Sunday, October 6, 2019
Is globalization rendering nation-states weak and irrelevant Discuss, Essay
Is globalization rendering nation-states weak and irrelevant Discuss, with examples - Essay Example The economic strength of a nation defines its political powers. Globalization has given rise to strong nations both economically and politically. Globalization fosters economic interdependence. States become key producers of certain products and services, while they rely on other nations for other insufficient products (Hirst & Thompson, 2002, p.279). This capacitates nations to trade freely thereby leading to a significant increase in the GDP of such nations across the globe. The capability of a nation to avail such products and services globally renders such a nation to be significantly relevant in shaping world economy, thereby strengthening its political strength. For instance, various oil-producing nations have a significant economic relevance globally. However, they ought to rely on other nations that produce other products such as agricultural and technological products. The interdependence that globalization creates is significant in promoting political stability among nations, thus promoting peace globally. The economic interactions have fostered the development among nations, particularly the developing nations through the importation of human resource capabilities such as technological and business expertise (Hirst & Thompson, 2002, p.189). Additionally, developed nations have been able to bring in cost-effective human resource from the developing nations, and this has critical improvement in the improvement of productions of such nations. As such, various countries play a critical role in shaping the global economy. The transcendence of a global economy across borders has given rise to various bodies that include the Word Bank and IMF among others. These bodies play a critical role in the globalization, since they implement policies that aid in controlling word trade. Besides, these bodies significantly aid nations in propelling their economic capabilities through
Saturday, October 5, 2019
If accepted to nursing school, what unique perspectives or talents do Essay
If accepted to nursing school, what unique perspectives or talents do you bring to the profession of nursing - Essay Example Each person deals with the death of a loved one in a different way. I feel that from this experience I can better relate to people who have experienced a similar loss, and attempt to ease the anxiety of those anticipating loss. I try to look at this life altering experience in a positive light and use my knowledge in my future quest to become a nurse. I believe that it is my relationship with God that helps me to appreciate relationships with others are key to all that happens to us in life. Throughout all of my life events, I have come to understand that service is truly the giving of self for the welfare of others and that not everyone can do just that. The principles I have gained through being an Aerospace Medical Technician in the United States Air Force have inspired me to do my best for the sake of other individuals both on and off duty. Volunteering with other people has given me an ambition that has ignited me to try my hardest at everything I do. Participating in such a dynamic organization has aided me to develop composure, character, and talent. My faith proved a strong component of my desire to serve during voluntary tours in Turkey supporting Operation Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, Guam supporting a Security Theatre Package, and a Humanitarian Call to Service in aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. To be a great nurse, you have to care about others to the extent of going beyond anything a textbook could ever teach you. With every patient, a nurse is given the opportunity, responsibility and privilege of making a difference in a life; to protect and preserve it. One major skill that I am very proud of is my ability to prioritize and stay calm in a stressful situation. The talent I realized is very important while I was serving in the community of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi at a field hospital after Katrina hit. Our Emergency Medical Expeditionary
Friday, October 4, 2019
Risk-Return Concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Risk-Return Concepts - Essay Example Thus, small investors concentrate on putting their money on government bonds, debt, and real estate. These decisions are somehow warranted due to the investor's aversion to risk. However, in addressing this situation, it is crucial to look at one of the core principles in finance-the risk-return concept. The risk-return principle stipulates that the potential return of an investment rises with its potential risk (Risk-Return Tradeoff 2003). In other words, low risk investments generate low rewards to the investor while high risk ones presents probable returns. The risk and return principle clearly asserts that investors are faced with the tradeoff between risk and return. In line with this, an investment risk pyramid is devised in order to fully understand the equation of risk and return. The base of the pyramid is occupied by low risk-low return investments such as cash, cash deposits, notes, bills, and government bonds. It should be noted that these financial instruments often have a fixed return for a certain duration making investors less prone to financial default. The middle of the pyramid is occupied by medium risk investment like real estate, mutual funds, large/small capital stocks, and high income bonds and debt.
