Laws and Legislation Essay

Main principles: The Act sets out the general guidelines that employers have towards employees, and employees have to themselves and to each other . These guidelines are set in the Act by the principle of so far as is reasonably practicable. In other words, an employer does not have to take measures to avoid or reduce the risk if they are technically impossible or if the time, trouble or cost of the measures would be grossly disproportionate to the risk. This also includes and mandatory training that must be completed before commencing in the work place i.e Moving and handling. Influence in my own job role: In my job role I refer to this act daily as I continually risk assess any type of situation and ensure I adhere to this act at all times by ensuring that I do not put myself or others at any risk. With new staff members, I ensure that they are allocated a place on the next Moving and Handling course and ensure that they are not working with any tenant that may include using hoists etc. Control of substances hazardous to health regulation 2002 COSHH is the law that requires employers to control substances that may be hazardous to health. This can be prevented by finding out what the health hazards are by contacting the company of any cleaning product etc and gaining a data sheet for this. deciding how to prevent harm to health by completing a risk assessment for each cleaning product as per the Data Sheet. providing control measures to reduce harm to health. After completing the risk assessment, decide whether to used the product. making sure they are used by including ways to prevent i.e skin contact with a hazardous substance and ways this can be resolved if this does happen. Ensuring that all risk assessments are reviewed regularly. Influence in my own job role: Again I use this in my every day working life as I ensure that all cleaning products have data sheets and no product that has not been risk assessed is used. I also ensure that no bleach products are used in the tenants own homes. I also ensure that the risk assessments are reviewed every 6 months. RIDDOR regulations 1995 Main Principles: This regulation requires employers to report job related injuries that result in 3 or more days off work. Also the employer must report and outbreak of illness or disease in the workplace. This is in accordance with the Health and Safety at work Act 1974. This helps the Health and Safety Executive to investigate and find out ways of preventing workplace injuries. Influence in my job role: I use knowledge of this regulation all the time in my day to day job. As a senior support worker I ensure that any injury sustained in correctly written up and reported to the correct people. Personal Protective Equipment at work regulation 1992 The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 cover equipment intended to be used by a person at work that requires protection against health and safety risks. This includes protective clothing (e.g. overalls, weatherproof clothing, gloves, safety footwear) as well as equipment such as protective eyewear and safety harnesses. Influence in my job role. I use PPE every day in my job as I am required to carry out personal care on service users. This is to protect myself from any health and safety risks e.g slipping on floors, cutting myself, cross contamination. I also ensure that all support worker use PPE where applicable. The Data Protection act 1998 The purpose of the Act is to protect the rights and privacy of individuals, and to ensure that data about them are not gathered without their knowledge and are gained with their consent wherever possible. The Act covers personal data relating to living people. There are 8 main principles to this act which are: 1. Personal data shall be processed fairly and lawfully 2. Personal data shall be obtained only for a specified and lawful purpose or purposes, and shall not be further processed in any manner incompatible with that purpose or purposes 3. Personal data shall be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose or purposes for which they are processed. 4. Personal data shall be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date. 5. Personal data processed for any purpose shall not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose 6. Personal data shall be processed in accordance with the rights of data subjects under the Data Protection Act 7. Appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be taken to prevent the unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and the accidental loss, destruction of or damage to personal data. 8. Personal data shall not be transferred to a country or territory outside the European Economic Area unless that country or territory ensures an adequate level of protection for the rights and freedoms of data subjects in relation to the processing of personal data. ( Taken from www.soac.co.uk) Influence in my own job role. I use this in my day to day job as I ensure that myself and all staff uphold confidentiality at all times. I ensure that records beloning to the service user are kept in their own homes and only them and any significant others have access to them. I also ensure that all staff including myself record any data regarding the tenant clearly and factually, and again this is kept in the tenants own home. SSSC Codes of practice. The Code of Practice for Social Service Workers describe the standards of professional conduct and practice required of social service workers as they go about their daily work. They describe that responsibilities if the employer towards the employee and the responsibilities of the employee themselves. Influence in my own job role I continually revise these codes of practice and adhere to them in my day to day life. I ensure that all support workers that I supervise have a good knowledge of these and also encourage them to continually revise them to gain a knowledge of these. My employer ensures that I have all the mandatory training that I need to enable me to carry out my job to the best of my ability and with the knowledge and skills to perform in an acceptable way. National care Standards. These are standards set by the government to ensure that all individuals in care are able to lead a fulfilling life. The 6 standards are: Choice Dignity Privacy Equality and Diversity Realising Potential Influence in my own job role I use these standards to influence the way I support my tenants. As I work in a supported living service, it is very easy to become insitutionalised by ‘doing everything’ for the tenant. By following the 6 main principles I ensure that the tenant can so as much as they can themselves. I support them to set goals for themselves and support them in their day to day life. The Disability Discrimination act 1995 The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 aims to end the discrimination that faces many people with disabilities. It now gives people with disabilities rights in the areas of: employment   education   access to goods, facilities and services, including larger private clubs and transport services buying or renting land or property, including making it easier for people with disabilities to rent property and for tenants to make disability-related adaptations functions of public bodies, for example issuing of licences The legislation requires public bodies to promote equality of opportunity for people with disabilities. It also allows the government to set minimum standards so that people with disabilities can use public transport easily (taken from www.nidirect.gov.uk) Influences in my own Job role: I continually adhere to this act in day to day life. I support tenants to gain employment and explain their own rights to them so that if they encounter any problems e,g gaining access to somewhere, then I will help them to take the steps required to change something and to be able to have easy access anywhere. The Mental Health act 2003 This act covers individuals with mental health problems who may need to be admitted to hospital due to health problems that may not be deemed as important to that individual due to their mental health problems. This can be done against their will if it in the individuals best interests. Influence in my own job role. As I work with a couple of individuals with mental health problems I have knowledge of this act and if that individual is suffering in any way, shape or form, I will ensure that I contact the relevant individuals to ensure the safety of the tenant is in my best interests. Adults with incapacity act 2000 This guide outlines who the Act can help and the arrangements that can be put in place to give others authority to act or make decisions for someone who lacks capacity to do so for him/herself. It explains what is meant by ‘incapacity’ and sets out the principles to be followed by everyone who is authorised to act on behalf of someone with incapacity. Influence in my job role I do not directly use this in my job role but I am aware of this as there are a couple of individuals who are deemed to not have capacity and they have family members who are welfare guardian and also financial appointees. I am aware the person appointed as welfare guardian can make decision about that individuals life, health etc over and above that individual as long as it is in the individuals best interests. Public services reform act 2010 This act ensures that all governed care companies are inspected by the SCSWIS to ensure that all rights of individuals in our care are upheld. Influence in my job role This influences me in my job role on a daily basis as, as a company we strive to better ourselves continually and work on improving our service that we deliver in adherence to the most recent inspection by SCSWIS. When there is an inspection I have involvement with this by either filling in staff questionnaires, supporting tenants to fill in service user questionnaires and also, if on shift, talking with the inspector.

Education and Method Essay

Submitted By Wamia Akhtar (111011142) Fowzia Morshed (102011133) Rubia Khatun Rubi (113011002) Zannatul Ferdous Bristy (103011202) Nusrat Jahan Jebin (103011156) Research subject: Teaching Method Concept: Learning Process Constructs: * Traditional Classroom teaching * Active Learning Methods * Teaching with Instruments * Teaching Through Tour * Teaching By Creating Pressure Questions: * Traditional Classroom Teaching 1. What system has been followed for traditional teaching? 2. What elements are used in this teaching method? 3. How the traditional teaching has been given? 4. Is it a time sufficient method 5. Can students maintain direct interaction with teacher? 6. Can it make good bonding among the students? 7. How it can be a motivated method for students? 8. Can it create general competitive nature in students? 9. Do you think it pressurize the students to do hard work? 10. Do you think it bring good results for students? 11. Is it interesting or not? 12. Do you think resuming text books are enough? 13. Is it a memorizing based method? 14. Do you find this helpful? 15. Do you feel it is an old system of teaching? 16. Can you relate teaching concepts with real facts? 17. Do you find it challenging? 18. Is it a lengthy process? 19. What kind of preparation you need to take for assuming this method? 20. Do you feel active with this process? * Active Learning Method 1. Do you find group working helpful? 2. Is it a more practical based process of teaching? 3. Can students be involved physically in this process? 4. Is it easy to learn in this way? 5. Are students getting dependent on the course teacher? 6. Do you find this method interesting? 7. Is it an internationally recognized system? 8. Is it helpful for enriching conceptual thoughts? 9. Do you think it creates a distance between you and the books? 10. Is it a stressful method? 11. Do you find it more helpful for making good results? 12. Is it a modern process? 13. Is it saves your time? 14. Can you enjoying the learning through this method? 15. Do you find it easy? 16. Can you reach personally to all technical tools? 17. Do you feel necessity of practicing at home? 18. How you handle this technique of teaching? 19. Is it important for students to be presented all time? 20. Do you find it as short cut? * Teaching With Instruments 1. Are all materials easily findable? 2. Are the materials easy to use for all? 3. How much helpful is the method? 4. Is it a time saving process? 5. Is it a practical based method? 6. Is it a time saving process? 7. In this method of teaching how many times you need to come to the classroom? 8. What kind of role a teacher plays in this method? 9. How often you need to use your text books? 10. Are students enjoying lerning like this? * Learning Under Pressure 1. Do you find teaching with forceful tendency is good? 2. Is it makes you do better result? 3. What kind of difficulties usually you faces? 4. Is it an old form of teaching? 5. How many students can make better result in this method? 6. Do you think teachers work more harder than a student in this method? 7. How much pressure you can handle at a time? 8. Hwo much pressure of study you feel at home? * Learning Through Tour 1. How learning through tour has been worked? 2. How students are participating here? 3. What is the teacher’s role here? 4. Do you find any practical experience by this? 5. Because it is not a classroom based method, how you manage to study by touring? 6. Do you appreciate this system? 7. How students manage their time for this? 8. Is it an internationally recognized system? 9. How many tours you have to join? 10. Is it helpful for making better result?

