Saturday, August 31, 2019

Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw and William Golding’s Lord of the Flies Essay

Compare the ways in which children are portrayed in Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw and William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. How convincing do you find each author’s treatment of evil in relation to his characters? Everyone likes to think of childhood as a symbol of a time of innocence. People tend to look back on their childhood nostalgically, they remember it as carefree and often use the term ‘youth is wasted on the young’ these feelings have stayed with us for centuries and are incredibly deep rooted. These feelings therefore, create widespread outrage when evil becomes apparent in children or is inflicted upon them, For example the murder of James Bulger by ten year olds and also abuse and corruption of children. Children are thought of as vulnerable, when there vulnerability is taken advantage of, especially by another child a question is asked, is childhood innocence a myth? The Victorians were aware of the religious doctrine of original sin, yet they were shocked that there was the suggestion that the two young children in Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw could be evil. Golding presents children with a strong propensity to evil and disorder. Golding’s children are a mixture, from saintly Simon to barbaric Jack. The fact that the two writers have different aims to come of their stories should be taken into consideration. Golding has written a fable, whilst his characters are all boys, and are recognisably boys; they all possess different characters that are intended to represent humanity. They are all individuals, Ralph, Piggy, Simon and Jack but each one can be categorised. On the other hand James has written a ghost story, albeit of an unconventional kind. Also, the two children in The Turn of the Screw are never actually shown from a different point of view from that of the governess, we never see Miles and Flora as wholly rounded individuals we don’t gain access into their thoughts and feelings and therefore could interpret them wrongly. They could be the corrupted accomplices of Peter Quint and Miss Jessel, as the governess believes, or they could be the sexually obsessed fantasies in her head. In Golding’s novel there is not a definite narrator. Golding allows us to know what the boys are thinking and feeling; this is particularly true of Ralph and Simon. When Miles and Flora are first introduced into the novel they are seen through the romantic and idealising vision of the governess and therefore are portrayed to us as ‘innocent and beautiful; they have charm and perfect manners’ Yes, this is because the governess has a romantic imagination and is overwhelmed by her new responsibilities but it also could be because the children’s innocence portrayed in the first chapters of the novel makes their depravity later on seem all the more shocking to the reader as a contrast. When we first meet Golding’s boys however they are portrayed to us far more realistically, Piggy is an excellent example of this as he is the first most down to earth character we meet, you immediately get an image of piggy and the things he says are never questioned in the readers head to be unrealistic or fake about him. This is because his speech and manners aren’t perfect, which is what you would expect in a child. For me both authors treatment of evil in relation to his characters are convincing. James approaches the question of evil by being deliberately inexplicit. We are never actually informed as to what offence Miles was expelled from school ‘I said things’- Miles. Also, in chapter six the governess feels a ‘sudden sickness of disgust’ when she learns from Mrs. Grose that Quint was ‘too free’ with Miles. Again we don’t learn exactly what this means; it could refer to some sort of sexual abuse. I think this is a convincing and effective way of putting across the evil in the book because the novel seems to gain in power precisely because James refuses to spell things out for the reader. The ghostly apparitions are given a genuinely chilly impact ‘he slowly changed his place, looking at me hard all the while, to the opposite corner of the platform’ through the governess’s reaction the reader is made vividly aware of an atmosphere of evil. For Golding evil is first manifest in the gradual breakdown of order amongst the boys: they neglect things they agreed to do together, such as building shelters; they pick on or shun those who are different, notably piggy and Simon. Roger begins to discover that he enjoys wielding power over others and even inflicting pain; the lure of hunting turns into blood lust; the boys succumb to the fear of the ‘Beast’ and superstition. Simon the visionary is the only boy with the insight to see that evil is a part of Melanie Parkes human nature. The Beast is not an external creature to be feared, but it is inside each one of them. This evil is an enemy of reason and order and wishes to extinguish them. It results in murder, first of Simon, then of Piggy, and finally the boys intend to hunt and kill Ralph. I also find the evil in children implication convincing in Goldings writing as it implies that evil comes from within and is present in everyone, even children. The build up to children murdering each other in this story is convincing and therefore the evil in them is convincing as nothing on the island apart from a dead corpse was there to trigger the evil that came from only them. Overall the two writers manage to deal with ‘evil’ in different but effectively, whilst both stories are of a different genre they both deal with the fact that evil may well be present in children. The children are portrayed differently because evil because apparent them in different ways, in James’s novel through the ghosts and in Golding’s novel through ‘The Beast’ however in both books evil is seen as a force, which consumes and destroys. Miles is destroyed at the end of James’s novel though in ambiguous circumstances. In Golding’s novel, the entire island is turned from a paradise into a raging inferno.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Gender Socialization Essay

Gender socialization has been portrayed on television shows for many, many years. Gender messages are so common that we often do not even realize that it is happening. Henslin (2009) explains gender as, â€Å"the attitudes and behaviors that are expected of us because we are a male or a female† (p. 76). In television, these gender messages start as early as toddler cartoons, to high school sit coms, and all the way to soap operas geared towards an older crowd. I have watched the television show Sons of Anarchy for many years and gender socialization is very evident in every episode. The majority of every episode involves a motorcycle gang, causing the show to be very male oriented. They are a very respected group due to them having the persona of a motorcycle rider who carries guns and is not afraid to stand up and fight for their fellow riders or family members. Regardless of some of the men being married it is an all male club, and the wives are not considered members. The women are given the typical female role and go to work and stay at home taking care of the children. If ever their is a serious problem with a rival motorcycle gang the men ship their wives and children off to a hotel or somewhere safe and the men stick around and protect their club house and their families knowing they are somewhere safe. They do not allow women into the club because they do not think that they would be able to protect themselves. The men do not think that it is appropriate for the women to be in the middle of all of the fighting and the drug trafficking. They want them at home with the kids where they know that their family is out of the immediate danger. In this particular show the women are expected not to stray from their role while the men are free to do whatever they want or need. Another popular show that I have recently started watching is Revolution. This is the first season and in the first episode their is a world wide black out and they are showing how one area of the United States is functioning fifteen years later, still without power. There are big examples of how males and females are being portrayed differently as well as similarly. In the beginning they show the women home schooling the children while the men are out hunting for food. However their is one girl that likes to go out hunting but rarely comes home with anything that they can eat. Later on in the show, two females and a male end up leaving the small community to go find one of their members that got taken away. They head to Chicago to find a guy that is supposed to help them get their missing member back. At first he does not agree to help them because he thinks it is too dangerous for their female to be trying to fight anyone. Shortly thereafter they all get into a brawl with a group of people and the girls prove that they can hold their own. He agrees to go with them but still questions what she can do. At the beginning of the episode the gender socialization is completely obvious with the females doing a set of jobs and the males doing the hunting and fighting. The more the season is progressing the more the females enter the male role as well. I think that the further the season gets, the more the females will be forced into roles that are not considered typical female roles. I think having females in these different roles on television sends a good message to people watching. Yes it is good to keep women out of danger and away from certain things, however it is also good not to shelter them so much that when they are put in a situation not intended for females, they are not completely helpless. References Henslin, J. (2009) Essentials of Sociology: A down-to-earth approach (8th ed). New York: Allyn and Bacon.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Lahore Walled City Upgradation