Reforms in the International Finance System Essay
Reforms in the International Finance System - Essay Example According to the research findings the global financial crisis did not occur over night; rather it was a series of occurrences that led to the progression of the crisis, which impacted the entire world. The US National Bureau of Economic Research asserts that the financial crisis began in early to mid 2007. The most notable start of the financial crisis was the marketing and sale of US mortgage-backed securities that had risks, which proved difficult to assess. This marketing took place on a global basis that saw risks being spread out to all areas of the globe. In addition, a comprehensive credit boom exemplified the international speculative bubble witnessed in industries such as the real estate and equities industries of the global economy. This further enhanced the risky practice in terms of financial institutionsââ¬â¢ lending capacities. Drastic increases in global food and oil prices also served to enhance the precarious financial status of the world. However, the financial crisis actually began following the surfacing of sub-prime loan losses in 2007. This uncovered risky loans and the over-valued asset prices. As loan losses increased, as well as the collapse of Lehman Brothers, a global panic broke out in the inter-financial institution loans market. When share, as well as housing prices, eventually declined, a majority of financial and investment institutions in the US incurred massive losses, with some even facing bankruptcy. This ultimately led to major public, fiscal assistance to the tumbling institutions. The global financial crisis led to a sudden decline in international trade, massive unemployment and collapse of global prices of essential commodities. In summation, the situations that led up to the financial crisis include the boom in demand for financial instruments, excessive rise in asset prices, all of which were compounded by lack of sufficient regulation. The financial crisis subsided in late 2008, but the global economy has experien ced several aftershocks. Reason behind the Financial Crisis The reason behind the global financial crisis is a complex combination of liquidity and valuation issues in the global banking sector in the year 2008. In the US, in year 2007, the global economy experienced a boost following the emergence of a real estate bubble in residential markets. The real estate bubble refers to a scenario where real estate is sold at highly inflated values. The 2007 real estate bubble
Policing in Kelsey Essay Example for Free
Policing in Kelsey Essay In this paper, I will discuss the budget cuts on the City of Kelsey. The mayor has assigned me as a budget director to review and perform budget cuts on the Cityââ¬â¢s Police Department, due to a 15% budget cut on the City deficit. The state legislature wants to hire less Police Officers and build more prisons. The Police Department currently has an annual budget of $16,177,678. With the 15% budget cut, the mayor is requesting from the Police Department, that leaves a new annual budget of $14,236,356, a decrease of ,941,322. The major change that will affect the fiscal cycle of this budget year is the decrease in the hiring of Police Officers. The City of Kelsey was in the process of hiring 10 new Police Officers to fill the 10 position that were vacant, due to six retiring Police Officers and four Police Officers finding other employment. Now with the 15% budget cut, the City will not be filling these opened positions, thus saving the City $1,200,000. New vehicle and maintenance cost will also decrease, due to not hiring the new officers. Last fiscal year the City Manager allotted $150,000 for 5 new vehicles and maintenance cost for the hiring of the new Police Officers. As a budget director, I went to the Police Union and request a 10% cut in wages or freeze the wages until the next fiscal year, thus saving $300,000. Also cutting 16 paid holidays a year will save the City $400,000. The Police Union Committee advised the Union has only agreed to a 1% pay cut within the next fiscal year, which will save the City $30,000. The Committee has also agreed to 10 paid holidays a year instead of 16. This will save the City an annual $150,000 a year. The Chief of Police has agreed to cut the training budget by 80%. The City will save an annual budget of $125,000. With these cuts alone, the City will save $1,655,000 alone. Another proposal will cut community programs and events within the next fiscal year. The annual ââ¬Å"Shop with a Copâ⬠or