Structured Individual

Discussion Patients need a structured group education program when they are newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Evidence from research showed that such structured programs are able to limit the patients’ weight loss and smoking incidences, which are helpful in managing the diabetes conditions.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Structured Individual-based Lifestyle Programs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At the same time, the structured education program is beneficial because it is effective in improving the patients’ beliefs about diabetes such that they become more responsive to treatment and other intervention programs (American Diabetes Association, 2013). It is also useful to note that while the education program achieves its intended purpose of changing attitudes, it does not make any significant impact on actual incidences of diabetes as measured by haemoglobin A levels in research findings by Davies et al. (2008) and Adolfsson, Walker-Engstrà ¶m, Smide, and Wikblad (2007). Although quality of life may not improve, the structured group education program that relies on experts is influential in improving patient satisfaction with treatment as they become more knowledgeable about diabetes and improve their physical activity levels. On the other hand, structured individual-based lifestyle education (SILE) programs show remarkable improvements in haemoglobin A levels (Adachi et al., 2013; Tan, Magarey, Chee, Lee, Tan, 2011). Education targeted on community, culture and cultural events, such as the Ramadan focused education in diabetes, are effective as they are contextually relevant to patients’ situations. Not only do patients learn about their need to embrace dietary flexibility and insulin adjustment, but they also learn about hypoglycaemia, which then acts as a motivating factor for lifestyle change. It is also instrumental in overcoming cultural bias es (Bravis et al., 2010). Indeed, the culturally tailored diabetes educational interventions (CTDEI) improve glycaemic control among ethnic minorities as influenced by the settings of the intervention.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When using the CTDEI, care givers must also consider the influences of baseline haemoglobin A level and time of haemoglobin A measured as these also impact on the measured value (Nam, Janson, Stotts, Chesla, Kroon, 2012; Moher, Liberati, Tetzlaff, Altman, 2009). Increase in knowledge appears as the only guaranteed result of single education and self-management, structured programme, with biomedical and lifestyle outcomes being circumstantial (Khunti et al., 2012). In fact, as Cooper, Booth, and Gill (2008) concluded, diabetes education does not guarantee lasting benefits of glycaemic control, but it is very effective in changing patient attitudes such that they develop a positive outcome of the disease. The fact holds for education interventions carried out for different lengths between six months and two years. The reinforcement of the education programme is essential to achieve lasting behavioural changes as Sperl-Hillen et al. (2013) concluded. This happens because conventional individual education leads to sustained improvements in self-efficiency and reduces diabetes related stress more than usual care does, but then the effects only last within the period of education (Moriyama et al., 2009; Wu et al., 2011) In addition, the complexities of the education program do not have significant influences on the outcome, but they have a salient effect on the cost of education. The UK X-PERT programme performs as well as the UK DAFNE and the Italian BASICs, despite the other two being expensive and labour intensive (Cooper et al., 2008). Moreover, group based diabetes self-management education (DSME) allows patients to meet and discuss with each other, which significantly contributes to better outcomes on clinical, lifestyle, and psychosocial aspects (Steinsbekk, Rygg, Lisulo, Rise, Fretheim, 2012). The consideration here is that the effects of the DSME are affected by ethnicity, sex, and other socioeconomic characteristics of the patients (Gucciardi, Chan, Manuel, Sidani, 2013). Meanwhile, locally developed education programs could be less effective than programs specifically developed for studies mainly due to the lack of appropriate control features (Rygg, Rise, Gà ¸nning, Steinsbekk, 2012; Whittemore Knafl, 2005).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Structured Individual-based Lifestyle Programs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More All education programs must focus on the patient because patients control behaviour choices and activities that influence their experience of diabetes. However, patients must have the nec essary knowledge to properly self-manage their diabetes. In this regard, intervention programs that focus on the patient empowerment and incorporate a means of collaborative learning to improve patient’s knowledge will be the ones that succeed as shown by Heinrich, Schaper, and de Vries (2010). When there is adequate knowledge of diabetes, patients are able to change their dietary behaviour, irrespective of the type of diabetes they have or their present treatment method. In this regard, knowledge becomes a universal requirement for successful self-management of the disease and would be important in any education program targeting diabetes patients. As an isolated intervention, education improves self-care and metabolic control variables (IKarakurt KaÅŸÄ ±kà §Ã„ ±, 2012). In resource constrained and pressured environments, the same educational interventions used in other settings may not work appropriately. Therefore, they should be modified to take care of the possibili ties of task shifting for the experts tasked with the job of educating patients. Group motivational interviewing for the health experts and their patients helps in this case (Mash, Levitt, Steyn, Zwarestein, Rollnick, 2012). Implication The effectiveness of self-care education depends on the components of self-care available in the education program and their ease of monitoring. The combination of DSME and patient-centred care should offer care providers enough options to influence both broad and specific impacts on their diabetes patients. Working within the DSME program features to suit the context of application along parameters such as socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, resource availability and intended outcomes can potentially make the program more effective. The development of self-management diabetes education in Singapore will benefit from the findings that show the effectiveness of structured diabetes education. Practitioners should be aware of the potential differen ces in outcome between locally prepared programs and study-specific programs in terms of their effectiveness (Im Chang, 2012).Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Limitation Despite the extensive consultation on the subject of diabetes education, there is still limited knowledge of the intervention features of DSME that actually promote behaviour change and then go on to improve clinical outcomes. Much of what is presented in the paper covers the DSME as a whole and would, therefore, need additional research to obtain a measurable result for the five intervention features associated with DSME, together with other related features that researchers see as having positive effects on patient outcomes. Recommendation Future studies on self-care activities of diabetes patients should look into the efficacy aspect, in addition to the overall difference in pre- and post-intervention periods. Evidence from the research and the subsequent discussion calls for planners of the education for diabetes patients to take care of environmental variables, patient specific challenges, when obtaining standardized results. This would then make it easier for evalua tors to compare different interventions and eliminate comparison errors that may arise due to contextual differences. Education programs need to cover a larger period of time to capture a varied number of changes in patients. In addition, there should be more divergent sample groups to provide extensive case coverage. Conclusion Structured individual-based lifestyle programs (SILE) are the way forward because they lead to great improvement in haemoglobin A1c as compared to usual care. Moreover, a culturally tailored diabetes educational intervention (CTDEI) is a better approach to use when targeting ethnic minorities. This would go well with the Singaporean context, where there are ethnic majority and minority groups that may not have similar care opportunities. In addition, as a cost-intervention measure group, intervention would be a preferred mode of delivery for Singapore Diabetes Centres that are mostly running a busy schedule with a high patient volume. However, this should on ly happen due to budget constraints. References American Diabetes Organization. (2013). A1C and eAG. Retrieved from http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/a1c/ Adachi, M., Yamaoka, K., Watanabe, M., Nishikawa, M., Kobayashi, I., Hida, E, Tango, T. (2013). Effects of lifestyle education program for type 2 diabetes patients in clinics: a cluster randomized controlled trial. BMC Public Health, 13(1), 467. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-467. Adolfsson, E. T., Walker-Engstrà ¶m, M-L., Smide, B., Wikblad, K. (2007). Patient education in type 2 diabetes—A randomized controlled 1-year follow-up study. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 76(3), 341-350. Bravis, V., Hui, E., Salih, S., Mehar, S., Hassanein, M., Devendra, D. (2010). Ramadan Education and Awareness in Diabetes (READ) programme for Muslims with Type 2 diabetes who fast during Ramadan. Diabetic Medicine, 27(3), 327-331. Cooper, H., Booth, K., Gill, G. (2008). A trial of e mpowerment-based education in type 2 diabetes—Global rather than glycaemic benefits. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 82(2), 165-171. Davies, M. J., Heller, S., Skinner, T. C., Campbell, M. J., Carey, M. E., Cradock, S., Dallosso, H. M., Daly, H., Doherty, Y., Eaton, S., Fox, C., Oliver, L., Rantell, K., Rayman, G., Khunti, K. (2008). Effectiveness of the diabetes education and self management for ongoing and newly diagnosed (DESMOND) programme for people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes: cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ, 336(7642), 491-495. Gucciardi, E., Chan, V. W., Manuel, L., Sidani, S. (2013). A systematic literature review of diabetes self-management education features to improve diabetes education in women of Black African/Caribbean and Hispanic/Latin American ethnicity. Patient Education And Counseling, 92(2), 235-245. Heinrich, E., Schaper, N. C., de Vries, N. K. (2010). Self-management interventions for type 2 diabetes: a systematic review. E uropean Diabetes Nursing, 7(2), 71-76. Im, E.-O., Chang, S. J. (2012). A systematic integrated literature review of systematic integrated literature reviews in nursing. Journal of Nursing Education, 51(11), 636-640. Karakurt, P., KaÅŸÄ ±kà §Ã„ ±, M. K. (2012). The effect of education given to patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus on self-care. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 18(2), 170-179. Khunti, K., Gray, L. J., Skinner, T., Carey, M. E., Realf, K., Dallosso, H., Fisher, H., Campbell, M., Heller, S., Davies, M. J. (2012). Effectiveness of a diabetes education and self management programme (DESMOND) for people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus: three year follow-up of a cluster randomised controlled trial in primary care. BMJ: British Medical Journal, 344, e2333. doi: https://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e2333 Mash, B., Levitt, N., Steyn, K., Zwarestein, M., Rollnick, S. (2012). Effectiveness of a group diabetes education programme in underserved com munities in South Africa: pragmatic cluster randomized control trial. BMC Fam Pract, 13, 126. doi:10.1186/1471-2296-13-126. Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G. (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. Annals of Internal Medicine, 151(4), 264-269. Moriyama, M., Nakano, M., Kuroe, Y., Nin, K., Niitani, M., Nakaya, T. (2009). Efficacy of a self-management education program for people with type 2 diabetes: results of a 12 month trial. Japan Journal of Nursing Science, 6(1), 51-63. Nam, S., Janson, S. L., Stotts, N. A., Chesla, C., Kroon, L. (2012). Effect of culturally tailored diabetes education in ethnic minorities with type 2 diabetes: A meta-analysis. Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 27(6), 505-518. DOI: 510.1097/JCN.1090b1013e31822375a31822375. Rygg, L. Ø., Rise, M. B., Grà ¸nning, K., Steinsbekk, A. (2012). Efficacy of ongoing group based diabetes self-management education for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A randomised controlled trial. Patient Education and Counseling, 86(1), 98-105. Sperl-Hillen, J., Beaton, S., Fernandes, O., Von Worley, A., Vazquez-Benitez, G., Hanson, A., Lavin-Tompkins, J., Parsons, W., Adams, K., Spain, C. V. (2013). Are benefits from diabetes self-management education sustained? American Journal of Managed Care, 19(2), 104-112. Steinsbekk, A., Rygg, L. Ø., Lisulo, M., Rise, M. B., Fretheim, A. (2012). Group based diabetes self-management education compared to routine treatment for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A systematic review with meta-analysis. BMC Health Serv Res, 12, 213. doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-12-213. Tan, M. Y., Magarey, J. M., Chee, S. S., Lee, L. F., Tan, M. H. (2011). A brief structured education programme enhances self-care practices and improves glycaemic control in Malaysians with poorly controlled diabetes. Health Education Research, 26(5), 896-907. Whittemore, R., Knafl, K. (2005). The integrative review: Upda ted methodology. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 52(5), 546-553. Wu, S.-F. V., Lee, M. C., Liang, S. Y., Lu, Y. Y., Wang, T. J., Tung, H. H. (2011). Effectiveness of a self-efficacy program for persons with diabetes: A randomized controlled trial. Nursing Health Sciences, 13(3), 335-343. This research paper on Structured Individual-based Lifestyle Programs was written and submitted by user Brooklynn K. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Planning and Management

