The Speech By Men Attending A Symposium Or A Drinking Party

Allyson Boubert Prof. Robert Grimwade November 12, 2016 Through the speeches by men, love is examined by men attending a symposium or a drinking party. The symposium has its main concerns with the beginning, the purpose and nature of affection and care. Therefore, love is the central theme in Plato’s dialogues in Symposium. The Symposium is a philosophical text written by Plato in approximately 386-370BC. It is a lively and entertaining book characterized by witty characterization which not only shares the concept of love but also gives shades some light on the social life of the Athenians. In this party, taking place at the house of Agathon in Athens, everybody must deliver a speech in praise of love, Eros. The statements describe the qualities of Love. They also describe its behaviors and the way the inspiration it has humans (Cooper). Initially, love is described as possessing beauty, wisdom, and good things. However, Socrates takes the challenge against the notion arguing that love lies between beauty and ugliness, ignorance and wisdom and has a predilection towards good things that it does not possess. He further argues that love is a spirit between mortal and immortal. The symposium opens by Phaedrus opening by citing Hesiod, Acusilaus, and Parmenides that Eros is the oldest of gods. Love confers some remarkable benefits. It inspires a lover to get some admiration. He notes, A handful of such men, fighting side by side, would defeat practically the wholeShow MoreRelatedBroken Family3761 Words   |  16 Pageshe is actually the property of the gods. He says, I too believe that the gods are our guardians, and that we men are a chattel of theirs. While the philosopher seeks always to rid himself of the body, and to focus solely on things concerning the soul, to commit suicide is prohibited as man is not sole possessor of his body. For, as stated in the Phaedo: the philosopher more than other men frees the soul from association with the body as much as possible. Body and soul are separate, then Read MoreI Love Reading Essay69689 Words   |  279 Pagesintegration into supply chains. See also Rafiq Dossani and Asawari Desai, ‘Accessing Early Stage Risk Capital in India’, Stanford-TiE Study, 2006, page 16; see also, Report of the Symposium on the Small Business Innovation Research Program, National Research Council, USA, 2007. See also, ‘What it takes to be an Entrepreneur’, speech by CK Prahalad to GLIM Chennai, Hindu Business Line dated February 25, 2008, as quoted in http://www.ibef.org; according to the provisional data of the Fifth Economic Census

Kingfisher Free Essays

string(106) " who drink moderately have a lower risk of premature death as compared to people who do not drink at all\." Visa Malay inducted professional management and implement different methods and theories to develop the company to globalize the company. Since then Kingfisher has gone on to become the undisputed ‘king’ in the Indian beer market. Kingfisher today has impressive spread of manufacturing facilities throughout the whole country. We will write a custom essay sample on Kingfisher or any similar topic only for you Order Now Quality and hygiene are the key elements for its marketing philosophy success. Its flagship brand ‘Kingfisher’, has achieved international recognition consistently, and has won many awards in International Beer Festivals. Kingfisher Premium Lager beer is currently available in 52 countries and leads the way amongst Indian beers in the International market. It has been ranked amongst the top 10 fastest growing brands in the I-J. Today each one of the 32,000 Beer outlets in India sells one brand or the other from United Breweries. United Breweries limited has a 48% share in the Indian beer market. S. W. O. T (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) Analysis A SOOT analysis is a structured approach to evaluating the strategic position of a business by identifying its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. It provides a simple method of synthesizing the results of the marketing audit. Strength Kingfisher is a true global Indian icon and is also known today as a premium worldwide brand. It has the strongest worldwide distribution system and is available in 52 countries worldwide. It is a worldwide known brand with sponsorship in Formulae, Indian Premier League and title sponsors of England and Wales Cricket Board’s National Championship knock out competition due to this it has excellent brand visibility. It also has huge financial backing from PUB Group. Weakness Kingfisher usually focuses on strong beer market as it is mostly favored in India but not in other countries and thus market growth is slow. Due to the current high demand and worldwide distribution system many opportunities are lost as there is less availability. Opportunity Due to the current trend of beer among the young people Kingfisher has a lot of benefit by global market expansion. The changing culture and lifestyle of Indian people has also increased the beer consumption. Threats The alcohol industry is highly taxed and has certain regulations thus has a lot of impact on Kingfisher. Advertising for alcohol has been banned in India as it is considered to be a taboo. Negative perceptions about alcoholic beverages are widely common. Kingfisher faces huge competition from international companies like Heinlein, Scrabbles and Budweiser. P. E. S. T. L. E Analysts 2 PESTLE stands for political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental. PESTLE analysis is a process, to help understand the overall market environment for a particular industry, business, product, or project. It is often a key part of strategic marketing and business planning. PESTLE allows an organization to go in depth into heir current status and weaknesses. Political factors:- Minimum drinking age The minimum drinking age in India is 21 years whereas in European countries is 18 thus minimum drinking age affects the alcohol business in an important way. People below the permitted age cannot consume alcohol even if they want to. Kingfisher beer is adversely affected in terms of sales. Banned advertisements India is a youth country thus advertising of alcohol products has been a subject of continuous debate between the government, the alcohol industry, health groups, policy makers and the public. Advertising in alcohol industry is done for brand choice and also it is a fair tool but banning advertising reduces market entry of new firms and thus also reduces awareness among the consumers about the product. Economic factors:- Taxation and Policies India has a very large youth population and strong beer is mostly favored but still growth of beer has some restrictions and complications which are in the form of taxes and policies implemented by the state governments. Taxes and policies are different from state to state and some states do not allow alcoholic products brewed and manufactured from other states. The highest taxes are mostly levied by northern states such as Attar Pradesh, Punjab, Maharajah’s and Delhi. All of this has a great impact on the sales of United Breweries and other brands but there are also many obstacles such as the government has banned the advertisements of any sorts for alcoholic products. Economic growth and per capita income With more than 60% of Indians younger than age 25 consumption of alcohol is likely to increase in the coming years. Due to continuous growth rate and growing economy people are getting richer day by day and also are their preferences as more people re drinking beers and spirits which is a very good sign for the growing alcohol industry. With the growing middle class and modern retail formats, taxation policies adopted by the state governments will act in favor of the growing beer industry in the coming future which will help united breweries and other brands in achieving their desired goals. Socio-cultural factors:- Cultural restriction India is a country with many religions and some of the religions prohibit drinking alcohol. This has a huge impact on the sales of alcohol brands. Violence through alcohol There is strong association between violence and drinking. Violent behavior is occurred in all communities it is caused mainly due to over consumption of alcohol. Alcohol abuse and violence is caused mainly due to poor parental modeling and mental stress. Drunken driving cases are some of the main causes of highway accidents. But through proper social norms and public education, violence and alcohol abuse can be tackled. Individual factors also play a very important role. Population India is the second largest country in terms of population and PUB group has a unique rand name thus people tend to consume their products. PUB group has a 48% share in the beer market that’s why it is known as the king of beer market in India. Technological factors:- Scientific studies In a recent scientific research it has been confirmed that people who drink moderately have a lower risk of premature death as compared to people who do not drink at all. You read "Kingfisher" in category "Papers" Consumption of alcohol moderately leads to a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases and obesity whereas people who drink in excess have a negative impact on their health. Distillery effluent treatment Compared to western countries where concentration of spent wash and its usage as an animal additive is a common practice, this process is not followed in India because Indian spent wash contains a higher level of inorganic substances which are found to produce a laxative effe ct if the consumption of feed is not monitored. Environmental factors:- Pollution A lot of water pollution is caused when the beer is made, the manufacturing of beer consists of three processes namely preparation of malt, beer worth and fermentation. These processes involve a lot of rinsing and cleaning as beer is made of barley and alt is prepared from it for brewing. The wastewater contains a lot of solids, detergents, soluble and insoluble organic materials. The wastewater is almost three times more concentrated than sewage but there are no toxic contaminants and most of the water is biodegradable. To meet the quality of discharge standards anaerobic biological treatment is done so that the organic concentration of wastewater is reduced. Legal environment:- Age factor In most European countries the age of drinking is 18 but in India where people are allowed to vote at this age are not permitted to drink. In India the alcohol consumption is allowed after 21 years but in some states it is 25. Despite the number of people who are below the ages of 25 years the beer industry has a huge potential if the current drinking age is lowered. Alcohol is considered a taboo in India as the culture and traditions are different than that of western countries. 5 Market Analysis:- The beer industry is still growing in India and it is estimated to be over 30 billion (in rupees). Overall annual consumption of beer is around 23000 million elites (fugues of 2011) the beer industry is growing at a yearly rate of 7% to 9%. The major players of beer industry are Gabrielle and United Breweries. The beer industry is likely to face more competition from foreign brands such as Scrabbles, Heinlein, Budweiser and Corona. Beer markets like USA and Europe have seen a flat growth whereas consumption in the Indian market has increased tremendously. In India beer sales have seen a rapid increase as compared to other alcoholic drinks. International beer companies like Budweiser, Scrabbles and Heinlein are well established in western countries but are still facing tough competition from Kingfisher which is the king in he beer industry of India with a 48% share. With more than 80% of market controlled by united breweries and Gabrielle, foreign brands are yet to find their feet on the ground. Kingfisher posted a profit before tax of RSI. 1475 million in the first quarter of this year ending on 30th June 2012. Strong beer continued to dominate with a growth of 23% in sales volume. Intensity of rivalry The intensity of rivalry competitors is quite moderate as in case there is quite a rise in regulatory and legal burdens, manufacturers get together so that competition between them is lowered as they have to ensure their profit. Threat of new competitors The Indian beer industry is currently growing thus it is attractive for new players but with the dominant force of United breweries and Gabrielle already established it has been very difficult for foreign brewers to expand and overthrow Kingfisher which is currently leading in beer consumption. Threat of substitute Brands like Kingfisher face further competition from substitutes like wine, vodka and whiskey, which are mostly favored in India as beer industry is still developing, it still has to get a bigger consumer base which spirits do have but due to the changing rend and growing Indian youth population beer industry best is yet to come. Suppliers bargaining power Barley which is the most important product for brewing is quite cheaper and available in plenty and other inputs used to brew are also cheaper as there is a huge number of suppliers thus suppliers have less bargaining power. 6 Customers bargaining power It has been seen that customers are more powerful when their purchases form a large portion of seller’s sales but if there are less number of players in the market people don’t look at the quality but the product and thus they have less control over rice. Classification of beer Lager Ale Stout Creamy Ale Malt Plainer Porter Age Kingfisher mild For young people Just for fun People who drink for the first time mainly for experience Kingfisher strong People who drink regularly Those who want beer to be stronger mostly favored by people 25 and above ‘THE KING OF GOOD TIMES’ As the punch line suggests Kingfisher has positioned its brand for people who want to socialize, party or have fun. 7 Customer Analysis:- The beer industry in India has a wide consumer base and people rink alcoholic beverages mostly for celebrating an event or socializing. Unlike western countries people in India are allowed to consume alcohol after the age of 21 in most states and spirits are given more preference. United breweries have a strong base in spirit and beer industries. Kingfisher is at the top of the list in consumption of beer. Consumer behavior India is a developing country with a large population of middle-class people thus people tend to consume beer occasionally. Whiskey, vodka and wine were given more preference but the beer industry is yet to reach its potential and is growing at a very cast rate. Products like Kingfisher and Harvard’s 5000 have shown excellent progress so far as they are already established in the beer industry. International brands like Budweiser, Heinlein and Scrabbles are still struggling to establish their brand among the people as they are expensive than Kingfisher and Harvard’s products, this is mainly due to taxes and regulations by the state governments which usually are hard on alcoholic companies. In a recent survey it was shown that one in three beers drunk in India were of Kingfisher’s. Consumers always prefer the cheapest product ND good value which Kingfisher effectively delivers. Recommendations:- Kingfisher is famous for its marketing and sponsorships in major sporting events and spends a lot of money on it per year. It should concentrate on innovation and development of new products which will help it increase its brand value in other western countries where there is even a larger market for its product and there are no restrictions on advertising. Retailing its beers with more number of large departmental stores. Advertising its brand ‘Kingfisher’ by entering into different industries like water, soda of which advertising is allowed. This will lead to more brand awareness. Developing innovative and new packaging for its beer. It should concentrate on innovation of a new product which has elements of a spirit and a beer. 8 Conclusion:- Kingfisher has a huge potential of expanding the beer market in India as the per capita income of the people is rising and so is the consumption. Kingfisher also has a kind of monopoly over other brands as it is already well established and sells its product at a cheaper rate than the new competitors entering the Indian beer industry. The negative perceptions about alcohol consumption have gone down and he beer industry will definitely show a lot of growth in the coming years. How to cite Kingfisher, Papers

