What is High Stakes Writing Low Stakes Writing Article

What is High Stakes Writing Low Stakes Writing - Article Example On the other hand, low-stakes writing is writing activities which are informal in nature and in grading. The objectives of teachers for giving low stakes writing assignments are to encourage active involvement of the students in the course through short essays written in the students’ own words. Through this method, teachers would immediately determine the scope of the students’ understanding of the modules and enable the teachers to immediately address any concern. Examples of low stakes writing assignments are abstract writing, summaries, headlines, paraphrasing exercises, definitions, editorials, letter writings, and reaction papers, among others. (The Centre for Teaching Excellence 11) Elbow averred that low stakes writing encourages students to explore other venues of the course materials to hone their skills. This type of writing provides opportunities for students to learn outside the classroom. Their research and data gathering skills are improved. They also learn to assimilate course materials with the external information gathered for the essay requirement. On the other hand, high stakes writing can be very stressful for students considering that a major portion of their overall mark depends on this assignment. At the same token, considerable stress is also placed in the hands of the professors who would grade these high stakes writing an assignment. Finally, these are not viable for very large classes considering the number of students to grade for the requirement. (1) Low stakes writing, on the contrary, create a more relaxed atmosphere for learning due to its informal nature and grading. Students are encouraged to voice their opinions and insights in their own words; thereby giving the teachers the opportunity to easily determine if the  students fully understand the concepts and theories imparted.  

SESSION LONG PROJECT MODULE 5 TOTAL REWARDS (USAA INSURANCE COMPANY) Essay

SESSION LONG PROJECT MODULE 5 TOTAL REWARDS (USAA INSURANCE COMPANY) - Essay Example This method also helps attract the employees and their attention and help retaining the employees to a great extent. Here in most cases this method helps in improving the morale and levels of motivation and productivity of the employees, thereby being a major benefit for the company as well (Thompson). Using this technique in USAA will be very helpful due to the nature of the job. Here the company will be able integrate the organizational culture, business strategy and also the human resources strategy and draw them towards one main focus, i.e. the total rewards system which focuses on includes all aspects like the compensations, benefits, work life, recognition and performance of the employees and also the overall development and career opportunities. Together all of these are focused towards attracting and motivating people which in turn leads to better satisfaction and engagement of the employees. This concept is clearly one which will remain and become more common within companie s (Buchanan and Huczynski). This technique is here to stay and companies can benefit from the technique to a very great extent. The drawback of this technique, in the case of USAA, it proves to be very costly for a number of employees and also does not meet the needs of the employees.

Case study of Chipotle Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Of Chipotle - Case Study Example We ought to solidify Chipotle as Mexican-American food. Unlike our competitors, Chipotle does not use many aspects of Mexican culture to advertise its products. This strategy will establish Chipotle as a household name for Mexican-American food, rather than Mexican fast food. No need to create authentic Mexican experience, since our competitors have tried to do the same since our customer value local ingredients more than imported ingredients and enjoy our food because of its taste and is good for them. Thus our strategy for 2014 should be to learn from our competitors and learn from their downfall. We should avoid the idea that we are a fast food restaurant and instead focus on provision of healthy fresh ingredients. This will distinguish us from the likes of Taco bell and others. We should also do massive marketing that shows how we handle our ingredients. Apart from that our clients should know that purchasing Chipotle means contributing to a greener future. Though they may pay dearly for our services, they should not feel the pinch since we are riding on the promise of our mission statement. They will understand that they are paying for local ingredients and a healthier lifestyle. This will keep their bargaining power low and not compromise the quality of our food for greater profit. Last but not least is solidifying Chipotle as Mexican-American food. No need to create an authentic Mexican experience, since this has been created by our competitors. This will make us stand out and be unique in every way, thus endearing us to our

The King, The Demigod Essay Example for Free

