What does the Shannon Matthews Case Suggest about Family Life in Modern Britain

This essay will examine and discuss whether the Matthews family is a typical representation of family life in modern Britain. It will take a look at social class and investigate whether this effects the morals and mechanics of family units today, taking into account contributing factors such as financial issues, the benefit system and changing values in the 21st century. Nine year old Shannon Matthews from Dewsbury, West Yorks, went missing for a period of 24 days in February this year, in a suspected kidnapping. Shannon was found a short distance from her home, and later media coverage informed us that despite her publicised pleas for Shannon's safe return, her mother Karen, had known of her whereabouts the whole time. Since her release Shannon has remained in the care of social services. Her mother has been charged with child neglect and perverting the course of justice. Shannon's stepfather Craig Meehan was charged with possessing indecent images of children. Public and media speculation suggests that the kidnapping was little more then a publicity stunt that went wrong. Police officers are examining alleged similarities between Shannon's disappearance and a storyline from the Channel 4 drama series ‘Shameless' that was shown shortly before the nine-year-old vanished. Stokes, P (2008) Shannon Matthews' mother charged over disappearance. Telegraph. 9 June. As the family depicted in ‘Shameless', The Matthews family live within a typical example of an unloved and unkempt council estate. According to the local newspaper, The Dewsbury Reporter, Moorside is â€Å"†¦one of the most deprived areas in the country† This is backed up by information collated in the ‘Index of Deprivation 2007†². Kirklees, the county in which the town of Dewsbury is located has been deemed as the 12th worst district in England in terms of low income levels, high crime rates, health deprivation and unemployment. Only 11.2% of the 32'482 other LSOA's are in a worse state than Moorside itself. Karen Matthews is unmarried, has seven children by five different fathers, only four of which reside with her. She comes from a working class family and is one of seven siblings, her parents were married and both worked, as does her sister who also has seven children, by one man, her husband. Despite the differences between her and her family, Karen is not an exceptional case within her surroundings, or for that matter, in other deprived areas around the country. † †¦here was an example of Britain's feckless but fecund underclass, churning out children at a reckless rate, cushioned by benefits and permanently estranged from the world of work.† Tweedie, N (2008) Another side to Shannon Matthews' Moorside. Telegraph. 27 September Britain's social classes were originally divided into three distinct social groups, these represented an individuals level of education, occupation and financial status; The Upper, Middle and Lower/Working classes. Since the welfare system was created a new class has begun to emerge. The Underclass, consists of people that are reliant on state benefits for the majority of their income. Not only does it include; teenage and single mothers who are unable or unwilling to work, and temporary benefit claimants who are trying to get back on their feet, but also; layabouts, high school drop outs, drug addicts and those involved in criminal activities. Many of the underclass are quite happy to live and raise their children on state benefits. Through an attempt to help the needy the welfare state has created a dependency culture with no incentive to work, marry or educate themselves and who expect handouts to survive. The benefit system highlights the perks of not working, recipients not only receive free money from the state but can also be entitled to free health care, interest free loans and free or discounted accommodation and council tax. Council housing estates increase the segregation of the underclass from the rest of society and creates a never ending social circle of crime, dependency and insolence. People who live on these estates rarely have any positive influences around them, grouping deprived families together in one community leaves them with nobody to learn from except each other. â€Å"Council estates became places of last resort for people who had failed to keep up. They have been given this label of the ‘underclass' †¦.and begin to act like worthless people. So you get domestic violence, alcohol abuse and family breakdown.† (Estates; An Intimate history – Lynsey Hanley) It is not only the welfare system and morals of the lower classes that have brought about changes to modern society and family life, prior to the 20th century, women married young, stayed home and raised their children. After the war women's aspirations began to change as they questioned their positions as wives and mothers. It was within the same era that contraception became commonly available and divorce was liberalised. People were no longer restricted by so many rules, regulations and assumptions regarding what kind of behaviour was acceptable and as the 20th century progressed this new state of mind caused the traditional aspects of family life to change tremendously. People no longer had to marry before beginning a sexual relationship or starting a family, and could choose divorce when things didn't work out the way they had expected. In modern society it is acceptable for both parents to work, and for children to attend childcare settings whilst their parents are occupied. In some ways working families are depriving their children of the necessary parental interactions needed to aid their development. In their aspirations to make more money in order to keep up with modern living parents are having to prioritise their jobs over their families. Halsey A H Quoted in Dennis N and Erdos G Families without Fatherhood, 1993 â€Å"..children of parents who do not follow the traditional norm (i.e. taking on personal, active and long-term responsibility for the social upbringing of the children they generate) are thereby disadvantaged in many major aspects of their chances of living a successful life. On the evidence available such children tend to do less well at school, to exist at a lower level of nutrition, comfort and conviviality, to suffer more unemployment, to be more prone to deviance and crime, and finally to repeat the cycle of unstable parenting from which they themselves have suffered..† Conclusion Shannon Matthews family is not a valid representation of family life in modern Britain. Families now come in many shapes and sizes and are defined by much broader categories. It would be stereotypical to assume that untraditional family units or those that are further down the social ladder are more likely to have come from an unstable family background and themselves incapable of creating and sustaining a successful family life. Despite the fact that modern life has altered the mechanics of the family unit, many families/parents are still striving to provide for their children in the best way that they can, regardless of social status. Parents from lower and underclass backgrounds are just as likely to provide loving and caring parenting and create insightful and ambitious children as those from other classes. In comparison, those from the upper and middle classes are just as likely to create dysfunctional family units where the children feel neglected and unloved because of their parents busy lifestyles. It is the ignorance of individuals that play the main part in the creation of dysfunctional families and the negative psychological issues this then creates for those within that family. Overall an individuals personal strengths, weaknesses and morals are what cause them to make their choices in life regardless of nature, nurture and social grouping.

Crime Causation and Diversion Paper

Crime Causation and Diversion Paper University of Phoenix Online Juvenile Justice Systems and Processes CJA/473 LeDetra Jones October 01, 2012 Crime Causation and Diversion Paper Today the public became more concern about youth crime rising within the community. The public also believes that some of juvenile delinquents do not belong behind bars whereas others do. In the concern of the juveniles who do not belong behind bars the public started creating community outreach programs, intervention, and prevention programs.These programs create an environment for the youth to understand the consequences of their actions, responsibility, and help. This paper will be examining two juvenile diversions, interventions, and prevention programs, which are Island Girl Power and Inafa' Maolek. The following will be addressed in the paper: How do they work to reduce juvenile crime (Based on analysis). Programs major goals, objectives, and core beliefs? Who are the key participants? Services provide d?Which program is most effective at reducing crime and why? How programs reduce juvenile crime and major goal, objectives, and core beliefs The Inafa'Maolek is Guam's only organization that dedicates exclusively to peacemaking, especially in settling disputes such as mediation, restorative justice, and conflict resolution training of all ages (Inafa'Maolek, 2010). The trainings conducted by Inafa'Maolek helps establish peer mediation programs in more than 30 public schools ranging from elementary to high schools.These special programs currently in schools include Date Rape Workshops, Bullying Workshops, and Hate Crimes Workshops. The organization provides programs to all sectors in the community, including senior citizens (Manamko) as well as DYA families. The heart and souls of its work focuses on mediating conflicts, many referred by Superior Court Judges (Inafa'Maolek). Island Girl Power is a program on Guam that works to Empower, Encourage, and Inspire young ladies to make posi tive lifestyle choices. This program believes that if the island works together to empower, ncourage, and inspire the young ladies of Guam to make a positive lifestyle choice by promoting positive male and female role models it helps to prevent the abuse and neglect in the families for generations to come (Blaz, 2009). Island Girl Power is a local program, taken, and expanded from a national program Girl Power. Its prevention program focuses on offering young ladies a variety of classes, activities in hopes of expanding their goals. It is a safe place where people can volunteer at their leisure and is expanding into the community through volunteers and center willing to offer classes (Blas, 2009).This program is a clubhouse more like and located in Dededo, GU. Their hours of operations are from Monday through Friday 8a. m. -5p. m. , and Saturdays 9a. m. -3p. m. This clubhouse offers many activities such as dancing, self-defense, and big sister club, etc. The reason this club focuses on young ladies is that it helps them to gain self pride, become wiser, and make smarter choices in life. Young ladies are usually self conscious about themselves and rebellious than males. They are more vulnerable to the outside world once they step into it.While the two organizations/clubs works in many ways of preventing and interventions juvenile delinquency, here are the clubs/organizations major goals, objectives, and core beliefs of what it can provide for the community as well as juveniles. The mission statement for the Inafa'Maolek is a conflict resolution organization dedicated to reducing violence related litigations and foster peace and harmony in schools, Workplaces, and communities (Inafa'Maolek, 2009). The vision statement for the Inafa'Maolek is that it will enhance peacemaking and reduce violence related litigation through advocacy, mediation, and education (Inafa'Maolek, 2009).The mission statement for the Island Girl power is that we want the girls to know just h ow special they are here at Island Girl Power! We believe that each girl can create a positive change in her life. If every girl makes it her goal to do her best, how can go wrong? We want to give girls ages seven to 14 a safe and enjoyable place to learn and play (Blas, 2010). By making the girls wiser to the world around them girls will make smarter choices in life- and maybe even help a friend. By accepting all girls, regardless of the income or status, we help bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots (Blas, 2010).When a girl joins a club it means so much to them, the acceptance, and the pride they feel when they are part of a group is irreplaceable. We as an organization help girls understand the importance of community service by showing them the example of the wonderful people who volunteer to create a place just for them (Blas, 2010). The clubhouse goal is to decrease the incidence of teenage pregnancy, suicide, sexual, and substance abuse. These problems are the mo st serious challenges facing our girls today. We know that we cannot change the island overnight, but we can make it better -One girl at a time! Blas, 2010). The two organizations help juvenile delinquents/youths in the community to improve themselves to make wiser decisions and to give a sense of direction to where they should be in the future. Knowing that the organizations/clubs are do their best to provide the community with the proper services to help the children to become better helps the people to get over that there are other outlets for their teens. With major goals, objectives, and core beliefs here are the key participants of the programs and the services the programs provide.The key participants of these programs and services provided The key participants of these programs are teens in intervention, juvenile delinquents, teens in prevention (joining so they do not commit the crime), and teen volunteers. These key participants help the organizations to better understand teens nowadays. Juvenile delinquents in the early days probably have committed more serious crimes than teens today. There was not enough services provided to the teen besides, juvenile correction facilities. The community is very limited on the help needed for their children, and some are forced to look elsewhere that type of help.Because the key participants are teens whether trouble or just interested in the program, there are services that the programs for them. The services that Inafa'Maolek provides are one, peace theater- where teens perform a situation and how to bring instead of conflict. Second, mediation- where two parties meet privately to work out a solution. Third, restorative justice- RJ sessions provide a context within which people can take responsibility for their actions, restitution are made to victims, offenders are reintegrated, and harmony are restored to a community. Fourth, conflict coaching (Inafa'Maolek, 2009).These are the main services that this program provides, other services include; volunteering in schools, socializing with other teens, restore the community, and helping others who need help. The services that Island Girl Power provides are encouraging girls on their personalities, social skills, looks, and abilities to please other rather than develop their own interests and aspirations. Island style dance classes so that they can learn about who they are and where they come from. Self-defense classes so that young ladies have that skill to protect themselves or another against harm.Occasional classes in Gef Pago as well as the big sister service where an older girl will help guide the younger ones. Of the services provided by the two programs the most effective program to reduce juvenile crime would be Inafa'Maolek. Most effective program The reason for this decision is the Inafa'Maolek provides services and outcomes used to for schools and became very popular to teens, the government, other programs. It also provides more se rvices than other treatment programs or organizations on the island. There are no other program that provides these services than Inafa'Maolek.It has shown that when teens take these sessions it guides them into becoming better person not only them but for his or her families. Conclusion In conclusion, as the community starts to see more troubled teens/delinquents these organizations/programs are ready to fight these behaviors to make them a better person. These programs were created to help the children because they are the future leaders and so forth. By understanding what drives them to commit these crimes is a mystery and why these programs try to bring all teens and their families to help one another.