Smartphone Usage Among Students

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1. Introduction: Smartphone Usage Mobile phones nowadays are addressed as smartphone as they offer more advanced connectivity and computing ability than a normal cell phone. The term smartphone refers to a programmable mobile phone that offers advanced capabilities and features that help individuals in their daily work and personal life (Euromonitor, 2010). Smartphone basically is the combination of both cell phone and a PDA. 70% of the world’s population own at least one mobile phone. In a telephone survey, 83% of respondents said that they owned a cell phone and 35% of the 2,277 U. S. dults said that they owned a smartphone. Literately, a smartphone is a handheld computer, as it is powerful enough to deliver various functionalities comparable to a computer. The release of dual-core processors smartphone recently has further reaffirmed this assertion. A research on 5013 US adult smartphone Internet users at the end of 2010 reveal the types of smartphon e users. i. General Smartphone Usage: Cell phones have been a must have item in daily lives. With the invention of smartphones, owing a cell phone is no longer for calling; it has become a trend and is a substitute for computers, telephone and PDA. 1% uses smartphone to browse the Internet, 77% search, 68% use an application and 48% watch videos on their smartphone. ii. Action-Oriented Searchers: Smartphones is used to find wide variety of information and to navigate the mobile internet. Search engine websites are the most visited websites with 77% of US smartphone users citing this. iii. Local Information Seekers: Smartphone is convenient because it users can easily access to information through internet and software provided. 95% of US smartphone users have looked for local information. iv.Purchase-driven Shoppers: Smartphones has been relatively useful for women because it provides shopping tools, from comparing prices, finding more product information to locating a retailer. 74% of US smartphone shoppers make a purchase, whether online, in-store, or on their phones. v. Reaching Mobile Consumers: Businesses never miss the opportunity to advertise their products. With smartphones, consumers are exposed cross-media and a majority of them notice mobile ads which lead to taking action on it. 82% notice mobile ads with half of take action, 35% visiting a website and 49% making a purchase.Figure 1. 1 Smartphone Penetrations across Global Markets Source: http://www. asymco. com/2011/12/13/global-smartphone-penetration-below-10/ (2011) Smartphones have penetrated many countries since its first launching. The number of users started to expand massively in 2010. Figure 1. 1 depicts Singapore to be the country with the most smartphone penetration in year 2011. 2. Smartphone usage in Malaysia With the popularity and functions offered in the phone, smartphones have seen an increase in terms of demand (Park and Chen, 2007). It is reported that in year 2010, 85% of Malays ians own mobile phones.Number of smartphones sold doubles within 12 months. In 2010, mobile phone industry in Malaysia started to boom. The overall value of the industry increased by 30 per cent compared to the year before. The main contributor to the good performance of the industry was the sales of smartphones. The number of units sold went two-fold growth of 208 per cent. Figure 1. 2 Smartphone and Internet Usage in Asia Source: http://www. malaysianwireless. com/2010/05/nsn-talks-about-lte-mobile-broadband/ Figure1. 2 shows that Malaysia is the fifth country in Asia with growing percentage of smartphone and internet usage.With mobile broadband becoming more widely available and affordable, it’s not surprising that a growing number of Malaysians are accessing the Internet via smartphones. Massive competition on mobile broadband industry causes the price of subscription become lower. This is an advantage to middle income people especially to students as they now have the ab ility to own a smartphone and utilise it with mobile internet. More than half of Malaysian consumers (55%) are using laptops and netbooks while eleven per cent said they are using smartphones which is a nine point gain from 2009.Almost two in ten (19%) Malaysians aged 20-24 access the Internet via their mobile phones. Figure 1. 3: Mobile and Smartphone Sales in Malaysia Source: http://marketresearchbulletin. com/? p=3636 The data from the Figure 1. 3 shows that the number of smartphones sold doubles from 2009 to 2010. Since the beginning of 2010, value sales of smartphones have been consistently increasing every month and occupied 72 per cent of the overall pie by December. Overall, close to two in five (38 per cent) mobile phone sets sold last year were smartphones.In Malaysia, it was found that smartphone sales totalled 172. 4 million units in year 2009, with a 23. 8 per cent increase from 2008 (Sidhu, 2010). This increment in sales was partly contributed by university students (J acob and Isaac, 2008). 3. Research Problem Mobile phones have been more and more versatile and with smartphones, it makes communication convenient between and among individuals, especially students. Communication and life makes easy as smartphones provides Internet capability and functionalities that are similar to computers.Students nowadays are prone to using Social networking services (SNS) to spread information. With smartphones, students can instantly share ideas, activities, news, and interests anytime and anywhere. The problem therefore is to understand whether attitudes will affect the intention towards using smartphone among students. Attitude is a feeling, beliefs or opinion towards something. Positive attitude can result in beneficial usage of smartphones by students such as to use it as a medium of learning.On the others hand, negative attitude such as to abuse the use of smartphone will develop negative effects to the users such as incompetent and unable to meet deadlin es and reduces the productivity which will affect the user overall daily routine. The next question that we want to research is on whether perceived behavioural control can influence the intention to use smartphones. Perceived behavioural control is an individual’s perceived ease or difficulty of performing the particular behaviour.It is linked to control beliefs, which refers to beliefs about the presence of factors that may facilitate the behaviour. 4. Research Objectives Research objectives are the objective that we intend to achieve after identifying research problems. There are some of research objectives that are highlighted in this research. One of our main objectives of this research is to understand the determinants of attitude among students in using smartphones. We are going to find out the relationship of the key determinants such compatibility, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use in influencing the attitude.Secondly, the purpose of this research is to understand the factors that will influence the intention of students to use smartphones. Lastly, this study will also seek to understand the role of attitude on intension. 5. Research Questions In seeking to achieve the above objectives, this study attempts to answer the following research questions: 1) What are the key determinants of intention? 2) Does attitude moderate the relationship between perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, compatibility, observability, trialability, self-efficacy and intention? ) Does perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, compatibility, observability, trialability, self-efficacy influence intention to use? 6. Significance of Study The study is carried out to help us understand the key determinants of intention to use smartphones among students, using attitude as the moderator to the relationship. It helps us to have clearer picture on how the determinants will affect the intention of using smartphones among students by looking at the indepen dent variables that are directly and indirectly affecting the dependent variable (actual use).Understanding the determinants for intention to use will raise awareness regarding usefulness of smartphones to students and will create higher level of acceptance to smartphone in the future. This study will help to give insight on the grey areas of smartphones and enable us to understand better the social and psychological factors that may affect the intention to use smartphone among students. The results from this study can be used by mobile phone manufacturers to improve the functions and elements in smartphone which will attract new users especially students and continue to bring extra benefits to the present users.In addition, this result can be used as a benchmark for smartphone manufacturers to be creative and innovative in developing new ideas that could help users especially students in learning process. Therefore, understanding the key factors that will increase the intention to use smartphone will result in better suitability in functions to students. 7. Definition of Key Terms Perceived Usefulness – defined as the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would enhance his or her job performance. Davis, 1989) Perceived Ease of Use – defined as the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would be free of effort. (Davis, 1989) Compatibility – defined as the degree to which using an innovation is perceived as consistent with the existing sociocultural values and beliefs, past and present experiences, and needs of potential adopters. (Rogers, 1983) Observability – defined as the degree to which the results of an innovation are visible to others. (Rogers, 2003) Trialability – defined as the degree to which an innovation may be experimented with on a limited basis. Rogers, 2003) Self-Efficacy – The judgments an individual makes about his or her capability to mobilize the m otivation, cognitive resources and course of action needed to orchestrate future performance on a specific task. (Martocchio and Dulebohn, 1994) Attitude – A psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favour or disfavour† (Chaiken, 1993) Intention – the extent to which an individual intends to perform a specificbehavior. (Davis et al. ,1989). 8. Organization of the Report This research proposal is organized into five chapters.Chapter 1 gives the background of the study. The purposes and research objectives have been put forth to guide the direction of the study. Chapter 2 reviews related literatures by previous researchers. Based on these literatures the theoretical framework and hypotheses are developed. Chapter 3 discusses the research methodology used in this research. Chapter 4 presents the result of the statistical analysis. Chapter 5 summarizes research findings, implications of the findings and limitation of the study. The concluding chapter also provides some suggestions for further studies. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2. Introduction This chapter focuses on discussing the theories, the expansion of the theories to the present theoretical framework used in this research and the justification for the present model. 2. 2 Overview of the literature Various literatures from scholars in Malaysia and abroad were reviewed on the subject Theory Acceptance Model (TAM) and Innovation-Diffusion Theory (IDT). Among numerous perspectives that can be used to examine user acceptance and usage behavior of new technologies, TAM might be the most popular one. This model is derived from Fishbein & Ajzen’s (1975) Theory of Reasoned Action.Davis (1986) developed TAM specifically for explaining and predicting user acceptance of computer technology. The goal of TAM is â€Å"to provide an explanation of the determinants of computer acceptance that is in general, capable of explaining user behavior across a broad range of end-user computing technologies and user populations, while at the same time being both parsimonious and theoretically justified†. The Technology Acceptance Model posits the determinants of user acceptance that may be able to explain a user’s behavior in regard to a general user’s computing technologies.The TAM claims that users evaluate the system based on the system’s ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU). If the system is easy to use and useful, a user would have a positive attitude toward the system (AT), which in turn causes a user’s actual intention to use (BI). Then, the intention creates a user’s decision to use the system. A previous study conducted by Park and Chen indicated that behavioral intention to use a smartphone was largely influenced by perceived usefulness and attitude toward using a smartphone.They further postulated that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use positively determi ne attitudes toward using a smartphone. Kwon & Zmud (1987) suggest that when discussing IDT-related subjects’ factors such as task, individual, organization, and environment as additional explanatory factors should be introduced. Task includes structure of the task, jurisdiction, and uncertainty. Individual factors include aspects such as education, age, experience, and personal specialties.Organizational factors include the support of higher-level management, the organizational structure, the involvedness of the users, and the quality of the product. Environmental factors include pressure from competitors, customer satisfaction, and marketing strategies. The context of smartphone adoption contains both individual factors and organizational diffusion. Previous innovation diffusion studies have suggested that innovation attributes affect an individual’s attitude of the innovation prior to adoption and may consequently influence the speed of adoptions.This study employed these attributes in building the theoretical basis for behavioral characteristics. These beliefs include, compatibility, trialability, self- efficacy and observability. 2. 3. Theory Acceptance Model (TAM) The TAM probably is the most popular theory explaining user acceptance and behavior related to new technologies. Davis (1989) developed the TAM and investigated the determinants of user acceptance that may explain a user’s behavior in regard to the user’s general attitude toward the use of computing technologies.According to the TAM, users evaluate the system based on the perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of the system. If the system is perceived as easy to use and useful, a user would have a positive attitude toward the system, which in turn leads to the user’s intention to use the system. Then, the intention results in the user’s actual decision to use the system. We are using the Technology Acceptance Model to test the perceived usefulne ss and perceived ease of use about the intention to use smart phones among students.The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) has become a well-established robust model for predicting user acceptance (Davis, 1989; Davis, Bagozzi, & Warsaw, 1989). TAM is one of the most influential extensions of Ajzen and Fishbein's (1975) theory of reasoned action and specifies two key constructs that influence users' attitudes, intentions, and behaviors related to technology adoption and use (Lippert & Forman, 2005). The parsimony of TAM combined with its predictive power makes it easy to apply to different situations. However, while parsimony is TAM’s strength, it is also the model’s key limitation.TAM is predictive but its generality does not provide sufficient understanding from the standpoint of providing system designers with information necessary to create user acceptance for new systems (Mathieson,1991). TAM provides researchers with â€Å"valid, reliable, and easy to administer s cales for the key constructs† (Venkatesh et al. , 2007, p. 268). Due to the reliability of these measurement scales, questions for the survey instrument in this study were adapted from this information. Venkatesh et al. noted the repeatability and validity of TAM.TAM was confirmed to be generalizable over time in various research papers worldwide, testing numerous technologies, diverse settings, and different populations. Predicted validity was also confirmed by a number of research studies investigating intention, self-reported use, and actual use. Ramayah (2006a) and (Venkatesh, 2000) have added depth to TAM model by understanding the determinants of perceived ease of use in their study. The study by (Venkatesh, 2000) explained up to 60% of the variance in system specific perceived ease of use.The study by (Ramayah, 2006a) on determinants of perceived ease of use of e-Library also explained up 65% of the total variance. These studies have some of the highest explanatory powe r among TAM research conducted in recent years. The TAM is a specific model developed to explain and predict user’s smartphone usage behavior. Derived from the TAM, it predicts user acceptance based on the influence of two use beliefs: Perceived Usefulness (PU) and Perceived Ease of Use (PEU). 2. 3. 1 Limitation of Theory Acceptance Model (TAM)TAM may be criticized, however, for the lack of sufficient explanation about cognitive processes culminating in a user’s acceptance of new technology. TAM still shares the basic premises and components outlined in Ajzen and Fishbein’s Theory of Reasoned Action (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980), but by excluding the attitude construct from the TRA model, TAM discounts the role of attitude in explaining technology acceptance behavior. Venkatesh and his colleagues dropped the construct of attitude from the technology acceptance model (Venkatesh and Davis, 1996; Venkatesh and Davis, 2000; Venkatesh et al. 2003), arguing that the role of attitude in explaining behavioral intention or actual adoption behavior is very limited and is at best a partial mediator in the relationship between salient beliefs and the adoption behavior or intention. We contend that this argument is made without serious theoretical consideration and restricts the search for a comprehensive understanding of technology acceptance. 