MOLECULAR MASS BY FREEZING POINT DEPRESSION
SHOW YOUR WORK PLEASE!
Procedures:
Experiment 1: Measure the Freezing Point of Pure Water
Take a clean test tube from the Containers shelf and place it on the workbench.
Take a balance from the Instruments shelf and place it on the workbench.
Place the test tube on the balance. Zero the balance.
Take water from the Materials shelf and add 10 mL to the test
tube.
NOTE: In a classroom laboratory, you would remove the container
from the balance before you add any chemicals or solutions. Filling
the container separately prevents any spills, sprays, or splashes
that might affect your measurements when they land on the balance.
Luckily virtual labs are spill-, spray-, and splash-free, so you
can skip that step to save time.
Record the mass of the water in your Lab Notes.
Take a thermometer from the Instruments shelf and attach it to the test tube.
Take a constant temperature bath and place it on the workbench. Run the bath at -15 °C.
Move the test tube into the constant temperature bath. Make sure the test tube is submerged in water.
Watch the temperature of the water in the test tube decrease. The water should begin to freeze. You will see some solid ice form in the test tube. You may want to use the + or – zoom buttons in the lower right of the screen for a closer view.
Record the first temperature when ice just begins to appear as the freezing point of the solvent in your Lab Notes.
Clear your station by dragging the test tube and thermometer to the recycling bin beneath the workbench.
Experiment 2: Measure the Freezing Point of a Solution of an Unknown Substance
Take a clean test tube from the Containers shelf and place it onto the workbench.
Move the test tube onto the balance. Zero the balance.
Take a thermometer from the Instruments shelf and attach it to the test tube.
Take FP sample 1 from the Materials shelf and add 2 g to the test tube. Record the mass of sample added in your Lab Notes.
Take water and add 10 mL to the test tube. Record the total mass of water and sample in your Lab Notes.
Move the test tube into the constant temperature bath. Make sure it is still set to -15 °C.
Record the freezing point of the solution as the first temperature when ice just begins to appear in your Lab Notes.
Clear your station by dragging the test tube to the recycling bin.
Repeat steps 1 – 7 but using unknown FP Sample 2.
Clear your station by dragging any containers and instruments to the recycling bin. Remember to press Save Notes.
NOTES:
Experiment 1
1. Mass of water was 10 g
2. 16, 11.3, 7.3, 3.9, 1.0, 0.0 degrees celsius is where it froze
Experiment 2
1. 2 g of sample fp 1 added
2. 12 g after water added to sample
3. -2.2 degrees when ice first appeared.
4. 2 g of sample fp 2 added
5. 12 g after water added to sample
6. -3.6 degrees when ice first appeared.
QUESTIONS
1. Experiment 1: Measure the Freezing Point of Pure
Water
How many mL of water did you add to the test tube?
A. 10
B. 35 mL
C. 20 mL
d. 50 mL
2. Experiment 1: Measure the Freezing Point of Pure Water
At what temperature did the water in the test tube begin to turn into ice?
a. -2.0 degrees celsius
b. -15.0 degrees C
c. 10.0 degrees C
d. 0.0 degrees C
3. Experiment 1: Measure the Freezing Point of Pure Water
What does the freezing point measured for water tell you about the water's purity?
a. the water is not pure because the freezing point is lower than expected
b. the water is not pure because the freezing point is higher than expected
c. the water is not pure but the thermostat is not very accurate
d. the water is pure because the freezing point is exactly as expected
4. Experiment 2: Measure the Freezing Point of a Solution of an Unknown Substance
How many grams of FP sample #1 did you add to the test tube?
a. 12 g
b. 10 g
c. 8 g
d. 2 g
5. Experiment 2: Measure the Freezing Point of a Solution of an Unknown Substance
At what temperature did the water with FP sample #1 begin to freeze? Choose the closest answer.
a. 10 C
b. -2.1 C
c. 0.0 C
d. -5.0 C
6. Experiment 2: Measure the Freezing Point of a Solution of an Unknown Substance
What is the molality of FP sample #1? Choose the closest answer.
a. 0.56 mol/kg
b. 5.34 mol/kg
c. 1.13 mol/kg
d. 0.972 mol/kg
7. Experiment 2: Measure the Freezing Point of a
Solution of an Unknown Substance
What is the molality of FP sample #2? Choose the closest
answer.
a. 0.967 mol/kg
b. 9.67 mol/kg
c. 2.78 mol/kg
d. 1.94 mol/kg
8. What was the purpose of measuring the freezing point of water?
to assess the volume of water necessary to form ice which would be used for the solution of unknowns
b. to verify the accuracy of the apparatus and to determine the freezing point of the pure solvent
c. to determine the heat of the fusion of water which would be used in calculating the molar masses of the unknowns
d. to calculate the density of water versus ice
9. Suppose that the test tube you used for the experiment was not fully dry and there were some water droplets in the test tube. What effect would this have on the calculated molar mass of the unknown?
a. the calculated molar mass would be unaffected by the additional water
b. the calculated molar mass does not depend on the amount of solvent
c. the calculated molar mass would be much smaller than the true molar mass
d. the calculated molar mass would be larger than the true molar mass.
10. Suppose you added 4.000 g of FP sample #1 instead of 2.000 g, what would happen to the freezing point temperature of the water?
a. there is not enough info to calculate the freezing point depression
b. the freezing point would be depressed twice as much
c. the freezing point would be depressed half as much
d. the freezing poing would be increased twice as much
11. What is meant by "freezing point depression"?
a. when a solute and solvent are mixed together, the specific heat of the solution is depressed.
b. when a solute is added to a solvent, the freezing point of the solvent is lowered
c. when a solute is added to a solvent, the freezing point of the solvent is increased
d. the solubility of a solute changes as the solvent is frozen.
12. What is the first experimental step in calculating the molar mass by using the freezing point depression method?
a. you must first determine the molar mass of the solute by looking up the elements in the periodic table
b. you must first measure the heat of fusion of the solvent
c. you must first calculate the number of moles in a kilogram of solvent to determine its molality
d. you must first measure the freezing point of the pure solvent and then measure the freezing point of the solution
13. What is the molality of a solution?
a. the numver of moles of solute in a liter of solvent
b. the number of moles of solvent in a kilogram of solute
c. the number of grams of solute in a liter of solvent
d. the number of moles of solute in a kilogram of solvent
14.
Suppose you performed a similar experiment using benzene as your solvent. Given the data in the table below, what would be the temperature at which the benzene solution would begin to freeze? Choose the closest answer.
Kf of benzne 5.12 C/m
freezing point of pure benzene 5.48 C
molality of solution 0.724 mol/kg
i 1
a. 1.77 C
b. 3.71 C
c. 5.48 C
d. 9.19 C
15.
Which of the compounds in the table below is most likely to be your unknown FP sample 1?
Name of compound: Molar mass (g/mol)
Calcium sulfate 136.14
glucose 180.16
potassium hydrogen phthalate 204.22
sodium oxalate 134.00
a. glucose
b. calcium sulfate
c. sodium oxalate
d. potassium hydrogen phthalate
16. Suppose you dissolve 154.286 g of sodium chloride in 2.00 L of water. What is the molality of the solution given that the molar mass of sodium chloride is 58.44 g/mol and the density of water is 1.000 g/mL?