William Penn free essay sample

Williams father was one of the main leaders and was the captain ever the rebels ships and he over threw the Kings nanny. When the rebellion was over Williams father, now Sir William Penn, decided to move into the countryside. William grew up in the country horseback riding hunting, and doing anything he wanted to. The Peens did not really have a religion and Sir William Penn liked it that way. One day Williams father heard about the peasants that worked the Peens land were having revivals. Peens father decided to invite the man who was heading these meetings to their home to preach and for anyone else that wanted to hear him. The mans name was Thomas CEO; he was a Quaker and Quakers were looked down upon through all of Europe. It was very dangerous for the Peens to have a Quaker preacher in their house. But as Thomas preached something happened inside of William he felt different he felt joy unspeakable. At that same minute he looked at his father and even he had a tear in his eye. Everyone in the room sniffled from time to time. William would never forget that day for it had changed his life forever. When William was old enough to go to college William decided to go to Paris to get higher up education. Williams mother anted him to go to Paris because it was the most romantic language and the best place to learn how to be a gentlemen. And to the women a fine bachelor with those characteristics was the best man to marry. While William was in Paris He still could not get the meeting with Thomas CEO, now six years later out of his head. And so one day he found out about a secret Quaker meeting being held near him. He found out once he got there that the man speaking was once again Thomas Leo and he was so excited that he kept on coming back again and again to these meetings.He became so convicted at these tenting that he decided to become part of the most persecuted religion in Europe, a Quaker. William did not know how his father would feel about it and was very nervous. When William got home his family was happy to see him and they all fellowship. Later on in the evening William talked to his father alone. He told him that he decided to take on the faith of a Quaker. His father exploded saying, l am an admiral of the sea and a royal knight of London and the King and you my son have chosen to follow the beliefs Of the most persecuted religion in Europe. The next thing William knew his ethers hand was striking across his face. He started to beat William until he was black and blue and a bloody mess. His father than threw him out of the house with nothing but the clothes on his back, cursing at him, saying he never wanted to see him again, and cutting him off from his will. William went around Europe going to Quaker meetings and most of the time staying with other Quaker families. One night William was found with other Quakers at a secret meeting and they were all taken before a judge and everyone except for William was sentenced to prison time.When the judge away William he knew that he was the son of Sir William Penn. The judge told him that he was free to go. But William said, no, I will go to prison as the rest of my brothers. The judge gave him as he asked and William went to prison. When William got out of jail a couple months later he felt stronger than he ever had before. He had a new fire within him and he went back to traveling around going to Quaker meetings, but this time he had a much deeper zeal for the things of God. He started to write tracks about his religion and about spiritual matters.William as before stayed with other Quakers in his travels ND there Was one particular family he liked to stay with. They were one Of the richer Quaker families that he knew and he fancied their one daughter Gillie. She was pretty, sweet, loving, and she took a fancy to William too. Over a period of a few years William and Gillie talked a lot and spent a lot of time getting to know each other. They decided to get married and got Gillies parents permission. The wedding got postponed though when William got arrested. Penn was arrested for offending the Pope of England with one of his tracks.The Pope said that if William would renounce his faith in front of all London and stop writing tracks that he would have William set free. If William would not he would be spending the rest of his life prison. William wrote this to the Pope Thou masses tell my father, whom know will ask thee, these words, that my prison shall be my grave before will budge a jot, for I owe my conscience to no mortal man. I have no need to fear. God will make amends for all. One of Sir. Williams friends, who had a position in the government, felt bad for William and thought he should do something.He talked to William about just renouncing his faith so he could get out of prison. William refused, but he did tell him that he did not mean to offend the pope, but that he had just not explained the track well enough and so he told the man what he was trying to say in the track. The man then went to writing to the pope telling him about the misunderstanding. The pope thought on it for a little while and then decided that as long as William agreed not to write tracks on that certain topic again he would let William go. William agreed to it, and he was set free. After getting out of jail William and Gillie got married.William still traveled but not as much once Gillie started having children. William and Gillie had a total of 7 children together of which a couple of them died at a very young age. William continued to write and share the gospel with other Quakers. At this point the king was just overwhelmed with trying to keep the Quakers and other religions under control from spreading their religion. It turned out the king was in debt to Williams father, but now that Sir. William died he was in debt to William. William asked for land in America instead of money. The king granted him his wish and gave him 45,000 square miles.William decided he would use the land as a place for people like Quakers, other persecuted elisions, and for anyone to come and seek religious freedom. William started to get word out about it. He also had to pick a name out for his land. He liked the name Sylvania, but the king wanted him to name the land after Sir. William Penn , so the king and William agreed on Pennsylvania. William got a group of people together to go over to start building a town which he named Philadelphia, and while he was over there Gillie got very sick. William left the vice Governor to take over with the building of Philadelphia so he could be with Gillie.Before he could get home she died. William and his hillier were very sad, and did not know what to do without his wife and their mother. William stayed in London and answered questions from everyone over in Pennsylvania through the mail. By the sounds of it Philadelphia was thriving and everything going well. 2 years after Gillies death and William at the age of 52 he got remarried. He and his new wife over a short period of time had a few children together. William now getting to be older went back to America to see how Philadelphia was coming along. William decided it was time to step down from Governor and pass it on to his Vice Governor.The Government William had set up was going very well, it was fair to all religions alike, and there was much peace in Pennsylvania. William had accomplished much in his life; he had been a great example for all to follow. He always looked at persecution as a way to get stronger in God. He had developed the first state of land in America to be a free place for all religions and a place where all people were treated alike. William went back to the country- side in London to live the rest of life. He died July 30, 1718; he was 74 years old. People mourned his death all across Europe and America.

Level 5 Diploma in Health and Social Care free essay sample

I have used two examples of service users who use the service and how barriers are overcome when using different methods of communication and how working in partnership with other organizations can promote better outcomes for their care. This is relevant within my own Job role 1;Service User A-suffered a stroke and is partially deaf in his right ear and wears hearing aids 2;Service User B-Has dementia and lacks capacity to communicate . Service user A Barriers are overcome by care staff having to speak very slowly and facing him when speaking so he can follow lip movement. Staff are too write information down on paper so he can visually understand or stand to the right of him and speak louder so he can hear clearer. Len every service users care plan all relevant information such as his preferred methods of communication or his needs wishes or preferences personal details medication etc,this information can be shared with care staff who visit him or district nurses his family where possible . We will write a custom essay sample on Level 5 Diploma in Health and Social Care or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In every service users care plan there are daily reporting sheets that care staff record what they have done on each visit or report any concerns regarding the welfare of the client. These are then collected each month and returned to the office staff and stored in the service users personal file and any concerns are reported and discussed at these weekly meetings with social services any forms of extra support can be discussed and these changes can be implemented and other inter agencies can be introduced and decisions made on how a service users care can deliver better outcomes regarding their care. Service user B Her son is the first point of contact and communication regarding his mothers care feedback to the son and office staff have played a vital role in this ladies care gaining extra purport from the occupational therapist and her doctor as her mobility deteriorated rapidly and become unable to feed herself as well as her lack of capacity to communicate too care staff have found other ways of communication were formed by care staff using hand gestures or visually showing her items of clothing and giving her lots of choices on what she would like to eat and speaking to her using lots of eye contact this kept her attention and improved her care these have been found to be very effective when feedback from care staff were given. This can make all the difference to individuals who use the service their family embers can access these organizations and gather essential information and how it can improve the loved ones care. As so can all care staff research ways that may improve the service users care . Working in partnership with the hospital it is standard practice to implement all service users who use the service with a Hospital/ Health passport so if they are ever admitted to hospital they can take this with them of kin their GAP,s name address etc what medication they require and so on this has proved very effective as all their information can be shared with all essential hospital staff.