ââ¬Å"Trunk or Treatâ⬠is in the annual budget for $10,000. Domestic violence programs can also be cut saving the City anà annual budget of $50,000 a year. Finally, the City will cut all overtime pay for the reminding of the fiscal year, saving the City an estimate of $500.000. With all the above-mentioned budget cuts, the City will project to see a 10% increase in crime. First, not filling the 10 Police Officers position will decrease the number of Police Officer per shifts, thus running the shift at staff minimal. Running the shift at staff minimal will decrease response time to service calls. The Mayor and City Council requested a 5 to 7 minute response time to every service call last fiscal year. With the decrease in personal, a new projective response time will be 10 to 12 minutes. The city has a collective bargaining contract with the Police Union. The Police Union has agreed to a 1% pay cut. Per the collective bargain contract, the City will repay the 1% back at the beginning of the next fiscal year, plus the cost of living increase (7%). I, as the Budget Director will have to go back to the Police Union next fiscal year and asked for an additional pay cuts. Per the collective bargaining contract, the Police Union does not have to cut pay or other benefits that the city provides. If the Police Union does not cut pay next fiscal year, the city will be forced to cut more position instead. Which means fewer Officers per shift, and longer response times to calls. Cutting the domestic violence program that helped victims and offenders will increase the number of incident of domestic violence more than 30% over the next six months. The program-helped victims relocate to a safer environment. The program also helped offenders with counseling. With the shifts at staff minimal, a plan of assigning Officers to areas will have to be established. The City is broken up into three sectors. Sector 1 is the business community and normally requires 40 Officers per shift. Sector 2 is residually areas that normally require 40 officers per shift. Lastly, sector 3 is rural area of the city, and this area requires 10 officers per shift. With the decrease in staff and overtime, area command staffs will assets the needs of each area and assign officers as needed. A federal grant was proposed for an additional $300,000 per year for the next three years is now in the works. The federal grant is for community police programs. The final approval for the grant will take up to 90 days. Inclusion, the 15% budget cut in this yearââ¬â¢s fiscal year was successful. Hopeful the economy gets better and next fiscal year is a huge success. The City of Kelsey will continue to grow andà be a safe community to live. Reference Kelsey Annual Budget for the Fiscal Year 2005-06 (2012, Jan). Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/ aapd/cist/vop/ Government/KelseyCity/citygovernment.asp
Thursday, October 3, 2019
African American Religion Essay Example for Free
African American Religion Essay Before Africans were brought to America during the slave trade, they had their own culture and society. They had their own language and dance. They also had their own religion. History tells us that the Europeans justified their abuse toward the Africans as helping them become more civilized because the Africans lifestyle appeared primal to them and not as developed and industrialized as theirs. What is often overlooked is that even though Africans were taken from Africa and Americanized and have been stripped of their religion, culture, language and even their name, the very essence of the African as a people did not go away. Some African American slaves rejected Christianityââ¬â¢s religion because they saw it as the ââ¬Å"white manââ¬â¢s religionâ⬠. History tells us American Slave Masters abused the Africans by whipping them like animals and by treating them inhumane. The fact that these slave masters wanted the African American to worship their god was unacceptable for some because they could not fathom why they should worship a god who allowed people to be so badly treated. Some Africans accepted Christianityââ¬â¢s religion and faith by identifying with Jesus Christ, the son of God who according to the Bible was innocent of sin and yet he was beaten, bruised and crucified for the sins of the world. Some African Americans wanted to remain faithful to their heritage yet did not agree with the conjure practices. Seth Hollyââ¬â¢s character is a good example of conforming to the economic prosperity of America which was founded by Christians. White Christians enforced