Square Company Analysis

Logistics and Analysis of IGEHO 2011

Logistics and Analysis of IGEHO 2011 Introduction IGEHO is an international exhibition for hotel catering and extra-domestic consumption that took place in Basel, Switzerland from the 19-23 November 2011. The event was meant for anyone who is professionally involved in the hotel industry. The IGEHO event offered innovations, a complete market overview of products and services and a setting in which to meet familiar faces.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Logistics and Analysis of IGEHO 2011 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Alongside hoteliers, the event acted as a meeting point for professionals from the facility management industry and the care sector (homes and hospitals). In addition to this, visitors to the event were able to acquire valuable specialist knowledge about trends in the hotel industry. Happening at a difficult economic climate, the event provided a good opportunity for stakeholders in the hotel industry to find the right partner in good time so as to be able to react successfully to changes within the industry. At a time when conserving energy is a priority for every organization, IGEHO provided participants information on energy efficiency for them to apply in the hotel industry. Additionally, the event gave participants who would like to invest money in the hotel industry in the future an opportunity to learn the basics of how to run their businesses. This was achieved through a lecture given on hall 2.2 with the theme â€Å"Atmosphere for the Hotel Guest: Focus on Women.† The choice of topic was based on the assumption that hotels are generally better tailored to the requirements of men than women. By placing the focus on women, the event organizers sought to give participants an answer to the question of how female hotel gusts differ from their male counterparts (IGEHO, 2011). Ideally, the event featured over 800 exhibitors displaying thousands of products, services, and innovations in the hotel industr y (Allen, 2010). This report looks at the logistical support for IGEHO to determine if the event was a success or not in relation to other events. The report also looks at the main suppliers (Butterworth, and Rukavina, 2002) during the event and gives a Gantt chart giving the schedule of the event. Logistical Support for the Igeho Event Events like IGEHO 2011 are leisure activities and work possibilities for people and logistical support is important if they are to be a success. Events bring people together and make them have a good time. They enhance the quality of people’s life by providing significant economic benefits and can also provide revenue for special projects. Regardless of size, events require a high degree of planning, a range of skills and a lot of energy.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Andersson and Wesslau (2000), when using e vents, companies get the possibility to have their own right to the consumer during the duration of the event. This means that if a company manages to get the consumer to attend the event, the distortion from the competitors will be gone or at least minimized during the duration of the event. Also, events such as IGEHO, which largely concentrates on the hotel industry contains tangible elements, such as food, beverages and other products sold or given away, but are essentially a service in that they consist of intangible experiences of finite duration within a temporary, managed atmosphere. As with all services, this experiential â€Å"product† is produced and consumed simultaneously, is highly heterogeneous and very difficult to store or control (Allen, 2010) hence the need for proper planning. Ticketing Ticketing an event such as IGEHO is an immensely complex task, involving thousands of tickets. Hence, ticketing is one of the most significant programs of mega events such a s IGEHO 2011. The ticketing that regards customers becomes, directly and indirectly, a critical factor for the success of the event and, consequently, it must be set up and realized in more professional and coherent way with the context of which it is to be situated (Cherubini and Iasevoli, 2007). For IGEHO, the tickets were available from the event’s website www.igeho24.ch. Participants to the event were able to purchase their tickets online two months before the event kicked off. Selling tickets online provided convenience to the participants since they did not have to cue to obtain their tickets. Additionally, the event organizers were able to get good returns since they were selling their tickets directly to the public. The ability to purchase tickets at any time that suited them not only enabled the participants to make informed choices on the part of the event they wanted to attend but it also eased the pressure on the organizers phones consequently cutting their cost b ase significantly. However, since not all participants to the event have access to internet connection, the organizers had booths in various countries where one could buy IGEHO tickets. These were available from the stands at the entrances of shopping malls and event venue. In addition, portions of the tickets were sent to special guests personally (IGEHO, 2011). Transportation On Saturday, November 19 and every other day of the event at 08.15 am, a special train would move from the city center to Basel SBB where the trade fair was being held. Participants were not charged for this ride since the event organizers met the cost. Throughout the day, the number of speed trains heading to the trade fair was increased to enable anyone who missed the special IGEHO train to get to the venue in good time.