The King, The Demigod Essay The never-ending narrative of a young truck driver (Wadhams, Nathan Lindsay 39) turned into a world cultural icon never fails to garner praise and admiration. Years and decades have elapsed, yet the Elvis phenomenon has managed to maintain a cult following has endured the tests of time. The Elvis Presley fairy tale continues to echo the success and seemingly unsurpassed popularity of a man who shaped and transformed the rough terrains of history. Indeed, Elvis Presley is one of the most celebrated fairy tale protagonists similar to that of Cinderella. He is the fulfillment of every boy’s dream. He is the knight in shining armor of countless damsels in distress. He symbolizes the youth’s vibrant energy and even adults are swayed by his presence. He is Elvis Presley. However, his massive influence is neither caused by musical virtuosity nor pure charm. A simple musician that he was, it always bring wonder how Presley has captivated the hearts of many. Could it be that just like Faust, Elvis also sold his soul to the devil? Could it be that Elvis Presley is no less than a media-made hero? Yet if he is a product of media hype or exaggeration, his glamour could have already faded as new faces and rising stars enter the limelight. Evidently, the Elvis fever remains an epidemic in which the cure is yet to be discovered. On the other hand, as a deeper examination of Elvis Presley’s seemingly inevitable success can be attributed to the fact that he embodied a demigod image (Paytress 10) whose primary weapon is no less than music. A demigod is briefly defined as â€Å"half human† and â€Å"half god (Loewen 13). This image is greatly portrayed and manifested by the so-called King of Rock n Roll (Browne 636). Elvis Presley is a demigod in the sense that his charisma, style and presence create a divine like euphoria among his supporters. He is omnipresent and his prestige is something that even the most powerful leaders and politicians cannot easily acquire. Yet, unlike the well-revered gods of Olympus, Elvis Presley is not a product of an imaginative mind. He exists in real-life situations. He can be touched. He can be hugged. Thus, his mortal side enabled him to develop strong connections and relationships with his respective fans. The strong degree of attachment between Elvis and his supporters provided a god-like experience, without really resorting to romanticism and escapism. Elvis Presley is a walking fairy tale Relatively, Elvis Presley’s music created a sense of belongingness. Presley established a strong sense of community deeply characterized by similarities of interests and perspectives. Although marked with rebelliousness, for many Elvis believers, rebelliousness is a sign of struggle against the highly constricted nature of various social values, norms and mores. At one point of history, Elvis and his music articulated the hidden angst and concerns of the youth. The celebrity transformed into a superhero fully determined to regain and freedom and liberty via music. If music is described as the language of one’s soul, then Elvis Presley became the music of many youths. In addition to that, Elvis Presley’s sensual imageries and gestures readily challenged the existing taboos of society. Under this context, it can be argued that Elvis Presley has also preempted the rise of sexual revolution. The non-conformity, the unorthodox style, the courage and freedom that Elvis Presley manifested were more than enough to immortalize his memories. The duality of characteristics that Presley possessed contributes to his popularity and influence. He is the thesis and the anti-thesis. He is praised and criticized. He is half-human and half-god. He is loved and hated. In other words, Elvis Presley was able to provide a duality of experience that mostly of his contemporaries have failed to achieve. With a legion of supporters that he garnered, his untimely death served as an unpleasant surprise. Somehow this made his fans longed for more. The king is greatly missed by his believers. His absence basically explains why his memories remain intact. As Elvis Presley is emulated by his fans, somehow, the connection is reestablished—once again, the demigod is brought back to life. The fairy tale becomes a reality and his music continues to play. Works Cited Browne, Pat. The Guide to United States Popular Culture. Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press, 2001 Loewen, Nancy. Zeus. Minnesota: Capstone Press, 1999 Paytress, Mark. Bolan. London: Omnibus Press, 2002 Wadhams, Wayne; David Nathan and Susan Lindsay, eds. Inside the Hits. Massachusetts: Berklee Press, 2001

Principles of Effective Offender Intervention

