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Research Proposal On Implementation And Evaluation Of In-School Suspension Program At The High School Level

“Implementation and Evaluation of In-School Suspension Program at the High School Level“     Research Aims This proposed research attempts to achieve the following objectives: 1.    To determine the nature of the In-School Suspension (ISS) program and the factors affecting its revision in the high school level 2.    To assess the variation of the pre-ISS and post-ISS of discipline referrals implementation 3.    To assess the effects of the pre-ISS and post-ISS in terms of the variation in the total number of ISS suspensions 4.    To assess the result of the pre-ISS and post-ISS in terms of the ISS recidivism rates 5.    To analyze the effects of pre-ISS and post-ISS on faculty attitudes 6.    To evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the ISS program in terms of discipline referrals, ISS suspensions, recidivism rates high school students and high school faculty attitudes   Research Questions In accordance with the research aims of this proposed study, the following will be asked: 1.     What are the factors that led to the amendment of the In-School Suspension (ISS) program? 2.     What is the level of effectiveness of the revised In-School Suspension (ISS) program?   3.     What is the relationship of the total number of ISS suspensions prior to implementation of the revised In-School Suspension (ISS) program and the total number of ISS suspensions after the revised ISS program has been implemented? 4.     What is the level of effectiveness of the ISS recidivism rates of the revised In-School Suspension program? 5.     What are the attitudes of the faculty toward the In-School Suspension program prior and subsequent to the implementation of the program revisions? 6.     What are the effects of the revised In-School Suspension program in terms of : a.    Discipline referrals; b.    ISS suspensions; and c.    Recidivism rates high school students   Introduction Punitive programs have grown significantly over the past several years.   With the advent of discipline problems confronting school administrators and teachers, suspension has been the primary source of discipline correction implemented by school managements. The concepts of responsibility and obedience are distinguishable by at least three properties: choice, consequence, and need satisfaction (Englander, 1986). School administrators are in a position to see firsthand the impact of truancy on students. Most school administrators, however, attempt to change truant behavior through punishment, in particular by suspending children from school (Illinois Task Force, 1980 cited in Miller, 1986). Although it is difficult to gauge the psychological and educational damage incurred by suspending children from school, it is clear that suspension inhibits children’s development. Because truant students obviously need guidance and support from teachers and administrators, school personnel should be helping these students understand and modify their behavior through guidance and therapy rather than turning them away by suspending them from school asserts Miller (1986). It is important to examine the underlying assumptions of punitive programs specifically suspension in In-school Suspension Programs on high school students. Further, the purposes of suspension, how students learn, personal and social goals that can be reached in the context of suspension, and the role of the teacher in facilitating the accomplishment of these goals will be studied. This in turn would have a significant impact on the academic performance by students. This proposed study will determine the prevailing ISS programs by schools and the need to revise. Factors such as attitudes towards learning and on other students will be analyzed on the basis of their participation and involvement on suspension programs. Moreover, a statistical analysis based on a research-conducted survey will be done to show the correlation of ISS and its effects on the students. The degree or level of its impact will be evaluated to test the hypothesis of this proposed paper. Conceptual Framework The chief objective of the school is the promotion of learning and more importantly, the development of students as individuals. All activities of the school are, or should be, related directly or indirectly to this purpose, and the extent to which the school and its personnel have succeeded or failed is reflected in the amount and kind of people these students turn out to be. This proposed paper shall utilize the layer cake approach theory. Like a chocolate layer cake, Jones arranges the skills of discipline management into four layers. The principles underlying it is as follows: Classroom Structure: the prevention of discipline problems by arranging the classroom environment so that problems will be relatively unlikely to occur. Classroom Structure includes topics as diverse as room arrangement, working the crowd, procedures for the first day and week of school, classroom rules, classroom chores, and communication with parents. Limit Setting: the subtle process of meaning business in the classroom by which rule enforcement becomes both relaxed and nearly invisible. Limit setting focuses upon the body language by which the natural teacher signals to the students both a commitment to high standards and a calm resolve to follow through. Responsibility Training: the implementation of group incentives whereby students learn to internalize responsibility for their own actions. These advanced incentive systems allow patterns of cooperation to be taught to the entire class rapidly and economically. Backup Systems: the use of nonadversarial negative sanctions to resolve severe or repetitive behavior problems while avoiding the more public, stressful, and self-perpetuating measures that comprise the discipline codes of most Review of Related Literature Punitive actions especially on high school students imply difficulty in administering and fostering an environment not only for learning but also the development process of student alike. Since the classroom is perceived to be a potent force in the discipline of every human being, it had been a traditional belief that school administrators must be responsible for the students’ behaves in school. The connection between suspensions and punitive rewards on students has been increasingly explored and examined by scholars and educators. This correlation can be exploited to solve the issue on how to foster a learning environment and ultimately, to improve the discipline among students. School consultation is a complex process of communication and collaboration, the goal of which is to enhance the quality of education within a school organization. Although school personnel retain ultimate responsibility for the education of students, school consultants share some responsibility for the well-being of children attending the schools within which they work (McMahon and Pruett, 1998). Miller’s (1986) investigation’s purpose was to answer the following question: In an in-school suspension setting, does a program of therapeutic discipline that involves counseling, bibliotherapy, writing therapy, and contingency contracting result in more positive attitudes toward school attendance, improved attendance, and greater insight into attendance problems among adolescent truants who participate in the program than among adolescent truants who participate in a traditional program of non-therapeutic discipline? When a one-way analysis of variance was used to analyze differences for attitudes and insights and analysis of covariance was used to analyze behavioral differences among 148 subjects in the two programs, Miller (1986) found that therapeutic discipline students (a) held less positive attitudes toward school attendance, (b) had better records of attendance in classes and fewer truant absences, and (c) demonstrated greater insight into attendance problems than did non-therapeutic discipline students. A critical factor of responsibility is that the individual acts as a free moral agent capable of determining his own act. On the other hand, obedience replaces choice with submission and compliance to the wishes, restraints, control, and command of authority. Such conformity seems to be the antithesis of maturity, of democracy. Included are academic skills, learning skill strategies and learning disabilities (the distinctions among these three will become clear); social and cultural factors; psychosocial development; relational issues; personal and psychological problems; and health and nutritional issues (Griffin, 1988). Glasser (1981 cited in Englander, 1986) points out that whenever the teacher makes the rules, enforces them, and deals out punishments, the students are denied self monitoring, self-control, and a sense of responsibility (Englander, 1986). If the teacher is doing everything then the student does not have the opportunity to become responsible. At best, the pupil becomes obedient (Englander, 1986). Obedience and responsibility are often thought to be synonymous. In recent years, students and their families have increasingly begun to challenge the authority of school officials to exercise control over issues, activities, or behaviors they feel are protected under the Constitution of the United States (Ford, Hinely, and Leavell, 2000). This challenge has repeatedly created problematic situations for the school officials who are ultimately charged with maintaining effective operation of the school systems. Ford, Hinely, and Leavell (2000) asserts that while not wanting to discourage involvement on the part of students, administrators nevertheless feel a responsibility to exercise the control necessary to preserve the effectiveness of their schools. In Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier ( 1988) it was ruled that school officials have broad authority to control student expression in official school publications such as the newspaper and yearbook (Ford, Hinely, and Leavell, 2000). In general, recent court rulings have relegated the “burden of proof” to the school district, which must show that it has acted fairly and that its’ actions are necessary for maintaining order in the school or district (Ford, Hinely, and Leavell, 2000). Increased student awareness and activism continue to make this area of conflict one of ongoing concern for school officials. For some districts the response has been to abandon many worthwhile student-centered activities simply to avoid potential problems. Colton and Sheridan (1998) demonstrated the use of conjoint behavioral consultation (CBC) as a model to join parents and educators in the shared development and implementation of interventions for students. A behavioral social skills intervention was delivered in the context of CBC to enhance the cooperative peer interactions of young boys diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The benefits of partnerships between parents and educators are clear (Colton and Sheridan, 1998). Dobson’s A Place for Punishment model clearly finds a place in French and Raven’s Social Bases of Power framework under “coercion.” It finds a home in Wolfgang and Glickman’s Schools of Thought framework as the most extreme “interventionist” strategy. With its emphasis upon the use of punishment, Dobson’s position is aligned with the Skinnerian side of the Skinner-Rogers’ dichotomy although, in reality, Skinner believed that one could more effectively condition animals (including children) solely through the use of rewards. In Lewis’ Keeping It Simple framework, punishment is equated with “control.” Within the field of discipline, more has been written on the topic of punishment and its variations (especially corporal punishment) than on any other single topic. Much of what has been written says that the use of punishment should be reduced (Tauber, 1999), if not stopped, no matter its goal — retribution, deterrence, or reform. Yet punishment, whether corporal (such as spanking, shaking, choking, excessive exercise, disrobement, or confinement in an uncomfortable place) or nonphysical (such as verbal battement, neglect, loss of privileges, detention, and suspension), has not stopped, and in some schools, has not been significantly reduced (Tauber, 1999). Technically, punishment is simply a word used to describe a consequence that, when supplied, reduces behavior. In daily practice, though, the word is emotionally laden. For many adults there is a blur between punishment for the sake of punishment (retribution, eye-for-an-eye) and punishment for the sake of therapy (behavior reduction) (Tauber, 1999).  Methodology This chapter will outline the methods to be used in gathering data: the respondents of the study, the sampling technique, the instrument to be used, the validation of the instrument, the administration of the instrument and the statistical treatment of the data that will be gathered, and how this data will be analyzed qualitatively.   Method of Research This proposed study will use the descriptive approach- utilization of interview, observation and questionnaires in the study. The purpose is to describe the situation as observed by the researcher. The study will determine whether the revised In-School Suspension Program can help resolve issues on academic issues through different means, from the conduct of class discussions, improving student-teacher relationship and societal attitudes of students.             The primary source of data will come from the research-conducted questionnaire. Secondary data will consist of interviews, published articles from teacher’s and social sciences journals, theses and related studies on the effects of ISS on students behavior. For this research design, the researcher will gather data, collate published studies from different local and foreign universities and articles from social science journals, distribute sampling questionnaires; arrange interviews; and make a content analysis of the collected documentary and verbal material.  Afterwards, the researcher will summarize all the information, make a conclusion based on the null hypotheses posited and provide insightful recommendations on distance learning as a means for improved discipline among students.   Conclusions This proposed study will work on the hypothesis that the revised ISS would significantly affect the general behavior of students in school. Further, the revised ISS have a positive correlation on the behavioral disposition of students.   References and Bibliography Colton, Denise and Sheridan, Susan, Conjoint Behavioral Consultation and Social Skills Training: Enhancing the Play Behaviors of Boys with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1998 Englander, Meryl, Strategies for Classroom Discipline, Praeger Publishers, 1986 Ford, Karen, Hinely, Reg and Leavell, Alexandra, Education in Edge City: Cases for Reflection and Action, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2000 Griffin, Robert, Underachievers in Secondary School: Education off the Mark, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1988 McMahon, Thomas, Pruett, Marsha Kline, On the Proverbial Horns of an Ethical Dilemma: School Consultation, Child Advocacy, and Adversarial Intervention, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1998 Miller, Dan, Effect of a Program of Therapeutic Discipline on the Attitude, Attendance, and Insight of Truant Adolescents, Heldref Publications, 1986 Tauber, Robert, Classroom Management: Sound Theory and Effective Practice, Bergin & Garvey, 1999 Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Research Proposal On Implementation And Evaluation Of In-School Suspension Program At The High School Level

“ Implementation and Evaluation of In-School Suspension Program at the High School Level “ Research Aims This proposed research at...

