ABSTRACT

Budgeting in a management accounting organisation is not merely a practice to allocate resources into different departments under a specified limit to save cost; it is rather the practice that would shape the whole organisation’s overall performance and profit. From a management accounting’s viewpoint, budgets are essential to be used in an organisation as it affects the organisation greatly. Thus, this paper will analyse the important points of a budgeting system which includes, the various roles and objectives a budget has within an organisation, and the criticism and assumptions of budgeting – that is, the benefits and drawbacks of using budgets such as behavioural and environmental issues, in which are linked towards the conflicting issues of planning and evaluation of a budget. The article, Using Negotiated Budgets for Planning and Performance Evaluation: An Experimental Study by Markus C. Arnold and Robert M. Gillenkirch accentuates how budgets can be used single handily or separately for different purposes or tasks which is yet another conflict arising between planning and evaluation performance.

INTRODUCTION

In the last decade, it was founded by Briers and Chua (2001, p. 238) that organisations have developed a substantial amount of management accounting tools, which includes balanced scorecards, target costing, activity-based costing (ABC), and enterprise resource planning systems. These technologies however, require the use of budgets, which is broadly used by companies since the beginning of the 19^th century (Cazaux 1965). In other words, organisations have been using budgets for hundreds of years now and budgets have become a standard accounting tool used by numerous companies.  Raghunandan et al. (2012, p. 110) emphasised that no matter how large or complex the business is; it requires the need of budgetary systems to accomplish its goals, in which it may garner substantial rewards once it is implemented and used properly. Henceforward, budgets are regarded as one of the most valuable and effective management accounting tool in an organisation. Horngren et al. (2014, p. 12) defines budgets as a proposal made by the management based on quantitative factors. In a management accounting standpoint, budgets can be projected by a variety of methods and each contains unique purposes that is used in an organisation. The three main budgets used by an organisation include operational budgeting, financial budgeting, and capital budgeting. This paper will analyse on the objectives of a budget, which influences the development and implementation of a budget. Next, the critique of budgeting will be examined by looking though the benefits and challenges of using a budgeting system within an organisation as well as the conflicting issues between planning and evaluation.

ROLES & OBJECTIVES OF A BUDGET

Budgets are often described as operational planning and coordination, motivation and performance evaluation, and goal communication and strategy formulation (Atkinson et al. 2011). It assists organisations to make decisions on how much money to spend by forecasting income and expenditure, and how to control plus monitor its performances under the influence of management accounting information. As stated by Gorshkova et al. (2015, p. 413), developing a budgeting system in an organisation may generate an assurance of financial growth in its business. Thus, budgets contain four important objectives that would influence the development and implementation of a budget.

Planning

Primarily, a company’s budget needs to have a strategic plan. It does not matter whether it is a small not-for-profit organisation or a big profit organisation, all organisations needs to have a budget plan set out. This plan is linked to the organisations budget and would assist the organisation to achieve its goals. Rouse (n.d.) indicates that with a strategic plan in hand; it will outline the company’s financial direction and expectations throughout the next three to five years. The purpose of planning aims to observe the ongoing decisions in the management and intervene whenever the activities are out of scope. For instance, if the company seems to be working towards a different objective, the management will intervene indicating that objectives made are not in line with the company’s plan. This interference delivers a chance for the managers to revise the budgets plan and go over its procedures made by the workforce (Simons 1990, p. 136). With planning, it enables the company to forecast future business conditions as well as avoiding unexpected problems that may occur out of the blue. The company will have to stick to its plan and follow the strategies set out. Such activity is closely linked to the Principle of Efficient Body of manoeuvre whereby it involves an individual’s body such as managers or employees to link with the company’s plans to carryout the activity. This is similar to the case of Wedgwood where Etruria implemented potter’s instruction’s book, which serves as a manoeuvre by clearly identifying how each task should be performed in the production (Macintosh 2002, p. 94).

Controlling

Subsequently, control will be able to measure the performance that is set out in the company’s plan. In order to take control and make adjustments in its performances, the company will need to compare against the actual and budgeted results to seek the corrective actions that needs to be taken into account. Such evaluation is significant as it is able to identity the budgets variances which will then be analysed and investigated in the company (Raghunandan et al. 2012, p. 111). From there, the company will make appropriate actions such as increasing the labour hours or decreasing raw materials to achieve the targets in the budgeting plan. Efficient resources will also be allocated across the company into different departments and it will be controlled as to how much should be given in each department and how much should be kept in the case of unpredicted issues such as natural disasters. If such an event occurs, the company would have a ‘backup’ to purchase more inventory.

Communication

Besides that, budgets have a role in emboldening communication between managers and employees in different departments. A manager will have to communicate to its employees regarding its work process so that it will be in line with the company’s budget. Not only will this enhance manager and employee relationship, but it also assists in coordination with the company’s activities. It is necessary for managers to inform its employees of the rationales underlying the budgeting process and the organisational roles they are to serve (Samuelson 1986, p. 36). Without communication, employees could be under- or over-budgeting the company’s expense and this in turn would impact the company’s goals. Ueno and Sekaran (1992, p. 659) accentuates that communication and coordination play a big role in a company’s budget. Hence, communication is vital to ensure that the coordination of the company’s activities is in the right place. It is also important to communicate budgets through a quantitative and qualitative approach. Most of the time, organisations tend to focus on quantitative factors. As an example, a budget might state that 2,000 units should be made during a specific period, however it does not state what kind of quality should it be made. Same goes to labour, a budget might state the amount to be paid for every labour rate per hour, nonetheless it does not specify the skills that employees should have (ACCA Global 2010). Parker (2012, pp. 54 – 55) claims that most organisations tend to focus more on its quantitative factors, whilst ignoring its qualitative factors and thus, risking a failure to comprehend that important elements do not always lie in measurable values and in fact it could be in a more subjective approach.

Motivation

Ultimately, a budget represents a target, and an aim towards a target can be a power motivator for the management and employees. However, it is important to understand that whether a targeted budget will actually motivate the managers and employees depends on how difficult the targeted budget is perceived to be (ACCA Global 2010). An imperative aspect of motivation is its direction and commitment. When a budget plan is set and approved, it provides the management a specific direction to work towards the company’s objectives. With a direction, it would motivate the managers to work hard as opposed to a budget without a direction in which would provide no pathway for managers to work on. Mia (1988, p. 465) intensifies that there is a striking improved performance in a company’s budget whenever managers possess a more positive and motivational attitude. As for commitment, when a manager’s performance is linked towards the company’s incentive system, the managers are more likely committed to their work. For example, a manager would receive a 20% bonus salary if the manager manages to achieve the targeted sales budget that is set out by the company’s financial plan. Such incentives will motivate the manager to work hard and commit to the job. This incentive system is closely interconnected to normalizing sanctions under the Principle of Discipline Mind whereby individuals would receive a reward for outstanding performances (Macintosh 2002, p. 87).

BENEFITS & DRAWBACKS OF A BUDGET

There are benefits as well as drawbacks in operating budgets within the organisation. According to Vitez (n.d.), most organisations regularly use budgets to construct a financial road map to plan its future business expenditures. With a planned budget in hand, companies will be able to estimate and allocate costs appropriately. As cash used to invest on fixed assets and working capital are limited, the budgeting system will be able to assist in managements decisions regarding which assets are worth to invest in and in turn, this would reserve additional cash for the company’s future business. For instance, with a budgeting system, the manager will be able to identify to spend less than $200,000 on marketing cost for the next two months, as the company would need the additional cash for future purposes such as expansion, endorsement, etc. plus the company does not need to spend much on its marketing as the budget has projected its strong marketing plan from the previous months. Besides that, a budgeting system also allows companies to uncover bottleneck issues. Bottlenecks may occur at different phases of a process and it may concern issues such as limited capacity and interference or prioritization that does not follow the standard procedure of the company (Gargasson et al. 2014, p. 1037). Thus, with a budgeting system, companies will be able to identify what can be performed to expand the capacity of the bottleneck issue or possibly workaround to shift the bottleneck. For example, companies may identity valued and non-valued activities, and they could eliminate the non-valued activities to relieve bottleneck issues.

In contrast, there are some drawbacks in using a budgeting system. An important downside of budgets is its timing. Budgeting process requires heaps amounts of time to establish. It usually takes up a few months to strategize a budget and it will require the management to take part of it as well and thus, taking up the management’s time (Australian National Audit Office 2008, p. 30). This can be further illustrated when companies have to first gather a good amount of information followed by constructing its budgeting process. Once that is done, the budgets have to be sent to the top management for approval. This whole process takes up a lot of time. In addition, Hope and Fraser (2003) suggests that companies should eliminate the use of a budgeting system. This is because companies tend to focus mainly on its budgets to achieve its goals whilst investing huge sums in IT networks, process engineering and a range of management accounting tools such as Economic Value Added (EVA), balanced scorecards, etc. However, these tools are unable to establish new orders due to the constant emphasis on budgeting processes.

CHALLENGES & CONFLICTING PLANNING AND EVALUATION ISSUES

As reported by Barrett and Fraser (1977), a budgeting system comprises of three major conflicting roles, which includes planning and motivation, motivation and evaluation, and planning and evaluation. Planning and evaluation, however, is merely a minor conflict, which often occurs through the challenges of behavioural and environmental issues.

Behavioural implications of managers and employees may affect the planning and evaluation of a budget system. For managers, an unrealistic budgeting plan could conceivably lead managers to make decisions and evaluations that are prejudicial to the company. A manager will do whatever it takes to keep the company within the planned budget but this could in turn harm the company indirectly. As a case in point, if the company has exceeded its planned capital budget in the previous month, the manager might make evaluations to cut down on raw materials and packaging to reduce its budget. Although the company could possibly keep its costs within the budget, the product might not be sufficient and it could lead to customer unsatisfactory. In addition, a budget plan may as well have an impact on employee behaviour. At times, budgets are evaluated at high levels or unrealistic budgeting figures. When this happens, employees will be de-motivated to work, as it will be hard to achieve such high expectations. The employees will eventually give up and company performance will be reduced. Besides that, Riley (2014) specifies that setting a budget at a level too low would result in employee slacking. This is because with such a low target, both the managers and employees are not inspired to work hard to achieve organisational goals. Hence, the aim is to plan and evaluate budgets that are perceived as being possible to accomplish, but at the same time will entice the employees to work harder (ACCA Global 2010).

