Saturday, August 31, 2019
St and Lt Professional Goals
Short term professional goals ââ¬â To further my education and become better qualified, with a view to changing my role or to taking on more responsibility in my current position. ââ¬â To gain experience and develop my appreciation of working in multinational environments. I hope to continue to work in a multinational firm and to be able to make a more valuable and meaningful contribution as a result of my enhanced skills and learning. ââ¬â To secure a management position and take on more responsibility, whereby consolidating the managerial skills I have acquired and developed over the last three years, since my promotion to Manager. To participate in the growth and success of the company I work for and to find a position where I can apply my knowledge and strengths. ââ¬â To find a source of money to pay for MBA. ââ¬â To help people from underprivileged backgrounds and in developing countries, by offering them professional advice and private funding on a personal level. Long term professional goals ââ¬â To secure a senior management role in a leading company or to become a partner in a professional services firm.I recognise that a lot of hard work, determination and patience will be required to achieve this goal, but I am fully committed to working towards it throughout my career. ââ¬â Another one of my ambitions is to start up and run my own business. I would ideally like to combine this with another goal, which is to be socially responsible in my work. For example, I would hire people that traditionally find it more difficult secure employment, such as those with disabilities, those without financial resources or pregnant women. To be a trusted advisor who has a solid business skillset, wisdom and knowledge and is able to accept and deliver challenging projects. ââ¬â To become a leader and make a positive impact on society through my expertise, ethics and leading by example. ââ¬â To coach entrepreneurs and help them to deve lop the key skills required to make their businesses successful. ââ¬â When I retire, I intend to write a book about my experiences and ideas so that I can share them with the world.
Friday, August 30, 2019
Assignment Composition Essay
As an experienced social care worker you have been asked to mentor a new social care worker. You plan to use a supervision session to explain about the duty of care and how this helps to protect individuals from harm and abuse. Prepare a set of notes to help you in this supervision session. In the notes, you must include an explanation of: Ai)What is meant by ââ¬Ëduty of careââ¬â¢ Aii)How the duty of care affects the work of a social care worker Aiii)What having a duty of care means for a care giving organisation Aiv)How the duty of care contributes to safeguarding individuals Ai)What is meant by ââ¬Ëduty of careââ¬â¢ Duty of care means the obligations you have in your role as a care worker to ensure that your service users are supported and enabled to live in an environment which is free from prejudice and safe from abuse or injury. This means providing care and support for individuals within the law and also within the policies, procedures and agreed ways of working of your employer. Every individual should be supported and enabled to live in a safe environment and it is your responsibilities under the duty of care are to do everything reasonable within the definition of your job role to make this happen. Aii)How the duty of care affects the work of a social care worker A care worker has responsibility at work, under the duty of care, to do everything reasonable within the law and also within the policies, procedures and agreed ways of working of your employer to make the environment for your service users safe. Your duty of care means that you must aim to provide high quality care to the best of your ability and say if there are any reasons why you may be unable to do so. As a care worker, you must adhere to a standard of reasonable care and you are expected to keep your knowledge and skills up to date in order to provide a service of noà less a quality than that to be expected based on those skills, etc. If you do not work in this way, you could be considered negligent or incompetent. You also need to keep accurate and up to date records of your work. However, you must keep those records confidential except where the wider duty of care or the public interest might justify disclosure. Aiii)What having a duty of care means for a care giving organisation The duty of care to a service user exists from the moment they are accepted for treatment or a task is accepted and they begin to receive services. This obligation applies to those working part time or full time, those in agency or temporary roles as well as students and volunteers. All health and social care organisations, whether they are public, private or voluntary organisations, have a duty of care. Their duty of care is to provide a comprehensive service to citizens and to demonstrate that, within the available resources, the appropriate priorities are chosen. They must also ensure that those people who are providing that care are able to do so safely in appropriate and timely manner. To ensure this is the case, training is provided by employers to help ensure that their employeesââ¬â¢ knowledge and skills is up to date. Aiv)How the duty of care contributes to safeguarding individuals In order to safeguard individuals from harm, care workers have a duty of care to raise any concerns they have about any aspect of their work. These could be things such as inadequate working conditions, poor equipment, poor practice by other staff, and also raising concerns about potential abuse cases and situations of neglect. If such a situation did arise or the care worker were in any doubt at any time, it would be their duty to raise these issues with their supervisor / manager. A negligent act could be unintentional but careless or intentional that results in abuse or injury. A negligent act is breaching the duty of care. If an individual has evidence that you have been negligent, you are likely to be disciplined. You could lose your job and you could have legal action taken against you. Task B: Reflective account Describe two situations which demonstrate a conflict or dilemma between exercising a duty of care and the rights of an individual. In this firstà scenario, the care and support plan for a physically disabled individual includes for the support worker to take them to a cafà © or restaurant every week. This gives them the opportunity to dine out as they are unable to do this alone. However, in this case the client is overweight and a diabetic and their doctor has said they should be making wiser choices. In situations where there is a conflict of interest or a dilemma between an individualââ¬â¢s rights and a carerââ¬â¢s duty of care, it is best practice to make sure the individual is aware of the consequences of their choice and that they have the mental capacity to understand the risks involved in their choice. Presenting the client with the information and facts in a non-judgemental way allows the individual to make an informed choice about where and what they eat. The care worker should take care to use an encouraging and supportive tone of voice and words so that the individual does not feel bullied or harassed into doing what they think the care worker wants them to do. The support worker should tell the individual the facts about eating at McDonalds and ask them if they would like to try somewhere different. It is the role of the care assistant to assist them in making those choices and reducing the risks without compromising their rights. Ultimately, if the client does not want to do so, then the care worker should take them to McDonalds if this remains their choice. If an individual insists on doing something that the care worker disagrees with, they can only advise and encourage them. However, they would be failing in their duty of care if they did not try to prevent the client coming to any harm although in this case, intervention was not necessary. Any ongoing concerns the care worker has should be discussed with their manager and perhaps they could also request the client be given more information about their condition from a health worker or dietician so they have the full facts in order to make wise choices. In the second scenario, let us assume that the client has been categorised by the appropriate professional authorities as ââ¬Ëa person who lacks capacityââ¬â¢. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) has a set of criteria to determine whether a person is able to make informed decisions and choices. The term ââ¬Ëa person who lacks capacityââ¬â¢ means a person who is unable to make a particular decision or take a particular action for themselves at the time the decision or action needs to be taken. The dilemma is that the care worker would still want to respect the decisions of the client but would need to exercise a duty of care to make sure that this person was not exploited as they are very vulnerable. If, after a discussion with the client, the care worker had concerns that the client had made an inappropriate decision, they would need to report it to their manager, for example, if the person has given their money away or if another person has ââ¬Å"borrowedâ⬠it etc. By passing the information to the manager, the care worker would have respected the clientââ¬â¢s privacy by not revealing information to outside agencies without permission and also fulfilled their duty of care by trying to safeguard them from harm. A record of the incident should be made in writing and both signed and dated. It would then be the managerââ¬â¢s role to inform outside agencies if appropriate, such as the police, or the clientââ¬â¢s family. Task C: Guidance Notes Write a set of guidance notes for social care workers to help them deal with complaints. In the notes, you must: Ci)Explain legal and organisational requirements for dealing with complaints. Cii)Describe how best to respond to complaints from service users, other practitioners and the family of service users Ci)Anyone who has a concern regarding the Stockport NHS Foundation Trust which includes Tameside and Glossop Community Healthcare can make a complaint. A service user can complain about the service or the treatment they have received or alternatively, a complaint can be made on behalf of another person. If anyone is unhappy with any aspect of their care or the service received, they should speak to member of staff as soon as possible. If that staff member cannot resolve the problem or the person is not comfortable talking to them, the complainant can contact the Patient and Customer Services Department (PCS) by phone, email or post as soon as possible. The PCS aim to resolve all complaints quickly and satisfactorilyà but if the issue is too complex to resolve quickly, they may ask them to put their concerns in writing so they can begin a formal investigation. Cii)Treat the person with respect, listen to their concerns and reassure them that the matter will be treated seriously. Deal with the issue promptly and in many cases, it should be possible to sort out the problem straight away. If the member of staff approached cannot resolve the problem, the PCS department may need to be involved. Explain to the person how the procedure works and timeframes: The procedure The complaint will be reviewed by the Head or Deputy Head of Patient & Customer Services. It will be graded according to the complexity and severity of the issue. A case officer will be appointed to coordinate the investigation. The case officer will check whether there are any confidentiality issues and also whether more than one organization is involved. If necessary, the persons consent will be required so that additional organization are informed. Details of the complaint will recorded on the Risk Management Database and forwarded to the correct department for investigation. Patient confidentiality will be respected. For example, if the complainant is acting on behalf of someone else, a form requesting the authorisation of the patient to disclose confidential information to them may be required. Similarly, if the patient themselves is unable to provide their consent, e.g. they have died, then appropriate authorisation for the complainant to act and receive information on the patientââ¬â¢s behalf may be required, such as written consent from the Next of Kin. The person who has raised a complaint should not worry that they will discriminated against and that their, or their relatives, future healthcare will be affected. To maintain confidentiality of patients and staff, letters of complaints and their replies are not stored in the patientsââ¬â¢ records. They are kept centrally within the Patient & Customer Services Department. If the person is unhappy with the response that the Trust provides or they would like further clarification of the points raised, they should contact the case officer dealing with the complaint to discuss further options. Timeframes The Trust will acknowledge the complaint by contacting the complainant within 3 working days of it being received. The Trust will strive to provide theà complainant with a full response, wherever possible, within 25 working days. If it is likely to take longer than 25 working days to resolve, then a date by which a response is anticipated will be provided plus ongoing progress reports will be given at regular intervals.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