Rabbit Proof Fence †Help to Study Essay

While watching the movie, take notes and think about the following questions: 1. What is the history and context of the film? When is it set? In what genre is it? Is it based on a true story, a book? Is it fictional? True story. 2. How did the cameraman use specific angles, lighting and music in the film to indicate different moods? What did you notice about the camera angels as the girls became more threatened, for example? What happened to the music when the girls were trying to escape? The music is trying to sound like native music but with a modern feature. 3. What is the fence designed for? How does the fence function as a symbol? Why is the film titled rabbit-proof fence? 4. Very early on in the film, we see the eagle, Molly’s totem, her spirit bird. Her mother tells her the eagle will look after her. When does the bird appear again in the film and why? 5. Discuss Mr. Neville’s theory of eugenics. What were his policies and official duties? Is he a villain or is he a misguided idealist? Why are half-caste children seen as a problem? Think about Neville’s attitude toward the girls? Does it change over the course of the film? Give examples of words and actions that indicate this change. 6. The three children are not experienced actors. Do you find them convincing? Give your reasons. 7. What do you think are some of the film’s key themes and issues? Are these issues/themes effectively communicated through the film? 8. Finally, did you enjoy the movie? Either way, find examples and use descriptions to state your opinion.

History contrast between England and French political structures Essay

History contrast between England and French political structures - Essay Example The examples of countries with such different ways of life are England and France. Despite them being located in the same continent, they had concrete differences in their political structure which we are going to explore. To start with, the French government was under a king and was considered absolute monarchy. This is because it was believed that the king held all the powers and was only answerable to God only. It was also believed that the king was ordained by God and therefore going against the king was going against God. According to Jean Domat and Jacques Benique Bossuet, king’s subjects had to be submissive and obedient failure to which one was said to resist God authority (Wollmann, 10). Additionally, it was believed that for the country to survive, only one person could rule it and that person had to be in charge of all the people. Every citizen had to follow the laws set by the king and nobody could question the king. This ensured that the country had the best defen se against any form of division among the citizens. However, England had quite a different type of political structure. This is because the English monarchy was as successful s French one since the will of people had triumphed over that tradition resulting to new form of government. England’s monarchy was always threatened by coming up of institutions such as parliament, Magna Carta and the common law which somehow were always against the traditional governance.

Improving Supply chain performance through Auditing Research Proposal

Improving Supply chain performance through Auditing - Research Proposal Example This calls for an audit of the supply chain when an organization is facing difficulties in carrying out its procurement, production, and distribution of its product. Accordingly, this research proposal paper has come up with a number of objectives that managers of an organization should evaluate in enhancing the supply chain of a typical organization in a modern market. In carrying out the audit of the supply chain of the organization, the researcher was motivated by the difficulties the organization is facing in receiving raw materials, distributing final products, and increasing transport and inventory cost. Thus, the audit the researcher has undertaken on the supply chain of the organization is critical in improving its efficiency. Indeed, the evaluation of the objectives in this research proposal is beneficial to managers and employees of the organization in crafting supply chain policy in future. Furthermore, the research question that helped in compiling the supply chain audit is how best the supply chain can be improved in an organization. Accordingly, the research question was answered by questioning the efficiency of information sharing, inventory management, and decision making certainty in the organization. In addition, the researcher evaluated the question of motivation in an organization to find out the effect it has on the supply chain performance. Objectives One of the major objectives that an organization should focus on is the sharing of information in an organization (Atilgan and McCullen, 2011). This objective implies the presence of a communication channel in the organization to allow sharing of information between the various parties involved in the supply chain component. Indeed, empirical studies have shown that when information between the relevant parties in the supply chain component is not clear, there is potential of duplication of tasks. In addition, conflicts are likely to arise between the parties when the tasks of each party are not clearly communicated by the organization (Parmigiani and Klassen, 2011). Consequently, the efficiency of the supply chain will be highly compromised rendering the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of the organization at risk. The management of an organization are supposed to invent a communication system that will allow the parties to pass relevant information when it is needed to enhance the supply chain (Childerhouse and Towill, 2011). Similarly, the communication system should be able to capture the needs of the different parties in order to increase their efficiency (Parmigiani and Klassen, 2011). A clear investigation of the communication channels of the organization reveals the difficulties the parties involved in the implementation of the supply chain component face. One of the communication failures of the organization is that it lacks a coordinating platform for the relevant parties to share information simultaneously. Thus, the supply chain is faced with a tedious and time wasting process in sharing information between the parties. This makes the efficiency of the supply chain very slow since the parties have wait for long time to get the right information before making decisions. Ultimately, the time taken in acquiring the

When do democratic mechanisms increase political risks to waging war Essay

When do democratic mechanisms increase political risks to waging war - Essay Example In the current times, the inter-dependency of resources becomes one of the most critical issues for peaceful negotiations of crisis across borders. It can also be argued that technology has redefined communication and has helped transform international political economy that relies on global consensus and global views. â€Å"The relation between military organization and the civilian environment can be shaped in different ways: in some countries, the civilians are executing firm oversight over the armed forces, whereas in some other countries the military can perform its duties regarding national security in its own, autonomous way, if not even in the way where the military imposes its principles of governance over the citizens. In the contemporary society, the last, i.e. military-dominated political systems are rare†(Jelusic,2007). But at the same time, Shultz (1999) points out that within democratic mechanisms, the political leaders tend to face higher political cost to wagi ng war and therefore the threat to war is often resisted by the target nation. Indeed, the wider ramifications of threats by democratic state are less likely to be taken seriously by rogue nations than by threats from non-democratic states. However, history is witness to the fact that this is not always true. Moreover, according to Jelusic the idea more common are civilian-dominated political systems, in which civilian political leaders control the military in very authoritative way, or where the whole civilian environment through the channels of the democratic control over the military imposes the tasks, the execution of tasks and respect for democracy in the inner-military organizational structures. America’s war against Iraq was fought not for political leverage but for personal gain vis-a-vis access to the vast resources of oil and gas (Habermas, 2006). The democratic constraints and reasons for waging war have therefore become increasingly contentious issues that need to be looked from the wider perspectives of emerging new equations of political economy that has redistributed wealth and created new power structure. Globalization has brought huge changes not only in the economic circles, but also in the political circles. For example, America and China were not in good terms before the introduction of globalization. However, both the countries realized the importance of meaningful cooperation for mutual benefits. At present, China is one of the major trade partners of America. Moreover, plenty of American companies are operating in China and America is one of the major markets for Chinese products. In short, the magnitude of interdependencies between China and America is huge at present and hence these two countries are not at all clashing each other aggressively when political differences widen in between these two countries. It should be noted that China is supporting Palestinians whereas America is supporting Israel in the Middle East conflict. At the time of writing this paper, intense fight is going on in Gaza between Israelis and Palestinians. However, neither China nor America seems to be interested in interfering in this issue even though both these countries have contrasting views regarding this war. The silence of these two superpowers clearly suggests that they do not want to spoil their economic relationships for political gains. The case is not much different as far as the problems in Syria are concerned. Yet despite the grisly murders by the Syrian regime, the Arab League remains silent. The Arab regimes remain silent. In the meantime, Walid al-Muallem, the Syria Foreign Minister, had the chutzpah to chide the Arab ambassadors in Damascus for not condemning the

RN interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

RN interview - Essay Example Evidently, the humanistic aspects of nursing care can only be achieved via effective interpersonal communication. The shortlisted candidate is a registered male nurse. With respect to interpersonal power, a nurse is an authority who must exude expert power. These are the true feelings of the interviewee. He further explains that a good masterly of nursing knowledge in clinical practice instills confidence in the patient. Moreover, the patient relaxes and is more amenable to therapeutic interventions as s/he is fully trusting of the care received in the hospital. The interviewee also highlighted the need for self disclosure. A nurse needs to appreciate the emotional needs of the patient by establishing a rapport that is based on caring. The nurse needs to exhibit empathy, warmth and congruence in order to foster a trustworthy relationship that will foster self-disclosure (current nursing, 2012). The nurse should not reveal confidential relationship and whenever necessary, there is need to maintain patient anonymity in the discussion of such privileged information. The interviewee also cited the need to maintain assertive communication in the delega tion of duties to juniors and the delivery of instructions to patients. This is essential in the cultivation of a professional relationship with patients and personnel. Aggressive communication will create an uneasy environment that is laden with tension (Kinni & Kinni, n.d.). It is not the kind of environment that will nurture a caring attitude where patients can engage in self disclosure. The interviewee also indicated that all conflict in a hospital setting should be resolved via the cooperative style of managing conflict (Knapp & Daly, 2011). I aspire to be a teacher and in order to establish good teacher/student relationships; I should demonstrate good interpersonal communication skills (Roberts, 2012). A teacher needs to be assertive during the

Driving factors for a telecomms operator to move from Single vendor to Research Proposal

Driving factors for a telecomms operator to move from Single vendor to multi-vendor environment - Research Proposal Example These monopolies had many different dimensions. The knowledge was restricted from moving out of one’s own control. This was done by restricting education for foreign students and minimizing the disciplines of certain fields of science; that is when we talk about a national approach. The second method was nationalizing companies which dealt with technology. When the government controlled these companies it automatically meant that their policies could be controlled. These government controlled companies had little innovations and were bureaucratic structures which had the aim of producing everything in-house. The evolution of the business environment has had an impact on many different aspects of doing business. One of the most major impacts has been on supply chains and assembly lines of a manufacturing and service business (Ballow, 1999). This is because the phenomenon of outsourcing has totally changed the landscape (Ballow, 1999). The resource allocation in organizations has greatly changed with the introduction in outsourcing. Not long ago major of every organization resources were used in fixed assets. This reduced room for improvement. This was because once fixed expenditure was made; innovating meant spending more on fixed assets (Ballow, 1999). For example if a company introduced too many changes in model, each time some of its fixed assets became obsolete and it had to make new fixed expenditures. The recent increase in product ranges and continuous model upgrades has only been possible due to the innovation in supply chain management (Ballow, 1999). The companies in this strat egy buy parts from different vendors. These smaller components can then be assembled to form the final product (Ballow, 1999). The product upgrade and new model usually need change of a few components only. The service vendor companies on the other hand can provide outsourcing for many services that a company needs (Ballow, 1999). Network providers usually

