing House Pte Ltd. Also, there is low supplier competition because it is hard for suppliers to vertically integrate and sell the products to buyers directly. Therefore, suppliers have a low bargaining power, which strengthens Popular’s position and authority. 8. 5. 5 Degree of Market Rivalry Amongst Existing Competitors There is a strong intensity of market rivalry amongst existing competitors like Times, Kinokuniya, and second-hand bookstores. This is because there is a lot of room for differentiation in terms of the four elements in the marketing mix. Product differentiation can come in the form of the variety of books, in terms of the subject matter and country of origin. Price differentiation can also be present as some bookstores have higher priced books due to their well-known brand name or location. Place differentiation can be in terms of the store environment and store location, while promotion differentiation can be in terms of level of advertising, frequency of discounts, customer access to publicity materials and staff service standards. Therefore, bookstores face much competition amongst themselves because there are so many ways that they can differentiate themselves in providing the optimal book-buying experience for book-buyers in Singapore. 9. Customer Analysis and Segmentation for Book Buyers in Singapore 9. 1 Customer Profile: Book Buyers in Singapore The selected market of focus for Popular is book buyers in Singapore. Potential book buyers are any literate customers in the country, from 6 years-old onwards (Stuart, 2010). This customer base is continuously growing, albeit at a slow rate due to the low fertility rate in Singapore (Wong, 2012). Majority of Singaporeans are literate (Department of Statistics Singapore, 2012) as they have basic primary education which is mandatory for all citizens (Ministry of Education Singapore, 2011). In addition, an influx of foreign talents from other countries to support Singapore’s infrastructure and economy (Yeoh & Lin, 2012) also increases the number of book buyers in Singapore. The incomes of book buyers can be inferred from the Singapore Department of Statistics. The average monthly household from work including employer CPF contributions among resident employed households in 2011 was S$9,618, while the average monthly household income from work per household member including employer’s CPF contributions among resident employed households was S$2,925. These incomes have a generally increasing trend from past years, and were the highest in 2011, reflecting the increasing affluence of book buyers. Because books are normal goods, an increasing income of customers would increase the demand for books. However, since the selected market of focus is solely referring to individuals, businesses or organizations are not included and revenues are not considered. To develop an effective marketing strategy, it is essential to understand the targeted customer base and its segments. Comprehensive profiles of a company’s target customers are often required, and this is done by expending resources to segment these target customers. Book buyers can be segmented according to demographic and psychographic factors. 9. 2 Demographic Segmentation Popular segments its market by key variables such as gender, age, education, race, nationality and the family life cycle. For the identification variable of gender, books relating to beauty and the domestic sphere such as recipe books cater more to women, while the genre of sports and cars appeal more to men. In terms of age, segmentation is characterized by one’s life cycle, as exemplified by pre-school books, children books, teenage fiction and magazines, adult fiction and self-help books, etc. The company’s philosophy of knowledge and education (Chua, 2010) has been manifested in the common sentiment that Popular’s niche is in assessment books and textbooks (Survey, 2012) and is a large portion of the customer base of book buyers. This demonstrates how the market is segmented by education, as books are tailored to the needs of students in each stage of education – primary, secondary and tertiary, and also for students in different disciplines – business, finance, management, etc. The market is also segmented by race, as there are books in different languages such as English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil. The variety of books in the Singapore & South East Asia and Asian Collections also show that the market is simultaneously segmented by nationality as well. Finally, the family life cycle is also an important variable as Popular’s books cater to the needs of different families at different parts of the cycle, providing books on sports and leisure for families without children, and books on parenting and health for families with children, etc. 9. 3 Psychographic Segmentation The identification variables of personality, lifestyle and social class also come into play for the selected market of book buyers. Based on the variety of genres provided by Popular such as fiction, classics and literature, comics and humour, astrology and new age and self-improvement, it can be seen that Popular designs its catalogue to appeal to different people with distinct personalities. Likewise, in the culturally diverse Singapore with an inherent cosmopolitan lifestyle, Popular recognizes the importance of suiting the needs of various individuals by offering a selection of books for every lifestyle, such as books on cooking or food and wine, outdoors and nature, photography, travel, etc. The different social classes have also led  to Popular’s expansion in the market, as illustrated by the novel brand of book retail therapy seen in { prologue } (Popular Holdings Limited, 2009) to cater to the higher-income class, which has an â€Å"upscale identity† that is â€Å"quite different from the family-oriented, fluorescent-lit heartlander look and feel that Popular bookstores have come to embody† (Lui, 2009). 10. Marketing Objectives Popular’s main objective is to establish a strong regional presence by becoming a Central Clearing House for both English and Chinese books in the Asia Pacific Region (Popular’s Strategic Vision 2012). As such, their marketing objective is to offer a wide variety of books with relevant, unique, and good quality content at value-for-money prices. (Popular’s Strategic Vision, 2012). Next, Popular aims to differentiate itself from both brick-and-mortar bookstores and online bookstores which both serve the same book-buying market. This is especially important because Popular is in an oligopolistic market and faces strong competition. These brick-and-mortar bookstores include the well-established Kinokuniya, Times and Big Bookshop, and second-handbook stores, while online bookstores include Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Thus, Popular’s marketing objective is to capture a larger market share through differentiation. Lastly, in terms of the variety of books, Popular aims to be the largest and most innovative publisher of bilingual books (Popular’s Strategic Vision, 2012). It attracts publishers like Seashore Publishing (M) Sdn. Bhd. to Singapore, which dominates the market for bilingual cookbook and general-interest Mandarin books. Through its books, Popular also intends to promote the Chinese language, heritage and culture. For instance, Popular organised the National Chinese Creative Reading Competition during the BookFest@Singapore 2011 to ‘make students more aware [of] and stimulate their interest in Chinese culture and heritage through creative reading’ (Chairman’s Statement, Annual Report 2012) 11. Marketing Strategy / Mix 11. 1 Branding and positioning Popular portrays an image that it is a one-stop station where consumers are able to find whatever they need. This image is especially relevant since Popular’s main target group is the masses who usually read best-selling books written by well-known authors. To capture a larger consumer market and establish a strong regional presence, Popular has also ventured into overseas markets such as Malaysia, Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. 11. 2 Price Popular has adopted different pricing strategies for Popular and Prologue. Prologue has adopted a premium price position for their products. This strategy of prestige pricing is appropriate as Prologue is targeted at the higher end consumers who would be willing to pay higher prices. On the other hand, Popular has adopted mainstream price position for their products. The products offered by Popular is at a rather affordable price since it is mainly targeting the majority of the population. Furthermore, Popular offers products at competitive prices compared to other bookstores. With its membership card, Popular offers further discounts on the prices of its products and this further enhances its competitiveness in the industry. In addition, Popular’s membership card can be acquired at a low cost (e. g. $20 for 3-year membership for students), as compared to other bookstores, such as Kinokuniya ($55. 60 for 3-year membership). 11. 3 Product  Popular believes that in order to stay relevant with changing consumers’ taste and preferences, they should continue to innovate by selling new products. Hence, in 2009, Popular opened ‘UrbanWrite’ and ‘{ prologue }’. UrbanWrite, â€Å"a lifestyle stationery concept store that goes beyond the basics†, offer slightly different products such as scrap book materials, stationaries that are not available at Popular Bookstore. With new concept stores under Popular, such as { prologue } and UrbanWrite, it is pertinent to ensure that Popular does not lose its identity as a one-stop station to avoid confusion amongst its consumers.      

