Weight Watchers and their Benefits Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Weight Watchers and their Benefits - Essay Example Weight watchers have a comprehensive move in a right direction with the best possible options listed below: These e tools enable you to keep a check on your food choices, help you see regular updates on your weight loss progress with a graphical representation, give you a BMI calculator to let you know how much you need to lose, facilitates you to have fitness sessions, salsa dance, yoga, aerobics etc through videos. Weight watchers offer a choice in the food plan. With the flexible food plan you can choose amongst the various options available with the food points. You just need to maintain the total day points and keep having various combinations. The core plan though does not give this option; it has a list of various low calorie food choices to keep you healthy and filled throughout. Through the rich experience of weight watchers, they have a clear understanding that men have women have different needs for weight loss. Moreover, the frequency of loss and the tendency also vary. Weight watchers have designed specific tools for men keeping in mind the specifics attached to their needs. It is of course understand to have dietary measures while weight loss, but one cannot keep starving when he is hungry or just feels like eating. Weight watchers keep your food needs in mind and give you various recipes which would let you keep your taste buds satisfied and the calorie intake intact. There are different options for different kinds of meals and the choice is enormous to let you have nice lunch, dinner and snacks. Weight Watchers have meetings for its members where there is a leader who has lost weight in such sessions. Here, there are discussions about the best ways of losing weight, acting in a healthy way in a particular situation. These 40-45 minutes meetings also let you learn through the experience of others. Moreover, this is more a platform of learning with regular guidance. You can

HIP HOP Dance (Article Responses) Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HIP HOP Dance ( Responses) - Article Example While the article is quite informative regarding the different related dance forms, it does not talk much about the characteristics of hip hop culture apart from dance moves. Hence the reading becomes little monotonous at times and the details and given one after another without much flow or transition of paragraphs maintained. The dance form helps in maintaining fitness can be regarded as an added advantage. It has been seen that many people prefer to learn and practice a dance form like this instead of hitting a gym. This helps in combining pleasure with effort and lead to the desirable outcome. One of the beneficial impacts observed in the article about this dance form is that it helped in minimisimg violence as people charge their energy into break dancing with each other instead of fighting. This is the psychological aspect explored by the author and gives us innovative insights. We come to learn the various forms of Hip Hop dance includes Harlem shake, Snap dance, Gangsta walki ng. Thus these arouse the readers’ interests in learning more about this dance form in practice. It would not be wrong to say that this art form has become a part of our culture. Thus we see that Hip Hop has got a worldwide appeal with more than million followers over the world. Reference Oak, M. (2013), History of Hip hop dance,retrieved on September 15, 2013 from: www.buzzle.com Pedagogy of Hip Hop dance Watching Hip hop dance in the classroom instead of continuous chain of boring lectures sounds fascinating indeed. Gone are the days of Gurukul system where the learners imbibe knowledge verbally from their guru. The author Seth E. Davis comes out with an innovatively fresh approach of conducting a literature class on the beats of hip hop music and dance. The article brings out a certain diversion from education to a dance form rendering a pedagogical significance through the medium of an art form. The arcticle observes that Hip hop dance form has helped in narrowing the gap between the learners and the instructors. The view of combining the techniques of the dance form into the curriculum is supported by various scholars.Use of Hip hop dialogue through rap, spoken words, dancing, turntablism and muralism are the ways of learning taken up by students, as pointed by the scholar Rodriguez. Hence it helps in spreading knowledge among the students in an interesting way. The author here neglects the relevance of the discipline factor in a student life. Though the article facilitates healthy development of teacher – pupil relationship which forms the core aim of education but it undermines the importance of teachers in the long run. Hip hop culture manifests students to think critically on a subject matter and develop their own understanding. Inspite of the fact that the art form marks a tool for social change, it cannot be overlooked that it hampers the overall atmosphere of the classroom. Reference Davis, S. (2007 ), Hip hop pedagogy, retrieved on S eptember 15, 2013 from: http://ccr.syr.edu/~sedavi07/hiphoppedagogy.html The Evolution of Hip Hop: Is it even Hip-Hop? Is the role of hip hop limited to uplift back culture? Have the basic features changed? Kool DJ Herc is regarded as the pioneer of the hip-hop culture. However, throughout the years the culture has gone through vast changes. In the article titled â€Å"The Evolution of Hip-hop; Is it even Hip-hop?† Dushawn Roberts opines that the exclusive American-African culture has been greatly influenced as well as

CULTURAL VARIATION ACROSS INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Essay

CULTURAL VARIATION ACROSS INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS - Essay Example The encouraging movement of IM&As has been recognised especially in developing countries which has facilitated in providing scope for maximizing and reshaping the financial structure of the global boundaries. With this concern, it can be observed that the Mergers and Acquisitions (M&As) are frequently not able to ascertain the overall financial benefits of M&As due to not keeping abreast with the recent trends (Chapman, 2003). The paper takes into consideration a competitive analysis of increasing amount of FDI through the IM&As and its impact on the culture of the United Kingdom and China. The paper also intends to focus on the various cultural differences and their impacts on the aspect of IM&As. Key Components of Culture Values and Beliefs Individual’s values and beliefs are the fundamental aspects of cultural deviation within a community. The notion of value can be defined as the various evolving aspects that affect a person while acquiring decisions or doing any activity in relation to development of the social culture. The dissimilar national cultures involved within the cross boarder M&As endorse increased opportunities along with augmenting the amount of risks within the enterprises (Comminicaid, n.d.). It has been observed that the process of M&As create certain difficulties for the merging enterprise to be integrated due to its double layered of socialization norms where, the organisations need to fiddle not only with a different national culture but also the values and the traditions of the firms of another country. With this concern, the higher individualistic characteristic within the UK employees enables to ascertain the development of individual performances with their creativity and innovative ideas. However, the values within Chinese culture are frequently observed as a significant aspect in terms of establishing the culture in managerial and organisational practices. The strong importance upon the dimension of collectivism and correlati ve group behaviours are highly observed within the business culture of Chinese organisations (Cheng & Seeger, 2012). Communication Styles The communication style of the business organisations is an important part to negotiate and perform various operational as well as organisational practices. The communication style enables to create a sophisticated relationship between two different organisations having diverse cultural norms. Moreover, communication can be considered as a major aspect that impacts on the business culture in case of M&As. With this concern, the European communication styles play considerably an eminent part in terms of maintaining a positive and comprehensive communication within the various organisational practices. The communication style of the organisations in the UK and China should be adequate to perform an idealistic approach of IM&As (Stahl & Voigt, 2006). Negotiation Styles Negotiation can be considered as a feasible strategy for an organisation to achiev e the height of success in global business. The people of the organisa

Metrojaya Card Application Form Essay Example for Free

Metrojaya Card Application Form Essay At a first glimpse, I can definitely say that it has been more successful in catching an applicants eye than the ones from Jusco. Already the front page has pictures around the border showing various items. Also, it is crowned with a close up photograph of the card that is advertised. Then, in bold red letters, there is a slogan, which is meant to attract the reader. It says The card that takes your shopping further. Further down the page there are sub-headings, which already give a brief introduction to the contents of the form. When the form is opened, I must say that it immediately impresses me. If I was to apply to a shopping bonus card then I would definitely fall for Metrojaya. There are big white headings on a red background indicating what a costumer stands to gain from the use of this card. Also there is a table that briefly shows what a costumer gains when he/she has a certain number of points. Underneath, there is a brief explanation of how the points are awarded and a reference to a telephone number for more information. After that there is a very well laid out section where the applicant is supposed to fill out his personal profile where there is comparatively more space available than in the J-card application form. The information that is asked from the applicant is basically the same as the one mentioned for the J-card above which was name, address, birth date, sex, nationality, religion, and profession details such as amount of monthly income. The information is very clearly set out and it is clear to the applicant what information is required off him/her. The form was also designed for the readers convenience with a moderate use of extended vocabulary. In the back of the form there are the terms and conditions, which are set out in bullet points and furthermore are very well explained and clear. In addition there is a small section dedicated to the advertisement of some shops enclosed within the Metrojaya chain. Overall, I think this form is very well presented and attractive however it lacks further explanations to how the card works. It really succeeds in attracting someones attention by its colourful attire. The information it contains and what the form requires the applicant to do is very clear and comprehensive. The layout of the various sections of the form is very good as well. The designer has accurately used different colours to emphasize the various importance of certain headings or slogans. I also think that the vocabulary used is appropriate because although professional it is not very demanding. Citibank Citibank Credit Card Application Form Citibank is fairly popular in Malaysia. Their slogan Citibank Where money lives can be found at the bottom of the form I managed to acquire. Personally, I think that their slogan is very strong and self-explanatory. Inside there is a vast number of information arranged in a fairly clear way and presented in three languages. There is a section in Malay, Chinese and English. This, I think, has something to do with the fact that Malaysia is a multiracial country and presumably the establishment is trying to attract as many customers as possible by creating a form that is to their convenience. The information asked from the applicant is personalised again and concentrates on things such as name, contact address and telephone/handphone number. Furthermore, Citibank asks for details about the applicants job and also about the monthly income of people, their marital status and whether their residence is owned or rented. Also, in case the applicant is married, the bank would like to know details about the spouse. Finally, the form asks for emergency contact details, the types of accounts the client has and there is also a section about the appliance for a supplementary card. After the personal details are complete, the client is required to read a series of information and agreements and then sign a declaration. The bank has also added a section where their clients can apply for a card with photo-identification if preferred. It wants applicants to enclose documents such as a copy of the IC or passport, a copy of ones international charge or credit card and the latest two months card charges statements. At the back, there are the terms and conditions, which are explained briefly and the bank also provided a short section, which explains how the card works and where it can be used. Furthermore, and as a means of publicity and wanting to attract the publics attention, the designer has enclosed a section where the bank is advertising the Handspring Visor Platinum, an electronic pocket size organiser. It is said that each new subscriber to the card will receive one free and people who already have a card can buy one at a special privilege price. This device is also included on the front page of the form where there is a picture showing a person using one and other persons looking at him with surprise. To sum up I think that the form as a whole is fairly well laid out thinking of the vast array of information that is asked from the client. However, there is too little space for applicants to write down their personal information. In general, though, it has a fairly clear set out and it is easy to understand. The form indicates formality to some extent by using extended but clear vocabulary. Just like in the Jusco and Metrojaya forms, the information it asks from the clients is rather personal but required in far more detail. The scale to which the form attracts attention is fairly high. The front page, along with the advertising in picture form is somehow eye catching and the fact that something can be received when applying to this card is very appealing to most people. Inside, however, formalitys presence can be strongly noticed.

