Micromax Mobile

A study report on the ‘Brand’ Micromax | | | | By Punyadeep Singh PRN 59, MBA 09-11, SIOM Introduction The mobile phone market in India is worth 130 million handsets annually. While the big boys like Nokia, Samsung, LG, Motorola and Sony Ericsson make up for 70% share, the market has of late seen a slew of domestic firms such as Micromax, Karbonn and Intex making large inroads and new established brands like Videocon and Onida entering the field. Among the domestic firms, one of the most promising brand is Micromax. Few years ago, when Vikas Jain’s firm was delivering computer printers and monitors across India, he saw first-hand how pervasive Nokia had become. Just as in Europe, where most people’s first mobile phone was made by the Finnish giant, it had repeated the trick of getting in first and carpeting the subcontinent with its no-frills handsets. Despite Nokia’s dominance, the Indian mobile-phone market was far from being saturated. Jain saw his chance. From a standing start two years ago, his company, Micromax, is now churning out 1 million phones a month. He believes that next month it could overtake Samsung, with 11% of the market, and seize second place in India. â€Å"When Nokia or Samsung roll out a new model they do so from its global portfolio rather than launching something specifically for India,† said Jain, who set up the company in 1990s along with three friends from engineering college–Rahul Sharma, Rajesh Agarwal and Sumeet Kumar, all of whom are in their mid-30s to early 40s. Micromax, started operations in 1991 as an embedded software design firm, but was incorporated as a company in 1998, when it branched out as a distributor of computer peripherals such as printers, monitors, scanners from manufacturers such as LG, Sony Inc. , Dell Corp. Today, Micromax  is one of the leading Indian Telecom Companies with 23 domestic offices across the country and international offices in Hong Kong, USA, Dubai and now in Nepal. With a futuristic vision and an exhaustive R&D at its helm,  Micromax  has successfully generated innovative technologies that have revolutionised the telecom consumer space. Micromax, as they claim on the company’s website, is on a mission to successfully overcome the technological barriers and constantly engender â€Å"life enhancing solutions†. Micromax’s first innovation was a handset with 30 days of standby battery life — crucial in a country like India where power failures are common. Next there was a dual memory card phone, priced at ? 26, for callers who like to juggle the cheapest tariffs. The company’s vision is to develop path-breaking technologies and efficient processes that incubate newer markets, enliven customer aspirations and to make  Micromax  a trusted market leader amongst people. Micromax  has a lot of interesting and thoughtful products to its credit on their versatile product portfolio. It was the first to introduce: 1. Handsets with 30 days battery backup 2. Handsets with Dual SIM / Dual Standby 3. Handsets Switching Networks (GSM – CDMA) using gravity sensors 4. Aspirational Qwerty Keypad Handsets 5. Operator Branded 3G Handsets 6. OMH CDMA Handsets,  etc. With a 360 degree advertising and marketing strategy sketched out, the company has an optimistic outlook for the telecom consumer space. Currently present in more than  40,000 stores  across the country, the company plans to have an aggressive market incursion to reach out to its customers through  70,000 operational stores  in the coming year. One of the major aspects that contribute towards the substantial monthly growth of Micromax is its 80% sales in the rural areas. After building a strong presence in the rural market, where the prominence of both subscribers and operators is rapidly increasing, Micromax is now progressively moving towards establishing its foothold in the competitive urban towns as well. Micromax  recently ventured into the telecommunication industry with an end-to-end solution of  Fixed Wireless Devices  and  Wireless Data Cards. In the year 2008, after delivering upon the technology of fixed wireless-powering desired products, the company forayed into one of the most predominant genres of telecommunication – Mobile handsets. Since then  Micromax  has received commendable response for its unique and interesting handsets. Innovation, Cost-Effective, Credible and an Insightful R&D are given high emphasis at Micromax  in the telecom vertical. Micromax as a ‘Brand’ in the Media Posted: Monday, February 8, 2010. 0:45 PM IST on livemint. com (website of the famous B-newspaper): â€Å"Micromax challenges Samsung, LG in mobile phone stakes†. The news further elaborates that Citigroup Global Markets Inc. has confirmed Jain’s assertion in a 3 February report, which said Micromax had a 10% market share, putting it at No. 3 behind Nokia and Samsung, which had 12-13%. The success of Micromax prompted US private equity group  TA Associates  to buy â€Å"less than 20%† of the firm for around $45 million (Rs210 crore today) in December, valuing it above $225 million and indicating confidence in its growth potential. Jain estimated that the firm will close the fiscal with sales at around Rs1,500 crore. The Brand Micromax has now started gaining acceptability not only with the consumers but also with the images, which now has started portraying it with a positive image. Whereas increased consumer sales support the acceptance among the consumes, following quoted are some extracts from the news reports that show that media is also looking up to this brand. â€Å"Micromax seems to have taken a breath of fresh air and totally remade their presence. From their previously drab website, they’ve moved into a much more vibrant state and there’s clearly a significant difference in their mobiles as well, at least cosmetically†, quotes www. tech2. in in a review for its newly launched model X360. Micromax has also tied up some pretty big brands like Yamaha for enhancing their audio experiences and the X360 comes with an MTV branding and exclusive content. Apart from the mobile handset market, Micromax was recently in the news for its alliance with BSNL. State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. ntered into an agreement with Micromax for sale and distribution of 3G data card to its subscribers. As per the agreement, Micromax would sell and distribute 3G data cards in the form of USB to the BSNL subscriber in various cities. In another venture, Micromax launched the India’s first operator branded  3G mobile phone H360, in association with MTNL. The H360, pre-loaded with applications to enable video calls, mobile TV, social networking, wireless  business solutions  through web browsing and other Internet-based services. Product Differentiation So, as listed Micromax has been quite effective in the marking a difference with almost every product that it launched. The range that they have covered varies quite a large variety. Right from the handsets with 30 days battery backup, dual SIM, handsets switching networks (GSM – CDMA) using gravity sensors, aspirational QWERTY keypad handsets to operator branded 3G handsets to the most exciting OMH CDMA Handsets,  etc. Every product of Micromax had the potential to grab the attention of media as well as the consumers in a market which is already flooded with mobile phone handsets and a launch is there in every day or two. Image Differentiation: From Rural to the Urban grounds Micromax specialized in entry-level and mid-segment handsets priced between Rs1,800 and Rs2,400 when it started selling the devices in 2008, confining itself to small towns and rural areas in the first 12-18 months. Encouraged by its success, the firm expanded to larger cities and now has a distribution network of 55,000 retailers, which it plans to scale up to 70,000 by the end of March as part of its strategy to raise sales to 1. 5 million handsets a month. The journey is also now spans through the wide range that Micromax plans to offer to its consumers in the coming period. Micromax is planning to expand its range in keeping with new market demands. It is readying several high-end handsets, including phones that will run on Google’s Android and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile operating systems. The handsets are expected to be available in â€Å"April or May†, Jain said. Micromax has also tied up with a Bollywood celebrity â€Å"who will be announced shortly† as brand ambassador, Jain said. Channel Differentiation Micromax has invested Rs100 crore to set up a plant in Baddi in Himachal Pradesh as it feels outsourcing manufacturing completely leaves the door open for supply-side uncertainties. Production will be scaled up from an initial 50,000 per month. â€Å"If everything goes right, by the third phase in March 2011, the Baddi plant will be making about 500,000 handsets,† Jain said. If the plant isn’t able to cope with the numbers, the fallback plan is to acquire a facility in South Korea, Taiwan or China, he added. Nokia has a plant in Chennai, established in 2006 at a cost of around $150 million, from where it also exports. Summary Till very recently, Micromax was seen as a second grade brand with hardly any brand value. But with the recent reports listing the figures in the company’s favour as well as the huge branding done by the company itself along with the interesting product portfolio has taken the brand to a respect position. And the position is still is very promising for the future. For a company which still has not been listed on any exchange, a turnover of about 1500 Cr. can be termed as huge. Certainly the company has the potential to be a threat to the foreign giant as it has been successful in studying the Indian mindset better. ———————– Micromax spent heavily on branding during the recent India v SA; Jaypee Infratech Cup A recent Economic Times report

