Discuss and critically analyse the perceptual factors that affect Essay

Discuss and critically analyse the perceptual factors that affect consumer decision making in 2010 - Essay Example December 9, 2006. April 4, 2011. 12 Beneke, Justin. Consumer perceptions of private label brands within the retail grocery sector of South Africa. African Journal of Business Management. 4.2. pp. 203-220.February, 2010. April 2, 2011 12 ConsumerReports.org. Chevrolet, Ford, and Subaru jump in brand perception Toyota is tops, according to new Consumer Reports survey. 2010. April 2,2011. 12 Introduction The different companies spread along a global scale are endeavoring to tap newer markets and gain large number of customers through the marketing of products and services on the online sphere. In fact, the development of the internet environment has helped in governing the purchase decisions of the consumers to a large extent. The development of marketing activities online has helped the consumers to gain access to a larger number of options for products and services from large number of companies. Moreover the customer also can conduct feasible product and service searches based on pri ce and quality parameters through the online environment which gives them a better edge in taking effective marketing decisions. The online marketing of goods and services conducted through the creation of attractive websites excites both the sight and sound stimulus of the consumers and compels them to go for the product. Websites are designed by the companies through the incorporation of multimedia textures like strong visual imagery and textual patterns along with superb sound effects. These factors help the companies in stealing the minds of the consumers easily and in compelling them to make the needed purchase. However considerable amount of research has confirmed that consumers tend to conduct purchases more effectively in a physical sphere than depending on the online environment. Thus companies tend to selectively represent some specific products in the online sphere while representing a plethora of different varieties in the retail outlets. (Chen & Quin, 122-123). Growth i n the Sales of Electronic Books An article published in the New York Times by Julie Bosman during 4th February, 2011 reflects the growth of sales of books in the online market during 2010. This also reflects the change in tastes of consumers which has again shifted to the literary end as a means of entertainment. The consumers reflect a shift of entertainment interest from viewing televisions to reading books. Surveys conducted shows that books which have mainly countered an increase in the digital sphere mainly belong to the category of children fictions. However certain publishers like Harper Collins also reported that books belonging to the adult fiction category also have sold like hot cakes. This rise in the online sales of the fiction books mainly started during the period of holidays where in the previous days the consumers were mainly stuck in the television front. The availability of large number of titles in the electronic

Why hunting is possitive Essay Example for Free

Why hunting is possitive Essay The human being has been hunting ever since time began. It was the only way of life back then. A hunter was either successful and survived or not successful and died. Hunting is still a way of survival for some people. There are many anti-hunting activists out there trying to bring down hunting. They say that it is cruel and mean to kill a defenseless animal. What they don’t understand is that if we didn’t hunt, the world would be completely different. Hunting has many positive effects on not only the environment but also the economy and people’s life. When people think of the most dangerous animal in North America they think of bears and sharks. There have only been 28 deadly bear attacks and 10 deadly shark attacks in the past 10 years (Rice, 2011). The most dangerous animal may well be the deer. There are nearly 32 million deer alive today (25 Reasons, 2013). With roads and highways going through areas that are heavily populated by deer, more than 1 million car accidents are caused by dear per year. Due to those 1 million car accidents, there is $1 billion in vehicle damage, 200 deaths and 10,000 personal injures per year (Rice, 2011). Hunting lowers the risk of a driver hitting a deer. For every deer hit by a car, hunters kill 6 (25 Reasons, 2013). When a hunter kills a deer they take away the chance of that deer getting hit by a car. If we didn’t hunt, those numbers of vehicle accidents caused by deer would go up dramatically because the population would be higher. Hunting is also a method of conservation as it keeps the population of animals down, keeping them compatible with human activity. Hunters not only help wildlife conservation by keeping the population down but also by purchasing the weapons and ammunition. In 1937 hunters requested an 11% tax on weapons and ammunition by introducing the Pittman-Robertson Act. The tax from this Act generates $371 million dollars a year (25 Reasons, 2013). In just state licenses and fees alone, hunters generate $769 million a year for conservation programs (25 Reasons, 2013). Altogether including donations hunters pay more than $1. 6 billion dollars for conservation (25 Reasons, 2013). The money goes to conservationist across the country (Hunting and Wildlife, 2012). The land area and the number of licenses in that area is what decide where the money gets  distributed (Hunting and Wildlife, 2012). The money supports conservation efforts by the department of natural resources such as conducting research, wildlife reintroductions, and improving wildlife habitat. Hunting conservation not only keeps the population of animals down, but it can also help bring the numbers of endangered animals up. Hunting regulations and conservation efforts have brought many species’ populations from few numbers to many. In 1907 only 41,000 elk remained in North America, now there are more than 1 million. In 1900 there were only 500,000 whitetail deer and  only 100,000 wild turkeys, now there are more than 32 million whitetail and 7 million wild turkeys (25 Reasons, 2013). Also many non-hunted animals benefit off the conservation efforts that hunters provide (25 Reasons, 2013). These animals were able to make a rebound in their numbers by the conservation efforts. These efforts include the conservationist protecting the land and making untouchable areas. President Theodor Roosevelt was an avid hunter and conservationist. He created 230 million acres of protected forest and wetlands for wildlife (25 Reasons, 2013). Hunting has a major impact on the economy. There are a total of 15. 5 million hunters over the age of six in the United States of America (Fueling, 2013). When a person goes hunting they have to have gear to hunt. Hunters also sometimes travel to go hunt, whether it is in a different state or just down the road. The purchase of the gear and travel has an impact on the American economy. In 2011 American hunters spent $38. 3 billion dollars in hunting equipment and travel expenses. That is more than the revenue of Comcast for that same year (Fueling, 2013). Travelers spent $10. 4 billion on trip related expenses in 2011 (Fueling, 2013). The total amount of money spent on gear in 2011 was $27. 9 billion (Fueling, 2013). Duck and geese hunters use decoys and calls when they hunt. They spent $302 million on the decoys and calls in 2011 (Fueling, 2013). A hunter cannot 1 / 2 hunt without a weapon whether it is archery or a firearm. In 2011 hunters spent a total of $6 billion on guns, ammunition, and archery equipment (Fueling, 2013). Hunters are improving the American economy in these hard economic times. In 2011 hunters in America have spent 30% more on hunting than five years ago (Fueling, 2013). Another aspect of the American economy is providing  people with jobs. Hunters supply the people of America with over 680,000 jobs (25 Reasons, 2013). Those 680,000 people are able to have an income and support their family because of hunters. Hunting is a tradition passed down from generation to generation. People have been hunting since the beginning of time. The ways of hunting have changed the way life is today. Back in the time of the Native Americans they didn’t have a grocery store that they could go and get food at. The men were hunters and warriors and the women would plant gardens and take care of the village. They  depended on the men to go and kill an animal that would feed their family and tribe. These tactics have been passed down from generation to generation and has evolved immensely. Not only has the ways of hunting evolved, but also the tools used to hunt have evolved. People today still depend on hunting as a primary source of meat for their families. Hunting puts food on the table for survival. A buck that is 180 pounds that is killed will yield 72 pounds of meat (How Much, 2005). In 2012, 31,140 bucks were harvested in Michigan (Frawley, 2012). If all of those bucks weighed 180  pounds then 2,242,080 pounds of venison to feed families would have been harvested. There were a total of 418,012 harvested in Michigan in 2012 (Frawley, 2012). 418,012 deer fed families and was food on their tables. Hunting can teach many responsibilities and life lessons. The first lesson hunting can teach is how to handle a powerful weapon. In order to use a weapon to hunt, a hunter has to take a hunters safety class to learn how to use the weapon and how dangerous it is. A weapon is such a simple machine but powerful enough to take a life. A person has to respect and learn how to handle the  weapon with care and responsibility. Learning how to use the weapon can provide a person with a way to defend them if they were in harm’s way. When a person is out hunting they get to respect and observe the beauty of nature. They can view how delicate it can be but also how much strength it can hold. Hunting teaches survival skills such as how to clean the animal, how to be self-sufficient by providing yourself with a meal and pulling the trigger on an animal. Overall hunting is positive in many ways. It has been tradition since the beginning of time. There are many ways that hunting is improving and evolving. There are many more changes that can happen to make it more successful. It has many contributions to an individual, a creature, and a country. References Frawley, B. (June, 2012). Michigan deer harvest survey report 2012 seasons. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, http://www. michigan. gov/documents/dnr/ MI_Deer_Harvest_Survey_Report_2012_426213_7. pdfFueling the American economy. (2013), America’s sporting heritage, http://www. sportsmenslink. org/uploads/page/Economic%20Impact%20Report%20E-version. pdfHow much will your deer yield, (July 10, 2005). Butcher amp; Deer, http://www. butcher- packer. com/index. php?main_page=document_general_infoamp;products_id=331Hunting and wildlife conservation go hand in hand. (December 27, 2012), Department of Natural Resources, http://www. michigan. gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10370_12141-294259,00. htmlRice, D. (2011, November 1). Deer-car collisions increase this time of year. USA TODAY. http://usatoday30. usatoday. com/news/nation/story/2011-10-31/deer-car-accidents- rise/51019604/125 reasons why hunting is conservation. (2013), Rocky mountain elk foundation, htt p://www. rmef. org/Conservation/HuntingIsConservation/25ReasonsWhyHuntingIsConservation. aspx POWERED BY TCPDF (WWW. TCPDF. ORG).

