Strategy management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 3

Strategy management - Essay Example In order to stay relevant in such aggressive market, these companies have been forced to initiate new strategies characteristically from time to time. However, amid the innovativeness and creativity to generate such new strategies such as distinct mobile phone features, capability, speed, memory capacity and so forth, there has been a clash between the principal firms. Ultimately, the aim of each company is not only to stay relevant but to remain dominant in the market as well. In a number of studies by prominent researchers such as Michael porter, Bowman’s, Johnson’s, McKenzie’s etc on the marketing strategies, they have made some influential marketing models to analyse the reign in competitive market spheres. For instance, in Porter’s generic strategies, he proposed three stratagems of cost leadership, focus and differentiation (Porter, 2007). Through the three strategies, Porter intends to show that the profit of the firm is basically the difference between its returns and cost. Thus, high profitability is achievable through attaining lower costs or higher prices with reference to the competition, meaning that a company can earn a price premium through differentiation (de Kluyver, 2010). In line with Porters’ and other models by other researchers, I seek to critically evaluate some of the analytical processes against three major mobile manufacturing companies. The purpose of this study paper is to not only evaluate the models, but also explore the merits and demerits associated with each of the analytical processes with regard to the telecommunication industry. The methodology of this paper will be an evaluation of the analytical process, followed by application of the firms and conclusion of each with the scepticism of demerits experienced of the processes. In addition, will be an assessment of the number of ways to mitigate the deficiencies of the models if any. A case study of this assessment paper is on three major mobile manufacturing

Gender leadership style in the workforce. Who is more respected Annotated Bibliography

Gender leadership style in the workforce. Who is more respected - Annotated Bibliography Example The study made use of eighty weekly interviews of top business executives conducted by Adam Bryan between 2010 and 2011 and consisted of 40 men and 40 women for the Corner Office series of the New York Times Sunday, business section. The study results include the use of personal power, emphasis on relationships by women (85%), encouragement and participation by both genders but not sharing influence and power, and the use of transformational leadership. The information is relevant to the research since it deals with gender and leadership at the workplace. The article will form part of the literature review through providing a basis for comparing gender roles in leadership. The article is focused on the leadership of business executives and is consistent with gender requirements using a representative sample and provides for depth and clear content analysis. Champions of gender equality: Female and Male executives as leaders of the gender change is an article authored by De Vries Anne with the aim of examining how male and female executives champion for gender change interventions. The article begins by examining the developments that have been witnessed on the gender front and the fight for equality among the different sexes. The role of business and organizations through its leaders is the other facet examined in the paper. The study achieves its aim using a feminist qualitative research methodology making gender central to the discussion and is conducted in a policing organization and Australian University. The study makes use of four interviews of senior personnel in the two organizations for data collection. The results of the study include the better positioning of men to champion for gender change, increased the burden on women fighting for gender change, but in gender change men are more effective compared to women. The information is relevant to the research in that it captures the role of leadership

Importance of Vaccinations

Importance of Vaccinations Kasandra Padilla Each year the Department of Health and Human Services releases a list, essentially a schedule, of optional vaccines for children 0-18 months. Although these shots are not required, they are highly recommended. However, in recent years there has been speculation that the rise in childhood immunizations has caused excessive and unnecessary medical issues among children in the United States. This hearsay, spurred on by a handful of studies, claims causal relationships between developmental disabilities and certain elements found in vaccines. These studies, along with certain religious teachings and personal beliefs, have caused a number of parents across the United States to opt out of vaccinating their children. This decision has, unfortunately, caused the recent outbreaks of several, previously manageable, viruses in a number of America’s cities. In his article â€Å"Anti-Vaccination Movement Causes a Deadly Year in the U.S.† (2013), Brian Krans stated, â€Å"The anti-v accination movement continues to leave the door open to outbreaks of diseases that have been all but eradicated by modern medicine. These diseases include measles, polio, whooping cough, and more.