2. 4 Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT) The IDT describes the process of technology acceptance by five characteristics of the technology influencing the consumer's attitude leading to adopting or refusing the technology (Rogers, 1995).The main difference appears to be TAM's focus on a specific technology whereas IDT recognize the importance of establishing a technology's likelihood to be adopted in relation to comparable existing technologies (Park & Gretzel, 2006). Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DIT or DOI) (Roger 1995) is a well-known conceptual framework to study new products’ diffusion and adoption. The original diffusion model provided a probabilistic approach based on the hazard function, which determines the likelihood that an agent who has remained a non-adopter of an innovative product will become an adopter in the next temporal unit.Rogers [1983] explained the process of innovation diffusion as one which is dictated by uncertainty reduction behaviour amongst potential adopters during the introduction of technological innovations. Even though innovations typically offer its adopters novel ways of tackling day-to-day problems, the uncertainty as to whether the new ways will be superior to existing ones presents a considerable obstacle to the adoption process. To counter this uncertainty, potential adopters are motivated to seek additional information, particularly from their workplace peers [Brancheau & Wetherbe, 1990].In diffusion research theory (Rogers, 1995), diffusion is classified into five stages: innovators, early adopters, the early majority, the late majority, and lag gards, with 2. 5%, 13. 5%, 34%, 34%, and 16% of the population respectively. These barriers are closely connected to all kinds of access-related issues, i. e. access to the physical device needed to use a new mobile service, i. e. the smartphone, or access to money to pay for the hardware to use the service, or to pay for the service itself.Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT) consists of six major components: innovation characteristics, individual user characteristics, adopter distribution over time, diffusion networks, innovativeness and adopter categories, and the individual adoption process [Tornatsky & Klein, 1982; Rogers, 1983; Brancheau & Wetherbe, 1990; Moore & Benbasat, 1991; Taylor & Todd, 1995(b)]. According to IDT, the rate of technology diffusion is affected by an innovation’s relative advantage, compatibility, trialability, observability and complexity.Research suggests that all but the last factors have a positive influence on diffusion (Sonnenwald, Maglaughlin an d Whitton 2004; Ferle, Edwards and Mizuno 2002). Rogers (1995) defines relative advantage as ‘the degree to which an innovation is seen as being superior to its predecessor’. The IDT posits an array of innovation characteristics that may impact a user’s perception of the innovation preceding adoption of the innovation. As a result, these characteristics presumably affect the speed of innovations being embraced. These attributes further provide a theoretically-based set of socio-behavioral beliefs.Thus, we adopted IDT because of the innovative nature of smartphone devices. Innovation may be defined as a new use of an idea, practice, or object by the unit of adoption. This definition of innovation can be applied to new technology adoptions among students. Rogers defined innovation as a new use of an idea, a practice, or an object by the unit of adoption. The smartphone was introduced in 2000. Thus, we view smartphone devices as recent innovations and employ Rogersà ¢â‚¬â„¢s DOI theory in our study. Researchers have used the theory to better understand whether an individual or an organization will adopt new innovations. 2. Theoretical Framework Theoretical frameworks in quantitative research help to â€Å"provide a conceptual guide for choosing the concepts to be investigated, for suggesting research questions, and for framing the research findings† (Corbin & Strauss, 2008, p. 39). Figure 2. 5. 1 Theoretical Framework 6. Independent Variable 2. 6. 1 Perceived Usefulness In Technology Acceptance Model, behavior intention is influenced by both perceived usefulness and attitude. This relationship has been examined and supported by many prior studies (Adams et al. , 1992; Davis et al. , 1989; Hu et al. , 1999; Venkatesh and Davis, 1996, 2000).Perceived usefulness refers to the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would enhance his or her job performance, (Davis, 1989). Many earlier studies have shown that perceive d usefulness was the major determinant of attitude towards system use (Langford and Reeves, 1998; Venkatesh and Davis, 1996). Empirical studies have shown that perceived usefulness has a strongly impact on usage than ease of use. Perceived usefulness are existing in the studies of technology to shown that perceived usefulness directly and significantly influences behavioral intention to use smartphone (Chen and Ching, 2002; Chen et al. 2002; Heijden et al. , 2003; Guriting and Ndubisi, 2006; Khalifa and Shen, 2008; Liao et al. , 2007; Lin and Wang, 2005; Luarn and Lin, 2005; Wei et al. , 2009; Lai and Yang, 2009). However, Davis et al. (1989) to suggest that perceived usefulness may impact on behavioral intention to use the technology-based system. H1: Perceived usefulness is positive related to intention to use. H2: Perceived usefulness is positive related to attitude. 2. Perceived Ease of Use Perceived ease of use refers to the extent to which an individual perceived that using a system is easy or effortless (Davis, 1989).Earlier studies revealed that if an individual perceives a system to be easy to use, he/she is more likely to perceive the system to be useful also (Morris and Dillion, 1997). In addition, if an individual perceives the system to be easy to use, the individual is more likely to use the system, especially among novice users. In a test of selling, when consumers perceive that making a purchase from a virtual store is easy to understand and do, they usually continue interacting with that site (Barkhi and Wallace, 2007). However, by the prior literature by Davis et al. 1989) proposed that perceived ease of use is predicts attitude towards the channel, and also an antecedent of perceived usefulness. Technology acceptance model (TAM) (Davis et al. , 1989; Mathieson, 1991; Davis and Venkatesh, 1996; Gefen and Straub, 2000; Al-Gahtani, 2001) determined by perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) relating to the attitude toward use that relates to intention and finally to behavior but there is no direct related with actual use. H3: Perceived ease of use is positive related to intention to use H4: Perceived ease of use is positive related to attitude. 2. 6. 3 CompatibilityCompatibility (Park and Gretzel, 2006) is the degree to which in an innovation is perceived as being consistent with the existing values, needs, and past experiences of potential adopters. Compatibility (Gavin J. Putzer, 2010) has a positive effect on the rate of adoption. When a user recognizes that an innovation is compatible with a system, the more the innovation will be adopted. Compatibility (Rogers,1995) refers to ‘the degree to which an innovation is seen to be compatible with existing values, beliefs, experiences and needs of adopters’. In a conjoint analysis directed at the adoption of mobile games, Kleijnen et al. 2004) found that perceived risk, which are often used in extensions of Rogers’ concepts (Ortt, 1998) of complexity, and are also referred to as relative ease of use and compatibility, are important factors in the intention to use of mobile services(eg Smartphone) . According to Kleijnen et al. (2004), this implies that mobile systems (eg Smartphone) have to be reliable and data-transmission has to be secure, while the systems have to be easy to navigate and fit into the daily routine of users. H5: Compatibility is positive related to intention to use H6: Compatibility is positive related to attitude . 6. 4 Observability Observability (Park and Gretzel, 2006)is the degree to which the results of an innovation is observable to others. Observability (Yangil Park,2010) has a positive effect on adoption. When a user has an opportunity to observe an innovation, the innovation is more likely to be adopted. Observability(Rogers,1995) is the ‘degree to which the results of an innovation are visible’. An innovation factor from the Kwon and Zmud model known as trialability was r emoved from our model to reduce possible confusion with another innovation factor known as observability.The final pair of characteristics, results demonstrability and visibility, are derived from Rogers’ observability characteristic. Result demonstrability is defined as the tangibility of the results of adopting an innovation, and visibility as the degree to which prospective users see an innovation as being visible in the adoption context [Moore & Benbasat, 1991; Agarwal & Prasad, 1997]. H7: Observability is positive related to intention to use H8: Observability is positive related to attitude 2. 6. 5 Trialability Trialability (Park and Gretzel , 2006) is the degree to which an innovation may be experimented with before an adoption.Trialability (C Huang,2010) existence negative relationship with the attitude of use. Trialability (Rogers,1995) is the ‘degree to which an idea can be experimented with on a limited basis’. If a person can try out the technology bef ore deciding to accept Smartphone, the person will develop a stronger attitudinal belief about the technology, either in a positive or in a negative way depending on the quality of the new technology (Karahanna et al. , 1999; Venkatesh & Brown, 2001; Xia & Lee, 2000; Choi et al. , 2002). Therefore, if a user as an opportunity for trial usage before enroll with Smartphone; the person will have positive attitudinal belief and intention to use Smartphone. H9: Trialability is positive related to intention to use H10: Trialability is positive related to attitude 2. 6. 6 Self Efficacy Self-efficacy (SE) refers to individuals’ belief in their ability to perform a specific task in a given situation or context (Bandura, 1977). Bandura (1977) states that efficacy expectations—the belief that one can perform an activity in question—are the major antecedent of activity choice and effort. Jengchung Chen, 2010) is recognized to be a more important than the others. Efficacy re fers to the belief that an individual has the ability to perform a particular behavior. Compared with competing models, TAM is believed to be more accurate and parsimonious when it is used to predict technology adoption. However, the parsimony of TAM often results in the model being less informative in understanding usage behavior. Due to this limitation, researchers have attempted to extend the TAM framework by encompassing various constructs such as gender, culture, trust, experience, social influence, and self-efficacy.Among those constructs, self-efficacy is recognized to be a more important than the others. Efficacy refers to the belief that an individual has the ability to perform a particular behavior. Self-efficacy has been documented in numerous studies to be an important determinant of PEOU. In the context of web technologies, Agrawal et al (2000) found a positive effect of self-efficacy on both PU and PEOU. Similarly, Ma & Liu (2005) found that self-efficacy positively in fluences PU, PEOU, and the intention to use smartphone. H11: Self Efficacy is positive related to intention to use. . 7 Mediating Variable 2. 7. 1 Attitude According to Antonides et al. , (1998), â€Å"Attitude is the individual predisposition to evaluate an object or an aspect of the world in a favorable or unfavorable manner. † In Fishbein & Ajzen’s (1975) formulation, attitudes influence behaviour through behavioural intentions. Past studies indicate that the link between attitude toward the object and behaviour is not always clear. In some cases, attitudes have a direct effect on behaviours (Bagozzi & Warshaw 1992) but no effect in Bagozzi (1992).Both PU and PEU are posited as having significant impact on a user’s attitude (AT) toward using smartphones. (Yong-Wee Sek 2010) Based on an analysis of four different types of mobile services, Nysveen et al. (2005b) conclude that, in all four cases, people’s intention to use mobile services as well as their attitude toward the actual use, is affected significantly by the direct motivational influence of enjoyment. Moore & Benbasat [1991:196] reminds us, however, that these definitions are, in fact, â€Å"based on perceptions of the innovation itself and not on the perceptions of actually using the system†.As Fishbein & Ajzen [1980] concur, attitudes towards an object and attitudes regarding a particular behaviour relating to that object can frequently differ. Attitude towards behaviour can be described as an individual’s subjective forecast of how positive or negative he / she will feel when performing the target behaviour, whereas subjective norm can be viewed as an individual’s perception of the social pressure on him / her to perform the target behaviour [Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975; Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980].Furthermore, according to the expectancy value model of attitude [Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975], an individual’s attitude towards performing the target behaviour is itself determined by his / her beliefs regarding the consequences of performing the target behaviour, as well as the evaluation of these consequences. Attitude is explained as a function of the combined effect of behavioural beliefs and outcomes evaluations [Mathieson, 1991]. The behavioural beliefs relate to the favourable utilitarian, hedonic and social outcomes that can result from performing the behaviour [Venkatesh & Brown, 2001]. Davis et al. 1989) indicated that the key purpose of TAM is to provide a basis to trace the impact of external factors on internal beliefs, attitudes and intentions. Many IT researchers have since used TAM as a basis to explore and identify other determinants and relationships specific to a particular IT usage in different contexts (Venkatesh et al. , 2003). Hence, since the intention of smart phone among students is very closely tied attitude, this theory should be directly applied to the adoption of this innovation. (Check-Yee Law 2010) H12: Att itude is positive related to intention to use 2. 8 Dependent Variable 2. 8. 1 Intention to useIntentions are different form attitudes where attitudes are summary evaluations, intentions represent the person’s motivation in the sense of his or her conscious plan to exert effort to carry out a behavior (Eagly & Chaiken 1993). Behavioural Intentions (BI) to use is jointly determined by a person’s attitude toward using the system and its perceived usefulness (Shahril Bin Parumo 2010). Behavioural intention is a measure of the strength of one’s intention to perform a specified behaviour (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975). It is correlated with the usage (Davis et al. , 1989) and is a predictor for usage (Szajna, 1996).Purchase intentions are personal action tendencies relating to the product (Bagozzi et al. 1979). Intentions are different from attitudes where attitudes are summary evaluations, intentions represent the person’s motivation in the sense of his or her con scious plan to exert effort to carry out a behavior (Eagly & Chaiken 1993). At times, intention is also difficult to measure. For instance, Bagozzi, Baumgartner & Yi (1989) commented that when an individual is unclear about his or her intention in regards to some action, there is strong tendency for him to react based on their past actions.Here, the individual is likely to report his or her habit rather than intention when responding to the intention (Warsaw & Davis, 1985). Despite issues, purchase intention is an important construct in consumer behavior (Kotler & Armstrong, 2003). A previous study conducted by Park and Chen indicated that behavioral intention to use a smartphone was largely influenced by perceived usefulness and attitude toward using a smartphone. The Theory Acceptance Model is the most popular intention-based theories and models that have emerged from this school of thought [Chau & Hu, 2002].CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 3. 1 Introduction The purpose of chapter 3, method ology is to explain the process or the steps taken to answer the research problems. The process may be expanded to include a philosophically coherent collection of theories, concepts or ideas as they relate to a particular discipline of inquiry in this research. Discussion in this chapter will consists of the research model, variables and measurement, population, sample and sampling techniques, data collection technique and techniques of analysis. 3. 2 Research Model 3. . 1 Type of Study This is correlational study. This study was conducted among students in Universiti Sains Malaysia who are personally using smartphones. Hypotheses testing was undertaken to explain the variance in the dependent variables to predict the relationship. We will begin by discussing the relationship that certain events might have to one another whether there is a positive correlation or negative correlation or no correlation. 3. 2. 2 Nature of Study This study was conducted under the non-contrived setting (natural environment).The variables are neither controlled nor manipulated. This is a cross sectional study where data were collected within 2 weeks. Data is only collected from willing students from Universiti Sains Malaysia. 3. 2. 3 Unit of Analysis The unit of analysis is individual who are students using smartphones in USM. 3. 2. 4 Research Site The research sites for this study are individuals who study in USM, Penang. 3. 