Title The impact of obesity on gym marketStudent number 822374.docx

Title: The impact of obesity on gym market
Student number: 822374
Abstract:
With an increasing number of children obesity in the UK even
the world, the gym market is emerging and there has some good
example that the gym market will become more regulated and
available to more people to preventive some potential obesity-
related disease in the UK.
Contents List:
1. Background information
2 What is Cause-Related Marketing?
3. An excellent example of Cause Related Marketing of who
cares wins
4 Gym market with increasing number of children obesity
5 The successful children’s fitness center in the US and
regulation of the field
6 Free gym in Birmingham
Literature review
1. Background information
This literature review provides background information about
the project on investigating how obesity affects gym market in
the UK, what about the gym market condition in the UK, how
serious about obesity phenomenon in the UK.
2. What is Cause-Related Marketing?
The concept of Cause-Related Marketing (CRM) was defined in
2004 by the UK-based Business in the Community (BITC)
organization to refer to a commercial activity in which a
business entity and a charity or not-for profit entity cooperate
by forming a partnership with each other for purposes of

marketing an image, a product, or even a service for their
mutual benefit (Anghel, Grigore, & Rosca, 2011). For example,
the business entity contributes to directly to the causes of the
charity, or allows the charity to make its own packaging on a
product with the understanding that a given percentage of the
revenues realized by the business entity from the sale of that
product will go to the charity to support its causes. Therefore
CRM can be used as a marketing tool for the business entity,
while also helping to solve problems of the facing the society.
(Business Case Studies, 2016).
It has been acknowledged that business and the extensive
community are inseparable (Adkins, 1999). This means that in
addition to satisfying all legal requirements such as licensing
the business, and also having qualified personnel, a business
also needs a prosperous consumer base which then provides a
ready market for its products and services. Therefore, if the
business is without such a healthy community, it would make
the business in short supply and the potential of the business
will be restricted. As such, through all aspects of business
activities and also Cause-Related Marketing, the business is
able to gain an advantage in the market. It is also important to
note that businesses not only need to build healthy businesses,
contributing towards having a healthy society too is important.
An example of Cause-Related Marketing in the UK is Tesco’s
program which gives computers to schools and has been running
for over ten years and delivered a staggering 84 million pounds
of information communication equipment to the schools
(Adkins, 1999).
Another example is the “Age UK and Innocent” where in the
past ten years; Age UK groups around all country have knitted
small wool caps for Innocent smoothie bottles. For every
‘behatted’ smoothie that’s sold, Innocent donates 25p to Age
UK (Age UK, 2017).
4. Gym market with increasing number of children obesity
4. 1 A dramatically increasing number of childhood obesity
threats the health of the children in the UK

According to the report released in 2004, childhood obesity has
tripled in the past 20 years in the UK (Committee, 2004). This
raises the fear that obesity will soon replace smoking as the
main cause of premature deaths in adults. As such, this
indicates that the UK population is a potential gym market as
one of the solutions needed to combat the problem of obesity.
4.2 Gym in UK market
In 2016 alone, statistics indicate that first time British gym
membership rose by more than 9 million, while gym
membership increased by 5.3%, with the gym market value
increasing by 3.2% (The Leisure Database Company, 2016).
British gym is now estimated at 4.4 billion pounds total market
capitalization. And now Britain has 6435 fitness facilities,
increase than last year's 6312 (Quesnel, 2016). In relation to the
released data, David Minton, director of The Leisure Database
Company, argues that this is a good result in the gym market.
The ascension of each core index shows that technology,
innovation and take the customer as the centre of the potential
of fitness products together (Quesnel, 2016).
5. Examples of successful children’s fitness centres and
regulation of the field
Whereas this project focuses on the gym market in the UK, this
section will offer examples both within the UK an also in the
US, the purpose of including an example from the latter being
to appreciate and learn from the strides made in that regard.
5.1 Successful case of My Gym in the US
My Gym is a children’s fitness center that was established over
three decades ago in the United States. Its purpose was to
improve children psychology of facilities to help children to be
physically fit (Howlett, 2013). My Gym is only a safe place to
let the children play and be coached in all sporting activities; it
also provides a guide to a healthier life for the children.
5.2 The ACE provides youth fitness specific educational
certifications
American Council on Exercise (ACE) provides certifications on

youth trainers and specialists to ensure that they are qualified
before they offer physical fitness lessons to youths. In addition,
it runs a program referred to as the ACE Youth Fitness
Specialist Program whose aim is to equip parents, coaches and
even fitness and healthcare professional with knowledge and
skills to enable the be able to develop exercise programs for
children (The American Council on Exercise, 2017).
6. Free gym in Birmingham
Heart of Birmingham teaching primary care trust In Ladywood
district of the city recently launched the “Gym For Free” plan.
Select the area because it has a high level of obesity in children
and infant mortality. And life expectancy for residents is also
very short. Participants are eligible for free in the Ttie city
fitness and swimming. The project aims to encourage more
people to use leisure center and swimming pool. Participants are
assigned a mentor and must attend four times a month fitness,
fitness or swimming meeting, in order to return visit to the plan
(Birmingham Wellbeing, 2017).

References
Adkins, S. (1999). Cause Related Marketing: Who Cares Wins.
United Kingdom: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Age UK. (2017). Age UK Charity. Retrieved January 23, 2017,
from Age UK Website: http://www.ageuk.org.uk/get-
involved/events-and-challenges/the-big-knit/
Anghel, L. D., Grigore, G. F., & Rosca, M. (2011). Cause-
Related Marketing, Part of Corporate Social Responsibilityand
its Influence upon Consumers' Attitude. European Journal of
Marketing, XIII (29), 72-85.
Committee, H. (2004). Obesity. London: The Stationery Office
Limited.
Howlett, S. P. (2013, September). Children's Fitness
CentersExpand Their Mission. Retrieved January 23, 2017, from
A Writer's Residence Website:
http://www.sarahhowlett.writersresidence.com/samples/children
-s-fitness-centers-expand-their-mission
The American Council on Exercise. (2017). Make Today's
Children Tomorrow's Healthy Adults. Retrieved January 23,
2017, from ACE Website: http://www.acefitness.org/fitness-
certifications/specialtyt-certifications/youth-fitness.aspx
The Leisure Database Company. (2016, May 11). Press Release:
2016 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report. Retrieved January
23, 23, from The Leisure Database Company Ltd Website:
http://www.leisuredb.com/blog/2016/5/11press-release-2016-
state-of-the-uk-fitness-industry-report
Quesnel, C. (2016). Press Release: 2016 State of the UK Fitness
Industry Report. The Leisure Database Company. Retrieved
from http://www.leisuredb.com/blog/2016/5/11/press-release-
2016-state-of-the-uk-fitness-industry-report
What is cause related marketing - The importance of cause
related marketing - Cadbury Schweppes | Cadbury Schweppes
case studies and information | Business Case Studies.
(2016). Businesscasestudies.co.uk. Retrieved from
http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/cadbury-schweppes/the-

importance-of-cause-related-marketing/what-is-cause-related-
marketing.html#ixzz4RxGc5CTs
Assignment 1
Library Research Assignment
Locate a publicly traded U.S. company of your choice. Then,
calculate the following ratios for the company for 2014 and
2015:
· Liquidity Ratios
· Current ratio [current assets / current liabilities]
· Quick ratio [(current assets – inventory) / current liabilities]
· Asset Turnover Ratios
· Collection period [accounts receivable / average daily sales]
· Inventory turnover [cost of goods sold / ending inventory]
· Fixed asset turnover [sales / net fixed assets]
· Financial Leverage Ratios
· Debt-to-asset ratio [total liabilities / total assets]
· Debt-to-equity ratio [total liabilities / total stockholders’
equity]
· Times-interest-earned (TIE) ratio [EBIT / interest]

· Profitability Ratios
· Net profit margin [net income / sales]
· Return on assets (ROA) [net income / total assets]
· Return on equity (ROE) [net income / total stockholders’
equity]
· Market-Based Ratios
· Price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio [stock price / earnings per share]
· Price-to-book (P/B) ratio [market value of common stock /
total stockholders’ equity]
You are now ready to interpret the ratios that you have
calculated. If a ratio increased from 2014 to 2015, why do you
think that it increased? Is it a good or bad sign that the ratio
increased? Please explain.
If a ratio decreased from 2014 to 2015, why do you think that it
decreased? Is it a good or bad sign that the ratio decreased?
Please explain.
If a ratio was unchanged from 2014 to 2015, why do you think
that it was unchanged? Is it a good or bad sign that the ratio was
unchanged? Please explain.
Assignment 2
After engaging in a dialogue with your colleagues on valuation,
you will now be given an opportunity to apply principles that
were presented in this phase. Using a Web site that provides
current stock and bond pricing and yield information, complete
and analyze the tables illustrated below. Your mentor suggests
using a Web site similar to this one.
To fill out the first table, you will need to select 3 bonds with
maturities between 10 and 20 years with bond ratings of "A to
AAA," "B to BBB" and "C to CC" (you may want to use bond
screener at the Web site linked above). All of these bonds will
have these values (future values) of $1,000. You will need to
use a coupon rate of the bond times the face value to calculate
the annual coupon payment. You should subtract the maturity
date from the current year to determine the time to maturity.
The Web site should provide you with the yield to maturity and

the current quote for the bond. (Be sure to multiply the bond
quote by 10 to get the current market value.) You will then need
to indicate whether the bond is currently trading at a discount,
premium, or par.
Bond
Company/
Rating
Face Value (FV)
Coupon Rate
Annual Payment (PMT)
Time-to Maturity (NPER)
Yield-to-Maturity (RATE)
Market Value (Quote)
Discount, Premium, Par
A-Rated
$1,000
B-Rated
$1,000
C-Rated
$1,000