† According The Center for Disease Control [CDC] measles is considered to be the deadliest childhood disease (2013), and all previously mentioned diseases (measles, polio, and whooping cough) are spread easily and simply by coming in contact with an infected individual. Although, in some cases, there may be side effects to certain vaccinations, the positive aspect of being immunized against a number of fatal diseases far outweighs the possible effects or reactions that may occur. Firstly, as briefly mentioned, vaccines save children from preventable diseases. Children are going to be children. So, parents protect them from sharp pointy objects, install gates to protect them from unsafe areas of the house, only feed them certain food for the first few months of their life, and do not feed them other foods until a certain age. Vaccines are another way to prevent one’s child from danger. According to Dr. Vincent Iannelli, a pediatrician in Dallas, Texas, today’s parents did not grow up in an era riddled with disease like Polio and therefore often forget the importance of vaccines (Vaccine Preventable Diseases, 2014). The World Health Organization [WHO] fact sheet classifies polio as, â€Å"a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system, and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours,† and includes symptoms such as, â€Å"fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck and pain in the limbs† (2014). Global Health Strategies [GHS], an international consulting firm that focuses on research in health care, mirrors Dr. Ianelli’s view and the issue of Polio, â€Å"Few remember a time in the US in the 1940’s and 50’s when fear of this crippling disease pervaded all pockets of society. Images of shuttered swimming pools and children in iron lungs and on crutches colored every mother’s daily worries† (2012). Therefore, due to the effectiveness of the very vaccines that they often contest, some individuals may not realize the severity and complexity of a disease. Individuals that choose not to vaccinate their children, known as anti-vaxxers, sometimes claim religious beliefs as the main reason for choosing not to immunize their children. One main issue that people cite is that certain vaccines contain fibroblast cells of fetal tissue. These fibroblast cells aid in holding connective tissue together (Hot Topics: Fetal Tissues, 2013). According to Paul Offit, a doctor at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the tissue resulted from two terminated pregnancies that occurred in 1960, and â€Å"No further sources of fetal cells are needed to make these vaccines† (2013). In other words these cells are not taken from fetuses today, like some anti-vaxxers claim. In the same article Dr. Offit continues on to state that these cells are used for two reasons: â€Å"Viruses need cells to grow and tend to grow better in cells from humans than animals (because they infect humans),† and because of the Hayflick limit, where cells die a fter being divided a certain number of times, fetal cells are used because they are able to â€Å"go through many more divisions before dying† (2013). Dr. Offit also notes, in â€Å"Parents Fake Religion to Avoid Vaccines,† that religious beliefs have come to be the default; because of state laws protecting religious practices, people claim religious exemption when it is that they just do not believe there is a need for immunizations (2007). The second reason that immunizations are beneficial is that they prevent outbreaks from occurring. In her article, â€Å"Measles Is Spreading In Our Largest Cities Because People Aren’t Vaccinating Their Kids† (2014), Tara Culp-Ressler, the health editor for ThinkProgress, a non-partisan web-based news source, discussed how recent outbreaks have occurred in â€Å"Boston, San Francisco, San Diego, and Dallas areas. Measles have also recently been reported in suburban areas in Connecticut and Illinois.† Anti-vaxxers claim that other countries do not have as many vaccines and they do not experience outbreaks. J.B. Handley (2011) stated â€Å"Iceland, Sweden, Singapore, Japan, and Norway give 11, 11, 13, 11, and 13 vaccines respectively—all less than 1/3 the number of vaccines the U.S. mandates.† Each vaccine on the CDC’s schedule is highly recommended, they are not â€Å"mandated.† If they were mandated no parent would have a choice in va ccinating their child and there would be no exemptions. Also, Handley mentioned that each of these countries only have 11-13 vaccines. The US only has 14 vaccines; these fourteen are given in a series from 0-18 months, not 36 separate vaccinations as Handley leads one to believe. It is necessary to highlight, because of the sheer difference in land mass and therefore population size, the population of each of the countries Handley mentioned. The most current statistics show Iceland: 326,340 (Statistics Iceland, 2014), Sweden: 9.7 million (Statistics Sweden, 2014), Singapore: 5.4 million (Department of Statistics Singapore, 2014), Japan: 127 million (The World Bank, 2014), Norway: 5 million (The World Bank, 2014), and the United States: 317.3 million (United States Census Bureau, 2013). These statistics emphasize Handley’s error in comparing countries with a much smaller population to that of the United States, and further underscores the previous inaccuracies contained in his argument regarding vaccination requirements. In countries where they do not promote vaccinations, such as Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan (GHS, 2012), there are outbreaks of several diseases. For example, according to WHO, each of these countries remains endemic (2014). That is to say that communicable disease, such as polio and measles, are found regularly in these parts of the world. The probability of dying before one’s fifth birthday in Pakistan is almost 9% (86 in every 1,000 births) (WHO, 2014). Tara Culp-Ressler stated outbreaks in the United States tend to occur because families travel abroad, become infected, and then bring the virus back the US, infecting others who have not been vaccinated (2014). Lastly, vaccines are safe. Due to a handful of studies conducted by the previously mentioned J. B. Handley and Andrew Wakefield, the public now associate vaccines, particularly the MMR vaccine, with causing autism. Each of these individuals has been criticized for their lack of scientific objectivity in their experiments, with Wakefield in particular being barred from practicing medicine in Britain because of his falsified study (BBC, 2010). Unfortunately, their claims still remain on the public’s mind. It also does not help to quell the public’s concern when a celebrity, Jenny McCarthy, takes these falsified studies and uses them as a platform in an attempt to further frighten parents with the claim that her child suffers from autism because of the vaccinations he received. A study conducted by Sharpe, Gist, and Baskin (â€Å"Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Unaffected Siblings Exhibit Hypersensitivity to Thimerosal,† 2013) point their fingers at Thimerosal, which, according to the Immunization Action Coalition (2011), is a â€Å"preservative that has been used in some vaccines since the 1930s.