Other than that, environmental issues within the company is yet another conflict that arises between planning and evaluation. Juozapavičiūė and Stončiuvienė (2008) found that the main problem with budgeting is due to the difficulty to adapt to the ever-changing business environment. At times there will be unexpected circumstances, which would cause the company to make additional plans and alter its budgeting processes. Flexible budget may be deemed as an appropriate budget that organisations should use. This is because a flexible budget is variable; a change in sales volume would change the company’s budget to suit the markets needs and thus, less environmental issues within the company. Holtzman (n.d.) provides a great example of a flexible budget; an organisation produced 3,200 units although its master budget indicated that it was only supposed to produce 3,000 units. Due to such unpredicted change in the business environment, the flexible budget will rearrange its master budget by making appropriate amendments in its sales and expenses to reflect the new figure. A flexible budget also provides a greater level of control because it allows companies to rearrange its allocation of costs and funds based on the changing events in the market. Unfortunately, according to Vaznonienė and Stončiuvienė (2012, p. 159), it was found most organisations turn down flexible budgeting, as it is time-consuming to constantly plan and make adjustments of the budget. Ultimately, it will be difficult for companies with fixed budgets to familiarise itself with the ever-changing business environment and hence, this would cause companies to evaluate its performances based on unrealistic information. Jehle (1999, p. 55) highlights that as the market environment is continuously moving, the companies are shifting as well and thus, managements have to constantly alter its budgeting plans. Consequently, it is critical for companies to frequently alter its budgets as the business environment fluctuates. To resolve such an issue, organisations should undertake a flexible budget as opposed to a static budget even though it may be time consuming to continuously plan and adjust the budget, however it will be easier to evaluate the company’s budget. Nonetheless, such actions could ease the conflict between planning and evaluation.

Furthermore, another conflicting issue involves how Arnold and Gillenkirch (2015, p. 2) stresses that planning and evaluation are often in conflict with one another due to the need to provide managers with adequate financial incentives in which will strife with the accurate planning of the budgeting system. Due to this, budgets have to be set at different levels. Conventionally, Merchant and Manzoni (1989, p. 541) affirmed that companies hardly use different budgets for different purposes. Instead they would use a single budget for multiple purposes. However, Churchill (1984, p. 152) emphasised that a single budget may not be recommended for the use of multiple task and managers are better off using separate budgets for multiple task in its place.

CONCLUSION

Nowadays, with modern companies and the growing demands in the market, the use of management accounting tools such as ABC, target costing, benchmarking, and total quality management (TQM) are seen as tools that are not sufficient enough to meet the today’s demands (Newing 1994, p. 1). This goes to show how organisations have been using budgets to the point where there is a need to create a more enhanced and superior budgeting system. Budgets are taken seriously in a management accounting standard and it proves how budgets are effective in saving organisational costs. The objectives of a budgeting system are important as it outlines the various roles a budget plays in the company which is a crucial aspect to develop and implement a budget. Although there may be several benefits in using a budget, a benefit is not a benefit without its drawbacks. Hence, there are disadvantages as well as challenges in operating a budgeting system along with its conflicting planning and evaluation issues. Nevertheless, budgets have been long considered as a necessary universal tool in managing a company (Jensen 2003, p. 380).

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Self-Service Technology Adoption’s Effect on Customer Experience

Part 1: Introduction

Background Information

ADTRAN is a leading manufacturer and provider of telecommunications equipment for distribution of data services and communications globally.  However, the empowerment of consumers and businesses in the age of digital technology has commoditized manufacturing strength, distribution power, and information distribution and largely dissolved competitive boundaries, leading to consumer choice as the main differentiator and necessitating an enterprise shift to customer experience management (du Plessis & de Vries, 2016).  Companies seeking to maximize customer lifetime value are dependent on customer retention and look to self-service technologies (SST) to reduce operational cost, structure the customer experience, and quantify every interaction of the customer lifecycle, with SST as the critical factor in controlling costs and improving customer experience (Considine & Cormican, 2016).  ADTRAN’s lack of SST adoption is common in the telecommunications industry, but as they shift to an “as-a-service” business model, the number of customer interactions will grow, making customer experience a critical factor for revenue growth and customer retention.

Management Dilemma

The management of ADTRAN are responsible for the customer success, retention, controlling operational costs, and meeting revenue growth targets.  Rapidly changing customer expectations, greater information parity, and the ability to quickly change providers introduce new risks to the business; thus, improving customer experience is critical to business sustainability (du Plessis & de Vries, 2016).  While reducing the volume of customer issues are important to managing costs and profitability, “as-a-service” or subscription-based business models rely on customer retention for the majority of revenue, making customer retention and lifetime value critical.  An objective approach to evaluating SST would allow ADTRAN’s management to minimize bias and organizational belief that may be reluctant to change (Landrum, 2014).  Therefore, it is imperative ADTRAN understand the impact of SST in revitalizing its customer experience to ensure customer retention.

Ethical Concerns

This study analyzes secondary data which must be handled in accordance with ethical practices.  Ethical decisions may be swayed by human nature but following basic fundamental principles about how participants and their data are treated may reduce the likelihood of unethical practices (Landrum, 2014).  According to Tripathy (2013), “the fundamental ethical issues related to secondary use of research data remain”, but “they have become more pressing with the advent of new technologies” as “data sharing, compiling and storage have become much faster and easier” (p. 1478).  The primary concerns with using secondary data include potential exposure or harm to the original participants and issues surrounding consent (Tripathy, 2013).

Tripathy (2013) recommends selecting secondary data that lacks identifying information and is anonymized.

Open access data, available online through various mediums, can be used freely and analyzed, with acknowledgement given to the original data owner (Tripathy, 2013).  Appropriate data collection should be sufficient and necessary without exceeding the parameters of the stated research and should be reviewed to ensure it meets the standard for relevance, including “the methodology of data collection, accuracy, period of data collection, purpose for which it was collected, and the content of the data” (Tripathy, 2013, p. 1479). Additionally, all reasonable measures to protect the data must be taken while in the care of ADTRAN, and upon completion of its use, properly disposed (Tripathy, 2013).

Research Question and Hypothesis

The research question is: Does access to SST improve ADTRAN’s customer experience?  The hypothesis is: SST will improve ADTRAN’s customer experience, thereby improving customer retention and lifetime value, which will reduce operational costs and improving overall profitability.

Part 2: Literature Review

Background Research

Consumer access to SST is a relatively new phenomenon, and Considine and Cormican (2016) define it as “technological interfaces that enable customers to produce a service independent of direct service employee involvement” (p. 104).  However, for successful implementation and adoption, quality must be measured multi-dimensionally, including functionality, enjoyment, security, assurance, design, customization, and convenience (Considine & Cormican, 2016).  Considine and Cormican (2016) collected data on functionality, security, design, and customization from 182 knowledge workers in a financial services organization and found positive feedback on the use of STT to get work done more efficiently and improve their work experience, but a lack of personalization and user centered design received the lowest scores, indicating improvements in these areas can positively impact user experience and perception of SST.

Timing SST adoption within the customer lifecycle is important, because establishing the initial customer relationship is important.  Scherer, Wunderlich, and von Wangenheim (2015) analyzed longitudinal customer data to compare the ratio of SST to personal service use over time and its impact on value creation.  The findings in this research suggest a combination of SST and personal service within the initial three months significantly decrease the likelihood of customer defection and access to SST is most important at the beginning of the customer-firm relationship, as the customer becomes acquainted with the firm (Scherer, Wunderlich, & von Wangenheim, 2015).  This research suggests that while customers may need more personal interaction at the beginning of the relationship, SST availability is an important factor in deciding to remain with a provider and possibly in the initial selection of the provider.

Adopting capabilities to improve customer experience are highly complex and require executive sponsorship to be successful, because they span a “complex mix of strategy, integration of technology, orchestrating business models, and brand management” which must converge on a common goal (du Plessis & de Vries, 2016, p. 24).  Du Plessis and de Vries (2016) surveyed multiple telecommunications providers to understand the intricacies aligning people, process, and technology to improve customer experience, and they found that while many providers espouse customer experience management as a strategic priority, “efforts are still distributed across the enterprise” and lack a “single, holistic approach” (p. 24).  Impeding a holistic approach were operational goals not aligned to customer experience, a lack of customer-centric culture, minimal comprehension of customer experience, and lack of expertise to execute a customer-centric operational model aligned to business drivers (du Plessis & de Vries, 2016).  Improving customer experience via SST must encompass executive led, organizational change to existing operating models, championing a customer-centric culture, and alignment with clear business goals.

Successful SST programs will inevitably experience some type of malfunction as part of the lifecycle, so anticipating customer response is vital, since many customers may have already experienced subpar performance in the past.  Early SSTs were prone to error, such as 25% of online shoppers encountering issues, voice technology accuracy reaching only 18%, and thousands of self-service U.S. Postal Service kiosks not in-use (Zhu, Nakata, Sivakumar, & Grewal, 2013).  Understanding customer-recovery expectancy (CRE) can aid the design of SST to improve the likelihood of re-engagement when SST failures occur (Zhu, Nakata, Sivakumar, & Grewal, 2013).  CRE was improved by “greater internal attribution, perceived control, and SST interactivity;” therefore, identifying methods for customers to engage in self-diagnostic and self-help reduce the risk of customers disengaging from SST when encountering difficulty (Zhu, Nakata, Sivakumar, & Grewal, 2013, p. 25).  Co-creating customer communities and public knowledge bases alongside SST could introduce collaborative methods to resolving issues without any direct provider intervention.

Part 3: Data

Types of Secondary Data

Internal and external sources of data will be reviewed.  Internal sources include “customer data, information about competitors, and industry-wide data,” such as customer surveys and financial statements (Landrum, 2014, 11.1, para. 5).  This data will be valuable in quantifying the financial performance predicted by customer loyalty, and feedback from existing customers will indicate gaps in the current customer experience that can be addressed through greater access to SST.

External sources will include existing research, analyst reports, and professional publications.  As this is a new strategy for ADTRAN, external perspectives are important for understanding the pitfalls, limitations, strategies, and successes of others.  The combined analysis of internal and external data will allow for acceptance or rejection of the null hypothesis, or the assertion the results of this research will not significantly alter the existing state (Landrum, 2014).