Manufacturing Case Study

Manufacturing Industry Case Study Challenges in Manufacturing Industry Unions †¢HR teams must be familiar with contract language, when working in a unionized facility. In a non-union plant, an HR representative can speak directly with any member of the workforce when discipline issues arise, such as absenteeism or dress-code concerns. But when employees are union members, the union steward has to be present during those same discussions.Those cases that could be settled with a face-to-face talk between HR and the employee now have to be resolved through grievance procedures between the union and the HR department. At the same time, HR professionals find that enforcing employee policies are sometimes easier in a union shop, because unionized workers tend to be more familiar with the rules, according to the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM). Safety †¢Safety awareness is a major HR issue in manufacturing, because of the considerable risks for job–related inj uries or fatalities. In an office, someone might trip over a file cabinet. Here, people can get pulled into the machines and lose arms or legs. People can get killed,† HR Manager Kristi Schmidlap tells SHRM. Human Resource specialists devote a considerable amount of time in training employees to be proactive in keeping their work areas safe. HR departments have to be diligent in enforcing safety policies, such as dress-codes in factories, where long fingernails and hair represent danger among workers using heavy machinery.Human Resource employees also have to set examples, by consistently wearing hardhats, goggles and safety boots, when they walk through the plant. Communication †¢Most laborers in a manufacturing plant do not have computers or desks, which eliminates emails and on-line publications as methods of disseminating information. Instead, HR professionals must rely on bulletin board postings, notices stapled to paychecks or employee meetings. With three shifts in operation, the HR representative must schedule 5:30 A. M. essions to ensure that the third shift hears the same message as their first- and second-shift peers. HR departments spend more time explaining common policies than their counterparts in white-collar companies, because manufacturing employees cannot access handbooks and guides that are published on the Internet. This means more interaction between HR employees and the general workforce, especially during benefits enrollment periods, when factory employees who do not have access to company computers, need HR’s guidance in entering their selections on-line.

Best Dining Experience Essay

Although my favorite Mexican food to eat here is from my grandmother’s kitchen; there are a few restaurants my friends and I enjoy eating at. A few of my girlfriends and I have made Margarita Wednesdays a tradition in the summer time at La Casa. My brother, sister and I go to Los Cabos at least once a month in West Des Moines, which is an amazing delicious Mexican restaurant. I also like Monterrey in Altoona because it’s so close to my house, but no restaurant can compare to Tiki Tok in Mexico. My best friend and I were feeling spontaneous so we took a week off work and went on a cruise. We both found it difficult to eat on the ship because we were continually getting sea sick. I’ll never forget the fishy, chewy, and crunchy taste of the little shrimp and cocktail sauce going down my throat, or the unpleasant feeling I had when it was coming up. The only bad memory of my trip was praying that my legs would stop shaking and that my journey would hopefully reach an end so I could stand on solid ground. Other than being sea sick for the first day; I had a blast on the cruise! I got the opportunity to see many things and visit quite a few places. One of the ports of call was Cozumel, Mexico, and my friend Alexandra and I decided we wanted to try some real Mexican food. Of course, we were a little concerned about getting sick, but I’m glad to say that didn’t happen. We asked on the ship where the best place for Mexican food was, but they said that anywhere along the main shopping strip would be good. We then found a place called the Tiki Tok. The place was on the second level of a building. We sat out on the little balcony that they had. They had covered it with sand. The view from the restaurant was amazing. I was hypnotized by the vibrant colors and the employees’ of the restaurants equally vibrant lifestyles. I remember feeling jealous of the workers because they would get to go back to Tiki Tok tomorrow and the day after that, but I wouldn’t. The walls were an explosion of colorful textiles and every color of paint one could think of that was as bold as can be. Vases were on every table with burnt orange and deep yellow dried peppers inside. The chairs at the dining tables were made of a Mexican Serape material. The colors, the fringe, and the feel of it gave the restaurant even a stronger Mexican energy. My favorite part of the restaurants decor was the little cactus lights that strung amongst all the walls connecting each bulb to the wrought iron chandelier in the middle of the room. When one first enters the restaurant the Mariachi band is one of the most noticeable features. Three men were dressed in black with button up shirts and decorative sombreros all standing in the corner of the room. Two men had violins and the third was handling a guitar. As we took our seats the band started playing lively music and a few older couples got up and danced fearlessly. Everything in the restaurant was bold excluding my bashful personality; otherwise I would have danced too. I was in a trance watching the people dance with one another until the Mariachi band shouted in sync, â€Å"AY! † causing me to be brought back to the present. It was then that I had realized how hungry I was. The menu prices were in pesos, so it looked like everything was really expensive, but it wasn’t. We ordered the hot and spicy red enchiladas which were about 60 pesos, and they also brought us chips and salsa. The chips were a little bit thicker than you would get here in the US, and there were three different types of salsas. There was a regular pico de gallo, then there was one made with tomatillos, and the last was a pineapple cilantro salsa that was actually really tasteful. Lexi and I have never had pineapple cilantro salsa before, so we weren’t sure whether it was going to be appetizing or not. After stuffing myself with chips our food finally arrived. It was just about the yummiest thing I’ve ever had. The red sauce for the enchiladas was a little bit different than what I’ve had here, but I can’t tell you how. It was more delicious over there though. There was chicken inside the enchiladas and a touch of sour cream on top. We took the extra salsa we hadn’t demolished with the chips and smothered our enchiladas with it. I ate every last bite of it and was so full afterwards! The amazing food I had in Mexico was the best Mexican food I have ever had. I remember the smell of the ocean and sweet salsa at the same time. The bright colored sombreros and the ocean front view was an amazing sight to see while enjoying the food as well. Anytime I think about Mexico I think about the short beach chairs, sand between my toes, all the smells of the restaurant, laughing with my best friend and delicious enchiladas. This will be a memory that would be difficult to forget because we took so many pictures of the restaurant and it was the best eating experience I’ve had yet. I’m really glad that my friend and I were able to have this dining experience together. Alexandra and I enjoyed it very much!