† The CDC, as well as the Immunization Action Coalition, point out that Thimerosal is present in only one influenza vaccine, and has been reduced to trace amounts. It should also be noted that, should one choose, there are other available alternatives to that particular influenza vaccine which contain no Thimerosal (2011). So, this preservative that anti-vaxxers claim causes autism is, in fact, is not contained in the MMR vaccine. Parents, undoubtedly, want to provide the safest environment for their children in order to keep them out of danger. Vaccinating one’s child is no different. Unfortunately, there is an abundance of information available that can cause a person to feel overwhelmed. When a well-known celebrity is claiming her child suffers from autism because of a vaccine, a great deal of the public is going to believe that individual because she is famous and has resources the parent may not have. These claims perpetuate the myths of preservatives being harmful to a child, or that vaccines are unnecessary because such diseases they protect against have been eradicated when they haven not. Each parent has the option to speak with a doctor regarding vaccinations. In fact, the CDC (2014) recommends speaking to a doctor in order to receive all relevant and up-to-date information so that each person can make an informed decision regarding having their child immunized. References Countries: Pakistan. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/countries/pak/en/ Culp-Ressler, T. (2014, March 14). Measles is spreading in our largest cities because people aren’t vaccinating their kids. Retrieved from http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/03/14/3408461/measles-outbreaks-cities-vaccination/ Handley, J. B. (2011) Compelling evidence shows that vaccines trigger autism. Epidemics. Detroit: Greenhaven Press. Iannelli, V. (2014, March 30). Vaccine preventable diseases. Retrieved from http://pediatrics.about.com/od/immunizations/a/0408_im_illness.htm Infants, Children, and Teens. (2014) Retrieved from http://www.vaccines.gov/who_and_when/infants_to_teens/index.html Key Figures. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.scb.se/en_/ Krans, B. (2013). Anti-vaccination movement causes a deadly year in the U.S.. Retrieved from http://www.healthline.com/health-news/children-anti-vaccination-movement-leads-to-disease-outbreaks-120312 Latest Key Indicators. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.singstat.gov.sg/ Measles Vaccination. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/measles/default.htm Offit, P. A. (2013). Hot topics: fetal tissues. Retrieved from http://www.chop.edu/service/vaccine-education-center/vaccine-safety/vaccine-ingredients/fetal-tissues.html Parents Fake Religion to Avoid Vaccines. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/parents-fake-religion-to-avoid-vaccines/ Polio Eradication. (2012). Retrieved from http://ghstrat.com/issues/polio Poliomyelitis. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs114/en/ Population (Total). (2014). Retrieved from http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL Population in the 1st quarter 2014. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.statice.is/Pages/444?NewsID=10348 Sharpe, M. A., Gist, T. L., Baskin, D. S. (2013). B-lymphocytes from a population of children with autism spectrum disorder and their unaffected siblings exhibit hypersensitivity to thimerosal. Journal of Toxicology, 2013, 1-11. Thimerosal in Vaccines. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/biologicsbloodvaccines/safetyavailability/vaccinesafety/ucm096228 Triggle, N. (2010). Lancet accepts MMR study false. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8493753.stm Vaccine Concerns: Thimerosal. (2011, February 25). Retrieved from http://www.immunize.org/thimerosal/

Racism in Literature Essay -- Literary Analysis

Literature Analysis Most literature authors write stories on different genres like poems, stories, and plays. These works are written using a variety of elements of literature for instance setting, themes, conflict, and characters. The following essay discusses the element of racism as a theme in Margaret Laurence’s short story â€Å"The Loons,† Langston Hughes’ poem, I Too, Sing America, and W.E.B Du Bois’ book, â€Å"The Souls of Black Folk.† â€Å"The Loons† is a short story that was done by Margaret Laurence together with other stories in the sequence â€Å"A bird in the House† and was published in 1970. The story centers on the narrator and the main character Vanessa McLeod, a white girl and her youth days in a fictional town known as Manawaka, Manitoba in Canada (Laurence, 2001). From Vanessa’s eyes, the audience is able to see the alienation and racism that Piquette Tonerre, a girl of Mà ©tis origin faces in society. The story has been set just before Vanessa’s father passes on and it helps her to open her eyes and see the suffering, cultural alienation, and racial discrimination of the Mà ©tis people a subgroup of the Canadian Aborigines. In the first part, Vanessa finds the Mà ©tis to be people who do not fit in the society due to their unknown descent. Her grandmother describes the Mà ©tis to be people of â€Å"†¦neither flesh, fowl nor good salt herring† (Laurence, 2001). This statement describes the people who are French half-breeds and their language is neither French nor Cree. These people do not belong to the Creoles who live on the mountains and neither to the French. They are a people who society alienates and discriminates because they do not belong. Grandmother McLeod does not want anything to do with Piquette. At one point, the McLe... ...r ideals. Fredrick insisted on â€Å"total assimilation through self assertion and nothing more.† Du Bois argued that the Negro could not progress if he is not educated, given freedom to vote, economically empowered and legal superiority (Du Bois, 1996). This book highlights the problem of racism in America in the 20th and 21st century. Du Bois set the pace for other black writers and civil rights activists like Dr Martin Luther King. This may not have been exactly out of the book, but it was the best that I could come up with and still make everything work the way I wanted it too. References Du Bois, W.E.B. (1996). The Souls of Black Folk. New York: Penguin Books. Langston H. (1932). The Dream Keeper and Other Poems. New York: Knopf Publishers. Laurence, M (2001). â€Å"The Loons.† Literature: An Introduction to Writing. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2001.