My Project Work,
CHAPTER ONE 1. 0 INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Background Organisations, both private and public, in todayââ¬â¢s dynamic marketplace and market space are increasingly leaving antiquated marketing philosophies and strategies to the adoption of more customer-driven initiatives that seek to understand, attract, retain and build intimate long term relationship with profitable customers (Kotler, 2006; Gronroos, C 1994; Paradise-Tornow, 1991; Narver and Slater, 1990).This paradigm shift has undoubtedly led to the growing interest in customer relations, management initiatives that aim at ensuring customer identification and interactions, customisation and personalisation that unreservedly lead to customer satisfaction, retention and profitability, among other things (Thompson, 2004; Gronroos et al. , 1996; Xu et al, 2002; Dyche, 2001; Ryals & Knox, 2001; Stone, 2000). Organisations are therefore increasingly being more customer-centric and are much interested not just in acquiring new customers, but more importantly, retaining existing customers.This is perhaps because it costs more to attract new customers than to retain existing ones. It is believed that the average business spends six (6) times more to attract new customers than to retain old customers. Again it is more profitable retaining an old customer who is more likely to re-purchase or re-use a companyââ¬â¢s products/services and recommend them to others. Customer retention is, therefore, basically a product of customer loyalty and value which in turn is a function of the level of customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction (Reichheld, 1996).Customer satisfaction is central to the customer-centric paradigm shift, and has gained much attention from scholars and practitioners as it has become one of the cardinal means for achieving quality improvement programmes, and one of the crucial foci of strategic marketing management in business organisations that have long-term perspective for growth. This is because of the int riguing findings, that satisfied customers are more likely to remain loyal and committed to an organisation which eventually leads to profits as opined by the popular service-profit-chain proponents (Heskett et al. 1994; Heskett et al. , 1997; Reichheld and Sasser, 1990). In this regard, it is a fact that a very satisfied customer is nearly six times more likely to be loyal and to re-purchase and/or recommend a product than a customer who is just satisfied. It is again believed that satisfied customers tell five other people about their good treatment, and that five-percent increase in loyalty can increase profits by 25% ââ¬â 85%. Conversely, the average customer with a problem eventually tells eight (8) to ten (10) other people (SPSS White paper 1996; Limayem M. , 2007).Consequently, organizationsattempt to adoptmeasures to ascertain customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction. Some organisations traditionally rely on customer complains to ascertain customer satisfaction. Unfortunate ly the average business firm never hears from 96% of their unhappy customers and 91% will never come back; they get back; only 4% of dissatisfied customers will complain (SPSS White paper 1996). Consequently, the shift toward the recognition of effective customer satisfaction and its measurement has led companies to change their paradigms about satisfying customers.Many organisations no longer use only customer complains; rather they adopt rigorous qualitative and quantitative mechanisms to measure customer satisfaction. In this regard, measuring customer satisfaction provides the feedback of how successful an organization is at providing products and/or services to the satisfaction of customers at the marketplace and market space. This makes it imperative for organisations to take pragmatic and reliable steps towards improving the quality of service delivery, managing customer value and satisfaction more effectively.The shift to devoting considerable attention and resources to cust omer acquisition and retention through customer satisfaction is not different with the six mobile telecommunication networks in Ghana, namely MTN of Scancom Ghana Ltd, Tigo of Millicom Ghana Ltd, Airtel of Airtel Ghana Ltd, Kasapa of Kasapa Telecom, Glo of Glo Ghana Ltd and Vodafone of Vodafone Ghana Ltd. Though competition has been keen in the industry, each of the five operating mobile networks (MTN, Tigo, Vodafone, Airtel and Kasapa) has been growing in customer acquisition since Ghana deregulated its telecommunication sector in 1994.According to NCA statistics, (December, 2011), the number of registered mobile phones and fixed lines in Ghana is 21,450,564 which represents 89. 4% of Ghanaââ¬â¢s estimated 24 million people comprising of 88. 2 mobile penetration and 1. 2 fixed line penetration. Going by the NCA figures in December, 2011, MTN commands 48% market share, Vodafone 20. 2%, Tigo follows with 18. 53%, Airtel comes in at 12. 4% and Expresso trails with a relatively insi gnificant 0. 88%. Each of the telecom network companies is continually improving upon the quality of their service delivery in order to survive the high competition in the industry.Since survival and growth or financial outcome is driven by customer loyalty and retention which is in turn is driven by customer satisfaction and value (Rust and Oliver, 1994; Wang and Hing-Po Lo, 2002), delivering quality service and customer satisfaction have been important goals and pursuit for each of the four expanding Mobile Telecom Networks as well as the regulators of the industry 1. 2Problem Statement Tanina is a community in Wa West District of the Upper West Region with a population of 2194.With six (6) registered mobile telecommunication network nationwide, Tanina is privileged to have four (4) available networks; MTN, Vodafone, Airtel and Tigo with MTN having the highest subscribers. The problem of this study is propelled by the numerous complaints by MTN users about the bad nature of their networks in rural areas in the Upper West Region which Tanina is part of. The state of customer satisfaction with service delivery is not clear as there is scanty documentation of the issue. According to a discussion paper on telecom developments and investments in Ghana (Frempong & Henten, February 2004, p. ), the authors noted that ââ¬Å"the goals set by government have only partly been met ââ¬â especially with respect to the development in rural areas ââ¬â and the quality of service is still low and has even deteriorated on some indicators. There is, therefore, a widespread dissatisfaction with the general telecom development in Ghana among users as well as policy decision makers and administrators. â⬠Since the past decade, the industry has witnessed a tremendous increase in subscriber growth rate for all the mobile telecom operators (ITU 2008; Africa ICT indicators 2007).This growth trend could not be attributed to customer satisfaction; it is fundamentally due to the substantial growth in investment and expansion of network access during the last decade. This seems a success story, and there are high hopes that the service quality delivered by the Mobile Telecommunication Networks meets customer expectations, ideal service, or satisfaction. However, since 2006, there had been many complaints from customers about the service delivery of the mobile telecom networks in Ghana (BIZ Community. com October, 2007), notably MTN Ghana Limited.As a result, a statement released by the National Communications Authority (NCA) in Ghana profusely lamented that in spite of the appreciable growth and expansion recorded in the industry, ââ¬Å"the quality of service is anything but goodâ⬠(BIZ Community. com, October 19, 2007). The NCA further gave some Mobile Telecommunication Networks an ultimatum to improve upon their services within thirty-days. Evidently, the growth trend in the mobile telecom industry in Ghana does not provide empirical support for the claim that customers are satisfied with the service delivery of the telecom providers in Ghana. 1. 3General ObjectiveAssess the level of satisfaction among MTN subscribers in Tanina. 1. 4Specific Objectives * To find out how MTN to MTN calls or MTN to other networks or other networks to MTN calls effective in Tanina. * To ascertain what MTN product(s) or service(s) is/are most preferred. * To examine how convenient MTN subscribers have access to their helpline (111) in Tanina. * To find out whether users of MTN internet broadband are satisfied with the service or not. 1. 5Research Questions * Are MTN to MTN calls or is MTN to other networks or other networks to MTN calls effective in Tanina. * What MTN product(s) or service(s) is/are most preferred. How convenient do MTN subscribers have access to their helpline (111) in Tanina * How satisfied are MTN users with their internet/ broadband service in Tanina? 1. 6Research Methodology 1. 6. 1 Sample Size Target Population: the targ et group was both MTN users and non-users in Tanina. Out of the total population of 2194, it was assumed that 658 people representing 30% of the total population are mobile phone users who are our sample size. A sample size for the study comprised 130 respondents representing 20% of the targeted population. 1. 6. 1 Sampling Techniques Purposive sampling was the technique employed by the group.This enabled the group to identify MTN and non MTN subscribers because they have the necessary knowledge needed for the study. 1. 6. 2 Sources of Data Collection The data was obtained from both primary and secondary sources. In this study the primary data was obtained from our targeted group (1300 respondents). Secondary data on the other hand was collected from current and previous report at MTN Regional office in Wa, 1. 6. 3 Methods of Data Collection Separate focus group discussion comprising of 10 people each and interviews was used to collect data from the illiterates and literates respect ively. 1. 6. Tools of Data Collection A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. 1. 6. 5 Techniques of Data Analysis Data collected was analyzed using quantitative and qualitative techniques. Quantitative data analysis was used to assess figures whiles qualitative would be used to assess the level of customer satisfaction. 1. 7Significance of the Study The study will lay bare the problems of MTN service delivery to its customers and stakeholders in rural areas and the nation at large. To step up the quality of service delivery in Upper West Region especially in rural areas like Tanina. 1. 8Anticipated LimitationThe anticipated limitation that would be encountered during this research includes; Language barriers: the translation or explaining questionnaire into their local dialect perfectly will be a problem since none of the group members can speak the language and limitation of vocabularies in the dialect. Finance: The finance and material resource needed for a lar ger sample size for this study is inadequate. 1. 9Organisation The organization of the study would be centered on five chapters Chapter One (1) and two (2) would consist of introduction, background, problem statement, main and specific research objectives, significance of the study, esearch methodology, limitation, references as well as physical resources base, the socio-demographic characteristics, spatial distribution of settlement among others. Chapter three (3) and four (4) would also consist of literature which involves the review of document relevant to the area of study and data presentation and analysis on sources, types and techniques of data collection and analysis respectively. The final chapter will talk about the conclusion, summary and recommendation. CHAPTER TWO 2. 