Literature Review Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Literature Review - Research Paper Example According to Goodall, Vorhaus and Carpentieri (2011), parents are responsible of participating in early childhood education. Even after a child begins attending school, it is vital to note that, they spend only 15 percent of their time in school. Though the school and its environment are vital factors in the academic development of children, different studies support the idea that parents have a crucial role in influencing academic achievement (Emerson, Fear, Josh, Stacey & Sanders 2012) The North Carolina State University (2010) found that parental involvement entails activities such as attending school meetings, checking on the progress and completion of homework, attending school events and discussing academic activities with their children at home (Goodall et al, 2011). Sciarra (2004) suggests that parents should create opportunities and appropriate environments for the academic achievement of their children (Sciarra 49). Parents need to remove disruptions such as noise, excessiv e films and television and the invitation of friends during home studying hours. The home and learning environment need to be favorable for the learning of the child. The learning environment coupled with parental involvement boost the learning process of children. ... s found that parental involvement had positive effects on the academic outcome of a child, while some researchers found that parental involvement had negative effects to the educational outcomes of a child (Sciarra 72). Studies that found negative impacts of parental engagement implied that parental engagement diminished the academic achievement of a child. These inconsistencies can be explained on different grounds. It is vital to note that different researchers have different definitions of the term parental engagement. Some of the researchers considered parental engagement as good parenting while other researchers considered parental engagement as the formation of favorable relationships between parents and teachers (Desforges and Abouchaar, 2003). Early studies showed positive links between parental engagement in the academic activities of their children and their children’s academic progress. Taken collectively, it is possible to establish that parental involvement throug h the creation of interests in the academic affairs of a child has positive effects on the child’s academic achievement and behavior. A different study published by the Review of Economics and Statistics found that parent efforts in activities such as meeting with teachers and reading stories aloud to their children immensely impact on the educational achievement of children (Hiatt-Michael, 2005). This means that parental involvement has a bigger impact on academic achievement than the effort expended by teachers (Desforges and Abouchaar, 2003). The study also stated that schools would have to increase their budget by $1,000 in case parents take a backseat in the academic activities of their children. This means that the impact of parent involvement in the academic activities of their children

Super Bowl Ads Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Super Bowl Ads - Assignment Example The commercial of this mega event is a trend setter in the industry due to high cost and quality. The Operah was marketing a jeep. At beginning the product was not clear, it revealed surprises at the end in emotional background. Patriotic emotions were triggered with the help of a very persuasive language. The theme itself was strong enough that it needs not any musical background. Without any music the theme sounds so real and natural. Female narrator suits the theme but the gender change might reduce the impact of the commercial The commercial does not leave a quick impact on a viewer and the Google Trends (Shaughnessy, 2013) shows that there it did not leave any significant impact on the Samsung search uptick. The theme of the commercial is good but it failed to win the viewership of a large segment of the society which may hint the future business, trends and gains. Shaughnessy Haydn (2013). Did Samsungs Superbowl Ad Make A Difference In Its Battle With Apple? . Retrieved from

Novel Frankenstein Essay Example for Free

Novel Frankenstein Essay The Novel Frankenstein is as relevant and terrifying today as it was when it was first published Explain How Mary Shelley makes her narrative effective and why it has fascinated and shocked audiences for nearly 190 years. Frankenstein is one of the most well known gothic horror stories. Frankenstein is set in the seventeen hundreds and was written by Mary Shelley. Mary Shelley wrote the book in 1816 and Frankenstein was first published in 1818. Mary Shelley blends gothic horror and romance which makes this novel world-famous and so successful. The novel has also been so successful because of the effective narrative Mary Shelley uses to shock and fascinate her readers. Such as the use of a lot of very detailed descriptive language and the use of three narrators to get different emotions and feelings to the reader. During the nineteenth century, electricity was a relatively new invention. This meant that many scientists were testing the use of electricity with the body. Scientists thought that Electricity could bring a dead person back to life. Erasmus Darwin suggested that this was possible. Mary Shelley was aware of a process called galvanism and a scientist named Luigi Galvani who had discovered that electricity flowed through nerves meaning that when electricity was placed in certain places on a dead body or animal if would move and look like it was alive. Scientists were learning more and more about the human body and how it worked. The general public were very interested and fascinated by these discoveries. Mary Shelley was from the romantic period. The Romantics believed in the power of the imagination. They looked to nature for and saw awe and wonder in its majesty. They distanced themselves from the evils of capitalism and industrialism. This could have lead here to write this story to show people how messing with science could lead to disaster, as it was messing with nature which was the main inspiration for the romantics. Mary Shelley was from a very radical family with very strong beliefs. Her mother was a campaigner for women to have equal rights and her father was another political free-thinker. He said that as long as people acted sensibly, there would be no need for rules or laws. Her mother died 10 ten days after giving birth to her and Mary Shelley also lost her own daughter within 2 weeks of giving birth. The reader also experiences these feelings when Frankensteins mother dies, just like Mary Shelleys mother. This is a technique to get the reader to feel the same as Shelley did to make the novel seem more real. These could be the reasons why Mary Shelley was so obsessed with bringing the dead back to life and the inspiration behind her novel Frankenstein. Mary Shelley got the inspiration for the novel in the snowy summer of 1816. In 1815 there had been an eruption from Tambora which had set the world into a long volcanic winter meaning that the summer of 1816 was a dark and cold one. Mary Shelley and her husband Percy Shelley had visited Lord Byron at his villa by Lake Geneva in Switzerland. The weather was too cold to go outside and enjoy a normal summer, so Byron challenged Mary Shelley and his personal physician John Polidori to each compose a story of their own, and the winner would be whose story was the most terrifying. Mary Shelley got the idea for her novel when she had a half-waking nightmare, and then she wrote this down giving her the main inspiration for Frankenstein. Frankenstein is about a young student of natural philosophy called Victor Frankenstein. He is determined to find the secret of life, and when he does he creates a living creature. The monster is gentle and kind, but is abounded by Frankenstein because he looks too ugly; this means he has to hide away from society as all who meet him are afraid of him. As the monster is lonely and isolated, that causes him to take revenge on his creator. He does this by not killing him, but all the ones he loves and cares about. Frankenstein, having nothing worth living for, pursues his monster to the Artic in order to destroy him. This leads him to exhaustion and death, the monster then sees he is dead and then kills himself as it is the only place he can seek rest. The novel shows the horrible consequences of playing God and this is what makes the book fascinating, as it questions all the main beliefs of religion and the soul. The book is different as it has three narrators who are Frankenstein, Robert Walton and the monster. They all narrate and give the reader a different insight into the story, which makes the book very unique. This technique is very effective because as it gives a different insight into each character it can make the reader feel different emotions for each character. Such as when it is Victor Frankenstein telling us his own story, it makes the reader feel more sympathetic towards him because the reader experiences the tragedies and upsets that Frankenstein feels.