Customer Satisfaction

Part 1: Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty Definition of Consumer Satisfaction: The satisfaction of customer is considered as the popular topic at the practice on marketing and the research as academic in view of the fact that the primary study of Cardozo's (1965) on the effort of customers, their expectations and along with the satisfaction of them. In spite of taking many attempts for measuring and explaining the satisfaction of customer, there is not so much consensus conducting in relation to the definition of the satisfaction of customer (Giese and Cote, 2000).The typical definition of customer satisfaction can be provided as the evaluative judgment of post consumption in relation to the certain product or service (Gundersen, Heide and Olsson, 1996). It is considered as the outcome of the process of evaluative through which expectations of pre purchase are contrasted with performance perception in the time of or after the experience of the consumption (Oliver, 1980). The concept of the satisfaction of the customer is considered as the concept as most widely recognized which is based on the theory of expectancy disconfirmation (McQuitty, Finn and Wiley, 2000).Oliver developed the theory which proposes that the level of satisfaction is considered as the outcome of difference among the performance as expected and perceived. The occurrence of the satisfaction can be done when an organization provides better product or services than the expectation of the customers (Positive disconfirmation). In other side, dissatisfaction can be occurred while the worse performance is provided by the organization (Negative disconfirmation).It has been showed by studies that the results of business can be impacted directly and indirectly through the satisfaction of customer. It has been concluded by Luo and Homburg (2007) that the profitability of the business can be affected by the satisfaction of customer positively. The relationship among the patterns of the behavior of the c ustomer has been investigated by the most of the studies (Dimitriades, 2006; Olorunniwo et al. , 2006; Chi and Qu, 2008; Faullant et al. , 2008).In accordance with these findings, the loyalty of the customer can be enhanced by the satisfaction of the customer; along with this intentions of repurchasing are also influenced by the satisfaction of customer which can be concluded with positive effects a positive word of mouth leads to the positive publicity. By giving the major consideration towards the satisfaction of customer, not surprisingly there are so many researches have been done which are devoted towards the satisfaction determinants investigation.The factors as subjective and objective are assisting to determine the satisfaction for example: subjective factors are the needs of customer, emotions etc and the objective factors are the features of products and services. In application on the airlines industries, there has been occurred so many research studies through which attr ibutes are examined which are found out by the passenger as significant in relation to the satisfaction of customer. It has been found out by Atkinson (1988) that customer satisfaction can be determined by proper scheduling, security, value for money and the staff courtesy.It has been revealed by Knutson (1988) that scheduling, comfort, convenience of goods, prompt service, safety and security, staff friendliness are required. It has been stated by Barsky and Labagh (1992) that passengers’ satisfaction can be influenced by the attitude of the employee, scheduling, goods security, landing on scheduled time etc. Akan (1995) conducted the study where it has been showed that airlines passengers’ satisfaction has the determinant of the staffs’ behavior, scheduling, timeliness, pricing of ticket, productivity and performance, robust schedule planning, etc.The conclusion has been drawn by Choi and Chu (2001) that the top factors of airline industries which can determin e the satisfaction of the airline passenger are: the quality of the staff, schedule planning, values, productivity, price of ticket etc. Customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in Hilton Hotel: In the past, tourism has been often considered as the natural outcome of environmental and cultural resources of a specific territory. In this view, the role of hospitality enterprises cannot influence demand levels and is merely limited to the supply of services to tourists.Le Blanc ; Nguyen (1996) suggest that marketing efforts should be directed to highlight the environmental characteristics of the location in order to attract new customers. The constant increase of demand of touristic services, and the request for higher standards by the guests, has enforced the competition among hospitality suppliers and highlighted how the attractivity of the touristic destination is influenced by the standards of the services provided by the local hotels.In this scenario, providing high quality serv ices and improving customer satisfaction are widely recognized as fundamental factors boosting the performances of companies in the hotel and tourism industry (Barsky ; Labagh, 1992; Le Blanc, 1992,; Le Blanc et al. , 1996; Stevens et al. , 1995, Opermann, 1998). Hotels with good service quality will ultimately improve their profitability (Oh ; Parks, 1997). In a competitive hospitality industry which offers homogeneous services, individual hoteliers must be able to satisfy costumers better then their counterparts (Choi ; Chou, 2001).To obtain loyalty and to outweigh other competitors, hotel providers must be able to obtain high levels of customer satisfaction for the service supplied. There are several studies that analyze the needs and the desires of tourists. A research by Wuest et al. (1996) defined the perception of hotel attributes as the degree to which guests may find various services and facilities critical for their stay in a hotel.Hotel's attributes such as cleanliness, p rice, location, security, personal