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Logistics and Analysis of IGEHO 2011 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The event organize rs chose speed trains as the mode of transportation to the event to avoid traffic jams, which are inherent in Basel. The IGEHO organizers had also made a special arrangement with the RailAway Company to offer 10% discount on the outward and return journey to Basel SBB and on the transfer to the trade fair grounds for those who missed the IGEHO train. For those who did not wish to travel by rail, the organizers had contracted reliable bus companies and taxi operators to transport guests to the event and back. However, this was done at the guests’ own expense (IGEHO, 2011). Human Resources Human resource management is much more than recruitment and selection of staff and volunteers; it is a wide-ranging activity, involving the long-term strategic development of the event organization. The expected outcome of this is a positive culture of commitment and cooperation developed in the process of managing the work force (Wagen, 2007). In events, there are also the volunteers. They a re representatives from the community who freely choose to give their time and skills to support club activities for no payment other than reimbursement for out of pocket expenses. Volunteers come from all age groups, educational backgrounds and genders (Cherubini and Iasevoli, 2007). People generally volunteer to have fun, socialize, learn new skills, help others, develop new friends, explore career opportunities etc. (Getz, 2007). Working with volunteers requires that their special contribution to the success of the event be acknowledged and shared. Working with volunteers requires consideration, flexibility and enthusiasm because volunteers often work for the ‘fun of it’ of for charitable purposes. Volunteers require just as much management and coordination as employees (Tassiopoulos, 2005). For the realization of the IGEHO 2011 event successfully, there was need for adequate, competent and well-qualified human resources to achieve the goals of the event. In this sen se, the staff employed in the IGEHO Event consisted of the Swiss Hotel Industry personnel and organization company’s staff. These people had responsibilities from the beginning to the end of the event. In addition, during the staging of the event the personnel in charge were assigned to serve the participants and the audience. In the IGEHO 2011 event, a total of 38 employees were assigned including 13 employees in organization, 15 for stage setup and enter-exit controlling, 6 people in branding, 4 people in promotional and advertising business.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The personnel were trained people and were selected according to the job requirements. Volunteers were 33 people and students from various Swiss hotel industry institutions. The students were assigned to meet the needs of the audiences and provide the necessary assistance in the hall during the event. Two week training was given to the volunteers for the event (IGEHO, 2011). Marketing and PR In management of the events, public relations have two roles. On the one hand, it supports marketing activity in the form of promotions; on the other hand, it is also the tool that disseminates non-promotional information to other target publics that are important to the organization (Anderson, 2004). An event’s leading aim is to achieve positive coverage on the media for the event without paying for the space or air-time it occupies. Strong relationships with the key media and a range of innovative techniques and tools in order to evoke an attraction are important when trying to create t he desired media exposure (Masterman, 2004). In addition, media relations and publicity should be given a lot of attention. A well-planned publicity campaign should run alongside any advertising campaign. Ideally, this drive should be spread over the period of months, building up to a peak shortly before the event. Early warning allows potential participants and spectators to book the event in to their diaries and prevents potential clashes with rival attractions (Tassiopoulos, 2005). To promote the IGEHO 2011 event, various activities were organized in the city centre, in shopping malls and in hotels. Brochures and leaflets were distributed in areas of heavy pedestrian traffic (Berridge, 2007). In addition outdoor advertisements were done. Some attendants of IGEHO were determined by online voting by public people from the official web site of IGEHO www.igeho24.ch. By carrying out e-mail based subscription system of voting, the event participants also achieved the chance to win vari ous gifts. In addition, it was announced some surprise awards would be distributed to the lucky participants by drawing during the event. Wide coverage to reports on the subject was given in the local and national press, on web pages and official web site of IGEHO within the scope of public relations (IGEHO, 2011). The IGEHO organizers created a strong brand and visual image for the event that was withdrawn from IGEHO’s strong hotel industry background while at the same time creating a clean commercial look that would appeal to European investors where participants were drawn from. After developing a strong message – ‘Atmosphere for the Hotel Guest: Focus on