Observation Essay About Gymnasts - 984 Words

Zachary Grenier Paper 3 Professor Stutzman November 20, 2011 Androgynous Athletes or Just Girls? It’s midafternoon, class-bound students are passing each other in the halls, and all I can hear is loud music secreting from two large oak doors with fogged glass. I peer in through the slightly ajar door to observe something amazing. A circus of sorts was hiding just outside the hallway. Flipping, jumping, spinning, and tumbling, in every direction I looked. Metal apparatus stretch high into the sky with silhouettes of strong bodied females gracefully swinging from bar to bar. On my left an elevated floor with more scattered females charging down a path of blue mats concluding with cartwheels and back flips. To my right a more†¦show more content†¦I could see the girls were fighters and like a pack of wolves will surround each other in protection. I viewed the maternal instinct women are born with and a camaraderie known to anyone who’s played a team sport. Most female students at Southern have no camouflage and surface appeal gives it all away. Some are purely there for education, while others to impress the male student body. The motivation behind their look and stride is about attracting attention. Most girls at Southern show pride for sports through a sweatshirt or boyfriends track jacket. Like in the fifties, the same rules apply to college relationships and symbols of commitment remain the same. The women’s gymnastics team is distinct though. They were consistently worried about each other and impressions were made through achievements not a letter jacket. No armoire is worn on their battlefield, just calloused hands and dedication. I just stood there for over an hour in pure awe. So while I stand in admiration of these girls, their personalities and talents woven intricately together to form a resilient team, I can’t help but put them on a pedestal. Not the type they stand on with a gold medal around thei r neck, but a pedestal lofted by dedication, hard work, and pure talent. While other girls at SCSU spend their time at the gym on the stair master or treadmill working on their ever soShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Article Never Just Pictures By Susan Bordo902 Words   |  4 PagesThis is disturbing to say the least. There many attributes worse than being overweight: dishonest, cruel, and murderous to name a few. Bordo also uses an example in the first paragraph of her essay that is appalling. Alicia Silverstone, the lead role in Clueless, was completely bombarded with insults about her weight, though she had only gained a few pounds since her starring role. The advertisers did nothing to praise the nineteen-year-old for her accomplishments, they just wanted to demean herRead More What is an expert? Essay example1560 Words   |  7 Pagesreading English text, writing, riding a bicycle, driving a car, getting around campus, talking to friends, studying particular courses, taking notes, seeing mathematical relationships, understanding formal arguments, taking multiple choice tests, taking essay tests. As we develop skills in these areas the structure of our performance changes. Hypothesis: The development of expertise parallels the development of cognition in children. As people develop expertise their skills and performance becomes structurallyRead MoreThe Potato : A Potato Hit My Mom1858 Words   |  8 Pagesdirection, the potato was swiftly plucked off of the stack of potatoes on the table and tossed at my mom. The photo-essay brings a series of images together in the attempt of bringing forth a strongly-evidenced coalesced argument. The reader is intended to relate them together through what the images say and thus gain a feeling of what the author intends to communicate. Photo-essays are often viewed as being truthful based on the idea that the photographs themselves they are made up of are inherentlyRead MoreEating Disorders and Free Essays8687 Words   |  35 Pagesï » ¿2 = 2 dfhnmxpd h Free Essays Home | Search Essays | FAQ | Guarantees | Privacy | Lost Essay? | Contact Search Results eating disorder Free Essays Unrated Essays Better Essays Stronger Essays Powerful Essays Term Papers Research Papers Search by keyword: Sort By: Your search returned over 400 essays for eating disorder. To narrow your search results, please add more search terms to your query. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [Next ] These results are sorted by most relevantRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesEnvironment 22 †¢ Improving Ethical Behavior 22 Coming Attractions: Developing an OB Model 23 An Overview 23 †¢ Inputs 24 †¢ Processes 25 †¢ Outcomes 25 Summary and Implications for Managers 30 S A L Self-Assessment Library How Much Do I Know About Organizational Behavior? 4 Myth or Science? â€Å"Most Acts of Workplace Bullying Are Men Attacking Women† 12 An Ethical Choice Can You Learn from Failure? 24 glOBalization! Does National Culture Affect Organizational Practices? 30 Point/Counterpoint LostRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 Pages(alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-07-340334-2 (alk. paper) 1. Project management. 2. Time management. 3. Risk management. I. Gray, Clifford F. II. Gray, Clifford F. Project management. III. Title. HD69.P75G72 2011 658.4904—dc22 2009054318 www.mhhe.com About the Authors Erik W. Larson ERIK W. LARSON is professor of project management at the College of Business, Oregon State University. He teaches executive, graduate, and undergraduate courses on project management, organizational behavior, and leadership