service, physical attractiveness, opportunities for relaxation, standard of services, appealing image, and reputation are recognized as decisive by travelers to assess the quality of the hotel (Atkinsons, 1988; Ananth et al. , 1992; Barsky & Labagh, 1992; Cadotte & Turgeon, 1988; Knutson, 1988; McCleary et al. , 1993; Rivers et al. , 1991; Wilensky & Buttle, 1988). Part 2: Corporate culture: Culture  is defined in varying terms by different theorists. A opular  definition  is the one provided by Schein (1985: 9): A pattern of basic assumptions – invented, discovered, or developed by a given group as it learns to cope with the problems of external  adaptation  and integral integration – that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems. The terms  organisational culture  and corporate culture are used interchangeably in the literature to refer to the culture pervading an organisation, be it a for-profit  or a non-profit entity.Corporate culture is invariably influenced by natural or regional cultures, or macro-cultures (Hampden-Turner 1994: 12). The emphasis on  individualism  in US corporations, the emphasis on collective  decision making  in Japanese firms, and the age old burra sahib culture of British companies in colonial days are all reflections of the influence of macro-cultures on corporate culture. Corporate culture is not entirely monolithic or uniform throughout the organisation. Within the overall culture, there are usually subcultures.For example,  marketing  and accounts personnel may have different subcultures due to the differences in the  nature  of their work and  environment. The conflicts which sometimes arise among departments can be attributed to such differences. In a similar but broader vein there is a hotel culture, which in turn take s a different hold when the corporate culture of the Hilton chain is compared to that of  Sheraton. Similarly, airlines still have a different corporate culture; that of TWA and  Singapore  airlines are not the same.At International Hotel Group AG’s, fulfilling the individual needs of a clearly defined target group has been a proven recipe for success in the group’s corporate philosophy for long years. Our hotels precisely distinguish themselves not only from each other but from those of the competition as well through their individual character and extraordinary architecture. Enthusiastic, qualified staff and confident interaction based on partnership are just as important to the International Hotel Group as the fulfilment of our guests’ needs and the solution of individual, out of the ordinary problems.Each staff member in the business is responsible for actively realizing of these objectives – seen as obligation – within his/her sphere of influence. . We both require from and promote creativity in our staff in order to provide our guests with concepts that embody Lindner quality beyond expectations. In this respect, everyone is allowed to make mistakes, too, because we consider mistakes a chance to learn and improve the quality of Lindner. Through believing in the capabilities of our staff and by guaranteeing their creative and personal development, we achieve a strong commitment and creative work.Together, we create values and reach new goals. Transparency, comprehensive information and a regular exchange between the staff members in our hotels support their further qualification. We manage our business in an honest, reliable, and fair way and our relationship with business partners is characterized by partnership, respect, and cooperation. It is with this foundation of integrity in partnerships that we achieve the permanent development of our International Hotel Group. Customer Satisfaction 1. Do right things and do it right first time. This Total Quality Management Principle means that in work , one must be effective enough to do what is right. A person must produce quality work, not just an ordinary work that would affect an ordinary experience, but something that will cause you to be productive enough. Do the right things and do it the first time reflects that a person is obliged to do what is right or just and once you do it, do it like you’ve never done it before. Do it like it is your first time to do such, why? Because once you do something like it was your first, you’ll give your one hundred and one percent of effort to it because you wanted an assurance of success. Example, your manager gave you a project, he had entrusted you this project so you have to give your best efforts to it. What you have to do is give your best while you’re doing it. This only proves that you deserve to have this project and soon your boss will entrust more projects to you and maybe give you a higher position for doing a great job. 2. Management by walking around. Another Total Quality Management principle is management by walking around. For me this means continuous improvement on what you’re doing plus respect and teamwork all throughout. Management is not just about being the leader and leading your subordinates but being a good subordinate as well. It’s best for a leader if he/she is also a good follower. As they say, a good leader is a good follower. When you learn to be a good leader you also learn how to pay respect to others. Giving respect is very much important in the industry. You can’t stay long in your work if you won’t give and take respect. It’s like a mutual relationship that you have to develop in order to love your work. One must also have a strategic approach to improvement. One must not be settled and contented in being developed, because one must continue having productivity with his/her work. This will bring good effects in his/her work, because work is not just about going there everyday and doing the same old things because productivity and development will not surely go their way. Customer Satisfaction Whether the buyer is satisfied after purchase depend on the offers performance inrelation to the buyer expectation. In general satisfaction is a person's feelings of