Background of Oldtown Essay

The biggest kopitiam restaurant linkage in Malaysiais Oldtown Berhad .Oldtown Berhad occupied in the manufacturing of beverages and manage a chain of cafà ©under the OLDTOWN WHITE COFFEE brand name. Oldtown using its formulated blendof coffees to served. Its major headquarters is in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia. The served areas are Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and China. Its linkage of Oldtown cafà © outlets is sustain by two coffee manufacturing equipment,consist of three centralized food processing centers and bean roasting and processing facilities . Oldtown Berhad is a Public Limited Company. Oldtown Berhad has been created in 1999, with the purpose to output the quality white coffee to Malaysian family and food service industry. Mr Goh Ching Mun and Mr Tan Say Yap, the co-founders and administrator director of Oldtown begin the manufacturing and create their own 3-in-1 instant white coffee. Both of the co-foundershave the experience that more than 10 years in the coffee beverage industry. They were helpful in the growth of Oldtown group of firms. The group administrative director, Mr Lee SiewHeng who was responsible in carry out the integrated vision, plan and growth of the Oldtown group also give a lot of support to this company. Under the ‘OLDTOWN’ brand name for the retail sector in 1999,they commercialized their instant 3-in-1 coffee mix smoothly. The ‘OLDTOWN’ 3-in-1 coffee mix was sold in about 1,348 retail outlets nationwide in Malaysia, about 550 retail outlets in Singapore and about 2,100 retail outlets in Hong Kong in 31 October 2009. They started their first export of the ‘OLDTOWN’ brand 3-in-1 instant coffee mix to Singapore in 2000. In 2001, their branches, White Cafà © Marketing began production as the marketing arm for their group’s beverage goods. They also extended their output line to involve different changes of their instant coffee mix and also extended their export markets to Hong Kong for their instant coffee mix. White cafà © received a HALAL certification from the Islamic Reeligious Department of Perak for the Group’s beverages in year 2002. This is their part of purpose, which is to generate beverages in accordance with the Islamic law. Oldtown Berhad have been achieve the goal that extended their nationwide retail allocation of their 3-in-1 instant coffee mix to cover East and West Malaysia through the main hypermarkets and supermarkets. Their own formulated blend of 3-in-1 instant milk tea  also smoothly commercialized for the retail market under the ‘OLDTOWN’ brand name in 2003. OldtownBerhad has been expand their manufacturing activities and they incorporated Gongga Food in 2003 and begin operations in 2004 to creating roasted coffee powder for the food service sector by using the ownership bean roasting process. Roasted coffee powder to traditional coffee shop in Ipoh and others states in Malaysia have been distributed by OldtownBerhad. ‘OLDTOWN’ is also marketed to the retail sector under ‘NANYANG’ brand in an addition to the food services sector. Oldtown Berhad has been penetrated the export markets for the 3-in-1 instant coffee to cover the United States,United Kingdom, Canada, Taiwan and Indonesia in 2004. Based on the traditional Ipoh coffee shop environment and the surrounding feeling under the ‘ OLDTOWN WHITE COFFEE’ brand name, Oldtown has been extended vertically into the food services sector by developing a chain of cafà © outlet in 2005. ‘OLDTOWN WHITE COFFEE’ brand in the food services industry is the part of Group’s plan of capitalizing and strengthen. With the same year, ‘OLDTOWN WHITE COFFEE’ cafà © outlets has been begin the operations in licensing,supply of beverages and food, others item and provision thread ministration service from Kopitiam Asia Pacific. Linkage of ‘OLDTOWN WHITE COFFEE’ have been extended to 137 cafà © outlets involved fully and partially owned and franchised in Malaysia since the first beginning of the first cafà © outlets in Ipoh in 2005 and at Singapore as at 31 October 2009. In 2005 and 2006, they have been fixed their subsidiaries name as Oldtown Kopitiam, Oldtown Kopitiam Kuala Lumpur, Oldtown Kopitiam Butterworth, Oldtown Kopitiam Cheras to focus on managing cafà © outlets in distinct areas and states within Malaysia. Besides, between 2005 and 2007 they also fixed the following subsidiaries as central food processing centre to sustain their cafà © business operations. Emperor’s Kitchen begin operation in 2005, Dynasty Confectionery and Esquire Chef started the operations in 2007. Gongga Food’s business also extended to ingratiate to the procurement of food items for ‘OLDTOWN WHITE COFFEE ‘ cafà © outlets in 2005. With the same year, HALAL certification from the Islamic Religious Department of Perak for the operation of its roasted coffee powder also received by Gongga Food. White Cafà © ,the subsidiary received a HACCP certification from BM TRADA Certification Ltd for the manufacturing and processing of beverages product  in the same year. In 2007, they incorporated Dynasty Kitchen as a allocation centre which begin operations. They also extended their export markets to China and Japan in 2006. Besides, they also incorporated Oldtown Berhad which concentrate on investment keeping and precaution of administration services according to its listing on the Main Market of Bursa Securities. Later, they also begin exporting to Philippines and Thailand during the same year. They also plan to extended their cafà © outlets business to Singapore. Soon, they have been incorporated Oldtown Singapore in 2007 to supply administration services, food and beverages items to cafà © outlets in Singapore. OTK Singapore begin operations in 2008 with the emission of their first ‘OLDTOWN WHITE COFFEE’ cafà © outlet in Singapore. Dynasty Confectionery and Esquire Chef, the subsidiaries, received HALAL certifications from the Islamic Religious Department of Perak for the processing of different food in 2008. Emperor’s Kitchen, the other food processing subsidiary received HALAL certification from IFRC ASIA. Even more confirm their adhesion to international food safety criterion, their subsidiary White Cafà © reach ISO 22000:2005 certification and ISO 9001:2000 from BM TRADA Certification in 2008 in extra to GMP Certification by the Department of Public Health, Ministry Health Malaysia with the same year. They also extended their product line to comprise 3-in-1 instant coffee mix with cane sugar in 2008. Gongga Food also received a HACCP Certification from BM TRADA Certification Ltd for the operation of roasted coffee powder in 2009. The vision of this company is to be Asian Pacific’s guiding white coffee producer supplying a high quality of goods or product to customers worldwide and locally.

