Academic Life Essay

New generation of students in university may change their major. When university starts a student is asked to succeed a certain type of courses or requirements to graduate. There is no dead line to take a new path. Thus, it can happen that suddenly for some reasons students change their major ; namely, due to the will of some parents, the student not having passing grades, and the student changing his mind. The first reason that leads a student to change his major may come from his parents. Sometimes children don’t have the choice to follow their own studies. They have to execute whatever their parents want. In this case, nothing is expecting from the child beyond to obey. When students are pushed like this, it mostly happens when a member of the family has previously succeeded well. The child is placed in a position where he has to walk behind the one who was successful. Therefore, whatever the major the student has decided to take, the final decision belongs to the parents. The second cause is failing in class. Many students are not taking their academic life seriously enough to get passing grades. This situation shed light on the fact that there is no choice other than withdrawal the course and look for a new area where the student will feel more comfortable. Many reasons can be found for the failure of students ; however, their own responsibility was engaged when they have decided to pick those majors. As serious students, they should be aware of their behavior during the whole studies period. Accordingly to the cause of this paragraph, students may have no other solution than changing their way. See more: Old Age Problem essay The last and main cause that pushes a student to change his major is the changing of mind. University starts very early in a student’s life, so for this reason it can happen that his first choice of major was wrong. As a result, he can choose to change it by simply switching to another major and complete his studies. In this case, it is very important for the student to follow exactly the type of studies that suit him the best for his own success. For example, a student who applied for the Law course suddenly realizes that it doesn’t concur with his skills. The only escape is to find something more suitable. In other words, the choice of major is not permanent. Hopefully, every student can move to a new major without  complications. It should be clear that even if it is an easy thing to do, it has to be taken with precaution because changing major imply a new education. It has many positives effects but it should remains in coherence with the studies of the student. S omehow, when it is easy for students, the good grades will follow.

Human hand catching an object Essay

ANALYSING From this experiment I have found out that there are different factors that affect the resistance of a wire. The factors that I have investigated are the length and thickness of a wire. In the experiment, as the wire got shorter, the resistance decreased, and if the wire were increased then the resistance would increase too. If the thickness of a wire were to be changed then the thicker the wire, the less resistance and the thinner the wire the more resistance it will have. I have also found out that the resistance is calculated by dividing the voltage by the current. This calculation was used in my experiment and showed that the resistance is roughly constant. If some odd results were obtained, it was because at a low voltage the power packs are inaccurate and at a high current, we might gain a heating effect. Ohm’s law can be proved by the graph due to the fact that the graph has a straight line; therefore it has a constant gradient, meaning a constant resistance whatever current is passing through it, providing the temperature is constant. If the graph were a curved, then that would mean that the resistance was changing. If that were the case the resistance could be found for any point by taking the pair of values (V, I) from the graph and sticking them in the formula R= V/I. (Information obtained from physics revision guide. ) That would be disobeying Ohm’s law. In my opinion, the resistance of the 32- copper wire seemed odd since the thinnest wire is supposed to have the highest resistance. However a good conductor, which is what copper is, will allow current to flow through it easily. Therefore that’s why the ammeter reading for the copper wire, which measures the current, was very high, compared to the reading of the other types of wire. A nichrome wire would have more resistance than a copper wire of the same size, because less current flows through it, making it not such a good conductor. We can also conclude that the thickest wire, type 26, had the highest resistance because less current could flow through it. EVALUATING: This investigation was conducted following the method above. By following those steps, I managed to obtain more than enough readings to plot a graph with and I managed to obtain accurate results, until the wire reached 30cm (TABLE 1). However my previous readings were fairly accurate, which were more enough for me to plot a graph with. I had seven readings when only 6 are needed to plot a graph. The results of the first experiment my group conducted, (TABLE 2) were much more accurate than the second one (TABLE 1). The resistance was very constant, however we did not complete the experiment. We planned to carry it on the next lesson, but it would not have been a fair test because we used a different power pack and the voltage was not the same. We found out that we were getting odd results to our previous ones; therefore we had to start the whole thing again. We made sure we finished that experiment and even had time to conduct another: an investigation to find out whether the thickness of a wire would affect the resistance. Since I only had to investigate five different wires, obtaining five results, this investigation was easier to conduct because there were fewer to do and I knew exactly what I was doing. It took me less time to set up the circuit and it was definitely a fair test. However when it came to the 32-copper wire the resistance was very high. I expected it to be high because it was one of the thinnest wires, however not that high. I suspect I either recorded the wrong reading or because at low voltage the power pack was inaccurate and at high current there was a heating effect. However, as I mentioned in the analysing section, there was a simpler explanation. From previous work, I remembered copper is a very good conductor, therefore the high current reading. In future if I conduct another similar experiment to this one there are some improvements that could be made: I could compare my results with other people to see if they got the same or near enough results. That way I would know whether I was on the right tracks. If I am stuck on connecting the circuit, I could draw a diagram first and follow that. I should finish every experiment the same day; so that I get more accurate results and can compare the results to the results of another experiment, on the same subject and would not have waste time having to start the same experiment again. I could have done some further research and find out what and if there are any other factors that affect the resistance of a wire and then I could have conducted an experiment.