Christian beliefs, values, and some practices based on the Euro American Christian interpretation of Christian text. Seth developed a kind of hatred for his own people proving that he has adopted the practices of white America in the early 1900s. ââ¬Å"Niggers coming up here from that old backwoodsâ⬠¦ coming up here from the country carrying Bibles and guitars looking for freedom. â⬠Seth says. ââ¬Å"They got a rude awakeningâ⬠(6). Seth signifies the African American who resents assimilation to the white American culture. But, at the same time, he too attempts to connect with his heritage by simply allowing Bynum to live in his home and bless it with his conjures rituals. Seth also participates in an African dance ritual called the Juba. Bynumââ¬â¢s character is introduced by practicing conjure rituals. He cuts open pigeons and spreads its blood onto him as a type of cleansing to communicate with spirits. Bynum represents the African American who chose to remain faithful to the religion of his heritage. Others who have chosen the faith of Christianity view conjure rituals as evil, witchcraft, or demonic. Some African Americans wanted to remain faithful to their heritage yet did not agree with conjure practices anymore. Loomis walks in on the juba dance and goes into a trance after dinner at the boarding house. He had a vision of skeletons emerge from a body of water. ââ¬Å"Loomis: I done seen bones rise up out the water. Rise up and walk across the water. Bones walking on top of the waterâ⬠(53). Loomis recognizes through the vision, his state of ignorance to the knowledge that will lead him to the new way of thinking. Bynum serves as a supporting character reacting to Loomisââ¬â¢s trance. ââ¬Å"Bynum: They walking around here now. Mens. Just like you and me. Come right up out the waterâ⬠(56). Loomisââ¬â¢s trance and Bynumââ¬â¢s interpretation of it is a turning point in the story. The skeletons coming from the bottom of the sea in Loomisââ¬â¢s vision represent the slave ships, the disorientation experienced by the slaves during emancipation, and the confusion of his release from Joe Turner. Both Loomis and Bynum have tapped into their ancestral religion. The difference between the two is that Bynum represents the African who never renounced his religion and Loomis is the African-American who turned from conjure religion and converted to the faith of Christianity. After Joe turner took his life away from him, Loomis questioned his Christian faith and his identity. By walking in on the ancestral ritual of the Juba dance, Loomis literally walked into what he had actually been looking for, his religion, consequently, his ancestral identity and this is why he fell into the trance. Throughout the play conjures is encompasses four generations; Bynumââ¬â¢s father, Bynum, Loomis, and the neighbor boy Reuben. Reubenââ¬â¢s vision is of Sethââ¬â¢s mother by the pigeon coop, she encourages Reuben to release the caged pigeons. Wilson writes in a way that leads the reader to believe that Loomis needs to find his missing wife. Martha Pentecost is not the one who was lost; Loomis was the one who was lost, wondering around from town to town, searching. Loomis came into the state of belief when Bynum helped him translate his vision. That vision represented Loomis going back to his ancestral conjure religion. Loomis needed to find Martha Pentecost simply to say good-bye to her and their life former together. Up until this point of the story, I believed that Loomis needed to find his wife so they could live out the rest of their lives as a happy free family with their daughter. However, it is made pretty obvious this was never Loomisââ¬â¢s intentions. ââ¬Å"That goodbye kept me out on the road searching,â⬠Loomis says, ââ¬Å"now that I see your face I can say my goodbye and make my own worldâ⬠(90). Martha Pentecost, a woman of Christian faith, represents the African who assimilated into white Americaââ¬â¢s culture and Loomis needed to find her to say good-bye to her and the Christian faith. Martha stands by her Christian faith by accusing Loomis ââ¬Å"you done gone over to the devilâ⬠(91). White manââ¬â¢s religion believed that conjure was evil or the way of the devil. Loomis finds it easier to reject her for her Christian beliefs. ââ¬Å"Loomis: Great big old white manâ⬠¦your Mr. Jesus Christ. Standing there with a whip in one hand and a tote board in another, them niggers swimming in a sea of cottonâ⬠(92). Loomis proves with his statement, his version of a bible story that differed from other African Americans but was similar to that of the white man