Deception Point Page 36

â€Å"Jesus Christ!† Norah shook the device and looked again. â€Å"Damn it! Something's got to be wrong with this refractometer!† â€Å"Saltwater?† Corky gloated. Norah frowned. â€Å"Partial. It's registering three percent brine-which is totally impossible. This glacier is a snow pack. Pure freshwater. There should be no salt.† Norah carried the sample to a nearby microscope and examined it. She groaned. â€Å"Plankton?† Tolland asked. â€Å"G. polyhedra,† she replied, her voice now sedate. â€Å"It's one of the planktons we glaciologists commonly see in the oceans under ice shelves.† She glanced over at Tolland. â€Å"They're dead now. Obviously they didn't survive long in a three percent saltwater environment.† The four of them stood in silence a moment beside the deep shaft. Rachel wondered what the ramifications of this paradox were for the overall discovery. The dilemma appeared minor when compared to the overall scope of the meteorite, and yet, as an intel analyst, Rachel had witnessed the collapse of entire theories based on smaller snags than this. â€Å"What's going on over here?† The voice was a low rumble. Everyone looked up. The bearish frame of the NASA administrator emerged from the dark. â€Å"Minor quandary with the water in the shaft,† Tolland said. â€Å"We're trying to sort it out.† Corky sounded almost gleeful. â€Å"Norah's ice data is screwed.† â€Å"Bite me twice,† Norah whispered. The administrator approached, his furry eyebrows lowering. â€Å"What's wrong with the ice data.† Tolland heaved an uncertain sigh. â€Å"We're showing a three percent saltwater mix in the meteorite shaft, which contradicts the glaciology report that the meteorite was encased in a pristine freshwater glacier.† He paused. â€Å"There's also plankton present.† Ekstrom looked almost angry. â€Å"Obviously that's impossible. There are no fissures in this glacier. The PODS scans confirmed that. This meteorite was sealed in a solid matrix of ice.† Rachel knew Ekstrom was correct. According to NASA's density scans, the ice sheet was rock solid. Hundreds of feet of frozen glacier on all sides of the meteorite. No cracks. And yet as Rachel imagined how density scans were taken, a strange thought occurred to her†¦ â€Å"In addition,† Ekstrom was saying, â€Å"Dr. Mangor's core samples confirmed the solidity of the glacier.† â€Å"Exactly!† Norah said, tossing the refractometer on a desk. â€Å"Double corroboration. No fault lines in the ice. Which leaves us no explanation whatsoever for the salt and plankton.† â€Å"Actually,† Rachel said, the boldness of her voice surprising even herself. â€Å"There is another possibility.† The brainstorm had hit her from the most unlikely of memories. Everyone was looking at her now, their skepticism obvious. Rachel smiled. â€Å"There's a perfectly sound rationale for the presence of salt and plankton.† She gave Tolland a wry look. â€Å"And frankly, Mike, I'm surprised it didn't occur to you.† 42 â€Å"Plankton frozen in the glacier?† Corky Marlinson sounded not at all sold on Rachel's explanation. â€Å"Not to rain on your parade, but usually when things freeze they die. These little buggers were flashing us, remember?† â€Å"Actually,† Tolland said, giving Rachel an impressed look, â€Å"she may have a point. There are a number of species that enter suspended animation when their environment requires it. I did an episode on that phenomenon once.† Rachel nodded. â€Å"You showed northern pike that got frozen in lakes and had to wait until the thaw to swim away. You also talked about micro-organisms called ‘waterbears' that became totally dehydrated in the desert, remained that way for decades, and then reinflated when rains returned.† Tolland chuckled. â€Å"So you really do watch my show?† Rachel gave a slightly embarrassed shrug. â€Å"What's your point, Ms. Sexton?† Norah demanded. â€Å"Her point,† Tolland said, â€Å"which should have dawned on me earlier, is that one of the species I mentioned on that program was a kind of plankton that gets frozen in the polar ice cap every winter, hibernates inside the ice, and then swims away every summer when the ice cap thins.† Tolland paused. â€Å"Granted the species I featured on the show was not the bioluminescent species we saw here, but maybe the same thing happened.† â€Å"Frozen plankton,† Rachel continued, excited to have Michael Tolland so enthusiastic about her idea, â€Å"could explain everything we're seeing here. At some point in the past, fissures could have opened in this glacier, filled with plankton-rich saltwater, and then refroze. What if there were frozen pockets of saltwater in this glacier? Frozen saltwater containing frozen plankton? Imagine if while you were raising the heated meteorite through the ice, it passed through a frozen saltwater pocket. The saltwater ice would have melted, releasing the plankton from hibernation, and giving us a small percentage of salt mixed in the freshwater.† â€Å"Oh, for the love of God!† Norah exclaimed with a hostile groan. â€Å"Suddenly everyone's a glaciologist!† Corky also looked skeptical. â€Å"But wouldn't PODS have spotted any brine ice pockets when it did its density scans? After all, brine ice and freshwater ice have different densities.† â€Å"Barely different,† Rachel said. â€Å"Four percent is a substantial difference,† Norah challenged. â€Å"Yes, in a lab,† Rachel replied. â€Å"But PODS takes its measurements from 120 miles up in space. Its computers were designed to differentiate between the obvious-ice and slush, granite and limestone.† She turned to the administrator. â€Å"Am I right to assume that when PODS measures densities from space, it probably lacks the resolution to distinguish brine ice from fresh ice?† The administrator nodded. â€Å"Correct. A four percent differential is below PODS's tolerance threshold. The satellite would see brine ice and fresh ice as identical.† Tolland now looked intrigued. â€Å"This would also explain the static water level in the shaft.† He looked at Norah. â€Å"You said the plankton species you saw in the extraction shaft was called-â€Å" â€Å"G. polyhedra, Norah declared. â€Å"And now you're wondering if G. polyhedra is capable of hibernating inside the ice? You'll be pleased to know the answer is yes. Absolutely. G. polyhedra is found in droves around ice shelves, it bioluminesces, and it can hibernate inside the ice. Any other questions?† Everyone exchanged looks. From Norah's tone, there was obviously some sort of â€Å"but†-and yet it seemed she had just confirmed Rachel's theory. â€Å"So,† Tolland ventured, â€Å"you're saying it's possible, right? This theory makes sense?† â€Å"Sure,† Norah said, â€Å"if you're totally retarded.† Rachel glared. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† Norah Mangor locked stares with Rachel. â€Å"I imagine in your business, a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing? Well, trust me when I tell you that the same holds true for glaciology.† Norah's eyes shifted now, looking at each of the four people around her. â€Å"Let me clarify this for everyone once and for all. The frozen brine pockets that Ms. Sexton has proposed do occur. They are what glaciologists call interstices. Interstices, however, form not as pockets of saltwater but rather as highly branched networks of brine ice whose tendrils are as wide as a human hair. That meteorite would have had to pass through one hell of a dense series of interstices to release enough saltwater to create a three percent mixture in a pool that deep.†

Runic alphabet,

