Hindustani classical music Essay

The tradition was born out of a cultural synthesis of several musical traditions: the Vedic chant tradition, dating back to more than three thousand years ago,the ancient Persian tradition of Musiqi-e assil, and various folk traditions prevalent in the region. It is traditional for performers who have reached a distinguished level of achievement to be awarded titles of respect; Hindus are usually referred to as pandit and Muslims as ustad. An aspect of Hindustani music going back to Sufi times is the tradition of religious neutrality: Muslim ustads may sing compositions in praise of Hindu deities, and vice versa. Around the 12th century, Hindustani classical music diverged from what eventually came to be identified as Carnatic classical music. The central notion in both these systems is that of a melodic mode or raga, sung to a rhythmic cycle or tala. The tradition dates back to the ancient Samaveda, (sÄ ma meaning â€Å"ritual chant†), which deals with the norms for chantin g of srutis or hymns such as the Rig Veda. These principles were refined in the musical treatises Natya Shastra, by Bharata (2nd–3rd century CE), and Dattilam (probably 3rd–4th century CE). In medieval times, the melodic systems were fused with ideas from Persian music, particularly through the influence of Sufi composers like Amir Khusro, and later in the Moghul courts. Noted composers such as Tansen flourished, along with religious groups like the Vaishnavites. After the 16th century, the singing styles diversified into different gharanas patronized in different princely courts. Around 1900, Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande consolidated the musical structures of Hindustani classical music, called ragas, into a number of thaats. Indian classical music has seven basic notes with five interspersed half-notes, resulting in a 12-note scale. Unlike the 12-note scale in Western music, the base frequency of the scale is not fixed, and intertonal gaps (temperament) may also vary; however, with the gradual replacement of the sarangi by the harmonium, an equal tempered scale is increasingly used. The performance is set to a melodic pattern called a raga characterized in part by specific ascent (aroha) and descent (avaroha) sequences, which may not be identical. Other characteristics include â€Å"king† (vadi) and â€Å"queen† (samavadi) notes and characteristic phrases (pakad). In addition each raga has its natural register (ambit) and portamento (meend) rules. Performances are usually marked by considerable improvisation within these norms. History Music was first formalized in India in connection with preserving the sruti texts, primarily the four vedas, which are seen as apaurasheya (meaning â€Å"not created by man†). Not only was the text important, but also the manner in which they had been enunciated by the immortals. Prosody and chanting were thus of great importance, and were enshrined in the two vedangas (bodies of knowledge) called shiksha (pronunciation, chants) and chhandas (prosody); these remained a key part of the brahmanic educational system till modern times. The formal aspects of the chant are delineated in the Samaveda, with certain aspects, e.g. the relation of chanting to meditation, elaborated in the Chandogya Upanishad (ca. 8th century BC). Priests involved in these ritual chants were called samans and a number of ancient musical instruments such as the conch (shankh), lute (veena), flute (bansuri), trumpets and horns were associated with this and later practices of ritual singing. Sanskritic tradition The Samaveda outlined the ritual chants for singing the verses of the Rigveda, particularly for offerings of Soma. It proposed a tonal structure consisting of seven notes, which were named, in descending order, krusht, pratham, dwitiya, tritiya, chaturth, mandra and atiswÄ r. These refer to the notes of a flute, which was the only fixed-frequency instrument. This is why the second note is called pratham (meaning â€Å"first†, i.e., produced when only the first hole is closed). Music is dealt with extensively in the Valmiki Ramayana. Narada is an accomplished musician, as is Ravana; Saraswati with her veena is the goddess of music. Gandharvas are presented as spirits who are musical masters, and the gandharva style looks to music primarily for pleasure, accompanied by the soma rasa. In the Vishnudharmottara Purana, the Naga king Ashvatara asks to know the svaras from Saraswati. The most important text on music in the ancient canon is Bharata’s Natya Shastra, composed a round the 3rd century CE. The Natya Shastra deals with the different modes of music, dance, and drama, and also the emotional responses (rasa) they are expected to evoke. The scale is described in terms of 22 micro-tones, which can be combined in clusters of four, three, or two to form an octave. While the term raga is articulated in the Natya Shastra (where its meaning is more literal, meaning â€Å"colour† or â€Å"mood†), it finds a clearer expression in what is called jati in the Dattilam, a text composed shortly after or around the same time as Natya Shastra. The Dattilam is focused on gandharva music and discusses scales (swara), defining a tonal framework called grama in terms of 22 micro-tonal intervals (sruti[3]) comprising one octave. It also discusses various arrangements of the notes (murchhana), the permutations and combinations of note-sequences (tanas), and alankara or elaboration. Dattilam categorizes melodic structure into 18 groups called jati, which are the fundamental melodic structures similar to the raga. The names of the jatis reflect regional origins, for example andhri and oudichya. Music also finds mention in a number of texts from the Gupta period; Kalidasa mentions several kinds of veena (Parivadini, Vipanchi), as well as percussion instruments (mridang), the flute (vamshi) and conch (shankha). Music also finds mention in Buddhist and Jain texts from the earliest periods of the Christian era. Narada’s Sangita Makarandha treatise, from about 1100 CE, is the earliest text where rules similar to those of current Hindustani classical music can be found. Narada actually names and classifies the system in its earlier form before the Persian influences introduced changes in the system. Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda from the 12th century was perhaps the earliest musical composition sung in the classical tradition called Ashtapadi music. In the 13th century, Sharngadeva composed the Sangita Ratnakara, which has names such as the turushka todi (â€Å"Turkish todi†), revealing an influx of ideas from Islamic culture. This text is the last to be mentioned by both the Carnatic and the Hindustani traditions and is often thought to date the divergence between the two. Medieval period: Persian influence The advent of Islamic rule under the Delhi Sultanate and later the Mughal Empire over northern India caused considerable cultural interchange. Increasingly, musicians received patronage in the courts of the new rulers, who in their turn, started taking increasing interest in local music forms. While the initial generations may have been rooted in cultural traditions outside India, they gradually adopted many aspects from their kingdoms which retained the traditional Hindu culture. This helped spur the fusion of Hindu and Muslim ideas to bring forth new forms of musical synthesis like qawwali and khyal. The most influential musician of the Delhi Sultanate period was Amir Khusrau (1253–1325), sometimes called the father of modern Hindustani classical music.[4] A composer in Persian, Turkish, Arabic, as well as Braj Bhasha, he is credited with systematizing many aspects of Hindustani music, and also introducing several ragas such as Yaman Kalyan, Zeelaf and Sarpada. He created the qawwali genre, which fuses Persian melody and beat on a dhrupad like structure. A number of instruments (such as the sitar and tabla) were also introduced in his time. Amir Khusrau is sometimes credited with the origins of the khyal form, but the record of his compositions do not appear to support this. The compositions by the court musician Sadarang in the court of Muhammad Shah bear a closer affinity to the modern khyal. They suggest that while khyal already existed in some form, Sadarang may have been the father of modern khyal. Much of the musical forms innovated by these pioneers merged with the Hindu tradition, composed in the popular language of the people (as opposed to Sanskrit) in the work of composers like Kabir or Nanak. This can be seen as part of a larger Bhakti tradition, (strongly related to the Vaishnavite movement) which remained influential across several centuries; notable figures include Jayadeva (11th century), Vidyapati (fl. 1375 CE), Chandidas ( 14th–15th century), and Meerabai (1555–1603 CE). As the Mughal Empire came into closer contact with Hindus, especially under Jalal ud-Din Akbar, music and dance also flourished. In particular, the musician Tansen introduced a number of innovations, including ragas and particular compositions. Legend has it that upon his rendition of a night-time raga in the morning, the entire city fell under a hush and clouds gathered in the sky, and that he could light fires by singing the raga â€Å"Deepak†, which is supposed to be composed of notes in high octaves. At the royal house of Gwalior, Raja Mansingh Tomar (1486–1516 CE) also participated in the shift from Sanskrit to the local idiom (Hindi) as the language for classical songs. He himself penned several volumes of compositions on religious and secular themes, and was also responsible for the major compilation, the Mankutuhal (â€Å"Book of Curiosity†), which outlined the major forms of music prevalent at the time. In particular, the musical form known as dhrupad saw considerable development in his court and remained a strong point of the Gwalior gharana for many centuries. After the dissolution of the Mughal empire, the patronage of music continued in smaller princely kingdoms like Lucknow, Patiala, and Banaras, giving rise to the diversity of styles that is today known as gharanas. Many musician families obtained large grants of land which made them self sufficient, at least for a few generations (e.g. the Sham Chaurasia gharana). Meanwhile the Bhakti and Sufi traditions continued to develop and interact with the different gharanas and groups. Modern era Until the late 19th century, Hindustani classical music was imparted on a one-on-one basis through the guru-shishya (â€Å"mentor-protà ©gà ©Ã¢â‚¬ ) tradition. This system had many benefits, but also several drawbacks; in many cases, the shishya had to spend most of his time serving his guru with a hope that the guru might teach him a â€Å"cheez† (piece or nuance) or two. In addition, the system forced the music to be limited to a small subsection of the Indian community. To a large extent it was limited to the palaces and dance halls. It was shunned by the intellectuals, avoided by the educated middle class, and in general looked down upon as a frivolous practice.[5] Then a fortunate turn of events started the renaissance of Hindustani classical music. First, as the power of the maharajahs and nawabs declined in early 20th century, so did their patronage. With the expulsion of Wajid Ali Shah to Calcutta after 1857, the Lucknavi musical tradition came to influence the mus ic of renaissance in Bengal, giving rise to the tradition of Ragpradhan gan around the turn of the century. Also, at the turn of the century, two great stars emerged on the horizon: Vishnu Digambar Paluskar and Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande. Independent of each other, they spread Hindustani classical music to the masses in general, and the Marathi middle class in particular. These two gentlemen brought classical music to the masses by organizing music conferences, starting schools, teaching music in class-rooms, and devising a standardized grading and testing system, and by standardizing the notation system.