Great Corn Laws Debate

Given their numerous wars with France, Protectionists also argued that Great Britain had some public debt that would need o be repaid and this would be done primarily through taxing the farm land. Since the landowners taxes would be going up the stabilized commodity prices were thought to help offset their increased taxation. The last argument and most important according to the protectionists is in regard to national security. If there was no Corn Law, then Great Britain might become dependent on foreigners or enemies for their food supplies in the event they cannot produce enough for their own demand.The protectionists warn that trading partners can cut off supply at any given time and it is necessary to be independent when it comes to the food supply. The free-trade crowd had a differing opinion from the protectionists. Represented mainly by the manufacturing owners and eventually the laborers, they argued that artificial corn prices drove up prices everywhere else In the economy. Bread cost more to buy and food was the main expense of the labor class. Along with food rising so did the labor costs across various sectors such as manufacturing which In turn made them more expensive compared to their competition In other countries.The free-trade crowd also noted that protected agricultural price laws were driving p demand for the land which normally wouldn't be used In agricultural production. This Is seen as a competitive disadvantage because It would take away manufacturing opportunities which may help Great Britain globally. Great Britain lawmakers concede there will be dependence on foreign countries for a food supply and the free-trade crowd points out the fact Great Britain Is wasting resources on developing commercial land for farming.The free-trade crowd also makes the argument that national security would not be In Jeopardy because trade partners would be dependent on the manufactured goods Great Brutal supplies and that loud give them leverage to rema in viable trading partners. Given the arguments above It Is pretty clear that Robert Peel had a big decision to make. On one hand, Britain was the world's leading economic power and had attained this by being a protectionist's economy but at the same time these polices were harming the labor class through higher priced goods, higher rents along with lower or no wages.Something had to be done to reverse this and there was growing opposition to the Corn Laws by the day. A political action group called the â€Å"League† was formed and supported the free-trade agenda along with becoming a voice for he labor class. Through the League, more and more power was able to shift away from the landowners and Into the manufacturing owners along with the laborers. The League needed support from the labor class and they pretty much won them rising pressure from the citizens. By repealing these Corn-Laws many in power might have seen Peel as a radical for doing this but will eventually come a round and praise him.I didn't see any mention of Peel being a farmland or manufacturing owner so he literally had no hidden agenda other than do what was best for Britain. By participating in free-trade instead of protectionism, Britain could reallocate sources effectively as mentioned by Adam Smith's assertion of â€Å"if a foreign country can supply us with a commodity cheaper than we ourselves can make it, better buy it off them with some part of the produce of our own industry, employed in a way which we have some advantage†. The Adam Smith quote to me pretty much tells the story.Since Britain is perceived strongly as a manufacturer then it is more prudent to be known for manufacturing and not for protecting grain trade. Through free-trade, Britain should be able to acquire the additional food for the citizens by importing from trading partners. There are implications for these actions but in the end the market always seems to prevail. Short term implications for Peels de cisions could leave the agricultural industry itself in shock initially given they are now competing globally and there won't be a fixed price for commodities.This would bring down food costs for the citizens but may also cause some of the farms to cut Jobs because of protected crop prices that are significantly higher than the US prices in the appendices. The farming industry in this time period more than likely looked like the 2008 financial crisis in the housing market in the short term. Rent for farmland couldn't be paid because of crop supply and demand being out of control due to Mother Nature yet the pricing structures for rent and crop pricing didn't really account for this.This short-term farming depression might have spread into the other sectors initially but over time I see the markets coming in to balance things out. Once the government is out of the way in terms of regulating the market, the invisible hand is able to work. Long term, land that is not suitable for farmi ng is now used for manufacturing in Britain which in turn leads to more Jobs being created. Competition for agricultural commodities brings down food prices for the labor crowd which then puts money back into the economy.Long term trends would also show trading partnerships develop across allied countries provided they work out appropriate trade arrangements and trade with each other based on their own comparative strengths. I would also note in the long term, more power is shifted between the landowners to the labor class giving them a voice in the long run. Part of this whole debate in my eyes comes down too power grab. Atone point, protectionism made sense for Britain but later on it Just ere out of control.The manufacturers eventually saw the light and conceited on protectionism but the agricultural sector did not. The power seemed to blind the landowners and mask what was going on. Prices across the board were rising on everything except the agricultural commodities and the lab orers were getting tired. The laborers eventually received a voice by Joining forces with the â€Å"League† and helped move Britain towards free-trade in my opinion. I believe Robert Peel saw this momentum along with the destruction the protectionism caused by stifling competition and had to act by repealing the Corn Law.

International law moot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International law moot - Essay Example With respect to Rocky, Ruritania might argue that pursuant to the maxim par in parem non habet jurisdictionem (no state has jurisdiction over another) applies in the case of Rocky who is the son of a diplomat.3 This maxim is reflected in 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations to which both Ruritania and Utopia are parties and thus are equally bound. In particular Article 41 of the 1963 Vienna Convention provides that: Consular officers shall not be liable to arrest or detention pending trial, except in the case of a grave crime and pursuant to a decision by the competent judicial authority.4 Rocky has not been implicated in any crime although there are suspicions that he might have attempted to commit a crime. Therefore the gravity of the crime cannot be established as no crime was committed, only the suspicion that a crime may have been contemplated. Therefore pursuant to Article 41(1) of the 1963 convention, Rocky’s arrest and detention pending trial is unlawful. ... It will also be argued that since, Rocky is a family member of an ambassador diplomatic immunity under the 1963 Convention applies to him.6 Utopia’s Response Utopia’s response will rely on the UN Declaration on Friendly Relations which effectively expands state responsibilities under the UN Charter. In this regard, the relevant part of the UN Declaration on Friendly Relations reads as follows: Every State has the duty to refrain from organizing, instigating, assisting or participating in acts of civil strife or terrorist acts in another State or acquiescing in organized activities within its territory directed towards the commission of such acts, when the acts referred to in the present paragraph involve a threat or use of force.7 Utopia will therefore argue that Ruritania essentially sponsored or acquiesced in the terrorist activities of the FAI and in essence supported their activities allowing them to launch a terrorist attack on Utopia from Ruritania. In addition, U topia will rely on the exception to the general prohibition against war as found in Article 51 of the UN Charter. Article 51 provides as follows: Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defence shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security.8

An Evaluation of Professional Placement Activities Research Paper

An Evaluation of Professional Placement Activities - Research Paper Example Legal-World’s legal entity form follows that of a partnership which â€Å"is a business owned by more than one person, with its equity consisting of a separate capital account for each partner†. It is co-owned by five lawyers who have contributed equal proportions to the firm’s capital account. Legal-World’s, aside from continuously developing and maintaining an efficient, expedient, less costly, and adaptive system of delivering legal services, also strive in providing a cultural- and nationality-specific system of extending legal services which accurately respond to the varying client concerns, specifically immigration personal injury concerns of its multinational pool of clients. With clients hailing from various countries (the Philippines, Singapore), Legal-World sees it as an must to tailor its services to suit the specific requirements of their different clients, especially as to legal considerations relevant to the respective home countries of their clients. Yet, although Legal-World strives for specificity in the services it provides, still as to its internal hiring practices, Legal-World seeks to attract, hire, and maintain, as it does hire and maintain, competent subject matter experts who have extensive general knowledge on all sorts of personal injury litigations. Legal-World does this knowing very well that although clients’ legal debacles may require ad hoc solutions, still, one client’s personal injury case cannot be as different to another client’s as to fall under a different practice area altogether.