William Gibson’s Neuromancer is Cyberpunk :: Neuromancer

William Gibson’s Neuromancer is Cyberpunk   Science fiction somehow manages to place human characters in situations where the ideas and the thoughts of science and morality are intertwined.   Science fiction must have some idea components and some human components to be successful.   This novel seems to be a contrast to the believers in technological progress as it presents a colorful, but depressing and desolate future. The loss of individuality due to technological advances becomes a major theme in cyberpunk.   This presents a dismal view of the individual in society.   The cyberpunk genre developed from â€Å"a new kind of integration.   The overlapping of worlds that were formerly separate: the realm of high tech, and the modern pop underground† (p. 345) 1.   Neuromancer not only falls into this category, it may be the first cyberpunk novel ever written. Gibson’s prose is too dense and tangled for casual readers, such as myself.   His characters are shallow and stereotyped.   The character â€Å"Case† has no purpose apart from existing in cyberspace and abusing drugs.   â€Å"Molly,† his companion, is a mercenary with questionable morals.   John Christie seems to agree with my analysis of this novel: â€Å"Gibson constructs characters which are themselves flat images, beings of no psychological depth, but whose interest and significance derive from their semiotic lineage, in comic, film, pulp crime fiction, and other science fiction† (p. 46) 2.  Ã‚   (Gibson offers his readers a dystopian novel) (by presenting a cyberpunk world where things are generally bleak and they will become worse with time and technology.)   Cyberpunk is supposed to be the vision of a new technological world.   However, the negative portrayal of the integration of technology and society is a fundamental tenet of the literature.   This presents a pessimistic view of scientific advancement.   The genre’s dark tones, seen repeatedly in Neuromancer, emphasize the bleak images throughout the futuristic fiction.   The constant conflict between the individual and a technologically advanced society is a major theme as it stresses man’s insignificance.   These characteristics are interwoven into the fabric of cyberpunk and form a bleak image of science fiction and the future.   Gibson is very vague when describing the specific architecture and nuances of technology used in the designs of the futuristic objects.   This lack of definite details is due to the fact that cyberpunk literature resists the concepts of technology.   The basic precepts of the cyberpunk genre consists of technology as hindrance to man, stories that are saturated in dark and dreary themes, and a character, †Case,† that will either fail or conform to a structured society.

Brotherhood

Brotherhood cannot be walked away from. It is a lifelong relationship with who you call brothers. From my experience with brotherhood, its a promise they have between one another. Brothers stay together when they are at their best, and their worse, that’s the respect that is given and received with brothers. The difference between friendships and brotherhood's are the internal bond you have and the pure love between them. But how far will a fake brotherhood go? Pat Conroy’s, The lords of Discipline and Tim O’Brien’s, The things They Carried, and other works show how brotherhood is essential to survival in difficult situations.When peoplee are going through a difficult situation in life, sometimes they just need someone by their side to make it through. Brotherhoods in war are more important than romantic or familial ones back home. These brotherhood’s are what keeps them going, they carry their brothers emotionally. In The Things They Carried the br others did more for each other than support one another during the way: â€Å" They shared the weight of memory. They took up what others could no longer bear. Often, they carried each other, the wounded or weak† (Tim O’Brien 39).CBrotherhood’s were formed because they shared ocommonproblems, that are not understandable putside the brotherhood in the war becauyse those problems become to great. These brothers experienced things together that will stay with them for the rest of their lives, and use each other to over comer obstacles and gain success. The necessity of brotherhood is also represented in going to school’s like the Carolina Institute and going through a plebe year are one of the most challenging things you could do alone, in The Lords Of Discipline a breakable bond is created by four boy’s being brought together during the cruelty of the plebe system.Mark, Will, Tradd, and Pig come together during their tough time as plebes and would do anything for each other, along with the rest of the plebes in R company. The boys in the R company that were going through plebe year together stuck up for a fellow plebe Bobby Bentle to prove he was not alone since suffering with uncontrollable urination: â€Å"The sound they heard was the sound of the other thirty seven freshman pissing in their own pants, in affirmation of our own allegiance to Bobby Bentley of Ocilla, Georgia† (Conroy 170).The boy’s all exposed themselves under the watch of the upperclassmen to demonstrate the strength of their brotherhood. Without the brotherhood between the plebe’s in R companty Boby Bentyly would not have had the courage and condifence to stay another day at the inttitue. His brothers kidness was essential to his servival of the pleve system. The plebe system and going to war are just the few times that brotherhood’s form, but they are what keep you sane at the end of the day.In fraternity’s the frat proces s can be very stressful and growing brotherhood's through your college years can almost change your college experience, Ray Plaza a fraternity alumni say’s he has â€Å" found that the bond of brotherhood is a valuable one as it has helped me to grow as an individual and also a man. The fraternity has allowed me to develop meaningful relationships † (Plaza 1). For Ray, knowing his brtohers were going through the same struggles as him, made it easier to not feel alone, and to have brothers to go to.A similar brotherhood exists in the West Point Military Academy where our guest speaker Patrick Ellison attends who believes, â€Å"your room and your brothers are your escape† (Ellison). When you attend the institute you need someone to to go when things get tough, and for him it was going to his room which he shared with his â€Å"brother†. Not only is your brother someone you can go to, its someone that will have your back and be with you through thick and th in, and to Patrick it was the escape from his problems and worries, which made it able for him to survive.When Brandon Davies violated a honor code and was kicked off his basketball team, although he disappointed his team, â€Å"Davie’s teammates, whose hopes were also crushed, said they bore him no malice and considered him a brother† (Gibbs 1). Without the support of his teammates through a time when they could have easily turned their back’s to him, David would have been all alone through his time of struggle. How far will a fake brotherhood go? Theirs people who use a brotherhood for their own benefit, not considering their fellow brothers, how long can that last?When will find’s out that Tradd was in the Ten and their brotherhood was a lie, Tradd does anything to take it back, â€Å"I just can’t lose you. I can't afford afford to lose you. Do you hear me, Will? I’m begging you. I’ll do anything to get your friendship back, you h ave no idea how important it is to me† (Conroy 555). When you betray a brotherhood, you learn that you were never truly apart of it, because you would have never betrayed it like Tradd did.When you go through the institute you wont make it without your brothers, the guest speaker  spoke of his years at the institute saying, â€Å"It’s necessary to have brotherhood† (Ellison). So when what’s gotten you through turns out to be a lie, it’s the worst feeling you could have. In life, there will always be a time when we need help. And when we do, we turn to our brother’s, someone we know will be there for us through everything in life. There’s a comfort in knowing you have someone to talk to about anything, share anything, or someone that will back you up or help you when you’re in need. Brotherhood Brotherhood cannot be walked away from. It is a lifelong relationship with who you call brothers. From my experience with brotherhood, its a promise they have between one another. Brothers stay together when they are at their best, and their worse, that’s the respect that is given and received with brothers. The difference between friendships and brotherhood's are the internal bond you have and the pure love between them. But how far will a fake brotherhood go? Pat Conroy’s, The lords of Discipline and Tim O’Brien’s, The things They Carried, and other works show how brotherhood is essential to survival in difficult situations.When peoplee are going through a difficult situation in life, sometimes they just need someone by their side to make it through. Brotherhoods in war are more important than romantic or familial ones back home. These brotherhood’s are what keeps them going, they carry their brothers emotionally. In The Things They Carried the br others did more for each other than support one another during the way: â€Å" They shared the weight of memory. They took up what others could no longer bear. Often, they carried each other, the wounded or weak† (Tim O’Brien 39).CBrotherhood’s were formed because they shared ocommonproblems, that are not understandable putside the brotherhood in the war becauyse those problems become to great. These brothers experienced things together that will stay with them for the rest of their lives, and use each other to over comer obstacles and gain success. The necessity of brotherhood is also represented in going to school’s like the Carolina Institute and going through a plebe year are one of the most challenging things you could do alone, in The Lords Of Discipline a breakable bond is created by four boy’s being brought together during the cruelty of the plebe system.Mark, Will, Tradd, and Pig come together during their tough time as plebes and would do anything for each other, along with the rest of the plebes in R company. The boys in the R company that were going through plebe year together stuck up for a fellow plebe Bobby Bentle to prove he was not alone since suffering with uncontrollable urination: â€Å"The sound they heard was the sound of the other thirty seven freshman pissing in their own pants, in affirmation of our own allegiance to Bobby Bentley of Ocilla, Georgia† (Conroy 170).The boy’s all exposed themselves under the watch of the upperclassmen to demonstrate the strength of their brotherhood. Without the brotherhood between the plebe’s in R companty Boby Bentyly would not have had the courage and condifence to stay another day at the inttitue. His brothers kidness was essential to his servival of the pleve system. The plebe system and going to war are just the few times that brotherhood’s form, but they are what keep you sane at the end of the day.In fraternity’s the frat proces s can be very stressful and growing brotherhood's through your college years can almost change your college experience, Ray Plaza a fraternity alumni say’s he has â€Å" found that the bond of brotherhood is a valuable one as it has helped me to grow as an individual and also a man. The fraternity has allowed me to develop meaningful relationships † (Plaza 1). For Ray, knowing his brtohers were going through the same struggles as him, made it easier to not feel alone, and to have brothers to go to.A similar brotherhood exists in the West Point Military Academy where our guest speaker Patrick Ellison attends who believes, â€Å"your room and your brothers are your escape† (Ellison). When you attend the institute you need someone to to go when things get tough, and for him it was going to his room which he shared with his â€Å"brother†. Not only is your brother someone you can go to, its someone that will have your back and be with you through thick and th in, and to Patrick it was the escape from his problems and worries, which made it able for him to survive.When Brandon Davies violated a honor code and was kicked off his basketball team, although he disappointed his team, â€Å"Davie’s teammates, whose hopes were also crushed, said they bore him no malice and considered him a brother† (Gibbs 1). Without the support of his teammates through a time when they could have easily turned their back’s to him, David would have been all alone through his time of struggle. How far will a fake brotherhood go? Theirs people who use a brotherhood for their own benefit, not considering their fellow brothers, how long can that last?When will find’s out that Tradd was in the Ten and their brotherhood was a lie, Tradd does anything to take it back, â€Å"I just can’t lose you. I can't afford afford to lose you. Do you hear me, Will? I’m begging you. I’ll do anything to get your friendship back, you h ave no idea how important it is to me† (Conroy 555). When you betray a brotherhood, you learn that you were never truly apart of it, because you would have never betrayed it like Tradd did.When you go through the institute you wont make it without your brothers, the guest speaker  spoke of his years at the institute saying, â€Å"It’s necessary to have brotherhood† (Ellison). So when what’s gotten you through turns out to be a lie, it’s the worst feeling you could have. In life, there will always be a time when we need help. And when we do, we turn to our brother’s, someone we know will be there for us through everything in life. There’s a comfort in knowing you have someone to talk to about anything, share anything, or someone that will back you up or help you when you’re in need.