Dissertation proposal on Singapore Home Furnishing and Customer Electronics Retailers: the nature of trust in business-to-business relationship marketing

MA MARKETING Unit: Research Management Assessment: Research Proposal         INTRODUCTION   This report is the critical academic literature review of the research topic for the final dissertation.  The research topic for the dissertation is Singapore Home Furnishing and Customer Electronics Retailers: the nature of trust in business-to-business relationship marketing.  My career in Singapore is started with SAFE Superstore Holdings Private Limited as a Duty Manager in-charged of showroom business performance with extra job profile of organising company road shows.  SAFE is one of the leading retailers with a total of eight showrooms, re-known for the widest range of audio/visual home entertainment products, home and kitchen appliances, telecommunication equipment, IT products, as well as furniture and furnishings (www.safe.com.sg).    I was having a great interest and enjoy working very much in retail industry due to its challenging seasonal business activities.  I am planning to go back to Singapore to the same industry again after my graduation from University of Portsmouth for a better advancement in my career.  I strongly believe my dissertation with research topic focusing on Singapore home furnishing and customer electronics business markets would help me as a manager position, to have a better understanding on the nature of trust in business market relationship marketing, and improvements in relationship marketing strategies in which I have to frequently dealing with different suppliers and buyers for marketing and sales planning.     LITERATURE REVIEW 1) Understand business-to-business markets Bingham, Jr. & Raffield III (1990) define business-to-business market as below:   A business-to-business marketing transaction takes place whenever a good or service is sold for any use other than personal consumption, and all the activities involved in this process make up business-to-business marketing.   Business customers are usually organizations and may be public or private, end-users, or reseller, and so would wholesalers, retailers, and other such resellers buying goods and services in the operation of business.  Similarly, governmental agencies and non-profit institutions such as universities and hospitals are also seen as business customers (Haas, 1992).  Eckles (1990) states that business products fit into seven classifications: (1) raw materials, (2) installations, (3) auxiliary equipment, (4) component parts, (5) processed materials, (6) supplies and (7) industrial services.  Based on the earlier theoretical discussion, Singapore home furnishing and customer electronics retailer (buyer) buy auxiliary equipments such as televisions, furniture, and computers from suppliers (sellers) for resale to consumer market customers.  The retailers are operating their business in the business environment where according to Eckels (1990) that the demand for business goods is derived.  It is argued that the business demand is relatively inelastic because demand is not likely to change significantly in the short run and tends to be more volatile than consumer goods and services demand.   2) Identify characteristics of buyer-seller relationship Buyer-seller relations operate within a highly complex organizational environment bordering on a partnership where trust and respect for each other prevails (Eckels, 1990).  It is argued that companies and relationships in the business markets are inter-dependent and that the interaction is a series of short-term social interactions that are influenced by the long-term business process that bind the firms together.  Ford (2002) also argues that it would not make sense of companies by looking at them in isolation, but only in relation to each other.  The buyer-supplier relationship in Singapore home furnishing and customer electronics business markets can be analysed based on the general characteristics of buyer-seller relationships identified by Gadde & Hakansson (1993) as below:   a) Complexity Gadde & Hakansson (1993) state that the complexity of the relationship depends on the number of people involved.  In general, the buying process in Singapore home furnishing and customer electronics business markets involves buyers, supplier’s salespeople, buyer’s and supplier’s marketing department with extensive contacts to discuss and solve more or less advanced problem.  However, the complexity of the entire buyer-suppliers interface system lies in the fact that the ultimate actions may be controlled by some individuals who do not involve in the original transaction.  This may include the supplier’s operation planning, transportation, and inventory control people.  On the buyer’s side, the budgetary committee, that could hole the ultimate authority over the dispensation of the organisation’s finances.        b) Relationships as investments – their long-term nature Ford et al (2002) argue that every action in a relationship should be seen in a time perspective that the investment which may involve costs will be pay off in the long run.  Based on their arguments, the cost of Singapore home furnishing and customer electronics business buyer-supplier relationship may involve contact/information cots and adaptation costs especially during the beginning stage.  The costs will fall later when buyer is getting to know the suppliers and their abilities and expertise through marketing and sales promotion activities.  It is worthy to note that it is more effective to retain and maintain existing relationships than to seek out new ones that may pose an obstacle to implementing changes.  Hence, buyers and suppliers should note that day-to-day activities should remain at a relatively high level to maintain a long-term relationship.   c) Adaptation Adaptation occurs when one party in a relationship alters its processes or the item exchanged to accommodate the other party (Gadde & Hakansson, 1993).  Ford (2002) discusses that adaptation behaviour would vary over the life of the relationship.  In the early stages it will be a means to develop trust, and in the mature state it will expand and solidify the relationship.  There are many types of adaptations stated by Gadde & Hakansson (1993) such as technical, administrative routines and knowledge-based adaptations.  Buyer-seller in Singapore home furnishing and customer electronics business markets should continuously increases their knowledge of each other application of technology to give themselves an important developmental boost.  Besides, administrative routines such as planning, supply and communications systems need to be adapted by both parties for effective working relationship.  Hallen, Seyed-Mohamed & Johanson (1988) cited by Sheth & Parvatiyar (2000) argue that adaptation tend to bond the buyer and seller in a tighter relationship and create barriers to entry for competing suppliers.   d) Power and dependence Power and dependence may be unbalanced with regard to individual dimensions and varies with the general state of the economy (Gadde & Hankansson, 1993).  The buyer-seller relationship may be more important to the buyer than the seller, or vice versa.  For example, Sharp Corporation viewed the relationship with SAFE was more important to SAFE and the relationship was struggled and characterised as distrust and both try to avoid vulnerability to other.  In 2001, the relationship was dissolved due to negative and strong form of reciprocity.  