3 Population, Sample Size and Sampling Technique The population consists of individuals who are students of Universiti Sains Malaysia (main campus) that uses smartphone.The general rule for the of analysis independent variable, sample size must be five-to-one ratio (5:1) of the independent variable, which means that number of respondent must be at least 30. However, based on Hair et al. (1988) he proposed that the acceptable ratio is ten-to-one (10:1) of the independent variable, which means in a research must have minimum 60 respondents. The sampling techniq ue used is non-probability sampling method. Non-probability sampling method is used because only little attempt is made to generate a representative sample.Besides, there is no need to generalize compared to probability sampling and feasibility. Moreover, when there come to limited objectives, non-probability will be a good choice. Judgment method has been chosen as the sampling technique for this study because there is a need to find out whether people that we approach have access to social networking sites before filling up the questionnaire. This ensures credibility of this research. The list of smartphone users among students in Penang cannot be obtained therefore probability sampling could not be done. . 4 Scale and Measurement The questionnaire was divided into 10 sections. Section 1 to 8 is measured using interval scale of measurement. The other two sections, personal profile and internet experience is measured by using nominal and ordinal scale. For section 1 to 8, the respo ndents were asked to read and respond to all questions according to their level of agreement or disagreement using the 5 point scale. The ratings are as below: 1 Strongly Disagree 2 Disagree 3 Neutral 4 Agree 5 Strongly AgreeAll instruments were adopted from various literatures and were modified for the purpose of understanding people’s reflection when they use smartphones. 3. 4. 1 Independent Variable The independent variable is defined as the presumed cause of some changes in the dependent variable (Robbins, 1998). 3. 4. 1. 1 Perceived Usefulness Perceived usefulness of the individuals was measured on six items using 5-point scale ranging from â€Å"strongly disagree† (1) to â€Å"strongly agree† (7). Items were derived from Park & Chen (2007). Example of question is â€Å"Using the smartphone would enable me to accomplish tasks more quickly†. 3. . 1. 2 Perceived Ease of Use Six items using 5-point scale was used to measure perceived ease of use of the individuals ranging from â€Å"strongly disagree† (1) to â€Å"strongly agree† (7). Items were derived from Park & Chen (2007). Example of question is â€Å"I would find it easy to get the smartphone to do what I want it to do†. 3. 4. 1. 3 Compatibility This measure was derived from Park & Chen (2007) and a total of 3 items was measure using 5-point scale ranging from â€Å"strongly disagree† (1) to â€Å"strongly agree† (7). Example of question is â€Å"Using the smartphone will be compatible with all aspects of my studies†. 3. 4. 1. Observability Observability of the individuals was measured on six items using 5-point scale ranging from â€Å"strongly disagree† (1) to â€Å"strongly agree† (7). Items were derived from Park & Chen (2007). Example of question is â€Å"It is easy for me to observe others using the smartphone in my university†. 3. 4. 1. 5 Trial ability This measure was derived from Park & Chen (2007) and a total of four items was measure using 5-point scale ranging from â€Å"strongly disagree† (1) to â€Å"strongly agree† (7). Example of question is â€Å"Before deciding on whether or not to adopt the smartphone, I would need to use it on a trial basis†. . 4. 1. 6 Self-Efficacy Self-efficacy of the individuals was measured on ten items using 5-point scale ranging from â€Å"strongly disagree† (1) to â€Å"strongly agree† (7). Items were derived from Park & Chen (2007). Example of question is â€Å"I could complete a task using the smartphone if I had seen someone else using it before trying it myself†. 3. 4. 2 Dependent Variable Dependent variables are variable that is measured, predicted, or monitored and are expected to be affected by the manipulation of the independent variable. The dependent variable for this study is the intention to use smartphones. 3. 4. . 1 Intention to Use Smartphones Intention to use smartphones was measured by ite ms adopted and validate by Park & Chen (2007). It has a total of four items measuring the intention of users to use smartphones. Example of item is â€Å"Assuming I have the smartphone, I intend to use it†. 3. 4. 3 Moderating Variable Moderating variable is a second independent variable, believed to have a significant contributory or contingent effect on the originally stated IV-DV relationship. The moderating variable for this study is attitudes towards using smartphones. 3. 4. 3. 1 Attitudes towards Using SmartphonesFour items using 5-point scale was used to measure perceived ease of use of the individuals ranging from â€Å"strongly disagree† (1) to â€Å"strongly agree† (7). Items were derived from Park & Chen (2007). Example of question is â€Å"Using the smartphone is would be a pleasant experience†. 3. 5 Questionnaire Design One hundred and twenty five respondents from Universiti Sains Malaysia voluntarily responded and completed the questionnaire. The questionnaire has 10 sections with 55 questions to measure the relationship of those factors and the intention to use smartphones as well as some demography questions.Table 3. 1 depicts that all instruments used in this study had a corresponding Cronbach alpha ;. 693 Table 3. 1 Questionnaire Source and Validity |Variable |Construct |Items |Cronbach | Author | |Independent |Perceived Usefulness |6 |;. 779 |Park & Chen (2007) | | |Self-Efficacy |10 |;. 85 |Park & Chen (2007) | | |Perceived Ease of Use |6 |;. 764 |Park & Chen (2007) | | |Trialability |4 |;. 748 |Park & Chen (2007) | | |Observability |2 |;. 693 |Park & Chen (2007) | | |Compatibility |3 |;. 99 |Park & Chen (2007) | |Dependent |Intention to Use Smartphones |4 |;. 765 |Park & Chen (2007) | |Moderating |Attitude towards Using Smartphones |4 |;. 795 |Park & Chen (2007) | 3. 6 Data Collection Technique Data for this study was collected through structured questionnaires. The questionnaires were distributed to students in USM, Penang. 3. 7 Statistical Data Analysis The data gathered through questionnaire was subsequently coded and analyzed sing the computerized SPSS (Statistical Software Package for Social Science) software version 16. They were summarized using appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics. 3. 7. 1 Goodness and Correctness of Data Entry Establishing the goodness of data lends credibility to all subsequent analyses and findings (Sekaran, 2003). The main objective is to provide an introductory idea of how good the scales were by checking the central tendency and distribution of the responses. In order to prevent data entry error, data will be checked by running descriptive statistics for minimum, maximum, and count.The mean, range, standard deviation and variance in the data will give a good idea of how the respondents have reacted to items in the questionnaire (Sekaran, 2003). Nevertheless, the missing value does not exhibit whether the data had been entered correctly. This is d ue to the large amount of variables that need to be keyed in. 3. 7. 2 Factor Analysis The principle concern of factor analysis is the resolution of a set of variables linearly in terms of (usually) a small number of factors. This resolution can be accomplished by the analysis of the correlation among the variables.A satisfactory will yield factors which concern essential information if the original set of variables (Harry H. Harman, 1976). When a researcher has a set of variables and suspects that these variables are interrelated in a complex fashion, then factor analysis can be used to untangle the linear relationships into their separate patterns (Zikmund, 2003). 3. 7. 3 Validity and Reliability Validity becomes an issue whenever we ask: How can we access a concept that we have? Validity test is the degree to which the test actually measures what it claims to measure (Gregory, 1992).Reliability test is the degree to which tests is free from error in measuring and therefore yield c onsistent results. It is th extent which respondent can provide almost similar answer to the same or approximately the same question the same way each time. Test validity is requisite to test reliability. If a test is not valid, then reliability is moot. Validity test plays an essential role in order to test the goodness of measurement. Validity ensures the ability of a scale to measure the intended concept (Sekaran 2003).However, reliability also very important because reliability deals with the accuracy and precision of a measurement procedure which is the respondent can answer the same or approximately the same questions the same way each time. In short, reliability is the â€Å"consistency† or â€Å"repeatability† of measurement. In order to assure that the variables are measured correctly and make sure that the respondent was understood the lucidness, wordings, interpretation and appropriateness of the questions, the content validity of the questionnaire was estab lished through literature review.Cronbach’s coefficient alpha is the commonly used measure for internal consistency reliability. Cronbach's alpha assesses the reliability of a rating summarizing a group of test or survey answers which measure some underlying factor. Cronbach’s alpha value that larger than . 70 or . 80 regard as the benchmark for acceptable reliability values (Nunnally and Bernstein, 1994). 3. 7. 4 Descriptive Analysis The analysis aims to provide an overview of the respondents and an insight into their behavioural patterns. Descriptive analysis was not used to analyze gender, race, education and income level.For this data, the frequencies and percentage was used for computation. 3. 7. 5Regression Analysis Regression analysis is used as a statistical tool for the investigation of relationships between variables (Norman R. Draper, Harry Smith, 1998). Multiple regressions are a statistical technique that allows us to predict someone’s score on one variable on the basic of their scores on several other variables. Below are the assumptions of regression analysis. a. Normality assumption Regression assumes that variables have normal distribution. It used to determine whether a random variable is normally distributed.If the histogram appears to at least resemble a bell shape curve, it was assumed that the normality requirement has been met. A bell shape curve will have almost zero mean and value of one for standard deviation. b. Linearity assumption Standard multiple regression can only accurately estimate the relationship between dependant and independent variables if the relationship are linear in nature. Linearity illustrates a relationship between variables that can be described by a straight line passing through the data cloud. c. Homoscedasticity assumptionHomoscedasciticity means that the variance of errors is the same across all level of the IV. When the variance of errors differs at different values of the IV, heterosced asticity is indicated. This assumption means that the variance around the regression line is the same for all values of the predictor variable. d. Independence of Error Term Independence of Error Term means the predicted value is independent of other predicted values. Durbin-Watson statistics was used to validate the independence of error term assumption. Value of Durbin-Watson should fall between 1. 50 and 2. 0, which implies no auto-correlation problem. e. Multicollinearity Multicollinearity is the condition when two or more of the independent variables are highly correlated which will result in an overestimation of the standard deviation of the regression coefficients as an indicator of the relative importance of independent variable. Tolerance above 0. 1, Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) value below 10 and condition index below 30 signifies no major multicollinearity problem. f. Outliers In statistics, an outlier is an observation that is numerically distant from the rest of the data.Case wise diagnostics was run to identify any outlier in the sample. Any cases that fell above the standard deviation value of 2. 50 would be dropped. CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS AND RESULT 4. 1 Introduction This chapter represents the result of the study from the statistical analysis conducted on the collected data and hypotheses testing. In the first part of this chapter the presentation would be on the characteristics of respondent profiles. The goodness of measured is determined by analyzing frequency analysis, descriptive analysis and reliability analysis on the measurement.The final part of this chapter would be focused on hypotheses testing, correlation testing and linear regressions. 4. 2 Samples and Profiles 4. 2. 1 Frequency Analysis Table 4. 2. 1: Personal Profile of Respondents |Demographics |Frequency |Percentage | |Gender | | | | Male |43 |34. | | Female |82 |65. 6 | | Missing |0 |0 | |Ethnicity | | | | Malay |46 |36. 8 | | Chinese |65 |52. | | Indian |5 |4. 0 | | Others |9 |7. 2 | | Missing |0 |0 | |Nationality | | | | Malaysian |86 |68. | | Others |39 |31. 2 | | Missing |0 |0 | |Year | | | | First Year |31 |24. 8 | | Second Year |66 |52. | | Third Year |21 |16. 8 | | Fourth Year and Above |7 |5. 6 | | Missing |0 |0 | |Program | | | | Bachelor's degree (undergraduate) |123 |98. | | Masters |2 |1. 6 | | Missing |0 |0 | |Status | | | | Part Time |17 |13. 6 | | Full Time |108 |86. | | Missing |0 |0 | |Faculty | | | | Management |95 |76. 0 | | Computer |6 |4. 8 | | Technology |4 |3. | | HBP |11 |8. 8 | | Communication |3 |2. 4 | | Chemistry |2 |1. 6 | | Humanities |1 |0. 8 | | Missing |3 |2. | |Live | | | | In Campus |100 |80. 0 | | Outside Campus |25 |20 | | Missing |0 |0 | A total of 125 responses were obtained from 125 questionnaires.According to table 4. 2. 1, the respondents comprised 43 males (34. 4%) and 82 females (65. 6%). 46 (36. 8%) of the 125 respondents were Malay, 5(4. 0%) Indian, 65 (52. 0%) Chinese and other races comprised of 9 (7 . 2%). 86 (68. 8%) of the respondents were Malaysians whereas 39 (31. 2%) of them are from other countries. Among the respondents, 31 (24. 8%) of them were First Year students, 66 (52. 8%) of them were Second Year students, 21 (16. 8%) of them were Third Year students and 7 (5. 6%) of them were students form Fourth Year and Above. Besides that, 123 (98. %) of the respondents were undergraduate whereas 2 (1. 6%) of them were master students. 17 (13. 6%) of the respondents were part time students whereas 108 (86. 4%) of them were full time students. In addition, 95 (76. 0%) of the respondents were students from School of Management, 6 (4. 8%) of them were students from School of Computer,4 (3. 2%) of them were from School of Technology, 11 (8. 8%) of them were from School of HBP, 3 (2. 4%) of them were students were students from School of Communication, 2 (1. 6%) of them were students from School of Chemistry, 1 (0. %) of them were students from School of Humanities and 2 (2. 4%) of the data were missing. 100 (80%) of respondents were live in campus whereas 25 (20%) of them were live at outside campus. Table 4. 2. 1. a Internet Experience of Respondents |Demographics |Frequency |Percentage | |Access | | | | Yes |117 |93. | | No |8 |6. 4 | | Missing |0 |0 | | | | | |Where | | | | Home |83 |66. | | Place of employment |13 |10. 4 | | School/ academic institution |21 |16. 8 | | Cybercafe |3 |2. 4 | | Others |5 |4. | | Missing |0 |0 | |Browser | | | | Internet Explorer |40 |32. 0 | | Mozilla Firefox |30 |24. | | Others |32 |25. 6 | | More than one browser |23 |18. 4 | | Missing |0 |0 | |Time | | | | Almost never |2 |1. | | From 0. 5 hours to 1 hour |5 |4. 0 | | 1-2 hours |17 |13. 6 | | 2-3 hours |31 |24. 8 | | More than 3 hours |70 |56. | | Missing |0 |0 | |Often | | | | Less than once a month |1 |0. 8 | | Once a month |1 |0. 8 | | A few times a week |13 |10. | | About once a day |30 |24. 0 | | Several times a day |80 |64. 0 | | Missing |0 |0 | According to table 4. 2. 1. a, 117 (93. 6%) of the respondents have internet access at home while 8 (6. 4%) of them do not have internet access at home. Other than that, 83 (66. %) of the respondents were primarily access internet from home, 13 (10. 4%) of them were primarily access internet from place of employment, 21 (16. 8%) of them were primarily access internet from school or academic institution, 3 (2. 4%) of them were primarily access internet from cybercafe and 5 (4%) of them were primarily access internet from other places. Internet Explorer was the most popular web browser used by respondents which recorded 40 (32%) of respondents following by 32(25. 6%) of them were using others web browser, and 30 (24%) of them were using Mozilla Firefox. 23 (18. %) of the respondents were using more than one browser. On an average day, 70 (56%) of the respondents were spend more than 3 hours on the internet, 31 (24. 8%) of them were spent 2-3 hours on the internet, 17 (13. 6%) of them were spent 1-2 hou rs on the internet, 5 (4/0%) of them were spent from 0. 5 hours to 1 hour on the internet and only 2 (1. 6%) of them almost never spending their time on the internet. On average, 80 (64%) of the respondents were using internet for several times a day, 30 (24%) of them were using internet for about once a day, 13 (10. 4%) of them were using internet for a few times a week, 1 (0. %) of them was using internet for once a month and another 1 (0. 8%) of them was using internet for less than once a month. 4. 3 Descriptive Analysis The summary of the descriptive statistic of the variables is given in table below. Table 4. 3. 1 Overall Descriptive Statistics of the Study Variables |Variables |Mean |Standard Deviation | |Perceived Usefulness | 3. 4707 |0. 56403 | |Self-Efficacy |3. 216 |0. 44948 | |Perceived Ease of Use |3. 6587 |0. 51145 | |Trialability |3. 5720 |0. 66510 | |Observability |3. 6280 |