· Explain the relationship observed between ratings and yield to
maturity.
· Explain why the coupon rate and the yield to maturity
determine why the bonds would trade at a discount, premium, or
par.
· Based on the material you learn in this Phase, what would you
expect to happen to the yield to maturity and market value of
the bonds if the time to maturity was increased or decreased by
5 years?
In this step, you have been asked to visit a credible Web site
that provides detailed information on publicly traded stocks and
select 1 that has at least a 5-year history of paying dividends
and 2 of its closest competitors.
To fill up the first table, you will need to gather information
needed to calculate the required rate of return for each of the 3
stocks. You will need to calculate the risk-free rate for this
assignment. You will need the market return that was calculated
in Phase 2, and the beta that you should be able to find on the
Web site.
Company
5-year Risk-Free Rate of Return
Beta (ß)
5-Year Return on Top 500 Stocks
Required Rate of Return (CAPM)

To complete the next table, you will need the most recent
dividends paid over the past year for each stock, expected
growth rate for the stocks, and the required rate of return you
calculated in the previous table. You will also need to compare
your results with the current value of each stock and determine
whether the model suggests that they are over- or underpriced.
Company
Current Dividend
Projected Growth Rate (next year)
Required Rate of Return (CAPM)
Estimated Stock Price (Gordon Model)
Current Stock Price
Over/Under Priced

In the third table, you will be using the price to earnings ratio
(P/E) along with the average expected earnings per share
provided by the Web site. You will also need to compare your
results with the current value of each stock to determine
whether or not the model suggests that the stocks are over- or
underpriced.
Company
Estimated Earning
(next year)
P/E Ratio
Estimated Stock Price (P/E)
Current Stock Price
Over/Under Priced

After completing the 3 tables, explain your findings and why
your calculations coincide with the principles related to bonds
that were presented in the Phase. Be sure to address the
following:
· Explain the relationship observed between the required rate of
return, growth rate and the dividend paid, and the estimated
value of the stock using the Gordon Model.
· Explain the value and weaknesses of the Gordon model.
· Explain the how the price-to-earnings model is used to
estimate the value of the stocks.
· Explain which of the 2 models seemed to be the most accurate
in estimating the value of the stocks.
· Based on the material that you learn in this Phase, what would
you expect to happen to the value of the stock if the growth
rate, dividends, required rate of return, or the estimated
earnings per share were to increase or decrease? Be sure to
explain each case separately.
Note: You can find information about the top 500 stocks at this
Web site.
References
S&P 500 index chart. (2014). Retrieved from the Yahoo!
Finance Web site:
http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=%5egspc+interactive#symbo
l=^gspc;range=1y;compare=;indicator=volume;charttype=area;c
rosshair=on;ohlcvalues=0;logscale=off;source=;
Yahoo! Finance. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://finance.yahoo.com/
Be sure to document your paper with in-text citations, credible
sources, and a list of references used in proper APA format.
Assignment 3
Your next assignment as a financial management intern is to
apply the knowledge that you acquired while engaging in the
cost of capital discussion that you had with your colleagues. In
this task, you will be calculating the weighted cost of capital for

a firm using the book value of the components and the concepts
presented in this phase.
Using the most current annual financial statements from the
company you analyzed in Phase 1, determine the percentage of
the firm's assets that are currently be financed with debt (total
liabilities), preferred stock, and common stock (common
equity). It is very possible that your firm will have very little or
no preferred stock, so in this class, the percent would be "zero."
Your ratios should add up to 100%. You will also need to
calculate the firm’s average tax rate using the income tax
expense divided by the firm's income before taxes. Use the
following tables:
Company
Total Assets
Total Liabilities
Total Preferred Stock
Total Common Equity
Dollar Value
% of Assets
Company
Income before Tax
Income Tax Expense
Average Tax Rate (%)

The first component to determine is the cost of debt. You
mentor suggests using the Web site that you used in the
previous Phase to find the pretax yield-to-maturity of a bond
with at least 5 years left before maturity. Using the following
table, calculate the firm's after-tax cost of debt:
Yield to Maturity
1 - Average Tax Rate
After-tax Cost of Debt
Now you will need to calculate the cost of preferred stock. You
can use the following table:
Annual Dividend
Current Value of Preferred Stock
Cost of Preferred Stock (%)
To calculate the cost of common equity, you can use the CAPM
model. Using current stock data, the yield on the 5-year treasury
bond, and the return on the market calculated in Phase 2, you
can calculate the cost of common equity using the following
table:
5-year Treasury Bond Yield
(risk-free rate)
Stock's Beta
Return on the Top 500 Stocks (market return)
Cost of Common Equity
Now, you can use the cost and ratios from above to calculate the
firm's weighted average cost of capital (WACC) using the
following table:

After-Tax Cost of Debt
Cost of Preferred Stock
Cost of Common Equity
WACC
Unweighted Cost
Weight of Component
Weighted Cost of Component
· After completing the required calculations, explain your
results in a Word document, and attach the spreadsheet showing
your work. Be sure to explain the following:
· How would you expect the weighted average cost of capital
(WACC) to differ if you had used market values of equity rather
than the book value of equity, and why?
· What would you expect would happen to the cost of equity if
you had to raise it by selling new equity, and why?
· If the after-tax cost of debt is always less expensive than
equity, why don't firms use more debt and less equity?
· What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of raising
capital by using debt?
· How would "floatation costs" impacted the WACC, and how
could they have been incorporated in the formula?
Note: You can find information about the top 500 stocks at this
Web site.

Project Week 1418 January 2017
Contents of this document
· A Overview of a Project
· B What you should do with your project now
· C Information on data collection methods
A Overview of a Project
This section shows you a typical organisation for a Project and
the approximate word count for your sections.
SECTION
EXAMPLE
The following three sections are called the ‘Front matter’ – they
arenotincluded in your total word count.
NB! Do NOT write your front matter textUNTIL you have
completed main body of the project.
Title page
The Cat Food Industry in the UK: how has it changed in the last
50 years? An investigation into customer identification and
targeting.
We can make the general topic (The Cat Food Industry) more
specific by restricting the scope of your study by:
· time (in the last 50 years)

· place (in the UK)
· subtopic (customer identification and targeting)
Contents
1.2 Background of the cat food industry 9
NB: Numbering your sections and subsections is useful.
However, for such a short Project (4,000 words) try to only use
two levels (i.e. 1 divided into 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 etc. is two levels).
Avoid using three levels (i.e. 1 divided into 1.1 divided into
1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3 etc.)
and do not use four or more levels (i.e. 1 divided into 1.1
divided into 1.1.1 divided into 1.1.1.1, 1.1.1.2, 1.1.1.3 etc.)
Abstract
The British are well known as a nation of cat lovers. The results
show that, since the 1970s, the cat food industry has become
greatly diversified and influenced by lifestyle choice.
You cannot write the Abstract until you have completed all of
the main body.
The Abstract will typically be between approximately100 and
200 words.
The following are the main body.

Only these sections are included in the 4,000 word count(+/-
10%).
Introduction
The British are well known as a nation of cat lovers.
The Introduction is typically 5-10% of the total wordcount.
Your Introduction will therefore be between approximately200
and 400 words.
NB! Do NOT write your Introduction or your conclusionUNTIL
you have completed the Literature Review, Methodology,
Results or Discussion chapters.
Literature Review
Watson (2008) attributes these trends to changing attitudes
towards animal welfare.
The Literature Review will typically be between 800 and 1000
words.
NB: On p. 11 of the Project Handbook, you will see that to get
70 –79 in this section, you need to “Demonstrat[e] application
of theories, interpretation of data or other information.”
Many students wrote good background information, but either
did not explore the academic theories relating to your topic.

The next sections of the main body will depend on whether your
Project includes Primary research or Secondary research.
Primary research will include a Methodology, Results and
Discussion section (see below for details).
Secondary research will typically be divided into two or three
sections. The title of each section will focus on a specific aspect
of your investigation (you will need to discuss this with Nick if
you decide to take this option).
In TOTAL, these sections will typically be between
approximately 2,200 and 2,600 words (combined).
Methodology
Watson (2008) attributes these trends to changing attitudes
towards animal welfare.
As a means of locating and contacting cat owners, membership
lists were obtained from the Cats’ Protection League.
All emails which could have identified the respondents
personally were deleted once the research was completed.
The Methodology (or Methods) section has to:
· describe the research methods that you use
· justify the reason for using this research method – your reason

must be connected or relevant to the aims of your project
· consider the ethics of your research – this is VERY important.
Results
48 per cent of the respondents spent more than £10 a week on
cat food.
The Results section report the data from your investigation.
Typically, you will need to include graphics such as pie charts,
tables etc.
Discussion
It would be wrong to attribute all these changes to a single
cause.
The Discussion section should be related to the content of your
Literature Review and your aims (i.e. your Research Questions
or Hypotheses).
An example:
The authors in your Literature Review suggest that young
people (aged 15-24) are more likely to respond to marketing on
social media than older people (aged 25-34 and 35-44).
However, the results of your survey data show that, in fact,

older people aged 25-34 and 35-44 are just as likely to respond
to marketing on social media as younger people aged 15-24.
Your discussion should focus on possible reasons for your
results.
Conclusion
It remains to be seen whether, in the present economic climate,
pet food will continue to occupy such a substantial portion of
the household budget.
The Conclusion is typically 5-10% of the total wordcount. Your
Introduction will therefore be between approximately200 and
400 words.
NB! Do NOT write your Introduction or your conclusionUNTIL
you have completed the Literature Review, Methodology,
Results or Discussion chapters.
The finalsections are called the ‘End matter’ – they are
notincluded in your total word count.
NB! Do NOT write your end matter textUNTIL you have
completed main body of the project.
Bibliography / Reference List
Watson, J. (2008). The British and their pets: a cultural survey.

