To Kill A Mockingbird Essays (730 words) - Kuwait, Gulf War

To Kill A Mockingbird Annonymous The term ?war? is one that most competent English speaking people are familiar with, and it is one that most of those same people could attempt to define. The only problem lies in the definition that one would receive. War is so complex and multifaceted that it is truly understood by only a few people. Wars date far back into history, and they have been fought for more reasons than could be listed. It seems strange, but untimalely, they are fought for one reason. Freedom has been the issue of every war since the beginning of time, and whenever a group of individuals feels that their freedom has been infringed upon, war is always possibility. It is only logical that in a war there must be some form of a protagonist as well as an antagonist, but in many cases it is unclear who gets which label. The American Civil War is a perfect example. The South wanted the freedom to make decisions that benefited a largely agricultural society, and when that freedom was denied they withdrew from the Union. The Union, on the other hand, viewed the South as a group of radicals making an attempt to dissolve the unity of states that their ancestors had worked so hard to create. As a result they felt their freedom of unity and nationhood had been taken away. It is difficult to say who was in the right, but when all of the negotiations had been exhausted, war was the result. In this case there was no other option because both sides believed in their cause. Gen. William T. Sherman said ?War is Hell?, and that quote has remained famous because even though simple, it is accurate. American men spent weeks at a time in rat infested trenches with lice all over their bodies in both World War One and Two. There are countless examples of horrible war crimes, biological weapons, napalm strikes, and of course nuclear weapons. War has claimed millions of lives throughout history. War is glorified by many, but the people who know see no glory in it, yet they do it for freedom, and most if asked would say that they would do it again. In all of these wars, the soldiers believed they were fighting for their own personal freedom, or the freedom of some other group of individuals. Had they not believed this, they would not have risked their lives. War it a last resort. Generally speaking, people do not like war, and want to avoid it at all costs. It is believed that a large part of why America went to Vietnam was for monetary reasons. Companies have to make all of the ships, helicopters, airplanes, and supplies. As a result, jobs are created and the economy in stimulated, but the U.S. government could never tell that to the public. It is very possible that these were ulterior reasons for the Vietnam war, but the government simply turned it into an issue of freedom. As a result the public was told that after trying to make peace with North Vietnam, the U.S. Navy was continually being assaulted and that there was no option but to go to war. At that point Americans had the option to believe that they were involved for noble and acceptable reasons. Even though freedom of some type is directly related to all major conflicts, it is not necessarily the freedom of all those involved. Operation Desert Storm is a good example. Though it was technically not a war, in had many of the characteristics attributed to war. The United States was involved because of Iraq?s blatant disregard for the freedom of the people of Kuwait. There have been countless arguments about whether the United States should be the ?policeman? to the world, but a final decision will never made because there is answer. War is about freedom. The cynics will tell you that Americans go to war for ulterior reasons like money, and there may be some truth to that. The argument has been made Operation Desert Storm would never have occurred had it not been for oil. It is possible that this is true, but if it was not for the oil, Kuwait would seem to powerful countries as much more distant place. The fact is, Kuwait does have oil, and as a result the U.S. deals with Kuwait on a very close and personal level. With this kind of relationship, it is only natural that we would protect Kuwait if their freedom was threatened. War is painful, bloody,

Free Essays on Womens Issues

You put on your traditional women’s clothing, as you prepare for your daily walk in your small south Asian village. You see three boys and two girls playing in front of a house. You ask the man standing there how many children he has, he says â€Å"I have three children†. You say â€Å"I see three boys, and two girls†, the man says, â€Å"Oh but they are girls; they will belong to someone else’s family the moment I marry them off†. This example shows how females are not regarded as equals in some societies; they are not even regarded as part of one’s family. Females are considered a liability since their family must pay a dowry to the husband when the female is married off. When they are married off, women are chosen by men to be their wives like a piece of meat being purchased at a store. I’m not here today to mock or criticize anyone’s religion, country, or faith, but inform you about unfair treatment of women around the world, and to give my opinion on what should be done to eliminate it. In Islam, a man can have as many as four wives and the wife simply has to accept it. Each wife must be treated exactly the same materially, emotionally, and physically. A Muslim woman can’t divorce her husband because of polygamy; there must be another reason to want a divorce. A man can divorce his wife any time, anywhere by saying the word â€Å"Talaq† three times. If a woman wants a divorce, she must aquire one through court in a long process. Once they are divorced, the woman can’t have any contact with males who aren't relatives, so that if she becomes pregnant, they know who the baby belongs to. In many countries, women must wear a burqah, which is a long loose garment covering the entire body with mesh slits left for the eyes. Wearing it restricts women from mixing with men. In my perfect world, Women would also be allowed to have four husbands, and they would be able to break off a marriage whenever they please, a... Free Essays on Womens Issues Free Essays on Womens Issues You put on your traditional women’s clothing, as you prepare for your daily walk in your small south Asian village. You see three boys and two girls playing in front of a house. You ask the man standing there how many children he has, he says â€Å"I have three children†. You say â€Å"I see three boys, and two girls†, the man says, â€Å"Oh but they are girls; they will belong to someone else’s family the moment I marry them off†. This example shows how females are not regarded as equals in some societies; they are not even regarded as part of one’s family. Females are considered a liability since their family must pay a dowry to the husband when the female is married off. When they are married off, women are chosen by men to be their wives like a piece of meat being purchased at a store. I’m not here today to mock or criticize anyone’s religion, country, or faith, but inform you about unfair treatment of women around the world, and to give my opinion on what should be done to eliminate it. In Islam, a man can have as many as four wives and the wife simply has to accept it. Each wife must be treated exactly the same materially, emotionally, and physically. A Muslim woman can’t divorce her husband because of polygamy; there must be another reason to want a divorce. A man can divorce his wife any time, anywhere by saying the word â€Å"Talaq† three times. If a woman wants a divorce, she must aquire one through court in a long process. Once they are divorced, the woman can’t have any contact with males who aren't relatives, so that if she becomes pregnant, they know who the baby belongs to. In many countries, women must wear a burqah, which is a long loose garment covering the entire body with mesh slits left for the eyes. Wearing it restricts women from mixing with men. In my perfect world, Women would also be allowed to have four husbands, and they would be able to break off a marriage whenever they please, a...