Scales and Benchmarks

The impact of SST on customer experience can be measured along an ordinal scale.  With ordinal scales, the numbers directly relate to significance, allowing the data to be ranked (Landrum, 2014).  Common internal and industry scales used to measure overall customer experience include customer satisfaction (CSAT) and Net Promoter Score (NPS) which measure customer satisfaction and loyalty along an ordinal scale.  For example, a CSAT score of 8 indicates higher customer satisfaction than a CSAT score of 6, and a NPS score of 9 indicated higher customer loyalty than a NPS score of 5.  Additionally, while ordinal scale measure along a continuum, the intervals between each number are not necessarily equal, so the difference between CSAT scores of 10 and 9 cannot be assumed equal to the difference between scores of 6 and 5 (Landrum, 2014).

ADTRAN’s current CSAT and NPS surveys will be used as benchmarks, which can be compared to new CSAT and NPS surveys to identify any impact to overall customer experience.  NPS benchmarks can also be obtained from third party firms, which collate measures across industries.  Using internal and external benchmarks allow ADTRAN to measure improvement against its own past performance, as well as its competitors.

Likert-type scales are a type of ordinal measures, with statements ranked by respondents “on a scale such as 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = neutral,” and so forth (Landrum, 2014, 4.4, “Scales of Measurement and Statistics,” para. 13).  With these types of ordinal measures, the numbers exist on a continuum and imply varying perspectives, without adjacent numbers having exact intervals (Landrum, 2014).  CSAT scores are used to understand current customer satisfaction and the scales vary between organizations, as they seek to understand their particular customers.  NPS was introduced as a standardized metric in 2003 as a predictor of growth, based on customer loyalty, and a predictor of whether a respondent is a “promoter” or “detractor” based on their responses with the score calculated as the proportion of promoters minus detractors (Keiningham, Cooil, Andreassen, & Aksoy, 2007).  These data are available from ADTRAN’s internal sources and customer surveys and can be analyzed to understand trends separating highly satisfied, loyal customers from those who are not.

Considine and Cormican (2016) employed Likert scale measurements to “examine participant’s perception of SST in terms of the technologies’ functionality, security, design and customization features” (p. 105).  Maduku (2017) measured “performance expectancy,” “effort expectancy,” and “structural assurance” on “a 5-point Likert-type scale with anchors ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree)” to measure self-efficacy (p. 896).  This trend is common with the existing literature, and Likert scale measurements allow for granular analysis while adhering to common disagree-agree response scale patterns, which will reduce the complexity of coding data for this research.

Plans for using observations, focus groups, interviews or surveys

This research is based on secondary data; therefore, primary data collection methods such as observations, focus groups, interviews, or surveys will not be used.  Secondary data are found in existing research, so these primary methods are not necessary for sampling and analysis in this study.  Internal sources will be collected from ADTRAN’s existing CSAT and NPS surveys, financial statements, and sales performance data, since this data most accurately reflects current and past performance.  Internal data are preferred because they are proprietary and exclusive to the business (Landrum, 2014).  External sources will be gathered from public databases, such as EbscoHost and ProQuest, in addition to analyst reports, third-party industry benchmarks, and government data.  These sources will include relevant studies of SST adoption and customer satisfaction across industries and a framework for building a customer experience strategy.

Plans for analyzing data

Content analysis is one statistical method that may be used to quantify verbal or qualitative data, such as the feedback collected during customer satisfaction surveys, and this method analyzes the content of feedback to identify patters or trends based on the frequency of specific words or concepts present in secondary data sources (Landrum, 2014).  ADTRAN’s existing customer surveys include written feedback which lends itself to this method, and external sources include similar, industry-wide language patterns.  Quantitative CSAT scores and financial data require another technique.  Multiple regression is employed to make relevant predictions from the data by describing the relationship between variables, forming a prediction about the relative effect between predictor and criterion variables, and framing a theory of the relationship between variables (Landrum, 2014).  The t-test is useful when comparing two groups, such as those with access to SST and those without, against a dependent variable, such as CSAT or NPS, and will help determine whether or not the null hypothesis can be rejected (Landrum, 2014).  Because the secondary data are qualitative and quantitative, these statistical methods will help determine the relationship between SST and customer experience to assist management’s forecast of potential revenue growth.

Part 4: Results

Plans for presenting results

Results of the analysis will be presented in graphical and table formats.  Selecting an efficient, relevant method to display data is vital to communicating its importance and implications without obfuscation or misleading the audience (Landrum, 2014).  Graphical representations, such as scatter plots, can be used to represent the relationship between measurements and allow for recognizable systematic or causal relationships between the data in a regression analysis (Presenting numerical data, 2012).  Underlying the graphical representation, tables provide a structured format for quantified data which allow finer analysis and organization, though the interpretation may be obscured (Presenting numerical data, 2012).  Data residing within a table also lends itself to additional analysis, since it can be sorted and manipulated within numerous tools.

Reject or fail to reject the Null Hypothesis

The null hypothesis presumes there is no statistically significant effect observed during the research and is “used for the assumption that nothing will change from the status quo as a result of the research effort” (Landrum, 2014, 5.1, para. 2).  The goal of this research is to ascertain whether or not there is enough statistically significant evidence to reject the null hypothesis in favor of the alternative hypothesis, also known as the research hypothesis (Landrum, 2014).  To determine whether or not the results are statistically significant, a confidence level, or p value, is chosen to test the null hypothesis, and the “standard accepted p value is 0.05,” representing 95% confidence the results are not due to chance (Landrum, 2014, 5.2, para. 6).  This study will use a p value, or alpha, of 0.05.  Therefore, if the resulting p values from the statistical tests are above 0.05, the null hypothesis will fail to be rejected, meaning there is no statistically significant relationship between SST and customer experience.  However, if the resulting p values are below 0.05, the null hypothesis will be rejected.

Part 5: Conclusion

Take Home Message

Consumer expectations have changed, with access to limitless services on-demand via smartphones and web-enabled apps, and consumer-grade self-service experiences are influencing the expectations of B2B transactions and engagements.  As ADTRAN repositions itself from a hardware manufacturer to a service provider, customer engagement and experience will play a more significant role in the vendor-customer relationship.  As millennials and digital natives mature into upper and executive management roles, their buying experiences will have been shaped by SST in their personal lives, so their expectations of vendors will be heavily influenced.  SST will become table-stakes for attracting new customers, and while service-oriented products are more profitable, they also carry more risk as customers are empowered to more easily change vendors at the end of the contract term.  Service-oriented business models rely on recurring revenue, so the company’s continued success and growth will be highly dependent on customer satisfaction and retention.

Understanding the complex relationship between SST, customer experience, and revenue is vital for management to guide ADTRAN’s continued growth and competitiveness.  Analyzing existing SST frameworks, optimal adoption patterns, and customer feedback will provide a predictive analytical model for initial investments in SST and establishing criteria for success.  While SST can improve the customer experience from initial purchase through the operational lifecycle, it also acts as a real-time feedback mechanism for the company to understand how the customer consumes the purchased services.  Ongoing, this framework can be adapted to include direct, real-time data points from the SST tool, customer feedback, and lifetime value, so management has the relevant metrics to make more informed decisions.

Strengths and Weaknesses and Suggestions for Future Research

This research will provide ADTRAN with a deeper understanding of how SST can be utilized to maximize customer satisfaction and experience, thus improving customer loyalty, retention, and lifetime value.  Because of rapidly growing SST adoption in B2B markets, there is a plethora of data available for analysis across industries.  Additionally, ADTRAN’s own CSAT data provides a wealth of information to parse and glean a better understanding of its own customers.  Combined, these external and internal data sources will provide new insights into the pulse of customer needs and guidance on successfully implementing SST to maximize customer adoption.  The conclusions from this research will significantly improve management’s understanding of the broader SST ecosystem and shifting expectations of B2B clients.

Due to time and budget constraints, there is no direct collection of data in this research, there may be unaccounted for variables and the predictions are not a certainty they will be successful if implemented.  ADTRAN’s lack of SST precludes the collection of primary data and lacking standardized industry terminology increases the risk of misinterpreting qualitative feedback from customers, since there is no direct surveying or participation in focus groups.  Because of the proprietary nature of SST, direct analysis of comparable services is unlikely; therefore, recommendations will be theoretical rather than empirical.

Future research should include direct customer involvement and feedback specific to the nature of SST, expectations of B2B SST, and perceived customer experience.  Furthermore, pilot programs or A/B testing with select customer segments would provide primary data points to help establish a minimal viable product to bring to market.  Due to the complex nature of customer experience, focus groups would provide greater comprehensive feedback and nuance in the data collection, thus improving management’s ability to adapt to shifting customer demands.

References

Considine, E., & Cormican, K. (2016). Self-service technology adoption: an analysis of customer to technology interactions. Procedia Computer Science, 100, 103-109.

Du Plessis, L., & de Vries, M. (2016). Towards a holistic customer experience management framework for enterprises. South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, 27(3), 23-36.

Keiningham, T.L., Cooil, B., Andreassen, T.W., & Aksoy, L. (2007). A longitudinal examination of Net Promoter and firm revenue growth. Journal of Marketing, 71, 39-51.

Landrum, R. E. (2014). Research methods for business: Tools and applications [Electronic version].

Maduku, D.K. (2017). Customer acceptance of mobile banking services: use experience as moderator. Social Behavior and Personality, 45(6), 893-900.

Presenting numerical data. (2012). University of Leicester.

Scherer, A., Wunderlich, N.V., & von Wangenheim, F. (2015). The value of self-service: long-term effects of technology-based self-service usage on customer retention. MIS Quarterly, 39(1), 177-200.

Tripathy, J.P. (2013). Secondary data analysis: ethical issues and challenges. Iranian Journal of Public Health, 42(12), 1478-1479.

Zhu, Z., Nakata, C., Sivakumar, K., & Grewal, D. (2013). Fix it or leave it? Customer recovery from self-service technology failures. Journal of Retailing, 89(1), 15-29.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

• ABSTRACT/INTRODUCTION

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory arthritis that influences almost 1% of the world’s adult population. It is described by symmetric polyarticular inflammation of the synovium, normally of the small joints of the hands (MCP and PIP), wrists and feet (1). This aggravation brings about agony and stiffness, and can prompt dynamic joint harm bringing about deformations and loss of capacity. Related organ harm likewise adds to serious handicap. Despite the fact that it is not completely confirmed ecological and genetic components are thought to be connected to rheumatoid arthritis inflammation.