Difference in Perceptions of Consumers in Different Regions

Institute of business management| DIFFERENCES IN PERCEPTION OF CUSTOMERS BELONGING TO DIFFERENT LOCALITIES REGARDING CONSUMPTION OF NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS, SPECIFIALLY PEDIASURE. | Methods in Business Research| | Muhammad Bilal Arif SaharAnum IqbalAhetezaz HaloFaiz Mehmood| 12/10/2012| | Contents Acknowledgment3 Abstract4 Introduction5 Statement of Problem6 Significance of Problem/ Purpose6 Statement of Hypothesis6 Limitations6 Literature Review7In order to write this literature review we had to take out journals and articles from a lot of areas the reason being that there are almost no similar researches done considering this topic. Even if researches are done they tend to cater to the perceptions of westerners or people which are not belonging to the Pakistani society. In order to conduct and use whatever information we could get there were 3 pieces of materials used to conduct this review. The researches that we have found are concerning similar products that is why we have used these.Each of these researches has been combined with our research and then we have written down the Literature review. If we go along well see what is the motive of our research and what do we want. 7 Design of study10 I. Problem Definition and Hypothesis Formulation10 II. Gathering Data11 III. Sources of Data16 IV. Research Instrument17 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS18 RESTATEMENT OF PROBLEM18 DESCRIPTION OF PROCEDURES18 MAJOR FINDINGS19 RECOMMENDATIONS19 BIBLIOGRAPHY21 APPENDIX22 Abbott Nutrition22 Questionnaire22Product Comparison1 Acknowledgment We would first like to thank the Almighty Allah for giving us the strength and endowing us with the privilege of completing term report on the â€Å"DIFFERENCES IN PERCEPTION OF CUSTOMERS BELONGING TO DIFFERENT LOCALITIES REGARDING CONSUMPTION OF NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS, SPECIFIALLY PEDIASURE. † We are also extremely thankful to our mentor and guide Ms. Kausar Saeed for her constant support, encouragement and guidance, without which we could not have successfully completed the task.Secondly, we would like to thank our respondents for their precious time and energy spent in completing our Questionnaires. Abstract Abbott being a very large pharmaceutical company is not only trustworthy but excels in the pharmaceutical industry. Its aim is to provide quality and high class products in the market so that people can benefit from it. The report that we are planning to write is about the perceptions of customers regarding consumption of Nutritional Supplements and factors that the customer considers while buying different medicines/nutritional products in different localities.Our main aim was to figure out the basic reasons in sluggish growth in sales of Abbott. The issue is actually significant at the moment because the Sales data of different territories over the past few years indicate a negative trend in a few areas but approximately constant in others. One reason for this difference could have been different percept ions that people are likely to hold in these different areas, therefore we decided to find out whether perceptional differences are the reason behind the negative trend and what are the possible solutions to the problem.We did manage to collect sufficient data through questionnaires from the mothers of children who were the eligible consumers of the product, and then we analyzed the data using SPSS. We were able to reach a seemingly valid analysis. Introduction Abbott a global, broad-based health care company devoted to discovering new medicines, new technologies and new ways to manage health. Their products span the continuum of care, from nutritional products and laboratory diagnostics through medical devices and pharmaceutical therapies.Their comprehensive line of products encircles life itself – addressing important health needs from infancy to the golden years. With over 70,000 employees worldwide and a global presence in more than 130 countries, Abbott is committed to i mproving people's lives by providing cost effective health care products and services that consistently meet the needs of customers. Abbott Pakistan is part of the global healthcare corporation of Abbott Laboratories, Chicago, USA. Abbott started operations in Pakistan as a marketing affiliate in 1948; the company has steadily expanded to comprise a work force of over 1500 employees.Currently two manufacturing facilities located at Landhi and Korangi in Karachi continue to use innovative technology to produce top quality pharmaceutical products. Abbott Pakistan has leadership in the field of Pain Management, Anesthesia, Medical Nutrition and Anti-Infective. On June 29, 2005 Abbott Pakistan Achieved Class ‘A' accreditation against the Oliver Wight ABCD Check list. This was an outstanding achievement, which puts Abbott Pakistan amongst some of the best global companies in terms of operational excellence.A continuous process of innovation, research and development at Abbott's wor ldwide facilities enables Abbott Pakistan to offer effective solutions for various healthcare challenges, with products and services that are well focused, within the customer's reach and contribute to improved health care of the people of Pakistan. Abbott believes that Corporate Social Responsibility is fundamental to earning and deepening the trust of the people it serves, an integral part of its commitment to improve lives has contributed to a number of humanitarian causes and supported various institutions in various fields including health and education.The promise of this company is in the promise that their work holds for health and for life. PediaSure Complete is a complete and balanced nutrition for children who are pricky eaters and who have to catch up for growth. Some of its salient feature includes: * Good nutrition leads to healthy growth * To grow properly, kids need to eat the right amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins and minerals. * For times, when you believe that your child is not getting adequate nutrition from regular food then PediaSure is the thing to give.No matter which ever flavor you choose, each can of PediaSure contains 25 essential vitamins and mineral, along with adequate amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fats. With PediaSure you can be sure that your child is receiving the perfect amount of nutrition’s needed to grow. It is available in 400gram tins and 180 gram packs in chocolate and vanilla flavors at reasonable prices. It is available in most leading pharmacies and superstores of Pakistan. PediaSure is even an international product of Abbott. Statement of ProblemThis research is conducted to find out that whether the decline in sales of PediaSure is because of some different perceptions held by the potential consumers, factors which are most and which are least preferred by the consumers while making the purchase. This will cater to two areas specifically Defence and F. B area. Significance of Problem/ Purpose The problem is highly significantfor not only the company but forindividuals/ customers too. With the help of this study we will be able to find out the different type of ideas and perceptions customers carry when going to buy medicines/nutritional products.We will also find out some of the rare spending patterns of customers based in different areas or localities and what factors do they consider in buying such products. The main purpose of this study lies with the fact that Abbott will realize which particular point they need to cater to stop the sales from falling. It could be a marketing problem which they missed to address or a quality problem, which is very unlikely since Abbott is very strict about its standards and most importantly it could be the perceptions of the people.Summing it all up, through our research we will investigate the spending patterns of different localities, their preferences and why the sales of PediaSurehas declined in some areas since the past few years. Statement of Hypothesis 1. There is no difference between Perceptions of customers of Defence and Federal-B area. 2. Knowing the available competitor’s, consumer will prefer Pediasure over competitors as a Nutritional Supplement. 3. Consumers will purchase the product if they are told about the benefits. 4. Creating Awareness will impact the sales of Pediasure. . Whether high nutrients are preferred over other variables like Price and Recommendations. 6. Whether being a Medicinal product is good for the image of Pediasure. Limitations 1. One of the biggest limitations is that our study is restricted to only two areas namely defence and F. B area. It is due to time constraints and a large number of medical stores throughout the city. 2. Defence itself has about approximately 50 medicines stores while F. B area 92. Finding and going to all these stores would be very costly and time-consuming so we decided to take a small no.Of stores and interviewing around 2 respon dents from every store. 3. The time and cost associated with the study was a not very encouraging. 4. We cannot expect that each of the stores in the city have kept PediaSure which made our study very difficult to generalize. 5. It was hard to find mothers having children below the age of 12 shopping during the days. 6. Customers and Storekeepers were being very receptive. Literature Review In order to write this literature review we had to take out journals and articles from a lot of areas the reason being that there are almost no similar researches done considering this topic.Even if researches are done they tend to cater to the perceptions of westerners or people which are not belonging to the Pakistani society. In order to conduct and use whatever information we could get there were 3 pieces of materials used to conduct this review. The researches that we have found are concerning similar products that is why we have used these. Each of these researches has been combined with ou r research and then we have written down the Literature review. If we go along well see what is the motive of our research and what do we want.The first article included in this literature survey talks about the guide to consumer’s pharmaceutical purchasing behavior. The pharmaceutical purchasing behavior of consumers is the subject of unending market research for the nation's pharmaceutical companies and managed care organizations. Despite the industry's best efforts to predict future trends based on past experiences, consumers continue to confound the prognosticators. Several issues particularly pertinent to MCOs were explored in a recent consumer survey conducted by Emron, Inc.In this article, explore consumers' behaviors are explored relative to medication purchases in these areas: * Sources of advice about prescription and non-prescription medications * Communications with prescribers about cost and impact on quality of life * Opinions about price equity of medications * Importance of the pharmacy benefit in health plans * Role of advertising in purchasing decisions for non-prescription medications The study first starts with talking about the advice the customer takes in order to buy any type of pharmaceutical products.The results are divided in among the physicians, nurses, pharmacists, family e. t. c. the highest rank is of course given to physicians followed by pharmacists. So we get to know that one thing that is the sources of advice for customer’s affects customer’s perceptions of buying a medicine. So it may be possible that a doctor living in each of these localities may give different type of preference if one may prescribe pediasure other may prescribe ensure. The second factor that affects is prescriber’s communication about cost and quality of life.From the study we see that people are mainly concerned for their life rather than the cost of medicine, we all know that pediasure is a very high quality product and in order to keep your nutrition value very high you will make sure that you use pedia sure, but never the les this is one of the important factors taken in to consideration when investing in to medicines. Whatever the cost of the product is you tend to spend on it if it’ll increase the quality of your life. Consumers also look for fair consumer prices.When they figure out if one of the products is not giving a fair consumer price then they will surely not buy it even in case of medicines as now even in this market you’re faced with immense competition. If the price of Pediasure is not fair according to some then the customers will move their target towards ensure as these two are the biggest competitors available. According to this study some of the customers were even asked to talk about the main factors which result in going to a pharmacy and buying a medicine.The highest price as usual was given to the price and prescription of the doctors which shows that these two fa ctors are the main ones which affect the benefit and the buying plan of customers. A very high rank was also given to non-prescription medicine buying pattern, that is that many customers by medicine without any prescriptions, they use the help of either billboards or any other means of advertisement. This is somewhat the case with pediasure as well because I have prescribed many people to give pediasure to their children as regular diet and they have actually followed and abided to it.Summing it all up this study basically talks about the buying patterns of individuals while buying nutritional products or medicines. We get a clear view on what factor do the consumers keep in mind when making an effort to go and