Gaps of Service Quality Free Essays

Measuring Perceived Service Quality Using s e rv q ua l: A Case Study of the Croatian Hotel Industry ? s u z ana m ar k ovi c Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management Opatija, Croatia s an j a r as p o r Polytechnic of Rijeka, Croatia The purpose of the study is to examine customers’ perceptions of service quality in the Croatian hotel industry. The aim is to assess the perceived service quality of hotel attributes and to determine the factor structure of service quality perception. A modi? d s e rv q ua l scale was used to assess service quality perceptions from the perspective of domestic and international tourists. We will write a custom essay sample on Gaps of Service Quality or any similar topic only for you Order Now Data were collected in 15 hotels in the Opatija Riviera (Croatia), using a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistical analysis, exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis were conducted. The study results indicate the rather high expectations of hotel guests regarding service quality. ‘Reliability,’ ‘empathy and competence of staff,’ ‘accessibility’ and ‘tangibles’ are the key factors that best explained customers’ expectations of hotel service quality. The results of the quantitative assessment of perceived service quality may provide some insights on how customers rate the service quality of a particular hotel. Thus, the ? ndings can be used as a guide for hotel managers to improve the crucial quality attributes and enhance service quality and business performance. Key words: service quality, servqual, factor analysis, reliability analysis, hotel industry Introduction In the highly competitive hotel industry, service becomes one of the most important elements for gaining a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. Consequently, the efforts of service managers and academic researchers are directed towards understanding how customers perceive the quality of service. Customers are likely to view services as a variety of attributes that may, in different ways, contribute to their purchase intentions and perceptions of service quality. Although researchers (Gronroos 1984; Parasuraman, Berry and Zeithaml 1985, Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry 1988; Zeithaml, Parasuraman and Berry 1990) have focused m anag e m e n t 5 ( 3 ) : 195–209 195 ? Suzana Markovic and Sanja Raspor on different aspects of service quality, they all agree that the emphasis should be on customers. The most common de? nition of the concept is attitude, which results from a comparison of customers’ expectations with perceptions of performance (Parasuraman, Berry and Zeithaml 1985, Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry 1988). What is more, customers perceive service quality as a multidimensional concept. The speci? c nature of services makes it dif? cult to provide, measure and maintain their quality. However, Parasuraman Berry and Zeithaml and Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1985, 1988) presented the s e rvq ual scale, which became the most popular instrument for measuring service quality. The model has been applied in various service industries, including tourism and hospitality. In most of the researches the instrument was modi? ed to suit the features of a speci? c service. The study has several objectives. The ? rst objective is to determine the level of perceived service quality in Croatian hotels. The second aim is to establish the number of dimensions of perceived service quality in the hospitality industry, using the modi? ed s e rvq ual model. Finally, the third objective is to test the reliability of the modi? ed s e rvq ual model. Conceptual Background p e r c e i ve d s e rvic e q ual i t y The service quality construct is mostly conceptualized in the context of service marketing literature (Lee, Lee and Yoo 2000). Therefore, it deals with the concept of perceived service quality. According to Zeithaml, Parasuraman and Berry (1990), perceived service quality is the extent to which a ? m successfully serves the purpose of customers. Customers determine the perceived or cognitive value of service based on their experience with the service delivered. Ghobadian, Speller and Jones (1994) stated that customers’ expectations, service delivery process and service outcome have an impact on perceived service quality. Yoo and Park (2007) found that employees, as an integral part of the service process, are a critical element in enhancing perceived service quality. Furthermore, Edvardsson (2005) pointed out that service quality perceptions are formed during the production, delivery and consumption process. The author concluded that customers’ favorable and unfavorable experience, as well as their positive and negative emotions may have an important impact on 196 m anag e m e n t  · vo lu m e 5 Measuring Perceived Service Quality Using servq ual perceived service quality. Similarly, O’Neill and Palmer (2003) have reported that customers’ perceptions of service quality may, to a large extent, be in? uenced by the degree of their prior experience with a particular service. In the hospitality industry, several studies have examined hotel attributes that guests may ? d important when evaluating the performed service quality. Literature review suggests that cleanliness (Atkinson 1988; Knutson 1988; Gundersen, Heide and Olsson 1996), security and safety (Atkinson, 1988; Knutson, 1988; Gundersen et al. 1996), employees’ empathy and competence (Atkinson 1988; Knutson 1988; Barsky and Labagh 1992; Gundersen, Heide ? and Olsson 1996; Choi and Chu 2001; Markovic 2004) , convenient location (Knutson 1988; Barsky and Labagh 1992), value for money (Atkinson 1988; Gundersen, Heide and Olsson 1996; Choi and Chu ? 001) and physical facilities (Choi and Chu 2001; Markovic 2004) are attributes that hotel guests perceive as being important. It should be noted that according to some authors, perceived service quality has been accepted as an antecedent of customer satisfaction (Churchill and Suprenant 1982; Oliver 1997). What is more, Rowley (1998) argued that perceived service quality is an attitude related to, but not the same, as satisfaction. It is evident that the relationship between these two concepts is complex and that they have a causal ordering. e rvi c e q ual i t y m e as u r e m e n t One of the main research instruments for measuring quality in service industries is the s e rvq ual model, developed by Parasuraman Berry and Zeithaml and Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1985; 1988). The model contains 22 items for assessing customer perception s and expectations regarding the quality of service. A level of agreement or disagreement with a given item is rated on a sevenpoint Likert-type scale. The level of service quality is represented by the gap between perceived and expected service. The s e rvq ual model is based on ? e service quality dimensions, namely tangibles (physical facilities, equipment and personnel appearance), reliability (ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately), responsiveness (willingness to help customers and provide prompt service), assurance (knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to gain trust and con? dence) and empathy (providing individualized attention to the customers). During the last few years a variety of service quality studies have been conducted (Ladhari 2008). Among others, service quality was n u m b e r 3  · fal l 2 0 1 0 97 ? Suzana Markovic and Sanja Raspor measured in: accounting and audit ? rms (Ismail 2006), health spas ? (Snoj and Mumel 2 002; Markovic, Horvat and Raspor 2004), higher ? ? education (Russel 2005; Markovic 2006), hotels (Markovic 2003, 2004; Juwaheer 2004; Wang, Wang and Zhao 2007; Raspor 2009), insurance (Tsoukatos, Marwa and Rand 2004), public-transport (Sanchez Perez 2007), restaurants (Andaleeb and Conway 2006; Namkung and Jang 2008), travel agencies (Martinez Caro and Martinez Garcia 2008), and web-sites (Parasuraman, Zethaml and Malhotra 2005; Nusair and Kandampully 2008). Despite its wide usage, 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 s e rvq ual items are reliable predictors of overall service quality (Khan 2003). As a result of these criticisms, alternative measures of service quality for speci? c service settings were developed. In the tourism and hospitality industry, Knutson et al. (1991) developed l o d g s e rv, a model utilized to measure service quality in the lodging industry. The model is based on ? ve original s r evq ual dimensions and contains 26 items. Getty and Thompson (1994) introduced another speci? c model for hotel settings, called l o d g q ua l, as did Wong Ooi Mei, Dean and White (1999) who developed a h o l s e rv model. The l o d ge q ual model identi? ed three dimensions, namely tangibles, reliability and contact. On the other hand, the h o l s e rv model includes 27 items, grouped in ? e original s e rv q ua l dimensions. Furthermore, d i n e s e rv is a model used for measuring restaurant service quality (Stevens, Knutson and Patton 1995). It contains 29 items and ? ve s e rv q ua l dimensions. O’Neill et al. (2000) developed the d i ve p e r f model for assessing perceptions of diving services. The model consists of ? ve servqual dimensions and 27 items. e c o s e rv was int roduced by Khan (2003). It was utilized to measure service quality expectations in eco-tourism, using 30 items and ? ve s e rvq ual dimensions. All of these models represent modi? ations of the s e rvq ual instrument, aiming to improve its original methodology. However, Cronin and Taylor (1992) argued that performance is the measure that best explains customers’ perceptions of service quality, so expectations should not be included in the service quality measurement instrument. They developed a performance-only scale called s e rvp e r f and tested it in four industries. Results indicated 198 m anag e m e n t  · vo lu m e 5 Measuring Perceived Service Quality Using servq ual that the s e rvp e r f model explains more of the variation in service quality than s e rvq ual; it had an excellent ? in all four industries and it contains only half the number of items that must be measured. These results were interpreted as additional support for the superiority of the servperf appr oach to the measurement of service quality. Several authors used the performance-only approach to assess service quality in tourism and hospitality settings. Travelers’ perceptions of hotel attributes were measured in Hong Kong’s hotels (Choi and Chu 2001), hotels of Mauritius (Juwaheer 2004) and Malaysian hotels (Poon and Lock-Teng Low 2005). The question of whether service quality should be measured as the difference between customers’ perceptions and expectations, or whether some alternative approach is more appropriate remains part of an extensive debate in service quality literature. Methodology Hotel guests’ perceptions were measured with a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was developed on the basis of a literature review and adopted to suit the speci? c features of a hotel setting (Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry 1988; Zeithaml et al. 1990; ? Snoj and Ogorelc 1998; Pizam and Ellis 1999; Markovic 2003). As a foundation or questionnaire development, the s e rvq ual model was used. The original items were slightly modi? ed to suit the hospitality setting. For example, instead of ‘x y z Company has modernlooking equipment,’ the statement was modi? ed to the ‘Hotel has modern-looking equipment. ’ The original item ‘Guests feel safe in their transactions with employees’ was replaced by the item ‘Guests feel safe and secure in their stay. ’ The reason for this change is the confusing meaning of the word ‘transactions’ and the fact that safety and security are regarded as an important factor in a hotel stay. Moreover, in order to measure attributes speci? to the hotel environment, the following items were added: ‘parking area’ (Pizam and Ellis 1999), ‘appropriate location,’ ‘available and clear information,’ ‘variety of facilities’ (Snoj and Ogorelc 1998), ‘clean and tidy hotel,’ ‘feeling safe and secure,’ ‘ease of ? nding a way around the hotel’ ? and ‘typical service quality for hotel category’ (Markovic, 2003). All the statements in the questionnaire were positively worded. Finally, the modi? cation resulted in the deletion of one original s e rvq ual item and the inclusion of eight new items, leaving a total of 29 hotel attributes. These attributes represented seven dimensions: ? e original servqual dimensions (tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, as- n u m b e r 3  · fal l 2 0 1 0 199 ? Suzana Markovic and Sanja Raspor surance, empathy) and two new dimensions, named as accessibility and output quality. The questionnaire consisted of two parts. The ? rst part measured guests’ perceptions of hotel attributes using a modi? ed s e rv q ua l model. Service quality perceptions were measured on a seven-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 ‘strongly disagree’ to 7 ‘strongly agree. ’ The second part was designed to capture respondents’ demographic and traveling characteristics, hich included country of residence, age, gender, purpose of visit, duration of staying at a hotel, level of education, and hotel category. The target population of the survey was guests staying in hotels on the Opatija Riviera (Croatia) during the summer of 2007. Qu estionnaires were distributed in 15 (2-, 3- and 4-star) hotels, after hotel managers agreed to participate in the study. Reception desk employees were asked to administer the questionnaires to guests during their hotel stay, and to collect them after completion. In each hotel questionnaires were randomly distributed to the guests. Of 265 returned questionnaires, 12 were not included in the analysis because of incompleteness. Thus, data analysis is based on a sample of 253 valid questionnaires. The response rate was 26 per cent. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to describe respondents’ demographic characteristics and to evaluate service quality perceptions of hotel guests. An exploratory factor analysis was performed on the 29 perception attributes included in the questionnaire in order to determine underlying dimensions of hotel service quality perceptions. Principal component analysis with varimax rotation was conducted. Items with eigenvalues equal to or greater than 1, factor loadings above 0. 4, and factors which contain at least three items were retained (Hair et al. 2006). Furthermore, a reliability analysis was performed to test the reliability of the scale and inner consistency of extracted factors. For this purpose, Cronbach’s alpha coef? cients were calculated. Results In order to achieve the study’s goals, descriptive analysis, factor analysis, and reliability analysis were performed. The results are presented as follows. First, respondents’ demographic and traveling characteristics are provided. Next, the results of descriptive analysis of guests’ perceptions are presented. Third, the results of factor and reliability analyses are interpreted. The statistical analysis was conducted on 253 valid questionnaires. The demographic and traveling characteristics of the respondents 200 m anag e m e n t  · vo lu m e 5 Measuring Perceived Service Quality Using servq ual tab le 1 Demographic pro? le of the respondents Items Percentage Gender Items Percentage Age Male 51. 8 16–25 3. 6 Female 48. 2 26–35 15. 4 Purpose of visit Business Visit friends, relatives Vacation Others 36–45 26. 1 . 1 46–55 19. 4 4. 3 56–65 25. 7 86. 2 0. 4 Level of education Primary school 66 and above 9. 9 Country of residence Austria Croatia 16. 6 Secondary school 29. 2 Italy 20. 9 Higher education 24. 1 Germany 14. 6 University and above 36. 4 Others 36. 8 Others 3. 6 11. 1 6. 7 Duration of staying at a hotel Hotel category 4-star 53. 3 1–3 days 19. 0 3-star 3 3. 3 4–7 days 49. 8 2-star 13. 4 8–15 days 28. 1 are presented in table 1. The sample included domestic (16. 6 per cent) and international tourists (83. 4 per cent). There were slightly more males (51. 8 per cent) than females (48. per cent), and most of the respondents (55 per cent) were older than 46 years. More than 60 per cent of hotel guests in the sample had a university or college education. About 86 per cent of the respondents indicated that the main purpose of their visit was vacation. Most of them stayed at a 4-star hotel, for between four and seven days. The results of the descriptive statistical analysis of guests’ perceptions in the hotel industry are shown in table 2. The range of service quality perceptions items was from 1 (very low perceptions) to 7 (very high perceptions). The mean scores of guests’ perceptions ranged from 4. 7 to 6. 34. The lowest perception item was ‘offering a variety of facilities,’ which indicates that hotels do not provide enough suitable facilities that could enhance hotel quality. On the other hand, hotel guests’ highest perceptions were regarding the ‘ease of ? nding a way around the hotel,’ Furthermore, guests highly assessed the following hotel attributes: ‘feeling safe and secure,’ ‘willingness for helping guests’ and ‘courteous hotel staff. ’ These indicate that a hotel’s staff has one of the crucial roles in n u m b e r 3  · fal l 2 0 1 0 201 ? Suzana Markovic and Sanja Raspor tab le 2 Average scores of service quality perceptions in hotel settings Attributes Mean St. dev. v1 Modern-looking equipment 5. 