Solving the Lifeboat Dilemma Essay Essays

Solving the Lifeboat Dilemma Essay Essays Solving the Lifeboat Dilemma Essay Paper Solving the Lifeboat Dilemma Essay Paper Essay Topic: Emma In the instance presented. I believe there is no right thing to make but I am morally compelled to move upon the state of affairs that confronts me. I choose to utilize my strength to throw person overboard to salvage four lives. including my ain. In asseverating that there is no right thing to make. it is because in taking either of the options presented. human life is sacrificed. It is a authoritative instance of â€Å"damned if I do. curse if I don’t† . Whatever pick I make. I will stop up making the incorrect thing. By taking to utilize my strength to throw person overboard and kill him. I am go againsting his right to life. If I do nil. I would be responsible for the deceases of five people. Although done without purpose. throwing that one individual overboard would be the lone solution. all things considered. for continuing the greater good. In so making. I am reprobating myself to guilt and remorse as determinations that terminate lives are the most intolerable 1s. From a purely useful point of position. I would be taking the option that would account for â€Å"greater felicity for the greatest figure of people. † felicity qualified in this instance as endurance ( Greenspan 119 ) . Clearly. my pick is the lesser of two immoralities. In this instance. although there is a moral quandary presented. such a quandary could be resolved because one duty overrides the other in footings of the figure of lives that could be saved. This is non similar to the phenomenon in Sophie’s Choice wherein Sophie is presented with two symmetrical duties. In her instance. she had to take between her two girls or reprobate both to decease. In my instance. I am non compelled with emotional fond regards to any of those present in the lifeboat that would do my struggle incapable of deliberation. These people are aliens to me and so. the weight of the duty can be measured in footings of how many lives I could salvage which in the greater strategy of things. intent to the more moral determination. Clearly. this determination would be criticized by many. Advocates of the philosophy of the dual consequence would see my determination as morally incorrect and indefensible. While the dual consequence logical thinking may acquit those who take action that has negative side-effects. when that action involves something intentionally intended in order to transport out a solution ( in my instance. utilizing my power to throw person overboard ) . it becomes incorrect. Even if the cause ( in order to salvage five people ) is good. the fact that I did something harmful to convey about the cause would render the full determination immoral ( McConnell 412 ) . Utilitarian oppositions would besides reject my impression of taking the lesser of two immoralities. Extremist moralists would state that human lives are incommensurate. and giving one in stead of a greater figure does non do it moral ( Hill 215 ) . Others would impeach me of being an ethical egotist for taking personal endurance above all else. Greenspan. Patricia S. â€Å"Moral Dilemmas and Guilt. † Philosophic Surveies 43 ( 1983 ) : 117-125. Hill. Thomas E. . Jr. â€Å"Moral Purity and the Lesser Evil. † The Monist 66 ( 1983 ) : 213-232. McConnell. Terrance. â€Å"Moral Dilemmas and Necessitating the Impossible. † Philosophic Surveies 29 ( 1976 ) : 409-413.

Approaches To Hr By Multinational Corporations Management Essay

Approaches To Hr By Multinational Corporations Management Essay For better understanding this is important to discuss what a multinational company is in first place. In short words multinational company can be defined as a company or an organization that serves or produce in more than one country is known as multinational company. Other names use for such kind of organizations is Multinational Corporation (MNC), Transnational Corporation (TNC) or Multinational Enterprise (MNE). Multinational organization can be engaged in manufacturing, services or the exploitation of natural resources in the operating countries. Different writers described different definition of multinational companies. According to Moore & Lewis (1999, P. 21) stated that â€Å"an enterprise that engages in foreign direct investment (FDI) and own or controls value – adding activities in more than one country is known as multinational enterprise†. As Jones (1996, p.4) says â€Å"An MNE is usually defined as firm that controls operations or income generating asset s in more than one country.† There is a long list of multinational firms like Sony, Nestle, Wal-Mart Stores, General Motors, Ford Motor, ConocoPhillips Microsoft, Nokia, Toyota Motors, Intel, Coco-Cola, Sony, IBM, Nike and Citigroup etc. Now the main question is about the multinational companies of different origin adopt different approaches of HRM practices. To discuss this section this is really important to discuss the HRM practices in first place, to define what HRM is and then its practices will be discussed throughout this essay step by step, and then practices of HRM in broader context for the MNCs or MNEs. HRM is modern word use in the businesses, which can be defined as â€Å"a model of personnel management that focuses on the individual rather than taking collective approach†. (www.dictionary.bnet.com). As Pennington & Edwards (2000, P. 4) stated that â€Å"Human Resource Management (HRM) is a new way of thinking about how people should be managed as employee s in the workplace†. It can be classified into two schools of thoughts.i.e. Hard HRM & Soft HRM. Both types of HRM are under studies of different authors in detail. Now to concentrate on the question directly a survey is going to be under studies â€Å"Country of origin effects and HRM in multinational companies† which took place in 2007 by P. Edwards et al. In which he discussed 302 UK based multinational companies, which cover both UK – owned and overseas – owned companies. This study will play an important part in the essay to get the conclusion either multinational companies of different nationalities have different HRM approaches and practices or not. 2- Challenges in multinationals According to Brett, Jeanne & Kristin, 2006, international business’s nature is going under a sea change. The globalisation, multi-nationalisation, and the geographical diversification is pushing companies towards change in their management structure and style. Multi nationals now need to consider regional market conditions and develop strategies to cater to each of the regional markets. 2.1- Culture shock Culture shock is the big challenge for multinationals, the difference brings the different thinking ways and working ways, and it needs time to adjust it. In most cases the expatriate manager prefer to emphasize and require the home office or home country values on the host country’s employees instead of accepting and learning within the new culture. (Adler, 2002)

AsianAmerican Study-how intersectional identities must shape an Asian Assignment - 1

AsianAmerican Study-how intersectional identities must shape an Asian American agenda for SOCIAL CHANGE and what that agenda should look like in the 21st century - Assignment Example This is whereby, coupled with other discriminative strategies, those that are in the system of oppression focus more on the fact that the victim is a foreigner. This paper’s focal point is to outline how these intersectionalities are constantly being used in various regards in the discrimination of the Asian American community. The Dream Act refers to an existing piece of legislation that is bipartisan. It relates to young people that have grown up in the United States, through its high school system but their future has become bleak as threatened by immigration laws. It should be noted that 11% of immigrants into the U.S.A are Asian American (Havard Kennedy School, 29). Although the Dream Act focuses on a number of requisites in order for one to be registered as American, this paper, only focuses on two. Firstly, the provision that one must be of sound moral character has been a point of confusion for Asian Americans as it is not specific enough. There have been cases where Asian Americans faced deportation and proved in accordance with the law that there were of good moral conduct but still emended up on the blunt side of the law. Secondly, the provision for military enlistment is one that has been used to lure many Asian- Americans into the military only to have them do it in vain as they never acquire registration. In the same light, the immigration laws have for the most part been used against Asian Americans. This beats the logic of legislation because rather than shed light on the issue it has cast the Asian American community further in the dark. As previously stated the moral standing clause is one that is not sufficiently in use as even Asian Americans that have met all assertions, of it, still face deportation. Furthermore, the immigration laws are not fully effective to deal with some rarities. For instance as in the case of Tam Tran, a 24 year old university student, the country upon which one may be deported to (on the

Deconstruction of Business Ethics To Enhance Morality and Justice Research Paper

Deconstruction of Business Ethics To Enhance Morality and Justice - Research Paper Example This brings us to organization theory, which Derek Pugh (1970) defines as the study of the structure, functions, and performance of groups and the behavior of individuals within them. Through the years, organization theory has expanded its dimensions to be animated by such issues as aesthetics, anti-capitalism, autonomy, identity, fashion and feminism, popular culture, resistance, representation and information, sexuality, social movements, etc. The word organization may thus involve diverse entities, from corporations and states to the village fairs and tennis clubs. Organizations are in effect the most rational answer to the egotistical human nature. Through the organization, modern society benefits from rational laws and ethical codes that it engenders. Such a concept or organization, however, has been perverted in places and circumstances where people are reduced to human status to become tramps, refugees, migrants, sub-proletarians and political inmates. Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben, as cited in Jones, C. (1966) says in these cases, the concepts of the social sciences, from law to anthropology, must be radically altered to prevent an â€Å"urgent catastrophe.† How does the organization theory fit in with the war on terrorism, preemptive wars in the Middle East, Guantanamo Bay, among others? This is the reason why business organizations worldwide are being asked to finance the American political and military hegemony, and why the US is so keen on exporting its own version of democracy. What of the attitudes of the new-style managers toward the interests of their employees Allen, F. (1965) warns: "Speeches and pronouncements by a corporation head