Transformational Learning

Transformational learning is the type of experience that its outcome can bring forth a level of new meaning in your life. This learning cycle of intricate tasks is broken down into four stages, recognizing a significant problem, confronting it intensely, finding a solution, and integrating a new perspective and a new set of assumptions into your life pattern. These four phases create the transformational process and requires extreme mental concentration and careful consideration. The intensity of this procedure is often painful and stressful, hence forth the old saying â€Å"no pain, no gain†.First, you must know what the problem is that you are facing and acknowledge it. Then, you must face the problem with an extreme effort. Once these steps are completed and only then, can you start finding a solution. The solution you find will give you a new view. Based upon this outcome, your newly acquired view must be integrated into your life pattern. Transformation on this level is o ften wanted but it does not come easy. These â€Å"before† and â€Å"after† states are the points that show us our personal growth. The most transformational learning experience in my life has been the discussion to go back to school.The fear of working, having a family, and making time to study and being successful in my studies presented a great problem to me. How to balance these three demanding dimensions of my life and still be the same person was puzzling. Through a trial and error process, I redefined my life pattern, taking bits of personal and casual time to maximize my effort of pursuing my goal. By putting all my focus through my spare time in my work week, it opened up extra time on my weekend to spend with my family. This new pattern I developed has brought harmony and balance to my life.

Making It Personal

Making It Personal Forging links with individuals who have an idea for a story but lack the writing skills to complete the task can be a lucrative income stream for writers. Personal writing support and advice is immensely satisfying and offers regular, immediate payments. I’ve written for several clients who lacked the writing skills to complete important, highly personal writing projects. One was a hilarious woman who would have provided great scope for a fiction writer as the basis for a character in a chic lit novel. She’d been married twice and had stories of romance, mystery and intrigue that made my hair curl. As well as helping with paragraphing, sequencing of her story and considerable editing, I also advised her about laws to protect individuals from slander, and suggested she should be careful making unfounded and serious allegations about former partners, no matter how true they may have been! She paid me $45 per hour for around 20 hours work in total. Another client wanted help to edit his already complete life story. We worked through several chapters at a leisurely pace, both enjoying the relaxed process of editing and discussing his story. He was happy to pay me $50 per hour for editing, consulting and formatting and layout advice. One day the phone rang. It was his son, telling me his father had been diagnosed with cancer and had only weeks to live. The race was on to get the story finished and fast! There was suddenly no time for planning and conferencing – the book had to be finished and printed now. After several late night editing sessions, the book was done and delivered. He read through his life story book on the last day he was able to sit up alone, and enjoyed seeing his project completed. A deadline has never been quite so critical and a project has never felt quite so important as that one. One client wanted help to adapt her African children’s stories for an English speaking audience. She paid me $50 per hour to suggest changes to her stories so they were readable for a young audience and appropriate for the age group. This called on my skills as a writer and also my experience as a teacher. I was able to suggest how to make the stories marketable for an educational audience as well as a general fiction one, and so increase her chances of publication. Personal writing support for private clients is a three-step process. You need to advertise or seek out clients who want to engage your services. This could be through a small ad in a magazine such as ‘The Genealogist’ (Australian) or Family Tree magazine (USA) or in your local or regional paper. Offer a workshop in your local area about writing a life story and spin some free advertorial in the local paper from this. Workshops on life writing are also good sources for finding potential clients. Next, meet with potential clients to discuss their needs and work out a writing plan. Explain your payment requirements, such as an hourly rate or flat fee for a project. Be clear that you will not be the author of the work but you will provide writing advice and consultation. Explain copyright and plagiarism rules and the importance of thinking carefully about anything they publish in a formal sense. Take care when meeting new clients and always consider your personal safety. Lastly, complete the project with regular updates on progress. Establish an easy invoicing arrangement that suits you both, such as direct payments into your bank account or through Paypal or similar.

Effects of World War II on Jap essays

Effects of World War II on Jap essays World War II drastically affected the Japanese culture, economics, and Japan is considered one of the most important and powerful countries in the modern world but this accomplishment has been reached by a lot of work and changes made in the Japanese society. During World War II the destruction of Japanese cities and the death of a lot of Japanese people caused them to change their in their system of politics and foreign policy. The changes made in Japan were not only in the politics but also in the culture in general because of the entrance of western ideas into Japan after World War II made the Japanese adapt their ancient culture to These changes in their culture made the Japanese a whole new country and made it more open to foreign ideas and costumes. The efforts to recover from the was led the Japanese to have a strict and competitive view in technological and scientific advances. Now the Japanese people are considered as one of the most working and intelligent human beings, because of their brightness in the technology and scientific advances. The Japanese had a really difficult path to go through after World War II, but the people adapted to the new Japan and tried to make it a better place by being very strict and competitive. After the changes in Japan the Japanese people have shown that they are capable of a lot of things specially having an enormous change in their life such as culture, economics, technology and politics. This kind of change in any society is a very difficult task to undertake and not too many countries are able to do it. The effects of World War II, including the destruction of Japan, was the task for the Japanese and they were very strong and worked themselves out of the problems and succeeded in the modern world and now Japan is considered the fragile superpower in the top world. The destruction of Japanese cities and the death of a l...