Principles of Effective Offender Intervention Introduction From way back in history, the process of correcting those who were believed to be wrong in a way or another was practiced. Communities are guided by certain morals, and whenever one goes against the morals, it is believed that the person might have a problem and it is only good to deal with the problem before it escalates. People are different; whereas there are people who can change by just being advised to do so, there are some who need intense programs to change. Correcting young ones so that they can be part and parcel of the bigger community is a process that must be guided by principles. The four principles are meant to intervene and help the targeted persons to be better people in the society. The four principles of intervention There are four different principles of intervention that are used in making sure that some of the young law offenders are helped to become better people in the society (Guevara, 2009). The four principles are more in a sequence because one must follow the other if good results are to be achieved. Effecting one principle in the absence of the previous might produce different results which might be opposite of the expectations of the community or the program. For a lot of years, the four principles have been used in many correction facilities, and they have produced tremendous results. Risk principle Offenders are divided into different groups as far as risk is concerned; low-risk and high-risk offenders. Low-risk offenders are offenders who do not pose a great threat to the community as well as to themselves. When it comes to such offenders, all that is needed is minimal coaching or minimal intervention for them to fit back into the community. For example, an offender who has been involved in a quarreling that resulted in violence is not a high-risk offender. The reason for stating so is because the offender might have acted out of frustration but not under motivation or passion. Therefore, the attention and resources needed to bring back such a person on the track are minimal. At the same time, the person is not a threat to him or her life. The second group consists of high-risk offenders. These types of offenders are not only a risk to the community but themselves. When it comes to attending to them, a lot of resources are required. The interventions used must also be in line with their needs. Risk principle calls for prioritization of resources in line with the risk of the offender. For example, a person who possesses a risk to a larger community cannot be treated like a person who possesses lesser risk. The methods of intervention used on a riskier person also differ in some ways (TJRC, 2016). The principle helps in addressing cases with all the seriousness they deserve. The principle is effective and reasonable. For example, a person who is used to involving him or herself in criminal activities needs a more effective intervention method. The reason for doing so is because a lesser effective method cannot help him or her. The intervention methods are not meant to punish but to change. Allowing continuous offenders back to the community with the expectations that he or she will change is not helping him or her in any way. Since he or she has proven to be risky, it is only good to make sure that more resources are used so as to make the intervention effective. Need principle Need principle states that the needs of the offenders should be considered in any given intervention process. The need might be direct or indirect. Some people are forced by circumstances to engage in criminal activities. In most cases, they lack a thing or two, and that is why they end up doing what they do. What they lack is what is referred to as a need. The principle states that for a person not to go back to his or her old ways, the need must be satisfied. A person might end up being a criminal for lack of education and knowledge on certain issues. Taking that person through a correctional facility and bringing him or her back to the society only solves part of the problem. Therefore, it is important to enlighten that person on the issues that he or she might not be familiar with so that he or she cannot go back to his or her old ways. The environment, on the other hand, can influence one towards committing a crime. When the environment of the offender is not looked into, the offender is taken back to the same risks after corrections, and that might not bear the expected results. For example, if a person lives in an environment where people live by the gun and earn from illegal activities, taking him or her back to such an environment is exposing him or her to risks (Edward Jennifer, 2004). The principle is effective because it tries to look for a lasting solution in the process of making sure that an offender gains from an intervention program. Helping people and not looking at what they lacked for them to commit a crime is dealing with the problem partially. The best way to make sure that criminals do not get back to their old ways is dealing with the causes, and that means looking at the needs and satisfying them. Treatment principle The treatment principle emphasizes the need to look for the most effective treatment strategy. The principle concentrates much on the high-risk offenders. An offender must go through some effective treatments for him or her to be accepted back in the community. Factors to consider when it comes to treatment are the type of treatment, the interval of treatment, and the length of the treatment. A person who is of great danger to the community must be treated in a different way. Though the main reason why the offender is taken in a correctional facility is not to be punished, a high-risk offender must be treated in a way that he or she will never admire hurting himself or others. The treatment must be intense and if the need calls it must take a longer period so that he or she can be ready to fit in the community after the treatment. There are different