Marketing Analysis Of Dairy Milk Oreo Chocolate In The United Kingdom Essay

Marketing Analysis Of Dairy Milk Oreo Chocolate In The United Kingdom Market - Essay Example Launching a new product in a new market is a challenging affair. Entrepreneurs and business organizations are in most cases concerned about the reception of the product in the market. Various worries that companies and individuals suffer while trying to launch products in the new market relates to the reception of the product by the customers, the ability of the product to satisfy the needs of the customers and the availability of substitute products in the market targeted. Subsequently, organizations have to develop marketing and promotional strategies that are likely to help them succeed in the new market. With the understanding that different factors act on customers whenever making their purchases, an organization should ensure that it not only meet the needs of the customers but also portray a good image to the people. Products in most cases fail, because of their inferior quality, but lack of innovation and creativity in the development, packaging and promotion stages. An entre preneur could have a great idea, but due to poor implementation, could fail in selling that idea to the people. Food is one of the most sensitive businesses that whenever entrepreneurs consider investing in should get right. Understanding the needs of the target population is the best way of winning a new market. Dairy milk oreo chocolate, a new product launched in the United Kingdom so far has been a success.

Interview with Harold Bloom Blood Meridian Essay

Interview with Harold Bloom Blood Meridian - Essay Example Bloom implies that no one has done what McCarthy has done here in terms of portraying so distinct a version of America. Gone are the glories of â€Å"manifest destiny† replaced instead by the very real and very frightening consequences of unending expansion. The violence, of course, is an integral part of this. But, as Bloom points out, there is also a dreamlike quality to the violence that is also necessary to distance the reader from the horror otherwise no one would be able to stand the book. The distance the characters have between each other is another important aspect of this: even in mortal situations, characters such as the Kid and the Judge regard one another from afar. These are themes Bloom returns to again and again in his interview with the deeply insightful interviewer. The violent aesthetic also carries over into the characters in the book who are very compelling. Indeed, the two main characters—the Kid and the Judge—are sui generis and captivate the reader. The first is navigating a world he has not yet learned to judge properly, while the second appears to know everything and pursue only chaos and destruction. In the course of the interview, Bloom explicitly compares the character of the Judge, to the Shakespearean villain Iago from the play Othello. The Judge could well be described as Coleridge once described Iago: â€Å"a motiveless malevolence.† He appears to have no real human desire or characteristics—his only interest is violence and chaos. He has no other purpose but to cause trouble—like Iago. Also, like Iago, he refuses to explain himself or describe how he reached this point of nihilism. When he is taken away at the end of the play he concludes his role by saying, â€Å"From this point on, I never s hall speak word.† It is an open question as to whether he can’t or simply won’t explain himself. Nevertheless, the implication is that, like the Judge, he is born this way. The word has not formed

Body language (Dancing) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Body language (Dancing) - Essay Example Sometimes the performers also do the ‘splits’ in it. It is a kind of sensual dance where the performer is usually a female displaying her skills through various dance moves. It is usually performed with a typical reggae-styled beat playing in the back ground. This depicts bolder female attitude and it represents the 21st century. All in all, it is not a typical delicate feminine dance (Evans, 2006). Here in this picture below the female performer is doing a very bold move by swinging her hair. It could probably represent female liberty. In this pose, she is shown sitting on the floor on all fours. History tells us that women have never been this wild in their dances. As it can be seen from the picture, the performer is shaking her hair while on the floor, this represents very bold body language. Such kinds of dance moves aren’t expected of females, that is why it comes as a shock to new watchers and immediately grabs their attention. The dance moves are rough, wil d and flamboyant. It shows the opposite side of the female gender, opposite to the delicate and submissive side. There are many dances which go a long way back in the history, for instance the belly dance is quite famous in the Middle East and has become a symbol of the Arab culture. It is also typical to the females and represents cultural values. It is not as bold as ‘Dutty Wine’ but it expresses the attraction of a female body. Most famous dance steps require swift and vibrating hip motions and very delicate and synchronized movements of hands and wrists. The body language of this dance is very simple and elegant. Even though there are male belly dancers but it feels more natural when female dancers perform it, it is more natural to female muscle and bone structure. Here is a picture of a belly dancer expressing the elegance of a female body (belly-dance, 2011). The picture above shows a belly dancer posing a crane like stance