Planning and Management Planning and Management Many communities in the world today are challenged by getting clean and adequate water to cater for their daily needs. Water plays a vital role in enhancing plant and animal life in the world. This challenge is more prevalent in arid and semi arid areas where adequate water is not available (Kabbes, 2007). This paper will therefore look at factors that must be considered when designing method of water provision in arid areas. The areas to be discussed will revolve around; planning, management, finance, harvesting, population, environmental factors and quality of water. Planning and management of dams. Before construction of dams takes place, it is important to determine the population that will benefit from the project. Population will determine the size of dam that needs to be constructed. This will go hand in hand with determination of soil type and water table levels so that a lot of digging is not involved (Sehlke,2004). In addition, the design should cater for an expanding population, meaning the provision of expanding should be put in place. It is important to involve the community to gain their support as well as to get dependable people who will manage the project once it is complete (Walton, 2005). Funding. Funds play a pivotal role in determining the size of dam to be constructed. Without adequate finance, such project can stall or fail to start. This is an important aspect that should be considered for effective implementation of the program (Water, 2011). Maintenance. Any project requires short term and long term envision of how it will work. It will be important to consider how maintenance will be done, cost implication, viability and who will be doing the maintenance. At times, it is important to involve the locals so that cost implication is within reasonable limits (Starret, 2009). Environmental factors. Factors including weather pattern soil type, relief of the ground and vegetation should be considered. This will help in selecting the best site for location of the water project (Rain, 2011). In conclusion, all factors should be evaluated extensively to ensure the success of the program. Community participation should be encouraged from the initial stages since they will be the beneficially of the project.

KUHN Surname Meaning and Family History

KUHN Surname Meaning and Family History The Kuhn surname originated as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who was bold or keen; descendant of KUHN, a pet form of Kunrat, German form of Conrad, meaning bold, counsel. Surname Origin:  German Alternate Surname Spellings:  KUHNE, KUEHN, KUHNS, KIHN, COON, COONS, COEN, COONE, KUNZ, KUNTZ, KUHNE, KOHN, KUEHNE, KÃÅ"HN,  KÃÅ"HNE   Famous People with the KUHNSurname Thomas Kuhn - American historian and physicist; famous for  his 1962 book called The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.Friedrich Adalbert Maximilian Kuhn - German botanistOskar Kuhn - German paleontologistRichard Kuhn -  Austrian biochemist, winner of the 1938 Nobel Prize in ChemistryW. Langdon Kihn -  American painter and illustrator Where is the KUHN Surname Most Common? According to surname distribution from Forebears, the Kuhn  surname is most common in Germany, ranking as the countrys 56th most common surname. It is also fairly common in Switzerland, where it is the 74th most common last name.  WorldNames PublicProfiler  data indicates the Kuhn surname is especially common in southwestern German, particularly the state of Saarland. It is also common in Zurich, Ostschweiz and Nordwestschweiz, Switzerland, as well as in Alsace, France. Surname maps from Verwandt.de indicate the  Kuhn last name is most common in southwestern Germany, especially in the counties or cities of Munich, Neunkirchen, Stadtverband Saarbrucken, Ostalbkreis, Wurzburg, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Esslingen and Offenbach.   Genealogy Resources for the Surname KUHN Meanings of Common German SurnamesUncover the meaning of your German last name with this free guide to the meanings and origins of common German surnames. Kuhn  Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Kuhn  family crest or coat of arms for the Kuhn surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. Coon DNA Surname ProjectIndividuals with the Coon surname and variations such as Kuhn, Kuehne, Koone, Kohn, Koon, Kuhne, Kuhns, Coontz, and Kuntz, plus dozens of others, have joined together to combine genealogy research with Y-DNA testing to help determine common ancestry. KUHN  Family Genealogy ForumThis free message board is focused on descendants of Kuhn  ancestors around the world. Search or browse the archives for your Kuhn ancestors, or join the group and post your own Kuhn family query. FamilySearch - KUHN  GenealogyExplore over 2.8  million results from digitized  historical records and lineage-linked family trees related to the Kuhn surname on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. KUHN  Surname Mailing ListFree mailing list for researchers of the Kuhn surname and its variations includes subscription details and a searchable archives of past messages. DistantCousin.com - KUHN  Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Kuhn. GeneaNet - Kuhn  RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Kuhn  surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries. The Kuhn  Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Kuhn  surname from the website of Genealogy Today.- References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Back toGlossary of Surname Meanings Origins

UK business school Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

UK business school - Research Proposal Example The availability of resources that are pre-requisite for the setting up of a business institution; the most important factor being the availability and the quality of the instructors that are present to teach at these institutions. The most critical factor amongst many for the business institutions is the great emphasis on quality. Most organizations are dwindled in their quest for excellence in the face of increasing consumer base which leads to greater revenues; therefore, to be focused on the emphasis on quality is certainly a great factor contributing to the success of these institutions as they have been able to successfully prevent applying trade-offs that are detrimental to the level of quality of the institution, which has in turn helped them maintain a level of quality; favorable effects of which have been experienced throughout the institution. Other success factors are favorable external conditions such helpful government policies, peaceful communal conditions etc; all of which conspire together to provide a supportive base for these institutions. ... the face of increasing consumer base which leads to greater revenues; therefore, to be focused on the emphasis on quality is certainly a great factor contributing to the success of these institutions as they have been able to successfully prevent applying trade-offs that are detrimental to the level of quality of the institution, which has in turn helped them maintain a level of quality; favorable effects of which have been experienced throughout the institution. Other success factors are favorable external conditions such helpful government policies, peaceful communal conditions etc; all of which conspire together to provide a supportive base for these institutions. (RAPIDBI, 2008) These success factors are likely to remain in the future as the emphasis on quality is an ingredient of success which is not contingent upon time; it remains a critical success factor at any point in time. In addition, the conditions in the UK can be expected to remain stable in the future so we can expec t no new occurrence of negative externalities to arise in the future. The Norwich Business School certainly holds a significant position in the industry of UK business institutions and that is largely due to rich educational experience that is promulgated by the institutions and the wide range of degrees that offered that in this business institution. With 600 undergraduate students and 180 post graduate students and operating in the Social Sciences market place, one can see that The Norwich Business School is certainly a big player in its specific market and, hence, it must be given due credit as being a major player with regards to the current market place. In addition, the future outlook of the organization looks fine as the university is multi-disciplinary and also has a School of

Literature- Discussing Questions 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Literature- Discussing Questions 1 - Essay Example She appears plain and hard-working in this first scene. Henry and Elisa seem to be a â€Å"settled† couple. He cares how she feels and she cares for him also, but there seems to be no passion there. Instead they are good friends, but not intimate in the sharing sense of the word. She does not want him to know about the mums. He seems to value her skills and strength, rather than her femininity, and he says she looks â€Å"nice†, not beautiful. The salesman takes and interest in order to establish rapport, and to get some work from her, plus a flowerpot he can sell. She is taken in, believes his story and thinks he has a genuine interest in her flowers. It is her specialty and she loves feeling like she is sharing it. (Ten inch mums are huge.) The first paragraph describe Elisa’s feeling about her life: closed in, grey and damp, waiting for something to change. She is isolated and her life is quite limited and simple, as opportunities for women of that time were very limited.The valley is ready to sleep through the coming wionter in anticipation of spring, but Elisa has passed her chance at spring and new blooms. She lives that part of her life through her flowers. 5 How might Elisas preparations for going out for dinner be likened to her care for the chrysanthemums? Explain Elisas response after seeing her seedling chrysanthemums have been tossed out onto the road. Elisa’s preparations for going out to dinner are meticulous and thorough. She does not only care for her own body, but for her husband’s clothing too. When she is done bathing she surveys the results and then dresses. She is as careful with her flowers, as we see in the first scene and she tells us with her directions to the salesman for taking care of them. She packed the seedlings with great care for him to take to the fictional client. She realizes that he has manipulated her and just wanted the money and the flower pot, which she notes that he