Assignment : Up gradation of walled city LAHORE Conservation of the Urban Fabric Walled City of Lahore, PakistanZachary M. KronINTRODUCTIONThis case study on urban development in the province of Punjab focuses on the Pakistan Environmental Planning and Architectural Consultant's efforts to create and implement an urban conservation plan for the walled city of Lahore in the early 1980's. With a population of four million in 1992,1  this old quarter of Lahore is under tremendous pressure from commercial and industrial interests, which as yet have little regard for the historic nature of the city. In addition to these active menaces, the city is struggling to integrate new municipal services into its existent tissue without obscuring its visual character. Although few interventions have actually been achieved, several higher profile â€Å"pilot projects† have been carried out in an effort to raise public awareness of the conservation plan. CONTEXTPhysical Lahore is the capital of the province of Punjab, the most fertile area of Pakistan and chief producer of agricultural products for the country. The city is generally arid, except for two months of hot, humid monsoons, and receives less than 20 inches of rain during the course of a year. Historical The earliest credible records of the city date its establishment to around 1050 AD, and show that its existence is due to placement along the major trade route through Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. The city was regularly marred by invasion, pillage, and destruction (due to its lack of geographical defenses and general overexposure) until 1525 when it was sacked and then settled by the Mogul emperor Babur. Sixty years later it became the capital of the Mogul Empire under Akbar and in 1605 the fort and city walls were expanded to the present day dimensions. From the mid-18th century until British colonial times, there was a fairly lawless period in which most of the Mogul Palaces (havelis) were razed, marking a â€Å"decrease in social discipline towards the built environment that has continued unabattingly till today. â€Å"2Much of the walled fortification of the city was destroyed following the British annexation of the region in 1849, as both a defensive measure to allow the colonists to better control the populous, and as a commercial enterprise in resale of the brick for new projects. In 1864 many sections of the wall had been rebuilt. Major physical contributions of the British to the old city consisted of piped water and well systems established just outside the former walls. The building of the railroad and a station well outside of the old city set the stage for later expansion. 3Social and Economic A new wave of destruction washed over the city in 1947 following the partition of British Colonial India into the Hindu majority nation of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The resulting inter-communal strife destroyed wide areas of the urban fabric, some of which was repaired by the 1952 Punjab Development of Damaged Areas Act. Many of the arriving Muslim families from India moved into the emigrating Hindu residences, although the lower land values of the old city further established the concentration of lower income groups in the city center, with wealthier families residing outside. In the 1950's an organization called the Lahore Improvement Trust attempted to instate a plan for commercial development in the old city, but these efforts were largely without effect. 4Between the early 1970's and '80's, 29% of the old city population moved out. The space left by emigrants from the old city has largely been filled by commercial interests, mostly small scale manufacturers and wholesalers, many of whom have national and international clients and do not serve the local community. The advantages for commercial interests are the readily available cheap labor force among the urban poor, as well as relative anonymity, which facilitates the evasion of most national and local taxation. Advantages for speculative developers lie in the absence of enforcement of building regulations, as well as in cheap plots. The resulting commercial encroachment demonstrates a pattern of abuse of building stock through inappropriate re-use of structures intended for small scale (cottage) industry and residential use, as well as destruction of older buildings replaced with quickly erected, lower quality structures. To the northwest, in the city of Peshawar, and to the east, in Delhi, one can find buildings related in form and age to those in Lahore, although in Peshawar the residential construction is primarily of wood. Although Peshawar was controlled by the Moguls and populated with mosques and gardens as Lahore was during the 16th and 17th centuries, little of it remains to be seen. Peshawar also has it's share of British construction, (including the renovated Mahabat Khan Mosque built under Shah Jehan but largely redone in 1898), and many of the existing residential buildings date from the late 19th century. Like Lahore, the small grain of the urban fabric eft intact can be attributed to the growth of the city within a walled fortification. THE PROJECTSignificance of the Walled City The walled city of Lahore is the product of the cultural influences of at least three major empires in the subcontinent of India: the Mogul Empire, the British colonial presence, and the modern nation-state of Pakistan. As a result of its position along a major trade route, it has also been influenced by many other, less dominant cultures, such as Afghanistan and China. Unlike Peshawar, which has lost much of it's larger scaled architectural past, and Islamabad, which can only boast Modern Monumental architecture of some merit, Lahore contains some of the best of all the empires which have touched it, as well as smaller scale vernacular architecture. In addition to this object value, the walled city plays a central role in the daily functioning of Lahore. It remains a bustling center of commerce and represents the â€Å"living culture† of the city, an enduring continuation of and evolution from a much older way of life. As the city contains many heterogeneous physical attributes, the activities of the walled city include all aspects of urban life: residential, manufacturing, retail, educational, religious, and civic. CONSERVATION PHILOSOPHYThe Lahore Development Authority's  Conservation Plan for the Walled City of Lahore  is a series of recommendations concerning the physical decay of historic structures in the city, the â€Å"visual clutter† of newer structures and infrastructure, and the encroachment of various unregulated elements on the city's fabric. This program of conservation, headed by Pakistan Environmental Planning and Architectural Consultants Ltd. (PEPAC) is actually the expansion of a project begun in 1979, the â€Å"Lahore Urban Development and Traffic Study† (LUDTS). This study, undertaken by the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and funded by the World Bank, identified four areas for improvement. â€Å"1. Urban planning activities, leading to the production of a structure plan to provide a framework for action program within Lahore; 2. Neighborhood upgrading and urban expansion projects, to provide substantial improvements in living conditions for lower income groups; 3. Improvement of traffic conditions in congested parts of the street system of central Lahore: and 4. Improvements to living conditions within the walled city by improving environmental sanitation and providing social support program. â€Å"5Part of LUDTS' findings identified the precarious position of the physical fabric of the city. The report suggested (among other things) that any development and upgrading program that the city initiated should include measures â€Å"to protect national and regional cultural heritage,† and to that end it recommended the development of a conservation plan. The World Bank made the creation of a plan a condition of the first loans to be issued to Lahore. The study identifies some 1,400 buildings within the city as having high architectural or historical value and presents a series of conservation proposals. These recommendations include both conservation steps for the buildings themselves, as well as social and economic programs to halt the causes of their degradation. In general the study suggested the following: 1. Strategic policies and actions to be taken outside the walled city. 2. Planning activities and studies for both the central area and the walled city. . Institutional development including the full utilization of existing resources reinforced with an active training program, and the application of the legislative resources that already exist. 4. Urban management and controls to include production of a â€Å"Manual for Conservation and Building Renewal† and improved maintenance practices. 5. Traffic improvement and mana gement program. 6. Upgrading and enhancing the physical fabric and the urban environment through upgrading the building stock . . . and through upgrading urban services. 7. Redevelopment with concern for conformity with the scale, height, densities and building typologies traditionally characteristic of the walled city to be demonstrated through projects undertaken by public authorities on state land and through regulated private sector activity. 8. Conservation of individual listed special premises or elements. 6CONSERVATION PROGRAM INTERVENTIONSWhile the statement above outlines a general policy approach to the conservation effort, several pilot projects have been more specifically outlined and a handful have been implemented and funded by the World Bank through the Punjab Urban Development Project. The buildings are, in most cases, structures dating from early British colonial times, both residential and commercial, and more monumental structures from the Mogul Empire, although action has only been taken on government owned buildings. One pilot project that has come directly out of this effort is the restoration of the Wazir Khan Hammam (bath house), built in 1638. The bath, which suffered mostly surface damage to the fresco work, is now being re-used as a tourist center with some facilities for computer education for women. While the structure itself was not in any particular risk of irreversible decay, this  hamam  is a particularly important site to the Development Authority because it is located on a popular entrance point for tourists coming to the city. For visitors it is the first logical stopping point on a walk that goes from the impressive Delhi Gate (Image 6) past the Wazir Khan Mosque and the Choona Mandi Haveli Complex to end at the Lahore Fort. This route is also well traveled by locals going to the wholesale cloth and dry goods markets. It seems that the choice of aiming the rather limited resources of the program at this project is an attempt to heighten the community interest in the conservation effort, rather than directly addressing sites with more desperate conservation needs. Additionally, there are several proposals to deal with the conservation of areas surrounding historic monuments. Of particular concern is the area around the Mori Gate, which stands next to the well preserved UNESCO site of the Lahore Fort, and lies between the Fort and the Delhi Gate, immediately adjacent to the newly conserved and re-used Choona Mandi Haveli Complex. While the Fort itself is a vigorously monitored and controlled site, the area immediately surrounding it is â€Å"visually cluttered,† to say the least. One exits the Fort to be confronted by a mass of electrical cables, transformers, and half a dozen steel recycling operations. PEPAC's proposal involves the relocation of the steel traders (whom it claims are operating illegally) to a more suitable location and repopulating the area with a mixture of commercial and residential uses. The area itself does not contain artifacts of particular merit, but is amid a concentration of other historic elements. In their statement of policy and issues, PEPAC refers to the exemplary conservation work done at the Choona Mandi Haveli Complex, and to its re-use as a degree college for women. While this is not a PEPAC project, it is identified as a model of the work they wish to see happening in the city, and claim that the project â€Å"came out of the conservation effort† that they are creating. While it is unclear from the literature who in fact has implemented the particular conservation of the HaveliComplex or what the connection is to the PEPAC effort, it is clear a particular region of the city has been identified as a primary site for conservation efforts. It seems sensible to concentrate on blocks of the city as specific focus areas for limited resources and as showpieces to use to solicit further funding, but it is curious that this is not stated as a strategy i n the group's policy statements. In addition to these concentrated areas of restoration, the main gates to the city have been chosen as pilot projects, several of which have already undergone restoration work. In order to determine how the restored gates should appear, PEPAC searched for clues not only in their existing condition, but also in historical documentation of the gates from the pre-colonial period. In particular, a wealth of information was found in the numerous renderings by French and British explorers from the 17th century who made paintings, drawings and etchings of the sites. After identifying the site and determining the changes that are to occur in the area, the site was â€Å"vacated of encroachers,† who currently occupy the niches, hollows and shelters provided by the wall. Several of the gates have now been restored to their pre-colonial state, but the work has recently been halted due to the cessation of World Bank funding. AUTHOR'S CONCLUSIONThe example of the gates highlights several difficulties faced by PEPAC in the implementation of their conservation project. First, and perhaps most minor, is the fidelity to the historical record that the conservators wish to maintain. Although the accuracy of the sketches can be verified by different views supplied by different artists, it is not necessarily appropriate to restore the gates to the condition they were in during that particular era, especially at the expense of people who may have some claim to residency in portions of the site. A more important criticism is that the definition of â€Å"encroacher† is inadequate. The Prime Minister has attempted to implement a policy to allot property rights to squatters as a way of instilling greater commitment in them to properly maintain the areas they occupy.   However, PEPAC does not qualify the distinction between squatters, â€Å"encroachers,† and residents. Furthermore, 20 million rupees that have been earmarked by the Punjab Urban Redevelopment Project for residents to use for the improvement of their own property was not dispersed due to the inability of the organization to identify legal residents. 9With no clear definition of who is a res ident it will continue to be impossible to make a generalized policy. The total bsence of legal enforcement of property rights further undermines any sense of ownership. An example is the rapacious acts of the speculative developer who buys a building and then digs a second basement, which effectively collapses the neighboring buildings. The owner, without legal recourse that would provide any results, is left with no choice but to sell their ruined plot to the developer, who then erects a cheap, commercial building. 10This dilemma underscores a central conflict in the policy of conservation enacted by PEPAC. On the one hand is the attempt to instate a series of guidelines and regulations which the residents of the city must follow, and on the other hand is the attempt to encourage a sense of ownership, pride and respect among residents for the architecture. The first effectively removes or reduces the choices of the resident in determining the form of their surroundings and relies upon a policy of rule enforcement. The second relies upon the living culture of a place to perpetuate the existing physical culture, although allowing for the changing needs of the people. Unless policy is made concerning ownership and enforcement, these two approaches, which are not necessarily in conflict, will not act in accord, and will each remain ineffectual. It is interesting to note that the areas where the PEPAC conservation effort has been most effective is in exclusively government owned properties: schools, municipal dispensaries, monuments and civic buildings, as well as the homes of police officials. 11In the case of the other projects that have been implemented, PEPAC may be criticized for prematurely starting restoration work before active degradation is stopped, or even slowed. The resurfacing of the Wazir Khan Hamam and work on the area between the Delhi and Mori Gate are a prime example of this, a fairly stable area is being conserved while nearby buildings are being razed for newer construction or crumbling through neglect. (Image 9) However, given the dependency of virtually the entire conservation effort on World Bank funding, it must be a priority for the group to create a visible, finished grouping of conserved buildings in order to solicit further funding. This example of trying to raise consciousness before actually acting to stop degradation is appropriate for any conservation project undertaken in Lahore. From the inception of the current conservation plan, the impetus for preservation has come from outside the city walls and has been hindered by a discrepancy between what is said in meeting rooms and what happens in reality. In the absence of a fairly oppressive and well-funded preservation enforcement program, conservation in the walled city will not be effective without the support and active interest from the people who inhabit it. Endnotes1. John King, and John St. Vincent,  Lonely Planet Travel Survival Kit: Pakistan, 4th Edition (Lonely Planet Publications, 1993), p. 191. 2. PEPAC3. Pakistan Environmental Planning and Architectural Consultants Ltd,  Lahore Development Authority: Conservation Plan for the Walled City of Lahore, Final Report, vol. 1, Plan Proposals (1986), p. 7. 4. Reza H. Ali, â€Å"Urban Conservation in Pakistan: a Case Study of the Walled City of Lahore,†Ã‚  Architectural and Urban Conservation in the Islamic World, Papers in Progress, vol. 1 (Geneva: Aga Khan Trust for Culture, 1990), p. 79. 5. Lahore Development Authority /Metropolitan Planning Wing, with the World Bank/IDA, â€Å"Lahore Urban Development and Traffic Study,† Final Report/vol. 4, Walled City Upgrading Study (August 1980), preface. . Ali, â€Å"Urban Conservation in Pakistan,† p. 87. 7. Pakistan Environmental Planning and Architectural Consultants Ltd,  Issues and Policies: Conservation of the Walled City of Lahore,  (Metropolitan Planning Section Lahore Development Authority, 1996), point 5. 8. Pakistan Environmental Planning and Architectural Consul tants Ltd, Lahore Development Authority,Conservation Plan for the Walled City of Lahore, Final Report, vol. 1, Plan Proposals. (1986), p. 180. 9. Pakistan Environmental Planning and Architectural Consultants Ltd, Lecture given on the Walled City of Lahore Conservation Project (July 25, 1998). 0. (Sajjad Kausar)11. PEPAC lecture (25 July 1998). BibliographyAli, Reza H. â€Å"Urban Conservation in Pakistan: a case study of the Walled City of Lahore. †Ã‚  Architectural and Urban Conservation in the Islamic World. Papers in Progress. vol. 1. Geneva: Aga Khan Trust for Culture, 1990. Background Paper: Lahore Pakistan. Prepared for Design for Islamic Societies Studio, MIT Department of Architecture and Planning, 1992. King, John and St. Vincent, John. Lonely Planet Travel Survival Kit: Pakistan, 4th Edition. Lonely Planet Publications, 1993. Lahore Development Authority /Metropolitan Planning Wing, with the World Bank/IDA. â€Å"Lahore Urban Development and Traffic Study,† Final Report/vol. 4. Walled City Upgrading Study. August 1980. Nadiem, Ihsan H. Lahore: A Glorious Heritage. Lahore: Sang-e-meel Publications, 1996. Pakistan Environmental Planning and Architectural Consultants Ltd. Lecture given on the Walled City of Lahore Conservation Project. July 25, 1998. Pakistan Environmental Planning and Architectural Consultants Ltd. Monographs on the Walled City of Lahore. Pakistan Environmental Planning and Architectural Consultants Ltd. Lahore Development Authority. Conservation Plan for the Walled City of Lahore. Final Report. vol. 1. Plan Proposals. 1986. Pakistan Environmental Planning and Architectural Consultants Ltd. Issues and Policies: Conservation of the Walled City of Lahore. Metropolitan Planning Section Lahore Development Authority. 1996. Qurashi, Samina. Lahore: The City Within. Singapore: Concept Media, 1988. CreditsAll photographs and illustrations courtesy the Aga Khan Fund, MIT Rotch Collections, unless otherwise noted below:1. Courtesy, KK Mumtaz. 2. Courtesy T. Luke Young. 4. Brian B. Taylor, MIMAR 24, 1987. . From Pakistan Environmental Planning and Architectural Consultants, Ltd, â€Å"Conservation Plan for the Walled City of Lahore. † 6. Courtesy T. Luke Young. 7a. Brian B. Taylor, MIMAR 24, 1987. 9. Courtesy Hasan Uddin Khan. |   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Map of the fortress of Lahore. 2. Traffic outside the walled city. 3. Encroachment. 4. A bazaa r in the Walled city 5. Inside View of the Wazir Khan Hamman, before and after restoration.. 6. streets in the old area. 7a and 7b. Electrical infrastructure. 8. Sharanwalla gate. 9. Electrical infrastructure. Image10. View of the walled city. | |