Commercial case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Commercial case study - Essay Example The client in these contracts has no long term liabilities to the independent project manager who can be dispensed with if he/she fails to meet the terms of the contract. Moreover, the independent project manager can be compensated using a variety of payment mechanisms, the details of which have been presented in the report. Dobson (2004) and Frame (2002) believe that one of the most basic rules of project management is to focus on the triple constraints which are Scope, Time, and Cost. Any relaxation in any of these results in a snowball effect on the scope, late and over-budget project delivery, resulting in unsuccessful categorization of the project. An independent project manager gets to have an impartial view of the situation without any preconceived notions and biased relationships (Walker, 2002, p. 10). Moreover, it is difficult to influence an independent project manager through the existing negotiation power that may rest with the other parties involved. An independent project manager provides a critical analysis of the scope of the project without any conflicts of interest. Scope setting by the owner of the project often results in over-commitment whereas if done by the contractors often results in under-commitment. An independent view on the other hand provides a more balanced assessment of the situation. According to Ibbs and Kwak (2000), and Peter Morris (1999) procurement is an important component of project management. An independent project manager is largely unaffected by the balance of power in existing vendor relationships. Moreover, he can make unbiased decisions for the good of the project without the burden of existing relationships hanging over him. An independent project manager brings in a fresh perspective, a broad list of vendor options and experience of dealing with them, and best practices from the industry regarding contractual relationships. He will also be

Introduction to Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Introduction to Psychology - Essay Example In the quest then for accurate psychic measurement, methods beyond the law must be considered in the interests of more accurate, useful and meaningful psychic measurement. (Fechner, 1912) Psychophysics: It’s Roots in Fechner and Weber As stated, quantitative scientific study of the relation between stimulus and sensation is, more to the point, the manual manipulation of stimulus properties for the purpose of analyzing perceptual processes of reaction to stimuli. Today, the area of modern psychophysics is seen as applying a whole class of methods evolved over time to the empirical study. Methods, for instance, such as absolute threshold can measure such sensory reactions as a subject’s ability to perceive a dim light in a dark room by manipulating the intensity of the dim light. (Zimbardo et al, 2010). While Gescheider (1997) found that modern applications tend to rely heavily on ideal observer analysis and signal detection theory, the work of Ernst Heinrich Weber and Gu stav Theodor Fechner, particularly Fechner as described in his 1912 treatise, Elemente der Psychophysik, remain the basis of new developmental processes. The classical techniques and theory of psychophysics were formulated by Fechner. Applying laws of physics and mathematics, he took Weber’s basic law of measuring the proportional aspects of stimuli a step further, using logarithmic relation between physical and psychological (or perceived) magnitudes—measuring statistically how individuals actually perceived stimuli, or understood it, in relationship to behavior. In considering the significance and practical consequences of access to such information, Zimbardo et al (2010) offer the example of the usefulness of knowing how loud a fire alarm must be for those inside a building to hear it. This particular example speaks to the importance of the hearing system in determining the impact of stimuli; the former example of perceiving a dim light in a dark room speaks to the visual system, which we focus on for the purpose of analyzing its importance to the measurement of stimuli and its effect. The Visual System The visual system as related to sensory reception is perhaps the most studied of all methods. Simplified, the eye gathers light, focuses it, and sends signals to the brain. For instance, Zimbardo et al (2010) found that color is literally created through neural processes of the brain as it interprets information from the original source. Hecht (1924) in his study of visual discrimination similarly found that sensory determination in changes of brightness and in discriminatory thresholds versus original light intensity can be calculated by mathematical formulas. These formulas over time, evolved and were incorporated into the Weber-Fechner law, combining â€Å"Weber’s Law that over a large dynamic range, and for many parameters, the threshold of discrimination between two stimuli increases linearly with stimulus intensity...[and Fechnerà ¢â‚¬â„¢s work] showed [ing] how Weber’s law could be accounted for by postulating that the external stimulus is scaled into a logarithmic internal representation of sensation† (Dehaene, 2003:146). Using information on the magnitude of star light and its ratio to intensity, Fechner (1860) was able to determine the relation between the two, and as suggested by Hecht (1924), thus developed the idea that this relationship produces a human threshold sensation leading to the perception of varying degrees of light.

Living on Borrowed Money Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Living on Borrowed Money - Essay Example These people all amassed credit card debt while in college and are now living with the consequences. Student credit card use can cause academic failure, career damage, and a lifetime of physical ailments. Students that are forced to sacrifice their study time for employment are going down the dead end road to disaster. As a student, I can confirm that college is a full time endeavor. Working beyond that, though sometimes necessary, can only detract from your study time and result in a lowered GPA. Making extraordinary efforts to pay a mounting credit card bill will come at the expense of your academic standing. The result will be dropped classes and the potential of academic probation that threatens your ability to get financial aid. These distractions will be the recipe for a failed college experience. For those students who are lucky enough to escape college with a degree, credit card debt and missed payments can continue to haunt them. It is routine for employers to do background checks on applicants that include a credit report. Recent graduates may have a history marred by missed payments and overdue bills. Lynn Nemser, president of a leading management consulting company, says that it is assumed that people with a poor credit rating are less honest and more likely to steal ("Guess Who's Looking").

Musical theatre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Musical theatre - Essay Example Musical is the art of musical theater and it is a combination of dialogue and singing. Usually musical has several authors and they are rarely written by one script writer. The writing of the musical involves composer, lyricist and script. Every musical tends to be unique and specific. It tends to be remembered by the audience in the theatre. The melody in most cases inspires the authors to write a musical. It is apparent that aspiration is the main point in creating a masterpiece for musical theatre. Musical theatre sometimes adopts books and plays and reinterprets them in a new way. The Black Crook was the first theatre musical which adapted the modern principles of this genre. The musical lasted for five hours. And musical theatres became rather popular among people. Musical theatres created a new world full of mystery and admiration. Once visited musical theatre it is difficult to part with it. Musicals became like a fairy tales. (Kresner 1995) Nowadays musical theater became like a melody, which is being listened by everybody in the whole world. Foe many yeares theatre musica included popular music. For our parents and grandparents music theatre was something like musical channels on TV for younger generation. The older generation was inspired by musical theatre and such famous composers as Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin and Richard Rodgers will be always remembered and honoured. But for young generation these composers are unknown. Some musical combine, for example, pop trends with classical tradition and libretto. As an example it is possible to mention musical Mama Mia, which is told to be the most entertaining modern musical. The lexicon of musical theatre was mentioned to be like a hybrid. (Lodge 2005) It is apparent that nowadays musical theatre is artistical and practical venue fot modern composers. Many of composers are aspired to write musicals, because they were brough uo with Porter, Kern and Rodgers. Randy Newman is also markable exmple of composer who tried to create modern pop musicals for musical theatres. Some admitted that musical theatre is like "smorgasbord", you can choose everything you like: singing, dancing, greatest hits and sad motives. Some people believe that musical is rather dissident form of theatre which referred to the theory of Brecht. (Kresner 1995) But it is necessary to observe the reaction of the audience of the musical theatre. The grown-ups sit stark in their sits and children look line they are burning fireworks. Everybody is impressed and full of admiration and delight. Musical theaters are really exciting and interesting. (Kresner 1995) The power of musical theatre was told to move people intuitively and emotionally to another world of songs and dances - to the wonderful fairy world. That power appealed to many people and they actually stuck to musical theatre. The people's love in the musical theatre is always storytelling, dancing and singing. In musical theatre people are always greatly attracted by gorgeous

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC LAW Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC LAW Assignment - Essay Example ote rule and with the globalization thrust of the WTO, economic growth and development should have propelled economic equilibrium but nonetheless some countries still remain in the quagmire of poverty and unable to cope with the demands of the multilateral trading agreements. This paper will likewise demonstrate that the equality clause remains a lip-service during the process of negotiations and deliberations until it is submitted to the floor for approval as comments and oppositions registered by developing and least developed economies over the inclusion of certain provisions or requests for amendments and modifications to the multilateral agreements and/or decisions are overturned by the sheer number, extreme pressure or overwhelming influence of developed economies that suggested revisions or changes to safeguard the interest of the less developed countries were not given due course at all even though anchored on meritorious grounds. The revolutionary measures introduced by the WTO under the Most-Favored-Nation and National Principles were considered as breakthroughs in world trading to level the field but on the contrary, it became an avenue to oppress the poor and it is the task of this paper to critically analyze the issues for its failure to alleviate poverty and spawn economic growth and development as WTO set out to achieve from the beginning, to include a perspective in the settlement of disputes. Before the advent of WTO, the trade relations between countries could be traced back to the first century of the Common Era where a Greek Manuscript Traveler named Periplus Maris Erythraei recorded transactions between the Romans and the Indians. In West Asia, Asian nomads used camels to travel towards their trading destinations to trade silk and spices. Some countries used ships and boats to sail the seas to trade with other countries. During the middle ages, the first printed paper money was made by Song Dynasty and England was able to gain market