Difficulty Writing an essay at Tertiary Level -- English Writing

Writing an essay at Tertiary level is an extremely difficult process. â€Æ' Introduction The ability to write a quality piece of writing at the tertiary level is a procedure that does not come easily. As mentioned in Marshall and Rowland (2006, p.195).the complexity of developing a style of writing that is personal and academic while processing and developing thoughts and concepts into a presentable piece of academic writing can be a daunting process ( myself included ). This essay will discuss some of the barriers a student may experience during their writing experience. The development of research and reading skills in their approach to learning and difficulties a student may experience due to procrastination and consequently questioning the usefulness of the essay as a learning tool. Motivation and Reasoning â€Å"For many students essay-writing is the bane of their lives. They question the usefulness of essays, make heavy weather of writing them, and generally try to put them off for as long as they can get away with it†(Rowntree,D. 1974, p.65). In this quote from Rowntree the discussion is over the initial process, the assimilation of ideas and knowledge. Most students would agree that the most difficult part of the process is to organise ideas and concepts into words on paper, especially words that they feel to convey their thoughts as Barnett, cited in Marshall and Rowland (2006, p.145).mentions. The question does need to be asked ‘Who (or what) am I writing this essay for?’Marshall and Rowland (2006, p92).argue that we write only for our tutor or lecturer as a means to assess our scholarly efforts. I disagree with this and would side with the view from Rowntree (1974, p65).that the written essay make... ...r Conclusion Essays are not an easy task, but they can be a task over which the student has the most control. Importantly, the written essay teaches a student to think by giving them skills to analyse a topic systematically and communicate their thoughts about the topic in a logical way. Essays are about learning and showing proof of the research effort, your knowledge and your depth of understanding of a topic. References Marshall, L. and Rowland,F. (2006). A Guide to Learning Independently. Malaysia: Pearson Education Australia. Orr, F. (1992). Writing essays. In Study skills for successful students. North Sydney: Allen and Unwin. Pauk, W. (1969). The research paper,Time and technique. Journal of Reading 13. Reprinted as Scholarly writing: A case study. , p.25-32. Rowntree, D. (1974). How to Write Essays. London: MacDonald.

Childhood Is the Happiest Time of a Person’s Life Essay

I do agree the idea that the most joyful time for every person without any doubt would be their childhood. Since people are different in many areas, they may have different opinions about the reasons; however, I believe that childhood is the happiest time because first children at that age do not have any special responsibility, and second they are children and their mind and the way they think completely different from teenagers and adults. In other words, their minds are free. First, as a child you do not have to take any noticeable responsibility. You just play and enjoy your daily life. A child does not get into the troubles of for example studying, going to work or even having family duties like a father or mother. In case of everyday life, matures are dealing with a lot of chores and duties. Take the case of a mother for instance, she should have to take care of the house, do the daily chores such as cooking, ironing, cleaning and boring duties like that. Moreover, she has to look after of her child or children too. Considering that she does not have to work like her spouse outside the house. Children’s most important concern would be the size of their bicycle or the number of their toys they possess. Second, as a child your mind is largely free from many things which may cause challenge such as political or financial issues. Furthermore, in that period they tend to make friends much easier unlike teenagers. The things they are looking in a friendship are not materialistic. The purpose of make a link with their peers would not be for using them in further critical situations. They simply make friends to play with each other or to share their toys. Beside mentioned points, their needs are not much complicated. They would become easily happy by giving them a notebook and bunch of color pencils as if they are given a luxury car or a high-ranked position in a company. In conclusion, I consider the childhood time as the most memorable and happiest for everyone mostly because at that age, our expectations from life and other people around us are very simple and would not cause anyone trouble.

The Important Changes of the Gilded Age

The changes that occurred in the Gilded Age led to shaping American into the superpower and well respected international country that it is recognized as today. The most important changes were the discovery of uses of copper, the assembly line production technique and the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. The uses of copper that were introduced during the Gilded Age allowed the development of necessities of life as we know it in the United States today. Because of its ability to transmit electricity and sound, it is used in telephone and telegraph systems and electric lighting – technologies that were developed and introduced during the Gilded Age. It is almost impossible to imagine what our present day lives would be like without telephones, computers and other electronic devices that evolved from the inventions that developed from the discovery of uses of copper during this great period. Henry Ford†s use of the assembly line in manufacturing the first cars in large numbers would survive and evolve to being one of the most efficient techniques of manufacturing otherwise complex and time-consuming products. The assembly line, which is still in use in many factories today, would cut the time of production and would also cut down the skills necessary to build and manufacture products. Before the assembly line, for example, a product would be crafted by a skilled person who possessed the knowledge of making the product. It would take a long time to manufacture because the manufacturing would be done alone or by a few workers. The assembly line would have a â€Å"line† of workers who would do just one function of the manufacturing process. For example, one worker would only put on a tire and that†s what that one worker would do all day long. The assembly line would, in turn, require only laborers, instead of skilled workers, to be used on the assembly line. Labor! ers would be paid much less than skilled workers and would work towards the manufacturer†s advantage. Ford†s use of this technique of labor management would allow him to make his millions quickly and efficiently. This change in focus of function instead of skill would allow efficient productivity. Without the assembly line, factories today would run more slowly and would have much smaller output than with the assembly line. Another change from the Gilded Age would be the completion and use of the first transcontinental railroad. Not only was it functionally great, but it was symbolic also. This would join the west and the east in a week†s time journey instead of taking several months. It was also a symbolic change in that the East and West were finally connected. The West would become a more accessible area for resources and settlement. This was a proud achievement of the United States also because of its own greatness in length and size. The railroads were a crucial part of the industrialization of the U.S. during this time period. They were an important part of transportation during these times. The Gilded Age gave birth to many of the corporations that exist today. The ideas, inventions and discoveries of this time were necessary for America to be where it is at today.

Cat Scans essays

Cat Scans essays A CAT Scan or CT Scan is also known as a computed axial tomography. The CT Scan is a technique that allows relatively safe, painless, and rapid diagnosis in previously inaccessible areas of the body. An X-ray tube, rotating around a specific area of the body, delivers an appropriate amount of X radiation for the tissue being studied. It then takes pictures of that part of the internal anatomy from different angles. The CT Scan creates a type of X-ray that uses a computer to produce detailed cross-sectional images of the body. A computer program is then used to form a composite, a readable image. The images are then assembled in a computer into a three-dimensional picture that can display organs, bones, blood, and soft tissues in great detail. A CT Scan can take 10 minutes to about an hour depending on the area of the body to be examined. CT Scans are done in various parts of the body. For example, CT Scans can be done in the pulmonary area to check for fluid (pulmonary edema), which could be a sign of congestive heart failure. CT Scans may also be done on the head for emergency treatment for a stroke. A scan of the back would show any problems with bulging or herniated discs. Also, a CT Scan may be done to assess for tumors or other disorders in other areas of the body. There are some precautions to consider before a CT Scan exam can be administered. Since the CT Scan uses X-rays, pregnant women should not have an abdominal or chest CT Scan done. During the exam the physician will need to use a special dye, so the patient should report any history of blood clotting or allergic reactions to iodine, shellfish (crab or shrimp) or strawberries to the physician before the exam. There are different methods of preparation depending on the type of CT Scan performed. For a CT Scan performed on the head there is no preparation unless a contrast medium is ordered, then you should not eat or drink for 4 to 6 hours before the ex ...

the problem of violence in schools essays

the problem of violence in schools essays The problem of violence in schools today is a major concern. Crime in and around schools threatens the well being of students, as well as the school staff and the surrounding communities. It also holds back learning and student achievement. The problem is more defined in the public school system than in catholic schools. Catholic schools seem to express a better-rounded teaching environment. Most catholic schools have less tolerance than they do in public schools. It is said that the wearing of a uniform helps to keep more peace in the school. The students do not get made fun of for not wearing brand name clothing. The laughing and making fun of the other students is what contributes to low self-esteem, which one of the traits for a student who is likely to bring violence into school. More than half of U.S. public schools have reported at least one crime incident in 1997. Also one in ten schools reported at least one serious violent crime during this school year. Ten percent of all public schools had experienced one or more serious violent crimes (e.g. murder, rape, suicide, sexual battery, and physical attack of fighting with a weapon or robbery) reported to police or other law enforcement during 1997. Crime and violence seem to be more of a problem in middle and high schools than in elementary schools. In 1997 forty-five percent of elementary schools reported one or more acts of violence. Seventy-four percent of middle schools and seventy-five percent of high schools had reported incidents of violence. One of the goals of the National Education Goals states that by the year 2000, all schools in America will be free of drugs and violence and the unauthorized presence of firearms and alcohol, and offer a disciplined environment that is conducive to learning. This goal has obviously not yet been reached, but there still is some time left for them to reach this goal. The crimes that are most frequentl...

