An Outline Of Genetically Modified Crops

An Outline Of Genetically Modified Crops Genetically Modified crops have many different advantages to the environment and in agriculture such as them generating a better outcome on crop production, producing a finer quality crop and using less harmful chemicals in order to produce them. However, there is a lot of research about whether they are entirely beneficial in the production of them as they have many negative aspects such as on the environment and on nature. Examples of these disadvantages are the hazardous compounds they contain which have negative impact on the environment and the reduction of biodiversity in agriculture. These advantages and disadvantages together produce the outcome of whether consumers and farmers choose to produce the crops and whether they are beneficial in keeping them for future generations. 2.0 Introduction This report will look at and outline the different views on genetic modification of crops from farmers and the consumer. The effects on the environment will also be discussed such as the damage to plants and insects as well as the effects on soils. The purpose of this report is to have an overall insight of how and why Genetically Modified (GM) crops are used and whether it is beneficial to produce them. GM crops are foods that have gone through characteristic changes artificially to make an improvement in their quality such as their size, colour, and their taste and to improve a higher yield of crop. (FOE, 2003) There are many different advantages and disadvantages to this and these will be looked at in the report. 3.0 An outline of Genetically Modified Crops and their Current and Future State 3.1 What are GM crops? Genetic modification is the genetic change in characteristics through modern biotechnology. Biotechnology is the use of living things to create products. (Biotechnology Online, 2010) For many years, farmers across the world have genetically modified crop plants to improve their characteristics such as, their taste, size, colour and their resistance to diseases. This ensures farmers produce the best yields of crops. (FOE, 2003) GM crops are produced by selecting specific genes from different species of crops to make the ultimate produce. For example, rice can be genetically modified to contain higher amounts of vitamin A called golden rice. In agriculture, genetic engineering allows simple genetic traits to be transferred to crop plants from wild relatives, other distantly related plants, or virtually any other organism. (DEFRA, 2006) 3.2 Advantages of GM crops It is claimed that GM crops could solve many problems faced by farmers and bring environmental and agricultural benefits. (The Food and Drink Federation, 2000a) Having a better yield of crops helps farmers become more competitive producers and therefore gain a better position economically. This happens because if farmers produce a better quality product, consumer intake will increase boosting farmers income. GM technology mainly aims to use less harmful chemicals that affect the environment. This is only applied on some crops. Many farmers respond to this as the environments state is in urgent need, therefore helping this situation. Genetically modifying crops, which makes many of them resistant to diseases, means less crop losses, creating a higher food supply. This helps the consumers get enough produce and therefore brings money into the economy. For example, worldwide, 7% of the annual maize harvest is destroyed by the European corn borer, up to 20% in some areas. (The Food and Drink Federation, 2000b) Energy savings can also be made when producing GM crops. This is because GM crops use fewer chemicals so there is less transport needed of the chemicals and also less energy is used to produce them, decreasing energy use. As GM crops are more resistant to disease, less fertiliser is needed to be sprayed by machinery, therefore saving energy and reducing carbon footprints. GM crops, such as Golden rice help meet the needs of the increasing population. Providing a sustainable food supply is challenging but farmers who produce GM crops can tackle this situation. Some GM crops have a cold tolerance and therefore are less likely to be destroyed meaning a greater food supply. Also, malnutrition in third world countries is a common problem. However, rice can be modified to contain more vitamin A, decreasing the chances of blindness. This is a great advantage as it can give people in poverty better nutrients. 3.3 Disadvantages of GM crops GM crops contain compounds in them that can be hazardous to the consumer, therefore, questioning the safety of these crops as they could be toxic. Halford, 2003 believes No scientist will ever describe anything as completely safe. Also, GM crops could lead to an increase in allergenicity as some GM crop products contain amino acids and properties which are classed as allergens, contributing to the unsafe aspects to the consumer. (Action Bio Science, 2010) GM crops contribute to the reduction of biodiversity in agriculture. This is because plant breeders have less diversity available to breed and create different breeds of crops. This is an economical problem also as the farmers will have less to produce and sell. Critics of the technology claim that GM crops could pose many threats to the environment (The Food and Drink Federation, 2000c) GM crops use less herbicides, but other herbicides will be used in replacement which could be so toxicant that it will kill many plants, birds and living organisms. This shows that GM crops can lead to harming the environment as harmful chemicals are used to produce them. GM crop production can also affect soil. This is because the use of broad spectrum herbicides affects the breakdown of residue of crops into the soil. This can lead to unwanted build up of crop breakdown material increasing labour time which is a disadvantage for the farmer. However, in contradiction, it can improve organic matter of the soil. Another disadvantage is that the genes that are put together to produce the GM crops could transfer to pests that attract to the plant meaning pests could become resistant to the pesticides as well as the crops are. This means the pesticides become inefficient and crops will get destroyed. 3.4 The Future for GM crops The public reaction in the UK, coupled with the results from the farm scale crop trials, means that it is unlikely that GM crops will be grown in the UK in the next few years. (NERC, 2010) It is estimated to take from 20-40 years for there to be entire acceptance of GM crops by consumers. (The Food and Drink Federation, 2000d) This could reduce GM crop production as there is not a great market in the GM crop industry. Until GM crops are accepted fully, the market will not grow. Consumers fear of the negatives that follow in the production of the crops as described in paragraph 4. Scientists are going to try and improve any complications that occur, but this change could happen in many years to come. According to James (2004) the number of small farmers from developing countries that produce GM crops is estimated to increase drastically to meet food and crop demands of their flourishing affluent populations. World Consumer Views Over the last ten years consumers in the United States have raised alarm over GM crops. Many consumers believe that their food should not contain additives or chemicals as it not natural and not meant for the human diet. However, some consumers choose the cheapest option and most cheap produce contains pesticides and additives due to the extension of shelf life. Worldwide consumer response toward food products made from genetically modified (GM) ingredients has been largely negative. (Curtis et al, 2004) The production of GM crops has had a negative effect on many consumers in the European Union. This is due to the alleged health concerns that follow the consumption of GM crops. The author believes this shows that GM crops are not widely accepted and that consumers views is predominately negative. 3.6 Farmers Views Farmers are upbeat about genetically modified crops, according to new research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). (Science Daily, 2008) Some farmers interests lie in whether the GM crops can help their produce become more profitable to them and attract a wider market. Therefore, they believe that because GM crops are produce of certain perfection and offer a better quality, the consumption will increase, rising their income. This making the use and consumption of GM crops an admirable option. 4.0 Conclusion Although crop production has increased crop production significantly to provide the requirements for the rising population, it is clear that the biotechnology, GM crops, have proved too many challenges such as their environmental negative effects and the reduction of biodiversity to have the full acceptance of consumers. Consumer knowledge is limited in the details of production of GM crops and this could contribute to the lack of development of the biotechnology in the future. However, there are many advantages to the production of GM crops and the development as it can provide a stable food supply for developing countries as well as offering a sustainable way of food production. GM crops are cost effective to farmers as better quality crops can be produced and guaranteed. For GM crops to have a future in development and for the scientific procedures to improve, consumers need to accept them. Overall, the general attitude towards genetically modified crops is negative. The farmers opposing view plays a strong part as they are the producers of the crops, but without consumers there is no business to play on. Gm crops need to be improved significantly to meet consumer requirements and to also provide a safer consumption and production to consumers and to the environment.