who believed that they were on a level below God and the Africanââ¬â¢s were beneath them, Africanââ¬â¢s were one third of a person. Loomis now believes that if Africanââ¬â¢s are going to be free then they have to take charge of their own destiny. Martha Pentecost represents the African Americanââ¬â¢s religion, she identifies that Loomis needs to ââ¬Å"be washed in the blood of the lambâ⬠(92) and ââ¬Å"you done gone over to the devil. (91) Through class lessons I learned that African American slaves compared themselves with stories in the bible to instill hope of a life free from oppression, violence, and bondage. Jesus according to the bible was innocent of sin and yet he was beaten, bruised and crucified for the sins of the world. The hope of reigning in heave with Jesus is considered the ultimate reward for suffering lifeââ¬â¢s trials and tribulations. It is the faith of the African Americans who accepted Christianity religion. Blacks trusted in the Lord instead of man. America was Egypt in the exodus story and as long as the enslaving and oppressing took place America would face the same wrath as Egypt. ââ¬Å"Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. â⬠The bible was depended on in justifying and motivation rebellion for the blacks and used as a tool to keep blacks enslaved by the whites. African Americans used sermons, song, and prayer to convey and teach their message of travail and triumph of Israel. Some African Americans could not get past the treatment from the white people that called themselves Christians and as a result they rejected Christianity. Seligââ¬â¢s role suggests that the link between characters is the acquisition of material goods. Selig admits that his ancestors have always made their living pursuing African Americas; his great grandfather transported slaves from Africa, his father captured runaway slaves and returned them to their masters for a reward, and Selig locates displaced people for a fee. Selig attains his ecstasy through consumer capitalism, through the selling of material goods. African Americans are objects for exploitation and exchange in the new economy. He binds African Americans to the economic system, demanding payment of his services and products which necessitates subsistence labor by taking them from one construction site or work site to another, similar to a temporary employment agency today. You pay for an employee to work for some time, but Selig is getting paid by the person looking for work or a ride to a chance of freedom. Selig cannot find a person that has not purchased a dustpan from him because he keeps the names of his customers. Seth is determined to achieve material success, he has very little patience for African Americans migrating north looking for the same prosperity that he desires. Seth is very demanding of his patrons, insisting on advance payment in full, and is preoccupied with maintaining a respectable house. ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s hard enough now without all that ignorant kind of acting. Ever since slavery got over with there ainââ¬â¢t been nothing but foolish-acting niggers. Word get out they need men to work in the mill and put in these roadsâ⬠¦ and niggers drop everything and head north looking for freedom. (5, 6) Seth wants to blend in with the white manââ¬â¢s world; therefore he keeps a link with Selig by negotiating the manufacturing and sale of dustpans. Seth does not have any idea of what it would be like to be a slave, as he was born free in the North and was educated. He demonstrates his education with his math calculation when dealing with the boarding house patrons and the quick notation of him letting Selig know that he is trying to overcharge him for the dust pan materials. Educational differences played a role in tension with Southern blacks, most of who were forbidden from learning to read, saw religion as a matter of oral tradition nd immediate experience and emotion. Northerner blacks, stressed that one could not truly be Christian unless they was able to read the Bible and understand it. This play denies individual worth and identity for some of Wilsonââ¬â¢s characters. To be defrauded of the products of oneââ¬â¢s labor or to see that creation diminished, like with Jeremy and the guitar contest, is to be denied a reflection of individual worth and identity. If people have been separated from this truth of individual worth and identity through oppression their capacity to bond with one another, form friendships, or couples, families are undermined. Social alienation in Wilsonââ¬â¢s characters are