a. 2.64 mol/kg
b. 1.32 mol/kg
c. 771.1 mol/kg
d. 5.84 mol/kg
In: Chemistry
How E-bay failed in China? Sep 12, 2010 By Helen H.Wang and China Tracker This weekend, eBay’s CEO John Donahoe shared the stage with Alibaba’s maverick founder Jack Ma at his annual Alifest conference in Hangzhou, China. Gady Epstein, Forbes Beijing bureau chief, has an intriguing blog post about how Donahoe wished a happy birthday to Jack Ma who not only defeated eBay in China, but also “encroaches on eBay’s home turf.” Since Epstein referenced my recounting of the eBay-Alibaba battle, I thought it might serve readers well to provide an excerpt here from my book The Chinese Dream: In 2004, eBay had just entered China and was planning to dominate the China market. Alibaba was a local Chinese company that helped small- and medium-sized enterprises conducting business online. Most people in the West had barely heard about it. When eBay entered the China market, Jack Ma, founder and CEO of Alibaba, was alarmed that “someday, eBay would come in our direction.” He knew too well that there was no clear distinction between small businesses and individual consumers in China. As a defensive strategy, Ma decided to launch a competing consumer-to-consumer (C2C) auction site, not to make money, but to fend off eBay from taking away Alibaba’s customers. A new Web site named Taobao—meaning “digging for treasure”—was launched free of charge for individuals buying and selling virtually any consumer goods, from cosmetics to electronic parts. In 2004, I visited Alibaba at its headquarters in Hangzhou. It is located on a campus of three ten-story buildings in the northeastern part of Hangzhou, about a ten-minute taxi drive from West Lake. In the lobby, a flat panel TV was streaming video clips of Jack Ma speaking at various public events where his admirers, most of them in their twenties, were cheering him like a rock star. While visiting Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou, I felt the same “insanely great” energy of entrepreneurship as I felt in Silicon Valley. When I asked a senior manager at Alibaba whether the company was worried that it would be bought by eBay, I was blown away by the answer: “We will buy eBay!” EBay, on the other hand, began its most aggressive campaigns to dominate the market and thwart competitors. Soon after Taobao was launched, eBay signed exclusive advertising rights with major portals Sina, Sohu, and Netease with the intention of blocking advertisements from Taobao. In addition, eBay injected another $100 million to build its China operation, now renamed “eBay EachNet,” and was spreading its ads on buses, subway platforms, and everywhere else. Ma fought back cleverly. Knowing that most small business people would rather watch TV than log on to the Internet, Ma secured advertisements for Taobao on major TV channels. In 2004, one could easily feel the heat of fierce competition between eBay EachNet and Taobao. When I was taking a taxi in Shanghai, I noticed the ads of eBay EachNet on the back of the driver’s seat; when I checked into my hotel, I heard the ads for Taobao popping up on TV almost every half hour. Since its name means “digging for treasure” in Chinese, it attracted a lot of attention by a smart play on words. While most people in the West had never heard of Taobao, its name was heard loud and strong in China. Nevertheless, most industry observers were suspicious about Taobao’s future, particularly its sustainability. Unlike eBay EachNet, which charged its sellers for listing and transaction fees, Taobao was free to use. Neither Ma nor any members from the management team gave a definite timeline as to how long this “free period” was going to last. “Free is not a business model,” the doubters said. Some thought Ma was crazy and nicknamed him “Crazy Ma.” No doubt Crazy Ma was changing the game. Taobao got a quick start with its free listings and continued to gain momentum as more and more users switched from eBay EachNet to Taobao. According to a Morgan Stanley report, Taobao was more customer focused and user friendly than eBay EachNet. With most users not sophisticated about auctions, the majority of Taobao’s listings were for sales. Only 10 percent of its listings were for auctions, while eBay EachNet had about 40 percent of its listings for auctions. Taobao had also better terms for its customers: it offered longer listing periods (fourteen days) and let customers extend for one more period automatically. EBay EachNet did not have this flexibility. Taobao’s listings appeared to be more customer-centric while eBay EachNet’s listings more product-centric. For example, Taobao’s listings were organized into several categories, such as “Men,” “Women,” and so on, while eBay EachNet stuck to its global platform, grouping users into “Buyers” and “Sellers.” At that time, China had about three hundred million cell phone users versus ninety million Internet users. Taobao offered instant messaging and voice mail to mobile phones for buyers and sellers because Chinese users were cell-phone savvy rather than computer savvy. It was clear that Taobao had an upper hand against its global counterpart because it really understood Chinese customers. As a result, Taobao had higher customer satisfaction than eBay EachNet. According to iResearch, a Beijing-based research firm, the user satisfaction level was 77 percent for Taobao versus 62 percent for eBay EachNet. The experience of competing with eBay gave Ma tremendous confidence. He was determined to win: “eBay may be a shark in the ocean, but I am a crocodile in the Yangtze River. If we fight in the ocean, we lose—but if we fight in the river, we win.” By March 2006, Taobao had outpaced eBay EachNet and became the leader in China’s consumer-to-consumer (C2C) market, with 67 percent market share in terms of users, while eBay EachNet had only 29 percent market share. “The competition is over,” Ma exclaimed. “It’s time to claim the battlefield.” On December 20, 2006, Meg Whitman, eBay's then CEO, flew to Shanghai to take part in a press conference to announce a new joint venture with Beijing-based Internet portal Tom Online, which provides wireless value-added multimedia services. It was, in reality, a formal announcement of eBay’s withdrawal from the online auction market in China. EBay shut down its China site, eBay EachNet, and took a back seat to a company with only $173 million in revenue and no experience in the online auction business. Jack Ma represents a new generation of savvy Chinese competitors who should not be underestimated. They study their markets and bring to bear their local knowledge. They learn from their competition and from their own mistakes as they move up the competitive landscape. The case of Alibaba provides an invaluable lesson for multinationals to succeed in China market: First, eBay failed to recognize that the Chinese market and the business environment are very different from that of the West. EBay sent a German manager to lead the China operation and brought in a chief technology officer from the United States. Neither one spoke Chinese or understood the local market. It was eBay’s biggest mistake. Second, because the top management team didn’t understand the local market, they spent a lot of money doing the wrong things, such as advertising on the Internet in a country where small businesses didn’t use the Internet. The fact that eBay had a strong brand in the United States didn’t mean it would be a strong brand in China. Third, rather than adapt products and services to local customers, eBay stuck to its “global platform,” which again did not fit local customers’ tastes and preferences.
Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/china/2010/09/12/how-ebay-failed-in-china/#b53cbc35d57a
Question 1:
a) To enter the Chinese market, Ebay spent a lot on advertising yet it failed. What was the problem with their advertising strategy?
b) At its start, what strategy helped Taobao gain more customers than ebay?
c) Certainly, entering a foreign market with a large capital is important, but does it guarantee success?
d) Many other foreign companies failed in China although they were successful in their home countries. Amazon’s failure in China is a very recent example. What are the reasons behind their failure?
e) What are your recommendations for businesses wanting to enter the Chinese market?
In: Finance
PPlease answer each of the following multiple choice questions and support each answer with a paragraph explaining why your answer is correct.
1. Guests of innkeeper Dave would be surprised to learn that inside the headboards of the beds are embedded recording devices. Dave, who has owned the inn for ten years, enjoys sitting at a console in the front office, tuning in to the private conversations of guests in the rooms. Once his devices picked up the words of a married man named Pete. Dave heard Pete confess to his wife, in response to her questioning, that he, Pete, had been molested by a priest when he was young. Dave repeated this gossip to mutual acquaintances, causing injury to Pete.
Can Dave be liable to Pete?
No, because the information that Dave repeated was truthful.
No, because the inn belongs to Dave and Dave has a privilege to enter the rooms of his property.
Yes, because a reasonable person would find the disclosure of molestation repugnant.
Yes, because Pete had a reasonable expectation of privacy in his room in the inn.
2. The model Mona, standing nearly six feet tall, weighs 150 pounds. Although she appears slender, she has earned significant praise in the media for being "sensible" and "reasonable" in her size, in contrast to other models deemed "too thin.” Journalist Dan uncovered a bit of dirt about the "sensible" Mona: ten years ago, as a teenager, Mona had weighed 105 pounds and was hospitalized for eating disorders. Mona has learned that six months ago Dan repeated this truthful story about her to a circle of journalists. No media announcements have emerged. Mona has asked you to advise her about a possible action against Dan alleging invasion of privacy.
You should advise her that she is:
likely to prevail, because the matter is not of legitimate public concern.
likely to prevail, because this disclosure is highly offensive to a reasonable person.
unlikely to prevail, because she is a public figure.
unlikely to prevail, because there has been no publication to the public at large.
3. The town of Laguna remembers the case of Deviant George, an old man who lived alone at the edge of town. A teenage girl arrived at the police station and claimed she had escaped from George's house, where she had been kept in a basement dungeon. She showed the police the house. When they entered, they found six other girls in the basement. George had kidnapped and sexually abused them. On the testimony of the girls, whose names were kept from the public, George was convicted and sent to prison, where he died. The town still talks about the trial. Last week the local newspaper ran a story about television actress Doris Daid, age 26. According to the news story, Daid had been one of George's victims. The story is true. The newspaper learned the information from civil court records; two years ago Daid filed a quiet, low-profile civil suit against the estate of George, and received a settlement from his limited assets. Daid is embarrassed and distressed by the newspaper story.
Which of the following statements best describes Daid's possible claim against the newspaper?
Daid has a strong claim for invasion of privacy, but a weak one for intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Daid has a weak claim for invasion of privacy because the information that the newspaper revealed was a matter of public record.
Daid has a strong claim for invasion of privacy because the news disclosed is not a matter of public significance.
Daid has a weak claim for invasion of privacy, but a strong one for intentional infliction of emotional distress.
4. Donna runs a "business intelligence" consulting business. Her work consists of attempting to learn her clients' competitors' trade secrets and other informational assets kept from the public. In May, posing as a charities solicitor, Donna gained entry to the factory floor of Toys Inc., a manufacturer of children's toys, and surreptitiously took pictures of the top-secret Christmas line. Donna sold the information to Giant, Inc. which used this information for competitive advantage against Toys, Inc.
In an action by Toys, Inc. against Donna for invasion of privacy, Toys Inc. should:
prevail, because Donna engaged in fraud.
prevail, because Donna's entry to the factory floor was not privileged.
not prevail, because a corporation cannot bring an action for invasion of privacy.
not prevail even assuming Donna has fulfilled the elements of invasion of privacy, because Toys cannot prove that Donna's actions caused its losses.
5. Stephanie is a famous actress. Which of these behaviors would give Stephanie her strongest claim for "appropriation of the plaintiff's name or likeness"? Assume that Stephanie has not consented to any of them.
A struggling entrepreneur uses the name and photo of Stephanie on the packaging of his new line of squash rackets.
A start-up entertainment magazine prints a photograph of Stephanie storming away from her boyfriend in a restaurant, and captions it "Stephanie Flying Low!"
A starving novelist names one of his characters Stephanie. The character, a waitress with ambitions to sell a screenplay she has written, is manipulative and dishonest.
6. A disgruntled ex-lover of Stephanie's gives a long interview to T.V. Times, a television show, describing their defunct relationship in painful detail. He is not paid by T.V. Times, but he uses his appearance on the show to promote his self-recorded music.
Senator Box thought nobody was nearby while she and three friends, guests in her condominium, smoked marijuana using her elaborate water-cooled pipe. As luck would have it, however, the building's smoke alarm went off and the building was evacuated. A television news crew came to the scene, and Box's friend Ted was videotaped clutching the pipe. Ted told all who would listen whose pipe it was and what it was used for. Box suffered damages related to professional disgrace.
Her lawsuit against the television station for invasion of privacy should fail because:
there was no intrusion.
she experienced no injury.
the television station is not the proper defendant.
the gathering and dissemination were not unreasonable.