pleasure or disappointment resulting from comparing a products perceived performance relation to his/her expectations. If the performance falls short of expectation, the customer is dissatisfied. If the performance matches the expectationcustomer is satisfied. If the performance exceeds the expectation the customer ishighly satisfied. Customer satisfaction cannot be very difficult. After all you either satisfied with theservices you receive or you are not. If you don’t you are not. If it is that easy, thenobtaining people's opinion about how satisfied they are with relatively straightforward matter- or is it?. Customer satisfaction is a marketing tool and a definite valueaddad benefit. It is often perceived by customers as important as the primary productor service your organisation offers. It looks at what is involved from 3 different angles, the first is from the view of anorganisation wishing to understand, and measures, how satisfied its customer are withthe products and services they receive from it. The second is from the perspective of aresearch agency that has been asked to obtain feedback from customers and abouttheir experiences when dealing with companies. Finally it considers the issue from the perspective of consumers who participate in surveys, including both businesscustomers and members of general public. Customer satisfaction is a business term, is a measure of how products and servicessupplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectation. It is seen as a key performance indicator within business and part of the four prospective of balancedscore card. IN a competitive market place were businesses compete for customers, customer satisfaction is seen as a key differentiator and increasingly has become a key elementof business strategy customer satisfaction drives successful private sector business. High performing businesses have developed principles and strategies for achievingcustomer satisfaction. This paper presents a framework or set of ideas for usingcustomer satisfaction principles and strategies to improve the quality responsiveness,and possibility of public sector privately provided services in vulnerable communities. The framework suggested that resident who live in tough neighbourhoods can besupported through customer satisfaction strategies to become empowered individuals Customer Satisfaction Part 1: Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty Definition of Consumer Satisfaction: The satisfaction of customer is considered as the popular topic at the practice on marketing and the research as academic in view of the fact that the primary study of Cardozo's (1965) on the effort of customers, their expectations and along with the satisfaction of them. In spite of taking many attempts for measuring and explaining the satisfaction of customer, there is not so much consensus conducting in relation to the definition of the satisfaction of customer (Giese and Cote, 2000).The typical definition of customer satisfaction can be provided as the evaluative judgment of post consumption in relation to the certain product or service (Gundersen, Heide and Olsson, 1996). It is considered as the outcome of the process of evaluative through which expectations of pre purchase are contrasted with performance perception in the time of or after the experience of the consumption (Oliver, 1980). The concept of the satisfaction of the customer is considered as the concept as most widely recognized which is based on the theory of expectancy disconfirmation (McQuitty, Finn and Wiley, 2000).Oliver developed the theory which proposes that the level of satisfaction is considered as the outcome of difference among the performance as expected and perceived. The occurrence of the satisfaction can be done when an organization provides better product or services than the expectation of the customers (Positive disconfirmation). In other side, dissatisfaction can be occurred while the worse performance is provided by the organization (Negative disconfirmation).It has been showed by studies that the results of business can be impacted directly and indirectly through the satisfaction of customer. It has been concluded by Luo and Homburg (2007) that the profitability of the business can be affected by the satisfaction of customer positively. The relationship among the patterns of the behavior of the c ustomer has been investigated by the most of the studies (Dimitriades, 2006; Olorunniwo et al. , 2006; Chi and Qu, 2008; Faullant et al. , 2008).In accordance with these findings, the loyalty of the customer can be enhanced by the satisfaction of the customer; along with this intentions of repurchasing are also influenced by the satisfaction of customer which can be concluded with positive effects a positive word of mouth leads to the positive publicity. By giving the major consideration towards the satisfaction of customer, not surprisingly there are so many researches have been done which are devoted towards the satisfaction determinants investigation.The factors as subjective and objective are assisting to determine the satisfaction for example: subjective factors are the needs of customer, emotions etc and the objective factors are the features of products and services. In application on the airlines industries, there has been occurred so many research studies through which attr ibutes are examined which are found out by the passenger as significant in relation to the satisfaction of customer. It has been found out by Atkinson (1988) that customer satisfaction can be determined by proper scheduling, security, value for money and the staff courtesy.It has been revealed by Knutson (1988) that scheduling, comfort, convenience of goods, prompt service, safety and security, staff friendliness are required. It has been stated by Barsky and Labagh (1992) that passengers’ satisfaction can be influenced by the attitude of the employee, scheduling, goods security, landing on scheduled time etc. Akan (1995) conducted the study where it has been