Women’ the organizers formed a management team that focused on systematically developing a targeted participants list. The team then circulated targeted invitations to over 20,000 potential delegates. To market the event further, the organizers formed the IGEHO Forum where lively discussions about the event were held. These discussions were chaired by Heinz Margot a well-known Swiss television presenter and covered various industry topics (IGEHO, 2011). Additionally, the organizers also used social websites like twitter and facebook to promote the event (Wagen, 2005). Risk Management The goals of risk management (RM) in events like everywhere include the protection of assets, to minimize legal and financial liabilities, to control potential loss, properly manage growth, and to operate responsibility. Risk management recognized in varying degrees as a key component of the responsibilities associated with the planning and producing events. It is often perceived as a function that is carried out once an event has been conceived, designed, and organized. RM should be thoroughly embedded in the event design and throughout its development and production process to ensure the risks associated with the event are managed effectively and cost efficiently (Silvers, 2008). To reduce the risk s that may occur during staging of the event, the logistical team had ambulances and medical teams on standby before the start of the event. In addition, to ensure the security of the event professional security staffs were assigned. Event Participants Meeting, Receptions and Hospitality To welcome the participants in to the hall, controllers, routing attendant’s volunteers were supposed to meet the people and guide them. In order to provide employee communication, intercom, wireless radio and mobiles were used. Before the event, time audiences were taken in by ticket controlling on a regular basis. Entries were provided in to two different doors. Assigned people directed the audience to different booths by asking them what they wanted to learn. In the VIP entrance, the audiences were taken into the same way. Front part of the VIP gate was devoted to protocol. Private catering was treated for the VIP guests (IGEHO, 2011). Analysis of the Suppliers Needed Like any other big ev ent, the IGEHO organizers could not organize the event on their own and had to look for other suppliers to assist them in making the event a success (Butterworth, and Rukavina, 2002). Road Traffic Office Since the risk of road traffic accidents is higher in international visitors compared to local residents, the IGEHO organizers had collaborated with the Swiss Road Traffic Office (SRTO) to ensure that there were no accidents involving participants to the event. The highway patrol officers taking part in the event had been retrained and improvements in the secondary road network including lane widening and lane separation in dangerous ‘hot spots’ near the location of the event was carried out. The highway patrol officers created awareness among event participants on the side of the road they were supposed to drive, importance of wearing seatbelts, limiting the use of alcohol, and avoiding driving when tired. The officers were also required to give directions to motorists who did not know the venue for the event. Cabeza Cleaning Company In order to ensure that the city was kept clean during the duration of the event, the organizers contracted 326 street cleaners from Cabeza, a private cleaning company who manually removed approximately 20 tonnes of rubbish from city streets, which is twice the usual amount. Up to 5000kg of rubbish was removed from the IGEHO site and 197sq m of city footpaths and 8000 sq m of city roadways were cleaned three times a day, which is equivalent to approximately 180 football fields. In addition, there was a team of 12 anti-graffiti cleaners who were employed around the clock removing approximately 1300 instances of graffiti. G4S For any event to be successful, security of the participants has to be guaranteed. To ensure the security of participants at IGEHO, the organizers had contracted security firm G4S to manage crowds in areas where pedestrian volumes increase quickly. This included areas such as near transport interc hanges, station platforms, fairground exits, bridges, and ticket booths/ticket gates. During the event, G4S was supposed to provide security and stewarding duties as communication between the two types of staff is critical for the safe management of crowds. G4S had selected stewards with appropriate competencies and they had also received training in fire safety, emergency evacuation and dealing with incidents such as bomb threats. Two months before the start of IGEHO, G4S was already deeply involved in risk assessment and planning for the event. Working with the IGEHO staff, it participated in everything from security preparations and consultancy to the actual operations covering the whole 5-day event, starting on 19 November. Overall, G4S had provided 600 security officers to ensure the round-the-clock safety and security of the 80,000 visitors who descended on the Swiss city to take part in IGEHO 2011. ABB Group of Companies Although no incidents related to electrical hazards hav e been reported in any major event, there is always the potential of electricity causing death to workers, participants or members of the public due to the temporary nature of some installations. The supply of electricity may also present an issue in that lighting levels need to be maintained