Interrogated and first grade, for example, many children write â€Å"b† instead of â€Å"d,† and may sometimes confuse â€Å"p,† â€Å"q,† and â€Å"g. Teachers see these errors all the time, and gradually work to help kids fix them. But as a caring parent, should you worry? The stakes are high. DO these letter problems signal something deeper, such sidesaddle? To sort out the hype, we turned to two pros: Linda Selves, Executive Director of the New York branch of the International Dyslexia Association, and Eileen Marjoram, PhD. A past Board President of that organization, a professor of special education, and a teacher and tutor in private practice with dyslexic children for more than thirty years. Here's what they have to say when it comes to three common fears about Wesleyan, and identifying it in kindergarten and first grade children: Myth You'll know its dyslexia when a kid flips letters or misspells a lot. Fact: While some dyslexic people may do this , it's not the main problem! Dyslexia, explains Selves, â€Å"is a neurologically based learning disability† in which â€Å"people have difficulty associating sounds with letters. Lots of kids who write â€Å"b† for â€Å"d,† or reverse other letters, are just making rookie mistakes; what's more serious is when they cannot hear the â€Å"b† in â€Å"bear,† and think, instead, that it may be a â€Å"d† or â€Å"p. † Backwards letters alone re not cause for worry, according to the experts. In kindergarten, explains Marjoram, dyslexic kids will have trouble in several related areas. Taken together, these Signs indicate that a child is not making the all-important connection between letters, sounds, and word meaning. Instead of worrying yourself sick about reversed letters, â€Å"l would look further,† says Marjoram.If by the end of a full year of good instruction in kindergarten, a child can't do all or most of the following, the n it's time to be concerned: easily name all the letters of the alphabet, with most sounds detect rhyming words ear initial sounds, like the â€Å"c† in cat. Identify basic sight words like â€Å"is† or ‘the† recognize â€Å"environmental print† like the word â€Å"stop† on a roadside sign Myth #2: You can't really diagnose dyslexia until a kid is seven or eight. Fact: Kindergarten is not too early to evaluate a child. In fact, says Selves, â€Å"Early intervention is key†¦.The longer you wait, the more the problem grows. † Children quickly realize when something is wrong. Its all too easy for them to conclude, â€Å"l can't read so I must be really dumb,† Selves says. If your kindergarten does display most of the signs above, both Selves and Marjoram emphasize that you should seek an evaluation with a qualified specialist, either through your school or through independent experts such as those certified by the International Dyslexia Association. Don't let your school convince you to wait. Early intervention makes a huge difference. Http:// c mm/ magazine nee/article/ Kinder Stories, Poems, and Literature from the Viking Age 13th century Icelandic manuscript Our knowledge of the Viking people comes from several sources. One valuable source is the literature from the period. Norse people loved stories, and some of the stories and poems they themselves wrote, and that their ascendants wrote still survive. Stories about the Norse were also written by their contemporaries, including both their trading partners (such as the Arabs) and the victims of their raids (such as the Christian clerics who kept the historical records in Europe).This section describes written records the Viking-age people left behind. Language The Norse spoke Old Norse, which they called downs tuna (the Danish tongue). With minor variations, this language was spoken throughout the Norse lands during the Viking period. Old Norse is one of ten branches that cake up the Indo-European family of languages which have been spoken throughout Europe and southern Asia for the last 3000 years. Old Norse is the root language from which the modern Scandinavian languages descended, and is a close relative of modern English, Dutch, and German.During the period from 550050 AD, rapid linguistic changes occurred, which separated the Norse from other Germanic people on the European continent to the south and west. During the Viking age, language was no barrier to communication across the Norse lands; from Greenland to the Baltic, nearly the same language was spoken throughout. However, there is evidence that, despite the common language, a man's homeland could be identified by his speech.Some scholars today would go further and say that by the start of the Norse era, significant differences already existed between East Norse (Sweden and Denmark) and West Norse (Norway and the Atlantic settlements such as Iceland) dialects. Writing and Runes The footwork runic â€Å"alphabet† (so called for the sounds of the first six letters in the runic row) was in wide use throughout northern Europe from roughly the 3rd to the 12th century. At first, 24 letters were used, but in the 9th century, he footwork alphabet was simplified to 16 letters, beginning in Denmark, then rapidly spreading throughout the region.Many variations of the footwork rune row were used; one of the Danish variants is shown above. In the same way that a modern reader of English would recognize all these glyphs as representing an upper case a Viking-age reader would recognize the many ways a rune might be represented. The runes consist of straight lines, typically in the form of a vertical (a stave) with diagonal branches (twigs). The lack of any curves makes the runes easy to carve into wood, bone, or stone, which were the normal writing materials mongo the Norse.Runes are found carved graffiti-like into historical buildings and statuary not j ust in northern Europe, but all across the continent, clearly showing the extent to which the Norse roamed over Europe. The marble lion shown in the sketch to the left is from outside Piraeus, near Athens, Greece, where some unknown Norse traveler carved runic graffiti into the shoulder of the beast. Judging from the number of inscriptions found on stones in Nordic lands that were clearly intended to be seen and read, and from the number of everyday objects inscribed with runes, it is possible that such of the Norse population could read runes.Many of the inscriptions are in the form of memorial stones, such as those illustrated below on this page. These stones are highly public memorials. There's scarcely any reason to erect them if most of the population could not read them. Many everyday objects are found inscribed with the owner's name, or the maker's name, or other messages. Runic inscriptions have been found ranging from trade and legal documents such as bills of sale, all the way to coarse lavatory scribbling. Some runic inscriptions are clearly just for fun; a comb was found inscribed â€Å"l am a comb†.Some inscriptions may have been the equivalent of â€Å"Post-It' notes; one wooden Ernestine from Bergen is inscribed: â€Å"Cathy says come home†. Additional evidence of widespread literacy comes from the old Icelandic literature. In an episode from Importations (chi 34), it was not considered the least bit remarkable that a poor, unnamed Icelandic from the northern quarter was able to read the inscription on a buried treasure chest. In chapter 18 of Vigilant saga, Striker ¶g's father HLempel left a rune stick on the path where Vigorous and Transit were sure to find it as they rode to the ship that loud take them away from Iceland.On the stick were Striker ¶g's words saying she wanted to marry no other man but Vigilantly. There was no question that V(giggling would be able to read the message. > ¶r ¶our challenged Klaus to a wres tling match via a message on a rune stick in chapter 12 of Savorsla saga. Interestingly, just two chapters later, Klaus and Gar(s found runes carved on a ship naming the skipper, which Klaus was unable to read. He demanded that Grim read them. Wooden writing tablets provide additional evidence of the widespread use of runic writing among ordinary people.The tablet shown in the photos is a odder reproduction. The historic tablets are about 20-CACM high (about 8-12 in) and were filled with blackened wax within their raised borders. A pointed iron stylus was used to write in the wax (top right). The reproduction stylus in the photos is set in an antler which allows a nice grip and which can be used to smooth the wax and erase unwanted writing (bottom right). The wooden surface of historical tablets from the Norse era bear marks where the stylus broke through the wax, and the marks show that the runic alphabet Was being used.These tablets are more commonly found in rural areas, ether th an in towns, suggesting that even remote farm dwellers could read and write runes. On the other hand, objects have been found inscribed with runes which appear to be utter nonsense, or filled with errors. Perhaps it made perfect sense to the craftsman who made the object. Or perhaps, realizing that the object he just made needed to decorated with runes, but not knowing the footwork, the artisan simply made up something rune-like. The