0 PROFILE OF TANINA COMMUNITY . 1 Physical and Resource Base 2. 1. 1 Location Upper West is one of the ten administrative regions in Ghana. The region is located at the north-western corner of Ghana and it is boarded by Burkina-Faso to the north, Ivory Coast to the west, Northern region to the south and Upper East region to the east. Wa is the capital of Upper west region of Ghana and it is mainly inhabited by the Wala people with a majority of the inhabitants being Muslims. Wa East district is one of the eight administrative districts of the Upper West region.The district shares boundaries with west Mamprusi to the north-west, West Gonja to the south-east and the Sisala East district to the north. It has a land mass of about 1078km2, which lies between latitude 905511N and 1002511N and longitude 101011W and 20511W. Tanina is one of the communities under the Bulenga Area council under the Wa West district. It is located in south-western corner of the district and it is about eighty-seven miles from the district capital, Funsi. It shares boundaries to the north with Piisi, Poyentanga to the south, Polee to the west and Loggu to the east. . 1. 2 Relief and Drainage The landform in the c ommunity is gently sloped towards the east and undulating in nature. The soil is clayey and due to the gentle sloppy nature of the land, drainage is fairly good. The nature of the soil and rock formation in the community makes water seepage a bit hard resulting in run offs in to water bodies which has contributed immensely to the expansion of irrigation farming in the dry season. 2. 1. 3 Climate and Vegetation The climate is the tropical equatorial which prevails throughout the Northern part of Ghana.There is a single rainfall period which spans between the months of May and October supporting farming activities in the area. The other season which is between the months of November and April usually is dry and accompanied by harmattan winds which reduces farming activities since these activities are mostly rain fed. The community falls within the guinea savanna zone which is associated with short thick trees, shrubs and grasses of varying heights. It is also endowed with economic tre ss like dawadawa, baobab, shea and nim trees which contain medicinal properties. 2. 1. 4 Soil and GeologyThe soil found in most parts of the community is clayey in nature with trace amounts of gravel whilst the farming areas are clayey loam. Soil associations that exist are the Wenchi-Varempere, Wenchi-Baleufill, Wenchi-Tafali, which are fairly distributed to marginally suitable areas for crop production. These series have similar characteristics to the S-rated soils and are thus suitable for mechanized irrigated cultivation of some export and food crops. The community is surrounded by extrusive an igneous rock which is believed to contain traces of granite. 2. 2 Socio-demographic characteristics 2. 2. 1 Population SizeAccording to the 2000 population and housing census, a population of 1922 was realized; the district had a project population of 2191, 2234 and 2277 for 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively. However it was realized from the groups study that the total population of Tanina is currently 2194 and out of this, the males were 1047 representing 48. 8% and females were 1145 representing 52. 8% of the total population. This increase in population could be as a result of high birth rate and low death rate. 2. 2. 2 Age Distribution AGE GROUP| NUMBER OF PEOPLE| PERCENTAGES(%)| 0-17| 980| 44. 7| 18-54| 827| 37. 7| 55+| 387| 17. 6| TOTAL| 2194| 100|Table 2. 1. 1 Age Distribution 2. 2. 3 Ethnicity, Religion, Kinship Inheritance and Marriage Tanina is inhabited by two major tribes namely the Walas who represent 94% of the total population, the Dagaabas who represent 5% and other tribes namely Akans and Fulaanis taking up the rest of the 1% of the total population. Information also gathered revealed that there are three main religions being practiced in the community, namely; Islam, Christianity and the African traditional religion with Islam being the most dominant. 92% of them practiced Islam, 6% were Christians whilst the remaining 2% belong to the African tradi tional religion.The patrilineal system of inheritance is practiced by the inhabitants with majority of the people practicing Polygamy as a system of marriage. 2. 2. 4 Economy The economy of the community is mostly driven by agriculture with commerce and industrial sectors being least developed. Out of a sample of fifty houses that was studied, 90% of the people were engaged in agricultural activities like farming and the rearing of animals, 6% were in to trading whilst the remaining 4% were engaged in the local industries and service sectors available in the community. . 2. 4. 1 Agriculture Tanina is endowed with fertile soil which makes the cultivation of crops very productive so it is therefore not surprising that it is the backbone of the economy. The people are both commercial and subsistence farmers but dominantly subsistence. Mixed cropping, mixed farming and mono cropping are some of the farming systems adopted by the people to yield positive results with the help of simple f arm tools like hoes, cutlasses, dibbers and many others, only a few farmers use tractors and bullocks for cultivation of crops.The chief is the custodian of the land so he has the sole power to give out land to individuals who want to undertake farming activities in the community but however, some individuals own family lands which they could use for this purpose. Agriculture in the community like all communities in the three northern regions is mostly rain-fed which results in seasonal unemployment in the dry season. However, there are two dams that have been constructed in the community to serve domestic and irrigation purposes during the long dry season.Productivity is affected mainly by the lack of ready market for perishable crops, small farm size, and absence of a community market and high cost of transportation. Since there are no markets in the community, marketing of agricultural produce and livestock is carried out in nearby community markets and at home. When it comes to the issue of financing agriculture in the community, the people rely mainly on their personal savings and sales from their previous harvest. They also relied on family labour as well as hired labour to support their agricultural activities.The industrial sector of the community is comprised of several activities such as soap making, shea butter processing, dawadawa processing, rice processing and charcoal burning and all of them are undertaken and dominated by the women. The community is abound with the necessary raw materials needed to power these industries but these activities sometimes have a negative impact o the physical environment, for instance bush burning caused by the charcoal burners, indiscriminate felling of trees, pollution and many others. 2. 2. 5 CommunicationIn the traditional institution, information flows from the chief through the sub-chiefs to the council of elders, then to the family heads and finally to the community members and vice versa. With regards to th e modern institution, information flows from the district assembly through the assembly man who discusses it with the unit committee and then to the entire community members and vice versa. There is a cordial and cooperative relationship existing between the two institutions as a result of mutual understanding and respect for each otherââ¬â¢s views.The flow chart below depicts the flow of information in the community. TRADITIONAL MODERN CHIEF DISTRICT ASSEMBLY SUB-CHIEFS ASSEMBLY MAN COUNCIL OF ELDERS UNIT COMMITTEE FAMILY HEADS COMMUNITY MEMBERS COMMUNITY MEMBERSIn Tanina community, the modern political institutions take decisions in consultation with the traditional authority dominated by men with the exclusion of women. The political institutions consults with the social institutions for prayers and the social institutions in turn rely on the political institutions for protection an d maintenance of law and order in the community. Special preferences are given to men than wom en in the community; this is evident since women are not allowed to hold certain positions like family heads, clan heads and also to play leadership roles in major decision making activities for the community.However, the women work hard by playing an assisting role by providing labor on farms aside their numerous domestic chores. 2. 2. 6 Health and Education Tanina lacks a health facility so the people usually rely on the expertise of traditional healers based in the community. These herbalists cure a variety of diseases and ailments like stomach ache, headache, epilepsy, snake bites, fever and many other common illnesses. Due to the vantage location of the community, most serious illnesses are either referred to the Poyentanga clinic or the Wa regional hospital.In some cases, the people patronize the services of chemical stores in the community in order to acquire drugs to cure their health conditions which are usually without a doctorââ¬â¢s prescription, this leads to the inci dence of self-medication which only causes harm than good. The people have been able to practice good food nutrition by balancing their meals to contain all the necessary components of a balanced diet. They eat plant and animal protein as well as vegetables which are prepared under hygienic conditions.From studies conducted in the community in 2011 by UDS students in the community, it was realized that the percentage of trained teachers in the school is encouraging, that is 58. 35% as against 41. 35% untrained. Moreover, the teacher ââ¬âpupil ratio in the school was 1:35 which is below the national ratio of 1:45. The school lacks a library facility, electricity to facilitate night classes, funds for renovation of deplorable infrastructure and inadequate staff, furniture, teaching and learning materials which has contributed to poor academic performance on the part of the students. . 2. 7 Water and Sanitation The main source of portable drinking water in the community is bore-hol es. Even though, they get access to the Zoomlion service which is not effective, the sanitary conditions of the community is not the best, there exists no sewage disposal systems. Solid and liquid waste from local industries and houses are disposed of in to the open environment. Places used as refuse sites have become heaped and produce foul scents which pose harm to human health. CHAPTER THREE 3. 0 LITERATURE REVIEW . 1 Development of Mobile Telecommunication 3. 1. 2 Definition and Brief Historical Perspective Mobile Telecommunication refers to the exchange of information, ideas and thoughts through the medium of a mobile phone, telephone or wireless network. According to the World International Property Organisation (n. d), ââ¬Ëââ¬Ëa mobile communications system/network refers generally to any telecommunications system which enables wireless communication when users are moving within the service area of the system.A typical mobile communications system is a Public Land Mobil e Network (PLMN). ââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ Until the invention of modern technology, the use of semaphore, flags, heliograph, relay runners; riders and criers, smoke signals, drum, and light signals; message-carrying pigeons, and even the postal system were the traditional long-distance communication media (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Telecommunication, downloaded on 10th August 2008). According to Balasubramanian et al. , (2002, p. 49), ââ¬Ëââ¬Ëthe first transmission involving a single mobile platform occurred in June 1898, when Marconi transmitted a radio signal over 42 miles between a French naval vessel and the Wimereux shore station. The first transmission between a mobile transmitter and a mobile receiver occurred in July 1898 when aboard the Royal Navy warship Juno, Marconi received messages from the warships Alexandra and Europa at ranges of up to 45 miles. The first mobile telephone call occurred in June 1946, when a truck driver in St.Louis, Missouri, placed a telephone c all using a handset from under his vehicleââ¬â¢s dashboard. Utilities, truckers, and news reporters rapidly adopted this technology and nearly 100 cities and highway corridors and access to mobile telephone service by 1948. The technologies were very expensive then. The cellular phone concept that currently supports the bulk of mobile communication was developed in 1947 at Bell Laboratories. ââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ Today there are many different types and kinds of mobile phones that are used with supporting network for communication.These mobiles have different features and powerful capabilities. Apart from the basic use of making and receiving calls and messages; some can be used to play music, video, games, store considerable amount of personal data, access banking services with internet capabilities (e-mails, e-order/procurement etc), among other uses. Mobile communications systems have been developed because of the increasing need to free users to move away from fixed telephone term inals without impairing availability of users.Mobile technology has rapidly developed from first generation (1G), second generation (2G), third generation (3G) to beyond third generation (3. 