[6] Vishnu Digambar Paluskar emerged as a talented musician and organizer despite having been blinded at age 12. His books on music, as well as the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya music school that he opened in Lahore in 1901, helped foster a movement away from the closed gharana system. Paluskar’s contemporary (and occasional rival) Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande recognized the many rifts that had appeared in the structure of Indian classical music. He undertook extensive research visits to a large number of gharanas, Hindustani as well as Carnatic, collecting and comparing compositions. Between 1909 and 1932, he produced the monumental four-volume work Hindustani Sangeetha Padhathi,[7] which suggested a transcription for Indian music, and described the ma ny traditions in this notation. Finally,mit consolidated the many musical forms of Hindustani classical music into a number of thaats (modes), subsequent to the Melakarta system that reorganized Carnatic tradition in the 17th century. The ragas as they exist today were consolidated in this landmark work, although there are some inconsistencies and ambiguities in Bhatkande’s system. In modern times, the government-run All India Radio, Bangladesh Betar and Radio Pakistan helped to bring the artists to public attention, countering the loss of the patronage system. The first star was Gauhar Jan, whose career was born out of Fred Gaisberg’s first recordings of Indian music in 1902. With the advance of films and other public media, musicians started to make their living through public performances. As India was exposed to Western music, some Western melodies started merging with classical forms, especially in popular music. A number of Gurukuls, such as that of Alauddin Khan at Maihar, flourished. In more modern times, corporate support has also been forthcoming, as at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy. Meanwhile, Hindustani classical music has become popular across the world through the influence of artists such as Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan. Principles of Hindustani music The rhythmic organization is based on rhythmic patterns called tala. The melodic foundations are called ragas. One possible classification of ragas is into â€Å"melodic modes† or â€Å"parent scales†, known as thaats, under which most ragas can be classified based on the notes they use. Thaats may consist of up to seven scale degrees, or swara. Hindustani musicians name these pitches using a system called Sargam, the equivalent of the Western movable do solfege: Sa (Shadaj) = Do Re (Rishab) = Re Ga (Gandhar) = Mi Ma (Madhyam) = Fa Pa (Pancham) = So Dha (Dhaivat) = La Ni (Nishad) = Ti Sa (Shadaj) = Do Both systems repeat at the octave. The difference between sargam and solfege is that re, ga, ma, dha, and ni can refer to either â€Å"Natural† (shuddha) or altered â€Å"Flat† (komal) or â€Å"Sharp† (tivra) versions of their respective scale degrees. As with movable do solfege, the notes are heard relative to an arbitrary tonic that varies from performance to performance, rather than to fixed frequencies, as on a xylophone. The fine intonational differences between different instances of the same swara are called srutis. The three primary registers of Indian classical music are mandra (lower), madhya (middle) and taar (upper). Since the octave location is not fixed, it is also possible to use provenances in mid-register (such as mandra-madhya or madhya-taar) for certain ragas. A typical rendition of Hindustani raga involves two stages: Alap: a rhythmically free improvisation on the rules for the raga in order to give life to the raga and flesh out its character istics. The alap is followed by a long slow-tempo improvisation in vocal music, or by the jod and jhala in instrumental music. Bandish or Gat: a fixed, melodic composition set in a specific raga, performed with rhythmic accompaniment by a tabla or pakhavaj. There are different ways of systematizing the parts of a composition. For example: Sthaayi: The initial, rondo phrase or line of a fixed, melodic composition. Antara: The first body phrase or line of a fixed, melodic composition. Sanchaari: The third body phrase or line of a fixed, melodic composition, seen more typically in dhrupad bandishes Aabhog: The fourth and concluding body phrase or line of a fixed, melodic composition, seen more typically in Dhrupad bandishes. There are three variations of bandish, regarding tempo: Vilambit bandish: A slow and steady melodic composition, usually in largo to adagio speeds. Madhyalaya bandish: A medium tempo melodic competition, usually set in andante to allegretto speeds. Drut bandish: A fast tempo melodic composition, usually set to allegretto speed or faster. Hindustani classical music is primarily vocal-centric, insofar as the musical forms were designed primarily for vocal performance, and many instruments were designed and evaluated as to how well they emulate the human voice. Types of compositions The major vocal forms or styles associated with Hindustani classical music are dhrupad, khyal, and tarana. Other forms include dhamar, trivat, chaiti, kajari, tappa, tap-khyal, ashtapadis, thumri, dadra, ghazal and bhajan; these are folk or semi-classical or light classical styles, as they often do not adhere to the rigorous rules of classical music. Dhrupad Main article: Dhrupad Dhrupad is an old style of singing, traditionally performed by male singers. It is performed with a tambura and a pakhawaj as instrumental accompaniments. The lyrics, some of which were written in Sanskrit centuries ago, are presently often sung in brajbhasha, a medieval form of North and East Indian languages that was spoken in Eastern India. The rudra veena, an ancient string instrument, is used in instrumental music in dhrupad. Dhrupad music is primarily devotional in theme and content. It contains recitals in praise of particular deities. Dhrupad compositions begin with a relatively long and acyclic alap, where the syllables of the following mantra is recited: â€Å"Om Anant tam Taran Tarini Twam Hari Om Narayan, Anant Hari Om Narayan†. The alap gradually unfolds into more rhythmic jod and jhala sections. These sections are followed by a rendition of bandish, with the pakhawaj as an accompaniment. The great Indian musician Tansen sang in the dhrupad style. A lighter form of dhrupad, called dhamar, is sung primarily during the festival of Holi. Dhrupad was the main form of northern Indian classical music until two centuries ago, when it gave way to the somewhat less austere khyal, a more free-form style of singing. Since losing its main patrons among the royalty in Indian princely states, dhrupad risked becoming extinct in the first half of the twentieth century. However, the efforts by a few proponents from the Dagar family have led to its revival and eventual popularization in India and in the West. Some of the best known vocalists who sing in the Dhrupad style are the members of the Dagar lineage, including the senior Dagar brothers, Nasir Moinuddin and Nasir Aminuddin Dagar; the junior Dagar brothers, Nasir Zahiruddin and Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar; and Wasifuddin, Fariduddin, and Sayeeduddin Dagar. Other leading exponents include the Gundecha Brothers, who have received training from some of the Dagars. Leading vocalists outside the Dagar lineage include the Mallik family of Darbhanga tradition of musicians; some of the leading exponents of this tradition were Ram Chatur Mallick, Siyaram Tiwari, and Vidur Mallick. A section of dhrupad singers of Delhi Gharana from Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s court migrated to Bettiah under the patronage of the Bettiah Raj, giving rise to the Bettiah Gharana.[8] Bishnupur Gharana, based in West Bengal, is a key school that has been propagating this style of singing since Mughal times. Khyal Main article: Khyal Khyal is a Hindustani form of vocal music, adopted from medieval Persian music and based on Dhrupad. Khyal, literally meaning â€Å"thought† or â€Å"imagination† in Hindustani, is unusual as it is based on improvising and expressing emotion. A Khyal is a two- to eight-line lyric set to a melody. The lyric is of an emotional account possibly from poetic observation.[clarification needed] Khyals are also popular for depicting the emotions between two lovers, situations of ethological significance in Hinduism and Islam, or other situations evoking intense feelings. Th importance of the Khyal’s content is for the singer to depict, through music in the set raga, the emotional significance of the Khyal. The singer improvises and finds inspiration within the raga to depict the Khyal. The origination of Khyal is controversial, although it is accepted that this style was based on Dhrupad and influenced by Persian music. Many argue that Amir Khusrau created the style in the late 16th century. This form was popularized by Mughal Emperor Mohammad Shah, through his court musicians. Some well-known composers of this period were Sadarang, Adarang, and Manrang. [edit]Tarana Main article: Tarana Another vocal form, taranas are medium- to fast-paced songs that are used to convey a mood of elation and are usually performed towards the end of a concert. They consist of a few lines of poetry with soft syllables or bols set to a tune. The singer uses these few lines as a basis for fast improvisation. The tillana of Carnatic music is based on the tarana, although the former is primarily associated with dance. Tappa Main article: Tappa Tappa is a form of Indian semi-classical vocal music whose specialty is its rolling pace based on fast, subtle, knotty construction. It originated from the folk songs of the camel riders of Punjab and was developed as a form of classical music by Mian Ghulam Nabi Shori or Shori Mian, a court singer for Asaf-Ud-Dowlah, the Nawab of Awadh. â€Å"Nidhubabur Tappa†, or tappas sung by Nidhu Babu were very popular in 18th and 19th-century Bengal. Among the living performers of this style are Laxmanrao Pandit, Shamma Khurana, Manvalkar, Girija Devi, Ishwarchandra Karkare, and Jayant Khot. Thumri Main article: Thumri Thumri is a semi-classical vocal form said to have begun in Uttar Pradesh with the court of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, (r. 1847–1856). There are three types of thumri: poorab ang, Lucknavi and Punjabi thumri. The lyrics are typically in a proto-Hindi language called Brij Bhasha and are usually romantic. Some recent performers of this genre are Abdul Karim Khan, the brothers Barkat Ali Khan and Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Begum Akhtar, Girija Devi, Beauty Sharma Barua, Nazakat-Salamat Ali Khan, Prabha Atre, Siddheshwari Devi, and Shobha Gurtu. Ghazal Main article: Ghazal Ghazal is an originally Persian form of poetry. In the Indian sub-continent, Ghazal became the most common form of poetry in the Urdu language and was popularized by classical poets like Mir Taqi Mir, Ghalib, Daagh, Zauq and Sauda amongst the North Indian literary elite. Vocal music set to this mode of poetry is popular with multiple variations across Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, Turkey, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Ghazal exists in multiple variations, including semi-classical, folk and pop forms. Instrumental music The Royal Musicians of Hindustan circa 1910: Ali Khan, Inayat Khan, Musheraff Khan and Maheboob Khan Although Hindustani music clearly is focused on the vocal performance, instrumental forms have existed since ancient times. In fact, in recent decades, especially outside South Asia, instrumental Hindustani music is more popular than vocal music, partly due to a somewhat different style and faster tempo, and partly because of a language barrier for the lyrics in vocal music. A number of musical instruments are associated with Hindustani classical music. The veena, a string instrument, was traditionally regarded as the most important, but few play it today and it has largely been superseded by its cousins the sitar and the sarod, both of which owe their origin to Persian influences. Other plucked or struck string instruments include the surbahar, sursringar, santoor, and various versions of the slide guitar. Among bowed instruments, the sarangi, esraj and violin are popular. The bansuri, shehnai and harmonium are important wind instruments. In the percussion ensemble, the tabla and the pakhavaj are the most popular. Various other instruments have also been used in varying degrees.