The 14 ACT Grammar Rules You Must Know

The 14 ACT Grammar Rules You Must Know SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The ACT English section consists of questions that test your knowledge of grammar and writing style. By learning and understanding the grammar rules tested on the ACT, you'll be well on your way to getting an excellent ACT English score. In this article, I'll explain the most important ACT English grammar rules and provide sample questions from real ACTs. How to Use This Guide to ACT Grammar Rules The ACT English section tests numerous grammatical concepts, with many appearing consistently on every test.In this guide, I’ll give you explanations and examples for the most commonly tested ACT grammar rules.Keep in mind that there are also style and organization questions on ACT English that are unrelated to specific grammar rules. This article is a great study tool if you are trying to get a middle score, just starting your ACT English studying, or reviewing the most importantACT grammar rules.If your target score is above 30, you should also study the grammar rules that are only rarely tested on the ACT. For more examples or explanations of the rules I discuss below, or if you want to learn more about ACT grammar rules,read our other articles onACT English. The 14 Most Commonly Tested ACT Grammar Rules These rules are by far the most important for you to learn and understand in order to conquer the ACT English section. I've linked each rule to the article in which it's explained more thoroughly. You can also find in these articles explanations for related grammar rules that are less important but still tested on the ACT. #1: Surround Non-Restrictive Clauses and Appositives With Commas Comma rules are extremely important to know for the ACT, and these comma rules are repeatedly tested on ACT English. Relative Clauses: Restrictive vs Non-Restrictive Relative clauses are dependent clauses that describe a noun and start with a relative pronoun or adverb such as "who," "that," "which," or "where." The basic rule is that non-restrictive clauses should be surrounded by commas, whereas restrictive clauses should not be. On the ACT, clauses that start with "which" are always non-restrictive, and clauses that start with â€Å"that† are always restrictive.Therefore, clauses that start with â€Å"which† should always be surrounded by commas, whilethose that start with â€Å"that† should never be. What's a Restrictive Clause? Restrictive clauses are essential to the meaning of the sentence. You can’t take a restrictive clause out of a sentence without significantly changing the meaning of the sentence. Here’s an example: People who wear sunglasses indoors aren’t invited to the party. If you remove the clause "who wear sunglasses indoors," you substantially change the meaning of the sentence. You wouldn't know which people aren't invited, and you’d be left with "People aren’t invited to the party."Because you can’t remove this clause without changing the meaning of the sentence, the clause should not be surrounded by commas. This kid can't come to the party. (Court Kizer/Flickr) What's a Non-Restrictive Clause? A non-restrictive clause is not essential to the meaning of the sentence. If you got rid of the clause, the sentence would still make sense, and its meaning wouldn’t change.Here’s an example sentence with the non-restrictive clause underlined: My day, which consisted of eating and studying calculus, was incredibly boring. The clause "which consisted of eating and studying calculus" adds more information about my day, but if it were removed, the overall meaning of the sentence would be unchanged. This is what the sentence looks like if we remove the non-restrictive clause: My day was incredibly boring. As you can see, the overall meaning of the sentence is the same. The sentence is still describing my day as boring; we just have less information detailing why it was boring. Actual ACT Example The clause "who had gathered essential material critical to writing his best-selling novel Roots from a griot in Gambia" is a non-restrictive clause which adds more information about Alex Haley. Since a non-restrictive clause must be surrounded by commas, the correct answer is D. What Is an Appositive? An appositive is a descriptive phrase that doesn’t include a verb. Like a non-restrictive clause, an appositive can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence. Here’s an example sentence with the appositive underlined: Lily, my niece, is the most exceptional child in the world. If we get rid of the appositive, the sentence still has the same meaning: Lily is the most exceptional child in the world. This isn't my niece. Actual ACT Example The phrase "known as the Navajo code talkers" is an appositive and thereforemust be surrounded by commas. Because the original sentence is correct,the correct answer is F.Answer choices G and J are both wrong because there is no comma after "group." Also, answer choice H is incorrect because it creates a run-on sentence. #2: Don't Put a Comma Before or After a Preposition On the ACT, it’s always incorrect to put a comma after a preposition and very rarely correct to place one before.Here are some example sentences that include commas incorrectly placed before or after prepositions: Ana enjoys traveling, to Hawaii for fun. Lucy was petrified to look under, the bed. The commas before "to" and after "under" should be removed. Here are the corrected versions of the sentences: Ana enjoys traveling to Hawaii for fun. Lucy was petrified to look under the bed. brownpau/Flickr The one exception to this rule is when a preposition introduces a non-restrictive clause. Here’s an example of this: Cade, with whom I went to college, is an extremely skilled physician. The clause "with whom I went to college" is a non-restrictive clause that provides more information about Cade. Because non-restrictive clauses must be surrounded by commas, the comma before the preposition "with" is correct. Keep in mind that this situation rarely comes up on the ACT. Generally, commas shouldn’t be put before or after a preposition on the test. Actual ACT Example The comma before the preposition "of" is wrong; there also shouldn’t be any comma after "rights." Therefore, the correct answer is C. On the ACT, if you’re unsure whether or not there should be a comma, it's best toerr on the side of leaving the comma out. #3: Don't Separate Two Independent Clauses With a Comma Separating two complete thoughts with a comma is a grammar error known as a comma splice, and it's the most common type of run-on sentence that appears on the ACT. Here's an example of a comma splice: I’m going to my friend’s house, it’s really far away. As you can see, the clauses before and after the comma are complete thoughts that could stand alone as sentences. There are a few ways to correct a comma splice. One is to place a conjunction after the comma: I’m going to my friend’s house, but it’s really far away. Alternatively, you can put a relative pronoun after the comma: I’m going to my friend’s house, which is really far away. Finally, you can use a semicolon to correctly separate two complete thoughts: I’m going to my friend’s house; it’s really far away. I'm not sure what this means. (Laura Olin/Flickr) Actual ACT Example Both clauses before and after the comma are independent and could stand alone as sentences; therefore, this sentence is a comma splice. Since adding a conjunction after the comma corrects the comma splice, the correct answer is B.While answer choice C also adds a conjunction, this choice doesn’t work since the word "so" doesn’t make sense in the context of the sentence. ("So" implies a cause-effect relationship, whereas "and" connects two related thoughts.) #4: Use the Fewest Words Possible When it comes to the ACT, the shortest, grammatically correct answer choice that expresses the same information as the original sentence will be the right answer.Sentences that are more concise are easier to comprehend. Wordiness On ACT English, wordiness is a grammatical error in which words or phrases are added to a sentence unnecessarily. Here's an example of a wordy sentence: Melissa enjoys having fun by way of shooting at the gun range. And here is the corrected version of the sentence: Melissa enjoys shooting at the gun range. Clearly, the second sentence is more concise, and it stillcontains all the relevant information that’s in the first sentence. That looks like a fancy gun- but, then again, I don't know anything about guns. Actual ACT Example The phrase "as time goes by" is unnecessary- it doesn’t add any information that can’t be inferred without it. Answer choices B and C are incorrect because the sentence already implies that her collection grows "gradually" and "with the passing of time." Thus, the correct answer is D. Redundancy Wordiness and redundancy are similar errors. Ifa word or phrase is redundant, this means it can be eliminated without altering the meaning of the sentence. Here is an example of a sentence with a redundancy error (the underlined part): I quickly finished the test in a rapid manner. The phrase "in a rapid manner" is redundant because the word "quickly" already implies that I finished the test rapidly. This sentence can therefore be corrected by simply getting rid of the redundant phrase: I quickly finished the test. Actual ACT Example The word "peril" means danger; therefore, the phrase "dangerous peril" is redundant- that is, the word "dangerous" can be eliminated without changing the meaning of the sentence. This means thecorrect answer is J. Jumping out of an airplane can put your life in peril. (Morgan Sherwood/Flickr) #5: Modifiers Must Be Next to What They're Modifying The general rule regarding modifiers is that they must be placed next to whatever it is they're modifying. On ACT English, there are two types of modifier errors, which we introduce below. Misplaced Modifiers Generally, adjectives and adverbs go before the word they’re modifying, and prepositional phrases go after the word they’re modifying. Here's an example of a misplaced modifier: George broke the plate inthe kitchen that his mom bought on their vacation. The way the sentence is written makes it seem as though George’s mom bought the kitchen(instead of the plate) on their vacation. Here is a corrected version of the sentence: In the kitchen, George broke the plate that his mom bought on their vacation. Now, it’s evident that George's mom bought the plate- not a kitchen!- on their vacation. Actual ACT Example The phrase "in pink-tinted glasses" should come after the word it’s modifying. From the sentence, we can safely assume that it was the woman who was in pink-tinted glasses. Answer choice G is the most logical, grammatically correct answer. Dangling Modifiers When a sentence begins with a modifying phrase, the introductory phrase must be immediately followed by a comma and the noun being described. Here’s an example of a dangling modifier, with the incorrect part underlined: While walking through the grocery store, Jane’s shopping cart knocked three bags of Doritos onto the floor. The way the sentence is written makes it seem as though Jane’s shopping cart- instead of Jane- was walking through the grocery store. There are a couple of ways to fix the sentence. One is to place the noun that's being modified right after the comma: While walking through the grocery story, Jane knocked three bags of Doritos onto the floor with her shopping cart. Alternatively, you can place the subject in the introductory phrase: While Jane was walking through the grocery story, her shopping cart knocked three bags of Doritos onto the floor. Be careful with the Doritos. (theimpulsivebuy/Flickr) Actual ACT Example The original sentence implies that "she" died down; however, this doesn’t make much sense. From this sentence, we can infer that a fire dies down- not "she."Answer choice J is clear and concise, and it corrects the dangling modifier. #6: Keep Verb Tenses Consistent The basic verb consistency rule is that verbs should remain consistent in both tense and form throughout a sentence.Here’s an example of a consistency error, with the incorrect part underlined: Twenty-five years ago, Josh bought Cross Colours clothing and learns how to rap. The verb "learns" should be in the past tense. Not only should "learns" be consistent with the past tense "bought," but also the phrase "twenty-five years ago" indicates that this was something that happened in the past. Here's the corrected version of the sentence: Twenty-five years ago, Josh bought Cross Colours clothing and learned how to rap. Furthermore, the verb tenses of surrounding sentences can provide context clues for the proper tense to use in a given sentence to maintain consistency. Here's another example of a consistency error: Natalie works in fashion. She liked keeping up with the latest style trends. The shift from the present tense "works" to the past tense "liked" doesn’t make sense in context, and the verb tenses should remain consistent. Here's a corrected version of the sentence: Natalie works in fashion. She likes keeping up with the latest style trends. Actual ACT Example The verbs "continue" in the first sentence and "score" in the second sentence are in the present tense; as a result,the shift to the past tense