7. Tina is a famous golfer. Bois, a manufacture of golf carts, used Tina’s photograph in an advertisement for their golf carts. Although Tina does own a golf cart manufactured by Bois, she did not consent to the use of her picture. Tina brings an action against Bois for invasion of privacy. Tina will
prevail under the theory of false light
prevail under the theory of appropriation of name or likeness
prevail under the theory of public disclosure of private facts.
not prevail since she owns a golf cart by Bois.
8. The Connection is a local newspaper in a small town which publishes local information about births, graduations, marriages and deaths. The Connection published, in a recent issue, “Mary Higgins just gave birth to twin girls.” In fact Mary is not married and has not given birth. Mary has suffered ridicule and embarrassment because of the news reported by the Connection. If Mary brings a cause of action against the Connection she will
prevail as the statement was slander.
prevail as the statement was libel.
prevail under libel re quod.
not prevail if the Connection retracted the story.
9. Newman is a host of a national talk show. Newman is very controversial and specializes in exposing celebrities and politicians. Newman decided to exploit his notoriety by marking a series of CD’s entitled “The Lifestyle of the rich and famous.” The CD's were comprised of old interviews that he had given and an overview of his opinion of the person he interviewed. Newman, although he recorded every interview that he had ever done, never listened to the recordings. On the CD there was a statement made by Newman after he interviewed the vice president’s wife Allie Gorbie. He stated Allie Gorbie was a lesbian, and loved to be the man in her relationships. In fact the story was a complete fabrication. Newman made the statement after the interview because he was angry since he was not happy with the interview. Over 10, 000 CD’s have been sold. If Allie brings a cause of action she will:
not prevail since Newman did not know of the statement.
not prevail since the statement was an opinion.
prevail since she is a public figure.
prevail since the statement was published.
10. Lee, who had been a party in a bench trial before Judge Bright, was dissatisfied with the outcome of the case. After the trial was concluded, Lee held a press conference and told Reporter Judge Bright is a very unfair judge.” Judge Bright reads the article in the newspaper the next day. If Judge Bright brings an action he will
prevail under the theory of defamation.
prevail since the statement was published.
not prevail since the paper published the statement.
not prevail since the statement was an opinion
In: Operations Management
A Wilkinson case study
Introduction
Businesses must respond to change in order to remain competitive. Developing appropriate strategies which allow them to move forward is essential. Wilkinson is a prime example of a business that has responded to changing customer needs throughout its history. It is one of the UK”s long-established retailers of a wide range of food, home, garden, office, health and beauty products.
Growing the business
James Kemsey (JK) Wilkinson opened his first Wilkinson Store in Charnwood Street, Leicester in 1930. After the Second World War, the 1950s saw a rise in the use of labor-saving devices and DIY. Wilkinson responded by making this type of product the focus of its sales.
In the 1960s customers wanted more convenience shopping. Wilkinson started selling groceries and supermarket goods and created the Wilko brand. In the 1980s Wilkinson extended its range of low-cost products to include quality clothing, toys, toiletries and perfumes.
In 1995 it opened a central distribution center in Workshop, serving stores in the north of England and in 2004, a new distribution center opened in Wales. In 2005 Wilkinson launched its Internet shopping service, offering over 800,000 product lines for sale online.
Wilkinson currently has over 300 stores, which carry an average of 25,000 product lines. 40% of these are Wilko 'own-brand' products. The company's target is to see this element grow and to have over 500 stores by 2012.
Competition
Wilkinson's growth places it in the top 30 retailers in the UK. Recently it has faced increasing challenges from competitors, such as the supermarket sector. Wilkinson needed to combat this and identify new areas for growth.
Over two years it conducted extensive market research. This has helped it create a marketing strategy designed to continue growing by targeting a new market segment -the student population.
This case study focuses on how Wilkinson created and implemented this strategy, using the findings of its market research to drive the strategy forward
Marketing strategy
To grow, a business needs to give consumers what they want, at a price they are satisfied with, when they want it and make a profit for the company. Wilkinson commissioned market research which identified key potential for growth in the student sector. It had to develop a strategy for growth that not only covered the specific requirements of this target group, but also linked closely with the company's overall aims and objectives.
The key elements that need to be in place for business planning are:
aims -describe the overall goals of a business
objectives -are steps which managers decide need to be taken in order to achieve the overall aims
strategy -is a plan which outlines all the medium and long-term steps that need to be taken in order to achieve a given target
tactics -are what the business does in the short-term -these respond to opportunities and threats identified when preparing the original strategy
Strategies may be to combat competition, to improve the position of the company in the market or to grow the business.
The type of strategy required will depend upon several factors but the main influences include:
number and power of competitors
company strengths
size of business
financial position
government influences
Marketing strategy aims to communicate to customers the added-value of products and services. This considers the right mix of design, function, image or service to improve customer awareness of the business' products and ultimately to encourage them to buy.
An important tool for helping develop an appropriate marketing strategy is Ansoff's Matrix. This model looks at the options for developing a marketing strategy and helps to assess the levels of risk involved with each option.
Marketing strategies may focus on the development of products or markets. Doing more of what a business already does carries least risk; developing a completely new product for a new audience carries the highest risk both in terms of time and costs.
Based on its research, Wilkinson committed to a market development strategy to sell its products to a new audience of students. This is a medium risk strategy as it requires the business to find and develop new customers. It also carries costs of the marketing campaigns to reach this new group.
The main focus of the strategy was to increase awareness of the brand among students and encourage them to shop regularly at Wilkinson stores.
Market research
Market research is vital for collecting data on which to base the strategy. Market research takes one of two main forms primary research and secondary research.
Primary research (also called field research) involves collecting data first hand. This can take many forms, the main ones being interview, questionnaires, panels and observation
.Secondary research (also called desk research) involves collecting data which already exists. This includes using information from reports, publications, Internet research and company files.
Advantages and disadvantages
Both methods have advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of primary research are that it is recent, relevant and designed specifically for the company's intended strategy. The main disadvantage is that it is more expensive than secondary research and can be biased if not planned well.
Secondary research is relatively cheap, can be undertaken quickly and so enables decision-making sooner. However, secondary research can go out of date and may not be entirely relevant to the business' needs.
Wilkinson undertook primary market research using questionnaires from students across the UK and secondary research using government and university admissions data. The statistics revealed that there were three million potential student customers.They had a combined annual spend of around £9 billion per year.
This research confirmed that the choice of focusing on the student market as a means of growth was valid.
Wilkinson undertook further research to identify how to reach students and persuade them to start shopping at Wilkinson stores. This information was used to formulate a focus strategy. This was aimed specifically at the needs of the student market segment.
Marketing to students
Wilkinson involved 60 universities in research, using questionnaires distributed to students initially in Years 2 and 3 of a range of universities and then to 'freshers' (new students) through the University and Colleges Admission Service. This ensured the widest range of students was included to eliminate bias. It also gave a wide range of responses.
From this initial group, students were asked a second set of questions. Participants were rewarded with Amazon vouchers to encourage a good take-up. The research focused on two areas:
1.student awareness of the Wilkinson brand
2.reasons why students were currently not using the stores regularly
The market research enabled Wilkinson to put together its marketing strategy. The aim was to ensure the student population began shopping at Wilkinson stores early in their student experience. This would help to maintain their customer loyalty to Wilkinson throughout their student years and also to develop them as future customers after university. Repeat business is key to sustained growth.
Promotional tactics
Wilkinson wanted to create satisfied customers with their needs met by the Wilkinson range of products. A marketing campaign was launched which focused on a range of promotional tactics, specifically designed to appeal to university students:
Wilkinson attending freshers' fairs and giving free goody bags with sample products directly to students
direct mail flyers to homes and student halls, prior to students arriving
advertisements with fun theme, for example, showing frying pans as tennis racquets
web banners
offering discounts of 15% with first purchase using the online store
gift vouchers
free wallplanners.
The challenge was to get students into Wilkinson stores. The opportunity was to capture a new customer group at an early stage and provide essential items all year round. This would lead to a committed customer group and secure repeat business.
Outcomes/evaluation
Wilkinson wanted to know what would inspire students to shop at Wilkinson more and what factors would help to attract non-customers. The research provided significant primary information to analyse the effects of the campaign.
Evaluation
Wilkinson used questionnaires collected from the first year undergraduates to gather qualitative data. In addition, Wilkinson obtained quantitative data from various other sources, including:
redemption rates how many people used the discount vouchers when buying
sales analysis how much extra business did the stores handle
footfall in stores analysis how many extra people went into stores
This information helped Wilkinson to develop its plans for future marketing campaigns.
It identified motivation factors for the student audience which would help to encourage future purchase. Key factors included products being cheaper than competitors and easy access to stores. The layout of the store was another major problem affecting repeat visits. 23% of students questioned gave 'distance from university' as a reason for not regularly visiting the store.
These findings have been taken on board by Wilkinson in its future planning of store locations and layouts.
Outcomes
Researching students' opinions after the campaign showed that:
Awareness of Wilkinson brand had significantly risen from 77% to 95% of those interviewed. This brought it in line with Morrison supermarkets, a key competitor.
17% of students who received a goody bag at freshers” fairs used the 15% discount voucher. A further 58% intended to use the voucher. The campaign had either got students to enter the Wilkinson stores or increase their intention to visit the store.
Of particular importance to Wilkinson was that the campaign had made the company more appealing to 67% of students interviewed. This fulfilled one of the main objectives of the campaign and was reinforced by figures from existing students. Prior to the campaign 13% shopped at Wilkinson at least once a month. After the campaign this had risen to 33%.