Examine the extent to which success in attracting tourists to a Essay

Examine the extent to which success in attracting tourists to a destination is less the product of public sector development str - Essay Example Tourism organizations’ managers in private and public organizations need to be well informed strong understanding and command of consumer behaviour as the growth of this industry highly depends on consumer behaviour. In addition to this, commercial interest also needs to be considered in order to develop tourism strategies. What public sector development strategies are typically used to encourage tourism? The public sector organizations introduce several development strategies in order to encourage the tourism. First of all, the public sector organizations generally formalize the tourism industry engagement programs and activities. In these programmes, the organizations invite the board and industry members to discuss over the strategy development process. Globalization and technological revolution is motivating the public sector organizations to target potential customers through online marketing and promotional strategies (Hall and Page, 2006, pp.96-117). Each and every publ ic sector organization is developing attracting website that can provide entire information about the destinations, events and package price to the target customers. In addition to this, sustainable and green strategy development process is helping these organizations to attain sustainable industry growth (Elliot, 1997, pp.31-37). Several unique customer awareness and brand promotional strategies have been adopted by the organizations to develop potential client base. However, the public sector organizations mainly focus on the sustainable practices and operational strategies. What public sector development strategies have been successful/ effective? Why? Promotion and marketing activities through online media networks have been successful. In addition to this, sustainable planning and strategy development process is motivating more number of customers (Hall and Jenkins, 1995, p.19-31). Major limitation is the lack of commercial interest in the developed strategies. In addition to t his, limited stakeholder engagement activity during strategy development process can make it difficult for the organizations to meet corporate objectives and business goals. What are the limitations? Golf tourism can be considered under sports tourism sector. Golf is considered as one of the most attractive and significant sport tourism activity that can contribute effectively to the economic and social welfare of the destination. This sport is becoming popular among the people of several developed and developing countries around the globe (Priestley, 2006, pp.170-178). Looking into these favourable aspects and environment, public sector and private sector organizations are collaboratively developing strategies in order to maximize profitability (Jeffries, 2001, pp.19-27). The collaboration of private and public sector organization is highly required in the strategy development process. Generally, public sector organizations motivate the private organizations to follow the legal pol icies in business policies On the other hand, private sector organizations focus on particular commercial interests and consumer behaviour. It is important to develop customer oriented business strategies in golf tourism. The number of golf lovers is increasing significantly around the globe. The public organizations generally take care of the policy development proc

Coursework Rates of reaction Essay Example for Free

Coursework Rates of reaction Essay Investigating the effect of concentration on the rate of reaction Skill(s) assessed: Topic C10 [Experiment 9 (in S4)] Investigating the factors affecting the rate of reaction IGCSE Coursework Skills C2, C3, C4 Some of the factors affecting the rate of a reaction that you have studied are:   Temperature   Concentration   Surface area Aim: Investigating the effect of changing the concentration on the reaction between calcium carbonate and hydrochloric acid, by collecting the carbon dioxide gas given off. CaCO3(s) + 2HCl(aq) CaCl2(aq) + H2O(l) + CO2(g) Hypothesis: My hypothesis is that as we increase the concentration of the HCl, the rate of the reaction will be faster; this is because more collisions will be present Materials: Small calcium carbonate chips Dilute hydrochloric acid (1 moldm-3) Distilled water Delivery tube Bowl Conical flask (100ml) Beaker Measuring cylinder (100 cm3) Stop watch Balance Clamp Clamp holder Safety Glasses. Method: 1. Collect all materials 2. Fill the bowl and the 100 cm3 cylinder with water 3. Holding the end so that the water doesnt go out, turn the cylinder upside down and place it down the bowl, keeping it still with the clamp, put the delivery tube at the hole of the cylinder 4. Weight 3g of small size calcium carbonate chips 5. Put on your safety glasses 6. Add the 3g of small carbonate chips into the conical flask 7. Add the HCl acid in the conical flask 8. Quickly afterwards put a cork so that you shut all air entries in the conical flask 9. At the same time as you place the cork, start timing how much it takes to get 50cm3 of gas 10. Repeat this experiment using different concentrations of HCl acid by diluting the acid with distilled water, to make it a fair test use always the same amount of chips and always reach 25cm3 in the measuring cylinder so that only concentration and not amount will affect the rate of reaction. 11. Record your results in a neat and tidy table Results: Table: Volume of 1. 0 mol dm^-3 HCl (cm^3) Volume of H2O (cm^3) Concentration of HCl (mol dm^-3) Time (s) to reach 50ml Time to reach 100ml   Graph: Anomalous Results: In this experiment we were lucky to find no anomalous results at all, everything went on as we planned it was going to go like. Conclusion: As you can see in the graph, our hypothesis was right, as we increased the concentration of the HCl acid in out experiment, more collision were happening and therefore the time for it to reach 50ml was becoming smaller and smaller, meaning that the reaction was becoming faster. So we end up with the conclusion; more concentration of acid = faster rate of reactions = more collision. We could also see in the trend/pattern that at first, when we started increasing by only 0. 2 in concentration, the time for it to reach 50ml decreased from 38 to 17 seconds, almost half of what it was before!. After a while, as we increased the concentration, the difference between the two concentrations began to get smaller and smaller, it first started at decreasing from 38s to 17s, then from 17s to 9s, 9s to 7s and from 7 to five seconds. At this last 2 differences, at the change from 0. 6 to 0. 8, and 0. 8 to 1 in mol dm^-3 of concentration of HCl, the difference was in both only of 2s, showing off that if the acid was yet too concentrated, and almost getting to being fully concentrated, the difference in time to reach the 50ml will become smaller and smaller. Evaluation/Improvement: The experiment was carried out really well, there was no significant anomalous result which indicated that we were doing the right thing, the experiment fulfilled our hypothesis decision, it went on as we planned it would. We should have repeated the experiment, repeating the experiment would have given us much more accurate results, and we have used the same balance for each measuring of calcium carbonate, so that we make it a fair test.