showed that airlines passengers’ satisfaction has the determinant of the staffs’ behavior, scheduling, timeliness, pricing of ticket, productivity and performance, robust schedule planning, etc.The conclusion has been drawn by Choi and Chu (2001) that the top factors of airline industries which can determin e the satisfaction of the airline passenger are: the quality of the staff, schedule planning, values, productivity, price of ticket etc. Customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in Hilton Hotel: In the past, tourism has been often considered as the natural outcome of environmental and cultural resources of a specific territory. In this view, the role of hospitality enterprises cannot influence demand levels and is merely limited to the supply of services to tourists.Le Blanc ; Nguyen (1996) suggest that marketing efforts should be directed to highlight the environmental characteristics of the location in order to attract new customers. The constant increase of demand of touristic services, and the request for higher standards by the guests, has enforced the competition among hospitality suppliers and highlighted how the attractivity of the touristic destination is influenced by the standards of the services provided by the local hotels.In this scenario, providing high quality serv ices and improving customer satisfaction are widely recognized as fundamental factors boosting the performances of companies in the hotel and tourism industry (Barsky ; Labagh, 1992; Le Blanc, 1992,; Le Blanc et al. , 1996; Stevens et al. , 1995, Opermann, 1998). Hotels with good service quality will ultimately improve their profitability (Oh ; Parks, 1997). In a competitive hospitality industry which offers homogeneous services, individual hoteliers must be able to satisfy costumers better then their counterparts (Choi ; Chou, 2001).To obtain loyalty and to outweigh other competitors, hotel providers must be able to obtain high levels of customer satisfaction for the service supplied. There are several studies that analyze the needs and the desires of tourists. A research by Wuest et al. (1996) defined the perception of hotel attributes as the degree to which guests may find various services and facilities critical for their stay in a hotel.Hotel's attributes such as cleanliness, p rice, location, security, personal service, physical attractiveness, opportunities for relaxation, standard of services, appealing image, and reputation are recognized as decisive by travelers to assess the quality of the hotel (Atkinsons, 1988; Ananth et al. , 1992; Barsky & Labagh, 1992; Cadotte & Turgeon, 1988; Knutson, 1988; McCleary et al. , 1993; Rivers et al. , 1991; Wilensky & Buttle, 1988). Part 2: Corporate culture: Culture  is defined in varying terms by different theorists. A opular  definition  is the one provided by Schein (1985: 9): A pattern of basic assumptions – invented, discovered, or developed by a given group as it learns to cope with the problems of external  adaptation  and integral integration – that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems. The terms  organisational culture  and corporate culture are used interchangeably in the literature to refer to the culture pervading an organisation, be it a for-profit  or a non-profit entity.Corporate culture is invariably influenced by natural or regional cultures, or macro-cultures (Hampden-Turner 1994: 12). The emphasis on  individualism  in US corporations, the emphasis on collective  decision making  in Japanese firms, and the age old burra sahib culture of British companies in colonial days are all reflections of the influence of macro-cultures on corporate culture. Corporate culture is not entirely monolithic or uniform throughout the organisation. Within the overall culture, there are usually subcultures.For example,  marketing  and accounts personnel may have different subcultures due to the differences in the  nature  of their work and  environment. The conflicts which sometimes arise among departments can be attributed to such differences. In a similar but broader vein there is a hotel culture, which in turn take s a different hold when the corporate culture of the Hilton chain is compared to that of  Sheraton. Similarly, airlines still have a different corporate culture; that of TWA and  Singapore  airlines are not the same.At International Hotel Group AG’s, fulfilling the individual needs of a clearly defined target group has been a proven recipe for success in the group’s corporate philosophy for long years. Our hotels precisely distinguish themselves not only from each other but from those of the competition as well through their individual character and extraordinary architecture. Enthusiastic, qualified staff and confident interaction based on partnership are just as important to the International Hotel Group as the fulfilment of our guests’ needs and the solution of individual, out of the ordinary problems.Each staff member in the business is responsible for actively realizing of these objectives – seen as obligation – within his/her sphere of influence. . We both require from and promote creativity in our staff in order to provide our guests with concepts that embody Lindner quality beyond expectations. In this respect, everyone is allowed to make mistakes, too, because we consider mistakes a chance to learn and improve the quality of Lindner. Through believing in the capabilities of our staff and by guaranteeing their creative and personal development, we achieve a strong commitment and creative work.Together, we create values and reach new goals. Transparency, comprehensive information and a regular exchange between the staff members in our hotels support their further qualification. We manage our business in an honest, reliable, and fair way and our relationship with business partners is characterized by partnership, respect, and cooperation. It is with this foundation of integrity in partnerships that we achieve the permanent development of our International Hotel Group.