at an adequate level to help people evacuate. The IGEHO organizers had contracted the ABB Group of Companies to provide lighting at the event venue. This came from the need to provide generators in case of any power failure during the duration for the event. Table 1: Gantt chart giving the schedule of the event ACTIVITY SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER Week 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Committee Training Legislation Marketing PR Event Event Evaluation Table 2. Explanation of the Gantt chart Time Frame Schedule of Event Sep. Wk. 1-4 Formation of the committee, search for volunteers and hiring of staff Oct. W k. 1-2 Training of volunteers and staff who took part in the event Oct. Wk. 3-4 Procurement of the required licenses to ensure that the event complied with the Swiss law Oct. Wk. 2- Nov. Wk. 2 The four weeks were devoted to marketing and PR in the countries where participants were drawn from. Nov. Wk. 3 The date for the event Nov. Wk 4 Various committees’ hand in their reports for the event. The reports highlighted the challenges that every team met and gave recommendations of how this could be mitigated for an effective hosting of IGEHO 2012 Conclusion and Recommendations This paper has presented the findings of a study about the dimensions of event management and event marketing. This has been done by reviewing the literature for event management and event marketing and approaches of how this was applied in IGEHO. While most of the literature focuses on the entire event management, this paper focuses on the logistics of event management named ticketing, transport ation, human resources (volunteers and trained staff), budgeting, marketing and PR and risk management. The study illustrates that the event management logistics in the literature had been applied in to the 2011 edition of IGEHO organization and the event was successfully managed and marketed. The organization owners and the exhibitors have reached their objective and reached the number of people targeted. Recommendations Although most of the objectives for the event were realized, the report recommends the following for successful staging of future IGEHO events:- The planning committee should be formed early in advance to ensure that adequate time is accorded to the planning process The marketing and PR campaigns should run for a longer time to ensure that the participants surpass the 80,000 mark that the event organizers always target. The event organizers should pay more attention to the issue of public health and safety risks that are inherent in mass gatherings and how to mana ge those risks when planning for the next event since this was not handled properly in the previous event. References Allen, J. (2010) Event Planning Ethics and Etiquette: A Principled Approach to the Business of Special Event Management. New York, Wiley. Anderson, J. (2004) Teamwork: Interactive Tasks to Get Students Talking. New York, Delta. Andersson, M. and Wesslau, A. (2000). Organizing for Event Marketing in Order to Change Brand Image and Increase Sales. International Management Master Thesis, 16(2), 19-20. Berridge, G. (2007). Events Design and Experience, Events Management Series. Elsevier. Butterworth, S. and Rukavina, V. (2002). The Event Sponsorship. New York, Wiley. Cherubini, S. and Iasevoli, G. (2007). Marketing Trend in Europe Conference. Paris. Getz, D. (2007) Event Studies: Theory, Research and Policy for Planned Events. London, Oxford. IGEHO. (2011) Trendsetting in the Hotel Industry. Igeho 2011. [Online] Web. Masterman, G. (2004). Strategic Sports Event Manageme nt. Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford. Silvers, J. (2008). Risk Management for Meetings and Events. Burlington, Butterworth-Heinemann. Tassiopoulos, D. (2005). Event Management: A Professional and Developmental Approach. Lansdowne, Juta Academic. Wagen, L. (2005). Event Management: For Tourism, Cultural, Business and Sporting  Events. Perth, Pearson Education. Wagen, L. (2007). Human Resource Management for Events; Managing the Event  Workforce. Burlington, Butterworth-Heinemann.

Persuasive writing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Persuasive writing - Assignment Example Frank Daley, who is one of Ruth’s immediate superiors, Ruth’s workload has significantly increased. In addition to the fact, that Ruth only has a part time worker to support her. This situation has negatively affected Ruth’s efficiency and productivity as well as her overtime schedule causing the company additional expenses for her overtime pay. Jack on the other hand, has significantly reduced work due to the absence of Ms. Jessica Hilo. Jack having his full time assistant has had less workload resulting in his current lax attitude about his tasks. Given the circumstance, the imbalanced distribution of work should be addressed. The best solution would be to delegate the same workload and workers to the two offices. This can be done by switching the assistants to each office. Since Jack has lessened workload, the need for a full time assistant is unnecessary. Conversely, Ruth who has taken more responsibilities needs more help and a full time assistant shall bene fit her efficiency and work quality without causing additional expenses for the company. I also believe that this shall make the two employees and their supervisors contented because there would be minimal adjustment in terms of organization. The company even saves money and ensures the productivity of all their employees.