Gadde & Hankansson (1993) argue that there is no best strategy in any individual case of imbalance power and dependence relationship.  However, the awareness of the problem, regular and systematic discussions are the first step to learn and handle the questions better, and to build trustworthy relationship.   e) Conflict and cooperation Buyer-seller mutual goals can only be accomplished through joint action and the maintenance of the relationship.  Conflict may arise if there is no goal and interest sharing.   Hence, reciprocal trust is a prerequisite for long-term relationships (Gadde & Hankansson, 1993).  It is also argued by Michel, Naude, Salle & Valla (2003) that buyer-seller relationship is built up through human effort and human contacts and in order for them to survive they must be under continual development.   f) Reciprocal trust rather then formality Trust has assumed a central role in the development of marketing theory as business marketers placed greater emphasis on building long-term relationship (Dwyer, Schurr, & Oh, 1987; Morgan & Hunt, 1994 cited by Doney & Cannon, 1997).  Ford et al (2002) argue that trust should not be built in a relationship by making promises, but only by fulfilling them.  He argued that it could be easy to destroy a buyer’s trust when the seller demonstrates a lack of commitment to a relationship.  Doney & Cannon (1997) discuss that seller should make significant investments to develop and maintain customer trust.  They argue that for suppliers, the value of such efforts is most apparent when high levels of buyer trust lead to more favourable purchasing outcomes for the supplier.  Although the process of building trust is expensive, time-consuming, and complex, its outcome in terms of forging strong buyer-seller bonds and enhance loyalty could be critically important to supplier firms.   3) Analyse Relationship Marketing Relationship marketing is defined as all marketing activities directed towards establishing, developing and maintaining successful relational exchanges (Morgan & Hunt, 1994).  Anderson (2001) suggests that organisations need to move away from the traditional one-off transactional approach to a relationship marketing perspective and this point supports the discussion in Hutt & Speh (2001) that a business marketer may begin with a relationship from a supplier with transactional exchange to a preferred supplier status with collaborative exchange.    Ford (200) argues that buyer and seller form long-term relationship, in which they share responsibilities and benefits, trust each other and are engaged in some coordinated planning.  His view is supported by Sheth & Parvatiyar (2000) that relationship must be mutual beneficial to both buyers and sellers in order to exist, and adopting relationship marketing implies the acknowledgement that each partner has a stake in the others activities.  In this way, both sides should think of ways to appropriately involve each other in strategy formulation and implementation processes.  Gronross (1991) cited by Polonsky, Schuppisser & Beldona (2002) states that the traditional relationship marketing literature emphasis the benefits of keeping existing partners satisfied.  Their discussion supports the views of Doyle (2000) that customers who stay with the supplier are assets of increasing value – each year they tend to generate higher and higher net cash flow.  Besides, the rational factors that influence stakeholder relationship discussed by Polonsky, Schuppisser & Beldona (2001) clearly supports the key characteristics of buyer-seller relationship as discussed earlier.    4) Determine how trust of a selling firm and salesperson are built and developed in business markets. a) Examine the antecedents and consequences of trust of a supplier firm and salesperson focusing on characteristics of the supplier firm, supplier firm relationship, salesperson and salesperson relationship. Commitment and trust are the foundation of relationship marketing as it encourages buyers and sellers to make investment into a relationship, to resist taking advantage of alternative which provide short-term benefits, and not to behave opportunistically with regard to the relationship (Morgan & Hunt, 1994).  It is argued that trust has assumed a central role in the development of marketing theory as business marketers placed greater emphasis on building long-term relationship (Dwyer, Schurr & Oh, 1987; and Morgan & Hunt, 1994 cited by Doney & Cannon, 1997).    Developing trust in a supplier firm is not only based on the size, but also the reputation, willingness to customize, confidential information sharing of supplier firm, and length of relationship with supplier firm and salespeople (Doney & Conoon, 1997).  In general, Singapore home furnishing and customer electronics retailers build trust with supplier firms primarily relying on supplier firm’s size and reputation.  It is worthy to note that the supplier firms’ willingness to make idiosyncratic investments and share confidential information provided evidence that they can be believed, they cared for the relationship and willing to make sacrifices.  These investments contribute to forging strong buyer trust in the selling firm and they can be expected to pay off the long run (Ford et al, 2002).      b) Examine the role of supplier firm and salesperson trust on a buying firm’s current supplier choice and future purchase intentions Doney & Canoon (1997) argue that a company sales representative who proves to be dishonest and unreliable could jeopardize a long-term relationship between the buyer and seller but trusted salespeople helps to preserve customer commitment during difficult times.  A close interpersonal relationship helps to reduce customer firm’s costs in the long run that can be a source of competitive advantage for supplier’s firm (Wathne, Biong & Heide, 2001).  This can be done with emphasis on the supplier flexibility, product/service quality and relationship-specific adaptation stated by Cannon & Homburg (2001).                Relationship marketing strategies are often based on account management programs, in which buyers are assigned a designated sales person who acts as an intermediary between the buyer and supplier (Lovelock & Wright, 1999).  As supplier’s salespeople plays an important role in developing customer relationship value, the supplier firm should recognize the potential vulnerability if the key contact person were to leave, be transferred or promoted and thus be unable to serve the customer (Bendapudi & Leone, 2002).  Because turnover is bound to occur, there should be efforts to capture the employees’ knowledge about their customers to transfer this information to a replacement.  Doney & Canoon (1997), and Cannon & Homburg (2001) suggest that supplier firms should emphasize customer satisfaction and note that the interpersonal trust engendered by salespeople and transferred to the supplier firm plays a key role in developing and maintaining enduring buyer-seller relationship.    RESEARCH QUESTION How buyers make choice of suppliers in term of trust in Singapore home furnishing and customer electronics business markets?   REFERENCES: Achrol, R. S. (1997). Changes in the theory of interorganizational relations in marketing: toward a network paradigm. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. Vol. 25 (1), 56-71. Andersen, P. H. (2002). A foot in the door: relationship marketing efforts towards transaction-oriented customers. Journal of Market-Focused Management, 5, 91-108. Bendapudi, N. & Leone, R. P. (2002). Managing business-to-business customer relationships following key contact employee turnover in a vendor firm. Journal of Marketing. Vol. 66 (April), 83-101. Bingham, Jr. F. G. & Raffield III, B. T. (1990). Business to business marketing management. Homewood: Irwin. Cannon, J. P. & Homburg, C. (2001). Buyer-seller relationships and customer firm costs. Journal of Marketing. Vol. 65 (January), 29-43. Doney, P. M. & Cannon, J. P. (1997). An examination of the nature of trust in buyer-seller relationships. Journal of Marketing. Vol. 61 (April), 35-51. Doyle, P. (2000). Value-based marketing: marketing strategies for corporate growth and shareholder value. London: Wiley. Eckles, R. W. (1990). Business marketing management: marketing of business products and services. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. Ford, D. (Ed.). (2002). Understanding business marketing and purchasing (3rd ed.). London: Thomson Learning. Ford et al. (2002). The business marketing course: managing in complex networks. London: Wiley. Haas, R. W. (1992). Business marketing management: an organizational approach. Boston: PWS-KENT. Hutt, M. D. & Speh, T. W. (2001). Business marketing management: a strategic view of industrial and organizational markets. Ohio: South-Western. Gronroos, C. (1994). From marketing mix to relationship marketing: towards a paradigm shift in marketing. Management Decision. Vol. 32. (2), 1-20. Lovelock, C. & Wright, L. (1999). Principle of service marketing and management. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. Michel, D., Naude, P., Salle, R. & Valla, J. P. (2003). Business-to-Business Marketing. London: Macmillan. Morgan, R. M. & Hunt, S. D. (1994). The commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing. Journal of Marketing. Vol. 58 (July), 20-38. Polonsky, M. J., Schuppisser, D. S. W. & Beldona, S. (2002). A stakeholder perspective for analyzing marketing relationships. Journal of Market-Focused Management. 5, 109-126. Sheth, J. N. & Parvatiyar, A. (2000). Handbook of relationship marketing. California: Sage. Walters, D. & Hanrahan, J. (2000). Retail Strategy: planning and control. London: Macmillan. Wathne, K. H., Biong, H. & Heide, J. B. (2001). Choice of supplier in embedded markets: relationship and marketing program effects. Journal of Marketing. Vol. 65 (April), 54-66. www.safe.com.sg   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Dissertation proposal on Singapore Home Furnishing and Customer Electronics Retailers: the nature of trust in business-to-business relationship marketing

MA MARKETING Unit: Research Management Assessment: Research Proposal INTRODUCTION This report is the critical academic...

Effects of Western Exposure to Southeast Asian College Students’ use of Formal English and English Slang Research Proposal

Effects of Western Exposure to Southeast Asian College Students’ use of Formal English and English Slang I. Abstract The acquisition and learning of language has been has been primarily attributed to the requirement of higher education in Southeast Asia to acquire a universal language in order to understand and to be understood in the international setting. This will be an impetus for the researcher to incorporate the group slang used by the students into a translation dictionary. Moreover, The capability of using English as a language is thus gauged providing a concrete research on the efficacy of college students in Japan, China and Philippines. The study will also use the descriptive approach using questionnaires as tools of data gathering. These shall be given to college students in China, Japan and Philippines. II. Introduction English is considered as a universal language in contemporary times. In order to excel in the corporate and industrial world, a firm grasp of the language is required, especially from college students. Nevertheless, in countries where English isn’t the first language, there is a degree of difficulty in the acquisition of such language skills. Moreover, it is given a unique typology of the language as reflected from the accent patterned from the speaking styles of individual nations. Moreover, culture also becomes a significant factor in the use of the English language, particularly with its utilization of slang. Exposure to the culture of the western part of the globe through mass media and direct immersion on the nation dictates the level of competency of the learner in the acquisition of language. Discussions of “culture” and “learning styles” are essential to understanding how people learn. Shade (1993) elaborates on Madhere’s (1989) definition of culture by defining it as “a group’s preferred way of perceiving, judging, and organizing the ideas, situations and events they encounter in their daily lives” (p. 9). She further explains that cultures may maintain specific religious orientation, language, or style of communication and may have preferences for expressive methods of their perceptions of the world. Guidelines used by individuals to select information to which they attend and to interpret given information are also determined by culture. It is only natural to assume that culture would affect how children learn. Research proponents in the area of individual differences are now looking at the manner in which children learn (Cohen, 1969; Shade, 1993). Learning style, as defined by the National Task Force of Learning Style and Brain Behavior (cited in Bennett, 1990) defines the construct as a consistent pattern of behavior and performance by which an individual approaches educational experiences. It is the composite of characteristic cognitive, affective, and physiological behaviors that serve as relatively stable indicators of how a learner perceives, interacts with, and responds to the learning environment. It is formed in a deep structure of neural organization and personality which molds and is molded by human development and the cultural experiences of home, school, and society. (p. 94) There is an existing, albeit not wholly understood relationship between learning styles and culture (Bennett, 1986; Castaneda & Gray, 1974; Hernandez, 1989). The concept of culture envelopes the values, customs, beliefs, communication patterns, and aesthetic standards which have been passed from one generation to the next (Parillo, 1990). These particular dimensions serve as a cohesive cultural force, which, in turn, help to define the behavior of a society (Parillo, 1990). Anderson (1988) contends that as the cultures of ethnically distinct communities vary, so do the differences in their learning styles.   Relevance of the Research The study involves the analysis of the effects of exposure to western culture in the use of formal usage as well as English slang of students. In this study, it the researcher will be able to discern the English slang adopted by the individual countries involved in this study. Thus, this will be an impetus for the researcher to incorporate the group slang used by the students into a translation dictionary. Furthermore, the study will also determine the relationship of culture in the use of English as a language as well as a colloquial lingo. It is thus in this medium that research on the ability of using both formal and colloquial methods of the individual countries involved will be taken into account. The capability of using English as a language is thus gauged providing a concrete research on the efficacy of college students in Japan, China and Philippines.   