buy this product. The second research here talks about the consumer’s choice process when purchasing the staple food, it was chosen as for some pediasure is a medicine hence a necessity. After 1989, there were significant changes in food consumption, both in volumes a nd structure.These changes happened due to various factors. The most important factors with influence on demand and food consumption were: development of income levels of Czech inhabitants, development of consumer prices of food and non-food products and services, offer and availability of products on the market, advertising and promotion, health education, joining the EU. Besides these above, an impact on consumption also has such factors as quality development, extent of self-provision with food products, or the degree to which the needs are satisfied.The fundamental influence on consumption has the development of consumer prices of food and capital goods and services in relations to development of incomes, thus buying power. In the last few years, there was a visible tendency to decreasing influence of prices on food consumption. The paper focuses on the development of consumption and changes in consumption patterns, motivation and attitudes. Presented data are based on the marke ting research conducted by the Department of Marketing and Trade, Mendel University in Brno, in fall 2004.However, results of the recent research have proved that, when buying foodstuffs and beverages, consumers are influenced also by habits, current moods, situations, emotions and that the behavior of individual consumer segments is quite different. This could be the case with PediaSure as well. Factors, which influence purchase decision, affect individual groups of consumers in a different way. For a consumer research concerning individual staple food categories, the following demographic characteristics were used: sex, age, affiliation with a social group and domicile.Demographic characteristics, which are easily available, measurable, and helping to localize the target market, were used. Analysis and results of the survey (via questionnaire) about customer behavior then allow predicting the behaviour of customers and to learn what, why, when, where, how and how often they buy. T he survey via questionnaires aiming to analyze the consumer decision process when buying staple foods and beverages was conducted using a sample of 1 750 respondents.The sample was selected in such a way that it should represent the structure of the Czech population according to 4 identification characteristics – age, sex, social group, and size of the settlement where the respondents have their permanent place of residence. The answers provided information about reasons and the decision-making process when buying four staple food categories, meat and meat products, milk, dairy products and eggs, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages and bakery and confectionery products.Frequencies of respondents, whose motives for purchases of basic foodstuff were influenced by routine, newcomers, healthy lifestyle or other unidentified factors . As PediaSure is also a dairy product that is the reason why we use this result which says Milk and dairy products illustrate that routine purchase s predominated also when buying milk, butter and eggs. Purchases of cheese and yogurts were influenced by the assortment and by the healthy lifestyle. Frequencies of respondents classified into individual ocial groups did not show any significant differences It follows from these results that changes in consumption patterns of milk and dairy products were influenced by the factors of health protection andhealthy lifestyle. Extended offer of products was another important factor. Financial reasons were mentioned in the last place. We can differentiate in the behavior of retired people; their decision-making process is influenced by financial reasons. The healthy lifestyle is the most important factor in the age group of â€Å"productive age† (25–60 years).The place of residence did not show any significant effect on differences in the behavior of people from towns and villages. It is of interest that that there were differences in factors influencing purchasing decision s of men and women. Men tended to appreciate a wider assortment than women. As a reason for changes in consumption of these products, women mentioned more often the healthy lifestyle, while men appreciated a wider assortment. For Beverages, the reasons for changes in consumption patterns were different than those mentioned for foodstuffs.Financial reasons were as important as the healthy lifestyle and a wider assortment. This could be influenced by the fact that the question concerned all beverages so that this was a very variable category of products and for that reason the answers were too general. For producers, important information represents the fact that consumers are influenced by newcomers, innovations and advertising when buying staples. Consumers, who were strongly interested in their health, purchasedcereal bakery products, fish, poultry, yogurts, cheese and mineral water.When analysing the reasons of changes in consumption patterns, it was demonstrated that the reasons differed in dependence on the affiliation with the individual groups of customers. There were different reasons for individual social groups, individual age categories, and different localities. If we omit these identification groups, the most frequent reason for changes in consumption patterns in all categories of foods was the healthy lifestyle followed by a wider assortment. Financial reasons were mentioned on the last place.The reason for using this study was to show that although not for everyone but for those who consume pediasure is similar to a staple food. The reason being is that you have to include it either in your milk or your beverage. So when we talk about the buying and selling of dairy products overhear we can always link it to PediaSure as it is a dairy product for most. When we look at the buying patterns of consumers we can always similarize it with the buying patterns of pediasure . Starting from the price to marketing to health safety all of these affect the bu ying of pediasure.It might be one of these factors that would have resulted the sales to go down at the end of the study it said that prices didn’t matter most so it may be a possibility that there may be another factor other than price. Reference for literature review: Guide to consumers pharmaceutical purchasing behavior (MARSHA FAHEY , writer and editor, Emron, Ine. , Warren, New Jersey) Consumer choice process when purchasing the staple food (J. STAVKOVA, J. TURCINKOVA Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Brno, Czech Republic) Design of study I. Problem Definition and Hypothesis FormulationThis research is conducted to find out the reasons behind the decrease in sales of Pediasure for the past few years in certain areas, and whether consumers of different localities; specifically Federal-B Area and Defence have different perceptions regarding the product and the following variables: * Brand Image * Usage Pattern * Preference * Satisfaction * Availability * Aware ness Following Hypothesis was tested during the study: 7. There is no difference between Perceptions of customers of Defence and Federal-B area. 8. Knowing the available competitor’s, consumer will prefer Pediasure over competitors as a Nutritional Supplement. . Consumers will purchase the product if they are told about the benefits. 10. Creating Awareness will impact the sales of Pediasure. 11. Whether high nutrients are preferred over other variables like Price and Recommendations. 12. Whether being a Medicinal product is good for the image of Pediasure. Research Design: The study seeks to find the ultimate solution to solve the problem of declining sales of Abbot’s Pediasure find and to seek whether it is feasible for conducting additional promotional activities. Since we were seeking to explore the reasons for declining sales we used Exploratory Research Methods.Sampling Technique: Convenience sampling method based on a non-probability sampling technique was used t o gather data from the respondents. A questionnaire based survey was conducted to validate the findings. The questionnaire-based survey is designed as to measure both quantitative and qualitative variables. Its methodical profile includes multi-perspective, cross-sectional design and broad random samples. The questionnaire tests the following variables: * Brand Identity * Usage Pattern * Preference * Satisfaction * Availability II. Gathering DataWe questioned 50 mothers from different stores in Federal-B Area and 30 from stores in Defence. The main reason for having an unequal sample size for both areas is because number of medical stores in Federal-B Area is a lot more than that in Defence, so we thought it would me fair if we had more respondents from Federal-B area. Our target respondents were mothers of age in between 30-40, but it was not very easy to find them in the medical stores. We questioned as many as we could find and the rest was filled by fathers of around the same ag e group on behalf of their wives.It was our good fortune that the fathers were surprisingly well-informed about the products being used for the infants. 1. Analysis of Results The data was first entered in Microsoft Excel and then one of our group members double-checked and copied it to the SPSS software and then analysis were conducted using SPSS Statistical Software. Pearson Chi-square test was used to analyze the result and hypothesis with assumed significance greater than . 05 were rejected. HYPOTHESIS 1 HO Area of residence affects use of nutritional supplementsHa Area of residence does not affects use of nutritional supplements AREA OF RESPONDENT * CURRENTLY USING SUPPLEMENT Crosstabulation| | | | CURRENTLY USING SUPPLEMENT| Total| | | | YES| NO| | AREA OF RESPONDENT| FB| Count| 49| 1| 50| | | % within AREA OF RESPONDENT| 98. 0%| 2. 0%| 100. 0%| | | % within CURRENTLY USING SUPPLEMENT| 61. 3%| 16. 7%| 58. 1%| | DEFENCE| Count| 31| 5| 36| | | % within AREA OF RESPONDENT| 86. 1% | 13. 9%| 100. 0%| | | % within CURRENTLY USING SUPPLEMENT| 38. 8%| 83. 3%| 41. 9%| Total| Count| 80| 6| 86| | % within AREA OF RESPONDENT| 93. 0%| 7. 0%| 100. 0%| | % within CURRENTLY USING SUPPLEMENT| 100. %| 100. 0%| 100. 0%| Chi-Square Tests| | Value| Df| Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)| Exact Sig. (2-sided)| Exact Sig. (1-sided)| Pearson Chi-Square| 4. 558a| 1| . 033| | | Continuity Correctionb| 2. 911| 1| . 088| | | Likelihood Ratio| 4. 707| 1| . 030| | | Fisher's Exact Test| | | | . 078| . 044| Linear-by-Linear Association| 4. 505| 1| . 034| | | N of Valid Cases| 86| | | | | a. 2 cells (50. 0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 2. 51. | b. Computed only for a 2Ãâ€"2 table| At 5%significance level do not reject H0 Area of residence does affect the use of nutritional supplement HYPOTHESIS 2HO: AREA OF RESIDENCE AFFECTS AWARENESS OF PEDIASURE H1 AREA OF RESIDECE DOES NOT AFFECT AWARENESS ABOUT PEDIASURE ARE YOU AWARE OF ABBOTS CHILD NUTRITION PRODUCT PEDIASUR E? * IF YES THAN HAVE YOU EVER BOUGHT IT? Crosstabulation| | | | IF YES THAN HAVE YOU EVER BOUGHT IT? | Total| | | | YES| NO| | ARE YOU AWARE OF ABBOTS CHILD NUTRITION PRODUCT PEDIASURE? | YES| Count| 19| 14| 33| | | % within ARE YOU AWARE OF ABBOTS CHILD NUTRITION PRODUCT PEDIASURE? | 57. 6%| 42. 4%| 100. 0%| | | % within IF YES THAN HAVE YOU EVER BOUGHT IT? | 100. 0%| 100. 0%| 100. 0%| Total| Count| 19| 14| 33| % within ARE YOU AWARE OF ABBOTS CHILD NUTRITION PRODUCT PEDIASURE? | 57. 6%| 42. 4%| 100. 0%| | % within IF YES THAN HAVE YOU EVER BOUGHT IT? | 100. 0%| 100. 0%| 100. 0%| Chi-Square Tests| | Value| Df| Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)| Exact Sig. (2-sided)| Exact Sig. (1-sided)| Pearson Chi-Square| 1. 075a| 1| . 300| | | Continuity Correctionb| . 632| 1| . 427| | | Likelihood Ratio| 1. 079| 1| . 299| | | Fisher's Exact Test| | | | . 341| . 214| Linear-by-Linear Association| 1. 060| 1| . 303| | | N of Valid Cases| 70| | | | | a. 0 cells (. 0%) have expected count less than 5. The mini mum expected count is 14. 14. b. Computed only for a 2Ãâ€"2 table| At 5% significance level do not reject H0 Area of residence affects awareness of Abbots product Pediasure HYPOTHEIS 3H0 Knowing the available competitor’s, consumer will prefer Pediasure over competitors as a Nutritional Supplement. H1 Knowing the available competitor’s, consumer will not affect consumer preference of Pediasure over competitors as a Nutritional Supplement. Paired Samples Test| | | Paired Differences| | | | | | Mean| Std. Deviation| Std. Error Mean| Pair 1| ARE YOU AWARE OF ABBOTS CHILD NUTRITION PRODUCT PEDIASURE? – IF YES THAN HAVE YOU EVER BOUGHT IT? -. 424| . 502| . 087| Paired Samples Test| | | Paired Differences| | | 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference| | | Lower| Upper| Pair 1| ARE YOU AWARE OF ABBOTS CHILD NUTRITION PRODUCT PEDIASURE? – IF YES THAN HAVE YOU EVER BOUGHT IT? | -. 602| -. 246| | Paired Samples Test| | | | | | | | | t| df| Sig. (2-tailed)| Pair 1 | ARE YOU AWARE OF ABBOTS CHILD NUTRITION PRODUCT PEDIASURE? – IF YES THAN HAVE YOU EVER BOUGHT IT? | -4. 856| 32| . 000| At 5% Significance level reject HO Awareness is not the only reason why consumers will prefer Pediasure over competitor’s product HYPOTHEIS 4HO: High nutrients are preferred over other variables like Price Ha: High nutrients are not preferred over other variables like Price Chi-Square Tests| | Value| Df| Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)| Pearson Chi-Square| 238. 264a| 24| . 