Human resource management Essay Example for Free

Human resource management Essay Human resource management is a sequence of decisions that gives the employment relationships, these decisions leads to the success of the organization and allows the employees to reach their target. Human resource management is related with the attitudes of the people and their taste. As every company works with the people, by taking their services, it develops their skills so that they give their level best talent and giving the support so that they can continue in the organization showing their talent that is necessary for the organization to achieve their goals. This is the necessary condition for every company like: business, government, education, social and education, health departments. Human resource planning, directing , organizing of the procurement is to develop, maintain, separate the human resource to the end of the individual, organization and social objectives to be achieved. The term Human Resource Management has many forms of definitions stated by different people in different perspectives, and still there is no standard and fixed definition for it. Because it is the management of different people with varieties of needs and vast individual opinions, there is no standard or strict policy kind of rules to manage people. The Human Resource Management is nothing but managing the employees in an organization with certain policies particularly dependent on the basis of organization and the kind of business it does. 1. 4 Purpose Statement The main purpose of selecting this particular topic is that I my self very much interested in the human resource management and its concepts. Because of the interest on HRM I have read many books and articles on the human resource management and the human resource strategies I came to know that the HRM and the HRM strategies are the main aspects that are leading to the success of the organization, so this statement initiated me to conduct the research on the HRM and get more information on it and provide my new ideas and views for the future enhancements. Chapter 2 Literature Review Meaning of human resource management Human resource management is the management function that allows the human resource managers to select, train, and develop the skills of the members in the organization. In addition, human resource management is associated with the needs of the people. Human resource management is referred by the activities, functions and programs that are carried out.Core Elements of human resource management People: organization itself is the people. It works with the talent of the people. Management: human resource management has to maintain the organization, solve the problems that are present in the organization. Integration and consistency: decisions taken by the human resource management regarding the people must be integrated and consisted. Influence: decisions taken should influence the people by increasing their productivity in the market and allowing the company to get succeed. Applicability: human resource management principles and policies are applicable to human resource management and non human resource management like education, health, etc. 2. 2 Role of human resource management 2. 2. 1 Advisory role: Human resource management gives solutions to any problems that are affecting the people, personnel policies and procedures. a). Personnel policies: organizational structure, social responsibility, employee terms and conditions, rewards, career and promotion, development and industrial policies are the personnel policies. b). Personnel procedures: man power planning procedures, recruitment and selection procedures, employment and training, management and development, industrial relations are the personnel procedures. 2. 2. 2 Functional role: The personnel functions help to communicate the personnel policies. It provides the support to the manager, which will enable that the given policies are implemented. 2. 2. 3 Service role: Personnel functions are provided by the employees who will work for the all time. The services are in the hands of personnel departments. They carry out the main activities of their services and implement the policies and practices that are given above. 2. 3 Challenges of human resource management in Indian economy 2. 3. 1 Globalization Growing the business to the world wide involves the problems on the human resource management in terms of laws, practices, competitions, management styles, work ethics and more. Human resource managers have to deal with many challenges of functions, more heterogeneous functions, more involvement in employees personnel. 2. 3. 2 Corporate re-organization Reorganization relates to mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, takeovers, internal constructions of organization. In these situations it is more difficult to imagine the circumstances that create great problems to them than reorganizing itself. It is a challenge to manage employees fears during the dynamic trends. 2. 3. 3 New organizational forms The main challenge for the human resource management comes from the changing the characters. The competitions are not between the individual forms and group firms. Major companies are running through the local suppliers and forgings. This leads to rise of the new organizational forms. 2. 3. 4 Challenging demographics of work place Changes in the work place are largely related by the dual nature. There is difference between the young blood and old age employees, working mothers, more educated and sensitive workers. These challenging work forces have their effects on human resource managers and from the human resource point of view it is a great challenge. 2. 3. 5 Changed employee expenditure With the changes in the work place the employees attitude also has to be changed. Traditional things like giving house, job security, remuneration are not interested by the employees today instead they the equality and power along with the management. Hence it is the challenge for the human resource management to redesign the profile of the workers and discover the new methods that are liked by the workers like training and supporting them for their work. 2. 3. 6 New industrial relation approach In todays world the employees union has understood that strikes and militancy are not having much importance and are unnatural. The employee union membership has fallen severely and the future labor is of dangerous. The challenge before the human resource management is to maintain the industrial relations so as control the challenges and get grip over them. 2. 3. 7 Renewed people focus Todays world and business need is the peoples approach. The structure, strategy and systems that had worked in the past have no importance in the present situation with the increasing competitions. The challenge of the human resource management is to make people continue and reasonable to the work in the organization. 2. 3. 8 Managing the managers Managers are very unique from the others, they thing that they are different class apart from the others. They command for the decision making, bossism, and operational freedom. When these things are given to them in the past they have misused their powers in removing their coworkers and the talent, hard working employees. The challenge before the human resource management is how to manage this problem. How to make them realize that they have given freedom to make the decisions and implement them but not to misuse. 2. 3. 9 Weaker society interests Other important challenge for the human resource management is to protect the interest of weaker society. The increase in the women workers, minorities and the backward communities has lead to re-examine the practices policies and values. In the name of the globalization, the productivity, quality, the needs of weaker should not be given up. It is a challenge for human resource management to see that weaker sections are not seen and their rightful jobs are not discriminated in services. 2. 3. 10 Contribution to the success of organization The main challenge of the human resource management is to make all the employees to work for the success of the company in an ethical and culturally responsible way, because the society mainly depends on the organization. 2. 4 Human resource management overview The term Human Resource Management has many forms of definitions stated by different people in different perspectives, and still there is no standard and fixed definition for it. Because it is the management of different people with varieties of needs and vast individual opinions, there is no standard or strict policy kind of rules to manage people. The Human Resource Management is nothing but managing the employees in an organization with certain policies particularly dependent on the basis of organization and the kind of business it does. Managing the people with different mentalities, different approaches they follow, different complexities in their thinking, makes the task very difficult for the management. So to continuously improve this process of managing the human resources in the organization, the institutional (e. g. universities) and specialized bodies (e. g.Chattered institute of personal and development CPID) keep busy in investigating on development of new HR related issues faced or to be faced and at the same time practices and remedies to be followed. Managing the people with different mentalities, different approaches they follow, different complexities in their thinking, makes the task very difficult for the management. So to continuously improve this process of managing the human resources in the organization, the institutional (e. g. universities) and specialized bodies (e. g.Chattered institute of personal and development CPID) keep busy in investigating on development of new HR related issues faced or to be faced and at the same time practices and remedies to be followed. 2. 5 HRM resoruces As stated by Werner felt, the word Resource in the context of an organization is defined as Any aspect that may become a strength or weakness of a given organization including substantial and visionary valuable assets of the organization. The organizational resources can be segregated into human resources, technological resources and financial resources. In these three resources of organization, philosophy and the character of human resource management is under considerable scrutiny with continuous debate on the subject. As it is dealing with managing vast varieties of individuals, there is no widely accepted definition. But below given are some of the definitions of Human Resource Management from early years specified by different people in different perspective, which can be used for capturing the glimpse of its idea in use: The main function of the Human Resource Management for an organization is to find the best possible way to utilize the abilities of the employees to the greatest possible benefit and development of the organization and at the same time make sure that employees get financial as well as personal growth and psychological rewards for their work (Graham, 1978). Storey (1995: 5) stated Human Resource Management is individual approach for the management of employees, which needs structural, cultural and skilful measures to take advantage of well capable and dedicated employee resources. 2. 6 Human resource management in the organization The department of Human Resource is treated by most of the organizations as an administrative body and its association with the strategic plans is mostly ignored. Even though HR is about the employees who are very important for any organization, the Human resource department is only included in planning of the organization, but most of the time it is not utilized actively and strategically. Even though the Human Resource is not considered as an important factor in the strategy development and is not associated with strategy of the organization, the effect and success of the Human resource is invisible. Human resource is treated as a department policing the administration properly in hiring and firing as per the letter of law. Strategic Human resource practices are more existing concepts, which is entirely different from administrative function. So organizations ignore most of the time these practices to improve the bottom line business results (Huselid, Jackson, Schuler, 1997). Strategic Human Resource management can be defined by (Huselid, Jackson, Schuler, 1997) as the design and fulfillment of a group of policy practices made by the organization for the best utilization of the human capital contributions for the achievement of the required business objectives. Human resource people often do not act as the exact business persons and become responsible for lack of credibility in gaining business, so are unable to contribute for the success of the organization and its strategies for the development. 2. 7 The importance of Human Resource being Strategic Human resource should not be involved only in the strong administrative foundation of the organization, but also come up with the successful strategy which influences the financial bottom line of the company. Human resource should take active role in planning, guiding itself to provide continuous eventually effective strategies which will be recognized by the organization for the competitive success. It should monitor at regular intervals and also evaluate the strategies being followed and strategies need to be improved, so that Human resource play active role to be recognized as the peoples department in success of the organization. This concludes that strategic approach of the company along with Human resource completely involved in every strategy implementation will ensure that the organizations business goals can be effectively achieved by the use of skilful and able employees to the maximum effect (Huselid, Jackson, Schuler, 1997). 2. 8 The consequences of Human resource not being strategic 2. 8. 1 Human Resource being too involved in administration Apart from the main function of the Human resource department being strategic effectiveness in the development of the employees, the other function is to take care of the administration of the organization, where the department spends most of the time. This administrative work involves Human resource person in handling the selection process, recruitment strategies, appraisals based on performance, plans for the compensation (Huselid, Jackson, Schuler, 1997). Human resource department should give importance to both administrative and strategic effectiveness, because the administration is the basic building blocks for the foundation and functioning of the organization and cannot be ignored. So after the basic organization is formed, the Human resource should concentrate more on the strategic development for the effective utilization of the employees skills effectively. 2. 8. 2 The poor human resource Personal competencies Due to the reason that sometimes the human resource is ineffective in tasks, incompetent and costly in maintenance, Human resource bad reputation is treated as well deserved. The change in the Human resource persons thinking and acting could bring the change expected by the senior management and they can start believing that Human resource can play active role in strategic planning and implementation of the organization. Human resource must upgrade them by learning about the business, culture of the work to influence the positive change in the organization and at the same time increase the credibility of the human resource department. Human resource should give more importance to the business competitiveness than employees personal good feelings and must also lead the organizations work culture. Human resource should be more competent supporting staff as well for the organization (Ulrich, 1997). 2. 8. 3 The human resource not measured in dollars As most of the people believe that Human resource is group of clerks who work more in processing benefit forms, taking care of administration paper work and tracking employees vacation days, and think that there is no strategic accountability apart from these administrative functions, the accountability of the Human resource is always being questioned (Galford, 1998). The Human resource department should play active role with full potential in creating the organization value and work with good strategies for profitable returns on the investment made by the organization (Frangos, Fitzenz, 2002). Normally, Human resource strategic play brings more business returns to the organization, but there is no proper business measure for this achievement. Mostly the human resource value is measured based on the cost savings in administrative and recruiting process of the employees. As Human resource lack the tools to measure the business value of the strategic gains for the organization, most of the industry researches reveal that 60% so the Human resource people play less role and only 40% of the people actively take part in strategy table for the development of the company. This is the conclusive reason for Human resource not being considered as an strategic asset to the organization. 2. 8. 4 The human resource not in co-ordination with other department goals. Human resource need to me more aligned with the over-all strategy of the organization to be more effective in business development of the organization. One of the Harward university survey says 80% of the Human resource departments has no planning for aligning itself with the other departments and its expenditures within the organization (Norton, 2001). Human resource need to be more interdependent and consulting body with all the departments and should take strategic approaches to align itself with entire departments and their strategies. Human resource need to support and contribute more in strategic involvement into different departments and different layers of the employees. This will improve the competitive advantage in the organization and leads to the business development. The main goal for human resource is to manage the human capital, motivate them which are one of the roles in being part of the broader organization management strategy. The human resource should be more involved with the top management and give appropriate support and align itself with the company strategy for the business development of the organization (Freedman, 2004). The overall company profits in the business depends on the Human resource involvement in the recruitment of persons with perfect match for the role, effectively encourage and motivate the employees, full contact with the top management, communicate well with the customers and co-coordinating all these departments. 2. 9 Strategic human resource management The way of doing something is the strategy. It includes t he execution of goals and set of action plans for gaining of the goal. Strategic management is a process of theorizing, executing and passing on the business plannings to achieve the companies goals. A set of managerial decisions and actions that determine the long term performance of organization is the strategic management. Environmental scanning, strategy theorizing, strategy execution, judging and control are included in this strategic management. The study of strategic management allows understanding the strengths and weakness of organization by evaluating the environmental opportunities. 2. 10 Role of human resource management in strategic management Role of strategy formulation: human resource management plays an unique role in supplying the competitive intelligence that will be helpful in strategic formulation. The human resource management can provide the details like advanced motivation plans used by the competitors the opinions given by the employees, bringing out the complaints given by the customers, information about the pending plannings etc. In strategic formulation the human resource capabilities serve as a driving force. Role of strategy implementation: human resource management gives the competition and the work force that will give the success of strategies. It is important that linkage strategy and human resource management needs the series of practice choice. The challenge is to develop the human resource practice choice that will be helpful in implanting the organization strategy and increase its competition. 2. 11 Human resource development Human resource development is the executing and increasing the physical, mental and emotional capabilities of individuals for productive work. Human resource development means to bring out the talent and the individual growth. Human resource development is a process to help the individual to gain the knowledge, improve the skills and capabilities, to performance well in the organization and increase the productivity. 2. 12 Proactive human resource strategies for future plannings and growth In todays competitive and challenging world the human resource development has to take a positive care to maintain the human relations. The human resource development has to play an important role in utilizing the all opportunities that are present to it for the development and success of the organization. Long term goals can be achieved by employing the efficient professionals who have aims to do the work. A proactive human resource development can execute the activities to get the competence and increase the productivity potential of human resource. 2. 13 Human resource planning Human resource planning is a process of having the sufficient people to do the given work at the right time having the ability to work efficiently so that the company can meet its objectives. Human resource planning is useful in giving information like estimating the number of people that are required for the work to be completed. To know how many people are required for the work is know by the human resource planning. Human resource planning plays an important role in avoiding the situations like having more or less people in the work place in future. Human resource enables the organization to go with the changing world like market, technology. Since jobs are based on intellectual skills and technical skills the human resource plannings help to prevent the storage of workers. In addition, due to the technical skills increasing the man power can decrease or increase in future. Human resource planning system Human resource planning system have the following elements for the planning.   The total organizational objectives   The business environment Giving the manpower needs   Evaluating the man power supply   Matching the man power supply demand factors 2. 14 Human resource planning process The objectives of human resource planning process are obtained from the organizational objectives like the necessity and working nature of the employees. Human resource should work on all the objectives by using all the man power that is available. In human resource planning process certain policies are to be made to make decisions like internal employing and external employing, giving the training and developing the plans, union restrictions, job improvement problems, rightsizing the organization, automation needs, continuous availability of the work force. Man power forecasting is the process which gives the information about the number of people that are required in the future. The demand forecasting has the following factors: The internal factor: The internal factor includes controlling of the budget, production levels, new products and services, organizational structure and employee separation. The external factor: The external factor includes competitive environment, economic climate, laws and regulatory bodies, technology changes, social factors. In the man power forecasting techniques the managers across all the levels depend on their own judgment. This can be bottom up or top down approach and judgment is reviewed in all departments and top management concludes on the total number of employees. Man power supply forecasting process measures the number of employees available that are present in and outside the organization after doing some of the changes like promotions, wastages, internal movement, conditions of work. 2. 15 Existing human resources Human resource facilitates the examination of the skills and abilities of employees. The employees that are working in the organization are categorized into skill inventories and managerial inventories. The skill inventories include personal data, special qualifications, salary, skills, job history, company data, capabilities, special preferences. The managerial inventories include work history, strengths, weakness, promotional potentials, personal data, career goals, number of subordinates, type of budget managed, previous management duties. Man power supply forecasting is categorized into internal and external supply. The internal supply is useful to know the following things: the level of production, working times, overtimes, leaves or absence, annual income, recruitments, promotions. The external supply is necessary for the following the reasons: new blood, new experiences, replacing the lost ones, organizational growth. Employees are selected based on the job vacancies. The selection of employees required is done on the basis of supply forecasts. For the selection process the internal and external supplies are used. Human resource professional gives the training to the employees and budget allocation is made for them. When the technology changes the existing employees are to be trained or they have to be shifted to the other departments where they can show their talent. 2. 15. 1 Managerial succession planning. Many methods are used for the managerial succession. Many of the successions involves the top management decisions and commitment. A typical succession plans have the following activities *Examination of demand for managers and professionals   Skills of existing executives   Knowing the future from the supply of external and internal factors   Individual career path planning Career counseling   Increased promotions   Performance related training and development Strategic recruitment Human resource plan should clarify the responsibilities for controlling and establishing of procedures, which will enable the achievements of plans. Succession planning Succession planning is the process of filling of the main positions in the organization by the persons. The main concentration is on the person who is taking the main position of the organization. Succession planning mainly concentrates on the vacancies that are present in the company and filling that vacancy with the appropriate one. Succession planning comes into light when an important person is retired. The employee feels happy when his talents are recognized by the organization and the vacancy is filled by him. By having the talented employee in the organization the organization can get succeeded. 2. 15. 3 Career planning Career planning is the process offered by the company to the employees to know their talents, weakness, jobs they wanted to occupy in the organization. Career planning is a sequence of professional, educational and developmental experiences that allows the individual to go the world of work. It is the sequence of positions occupied by the person. Career can also be considered as the mixtures of the changes in values, attitudes and the support given to the person as he grows. Career planning is regarded as the developmental questions of the organization. It is also concerned with the employment of the graduates, engineers, scientists etc. Career planning gives the succession plans to the employees as per the organizational needs. Career planning is based on the performance, and experience. The objectives of the career planning are building up the confidence in the individual, develop the perspective, reducing the expenses of the employee, make certain organizational effectiveness, allow the employee to reach his goals in the organization.