Personnel Administration

Personnel Administration This lesson complies with the following course outcomes: CO 3: To analyze the policy and decision making process in public administration CO 5 : To discuss the importance of ethics in public administration Synopsis While the country’s public administration is considered an important machinery of the government, the people; men and women who devote their time more than eight hours a day are the key to successful public service. The public administrators of any country share the same goal to deliver services as best as possible to the citizen.Unlike their counterpart in the private sector, employees of the public sector made up a huge team of officers and staff paid through public fund to deliver services. In Malaysia alone, the public service is an employer to more than 1 million people around the country. Thus, the administration of these personnel surely isn’t a joking business. As time goes by and with the introduction of sophisticated managem ent systems and technologies, the personnel of the public service need to be trained and re-trained continuously to keep up. 89Personnel Administration in the Public Sector While the country’s public administration is considered an important machinery of the government, the people; men and women who devote their time more than eight hours a day are the key to successful public service. The public administrators of any country share the same goal to deliver services as best as possible to the citizen. Unlike their counterpart in the private sector, employees of the public sector made up a huge team of officers and staff paid through public fund to deliver services. In Malaysia alone, the ublic service is an employer to more than 1 million people around the country. Thus, the administration of these personnel surely isn’t a joking business. As time goes by and with the introduction of sophisticated management systems and technologies, the personnel of the public service need to be trained and re-trained continuously to keep up. So, who are these massive staff of the public service? Of course, they must be people with good calibre and worthy to be appointed into the service. One of the most important characteristics of modern public personnel dministration is the merit system or a system of appointment and promotion based on recognized ability and capability such as tertiary education, skills and experience. Historically, Prussia, one of the constituent states of what was to become modern Germany, was the first modern nation to institute a merit system. It was this German civil service that inspired Max Weber’s famous â€Å"ideal-type† bureaucratic model. In 1789, this system was The mertit system adopted by France, British-India in 1830s and in Britain in 1850s. 1 pposses any criteria of recruitment and promotion based on political preferences, nepotism and discrimination, also known as the â€Å"spoils system†. 1 Jay Shafritz, Albert Hyde and David Rosenbloom (1986). Personnel Management in Government: Politics and Process, New York: Marcel Dekker. 90 With the huge number of staff working for the public service, government ought to give attention to their welfare and career advancement. You see, working with the public service is actually a career because government provide opportunity for each staff to improve himself/herself throughout heir years of service. They can be trained, promoted, and transferred for job enrichment. All these are done through what we called public personnel administration. Public personnel administration covers â€Å"all activities that forecast on the number and type of employees which an organization will need and then find, and develop them with necessary skills† (Robert D. Gatewood). It is â€Å"concerning both the management of and the policy making for people, and positions in the government bureaucracy† (Nicholas Henry). Important functions of Personnel Adm inistrationSome of the most important functions of personnel administration include the followings: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Formulation of rules and regulations for an appointment which include terms and conditions of employment Establishment of suitable and reasonable remuneration system or the reward system Recruitment Promotion to encourage the most suitable and qualified people to apply and fill in the job Provision of attractive and long term career development Provision of sufficient and suitable training and development Application of fair and just disciplinary system Provision of fair and equitable welfare system Application of attractive pension system upon retirement 91As a career employment, each job in the public sector is well thought of before initializing recruitment. The government is very careful in identifying the needs of each job. For example, a government’s clerk should be able to conduct functions that are required from him/her at whichever department or agency. That is why the basic requirements needed for a person to fill in the post of a government clerk would be the same across the country. Thus, the government would need to enlist those needed requirements and advertise them to encourage qualified persons to apply and finally fill in the post. The process can be applied to all jobs within the public sector. The government should also be an ‘equal opportunity employer’.What it means is that public sector jobs should not only open to specific races, gender or religious background. The government must be an employer to all. However, there are some posts in the government that would require special criteria and skills. Take for example, anyone who would like to join the armed forces, police force or any other regimented bodies should pass the medical tests. This requirement cannot be considered as discriminating against those who are medically unfit. It is just that some occupations would require individual who possesses certain skills and capabilities. When one is hired into the service, the job should prepare him/her for further advancement.This is done through training, development, transfer, attachment and promotion. Employees undergo annual appraisal process in which the department would be able to tell the persons about their performances and readiness to shoulder more important responsibilities. These processes are well explained in Max Weber ideal-type bureaucracy as you have learned in the previous lessons. Among them is the guaranteed reward or compensation paid to the employees in terms of monthly salary. Now lets us look at the different processes of personnel administration. 92 Human Resource Planning In the previous section, I have briefly explained some of the processes involved in human resource planning.Planning is a very important aspect of personnel administration. If you failed in your personnel planning, then the productivity o f the organization will be at stake. According to Edgar Schein, â€Å"†¦ if you wrongly hired a person to any posts, then you would need to spend a lot of money to train and re-train the person to put him/her at par with requirements of the job†. Well, that is considered if he/she has the right attitude. It the public sector, there are numerous rules and procedures to follow that once a person is hired, it is difficult to fire under normal circumstances. Thus, taking in the right the person for a particular job is very, very critical.It all begins proper planning for the job by the personnel manager or administrator. Firstly, the manager should perform an in depth study about what the job will perform and ultimately a ‘list of duties or functions’ will be made ready for the job. Some call it the ‘job specifications’. Second, the manager needs to identify the right qualifications, skills and experiences of the potential candidate. Third, the mana ger also needs to ascertain the remuneration and other allowances for the candidate. Forth, the manager should also concern in identifying various training programs for the candidate’s later professional development. Criteria and Methods of RecruitmentWhen a public manager has prepared the request for a new post or to fill in a vacant post, approval needs to be gained from the higher authorities. This may refer to a higher office such as from a district office to the state office, from state office to the main office say in Putrajaya or from the main office to the Central Agency, Public Service Department (JPA). The request from the original manager will be studied and upon approval from the central agency, the request will be submitted to the Public Service Commission (SPA) for recruitment exercise. Some agencies are given the empowerment to hire when JPA has granted the ‘warrant to hire’. However, most hiring by government departments except for part time and c ontractual jobs are conducted by the SPA. 93Some of the criteria that will be considered for hiring purposes would include the followings: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Academic qualification Age Skill (technical staff) Working experiences Health Working ability Attitude (cooperation, passion and etc) Interest in work The recruiting bodies (either SPA or the relevant agencies) would first need to advertise vacancies in a wide communication medium. This would include newspapers, television and radio channels, websites, letters to associations etc. It is very important that the government use all these mediums to reach almost everyone that are qualified to fulfill its role as an equal-opportunity-employer. Candidates will then be short-listed and call for interviews. The persons who are responsible to conduct interviews should be well prepared and equipped with instruments or questions that are relevant.Since interview sessions would certainly make ca ndidate exposed some of their own personal information, the interviewers should exercise confidentiality and professionalism. At the end of the process, when a candidate is selected, he/she would receive a letter of appointment together with the job specifications, remunerations and terms of the appointment. Training and Development New staff is at their best when they first joined the organization. However, as time goes by, he/she would need training and development to continue to be relevant to the organization. New methods of doing a job, technology and skills change almost everyday. Thus, every employee needs to be trained and re-trained.The public is very generous in proving fund for employees’ training and development. So, it is not surprising that each one of then should fulfill at least 36 hours of training time in a year. Some organizations provide more than 36 hours! 94 Training and development encompasses three main activities: training, education, and development. Training refers to activities that are focused upon the enriching the job a particular staff is currently holding. They are meant to help him/her to perform well in the job. They can be conducted on the job or can also be held outside the organization. Training is makes the person more competent in the things he/she does. 2 Training is an event.Training has a beginning and end. Participants are exposed to knowledge and skills associated with new concepts during the event. Many organizations think, all we have to do is conduct some training and everyone will embrace the new: strategy, system, method, process, procedure, tactic or tool. They will go back to work the next day, use the new way and execute flawlessly within a short period of time. 3 Training usually refers to some kind of organized (and finite it time) event — a seminar, workshop that has a specific beginning data and end date. It's often a group activity, but the word training is also used to refer to specific i nstruction done one on one. Education activities focus on the jobs that an individual may potentially hold in the future. These activities are planned to move up an individual staff to a higher position and responsibility. 5 Finally, development focuses on activities that the organization plan to continuously improve an employee not only his/her skills but also attitude, esprit d’ coup, productivity and quality. Development is a process. IT is a much bigger, inclusive â€Å"thing†. For example, if a manager pairs up a relatively new employee with a more experienced employee to help the new employee learns about the job, that's really employee development. If a manager coaches and employee in an on-gong way, that's employee development.Or, employees may rotate job responsibilities to learn about the jobs of their colleagues and gain experience so they might eventually have more promotion opportunities. That's employee development. Thomas N. Garavan, Pat Costine, and Nor een Heraty (1995). â€Å"Training and Development: Concepts, Attitudes, and Issues†. Training and Development in Ireland. Cengage Learning EMEA. pp. 1. 3 4 2 http://ezinearticles. com/? Whats-The-Difference-Between-Training-and-Developmen t? &id=1038575 http://performance-appraisals. org/faq/trainingdevelopment. htm Derek Torrington, Laura Hall, and Stephen Taylor (2004). Human Resource Management. Pearson Education. pp. 363 5 95 Different Kinds of Training and Development 1. On-the-job Training and LecturesThe two most frequently used kinds of training are on-the-job training and lectures, although little research exists as to the effectiveness of either. It is usually impossible to teach someone everything she needs to know at a location away from the workplace. Thus on-the-job training often supplements other kinds of training, e. g. , classroom or off-site training; but on-the-job training is frequently the only form of training. It is usually informal, which means, unfor tunately, that the trainer does not concentrate on the training as much as she should, and the trainer may not have a well-articulated picture of what the novice needs to learn.On-the-job training is not successful when used to avoid developing a training program, though it can be an effective part of a well-coordinated training program. Lectures are used because of their low cost and their capacity to reach many people. Lectures, which use one-way communication as opposed to interactive learning techniques, are much criticized as a training device. 2. Programmed Instruction (PI) These devices systematically present information to the learner and elicit a response; they use reinforcement principles to promote appropriate responses. When PI was originally developed in the 1950s, it was thought to be useful only for basic subjects.Today the method is used for skills as diverse as air traffic control, blueprint reading, and the analysis of tax returns. 3. Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) With CAI, students can learn at their own pace, as with PI. Because the student interacts with the computer, it is believed by many to be a more dynamic learning device. Educational alternatives can be quickly selected to suit the student's capabilities, and performance can be monitored continuously. As instruction proceeds, data are gathered for monitoring and improving performance. 96 4. Audiovisual Techniques Both television and film extend the range of skills that can be taught and the way information may be presented. Many systems have electronic blackboards and slide projection equipment.The use of techniques that combine audiovisual systems such as closed circuit television and telephones has spawned a new term for this type of training, teletraining. The feature on † Sesame Street † illustrates the design and evaluation of one of television's favorite children's program as a training device. 5. Simulations Training simulations replicate the essential charac teristics of the real world that are necessary to produce both learning and the transfer of new knowledge and skills to application settings. Both machine and other forms of simulators exist. Machine simulators often have substantial degrees of. physical fidelity; that is, they represent the real world's operational equipment.The main purpose of simulation, however, is to produce psychological fidelity, that is, to reproduce in the training those processes that will be required on the job. We simulate for a number of reasons, including to control the training environment, for safety, to introduce feedback and other learning principles, and to reduce cost. 6. Business games They are the direct progeny of war games that have been used to train officers in combat techniques for hundreds of years. Almost all early business games were designed to teach basic business skills, but more recent games also include interpersonal skills. Monopoly might be considered the quintessential business game for young capitalists.It is probably the first place youngsters learned the words mortgage, taxes, and go to jail. Source : http://ezinearticles. com/? Six-Types-of-Training-and-Development-Techniques&id=1944536 97 Roles of Public Service Commission (PSC) and Public Service Department (PSD) There are constellation of information from the SPA and JPA websites about their functions, history and other things that you can learn from. Please visit these two websites and perhaps you want to ask them something related to this course. Good Luck! Public Service Commission (PSC) Website. Public Service Department (PSD) Website. 98 Lesson 7 Assignments Please check with your Seminar Facilitator for a list of assignments for this lesson. 99 100 Similar essay: Theories Actually Seen in Practice in Ojt

Last man and overman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Last man and overman - Essay Example Plato believes that desire and thinking are in the body not of the body. However, Nietzsche thinks that last man comes from repression of body and instincts. Without the body, the soul cannot move beyond itself and see things objectively. Plato believes that the essence of soul is out there, beyond itself and is moving. Nietzsche agrees it is moving, although he claims that essence is secured in body. Ego and will both have contempt for the body but both have contentment in their thinking and desires. During studying this text, we can understand that the soul of the last man is not able to create beyond itself, but the soul of the overman is able to create beyond itself. There are some characteristics of the last man, such as cruelty, the longest life (because he has a great knowledge of health), happiness, reason, and virtue. If you deny the body, your sense cannot go beyond yourself and material things. The origin of the last man was already in Plato’s doctrine. Ego, will, and soul mean thinking, desire or will, and spirit respectively. The spirit of ego, will, and desire must be changed into the postmodern view on the soul and postmodern form. Soul controls the body of the last man, while the body controls soul in behalf of body. Soul is complete and it is never equal to body. Soul is in the body but not of the body. It goes towards rationality. The soul of the last man is the soul away from the body. Soul is like spirit, ego, thinking, and desire. Soul has contempt for the body, but it is only a spirit. Soul as spirit is immoral. Spirit without the body is the structure of the soul of last man. The soul cannot go beyond manmade happiness. The chapter â€Å"On the Despisers of the Body†, you are what your body is â€Å"Body am I, and soul†. The body created the ego and the spirit and it serves to itself. The self is the body and the spirit that the body created. The body is a great intelligence and the ruling part of