Edward de Vere is the Real Shakespeare Essay Example for Free

Edward de Vere is the Real Shakespeare Essay Edward de Vere was an Earl of Oxford. There is an ongoing debate whether William Shakespeare’s plays were his or these were the creations of Edward de Vere. This debate continues because literary scholars and historians reject this theory but was supported by theater practitioners and researchers. De Vere, also known as Oxford, was called a playwright and poet but his works did not survive. Some of his poetry was anonymously published in â€Å"Arte of English Poesie† in 1589. This was confirmed by the author George Puttenham. Very many noble gentlemen in the Court that have written commendably and suppressed it again, or else suffered it to be published without their own names to it, as it were a discredit for a gentleman, to seem learned, and to show himself amorous of any good art. † (Nelson, 165) Oxford as a dramatist is given proof through the testimony of Francis Meres in â€Å"Palladis Tamia. † He describes his works as â€Å"the best for comedy. † (Whalen, 361). Nonetheless, few of Oxford’s poems and songs are credited to his own name. The dates of these works are uncertain. Most of which are signed â€Å"Earle of Oxenforde† or â€Å"E. O. † When he was alive, Oxford was always in the company of English poets. In 1920, J Thomas Looney presented facts that Oxford was the real author of Shakespeare’s plays. The facts he presented were: a. ) Oxford’s advanced education and first-hand knowledge of an aristocrat’s life b. ) the law c. ) the military c. ) theater background d. ) high praise of Oxford’s works by his peers and e. ) the countless similarities between Oxford’s life and the setting of the plays. Looney’s hypothesis was that Oxford published his works under a pseudonym since it was disgraceful for an aristocrat like him to be writing plays for public theater. (Nelson, 158). This claim was confirmed by Renaissance scholars. Members of the Tudor aristocracy were recognized as reputable poets but none of them published their works. None of Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Fulke Greville, Sir Edward Dyer and Sir Philip Sidney published their creations despite their recognition in the aristocratic society. (Whalen, 248). Through the ideas presented by Looney, other writers became notable Oxfordians. Sigmund Freud, Mark Twain, columnist Joseph Sobran, biographer and historian David McCullough and actors Orson Welles, Sir Derek Jacobi, Sir John Gielgud and Jeremy Irons all believe that it was Oxford who wrote these plays. (Lindquist, 23) However, there are gaps on Looney’s theory. One is the evidentiary gap such as Oxford’s death in 1604. If he were in fact the real author of Shakespeare’s plays, the he wouldn’t have witnessed the wreck of the Sea Venture in Bermuda and the Gunpowder Plot† which were said to be the allusions to Shakespeare’s dramas â€Å"The Tempest† and â€Å"Macbeth. Then there are writers like Leonard Digges and Ben Jonson who provide concrete evidence that Shakespeare is a reputed poet. (Lindquist, 24) Oxfordians provide proof through the use of modern research that Shakespeare no longer published his plays after 1604. Also, Oxfordian biographers Mark Anderson and William Farina showed research which indicate that the publication of Shakespeare’s plays actually ended in 1604. (Simpson, 34) Aside from Oxford, there are other candidates who are considered to have been the real author of Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets. These are Christopher Marlowe, Francis Bacon and the Earl of Derby. These theories were rejected by academic establishments. Through the ideas and hypothesis of Looney and the Oxfordians, Oxford as the real author of Shakespeare’s works still stands true. (Nelson, 102) A crucial reasoning of why Oxford is the actual author of Shakespeare’s works come in the political topography of â€Å"Hamlet. † (Propson, 13) The Denmark in the play is identical with the biography Oxford has been accustomed in. The play is an imaginative presentation of what Oxford would have done, based on his other works that were published under a pseudonym. Oxfordians continue to present other arguments with such depth and accurate research to back up their hypothesis and their theories. Oxford mastered the understanding and experience that is evident in Shakespeare’s plays. Oxford’s poems also have the same flow as those of Shakespeare’s. He explored and developed the stanzaic and metric forms when writing poetry, just like Shakespeare and his sonnets. (Propson, 15) And just like any aristocrat, he was status-conscious and he needed recognition for his success. He was determined to have his way and would have made it sure to have received credit for his plays or his poetry. So why then would he have allowed this to happen if he actually wrote the plays? Scholars who studied Oxford as a man and the possible Shakespeare describe him as â€Å"a puzzle to his generation. † Oxford was eccentric and creative and he showed varying moods, subtle movements and fierce passions. His words as seen in his poetry are inexplicable and extraordinary. The knowledge and insight of these works cannot be discussed easily, as confirmed by Looney. â€Å"The poetic genius has more or less always been a man apart. † (Whalen, 183) However, those who believe that Shakespeare was the real author of his works scrutinized Oxford’s works as lacking the depth and the conscious knowledge that Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets are known for. (Lindquist, 28). His poetry did not have the level of knowledge or the comprehension of philosophies and advance consciousness of the characters as evident in Shakespeare’s plays. But these facts do not stop Oxfordians from seeing De Vere as the candidate for Shakespeare’s actual authorship. They strongly believe that his capability as a dramatist and poet â€Å"conforms to the mind and capacity and character of Shakespeare. (Simpson, 23) Oxford was generous and often funded patronage to projects that benefited literacy, religion, medicine, philosophy, science and music. Not only was he a poet and playwright, he was also a patron. This proves that Oxford made sure he was recognized. Another question mark is that ten other Shakespearean plays were published after 1604, which was the year Oxford died. (Lindquist) The strongest claim that Oxford is in fact the real Shakespeare is the cumulative parallels of the earl’s life to the works and the specificity of his personal references and concerns as seen in the plays and the poems. Oxford was a pure-bred aristocrat and he has been educated along with other noble families. He had profound literary tastes and through this, has become a lyrical poet. He was a traveler and is quite fashionable. He loved music. This is set alongside the fact that Shakespeare was illiterate. Oxfordians say that Shakespeare would have had a hard time writing his own signature, what more composing plays and sonnets. They also reasoned that in Shakespeare’s will, he never mentioned anything about his plays. The same can be said to Oxford. If he in fact wrote the plays, then why did he not state this in his will? The date and the circumstances of Oxford is the dispute among scholars. The historical records and his way of life are concrete proof that he is aware of the aristocrat’s way of life, compared to Shakespeare, who did not lead a life of luxury. Oxford’s uncle, The Earl of Surrey, originated the sonnet form today which has been used in Shakespeare’s sonnets. (Propson, 46). The question on who wrote this becomes more and more difficult to answer because of this. Oxford received his BA from Cambridge University and his masters from Oxford University. He was also sent to study law at Gray’s Inn. This only comes to show that he is absolutely knowledgeable of the topics that have been discussed in Shakespeare’s 37 plays. Like most of the characters in Shakespeare’s plays, Oxford was not domesticated by marriage. He was famous for getting in trouble which initiated the wrath of his father-in-law. As a young man, Oxford accidentally killed another man. A lot of Shakespeare’s plays show one character killing another. Historical records show that Oxford and his companions traveled on the road from Gravesend to Rochester. This is similar to â€Å"Henry the Fourth, Part One. † For some reason, the account in the play also provides the full detail of the assault that is similar to Oxford and his men. Once Oxfordians dug this information up, they used it as another important bullet point in their hypothesis. Oxford was also notorious for his martial prowess. He excelled in sports. He was also good with words. He knew how to provide a vast content of narrative using vocabulary, metaphor and imagery. This is evident in Shakespeare’s plays. Another factor that adds up to the confirmation of the Oxfordian’s claim is that Oxford conceived theatrical entertainment for the Queen of Whitehall. He was given a lease to the Blackfriars Theater. He was the patron of other writers and he was known by members of various acting companies. He was one of the first recipients of the literary dedications written by writers Edmund Spenser and John Lyly. He was regarded to be one of England’s most excellent writers. To give more proof on the thesis statement of this paper is the fact that Oxford traveled extensively. He visited France and Italy. Sicily provided the backdrop for Shakespeare’s plays set in Italy. Oxford had a home in Venice. His ship was once attacked by pirates during one voyage. Again, this is another scene from one of Shakespeare’s plays – â€Å"Twelfth Night. † Another historical account of Oxford as Shakespeare is when his brother-in-law Peregrin Bertrie reports upon his return that while having a banquet at Elsinore, â€Å"a whole volley of all the great shot of the castle discharged. † This very account is the line of Shakespeare’s Cluadius in â€Å"Hamlet. † (Propson, 42) However, there are still gaps, especially toward the later years of his life. In 1958, there had been anonymous publications and performances of Shakespearean plays like Titus Andronicus, Richard the second and Romeo and Juliet. That time, the first quarto bore the name William Shakespeare as the author. That very year, Francis Meres published his works â€Å"Palladis Tamia† and credits â€Å"Shakespeare. † At the same time, he identifies the playwright Edward de Vere as â€Å"the best for comedy amongst us. † The 1604 problem will always prevent Oxfordian scholars to completely conclude that Oxford is the real Shakespeare but that does not stop them from presenting concrete facts in what they believe in. They reach a point wherein they count the number of plays Shakespeare release in a year. They wondered about the inconsistency. They say that in 1593 to 1603, Shakespeare published two plays in a year. Then he stopped writing in 1604 and started publishing five years later. (Propson, 45) Other Oxfordian claims is the fact that Shakespeare was not mourned for in his death. Upon Mark Twain’s observation, â€Å"When Shakespeare died in Stratford, it was not an event. It made no stir in England than the death of any other forgotten theater-actor would have made. Nobody came down from London; there were no lamenting poems, no eulogies, no national tears – there was merely silence, and nothing more. A striking contrast with what happened when Ben Jonson, and Francis Bacon, and Spencer, and Raleigh and the other literary folk of Shakespeare’s time passed from life! No praiseful voice was lifted for the lost Bard of Avon. † (Simpson, 138) Until now, the Oxfordian theory is popular amongst writers, scholars, researchers and actors. The debate between the Oxfordians and the Stratfordians (those who believe that Shakespeare is the real author of his works) continue.