• BACKGROUND INFORMATION
• Probable Cause
  • Environmental
• Recent investigations have expanded our comprehension of ecological exposures that may contribute to RA, for example, smoking and alcohol consumption. Different factors, for example, birth weight, breastfeeding, financial status and area of birth have additionally been exhibited to add to chance (2).
  • Genetic
• Current investigations concluded an indeterminate decision revealing significantly diverse gene arrangement in different subjects. Also, albeit various genes have been selected that may be helpful for future therapeutic reactions, the job of many genes in the pathogenesis of RA is obscure (3).
  • Epigenetic
• There is no doubt that epigenetic modifications affect RA. Several studies demonstrated that epigenetics contribute to the aggressive, intrinsic activated phenotype of RASF and also the first in vivodata point to the beneficial effects of drugs modifying epigenetic patterns in animal models. However, more data are needed to clarify which modifications are causative for the disease onset and which epigenetic changes occur during chronic disease states (4).

• Symptoms and Signs

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory rheumatic disease with progressive course affecting articular and extra-articular structures resulting in pain, disability and mortality. Persistent inflammation leads to erosive joint damage and functional impairment in the vast majority of patients (7).

• Statistics
  • RA influences a small measure of the populace, however it seen to happen three fold the amount in ladies than their male partners. Albeit rheumatoid arthritis disease is not inherited, a relative with RA expands the odds of having the disease by a huge sum (5)
• Current therapies and treatments
  • As of lately, treatment choices in view of better comprehension of infection pathology have prompted gigantic changes in the administration of this disease. The rapacious utilization of DMARD and biologic DMARD treatment has enabled patients to accomplish enhanced capacity and diminished joint destruction (1).
• Case Studies
  • A thirty-year-old female presents swollen joints that are stiff and painful in the morning symptoms continue to advance with no family history of RA (5).
  • A thirty-eight-year-old female gradually developed painful wrist over 3 months (6).

Bibliography

• Kahlenberg JM, Fox DA. Advances in the Medical Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Hand clinics. 2011;27(1):11-20. doi:10.1016/j.hcl.2010.09.002.

• Liao KP, Alfredsson L, Karlson EW. Environmental influences on risk for rheumatoid arthritis. Current opinion in rheumatology. 2009;21(3):279-283. doi:10.1097/BOR.0b013e32832a2e16.

• Kurkó, J., Besenyei, T., Laki, J., Glant, T. T., Mikecz, K., & Szekanecz, Z. (2013). Genetics of Rheumatoid Arthritis — A Comprehensive Review. Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology, 45(2), 170–179. http://doi.org/10.1007/s12016-012-8346-7

• Klein K, Ospelt C, Gay S. Epigenetic contributions in the development of rheumatoid arthritis.Arthritis Research & Therapy. 2012;14(6):227. doi:10.1186/ar4074.

• Geha RS, Notarangelo L.Case studies in immunology a clinical companion. New York, NY: Garland Science, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC; 2016.

• Chapel, H., Haeney, M., Misbah, S. A., & Snowden, N. (2014).Essentials of clinical immunology. Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Wiley Blackwell.

• Heidari, B. (2011). Rheumatoid Arthritis: Early diagnosis and treatment outcomes .Caspian Journal of Internal Medicine, 2(1), 161–170.

CYSTIC FIBROSIS

1. Introduction

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disease that is most common amongst Caucasians (Calvez et al., 2017). CF is most common in children and has often been regarded as a children disease even though it has also been diagnosed in adults through methods such as sweat test (Calvez et al., 2017). The mutation of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) chloride channel gene is the cause of CF (Calvez et al., 2017). The common CF mutation is the phenylalanine gene deletion (Calvez et al., 2017). The gene deletion leads to the alteration of the CFTR protein (Calvez et al., 2017). The protein folds and is fast degraded (Calvez et al., 2017). Severe forms of pulmonary infections in CF patients are caused by Burkholderia cenocepaciai (Nunvar et al., 2017). The causes will be discussed later in detail. In the US, approximately 12 million people are CF carriers and each year 2,500 children are born with CF. About 30,000 Americans, 3,000 Canadians and 20,000 Europeans have CF. The disease affects Caucasian more often as compared to the other ethnic and racial groups. In Asian Americans, CF affects 1 in every 50,000 babies while it affects 1 in every 30,000 African American babies. Approximately 1 in every 22 Caucasians are carriers. CF patient’s conditions can have quality lives following early diagnosis and proper medical regime is followed.

2. Symptoms:
   • Respiratory Signs and Symptoms

The symptoms presented in the patients include the recurrent or chronic cough. The cough can be hacking and dry at the beginning. In the early stages, the cough produces mucoid while in the later stages, it produces purulent sputum. In the infants, there may be prolonged symptoms associated with bronchiolitis. In some patients, paroxysmal cough is followed by vomiting. The patients will also experience recurrent pneumonia, recurrent wheezing, pneumothorax (trapping of air or gas within the chest and lung walls), atypical asthma, digital clubbing (bulbous and enlargement of toes and fingers) and hemoptysis. In some cases, there may be history of chest pain, nasal polyps, hemoptysis (coughing up of blood), dyspnea on exertion, and recurrent sinusitis (Bennett et al, 20142). Nasal polyps refer to the fleshy growths that are found inside the nose. They occur to 15% to 20% of the CF patients. The other symptom is further, the allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis which affects 10% of the CF patients is also a symptom. It is an infection of the lungs or bronchi that can lead to inflammatory lesions formation.

• Digestive Signs and Symptoms

Meconium ileus may occur in 7-10% of the patients. For the patients with simple meconium ileus, they usually present abdominal distention when they are born (Doulgeraki et al., 2017). Eventually, it progresses to bilious vomiting, progressive failure in passing meconium and the progression in the distension of the abdomen. In the complicated cases of meconium ileus, the patients have severe distension of the abdomen at birth, accompanied by edema and erythema of the abdominal wall. Respiratory distress can occur in the severe cases of abdominal distension. In neonates, the symptoms may include various surgical findings at birth. The findings include perforation, meconium peritonitis, intestinal atresia and volvulus. The other symptom in the neonates is the intestinal obstruction when the child is born. In a few of the cases, the meconium passage may be delayed by between 24 and 48 hours after the birth of the baby. Moreover, there may be cases of prolonged cholestatic jaundice.

Children and infants are presented with increased stool frequency. This higher frequency suggests a failure to thrive, mal-absorption (presence of oil or fat drops in their stools), rectal prolapse or ileocecal (intussusception) (Doulgeraki et al., 2017). The patients that have pancreatic insufficiency will have mal-absorption of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats as well as fat-soluble vitamin deficiency. However, the carbohydrate malabsorption is not severe as compared with that of proteins and fats. The patient fails to thrive even in the cases where the patient has an adequate appetite, foul-smelling flatus or flatulence, abdominal pain that is recurrent. The malabsorption results in steatorrhea which is characterized by frequent, large, poorly formed, greasy and foul-smelling stool. Some patients present with anorexia without the occurrence of steatorrhea. Some of the patients may present with a history of gastrointestinal tract bleeding or jaundice as a consequence of the hepatobiliary involvement.

The abdominal symptoms (AS) are the hallmark of CF which is a multi-organ disease. The CF’s abdominal involvement is the least and insufficiently understood as it normally compared to the various pulmonary manifestations (Tabori et al., 2017). The study by Tabori et al., (2017) focused on the abdominal pain and the other non-pain abdominal symptoms, eating and appetite disorders as well as bowel movements and quality of life-related symptoms. The most abdominal symptoms that are noted in CF include lack of appetite, loss of taste, abdominal pain, flatulence, abdominal distention (Tabori et al., 2017). The most interesting element is that children experience more pain as compared to the adults while the abdominal distention is mostly reported in the adults (Tabori et al., 2017). The abdominal pain is mostly reported in the epigastric regions, umbilical and dorsum (Tabori et al., 2017). The pain reported in terms of frequency is at least once every week (Tabori et al., 2017). The abdominal pain in the majority of the CF patients is 45 minutes although the pain can last for 5 hours or longer (Tabori et al., 2017). The pain is most frequent during stressful events, just before the bowel movements and during meals (Tabori et al., 2017).

3. How to Diagnose

There are a number of tests and methods that are used in the screening for cystic fibrosis. The most effective method that is used is the sweat test also known as the sweat chloride test. The test is used to measure the amount of salt that is present in the skin of the adult or child. The sweat test involves the use of pilocarpine – a chemical – and mild electric current to induce sweating on the skin. The skin is wrapped in a pad and plastic to absorb the sweat that is released (Langen et al., 2015). The sweat is collected for a period of 30 minutes. For children when the chloride (Cl-) concentration is higher than 60 mmol per liter, this is an indication that the patient has cystic fibrosis. However, when the concentration of chloride is higher than 80 mmol/L in adults, it is an indication of cystic fibrosis. This is because adults have higher amounts of chloride in their sweat as compared to children. Due to the low sweat production by newborn children, 50mg of sweat is collected for a period of 45 minutes, and then an immunoreactive trypsinogen test (IRT) is done instead of the sweat test (Kharrazi et al., 2015). However, when enough sweat can be collected in the newborns or infants who are less than three months, CF is indicated by chloride concentrations that are more than 40 mmol/L.

The second method of screening is the IRT. As stated above, this test is carried out on newborn babies who cannot produce enough sweat for the sweat test (Kharrazi et al., 2015). IRT test is undertaken by drawing the blood of the newborn baby a few days after birth. The blood test involves the evaluation of the protein trypsinogen presence. When the test is positive, CF can be confirmed through genetic testing or other forms of mutation analysis. The sensitivity of a combination of mutation analysis and IRT is between 90% and 100%.

Thirdly, there is the use of Nasal Potential Difference (NPD). NPD is carried out based on the electric potential differences that occur as sodium and chloride ions move across the cell membranes lining the airway (Ng et al., 2015). The electric potential differences are the amount of energy that is needed to move the electrical charge from one place to another. Surface electrodes are used to measure the NPD. The abnormal transport of Na+ and Cl- in the patients with CF is abnormal thus allowing for the determination. This test is applied and is very helpful in the cases where the genetic tests and the sweat tests are inconclusive.