The Removal of the Compulsory Retirement Age Essay Example for Free

The Removal of the Compulsory Retirement Age Essay However, our superannuation system is in a transition phase, and some the details of the changes are contained in the table below: Age regulations and qualifications governing superannuation and social security systems 55| Age to which superannuation entitlements are compulsorily preserved. From age 55, preserved superannuation becomes available upon retirement. For people aged 55 to 60 years, Regulations under the  Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993  (SIS regulations) define retirement as permanent withdrawal from the workforce. A phased increase in the superannuation preservation age to 60 is to begin in 2015 and will affect people born after 30 June 1960. By 2025, people born after June 1964 will be subject to a preservation age of 60 years. | | People aged 55 years and over can access a range of social security pensions and benefits depending on their circumstances, e. g. Disability Support Pension, Newstart Allowance, Carer Pension and Widow Allowance. From September 1997, superannuation assets of those aged 55 and over were taken into account under the income and assets tests after 9 months on income support (pending legislation). 60| Under SIS Regulations, after age 60, retirement may be taken to have occurred upon cessation of a period of gainful employment even if the person intends to re-enter gainful employment. Current qualifying age for Mature Age Allowance. | 61| Womens current qualifying age for age pension. The age pension age for women is being slowly increased to 65 over the next 17 years (reaching 65 years in July 2013). | 65| Mens qualifying age for age pension. | 70| From 1 July 1997 people were allowed to continue to contribute to a regulated superannuation fund up to age 70, provided they are gainfully employed for at least 10 hours per week over the year. | http://wiki. answers. com/Q/What_is_the_workplace_compulsory_retirement_age_Australia http://www. alrc. gov. au/publications/2-recruitment-and-employment-law/compulsory-retirement Most people retire at 55 years or over. According to the  Australian Bureau of Statistics, the average age Australians intend to retire is 63 for men and 61 for women. Compulsory retirement at 65 was made unlawful in South Australia in 1993. It is against the law to dismiss staff because of their age unless there is an occupational reason to be a certain age. Most staff cant be forced to retire because of age except: * judges and magistrates must retire at 70 * Australian Defence Force personnel must retire at 65. The average retirement age is likely to increase as we have an ageing population. More workers will move into retirement age and fewer will enter the labour market. As a result, there will be a shortage of workers. Governments and many employers are already trying to encourage workers to stay on longer by offering assistance to older staff and options like  phased retirement. You can retain your staff past retirement age by offering  phased retirement or flexible working conditions. http://www. eoc. sa. gov. au/eo-business/employers/staffing/dismissing-retrenching-and-retiring-staff/retiring-staff/when-do-staf The likelihood of being retired increased with age. For those aged 45-49 years, just 5% were retired, compared to 16% of 55-59 year olds, 68% of 65-69 year olds and 87% of those aged 70 years and over. In 2010-11, 63% of men aged 45 years and over were in the labour force, 33% had retired, and 3% were not in the labour force but had not yet retired. In contrast, 50% of women aged 45 years and over were in the labour force, 39% had retired and the remaining 5% were not in the labour force but had not yet retired. The average age at retirement from the labour force for people aged 45 years and over in 2010-11 was 53. years (57. 9 years for men and 49. 6 years for women). Of the 1. 4 million men who had retired from the labour force: 27% had retired aged less than 55 years; 53% had retired aged 55-64 years; and 20% had retired aged 65 years and over. The 1. 8 million women who had retired from the labour force had retired on average at a younger age than men. The ages at which women retirees had retired from the labour force were as foll ows: 57% had retired aged less than 55 years; 35% had retired aged 55-64 years; and % had retired aged 65 years and over. Of the 2. 2 million retired people who had worked in the last 20 years, 94% had held a full-time job at some stage. For nearly three-quarters (72%) of those who held a full-time job, their last job held prior to retirement was full-time. The remainder worked part-time before retiring. http://www. abs. gov. au/ausstats/[emailprotected] nsf/Latestproducts/6238. 0Main%20Features1July%202010%20to%20June%202011? opendocument;amp;tabname=Summary;amp;prodno=6238. 0;amp;issue=July%202010%20to%20June%202011;amp;num=;amp;view= ttp://jobsearch. about. com/b/2013/03/08/too-old-to-get-hired. htm In advanced and developing economies, ageing populations and low birth rates are emphasising the need for retaining and sustaining competent older workers. This paper examines human resource and governmental policy and practice implications from the contradictory accounts directed tow ards those workers aged over 44 years, who are usually classi? ed as ‘older workers’. It focuses on a key and paradoxical impediment in the workforce retention of these workers. Using Australia as a case study, this paper argues that policies and practices to retain and sustain workers aged 45 or more need to de-emphasise the term ‘older workers’ and reconsider how human resource management and government policies, as well as practices by workers themselves, might pursue longer and more productive working lives for employees aged over 45. It seeks to elaborate the paradox of the (under)valuing of older workers’ contributions and provides direction for retaining and supporting the ongoing employability of these workers. It concludes by proposing that government, industry bodies and sector councils that seek to change employer attitudes will likely require a dual process comprising both engagement with older workers and a balanced appraisal of their worth. Alone, subsidies and/or mandation may well serve to entrench age bias without measures to redress that bias through a systematic appraisal of their current and potential contributions. In addition, to support this transformation of bias and sustain their employability, older workers will likely need to exercise greater agency in their work and learning. Quite consistently across international and national surveys, a pattern emerges of employers and managers holding older workers in low esteem which appears quite entrenched. Indeed, managers’ assessments of older workers are consistently negative, seemingly irrespective of appraisals of their actual performance (Rosen and Jerdee 1988). The evidence from studies across Europe and North America commonly report that employers are far more likely to fund the training of the young and well educated, rather than older workers (Brunello 2001; Brunello and Medio 2001; Giraud 2002). Truly, some northern European countries adopt more positive attitudes towards and claim a strong sense of obligation to older workers as exercised through a set of national policies and practices (Bishop 1997; Smith and Billett 2003). Yet, it is noteworthy that elsewhere the ways in which employers distribute and fund developmental opportunities for their employees, is resistant to legislated (Giraud 2002) and mandated measures (Bishop 1997). Instead, the privileging of youth (and perhaps never more so than when they become a scarce commodity within ageing populations) is that which shapes employers’ decisionmaking about the distribution of sponsored workplace-based opportunities for learning. The International Journal of Human Resource Management 1251This suggests that government intervention by pressing or subsidising employers to employ older workers will not be suf? cient, unless the attitude of employers can in some way be transformed. Australian studies of attitudes towards older workers report similar ? ndings to those reported elsewhere. One study concluded that ‘regardless of the perceived more positive qualities of older workers , employers appear to prefer to recruit employees in the younger age groups for most employee categories’ with ‘minimal interest in recruiting anyone over 45 years for any job and no preference for anyone 56 years or older’ (Steinberg, Donald, Najman and Skerman 1996, p. 157). Despite the increasing recognition of the looming labour shortage at that time and following it, such attitudes appear to have been slow to change. Yet, such attitudes are quite potent. Taylor and Walker (1998, p. 44) concluded that ‘workplace perceptions about older workers (and different groups of older workers) may directly in? uence not only their prospects for gaining employment but also their prospects for development and advancement within an organisation’. A 2003 guide by the Business Council of Australia (BCA) identi? ed numerous ‘readily accepted negative stereot ypes of mature-age workers’, including their lacking motivation and enthusiasm, being close-minded, more susceptible to injury and illness, having outdated skills, less capable, unwilling to take on new training or challenges, risk averse and having less potential for development (p. 2). Yet, the issues raised by the BCA (2003) pose dif? culties in generalising about employer attitudes and practices. In a telephone survey of some 1000 enterprises in the business services sector, which included computer, legal, accounting and employment services, Bittman, Flick and Rice (2001) found no clear pattern of negative attitudes towards employing older workers. They claimed (p. vii) that ‘despite [employers’] reputation for favouring younger, risk-taking innovators, the study revealed a preference for a diverse workforce of intelligent, reliable, team workers with industry rather than computing experience’. However, Gringart, Helmes and Speelman (2005) claim the methodology used in that study did not allow respondents to systematically stereotype workers on the basis of age. Moreover, the business service sector may well be one of those better disposed to employing and supporting older workers than many others, as its work may be more age tolerant than others. Across a range of industries, a survey of 8000 Australian employers found the most proactive recruitment for mature age workers was in the ? ance sector (47% of ? rms), compared with only 32% in information technologies and 24% in telecommunications (Deare 2006). This kind of difference indicates that employer attitudes are not uniform in their application or intensity, across industry sectors. For instance, in their 2001 study, Gringart and Helmes found that older female jobseekers were discriminated against more than males. Yet, 4 years later, the researchers (Gringart et al. 2005) found no signi? cant gender difference. They concluded rather baldly that the sample of 128 ‘hiring decision makers’ in businesses of up to 50 employees was generally unlikely to hire older workers. These studies indicate that employer attitude is central not only to recruiting and retaining older workers, but also in advancing support for maintaining their employability through opportunities to further develop and apply more widely the knowledge they have learnt. Indeed, Howell, Buttigieg and Webber (2006, p. ) concluded that senior management’s support for diversity and effective utilisation of older workers as part of the retail workforce resulted in age-positive practices by those managers who supervise older workers. Nonetheless, in its own way, this kind of endorsement indicates, ? rstly, the importance of attitudes being premised on the basis of informed accounts of performance and not age bias and, secondly, that these attitudes can change. 