The Internet and the Justice System :: Government Judicial Web Cyberspace Essays

The Internet and the Justice System I. Introduction. The American legal system has faced many challenges in the past century, mainly due to population growth throughout the nation. The American ‘way-of-life’ has also changed significantly as a result. The legislative and judicial systems need to adapt to these developments. These include advances in information technology, particularly the Internet. This expanding communication network has created different behavioral patterns within our society. This paper will examine some of these changes and try to determine if indeed changes are in order. Issues will be presented from the public manager’s perspective and the position of the justice system, relative to their affect upon citizens. Is it necessary to institute some form of desirable control or regulation over the Internet? If so, will an inordinate amount of public freedom be sacrificed in the process? These questions will be addressed, along with analyzing present policy and possible directions for future legislation. II. The Internet Defined. Public Manager’s Perspective. The introduction of the Internet as an additional mass communication media has created new alternatives for information transmission. The ensuing popularity of the Internet has created many challenges that the public sector must deal with. Estimates in 1999 found that there are approximately 171 million Internet users worldwide (Group Computing, Jan/Feb 2000, p. 56). Change in the societal environment has made the Internet an integral part of the American economy. Privatization. An interesting historical paradox is that, although the Internet has U.S. Defense Department origins, it is scarcely perceived as a public utility by most users anymore. (Abrahamson, JMQC vol 75, no 1, p. 16) Public reaction to the specific and continuing privatization of the Internet has been anything but an organized protest. Greater portions of it have, in name as well as effect, become privatized by larger corporations. This includes Microsoft, the largest player in the nation’s information technology marketplace. This conglomerate is widely recognized as a commercial enterprise with well-documented monopolistic tendencies. Justice System’s Perspective. The justice system must consider the legal issues. New technology has led to a societal issue that must be interpreted in its relevance to the First Amendment. The justice system is supposed to guarantee the rights of every citizen, yet has instead elected to offer more protection to private entities first. These include private companies such as newspaper publishers or, in this instance, the private enterprises found on the Internet.