Battle of Anzio in World War II

Battle of Anzio in World War II The Battle of Anzio commenced on January 22, 1944 and concluded with the fall of Rome on June 5. Part of the Italian Theater of World War II (1939-1945), the campaign was the result of the Allies inability to penetrate the Gustav Line following their landings at Salerno. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill sought to restart the Allied advance and proposed landing troops behind the German positions. Approved despite some resistance, the landings moved forward in January 1944. In the resulting fighting, the Allied landing force was soon contained due to its insufficient size and cautious decisions made by its commander, Major General John P. Lucas. The next several weeks saw the Germans mount a series of attacks which threatened to overwhelm the beachhead. Holding out, the troops at Anzio were reinforced and later played a key role in the Allied breakout at Cassino and the capture of Rome. Invading Italy Following the Allied invasion of Italy in September 1943, American and British forces drove up the peninsula until being halted at the Gustav (Winter) Line in front of Cassino. Unable to penetrate Field Marshal Albert Kesselrings defenses, British General Harold Alexander, commander of Allied forces in Italy, began assessing his options. In an effort to break the stalemate, Churchill proposed Operation Shingle which called for landings behind the Gustav Line at Anzio (Map). While Alexander initially considered a large operation that would land five divisions near Anzio, this was abandoned due to a lack of troops and landing craft.  Lieutenant General Mark Clark, commanding the US Fifth Army, later suggested landing a reinforced division at Anzio with the goal of diverting German attention from Cassino and opening the way for a breakthrough on that front.   Allied Plan Initially ignored by US Chief of Staff General George Marshall, planning moved forward after Churchill appealed to President Franklin Roosevelt. The plan called for Clarks US Fifth Army to attack along the Gustav Line to draw enemy forces south while Lucas VI Corps landed at Anzio and drove northeast into the Alban Hills to threaten the German rear. It was thought that if the Germans responded to the landings it would sufficiently weaken the Gustav Line to permit a breakthrough. If they did not respond, the Shingle troops would be in place to directly threaten Rome.  The Allied leadership also felt that should the Germans be able to respond to both threats, it would pin down forces that otherwise could be employed elsewhere. Field Marshal Harold Alexander. Public Domain As preparations moved forward, Alexander desired Lucas to land and quickly begin offensive operations into the Alban Hills. Clarks final orders to Lucas did not reflect this urgency and gave him flexibility regarding the timing of the advance. This may have been caused by Clarks lack of faith in the plan which he believed required at least two corps or a full army. Lucas shared this uncertainty and believed that he was going ashore with insufficient forces. In the days before landings, Lucas compared the operation to the disastrous Gallipoli campaign of World War I which had also been devised by Churchill and expressed concern that he would be scapegoated if the campaign failed. Armies Commanders Allies General Harold AlexanderLieutenant General Mark ClarkMajor General John P. LucasMajor General Lucian Truscott36,000 men increasing to 150,000 men Germans Field Marshal Albert KesselringColonel General Eberhard von Mackensen20,000 men rising to 135,000 men Landing Despite the misgivings of the senior commanders, Operation Shingle moved forward on January 22, 1944, with Major General Ronald Penneys British 1st Infantry Division landing north of Anzio, Colonel William O. Darbys 6615th Ranger Force attacking the port, and Major General Lucian K. Truscotts US 3rd Infantry Division landing south of the town. Coming ashore, Allied forces initially met little resistance and began moving inland. By midnight, 36,000 men had landed and secured a beachhead 2-3 miles deep at a cost of 13 killed and 97 wounded. Rather than move quickly to strike at the German rear, Lucas began strengthening his perimeter despite offers from the Italian resistance to serve as guides. This inaction irritated Churchill and Alexander as it undercut the value of the operation. Facing a superior enemy force, Lucas caution was justified to a degree, however most agree that he should have attempted drive further inland. German Response Though surprised by the Allies actions, Kesselring had made contingency plans for landings at several locations.  When informed of the Allied landings, Kesselring took immediate action by dispatching recently-formed mobile reaction units to the area. Also, he received control of three additional divisions in Italy and three from elsewhere in Europe from OKW (German High Command). Though he initially did not believe the landings could be contained, Lucas inaction changed his mind and by January 24, he had 40,000 men in prepared defensive positions opposite the Allied lines. Battling for the Beachhead The next day, Colonel General Eberhard von Mackensen was given command of the German defenses. Across the lines, Lucas was reinforced by the US 45th Infantry Division and US 1st Armored Division. On January 30, he launched a two-prong attack with the British attacking up the Via Anziate towards Campoleone while the US 3rd Infantry Division and Rangers assaulted Cisterna. In the fighting that resulted, the attack on Cisterna was repulsed, with the Rangers taking heavy losses. The fighting saw two battalions of the elite troops effectively destroyed. Elsewhere, the British gained ground up the Via Anziate but failed to take the town. As a result, an exposed salient was created in the lines. This bulge would soon become the target of repeated German assaults (Map). A Command Change By early February Mackensens force totaled over 100,000 men facing Lucas 76,400. On February 3, the Germans attacked the Allied lines with a focus on the Via Anziate salient. In several days of heavy fighting, they succeeded in pushing the British back. By February 10, the salient had been lost and a planned counterattack the next day failed when the Germans were tipped off by a radio intercept. On February 16, the German assault was renewed and Allied forces on the Via Anziate front were pushed back to their prepared defenses at the Final Beachhead Line before the Germans were halted by VI Corps reserves. The last gasps of the German offensive were blocked on February 20. Frustrated with Lucas performance, Clark replaced him with Truscott on February 22. General Sir Harold Alexander with Major General Lucian K. Truscott Jr. in the Anzio beachhead, Italy, 4 March 1944. Public Domain Under pressure from Berlin, Kesselring and Mackensen ordered another attack on February 29. Striking near Cisterna, this effort was repulsed by the Allies with around 2,500 German casualties. With the situation at a stalemate, Truscott and Mackensen suspended offensive operations until spring. During this time, Kesselring constructed the Caesar C defensive line between the beachhead and Rome. Working with Alexander and Clark, Truscott helped plan Operation Diadem which called for a massive offensive in May. As part of this, he was instructed to devise two plans. New Plans The first, Operation Buffalo, called for an attack to cut Route 6 at Valmontone to aid in trapping the German Tenth Army, while the other, Operation Turtle, was for an advance through Campoleone and Albano towards Rome. While Alexander selected Buffalo, Clark was adamant that US forces be the first to enter Rome and lobbied for Turtle. Though Alexander insisted on severing Route 6, he told Clark that Rome was an option if Buffalo ran into trouble. As a result, Clark instructed Truscott to be ready to execute both operations. Breaking Out The offensive moved forward on May 23 with Allied troops hitting the Gustav Line and beachhead defenses. While the British pinned Mackensens men at Via Anziate, American forces finally took Cisterna on May 25. By the end of the day, US forces were three miles from Valmontone with Buffalo proceeding according to plan and Truscott anticipating severing Route 6 the next day. That evening, Truscott was stunned to receive orders from Clark calling for him to turn his attack ninety degrees towards Rome. While the attack towards Valmontone would continue, it would be much weakened. A Controversial Decision Clark did not inform Alexander of this change until the morning of May 26 at which point the orders could not be reversed. Exploiting the slowed American attack, Kesselring moved parts of four divisions into the Velletri Gap to stall the advance. Holding Route 6 open until May 30, they allowed seven divisions from the Tenth Army to escape north. Forced to reorient his forces, Truscott was not able to attack towards Rome until May 29. Encountering the Caesar C Line, VI Corps, now aided by II Corps, was able to exploit a gap in the German defenses. By June 2, the German line collapsed and Kesselring was ordered to retreat north of Rome. American forces led by Clark entered the city three days later (Map). Aftermath The fighting during the Anzio campaign saw Allied forces sustain around 7,000 killed and 36,000 wounded/missing. German losses were around 5,000 killed, 30,500 wounded/missing, and 4,500 captured. Though the campaign ultimately proved successful, Operation Shingle has been criticized for being poorly planned and executed. While Lucas should have been more aggressive, his force was too small to achieve the objectives it was assigned. Also, Clarks change of plan during Operation Diadem allowed large parts of the German Tenth Army to escape, allowing it to continue fighting through the rest of the year. Though criticized, Churchill relentlessly defended the Anzio operation claiming that though it failed to achieve its tactical goals, it succeeded in holding German forces in Italy and preventing their redeployment to Northwest Europe on the eve of the Normandy invasion.

Climate Change as a Moral Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Climate Change as a Moral Issue - Essay Example Climate change has tremendous effect on humanity and it is nowadays the most significant moral challenge that people face. Mother Nature is morally neutral considering the fact that each year natural catastrophes like global warming, tsunami, devastating earthquakes result in millions of casualty. The moral issues lie within the humans by the ways in which we prepare ourselves in defending such disasters and help the victims (Carter n.d.).The change in climate and the environmental challenge as a moral issue deserves a significant amount of discussion (Crompton & Kasser, 2009, p.2) considering the fact that nowadays it is the prime global concern. This paper deals with different aspects of the climatic change as a moral issue and elaborates the role of politics and public in meeting this challenge. Climate change and moral issue The climatic change is inculcated with complex moral troubles, which the present political system is not well adapted to address properly. Many societies are unaware and not well tailored with the variability in climatic change. As a result they are more vulnerable to the devastations of the climatic change that will adversely affect their economic and political indicators which in turn will bring a spillover effect in the international scenario. The climatic change can be viewed as a striking challenge to our moral self. It can be viewed as a paradigm moral problem, however much more multifaceted in nature. The characteristic of a paradigm moral problem is that an individual will harm or make another individual worse off and both the individuals and the damage done that way are identifiable. Again the individuals and the concerned damage are closely linked in terms of time and space. In this case an example may be considered; suppose David intentionally stole James’s bike, in this example the notion of above discussed concept is clear. Here both the individual and the damage are identified and they are also closely linked in tim e and space. But the moral problem related to the climatic change is not so simple and another example will illustrate that, suppose ‘Jack and a large number of unacquainted people set in motion a chain of events that causes a large number of future people who will live in another part of the world, from ever having bikes’ (Jamieson 2007, p.2). In this particular example the identification of the agents causing damage or generating negative externality is not properly identifiable. This refers to the fact that damage caused this way transmits through time and affects future group of people whose numbers can be predicted but cannot be exactly determined at present time frame. Similar to this the climate change affects different groups of people over various time frames and both of them can not be identified with pin point accuracy. More interestingly people are often indifferent or even at dark regarding the future loss incurred through climatic change as that do not dir ectly affect them. Owing to these facts and minimal difference in characteristic with the usual moral problem; the climatic change often does not get considered as a moral problem, which has resulted in common negligence in responding to this problem with utmost urgency (Jamieson 2007, pp. 1-2). Climate Change as a challenge to the Political System Political concerns

Revolutionaries are the Best Ways to Effect Positive Change in Research Paper

Revolutionaries are the Best Ways to Effect Positive Change in Opressive Regimes When Human Rights are Violated - Research Paper Example Revolutionaries are the most effective means of effecting positive change in oppressive regimes. Examples of revolutionaries that succeeded in bringing positive change and ending injustices include American Revolution, French Revolution and Recent revolutions in Arab countries. Revolutionaries are the best ways to effect positive change in oppressive regimes when human rights are violated and injustices exist Introduction Revolutionaries are the best way to effect positive change under any oppressive regime. Revolutionaries are justified when citizens experience continued injustices and violation of basic human rights by the ruling government. Revolutionary refers to drastic change that occurs when citizens break laws in order to protest against government policies. Examples of revolutionaries that were precipitated by oppressive regimes include the Civil Rights Movements in the US and recent Arab World uprisings. Citizens engage in revolutionaries by refusing to pay taxes, damaging government property and civil protests that aim at blocking traffic flow in major highways. Revolutionaries occur when the oppressive regime blocks the channels of negotiation or when the government is not willing to address the problems affecting the citizens (Spielvogel, 2011). This paper will discuss the importance of revolutionaries in bringing positive change in oppressive regimes when citizens experience injustices and violation of fundamental human rights. John Locke (1632-1704) asserts that governments derive their authority from the people thus civil liberties of the citizens should be protected by the government (Grant, 1991). Citizens should engage in revolutions if the government violates their human rights and curtails freedom of expression. According to Locke, if regimes alter the laws in order to curtail the rights of individuals, the citizens are justified to protest and overthrow the government (Grant, 1991). The ruling regime should adhere to the social contract be tween the government and citizens. John Rawls asserts that civil liberties enable citizens to live harmonious in the society thus all individuals should be accorded equality in rights and freedoms (Grant, 1991). Government economic policies should not disadvantage of the minority or create inequalities in income and wealth distribution. Most of the Arab uprisings were occasioned by high income inequalities that created high unemployment and poor living conditions to the low income earners. The ruling regime should promote civil rights and minimize social classes in the society in order to promote the welfare of the whole society (Richards, 2004). Revolutionaries are the best method of affecting positive change when several minority groups encounter discrimination and injustices from the oppressive regimes. Such regimes are characterized by dictatorship rule, disrespect for humanity and lack of freedom of expression in the society (Spielvogel, 2011). For instance, President Mubarak v iolated Egyptian constitution by hindering the freedom of media and civil liberties of individuals who criticized government policies. In oppressive regimes, citizens have no economic and political power to change the ruling government. Oppressive regimes have total control of the media thus citizens should engage in mass civil protests and boycotts to effect positive change in the political leadership. For instance, Gaddafi’s oppressive regime targeted journalists who criticized or reported of atrocities that were committed on the