Moreover, there is the genetic test or mutation analysis. This test analyzes the DNA for the presence of one of the mutations that can cause CF. A sample of the blood of the patient is collected for the testing. However, the test cannot detect all of the gene mutations that cause CF thus it has a sensitivity of approximately 80-85% (Ng et al., 2015). Further, it cannot be used to determine the symptom severity, i.e., it cannot be used to determine whether the CF will be mild or fatal based on the genotype. The test is mostly used in the cases where the sweat test is negative, but there are still suspicions that the patient may have CF.

Other methods of diagnosis include medical history where the physicians look for the various symptoms. The medical history can be analyzed beginning from infancy. The other diagnostic method is the family history. Since CF is a disorder that is inherited, the family history with CF is an indication that the gene is in the lineage (Ng et al., 2015). Finally, there is the prenatal CF diagnosis. The genetic testing can be done before birth by chorionic villus biopsy where the tissues that develop into the placenta are tested or amniocentesis where cells are removed from the amniotic fluid.

4. Causes

The genetic causes of cystic fibrosis are discussed to illustrate the microscopic properties of the disease. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by the CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator) gene mutation (Furgeri et al., 2018). The genetic mutation as a cause of CF has also been noted in Prados et al., (2017). The other cause is the presence of bronchiectasis as found in cross-sectional observational and descriptive study that was undertaken on patients who are older than 60 years in Madrid and Valencia in May 2012 (Prados et al., 2017). Bioactive lipids have also been considered to be markers in CF (Bragonzi et al., 2017). Moreover, the pathogenesis in CF may be contributed to by a host of proteases (Bragonzi et al., 2017).

The risk factors are discussed to illustrate the macroscopic properties of the disease. The risk factors include race and family history. CF is common amongst the Caucasians of Northern European ancestry or descent. However, the disease is known to occur amongst all ethnic groups. The carrier frequency for the Caucasians of the United States and Europe stands at about 1:25 while for other groups such as Iranians, the carrier frequency is 1:40. The most common CFTR gene mutation is the p. Phe508del. The frequency of the above gene mutation amongst the Caucasians is 70%, between 44% and 13% among Indians, Turkish, Arab and Turkish populations (Tabaripour et al., 2012). Further, the people who have a history of CF in the family also have an increased risk of the disorder. This is because the disorder is hereditary.

5. Disease Pathophysiology

5.1 Physiological Processes/Mechanisms of Cystic Fibrosis

CF is characterized by an abnormality in the epithelial ion transport (Cholon & Gentzsch, 2017). This results from the mutation in the CFTR gene which is an ion channel that mediates chloride (Cl-) and HCO3- transport of absorptive and secretory epithelial cells in a number of organs such as intestines and lungs (Cholon & Gentzsch, 2017). The CFTR also leads to an increase in the Na+ uptake through the ENac channel (Cholon & Gentzsch, 2017). The enhanced update of Na+ leads to the airways dehydration as the salt saps up the water in the airways (Cholon & Gentzsch, 2017). This is the major cause of mortality and morbidity that are linked to CF as the airway surface liquid (ASL) homeostasis is disturbed leading to sticky and viscous mucus (Cholon & Gentzsch, 2017). The above abnormal mucus leads to airway obstruction, mucus stasis, inflammation, persistent infection and the increased decline of the functioning of the lung (Cholon & Gentzsch, 2017).

The patients also show platelet activation which is a market of the clinical status of the disease (Lindberg et al., 2018). The patient will experience increased platelet-monocyte complexes circulation (Lindberg et al., 2018). There is also an increase leukocyte activation levels (Lindberg et al., 2018). CFTR blockade has an impact on the release mediators by platelets which are involved in the inflammation response (Lindberg et al., 2018). The blockade of CFTR on the platelets reduces the formation of lipoxin A4 (LXA4) which is an anti-inflammatory mediator that helps in the modulation of neutrophil inflammation (Lindberg et al., 2018). The dysfunction of CF platelets can contribute to the chronic inflation which is a common mark of CF (Lindberg et al., 2018).

• Functional Changes Associated With Cystic Fibrosis

There are a number of functional changes that occur as a result of Cystic Fibrosis. The CFTR mutation leads to the defect of HCO3- and Cl- epithelial ion transport. This leads to the impairment of the mucociliary clearance (MCC) and airway surface liquid (ASL) due to the sticky and thick mucus that is produced. Secondly, the defective MCC also leads to chronic infections, bronchiectasis, and progression in the loss of the lung functions. Bronchotracheal HCO3- and Cl-secretion contribute to the MCC and ASL height through the effects of the mucin expansion and extracellular hydration. The defects in the HCO3- and Cl- as a result of CF leads to acidic and dehydrated ASL (Sellers et al., 2017). The epithelial Na+ channel deregulation leads to Na+ hyperabsorption. This dehydrates the ASL layer further. This leads water to move out of the mucus layer and out of the periciliary layer. The above coupled with an increase in the viscosity of the mucus as a result of the acidity leads to viscous and thick mucus which impairs the MCC and compresses the cilia.

6. Normal Physiology

This section will discuss the normal physiology in relation to the pathophysiology and symptoms of cystic fibrosis. CFTR is an ABC transporter which has a modular design made up of two membrane-spanning domains (MSDS) and 2 nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs) (Wang et al., 2014). The NBDs use the ATP hydrolysis energy to pump various substrates across the cell membranes through the use of MSDs formed transmembrane pathways (Wang et al., 2014). The mature form (Wild-type CFTR ¬ 170-kDa) is a member of the ABC (ATP –binding cassette) transporter superfamily (Calvez et al., 2017). The CFTR chloride channel stated above is regulated by protein divalent cations, protein kinases, phosphatases and the protein-protein interactions (Calvez et al., 2017).CFTR, as an ABC transporter, is unique in that it functions as a selective and low conductance gated channel of chloride through the ATP hydrolysis and binding cycles at the NBDs (Wang et al., 2014). Bozoky et al. (2013) noted that CFTR gene is tightly regulated by a disorder and intrinsic protein segment that is distinguished by a regulatory domain (RD) (Bozoky et al., 2013). The RD are the various consensus phosphorylation sites (Bozoky et al., 2013).

7. Disease Treatments

There are a number of treatment options for CF that are currently available. First, there are the medications. Some antibiotics are prescribed to the patients to help them get rid of the lung infection and other infections. The antibiotics are administered in capsules, tablets, and liquids. In the very severe cases, infusions or injections can be used. The other medications that are also used include the mucus-thinning medication which is administered to make the mucus less sticky and thinner. This helps the patient to cough the mucus thus significantly improving the function of the lung. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as indomethacin and ibuprofen are also used to reduce fever and pain associated with CF. Bronchodilators are also used to relax the muscle of the tubes that carry air to the lungs. This help in increasing the airflow in the airways. The medications are taken through the use of nebulizers or inhalers. CFTR modulators have been used in the last ten years to target the primary defect directly (Hagemeijer et al., 2007). There is also the use of Omalizumab which helps in the stabilization of the lung function which leads to the improvement of patient’s nutritional status (Perisson et al., 2017)

The second treatment option is the Chest Physical Therapy. This is done to loosen the thick mucus found in the lung. This makes it easier for the patient to cough the mucus up (Ari, 2015). The treatment is performed between 1-4 times per day. The commonest technique used is by placing the patients head over the edge of the bed and clapping with cupped hands on the side of the chest. Mechanical devices are also used in the chest therapy. Such devices include inflatable vest which removes the chest mucus through high-frequency vibrations. Chest clappers can also be used to imitate the effects of the cupped hands clapping along the chest.

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is also used for the treatment of CF. It is a program that is made up of exercise and education to help the patient to increase their stamina, manage their breathing and decrease the episodes of breathlessness brought about by the mucus blockage of the airways. The PR combines diet, education, breathing techniques and exercise to help the patients have control of their symptoms and a better quality of life. The research is also focused on therapies that would help to increase the quality of life and the life expectancy of the patients (Kerem, 2017).

Finally, there are surgical procedures which include surgical insertion of feeding tubes, lung transplant, and bowel surgery. Bowel surgery involves the removal of a specific section of the bowel. It is done to relieve the bowel blockages. The surgical insertion of the feeding tube is done directly into the stomach in the cases where the CF interferes with the nutrient absorption and digestion (Ari, 2015). The lung transplant is undertaken to replace a damaged lung with a healthy lung. The lung transplant is mostly used when the CF causes the patient to have severe breathing difficulties. In some severe cases, both lungs can be removed. However, there are grave complications to this procedure as it can lead to pneumonia and other ailments.

8. Future

The current research is focused on the medications and other methods of treatment that can be used in the patients with CF such as the application of gene therapy. The focus is on medications as well as surgical procedures. The future research on CF is focused on the clinical evaluation of the impacts of the drugs that have been developed for instance the ivacaftor that was approved by the FDA in 2012 (Hubert et al., 2018). There are a number of possible research areas screening for torsional bone strength and bone density for children with CF. Research can also be undertaken to determine the effects of protective commensal migration on the pathogen colonization of the lungs of patients with CF.

9. Conclusion

CF is an autosomal recessive disease that is most common amongst Caucasians children. The mutation of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) chloride channel gene is the cause of CF. There is a number of categories of symptoms such as the digestive and respiratory symptoms. The symptoms indicate what should be looked at in the patients. The causes are both genetic and family related.  CFTR is an ABC transporter which has a modular design made up of two MSDs and 2 NBDs. CF is characterized by an abnormality in the epithelial ion transport. CFTR modulators have been used in the last ten years to target the primary defect directly. There are a number of treatment methods that are applied to improve the quality of life of the CF patients and also reduce the pain while increasing their lifespan.  Current research is focused on improving life expectancy and the effectiveness of the drugs. CF patient’s conditions can have quality lives following early diagnosis, and the proper medical regime is followed.

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Lindberg, U., Svensson, L., Hellmark, T., Segelmark, M., & Shannon, O. (2018). Increased         platelet activation occurs in cystic fibrosis patients and correlates to clinical status. Thrombosis Research, 162, 32-37.

Ng, R. Y., Marson, F. L., Ribeiro, J. D., Ribeiro, A. F., Bertuzzo, C. S., Ribeiro, M. O., & …           Sakano, E. (2015). Nasal Potential Difference in Cystic Fibrosis considering Severe     CFTR Mutations. Disease Markers, 1-11.

Nunvar, J., Capek, V., Fiser, K., Fila, L., & Drevinek, P. (2017). What matters in chronic            Burkholderia cenocepacia infection in cystic fibrosis: Insights from comparative    genomics.PLOS Pathogens, 13(12), 1-24.

