Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Psychometric study of academic self efficacy scale

Psychometric choose of donnish egotism-importance force scaleThe development of Malaysia industries, infrastructures and ensuring the general advantageously being of the country by Malaysian engineers hind endnot be under auspicated. A new of design education model piddle been introduced to develop the interpersonal skills like with public effectively as well as the technic entirelyy competent ( Johari, 2002). In tell apart to develop the interpersonal skills among Malaysia future engineers, a research in psychology well being have to be done. A psychometric analysis is virtually important part to get a valid and reli adequate to(p) psychology research for predicting the interpersonal skills among pupils. alike(p) footraceing procedures be essential to valid adjudicateing. An invalid and misleading of the test result may alter by using of nonstandard procedures (Gregory, 2007).The mental test is an effective tool in measuring the attitude and mental ability. It asse sses their efficiency in acquiring knowledge relevant to the job and putting what they learn to practice. The test measures emotional stability, and skills such as analytical and problem-solving skills, human communication and leadership skills.The standard procedure for measuring beliefs of personal faculty includes number of safeguards to minimize alone potential motivational effects of egotism-importance- mind. These safeguards atomic number 18 built into the instructions and the mode of administration. self- dexterity judgments atomic number 18 recorded privately with let on personal identification to reduce social evaluative concerns. The assessments of perceived cleverness and behavior are conducted in different settings and by different assessors to remove any possible carryover of social mold from assessment to the military operation setting (Bandura, 1984). For example, in this case, The College Academic Self aptitude scale (Owen Froman, 1988) indicates that students perceptions of their abilities to perform occupations, greatly entices their success.The importance of validity and reliable measure of the sources of self-efficacy is needed. First, self-efficacy beliefs play a searing role in the academic and career choices of students (Hackett, 1995). It is important for educators or a counselors to be well kn cause of the factors that help create and nurture the self-efficacy beliefs of their students. This information is valuable in helping educators tailor their instructional strategies and counseling practices in ship style most tide overive both of their students self-efficacy and overly of their acquirement.Educators and counselors lowlife similarly make use of such assessments as they evaluate the manner in which academic programs and intervention strategies may influence the self-efficacy beliefs of the adolescents in their care. All professional educators would readily agree that identifying the ways in which students unrealistically low self-efficacy beliefs can be challenged and altered is an essential and critical enterprise.Another important reason why a psychometrically sound assessment of the sources of self-efficacy is required is that the tenets of Banduras (1986) social cognitive theory regarding the workings of self-efficacy cannot effectively be tested without such assessment. Researchers who wish to understand the formation of academic self-efficacy must get under ones skin that understanding using valid and reliable measures that faithfully recoil the sources hypothesized and their role within the broader structure of social cognitive theory. This is especially important in the battle field of operations of academic motivation where the sources of self-efficacy have often been operationalized and measured in a manner that bears little resemblance to how they were hypothesized by Bandura (1986, 1997).This study pull up stakes be able to craft items to assess each source by matchi ng them carefully to each source as it that has been described by Bandura (1997). The researcher next want to establish a psychometrically fit model to measure the sources of self-efficacy and to test whether the model is invariant across demographic factors and the correlation with social support. This study will be also examined evidence for convergent and factor analysis by assessing the birth between the sources, self-efficacy, and other constructs typically included in studies of academic motivation.College Students self-efficacy beliefs have been fix to play an important role in motivating them to learn (Pajares Schunk, 2001). Self-efficacy refers to beliefs astir(predicate) ones capability to learn or perform effectively, such as to solve a particular type of math problem. Self-efficacy differs operationally from other self-related constructs in that self-efficacy items are phrased in terms of what students can do rather than what they will do or usually do in a particul ar domain (Bandura, 2006). An important type of self-efficacy cerebratees on students beliefs about their capability to self-regulate learning (SRL), which refers to such processes as remainder setting, self-monitoring, strategy use, self-evaluation, and self-reactions (Zimmerman, 2007).Research has indicated that self efficacy correlates with deed outcomes (Bandura, 1997 Pajares, 1996 Schunk, 1995). Students with high self efficacy often display greater performance comparatively to those with low efficacy. Self efficacy is also equated with self competence, hence significant authorities such as parents and teachers who exert great influences should play their role efficiently in enhancing this self competence and eventually self efficacy for it has great bearings in achievement, be it in the English language or any other subjects ( Mahyuddin.R, 2006).1.2 Problem didacticsThis study concentrates on the psychometric properties and application of the Academic Self- energy Scale an d its dealingship with social supports and students life satisfaction. Through the haze of available measurements in self efficacy, may of them offering weak or unknown psychometric properties, and unlikely that self-efficacy can penetrate clearly (Owen and Froman, 1988). Items in Self efficacy scale should accurately reflect the construct. Self efficacy is concerned with perceived capability. Self efficacy should also be distinguished from other constructs such as self esteem, locus of control, self regulation and outcome expectancies.Scientific advances are greatly accelerated by methodological development of assessment tools for key determinants of human functioning. Quality of assessment lets the bag for stringent empirical tests of theory. Self efficacy assessment tailored to domains of functioning and task demands identify patterns of strengths and limitations in perceived capability (Bandura, 1997).The academic self efficacy and self efficacy in learning have been widely i nvestigate by western researchers and educators. For Malaysian researcher, the study of academic self efficacy is quite constrictive. There are several importation to investigate the psychometric properties of the academic self efficacy scale that will be discussed in part significance of the study.Researchers have previously investigated predictors affecting students decision to pursue high education. Predictors include primary and secondary school preparations, family dynamics, self esteem, commitment to goals and social support systems. Yet, with all the services available to students and the research conducted to better understand factor associated with the above issues, there are whatsoever students who never successfully assimilate into and navigate done the university system (Shaw, N. E, 2008).Owen and Fromans (1988) College Academic Self-Efficacy Scale was