My Project Work,

CHAPTER ONE 1. 0 INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Background Organisations, both private and public, in today’s dynamic marketplace and market space are increasingly leaving antiquated marketing philosophies and strategies to the adoption of more customer-driven initiatives that seek to understand, attract, retain and build intimate long term relationship with profitable customers (Kotler, 2006; Gronroos, C 1994; Paradise-Tornow, 1991; Narver and Slater, 1990).This paradigm shift has undoubtedly led to the growing interest in customer relations, management initiatives that aim at ensuring customer identification and interactions, customisation and personalisation that unreservedly lead to customer satisfaction, retention and profitability, among other things (Thompson, 2004; Gronroos et al. , 1996; Xu et al, 2002; Dyche, 2001; Ryals & Knox, 2001; Stone, 2000). Organisations are therefore increasingly being more customer-centric and are much interested not just in acquiring new customers, but more importantly, retaining existing customers.This is perhaps because it costs more to attract new customers than to retain existing ones. It is believed that the average business spends six (6) times more to attract new customers than to retain old customers. Again it is more profitable retaining an old customer who is more likely to re-purchase or re-use a company’s products/services and recommend them to others. Customer retention is, therefore, basically a product of customer loyalty and value which in turn is a function of the level of customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction (Reichheld, 1996).Customer satisfaction is central to the customer-centric paradigm shift, and has gained much attention from scholars and practitioners as it has become one of the cardinal means for achieving quality improvement programmes, and one of the crucial foci of strategic marketing management in business organisations that have long-term perspective for growth. This is because of the int riguing findings, that satisfied customers are more likely to remain loyal and committed to an organisation which eventually leads to profits as opined by the popular service-profit-chain proponents (Heskett et al. 1994; Heskett et al. , 1997; Reichheld and Sasser, 1990). In this regard, it is a fact that a very satisfied customer is nearly six times more likely to be loyal and to re-purchase and/or recommend a product than a customer who is just satisfied. It is again believed that satisfied customers tell five other people about their good treatment, and that five-percent increase in loyalty can increase profits by 25% – 85%. Conversely, the average customer with a problem eventually tells eight (8) to ten (10) other people (SPSS White paper 1996; Limayem M. , 2007).Consequently, organizationsattempt to adoptmeasures to ascertain customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction. Some organisations traditionally rely on customer complains to ascertain customer satisfaction. Unfortunate ly the average business firm never hears from 96% of their unhappy customers and 91% will never come back; they get back; only 4% of dissatisfied customers will complain (SPSS White paper 1996). Consequently, the shift toward the recognition of effective customer satisfaction and its measurement has led companies to change their paradigms about satisfying customers.Many organisations no longer use only customer complains; rather they adopt rigorous qualitative and quantitative mechanisms to measure customer satisfaction. In this regard, measuring customer satisfaction provides the feedback of how successful an organization is at providing products and/or services to the satisfaction of customers at the marketplace and market space. This makes it imperative for organisations to take pragmatic and reliable steps towards improving the quality of service delivery, managing customer value and satisfaction more effectively.The shift to devoting considerable attention and resources to cust omer acquisition and retention through customer satisfaction is not different with the six mobile telecommunication networks in Ghana, namely MTN of Scancom Ghana Ltd, Tigo of Millicom Ghana Ltd, Airtel of Airtel Ghana Ltd, Kasapa of Kasapa Telecom, Glo of Glo Ghana Ltd and Vodafone of Vodafone Ghana Ltd. Though competition has been keen in the industry, each of the five operating mobile networks (MTN, Tigo, Vodafone, Airtel and Kasapa) has been growing in customer acquisition since Ghana deregulated its telecommunication sector in 1994.According to NCA statistics, (December, 2011), the number of registered mobile phones and fixed lines in Ghana is 21,450,564 which represents 89. 4% of Ghana’s estimated 24 million people comprising of 88. 2 mobile penetration and 1. 2 fixed line penetration. Going by the NCA figures in December, 2011, MTN commands 48% market share, Vodafone 20. 2%, Tigo follows with 18. 53%, Airtel comes in at 12. 4% and Expresso trails with a relatively insi gnificant 0. 88%. Each of the telecom network companies is continually improving upon the quality of their service delivery in order to survive the high competition in the industry.Since survival and growth or financial outcome is driven by customer loyalty and retention which is in turn is driven by customer satisfaction and value (Rust and Oliver, 1994; Wang and Hing-Po Lo, 2002), delivering quality service and customer satisfaction have been important goals and pursuit for each of the four expanding Mobile Telecom Networks as well as the regulators of the industry 1. 2Problem Statement Tanina is a community in Wa West District of the Upper West Region with a population of 2194.With six (6) registered mobile telecommunication network nationwide, Tanina is privileged to have four (4) available networks; MTN, Vodafone, Airtel and Tigo with MTN having the highest subscribers. The problem of this study is propelled by the numerous complaints by MTN users about the bad nature of their networks in rural areas in the Upper West Region which Tanina is part of. The state of customer satisfaction with service delivery is not clear as there is scanty documentation of the issue. According to a discussion paper on telecom developments and investments in Ghana (Frempong & Henten, February 2004, p. ), the authors noted that â€Å"the goals set by government have only partly been met – especially with respect to the development in rural areas – and the quality of service is still low and has even deteriorated on some indicators. There is, therefore, a widespread dissatisfaction with the general telecom development in Ghana among users as well as policy decision makers and administrators. † Since the past decade, the industry has witnessed a tremendous increase in subscriber growth rate for all the mobile telecom operators (ITU 2008; Africa ICT indicators 2007).This growth trend could not be attributed to customer satisfaction; it is fundamentally due to the substantial growth in investment and expansion of network access during the last decade. This seems a success story, and there are high hopes that the service quality delivered by the Mobile Telecommunication Networks meets customer expectations, ideal service, or satisfaction. However, since 2006, there had been many complaints from customers about the service delivery of the mobile telecom networks in Ghana (BIZ Community. com October, 2007), notably MTN Ghana Limited.As a result, a statement released by the National Communications Authority (NCA) in Ghana profusely lamented that in spite of the appreciable growth and expansion recorded in the industry, â€Å"the quality of service is anything but good† (BIZ Community. com, October 19, 2007). The NCA further gave some Mobile Telecommunication Networks an ultimatum to improve upon their services within thirty-days. Evidently, the growth trend in the mobile telecom industry in Ghana does not provide empirical support for the claim that customers are satisfied with the service delivery of the telecom providers in Ghana. 1. 3General ObjectiveAssess the level of satisfaction among MTN subscribers in Tanina. 1. 4Specific Objectives * To find out how MTN to MTN calls or MTN to other networks or other networks to MTN calls effective in Tanina. * To ascertain what MTN product(s) or service(s) is/are most preferred. * To examine how convenient MTN subscribers have access to their helpline (111) in Tanina. * To find out whether users of MTN internet broadband are satisfied with the service or not. 1. 5Research Questions * Are MTN to MTN calls or is MTN to other networks or other networks to MTN calls effective in Tanina. * What MTN product(s) or service(s) is/are most preferred. How convenient do MTN subscribers have access to their helpline (111) in Tanina * How satisfied are MTN users with their internet/ broadband service in Tanina? 1. 6Research Methodology 1. 6. 1 Sample Size Target Population: the targ et group was both MTN users and non-users in Tanina. Out of the total population of 2194, it was assumed that 658 people representing 30% of the total population are mobile phone users who are our sample size. A sample size for the study comprised 130 respondents representing 20% of the targeted population. 1. 6. 1 Sampling Techniques Purposive sampling was the technique employed by the group.This enabled the group to identify MTN and non MTN subscribers because they have the necessary knowledge needed for the study. 1. 6. 2 Sources of Data Collection The data was obtained from both primary and secondary sources. In this study the primary data was obtained from our targeted group (1300 respondents). Secondary data on the other hand was collected from current and previous report at MTN Regional office in Wa, 1. 6. 3 Methods of Data Collection Separate focus group discussion comprising of 10 people each and interviews was used to collect data from the illiterates and literates respect ively. 1. 6. Tools of Data Collection A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. 1. 6. 5 Techniques of Data Analysis Data collected was analyzed using quantitative and qualitative techniques. Quantitative data analysis was used to assess figures whiles qualitative would be used to assess the level of customer satisfaction. 1. 7Significance of the Study The study will lay bare the problems of MTN service delivery to its customers and stakeholders in rural areas and the nation at large. To step up the quality of service delivery in Upper West Region especially in rural areas like Tanina. 1. 8Anticipated LimitationThe anticipated limitation that would be encountered during this research includes; Language barriers: the translation or explaining questionnaire into their local dialect perfectly will be a problem since none of the group members can speak the language and limitation of vocabularies in the dialect. Finance: The finance and material resource needed for a lar ger sample size for this study is inadequate. 1. 9Organisation The organization of the study would be centered on five chapters Chapter One (1) and two (2) would consist of introduction, background, problem statement, main and specific research objectives, significance of the study, esearch methodology, limitation, references as well as physical resources base, the socio-demographic characteristics, spatial distribution of settlement among others. Chapter three (3) and four (4) would also consist of literature which involves the review of document relevant to the area of study and data presentation and analysis on sources, types and techniques of data collection and analysis respectively. The final chapter will talk about the conclusion, summary and recommendation. CHAPTER TWO 2. 0 PROFILE OF TANINA COMMUNITY . 1 Physical and Resource Base 2. 1. 1 Location Upper West is one of the ten administrative regions in Ghana. The region is located at the north-western corner of Ghana and it is boarded by Burkina-Faso to the north, Ivory Coast to the west, Northern region to the south and Upper East region to the east. Wa is the capital of Upper west region of Ghana and it is mainly inhabited by the Wala people with a majority of the inhabitants being Muslims. Wa East district is one of the eight administrative districts of the Upper West region.The district shares boundaries with west Mamprusi to the north-west, West Gonja to the south-east and the Sisala East district to the north. It has a land mass of about 1078km2, which lies between latitude 905511N and 1002511N and longitude 101011W and 20511W. Tanina is one of the communities under the Bulenga Area council under the Wa West district. It is located in south-western corner of the district and it is about eighty-seven miles from the district capital, Funsi. It shares boundaries to the north with Piisi, Poyentanga to the south, Polee to the west and Loggu to the east. . 