The Importance of Children Literacy in Early Years Dissertation

The Importance of Children Literacy in Early Years - Dissertation Example The children in their early stages have a particular mindset and developmental learning needs. They usually learn by seeing others in their surroundings from where they belong to, especially from their parents and all those who are providing care for them. So it highly important for them to give proper effort and nurture them to such an extent so that the child develops proper learning spirits. It will help the children to gain various subject knowledge, skills and understanding levels. It is important to provide them with a learning environment so that children can develop their own active learning. (Whitehead, 2009, p.x) It is important for the children in their formation stage to develop language and communication skills. This can be developed similarly which have been mentioned above by the carers, parents, teachers, and people who all are associated with the children during this period. As is known that learning is a continuous process. So it is obvious that children start learn ing since they are born. Thus during this period, they need proper guidance which will help them in future to be a better human being. So communication and language in that sense remain the most important part of a child’s growth stage. (Whitehead, 2007, p.xv) so it needs to keep in mind that development in the early years is very vital part as it is the most delicate stage of children. They could be mold in every possible way which will guide them to build up their future. The purpose of this study is to understand and review the theory concerning early literacy development. The different areas of literacy development could be language, communication structure, writing and reading skills. (Many, 2009, p.171) the view of literacy practices of children in early years must be recognized in their own way rather than forcing them to do something follow any particular strategy forced by other (Bradford, 2009, p.14). A change model is used to propose changes in child literacy progr ams on the basis of the literature survey conducted. The literature search strategy which we will be using here is various sources from books, scholarly articles and other information from Ebsco website. Ebsco provides a database of various articles which can help to collect detail information about the subject. Thorough study on the literature review of various authors will give an idea about the discussion and how they have formulated the issues. Apart from this primary and secondary researches will be evaluated which will provide detailed information about the study. Primary researches conducted by researchers and the result which has been generated as per those researches will help to simplify the matter.

Possibility article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Possibility article - Essay Example The Corp vigorously attempts to contain the outbreak of the T-virus. The T-virus is â€Å"the only known Umbrella-made virus that possesses the ability to infect almost all known animal and plant species. The extreme degeneration of intelligence is also dependant on species, as Eliminators are known to possess much more intelligence than zombies and are capable of understanding orders.  In humans, t-virus infection is only 90% effective, with the remaining 10% of the population having a natural immunity to the virus, even when directly bitten by a Zombie. As well as this, the rate of the infection is unique to each person, and can be influenced by several factors which may speed up or slow down infection† (Project Umbrella, n.d.). Does the T-virus have possibilities of existence? The film shows that people can turn into parasite victims that are mindless and zombie-like slaves. Thus, there is what you call Toxoplasmosa Gondii parasite that seems to give the same effect that can lead to such terrifying holocaust. â€Å"Human and rat brains share the same basic anatomy and neurotransmitterrs, which is why rats are common in human drug expirements.

The Marxism of Valentin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Marxism of Valentin - Essay Example For as the play progresses, his inner struggles come to the fore as Molina's character gradually transforms him, influencing Valentin through his romanticism, to be honest with himself. And as he succumbs to Molina's romantic ideals, his typicality is defined as he confesses about Marta "She's upper-class. Pure bourgeoisie. She's got everything. Money, looks, education, freedom... I'm such a hypocrite. Just like all those class-conscious pigs. I must admit, it was convenient. A safe place to stay, when I was forced to hide... Until one day I had to tell her about my other life" (Puig, 63). Perhaps this particular side of Valentin can be regarded as his weakness as their movement demands absolute loyalty. On the contrary, it only proves Valentin's humanity and his capacity for reflection. In my opinion, Molina and Valentin personified Manuel Puig's strongest characters. In Molina, I saw Puig's homosexuality and escapism through films, whereas in Valentin, I saw his Marxist conviction. This is evident in the narration of the film by Molina: But did Puig, as a Marxist, want people to admire Valentin or condemn him Puig has made up Valentin as a fellow Marxist with a substantial amount of political ideals expected of the character, however, I got the impression that Puig wanted people to condemn Valentin. One reason One reason is due to Valentin's belated confession of a mindframe which can prove to be dangerous to the movement, a betrayal to their cause in favor of personal salvation, which was clear when he confided that " I don't deserve to die in this cell. I only confessed some code names they already knew. I can't stand being a martyr. It infuriates me. I don't want to be a martyr - my whole life a mistake" (Puig, 67). Another reason for the condemnation of Valentin is in empathy to the destruction he had wrought on Molina who, after his encounter with Valentin, had a change of ideals when it came to approach, from personal to revolutionary. Molina had sacrificed his finally attained freedom for his love of Valentin only to be mistakenly executed by the movement of his lover. MOLINA: I have a message from Valentin. Are you Lidia YOUNG WOMAN: Yes. Get in. Quick. As Molina reaches for the car door, AN AGENT DIVES AT HIM from behind. AGENT: Get him! As the taxi tears away, the young woman quickly draws a gun and FIRES TWO SHOTS at the agent, he crumples to the pavement. The sharp reports send the bystanders into hysteria. Molina runs off as the other two agents shoot down the street. Molina sprints erratically down a side street. Pedro and another agent are close behind. PEDRO: Stop! Molina -- stop! He fires a warning shot into the air. Pedestrians scatter. The taxi intercepts Molina's path at the end of the street. From inside the car, THE YOUNG WOMAN FIRES THREE SHOTS INTO MOLINA. The taxi speeds off. (Puig, 107-8) The argument present in this paper brought to light our perceptions on the meaning and values embedded in the terms of goodness and the typical. Kiss

Critical Thinking Assignment on Jacob Ind Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical Thinking Assignment on Jacob Ind - Essay Example Jacob Ind faced several risk factors that might have contributed to their criminal activity. Behavioral and social factors were the major risk factors in his case. He lived in a poor family structure characterized by home dissonance, child abuse, and inconsiderate parents, which resulted in his delinquency. His father was physically abusive, while his mother perpetrated emotional abuse. Ind thought about killing his parents for over three years and finally did it because he saw no way out of the abuse from his parents. Although the punishment for murder is legally proscribed, Ind does not have a blameworthy frame of mind. His actions resulted from the risk factors his parents exposed him to at home. If he were an adult and of a mature mind, he would have simply walked away from home and lived elsewhere with his abusive parents. I do not think that a sentence of life without the possibility of parole is a just punishment for Jacob Ind. There is enough evidence of the motive of the criminal offense, and it was plainly because of the torture from his parents. It is a cruel and unusual punishment for a teenager to undergo a life sentence without parole for an offense done out self-defense, without any ulterior motive. In fact, Ind believed that the marijuana in his bedroom was a more serious offense that the murder of his oppressive parents. The wealth of characteristics and circumstances attendant to the offense is convincing enough for a lesser sentence by the judge. The PBS website indicates, â€Å"Even some of the jurors who convicted him wonder if he deserved life without parole†. The life sentence without parole was an unfortunate sentence for Jacob Ind. I believe that the death penalty and sentences of life imprisonment are both punitive measures that significantly change the life of a youth offender.

Doritos Super Bowl Commercial Campaign Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Doritos Super Bowl Commercial Campaign - Essay Example The Doritos’ Super Bowl campaign gives insights on what innovative organizations can do to make their marketing more effective and capture the attention of consumers in the market. Designed by Frito-Lay, the campaign is an online competition run annually, which gives consumers the chance to create their Doritos advertisements and the best aired in the Super Bowl. The contest is the largest online video competition globally, and undoubtedly, one of the most successful in its caliber according to last year’s YouTube impressions. Owing to the fact that the results justify the means used, it is evident that Doritos’ marketing techniques are the cause of this profound success, some of which are analyzed in this paper. The context of participatory marketing in Doritos Chief marketing Officer at Frito-Lay, Ann Mukherjee clearly postulates that participatory marketing is the future of contemporary marketing. She notes that the success behind the idea of Super Bowl lies w ithin the recognition of the upcoming branding trends, where the consumers are actively involved in the branding process by the company. As a key strategy, Frito Lay recognizes the great impact that active participation contributes to modern marketing, attributing to the fact that people are not just passive recipients of information, but active contributors in the production and distribution of brands and their contents in their various kinds (Boone, and Kurtz 56). The campaign relays useful techniques that underlie consumer-generated content advertising, which makes the consumers virtually own the brands and remain loyal to the brands that they have helped to build and this fact has continually improved the sales of the company. From the graph and table below, the introduction of the Crush Super Bowl contest in January 2012 had a tremendous effect on the sales in that month. In this respect, participatory marketing strategies are very effective and according to Doritos, an immedia te effect on the popularity of the brands. The period that preceded the ad contest also experienced customer response due to the anticipation that the advertisements of the contest had on the consumers. The data showing the percentage increase in sales due to the 2012 contest is shown below. Time 26th Dec 2011 26th Jan 2012 29th Feb. 2012 28th Mar 2012 Percentage increase 6.2 % 7.9 % 5.8 % 5.2 % Consumer inclusive approaches to marketing, according to research prove the most lucrative and successful of trends, making it an irresistible package for modern marketers. In perspective, the success of the campaign is often attributed to the way in which Frito-Lay tracks and evaluates performance of the competition. Since the launch of the campaign, Frito-Lay has continued to test the media value of the competition, online pass-along measures as well as the brand equity. (Hines, and Bruce 44) further recommends the growth of the above measures with time to correspond with the market condit ions and continued changes in tastes and preferences of the consumers. Trusting consumers of information In addition, Frito-Lay works on the principle that the consumer is the best source of information on what the market needs (Tadajewski and Brownlie 92). The campaign has achieved much since its inception because Frito-Lay trusts their consumers. Although most marketers have