Account of buisness Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Account of buisness - Assignment Example 1). Both study results form a basis for discussing and analysing whether ABC can work for smaller businesses as they abandon the conventional costing system. The following paper discusses whether SMEs are ready to adopt the activity based costing system as an effective tool to achieve the desired level of cost savings and efficiency. First, ABC is not very popular amongst corporations today. Considering many SMEs follow the operational trends of corporations with the intention of reaching their levels of success through cost savings, the popularity of ABC amongst corporations is worth noting (Fladkjà ¦r and Jensen, 2011, p. 3). According to CIMA, ABC is a strategy for the costing and monitoring of activities that entail drawing resource usage and costing final products. Corporations assign resources to activities, and activities to cost items based on usage approximations (Chapman et al., 2011, p. 669). According to Henrik Fladkjà ¦r and Erling Jensen, SMEs seldom implement the ABC system due to two key reasons. First, ABC is very hard to apply. Second, the data basis for ABC is not accessible in the needed quality in ERP systems used by SMEs (Fladkjà ¦r and Jensen, 2011, p. 21). A highly competitive global economy contributes to SMEs’ readiness to implement ABC. A competitive economy compels SMEs to lower the price of their commodities or services by raising output, improving product or service costing, or both. Challenges related to the shift from traditional costing systems to ABC cause rates of adopting ABC to lag behind corporations (Joà £o and Machado, 2012, p. 179). Researchers Owen Hall and Charles McPeak note these challenges as the cost of applying ABC, approximating the advantages of the ABC system, and incorporating ABC into the general management outline. As a result, the Hall and McPeak recommend SMEs to consider factors that affect a business’ ability to apply new expertise. These factors are organisational willingness, fiscal

Harmful effects of alcohol on the brain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Harmful effects of alcohol on the brain - Essay Example To make the matter worse, the concern with drinking today becomes even more complex due to the fact that instances of under-age drinking are rapidly rising, thus increasing reported occurrences of brain damage on teenagers. Jennifer Sheridan in her article â€Å"Booze Putting Teen Brains at Risk† further discussed the dangers of under-age drinking. By presenting facts based from the studies and researches she conducted, Sheridan corroborated the high possibility of acquiring brain injury, especially for teenagers who are supposed to be undergoing various brain developmental processes, from drinking too much and/or consuming alcohol during sustained period (Sheridan, 2009). Without appropriate measures to resolve or, at least, minimize, problem with under-age drinking, the young generation’s likelihood to reach their full potential will be curtailed, hence impeding the bright future that awaits them. Alcohol poses as serious threat to the health and well being of the pop ulation at our community. Some of the health risks of consuming alcohol include, those who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol related dependence than those who do not drink until they are 21. They have a higher risk of developing cirrhosis of the liver, strokes, pancreatitis, and multiple forms of cancer. Early alcohol consumption takes a toll on youths mentally too. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, an individuals brain continues to develop throughout adolescence, therefore those who drink, may have serious side affects with the functions of their short-term and long term memory. They are more likely to suffer from depression, drop out of school because of a reduced ability to learn and carry out normal brain activity. Alcohol consumed by teenagers is hazardous, not only due to the dangers linked with acute impairment, but also due to the problems that drinking brings to their long-term development and welfar e (Sheridan, 2009). From the reports all over the world, the society has witnessed how underage drinking can cause accidents in the road, violence at school, suicide cases, academic failures, and other behavioral concerns brought by underage alcohol consumption. The question is how these teenagers manage to get access to alcoholic beverages despite of the law that prohibits selling of alcohol to youths below 21 years old. According to Bonnie, O’Connell, and National Research Council (2004), teenagers get their access to alcohols from adults. A report shows that more than 90 percent of students from the 12th grade consider getting alcohol â€Å"very easy† or â€Å"fairly easy† (Bonnie, O’Connell, and National Research Council, 2004). Significantly, these young individuals who are not legally allowed to get access to alcoholic beverages are more reckless drinkers than the adults. On average, these teenagers drink more than what their bodies can take and the refore categorizing them as heavy drinkers (Bonnie, O’Connell, and National Research Council, 2004), or drinking until they black out (Sheridan, 2009). In 2004, a report from the National Survey on Drugs Use and Health stated that there were about 29 percent of young Americans, or approximately 10.8 million young individuals), specifically within the age range of 12-20, who had at least a drink a month prior to the report conducted by the organization (Bonnie, O’Connell, and National Research Council, 2004). Still within this age group, the report further stated that 19.6 percent of these subjects were categorized as binge drinkers, or those who had 5 or more drinks on one occasion, which is considered more than the average American adult can consume. In a study conducted by D’Amico et. al. (2001), they discovered that the start of alcohol

Investigate whether financial conservative policies depend on Dissertation

Investigate whether financial conservative policies depend on financial distress - Dissertation Example The literature review will look at work already done in the area and this along with an analysis of data will be used to arrive at a conclusion. The paper also describes the research methodology that will be used in carrying out the study. Theoretical Framework Central to this investigation is to define trade off and pecking order theories and the terms financial conservatism, financial distress and leverage. A sample of firms that adopts conservative policies as it relates to high levels of cash holdings and low levels of leverage will be identified and data relating to financial conservatism will be analysed. Trade-off theory predicts that when firms face high expected cost of financial distress and/ or attach a rather low value to interest tax shields, then, they will seek to employ conservative financial policies (Minton and Wruck 2001). Pecking order theory predicts that firms use external financing only when internal funds are insufficient to support discretionary expenditures. When internal funds fall short, managers look first to debt financing and only as a last resort do they turn to using equity financing (Myers 1984). Definitions Financial conservatism For the purpose of this study financial conservatism is defined as a persistent financial policy of low leverage and high cash holdings. Financial distress Financial distress is the inability to generate revenue when there are too many debts. Literature Review Iona (2004) Berger et al (1997) suggests that managers tend to make more conservative capital structure decisions when are given the power to use their discretion and are therefore free from disciplinary and monitoring mechanisms. The main motives behind the choice of conservative leverage policies are to reduce the probability of financial distress and bankruptcy and to resist disciplinary actions. Mackie-Mason (1990) used the modified Altman’s (1968) Z-Score to test for the likelihood that a firm will experience financial distress. Simi larly, Helwege and Liang 1996; and Graham (2000) have used this variable in their capital structure studies. They have found the Z-Score coefficient to be consistently positive and significant. This therefore, indicates that financially conservative firms are less likely to face financial distress. Myers (1984) suggests that a firm may seek to maintain slack in the form of reserve borrowing power and target a level of borrowing that lies below its debt capacity. In doing so, the firm can issue safe debt if it needs to avoid any material costs of financial distress. Titman (1984) and Graham (2000) identified industries in which firms are likely to experience significant costs of financial distress. The suggestion is that sensitivity distress results from high levels of on-going relationships with customers which results from warranties, repairs and upgrades associated with the sale of goods in the computer industry, specialty manufacturing industry, the retail industry and the pharma ceutical/biotechnology firms. Minton and Wruck (2001) indicates that three (3) of the four (4) industry classification mentioned above are associated significantly with the probability of being financially conservative. Retail firms are less likely to follow policies of low leverage possibly because of the thinking that real estate serves as good collateral for borrowing purposes. Iona (2004) also

Harmful effects of alcohol on the brain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Harmful effects of alcohol on the brain - Essay Example To make the matter worse, the concern with drinking today becomes even more complex due to the fact that instances of under-age drinking are rapidly rising, thus increasing reported occurrences of brain damage on teenagers. Jennifer Sheridan in her article â€Å"Booze Putting Teen Brains at Risk† further discussed the dangers of under-age drinking. By presenting facts based from the studies and researches she conducted, Sheridan corroborated the high possibility of acquiring brain injury, especially for teenagers who are supposed to be undergoing various brain developmental processes, from drinking too much and/or consuming alcohol during sustained period (Sheridan, 2009). Without appropriate measures to resolve or, at least, minimize, problem with under-age drinking, the young generation’s likelihood to reach their full potential will be curtailed, hence impeding the bright future that awaits them. Alcohol poses as serious threat to the health and well being of the pop ulation at our community. Some of the health risks of consuming alcohol include, those who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol related dependence than those who do not drink until they are 21. They have a higher risk of developing cirrhosis of the liver, strokes, pancreatitis, and multiple forms of cancer. Early alcohol consumption takes a toll on youths mentally too. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, an individuals brain continues to develop throughout adolescence, therefore those who drink, may have serious side affects with the functions of their short-term and long term memory. They are more likely to suffer from depression, drop out of school because of a reduced ability to learn and carry out normal brain activity. Alcohol consumed by teenagers is hazardous, not only due to the dangers linked with acute impairment, but also due to the problems that drinking brings to their long-term development and welfar e (Sheridan, 2009). From the reports all over the world, the society has witnessed how underage drinking can cause accidents in the road, violence at school, suicide cases, academic failures, and other behavioral concerns brought by underage alcohol consumption. The question is how these teenagers manage to get access to alcoholic beverages despite of the law that prohibits selling of alcohol to youths below 21 years old. According to Bonnie, O’Connell, and National Research Council (2004), teenagers get their access to alcohols from adults. A report shows that more than 90 percent of students from the 12th grade consider getting alcohol â€Å"very easy† or â€Å"fairly easy† (Bonnie, O’Connell, and National Research Council, 2004). Significantly, these young individuals who are not legally allowed to get access to alcoholic beverages are more reckless drinkers than the adults. On average, these teenagers drink more than what their bodies can take and the refore categorizing them as heavy drinkers (Bonnie, O’Connell, and National Research Council, 2004), or drinking until they black out (Sheridan, 2009). In 2004, a report from the National Survey on Drugs Use and Health stated that there were about 29 percent of young Americans, or approximately 10.8 million young individuals), specifically within the age range of 12-20, who had at least a drink a month prior to the report conducted by the organization (Bonnie, O’Connell, and National Research Council, 2004). Still within this age group, the report further stated that 19.6 percent of these subjects were categorized as binge drinkers, or those who had 5 or more drinks on one occasion, which is considered more than the average American adult can consume. In a study conducted by D’Amico et. al. (2001), they discovered that the start of alcohol