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Strategic management assignment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic management assignment 2 - Essay Example Approaches adopted by the company for attaining sustainable growth have also been discussed in the report. The study has also taken into account the financial performances of the company in the recent years. A comparative study has been initiated to study the performance of Airbus with that of its other prominent competitors. The Industry: The aerospace industry has a close relationship with the airline industry and the relationship between them keeps on altering and restructuring itself. It had recorded its first downturn in demand after the incident of September 11, 2009 and observed the same with an increased rate of downfall. Among airline companies, low fare segment remained dominant in the industry and many of the larger brands filed for bankruptcy (ATKEARNEY, n.d., p.1). Competitive strategy and industry position: Airbus adopted a strategy of manufacturing high capacity aircrafts which will also be fuel efficient and comfortable. This resulted in the formation of super-jumbo aircraft category. Restructuring of the aerospace industry and European defence led the company to adopt the industry conditions accordingly (Spulber, 2007. p.60). Environmental factors: The industry has observed a gradual increase in the competition level with the entry of some new brands in the aerospace industry such as Bombardier, Jet blue and Embraer. To defend its market share, Boeing slashed its prices for some of its products. The prices were almost equivalent to that of the new industry players. Temporal factors: The larger players of the industry recorded heavy backlogs among which Airbus and Boeing remained most prominent (See Appendix-1). The demand for aircrafts is expected to increase by the next twenty years and according to the forecasted demand, Boeing has predicted its sales figure for next twenty years as 30,000 aircrafts whereas Airbus has estimated the same as 3,112 for the next twenty

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Computer Software Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Computer Software Review - Essay Example However, unlike previous software packages, it is not possible to acquire windows 8.1 through the windows update program (Sosinsky, 2013). It was the intention of the developers of windows 8.1 to address the various complaints that users of windows 8 had. These complaints emanated from the difficulties in understanding the user interface of the software, to incompatibility problems with some important computer software programs (Sosinsky, 2013). Visible enhancements introduced in windows 8.1 includes an improvement in the start screen, a tight integration of OneDrive, additional number of snap views, internet explorer 11, an additional bundled apps, a unified search system that is empowered by Bing, capability of restoring a visible start button on the computer taskbar, capability of restoring previous behavior of an opening of the desktop of a user on the login, as opposed to the start screen (Sosinsky, 2013). Furthermore, windows 8.1 has managed to add support features for emerging technologies, such as 3D printing, high resolution displays, Miracast streaming, Wi-Fi Direct, etc. Furthermore, the user interface of windows 8.1 enables users to get the capability of easily interacting with the computer system. It uses a graphical user interface, and a point to click technology of the cursor and the mouse. This makes it to be very user friendly, giving users a good experience in using the computer system that is installed with windows 8.1 (Sosinsky, 2013). It is important to understand that the common features of a graphical user interface include menus, and icons. In windows 8.1, the start screen is able to provide the first interaction that an individual has with the operating system. This is the first image that an individual sees in a monitor, once the system has been booted. It is able to provide an individual with an access to the tools, and applications of the commonly used programs of the computer

The American Identity Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The American Identity Crisis - Essay Example On the other hand, there were those who felt that American colonists had come to the New World to leave the world of monarchy and authoritarian decree behind, to found a home for democracy and for personal equality and freedom. The current debate in public opinion has to do with the American war in Iraq. There are many who believe that the United States, once an example for freedom and liberty, is acting like a colonial, or even an imperial power in its handling of Iraq. Since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, the country has sunk into a brutal civil war, which neither the American military nor the Iraqi military can contain. These thinkers assert that, since there is no clear exit strategy for the American military, that President Bush has given his military forces an impossible task of restoring full order before returning home. Instead of leaving the troops there indefinitely, these people argue, preparations should begin immediately for troop withdrawals, since there is no clear rationale for their continued presence in the country. On the other side of the argument are those who believe that the American military has a duty to establish that order before it leaves, and that to leave any earlier would g ive terrorists a foothold in the Middle East and would leave a power vacuum that could end up being very dangerous to American interests. Paine, of course, was on the side of military action against the British government. He used highly incendiary language in his pamphlets: in The Crisis, he wrote that "[t]yranny, like hell, is not easily conquered, yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." He explicitly compares the fight for American independence from Great Britain to a religious battle between forces of good and evil. He scorned the sensibilities of the Tory loyalists, who, in his opinion, were selling out their children's futures for their own short-term comfort: he quotes the Tory tavern owner who said, "Well! Give me peace in my day!" while playing with his young son. Paine argues that his concern should be more the future, and that he should think, "If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace." Paine's argument was that a swift military action against the British would serve to lance the boil of American servitude that wo uld only continue to fester under the pressure of further British acts of taxation and other forms of official oppression. Paine's rhetoric is no tamer in his larger pamphlet known as Common Sense. He wrote, "Now is the seed-time of Continental union, faith and honour. The least fracture now will be like a name engraved with the point of a pin on the tender rind of a young oak; the wound would enlarge with the tree, and posterity read in it full grown characters." In other words, Paine felt his time period to be a crucial one in the direction of the fledgling colonies: they would either continue under British imperial rule, as would such areas as India and South Africa, or they could break free from their colonial ties and become a flagship for liberty in the New World. He uses the metaphor of writing on the tree to show how long-lasting the lessons of that historical moment would be. And just how permanent

Monday, August 26, 2019

Kelloggs Special K Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Kelloggs Special K - Essay Example The company was established at the Battle Creek Toast Corn Flake Company in 1906. It was founded by Will Keith Kellogg to illustrate the increase in his wealth from his work with the brother John Harvey Kellogg at the Battle Creek Sanitarium. The wealth had been created out of sale of Kellogg's Toasted Corn flakes on a huge scale. This led to the renaming of the company into Kellogg Company in 1922 (Kellogg Company, 2011). The strength of the company lies in its world-class innovation abilities. SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS The internal analysis of Kellogg Company is that it focuses on business. Its senior management is aimed at becoming the leader in food retailing industry worldwide. To achieve this, they are empowering their employees and building their brand supported by the integrated focus strategy and operating principles. The foundation of its business lies in its values, its people and its societal commitments. Its core competencies are the skills among the employees that provide th e advantage to the company consisting of the resources available. Kellogg's has far reaching; well defined and clear competences to enable them beat a world’s best. The competences are; it is strategic, functional, and has a corporate ability. It has a flexible structure of organization that fits in the demands and needs of the locals. Kellogg has been developing its image through creating a customer values, customer service efficiency and proper channels of distribution. The Marketing Mix â€Å"Marketing Mix is a well established framework that helps marketers to plan their approach to each market† (Smith. & Chaffey, 2005). Marketing mix of Kellogg’s which is mainly concerned with cereal products, being the major producer of cereal in the world. Consumer wants are fulfilled through the products sold. The current world has consumers that are much more concerned with their health; they tend to buy food products that are healthier especially for their children. Ke llogg’s K special has a range of products that meet the customer demands that are currently higher than expected. They have products that are low in fat, have no preservatives and they have no artificial flavors. There packaging is attractive to children because their mail target is children. Kellogg's supplier power lies under its customers. It poses mainly medium power when purchasing from suppliers. Wheat varies in price because of its extensive force and the cost is passed onto customers of Kellogg’s. Michael Porter’s Five Forces theory states that an industry is influenced by five forces, which are Barriers to Entry, Supplier Power, Buyer Power, Degree of Rivalry and Threat of Substitutes (Kurtz et al., 2009). Kelloggs is not an exception at all and the effect of the forces is evident in its financial as well as managerial reports. Kellogg's product lines are cereals, crackers, cookies, snacks, frozen foods and water. The benefits that a consumer gets are h ealthy products that are standard in nature. The products are manufactured in over 17 countries and are marketed in more than 190 countries according to their annual reports for 2009. The highest consumers are the North America with a 67% margin followed by Europe at 20% then Latin America and Asia Pacific at 8% and 5% respectively. Buyers of Kellogg's products are mostly supermarkets and