expressed in their stores of broken relationships, uncertainty, or suspicion that they feel toward one another. ââ¬Å"Seth: Something ainââ¬â¢t setting right with that fellow, Bynum. Heââ¬â¢s one of them mean-looking niggers look like he done killed somebody gambling over a quarter. â⬠(20) Connection between oppression, alienation from self and inability to form bonds with others is displayed in the character of Loomis. Joe Turnerââ¬â¢s ability to oppress Loomis carried a judgment of non-worth. ââ¬Å"Loomis: He told me I was worthless. Worthless is something you throw away. Something you donââ¬â¢t bother withâ⬠(73) Turners judgment of worthlessness forced Loomis to accept the reality of the white manââ¬â¢s power; he was marked as ââ¬Å"one of Joe Turners niggers and forced to forget his song. â⬠(71) Being alienated from himself and displaced with his relation to the world, Loomis is unable to establish bonds with people around him. The oppression encountered by Wilsonââ¬â¢s characters is material or economic, that oppression is spiritual as well in the capacity to deprive the individual of a sense of himself or his unique song. The reawakening of Loomis after his encounter with cultural wisdom is not the self discovery of an average African American but creation of a new source of cultural wisdom, a new African holy man. Wilson uses many metaphors throughout the play. The song is a metaphor for Loomisââ¬â¢s identity and the African American cultural identity. Music is a large part of African American identity, so it makes since that in search of oneââ¬â¢s identity they are searching for their song. The boarding house serves as an inn for traveling folk, but the tenants actually receive a form of healing during their stay. Tenants get direction and guidance from Bertha and Bynum. The shiny man that Bynum is in search for signifies African American independence. The man that Bynum met on the road was an independent African American, just as Loomis was freed by his past when he cleansed himself in his own blood. ââ¬Å"Bynum: Herald Loomis, you shining! You shining like new money! â⬠(94) Loomis has dismissed that the blood of Christ can wash away his sins and make him the man he used to be, but by washing himself in his own blood he has sacrificed the old life to begin his new journey on his terms. Bynumââ¬â¢s shining man has been found, meaning his work is complete; he has passed his powers on to the next generation, Loomis. ââ¬Å"They tell me Joe Turnerââ¬â¢s come and Goneâ⬠is a song that is sung by Bynum, when I first read the story I thought that the meaning was came and now he is dead however, the second time I read the play I realized that it meant that Joe Turner has come and snatched the men and now he is now gone. August Wilson uses symbolism in the play as a very important part in conveying the meaning of the story. Wilsons use of symbolism is demonstrated through Mr.à Wilsons use of the road, Martha Pentecost, and Herald Loomis. Symbolic importance is give to the word freedom. The word freedom has instilled hope into the lives of African Americans: during slavery, hope for the release from bondage; after emancipation, the right to be educated, employed, and to move about freely; twentieth century, social, political, and economic justice. Freedom has always stood for the absence of any restraint, because God made all men from his image. There are a number of characters that travel around searching for their place in the world. Mattie, mentions that she keeps on looking, seems like she just keeps starting over, I ainââ¬â¢t never found no place for me to fit. â⬠(76) Reuben tells Zonia, when he finds out that she is leaving the boarding house in search of her mom, ââ¬Å"when I get grown, I come looking for you. â⬠(84) Jeremy does not seem to care much when he loses his job because, ââ¬Å"donââ¬â¢t make me no difference. Thereââ¬â¢s a big road out there, I can always get my guitar and find me a place to stay. I ainââ¬â¢t planning on staying in one place for too long noway. (64) Martha Reverend Tolliver moved the Church up north because of the trouble the church was having. When the Civil War finally brought freedom to previously enslaved African Americans, the task of organizing religious communities was only one element of the larger need to create new lives, to reunite families, to find jobs, and to figure out what it would mean to live in the United States as citizens rather than property. August Wilsonââ¬â¢s play, Joe Turnerââ¬â¢s come and Gone, examines African Americans search for their cultural identity following slavery.