Counter-Argument Essay

The recent increase of violence at schools has proved the inconsistence of previous preventive measures. There is a persistent need to find a new solution for the existing problem of school shooting. The number of school shooting victims increases with each day, this is why the newly designed preventive measures should be fast, effective, and should not cause any side effects to those who study and work at schools. In this situation metal detectors at schools remain the only promising perspective which will minimize the incidence of violence against teenagers and their teachers.Metal detectors should be installed at schools because they would detect weapons that could be used to commit violent crimes, even though many people think that this would not stop crimes. Metal detectors at schools There is no official statistics as for the number of victims and incidents of school violence through the period between 2005 and 2008. However, it is not difficult to create the timeline of the ma jor school shootings in the U. S. for the last three years.â€Å"March 21, 2005 (Red Lake, Minnesota): Jeff Weise, 16, killed grandfather and companion, then arrived at school where he killed a teacher, a security guard, 5 students, and finally himself. November 58, 2005 (Jacksboro, Tennessee): One 15-year-old shot and killed an assistant principal at Campbell County High School and seriously wounded two other administrators. September 26, 2006 (Bailey, Colorado): adult male held six students hostage at Platte Canyon High School and then shot and killed Emily Keyes, 16, and himself† (Infoplease).This list can be further expanded, and there is no visible tendency towards the decrease of school crimes. The problem is aggravated by the fact that only few schools use metal detectors as a security measure: â€Å"in 2005, nearly all (99 percent) students ages 12-18 observed the use of at least one of the selected security measures at their school. [†¦] Metal detectors were th e least observed of the selected safety and security measures: 11 percent of students reported the use of metal detectors in their school. † (Indicator 21)Of course, it is difficult to argue that metal detectors are expensive, but is it ethical to speak about financial costs when it comes to protecting lives and health of children? For example, the Cleveland City Council had to invest $2. 5 million of state money into equipping its schools with metal detector (Wagner). For many people this sum sounds as viable justification of why metal detectors should not be installed at schools. Simultaneously, this sum becomes meaningless against the value of students and teachers’ safety.Moreover, metal detectors are presented in several different forms, and each school may choose the product to suit its needs and budget. When parents feel that their children are not safe, they start looking for other alternatives which would secure their children from being involved into tragic ac cidents at school. This is why metal detectors should be installed at schools to detect the weapons, and ultimately, to keep children from leaving to another school. Despite the high price of metal detectors, they have already proved to be an efficient instrument in decreasing violence and preventing shooting and other related accidents at schools.Five public schools of New York were participating in the experiment, which was aimed at determining the effectiveness of metal detectors. â€Å"In a report to the Board of Education, the Chancellor said that 820 weapons had been found on students or near the search areas at five schools. Only five weapons were firearms† (Gootman A3). It is possible to state that the experiment was successful: metal detectors not only helped find weapons, but discouraged pupils and students from bringing weapons to school.The discussion of metal detectors’ benefits will be incomplete if we do not analyze the successes of certain schools which already use metal detectors. The example of John F. Kennedy High School in Bronx is very illustrative due to the fact that it was traditionally one of the most problematic educational entities in Bronx area. After one of the students was stabbed to death by a school companion, the principal directed significant resources at reviving school safety. The metal detector has helped detect numerous box-cutters before they were carried inside the school building; the fights in the hallway have remained in the past.This is what the students and teachers said about the new metal detecting guard: â€Å"In terms of security, it’s been a blessing. [†¦] I feel a lot safer. I was very afraid† (Gootman, A3). To be honest, it is not very clear why so many people vote against the use of metal detectors at schools. It seems that the high price of these useful devices is the only justification for those who refuse to recognize the benefits of metal detectors. For some reason, paren ts think that THIS will never happen to THEIR children.Simultaneously, metal detectors are extremely effective in preventing the incidence of violence at schools. Childhood is the period of extreme emotions and unreasonable actions. Metal detectors may actually prevent the child from committing a crime which he might be later regretting for the rest of his life. Metal detectors may save thousands of children’s lives. They are expensive, but these expenses are reasonable when we want to feel safe during our lessons. Conclusion Evidently, there are not so many reasons against installing metal detectors at schools.For those who vote against such measures, the price of metal detectors is the basic argument. However, the life of a child is priceless. Our parents have to understand that they can protect our lives when we are at school, and metal detectors have proved to be a success in this safety campaign. Each school should have a metal detector not only to detect weapons, but to discourage students from bringing weapons to school. Works Cited Gootman, E. â€Å"Metal Detectors and Pep Rallies: Revival of a Bronx High School. † The New York Times, February 4, 2004, p. A3. Indicator 21.â€Å"Students’ Reports of Safety and Security Measures Observed at School. † 2007. National Center for Educational Statistics. 22 February 2008. http://nces. ed. gov/programs/crimeindicators/crimeindicators2007/ind_21. asp Infoplease. â€Å"A Timeline of Recent Worldwide School Shootings. † 2008. Infoplease. com. 22 February 2008. http://www. infoplease. com/ipa/A0777958. html Wagner, J. L. â€Å"Metal Detectors Approved for Cleveland Schools, Will Cost $3. 3 million. † 2007. Cleveland. com. 22 February 2008. http://blog. cleveland. com/metro/2007/10/metal_detectors_approved_for_c. html