Environmental theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Environmental theory - Essay Example ?s otherness’ requires not identifying oneself (or one’s own interests, or indeed humanity or humanity’s interests) with wider nature, and recognizing that wider nature is not merely an extension of human culture (i.e., its material resource). Similarly, liberal ‘political reasonableness’ requires accepting neutrality the level of the justification of principles of justice; one should not expect them to enshrine one’s own conception of the good† (1). With nature considered to be something existent unto itself, it must be considered within the framework of political liberalism. Having presented his argument and attempted to make it clear, the author then moves on to explore what he means more fully regarding ecological justice. This process starts with a more thorough exploration of what it might mean to take a non-instrumental view of nature and how to consider what it would mean to respect nature’s otherness. Essentially, he describes ‘nature as other’ as something â€Å"independent of, or not determined by, the significances attributed to it, and the modifications made to it, within local landscapes† (2). While he acknowledges that this is an imprecise definition, he also makes the case that it is precise enough for the purposes of his argument. To determine what it means to respect nature’s otherness, he then presents what he terms three fundamental truths that must be kept in mind. The first of these is that ideas of ‘awe and humility’ must be given priority over concepts of arrogance and superiority over nature as it simply exists. This suggests that humans should â€Å"maintain a respectful distance† from the idea of nature by avoiding making any express demands on it. This includes making any attempt to put its resources to meeting human consumption demands or to involve it as an object of human adoration. The two additional truths include the No Teleology Thesis and the Autonomy Thesis, each of which assert the concept

The Person-Centred Therapy Essay Example for Free

The Person-Centred Therapy Essay For the purpose of this essay, I will be attempting to show an understanding of hypnosis, and describe the psychological and physical aspects of hypnosis. I will also be discussing the role of relaxation in hypnotherapy. I will be using information learned from my course hand outs, and from the year one book list. Hypnosis has been used by different cultures and religions around the globe for thousands of years, including the Australian Aborigines, North American Indians, the Hindu culture, the Chinese and even further back to the ancient Egyptians. In more modern times, hypnotism has been used as a form of entertainment, watched by â€Å"live show† audiences, and later on, TV shows, creating curiosity and fascination for many. It is this lighter area of hypnosis which has possibly contributed to the stigma which can surround hypnosis and hypnotherapy. The term â€Å"hypnosis† derives from the Greek word Hypnos, which means sleep, the words â€Å"hypnosis and â€Å"hypnotism† derive from the term â€Å"neuro-hypnotism† which means (nervous sleep). It is known that the Aborigines used a form of hypnosis to achieve their â€Å"Dream Time†, (altered state of consciousness and out of body experiences) which is still practiced to this day. The Chinese use a hypnotic like trance called â€Å"Oigong† (exorcise of vital energy) within their healing system. It is estimated that approximately five per cent of the population of China practice this type of hypnosis, making this the most common type of hypnosis practiced in the world. However, although practitioners of , â€Å"Oigong† believe it increases mental and physical energy, some Chinese mental health officials believe there to be some harmful side effects, and would like to see the practice banned. Given the huge diverse applications for which hypnosis is used, for example, religious practices, healing, and physical and mental energizing, it is clear to see that hypnosis within entertainment, â€Å"the stage hypnotist† has but a small role to play within a vast and complex discipline. Hypnosis is â€Å"a special psychological state with certain physiological attributes,  resembling sleep only superficially and marked by a functioning of the ind ividual at a level of awareness other than the ordinary conscious state†, not asleep, yet not awake. There are different theories suggesting that hypnosis is a â€Å"mental state† and another that hypnosis is linked to â€Å"imaginative role-enactment†. People under hypnosis are believed to have a heightened sense of focus and concentration, enabling them to concentrate intensely on a thought or a memory. It is at this point of focus and concentration when the person is able to change their thought process through suggestion. The level of concentration allows the person to block out all exterior noises, distractions and other thoughts. Hypnosis is achieved by using a hypnotist, using a procedure known as â€Å"hypnotic induction†. Hypnosis can also be self-induced, which can be achieved by â€Å"self-suggestion† or â€Å"auto-suggestion† Hypnotic induction uses a series of suggestions and instructions, which takes the person through a process of â€Å"Progressive Muscle Relaxation† or â€Å"PMR†. â€Å"PMR† should be delivered using a much slower than normal speaking speed. By slowing down the speaking speed, the recipient will feel more relaxed, and will be able to enjoy the process. There are four main types of brain wave, which lead to differing stages of relaxation. 1/Beta Waves, (15 to 40 cycles per second) This is considered to be the normal functioning level, during conversation. 2/Alpha Waves, (9 to 14 cycles per second) This is a slower rate than the beta, and would be experienced while relaxing after an activity, and is considered to be a state of creativity and relaxation. 3/Theta Waves, (4 to 8 cycles per second) These are experienced during meditative states and dreaming, and would be considered to be associated with calmness and serenity. 4/Delta Waves, (1 to 4 cycles per second) This is considered to be the slowest rate and would be experienced in our deepest subconscious. This would be experienced while in a detached state of awareness or sleep or while under very deep hypnosis. Franz Anton Mesmer (from which the term mesmerise was derived) was born in Germany in 1734, and was the Grandfather of Hypnosis. Although Mesmer studied law and medicine, he had a passion and a belief in alternative therapies and medicine. After a  lifetime of investigation and work, Mesmer died in 1815; however he left a legacy of intrigue and an army of followers and believers. One of these being the Marquis de Puysegur. De Puysegur joined a group called â€Å"The Society of Universal Harmony† originally run by Mesmer. After a succession of patients, De Puygesur found that the patients, while seemingly asleep, were able to talk and answer questions, while in the hypnotic state. De Puygesur believed that hypnosis was the result of a psychological force rather than a physical one, which was argued, debated but then accepted by followers. Dr James Braid from Manchester gave light to the term â€Å"hypnosis†. Braid was originally against mesmerising, but eventually gained an interest, and began his own study. Braid concluded that any cures were as a result of suggestion through hypnosis. Braid continued his study and developed a technique called â€Å"eye fixation†. The state which eye fixation resulted in was Braids idea of hypnosis. Dr John Elliotson was the first person to demonstrate the use of hypnosis during surgery. Elliotson cured a dumb epileptic patient if front of an audience of medics. Elliotson also used hypnosis in surgical procedures, however died in 1868 after much controversy. Sigmund Freud went on to support the idea of hypnosis, and would often give talks to the medical fraternity. Although Freud was not considered to be a great hypnotist, he continued to use hypnosis in his work, but by the mid 1890’s Freud had all but given up on hypnosis. Modern hypnosis began with the birth of Milton Erickson (1901), who pioneered his work in â€Å"indirect suggestion†. Erickson is considered by many to be the pioneer of modern hypnosis. After suffering with a series of terrible illnesses, Erickson dedicated his life to understanding the unconscious mind. Erickson believed that â€Å"the unconscious mind is always listening† and it did not appear to matter whether the patient was in a trance or not. Erickson believed that â€Å"suggestion† would have the desired effect on the mind, as long as it found some resonance at the unconscious level. As stated earlier, stage hypnosis plays a very small role within the field of hypnosis. There is a much greater importance for hypnosis, for example; hypnotherapy is now a widely accepted form of alternative treatment, and is accepted as such by professionals in the medical field. There are some conflicting and confusing perceptions of hypnosis. Many people believe that the hypnotist simply places a person into a form of hypnotic trance, where  the person has no control of their own actions and t hought’s; this however is not necessarily the case. John F Kihlstrom (Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania) stated â€Å"The hypnotist does not hypnotize the individual. Rather, the hypnotist serves as sort of a coach or tutor, whose job it is to help the individual become hypnotized†. The experience of hypnosis can vary greatly from one individual to another. Some people under the influence of hypnosis report a feeling of detachment and extreme relaxation. Others state that their actions occur outside of their conscious state of mind, and others may be able to feel conscious, and are able to hold a conversation while under hypnosis. There have been many experiments undertaken using people under hypnosis, which have given credence to the subject. In one such experiment by Ernest Hilgard, (American psychologist and professor (1904 to 2001) famous for his research on hypnosis, particularly within the field of pain control) an individual under hypnosis was instructed not to feel any pain in their arm. The individuals arm was then placed into iced water, while the individuals who were not under hypnosis had to remove their arms from the water within seconds, the hypnotized individuals were able to leave their arms in the iced water for several minutes without feeling any pain. There are many examples where, illnesses and medical conditions, both physical and emotional, have been cured or greatly reduced in severity, for example; Rheumatoid Arthritis, dementia, ADHD, pain relief during surgical procedures, and pain during child birth. There are known situations where individuals have undergone major surgical procedures, without any form of anaesthetic, and have experienced no pain or discomfort, such is the power of hypnosis. There is a common belief that some people simply cannot be hypnotised, however much research shows that many more people are hypnotizable than they believe. In studies and surveys, it has been shown that as little as ten per cent of all adults are considered either difficult or impossible to hypnotise. It also shows that children are more susceptible to hypnosis, and that people who are seen to be fantasists are also more responsive to hypnosis. To be successfully hypnotized, it is very important to enter with an open and clear mind, and to view hypnosis as a positive experience. In modern society, hypnosis is used very commonly as an alternative aid within areas such as; weight loss, the cessation of smoking, drug and alcohol addiction (reduction in use), fears and phobias. People who  may have a fear of flying or of spiders for example, have been known to be completely cured of their fear, allowing them to lead a more fulfilling and less stressful life. There also many myths with hypnosis, the obvious one being that the hypnotized individual does not remember anything of their hypnotic state once they are awake. Amnesia has been known to occur, however this is extremely rare. It is however known that hypnosis can affect an individual’s memory. â€Å"Posthypnotic amnesia† can lead to a person forgetting some of the things which occurred during hypnosis, however the effect is quite temporary, and limited in terms of information forgotten. It is also a myth that an individual can be hypnotized against their own will. A person must be willing and happy to participate in order to be hypnotized. This is the same for people who believe they have no control over their own actions while under hypnosis. It is not possible for a hypnotist to force or influence a person into behaving in a manner which goes against their own morals and standards. Hypnosis is able to assist in a person making positive changes, however it is not able to change physical strength or enhance athleticism. Hypnosis should be seen as an additional and supportive aid to other forms of medicines and therapies, rather than a stand-alone discipline. Conclusion/summary; Hypnosis continues to intrigue and be a cause of debate for professionals and individuals alike, however, what cannot be disputed is its place within entertainment, but more importantly, its relevance within the medical field and as an alternative therapy. Hypnotherapy is now a widely accepted form of alternative therapy, practised by surgeons, physicians and independent private therapists. Although hypnosis and hypnotherapy are not considered as a replacement for medical treatments or medications, they are seen as an extremely useful addition and enhancement to these. Hypnosis has proven to be a positive life changing experience for many people, where other methods, and in some cases medicines have failed. It is evidenced that individuals have greatly reduced their weight from life threatening obesity, and have been able to successfully cease using harmful substances such as alcohol, tobacco and other forms of drugs. The fundamentals of hypnosis and its basic principal’s remain unaltered for hundreds, possibly even thousands of  years, however research and investigations by many great psychologists, has allowed a much greater understanding of this important and at times vital discipline. From the ancient Egyptians to modern day man/woman, hypnosis continues be an extremely effective alternative, within the field of physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing, and has also allowed a greater understanding of the workings of the human subconscious. Bibliography Course hand-outs/notes Hypnosis:- A Brief History. Chrysalis Psychotherapeutic Counselling-Year 1-Module 1. 1-1 07/2010 SC. Page 6. Hypnosis:- A Brief History. Chrysalis Psychotherapeutic Counselling-Year 1-Module 1. 1-1 07/2010 SC. Page 10. Hypnosis:- A Brief History. Chrysalis Psychotherapeutic Counselling-Year 1-Module 1. 1-1 07/2010 SC. Page 7. Internet About.com. Psychology. What is hypnosis. Psychology.about.com/od/statesofconsciousness/a/hypnosis.htm?p=1 En.wikepedia.org/wiki/Milton_h._erickson