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Fashion Promotion - Dior - Essay Example The paper "Fashion Promotion" analyzes the channels and ways that brands, such as Dior, use in their promotion. The existing communication channels used by Dior have been thoroughly studied and also additional recommendation to improve the existing channels and introduce newer ways has also been included in the study. It was found that Dior is very restrictive in selecting its communication channels, so as to maintain the luxurious brand image of the company. Conservative communication channels are utilised by all the luxury product companies, but Dior could utilise a few other channels too to increase its brand recognition without hampering its highly sophisticated and luxurious brand image. Dior is a luxury retail brand based in France. The company is named after the founder of the company Christian Dior. Dior mainly deals in clothing, accessories, perfumes, beauty products and also timepieces. Nowadays, women buy perfume according their personality, so Christian Dior also makes pe rfumes to suit the different personality traits of women around the world. The company mainly targets a niche customer group, such as people from the wealthy class and also the high income groups. Since the global recession or economic depression does not really affect the purchasing power of luxury consumers, so Dior has not felt the sharp punch of economic slowdown. The strategy of the company is to focus on their product range and infuse creativity and innovation, for offering luxury goods to the customers. The brand generates about 13 percent of its revenue from Perfume and cosmetic segment, as stated in figure 1. In this study we would be focusing on the perfumes segment of Christian Dior. Figure 1 Source: (Christian Dior Group, 2012). Dior Story As we already know Dior is named after the famous fashion designer, Christian Dior, who introduced a new trend of fashion in Europe. He focused on the curvy shape of a female figure and designed his dresses accordingly. Christian Dior had worked under several famous fashion designers and in famous fashion houses before floating his own fashion house. Dior started as a fashion house which focused mainly on clothing for women and also men. The new fashion trend was a major hit in Europe and women in Europe liked and accepted the new trend with open arms. The company then launched its first fragrance under its subsidiary company Parfums Dior in the year 1947. It was named as Miss Dior, after the name of Christian Dior’s sister Catherine. Christian Dior passed away in 1957, but the brand name Dior has become famous around the world. Dior has become a synonym for luxury, elegance, beauty, fashion, and beautiful fragrance. It is one of the oldest perfume houses in the world and has about 135 fragrance base. Dior perfumes are made using these fragrance bases. Christian Dior’s revenue tripled since 1998. The company was bought by Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) Group in the year 1987. Since then the LVMH group

