Thursday, November 28, 2019

Organisational Buying Process free essay sample

Loginova Olga Organizational buying behavior in Business tourism market Case Holiday Club Resorts Oy 50 pages, 1 appendix Saimaa University of Applied Sciences, Lappeenranta Business Administration, Degree Programme in International Business Bachelor’s Thesis 2011 Instructor: Ville Lehto The purpose of this Bachelor’s thesis is to provide understanding of the organizational buying behavior in Russian companies in context of business tourism market. This includes describing the general model of the process, identifying people, responsible for decision making and analyzing factors, that influence their decisions. Another objective is to give recommendations to the case company about how to reach right people in Russian organizations with their message. In the theoretical part of the study the main issues are related to the general principles of organizational buying behavior and main concepts of the topic. When conducting this research both Russian and English sources are used. The most related topics of the literature are  «Organizational Buying behavior »,  «Business-to-business marketing » and  «Industrial marketing », presented by Philip Kotler, Frederick E. We will write a custom essay sample on Organisational Buying Process or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Webster Jr. and Yoram Wind and Kovalev A. I Empirical part is based on a case study and describes the organizational buying process on example of 3 Russian companies, which were chosen according to the criteria of location, size and industry. The data for case study is gathered by conducting an interview with members of buying centers within these companies. Implementation of theory to the practice faced some difficulties such as misunderstanding of the topic and unwillingness of companies to provide full information. Business markets mostly concerns producer and reseller markets (Vitale et al, 2010, p. 131) Generally, business markets consist of fewer, but larger customers than consumer markets and are involved in purchases of significantly large value having complex economic, technical and financial considerations. Business markets also differ from consumer markets in such aspects as: sales volumes, marketing structure and demand, nature of products and most relevant for this thesis – types of decision and decision process (Ibid). Organization buying is the decision-making process by which formal organizations establish the need for purchased products and services and identify, evaluate, and choose among alternative brands and suppliers (Webster Wind, 1996). The nature of the buyer decision process in a business-tobusiness environment differs from the consumer ones, that is why understanding of organizational buying behavior is essential– it helps to develop the right approach to corporate clients and establish strong bonds between  «sellers » and  «buyers ». 4 1. 1 Background of the research Organizational buying behavior is an extensive concept as it depends on many factors. However, understanding the organizational buying process is a key prerequisite for the development of business marketing strategy. With knowledge of the customer firm’s decision making process and buying behavior, market managers are in a far better position to develop marketing strategies, build win-win relationship with customers and influence purchasing decisions successfully. The case company Holiday Club Resorts Oy is one of Europe’s largest vacation enterprises. The company’s specialization is holiday centers, spa hotels and time share apartments. Holiday Club operates both on consumer and business markets as their customers are different companies and organizations as well as representatives of public sector. This research is done to support the new project of the company – Saimaa Gardens large tourist and leisure time resort in Finland that will be opened in Autumn 2011. New holiday center will provide large facilities for conferences, business meetings and corporate parties (Holiday Club Oy 2010). While Finland and Russia are neighboring countries with well-developed connections in tourism area, Holiday Club’s officials are willing to attract Russian corporate clients. This thesis is a part of a bigger project, that consists of two studies. The first one is devoted to Russian outbound tourism and gives understanding of  «What organizational clients want?  », the second one answers the question  «How organizations buy?  ». The whole project is carried out by two students. Alena Tsyvinskaja is responsible for the first part, called  «Russian outbound MICE tourism – demand and concept », while this study is accomplished by Olga Loginova. The purpose of this study is to find out reasons and factors which affect the buying decisions and choice of leisure service provider. The research is aimed to analyze buying behavior process in Russian organizations and provide 5 possibilities for Saimaa Gardens to fulfill corporate requirements and reach their target market successfully. 1. 2 Research problem and objectives The main objective of this thesis is to give understanding of organizational buying process in Russian companies and provide recommendations to Saimaa Garden, how to reach right people with their message. For this purpose few Russian companies will be targeted as potential customers. Each organization has buying center – a group of people, who are responsible for buying decisions. (Webster Wind,1996). The research will be based on direct communication with these people in order to understand their roles and identify factors that affect their decisions. Main research problem consists of 3 parts: -find members of the buying center -analyze their roles and decision making process -describe an organizational buying process in general In the final outcome, Holiday Club will benefit from thesis in several ways. Firstly, this project will give an understanding of organizational buying behavior in Russian companies. Secondly it will provide a framework that will help to affect decision making process in a most efficient way. And finally, as research involves communication with companies, it will give a good opportunity to find first corporate customers. In general, possession of such knowledge will facilitate entering a new market for Holiday Club. 1. 3 Theoretical framework The theoretical framework of this thesis includes theories about nature of organizational buying in general and decision making process particularly. Theories, concerning organizational buying and decision making process gives an overall understanding of how organizational purchasing is executed, how 6 decisions are made and which factors influence them. Organizational buyers decision process model gives a clear guidelines how decision is made step by step. And Buying center’s analyses provide ideas for the practical part about how to recognize people, responsible for decision taking and to define roles and motives of those people. When conducting this research both Russian and English sources were used. The most related topics of the literature are  «Organizational Buying behavior  »,  «Business-to-business marketing » and  «Industrial marketing ». In theoretical part of the study information from Philip Kotler’s  «Marketing management »,  «A general model for understanding organizational buying behavior », written by Frederick E. Webster Jr. nd Yoram Wind and book of Russian author Kovalev A. I.  «Industrial Marketing » was used. The full list of sources provided at the end of the study. 1. 4 Research context 1. 4. 