The results of interviews with fresher students two months after the campaign shows which of the various marketing tactics Wilkinson used with the students had the greatest impact on their awareness.
Conclusion
Wilkinson marketing strategy began with its corporate aim to grow and increase stores across the UK. It was facing increased competition from supermarkets and needed to identify an area to focus on. To pursue a growth strategy, Wilkinson used market research to identify new target customers. This enabled it to prepare marketing strategies to fit the audience.
Primary and secondary research was used to find out customer views regarding its brand.Data indicated the student market segment was a significant area to focus on to achieve market development.
A marketing campaign using data from a follow-up survey was put in place.The campaign showed significant increase in students' levels of awareness about Wilkinson and its products.
It encouraged them either to shop more or to try Wilkinson for the first time. The campaign helped to achieve many of the business' aims, creating increased brand awareness and repeat visits. It also helped to inform the company's future strategies for growth.
Market research gathered will help to formulate future plans for new stores. These will be in line with Wilkinson commitment to providing communities with affordable products across the country.
In: Economics
Case Study
Owen Mills Limited
We have all that you want!
Owen Mills Limited began its operations on Trumpet Land, a beautiful island in the Caribbean with a very diverse population in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, education, and origin. In 1970, at the age of twenty-eight (28), Owen Mills a progressive thinking young man decided to start his own business. His father had worked as a Manager at a large department store in the city of Trumpet Land for as long as Owen can remember, and his father would share his daily experiences. The idea of operating his own business was always at the forefront of Owen’s mind. After gaining four (4) Advanced Level subjects (Mathematics, Geography, English Literature and Spanish), Owen got a job at a large Credit Union where he moved up the ranks from a Customer Service Clerk to Supervisory level within four (4) years and then onto being a Credit Officer.
During his time at the Credit Union, Owen attended a number of short management courses. This built his confidence that someday soon he will achieve his dream of being a big business man. At age twenty-eight (28) Owen thought that he had saved sufficient money along with his wife who worked at another Credit Union, so that they could purchase a small one-story building in the heart of the city. The building was at the corner of French Street and John Street, the main street in the city. The building was refurbished and painted in bright red, and blue to suit the liking of Mr. Mills. He thought to himself “No one could miss this building” and he also thought of a tag line. Business started in February 1970. From the inception of the business to date, the tagline emblazoned at the front of the store “We have all that you want!’ has remained.
The Early Years
Owen Mills Limited operated as a sole proprietorship for many years selling almost every item that a household could want, staying true to his tagline. The business began with five (5) employees: his wife serving as the cashier, two store clerks, one driver and a cleaner. The store was well sectioned with a variety of items as shown in Table #1 below.
Table #1 – Variety of Items sold by Owen Mills Limited
|
Cosmetics and related products for men and women. |
School items – copy books, pencils, pens rulers, etc. |
Basic food/grocery items – rice, flour, sugar, peas, salt, seasonings and other condiments |
|
Personal hygiene products |
Plumbing and electrical material |
A variety of snacks and soft drinks |
|
Perfumes/fragrances |
Small appliances |
Kitchen ware and Glassware |
|
Clothing and footwear for babies, and boys and girls |
Household items – batteries, glue, tacks, etc. |
A variety of gift items |
|
Ladies and gents’ underwear and other everyday garments |
Household cleaning products |
Gardening tools/implements and hardware items |
|
Gym shoes and slippers for ladies and gents |
Sewing items |
A variety of handy man tools |
Orders would be placed with wholesalers who would deliver the products on scheduled days. Mr. Mills was very organized. During the first two (2) years of operating in the city of Trumpet Land, Mr. Mills observed that his customers comprised of citizens from all over the island. He got an idea, “I could go to the outer area of the city with my products.” He started in October 1971 to pack his Toyota panel van and leave with his driver on Saturdays and Sundays to the areas bordering the city. Mr. Mills was successful with this venture and discovered that there were retirees and housewives who were at home during the week, and he began to go into those area at least two (2) days per week in addition to Saturdays and Sundays.
Clearly, Mr. Mills was an astute businessman who was always thinking of the next move to grow the business. He and his wife joined the Chamber of Commerce, read widely about what was happening locally, regionally and internationally, and made every effort to attend conferences and seminars which they thought would be beneficial. He was always thinking about growth and expansion. Owen Mills Limited became a known business even to those persons who had never patronized the store. In the midst of it all, Mr. Mills understood his corporate social responsibility and as such was respected highly by other businessmen and members of the community and country. A proud moment for Mr. Mills, his family and employees occurred when he was awarded Business Man of the Year Award in 1999.
On a Growth Path
The years flew by very quickly and by 1995, Mr. Mills had added two (2) more floors to the original building that he bought. He now had four (4) grown children (two (2) boys and two (2) girls) all in their twenties and who all showed an interest in the business. Similar to their father, they had done very well at the secondary school level and had aspirations of gaining a tertiary level education as well as being a part of the business. They pondered their options of going to school full-time or enrolling in an online programme, so that they could better manage their time and fulfill their career objectives. The oldest son began to pursue the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Programme. He thought that he can become the Accountant for Owen Mills Limited or open an accounting firm in the next few years.
By the year 2000, Mr. Owen Mills had spread his wings to the eastern, southern and western part of Trumpet Land. He was able to purchase within a five-year period, three (3) large two-story buildings in each of the areas. The buildings were painted in the same colors as the first one in the city in the north and carried the well-known tagline - We have all that you want! The business incurred a manageable mortgage loan, but that will be repaid in less than ten (10) years.
Mr. Mills began to think about succession for his business and the future of his children who had been supporting him throughout the years. He held a family meeting and it was decided that with the imminent opening of three (3) other Branches, that each child would manage a branch and he will now be considered as the Chairman.
In the midst of the initiatives being undertaken, Mr. Mills was very cognizant that the world of business was wrought with dynamism and uncertainty and he and his family needed to understand about strategic moves that could be undertaken. He had been reading and trying to keep up to date with what was happening in the world of business. He and his family did not have a full grasp of the theoretical underpinnings to maneuver quickly out of any new challenges, and he understood very well that challenges can surface with expansion. By 2018, the total staff had grown to eighty (80) persons which included cashiers, information technology personnel, supervisors, customer service staff, cleaners, drivers and his four (4) children as managers,
Looking to the Future
Undoubtedly, Owen Mills Limited has been a successful enterprise. However, Mr. Mills and his eldest son, who had gained his ACCA qualification began to look at the financials very closely. They recognized that while the company had repaid the mortgage loans, and there was still an influx of customers at all branches, the profits had been reducing in the three (3) years prior to 2020, though minimally.
Mr. Mills and his family had their usual monthly meeting in December 2019. One of the daughters took some points in relation to the present status of the Company. It related to a SWOT Analysis. Whist the SWOT Analysis was not fully articulated in terms of what the strengths can and have brought to the Company; how the weaknesses are impacting the Company; the possible outcomes from taking advantage of available opportunities; and the possible impact of threats, her brief notes are highlighted below:
Strengths:
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
At the start of 2020, Mr. Mills and his family began to follow the news with respect to the deadly COVID-19 virus. “This is a time for quick action” pondered Mr. Mills. The business has been successful, but Mr. Mills and family has recognized that things are changing in the environment and could have negatives on the business. At the January 2020 monthly meeting, it was decided that the company should seek the services of a reputable consultant who can advise and assist the company with getting a clear understanding of what strategic management and planning entails. Other matters discussed which the family agreed to pursue, include embarking on a training initiative which would include staff at all levels as well as to create an awareness of the environmental factors that can affect the company. One member in the meeting raised the issue of how they can determine with accuracy the financial situation at the company. She is aware that ratios could be used, but that’s as much as she knows.
Mr. Mills stretched his imagination, “We had better start thinking about starting a branch in some foreign country, or start to manufacture something that people will need.” Then he pondered to himself, “I do not have all the knowledge about the intricacies of manufacturing and so-called strategies to continue to be a winner”
The meeting ended with Mr. Mills thinking aloud that they should all read up about what it means to be innovative. He indicated that at the next meeting, they will all come with their ideas of a plan that is different to what they are doing now and which can contribute to continued success. He was not sure what type of plan that would be. He has been following keenly the possible impact and negative fallout that the company could experience because of the COVID-19 virus. However, the astute businessman that Mr. Mills is, he purchased some cotton material, took some elastic and thread from the store, and hired two (2) seamstresses to make protective masks. The masks have been a fast seller and is bringing a profit to the store. Once more, Owen Mills Limited is living up to its tagline - We have all that you want!
Question 3(a):
Mr. Owen Mills and his family needs to understand how they can determine with accuracy the financial situation at the company. One of his daughters is aware that ratios could be used, but that is as much as she knows.
As the hired consultant, how would you advise Mr. Owen Mills and his family?
In: Operations Management
Case Study
Owen Mills Limited
We have all that you want!
Owen Mills Limited began its operations on Trumpet Land, a beautiful island in the Caribbean with a very diverse population in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, education, and origin. In 1970, at the age of twenty-eight (28), Owen Mills a progressive thinking young man decided to start his own business. His father had worked as a Manager at a large department store in the city of Trumpet Land for as long as Owen can remember, and his father would share his daily experiences. The idea of operating his own business was always at the forefront of Owen’s mind. After gaining four (4) Advanced Level subjects (Mathematics, Geography, English Literature and Spanish), Owen got a job at a large Credit Union where he moved up the ranks from a Customer Service Clerk to Supervisory level within four (4) years and then onto being a Credit Officer.