medium of choice for runic inscriptions was probably a stick or scrap of wood, which explains why few runic inscriptions are found today.Extraordinary conditions re required for the preservation of these wood scraps over the centuries since the Norse era. The runic writing shown to the right is one of a number of wooden merchant's markers excavated in Bergen. It indicates the owner's name, and was meant to be stuck in or tied to a pile of merchandise. It can be difficult to transcribe and translate runic writings. One difficulty is that there are more s ounds in the language than there are runes to represent them. Thus a single character could represent one of several sounds.Another difficulty is the variations in the various footwork alphabets that were in use ring the period. Further, archaic or otherwise unknown words were used in runic inscriptions. Runes were frequently incorporated into the isomorphic designs (left) favored by the Norse. Additionally, every effort was made to reduce the space required to inscribe the message and the number of runes that needed to be carved. So, for example, if a rune repeated, only the first rune was carved and the second discarded. Generally, there were no breaks between words or between sentences. Runes could be written left to right or right to left.The â€Å"facing† of the runes makes it clear which way to read. For inscriptions longer than one line, alternating lines were frequently written in opposite directions, first leftwards, then rightwards. Sometimes, the lines bent around at the end, so that one line reads left to right and the next line right to left and upside down. The effect is shown with English text using Roman letters to the right. Some rune stones (such as the R ¶k stone shown to the left) have text crammed onto every surface of the stone, with lines reading upwards, downwards, leftwards, and rightwards.Further, runes could be coded into other figures, called cryptic runes. The intent is not always clear. Perhaps it was meant to highlight a portion of the text, or to show off the skill of the person carving the runes. And perhaps it was meant to hide the meaning of the text to those who did not now how the runes were encoded. One example of cryptic runes are skips;near (ship runes), where the twigs adorn the stem and stern of the ship. The number of twigs in a figure indicated two numbers. The rune was coded by these two numbers.The first represented a particular TTT (grouping of runes within the footwork), and the second indicated which ru ne in the grouping was meant. Shown to he right are two figures from a series of cryptic runes in an Icelandic manuscript. Portion of rune stone with several same-stave runes Same-stave rune with missing portion restored Same-stave rune separated into individual runes Transcription into Roman letters Another example of cryptic runes is same-stave runes, in which all of the twigs branch from a single stave.The composite image to the left shows an example of this kind of runic inscription. The left image shows a small portion Of the SÃ'‘ender Kirby Stone in Denmark that uses same-stave runes for a portion of its message. The stave of interest in this example is the second room the left. The stone was damaged in this region, and a portion of this stave is missing. This part of the stone is shown in the second image, with a speculative reconstruction of the missing portion. The individual runes are shown in the next column, and the transcription into the Roman alphabet in the final co lumn.The complete message is >Orr vigil run, or â€Å"Door hallow the runes†. Another form of cryptic runes is visible at the top of the R ¶k stone, above left. With the coming of Christianity, and its educated clergy reading and writing Latin, runes were displaced by the Roman alphabet (modified to it the needs of the various northern European languages), written with pen and ink on vellum. However, runes continued to be used for many centuries, since the materials for runic writing were always readily at hand: everyone carried a knife, and a stick could be picked up from anywhere.The Viking-age people did not develop a written culture until the arrival of the church. In the Viking age, runes were used for short notes only. The Viking culture was oral, and long works were remembered using poetry. Runes certainly could have been used for longer messages in the same way as Roman characters, but hey were not. Perhaps the Norse people saw no need to preserve long works in writ ten form, even though everything was in place to do so. Only a single rune stone containing a complete poem survives, although many stones contain individual verses.In chapter 78 of Sells saga, >regular asked her father Gill to compose a memorial poem, telling him she would carve the verses into a rune stick (rises ; kefir). Whether that was common practice or not is conjectural. The R ¶k stone is an extraordinary rune stone over four meters high (13 feet) and is covered on all five sides with runic inscriptions. The front (and the beginning of the inscription) is shown to the left, and the reverse is shown in the photo above left. Many of the rune stones, particularly later ones, are memorial stones, which commemorated the dead and may have served as declarations of inheritance.The purpose of the Rook stone is subject to debate, but may well be a memorial Stone, as well. Poetry Surviving poems show a wide range of topics and tones: respectful and reverent; boastful and proud; wit ty and humorous; threatening and defiant; vile and obscene. However, scurrilous or satirical poems were banned cause of the injury they caused to the subject and to his reputation. Poems, being a divine gift from ? ¶in (the highest of the gods), were thought to have special power. Poems had the power to bestow honor on a worthy man and to remove honor from a wretch.A skillful poet could earn a valuable reward from a generous king, or save his head from an angry king, by creating a well composed poem. Poems praising a woman were banned, both because of the publicity and the possible effect it might have on her reputation, but also because of possible spell binding effects the poem might have. (Surviving love memos suggest the ban was regularly ignored. ) On hearing certain kinds of poetry (for instance, poetry implying that a man was womanish), a man was at liberty to kill the person reciting the poem. The proscribed types of poetry are described in the medieval Icelandic lowbrow G ar;g;s (K 238).Norse poetry does not have the regular rhythm and end-rhyme that one conventionally associates with poetry, but rather uses alliteration and irregular stress which falls on the most significant words in each line. Norse poetry can be divided into three classes, depending on form and content. Rune poems were usually inscribed on monuments and serve to praise an individual. They are brief and usually have a simple meter and style. Decide poems describe the Norse gods and ancient Norse heroes and their exploits. Decide poetry also has relatively simple meter and style.The stories are exciting, packed with action, and frequently contain valuable object lessons. Little can be said about the development of decide poetry, but it was probably in place and in use at the start of the Viking age. Classic poems typically praise the deeds of notable people, and they were usually written during the lifetime of the person being raised. While some of the surviving classic poetry date s from the medieval period, many of the poems are believed to date from the Viking age. The R ¶k ironstone shown above on this page records one stanza of classic poetry and dates from the middle of the 9th century.The Israeli ironstone shown to the right is the only classic verse in the elaborate dry;takeTTT meter known to have been written down in the Viking age. It dates from roughly the year 1 000 and is located in Land in Sweden. While the decide poetry is uniformly anonymous, much of the surviving classic poetry is credited to a particular tote at a particular place and time. The classic poems have complicated meters, strict patterns of alliteration, and ornate metaphoric language, with wordplay to delight the sophisticated listener. The poems usually celebrate the exploits of a particular king or leader.Since, in the