Case analysis Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Case analysis - Coursework Example 2 According to Thomas Hobbes, you should not destroy the revised will. This is because for Hobbes, morally right actions are the actions that are consistent with the law of nature. According to Hobbes, the law of nature is discoverable by reason, and all of us are able to discover it if we reason well. For Hobbes, the law of nature guides all of us and it is the law that enables us to know the morally good and the morally bad actions. In the case under consideration, you should not destroy the revised will because doing so is against the law of nature. This is because one of the precepts of the law of nature is to be honest and to tell the truth. 3 According to Kant, you should not destroy the revised will. This is because for Kant, in is categorical imperative, Kant says that in making moral decisions, we should always choose actions that we would wish to be made into universal laws; in other words, Kant states that in making moral decisions, we should choose actions that we would wish anybody in the same situation, and under the same circumstances, to make (Kant, 18). For this reason, since one would not wish his or her own will to be destroyed when we die, one should destroy another person’s will. Destroying the revised will for Kant, therefore, is morally wrong. 4 Of the above three philosophers, Kant is the philosopher who provides the best, and the most convincing account of what one should do in this case. This is because Kant gives a clear formula of making a moral judgement, i.e. in making moral decisions, act in a manner that you would wish all people in the same situation to act. Plato’s and Hobbes’ account of how one should act in this case are a bit unclear and unconvincing. This is because for Plato, it is not easy to determine an action that is virtuous and that promotes eudaimonia; For Hobbes, also, it is not easy to