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Chemistry Problems Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Chemistry Problems - Scholarship Essay Example As the activation energy decreases the rate of reaction increases. So the rate of the reaction would be fastest for the reaction with minimum activation energy (Ea = 10 kJ/mole). 19. From the data it can be seen that as the concentration of Br2 is doubled keeping the concentration of NO constant, the rate of reaction is doubled. This means that the reaction is first order with respect to Br2. 20. From the data it can be seen that as the concentration of reactant A is increased to 4 times, keeping the concentration of B and C constant, the rate of the reaction increases by 4 times. This means that the reaction is first order with respect to A. Similarly when the concentration of reactant A is increased to twice the value and that of reactant B is also increased to twice the value, keeping the concentration of reactant C constant, the rate of reaction increases to twice the value. As this increment is attributed to reactant A therefore the order of the reaction with respect to B is zero. 2. According to the Le Chatlier's principle, for a exothermic reaction if the temperature of the reaction is increased the value of the equilibrium constant decreases. As the equilibrium constant decreases the concentration of products is lowered. .. This means that the reaction is first order with respect to A. Similarly when the concentration of reactant A is increased to twice the value and that of reactant B is also increased to twice the value, keeping the concentration of reactant C constant, the rate of reaction increases to twice the value. As this increment is attributed to reactant A therefore the order of the reaction with respect to B is zero. 23. We know that for a first order reaction: t=1klnAt Therefore for a first order reaction, the plot of At versus t would be a logarithmic curve and not a straight line. 24. For the stoichiometry of the given reaction: 4 NH3 + 7 O2 4 NO2 + 6 H2O From the reaction it can be seen that highest moles of O2 are consumed in the reaction. Therefore it can be assumed that the O2 is removed the fastest during the reaction. Module 2 1. For the given reaction the equilibrium constant of the reaction can be given as: K= [HI]2H2I2=0.5520.15*0.33=6.11 2. According to the Le Chatlier's principle, for a exothermic reaction if the temperature of the reaction is increased the value of the equilibrium constant decreases. As the equilibrium constant decreases the concentration of products is lowered. 4. For the reaction: CO (g) + 3H2 (g) CH4 (g) + H2O (g) Q=CH4H2OCOH23=0.0620*0.05500.0450*0.1323=32.95 Given that equilibrium constant K=3.93. So Q>K and therefore the reaction would proceed in the backward direction. 7. For the reaction: 6CO2 (g) + 6H2O (l) C6H12O6 (s) + 6O2 (g) The equilibrium constant would be given by: K=C6H12O6O26CO26H2O6 As the activity for the solid and liquid compounds can be taken to be 1, therefore the net equilibrium constant would be given by: K=O26CO26 8. From the given data the initial molarity of NOCl is

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Math Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Math - Assignment Example The food industry then converts 10 ounces to grams by multiplying each ounce by 29 grams. Hence the total weight of the products is 290 grams. And if there are 9 grams of fat the percentage of fat is 9/290Ãâ€"100%=3.1% The procedure used by the food industry is misleading. The correct way to calculate the fat content is to multiply the number of grams of fat by 9 to get the calories. (Each gram of fat is converted to 9 calories). Next divide the fat content by the total calories and multiply by 100% to get the percentage of calories derived from fat. In this case the label stated that 10 ounce serving contained a total of calories. Most of the people are health conscious and want to eat food items that are fat free. They get inclined towards the fat free label on the food item that they purchase and regard that they are consuming the products that are useful for fat reduction. But this may be misleading and the fact is that despite what their labels say, actually do contain some amount of trans- fat per serving. (â€Å"10 Surprising Foods That Contain Trans Fat†, 2012) The use of terms like â€Å"low fat† can be misleading: â€Å"90 per cent fat free† means 10 per cent fat, not that it contains 10 percent of the fat that a competitor’s products might have. (Reynolds, p.207) Cereal: Let us take the cereal Ambrosial Venetian Vineyard Granola which has 230 calories and 7 g of fat per 1/2 cup serving, it contains 5 g of fiber, 6 g of protein, and 10% of your daily dose of iron.(Benner, 2011) From the above calculations it is clear that the customers shall have fair knowledge on the food items that they purchase and we can see that according to the Food Standards Code, â€Å"it is proposed that all claims will have to be scientifically substantiated and not misleading. Foods will also have to meet certain criteria to be eligible to carry health

Friday, August 23, 2019

Outline and evaluate the negotiating skills you have used Essay

Outline and evaluate the negotiating skills you have used - Essay Example Specified means of negotiations can be utilized in numerous situations, be it in legal systems, industrial disputes, government, or domestic relationships. General negotiation skills are learned and applied in an extensive range of activities to resolve any difference that arise in a work place. I was working in the United Credit Bank in Azerbaijan, during my internship, where I used to deal with the reporting process. On several occasions, I used my negotiation skills to be permitted to make some significant changes in my reports. However, it could have been more successful if I could have identified these issues prior to producing the report, so I wouldn’t need to enquire from my manager to give me permission for making the changes in the reports. As much as the idea was not viewed negatively by my manager, I realized that I could have behaved in a more successful way. Some of the negotiating skills I used include the following: Preparation First, I used to prepare myself fo r the negotiations by deciding on when and where I would meet my manager after writing my reports. At this stage, I also used to limit the time I could use when asking her of any issues to prevent any disagreement and unnecessary conversations between the two of us. I always made sure that I have gone through my reports especially those concerning any monetary records to be fully aware of the facts so that it could be easier for me to clarify my position to the manager. In this context, I specifically went through the rules and regulations of the bank and made sure they were on my fingertips to prove that I had not violated any policy. By this, my boss could not spend much time trying to clarify information that she expected I was familiar with (Nadler, 2003). Analyzing the problem As a bank employee at that time, I had to ensure that my internship become successful, hence I took my time to determine what my manager really expected of me. Before I could approach her, I used to analy ze the issues in my reports, especially in record keeping so that both our interests could not disagree. I often detailed by analysis by identifying the interested parties, such as the manager herself, the auditor, and other executives, and spot out the issues they could have criticized. However, sometimes I could not single out the real issues as required. Active listening during discussions Putting in mind that I often did not spot out the actual issues of concern, I could forward my cases exactly the way I saw them. Major skills used here included questioning, clarifying, and listening to my manager. Sometimes I could take notes as she explained to record important points put forward just in case I needed more clearing up. Nevertheless, it came to my notice that I rarely applied this skill efficiently because I tented to concentrate more on noting than listening. This led to hardships at some points as she could end up talking too much than I expected and that I never got an equa l chance to present my case as she always did. Another impact I noted when I seemed to write much and listen less was that I failed to notice her body language, which could have enabled me to know if she was happy with my questions or if she demonstrated something important. She could at times forbid me from writing and use my pen to illustrate her point by rectifying the issues in my reports, and this is when I often concentrated. Control of emotions The United Credit Bank of Azerbaijan is a large bank with many daily activities and