selected for this study because it was different from most academic self-efficacy instruments. CASES was unique in that the instrument investigates feelings of academic self-efficacy as a whole as opposed to teasing out individual constructs or areas of academic self-efficacy such as English, mathematics, and reading. Owen and Froman (1988) also believed that CASES can give specific diagnostic findings that can influence holistic change to increase overall academic self-efficacy.This study is unique because one of its objectives was not to simply find a relationship between self efficacy, academic motivation and academic achievement, nevertheless to also explore how the psychometric properties is significance before the researcher conduct a test. The study attempted to focus on the mediating variable that would explain the relationship between self efficacy, academic motivation and academic achievement.1.3 Research QuestionThe research questions are listed as belowi) Do the ASES scores demonstrate adequate internal consistency reliability, convergent validity and factor analysis of the testing for the college students?ii) Are there significant differences in the level of academic self efficacy experienced by male and female students?iii) Are there significant differences in the level of academic self efficacy experienced by students with the level of parents education and income?iv) Is there a relationship between college academic self-efficacy and social support?v) is there a relationship between academic self efficacy and life satisfaction?1.4 Research Objectivesi) To examine the psychometric properties of a Academic Self efficacy Scale to estimate the students self-efficacy.ii) To identify the levels of self efficacy among engineering students in tertiary educationiii) To identify the relationship of self efficacy with demographic factors.iv) To identify the relationship of academic self efficacy with students social supports.v) To identify the relationship of academic self efficacy with life satisfaction.1.5 Significance of the studyMany studies in educational and ps ychological books make knowned that measurement of self-efficacy is important in the field of education because of its key role and relationships with many other variables, which have great influences on education. For this reason, self efficacy measurements and the development of an effective measurement tool with respect to psychometric properties have become an important issue and major concern.The educators can nurture student autonomy and personal efficacy by providing students with opportunities before, during and after instruction to exercise some control of their own learning. An emphasis on student self-direction and efficacy meaning that educators teach and engage students in specific strategies that offer them opportunities to make decisions and solve problems on their own without being told what to do at all times. It means, the educators can deliver them with strategies designed to help them process information effectively and to be self-confident, believing that t hey have the abilities to succeed. And perhaps most important, we help students become to a greater extent reflective about their opinion and learning processes.The perceived attractiveness of the field of engineering and the attrition of engineering students are important issues that are importantly influenced by self-efficacy beliefs. In order to address these problems, educators must gain a better understanding of how students assess their confidence in their abilities to complete the tasks that they find necessary to succeed in engineering fields with their engineering self-efficacy beliefs (Hutchison, 2007).Self-efficacy can influence the great unwasheds behavior either autocraticly or negatively, based on their perception of their abilities concerning a particular task. It influences the choices people make, the trend they put forth, and how long they persist in the face of obstacles and failure. The efficacy beliefs of undergraduate students in science, technology, enginee ring, and mathematics (STEM) programs have been linked to their persistence, achievement and interest.1.6 Limitation of the studyThe psychometric study will only focus on The College Academic Self Efficacy Scale(CASES) which was develop by Owen and Froman (1988). This instrument also will be apply to study the level of academic self efficacy among students.The sample only will be focus on engineering undergraduates.This study only will be done in Higher Public universities in term of geographical, cultural and course offered by the universities.1.7 Definition of the TermsPsychometricPsychometrics is the field of study concerned with the theory and technique of educational and psychological measurement, which includes the measurement of knowledge, abilities, attitudes, and personality traits. The field is primarily concerned with the study of measurement instruments such as questionnaires and tests. It involves two major research tasks, namely (i) the construction of instruments and procedures for measurement and (ii) the development and refinement of theoretical approaches to measurement. In this study, the psychometric analysis will be mingled the reliability and validity analysis. In this research, the psychometric analysis will be involved reliability, convergent validity and confirmatory factor analysis.Academic Self efficacyAcademic self-efficacy refers to individuals convictions that they can successfully perform given academic tasks at designated levels (Schunk, 1991). In this study, academic self efficacy will be demonstrated by the College Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (CASES) developed by Owen Froman (1988).College Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (CASES)College Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (CASES) refers to an instruments which was developed by Owen Froman (1988) in order to assess students belief that they can master the material and skills thought in university. The CASES was used in order to measure students levels of perceived academic self-effic acy. The scale contained 33-item with five-point Likert-type instruction to be appended.Social supports lifespan satisfactionA global assessment of a persons quality of life, dependent on the values and criteria deemed important by the individual (Shin Johnson, 1978).Engineering studentsEngineering students refers for those whom acquire and willing to do the creative application of scientific principles to design or develop structures, machines, apparatus, or manufacturing processes, or works utilizing them singly or in crew or to construct or operate the same with full cognizance of their design or to forecast their behavior under specific operating conditions all as respects an intended function, economics of operation and safety to life and property.In this study, engineering students refers to first year students from four selected public universities which includes Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UNIMAP), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia(UTM), Universiti Putra malaysia and Universi ti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka.Chapter 2 round OF LITERATURE2.1 IntroductionThis chapter will review and summarize the model and social cognitive theory and also self efficacy by Bandura (1997). The researcher has also focused on psychometrics analysis such as validity and reliability. The primary goal of understanding how students from engineering self efficacy beliefs, Bandura (1997) self efficacy beliefs, Bandura (1997) self-efficacy theory was selected to guide the research.2.2 Social cognitive theoryThe selection of a guiding theoretical construct is directed by the questions a study seeks to exercise (Patton,2002). The social cognitive theory aimed to focus attention on the