The Customer Satisfaction By Measuring Service Quality Tourism Essay

The Customer Satisfaction By Measuring Service Quality Tourism Essay The measurement and management of service quality are fundamental to the survival and success of service companies Legcevic, 2008. The hotel sector is a large segment of the service industry which provides services and accommodations to a wide range of customers. To make sure that a hotel is satisfying its customers needs, it is necessary to measure service quality periodically to identify areas in need of improvement. There are several methodologies used for measuring service quality, but this research study shall employ one of the more popular models called the SERVQUAL model. This theory was developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry. They were early researchers studies about the concept of quality (Jain and Gupta, 2004). The SERVQUAL model was created to measure service quality as perceived by the customer (Parasuraman et al., 1985). According to Shangri-La Hotels Annual Report of year 2008 and 2009, the occupancy rate of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok has declined continuously (Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2008, Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2009). The most likely cause of this problem is the political instability that hit Thailand recently. On the other hand, it is possible that this decline in the number of customers was a result of a decline in service quality. Even though the Shangri-La Hotel continued to emphasize customer needs and provide excellent service to their customers, it is still crucial to measure service quality to ensure that the customers are satisfied with the hotels services and responsiveness to customer needs. The result of measuring service quality also helps management to understand exactly what their customers expect from the hotel and the level to which they are satisfied with their experience at the hotel. This measurement model functions as a tool to promote communication between the hotel man agement and their customers. This research was conducted to observe customer perceptions about hotel services by measuring service quality using the SERVQUAL model at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok. The benefits of this research are not just to understand the level of customer satisfaction; but moreover, it can use as a guideline to enhance service quality and promote customer loyalty. Title of project: A Study of Customer Satisfaction by Measuring Service Quality; A Case Study of Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok Statement of research problem: A continual decline in the number of hotel customers over the past few months has had a direct effect on the hotels income. The main factor which is believed to have caused this decline was internal political instability in Thailand. In an effort to transform a crisis into opportunity, this is an appropriate time to observe customer perceptions of service quality in order to help hotel management improve quality and prepare their business for when the situation returns to normal. Project objectives: The objectives of this research are as follows: To measure service quality of Shangri-La hotel, Bangkok by using SERVQUAL model, To understand the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality, and To gain a clearer understanding of customer perceptions of service quality from Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok in order to improve hotel service quality in the future. Conceptual framework Reliability SERVQUAL Dimensions Responsiveness Assurance Customer Satisfaction Empathy Tangibles Scope of the study: The scope of this research focuses on measurement of service quality at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok by using the SERVQUAL model which considers service quality from the following five dimensions: a) reliability, b) responsiveness, c) assurance, d) empathy and e) tangibility. The sample population would be a random sample of 100 hotel customers during the period from June to July, 2010. The survey technique would employ the use of questionnaires. This study focuses on the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality. Definitions of terms used in the study: SERVQUAL model: An instrument for measuring service quality comprised of five dimensions such as: a) reliability, b) responsiveness, c) assurance, d) empathy and e) tangibility. Parasuraman summed up that customers perceive service quality by comparing their expectations with the actual organizational performance, and they evaluate service quality in different dimensions (Parasuraman et al., 1988). Service Quality: A product or outcome of all the staff managers of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok working together to satisfy their customers. In other words, high-quality service is a service that meets or exceeds customer needs and expectations (Wisniewski, 2001). Customer Expectation: is prediction service of customer that hotel should be provide to them. Predict service directly influence customer satisfaction evaluation (Zeithaml et al., 1993) Customer Perception: A feeling or sense possessed by the customer which is derived from their experiences at the hotel. Customer Satisfaction: The level to which a customer perceives that their expectations were met in the transaction with the hotel (Hallowell, 1996). Assumptions: A customer who receives a high level of service quality from the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is more likely to be satisfied with the overall level of service at the hotel. Limitations: Size of sample: The political uncertainty in Thailand during the past several months resulted in a decrease in the number of tourists all over Bangkok. Furthermore, the occupancy level at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok has been suppressed due to a reduction in room availability for internal renovations. The limited number of hotel customers may limit the sample size, leading to sample error. Time frame of data collection: The time frame is a major problem for this research because the research time table is quite short, especially considering that this season is the low season for tourism in Thailand. Since the tourist numbers are much lower than during high season, it could be difficult or impossible to reach the appropriate sample size. Human ethics considerations: This research is being conducted for educational purposes to learn about customer satisfaction at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok. For this reason, the hotels management is allowing researchers to collect data from their customers. Therefore, the researchers should not force the customers to complete the questionnaire if they are hesitant. The questionnaire is being designed so that it does not contain sensitive items which would make customers feel uncomfortable. Practical significance: Measuring service quality is more difficult than measuring the quality of manufactured goods because the nature of services is intangible (Bergman and Klefsjo, 1994). The SERVQUAL model is an efficient tool to help measure service quality and clarify customer satisfaction. The result of this research would be useful for the Shangri-La Hotels management and staff members so that they can better understand their customers level of satisfaction with perceptions about the hotels services. It will help hotel management in their efforts to maintain and improve hotel service quality. In addition, other hoteliers and organizations within the service industries sector could adapt this research to use as basis for studies into their own organizations. Background information: Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is a well-established Asian hotel chain in major cities throughout Asia, Oceania and The Middle East. The headquarters is located in Hong Kong. Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is one property of many properties of Shangri-La Company, located in the Silom district, has a total of 799 rooms including serviced apartments and other facilities such as restaurants, conference rooms, spa, swimming pool and tennis courts (Shangri-La Hotel, 2010). Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is located in a convenient place next to the Chao Phraya River which is the main river of Thailand, and is only half an hour from Suvarnabhumi Airport and 10 minutes away from central business by BTS Skytrain. For these reasons, this hotel has the ability to attract numerous tourists. Furthermore, Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is connected to Sathorn Pier, so tourists can take public boats or long tail boats to travel to and visit several kinds of tourist attractions easily such as the Temple of Dawn, the Grand Palace, the Flower Market and Khaosan Road. There is a high diversity of tourism industries which promote the economy in this district and along this river. However, in recent years, the Thai economy has experienced difficulty for a variety of reasons. Figures 1 and 2 compare the performance of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in the period from 2007 to 2008 with the period from 2008 to 2009. Figure 1: The Shangri-La Hotel Weighted Average Room Yield 2007-2008 Source: Shangri-La Asia Limited (2008) Figure 2: The Shangri-La Hotel Weighted Average Room Yields 2008-2009 Source: Shangri-La Asia Limited (2009) The figures above show that there was a significant decline in the performance of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Thailand in 2008 compared with 2007, and this decline in performance continued into 2009 with a drop on average room occupancy. According to the 2008 Shangri-La Asia Limited Annual Report, occupancy and RevPAR for Shangri-La Hotels decreased in 2008 by 15 and 10 percentage points respectively (Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2008). Moreover, the overall weighted average RevPAR for Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts Thai properties decreased a further 11 percent in 2009 (Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2009). The global financial crisis, the extensive renovations at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok and political uncertainty are cited as the main reasons for this decline. Literature review: There are several pieces of literature regarding studies of service quality which say that if a customer had a pleasant service experience, they would probably use that service again and would be likely to invite their friends or tell someone else to utilize those same services. In the same way, if customer had a poor service experience, they generally never forget about it, and many customers will complain and go elsewhere (Assael, 1987, Farrington et al., 2009, Peter and Olson, 1987). Word of mouth is a powerful communications tool. Customers may tell others whenever they experience poor service quality, and this would have a direct effect on the organizations image resulting in an eventual decrease in revenue. The power of this communications tool has always been evident from the past until the present. Consequently, organizations must always ensure that their service quality is the most pleasant and best to generate customers satisfaction. This is because the backbone of service organization growth is not just a high quality product or pricing strategy, but it is also the combination with good customer service. When customers receive good service the outcomes are positive(Farrington et al., 2009). Nowadays, companies increasingly emphasize service quality and customer satisfaction throughout, so that they can increase customer loyalty, because it has determined that high customer loyalty is key to success in their market segment(Cronin et al., 2000). Service quality is widely studied and useful in service industries(Carman, 1990, Collier and Bienstock, 2006, Cronin and Taylor, 1992, Cronin et al., 2000, Gronroos, 1984, Parasuraman et al., 1985, Parasuraman et al., 1988). Many scholars have taken an interest in service quality issues because of their intangibility, which makes them very difficult to measure (Bergman and Klefsjo, 1994). For these reasons, several researchers created a model to help clarify the measurement of service quality. The most popular and extensively used models are Gronroos Service Quality Model and Parasuramans Gap Model (Legcevic, 2008). It could be describes of each model as following; Gronroos Service Quality Model splits customer perceived service into two dimensions: 1) technical quality, and 2) functional quality (Gronroos, 1984). 