Thursday, August 22, 2019

12 Angry Men Movie Analysis Essay Example for Free

12 Angry Men Movie Analysis Essay Introduction: This movie analysis will focus on the movie 12 Angry Men. There will be comparisons between the movie and the different negotiation tactics used in the movie and even in class. There were lessons learned from this movie and it gave new ways of thinking. This movie does a great job of using negotiation to win over a case when you are the odd man out. Summary: This movie focuses on a jury deliberating a first-degree murder charge on an eighteen year old boy. The boy is accused of stabbing his father to death. If found guilty of the charges, the eighteen year old boy will face the death sentence. There are many reasons as to why the boy looks guilty. He has a weak alibi, he claims to have lost the knife he bought, which was the same knife found at the murder scene, and there are witness’s saying they either saw the killing or saw the boy leaving the apartment. Out of the twelve jurors, eleven of them think the boy is guilty, except one. This is juror number eight. He claims he just does not know if the boy is guilty or not guilty, and wants to talk. The entire juror’s quickly begin naming all the reasons why the boy is guilty. For each reason, juror number eight questions each reasoning the other jurors bring up. He states a lot in the movie â€Å"is it possible?† This question starts to put doubt in the other juror’s minds about the boys’ guilt. Also with the ongoing deliberation, the jurors are starting to learn more about themselves and their personalities and this is causing them to vote â€Å"not guiltyâ€Å". Some realize they are prejudice or are holding grudges, or they are simply voting guilty because of their backgrounds. With each reason and deliberation, juror number eight continues to attempt to convince the other jurors that voting â€Å"not guilty† may not actually be correct. Juror eight is hesitant about sending a boy to die without talking about it first. He does think that from the trial the boy is guilty, but he’s just not too sure about it. He remains calm throughout the whole deliberation. The only time he shows signs of anger is when two other jury members start playing tic-tac-toe. This bothers him because everyone should be paying attention to what is going on and not playing games. He questions every incident with â€Å"Is it possible?† The best negotiators spend time asking questions, staying curious, and uncovering the other side’s views of the situation, facts, interests, and priorities. Throughout the deliberation, he uncovers information never presented at the trial, and helps the other jurors to think that it just may not be possible the boy could be guilty. Characters Personalities: Each character in the movie has a different personality about them which influences their decision on the verdict and they each express their own opinions based on their characteristics. Each juror plays a part in the movie where their personalities reflect back on a certain argument in the case. Juror one (Martin Balsam) is also known as the foreman of the group. He is put in charge to run the deliberation between all of the jurors. He likes that he has authority to run the group, but isn’t very assertive in doing so. Juror two (John Fiedler) is quiet and goes along with what everyone else says. He changes his vote early, though, to not guilty. He mentions about the height difference between the father and the boy, and how the boy would go about stabbing him. Juror three (Lee J. Cobb) is the angry member of the group. He is convinced the boy is guilty no matter what anyone says. He sees no point in discussing the boy’s innocence. There comes a time in the movie where he discusses that when his son was fifteen, he got in a fight with him and his son hit him. He hasn’t seen his son ever since. Juror three is angry with his son for his actions and for leaving, that he is taking out this anger on the boy in trial. Juror four (E.G. Marshall) is very convinced that the boy is guilty. He shows no sign of emotion and is able to recall much of what happened throughout the trial. He gets nervous though, as he cannot recall a certain movie he saw the other night, just as the boy could not do the same. Juror five (Jack Klugman) is a shy man. He lived in a slum all his life and can almost relate to the boy on trial, for he lives in a slum as well. He is an expert at using a switch knife, which comes in handy during the deliberation. Juror six (Edward Binns) is quite during the deliberation. He questions the boys’ motive for wanting to kill his father. Juror seven (Jack Warden) wants the deliberation to be over as quick as possible because he has tickets to a baseball game later that evening. He votes not guilty and does not wish to discuss why or why not. Juror eight (Henry Fonda) votes not guilty from the start of their meeting. He doesn’t know for sure if the boy is not guilty; he just wants to talk about it. He manages to cast reasonable doubt with the jurors on the boy’s innocence based on many aspects of the trial. He remains clam and patient throughout the deliberation. Juror nine (Joseph Sweeney) is an old man. He is the second person to vote not guilty, for he wants to hear more about the case. He is very observant, as he notices something about one of the witness’s during the trial. Juror ten (Ed Begley) is also an angry man. He is racist, and also very prejudice against people who come from a slum, which is why he believes the boy is guilty. Juror eleven (George Voskovec) takes the trial seriously. He stands up for what he believes in. He questions the boy’s actions a lot; such as if he really would have returned the his house three hours after the murder happened. Juror 12 (Robert Webber) is a smart man. He works for an advertising agency and has a hard time explaining his choice for changing his vote to not guilty. During the deliberation, certain parts of the character’s personalities play a part for different concepts. One example is with Juror five. During the trial, the boy was convicted of murdering is father using a switch knife as the weapon and stabbing his father down in the chest. Juror two makes a point on the height difference between the boy and his father, and how the boy would proceed to kill his father, meaning how he would have stabbed him. Juror five explains that he used to play with switch knives when he was around the boy’s age, and knows how to use one. During the trial, it was stated that the boy was an expert at using a switch knife. Juror five goes to demonstrate exactly how the boy would have pulled out the knife and stabbed his father: from underneath. He said it would take too much time to switch hands and stab down in his chest. Without Juror five having the knowledge and his personal characteristic of using a switch knife, the jury would have never learned how an experienced knife handler would have used the weapon. Tactics: In this section we will talk about a few of the tactics that we got the actors/characters using during the film. A few of this tactics were talked about during our class and case studies but some of the tactics were commonly used in everyday negotiations by everyone. We talked about power and how you could use power to get your way; you could use facts against the other party because facts are something you cannot ignore and emotions. Emotions are a hard tactic to master because you need to set aside your emotions so you can make a fair and honest judgment or answer. Power: Juror eight shows power over the other jurors. He has information the other jurors do not know about, and he is able to negotiate with them more. Information power is derived from the negotiator’s ability to assemble and organize facts and data to support his or her position, arguments, or desired outcomes. The other jurors only listened to what was presented in the trial. But Juror eight actually thought about the facts presented, and went out to look for more information. One way he did this was with the knife. The boy had bought the same knife used to kill his father the same night the murder happened. The boy claimed he had lost the knife, as it had fell through his pocket on his way to the movies. The owner of the shop where he had bought the knife claimed it was very unique, and he had never seen any other kind like it in his store. Juror eight asks to see the knife found at the crime scene. Everyone else is convinced this is the same knife the boy had bought, until Juror eight surprises them and pulls out the exact same knife. He says that he went out walking the previous night in the boy’s neighborhood and came across a shop just two blocks away from the boy’s house. He saw the same knife and bought it at a cheap cost. He proved to the other jurors that it is possible the boy could have dropped his knife, because that knife isn’t as unique as the thought. Another part where Juror eight has power is when they are debating about whether or not the old man heard the boy scream â€Å"I’m going to kill you!† According to the testimony, the boy had yelled those words right as the L-Train was passing by the window. Is it possible the old man heard the boy scream that? Juror eight stated that he had lived in an apartment next to the L tracks before and the sound of a train passing by is unbearable. Another juror said he had just finished painting one of the apartments and agreed that the sound is very loud. Juror eight had power over the others for he himself knew that the sound was very loud and it may not be possible the old man heard the boy say these things. Presentation of Facts: The way the facts were presented during the movie were all facts the jurors figured out themselves while deliberating, and not during the trial. There were many unanswered questions during the trial which caused Juror eight to question whether the boy was guilty or not. The defense attorney left out a lot of important information that was uncovered during the jury’s deliberation. One of these facts dealt with the old man who claimed he saw the boy running down the stairs from his apartment. The more the jury talked about the old man and what he said, the more Juror eight questioned if he had really seen the boy or not. One of the jurors pointed out that the man was dragging his left foot behind him, but trying to cover it up because he was ashamed. During the trial, the old man stated he heard a body hit the floor, and someone starting to run. He then said it took him no more than 15 seconds after he heard the body hit the floor to run out of his apartment and to the stairs to witness the boy running down them. Juror 8 thought then if it really could have taken him 15 seconds if he was dragging his left leg. This is when the jurors played out the scene to figure it out themselves. They were able to get a diagram of the apartment and measure out the dimensions of the room they were in. Juror eight walked the length of the room and back, while Juror two timed him. As he approached the end, Juror 2 said it took 41 seconds to walk the length they had measured out. By playing out the scene of the old man, this proved the fact it could not have taken the man 15 seconds, and he could not have seen the boy running down the stairs. Another important fact happened during the very end of the deliberation. At this point, everyone but two people believed the boy was innocent. Juror four says his reasoning for believing the boy is guilty is because of the woman across the street who claims she saw the murder herself. As he is talking, he takes his glasses off and begins rubbing the outside part of his nose where his glasses lay. Juror nine notices this, and asks him why he rubs his nose like that. Juror four says it is from his glasses, that they bother his nose, so he rubs him. Juror nine notices the markings on his nose from his glasses, and recalls the woman had the exact same markings on her face. He then asks Juror four if there is any other possible way to get those same markings on his nose, and he replies no. Juror eight then starts to say that the woman was lying, for she did not see the boy kill his father, for she was trying to fall asleep, and she wouldn’t be wearing her glasses to bed. These two examples show how hidden facts slowly come out. This is information left out from the trial that everyone missed, until now. After proving these statements, the jurors started to have doubt in their minds about the boy. It’s important to look at every aspect in as much detail as possible or you could miss out on something. Sure, the old man can say it took him 15 seconds, but as it turns out, it took him longer than that. And sure, the woman can say she saw the boy kill her father, but really all she saw was a blur, for she did not have her glasses on. You can’t always go by what you hear. You have to dig deeper to discover any hidden information that could help against your situation. This is what Juror eight did and it helped support his case. Also from these two examples, it goes to show that you can’t always believe what you hear. The witness’s both were under oath as they spoke in trial, but they could just be doing that for attention. Juror nine points this out for the old man, as he can relate. He is old and unnoticed. He just wants attention, so he could have made himself believe he saw the old man when he really didn’t. As for the woman and the glasses, she didn’t wear her glasses to the trial because she wanted to upgrade her appearance. So she said she saw the boy, seeing as if she didn’t wear glasses at all, but really she did for she had the markings on her nose. Emotions: Negotiations often evoke a variety of emotions, especially fear and anger. Emotions can cause intense and even irrational behavior, and can cause conflicts to escalate and negotiations to break down. Juror three from the start showed angry signs of emotion throughout the whole deliberation. He stated how he hadn’t seen his son in two years, and all his anger from his son is taken out on the boy on trial. Juror three wants everyone to agree with him. No matter what information is presented, he sticks with his vote of guilty. He gets mad whenever evidence is brought up or someone proves something wrong. His emotions reach a peak whenever Juror eight calls him a sadist. At this point, Juror three lunges toward Juror eight saying â€Å"I’ll kill him!† Then Juror eight replies, â€Å"You don’t really mean you’ll kill me, do you?† This proves his point about how sometimes people say things they really don’t mean. His emotions got the best of him, and he realized that he really wouldn’t kill the juror. Having your emotions from your personal life come into play during a negotiation is not always a good thing. Juror three should not have taken his anger out on the boy or even on Juror eight because of his son. He was angry at his son for leaving, but he should have put that aside for the deliberation. Having your emotions lay out like that on the table can cause you not to think about the important facts that need to be focused on. Juror eight shows emotion in a positive way. He stays very calm throughout the whole deliberation. By showing no sign of angry emotion, this allows him to keep his composure and control of what he is trying to get across. If negotiators feel positively attracted, they are more likely to feel confident and, as a result, to persist in trying to get their concerns and issues addressed in the negotiation and to achieve better outcomes Bias: I’d like to spend some time discussing an issue that I feel is very important to recognize when it comes to negotiations. This is the issue of bias. We had several discussions in class about bias. The thing that most fascinates me about the concept of bias, is that everyone tends to have a different opinion about it. It can be a very grey area, and many people have varying feelings on its presence and its effect on people’s behavior. Personally, I feel that it’s impossible to completely eliminate all bias from a situation. Even when looking at something objectively, bias still exists. It comes from personal characteristics, experiences, and opinions. This movie does a great job of showing how bias can have an effect on negotiations. I’d like to cite an example from the film regarding juror number ten. This juror is an old man who is very set in his ways. He is among the eleven jurors who found the boy guilty of murder. However, his reason for voting guilty comes from a very different place than the others. The evidence seems to favor a guilty vote, but the film shows us that this gentleman’s vote was sealed the minute he learned the boy was from a slum. During the deliberations, this juror seconds an argument made by a fellow juror. He says, â€Å"Brother, you can say that again. The kids who crawl out of these places are real trash.† Regardless of this evidence, this shows a bias against the boy from the start. This man is allowing his prejudice against â€Å"slum dwellers† to influence his decision about the verdict. The juror across the table then takes offense to this comment. â€Å"I’ve lived in a slum all my life,† says the juror. This should quell the old man’s argument, but it doesn’t. He still feels strongly about his position, even though a man from a similar background clearly hasn’t followed a path that â€Å"trash† might follow. This demonstrates the power of bias. The greatest example of overcoming bias in this film occurs in the very last minutes. By this point, the jury has reached a vote of 11 to 1 for â€Å"not guilty.† The lone juror who still maintains the boy’s guilt is juror number three. This is the man who hasn’t seen his own son in over two years. Earlier in the deliberations, he explained how he and his son got into a fight when the boy was still a teenager. His son hit him, and things were never the same between them. As the talks between the jurors continues, it becomes more and more evident that this man has a bias against the boy on trial because of what transpired with his own boy. He wants to see this boy killed because he resents his own son for what occurred between them. The initial juror who voted â€Å"not guilty† went as far as calling him a â€Å"sadist† and a â€Å"public avenger.† In the final scene, that juror asks the man to defend his arguments one last time. There is a re asonable doubt in the minds of eleven jurors, and he wants to know why there isn’t one in his. Juror number three begins explaining, yelling the entire time. You can see him getting more and more upset as he continues to pour over evidence that the other men have already proven shaky. Finally, he rips up the picture of him and his son that has slid out of his wallet on the table. He then bursts into tears and cries, â€Å"Not guilty, not guilty.† It was clearly painful for him to confront what happened with his son head on like that. This was creating his bias the entire time. When the evidence appeared to support the boy’s guilt, his bias was less prevalent. But when the evidence that started out convincing ended up being questionable, his bias began to show. He still wanted the boy to be found guilty because of it. This really makes you wonder how often this occurs in the real world. How many innocent men and women have been sent to jail because of biased members of a perceived â€Å"impartial† jury? It’s an imperfect system, dealing with a very i nexact science. Recognizing this is very important. From this course, and from analyzing this film, I have strengthened my belief that bias can’t be eliminated. All a negotiator can do is recognize that bias is constant, and do their best to minimize its effect on their decision making process. If a negotiator recognizes this, they can do more negotiating based on facts and figures rather than personal biases and opinions. Power and Persuasion: An interesting aspect of this movie, as it continues to relate to this course, is the use of power and persuasion. What I find most interesting about power, is the myriad of ways through which it may be obtained. In class, we discussed several ways that power is obtained, and also how it can be used. In this movie, there are many circumstances where the jurors attempt to use power to persuade one another. Perhaps the most prevalent example at an attempt to use power to persuade the others is shown by juror number three. This juror often exudes power when talking down the case with the man who hasn’t turned in a â€Å"guilty† verdict. He begins by explaining all of the evidence again. He discusses the old man who claims he heard the boy, the old lady who says she saw the boy, and the knife discovered by the police who arrived at the murder scene. He is very confident in this evidence, and feels as though he has the power because of it. After taking this course, I find that this is the best way to gain power in a negotiation. The more information you have to support your argument, the more power you have. In turn, this often results in achieving your goals in the negotiation. However, as the process continues, the juror voting â€Å"not guilty† starts to sway the room. The oldest man on the jury is the first to change his vote. The juror from the slums changes his vote not long after that. As this is happening, it appears that juror number three feels as though he is losing power in this negotiation. To counter this, he begins raising his voice when talks. Before long, he is all but yelling at the other jurors who have changed their votes. He attempts to retain his power through intimidation once he sees that the evidence, which he thought was solid, is shown to be shaky and imprecise. Another example of how power is used to persuade others in this film is demonstrated by the stock broker, otherwise known as juror number four. It appears that this juror feels an immediate sense of power in this scenario because he is one of the most, if not the most, accomplished gentleman of the group. He feels that he is probably the most intelligent man on this jury, and demonstrates that when talks. He recalls much of the information from the trial very accurately, and with no notes. He also explains very clearly why he feels the way he feels. Power through intellectual superiority can be very persuasive, and influential. The man he is attempting to persuade does a very good job of keeping his composure. He doesn’t challenge the broker’s power. In fact, he affirms it. He appears to respect that the juror is making valid points and supporting his argument. He goes a different route. He simply takes an issue and asks, â€Å"Is it possible?† While the other jurors refute this claim, the broker remains quiet. As the man slowly begins to disprove some of the testimony from the case, you can see the broker questioning his verdict more intently. Finally, he changes his vote to not guilty. This is where everything turns. The other jurors picked up on the quiet power exuded by the broker, and respected it all along. Once he turned in a â€Å"not guilty† vote, it was only a matter of time before the others joined him. This is convincing tell that this man had a great deal of power in this negotiation. In a less successful attempt to gain power, the angry old man attempts to convince the man of the boy’s guilt through a â€Å"power in numbers† technique. He feels very comfortable with his verdict of â€Å"guilty† because the others feel the same way. During the initial discussions in the deliberation room, he continuously says, â€Å"You know what I mean?† This is an attempt to keep others on his side while he tries to persuade the rogue juror to vote â€Å"guilty.† He feels he has power in this negotiation because he has the majority on his side. This is a common tactic in negotiations. As the film progresses and more and more jurors change their verdict, you can easily see the power leaving the angry old man. He is forced to confront his prejudice and accept that he was wrong. When he is no longer in the majority, his sense of power quickly fades. He becomes defensive and weak as more and more people leave his side. This is most prevalent in the scene where he attempts to defend his â€Å"guilty† vote one last time. He stands up, and continues yelling and shouting his narrow minded opinions, much as he’d done the entire time. His arguments, now more than ever, are being entirely disregarded, and for good reason. Each point he is making is based solely on prejudice. He thinks he is powerful, but nothing he is saying is based on fact, or really has anything to do with the case. One by one, the other jurors begin getting up from the table and ignoring him. Even the juror who was consistently making wise cracks during the deliberations is looking away from him. Soon, no one in the room is backing him. He then retires to the corner, alone. He not only lost the majority, he lost the support of the other men who were still turning in a â€Å"guilty† vote. This is a great example of power shifting, which we discussed in class. You asked us if it’s possible for power to shift during a negotiation, and this is a good demonstration of how it can. Works Cited: Ang, S., Van Dyne, L., Koh, C.K.S. (2006). Personality correlates of the four factor model of cultural intelligence. Group and Organization Management, 31, 100-123. Diamond, S. (2010). Getting More: How to Negotiate to Achieve Your Goals in the Real World. New York City, NY: Crown Publishing Group. Earley, P.C., Ang, S. (2003). Cultural intelligence: Individual interactions across cultures. Palo Alto: Stanford University Press. Gates, S. (2011). The Negotiation Book: Your Definitive Guide To Successful Negotiating (1st ed.). United Kingdom, UK: John Wiley and Sons LTD. Shell , R. G. (2006). Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People 2nd Edition (2nd ed.). New York City, NY: The Penguin Group. Thompson, L. L. (2008). The Truth About Negotiations . Upper Saddle River, NJ: FT Press.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Existentialism of Samuel Beckett Essay Example for Free