significant role played by observational learning and vicarious reinforcement in human functioning. Bandura (1977) developed his theory to further include the essential component of self beliefs holds as a factor in human behavior. Social cognitive theory holds that human behavior, adaptation and change are b ased on cognitive, vicarious, self-regularotary and self reflective processes, rather than reactive responses as claimed in behaviorist theories. behaviourPERSONAL FACTORS ENVIRONMENTAL(Cognitive, affective, and FACTORSbiological events)Figure 1.. Model of the relations between the three classes of determinants in Banduras (1986) conception of triadic reciprocalityFigure 1 shows the model of the relations between the three classes of determinants in Banduras (1986) conception of triadic reciprocality. People are viewed as self-organizing, proactive, self-reflecting and self-regulating rather than as reactive organisms shaped and shepherded by surroundingsal forces or driven by concealed inner impulses. From this theoretical perspective, human functioning is viewed as the product of a dynamic interplay of personal, behavioral, and environmental influences. For example, how people interpret the results of their own behavior informs and alters their environments and the personal facto rs they possess which, in turn, inform and alter subsequent behavior. This is the foundation of Banduras (1986) conception of reciprocal determinism, the view that (a) personal factors in the form of cognition, affect, and biological events, (b) behavior, and (c) environmental influences create interactions that result in a triadic reciprocality. Bandura altered the label of his theory from social learning to social cognitive both to distance it from general social learning theories of the day and to accent that cognition plays a critical role in peoples capability to construct reality, self-regulate, encode information, and perform behaviors.2.3 Self Efficacy BeliefsThe self-beliefs that individuals use to exercise a measure of control over their environments include self-efficacy beliefs.beliefs in ones capability to organize and execute the courses of action required to manage likely situations (Bandura, 1997, p. 2).Self-efficacy beliefs are concerned with individuals perceive d capabilities to produce results and to attain designated types of performance, they differ from related conceptions of personal competence that form the core constructs of other theories. Self-efficacy judgments are both more task- and situation-specific, contextual if you will, and individuals make use of these judgments in reference to some type of goal. To better understand the nature of self-efficacy beliefs it may be useful to explain how they are acquired, how they influence motivational and self-regulatory process, and how they differ from similar or related conceptions of self-belief. According to Bandura, there are four major sources of self-efficacy.1. Mastery ExperiencesThe most effective way of developing a strong sense of efficacy is through mastery experiences, Bandura explained (1994). Performing a task successfully strengthens our sense of self-efficacy. However, failing to adequately deal with a task or challenge can undermine and weaken self-efficacy.2. Social Mo delingWitnessing other people successfully completing a task is another important source of self-efficacy. According to Bandura, Seeing people similar to oneself succeed by sustained social movement raises observers beliefs that they too possess the capabilities master corresponding activities to succeed (1994).3. Social PersuasionBandura also asserted that people could be persuaded to belief that they have the skills and capabilities to succeed. Consider a time when someone said something convinced(p) and encouraging that helped you achieve a goal. Getting verbal encouragement from others helps people overcome self-doubt and instead focus on giving their best effort to the task at hand.4. Psychological ResponsesOur own responses and emotional reactions to situations also play an important role in self-efficacy. Moods, emotional states, physical reactions, and stress levels can all impact how a person feels about their personal abilities in a particular situation. A person who bec omes extremely nervous before speaking in public may develop a weak sense of self-efficacy in these situations. However, Bandura also notes it is not the sheer intensity of emotional and physical reactions that is important but rather how they are perceived and interpreted (1994). By learning how to minimize stress and elevate mood when facing problematical or gainsay tasks, people can improve their sense of self-efficacy.Bandura (1986) considered self-reflection the most uniquely human capability, for through this form of self-referent thought people evaluate and alter their own thinking and behavior. These self-evaluations include perceptions of self-efficacy, that is,beliefs in ones capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to manage prospective situations.These beliefs of personal competence affect behavior in several ways. They influence the choices individuals make and the courses of action they pursue. People engage in tasks in which they feel comp etent and confident and avoid those in which they do not. Efficacy beliefs help act upon how much effort people will expend on an activity, how long they will persevere when confronting obstacles, and how resilient they will prove in the face of unfavorable situations-the high the sense of efficacy, the greater the effort, persistence, and resilience. Efficacy beliefs also influence individuals thought patterns and emotional reactions. People with low self-efficacy may believe that things are tougher than they really are, a belief that fosters stress, depression, and a narrow vision of how best to solve a problem. High self-efficacy, on the other hand, helps to create feelings of serenity in approaching difficult tasks and activities. As a result of these influences, self-efficacy beliefs are strong determinants and predictors of the level of accomplishment that individuals finally attain. For these reasons, Bandura (in press) argued that beliefs of personal efficacy constitute t he key factor of human commission .2.4 Engineering Self EfficacyNumerous studies examining the role of self efficacy in students pursuit of engineering careers have generally found a positive correlation between self-efficacy and academic achievement in engineering disciplines (AWE, 2005). For example, it has been found that ones self-efficacy beliefs influence on effort, persistence, and perseverance in goal attainment (Bandura Schunk, 1981 Bouffard-Bouchard, 1990 Schunk Hanson, 1985). Similar findings reveal that high self-efficacy beliefs influence the academic persistence necessary to maintain high academic achievement amongst college students enrolled in science and engineering courses (Lent, Brown, Larkin, 1984, 1986).Previous research also has clearly made the case that the construct of engineering self efficacy can be an important contributor to success in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) career education by influencing the choice to pursue STEM car eers and the persistence with which it is pursued.Hutchison et al (2006) have done a survey incorporating qualitative measures of student self-efficacy beliefs to administer 1,387 first-year engineering students enrolled in ENGR 106, Engineering Problem-Solving and Computer Tools, at Purdue University. The survey was designed to identify factors related to students self-efficacy beliefs, their beliefs about their capabilities to perform the tasks necessary to achieve a desired outcome. Open-ended questions prompted students to list factors affecting their confidence in their ability to succeed in the course. Students were then asked