Consumer Perception and Evaluation of Hewlett-Packard

Consumer Perception and Evaluation of Hewlett-Packard The Notebook PC Industry in Taiwan: An Examination Of Consumer Perception and Evaluation of Hewlett-Packard Abstract This management project is exploratory research to examine the Hewlett-Packard (HP) brand and the Taiwan notebook PC market. HP is one of major players in this market with a brand identity of personalisation, innovation and technology leadership. This objective of this research is to measure the perception of Taiwan consumers about their brand preferences as well as evaluate the effectiveness of HPs brand communication. By setting up focus group interviewing with wholesaler sales representatives and potential consumers, this research developed a structured questionnaire to test and analyse consumers attitudes. The self-administrated questionnaire was conducted online, getting 152 valid samples. It surveyed 20 different attributes of notebook products and brand images to discover consumers attitudes toward the 4 leading brands in the market- HP, Asus, Acer and Lenovo. The results of this research indicate that HP was not able to deliver the brand identity with much success and was ranked in a weaker position then Asus and Acer in terms of all attributes expect reliability in the Taiwan notebook market. It also shows that price is not the most important factor for consumers when they choose a notebook. Instead, much more emphasis is given to quality and function. In chapter 5 of this dissertation, there are some recommendations about HPs future development based on the survey findings. As low price is no longer the most important factor influencing consumers purchasing behaviour, HP should put much more effort on its brand image to create its competitive advantage and expand market share. Keywords Brand Association; Brand Image; Brand Positioning; Brand Preference; Consumer Behaviour; Consumer Perception; Decision Making Process; Hewlett Packard; Loyalty; Marketing Communication Preface I worked for Hewlett Packard Taiwan from 2002 to 2006 as a partner business manager. In that period, I acquired a lot of knowledge in channel management, both from HP itself as well as its partners. However, as a sales representative from the original vendor, I felt that sometimes I made decisions just following past experiences and the suggestions and advices of others without sufficient insight into consumers. Therefore, to prepare for my next career plan, I view this research on consumer perceptions and the position of HP in the Taiwanese notebook market as important preparation for my ambition to become a product manager. In helping me accomplish this management project, I would like to extend my thanks to many people for their confidence in me and for their professionalism. Firstly, I want to thank my supervisor, Dr. Steve Henderson for his patient guidance throughout the course of the research. Without him, it would have been difficult to finish this project. Secondly, I want to say thank you to all the friends who were willing to spare their time in helping me conduct the focus group and questionnaire survey. Their generous help made my research proceed without too many difficulties. Last but not least, I would like to thank my family, for their love, patience and understanding of my prolonged absence from home while pursuing my academic career. With their full support, I have been able to fully focus on finishing this dissertation. Introduction Background Overview Branding has been discussed for several decades as a way to distinguish the products of one producer from others. In increasingly competitive markets, powerful brands become essential to achieve the sustainable development of business. There are a number of views related to brands that are dominant in the literature and in the way that brands have been approached. Traditionally, brands were seen as symbols, and that was reflected even in the definition of brands expressed by the American Marketing Association (2008). In other words, brands were mainly regarded as transaction facilitators, far away from the relationship marketing perspective. Brands were also considered as the producers property. It was implied that the producer is mostly responsible for the communication of the brand, brand related activities, and brand reputation over the long run (Veloutsou 2008). Today, brands are compound entities and their expression includes the perception of the product characteristics, personality and values. It is acknowledged that they could be perceived differently by various corporate stakeholders. Accordingly, terms brand identity (the intended perception brand developers would like the brand to have) and brand image/ brand reputation (how it is perceived by the target audiences) have been developed. Therefore, brands can be the relationship builders (Veloutsou 2008). Actually relationship marketing for fast moving consumer goods relies to a great extent on brands to help in the development of the consumer-firm relationship (Kapferer 2004a; Selame 1993). According to Selame (1993), the function and predominance of brands in the fast-moving consumer goods market is uncontested. Most marketing executives in such industries would not even think to question the importance of brands. As well as the fast-moving consumer goods market, the high-tech industry sees a use of branding (Kapferer 2004). As Zajas Crowley (1995) point out, until the end of the 20th century, the use of brands in marketing high-technology products was minimal. All too often, marketing executives who oversee computers and other high-technology products manage their product lines or marketing mix activities with little consideration for the development of long-term brand recognition. This brings a problem when greater emphasis is given to a products features than to the positioning of its brand-name (Zajas Crowley 1995; Kapferer 2004). Taiwans Notebook Personal Computer Industry As a result of the increasing transition of consumers from desktop PCs to notebook PCs, Taiwans Notebook PC market showed considerable growth in terms of shipment volume. In 2007, 90,165 thousand units were shipped with annual market growth rate reaching 42.1%. MIC (2008) projects that Taiwans notebook PC market will maintain double digit growth until 2011. There is manufacturing competitiveness of Taiwanese notebook personal computer industry during its developing stages of the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), original design manufacturers (ODMs), and original brand manufacturers (OBMs). A number of trends are affecting the cost of components and materials used to manufacture PCs. The rising cost of oil, Chinas newly enacted labour law (which has increased the cost of assembly labour), reduced tax incentives and the appreciation of the Renminbi (RMB) against the U.S. dollar are challenging the PC manufacturing ecosystems ability to maintain profit margins. Currently, profits run at about 5%. The top ODMs of notebook PCs have stated that they are unable to absorb the increased costs and plan to pass them on to clients (Tsai 2008). On 21 May 2008, Simon Lin, chairman of Wistron, told Taiwans Digitimes that Wistron would raise contract manufacturing prices. This follows similar statements in recent weeks from Compal and Quanta. Gartner (2008) has confirmed the disclosures with all three companies which controlled more than 69% of worldwide notebook PC production in 2007 (refer to Table 1-1). It is the first time these three have attempted, almost simultaneously, to raise prices, even at the risk of losing orders. However, the group carries some weight, which will likely strengthen their position in negotiations with vendors such as HP and Dell. Due to challenges to their competitive advantages, Taiwanese hi-tech enterprises have to consider whether to stay in the OEM field or develop their own brand marketing strategies. Some corporations choose to specialise in the OEM such as Hong Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd. (Foxconn) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC). On the other hand, several firms, including Acer, Asus, and BenQ, recognised the importance of their own brands and have switched their investments and endeavours towards high value-added activities such as research and development, product innovation, and brand building (Chen et al 2007). The goal of all these development strategies is to strengthen competitiveness under the increasing pressure of the changing world environment (Tsai Hung 2007). At most Taiwanese companies, profit margins on sales of branded computers are roughly five times higher than on sales of computers and parts to resellers like HP and Dell, said Jerry Shen, Asusteks chief executive officer (2008). Taiwanese contract manufacturers such as Micro-Star Internal, Clevo, and Asustek (Asus) have started to market their own notebook PC brands through leveraging their manufacturing strengths, a trend that has increased competition across the industry (Simons 2008). Based on the information mentioned above, worldwide brands such as HP and Dell are facing keen competition in the notebook PC market, especially in Taiwan. The IDC report, as summarised by Chinatimes (2007), showed that the notebook market share of local brands Asus and Acer accounted for 33 percent and 32 percent respectively, followed by HP with 12 percent and Lenovo with 7 percent in the 2007 third quarter. In 2008Q1 Asus and Acer, gained over 69% of Taiwans notebook PC market share, including new product line Ultra Low-Cost PC such as Asuss Eee PC products whereas HP and Lenovo remained in the 3rdand 4thplace (Apple news 2008) Overview of HP HP is a leading PC manufacturer, with an approximately 5.6% share in the global hardware market in 2006. It is a provider of personal computing and other access devices, imaging and printing related products and services, and enterprise information technology infrastructure, including enterprise storage. It operates its hardware business through three business units: Enterprise Storage and Servers (ESS), Personal Systems Group (PSG) and Imaging and Printing Group (IPG) and services individual consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including the public and education sectors (Hewlett-Packard 2008a). During the three-year period, 2005-2007, its revenues grewat a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10%, mainly due to increases in sales volume of personal systems in consumer and commercial markets. The PSG segment showed significant top line growth of 24.8% to $36,409m, and accounted for 43.5% of total hardware revenues in the fiscal year 2007. Increased sales volume of notebook PCs, particularly in emerging markets, contributed to higher revenue growth during the year (Business Insights 2008). HP remained the leader in the notebook PC market for the seventh consecutive quarter, maintaining an almost 2 million-unit lead over second placed Dell. In the seasonally slow first quarter of 2008, HP also managed to increase their market share Q/Q in five of six regions. Dell was less successful in Q108, increasing share Q/Q in only two regions. Like HP, third placed Acer posted Q/Q shared gains in five of six regions. HP was market leader in three of six regions, and in the fast-growing APAC market, closed to within a few thousand units of Acer. From a brand value perspective, The Interbrands (2007a) annual ranking of the Best Global Brands, in co-operation with BusinessWeek magazine ranked HP is number twelve of the worlds 100 top brands and number five of the technology brands (Table 1-3). HP has gained 9% in brand value since 2006, following a 10% slide from 2004 to 2005 (Kiley 2007). Kiley (2007) pointed out credit should go to CEO Mark Hurd, who told his subordinates that Hewlett-Packard Co. had to stop building and marketing the PC as if they were a commodity. Designing PCs that consumers actually want was the starting point. The marketing team then went about pitching HP PCs as a personal reflection of consumers desires and needs. Hence the slogan: The computer is personal again. was created (Appendix C). Last summer the company rolled out ads showing hip-hop mogul Shawn Jay-Z Carter mixing music and planning tours using an HP notebook PC (Interbrand 2007c) and using self-made ads by celebrities such as Serena Williams, Petra Nemcova and Jean-Michel Gondry even though HP did not pay these people for these ads (BusinessToday 2008). The objective of the campaign was to grow a more profitable worldwide business through the introduction, support, and marketing of innovative products, services, and solutions that will deliver the absolute best customer experience in personal technology. The campaign was targeted at users aged between 18 and 34 and small to medium-sized companies. Besides, HP delivered images related to innovation and technology leadership via both press and the Internet. The company first employed the innovative imprint technique for notebook PCs, which is a casing design created by advanced moulding techniques that integrate a hard-coat surface using a film transfer process. According to Hewlett-Packards (2008b) publicity, not only does the HP Imprint look fabulous, it is also more durable than traditional paint. HP intended to convey the message about personalisation, innovation and technology leadership to communicate with the public. Rising sales and market share show that customers seem to have had a favourable for reaction for HP notebook PCs. However it is difficult to know how consumers choose between the top four notebook PCs brands, namely Asus, Acer, HP and Lenovo. Consequently, this research aims to take a fresh look at consumer preferences, with a particular focus on HP because it is one of the most successful brands facing particular competition in Taiwan. Of particular interest is to understand how the HP brand image can help to promote it position in the market place, and what influence this has on consumers preferences. Research Purpose This research examines consumers perception and evaluation of the HP brand and makes a comparison with other three major brands in order to get a better understanding of brand strength and preference. There are three objectives in this research to help achieve the overall aim. Firstly, to understand key research issues by a literature review. The literature search will establish the main issues in this field to set the right direction for the study Secondly, to find out consumers brand preference among the four main players in Taiwans notebook PC market by carrying out questionnaire. Finally, to identify and evaluate consumer perceptions of HPs existing brand identity and communication methods. Research Question This study aims to provide significant data to support the selected topic. As DisplaySearch (2008) analysis indicates the increasing transition of consumers from desktop PCs to notebook PCs is having a direct impact on brands growth and market share, and as such the competition in the Taiwan notebook PC market is becoming increasingly intense. HP, one of the most successful and global notebook PC brands, currently operating in over 170 countries (Hewlett-Packard 2008a), needs to expand its market and succeed in Taiwans notebook PC market. Brands with established enterprise and retail presences have had the most success in growing market share in the past several quarters. HP promotes its brand with the slogan the computer is personal again, trying to emphasise personalised, advanced technology, together with an image of innovation image in order to gain worldwide market share. However, it seems these efforts are not working in Taiwan as effectively as in other regions. Therefore, HP struggling in the Taiwan market and facing increasingly