1. 2 Relief and Drainage The landform in the c ommunity is gently sloped towards the east and undulating in nature. The soil is clayey and due to the gentle sloppy nature of the land, drainage is fairly good. The nature of the soil and rock formation in the community makes water seepage a bit hard resulting in run offs in to water bodies which has contributed immensely to the expansion of irrigation farming in the dry season. 2. 1. 3 Climate and Vegetation The climate is the tropical equatorial which prevails throughout the Northern part of Ghana.There is a single rainfall period which spans between the months of May and October supporting farming activities in the area. The other season which is between the months of November and April usually is dry and accompanied by harmattan winds which reduces farming activities since these activities are mostly rain fed. The community falls within the guinea savanna zone which is associated with short thick trees, shrubs and grasses of varying heights. It is also endowed with economic tre ss like dawadawa, baobab, shea and nim trees which contain medicinal properties. 2. 1. 4 Soil and GeologyThe soil found in most parts of the community is clayey in nature with trace amounts of gravel whilst the farming areas are clayey loam. Soil associations that exist are the Wenchi-Varempere, Wenchi-Baleufill, Wenchi-Tafali, which are fairly distributed to marginally suitable areas for crop production. These series have similar characteristics to the S-rated soils and are thus suitable for mechanized irrigated cultivation of some export and food crops. The community is surrounded by extrusive an igneous rock which is believed to contain traces of granite. 2. 2 Socio-demographic characteristics 2. 2. 1 Population SizeAccording to the 2000 population and housing census, a population of 1922 was realized; the district had a project population of 2191, 2234 and 2277 for 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively. However it was realized from the groups study that the total population of Tanina is currently 2194 and out of this, the males were 1047 representing 48. 8% and females were 1145 representing 52. 8% of the total population. This increase in population could be as a result of high birth rate and low death rate. 2. 2. 2 Age Distribution AGE GROUP| NUMBER OF PEOPLE| PERCENTAGES(%)| 0-17| 980| 44. 7| 18-54| 827| 37. 7| 55+| 387| 17. 6| TOTAL| 2194| 100|Table 2. 1. 1 Age Distribution 2. 2. 3 Ethnicity, Religion, Kinship Inheritance and Marriage Tanina is inhabited by two major tribes namely the Walas who represent 94% of the total population, the Dagaabas who represent 5% and other tribes namely Akans and Fulaanis taking up the rest of the 1% of the total population. Information also gathered revealed that there are three main religions being practiced in the community, namely; Islam, Christianity and the African traditional religion with Islam being the most dominant. 92% of them practiced Islam, 6% were Christians whilst the remaining 2% belong to the African tradi tional religion.The patrilineal system of inheritance is practiced by the inhabitants with majority of the people practicing Polygamy as a system of marriage. 2. 2. 4 Economy The economy of the community is mostly driven by agriculture with commerce and industrial sectors being least developed. Out of a sample of fifty houses that was studied, 90% of the people were engaged in agricultural activities like farming and the rearing of animals, 6% were in to trading whilst the remaining 4% were engaged in the local industries and service sectors available in the community. . 2. 4. 1 Agriculture Tanina is endowed with fertile soil which makes the cultivation of crops very productive so it is therefore not surprising that it is the backbone of the economy. The people are both commercial and subsistence farmers but dominantly subsistence. Mixed cropping, mixed farming and mono cropping are some of the farming systems adopted by the people to yield positive results with the help of simple f arm tools like hoes, cutlasses, dibbers and many others, only a few farmers use tractors and bullocks for cultivation of crops.The chief is the custodian of the land so he has the sole power to give out land to individuals who want to undertake farming activities in the community but however, some individuals own family lands which they could use for this purpose. Agriculture in the community like all communities in the three northern regions is mostly rain-fed which results in seasonal unemployment in the dry season. However, there are two dams that have been constructed in the community to serve domestic and irrigation purposes during the long dry season.Productivity is affected mainly by the lack of ready market for perishable crops, small farm size, and absence of a community market and high cost of transportation. Since there are no markets in the community, marketing of agricultural produce and livestock is carried out in nearby community markets and at home. When it comes to the issue of financing agriculture in the community, the people rely mainly on their personal savings and sales from their previous harvest. They also relied on family labour as well as hired labour to support their agricultural activities.The industrial sector of the community is comprised of several activities such as soap making, shea butter processing, dawadawa processing, rice processing and charcoal burning and all of them are undertaken and dominated by the women. The community is abound with the necessary raw materials needed to power these industries but these activities sometimes have a negative impact o the physical environment, for instance bush burning caused by the charcoal burners, indiscriminate felling of trees, pollution and many others. 2. 2. 5 CommunicationIn the traditional institution, information flows from the chief through the sub-chiefs to the council of elders, then to the family heads and finally to the community members and vice versa. With regards to th e modern institution, information flows from the district assembly through the assembly man who discusses it with the unit committee and then to the entire community members and vice versa. There is a cordial and cooperative relationship existing between the two institutions as a result of mutual understanding and respect for each other’s views.The flow chart below depicts the flow of information in the community. TRADITIONAL MODERN CHIEF DISTRICT ASSEMBLY SUB-CHIEFS ASSEMBLY MAN COUNCIL OF ELDERS UNIT COMMITTEE FAMILY HEADS COMMUNITY MEMBERS COMMUNITY MEMBERSIn Tanina community, the modern political institutions take decisions in consultation with the traditional authority dominated by men with the exclusion of women. The political institutions consults with the social institutions for prayers and the social institutions in turn rely on the political institutions for protection an d maintenance of law and order in the community. Special preferences are given to men than wom en in the community; this is evident since women are not allowed to hold certain positions like family heads, clan heads and also to play leadership roles in major decision making activities for the community.However, the women work hard by playing an assisting role by providing labor on farms aside their numerous domestic chores. 2. 2. 6 Health and Education Tanina lacks a health facility so the people usually rely on the expertise of traditional healers based in the community. These herbalists cure a variety of diseases and ailments like stomach ache, headache, epilepsy, snake bites, fever and many other common illnesses. Due to the vantage location of the community, most serious illnesses are either referred to the Poyentanga clinic or the Wa regional hospital.In some cases, the people patronize the services of chemical stores in the community in order to acquire drugs to cure their health conditions which are usually without a doctor’s prescription, this leads to the inci dence of self-medication which only causes harm than good. The people have been able to practice good food nutrition by balancing their meals to contain all the necessary components of a balanced diet. They eat plant and animal protein as well as vegetables which are prepared under hygienic conditions.From studies conducted in the community in 2011 by UDS students in the community, it was realized that the percentage of trained teachers in the school is encouraging, that is 58. 35% as against 41. 35% untrained. Moreover, the teacher –pupil ratio in the school was 1:35 which is below the national ratio of 1:45. The school lacks a library facility, electricity to facilitate night classes, funds for renovation of deplorable infrastructure and inadequate staff, furniture, teaching and learning materials which has contributed to poor academic performance on the part of the students. . 2. 7 Water and Sanitation The main source of portable drinking water in the community is bore-hol es. Even though, they get access to the Zoomlion service which is not effective, the sanitary conditions of the community is not the best, there exists no sewage disposal systems. Solid and liquid waste from local industries and houses are disposed of in to the open environment. Places used as refuse sites have become heaped and produce foul scents which pose harm to human health. CHAPTER THREE 3. 0 LITERATURE REVIEW . 1 Development of Mobile Telecommunication 3. 1. 2 Definition and Brief Historical Perspective Mobile Telecommunication refers to the exchange of information, ideas and thoughts through the medium of a mobile phone, telephone or wireless network. According to the World International Property Organisation (n. d), ‘‘a mobile communications system/network refers generally to any telecommunications system which enables wireless communication when users are moving within the service area of the system.A typical mobile communications system is a Public Land Mobil e Network (PLMN). ’’ Until the invention of modern technology, the use of semaphore, flags, heliograph, relay runners; riders and criers, smoke signals, drum, and light signals; message-carrying pigeons, and even the postal system were the traditional long-distance communication media (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Telecommunication, downloaded on 10th August 2008). According to Balasubramanian et al. , (2002, p. 49), ‘‘the first transmission involving a single mobile platform occurred in June 1898, when Marconi transmitted a radio signal over 42 miles between a French naval vessel and the Wimereux shore station. The first transmission between a mobile transmitter and a mobile receiver occurred in July 1898 when aboard the Royal Navy warship Juno, Marconi received messages from the warships Alexandra and Europa at ranges of up to 45 miles. The first mobile telephone call occurred in June 1946, when a truck driver in St.Louis, Missouri, placed a telephone c all using a handset from under his vehicle’s dashboard. Utilities, truckers, and news reporters rapidly adopted this technology and nearly 100 cities and highway corridors and access to mobile telephone service by 1948. The technologies were very expensive then. The cellular phone concept that currently supports the bulk of mobile communication was developed in 1947 at Bell Laboratories. ’’ Today there are many different types and kinds of mobile phones that are used with supporting network for communication.These mobiles have different features and powerful capabilities. Apart from the basic use of making and receiving calls and messages; some can be used to play music, video, games, store considerable amount of personal data, access banking services with internet capabilities (e-mails, e-order/procurement etc), among other uses. Mobile communications systems have been developed because of the increasing need to free users to move away from fixed telephone term inals without impairing availability of users.Mobile technology has rapidly developed from first generation (1G), second generation (2G), third generation (3G) to beyond third generation (3. 5G and 4G) mobile technology that uses digital wireless technology that supports faster display of multimedia and global roaming 3. 1. 