31 1. 48 v2 Visually appealing physical facilities 5. 53 1. 23 v3 Neat hotel staff 6. 13 0. 90 v4 Visually appealing materials (pamphlets, web-sites) 5. 53 1. 23 v5 Clean and tidy hotel 6. 06 1. 05 v6 Appropriate location 6. 19 1. 00 v7 Parking area 4. 96 1. 87 v8 Performing service in the promised time 5. 98 0. 93 v9 Interest in solving guests’ problems 6. 09 1. 00 v10 Performing services right the ? rst time 5. 99 0. 89 v11 Service without delays 6. 02 0. 84 v12 Error-free service 5. 81 . 98 v13 Knowing the exact time when service will be performed 6. 00 0. 90 v14 Hotel staff provides prompt service 5. 98 0. 91 v15 Willingness to help guests 6. 25 0. 80 v16 Hotel staff has time to answer guests’ questions 6. 13 0. 94 v17 Hotel staff instills con? dence 6. 14 0. 92 v18 Courteous hotel staff 6. 25 0. 82 v19 Hotel staff has knowledge to answer questions 5. 99 0. 90 v20 Feeling safe and secure 6. 29 0. 81 v21 Providing individual attention 5. 81 1. 03 v22 Convenient opening hours 5. 94 1. 01 v23 Hotel staff provides personal attention 5. 86 0. 98 v24 Guests’ best interests at heart 6. 02 0. 87 25 Understanding guests’ speci? c needs 5. 86 1. 01 v26 Ease of ? nding one’s way around the hotel 6. 34 0. 85 v27 Available and clear information in the hotel 6. 17 0. 89 v28 Offering a variety of facilities 4. 77 1. 66 v29 Typical service quality for hotel category 6. 03 1. 09 Overall mean for 29 attributes 5. 92 performing high service quality. The overall mean score for service quality perceptions items was 5. 92. This score indicates rather high perceptions of hotel guests regarding service quality. The exploratory factor analysis extracted ? ve factors, which accounted for 65. 1 per cent of variance in the data. Since the ? th factor contained only two items, it could not be considered as a factor and is not interpr eted. The results are presented in table 3. Most of the factor loadings were greater than 0. 60, implying a rea- 202 m anag e m e n t  · vo lu m e 5 Measuring Perceived Service Quality Using servq ual Factor analysis and reliability analysis results of hotel guests’ perceptions (n = 253) Items (n = 29) Factors f1 f2 f3 f4 f5 Communalities v9 0. 751 0. 688 v12 0. 732 0. 703 v13 0. 671 0. 595 v11 0. 658 0. 675 v10 0. 648 0. 615 v14 0. 623 0. 664 v22 0. 623 0. 557 v8 0. 586 0. 584 v3 0. 505 0. 614 v25 0. 731 0. 793 v16 0. 725 0. 748 v23 . 723 0. 776 v21 0. 713 0. 711 v19 0. 688 0. 616 v17 0. 632 0. 688 v27 0. 622 0. 683 v6 0. 693 0. 580 v26 0. 686 0. 625 v20 0. 618 0. 679 v18 0. 554 0. 685 v5 0. 549 0. 509 v24 0. 537 0. 632 v29 0. 529 0. 447 v15 0. 482 0. 598 v2 0. 784 0. 778 v1 0. 748 0. 723 v4 0. 501 v28 % of Variance Cronbach alpha Number of items 0. 684 0. 675 0. 669 2. 577 1. 514 18. 879 14. 774 8. 887 5. 222 65. 104 0. 869 0. 785 — 0. 953 8 3 2 v7 Eigenvalue 0. 56 2 0. 771 5. 551 4. 953 4. 284 19. 142 17. 079 0. 916 0. 917 9 7 sonably high correlation between extracted factors and their individual items. The communalities of 29 items ranged from 0. 47 to 0. 793 indicating that a large amount of variance has been extracted by the factor solution. Only one item (‘typical service quality for hotel category’) was below the suggested value of 0. 50 (Hair et al. , 2006). n u m b e r 3  · fal l 2 0 1 0 203 ? Suzana Markovic and Sanja Raspor The four remaining factors are labeled as follows: f 1 – ‘reliability’ (solving guests’ problems and performing error-free service at promised time), f2 – ‘empathy and competence of staff’ (staff knowledge and ability to provide individual attention), f 3 – ‘accessibility’ (appropriate location of the hotel and ease of communication and ? ding the way around the hotel) and f 4 – ‘tangibles’ (appearance of the fac ilities, equipment and communication materials). The ? rst factor contains most of the items and explains most of the variance. Thus, hotel service reliability is an important determinant of perceived service quality. The results of the reliability analysis showed that Cronbach’s alpha coef? cients of the extracted factors ranged from 0. 785 to 0. 917. That is well above the minimum value of 0. 60, which is considered acceptable as an indication of scale reliability (Hair et al. 2006). Thus, these values suggest good internal consistency of the factors. Finally, Cronbach’s alpha value for the overall perception scale is 0. 953 and indicates its high reliability. Discussion and Conclusion Perceptions of hotel service quality are the degree to which hotel guests ? nd various hotel attributes important in enhancing their satisfaction with the hotel stay. In the present study, it was revealed that the main dimensions of perceived service quality in hotels are ‘reliability,’ ‘empathy and competence of staff,’ ‘accessibility,’ and ‘tangibles. ’ Two of these are similar to the s e rvq ual model, while others overlap with the original s e rvq ual dimensions. However, the studies conducted in the hotel sector identi? ed different outcomes with regard to the number and interpretation of dimensions guests use to assess perceived hotel service quality. Akan (1995) reported a seven-dimension structure, labeled as ‘courtesy and competence of the personnel,’ ‘communications and transactions,’ ‘tangibles,’ ‘knowing and understanding the customer,’ ‘accuracy and speed of service,’ ‘solutions to problems’ and ‘accuracy of hotel reservations. ’ Wong Ooi Mei et al. (1999) identi? ed ‘employees,’ ‘tangibles’ and ‘reliability’ as key dimensions of service quality in the hospitality industry. Moreover, Choi and Chu (2001) reported the following seven dimensions: ‘staff service quality,’ ‘room qualities,’ ‘general amenities,’ ‘business services,’ ‘value,’ ‘security’ and ? ‘i d d facilities,’ Markovic (2003) identi? ed a three-dimension solution, interpreted as ‘empathy and assurance of hotel staff,’ ‘reliability,’ and ‘physical quality. ’ This implies that the number and de? nition of the dimensions depend on the measurement context. 204 m anag e m e n t  · vo lu m e 5 Measuring Perceived Service Quality Using servq ual Furthermore, the ? ndings of this study reveal that among the four dimensions, reliability’ has emerged as the most important predictor of perceived service quality. In the hospitality industry, this dimension refers to solving guests’ problems, performing error-free service at the promised time, providing prompt service, convenient opening hours of hotel facilities. This ? nding is similar to Knutson et al. (1991) and Juwaheer’s (2004) research conducted in hotel settings. The indicators of factor and reliability analyses are also consistent with similar studies conducted in the hospitality industry. The proposed factor structure of the present study, as well as in the studies ? onducted by Choi and Chu (2001) and Markovic (2003) have explained the rather high percentage of variance in original data – 65. 1 per cent, 67. 2 per cent and 73. 9 per cent, respectively. The Cronbach alpha values are 0. 95 (this study), 0. 94 (Choi and Chu 2001) and 0. 92 ? (Markovic 2003) and indicate high reliability of the instruments. It can be concluded that the modi? ed version of the s e rv q ua l model is suitable for use by hotel managers in gaining easily interpretable and reliable data on hotel guests’ attitudes regarding perceived service quality. The results of this study suggest that solving guests’ problems, performing error-free service, employees’ attitude, appropriate location, and the appearance of the facilities are the key attributes for a hotel’s success on the Opatija Riviera. Thus, the ? ndings can be used as a guide for hotel managers to improve crucial quality attributes and enhance service quality and business performance. There are several limitations that need to be acknowledged. The data were collected in a small although important tourist destination in Croatia. The questionnaires were distributed during the summer months. Thus, the results’ interpretation should be limited to this group of hotel guests. It is possible that guests staying in hotels out of the main tourist season might have different perceptions of the service quality. Also, the measurement of hotel guests’ perceptions was limited to 29 hotel attributes. Even though these attributes were included in other studies as well, there could be other relevant hotel attributes that are likely to in? uence hotel guests’ perceptions. In order to be able to generalize the ? ndings, it is suggested that similar studies be conducted in other Croatian tourist destinations as well. Moreover, this study was focused only on hotels. Future research should test whether the factor structure proposed in this study is valid in other types of accommodation in the region (e. g. camps, private accommodation, hostels). Additionally, future research could also assess hotel staffs’ perceptions of service per- n u m b e r 3  · fal l 2 0 1 0 205 ? Suzana Markovic and Sanja Raspor formance and compare them with guests’ perceptions in order to identify the differences. References Akan, P 1995. Dimensions of service quality: A study in Istanbul. Man. aging Service Quality 5 (6): 39–43. Andaleeb, S. S. and C. Conway. 2006. Customer satisfaction in the restaurant industry: An examination of the transaction-speci? c model. Journal of Services Marketing 20 (1): 3–11. Atkinson, A. 1988. Answering the eternal question: What does the customer want? The Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly 29 (2): 12–14. Babakus, E. , and G. W. Bolle r. 1992. An empirical assessment of the servqual scale. Journal of Business Research 24 (3): 253–268. Barsky, J. D. , and R. Labagh. 1992. A strategy for customer satisfaction. The Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly 35 (3): 32– 40. Carman, J. M. 1990. Consumer perceptions of service quality: An assessment of the s e rv q ua l dimensions. Journal of Retailing 66 (1): 33–55. Choi, T. Y. , and R. Chu. 2001. Determinants of hotel guests’ satisfaction and repeat patronage in the Hong Kong hotel industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management 20 (3): 277–297. Churchill, G. A. , and C. Surprenant. 1982. An Investigation into the determinants of customer satisfaction. Journal of Marketing Research 19 (4): 491–504. Cronin, J. J. , and S. A. Taylor. 1992. Measuring service quality: A reexamination and extension. Journal of Marketing 56 (3): 55–68. Edvardsson, B. 2005. Service quality: Beyond cognitive assessment. Managing Service Quality 15 (2): 127–131. Getty, J. , and K. Thomopson. 1994. A procedure for scaling perceptions of lodging quality. Hospitality Research Journal 18 (2): 75–96. Ghobadian, A. , S. Speller, and M. Jones. 1994. Service quality: Concepts and models. International Journal of Quality Reliability Management 11 (9): 43–66. Gronroos, C. 1984. A service quality model and its marketing implications. European Journal of Marketing 18 (4): 36–44. Gundersen, M. G. , M. Heide, and U. H. Olsson. 1996. Hotel guest satisfaction among business travelers: What are the important factors? The Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly 37 (2): 72– 81. Hair, J. F W. C. Black, B. J. Babin, R. E. Anderson, and R. K. Tatham. ., 2006. Multivariate data analysis. 6th Edition. Upper Saddle River, nj: Pearson Prentice Hall. 206 m anag e m e n t  · vo lu m e 5 Measuring Perceived Service Quality Using servq ual Ismail, I. 2006. Service quality, client satisfaction and loyalty towards audit ? rms: Perceptions of Malaysian public listed companies. Managerial Auditing Journal 21 (7): 738–756. Juwaheer, T. D. 2004. Exploring international tourists’ perceptions of hotel operations by using a modi? d s e rv q ua l approach: A case study of Mauritius. Managing Service Quality 14 (5): 350–364. Khan, M. 2003. e c o s e rv: Ecotourists’ quality expectations. Annals of Tourism Research 30 (1): 109–124. Knutson, B. 1988. Frequent travellers: Making them happy and bringing them back. The Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quart erly 29 (1): 83–87. Knutson, B. , P Stevens, C. Wullaert, and M. Patton. 1991. lodgserv: A . service quality index for the lodging industry. Hospitality Research Journal 14 (7): 277–284. Ladhari, R. 2008. Alternative measures of service quality: A review. Managing Service Quality 18 (1): 65–86. Lee, H. , Y. Lee, and D. Yoo. 2000. The determinants of perceived service quality and its relationship with satisfaction. Journal of Services Marketing 14 (3): 217–231. ? Markovic, S. 2003. Measuring service quality in the hospitality industry: An attributive approach. PhD diss. , University of Rijeka. . 2004. Measuring service quality in the Croatian hotel industry: A multivariate statistical analysis. Nase gospodarstvo 50 (1–2): 27–33. . 2006. Expected service quality measurement in tourism higher education. Nase gospodarstvo 52 (1–2): 86–95. ? Markovic, S. , J. Horvat, and S. Raspor. 2004. Service quality measurement in the health tourism sector: An exploratory study. Ekonomski vjesnik 17 (1–2): 63–75. Martinez Caro, L. , and J. A. Martinez Garcia. 2008. Developing a multidimensional and hierarchical service quality model for travel agency industry. Tourism Management 29 (4): 706–720. Namkung, Y. , and S. Jang. 2008. Are highly satis? ed restaurant customers really different? Internationa Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 20 (2): 142–155. Nusair, K. , and J. Kandampully. 2008. The antecedents of customer satisfaction with online travel services: A conceptual model. European Business Review 20 (1): 4–19. Oliver, R. L. 1997. Satisfaction: A behavioral perspective on the customer. New York: McGraw-Hill. O’Neill, M. , and A. Palmer. 2003. An exploratory study of the effects of experience in consumer perceptions of the service quality construct. Managing Service Quality 13 (2): 187–196. O’Neill, M. A. , P Williams, M. MacCarthy, and R. Grovers. 2000. Diving . into service quality: The dive tour operator perspective. Managing Service Quality 10 (3): 131–140. n u m b e r 3  · fal l 2 0 1 0 207 ? Suzana Markovic and Sanja Raspor Parasuraman, A. , L. L. Berry, and V A. Zeithaml. 1985. A conceptual . odel of service quality and its implications for future research. Journal of Marketing 49 (4): 41–50. Parasuraman, A. , V A. Zeithaml, and L. L. Berry. 1988. s e rv q ua l: A . multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. Journal of Retailing 64 (1): 14–40. Parasuraman, A. , V A . Zeithaml, and A. Malhotra. 2005. e-s-q ua l: A . multiple-item scale for assessing electronic service quality. Journal of Service Research 7 (3): 213–233. Pizam, A. , and T. Ellis. 1999. Customer satisfaction and its measurement in hospitality enterprises. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 11 (7): 326–339. Poon, W. C. , and K. Lock-Teng Low. 2005. Are travelers satis? ed with Malaysian hotels? International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 17 (3): 217–227. Raspor, S. 2009. Statistical analysis of service quality and customer satisfaction in the hotel industry. Ma. diss. , University of Rijeka. Rowley, J. 1998. Quality measurement in the public sector: Some perspectives from the service quality literature. Total Quality Measurement 9 (2/3): 321–335. Russel, M. 2005. Marketing education: A review of service quality perceptions among international students. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 17 (1): 65–77. Sanchez Perez, M. , R. Sanchez-Fernandez, G. M. Marin-Carrillo, and J. C. Gazquez-Abad. 2007. Effects of service quality dimensions on behavioral purchase intentions: A study on public-sector transport. Managing Service Quality 17 (2): 134–151. Snoj, B. , and D. Mumel. 2002. The measurement of perceived differences in service quality: The case of health spas in Slovenia. Journal of Vacation Marketing 8 (4): 362–379. Snoj, B. , and A. Ogorelc. 1998. Guests’ satisfaction with tourism services: A case of health resorts in Slovenia. Tourism Review 14 (2): 38–47. Stevens, P B. Knutson, and M. Patton. 1995. dineserv: A tool for mea. suring service quality in restaurants. The Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly 36 (2): 56–60. Teas, R. K. 1994. Expectations as a comparison standard in measuring service quality: An assessment of a reassessment. Journal of Marketing 58 (1): 132–139. Tsoukatos, E. , S. Marwa, and G. K. Rand. 2004. Qual ity improvement in the Greek and Kenyan insurance industries. Archives of Economic History 16 (2): 93–116. Wang, M. , J. Wang, and J. Zhao. 2007. An empirical study of the effect of customer participation on service quality. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality Tourism 8 (1): 49–73. Wong Ooi Mei, A. , A. M. Dean, and C. J. White. 1999. Analysing service 208 m anag e m e n t  · vo lu m e 5 Measuring Perceived Service Quality Using servq ual quality in the hospitality industry. Managing Service Quality 9 (2): 136–143. Yoo, D. K. , and J. A. Park. 2007. Perceived service quality: Analyzing relationships among employees, customers and ? nancial performance. International Journal of Quality Reliability Management 21 (9): 908–926. Zeithaml, V A. Parasuraman, and L. L. Berry. 1990. Delivering service . , quality. New York: The Free Press. n u m b e r 3  · fal l 2 0 1 0 209 How to cite Gaps of Service Quality, Essay examples