The Fifth Discipline Essay Example for Free

The Fifth Discipline Essay Introduction The organizations that will truly excel in the future will be those that discover how to tap people’s commitment and develop the capacity to learn at all levels in an organization. Deep down, people are learners. No one has to teach an infant to learn. In fact, no one has to teach infants anything. They are intrinsically inquisitive, masterful learners. Learning organizations are possible because at heart we all love to learn. Through learning we re-create ourselves and are able to do something we were never able to do earlier. Through learning we reperceive the world and our relationship to it. Through learning we extend our capacity to create, to be part of the generative process of life. There is within each of us a deep hunger for this type of learning. This seminal book by Peter M Senge explains how learning organizations can be built. The building blocks Systems Thinking Business and other human endeavours are systems of interrelated actions, whose full impact may be seen only after years. Since we are part of these systems, it’s hard to see the whole pattern of change. Instead, we tend to focus on snapshots of isolated parts of the systems, and wonder why our deepest problems never seem to get solved. Systems thinking is a conceptual framework, to make the full patterns clearer and to help us see how to change them effectively. Personal Mastery Mastery means a special level of proficiency. People with a high level of personal mastery are able to consistently realize the results that matter most deeply to them in effect. They approach their life as an artist would approach a work of art, by becoming committed to their own lifelong learning. The discipline of personal mastery, starts with clarifying the things that really matter to us, of living our lives in line with our highest aspirations. Mental Models Mental models are deeply ingrained assumptions, generalizations, or even pictures of images that influence how we take action. Very often, we are not consciously aware of our mental models or the effects that they have on our behavior. Many insights into new markets or outmoded organizational practices fail to get put into practice because they conflict with powerful, tacit mental models. Institutional learning is the process whereby people change their shared mental models of the company, their markets, and their competitors. Building Shared Vision If any one idea about leadership has inspired organizations for thousands of years, it’s the capacity to hold a shared picture of the future we seek to create. When there is a genuine vision, people excel and learn, not because they are told to, but because they want to. But many leaders have personal visions that never get translated into shared visions that galvanize an organization. All too often, a company’s vision revolves around the charisma of a leader, or around a crisis that galvanizes everyone temporarily. But, people must pursue a lofty goal, not only in times of crisis but at all times. What is needed is a discipline for translating individual vision into shared vision – not a â€Å"cook book† but a set of principles and guiding practices. Team Learning The discipline of team learning starts with â€Å"dialogue,† the capacity of team members to suspend assumptions and enter into a genuine â€Å"thinking together.† Dialogue also involves learning how to recognize the patterns of interaction in teams that undermine learning. The patterns of defensiveness are often deeply engrained in how a team operates. If unrecognized, they undermine learning. If recognized, they can actually accelerate learning. Assessing the organization’s learning disability Most organizations learn poorly. The way they are designed and managed, the way people’s jobs are defined, and most importantly, the way people have been taught to think and interact, create fundamental learning disabilities. When people in organizations focus only on their position, they have little sense of responsibility for the results they produce. Moreover, when results are disappointing, we tend to find someone or something outside ourselves to blame when things go wrong. All too often, â€Å"proactiveness† is reactiveness in disguise. True proactiveness comes from seeing how we contribute to our own problems. Actions in organizations are dominated by concern with events: last month’s sales, the new budget cuts, the last quarter’s earnings, who just got promoted or fired, the new product our competitors just announced, the delay in launching a new product, and so on. Our fixation on events is actually part of our evolutionary programming. The irony is that today the primary threats to our survival, both of our organizations and of our societies, come not from sudden events but from slow, gradual processes. The arms race, environmental decay, the erosion of our society’s public education system, increasingly obsolete physical capital, and decline in design or product quality are all slow, gradual processes. Learning to see slow, gradual processes requires slowing down our frenetic pace and paying attention to the subtle as well as the dramatic. We learn best from experience but we never directly experience the consequences of many of our most important decisions. The most critical decisions made in organizations have systemwide consequences that stretch over years or decades. Systems thinking Systems thinking is the fifth discipline. It is the conceptual cornerstone that underlies all the five learning disciplines. The easy or familiar solution is not only ineffective; sometimes it is addictive and dangerous. The long-term, insidious consequence of applying non-systemic solutions is the increased need for more and more of the solution. There is a fundamental mismatch between the nature of reality in complex systems and our predominant ways of thinking about that reality. The first step in correcting that mismatch is to let go of the notion that cause and effect are close in time and space. Tackling a difficult problem is also a matter of seeing where the high leverage lies, a change which – with a minimum of  effort would lead to lasting, significant improvement. This point is quite similar to what Malcolm Gladwell makes in his book, â€Å"The Tipping Point†. Without systems thinking, there is neither the incentive nor the means to integrate the learning disciplines that have come into practice. Systems thinking is the cornerstone of how learning organizations think about their world. Sophisticated tools of forecasting and business analysis, as well as elegant strategic plans, usually fail to produce dramatic breakthroughs in managing a business. They are all designed to handle the sort of complexity in which there are many variables. Senge calls it detail complexity. But there is another type of complexity, where cause and effect are subtle, and where the effects over time of interventions are not obvious. This, Senge calls dynamic complexity. Conventional forecasting, planning, and analysis are not equipped to deal with dynamic complexity. When the same action has dramatically different effects in the short run and in the long run, there is dynamic complexity. When an action has one set of consequences locally and a very different set of consequences in another part of the system, there is dynamic complexity. When obvious interventions produce non-obvious consequences, there is dynamic complexity. The real leverage in most management situations lies in understanding dynamic complexity, not detail complexity. Unfortunately, most â€Å"systems analyses† focus on detail complexity, not dynamic complexity. Systems thinking is useful for describing a vast array of interrelationships and patterns of change. Ultimately, it helps us see the deeper patterns lying behind the events and the details. In mastering systems thinking, we give up the assumption that there must be an individual, or individual agent, responsible. Everyone shares responsibility for problems generated by a system. That does not necessarily imply that everyone involved can exert equal leverage in changing the system. But it discourages the search for scapegoats. In reinforcing processes, a small change builds on itself. A small action snowballs, with more and more and still more of the same, resembling compounding interest. But there’s nothing inherently bad about reinforcing loops. There are also â€Å"virtuous cycles† – processes that reinforce in  desired directions. If we are in a balancing system, we are in a system that is seeking stability. If the system’s goal is one we like, we will be happy. If it is not, we will find all our efforts to change matters frustrated until we can either change the goal or weaken its influence. Nature loves a balance – but many times, human decision makers act contrary to these balances, and pay the price. In general, balancing loops are more difficult to see than reinforcing loops because it often looks like nothing is happening. Leaders who attempt organizational change often find themselves unwittingly caught in balancing processes. To the leaders, it looks as though their efforts are clashing with the sudden resistance that seems to come from nowhere. In fact, the resistance is a response by the system, trying to maintain an implicit system goal. Until this goal is recognized, the change effort is doomed to failure. Systems seem to have minds of their own. This is specially evident in delays between actions and their consequences. Delays can make us badly overshoot the mark, or they can have a positive effect if we recognize them and work with them. That’s one of the lessons of balancing loops with delays. Aggressive action often produces exactly the opposite of what is intended. It produces instability and oscillation, instead of moving us more quickly toward our goal. Symptomatic intervention A reinforcing (amplifying) process is set in motion to produce a desired result. It creates a spiral of success but also creates inadvertent secondary effects (manifested in a balancing process) which eventually slow down the success. Instead of trying to push growth, we must remove the factors limiting