Viking age, exaggeration was considered to be mockery, and since mockery' was considered a lethal insult, these poems are thought to be reliable testimony to th e events, even though (in some cases) they weren't committed to writing for centuries after their composition. Unfortunately, the factual information in such poetry tends to be limited. Classic poetry uses a variety of circumlocutions, such as kenning's. A kenning uses a phrase as a metaphor to represent an idea. The usual form is a noun, qualified by another noun in the genitive case. For instance sweat of the sword is used to mean blood, or horse of the sea to mean ship.Some of the kenning's can only be understood by someone with an extensive knowledge of the culture and of the great stories. For example, flame of the Rhine is used to mean gold but would probably be understood only by someone who is familiar with the V ¶lasagna saga in which the great gold treasure of the V ¶lulus NCAR ended up t the bottom of the river Rhine. Kenning can have multiple levels. For example, a poet might use a kenning for gold, and then use that phrase in place of the word â€Å"gold† in yet another kenning, such as flame of the sea- stead's path.Sea-stead's (ship) path is water, so flame of the water refers to gold. Some kenning's depend on hyperbole. Enemy of gold refers to a man who does not like gold and gives it away: a generous man. Some kenning's take the form of puns, such as using sky of the eel to represent ice in identifying someone as an Icelandic. The form of Norse poetry is complicated beyond the wordplay of the innings. The need to fit strict rules of alliteration and rhyming and rhythm result in verses in which multiple ideas are being formed simultaneously. (This concept is illustrated on the classic stanza page. Because Icelandic is a highly inflected language (word forms change depending on their usage in a sentence), it's possible to jumble the word order yet retain the meaning of a sentence. Norse visual arts share this property (left). Exceedingly complicated forms are used all over a figure to create a single unified image. It's been suggested that this similarity between poetry and visual arts derives from the name underlying sensibility, some innate appreciation of the baroque form in Norse culture. Because of its complexity and wordplay, wonder whether classic poetry could be understood by a listener hearing a verse for the first time.There are examples in the stories that support this belief, such as chapter 18 fog(slab saga. B ¶rids overheard a verse spoken by her brother, Gillis, in which he took credit for the killing of her husband, Programs. Not until she returned home did brd(s interpret the verse and understand its meaning. I may be overstating my case. At least one scholar of classic otter has told me that he believes the verses were easily understood by a listener in the saga age. Additionally, in an oral culture, it would be important to recall poetry without error.Because of the complexities of Norse verse, a defect in a recalled verse would be immediately apparent, since the rhyme, rhythm, or alliterati on would no longer work. Any erroneous substitution would stand out. Thus, the complexity of the verse acted as a mnemonic aid to help recall the verse and to identify errors. This built-in error detection was one of the reasons that information conveyed by poetry during the Viking age as thought to be more reliable than information in prose. The 12th century authors who first wrote the histories and stories of Iceland viewed the words of poets to be more authoritative than other oral sources.Some modern scholars disagree, and they suggest that in oral form, even poetry is unlikely to remain unchanged over long periods of time. Literature Many of the important poems were composed in the 9th through 12th century. These were part Of the oral tradition, and were kept alive by repetition as they were passed from one generation to another. Poetry was likely a major form of entertainment for the Norse. Poets were held in high regard, not only for their ability to improvise poetic entertai nment on the spot, but also because they were the repository of the shared cultural experience.They were the vessel through which the culture was passed from generation to generation. Once committed to poetry, a thought was expected to last â€Å"as long as the land is inhabited† or â€Å"as long as the Norse language is spoken†. Story-telling was a popular entertainment wherever people gathered. Faster ¶RA saga says in chapter 23 that >origami Narrations told a story while sitting on his chair in front of his booth at the Ping. People sat all around him, listening to his tale. When an unexpected downpour forced everyone to leave and seek shelter, Poor ¶Ã‚ ¶r took advantage of the opportunity and killed Door(Mr..Beginning in the 12th century, educated men in Iceland, where the oral tradition was strongest, began to write down the important stories. Iceland Was unique among European countries at this time in having a population comprised of a large number of relativ ely free, land- owning farmers. These men had the means to commission the creation of books in their own language, rather than in Latin as was the rule throughout he rest of Europe. The oral story-telling tradition of the Islanders also favored writings in the vernacular.A wide variety of material was written down in the Icelandic language. One of the first books to be written in the northern lands was the Icelandic law codes, begun in the year 11 17. Prior to this time, the law codes were remembered and recited orally by the law speaker (logs ¶Guam ¶our) at the Piping. A short time later, a history of Iceland was written known as [slandering;k (the Book of Islanders) by Air FRR ¶I (the learned) around the year 1 130. Scholars wrote books describing how to use Roman letters to represent the sounds of the Icelandic language.The First Grammatical Treatise was followed by three others. The genealogy and history of Icelandic settlers were written down in Land;MBA;k (the Book of Se ttlement)s. European literature was translated into Icelandic, including stories of the lives of saints, and learned books on topics including astronomy, natural history, and geography. Travel books were written by Icelandic visitors to Europe. New stories were written to commemorate the exploits of kings or other great leaders. Some of these books were in the form f histories, such as Homemaking's, a history of the kings of Norway.Others described contemporary events, such as the sagas of the lives of Icelandic bishops, untangling saga, a compilation of sagas describing the events in the turbulent times when the sons of Stuart b ¶r ¶arson were changing the political landscape Of the Iceland. Islanders also wrote down the stories of their ancestors. These [sledding ¶guru (Sagas of Islanders, also called family sagas) remain compelling and entertaining reading today. They are a unique and new form of story-telling unlike anything that preceded them. Most of these sagas are thou ght to have been composed between 1200 and 1400.These stories tell of the tales of farmers and chieftains living in Iceland from the 9th through the 12th century. Many of them follow families for generation after generation, from the settlement era to the commonwealth period in Iceland's history. They are distinctive in that they tell heroic tales not about heroes, but about just plain folks: the early Islanders. Although distorted by the time that separates the events depicted and the writing of the stories, the family sagas present one of the best pictures we have of Norse society. We know the names of only a very few of the writers of these works.It was not customary to put the author's name on the manuscript. However, one author who can be identified with some certainty is Snorer Sturgeon (1 179-1241). A 20th century sculpture of Snorer by Vigilant is shown to the left. Snorer feared that the tradition of composing poetry to commemorate great men and great events was dying. For this, and other reasons, he wrote the Sonora dead, a four part textbook on writing classic poetry. The book summarizes Norse mythology (necessary for the poet to understand the innings), teaches the language of poetry, and presents examples of the various verse forms.