5G and 4G) mobile technology that uses digital wireless technology that supports faster display of multimedia and global roaming 3. 1. 3 Players and Role of Mobile Telecommunication Mobile communication network providers, in delivering services to customers, operate in an environment that involves purposeful relationships and interactions between several actors in many activities and with different resources.Some of the players in mobile telecom industry providing services to the customers at their various locations are: the mobile operator who provides the location positioning infrastructure that tells where the customer is; the content provider that delivers the information; the supplier that combines the information with the location information and makes it location relevant; and the platfor ms through which the customers can access the services (Harter 2000). Therefore it appears that any mobile telecom network needs to have several key players along its value chain in delivering services to its customers (Pura M. 005). Mobile telecommunication plays a major role in todayââ¬â¢s information technology-driven world of business. Nigel Scott et al. , (2004, p 14 &15) observe that ââ¬Ëââ¬Ëone might expect most calls to be related to economic issues; research confirms that at present in Africa, it is social uses that drive phone use amongst the poor. ââ¬Å"Chattingâ⬠and ââ¬Å"keeping in touchâ⬠are the most common use of phones. This is of value because it strengthens social capital through improved networking with friends and family. Other social calls concerning urgent matters (e. g. funerals and festivals) and financial matters (e. . call to family members working in cities to ask for money) rank highly and business and official/government matters cu rrently rank the lowest. Calls enable people to save time, increase production (business), diversify (e. g. crops, goods in shops), and to get news. Together this means that phones have a positive impact on improved incomes, reduced risk, and an improved sense of well-being. ââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ Some of the roles played by mobile telecommunication are: â⬠¢ It is an enabler of Mobile commerce and promotes dissemination of useful information to entrepreneurs and enhancing business creation (Adjei Boadi R. amp; Gause Shaik A. 2006; Sahlfeld M. 2007; Nodh & Nodh 2007). â⬠¢ It is a source of employment for many people whose jobs are created and/or facilitateddirectly or indirectly by the existence of mobile telecommunication (Adjei Boadi R. & Gause Shaik A. 2006). â⬠¢ It is a significant source of revenue not only for its business operators but also to governments through taxes paid by income earners in the mobile telecom industry (Adjei Boadi R. & Gause S. A. 2006). â⬠¢ It i s a cheap means of communication and therefore cost-effective since it reduces the cost of travel. Nodh & Nodh 2007) â⬠¢ It enhances the convenience of instantaneous communication. Mobile phones were introduced so we could communicate when ââ¬Å"on the moveâ⬠and the capabilities have now expanded beyond their initial function for talk: you can now use mobile phones to access/receive a range of information wherever you are. A mobile phone allows you to be accessible at all times, wherever you are. It can help improve communication between staff and customers, particularly business to business customers that may involve travelling (Adjei Boadi R. amp; Gause Shaik A. 2006). Some of the arguments raised against the use of mobile phones are that: â⬠¢ It elicits more unwanted calls as a result of being accessible from anywhere in the country. â⬠¢ There is a potential cost of using a mobile phone for business, and the costs will be so high as to damage their business. Th is is a potential danger, particularly when employees are using business mobiles, as there is a risk that some employees could misuse the phone raising bills massively. It is hazardous to the human health in that it causes difficulty in concentration when driving, fatigue, and headache; cancer, increase reaction time in a time time-dependent manner, infertility in man, and many other diseases. The use of mobile phones increases the risk of road accidents that couldhaveneverhappenedwithoutphones. (http://www. controlyourimpact. com/2008/03/disadvantages-of-mobile-phones/phones/) 3. 2 Description of Telephone Service Providers in Ghana Telecommunication service providers in Ghana over the years have increased from three to six in the last ten years.Most of the service providers in the mobile telecom industry, particularly the GSM service providers are all multi-national companies. It has been revealed that the main reasons of their coming to Ghana is either a complete buy out of local interest or they go in for a foreign-local partnership in which they are going to be the majority shareholders. (www. nca. org. gh) According to NCA statistics, (December, 2011), the number of registered mobile phones and fixed lines in Ghana is 21,450,564 which represents 89. 4% of Ghanaââ¬â¢s estimated 24 million people comprising of 88. 2 mobile penetration and 1. fixed line penetration. Going by the NCA figures in December, 2011, MTN commands 48% market share, Vodafone 20. 2%, Tigo follows with 18. 53%, Airtel comes in at 12. 4% and Expresso trails with a relatively insignificant 0. 88%. Each of the telecom network companies is continually improving upon the quality of their service delivery in order to survive the high competition in the industry 3. 3 Licensing The National Communication Authority (NCA) is the only institution mandated by the Government to give license to prospective telecommunication firms wanting to operate in Ghana.The main reasons for the licenses are t o check unauthorized firms operating without the knowledge of the Government. The licensing is done in an open, non-discriminatory, and transparent manner. The NCA in consultations with the Ministry of Communication determines the application criteria, procedures and terms of conditions associated with the license. The National Communication Authority (NCA) has the right to withdraw the license of firms. Licenses fees are determined by the National Communication Authority in consultation with the Ministry of Communicationââ¬â¢s.Licenses for Mobile phone service providers are based on the usage of the national resources like the electromagnetic spectrum. (www. nca. org. gh) 3. 4 Competition Policy The National Communication Authority has the competition policy in place to make sure there is fair, transparent and non-discriminatory telecommunication market environment. In every society where there is more than one firm operating in the same field there is always competitions among them and one will be better than the other. In the telecommunication sector of Ghana there are five active different service providers that operate in the country.The policy is to ensure that these service providers work in harmony with each other. The National Communication Authority has the mandate to determine specific procedures, rules, regulation and administrative structures to ensure the competitiveness of this policy. The policy makes sure that small and big service providers are all treated in an equal and fair manner. (www. nca. org. gh) 3. 5 Customer Protection Strategies Companies need to know the factors that lead to satisfaction or dissatisfaction of a product with their existing and past customers to define future plans for operation and marketing.Getting a real insight about the customer views on MTN products or services requires efficient and in-depth market research covering all aspects of general customer behavior attributes. MTN Company conducts personal intervie ws, suggestion surveys, feedback forums etc. to gain the customer behavior for the product and the company. (www. mtn. com. gh) 3. 6 Building Customer Satisfaction Customers has become quality conscious and companies have started quality control programs in their manufacturing and retailing operations.The products offered need to meet the expectations of the customer. In certain cases of relationship marketing, telecommunication companies try to overwhelm the customers with so much value that he does not think of going for a competitive product. In the competitive business environment, a business transaction does not end with a sale. The company tries to constantly update the customers regarding new product offerings and discounts to the privileged customers. Customers are the king, understanding their expectations and behavioral patterns is the key to business success. www. mtn. com. gh) 3. 7 Marketing Mix Component The Internet has changed the way business is done in the current w orld. The variables of segmentation, targeting and positioning are addressed differently. The way new products and services are marketed have changed even though the aim of business in bringing economic and social values remain unchanged. Indeed, the bottom line of increasing revenue and profit are still the same. Marketing has evolved to more of connectedness, due to the new characteristics brought in by the Internet.Marketing was once seen as a one way, with firms broadcasting their offerings and value proposition. Now it is seen more and more as a conversation between marketers and customers. Marketing efforts incorporate the ââ¬Å"marketing mixâ⬠. Promotion is one element of marketing mix embraced by MTN Company. Promotional activities include advertising (by using different media), sales promotion (sales and trades promotion) e. g. MTN promotion phones with free airtime, and personal selling activities e. g. MTN sales boys and girls moving about with MTN phones, sim cards , modems etc .It also includes Internet marketing, sponsorship marketing: E. g. MTN has sponsored a lot of events and programs (such as: FIFA World Cup 2010, and MTN direct marketing, database marketing and public relations. Integration of all these promotional tools, along with other components of marketing mix, is a way to gain an edge over a competitor. (http;//en. wikipedia. org/wiki/marketing mix) 3. 8 MTN and Customer Feedback MTN Company either directly or through a consultancy firm involve in understanding the customer behaviour which decides the success of their product offerings.It conducts personal cross-section interviews with current customers, previous customers and prospective customers to arrive at the vital reasons and facts on the part of the firm in providing customer satisfaction. This feedback helps the company in rebuilding their operational strategies and marketing techniques by improving service standards, delivery systems and payment terms and methods. (www. mtn. com. gh) 3. 9 Role of Ghana Government The Government of Ghana has a very important role to play on how telecommunication and other business group go about their business in the country.Though most telecommunication firms are owned by private investors like MTN, there are rules and regulations they must follow to make work easier and create a very good working environment for other potential investors. The government has to make sure there is equal level field for competitions among various telecommunication service providers. (www. nca. org. gh) The National Communication Authority as a government machinery is mandated to sanction mobile telecommunication companies for poor service delivery or failure to meet core requirements of NCA.On November8, 2011 the NCA issued a statement imposing a fine of GH? 1. 