Biomedical research and testing (a bioethical topic of yesterday and Essay

Biomedical research and testing (a bioethical topic of yesterday and today) - Essay Example Additionally, in Europe, 400,000 people are said to have also died due to small pox. Edward Jenner is alongside other fathers of medical history who discovered the small pox vaccine. It is obvious that the survivors of the disease, had become immune to the disease and therefore, they were called upon to nurse the affected ones because they were not likely to suffer from the disease again. Edward Jenner discovered that milkmaids who were infected with cowpox virus were immune to smallpox, and to test this theory, he got some pus from the cowpox blister that was found on one of the milkmaid called Sarah. He then injected the pus to his son’s gardener, James and repeated a number of days increasing the amount of pus into the boy. Additionally, he deliberately injected the pus to his gardener James, and through it he became ill but recovered after a few days. He even repeated the same experiment on his own son and other children by infecting them with cowpox as well as smallpox. J enner’s experiment became the evidence used to come up with inoculation that finally eradicated smallpox. Jenner experiment can be well explained by Machiavelli quote â€Å"the end justifies the means†, which in this case it is questionable. ... This was obviously wrong because of his actions. In the first place, Jenner was not right when he decided to conduct his experiment on his gardener’s son. The end does not always justify the means. Kapis and Gad claim that, it is human nature, for individuals to not always justify their actions. Therefore, if Jenner’s experiment was incorrect, the gardener’s son would have died instantly or would have been infected by the disease as well as other children (34-56). The gardener would have lost his son, because of Jenner’s experiment. To borrow from Beauchamp’s words, we cannot trust the world to be moral and idealistic enough in helping the environment and humanity, and at the same time, be practical enough to make difficult decisions that will cause a great harm to the people (34-68). Nevertheless, Jenner also attempted the same experiment on his own son, risking even more. This means that he could have lost his son as well. However, his experiments saved millions of people as well as his willingness to push his theory in the name of medical and scientific discovery, and as result proved that sometime, the end justifies the means. Some current medical practices which preclude the particular type of experiment that Jenner practiced are still similar today. For example, people have forced to have the smallpox vaccine by being injected. This is not a normal injection, but a painful one that generates a pox and eventually a scar (Conn 34-66). In the world of medicine, there are bioethical battles on testing drugs. In 3rd world countries, companies are testing drugs on the patients because it is cheap and no regulations. This test is like Jenner’s experiment on his gardener’s son and has facilitated new

2 response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

2 response - Essay Example The essay also conveys the beautiful message that one should love oneself in the very natural manner that one is born with and should not listen or act according to what others have to say about them. It also emphasizes on the fact that it is the values that are found within a girl that makes her more beautiful rather than the cosmetic covered face. There is no point in hurting oneself at the behest of others who are always ready to point out only the bad parts of something and not the good ones. 2. The author needs to come up with either any textual help from an essay or a personal story to prove her allegations regarding the singer Shakira. It was just her opinion that she has given in the essay about the singer and there is no valid proof to prove the fact that she has incorporated in her work about the singer. Wearing provocative clothing and moving her hips are just personal comments that the author has given to the singer. The author should have provided certain proved facts or the views of some other writers to discuss her views. By providing her view points only, the author has given rise to a weak point in the essay which may be criticized by others who read it. 3. The weakest part that the essay contains is that it bases its deductions and relies its studies on flimsy poetry and imaginative ideas. It compares the very practical aspects in reality to the imaginative concepts of poetries and stories. Moreover it takes into account the very tiny age of girls which is not the correct thing to be done. The magazines and the books that the author talks about are for women. The age group of children that the author talks about is not this rather that of small girls who are not at all connected with the magazine part. Thus there is no coherence in the writing. There could have been stronger points in the essay if it would have the proper coherence required and if it could provide the readers with more clarity about the

Decision making software Essay Example for Free

Decision making software Essay The choices we make in our lives play a major role in whom or where we are going to be later in the future. There may be a time in our lifetime where we are faced with two or more choices. That is where we have to use the right judgment and decide what is more convenient. Two of Robert Frost most famous poems â€Å"The Road Not Taken† and â€Å" Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening† demonstrates several similar subjects. The main two similarities in these two poems are choices and the love for nature. In â€Å"The Road Not Taken†, the speaker comes across two roads. We can see this when he states in the first stanza â€Å"two roads diverged in a yellow wood† (Robert Frost, 2013, p. 613) but then says â€Å" Had worn them really about the same† (Robert Frost, 2013, p. 613) in the last line of the second stanza. One that the majority had taken and one that was less taken. He makes the decision not to go with the majority, but to be himself and takes the path less traveled. â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening† talks about stopping on a property that was someone else’s, but the speaker wanted to watch  the snow fill the trees. The conflict for each speaker in both of Robert Frost poems was that they had to make a concrete decision. In â€Å"The Road Not Taken†, the speaker resolves his conflict by taking the road less taken. Although we can see that in the last stanzas he rethinks his decision on what would have been if he had taken the other road. After observing them he came to the conclusion that they were both equally the same. In â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening† the speaker bases his decision  when he says, † but I have promises to keep† (Robert Frost, 2013, p. 611) which might have been promises he made to his village. 3 POETRY ANALYSIS Both of these poems are similar in a way that they both relate to nature and decision making. Reading them together, gives you the impression that choices are important. We should choose every decision we make in life wisely. What we choose today will reflect on us the day of tomorrow. We might think back at the time when we made the decision at that precise time, but know that we cannot go back in time and therefore  made the right choice. Positive or negative we cannot blame destiny or others for our choices we do, make or have made through our life time. 4 POETRY ANALYSIS References Frost, R. (2013). â€Å"The Road Not Taken† † Pearson Custom Library of American Literature , Introduction to American Literature. Boston: Pearson Publishing. Frost, R. (2013). â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening† Pearson Custom Library of American Literature , Introduction to American Literature. Boston: Pearson Publishing. 5 POETRY ANALYSIS.