Retaining Customers Essay

BT is one of the largest communications companies in the world. One of the services they offer is residential or personal communications solutions. Even though they now have competition from other companies offering consumers substitutes for their service, they still hold the largest market share of providing residential customers with telephone lines. For BT to maintain this market share, they must retain the customers they have. I will be recommending how they can retain their customer base as well as winning new customers. I will be looking at several models and theories in order to do this. * Making Customers into Champions * The case of the complaining customer * The tip of the Iceberg Model From BT a customer receives a core service. Telephony. The customer expects the telephone in their home to be working when they pick it up. They are not going to be ‘wowed’ by the service if it is just working. However, when the customer makes contact with BT to enquire, change or add something they will use this opportunity to form a perception of BT’s Customer Service. Most people who move to a different telephone provider do so because they perceive indifference in the people they do business with at their current company. Customer feedback tells BT that one of the biggest drivers of dissatisfaction is the difficulty in registering their complaint with BT. A large part of this dissatisfaction stems from a lack of promised callbacks and an initial difficulty in escalating their issue. This feedback has been substantiated by OFTEL in that the number of customers contacting them to complain that they have not received a promised call back has been increasing. OFTEL have given BT a very clear indication that they expect this situation to be addressed and therefore it is paramount that the following recommendations are implemented immediately. * Own, Decide, Do – Training to be rolled out to all Customer Service Advisors. When a complaint is received in the 150 call centres the individual must own the complaint, make a decision about what to do with it and follow any promised action up with a call to the customer to let them know what happened. * Keeping the customer informed – With some complaints resolution may not be speedy. There may be some technical difficulties, which hold resolution up. The customer does not know this and will perceive any periods of silence as the indifference of BT to their complaint. Keeping the customer informed of progress or news (good or bad) will enhance the customers perception of BT> * EDCSM’s (Event Driven Customer Service Measures), the service that BT offer customers must be analysed in order to measure its success. Through BT’s sophisticated SMART datatbase, every contact with the customer is logged with the id of the advisor who took the call. This way trends can be spotted as well as training areas The barriers for the customer to successfully register their complaint are as follows: * The BT ‘shunt’ – BT is a huge business with over 20 large call centres taking in the freephone 150 (customer service) calls. It is very easy for complaints to get ‘lost’ in the system. * The call steering system. There are many different numbers to press for different departments. It is difficult to speak to a human * The Call Handling Time that advisors are encouraged to adhere to. This measure the amount of time they are talkng with each customer in order to keep the Percentage of calls answered as high as possible. * Poor training and coaching – target based coaching instead of skills based coaching In the longer term there are some other changes that should be implemented by BT over a period of time in order to instil enhanced behaviours in all employees. Traditionally employees of a company see a complaining customer as being a nuisance. BA challenged this when they introduced the Making Customers into Champions Model. This model can be directly applied to BT, who is, itself, striving to provide World Class Customer Service. This model labels different sectors of the customer base and how likely they are to contact BT with any dissatisfaction they may have and how easy it is to register this dissatisfaction. If the customer has a complaint and they cannot register this in any way, they may feel tempted to try a different provider. If the complaint is not registered then BT has not had a chance to resolve the complaint. If BT has a chance of resolving the issue, if it is resolved skilfully and well, research suggests that this could actually enhance the customer’s perception of BT. So, in short, a customer complaint can turn in to a glowing report for BT. Furthermore, if we make BT’s customers in to champions, BT can learn from the mistakes they have made that might have caused complaints in order that they do not occur again. * A dissatisfied customer will tell between 10 and 20 other people about their problem * A customer who has had a problem resolved will tell 5 people about their situation The case of the complaining customer is a valuable study that BT should already have taken heed of. The problems experienced by Mr Shelton almost mirror the experiences some BT customers have when things go wrong and customer relations are tested to the full. It may be tempting for some employees working for such a huge ‘cash cow’ as BT to believe that BT can afford to lose difficult customers. This study shows that whilst few customers actually take the time and energy that Mr Shelton did to complain, there are actually many other dissatisfied customers (Mr Shelton is just the ‘tip of the Iceberg’). These customers are the ‘missing in action’ group and will just quietly take their custom elsewhere and thus impact significantly on BT’s profit margins. The article points out that whilst it would be easy for us to read Mr Shelton’s contacts with the company as neurotic, in actual fact Mr Shelton has responded very emotionally to the way he feels his complaint has been dealt with. Customers should be allowed to vent their feelings, feel listened to and valued before their problem is resolved. They are experiencing feelings of powerlessness and this will be compounded if they feel that an advisor is not listening to them. Paraphrasing can be a useful tool here, to show empathy and check for understanding. TARP published a graphic representing the Tip of the Iceberg Principle. It indicates that consumer complaints to a third party are only a small portion of those that exist. They’re just the visible portion and reflect the much broader picture. This demonstrates how important it is for BT to be proactive in gaining feedback from customers at every possible opportunity. It was not the tip of the iceberg that sunk the Titanic, and it will not affect the business greatly if just those visible customers were dissatisfied with BT’s service. Those that leave quietly will have the greatest impact and BT will have little or no information as to why they left. BT must strive to deal with any customer requests the first time every time. Here is a list of my recommendations for BT for implementing across the board over the next 12 months in order to retain customers. * A review of the training process – all training should be underpinned with updated balance scorecard and appropriate coaching given by line managers * Quality must come before quantity. If all customers were dealt with the first time they called, there would be less calls * Approach customer complaints as a chance to ‘dazzle and delight’ customers and enhance a customers perception of BT – through a training programme * Work together with different departments and not as adversaries. Promote teamwork * Introduce an incentive scheme for teams and individuals who achieve excellent customer relations * Use customer feedback more effectively (EDCSM’s)- find out what customers want/expect then exceed this * Give staff more responsibility and authority to deal with complaints. Allow then to be flexible when it comes to procedural rules. Stop quoting ‘BT policy’. * Allow a measure of redress such as goodwill payments and compensation payments In implementing the above and re-training staff, BT will retain greater numbers of customers. Existing customers (especially those we have information about) are an ideal group to market new products to as well gain information from about how to improve on the products and services BT has.