offenders, and they are motivated to engaging in criminal activities by different reasons. Some are criminals because they are failed by their brain. In such cases, the treatment must be special and different from others. Regardless of him being a high-risk offender, the person also has a mental health condition. In such a case, double care is required (Guevara, 2009). The facility or the parties involved might choose to provide both psychiatric help and at the same time correctional help. By so doing, the offender gets his or her sanity back and is helped to avoid getting into trouble shortly. The principle is effective because it considers the nature of the offender. By considering the nature of the offender, it becomes easy to help a person with a series of problems by knowing the best way to treat him or her. Fidelity principle Fidelity principle states that the program must be run by people who follow the rule of law and whose integrity cannot be compromised (Edward Jennifer, 2004). It is important to know that the offenders need help and there is no way of doing it better than taking them through a program. The person running the program should leave the responsibility of correcting to the service providers, and he or she should not be bribed to grant favors to some of the law offenders. The principle is effective because it makes sure that any offender goes through the program and benefits from it without any shortcut. Conclusion The four principles guide offenders towards using the most effective ways in gaining help. At the same time, they guide the service providers towards being effective and taking care of the offenders on humane ways of doing things. Though the four principles have dwelt so much on programs and services, their main aim is to help the law offenders so that they can be people who can be accepted back into the community. They are in place to make sure that most humane means are used to correct the offenders. At the same time, they make sure that each offender is provided with help that is suitable to his or her behaviors. References Edward, J. Jennifer, A. (2004). Applying the principles of effective intervention to juvenilecorrectional programs. Retrieved from http://cjonline.uc.edu/resources/criminal-justice Research/applying-the-principles-of-effective-intervention-to-juvenile-correctional programs/ Guevara, M. (2009). Implementing Evidence-Based Policy and Practice in Community Corrections, 2 Nd Edition. Retrieved from http://b.3cdn.net/crjustice/92d6c98633d1448ff0_cfm6iiq27.pdf The Justice Research Center. (2016). What Works Principles. Retrieved fromhttp://thejrc.com/wwi-principles.asp

Essay --

. HSGM 371 Professor Final Paper Vicie Rich November 9, 2013 â€Æ' Table of Contents Title Page 1 Table of Contents 2 Introduction/Identified Problem 3 Literature Review 4 Cost 5 Type chapter title (level 3) 6 â€Æ' Final paper: Identify a work-related topic/issue/problem (or a real-life problem in the treatment of healthcare focusing on access, quality, and/or cost) and write a final paper 6-8 pages, in APA format with a title page, table of contents, introduction, , literature review, discussion, solution/recommendation, conclusion, and reference page (title page, table of contents, and reference page do not count in the 6-8 pages). The outcome is to discuss the pros and cons of that topic and your recommendation of a better solution that will improve healthcare delivery at your institution. Introduction: I would like to examine some of the reasons for the frequent ER hospital readmissions for post-surgery patients within a 30 day period. There has been a high rate of post-surgery patients returning to the emergency room within 30 days after discharge. Identified problem There are several incidents when my sister was seen in the Emergency Room, treated and released and then hospitalized within 30 days after having major surgery. In August 2012, she was diagnosed with a second round of breast cancer and had a mastectomy of the right breast. She had multiple complications (hematoma, elevated blood sugar, and allergic reaction to a medication given in the hospital and infection) with this surgery which required the readmission. I spoke several times to her physician about a longer hospital stay because of her existing illnesses but was told that it was up to the insurance company to approval the additional hospital inpatient da... ...entered Outcomes Research Institute would be the perfect medium to open the eyes of rationers. Republicans and Democrats would both agree that health costs are spiraling out of control. Ultimately, there are only two ways to lower costs. One approach empowers and incentivizes patients to be smarter health care consumers. This entails solutions such as expanding health savings accounts, creating a national market for health insurance, and leveling the tax playing field. These could bend the cost curve down and strengthen the patient-doctor relationship. The administration shunned this approach. My recommendation is that Congress should take a closer look at Medicare, Medicaid and the insurance companies to access what is best for the patient’s recovery post-surgery. They should become more patient-centered, focusing on preventative care and health literacy.