1252 S. Billett et al. Such change in attitudes would n eed to be broadly applied across decision-making in businesses. For instance, the BCA (2003, p. 8) claimed that voluntary retirement is often seen as a workforce management tool, but that such policies are often based on age alone, and that consideration is not given to the employees’ skill and experience pro? les. The depth and pervasiveness of the employer discrimination against older workers are illustrated further in the BCA’s (2003, p. 11) ? ndings which suggest that recruitment agencies may actually practise ‘ageism’ when shortlisting applicants for their clients, a claim denied by the agencies (Hovenden 2004). Certainly, some of these agencies promote mature age employment through their websites. One of them commissioned a report on the implications of the ageing population in the Australian workforce that described ageism as ‘a particularly insidious form of discrimination’ (Jorgensen 2004, p. 13). Recommending that employers needed to confront their own prejudices, Jorgensen also suggested (p. 13) that ‘policy approaches that deal with ageism also need to be carefully framed so as not to stigmatise older workers, isolate younger workers or impose obligations on older workers who simply do not have the health or desire to continue in full time or part time employment’. It follows from here that in the current social and ? nancial environments, speci? c and targeted policies and sustained initiatives are likely to be required to change attitudes about older workers’ occupational capacities and employability across their working lives. However, these initiatives will need to overcome a range of societal and workplace barriers for the maximum retention of and full utilisation of these workers’ capacities. Key barriers here include a societal preference of privileging youth over age across countries with advanced industrial economies. This preference manifests itself in workplace practices of not only favouring the employment of younger workers, but also directing far more resources towards their development than older workers, among other groups (Brunello 2001; Brunello and Medio 2001). These preferences seem powerful and enduring. Even evidence suggesting that older workers are as capable as other workers and have the very attributes employers claim to value, seemingly fail to change management’s views, i. e. f those who employ and make decisions about workers’ advancement and access to development opportunities. Some might argue that this preference will change as older workers become an increasingly common element of the workforce and a necessity for employers. Countering such a claim is the prospect that a scarcity of younger people may well lead to greater enterprise competition for and sponsorship of younger and well-educated workers and more intense resourcing of these workers and away from o lder workers. Moreover, despite the growing presence of older workers in the Australian workforce over the last 20 years, little appears to have changed in terms of employer preference or workplace responses to their growing participation. Salient here is the comparison of older workers with women workers. Despite their increasing participation in the workforce, women workers across a range of national workforces have struggled to secure worthwhile work conditions, despite legislative arrangements associated with equal opportunity (Cavanagh 2008). Therefore, unless signi? ant changes occur in both the attitudes towards and Australian employers’ practices, older workers may well increasingly struggle to secure worthwhile work, and opportunities for the development and advancement required to retain them in socially and economically vital work and improve their effectiveness in that work. Indeed, there are potentially strong negative consequences here. Consequences of negative employer attitu des and practices There are both personal and societal costs of employer attitudes and practices that discriminate unreasonably against older workers. These costs include the limits in range of The International Journal of Human Resource Management 1253employment options for these workers and dif? culties becoming employed. Indeed, a consequence of policies designed to promote a deregulated and ? exible labour market is the growing distinction between ‘core sector jobs’ (‘good’ jobs that require high skills, offer decent wages and provide bene? ts such as support for training and development) and ‘peripheral sector jobs’ (‘dead end’ jobs that require few skills, offer poor wages and few bene? s, as well as little in the way of job security) (Kossen and Pedersen 2008, p. 5). Given such a bifurcation, the great risk is that older workers will be seen as only being employable in the peripheral sectors. This may well be particularly true for the range of options that are available for many older workers. Challenging the notion of meritocracy in the labour market, Kossen and Pedersen ( 2008, p. 6) cite research indicating that older workers who have been excluded from employment ‘experience far greater dif? culty in rejoining the core orkforce’. The point here is that older workers may have greater dif? culty securing worthwhile work when they re-enter the workforce. Indeed, the negative attitudes that older workers experience may well contribute to the widespread ‘culture’ of early retirement in Australia (Encel 2003) in which workforce participation by those over 55 is considerably lower than in many other OECD countries (ABS 2007) as these workers fail to ? nd meaningful employment, and withdraw from the labour market. A recruiting agency (Adage, n. d. 1) concluded that mature age workers are more likely to ‘experience the compounding effect of being out of the workforce resulting in being seen as less employable’. Another agency reported that nearly three-quarters of 2000 baby boomers surveyed believed that it is nearly i mpossible to get a job after age 45 (Brinsden 2007). The studies cited above, along with a range of other research ? ndings (see OECD 2006a, 2006b; Syed 2006; Kossen and Pedersen 2008) con? rm that age prejudice is alive and well in Australian workplaces, and likely play out most heavily on those who are currently out of employment. Consequently, a priority for policy is to ? nd ways of supporting unemployed older workers’ re-employment, and in worthwhile work, and ? nding ways of praising their worth that can transform the attitudes of their employers. Yet, others suggest that factors other than age alone play key roles in decision-making, particularly that such decisions are based on a business case, not on ageism. In an Equal Opportunity Commission seminar, Ranzijn (2005, p. 1) argued that ‘in general, age discrimination is not a function of a negative attitude towards older workers, but based on an implicit cost/bene? analysis’. The OECD (2006a, 2006b, p. 10) also noted that a dif? culty for employers with older workers is ‘wages and non-wage labour costs that rise more steeply with age than productivity’ and also that there are ‘shorter expected pay-back periods on investments in the training of older workers as well as their lower average educational attainmentâ€℠¢. Perhaps, because of such imperatives, Encel (2003, p. 4) warned that age discrimination is ‘commonly covert and evasive and easily masked’. Similarly, Bittman et al. (2001, p. 6) reported to an Australian House of Representatives inquiry into older workers’ unemployment that the latter were consistently advised that they were ‘over quali? ed for lower positions and under quali? ed for higher positions’. Whatever the reasons advanced by employers for not retaining or employing mature age workers, Ranzijn (2005, p. 8) pointed out that the changing demographics of the workforce will inevitably mean that employers will have to resort to older workers in order to maintain productivity, a point also made by the OECD (2006b) based on a multi-nation survey. However, such a pragmatic and expedient premise may not be the best one to proceed with. Despite becoming increasingly essential for the production of goods and services, older workers will continue to be seen as ‘last resort workers’: at the bottom of employers’ preferred kind of workers (Quintrell 2000). Employees categorised in this way will often be a low priority for employer-sponsored development opportunities and support in the 1254 S. Billett et al. workplace (Billett and Smith 2003) of the kinds required to retain them and further develop their capacities. Hence, even if the government supports the re-employment of older workers, it is likely that within the workplaces the opportunities are still likely to be shaped by a cultural preference where youth is championed and privileged, and where age is seen as a natural decline (Giddens 1997). Therefore, older workers cannot be con? dent of being afforded the kinds of employer support required to maintain their workplace competence and successfully negotiate work transitions. Moreover, given the privileging of youth, it is unlikely that older workers will make demands for employer-funded training, lest they reinforce the sentiment of being a liability. Analogously, Church (2004) refers to disabled workers who have particular needs for support, yet are strategic and cautious in their demands for workplace support, including that from their co-workers, lest they be seen as liabilities in cost-conscious work environments. Nevertheless, the widely held view among employers that older workers are less able and in? xible, and offer limited return on developmental opportunities is questioned by data arising from informants with direct experience of these workers. McIntosh (2001), for instance, notes that enterprises actually employing older workers value their contributions in quite distinct ways: survey responses of nearly 400 American employers and human resource development managers characterised older workers as: (a) being ? exible and open to change, (b) ha ving up-to-date skills, (c) interested in learning new tasks and (d) willing to take on challenging tasks. Furthermore, 68% of the respondents concluded that training older workers costs less or the same as training their younger counterparts; 57% reported that age does not affect the amount of time required to train an employee (14% disagreed) and 49% believed that older workers grasp new concepts as well as younger workers (18% disagreed). In all, this survey portrays older workers as ideal employees, which confounds the sentiment behind practices that distribute employer-funded support away from these workers. The exercise of this sentiment may also re? ect the contradictory and confusing discourse that many older workers experience and try to understand in the workplace: they are essential to maintain the production of goods and services, yet discriminated against in terms of the opportunities afforded them. Despite the suggestion in the survey reported by McIntosh (2001), few studies effectively describe the reaction and role of older workers to the changing nature of work processes. Indeed, McNair, Flynn, Owen, Humphreys and Wood? ld (2004) claim their surveys indicate that most workers reported not being given assistance to negotiate new work roles and new work as their work life transforms. Hence, this reinforces not only the lack of support, but also the need for and apparent success of these workers being able to independently develop their capacities. Consequently, policies and practices by government, industry bodies and industry sector interests may have to interweave both suppor t for older workers’ re-employment or continuing employment, with processes that also attempt to transform the views and perspectives of employers. Yet, sitting in here also is the need to develop and support these workers’ capacities to be agentic learners, i. e. in line with their own interests and intentions (Billett and vanWoerkom 2006). Direct subsidies may well indeed reinforce the perspective that positions older workers as being de? cient and worthy of societally incurred subsidies, and places employers as being only able to employ and promote the interests of these workers when such subsidies are available. It would then seem that policies and practices are needed to both engage employers with older workers and promote their worth to employers in a way which incrementally in? ences their decision-making. It is these kinds of engagement and development that will be required to both overcome and transform well-entrenched preferences. The International Journal of Human Resource Management 1255All of the above points to the importance of identifying what has to be done to effectively retain older workers and develop their employability. Added here is the prospect that the fewer available younger workers will be in high demand and, as such, are unlikely to select low-status occupations such as aged care. Hence, and as noted, a key consideration for approaches to improving policy and practice for older workers is shifting employer attitudes towards a more positive accounting of the capabilities and potentialities of these workers. Policy reform is needed to respond to engage and inform to secure such a shift. Therefore, it is helpful to identify what has been done to bring about such changes, policy wise. References Adage (n. d), ‘Why Adage Targets Mature Professionals,’ www. adage. com. au Ainsworth, S. (2001), ‘The Discursive Construction of the Older Worker Identity: A Re? ction on Process and Methods,’ Tamara: The Journal of Critical Postmodern Science, 1, 4, 29–46. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2004), ‘Paid Work: Mature Age Workers,’ Australian Social Trends, series, catalogue no. 4102. 0, June 15, Canberra, ABS. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007), ‘Skilling Mature Age Australians for Work,’ Year Book Australia, ca talogue no. 1301. 0, February 7, Canberra, ABS. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2008), ‘Population Projections – a Tool for Examining Population Ageing,’ Australian Social Trends series, catalogue no. 4102. 