3 Players and Role of Mobile Telecommunication Mobile communication network providers, in delivering services to customers, operate in an environment that involves purposeful relationships and interactions between several actors in many activities and with different resources.Some of the players in mobile telecom industry providing services to the customers at their various locations are: the mobile operator who provides the location positioning infrastructure that tells where the customer is; the content provider that delivers the information; the supplier that combines the information with the location information and makes it location relevant; and the platfor ms through which the customers can access the services (Harter 2000). Therefore it appears that any mobile telecom network needs to have several key players along its value chain in delivering services to its customers (Pura M. 005). Mobile telecommunication plays a major role in today’s information technology-driven world of business. Nigel Scott et al. , (2004, p 14 &15) observe that ‘‘one might expect most calls to be related to economic issues; research confirms that at present in Africa, it is social uses that drive phone use amongst the poor. â€Å"Chatting† and â€Å"keeping in touch† are the most common use of phones. This is of value because it strengthens social capital through improved networking with friends and family. Other social calls concerning urgent matters (e. g. funerals and festivals) and financial matters (e. . call to family members working in cities to ask for money) rank highly and business and official/government matters cu rrently rank the lowest. Calls enable people to save time, increase production (business), diversify (e. g. crops, goods in shops), and to get news. Together this means that phones have a positive impact on improved incomes, reduced risk, and an improved sense of well-being. ’’ Some of the roles played by mobile telecommunication are: †¢ It is an enabler of Mobile commerce and promotes dissemination of useful information to entrepreneurs and enhancing business creation (Adjei Boadi R. amp; Gause Shaik A. 2006; Sahlfeld M. 2007; Nodh & Nodh 2007). †¢ It is a source of employment for many people whose jobs are created and/or facilitateddirectly or indirectly by the existence of mobile telecommunication (Adjei Boadi R. & Gause Shaik A. 2006). †¢ It is a significant source of revenue not only for its business operators but also to governments through taxes paid by income earners in the mobile telecom industry (Adjei Boadi R. & Gause S. A. 2006). †¢ It i s a cheap means of communication and therefore cost-effective since it reduces the cost of travel. Nodh & Nodh 2007) †¢ It enhances the convenience of instantaneous communication. Mobile phones were introduced so we could communicate when â€Å"on the move† and the capabilities have now expanded beyond their initial function for talk: you can now use mobile phones to access/receive a range of information wherever you are. A mobile phone allows you to be accessible at all times, wherever you are. It can help improve communication between staff and customers, particularly business to business customers that may involve travelling (Adjei Boadi R. amp; Gause Shaik A. 2006). Some of the arguments raised against the use of mobile phones are that: †¢ It elicits more unwanted calls as a result of being accessible from anywhere in the country. †¢ There is a potential cost of using a mobile phone for business, and the costs will be so high as to damage their business. Th is is a potential danger, particularly when employees are using business mobiles, as there is a risk that some employees could misuse the phone raising bills massively. It is hazardous to the human health in that it causes difficulty in concentration when driving, fatigue, and headache; cancer, increase reaction time in a time time-dependent manner, infertility in man, and many other diseases. The use of mobile phones increases the risk of road accidents that couldhaveneverhappenedwithoutphones. (http://www. controlyourimpact. com/2008/03/disadvantages-of-mobile-phones/phones/) 3. 2 Description of Telephone Service Providers in Ghana Telecommunication service providers in Ghana over the years have increased from three to six in the last ten years.Most of the service providers in the mobile telecom industry, particularly the GSM service providers are all multi-national companies. It has been revealed that the main reasons of their coming to Ghana is either a complete buy out of local interest or they go in for a foreign-local partnership in which they are going to be the majority shareholders. (www. nca. org. gh) According to NCA statistics, (December, 2011), the number of registered mobile phones and fixed lines in Ghana is 21,450,564 which represents 89. 4% of Ghana’s estimated 24 million people comprising of 88. 2 mobile penetration and 1. fixed line penetration. Going by the NCA figures in December, 2011, MTN commands 48% market share, Vodafone 20. 2%, Tigo follows with 18. 53%, Airtel comes in at 12. 4% and Expresso trails with a relatively insignificant 0. 88%. Each of the telecom network companies is continually improving upon the quality of their service delivery in order to survive the high competition in the industry 3. 3 Licensing The National Communication Authority (NCA) is the only institution mandated by the Government to give license to prospective telecommunication firms wanting to operate in Ghana.The main reasons for the licenses are t o check unauthorized firms operating without the knowledge of the Government. The licensing is done in an open, non-discriminatory, and transparent manner. The NCA in consultations with the Ministry of Communication determines the application criteria, procedures and terms of conditions associated with the license. The National Communication Authority (NCA) has the right to withdraw the license of firms. Licenses fees are determined by the National Communication Authority in consultation with the Ministry of Communication’s.Licenses for Mobile phone service providers are based on the usage of the national resources like the electromagnetic spectrum. (www. nca. org. gh) 3. 4 Competition Policy The National Communication Authority has the competition policy in place to make sure there is fair, transparent and non-discriminatory telecommunication market environment. In every society where there is more than one firm operating in the same field there is always competitions among them and one will be better than the other. In the telecommunication sector of Ghana there are five active different service providers that operate in the country.The policy is to ensure that these service providers work in harmony with each other. The National Communication Authority has the mandate to determine specific procedures, rules, regulation and administrative structures to ensure the competitiveness of this policy. The policy makes sure that small and big service providers are all treated in an equal and fair manner. (www. nca. org. gh) 3. 5 Customer Protection Strategies Companies need to know the factors that lead to satisfaction or dissatisfaction of a product with their existing and past customers to define future plans for operation and marketing.Getting a real insight about the customer views on MTN products or services requires efficient and in-depth market research covering all aspects of general customer behavior attributes. MTN Company conducts personal intervie ws, suggestion surveys, feedback forums etc. to gain the customer behavior for the product and the company. (www. mtn. com. gh) 3. 6 Building Customer Satisfaction Customers has become quality conscious and companies have started quality control programs in their manufacturing and retailing operations.The products offered need to meet the expectations of the customer. In certain cases of relationship marketing, telecommunication companies try to overwhelm the customers with so much value that he does not think of going for a competitive product. In the competitive business environment, a business transaction does not end with a sale. The company tries to constantly update the customers regarding new product offerings and discounts to the privileged customers. Customers are the king, understanding their expectations and behavioral patterns is the key to business success. www. mtn. com. gh) 3. 7 Marketing Mix Component The Internet has changed the way business is done in the current w orld. The variables of segmentation, targeting and positioning are addressed differently. The way new products and services are marketed have changed even though the aim of business in bringing economic and social values remain unchanged. Indeed, the bottom line of increasing revenue and profit are still the same. Marketing has evolved to more of connectedness, due to the new characteristics brought in by the Internet.Marketing was once seen as a one way, with firms broadcasting their offerings and value proposition. Now it is seen more and more as a conversation between marketers and customers. Marketing efforts incorporate the â€Å"marketing mix†. Promotion is one element of marketing mix embraced by MTN Company. Promotional activities include advertising (by using different media), sales promotion (sales and trades promotion) e. g. MTN promotion phones with free airtime, and personal selling activities e. g. MTN sales boys and girls moving about with MTN phones, sim cards , modems etc .It also includes Internet marketing, sponsorship marketing: E. g. MTN has sponsored a lot of events and programs (such as: FIFA World Cup 2010, and MTN direct marketing, database marketing and public relations. Integration of all these promotional tools, along with other components of marketing mix, is a way to gain an edge over a competitor. (http;//en. wikipedia. org/wiki/marketing mix) 3. 8 MTN and Customer Feedback MTN Company either directly or through a consultancy firm involve in understanding the customer behaviour which decides the success of their product offerings.It conducts personal cross-section interviews with current customers, previous customers and prospective customers to arrive at the vital reasons and facts on the part of the firm in providing customer satisfaction. This feedback helps the company in rebuilding their operational strategies and marketing techniques by improving service standards, delivery systems and payment terms and methods. (www. mtn. com. gh) 3. 9 Role of Ghana Government The Government of Ghana has a very important role to play on how telecommunication and other business group go about their business in the country.Though most telecommunication firms are owned by private investors like MTN, there are rules and regulations they must follow to make work easier and create a very good working environment for other potential investors. The government has to make sure there is equal level field for competitions among various telecommunication service providers. (www. nca. org. gh) The National Communication Authority as a government machinery is mandated to sanction mobile telecommunication companies for poor service delivery or failure to meet core requirements of NCA.On November8, 2011 the NCA issued a statement imposing a fine of GH? 1. 2 million on five mobile telecommunication companies in Ghana. The five; MTN, Vodafone, Airtel, Expresso and Tigo – were penalised for rendering poor services to their clients. The punishment of the five telecommunication companies covers the third quarter of this year and formed part of measures by the telecom regulator to sanction poor quality service delivery offered to clients of the telecommunication companies and also ensure that consumers have value for money.Airtel suffered the heaviest fine of GH? 350,000. According to an NCA report, the network, which has approximately 10 per cent of the market with a total customer base of two million as of the end of August, experienced a lot of traffic channel congestion in Tamale, Sekondi-Takoradi and the Upper East and West, and Greater Accra regions. MTN and Expresso were fined GH? 300,000 each. The former was punished for the same offense as Airtel. Vodafone, which also defaulted in its service quality in three regions – Western, Greater Accra and Brong Ahafo regions – was fined GH? 50,000. Tigo received the least fine of GH? 100,000 after having defaulted in the Western and the thr ee northern regions. (ghanabusinessnews. com/2011/11/08/five-telecom-firms-in-ghana-fined-1. 2m-for-poor-services) The National Communications Authority (NCA) recently fined telecom giant Glo Ghana, US$200,000 for failing to meet a deadline to launch its commercial operations. The Nigeria based telecom giant received the license to operate in Ghana in 2008. It has since been unable to launch commercial activity in the country after a number of announcements to do so.The NCA issued a Mid-April 2012 ultimatum to Glo Ghana to launch or face sanctions ranging from penalty fines to complete withdrawal of license. It launched its commercial operation on 30th April 2012 making it the sixth and last telecom company to operate in Ghana. (businessdailyonline. com/NG/inder. php/media-business/36776-glo-molbile-starts-operations-in-ghana) 3. 