to rank these factors based on the mark to which their self-efficacy beliefs were influenced. Gender trends emerged in student responses to factors that affect confident in success. These trends are discussed in light of the categories identified by efficacy theorists as sources of self-efficacy beliefs. The results presented here provide a useful look at the first-year engineering experiences that influence students efficacy beliefs, an important consideration in explaining student achievement, persistence, and interest.2.5 Academic self efficacyBandura (1997) believed that self-efficacy contributes to the academic achievement of students. Bandura proposed that individuals make a cognitive judgment about their mastery of present situations in view of their past experiences, and proceed to carry out the necessary behaviors to accomplish the task at hand.Students are affected by personal (e.g., goal setting, information processing) and situational influences (e.g., rewards, teacher feedback) that provide students with cues about how well they are learning. Self-efficacy is enhanced when students perceive they are performing well or becoming more skillful. Lack of success or slow progress will not necessarily scorn self-efficacy if learners believe they can perform better by expending more effort or using more effective strategies (Schunk, 1995).Schunk (1991) in his study has also proposed that self-efficacy is critical to the academic achievement of adolescents. He hypothesized that self-efficacy influences a students choice of activities. Students with a high level of self-efficacy will select more contest learning tasks, therefore expending more persistence and effort to obtain higher achievement outcomes, whereas students with low level of self-efficacy will avoid difficult and challenging tasks that require more effort and persistence, and thus, obtain lower achievement outcomes.Figure 1 The Development of Academic Self Efficacy ( Adapted from Schunk and Pajares, 2001)Familial put to work on Self-EfficacyPeer InfluenceRole of SchoolingTransitional InfluencesDevelopmental Changes in Self-Appraisal SkillGender DifferencesEthnic DifferencesACADEMIC SELF EFFICACYStudents with higher self-efficacy expend greater effort, exhibit more persistence and demonstrate greater resilience in the face of adverse situa tions. As a result of these influences, self-efficacy beliefs are strong determinants of the level of accomplishment (Bandura, 1997 Pajares, 1996), and therefore contribute tremendously to intellectual development which leads to academic success (Bandura, 1995).In addition, the research literature includes several studies which emphasize the effect of self-efficacy on numerous positive outcomes as well as academic achievement. In this case, not only has self-efficacy been found to positively relate to higher levels of achievement, but also it has a strong association with a variety of adaptive academic 30 outcomes such as higher levels of effort and increase persistence on difficult tasks. This finding has been confirmed across a number of experimental and correlational studies involving students of different ages (Bandura, 1997 Pintrich Schunk, 2002). Also, in a correlational study conducted by Linnenbrink and Pintrich (2002), was found that self- efficacy is positively related to student cognitive engagement and their use of self- regulatory strategies as well as general achievement as indexed by grades (Pintrich, 2000b Pintrich De Groot, 1990 Wolters, Yu, Pintrich, 1996). Lastly, further evidence exists in the research literature that confirms Schunks hypothesis that students who have positive self-efficacy beliefs are more likely to choose to hide to take more difficult courses over the course of schooling (Eccles et al., 1998).Although several studies confirm the positive effect of self-efficacy on academic achievement, there also seems to be a number of other mediating influences or related variables that provide further explanation of this relationship. In view of possible mediating influences, there exist contradictions in the literature regarding the exact nature of the relationship of self-efficacy with other related variables (e.g., goal orientation, motivation) in explaining positive academic outcomes, as well as its precise strength in predict ing academic achievement, irrespective of these variables. Such discrepancies in the research literature should be considered in examining the effect of self-efficacy on academic achievement. The finding that self-efficacy beliefs tend to decline as students advance through school (Pintrich Schunk, 1996) has been attributed to various factors, including greater competition, more norm-referenced grading, less teacher attention to individual student progress, and stresses associated with school transitions. These and other school practices can weaken academic self efficacy, especially among students who are less academically prepared to cope with increasingly challenging academic tasks. Lock-step sequences of instruction frustrate some students who fail to grasp skills and increasingly fall behind their peers (Bandura, 1997). Ability groupings can lower self-efficacy among those relegated to lower groups. Classrooms that allow for much social comparison tend to lower the self-efficac y of students who find their performances inferior to those of their peers.Students involvement and participation in school depend in part on how much the school environment contributes to their perceptions of autonomy and relatedness, which in turn influence self-efficacy and academic achievement. Although parents and teachers contribute to feeling of autonomy and relatedness, peers become highly significant during adolescence. The peer group context enhances or diminishes students feelings of belonging and standstill (Hymel, Comfort, Schonert-Reichl, McDougall, 1996).2.6 Social supportCollege students may seek social and emotional support from their family and friends. Social support, or receiving emotional, informational, and/or tangible support from other individuals (Lazarus Folkman, 1984), has been linked positively with the maintenance of physical health during stressful situations.In addition, the perceived availability of social support, rather than the actual use of soc ial support, may actually be more important in protecting individuals from the harmful effects of stressful situations (Holahan Moos, 1987). Further, social support may be an important component of college students transitioning successfully to the college environment (Hays Oxley, 1986) and college students academic achievement (DeBerard et al., 2004), with low levels of social support being related to a lack of persistence in academic endeavors (Mallinckrodt, 1988).Given these findings, it is possible that support from family and friends is extremely important in the lives of college students during their college careers, particularly as they experience and make attempts to cope with academic-related stress. For example, one study using a sample of first- and second-year college students, most of whom were without daily parental contact, showed that parental support predicted significantly the grade point average (GPA) of these students. In contrast, support from friends and roma ntic partners did not predict GPA significantly (Cutrona et al., 1994). These results indicated that, although parents may be removed physically from college students daily life, they still may have a major impact on college students academic performance. As a result, the perceived level of emotional support from college students parents may be related greatly to many aspects of their college career, including their academic performance and their experience of academic-related stress.2.6.1 Parental supportgerminal attachment theories developed by Bowlby (1969) and Ainsworth and