2 million on five mobile telecommunication companies in Ghana. The five; MTN, Vodafone, Airtel, Expresso and Tigo ââ¬â were penalised for rendering poor services to their clients. The punishment of the five telecommunication companies covers the third quarter of this year and formed part of measures by the telecom regulator to sanction poor quality service delivery offered to clients of the telecommunication companies and also ensure that consumers have value for money.Airtel suffered the heaviest fine of GH? 350,000. According to an NCA report, the network, which has approximately 10 per cent of the market with a total customer base of two million as of the end of August, experienced a lot of traffic channel congestion in Tamale, Sekondi-Takoradi and the Upper East and West, and Greater Accra regions. MTN and Expresso were fined GH? 300,000 each. The former was punished for the same offense as Airtel. Vodafone, which also defaulted in its service quality in three regions ââ¬â Western, Greater Accra and Brong Ahafo regions ââ¬â was fined GH? 50,000. Tigo received the least fine of GH? 100,000 after having defaulted in the Western and the thr ee northern regions. (ghanabusinessnews. com/2011/11/08/five-telecom-firms-in-ghana-fined-1. 2m-for-poor-services) The National Communications Authority (NCA) recently fined telecom giant Glo Ghana, US$200,000 for failing to meet a deadline to launch its commercial operations. The Nigeria based telecom giant received the license to operate in Ghana in 2008. It has since been unable to launch commercial activity in the country after a number of announcements to do so.The NCA issued a Mid-April 2012 ultimatum to Glo Ghana to launch or face sanctions ranging from penalty fines to complete withdrawal of license. It launched its commercial operation on 30th April 2012 making it the sixth and last telecom company to operate in Ghana. (businessdailyonline. com/NG/inder. php/media-business/36776-glo-molbile-starts-operations-in-ghana) 3. 10 MTN Ghana Foundation Corporate Responsibility The MTN Ghana Foundation is being set up to manage the corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.Th e philosophy of MTN is closely linked with the principles of Sustainable Development which argue that enterprises should be obliged to make decisions based not only on financial or economic factors, but also on the social, environmental and other consequences of their activities. The MTN Ghana Foundation was launched in November 2007 in Accra, Tamale and Sunyani. The Foundation has been established to direct and manage the corporate social responsibility activities of MTN. The objective of the Foundation is to enhance the socio-economic development of communities where MTN operates.The focus areas for this first year are health and education. These two areas are aligned with national priority and development programmes. (www. mtn. com. gh) With education, MTN Ghana Foundation supported Tsito and Akatsi with educational infrastructure. The foundation commissioned a three (3) unit classroom block and a library for Akatsi D/A Basic School and Tsito Senior Technical High School respecti vely. Prior to the provision, the Akatsi D/A Basic School held classes under trees and Tsito Senior Technical High Schoolalso lacked a school library for student. (www. news. peacefmonline. com/education/201203. hp) MTN Ghana Foundation refurbishes Kpedze Health Centre. the MTN Ghana Foundation, has launched the refurbishment of the Kpedze Health Centre in the Volta Region. The over 30 year old health facility has been struggling with severe structural defects after parts of the building were destroyed through a fire outbreak some few years ago. MTN is investing GH? 160,000 towards the project. The project is expected to be completed within a period of 12 weeks and involves the refurbishment of the physical structure of the main Out Patient Department (OPD) and the maternity block. (www. mtn. com. gh/NewsArtDetails. sp? AID=145&ID=11&FirstParentID=1) CHAPTER FOUR 4. 0 DATA PRESENTATION 4. 1. Background of Analysis 4. 1. 1. Respondents Characteristics Table 4. 1. 1 Respondentsââ¬â ¢ Gender Gender| Frequency| Percentage| Male| 84| 64. 62| Female| 46| 35. 38| Total| 130| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) The respondentsââ¬â¢ gender as displayed in Table 4. 1. 1 indicates that the males (66. 62%) were more than the females (35. 38%). Table 4. 1. 2 Age of respondents Age/Years| Frequency| Percentage| Below 20| 13| 10| 20 ââ¬â 29| 36| 27. 69| 30 ââ¬â 39| 52| 40| 40 ââ¬â 49| 20| 15. 38| 50 and above| 9| 6. 93| Total| 130| 100|Source: Field survey (June, 2012) Table 4. 1. 2 indicates the respondentsââ¬â¢ age. It is obvious that most of them were in the young adult age and economically active group, between the ages of 20 and 39 constituting 67. 69% (27. 69% and 40%), while the rest constitute 30. 31% made up of respondents below 20, between 40 and 49, and 50 years plus. Table 4. 1. 3 Respondentsââ¬â¢ Occupation Occupation| Frequency| Percentage| Civil servant | 4| 3. 07| Student| 11| 8. 46| Businessman/woman| 31| 23. 85| Other profession| 8 4| 64. 62| Total| 130| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) Table 4. 1. 3 depicts respondentsââ¬â¢ Occupation.Most of the respondents were farmers (other profession) representing 64. 62% followed by businessman/woman 23. 85 %, while 11 % and 4% were students and civil servants respectively. Table 4. 1. 4 Respondentsââ¬â¢ Education Level Education Certificate| Frequency| Percentage| BECE| 43| 33. 07| WASSCE| 40| 30. 76| Diploma| 4| 3. 07| Bachelorââ¬â¢s Degree| 0| 0| Post Graduate| 0| 0| Uneducated| 43| 33. 07| Total| 130| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) Figure 4. 1. 4 depicts respondentsââ¬â¢ level of education. This shows majority of the respondents are BECE holders and uneducated representing 86%, followed by WASSCE 30. 6% and Diploma 3. 07%. 4. 2 Analysis of MTN to MTN calls or MTN to other networks or other networks to MTN in Tanina. The research used ââ¬Å"satisfiedâ⬠, ââ¬Å"very satisfiedâ⬠and ââ¬Å"dissatisfiedâ⬠to analyze how effectve MTN to MTN, MTN to other networks and other networks to MTN calls were in the community. The table below reveals how respondents felt about MTN to MTN calls in the community. Table 4. 2. 1 MTN to MTN calls MTN to MTN calls| Frequency| Percentage| Satisfied| 22| 16. 92| Very Satisfied| 32| 24. 61| Dissatisfied| 76| 58. 47| Total| 130| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) The research revealed that 58. 7%, representing majoring of the sample size were not satisfied with calls from MTN to MTN sighting situations like call drops, speech mutation, poor voice signal quality and calls not going through. The remaining respondent 41. 53% gave no complaints about the network as they were satisfied and very satisfied with their service. When the group contacted the regional office in Wa, they sited reasons like congestion of calls made at a particular time due to the vast number of subscribers, due to rampant fiber cuts during road construction and other development activities near the comm unity.Fig 4. a showing results of MTN to MTN calls Table 4. 2. 2 MTN to other networks calls MTN to other networks calls| Frequency| Percentage| Satisfied| 21| 16. 15| Very Satisfied| 11| 8. 46| Dissatisfied| 98| 75. 39| Total| 130| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) During the research it was revealed that 98 out of 130 respondents representing 75. 39% were dissatisfied with calls from MTN to other local networks. This they noted is as a result of call drops, poor voice signal. The remaining 16. 15% and 8. 46% were ââ¬Å"satisfiedâ⬠and ââ¬Å"very satisfiedâ⬠respectively. This is tabulated in the tale above.The MTN Regional Office attributed this to maintenance in their network equipment, poor network signal and technical difficulties other networks might be experiencing, Fig 4. b showing results of MTN to other networks Table 4. 2. 3 other networks to MTN calls Other networks to MTN calls| Frequency| Percentage| Satisfied| 32| 24. 61| Very Satisfied| 9| 6. 92| Dis satisfied| 89| 68. 46| Total| 130| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) Table 4. 2. 3 revealed that majority of the respondents 89, representing 68. 46% were dissatisfied with calls made from other networks to MTN.This, according to respondents, is as a result of call drops, poor voice signal. Four non MTN users also stated that they find it difficult and sometimes impossible for their calls to go through when trying to call MTN numbers. The remaining 32 representing, 24. 61% and 9 representing 6. 92% recorded ââ¬Å"satisfiedâ⬠and â⬠very satisfiedâ⬠respectively. The MTN Office attributed this occasions to when activities are carried out on the network, poor network signal and technical difficulties other network might be experiencing, Fig 4. c showing results of other networks to MTNThe implication of the above analysis indicate that mobile phone users (MTN users and other network users) are dissatisfied with their call service as a result of the following I Call drops II Poor voice signal III Speech mutation, IV Calls not going through 4. 3 Analyzing MTN most preferred product(s) or service(s) The research with the help of the questionnaires found out the following product(s) and service(s) were known to respondents: I MTN Callback II MTN Pay4me III MTN Mobile money IV MTN internet/broadband V MTN Me2u VI MTN internet bundleThe table shows the number of respondents who were able to list the number of product(s) or service(s) known to them. Table 4. 3. 1 List of Product(s) or Service(s) known to Respondents Product(s) or service(s)| Number of respondents| Percentage| MTN Callback| 84| 64. 61| MTN Pay4me| 63| 48. 46| MTN Mobile money| 77| 59. 23| MTN internet/broadband| 62| 46. 92| MTN Me2u| 44| 33. 85| MTN Zone| 23| 17. 69| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) Table 4. 3. 1 illustrates the number of respondents who listed MTN product(s) or service(s) known to them. Out of 130 respondents 84 representing 64. 1% listed MTN Callback as the produc t or service known to them, trailed by MTN Mobile money with 77 respondents representing 59. 23%, MTN Pay4me with 63 respondents representing 48. 46%, MTN internet/broadband with 62(46. 92%), MTN Me2u 44(33. 85%) and MTN Zone with 23 respondents constituting 17. 69%. On the other hand, the research also revealed the most preferred MTN product(s) or service(s) by respondents. Table 4. 3. 2 Most preferred product(s) or service(s) PRODUCT(S) OR SERVICE(S)| Frequency| Percentage| MTN Callback| 37| 28. 46| MTN Pay4me| 32| 24. 61| MTN Mobile money| 41| 31. 53|MTN Internet/broadband| 16| 12. 30| MTN Me2u| 4| 3. 07| MTN Zone| 0| 0| Total| 130| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) Table 4. 3. 2 shows the order of preference for the product and service; MTN Mobile money with 31. 53%, followed by MTN Callback 28. 46%, MTN Pay4me 24.. 61%, MTN internet/broadband 12. 30%, MTN Me2u 3. 07% and MTN Zone 0% Fig 4. e show results of respondent most preferred MTN product(s) or service(s) The reasons behind respondents preferring MTN product(s) or service(s) to others is as a result of the following benefit they accrue from the use of it: * MTN Mobile moneyThis service enables users to send money to their love ones in any part of the country through the use of their mobile phone. This respondent say is easier as compared to making transaction in the bank as one does not need to have bank accounts to receive or send money. The research revealed that most of the people who use this service have their families in the big cities that send them money through this service. However, this service is faced with setbacks like poor network signals making it difficult to access the services sometimes. * MTN CallbackThis is a free service that enables MTN users to send messages like ââ¬Å"please call meâ⬠, ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢ve missed you, please call meâ⬠and ââ¬Å"canââ¬â¢t talk now please text meâ⬠to fellow MTN users even when they donââ¬â¢t have credit. According to respondents, they like the use of this service because even when they donââ¬â¢t have enough credit to make calls, it allows them to send messages to the intended person for him/her to call them back. * MTN Pay4me The pay4me service allows MTN users to call other MTN numbers even when they donââ¬â¢t have credit. As a collect call service the receiver agrees to pick the call and bear the cost instead of the caller.Respondents revealed that they benefitted from this service mostly in times when they face hardship/money crisis. * MTN Internet/broadband This is an internet/broadband service that allows users to have internet access. The research revealed that students, civil servants and businessmen/women are mostly people who use this service. It enables one to have easy access to information by surfing the web. Some of the respondents complained about the poor nature of this service like poor internet speed and abrupt interruption in the connection. * MTN Me2u This allows MTN us ers to send or receive credit/airtime to/from other MTN users.Only four (4) respondents use it and were satisfied with the nature of the service. The group used a 5 point scale (where 1 is the lowest and 5 is the highest) to rate the level of customer satisfaction in relation to the most preferred product(s) or service(s). Table 4. 