Background and justification of affecting customers loyalty

Background and justification of affecting customers loyalty In todays competitive markets services and service companies within the same industry are becoming increasingly similar. Differentiation through the delivery channel (i.e. delivery of services against payment) is difficult. A growing number of service companies have embarked on a journey of positioning through the communication channel (i.e. advertising and personal selling) (Andreassen, T.   1995), with the objective of building strong corporate images in order to create relative attractiveness. This development is in line with Lovelock (1984) who claims that  «(images).. . are likely to play only a secondary role in customer choice decisions unless competing services are perceived as virtually identical on performance, price, and availability ». Recent years have shown a growing interest in customer loyalty. The globalisation of competition, saturation of markets, and development of information technology have changed customer behavior and perception and created a situation where success is no longer achieved through product price and qualities. Instead, companies build their success on a long-term customer relationship. According to former studies, it can cost as much as 6 times more to win a new customer than it does to keep an existing one. (Rosenberg L. et al. 1984: 45) Depending on the particular industry, it is possible to increase profit by up to 60% after reducing potential migration by 5%. (Reichheld F. 1993) It follows then, that the increase and holding of loyal customers has become a key factor for long-term success of the companies. The main emphasis in marketing has changed from winning new customers to the keeping of existing ones. Traditionally there are two approaches to treat customer loyalty. Some researchers have investigated the nature of different levels of loyalty, others have explored the influence of individual factors on loyalty. In this article both treatments are combined. The starting point of the paper is to test whether the list of most important factors affecting customer loyalty is dependant on the levels of loyalty of costumers. The potential for establishing loyalty depends on the object (i.e. product or vendor), on the subject (customer) or on the environment (market, other suppliers etc.). This work might be rather helpful for both students, interested in developing this field of research and people, who are working in the sphere of marketing, because it may provide with interesting information worth dwelling upon. This topic interests me personally, because to my mind, customers are the turning point of the market. They decide whether to buy a product or to use a service or not, changing the whole picture of market. That is why, I suppose it is rather necessary for industries to pay much attention to the topic of customers loyalty and satisfaction in order to be a success. Chapter 2. Statement of Objectives and Hypothesis to be Examined. This paper aims to test if the importance of each factor affecting loyalty varies in different loyalty segments described in Figure 1, presenting segmentation of customers loyalty. One possibility to investigate it is to compare the customers of different loyalty levels and examine what kind of factors influence the probability of the customers to remain on that level or to move to another loyalty level. Customer loyalty expresses an intended behavior related to the service or the company. This includes the likelihood of future renewal of service contracts, how likely it is that the customer changes his preferences, how likely the customer is to provide positive word-of-mouth opinion. If real alternatives exist or switching barriers are low management discovers the organizations inability to satisfy its customers through two feedback mechanisms: exit and voice (Hirschman A. 1970). Exit implies that the customers stop buying the companys services while voice is customer complaints expressing the consumers dissatisfaction directly to the company. Customers exit or change of patronage will have an impact on the long-term revenue of the company. Customers may be loyal due to high switching barriers or lack of real alternatives. Customers may also be loyal because they are satisfied and thus want to continue the relationship. History has proven that most barriers to exit are limited with regard to durability; companies tend to consider customer satisfaction the only viable strategy in order to keep existing customers. Several authors have found a positive correlation between customer satisfaction and loyalty (Bearden and Teel   1980;Bolton and Drew 1991; Fornell 1992; Anderson and Sullivan 1993). Based on the future discussion, the following two hypotheses are proposed: Hypothesis 1: Factors such as satisfaction, trustworthiness, importance of relationship and image have a positive influence on loyalty. Objective 1: To indicate any relationship between loyalty and such pshycological factors as satisfaction, importance of relationship and others. Hypothesis 2: The relevance of factors affecting loyalty depends on the levels of loyalty of customers. Objective 2: Define and dwell upon the levels of loyalty of customers, examin them. The limitations of my hypothesis questions were shortage of time, because I had to provide results in a relatively short period of time, and money, because true and reliable information was hard and costly to get. Chapter 3. Details of Information/ Data Collection Methods. Research on customer loyalty has a long history and has been studied using a large variety of methods. Although the study of relationship between satisfaction and loyalty of customers is a newer field of research, various methods have been applied to study this   phenomenon as well. Some studies have also been purely conceptual (Stewart 1998; Hocutt 1998). Although qualitative methods seem to dominate in studies of relationship, quantitative methods have also been used. The data used for the analysis is a secondary source. A secondary source usually contains commentary on or discussion about a primary source. The most important feature of secondary sources is that they offer an interpretation of information gathered from primary sources.   I did not use the primary source as it is an original material. It is from the time period involved, was not filtered through interpretation and need much time and knowledge to process it. Demographically, the study had some limitations. Firstly, only urban customers were targeted in the study. This group was chosen due to the fact that urban customers have more available alternativetives and are therefore potentially more active in their telecommunication choices. Methodologically a certain limitation of the study was that some of the interviews were conducted on the telephone. Despite the fact that the interviews were considered to provide a deep and accurate enough picture of the relationships and the factors affecting customer loyalty, it is obvious that interviews face-to-face have the potential to reach greater depth. The data used in our analysis originates from PacoNet Customer Satisfaction Survey carried out in November 2003 by professional market research company. PacoNet is the one of the leading telecommunication provider in Ukraine and was providing telephone and internet services for private customers at that time. There were three kinds of competitors for PacoNet: firms providing telephone services on PacoNet network; cable-TV companies providing internet services on their own networks, and mobile telephone companies. The satisfaction survey contained information about 1000 private customers. Data was collected by phone interviews. During the survey the customers were asked how important various factors were for them. The importance was measured on a 5-point scale, where â€Å"1† is â€Å"not important at all† and â€Å"5† is â€Å"very important†. Every factor listed above was divided into 3 to 7 subcategories (e.g. accounting had subcategories like the accuracy and understandability of bills, dept management, availability of different payment methods). Satisfaction with the factors reveals from the satisfaction with those subcategories. Additionally customers answered about their general satisfaction with the firm PacoNet. The satisfaction was also measured on a 5-point scale, where â€Å"1† is â€Å"not satisfied at all† and â€Å"5† is â€Å"very satisfied†. Customer loyalty was measured by following questions: What operators are the customers using right now? What operators