growth. An underlying problem generates symptoms that demand attention. But such a problem is difficult for people to address, either because it is obscure or costly to confront. So people â€Å"shift the burden† of their problem to other solutions – well-intentioned, easy fixes which seem extremely efficient. Solutions that address only the symptoms of a problem, not fundamental causes, tend to have short term benefits at best. In the long term, the problem resurfaces and there is increased pressure for symptomatic response. Meanwhile, the capability for fundamental solutions  can atrophy. Symptomatic intervention; the â€Å"quick fix,† solves the problem symptom quickly, but only temporarily. In case of a more fundamental response to the problem, it takes longer to become evident. However, the fundamental solution works far more effectively. It may be the only enduring way to deal with the problem. The shifting burden structure explains a wide range of behaviors where well-intended â€Å"solutions† actually make matters worse over the long term. Opting for â€Å"symptomatic solutions† is enticing. Apparent improvement is achieved. Pressures, either external or internal, to â€Å"do something† about a vexing problem are relieved. But easing a problem symptom also reduces any perceived need to find a more fundamental solution. Over time, people rely more and more on the symptomatic solution. Without anyone making a conscious decision, people have â€Å"shifted the burden† to increasing reliance on symptomatic solutions. A special case of shifting the burden, which recurs with alarming frequency, is â€Å"eroding goals.† Whenever there is a gap between our goals and our current situation there are two sets of pressures: to improve the situation and to lower our goals. Dealing effectively with the situation requires a combination of strengthening the fundamental response and weakening the symptomatic response. Strengthening fundamental responses almost always requires a long-term orientation and a sense of shared vision. Weakening the symptomatic response requires willingness to face the truth about palliatives and â€Å"looking good† solutions. Leverage The bottom line of systems thinking is leverage. We must see where small actions and changes in structures can lead to significant, enduring improvements. The best results come not from largescale efforts but from small well-focused actions. Nonsystematic ways of thinking consistently lead us to focus on low-leverage changes, on symptoms where the stress is greatest. So we repair or ameliorate the symptoms. But such efforts only make matters worse in the long run. Systems thinking means organizing complexity into a coherent story that illuminates the cause of problems and how they can be remedied in enduring ways. The increasing complexity of today’s world leads many managers to assume that they lack the information they need to act effectively. The fundamental â€Å"information problem† faced by managers is not too little information but too much information. What we  most need are ways to know what is important and what is not  important, what variables to focus on and which to pay less attention to. This will generate leverage. Personal Mastery Organizations learn only if individual employees who learn. Individual learning is a necessary, through not sufficient condition for organizational learning. We must make personal mastery a part of our lives. This involves continually clarifying what is important to us. We often spend too much time coping with problems along our path that we only have a vague idea of what’s really important to us. We also need to see current reality more clearly. We’ve all known people entangled in counterproductive relationships, who remain stuck because they keep pretending everything is all right. In moving toward a desired destination, it is vital to know where we are now. The juxtaposition of vision and a clear picture of current reality generates â€Å"creative tension†. The essence of personal mastery is learning how to generate and sustain creative tension in our lives. The gap between vision and current reality is a source of creative energy. If there is no gap, there wo uld be no need for any action to move toward the vision. But when there is a gap between the goals and the current reality, negative emotion may also arise. We may lower our goals when we are unwilling to live with emotional tension. On the other hand, when we understand creative tension and allow it to operate by not lowering our vision, vision becomes an active force. Truly creative people use the gap between vision and current reality to generate energy for change. Mastery of creative tension leads to a fundamental shift in our whole posture toward reality. Current reality becomes our ally not an enemy. An accurate, insightful view of current reality is as important as a clear vision. If the first choice in pursuing personal mastery is to be true to our own vision, the second fundamental choice in support of personal mastery is commitment to the truth. What limits our ability to create what we really want is belief in our powerlessness and unworthiness. People cope with these problems in different ways. Letting our vision erode is one such strategy. The second is to try to  manipulate ourselves into greater effort toward what we want by creating artificial conflict, such as through avoiding what we do not want. Some people psyche themselves up to overpower all forms of resistance to achieving their goals. Willpower is so common among highly successful people that many see its characteristics as synonymous with success: a maniacal focus on goals, willingness to â€Å"pay the price,† ability to defeat any opposition and surmount any obstacle. Being committed to the truth is far more powerful than any technique. It means a relentless willingness to root out the ways we limit or deceive ourselves from seeing what is, and to continually challenge our theories or why things are the way they are. It means continually broadening our awareness. Focusing on the desired intrinsic result is a skill. For most of us, it is not easy at first, and takes time and patience to develop. As soon as we think of some important personal goal, almost immediately we think of all the reasons why it will be hard to achieve – the challenges we will face and the obstacles we will have to overcome. While this is very helpful for thinking through alternative strategies for achieving our goals, it is also a sign of lack of discipline when thoughts about â€Å"the process† of achieving our vision continually crowd out our focus on the outcomes we  seek. We must work at learning how to separate what we truly want, from what we think we need to do in order to achieve it. A useful starting exercise for learning how to focus more clearly on desired results is to take any particular goal or aspect of our vision. If we ask ourselves the question. â€Å"If I actually had this, what would it get me?†, the answer to that question reveals â€Å"deeper† desires lying behind the goal. In fact, the goal is actually an interim step to reach a more important result. Ultimately, what matters most in developing the subconscious rapport characteristic of masters is the genuine caring for a desired outcome, the deep feeling that it is the â€Å"right† goal. The subconscious seems especially receptive to goals in line with our deeper aspirations and values. People with high levels of personal mastery do not set out to integrate reason and intuition. Rather, they achieve it naturally – as a by-product of their commitment to use all the resources at their disposal. They cannot afford to choose between reason  and intuition, or head and heart. The discipline of seeing interrelationships gradually undermines older attitudes of blame and guilt. We begin to see that all of us are trapped in structures embedded both in our ways of thinking and in the interpersonal and social milieus in which we live. Our knee-jerk tendency to find fault with one another gradually fades, leaving a much deeper appreciation of the forces under which we all operate. Mental Models New insights fail to get put into practice because they conflict with deeply held internal images of how the world works. That is why the discipline of managing mental models – surfacing, testing, and improving our internal pictures of how the world works holds the key to building learning organizations. The problems with mental models arise not because they are right or wrong but because we often act without being aware of them. The healthy corporations are ones which can systematize ways to bring people together to develop the best possible mental models for facing any situation at hand. Learning skills fall into two broad classes: skills of reflection and skills of inquiry. Skills of reflection concern slowing down our own thinking processes so that we can become more aware of how we form our mental models and the ways they influence our actions. Inquiry skills are concerned with how we operate in face-to-face interactions with others, especially in dealing with complex issues. People who become lifelong learners practice â€Å"reflection in action,† the ability to reflect on one’s thinking while acting. Our mind tends to move at lightning speed. We immediately â€Å"leap† to generalizations so quickly that we never think of testing them. Our rational minds are extraordinarily facile at â€Å"abstracting† from concrete particulars – substituting simple concepts for many details and then reasoning in terms of these concepts. But our very strengths in abstract conceptual reasoning also limit our learning, when we are unaware of our leaps from particulars to general concepts. Leaps of abstraction occur when we move from direct observations (concrete â€Å"data†) to generalization without testing. Leaps of abstraction impede learning because they become axiomatic. What was once an assumption becomes treated as a fact. To spot leaps of abstraction, we need to keep asking what we believe about the way the world works – the nature of business, people in general, and specific individuals. We need to ask â€Å"What is the ‘data’ on which this generalization is based?