The Effects Of Imperialism In Europe History Essay

The Effects Of Imperialism In Europe History Essay The effects of imperialism have been subject of debate. However it has been generally agreed that imperialism had more negative than positive effects for the countries which the European imperialist lorded over. Major imperialism occurred in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. Imperialism refers to a situation when a country takes control of a smaller nation for political social and economic reasons (Duignan and Gann, 69) Heart of darkness was one of the very first literally text to provide critical view of European imperial activities. Conrad decision to set the book in the Belgian colony made it easier for the British readers, also imperialist, to avoid seeing themselves reflected in the book. The book does reinforce the fact that imperialism was an insult to the subjects as well as hypocritical Just like much of modernist literature produced in the early years of twentieth century, Conrads heart of darkness is much about confusion, alienation and intense doubt as it is on imperialism. However imperialism is the main theme, and with the help of symbolism brings this out perfectly. Darkness is essentially used to refer the continent of Africa in general and Congo in particular, and it backwardness at the point in time, while light (p3), is used to refer to western civilization that they imperialist purported to bring to Africa. By late 1890s most of African continent metaphorically referred to as worlds dark places had been put under European control (Conrad, 6). Women occupy Traditional roles as arbiter of morality and domesticity (69). However they are hardly present in the story; the concepts of home and civilization merely exist as insincere ideals, meaningless to men for whom survival is in constant doubt. Kurtz who goes into Africa with the idea of civilizing and improving the Africans ends up raiding villages and letting himself be held in awe like a god(). Hence the idealistic benefits western civilization would have had on Africa were hypocritical. Conrad explores how the transformation takes place and in the process questions the role Europe played in the exploitation of Africa. Initially the European claimed that their mission was to civilize the African whose culture they found appalling as well economic empowerment through engagement in trade. This was not to be, instead. Imperialist engaged in economic exploitation of African continent and overhauled the political and social structure of the African people. It is clear that the imperialistic activities were detrimental to Africa. Conrad finds inefficiency and wastefulness at the Belgian company in Congo contrary to the initial claim of economic development that the Europeans had claimed they endeavored to bring into the African continent. He found out that they were interested economic exploitation of Africa by obtaining raw material for their home industries by force if need be. The company was the Belgian Rubber Company which king Leopard II of Belgian had formed for enabling exploitation of rubber in the Congo region. In 1884 the partitioning of African among the imperial power was completed at Berlin conference in 1884, which Conrad refers sarcastically in the heart of darkness as the international Society for the suppression of Savage customs. Leopard declared Congo Free State his property in 1892, legally allowing Belgians to take whatever amount of rubber they wished without having to engage in trade with the locals. This resulted to tension between the locals and the Belgians and the fights which ensued left many Congolese dead, given their inferior weapons. The European was stretched thin trying to administer and protect massive far-flung empires. For example Congo was under Belgian empire while East Africa and Anglophone west Africa was under British Empire. Cracks begun to appear in the imperialist system: riots, war as well as the abandonment of commercial enterprises in a wholesale fashion as a result of the indigenous people quest for self determination. The imperialist did not have any intention of developing Africa but furthering their economic interests by exploiting it. The claim that the imperialist improved infrastructure is misplaced since they were not doing it for the interest of the African but to ease exploitation of the raw materials. The construction of Kenya Ugandan railways was meant to ease the transportation of raw materials from the east African region. Colonization was a major tool of imperialism. Its greatest misdeed was that it stripped African the responsibility in conducting their our own affairs and convinced them that their civilization was nothing less than savagery as a result giving them complexes that led to their being branded as irresponsible and lacking self confidence. The negative effects of colonization and imperialism could not be expressed better that from the African themselves. They stated that they deplored the economic exploitation by the imperialist as it reduced Africa to abject poverty, in the midst of plenty. Moreover heir fundamental rights, freedom of speech, freedom of association, of movement, freedom of worship and freedom to live a full and abundant life were denied them imperialist overt activities. Imperialism led to landlessness. People were displaced from high yielding areas and the land was taken under European plantation and which they used forced labors from the Africans. African was consigned in settlers settlement where they lived in deplorable conditions as squatters. An African proverbs best portrays the effect imperialism had on the land issue by stating that when the white man came to Africa, the African had the land while the white had the bible. Soon after the Africa was left with the bible and the European took over the land (Duigan, 89). Colonial masters destroyed the harmonious existence of the African society, by creation of tribes where they did not exist. They were aware that it was easier to exploit a divided group than a united one. Preferential treatment of one tribe over the other created tribal tension that at times led conflict. The 1994 civil war in Rwanda was fought between Tutsis and Hutu tribes that had been created by the French. Tribal animosity is rampant to this day (Boahen, 750-782). Civil wars in most of the aftrican countries are largely out of ethnic animosity and whose root causes can be found in Africas colonial legacy. On the positive side of imperialism, it is noted that the western government introduced improved health care and better sanitation method, curbing premature death that resulted from lack of treatment from preventable diseases like malaria and measles. The colonial government introduced new crops, new tools and farming methods which increased food production. The changes meant reduced death to smaller colonies and overall improved states of living. In conclusion, It is hard to decipher whether the disturbance from outside have been beneficial or detrimental given Conrads somewhat implicit portrayal of imperialism in his book. Proponents of imperialism say that the effects of imperialism were positive, but evidence shows that it led to the effects that were detrimental, than they were positive. Imperialism changed the world and made it a more difficult world to live in. The portrayal of African as backward and ignorant amounted to discrimination and racism. Imposition of eastern values was also tantamount to accepting superiority of European civilization. The effects are still felt to this day. Work cited Joseph Conrad. Heart of darkness. Courier Dover Publication, 1990 Peter Duignan and L.H Gann. Colonialism in Africa, 1870-1960. CUP, Archive. A. Abu Boahen.Africa under colonial domination 1880-1935. University of California Press, 1985.