1 Business tourism As this study is devoted to business tourism, it is appropriate to give a small overview of this topic. In recent times more and more organizations have gone global, business connections have become international and economic activities are spread all over the world. As it’s commonly known, successful business is impossible without contacts, technologies and information exchanging, gaining new partners and customers. Due to the rapid growth of business contacts with foreign partners, business tourism is seen as an important niche market, and is one of the fastest growing sectors of the tourism industry. This segment of the tourism industry has also been referred to as Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE). The concept of MICE stands for corporate outbound tourism, aiming to bring people together for a particular entertaining or business purpose. (Business Travel Worldwide 2011. ) 7 In general, MICE encompasses the following activities: ? ? ? ? ? Meetings and conferences Exhibitions and trade fares Incentive travel Corporate events Outdoor events Individual corporate travel (Ibid) According to the statistics, provided by RBTA (Russian Business Travel Association,2010), in share correlation the structure of MICE travelling has the following form: 71% for individual travelling, 16% for participation in conferences and congresses, 11% for visiting exhibitions and approximately 2-3% for incentive travel. Business travelling may peruse different aims and according to  «Business Travel Worldwide » (2011) some of them are: ? ? ? ? ? Establishing partner relations, negotiating the contracts, concluding deals Visiting and taking part in the exhibitions Participating in congresses, conferences and seminars Trainings, professional development trips Incentive trips (trips, usually granted as a reward for employee’s outstanding performance) According to Business Tourism Partnership (2010) principal characteristics of business tourism include the following: †¢ it is at the high quality, high yield end of the tourism spectrum †¢ business tourism is year-round, peaking in Spring and Autumn but still with high levels of activity in the Summer and Winter months †¢ it is resilient, being much less affected by economic downturns or by disasters than leisure tourism and other sectors of the national economy 8 †¢ business tourism stimulates future inward investment as business people see the attractions of a destination while travelling on business or to attend a conference, exhibition or incentive, and then return to establish business operations there. According to Swarbrooke and Horner (2001), the participants of business tourism market can be divided into 3 groups: Consumers: Individuals Companies Associations Intermediaries: Travel Agencies Exhibition companies Event management companies and others Suppliers: Transport operators Accommodation operators Incentive travel venues Specialist services Figure 1 Participants of business tourism market. The figure represents the simplified scheme of business tourism market. In the reality the process might look different, including several intermediaries or ,vice versa, the link of intermediaries might be excluded as consumers are willing to arrange their business trips on their own. 1. 4. 2 MICE in Russia Although the thesis topic doesn’t cover business tourism market analysis, several words should be said about MICE market in Russia. Russia is a country where business tourism in general is actively developing now. However, the concept of MICE is still rather new for Russian companies. The reasons for this might be the insufficient development of corporate culture in general and small amount of international business contacts. Anyway, Russian corporate travel has not the same level as  «ancestors » of business tourism USA and European countries. 9 In general, MICE tourism in Russia can be characterized by following features (RBTA 2010): ? ? ? ? Outbound tourism is prevailing (most Russian companies prefer travel abroad rather than within the country) Problem such as lack of qualified agencies still exist. The demand for MICE services is fluctuating and not stable Incentive tourism is significantly less popular comparing with other parts of MICE 1. 4. 3 Case company profile Holiday Club Resorts Oy is one of Europe’s largest vacation ownership enterprises. It was established in 1986 and in the beginning it focused primarily on the vacation ownership business, purchasing hotels on the territory of Finland (Holiday Club Oy 2010) The company has been buying hotels and resorts as well as building their own holiday homes and spa centers. The growth of Holiday Club vacation ownership system continued and by 2007 Holiday Club expanded to Sweden (Ibib. ) By 2009, after several successful acquisitions Holiday Club becomes the leading vacation ownership enterprise in Europe. At 2010 a building of new resort – Saimaa Gardens was started (Ibid. ) In overall Holiday Club Resorts Oy owns holiday homes in 26 destinations in Finland, a holiday destination in Calahonda, Spain, as well as Holiday Club Are and Ekerum Golf and Resorts (Oland) holiday destinations in Sweden. Holiday Club’s 6 spa hotels in Finland have belonged to the S-Group’s subsidiary, Sokotel, since April 2006, and they operate under the name Holiday Club Spa Hotels. The chain comprises Holiday Club Caribia in Turku, Katinkulta in Vuokatti, Tropiikki in Kuusamo, Eden in Oulu, Saariselka and Tampere Spa (Holiday Club official web-site 2011. ) 10 1. 4. 4 Saimaa Gardens In this study the analysis is carried out from the standpoint of Saimaa gardens spa resort, as it is the nearest hotel of Holiday Club chain to Russia. Saimaa Gardens is a wellness resort, comprising spa hotel, holiday houses, various top-class apartments, golf centre, a great variety of shops, restaurants and galleries. It’s located at the shore of Lake Saimaa, nearby Imatra and occupies approximately 300 hectares of total area. Saimaa Gardens is also the nearest large tourist attraction to St. Petersburg in Finland. Companies’ clients belong both to consumer and business markets. Holiday club’s resorts provide services for public consumers as well as for corporate clients because they have good amenities for family vacation and honey moons along with facilities for conferences, corporate parties and business travelling. Holiday Club sees a great potential particularly in Russian tourists and organizations, as it will be situated near Saint-Petersburg, a city, where travelling to Finland is popular and easy. 1. 5 Limitations This thesis does not handle deep analyses of business tourism market and just gives a small overview of this topic to provide basic understanding of this tourism sphere. Consumer needs and preferences as well as product specifications are not covered by the study as this is a topic of a parallel research, prepared by another student. The theoretical part of this thesis is limited to theories about composition of the buying center and it’s characteristics, decision making process and factors, influencing it. The theories also describe the difference between organizational and consumer buying. These theories were chosen, because they are closely related to the research problem and they support the empirical part of the thesis by providing guidelines how the organizational buying process looks in real life. This thesis does not cover theories about sales techniques and relations between buyers and sellers, because one of the main objectives of bachelors’ thesis is to make the topic narrow but analyze it deeper. 11 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND IMPLEMENTATION The research was done according to a plan that consisted of 3 stages. The first stage involved analyzing of theoretical background and gave a comprehensive view on organizational buying behavior process, describing composition of buying center, identifying factors, influencing decision making process and exploring all stages of this process. After that the theory was ready to be implemented in life. On the second stage the search of companies that may be interviewees for the research and potential clients for Holiday Club was done. The search criteria was explained in empirical part. When organizations were identified, their portfolios should be created to obtain knowledge about potential customers. The final and most important stage of research was identifying the buying centers in chosen organizations and conducting an interview with it’s members. This was done to identify roles and motives of members, analyze the decision making process and finally develop an effective framework according to gained information. Figure 2 represents the plan research. Theory analyses Buying behavior -main concepts -influencing factors -buying center -decision making process Companies’ portfolio gathering What size? What industry? What location? Interview Figure 2. Research plan. 12 As it was stated above, the main research problems were: finding members of the buying center, analyzing their roles and decision making process and describing an organizational buying process in general. In order to understand, what the most effective methods for solving these problems are, a book of Tony Proctor (2005 p. 63)  «Essentials of Marketing research » was read. After examination of possible methodology, it was concluded that the most appropriate methods to solve thesis problems were qualitative research, case study and analyzing of primary and secondary data. 2. 