will the customers use in 2 years? Does the customer recommend or is the customer ready to recommend PacoNet to others? Chapter 4. Details of Data Analysis Methods In the current analysis only the raw data of mentioned survey was used. Software packages MS Excel 2000 and Stata 9.2 have been used by PacoNet for data processing, because Microsoft Excel is a deep program rich in features and functionality. One of the most powerful features of Excel is the ability to write programs that run behind the worksheets to turn Excel into a calculation-oriented development tool for creating special purpose spreadsheets which can function as applications in their own right. Chapter 5. Literature Review There are multiple approaches to customer loyalty. Theories of behavioral loyalty were dominating until 1970 considering loyalty as the function of the share of total purchases (Cunningham R. 1956; Farley J. 1964), function of buying frequency or buying pattern (Tucker 1964; Sheth 1968) or function of buying probability (Harary F. et al. 1962; McConnell D. 1968; Wernerfelt B. 1991). These approaches looked at brand loyalty in terms of outcomes   rather than reasons, until Day G. (1969) introduced the two-dimensional concept of brand loyalty, which stated that loyalty should be evaluated with both behavioral and attitudinal criteria. Contemporary researches consider and accent the psychological (mostly attitudinal and emotional) factor of loyalty (Jacoby J. et al. 1973; Oliver R. 1999; Chaudury A. 1995). These different approaches allow distinguishing customers as whether behaviorally or emotionally loyal. Behaviorally loyal customers act loyal but have no emotional bond with the brand or the supplier when emotionally loyal customers do. Jones T. and Sasser W. call these two kind of loyalty accordingly false or true long-term loyalty (Jones T. et al. 1995). Hofmeyr J. and Rice B. (2000) divide customers to loyal (behavioral) or committed (emotional). Emotional loyalty is much stronger and longer lasting than behavioral loyalty. Its a lasting desire to maintain a valued relationship. The relationship is so important for the customer that he or she makes maximum efforts to keep it (Reichheld F. 2003; Moorman C. et al. 1992). Highly bonded customers will buy repeatedly from a provider to which they are bonded, recommend that provider to others, and strongly defend these choices to others insisting that they have chosen the â€Å"best† product or service. (Butz H. et al. 1996) Behaviorally loyal customers could be divided to sub-segments by the reason of acting: forced to be loyal, loyal due to passivity or functionally loyal. Customers are forced to be loyal when they have to be clients even if they do not want to. Customers may be forced to consume certain products or products/services offered by certain vendor e.g. when the company acts as a monopoly or the poor financial status of the customer is limiting his selection of goods. Gronholdt L. has found that companies with low price strategy had a much higher loyalty than expected from their customer satisfaction. On the other hand, companies that had used a lot of energy on branding indeed had a high customer satisfaction but they did not have a correspondingly high loyalty (Gronholdt L. et al. 2000). Forced loyalty could be established through creating exit barriers as well. Loyal behaviour may also result from passivity customer does not move to another vendor due to comfort or relatively low importance of operation if the choice has low importance, there is no point to spend time and effort on searching for alternatives. Thus, based on his faith in the suitability of the current product, the customer continues to use it without checking alternatives. Hofmeyr J. and Rice B. (2000) say that one of the reasons that customers dont switch brands when they are dissatisfied is that they feel that the alternatives are just as bad as the brand they are using or even worse. Passivity may be caused also by lack of information about attractive characteristics of the brands (Wernerfelt B. 1991). Functionally loyal customers are loyal because they have an objective reason to be. Wernerfelt B. (1991) points out â€Å"cost-based brand loyalty† where brand utilities have a positive influence on brand choice. Functional loyalty can be created by functional values using price, quality, distribution, usage convenience of a product or through different loyalty programs (points, coupons, games, draws etc.) giving a concrete reason to prefer certain supplier. Unfortunately competitors can most easily copy functional values. Thus, creating functional value offers a fleeting competitive advantage: functional loyalty cant be very long lasting (Barnes J. 2003). Jones T. and Sasser W. (1995) propose three measures of loyalty that could be used in segmentation by loyalty: Customers primary behavior regency, frequency and amount of purchase; Customers secondary behavior customer referrals, approval and spreading the word; Customers intent to repurchase is the customer ready to repurchase in the future. Based on the theoretical literature presented above, the customers of a certain telecommunication provider could be segmented by their loyalty as follows: Committed or emotionally loyal customers active customers who use only the certain providers services and declare that they will use only this provider in the future and recommend this provider to others; Behaviorally loyal customers active customers who use only the certain providers services and declare that they will use only this provider in the future but do not agree to recommend this provider to others (inert or functionally loyal); Contradictory or dubious customers active customers who use only the certain providers services but dont know which provider they will use in the future; Disloyal reducers- customers who have reduced or will reduce the percentage of the providers services in their usage; Leavers customers who declare, that they will certainly leave this provider. The impact of satisfaction on loyalty has been the most popular subject of studies. Several studies have revealed that there exists a direct connection between satisfaction and loyalty: satisfied customers become loyal and dissatisfied customers move to another vendor (Heskett J. et al. 1993). The primary objective of creating ACSI (American Customer Satisfaction Index) in 1984 was to explain the development of customer loyalty. In ACSI model customer satisfaction has three antecedents: perceived quality, perceived value and customer expectations (Anderson E. et al. 2000). In the ECSI (European Customer Satisfaction Index) model perceived quality is divided into two elements: â€Å"hard ware†, which consists of the quality of the product or service attributes, and â€Å"human ware†, which represents the associated customer interactive elements in service, i.e. the personal behaviour and atmosphere of the service environment (Gronholdt L. et al. 2000). In both model increased satisfaction should increase customer loyalty. When the satisfaction is low customers have the option to exit (e.g. going to a competitor) or express their complaints. Researches have shown that 60-80% of customers who turned to a competitor said they were satisfied or very satisfied on t he survey just prior to their defection (Reichheld F. et al. 2000). So its clear that there must be also other factors beside satisfaction that have a certain impact on customer loyalty. Image of brand or supplier is one of the most complex factors. It affects loyalty at least in two ways. Firstly, customer may use his preferences to present his own image. That may occur both in conscious and subconscious level. According to the Belks theory of extended self, people define themselves by the possessions they have, manage or create (Belk R. 1988). Aaker J. has shown how consumers prefer brands with personality traits that are corresponding with the personality traits that constitute their selfschemas (Aaker J. 1999). Kim C., Han D. and Park S. have researched the link between brand personality and loyalty. They did get positive support to hypothesis that the attractiveness of the brand personality indirectly affects brand loyalty (Kim C. et al. 2001). Tidwell P. and Horgan D. (1993) have showed that people use products to enhance self-image. Secondly, according to social identity theory, people tend to classify themselves into different social categories. That leads to evaluation of objectives and values in various groups and organisations in comparison with the customers own values and objectives. They prefer