During his time at the Credit Union, Owen attended a number of short management courses. This built his confidence that someday soon he will achieve his dream of being a big business man. At age twenty-eight (28) Owen thought that he had saved sufficient money along with his wife who worked at another Credit Union, so that they could purchase a small one-story building in the heart of the city. The building was at the corner of French Street and John Street, the main street in the city. The building was refurbished and painted in bright red, and blue to suit the liking of Mr. Mills. He thought to himself “No one could miss this building” and he also thought of a tag line. Business started in February 1970. From the inception of the business to date, the tagline emblazoned at the front of the store “We have all that you want!’ has remained.
The Early Years
Owen Mills Limited operated as a sole proprietorship for many years selling almost every item that a household could want, staying true to his tagline. The business began with five (5) employees: his wife serving as the cashier, two store clerks, one driver and a cleaner. The store was well sectioned with a variety of items as shown in Table #1 below.
Table #1 – Variety of Items sold by Owen Mills Limited
|
Cosmetics and related products for men and women. |
School items – copy books, pencils, pens rulers, etc. |
Basic food/grocery items – rice, flour, sugar, peas, salt, seasonings and other condiments |
|
Personal hygiene products |
Plumbing and electrical material |
A variety of snacks and soft drinks |
|
Perfumes/fragrances |
Small appliances |
Kitchen ware and Glassware |
|
Clothing and footwear for babies, and boys and girls |
Household items – batteries, glue, tacks, etc. |
A variety of gift items |
|
Ladies and gents’ underwear and other everyday garments |
Household cleaning products |
Gardening tools/implements and hardware items |
|
Gym shoes and slippers for ladies and gents |
Sewing items |
A variety of handy man tools |
Orders would be placed with wholesalers who would deliver the products on scheduled days. Mr. Mills was very organized. During the first two (2) years of operating in the city of Trumpet Land, Mr. Mills observed that his customers comprised of citizens from all over the island. He got an idea, “I could go to the outer area of the city with my products.” He started in October 1971 to pack his Toyota panel van and leave with his driver on Saturdays and Sundays to the areas bordering the city. Mr. Mills was successful with this venture and discovered that there were retirees and housewives who were at home during the week, and he began to go into those area at least two (2) days per week in addition to Saturdays and Sundays.
Clearly, Mr. Mills was an astute businessman who was always thinking of the next move to grow the business. He and his wife joined the Chamber of Commerce, read widely about what was happening locally, regionally and internationally, and made every effort to attend conferences and seminars which they thought would be beneficial. He was always thinking about growth and expansion. Owen Mills Limited became a known business even to those persons who had never patronized the store. In the midst of it all, Mr. Mills understood his corporate social responsibility and as such was respected highly by other businessmen and members of the community and country. A proud moment for Mr. Mills, his family and employees occurred when he was awarded Business Man of the Year Award in 1999.
On a Growth Path
The years flew by very quickly and by 1995, Mr. Mills had added two (2) more floors to the original building that he bought. He now had four (4) grown children (two (2) boys and two (2) girls) all in their twenties and who all showed an interest in the business. Similar to their father, they had done very well at the secondary school level and had aspirations of gaining a tertiary level education as well as being a part of the business. They pondered their options of going to school full-time or enrolling in an online programme, so that they could better manage their time and fulfill their career objectives. The oldest son began to pursue the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Programme. He thought that he can become the Accountant for Owen Mills Limited or open an accounting firm in the next few years.
By the year 2000, Mr. Owen Mills had spread his wings to the eastern, southern and western part of Trumpet Land. He was able to purchase within a five-year period, three (3) large two-story buildings in each of the areas. The buildings were painted in the same colors as the first one in the city in the north and carried the well-known tagline - We have all that you want! The business incurred a manageable mortgage loan, but that will be repaid in less than ten (10) years.
Mr. Mills began to think about succession for his business and the future of his children who had been supporting him throughout the years. He held a family meeting and it was decided that with the imminent opening of three (3) other Branches, that each child would manage a branch and he will now be considered as the Chairman.
In the midst of the initiatives being undertaken, Mr. Mills was very cognizant that the world of business was wrought with dynamism and uncertainty and he and his family needed to understand about strategic moves that could be undertaken. He had been reading and trying to keep up to date with what was happening in the world of business. He and his family did not have a full grasp of the theoretical underpinnings to maneuver quickly out of any new challenges, and he understood very well that challenges can surface with expansion. By 2018, the total staff had grown to eighty (80) persons which included cashiers, information technology personnel, supervisors, customer service staff, cleaners, drivers and his four (4) children as managers,
Looking to the Future
Undoubtedly, Owen Mills Limited has been a successful enterprise. However, Mr. Mills and his eldest son, who had gained his ACCA qualification began to look at the financials very closely. They recognized that while the company had repaid the mortgage loans, and there was still an influx of customers at all branches, the profits had been reducing in the three (3) years prior to 2020, though minimally.
Mr. Mills and his family had their usual monthly meeting in December 2019. One of the daughters took some points in relation to the present status of the Company. It related to a SWOT Analysis. Whist the SWOT Analysis was not fully articulated in terms of what the strengths can and have brought to the Company; how the weaknesses are impacting the Company; the possible outcomes from taking advantage of available opportunities; and the possible impact of threats, her brief notes are highlighted below:
Strengths:
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
At the start of 2020, Mr. Mills and his family began to follow the news with respect to the deadly COVID-19 virus. “This is a time for quick action” pondered Mr. Mills. The business has been successful, but Mr. Mills and family has recognized that things are changing in the environment and could have negatives on the business. At the January 2020 monthly meeting, it was decided that the company should seek the services of a reputable consultant who can advise and assist the company with getting a clear understanding of what strategic management and planning entails. Other matters discussed which the family agreed to pursue, include embarking on a training initiative which would include staff at all levels as well as to create an awareness of the environmental factors that can affect the company. One member in the meeting raised the issue of how they can determine with accuracy the financial situation at the company. She is aware that ratios could be used, but that’s as much as she knows.
Mr. Mills stretched his imagination, “We had better start thinking about starting a branch in some foreign country, or start to manufacture something that people will need.” Then he pondered to himself, “I do not have all the knowledge about the intricacies of manufacturing and so-called strategies to continue to be a winner”
The meeting ended with Mr. Mills thinking aloud that they should all read up about what it means to be innovative. He indicated that at the next meeting, they will all come with their ideas of a plan that is different to what they are doing now and which can contribute to continued success. He was not sure what type of plan that would be. He has been following keenly the possible impact and negative fallout that the company could experience because of the COVID-19 virus. However, the astute businessman that Mr. Mills is, he purchased some cotton material, took some elastic and thread from the store, and hired two (2) seamstresses to make protective masks. The masks have been a fast seller and is bringing a profit to the store. Once more, Owen Mills Limited is living up to its tagline - We have all that you want!
Question 3(c):
Based on the existing situation at Owen Mills Limited, and as the Consultant hired by the Company, suggest three (3) strategies that the Company could undertake to maintain a competitive advantage. Provide justification for your selected strategies.
In: Operations Management
What are three aspects of the case that consider new information or that offered deeper context.
What are two aspects of the case that can apply in practice healthcare field now or in the future.
What is one aspect of the case that found confusing, created question for further consideration, or which would to learning more.
This case focuses on the interaction of a physician and three families. As you read, pay attention to how Dr. Williams’ interactions with each family differ and how these different interactions could affect the health outcomes of each child. Dr. Brent Williams is having a terrible day. Medical school prepared him for the hectic pace and difficult, needy patients. And most of them don’t even have health insurance! Does nobody work anymore? Medicaid reimbursement is hardly worth the clinic’s time. It won’t be long before his blond hair will be streaked with gray. After a day in Sleep Clinic, he feels as if he has been around the world in 80 hours. Maybe he should rethink this job. But he likes practicing in Minneapolis, near his family and his buddies from residency. It's hard to believe its been a year since they completed their program. To Dr. Williams’ relief, his first afternoon patient is Johnny Reese. Today, as he enters the room, Becki Reese has four year old Johnny on her lap and is reading to him while Johnny pulls on his mother’s blond pony tail. Dr. Williams chats with Becki for a few minutes about horses, a shared interest. He then regretfully confirms that according to the sleep study Johnny’s obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has not improved, despite having had his tonsils and adenoids out. In fact, he adds that the second sleep study was worse than the first and Johnny will need to use CPAP. Becki nods sadly, “I was afraid of that”. She listens carefully as he explains that Rita, the nurse will order the CPAP machine and mask from Pedi-delight Homecare and it will be delivered in the next few days. “It is very important that Johnny wear the mask every night”. After a few more comments, he leaves the room. Later, he is discussing the homecare equipment with Rita. Rita says that Becki mentioned she has been really stressed recently as she has three children under the age of five and bedtime is often chaotic. Rita wonders whether Becki will realistically be able to get Johnny to use CPAP on a consistent basis. “I wouldn’t worry about that, they are a nice family,” Dr. Williams replies. “It should not be a problem.” “Still,” Rita says, “I’d feel better if we saw them in a one month follow-up just to make sure.” “Well, okay,” says Dr. Williams, “they have good insurance, we can do that.”