Oxford: Newnham Press
Remember:
· use APA 6th Reference Style (see the ‘R’ button on the
Library webpage for details)
· order your sources alphabetically according to the family
name of the author.
· make sure that every reference in your Bibliography /
Reference List is included in your main body and that every
reference in your main body is also included here.
Appendices
Appendix 1: The Questionnaire
Thank you for agreeing to complete this questionnaire.
1. How much money per week do you spend on cat food?
2. Which is your favourite brand of cat food?
Appendix is the singular noun; Appendices is the plural.
If you have only one Appendix you do not need to number it. If
you have two or more Appendices, these should be
numbered/lettered (i.e. Appendix 1 … Appendix 2 … or
Appendix A … Appendix B … etc.).
Each Appendix will typically also have a subtitle (e.g.
Appendix 1: The Questionnaire)

If you conduct any questionnaires / surveys, you will need to
include 5 examples of them here.
Other information for the Appendices may include graphs of
data (usually data from other sources).
B What you should do with your project now
This is the order in which you will research and write the
remaining parts of your project.
Section
What you need to do
Methodology / Methods
1 Decide whether your research will be primary or secondary.
Most students are advised to do primary research. Please talk to
Nick if you believe secondary methods are better for your
investigation.
2 If you choose primary research methods, you need to decide
whether your methods will be:
· quantitative
· qualitative
· mixed (using both qualitative and quantitative methods)
3 Justify your reason for the choice of methods you are going to
use.
4 If you choose quantitative methods, you need to decide onthe

type of questions. See C Information on data collection methods
for more information on this.You need to plan the how, when,
where and who of your survey.
5 If you choose qualitative methods, a semi-structured interview
or a case study are recommended. See C Information on data
collection methods for more information on this. For interviews,
you will need to:
· identify one or two people who are relevant to your Project
· write to these people, explaining who you are and why you
want to interview them
· prepare questions
· organise recording equipment
Please talk to Nick if you believe semi-structured interviews are
better for your investigation.
6 For all primary researchmethods, you must consider the
ethical issues
Results
See notes in A Overview of a Project
Discussion
Introduction, Conclusion, Abstract
Bibliography / Reference List
Appendices

Title page
C Information on data collection methods
From p. 16 of your Project Handbook:
Evidence of data collected
Keep evidence of any research that you do. You do not have to
collect primary data. However if, for example, you distribute a
questionnaire, keep all the responses that you obtain and submit
a sample of 5 of these with your Project. There will be spot
checks which require a random sample of students to submit all
the responses received with their reports. More than 40
responses would not normally be expected.
Data collection: Population, samples and representativeness
Data collection using quantitative and/or qualitative methods is
a very complex area of academic study. For more detailed
information on this subject, you should refer to a relevant book
in the library. The recommended reading from p. 12 of your
Project Handbook is below:
Bell, J. (2010). Doing Your Research Project. (5thed.).
Maidenhead: Open University Press
Hornberger, N.H. &Corson, D. (1997).Encyclopaedia of
Language and Education.Vol. 8: Research Methods in Language
and Education. Dordrecht: Kluwer.
McDonough, J. & McDonough, S.H.(1997).Research Methods
for English Language Teachers. London: Arnold
McNeil, P. (2005). Research Methods. (3rded.). London:
Routledge
Oppenheim, A.N. (1992). Questionnaire Design, Interviewing
and Attitude Measurement.(New Edition). London: Continuum
International Publishing Group.
Saunders, M. (2012).Research Methods for Business

Students(6thed.).Harlow: Financial Times Preston Hall.
Schuman, H. & Presser, S. (1996). Questions and Answers in
Attitude Surveys. London: Saga.
The following information is therefore a selective and very brief
summary only.
The population of your study refers to the group of people (or
things) your Project is concerned with. The population is
therefore the pool of all the people you might want to
interview.For example:
Student
Project topic
Possible examples of population
Susan
1 The effects of Brexit on shipping.
People who work in the shipping industry, experts on the
shipping industry, etc.
Qian
2 Management and leadership styles in a chain of Hotels.
Hotel staff, managers, management trainees, lecturers and/or
students of Hospitality management, etc.

Claire
3 The effectiveness of social media marketing on consumers of
cosmetics.
Consumers of cosmetics who are likely to use social media
marketing, other consumers of cosmetics less likely to use
social media (for comparison), etc.
Sarah
4 To what extent does brand image and the interior design of a
luxury coffee shop influence customers decision to buy coffee.
Customers of Costa Coffee, Caffe Nero, etc.
Tony
5 To what extent does the Tesco loyalty card scheme influence
the behaviour of its customers?
Customers of Tesco with loyalty cards, Tesco management etc,
Bowen
6 To what extent might private gyms benefit from public health
initiatives to combat childhood obesity?
Personal trainers, owners of gyms, council and local
government officials responsible for health, etc.
The sample refers to the particular group of people you actually
interview. It is important to try and make sure that the people
you interview are representative of the whole population. For
example:

Tony wants to find out how Tesco’s loyalty card scheme affects
consumer behaviour. Tony should therefore try to complete
questionnaires with customers of Tesco.
The time, day and location of the store where he conducts his
interviews may significantly affect the results. For instance:
· If he only conducts his interviews at 10 am on a Tuesday, it is
more likely that the people who answer his questionnaire may
be elderly and retired. Their age may influence the way they
think about loyalty card schemes.
· If he conducts his interview at 4 pm on a Wednesday, it is
likely that he may come across many parents with their younger
children after school.
· If he conducts his interview in the evenings, he may not be
able to get many people to answer his questions – people who
do their shopping after 6 or 7 pm are usually very busy and
probably will not have spare time.
Samples can be divided into a number of different categories.
Your project will probably include one of the following:
Opportunity sampling: The choice of people for your sample is
based on your limitations e.g. budget, time and place. Many
samples will consist of students from the university as they
often have time for interviews and are often relevant subjects.
Typical sampling: The choice of person for your interview
belongs to a group relevant to your study (i.e. they are a
stakeholder in the topic of your project.)
Criterion sampling: You devise a set of criteria based on your
project which describe the kind of person you need to interview

– for example, the manager of a private gym in the Portsmouth
area who offers personal training to children aged 13 – 17.
Opportunity sampling is relevant to quantitative research, while
typical and criterion sampling are relevant to qualitative
research.Data collection: Focus on questionnaires
When you prepare your questions, you should think first of all
about what kind of information you need.
Factual questions
age, gender, occupation, residential location, etc.
Behavioural questions
frequency of an activity, lifestyle, etc.
Attitudinal questions
opinions, attitudes, beliefs, values, etc.
You should then consider the form that your questions could
take:
Likert scales
Q1. I enjoy the background music in luxury coffee shops.
Strongly agree
Agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Disagree
Strongly disagree
X

Semantic differential scales
Q1. The self-service check out machines in Tesco are:
Easy to use
_______
_______
_______
__X___
_______
Difficult to use
Numerical rating scales
Q1. Choosing my major for university was a difficult decision.
0
1
2
3
4
5
X

Rank order items
Q1. Decide which of the following are most important for you
in a coffee shop (1 = most important; 4 = least important):
The price
4
The quality of the beverages
1
The service
3
The atmosphere in the café (it is a nice place to spend time)
2
True/False items
Q1. Choosing my major for university was a difficult decision.

TRUE / FALSE
Multiple-choice items
Q1. The choice of major for university was
a) a very difficult decision to make
b) a difficult decision to make.
c) an easy decision to make.
d) made by another person (e.g. a family member)
Ethical issues
Read this page and, in the box at the bottom, write a paragraph
outlining any ethical issues associated with your project.
· Your project should not place you in any danger
· Where and when will you do any primary research?
· Who will the respondents be?
· Your project should not embarrass, upset or in any way harm
people who help you with your research. You should explain
the purpose and outline of your research before you start.
· What questions will you ask?
· What is the purpose of each question?
· No respondent should be identified in your project. You can
describe age, background and so on if necessary but do not use
anyone’s name.
· Any respondent has the right to stop cooperating with your
research at any point they wish.
· Any questionnaires, or interview questions, MUST be shown
to your tutor before you use them to gather data.

· If you are using a company’s premises (or working very near
those premises) or targeting their employees or customers, you
MUST ask permission from the company first.
Be realistic:
You have a very limited time to complete your work. Plan who
you will talk to and whether you think they are likely to
cooperate. For example, managers and directors of companies
may be too busy to talk to you.
11
Project 2016_17 U21659/U23591/U24090 L Sterne - 1 -

Student Handbook
Unit Supplement
Unit Code: U21659(BAITBC/ BAIBC)
U23591 (BACES)
U24090 (BAITLBC/BALBC)
FHEQ Level: 6
Unit Title: Project
Unit Coordinator: Linda Sterne
Tel: 02392 842164
Email: [email protected]
Office: Park 4.35
Office hours: Thursdays 13.00-15.00
Academic Year: 2016 - 2017
School of Languages and Area Studies
Named awards using this unit:
BA (Hons) International Trade and Business Communication
BA (Hons) International Business Communication
BA (Hons) Communication and English Studies
BA (Hons) International Trade, Logistics and Business
Communication

BA (Hons) Logistics and Business Communication
Welcome to the Project
Project Overview
The Project carries 20 credits over two Teaching Blocks
(TB)and leads to a final report of 4,000 words
which will investigate a topic of your choice on an area which
is of interest to you and related to your
degree/academic studies. There are some classes in research
skills which will provide you with the
necessary practical and academic skills to produce your Project.
However, the main focus is on
developing your independent research skills so you are expected
to attend individual and group
tutorials with your Project Tutor (who is also your Personal
Tutor).During this Unit you will increase
your understanding of the conventions of academic research and
develop your skills in working
independently on an area of interest to you.
This Unit is linked to General Language 6 (GL6) which, for
those students who do this Unit, will
help you develop the academic reading and writing skills
necessary to write your Project. Further
help with Academic English is provided by the Learning
Development Tutors (see page 4: English