Cb Prepartions

Exam: 3hours, 19/50 =15. 2/40 (-31) Section A: MCQ (20m) Section B: Choose 2 from 3 Questions (15m each) 1. Describe the type of promotional message that would be most suitable for each of the following personality market segments: (a) highly dogmatic consumers, (b) inner-directed consumers, (c) consumers with high optimum stimulation levels, (d) consumers with a high need for cognition, and (e) consumers who are visualizers versus consumers who are verbalizers. Give an example of a promotional message for each segment.Social character traits have shown that inner and other-directed consumers may have different preferences in terms of promotional messages. Inner-directed people prefer advertisements that stress personal benefits while other-directed people seem to prefer advertisements that feature social acceptance. (a) HIGHLY DOGMATIC CUSTOMERS: It is a personality trait that measures the degree of rigidity (versus openness) that individuals display towards unfamiliar and towards i nformation that is contrary to their own established beliefs. Dogmatism: general tendency to be open or closed to new ideas and innovations.A person who is high in dogmatism approaches the unfamiliar defensively while the person who is low in dogmatism will rarely consider unfamiliar or opposing beliefs. * more receptive is Ads for new products or services that contains an appeal from the authoritative figure. Marketer uses celebrities and experts to their new product advertising for making it easier for the potentially reluctant customers. * Highly dogmatic consumers are likely to respond favorably to a new product when the advertising message is presented in an authoritarian manner (e. g. celebrity endorsement or expert testimonials). * prefer traditional or established products rather than innovative ones. close minded towards unfamiliar and untoward information that is contrary to their own established beliefs * approach such information with considerable discomfort and uncertai nty. promotional message most suitable would be endorsement or appeal from an authoritative figure. * New products need to be presented in an authoritative manner and that celebrities could be employed to reach dogmatic consumers who are more closed minded. For example: Colgate Dental Cream with Doctors and Experts endorsements. Anti-Polio Campaign featuring Amitabh and Sachin Tendulkar also useAuthoritative statements. The Cadbury’s brand took a beatng in sales after the worms were found in somepackets. Dogmatic Consumers stopped purchasing the Brand. Amitabh Bacchhanwas then used as Authority figure to reestablish Brand. b) Inner-directed consumers * tend to use their own values and standards in evaluating a new product * ads aimed at them should depict the attainment of personal achievement and satisfaction. ads that stress product features and benefits, which enable them to usetheir own values and standards in evaluating products * rely on their own inner values or standa rds in evaluating new products and are likely to be the consumer innovators. * other directed customers tend to look to others for guidance as to what is appropriate or what is inappropriate. * be prefer ads that stress product features and personal benefits ( enabling them to use their own values and standards in evaluating products whereas the other * For example: Surf Ad showing Shabana Azmi saving two buckets of water is an example of the same.The latest from Surf Excel is currently running on television. This is the ad where many people are seen walking with two buckets full of water. They then pour it into a large reservoir. At this point none other than Shabana Azmi informs you what a great thing thissaving of water is for the country and implores you to use Surf Excel. * manufacturer of cameras who advertises to inner-directed consumers should stress the ability to take better pictures and the resulting personal satisfaction. c) Consumers with a high optimum stimulation leve l * more open to risk-taking, more likely to be innovative have a greater willingness to take risks, try products with many novel features, and shop in new retail outlets. * likely to respond favorably to promotional messages stressing more rather than less risk, novelty,or excitement. * to seek purchase related information and to accept new retail facilities. * For example: The exciting and exotic Vacation Campaign of Malasia-Truly Asia is positioning of  Airways to sell the Asian Adventures. These enjoy thinking. They are responsive to that part of Ad that is rich in Information. The TATA-AIG Life insurance Ad showing Naseeruddin Shah giving informationthough Q&A will click for them. benefit of new product offering should not only consider functional features but also the risk, novelty and variety that the product offers. * place different promotional emphasis on particular age segments, as it may be worthwhile to reduce perceived risk for a market segment comprised primarily of older people, while it may not warrant it for a younger market segment. d) Consumers with a high need for cognition * ones who often crave or enjoy thinking. * responsive to ads that are rich in product-related information or description and are unresponsive to the auxiliary or contextual aspects of an advertisement. Need for cognition: stable individual difference in tendency to engage in and enjoy effortful cognitive activity. Individuals high in need for cognition enjoy thinking abstractly. * high-NFC individuals are likely to express more favorable ad attitudes, brand attitudes and purchase intention. * more likely to use message content as a basis for judgments * high NFC leads to the generation of inferences about omitted conclusions ), to