strong international and local competitors in this market, does the brand identity which demonstrates personalisation, technology leadership and innovation really helps HP win the fierce competition in Taiwan market? And how HP can influence consumers attitude to improve HPs competitiveness in Taiwan? To this end some of the following questions will be part of the survey: What are most important factors when consumers choose notebook brands? How do consumers respond to HP brand identity? What do consumers think about HP brand communication methods? How do consumers position HP compare with three other brands? Dissertation Outline The dissertation is structured as follows. The introduction chapter is the overview of topic, industry status and research case objectives and goes in detail about the research work towards revealing consumer perceptions of brands. Chapter two is a literature review focusing on theories from concepts in branding discipline, consumer behaviour and marketing communication related to the notebook PC industry. Chapter three describes research methodology including research philosophy, research approach and strategy, the questionnaire design, and data collection. The fourth chapter consists of the research findings, where the empirical date is interpreted and discussed. The final part gives general conclusion as well as recommendations to HP, limitations of this study and directions for future research will also be presented. Literature Review Consumer Behaviour Consumer Behaviour Definition Arnould et al (2005) define consumer behaviour as the psychological and social processes that individuals or groups undergo in the acquisition, use and disposal of products (for example, notebook PCs), services (for example, professional software installation), ideas (for example, spiritual beliefs) or experiences (for example, travelling) and suggest that concept of the circle of consumption results in the marketing opportunities (see Figure 2-1). Understanding acquisition is very important to marketers and requires an understanding of the other phases where these links influence consumer beliefs, value and attitudes (Arnould et al 2005). Consumer behaviour is examined from market perspective that focuses on a particular brand and how to induce people to buy that brand whereas other academic researchers study consumer behaviour from behavioural and social sciences perspectives that emphasise an understanding and explanation of why, what and how people buy (Bagozzi et al 2002). Moreover, consumer behaviour is a division of human behaviour (Bagozzi 2002). Human behaviour refers to the process in which the individual interacts with his/her environment. This perspective tends to emphasise consumer behaviours and practices that help to organise our understanding of phenomena such as consumption rituals, myths and symbols as well as contribute a concern with the meaning and significance of consumption. Walters (1974) suggests that consumer behaviour concerns specific types of human actions that have a direct relation to the purchase of goods and services from organisations. The Use of High Technology It is necessary to know how people use high technology and what they intend to use it for by reflecting on the development of the high technology industry (Hamann et al 2007). Inventions such as the motor car provided products and were created to satisfy the real needs of people during the industrial age (Tomkins 2005). However, as life becomes busier and more stressful, people are forced to adapt the newest features offered by high technology continuously in all areas of their lives, even though they might not fully understood what it can do to help them (Kallaman Grillo 1996). This adaptation process is based on the evaluation of meaningful attributes that support a consumers beliefs, resulting shifts in a consumers frame of reference and evaluation criteria derived from the constantly changing environment, which makes it impossible to define a general pattern of purchasing behaviour (Hill 2003; Jiang 2004). Nowadays consumers expect convenience, quality and service in a product which is made available at anytime and at any place (Yelkur 2000; Winkler 1999; Silverhart 2004). Furthermore, people may adopt high-technology in order to remain in a particular social group or to join one they want to belong to (Kim et al 2001; Haughey 2004). Hamann et al (2007) define consumer electronics as electronic equipment intended for everyday use, which usually finds its application in entertainment, communications and office productivity technology such as mobile phones, digital cameras and notebook PCs. As the high-technology industry increased the speed of its development and started to increasingly focus on particular consumer segments and individual needs, people become more ready to accept technological innovations (McDaniel Gates 2002). For example, radio attracted 50 million listeners within 38 years of its invention and television required thirteen years to reach 50 million viewers, yet it only took the Internet four years to gain 50 million users (Temporal Lee 2001). The connection with brands and the problem of providing a unique selling point (USP) in current markets becomes a critical issue in this context, resulting in a shorter product life cycle (PLC), which has been reduced to a matter of weeks from what used to be years (Zajas Crowley 1995; Winkler 1999; Temporal Lee 2001). However, the most important change can be seen in the increasing adaptation of a mass-customisation strategy (Jiang 2004). The new toys produced by high-technology companies, such as the iPod and the Sony Playstation Portable (PSP), deliver apparently unique benefits to consumers, based on their image and preference match (Tomkins 2005; Klein 2000; Temporal Lee 2001). In order to build an effective branding strategy for current markets, it is therefore necessary to investigate consumers reasons behind buying high technology. The Consumer Decision Making Process Decision making is defined as a balanced combination of emotional and rational elements used to keep on looking for alternatives, to make a purchasing decision, or to get off the idea to buy entirely (Schiffman Kanuk 1994; Witt Meyer 2004; Hill 2003). Furthermore, the decision making process (refer to Figure 2-2) is a series of steps a consumer or an organisation may go through before choosing a brand or a product (Blackwell Engel 2005; Jobber Fahy 2003; Solomon M. et al 2002; Jobber 2007). This decision making process will be definitely influenced by consumer characteristics (Phillips Sternthal 1977; Wang et al 2008). Solomon et al (2002) suggest that consumer characteristics can be divided into two factors: demographic and life-style. In this research, some of the important elements of each factor appear in the questionnaire. Table 2-1 maps out the contents of each factor. A key determinant of the extent to which consumers evaluate a brand is their level of involvement which means the degree of perceived relevance and personal importance accompanying the brand choice (Blackwell Engel 2005). Jobber (2007) demonstrates that computer purchases are an example of high involvement decision making in Ajzen Fishbeins (1980) model (refer to Figure 2-3), which suggests that an attitude towards a brand is based on set of beliefs about the brand. High-involvement purchase models have proven more robust in predicting purchase behaviour than low-involvement purchases (Budd Spencer 1984; Farley et al 1981; Shimp Kavas 1984). Thus, investigating consumer attitude can be helpful in understanding consumers purchasing intensions. Effect of Consumer Attitude/Preference As we have stepped into the 21st century, the role of attitude has become increasingly important in influencing all aspects of consumer behaviour (Malhotra 2005). During the consumer decision process repeated, consumers have a kind of attitude to purchasing, such as beliefs, opinions, inclinations or biases, called consumer attitude that affects their decision making. More important these attitudes can be influenced and changed if the organisation adopts an effective communication strategy (Goldsmith et al 2000; Haugtvedt et al 1994; Brown Stayman 1992). Many studies identify the construct of attitude towards a brand as one of the most important determinants of consumers behavioural intentions (Fishbein Ajzen, 1975; Laroche et al 1996). Belk (1988) and Sirgy (1982) conclude the self-congruence theory explaining how consumers evaluate products to match their self-image. Ekinci Riley (2003), Graeff (1996) and Hong Zinkhan (1995) further suggest that a higher congruence between self-image and product image would positively prompt consumers attitudes or behaviour regarding brand attitude, brand preference, repurchasing intentions, product purchase decisions, and consumer satisfaction. Ahluwalia et als (2000) research shows that customers who have a positive attitude towards a brand (high commitment) would counter-argue negative information related to the brand and support the positive information. High commitment customers relate brand loyalty and advocacy with positive information about their favoured brand. Accordingly, low commitment customers give more weight to negative information than positive information because they perceive it to be more diagnostic. There are a number of factors which result in a consumers attitude to change including the nature of product change, strength of attitude towards the product, stored information about the product, product importance and communication. Based on these factors and research findings, discussion and recommendation will be introduced in the chapter five, mainly directed at possible changes in communication and perceptions in order to make the HP notebook brand more competitive in the Taiwanese market. Otherwise, the current research will provide some initial and exploratory insights into how notebook consumers perceive the different notebook brands in the Taiwanese notebook market. The survey questionnaire that examines consumer perceptions can be found in appendix B, and discussion on the main research findings are introduced in chapter four. Brand A brand is a distinguishing name or symbol (such as logo, trademark or package design) aimed to identify the goods or services of either one seller or a group of sellers, and to differentiate goods or services from those of competitors (Ghodeswar Luang 2008). Thus a brand signals to the consumer the source of the product and protects both the customer and the producer from competitors who would attempt to provide products or services that seem to be identical (Aaker 1991). Weilbacher (1995) argues that brands provide the main upon which consumers can identify and associate with a product or service or a group of products or services. From the consumers point of view, a brand can be defined as the total accumulation of all his/her experience. In other words, the brand is built up from all points of contact with the consumer (Kapferer 2004). A successful brand is an identifiable product, service, person or place, extended in such a way that the buyer or user perceives relevant, unique added values which match their needs most closely (Chernatony McDonald 1998). Branding in high-tech markets is also gaining increasing attention, since there is general consensus that branding becomes more important when high-tech products become accessible to mass consumers (Schoenfelder Harris 2004; Pettis 1995; Reddy 1997; Ward et al 1999). Successful brand building can not only strengthen a producers competitive position to withstand the increasing power of retailers (Park Srinivasan, 1994) but also bring advantages such as defending against competitors and building market share (Adams 1995). When the term brand equity is used in marketing functions it means brand description or brand strength, which is sometimes referred to as consumer brand equity to distinguish it from the accounting asset valuation meaning (Wood 2000). A better understanding of brand equity measurement is essential for an enriched operation of brand management (Pappu et al 2005). Pappu et al (2005) established a multi-dimensionality of consumer-based brand equity, consistent which is the conceptualisation of Aaker (1991). The overall results of the confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that consumer-based brand equity was a four-dimensional construct including brand awareness, brand associations, perceived quality and brand loyalty (Pappu et al 2005; Cobb-Walgren et al 1995; Zajas Crowley 1995). Washburn Planks (2002), Yoo Donthu (2001, 2002) and Yoo et al. (2000) developed a consumer based brand equity measure based on Aakers (1991) and Kellers (1993) conceptualisation but combined the dimensions of brand awareness and brand associations into one. Nevertheless, Wright et al (2007) discussed research issues concerning data collection, timing and measures of brand performance for the PC market and emphasised that it is important that the term brand equity is clearly defined and enjoys organisational consensus and perceived validity given the objectives and strategy for PC brands and the dynamics of the marketplace. There is no agreed measure of brand equity just as there are different measures of the various aspects of a brand. An important issue is how management finds it useful to define and use the term brand equity. Brand Awareness Brand awareness is regarded as an important notion in consumer behaviour, especially in terms of its implication to brand equity, which can be referred to as the value a brand name adds to a product. Keller (1993) declares that brand awareness is reflected upon consumers ability to recognise the brand under different circumstances. He suggests two basic approaches to measuring brand awareness. One is brand recall that relates to consumers ability to retrieve the brand when given the product category, the needs fulfilled by the category, or some other type of hint. Another is brand recognition that relates to consumers ability to confirm previous exposure to the brand when given the brand. Laurent et al (1995) also propose three classical measures of brand awareness in a given product category: (1) Spontaneous awareness: consumers are asked to name the brands they know without any cue, even if only by name, in the product category. The spontaneous awareness of brand X is the percentage of interviewees indicating they know the brand; (2) Top-of-mind awareness: using the same question, the top-of-mind awareness of brand X is the percentage of interviewees who name brand X first; (3) Aided awareness: brand names are showed to interviewees; the aided awareness of brand X is the percentage of interviewees who mention they know the brand. Laurent et al (1995) point out that for a leading brand, its aided awareness score may be extremely high, not allowing for detections of temporary changes; such changes may be more visible in a spontaneous awareness question. Conversely, if one is interested in a minor or start-up brand, one can be sure that its spontaneous score will be very low, maybe a few percent, not allowing for a very sensitive measure of evolution; its aided awareness will be more sensitive, and therefore more able to detect progresses in brand awareness. In this research, we are going to brand awareness for the four top laptop manufactures with both spontaneous and top-of-mind techniques to explore HP notebooks brand awareness in comparison with three other brands. Brand awareness plays an important role in understanding the consumer decision-making process. Many researchers assert that brand awareness has a significant effect on brand attitude and encourages consumers to consider products and services of that brand when purchasing (Brown Stayman 1992; K