with the word "were" doesn’t make sense given the context. To fix this error, we must change "were" to the present tense. The correct answer is C. (Answer choice D unnecessarily adds the infinitive "to be.") #7: Choose the Right Word Based on Context Word choice is a common topic on the ACT English section. Word choice refers to knowing which specific word to use in the context of a given sentence. There are two common types of word choice questions that often appear on the ACT. Homophones Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings.Here are some homophones that have appeared on the ACT: its - it's their - they're whose - who's would've - would of All the words with apostrophes are contractions (it's = it is, they're = they are, who's = who is, and would've = would have). By contrast, "its," "their," and "whose" show possession. Finally,"would of" is always wrong and should be corrected to either "would have" or "would've." You might also come across the word "its'," which is not a real word and will thus always be incorrect. Here is an example of a word choice error: The committee chose not to defend it’s decision. In this sentence, the use of the contraction "it's" is incorrect. Instead, we should use the possessive word "its" to indicate thatthe decision belongs tothe committee: The committee chose not to defend its decision. Related Words The second type of word choice error on the ACT involves synonyms or related words. With this type of question, a word will be underlined and the answer choices will be related words. However, only one word will be correct given the context of the sentence. Actual ACT Example The context of this sentence indicates that the underlined word should signify that the celebration is made bigger or more important. Even though "heightened," "raised," and "lifted" can all mean making something higher, only the word "heighten" can mean to deepen or intensify. Therefore, the correctanswer is A.The celebration isn’t literally lifted up but rather made more important. These types of questions can be difficult becausethey require a deep knowledge of vocabulary. They’re hard to prepare for since you don’t know which words will appear on the ACT. However, if you are able to recognize a word choice question, hopefully you’ll be able to select the right word using the context of the sentence. Also, you can keep track of word choice questions from previous ACTs. #8: Use the Correct Idiomatic Expression Idiom questions don’t conform to specific rules. You have to rely on your intuitive grasp of English and your knowledge of specific phrases to choose the right idiomatic expression. On most idiom questions on the ACT, you’ll be asked either to determine which preposition to use in a given sentence, or whether to use a gerund or an infinitive. Prepositional Idioms For prepositional idioms, you need to know which preposition to use based on the context of the sentence. Here’s an example sentence with a prepositional idiom error underlined: Because Alexis was three hours late, I was worried of her. The correct expression is "worried about." There's no specific rule you can learn to identify this error; you just have to be familiar with the phrase. Idiom questions are the only types on ACT English for which it's in your best interest to rely on what sounds right. Idioms With Gerunds or Infinitives Gerunds are verbs that act as nouns and end in "ing."Examples of gerunds include "running," "talking," and "singing."Infinitives are verbs used as nouns; they are constructed by putting the word "to" before a verb.Examples of infinitives are "to run," "to talk," and "to sing." While gerunds and infinitives can be interchangeable in some sentences, other sentences require the use of one or the other.Here’s an example of an idiom error: You decided reading this article. In the sentence, the gerund "reading" should be changed to an infinitive: You decided to read this article. Unfortunately, there is no specific rule you can rely on to know when to use a gerund or infinitive in an expression. Try to use your knowledge of idioms and keep track of idiom questions on previous ACTs. Actual ACT Example The correct expression is "right to wear clothing," sothe correct answer is C. Enokson/Flickr #9: A Pronoun Must Agree With Its Antecedent This rule means that a pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number. A plural pronoun must refer to a plural noun, and a singular pronoun must refer to a singular noun.Here's an example of a pronoun number agreement error: Marshall forgot their homework. The pronoun "their" is referring to the homework of Marshall. Because Marshall is one person and "their" is a plural pronoun, this sentence has a pronoun agreement error. Here is the corrected version of this sentence: Marshall forgot his homework. Real ACT Example In this sentence, the plural pronoun "them" refers to the Navajo language, which is singular. The pronoun "it" at the end of the sentence also indicates that the underlined pronoun should be in the singular form. The correct answer is C.Answer choice B is wrong because it has a subject-verb agreement error. #10: Use Apostrophes Correctly to Form Possessives There are almost always a couple of apostrophe questions on the ACT. If you know apostrophe rules, these questions should be relatively simple. If a word is singular or plural and does not end in "s," you add an "s" after the apostrophe to make it possessive.Here are a couple of examples: I am the people’s champion. Joe’s career isn’t going very well. To create a possessive for a plural word that ends in "s," just add an apostrophe after the "s." Here is an example of this: The traditionalist thought that all of the basketball players’ shorts were too long. Actual ACT Example This sentence is referring to the age of one person; therefore, the correct version of the possessive pronoun is "person’s."The correct answer is A.Answer choice D is wrong because a comma can’t come between a subject and a verb. #11: Colons Must Come After a Complete Sentence Colons are usually used to introduce lists or explanations.The key rule for colons is that they must come after a complete sentence. So if you were to end the sentence where the colon is placed, the sentence should make sense and be a complete thought.Here is an example: Incorrect: Sabrina needs to purchase a few items for her project like: construction paper, paint, and glitter. Correct: Sabrina needs to purchase a few items for her project: construction paper, paint, and glitter. The first sentence is incorrect because the part of the sentence that comes before the colon isn’t a complete thought. Actual ACT Example In this sentence, the colon is unnecessary and improperly placed. The part before the colon isn’t a complete thought. In answer choices H and J, the commas are unnecessary. The correct answer is therefore answer choice G. #12: Semicolons Separate Two Complete Thoughts Semicolons are like periods; they separate two independent clauses.As a result, you should be able to replace any semicolon with a period. On ACT English, you might find a randomly placed semicolon or need to replace a comma with a semicolon in order to fix a comma splice.Here are two example sentences with semicolons used both correctly and incorrectly: Incorrect: Because Dave wanted an adrenaline rush; he decided to go skydiving. Correct: Dave wanted an adrenaline rush; he decided to go skydiving. The second sentence is correct because the clauses on both sides of the semicolon are independent and could stand alone as sentences. Actual ACT Example Here, the semicolon is just randomly placed after the verb "are"; there is no independent clause on either side of the semicolon. Since no punctuation is necessary after "are," the correct answer is answer choice C. #13: Use the Correct Relative Pronoun The ACT likes to test your knowledge of relative pronouns. There are two specific relative pronoun rules that are important to know for ACT English. Relative Pronouns Must Agree With Their Antecedents Here are what different relative pronouns can be used to refer to: who and whom - people only when - specific times or time periods only where - places only which- any noun other than a person that- any noun whose- possessive that can be used for people or things In many situations, more than one relative pronoun can work. However, in other situations, only one will be acceptable. Here's an example of a relative pronoun error: Incorrect: I love going to restaurants in whichI can get unlimited breadsticks. Correct: I love going to restaurants where I can get unlimited breadsticks. The relative pronoun here is referring to "restaurants"- a location- so "where" is more concise and appropriate. Breadsticks! (apasciuto/Flickr) Here is another example: Incorrect: Johnny enjoys books where he gets to choose his own adventure. Correct: Johnny enjoys books in which he gets to choose his own adventure. A book isn’t a location; therefore, "where" is the incorrect relative pronoun. Media, including books, movies, and articles, should be modified with "in which." Who vs Whom You might have no idea when to use "who" or "whom," but the rule isn’t actually that complicated. Basically, "who" is used as a subject and "whom" is used as an object.A subject does an action or is being described, whereas an object has something done to it. An object can be an object of a verb or preposition. Take a look at our article on pronoun case for more information about subject case vs object case. Now, let's take a look at a couple of examples. First, here is an example sentence using the relative pronoun "who": James, who is my friend, lives in Oklahoma City. In this sentence, "who" is being used correctly. The word "who" is modifying James, and he is my friend. Next, here's an example sentence that uses the relative pronoun "whom": My aunt, from whom I got this jacket, is a very interesting woman. In this sentence, "whom" is also being used correctly. The word "whom" modifies my aunt; I got the jacket from her. You should be able to substitute he/she/they for "who" and him/her/them for "whom." Also, always use "who" before a verb and "whom" after a preposition. Actual ACT Example Remember that "where" can only be used to modify a location. Because storytellers are people, "where" is incorrect.Now, let’s find the right answer. Answer choice D is wrong because the "they" after "that" is unnecessary. Additionally, since the relative pronoun comes before a verb, you can’t use "whom." This means thatthe correct answer is B.The word "who" modifies the storytellers who are doing the action. #14: Subjects and Verbs Must Agree Subjects and verbs must agree, meaning that you must use the singular form of a verb with a singular subject and the plural form of a verb with a plural subject.Take a look at these example sentences: Incorrect: Rock stars likes to entertain adoring fans. Correct: Rock stars like to entertain adoring fans. The King! If the verb is in the present tense and the subject is in the third person (he/she/it/they), the verb usually ends in "s" in the singular form and does not in the plural form.In the example above, the subject is "rock stars," which is plural; therefore, the verb "like" should also be in the plural form ("like" instead of "likes"). On the ACT, subject-verb agreement questions can be even more difficult if there is a phrase that separates the subject from the verb. Here's an example of this: Incorrect: The clothes in my bedroom is in my closet. Correct: The clothes in my bedroom are in my closet. The subject of the sentence is "clothes," which is plural, so the verb should be in the plural form. However, the prepositional phrase "in my bedroom" separates the subject from the verb. If a verb is underlined, make sure you identify the subject that corresponds with the verb to ensure that the subject and verb agree with each other. Also, keep in mind that a subject can never be contained in a prepositional phrase. Actual ACT Example This is a relatively basic subject-verb agreement question. Looking atthe previous sentence, we know that the verb should be in the present tense, so G and H are wrong. The subject of this sentence is "molecules," which is plural. Therefore, we should use the plural form of the verb "bump." The correct answer is J. Other Grammar Rules on ACT English While the rules I explained above are the most often tested on ACT English, there are some other grammar rules that will be tested as well. Here are the links to our other articles that explain the remaining grammatical rules you'll need to know for the ACT: Parallelism Run-on Sentences and Fragments Adjectives vs Adverbs Punctuation Commas The Complete Guide to ACT Grammar Rules What's Next? Now that you're comfortable with the grammar rules on ACT English, make sure you know about style and organization questions. These include questions dealing withadd and delete options, author's main goals, transitions, and macro logic. In addition, we recommend masteringthe five critical concepts you must understand to be able to ace ACT English. Finally, to excel on the ACT English section, you'll need to determine the best approach for reading passages. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by ACT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today:

Selfawareness and career management feedbaack Essay - 1

Selfawareness and career management feedbaack - Essay Example The essence of self-Management is self-awareness. You cannot manage anything without adequate and accurate information. The same applies to the management of self. I will be looking carefully at my MBTI results and analyzing them. Any single one of these instruments need not be accurate and sufficient in it self. If a combination of them is pointing me in a similar direction there could be something, which is of importance there. As such I would also look at the feedback that I have received from my colleagues. And then summarise these using the Johari window. I would however like to begin with what I call are my core cultural values. Core Cultural Values Theses are values, which have moulded me to what I am today, and make me function the way I do. Discovering them has been a journey, which is still in progress. The initial uncovering of these values began with me understanding something about my family of origin. My family is a close knit entrepreneurial family. One of the core val ues of my family of origin is family honour. Right and wrong have been important elements of my family. However when it comes to family honour they can be clouded. While I have seen that most of my friends in the west appear to look down on this. I see this as something that can be very comparable to the team ethic that is being increasingly talked about in the business studies arena and in corporate language. In my newfound western setting my belief then is that team goals must supersede individual goals. As my personality goes this is very difficult for me, and I have to remind myself that I have to function in this manner. This is difficult for me as seen from my timeline in appendix ‘1’. I have been a very successful student. Success in studies is an individual success, and defeat in academics is largely an individual defeat. As seen it is only in my adult life that I have started to enjoy and be good at sports. This has begun to moderate my individual yearnings. In dividual success in studies has worked well for me as it has enlarged family pride. Due to this it has been well supported by my family. In my adult life I have begun to step out of the family business and flap my wings in a more management type setting than my family entrepreneurial setting. I soon realize that I cannot take support from people around me for granted like in a family setting. I have to earn this support, and there was somewhat of a learning curve before I understood, that to get support you have to give support. This was somewhat foreign to me until I looked at my colleagues as team members. When I began to look at them, as family it became even easier. I am still very individualistic but realize that I need the support of those around me, which is not a given. It has to be earned. Earned by supporting them. The second aspect of core cultural values comes from my religious beliefs. My faith has been an integral part of me. While my belief is very fatalistic, it has still also taught me to believe that I can make a difference. Living with this two-sided tension has not been easy, until a friend pointed out that it is a good thing, which can cause me to mature very fast. I have tried to hold onto that explanation in recent times. While God is taking care of things in this world according to his plan that he wants me to make my contribution as well. This has caused me to come to an understanding that I cannot leave problems to be attended by

Discussion Post #4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Post #4 - Essay Example Goldhirsh immense passion for social views and his argumentative nature presents him as a woody and a more allelic person. On the brighter side, some of his laborers still liked him. They felt at ease and comfortable with his management style. In addition, Goldhirsh compares entrepreneurship with the great satisfaction that comes from docking after making it through an unrelenting storm. Entrepreneurship is about having the right idea, objectives and motivation for progress and development. For example, Goldhirsh talks gracefully of Dr. Edwin Land, who broadly motivated him with his robust approach to business (Burlingham 194). As a result, Bernie Inc developed to become one of the most established US Steel Company. Interestingly, Goldhirsh compares entrepreneurship with artistry. It is the art of creating something like a business out of something like a bold idea. It is fascinating how a combination of skills, ambition and drive can motivate the development of such a big

I don't know yet Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

I don't know yet - Term Paper Example Jazz music is a renowned form of music and it attained huge acceptance and reception at the time of its initiation till date. Jazz has the legacy to turn and immune people through its massive and colossal impact. The inception of this form of music took place at Southern States of America. Throughout then, Jazz music has influenced the masses and it has emerged in all parts of the world. African Americans basically introduced this form of music in the 20th century. This form is also known as the duet of European and African music forms. After its commencement into the music industry, different musicians of the world added various numerations to it so that it would be more delightful and enjoyable. The purpose of this paper is to signify the radical changes that have been made to Jazz music through its inception till date. How this field emerged and what momentous impact this has brought to the society. It also discusses the essential diversification in various counties, development phase in Africa and the modern jazz conception these days. The paper does not discuss only the historic perspective but it gives a horizon to grasp the real essence of jazz music. The origins of jazz music inception can be tracked down into the year 1808 when a large majority of slaves came to United States. These slaves brought their cultural norms, traditions and values into America and mystical music form was one of it. They observed the scenario prevailing in United States regarding music and for cultural collision; they developed a unique and prestigious form of music. This form of music was widely accepted among the masses due to its elegant tone and melody. People were easily able to grasp the true spirit of this music. This was a big success by the African immigrants (Thompson, p.29). The duet of African, European and American music was the real innovative thing brought from this music. African slaves visited festivals of America to

Role of Management Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Role of Management Accounting - Essay Example Apart from collecting, recording and reporting the financial matters, the main role that the managerial accounting plays is of the budget. The budgets are a major aspect of an organization. It is the vital organ in the industry that controls the overheads and makes certain the preparation of an organization for the upcoming period and challenge. Budgets function as analysts that outline the prospect as to how the company is going to dwell in the upcoming phase. Without a strategic planning, an organization cannot carry on. The budget helps the company to ensure that the spending limits are adequate. Speaking about the managerial and financial accounting, the basic difference between them is that the managerial accounting interprets the people working in a specific organization. It analyzes the work that is going on and also plans for the work that would take place, aiming for a better future of the company as they do so. Whereas, the financial management relates to the effective use of money that can be utilized and maximize the value of the firm as well. They are the base on which the profit making of the whole company depends. They are the protectors of the company’s assets and strengthen the accountability, exhibiting on how the financial supplies are utilized. Thus, managerial accounting plays a fundamental role in the success of an organization. It requires awareness and skills to outline the challenges that are faced by the company. Overcoming them and organizing them helps a business to prosper and interact with other business organizations more fluently and more

The Pentateuch Torah Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Pentateuch Torah - Essay Example Why was Abraham chosen It does not reflect on the reason. Yet such a choice shows that either god did not know what he was doing or that what he has befriended is just a manner of showing how priviledged a person could be to be a messenger of god for no reason apparent but that god 'feels' like choosing him. Also, if Abraham was the father of all prophets and has his descendants to be kings and prophets and the chosen people among humans who will carry out the love and message of god to all his creations, then why bestow it on his children Why wasn't the choosing of a prophet something relying on intellect from people who have exhibited understanding of the universe by sole understanding through and by themselves which makes them deserve such choice Why is it that children who were only lucky to be children of prophetic parents and messengers of god get the priviledge of being prophets in return without having to seek it at all in their life Is it because god sees that they will be raised a good raise and that they will be directed to the right path since their childhood and that they will never have to exert effort to make people like or fight for their purpose after paining efforts to convince them but that god will do that for them What is the reason of such priviledge Also, why is it that Moses believes that his brother aaron could be more of an orator to the pharaoh other than himself whom he fears might complicate things and not deliver the message properly because he has killed someone against their fight with an Israelite Isn't he a child of god And why does he face a stained reputation as a killer of someone who is not Israelite when god could have given him the reputation worthy of kings without having to kill someone to face the pharaoh in such as the manner indicated in the torah(the fear of confrontation and of being killed) Also, why is it that such a person has to live away from his family and friends when he has to become a prophet Why does a prophet seek seclusion to meet god and talk to him Why couldn't he do it in public Why leave out all the other people Why would god want this Why would he want people to believe in his presence without seeing him and for prophets such as Moses to see him to confirm to them that what they are delivering from messages of god to ordinary people is not a hoax to them What is the purpose The Pentateuch has some difficulties to be confronted throughout reading it, one of the major difficulties are understanding the linguistics and vocabulary of the language which has been evolving throughout the ages of its writing and exposure to changes of social and understanding of the world and universe when explaining the world to people who know nothing beyond what is in the papers of the book, the Pentateuch The torah has problems such as understanding what the word of god is and how extremely important it is. Giving the followers of Moses the privilidge of talking to people and saying that they are the chosen children of god, why are they massacred throughout history and hated so much Is it because of the ancestors' misunderstanding of the torah and of Moses and his teachings when he returned back from the mountain after having spoken to god about the teachings which must be ruling the earth Why haven't they accepted it Why has god chosen a people