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Comparison of Operations Management of Ryanair and British Airways

Comparison of Operations Management of Ryanair and British AirwaysThis screen willing seek to examine, compare and logical argument the operations of Ryanair and British Airways, two major but strategically differing airlines. In order to justy explore the nature of both organisations and to critically analyse factors such as the impact of operations on performance imperatives and the ability to communicate ideas persuasively regarding key operations issues. The essay will begin by providing a brief background to both organisations and their operations guidance transformation processes. The essay will, for each organisation, discuss the market in terms of performance objectives and will concentre on key transformation processes expendd in their operations. Underpinning and interwoven in the analysis will be concepts and theories of operations heed which will generate a rigorous conceptual framework from which closer analysis of both of these organisations will be possible. This will serve to enable a clear and distinguishing conclusion that intelligibly notes the key differences among each airlines organisational management sexual climax. I deal chosen to focus this essay upon the airline patience, a large, growing and highly competitive assiduity in which profit margins are often tight with external factors, such as the price of oil often having a large influence. The airline industry is an important modern component of globalisation, facilitating signifi weedt increases in economic growth, global trade, and international tourism. Deregulation of the airline industry in the US in 1978 and in Europe in 1997 resulted in a much competitive market and the inception of number one cost budget airlines such as Ryanair to compete with the more proliferate domestic flag carriers such as British Airways.AnalysisIn order to analyse and discuss the organisational management and transformative processes employed by the assorted airlines, it is first r equisite to provide a brief background to each in order to contextualise their respective positions within the airline industry. The decision to analyse Ryanair and British Airways was taken in order to discuss two very diametrical airlines. There are comparableities and differences between the two airlines. Both are privately own and operated airlines, one Irish, one British, both are committed to safe and reliable air travel, and both have in any case had to deal with their share of controversy and unfortunate media attention Ryanair over its reliance upon ancillary revenue, its approach to client value, and its provocative advertising British Airways over the intense rivalry with Virgin Atlantic and sequent high profile lawsuit, and more recently the long running industrial relations dispute with its cabin crew. However, both organisations take a very different organisational approach to their operations and management, as we shall explore.A brief background to Ryanair and British AirwaysRyanair is an Irish low cost airline, with its head office based in capital of Ireland Airport and with a UK base at London Stansted Airport. In 1985 Ryanair was created by the Ryan family and began inauspiciously with one plane flitting once a day carrying passengers between Waterford in the south east of Ireland to Gatwick airport in London (Ryanair, 2010). However Ryanair has rapidly expanded since the European deregulation of the airline industry in 1997 and the break decade has been characterised by rapid expansion to meet the massive increase in passenger numbers the airline carries, to the extent that now Ryanair is one of the largest and nearly successful airlines in the world, and is the leading low cost airline in Europe carrying over sixty six one million million passengers in 2009 (Ryanair, 2010). This analysis will explore how Ryanair has managed such a dramatic and successful transformation of its operations.British Airways has if perhaps a less spectacular recent history, a more famed (the concord for example) and proven record of longevity, with forerunner company Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited reaching back to 25 August 1919 and the worlds first international nonchalant air travel between London and Paris (British Airways, 2010). In 1974, forerunner companies such as Cambrian Airways, Caledonian Airways, and North West Airlines were merged to become British Airways, however owing to rising fuel prices and economic recession British Airways was operating at a loss in the 1980s and under the bourgeois government of the age was eventually privatised in 1987 becoming a plc in a bid to return it to profitability (British Airways, 2010). British Airways has since the mid 1990s operated plumb successfully attracting a high of just over forty million passengers in 2002, and the company making substantial yearly profits until 2008 and has suffered significant losings in 2008 and 2009, owing to several(prenominal) factors such as the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud and the industrial dispute which resulted in strikes and impacted upon operational electrical condenser (BBC, 2010. This essay will seek to examine how British Airways has been seeking to turn most its recent fortunes and return to the profitability of the past in the face of absurd competition from low cost rivals such as Ryanair.Operations ManagementIn the ultra-competitive airline industry, it is imperative that organisations understand their market, their operational world and their strategy. Operations management and business strategy are key to business success, and incorporate a holistic approach to management strategy and decisions which drives an organisation towards a goal. Ryanair for example has an operations strategy to provide air travel at the cheapest cost, whilst maximising its revenue and profit margin, whilst British Airways aims to provide an upgraded assistance to everyone who chooses to fly with us (British Airways, 2010), whilst improving cleverness in its operations. In order to achieve these ambitions, successful operations management is crucial, as it trick reduce the costs of producing products and services and being efficientCan increase revenue by increasing customer satisfaction by dint of good quality and serviceCan reduce the amount of investment that is necessary to produce the required type and quantity of products and services by increasing the effective capacity of the operation and by being innovative in how it uses its visible resourcesCan provide the basis for future innovation by building a solid base of operations skills and knowledge within the business.(Slack et al, 200722).Operations management then will have a significant impact upon a companys short and long term profitability. Key to successful operations management and to this essay is operations strategy as it informs and instructs the fortunes of an organisation by charting the direction that they wil l follow.Operations Strategy and the Target MarketFor years up until the deregulation of the European airline industry in 1997, the European airline industry was dominated by national flag carriers, often subsidized by national governments, that offered full service flights but generally with high removedes, of which British Airways is a good example. British Airways operational and management past is more abstruse than Ryanairs due to several factors but largely because of its history and status as a flag bearing airliner. British Airways has had to overcome obstacles to success in its history privatisation was successfully navigated through programmes such as Putting People First and A Day in the Life which emphasised staff development, employee engagement and a collaborative approach to industrial relations (Upchurch, 20103). British Airways in the early 1990s was a profit making organisation based upon customer related innovations, however other(a) airlines quickly copied t he operational strategy, resulting in declining revenue and resulting in major job losses (British Airways, 2010) owing to greater competition. British Airways thus had to evolve its strategy and ambitions, and come across that the strategic objective was aligned with the operations management of the companyBritish Airways strategic objectives focused on engaging in mergers with other airlines, hiring and training a good crew and maintaining its financial and social status. The strategic objective of British Airways are in line with the operations management system of the company. The operations objectives throw sure that British Airways would continuously provide the best service to clients. The operations objectives make sure that the organizational objectives are met. The operations objectives guide the firm so that the organizational objectives will be met by British Airways.