Customer Satisfaction By Measuring Service Quality Tourism Essay

Customer Satisfaction By Measuring Service Quality Tourism Essay Rationale of the study: The measurement and management of service quality are fundamental to the survival and success of service companies (Legcevic, 2008). The hotel sector is a large segment of the service industry which provides services and accommodations to a wide range of customers. To make sure that a hotel is satisfying its customers needs, it is necessary to measure service quality periodically to identify areas in need of improvement. There are several methodologies used for measuring service quality, but this research study shall employ one of the more popular models called the SERVQUAL model. This theory was developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry. They were early researchers studies about the concept of quality (Jain and Gupta, 2004). The SERVQUAL model was created to measure service quality as perceived by the customer (Parasuraman et al., 1985). According to Shangri-La Hotels Annual Report of year 2008 and 2009, the occupancy rate of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok has declined continuously (Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2008, Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2009). The most likely cause of this problem is the political instability that hit Thailand recently. On the other hand, it is possible that this decline in the number of customers was a result of a decline in service quality. Even though the Shangri-La Hotel continued to emphasize customer needs and provide excellent service to their customers, it is still crucial to measure service quality to ensure that the customers are satisfied with the hotels services and responsiveness to customer needs. The result of measuring service quality also helps management to understand exactly what their customers expect from the hotel and the level to which they are satisfied with their experience at the hotel. This measurement model functions as a tool to promote communication between the hotel man agement and their customers. This research was conducted to observe customer perceptions about hotel services by measuring service quality using the SERVQUAL model at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok. The benefits of this research are not just to understand the level of customer satisfaction; but moreover, it can use as a guideline to enhance service quality and promote customer loyalty. Title of project: A Study of Customer Satisfaction by Measuring Service Quality; A Case Study of Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok Statement of research problem: A continual decline in the number of hotel customers over the past few months has had a direct effect on the hotels income. The main factor which is believed to have caused this decline was internal political instability in Thailand. In an effort to transform a crisis into opportunity, this is an appropriate time to observe customer perceptions of service quality in order to help hotel management improve quality and prepare their business for when the situation returns to normal. Project objectives: The objectives of this research are as follows: To measure service quality of Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok by using SERVQUAL model, To understand the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality, and To gain a clearer understanding of customer perceptions of service quality from Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok in order to improve hotel service quality in the future. Conceptual framework: Figure 1: Conceptual framework Reliability SERVQUAL Dimensions Responsiveness Customer Satisfaction Assurance Empathy Tangibles Scope of the study: The scope of this research focuses on measurement of service quality at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok by using the SERVQUAL model which considers service quality from the following five dimensions: a) reliability, b) responsiveness, c) assurance, d) empathy and e) tangibility. The sample population would be a random sample of 100 hotel customers during the period from July to August, 2010. The survey technique would employ the use of questionnaires. This study focuses on the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality. Definitions of terms used in the study: SERVQUAL model: An instrument for measuring service quality comprised of five dimensions such as: a) reliability, b) responsiveness, c) assurance, d) empathy and e) tangibility. Parasuraman summed up that customers perceive service quality by comparing their expectations with the actual organizational performance, and they evaluate service quality in different dimensions (Parasuraman et al., 1988). Service Quality: A product or outcome of all the staff managers of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok working together to satisfy their customers. In other words, high-quality service is a service that meets or exceeds customer needs and expectations (Wisniewski, 2001). Customer Expectation: is prediction service of customer that hotel should be provides to them. Predict service directly influence customer satisfaction evaluation (Zeithaml et al., 1993) Customer Perception: A feeling or sense possessed by the customer which is derived from their experiences at the hotel. Customer Satisfaction: The level to which a customer perceives that their expectations were met in the transaction with the hotel (Hallowell, 1996). Assumptions: A customer who receives a high level of service quality from the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is more likely to be satisfied with the overall level of service at the hotel. Limitations: Size of sample: The political uncertainty in Thailand during the past several months resulted in a decrease in the number of tourists all over Bangkok. Furthermore, the occupancy level at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok has been suppressed due to a reduction in room availability for internal renovations. The limited number of hotel customers may limit the sample size, leading to sample error. Time frame of data collection: The time frame is a major problem for this research because the research time table is quite short, especially considering that this season is the low season for tourism in Thailand. Since the tourist numbers are much lower than during high season, it could be difficult or impossible to reach the appropriate sample size. Human ethics considerations: This research is being conducted for educational purposes to learn about customer satisfaction at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok. For this reason, the hotels management is allowing researchers to collect data from their customers. Therefore, the researchers should not force the customers to complete the questionnaire if they are hesitant. The questionnaire is being designed so that it does not contain sensitive items which would make customers feel uncomfortable. Practical significance: Measuring service quality is more difficult than measuring the quality of manufactured goods because the nature of services is intangible (Bergman and Klefsjo, 1994). The SERVQUAL model is an efficient tool to help measure service quality and clarify customer satisfaction. The result of this research would be useful for the Shangri-La Hotels management and staff members so that they can better understand their customers level of satisfaction with perceptions about the hotels services. It will help hotel management in their efforts to maintain and improve hotel service quality. In addition, other hoteliers and organizations within the service industries sector could adapt this research to use as basis for studies into their own organizations. Background information: Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is a well-established Asian hotel chain in major cities throughout Asia, Oceania and The Middle East. The headquarters is located in Hong Kong. Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is one property of many properties of Shangri-La Company, located in the Silom district, has a total of 799 rooms including serviced apartments and other facilities such as restaurants, conference rooms, spa, swimming pool and tennis courts (Shangri-La Hotel, 2010). Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is located in a convenient place next to the Chao Phraya River which is the main river of Thailand, and is only half an hour from Suvarnabhumi Airport and 10 minutes away from central business by BTS Skytrain. For these reasons, this hotel has the ability to attract numerous tourists. Furthermore, Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is connected to Sathorn Pier, so tourists can take public boats or long tail boats to travel to and visit several kinds of tourist attractions easily such as the Temple of Dawn, the Grand Palace, the Flower Market and Khaosan Road. There is a high diversity of tourism industries which promote the economy in this district and along this river. However, in recent years, the Thai economy has experienced difficulty for a variety of reasons. Figures 1 and 2 compare the performance of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in the period from 2007 to 2008 with the period from 2008 to 2009. Table 1: The Shangri-La Hotel Weighted Average Room Yield 2007-2008 Source: Shangri-La Asia Limited (2008) Table 2: The Shangri-La Hotel Weighted Average Room Yields 2008-2009 Source: Shangri-La Asia Limited (2009) The figures above show that there was a significant decline in the performance of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Thailand in 2008 compared with 2007, and this decline in performance continued into 2009 with a drop on average room occupancy. According to the 2008 Shangri-La Asia Limited Annual Report, occupancy and RevPAR for Shangri-La Hotels decreased in 2008 by 15 and 10 percentage points respectively (Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2008). Moreover, the overall weighted average RevPAR for Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts Thai properties decreased a further 11 percent in 2009 (Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2009). The global financial crisis, the extensive renovations at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok and political uncertainty are cited as the main reasons for this decline. Literature review: There are several pieces of literature regarding studies of service quality which say that if a customer had a pleasant service experience, they would probably use that service again and would be likely to invite their friends or tell someone else to utilize those same services. In the same way, if customer had a poor service experience, they generally never forget about it, and many customers will complain and go elsewhere (Assael, 1987, Farrington et al., 2009, Peter and Olson, 1987). Word of mouth is a powerful communications tool. Customers may tell others whenever they experience poor service quality, and this would have a direct effect on the organizations image resulting in an eventual decrease in revenue. The power of this communications tool has always been evident from the past until the present. Consequently, organizations must always ensure that their service quality is the most pleasant and best to generate customers satisfaction. This is because the backbone of service organization growth is not just a high quality product or pricing strategy, but it is also the combination with good customer service. Nowadays, companies increasingly emphasize service quality and customer satisfaction throughout, so that they can increase customer loyalty, because it has determined that high customer loyalty is key to success in their market segment(Cronin et al., 2000). Service quality is widely studied and useful in service industries(Carman, 1990, Collier and Bienstock, 2006, Cronin and Taylor, 1992, Cronin et al., 2000, Gronroos, 1984, Parasuraman et al., 1985, Parasuraman et al., 1988). Many scholars have taken an interest in service quality issues because of their intangibility, which makes them very difficult to measure (Bergman and Klefsjo, 1994). For these reasons, several researchers created a model to help clarify the measurement of service quality. The most popular and extensively used models are Gronroos Service Quality Model and Parasuramans Gap Model (Legcevic, 2008). It could be describes of each model as following; Gronroos Service Quality Model splits customer perceived service into two dimensions: 1) technical quality, and 2) functional quality (Gronroos, 1984). 1) Technical quality or outcome quality is what customer receives as outcome of the process in the resources. Functional quality is how customer receives from technical outcome (Legcevic, 2008). Parasuramans Gap Model indicates that five gaps exist between management and customers during the service delivery process (Parasuraman et al., 1985). For my research, I will employ the SERVQUAL scale by using gap scores to help measure service quality. Service Quality: Today quality become recognized as a strategic tool to enhance and improved business actual performance both of goods sector and service sector. The key factor to success in service industry is service quality. The purpose of service quality is to satisfy the customer. Hence, service quality and customer satisfaction influence each other. As mentioned in the beginning, service quality is defined as a product or outcome resulting from all members in the organization trying to satisfy their customers (Wisniewski, 2001). Service quality also could be defined as crucial decision-making criteria for service consumers (Cronin et al., 2000). Customers evaluate service quality by comparing organizational performance with their expectations (Zeithaml et al., 1993). However, Parasuraman proved and indicated that there is a problem with customer perception of service, because five gaps exist between the customer and the service provider during service delivery. The figure below illustrates the Service Quality Gap Model by Parasuraman. Figure 2: The Service Quality Gap Model Source: Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1985) According to figure as above, it could be describes each gap as following; Gap1: Service provider not knowing what the customers expect Gap2: Service provider not selecting the right service design Gap3: Service provider not delivering to service standard Gap4: Service provider not matching performance to promises Gap5: The difference between customer expectations and customer perceived service (Legcevic, 2008) A gap which may occur between customer expectation and customer perception is not the only measurement of service quality. However, it is a determinant of customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction. If the service providers response to customer needs is below their expectations, the customer would estimate that the quality is low. SERVQUAL Scale: The main benefit of the SERVQUAL instrument is that it helps management to measure the quality of service by comparing customers expectation of service and customer perceived service which categorizing each problem facet into five dimensions. It lets them classify the problems into dimensions, helping management to focus on the problems and improve service quality in the right way when some elements of service are found to be lacking. The SERVQUAL model was created by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry in 1985. The 1985 version consisted of ten dimensions. The model was further developed, and in 1988 it was refined into five dimensions. The SERVQUAL model has been widely used as an efficient instrument for measuring service quality in many service industries (Asubonteng et al., 1996). The five dimensions are: 1) reliability, 2) responsiveness, 3) assurance, 4) empathy and 5) tangible. According to Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1985), they defined each dimensions as follows: Table 3: SERVQUAL 5 Dimensions Reliability: Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately Responsiveness: Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service Assurance: Knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence Empathy: Caring, individualized attention the firm provides its customers Tangible: Physical facilities, equipment, and appearance of personnel (Parasuraman et al, 1985) The most important dimension that the customer used to evaluate service quality is the reliability dimension (Legcevic, 2008). Parasuraman developed a set of questionnaires using 22 parallel questions to measure customers expectation of service and customer perception of service in the five dimensions. The measurement uses a Likert Scale with seven levels ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. The service quality measurement of each pair of questions uses performance minus expectation. A positive score represents positive service quality (Parasuraman et al., 1988). Quality = Performance Expectation Nevertheless, there are numerous of academic studies which do not support these five dimensions. These studies determined that problems occur with this measurement method. Chen (2008) argued that SERVQUAL should add more dimensions to give the result more validity and credibility (Chen, 2008). Carman (1990) argued that each dimension should not be general because each service industry is different. Therefore, this model could not be used in the same format across industries (Carman, 1990). Although, there are weak points existing in SERVQUAL model, the concept of dimensions is still useful and when anyone interested in service quality issue, one choice which remind is SERVQUAL scale because its great to demonstrative power (Jain and Gupta, 2004). Then, it is used frequently today. SERVPERF Scale When discuss about SERVQUAL scale, it can not forgot to talks about SERVPERF scale as well. SERVPERF is one of service quality measurement scale. The results of both scale (SERVQUAL and SERVPERF), when compare these method to each other, the result which occurs are quite similar. However, there are differences in measuring process. Moreover, it is difference in reliability. To classify divergence between SERVQUAL scale and SERVPERF could be concise explain as following; SERVQUAL use customers expectation of service and customer perceived service to find service quality while SERVPERF use only customers perception for consideration. Cronin and Taylor (1992) compare between these two scales a found that SERVPERF is enough for measure service quality. However, the SERVQUAL scale is effective than SERVPERF scale because it provide more pragmatic diagnosis of service quality (Jain and Gupta, 2004). Customer Satisfaction: There are plentiful researchers studies on customer satisfaction. The definition of customer satisfaction is also diverse. Pizam and Ellis(1999) states that customer satisfaction is a psychological concept relating to a feeling of pleasure and well-being which is a result between needs in mind and an appealing product or service (Pizam and Ellis, 1999). The sense of satisfaction brings about positive attitudes which leads a customer seek that satisfying experience again (Assael, 1987). Customer satisfaction also has an influence on corporate survival. Naumann (1995) states that in order to attract a new customer, an organization has to pay costs in the form of time and resources equal to approximately five times that which is necessary to retain an existing customer (Naumann, 1995). Therefore, it leads the organization to determine quality as the ability to retain existing customers. However, not every customer will perceive the same level of satisfaction with the same level of service, because their sense of satisfaction is related to word of mouth communication and their past experiences (Pizam and Ellis, 1999). All people have had different experiences, thus they also have different objectives, needs and expectations. To ensure that the organization provides a high level of service quality, customer satisfaction surveys are necessary. Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Bery (1994) suggested that product quality, service quality, and price are each factors that encourage satisfaction (Parasuraman et al., 1994). Customer loyalty develops when customers become satisfied with these different factors provided by the organization (Farrington et al., 2009). The following is a conceptual framework showing the connection of each element which involves customer satisfaction. Figure 3: A Conceptual Framework for the Effects of Perceived Product Quality, Service Quality, and Pricing Fairness on Consumer Satisfaction and Consumer Loyalty Customer Satisfaction Product Quality Perceived Product Quality Perceived Service Quality Service Quality Customer Loyalty Perceived Price Fairness Price Source: (Bei and Chiao, 2001) Understanding the critical elements described above, how they are related, and how they help the organization is a foundation to success in the service industry. Data required: The data required for this study would be based in information collected from Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok customers. This research also requires the use of SERVQUAL as the main model to help measure service quality. Furthermore, may utilize some other theories from journal articles and textbooks which are related to this research. Other sources of information may include Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts information, particularly with regards to general information and occupancy data as required supporting in this research. Data sources: This research will utilize the following two types of data: Primary data: The primary data for this research will be collected from 100 hotel customers who stay at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok for least one night. The guests will be selected by simple random sampling technique, and they will fill out questionnaires regarding hotel service quality. Each questionnaire shall contain three parts: the first part will be general information of respondent, the second part will be about the expectations and perception service quality, and third part is level of satisfaction of the customer. Secondary data: The secondary data will be gathered from literature such as journal articles, textbooks, Shangri-la Hotel, Bangkok data and hotel website sources. The process of data collection shall be conducted from July to August, 2010. Data collection techniques: This research would be collects the data from 100 of customers of Shangri-La hotel, Bangkok who stay at the hotel at least one night. The researcher would be select population sample by employ random sampling method and using questionnaire as the tools. The measuring service quality instrument in this research is SERVQUAL. The questionnaire composes of three parts as following; First part is about demographic data of customers; 1) gender, 2) age, 3) country of resident, 4) reason for stay, and 5) why they selected Shangri-La hotel, Bangkok as a place to stay. Second part, it would be focusing on customers expectation of service quality (customers expectations) and received service quality (customers perceptions), in this area customer would answer both of these two aspects into SERVQUAL dimensions. This research would use Likerts scale to measure into five point scales. Likerts scale is a instrument to help measure attitude and opinion (Laerhoven et al., 2004). On the customers expectation question side and customers perception question side would be ask customer to give rate ranging from Strongly Disagree 1,2,3,4,5 Strongly Agree. Third part would be ask customer one question about their satisfaction of overall hotel service quality. In addition, researcher would leave the area for customer to add any recommendation. Data analysis: As for this research would be use R software (R Development Core Team, 2009) to help analyze questionnaire survey. Then would be using descriptive analysis and present it as table form, pie chart, and percentage calculated would be show. The standard deviation (SD) and mean are also would include. Timeline: Researcher has 13 weeks to process this report. This research process began on May 22, 2010. Due date of research proposal is on June 20, 2009. As for research final report is require to be submit on August 22, 2010 Table 4: Timeline Research Methodology: The precise measurement of hotel service quality is vital in order to be success in the hotel business. Because it helps hotel management to understand the hotel service quality level which hotel staff provide to customer. Without an appropriate measurement, it would be difficult to understand the expectation and satisfaction of customer and moreover, it would be difficult to create the strategies to upgrade hotel service quality. This research survey adopted the questionnaire 25 parallel items from (Mey et al., 2006) which is proper use to measure in hotel service quality industry, instead of using the original SERVQUAL questionnaire of 22 parallel items which establish by (Parasuraman et al., 1988). This research uses the quantitative as the main methods. Refer to the questionnaire, this research intends to identify and analyze the gaps between customer expectations and customer perceives service quality. The objective of this paper is to measure customer satisfaction and hotel service quality of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok. The questionnaire survey was divided into three categories. The first category was demographic data and travelling characteristics of respondents. The second category was to investigate the customer expectation and customer perception regarding hotel service quality by using SERVQUAL dimensions. In this part of questionnaire were on 5-point Likert scale ranging from Strongly Disagree 1,2,3,4,5 Strongly Agree. The last category was asked one question about the overall satisfaction regarding the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok service quality. Generally, the five stars hotel even in Bangkok had a strong policy which concern with guest privacy issues and not allowed the external people to do survey in the hotel. However, the researcher had been trainee and employee at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok for two years; with this reason, the hotel was confidence and permits the researcher to do survey eventually, because the hotel saw that this research survey would gain more benefits to the hotel than disadvantage. The Sampling The researcher faced the problems during doing the survey; the questionnaire survey prepared for customer at the hotel check-in/ out counter. In the beginning front office attendant was given the questionnaire survey to customers when they are check-in and aim to get it back after they are check-out. Most of customers got the questionnaire survey from front officer, but indeed they are not completed it questionnaire. To reduce uncompleted questionnaire, the front office attendant was change to given questionnaire survey to customer during they were checking-out instead, and return it from customer promptly. However, the front office attendant was not enforced customer to fill out the questionnaire, if they were reluctant. The samples were 100 hotel customers who stay at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok at least one night. However, the researcher collected data from 100 hotel respondents as aims. Results and Analysis: The questionnaire composes of three sections as following; First Section It is about demographic data of customers; 1) gender, 2) age, 3) country of resident, 4) reason for stay, and 5) why they selected Shangri-La hotel, Bangkok as a place to stay. Demographic Data Gender of respondent According to result, it indicated that the majority of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok customer were female than male. Female were 63% and male 37%. There were female customers almost 2 times of male customers. See table 5. Table 5: Frequency and Percentage of Gender Gender Frequency Percentage Male 37 37 Female 63 63 Total 100 100 The result of elaborating on male and female were showed in figured below; Figure 4: Gender of hotel customer 2. Age of respondents This research survey classifies the age of hotel customer into 4 categories; 1) below 30 years, 2) 31 40 years, 3) 41 50 years, and 3) above 50 years. The result indicated that the majority of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok customer were between 31 40 years (60%), were below 30 years (28%), 41 50 years (9%), and above 50 (3%) respectively. See table 6. Table 6: Frequency and Percentage of Age Age Frequency Percentage Below 30 year 28 28 31 40 year 60 60 41 50 year 9 9 Above 50 3 3 Total 100 100 The result of elaborating on age of hotel customer was showed in figured below; Figure 5: Age of hotel customer Resident country of respondent According to result, it indicated that the majority of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok customer was had resident country in China (13%). Also were USA (12%); Japan (10%); Australia, Thailand and Singapore (7%); UAE (6%); England, German, Hong Kong, Italy and Korea (5%); India (4%); Canada (3%); Span and France (2%); Belgium and New Zealand (1%) respectively. See table 7. Table 7: Frequency and Percentage of Resident Country Resident Country Frequency Percentage Australia 7 7 Belgium 1 1 Canada 3 3 China 13 13 England 5 5 France 2 2 German 5 5 Hong Kong 5 5 India 4 4 Italy 5 5 Japan 10 10 Korea 5 5 New Zealand 1 1 Singapore 7 7 Span 2 2 Thailand 7 7 UAE 6 6 USA 12 12 Total 100 100 The result of elaborating on resident country of hotel customer was showed in figured below; Figure 6: Resident country of hotel customer The main objective of respondents for staying at Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok The result showed that the most of the hotel customer come to stay at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok significantly for leisure as main objective (84%). And also for business (16%). See table 8. Table 8: Frequency and Percentage of Objective for Stay Objective for Stay Frequency Percentage For Leisure 84 84 For Business 16 16 Total 100 100 The result of elaborating on objective for Stay of hotel customer was showed in figured below; Figure 7: Objective for Stay of hotel customer Reason of Select Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok for stay This research survey c