Study problem The acquisition and learning of language has been has been primarily attributed to the requirement of higher education in Southeast Asia to acquire a universal language in order to understand and to be understood in the international setting. The acquisition of English as second language could thus be varied as well considering the differing speech patterns in Southeast Asia. Nevertheless, all of these educational institutions teach universal principles of formal usage of English. The level of knowledge on these principles is thus considerably satisfactory, especially for those who are currently acquiring their degrees in college. Moreover, college students have a certain degree of individualism and independence in their acquisition of knowledge. This independence also places them in a vulnerable spot in the acquisition of culture aside from their own. These students readily acquire language not only for academic purposes but also for social rationales as well.   III. Literature Review Language is a system of conventions developed by group members to communicate among themselves. The Roman alphabet is one such convention. Though the Roman alphabet was adopted for the written expression of the English language, it has always been inadequate for representing each sound of English (especially Modern English) with clear, one-to-one sound/symbol correspondences (Pyles, 1993, p25). English is full of exceptions and examples of a letter representing different sounds when combined with other letters. The digraphs (ch, ck, ph, sh, th, wh, and qu) are just a few of these. The x, of course, represents two sounds — the sounds of the k and the s — together. And the vowels of English are the worst for people who find spelling difficult. English is, in fact, now a world language. American and British English are only two variations of the language although these two national varieties have the largest numbers of speakers and greatest worldwide impact. Second language acquisition is the phrase used to describe the process that people go through when confronted by a need to use a language other than their native one for communication. People acquire their first and second languages differently. Some of the issues and processes involved in language acquisition include the idea of innateness, the relevance of the language input the language learner receives, and the nature of early developmental grammars (O’Grady, 1989).  In addition, the linguistic development of children depends upon the linguistic experiences of childhood and the language and language structures that children encounter. Therefore, the burden of language exposure falls upon children’s parents and caretakers. A common approach among the caretakers of children is to “dumb-down” the language used or to speak “baby-talk” with the language learners. Some research suggests that this altering of normal speech leave learners with an “impoverished stimulus” and may actually interfere with or delay the learners’ language acquisition. As they acquire their first learned language, individuals are subjected to a colloquial use of their local language, which is commonly referred to as slang. Slang is a nonstandard vocabulary belonging to a particular culture or subculture. It consists of raw and unrefined expressions, many of which are considered taboo, vulgar, and derogatory. In fact, slang terms are more commonly used than standard words when referring to sexual attraction, acts, and relationships (Flexner, 1975). Despite the large number of slang expressions that the average individual knows, and the frequency with which slang expressions are used, the knowledge and use of slang has received little empirical attention. The neglect of slang as a topic for research may be the result of several factors, such as the belief that slang use changes rapidly or that slang is not “standard” language. However, research concerning the knowledge and use of slang is important. Spack (1997) finds that the educational background that students received in Japan makes it difficult for them to achieve independently even in the areas of their greatest interest in the United States. Asian students have little experience as independent, creative learners. They receive instructions and memorize them; they take in information and give it back. On the other hand, American instruction often asks students to discover how they can use information to their benefit. American students expect that instruction will serve their personal goal, rather than their serving the educational system. They are encouraged to ask questions in class, whereas Asian students consider individual questions self-centered and a waste of the other students’ time. These different expectations for common classroom activities complicate Asians’ adaptation to the American classroom. Freire and Macedo (1987) state that “literacy and education in general are cultural expressions” (51). Asian students receive their education very differently from most students in the United States. The Asian educational system emphasizes uniformity. Students are not encouraged or expected to question information being presented. Yang’s experiences did not encourage her to express her ideas, especially if they differed from the lecturer’s. Her attitudes toward books and class instruction were expected to be positive. Her purpose for reading was to find the correct answers. She explains this perspective, “Asian people like to trace history back to hundreds and thousands of years ago. American people don’t, and they don’t have that long history to trace to. So American people are very creative and exploratory. Asian people comply with rules and history.” According to Asian culture, books and teachings should not be questioned. Asian people respect knowledge, knowledgeable persons, and teachers and value education highly. They do not challenge their ancestors’ perspectives.   IV. Objectives   Research Questions The study intends to investigate the effects of western exposure to Southeast Asian College students’ use of formal English and English slang. Specifically the study intends to answer the following questions: 1.                            What are the nature, effects and usage of local slang in the acquisition of English as a second language? 2.                            What are the characteristics of a college student in the three respondent countries? 3.                            What is the relationship of western exposure to the use of the English language? 4.                            What nation effectively learns the language with consideration of the local slang? 5.                            What are the conglomerate of slang used in Philippines, China, and Japan? 6.                            How significant western exposure is to the acquisition of English as a second language? Hypotheses The study intends to test the following null hypothesis: “Exposure to western culture of Southeast Asian college students significantly affects their use of formal English and English slang.”   