Perisson, C., Destruys, L., Grenet, D., Bassinet, L., Derelle, J., Sermet-Gaudelus, I.,             …Corvol, H. (2017). Omalizumab treatment for allergic             bronchopulmonaryaspergillosis in young patients with cystic fibrosis. Respiratory     Medicine, 133, 12-15.

Prados, C., Lerín, M., Cabanillas, J., Gómez-Carrera, L., Álvarez-Sala, R., Martinez, M., …Quirós, S. (2017). How are the ancient cystic fibrosis patients? Cystic fibrosis             diagnosed over 60 years-old. Respiratory Medicine Case Reports, 21, 49-51.

Sellers, Z. M., Illek, B., Figueira, M. F., Hari, G., Joo, N. S., Sibley, E., … Wine, J. J. (2017).            Impaired PGE2-stimulated Cl- and HCO3- secretion contributes to cystic fibrosis airway disease. PLOS ONE, 12(12), 1-20.

Tabaripour, R., Niaki, H. A., Douki, M. R., Bazzaz, J. T., Larijani, B., & Yaghmaei, P. (2012).            Poly Thymidine Polymorphism and Cystic Fibrosis in a Non-Caucasian Population.      Disease Markers, 32(4), 241-246.

Tabori, H., Arnold, C., Jaudszus, A., Mentzel, H., Renz, D. M., Reinsch, S., … Mainz, J. G.    (2017). Abdominal symptoms in cystic fibrosis and their relation to genotype,        history, clinical and laboratory findings. PLOS ONE, 12(5), 1-19.

Wang, Y., Wrennall, J. A., Cai, Z., Li, H., & Sheppard, D. N. (2014). Understanding how     cystic fibrosis mutations disrupt CFTR function: From single molecules to animal    models. The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, 52, 47-57.

The Number of constitutional Violations in the Watergate Scandal

The power that leadership positions give to the leaders can be a strong temptation for them to break laws to protect their interest. Precisely, the presidency of a superpower country enables the presidents to do countless things while in office. This influence can be constitutional or unconstitutional. Thus, researching for the number of offenses that President Nixon’s administration committed is essential in demonstrating the essence of an oversight body in monitoring the conduct of government officials. The agency will be investigating the offenses done to cover up the significant crimes. Therefore, researching the number of felonies in the Waterhouse scandal will expose more constitutional violations that the government did to cover up the scandal.

Background and Significance

Although there are enough agencies to investigate and expose felonies within the government, the cover-ups to these offenses remain unnoticed. Since people are also affected by the cover-ups too, there should be enough constitutional bodies to investigate the conduct of the involved individuals from the period before the exposure of offenses to that after the scandal. This step would help to compensate both the individuals affected by the major crime and the cover-ups. This research project will investigate president Nixon’s administration before and after the exposure of the Watergate scandal to determine the number of cover-ups. The research will use the data from newspapers, journals, government publications, scholarly articles and books to do the research. However, the study will not document classified information that could threaten national security.

Literature review

Already, there are research projects that provide insight into the Watergate scandal. These projects include publications such as “Watergate:  The Presidential  Scandal  That Shook America” and “Combining information from sources that varying credibility”. These publications only cover the major scandal and ignore the cover-ups. This negligence warrants the need to research on the cover-ups.

Research Designs and Methods

The research will use descriptive research methods for the study. Mainly, the project will analyze the government publications and survey the internet for newspaper publications related to the scandal. The project will take two weeks, one week for analyzing government publications and the other for surveying the web for related content and compiling a final report. This period will be enough to cover all the aspects of the research.

Research implications

The research project will reveal the cover-ups that the government did to prevent the public from knowing the truth about the water house scandal. Although the revelation may be controversial, the information will not be contentious enough to threaten national security. The compilation of the final report will be careful enough to provide illustrations that will only justify the essence of investigating cover-ups. Eventually, the project will demonstrate the need for studying cover-ups while maintaining the nation’s safety.

In conclusion, investigating the number of felonies in the Watergate scandal is an essential step in correcting all the mistakes that are related to any scandal. Since there is less work done on the importance of investigating cover-ups, the research project will be an essential reference point for similar projects in future. Thus, the initiative will guarantee justice to individuals affected by either the scandal or the cover-ups.

Requirements  Specification and System Development Life Cycle

Compare and Contrast

            Even though unambiguous and understandable cover the same thought of clarity of message, they can still be contrasted. This is because, unambiguous weighs a thought in one dimension so as to create a single lane of thought thus closing chances of a thought having any another interpretation (Zielczynski, 2008). It is mostly brought about by acronyms that have not been defined, incomplete command or a misplaced word. Understandable on the other hand means that a requirement should use correct grammar written in a uniform style. Additionally, must or may should be replaced by shall (Zielczynski, 2008).

Complete defines the total inclusion of every needed component and condition likely to occur, such that no addition is required on the system (Zielczynski, 2008). Furthermore, for a requirement to be complete, it should have adequate criteria. On the contrary, concise refers to provision of a large-sum amount of information comprehensively and in brief words that are simple and clear (Zielczynski, 2008). Moreover, both refer to provision of adequate information to the system.

Correct means that the function is accurate, with facts that are true, and without errors(Zielczynski, 2008). Modifiable  means that the function is prone to being changed in form according to the requirements by containing one element that can be traceable and not having a requirement that gets expressed once with minimal chances of overlapping with another (Zielczynski, 2008). Both try to gauge the accuracy of the function to the specifications.

SDLC

A standard is a term used at the University of Kansas to define the least number of the needed phases and thoughts needed for the development and implementation of newly developed software and system( Ks 66045, n.d).

Standards have several uses such as: providing lowest level requirements for the works of developing the application (GO-ITS, 2007). Secondly, it provides a wide measure for making sure that the methodology used in development of an application goes hand in hand with its standard (GO-ITS, 2007). Thirdly, it outlines major features of a lifecycle methodology in addition to providing direction for a generic. Additionally, they intensify an application’s quality by suitable commenting and creating standardized labeling conventions (GO-ITS, 2007).

References

Zielczynski, Peter (2008). Requirements Management Using IBM® Rational® RequisitePro®. informIT the trusted technology learning source, Retrieved from http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1152528&seqNum=4

KS 66045, Lawrence (n.d). Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Standard. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY POLICY, Retrieved from http://policy.ku.edu/IT/systems-development-life-cycle-standard

GO-ITS (2007). Application Development Standard: Standards for SDLC. Information & Technology Standards, Retrieved from dr6j45jk9xcmk.cloudfront.net/documents/1890/go-its-54-application-development-standards-for.pdf

Recreation Facility Research Paper.

A recreation facility is a building, a place or a space that offers leisure services or fulfilment of someone’s hobbies of relief and relaxation, pleasure, amusement and fun.

A Research on Westmount Recreation Centre, Ontario- Canada.

Westmount Recreation Centre is a recreation facility located at Lynbrook Drive, Hamilton, Ontario.

It was established in September 2013. It was designed with a highly architectural skills aimed at accessing the surrounding ice rinks, offering a café and a lounge area attractive to potential recreation seekers. Having won many awards acquired the trust of both the Canadian government and both the citizens and tourists at large, it boasts of various service and event hosting such as hockey games done in the ice rinks, free skating outdoor pool and a wading pond, locker rooms, multi-purpose activity rooms for fitness classes, and meetings, teen center, parking area, a storm water management system and electric vehicles charging stations.

Benefits of Westmount Recreation Centre

1. Benefits to the community

1. Recreation and parking services

Providing avenues for relaxation and enjoyment, the recreation facility offers a cool of mind to the community utilizing its services. Westmount also offers parks that improve the image of the community and raises its socioeconomic status. With recreation activities, self-destructive behaviors are reduced, hence building a morally upright individuals in the community.

1. Boosting sports

Sports brings about social cohesion, improves community relationships and enhances interpersonal relationships in the community. There is also active involvement in the community since individuals are brought together through such sporting activities.

1. Benefits to the environment.

Utilization of land: Opening up of recreation amenities, parks and spaces help utilization of land that would otherwise stay idle and in dereliction. Land is converted into a highly acclaimed heritage through provision of such facilities.

1. Benefits to the economy

1. Employment creation

Canadian citizens are employed to offer services at the Westmount such as maintenance of pool, chef services at the café, cleaning of the area, security and equipment operation. This helps increase per capita income, therefore balance in the country’s economy.

1. Business attraction

Business persons are encouraged to offer services at the Westmount Centre, such as opening up of shopping malls, provision of recreation equipment and offering security contracts. With the growth of business, there is assured growth in general business income with which diversification of investments is wayward.

• Government revenue

According to Ontario Recreation Facilities Association (ORFA), recreation facilities such as sports and park services provides for over 12% of Canada’s revenue. The collection of this revenue is through charges and duties paid by the management, the tax policy compliance and the business taxation services. These tax revenues are ploughed back to develop other public services such as schools and hospitals, hence boosting the economy.

1. Personal health benefits

Recreation facilities helps improvement of individual health through relieving stress, keeping fit and being happy. According to Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion Report (2006), recreation services reduced cost of medical care from 2 billion to 1.6 billion a year. A healthy living has since been encouraged though adoption of recreation activities building state of the art centers such as Westmount.

Challenges

1. Maintenance cost

Initial capital required to set up a recreation facility is way too expensive and require some massive investment. However, this cost does not recess, as occasional maintenance is required to keep the facility in good state, healthy and attractive. Costs of employing maintenance staff, equipment and machine is high and if not well budgeted for, may drive the management into losses.

1. Vandalism

Due to high number of recreation seekers, and availability of children, most of the equipment is prone to vandalism. Breakages to the sports facilities such as hockey sticks, skates and protective gears is unavoidable. The management of the facility is therefore required to plan for these inconveniences.

1. Overcrowding

The facility faces high number of visitors especially during holidays such as Christmas, New Year celebrations and Valentine’s Day. Difficulty in providing services to all these people is eminent. Overcrowding also lead to service rationing, hence non-satisfaction at the individual level.

1. Safety and risk management

With frequent ice falls, the management of the facility faces challenges of providing effective ways of curbing cold effects. Many children also tend to experience accidents during skating, footballing and swimming.

1. Competition

There are several recreation service providers within and around Ontario that offer competitive threat to Westmount. They include Ontario White Lake Park, Huntington Park, Ryerson Recreation centre, Central Memorial Recreation Centre and many more.