Language/Study Skills Support).
This is good preparation for the next stage of your academic
studies (e.g. post-graduate/Masters
level study) or your future professional/work pathway.
You must pass the Project to successfully complete your final
year!
Project Topics
This unit will give you the opportunity to design and complete
an extended academic study which is
based on your own research and personal learning of a
specialised topic. Make sure you choose a topic
that you find interesting and that it is agreed with your Tutor.
Possible Topic areas include
BA International Business Communication (BAIBC) and BA
Logistics and Business
Communication (BA LBC)
t

language
-cultural issues relating to professional contexts e.g.
marketing/advertising, management
and/or education/training
BA International Trade and Business Communication (BAITBC)
and BA Int. Trade, Logistics and
Business Communication (BAITLBC)

-cultural issues relating to professional contexts e.g.
marketing/advertising, management
and/or education/training
TLBC only)
BA Communication and English Studies (BACES)
-cultural issues relating to teaching/learning/language
and communication
Your Project must be relevant to your course of study and

should not focus
exclusively on your own country.
Project Methodology
You can use primary methods (e.g. questionnaires, interviews,
observation,) or secondary methods (e.g.
literatures searches, case studies) to collect the information
your need for your Project. Many students
use a mixed methods approach using both primary and
secondary research methods. However, you are
NOT obliged to use primary methods if you do not wish to do
so.
IF you conduct a survey using questionnaires you must follow
the following guidelines:
1. The research MUST be conducted in English
2. A minimum of 20 and maximum of 40 questionnaires should
be use (unless specifically agreed
with your Project Tutor)
3. A sample of 5 completed questionnaires MUST be submitted
with your final Project.
The Project must be entirely your own work and written in your
own words using
direct and indirect quotations to support your ideas. It must be
correctly
referenced using APA Version 6. Plagiarised work will receive
a zero mark.

Project Aims
1. To provide you with an opportunity in the final year of your
course to define and explore an approved
topic of your own choosing in relation to an appropriate part of
your programme and to prepare an
extended report on the topic.
2. To allow you to synthesise analytical skills, theoretical
perspectives, knowledge gained throughout
your course and methods of investigation.
3. To develop your writing skills for the presentation of a
research question, methods, background
reading, results and conclusions.
4. To develop your ability to work independently.
5. To develop critical and evaluative faculties.
Assessment
1. Literature Review (1000 words) 10% Friday 9th December

2016
12 noon
Electronic submission: Moodle ANDTurnitin Teaching Block 1
Week 11
2. Final Project (4000 words) 90% Friday 28th April 2017
12 noon
+ the draft Literature Review + Consolidation Week 1
tutor feedback on that draft
Electronic submission: Moodle AND Turnitin
Teaching methods and delivery
The Project Unit aims to develop your ability to work
independently. Your tutor is there to help
you. You must consult him/her regularly and make sure you
manage your time effectively to meet
the necessary deadlines.
In order to help you prepare for your Project, there is a
Research Methods course (called Project
on the timetable), comprising 12 seminars over 2 teaching
blocks. In weeks where there are no
seminars, sign up for individual tutorial help. There is a slot
allocated for tutorials on your
timetable.
The individual tutorials are designed to give you an opportunity
to discuss aspects of your own
Project with your tutor and to show him/her drafts of sections of

your work for feedback and
suggestions for improvement.
Your Google Doc draft should be regularly updated– this will be
used as a basis
for your tutorials. Please refer to page 8 for more information
about using Google
Docs.
Remember: it is YOUR responsibility to arrange tutorials with
your tutor.
Check your timetable weekly and refer to the Unit outline on
page 6 !
Personal Tutor
Your Project Tutor is also your Personal Tutor. You must
consult him/her on a regular basis and
let him/her know if you have any questions, issues or problems
relating to your studies.
Complete the information below about your Project/Personal
Tutor:
My Personal Tutor
Full Name: _________________________________________
What do I call him/her? _______________________________

Office: _____________________________
Extension number: __________________
Office Hours: ____________________________________
English Language/Study Skills Support
SLAS Learning Development Tutors can help you to develop the
academic, study and English
language skills that you need to succeed in your Project and all
your courses at Portsmouth.
They can help you with:
writing, editing and proof reading your
work, using academic language, punctuation and grammar.
s: carrying out literature reviews, referencing,
and avoiding plagiarism.
of your lecturer's feedback.
university.
This is done through:

academic reading.
you can meet new people, practise
your English or any other language that you're learning, take
part in fun activities and find out
more about your university and what's going on in Portsmouth.
Wednesdays in term time, 3.30 -
4.30 pm, Park Café.
How can you find out more, book a tutorial or contact the
tutors?
Email: [email protected] Also, on Moodle at SLAS Learning
Development!
Learning Development Tutors
Room 3.05
School of Languages and Area Studies
University of Portsmouth
Park Building
King Henry I Street
Portsmouth PO1 2DZ
02392 846166
Webpage: tinyurl.com/slaslearningsupport

mailto:[email protected]
http://tinyurl.com/slaslearningsupport
Teaching Block 1 (TB 1)
Week Week beginning Input
Homework/Assessment Deadlines
Week 1 26th September Unit Overview
What is a Project?
What makes a good
Project?
Referencing and

Plagiarism
Week 2 3rd October Thinking of a topic
Thinking of a research
question
Initial research
What is a Literature
Review?
Using Google Docs to
upload drafts
Library Visit
Check your timetable for
your session day/time
Homework task:
Find a topic you are interested in. What
aspect(s) of the topic would you like to
investigate? Can you find any resources?
What might your title be? What might your
research question(s) be?
Fill in the form on Moodle and bring it to
class for Week 3.
Week 3 10th October
Week 2 homework task.
Feedback from fellow
students and from
your Tutor. Finalise your
Project topic.
Homework task:

Continue to refine your topic and find more
sources, using the library visit and the
instructions on accessing e-journals to help
you.
Briefly explain why you think each of these
might help you
Week 4 17th October
TUTORIALS: Tutor’s office
(make an appointment with
your Tutor)
Start uploading drafts to Google Docs
make an appointment with your Tutor
Week 5
24th October Writing a literature review /
summarising skills
Project Topic agreed by your Tutor
Week 6 31st October Referencing and in-text
citations
Bring 5 sources of information related
to your Project topic to class next week
(Week 7)
Week 7 7th November Referencing and in-text
citation ((continued)

Week 8 14th November Methodologies: Gathering
information (case study,
observation,questionnaire,
interview) and ethical
considerations.
Week 9 21st November POSTER PRESENTATIONS Bring
your Posters to class for
discussion
Week
10
28th November Independent Study/ Tutorials:
Tutor’s office
your Tutor)
Week
11
5th December Revising your writing
Submission of Draft Literature Review
electronic copy in Moodle Project Unit
AND Turnitin
(1000 words Literature Review)
10% of final assessment
FRIDAY 9TH DECEMBER 2016 12 noon

Week
12
December 12th Independent Study/Tutorials:
Tutor’s office
Christmas Break: 17th December 2016 – 8th January 2017
Teaching Block 2 (TB 2)
Week Week beginning Input
Assessment Deadlines
Week
13
9th January
Tutorials Discuss your draft Literature Review with
your tutor

Week
14
16thJanuary
Linking the Parts of the
Project
Week
15
23rd January
Independent Study/Tutorials:
Tutor’s office
your Tutor)
Week
16
30th January
Reporting and Analysing
Results
Upload a draft of a second section (e.g.

Methodology) to Google Docs
Week
17
6thFebruary
Tutor’s office
your Tutor)
Week
18
13th February
Tutor’s office
your Tutor)
Week
19
20th February

Tutor’s office
your Tutor)
Upload a draft of a third section (e.g.
Results/Findings) to Google Docs
Week
20
27thFebruary
Introductions, Conclusions
and Writing the Abstract
Final Checklist
Unit Feedback
(This is your last seminar class!!)
Week
21
6th March Independent Study/Tutorials:
Tutor’s office
your Tutor)
Week
22

Tutor’s office
your Tutor)
Week
23
Tutor’s office
your Tutor)
Week
24
27th March Independent
Study/Tutorials: Tutor’s
office
your Tutor)
Last chance for tutor feedback !!!
End of Teaching Block 2
FINAL SUBMISSION OF PROJECT 90%
electronic copy in Moodle Project Unit AND Turnitin
28th APRIL 2017 12 NOON

Updating your drafts on Google Docs
Starting in week 4 of Teaching Block 1, update a draft of your
work on Goggle docs every 2 weeks and
then submit a final draft via Moodle in week 1 of the
Consolidation and Assessment Period.
This is to show the progress you have made each week and may
be a key way to prove that your work is
authentic. If you do not do this, there is a chance that you will
not be able to defend yourself from an
accusation of plagiarism.
These drafts will be used as a basis for your tutorials with your
tutor who will give you feedback in these
tutorials.
Note that before the final submission on Friday, 28th April
2017(upload to the Project Unit in
Moodle) you will also be expected to upload the full Project to
Turnitin. This will allow you and us
to check for originality.
Project Tutorials
Individual Project tutorials are scheduled for weeks 4, 10 and

12 in Teaching Block 1 and for all weeks in
Teaching Block 2 except for 2, 4 and 8 when you should attend
the group seminar.
It is your responsibility to contact your tutor to make
appointments.
Tutors will advise on the selection, content, presentation and
methods of student projects. They will not
correct the English but may indicate if any aspect of the work is
not of an adequate standard. They will
not indicate the likely mark for a final piece of work. The
Project remains your responsibility.
Uploading drafts for feedback in Google Docs
You are entitled to receive written comments on one draft of
each of two sections not already submitted in
Teaching Block 1. Do not expect tutors to comment on revised
drafts or drafts of the entire Project.
Tutors will not look at any drafts or make any comments on
work handed to them less than one week
before the hand in date. In practical terms, because of the
vacation, this means drafts need to be
uploaded to Google docs before the end of Teaching Block 2.
Make full use of tutorial time.
Aim to submit a draft of one section by the end of week 4 in
Teaching Block 2 (30th January 2017) and a
draft of a second section by the end of week 7 (24th February
2017).