Huella Online Essay

Introduction Huella Online Travel was an Internet travel portal Founded in 1999 in Kuala Lumpua, Malaysia targeting Greater China and Asian Pacific. It expanded into 10 different markets across Asia, including Hong Kong. Huella online travel sells travel related products and services to customers, on behalf of suppliers, such as airlines, car rentals and hotels. Problem Statement Hong Kong consumers have low interest in buying airline tickets online although internet penetration is quite high. Research Objectives Huella‘s Hong Kong site was launched in 2000. Revenue growth in Hong Kong had been less than expected. Huella market share in Hong Kong to be only 4% compared 9% in Singapore. In this regard, we seek to †¢To get a depth insight into Hong Kong online travel market †¢To find rationale behind low usage of online booking of airline tickets in Hong Kong especially people belonging to the age group of 18-35 †¢Perception of Huella brand and its Hong Kong website Research Design The research will be conducted with the help of survey through the feedback of questionnaires from a sample of 300 people (including both male and female) belonging to the age group of 18 to 35 and will be conducted online. The sample will focus students, business executives and leisure travellers. The respondents used to fill the questionnaire will be based on Random Sampling. DATA ANALYSIS The answers of the questions in the questionnaires will be analyzed on the basis of scale which may vary from question to question and is constructed at the time of preparation of the questionnaires. The results will be shown in terms of percentages and the graphical representation of people’s preferences in terms of percentages and ratios. BUDGET The overall cost may range from $ 2,000 to $ 3,000 approximately. SCHEDULE The Research may take Three months, according to the schedule as follow: ïÆ'ËœOne month for the questionnaires to be filled by respondents. ïÆ'ËœOne Month for the Data Analysis. ïÆ'ËœOne Moth for the preparation of Report.

Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface

Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 1/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface by Karen D. King, RDH, MHeD and Dr. Rosalee Seymour, Associate Professor, EdD, RN Abstract This report presents the results of a usability evaluation of the Web design interfac e for an instructional unit prototype on Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers. Usability is defin ed as the measure of a product’s potential to accomplish the goals of its users (Dumas, 1999). The unit and the Web interface were designed to deliver instruction to undergraduate dental hygien e students.The three randomly selected users/subjects for this evaluation were from an undergrad uate class of dental hygiene students. This report describes the usability evaluation planning, im plementation, data analysis methods, and results. The results demonstrate that conducting usabilit y evaluations help to determine the organization and ease of navigation of an interactive, Web- base d, instructional unit. Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface Computers are used to educate, in many instances, with conventional interfaces that i nclude those used to create documents and manipulate data.A Web interface, which was tested in t his case, is very different from a conventional one. The Web is a domain that must be instantly u sable and support many communication modalities. Web designers must focus on the computer user whose goal is to gather information rather than to create documents or manipulate data (Raj ani & Rosenberg, 1999). It is critical that the accomplishment of the users’ goals be the primary objective o f a usability evaluation (UE) of Web site interface design.Users will not be able to access correc t pages unless the constructed site reflects their needs and contains a navigation scheme that allow s easy access to the desired information (Nielsen, 2000a). In Web interface designs the properties of color, sound, navigation, and place ment must be considered from a different perspective than with c onventional interfaces. Usability evaluation purposes. The faculty of the Department of Dental Hygiene, where this evaluation was conducted developed an oral pathology course for undergraduate student s in dental hygiene and wanted to deliver it via a Web design interface.The instructional unit o n Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers is the prototype for nine instructional units to follow. It was anticipated that conducting a UE, on the prototype instructional unit Web interface, would enable identification of any usability issues or problems relevant to this Web interface before the constru ction of subsequent instructional units. In keeping with Rajani and Rosenberg (1999), the primary purposes of this UE were agr eed upon as: 1) to determine if the Web-based Herpes Simplex and Apthous ulcer prototype is easy t o navigate 13/3/2013 0:50Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 2/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm and meets the goals of undergraduate dental hygiene students, 2) to use any identifie d problems to revise this unit, 3) to make recommendations on the construction of additional units based on this prototype, 4) to save faculty time, and 5) to insure students’ goals will be met in t he Web interface format. The Literature Usability evaluations include a range of methods for identifying how users actually i nteract with a prototype or completed Web site. Planning of a UE egins with a statement of the ove rall purpose and objectives for the investigation and a clear identification of the problem (Hom, 1999; Instone, 1999). In a typical approach a UE is conducted while users perform tasks and a modera tor watches, listens, and records for later data analyzes and reporting of results (Fichter, 2000) . The next steps are the identification of the subject/users and the design of the study. Graham (2000) describes many ways to get feedback about the usability of a Web site. Gra ham (2000) recommends that a moderator observe a user representing the site’s target audi ence as they navigate the site.Graham (2000) cautions moderators against the interruption of the subject/user while conducting any observations. Nielsen (2000a) also recommends that the user/subj ects be representative of the target audience and not colleagues or others who may know too m uch about the site. Nielsen (2000a) recommends that user/subjects perform specific tasks durin g a UE as opposed to asking them to just play on the test site. These test tasks need to be re presentative of the types of tasks that users will actually perform on the Web site within the Web in terface being tested.Nielsen (2000a) suggests that the moderator solicit comments from users as they progr ess through to task completion to help determine their thought process. Hom (2000) refers to thi s encouragement of user comments during the evaluation as the ‘think aloud protocol’. H om (2000) des cribes this technique as one in which the user verbalizes any thoughts, feelings, and/or opinions while interacting with the test site. The inclusion of the ‘think aloud protocol’ all ows the moderator to qualitatively measure how the user approaches the Web interface and what consideratio ns they keep in mind when using it.For example, a user verbalizing that the sequence of steps, d ictated by a task, is different from what was expected, could demonstrate an interface problem (Ho m, 2000). Hom (2000) recommends using the qualitative ‘think aloud method’ in conjunction with performance measures. The performance measures add to the data collected noting such things as: 1 ) the time it takes for a user to complete a task, 2) the number and type of errors per task, 3) the number of users completing a task successfully, and 4) the satisfaction of the user with the si te (Nielsen, 2000a).After determining the study design and identification of the users, Spool et al. (199 9) in agreement with Nielsen recommend development of specific tasks for users to perform during the UE. In addition to a task list, Hom (1999) advocates during the planning phase of UE that on e specify materials needed and the site evaluation environment. Rubin (1994) agrees that the U E process needs test users from the target population to evaluate the degree to which a product meets specific 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface /12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm criteria. Rubin (1994) describes six basic elements of a UE: 1) a clear statement of the problem and/or evaluation objectives, 2) a sample of users, which may/may not be randomly cho sen, 3) a setting representative of the actual work environment, 4) observation of users who either use or review a representation of the product, 5) a collection of quantitative performance and qualitative preferences measures, and 6) an analysis leading to recommendation for design of the product evaluated.When analyzing data from having conducted a UE, rather than supporting hypotheses one is looking for patterns to identify common problems, in the remarks or observations, between use rs (Dumas, 1999; Hom, 1999). Performance data is statistically analyzed while qualitative data, collected by observing the user’s actions and opinions, is analyzed for trends. The data analysis results should lead to identification of strengths and recommendations for improving the site or pro duct (Nielsen, 2000a; Spool, et al. 1999; Hom, 1999; Dumas, 1999). Usability Evaluation: The Case This UE was conducted because usability problems, within any prototype, are important to discover prior to the costly, time consuming, construction of a web interface for additional i nstructional units. The specific purpose of this UE was to determine if the Web interface presented the H erpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcer prototype interactive educational unit in a way that allowed underg raduate dental hygiene students to successfully achieve unit outcomes.Specific objectives for this usability evaluation were to determine: 1) navigational and/or organizational problems with the Web interface, 2) the presence of any confusing term inology in the site, 3) if the site meets the goals of the user, 4) if the users can complete the as signed tasks, and 5) user’s attitudes toward the Web site. Methods A description of the UE environment, user selection criteria and profiles, usability evaluation process, the task list, and evaluation measures for this study follow. Usability evaluation environment. The UE took place in the moderator’s private campus office.This is a quiet, well-lit room with a comfortable temperature, equipped with a Dell computer workstation, which was used for the evaluation. A sign reading â€Å"Usability Evaluation in Session. Please Do Not Disturb† was posted on the closed office door to prevent interruptions and distractio ns. The UEs were co nducted on July 2, 2001, at 1:00 p. m. , 2:00 p. m. , and 3:00 p. m. Subject/users interacted with the Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers Web interface one at a time. Each subject /user had 20 minutes to complete the usability evaluation. Subjectuser selection and profile.Three randomly selected undergraduate dental hygi ene students, from a target population of 24 (class of 2002), became subjectusers. All 24 students will be required to take the oral pathology courses including the instructional units reflect ing the results of this UE. Alphabetical order by user’s last name determined the order of subjectuser participation. In order to be selected the subject/users must have met the following criteria: 1) be an undergraduate 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 4/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm ental hygiene student, 2) have successfully completed one academic year of the Denta l Hygiene Program, 3) have previous experience with the Internet, and 4) have previous experien ce with Web browsers The demographic characteristics of the users for this evaluation were that: 1) they all were female, 2) ages 25, 22, and 43, 3) all had successfully completed on e academic year in the Dental Hygiene Program, 4) all had previous experience with the Internet, and 5) all had between 1 and 3 years experience with Web browsers. Administration protocol. Prior to the UE a training packet and session of 30 minutes were provided to each subjectuser.The training session included a brief description of the UE proce ss, purpose and objectives, and the UE protocol instructions. Each subject/user was given an opportun ity to review the packet and ask any questions before agreeing, by signing a consent form, to be a voluntary participant. The UE packet included: 1) a user profile questionnaire, 2) a task list , 3) a statement of the purposes of the evaluation, 4) evaluation instructions, and 5) a consent form. Prior to each actual UE every subjec tuser was again given a 10-minute review of the UE instructions and opportunity to ask questions.Subjects/users were told it would take one hour to complete the entire UE process; 20 minutes to complete the task list. According to Nielsen (2000a) , a UE time of 30 minutes or less is adequate to conduct a UE. An additional 15 minutes allowed time for the user to verbalize about the Web interface and to complete a follow up questionnaire to de termine their attitude towards the Web interface. The remaining 15 minutes of the hour the moderat or used to review notes of comments and observations and to make corrections so that no misunder standing would occur later in interpreting results.Shneiderman (1998) suggests the moderator rewrite UE notes as soon as possible, reducing moderator errors in note interpretation later. The subjectusers were required to use the’ think aloud method’ (Hom, 2000) to provid e subjective data in conjunction with the collection of various perfo rmance measures. The performa nce measures included: 1) the time it took the user to complete the task list; 2) the number of er rors per task, 3) the number of users completing the task list successfully in the allotted time, and 4 ) the attitude of the user toward the Web interface.In addition, the moderator collected qualitative data by observing each user during completion of each task and taking notes regarding their f acial expressions, opinions expressed, and verbalized thoughts while completing UE. The mo derator made notes on the opinions and thoughts of the user following UE. Finally, the subje ctusers completed a questionnaire to describe their attitudes about the Web interface. Implementation Piloting the UE administration protocol.A Department of Dental Hygiene professor, fa miliar with the Internet, Web browsers, and oral pathology pilot tested the UE administration protoco l one week prior to testing subjectusers. The moderator provided the pilot test user with the s ame pre UE instructions and task list that would be given to subject/users. The pilot test resul ted in no problems with the UE administration protocol. The moderator observed the pilot test subject/us er and collected the same quantitative and qualitative data that was to be collected from th e research 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 5/12 http://ojni. rg/602/usability. htm subjectusers. The results of the pilot test showed that the UE protocol could be use d with subject/users without revision. Pre-training for UE. At 12:30 p. m. July 2, 2001, the subjectusers arrived for the pr e UE training session. The moderator distributed the UE packet and described the purpose and proce dures of the UE. The users were given an opportunity to review the UE packet and to ask questions . Each of the three subjectusers signed consent forms before leaving the pre UE training. Administration of UE. Each of the three subject/users arrived at the moderator’s offi ce for the UE.The moderator reviewed the evaluation instructions and gave time for any additional q uestions to be answered. The following sequence of events occurred for the three users, each: a) beg an the UE , 2) completed the task list, 3) responded to questions about the evaluation experience, 4 ) added thoughts or opinions regarding interaction with the Web interface, and 5) left the mo derator’s office in 45 minutes each. The administrator used the remaining 15 minutes of each of the t hree hours to rewrite portions of notes taken during observation in preparation for the UE report o f results.Task list and description. The tasks were identified using the purposes and objective s of the UE. The task list includes 10 primary tasks for subjectusers to perform in navigation of the Website interface for the Oral Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers prototype. The task list beginning wi th accessing the Website via the interface and progressing through the instructional unit follows. Because many of the 10 primary tasks were repeated the actual count of performing tasks is 31. Task 1 – with the browser open go to www. etsu. edu/cpah/dental/dcte760.This task was chosen to determine if users, indicating they had between 1 and 3 years experience with a Web b rowser, would have a problem accessing a Web site when given only a Web address without a dir ect link. Task 2 – read the instructions on the first page of the Web site and click on the lin k that it directs you to go to first. This task was to determine the clarity of the Web interface in p roviding instructions for beginning the instructional unit. Task 3 – click on Assignment 1 Task 4 – access the discussion forum and enter your name and email address.This task helped determine the Web interface design, by allowing for observing if users had difficulty locating the discussion forum area and/or entering information into it. Task 5 – When done in discussion forum, re turn to Assignment 1. This task will ident ify if users have difficulty returning to the designated page using the Web interface. Task 6 – Click on Assignment 2 Task 7 – Read the content on Apthous Ulcers. This task requires users to read content on a Web page on the site. Task 8 – Click on the images on this page to enlarge them. This task determines the e ase of click navigation to enlarge thumbnail images. 3/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 6/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm Task 9 – Return to Assignment 2. This task determined if users could navigate the We b interface via a link taking them back to a designated page in the Web site. Task 10 – Answer the study questions in Assignment 2. The study questions direct the user through a series of multiple-choice items in a linear fashion. Correct responses allow the u ser to continue to the next question while incorrect responses require the user to go back to the que sti on and make another attempt to answer.Users cannot go to the next question until the previous q uestion is answered correctly. This task requires navigating through a series of questions with the potential for going back and forth if an answer is wrong. This task determined if users could succe ssfully navigate the Web interface to the study questions Task 11 – When the study questions are all answered, return to Assignment 2. This tas k again measures their ability to use the Web interface to return to a designated page in the Web site. Task 12 – Click Assignment 3. Task 13 – Read the entire case 2 Herpes Simplex.Again, users are required to read c ontent on the Web site but they must use the Web interface design to do it successfully. Task 14 – When you have finished reading Case 2, return to Assignment 3. This task de termined if users could navigate the Web interface to a case study contained within the instructi onal unit and return to a designat ed page in the Web site. Task 15 – Click on Assignment 4. Task 16 – Go to Case 1. Task 17 – Fill in the diagnosis form. This task required students to locate a case, fill in case study information obtained from previous exercises.This task measures the Web interface’s ease of navigation using forms to complete information. Task 18 – Submit the Form. This task demonstrates if the Web interface allows for ea sy form submission upon completion. Task 19 – Return to Assignment 4. User must complete a form by diagnosing the case s tudy patient in this assignment. This task determined if users could easily navigate the case stud y, fill in the appropriate form fields, submit the form, and return to the designated page in the We b site. Task 20 – Click on Assignment 5. Task 21 – Go to the reflection form.This task demonstrates if the Web interface all ows users to navigate to the reflection form. Task 22 – Write your reflections on the unit on the form. A form to reflect on the in structional unit is required for assignment 5. This task demonstrates if users will be able, through thi s Web interface, to make text entries in the appropriate form fields in the reflection form. 