How are the banks affecting the US economy thanks to the TARP and Essay

How are the banks affecting the US economy thanks to the TARP and other bailouts from the US government - Essay Example This research report looks into the bank effects on the United States Economy, after the bailout plan, and how the banks have coped with the plan in their economic functions which according to Fusan, R., (2008, pg 1095), include netting and settlement of payments, through collection and paying agents for customers, clearing and settlements of payments which enables them to economize on reserves held for such settlements of payments, since inward and outward payments offset each other. They also play a vital economic role in credit intermediation, through borrowing and lending back-to-back on their own account as middlemen. Therefore, with the economy maimed to the point where the bank roles were threatened, the Government through its responsibility as the economic overseer intervened to allow them to borrow more on demand debt as well as short-term debt and to provide more long term loans. The borrowed money would mainly maintain cash reserves, invest in marketable securities that can be readily converted into cash if needed and raising replacement funding as required from various sources such as whole sale cash markets and securities market (Fusan, R., 2008, pg 1102) According to Alfred and Yalata, (2009, pg 300), the banks that agreed to receive preferred stock investments from the US Treasury included Goldman Sachs Group Inc, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Morgan Stanley, Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc., Bank of New York Mello

Feed Resources Recovery Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Feed Resources Recovery - Case Study Example He moved on to the Laurence Candle where he invented a renewable wax candle, a strategy that increased the organization's profitability. At this time, he realized his weakness in Accounting and he enrolled for a master in business administration. His experience and knowledge seems to be the driving force towards creation of his anaerobic digester. After market research, he identifies the marketability and the economic feasibility of his product in the country. He finds it quite difficult to meet an investor to fund his project and when he is able to speak with a potential investor, Wal-Mart, he is turned down for his project’s long payback period. Finally, when he is able to win a grant, he finds it difficult to implement his design. Resultantly, he is forced to engage a partnership with Ryan, an engineer, who develops the prototype for product share of 20%. From the financial report generated, the project is expected to have a payback period of two years and net earnings of 1 4% by the end of the fourth year. Although the market is dominated by another multi-million company, Ryan feels that accessing local raw material for his digester plan will help him to differentiate from the big organization and hence remain profitable in the long run. Critical Issues Market Problems Shane’s project is subject to numerous forces that are threatening his survival in the market. Although his project is a solution to the problems of the people, the project is suited for profit-constrained market. Consequently, he expects lean profits in the project and hence the project is expected to have a long payback period. Secondly, it is a big challenge to convince his customers that the project is viable unless he is able to build his prototype. This is bound to pose challenges to the business after its launch and the product can only gain customers in the long run. Additionally, has a dominant competitor, Waste Management Company, who has invested over $13billion dollar s in a central plant and supplies gas to consumers over long distances (Blank 12). Financial Problems In Shane’s Plan, the project cannot take off until he is able to garner $250, 000 required to build the prototype (Blank 11). While he was won a few awards, the money cannot suffice the capital demanded by the project. The alternative of confronting friends and relatives has been viable yet a very slow process that would delay the project along its projected path. Investors are not willing to fund the project until the team is able to build a prototype and to define the feasibility of the project. Consequently, Ryan and Shane need to identify alternative sources of finance in order to be able to build their prototype without altering the critical path of the project. Strategic problems The project plan laid down by Shane indicates a number of strategic planning weaknesses that are likely to create problems along the implementation process. There is evidence of a drawback in t he viability of the project as measured by its output power. When Shane conducts a feasibility study, he finds that the project is not eligible for the Grant that Massachusetts Technology Collaborative offers to a company that would produce over 50KW of power (Blank 13). This points out that the projects need to target more raw

Acute Myocardial Infarction and Periodontal Disease