Managerial Economics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Managerial Economics - Coursework Example This will put off the company that is to enter the market as the profit margin will seem to be very low and might even constitute to losses. This leaves the first company to enjoy monopolistic markets. The manager of this company will reduce the products’ prices to monopolistic market prices there by enjoying the monopolistic profits. By decreasing the prices of the products the company that is to enter into the market will be discouraged as the profit margin will be very low and may also leading to losses. The profitability of the firm with the marketing power will decrease with increase in capital interest as the borrowing costs increases there will be a decrease in supply there by attracting another company to satisfy the demand. This forces the companies to sell at a lower price than the monopolistic market price. If this continues, the company is bound to go into losses in the long run. 2. IHC hospitals are thinking of using a smart phone system to send health record data, laboratory test results data, and charge/payment data to the Mountain Star hospitals system when patients use any combination of medical services between the two hospital organizations. Mountain Star has been thinking of a similar idea of exchange. Going forward with such inter-hospital data communication means that a given data sharing network has to be developed. The cost savings involved in initiating such a system are the driving force of the decision but there are questions about these savings and the standard upon which the intercommunication is to be operated. The projected cost savings (in $millions) for each standard (Apple relative to Android) are given in the normal form payoff table below for each hospital conglomerate, with IHC cost savings given first in going from left to right. It reflects a good technology. This is because independent of the smart phone mountain star opts for IHC will go for apple phone as it yields the best pay off. The

Bottled Water Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Bottled Water - Essay Example Much of this available water is located rather from human populations thus further complicating issues of water use. 505,000 km, or a layer 1.4 metres thick, evaporates from the oceans annually. Another 72 000 km. evaporates from the land. About 80 percent of all precipitation, or about 458 000 km/year, falls on the oceans and the remaining 119,000 km/year falls on land. The difference between precipitation on land surfaces and evaporation from those surfaces (119 000 km3minus 72 000 km3annually) is run-off and groundwater recharge - approximately 47 000 km. annually (Gleick 1993). More than one-half of all run-off occurs in Asia and South America, and a large fraction occurs in a single river, the Amazon, which carries more than 6,000 km of water a year (Shiklomanov 1999). Water development projects during the 20th century have had significant impacts on freshwater ecosystems by eliminating marshes and wetlands, removing water for other uses, altering flows, and contaminating water with industrial and human wastes. In many rivers and lakes, ecosystem functions have been lost or impaired. In some areas, growing water demand has led to reductions in the volume of large rivers, affecting riverine and adjacent coastal areas (CSD 1997a). was held in 1977 in Mar del Plata, Argentina. ... was held in 1977 in Mar del Plata, Argentina. The focus on human needs led to the International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade(1981-90) and the efforts of the United Nations and other international organizations to provide basic water services (UN 2000). The concept of meeting basic water needs was reaffirmed during the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and expanded to include ecological water needs. A United Nations report (UN 1999) recognized that all people require access to adequate amounts of safe water, for drinking, sanitation and hygiene. Indeed, the Second World Water Forum and Ministerial Conference in The Hague in 2000 produced a strong statement from more than 100 ministers in support of re-emphasizing basic human needs as a priority for nations, international organizations and donors. Providing urban dwellers with safe water and sanitation services has remained a particular challenge. Some 170 million developing country urban dwellers were provided with safe water and 70 million with appropriate sanitation during the first half of the 1990s but this had limited impact because about 300 million more urban residents still lacked access to safe water supply, while nearly 600 million lacked adequate sanitation by the end of 1994 (CSD 1997b). However, a major area of success in many developing countries is related to investments in wastewater treatment over the past 30 years which have 'halted the decline in - or actually improved - the quality of surfacewater' (World Water Council 2000b). Water quality Water quality problems can often be as severe as those of water availability but less attention has been paid to them, particularly in developing regions. Sources of pollution include untreated

Passive Heating Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Passive Heating - Essay Example The analysis comprises of examples from both the KYOTOi protocol of the United Nations and the Energy performance of Buildings Directive of the European Union that is being enforced across the west for energy efficiency and savings of the conventional sources of energy. The analysis predominantly focuses upon the energy efficiency of the buildings using the passive heating strategy. Nuclear sources also cater the energy requirements in certain cases where it generates the electricity required for the generation of electricity. In all the aforementioned cases, the pollution into the atmosphere due to heating is enormous indirectly because the generation of electricity in case of electric heaters causes pollution of the atmosphere if not in the immediate vicinity of the users whilst the gas heating systems cause the pollution in the vicinity itself. The atmosphere being a single entity, the greenhouse effect spreads across the entire spread of the atmosphere irrespective of the location of emission of Carbon Monoxide and Carbon di-oxide gases. David Taylor (2005)ii further argues that the main reason for the increase in the energy consumption by the domestic buildings is the inability or the reluctance of the people to utilise the energy of sunlight and natural means for cooling during the summer. This is also due to the fact that the increase in the density of the buildings in the urban areas like the busy areas of London where the density of the domestic buildings has increased by more than 10 times in the six years as argued by W. L. Lee and F. W. H. Yik (2005)iii. The study by the authors have proved that the population density increase in the urban areas has accompanied with the steep density of the buildings thus presenting a congested environment for the energy management and the use of natural resources of energy for cooling during the summer. Furthermore, the use of each kWh (kilo Watt hour) of energy Douglas Lancashire (2005) has identified the emission rations as described below 1.5 lb (680 grams) of Carbon Di-Oxide 0.2 ounce (5.67 grams) ounces of Sulphur Di-oxide and 0.08 ounces (2.27 grams) of nitrogen oxides The information presented above reveals that through saving every kWh of electricity alone, a building could contribute to the reduction of emission and pollution of the atmosphere. Even though the pollution is not caused at the surroundings of the building, the fact that the consumption of energy is directly proportional to the emission of gases and pollution by the power generation plant justifies the need for energy efficiency in the buildings. The aforementioned makes it clear that the costs involved with the energy consumption and the maintenance of the heating systems is a critical element both to the homeowners, which is a direct cost whilst the indirect cost is mainly the loss of non-renewable sources of energy and atmospheric pollution. In order to overcome this problem, passive heating is proposed by researchers as an effective alternative. Passive heating as argued by Raymond Ward (2005) is the method of using the non-conventional sources of energy like the solar energy to generate the energy required to cater the heating requirements in domestic buildings. Another source of energy is the wind energy that is in abundance especially in the UK where the sunlight is treated as a rare commodity with only short spells of summer every year. Alongside, passive heating can