As Dr. Williams enters the second room, he groans under his breath. Another African American family. This probably means Medicaid and low adherence. No matter how long he spends with these families, they usually don’t do what he says anyway. He glances down at the chart to get the parents’ names, Fahari and Mendi Waleed. It is a new eight month old patient and her name is Breshay. “Where do they get these names?!” he wonders. He wonders why Mr. Waleed is not at work. “They are probably on welfare. I wonder how many other kids they have.” Dr. Williams figures that he might as well plunge in and asks what brought them to clinic today. He is surprised when Mr. Waleed speaks with an accent. “He’s probably from Haiti,” Dr. Williams thinks. Mr. Waleed goes on to explain that his daughter seems to stop breathing at night. She seems very quiet during sleep and doesn’t seem to be breathing very hard. He has noticed that her lips look dark at times. His wife believes someone has cast the evil eye on Breshay. “The church members wanted us to come to the clinic, but it is expensive and we thought we could fix on our own.” Mr. Waleed explained that the family consulted an oracle who conducted a ceremony in which a white chicken was sacrificed. Dr. Williams thinks to himself, “Good Heavens, those Caribbean countries are really superstitious.” He takes an inadvertent step backward. He wonders what kind of church they are involved with. After examining Breshay, Dr. Williams wants to rule out the possibility that she has central hypoventilation syndrome. “I would like her to have a sleep study” he says. Mr. Waleed looks confused and asks if this will cost money. “Don’t you have Medicaid?” Dr. Williams asks. Mr. Waleed explains that they came from the Sudan six months ago and do not have their green cards yet. Dr. Williams tries to remember where the Sudan is located. He decides not to refer Breshay for a sleep study, but tells the family if she becomes symptomatic, they can go to the emergency room. Telling Rita about it later, he says, “With no insurance, there is really nothing that we can do. They didn’t really want healthcare anyway.”
Bao, Chi, and Duong Phan are sitting quietly in the examining room when Dr. Williams rushes in. “Oh geez”, he thinks to himself, “I have to get to Seminar by 5:30 PM and I’m already running an hour behind. I’d better make this quick.” He turns to Chi Phan and says hurriedly, “So, Mom, we have the results of the sleep study. As we thought, it is OSA. His AHI was 120 increased in REM to 250. He had long periods of hypoxemia and hypercarbia. He is at risk for pulmonary hypertension with these results. I doubt that an adenotonsillectomy will adequately treat his problem. The most rapid and effective treatment at this time is CPAP with a Cflex of 3. He may need to tolerate a nasal interface, but if he develops a significant leak we will change him to a Quattro full face mask.) Chi looks at Bao, who says tentatively, “face? A mask?” “Oh shoot”, Dr. Williams thinks, “here we go again, this is going to take forever.” He figures the mother must be a little slow – she isn’t saying anything. Or maybe she doesn’t care about her son. Dr. Williams responds loudly, “It - will – help - your - child – keep - breathing”. Frustrated, he decides to proceed with some more questions before trying to explain anymore. When he asks about any medication that six year old Doung is taking, Bao replies that he is not on anything right now. Bao says that their pediatrician had prescribed Ritalin but his wife tried it before giving it to Duong. It made her feel funny, so she decided not to give it to him. Dr. Williams resumes trying to explain OSA and CPAP to the Phan family. He explains it as clearly as he can, but cannot understand why they are not saying anything. “It must be that they do not want to do this,” he thinks. Agitated, he puts his hands in his pockets and starts pacing. Finally he sits down again and says in exasperation, “Well, if you don’t use CPAP, you’ll have to get a trach”. As he says this, he points to neck and demonstrates a hole. He asks, “Do you understand?” Bao and Chi nod politely. “OK, so we’ll order the CPAP and you can do that,” Dr. Williams finishes. He tells the family that the nurse Rita will arrange to have to equipment delivered. As he leaves, Dr. Williams, one hand still in his pocket, hands the checkout sheet to the family. He finds Rita and says, “I want you to call the social worker and see about a referral to child protective services. This Mom is clearly not involved and her tasting the medication is truly bizarre. On their way out of the clinic, Bao tells Chi that he will consult with his mother and father over Duong’s medical problems and will talk to the Buddhist Temple performing a ceremony before considering any medical procedures. “I think we should ask our friends for the name of another doctor, I do not want to come back to this rude place.”
Following clinic, Rita walks to the parking lot with the receptionist, Mary. “I’m really worried about Brent’s approach. There’s so much that he doesn’t know about different cultures let alone dealing with children. He makes such assumptions. By assuming that the Waleeds are African American, he overlooked the stresses they may have had in emigrating from the Sudan. When he found out they didn’t have insurance, he just blew off the issue of a sleep study. He could have asked the sleep lab to at least do a daytime nap study monitoring sats and CO2. Some times the sleep lab will do that for free, but he didn’t even check. And he never asks for an interpreter. He uses such technical medical terms and doesn’t worry at all about the families’ health literacy.
When we had that cancellation at 4:30, I looked on the internet to learn more about Vietnamese culture. You won’t believe what I learned! Brent really blew it. In Vietnamese families, like the Phan’s, it is impolite to seem loud or in a rush. Also, in their culture, one always addresses the man, not the woman, and its not at all unusual for mother’s to test their children’s medicines. In some parts of Asia, there is inadequate regulation of medicines, or none at all, so mothers do this precisely because they want to protect their children. Worst of all, in Vietnamese culture it is considered downright rude to put your hands in your pockets or hand a form to someone with just one hand. I wish he would look on the internet, or ask families, or use a culture broker.”
Rita sighs, “I’m just so worried that many of the families we see are not getting good care and won’t do well, through no fault of their own. Mary agrees, “As an African-American woman, I think I’d have problems with him. There are so many ways his approach would just get us off on the wrong foot.” Rita decides to talk to Dr. Williams the next day. When she calls to see if there would be a time they could talk, she is pleased to hear him at least say, “Boy, you know, I really thought a lot about my day today on the way home. This can’t be the best way to do things.”
In: Nursing
After reading the message below please provide your personal opinion in detail of what you learned.
I was sitting in one of those fluorescent corporate cafeterias eavesdropping on the women at the next lunch table. One had vacationed in Thailand. The other had returned from a group tour of Vietnam.
"Over there, it was nothing to see two generations of family crammed into a house no bigger than my living room," said the Vietnam traveler. "Makes you appreciate what we have here, in America."
I will probably never see that American woman’s living room. But I'm willing to bet that it's larger—and certainly more weather-proof—than my childhood home in Ireland. And as for that multi-generational-living thing? Yup, we managed to cram two parents, five kids, two grandparents, and the family dog into a thatch-roof house with three tiny bedrooms.
But, sitting there in that air-conditioned cafeteria, did I interrupt my lunch neighbors to say: “Whoa! Wait. You have no clue how it really is. You have no clue about what I learned from my live-in grandparents, or that poverty and cultural exotica are a lot more than the sum of our non-commodities, of what we don’t possess?"
Nope. I just kept munching on my salad. Ten minutes earlier, I had ordered and paid for that salad in my best expat-American patois.
These days (I have since switched jobs), I work as the communications director for a nonprofit. In my own office, among my own colleagues, I say nothing about my rural, hardscrabble beginnings. Equally, I don’t stand at the office photocopier belting out a Gaelic-language song, just as I don’t brag about how, once, I used to design and knit fisherman-knit sweaters. You'll never see me pulling up a boardroom chair to re-tell one of my live-in grandfather’s fireside stories, like that one about how, as a little boy, his mother (my great-grandmother) took him to town where he saw a huge ship sitting way, way out in the harbor. His mother said that the ship was on a stopover between England and America. It was called the Titanic.
So as an expatriate in America, am I in a perpetual state of what my late mother called “putting dogs on windows” (a.k.a., pretending or trying to be someone I’m not)?
Today In: Leadership
No. And yes.
In my private, non-working life, among my American friends, everything is fair game. Actually, I’m often the one quizzing them about their childhoods. But in the workplace, I’m quite content to “pass” as American.
PROMOTED
I was 24 years old when I landed from Ireland at JFK Airport. It was a freezing December afternoon. I had an overstuffed backpack and a borrowed $200 and a set of directions for how and where to catch a Trailways bus.
In my early American years, I worked as a waitress in an Irish-American pub in a jazzy college town. This was the swingin’ ’80s, and that cash ’n’ carry restaurant life was one eye-popping culture shock. Also, in any country or culture, waiting tables is a safari of human behavior: the good, the bad, and the downright weird (especially after midnight).
In that Irish-American pub, for the first time in my life, I had to become—well, Irish. I discovered this “all-Irish” meal called corned beef (yuck) and cabbage. My bar customers ordered this “Irish” beer drink called a Black and Tan. By the way, if you had ever offered my history-buff father any food or beverage of that name, he would have laughed in your face or spat at your feet. (The “black and tans” were a band of temporary British constabularies sent to fight the IRA during the Irish War of Independence. Mostly comprised of World War I vets, the “tans” were famous for their civilian attacks.)
The first week on the job, I learned that the way I spoke was called a “brogue.” And my “brogue” brought a string of questions: Oh, what brought you here? Don’t you miss your family? Aren’t all you Irish chicks named “Colleen?”
Of course, I was grateful for this job and this all-American chance to reinvent myself from my heretofore life as a parochial school teacher in a rural Irish village. So, bit by bit, I began to assume this packaged, offshore brand of Irishness.
Three years after arrival day, I quit that pub gig to start an evening graduate-school program and to work a string of day jobs, most of them in offices. I’m not proud to admit this, but as I interviewed for and started each new job, I wasn’t above laying on the brogue and the Maureen O’Hara charm.
What I didn’t yet know was this: Playing to a set of Hollywood stereotypes, to a set of broad-brush cultural assumptions, is “putting dogs on windows." And worse, it will deplete our sense of self and self-esteem.
I finished that graduate degree and landed better-paid jobs, including my first gig in business writing and communications.
In one position, I had to deliver a short, monthly overview of the organization's public information policies as part of the new-hire orientation. As an ex-teacher, preparing content and delivering a short, lively presentation was a snap. So I assumed that my participant evaluations would be glowing.