0, June 15, Canberra, ABS. Australian National Training Authority (2004), Increasing the Vocational Education and Training Participation and Achievement of Older Workers: Ideas for Action, Brisbane: ANTA. Billett, S. (2010), Promoting and Supporting Lifelong Employability for Singapore’s Workers Aged 45 and Over, Singapore: Institute for Adult Learning. Billett, S. , and Smith, A. (2003), ‘Compliance, Engagement and Commitment: Increasing Employer Expenditure in Training,’ Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 53, 3, 251–269. Billett, S. , and vanWoerkom, M. (2006), ‘Older Workers and Learning Through Work: The Need for Agency and Critical Re? ction,’ in Promoting Lifelong Learning for Older Workers – an International Overview, eds. T. Tikkanen and B. Nyhan, Cedefop Reference Series 65. Luxembourg: EUR-OP, pp. 177–189. Bishop, J. H. (1997), ‘What We know About Employer Provided Training: A Review of the Literature,’ Research in Labour E conomics, 16, 19–87. Bittman, M. , Flick, M. , and Rice, J. (2001), ‘The Recruitment of Older Australian Workers: A Survey of Employers in a High Growth Industry,’ UNSW, Report for Department of Family and Community Services, Social Policy Research Centre, Sydney. Brinsden, C. 2007), ‘Mature-age Workers Pessimistic Over Future,’ The Australian, 9 July, online. Brunello, G. (2001), ‘On the Complementarity Between Education and Training in Europe,’ IZA discussion paper 309, Forschungsinstituit zur Zukunft der Arbeit- IZA, Institute for the Study of Labour, Zurich. Brunello, G. , and Medio, A. (2001), ‘An Explanation of International Differences in Education and Workplace Training,’ European Economic Review, 45, 2, 307–322. Business Council of Australia (2003), Age Can Work: A Business Guide for Supporting Older Workers, Melbourne: BCA. Cavanagh, J. (2008), ‘Women Auxiliary Workers’ Learning and Discovering â€Å"Self† Through Work,’ in Emerging Perspectives of Learning Through Work, eds. S. Billett, C. Harties and A. Etela? pelto, Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense Publishing, BV, pp. 67–82. The International Journal of Human Resource Management 1259Church, K. (2004), ‘Dancing Lessons: A Choreography of Disability in Corporate Culture,’ Paper presented at the WALL Annual Meeting, Toronto. Colebatch, T. (2009), ‘Retirement by 70 a Fading Hope for Many,’ The Age, 25 February, online. Deare, S. (2006), ‘IT and Telecomms Inactive on Mature Workers,’ ZDNet Australia. www. zdnet. com. au/news/business/soa/IT-and-telecomms-inactive-on-mature-workers/0,139023166, 139251015,00. htm Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (2008), ‘Outcome 8: Workforce Participation,’ DEEWR Budget Statements – Outcomes and Performance. www. deewr. gov. au/ deewr/Publications/Budget Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (2005), Workforce Tomorrow, Canberra: DEWR. Dymock, D. , Billett, S. , Martin, G. , and Johnson, G. 2009), ‘Retaining and Sustaining the Competence of Older Workers: An Australian Perspective,’ Paper presented at the conference, Lifelong learning revisited: What next? June 24–26, Stirling University, Scotland. Encel, S. (2003), ‘Age Can Work: The Case for Older Australians Staying in the Workforce,’ A report to the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the Business Council of A ustralia, Sydney. Giddens, A. (1997), Sociology (3rd ed. ), Cambridge: Polity Press. Giraud, O. (2002), â€Å"Firms† Further Training Practices and Social Exclusion: Can Industrial Relations Systems Provide Greater Equality? Theoretical and Empirical Evidence from Germany and France,’ in Education, Training and Employment Dynamics: Transitional Labour Markets in the European Union, eds. K. Schoman and P. J. Connell, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, pp. 300–303. Gringart, E. , Helmes, E. , and Speelman, C. (2005), ‘Exploring Attitudes Toward Older Workers Among Australian Employers: An Empirical Study,’ Journal of Aging and Social Policy, 17, 3, 85–103. Hovenden, D. (2004), ‘Fishy Memories on Ageing Workforce Crisis,’ Human Resources Magazine. www. humanresourcesmagazine. com. au/articles/15/0c019a15. asp Howell, S. Buttigieg, D. , and Webber, W. (2006), ‘Management Attitudes to Older Workers in the Retail Sector,’ Monash Business Review, 2, 3, 1–10. Jorgensen, B. (2004), The Ageing Population: Implications for the Australian Workforce, Sydney: Hudson Global Resources and Human Capital Solutions. Kossen, C. , and Pedersen, C. (2008), ‘Older Workers in Australia: The Myths, the Realities and the Battle over Workforce â€Å"Flexibility†,’ Journal of Management and Organization, 14, 1, 73–84. McIntosh, B. (2001),An Employer’s Guide to Older Workers: How to Win Them Back and Convince Them to Stay. ww. doleta. gov/Seniors/other_docs/EmplGuide. pdf McNair, S. , Flynn, M. , Owen, L. , Humphreys, C. , and Wood? eld, S. (2004),Changing Work in Later Life: A Study of Job Transitions, London: University of Surrey, Centre for Research into the Older Workforce. Naegele, G. , and Walker, A. (2006), A Guide to Good Practice in Age Management, Dublin: European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. Naughtin, G. (2008), ‘Social Inclusion and Older People,’ in Social Inclusion Down Under: Symposium Proceedings, Brotherhood of St. Laurence. www. sl. org. au/naughtin_symposium_ paper_26Jun08. pdf Neville, I. (2008), ‘The Australian Labour Market: Challenges and Resp onses,’ Seminar presentation, Canberra, Labour Supply and Skills Branch, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. www. gemspl. com. au/bipartite2008/Proceedings/ Ivan%20Neville%20Presp. pdf NSW Labor (2008), ‘Supporting Older Workers,’ 9 July, NSW Labor. www. nswalp. com/blog/358/ supporting-older-workers Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2006a), ‘Live Longer, Work Longer: A Synthesis Report,’ Summary. Paris: OECD. www. oecd. org/els/employment/olderworkers. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2006b), Live Longer, Work Longer: A Synthesis Report, Paris: OECD. Price, R. , and Colley, L. (2007), ‘Assessing HR Strategies for Retaining an Aging Workforce,’ in 15th International Employment Relations Association Conference: Working Lives, Working Choices, July, 9–13, Canterbury, England. Queensland Government (2008), Experience Pays Pack, Brisbane: Department of Employment and Industrial Relations. 260 S. Billett et al. Quintrell, M. (2000), ‘Older and Wiser; or Just at the End of the Line? ’ Westminster Studies in Education, 23, 19–31. Ranzijn, R. (2005), ‘Discrimination Against the Older Worker: Psychology and Economics,’ Paper presented at seminar, ‘Of Working Age,’ May, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, Sydney. Rolland, L. (2007), ‘Ageing and Work in 2030: In or Out of Our Hands? ’ Paper prepared for forum, ‘Ageing 2030 – Creating the future,’ Sydney, NSW Government. Rosen, B. , and Jerdee, T. H. 1988), ‘Managing Older Workers’ Careers,’Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, 6, 37–74. Smith, A. , and Billett, S. (2003), Enhancing Employers’ Expenditure on Training, Adelaide: National Centre for Vocational Education Research. Steinberg, M. , Donald, K. , Najman, J. , and Skerman, H. (1996), ‘Attitudes of Employees and Employers Towards Older Workers in a Climate of Anti-Discrimination,’Australian Journal on Ageing, 15, 4, 154–158. Syed, J. (2006), ‘Older Workers in Australia: A Policy Perspective,’ Journal of Economic and Social Policy, 1, 11, 21–43. Taylor, P. , and Walker, A. (1998), ‘Employers and Older Workers: Attitudes and Employment Practices,’ Ageing and society, 18, 641–658. The Treasury (2010), ‘Australia to 2050: Future Challenges,’ (Intergenerational Report), Canberra, Australian Government. Tikkanen, T. (1997, May), ‘Consequences of Unemployment on Professional Competency,’ Paper presented at the Nordic Conference on Adult Education, Trondheim, Norway. Tikkanen, T. , Lahn, L. , Ward, P. , and Lyng, K. (2002), Working Life Changes and Training of Older Workers, Trondheim: Vox. an Dijk, T. A. (2008), Discourse and Power, New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Victorian Government (2005), ‘The Ageing Workforce,’ The State of Working Victoria Project, Information Paper No. 4, Melbourne. Weller, S. (2007), ‘Discrimination, Labour Markets and the Labour Market Prospects of Older Workers: What Can a Legal Case Teach Us? ’ Work, Employment and Society, 21, 417â⠂¬â€œ437. Wooden, M. , VandenHeuvel, A. , and Cully, M. (2001), Barriers to Training for Older Workers and Possible Policy Solutions, Adelaide: DETYA/NILS, Flinders University The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 22, No. 6, March 2011, 1248–1261 Employees. Theyre the one thing that businesses everywhere have a need for. And not just employees, but employees who are honest, responsible, dependable, loyal, focused, organized and mature. Is this too much to ask? U. S. employers spends millions of man hours each year placing ads, prescreening and interviewing candidates, and hiring and training workers, only to find that many of the employees they hire work for them for just a ew months only to decide they dont want to just be a clerk anymore or feel something betters come along as they work their way up the corporate ladder. So where can businesses find a dependable, steady workforce that has no plans to move up and out? A workforce dedicated to the job at hand and that takes pride in its work? Who will cost them less to hire, train and maintain? The answer? Older workers. Below are twelve reasons why hiring older workers can he lp you maintain a reliable, dedicated workforce and provide a significant cost savings for both the short and long term. . Dedicated  workers produce higher quality work, which can result in a significant cost savings for you. Stories abound of highly committed older workers finding others potentially costly mistakes regarding everything from misspelling of client names to pricing errors and accounting mistakes. 2. Punctuality  seems to be a given for older workers. Most of them look forward to going to work each day, so theyre likely to arrive on time and be ready to work. 3. Honesty  is common among older workers, whose values as a group include personal integrity and a devotion to the truth. 4. Detail-oriented, focused and attentive  workers add an intangible value that rubs off on all employees and can save your business thousands of dollars. One business owner I know once told me that one of his older workers saved his company more than $50,000 on one large mailing job. The 75-year-old clerical worker recognized that all the ZIP codes were off by one digit. Neither the owners mailing house nor his degreed and highly paid marketing manager had noticed it. 5. Good listeners  make great employees because theyre easier to trainolder employees only have to be told once what to do. 6. Pride in a job well done  has become an increasingly rare commodity among younger employees. Younger workers want to put in their time at work and leave, while older employees are more willingly to stay later to get a job done because of their sense of pride in the final product. 7. Organizational skills  among older workers mean employers who hire them are less likely to be a part of this startling statistic: More than a million man hours are lost each year simply due to workplace disorganization. 8. Efficiency and the confidence  to share their recommendations and ideas make older workers ideal employees. Their years of experience in the workplace give them a superior understanding of how jobs can be done more efficiently, which saves companies money. Their confidence, built up through the years, means they wont hesitate to share their ideas with management. 9. Maturity  comes from years of life and work experience and makes for workers who get less rattled when problems occur. 10. Setting an example  for other employees is an intangible value many business owners appreciate. Older workers make excellent mentors and role models, which makes training other employees less difficult. 11. Communication skillsknowing when and how to communicateevolve through years of experience. Older workers understand workplace politics and know how to diplomatically convey their ideas to the boss. 12. Reduced labor costs  are a huge benefit when hiring older workers. Most already have insurance plans from prior employers or have an additional source of income and are willing to take a little less to get the job they want. They understand that working for a company can be about much more than just collecting a paycheck. Any business owner whos hesitant to hire an older worker should consider these twelve benefits. Older workers unique skills and valuesand the potential savings to your company in time and moneymake hiring them a simple matter of rethinking the costs of high turnover in a more youthful workforce vs. the benefits of experience and mature standards older workers bring to the mix. You simply do not have the time or resources to deal with high employee turnover. The next time you need to make a hiring decision, you should seriously consider older workers: Their contribution to your company could positively impact your bottom line for years to come. Stephen Bastien isa business consultant and an expert on leadership and managing employees. Hes the author of  Yes, One Person Can Make a Difference  and  Born to Be. Having started several successful businesses, his current venture, Bastien Financial Publications, provides businesses with the latest developments on fast-growing and distressed companies nationwide through his daily newsletters. Visit his site  for more information on his financial publications, books or consulting services. Read more:  http://www. entrepreneur. com/article/167500#ixzz2QXXcMEQO