Consumer Perception and Evaluation of Hewlett-Packard Consumer Perception and Evaluation of Hewlett-Packard The Notebook PC Industry in Taiwan: An Examination Of Consumer Perception and Evaluation of Hewlett-Packard Abstract This management project is exploratory research to examine the Hewlett-Packard (HP) brand and the Taiwan notebook PC market. HP is one of major players in this market with a brand identity of personalisation, innovation and technology leadership. This objective of this research is to measure the perception of Taiwan consumers about their brand preferences as well as evaluate the effectiveness of HPs brand communication. By setting up focus group interviewing with wholesaler sales representatives and potential consumers, this research developed a structured questionnaire to test and analyse consumers attitudes. The self-administrated questionnaire was conducted online, getting 152 valid samples. It surveyed 20 different attributes of notebook products and brand images to discover consumers attitudes toward the 4 leading brands in the market- HP, Asus, Acer and Lenovo. The results of this research indicate that HP was not able to deliver the brand identity with much success and was ranked in a weaker position then Asus and Acer in terms of all attributes expect reliability in the Taiwan notebook market. It also shows that price is not the most important factor for consumers when they choose a notebook. Instead, much more emphasis is given to quality and function. In chapter 5 of this dissertation, there are some recommendations about HPs future development based on the survey findings. As low price is no longer the most important factor influencing consumers purchasing behaviour, HP should put much more effort on its brand image to create its competitive advantage and expand market share. Keywords Brand Association; Brand Image; Brand Positioning; Brand Preference; Consumer Behaviour; Consumer Perception; Decision Making Process; Hewlett Packard; Loyalty; Marketing Communication Preface I worked for Hewlett Packard Taiwan from 2002 to 2006 as a partner business manager. In that period, I acquired a lot of knowledge in channel management, both from HP itself as well as its partners. However, as a sales representative from the original vendor, I felt that sometimes I made decisions just following past experiences and the suggestions and advices of others without sufficient insight into consumers. Therefore, to prepare for my next career plan, I view this research on consumer perceptions and the position of HP in the Taiwanese notebook market as important preparation for my ambition to become a product manager. In helping me accomplish this management project, I would like to extend my thanks to many people for their confidence in me and for their professionalism. Firstly, I want to thank my supervisor, Dr. Steve Henderson for his patient guidance throughout the course of the research. Without him, it would have been difficult to finish this project. Secondly, I want to say thank you to all the friends who were willing to spare their time in helping me conduct the focus group and questionnaire survey. Their generous help made my research proceed without too many difficulties. Last but not least, I would like to thank my family, for their love, patience and understanding of my prolonged absence from home while pursuing my academic career. With their full support, I have been able to fully focus on finishing this dissertation. Introduction Background Overview Branding has been discussed for several decades as a way to distinguish the products of one producer from others. In increasingly competitive markets, powerful brands become essential to achieve the sustainable development of business. There are a number of views related to brands that are dominant in the literature and in the way that brands have been approached. Traditionally, brands were seen as symbols, and that was reflected even in the definition of brands expressed by the American Marketing Association (2008). In other words, brands were mainly regarded as transaction facilitators, far away from the relationship marketing perspective. Brands were also considered as the producers property. It was implied that the producer is mostly responsible for the communication of the brand, brand related activities, and brand reputation over the long run (Veloutsou 2008). Today, brands are compound entities and their expression includes the perception of the product characteristics, personality and values. It is acknowledged that they could be perceived differently by various corporate stakeholders. Accordingly, terms brand identity (the intended perception brand developers would like the brand to have) and brand image/ brand reputation (how it is perceived by the target audiences) have been developed. Therefore, brands can be the relationship builders (Veloutsou 2008). Actually relationship marketing for fast moving consumer goods relies to a great extent on brands to help in the development of the consumer-firm relationship (Kapferer 2004a; Selame 1993). According to Selame (1993), the function and predominance of brands in the fast-moving consumer goods market is uncontested. Most marketing executives in such industries would not even think to question the importance of brands. As well as the fast-moving consumer goods market, the high-tech industry sees a use of branding (Kapferer 2004). As Zajas Crowley (1995) point out, until the end of the 20th century, the use of brands in marketing high-technology products was minimal. All too often, marketing executives who oversee computers and other high-technology products manage their product lines or marketing mix activities with little consideration for the development of long-term brand recognition. This brings a problem when greater emphasis is given to a products features than to the positioning of its brand-name (Zajas Crowley 1995; Kapferer 2004). Taiwans Notebook Personal Computer Industry As a result of the increasing transition of consumers from desktop PCs to notebook PCs, Taiwans Notebook PC market showed considerable growth in terms of shipment volume. In 2007, 90,165 thousand units were shipped with annual market growth rate reaching 42.1%. MIC (2008) projects that Taiwans notebook PC market will maintain double digit growth until 2011. There is manufacturing competitiveness of Taiwanese notebook personal computer industry during its developing stages of the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), original design manufacturers (ODMs), and original brand manufacturers (OBMs). A number of trends are affecting the cost of components and materials used to manufacture PCs. The rising cost of oil, Chinas newly enacted labour law (which has increased the cost of assembly labour), reduced tax incentives and the appreciation of the Renminbi (RMB) against the U.S. dollar are challenging the PC manufacturing ecosystems ability to maintain profit margins. Currently, profits run at about 5%. The top ODMs of notebook PCs have stated that they are unable to absorb the increased costs and plan to pass them on to clients (Tsai 2008). On 21 May 2008, Simon Lin, chairman of Wistron, told Taiwans Digitimes that Wistron would raise contract manufacturing prices. This follows similar statements in recent weeks from Compal and Quanta. Gartner (2008) has confirmed the disclosures with all three companies which controlled more than 69% of worldwide notebook PC production in 2007 (refer to Table 1-1). It is the first time these three have attempted, almost simultaneously, to raise prices, even at the risk of losing orders. However, the group carries some weight, which will likely strengthen their position in negotiations with vendors such as HP and Dell. Due to challenges to their competitive advantages, Taiwanese hi-tech enterprises have to consider whether to stay in the OEM field or develop their own brand marketing strategies. Some corporations choose to specialise in the OEM such as Hong Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd. (Foxconn) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC). On the other hand, several firms, including Acer, Asus, and BenQ, recognised the importance of their own brands and have switched their investments and endeavours towards high value-added activities such as research and development, product innovation, and brand building (Chen et al 2007). The goal of all these development strategies is to strengthen competitiveness under the increasing pressure of the changing world environment (Tsai Hung 2007). At most Taiwanese companies, profit margins on sales of branded computers are roughly five times higher than on sales of computers and parts to resellers like HP and Dell, said Jerry Shen, Asusteks chief executive officer (2008). Taiwanese contract manufacturers such as Micro-Star Internal, Clevo, and Asustek (Asus) have started to market their own notebook PC brands through leveraging their manufacturing strengths, a trend that has increased competition across the industry (Simons 2008). Based on the information mentioned above, worldwide brands such as HP and Dell are facing keen competition in the notebook PC market, especially in Taiwan. The IDC report, as summarised by Chinatimes (2007), showed that the notebook market share of local brands Asus and Acer accounted for 33 percent and 32 percent respectively, followed by HP with 12 percent and Lenovo with 7 percent in the 2007 third quarter. In 2008Q1 Asus and Acer, gained over 69% of Taiwans notebook PC market share, including new product line Ultra Low-Cost PC such as Asuss Eee PC products whereas HP and Lenovo remained in the 3rdand 4thplace (Apple news 2008) Overview of HP HP is a leading PC manufacturer, with an approximately 5.6% share in the global hardware market in 2006. It is a provider of personal computing and other access devices, imaging and printing related products and services, and enterprise information technology infrastructure, including enterprise storage. It operates its hardware business through three business units: Enterprise Storage and Servers (ESS), Personal Systems Group (PSG) and Imaging and Printing Group (IPG) and services individual consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including the public and education sectors (Hewlett-Packard 2008a). During the three-year period, 2005-2007, its revenues grewat a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10%, mainly due to increases in sales volume of personal systems in consumer and commercial markets. The PSG segment showed significant top line growth of 24.8% to $36,409m, and accounted for 43.5% of total hardware revenues in the fiscal year 2007. Increased sales volume of notebook PCs, particularly in emerging markets, contributed to higher revenue growth during the year (Business Insights 2008). HP remained the leader in the notebook PC market for the seventh consecutive quarter, maintaining an almost 2 million-unit lead over second placed Dell. In the seasonally slow first quarter of 2008, HP also managed to increase their market share Q/Q in five of six regions. Dell was less successful in Q108, increasing share Q/Q in only two regions. Like HP, third placed Acer posted Q/Q shared gains in five of six regions. HP was market leader in three of six regions, and in the fast-growing APAC market, closed to within a few thousand units of Acer. From a brand value perspective, The Interbrands (2007a) annual ranking of the Best Global Brands, in co-operation with BusinessWeek magazine ranked HP is number twelve of the worlds 100 top brands and number five of the technology brands (Table 1-3). HP has gained 9% in brand value since 2006, following a 10% slide from 2004 to 2005 (Kiley 2007). Kiley (2007) pointed out credit should go to CEO Mark Hurd, who told his subordinates that Hewlett-Packard Co. had to stop building and marketing the PC as if they were a commodity. Designing PCs that consumers actually want was the starting point. The marketing team then went about pitching HP PCs as a personal reflection of consumers desires and needs. Hence the slogan: The computer is personal again. was created (Appendix C). Last summer the company rolled out ads showing hip-hop mogul Shawn Jay-Z Carter mixing music and planning tours using an HP notebook PC (Interbrand 2007c) and using self-made ads by celebrities such as Serena Williams, Petra Nemcova and Jean-Michel Gondry even though HP did not pay these people for these ads (BusinessToday 2008). The objective of the campaign was to grow a more profitable worldwide business through the introduction, support, and marketing of innovative products, services, and solutions that will deliver the absolute best customer experience in personal technology. The campaign was targeted at users aged between 18 and 34 and small to medium-sized companies. Besides, HP delivered images related to innovation and technology leadership via both press and the Internet. The company first employed the innovative imprint technique for notebook PCs, which is a casing design created by advanced moulding techniques that integrate a hard-coat surface using a film transfer process. According to Hewlett-Packards (2008b) publicity, not only does the HP Imprint look fabulous, it is also more durable than traditional paint. HP intended to convey the message about personalisation, innovation and technology leadership to communicate with the public. Rising sales and market share show that customers seem to have had a favourable for reaction for HP notebook PCs. However it is difficult to know how consumers choose between the top four notebook PCs brands, namely Asus, Acer, HP and Lenovo. Consequently, this research aims to take a fresh look at consumer preferences, with a particular focus on HP because it is one of the most successful brands facing particular competition in Taiwan. Of particular interest is to understand how the HP brand image can help to promote it position in the market place, and what influence this has on consumers preferences. Research Purpose This research examines consumers perception and evaluation of the HP brand and makes a comparison with other three major brands in order to get a better understanding of brand strength and preference. There are three objectives in this research to help achieve the overall aim. Firstly, to understand key research issues by a literature review. The literature search will establish the main issues in this field to set the right direction for the study Secondly, to find out consumers brand preference among the four main players in Taiwans notebook PC market by carrying out questionnaire. Finally, to identify and evaluate consumer perceptions of HPs existing brand identity and communication methods. Research Question This study aims to provide significant data to support the selected topic. As DisplaySearch (2008) analysis indicates the increasing transition of consumers from desktop PCs to notebook PCs is having a direct impact on brands growth and market share, and as such the competition in the Taiwan notebook PC market is becoming increasingly intense. HP, one of the most successful and global notebook PC brands, currently operating in over 170 countries (Hewlett-Packard 2008a), needs to expand its market and succeed in Taiwans notebook PC market. Brands with established enterprise and retail presences have had the most success in growing market share in the past several quarters. HP promotes its brand with the slogan the computer is personal again, trying to emphasise personalised, advanced technology, together with an image of innovation image in order to gain worldwide market share. However, it seems these efforts are not working in Taiwan as effectively as in other regions. Therefore, HP struggling in the Taiwan market and facing increasingly