Global transportation issues and challenges Thesis - 1

Global transportation issues and challenges - Thesis Example It is not only trade-related challenges that plague the transportation industry across the world. There are problems with urban congestion, making effective usage of alternative energy to reduce pollution, shortages of drivers, regulatory concerns, political issues and constraints, and even global price fluctuations in various nations and markets. Any breakdown in transportation can create societal hardship and even impacts the positive socio-economic growth of a country (Harriet, Poku and Anin, 2013). Therefore, failure to recognize and address the many different issues and challenges of transportation maintains long-term consequences for national and human development. The main problem of this research study is to uncover what specific challenges and issues are facing the global transportation industry. Without comprehensive knowledge of these problems, economic growth and social development of a nation can be gravely impacted. This study, therefore, attempts to address contemporary transportation challenges and, through comprehensive review of transportation-related literature, propose potential recommendations for professionals in the transportation industry to address these problems and achieve efficiency in transportation activities. Investment in infrastructure is fundamental for ensuring effective transportation systems. Nations must be considerate of such infrastructure dynamics as parking lots, traffic lights, roadway networks, and ports (to name only a few). Lack of investment in these transportation-related aspects creates substantial inadequacy in transportation systems (Yu, De Jong, Storm and Mi, 2012). Control, investment and management of traffic improves productive use of transport infrastructures and, as one relevant example, traffic lights in an urban region which are allowed to become malfunctioning increases traffic congestion and creates

Obama Health Care Bill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Obama Health Care Bill - Essay Example This paper seeks to prove the constitutionality of the bill, which is that it contravenes the Unite States constitution. In his ruling dated December 13th 2010, Judge Henry E. Hudson of Virginia ruled that this particular bill was unconstitutional. He went on to cite the requirement that seeks to make all Americans get insurance as having exceeded the authority to regulate commerce granted to congress by the commerce clause. In his words, it â€Å"would invite unbridled exercise of federal police powers† (Johnson et al 415). This bill is especially confusing since there is no regulation requiring everybody to possess a car, only that they procure insurance as a condition for owning one. The law requires that one obtains health insurance just because this insurance exists (Johnson et al 415). While the law is without doubt well meaning and popular, with insurers putting forward the argument that healthy people taking out these policies would aid those with expensive conditions, some of the other provisions could be severed legally. As Judge Hudson stated in his ruling, â€Å"Neither the Supreme Court nor any federal circuit of appeals have extended commerce powers, which compel an individual to involuntarily enter the stream of commerce by purchasing a commodity in the private market† (Johnson et al 414). The bill tramples on an individual’s right of choice, that is, whether to participate in the scheme or not. While noting its noble intentions, it is also worth noting that the claim on its un-constitutionality has nothing to do with health care but rather on liberty and a right to choose (Johnson et al 416). Article 1 section 8 clause three of the United States constitution states that â€Å"the congress shall have the power to lay and collect taxes, duties and excises †¦for the common defense and general welfare of the

The American History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The American History - Essay Example There arose great tension between Great Britain troops and colonial militiamen in Lexington. April 1775 kicked off the armed conflict, and one year later, the rebels were waging the full-scale war for their independence. France joined to support the Continental Army to force the British to give up their power. Finally the British surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia, in1779, and the Americans won their independence, though fighting did not formally end until 1783. These were the founding fathers of America. Just after the revolutionary war, these men came with a political system that was entirely novel for an era in which monarchs ruled most countries around the world. Just after having being freed from the British Empire, the fledgling king would have no king at all. Instead, an elected head referred to as the President of the United States of America would be elected (Michener). The president would be the leader of the federal government, enforcing the laws of the land, and acting as the commander -in- chief of the armed forces. And yet, while the presidency has since become the emblem of the American way of life, the country might have gone in a very different direction before George Washington took the oath of office on April 30, 1789, many Americans envisioned a crown for the wildly popular Virginia planter. Washington refused, and so did the farmers of the Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C., and a big mansion that would be called the White House. After Washington's reign as president then followed a series of others like John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt all the way up to the current president who is actually the first black president of the United States of America. This constitution established America's national government and fundamental laws and guaranteed the basic rights for all of its citizens. The Constitution was signed on September 17th, 1787 by the delegates to the constitutional convention to the United St ates. In 1791, The Bill of Rights that guaranteed basic individual protections such as freedom of speech and religion became part of the Constitution.

Education the New Form of Segregation Assignment

Education the New Form of Segregation - Assignment Example The assignment "Education the New Form of Segregation" analyzes the article "A Future Segregated By Science? The Opinion Pages" by M.C. Blow. Blow in his article suggests that there is a new emerging parameter under which the American society is being divided based on science and STEM-based education and employment.The author directs our attention to the development and progress of historical injustices such as economic disenfranchisement of the African Americans. The article presents irrefutable facts such as the chronology of the growth of the STEM jobs in the coming decade. The projection of the growth of STEM jobs is more impending than non-STEM jobs. The main strength of the article is the statistical evidence. Blow systematically explored the data presented from credible institutions such as the national math and science initiative and the USA today. He assesses the admission and interest that black and monitories have in STEM-related courses and subjects. The research in the a rticle shows that the black population receives about 7% of all STEM-related bachelor’s degrees and even lower number of these professions gets hired. About 6% blacks and other minorities such as Hispanics hold STEM jobs in most of the prestigious companies and leading institutions. The weakness in the article is that the argument of the author fails to offer a solution on how best to improve on diversity in the workplace. Blow compares gainful employment to access the achievements of the black race and other minorities.

Communication and the internet Essay Example for Free

Communication and the internet Essay Many people would say that the internet is the most important invention ever. The internet has changed the way many people live. Decades ago, no one would know that the internet even existed whereas nowadays every home has access to it. One of the main reasons internet was introduced was for communicating. There are many different forms of communication online today that people in the past wouldn’t have thought possible. Many people will say advancement in communications is a blessing because it allows for us to connect with families and friends from afar, enables us to express ourselves in many ways, provides a medium for meeting new people with similar interests, and increases our productivity. The internet has transformed all forms of communication since the beginning of its existence.. The internet was first used by the U.S military for communications purposes. The internet, from the communication point of view, has brought on new developments and techniques to keep in touch not only for individuals, but for businesses as well. An example of how the internet has impacted communication would be an example of doctors now communicating through live video feeds via the internet with patients or other doctors to diagnose patients or to even guide and advise surgeons through complicated procedures. Email (electronic mail) was one of the biggest breakthroughs in communication when the internet was introduced. With email, it became possible to send messages and letters across the world in a matter of seconds to the recipients address. As technology improved, it became possible to ‘attach documents, photographs and even sound clips or songs to emails which made mail by post redundant.