Changing topic
While you will refine your topic and there may be changes of
emphasis in the final report from the
proposal, do not change topic without consulting your tutor. A
new section draft may be necessary.
If you wish to change the topic of your project, or make other
significant changes to your Draft Literature
Review after the Draft Literature Review has been handed in,
you must get permission, in writing, from
your tutor. (Complete the form on p.25). Failure to do so may
result in the final project not being
accepted.
Avoiding Plagiarism
All written assignments such as essays should be checked by
you yourself through Turnitin. You can use
this as a self-checking method BEFORE you submit, to make
sure that you use quotations correctly and
avoid plagiarism, and can submit a piece of writing to Turnitin
more than once. You should be careful to
write IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Any student who uses
unacknowledged quotation will be heavily

penalised and will probably fail. A link to this software is
available on Moodle. If you need more advice on
referencing, refer to:[email protected]://referencing.port.ac.uk/
SLAS School Policy on Referencing:
All assessments must be referenced using the APA 6th ed.
conventions and have a bibliography. An
assessment that does not have a bibliography or fails to use the
correct referencing system will
automatically receive a maximum mark of 0 at level 6
(maximum 40 if the bibliography is submitted within
5 days). Students may also lose up to 10 marks for incorrect
referencing and/or demonstrating poor
bibliographical skills.
Scale of referencing penalties:
Plagiarism: Fail 0. Further disciplinary action may also be
taken
Missing bibliography at Level 6: Fail 0.
If the bibliography is submitted within 5 days - maximum mark
of 40.
Wrong referencing system used: Maximum mark 40
2 marks lost
The student clearly knows the APA 6th ed. system but has made
a few small errors:
Minor technical errors (e.g. italics missing in places)
Minor faults in the presentation of a bibliography – alphabetical
order not adhered to in a few isolated
instances

Precise source of material not clearly provided in a few isolated
instances
One or two in-text references missing
5 marks lost
Some inconsistency / incorrect use of an aspect of APA 6th ed.
throughout the work
The student has misunderstood / incorrectly applied one aspect
of the referencing system throughout
A number of in-text references missing
10 marks lost
Clear misunderstandings of the APA 6th ed. referencing system
throughout
The precise source of material is not clearly provided in a
significant number of instances
Insufficient or no in-text references
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT ACADEMIC
REGULATION
Students should attempt and submit all unit assessments. It is
especially important that the final
assessment is attempted. On this unit, the Project is the final
assessment. Failure to attempt/submit the
final assessment without valid extenuating circumstances has
serious consequences: if a student fails the
unit and has not attempted the final assessment, the fail will not
be compensated at the Progression and
Award Boards. This means that the student will need in all
cases to do a second attempt assessment (a
summer resit) in order to progress. All assignments for this unit
are subject to the standard rules and

regulations of the department. You should consult your Student
Handbook: Course Supplement for
information regarding the general rules for the presentation and
submission of coursework, lateness
penalties, citation and bibliographical conventions, and general
marking criteria. (See also the online
version in the SLAS Student Common Room in Moodle.)
http://referencing.port.ac.uk/
Project Tutor Contact Details
NAME TELEPHONE E-MAIL
Marie Ainslie 02392846150 [email protected]
Mahmood Asgari 02392846159 [email protected]
Nick Bertenshaw 02392846181 [email protected]
James Bullock 02392842459 [email protected]
Caroline Corney 02392846136 [email protected]
Lesley Edmondson 02392846134 [email protected]
Will Forsyth 02392846168 [email protected]
Glenn Hadikin 023921846133 [email protected]
Rebecca Hamlet 02392846095 [email protected]
Felicity Hughes 02392846024 [email protected]
Kevin Hunt 02392842151 [email protected]
Margaret Kemble 0239284 [email protected]

Lorraine Pickett-Rose 02392846150 [email protected]
Rosemary Jane 02392842821 [email protected]
Jennifer Sizer 02392846166 [email protected]
Linda Sterne 02392842164 [email protected]
Clare Teare 02392842485 [email protected]
Rupert Walsh 02392846107 [email protected]
Nicholas White 02392846155 [email protected]
Lin Zheng 02392846116 [email protected]
*Office and office hours to be confirmed by individual tutors.

Marking Criteria
80+
Exceptional work, demonstrating thorough understanding of the
subject matter in a broad context.
Demonstrating rigorous application of theories, interpretation of
data or other information. Displaying
significant originality and/or creativity in insight or approach.
Displaying research well beyond the
recommended or prescribed texts. Excellent in terms of use of
appropriate academic language; including
discourse, grammar, syntax, spelling and punctuation. Work is
considered of near to publishable
standard, fit for professional purpose, or equivalent. Accurate

citation of sources.
70-79
Work of excellent quality. Displaying some originality in
approach, insight or synthesis. Demonstrating
application of theories, interpretation of data or other
information. Displaying research beyond the
recommended or prescribed texts. Coherent structure with
internal logic that facilitates clarity of
argument. Very well written in terms of use of appropriate
academic language; including discourse,
grammar, syntax, spelling and punctuation. Accurate citation of
sources.
60-69
Very good work, displaying above average skills in research,
presentation and argumentation. A clear
argument rather than a simple statement or summary of “the
facts”. Well-written, with regard to sentence
and paragraph structures and overall coherence; few errors of
grammar, spelling or punctuation.
Accurate citation of sources.
50-59
The work demonstrates a good understanding of the topic matter
and there is some attempt to discuss
the material in a broader context. Some evidence of research
beyond key textbooks. Satisfactory
structure (clear introduction, development of an argument and
conclusion), generally well-written with
accurate citation of sources.
40-49
An adequate piece of work which attempts to address the topic
and demonstrates basic understanding of
the key elements of the subject matter. Limited but relevant

research which is appropriately cited.
Comprehensible if occasionally simplistic or inaccurate in use
of language. Structure is weak and
coherence of argument is limited.
30-39 FAIL.
Attempts to answer the question, but is substantially incomplete
(because of a failure to consult sufficient
sources, or to maintain the level of discussion necessary to
attain the pass standard). Structure (including
use of paragraphs) is unsatisfactory; introduction & conclusion
are weak. Writing style is poor; ideas are
not communicated clearly due to problems with grammar,
syntax, punctuation and spelling.
Unsatisfactory citation or acknowledgment of sources.
0-29 FAIL.
There is no serious attempt to address the question or problem,
and/or manifests a serious
misunderstanding of the requirements of the assignment. The
work is acutely deficient in all aspects
which are detailed above and include the content, the structure
and internal logic, the organisation of
material, the research & preparation undertaken, the clarity of
communication of ideas, the level of
academic language employed, referencing among others.

Student Feedback 2015-16
Student satisfaction was very good for the Unit receiving - 4.3
for BAIBC and BAITBC, 4.9
for BAITLBC and 4.2 for BACES.
Students responded very well to the use of Google docs as a
basis for tutorials and feedback
which ensured students uploaded and amended drafts in Google
docs at an early stage in
the course. Some students said they wanted more help with
academic writing. It must be
emphasised that the Project focuses on helping students to work
independently and is
largely based on tutorials which students need to attend. The
academic reading and writing
component is provided by General Language 6. The Project and

GL6 Unit are specifically
designed to complement each other to maximise student
learning.
Recommended Reading
Bell, J. (2010). Doing Your Research Project. (5thed.).
Maidenhead: Open University Press
Hornberger, N.H. &Corson, D. (1997).Encyclopaedia of
Language and Education.Vol. 8:
Research Methods in Language and Education. Dordrecht:
Kluwer.
McDonough, J. & McDonough, S.H.(1997).Research Methods
for English Language Teachers.
London: Arnold
McNeil, P. (2005). Research Methods. (3rded.). London:
Routledge
Oppenheim, A.N. (1992). Questionnaire Design, Interviewing
and Attitude Measurement.(New
Edition). London: Continuum International Publishing Group.
Saunders, M. (2012).Research Methods for Business
Students(6thed.).Harlow: Financial Times

Preston Hall.
Schuman, H. & Presser, S. (1996). Questions and Answers in
Attitude Surveys. London: Saga.
The Project Draft

(Literature Review)
This is a written submission of 1000 words (plus or minus
10%). It is worth 10% of the overall
mark. Post an electronic copy by 12 noon on Friday 9th
December 2017to Moodle. Prior to this
submit a copy to Turnitin.
The Project Draft Literature Review must include the following
features (these are the marking
criteria for the proposal):
a. A provisional title - naturally this can be modified in the
course of later work.
b. A project topic which is
relevant to your course of study
focussed on a country which is not your own / compares two
different countries / cultures
c. Project aims
d. Good organisation of ideas.

e. Good in-text citations.
f. Complete and accurate bibliography in APA 6th ed. Format
g. Sources (at least 6) which
are sufficiently varied
are relevant to the topic area
are sufficiently up to date
collectively give a balanced view (i.e. are not partial or
exclusively from one company’s
website, for example)
h. A draft of the Literature Review section of the Project.
- Good scope of background reading on theories and past
research
- Good relevance to the topic
- Lead-in to specified research question(s)/Project aims
i. A copy of the poster information presented in the in-class
“poster session”.
j. An electronic copy must be submitted to Moodle and to
Turnitin.
Please see the feedback form on page 15.

You will receive your grade and be given written feedback on
your draft Literature Review
by the Wednesday of Week 2 of Teaching Block 2. It is
assumed that you will use the
remainder of Teaching Block 1 and the Christmas break to
continue work on your Project.
Notes
Please note that the Project (and the Draft Literature review)
should be written for an
educated reader who is not a specialist in your field. Therefore
all technical terms must be
defined / explained in clear layman’s terms / exemplified.