1 Quantitative research Quantitative research produces numbers and figures, while qualitative research provides data on why people buy, what motivates them to buy, or their impressions of products, services or advertisements. It also produces information on behavior, attitudes and intentions. Simply put, qualitative research goes inside of people’s thinking, value system as well as decision making process, what fitted perfectly objectives of this study. This type of research involves different approaches such as focus groups, interviews, feedback analysis, surveys and others. It relies on primary data as well as on secondary. In this study the object of qualitative research was an organizational buying behavior (Proctor, 2005 p. 71. ) The research was carried out in a context of business tourism, which is very specific area of business market. That is why organization buying process in business tourism market is based on general model of organizational buying. So first of all, problem solutions required general knowledge about such concepts as buying center, organizational buying and others. That kind of information was necessary for good orientation in actual topic and for further planning of the research. To gain this information secondary data analysis was used. 13 2. 2 Secondary data analysis Secondary data analysis is the method of using preexisting data in a different way or to answer a different research question than that intended by those who collected the data (Schutt 1999). The sources of secondary data may be different: books, magazines, newspapers, internet, earlier conducted surveys, etc. The organizational buying behavior has been studied by many authors such as Philip Kotler, Frederick E. Webster Jr. , Yoram Wind, Ajay Kumar Kohli and others. Their books and articles were used as sources of theoretical information. Secondary analysis of different statistics was also conducted to help to choose the right kind of companies for the case study, which is described further. 2. 3 Primary data analysis and case study The study was accomplished for the particular organization, one of the needs of which was understanding of organizational buying process in Russian companies. Solving this problem required a primary data analyses. Primary data is data observed or collected directly from first-hand experience. There are many methods of collecting primary data: ? ? ? ? Questionnaire Interview Observation Case study, etc. (Proctor 2005, p74. ) This research is based on a case study. The purpose of case study is collecting information about organizational buying in Russian companies from the  «first hands ». The most appropriate method to collect it was interview. For that purpose 3 Russian companies were chosen. The amount of 3 went from the principle, that analyses of 1 company is definitely not enough, while 5 or more requires much more time. Moreover 3 companies represent 3 kinds of organizations: small, medium and large. In order to choose 3 respondents, it 14 was needed to find out what kind of companies normally buys the MICE trips and how they can be specified according to the industry, size, location, and etc. As Saimaa Gardens will be the nearest Finnish leisure attraction to the SaintPetersburg, it was quite obvious that case companies would be located in SaintPetersburg, Leningrad region and Vyborg. Another criteria, size of case companies, was based on assumption, that organizational buying process in small organizations differs from one in big corporation’s due to the amount of staff, availability of funds and corporate culture in general. The last aspect of the choice was the industry. There was no difference for Holiday Club Oy which kind of companies would use their services. So it was necessary to investigate what kind of companies buy MICE trips more often. According to the statistics for the year 2009-2010, provided by VIP-tour agency (contact person- Stanislav Lisovsky, sales manager), companies, represented 5 industries, used MICE services more frequently: ? ? ? ? ? Metal industry IT industry Oil and gas industry Estate industry Pharmaceutical and medicine industry According to this information a list of potential companies was created and proposals to take part in the interview were sent. Some companies didn’t respond at all, some provided unclear and poor information. However, it was possible to choose 3 companies, whose response was full and actual. That is how 3 case companies were chosen. Using the knowledge and information gathered for the theory, the research questionnaire was developed so that questions were straight, easy and aimed to minimize the uncertainties. Finally, despite of all difficulties, 3 interviews were carried out. Based on these interviews, it was possible to gain valuable and unique information, concerning compositions of buying centers and organizational buying processes in context of business tourism. 15 3 THE NATURE OF ORGANIZATIONAL BUYING 3. 1 Organizational vs. onsumer buying According to Webster and Wind (1995), organizational buying is the decisionmaking process by which organizations establish the need for purchased products and services and identify, evaluate, and choose among alternative brands and suppliers. It takes place i n the context of a formal organization influenced by a budget, cost and profit considerations. Consumer behavior has not much relevance for the industrial marketer. This is due to several important differences between the two purchase processes. Comparing complicity of buying processes, buying decisions are made relatively easily and quickly by individual customers, organizational buying involves thorough and deep analysis. This is because organizational buying usually involves many people in decision process with complex interactions among people and among individual and organizational goals. Furthermore, rganizational buyer’s decisions require more information, undergo longer evaluation and more uncertainty about product performance. Companies usually adopt certain methods for buying products and employ skilled professionals for purchasing departments. (Kotler 1997, p. 205. ) According to Sandhusen (2000 p. 248), when compared to demand patterns in consumer market, demand p atterns in industrial markets tend to be more concentrated, more direct, more dependent on other markets and purchases of related products and reciprocal agreements. Demand for goods in consumer markets is heavily affected by the changes in the prices so that it can be concluded that consumer market demand is price elastic. The organizational demand for products or services can be elastic only on early negotiation stage when many suppliers are actively competing on price for contracts. Once contracts are negotiated, however, demand becomes inelastic and is not influenced by short-run price changes. Frequently, demand for some b2b products is related to demand for other b2b products, what is called joint demand. For example, if Food Drink supplier for a hotel restaurant has delivery problems or poor service, it will probably cut back on its purchases of 16 foodstuffs. It’s also important to mention that demand for industrial products derives largely from demand for consumer goods. It’s quite typical or tourism market as purchasing travel package for the company’s purposes, organizational buyers sometimes follows consumer’s opinions and reputation on the consumer market. According to Kovalev (2003 p. 203), despite of ordinary consumers, industrial buyers are more likely to purc hase products directly from suppliers or manufacturers and in larger quantities, than consumers. Buying decisions of a consumer market is simple where it purely depends on the wish of consumer. But business buyers face complicated buying process where they have to adhere to purchasing standards, satisfy complex requirements and involve approval of many people. Consumer buying is generally short term focused where they conclude the relationship with seller upon the transaction is completed.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Negotiating Intimacy With a Partner as a Person Living With Limb Deficiency The WritePass Journal