1) Technical quality or outcome quality is what customer receives as outcome of the process in the resources. Functional quality is how customer receives from technical outcome (Legcevic, 2008). Parasuramans Gap Model indicates that five gaps exist between management and customers during the service delivery process (Parasuraman et al., 1985). For my research, I will employ the SERVQUAL scale by using gap scores to help measure service quality. Service Quality: Today quality become recognized as a strategic tool to enhance and improved business actual performance both of goods sector and service sector. The key factor to success in service industry is service quality. The purpose of service quality is to satisfy the customer. Hence, service quality and customer satisfaction influence each other. As mentioned in the beginning, service quality is defined as a product or outcome resulting from all members in the organization trying to satisfy their customers (Wisniewski, 2001). Service quality also could be defined as crucial decision-making criteria for service consumers (Cronin et al., 2000). Customers evaluate service quality by comparing organizational performance with their expectations (Zeithaml et al., 1993). However, Parasuraman proved and indicated that there is a problem with customer perception of service, because five gaps exist between the customer and the service provider during service delivery. The figure below illustrates the Service Quality Gap Model by Parasuraman. Figure 4: The Service Quality Gap Model Source: Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1985) According to figure as above, it could be describes each gap as following; Gap1: Service provider not knowing what the customers expect Gap2: Service provider not selecting the right service design Gap3: Service provider not delivering to service standard Gap4: Service provider not matching performance to promises Gap5: The difference between customer expectations and customer perceived service (Legcevic, 2008) A gap which may occur between customer expectation and customer perception is not the only measurement of service quality. However, it is a determinant of customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction. If the service providers response to customer needs is below their expectations, the customer would estimate that the quality is low. Measuring the gap between expected and perceived service is a routine method of utilizing customer feedback(Pizam and Ellis, 1999). SERVQUAL Scale: The main benefit of the SERVQUAL instrument is that it helps management to measure the quality of service by comparing customers expectation of service and customer perceived service which categorizing each problem facet into five dimensions. It lets them classify the problems into dimensions, helping management to focus on the problems and improve service quality in the right way when some elements of service are found to be lacking. The SERVQUAL model was created by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry in 1985. The 1985 version consisted of ten dimensions. The model was further developed, and in 1988 it was refined into five dimensions. The SERVQUAL model has been widely used as an efficient instrument for measuring service quality in many service industries (Asubonteng et al., 1996). The five dimensions are: 1) reliability, 2) responsiveness, 3) assurance, 4) empathy and 5) tangible. According to Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1985), they defined each dimensions as follows: Reliability: Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately Responsiveness: Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service Assurance: Knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence Empathy: Caring, individualized attention the firm provides its customers Tangible: Physical facilities, equipment, and appearance of personnel The most important dimension that the customer used to evaluate service quality is the reliability dimension (Legcevic, 2008). Parasuraman developed a set of questionnaires using 22 parallel questions to measure customers expectation of service and customer perception of service in the five dimensions. The measurement uses a Likert Scale with seven levels ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. The service quality measurement of each pair of questions uses performance minus expectation. A positive score represents positive service quality (Parasuraman et al., 1988). Quality = Performance Expectation Nevertheless, there are numerous of academic studies which do not support these five dimensions. These studies determined that problems occur with this measurement method. Chen (2008) argued that SERVQUAL should add more dimensions to give the result more validity and credibility (Chen, 2008). Carman (1990) argued that each dimension should not be general because each service industry is different. Therefore, this model could not be used in the same format across industries (Carman, 1990). Although, there are weak points existing in SERVQUAL model, the concept of dimensions is still useful and when anyone interested in service quality issue, one choice which remind is SERVQUAL scale because its great to demonstrative power (Jain and Gupta, 2004). Then, it is used frequently today. SERVPERF Scale When discuss about SERVQUAL scale, it can not forgot to talks about SERVPERF scale as well. SERVPERF is one of service quality measurement scale. The results of both scale (SERVQUAL and SERVPERF), when compare these method to each other, the result which occurs are quite similar. However, there are differences in measuring process. Moreover, it is difference in reliability. To classify divergence between SERVQUAL scale and SERVPERF could be concise explain as following; SERVQUAL use customers expectation of service and customer perceived service to find service quality while SERVPERF use only customers perception for consideration. Cronin and Taylor (1992) compare between these two scales a found that SERVPERF is enough for measure service quality. However, the SERVQUAL scale is effective than SERVPERF scale because it provide more pragmatic diagnosis of service quality (Jain and Gupta, 2004). Customer Satisfaction: There are plentiful researchers studies on customer satisfaction. The definition of customer satisfaction is also diverse. Pizam and Ellis(1999) states that customer satisfaction is a psychological concept relating to a feeling of pleasure and well-being which is a result between needs in mind and an appealing product or service (Pizam and Ellis, 1999). The sense of satisfaction brings about positive attitudes which leads a customer seek that satisfying experience again (Assael, 1987). Customer satisfaction also has an influence on corporate survival. Naumann (1995) states that in order to attract a new customer, an organization has to pay costs in the form of time and resources equal to approximately five times that which is necessary to retain an existing customer (Naumann, 1995). Therefore, it leads the organization to determine quality as the ability to retain existing customers. However, not every customer will perceive the same level of satisfaction with the same level of service, because their sense of satisfaction is related to word of mouth communication and their past experiences (Pizam and Ellis, 1999). All people have had different experiences, thus they also have different objectives, needs and expectations. To ensure that the organization provides a high level of service quality, customer satisfaction surveys are necessary. Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Bery (1994) suggested that product quality, service quality, and price are each factors that encourage satisfaction (Parasuraman et al., 1994). Customer loyalty develops when customers become satisfied with these different factors provided by the organization (Farrington et al., 2009). The following is a conceptual framework showing the connection of each element which involves customer satisfaction. Figure 3: A Conceptual Framework for the Effects of Perceived Product Quality, Service Quality, and Pricing Fairness on Consumer Satisfaction and Consumer Loyalty Customer Satisfaction Product Quality Perceived Product Quality Perceived Service Quality Service Quality Customer Loyalty Perceived Price Fairness Price Source: (Bei and Chiao, 2001) Understanding the critical elements described above, how they are related, and how they help the organization is a foundation to success in the service industry. Data required: The data required for this study would be based in information collected from Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok customers. This research also requires the use of SERVQUAL as the main model to help measure service quality. Furthermore, may utilize some other theories from journal articles and textbooks which are related to this research. Other sources of information may include Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts information, particularly with regards to general information and occupancy data as required supporting in this research. Data sources: This research will utilize the following two types of data: Primary data: The primary data for this research will be collected from 100 hotel customers who stay at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok for least one night. The guests will be selected by simple random sampling technique, and they will fill out questionnaires regarding hotel service quality. Each questionnaire shall contain three parts: the first part will be general information, the second part will be about the expectations, perceived service quality and third part is level of satisfaction of the customer. Secondary data: The secondary data will be gathered from literature such as journal articles, textbooks, Shangri-la Hotel, Bangkok data and hotel website sources. The process of data collection shall be conducted from June to July, 2010. Data collection techniques: This research would be collects the data from 100 of customers of Shangri-La hotel, Bangkok who stay at the hotel at least one night. The researcher would be select population sample by employ random sampling method and using questionnaire as the tools. The measuring service quality instrument in this research is SERVQUAL. The questionnaire composes of three parts as following; First part is about demographic data of customers (gender, age, nationality, occupation, reason for stay, how often that they have been stay at Shangri-La hotel, Bangkok and why they selected here as a place to stay). Second part, it would be focusing on customers expectation of service quality (customers expectations) and received service quality (customers perceptions), in this area customer would answer both of these two aspects into SERVQUAL dimensions. This research would use Likerts scale to measure into five point scales. Likerts scale is a instrument to help measure attitude and opinion (Laerhoven et al., 2004). On the customers expectation question side would be ask customer to rate ranging from Very unnecessary 1,2,3,4,5 Very necessary. On the customers perceive service question side would be ask customer to rate ranging from Very poor 1,2,3,4,5 Very good. Third part would be ask customer one question about their satisfaction of overall hotel service quality. In addition, researcher would leave the area for customer to add any recommendation. Data analysis: As for this research would be use SPSS program (Statistic Package for Social Science) to help analyze questionnaire survey. Timeline: Researcher has 13 weeks to process this report. This research process began on May 22, 2010. Due date of research proposal is on June 20, 2009. As for research final report is require to be submit on August 15, 2010