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 7/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm Task 23 – Submit the form. The task determined if users could navigate the Web inter face to send the completed reflection form electronically.Task 24 – Return to Assignment 5. Determines if users via the Web interface, can eas ily return to a designated page in the Web site. Task 25 – Go to the course evaluation survey. An evaluation form is included in this instructional unit to determine student attitudes and satisfaction levels with the instructional un it. This task measures if the Web interface allows the user to easily locate a survey on the site. Task 26 – Complete the course evaluation survey. This task determined if users using the Web interface, could easily navigate a form to reply to the questions. Task 27 – Submit the survey.This task measures whether the Web interface allows use rs to easily submit form information electronically. Task 28 – Return to Assignment 5. This task measures the Web interface as it allows u ses to return to designated pages in the Web site with ease. Task 29 – Go to the discussion forum. This task determined if the users could open t he forum and is a test of the Web interface design and its ease of promoting discussion. Task 30 – Make a forum entry indicating that you have finished the usability evaluati on. This task measures the Web interface design’s success with entering comments into a discussion forum.Task 31 – Return to Assignment 5. This task measures the Web interface designs succ ess with returning users to designated pages in the Web site. (N=31 navigational tasks) Non-task performance measur es. Following Nielsen, (2000a) subjectusers were asked t o use the ‘think aloud method’ in conjunction with performance measures. The quantitative measu res to be evaluated included the: 1) amount of time to complete the task list, 2) number of err ors per task, 3) number of users completing the task list successfully in the allotted time, and 4) at titude of users toward the Web interface.In addition to the quantitative measures, the administrato r collected qualitative data during and after the usability evaluation by each user. This UE was designed to measure the ease of undergraduate dental hygiene student user s navigation through the Oral Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers instructional unit prot otype Web interface. Although all task completion or non completion allowed for tests of the in terface, the following three questions focus more directly on navigation of the prototype Web inte rface: Do all the navigational links in this Web site work correctly?Is the or ganization of this Web site consistent? Is there any confusing terminology regarding navigation and organization on this Web site? Results The success or failure on each task performed as well as the qualitative data collect ed from the 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 8/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm post-test interview and the post-test questionnaire are reported. Because the tasks in the UE were short, the quantitative data collected was based on the entire task list and not on each task independently. Users had adequate time to complete the enti re task list.There were 31Website interface navigation tasks completed by three subject/users with a total of seven navigation errors. 1. User #1 took 20 minutes to successfully complete the task list with one Web i nterface navigation error. 2. User #2 took 18 minutes to successfully complete the task list with three Web interface navigation errors. 3. User #3 took 19 minutes to successfully complete the task list with three Web interface navigation errors Task 1 –Users #1 and #2 completed task #1 easily and were able to successfully open t he designated Web site without Web interface navigation error.User #3 entered the Web site address in the search line of the Web browser, an error message was returned by the browser, and then the user entered the Web site address in the address line of the browser and was able to successfully access the home page of the instructional unit via the Web site interface. In this c ase the navigational error relates to lack of knowledge about where to type in a Web address in a Web browser. Task 2 – Read the instructions on the first page of the Web site and click on the lin k that your are directed to go to first.User #1 asked, â€Å"Do I make the decision myself to go to assi gnment 1 or to the course syllabus? † The administrator did not answer this question as the instruct ions on the Web page indicated the first link. Th is error, while not significant since both links ta ke the student to the appropriate Web page to begin the instructional unit as well as the usability evaluat ion, could add user frustration to the mix. Users #2 and #3 use the Web site interface on the first page of the Web site to readily access the needed location.Task 3, 4, and 5 – Click on Assignment 1 and enter your name and email address in the discussion forum. When this task is complete, return to Assignment 1. User #1 was unable to re adily use the Web interface to access the discussion forum. This user consistently scrolled to the bottom of any page before making any choices about where to go next. This scrolling is not consider ed an error in the prototype but could indicate that the Web interface design needs revision to stop this behavior. Once the discussion forum was accessed, this user asked, â€Å"Is this where I go to post my name? The administrator did answer in the affirmative and the user continued with the task. Upon completion of the discussion forum entry user #1 could not navigate back to the desig nated page. The administrator finally intervened and instructed the user to use the â€Å"back† button on the browser. The user then looked for the â€Å"back key† on the keyboard. Further instructi on from the administrator got the user back on task. When user #2 realized that the task involved a discussion forum, the user indicated n o previous 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 9/12 ttp://ojni. org/602/usability. htm experience with discussion forums of any type. Her response was â€Å"Am I being timed, b ecause here is the first problem? † The administrator reassured the user that there is as much ti me as needed to perform the task. Upon submission of the discussion forum entry, user #2 chose the â€Å" back† button on the browser quickly. User #3 got to the discussion forum easily, but then asked, â€Å"Am I the subject? † The administrator informed the user that the responses in the form fields did not matter and that any i nformation could be entered in any field.Upon submission of the form entries, user #3 used the â€Å"back† button on the browser but indicated that she thought only one click of the â€Å"back† button was sufficient. All users successfully completed the task. The Web interface design was not the culprit in these task struggles. Tasks 6, 7, 8, and 9 – Click on Assignment 2. Read the content on Apthous Ulcers. Cl ick on the images to enlarge the view. Return to Assignment 2. Users #1 and #3 did not click o n the images to view a larger version of the image. Both disregarded this portion of the task com pletely.Perhaps the images were large enough for them. User #2 opened the larger view of the images a nd returned to the designated page in the Web site indicating no problem with the Web interface d esign in the area of enlarging images. All users returne d to the designated page in the Web site, but only one user completed the entire task successfully. Tasks 10 and 11 – Answer the study questions in Assignment 2. When the study questio ns are all answered, return to Assignment 2. All users navigated through the study questions ea sily.User #1 expressed embarrassment, because the administrator of the UE is also a faculty member in the Department of Dental Hygiene, and the user did not want the administrator to know if the answers to the study questions were incorrect. The administrator reminded user #1 that the an swers to the questions were not the purpose of this evaluation. The Web site was being evaluated n ot the knowledge of the user. User #1 continued to navigate through the study questions, but indicated distress any time she chose an incorrect response to a study question.It is assumed this frustration related to having to go back and continue to answer until the answer was correct befo re going on. User #2 quickly re alized that the links chosen by user #1 were a different color. Sin ce all users participated in the UE on the same computer, the visited hyperlinks were apparent. U ser #2 easily navigated the questions with much less distress about incorrect responses, because sh e realized that her peers had chosen incorrectly as well. User #3 also noticed the visited hyperlinks and navigated the questions without incident.However, user #3 had a problem choosing answers beca use the hyperlink was on only one letter, the user had trouble positioning the mouse pointer exactly over the single letter link. The user clicked several times before realizing that the link ar ea was very small. This indicates an area of the Web interface design that needs improvement. All users successfully completed these tasks. Tasks 12, 13, and 14 – Click on Assignment 3. Read Case 2. When you have finished re turn to Assignment 3. Users #1 and #3 quickly read the case and returned to the designated We b page.Use r #2 appeared to have accidentally clicked the wrong link and could not locate Cas e 2. The administrator provided instruction because the user seemed frustrated. After the user located the correct page, there was no problem completing the task. Here it is hard to distingui sh if this is a 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 10/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm Web interface design error or not. Tasks 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 – Click on Assignment 4. Fill in the form. Submit the form. Return to Assignment 4. This was the first form in the Web site.User #1 began with â€Å"OK, what is this? † The user had never filled in a form and submitted it through a Web site. Users #2 and #3 both accessed and filled in the required information in the form fields and returned to the designa ted Web page easily. User #1 took more time, but successfully completed the task. Tasks 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 – Click on Assignment 5. Go to the reflection fo rm. Fill in the form. Submit the form. Return to Assignment 5. This was the second experience with the Web interface using a form. All three users accessed, filled in the form, and submitted the form wi thout a problem.Task 25, 26, 27, and 28 – Go to the course evaluation survey. Complete the course eva luation survey. Submit the survey. Return to Assignment 5. Users #1 and #2 had difficulty loc ating the survey link on the page. Once the survey evaluation link was located, no user had any difficulty completing the task. User #3 completed the task easily, but after submission of the form, the user clicked on the â€Å"back† button to return to the designated Web page in the site. As use r #3 clicked on the â€Å"back† button she said, â€Å"Is it erasing the form information if I am going back wi th the back button? The moderator assured her the action of the â€Å"back† button would not erase fo rm input after submission. Task 29, 30, and 31 – Go to the Discussion Forum. Make a forum entry indicating that you have finished the UE. Return to Assignment 5. By task 31, all users were familiar with th e site and had no trouble navigating the discussion forum and returning to the designated page in the W eb site. Upon completion of the task list, each user had the opportunity to comment on the Web site and offer suggestions and opinions. The following were offered:User #1 indicated that she would be more comfortable if the administrator had not bee n watching her progress. She indicated being watched so closely made her very nervous and she th ought the site would have been much easier to navigate on her own. She indicated that she like d the set up of the Web interface and asked if there were going to be other sites like this for her u se in the dental hygiene curriculum. User #2 indicated that she liked the site and thought it was easy to use. User #3 lik ed the site and would like similar sites for other topics in the dental hygiene curriculum.She indi cated that she did not like using the ‘back button’ after all the forms. All three users expressed nervo usness about being watched by the administrator. Discussion A sample of three users completed this UE. Nielsen (2000b) indicates that three to f ive participants in a UE are adequate. Usability problems were identified in some part of nine of the ten primary tasks on the task list. In addition, some of the problems as told by the users, rela ted to: 1) the administrator present during the UE was also a professor in the Department of Dental Hygiene in 3/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 11/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm which the user is a student, 2) the evaluation was conducted during the summer school session, and 3) all users were also students in the administrator’s class. Users reported being mo re nervous about the site content in the presence of this administrator. In future UE studies th e us ability administrator should be a neutral observer The questionnaire completed by the users following the usability evaluation demonstra ted user satisfaction with the site.Shneiderman (1998) suggests users should give their subje ctive impressions of the Web interface. All but one of the responses indicated that the us ers were satisfied with the site’s navigation and organization. The users indicated that the t erminology used in the site was clear, they were able to complete the assigned tasks easily, the site me t their needs, and the users liked the appearance of the site. The only responses not scored as sati sfactory were related to using the â€Å"back button†. Overall, all three users indicated the ease of na vigating the Web site interface was satisfactory. RecommendationsIt is evident from the results of this UE that Web-based interfaces for instructional delivery should be evaluated for usability problems. Corrections, suggested by the results, to the Oral Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers instructional unit prototype and Web interface should be made and the site re-tested before continuing development of the remaining nine courses in the oral pat hology Web-based instructional unit series. The usability evaluation of the Oral Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers Web-based inst ructional unit prototype resulted in the following recommendations for improvement to the Web site n avigation and organization. . This may be one time when the use of standard link colors should be violated. Students using the same computer to complete an instructional unit would be able to discern the answ ers chosen by the student previously using the computer. Changes in the Web interface design for te sts so that the link color does not change when a user chooses a particular response is recommended. 2. When assigning form submissions, provide a link to take the user back to the designated page in the Web site. The users in this UE did not like using the brow ser’s â€Å"back† button after completing the forms nor following entries to the discussion forum.The Web site interface desig n will be changed so the confirmation pages following discussion forum postings and submission of forms will take the user back to the page accessed immediately prior to the form or discussion f orum. 3. The hyperlinks for the answers to study questions were not large enough. Cli cking on a one letter link made users have a hard time identifying the link. This Web site interfac e design will be corrected so that the entire cell in which the letter choices are located will be the hyperlink. ConclusionsThe UE conducted on the Oral Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers instructional unit pro totype Web design interface proved to be a successful method for the determination of usability problems in a 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 12/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm Web-based instructional delivery method. The users identified usability problems with the Web interface as well as with their own skill or lack of skill with using any browser. Re commendations for revision have been identified by the researcher and will be implemented. Authors NoteShould anyone wish to examine the Website and review the Herpes Simplex and Apthous U lcer instructional unit prototype it can be accessed at http://www. etsu. edu/cpah/dental/dcte760/. References Dumas, J. , & Redish, J. (1999). A Practical Guide to Usability Testing. Portland: In tellect Books. Fichter, D. (2000). Usability Testing Up Front. Online, 24 (1), 79-84. Graham, J. (2000). 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