Negotiating Intimacy With a Partner as a Person Living With Limb Deficiency Introduction: Negotiating Intimacy With a Partner as a Person Living With Limb Deficiency )

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Local Church Leader And Funerals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Local Church Leader And Funerals - Essay Example One of the most challenging aspects when it comes to conducting funerals to non-believers is the fact that some of them do not believe in God or in life after death. The bible denotes that the will of God, the father is that everyone who looks unto the Son and believes in the Son, will have eternal life, and such a person will be raised up on the last day. This is one of the major tenets of Christianity, and it is further reinforced by the fact that Christians believed that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was raised up from the dead. For instance, in 1st Peter Chapter 1verses 3, the bible denotes that God, who is the father of Jesus Christ was able to raise Jesus Christ from death, and on this basis, God has begotten us, and given us hope. Based on these scriptures, therefore, the resurrection is an important belief amongst Christians. However, atheists and non-believers do not believe in God, nor his son Jesus Christ, and on this basis, it is very challenging for a Christian leader to conduct a funeral service amongst the nonbelievers. Scholar denotes that Christian leaders who normally speak about the resurrection of Christ, and of the dead, in a funeral service of a nonbeliever, always risk being jeered at, abused, or even shouted at. Due to these intimidations and hostilities, local church leaders are unable to effectively conduct funeral services to the non-believers. It is important to understand that intimidation and hostilities are not a new phenomenon in the Christian lives.  

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Impact of CCTV Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Impact of CCTV - Essay Example According to Home Office (2004), the U.K. has an estimated 402 million CCTV cameras, which translates to one camera for every 14 people. In London, for example, one is likely to be caught on camera for at least 300 times a day. The United States is not left behind as most cities and towns have increased the number of CCTV cameras in the recent past to assist in deterring crime and beef up security. Despite the good intention, studies have shown that it is very expensive to install and operate a CCTV camera. The cost has been cited as one of the major impediments of CCTV cameras since, despite their high cost, the benefits are very little. Apart from the set up cost involved in CCTV installation, the system also incurs ongoing operating costs, which makes it expensive to install and operate. Furthermore, the operation of CCTV requires employment of human resource that actively monitors the cameras 24 hours (Armitage 2002, p.8). Such additional costs make the installation of CCTV camer as very expensive and unviable based on the fact that the benefits are very little. A study conducted in the U.K. in 1990s showed that the Home Office wasted millions of Euros in installing CCTV cameras in major towns and cities to assist in improving security (Home Office 2004). Precisely a whopping 78% of the Home Office crime prevention budget was directed towards CCTV installation, according to Home Office (2004). In Stockholm city alone, 55 million Euros were invested in CCTV installation to beef up the security of the city. Despite such huge investment in CCTV installation, findings showed that the crime rate in the city did not change much since some crimes were still being committed in the full view of cameras. This raised many questions as to why the government had to... The researcher states that 911 events prompted the U.S. government to beef up security in the country through the formation of the Department of Homeland Security. At the same time, American citizens also became more vigilant in a bid to ensure that their security is not compromised in any way. This has seen the number of video surveillance cameras in many towns and cities. Armitage indicates that many American cities and towns installed CCTV cameras as a mean of beefing up security and preventing crime. Basically, a CCTV camera can be installed in a business premise, home compound, street, where the cameras collects videos of all activities taking place, which is then directed to a Digital Video Recorder for viewing, and storage for future reference. In so doing, CCTV enables controlled areas to be put on surveillance remotely. The fact that the CCTV cameras are able to capture events in areas is of great importance to law enforcement and regulatory agencies since it makes it possib le for them to respond quickly to an episode once alerted. The analysis, that was conducted by the researcher showed that even though CCTV is effective in crime prevention in some areas such as in vehicle-related crimes, it is not worth investing in. This is because it is expensive in terms of cost, has poor picture clarity, and interferes with the privacy of citizens. As a result, the researcher suggests that government should consider investing the amount allocated for CCTV project for other more effective ways of reducing crime.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Two restaurant you've attended Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Two restaurant you've attended - Essay Example However, a select few rise to the top of everyone’s lists, and in my opinion, two of the greatest are called Blackbird and Tru. These two restaurants give their patrons an exceptional dining experience both in terms of the environment that one eats in and the actual food that one eats. These two aspects of the total dining experience become one as the patron sits down to enjoy his or her meal with family, friends, or associates. As just as Blackbird differs from Tru in terms of the environment, so too do they differ in terms of the food they offer. I argue that both aspects are equally important in the total experience of the meal. Both beautifully match the environment they offer with the food, creating a kind of synesthetic experience where a sense of taste seems to become a sense of what the place looks and feels like. With this in mind, I argue that Tru gives its visitor a sense of lavishness in style, in contrast to the more minimalist approach taken by the creators of Bl ackbird, who adorn their restaurant and food with nothing in excess. The Blackbird restaurant is spare in style. It is chic and very urban which seems to separate it from the distinct culture of the city of Chicago. The dining room is narrow and packed with tables close together, which tends to make it hard to hear someone sitting across the table. It is definitely a place for modish people looking for a fun time out on the town and a very tasty meal. The restaurant sits on a quiet end of a series of restaurants. It serves mainly American dishes, but without frills. The restaurant characteristically serves guests meals that carry nothing in excess. Mirroring the minimalist appearance of the food, the exterior of the building is stark and yet magical in its glow. Inside, the dà ©cor is sleek and modern in appearance. The room itself is rather plain and cold, with abstract paintings and white walls, wooden floors and metal chairs. The Tru