Role of Management Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Role of Management Accounting - Essay Example Apart from collecting, recording and reporting the financial matters, the main role that the managerial accounting plays is of the budget. The budgets are a major aspect of an organization. It is the vital organ in the industry that controls the overheads and makes certain the preparation of an organization for the upcoming period and challenge. Budgets function as analysts that outline the prospect as to how the company is going to dwell in the upcoming phase. Without a strategic planning, an organization cannot carry on. The budget helps the company to ensure that the spending limits are adequate. Speaking about the managerial and financial accounting, the basic difference between them is that the managerial accounting interprets the people working in a specific organization. It analyzes the work that is going on and also plans for the work that would take place, aiming for a better future of the company as they do so. Whereas, the financial management relates to the effective use of money that can be utilized and maximize the value of the firm as well. They are the base on which the profit making of the whole company depends. They are the protectors of the company’s assets and strengthen the accountability, exhibiting on how the financial supplies are utilized. Thus, managerial accounting plays a fundamental role in the success of an organization. It requires awareness and skills to outline the challenges that are faced by the company. Overcoming them and organizing them helps a business to prosper and interact with other business organizations more fluently and more

Consumer Behaviour and Segmentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Consumer Behaviour and Segmentation - Essay Example The researcher states that the goal of market segmentation is to identify distinct consumer groups that have homogeneous needs. Tailoring the marketing mix for particular segments leads to better planning and more effective use of marketing resources. Coles and Culley, for example, illustrate how DuPont segmented its market for Kevlar, an aramid fiber that is lighter yet stronger than steel. The company focused the unique needs of consumers in three different segments. Potential fishing boat owners: Kevlar's lightness promised fuel savings, increased speed, and the ability to carry more fish weight. Aircraft designers: Kevlar has a high strength-to-weight ratio. Industrial plant managers: Kevlar could replace the asbestos used for packing pumps. The market segmentation design, based on product benefits, is widely recognized as the state of the art and superior to traditional segmentation schemes based on industry type or consumer size, sustaining a segmentation strategy based on benefits alone is often difficult for the product market. Eventually, in a competitive market, competitors are able to offer equivalent products and the abnormal profits start to deteriorate. This situation is especially prevalent for industrial raw materials and supplies that are difficult to differentiate by functions and features alone. As the product market turns a commodity, price and service become important buying criteria for some consumers.... In this paper the consumer buying behaviour model has been generally applied to segment consumers which can be used by many large industrial companies. In addition, it will be appreciated how segmentation analysis can be used proactively to influence consumers' movements to segments that are mutually beneficial to the seller and buyer. In contrast, previous application work (Moriarty and Reibstein 1986) attempted to uncover existing segments as a way to position products strategically. Consumer Buying Behaviour Model & Market Segmentation The consumer buying behaviour model is derived largely from economic theory of consumer demand and the normative concepts of economic man and rational behaviour. The assumptions of consumer demand specify that buyers, at the point of purchase, possess perfect information about products and prices, are certain of their own stable tastes and preferences, are capable of perfectly processing information, and can express preferences between goods and bundles of goods without cost (Schwartz 1986). The model for the consumer decision process is based on assumptions about the behaviour of economic man who chooses a good for its primary function. The rational decision maker adheres to the tenets of Herbert Simon's three-step model in which one (1) identifies the problem, (2) gathers information, and (3) makes a choice based on the information (Simon 1957). In spite of contemporary consumer behaviour texts resting heavily on the tenets of psychology and sociology to explain attitudes, motivati ons, and behaviour, the discipline holds fast to economic theory. Research on market segmentation offers several bases for segmenting consumers (Frank, Massy, and Wind 1972), including: demographic descriptors such

IPSec Architecture Essay Example for Free

IPSec Architecture Essay IPSec is a collection of protocols tied together to apply it’s potential as specified in the IPSec Architecture. It is necessary to comprehend the relationships and interaction of these protocols. Along with the design of the IPSec Architecture, various security documents like ESP ( Encapsulating Security Protocol) , AH (Authentication Header) and Antireply protection defines the protocol, the payload header format, and the services they provide. IPSec works by enabling a system to select its own security protocol, algorithms and cryptographic keys as required by the services. Versatile, it can protect multiple â€Å"paths† between hosts, security gateways or between host and security gateway. Security services provided by IPSec at the IP Layer are access control, connectionless integrity, data origin, and authentication, rejection of replayed packets, encryption, and limited traffic flow confidentiality. While services are provided in the IP layer, protocols like TCP, UDP, ICMP, BGP, and other IP based protocols can take advantage of IPSec. The better understand the relationship of between Protocols and Algorithms in the IPsec Architecture: The standard algorithm is placed to initiate interoperability in the Internet and combine with IPSec Traffic Protection and Key Management protocols allow systems and application developers to install superior, internet layer, cryptographic security technology. References: Doraswamy N, Harkins D. , (n. d. ), â€Å"IPSec Architecture†, Chapter 4 of IPSec- The New Security Standard for the Internet, Intranets and Virtual Private Networks (Prentice Hall), [online], http://www. microsoft. com/technet/itsolutions/network/security/ipsecarc. mspx Javvin Network Management and Security, (n. d. ), â€Å"IPSec : Security Architecture for IP Network†, [online], http://www. javvin. com/protocolIPsec. html.