000| Likelihood Ratio| 183. 809| 24| . 000| Linear-by-Linear Association| 62. 765| 1| . 000| N of Valid Cases| 93| | | a. 29 cells (82. 9%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is . 32. | AT 5% significance level reject H0 Nutrients are not preferred over variables such as price HYPOTHESIS 5 HO: High nutrients are preferred over other variables like RecommendationHa: High nutrients are not preferred over other variables like recommendation Chi-Square Tests| | Value| D f| Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)| Pearson Chi-Square| 217. 033a| 25| . 000| Likelihood Ratio| 206. 420| 25| . 000| Linear-by-Linear Association| 69. 663| 1| . 000| N of Valid Cases| 115| | | a. 30 cells (83. 3%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is . 24. | At 5% significance level reject H0 High nutrients are not preferred over other variables like recommendation HYPOTHESIS 6 H0: Being a Medicinal product is good for the image of Pediasure.Ha: Being a Medicinal product has no effect on the image of Pediasure. III. Sources of Data * Primary Sources: * Respondents Our main aim was to get fresh information from the parents directly, so we could better figure out the main reasons behind the sluggish growth of sales. There were some instances where the store managers were being receptive and the respondents showed disinterest in providing information. Due to our persistence we managed to get a great deal of good information. We mostly had to read out the questions to th e respondents, while they shopped and marked the answers according to their response.The questionnaires were all filled under supervision of either of the members of the group to avoid the chance of misunderstandings. * Secondary Sources: Secondary data was not as such required in our research it was mostly based on primary data. The literature review only required thorough reading of different articles. This helped us in getting a better idea about different aspects of the research work. We learned how to design the questionnaire in a way that would get the maximum possible information without offending the respondents in any way.It also helped us to figure out how the issue of differences in perception of people living in different type of areas in the same city has been dealt. Some important information regarding Pediasure and its competitors Contents was also gained using some secondary data. It was gathered from the websites of these companies and also from reading the packages of the respective products. This was basically done to compare different variables in different supplements. The comparisons were eventually used to analyze which variable is most important for the consumers. IV. Research InstrumentAs mentioned above, a questionnaire based survey was conducted, the questionnaire was designed collectively by the entire group members, keeping in mind all the dos and don’ts of Questionnaire designs taught by our mentor/teacher. It was also SPSS friendly, so it was really easy for us to statistically analyze it through the software. Before moving ahead with it, we also got it checked to reduce as much chances of errors as possible. It was scripted using simple and familiar language, few questions that were easy to answer and supervision was given throughout. The sampling technique was partially random.The stores in all the areas were shortlisted through systematic random sampling technique. There were a total of 92 stores in F. B area and 56 sto res in Defence, and we randomly selected 25 and 15 stores from the respective areas. Then from each store 2 respondents were surveyed upon. The questionnaire contained 14 questions measuring different variables that are mentioned above. The variables tested through our research are usage pattern, preference to competitors, frequency of purchase, brand identity and purchase intention. Some questions were even included to get a little idea about the demographics of the target population.We faced some trouble during data collection, since the respondents seemed totally disinterested in giving their valuable knowledge to us. The staffs of the stores were also being receptive due to the agitation of the customers. In cases where store managers were not allowing us to interview in the store, we had to wait outside to get our target respondents. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS RESTATEMENT OF PROBLEM The research problem was to identify the reasons behind the decline in sales of Abbot's flagship pr oduct Pediasure. This was done by dividing selected areas in the city, mainly Defense and F.B Area, into class A and class B and finding out the perceptions of the users about the product. DESCRIPTION OF PROCEDURES Research Design The study seeks to find the ultimate solution to solve the problem of declining sales of Abbot’s Pediasure and to seek whether it is feasible for conducting additional promotional activities. Since we were seeking to explore the reasons for declining sales we used Exploratory Research Methods. Sampling Technique Convenience sampling method based on a non-probability sampling technique was used to gather data from the respondents. A questionnaire base survey was conducted to validate the findings.The questionnaire-based survey is designed as quantitative and qualitative both. Its methodical profile includes multi-perspective, cross-sectional design and broad random samples. The questionnaire tests the following variables: * Brand Image * Usage Patter n * Preference * Satisfaction * Availability * Awareness Following Hypothesis was tested during the study: 1. Area of residence affects use of nutritional supplements. 2. Area of residence affects awareness of Pediasure. 3. Knowing the available competitor’s, consumer will prefer Pediasure over competitors as a Nutritional Supplement. . High nutrients are preferred over other variables like Price. 5. High nutrients are preferred over other variables like Recommendation. The data was entered in Statistical Software SPSS v. 17 and Pearson Chi-Square Test was used to conclude findings. If the value of assumed significance was greater than . 05, the hypothesis was rejected. MAJOR FINDINGS 1. Area of residence affects use of nutritional supplements We do not reject our hypothesis which means that there is a difference in perceptions of people living in different areas. 2. Area of residence affects awareness of Pediasure.We do not reject our hypothesis showing that again area of re sidence is a factor which contributes to the differences in attributes of people. 3. Knowing the available competitor’s, consumer will prefer Pediasure over competitors as a Nutritional Supplement. We reject our hypothesis because awareness is not the only reason why consumers will prefer Pediasure over competitor’s product. 4. High nutrients are preferred over other variables like Price. We reject our hypothesis with the conclusion that price is the principle variable considered in buying nutritional supplements. 5.High nutrients are preferred over other variables like Recommendation. We reject our hypothesis because considering the nutritional aspect is not a preference over other factors such as recommendation. RECOMMENDATIONS * The image of Pediasure should be improved for the consumers to identify it as a medicinal product. * Increase in the number of flavors of Pediasure would boost the sales. * There is a requirement from the marketing department to be more acti ve and engage in activities such as personal selling. * If there is a possibility then the price of the product should be reduced keeping in mind the costs. If not then the company should emphasize the benefits of the product as in Nutritional value should be highlighted in the campaigns like â€Å"37 vital nutrients† to motivate the customers into buying the product. * Different promotional campaigns according to different mediums should be designed highlighting the strong points of the product. Choosing brand ambassadors with high percentage of popularity among the children is a good idea. BIBLIOGRAPHY Guide to consumers pharmaceutical purchasing behavior (MARSHA FAHEY , writer and editor, Emron, Ine. , Warren, New Jersey) Consumer choice process when purchasing the staple food (J.STAVKOVA, J. TURCINKOVA Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Brno, Czech Republic) http://www. abbott. com. pk/ APPENDIX Abbott Nutrition Questionnaire Name: Age: Profession: Area of res idence: Husband’s profession: Currently using (Any supplement): 1. _________(AGE:___) 2. _________(AGE:___) 3. _________(AGE:___) Questionnaire for Mothers 1. How many children do you have? * 0-2 * 2-4 * More than 4 2. What are the ages of your children? * * 1 ____________ * 2 ____________ * 3 ____________ * 4 __________ * 5 ___________ 6 ___________ 3. Are you satisfied with your child’s (children) growth (height and weight) that are under the age of 10? * Yes * No 4. Does your child (ren) fall sick often? * Yes * No If your answer to any of the above question(s) 3 ; 4 is YES, then proceed to Q5 5. In which school(s) does your child (ren) study that are under the age of 10? 1 ________________ 2 ________________ 3 _______________ 4 ______________ 6. Were you recommended by someone to use the product or you use it on your own * Recommended by someone * Used on the own 7. If recommended, then who recommended you to use the supplement? Doctor * Friends * Neighbors * Rela tives * Other, Please specify: __________________________________________________________ 8. How many times in a day do you give the supplement to your child (ren)? * * Child 1 * Child 2 * Child 3 * Child 4 Once Twice Thrice 9. Are you aware of Abbott’s Child Nutrition Product’ Pediasure’? * Yes * No 10. If YES, then answer the following questions If no then jump to Q#12 : (a) Have you ever bought it? * Yes * No (b) When did you buy it and whose recommendation did you buy it? ____________________________________________ (c) Any why did you discontinue buying it? ___________________________________________________________________ 11. If your answer to Q#10(a) is NO, then what is the reason for not buying it? ————————————————- 12. Have you ever been to a pediatrician or child specialist? * Yes * No 13 If you are told that Pediasure is the Child Specialis t’s first choice for child nutrition and for children who are picky/fussy eaters and it not only enhances growth (Height& Weight) but it also builds immunity. It is also clinically proven to reduce number of sick days and the incidence of infections, would you start using it? * Yes * No 4 If NO, Why? ____________________________________________________________________ 15 Rank the considerations (in order of priority) on a scale of (1-9) 1 being the highest and 10 being the lowest, if you are to make a decision to buy a nutritional supplement? * * Price * Company * Nutritional value * TV Ads * Doctor’s recommendation * Packaging * Someone else’s recommendation, Please specify: * Other, Please specify: _____________________ 16 If I tell you that per month cost of Pediasure is Rs. 2100 (1 serving per day) and the cost of supplement that you are using is ____________, then would you prefer buying Pediasure? Yes * No Product Comparison Product Comparison | Approximat ely Analysis Powder Per 100gm| | Pediasure Comp. | Promise PE| Horlics Junior| Meiji Big| Enervit Junior| Energy PER 100G| 492| 451| 406| 467| 489| Calories Per Serving| 225| 200| 101|   | 185| Per Rs. Calories| 3| 3| 3. 5|   |   | Nutrints|   |   |   |   |   | Protien| 14. 8 gm| 16 gm| 17. 5 gm| 20| 15 gm| Fat| 24. 6 gm| 16 gm| 7. 1 gm| 19| 24 gm| Carbohydrate| 52. 8 gm| 61 gm | 67. 5 gm| 54| 53. 4 gm| FOS| 1. 75 gm| 1. 4 gm| NA|   | 2 gm| Taurine| 35. 4 mg| 21 mg| NA| 33| 30 mg| Carnitine| 8. 4 mg| 7. 7 mg| NA|   | 10 mg| Inositol| 39. 4 mg| 34 mg| NA|   | 40 mg|   |   |   |   |   | Minerals|   |   |   |   |   | Calcium| 483 mg| 563 mg| 800 mg| 700| 490 mg| Phosphorus| 300 mg| 383 mg| NA| 470| 360 mg| Zinc| 4. 9 mg| 5. 4 mg| 4. 5 mg| 4| 3. 2 mg| Copper | 0. 5 mg| 0. 39 mg| 0. 34 mg| 320ug| 0. 37 mg| Selenium| 14. 8 mcg| NA| 20 mcg |   | 14. 8 mcg| Iron| 6. 9 mg| 8. 4 mg| 14 mg| 8| 6. 9 mg| Iodine| 47. 3 mcg| 42 mcg| 90 mcg| 100ug| 62 mcg | Niacin| 8. 42 mg| 3. 1 mg| 6 mg| 6| NA| Magnesium| 98 mg| 50 mg| NA| 70| 47 mg| Sodium| 227 mg| 212 mg| NA| 270| 200 mg| Potassium| 640 mg | 856 mg| NA| 970| 570 mg | Choloride| 493 mg| 495 mg| NA| 630| 360 mg| Manganese| 1. 23 mg| 0. 5 mg| NA| 45ug| 25 mg|Chromium| 15 mcg| NA| NA|   | NA| Molybdenum| 24. 6 mcg| NA| NA|   | NA| Vitamins|   |   |   |   |   | Vitamin A| 1270 IU| 1500 IU| 300 mcg| 1300IU| 400 mcg| Vitamin C| 50 mg| 54 mg| 30 mg| 55MG| 50 mg| Vitamin D| 158 IU| 301 IU| 5 mcg| 300IU| 4 mcg| Vitamin E| 11. 4 IU| 7. 4 IU| 6 mg| 6MG| 8 mg| Vitamin B1| 1. 35 mg| 0. 58 mg| 0. 5 mg | 0. 4MG| 0. 9 mg| Vitamin B2| 1. 03 mg| 0. 7 mg| 1 mg| 1. 6MG| 1. 03 mg| Vitamin B6| 1. 3 mg| 0. 56 mg| 1 mg| 0. 3MG| 8 mg| Vitamin B12| 1. 5 mcg| 1. 1 mcg| 1. 8 mcg | 2UG| 1. 4 mcg| Vitamin K| 18. 8 mcg| 28 mcg| 30 mcg| 25UG| 20 mcg| Nicotinamide| 8. 4 mg| NA| NA|   | 8 mg| Pantothenic Acid| 3. 45 mg| 2. 5 mg| NA| 2MG| 3. 4 mg| Folic Acid| 108 mcg| 31 mcg| 300 mcg| 0. 1MG| 100 mc g| Biotin | 18. 2 mcg| 11 mcg| NA|   | 18 mcg| Choline| 148 mg | 135 mg| NA|   | 80 mg | Additional details about Promise PE Gold | Powder Per 100gm| Protein | Alfa lactulbumin 0. 81 gm| | Fat| Linoleic Acid 4054 mg| DHA 8. 1 mg| AA 12 mg| | Carbohydrates| Lactose 29 gm| Maltodextrine 11 gm| Corn Syrup Solid 11 gm| Sucrose 9. 5 gm| | Vitamin | Beta Carotine 68 mcg| | Nuclotides 12 mg| | Leutin 90 mcg| | Age 2-10 Years| | Dilution| 5 scoops (44 gm) powder in 175 ml water | Scoop Size 8. 8 gm| | Flavor Vanila | | Fat formulation contains Palm Olein Oil|