Comparing Jonathan Swifts Gullivers Travels and Terry Gilliams Adventures of Baron Munchausen :: comparison compare contrast essays

Comparing Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels and Terry Gilliam's Adventures of Baron Munchausen      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The tales of Gulliver's Travels, by Jonathan Swift, is a well known story.  Ã‚   For more then two and a half centuries, Gulliver's Travels has been read by children for pleasure.   Terry Gilliam's "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" is much the same.   It can be compared to Gulliver's Travels in many ways.   "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" has been given the subtitle "Gulliver Revived" for the following reasons; the adventures both Gulliver and Munchausen partake, political hierarchy, and satire.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The adventures Gulliver experienced were much like those of Baron Munchausen. The adventures of Munchausen, as well as the adventures of Gulliver, were very outrageous.   The stories described by both are hard for the reader to believe.   Although very entertaining, they are so farfetched that one would find it difficult to consider as true.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Baron started off by telling his tales as he remembered them.   He took off in his hot air balloon in search of his magical friends.   He first went to the moon to look for Berthold.   This was much like Gulliver's travels to Lilliput, however, Gulliver did not go there intentionally. Once on the moon, Munchausen set out to look for Berthold.   He discovered many things in his search.   While being locked up for trying to romance the queen, Munchausen accidentally stumbled upon Berthold.   He then moved on to search for the next of his companions.   Munchausen fell off of the moon into a vulcano where Vulcan, who was a Greek God, lived.   He then sat down to drink tea with Vulcan and discovered that Vulcan's servant was none other then Albrecht.   While in the home of Vulcan, Munchausen was introduced to his wife, and fell in the love with the sight of her.   Vulcan saw this, disliked it very much, and became jealous.   The same thing happened to Gulliver, who had many enemies in Lilliput.   Flimnap, Treasur er of the Realm, long suspected, with absolutely no grounds, that Gulliver was his wife's lover, "This Lord, in Conjunction with Flimnap the High Treasurer, whose Enmity against you is notorious on Account of his Lady" (Swift 56 ).   Gulliver's enemies plotted against him, and accused him of treason.   Gulliver then fled from Lilliput.

How Does Othello’s Character Change Throughout the Play? Essay

In order to understand how Othello changes throughout the play, we have to first take a look at the types of the relationships in the play as his behaviour changes directly links to the influences by the other people whom he has deep relationships. There are two types of relationships, one that is between female characters and between male characters. Both have deep bonds between each other. However women friendships are more emotional. Emotions are very strong and are deeply intertwined with trust. Love, hatred, jealousy and admiration are often mixed up and polar emotions show how strong the bond is. This also links that women are more vulnerable to be influenced, however once a strong bond is formed, it is hard to tear it apart, even though they can be quite sensitive. Within the men friendships, it is apparent that men do not heavily rely on their emotions and they have mutual understanding, â€Å"I have your back and you have my back†. Othello did try to not believe Iago so easily but the circumstances were in his favour because Iago’s wife was doing Iago’s dirty work without even knowing. He was also wrong about Iago not only about the fact that he was honest but the fact that he thought Iago would be truthful to him even after not giving the promotion to him. Shakespeare transformed the one he found in the story, and invented the character of Roderigo to bear that vulgar part. Then he invents a second motive for Iago, and makes him hate Othello also for his supposed relations with Emilia. By way of revenge for this offence, Iago’s first impulse is to try to corrupt Desdemona, and thus get even with Othello. But how little this was his intention is seen by the fact that he never seems to have seriously considered it. In place of this, however, he has an alternative that becomes his ruling motive, to put Othello into a jealousy of Cassio. This he thinks will serve to revenge himself on Othello for both offences at one blow: And nothing can, or shall content my soul Till I am even’d with him, wife, for wife. Or failing so, yet that I put the Moor At least into a jealousy so strong That judgment cannot cure. (II. i. 331-5.) Othello is also gullible, he trusts men more than women because he might not understand women and their relationships. He gives us feeling that he believes in stereotype women which are wicked, vulnerable, twisted and are traitors who lie all the time. Ironically, that stereotype applies to Iago whom Othello trusts more than his beloved Desdemona. The main villain who affected Othello the most has a hatred motive however hatred is supposed to have a cause, some concrete event or insult that inspires a lasting rage. But in Othello, the play’s villain is motivated by a hatred that seems to elude any reasonable definition. Iago’s hatred and his determination to destroy his boss Othello, seems out of proportion with the reasons he gives for it: anger that Othello did not promote him or jealousy that Othello might have slept with Iago’s wife. Iago’s loathing has been famously called a â€Å"motiveless malignancy† that redefines our understanding of hatred, making it seem a self-propelling passion rather than the consequence of any particular action.