3. 3 Rating| Frequency| Percentage| 1| 12| 9. 23| 2| 73| 56. 15| 3| 22| 16. 92| 4| 21| 16. 15| 5| 2| 1. 54| Total| 130| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) Table 4. 3. 3 shows that, 56. 15% respondents chose 2, followed by 3, representing 16. 92, 4 representing, 16. 15%, 1, representing 9. 23% and 5, representing 1. 4%. In conclusion majority of the respondents, 56. 15% rated 2, indicating their dissatisfaction about the quality of MTN product(s) and service(s). From the analysis, it is clear that the most preferred MTN product(s) or service(s) is MTN Mobile money with 31. 53%, followed by MTN Callback 28. 46%, MTN Pay4me 24.. 61%, MTN internet/broadba nd 12. 30%, MTN Me2u 3. 07% and MTN Zone 0%. 4. 4To ascertain how convenient MTN subscribers have access to their helpline (111). The table below shows the number of respondents who the MTN customer helpline number Table 4. 4. Number of respondents who know MTN customer helpline number Responds| Frequency| Percentage| Yes| 92| 70. 77| No| 38| 29. 23| Total| 130| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) Table 4. 4. 1 shows that majority (92), representing 70. 77% of respondents knew MTN customer helpline number 38 representing 29. 23%. Fig 4. f showing results of respondents who know the MTN customer helpline number The table below depicts results of respondents who were in one way or the other not satisfied with the services of MTN customer helpline Table 4. 4. 2 Problems| No. of respondents| Percentage|Calls donââ¬â¢t go through | 67| 51. 53| Complaints/problems are not addressed| 97| 74. 61| Takes a longer time for calls to be answered | 103| 79. 23| Other| 56| 43. 07| None of th e above| 32| 24. 61| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) With respect to 130 respondents, there were multiple answers with how they expressed their dissatisfaction with the service of MTN customer helpline. 103 respondents chose ââ¬Å"Takes a longer time for calls to be answeredâ⬠. This represents 79. 23%, followed by ââ¬Å"Complains/problems are not addressedâ⬠with 97 (74. 61%), ââ¬Å"Calls donââ¬â¢t go throughâ⬠67 representing 51. 3%, other 56 (43. 07%) and ââ¬Å"none of the aboveâ⬠with 32 (24. 61%) respondents. Satisfied, very satisfied and dissatisfied were also adopted to analyse the extent to which customers were satisfied with MTN customer helpline Table 4. 4. 3 Level of satisfaction with customer helpline Level of satisfaction| Frequency| Percentage| Satisfied| 27| 20. 76| Very satisfied| 11| 8. 46| Dissatisfied| 92| 70. 78| Total| 130| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) Fig 4. g showing results of respondents with their level of satisfaction with respect to MTN customer helpline.The analysis of the above results indicates that majority of the respondents 92 (70. 78%) expressed their dissatisfaction with the service of MTN customer helpline, 27 representing 20. 76% said they are satisfied with customer helpline and very satisfied with 11 respondents constituting 8. 46%. 4. 5 To ascertain the satisfaction level of MTN internet/broadband service by its users Table 4. 5. 1 shows the results of respondents who have or do not have MTN internet/broadband Responds| Frequency| Percentage| Yes| 12| 9. 23| No| 118| 90. 76| Total| 130| 100|Source: Field survey (June, 2012) During the research, 12 out of 130 respondents, constituting 9. 23% were having or using MTN internet/broadband and the remaining 118 respondents, representing 90. 76% were either not having or using MTN internet/broadband. Those who were not having or using the product/service gave the following I The MTN internet/broadband modem is expensive II MTN internet spe ed/connection in the community is slow/poor III Discouraging remarks about the modem by its users. IV Scarcity in getting one to purchase V Donââ¬â¢t have the computer to use it with.The twelve (12) respondents who were using the product or service were asked about their level of satisfaction regarding the product/service. Table 4. 5. 2 Level of satisfaction with MTN internet/broadband service Level of satisfaction| Frequency| Percentage| Satisfied| 6| 50| Very satisfied| 4| 33. 33| Dissatisfied| 2| 16. 67| Total| 12| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) Out of the 12 respondents who were using the product/service 6 representing 50% were satisfied with quality of the service in the community, Four (4) chose for very satisfied representing 33. 3% and with 2 representing 16. 67% indicating dissatisfied Fig 4. h showing results of MTN internet/broadband user with their level of satisfaction. Respondents who were using the MTN internet/broadband service expressed their level of sat isfaction regarding the product/service. 6 out of the 12 respondents representing 50% showed they were very satisfied with MTN internet/broadband, followed by 4 representing 33. 33% showing they were satisfied and dissatisfied with 2 representing 16. 67%. 4. 6Overall Satisfaction Level from Respondents Table 4. 6. Overall Satisfactory Level from Respondents Satisfactory Level| Frequency| Percentage| Very satisfied | 0| 0| Satisfied| 9| 6. 92| Neutral | 37| 28. 46| Dissatisfied | 78| 60| Very dissatisfied| 6| 4. 62| Total| 130| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) The above table indicates that majority (78 respondents out of 130 representing 60%) of the respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the overall MTN customer satisfaction with respect to their product(s) and service(s) in t community. Fig 4. i showing results of overall satisfactory level of respondents. . 7 Plans by MTN Ghana to improve customer satisfaction in rural areas of Upper West Region. * Widen their network co verage from the length and breadth of the country which rural areas in Upper West is part of. * Improve the quality of their product(s) and service(s) to meet customersââ¬â¢ needs. * Continue to deliver and provide better services to their dedicated customers. * Perform other developmental activities through heir Corporate Social Responsibility Foundation. CHAPTER FIVE 5. 0 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5. 1 Summary and Major FindingsThe research major findings cover the four thematic research objectives. 5. 1. 1To find out how MTN to MTN calls or MTN to other networks or other networks to MTN calls effective in Tanina The research revealed that 58. 47% representing majoring of the sample size were not satisfied with calls from MTN to MTN sighting situations like call drops, speech mutation, poor voice signal quality and calls not going through. The remaining respondent 41. 53% gave no complaints about the network as they were satisfied and very satisfied with their se rvice.During the research it was revealed that 98 out of 130 respondents representing 75. 39% were dissatisfied with calls from MTN to other local networks. This, they said is as a result of call drops, poor voice signal. The remaining 16. 15% and 8. 46% were ââ¬Å"satisfiedâ⬠and ââ¬Å"very satisfiedâ⬠, respectively. Finally, the research revealed that majority of the respondents 89 representing 68. 46% were dissatisfied with calls made from other networks to MTN. This according to respondents is as a result of call drops, poor voice signal.Four non MTN users also stated that they find it difficult and sometimes impossible for their calls to go through when trying to call MTN numbers. The remains 32 representing 24. 61% and 9 representing 6. 92% recorded ââ¬Å"satisfiedâ⬠and â⬠very satisfiedâ⬠respectively. 5. 1. 2To ascertain what MTN product(s) or service(s) is/are most preferred. In the course of the research, respondents most preferred MTN product(s ) or service(s) was MTN Mobile money with 31. 53%, followed by MTN Callback 28. 46%, MTN Pay4me 24.. 61%, MTN internet/broadband 12. 30%, MTN Me2u 3. 07% and MTN Zone 0%. . 1. 3To examine how convenient MTN subscribers have access to their helpline (111) in Tanina. The research indicates that majority of the respondents 92 (70. 78%) expressed their dissatisfaction with the service of MTN customer helpline, with Satisfied 27 representing 20. 76% and very satisfied with 11 respondents constituting 8. 46%. 5. 1. 4To ascertain the level of satisfaction of MTN internet/broadband service by its users. Respondents who were using the MTN internet/broadband service expressed their level of satisfaction regarding the product/service.Six (6) out of the 12 respondents, representing 50% showed they were very satisfied with MTN internet/broadband, followed by 4 representing 33. 33% showing they were satisfied and dissatisfied with 2 representing 16. 67% 5. 2Conclusion It can be concluded from the study that majority of the respondents expressed their dissatisfaction with the overall MTN service. The main reasons given by the respondents are: a Some of the respondents are of the view that, MTN products and services is expensive. b The network in the community is unstable which causes; I Call dropsII Poor voice signal III Speech mutation IV Calls not going through c Various MTN product and services were unknown to respondents d The services provided by the customer helpline are unsatisfactory. The study also found out that the following with respect to MTN service which are worth mentioning: * The quality of MTN internet/broadband was satisfactory * The nature of MTN Mobile Money service was also satisfactory to those who used it 5. 3Recommendations The research has come to conclude that MTN offers varieties of products and services to its valued customers.However, some of the products still remain unknown to majority of respondents. Among these products and service include; MTN video calling, MTN Blackberry, MTN Backup, MTN Play, Eselfcare and call management services like: call divert, call barring and, hide number. * MTN should strengthen their advertising/publicity mechanism to create awareness about their products to its subscribers in rural areas like Tanina. * Since majority of the respondents were not satisfied with MTN product and service, the research recommend that MTN Ghana should improve the quality of their product(s) and service(s) in rural communities. MTN should cut down the prices regarding their product and service to make it affordable to rural people * MTN should improve upon their customer helpline service to retain customers since majority expressed their dissatisfaction about this service. * Upgrade and improve on their network coverage in rural communities. * MTN Ghana Foundation as part of it Corporate Social Responsibility should extend it their corporate responsibility programs to rural communities like Tanina. * MTN should m ake available the 3. 5G Network to enable fast and uninterrupted internet connection in the community.UNIVERSITY FOR DEVELOPMENT STUDIES FACULTY OF INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT STUDIES DEPARTMENT OF AFRICAN AND GENERAL STUDIES (DAGS) DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION OPTION AN ASSESSMENT ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WITH PRODUCT AND SERVICE DELIVERY OF MTN GHANA IN RURAL AREAS OF THE UPPER WEST REGION. (A CASE STUDY IN TANINA) QUESTIONNAIRE FOR RESPONDENTS Dear mobile network subscriber, we are students of University for Development Studies, Wa Campus and this questionnaire is designed to collect information about how you feel about the service delivery of your mobile network in Tanina, Upper West Region at least for the last 12 months.Your responses will be treated as confidential and will be used for only academic purposes, Thank you. Please tick [v] the appropriate box for your answers. RESPONDENTââ¬â¢S IDENTIFICATION 1. Please what is your gender? [ ] male [ ] female 2. Please select your age group. [ ] below 20 years [ ] 20 ââ¬â 29 [ ] 30-39 [ ] 40 ââ¬â 49 [ ] 50 and above 3. What is your occupation? [ ] civil servant [ ] student [ ] businessman/woman [ ] otherâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦.. 4. Select your highest academic or professional qualification?Select only one [ ] WASSCE [ ] Technical/Post-secondary [ ] Diploma/HND [ ] Bachelorââ¬â¢s degree [ ] Post-graduate Diploma/Masters [ ] PhD [ ] Uneducated CUSTOMER RESPONSE TO SERVICE DELIVERY 5. Are you a subscriber to a telecommunication network? [ ] Yes [ ] No 6. Which mobile telecom network(s) do you use? [ ] Vodafone [ ] MTN [ ] Tigo [ ] Expresso [ ] Airtel [ ] Glo 7. Are you a multi-SIM card user (MTN and any other)? [ ] Yes [ ] No 8. If Yes, give reason