Benefits of technology evolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Benefits of technology evolution - Essay Example Speaking about the evolution of technology we can’t but say that the question if it benefits us or not is rather controversial. The trouble is that some inventions in the field of technology are beneficial, but some of them on the contrary cause a lot of harm. Some people even state that technology makes us â€Å"imprisoned† that means too much dependence on the technology. Thus, some individual reject technology recollecting the life of our ancestors, who had a chance to live longer maybe because technology was not so highly developed. However, we can argue that technology is still very helpful and it is not possible to live without it in the modern world. But for the technology we would lose many opportunities. First, technology helps us to maintain physical health. Using special technological adjustments such as artificial limbs and pacemaker, many people have an opportunity to live full-fledged life. Certainly, we should not rely on the technology and conduct health y way of life. Some people make a mistake believing that technology can always save them. Thus they ignore physical activity and consume unhealthy food. Technological opportunities in the field of healthcare are not unlimited, however, they can save lives of many people. For example, pacemaker can make one’s heart beating after it stops! There is no need to say how many lives were saved with the help of this technological adjustment. Those people who went through amputation can keep living full-fledged lives with the help of artificial limbs. But for this adjustment, their abilities would be limited and they would have to use wheelchairs and would always need somebody’s help if decide to go outside. We even do not need to mention such devices as ultrasound and X-ray, which are invaluable in the process of illness diagnosis. Technology allows patients to contact the specialist they need through the internet. Also there is an opportunity for nurses to monitor patients di stantly. Doctors also have easy access to patients’ history that is stored in computers. Field of education also benefits from technology evolution. Students have easy and fast access to different kinds of information. Online tests help check the level of knowledge. The opportunities provided by the technology are also invaluable for teachers as they are able to get the material needed for the classes in the internet with no need to look for it in the library. Students can pass exams in the electronic regime and teachers can send instructions by e-mail. Technology also helps develop curriculum: â€Å"The traditional, paper-based development process has some crucial problems. Conducting needs assessments, holding committee meetings of teachers and development experts, mailing materials to reviewers, and waiting for responses takes enormous time and effort and often results in low participation. Most importantly, logistical constraints mean that the people most directly impact ed by the new materials—teachers and students—are too often not included in the development process (apart from a few committee representatives) and commonly find that the materials created lack quality and usefulness†(Scholl). Communication also represents a field that benefits from technology. In the past people had to cross long distance just to talk to each other or transfer some message. â€Å"Modern technology has made it simple to discover our old friends and also discover new people

Final Exam - Marketing Audit Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Final Exam - Marketing Audit - Research Paper Example The company revolutionized the concept of computing by introducing iPhone, iTune, and iPods to customers. 2.0 Answer 1 My impression about the company before visiting Apple’s store was dependent on various factors like product quality, state of art technology they offer. I am impressed with the Stylish product line such as iPhone, iPad and iTune offered by the company. Before visiting the store I thought of purchasing stylish product like iPhone from the store. 3.0 Answer 2 My impression about the company has changed after visiting their store. I am amazed with the staff behavior and their sales service. I am also impressed with the banners and designs they use (part of sales promotion) to attracts customer. Before visiting the store I was only thinking about their product quality but now I believe Apple has achieved market leadership due to their customer friendly behavior and superior sales service. Sales person of the company helped me to understand unique benefits of iPhon e 5 (product I am planning to purchase). Sales person told me that iPhone 5 is 20% lighter, 18% thinner than previous iPhone models. I am advised their staffs to visit Apple’s facebook page in order to join their community. Community membership will help me to get latest news and updates of from Apple. Overall impression about the company has changed from good to excellent after visiting Apple’s store. ... Staffs of the shop gave me highest priority when I visited their store. They also advised me to contact immediately for any kind of product related problems. I left the shop with a big smile complemented with satisfaction. 5.0 Answer 4 I have observed that management style of Apple has motivated the retail store to present their product in innovative manners. During product presentation staffs were trying to discuss minute details with customers. I have also observed that management of the retail store gives importance on creating systematic operational structure. Staffs have treated me with utmost importance and during my stay in the shop I have not observed any kind of chaos or irrational behavior from the staffs. Each of the staff is well trained and knows very well how to handle customers. I am impressed with the systematic management functions of Apple store. 6.0 Answer 5 Sales staff of the store helped me to select right iPhone model suiting in accordance to product specificati on I mentioned to them. I purchased the product after hour long discussion with the staff of the store about various application of iPhone. I have also visited other parts of the store to go through various items like iPod, iTV and iTune offered by the company and each of the time I was welcomed by warm smile by staffs. Staffs of the store also helped me to understand various customer loyalty schemes offered by the company and gave me advised to select right loyalty program in accordance to my personality. I have thoroughly experienced the buying process during my last visit to Apple store (Noh, 2008, p. 14). 7.0 Answer 6 I have registered to membership program designed by Apple stores for their customers. I have purchased

Star Wars Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Star Wars - Essay Example While it is no doubt Star Wars deals with advanced technology many of which have not yet been established, Star Wars also talk about the existence of Force which is actually a mystical energy field that provides magical energy to Jedi. Considering both scientific elements and mystical power shown in Star Wars, can the films be seen in the genre of both sci-fi and fantasy. Today, science fiction has become a kind of reflection of â€Å"mythology of our times† (Sutton & Sutton, 1969, p.230). Myth has been described by Fontenelle as science that has been conceived in the primitive era by observing the causes of events. In the 19th century, Andrew Lang has explained that myth is human being’s effort of understanding the mysteries of the world through the lens of science. It is now no longer possible to assume myth as prescience. According to Levi-Strauss theory, myth and science are two parallel modes of explaining the universe. They are mutually exclusive and two different ways of explaining the same thing. In earlier days, myth was used by man to understand his own origins while science is used as a tool to study destiny (Sutton & Sutton, 1969, p.231). Today science fiction is accepted as mythical exploration of scientific technology, and therefore Levi-Strauss’s theory does not hold good regarding the two concepts as parallel auto nomy. There is now a clear intersection of the mythopoeic and scientific modes. According to Thoman C. Sutton and Marilyn Sutton (1969, p.231) â€Å"myth and science reflect man’s irrepressible curiosity about his origins and his destiny, they each can be seen as a particular human means of structuring the universe†. The authors consider science fiction as scientific myth more than religious myth in which man holds the major power. Star Wars is a classic story that talks about man turning evil and his son attempting to amend him. Basically it is a story about good and evil and set in another galaxy in another