Enablers and Inhibitors to Knowledge Management

Enablers and Inhibitors to Knowledge Management Enabling organizations to capture, share, and apply collective experience and know-how of people is emerging as fundamental to competing in the knowledge economy. There is a growing recognition in the business community about the importance of knowledge management. As a result, there is growing enthusiasm and activity centered on knowledge management. Some organizations have taken initiatives to understand and manage this critical resource. But, in spite of these initiatives, several organizations particularly the Small and Medium Enterprises still have not approached knowledge management activity formally or deliberately. The cause for this sluggishness towards knowledge management could be that most organizations are still struggling to comprehend the knowledge management concept. The reason for this confusion may be attributed to a gap between the emerging concept of knowledge management and the lack of understanding about it. To bridge the gap, the fundamental issue of identifyin g salient characteristics of knowledge management phenomena needs to be addressed. The key thesis is that enablers of the knowledge management paradigm often unravel inhibitors in adapting and evolving knowledge management systems for business environments that are characterized by high uncertainty and radical discontinuous change. This paper thus, explores by presenting a hierarchical model the enablers, inhibitors and identifies critical success factors necessary for a successful knowledge management initiative. The paper uses the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method to ascertain the relative importance of the influential factors towards a successful Knowledge Management implementation. Keywords: Knowledge Management Systems, Critical Success Factors, Analytic Hierarchy Process 1. Introduction The information era has caused enterprises to realize the shift from resource economy of controlling land, machines, factories, raw materials, and labor forces to the knowledge economy of creating business value through utilization of intangible knowledge. This has caused knowledge management to be of crucial importance and it has grabbed peoples attention and generated significant discussions both in the academia and industry. The true creation of business value today mainly comes from knowledge and its management. Knowledge is critical in obtaining competitive advantage within an enterprise (Sang and Hong, 2002), enterprises should consider the knowledge to be a critical resource and leverage it judiciously (Gupta et al., 2000; Liebowitz, 2003). To facilitate the knowledge accumulation process, enterprises must encourage employees to share their experience and knowledge with others meanwhile accumulating their knowledge as an organizational asset. Therefore, the activities of knowledge management should enable the creation, communication, and application of knowledge; and they should drive the capability of creating and retaining a greater value onto the core business competencies (Tiwana, 2001). However, there are concerns about enablers and inhibitors to implementing knowledge management for enterprises. In the process of carrying out knowledge management, organizations face varying conditions of corporate culture, workflow processes, and integration of all the employees knowledge. They also need strong support from top management, because it is possible that during the process they will encounter resistance from employees. Organizations also need to increase the usage of information technology in order to help the problem regarding the flow of information. Wong, (2005) suggest the need for a more systematic and deliberate study on the critical success factors (CSFs) for implementing knowledge management is crucial. Organizations need to be cognizant and aware of the factors that will influence the success of a knowledge management initiative. Ignorance and oversight of the necessary important factors will likely hinder an organizations effort to realize its full benefit. Wong, (2005) also indicate that previous studies of critical success factors (CSFs) for knowledge management implementation have been heavily focused on large companies. This is because most of the early adopters and superior performers of knowledge management were in fact large and multinational corporations. As such, existing factors are mainly large companies oriented, thereby reflecting their situations and needs. Directly applying these factors into the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) environment may not be sufficient without an understanding of their very own and specific conditions. Previous studies fall short of studying and identifying the CSFs from the SMEs perspective. They have not considered the features, characteristics and situations of smaller firms. Nor have they explored other factors, which could potentially be more important for SMEs when accomplishing knowledge management. This paper evolves a model for critical success factors for knowledge management implementations in small medium enterprises (SMEs) based on a questionnaire survey. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) framework has been developed for finding the importance of the influential factors. AHP is an effective quantitative tool that helps to prioritize problems, issues or variables based on relevant criteria and alternatives. The applicability and usefulness of the AHP approach as a multi-criteria decision-making tool is well acknowledged in the management literature. The present work has adopted this tool for segregating a few critical aspects of knowledge management implementation from the inconsequential many, so that organizations could focus only on those dimensions that are crucial for their success instead of spending a large quantity of time, effort and resources in mindlessly concentrating on peripheral issues. Hence the objectives of this paper are two-fold: To identify the criteria for the AHP model with respect to issues relating to critical success factors for knowledge management implementations in SMEs To present an AHP framework for absolute measurement of priorities in order to critically evaluate the issues relating to critical success factors for knowledge management implementations in SMEs. 2. Review of Literature 2.1 Enablers to Knowledge Management As organizations embark into managing their knowledge they need to be clear of the factors that influence knowledge management, which are known as knowledge management enablers. Enablers are the driving force in carrying out knowledge management, they do not just generate knowledge in the organization by stimulating the creation of knowledge, but they also motivate the employees to share their knowledge and experiences with one another, allowing organizational knowledge to grow concurrently and systematically (Ichijo et al., 1998; Stonehouse and Pemberton, 1999). Knowledge management enablers are the mechanism for the organization to develop its knowledge and also stimulate an environment within the organization for the creation and protection of knowledge. They are also the necessary building blocks in the improvement of the effectiveness of activities for knowledge management (Ichijo et al., 1998; Stonehouse and Pemberton, 1999). Knowledge management enablers include the methods of knowledge management, organizational structure, corporate culture, information technology, people, and strategies, etc. (Bennett and Gabriel, 1999; Zack, 1999; Davenport, 1997; Long, 1997). A study by Yu et al. (2007) identified a set of critical enablers such as knowledge management team activity, learning orientation, knowledge management system quality, and knowledge management reward for developing organizational capabilities of knowledge management. These critical enablers have a significant, positive influence on knowledge management performance. Research done by Yeh et al. (2006) concludes that strategy and leadership, corporate culture, people, and information technology are four of the enablers in knowledge management. They found that for the strategy and leadership enabler the most important part is to obtain the support of the top managers. For the corporate culture enabler, the important part is the forming of a culture of sharing but needs to be supplemented by information technology. For the people enabler, other than the training courses, the channels of learning and the incentive program for the employees are also key factors. As for the information technology enabler, the speedy search of knowledge for its re-use is becoming more and more important. In practice they discovered that the establishment of a dedicated unit is also a key enabler, and this enabler mainly plays the role of furthering knowledge management, taking communication, and coordinating with other departments as its duty. 2.2 Inhibitors to Knowledge Management The biggest inhibitor to knowledge management implementation arises from unwillingness of people to systematically organize their knowledge. Since, this cannot be solved with technology, different kinds of work are needed. Examples include the promotion of knowledge management amongst people, or requiring top management to give their people pressure to implement knowledge management (Yeh et al., 2006). Chatzoglou and Diamantidis (2009) conducted research that focused on the IT impact on firms non-financial IT risk. Their results indicate that IT risk factors affect mainly coordination and partially information ability but not productivity. Furthermore, the most significant risk factors affecting business performance are management ability, information integrity, controllability and exclusivity. Lin et al. (2005) suggest inhibitors in implementing the knowledge management arise out of strategic, perception, planning and implementation issues. The results of their research reveal that: From the strategic aspect, the upper management should address the enterprises strength, weakness, opportunities, and threats, and then formulate a suitable knowledge management strategy. Furthermore, they should be equipped with information about the activities and performance throughout the organization. From the perception aspect, the critical task of the top managers is to identify the core knowledge required to maintain competitive advantage. Employees and top managers work together for a common goal; thus, employee efforts can guarantee a successful implementation of the knowledge management. Therefore, an organization should provide suitable training and resources to the employees, and use information technology to provide a friendly repository to standardize and store knowledge. The organization should also establish an atmosphere emphasizing knowledge sharing and innovation and encouraging employees to form such a culture through a reward system. From the planning aspect, the action plan should include schedule, people involved and resources required, although it is difficult to transfer the necessary knowledge to the knowledge management plan due to non-standardization. Employees orientation toward knowledge management, including the awareness of the importance and benefits of knowledge management and IT skills for knowledge management process, should be completely addressed. Knowledge-oriented employee assessments can also fail if they are not linked closely to existing incentive systems. The company should take steps to build up the trust of the knowledge owners by associating knowledge sharing to pay and incentives. From the implementation aspect, a robust set of metrics that evaluates the value of the knowledge management after implementation will need to be developed. It is essential that the top managers instill in the employees the importance and benefits of knowledge management. Employees often fear that if they pass on their knowledge to others, they will endanger their own position, authority, even power in the organization. Training and communication are essential to calm down employees fears of change, and perhaps to help them to enjoy new ways of working with their colleagues. Thus, firms need to create the right circumstance around the organization, primarily in the areas of knowledge management activities and culture. Jennex and Zakharova (2005) suggest a holistic approach that addresses critical elements such as an effective technological infrastructure; integrating the technology infrastructure into everyday processes; having an enterprise-wide knowledge structure or taxonomy; a knowledge management strategy; knowledge management metrics of success and identification of inhibitors of knowledge usage. Lang (2001) identified several inhibitors to knowledge creation and utilization in organizations. First, there may be inadequate care of those organizational relationships that promote knowledge creation. Second, there may be insufficient linkage between knowledge management and corporate strategy. Thirdly, inaccurate valuation of the contribution that knowledge makes to organizations profits renders the value of knowledge management ambiguous. Fourthly, there may be a pervasive lack of holism in knowledge management efforts. Finally perhaps not something ordinarily considered a problem for managers to deal with -poor verbal skills may hinder the actual processes of knowledge creation. Plessis, (2007) feel that the management of the inhibitors to knowledge management would need to be a mix of cultural, organizational, process, management and technology initiatives. The challenge is to select and combine the methods and approaches available, and harness them to address the organizations business needs. 