partners who share similar objectives and values (Ashforth B. et al. 2001). Fournier S. (1998) states that consumer-brand relationships are more a matter of perceived goal compatibility. Brands cohere into systems that consumers create not only to aid living but also to give meanings to their lives. Oliver R. (1999) argues that for fully bonded loyalty the consumable must be part of the consumers self-identity and his or her social-identity. Trustworthiness of the partner is a factor that has certain impact on the establishment of loyalty nobody expects a long-term relation with a partner that cannot be trusted. Trustworthiness is one criterion for measuring the value of the partner (Doney P. et al. 1997). Spekman R. (1988) calls trust a cornerstone of the strategic partnership. Morgan R. and Hunt S. (1994) posit that trust is a major determinant of relationship commitment: brand trust leads to brand loyalty because trust creates exchange relationships that are highly valued. Chauduri A. and Holbrook M. (2001) have showed that brand trust is directly related to both purchase and attitudinal loyalty. Many authors have accented that trust is important in conditions of uncertainty (Moorman C. et al. 1992; Doney P. et al. 1997; Morgan R. et al. 1994). Uncertainty may be caused by dependence or large choice: people tend then to prefer popular or familiar brands or partners. Many definitions describe loyalty as a desire to retain a valuable or important relationship (Morgan R. et al 1994; Moorman C. et al. 1992). That way the establishment of loyalty is predetermined by the importance of relevant relationship or selection. Weiss A. (2001) points out three aspects that may increase the importance of the relationship: strategic importance of a product; high risks involved in the transaction or costs incurred by cancellation of contracts. Hofmeyr J. and Rice B. point out that the more important the relationship is to a person, the more willing that person is to tolerate dissatisfaction in favour of trying to fix it. By contrast, when a relationship doesnt matter, then even the perfectly satisfied consumer can switch on to another product (Hofmeyr J. et al. 2000). A relationship can also be made important by personal approach. Various authors have compared loyalty with marriage (Lewitt T. . 1983; Dwyer F. et al. 1987; Gummeson E. 1998; Hofmeyr J. et al. 2000). Marriage is one of the most personal and important relationships. That means that intimacy is one determinant for importance of relationship. Lewitt T. (1983) has considered a role of salesman in making relationship more personal. Summarising the discussion above following figure   is presenting the major groups of factors affecting customer loyalty. The present study focused purely on customer perception of the relationship and the factors that have affected it and their loyalty or disloyalty. A useful extension of the study would be to couple such a study of how the service provider perceives the relationship and factors affecting customer loyalty or disloyalty. This would add factors such as customer profitability to the study, making it possible to focus on factors affecting customers that are most attractive to the company. In such a study, the customers and providers views on the relationship would be combined. As a result, one would identify potential gaps in the companys knowledge of the customer and also be able to eliminate potential misconceptions. Chapter 6. Chapter Outline. Presented work is built up of 8 chapters, dwelling upon the customers loyalty. Each chapter gives clear information on subtopics, which are logically combined to provide the reader with sufficient facts to understand the flow of the research. The first chapter is dealing with the background and justification for selection of the topic. Since customer loyalty is something more of what an enterprise must get from the customer, it is a very productive research product for the companies. As opposed to what the name suggests, is not just something that the customer has to build towards the enterprise. It is not just the customer who is being loyal to the company in the progress but also the company that has to maintain its loyalty to the customer The second chapter presents the hypothesis questions, which are being examined through the whole work. I come out with two hypothesis, which are as follows: Hypothesis 1: Factors such as satisfaction, trustworthiness, importance of relationship and image have a positive influence on loyalty; and Hypothesis 2: The relevance of factors affecting loyalty depends on the levels of loyalty of customers. The third and forth chapters puts light on the research methodology I have used to process the data and come to conclusions. I took into consideration secondary data, which originates from PacoNet Customer Satisfaction Survey carried out in November 2003 by professional market research company. Two software packages MS Excel 2000 and Stata 9.2 have been used for data processing and presenting the results of the research. In this chapter I also dwell upon the limitations of the research, which consists of time limitation, budget limitation, as well as demographical and methodological. The fifth chapter gives perception of the theory used for the thesis. It informs us, that theories of behavioral loyalty were dominating until 1970 considering loyalty as the function of the share of total purchases (Cunningham R. 1956; Farley J. 1964), function of buying frequency or buying pattern (Tucker W. 1964) or function of buying probability (Harary F. et al. 1962;). Contemporary researches consider and accent the psychological (mostly attitudinal and emotional) factor of loyalty (Jacoby J. et al. 1973; Oliver R. 1999; Chaudury A. 1995). These and other researches were used as a base for my own research proposal. And the last, sixth chapter provides with a brief outline of the research proposal stages. Having developed the hypothesis questions, and done a literature review we come to the conclusion that the findings of the present study reveal that it is not accurate to treat all customers equally in terms of methods of increasing their loyalty. The research supports the research proposition that the list of most important factors affecting loyalty is dependant on the level of loyalty of consumers. The overall satisfaction and importance of products build the foundation of any kind of loyalty. It shows also that reliability of products or trustworthiness of the supplier is most critical for behavioral loyalists and the image creation is the main tool for getting loyal customers. Therefore many factors were derived indirectly and with certain limitations, and they may lack some qualities considered in the theoretical part. There are multiple ways for further development of the model, but first there is need to elaborate reliable questionnaires for collecting the source data. There are several factors for building a customers loyalty which I could recommend. It is very important to communicate. Whether it is an email newsletter, monthly flier, a reminder card for a tune up, or a holiday greeting card, it is nice to reach out to a steady customers.   Another pleasant way is to provide customer service, to go the extra distance and meet customer needs, because customers remember being treated well. It is also very important to provide with employee loyalty. Loyalty works from the top down. If a boss is loyal to his employees, they will feel positively about their jobs and pass that loyalty along to the customers. Employee training should also be used, training them in the manner that to interact with customers. It is also of great advice to give customers a reason to return to the industrys business. For example, because children outgrow shoes quickly, the owner of a childrens shoe store might offer a card that makes the tenth pair of shoes half price. Likewise, a dentist may give a free cleaning to anyone who has seen him regularly for five years. It is also important to have products awareness, knowing what a steady customer purchase and keep these items in stock. It is possible to add other products and/or services that accompany or compliment the products that regular customers buy regularly. The reliability of the vendor is highly appreciated. If they say a purchase will arrive on Wednesday, they should deliver it on Wednesday. If something goes wrong, they should let customers know immediately and compensate them for their inconvenience. Vendors should be flexible, trying to solve customers problems or complaints to the best of their ability.