Existentialism of Samuel Beckett Essay Samuel Beckett was a very astound Existentialist. Beckett’s work was essentially existentialist and consciously or unconsciously, his works were infused with the idea that things have no inherent meaning and that our fallacy is to perceive meaning in everything. Existential philosophy became prevalent in the twentieth century as a symbol of the destruction of culture and tradition following World War II, asserting the hopelessness of humanity and focusing on life in a more honest but pessimistic manner than other socialistic philosophies. The philosophy recognizes the fact that humankind is capable of great evil and has limitless possibilities. Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of ones acts. It emphasizes the difference between human existence and that of inanimate objects. Existentialism was a term adopted by Jean-Paul Sartre. Existentialism was identified with a cultural movement that flourished in Europe in the 1940s and 1950s. Heideggers 1927 Being and Time, an inquiry into the â€Å"being that we ourselves are† (which he termed â€Å"Dasein,† a German word for existence), introduced most of the motifs that would characterize later existentialist thinking(Edward). One existentialist view is absolute individuality and absolute freedom. The Existentialist conceptions of freedom and value come from their view of an individual. Since we are all ultimately alone, isolated islands of subjectivity in an objective world, we have absolute freedom over our internal nature, and the source of our value can only be internal. I feel Beckett expressed this view in the expelled when the main character got thrown out of his apartment. He had no one he could turn to for help. He just started wondering the city not caring where he was going. He knew getting thrown out wasn’t the end for him because he controlled his own destiny. Another existentialist view is the view of human nature. Existentialism is defined by the slogan Existence precedes Essence. Meaning we have no predetermined nature or essence that controls what we are, what we do, or what is valuable for us. Human beings have no essential self; they are no more than what they appear. A person is basically born with a blank slate; humans have no uniform, predetermined principles or ethics common to all of mankind. Since there is no preformed essence or definition that exists for what it means to be human, a person must form conception of existence by asserting control of and responsibility for their actions and choices. Consequently, a human being gains essence through individual choices and actions. It is solely through the process of living that one defines ones self(Existence Precedes Essence). I feel Beckett expressed this point heavily in â€Å"Krapp’s Last Tape†. The character was an older man listening to a tape of when he was younger. He could listen to the way he use to think, act and be as a younger man. He was also able to see how his past had affected his life in the present but he still had no idea what laid ahead of him. That is way he made this tape’s so he could remind in self in the future what he thought lay ahead of him in the past. He knew to always go back and listen to the tapes to ponder on what he had made for himself and no had predetermined it. Existentialist encourage us to consider, in a personal way, the meaning of living authentically and inauthentically(Oaklander). Man is the only known being, according to the philosophers, that defines itself merely through the act of living. First you exist, and then the individual emerges as he makes life decisions. Freedom of choice, through which each human being creates their own nature, is one of the basic themes. Because individuals are free to choose their own way, Existentialist have argued that they must accept the risk they choose to take and responsibility of their actions. Those people that follow this believe they are in a world that does not always make sense, a world that is filled with uncertainty where well-intended actions can become obscure and chaotic. In basic existentialist beliefs, man is the only animal defining itself through life. Without life, there is no meaning. Existentialist believe in life and fighting for it. While fighting for life, each person must face important and difficult decisions with only limited knowledge and time in which to make these decisions. Human life is seen as a series of decisions that must be made without knowing what the correct choice is. They must decide what standards to except and which ones to reject. Individuals must make their own choices without help from external standards. Humans are free and completely responsible for their choices. Their freedom and responsibility is thrust upon them and they are â€Å"condemned to be free†. Existentialist belief people are responsible for their actions, decisions and beliefs which caused them anxiety. They try to escape by ignoring or denying their responsibility. To have a meaningful life one must become fully aware of his true self and his situation and bravely accept it. Yet other existentialist thought dictates every person spends a lifetime changing his or her essence. Without life there can be no meaning, the search for meaning in existentialism is the search for self. In other words, we define ourselves by living, killing yourself would indicate you have chosen to have no meaning. Existentialist believe in living, in fact fighting for life. In Molloy I feel Beckett expressed this believe many times. First, at the beginning when his mother was dying and dead. He stated â€Å"I have her room. I sleep in her bed. I piss and shit in her pot. † this says to me that even though she had died he had to continue living his life. Also in Expelled Becket had traces of this theme. At the end when he left the cabdrivers carriage in the morning. I felt he was portraying that he used the cabdriver. He just needed a place to stay the night. The next morning he got up and left without saying anything. He got what he needed to survive the night then continued on his life. Samuel Beckett always used the Quote â€Å"a step from the cradle to the grave†. I feel this Quote means that you are only a split second away from dying. Even when you’re a new born one thing could go wrong and you’re died. Beckett used this saying in many of his writings. One time he used this saying was in the Expelled. He said â€Å"In what had just happened to me there was nothing in the least memorable. It was neither the cradle nor the game of anything whatever. Or rather it resembled so many other cradles, so many other graves, that I’m lost. † the character could not remember anything in life. He could not till if he was at the cradle of his life or the grave because they are so close together in life. Existentialism was a very big part of way Samuel Beckett was such a great writer. His works were infused with the idea that things have no inherent meaning and that our fallacy is to perceive meaning in everything which is way his stories where so great. He was also one of the last people to write in that form. After researching this subject I plan on studying Existentialism more in depth. Works cited 1. Barsoum Diane. Existentialism and the Philosophical Tradition 2. Edward N. Zalta, Standford encyclopedia of philosophy 3. Existence Precedes Essence: Jean-Paul Sartres Existentialism and Human Emotions Online at:http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/186425/existence_precedes_essence_jeanpaul. html? cat=38 4. Grene, Marjorie. Introduction To Existentialism. 5. Oaklander, L. Nathan, Existentialist Philosophy an Introduction.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Assessing Service Quality At A 5 Star Hotel