2.3 Critical Success Factors for Knowledge Management Generic critical success factors exist for knowledge management; however, each organizational environment and culture is unique and presents unique critical success factors. Co-creation with all relevant stakeholders is extremely important on this road to understand the organizational culture and idiosyncrasies well before embarking on a knowledge management journey, as far as possible. Critical success factors specific to an environment are, however, often only identified once the journey has started, and it is thus important for a knowledge management strategy to be flexible to take these factors into account. The end state will be different than the original strategy and roadmap for an organizational knowledge management implementation due to these unique critical success factors. Adaptability and flexibility to take unique critical success factors into account will therefore be a critical success factor in itself (Plessis , 2007). As asserted by Frey (2001), although large organizations have led the way in introducing and implementing knowledge management, it is increasingly important for small businesses to manage their collective intellect. Okunoye and Karsten (2002) stated that knowledge management has indeed become the underlying sources for successful organizations regardless of their size and geographical locations. Therefore, a better understanding of the CSFs for implementing it in SMEs is needed in order to ensure the success of their efforts. Wong, (2005) has grouped the critical success factors into a number of generic factors such as management leadership and support, culture, technology, strategy, measurement, roles and responsibilities, etc. These are common in knowledge management efforts and therefore, they are also believed to be applicable to SMEs. He suggests that one should also consider the needs and situations of SMEs when developing CSFs for them. Wong, (2005) proposes a comprehensive model for implementing knowledge management in SMEs. They are: management leadership and support; culture; IT; strategy and purpose; measurement; organizational infrastructure; processes and activities; motivational aids; resources; training and education; and HRM. Recently (He and Wei, 2009) discussed that Knowledge Management System users beliefs are contextually differentiated, and a distinction between knowledge contribution and knowledge-seeking behaviors and an adequate emphasis on their variance in terms of user belief is needed. Yang et al. (2009) identified crucial knowledge management enablers and examined their impacts on organizational performance. Chen et al. (2009) proposed an approach of measuring a technology universitys knowledge management performance from competitive perspective. Their approach integrates analytical network process with balanced scorecard that contains four perspectives, including customer perspective, internal business perspective, innovation and learning perspective, and financial perspective. Chang et al. (2009) investigates the key factors for knowledge management in the national government of Taiwan. Their study relied on two distinctive dimensions: core KM processes (organizational missions and values, IT applications, documentation, process management, and human resource) and KM performance (knowledge capture and transformation, business performance, and knowledge sharing and value addition). Wen (2009) developed an AHP model for the measurement of the effectiveness of Knowledge Management in Taiwanese high-tech enterprises. Thus, what emerges from the review of literature is the following: There are both enablers and inhibitors to knowledge management implementations in SMEs. Both enablers and inhibitors may be classified essentially into three broad categories technical, human, and financial. Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for knowledge management implementations are different for SMEs from that of large organizations. Critical Success Factors (CSFs) also depend on the management of the enablers and the inhibitors. Thus, it is beneficial for the SME to build a framework that would be used to prioritize the enablers and inhibitors towards a successful knowledge management initiative. For this reason we propose the AHP framework to prioritize influential factors contributing to a SMEs initiative towards the implementation of knowledge management. 3. Framework for Knowledge Management implementation Any successful managerial implementation requires management of enablers and the inhibitors. Similarly, in case of knowledge management it is important to have the information about the influential factors (enablers and inhibitors) for the successful implementation of knowledge management. Not all of the influential factors are equally important for the successful knowledge management. For this reason we have used the AHP framework for finding the importance of the influential factors. AHP has been widely used as an analytical tool for decisions related to knowledge management. Recent work by Wen (2009) in presenting an effectiveness measurement model for knowledge management using AHP is a contribution in this direction. In AHP the complex decision is structured into a hierarchy descending from an overall objective to various influential factors, sub-factors, and so on, until the lowest level. The objective or the overall goal of the decision is represented at the top level of the hierarchy. The factors and sub-factors contributing to the decision are represented at the intermediate levels. Finally, the decision alternatives or selection choices are laid down at the last level of the hierarchy. According to Saaty (2000), a hierarchy can be constructed by creative thinking, recollection, and using peoples perspectives. It should be noted that there is no set procedures for generating the levels to be included in the hierarchy. The structure of the hierarchy depends upon the nature or type of managerial decisions. Also, the number of the levels in a hierarchy depends on the complexity of the problem being analyzed and the degree of detail of the problem that an analyst requires to solve. As such, the h ierarchy representation of a system may vary from one person to another. In the present study the influential factors are determined via widespread investigations and consultations with various experts, and owner/managers of SMEs. Synthesizing the literature review from (Chang et al., 2009; Chatzoglou, and Diamantidis, 2009; Chen et al. 2009; He and Wei, 2009; Lai et al., 2009; Wen, 2009; Yang et al., 2009), the opinions of the experts and owner/managers are employed to obtain the two main factors: enablers and inhibitors. From these factors, 6 influential sub-factors for the successful implementation of knowledge management are briefly described as follows (refer to Figure 1 for complete hierarchical structure): Enablers (C1): This factor includes three sub-factors, C11: technical; C12: human; C13: financial. Inhibitors (C2): This factor includes three sub-factors, C21: technical; C22: human; C23: financial. According to the AHP methodology, weights (priorities) can be determined using a pair-wise comparison within each pair of factors. To determine the relative weights, owner/managers can be asked to make pair-wise comparisons using a 1-9 preference scale (Saaty, 2000). However, in the present study for the pair-wise comparison, we have relied on actual data, that is, the data extracted from the questionnaire survey. The advantage of using actual data (quantitative data) over preference scale for pair-wise comparison eliminates the need for consistency checks (Saaty, 2000). Technical Human Financial Enablers Inhibitors Successful Knowledge Management Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Figure 1: Framework for Successful Knowledge Management Implementation 4. Methodology Data Source: The research used both secondary and primary data. An extensive literature survey was undertaken, which helped in framing the questionnaire for the primary data collection. The focus of the study was on primary data. Research approach: The survey method was used for the study. Our primary data has been gathered using questionnaire technique. Our target population is all small firms in the National Capital Territory of Delhi (India) with turnover ranging from Rs. 50 million to Rs. 250 million and employment levels between 15 and 50 employees. Specifically, we are targeting the owners or top managers at these firms. For the purposes of this research, we used a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire included 60 questions in two sections such as: [A] Enablers to Knowledge Management [B] Inhibitors to Knowledge Management Contact Method: The questionnaires were sent via email and were telephonically followed up. Sample Size: Amongst the 4263 companies (as per Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy Prowess database) that belonged to the criteria in the entire country, 1039 such companies were located in the National Capital Region of Delhi, which included New Delhi, Delhi, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad and NOIDA. Due care has been taken to include only those companies that made the sample more representative thus, e-mail questionnaires were sent to 500 amongst these 1039 companies. 119 responses were received that formed the sample for the study. This is a 23.8% response rate, which is acceptable. Data Analysis: The data so collected were analyzed with the AHP techniques to arrive at weights (priorities). The following procedure has been adopted on the collected questionnaire survey data for pair-wise comparison of AHP. Firstly, we calculated the average value of 119 responses (preferences based on 5- point Likert scale) obtained for each question. These average values were calculated to describe the central location of an entire distribution of responses. Then for every said category we calculated the Composite Preference Value (out of 5) using the following relation: Composite Preference Value (CPF) = (Corrected Value à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Maximum Value) x 5 where, Calculated value = sum of the average values for the questions considered in a category. Maximum value = sum of the highest possible values that a respondent can choose for the questions considered in a category. 5. Research Findings The pair-wise comparison matrices showing the measure of each factors relative importance with respect to the overall objective of successful knowledge management is summarized in Table 1. For the pair-wise comparison of the factors and sub factors, we relied on inputs obtained from the survey. We consider two critical factors important for successful knowledge management: enablers and inhibitors. From the pair wise comparison the picture emerges that for successful knowledge management, enablers (50.86%) are marginally important over inhibitors (49.14%). The difference of relative importance being marginal suggests that enablers are important and inhibitors cannot be ignored. Thus it is important to harness the enablers about knowledge management and its associated benefits amongst owner/managers without loosing sight about the inhibitors for a successful knowledge management. Based on investigations and consultations with various experts and owner/managers of SMEs these critical factors (enablers and inhibitors) were further decomposed into three sub factors, namely, technical, human and financial for capturing reality (see Figure 1 for complete hierarchical structure). On pair-wise comparison of technical, human and financial sub factors corresponding to enablers; technical (37.07%) dominates the other sub factors, i.e. human (36.26%) and financial (26.67%). It implies that owner/managers of SMEs consider investments in technology as the ultimate solution to all problems. It may be noted that when the same technical, human and financial sub factors are compared pair-wise corresponding to inhibitors, financial sub factor (38.36%) dominates the other sub factors, technical (31.64%) and human (30.01%). The result suggests that financial considerations are predominant inhibitor towards embarking into knowledge management implementations. In what follows next, we use the bottom up approach to get the global relevance of technical, human and financial aspects towards successful knowledge management. Towards this we multiply the local relevance of technical, human and financial sub factors corresponding to their parent factors with the local relevance of the parent factors corresponding to overall objective, i.e. successful knowledge management. Finally, the obtained relevances of technical, human and financial aspects corresponding to the critical factors, i.e. enablers and inhibitors are added to get the global relevance. The results obtained for the global relevance of technical, human and financial aspects incorporating relevance of the critical factors, i.e. enablers and inhibitors; technical (34.40%) is most important followed by human (33.19%) and financial (32.41%). Owner/managers of SMEs need to prioritize their efforts towards successful knowledge management in terms of technical, human and financial aspects necessarily in that order: The owner/mangers of SMEs should work out strategies for successful knowledge management by optimizing the enablers aspect of technical sub factor while mitigating the inhibitors emerging out of the same sub factor. The owner/managers may focus on process improvement, system improvement, and business intelligence development on a priority basis. Simultaneously they should keep a watch on damage to knowledge infrastructure, copyright/patent infringement and data pilferage and theft. In terms of human sub factor the owner/managers should make necessary efforts to enhance employee competencies, satisfaction, and retention. At the same time they should endeavor to reduce employee turnover, corporate espionage and withdrawal of efforts on the part of the employees. Regarding financial sub factor the owner/managers should try their best to enhance return on investments on building knowledge infrastructure and promoting knowledge management practices while keeping operational costs under control. 6. Conclusion We have developed a hierarchical model for the implementation of successful knowledge management. In the proposed model, first we identified the influencing factors and sub factors for the implementation of successful knowledge management. For this we relied on critical literature review and opinion of experts, and owner/managers of SMEs. Survey has been conducted for getting responses of owner/managers towards the influential factors and sub-factors with a view to successfully implement knowledge management. Finally, these responses have been collated to find the composite preference value (CPF) used as weights for the pair-wise comparison of the factors and sub-factors in AHP. Based on the AHP results, we conclude the following for successful knowledge management in SMEs: Managing enablers and inhibitors are critical success factors for knowledge management in SMEs. Owner/managers need to harness the enablers but not be complacent towards inhibitors. Owner/managers consider technology implementation as a major enabler towards successful knowledge management. Owner/managers consider financial considerations as a major inhibitor towards successful knowledge management. Owner/managers need to prioritize their efforts towards successful knowledge management in terms of technical, human and financial aspects necessarily in that order The key thesis is that enablers of the knowledge management paradigm often unravel inhibitors in adapting and evolving knowledge management systems for business environments that are characterized by high uncertainty and radical discontinuous change. Specifically, the study identified the critical success factors as: process improvement, system improvement, and business intelligence, enhancing employee competencies, satisfaction, and retention, return on investments on building knowledge infrastructure. The study also identified that success cannot be achieved unless damage to knowledge infrastructure is prevented, copyright/patent infringement and data pilferage and theft is stopped, employee turnover, corporate espionage and withdrawal of efforts on the part of employees is reduced, and operational costs are under control. In the present study the model considered influential factors such as enablers and inhibitors. The subject of knowledge management being vast, many other factors may influence knowledge management besides the ones considered in the present study. Future research may be directed towards identifying several other influential factors with a view to identifying a comprehensive list of critical success factors for knowledge management. Also the present work has considered only the top down approach. Clear identification of influencing factors would need to consider a bottom up approach as well.