10 MTN Ghana Foundation Corporate Responsibility The MTN Ghana Foundation is being set up to manage the corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.Th e philosophy of MTN is closely linked with the principles of Sustainable Development which argue that enterprises should be obliged to make decisions based not only on financial or economic factors, but also on the social, environmental and other consequences of their activities. The MTN Ghana Foundation was launched in November 2007 in Accra, Tamale and Sunyani. The Foundation has been established to direct and manage the corporate social responsibility activities of MTN. The objective of the Foundation is to enhance the socio-economic development of communities where MTN operates.The focus areas for this first year are health and education. These two areas are aligned with national priority and development programmes. (www. mtn. com. gh) With education, MTN Ghana Foundation supported Tsito and Akatsi with educational infrastructure. The foundation commissioned a three (3) unit classroom block and a library for Akatsi D/A Basic School and Tsito Senior Technical High School respecti vely. Prior to the provision, the Akatsi D/A Basic School held classes under trees and Tsito Senior Technical High Schoolalso lacked a school library for student. (www. news. peacefmonline. com/education/201203. hp) MTN Ghana Foundation refurbishes Kpedze Health Centre. the MTN Ghana Foundation, has launched the refurbishment of the Kpedze Health Centre in the Volta Region. The over 30 year old health facility has been struggling with severe structural defects after parts of the building were destroyed through a fire outbreak some few years ago. MTN is investing GH? 160,000 towards the project. The project is expected to be completed within a period of 12 weeks and involves the refurbishment of the physical structure of the main Out Patient Department (OPD) and the maternity block. (www. mtn. com. gh/NewsArtDetails. sp? AID=145&ID=11&FirstParentID=1) CHAPTER FOUR 4. 0 DATA PRESENTATION 4. 1. Background of Analysis 4. 1. 1. Respondents Characteristics Table 4. 1. 1 Respondentsâ€℠¢ Gender Gender| Frequency| Percentage| Male| 84| 64. 62| Female| 46| 35. 38| Total| 130| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) The respondents’ gender as displayed in Table 4. 1. 1 indicates that the males (66. 62%) were more than the females (35. 38%). Table 4. 1. 2 Age of respondents Age/Years| Frequency| Percentage| Below 20| 13| 10| 20 – 29| 36| 27. 69| 30 – 39| 52| 40| 40 – 49| 20| 15. 38| 50 and above| 9| 6. 93| Total| 130| 100|Source: Field survey (June, 2012) Table 4. 1. 2 indicates the respondents’ age. It is obvious that most of them were in the young adult age and economically active group, between the ages of 20 and 39 constituting 67. 69% (27. 69% and 40%), while the rest constitute 30. 31% made up of respondents below 20, between 40 and 49, and 50 years plus. Table 4. 1. 3 Respondents’ Occupation Occupation| Frequency| Percentage| Civil servant | 4| 3. 07| Student| 11| 8. 46| Businessman/woman| 31| 23. 85| Other profession| 8 4| 64. 62| Total| 130| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) Table 4. 1. 3 depicts respondents’ Occupation.Most of the respondents were farmers (other profession) representing 64. 62% followed by businessman/woman 23. 85 %, while 11 % and 4% were students and civil servants respectively. Table 4. 1. 4 Respondents’ Education Level Education Certificate| Frequency| Percentage| BECE| 43| 33. 07| WASSCE| 40| 30. 76| Diploma| 4| 3. 07| Bachelor’s Degree| 0| 0| Post Graduate| 0| 0| Uneducated| 43| 33. 07| Total| 130| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) Figure 4. 1. 4 depicts respondents’ level of education. This shows majority of the respondents are BECE holders and uneducated representing 86%, followed by WASSCE 30. 6% and Diploma 3. 07%. 4. 2 Analysis of MTN to MTN calls or MTN to other networks or other networks to MTN in Tanina. The research used â€Å"satisfied†, â€Å"very satisfied† and â€Å"dissatisfied† to analyze how effectve MTN to MTN, MTN to other networks and other networks to MTN calls were in the community. The table below reveals how respondents felt about MTN to MTN calls in the community. Table 4. 2. 1 MTN to MTN calls MTN to MTN calls| Frequency| Percentage| Satisfied| 22| 16. 92| Very Satisfied| 32| 24. 61| Dissatisfied| 76| 58. 47| Total| 130| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) The research revealed that 58. 7%, representing majoring of the sample size were not satisfied with calls from MTN to MTN sighting situations like call drops, speech mutation, poor voice signal quality and calls not going through. The remaining respondent 41. 53% gave no complaints about the network as they were satisfied and very satisfied with their service. When the group contacted the regional office in Wa, they sited reasons like congestion of calls made at a particular time due to the vast number of subscribers, due to rampant fiber cuts during road construction and other development activities near the comm unity.Fig 4. a showing results of MTN to MTN calls Table 4. 2. 2 MTN to other networks calls MTN to other networks calls| Frequency| Percentage| Satisfied| 21| 16. 15| Very Satisfied| 11| 8. 46| Dissatisfied| 98| 75. 39| Total| 130| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) During the research it was revealed that 98 out of 130 respondents representing 75. 39% were dissatisfied with calls from MTN to other local networks. This they noted is as a result of call drops, poor voice signal. The remaining 16. 15% and 8. 46% were â€Å"satisfied† and â€Å"very satisfied† respectively. This is tabulated in the tale above.The MTN Regional Office attributed this to maintenance in their network equipment, poor network signal and technical difficulties other networks might be experiencing, Fig 4. b showing results of MTN to other networks Table 4. 2. 3 other networks to MTN calls Other networks to MTN calls| Frequency| Percentage| Satisfied| 32| 24. 61| Very Satisfied| 9| 6. 92| Dis satisfied| 89| 68. 46| Total| 130| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) Table 4. 2. 3 revealed that majority of the respondents 89, representing 68. 46% were dissatisfied with calls made from other networks to MTN.This, according to respondents, is as a result of call drops, poor voice signal. Four non MTN users also stated that they find it difficult and sometimes impossible for their calls to go through when trying to call MTN numbers. The remaining 32 representing, 24. 61% and 9 representing 6. 92% recorded â€Å"satisfied† and †very satisfied† respectively. The MTN Office attributed this occasions to when activities are carried out on the network, poor network signal and technical difficulties other network might be experiencing, Fig 4. c showing results of other networks to MTNThe implication of the above analysis indicate that mobile phone users (MTN users and other network users) are dissatisfied with their call service as a result of the following I Call drops II Poor voice signal III Speech mutation, IV Calls not going through 4. 3 Analyzing MTN most preferred product(s) or service(s) The research with the help of the questionnaires found out the following product(s) and service(s) were known to respondents: I MTN Callback II MTN Pay4me III MTN Mobile money IV MTN internet/broadband V MTN Me2u VI MTN internet bundleThe table shows the number of respondents who were able to list the number of product(s) or service(s) known to them. Table 4. 3. 1 List of Product(s) or Service(s) known to Respondents Product(s) or service(s)| Number of respondents| Percentage| MTN Callback| 84| 64. 61| MTN Pay4me| 63| 48. 46| MTN Mobile money| 77| 59. 23| MTN internet/broadband| 62| 46. 92| MTN Me2u| 44| 33. 85| MTN Zone| 23| 17. 69| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) Table 4. 3. 1 illustrates the number of respondents who listed MTN product(s) or service(s) known to them. Out of 130 respondents 84 representing 64. 1% listed MTN Callback as the produc t or service known to them, trailed by MTN Mobile money with 77 respondents representing 59. 23%, MTN Pay4me with 63 respondents representing 48. 46%, MTN internet/broadband with 62(46. 92%), MTN Me2u 44(33. 85%) and MTN Zone with 23 respondents constituting 17. 69%. On the other hand, the research also revealed the most preferred MTN product(s) or service(s) by respondents. Table 4. 3. 2 Most preferred product(s) or service(s) PRODUCT(S) OR SERVICE(S)| Frequency| Percentage| MTN Callback| 37| 28. 46| MTN Pay4me| 32| 24. 61| MTN Mobile money| 41| 31. 53|MTN Internet/broadband| 16| 12. 30| MTN Me2u| 4| 3. 07| MTN Zone| 0| 0| Total| 130| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) Table 4. 3. 2 shows the order of preference for the product and service; MTN Mobile money with 31. 53%, followed by MTN Callback 28. 46%, MTN Pay4me 24.. 61%, MTN internet/broadband 12. 30%, MTN Me2u 3. 07% and MTN Zone 0% Fig 4. e show results of respondent most preferred MTN product(s) or service(s) The reasons behind respondents preferring MTN product(s) or service(s) to others is as a result of the following benefit they accrue from the use of it: * MTN Mobile moneyThis service enables users to send money to their love ones in any part of the country through the use of their mobile phone. This respondent say is easier as compared to making transaction in the bank as one does not need to have bank accounts to receive or send money. The research revealed that most of the people who use this service have their families in the big cities that send them money through this service. However, this service is faced with setbacks like poor network signals making it difficult to access the services sometimes. * MTN CallbackThis is a free service that enables MTN users to send messages like â€Å"please call me†, â€Å"I’ve missed you, please call me† and â€Å"can’t talk now please text me† to fellow MTN users even when they don’t have credit. According to respondents, they like the use of this service because even when they don’t have enough credit to make calls, it allows them to send messages to the intended person for him/her to call them back. * MTN Pay4me The pay4me service allows MTN users to call other MTN numbers even when they don’t have credit. As a collect call service the receiver agrees to pick the call and bear the cost instead of the caller.Respondents revealed that they benefitted from this service mostly in times when they face hardship/money crisis. * MTN Internet/broadband This is an internet/broadband service that allows users to have internet access. The research revealed that students, civil servants and businessmen/women are mostly people who use this service. It enables one to have easy access to information by surfing the web. Some of the respondents complained about the poor nature of this service like poor internet speed and abrupt interruption in the connection. * MTN Me2u This allows MTN us ers to send or receive credit/airtime to/from other MTN users.Only four (4) respondents use it and were satisfied with the nature of the service. The group used a 5 point scale (where 1 is the lowest and 5 is the highest) to rate the level of customer satisfaction in relation to the most preferred product(s) or service(s). Table 4. 3. 3 Rating| Frequency| Percentage| 1| 12| 9. 23| 2| 73| 56. 15| 3| 22| 16. 92| 4| 21| 16. 15| 5| 2| 1. 54| Total| 130| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) Table 4. 3. 3 shows that, 56. 15% respondents chose 2, followed by 3, representing 16. 92, 4 representing, 16. 15%, 1, representing 9. 23% and 5, representing 1. 4%. In conclusion majority of the respondents, 56. 15% rated 2, indicating their dissatisfaction about the quality of MTN product(s) and service(s). From the analysis, it is clear that the most preferred MTN product(s) or service(s) is MTN Mobile money with 31. 53%, followed by MTN Callback 28. 46%, MTN Pay4me 24.. 61%, MTN internet/broadba nd 12. 30%, MTN Me2u 3. 07% and MTN Zone 0%. 4. 4To ascertain how convenient MTN subscribers have access to their helpline (111). The table below shows the number of respondents who the MTN customer helpline number Table 4. 4. Number of respondents who know MTN customer helpline number Responds| Frequency| Percentage| Yes| 92| 70. 77| No| 38| 29. 23| Total| 130| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) Table 4. 4. 1 shows that majority (92), representing 70. 77% of respondents knew MTN customer helpline number 38 representing 29. 23%. Fig 4. f showing results of respondents who know the MTN customer helpline number The table below depicts results of respondents who were in one way or the other not satisfied with the services of MTN customer helpline Table 4. 4. 2 Problems| No. of respondents| Percentage|Calls don’t go through | 67| 51. 53| Complaints/problems are not addressed| 97| 74. 61| Takes a longer time for calls to be answered | 103| 79. 23| Other| 56| 43. 