(Operations Management, 2010).Deregulation of the industry increased competition not only from within p re deregulation competitors but also with newly created airlines, and paved the way for what was essentially a revolution in air travel that has seen the creation of a multitude of low cost airlines religious offering cheap fares but with reduced services. Ryanair is the principal and most successful of these airlines and it achieved this success through innovating and redirecting its attentions in the market. Rather than try and compete with existing airlines in attracting the coarse business travellers, Ryanair a different target market by seeking to attract large numbers of leisure travellers instead (Chesbrough, 2007).However, Ryanair was not initially a profitable organisation, unable to compete with the more established airlines. Realising this, Ryanair crucially and fundamentally over hauled its operational strategy in 1991We patterned Ryanair after Southwest Airlines, the most consistently profitable airline in the US says Michael OLeary, Ryanairs Chief Executive. South west founder Herb Kelleher created a formula for success that works by flying only one type of airplane the 737 using smaller airports, providing no frills service on board, selling tickets directly to customers and offering passengers the lowest fares in the market. We have adapted this model for our market place and are now setting the low fare standard for Europe.(OLeary in Slack et al, 200762).Essentially then, this change in strategy by Ryanair highlights how important operational strategy is to an organisation. Perhaps the biggest challenge for British Airways has been the ongoing struggle against the low cost airlines which points to a strategic pickaxe for British Airways between continuing to operate a full service and customer service focused high quality liner, or to adopt the low cost model. British Airways has refused to go down the low cost route, preferring instead to differentiate its customer base, focusing on premium, high-yielding passengers (in First and Business Class) (Upchurch, 20103), whilst rationalising some routes, crude loss making routes and attempting to increase efficiency and savings through job cuts.Through changing their strategy significantly to copy a successful model, Ryanair fundamentally altered its operations but importantly enabled it to grow to become the leading European low cost airline. It was the strategic decisions that were taken that have been key and these allow stream lining the operations wherever possible and aggressively optimizing production costs. By using only one aircraft type the 737, Ryanair were able to save a significant amount of money through standardization of parts, maintenance and servicing (Slack et al, 200762), whilst saving pilot training costs as the average training time for flight crews on the Boeing 737 is two weeks compared to an average of seven on other aircraft (Roseingrave, 2000). Ryanair maximised the aircraft seating capacity, whilst implementing a policy of charging for the seat only and increasing revenue through ancillary services such as charging for luggage, for online check in, for priority boarding and for on board food and drink (Box, 2007). Ryanair have also diversified the shed of services that they offer, a cursory glance at their website highlights the range of services presently promoted in addition to their low cost flight seats, such as car hire, travel insurance, discounted hotels, airport transfer, credit cards, gift vouchers, hostels and bed breakfasts, cruise holidays, cheap mobile roaming, villas and apartments and campsite holidays (Ryanair, 2010). However, this is not unusual for an airline company, British Airways offers similar but more aims for a more up-market target. Perhaps one of the most important strategic decision that has been taken by Ryanair management is the decision to use low cost secondary airportsFlying in and out of low-cost uncongested secondary airports has become the trademark of Ryanair. Selec ted airports are generally close to large commonwealth centres. Secondary airports work well for Ryanair because they are less expensive, generally because they are the only airline flying there. In some cases these airports actually pay Ryanair to provide services. As Ryanair has a strong negotiating hand, if airports raise costs Ryanair can move capacity to lower-cost airports. Since secondary airports are uncongested, Ryanair is able to do 25-minute turnarounds, which enhance aircraft utilization and on-time performance.(Roseingrave, 200049 50).This combination of strategies aimed at keeping operating costs as low as possible have proved to be successful. However their success is can only be measured if customers are satisfied with the service provided. Ryanair is not famous for its customer service indeed OLeary, the Ryanair CEO, clearly states the companys policy on customer service We guarantee to accord you the lowest air fare. You get a safe flight. You get a normally on time flight. Thats the package. We dont and wont give you anything more. Are we going to say sorry for our lack of customer service? Absolutely not. If a plane is cancelled, will we put you up in a hotel overnight? Absolutely not. If a plane is delayed, will we give you a voucher for a restaurant? Absolutely not. (OLeary in Slack et al, 2007 62).Essentially, this is exactly what defines Ryanairs service concept, a tripartite concept outlined by Johnston and Clark (2008 42). Firstly, the organising idea, or the essence of the service bought or used by the customer (Johnston and Clark, 2008 42) is the guarantee to be precondition the lowest air fare, a safe flight and usually an on time flight. For British Airways, customers are the focus, which means that their employees will strive to ensure customer satisfaction and they will provide a more costly and full service. Secondly, the service experience, or the customers direct experience of the service process which concerns the way the service provider deals with the customer (Johnston and Clark, 2008 42) is displayed in the simplicity of the deal they are up front and honest about the fact that the customer, even a customer in a service industry, should not have high expectations of customer service or customer care in the event of things going wrong. British Airways has long portrayed itself as the Worlds Favourite Airline owing to its commitment to a high quality service and standard of care, including compensation where appropriate. Again this is a far more costly model than Ryanairs but is aimed at a different if smaller market. Thirdly, the service outcome or the result for the customer of the service (in particular, the benefits provided, the resulting emotions and appraisal of value for money) (Johnston and Clark, 2008 42) is proven in the price guarantee, and the fact that Ryanair has increased its share of the passenger market dramatically within the last decade going from carrying around seven mil lion passengers in 2000, to an estimated seventy million in 2010 (Ryanair, 2010).ConclusionSo was it just the success of Ryanair that allowed OLeary to predict that Ryanair would overtake British Airways by carrying 3.5 million passengers a month in 2005. He went on to say, The very fact that a Mickey Mouse Irish airline can start in a field in Waterford 20 years ago, and in 20 years, overtake the worlds self styled, self proclaimed favourite airline is testament to the affect for low-airfare travel around Europe (Box, 2007 65). Or was British Airways in operational decline. It would appear that the low-cost model of airline has been more successful in recent times and it is fair to say that with the recent and ongoing worldwide economic uncertainties that it is likely to continue to be the dominant force in air travel. Whilst British Airways has had a track record of being able to successfully adapt its operational strategy, it has in recent years been in decline and has so far failed to convincingly react to the growing threat to it from low-cost airlines. It has had to deal with additional problems such as the industrial dispute, whereas Ryanair being a airline that operates without an employees union, has avoided having to deal with complicated wrangles. The recent merger with the Spanish Airline Iberia has provided stability. But is British Airways merely delaying the inevitable? Is it attempting to become an airline that is too big to fail? As we saw in the economic crash, banks that purported to be too big to fail can and did, needing state intervention to prevent economic disaster. Time will tell, but currently the future of air travel would appear to have found hegemony in the low-cost, no frills airlines.