Servqual Tool in Emirates Airlines

Servqual Tool in Emirates Airlines Servqual Tool The quality of services in emirates airlines: the challenges of continuous improvement Introduction In this paper the concept of quality is discussed to examine its development and applications. Service quality is reflected upon with an elaboration of the seminal SERVQUAL tool in a separate section. The paper also contextualizes customer satisfaction within the overall discussion on quality and business performance. Customer satisfaction and service quality are both also reflected upon to contextualize requirements of the changing times, and the adaptability of these two- inexplicably interconnect pillars of business performance. Quality and customer satisfaction are implicitly linked together in this paper in different sections – they remain linked by their respective definitions upfront. Business performance is an undercurrent to the discussion in this paper given the origins and nature of developments surrounding quality. Customer satisfaction is explicitly a key performance measure but its interconnections with profitability and loyalty are pondered over in trying to ela borate on the concept of market orientation. The paper is divided into four sections- the first one looks at quality in general mapping its development. The second section discusses service quality and its measurement. The third section looks at customer satisfaction and other key variables that shape customer orientation. The last section provides a profile and critique of SERVQUAL. Quality Quality has always concerned the societal intent of consumption. The reasons are fairly colloquial at one level where lack of quality can result in insufficient and unsatisfactory delivery of requirements from a product or service. At another level – given the growing complexity of the business processes over the last century quality has evolved into a discipline – characterized by an equally intertwined interface between control, assurance, and management in general (Dooley, 2006). Broadly speaking in the business context quality is the ‘perception of the ability’ of a product to satisfy its users. By extension it also applies to the processes and management of the processes that shape the product. However, the satisfying paradigm underpinning quality has multiple manifestations: â€Å"conformance†, â€Å"fitness for use†, â€Å"basic minimum requirements vs. attractiveness†, and as a matter of â€Å"interest and individual disposition† to name a few (e.g. Juran, 1945; Pirsig, 1974; Corsby, 1981; Kano, 1984; Reeves and Bednar, 1994). The definition of quality is rather difficult to come by because of the sheer nature of its wide applicability and strands of origin- ranging from the practical business origins to metaphysical origins. The American Society for Quality aptly captures this subjectivity in understanding quality by stating it as †¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"a subjective term for which each person has their own definition† (Wade, 2005; ASQ, 2007). Quality management is made up of two complementary aspects one is quality assurance and the other is quality control. The former is about ensuring a basic minimum standard through upfront production process design. The latter is about reviewing and monitoring output to wean out the ‘defectives’. Assurance is thus inherently preventive and control is mainly curative in a functional sense (Gunter, 1998). Irrespective of the disparate origins, quality management can be safely said to be largely associated with the idea of excellence. A range of concepts and their operationalisation stem from this broader view of quality and mark the growth in research and practice of quality management. Six Sigma, Quality Circles, and Total Quality Management- are but a few from amongst numerous such frames of reference (dti, 2007). The idea of quality at the advent of the century had been around as a selection paradigm- accepting the superior and rejecting the inferior and biased towards ‘control at best’- most of the time the evaluation came from the end user. Along the business value chain as production became large scale after the 1st World War- quality assurance procedures started becoming formalized. It was not only the ‘end of the road’ customer assessment but also a series of filters ensuring only the better quality output being delivered to the customer made control and assurance an important in house practice . The inspection oriented quality control schema had its problems mainly in terms of competent individuals that could ensure monitoring despite not being the ‘know all’ skill set champions. Formalized roles of inspection and quality manager thus emerged and along side assurance models provided a great lift to quality management as a capability. Generic tools for quality management like the control chart emerged in the 1920s and statistical process control matured towards the middle of the century. The revival of the manufacturing of war torn Japan on mature principals of quality control and management finally brought quality management into the forefront. By the end of 1970s it was a global pre-occupation with everyone trying to imitate the success of Japanese low cost and high quality products (dti, 2007; Dooley, 2006). When the word total quality came to the fore in 1970s and finally pinned quality management as a fundamental capability that ran through the organization. The West’s take on quality management was more about ‘standards’ than ‘culturalisation’-but based around the same operational frameworks as in Japan. These gave rise to national standards in response to the need to have a quality association with the national economy as a whole. At the business level quality is now a key management responsibility (Gitlow et al., 1989). Aside from the generalized profile of emergence of quality management above there are a few key landmarks that need to be noted. The first is probably the statistical developments in the 20s and 30s and the emergence of concepts related to probability of acceptance, risk, tolerance levels, and sampling aspects (Shewart, 1931; Dodge and Romig, 1959) establishment of standards and societies also marked the 1930s and 40s (Hutchins, 1995; Dooley, 2006). Industrial production was never under as much pressure as in the II world War. While quality assurance could not keep up with the pressure control came to the forefront to ensure acceptable working products. The maturing of the statistical processes and standards in this regard was a key development. The large scale transmission of these standards to the then military suppliers ensured that the War provided an acceleration to the diffusion of quality management standards and systems (Dooley, 2006; Grant and Lang, 1991). With the end of the war in the formative phase of reconstruction quality was again given a ‘less rushed’ attention. The role of top management, the interface between organisation wide processes, among others found attention. Total quality control came to the fore as a holistic concept with a stage gate approach right from design to delivery to consumer (Fiegenbaum, 1951, 1957, 1961). As mentioned, the post war Japanese revival is a key factor in development of quality management. Over the 1950s and 1960s the ideas of cultaration of quality with pride in workmanship, top management support, liberalized communication and quality circles took hold stemming from Japanese success. The good practice concepts like quality circles emerged as competencies that were tightly woven into the culture of business unique to Japan and required some effort when it came