Scientific Management Theory and Inefficiencies in Healthcare

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Journalism - Communication Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Journalism - Communication Skills - Essay Example To enable this relationship to flourish, a person has to communicate well with the partner and be able to understand each other properly, this will make the two partners to always know when there is an issue in the relationship between them and be able to solve the problem. The process of communication is a continuous process that never ends (Ferguson 56). There are three main components of communication that people use in their daily activities. People who work together usually have gotten remarkably different ideas and opinions about the work that they are doing, the values of the work that they do, the beliefs of the different cultures in the world differ from person to person, and the needs of the people change and vary with individuals. People have the ability to relate with each other and be able to exchange different ideas, they are able to understand each other despite the fact that we have different opinions about each other in life, people are able to understand the perspec tives of other people, they are able to sit down and solve issues among them successfully. They are able to use the processes that are outlined with the communication skills to be able do these things successfully without having hiccups. Getting to learn about the communication processes helps us to be able to have effective and efficient communications with other people. For example, in work places let us say a hospital, the doctors have to learn on how to use effective communication skills for them to communicate well and effectively with their patients. For students studying medicine, they have to learn a unit on communication skills that will enable them to be able to sharpen their communication skills and ensure that by the time they will be out to practice they will have grasped on the importance to communicate well with their patients. At the moment, students should learn on how to communicate among themselves as doctors to be. This is because when they will be practising, th ey will be required to communicate effectively and consult each other regarding a problem that a patient is facing. For them to be able to consult each other well without letting the patient know the problem the doctors have to learn how to communicate using the scientific terms that will help them to communicate better. For example, when discussing medication they will use terms like Etymology, and antispasmodics. They should be able to have mastery on the use of these scientific terms so that they are able to communicate amongst themselves without letting the patients know the truth on what they are talking about. The patients will be told the decisions of the doctors in a much simpler language (Ellis 45). The process of communication involves the Para verbal components, the nonverbal components, and the verbal components for a person to be able to pass messages better with other people. The Para verbal component of communication is the channel of communication that concentrates o n the use of the intonation, the volume that is used in communication, the cadence of the language that used in communication, and also the pace that a person is saying words. Non verbal communication is the use of body language, and the necessary paralinguistics to be able to communicate properly and effectively (Condrill, Bough 56). This type of communication has been a significant centre of interest for quite a lot of time in sectors such as doing

Security of Digital Signatures Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

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Create a staffing plan for a job position Essay

Create a staffing plan for a job position - Essay Example o assist the patients in taking the healthy intake and treat their illnesses by fulfilling any nutritional deficiencies that might occur in their bodies. Normally, the nutritionists are required 24 hours a day, all days a week, but surely the work schedules correspond to the different shifts as per schedule. Some of the issues arising from a full time job are the hectic and painful schedule of meeting the timely meal requirements of the patients, the vigilance required in the process throughout in supervising and also in the planning process. Besides, all the staff should be provided with adequate training; the job not only requires the nutritionist related skill but management skills are also important as the nature of the job is such that it requires managing the people including the chef, the kitchen people and also dealing with the purchasing agents for the required accessories and components of the meal for the patients. The working conditions for nutritionists are usually in pleasant surroundings. They might be sometimes expected to work in kitchens that may be steamy, might occasionally require them to be on their feet for extended periods of time. They work in offices, hospital kitchens, or college classrooms. They come into contact with other professional people as well as with kitchen personnel, clerical staff, students, patients, and a wide variety of other people. They should have management ability, an aptitude for science, good health, imagination, and the ability to get along well with others.2 The job of the nutritionist includes first identifying the nutritional status of each patient by gathering the subjective information the patients’ records, their attendants or the guardians. They also counsel their subjects about their nutritional needs and provide them with information that can help them prevent their current problems and in future also avoid the medical problems that they have. Another part of their job is to train and conduct

Marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

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Biography of Peter Paul Rubens Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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Choose one of Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

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Psychosocial Interventions With Psychosis Essay

Psychosocial Interventions With Psychosis - Essay Example A wide array of nervous system stressors can result in a psychotic reaction both at organic as well as functional level. However, the first line treatment for psychosis is generally associated with the administration of antipsychotic drugs and in some cases hospitalization, but there is increasing research evidence that suggests cognitive therapy; family therapy can be effective in the management of psychotic symptoms. This paper critically reviews on psychological intervention with patients affected by serious and prolonged mental disorders and the strengths and weaknesses associated with such types of therapeutic interventions. Psychosis is a mental state defining a group of mental disorders come into one singe head in psychiatry and it is characterized by certain common fundamental factors such as hallucinations or sensation of non-existent objects or phenomenon; delusions or possessing beliefs not based on reality; thought insertion, withdrawal, thought blocking, thought broadcasting lack of insight or being unable to understand the wrongs in the thinking or activity patterns. However, there are number of controversies associated with the psychiatric classification of psychosis, but usually the most common disorders come under the general title of psychoses are as follows: - Schizophrenia - Schizoaffective disorder - Maniac Depression (Bipolar Disorder) - Mania - Delusion (Paranoid) Disorder - Psychotic Depression Although these disorders differ in their symptoms but they consist of a common parameter that the individual suffering from any of the disease does not experience reality as most of the other people in general. Sample Case Study The patient is a female of 18 years doing graduation in a co-education college. She was brought to the clinic by her mother and sister for lack of sleep, verbal and physical aggressiveness, suspicion that the male faculty members in her college are writing love letters to her and making obscene gestures during the lecture and the fear of becoming a male. She had the habit of peeping into the bathroom when her mother takes bath. Sometimes she blamed her mother of appearing nude before her. Her elder sister and elder brother had innocuous relationship. She did not have any intimate relationship with the member of the same sex. The family disapproved of her friendship with boys of questionable character. Therapeutic Strategies Suggested The patient mentioned in the case study is suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. In the initial phase of the treatment, she was suggested to undergo neuroleptic pharmacotherapy especially antipsychotic drugs. The medication has been found to be effectual in treating the 'positive symptoms' of the disease, the treatment of 'negative symptoms' has not very yet found to be very successful. Later on she was suggested to undergo psychotherapeutic interventions like reality-oriented individual therapy so that she could be able to cope up with stressful thoughts and events encountered which eventually reduce the risk for relapse, cognitive-behavioural approach helps in monitoring and changing the negative patterns of thoughts and behaviours in ways to make her able to regulate irrational thoughts