Final Documentation Essay

I. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Problem 1.2 Overview of the Current Sate of Technology 1.3 Project Rationale II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION 2.1 Problem Statement 2.1.1 Major Statement 2.1.2 Minor Statement 2.2 Proposed Research Project 2.2.1 General Objectives 2.2.2 Specific Objectives 2.2.3 Scope and Limitations 2.2.4 Methodology III. PROJECT MANAGEMENT 3.1 Calendar of Activities 3.1.1 Description of Activities 3.1.2 GANTT Chart of Activities 3.2 Resources 3.2.1 Hardware 3.2.2 Software IV. APPENDIX 4.1 References 4.2 Resource Person/s 4.3 Personal Technical Vitae I. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Problem Mystical Rose School of Caloocan Inc. was founded by Dr. Marcelina Gregore in 1993. It is located at Ilang-Ilang Street, Almar Subdivision, Camarin, Caloocan City. Since the day the school has been founded they were using the manual library system, which give them hard time to record all the information. The library has this Accession Book where the incoming books and information about the books are recorded. The book records were done manually. Every time a student asks about a kind of book, the librarian finds it hard to locate, because she still needs to go through the list in the Accession Book. Although each book has a unique Accession Number still the librarian couldn’t manage to find it easily because the records of the books in the Accession Book are according to the date received. It takes more time for the librarian to find the record of each book. The librarian also encounter problems in encoding the books’ information because of disorganized records because information about the books is being unmonitored, in a way that some books are not yet listed on the Accession Book. And aside from the Accession Book they are also using the Card Catalog which serves as a guide in locating the books. There are huge amount of books in the library. It has different volumes, editions, authors, class, titles, subjects, years and publishers, and the accession number which set as a unique identity in every book in their library. It is very hard for the librarian to monitor all the books especially when it is encoded manually. 1.2 Overview of the Current State of Technology A student who will use the library must log in first to the attendance book before they enter the library. They have to fill up the information needed like date, student’s name, year & section, time in and out and their signature. If they will borrow books the librarian will record it to the log book. The people who can use the Library are the students, faculty and the Librarian. The Librarian is not required to go to the library every day. The librarian is on call. She has a schedule when to go to the school. When the librarian is not on schedule, the Aid takes the place on the work of the librarian. A student is allowed to borrow how many books they want when they are in the library. The student is also allowed to borrow two books with duration of two days. If the student failed to return the books within two days they are not allowed to borrow books the next time they borrow. And they are not allowed to bring it at home instead they could only borrow when they are inside the library. If the student lost the book, they must replace it with the same book. If the faculty will borrow books they could borrow books as much as they want, there is no limitation. The process of recording the student’s information was done manually by recording on a log book where every student who enters the library needs to fill up the information such as name, section, year level and the date. Same as the book records, the librarian needs to record the book title, author, book number according to its date received and the date to the Accession Book. The record of the books is not arranged properly because it was arranged according to its date received not alphabetically or by subject matter. The system takes a lot of time and endeavor to handle so the librarian must ensure to keep track the records in the library. 1.3 Project Rationale The following will benefit to the proposed System: * Mystical Rose School of Caloocan Inc. The school will be able to experience a Computerized Library System. It can monitor information and the books and records can be settled. The proposed system will record the list of all the books – plus the incoming books, in the library. It will record the students’ information who registered each day. Every time a student wants to borrow a book it will be inputted in the system and record it. It will help the librarian to manage the student’s record as well as the record and information’s of the books. * Student The student will no longer fill up all the information needed in the attendance book every time they enter the library. The transaction of a student will be faster in borrowing and returning of books. * The proponents The Computerized System is also designed for the benefits of the proponents for the compliance of the project in the subject System Analysis and Design and of course it widens their capabilities in creating their target program with the help of planning, researching, designing and developing. They will learn a lot not only in doing the system but also they will experience the real happening in the IT industry. II.PROJECT DESCRIPTION 2.1Problem Statement 2.1.1 Major Statement How will to proponents develop/design a Library System that will help the librarian monitor all the records of the books as well as the student’s information’s? 2.1.2 Minor Statement * How will the proponents create a module that facilitates the security of the system? * How will the proponents create a module that holds the record of books information? * How will the proponents create a module that will hold the record of students and faculties who borrowed books? * How will the proponents create a module that will hold the record of borrowed and returned books? * How will the proponents create a module that will facilitate the availability of the books? 2.2Proposed Research Project 2.2.1 General Objectives * To be able to create a Computerized Library System for Mystical Rose School of Caloocan Inc. 2.2.2 Specific Objectives * To be able to create a module that facilitates the security of the system? * To be able to create a module that holds the record of books information? * To be able to create a module that will hold the record of students and faculties who borrowed books? * To be able to create a module that will hold the record of borrowed and returned books? * To be able to create a module that will facilitate the availability of the books? 2.2.3 Scope and Limitations Scope * Student Information * It can add, edit and delete the important information of a student. Like name, address, guardian and contact number. * Faculty Information * Faculty can also borrow books. * Transaction of Books * Borrowing Books * Returning Book * User Accounts * Librarian * Aid Limitations * The system is not going to use a barcode reader. * It is not capable in computing penalties. 2.2.4 Methodology DATABASE NORMALIZATION * The proponents use this method to organize the fields and tables of the database to minimize data redundancy and dependency. It helps create a much more flexible database design and it can handle better database security. SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE * This serves as guidelines to the proponents because it provides a sequence of activities for the system. In order to create a proposed program, the proponents used this system to identify and to serve as the proponents’ guidelines and patterns in building a Library System for Mystical Rose School of Caloocan Inc. Planning, Analysis, Design, Implementation, Maintenance Planning – The proponents managed different task by dividing the members of the group which each member have their own task to do. Analysis – After concluding the interview, we found out that the company is using a manual system. By creating a Computerized Library System, handling the list of books and students, monitoring, and transactions would be easier and time saving. The proponents gathered required information’s needed for the system. Design – The design of the system is based on the information being gathered by the proponents. For the system is properly designed, the codes are easily generated. III. Project Management 3.1 Calendar of Activities 3.1.1 Description of Activities * Week 1 The proponents passed the proposal letter to the Mystical Rose School of Caloocan Inc., and it was approved by Mr. Mark Gregore, OIC of the school on the other day. * Week 2 The proponents conducted an interview to the librarian and started to make the chapter 1 of the documentation. * Week 3 The proponents started to make the chapter 2 of their documentation. And about 30% of the back-end of the system was made. * Week 4 The proponents finished the design of their system. * Week 5 The proponents finish the chapter 4 of their documentation. The proponents make the 50% of their system. * Week 6 The proponents finished the 75% of their system and make some revision on the documentation. * Week 7 The proponents finished their system as well as the documentation. 