American literature Essay

Instructor Information Instructor: Mrs. Katy Kownacki Office: Online! Office Hours: immediately following class sessions. Office Telephone: (571)344-3234 E-mail: kkownacki@fcps. edu Course Description The eleventh-grade student will be able to make and analyze informative and persuasive oral presentations, with attention to the accuracy of evidence and the effectiveness of delivery. An examination of how media influences beliefs and behaviors will be introduced. The student will continue to develop and expand vocabulary. The study of both classic and contemporary American literature will enhance the student’s appreciation for literature. The student will be able to identify the prevalent themes and characterizations present in American literature, which are reflective of history and culture. Students will also use nonfiction texts to draw conclusions and make inferences citing textual support. The student will be able to write clear and accurate personal, professional, and informational correspondence and reports for research and other applications. Grammar development will continue through the application of rules for sentence formation, usage, spelling, and mechanics. The student will develop informative and persuasive writings by  locating, evaluating, synthesizing, and documenting information following ethical and legal guidelines. Students are required to take the English 11Standards of Learning End of Course Test. Prerequisite/Co-requisite: English 10 Textbook & Course Materials Required Texts †¢Elements of Literature, Fifth Course Enhanced  ©2007 (http://my. hrw. com) †¢Elements of Language, Fifth Course  ©2004 (http://my. hrw. com) †¢The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. http://ebooks. adelaide. edu. au/f/fitzgerald/f_scott/gatsby/ Other Readings oThe Crucible is found in the online textbook oOther readings will be made available in the FCPS Online Campus Learning  Modules. Page 1 English 11 Summer Syllabus Fairfax County Public Schools— Online Campus Course Requirements †¢Computer with Internet connection (DSL, LAN, or cable connection desirable) †¢Headphones and microphone †¢Word processing program (Microsoft Word recommended) †¢Account access to FCPS 24/7 Course Structure This course will be delivered entirely online through the FCPS 24/7 and Elluminate. You will use your student account to login to the course from FCPS 24/7 (http://fcps. blackboard. com). In your FCPS Online Campus course, you will access online lessons, course materials, and resources. At a designated time during the week, we will participate in a synchronous activity using our virtual classroom, Elluminate. In addition to traditional writing and vocabulary assignments, activities will consist of chats, blogs, discussion forums, emails, journaling, and wikis. FCPS Online Campus Access To access this course within FCPS 24/7, you will need access to the Internet and a supported Web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox). To ensure that you are using a supported browser and have required plug-ins, you must finish the prerequisite technology mini-course before starting the online English 11 course. Refer to the FCPS Online Campus welcome letter for instructions. Technical Assistance If you need technical assistance at any time during the course, call Presidium 1-866-434-8880. Also email your instructor about the problem. You will need to find an alternate means to access the course (a friend’s computer, a parent’s computer, the library, etc). Important Note: This syllabus, along with course assignments and due dates, are subject to change. It is the student’s responsibility to check FCPS 24/7 for corrections or updates to the syllabus. Any changes will be clearly noted in course announcement or through instructor’s email. English 11 Summer Syllabus Fairfax County Public Schools— Online Campus PART 2: COURSE OBJECTIVES †¢COMMUNICATION: SPEAKING, LISTENING, MEDIA LITERACY oUse a variety of oral-communication skills and provide accurate evidence to give informative and persuasive oral presentations. oCritique and assess the effectiveness of persuasive presentations by others. oExamine how persuasive media messages influence audiences’ beliefs and behaviors. †¢READING oApply knowledge of word origins, derivations, and figurative language to extend vocabulary development in authentic texts. oEnhance appreciation for literature by studying both classic and  contemporary American literature. oRead a variety of literary genres and informational texts to identify the prevalent themes in American literature that are reflective of American history and culture. oDevelop vocabulary and reading comprehension skills and apply those skills in other content areas, including history and social science, science, and mathematics. oIdentify the contributions of other cultures to the development of American literature. †¢WRITING oWrite in a variety of forms with an emphasis on persuasion. oProduce arguments in writing that demonstrate knowledgeable judgments and address counterclaims. oUse knowledge of genres, formats, purposes, audiences, and situations to produce clear and effective products that reflect use of all stages of a writing process. †¢RESEARCH oEngage in research that requires the selection, evaluation, use, and documentation of a variety of sources. oVerify the validity of all information and follow ethical and legal guidelines for using and gathering information. oPresent a research product that is clearly written and accurately documented according to Modern Language Association (MLA) standards. Page 3 English 11 Summer Syllabus Fairfax County Public Schools— Online Campus. PART 3: TOPIC OUTLINE/SCHEDULE Important Note: Refer to the course calendar for specific meeting dates and times. Activity and assignment details will be explained in detail within each week’s corresponding learning module. If you have any questions, please contact your instructor. †¢Poetry and Short Stories oIntroduction/ Review of Literary Elements oVariety of short stories and poems by American authors †¢Drama oThe Crucible †¢Fiction oThe Great Gatsby †¢Non-Fiction oThe Autobiography of Ben Franklin oNarrative of Frederick Douglass oAutobiographical Notes essay by James Baldwin oLetter from a Birmingham Jail by M. L. King, Jr. oFrom Resistance to Civil Government by Henry David Thoreau †¢Research oBackground information on F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Great Gatsby. †¢Writing oThesis-driven writing (claim, assertion, commentary) oJournals oPoetry oLiterary Analysis Page 4 English 11 Summer Syllabus Fairfax County Public Schools— Online Campus PART 4: GRADING POLICIES Graded Course Activities Visit the Eng 11 Units button in your FCPS Online Campus course for instructions and information about assignments. Students will submit work through the Assignments button, through the Discussion Board button, or via email. Click on the Assessments button to access quizzes and exams. Submitted work is available for view through the student gradebook in FCPS 24/7. Procedures for Submitting Work You use the Assignment Button to submit assignments. Name the document correctly by using the file naming convention: lastname_assignmentname_date. doc. Please add a header at the top of the document containing your name, the date, and assignment title. If I receive a document without a name, it will be returned (and then you run the risk of turning in a late assignment). When you email me, please type your name in the subject line and sign your emails with your first and last names. Save (and backup) all of your submitted work. You are advised to keep copies of everything, including emails that show the date and time that you’ve submitted your assignments. Late work must be emailed to teacher with an explanation. Late Work Policy ALL WORK IS DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON THE DAY IT IS ASSIGNED. Work received between midnight and 8:00 am the next day will be accepted, but with a ten percent reduction in the grade earned. Work received between 8:00 am and 11:59 pm that same day will be accepted, but with a twenty percent reduction in the grade earned. After 11:59 pm on the day after the work was originally due, no late work will be accepted. Discussion boards are NOT accepted late. Viewing Grades in FCPS Online Campus Instructor will update the online grades each week—typically 2-3 days after each due date. Grade Reports will be emailed to parents, students and counselors every week. Grade Reports will reflect the student’s quality of work by the scores on the assignments but will also contain missing assignment if the student is behind schedule to finish the class. Page 5 English 11 Summer Syllabus Fairfax County Public Schools— Online Campus. *during summer school this is expedited since a single summer day is 8 academic days The grade percentage chart will be used to convert to letter grade reporting (chart below). Final Mark Each quarter will count as 20% of the final grade. The final exam will count as 1/5 of the final grade. Letter Grade Percentage Definition A 93-100% Designates the status of a student who consistently demonstrates accurate and complete knowledge of content and skills specified in the FCPS Program of Studies (POS), and applies that knowledge to solve problems in a variety of settings A- 90-92% B+ 87-89% Designates the status of a student who demonstrates knowledge of content and skills specified in the FCPS Program of Studies (POS), with some improvement needed in accuracy and/or consistency in performance, applying that knowledge to solve problems in a variety of settings B 83-86% B- 80-82% C+ 77-79% Designates the status of a student who demonstrates knowledge of basic content and skills specified in the FCPS Program of Studies (POS), but requires additional practice and instructional experiences to acquire skills necessary to solve problems C 73-76% C- 70-72% D+ 67-69% Designates the status of a student who needs significant practice and instructional experiences to acquire the  knowledge of basic content and skills specified in the FCPS Program of Studies (POS) necessary to solve problems. As a final mark, it is not necessarily sufficient to meet the prerequisite requirements for the next level in a sequence of courses. D 64-66% F 0-63% Designates the status of a student who has not demonstrated the basic knowledge of content and/or skills specified in the FCPS Program of Studies (POS) and requires additional practice and instructional experiences in order to succeed. I * Designates the status of a student who has not been able to complete tasks that are major components of the quarter  grade for reasons considered appropriate by the teacher or team or by the principal or his or her designee. The student is required to make up work within a specified time period in order to convert this â€Å"incomplete† to a grade by the next quarterly progress report. *I (Incomplete) = May not be given as a permanent final grade. Page 6 English 11 Summer Syllabus Fairfax County Public Schools— Online Campus Important note: For more information about grading, visit the grading and reporting policies at the FCPS website. Page 7 English 11 Summer Syllabus Fairfax County Public Schools— Online Campus COURSE POLICIES Participation. Students are expected to participate in all online activities as listed on the course calendar. Consistent participation is required and submission of work is the evidence of that participation. Communicate If you find that you have any trouble keeping up with assignments or other aspects of the course, make sure you let your instructor know as early as possible. As you will find, building rapport and effective relationships are key to becoming an effective person. Make sure that you are proactive in informing your instructor when difficulties arise during the year so that we can help you find a solution. Complete Assignments. All assignments for this course will be submitted electronically through FCPS 24/7 unless otherwise instructed. Assignments must be submitted by the given deadline or special permission must be requested from instructor. Extensions will not be given beyond the next assignment. Late or missing discussion assignments will affect the student’s grade. Understand When You will be Removed from This Course It is state law that a student will no miss 15 days of class. The instructor will notify parents and counselor at 5 and 10 days of no work submitted. At 15 days the student is removed from the course and returned to the counselor  for appropriate placement. Our goal is to get students to receive credit for graduation, and if online is not an appropriate environment, a return to face to face instruction is necessary. During summer school three days of non-activity will warrant dismissal from the course; your teacher will evaluate this after Sunday night. Inform Your Instructor of Any Accommodations Needed If you have a documented disability and IEP, and you wish to discuss academic accommodations, please contact your instructor as soon as possible. IEP and 504 accommodations must be submitted to the Online Campus before the class starts. The Online Campus can be contacted by phone at (703) 503-7781 (Voice) or via email at onlinecampus@fcps. edu . Commit to Ethical Conduct As a student in this course, you are expected to maintain high degrees of professionalism, commitment to active learning and participation in this class Page 8 English 11 Syllabus Fairfax County Public Schools— Online Campus and also integrity in your behavior in and out of the classroom. Page 9 English 11 Syllabus Fairfax County Public Schools— Online Campus FCPS Ethical Conduct for Users (SR&R regulation 2601) It is the responsibility of the student to: †¢Use only his or her account or password. It is a violation to give access to an account to any other user. †¢Recognize and honor the intellectual property of others; comply with legal restrictions regarding plagiarism and the use and citation of information resources. †¢Not read, modify, or remove files owned by other users. †¢Restrict the use of the FCPS network and resources to the mission or function of the school system. The use of the FCPS network for personal use or for private gain is prohibited. †¢Help maintain the integrity of the school information system. Deliberate tampering or experimentation is not allowed; this includes the use of FCPS network and resources to illicitly access, tamper with, or experiment with systems outside FCPS. The information systems and Internet access available through FCPS are available to support learning, enhance instruction, and support school business practices. †¢Refrain from using offensive, obscene, or harassing language when using FCPS network systems. †¢Abstain from accessing, changing, or deleting files belonging to others. Important Note: Any form of academic dishonesty, including cheating and plagiarism, will be reported to the administration office. Page 10