Market analysis of Sodexo and food and facilities management services
Market analysis of Sodexo and food and facilities management services INTRODUCTION: Sodexo is one of the flourishing food and facilities management services. It believes in providing quality services is winning the customers heart and trust ;through which they have been successful in the market. The organization has more than 25 years old experience in the field of hotel chains, resorts and vacation villas. The organization contains the best and most efficient staff to provide quality service including laundry, housekeeping and food serving. According to Peter, customer service is defined as fulfilling needs and expectations of customers according to them (Whitman, 2001). Since quality assurance is the key to gain the trust of customers and to maintain the competitive edge it is important to have a quality assessment in hotels to know the standards of a hotel. (Bo Edvardsson, 2006) Edvardsson advised the concept of services should be viewed from customers approach because they are the main users of the services and best to judge it. Different customers have different demands and they may look at same thing with different views. People belonging to different cultures, religions have different perceptions, social behavior and preferences. Many researches are done on assessing the service qualities through customer satisfaction in several parts of the world; (Davidson, 2003), (ONeill, 1996), the Kano model (Preece, 2002), (Amy Wong Ooi Mei, 1991) etc. Literature Review: The theory and models designed to evaluate the service quality and potential gaps in quality in hotel industry are necessary. Hotels do market research to get full information about its target audiences and the environment. TQM Total Quality Measurement is a new management term introduced to execute the exceeding demands of the customers. Different hotels use different approaches to TQM according to the surroundings and competition. Measuring Service Quality: The actual evaluation takes place at the time of delivery, whether its beyond expectations are below expectations. The time when we service our customers is the moment of truth that gives the result. For instance the food delivered in the hotel gets its immediate feedback either by the verbal response or in written form by the customers. SERVQUAL MEASURING TECHNIQUE: SERVQUAL model which is also referred as the skeleton for measuring service quality. It basically evaluates what the customer demanded and what he got, the difference between the two. It includes five basic dimensions on which the customers assessed the quality he received and what he had in mind; Tangibles: the physical appearance and facilities of the personnel Reliability: ability to perform the desired service accurately and efficiently Responsiveness: Availability and willingness to help the customers Assurance: Knowledge of employees to gain trust and confidence Empathy: Caring, making customers feel special and cared. The advantage from this model is that it provides an immediate response of the customers after the service delivery which if not up to mark could be sent for improvement. For instance the responsiveness of the hotel staff is just a call away from ones room. On time assistance availability always adds up to the quality of services they provide. Today almost every hotel in the world has their feedback form based on the SERVQUAL model of assessing the quality of services. However there has been some criticism about the model, Brotherton and Booth implemented SERVQUAL strategy on a 4 star hotel and found out that customers viewed tangibles as the hygiene and cleanliness of the resources. The homogeneity in the dimensions of the model is said not to be appropriate in providing exact results. Knutson introduced LODGSERVE for service quality evaluation, Mackey developed REQUAL and etc. all the studies carried out on this topic indicates that certain dimensions are highly valued by the custo mers which mainly includes the interaction and physical quality. THE CHRISTOPHER NAD YALLOP MODEL: Christopher and Yallop suggest a four stage process model to measure the perceptions customers have when they receive the services; Identify the vital elements that are important to the customers and why Understand the importance attached behind it Investigate how successful the organization is in providing those elements Analyze from the collected data for improvements. The model basically suggests an inquiry set to investigate the expectations of the customers. It is important to know what the special or important requirement of the customers is and why is it so? Answers to this can help the organization earn customers trust and reliability. Then the organization needs to evaluate itself by seeing how well he fulfills those demands and how The answer to this can lead the organization to further improvement, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the organization in terms of customers perception. Especial rooms are designed according to the demands of the customers, the food menu contains a variety to serve all possible taste they could for vegans, Chinese or different people from different culture. THE PRUDENTIAL MODEL: (McCabe, 2001) Prudential model suggest how financial advice is also a way to meet the expectations of the customers and gain their satisfaction. It examines the perception of customers in terms of what they value most or what would make them value the most. Are there any possible changes that could be implemented in the organization? The charges in the hotel are reasonable and set according to the market equilibrium which should be acknowledged by the customers. The overall package of their stay; food, laundry, hygiene etc are the factors that the customers look for and expect it to be standardized. The hotel charges are kept such that if offers a complete package the customers with the room and other complimentary facilities like sports club, gym, swimming pool etc. THE ECR (EFFECTIVE CONSUMER RESPONSE) MODEL: The main theory of this model suggests that the companies should give continuous focus on the elements that are highly values by the customers. The preference of a certain service or product for instance if the room service is very efficient hotel should invest