Conference Even Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
Conference Even Plan - Essay Example ?s library with the goal to increase reading participation and literacy applying the principles of planning, marketing, sponsorship, human resource management, workplace health and safety, staging, issues for events, logistics, financial control, legal issues, and event evaluation. The event is a fund-raising concert show that will feature teen star Miley Cyrus as guest star with local performers to fill-in majority of the show slot. It shall be called ââ¬Å"Miley Learns to Read.â⬠The concept is to target a massive audience / participation in order to generate more funds. The priority for this event is to invite and convince a major celebrity to perform for free. There are various ways that a performerââ¬â¢s management may consider this: use the event as a donation to the foundation and can be credited as tax-deductible. Other ways to convince a management of the talents include use of the endorsement of local authorities such as the city or town mayor of the said project to generate credibility. After being able to book a major talent or celebrity, the next work to be down is to recruit local performers to perform for free. Same approach as above shall be employed. Once the performers are lined-up, the rest shall follow and much easier to handle. Once performers are confirmed, the venue must be found. An appropriate one will be a closed coliseum or like structure that will withstand weather changes. Unpredictable weather such as rain or storm can adversely affect attendance of audience in an open space such as a stadium or baseball arena. Permits and licenses must also be secured in order to coordinate security and police force within the locality. Sound system, lighting, and other logistical needs should also be addressed. The targeted audience and how to maximize attendance comes next. The organizers must utilize all possible ways to generate the most of income in the said event through proper marketing communication strategies. Likewise, securing the support
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Zoot Suit Riots Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Zoot Suit Riots - Essay Example Delving into its origins, the cause of these riots can partly be attributed to an incident known as the Sleepy Lagoon Murder. In August of 1942, a man of Mexican origin was found unconsciousnear Los Angeles at a place which later came to be referred to as ââ¬ËSleepy Lagoonââ¬â¢. The authorities labeled his death a murder committed by the local gangs of Mexican youth, particularly the ââ¬Ë38th street gangââ¬â¢, the reason being the frequent violence that allegedly ensued between them. Several members of the aforementioned gang were arrested and charged with murder and were then put in jail. Although the convictions were later overturned and the members which were arrested were let go, this murder case brought an anti-Mexican tendency throughout the media in California and Mexicans were thought of as being violent and troublemakers. Tensions grew between the Mexican-Americans and the people of local origin, especially the white Americans, as a result. The riots however did not start without further incidents directly or indirectly causing even more tension. Before we get to when the actual riots took place, we must understand that there was an ever-growing amount of discrimination against the Mexican-Americans or Latino-Americans in the area. ... r Production Board imposed restrictions on various things in order to utilize the resources in a better way; one of the goods on which the production restrictions were imposed were suits, and clothing which contained wool. These restrictions had the effect of practically forbidding the manufacture of Zoot suits as they used a lot of cloth and were considered extra flamboyant and unnecessary. However, certain tailors did not stop the manufacture of Zoot suits and thus, shortly afterwards, wearing a Zoot suit in war-time became a symbol of disregard to the regulations of the War Production Board and therefore, a disregard to the fact that the country is at war and care must be taken in utilizing of the recourses. Wearing of these suits was hence a symbol of going directly against patriotism and in the view of the authorities, the media and especially the men of the US navy stationed in the city, it was reason for even more hatred towards the Mexican-Americans or ââ¬Å"Pachucosâ⬠. The causes of the riots can be further elaborated by highlighting two incidents that took place a few days before, and on the night before the riots, respectively. The first incident involved a group of Mexican-Americans in Zoot suits attacking the soldiers and sailors based on allegations of harassment of Mexican women in the area. The second incident took place the night before the start of riots, as a bunch of Sailors of the U.S. Navy got into an argument and got attacked by young Mexicans who were wearing Zoot suits. The actual riots started the next day. On 4th of June 1943, about 200 members of the U.S. Navy, as a group, went through the city towards the east side of the city, and started a fight when they first saw their targets: Mexican-Americans in Zoot suits. Most of the victims in this
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Organizations in Social Responsibilities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words
Organizations in Social Responsibilities - Essay Example And often the law demonstrates our imperfections and uncertainties. Socially responsible behavior is crucial for companies because they, above all, should embody social principles and ideals that must not be violated easily or at all (Beauchamp & Bowie 2003). Organizations should engage in socially responsible behavior because it is a core of business and fair economic relations. We could not live in a community in which taking what one wants had no consequences. So the socially responsible behavior based on law is both a set of structures for social stability and a set of moral guideposts. Individuals rarely cross the border from legal to illegal behavior. But crime is a fact of our everyday life. Organizations should engage in socially responsible behavior because it drives their actions and strategic directions. "Establishing CSR allows a firm to take corrective action by punishing employees who do not comply with company standards and rewarding those who do. For instance, precepts such as 'do not give wrong information ..., do not look for reciprocity" (Boatright 1997, p. 54). When a man assumes responsibility for managing the marketing behavior of a large corporation, he is dealing with every business law of the land, from antitrust to post office regulations. Socially responsible behavior is a framework of business activities and long-term relations. 2.2. Friedman once said 'The social responsibility of firms is to make a profit' (Friedman 1970). Critically evaluate this view given the challenges faced by organisations today to manage a variety of stakeholders. Friedman's statement is based on the unique nature of business and trade relations. The primary aim of any corporations is to make a profit and increase revenues. A company cannot exist without financial resources and marketing activities (even a non-for-profit organizations need financial donations and giving). For many companies, adoption of social responsibilities is no longer a matter of option for major enterprises if the business is to be relevant to the new social progress concerns and social value changes. The business concept offers a conceptual framework for integrating the firm's relationship to its ultimate environment. The main problem is that organizations cannot use personal gains and profit maximization priorities dealing with diverse stakeholders. Friedman is right that social responsibility of a firm of a profit but any company operates in a complex environment and becomes a part of this environment. Companies are forced to follow ethical and moral values as an exte nsion of traditional management and marketing concepts with redefinitions of mission, service, consumer, product, and profit (Boatright, 1997). Companies are obliged to care for the public welfare, especially the interests of shareholders and other "owners" of corporate property, by telling the truth and by resisting unethical propositions. The principle is veracity (truth telling); the assumption about consequences is that airing a grievance will lead to conflict resolution and that all parties, including society per se, will be better off if legal and moral norms are adhered to. The capacity to reflect seems quite limited in this case. The responsibility of business is to manage variety of stakeholders including employees, customers and community. Even if there is a conflict between professional responsibilities
Monday, August 26, 2019
Roundtable discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Roundtable discussion - Essay Example The poem chosen is ââ¬Å"The Unicornâ⬠by Isaac Rosenberg. This poem is moving, describing the nature of insanity in combat. The man, a commander, is talking to a woman, Lilith. The poem describes how the commander is thinking about the women and children caught in the combat. He is delusional, imagining that a unicorn is taking them to the afterlife. The commander muses that the women dying are innocents. Rosenberg writes women are being killed ââ¬Å"By men misused, flying from misuse (215). All the bombs, fear of death, and horrors make the man hallucinate about the Unicorn taking away the innocents and even him in the end. The date of ââ¬Å"The Unicornâ⬠is unknown, but written after World War I. During and right after World War I, people did not understand the effects of Shellshock. Bhattacharjee reports that ââ¬Å"even at a distance, explosions might cause lasting damage to the brainâ⬠(206). This could have caused the commanderââ¬â¢s delusions. Writing poetry was one way to express Shellshock to people who did not understand. Even famous American Generals, who were battle-hardened. George S. Patton called these men ââ¬Å"cowardsâ⬠, and even went so far as to slap one man, dragging him out of the medical tent (Axelrod and Clark, pg. 115). The commander of ââ¬Å"The Unicornâ⬠probably would have preferred to ride away on a unicorn in death, than being faced with court martial and ridicule. There was no one to turn to when suffering from Shellshock, except the delusions of angels and demons. Poetry was a way to express emotions about shellshock, no one else wanted to hear at the time. However, all of the poems are useful today. These poems can help people understand the men from World War I. They were not traitors, but heroes doing their best under the
Sunday, August 25, 2019
The Egyptian War of 1882 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
The Egyptian War of 1882 - Essay Example According to the essay "The Egyptian War of 1882" findings, on January 8th, 1882, the French and the British signed a treaty known as the "Joint Anglo-French note" that initiated dual control of both France and England that was sent to the Egyptian government, declaring their recognition of Khedive Twefikââ¬â¢s authority. However, the nationalist opposition to Khedive (Lord) Twefik who was the current Ottoman ruler of Egypt was greatly increased when the European diplomats supported the agreement. Khedive Twefik, due to the opposition, was forced to appoint the nationalists as the prime minister and war minister on February 25th, 1882 (Cromer 359). Urbi Pasha organized a militia in protest against the wage difference between the Egyptian and the European army, which was exposed on April 12th, 1882, consequently on April 12th, and May 20th, 1882, France and Britain deployed small naval squadrons to the Egyptian coast, which resulted in the arrest of some of the militia members. Urb i Pasha, however, had not given up and he marched a troop of his militia to Alexandria on Sunday, June 11th, 1882 where they caused a riot against the Christian and the Muslim in the town resulting to the death of approximately 50 Europeans (Cromer 715). The British reacted to the attack and bombarded Alexandria, which resulted in the evacuation of the port. By this time, Urbi had begun taking control of the government and the British military initiated and intervention backed by Tewfikââ¬â¢s approval.