Assessing Service Quality At A 5 Star Hotel 1.1 Introduction Tourism has become one of the great pillars in the Mauritian economy since some years. Today Mauritius is very popular in the Indian ocean and has emerged as a major tourist destination. According to statistical research done, we can say that Mauritius is facing a continual increase in the inflow of visitors during the recent years. Consequently, the hospitality industry faced a rapid growth to accommodate demands, causing a great increase in the number of hotels. The total passenger arrivals during the period January to September 2010 numbered 879,833 representing an increase of 7.3% over the figure of 819,741 for the corresponding period of 2009. Tourist arrivals for the first nine months of 2010 attained 646,656. This represents an increase of 6.2% over the figure of 608,885 registered in the corresponding period of 2009. However, one of the greatest challenges facing hotel organisations today is the ever-growing volume and high level of competition. (Kamdampully et al ,2000). In the highly competitive hotel industry, service becomes one of the most important elements for gaining a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. Improving quality gaps has become a critical issue for the hotel industry in Mauritius as it represents an important source of competitive advantage. In consequence, hotels need to ensure customer satisfaction through the provision of high quality service to their guests for achieving their financial objectives. Increased employee performance is a viable way for hotels to remain competitive. On the other hand, given that delivering service quality and satisfying customers has become the life hood of service providers. Per se, service quality and customer satisfaction need to be investigated to know where the hotel stands and to develop proper methods leading to excellence. The impression that tourists will have of the organisation as a whole will depend on their interaction with the front line employees which means that the latter have a role to play in service quality. However, service quality control is of great importance for customer retention. Customer loyalty is a key determinant for the long term financial performance of organisations (Jones sasser, 1995) . Reichheld and sasser (1990) found that if a firm increases its customer retention rate by 5%, then its total lifetime profits from a typical customer will rise by 25-125%. 1.2 Problem statement The tourism and hospitality industry in our island is developing more rapidly than other industries. Based on data available on tourist arrivals and information gathered from stakeholders, tourist arrivals for the year 2010 has been revised upwards to 920,000. This represents an increase of 5.6% over the figure of 871,356 in 2009. Service quality occupies a significant role in the hotel industry as there is a need to provide service properly. Efficiency cannot be achieved without good proper service quality standards. Assurance of service quality is of great importance in various hotels. So, it is important to alleviate all the downfalls of service quality in this sector to ensure satisfaction of customers . This study is mainly carried out because in Mauritius, the main problem that the hospitality industry is facing nowadays is that demand for high quality service is increasing considerably due to competition. As our country is focussing more on tourism for a better economy, it is vital to see whether the expected class of services are provided to the tourists at the hotels. This shall allow Mauritius to respond to the challenges of the incoming competitive global business environment. By providing high quality service, hotels can enjoy long term profitability. Adapting it to concerned hotel, it is important to know if the employees and the management of the hotel are providing high quality service to the guests to ensure customer satisfaction. 1.3 Objectives of the study The aim of the study is to assess the level of service quality provided by the Hotel. This study will help to know the needs and expectations of the customers of the hotel. The study will also identify the hotel`s current situation and this will help the management of the hotel to develop future strategies to improve services . The study will focus on these objectives : To assess customers` perceptions and expectations of the level of service provided by the Hotel using a modified servqual model. To identify aspects of service that reveal weak and strong areas ( Gaps ) of service quality. To evaluate the level of customer satisfaction at the hotel. To identify appropriate techniques, strategies or action plans to enhance the service at the hotel. 1.4 Profile of organisation Location This 5 star hotel is one of the worlds great resorts -the height of cool, modern elegance, imbued with the warmth of tropical Mauritius, truly one of the Leading Hotels of the World. It lies on a beautiful stretch of sandy coast, looking out over tranquil Trou dEau Douce Bay. Out in the lagoon, are two beautiful islands, including Ile aux Cerfs with its spectacular 18-hole championship golf course, designed by Bernhard Langer. This is 5-star luxury at its best, the perfect holiday setting for couples and families, with a fabulous range of facilities, including an extensive range of water sports and land-based activities, 5 restaurants, a renowned Givenchy spa and personal butler service. The Resort also features three spectacular waterfront Villas, which have redefined the benchmark for luxury in Mauritius. Opened in May 2005, the hotel offer ultra-exclusive and spacious accommodation, using the latest technology to meet the high expectations of the most discerning guests. The hotel comprises of 300 rooms including villas, standard rooms, junior suites, and royal suite. There are 2 Bars known and also 3 Restaurants 1.5 Outline of study The study on assessing service Quality comprises five chapters . Chapter 1 relates to the introduction on service quality in this new century. Then the problem statement is explained followed by the aims and objectives of the study and lastly the hotel profile is shown. Chapter 2 consists of the literature review on service quality and discusses all its related key theories. This chapter has the main objective of broadening knowledge on service quality and customer satisfaction. The second part of the literature review sets out to develop and understanding of the distinctiveness application of service quality and customer satisfaction concepts to the tourism and hospitality industry. Chapter 3 explains the methodology used throughout the study , the methods used for data collection, the sample size , the sample techniques , the data analysis , and the limitations of the study. Chapter 4 presents the actual data findings accompanied by the necessary analysis. Chapter 5 consists of the conclusion and recommendations pertaining to the study. Chapter 2 The literature review The chapter sets out to clarify various concepts around which the thesis would be based. This part is normally divided into three sections whereby the first part gives an insight into the world of services. Then secondly the concept of service quality and its determinants are dealt with on a general point of view. And finally the last section offers a review of customer satisfaction and some elements of services attached to it. Within the chapter, much emphasis has been focussed on the work of Parasuraman , Zeithaml and Berry (1988) who devoted particular attention to the field of service quality. Services Since a couple of years services are growing in importance in the world economy and this is majorly due to the advent in technology. Services are diverse and omnipresent in most industries. They are economic activities that create value and provide benefit for customers at specific times and places as a result of bringing about a desired change in the recipient of the service (Lovelock, 2003). Services can also be viewed as including all economic activities whose output is not physical product or construction , is generally consumed at the time it is produced, and provides added value in forms (such as convenience , amusement , timeliness, comfort or health) that are essentially intangible concerns of its first purchaser ( zeithaml and bitner,2003) Although the process of services may be tied up to physical products, their performances are essentially intangible and do not result in ownership of any kind. This can be identified in all the definitions .In simple terms services can be described as deeds, processes and performances. Characteristics of services Intangibility Services cannot be seen, tasted, felt, heard or smelled before they are bought, as they are rather performances than objects. Customers usually derive value from service without obtaining ownership of any tangible elements in most cases (lovelock 2003) . For example, a tourist cannot know how his holidays would be like, at a particular destination until he/she experiences it. Inseparability Production and consumption of services are done simultaneously, after that they had already been sold before hand. Services cannot be separated from their providers, whether they are people or machines ( Kotler and Armstrong,2001). Customers usually need to assist the production process or even participate in it. This often reveals to be an essential ingredient in the service experienced by the customer. Heterogeneity Services are subject to degrees of variability as they are performances that are frequently produced by humans ( Zeithaml and Bitner,2003). Performances vary from producer to producer, from the customer and from day to day. This is due to our uniqueness; productions of services are delivered differently and experiences, lived in unique ways. Perishability Services are highly perishable items since they cannot be stored for later use or sale. It has a shorterm supply elasticity. Services cannot be stored and carried forward to a future time period (Rathwell,1966,Donnelly,1976 ; and Zeithaml et al..1985).For example, if a tourist reserved for a stay in a hotel during peak seasons ,he may not be re imburse if he does not show up. Customer Expectations Customer expectations are beliefs about service delivery that works as standards or reference points against which performance is judged . It provides understanding of how the customer defines quality of service and facilitates the development of customer satisfaction questionnaires ( Pizam and Ellis,1999). Consumer expectations , therefore , serve as the cornerstone or foundation on which service quality is measured ( Clow et al ..,1997) and represent a critical step in delivering quality service. In simpler terms, Expectations is defined as a person`s thought of the future service that he/she will consume. These are expectations have arised by the person`s personal experience, on the internet, by friends and colleagues through word of mouth etc. Customer perceptions As diverse individuals, we all tend to see the world in our own specific ways. Customers act and react on the basis of their perceptions rather than on the objective reality, meaning that each customer experience services differently. Thus ,it is important for organisations to know how consumers perceive their services so as to take necessary dispositions to enhance quality. Perception is defined as the process by which an individual selects ,organizes and interprets stimuli into meaningful and coherent picture of the world ( Schiffman and kanuk,2002) . Each consumer`s interpretation process is based on this own needs, values and expectations : as such , a cognitive judgement. Customer perceptions are the evaluation of particular services by actually experiencing them. They are always considered relative to expectations . Oliver ( cited in Williams and buswell,2003) defined customer perceptions as `a comparison to excellence in service by the customer `. However , the notion of excellence is difficult to be known and whether this standard can be used to judge a particular service is questionable. Finally, customer perceptions should not only be viewed as being made at the end of and experience ( zeithaml and al..,1990) . It is believed that there is an endless potential for judgements to be made all through out the service delivery process. Perception creation starts whrn the customer first enters the service provider`s premise and continues during the service delivery process till it ends . Thus , it may be assumed that an overall perception is built after a particular experience. Service Quality Service quality is a central issue in this ever growing service economy. It is considered a critical determinant of competitiveness, as it is a source of differentiation for various firms . For instance, and appropriate service quality definition is an essential starting point. Through time , numerous quality concepts have been developed ,starting by shewhart ( cited in Williams and Buswells, 2003 ) with conformance to requirements. Then , Deming (1986) defined quality as the predictable degree of uniformity and dependability at low cost while juran proposed fitness for purpose ( Juran and godfrey,1999). Afterwards, Feigenbaum ( 1991) came with the total quality control throughout the organisation. Crosby ( 1979) equated quality to conformance to requirements until Peters ( 1987) offered the concept of customers perception excellence , which revealed be be fundamental in assessing quality. It is difficult to define service quality due to the various caracteristics of services ( such as tangibility ,perishability ) and to the changing needs and expectations of both providers and users. Quality practitioners view quality from various approaches but most of them prefer the user-based approach to quality. Kotler and Armstrong (2001) define quality as the ability to satisfy stated if implied needs with totality of features and characteristics of a service. In broad terms, quality focuses on the benefits created for customers` side of the equation (lovelock,2003). It is all about how customers, both internal and external , evaluate an organisation`s services. Service quality is modelled as the consumer comparing service attribute ( perceptions) to standards of excellence/ ideals for those attributes ( expectations) (oliver,1993;Parasuraman e al.. 1988). According to Deming ( cited in Van Der Wagen) , 1997) quality does not necessarily mean high quality. It means a predictable degree of uniformity and dependability, with a quality standard suited to the market . he also stated that as a concept , it is closely related to value for money. Whereas for Edvadsson ( 1998) , quality means satisfying needs and meeting expectations ; not only those of customers but also those of employees and owners. High quality service is considered as a critical determinant of long term profitability as service quality affects the repurchase intentions of both existing and potential customers ( Ghobadian e al..,1994 ) . Hence , it can be stated the concept is an effective means to ensure survival or even obtain a competitive position in today`s dynamic environment. However , the only appropriate means is to thrive for continuous improvement. Measuring service quality : As service quality is becoming a major part of business practice , it is important to be able to measure and research its effectiveness ( Mei et