Friday, November 15, 2019

Types of Leadership Styles

Types of Leadership Styles Introduction Leadership is a complex and diverse place of knowledge and it transforms potential into reality. (J Antonakis, etal, 2004) According to author being a leader changes everything. Its all about contribution, performance and success. This essay describe about the leadership and the styles of leadership. Firstly the author will give the explanation of leadership with different definitions. Secondly the author will explain the styles of leadership. Furthermore the author will take a real life leader on her wish and explain that particular persons leadership qualities and the style by providing enough of evidence. The meaning of Leadership Leadership has the capability to impress the will of the leader on those led and induce obedience, respect, loyalty, and corporation. He also mentions that leadership is a result of an ability to persuade or direct men, apart from prestige or power that comes from office or external circumstances. (Joanne B, 2004) On the other hand Leadership also an influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real changes that reflect their mutual purposes. (Margaret FK, 2006) Leadership Styles There are different types of leadership styles. Leadership styles can be identified of their characteristics, an implicit leadership philosophy, and a set of management skills typical of each style. Different leadership styles that includes autocratic, democratic, laissez faire, Transformational and transactional. There are different types of leadership styles Leadership Qualities There is lot of qualities a leader should have. The author explains the most essential qualities a leader ought to have in todays society and those are: Well character which inspires the self-assurance. Action is the first point of the character. Strong character gives a happy success. Secondly, when a person become a leader he or she have to commit themselves hence the people you guide is depending on you. Communication is the third quality which could help a leader to get some companion, without communication a leader will have to travel alone. Fourthly focus is something a leader needs to work on it; a perfect focus makes a sharp leader. Finally when a problem appears a leader must know how to face that and solve it without keeping a problem as a problem. For any question mark there will be a full stop. To find answers for those problems a leader should be aware of problem solving quality. Example leader with autocratic leadership MargaretThatcher was the first and longest serving female prime minister of Britain. Self-confidence, sincerity, cheerfulness, integrity and oblige are just a few traits that expose Margaret Thatcher. She is a conviction politician. She is well known for her autocratic leadership style. She was taught bountiful works, morals and well-built custom of self help. So how approximately did Thatcher’s autocratic leadership contribute towards her prime ministerial decisions? (INFORMA AUSTRALIA, 2013) http://informaaustralia.wordpress.com/2013/11/25/margaret-thatcher-leadership-skills-of-the-iron-lady/ Determination of Thatcher is eventually what enabled her to place goals and see them through, as well as dropping the pressure of trade unions. She narrowed the pressure of unions through legislature. Thatcher finally broke the resolve of theNational Unionof Mineworkers (NUM) following a year of strikes, with the NUM finally granting without a deal. She is a woman with proud and confident and not easy to know her well. When she wants to achieve something or get something she never gives up on it even if it’s impossible. She always tends to live passionately rather than living superficially. Thatcher is good to face situation like crisis and she enjoy living at full capacity. Either positive or negative, she has a strong, immediate gut reaction, which proves to be correct. One of her confidence in her ideals was feature of her prime ministerial tenure, and it caused her to run a government based on conviction politicsand motivated mainly on her own values. (http://famous-relationships.topsynergy.com/Margaret_Thatcher/Attitude.asp, nodate). Conclusion In outline, the definitions provided gave an understanding of what is leadership. Why Leadership is important to this world. MargaretThatcher is a strong, Confidence and very power full leader. She is a good leader for this world. Reference Antonakis, J, etal (2004). The nature of leadership. Sage. Michael, W. (2002) Leaderships Adversary. Google books [online] Available at: http://books.google.lk/books/about/Leadership_s_Adversary.html?id=IZj8CjyqzykCredir_esc=y (Accessed: 23rd February 2014) Joanne B (2004) Ethics, the Heart of Leadership. Google books [online] Available at: http://books.google.lk/books?id=gr1_nnC9zUACpg=PA10dq=definition+of+leadershiphl=ensa=Xei=VFETU_nZA8qHlAXZ8IDIDgved=0CC4Q6AEwAQ#v=onepageq=definition%20of%20leadershipf=false (Accessed: 23rd February 2014) Margaret FK (2006) Gender, Race, and Ethnicity in the Workplace. Google books [online] Available at: http://books.google.lk/books?id=GatUbd5tZnACpg=PA45dq=An+influence+relationship+among+leaders+and+followers+who+intend+real+changes+that+reflect+their+mutual+purposes+%28Rost,+1991%29.hl=ensa=Xei=nFYTU4erH4z9lAW9lYCYDQved=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepageq=An%20influence%20relationship%20among%20leaders%20and%20followers%20who%20intend%20real%20changes%20that%20reflect%20their%20mutual%20purposes%20(Rost%2C%201991).f=false(Accessed: 23rd February 2014) Joseph C R (1991) Leadership for the Twenty-first Century. Google books [online] http://books.google.lk/books?id=bM7E8ORH7QCpg=PA101dq=definition+on+leadershiphl=ensa=Xei=-74MU7-PKILilAXIDIAgved=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepageq=definition on leadershipf=false (Accessed: 24th February 2014) D.D Warrick (1981) This article discussesleadership styletheories pp.3-4: 155-172 [online] Aailable at: fys.utk.edu/wp-content/blogs.dir/108/files//Warrick_Leadership.pdf (Accessed: 25th February 2014 ) www.ansc.purdue.edu/courses/communicationskills/leaderqualities.pdf, (no date) (Accessed: 28th February 2014) INFORMA AUSTRALIA(2013) Available at: http://informaaustralia.wordpress.com/2013/11/25/margaret-thatcher-leadership-skills-of-the-iron-lady/(Accessed:28th February 2014 ) http://famous-relationships.topsynergy.com/Margaret_Thatcher/Attitude.asp, (no date) (Accessed: 28th February 2014) http://www.centerforworklife.com/margaret-thatcher-leadership-qualities-to-note/,(no date) (Accessed: 28th February 2014) Ami22(2004) The leadership of Magaret thatcher. Available at: http://www.writework.com/essay/leadership-margaret-thatcher-first-woman-prime-minister-br (Accessed: 28th February 2014) http://kellenbaldock.wordpress.com/2013/03/10/iron-lady-leadership/(Accessed: 29th February 2014)