to imitation by the west (Koyangi, 1964; Deming, 1967; Juran, 1967). Quality became integral to organisational behaviour, goals, and associated personnel development. The coining of ‘Total Quality Management’ (TQM), encapsulates this coming of age of quality management as an indispensable competency in the competitive arena that is augmented by increasing customer expectations (Deming, 1986; Anderson et al., 1994; Akers; 1991; Stratton, 1990). The main characteristics-changes and developments though numerous can be safely said to be around making quality: a responsibility for everyone, a necessity rather than a differentiator, relate better to services and information, and ever increasing set of non-manufacturing industries. relate to best practices, dissemination and learning recognized a key function and accordingly resourced in organizations reinforce the primacy of the customer (Green and Welsh, 1988; Marquardt, 1991; Dooley, 2006) As TQM goes from strength to strength the balance between assurance, control, and the new fangled third strand – learning is becoming vital given the dynamic nature and complex requirements that are associated with quality (Green and Welsh, 1988). The standardized tools need to be customized for organisational applications with a sense to create the competitive edge-because the omnipresent paradigm itself is tending to defeat the objective to seeking the competitive edge through quality (Dean and Bowen, 1994). Context specificity or in other customization of model and tools is the call of the day for research and practice alike The generic nature however needs to be preserved in the background given wider economic and societal association of quality management. For instance, as new frontiers like e-commerce open a fertile bed of quality concepts and models will be very valuable for learning and adaptation to the economic and social context (Doty et al., 1993; Dooley, 2006). . However, having an adaptable bed for quality management across diverse industries to draw from is not sufficient. The societal realties have also undergone transition – quality needs to broaden its founding grounds to reflect on new aspects like information management and the virtual realm where quality may have to question its own foundations that are deeply rooted in manufacturing. The successful adaptation to non-manufacturing i.e. services however, is evidence of the emergent nature of quality management that can take on fresh challenges. Service Quality Service quality is a subjective concept that remains challenging to define and to measure (Cronin and Taylor, 1992). This associates itself and can be understood as the application of total quality in the service sector in the main and also implying the service function in frontline delivery of product in other industries. The understanding of service quality has been synthesized from extant literature by Jennifer Rowley (1998). In her work it is seen as a â€Å"perception judgment from a comparison of what they feel service organizations should offer and the performance of the organisation offering the services†. There is no dearth of definitions that try to pack in comprehensiveness to this abstract concept. For instance, Hedvall and Paltschik (1989) refer to ‘willingness and ability to serve’ with a mention of ‘access’, Lehtinen and Lehtinen(1982) view service quality in a three-dimensional space that looks at ‘interactive, physical and corpo rate’ quality facets. Furthermore Gronroos (1984) simplifies the idea by seeing service quality as shaped by ‘technical and functional’ aspects of quality (Rowley ,1988). The link between service and performance and by extension satisfying the customer is challenging because services have a unique combination of characteristics. The first of these combinations is their intangibility- causing issues in measurement as they are a function of the ‘experience’ of the customer. The next is their perish ability –meaning that they cannot delivered from existing stock and thus lending a dynamic nature to service delivery that is difficult to condition. The third is inseparability between production and consumption of service and the last is heterogeneity or customizability as each end user receives a different level-nature of service partly owing to individualized perceptions that are involved in assessment (Zeithaml et al., 1985; Rowley, 1998). The need is thus to work on ‘perceptions’ to assess quality given the cognitive frame of reference that dominates the characteristics of service. The associated requirement is to be able to classify services so as to peg a cognitive frame on a type of service Such an attempt has provided for groupings within the service industry as a starting point to deliver customized measurement models (Dotchin and Oakland, 1994). The influences on consumer expectations have also been classified to augment such efforts (Gronroos,1994) . While the seminal work towards generic developments like SERVQUAL (Parasuram et al., 1988) that is discussed in detail in the last section of this paper, provide founding grounds to service quality measurement- literature sees several issues in the applicability of this generic framework. This also relates to the inclusion exclusion and reconfiguration of the understanding of service attributes and the industry categories discussed before (e.g. Sasser, 1978; Dotchin and Oakland, 1994). A critical perspective on SREVQUAL comes later but upfront – it is of essence is to recognize the importance and complexity in measurement given the sheer abstractness of the idea of service and its quality. The customization of measurement efforts and models in light of different service industry groups has been key to efforts at improving measurement (Dotchin and Oakland, 1994). In SERVQUAL the conceptualization of satisfaction has been found to be too simplistic and the multiplicity of the ‘total experience’ is arguably not captured – this is in addition to the non-customized generic nature of the SREVQUAL tool. A longitudinal and sometimes phenomenological analysis is suggested to capture these nuanced but important characteristics of service quality (Singh, 1991; Rowley, 1994). However, the difficult in devising a comprehensive tool still disposes wider practice of measurement to simplistic methods. Important adjustments and realizations like the use of ‘importance and satisfaction grid’ (Harvey, 1995) provide a very useful feedback and prioritization. For instance, high importance and poor satisfaction is a combination that merits urgent management attention. Another important variable in the service quality metric that needs to be accounted for is the nature of the contract. Again this is because of the attribute of ‘psychological contracts’ that is unique in nature to services (Thornrow, 1998). This has found particular appeal in measurement related to provision of public services. Having formal, informal and psychological components in service contracts provide a platform for balancing expectations and perceptions. These are otherwise very difficult to manage given the basic characteristics of service discussed at the onset of this section. Finally the perceptual plane needs to be also looked at with a balance though by classical definition the perception of the customer is the defining feature of quality-for service quality in particular the perception of the provider and the resultant psychological interface is also key to the metric. The role of customers is also not to be taken uni-dimensionally. There are different st akeholder brackets eg. users, influencers, deciders, approvers that associate with a service