† We need to ask, â€Å"Am I willing to consider that this generalization may be inaccurate or misleading? This is a powerful technique for beginning to â€Å"see† how our mental models operate in particular situations. It reveals ways that we manipulate situations to avoid dealing with how we actually think and feel, and thereby prevent a counterproductive situation from improving. Most managers are trained to be advocates. In fact, in many companies, what it means to be a competent manager is to figure out what needs to be done, and enlist whatever support is needed to get it done. Individuals became successful in part because of their abilities to debate forcefully and influence others. Inquiry skills, meanwhile, go unrecognized and unrewarded. But as managers rise to senior positions, they confront more complex and diverse issues. Suddenly, they need to tap insights from other people. They need to learn. Now the manager’s advocacy skills become counterproductive. What is needed is blending advocacy and inquiry to promote collaborative learning. When operating in pure advocacy, the goal is to win the argument. When inquiry and advocacy are combined, the goal is no longer â€Å"to win the argument† but to find the best argument. When we operate in pure advocacy, we tend to use data selectively, presenting only the data that confirm our position. When we explain the reasoning behind our position, we expose only enough of our reasoning to â€Å"make our case,† avoiding areas where we feel our case might be weak. By contrast, when both advocacy and inquiry are high, we are open to disconfirming data as well as confirming data – because we are genuinely interested in finding flaws in our view. Likewise, we expose our reasoning and look for flaws in it, and we try to understand others†™ reasoning. Learning eventually results in changes in action, not just taking in new information and forming new â€Å"ideas.† That is why recognizing the gap between our espoused theories (what we say) and our â€Å"theories-in-use† (the theories that lay behind our actions) is vital. Otherwise, we may believe we’ve â€Å"learned† something just because we’ve got the new language or concepts to use, even though our behavior is completely unchanged. Systems thinking is equally important to working with mental models effectively. Most of our  mental models are systematically flawed. They miss critical feedback relationships, misjudge time delays, and often focus on variables that are visible or salient, not necessarily high leverage. Understanding these flaws can help to see where prevailing mental models will be weakest and where more than just â€Å"surfing† the mental models will be required for effective decisions. Ultimately, the payoff from integrating systems thinking and mental models will be not only improving our mental models but altering our ways of thinking. T his will result in shifting from mental models dominated by events to mental models that recognize longer-term patterns of change and the underlying structures producing those patterns. Shared vision Shared vision is vital for the learning organization because it provides the focus and energy for learning. While adaptive learning is possible without vision, generative learning, occurs only when people are striving to accomplish something that matters deeply to them. In fact, the whole idea of generative learning will seem abstract and meaningless until people become excited about some vision they truly want to accomplish.  Vision creates the spark, the excitement that lifts an organization out of the mundane. Shared vision fosters risk taking and experimentation. People know what needs to be done. Even if they don’t know how to do it, they keep experimenting till they succeed. But even when they experiment, there is no ambiguity at all. It’s perfectly clear why they are doing it. Organizations intent on building shared visions continually encourage members to develop their personal visions. They want people to have their own vision, not to â€Å"sign up† for someone else’s. That leads to compliance, not commitment. On the other hand, people with a strong sense of personal direction can join together to move toward what they truly want. Personal mastery is the bedrock for developing a shared vision. This means not only personal vision, but commitment to the truth and creative tension – the hallmarks of personal mastery. The origin of the vision is much less important than the process whereby it comes to be shared. It is not truly a â€Å"shared vision† until it  connects with the personal visions of people throughout the organization. In many organizations, most people are in states of formal or genuine compliance with the organization’s goals and ground rules. They go along with â€Å"the program,† sincerely trying to contribute. On the other hand, people in non-compliance or grudging compliance usually stand out. They are opposed to the goals or ground rules and let their opposition be known, either through inaction or through grudging obedience. An organization made up of genuinely compliant people will be very productive and cost effective. Yet, there is a world of difference between compliance and commitment. The committed person brings an energy, passion, and excitement that cannot be generated if he is only compliant. The committed person does not play by the â€Å"rules of the game.† He is responsible for the game. If the rules of the game stand in the way of achieving the vision, he will find ways to change the rules. A group of people truly committed to a common vision is an awesome force. They can accomplish the seemingly impossible. Building shared vision is actually only one piece of a larger activity: developing the â€Å"governing ideas† for the enterprise, its vision, purpose or mission, and core values. These governing ideas answer three critical questions: â€Å"What?† â€Å"Why?† and â€Å"How?† †¢ †¢ †¢ Vision is the â€Å"What?† – the picture of the future we seek to create. Purpose (or â€Å"mission†) is the â€Å"Why?† the organization’s answer to the question, â€Å"Why do we exist?† Core values answer the question â€Å"How do we want to act? A company’s values describe how the company wants life to be on a day-to-day basis, while pursuing the vision. There are two fundamental sources of energy that can motivate organizations: fear and aspiration. Fear can produce extraordinary changes for short periods, but aspiration is a continuing source of learning and growth. Vision spreads because of a reinforcing process of increasing clarity, enthusiasm, communication and commitment. As people talk, the vision grows clearer, enthusiasm for its benefit builds and the vision starts to spread in a reinforcing spiral of communication and excitement. Enthusiasm can also be reinforced by early successes in pursuing the vision. If the reinforcing process operates unfettered, it leads to continuing growth  in clarity and shared commitment toward the vision, among increasing numbers of people. But any of a variety of limiting factors can come into play to slow down this virtuous cycle. The visioning process can wither if, as more people get involved, the diversity of views dissipates focus and generates unmanageable conflicts. People see different ideal futures. Must those who do not agree immediately with the emerging shared vision change their views? Do they conclude that the vision is â€Å"set in stone† and no longer influenceable? Do they feel that their own visions even matter? If the answer to any of these questions is â€Å"yes,† the enrolling process can grind to a halt with a wave of increasing polarization. This is a classic â€Å"limits to growth† structure, where the reinforcing process of growing enthusiasm for the vision interacts with a â€Å"balancing process† that limits the spread of the vision, due to increasing diversity and polarization. In limits to growth structures, leverage usually lies in understanding the â€Å"limiting factor,† the implicit goal or norm that drives the balancing feedback process. In this case, that limiting factor is the ability (or inability) to inquire into diverse visions in such a way that deeper, common visions emerge. The visioning process is a special type of inquiry process. It is an inquiry into the future we truly seek to create. If it becomes a pure advocacy process, it will result in compliance, at best, not commitment. Approaching visioning as an inquiry process does not mean that we have to give up our views. On the contrary, visions need strong advocates. But advocates who can also inquire into others’ visions open the possibility for the vision to evolve, to become â€Å"larger† than our individual visions. Visions can die because people become discouraged by the apparent difficulty in converting them into reality. As clarity about the nature of the vision increases, so does the awareness of the gap between the vision and current reality. People become disheartened, uncertain, or even cynical, leading to a decline in enthusiasm. In this structure, the limiting factor is the capacity of people in the organization to â€Å"hold† creative tension, the central principle of personal mastery. This is why personal mastery is the â€Å"bedrock† for developing shared vision – organizations that do not encourage personal mastery find it very difficult to foster sustained commitment to a lofty vision. Emerging visions can also die because people get overwhelmed by the demands of current reality and lose their focus on the vision. The  limiting factor becomes the time and energy to focus on a vision. In this case, the leverage must lie in either in finding ways to focus less time and effort on fighting crises and managing current reality, or to break off those pursing the new vision from those responsible for handling â€Å"current reality.† A vision can die if people forget their connection to one another. This is one of the reasons that approaching visioning as a joint inquiry is so important. The spirit of connection is fragile. It is undermined whenever we lose our respect for one another and for each other’s views. We then split into insiders and outsiders – those who are â€Å"true believers† in the vision and those who are not.