Discuss the relationship between institutions and growth Essay Example for Free

Discuss the relationship between institutions and growth Essay North’s definition of institutions implies that the institutions could be formal (for example a legal code, a constitutions, or a regulatory body) and they could also have less formal constraints (for example social norms, or traditions, that help to determine outcomes). It will be difficult to mention institutions without mentioning government and the role it has to play in establishing the rules of the game. Government intervention in the economy is justified by the existence of market failures – the case where the unfettered operation of the market fails to produce the best possible outcome. Market failures include externalities like pollution and the inability of private firms to provide public goods, such as roads. Another form of market failure that can motivate government economic policy is the existence of monopolies, single firms that are the sole suppliers of a particular commodity. And industry such as electricity transmission is often viewed as a natural monopoly because it would be impractical for several companies to string electric wire to every house. In this case, there is a role of government regulation to prevent the monopolist from charging an inefficiently high price. The market failure can also occur in cases requiring the coordination of activities by many firms or many people. Some potential coordination failures and the need for the government to correct them are obvious. It useful for everyone to drive on the same side of the road, and even the most diehard free marketer would have little objection to letting the government announce which side it should be. However, a market failure is not the only reason that governments become involved in the economy. Another motivation for the government to get involved in economic matters is the income redistribution – the transfer of income from rich to poor, from working-age adults to the elderly, or from the general population to members of some favored groups – as one of their proper roles. On the other hand, only few economists argue that there should be no government intervention in the economy. It is rather a question of in which degree the government should intervene. The case against government intervention starts with the observation that, although proper government policy can theoretically fix any market failure, in practice it often fails to achieve its goals. When government tries to take the place of private firms, the resulting enterprises tend to operate inefficiently because they lack the incentives, specifically profit, that motivate private firms. In cases where industries are regulated as natural monopolies, often such regulation effectively preserves the absence of competition In the case of public goods, the debate centers on the question of whether some of the goods that governments supply could have been supplied privately if government had not taken over their provision. In different countries, privatized activities have included the building of roads and telephone networks and the operation of jails. A parallel trend has been the deregulation of industries – removing them from government supervision. The issue of income redistribution presents some of the most difficult questions regarding the proper role of government. In this case, the benefits of such a policy (a greater degree of equality) are of a different nature than the costs of the policy (a lower degree of efficiency). However, critics of big government point out that much of the income that governments redistribute does not flow from rich to poor. Rather, it is redistributed among people in the same income groups, who are at different stages of their life cycles, as when taxes are taken from working-age adults and transfers are paid to elderly. Critics argue that these redistributions have a large effect on the efficiency with which the economy operates but do little or nothing to improve equity. In general, the success of any government intervention depends crucially on the ability and the honesty of the officials entrusted to carry it out. When these qualities are lacking, the resulting government failure can be worse than any market failure that government policy was designed to correct. By looking at different cases of government intervention and the cases against government intervention, I will focus on explaining the tools that governments use to influence the economy. These tools include: the provision of the rule of law, regulation of how firms behave, planning (direction of resources to certain targeted industries), trade policies such as tariffs and quotas, and outright ownership of the means of production. One of the most important public goods that governments provide is the rule of law. In an environment where the rule of law is weak, the factors of production would not be accumulated and the economic activity would be plagued by inefficiency. For both these reasons, the output would decline. In the absence of a legal infrastructure, many of the investments made in a modern economy would not take place because investors would be unable to earn a reasonable return on their money. The rule of law cannot be taken for granted in most of the world. In many countries the judicial systems are weak, and legal cases are as likely to be settled on the basis of who has better political connections as on legitimate legal claims. According to Douglass North, who won the Nobel Prize in economics in 1993, â€Å"The inability of societies to develop effective, low-cost enforcement of contracts is the most important source of both historical stagnation and contemporary underdevelopment in the Third World†. One of the best examples that illustrates the importance of the rule of law is the former Soviet Union case. With the breakup of the communism, the legal structure surrounding basic economic activity became highly uncertain. The line between legitimate business and organized crime blurred, as assets formerly owned by the government in trust for the citizenry as a whole rapidly found their way into the hands of a well-connected few. In this legally unstable environment, income per capita in the Russian Federation fell by 12% in the decade following the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union. Another important way in which the government affects the state of the economy is by its sheer size. Government that spends a lot of money requires big government revenue and vice versa. Governments raise funds by taxing the citizens and businesses. A few countries, such as Saudi Arabia, make the exception where the natural resource is the primary source of revenue. According to the social scientist Adolph Wagner â€Å"the size of the government would inevitably increase as countries became wealthier, because a more developed economy requires more complex regulation and because many public goods provided by the government are of the type where desired spending rises more than proportionally with income†. Taxes are relevant for economic growth because they directly affect the efficiency with which output is produced. The larger the tax is imposed in a given market the smaller will be the number of transactions that will take place. This means that raising the tax rate will lower the tax base. When taxes are high, some of the potential transactions between buyers and sellers will not take place, and these transactions would have made both groups better off. No tax will be collected on these forgone transactions, but by discouraging transactions, the tax made the potential buyers and sellers worse off. The size of this inefficiency grows with the size of the tax. Because higher taxes shrink the tax base, increases in revenue collected when tax rates rise are not proportional to increases in tax rates. The fact that taxes cause inefficiency in the economy does not mean that there should be no taxes. Government provides public goods without which the economy could not function at all. These public goods are paid for taxation. Thus, even if the government were solely concerned with maximizing GDP per capita, the optimal choice of public goods and taxation involves a trade-off between the costs and benefits. However, not all of the money that governments collect as tax revenues goes toward supplying public goods. One of the major functions of government is to make transfers of income to people. The largest transfers are old-age pensions; other transfers include unemployment benefits and welfare payments to the poor. Government planning and the protection of infant industries with tariffs have failed, in almost most of the cases. The economic planning occurred in the decades after WWII, when governments in newly independent countries in the developing world experimented with various policies to improve their backward conditions. State enterprises, for example, were totally inefficient. The managers of these enterprises, facing neither competition from other firms nor pressure from shareholders to produce profits, had little incentive to strive for efficiency in production. Marketing boards, which were initially supposed to raise farmers’ income, ended up doing just the opposite as government officials could not resist the temptation of the revenues that passed through their hands. Trade restrictions were also counterproductive. In theory, infant industry protection should have been offered only to industries where a country had a chance of being a competitive producer. In practice, governments protected any industry which enough political power – and often all industries indiscriminately. Furthermore, most of the â€Å"infant† industries that were protected never managed to grow up. Facing no pressure from foreign competition, they remained inefficient. As one can notice, institutions determine incentives and constraints and shape outcomes. Different groups and individuals will benefit from different institutions. Therefore, the institutional choices will depend on who has the political power.