Defining Grace :: Definition Grace Essays

Defining Grace The Dictionary of the Accademia della Crusca, dating from 16th century Italy, defines grace as "belleza... che rapisce altrui ad amore." Grace is beauty which seduces one unto love. Grace is the prayer before nourishment, it is the passing of power through blood, it is a classical muse, it is a verb, it is liberation, it is a head-ransom, it is a gazelle, it is simplicity, it is complexity, it is sanctifying, it is controversial, it is desired, it is metrical, it is ubiquitous, it is rare, it is actual. "Grace is in all, yet beyond all," quotes a medieval anchoress. According to Castiglione, grace springs from "that virtue opposite to affectation," as an unconscious extension of a certain je ne sais quoi within the soul. Grace is the nature of language, of number, of beat, of silence. Grace is pervasively elusive. Grace is fueled by its own roots in the Greek charis, with its shadows of liberality and courtesy forwarded to Latin rhetoric, as the tripartite gratia, functioning as attractiveness, favour, and gratitude. The word flushed the face of Europe in its own blushing migration from tongue to tongue, from Italian gratia to Portuguese graà §a to Spanish gracia to French grà ¢ce. Gliding from thought to pen to heritage, grace seeped over the Channel into Chaucer's father's smalltalk and a pair of listening ears waxed attentive. The patients of his Doctor's Tale questioned, "Goode fader shal I dye? Is ther no grace? is ther no remedye?" Grace is the ripping of change through the fabric of time, loosing the weave to weft in bright, unwashed strands of witty innovation. "Is not great grace to helpe him over past, Or free his feet that in the myre sticke fast?" beats the iambic pentameter of the Spenserian stanza in the Faerie Queene. Is it not grace that proved the continuance of its own exis tence, a linguistic parallel intertwining with the branches of biologic generations to produce the graciousness of freedom in both the fruits of the opposable thumb and the serpent's apple? A rugged, mottled bark of genealogy stretches gracefully into the blue sky of infinity. Grace, the present of the future, the gift of tomorrow, the cornerstone of the past, vaults us forward into the lives of our progeny and the evolution of our species. Born from the randomly graced confluence of organic chemicals in small pockets of lipid bilayers, life sparked and sputtered.

Happiness in Brave New World :: Brave New World Essays

Happiness in Brave New World Huxley implies that by abolishing nastiness and mental pain, the brave new worlders have got rid of the most profound and sublime experiences that life can offer as well. Most notably, they have sacrificed a mysterious deeper happiness which is implied, but not stated, to be pharmacologically inaccessible to the utopians. The metaphysical basis of this presumption is obscure. There are hints, too, that some of the utopians may feel an ill-defined sense of dissatisfaction, an intermittent sense that their lives are meaningless. It is implied, further, that if we are to find true fulfilment and meaning in our own lives, then we must be able to contrast the good parts of life with the bad parts, to feel both joy and despair. As rationalisations go, it's a good one. But it's still wrong-headed. If pressed, we must concede that the victims of chronic depression or pain today don't need interludes of happiness or anaesthesia to know they are suffering horribly. Moreover, if the mere relativity of pain and pleasure were true, then one might imagine that pseudo-memories in the form of neurochemical artefacts imbued with the texture of "pastness" would do the job of contrast just as well as raw nastiness. The neurochemical signatures of deja vu and jamais vu provide us with clues on how the re-engineering could be done. But this sort of stratagem isn't on Huxley's agenda. The clear implication of Brave New World is that any kind of drug-delivered happiness is "false" or inauthentic. In similar fashion, all forms of human genetic engineering and overt behavioural conditioning are to be tarred with the same brush. Conversely, the natural happiness of the handsome, blond-haired, blue-eyed Savage on the Reservation is portrayed as more real a nd authentic, albeit transient and sometimes interspersed with sorrow. The contrast between true and false happiness, however, is itself problematic. Even if the notion is both intelligible and potentially referential, it's not clear that "natural", selfish-DNA-sculpted minds offer a more authentic consciousness than precision-engineered euphoria. Highly selective and site-specific designer drugs [and, ultimately, genetic engineering] won't make things seem weird or alien. On the contrary, they can deliver a greater sense of realism, verisimilitude and emotional depth to raw states of biochemical bliss than today's parochial conception of Real Life.