They were.
Then I scrolled down to those add-on, narrative comments: “I liked the communications woman’s accent.” “Love that accent!” “She’s really cute!”
Gulp. What about my carefully prepared content?
Outside of work, I was also building a career as a creative writer. My publications and bylines landed me on some book-discussion panels and public presentations.
More than once, an audience member would approach the podium to say: “Heck, with that accent, you could stand there and read the phone book, and I’d sit here and listen.”
But here’s the thing: I didn't want to read any phone books. I didn't want to have crossed an ocean and navigated a whole new country just to achieve “cute.”
Then came our 21st-century recession. And with it came a lot less room, a much narrower tolerance, for blather or swagger. In a 2008, 8-10% unemployment America, in an America where both the communications and the publishing industries were changing and dipping faster than the NASDAQ, it took real, hard-core skills to snag a new job. And, in a perpetually merging and downsized workplace, keeping that job means being trained, ready, and willing to produce the goods.
I find this delightful. I find it really freeing. Without the cultural distractions, I’m just another middle-aged woman with a skill base that's continually challenged and updated. I'm a woman valued for what I know and what I can do, not for where I came from.
Still, since that day in the lunchtime cafeteria, I have imagined myself turning to those women and regaling them with enough hardscrabble childhood stories to put them off their sandwiches. Like how I remember reaching for the family sugar bowl to sweeten my morning porridge only to discover that the mice had (again) decided to deposit their—ahem—food additives in there. Or how, without indoor plumbing or central heating, a kid needs both skill and stamina to snag herself a Saturday-night bath. Or how infuriating it was to finish all my third-grade homework only to get up in the morning and find it (again) stained with brown rain leaked through the thatch roof.
We weren't a poor family. Thanks to my father’s double life as a weekday truck driver and a weekend farmer, we were actually quite well off—at least by 1970s rural Ireland standards, and at least by how we viewed ourselves or, indeed, where we ranked in our village's socio-economic pyramid. Based on what I overhead at that lunchtime table, our set-up probably didn't match how those women grew up, but in our village primary school, most of my classmates had live-in grandparents. The lucky among us had a pair of good shoes just for Sunday, plus a warm winter coat. If it had once been a sister’s or a cousin’s coat, what difference?
But in that imaginary lunch speech, the glossary becomes longer than the actual content. There are more cultural footnotes, more lost-in-translation asides than any of us would have time for.
And anyway, from our company dress codes to our bullet-pointed, buzzwordy chatter, today’s workplaces breed a certain homogenization. We assume that most or all of us watched after-school TV and used the microwave on the kitchen shelf and went to U.S. colleges where Dad delivered us for freshman orientation and Mom kitted out our dormitory with a mini-fridge.
There are those of us who didn’t. There are those of us who get up in the morning and stand under the shower belting out a foreign-language song. We go home at night to dream in another language. But in our fluorescent, white-walled workplaces, we abandon all that in the downstairs lobby. Why? Because, as I learned the hard way, the socio-economic dissonance and the cultural quirks can eclipse what’s really there, what we can really do.
I can improve America. There. For 20-plus years now, I’ve been longing to just come out and say that. In my own small way, in my creative and working life, I believe that I can be the softly spoken (ha!) but persistent voice for better healthcare, better education, and fairer public policies—the kinds of policies that let kids go to bed at night with full bellies and go to school in the morning without a bullet-proof backpack.
But tell me: How can a woman improve a country, how can she write or fight for anything—anything worthwhile, anyway—if all she’s considered by the people around her is “cute?”
In: Operations Management
Apple’s profile
Apple Inc. (hereafter Apple) was established in 1977 and is registered on the NASDAQ Global Select Market exchange. According to its Form 10-K ‘Apple designs, manufactures and markets mobile communications, media devices, personal computers and portable digital music players, and sells a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications’. Its products are sold through Apple’s retail stores, online stores and third parties
Apple is a world leader in producing innovative electronic goods and technology. In 2011 Apple’s net sales were estimated at $108.2 million. Its net sales in 2011 increased by 60% compared to 2010. Apple worldwide employs 60,400 full-time people and 2,900 temporary employees and contractors. The company utilizes outsourcing through the manufacturing of its products overseas; most of the factories are located in Asia
Apple’s CSR policies and reporting
As required by the Security Exchange Commission (SEC), Apple has made the Form 10-K annual report available on its website. The Form 10-K contains – amongst other things – information on Apple’s business strategy and organization, the company’s risk factors, legal proceedings and financial data. It also includes the business conduct policy of Apple: ‘Apple conducts business ethically, honestly and in full compliance with all laws and regulations. This applies to every business decision in every area of the company worldwide’. Furthermore, the business conducts deals with corporate governance, information disclosure, non-corruption and bribery, environmental health and safety
Apple has considered the GRI G3.1 indices relating to the economy, the environment, human rights, society and labour for its publication on Governance, Product Environmental Reports, Recycling and Facilities Environmental Report and Supplier Responsibility. For Supplier Responsibility, Apple, for example, has taken into account the indicator which reports on measures it has taken to contribute to the elimination of child labour. About Product Environmental Reports, Apple has used the EN26 performance indicator and sets out initiatives to lessen the environmental impact of its products. Apple designs its products with the aim of being as energy efficient as possible, and it is the only company that can claim all electronic goods are Energy Star qualified. Apple’s products have become more powerful while, at the same time, fewer materials are used and fewer carbon emissions are generated.
Almost all of Apple’s products are outsourced for manufacturing overseas. On its Supplier Responsibility website, Apple states: ‘Apple is committed to the highest standards of social responsibility across our worldwide supply chain. We insist that all of our suppliers provide safe working conditions, treat workers with dignity and respect, and use environmentally responsible manufacturing processes. Our actions – from thorough site audits to industry-leading training programs – demonstrate this commitment
The Supplier Code of Conduct (Supplier Code) outlines Apple’s expectations for the suppliers it does business with. As a condition for doing business with Apple, suppliers have to commit to the Supplier Code. For the Supplier Code, Apple has adopted the Electronics Industry Code of Conduct (EICC), the guidelines and standards for the electronics sector. Through onsite audits, Apple ensures that suppliers comply with the Supplier Code. The final assembly manufactures are audited every year and the components suppliers are audited arbitrarily. Apple obliges its suppliers to respect the human rights of its workers, to inform the workers of their rights, and to treat them with dignity and respect. Apple requires from its suppliers that they prevent discrimination, involuntary and underage labour, excessive working hours and that they pay workers with wages and benefits in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.
Apple’s conflicts
The limited transparency of Apple’s supplier sustainability policy has often been criticized in the media. In February 2010 Apple also turned down two shareholders’ sustainability proposals to establish a sustainability report on Apple’s environmental policies and the impact that climate change has on the company. The other proposal was to establish a board of directors’ sustainability committee
Labor and human rights
A well-known conflict involving Apple’s suppliers is the suicides at Foxconn. It is the largest contracted electronics manufacturer in the world, with dealings involving Dell and Sony. Foxconn is the manufacturer of iPhones and iPads and employs over 900,000 workers, of whom 420,000 employees work at the Foxconn Shenzhen plant. This plant covers 15 factories, including dormitories, a hospital, a bank, a grocery stores and restaurants. The workers live and work inside the complex
In 2006 the Chinese local press reported on the excessively long working hours and the discrimination of mainland Chinese workers by Taiwanese superiors. In May 2010 several media sources reported several cases of suicide at Foxconn. From 2009 to 2010 a total of 13 workers had committed suicide. The first worker, Sun Danyang, committed suicide after he had been interrogated on the loss of an iPhone 4 prototype that he had in his possession. When the former CEO Steve Jobs was asked about the suicides at Foxconn, he responded: ‘Foxconn is not a sweatshop
During an undercover investigation, it was discovered that the reason for the multiple suicides was related to internal management. ‘The facilities of Foxconn are fine, but the management is poor,’ revealed Zhu Guangbing, who organised the investigation. According to Audrey Tsui, a professor at the National University of Singapore Business School, Foxconn maintains a military-style management approach. The workers were not allowed to interact with each other. Workers who violated the rule were penalized with a fine or were held to be in contempt by the manager
The weekly working hours of workers were up to 70 hours, ten hours above the maximum hours set by Apple’s Supplier Code. The Foxconn factory has good facilities. The workers have access to swimming pools and tennis courts. Foxconn organises activities such as chess clubs, mountain climbing or fishing expeditions. But with a 70-hour workweek, employees did not have any time to enjoy these facilities
However, interviews with several Foxconn workers by Dreamworks China revealed that not all the employees were dissatisfied. Some believed that the working conditions at smaller factories are worse. One of Foxconn’s workers stated that employees at Foxconn thought the media had exaggerated the suicides regarding their connection to Foxconn and that possibly some suicides had a sentimental or romantic cause.
In February 2011, the media reported the child labour issues had worsened at the suppliers for computers, iPods and iPhones. Apple’s Supplier Responsibility Report 2011 revealed 91 underage workers at the suppliers
Workers’ health and safety
Concerning workers’ health and safety conditions at the suppliers, in May 2010 two workers were killed and sixteen employees were injured during an explosion at Foxconn. An Apple spokesperson stated: ‘We are deeply saddened by the tragedy at Foxconn’s plant in Chengdu, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families. We are working closely with Foxconn to understand what caused this terrible event’. In the same month, The Guardian reported that workers from Wintek had been poisoned by n-hexane, a toxic chemical used to clean the touch screens of iPhones. The employees complained that the compensation Wintek offered for the health damage was not sufficient. The workers who did receive compensation were asked to resign from their jobs.