category and also vary in their significance (Rowley, 1988). These influence the generic satisfaction and associated performance variable. Given this multiplicity and the psychologically complex nature of interactions, the ‘relationship exchange’ process (Morgan and Hunt, 1994) is key to providing some cognitive stability to overtime service quality measurement. It is also a suitable conduit to ensure that feedback is smoothly translated into strategic action for improvement. Such relationships can be supported by associating service with some ‘bonds’ (Chu and Lin, 2004). For instance, providing unique services, incentives, and even building social ties between provider and customer. However, on the other hand, the impact of such relationships on service quality needs to be moderated for a reliable assessment. They provide grounds for stabilizing the psychological map to better associate performance and expectations but at the same time bias it. Get help with your essay from our expert essay writers Customer Satisfaction Broadly speaking customer satisfaction is a performance indicator of the extent to which a firm has managed to meet customer expectations through its business deliverables. Having formed the foundation of the marketing concept for nearly half a century the attempts at harnessing the good practices and measurement approaches is a much explored realm when it comes to customer satisfaction (e.g. Drucker, 1954; Levitt 1960; Gronroos, 1990). Over the last few years customer satisfaction has received a reinvigorated interest. Possible reasons for this have been seen as the after effects of a maturing TQM paradigm that is linked with several recognition awards, and also, arrival of national customer satisfaction barometers (Garvin, 1991; Johnson et al., 2001; Helgesen, 2006) The associated concept of customer relationship orientation is posits a strong link between customer loyalty and profitability with customer satisfaction (Zeithaml, 1988; Oliver, 1996). While customer loyalty has been referred to as central to ‘competitive advantage’ (Porter, 1985; Chao, et al., 2007)- this is delivered through customer -satisfaction. This is the basic rationalization behind customer satisfaction being so central to both short term and long term performance assessment. That the ‘ultimate aim of any firm is to achieve customer satisfaction’ remains the central thesis of market orientation (Levitt, 1960). Customer orientation seeks to align â€Å"organizational values, beliefs, assumptions and premises† to deliver a mutually enabling relationship between the customer and the firm (Day, 1994; Strong and Harris, 2004). Strong and Harris ( 2004), define a set of tactics that can deliver customer orientation. They define three sets of tactics. The first define relational tactics (essentially relationship marketing) that engages a nurturing philosophy for long run gains. The second tactic as human resource tactic is more about the direct interface with frontline of the customer and rest of the organisation –essentially empowering the front line through training and support to reap rewards of realized quality of experience of the customer. The final tactic relates to procedural aspects that routinise and systemize customer care and support systems. The study posits that there is a strong interaction and dependency between the three tactics. This key work that examines customer satisfaction and its manifestations under the customer orientation paradigm shares ground with some key extant literature (Narver and Slater, 1990) However, other studies tend to put one set of such aspects – though differently labeled as more important than the others. For instance, Chao et al. (2007) say that while satisfaction remains an abstract idea sometime there is an overt component of interpersonal relationship building that because of over emphasis- instead of complementing customer orientation tends wean resources away from conditioning deliverables to meet consumer expectations. Research suggests that such a lopsided drive is ill-found in the long run While relationship marketing remains important it has to be pegged on consumer satisfaction from products and services for sustainability (Chao et al., 2007). Businesses need to focus attention on relationship building. This however has to be conditioned for long run profitability. Customer satisfaction through meeting expectations from goods, transaction services and pure services, and a sustained follow up and support culture has to be the basis for relationship building. For instance, financial incentives/offers are likely to be ineffective and short lived if quality is undermined. As most of the research in customer orientation gets focused on relationship building this is an important consideration to use as a moderator. Value to the customer can never be undermined for seeking short term profitability. This is because such profitability is not suitably tied in with satisfaction which in turn guides customer loyalty. Views to the contrary also exist mainly from some practitioners. Bruce Clapp (2007) of the Carlson marketing group says that â€Å"relationship strength is more important than satisfaction as a true indicator of loyalty. Customizing the experience of our customers, in-branch and in home, impacts the strength of relationship as it builds. In the experience, ensuring our message is relevant requires that we be closer to our customer. The communication we use, whether direct mail, e-mail or in person, must be tailored to the needs of the customer at an individual level. The term mass customization has gained ground as we look for ways to become partners with our customers and be there when they have a financial need†¦changing the perception about communication from irrelevant to relevant†¦.mattered † (Bruce Clapp in ABA Bank Marketing, 2007) The above text signifies another important side to the changing times that of information and its quality as a deliverable that has become a key product attribute. Relationship management that works to harness this may improve the quality perception of its product without making changes to the product itself. The result is then improved customer satisfaction. The level of abstraction in the idea of ‘satisfaction’ and the changing times with an information overload -have created shadow characteristics for products and services. The idea of ‘value’ is ever more a backdoor into customer satisfaction. Customer orientation in the milieu of discussed tactics that include relationship management and the intertwining of satisfaction, loyalty and profitability is a complex arena. It is thus not strange to see that the core variable – customer satisfaction that inhabits the arena is often found missing from hundreds of studies that explore business performance (Capon, et al., 1990 –review of 320 empirical studies). The inter-linkages are so strong that even controlling for the satisfaction part (if a suitable measurement was deployed) tends to capture most of the variation in most cases. Given that studies seek to look at different sets of variables for instance, in say, production management exclusively – they understandably steer clear of satisfaction measurement and inclusion – resulting in poor significance and scope of such studies. Studies which do involve the customer factor in examining performance have more significance in results but have their own issues. These are to do with industry specific nuances where the interaction between customer satisfaction, loyalty and profitability vary a great deal (e.g. Reichheld and Sasser, 1990; Soderlund and Vilgon, 1995; Page et al., 1996). Accounting