07| None of th e above| 32| 24. 61| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) With respect to 130 respondents, there were multiple answers with how they expressed their dissatisfaction with the service of MTN customer helpline. 103 respondents chose â€Å"Takes a longer time for calls to be answered†. This represents 79. 23%, followed by â€Å"Complains/problems are not addressed† with 97 (74. 61%), â€Å"Calls don’t go through† 67 representing 51. 3%, other 56 (43. 07%) and â€Å"none of the above† with 32 (24. 61%) respondents. Satisfied, very satisfied and dissatisfied were also adopted to analyse the extent to which customers were satisfied with MTN customer helpline Table 4. 4. 3 Level of satisfaction with customer helpline Level of satisfaction| Frequency| Percentage| Satisfied| 27| 20. 76| Very satisfied| 11| 8. 46| Dissatisfied| 92| 70. 78| Total| 130| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) Fig 4. g showing results of respondents with their level of satisfaction with respect to MTN customer helpline.The analysis of the above results indicates that majority of the respondents 92 (70. 78%) expressed their dissatisfaction with the service of MTN customer helpline, 27 representing 20. 76% said they are satisfied with customer helpline and very satisfied with 11 respondents constituting 8. 46%. 4. 5 To ascertain the satisfaction level of MTN internet/broadband service by its users Table 4. 5. 1 shows the results of respondents who have or do not have MTN internet/broadband Responds| Frequency| Percentage| Yes| 12| 9. 23| No| 118| 90. 76| Total| 130| 100|Source: Field survey (June, 2012) During the research, 12 out of 130 respondents, constituting 9. 23% were having or using MTN internet/broadband and the remaining 118 respondents, representing 90. 76% were either not having or using MTN internet/broadband. Those who were not having or using the product/service gave the following I The MTN internet/broadband modem is expensive II MTN internet spe ed/connection in the community is slow/poor III Discouraging remarks about the modem by its users. IV Scarcity in getting one to purchase V Don’t have the computer to use it with.The twelve (12) respondents who were using the product or service were asked about their level of satisfaction regarding the product/service. Table 4. 5. 2 Level of satisfaction with MTN internet/broadband service Level of satisfaction| Frequency| Percentage| Satisfied| 6| 50| Very satisfied| 4| 33. 33| Dissatisfied| 2| 16. 67| Total| 12| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) Out of the 12 respondents who were using the product/service 6 representing 50% were satisfied with quality of the service in the community, Four (4) chose for very satisfied representing 33. 3% and with 2 representing 16. 67% indicating dissatisfied Fig 4. h showing results of MTN internet/broadband user with their level of satisfaction. Respondents who were using the MTN internet/broadband service expressed their level of sat isfaction regarding the product/service. 6 out of the 12 respondents representing 50% showed they were very satisfied with MTN internet/broadband, followed by 4 representing 33. 33% showing they were satisfied and dissatisfied with 2 representing 16. 67%. 4. 6Overall Satisfaction Level from Respondents Table 4. 6. Overall Satisfactory Level from Respondents Satisfactory Level| Frequency| Percentage| Very satisfied | 0| 0| Satisfied| 9| 6. 92| Neutral | 37| 28. 46| Dissatisfied | 78| 60| Very dissatisfied| 6| 4. 62| Total| 130| 100| Source: Field survey (June, 2012) The above table indicates that majority (78 respondents out of 130 representing 60%) of the respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the overall MTN customer satisfaction with respect to their product(s) and service(s) in t community. Fig 4. i showing results of overall satisfactory level of respondents. . 7 Plans by MTN Ghana to improve customer satisfaction in rural areas of Upper West Region. * Widen their network co verage from the length and breadth of the country which rural areas in Upper West is part of. * Improve the quality of their product(s) and service(s) to meet customers’ needs. * Continue to deliver and provide better services to their dedicated customers. * Perform other developmental activities through heir Corporate Social Responsibility Foundation. CHAPTER FIVE 5. 0 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5. 1 Summary and Major FindingsThe research major findings cover the four thematic research objectives. 5. 1. 1To find out how MTN to MTN calls or MTN to other networks or other networks to MTN calls effective in Tanina The research revealed that 58. 47% representing majoring of the sample size were not satisfied with calls from MTN to MTN sighting situations like call drops, speech mutation, poor voice signal quality and calls not going through. The remaining respondent 41. 53% gave no complaints about the network as they were satisfied and very satisfied with their se rvice.During the research it was revealed that 98 out of 130 respondents representing 75. 39% were dissatisfied with calls from MTN to other local networks. This, they said is as a result of call drops, poor voice signal. The remaining 16. 15% and 8. 46% were â€Å"satisfied† and â€Å"very satisfied†, respectively. Finally, the research revealed that majority of the respondents 89 representing 68. 46% were dissatisfied with calls made from other networks to MTN. This according to respondents is as a result of call drops, poor voice signal.Four non MTN users also stated that they find it difficult and sometimes impossible for their calls to go through when trying to call MTN numbers. The remains 32 representing 24. 61% and 9 representing 6. 92% recorded â€Å"satisfied† and †very satisfied† respectively. 5. 1. 2To ascertain what MTN product(s) or service(s) is/are most preferred. In the course of the research, respondents most preferred MTN product(s ) or service(s) was MTN Mobile money with 31. 53%, followed by MTN Callback 28. 46%, MTN Pay4me 24.. 61%, MTN internet/broadband 12. 30%, MTN Me2u 3. 07% and MTN Zone 0%. . 1. 3To examine how convenient MTN subscribers have access to their helpline (111) in Tanina. The research indicates that majority of the respondents 92 (70. 78%) expressed their dissatisfaction with the service of MTN customer helpline, with Satisfied 27 representing 20. 76% and very satisfied with 11 respondents constituting 8. 46%. 5. 1. 4To ascertain the level of satisfaction of MTN internet/broadband service by its users. Respondents who were using the MTN internet/broadband service expressed their level of satisfaction regarding the product/service.Six (6) out of the 12 respondents, representing 50% showed they were very satisfied with MTN internet/broadband, followed by 4 representing 33. 33% showing they were satisfied and dissatisfied with 2 representing 16. 67% 5. 2Conclusion It can be concluded from the study that majority of the respondents expressed their dissatisfaction with the overall MTN service. The main reasons given by the respondents are: a Some of the respondents are of the view that, MTN products and services is expensive. b The network in the community is unstable which causes; I Call dropsII Poor voice signal III Speech mutation IV Calls not going through c Various MTN product and services were unknown to respondents d The services provided by the customer helpline are unsatisfactory. The study also found out that the following with respect to MTN service which are worth mentioning: * The quality of MTN internet/broadband was satisfactory * The nature of MTN Mobile Money service was also satisfactory to those who used it 5. 3Recommendations The research has come to conclude that MTN offers varieties of products and services to its valued customers.However, some of the products still remain unknown to majority of respondents. Among these products and service include; MTN video calling, MTN Blackberry, MTN Backup, MTN Play, Eselfcare and call management services like: call divert, call barring and, hide number. * MTN should strengthen their advertising/publicity mechanism to create awareness about their products to its subscribers in rural areas like Tanina. * Since majority of the respondents were not satisfied with MTN product and service, the research recommend that MTN Ghana should improve the quality of their product(s) and service(s) in rural communities. MTN should cut down the prices regarding their product and service to make it affordable to rural people * MTN should improve upon their customer helpline service to retain customers since majority expressed their dissatisfaction about this service. * Upgrade and improve on their network coverage in rural communities. * MTN Ghana Foundation as part of it Corporate Social Responsibility should extend it their corporate responsibility programs to rural communities like Tanina. * MTN should m ake available the 3. 5G Network to enable fast and uninterrupted internet connection in the community.UNIVERSITY FOR DEVELOPMENT STUDIES FACULTY OF INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT STUDIES DEPARTMENT OF AFRICAN AND GENERAL STUDIES (DAGS) DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION OPTION AN ASSESSMENT ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WITH PRODUCT AND SERVICE DELIVERY OF MTN GHANA IN RURAL AREAS OF THE UPPER WEST REGION. (A CASE STUDY IN TANINA) QUESTIONNAIRE FOR RESPONDENTS Dear mobile network subscriber, we are students of University for Development Studies, Wa Campus and this questionnaire is designed to collect information about how you feel about the service delivery of your mobile network in Tanina, Upper West Region at least for the last 12 months.Your responses will be treated as confidential and will be used for only academic purposes, Thank you. Please tick [v] the appropriate box for your answers. RESPONDENT’S IDENTIFICATION 1. Please what is your gender? [ ] male [ ] female 2. Please select your age group. [ ] below 20 years [ ] 20 – 29 [ ] 30-39 [ ] 40 – 49 [ ] 50 and above 3. What is your occupation? [ ] civil servant [ ] student [ ] businessman/woman [ ] other†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 4. Select your highest academic or professional qualification?Select only one [ ] WASSCE [ ] Technical/Post-secondary [ ] Diploma/HND [ ] Bachelor’s degree [ ] Post-graduate Diploma/Masters [ ] PhD [ ] Uneducated CUSTOMER RESPONSE TO SERVICE DELIVERY 5. Are you a subscriber to a telecommunication network? [ ] Yes [ ] No 6. Which mobile telecom network(s) do you use? [ ] Vodafone [ ] MTN [ ] Tigo [ ] Expresso [ ] Airtel [ ] Glo 7. Are you a multi-SIM card user (MTN and any other)? [ ] Yes [ ] No 8. If Yes, give reason

The Rationale of Suicide in Bartleby Essay - 942 Words

The Rationale of Suicide in Bartleby One of the most strikingly confusing details of Herman Melvilles Bartleby is the repetitive use of the specific form of his refusals; he prefers not to comply with his employers demands. Bartleby never argues for his convictions, rather he refuses on the grounds of his preference. Such a vast repetition, along with its inherent perplexity, leads me to believe that the actual wording is symbolic in nature. When someone is asked for his/her preferences, the question is directed to the individuals inner motives and desires. Any question addressed as a preference question, usually grants the consideration of the innermost inclinations. The lawyer never asked Bartleby†¦show more content†¦It appears that Bartleby is hopelessly searching for something that he would actually prefer to do; an assumption backed by his symbolic open-eyed death at the end, and also by his reference to his interests while discussing other job options with his boss: I would not like it at all (par. 204) is the answer he repeats in different wording when offered five different lines of work. In other words, he is connected to his inner inclinations (our pure will that can incline us to either take an action or refrain from it), yet they do not incline him to do anything. The reference to the dead letter solves the mystery; a letter that lacks an address is a dead letter; an address is the letters direction; for the lack of direction a letter dies. The immediate equivalent is none other than Bartleby; he cannot find a thing that he wants to do; he is missing a direction; for the lack of direction Bartleby dies. We can see that he follows his inclinations for all his choices refer to his preferences. We can see that he is searching for something that would interest him (for only interest inclines us to action). We can see that for failure to find his direction, he prefers to die. Melville might be referring to a little-liked truth; once all masks of society are taken off, how many of us are really following our pure inner inclinations?