Southwest Internal Analysis

Southwest Airlines Internal Analysis Introduction This internal business analysis is on Southwest Airlines, which was founded in 1967 by Rollin King and Herb Kelleher. The main focus for Southwest Airlines was to provide low cost flights for their customers, and also have exceptional customer satisfaction. Southwest is a leading airline company that continues to do well in an industry that has been historically challenging. For instance, in the span of two years (2005-2007) five major airlines have filed for bankruptcy.The challenges are great in the airline industry, because competitors are trying to imitate the â€Å"low-cost† offering of Southwest. Many companies have tried to do what Southwest has done, and many have failed to stay in business. Surprisingly, many of those companies were started by ex-employees of Southwest. Southwest currently has a profitability record for the past thirty six years, which is spectacular in such a challenging industry. Herb Kelleher has be en replaced by Gary C. Kelly, as the president when he resigned in May of 2008.Southwest is in the process of expanding the locations they serve so that they can increase market share, and also find ways to cut costs without losing their quality. In order for southwest to continue their consecutive financial success there is a necessity for excellence in the execution process of their strategy. Business Level Strategy The business level strategy (BLS) that Southwest focuses on is Cost Leadership. They are the leading airline in the United States for providing low-cost fares to their broad customer base.Southwest has found innovative ways to reduce cost within their cost structure enabling them to offer lower fares than competitors and still maintain a profit. One way that has helped Southwest save time and money is their standardization of their airline fleet. This tactic is known as the â€Å"one-model-fleet† by the airline. Having a single airplane model in a fleet has allo wed Southwest to â€Å"lower inventory, record keeping and maintenance costs, and it minimizes the number of technical manuals, tools and spare parts. † Another methodology that has layed an important role in their thirty six years of profitability is their fuel hedging practices they’ve practiced since the late nineties. This tactic has saved the company millions of dollars, and in 2007 alone has saved the company 727 million dollars. Another cost saving measure that Southwest has implemented is the use of blended winglets on all of their 737-700’s models. This change is supposed to improve performance by extending the airplanes range, saving fuel, and lowering engine maintenance costs and reducing takeoff noise. More recently, Southwest began to use EcoPower engine wash services.This is going to allow Southwest to save an estimated $20 million dollars in fuel costs. All of these tactics by Southwest are designed to save on expenses that they incur doing busine ss. Many airlines cut cost by laying off employees, but Southwest has established a â€Å"no layoff policy† that is currently still in effect. This shows how committed the company is to their employees, and how they are an integral part of their business. Resources Southwest has plenty of resources that have contributed to their success as an airline company. Their intangible resources have created their competitive advantage in relation to their competitors.The reason for that is the simple fact that their tangible resources are not difficult to replicate. It’s the technique that Southwest uses to connect their resources that has enabled them to be successful in the airline industry. Their tangible and intangible resources are as follows: Tangible: The main tangible resources that Southwest has are its training center, employees, headquarter facility, acquisitions, partnerships, take off and landing spots, frequent flyer reward program, self-service check-in kiosks, a nd their fleet aircrafts.In 1986, Southwest opened a multi-million dollar training center for their flight crews. As all businesses, employees are necessary if you’re conducting business on a large scale. The connection between Southwest and its customers are their employees, which makes the employees role that much more important. Although, the employees are tangible, the culture of the employees is intangible aspect that has been difficult for competitors to imitate. The training center for their employees was an investment Southwest made early on knowing its importance to the long term success for the company.The headquarters for Southwest is another tangible resource, which is located in Dallas. The headquarter similar to many other companies allow top management to effectively communicate the organizational goals of the company. Acquisitions and partnerships that Southwest has completed throughout their duration allow the company to expand their services to more than 64 cities in the United States, and obtain more take-off and landing spots. The frequent flyer program is another tangible resource that Southwest possesses, but interestingly has not had a major impact on Southwest’s bottom line.With the help of IBM, Southwest was able to offer about 250 self-service check-in kiosks. The reason for having the kiosks for their customers was to reduce the amount of time the customers spend in line and to improve the airport experience. In the very beginning, Southwest only had 3 Boeings in their lineup but now they have more than 243 aircrafts in their lineup. Intangible: The main intangible resources that Southwest has are its brand, unique culture, and reputation. Southwest has a brand that is known widely when referencing the airplane industry.The brand that they represent is one that is reliable, convenient, employee centered, customer oriented, and at the same time providing a low cost alternative to their customers. This has helped dramatic ally in their formation of their culture, because even in the beginning their main focus has been on its employees. Southwest has a culture that is unmatched in the industry, and one of the main reasons they have been wildly successful in a challenging environment. Early on Southwest made the decision to sell one of their airplanes rather than laying off their employees to show their loyalty to its employees.All of these factors have enabled the company to maintain a reputation that is respected among the industry. The reputation that they have has enabled them to reap the benefits of being recognized as a leader in the industry. For example, Southwest has earned several Triple Crown awards, which is an award for having the best on-time record, best baggage handling, and fewest customer complaints. Outcomes from Combinations of the Criteria for Sustainable Competitive Advantage: Is the Resource of Capability Valuable? | Is the Resource or Capability Rare? | Is the Resource or Capabi lity Costly to imitate? Is the Resource or Capability Nonsubstitutable? | Competitive Consequences| Performance Implications| No| No| No| No| Competitive disadvantage| Below-average returns| Yes| No| No| Yes/No| Competitive parity| Average returns| Yes| Yes| No| Yes/No| Temporary competitive advantage| Average returns to above-average returns| Yes| Yes| Yes| Yes/No| Sustainable competitive advantage| Above-average returns| Result from the chart: Capabilities The capabilities of Southwest Airlines are the origin of the firm’s ability to create a competitive advantage over other airlines in industry.Southwest focuses on three main functional areas within the organization, which are management, human resources, and marketing. Management The management capabilities of Southwest Airlines are the main reason why the company has been so profitable, utilizing an effective low cost organizational structure throughout the entirety of the company. Using only one type of plane fleet, the Boeing 737 series, which allows minimizing inventory and resources needed for training, maintenance, parts, and is also a very reliable plane.This helps in the quick turnaround times at the gates, which keeps more planes in the air at any given point in time. In the 1990’s Southwest employed an aggressive fuel hedging tactic saving the company millions of dollars in hard times, while still being able to provide low ticket prices to consumers. Another important area management focuses on is the management of human resources that emphasis both employees and customer alike. Human Resources Focusing on customer service, Southwest Airlines opened a multi-million dollar training facility for its flight crews in 1986.The heart of this training facility is to promote human capitol and share knowledge throughout company. By focusing first on their own employees, southwest can ensure that the employees will then focus on the customer. Through motivation and empowerment in the training of its employees, Southwest can provide customers a comfortable experience while retaining employees and making it hard for competitors imitate. This is proven with its Triple Crown Award for best on-time record, best baggage handling, and least customer complaints. MarketingOne way to promote value and differentiate itself from competitors is Southwest’s humorous advertisements. Exercising the LUV ticker symbol, Southwest promotes its customer driven services and prices. While in the late 1980’s Southwest started a rewards program that has retained loyal customers, but has not been proven successful for leisure travelers. With the low cost abilities, timeliness flights, rewards, and focus on the customer, Southwest Airlines has carried out an exceptional marketing strategy. Core Competencies Employee LoyaltyWithin the first two years of operation Southwest suffered huge losses and had to make some major financial decisions. These decisions lead to the selling off an aircraft and keep all of the employees created the â€Å"no lay off policy†. Then in 1973 Southwest was one of the first companies to incorporate profit sharing where employees owned at least 8% of the company stock. This leads to higher employee satisfaction, retention rate, and increases the want for the company to do well, this way the employees focus more on creating value for the customer.Management Skills Southwest Airlines management has tailored numerous sets of activities around a low cost structure creating value for the customer. With short domestic, point-to-point flights, no additional in flight features and no seat reservations allows for a short turnaround time, which makes for less crowded airports and maximizes flight time. Along with fuel hedging and low maintenance costs, the design of these best-fit activities show that the excellent management skills are a core competency that creates a competitive advantage over other airlines.Conclusion Through the inte rtwining of its resources, Southwest Airlines has created a unique set of capabilities and competencies that has continuously allowed successful implementation of its business level strategy. With a focus on low-cost leadership and customer service, Southwest Airlines creates value with reliable on-time departures and a unique company culture. This provides a sustainable competitive advantage that is hard for competitors to imitate and provides a string foundation for Southwest Airlines’ future success.