more in this department in order to gain more customers. Also an appropriate use of technology for efficient usage of resources to satisfy customers. BLUE PRINTING It is a common and very effective theory adopted by the hotel through which they ensure an effective service delivery. It defines the whole process of offering services in three stages; backstage, front stage and line of visibility. The whole struggle is to maintain service standards and to update the whole process with a backup plan. The front stage for instance is the interaction the staff has with the people. The reservation process, greeting the customers and introducing them to the hotel, parking the car, guiding them to their rooms with their luggage etc. Second and the third stage that is the invisible services that the hotel takes care off. Like maintain the reservations with updates and checking for the desired room and its availability. Taking care of the facilities and maintenance required for it. Process Redesigning It is important to set service target standards which are transparent to the staff to work on. The feedback from the customers should be analyzed and strategies should be redesigned according to the demands of the customers. Redesigning services reduces the services failure, enhance productivity and increase customer satisfaction. The process of redesigning first step is to eliminate the non value adding steps, shift the system to self service. The involvement of customers to co-produce the service can lead to progression. SSTs Self Service Technology is the form of customer involvement such that the customers avail the services provided by the suppliers to evaluate and give a response. It is a flexible and cost saving method but requires a lot of effort. Therefore the basic delivery process involves three stages; Introductory scene Delivering the core/main service or product. Conclusion of the drama This provides the hotel with the information where the hotel is lacking in customers eye. MEHRABIAN- RUSSELL STIMULUS RESPONSE MODEL This is a model that indicates how customers response to environment that surrounds the, Emotional or physical responses like anxiety, boredom or excitement. How different environments gives different responses of customers in different surrounding. How variety of factors can affect customers response. The surrounding, color scheme etc influence the customers. For instance the signs and symbols hanged for guidance in multi languages for the ease of the customers. All these models and theories incorporate the similar concept implied for customer satisfaction. Sodexo and other hotels in the world implied these concepts to maintain or improve their service standards because hotel business heavily relies on quality service. SERVICE QUALITY GAPS: It is important to identify the key gaps that exist in delivering the services to the customers and how they can be overcome. (Sargeant, 2008) The Knowledge Gap: it is basically the barrier in communicating the expectations and demands of the customers to the hotel staff. It could be overcome by having a strong market research by carrying out interviews or sampling questionnaire which should be repeated once a while. Management should be allowed to interact with the customers to know what they feel and expect. The management should make sure the feedback is implemented immediately and monitored constantly. The Policy Gap: it is the differences or restrictions made because of the policies. To overcome this gap it is important to use systematic processes to improve working methods. The goals, agendas and priorities based on customers demands and expectations which should be transparent to the employees. The Delivery Gap: it is the difference between the quality service delivered and the service itself. It is important to ensure that the performance of the customers and also that the customers understand the service delivered. For this the employees should be well trained to perform the required tasks more efficiently. Employees should be clear in what they have to deliver and do in more effective way. Consistent monitoring should be done to endure how well are they are performing; they should be motivated to work harder with incentives. The hotel should be updated in terms of technology. Advanced and cost effective equipments should be installed for better and quick services. This would also make a balance between productivity and demand. The customers should be educated enough o perform their roles successfully to gain customers trust. The Communication Gap: this occurs because of the communication barriers between the customers and the staff. To overcome this gap it is important to have transparent vertical integration in the organization such that the information can easily flow in. The managers should be able to identify the problems the staff is facing or their demands to produce better results. Employees should be involved in the basic functions of the organization. By rotating and recruiting the staff can lead to more efficient and motivated employees to provide better results. The Perception Gap: this occurs when there is a perception gap between the customers and the management and employees. It is important to show customers with some evident changes that the hotel is putting in efforts to meet their requirements. By tangibilizing the management can show their customers how concerned they are for their customers. The Service Gap: it is the collection of all the gaps which cause the services to get bad. It could be overcome by overcoming and monitoring all other gaps. It is important to provide the customers with the best service and make sure that they acknowledge it and are satisfied. By implying the theories and models according to the requirement of the hotel the management can meet the demands of the customers and gain their trust. The hotels should have a constant feedback system with immediate implementation to make the customers realize that they are important. By monitoring the work and progress of the staff the management needs to make sure that the staff is motivated enough and works with a team spirit. It is highly important for the hotel industry that the customers are satisfied and becomes loyal to the service it offers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)