Acute Myocardial Infarction and Periodontal Disease Research Findings The study examined the association between acute myocardial infarction and periodontal diseases using cross sectional design. The analysis was carried out using the SPSS/PC Windows version 21.0 software package (IBM, Inc.). The sample size taken for the study was 80 (Cases=40, Control=40). The bivariate association between the studied variables, acute MI and periodontitis (dichotomized) was analyzed with the appropriate test. A significance level of p≠¤0.05 was considered significant and the odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Further, conditional logistic regression analysis/cox regression analysis (1:1 matched pairs) was used to assess the independent contribution of periodontal diseases to the risk of acute myocardial infarction and also to find the relationship between AMI and other possible explanatory variables. The risk factors such as tobacco habit, smoking, dietary habits, family history of diabetes, were forced into the model. The following secti on presents the results. Descriptive Statistics and Preliminary Analyses Association between acute myocardial infarction and study variables. The table below presents the association between Acute Myocardial Infarction and study variables. The results showed that odds of outcome (AMI) were significantly higher in subjects with periodontitis, smoking habits, hypertension and mixed dietary habits. Out of the total 80 patients, the majority of the periodontitis patients (82.5%) were present within the case group (AMI patients) (p=0.026). Similarly, the prevalence of smoking (52.5% vs. 27.5%, p=0.031) and hypertension (52.5% vs. 47.9%, p Table 6:  Association between Acute Myocardial Infarction and study variables *p Association between periodontitis and study variables. The table below presents the association between Periodontitis and study variables. The results showed that odds of outcome (periodontitis) were significantly higher in subjects with smoking habits, hypertension and alcohol drinking (p Table 7:  Association between Periodontitis and study variables Conditional Logistic Regression Analysis Using Cox Proportional Hazard Model Following the preliminary analysis’ cox regression analyses were used to assess the independent contribution of periodontal diseases to the risk of acute myocardial infarction and also to find the relationship between an AMI event and possible explanatory variables. To control the effects of multiple potential confounders, multivariate model were also fitted by modeling periodontitis as a time varying covariant in a model. Cox proportional hazard analysis allowed the researcher to include the predictor variables (covariates) one by one into the subsequent models. This provided estimated coefficients for each of the covariates and allowed the researcher to assess the impact of multiple covariates in the same model. We can also use Cox regression to examine the effect of continuous covariates such as BMI. The following recoding was done to examine the association between AMI and periodontitis. Socio economic status=0 (Reference category): Lower; 1=Upper Lower; 2=Lower middle; 3=Upper middle; 4=Upper: Family history=0 (Reference category): No; 1=Yes; Exercise=0 (Reference category): Yes; 1=No ; Hyper tension=0 (Reference category): No; 1=Yes: Diabetes=0 (Reference category): No; 1=Yes: Dietary habit=0 (Reference category): Vegetarian; 1=Mixed: Smoking habit=0 (Reference category): Non-smoker; 1= Former smoker; 2=Smoker: Smokeless tobacco habit=0 (Reference category): Non-users; 1= Former user; 2=Current u ser: Alcohol drinking=0 (Reference category): Non-drinker; 1= Current drinker; 2=Irregular abstainer: Marital status=0 (Reference category): Unmarried; 1= Married; 2=Divorced. The conditional logistic regression estimates the odds ratio, and an exact 95% confidence interval. Table 3, below presents the association between AMI and Periodontitis using Cox regression. Table 8:  Cox Regression Dependent variable: Acute Myocardial Infarction Conditional logistic regression analysis outcomes indicated the presence of a significant association between AMI and periodontitis (Beta=1.358, p= .039 In all the stages, for regular exercise the beta value is negative which means it is a protective factor or is inversely related as acute myocardial events, however this association is not statistically significant to report. Statistical Analysis of Other Clinical Parameters (DMFT, CPI and LOA Scores) Test for normality. To test the assumption of normality, the study used the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilks test. From this test, the Sig. (p) value was compared to the priori alpha level (level of significance for the statistic) – and a determination was made as to reject (p ÃŽ ±) the null hypothesis. The Table 1 below shows that where ÃŽ ± = 0.001, given that p Table 9:  Test for Normality Test for homogeneity of variance (equality of variances). Further, to test the assumption of homogeneity of variance, where the null hypothesis assumes no difference between the two group’s variances (H0: 2 ÏÆ' 