Costs of Production Oil Industry

Question: Describe about the Costs of Production for Oil Industry. Answer: Oil industry is one such example where initial fixed cost of discovering and developing an oil field involves huge fixed cost in terms of equipment for drilling, setting up wells and system to transport oil and technology but once the oil field starts producing oil, every extra barrel generated is revenue. Variable cost comprised of power, water needs, etc is very small compared to fixed cost. It gets revenue for every barrel of oil. (Gellert, 2016) Marginal costs depend on circumstances as it might be high in one scenario and low in other for same industry. A manufacturing facility which has to pay high price on ordering at short notice and need to pay overtime to workers will have high marginal cost. In jewellery manufacturing with competition intensity increasing in terms of designs because of high cost of labour, raw material and more time needed, cost of producing one extra jewellery item would be high. (Pietersz, 2005). In hotel industry, as number of guests come profitability increases but after a point when guests become more than availability, they need to invest in infrastructure and land which drives up marginal cost. References Gellert, A. (2016) Do oil companies have fixed variable costs of production?,Small Business Chron, . Pietersz, G. (2005)Marginal cost. Available at: https://moneyterms.co.uk/marginal-cost/ (Accessed: 9 December 2016).

Reformations Of School Essays - Education, Education Reform

Reformations Of School Education plays a fundamental role in the development of any nation. History is witness that those nations who did not recognized the importance of education were doomed, and education played a key role in the success of the developed nations. A successful country like America faces many challenges regarding education. Some of these challenges are: how to better achieve educational opportunity, and to find ways to deal with such problems and educational dilemmas for American children. To find the answers and solutions to these problems we can not ignore the dialogue of reforming of schools, instead, new ways of education, restructuring of American schools, and recommendations to improve might be the only answer to these problems. In the following paragraphs, problems like weak curriculum and poor standards in the schools have been identified, and recommendations have been made to eliminate these problems. Also the problems and errors regarding the distribution of funds by the governm ent for the schools have been addressed, and recommendations have been made that these funding should be distributed equally and accordingly to the states. The federal government should take this issue more seriously and assist the states on a greater level. It is a very sad fact that even now when we have entered the 21st century, a first world country like America which is supposed to be a role model for the rest of the world is facing the problem of poor standards in their schools such as goals, expectations, and requirements. There is a great contradiction on peoples standards vs. the schools standards. People set high standards that are very hard and sometimes impossible to achieve by students and teachers, whereas some schools do not match these standards and even pass kids who cannot read or have poor educational skills. In order to have high academic standards there has to be high performance in public education systems. The system needs to be changed fundamentally. Teachers can play an important role and should come together on a common platform to achieve a common goal and that is the improved quality of education. Good communication between school, school boards, and school administration is very important, so teachers can be heard and listened to. School should only hire highly qualified and proficient teachers. Students are usually introduced to a weak curriculum, most of the times they end up taking nonacademic courses than academic. School days are very short and because of poor standard in teaching students lack the opportunity to learn material in efficient ways. Some of the recommendations to make the system more efficient are to increase the number of days in school year, students should be allowed to take special courses and they should not be restricted to stay in general educational programs only. To make the curriculum strong it should include the maximum number of required academic courses. The requirements have to be very content. There has to be tougher disciple and smaller classes in order to eliminate the problem. Policies and programs should be controlled, and counselors should have to have control over curriculum, and how the teaching occurs. Other recommendations to improve education include strong leadership by principals of school. Along with the teachers proficiency in the area of teaching, there has to be staff harmony. To motivate teachers toward these changes, their school life style has to be upgraded too. Teachers should have their own office their own phones and better working conditions and attractive salaries. State should get greatly involved in the public education as well. Graduation requirements for students should be set by the state, and local districts should also have the ability to control schools. Local counselors should be given more authority and they should be authorized to hire or fire principals. Parents with low incomes who are unable to give their children basic school education should be assisted financially, and children should have more freedom to communicate and interact with teachers. Groups in the school should be more flexible depending on the students abilities. The same teachers shoul d stay with a group of students for two or three years so they have a better chance to learn the weaknesses and strengths of the students, and it is