White Skin, Black Mask Essay Example for Free

White Skin, Black Mask Essay Frantz Fanons astounding debut novel, Black Skin, White Masks (1952), originally titled An Essay For The Disalienation Of Blacks, defined colonialism and its effect on the black man and took him further into the region of the human mind. After taking a position at a psychiatric hospital in Algeria, he became involved in its war, eventually deserting his cranial post to become a full-time militant in the Algerian National Liberation Front, and stemming from this period he penned his infamous manifesto, The Wretched Of The Earth. A failed assassination attempt years later confirmed his potency. This complex documentary also reveals the hypocrisies and inconsistencies lurking within Fanon, the most surprising of all, when he married a white woman. Part reconstruction, part archive, Black Skin, White Masks features rare footage of the man himself and experts attest to his brilliance including Professor Stuart Hall, Francoise Verges, psychoanalyst Alice Cherki, psychiatrist Jacques Azoulay (who worked and studied with Fanon), Fanons brother Joby, Mme Felix Fanon, and his sister-in-law and niece and finally cultural critic Homi K Bhabha offers valuable insight into Fanons relevance today. Isaac Juliens absorbing ode to Frantz Fanon is a fitting tribute and in breathtaking homage and style he offers the truth, the poetry, the bitterness of history and a glowing epiphany to the man himself. Black Skin, White Masks is a provocative walk through a land filled with colour, human need and exotic diversity that leaves no stone unturned. Black Skin, White Masks was an eye opener for me. It helped me realize how African Americans were treated in the our society for many years. I now realize why the older generation of African Americans hate when the younger generation use the nigger/nigga. It could bring back memories of racism that no one wants to remember. Rage is what I felt when I read the first paragraph of the novel, but its not my place to judge a entire race for past experiences that didnt happen to me. I also realized how real life in the past was: dying for saying the wrong thing, and being judged just by the color of your skin. I glad I took the time to read Black Skin, White Masks it helped me realize a lot and gave me a better understanding of how life was during segregation.

Crash Human Nature Essay Example for Free

Crash Human Nature Essay * Human nature is The general psychological characteristics, feelings, and behavioural traits of humankind, regarded as shared by all humans. * Crash directed by Paul Haggis presents to us an intertwining story set within the streets of LA, confirming and challenging racial stereotypes and at the same time reflecting the ever existing good and dark side of human nature. * Human nature drives us all to view â€Å"the other† as bad, evil and untrustworthy, it is complex and every man, despite differences holds the underlying values buried deep into our subconsciousness * In the film crash, Haggis has successfully portrayed the truth about human nature through the conventions of dialogue, camera shot and symbolism, confusing us as viewers, but also giving us an intruging insight into the reality of each and every one of us despite differences in race and background. * Haggis has successfully evoked feelings of uneasiness, confusion, anger and empathy at through the making of the film crash. * Human nature drives us to fear the unknown, the â€Å"other† in our eyes is seen as evil and that we should steer away from any communication. It may be in relation to race, ethnicity, age, gender or beliefs but in reality each one of us does not have the ability to fight this automatic discrimination against those who are different. * Haggis has successfully reflected this dark aspect of human nature through the convention of dialogue. * In one scene a Persian man is attempting to purchase a gun from a white American. The salesman calls the man â€Å"osama† and then continues to talk about 9/11, he then is aggressively told to leave the shop. * The white American man displays his fear of â€Å"the other† by racially discriminating him through his dialogue, he has his own racist, stereotypical image of this man in his mind automatically relating him to 9/11 and due to his human nature sees him as â€Å"the other† and as untrustworthy to be in his shop telling him he â€Å"has no right to buy a gun here† * In another scene a Hispanic locksmith is changing a white American couples locks on their door after their car had been hijacked. The American woman makes assumptions that this locksmith is going to sell their key to his â€Å"homies† purely because of the way he looks and his race and demands to get her locks changed again in the morning. * The American woman views the locksmith as â€Å"the other† and due to her human nature she fears him, and does not trust him to be in her house. Her judgement is not on personality or individual traits it is based upon the automatic assumptions she makes about him due to his tattoos, dress sense and skin colour. Little does she know that the Hispanic locksmith was in many eyes the only character in crash seen as completely innocent, but due to her ignorance she believed the opposite. * Through dialogue Haggis has successfully positioned the viewer to feel anger at both of these scenarios and causes us to question our own human nature and our own classification of â€Å"the other†. We are positioned to feel guilt as we feel partly responsible for these racial stereotypes as we too, through our human nature, instinctively stick to our own. * Human nature is complex, values at polar opposites could exsist in the same man, particular beliefs could be compromised and in reality no one can ever truly understand the extent of complexities embedded within each person. * Racsim and nobility can exsist in the same man. Haggis has successfully portrayed this idea of human nature through the narrative conventions of camera shot and dialogue. * In one scene a cop pulls over a black couple, he abuses his power and shows extreme racism seen through the convention of low camera angle while he molests her. * In another scene the same cop shows nobility while is seen rescuing the same black woman he molested, he ironically says things to her such as â€Å"im not going to hurt you† * The camera angle in the first scene is a panning low angle displaying the police officers hand stroking up the womans leg, emphasizing his sickening racist actions. In the second scene the camera angle is a close camera angle focusing on his remorseful worrying facial expression. The shot of the hand in the first scene could represent â€Å"a mans hand† where the shot of his face in the second scene presents him, and therefore suggests that although his racism and dark side of his human nature exsists the good side of his human nature is a representation of his true identity and we begin to question the reasons behind his actions. * These two scenes In the movie crash display to us that humans are extremely complex. A man can live a life full of sin but then commit a noble act just as a man can be a criminal but then save a life. * The concept of human complexities is hard to grasp, an individuals identity can determine why they act a certain way or do certain things. The cop in the film displayed racism due to the fact that a black woman would not help his sick father, but does this excuse particular values and behaviours? * Through the convention of camera angle Haggis has effectively positioned the viewer to feel both disgust and awe at the same man. We begin to question what drives humans to be so complex and we wonder whether it is ever possible for a man to be seen as completely innocent. * Instinctively human natures drives us to protect and stick to our own, just as we repel those who are seen as different. * This universal value embedded inside each and every human is represented by Paul Haggis in the film crash through utlising the narrative convention of symbolism. * Crash follows the story of a Hispanic locksmith and unconditional love of his.