1. Changing tastes and demands

With evolution in recreation technology, park management and resource diversification, customer preferences keep changing with time. Demand for state of the art facilities poses economic and creativity challenges to the management of the Westmount recreation centre.

Strategies to deal with the Challenges

1. Effective budgeting will help in facility cost management related to maintenance and operations. Seasonal budgeting for such costs helps meet maintenance uncertainties. Strategies on dealing with such cists is also essential, involving coming up with mentainance policies where the facility is closed for a while for upograding and maintenance.
2.  Vandalism is an unavpoidable risk. The facility managers can leverage their costs and ensure customers pay fot the risks of vandalism at a relatively moderated cost. Kids should also be given guidsnce of their parents/guardians or the facility staff.
3. Diversification of the facility will help accommodate high crowds at a time. The facility can also open a subsequent recreation centre adjacent to the main center where they can redirect people to enhance their accommodation. They cabn also manage the number of people entering the facility at a time, and the individual time spent within the facility based on the cost one is willing to pay.
4. According to Rechner (2010), risks related to recreation activities cannot be prevented, but can be highly managed through provision of safety policies. The management can therefore invest in provision of this safety services especially to the children and the elderly people.
5. Investing in research and design (R&D), innovation and technology will help the facility not only to stay a top of the competitive scale, but also win the recreation taste of the leisure seekers (Westmount Recreation Centre Professional, 2015). Development of such skills in technology and research will help realize worldwide trends in recreation such as recreation management portal, modern security and safety measures and provision of state of the art pool with underwater gym.

REFERENCES

Rechner (2010). “Letter to the Editor: Outdoor Recreation Stimulates the Economy”. Washington Post.

Sanders, Duncan (2017). Ontario Recreation Operations. London.

Westmount Recreation Centre Professional (2015). Progressive Report on Westmount Recreation Centre, Ontario.

Ontario Recreation Facilities Association, ORFA (2007). Investing in Healthy and Active Ontarians through Recreation and Parks Infrastructure: A summary of trends and Recommendations.

Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion (2006). Plan for Healthy Eating and Active Living: A Report on Health Trend and Management.

Racism in the Civil War

Racism in the Civil War

Racism is and has been present in the United States since the colonial era, but at several

points in time throughout the history of this country, racism and its societal impact has reached a

fever pitch, one of them being the Civil War, fought from 1861 to 1865. It is argued amongst

historians and other academics that the Civil War was not fought with the intent to free the

slaves. Southern states were furious over President Abraham Lincoln’s election and his unclear

stance on freeing the slaves, which the South did not want. Divided over geographical lines and

what to do in regard to slavery, the North and South bitterly battled in the war, at the core of

which was racism. The war, nor the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by President

Lincoln, was about freeing the slaves and recognizing their humanity. Racism was at the heart of

the war and the debate of slavery and states’ rights. It ran rampant throughout the war in more

ways than one.

To provide context, it is important to note that President Lincoln knew fully well the

injustices and harshness of slavery. While not an abolitionist in any form, he knew that slavery

was wrong ethically, socially and morally and had a significant lack of knowledge or direction

about what to do about it legally. It was not in Lincoln’s interest or desire to free the slaves and

provide their economic, social and political equality to whites (Pruitt, 2012). Lincoln believed

that African Americans had the right to improve their lives yet opposed them having civic duties

like voting and serving on juries, or even marrying interracially. Those in the North opposed

slavery; their Southern slaveholder and secessionist counterparts wanted to secede from the

Union to maintain slavery as an economic institution. Southerners argued that per states’ rights,

they were entitled to protect slave property anywhere in the country. Northerners argued that

other rights were violated by states’ rights and the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850.  With the

Emancipation Proclamation, slaves were freed only in parts of the Southern states where he held

no authority, yet the South refused to concede to even that stipulation. War soon erupted between

the North and the South; it was not until a Union victory against the Confederacy that the slaves

were ordered to be completely freed, thus changing the way of life as both sides knew it.

Racism was not only limited to the regional sides of the Civil War. Within it,

abolitionists and slaves alike hoped for the opportunity to fight in the war to not only help the

Union win, but to forge the path of social justice, or at least their own freedom. However, the

South and President Lincoln feared that by arming African Americans, they would pressure

border states to secede and prevent a union Victory. Although state militias had long excluded

African Americans from the armed forces, the Second Confiscation and Militia Act of 1862

allowed them to enlist in the Union army to secure a victory. Few Black men militants saw

meaningful work and were instead delegated to menial, labor-intensive jobs for which they were

paid very little, if at all. Even in one of the most notable units, the 54^th Massachusetts Infantry,

racism continued as they were paid scarce sums and served in domestic and security roles like

guards and scouts. They were seen as they always had been, despite the military uniform: as

inferior, less intelligent, less skills and less brave. By the war’s end, nearly 50,000 men had died

fighting for a country that saw them as inferior to Whites. The Reconstruction following the

Civil War made no better conditions for African Americans. Their lives then became impacted by

“black codes” in the South to control their behavior and maintain order that positioned Whites as

authority.

The television industry has undergone substantive changes over the last few decades. As mentioned by Jeff Yang, in the late 2000’s, newly released movies and TV shows took a new spin to depict multiculturalism. This paper dwells on the Quantico, an ABC Studios TV-show, as an example of how American television embraced characters of different ethnicities in the latest years.

Quantico premiered in September of 2015 on ABC. The show has two seasons and a total of 44 episodes. The premiere of the third season is scheduled for April 2018. The series is now available on Netflix, and is popular among the international audience, especially in Canada, Australia, and India. The plot of the series revolves around the recruits at the FBI Academy who undergo training in Quantico, Virginia. Upon graduating, the main character, Alex Parrish, becomes the main suspect in the most damaging terroristic attack since September 11. The story goes in two timelines – the past where Parrish and her fellow recruits undergo training at the academy, and the present, where Alex tries to prove her innocence. The show is a drama thriller and was aired on Sundays at 10:00 pm, and is aimed at adult audiences. The viewers and critics praised the series for the performance of the main character, Priyanka Chopra, and the diversity of the cast.

The main character in Quantico, Alex Parrish, is among the brightest examples in modern television of how international cast livens up and attracts a broader audience to a show with a somewhat traditional plot line. Performed by a Bollywood superstar Priyanka Chopra, the character has an unusual cultural twist that was welcomed by the audience. Moreover, Chopra was the first South Asian to headline an American drama series. Critics described the actress as charismatic and stated she was the most valuable human asset of the show. For her performance, Chopra received two People’s Choice Awards for “Favorite Actress In A New TV Series” and for “Favorite Dramatic TV Actress” becoming the first South Asian actress ever to win such awards. It should be noted that Chopra was born and raised in India, and had no background in the United States. This proves that the American television has undergone a substantive change starting from its origins. Today, it not only includes Americans with various racial and ethnical backgrounds but also casts international stars to attract more attention to the show.

Such a trend can be attributed to a variety of reasons. Firstly, as mentioned Yang, the modern era of television is focused on providing more diversity. The TV shows are giving a more realistic picture of a typical American citizen. Descendants of immigrants are portrayed more realistically; they do not have to have a perfect American accent or be of a typical American appearance. In contrast, diversity on a TV screen attracts a wider range of viewers with similar roots who can relate to characters. Secondly, a typical American superstar agent, as pictured in the majority of the older TV-series, is a Caucasian male, and the majority of them look alike. Such images do not leave any emotional reaction in the viewer anymore because there are so many of them and so few distinctive features. In Quantico, the central character is a female and is Indian, which makes her stand out among other similar characters. Such a move by the producers and its warm reception by the audience proves that even the modern television has gone further in its strive for diversity.

Indeed, in the late 1990’s – early 2000’s a new spin in the history of television has brought to screens many new stars of Latino background, who were not perfectly tailored in accordance with the traditional Hollywood standards (Yang). However, today the producers have realized that there are is more diversity in America, and started to include characters with Asian, Middle East, and other origins. The cast of Quantico is in all senses multicultural and therefore appeals to a broader audience than more traditional casts including Caucasian, Latino, and African American actors. The agent recruits, who are the center of narration, include the mentioned Alex Parrish, Simon Asher from Brooklyn, Shelby Wyatt, who is also referred to as “southern belle”, Nimah Anwar, who is originally portrayed as a conservative Muslim wearing a hijab, Ryan Booth with typical good looks of a US guy, and a Mormon Eric Packer. The multinational cast is a sign of the “opening of both minds and borders” (Yang).

In my opinion, Nimah Amin is a particularly interesting character, given her background and a mysterious personality. Nimah is very reserved in her relations with other recruits. Her religion and origin make others prejudiced against her despite her deep love for America and patriotism. It turns out that Nimah has a twin sister and the two of them pretend to be one person switching positions during training at the FBI Academy. During the toughest training, the twins wear hijab and prove that their religion does not prevent them from being remarkable recruits. Moreover, they often have to be tougher and better than their fellow students as to fight the prejudice against them being female and Muslim. Later on in the series when their secret is revealed, Nimah’s individuality is pictured more vividly: she does not wear hijab anymore because she is not as religious as her sister, and she does not have to pretend any longer. Such a transition is a great example how Muslim women do not always fall within the generally accepted stereotypes and are much more than just a mask they are wearing. It should be very informative for the audience, especially in the light of general misconceptions about the Muslims. There is also an interesting twist to Nimah’s character when it turns out she belonged to a terrorist organization Citizen Liberation Front. She joined the organization because she thought that America would never accept people who are different. Thus, her never-ending fight with stereotypes and unwillingness of people to accept her as a person, and not as a representative of a religion, has led her to “fight dirty.”

In summary, Quantico is an excellent example of a modern TV series that provides both an interesting plot and remarkable characters. The series introduces a bright and catchy main character Alex Parrish, played by a Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra. The main character of an unusual origin received positive feedback from both audience and critics and brought numerous awards to the foreign actress, which means that today the US viewers are more receptive to the international cast than they used to be at the dawn of television (Yang). Moreover, the series was recognized for the diversity of the cast, which included characters with different cultural and religious backgrounds. Such a variety of characters attracts a broader audience, including people from other countries, and helps to fight general misconceptions associated with particular cultures. One of the characters that stands out the most is Nimah Amin who is a Muslim trainee with a mysterious personal story. Her evolution throughout the series shows how representatives of other cultures may feel outcasts in the American society because of the unwillingness of people to accept anyone who is different. Overall, the series is a representative of the new generation of TV products aimed at a broader audience that recognize and celebrate the diversity of the Americans and depict them more realistically on the screen.