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

GMO Labeling Essay -- Genetically Modified Consumer Food Essays

GMO labeling Ever since their entrance onto the consumer market in the last two decades of the twentieth century, genetically modified organisms (often referred to as GMOs) have been getting mixed reviews from the public. Genetically modified consumer products (primarily food) have pushed the barriers of some people's comfort levels. Born out of either a lack of knowledge or a sincere concern for public health or the environment, a consumer rights movement has been planted around the world pushing for labeling of genetically modified food products. This movement has matured in many places to a degree where interest groups have successfully lobbied governments into adopting criteria for labeling transgenic food products. In other parts of the world strong agriculture interests have clashed with the aforementioned movements. A simple label on a can of beans would seem to easily solve this problem; however, governments have found that GMO product labeling is more complex than that. Considerations such as costs, international markets and cultures must also be taken into consideration, not to mention the public's perception and their level of trust in this relatively new product. Research in both medical microbiology and agriculture laid the groundwork for what is modern biotechnology. This is newer science, seen by many to have officially begun with the discovery of recombinant DNA technology by Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer in 1970 (biotech.ca 1). Recombinant DNA technology, aided by the use of restriction enzymes, allow humans to cut one part of a genome of one species that codes for a desirable trait and insert it into a different species in the hope of producing the same effect (biote... ... label to fix. Works Cited - ¡Ãƒ Detailed Description of new GMO labeling in the E.U. ¡ÃƒÅ" Organic Consumers Association. 2001. 10/5/04. http://www.organicconsumers.org/gefood/gmolabing080101.cfm -Diani, Hera.  ¡Ãƒ Inodnesians Demand GMO labeling. ¡ÃƒÅ" The Jakarta Post. November 4th 2001. 10/2/04. http://organicconsumers.org/gefood/indonesia110801.cfm - ¡Ãƒ Economic Impacts of Genetically Modified Crops on the Agri-food sector. ¡ÃƒÅ" European Commission Directorate General for Agriculture. 2003. The European Commission. 10/4/04. - ¡Ãƒ History of Biotechnology. ¡ÃƒÅ" Biotechnology in Canada. 2004. 10/5/04 http://www.biotech.ca/EN/history.html. -Le Meur, Herve.  ¡Ãƒ Re: Have Ground Rules been set for GMO definition? ¡ÃƒÅ" lemeur@diligo.fr. November 26th 2000. - ¡Ãƒ Sticky Labels. ¡ÃƒÅ" The Economist. April 29th 1999. 10/5/04 www.economist.com.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Left Brain vs Right Brain: Implications of Learning Essay

A left-brain dominant person’s attributes are different than that of a right-brained person. This difference causes these two groups to have different learning styles. A left-brain dominant tends to be better at spelling and math. This is because this person can see all of the pieces. A right- brain dominant person tends be better at writing, biology, and other hands on subjects. A left-brain dominant person can understand lectures. A right-brain dominant person does better at hand on activities. It is important for him to discover and use the learning style that helps them to succeed academically. Antisocial is thought to be caused by brain dominance. The only way to overcome being antisocial is by the person going out and making themselves uncomfortable. Left Brain vs. Right Brain: Implications of Learning For a student to learn effectively, he must not only understand which learning style is the best for him, but he must understand the attributes his brain dominance plays. Left-brain dominant students are normally more successful with subjects such as math and science. A right-brain dominant student is more likely to succeed in subjects like shop, biology, and other hands-on classes. This is because brain dominance helps to determine the student’s learning style. To fully understand the left-brain dominant person, the characteristics must first be understood. By understanding all of these characteristics the left-brain dominant person can be fully understand. According to On Purpose Associates (2012) the left-brain dominant person is â€Å"logical, sequential, rational, analytical, objective, and looks at parts† (para. 2). A left-brain dominant person is logical. They tend not to come up with creative ways to fix a problem. The consequence of this is the person is limited in solutions to fix the problem. The person tends not to think outside of the box. This individual’s thoughts are organized. Their mind is like a neat office. Everything in the office is neat and organized. All the files in the office are labeled. The files being organized in the office is the sequential trait. The files are organized in a certain order. The person knows where everything is in the office. The person is rational. This person tends to understand things as they are. It makes since to them since they are logical. The left- brain dominant person is analytic. This person can separate the different pieces to analysis the subject. This dominance can be objective. They can relate objects together to understand the entire picture. Templeton (2013) found that â€Å"In writing, it is the left-brain that pays attention to mechanics such as spelling, agreement, and punctuation. But the right side pays attention to coherence and meaning that is, your right brain tells you it ‘feels right’† (para. 6). A left-brain dominant person has more trouble writing. This is because the individual has trouble capturing the meaning of what the person wants to say within his statement. The person may start his argument but may not finish it. This is due to the lack of being able to capture what is intended because of meaning. Templeton (2013) indicates that a left-brain dominant person is more likely to be a better speller. Math problems will be easier for this person. The left-brain dominant person can do a math problem in order understanding how to get to the answer. Science classes are generally easier, because the person can work out the experiment piece by piece (para. 3, 5, & 6). This helps him to make it to the end state easier. The right-brain dominant person according to On Purpose Associates (2012) is â€Å"random, intuitive, holistic, synthesizing, subjective, looks at wholes† (para. 2). A right-brain dominant person is random. There is no plan or objective. The person goes randomly from one task to another. The person does not keep an organized schedule. A right-brain dominant person is creative. This person can look outside of the box for solutions for a problem. A left-brain dominant person is less likely to do this. This person does not break things down to analysis the different parts. The person only sees the big picture. The right-brain dominant person lets others push him around. He sees things as they are and does not challenge them. A right-brain dominant person sees everything as a whole. The person only sees the endpoint. He may not understand anything in-between. Templeton (2013) suggests that a right-brain person is less likely to be able to learn effectively from a lecture (para. 2). Most lectures do not come to the conclusion until the very end. The reason is because one of the traits of a right-brain dominant person is seeing everything as a whole. A lecture can be difficult for him to comprehend. The student starts with the answer working backwards. Templeton (2013) suggests that right-brain dominant students will succeed in classes that are hands-on (para. 5). Classes such as biology, carpentry, mechanics, and shop are all examples of classes where right-brain dominant students will learn effectively. Right- brain dominant students will also be successful in writing papers. This clearly shows that the student’s brain dominance is a factor when a learning style is concerned. â€Å"Each student processes and absorbs new information in a different way. Identifying learning styles and teaching those learning styles can increase academic achievement and improve attitudes towards learning† (Green, 1999, p. 684). Each student needs to determine what his best leaning style is. The learning style determines how well and how fast they can retain the information. Adjustments can be made to improve the student’s learning ability. Bransford, Brown, and Cocking (1999) suggests that different methods can be used in subjects such as math for the student to better understand the subject (p. 169). In math models can be used to explain the equation and the steps to get the answer. For lectures teachers can provide background information prior to the presentation. This will help some students work backwards to be able to see the conclusion. Left-brain dominant students practicing writing, will experience an increase in their writing ability. Pfabigan, Alexopoulos, and Sailer (n. d. ) suggest that it is possible that a person’s dominant side of the brain can cause them to be antisocial, but is not likely. The results from the study are too close for the right and left hemisphere of the brain, to determine that antisocialism is from brain dominance (para. 12). It’s more likely that antisocialism is genetic, not from brain dominance. Being antisocial can be compared to a fear. The only way of overcoming a fear is be doing it. For someone that is antisocial the best thing to do is go out and overcome it. That person should talk to the stranger in line at the grocery store. When on vacation the person should talk to strangers. The person should put themself out there. In conclusion left and right-brain dominance can affect the way someone learns. Someone who is left-brain dominant is more logical. Their thoughts and brain process is neat and organized. The left-brain dominant person is more likely to have problems writing. This can be overcome like any weakness. The right-brain dominant person is creative. He can look outside of the situation to solve the problem. He is not driven primarily by logic. The right- brain dominant person may have problems following lectures. The lecture may lose the student’s interest. He is a hands- on learner. He needs to be part of a demonstration, or do things with his hands to fully understand concepts. A class such as biology that is mostly hands on activities is a better class for someone who is right-brain dominant. The best way to learn is for the student to know his learning style and use it. Antisocial individuals is more and likely genetic. The student can overcome this challenge. The student will have to work at it, but like anything else this can change. References Bransford, J. ; Brown, L. ; & Cocking R. (1999). How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Washington, D. C. : National Academic Press. Retrieved from http://site. ebrary. com/lib/apus/docDetail. action? docID=10038789 Green, F. (1999). Brain and learning research: Implications for meeting the needs of diverse learners. Education, 119(4), 682-687. Doi: 196424120 On Purpose Associates. (2012). Right Brain vs. Left Brain. Funderstanding. com Retrieved June 8, 2013, from http://www. funderstanding. com/brain/right-brain-vs-left-brain/