for the differences in methods and measurements the issue remains that the customer orientation metric is also industry specific. Though it is omnipresent and universally central to business goals the way it manifests itself is what may vary across business types. For instance, the rate at which profitability increases with loyalty and conversely loyalty increases with satisfaction may vary (Helgesen, 2006). In the days when customer was not inundated with choices -the notion of satisfaction was relatively stable despite its metaphysical connotations. As the number of choices has gone up so is the fickleness of satisfaction. Satisfaction can thus no longer be the guiding tenet for loyalty. The relationship perspective has thus become very important – and as argued above is widely contested in terms of how important? To the extent that it takes away resources from developing the arguably ‘real’ good or service it is overdone. However the ‘value’ it brings in terms of influencing consumer selection in an ambiguous setting of multiple satisfying options remains critical. The issue is that of a balance without a quality good or service to back up the relationship promise failure is imminent. However without being able to retain customers or attract them to quality products and services as there is always a ‘better’ out there investments in the â €˜real’ good or service is also low yielding. The challenge of customer satisfaction as the key variable in consumer orientation is to condition itself to the changing notion of ‘value’ that is now integral to information flows in every consumer-provider interaction. This conditioning should take into account the factors that affect loyalty and profitability because a knock on effect on these is very likely. Finally, there is also industry specificity to consider to an extent but to a lower extent- the times have not changed enough to question the centrality of consumer satisfaction- they are just placing new demands on it. Servqual The recognition of the importance of customer -‘assessment and perception of the quality’ of service has led to the emergence of concept behind SERVQUAL, and its delivery as a tool. This was primarily through the work of Parasuraman, Berry and Zeithmal (1985, 1988, and 1991). The development is a good example of research being driven by the interests of the industry and in the process delivering an instrument of direct utility to the industry. In this section SERVQUAL is reflected upon with a view to explain its foundations, ponder over- the developments, posited advantages and critiques, and in the process, provide a holistic perspective on this key development in service quality management. The basic concept behind SERVQUAL works on a ‘gap’ between the expected and perceived quality of service. The nuances on how this gap has been dealt with in this model –instrument, issues surrounding subjectivity, reliability and validity, and applicability across industries, have provided for generous discussion and developments over the last two decades. The customer view based on a set of questions is primary and the only view that matters in assessing this gap. The original ten dimensions that comprised SERVQUAL namely: reliability, competence, access, responsiveness, courtesy, communication, credibility, security, understanding customer and tangibles – were eventually synthesised into five. These dimensions were based around the following areas: â€Å"(1) tangibles: physical facilities and personnel presentation; (2) reliability: performing the promised service dependably and accurately; (3) responsiveness: helping customers and providing prompt servi ce; (4) assurance: knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and performance; and (5) empathy: caring, individualised attention the firm gives to its customers† (Parasuraman et al., 1988, 1991; Shahin, 2007). These provided for a rationalisation for 22 questions for customers to generate the gap metrics. These questions have since been pondered upon to reflect on the possibility of supplementary questions. Attempts have also been to tailor the instrument to work around reliability, validity and customisability issues. The last implies to the discussions in literature relating to the issues surrounding the generic nature of the instrument, and the need for reflecting on it given the range of applicability to a wide spectrum of industries (e.g. Buttle, 1996; Sullivan Estyes, 2006; Nyeck et al., 2002). SERVQUAL is popular in both the profit and non-profit sector (arguably more so in the latter) primarily due to the generic yet very useful nature of the investigative questions to a range of industries. It has the hallmarks of a good instrument – in being low on time consumption, easy to use and though argued recognised by practitioners to have acceptable reliability and validity. The comparable aspect for benchmarking reasons is also of great appeal (e.g. Brysland and Curry, 1984). It can provide a useful progress chart if done over successive years both for self assessment against set goals and comparative assessment to feedback into objectives and planning. Francis Buttle’s critique of Servqual (1996) provides some key shortcomings. The first one has to do with the subjectivity of expectations and perceptions. The second relates to the assumption the model makes about a â€Å"direct relationship† between service and quality- a perception that shares ground with the ‘gap model’ discussed later in this paper. The final rather philosphical but valid point is related to subjectivity and asks one to reflect on whether the right things are being measured for the desired assessment (Buttle, 1996). Luis Lages and Fernandes (2005) get metaphysical and question the â€Å"level of abstraction† associated with respondent customers. The posited Service Personal Values (SERPVAL) scale to refkect this presents three dimensions of service value to â€Å"peaceful life, social recognition, and social integration†(Luis et al., 2005) . In this scheme of things as a possbile supplement to SERVQUAL – customer staisfaction relates to all dimensions and loyalty and repurcahse intentions are the attributes than can be distilled from the assessment (Kang et al., 2002). The validity position that has been contested in research also stems from the assumption in SERVQUAL as being generalizable across industries and products. Such research posits that some of the areas/dimensions outlined above may have higher or lower position given the nature of the industry or product, and by extension suggests requirement for some customisation in applying the tool. The attempts to make SERVQUAL more robust and improve its application are ongoing. This also indicates the utility of the instrument’s design as a time tested foundation for service quality measurement (e.g. Carman; 1990, Cronin et al, 1992; Brian et al, 2000). Illustrated below is a template of the SERVQUAL instrument Figure 1: The SERVQUAL Instrument DIRECTIONS: This survey deals with your opinions of __________ services. Please show the extent to which you think firms offering _________ services should possess the features described by each statement. Do this by picking one of the seven numbers next to each statement. If you strongly agree that these firms should posses a feature, circle the number 7. If you strongly disagree that these firms should possess a feature, circle 1. If your feelings are not strong, circle one of the numbers in the middle. There are no right or wrong answers – all we are interested in is a number that best shows your expectations about the firms offering ________ services. E1.They should have up-to-date equipment. E2.Their physical facilities should be visually appealing. E3.Their employees should be well dressed and appear neat. E4.The appearance of the physical facilities of these firms should be in keeping with the type of services provided. E5.When these firms promise to do something by a certain time, they should do so. E6.When customers have problems, these firms should be sympathetic and reassuring. E7.These firms should be dependable E8.They should provide their services at the time they promise to do so. E9.They should keep their records accurately. E10.They shouldn’t be expected to tell customers exactly when services will be performed. E11.It is not realistic for customers to expect prompt service from employees of these firms. E12.Their employees don’t always have to be willing to help customers. E13.It is okay if they are too busy to respond to customer requests promptly. E14.Customers should be able to trust employees of these firms. E15.Customers should be able to feel safe in their transactions wi