Earl Warren vs. William Rehnquist

Earl Warren vs. William Rehnquist Abstract This paper will discuss that, the outlook of the Chief Justice becomes the belief center for the Court; with each new Chief Justice appointed, the outlook of the Court also changes. Two major developments that the Court has gone through over a span of several years, were the periods when the Supreme Court was headed by Warren who became a liberal while on the bench and Rehnquist that remained ultra conservative; both were considered Republican yet had completely different views on how decisions should be made. This paper will compare and contrast their approaches to criminal procedure while on the U.S. Supreme Court, their significant decisions and their effects on the balance between social order and maintenance and individual liberties, and the effects of the Supreme Court’s decisions on law enforcement in the United States. Finally, the paper will discuss the Supreme Court’s approach to balancing civil liberties against public order maintenance. Earl Warren vs. William Rehnquist Introduction In the beginning of the 1950s, America had become a nation obsessed with freedom and social change. At approximately the same time, the Warren Court mirrored these developments. The following court, run by Burger built and upheld the developments that had already started. Warren and Burger’s Courts believed in a new idea, that the Constitution was in fact a breathing and living document, meant to adapt to the times. A new court surfaced, the Court of Rehnquist. This court deferred to the idea that the original Constitution was not only relevant when it was drafted, but that it remained so in the 20th and 21st centuries. The Warren Court During Earl Warren’s sixteen years as chief justice (1953-1969), the Supreme Court had profound impact on politics and government in America. The Warren Court was an extraordinarily activist, innovative tribunal that wrought far-reaching change in the meaning of the Constitution. Among its major decisions, the Warren Court out-lawed authorized racial segregation within public schools, required the equal apportionment of state legislatures and the House of Representatives, set strict national standards to protect the rights of criminal defendants, and ruled that prayers and Bible reading in the public schools were unconstitutional. And it handed down other dramatic decisions that won it both high praise and sharp criticism and engulfed it in great controversy. Riding the crest of the tidal wave of social change that swept through America in the 1950s and 1960s, the Court became a natural target of those who felt it was moving too fast and too far. The political reaction to its bold decisions was symbolized by automobile bumper stickers and roadside billboards that read â€Å"Impeach Earl Warren.† Before he retired as chief justice in 1969, Warren was asked to name the most important decisions of the Warren Court. He singled out those dealings with reappointment, school desegregation, and the right to counsel. Each of these cases symbolized one of three broad fields in which the Warren Court brought about far-reaching changes in America: the political process itself, civil rights, and the rights of the accused. In its reapportionment decisions, the Warren Court required that each citizen’s vote count as much as another’s. If the quality of a democracy can be gauged, certainly the individual’s vote is a basic unit of measurement. Until the reapportionment revolution of the Warren Court, voters were often powerless to correct basic distortions in the system of representation itself. The Warren Court’s Brown decision has not eliminated racial segregation in American schools or American society. But by striking down the officially enforced dual school system in the South, the Court implied that â€Å"all racial discrimination sponsored, supported, or encouraged by government is unconstitutional.† Thus the decision foreshadowed a social upheaval. The civil rights movement, the civil rights legislation of the 1960s, and the continuing controversy over the busing of public school children all followed in the Supreme Court’s wake. By the 1980s, the goal of integration appeared to be less important to many African Americans than freedom, dignity, and a full share of the economic opportunities of American society. Nevertheless, the Brown decision remains a judicial milestone; by its action at a time when much of white America was complacent and satisfied with the existing social order, the Supreme Court provided moral as well as political leadership. It reminded the nation that the Constitution applies to all Americans. The third broad area of decision by the Warren Court, the protection of the rights of criminal defendants, was yet another milestone for the Warren Court. In a series of controversial decisions, including Miranda, Escobedo, Gideon, and Mapp, the Court, bit by bit, threw the mantle of the Bill of Rights around persons accused by state authorities of crimes. In so doing, the Court collided directly with the electorate’s rising fear of crime; it was accused of coddling criminals and handcuffing the police. The Warren Court moved aggressively in several other areas as well, banning prayers in the public schools, curbing the anti-Communist legislation of the 1950s, and easing the laws dealing with obscenity. All this activity provided ample ammunition to the Warren Court’s conservative critics: The Court, they charged, had tinkered with legislative apportionment, forced school integration, overprotected the rights of criminals, banished prayer from the classroom, tolerated Communists, and encouraged pornography. Moreover, as many of the Court’s critics frequently pointed out, it decided many important cases by a one-vote margin. The Rehnquist Court After Warren Burger retired in 1986, President Reagan elevated William Rehnquist to chief justice and appointed Antonin Scalia, another conservative, to the Supreme Court. Even though Rehnquist was not as conservative as Burger, his associates were all supportive and pleased, even his Democratic opposites. His nomination was received with honest excitement on the part of not just his friends on the Court but also others who he had only had minimum contact with. The appointment of Anthony Kennedy in 1987, and President Bush’s appointments of Justices David Souter in 1990 and Clarence Thomas in 1991, meant that for a time, eight of the nine members of the Court had been appointed by Republican presidents. In the space of a relatively few years, the members and political philosophy of one of the three branches of the federal government had changed measurably. When William Rehnquist was sworn in as chief justice of the United States in September 1986, many political observers expected that his appointment would usher in an era of conservative decisions by the highest court. One location that various researchers expected to view substantial alterations in was the limiting of power of the federal government and increasing the power of the federal government and increasing the power of state governments. In time the Court did become more conservative, but that was not the case initially. During the Rehnquist Court’s first term, the liberals won all but two of the major cases and the conservatives prevailed only in the area of criminal law. A moderate-liberal coalition, led by Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. decided cases on affirmative action, teaching creationism in the public schools, protection for pregnant workers, and political asylum for illegal aliens. Moreover, the Court, by a vote of 8-0, threw out the Reverend Jerry Falwellà ¢â‚¬â„¢s suit against Hustler magazine. In so doing, the Court declined to curb criticism of public figures. But by 1988 the Rehnquist Court shifted in a more conservative direction, giving public school officials the right to censor school newspapers and plays, for example. However, many of Rehnquist’s wins directed toward the federalist objective of limiting Congress’s authority over the states had minimal practical impact. And after the appointment of Justice Anthony Kennedy, the Court in several decisions made it more difficult for workers to sue employers for discrimination. The Court’s action alarmed liberals and led to speculation that a conservative majority had finally emerged. In May 1988, in another decision that some analysts seemed to believe reflected a more conservative trend, the Court ruled 6-2 that police may, without a warrant, search through trash that people leave outside their homes to be collected. Rehnquist voted with the bulk of the Justices in City of Boerne v. Flores and later referred to the decision as a model for requiring Congress to give way to the Court in regards to the interpretation of the Equal Protection Clause and including the Fourteenth Amendment, in several cases. Boerne stated that any statute that Congress used to enforce the guarantees of the Amendment had to demonstrate both proportionality and a congruence between the injury that was deterred or fixed and the means adopted to this end. Rehnquist’s Court proportionality and congruence theory took the place of the ratchet theory that had controversially been advanced in Katzenbach v. Morgan. Due to the ratchet theory, Congress was able to ratchet up civil rights beyond the Court’s recognition, but Congress would be unable to ratchet down the rights the courts already recognized. The Rehnquist Court’s congruence and proportionally theory made it less difficult to revive older models th at prevented Congress from over extending itself in enforcing equal protection of the laws. But, as always, the decisions varied; the Court in 1990 struck down the federal law that sought to ban flag-burning. And in 1991, it invalidated New York’s â€Å"Son of Sam† law, which had barred criminals from earning money from books about their crimes; the Court said the state law violated the First Amendment’s provisions of free press and free speech. In 1999, Rehnquist was the second Justice to oversee a presidential impeachment trial, against President Clinton. Rehnquist, in 2000, delivered a consenting decision in Bush v. Gore, the case that ended the election controversy in Florida. He agreed with four justices in the case that the Equal Protection Clause did not allow a standard less manual recount of votes as was ordered by the Florida Supreme Court. Conclusion In conclusion, the Rehnquist Court moved more cautiously in the 1970s and thereafter and narrowed the sweep of some of the Warren Court’s decisions, particularly in the areas of criminal justice and pornography. The Supreme Court might do so even more dramatically in the future. The doctrines of equality, freedom, and respect for human dignity laid down in the numerous decisions of the Warren Court cannot be warped back to their original dimensions. Generations hence it may well appear that what is supposedly the most conservative of American political institutions, the Supreme Court, was the institution that did the most to help the nation adjust to the needs and demands of a free society. As this paper demonstrates, the decisions of the Supreme Court are often unpredictable, and the Court’s direction is not always easily categorized. Although by the year 2000 the Court’s conservative bloc was often a dominant force, it did not always prevail. References Herrman, J. (2009). Theres a Fine LineAdolescent Dating Violence and Prevention. Pediatric Nursing, 164-170.