Inter-Professional Education in the Healthcare Sector

Inter-Professional Education in the Healthcare Sector Chapter 1 Introduction Health carers working in Malta are expected to work towards a patient-centred care and to communicate and collaborate in multidisciplinary teams even if they lack sufficient basic knowledge on the role of every team member. Sacco (2008) stated that there has to be effective team-working, communication and collaboration between professions for patients and their allied care to improve. He also stated that I.P.E. between the different professions is a way of attaining this team-work. Much has been written over the past few years on inter-professional education (I.P.E.) and its effect on the health care system. A lot of research and promotion have been conducted. However, Lumague et al. (2006) still believes that professional programs are still not giving the appropriate importance of I.P.E. in their curricula. According to Sacco (2008), I.P.E. was never used by any of the professions related to medicine in Malta, as a way of learning. Buttigieg stated (as cited in The Times of Malta, 2008) that â€Å"we still have a long way to go to be able to claim with confidence that interdisciplinary collaboration in teaching and research at our University is bearing the fruit that is becoming increasingly necessary in the world of today. Although the exercise was found to be very exhausting by the researcher, it was also an enriching experience and an introduction to the world of research. Provided that this was the authors first attempt to research, the study has helped her develop a better understanding of the research process. Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1 The Current Healthcare System and the Present Situation at the FHS Sacco (2008) stated that in the present healthcare system, patients are looked after by Multidisciplinary Teams comprising an extensive range of healthcare and other professionals. Apparently, the FHS board is not fully aware of the benefits of I.P.E. and although a lot of lip service is presented to working as a Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), not much is truly done to promote it throughout the actual education (Sacco, 2008). Sacco (2008) argues that in Malta, although the medical profession is part of the MDT, little or no integration is happening throughout the undergraduate years. Furthermore, there has to be a clear distinction between ‘Common Core Learning and I.P.E. The terms should not be used interchangeably since they do not have the same meaning. Currently in Common Core study-units students are being taught together with other students from other divisions of the FHS, or other faculties within the University, which is the same as ‘multi-professional education as this involves learning the same content together side by side, which in turn should not be mistaken with I.P.E. (Sacco, 2008). The latter does not only comprise the subject matter, but it also involves the different roles of different professions and how professionals can work together towards a shared goal (Sacco, 2008). Health education was somewhat inward-looking, however, owing to the altering health services, has changed from being ‘mono-professional to ‘multi-professional, and then becoming ‘inter-professional (Sacco, 2008). 2.2 Background on I.P.E. The need for immediate improvement of human resources was recently emphasized by the World Health Report 2006 produced by the World Health Organisation, according to which, the world is short of 4.3 million doctors, midwives, nurses and support workers. This crisis was also recognized by the 59th World Health Assembly (2006), who demanded upgrading of the health personnel production through various methods which included ‘‘innovative approaches to teaching in industrialised and developing countries.   Furthermore, Gilbert (2005) pointed out that shortage of healthcarers in Canada were already reported in the Curtis Report, back in 1969, and the latter approved of : considerations for replacing the training program with a more advanced one, empathetic patient care, and increased collaboration and management in delivering healthcare. In addition to this, the requirement of numerous necessities of particular groups of facility users, the diversity of necessary service responses to these and the necessity for effective information exchange and discussion with regards to care planning and delivery, lead to the demand for cooperation between the health care professions and the social care professions, and health and welfare/ social care agencies (Towards Unity for Health, n.d.). Robson and Kitchen, (2007), also emphasised the importance of an effective interprofessional collaboration in order to provide the best healthcare possible. The necessity of health and social care professions working together more was already highlighted for a number of years (Department of Health, 1989, 1998, 2000).  Ã‚   The complexity of patient care is on the rise, thus effective cooperation between health and social care professionals is needed. However, evidence proposes that the latter two are not cooperating well with each other (Cochrane Review, 2002). Collaboration still poses several problems especially with interprofessional coordination and communication. In a study carried out by Robson and Kitchen, (2007), students thought that communication and interprofessional relationships are the key factors affecting collaboration. I.P.E. has long been supported to be a solution to the challenges which collaboration presents (WHO, 1988; Department of Health, 2000). However, although it is evident that I.P.E. initiatives within universities have many beneficits, there were doubts to how successful the development of such initiatives could be (Oxley Glover, 2002). The following are several problem issues that were identified by Brian ONeill (as cited in Oxley Glover, 2002): Finding placements, particularly for team experiences Differences amongst students with respect to knowledge they bring to the course, motivations for taking the course, and preferred learning styles Evaluation of outcomes Transferability of knowledge and skills to practice, and impact of interprofessional learning to practice. 2.3 Challenges to the Implementation of I.P.E. Research suggests that it is very important for the professionals to have knowledge on how to work, communicate and collaborate effectively and cross boundaries between professions for a better health care system. According to the Council for the Professions Complementary to Medicine (2006), â€Å"Physiotherapists should communicate effectively with registered medical practitioners, other health professionals and relevant outside agencies to provide effective and efficient service to the patient† (p. 2). Salvatori, Berry, and Eva (2007), reported that although barriers to implementing I.P.E. exist, the need to overcome them is critical if we are to keep pace with the changing healthcare system and better prepare health professional students for collaborative practice. A preliminary survey of I.P.E. found that, there is a wide variability when the term ‘interprofessional is interpreted and that there are many barriers to I.P.E. some of which are overloaded curricula in schools of health professions, faculty and administrations lack of support and also financial limitations (Rafter et al., 2006). Not all of the above had been successful where endeavored. Oxley and Glover (2002) stated that in their own research some participants felt that they had not benefited from inter-disciplinary work as the course were â€Å"too theoretical. On the other hand, most of the respondents felt that this work was successful owing to the inclusion of for example practical experience, work placements, and inter-professional projects. 2.4 What is the Best Time to Introduce I.P.E.? The best time to introduce interprofessional learning in higher education still remains debated (Horsburgh, Lamdin, Williamson, 2001). On the other hand, Yan, Gilbert, Hoffman (2007) stated that it is the time to take a step forward to an I.P.E. and collaborative practice.   Students themselves were found to be in favour of I.P.E. as early as possible that is in their first year of their course prior to the development of professional prejudice (Parsell, Spalding, Bligh, 1998; Horsburgh, et al., 2001; Rudland Mires, 2005) and stereotyping of other healthcare groups which may in turn have a negative impact on attitudes when it comes to collaborating interprofessionally (Hojat et al., 1997; Tunstall-Pedoe, Rink, Hilton, 2003; Rudland Mires, 2005). On the other hand, introducing I.P.E. early in the course may sometimes be useless when labeling has already been formed in the minds of those who are about to start the course. Rudland and Mires, (2005), reported that medical students start the course already knowing the main differences between the nurses and the doctors characteristics and backgrounds. For example medical students perception of the nurses is that they are more caring, have less social status, less competent and academically weaker than doc tors. According to Khalili Orchard (2008) currently the way healthcare students are learning and socialized is via a uni-disciplinary model, which in turn may lead to in-group and out-group behavior (The Social Contact Theory).   