Enhanced British Parliamentary Papers on Ireland, 1801-1922 :: Government Politics Political Essays

Enhanced British Parliamentary Papers on Ireland, 1801-1922 The British Parliamentary Papers on Ireland (BPPI) are an indispensable primary source for virtually every historian (and many non-historians) working in most fields of Irish history, and the history of Anglo-Irish relations, during the period of the Union (1801-1922). We have identified some 13,700 official publications relating to Ireland from the House of Commons[1] Sessional Indexes for this period, ranging in scale from short bills of a few pages and reports, to the massive social inquiries with volumes of minutes of evidence exemplified by the decennial censuses, the Poor Inquiry Commission (1836) and Devon Commission (1845) reports, each of which were multi-volume documents covering thousands of pages. Subjects covered by BPPI range from government, politics and administration, to finance, agriculture and industry, communications, emigration, social conditions, poor relief and health, population, law and order, education, cultural institutions, religion and language. The types of evidence contained are extremely varied, from statistical series and accounts to lightly- or unedited transcripts of emigrants’ letters and witness interviews from across the social spectrum. Obviously the BPPI are elite documents, created by the Government, Parliament and state agencies for the purposes of governance, administration, and the creation of official knowledge. This naturally implies an official bias in what was thought relevant of observation, what data was collected, and what was selected for publication. The principal value of the BPPI might thus be taken to lie in what they tell us about governing knowledge, preoccupations, strategies and ideologies – all crucial in themselves for an understanding of the British-Irish relationship in the period between the Act of Union and the Irish Revolution and the partition of the island in 1919-22. But the BPPI can also provide us with much more than the ‘official view’. British governance of Ireland took place in the context of executive responsibility to Parliament, a body which contained growing numbers of oppositional and nationalist Irish members who could demand returns of official data and serve on committees and commissions of inquiry, and beyond Parliament (however imperfectly) to an Irish as well as a British public opinion, increasingly conscious through the burgeoning popular press of the proceedings of Parliament. Irish newspapers, for example, carried not only verbatim accounts of parliamentary debates, but long extracts from the BPPI, and debated their findings and implications in editorials. The BPPI were very much part of the public life of 19th and early 20th-century Ireland.