Factors Effecting Conversion of Footfalls in a Retail Store Essay Example

Factors Effecting Conversion of Footfalls in a Retail Store Essay Example Factors Effecting Conversion of Footfalls in a Retail Store Essay Factors Effecting Conversion of Footfalls in a Retail Store Essay International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2012, Vol. No. 3, Issue 4, January-June 2012 facultyjournal. com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 â€Å"FACTORS AFFECTING CONVERSION OF FOOTFALLS IN RETAIL STORES† Abu Bashar, Assistant Professor, Brown Hills College of Engg Tech. , Faridabad, Haryana, INDIA ABSTRACT In this research paper efforts have been made to explore various factors which affect the behavior of consumers in a retail outlet. A random sample of respondents visiting retail outlets has been considered for the present study. The paper mainly focuses towards various factors which affects the decision of the consumer in the store while they visit there for shopping. So, this research is mainly concerned with the behavior of the consumer and the various factors which are of enormous importance in converting the footfall within the stores. The paper also intends to recommend some feasible and viable strategies to be followed by retail outlets to maximize the percentage of conversion. Keywords: Behaviour, Consumers, Conversion, Factors, Retail, Shopping, Strategies International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2012, Vol. No. 3, Issue 4, January-June 2012 facultyjournal. com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 INTRODUCTION It becomes really very difficult for the small retailers and similar formats to compete with hyper marts and malls. The big retailers are putting cut throat competition to them. So, it becomes very important for retailers to gain a deeper insight into retail consumer behavior. The study of consumers helps firms and organizations improve their marketing strategies by understanding issues such as how ? : The psychology of how consumers think, feel, reason, and select between different alternatives (e. g. , brands, products); ? The the psychology of how the consumer is influenced by his or her environment (e. g. , culture, family, signs, media); ? ? The behavior of consumers while shopping or making other marketing decisions; Limitations in consumer knowledge or information processing abilities influence decisions and marketing outcome; ? How consumer motivation and decision strategies differ between products that differ in their level of importance or interest that they entail for the consumer; and How marketers can adapt and improve their marketing campaigns and marketing strategies to more effectively reach the consumer. Understanding these issues helps us adapt our strategies by taking the consumer into consideration. For example, by understanding that a number of different messages compete for our potential customers’ attention, we learn that to be effective, advertisement s must usually be repeated extensively. We also learn that consumers will sometimes be persuaded more by logical arguments, but at other times will be persuaded more by emotional or symbolic appeals. By understanding the consumer, we will be able to make a more informed decision as to which strategy to employ. International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2012, Vol. No. 3, Issue 4, January-June 2012 facultyjournal. com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 There are three fundamental patterns which a consumer can follow and they could be: (I) Brand first, retail outlet second (ii) Retail outlet first, brand second (iii) Brand and retail outlet simultaneously. Good customer service is the lifeblood of any business. You can offer promotions and slash prices to bring in as many new customers as you want, but unless you can get some of those customers to come back, your business won’t be profitable for long. Good customer service is all about bringing customers back. And about sending them away happy – happy enough to pass positive feedback about your business along to others, who may then try the product or service you offer for themselves and in their turn become repeat customers if you’re a good salesperson, you can sell anything to anyone once. Besides from the above stated facts the following factors are also very much important for attracting, converting and retaining customers in a particular retail outlet. These factors are being described below. 1. Availability of merchandise in the store 2. Product Quality 3. Product range(both product width and depth) 4. Promotional offers and frequency of schemes. 5. Services (pre, during and post purchase) 6. Pricing as a result of merchandise on offer 7. Ambience of the store International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2012, Vol. No. 3, Issue 4, January-June 2012 facultyjournal. com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 8. The empathy factor of the outlet attendant In order to gain deeper insight a thorough investigation of the related literature have been investigated, some of them are given below 1. Lichtle, M. C et al. investigates that it is interesting to notice that the outlet’s characteristics have an impact on value, which, in its turn, has an impact on satisfaction. Our results show what variables are to be privileged if one wishes to give the outlet its utilitarian and/or hedonic value. In the first case, the stress has to be put on product availability. This means that when a retailer, considering her/his product range, wants to confer a utilitarian value to the shopping behaviour all she/he has to do is to make sure that her/his products are easily available and within easy reach. The hedonic value is determined by a combination of several variables: atmosphere, peripheral services, the store’s employees and crowding. Customer satisfaction will thus be indirectly improved. By handling these four variables, the retailer will manage to enhance the hedonic value the consumer attributes to shopping. According to the positioning chosen, a firm will give more emphasis either to the hedonic value or to the utilitarian value, and therefore will act on the most relevant characteristics of the outlet that our study underlined. 2. Malcolm Kirkup and Marylyn Carrigan said that as the public demand for ethical accountability grows, marketers must ensure that their activities match public expectations. Owing to its high visibility and direct contact with the public, marketing research in particular has a duty to conduct its business to the highest ethical standards. As new technology alters the way that research is conducted, there is a challenge to safeguard all the stakeholders involved in the research from unethical behaviour. Observational research is a prime example of a research technique which, while providing a valuable tool in the study of consumer behaviour, raises concerns over individual privacy particularly with the growing sophistication and power of the technology. 3. Jones, peter and David Hillier examined that Current government planning policies affecting retail investment; development and location certainly pose a major set of challenges for the leading retailers and for developers and property companies Sainsburys have argued that being more flexible in their formats allows them to take greater advantage of planning opportunities. International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2012, Vol. No. 3, Issue 4, January-June 2012 facultyjournal. com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 4. Basso jeo and Randy Hines said that Males from the Midwest reported higher instances of positive shopping experiences at retail stores. They reported that courteous sales associates and attentive managers enhanced the shopping experience. Similarly, females from this part of the country reported higher instances of positive shopping experience. Again, the primary reason for their positive experiences was the courteous nature of the sales associates and the attentiveness of the floor-level management staff. Ten of the 25 respondents reported having negative shopping experiences at retail stores. However, while reasons varied from displeasure with the merchandise to delays in delivery of goods, none of the respondents attributed a negative experience to rude or inattentive sales associates and managers. Of the 18 females, 16 from the East reported having a negative experience at retail shopping centers. The reasons varied among respondents from poor quality merchandise to delays in shipping. However, 11 of the respondents indicated that their negative shopping experiences were the result of inattentive and rude sales associates. Two of the men reported having a negative shopping experience but they based this on the quality of the products they received. Of the eight positive shopping experiences reported by both male and female respondents, all indicated that their experiences directly resulted from an attentive sales associate or receptive management staff 5. Boedkar, Mika said that this should offer an opportunity for retailers to use segmentation and target their offerings, since it has been claimed that retail outlets tend to resemble one another and offer comparable products at comparable prices, thereby losing their individual profile. At the same time, consumer markets are becoming more sharply segmented than ever before. The new-type shoppers should be attracted by an image, one that is congruent with the consumer’s self-image. Since their demands of a retail outlet are rather high in every respect, the basics (e. g. service, price level, product quality and selection) should be considered as well as recreational, experience offering characteristics (e. g. interior design, aroma, care, product shows, and novelties). This kind of image could attract some of the traditional shoppers too, but they can be reached without the addition of recreational characteristics, implying reduced costs in retail outlet design. Without the basics, maybe only purely recreational shoppers could be attracted. Is this then the case in reality? As Rosen bloom points out, congruence between a retail outlet and consumer image is usually â€Å"more a matter of happenstance than a conscious effort to fit the store image to the target markets served by the retailer†. This means that congruence is achieved between retail outlet dimensions and traditional values held by the outlet’s founders or a typical image projected by the retailer’s trade peer group. International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2012, Vol. No. 3, Issue 4, January-June 2012 facultyjournal. com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 6. Amine, Abdilmajid and Sandrine cadenate examines that product classes proposed in an retail outlet do not contribute equally to the variety of store image and effectiveness from the customers point of view. It also demonstrate the perception of consumer of the overall store assortment, consumers are highly sensitive in selecting range of varieties. 7. Ratcliffe, John and Sheila Flanagan said that BIDs have been tried and tested over time. They are here to stay, and will almost certainly multiply, diversify and innovate. In practice, they have not produced the negative social effects that some feared, nor have BIDs made any major public mistakes in recent years (Houstoun, 2003). Several trends reinforcing the relevance of the BID concept to the promotion of the tourism industry can, however, be distinguished (Houstoun, 2003): Hospitality trumps security. In many established BIDs fear of crime has diminished and what were formerly security personnel are increasingly being trained as ambassadors, guides or hosts to provide hospitality functions. In the same way, the focus of BID cleaning programmers has broadened so as to concentrate more on urban design, landscape and general district beautification. Greater experience and growing confidence has lead to a growth in the number of small, and some very small, BIDs. Here the accent is usually placed on promotion and marketing, as well as orchestrating a programme of festival style events delivered by voluntary effort. There is a growing realization that many of the characteristics that make a district a great place to visit – a variety of restaurants, cinemas, nightclubs, bars, cultural facilities, a walk able environment, attractive public places and a feeling of safety – also make it a great place to live. For business, in general, the visitor and residential markets tend to complement each other. 8. Kirkop, Malcolm said that for some retailers the quality of information systems has been improved – enabling a better understanding of variations in performance, better measurement of the remedial effects of initiatives, and improvements in the allocation of resources – and there is value for both head office planners and store managers. However, development and integration of the technology is proving problematic for other retailers – partly arising from the newness of the technology. International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2012, Vol. No. 3, Issue 4, January-June 2012 facultyjournal. com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 9. Bennison, David et. al. examines that the challenge for urban managers is therefore to preserve and maintain the vitality of the Northern Quarter without destroying its soul. Almost by definition, the archetypal residents and businesses do not seek, let alone conform to, top-down planning and marketing, and are likely to be highly skeptical of it – somewhat ironical or paradoxical given the number of marketing and public relations companies located there. The challenge is that the city’s planners also want to maintain that distinctiveness as much as their inhabitant since the Northern Quarter forms an important element of the wider place product that is Manchester. As the City Council’s guide to visitors states: â€Å"Rising up out of one of city’s most historically rich areas is the Northern Quarter. Now transformed into a busy social and residential area, laden with independent bars, restaurants, cafe? s and shops – the Quarter has a uniqueness and credibility all of its own and attracts the kind of urban soul on the lookout for a bit of individuality and style (w. anchester. gov. uk/visitor centre/areas. htm). 10. Kirkup, Malcolm and Mohammad rafique said that in an increasingly competitive market environment future success for shopping centres will depend on effective management and marketing. Shoppers have a good choice of centres, all of which can meet their needs at a practical level. Centres need t o develop a compelling personality and distinctive position, based on identification of particular strengths within their marketing mix that will appeal to their chosen target market. Our research notes that shopping centres are unique types of service business, challenged and constrained in many areas of the marketing mix as a result of both the nature of the service and traditional philosophies and practices. The marketing mix framework proposed in the paper attempts to reflect this uniqueness and offers a more comprehensive coverage of key dimensions and a useful basis for analysis and management. OBJECTIVES The following objectives have been considered for pursuing the study in hand. Objectives 1. To study the various factors which effects conversion of footfall in retail stores? . To study and analyze the various services provided by retail stores in order to convert their footfalls. 3. To study the behavior of consumers in the store and their priorities at the time of buying. International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2012, Vol. No. 3, Issue 4, January-June 2012 facultyjournal. co m/ ISSN: 2231-0703 4. To find out the measures to improve the convertibility of footfalls.. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The following methodology have been used for the study in hand Research Design: Exploratory research Sample Size: A Sample size of 100 Sampling technique: The sampling technique has been probabilistic sampling more specifically the simple random sampling Sources of Data: Data collection is based on primary and secondary data Instruments used for collection of data: Questionnaire, interviews, journals Techniques used for analysis: Two way ANOVA and chi-square test for goodness of fit FINDINGS 1. Most of the respondents are visiting retail outlets almost twice in a week. 2. A large number of customers buying all the products available in the store. While some customers are visiting store for a particular section. 3. Most of the customers are saying that retail outlets are not offering wide range of product. 4. Most of the customers are claiming that they do not have their item of choice in the store all the times. 5. Most of the customers shopping in retail outlets due to availability of merchandise at lower prices with convenience. International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2012, Vol. No. 3, Issue 4, January-June 2012 facultyjournal. om/ ISSN: 2231-0703 6. A large number of customers are favoring the layout and accessibility of items in the store. 7. Most of the customer believe that if the store promises to do something in a particular time, it do so. 8. A large number of customers have faith in the employee of the store. 9. Most of the customer said that store give them individual attention. 10. A large number of customers are advocating that the operating hour of store is convenient for them. 11. Most of the customers found complaining about air condition and less effective ambience the stores.