Works Cited

Yang, Jeff. “Fresh On The Screen: How TV Is Redefining Whom We Think Of As ‘American’”. National Public Radio, Code Switch: Race and Identity, Remixed. 

Applied Business Project

Applied business projects typically entail a substantial amount of research work that provides the intern with a chance to use their knowledge and skills through the investigation and analysis of a complex business problem or management issue forming the basis of the internship. During my internship, my applied project business project revolved around the question how the digitization of retail sales impact marketing strategies in the telecommunications industry in India.

At Mobilinq my position as an intern was that of an assistant manager. I got the opportunity through a referral from family/ friend. During the short tenure, I gained invaluable experience and insight in the telecommunications industry. I directly got to see how competitive the sector is in India.  The research project conducted was helpful both to the organization and to me as an Individual. My mentor played a crucial role both in the research and the learning process.

I knew the telecommunications industry was big but I did not quite comprehend its real size up until during the research. India potentially has a vast of financial potential per the results of the analysis. The key players in this industry include the Media. Apparently, the Media industry is the most critical drivers of the telecommunications industry. I also realized just how much the telecommunications industry is dependent on the digitization of news and the central role played by digital advertising agents both local and international ones.

Per the analysis, the future of the telecommunications industry is set to be influenced heavily by analytics firms. For instance, I learned that companies like Iconisation are predicated on offering new digital products to stimulate the growth of the telecom sector. Consequently, firms dealing in telecommunications are advised to invest more in omnichannel sales.  Such services could open up new research areas like the effectiveness of the new platforms in growing the industry as a whole.  Additionally, I saw that the introduction of numerous digital process would increase the number people online. The current avenues for measuring customer satisfaction can be improved by digitizing them to evaluate the growing user base.

Moreover, I was able to understand the vast potential in social media as more and more people are joining it. This trend is the new frontier for businesses and radical marketing strategies. For example, through social media, I discovered that people could channel feedback directly about a product to the manufacturer while firms get direct access to their clients without intermediaries.

As far as the limitations of the analysis go, I think I found at least Five in my analysis. The first one is the external factors considered during the study. Most of them were highly dynamic which made it hard to predict the how and why these factors would influence the direction of the telecoms sector. The second element is subjective depending on the person going through the results. The presentation or discussion of the analysis may appear simple, but it is sufficiently detailed and well researched. All the attributing factors are discussed to a degree of impact which makes the observing eye value the analysis. Thirdly, collecting all the vast amount of data involved utilizing pertinent information obtained from external sources. Although the process was both tiresome and costly, it strengthened my resolve and critical thinking skills. Fourth, the analysis was limited by the scarcity of freshly updated information. Fortunately, I was able to find reliable data from as recent as 2016.  Fifth, the sheer size of data used in the analyses may sidetrack the readers from the relevant findings. Accordingly, I carefully laid out both the results and the discussion in a way that the reader would easily blend the secondary information with the primary findings. Therefore, the analysis had a few limitations, but I managed to navigate out successfully.

The internship was also crucial in building upon my professional and personal competencies. I acquired the practical knowledge in international marketing. Through the research and my interactions with the marketing team, I learned how to apply the concepts I had acquired in class about selling the right product to the right customer. I was also able to gain skills in operational management.  Hence, I now know how to handle day to day operations including but not limited to customer handling, inventory management with adequate planning and due business practices. Furthermore, my assistant managerial position accorded me first-hand insight on how to be a competent manager. I was able to apply the academic theory through contributing to managerial effectiveness and handling time pressures. Finally, through the internship, I gained competencies in financial performance management. I can now apply the concept in real life accounting situations like profit and loss statements, balance sheets and other financial records. As a result, the internship opportunity at Mobilinq has been significant in advancing my business knowledge and skills.

In conclusion, applied business project are great opportunities for an intern. I got a position at Mobilinq where I have been interning as an assistant manager. While at the job I researched into the telecommunications industry. While undertaking the research, I was able to view the sector from whole other perspectives. There were visible trends and links all over. Although the analysis I use presented some limitations, I was able to overcome them.  Also during my tenure at the company, I was able to put into practice the theories I had learned in class as well as acquire practical competencies.

Preparing a Learning Activity

Topic: Saving plan through home cooking

Cooking is a skill that subsists among arts acquired from the ancient days and is still appreciated to date. You must acknowledge that there is no such thing as perfect food –only the idea of it-and that making people happy is the only reason why people strive towards perfection in cooking (Thomas, 2105). Broadly, when we reflect on the art of cooking, the reason we cook and the various sub-cultures and cultures of food that exist globally; that reason simply is nourishment. It is only through cooking that lasting memories are formed for instance, a memory as humble as wonderful cherry or a beautiful piece of toasted bread (Thomas, 2015). Home cooking, moreover, balances the nourishment and food memories with excitement and joy. Despite the excitement one gets in mastering the culinary art, home cooking allows a family to enjoy numerous health, life style and financial benefits.

Firstly, home cooking improves and enriches an individual’s life. Once you start making meals in your home, you attain organizational skills, time management skills, good planning skills, and confidence and creativity skills among others. Also, home cooking gives you control over ingredients and thus allowing you to evade unhealthy preservatives and additives used in fast and processed foods (Pujitha, 2014). Additionally, it offers you the chance to more nutritious recipes and control over the quality of your diets which are critical contributors to good health. Further in improving ones health, home cooking renders the chance to regulate not only quality but also the quantity of food you take. In that light, having complete control over the type and amount of food you eat, cooking at home helps you in weight management since you will tend to stick to more reasonable quantities (Pujitha, 2014). In comparison with eating out, making of home meals is very convenient and the food if well prepared with required ingredients is more tasty and safe.  The reason many people prefer eating out is because they are lazy to cook, they think their food is not tasty or they do not know how to make good meals. However, we have videos, books and articles that counter these excuses through teaching individuals how to make delicious homemade cuisines that are cheap and easy as well as training them to cooking proficiently (Pujitha, 2014). Lastly, home cooking can be deemed a saving plan as it is cheaper than eating out. When eating from a restaurant, you not only pay for the food you eat but it also drags other payments along such as for the services, the building and staff. Again, in the case of frozen and packaged foods, alongside the cost of the food, you are charged with extra costs of shipping and packaging as well. Through appreciating homemade meals, these food expenses can be cut down and only part of the money spent when eating outside could be used to make delicious and nutritious diets while the rest saved to be used on other things.

Outline

1. Introduction and overview of the topic. (4mins)
2. Ask for two volunteers who will be asked a few questions on daily expenses, health benefits, and comparison between eating out and making homemade meals. (2mins each)
3. Show two videos covering the questions one on people who eat out and the other on those cooking at home which includes health records and expenses.( 3mins)
4. Brief discussions with the next person on where you place yourself in line with the videos.( 1min)
5. Go to teaching the main topic giving examples while engaging them.(6mins)
6. Allow them to ask question and allow answers to come from among them too. (3mins).
7. Have them form random groups for accountability, give an assignment, and an evaluation template as you wrap up the learning (extend a little).

In enhancing the audience motivation to learn, there is need to incorporate the Wlodkowski’s five pillars of, enthusiasm, expertise, clarity, empathy and cultural responsiveness. On expertise, after introducing the topic, examples will be obtained from a sample of students testimonies in preceding classes on the amounts of money saved by cooking at home, health scales and how it has improved their lives as well as from the tutor’s own example. Through the volunteers and responses from the discussion after the videos, a tutor will evoke experiences, attitudes and goal perspectives. This takes us to empathy where the tutor will identify with the various attitudes and experiences through examples from personal experiences or those of the previous class to augment the learning session (Tubarks, 2011). Further, enthusiasm requires that the tutor walks the talk meaning that as a tutor one should be the best example. Hence, as a doer, the tutor should  have a template showing how much she has been saving from eating homemade meals, her family’s health record that would depict home meals effect on health and the various culinary skills they have acquired which led to improvement of their meals and themselves. The tutor should articulate the topic in terms understood by everyone in their class. In clarifying, the sentences should be simple; questions and examples given should be easy to comprehend and straight to the point so that everyone is able to grasp the concept (Tubarks, 2011). Additionally, the tutor should be able to demonstrate step by step how to fill the template and record the number of times they eat out, how much they spend, the number of times they have cooked and how much they have saved. Also they should have a record on the number of times they have had hospital visits and if home cooking has improved their lives or not in the remarks column. Since every class represents diverse culture, economic strata, race and ethnic groups, it is important that the lecturer creates an environment that is culturally responsive. The tutor will achieve this by using examples that cut across these various groups and respecting the diverse opinions and perspectives, attitudes and experiences even in the event where they disapprove or disagree. A tutor through creating random groups renders a platform for the students to respect one another, appreciate their differences, to participate and to ask questions.

One of the tools that could be used to ensure inclusion of diverse culture is active participation methods (Linda, 2012). This could entail, asking them questions, allowing them to ask questions as well as getting answers from themselves before finalizing the topic. Students could also be called forward to demonstrate and explain their eating habits, show how much they spend on eating outside or how much they save from eating homemade meals and how cooking has enhanced their health and aid in begetting personal skills. Active participation without any prejudice will create a free spirited environment where students are directly involved. Hence, the tutors through engaging them and giving examples from their various cultures will not only appeal to their conscious on diversity but will also enhance effective learning (Linda, 2012). Moreover, cooperative learning and interactive approaches could be another critical tool in a classroom setting of people from diverse culture (Linda, 2012). In ensuring effectiveness and efficiency of this tool, the teacher should create a classroom where students are safe to contribute to discussions as well as ask questions. By respecting the views, opinions and attitudes of the students toward cooking and its importance, the lecturer will be at the forefront in demonstrating respect that the rest of the class will adhere to. The interactive sessions should be spontaneous such as after the video the lecturer could encourage them to speak to the person next to them on their views creating a rapport between them.

Reference

Thomas Keller. MAD: What is cooking? April 11, 2015.

Pujitha Reddy. ListCrux: Top 10 Reasons Why you should learn to Cook Today.                                                 October 4, 2014.

Linda Dusenbury. Education World: Creating a Safe Classroom Environment.2012.

Tubarks-The Musings of Stan Sktabut : What makes a motivating instructor? 19                                                 January,2011.