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Happiness Interviews and Happiness Analyzed - 1378 Words

Happiness Interviews Transcript Dawn Burkhert HU300 – Arts and Humanities Kaplan University The first person I interviewed was my mom, Shirley. The reason I chose her is because she is 83 years old and raised seven kids during the early part of the Cold War. She has been married twice, she been broke then been comfortable but not wealthy, and she has seen her share of health problems. For my second interview, I chose a new co-worker named Doug. He is a 21 year old, homosexual, single father. While he does work to pay bills, he grew up in a family with money and usually gets what he asks for. He has never experienced a traumatic event such as a death in the family, serious health conditions, or hard financial times. He is†¦show more content†¦I get what I want because if I’m unhappy, nobody’s happy. Question: Have you always been that greedy about your happiness? Response: Yeah, pretty much. Question: Don’t you think everyone has the right to be happy? Response: Sure, as long as it doesn’t affect me. (D. Pittman, personal communication, March 26, 2012) Happiness Analyzed Dawn Burkhert HU300 – Arts and Humanities Kaplan University In The Art of Being Human, Aristippus defined happiness as the sum of total pleasures experienced during one’s lifetime. However, after interviewing two totally different people, reading Chapter 7 in The Art of Being Human, and analyzing my own thoughts about happiness, I do not believe Aristippus’ definition to be accurate. To some, it’s about raising a family and enjoying life’s little moments, to others it’s about personal happiness at any cost, and to a few it is about doing good deeds for other people. Happiness can be fleeting or ever-lasting, can be spiritually influenced or materialistic. For every person, happiness takes on a different meaning. During the first interview with my 83 year old mom, Shirley, family was a key ingredient to her happiness. 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Role of Cultural Adaptation in International Retailing

Question: Discuss about the Role of Cultural Adaptation in International Retailing. Answer: Introduction: The blog is about the Indian market and the ways foreign brands like KFC have found it out to be. At the end of 2012, KFC chain had around 220 outlets, adding together spicier versions of their recipes in chicken. It also added vegetarian items to its menu like fried vegetable strips and burger patties. The writer has focused on the pricing strategy used by KFC for grabbing the Indian market along with marketing campaigns that mostly attracted the youth section. It brought in marketing campaigns like Wow@25 and developed the authenticity smartphone app. This blog also deals with the stiff competition in the Indian fast food chain market with KFC logging heads with other brands like Five Star Fried Chicken, a Thai concept that emerged in 2013 (Kutty Kutty, 2014). Lastly, it deals with the success factors of KFC and the ways they have studied the Indian consumers taste and preferences keeping in mind their cultural traditions. Elizabeth Friend did mention in her blog that KFC made the best use of product mix and branding to set up a customer base that just loves whatever it serves. Elizabeth Friend is a senior food service analyst and writes regularly for the blog site Euromonitor, where she has been a Strategy Analyst. Euromonitor is a strategy-consulting firm in London specializing in the consumer industries. She works with various companies having international existence in solving their strategic problems and tracking the behavior of consumers globally. As per Dey, (2016), she is a person who is in love with data that she uses in her blogs, providing clear insights for readers that in other way would not be perceptible. Blog Structure: The blog structure is very well maintained, as should be the case with a professional blog writer who has been doing it for years. She has made use of sub headings for different topics where she has briefly discussed about the topics, citing examples of other brands and where KFC stands comparing to them. She has made use of simple language for everyone to understand what she is trying to convene through her blog. She has been clear in her thoughts and opinions like when she mentioned, By 2030, India is expected to surpass both the US and China.. According to Sharma, (2013), in this blog, she has made use of data figure in stating the percentage of drop in sales for factors like avian flu frights, quality of poultry and other scandals related to food safety. It provides readers with an abrupt idea of how many of these factors are affecting the business process of KFC in India. Value Research Source: Other bloggers like Howard Telford and Ewa Hudson, both authors at Euromonitor International have stated that Elizabeth Friend has been leading the space since the starting of 2011. She has been a name to reckon with when it comes to securities trading and other investment researches. She has sourced her writing from cites stating emerging markets, food chain, target market and food safety. She has been an ardent reader of the consumer behavior across the globe, monitoring what people eat and the ways they live. Reference: Dey, S. (2016). Middle Class Consumerism in India: An Introspective Study.Indian Journal of Applied Research,5(8). Kutty, N. M., Kutty, N. M. (2014). Role of cultural adaptation in international retailing.South Asian Journal of Marketing Management Research,4(10), 1-9. Sharma, A. (2013). KFC's Big India P

Outsourced movie free essay sample

Todd Anderson, the main character in Outsourced, was a normal guy working for an online company that sells tacky souvenirs in Seattle. Although he wasn’t thrilled with his job, he was comfortable. Without warning Todd’s boss tells him that all of their jobs have been outsourced. Even though Todd was loosing his job, his boss wanted him to travel to India to train his replacement. Todd, although emotionally disturbed, accepts the offer and travels to India. Todd was about to enter a country with more than a billion people without any knowledge of their culture. From the first minute Todd arrived in India he was experiencing culture shock. Communicating, eating, catching a train, catching a taxi, even going to the bathroom became a challenge. Todd was still living an American life style in India. It wasn’t until about half way through the movie that Todd stopped resisting India and started enjoying it. We will write a custom essay sample on Outsourced movie or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I felt like this movie did very well at portraying the life style of the Indian culture and how they communicate. It shows that cross culture understanding is very important. Without it, even a simple phone call between someone in America and someone in India can go south if one doesn’t understand the other. Not only was Todd struggling with understanding their language but he was also finding it hard to adapt to their body language. Although American life style and Indian life style are totally different, Todd was able to adapt to it via non-verbal communication. You may not realize it but body language differs in every culture. Eye contact, head shaking, hand gestures and other simple actions are totally different and if used incorrectly may be considered the total opposite of what you intended. In India intense eye contact is a considered rude and disrespectful. When Todd arrived in India he didn’t have any knowledge of Indian culture, which made it very hard for him to understand. When someone doesn’t understand something they usually don’t enjoy it. And that’s why Todd was resisting Indian in the beginning. A great example of this was when Todd took a train for the first time. It was very crowded and he barely made it. Every seat was taken but a young boy gestured that he take his seat. As Todd thankfully took the seat, the young boy proceeded to Sit on his lap. Todd was alarmed by his action but the boy had done it as a normal favor to show respect. If this were to a happen in America, Todd would have been looked at very strangely by other occupants and probably would have been considered a pedophile. Its funny how such a small act of kindness can mean something completely opposite in a different culture. Todd’s arrival in India was a rude awakening from the start. The man that was supposed to pick him up at the airport misspelled Todd’s name on the sign he was holding so Todd walked right past him. This non-verbal miscommunication is a great example of cultural diversity. The man that was holding the sign spelled Todd’s name, â€Å"Mr. Toad†. Because of the Indian accent, Todd was pronounced as Toad. Which explains the misspelling on the sign. Throughout the movie, people continued to call him Mr. Toad although he repeatedly insisted that he be called just â€Å"Todd†. He later realized that there was no use in correcting everyone so he eventually accepted the small mispronunciation. Todd had a hard time adjusting to Indian food, and since he wasn’t used to it, it made him sick. To avoid this he would give his food to the people that lived on the other side of the wall from him. This became a daily routine for him and it was deeply appreciated by the people on the other side since they weren’t as fortunate as him. In fact they were so grateful that they invited him over for an afternoon meal that they cooked on their own. Since they didn’t know a lick of English they showed their appreciation through their actions. He sat down with the family, as the meal was prepared in front of him. He also noticed that they were using some of his merchandise that he sells at Western Novelty. That moment was a big eye opener for him because although he finds his products cheap and useless, there’s always someone that will appreciate it. In the book, The Phenomenon of Silence, The author explains how non-verbal communication is transformed into verbal communication. And I thought this was a great example of this because although the family couldn’t communicate with Todd, they transformed their actions into verbal appreciation. Writing this paper has helped me mentally define the role of non-verbal communication and its importance in cultural understanding. Verbal communication is also very important but its only half. For example, say you were placed in a room with five other people for ten minutes that spoke a language that you didn’t know. During this time your objective is to try and find out the nature of their conversation. Since you can watch them talk, your able to see who crosses their arms, who makes eye contact, who is shy, who talks a lot, who uses hand gestures, who’s mad, who’s sad or even see who lies and who’s truthful. In the article, â€Å"The Effect of Deception on Specific Hand Gestures,† explains that someone that lies a lot tends to use more exaggerated hand gestures. If you were to listen to these five people on the phone you wouldn’t be able to catch these small but big pieces of information. That is why Non-verbal communication is so important. The article, â€Å"The Role of Human Body Movements in Mate Selection,† brings up a good point about human body language. It says, â€Å"This non-verbal mode is possibly rooted firmly in our human evolutionary heritage, and as such, some scientists argue that it serves as a fundamental assessment and expression tool for our inner qualities†. What it’s saying is that body language can express ones personality without actually having a conversation with the individual. The book, Understanding Human Communication, says, â€Å"Nonverbal behavior offers many cues about the way people feel-often more than we get from words alone†. Both of theses quotes are saying that non-verbal communication plays an important role in the process of human understanding and that’s why it was a key concept in helping Todd understand India. Whether it was catching a taxi, finding a seat on a train, or even learning the correct way to eat, each one of theses awkward scenarios aided in Todd’s adaptation to India.