Public Awareness of Stroke Risk Factors and Warning Signs

Public Awareness of Stroke Risk Factors and Warning Signs Introduction Stroke is defined as a sudden neurological deficit caused by impairment in perfusion to the brain (M. Bornstein, N 2009). The WHO estimates that by year 2030, 80% of all strokes will occur in low and middle income countries and high quality of health statistics are essential for planning and implementing health policy in all countries. Of all neurological diseases, stroke is the most preventable. The need to increase public awareness of stroke risk factors and warning signs has been identified as critical to addressing the large gaps in knowledge. An important aspect of improving understanding of stroke was to prevent strokes from occurring in the first place, by increasing public awareness of the risk factors (Britain, G 2009). Act F.A.S.T(face, arm, speech, time) campaign was laughed and organized by MOH in most of the countries and which has been effective in improving the public’s recognition of the symptoms of stroke . There are a lot of researches had been done to know the effectiveness of campaign and programs. This paper will review two articles to test the stroke awareness and risk factors in general population. Methods Two articles were chosen from Bio Med Central, using key words of stroke, awareness, risk factors, warning signs. The criteria were established with articles of data collection strategies, identification of the main study, full text and up to date published in between 2007 to 2008. Abstract The abstract is a brief description of the study placed at the beginning of the article about 100 to 150 words and it allows readers to assess whether to read the full articles of the report (POLIT, D. F., BECK, C. T 2010). Both articles illustrate background objective, method, results and conclusions in one paragraph clearly and concise, which stimulates the reader to read full articles. In (W Wahab, K. et al. 2008) article, author conducted the cross sectional study of ability to identify one risk factor of stroke warning sign at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in southern Nigeria whereas in (Hickey, A. et al. 2009) article, discovered lack of public awareness about stroke warning signs and risk factors which contribute to reducing mortality and morbidity from stroke. Introduction/Research problems Successful fundraising professionals reveal that only 10 percent of their time is actually spent soliciting major gifts whereas the other 90 percent is spent researching prospects and developing strategies. For that reason, it is extremely important for an organization to allocate resources to establish a prospect research program (Ciconte, B. and Jacob, J 2009). (BASTABLE, S. B. 2006) said an introduction should provide the reader with an understanding of how the study fits into what is already known about the research topic and provides a justification as why this particular piece of research is important. Central phenomena, concepts, the study purpose, the hypotheses (POLIT, D. F., BECK, C. T. 2010) were briefly described in these two articles. In Hickey, A. et al. (2009) article, the author has discussed needs of increase public awareness of stroke risk factors and warning signs in older adults, at higher risk for stroke with relevant references and the study was conducted across two jurisdictions the republic of Ireland and northern Ireland. In (W Wahab, K. et al2008) article, author has discussed due to the spite of high case fatality rate from stroke in Nigeria, the study was designed to assess the knowledge of warning signs in patients with hypertension, diabetes mellitus or both conditions that are modifiable risk factors for stroke. Research question Both articles have been introduced in a general way at the end of the introduction, it is worth restating it before the methods section to refocus the reader’s attention though there is no actual research question is posted nor hypothesis. Literature review (Gliner, J. and Morgan, G 2000) explained that in most journals, the introduction and literature review are together in one section which is untitled in APA format, but some journals will separate these two titles. As can see, there are no subtitles of literature review in these two articles. However, the reader felt that both articles used primary sources briefly summarize the existing knowledge, which provided a state of evidence and solid basic. Some of the studies mentioned in the literature review for both articles were consider up to date as the oldest reference is dated as 1998. Research Approach Both articles, study were conducted using questionnaire by interviewers. In Anne article mentioned the reason why this approach was adopted. (POLIT, D. F., BECK, C. T 2010) stated that quantitative researchers use several criteria to assess the quality of a study, referred to as its scientific merit. Quantitative research is identified with traditional scientific method that gathers data objectively in an organized, systematic, controlled manner so that the findings can be generalized to other situations, population which can find in these two articles. Research Design Both articles used experimental research; which maintains the greatest control over the research settings and takes the form of randomized controlled trails (RTC) where participants are randomly selected into the different groupings. The RTC is generally considered the ‘gold standard’ of study designs (Kirch, W 2008). In (Hickey, A. et al 2009) article, study involved a cross sectional survey of randomly selected community based older people in the republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. (Houser, J 2012) described that the quantitative studies, the design will detail how the subject will be selected and assigned to groups, the way the intervention will be applied, a measurement strategy, and a plan for data analysis. Ethic approval has been granted and informed consent was provided in both articles. Sample In both articles, researches used simple random sampling, which is the most basis form of probability sampling (REIS, H. T., JUDD, C. M 2000). The sample size was enough in these two studies. However (Offredy, M. and Vicker, P 2010) concludes that there are no simple rules we can apply that is the correct size sample for the research. Sample size depends largely on aims and purpose of the research, as well as the current time and methodology used to undertake the research study (SMART, J. C. 2009). In (W Wahab, K. et al 2008) article, the study was conducted at the Irrua specialist teaching hospital from January to march 2007 with 225 eligible patients was approached for the study. All participants were recruited with a diagnosis of hypertension, diabetes mellitus or both were interviewed about knowledge of stroke warning signs by attending doctors. In (Hickey, A. et al 2009) article, the study involved 2033 participants of a cross sectional survey of randomly selected aged of 65 + in the republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Interviews were conducted in participant’s own homes asking knowledge and warning signs of stroke by trained market researchers. This article did not mention duration of the study has been conducted. Both articles declared ethical considerations and consent taken. Data Collection and Analysis In both articles, the researchers used the questionnaire that was used and re corrected in pilot study to collect the data. In (Hickey, A. et al 2009) article, no information is given as when the data was collected. But the researcher has clearly explained the appropriateness of the methods and survey data was statistically adjusted prior to analysis to avoid potential bias. Descriptive and comparative analyses were carried out using the Stata version 8.2. The chi square test was used to examine differences between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in recognition of stroke risk factors and warning signs. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the effects of demographic variables and the presence of risk factors on stroke. In (W Wahab, K. et al 2008)article, researcher excluded those who participated in the pilot and history of stroke to avoid bias as they have been primed to seek for information. Researcher failed to describe the appropriateness of methods. Data was analyzed with statistical package for the social sciences version 11( SPSS Inc), a very widely used computer program designed to aid the statistical analysis of data in the course of research (KEMP, R., SNELGAR, R 2006) , means and standard deviations were determined. Means were compared using Chi-Square Test to analyze variances. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was done to determine independent predictor of ability to identify warning sign from among baseline variables. Reliability and Validity Validity is the one if the obtained results are truthful and believable. In order to determine the validity, the researcher generally poses a series of questions, and will often look for the answers in the research of others to know the measurements accurately.( Kirk and Miller 1986) identified three types of reliability referred to in quantitative research, which relates to: (1) producing the same results under same measurement conditions (2) the stability of a measurement with respect to time; and (3) the similarity of measurements in a given time period. This has not been discussed by the researchers in both articles. Results Overall, both articles results was statistically analyzed and presented in a way that average reader could understand. Tables are clear and promote clarity of the text. (Hickey, A. et al 2009) article’s table 1 showed significant demographic differences between the samples. Adjusted odds ratio analysis indicates that higher levels of knowledge were significantly associated with having second level education or grater and geographic location. Less than half of the population correctly identified stroke risk factors in table 2. In (W Wahab, K. et al 2008) article, table 1 results showed that primary education was the highest educational attainment in 30.2% of the respondents. In table 2, no warning sign was identified by 60.4% while 39.6% was one sign identified. Gender (Male), 11 or more years of education emerged as the independent predictors of ability to identify at least one warning sign in table 3 on multiple logistic regression analysis. Discussion In(W Wahab, K. et al 2008) article, the authors have interpreted the findings and made comparisons with India, Australia and Developed countries studies. The authors have discussed the finding related to research questions, aim clearly and stated that their study has potential limitations as its cross sectional and hospital based nature that the results might not be completely generalized to the community. They also suggested for further community based study to ascertain the generalizability of their results and there is no obvious bias seen in the discussion. In (Hickey, A. et al 2009) article, the discussions were clearly explained the findings related to research hypotheses and analyze with US and mass media campaigns to be more effective. Limitations of their study is possible bias however the research team sought to minimize the possibility by having all interviewers receive the same training and work from a standardized script. Also suggested that need more longitudinal study investment in future. The authors had brought attentions to the National Health Service in UK system to provide a similar program me in Republic of Irelands. Conclusion The authors had suggested the need for substantial population health education with regard to stroke prevention and management is critical to a future reduction in Anne article. Recommendations were clear, relate to findings and encouraged for further study in (Hickey, A. et al 2009) article. In (W Wahab, K. et al 2008) article,conclusion were mentioned clearly includes the finding, suggestions related to aims. Also recommended to do regular community education programs through mass media, radio and television using the appropriate local language. Both articles references were accurate and well written for overall. Implementation Time is brain, May is the National stroke awareness month, a month dedicated to raise awareness about the nation’s fourth leading cause of death and disability (Stroke.org 2013). This annual event is sponsored by the National Stroke Association, intended to engage individuals, community organizations and business in the effort to educate the public about how to prevent stroke through risk factor management, response to stroke symptoms and spread hope from stroke recovery. I am working in an acute local hospital; medical unit specialized of gastro logy and neurology. From my experiences, most of the family members are not aware of stroke. Today, patient education is a topic of significant interest to nurses in every setting in which they practice. As teaching is a major aspect of nurse’s professional role, I do explore information to patient or family members regarding the stroke and awareness of stroke, risk factors provide with booklet from the hospital. There are also stroke specialize nurses in my hospital, who are giving moral support, needs for the patients and family members. Health promotion role of hospital nurses was to emphasize the need to influence, and help patients modify health beliefs and lifestyle together with disease related teaching (Piper, S 2009) The focus of care is on outcomes that demonstrate the extent to which patients and their significant other have learned the knowledge and skills necessary for independent living (BASTABLE, S. B. 2006). It is important for every nurse to teach public and learning will continue to increase in this era of healthcare reform.