less memory decay and greater resistance to counterarguments about products), and to longer processing and superior recall for brands and claims individuals who are high in need for cognition would be expected to be critical thinkers, and t o not necessarily accept arguments found in media or elsewhere on face value. * should be more difficult to persuade, a phenomenon that can be investigated several ways. * high-NFC individuals did so only when the signal was accompanied by a substantial price reduction. * process information presented in the media more thoroughly than those who do not enjoy thinking as much, able to retrieve from memory more information * individuals with higher NFC, who are assumed to process information more extensively, would be expected to generate more thoughts. counterarguing and source derogations are prevalent in advertising and that support arguments are critical if persuasive messages are to have a chance of acceptance * high-NFC would be expected to engage in a wide range of media consumption activities, and would not necessarily be expected to differentiate between sources of information, such as news, advertising or entertainment. All would be stimulating. high NFC individuals are more likely to closely scrutinize the arguments contained in any message, campaign strategists must make sure that arguments are strong in order to cope with the higher resistance to messages by this group * appear to be the ones already predisposed to watch or listen to issue, image or financial advertising featuring long copy. The challenge for strategists thus is to enhance the already high motivation of high-NFC indivduals, by highlighting the relevance of messages, and to enhance the ability and opportunities to process such messages. Example: (e) consumers who are visualizers versus consumers who are verbalizers. * Verbal aggressiveness: tendency to insult and attack others' self-concepts to achieve one's objectives in an argument. * Visualisers (i. e. , consumers who prefer visual information, products that stress the visual) * Morning Dew Ad where there is a race with a Cheetah is a visual treat * detailed descriptions and explanations in targeting verbalizers (i. e. , consumers who prefer written and verbal product information). ‘Do the Dew†Verbalizers prefer verbal dimensions to the promotional message. * The Oye Bubbly Jingle of Pepsi is a Verbal treat to the ear, though it conveys nothing much about the product. 2. A marketer of health foods is attempting to segment a certain market on the basis of consumer self-image. Describe the four types of consumer self-image and discuss which segment would be most effective to target for health foods. In Self-concept theory personality is exemplified by the kinds of things with which people surround themselves.The self-concept has shown to be multi-dimensional and encompasses the way a person actually is, the way individuals see themselves, the way a person would like to be, and the way in which individuals think others perceive them. Theories of self-concept have generally focused on two areas in marketing research. In the one, self concept has been applied to the discrepancy between the self and the ideal self as a measure of personal dissatisfaction. In this instance, product use has been related to items that deal specifically with self enhancement.Consumers have four types of image. 1. Actual self image-how consumers in fact see themselves. In Everyday house hold products, they see themselves in Reality. For example,Washing powders Ads would be realistic. Nirma Powder focuses on Housewives ability to get more for less money. 2. Ideal self Image-how consumers would like to see themselves. In case of Fantasy Products, consumers desire to see themselves perfect, as in case of  Women, Fairness or looking Pretty is high on desire list. The fair and Lovely campaign for fairness cream sells this dream. . Social Self Image-how consumers feel others see them. Here there is an inherent fear factor also involved as to how they are being perceived by others. For example Products which position themselves on social front, showing appropriate behaviour at parties etc appeal here. 4. Id eal Social Self image-how consumers would like others to see them. For Example, Aashirwad ready to cook products and Sambhar Masala Product campaign show the desire of Wives to be seen as a great cook by others.However, since they are working or busy, they do not have time to cook themselves. That is when the Brandcomes to rescue. And finally they are seen as Ideal Wives. There are two more categories of Self-image: Expected Self image-how consumers expect to see themselves at some specified futuretime. The ABKING PRO Ad for machine to slim down people hypes this expectation of  individuals that they will slim down and look good in Future. 5. expected self-image (e. g. , how consumers expect to see themselves at some specified future time) . ought-to self (e. g. , consists of traits or characteristics that an individual believes it is his or her duty or obligation to possess). Ought to self image-traits consumer thinks he ought to have. The Ashrwad readymeal Adis a hit for the wiv es feel that good cooking is a trait they ought to have. The expected self-image is somewhere between the actual and ideal self-images. It is somewhat like a future-oriented combination of â€Å"what is† (the actual self-image) and what consumers would like â€Å"to be† (the ideal self-image).Moreover, because the expected self-image provides consumers with a realistic â€Å"opportunity† to change the â€Å"self,† it is likely to be more valuable to marketers than the actual or ideal self-image as a guide for designing and promoting