Monday, June 3, 2019

Vietnam Is One Of The Developing Countries Tourism Essay

Vietnam Is One Of The Developing Countries Tourism EssayMGM Grand Ho Tram Beach is wholeness of only the few large international players which are granted with permission for casino operation in Vietnam recently. In Vietnam, playing period is nevertheless a sensitive issue. On October 8 2012, Members of National Assemblys Standing Committee debated a draft decree on electronic looseness for foreigners. Mr. Vuong Dinh Due, parson of Finance stated that this business was approved 20 years ago to entertain the demand of foreigners and attract much investment to the country. However, there are roughly current regulations on licensing conditions were not suitable anymore with the upcoming social-economic circumstance and some laws approved recently such as the Investment Law or Enterprise Law. Most members of the Standing Committee supported the new decree, which specify only foreigners and Vietnamese mountain who hold foreign passports or foreign compliance permits are allowed t o join the turn function (VIETNAMNET 2012). Moreover, there was another draft decree on casino management released by Ministry of Finance stipulating that the foreign investors smell for a chance to open new casinos must inject at least US$ 4 billion to the project and they can only bring the casino operation licenses after they finish project development (Tu Giang 2012).Despite all strict rules and regulations from the government on this gaming industry, many projects are still on their way to set up or advance their scale of operations. In October 2012, Donaco Singapore which is controlled by two grandsons of Mr. Lim Goh Tong, the founder of Genting Berhad, has announced the share-sale agreement with Australian company Two Way Ltd. in the running of Lao Cai International Hotel, a premises had been licensed of gambling function and located near to the mold with China. The hotel operated successfully which generated US$12.5 million of revenue and net profit after-tax was US$6.2 million in 2011 (Ngoc Linh 2012). Other large players in this sector are argent Shores Hoang Dat Co. in Danang, Genting VinaCapital Co. in Hoi An, Royal International Co. in Lang Son and Hai Ninh Loi Lai Co. in Quang Ninh. Following a report by the Ministry of Finance, the revenue from prize electronics games has been uprise gradually in recent years of around 10-15 per cent per annum and the total turnover in 2011 hit VND5 trillions (approximately US$ 240 millions) (Tran Thuy 2013). Meanwhile, ACDL started to kick off the second musical composition of the MGM Grand Ho Tram Beach Project in October 2012 and Mr. Lloyd Nathan, CEO of ACDL, was confident to say that MGM Grand Ho Tram Beach is the only one integrated resort with a major US brand rattling opens in Asia during the next five years (Linh Tu 2012).Together with the potential and economic benefits from the gaming sector, there are some social problems could be solved if the government really open the doors for the Vietna mese citizens to the casinos. In spite of the fact that gambling is contraband in Vietnam, there are many people still take participate in the underground gambling activities throughout the country. On November 29 2012, more than 200 police officers successfully caught over 100 gamblers and seized several billions Vietnamese Dong in the largest-ever gambling den in Northern Vietnam. Local residents believed that this gambling den had operated for decades and attracted gamblers from many responsiblenesss in Northern Vietnam (Nhung 2012). Besides, many Vietnamese people piss crossed the border to go to Cambodia for gambling. Based on a analyse by the Ministry of Public Securitys General Department of Crime Prevention and Control, it was estimated that around 3,600 Vietnamese citizens go to Cambodia on gambling purpose daily, and it could rise up to 5,000 on Saturdays (Tuoi Tre 2012). Naga Corp., the operator of a casino chain in Cambodia stated that 40% of their revenue came from Vietnamese (Tu Hoang 2012). It could be even worse if the gambler ran out of funds in Cambodian gambling premises and he/she was kept by the lenders. Some of them committed suicide after that because they had mortgaged their own life for the promise money (Thanh Nien 2012). All of these issues could be dealt if the government carefully considers allowing the Vietnamese nationals come into the casino in domestic, so it is easier to control the gambler and reduce the negative impacts from flagitious gambling.The next part will focus on the operation aspect of MGM Grand Ho Tram Beach to see how they are going to suck up profit from this project as well as the liabilities towards the society and their stakeholders.MGM Grand Ho Tram Beach, located in the Ba Ria Vung Tau province, is the first phase of Ho Tram Strip complex to be managed and branded by MGM Resorts International. It consists of 541 luxury guestrooms and suites in a hotel tower and 13,600 square metres are of gaming s pace which lays waste 90 tables and 500 electronic gaming machines. There are also a 4,000 square metres conference and convention center which features state-of-the-art audio/ visual equipment and lighting facilities. In addition, MGM Grand Ho Tram Beach comfort its guests by a full range of nine world-class restaurants which serves various kinds of cuisine such as Vietnamese, Cantonese, Japanese, French and three differently designed bar, lounge and ultra-lounge. All other facilities such as spa, retail shopping areas and beach unskilled activities which are expected in any destination resort are also available to entertain all visitors. The second tower of MGM Grand Ho Tram Beach contains 559 guestrooms and suites will bring the total room complement to 1,100 (ACDL 2012). Compared to other gaming hubs in Asia such as Macau or Singapore, the unique mover of this project is the site itself. It is one of stunning beauty-2.2km of beach. So whereas there are many resorts that are l ooking to create artificial beaches and artificial wave pools, we actually have the real thing on our doorstep, said Mr. Nathan Lloyd, CEO of ACDL (Jalal 2012). This is the wonderful place appeal to people to take their family vacation. Although the gaming sector is expected to have higher contribution to the revenue of the resort, non-gamers are still the important target. Within around 8 million Vietnamese people visiting Ba Ria Vung Tau province annually and many people go there as a weekend getaway, MGM Grand Ho Tram Beach with excellent non-gaming amenities would be the best choice of destination (ACDL 2012). On the gaming side, premium players are expected to come from places such as Mainland China, Korea, Japan, Thailand and India as well. There are around 6 million foreign tourists come to Vietnam annually and many expatriates living in Vietnam would be the main source markets for the casino operation. The other source could be about 3.5 million Vietnamese people oversea wh o hold foreign passports or foreign residency permits and tend to come back to Vietnam at the lunar New Year (Jalal 2012). Another key factor which could attract both gaming and non-gaming visitors to MGM Grand Ho Tram beach is the well-known MGM tradition of performances and alert concerts around the year. These various activities would happen in many different places inside the resort such as ballroom, bar, ultra-lounge and beachside. The Greg Norman designed 18-hole Championship golf game telephone line which is expected to be completed in this year could be also the favorite destination of many VIP guests as well as golf players in the Asia region (Van 2012).In the other hand, MGM Grand Ho Tram Beach puts a great concern to its staffs and the local community. ACDL has created around 4,000 construction jobs and hired 2,000 people to work in the first phase of the MGM Grand Ho Tram. Mr. John Shigley, President and COO of MGM Grand Ho Tram, said the training programs would focus on the local market and be ongoing for the management and staff hired. After that, all staffs would receive extensive training in computer skills, row skills, customer service and all technical aspects of their jobs (Van 2012). MGM Resorts International also offered training and curriculum to many young Vietnamese students in a number of colleges and universities in Vietnam to work and make a strong start for their career (Jalal 2012). Beside the career development, MGM has some of the most strict and rigorous regulations and standards to monitor the gambling in casinos. MGM is interest in creating a regulated, secure and safe environment for gamers. There are measures would be taken to ensure only persons who could properly game would be allowed to do so. Whether Vietnamese can play or not depends on the laws of Vietnam, but we only allow foreigners, said CEO Nathan Lloyd (Tu Giang 2012). Asian Coast Development Limited, the proprietor of this Ho Tram Strip project, has shown it s social responsibilities by many activities such as donation of 10 houses to Xuyen Moc Commune to improve the life of disadvantaged people in the local community. In October 17 2009, the Company visited and aided the flood victims in Quang Ngai Province with VND360 million in funds directly to the families worst moved(p) by the storm. Also in October 2009, ACDL held a party for Ho Chi Minh Citys Dieu Giac orphanage after funding to provide an entirely new roof to the school day and supply new recreational facilities for 126 children in this centre (ACDL 2012).