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Do you think advertising is always deceptive Can you ever trust an ad Research Paper
Do you think advertising is always deceptive Can you ever trust an ad - Research Paper Example Some company products may use a celebrity in their adverts. This endorsement then proves to be deceptive as the celebrity may not be using the products. The use of the celebrity is just a thing to lure the consumers into buying the products (Cross, 2007). With this, then my trust in advertisements is withdrawn and hardly can I trust the ads. Trust refers to the reliance on an entity or a person. Trust in this context refers to the reliance on the ability, quality and quantity of the product or service being advertised. A consumer may withdraw his or her trust from the adverts due to the deceptive adverts by the companies (Babin, 2010). Most companies may manipulate the measuring standards and units. This means that the product will be different in quantity and measurement. This can be shown by a company that deals with measurable items such as fluids and measurable solid materials. The company could state that products are packed in a liter bottle but in real sense the fluids could be less by some milliliters. The same case applies to the solid measurable items which may be deficient by a few milligrams. This then makes the consumers have little trust in the ads and so do I (Cross, 2007). These companies may also give misleading illustrations through indications of additional ingredients in the products more than ones used. This then gives wrong information about the product and the consumer unknowingly uses the product which later does not give the desired satisfaction (Babin, 2010). Some of these adverts may claim that there is no risk of using the product and that the company will refund you if not satisfied. This claim seems very false as the company may not even refund you the money. Some other companies may employ bait and switch where they advertise unavailable products then when the consumer comes to purchase, he or she is given a different product of a higher value. This makes consumers have little faith in the advertisements and neither can
Friday, August 23, 2019
MPH503, Infertility and Public Health, Mod 3 SLP Essay
MPH503, Infertility and Public Health, Mod 3 SLP - Essay Example It can be assured from evaluating what was in the program, whether or not it met all the standards but the only way to know for sure that the information was absorbed is to in some way ask, and a post test answers those questions. Secondly, it is needed to know whether or not the instructors established a rapport with the audience (Griscli & Jacono, 2007). This can be known early by assigning someone to watch the reaction of the audience during the education. If the speaker does not engage the audience, they will not appreciate and learn the material involved. This is also very important in participant satisfaction. Other things that need to be determined are participant satisfaction, whether the participant felt that the objectives were met, and participant relevance. These thing can be best determined by a survey given to the participants at the end of the program asking questions directly related to this (Chambers, 2008). It is a good idea to not give the credit for attendance until the test and survey are completed. This will give you better information. The one item that is difficult to evaluate is "are they able to take this information back to their units and put it into practice?" Leaders are finding this to be the most difficult answer to get. There are some ideas, such as having supervisors evaluate the use of the information or evaluating practice to determine if the newer ideas have been added. Any of these things are quite difficult and quite controversial at this time, however. This leads us to the recommendation that there be more concentrated study on how to insure that educational programs are used as well as learned. Though our program has traditional objectives, there may be a need to change how those objectives are written (buinesstraining) and how they are evaluated. In conclusion, evaluation of educational
Thursday, August 22, 2019
The Enhancement of the Quadruped Robot Essay Example for Free
The Enhancement of the Quadruped Robot Essay 1. A TOY ROCK CLIMBING ROBOT The goal of this thesis was to build a simple toy rock climbing robot, and to explore problems related to grasping, path planning, and robot control. The robot is capable of climbing a wall of pegs either under manual control through a host system and an infrared interface, or on the basis of a set of pre-recorded key frames. In addition, the robot can climb certain peg configurations using a cyclic gait. The robot climbs in an open-loop mode without sensor feedback. All communications are sent through the IR connection, and the tether to the robot consists only of two power wires. 2. MOBILE ROBOT CONTROL USING BLUETOOTH LOW ENERGY This thesis gives a working example on how to design and implement a remotely controllable embedded system consisting of two subsystems who areà communicating with each other using Bluetooth Low Energy. The subsystems are a movable peripheral based on the Parallax Sumobot development kit, and Atmel AVR Butterfly, the Texas Instruments CC2540 development kit and a user input interface using the Apple iPhone 4S. 3. NEURO-FUZZY CONTROL OF A ROBOTIC ARM This thesis first outlines the theory, historical background, and application of neural networks and fuzzy logic. The review of neural networks and fuzzy logic is followed by a discussion of the combination of the two technologies neuro-fuzzy techniques. The two tools have been successfully combined to maximize their individual strengths and compensate for shortcomings. A survey is given of previous work done in applying these technologies to control systems. 1. ROBOTIC ARM: A MOUSE CONTROLLED IN HUMAN MODE AND A SELF CONTROLLED IN A.I. MODE The robotic arm is a PIC based prototype that can pick and drop objects from one side to the other side. The robotic arm has a complex mechanism that can carry and grips object. Mouse is used as a controller for it is widely use in the environment especially those who have PC at home. The robotic arm has a degree of freedom because it is composed of servo motors that makes the robotic arm rotates, bend and grips objects. We are also using here the concept of the real time operation, how fast the data being transmitted to the receiver. In every operation that we have done using the optical mouse corresponds a unique movement of the robotic arm. It has also an A.I mode which makes the robotic arm moves by itself. 3 Foreign Literature 1. COOPERATIVE ROBOTICS USING WIRELESS COMMUNICATION On September 12, 2001, in the aftermath of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks, mobile robots made their first appearance in an actual human search-and-rescue mission. While fully autonomous robots are not yet practical, mobile robots assisted rescue workers in locating more than two percent of the victims that were discovered. These robots were sent into tiny crevices, used to explore buried rooms with camera vision, and were well accepted by the rescue community. While this was a landmark event for the multi-disciplinary field of robotic search-and-rescue, it also showed the great need for further research and development. Fully autonomous and cooperative robots remain an unrealized goal for researchers worldwide. 2. HUMAN-ROBOT COLLABORATION NASAââ¬â¢s vision for space exploration stresses the cultivation of humanâ⬠robotic systems (NASA 2004). Fong and Nourbakhsh point out that to reduce human workload, costs, fatigue driven error and risk, intelligent robotic systems will have to be part of mission design. They also observe that scant attention has been paid to joint humanâ⬠robot teams, and making humanâ⬠robot collaboration natural and efficient is crucial to future space exploration. 3. A REVIEW OF THE APPLICABILITY OF ROBOTS IN EDUCATION Robots are becoming an integral component of our society and have great potential in being utilized as an educational technology. To promote a deeper understanding of the area, we present a review of the field of robots in education. Several prior ventures in the area are discussed (post-2000) with the help of classification criteria. The dissecting criteria include domain of the learning activity, location of the activity, the role of the robot, types of robots and types of robotic behavior. Our overview shows that robots are primarily used to provide language, science or technology education and that a robot can take on the role of a tutor, tool or peer in the learning activity. 1. WIFI CONTROLLED MOBILE ROBOT The tablet acts as the controller and video monitor, communicates thru wifi via a SMART phone on board (Galaxy Pocket). The smart phone serves as the camera thru IP Webcam and receives UDP packets via a python script running in the background, the received data is transferred to the motor controller via bluetooth so that a cheaper microcontroller can be used rather than using the ADK. 2. ROBOCOP In Manila They call it ââ¬Å"Mac,â⬠or the Mechanical Anti-Terrorist Concept, and it did the inventors and the Philippines proud when it was adjudged the winner in the first World Cup for Computer-Implemented Inventions held recently in China. And the victory is not to be taken for granted since Mac came out on top to win the gold medal among the inventions submitted by 50 countries in the global competition hosted by Suzhou in China. Mac has been placed on active duty at the police department of suburban Makati City in Metro Manila, considered the countryââ¬â¢s financial centre as well as home to many of the big multinational companies as well as foreign embassies. Mac was also conferred the rank of police inspector, which is equivalent to a captain in the military. As its name implies, Mac is one a one-armed, two-foot tall bomb disposal ââ¬Å"Robocopâ⬠invented by a four-man team, led by Roel John Judilla, the former dean of the mechanical engineering department of the Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT), one of the countryââ¬â¢s top engineering private schools. The other members include Virgilio Malang of the Filipino Inventorsââ¬â¢ Society and MIT senior engineering students Jaylord Jaoud and Kit Mistosamente. After months of fine-tuning, the countryââ¬â¢s first bomb disposal robot made its public ââ¬Å"debutâ⬠in one of the shopping centres on October 14 as the latest member of the Makati police force. Made of aluminium, fiberglass and engineering plastic, Mac was ordered to examine and retrieve an explosive device that was brought to a bomb disruptor where it was safely detonated. Its ability to approach, anything or anyone was also showcased when it was made to bring a mobile phone to a supposed hostage-taker in order to give the police and the suspect a way to communicate. According to Judilla, Mac is a 100 per cent Filipino invention made from spare parts bought from different electrical shops in Quiapo district in Manila. ââ¬Å"With Mac around, families of members of the Makati police bomb disposal unit will be assured that their loved ones will come home alive,â⬠said a confident Judilla. Senior Superintendent Gilbert Cruz, the Makati police chief, agreed as he emphasised: ââ¬Å"Mac will make our job safer. He will take on assignments which could endanger the lives of our policemen.â⬠3. FARMER ROBOT MANILA, Philippines ââ¬â Robots that can take care of an entire rice field, go underwater to provide a view of the reefs and prevent ships from running aground. These robots, which were showcased during the finals of the 12thà Philippine Robotics Olympiad, are all made by high school and elementary students in the Philippines. The Dr. Yangas Colleges Inc. (DYCI) high school team, which created an entire set of robots aimed at taking care of the Banaue Rice Terraces, won first place and is set to defend its championship in the 2013 World Robotics Olympiad in Jakarta, Indonesia on November 15. It also has a robotic arm that can take samples of plants and a weather vane to measure wind speed that sends an alert when it reaches dangerous levels that can adversely affect the plants. USB Security Door Lock 3 Foreign Study 1. DESIGN OF A PC BASED WIRELESS DOOR SECURITY SYSTEM This project is developed by using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) System, ATMEGA-32 Microcontroller and relay switching circuit to design a PC based Time attendance and Wireless door access system. The main objective of this project is to implement a time attendance system along with a door lock system for secure and reliable applications. The system gives all types of information regarding student registration, in-out track record, attendance details which can be used for future reference. 2. DEVELOPMENT OF SECURITY SYSTEM USING FACIAL RECOGNITION Security is generally a state or feeling of being saved and protected, an assurance that something of value will not be taken. This paper employs two of the emerging artificial intelligence technologies: Facial Recognition and Artificial Neural Networks for developing a secure keyless door where authentication of authorized faces arethe only guarantee for entry. This mechanically built door, with a camera, has an interface with the PC forà capturing and processing images. 3. MICROCONTROLLER-BASED LOCK USING COLOUR SECURITY CODE Nowadays, lock has evolved into the security device that embedded with the microcontroller which is usually named electronic lock. There are several authentication methods for the electronic lock and the password based electronic lock are the most ubiquitous and cheapest among them. However, there are some drawbacks for this type of lock. This color security code lock is designed to overcome those drawbacks. It is a microcontroller based lock which using the color sequence code as password to unlock the system.
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