1 = 2 ÏÆ' 2), a non-parametric Levene’s test for equality of variances is the most commonly used statistic to verify the equality of variances in the samples (homogeneity of variance) especially for non-normally distributed data. Therefore, Kruskal Wallis one-way analysis Leven’s test was applied. The Levene’s test uses the level of significance set a priori for the t test analysis (e.g., ÃŽ ± = .05) to test the assumption of homogeneity of variance. However, in SPSS it’s challenging to execute Leven’s test for non-normally distributed data in one step. Hence steps were applied to create three new variables such as ranked data, group mean ranks and deviation from mean ranks. Finally, the differences were computed using ANOVA and the p value was found to be Table 10:  Test Statistics Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon W test : comparing medians. As the data is non-homogenous and non-normally distributed, Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon W tests were used to compare the median scores of DMFT, CPI and LOA scores, and also to check the significance of differences. Null Hypothesis: Median score of DMFT, CPI and LOA is same for both case and control. Alternative hypothesis: Median score of DMFT, CPI and LOA differs between case and control. Table 11:  Test Statistics DMFT Score CPI Score LOA Score Mann-Whitney U 403.500 340.500 374.500 Wilcoxon W 1223.500 1160.500 1194

power and politics Essay -- essays research papers

Politics and Power Paper   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is not about â€Å"what you do†, â€Å"it is about who you are and who you know†. As employees, we have all heard sayings like this before when it comes to the business world. The â€Å"power and politic† mindset is a direct result of the type of tug of war experienced for millions of years; from prehistoric times through modern day. Ever since Ugha smashed Mugha in the head with a club back in prehistoric times, politics have been around in the workplace. Politics are a subliminal fight for survival and it actually happens in personal lives as much as it does in our work lives. Politics can go hand in hand with power, just as night follows the day. Many of the political situations that occur within a corporation are a result of growth and change. However, part of the task of becoming a viable asset to a corporation is to look beyond the surface and find out where the company is heading as a result of these changes. In this way, employees c an position themselves to be a positive part of the growth and change.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Power and politics go hand in hand in the business world today. The likelihood of gaining power often depends on the ability to read and understand politics. Once power is gained, leaders tend to utilize politics to reach long term goals and visions. Pending on the style of leadership, personal agendas may come into play. While personal agendas are not always a bad thing, they are generally set forth with limited perspective and can potentially result in catastrophe. Because personal agendas restrict the flow of communication and constructive criticism, personal agendas are a major contributor to the negative aspects of power. However, there is far more to be gained than lost with regard to power. Power provides a solid structure and a clear expectation. Since people strive to please, measurable guidelines offer a foundation for success. When power is used effectively, appropriate politics can be set into place to obtain a desired outcome.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Politics are meant to go unnoticed and usually lie beneath the surface. Recognizing politics is half the battle in learning to handle and deal with them. Once politics are recognized there is an opportunity to benefit personally and collectively. Politics can promote the â€Å"I’ll scratch you’re back if you scratch mi... ... has built its reputation on. (Schermerhorn, John R., Hunt, James G., Osborn, Richard N. Organizational Behavior, pgs 1-31).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What can you do to thrive in a political environment? There’s no magic formula, but common sense, fair play and sound judgment are good starting points. Work hard; absolutely. But instead of keeping your head down, keep your antenna up. Instead of keeping your nose clean and not getting involved in any of the politics, use it to sniff out information and opportunities. Instead of seeing power and politics as dirty words, put them to good use for yourself and others. One thing is for sure, power and politics will always survive in the business world, and it is imperative that we as employees find a way to use them to our advantage, because if we do not someone else will. As it is pointed out in one article, the great philosopher Plato once said â€Å"Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber† (Martinez, 2000). References Martinez, M. N. (2000). Politics Come With The Office. Information retrieved on   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  August 27, 2005 from www.graduatingengineer.com