Public Participation Planning

Public Participation Planning The purpose of this Literature Review is to establish a theoretical framework for my research proposal, specifically the theoretical aspects associated with public participation and collaborative planning. It aims to analyse and assess the various articles books and journals published and researched to date, while also identifying potential gaps in the research, which could be addressed by my research proposal. The literature review will take the form of an assessment of the emergence of public participation, the different types of participation and decision making models, followed by an analysis of the merits of collaborative planning as a tool for facilitating public participation within a development plan process. 2.2What is meant by participation? Although the merits of public participation have only begun to gain credence in recent times, the idea itself has been around for quite a while and literature on the subject can be found spanning back a number of decades. Public Participation has been defined as citizen involvement in making service delivery and management decisions (Langton, 1978). More recently it has been defined as ‘the process through which stakeholders influence and share control over priority setting, policy-making, resource allocations and access to public goods and services (Kende-Robb, 2005). Sanoff argues that it is advocated to reduce citizen cynicism toward government, build stakeholder consensus in government and enhance administrative decision-making. There remains a strong sense that the proper objective of participation is to ensure the ‘transformation of existing development practice, and more radically, the social relations, institutional practices and capacity gaps which cause social exclusion. This was central to many of the approaches to participation over the years including the community development approach from the 1940s to 1960s; political participation in the 1960s and 1970s; alternative development from the 1970s to the 1990s; social capital from the mid 1990s to the present and participatory governance and citizen participation from the late 1990s to the present day (Hickey Mohan, 2004). Other traditional participation mechanisms include public hearings, citizen forums, community or neighbourhood meetings, citizen advisory groups, individual citizen representation and focus groups (Wang, 2001). The focus on increasing public participation and citizen involvement in policy making has only begun to have a visible effect in recent times. It has been stated that direct, active citizen involvement in policy making has not always been a goal of civilised societies (Putnam, 1995). The reason is, to some extent a result of the enlarged role in society played by government bureaucracies (Davidoff, 1965). Habermas however states that individuals should be able to freely share their views with one another in a process, which closely resembles true participatory democracy. He states that the public sphere is â€Å"a discursive arena that is home to citizen debate, deliberation, agreement and action† (Habermas, 1981). By allowing every person the same opportunity to participate in discourse, Habermas hopes to eradicate the prejudices which limit marginalized groups from fully attaining their rights in a democratic society. The difficulty with recent models of participation is that citizens are more often reacting to plans rather than proposing what they see as appropriate goals for future action. This is certainly the case in Ireland, where participation is almost always reactive in nature. However, in the last decade this has begun to change and public participation is becoming an established part of planning and policy decision-making practice (Cameron Grant-Smith, 2005). Participation Versus Consultation Even though the term ‘participation is used to describe public involvement in policy and decision making, it must be recognised that there are various levels at which a person may participate and in many cases what is referred to as public ‘participation is not in fact participation at all. In the late 1960s, Sherry Arnstein developed an 8 rung ‘Ladder of Citizen Participation with each rung corresponding to the extent of the citizens power in influencing a final outcome (Arnstein, 1969). Arnstein developed this Ladder while involved in developing processes for citizen participation in planning and renewal projects in America (see figure 1). At the bottom of the ladder are rungs 1 (Manipulation)and 2 (Therapy). Both are non participative and the aim is to cure or educate the participants. The proposed plan is deemed best and the job of participation is to achieve public support by public relations. Rungs 3 (Informing), 4 (Consultation) and 5 (Placation) demonstrate slightly higher levels of tokenistic participation, however too frequently the emphasis is on a one-way flow of information with no channel for feedback. Rung 6 (Partnership) can be described as meaningful participation, as power is in fact redistributed through negotiation between citizens and power holders. Planning and decision-making responsibilities are shared e.g. through joint committees. It is at this partnership level that the collaborative planning model aims to operate. Rungs 7 (Delegated Power) and 8 (Citizen Control) affords ‘have-not citizens the majority of decision making seats or full power and is the holy grail in terms of citizen participation. Figure 1: If participation is to be real and effective there must be dialogue between the different stakeholders and between those who have power (those at the top of the ladder) and between those who have little or no power (those at the bottom of the ladder). There must be a two way flow of information between the parties involved. However there is no dialogue in consultation which is what has traditionally been considered ‘participation in a development plan process in Ireland. The planning authority consults the public normally after a plan has been prepared by seeking feedback through public meetings and public comment. ‘Participation in Ireland essentially consists of proposal and response the planning authority proposes a plan for a community and members of the public respond through making a submission. This submission is often made without any direct contact with officials in the planning authority so in effect there is no dialogue of any form, thereby illustrating that what is refered to as ‘participation in a development plan process in Ireland is in fact consultation. However, with public participation now becoming central to National, European and International policy, as well as being an important aspect of the sustainable development discourse, such tokenistic participation is no longer adequate. The introduction of the Planning and Development Act 2000 has resulted in a requirement on planning authorities to produce their statutory plans through a process that involves greater public input at the earlier stages. They are now required to develop a somewhat more participatory approach to planning than was previously the case. The Aarhus Convention, which took place in 1998, and the 2003 Public Participation Directive which followed on from the convention, also provide members of the public with opportunities for early and effective participation on plans or programmes relating to the environment. The increase in emphasis on public participation has meant that alternative models of planning need to emerge to facilitate and respond to this increas e and the collaborative planning model is one such response. 2.4Participation in Physical Planning Decision Making There has been much debate about the most effective methods of facilitating citizen involvement in policy formulation and decision-making. A useful approach that provides a basis for analysing processes of decision-making in planning is that developed by Innes and Booher (2000) and this will be discussed first, followed by an analysis of other participatory models of decision making that have emerged in recent times. The Innes and Booher approach identifies four different models of decision making technical/bureaucratic, political influence, social movement and the collaborative model as well as identifying when and where each model works best, which ultimately depends on the levels of diversity and interdependence present (see diagram). Source: (Innes and Booher, 2000) The technical/bureaucratic model works best where there is neither diversity nor interdependence among interests. A bureaucratic system is set up to implement known policy and the technical analyst is associated with rationality and bureaucracy. Technicians and bureaucracies essentially respond to a single set of goals and decision maker, and the typical practice is one where analyses are not focussed on interdependencies. Within this model, the focus of planning is on the achievement of the most efficient mechanism for reaching easily defined and identified needs. The political influence model works best where there is a high diversity of interests, however there is normally a low interdependence of interests, as each individual is focussed on their maximising their own interest only. In this model there tends to be a political bargaining approach that seeks to get an adequate number of interests to agree to a particular course of action in order for it to work. The social movement model recognises the importance of high levels of interdependence among a coalition of interests and individuals, but which does not deal with the full diversity of interests. Collaboration therefore is seen as the model that deals best with both diversity and interdependence ‘but is typically the least-used and least-institutionalised of the four models (Innes and Booher, 2000). Both the technical/bureaucratic model and the political influence models of planning and decision making, as proposed by Innes and Booher, reflect the lower levels of participation as identified by Arnstein, with the ‘convincing nature of the technical/bureaucratic model comparing significantly with need to ‘educate and ‘cure participants on Arnsteins tokenism rungs. The technocratic approach to planning which was the dominant planning model for much of the twentieth century has been severely criticised for its failure to adequately incorporate the values and interests of stakeholders into the decision making process. This criticism of technocratic planning was fuelled by the growing protests of stakeholders over expert-formulated plans in areas such as natural resource management, environmental regulation, transportation, and urban renewal, that were clearly contrary to the interests of large segments of society (Gunton and Day 2003). Planning theory responded to t he criticism and limitations of the technocratic approach by acknowledging the role of goals and objectives identified through democratic political processes (political influence model) to set the framework in which plans were prepared (Davidoff 1965). Planners, previously experts under the technocratic umbrella were relegated to determining optimal means to achieve politically set goals within this new participatory environment. The unresolved question in this new goals-based planning theory was how the goals should be determined. The initial and somewhat vague response was that goals should be determined by citizen participation in the planning process, however it was not clear how this was to be achieved (Gunton and Day 2003). Dahl suggested that pluralism was another vehicle that would allow individual citizens to have their concerns voiced in government, a concept developed by Davidoff in the 1960s interlinked with the idea of the planner as an advocate for the under-represented (Dahl, 1989). Unlike the ‘advocacy planning that Davidoff proposes (different planners acting as advocates for different interests), most city and town planning is performed by a single planning authority which develops plans, which it feels will best serve the welfare of the whole community, not of individual interest groups (LeGates and Stout, 2000). Davidoff argues that different groups in society have different interests, which would result in fundamentally different plans if such interests were incorporated into these plans. The articulate, wealthy and powerful groups have the skills and resources to influence plans to take account of their own interests while the poor and powerless do not. Advocacy Planning introduces the idea of planners acting as advocates, articulating the needs of the poor and powerless, the same way as a lawyer represents a client (Davidoff, 1965). The problem with advocacy planning, however, is that it did not provide a framework for resolving disputes among competing interest groups and therefore cannot be seen as an adequate method for dealing with the various conflicts that are emerging in modern day planning. Dahl sees pluralism as a situation where individuals join interests groups that represent their needs and wants. These interests groups then come together to debate their competing viewpoints and create a collective public policy that should reflect the common good. The more interest groups that exist, the greater the conflict, and the greater the likelihood that decision making will reflect that common good (Dahl, 1989). However, Lowi on the other hand argues that pluralism often fails to represent the collective good, and instead represents the needs and wants of special interest groups (Lowi, 1979). Davidoffs idea of pluralism is slightly different from Dahls, in that citizens or interest groups should go one step further and produce an alternative plan to what he sees as the ‘unitary plan prepared by the planning authority, and the advocate planner can be central to the process by representing certain interest groups. A final model, often referred to as alternative dispute resolution, also emerged as a way of engaging stakeholders in the development of plans by allowing stakeholders to negotiate a consensus agreement to resolve the dispute (Susskind and Cruikshank 1987). However the alternative dispute resolution does not appear to provide a satisfactory model either, as it is reactive in responding to disputes that have already arisen instead of proactive. In essence, this limits its effectiveness as a planning tool. It is evident therefore that to date, the existing models of decision making have had limited success with regard to facilitating public participation. However as our societies and communities are now becoming more diverse and less homogenous than ever before it would seem an alternative model is required to facilitate and acknowledge these changes. 2.5The Collaborative Planning Model Innes and Booher (2000) note that in situations where there is a clear interdependence between stakeholders interests and there exists a high diversity of such interests that a different model of planning and policy making is needed. This model is known as collaborative planning. It emerged as a distinct planning paradigm in the 1990s and is a logical extension of alternative dispute resolution (Gunton and Day 2003). ‘The collaborative model is about stakeholders co-evolving to a common understanding, direction and set of heuristics†¦. It is only the collaborative model that deals both with diversity and interdependence because it tries to be inclusive and to explore interdependence in the search for solutions. It does not ignore or override interests, but seeks solutions that satisfy multiple interests. For complex and controversial issues in rapidly changing and uncertain contexts issues that there is public pressure to address collaboration among stakeholders is likely to be the best approach indeed the only approach that can produce a satisfactory result. (Innes and Booher, 2000, p21) This model is a new framework for planning which proposes that spatial planning activity move from the traditional narrow, technical and procedural focus towards a communicative and collaborative model for achieving common purposes in the shared spaces of our societies (Healy, 1997). For Healy, collaborative planning seems not to be an end in itself, but a path to â€Å"co-existence in shared spaces.