products. In targeting consumers of health foods, the marketer can use the expected self-image to attract consumers who would like to enhance the quality of their lifestyles through better nutrition, and ideal social self-image to appeal to consumers who are likely to adopt health foods due to peer influence and pressure. Advertisers focus on components that make people feel better about themselves.Many decisions based on look ing glass and ideal self–ie. Aspiring to group not yet reached–image appeal Psychographic info enhances demographic info– people individuals 3. How can Toshiba use the diffusion of innovations framework to develop promotional, pricing, and distribution strategies for its computer notebooks targeted to the following adopter categories? a. Innovators b. Early adopters c. Early majority d. Late majority e. Laggards * In term of the nature, there are five major types of innovations: novelty, competence shifting, complexity, robust design and continuous improvement.While in term of the extent of change, innovations can be divided into incremental, radical and transformational models. Innovation deals with the change related to product, service and process, and the innovation management involve people, product, process and technology† * diffusion is defined as a process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members o f a social system * innovation as â€Å"an idea, practice, or object that is perceived as â€Å"new† by an individual or other unit of adoption. * company will usually sell the hardware at a relatively lower price to capture a share of the market, and then charge relatively higher prices for the software to maximize profitability * Based upon the time variable, individuals seeking new innovations are placed into adopter categories, according to the rate of adoption. Rate of adoption is the â€Å"relative speed with which an innovation is adopted by members of a social system. † * the rate of adoption is the relative speed in which members of society adopt an innovation. It is usually measured as the number of people who adopt an innovation within a specified time-line. Some companies have a defensive strategy and aim to follow the leader. Such companies hope to profit from the mistakes of the first-to-market company by devising incremental design and performance impro vements and cost reductions compared with the original product. In addition they hope to exploit the new market that has started to grow, so timing is important. * But it was the major Japanese companies (such as Sony, JVC, Toshiba) that captured a large share of the mass market through reducing the cost of these devices and improving their performance. (a) Innovators: Venturesome [1st group to adopt]Rogers describes innovators as obsessed with being venturesome. They have an interest in new ideas and innovation and have generally very cosmopolitan type social relationships. Innovators generally have communication patterns and friendships among a certain clique of innovators even though their geographic distance between each other may be very significant. Innovators must be very financially secure in order to absorb a possible loss from an innovation that doesn’t turn into fruition. Likewise, an innovator must have a sound educational background, in order to comprehend a comp lex technical terminology.Furthermore, an innovator must be able to cope with a degree of uncertainty whether the innovation will be adopted by society. Ultimately, Rogers believes the innovator takes risks in being the gatekeeper of innovations, but if the innovation is adopted the rewards are high. Early Adopters: Respect [2nd group to adopt] more integrated in the local society than the innovator. Where an innovator is considered a cosmopolite, an early adopter is a localite. Early adopters have the greatest degree of leadership in most localities. Most potential adopters look to the early adopter for advice and information regarding an innovation.Generally, early adopters are respected and considered successful by their peers. The early adopter is the main group that decreases uncertainty of an innovation by adopting it, and then communicating with potential adopters about the idea. Early Majority: Deliberate [3rd group to adopt] Rogers suggest that the early majority group adop ts new innovations just before the average member of society. Members of the early majority frequently interact with people in their society, but usually do not hold key positions of leadership. The early majority is the largest group and make up approximately one-third of members in a society.The early majority follows with deliberate willingness to adopt an idea, but are rarely leaders. Late Majority: Skeptical [4th group to adopt] Rogers states that the members of the late majority adopt innovations just after the average member of society. The late majority also makes up approximately one-third of members in a social system. Members of the late majority are cautious and skeptical about new innovations. Most of the uncertainty surrounding an innovation must be removed before the late majority will adopt the new idea. Laggards: Traditional [last group to adopt]Laggards are the last group in society to adopt a new idea. Generally, they possess almost no positions of leadership with in their community. Laggards’ point of reference is the past, they are very cautious and only make decisions based on what has already been done. Usually, laggards’ educational and financial resources are limited, forcing them to be completely certain the innovation will not fail before they adopt. These are the traditional categories of society members with respect to the adoption of new ideas and innovations. The diffusion of innovations follows a common life cycle. 