al..,1999) . For instance , different management practitioners and writers proposed various models to assess service quality. The figure 2.1 shows the gaps model of service quality Source : Zeithaml , V.A , Parasuraman, A.,Berry, L.L ( 1990) ,Delivering Quality Service : Balancing Customer perceptions and Expectations. Gap 1 : Customers expectation = Management Perceptions : as a result of inadequate marketing research orientation, lack of upward communication, insufficient relationship focus with both customer and stakeholders or even inadequate service recovery. Gap 2 : Service quality Specifications Management Perceptions: as a result of the absence of wholehearted management commitment to service quality , Poor service design, absence of customer defined service standards or even inappropriate goal setting. Gap 3 : Service Quality specifications Service Delivery : owing to poorly qualified employees , inadequate internal support systems , insufficient capacity to serve , customers not filling their roles or problems with service intermediaries among others. Gap 4 : Service Delivery External communications : due to inadequate horizontal communication and propensity to over promise. Gap 5 : Customer Expectations customer Perceptions : as a result of influences exerted from customers` side and because of the previous four gaps ( providers` gaps) Consequently, a process model ( Zeithaml et al..,1990) was developed to assess these gaps and take corrective actions. Servqual Model . SERVQUAL ( Parasuraman et al.,1990) had its roots from a strongly user oriented research done through numerous qualitative studies ( mainly focus groups). Parasuraman et al..,(1988) originally evolved a set of ten dimensions ,which was consolidated into five broad criteria after further in -depth research to evaluate service quality SERVQUAL is viewed as the mostly used ,valid and generally accepted measurement tool ( brown and bond,1995). It assesses customers` expectations and perceptions of quality through five generic dimensions described below : Reliability : ability to perform and deliver promised service dependablyand accurately. Responsiveness : Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service. Assurance : Employee`s knowledge , courtesy and ability to inspire trust and confidence ; serving with a smile and be courteous in their approach. Empathy : Caring and individualized attention the firm provides its customers . Ability to make him feel unique and to cater to any of his requirements. Tangibles : Appearances of physical facilities , equipments,personnel and communication materials used to enhance image of the organisation and to signal quality. SERVQUAL questionnaire contains 2 sections : an expectations section consisting of 22 statements and a perceptions section consisting of a matching set of company-specific statements ( Zeithaml et al.,1990). Expectations are measured to serve as standards against which perceptions are compared to determine service quality gap. The instrument is applicable across a broad spectrum of services but it can be adapted or supplemented to fit the characteristics or specific research needs of an organisation. the model has been criticized by a number of academics (Carman 1990; Babakus and Boller 1992; Teas 1994). Criticism was directed at the conceptual and operational base of the model, mostly its validity, reliability, operationalization of expectations, and dimensional structure. However, there is general agreement that servqual items are reliable predictors of overall service quality (Khan 2003) SERVPERF MODEL SERVPERF is quite a different approach from SERVQUAL in the sense that it tries to eliminate the expectations /perceptions problems ( Cronin and taylor, 1994 ) . It considers customer satisfaction, rather than service quality , as the sole construct determining purchase intentions . It is a performance-based model that considers service quality to be same as performance and Robledo (2001) confirmed that it is more appropriate for satisfaction measurement of Business` process by customers ( Baggs and Kleiner,1996) Importance -Performance Analysis ( IPA) IPA is a technique used to identify attributes that are considered as important factors to customers. It measures their relative importance associated with a service/product and also indicates the degree of performance ,i.e level of satisfaction (Martilla and james ,1977). As SERVQUAL,IPA support the view that quality is a function of customer perceptions of performance. SERVPEX MODEL Another model is the SERVPEX (Robledo ,2001), developed for airline services , which possess 26 attributes and a three -factor structure (tangibles, reliability and customer care). It is a basic tool for investigating perceived service quality and expectations. Quality Audit Quality audit is also an instrument assessing quality . It is often carried out as part of quality standard certification processes (e.g ISO 9000) and in TQM programs ( Rajendra and Devadasan,2005). Various researches developed quality audit tools and techniques for specific fields ; chapman et al.,2002 ( cited in Rajendra et al., 2005), to enhance quality in libraries , while, Takeuchi et all,1983 ( cited in Chua Chow et al.,2005), to improve customer service. Critical Incident Technique ( CIT) A critical incident is an observable action or form of expression, which is complete enough in itself to allow inferences to be drawn ( Davis , 2006). CIT is a very useful technique in solving real workplace problems and Edvardsson and Roos (2001) confirmed its limitless capacities in dealing with these types of problems . For instance ,CIT provides a generic road map to identify and resolve organisational problems ,particularly customer- centered ones ( Davies,2006 ) . It is like analysing the interactions of customers with providers during a service delivery . As such , it can be applied to the total customer experience ( Williams and Buswell,2003). Unfortunately, CIT has had very little exposure in the practical sphere. Direct Investigation Approach (DIA) DIA is basically a qualitative technique , which is also known as mystery shopping . It involves disguising an inspector as a customer and allowing him to actually experience the service level of an organisation under evaluation ( Baggs and kleiner, 1996). It provides an objective snapshot of the service experience through the detailed report of encounters and observation that the inspector would submit. QUALITOMETRO QUALITROMETRO is a method on the service quality dimensions ,proposed by parasuraman et al.,1988, conceived for evaluation and ON-LINE service quality control(Francheschini and Rossetto, 1995b). It allows for the possibility of a separate measurement of expected (observed as ex-ante) and perceived (observed as ex-post) quality without the potential for cross-influence on the same questionnaire . But QUALITROMETRO is still under advanced experimentation ( Francheschinie et al.,1998). Managing service quality One road to success in this dynamic world of changing customer expectations is good management practices to maintain excellent quality levels. The pioneer in this field was an American ,W. Edwards Deming who developed quality management strategies for the Japanese. Quality strategies for the Japanese . Quality management came from two ideas about how to run organisations better ; the first is about customers and the second about efficiency . Service quality management is a philosophy of continuous evaluation and improvement ( Van Der Wagen,1997) . It encloses a blend of practices such as quality control , quality measurement and service management Research done by Stephan and Yvonne Lagrosen (2003) on quality management revealed that the following core values were necessary to dash off on a quality journey. 1.Customer orientation . satisfaction of the needs and wants of customers is the ultimate goal ,being considered as the basis for quality management. Both internal and external customers are included . It is of most relevance for services as customer participation is often required in production is often required on production and also due to the high interaction level. 2. leadership commitment . an active and visible commitment from management is required . Managers need to act as role models for quality ; focus need to be more on the processes rather than the outcomes. 3. Participation of everybody . Development of quality requires the participation of each organizational member. Employees should be empowered and for services , this is particularly important for the front staffs, who perform their duties in direct interaction with customers. 4. Continuous improvements . It is important to have a sustainable development of quality and to adopt a learning culture in today`s dynamic environment. Companies should constantly renew and improve all their services processes . Focus should not be only on short-term benefits but also on long term ones. 5. Management by facts. Effective management information systems must be developed ; decisions should be based on reliable and well-documented facts. A selection of indicators related to quality and satisfaction should be used. 6. Process orientation . Firms should have processes designed to enhance customer satisfaction . The way services are produced and delivered are essential to achieve service quality. Service blueprinting is a valuable and adequate tool in this context. Total Quality Management ( TQM ) TQM is one of the most common frameworks for managing quality. It can be regarded as the highest level of quality management ( Dale, 1999) . Development of this concept is largely attributed to Japanese manufacturing companies and to quality experts including W.Edward Deming , Joseph M. Juran and Philip Crosby ( cited in Peters, 1999 and Hutchins,1992 ) .TQM is principally designed to reduce an organisation`s defects , to determine its customers` requirements, and to satisfy these requirements ( Morrison,2001) . Five principles of TQM : Commitment to quality. Quality is the top priority of any firm instituting a TQM program . Management must take the responsibility to participate and direct the TQM process to ensure its success. Focus on customer satisfaction . TQM organisations recognise that customer care about quality and make the necessary efforts to find out their expected service quality levels. Upon determination of these standards, every effort is made to meet or exceed those expectations. Assessment of organisational culture. The consistency of the existing organisational culture must be assessed with the TQM principles . A team of top executives and employees usually does this practice over a period of several months. Empowerment of Employees and teams . The success of a TQM program is greatly due to the empowerment of employees that allows them to better satisfy each individual customer. Measurement of Quality Efforts. TQM firms must be able to measure the outcomes of their quality improvement efforts . Various service quality indicators ( such as customer satisfaction and employee performance measurements) should be utilized. HOLSERV Mei et al.., (1999) brought about some amendements to SERVQUAL and developed HOLSERV to fit the Australian hospitality industry . Three items were deleted and eight others were either modified or added to the initial measurement tool, transforming it to 27 items , divided into three dimensions ( employees, tangibles and reliability ) as a final scale. It is also more user friendly and reliable but the technique needs to be supplemented with qualitative research. JUWAHEER`S ADAPTED SERVQUAL Juwaheer ( 2004) modified the servqual to explore the international tourists` perception of hotel operations in Mauritius . 39 attributes were developed through nine hotel factors , which were identified as service quality and customer satisfaction determinants. Q-Sort technique Q-sort method ( Ekinci and Riley , 1999) serves the purpose of improving surveys . It addresses problems like where is no consensus on the meaning of a particular concept ( e.g service quality). Q-Sort technique can assess the validity of quality dimensions before they are used in measurement tools but its results must be subject to factors analysis to ensure reliability. It must further be noted that it is only a preliminary approach in scale development. Service Quality in tourism When we talk about tourism, we must also talk about quality issues to provide a quality tourism product. Among the service industries tourism is especially significant in terms of its sensitivity to quality issues and in fact, service quality is one of the goal tourism policy issues in the light of the rapid growth of the industry. Valid approaches regarding service quality for the tourism industry is the customer oriented and the value-oriented approach of Garvin`s five definition of quality (Williams et al..,2003) since the specific issue of quality in tourism has not yet been address by management academics and no specific definitions have been attributed to the industry. The customer-oriented approach views customers as central to the organisation and to all aspects of the operational procedures. This explains the necessity of constantly gathering information on guests` expectations (which Diaz-martin et al., 2000, considers as a segmentation variable in tourism), perceptions and complaints concerning services. Services are delivered according to the needs and wants of customers so as to enhance their holiday experience. Moreover, the customer must derive value from the tourism product ; the quality in tourism must be both in terms of the physical product ( hotel design, room,restaurant, menu items , etc ) and the service being offered. According to Horst Schulze, president and chief executive of the ritz carlton hotel company, ( service can only be accomplished by people. The hotel can be breathe-takingly beautiful adn the food memorable, but a poor employee can quickly sour the experience). The service element is crucial in enhancing the quality of the experience of the tourist , who will always be conscious of, and even assessing , the attitude , skills and competencies of the host delivering a particular service. Gronroos (1984) , regarded service quality from 2 point of view : technical adn functional quality. The technical quality is the actual outcome of the service while the functional quality is all about the process that has been undergone to deliver the outcome. Both are considered equally important owing to their impact on customers and can surely be applied in the tourism context. The world Tourism Organization (WTO, 2003b) has defined quality in tourism as : the result of a process which implies the satisfaction of all legitimate product and service needs, requirements and expectations of the customer , at an acceptable price , in conformity with the underlying quality determinants such as safety and security, hygiene , accessibility , transparency , authenticity and harmony of the tourism activity concerned with its human and natural environment. In the above definition we can clearly find that elements of both the customer-oriented and value oriented approach has been considered together with attributes which are directly connected with the tourism concept. Tourism quality is taken from a holistic perspective in this definition. One universal truth about the tourism industry, it is that nothing