If you wish to change the topic of your Project, or make other
significant changes after the
Draft Literature Review has been handed in, you must get
permission, in writing, from
your tutor. Complete the form on page 25. Failure to do so may
result in the final project
not being accepted.
Project Draft Literature Review Feedback Form
Student: Mark:
Criterion Y/N Comments
Provisional title – is this clear and
suitable?
Y/N
Project topic
- Is it relevant to your course of study?

- Is it focussed on one or more
countries other than your own?
- Is it feasible in practice?
Y/N
Y/N
Y/N
Are ideas organised logically? Y/N
Are all in-text citations included? Y/N
Is the bibliography complete?
Is it in APA 6th ed. format?
Y/N
Y/N
Sources:
- Are they sufficiently varied?
- Are they relevant to the topic area?
- Are they sufficiently up to date?

- Do they collectively give a balanced
view?
Y/N
Y/N
Y/N
Y/N
Literature review
- Is there evidence of background
reading on related theories and
current/past research/studies?
- Is there good relevance to the topic?
- Does the review logically lead-in to
specified research
question(s)/Project aims?
- Are all statements fully supported?
Y/N

Y/N
Y/N
Is there a copy of the poster materials?
Does it correspond with the draft?
Y/N
Y/N
First Marker: Date:
Second Marker:
The Project
Submit your Project, your previously submitted draft Literature
Review and your teacher’s

feedback (see page 15).
Submission deadline
The final submission is electronic to the Project Unit in Moodle
by 12.00 noon on 28th April
2017. Prior to this, submit a version to Turnitin, to make sure
that no mistakes have been made
references/bibliography.
You are reminded of the rules for submission of work. Work
submitted after 12.00 on the due
date will be regarded as late. If there is no valid Extenuating
Circumstances claim, the maximum
mark will be 40. Computer problems are not accepted as a
reason for late submission.
Project requirements
Your final Project must:
- comply with the regulations for the submission of
dissertations/projects (see Student
Handbook);
- contain full, accurate and correctly presented referencing;
- be factually accurate;
- contain a review of appropriate literature, description of
methods, data collection, analysis

and results in a manner appropriate to the topic;
- show critical selection, use and evaluation of sources;
- demonstrate a well-organised and stylistically suitable
approach to the presentation of
information;
- demonstrate reflection on the process of developing the
Project and the limitations of the
work;
- include a sample of 5 completed questionnaires (in English) if
questionnaires were used as
part of the methodology
- be submitted in electronic form to Moodle as well as to
Turnitin.
Submissions that are missing a component may be capped at 40.
Word limit
Word limits must be respected. Projects that are excessively
long will be penalised. The stated
allowed.
Evidence of data collected

Keep evidence of any research that you do. You do not have to
collect primary data. However
if, for example, you distribute a questionnaire, keep all the
responses that you obtain and submit
a sample of 5 of these with your Project. There will be spot
checks which require a random
sample of students to submit all the responses received with
their reports. More than 40
responses would not normally be expected.
Marking and feedback
Your Project will normally be marked by your Project Tutor and
marks for Projects will be
verified by a second member of academic staff. Your marks will
be available on the portal and
you will be able to access your Project together with tutor
feedback from Moodle on Tuesday
30th May 2017.

Format of the Project
Title Page
The Project must contain a Title Page inserted before any other
page. The title page consists of
Title of the University: The University of Portsmouth
Title of the Faculty: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Title of the degree: B.A. (Hons.) International Trade and
Business Communication;
BA (Hons.) Communication and English Studies, etc.
Title of the work: Project
Title of the Project
Your student number
Your tutor’s name
Table of Contents
Following the title page you should provide a comprehensive
Table of Contents. This will
indicate the various sections and subsections of the Project
together with the page numbers on

which the sections or subsections begin.
Give the numbers, titles, and page numbers of all tables,
figures, diagrams, photographs and
graphs presented in separate lists.
Abstract
Before beginning the main text of your Project, you should
provide a short overview of the
background, aims, methodology, main results and conclusions /
recommendations in the form of
an Abstract (one page maximum).The Abstract should not be
numbered.
Page numbering and student number
All pages must be numbered and all pages must carry your
student number. The first page of the
actual text is page 2. Page 1 is the Abstract. The Table of
Contents and any other material are in
Roman numbering, i, ii, iii, iv..
Line spacing, font and size of print

The Project should be in 1.5 spacing throughout (except for
appendices, which may be in other
spacings).
Times New Roman or Arial are preferable. Check with your
tutor before using another font.
The main text must be in size 12 point type. Exceptions are
allowed for titles, tables, notes and
appendices.
Bibliography and Referencing
You are reminded that your work should be fully and
consistently referenced and that a full and
comprehensive bibliography (correctly presented using APA 6th
ed.) should be supplied. There
are severe penalties for unsatisfactory referencing (see Student
Handbook and the University
Handbook). The rules also apply to text downloaded from the
internet.
Declaration
You must sign a declaration that the work is substantially your
own and insert it as the last item

in the Project.
Final Checklist
Your Project must include the following:
TITLE PAGE:
The University of Portsmouth
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
B.A. (Hons) fill in name of your degree course
Project
Title of the Project
Your student number
The name of your Project tutor
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT (this should be numbered page 1)
NUMBERED SECTIONS/CHAPTERS

BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDICES
DECLARATION
“I hereby declare that that this Project is substantially my own
work and that all relevant
attributions have been made” with name and signature.
Have you…
included all the sections mentioned above? Yes/No
numbered every page and included your student number?
Yes/No
used size 12 point type (except for tables, titles, notes and
appendices)? Yes/No
fully acknowledged all material from other sources?
(quotations, ideas,
interpretations, data etc.)
Yes/No
given all tables, figures, diagrams, photographs and graphs a
number and
a title and listed them in the contents’ section?

Yes/No
included in your bibliography all sources used and arranged
them
alphabetically?
Yes/No
proof-read your work carefully?
Yes/No
included a copy of yourDraft Literature Review and the tutor
feedback?
appended a sample of your data collected (e.g. at least 5
questionnaires if
you have conducted a survey) and kept the rest safe in case it is
required?
Yes/No
Yes/No
uploaded bi-weekly versions to Moodle during Teaching Block

2?
uploaded a final electronic copy of the Project both to Moodle
and
Turnitin?
attached the signed consent form for any major changes of
topic?
(see p 25)
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes /No
Project Marking Sheet
Student Number: Agreed mark:
Does the report comply with regulations? Yes/no
Is the report appropriately presented? Yes/no

Has the Draft Literature Review section been revised in line
with tutor feedback? Yes/no
Does the report correspond to the Draft Literature Review?
Yes/no
Criterion Comments
Explanation of choice of
topic
Aims
- Scope and relevance of
literature review
- All technical terms
explained
- Improvements on the
Literature in response to
feedback on the draft

Appropriacy of choice of
methods including ethical
considerations
Ethics form appended
Clarity of presentation of
data
Discussion and analysis
Reflection on process/
Limitations
Bibliography/Referencing

Sample of data appended
(where appropriate)
Other Comments
Signed : First marker: Internal verifier:
Date:
Project Marking Sheet – explaining the terms
Criterion
Comments
Compliance
with
regulations
Contents page; acknowledgements; declaration.

Abstract (Inc. topic; aims; methods; results; conclusion)
Appropriate sections/chapters, including, as appropriate:
introduction, literature review, methodology, findings,
conclusion, bibliography
and appendices.
Revision of
Draft Literature
Review section
A clear improvement on the original Draft Literature Review
section submitted
in Teaching Block 1 should be evident, in line with the
feedback given by the
tutor. If the Project topic has changed, for any reason, written
permission from
your tutor (see the form on p.23) needs to be submitted.
Explanation for

choice of topic
Background information, moving from the general to the more
specific and
giving reasons for the choice of the topic. This should be based
on your reading
from academic sources and/or ongoing public debate.
Scope and
relevance of
literature review
This should include a number of academic sources/opinions that
either support
or question your overall argument. Therefore, this should not
just be a list of
academic sources. The arguments presented should be
integrated, rather than
simply a series of ‘reviews’ of authors. Write for an educated
reader, not an

expert in the field. All technical terminology should be
explained / defined /
exemplified in language which a layman can understand. The
literature review
provides the basis for your research question(s) and
methodology.
Aim(s)
Clear statement outlining the aim/research question. This
should be very
focused and clearly written, allowing the reader to understand
the purpose of
the project. Aims and research questions should be explained
and you should
be able to answer the research questions clearly by the end of
the project.
Appropriacy of
choice of
methods
including ethical

considerations
Ethical Issues
form appended
You may use only secondary research or a combination of
primary and
secondary research. If you use primary research it may be of a
quantitative or
qualitative nature but you need to give a rationale for its design.
If a model of
business analysis is used, such as SWOT or PESTLE, its
relevance should be
explained.
The methodology must be appropriate to the research question
and should have
been agreed with your tutor beforehand.
You should show an awareness of any relevant ethical issues
and append the
Ethics Form (see p.24).

Clarity of
presentation of
data
Find an appropriate, readable and selective way to present the
findings. All
relevant results should be stated with any significant
correlations. Results
data may be integrated into the text or included in appendices,
as appropriate.
Discussion
and analysis
This should relate to the main topic of the project and the
original
aim/hypothesis. Conclusions reached about the topics discussed

should be
based on evidence. You could also discuss the findings of
similar studies and
should certainly relate your findings to your literature review.
Recommendations regarding further investigation or future
research could be
included and also the implications of the findings.
Reflection on
process/
Limitations
This should be undertaken at each relevant stage of the project
and clearly
demonstrate your ability to critically analyse information.
Limitations may
be due to, for example, the scale of the research and care should
be taken in
the way in which results are presented, the claims made for
them and the
significance attached to them.

Presentation
The final project should be in an appropriate font, either Times
New Roman
or Arial, and the main sections should be in 1.5 spacing. Please
do not right
hand justify the bibliography.
Bibliography/
Referencing
The bibliography should be organised alphabetically, by family
name. It
should include all references made in the text. The bibliography
and in text
referencing should conform to the APA 6th ed. referencing
system.
You should remember that referencing is a means of backing up
arguments
and giving your work academic credibility.