Terrorists :: essays research papers

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The federal government has asked the National Academy of Sciences not to publish a research paper that feds describe as a "road map for terrorists" on how to contaminate the nation's milk supply. The research paper on biological terrorism, by Stanford University professor Lawrence M. Wein and graduate student Yifan Liu, provides details on how terrorists might attack the milk supply and offers suggestions on how to safeguard it. The paper appeared briefly May 30 on a password-protected area of the National Academy of Science's Web site. Journalists use that area of the Web site to get advance copies of articles slated for publication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. People who downloaded the Wein-Liu paper called the Food and Drug Administration for comment, and the FDA notified the Department of Health and Human Services, which asked the academy to stop the article's publication. The paper "is a road map for terrorists and publication is not in the interests of the United States," HHS Assistant Secretary Stewart Simonson wrote in a letter to the science academy chief Dr. Bruce Alberts. The paper gives "very detailed information on vulnerability nodes" in the milk supply chain and "includes ... very precise information on the dosage of botulinum toxin needed to contaminate the milk supply to kill or injure large numbers of people," Simonson wrote. "It seems clear on its face that publication of this manuscript could have very serious public health and national security consequences." Simonson wrote that acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Lester Crawford was joining him in the request to halt publication. Officials of HHS and the academy said they are to meet Tuesday to discuss the article. "The academy has been dealing with the issue of scientific openness versus national security since 9/11," said academy spokesman Bill Kearney. "The academy [members] are strong advocates of scientific openness while ensuring that nothing is done to aid terrorists." Kearney said the NAS routinely vets papers for security concerns before publishing them and had vetted the Wein-Liu paper. After HHS raised concerns, the NAS decided to "take a step back and make sure that we weren't putting out anything that we're uncomfortable with," he said. NAS is a private, nonprofit society of scientists and engineers chartered by Congress to advise the government on science and technology. HHS spokesman Marc Wolfson said Wein showed a draft of his paper last fall to HHS staffers, who expressed concern about the level of detail in the paper.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children Essay -- ADHD Dis

Introduction:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most people have heard of the term Attention Deficit Hyperactive (ADHD) disorder. â€Å"Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurobiological disorder that interferes with an individual’s ability to attend to tasks (inattention), inhibits one’s behavior (impulsivity), and may interfere with a person’s ability to regulate one’s activity level (hyper-activity) in developmentally appropriate ways (Barkley 19)†. The most important job for teachers and parents is to separate fact from fiction, to clarify what we know and don’t know.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Properly diagnosing ADHD, medication choices, and behavioral interventions are the key focal point. Is medication truly worth the side effects? Diagnosing ADHD   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the name implies, ADHD is typically characterized by two distinct sets of symptoms: inattention and hyperactivity / impulsivity. Although these problems usually occur together, one may be present without the other and still qualify for an ADHD diagnosis. Children are diagnosed with ADHD when they have met specific guidelines within these two categories.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A number of parents observe signs of inattentiveness, restlessness, and impulsivity in their child even before their child starts school. The child might lose attention while playing a game or watching TV, or the child might dash about totally unrestrained. Since children mature at different levels and vary in character, nature, and energy levels, it is critical to obtain a specialist’s diagnosis of whether the behavior is suitable for the child's age, the child has ADHD or the child is simply immature or uncommonly high-spirited.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To qualify as having ADHD, the symptoms must significantly affect a child's ability to function at home and at school. A diagnosis is based on the guidelines provided in the â€Å"American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) published in 1994 (Barkley 133)†. In general, children are diagnosed with ADHD if they show at least six symptoms from each category. Dr. Berkley lists the following symptoms for each category:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Inattention: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Often fails to pay close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork or other activities †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Often has trouble sustaining attention during tasks or play †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Often doesn't seem to listen when spoken ... ...counseling the child and the family and facilitating them in the development of new skills, attitudes, and ways of relating to each other. The important step is proper diagnosis of ADHD. It is imperative to know about any medication being prescribed for each individual child. Work Cited Page: American Academy of Physicians â€Å"ADHD: What Parents Should Know.† Family Doctor, 10 April, 2005 Barkley, Russel A. Taking Charge of ADHD: The Complete, Authoritative Guide for Parents. New York: The Gilford Press, 2000. Eli Lilly and Company â€Å"Strattera.† Strattera 10 April, 2005 McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals, a Division of McNeil-PPC, Inc â€Å"Prescription Medication Overview† Focus on ADHD. 14 April, 2005 Rabnier, David. â€Å"Behavioral Treatment for ADHD: An Overview.† Health. 14 April, 2005 Wilens, Timothy E. Straight Talk about Psychiatric Medications for Kids New York: The Guilford Press, 1999. Wilens T.C. et all. Does stimulant therapy of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder beget later substance abuse? A meta-analytic review of the literature. Pediatrics, (2003) 111:1:179-185.