3.1.1 GANTT Chart of Activities 3.2Resources 3.2.1 Hardware * Computer Set * Netbook * Laptop 3.2.2 Software * Microsoft Office 2007 * Visual Basic 6.0 SP6 * Windows XP * Windows 7 IV. APPENDIX 4.1 References Google * www.Google.com Sourcecode * www.Sourcecodester.com 4.2 Resource Person/s * Prof. Harold Ramirez Lucero Professor/Dean College of Information Technology Colegio de Sta. Teresa de Avila Foundation Inc. Email: Harold.lucero@yahoo.com Contact No.: 09233033855 * Prof. Carlo Dino Santos Professor College of Information Technology Colegio de Sta. Teresa de Avila Foundation Inc. 4.3 Personal Technical Vitae Trixia Marie C. Albelda No. 69 Marcos Rd, Freedom Park 6, Brgy Batasan Hills, Quezon City Mobile: 09077045988 Email: albeldatrixia@yahoo.com EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT: Course Presently Enrolled In: Bachelor of Science in Information Technology Tertiary: Colegio de Sta. Teresa de Avila Foundation Inc. No. 6 Kingfisher St., Corner Skylark St., Zabarte Subd., Novaliches, Q.C. Secondary:Batasan Hills National High School IBP Rd., Batasan Hills, Quezon City 2006-2010 Primary:Merry Mount Preparatory School No. 96 Ilang-ilang St., Payatas A, Quezon City 2000-2006 PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Age:18 Sex:Female Birth Date:May 28, 1994 Height:5’5 Weight:110 lbs. Civil Status:Single Citizenship:Filipino Language:Filipino and English WORK EXPERIENCE On The Job Training Teletech Novaliches June 1 – August 30 SEMINAR ATTENDED: Leadership Training Program CWTS – NSTP Feb. 12 – 13, 2011 CHARACTER REFFERENCE: Mr. Rechor Quijano Business Communication Specialist Teletech Novaliches Mobile: 09328925781 Mr. Harold Lucero, MIT Dean, Information Technology Department Colegio de Sta. Teresa de Avila Mobile: 09233689633 Mrs. Cila B. Madrid Directress, CBM Tutorial Center Nieves St., Batasan Hills, Quezon City Mobile: 09205065922 I hereby certify that the above information is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief. ____________________________ Applicant’s Signature Lorraine D. Drilon 3630 Heavenly Drive San Agustin Novaliches, Quezon City Mobile: 09306610648 Email: Lorraine_sus05@yahoo.com EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT: Course Presently Enrolled In: Bachelor of Science in Information Technology Tertiary: Colegio de Sta. Teresa de Avila Foundation Inc. No. 6 Kingfisher St., Corner Skylark St., Zabarte Subd., Novaliches, Q.C. Secondary:Novaliches High School TS Cruz Subdivision, San Agustin Novaliches, Quezon City Primary:San Agustin Elementary School Heavenly Drive San Agustin Novaliches, Quezon City 2000-2006 PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Age:19 Sex:Female Birth Date:October 5, 1993 Height:5’3 Weight:108 lbs. Civil Status:Single Citizenship:Filipino Language:Filipino and English WORK EXPERIENCE Service Crew-Cashier Jollibee SM Nolvaliches November 5, 2011 – Present SEMINAR ATTENDED: Leadership Training Program CWTS – NSTP Feb. 12 – 13, 2011 CHARACTER REFFERENCE: Mrs. Aurora â€Å"Thet† Nolasco Assistant Restaurant Manager Jollibee SM Novaliches Mobile: 442-60-16 Mr. Harold Lucero, MIT Dean, Information Technology Department Colegio de Sta. Teresa de Avila Mobile: 09233689633 I hereby certify that the above information is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief. ____________________________ Applicant’s Signature Gernalin J. Iglesia 7198 Sto. Nino St. Maligaya Park Subd. Caloocan City Mobile: 09126792363 Email: gernz_08@yahoo.com EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT: Course Presently Enrolled In: Bachelor of Science in Information Technology Tertiary: Colegio de Sta. Teresa de Avila Foundation Inc. No. 6 Kingfisher St., Corner Skylark St., Zabarte Subd., Novaliches, Q.C. University of St. La Salle Bacolod Corner La Salle Street Bacolod City, Negros Occidental 2008-2009 Secondary:Dona Monsterrat Lopez Memorial High School Rizal St. Silay City, Negros Occidental 2004-2008 Primary:Adela Elementary School Sitio Adela Silay City, Negros Occidental 1998-2004 PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Age:21 Sex:Female Birth Date:August 11, 1991 Height:5’2 Weight:110 lbs. Civil Status:Single Citizenship:Filipino Language:Filipino, Hiligaynon and English WORK EXPERIENCE On The Job Training VS & F Frontline Services Inc. April 10-May 2, 2012 SEMINAR ATTENDED: Leadership Training Program CWTS – NSTP Feb. 12 – 13, 2011 CHARACTER REFFERENCE: Ms. Annie L. Salvador Manager, Accounting Department VS&F Frontline Services Inc. Mobile: 9374980 Mr. Harold Lucero, MIT Dean, Information Technology Department Colegio de Sta. Teresa de Avila Mobile: 09233689633 I hereby certify that the above information is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief. ____________________________ Applicant’s Signature Sarah Jane I. Jacob J, Zuniga Cmpd, Mahogany St., Silanganan Subd., Caloocan City Mobile: 09104802694 Email: jengfots@yahoo.com EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT: Course Presently Enrolled In: Bachelor of Science in Information Technology Tertiary: Colegio de Sta. Teresa de Avila Foundation Inc. #6 Kingfisher St., Corner Skylark St., Zabarte Subd., Novaliches, Q.C. Secondary:Novaliches High School T.S Cruz, Novaliches, Quezon City 2006-2010 Primary:Damong Maliit Elementary School San Antonio Subd., Novaliches, Quezon City 2000-2006 PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Age:18 Sex:Female Birth Date:December 23, 1993 Height:5’4 Weight:100 lbs. Civil Status:Single Citizenship:Filipino Language:Filipino and English WORK EXPERIENCE On The Job Training Land Registration Authorization May 14 – June 10 SEMINAR ATTENDED: Leadership Training Program CWTS – NSTP Feb. 12 – 13, 2011 CHARACTER REFFERENCE: Mrs. Imelda Teneza General Secretarial Land Registration Authorization Mr. Harold Lucero, MIT Dean, Information Technology Department Colegio de Sta. Teresa de Avila Mobile: 09233689633 I hereby certify that the above information is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief. ____________________________ Applicant’s Signature Daryl S. Llagas 379 camia St. malaria Rd. Caloocan City Mobile: 09169261853 Email: daryl.llagas08@gmail.com . EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT: Course Presently Enrolled In: Bachelor of Science in Information Technology Tertiary: Colegio de Sta. Teresa de Avila Foundation Inc. No. 6 Kingfisher St., Corner Skylark St., Zabarte Subd., Novaliches, Q.C. Secondary:Manuel luis Quezon High School. Malaria Caloocan City 2006-2010 Primary:Tabe Elementary School. Tabe Guiguinto Bulacan 2000-2006 PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Age:18 Sex:Male Birth Date:February 8, 1994 Height:5’7 Weight:140 lbs. Civil Status:Single Citizenship:Filipino Language:Filipino and English WORK EXPERIENCE On The Job Training Teletech Novaliches June 1 – August 30 SEMINAR ATTENDED: Leadership Training Program CWTS – NSTP Feb. 12 – 13, 2011 CHARACTER REFFERENCE: Mr. Rechor Quijano Business Communication Specialist Teletech Novaliches Mobile: 09328925781 Mr. Harold Lucero, MIT Dean, Information Technology Department Colegio de Sta. Teresa de Avila Mobile: 09233689633 I hereby certify that the above information is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief. ____________________________ Applicant’s Signature Zedrick Adrian C. Salunga Blk 15 Lot 13 Tulip Street Palmera Phase 1, Camarin, Caloocan City Mobile: 09303401304 Email: salunga.zedrick@gmail.com EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT: Course Presently Enrolled In: Bachelor of Science in Information Technology Tertiary: Colegio de Sta. Teresa de Avila Foundation Inc. No. 6 Kingfisher St., Corner Skylark St., Zabarte Subd., Novaliches, Q.C. Secondary:Mystical Rose School of Caloocan Inc. Ilang-Ilang Street, Almar Subdivision, Camarin, Caloocan City 2006-2010 Primary:Union Village Christian Academy Palmera Springs Phase V, Camarin, Caloocan City 2000-2006 PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Age:18 Sex:Male Birth Date:July 10, 1994 Height:5’2 Weight:98 lbs. Civil Status:Single Citizenship:Filipino Language:Filipino and English WORK EXPERIENCE On The Job Training Teletech Novaliches June 1 – August 30 SEMINAR ATTENDED: Leadership Training Program CWTS – NSTP Feb. 12 – 13, 2011 CHARACTER REFFERENCE: Mr. Rechor Quijano Business Communication Specialist Teletech Novaliches Mobile: 09328925781 Mr. Harold Lucero, MIT Dean, Information Technology Department Colegio de Sta. Teresa de Avila Mobile: 09233689633 I hereby certify that the above information is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief. ____________________________ Applicant’s Signature