82 However, the period over which this trend occurs varies greatly due to a number of factors. 183 By the end of the 20th century many of the following innovations were adopted by society at a much greater rate. 184 For example, the PC, Internet, and cell phone, which are all relatively new products, have steeper gradients when compared to automobiles, electricity and traditional telephones. Price is one of the most important factors involved in adoption of consumer products. This pricing policy pattern c an be used to predict the rate of adoption of new innovations.When it comes to consumers’ rate of adoption to innovations, new technologies succeed at a faster rate than replacement technologies. An early adopting individual may decide to adopt in anticipation that the innovation’s rate of adoption will take off in the near future when others adopt, although past diffusion research suggest that most individuals do not adopt an innovation until after learning of their peers’ successful experiences. † The diffusion of an innovation among the consumers can usually be presented by an s-shaped curve.On a frequency basis the adoption over time will normally follow a bell-shaped curve, but when plotted on a cumulative basis the adoption will form an scurve. 9 The s-curve reflects the acceleration of the adoption. At the early stage the curve is rising slowly meaning relatively few adopters pr. time-period (x-axis). At about the middle of the adoption period the a cceleration peaks and then fades as the percentage of adopters goes up. This course of events is typical for the adoption of new technologies. The logic behind this diffusion lies in the actual number of adopters.The early adopters will be a majority compared to the people who have not yet adopted the technology and therefore there are less people to preach the virtues of the new technology to potential adopters. At the point where the adoption process reaches 50 % the number of adopters equals the number of potential adopters, by definition, thus providing maximal acceleration of the adoption. In the last period, adopters outnumber the people who has not yet adopted, and there will be less people to convince to adopt the technology – slowing down the acceleration of the adoption process.The adopters are often divided into adoption groups. These groups are usually formed on the basis of innovativeness, meaning to which degree each individual is willing adopt new technologies, relative to other members of the social system. From this measure individuals can be placed into groups containing a certain range of innovativeness. The distribution is based on a mean and to which degree individuals’ deviate from the mean (standard deviation). Innovators are the first group of adopters and can be associated with the word venturesome.The individuals representing this group are adventurous and often related to entrepreneurial environments. The innovators run the risk that the innovation does not catch on, and thus subject themselves to a potential loss they must be prepared to absorb. Therefore innovators have to live with the uncertainty about the potentials of the technology, which can be viewed upon as the price to pay for being pioneers in a new field – catalyzing the diffusion of new technologies.The early adopters are ready to adopt a new technology when they observe that other individuals has started adopting, and sees the potential for being s ome of the first adopters of a new and promising technology. These individuals are often a more integrated part of the local society than the innovators, and their adoptions are crucial for the technology to take off and get hold of the broad public. For the early adopters the uncertainties about the merits of the new technology are strongly diminished, and can therefore adopt the new technology without running the risk of buying a young and untested technology.This group accounts for about one third of the total number of adopters, and provide the link between the progressive early adopters and the more skeptical later adopters. In the latter half of the spectrum the late majority also represent about a third of the adopters. This group is skeptical to new innovations, and is not willing to adopt, until a lot of other people have adopted before them ensuring the success of the technology and possibly massive network effects. The last 16 % of the adopters, the laggards, often focus on traditional values and base their decisions on past events.They are suspicious of any new inventions to change the way life are traditionally lived, and must be 100 % certain that the technology will prevail before they are willing to adopt. From a consumers’ point of view it is essential to think about the decisions of future adopters when choosing what technology to go with. The decisions of previous adopters are on the other hand a know factor and plays a role for the decision also. So does the structure of the market, i. e. which technologies are available at the time of adoption, compared to potential superior technologies that could be available in the future.Recent findings indicate that there is a lack of willingness to wait by the early adopters. 11 This high priority of being among the very first users of a new technology is said to inflict negative externalities on the later adopters. These later adopters can be forced to adopt an inferior technology to make sur e that they are compatible with the technologies of the early adopters, or they might be forced to give up compatibility to get a superior technology. That said the diffusion of new technologies is often strongly dependent on the choices of the early adopters.