The Source of Conflict between Antigone and Creon in Sophocles Antigon

The Source of Conflict between Antigone and Creon in Sophocles’ â€Å"Antigone† In the following paper, I plan to discuss the source of conflict between the title characters of Antigone and Creon in Sophocles’ â€Å"Antigone†. I also plan to discuss how each character justifies his or her actions and what arguments they give for their justifications. I will also write about the strengths and weaknesses of these arguments. The final points I try to make are about who Sophocles thinks is right and who I think is right. The main source of conflict between Antigone and Creon is the issue of the burial of Antigone’s dead brother. Both of her brothers were killed in battle, however one brother fought against their home city and was considered a traitor. Creon issued a law that whoever tries to bury this man will be put to death. Antigone is very upset because her one brother is graced with all the rites of a hero while the other is disgraced. Antigone is determined to bury her brother because of her loyalty to her family and to the gods. She believes that no mortal, such as Creon, has the right to keep her from her own. Even if Antigone must die during the burial, she will not disgrace the laws of the gods. She believes that she has to please the dead much longer than she has to please the living. Creon states, â€Å"Whoever places a friend above the good of his own country, he is nothing.† Therefore, he does not allow the burial of Antigone’s brother because he did not place the good of his country first. He was a traitor. Creon makes this law for the good of his country. The following statements that Creon makes exemplify this: â€Å"I could never make that man a friend of mine who menaces our country†, â€Å"never will the traitor be honored a... ...er of what he hears people around the town saying about the situation. Haemon says, â€Å"No woman ever deserved death less, and such a brutal death for such a glorious action†¦ Death? She deserves a glowing crown of gold.† The play seems to praise the actions of Antigone and it is never seen that she is looked down upon for what she did, except by Creon. In conclusion, the gods and the love of her family rule Antigone’s life. Creon’s life is ruled by what he thinks is good for his country and pride. Creon did not change his mind to free Antigone until a prophet told him he would suffer horribly for his actions. However, because Creon was so stubborn for so long and did not take heed to anyone’s advice sooner, he ultimately suffers in the end, as does everyone else in the play. This was all due to a man’s lack of good judgment, his selfish pride and his stubbornness.

An Analysis of In Cold Blood by Truman Capote Essay

Without giving away any of the forthcoming plot, Truman Capote presents us with a deep sense of negativity throughout the first few paragraphs as he sets the scene for novel. Every mention of a location is swiftly followed by a feeling of emptiness: â€Å"Holcomb, too, can be seen from great distances. Not that there is much to see†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This automatically presents the reader with an air of negativity, almost pre-empting what is going to occur later on in the thrilling novel. Later in the paragraph, Capote presents us with the sentence â€Å"the streets, unnamed, unshaded, unpaved†. This emphasises the feeling that something bad is going to happen by suggesting that because the area/location is completely un-protected, any life that enters the boundaries of Holcomb is also un-protected from what will turn out to be a true contradiction of humanity. The fact that the houses are described as â€Å"one-storey frame affairs† further emphasises the idea that it is completely un-protected. Capote presents us with the idea of a forgotten town, or even a ghost town in a manner of speaking. As Capote details the different establishments in Holcomb, he soon causes juxtaposition of mood: â€Å"Holcomb Bank. The bank failed in 1933†. Capote does not present any form of positivity in the first couple of paragraphs, and the detailing of a bank that had been abandoned for many years adds to the ghostly atmosphere. This ghostly atmosphere is directly linked to a feeling of death and decay. Perhaps these themes will be investigated as the novel progresses. I feel Capote cleverly presents us with a subtle plot overview without actually telling us what is going to happen. He simply presents us with an atmosphere; an atmosphere that is sure to stick in our minds as we read the novel.

Sam Cooke and A Change Is Gonna Come

In the midst of a time where black Americans were facing extreme ridicule and fighting for their rights, Sam Cooke arose from the Gospel music style and merged into the music known as Soul, a genre that spoke to the socially crumbling nation about peace and civil rights changes. Through his smooth style, velvety voice, handsome appearance, and appeal to black and white audiences alike, Sam Cooke made a difference in the lives of Americans in the 1960s by singing with pure emotion and soul, like in â€Å"A Change is Gonna Come. Through this genre’s sincere singing with lyrics full of emotion, a sense of understanding was brought to the people of America about the African-American struggle for equality. Soul music came from Gospel roots, emerging onto the music scene around the 1950s. Because it came from Gospel and Rhythm and Blues, the term â€Å"Soul† really is what is says: the music itself contains much feeling or â€Å"soul† in the lyrics, and the actual style of music and singing reflect gospel-hymns, just with secular lyrics instead (Scaruffi). Soul allowed the sexual innuendoes of blues lyrics, and gave way to a more catchy style that caught on with the young people of America. Major elements of Soul music include a sense of call-and-response between the soloist and the chorus, improvisation in singing various vocal runs, and an almost vocal ‘moaning’ in between lines of verses and choruses. Credited with inventing Soul is Ray Charles, who initially fused the call-and-response format with the song structure and chord changes of R&B, along with the vocal styles of Gospel (Gilmore). Charles’ song, â€Å"I’ve Got a Woman,† recorded in 1955, is credited to be the first Soul song, starting a craze of Soul that would flourish through the late 1990s. The 1960s, however, were the golden years of Soul, where the genre gave way to the fame of a few notable names like Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Smokey Robinson. The styles of these artists and many others in the realm of Soul became very versatile, appealing to audiences black and white alike (Gilmore). This music showed America a piece of what was going on in lives of African Americans, uniting them in a sense, through music (Stephens). In 1959, Berry Gordy created the record company, â€Å"Hitsville, USA,† which would later become Motown