An Investigation into the Impact of Branding on Growth of Tablet Dissertation - 2

An Investigation into the Impact of Branding on Growth of Tablet Computer for the UK Market - Dissertation Example Only 18 per cent of respondents believe that tablet PC prices will be more affordable in future. Nearly 88 per cent of respondents believe that the future of the tablet PC in the UK market is bright. Perfect correlation was observed between variables V1 (Without promotion nobody would have known about Tablet PCs) & V2 (I would buy an unbranded Tablet PC, because it would be considerably cheaper than the branded ones); (‘r’ = 0.96). Perfect correlation was observed between variables V1 (Without promotion nobody would have known about Tablet PCs) & V19 (Tablet PC will replace the PC in future) (‘r’ = 0.96). Perfect correlation was observed between variables V2 (I would buy an unbranded Tablet PC, because it would be considerably cheaper than the branded ones) & V18 (‘r’ = 0.97). Perfect correlation was observed between variables V2 (I would buy an unbranded Tablet PC, because it would be considerably cheaper than the branded ones) & V19 (Tablet PC will replace the PC in future) (‘r’ = 0.95). Perfect correlation was observed between variables V3 (Advertisement have helped me to learn about Tablet PCs) & V4 (Promotion is helping the Tablet PC market in UK) (‘r’ = 0.97). Perfect correlation was observed between variables V3 (Advertisement have helped me to learn about Tablet PCs) & V15 (Tablet PCs are more useful than mobile phones) (‘r’ = 0.95). ... Perfect correlation was observed between variables V4 (Promotion is helping the Tablet PC market in UK) & V16 (Tablet PCs are more useful than laptops and PCs) (‘r’ = 0.99). Perfect correlation was observed between variables V5 (Without promotion effort, I wouldn’t have known about the Tablet PCs) & V14 (Tablet PCs are useful products) (‘r’ = 0.99). Perfect correlation was observed between variables V15 (Tablet PCs are more useful than mobile phones) & V16 (Tablet PCs are more useful than laptops and PCs) (‘r’ = 0.96). 4.1.2 Other findings of the quantitative survey Findings from GPA scorecard Respondents accorded their highest approval to variable V15 â€Å"tablet PCs are more useful than mobile phones† (GPA = 80). This is followed by the variable V4 â€Å"promotion is helping the tablet PC market in UK† (GPA = 76). Closely behind this was V16, which stated, â€Å"Tablet PCs are more useful than laptops and PCs† (GPA = 75). The next highest scoring variable was V3, which stated that, â€Å"Advertisement has helped me to learn about tablet PCs) (GPA = 71. Respondents awarded GPA score of 63 to variable V14, which states that tablet PCs are useful products. However, the respondents accorded their least approval to the variable V19, which stated that tablet PC will replace the PC in future (GPA = 45). A marginally better score was accorded to variable V1, which stated that without promotion nobody would have known about the tablet PC. 4.1.3 Findings from qualitative survey The respondents believed that branding has helped the tablet PC market to grow in general in the world and particularly in the UK market. Branding helped to brand recall by bringing the memory of the brand at the time purchasing decisions are made. The

Performance Reviews Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Performance Reviews - Essay Example An organization needs to measure performance because it helps to determine if a function is productive and where to focus energies on (Hendry, Woodward, Bradley & Perkins, 2000). It is essential to understand where to use the quantifiable data effectively thereby justifying the need for additional resources. While many believe an annual appraisal or attention is enough, according to Cascio (1995) it demands daily attention (cited by Connell & Nolan, 2004). Once a year has not been considered sufficient to identify and discuss job strategies and weaknesses of individuals or teams. Performance appraisals have come under increased scrutiny in recent years. Ninety percent of the human resources executives are dissatisfied with the current performance appraisal system. Many argue that lack of objectivity in their completion, inappropriate timing of such a review and the lack of appropriate content have lead to their unpopularity among managers and subordinates alike. With diverse opinions available on this issue, this paper will explore the ineffectiveness of performance appraisal. The system of Performance Appraisals was introduced as it was expected to improve organizational efficiency and enhance productivity. Facilitating communication can even help reduce employee uncertainty. Feedback is essential for employees as failure to provide a feedback can have negative implications. Without a system of feedback employees keep guessing whether they are on the right track or whether they should chart another course of path. A properly structured and applied appraisal system can help reduce distractions and promote an increased level of trust within the organization (Schraeder, Becton & Portis, 2007). PA systems provide a forum for collaboration in setting goals for the employees. During the appraisal when individual goals and objectives

Use r(which is a software) stata or excel to do the assignment - 1

Use r(which is a software) stata or excel to do the - Assignment Example This supports the model, which supposes that education is a factor of labor production The scatter plot assumes a downhill pattern as we move from left to right. As the values in the horizontal axis increase, those in the vertical axis decrease. The trend line drawn also depicts a negative linear association with outliers on either side. The data are scattered all over indicating a t-statistics of less than 0.5 hence weak correlation detected. From the analysis, showing the strong correlation and positive relationship, one can conclude that there is a possible association between education and labor production in any country. This supports the model, which supposes that education is a factor of labor production. The analysis supports the theory that level of education is not a factor for infant mortality. In which case, education only serves as a growth factor and not as a factor which can reduce the number of infants’ deaths. From the scatter plot, the pattern depicted assumes an uphill pattern as we move from left to right. As the values in the horizontal axis increase so do those in the vertical axis. The trend line drawn also depicts a linear association with outliers on either side. Consequently, the aspects show a linear association between the two variables. The cluster also insinuates a t-statistics of more than 5 hence the strong correlation detected. This analysis supports the theory that there is a possibility of relationship between higher levels of education and domestic saving rates. The scatter plots drawn above, shows that levels of education act as one of the major factors influencing growth in a country. First, the possibility of its relation to domestic savings rate shows that a country with greater level of education is likely to witness growth. This is because the increased savings put a country in a better place for exploiting every opportunity that proves beneficial towards growth. Further,