Training and Development

Training and Development University of Phoenix HCS/341 Training and Development Training and development in today’s health care setting is an imperative process that must be engrained within an organizational structure. The organization’s Human Resource (HR) department must ensure that every employee in the organization is correctly trained to perform the job duties that are assigned. Managers must accurately measure each employee’s competencies in order to strategically plan and implement training and development programs geared towards the progression of the corporation. This paper will explain why training and development are vital in healthcare, the importance of measuring competencies, as well as describe the processes for tracking and evaluating training effectiveness. Training & Education Many people often correlate training in conjunction with development, although, these terms are to some extent analogous, both terms bear two different meanings. (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, & Cardy, 2010). In the book â€Å"Managing Human Resources†, the term training is defined as â€Å"The process of providing employees with specific skills or helping them correct deficiencies in their performance† (Gomez-Mejia et al. 2010, p. 246). On the other hand, development is defined as â€Å"an effort to provide employees with the abilities the organization will need in the future† (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010, p. 246). In the health care setting, training and development of each health care professional is essential to improving the delivery of medical s ervices for patients and their families as well as organizational and personal growth. Medical litigation seems to be one of the biggest issues affecting healthcare today. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), which is an agency of the U. S. Department of health and human services, one of the most common root causes of medical error is the lack of training and education (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ], 2010). The AHRQ states: Organizational transfer of knowledge can include deficiencies in orientation or training, and lack of, or inconsistent, education and training for those providing care. This category of cause deals with the level of knowledge needed by individuals to perform the tasks that they are assigned. Transfer of knowledge is critical in areas where new employees or temporary help is often used. The organizational transfer of knowledge addresses how things are done in a particular organization or health care unit. This information is often not communicated or transferred. Organizational transfer of knowledge is also a critical issue in academic medical centers where physicians in training often rotate through numerous centers of care. ([AHRQ], 2010, Chapter 2) In order to reduce these common issues affecting healthcare, HR departments’ responsibility is to implement proper training regimens geared toward supporting the organization’s goals and missions. Certain training techniques are geared toward focusing on the skills needed to perform job duties. Some of the types of trainings include: skills, retaining, cross-functional, team, literacy, customer service, etc. (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). By receiving essential required training, health care professionals would then be able to effectively deliver quality care, furthermore, improving individual and organizational performance in efforts to achieve business and personal growth (Bureau of Labor statistics, U. S. Department of Labor [BLS, DOL], 2009). Measuring Competencies Measuring competencies is an extremely important process for HR. Accurately evaluating the validity of each employee’s goes a long way in ensuring protection for the organization as well as the individuals receiving health care. Managers must conduct a Task Analysis, which is an examination of the job or duties to be performed (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). A properly conducted job analysis should contain all the necessary information needed to understand job requirements and should be used to identify knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required to execute job functions (Gomez-Mejia et al. 2010) . Once the analysis is completed, the KSAs are then used to determine what kind of training is needed for the organization (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). By accurately evaluating each employee’s competency level, HR is then able to develop strategic plans that will advance growth for the organization as well as the individual. Measuring competencies is also vital to make certai n all staff members have the proficiency to abide by the standards and requirements set by government agencies. If competencies are not measured correctly, liability and ethics issues may arise which can result in costly litigation battles that may impede an organization’s growth. Tracking &Evaluating Training Effectiveness The process for tracking and evaluating training effectiveness takes place in the evaluation phase of the training program (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). In this phase, evaluation of training effectiveness is assessed through a four-level framework method (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). The book â€Å"Managing Human Resources† illustrates the process of the evaluation phase and the classification of the four-level framework system. The book states: Level 1 refers to the reaction of the trainees, and it may consist of ratings on a satisfaction scale that assess how happy trainees are with the training. Level 2 refers to how much the trainees learn, and it may be assessed with a skill exercise. Level 3 refers to the trainees’ behavior, and it may be measured by observers of the work operation. Level 4 refers to the results, which are generally assessed through the financial measure of return on investment (ROI). Results, the highest level of measurement, seem to be the most desirable way of assessing the success of a training program. (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010, p. 264) This evaluation process in then followed by four levels of evaluation employed by Garrett Engine Division (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). The Garrett Engine Division evaluation process measures performance before and after the training for both trained and untrained employees (Gomez-Mejia et al. 2010). HR must also conduct performance appraisals, which is the identification, measurement, and management of human performance in the health care organization to make certain employees are receiving effective training (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). Conclusion In summary, quality training, education, and development is imperative for the success of any healthcare organization. In order to achieve optimal development an d growth for the organization and the employees, HR must implement proper training and development programs within the organization’s structure. Competency assessment is vital in the process of building an employee’s career development plan, in addition to reducing organizational liability issues (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). Therefore, accurately measuring competencies and training effectiveness through an evaluation phase and performance appraisals prove to be beneficial in a variety of ways, ranging from operational to strategic purposes (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). References Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2010). Efforts to Reduce Medical Errors: AHRQ’s Response to Senate Committee on Appropriations Questions. In AHRQ’s Patient Safety Initiative (Ch. 2). Retrieved from http://www. ahrq. gov/qual/pscongrpt/psini2. htm Bureau of Labor statistics, U. S. Department of Labor. (2009). Human Resources, Training, and Labor Relations Managers and Specialists. In Occupational Outlook Handbook (2010-11 ed. ). Retrieved from http://www. bls. gov/oco/ocos021. htm Gomez-Mejia, L. R. , Balkin, D. B. , & Cardy, R. L. (2010). Managing Human Resources (6th ed. ) [Adobe Reader]. doi: ISBN: 9780136093527 Mays, S. , Swetnich, D. , & Gorken, L. 2002, March). Towards a Unique Patient Identifier []. Health Management Technology, 23(3), 42. doi: ISSN:10744770 United States Department of Labor. (2009). Human Resources, Training, and Labor Relations Managers and Specialists. Retrieved from http://www. bls. gov/oco/ocos021. htm Wager, K. A. , Lee, F. W. , Glaser, J. P. , & Burns, L. R. (2009). Purpose of Patient Records. In Health Care Information Systems. A Practical Approach for Health Care Management (2nd e d. , pp. 8-9). [Adobe Reader]. doi: ISBN: 9780470387801

Era of Good Feelings essays

Era of Good Feelings essays James Monroe was president during the Era of Good Feelings. It was called that because there were few political battles and his Democratic-Republican party ruled almost unopposed. It was a transitional period in which the nations democratic institutions and capitalist economy were taking form. The Era of Good Feelings was a period of dramatic growth and intense nationalism. National identity, as opposed to state interest, was growing as evidenced by the westward movement and the construction of roads and canals. These internal improvements were built to tie together the nations commerce. They were considered a national priority and were funded by Congress. Other evidence of new nationalism was demonstrated by the way President Monroe was received by the people on his tour of New England and the west. Also, the spirit of nationalism was apparent in Supreme Court decision that established the supremacy of the federal government and expanded the powers of Congress. During this p eriod, the nation had experienced a huge economic boost. Preceding the war of 1812, the American people were forced to diversify their production by manufacturing and agriculture because they could no longer depend on the goods of Britain. For many years since America had been formed, they had looked to Britain as a source of supplies. Because of the impressments and Orders of Council, Americans turned away from Britain. They turned inward to find the resources they needed. American manufacturers, farmers, and traders were able to expand their production to satisfy the needs of their country. Thus, industrial development enhanced national self-sufficiency and united the nation. During the War of 1812, American commerce paused in order to focus on their struggle for survival. However, after the War of 1812, the relations between America and Britain settled down peacefully, and trade was able to resume. England needed resource...