Theoretical/Conceptual Framework A foreign accent is marked by differences not only in phonology, but also in timing, rhythm, stress and intonation patterns (Flege, 1995). A number of researchers have studied the factors that affect ESL students’ study in American school settings. Studies by Fu (1995), Johnson (1982), and Spack (1997) shed light on ESL students’ situations and the causes of their difficulties in graduate study. They found that ESL students often have difficulty in their academic subjects because of (a) the influence of cultural and personal prior knowledge, (b) the processes of education that students learned from their native schools, and (c) their linguistic characteristics. V. Research Methods   1. Study Design Research requires an organized data gathering in order to pinpoint the research philosophies and theories that will be included in the research, the methodology of the research and the instruments of data interpretation. In this study, the Research Process “Onion” will be utilized so that the findings of the study can be thoroughly established. The inner part of the onion describes the methodology portion whereas the outer part discusses the strategies that can be utilized in interpreting the results of the findings. The descriptive research method uses observation and surveys. In this method, it is possible that the study would be cheap and quick. It could also suggest unanticipated hypotheses. Nonetheless, it would be very hard to rule out alternative explanations and especially infer causations. Thus, this study will use the descriptive approach.  This descriptive type of research will utilize observations in the study.  To illustrate the descriptive type of research, Creswell (1994) will guide the researcher when he stated: Descriptive method of research is to gather information about the present existing condition.  The purpose of employing this method is to describe the nature of a situation, as it exists at the time of the study and to explore the cause/s of particular phenomena. The researcher opted to use this kind of research considering the desire of the researcher to obtain first hand data from the respondents so as to formulate rational and sound conclusions and recommendations for the study.   2. Subjects / respondents   -          inclusion / exclusion A greater understanding of the effect of local slang in the use of English among Asians is a fundamental thrust of this paper. The study shall be acquiring information from professors and instructors of language. Moreover, the study will only be limited to the use of local slang in three countries, China, the Philippines, and Japan. Similarly, only those educational institutions that operate in the said countries shall be considered in the survey. This way the findings as well as the conclusion of this research could be considered as competent to formulate recommendations for the language acquisition of Non-English speaking  Asians. The study intends to investigate the effect of local slang in the use of English among college students of China, Philippines and Japan. For this study, primary research and secondary research will be used. Primary research will be conducted using anonymous questionnaires that will be sent to selected professors and instructors in China, Philippines, and Japan. The questionnaires will be used to collect quantitative data and the interviews will be used to provide qualitative insights into the data collected. The data will be analyzed and compiled for the correlation of the hypothesis. The data will then be presented by means of graphical representations and illustration and the difference would be highlighted. A negative correlation between the variables would suggest that the hypothesis is null, that is, Exposure to western culture of Southeast Asian college students significantly affects their use of formal English and English slang.   -          Sampling The study will employ a combination of cluster and random sampling in order to collect all the data needed in the study. The population will include college students in Japan, China and Philippines numbering thirty (30) per country.   -          Recruitment plans The study will be sending correspondence to specific English acquisition classes through individual instructors in the said countries. Correspondence among the instructors will be through electronic mail while constant follow-ups regarding the result of the survey shall be undertaken.   -          Methods of study groups The research described in this document is partly based on quantitative research methods. This permits a flexible and iterative approach. During data gathering the choice and design of methods are constantly modified, based on ongoing analysis. This allows investigation of important new issues and questions as they arise, and allows the investigators to drop unproductive areas of research from the original research plan. This study also employs qualitative research method, since this research intends to find and build theories that would explain the relationship of one variable with another variable through qualitative elements in research. These qualitative elements does not have standard measures, rather they are behavior, attitudes, opinions, and beliefs. Furthermore, as we define the qualitative research it is multimethod in focus, involving an interpretative, naturalistic approach to its subject matter. This means that qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of, or interpret phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them. Accordingly, qualitative researchers deploy a wide range of interconnected methods, hoping always to get a better fix on the subject matter at hand.   3. Data collection   -          Measure / instruments The researcher shall use a combination of cluster and random sampling. First, a self-administered questionnaire, containing 18 to 20 questions and to be filled out by the students with information regarding their slang use shall be formulated.  Ideally, the respondents will grade each statement in the survey-questionnaire using a Likert scale, with a five-response scale wherein respondents will be given five response choices.   The equivalent weights for the answers will be: Range                                                            Interpretation       4.50 – 5.00                                                    Strongly Agree 3.50 – 4.00                                                    Agree 2.50 – 3.49                                                    Uncertain 1.50 – 2.49                                                    Disagree          0.00 – 1.49                                                    Strongly Disagree   4. Intervention   For validation purposes, the researcher will initially submit a sample of the set of survey questionnaires and after approval; the survey will be conducted to five respondents.  After the questions were answered, the researcher will ask the respondents for any suggestions or any necessary corrections to ensure further improvement and validity of the instrument.  The researcher will again examine the content of the interview questions to find out the reliability of the instrument.  The researchers will exclude irrelevant questions and will change words that would be deemed difficult by the respondents, to much simpler terms.   -          Procedures The researcher will exclude the five respondents who will be initially used for the validation of the instrument.  The researcher will also tally, score and tabulate all the responses in the provided interview questions. Moreover, the interview shall be using a structured interview. It shall consist of a list of specific questions and the interviewer does not deviate from the list or inject any extra remarks into the interview process. The interviewer may encourage the interviewee to clarify vague statements or to further elaborate on brief comments. Otherwise, the interviewer attempts to be objective and tries not to influence the interviewer’s statements. The interviewer does not share his/her own beliefs and opinions. The structured interview is mostly a “question and answer” session.   5. Statistical considerations   -          Sample size The respondents shall compose of college students in the countries of China, Japan, and Philippines with 30 respondents every country, totaling ninety (90) respondents.   -          Data analysis When all the survey questionnaire will have been collected, the researcher will use statistics to analyse all the data. The statistical formulae to be used in the survey questionnaire will be the following: 1.     Percentage – to determine the magnitude of the responses to the questionnaire.             n % = ——– x 100        ;           n – number of responses             N                                 N – total number of respondents   2.     Weighted Mean               f1x1 + f2x2  + f3x3 + f4x4  + f5x5 x= ———————————————  ;                         xt   where:            f – weight given to each response                         x – number of responses             xt – total number of responses The researcher will be assisted by the SPSS in coming up with the statistical analysis for this study.   VI. Expected Output   The dissertation shall be divided into five chapters in order to provide clarity and coherence on the discussion of the effects of the exposure of Western culture to the use of the people of China, Japan and the Philippines. The first part of the dissertation will be discussing the problem uncovered by the researcher and provide ample background on the topic. The chapter shall constitute an introduction to the whole dissertation, the hypothesis, and the statement of the problem in order to present the basis of the study. Moreover, the chapter shall also have a discussion on the scope of its study as well as the significance of the study to society in general and specific effects on the use of English by Asians. The second chapter shall be discussing the relevance of the study in the existing literature. It shall provide studies on Western and Asian methods of using English as well as those concerned with language acquisition. After the presentation of the existing related literature, the researcher shall provide a synthesis of the whole chapter in relation to the study. The third part of the study shall be discussing the methods and procedures used in the study. The chapter shall comprise of the presentation of the utilized techniques for data collection and research methodology. Similarly, it shall also contain a discussion on the used techniques in data analysis as well as the tools used to acquire the said data. The fourth chapter shall be an analysis on the tabulated data. After the said tabulation, the data are statistically treated in order to uncover the relationship of the variable involved in the study. With the said data, the chapter seeks to address the statement of the problem noted in the first chapter. The last chapter shall comprise of three sections, the summary of the findings, the conclusions of the study, and the recommendations. With the three portions, the chapter shall be able to address the verification of the hypothesis stated in the initial chapters of the study. Another output expected from this study is a dictionary of slang that is used by the respective countries involved in this study.       Project time plan   		TASK 		 		 		MONTH 		  		1st 		2nd 		3rd 		4th 		5th 		6th 		7th 		8th 		9th 		Select topic 		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		Undertake 		preliminary literature search 		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"> 			Define research 			questions </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"> 			Write-up aims 			and objectives </li> </ul> 		 		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		Select appropriate 		methodology and locate sources of information. Confirm access. 		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		Write-up 		Dissertation Plan 		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		Undertake and 		write-up draft critical literature review. 		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		Secondary and 		Primary Data Detailed <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"> 			Sources </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"> 			Consulted </li> </ul> 		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		Research Findings: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"> 			Analyzed </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"> 			Evaluated </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"> 			Written-up </li> </ul> 		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		Discussion: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"> 			Research 			findings evaluated and discussed in relation to the literature 			review </li> </ul> 		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		Methodology 		written-up 		(including 		limitations and constraints) 		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		Main body of the 		report 		written-up and checked for logical structure 		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"> 			Conclusions 			drawn </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"> 			Recommendations 			made </li> </ul> 		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		Introduction and 		Executive Summary written-up 		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		Final format and 		indexing 		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		Print 		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		  		    References Bennett, C.I. (1986). Comprehensive multicultural education: Theory and practice. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Castaneda, A., & Gray, T. (1974). Bicognitive processes in multicultural education. Education Leadership, 32, 203-207. Cohen, R.A. (1969)., Conceptual styles, culture conflict, and nonverbal tests of intelligence. American Anthropologist, 71, 826-828. Creswell, J.W. (1994) Research design. Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage. Flege, J. E. (1995). Second language speech learning. In W. Strange (Ed.), Speech perception and linguistic experience. Timonium, MD: York. Flexner, S. B. (1975). Preface to the dictionary of American slang. In H. Wentworth & S. B. Flexner (Eds.), Dictionary of American slang. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell. Freire, P., and D. Macedo. 1987. Literacy: Reading the word and the world. South Hadley, MA: Bergin and Garvey. Fu, D. L. 1995. “My trouble is my English.” Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook. Hernandez, H. (1989). Multicultural education: A teacher’s guide to content and process. Columbus: Merrill. Johnson, P. 1982. Effects on reading comprehension of building background knowledge. TESOL Quarterly 16(4): 503-16. Madhere, S. (1989). Models of intelligence and the African American intellect. Journal of Negro Education, 58, 189-202. O’Grady, William, Michael Dobrovolsky and Mark Aronoff. (1989) Contemporary Linguistics. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Pyles, Thomas and John Algeo. (1993) The Origins and Development of the English Language, 4th ed. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace and Company. Shade, B.J. (1993). Cognitive strategies as determinants of school achievement. Psychology in the schools, 20, 488-493. Spack, R. 1997. The acquisition of academic literacy in a second language. Written Communication 14(1): 3-62.       Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Effects of Western Exposure to Southeast Asian College Students’ use of Formal English and English Slang Research Proposal

Effects of Western Exposure to Southeast Asian College Students ’ use of Formal English and English Slang I. Abstract The acquisition...