Friday, November 8, 2019

The Lost Generation

The Lost Generation Free Online Research Papers The term â€Å"lost generation† was coined by American poet Gertrude Stein to describe American literary artists that sought meaning in life, drank excessively, and had love affairs during the 1920s. These artists include Sherwood Anderson, Kay Boyle, Hart Crane, Ford Maddox Ford, and Zelda Fitzgerald. Among the most famous are F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and John Dos Passos. F. Scott Fitzgerald shared many characteristics synonymous with â€Å"The Lost Generation†. He was a heavy drinker and partier, rebellious and questioned traditional values and beliefs, and sought Paris to gain a perspective on himself and his country. (â€Å"What is the Lost Generation?†) On January 16, 1920 the 18th Amendment became law, enforced by the National Prohibition Act. Liquor, beer, and wine were illegal throughout America. However, although alcohol was banned, Americans continued to manufacture and drink it; men and women actually drank more of it. They created new ways of transporting it without getting arrested. One method was using a hip flask; another was hiding it in books and coconut shells, or by filling hot-water bottles and hiding it under their clothing. (â€Å"The Jazz Age – The 20s,† 20-132) Bootlegging became big business. In 1921 federal agents seized 96,000 stills and pieces of distilling equipment; in 1925 they seized 173,000; in 1930 it had reached 282,000. Some bootleggers stole alcohol from manufacturing plants, smuggled it from abroad, or made it themselves. One famous bootlegger, Al Capone, was said to have controlled the entire business from Canada to Florida. (â€Å"The Jazz Age – The 20s,† 20-132) Since saloons became the target of Prohibition enforcers, Americans frequented underground drinking facilities known as speakeasies. In 1925 there is believed to have been 100,000 speakeasies in New York City alone. Speakeasies were â€Å"protected† by bribing federal agents. One of the most famous owners of a speakeasy was Texas Guinan, named â€Å"Queen of the Speakeasies†. Her earnings during a 10-month period totaled $700,000. (â€Å"The Jazz Age – The 20s,† 20-132) Like many Americans during the twenties, F. Scott Fitzgerald was a heavy drinker and partier. Fitzgerald was labeled as a pathetic drunk. He was an alcoholic since college and had problems controlling money and alcohol; most of his money being spent on booze and parties. When drunk, he was insulting to servants and friends. In the summer of 1925, Fitzgerald wrote â€Å"1,000 parties and no work†, which depicted a portrayal of his own life. (Epstein) After World War I, American values began to go sour. The entire nation became self-conscious and unsure of itself. No one wanted to deal with world problems. Americans became frivolous and rebellious, questioning traditional values and beliefs. The saying of the twenties was â€Å"eat, drink, and be merry†, but it had its outcome: â€Å"for tomorrow we die.† Morals underwent a revolution. The youth of the 20’s began to question the authority of elders, girls in particular. It was an era of daring clothes and scandalous dances. F. Scott Fitzgerald was one of the first writers to draw attention to the new postwar era with their youthful love affairs and â€Å"petting parties† in his novel This Side of Paradise. He was labeled as â€Å"a kind of king of our American youth†. Along with Americans, he professed â€Å"to find all Gods dead, all wars fought, all faiths in men shaken.† (â€Å"The Jazz Age – The 20s,† 20-132) â€Å"it was not a generation of expatriates who found themselves in Paris in those years but a generation whose patria, wherever it may once have been, was now no longer waiting for them anywhere† –Archibald MacLeish In the 1920’s Europe offered an opportunity for freedom. World War I brought many Americans to Europe to encounter history and the failure of their religious and political beliefs. Paris especially seemed to call to the American heart. Americans in Paris ranged from tourists, to artists, to permanent residents. Many also came for humanitarian reasons. In Paris, Americans â€Å"found† America. (Fitch 162-204) Paris had an impact on the second great period of American literature just as it had an impact on the first great period, the â€Å"Renaissance†, which included famous artists as Poe, Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman, Melville, and Hawthorne. Paris is where Americans seem to write best, and it had a particular influence on Fitzgerald’s novel Tender is the Night. In Paris, Fitzgerald was among a large literary community that was challenged, stimulated, reviewed, read, and greatly appreciated. (Fitch 162-204) When I now think of the â€Å"The Lost Generation†, I cannot help but think of a godless society that hopelessly turned to drinking and partying to forget life’s problems; a society that desperately pursued meaning in life after a period of such tragedy and despair. These characteristics so prevalent in the lives of many Americans were clearly present in the life of F. Scott Fitzgerald. (Epstein) Fitzgerald was a master at expressing feelings into his writing. He could write the things that Americans felt but were not able to express: social unease in their own country, yearning for an elegant and orderly life, and inner sense. â€Å"He knew how to do purple in many different, splendid shades. He can put one on the French Riviera in a single sentence.† He will always be held as a great influence on American culture. (Epstein) Research Papers on The Lost Generation19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseWhere Wild and West MeetQuebec and CanadaHip-Hop is ArtAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeGenetic EngineeringHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This Nice