Personality Disorders essays

Personality Disorders essays There are many types of personality disorders and each one has different symptoms and characteristics. Some characteristics are shared by different disorders. People who rebel against their culture or society or who have outbursts and rages or have trouble with social skills, how they see themselves, how they cope with being around other people, and how they control their impulses are characteristics all shared by those who suffer from personality disorders. Many people who suffer from one disorder usually suffer more than one at a time but does not believe that they have a problem. It is said that, Symptoms stem from basic personality traits that develop over a period of time.(Mental Health) There are a few basic treatments for people with personality disorders that work for some, but not for others. Psychodynamic psychotherapy, or psychoanalytical therapy, focuses on past events and long repressed feelings. Psychodynamic models integrate the past with the patients current life. Behavior therapy is used to teach different kinds of social skills. Cognitive therapy concentrates on changing of negative thinking. Cognitive-behavioral therapy combines cognitive and behavioral therapy techniques. Personality disorders affect ten to fifteen percent of the population. Some affect certain populations more than others. Studies have suggested that biology plays a part in these disorders. Personality disorders can be inherited from generation to generation and are a primary result of the persons experience during childhood and adolescence. Borderline Personality Disorder is the most common personality disorder and affects approximately 2% of the population (Mental Health). Those that suffer from this disorder may experience brief periods in which they separate from reality and often are diagnosed with depression and psychotic disorders. They are unstable in personal relationships and hav ...

Biography of Physicist Albert Einstein

Biography of Physicist Albert Einstein Albert Einstein was a theoretical physicist and one of the geniuses of 20th Century physics. His work has helped along our understanding of the universe. He was born and lived much of his life in Germany, before emigrating to the United States in 1933. Growing a Genius When he was five years old, Einsteins father showed him a pocket compass. Young Einstein realized that something in empty space affected the needle. He said the experience was one of the most revelatory of his life.  About a year later, Alberts education began.   Although he was clever and built models and mechanical devices for fun, he was also considered a slow learner. Its possible he was dyslexic, or he may have simply been shy. He was good at mathematics, especially calculus. In 1894, the Einsteins moved to Italy, but Albert stayed in Munich. The following year, he failed an exam which determined whether he could study for a diploma in electrical engineering in Zurich. In 1896, he renounced his German citizenship, not becoming a citizen of any other country until 1901. Also in 1896 he entered the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich and trained as a teacher in physics and mathematics. He received his degree in 1900. Einstein worked from 1902 to 1909 as a technical expert at the patent office. During that time, he and  Mileva Maric, a mathematician, had a daughter Lieserl, born in January  1902. (What eventually happened to Lieserl is not know. Its possible she died in infancy or was put up for adoption.) The couple wasnt married until 1903. On May 14, 1904, the couples first son, Hans Albert Einstein was born. During this part of his life, Einstein began writing about theoretical physics. He also earned a doctorate from the University of Zurich in 1905 for a thesis called  On a new determination of molecular dimensions. Developing a Theory of Relativity The first of Albert Einsteins three 1905 papers looked at a phenomenon discovered by Max Planck. Plancks discovery indicating that electromagnetic energy seemed to be emitted from radiating objects in discrete quantities. This energy was directly proportional to the frequency of the radiation. Einsteins paper used Plancks quantum hypothesis for a description of the electromagnetic radiation of light. Einsteins second 1905 paper laid the groundwork for what would eventually become the special theory of relativity. Using a reinterpretation of the classical principle of relativity, which said that the laws of physics had to have the same form in any frame of reference, Einstein proposed that the speed of light remained constant in all frames of reference, as required by Maxwells theory. Later that year, as an extension of his theory of relativity, Einstein showed how mass and energy were equivalent.    Einstein held several jobs from 1905 to 1911, while still developing his theories. In 1912, he began a new phase of research, with the help of mathematician Marcel Grossmann. He called his new work the general relativity theory, which he was able to publish in 1915. It deals with the specifics of space-time theory as well as something called the cosmological constant. In 1914 Einstein became a German citizen and was appointed Director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Physical Institute and Professor at the University of Berlin. The Einsteins divorced on February 14, 1919. Albert then married his cousin Elsa Loewenthal. He received the Nobel Prize in 1921 for his 1905 work on the photoelectric effect.   Fleeing World War II Einstein renounced his citizenship for political reasons and emigrated to the United States in 1935. He became Professor of Theoretical Physics at Princeton University, and a United States citizen in 1940, while retaining his Swiss citizenship. Albert Einstein retired in 1945. In 1952, the Israeli government offered him the post of second president, which he refused. On March 30, 1953, he released a revised unified field theory. Einstein died on April 18, 1955. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered at an undisclosed place. Edited by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

MGT506 - Strategic Leadership, Mod 2 Case Assignment Essay

MGT506 - Strategic Leadership, Mod 2 Case Assignment - Essay Example The success behind such unprecedented growth of SAS is attributed to the CEO of the company, Jim Goodnight. Jim Goodnight has been with the company for more than 35 years and ensured that the company grew each year without having to face any layoffs. Jim Goodnight strived for an open system for the organization with a flat structure to ensure efficient working of the company. Jim Goodnight has been considered to be one of the greatest American business leaders of the 20th century by Harvard Business School in 2004 (Stamper, 2010). The paper attempts to shed light on the leadership qualities of Jim Goodnight as a situational leader. This paper will analyze how SAS is able to prosper and continuously show growth on account of having a leader such as Jim Goodnight. Lastly, the paper would discuss whether situational leadership style is bred or born. Situational Leadership style was another style of leadership developed by Paul Hersey and Kenneth Blanchard. As the name implies, leaders falling in this category take action according to the situation. They combine elements of both autocratic and participative styles in order to achieve the desired results. This leadership style takes into account that there is no best leadership style but the best leaders are those that understand that core of the issue and take action accordingly. Thus situational leadership relies on the external environment heavily which includes not just the people within the team but also the task they have to accomplish. Hersey and Blanchard use the four quadrant model of Situational leadership to properly explain the characteristics of such leader and the action they take given the situation. The Situational leadership model as presented by Hersey and Blanchard is: Structuring: Leaders need to adopt this approach in the bleakest situation, that is, the morale of the employees in not just low, they also do not have the ability to deal

United States and the neo-Gramscian perspectives Essay

United States and the neo-Gramscian perspectives - Essay Example The United States is an interesting case as explained through neo-Gramscian perspective. The model is able to evaluate American policies and their motivation, including their impact on the global arena. There is valuable insight offered with respect to the American behavior in international relations and how to understand and deal with it as a hegemon. This paper will explore the United States from the neo-Gramscian perspective. For this purpose a brief discourse on the theoretical model will be included, with a brief discussion of hegemony from different perspectives as well as the stability and the neo-Gramscian thought and its challenges. This paper will cover the theoretical discussions on power structural, the declinist school of thought, and the concepts of unipolarity and multipolarity. The concept of hegemony emerged out of the integration of the world system on the strength of global economic and political developments. As members of the system struggle and compete in order to navigate its intricacies, players adopt policies that promote and advance their interests. Successful players become dominant within a process that many thinkers consider as social in terms of formation. These players are able to exploit the system to perpetuate its status. Antonio Gramsci, the Italian thinker, provided one of the most important bases to this thought by capturing the dynamics of this process. His position holds that hegemony pertains to the process in which a hegemon is able to exploit the world system for its own purposes. This is achieved through the consent of the dominated class who act for programmes that benefit the hegemon although they may not always be in their best interests.2 This Gramscian perspective is important in the sense that it implies a dominance that is not based on brute force or coercion. Rather, it is viewed as a result of manipulation, with the dominant player(s) orchestrating events and strategies in such a way that subordinate

Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibilty Essay Example for Free

Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibilty Essay Business ethics and corporate social responsibility Introduction Anglo American is one of the world’s leading mining companies. It is a UK public limited company and operates on a global scale. Anglo American operates mainly in the primary sector of the world economy. This, as the name suggests, covers industries involved in the first stage of economic activity, such as mining and agriculture. Anglo American operates throughout the world. It has extensive operations in Africa, where 76% of its employees live. It is also a major employer in Europe. Its Tarmac aggregates and construction products business employs nearly 7,000 people in the UK. As a primary producer, Anglo American plays an important role in the world economy. Anglo American produces five main types of raw material.†¢ Business ethics †¢ Corporate social responsibility †¢ Effects of ethical behaviour †¢ Benefits of ethical behaviour Public limited company: a company whose shares are traded on the London Stock Exchange, denoted by the initials plc. Primary sector: the first stage in producing goods. Pressure group: an organisation formed by people with a common interest who get together to further that interest, for example, nongovernmental organisations. Ethics: moral principles or rules of conduct and behaviour accepted by members of society. Corporate social responsibility: the responsibility of an organisation to wider society, to a range of stakeholders including the community and society at large. Mining operations can have a big impact on the environment and on the societies where they work. Since most mineral resources belong to nation states, mining companies largely depend upon a licence to operate from governments. This allows them to extract and process minerals in return for investment and the payment of taxes and royalties. Increasingly it is also important to get the consent of local communities to mining development – a ‘social licence’ to operate. Like all businesses, mining companies are under increasing scrutiny from pressure groups as well as the general public. Anglo American seeks to adopt fair and sound business practice. The company believes that it has an important role to play in building the capabilities of the communities where it works. Issues such as combating corruption and promoting revenue transparency are high on the company’s business agenda. This case study shows how Anglo American seeks to make ethical choices in its business practice. What are business ethics? Business ethics are moral principles that guide the way a business behaves. The same principles that determine an individual’s actions also apply to business. Acting in an ethical way involves distinguishing between ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ and then making the ‘right’ choice. It is relatively easy to identify unethical business practices. For example, companies should not use child labour. They should not unlawfully use copyrighted materials and processes. They should not engage in bribery. However, it is not always easy to create similar hard-and-fast definitions of good ethical practice. A company must make a competitive return for its shareholders and treat its employees fairly. However a company also has wider responsibilities. It should minimise any harm to the environment and work in ways that do not damage the communities in which it operates. This is known as corporate social responsibility. ANGLO AMERICAN 25 www. thetimes100. co. uk The law is the key starting point for any business. Most leading businesses also have their own statement of Business Principles which set out their core values and standards. In Anglo American’s case, this is called ‘Good Citizenship’. A business should also follow relevant codes of practice that cover its sector. Many companies have created voluntary codes of practice that regulate practices in their industrial sector. These are often drawn up in consultation with governments, employees, local communities and other stakeholders. Anglo American has played an active part in initiatives such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, the United Nations Global Compact and the Global Reporting Initiative. GLOSSARY Code of practice: written guidelines governing business behaviour. This could take the form of a voluntary code or a legally enforced set of regulations. Universal Declaration of Human Rights: a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948 outlining human rights that should apply to all people. Engagement: the process of involving others in the decision making process. Anglo American has also contributed to the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. This code sets out principles and practices for ensuring that a company’s need to ensure the security of its employees and operations in volatile countries does not adversely impact upon the local population. Thus the Principles provide guidance on how both private and public security forces assigned to protect a mining operation or an oil and gas facility should be vetted, trained in human rights, monitored and controlled. Anglo American also aims to ensure that it plays a role in protecting the human rights of its employees and local people in countries in which it operates. The company supports the principles set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. All companies need to make a profit. However, Anglo American recognises that this objective must take account of ethics as shown in its statement on corporate responsibility: ‘Though providing strong returns for our shareholders remains our prime objective, we do not believe that these can or should be achieved at the expense of social, environmental and moral considerations. Indeed a long-term business such as ours will only thrive if it also takes into account the needs of other stakeholders such as governments, employees, suppliers, communities and customers. ’ An important process used by Anglo American is that of stakeholder engagement. This enables it better to understand the perspectives and priorities of external groups that are affected by its activities and to factor them into its decision-making processes. To support this work at a local level, Anglo American has developed a Socio-Economic Assessment Toolbox or SEAT process. This ‘toolbox’ helps managers to measure the impact of activities on the company and communities. It also helps to improve a mine’s contribution to development through, for example, using its supply chain needs to generate new businesses or to improve the water or electricity infrastructure. They use this toolbox to engage with stakeholders including community representatives. 26 Sometimes communities have to be resettled, with government sanction, in order for important mineral deposits to be accessed. This can cause controversy and divisions in the communities concerned. International best practice sets out a number of key stages in such a process including the need for structured consultation, fair compensation and the importance of restoring and enhancing the livelihoods of people in their new locations. Recently Anglo American has had to undertake two such relocations in South Africa at the villages of Ga Pila and Motlhotlo. These were undertaken with the support of the provincial government and local tribal leadership and after consultation with local people lasting for several years leading to agreement with each householder. New villages have been built with better houses and infrastructure and more land for farming. The relocation programme was voluntary. The relocation programme at Motlhotlo is still under way but at Ga Pila 98% of those living in the old village took up the offer to move to the new village. www. thetimes100. co. uk GLOSSARY Empowerment giving responsibility for making decisions to lower levels within the organisation or community. Indigenous: naturally existing in a place or country rather than arriving from another place. Why should a business act ethically? Businesses have great potential to transform peoples lives and to alleviate poverty through generating economic growth. They produce goods and services that customers want and they create jobs. Through paying taxes, they contribute to government revenue that can finance schools, hospitals and other public services. However, a business must keep in tune with the wishes of the societies it serves or it runs the risk of alienating its shareholders, stakeholders and customers. This would be bad for business, reducing growth and potentially affecting profit. Anglo American has to deal with many different levels of interest when setting up a new project. This includes, for example, the owners of the land and the people and services in the area. The current South African government has a policy of transferring a share of the ownership, management and benefits of the countrys mining industry to people previously excluded from the economy. Anglo American is backing the South African government in this process. This includes supporting black economic empowerment deals (BEE). Through this process, Anglo American has sold (usually at a small discount) 26% of its assets in South Africa to BEE groups. For example, Anglo American was instrumental in the creation of Exxaro. This is now the largest black-owned and managed mining company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. It also aims to have at least 40% of its managers drawn from the ranks of previously disadvantaged ethnic groups. Governments in the developing world face many challenging social and economic problems. They need companies that are ready to be part of the solution. Anglo American believes that it can support governments in reducing poverty and inequality and in improving health and welfare. In South Africa, the company has been a major campaigner for AIDS education. It was the first major company in South Africa to announce that it would provide free anti-retroviral drugs to its HIV-positive employees. It now has the largest workplace HIV/AIDS education, voluntary testing and treatment programme in the world. After running the programme for five years studies have shown that the programme has become self-financing through reducing deaths and the attendant loss of skills and cutting absenteeism rates by boosting the health of infected workers. What are the effects of acting ethically? Most business activity incurs financial costs such as equipment and labour. Non-financial costs include noise and impact on the environment. There is a financial cost to acting ethically. To engage stakeholders takes time and money. Mining in ways that minimise environmental impacts is more expensive than extracting resources regardless of impact. An ethical business also recognises its responsibility for minimising the non-financial costs. The Pebble Project in Alaska is a good example of the way that Anglo American takes account of non-financial costs. This is a gold and copper mining project in the early stages of assessment. This could provide new jobs and revenues for the Alaskan economy at a time when oil and gas revenues have been falling. However, some people are concerned that the mine could damage fish stocks and wildlife. Therefore, Anglo American has been consulting widely and through a structured process with local people, politicians, businesses and especially indigenous people. 27 ANGLO AMERICAN Anglo American has made it clear that it will only seek to proceed with the project if it can be done without damage to the local fisheries. It will also give priority to the recruitment of local people. www. thetimes100. co. uk The benefits of ethical behaviour Anglo American establishes goals each year for sustainable development. These goals include: †¢ working without fatal accidents †¢ eliminating occupational diseases †¢ increasing diversity in the workplace †¢ increasing the benefits of mining for local communities †¢ increasing energy efficiency. By working towards these goals, Anglo American hopes to gain a competitive advantage. By demonstrating a more caring and sustainable approach, the company is able to differentiate itself from rival mining companies. It makes Anglo American more likely to be the partner of choice for many governments and communities in the developing world. It also helps with its position on the stock market. Most long-term investors, such as pension funds that run investments for millions of ordinary people in the UK, believe that it is important for a company to consider social and ethical issues and not just the financial bottom line if a business is to be sustainable. Anglo American sees shareholder returns and social and environmental responsibilities as complementary activities. This puts the company in a stronger position. All stakeholders benefit – shareholders, employees, governments, local communities and suppliers. GLOSSARY Sustainable development: development which meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to achieve their own needs and aspirations. Competitive advantage: a strategic element that enables an organisation to compete more effectively than its rivals. Governance: the process of making decisions and governing. Conclusion Anglo American is a multinational organisation with a high profile in the primary extractive sector. Because many new mineral deposits are to be found in developing countries, some of which have weak governance, Anglo American recognises that it must be rigorous in observing local laws, even if they are not always enforced. It has a significant role in supporting good governance initiatives and boosting the opportunities available to the communities associated with its mines. The company is involved in a range of initiatives to help these communities, such as AIDS testing and provision of new local services like schools and clinics. Its socio-economic assessment toolbox helps it measure its impact and engage with local communities to resolve issues and to underpin initiatives like small business development or partnerships with local farmers. The Times Newspaper Limited and  ©MBA Publishing Ltd 2008. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of information, neither the publisher nor the client can be held responsible for errors of omission or commission. The financial and non-financial benefits to the company and shareholders are shown in several ways. Anglo American is trusted as a business partner that takes into account social and environmental issues. It has licence to operate in countries like South Africa, Brazil or Chile, where it is playing an important part in encouraging local business development. Questions 1. What are business ethics? Give two examples of business practices that stakeholders would regard as ethical and two that might be considered unethical. 2. The benefits of ethical business behaviour affect the business itself and the wider community. Taking an example of an Anglo American business project, identify the benefits to the local community and to the company’s shareholders. 3. How is Anglo American’s reputation enhanced by engaging with local communities in decision-making? Why is it important for this engagement to be an ongoing process? 4. Some business decisions involve a careful balance of social, economic and environmental considerations. Evaluate how Anglo American achieves that balance, using examples from the case study.

Commercials and Advertising Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Analyze This   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Did you ever sit and analyze the kinds of commercials that are played on the television? At designated times, different people are targeted. Or how about the ways the grocery stores are set up with the candy, soda, and magazines near the check out area. Items in a store are put in certain places for a reason. These are all clever selling techniques that manufacturers come up with to get people to buy their products.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Around 2:30 until about 5:00, the kids come home from school, and the cartoons and other kids shows are on. So why not show commercials for the latest Barbie doll or hot wheels playset. Children see this, remember it and figure out how to co...