Apple’s CSR policy post-conflict
Apple makes sure that suppliers comply with the Supplier Code by conducting audits. The audits cover working and living conditions, health and safety but also environmental practices at the facilities. According to Apple’s Supplier Responsibility Report 2010, Apple conducted 102 audits in 2009. In 2011 Apple conducted 229 audits, an increase of 80% compared to 2010. An audit is conducted by an Apple auditor and supported by local third-party auditors
In the Supplier Responsibility Report 2010, published in February 2011, Apple included a paragraph responding to the suicides at Foxconn
In the Supplier Responsibility Report 2011, Apple reports that during inspections Apple discovered ten facilities with underage labour violations. One of the facilities had a large number of underage workers. Because the management did not want to address the problem, Apple terminated businesses with this facility. Where underage labour has been discovered, suppliers are required to pay educational expenses, living stipends and lost wages for six months or until the worker reaches the age of sixteen
In November 2010, Apple set up a training programme to prevent the future hiring of underage workers. The human resources managers are trained in Chinese labour law. Training human resources managers, however, will not solve child labour issues. When the costs of labour, energy and raw materials rise and there is a shortage of labour, factory owners are forced to cut costs or to find cheaper labour. Child labour can easily be hidden by providing fake wages and work schedule data. Also, it is difficult to prevent child labour when underage workers want to work to provide for their families. The Supplier Responsibility Report of 2012 states that suppliers are obliged to return underage workers to school and finance their education through Apple’s Child Labour Remediation Program. Regarding abolishing underage labour, Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, stated: ‘We would like to totally eliminate every case of underage employment. We have done that in all of our final assemblies. As we go deeper into the supply chain, we found that the age verification system isn’t sophisticated enough. This is something we feel very strongly about and we want to eliminate’
In the Supplier Responsibility Progress Report of 2011 Apple addressed the issue of the use of n-hexane. Apple obliged Wintek to stop using n-hexane and required Wintek to repair its ventilation system and to work with a consultant to improve its environmental health and safety systems
To take action, companies need to be transparent about their supply chain. In February 2012 Apple announced it would be the first technology company to join the Fair Labor Association (FLA) as a participating company.
------------------------quation-------------
Justify your choice: (50 words minimum/ 1Mark)
In: Economics
Q4: Based on the case study, explain how satellites have contributed to bringing about change in the global world. Provide specific examples.
THIS IS THE CASE STUDY
Satellite Instructional Television Experiment
The use of modern technologies for development purposes was pioneered by the Indian Government when, in 1975, it launched the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE). The programme, supported by UNESCO, aimed to use satellite technology to assist development by transmitting daily programmes on health, agriculture and education to rural communities.
India’s Department of Atomic Energy negotiated a deal with the US
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) which loaned India one of its satellites, Applications Technology Satellite-6 (ATS-6), for a year to make these broadcasts in exchange for sharing the knowledge from the project (Krige, Callahan and Maharaj,2013).
The SITE programmes lasted from 1 August 1975 to 31 July 1976, and the estimated cost to India of the world’s largest techno-social experiment was about $6.6 million. The government chose 2,400 villages, selected from twenty districts of some of the poorest regions of six contiguous provinces – Orissa and Bihar in the east, Madhya Pradesh in central India, Rajasthan in the west and two southern states, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Most of these villages had little existing communication infrastructure (Agrawal,1978).
In each village, a direct-reception system (DRS) television, a 25-inch, black-and-white set, was installed in a public place for community viewing. Signals were beamed from Ahmedabad and Delhi earth stations to ATS-6, which had a capacity of two audio and one video transmission signals. The use of direct reception systems eliminated the need for costly microwave relay towers. In addition, conventional television sets in 2,500 villages and towns received the programmes through terrestrial transmitters.
Members of government institutions, such as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), teamed up with other experts from the areas of health, education, agriculture and development and the Satellite Television Wing of All India Radio, to produce the daily four-hour programming at three base production units located in Delhi, Cuttack and Hyderabad. The science-education programmes for schools were produced by Space Applications Centre’s Ahmedabad and Bombay studios. Several international experts, including Wilbur Schramm, were also involved in theproject.
Programmes were broadcast mornings and evening in four languages – Hindi, Kannada, Oriya and Telugu. A thirty-minute national programme in Hindi (partly live) was broadcast from Delhi for all villages, while the remaining three-and-a-half hours were broadcast in region-specific
languages. More than 80 per cent of the reception systems were functioning at any given time in the villages. The availability of visuals and sound generated much interest among the viewers, with a large numbers watching the first programmes but gradually audience size stabilized to about 100 for the evening broadcast.
Inspired by the dominant paradigm of modernization theories of communication for development (Lerner, 1958; Schramm, 1964; see also Chapter 2, p.42), the project aimed to bring about behavioural changes among the rural communities and help them reject traditional social attitudes, which were seen as antithetical to the goals of modernization, but it also reflected current domestic political concerns. Among the primary objectives was to use television for population control – ‘family planning’ was a major priority for the then government of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Modernizing agricultural practices by using high-yielding seeds and pesticides and fertilisers – all part of the ongoing ‘Green Revolution’ – was another key plank of the programme. Attempts to improve school education, contribute to teacher training and improve health and hygiene were other main objectives of SITE. It is, however, ironical that this innovative project was in operation at a time when Indira Gandhi had imposed an Emergency, muzzling the press and arresting opposition leaders.
Of the four hours of programming, one and a half hours were targeted at children aged between five and twelve years of age, to be watched in schools as supplements to the regular school curriculum. The objective was to make learning more interesting through audiovisual teaching tools, hitherto unknown in most villages, and to reduce the drop-out rate, as well as to improve the children’s basic skills and instil in them a sense of hygiene (Agrawal,1978).
Another major objective of the SITE programmes was the development of agriculture, a key sector in a predominantly rural country. The aim was to disseminate relevant information, give demonstrations and provide advice on such matters as improved farming methods,pest
control, crops management and poultry and animal husbandry. The programmes were also supposed to provide information about the district- level government organizations responsible for the supply of seeds, fertilizers and agricultural implements. In addition, programmes also advised on crop marketing and commodity prices, agricultural credit schemes and had regular reports on weather forecasts. The agricultural programming constituted thirty minutes each day, for each linguistic group.
The third priority area was healthcare and birth control. Advice was given on nutrition and hygiene, as well as on pregnancy and postnatal care, a vital topic, given that thousands of women died in childbirth in India every year, especially in rural areas.
The programmes were more varied and imaginatively made than the standard fare on Indian television, and many organizations were involved in their preparation. Some programmes used techniques borrowed from traditional folk theatre to make their message accessible to the rural audience, while children’s programming used puppets.
Despite such worthy objectives, the results were not very encouraging. A major two-volume report by ISRO evaluating the impact of the programmes recorded only ‘modest gains’ in the sphere of education, while there was no evidence that the introduction of television in the classrooms had affected drop-out rates. SITE villages showed only a 2–4 per cent higher adoption of birth control, although a year is not long enough to judge any tangible change in traditional attitudes towards ‘family planning’. Also, given the community viewing patterns where gender mixing was unavoidable, women in the age of 15–24 were discouraged from watching.
There was also little evidence that television viewing had made any significant increase in farmers’ knowledge about agricultural practices or a change in attitude towards crop patterns. Anthropological findings, however, indicated that there were subtle social and cultural changes, based on gender, caste and class in the rural setting (Agrawal, 1977).
The advice on crop patterns, the use of pesticides and high-yield seeds
was mostly of use to rich farmers with the money to buy new seeds and other agricultural implements. In a country where land distribution is highly skewed in favour of rich farmers, such advice was of little consequence to the poor majority, whose condition could hardly be improved without wider structural changes in the social system. In such desperately poor rural communities, where the majority of inhabitants are landless farmers, school enrolment and drop-out rates, and awareness about health and hygiene, depend primarily on economic factors. Even today, in rural India, many children have to work on the farms, rather than attend school, to supplement their families’ meagreincomes.
The government’s view was that television would be a key instrument to disseminate development-oriented information and generate public participation and support for social and economic modernization. However, SITE showed that TV played only a limited role in changing behaviour among the audience and instead resulted in indifference towards the medium as well as the message itself. In the absence of relevant and effective complementary support in the lives of the viewers, innovative communication and the use of satellite technology were merely information inputs, which, in rural India, remained little more than a high-sounding idea. Despite its top-down approach to communication and the dissemination of information, the tendency to privilege rural elites and insensitivity to the needs of the rural poor, SITE did create awareness about social problems and brought the experience of audiovisual media to ruralcommunities.
The experiment came to an end when NASA withdrew its satellite, reflecting the dependence of the South on Northern technology. However, this spurred the Indian government to sanction the development of an indigenous satellite technology, with India becoming one of the first Southern countries to invest heavily in satellite communication. India’s first communication satellite, Indian National Satellite (INSAT-1A), was launched in 1982, providing Doordarshan with transponders for networking. The more advanced INSAT satellites increased the capacity to transmit satellite-based programmes for school children across the
country, though their viewership remained very low.
With the gradual commercialization of television in India since the 1980s development-oriented programming became a low-priority area, even for state-run broadcasters. For private television companies, both domestic and international, driven by advertising demand, the rural poor are not demographically desirable viewers, and health, education and rural development do not make profitable television. By 2017, India had one of the most sophisticated satellite networks in the developing world but it was being used more to promote entertainment than to address the development agenda. Yet, SITE remains one of the most important early examples of using modern technologies for developmentalpurposes.
In: Economics