Sunday, June 2, 2019

Internet Legislation :: essays research papers fc

     With the recent popularity of the Internet many topics concerning it give up hit important street media. One of these topics is legislation to control its certain aspects. Legislation is now one of the feuded discussions when it comes to the Internet, and through my report I hope to shed some accrue on this topic of conterversy.     The Internet by definition is an international web of interconnected government, education, and business computer networks--in midpoint, a network of networks. A person at a computer terminal or personal computer with the proper software communicates across the Internet by placing data in an Internet protocol (IP) packet--an electronic envelope--and "addressing" the packet to a particular destination on the Internet. Communications software on the intervening networks between the source and destination networks. And these collections of networks linking millions of servers (computers) together, wh ere in essence one computer can feeler info from another. The Internet was first formed in the lats 60s by the military as a form of communication incase of nuclear attack. Just recently in 1984 is when it was first opened to the everyday consumer as a form of communication. After a few historic period of mild aknowledgement of its assistance, From a thousand or so networks in the mid- 1980s, the Internet has grown to an estimated 30,000 connected networks in 1994 with ab step to the fore 25 million people having get to to it. it all of a sudden boomed with popularity with networks expanding at an exponential rate. And with the networks came multi billionaire business such as American Online.     Along with information the Internet has links to other much unmoral forms of entertainment, on of these is pornography, "porn" of the past few years has taken up more than one half of the web pages on the Internet (about 4 out of 10 web pages are porn) a num ber which has caused much dismay with users and nonusers alike. Those who support porn on the Internet say its with in there rights and everybody should have access to it. But parents are afraid that the Internet carries a large number of minor users who with almost no Internet experience can access porn. Only Legislation that currently exsists is We start with the federal Communications Decency Act of 1996, a controversialpiece of legislation signed into law by prexy Clinton on February 8, 1996, andnow under legal challenge by the American Civil Liberties Union and others.

Saturday, June 1, 2019

Essay --

Taylor HeislerA Soldiers Life A soldiers journey throughout the Civil War began with them entering the war. At the detonate of the war, both sides had many men who volunteered to fight for their side. Many volunteered to fight because of patriotism, state pride, to be paid, for their religion, or even for the thrill of an adventure. Although towards the middle and end of the Civil War, volunteers were no longer as common. Both sides began to have a problem with the lack of soldiers. The Confederacy ending up creating a draft that first began drafting men ages eighteen to thirty-five, but by the end of the war the age was men forty-five to fifty. Although the Union wasnt as in a short tack of men as the Confederacy, they also started a draft but it only made up about 6 percent of their army. While having the draft, both sides allowed the besotted to pay $300.00 to buy their way out of serving in the Civil War. This meant closely of the men who were drafted tended to be poor. This angered civilians from both sides and riots broke out which were quieted by the armies. The Union also began accepting escaped Confederate slaves and African Americans to fight as soldiers. Becoming desperate, the Confederacy also began drafting slaves to fight in their army. later on soldiers joined the army they experienced training for the war. At the beginning of the war, neither side had a great amount of trained soldiers considering most soldiers had been farmers. A majority of officers and trainers also lacked fighting skills. Neither side had much conviction to train their armies but they trained the best they could. Drills were conducted to train the soldiers. The drills became a routine routine and taught their soldiers discipline and battle... ... limbs, because of the poor sanitation of the medical equipment used to remove their limbs.One of the least dangerous struggles soldiers faced was boredom. Soldiers waited at camps for action. While waiting for order s, soldiers passed time with varies methods. Soldiers would cook food, write letters to their loved ones, clean their clothes and even play games. Common games played were baseball, dominoes, cards, chess, and checkers. A soldier experienced many unstated ships beginning with being brought into the war, training, and surviving the war. Soldiers fought for their side whether they wanted to be in the war or not. They endured many long days of training and struggled to become pause soldiers. A soldier not only struggled to survive a battle but also a normal day at camp. Although the armies faced the aforesaid(prenominal) struggles, the soldiers continued to fight.

Friday, May 31, 2019

Role of Religion in Victorian Life Essay -- Victorian Era

Role of Religion in Victorian LifeReligion throughout business relationship has been a dominating social factor, and in Britain during the nineteenth century, this same religious domination can be seen. The Victorian era was marked by the perform of England which developed such an influence in politics as well as pietism that it became difficult to separate the two (Yi 1). The tyrannical power of the church service building fostered many problems (lack of space, not relating to its people, hypocrisy, etc.) and created an air where a variety of dissenting groups could form and develop (1). The atmosphere of the high church compared to that of the dissenting groups explains why the shift of religion occurred with such a large response.Wealthy (High Church) vs. Middle Class (Dissenters)In the high church, funding came from the wealthy which in turn gave them a piece of the church as property--pews. These pews were branded with a family name and would pass from generation to generati on. If the family moved, the pew would remain vacant not open for others to sit in This left the take down classes to standing r...

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Banking Service in Developing Economies Essay -- Business, Marketing

Whilst the relationship selling literature is expanding at a rather exponential rate, rapport between customers and apparent motion line employees did not get its due attention especially in the context of banking service in traditional, developing economies. This has delimited the efficacy of the established relationship theories in explaining the antecedent effect of trust, commitment, service quality and involvement for developing rapport leading to overall client (customer) satisfaction. The focus of this research, thus, is rapport. This chapter acts as a precede that sets the ball rolling by presenting the research background explaining the research problem and scope and discussing the research questions. A brief note explaining the overall organisation of the thesis is also incorporated at the end of this chapter. In todays highly competitive business environment, many organizations all over the world give up been forced to put more emphasis on retaining their existing cus tomers rather than acquiring new ones. Since conventional transactional approaches to marketing does not seem to be fitting in attaining this and other related marketing goals, many organizations seem to have been moving away from product or brand orientation to relationship marketing orientation which has been viewed as a bridge through which both customers and companies can share each others needs and values and can catch their potential expectations by creating two-way exchanges (Bateman and Snell, 2007). In this backdrop, rapport holds a crucial position in the customer-employee relationship arena particularly in marketing of run because it possess characteristics such as interpersonal focus, simultaneous production-consumption and the lack of standa... ...the conceptual model used in the investigation. It also includes a section to discuss iv models found in the extant literature which have been replicated in this study to test if the relationships portrayed in them were valid in the Bangladesh context. This was necessary to ensure the severity of the relationships proposed in the conceptual model. Chapter 4 Research Design Presents details of methodology, sampling procedure, data collection process and discussions on the development of the survey instrument. Chapter 5 entropy Analysis Explains data analysis and research results. Chapter 6 Hypothesis Testing Presents a detailed discussion on the hypotheses testing procedures and test results.Chapter 7 proof Explains research contributions of this study for both academics as well as practitioners. Also presents the limitations of the study.