Loaded word

Among the words that were created and developed in the English language, â€Å"empowerment† remains an elusive yet most rampantly used term, especially in the field of civic engagement and community-building.   Empowerment is a word that contains with it social, political, and economic dimensions; however, its foci remains on the political dimension, wherein the objective is to experience or provide power to an individual or group. According to the World Bank, empowerment â€Å"is the process of enhancing the capacity of individuals or groups to make choices and transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes.†Ã‚   These capacities are social and/or economic in nature, and they are gained and developed through the utilization of resources available in people’s social environments.   Key to the achievement of empowerment is access to these resources, since it is only by the availability of these resources that individuals or groups are able to achieve development of their capacities. Empowerment is a loaded word because this concept is difficult to achieve, especially when social and economic factors are included in the achievement of empowerment.   This is the dilemma encountered among individuals or groups who try to achieve empowerment, as ascertained in their own terms.   Because empowerment could mean the achievement of capacities on the different aspects of a person’s life, empowerment is also subjected to varied interpretations of its success or failure. In fact, empowerment could also have positive and negative dimensions.   Positive empowerment is achieved when the individual/group feels empowered without letting other people feel subjugated; the converse is the effect of negative empowerment, wherein the individual/group feels empowered at the expense of another individual/group. Empowerment is reflected in the work of millionaire Bill Gates, who feels empowerment because of the economic resources that he has at his disposal and control.   These economic resources are the computer and information technologies, intellectual, and financial resources. His empowerment is reflected in his ability to command his IT company Microsoft, to live comfortably and not feel the scarcity of resources about him, and to provide support to other people who needs empowerment in different areas in their lives.   He is an individual who experienced empowerment because of his intellect, and through his intellect, he was able to capacitate himself further by accumulating economic wealth and the ability to be a â€Å"mover† in the industry of computer and information technologies. People who have not yet experienced empowerment in terms of development are the Papuans, of the Pacific Island Papua New Guinea.   Papuans are considered not empowered when it comes to their health, wherein there are still individuals and groups who experience health affliction such as tuberculosis (TB) and malaria.   In TB alone, Papuans remain far behind versus other developing and underdeveloped countries. This is why, in order to promote health empowerment among Papuans, funding agencies are supporting them in terms of economic resources, such as providing supplies of medicines and laboratory equipment to the health sector of the country.   In addition to providing economic resources, agencies are also providing capacity-building support to the village members, empowering them by providing them knowledge and skills in detecting TB patients and the treatment services available in their villages.   By controlling and preventing this disease alone, Papuans are empowered in a particular aspect of their lives: healthcare, particularly TB care and treatment.

Principle of Tourism 2

. Transportation Tourism Attractions TOUR OPERATORGOVERNMENT Accommodation and Food and Beverage Transportation Travel Agency 2. ? 1950, there are 25 million tourist arrivals around the world? 2007 to 903 million in? Forecasted by 2010 1 billion? Forecasted by 2020 1. 6 billion by 2020. 3. ? The World Bank 2005 estimates, 1. 4 billion people are living in the poverty line.? New threshold for extreme poverty using the 2005 prices is now pegged at $1. 25.? The multiplier effect is experienced on other industries like handicrafts, agriculture, fisheries and transport. 4. Acts as intermediaries for the customers. They broker on behalf of the tourist from accommodation to tour operators. They receive commissions from their suppliers such as hotels, food and beverage establishments and tour operators as well as earn their revenues from their principal (customers). 5. ? Business travelers? Leisure travelers? International travelers. 6. ? The concept of travel agency started in 1841, when Th omas Cook (father of travel agencies) signed up 570 people to accompany him to a packaged travel from Leicester to Loughborough that included board and lodging arrangements. . ? Miniples ? Similar businesses to independents but they have more branches and usually a head office in a local area ? The different branches may trade under different names ? Other small independents may be bought up and added to the miniple 8. ? Multiples ? Private companies usually with a high street presence in most UK towns and cities ? Part of large organisations which trade in other areas of travel and tourism ? Many customers attracted by large discounts 9. Independent ? These are private companies that have one or a few branches, often close to each other. ? Cater to a niche market. ? Rely on repeat business from satisfied customers 10. ? Mega travel agencies, as the name denotes is based on their size and scope. These are large travel agencies that own and control all aspects of their operations. Th ey provide complete travel services that include transportation, accommodation and others related to the needs of their clients. 11. Consortiums are group of travel agents who formed an association to maximize buying power and sharing of technology.? Independent travel agencies are small-scale businesses that cater to a specific niche like corporate travel services or specialized travel needs 12. ? The Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) was founded through the union of the national associations of the outbound travel agencies and inbound tour operators in 1979.? Founded to foster unity in the travel industry and to promote the welfare of its members and the travelling public as well. 3. ? Typically creates and combines products from the value chain of travel and tour. For example, the package created may include airline (transportation), Hotel (accommodation) and a tourism attraction all in one price.? Tour operators may sell these products to travel agencies who act as r epresentatives of the principal (customer). 14. ? The training program is designed to produce individuals who will guide DOT visitors by presenting the country in the best possible light in an interesting, intelligent & engaging manner.

Free Essays on True Equality

In my opinion, total equality would diminish people’s own individual uniqueness. Causing the world to be at a standing point till the end of time; there would be no way to make any advances in any particular subject. With everyone being the same no one person could be classified with talent, extreme intellects, or great physical appearance. Which in turn could make the world predictable so there will be no excitement for anyone. When you turn on the TV you always hear about the musicians of that time and what is their latest hit. If you enjoy the music you will be happy and eager to hear the new hit and if you are that musician you are excited to inspire so many to follow his or her own dreams. Now imagine that excitement, happiness, and inspiration gone just so we could be ‘equal’. Is it all worth it? So many in this world have immense talent to share with others who enjoy music greatly. If we were all equal, what would be our entertainment? Or is that a sacrifice we have to make just to be ‘equal’? So if a person would be interested in going to the music business, would they be wrong? I, myself, love music and entertainment and look forward to indulging in this art to make me happy. Why would that not be good? A child is sick with a terrible flu but he cannot be cured. There are no doctors or scientist anywhere because then the world would not be ‘equal’. So this child has to suffer just so the world can be something that, so far, doesn’t seem too glorious. And while this child is dying from a virus that can be cured, the world is also stuck in one degree. There can be no advances in technology because who would do it? The world is equal, no one is smarter than anyone else and no one has creative ideas enough to even contemplate this matter of thinking. So here we are with this virus spreading with no cure and no advances in technology, only if we were all equal. As a model walks down the runway, instead of ... Free Essays on True Equality Free Essays on True Equality In my opinion, total equality would diminish people’s own individual uniqueness. Causing the world to be at a standing point till the end of time; there would be no way to make any advances in any particular subject. With everyone being the same no one person could be classified with talent, extreme intellects, or great physical appearance. Which in turn could make the world predictable so there will be no excitement for anyone. When you turn on the TV you always hear about the musicians of that time and what is their latest hit. If you enjoy the music you will be happy and eager to hear the new hit and if you are that musician you are excited to inspire so many to follow his or her own dreams. Now imagine that excitement, happiness, and inspiration gone just so we could be ‘equal’. Is it all worth it? So many in this world have immense talent to share with others who enjoy music greatly. If we were all equal, what would be our entertainment? Or is that a sacrifice we have to make just to be ‘equal’? So if a person would be interested in going to the music business, would they be wrong? I, myself, love music and entertainment and look forward to indulging in this art to make me happy. Why would that not be good? A child is sick with a terrible flu but he cannot be cured. There are no doctors or scientist anywhere because then the world would not be ‘equal’. So this child has to suffer just so the world can be something that, so far, doesn’t seem too glorious. And while this child is dying from a virus that can be cured, the world is also stuck in one degree. There can be no advances in technology because who would do it? The world is equal, no one is smarter than anyone else and no one has creative ideas enough to even contemplate this matter of thinking. So here we are with this virus spreading with no cure and no advances in technology, only if we were all equal. As a model walks down the runway, instead of ...

20 More Smothered Verbs Set Free

20 More Smothered Verbs Set Free 20 More Smothered Verbs Set Free 20 More Smothered Verbs Set Free By Mark Nichol In the interests of trying to help prevent the smothering deaths of countless sentences, here’s a public-service announcement about how to avoid this senseless tragedy: If a noun phrase (verb plus preposition plus article plus noun, though variations are frequent) can be condensed by converting the noun to a verb and deleting the other words in the phrase, do it. It’s easy enough to write a sentence with a smothered verb I did it myself in a post last week (â€Å"The strategy has been a failure in reducing costs† is easily reduced to â€Å"The strategy failed to reduce costs.†) We’re likely to employ such sentence-stretching strategies in speech, but in writing, we have the opportunity to that is, we can make amends. Here are more examples: 1. See example above. 2. â€Å"The latter conclusion provides an example of the combination of risk factors at different levels.† â€Å"The latter conclusion exemplifies the combination of risk factors at different levels.† 3. â€Å"Call a stop to (or â€Å"put a stop to†) this nonsense.† â€Å"Stop this nonsense.† 4. â€Å"I’m glad they’ve come to an agreement.† â€Å"I’m glad they agree.† 5. â€Å"We’re here to conduct an investigation.† â€Å"We’re here to investigate.† 6. â€Å"They decided to conduct a review.† â€Å"They conducted a review.† (The original version is valid, however, if the review has not yet been conducted.) 7. â€Å"She conducted experiments into tearing the fabric of the space-time continuum.† â€Å"She experimented with tearing the fabric of the space-time continuum.† 8. â€Å"I’d like to extend an invitation for you to attend.† â€Å"I’d like to invite you to attend.† (Or, even more directly, â€Å"I invite you to attend.†) 9. â€Å"He didn’t give an indication of his plans.† â€Å"He didn’t indicate his plans.† 10. â€Å"They agreed to give consideration to his proposal.† â€Å"They considered his proposal.† 11. â€Å"I had a discussion with her about that very issue.† â€Å"I discussed that very issue with her.† 12. â€Å"We have a tendency to get carried away sometimes.† â€Å"We tend to get carried away sometimes.† (Or, even more directly, â€Å"We get carried away sometimes.†) 13. â€Å"Will the new policy have an effect on our procedures?† â€Å"Will the new policy affect our procedures?† 14. â€Å"They plan to hold a conference (or meeting) about the issue soon.† â€Å"They plan to confer (or meet) about the issue soon.† (Or â€Å"They will confer (or meet) about the issue soon,† though the meaning is slightly different.) 15. â€Å"The president is expected to make a statement about his opposition to the proposal later today.† â€Å"The president is expected to state his opposition to the proposal later today.† (The meaning is not identical, but the condensed sentence is valid.) 16. â€Å"I will make (or undertake) an examination of the premises immediately.† â€Å"I will examine the premises immediately.† 17. â€Å"The committee will perform an assessment of the situation.† â€Å"The committee will assess the situation.† 18. â€Å"We expect to realize a substantial savings.† â€Å"We expect to save substantially.† 19. â€Å"She stated with confidence that she will win by a landslide.† â€Å"She is confident that she will win by a landslide.† 20. â€Å"Are you interested in submitting an application?† â€Å"Are you interested in applying?† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Coordinating vs. Subordinating ConjunctionsWhenever vs. When EverOppose and Opposed To