Learning about the roles and responsibilities of just ones profession leads to professional socialization which in turn might lead to professionals distrusting other professionals and forming myths of perceptions about them, thus professional socialization and lack of effective collaboration. Sacco (2008) stated that professional socialisation is more the training of medical students into developing as doctors and physiotherapy students into developing as physiotherapists, rather than preparing them to be able to become team members. Shared interprofessional learning may be a solution to this problem as professions come to appreciate roles and responsibilities of other professions. Thus, I.P.E. may be the key to more effective collaboration in the actual workpl ace. Furthermore, it would be ideal if knowledge, skills and attitudes would be passed on from the I.P.E. into the actual workplace, something that still has to be accomplished within Maltas health services (Sacco, 2008). Multiprofessional learning and education (now looked at as interprofessional) have been given great importance by the World Health Organisation (as being an important factor in primary health care) since 1978 in the Alma-Ata 1978 Primary Health Care Report and it was emphasized later in 1988, in their statement ‘Learning Together to Work Together for Health.   This initiative was also supported in many countries by other legislative and policy requirements such as ‘Learning together to work together (Department of Health, 2000) in the UK and the Inter-professional Education for Collaborative Patient Centred Practice Initiative, supported by Health Canada (Herbert, 2005). 2.5 Evidence Available to Support I.P.E. Hammick, Freeth, Koppel, Reeves, Barr (2007) states that there is limited evidence to support the proposal that learning together will aid practitioners and agencies to work better together. The effect of I.P.E. on the healthcarers work still needs to be re-examined since â€Å"there is no published evidence that I.P.E. promotes interprofessional collaboration or improves client relevant outcomes† (Zwarenstein et al., 2005). Campbell (2003) reported that most studies that he selected for his systematic review were deficient in their methodologic rigor. The review concluded that there was no convincing impact of I.P.E. in improving collaborative practice and/or health/well-being. On the other hand, evidence that suggests that interprofessional learning improves interprofessional collaboration is also available (Atwal Caldwell, 2002). Oxley and Glover (2002), maintain that there are benefits to I.P.E. for different stakeholders including employers, universities and students. For example the recruitment of a higher standard of graduate by employers will in turn have a positive reflection on the institute and its operators. According to the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada (2002), â€Å"If health care providers are expected to work together and share expertise in a team environment, it makes sense that their education and training should prepare them for this type of working arrangement.† Barr, et al. (2000) succinctly summarises the four main benefits I.P.E. can provide: Enhances motivation to collaborate Changes attitudes and perceptions Cultivates interpersonal, group and organisational relations Establishes common value and knowledge bases Hammick et al. (2007) found that I.P.E. is generally liked, allowing knowledge and skills needed for to work in collaboration to be learnt. Furthermore, staff development is the main impact on the effectiveness of I.P.E. and can help learners bring out the unique values about themselves and others (Hammick et al., 2007). When it comes to initiatives with regard to quality improvement, I.P.E. is effective in improving practice and services (Hammick et al., 2007). On the other hand, according to Zwarenstein et al. (2005), â€Å"there is no published evidence that I.P.E. promotes interprofessional collaboration or improves client relevant outcomes†. Thus, the need for more research on I.P.E. is needed. 2.6 Attitudes towards the Inter-Professional Teamwork and Education   There was an amount of studies carried out to gain more information regarding attitudes of healthcare students towards interprofessional teamwork and education. Such students tend to show positive attitudes towards I.P.E. (Tunstall-Pedoe, et al., 2003; Pollard, Miers, Gilchrist, 2004; Curran, Sharpe, Forristall Flynn, 2008). In a research study conducted by Lumagae et al. (2006), when it comes to patient care, interprofessional teamwork was approved by all the participants who all agreed that opportunities comprising their development of skills, attitudes and behaviours required for interprofessional collaboration should be involved in their healthcare education. Salvatori et al. (2007) also stated that â€Å"It is clear that students enjoyed their experience and perceived new respect and understanding of other professional roles and the potential for interprofessional collaboration in caring for patients† (p. 80). Most of such studies stated that there is a tendency that medical students and also postgraduate medical residents have significantly less positive attitudes towards interprofessional teamwork when compared to students from other healthcare professions (Hojat et al. 1997; Leipzig et al., 2002; Pollard et al. 2004; Tanaka Yokode, 2005). Attitudes of medical and nursing students towards interprofessional teamwork were studied and no significant difference was found between them two (Curran, et al., 2008). However, Curran et al. (2008) also found out that these two groups of students report significantly less positive attitudes towards interprofessional teams when compared to pharmacy and social work students. Curran et al. (2008) also reported that medical students significantly showed less positive attitudes towards I.P.E. when compared to nursing, pharmacy and social work students. Being a female and/or a senior undergraduate also showed more positive attitudes towards interprofessional teamwork and education (the latter being more significant especially with prior experience with I.P.E.). In this study, profession, gender and year also seemed to play a role in determining positive attitudes towards both interprofessional teamwork and education. On the other hand, Pollard et al. (2004) found that there were students who had viewed interprofessional collaboration negatively and they included mature students and those that had experience at university or of working in a health or social care settings. Curran et al. (2008), argues that although having previous experience in I.P.E. activities may not improve attitudes to it, participating in it may have more positive attitudes towards interprofessional teamwork. 2.7 Attitudes towards the Roles of their Own other Professional Groups Research has also tried to give answers with regard to students attitudes towards the roles of their own other professions. Tunstall-Pedoe, Rink, and Hilton (2003), argue that the overall attitude of students studying medicine towards students from other professions was less positive. In a study carried out by Hojat et al. (1997), medical students were found to have different attitudes from nursing students with regard to areas of authorities and power, including professional dominance and medical responsibilities in serving patients needs. Furthermore, Spence and Weston, (1995) maintains that nurses were more clear in their perceptions of competencies essential for medicine, than medical students were about competencies important for nursing.  Ã‚  Ã‚   It should be noted that literature review with regard to I.P.E. at the FHS was scarce and difficult to find.   Chapter 3 Materials Methodology 1 Introduction This chapter describes the planning and development of the research study. It also explains the underlying rationale for deciding on the studys structure. 3.2 Objectives of the Study It is not really known whether students of the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) and the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery (FMS) agree to the implementation of a new I.P.E. system at the FHS. The overall objective of the study was to understand whether students at the FHS and at the FMS know what I.P.E. is and to explore their opinions regarding the implementation or not of I.P.E. in the common curriculum at the FHS. The goals of the study were to: Explore the students understanding of the term I.P.E. Identify whether the students agree or disagree to the implementation of I.P.E. and I.P.E. study-units at the FHS, and if they agree, the study-units or areas of study they would like to see becoming inter-professional and at what stage of their course to implement it. Find out the students attitudes towards I.P.E. with regard to its benefits and challenges if any. Discover the students attitudes towards I.P.E. teams Discover the students attitudes towards other healthcare professions 3.3 Operational Definition of Terms Table 1 Illustrating the operational definition of terms. 3.4 The Research Design For the aims and objectives of the study to be addressed, the latter had to be descriptive, qualitative and thus, a non-experimental and explorative research design was considered to be the most suitable approach. One-to-one interviews were preferred to group interviews since in the former more personal information about the participant could be elicited (Carter, Lubinsky, Domholdt, 2011), the patient may feel more comfortable to speak in front of a person rather than in front of a group and thus giving more honest information especially when it comes to expressing his/her attitudes towards others. The interviews were carried out in-person, with the advantage of providing the best opportunity for building rapports and for observing the interviewees nonverbal cues (Carter, et al., 2011). 