strong international and local competitors in this market, does the brand identity which demonstrates personalisation, technology leadership and innovation really helps HP win the fierce competition in Taiwan market? And how HP can influence consumers attitude to improve HPs competitiveness in Taiwan? To this end some of the following questions will be part of the survey: What are most important factors when consumers choose notebook brands? How do consumers respond to HP brand identity? What do consumers think about HP brand communication methods? How do consumers position HP compare with three other brands? Dissertation Outline The dissertation is structured as follows. The introduction chapter is the overview of topic, industry status and research case objectives and goes in detail about the research work towards revealing consumer perceptions of brands. Chapter two is a literature review focusing on theories from concepts in branding discipline, consumer behaviour and marketing communication related to the notebook PC industry. Chapter three describes research methodology including research philosophy, research approach and strategy, the questionnaire design, and data collection. The fourth chapter consists of the research findings, where the empirical date is interpreted and discussed. The final part gives general conclusion as well as recommendations to HP, limitations of this study and directions for future research will also be presented. Literature Review Consumer Behaviour Consumer Behaviour Definition Arnould et al (2005) define consumer behaviour as the psychological and social processes that individuals or groups undergo in the acquisition, use and disposal of products (for example, notebook PCs), services (for example, professional software installation), ideas (for example, spiritual beliefs) or experiences (for example, travelling) and suggest that concept of the circle of consumption results in the marketing opportunities (see Figure 2-1). Understanding acquisition is very important to marketers and requires an understanding of the other phases where these links influence consumer beliefs, value and attitudes (Arnould et al 2005). Consumer behaviour is examined from market perspective that focuses on a particular brand and how to induce people to buy that brand whereas other academic researchers study consumer behaviour from behavioural and social sciences perspectives that emphasise an understanding and explanation of why, what and how people buy (Bagozzi et al 2002). Moreover, consumer behaviour is a division of human behaviour (Bagozzi 2002). Human behaviour refers to the process in which the individual interacts with his/her environment. This perspective tends to emphasise consumer behaviours and practices that help to organise our understanding of phenomena such as consumption rituals, myths and symbols as well as contribute a concern with the meaning and significance of consumption. Walters (1974) suggests that consumer behaviour concerns specific types of human actions that have a direct relation to the purchase of goods and services from organisations. The Use of High Technology It is necessary to know how people use high technology and what they intend to use it for by reflecting on the development of the high technology industry (Hamann et al 2007). Inventions such as the motor car provided products and were created to satisfy the real needs of people during the industrial age (Tomkins 2005). However, as life becomes busier and more stressful, people are forced to adapt the newest features offered by high technology continuously in all areas of their lives, even though they might not fully understood what it can do to help them (Kallaman Grillo 1996). This adaptation process is based on the evaluation of meaningful attributes that support a consumers beliefs, resulting shifts in a consumers frame of reference and evaluation criteria derived from the constantly changing environment, which makes it impossible to define a general pattern of purchasing behaviour (Hill 2003; Jiang 2004). Nowadays consumers expect convenience, quality and service in a product which is made available at anytime and at any place (Yelkur 2000; Winkler 1999; Silverhart 2004). Furthermore, people may adopt high-technology in order to remain in a particular social group or to join one they want to belong to (Kim et al 2001; Haughey 2004). Hamann et al (2007) define consumer electronics as electronic equipment intended for everyday use, which usually finds its application in entertainment, communications and office productivity technology such as mobile phones, digital cameras and notebook PCs. As the high-technology industry increased the speed of its development and started to increasingly focus on particular consumer segments and individual needs, people become more ready to accept technological innovations (McDaniel Gates 2002). For example, radio attracted 50 million listeners within 38 years of its invention and television required thirteen years to reach 50 million viewers, yet it only took the Internet four years to gain 50 million users (Temporal Lee 2001). The connection with brands and the problem of providing a unique selling point (USP) in current markets becomes a critical issue in this context, resulting in a shorter product life cycle (PLC), which has been reduced to a matter of weeks from what used to be years (Zajas Crowley 1995; Winkler 1999; Temporal Lee 2001). However, the most important change can be seen in the increasing adaptation of a mass-customisation strategy (Jiang 2004). The new toys produced by high-technology companies, such as the iPod and the Sony Playstation Portable (PSP), deliver apparently unique benefits to consumers, based on their image and preference match (Tomkins 2005; Klein 2000; Temporal Lee 2001). In order to build an effective branding strategy for current markets, it is therefore necessary to investigate consumers reasons behind buying high technology. The Consumer Decision Making Process Decision making is defined as a balanced combination of emotional and rational elements used to keep on looking for alternatives, to make a purchasing decision, or to get off the idea to buy entirely (Schiffman Kanuk 1994; Witt Meyer 2004; Hill 2003). Furthermore, the decision making process (refer to Figure 2-2) is a series of steps a consumer or an organisation may go through before choosing a brand or a product (Blackwell Engel 2005; Jobber Fahy 2003; Solomon M. et al 2002; Jobber 2007). This decision making process will be definitely influenced by consumer characteristics (Phillips Sternthal 1977; Wang et al 2008). Solomon et al (2002) suggest that consumer characteristics can be divided into two factors: demographic and life-style. In this research, some of the important elements of each factor appear in the questionnaire. Table 2-1 maps out the contents of each factor. A key determinant of the extent to which consumers evaluate a brand is their level of involvement which means the degree of perceived relevance and personal importance accompanying the brand choice (Blackwell Engel 2005). Jobber (2007) demonstrates that computer purchases are an example of high involvement decision making in Ajzen Fishbeins (1980) model (refer to Figure 2-3), which suggests that an attitude towards a brand is based on set of beliefs about the brand. High-involvement purchase models have proven more robust in predicting purchase behaviour than low-involvement purchases (Budd Spencer 1984; Farley et al 1981; Shimp Kavas 1984). Thus, investigating consumer attitude can be helpful in understanding consumers purchasing intensions. Effect of Consumer Attitude/Preference As we have stepped into the 21st century, the role of attitude has become increasingly important in influencing all aspects of consumer behaviour (Malhotra 2005). During the consumer decision process repeated, consumers have a kind of attitude to purchasing, such as beliefs, opinions, inclinations or biases, called consumer attitude that affects their decision making. More important these attitudes can be influenced and changed if the organisation adopts an effective communication strategy (Goldsmith et al 2000; Haugtvedt et al 1994; Brown Stayman 1992). Many studies identify the construct of attitude towards a brand as one of the most important determinants of consumers behavioural intentions (Fishbein Ajzen, 1975; Laroche et al 1996). Belk (1988) and Sirgy (1982) conclude the self-congruence theory explaining how consumers evaluate products to match their self-image. Ekinci Riley (2003), Graeff (1996) and Hong Zinkhan (1995) further suggest that a higher congruence between self-image and product image would positively prompt consumers attitudes or behaviour regarding brand attitude, brand preference, repurchasing intentions, product purchase decisions, and consumer satisfaction. Ahluwalia et als (2000) research shows that customers who have a positive attitude towards a brand (high commitment) would counter-argue negative information related to the brand and support the positive information. High commitment customers relate brand loyalty and advocacy with positive information about their favoured brand. Accordingly, low commitment customers give more weight to negative information than positive information because they perceive it to be more diagnostic. There are a number of factors which result in a consumers attitude to change including the nature of product change, strength of attitude towards the product, stored information about the product, product importance and communication. Based on these factors and research findings, discussion and recommendation will be introduced in the chapter five, mainly directed at possible changes in communication and perceptions in order to make the HP notebook brand more competitive in the Taiwanese market. Otherwise, the current research will provide some initial and exploratory insights into how notebook consumers perceive the different notebook brands in the Taiwanese notebook market. The survey questionnaire that examines consumer perceptions can be found in appendix B, and discussion on the main research findings are introduced in chapter four. Brand A brand is a distinguishing name or symbol (such as logo, trademark or package design) aimed to identify the goods or services of either one seller or a group of sellers, and to differentiate goods or services from those of competitors (Ghodeswar Luang 2008). Thus a brand signals to the consumer the source of the product and protects both the customer and the producer from competitors who would attempt to provide products or services that seem to be identical (Aaker 1991). Weilbacher (1995) argues that brands provide the main upon which consumers can identify and associate with a product or service or a group of products or services. From the consumers point of view, a brand can be defined as the total accumulation of all his/her experience. In other words, the brand is built up from all points of contact with the consumer (Kapferer 2004). A successful brand is an identifiable product, service, person or place, extended in such a way that the buyer or user perceives relevant, unique added values which match their needs most closely (Chernatony McDonald 1998). Branding in high-tech markets is also gaining increasing attention, since there is general consensus that branding becomes more important when high-tech products become accessible to mass consumers (Schoenfelder Harris 2004; Pettis 1995; Reddy 1997; Ward et al 1999). Successful brand building can not only strengthen a producers competitive position to withstand the increasing power of retailers (Park Srinivasan, 1994) but also bring advantages such as defending against competitors and building market share (Adams 1995). When the term brand equity is used in marketing functions it means brand description or brand strength, which is sometimes referred to as consumer brand equity to distinguish it from the accounting asset valuation meaning (Wood 2000). A better understanding of brand equity measurement is essential for an enriched operation of brand management (Pappu et al 2005). Pappu et al (2005) established a multi-dimensionality of consumer-based brand equity, consistent which is the conceptualisation of Aaker (1991). The overall results of the confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that consumer-based brand equity was a four-dimensional construct including brand awareness, brand associations, perceived quality and brand loyalty (Pappu et al 2005; Cobb-Walgren et al 1995; Zajas Crowley 1995). Washburn Planks (2002), Yoo Donthu (2001, 2002) and Yoo et al. (2000) developed a consumer based brand equity measure based on Aakers (1991) and Kellers (1993) conceptualisation but combined the dimensions of brand awareness and brand associations into one. Nevertheless, Wright et al (2007) discussed research issues concerning data collection, timing and measures of brand performance for the PC market and emphasised that it is important that the term brand equity is clearly defined and enjoys organisational consensus and perceived validity given the objectives and strategy for PC brands and the dynamics of the marketplace. There is no agreed measure of brand equity just as there are different measures of the various aspects of a brand. An important issue is how management finds it useful to define and use the term brand equity. Brand Awareness Brand awareness is regarded as an important notion in consumer behaviour, especially in terms of its implication to brand equity, which can be referred to as the value a brand name adds to a product. Keller (1993) declares that brand awareness is reflected upon consumers ability to recognise the brand under different circumstances. He suggests two basic approaches to measuring brand awareness. One is brand recall that relates to consumers ability to retrieve the brand when given the product category, the needs fulfilled by the category, or some other type of hint. Another is brand recognition that relates to consumers ability to confirm previous exposure to the brand when given the brand. Laurent et al (1995) also propose three classical measures of brand awareness in a given product category: (1) Spontaneous awareness: consumers are asked to name the brands they know without any cue, even if only by name, in the product category. The spontaneous awareness of brand X is the percentage of interviewees indicating they know the brand; (2) Top-of-mind awareness: using the same question, the top-of-mind awareness of brand X is the percentage of interviewees who name brand X first; (3) Aided awareness: brand names are showed to interviewees; the aided awareness of brand X is the percentage of interviewees who mention they know the brand. Laurent et al (1995) point out that for a leading brand, its aided awareness score may be extremely high, not allowing for detections of temporary changes; such changes may be more visible in a spontaneous awareness question. Conversely, if one is interested in a minor or start-up brand, one can be sure that its spontaneous score will be very low, maybe a few percent, not allowing for a very sensitive measure of evolution; its aided awareness will be more sensitive, and therefore more able to detect progresses in brand awareness. In this research, we are going to brand awareness for the four top laptop manufactures with both spontaneous and top-of-mind techniques to explore HP notebooks brand awareness in comparison with three other brands. Brand awareness plays an important role in understanding the consumer decision-making process. Many researchers assert that brand awareness has a significant effect on brand attitude and encourages consumers to consider products and services of that brand when purchasing (Brown Stayman 1992; K