Drama Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Drama Research Paper - Essay Example The author of the play â€Å"A Streetcar Named Desire†, Tennessee Williams, lived in a time when men were portrayed as leaders of the household and wealth was the sum total of a man’s personal value. The way that Williams chooses to portray his characters illustrates that he intended to portray them as outsiders. Stanley Kowalski, for example, is a simple man, who treats his wife Stella disrespectfully simply because she is a woman and therefore an outsider to the dominant gender. Her duties as a wife are to obey his commands and tolerate his behavior. During this period it was considered common for a man to be violent with his wife as he saw necessary in order for her to learn from her mistakes, particularly within the lower classes where violence seemed to be more prevalent. â€Å"Girls absorb the message that you just grin and bear it when you’re hit, while boys absorb the message that hitting by men may be appropriate to show love and power in relationships† (â€Å"Physical and Emotional Abuse†, 2008). After one of these ‘corrective’ attacks which causes Stella to temporarily leave her husband, Stella states to her sister, â€Å"He was a good lamb when I came back and he’s really very, very ashamed of himself† (Williams, 2309). Stella immed iately goes back to her husband even after being brutally beaten just because she feels she has to for her own support and in fulfillment of her marriage vows. The reader understands that today this kind of behavior is against the law and is not tolerated at all, and a woman does not need to be married in order to be happy, whereas at that time women were in need of a man for social acceptance. The dangers of outsider status is revealed in the desperate way in which women are portrayed as depending on a man for support. Stella states, â€Å"Stanley doesn’t give me a regular allowance, he likes to pay bills himself, but - this morning he gave me ten dollars to smooth things over† (Williams, 2311). She needs

Development of Eating Disoder inTeenager using the Cognitive Essay

Development of Eating Disoder inTeenager using the Cognitive Flexibility Theory - Essay Example 552-556 Laessle, R. & Schulz, S., 26 January 2009, Stress-induced laboratory eating behavior in obese women with binge eating disorder, International Journal of Eating Disorders; Volume 41, Issue 6, pp. 505-510. Sim,. L., Homme, J., Lteif, A., Vaande Voort, J., Schak, K. & Ellingson, J., 2 February 2009. Family functioning and maternal distress in adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa, International Journal of Eating Disorders, Volume 41, issue 6, pp. 531-539 Tchanturia, K., Anderluh, M., Morris, R., Rabe-Hesketh, S., Collier, D., Sanchez, P. & Treasure, J., 2003, Cognitive flexibility in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 10:4:513-520 Wade, T., Treloar, S., Heath, A., & Martin, N., 23 February 2009, An examination of the overlap between genetic and environmental risk factors for intentional weight loss and overeating, International Journal of Eating Disorders, volume 42, issue 6, pp. 492-497 Zastrow, A., Kaiser, S., Stippich, C., Walther, S., Wolfgang, H., Tchanturia, K., Belger, A., Weisbrood, M., Treasure, J. & Friedrich, H., 2009, Neural Correlates of Impaired Cognitive-Behavioral Flexibility in Anorexia Nervosa, American Journal of Psychiatry, 166: pp.

The Role of the Financial Manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Role of the Financial Manager - Essay Example Therefore it is imperative that the CEO knows how to manage investment and protect the interest of shareholders. He must be able to strategically plan ahead and decide on policies and activities that would increase operating income and stockholder’s equity. Evidently, the best candidate to the CEO post should be the CFO. Maximizing wealth is not something that is new to a CEO who has been managing the finances of the organization. The primary role of the CFO in the firm is to plan strategies and pursue activities that will improve the total value of the firm. In most successful organization, CFOs basically work side by side with the CEO in strategic planning and decision making. He has developed excellent communication skills as he present the current financial condition of the firm to different stakeholders, has been closely oriented with the company’s product and operations, has been consistently working in line with the company’s vision, and has been able to d evelop managerial skills. However this does not absolutely imply that all CFO’s make successful CEO’s. The total personality of the CFO, his business acumen, the quantity and quality of his past experiences, and his continuing passion for the organization combined, make for a better CEO. D.

Ethical Egoism And Virtue Ethics Philosophy Essay

Ethical Egoism And Virtue Ethics Philosophy Essay Ethical Egoism minds the interests which one takes within them but not ones wishes. Self interest is necessary in the sense that, it is not good to always better oneself but just to be true to you. The things that somebody commits towards their satisfaction should not negatively affect the third person. My support for Ethical Egoism is that one does basically what is right to him/her, but in beneficial or neutral senses only when turns out to what others around might not gain. There are three formulations of ethical Egoism universal, individual and personal. Individual Ethical Egoist argues that all individuals ought to do what benefits them. Personal ethical egoist says that some one ought to act by his/her own self interest, only that he makes no claim concerning what any body else supposed to do. The universal ethical egoist claims that everybody is ought to act in means that are in their own interest. I believe that it is quite good to move out and earn then get what you want, im prove yourself and just be happy. On the notion of invading other persons happiness I decline on that. Virtue ethics illustrates the character of moral agent as the steering for the ethical behavior, rather than consequentialism or deontology which derives wrongness or rightness as the result of the act but not the character. For example in the case involving an individual making a lie, a virtue ethicist focuses less on lying an d instead considers the decision to tell a lie or even not tell the lie mentioned pertaining moral behavior and ones character. Thus lying will be handled on case-by-case basis depending on factors like group benefit, personal benefit and the lie intentions (that is whether they were malevolent or benevolent). Virtue ethicist emphasizes on the grounds that helping others is charitable or benevolent. Virtue ethics is both new and old approach to ethics. It was regarded as to be emphasizing on a few interesting points like the character and motives of moral agents that utilitarian and deontologists could incorporate in to their approaches. Deontological theories are duty based; morality based on deontologists involves the fulfillment of duties and moral obligations. According to the deontological tradition, duties involve absolute moral rules obeying. Thus for a human being to uphold a law or rule they are required morally to do or not to do certain activities/acts. The wrongness or rightness of moral rule is independent determined of how pleasure or happiness was distributed as the outcome of not abiding or abiding by the rule. In real life situations our duties towards others doesnt necessarily decrease pain or increase pleasure. In America around nineteenth-century the anti-slavery movement members had views that slavery was wrong, despite the fact that slave holders benefited from it economically. The Deontologist views are that if American government conducts cost benefit analysis of slavery and directs it made more pleasure in community than pain, still it must be wrong. An extreme utilitarian argues that rules are simply rules we use to avoid figuring possible judgments of our actions. Utilitariasm remarkably have the tendency of haunting those of us who finds it difficult to believe in it. It is our feeling forever that it is ought to be right, though our insisting of it being wrong. Something steers us towards utilitarianism, consequentialism is what makes utilitarianism radically wrong. Self control is the ability to control ones behavior, emotions and desires in order gain on a latter date. Self control is related to the pressure subjected to an individual. The person might be in good pressure; when a person is in a competitive, non-prejudicial and non-judgmental environment, the person may desire to feel like those surrounding him. An individual may become inspired and motivated and thus gains self control. When an individual experiences bad pressure he/she is in prejudicial and judgmental environment and there lacks competition, the individual may become unmotivated and depressed thus losing the self control. When No Pressure the person is free, can do what may feel, there is no competition thus self control depends on the feelings of the individual. An individual might happen to be motivated or less motivated depending on the urgency of the undertakings. The importance of self control triggers choosing, and then persevere with behavior, thought and actions which results to success and improvements. It gives the inner strength and power to overcoming, addictions, laziness procrastination thus following through whatever you do. Self control leads to self esteem, self confidence and inner strength, also to happiness and satisfaction. Low self control people are unable to delay gratification, for people focus is on the present. The seven year old boy in Australia was to be crowned a king of low self esteem. Early one morning, the boy secretly went in the house of the reptiles and began killing them. The boy then took a lizard and killed it and mounted on the fence to give it to others as food. The theory of low self-control is depicted by this behavior. The seven year kid suggested that the beginning of such behavior is early. The action of the boy was without any thought about the outcomes his behavior would bring. The security cameras featured him smiling while killing the animals. The boy never showed a sense of empathy for the zoo neither the animals keepers taking lots of risks. The boy not only managed to dive past the security system but still climbed over the fence to have a closer look at the crocodile meantime endangering his little flesh. The boys behavior proposes that his parents are particularly ineffective. The parents of great concern can not allow the little young to go missing for such extended period of time without eyeing them. According to low-self esteem theory there were higher expectations about the boy continuing with such low self-control behaviors from childhood then to adolescence and then into adulthood probably tuning from harming animals to harming people. Most likely the boy wont be feeding people to crocodiles. Self control theory predictions can be a lengthy criminal record. Sociologists made this approach as a criminal behavior; psychologists have been studying development of similar theories for several years just before self control theory. Immediate gratification, impulsivity, risk-taking are very well established concepts in the bases of psychological accounts of deviance and crime. Low self-control manifests in a quite different ways. People showing low self-control can not delay gratification; they do such simply because they are focused on the present. Is just like they want it now, thus it results to people of low self control acting impulsively.