The Commonly Confused Words Avocation and Vocation

The Commonly Confused Words Avocation and Vocation The English language is full of words that sound similar but have different meanings - or ones that sound different but actually mean similar things. The nouns avocation  and vocation  are among the former group. Although these two nouns look and sound very similar, their meanings are actually not the same.   Definitions An avocation is a hobby or any other activity taken up in addition to ones regular work; it may especially refer to something that is a persons true passion or interest. A vocation is ones principal occupation, often used in the context  of a calling to a particular way of life or course of action. Why Do They Sound Alike? Both  avocation  and  vocation  derive originally from a Latin verb,  vocare,  which means to call.  Avocation  derives from a compounded version of this word,  avocatio, which compounded  ab  (a preposition meaning away from) and  vocare  to create a word that signified a distraction or something off the main path. Since an avocation is an interest thats off the path of ones day-to-day work, its easy to see how this word has come through.   Vocation, in contrast, comes from  vocare  without any alterations. When the word  vocation  appears, it typically carries a connotation of not just a job, but a job thats part of a persons calling in life. It can still be used just as a synonym for job or occupation, but in contemporary usage, it more often has that extra layer of meaning as a job that feels more like a calling. Examples Michel Roux is the chef of a London restaurant by profession and a marathon runner by avocation.Joan Feigenbaum . . . was delighted when she found her true vocation in the Summer Research Program at ATTs famous Bell Labs.(Notable Women in Mathematics: A Biographical Dictionary, ed. by Charlene Morrow and Teri Perl. Greenwood, 1998)Music was  the only vocation  anyone had ever heard of for a blind child, and the church took up a collection of pennies and nickels to buy Pilgrim a fiddle.(Michael Crummey, Sweetland. Liveright, 2015) Practice (a) After retiring from teaching, my father decided to focus on his  longtime _____ of juggling.(b) By  outward account Simone Weil was a failure several times over, yet in her true _____  as a writer  she succeeded brilliantly.(Thomas R. Nevin,  Simone Weil: Portrait of a Self-Exiled Jew. The University of North Carolina Press, 1991)   Answers to Practice Exercises Glossary of Usage: Index of Commonly Confused Words Answers to Practice Exercises: Avocation and Vocation (a) After retiring from teaching, my father decided to focus on his  longtime avocation of juggling.(b) By  outward account Simone Weil was a failure several times over, yet in her true vocation  as a writer  she succeeded brilliantly.(Thomas R. Nevin,  Simone Weil: Portrait of a Self-Exiled Jew. The University of North Carolina Press, 1991)  Ã‚   Glossary of Usage: Index of Commonly Confused Words

Individual Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Individual - Research Proposal Example Interestingly, despite being different documents, both can be used together. The practical as well as the theoretical differences are highlighted below: - Practical Differences A formal research has large differences from a business proposal. The funding structure of formal research and a business proposal are completely different. The funds for a formal research are usually procured from a learning institution, government, or even public bodies. The findings are therefore expected to add value to the pool of knowledge. The business proposal is funded by various firms when it comes to notice that certain problems are contributing negatively towards the achievement of organizational objectives. Although, both the documents may seem to be similar, there are several critical differences between the two in terms of the overall goals, purposes, sections and uses. Identification of these discrete differences allows the researchers to come up with an effective business proposal and formal r esearch. The differences between the two factors are discussed in details in the subsequent section. The formal research is modeled in such a way that can be imitated and aimed at building on the researches carried previously about the subject of concern. The business plan is however aimed at finding the optimal solution to the problem that is being faced by the organization. In addition, business proposals do not allow experiments, but surveys and experiments are allowed by formal research. The source from which data is collected for both the research papers also has major differences. While creating business proposals, researchers usually consider industry reports or authentic electronic sources. In addition, the data used for the formulating the business plan are mostly up-to-date. Formal research usually encompasses latest scholarly articles or books (Finch, 2013). Theoretical Differences A formal research report provides fundamental information and statistics about a particular field or industry. However, it is purely dependent upon the focus of the company. For example, a company may study about the demand of a particular product by researching about the demands of similar products already existing in the market. In addition, the study can be also about the sales figures and values of similar products. Finally, these findings will reveal whether the market for the product being examined is highly saturated, moderately saturated or offers a ripe business opportunity. On the other hand, a business proposal is also a research document that is usually completed for the principal rationale of suggesting a method for completing a particular task in the near future. A business proposal usually describes about the task to be completed, a section to illustrate the approach of the task, the time frame in which the task is to be completed, and outlining the resources and fund required to complete the project. The task which is being highlighted here is usually the launch of a new business. The formal research can be used in many cases, but business plans are usually formulated when a new venture is supposed to be launched. Another striking difference between the two factors is that the formal research paper is principally developed for the purpose of evaluating whether a company should consider development of another products or service. This report is mainly used by financial

Changes must happen in both human eating habits and food cultivation Research Paper

Changes must happen in both human eating habits and food cultivation if the human race is to survive - Research Paper Example uding pizza and burger focusing mainly on takeaway food items, this in return result’s in harmful diseases in conjunction to obesity and poor eating habits and diet namely heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes as per US department of health and human services. In order to overcome these life claiming diseases it is important for people to alter their lifestyles eating habits and recognize the need for healthy diet. Conversely, comparing modern cultivation with traditional cultivation in today’s era the profit norm drives the mechanism of farming paying special emphasis on quantity of crops to be yield using pesticides and chemical fertilizers having implication on both ecosystem and human life, these crucial matters if not tend to than could lead to substantive impact on human lives (National Research Council , 1975). Firstly, poor diet associated with bad eating habits makes a human body more prone to being overweight and obese, according to W.H.O (World Health Organization) these traits makes a human body more susceptible to chronic diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular heart diseases and cancer. People today should recognize the need to alter their lifestyle and incorporate physical activities and more importantly establish a healthy diet routine for themselves and recommend others as well by explaining to them the catastrophic risk on their lives which could be avoided by doing so (Counihan, 2013). Secondly, Stanford hospital USA suggest as per their research that alone in the United States of America obesity has doubled in children and tripled among teenagers since 1980, quoted as per research, that 15% percent of children aged six to 19 are considered overweight, adding to this that more than 60% of adults are either overweight or obese. As per WHO analysis, published on their website obesity was initially to be found more in high income developed countries but today this issue has widespread to developing medium income countries as well this