3.5 The Research Setting This study was conducted in Malta with the permission of the University of Malta. The University has a number of Faculties two of which being the FHS and the FMS, from which students were chosen to participate. The courses which fall under these faculties and which were included in the study can be found in Appendix F, wherein the numbers of students present in each division is also given. The participants had a say in the choice of the research setting, and preferred meeting at places most familiar and within reach to them including University of Malta areas, Mater Dei Hospital and at certain pharmacies, which were also within reach by the researcher. Carter, Lubinsky, and Domholdt (2011), suggest that the setting in which the research is carried out contributes greatly to an interviews success. The interviewer made sure to choose a setting which is familiar and comfortable to the interviewee, with special attention given to the environmental setting such as quietness to avoid interruptions, adequate lighting, room temperature, and comfortable and appropriate set-up of chairs to avoid building psychological barriers. Carter, Lubinsky, and Domholdt (2011), emphasized the importance of an appropriate introduction to an interview as this sets up the tone, affecting the rest of the interview. Furthermore, the researcher was aware of the body language at all times, keeping the appropriate distance, maintaining eye contact in line with cultural norms, showing interest and full awareness in what the interviewee was saying (by for example leaning forwards to him/her, nodding, smiling to funny comments that the subjects passed) and speaking clearly and at an adequate volume level. Attention was also given to choosing the appropriate type of clothing as in an interview the attire plays an important role. At the end of each interview, the interviewer made sure to thank the participant for his/her contribution to the research study in order to show appreciation and to indirectly help promote and encourage participation in future research. 3.6 Target Population In this study, the target population which is described as ‘the entire population in which a researcher is interested and to which he or she would like to generalize the study result (Polit and Beck, 2008, p. 767), included students from all the different divisions of the FHS and from the divisions of Pharmacy and Medical students which both fall under the FMS. When the researcher interviewed these students, the latter had already started their next scholastic year. The researcher staggered the interviews so as to gain more knowledge whilst completing the literature review and to be able to give the participants appropriate cues during the interviews. This helped the researcher to achieve better results because the cues given targeted the research question. A literature search of electronic databases including Ebsco, Cinahl and Pubmed was conducted between January 2009 and May 2011. The inclusion criteria for this study were: All the students whose course fell under the FHS or the FMS. Male or female Willingness to participate in the study. English speaking Students over 18 years of age. The study will be using undergraduate students opinions rather than post-graduate healthcarers opinions, as there is a lack of similar studies on the issue. The exclusion criteria for this study were as follows: Students who never had any clinical experience. Students who did not fell under University of Malta Those who did not want to participate. 3.7 Sampling Size and Methods Used to Choose the Sample Owing to time constraints, a method of convenience sampling was used to select a sample for the study, choosing easily accessible people who are in proximity to the researcher or who are willing to take part in the study (Castillo, 2009). This method is also the cheapest, simplest sampling form available and does not entail planning (Ellison, Barwick, Farrant, 2010). This type of sampling offers a fast attainment of preliminary information with regard to the research question being studied and is also inexpensive (Berg, 2004; Castillo, 2009). Students who satisfied the criteria were recognized and 31 people were chosen including 12 males and 19 females whose ages ranged from 19 to 46. The following is a proportion showing the total number of medical students, is to the total number of pharmacy students is to the total number of students from the FHS, respectively: 426: 196: 823. One student per 90 students for each FHS division was interviewed in order to have a representable sample . The researcher was aware that the selected subjects could not represent the entire population as to test the whole population it entails to interview an enormous amount of people and that would have taken an infinite amount of time to complete the study. The sampling was unrepresentative and did not offer statistical advantages (Ellison, et al., 2010). The sampling size was mostly determined by the available time and resources. The researcher tried to find a balance between depth and breadth of the interviews. The in-depth information obtained from the research population provided rich and valuable data. The researcher contacted subjects who satisfied the inclusion criteria of the study via e-mails or face-to-face, in order to set appointments for the interviews, and had to find a compromise between both her and the subjects availabilities. The researcher made sure that she would not disturb them. The researcher used stratified sampling to make sure that a particular sample, from the known population under study, is denoted in the sample (Berg, 2004). Furthermore, the use of stratified sampling also helped the researcher to access small subgroups within the population, allowing the researcher to examine the extremes of the population (Castillo, 2009). This known population was divided into strata, chosen according to literature support, from which samples were selected. The researcher had information on the population and was able to divide it into strata, for which a sampling fraction had to be applied, which represent proportions of the whole population (Berg, 2004). Qualitative research makes sure that informants are not manipulated in a certain way as would probably be typical in studies which are quantitative experimental, but, instead tries to access the informants viewpoints (Carter, et al., 2011).   3.8 The Research Instrument The interview guide had two parts, one of which included demographic data and the other part included fifteen open-ended questions. The latter produced the qualitative data. The intention of establishing a rapport with the interviewees was to make them feel more comfortable. Friendly light conversations, the use of sense of humour, and common conventions for example talking about weather conditions and about the surrounding environment helped to ease any tension built by the research situation and to start building a warm rapport. Furthermore, the researcher made sure that the interviewees had a say in the setting of the interview by asking them their preferred place, to augment comfort of the participant (Carter, et al., 2011). Moreover, the researcher made sure that the location chosen offered the least interruptions not to prevent limitations in conducting the interviews.   A self-preparatory semi-structured interview was the tool of the study (Appendix I). The clearest purpose of an interview is to collect information (Carter, et al., 2011). Questions were pre-designed prior to the interview and based on literature, yet, the format used in semi-structured interviews allows the researcher to elicit more information from the participant and to make questions more clear (Carter, et al., 2011). Berg (2004), characterized semi-structured interviews as being relatively structured, as being flexible both in wording and order of the questions, as being able to allow adjustments in the language level, as allowing the interviewer to give answers to questions and to make some clarifications if needs be, and as allowing the interviewer to add/remove probes (according to subjects). Carter, Lubinsky, and Domholdt (2011), pointed out that observation and interviewing skills were actually qualitative research methods seen regularly in clinical practice. As a physiotherapy student, the researcher was taught how to observe and assess patients thoroughly. This was an advantage to the researcher as she had already been gaining skills in observing and interviewing people prior to beginning the research study, thus, eliciting better and more reliable data. For example, being able to give relevant cues at the appropriate time during the interviews kept the interviews flowing. Carter, Lubinsky, and Domholdt (2011), stated that developing skills in interviewing when one is a student or a healthcare professional will transfer to a research study. The researcher made sure to try to elicit as much information as possible from the interviewees without putting them in an uncomfortable position. The latter was avoided by not asking too much of the participants, by selecting the right probing and cues, by showing an attitude of healthy curiosity and care, and by not judging them and keeping in mind that others have their values and opinions too. Any non-verbal communication noted was written as fieldnotes during the interviews and added to the transcripts. During the interviews the researcher followed a copy of the interview schedule in order to keep the interviewee on track and used probes to make it easier to elicit complete data from the interviewees (Berg, 2004). Probes were also used when the subjects used monosyllabic answers such as ‘yes or ‘no. ‘Uncomfortable silence was also used as a sign that the researcher expected to obtain more information. The interviewer also kept in mind to sound as natural as possible when asking questions and to remain neutral on the subject so as not to bias the participant by sharing personal judgments. Choosing facilitative techniques like providing utterances (for example ‘uh-huh), using ‘reflection by repeating some words of the interviewees utterance, ‘confrontation to point out certain physical evidence as the interviewee spoke (for example â€Å"I noticed you smiled when you told me that), ‘interpretation (for example ‘It sounds to me like youre not happy about that situation) were used to encourage the interviewees to continue (Carter, et al., 2011). Goffman (as cited in Berg, 2004) noted that people do not only learn to send or receive messages during their growth but also they learn how to avoid particular types of them. Goffman called this avoidance ‘evasion tactics. Berg, (2004) made it clear that although this has to be surmounted when conducting interviews, one has to be caref