Sample of data
appended
Samples of any primary data must be appended – these may be
paper or
electronic versions of completed questionnaires, transcripts or
(preferably)
recordings of interviews carried out.
Other comments
Your tutor will give you feedback on any other aspects of your
Project s/he
feels is appropriate.

Project Marking Sheet – completed example
Student number: Agreed mark: 43
Does the report comply with regulations? Yes/no
Is the report appropriately presented? Yes/no
Has the Draft Literature Review section been revised in line
with tutor feedback? Yes/no
Does the report correspond to the Draft Literature Review?
Yes/no
Criterion Comments
Explanation of choice of
topic
Fine
Aims
The aims are too vague – it is not clear exactly what you want
to

find out. Are you looking at Nike advertising just in the UK, or
Europe, or internationally?
Scope and relevance of
literature review
Improvements on the
Literature in response to
feedback on the draft
The ‘literature review’ relies heavily on Nike’s own
promotional
material and you are too uncritical of what they say, apparently
accepting it at face value. You need more on advertising – you
rely on a single source, largely.
The Literature Review is almost the same as your draft – you
should have made the changes/improvements suggested in your
Draft Feedback
Appropriacy of choice of

methods (including
ethical considerations)
The questionnaire lacks detail and I’m not sure that respondents
will be reliable when asked if they are affected by advertising.
You need to ensure that each question on the questionnaire has
a
specific purpose.
Clarity of presentation of
data
The data gathered needed to be presented in more detail, rather
than just the broad conclusions that you draw from it.
It would help if you gave the data you gathered question by
question.
Discussion and analysis
Because you did not present much detailed data there wasn’t
much for you to analyse in depth and this is a weakness.

Reflection on process/
Limitations
This was good.
Bibliography/Referencing
Referencing is weak – it is not always clear whether you are
quoting directly from your sources. The bibliography is rather
thin too.
Other Comments
See over the page.
Signed : First marker Internal verifier
Project Marking Sheet – completed example (cont’d)

paragraph 1 – are these your own words?
page 2 – there are a lot of language errors in the first paragraph
or two.
page 3 – each chapter should start on a new page.
page 4 – so what is it that makes it more than a ‘tool of
business’ (according to Dunn)?
page 4 – you rely heavily on one source – you need to include a
range of sources to give your
arguments more weight.
page 6 – you have included the source but I assume that this is a
direct quote and that is not
indicated.
page 7 – well, Nike would claim that their trainers set the
standard for the industry, wouldn’t
they? Do you have any other evidence?
page 10 – ‘wannabe’ has an inappropriate style for an academic
piece of writing.
page 12 – I can’t follow your argument here. You are now
saying that Nike targets youth, but
previously (page 9) you said that ‘now we are all athletes –
regardless of age’

people generally report that they are not affected by
advertising but when companies
advertise sales go up – perhaps we don’t realise how affected
we are by it.
page 16 – you needed to present more of the data that you
collected – or did you just realise that
some of the questions you asked were not relevant? In which
case this could have been included
in the limitations section.
page 17 – ok, having presented your arguments, it would be
useful to go back to the literature
review and say whether your data fits in with what the
advertising literature would predict.
Ethical issues
Read this page and, in the box at the bottom, write a paragraph
outlining any ethical issues
associated with your project. This form should be included with
your Project.

- Where and when will you do any primary research?
- Who will the respondents be?
people who help you with
your research. You should explain the purpose and outline of
your research before you
start.
- What questions will you ask?
- What is the purpose of each question?
describe age, background
and so on if necessary but do not use anyone’s name.
ooperating with your
research at any point they
wish.
to your tutor before you
use them to gather data.

those premises) or targeting
their employees or customers, you MUST ask permission from
the company first.
Be realistic:
You have a very limited time to complete your work. Plan who
you will talk to and whether you
think they are likely to cooperate. For example, managers and
directors of companies may be
too busy to talk to you.

Project - Request to make significant changes to a submitted
Draft Literature Review
After you have submitted your Draft Literature Review, you
may wish to make minor changes.
This is acceptable. However, if you wish to make any
significant changes, particularly for
example, to the topic of your study, you must get permission, in
writing, from your tutor. You
should complete this form and take it to your tutor to sign.
Failure to demonstrate your tutor’s
approval for the change may result in your final project not
being accepted.
You must submit the completed (and signed) form with your
final project.
Current topic:

Proposed change(s):
Reasons for making the change(s):
Change(s) agreed by tutor: YES/NO

Tutor’s signature:
University of Portsmouth
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
BA (Hons) Communication and English Studies
PROJECT
IS THE CULTURE OF TOYOTA MOTOR
CORPORATION A NEW CULTURE,
OR WITH THE CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF

THE UNITED STATES OR OF JAPAN?
Student Number:
Supervisor: William Forsyth
24 April, 2015
IS THE CULTURE OF TOYOTA MOTOR
CORPORATION A NEW
Contents
ABSTRACT
...............................................................................................
.......................................... 1
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
...............................................................................................
.... 2
CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW
...................................................................................... 3
2.1 DEFINITION OF
CULTURE..............................................................................
........................................ 3
2.2 CATEGORIES OF CULTURES: NATIONAL CULTURE
AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE ..... 4
2.3 GLOBALIZATION AND CULTURAL GLOBALIZATIONS
.................................................................. 4

2.3.1 Cultural homogenization, heterogenization, and
hybridization ....................................... 5
2.4 APPROACH FOR
MANUFACTURERS................................................................
.................................... 5
2.5 THE CULTURAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE
UNITED STATES AND JAPAN......................... 6
2.5.1 High-/ Low-context culture
...............................................................................................
............... 6
2.5.2 Time perceptions
...............................................................................................
................................... 7
2.5.3 Hofstede dimensions of culture
...............................................................................................
...... 8
CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY AND LIMITATION
.........................................................12
3.1 METHODOLOGY
...............................................................................................
.................................... 12
3.2 LIMITATION
...............................................................................................
............................................ 12
CHAPTER 4. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
........................................................................14
4.1 THE STRATEGY AND THE STRUCTURE OF TOYOTA
................................................................... 15
4.2 THE CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF TOYOTA, AND
COMPARE AND CONTRAST WITH
THE CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE UNITED
STATES AND JAPAN ................................. 16

CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSION
...............................................................................................
.......19
BIBLIOGRAPHY
...............................................................................................
.............................20
APPENDICES
............................................................................... ................
....................................... I
APPENDIX I. THE FULL TABLE OF THE BASE CULTURE
DATA FOR SIX DIMENSIONS OF CULTURE AS
PRESENTED IN CULTURES AND ORGANIZATIONS 3RD
EDITION 2010......................................................I
DECLARATION
...............................................................................................
.................................. III
List of Table
Table 1. Summary of the compare and contrast of Hofstede
cultural dimensions
of the United States and
Japan…………………………………………………… 10
Table 2. Compare the culture of Toyota with the cultural
characteristics of the
United States and

Japan………………………………………………………….. 17
Graph 1. The six Hofstede dimensions of the United States and
Japan.....……. 8
Figure 1. Relationships between strategy, structure, control and
culture……..14
IS THE CULTURE OF TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION A
1
Abstract
This project focused on one research question – Is the culture of
Toyota Motor
Corporation (Toyota) a new culture, or with the cultural
characteristics of the United
States orof Japan? The literature review provided thorough
perspectives on culture
and the cultural characteristics of the two countries. The
research was done by taking
Toyota’s culture as an example to compare and contrast with the
cultural
characteristics of the two countries to investigate whether it is a
new culture. The
results showed that Toyota’s cultures contains the cultural

characteristics of the two
national cultures, which tends to the American cultural
characteristics.
2
Chapter 1. Introduction
The relation between culture and communication has been a
topical scholarly study
for years. Research have suggested that creating a new culture,
namely organizational
culture, could be more efficient and effective to cope with
another existing culture
than by fitting into it. However, there is not much research on
comparing new cultures
with the long existing cultures, for example, national cultures.
By reading relevant books and journals about culture and
communication, I found that
the Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota in short) has been
mentioned for its successful
approach of production system. Besides, Toyota, as a Japanese-
based corporation,

proved its approach is capable to be used worldwide, including
the United States. As
some studies suggested that the cultures of the States and Japan
differs greatly, I
would investigate whether Toyota’s culture is a new culture, a
blend of the two
national cultures, or either one of the national cultures, and
therefore led to its
success.
There are five chapters in the project, which are the
introduction, literature review,
methodology and limitation, findings and discussion, and
conclusion. In the following
chapter, a thorough research was done about culture and
communication as the
literature review.
3
Chapter 2. Literature Review
People communicate in every bit of life, and communication is

indivisible from
culture, according to Smith (1966; 1). In other words, generally
speaking, every
language has a deep bond with its related culture (Dirven &
Pütz, 1992).
Communication, including not only language but also non-
verbal communication, is
the basic medium for human to maintain relationships (Wood,
2011, pp. 7-8; Smith,
1966, p.3). It may also be true in terms of business.
Communication is inseparable
tothe success of an organization (American Psychological
Association, 2014), and it
is in regards to the whole process of how people affect the
minds ofeach other(Smith,
1966, p.15).However,within an international organization,
misunderstanding may
commonly occur because people are most likely to ignore the
cultural differences
between groups of employees, or branches from different
geographicalareas (Ting-
Toomey, 2012, p.204).Thus, being aware of the existance of
cultural differences is
crucial to achieving effectiveand efficient communication,

whichis an important role
within organizations(Wood, 2011, p.9).
2.1 Definition of culture
Somepeople might have an idea of the existence of cultural
differences between
individuals(Janney & Arndt, 1992). However, ‘people’ is only a
part of the whole
culture (Janney & Arndt, 1992), as Hofstede (2004) has
emphasized that culture is a
system of a specific society/ community, and human is only a
part of the system. The
meaning of culture, according to etymology,is about "collective
customs and
achievements of a people" since the year of 1867(Harper, 2014).
Also, according to
Hofstede (1980), a culture is “a collective programming of the
mind which
distinguishes one group from another” (Jones, 2007). Therefore,
culture could be
created, or “programmed”, for instance the culture within an
organization. Culture, in
other words, is a combination of every single element people
learnt since their born,

which allows cultures to be differentiated (Jones, 2007;
Heatwole, n.d.).Furthermore,
Binsbergen (2003) suggested that one’s personality is a result of
the effects of his/ her
cultural background. Attention needed to be paid that one’s
personality is also only a
reflection of his/ her cultural background, instead of the
representation of the whole of
that corresponding culture.
4
2.2 Categories of cultures: National culture and Organizational
culture
Culture although is a combination of almost every daily
elements, it could be mainly
divided into two categories: National cultures, and
Organizational cultures (Hofstede
& Fink, 2007, p.15). National culture, according to the
interview of Hofstede by Fink
(2007; 15), it is in regards to the basic values of people that
they have learnt since
childhood, and those values are too natural to be conscious of