Records. Every artist who came into this record company was African American until the late 1980s, and they all sang Soul. This record company played a vital role in the Civil Rights Movement, as many of the company’s artists were strong advocates of the movement, and they wrote their songs about it (Werner, 15). Known as â€Å"black music† in its time, songs of Soul in the 1960s frequently paralleled the civil rights issues the blacks were having in America. It is said that Martin Luther King, Jr. gave the Civil Rights Movement a vision, and the artists of Soul gave it a voice (Werner, 4). Because most, if not all, Soul artists at the time were African American, they could honestly sing about the true emotions they were feeling at the time and write songs that matched the reality black Americans were facing. Some of the songs that could have emulated the movement were â€Å"Respect† by Aretha Franklin, â€Å"Say It Loud, I’m Black and Proud† by James Brown, â€Å"Inner City Blues† by Marvin Gaye, and â€Å"A Change Is Gonna Come† by Sam Cooke. Sam Cooke was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, on January 22, 1931, in the midst of the Great Depression. The son of a Baptist minister, Cooke grew up singing in churches and multiple Gospel groups in the Chicago area where his family eventually moved (Bowman). In the boom of Gospel music during the time, Cooke latched onto a group known as the Soul Stirrers and became semi-famous while with the group (Gulla, 110). As a Gospel singer, Cooke was recognized to be different. He was known as the â€Å"voice of change,† having more of a pure voice compared to other artists of his time (Werner, 31). Cooke began discovering his natural vocal technique, and while still channeling the sounds of Jesus, he drew in crowds with his elegance and composure (Gulla, 111). Bobby Womack, a singer who had sang alongside Cooke in some acts said, â€Å"He went out there and started singing and people would not believe his voice. † Sam Cooke was a different breed of Gospel singer, and he changed the style, giving it an edge and a more youthful appeal. In 1955, Cooke began cutting secular songs to make it big with Specialty Records, and became a hit instantly with his hits, â€Å"I’ll Come Running Back to You,† and â€Å"You Send Me† (Gulla, 114). His short career produced many memorable hits and records, and in the midst of it, Cooke served his black community in the struggle over civil rights. In parallel to the movement and in light of his son’s tragic death and Bob Dylan’s â€Å"Blowin’ In the Wind,† Cooke wrote, â€Å"A Change Is Gonna Come† in 1963 (â€Å"Song Facts†). Cooke suddenly died in 1964, right before the release of the song, and black America plunged into despair because he had been a ray of light, a symbol of hope, and an emblem of equality and racial balance (Gulla, 109). He had been an icon for both blacks and whites alike. In spite of his shorted career, â€Å"A Change Is Gonna Come† affected America with is raw lyrics and unprecedented emotion Cooke displays in his song. â€Å"A Change Is Gonna Come† was released eleven days after Cooke’s death as a final farewell to his audiences that loved him. The song expresses the soul of the freedom movement as clearly as one of Dr. King’s speeches (Werner, 33). The song begins with a melodramatic playing of the strings and French horn, interrupted by Cooke’s voice bearing witness to the restlessness that keeps him moving like the muddy river bordering the Delta where he was born. Cooke then goes vocally into what could seemingly be back to his Gospel roots, saying that â€Å"It’s been a long, long time coming,† and in the second â€Å"long,† Cooke carries the weight of of a bone-deep gospel weariness (Werner, 33). Cooke then gives reassurance to the listeners that he â€Å"know[s] a change is gonna come. † The classic â€Å"whoa-whoa-whoa,† a Sam Cooke signature, is sang in the middle of the word â€Å"know† to give it emphasis, claiming this truth to America and the world, that a change will indeed come. These same lines are repeated at the end of every verse, giving a clearer answer to the problems Cooke poses, saying â€Å"It’s been a long time coming, but I know a change is gonna come, oh yes it will† (Werner, 34). The second verse declares, â€Å"It’s been too hard living, but I’m afraid to die,† giving way the hard troubles African Americans go through, and not to give up the fight, for what is up â€Å"beyond the sky† is unknown to Cooke. The third verse speaks of segregation: â€Å"I go to the movie and I go downtown, somebody keep telling me don't hang around,† meaning people turning him and others down publicly because they are black. Next is the bridge, and it is different musically: the steady beat of the percussion halts for a moment, and builds up to Cooke saying â€Å"I go to my brother†¦ but his winds keep knockin’ me down. † This suggests that his â€Å"brother† is the white population, denying blacks justice and peace in the midst of their trials when they continually ask for it. Cooke then lets out a deep, emotional â€Å"Ohhhhh† leading up to the climax of the last verse. The horns pick up stronger in the fourth verse, and the pace of the song gains a stronger, semi-faster tempo. The tempo and instrumentation of the last verse gives a bolder feel to the song, making it have a â€Å"victorious sound,† which are not as sentimental as the verses in the beginning of the song. This fourth verse declares the strength of Cooke, declaring, â€Å"I think I'm able to carry on. † This reveals that through all these troubles, he is willing to put up a fight and carry on with his life. The song is ended with the repeated lines again, and a beautiful exit of the strings and horns, ending on a harmonious chord, symbolizing a harmony in America that can be reached if a change really does come. The reception and legacy of Cooke’s â€Å"A Change is Gonna Come† has been extraordinary. Rolling Stone magazine declared it number 12 in the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (â€Å"Song Facts†). The song has been featured in many movies and videos about civil rights, most recently the movie, Malcolm X. Also, the song has been covered by over 50 artists, some of them today including ‘Lil Wayne, Seal, and Adam Lambert (â€Å"Song Facts†). The song still has not lost its Soul roots and meaning over time. Despite the Civil Rights Movement being over, the song can be applied to any issue, struggle, or hard time one may face, which is why it has withstood as a legendary song. â€Å"A Change is Gonna Come† will forever be remembered as a beacon of light to the people of the Civil Rights Movement, and as a highlight of Sam Cooke’s career. He brought Soul to a new level and created a more elegant, clean style with his realistic lyrics and Gospel rooted voice. Because of his achievements and the impact his song had on America, he is remembered as the â€Å"King of Soul,† and the man who â€Å"sang the change† (â€Å"Song Facts†).