† Like Innes and Booher, Healy also believes that a collaborative approach can be successful only where there is a variety of stakeholders interests, because if all the interests are the same then no dialogue is required. Healys version of collaborative planning emerged after she analysed the shortcomings of conventional forms of governance and styles of planning, namely economic planning, physical development, public administration and policy analysis, advocacy planning, neo liberalism and utilitarianism. The conceptual base for collaborative planning as Healy sees it, consists of two theoretical strands, an ‘institutionalist sociology and ‘communicative dialogue. The institutionalist theory states that spatial planning processes need to be judged by the quality of the process, i.e. the way the decision is made is just as important as the actual decision. It also seeks to identify and analyze forms and relations of power between people, beyond that of class and categories. The communicative approach offers a way forward in the design of governance processes for a ‘shared world and takes an ethical commitment to enabling all stakeholders have a voice. It deals with the design of governance systems and practices, focusing on ways of fostering collaborative, consensus building processes. This approach outlines a number of necessary components for a collaborative model to be successful. Consensus building practices are important, as they help to ensure that no stakeholder finds a particular outcome intolerable. It is important that an individuals position at the top of the ladder is not maximized at the expense of the individual at the bottom; there should be equality. It recognizes three forms of reasoning instrumental/technical (the mechanisms for public decision making), moral and emotive/aesthetic. It argues that there has been a predominance of the first, at the expense of the other two. Within the public sphere, moral and emotive reasoning must be afforded an equivalent status, to achieve balance. There is also a need for recognition of the growing cultural differences that there now is. She also points out that polices and processes need to be designed to relate to the experience of globalization and multi-cultural societies, as older planning practices do not take these into account. Leadership is not about bringing stakeholders around to a particular planning content but in getting people to agree and ensuring that, whatever the position of the participants within the socio-economic hierarchy, no groups interests will dominate (Healy, 1997) Another approach to collaborative planning is that which emerges from the work of John Forester, an American planning theorist, who focuses on the communicative role of the planning analyst. His view is that planners within organizations do not work instrumentally towards the achievement of clearly distinguishable ends. Instead he sees the role of the planner to: ‘†¦work instead toward the correction of needless distortions, some systematic and some not, which disable, mystify, distract and mislead others: to work towards a political democratization of daily communications. (Forester, 1989, p.21) Forester also states that: ‘†¦problems will be solved not only by technical experts, but also by pooling expertise and non-professional contributions too; not just by formal procedure but by informal consultation and involvement; not mainly through formally rational management procedures, but through internal and external politics and the development of a working consensus; not by solving an engineering equation but by complimenting technical performance with political sophistication, support building, and liaison work (p. 152) Forester therefore recognizes the communication and negotiating elements of planning, as well as its technical elements. He also recognizes the political nature of planning and the extent to which the planner is engaged in value laden political action. 2.6Strengths and Weaknesses of Collaborative Planning Advocates of collaborative planning cite many advantages of the collaborative model relative to other models of planning. Firstly, the chances of reaching a decision on a plan are a lot higher, because stakeholders are incorporated in the process from the outset to help reach a solution, rather than remaining as critics outside the process (Gunton and Day 2003, Susskind et al. 2000). Secondly the dynamic interaction of the stakeholders is likely to produce a plan that is in the public interest as more alternatives are generated and the consensus decision rule ensures that the mutual interests of all parties are at least partially catered for in the plan (Frame et al, 2004). Thirdly, the plan produced at the end of the process has a greater chance of being implemented, because stakeholders who might otherwise attempt to block the implementation have developed the plan and will help implement it because they have a stake in the outcome. Finally, collaborative planning helps to create à ¢â‚¬Ëœsocial capital among the stakeholders, improving their skills, knowledge and stakeholder relationships which last beyond the process of creating a plan (Gunton and Day, 2003). However, the collaborative planning model also has its critics and a number of weaknesses and challenges to the approach have been identified. Firstly, collaborative planning is founded on the principle of stakeholders negotiating with one another to agree on an outcome. In some cases, more influential and powerful stakeholders will avoid or undermine the process by using delaying tactics, or pursuing alternative means to achieve their objectives if they do not like the outcome of collaboration (Frame et al, 2003). Secondly, the need to achieve consensus may encourage stakeholders to seek second best or vague solutions when they cannot reach the best possible agreement (Gunton and Day, 2003). Cooper and Mckenna (2006) and Fainstein (2000) also state that the need to achieve consensus has meant that participatory exercises often concentrate on issues where agreement is more likely to be achieved and avoids those which are likely to cause difficulties. Thirdly, the time and resources r equired to organise a process around large group of diverse stakeholders is quite substantial. This is compounded by the potential lack of support or interest from planning officials who are unwilling to delegate the decision-making responsibilities to outside stakeholders (Wondolleck and Yaffee, 2000, Fainstein, 2000). Also, established statutory fora comprising of local elected representatives are relatively neglected, while project staff must spend huge amounts of time, energy and money organising and servicing local public meetings, stakeholder meetings, public surveys and follow up consultation exercises. This often leads to a situation where projects become characterised by ‘consultation paralysis, a condition where nothing can be done because yet someone else must be consulted or re-consulted (Cooper and McKenna, 2006). Finally, relying on stakeholders that have little or no specialised training may lead to the exclusion of important scientific information in the decisi on making process, thus resulting in poor decisions being made. Fainstein (2000) also cites what she sees as a number of other weaknesses with the collaborative planning approach including: Action/implementation is often a problem, because parties in the process are not honest about their intentions and purposes It ignores the role of the powerful and their capacity to impede the implementation of agreed actions The process is usually too drawn out and resource hungry If the planner/expert acts as facilitator only, new and creative thinking can be stifled and only those that are incrementalist in nature will emerge There is evidence that experts acting on their own often come up with better solutions than stakeholders operating in a collaborative process It is evident from the above that collaborative planning approaches have many strengths and weaknesses, however it would appear that the potential benefits to the community from using such an approach outweigh potential negatives. COLLABORATIVE PLANNING IN IRELAND In the past number of years, there have been many attempts to develop models for community development and planning that aim to achieve higher levels of participation than previous models. Such models include the ADOPT model, the Bantry Bay Charter and Integrated Area Planning (IAP) to name but a few, while the Village Design Statement (VDS) could also be considered as an attempt at achieving higher levels of participation through a more collaborative approach. The ADOPT model, which was pioneered by Ballyhoura Development Ltd, is aimed at providing local area-based communities with a framework for participation in community development at a local level. The model also aims to tackle the lack of co-operation within the community sector, and weak research and planning by communities who are participating and contributing to local planning and development activities. It seeks to develop a strong community representative structure, an umbrella group that brings together representatives of the various bodies and groups within the community to ensure that activities are not being duplicated and that real needs are being addressed. This umbrella structure, along with the training and capacity building that the model promotes, supports communities and their representatives to play a meaningful role in partnership functions with Stage agencies and other bodies (Pobal, 2003). The Bantry Bay Charter was a project initiated by Cork County Council with the main objective being to develop a model and strategy for successful coastal zone management. By developing a stakeholders charter it was possible to develop an agreed approach to the management and development of the Bantry Bay area. In doing so, the process brought together the different stakeholders and interest groups of the area, as well as the agencies involved in regulating and developing the area. The Charter is based on the understanding that the regulatory agencies need to work in partnership with the local community for the successful management and development of the area. It explored the use of consensus, where all those who are stakeholders work together, to develop a single agreed approach to its development. Similar to these models is a model of collaborative planning developed by Tipperary Institute (TI), a third level education institution specialising in the area of Sustainable Rural Development called Integrated Area Planning. Integrated Area Planning is a concept that first emerged through the 1999 Urban Renewal Scheme, introduced by the Irish Government and which involved a more targeted approach to the award of urban renewal incentives. This model is multi-focused and is based on the premise that development of an area should emerge from a broadly based not take place in isolation but should emerge from a broadly based Integrated Area Plan (IAP), taking into account the social, environmental, economic and cultural needs of a community. Integrated Area Planning has been defined by TI as an empowering, practical and participatory process to collect, analyse, and compile information while developing the skills and structures needed to prepare and implement an inclusive and multifacet ed plan for a defined geographical area. The development of the IAP model was influenced to a great extent by planning theorist Patsy Healy and central to the model is the requirement for consensus to be reached on all issues before the process can be moved forward. The IAP model contains many key steps, which must be carried out including: Contracting Phase Pre-Development Phase Data Collection Establishment of a Steering Group Capacity Building of the Steering Group Establishment of Visions and Objectives Establishment of task groups Drafting Stage Validation Approval Implementation Using the IAP model, TI became involved in a number of community planning projects in Ireland including: Crusheen Co. Clare, Kinvara and Eyercourt Co. Galway, Ferbane Co. Offaly, Hacketstown Co. Carlow and Kilmacthomas in Co. Waterford. In each of these cases, the communities, in partnership with the relevant authorities prepared plans for their areas. Two of the key stages in the process are establishing the steering group and task groups. The steering group is elected by the community and it is contains a representative from the various different stakeholders in the process. The steering group plays an important role in the whole IAP process as they are responsible for driving the process forward. The task groups on the other hand are smaller groups, which are made up of members from the community and statutory agencies. The task groups are responsible for carrying out research on particular topics, such as the environment, infrastructure etc and they then report back their finding s to the steering group. The IAP process is quite resource demanding and generally takes over 12 months to complete. CONCLUSION It is clear from the above that the issue of participation and the models, which attempt to facilitate it, are central to the planning and environmental fields in both Ireland and abroad. Some of the collaborative planning models that have been developed in Ireland have multiple aims, one of which is to impact on the statutory Local Area Plan process and outcomes, including those implemented in Kinvara, Ferbane, Hacketstown and Kilmacthomas. However having reviewed the literature it is evident that there has been a clear lack of research focussing on the assessment of such collaborative planning models in Ireland. In order to assess the extent to which the IAP model in Kinvara was successful, an examination of the entire process is required. To this end, the examination required will entail more than just the IAP process itself, but also its impact on the LAP process as well as an assessment of the level of implementation that has taken place to date. Bibliography: Arnstein, Sherry R., (1969) A Ladder of Citizen Participation, Journal of the Institute of American Planners, Vol. 35 (4), pp 216-24. Connick, S., Innes J., (2001) Outcomes of Collaborative Water Policy Making: Applying Complexity Thinking to Evaluation, Working Paper 2001-08 Dahl R, (1989). Democracy and its Critics. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press. Davidoff, P, (1965) Advocacy and Pluralism in Planning, Journal of the American Institute of Planners DeSario, J. Langton S, (1987) Fainstein, S.S. (2000). ‘New directions in Planning theory, Urban Affairs Review, Vol.35, Issue 4, March, pp.451-78 Frame, Tanis M., Thomas I. Gunton, and J.C. Day. (2003). Resolving Environmental Disputes through Collaborative Planning. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management. Frame, Tanis M., Thomas I. Gunton, an