(Hofstede, Hofstede, &
Minkov, 2010, p.384). Therefore, it might also be called as the
“rooted values”
(Hofstede & Fink, 2007, p.15). On the other hand,
organizational culture is about the
means of working acquired during adulthood (Hofstede & Fink,
2007, p.15). When
people changed to a new working place, they could learn about
the organizational
culture of the department/ company. No matter it is either
national or organizational
culture, when people have the first few contacts with the new
culture, they would
probably experience communication problems, for instance
cultural conflicts or
culture shock, or both, in personal experience. These kinds of
problems are possibly
because of the ignorance of the existance of cultural differences
between groups of
people (Ting-Toomey, 2012, p.204).
2.3Globalization and cultural globalizations
From the previous paragraphs, people would probably face
different types of

communicative problems due to the lack of understanding when
having contacts with
unfamiliar cultures. Some people may question that how could
people from different
parts of the world cooperate with each other, and work for
large-scale organizations.
With reference to Buchan et al. (2009; 4138), globalization
might be a crucial element
in constructing nowadays large-scale cooperation. It is because
globalization might
lessen ones’ social distance with others who are physically and
geographically distant
in their own perception (Buchan et al., 2009, p.4141).
Globalizationcan mean a
process of exchanging information, business and cultural ideas
around the world in a
remarkably fast pace; the connections of each part of the world
therefore increased
(British Boardcasting Corporation, 2014). On the cultural side,
there are three types of
cultural globalization suggested, which are cultural
homogenization (Buchen et al.,
2009, p.4138; Jones, 2007; Bird & Fang, 2009), cultural
heterogenization (Buchen et

al., 2009, p.4138; Embong, 2011, p.18), and cultural
hybridization (Embong, 2011,
p.18).
5
2.3.1 Cultural homogenization, heterogenization, and
hybridization
First of all, for cultural homogenization, as suggested by Jones
(2007), and Bird and
Fang (2009), globalization and technology have now changed
our way of thinking and
therefore start to merge cultures into one single world culture.
National cultures may
also diminish as a result of rapid information exchange(Bird &
Fang, 2009). This is
one part of cultural globalization(Embong, 2011, p.17).
Secondly, the other part of cultural globalization, according to
Embong (2011; 18), is
cultural heterogenization, which is the opposite of
homogenization; or some may call
it as polarization (Holton, 2000, p.140).In other words, there

would be more and more
diverse cultures in the world, and also reinforce the unity of a
nation. For example, it
is happening in Scotland and Quebec (Buchan et al., 2009,
p.4138).
From the two paragraphs above, we can observe that there has
been a debate over
whether globalization would promote the development of
cultures. Some people
provided a new standpoint about the effects of globalization on
cultures:
Hybridization(Embong, 2011, p.18). It means thatcultural
fusions occur because of
the introduction of between cultures(Embong, 2011, p.18;
Holton, 2000, p.140).
However, we have to pay attention to a fact that neither cultural
homogenization,
cultural heterogenization, nor cultural hybridization is the sole
cultural globalizing
phenomenon that is now happening in the world. According to
Buchan et al. (2009;
4138), both cultural homogenization and cultural
heterogenization are under process.

They mentioned that, on the one hand, for the Basque, Scots,
and Quebecois, cultural
heterogenization is more likely to be the mainstream idea
among the society. On the
other hand, for the American from the United States, for
example, are more in favour
of cultural homogenization thandistinguishing one and another
(Buchen et al., 2009,
p. 4138).
2.4Approach for manufacturers
Some people may wonder that if it is hard to judge whether to
be globalized, what
approaches cooperation should take in order to expand the
business worldwide.
Organization culture, especially to manufacturers, seems to be
more productive and
powerful than the national cultures that they belong to (Naor,
Linderman,
6
&Schroeder, 2009, p.194). In other words, manufacturers should
create their own

organizational cultures for effective and efficient
production.According to Evans and
Lindsay (2005), “Toyota proved that its approaches can work
everywhere and became
a global manufacturer” (Naor, Linderman, & Schroeder, 2009,
p.202).With reference
to the OICA survey (2012), Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota
in short) was listed as
the first manufacturer in the world.As of March 2014, Toyota
has had close to
340,000 employees around the world (Toyota, 2015b). As a
Japanese-based company,
it is able to expand the business worldwide, including the North
America and Europe
(Toyota, 2015a).This motivated me to have a further study
about its global
approaches. I would like to investigate that how did the
corporation managed to do so
since there have been a number of sayings about the enormous
differences between
the culture of the United States and of Japan (Ting-Toomey,
2012).
2.5The cultural differences between the United States and Japan

2.5.1 High-/ Low-context culture
In the book Communicating Across Culture (Ting-Toomey,
2012, p.101), Japan is
classified as a relatively high-context culture, and the United
States as a relatively
low-context culture.
For the definition of high-/ low-context culture, according to
the book Beyond Culture
(1989), Hall divided culture into two main categories – High-
context culture and Low-
context culture (pp.85-116). Hall (1989) described the high- and
low-context cultures
as a continuum because of the differences between their
communication styles (p.91).
The high ones are placed at the one end of the continuum, and
the low ones are placed
at the other end (Hall, 1989, p.91).
On the one hand, people from the high ones, in most of the
cases, communicating
with others mainly through the information in the physical
context, or the information

that are internalized (Hall, 1989, p.91). In another words, only a
small amount of
messages are expressed in any explicit, direct ways (Hall, 1989,
p.91; Ting-Toomey,
2012, p.101). On the other hand, people from low-context
cultures would prefer an
opposite communication style (Hall, 1989, p.91), which is to
communicate to
7
othersthrough explicit, direct messages, rather than
implicitly(Hall, 1989, p.91; Ting-
Toomey, 2012, p.101).
2.5.2 Time perceptions
The cultural differences between countries also concern the
differences of time
perceptions. According to Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner
(2013; 111), American
and Japanese are the examples of monochronic people and
polychronic people
respectively.

Hall (1983) said that there are two extreme types of task
scheduling behavior, which
are the M-time (monochronism), and the P-time (polychronism)
(Usunier, 2005,
p.178). For monochronic people, they usually do one thing at a
time, and would tend
to work according to planned schedules (Usunier, 2005, p.178).
On the other hand, for
polychronic people, they would prefer to do several tasks at the
same time, and tend
to accept changes to planned schedules (Usunier, 2005, p.178).
Generally speaking,
Americans are the typical M-time people while the Japanese, for
example, are the
typical P-time people (Usunier, 2005). For the American, “time
is money” while the
Japanese would like to spend their time to build relationships
with others (Usunier,
2005).
8

2.5.3Hofstede dimensions of culture
Graph 1. The six Hofstede dimensions of the United States and
Japan (Hofstede,
2014)(see Appendix I)
According to Hofstede (2010), there are six cultural dimensions
listed as follow:
a) Power distance (PDI) (from small to large) (p.31)
b) Collectivism versus individualism (IDV) (or individualism)
(p.31)
c) Femininity versus masculinity (MAS) (or masculinity) (p.31)
d) Uncertainty avoidance (UAI) (from weak to strong) (p.31)
e) Long term orientation (LTO) (from short to long)
f) Indulgence (IND) (from strict to loose)
For the first dimensions power distance, it is about the degree
of acceptance and
expectation towards power inequality of the people having less
power in the
society(Hofstede, Hofstede, & Minkov, 2010, pp.60-62). With a
higher mark means a

higher acceptance, and vice versa. From the above graph, we
were able to observe
that the acceptance of power inequality in Japan is higher than
that in the United
States. In other words, the American from the United States
would be more likely to
reject a hierarchical system, and to strive for equality instead.
54
46
95
92
88
4240
91
62
46
26
68
0
10

20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Hofstede Cultural diemensions
Japan
U.S.A.
PDI IDV MAS UAI LTO
IND
9
Secondly, for the dimension Collectivism versus individualism,
it concerns the

preference of people to be responsible for the others or
extended family without
questions, or to beresponsible only for themselves or immediate
family
respectively(Hofstede, Hofstede, & Minkov, 2010, pp.90-92).
From the previous
graph, there was a remarkably noticeable difference between the
two countries: the
United States tends to be an individualistic country while Japan
tends to be a
collectivistic one.
For the third dimension, femininity versus masculinity, it
concerns thegenders’
images. For a masculine country, they would tend to emphasize
menon being strong,
successful, or authoritative, and to have competition with each
other, and female
figures represents weak and modest; while people from a
feminine country would
tend to emphasize the importance of both men and women being
considerate,
cooperative, or modest, and to work on achieving consensus
(Hofstede, Hofstede, &

Title The impact of obesity on gym marketStudent number 822374.docx

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