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Three Types of Exceptions in Java

Three Types of Exceptions in Java Errors are the bane of users and programmers alike. Developers obviously dont want their programs falling over at every turn and users are now so used to having errors in programs that they grudgingly accept to pay the price for software that will almost certainly have at least one error in it. Java is designed to give the programmer a sporting chance in designing an error-free application. There are exceptions that the programmer will know are a possibility when an application interacts with a resource or a user and these exceptions can be handled. Unfortunately, there are exceptions the programmer cant control or simply overlooks. In short, all exceptions are not created equal and therefore there are several types for a programmer to think about. An exception is an event which causes the program to be unable to flow in its intended execution. There are three types of exception- the checked exception, the error and the runtime exception. The Checked Exception Checked exceptions are exceptions that a Java application should be able to cope with. For example, If an application reads data from a file it should be able to handle the FileNotFoundException . After all, there is no guarantee that the expected file is going to be where it is supposed to be. Anything could happen on the file system, which an application would have no clue about. To take this example one step further. Lets say we are using the FileReader class to read a character file. If you have a look at the FileReader constructor definition in the Java api you will see its method signature: public FileReader(String fileName) throws FileNotFoundException As you can see the constructor specifically states that the FileReader constructor can throw a FileNotFoundException. This makes sense as its highly likely that the fileName String will be wrong from time to time. Look at the following code: public static void main(String[] args){ FileReader fileInput null; //Open the input file fileInput new FileReader(Untitled.txt); } Syntactically the statements are correct but this code will never compile. The compiler knows the FileReader constructor can throw a FileNotFoundException and its up to the calling code to handle this exception. There are two choices - firstly we can pass the exception on from our method by specifying a throws clause too: public static void main(String[] args) throws FileNotFoundException{ FileReader fileInput null; //Open the input file fileInput new FileReader(Untitled.txt); } Or we can actually handle with the exception: public static void main(String[] args){ FileReader fileInput null; try { //Open the input file fileInput new FileReader(Untitled.txt); } catch(FileNotFoundException ex) { //tell the user to go and find the file } } Well-written Java applications should be able to cope with checked exceptions. Errors The second kind of exception is known as the error. When an exception occurs the JVM will create an exception object. These objects all derive from the Throwable class. The Throwable class has two main subclasses- Error and Exception. The Error class denotes an exception that an application is not likely to be able to deal with.   These exceptions are considered rare. For example, the JVM might run out of resources due to the hardware not being able to cope with all the processes it is having to deal with. Its possible for the application to catch the error to notify the user but typically the application is going to have to close until the underlying problem is dealt with. Runtime Exceptions A runtime exception occurs simply because the programmer has made a mistake. Youve written the code, it all looks good to the compiler and when you go to run the code, it falls over because it tried to access an element of an array that does not exist or a logic error caused a method to be called with a null value. Or any number of mistakes a programmer can make. But thats okay, we spot these exceptions by exhaustive testing, right? Errors and Runtime Exceptions fall into the category of unchecked exceptions.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Write a short article about a major volcanic eruption Essay

Write a short article about a major volcanic eruption - Essay Example Volcanoes are powerful forces of nature. According to Ritter et al., volcanism is simply the manifestation of processes that occur in earth’s mantle on the surface of the earth (1). Rocks and minerals are liquefied into magma in earth’s mantle due to heat produced by extreme pressure. Weaknesses in the earth’s crust allow vents to form that allow magma to escape. This magma can emerge through the crust under the sea or on dry land. These vents will create three possible types of volcanic landforms. The type of landform is dictated by the mineral make-up of the magma that is expelled through the vent (2). Shield volcanoes, such as the Hawaiian Islands are made of magma that has low viscosity. It is mostly basalt and runs like water. Cone volcanoes are made of magma that is high in silica. The magma is sticky so it builds up making the steep sides of a cone shaped mountain. Similar to these are composite cones that are made of magma and ash. They are irregularly sh aped volcanic mountains. A final landform created by volcanoes is called a caldera. This is a huge empty space in the volcanic mountain created by a massive eruption. This is a prominent feature that was created by the eruption of Thera. The Greek island of Thera is located in the Mediterranean Sea just northeast of the island of Crete. The island is known in modern times as Santorini. The geologic shape and structure of the island is typical for volcanic islands in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. The island was a mixture of ash and silica based materials with gentle slopes near the shoreline rising to an inland, conical peak. Thera had been slowly building for at least a million years. The current arrangement of the small islands of Santorini did not happen with just one eruption. As many as twelve eruptions over the past million years have made Santorini what it is today (3). The eruption that occurred around 1600 BC was,

Friday, November 1, 2019

Local Area Networking systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Local Area Networking systems - Essay Example Stair & Reynolds suggest that usually, LAN is wired into office buildings, factories, school buildings etc and are built around personal computers (PC). When a PC is connected to a LAN, a network interface card (NIC) is required which is placed in a computer's expansion slot to allow it to communicate with the network. A wire or connector from the network is then plugged directly into NIC. (Stair & Reynolds, 2001, p. 138) In order to install and configure a LAN setup in a school, first of all the topology should have to be selected. Out of the three topologies, i.e. ring, bus and star, star topology is the most feasible one, as due to the failure of a computer or a segment of wire or a node, the other network nodes would not be affected at all. For star topology the basic hardware required for connectivity are as follows: For a smaller LAN with a maximum of 10 computers Hub works fine but for a larger LAN a switch gives better efficiency compared to a hub. The reason is that the hub broadcast the data packet to every node, hence all other nodes except the destination node thereby ignoring the broadcasted data packet where as the switch store the MAC addresses of each node and would send the data packet only to the destination node. Further more in a larger LAN setup, if the distance between two switches or between switch and a terminal (computer) is more than 100 meters than we have to use a repea