Inventory Systems Summary Essay

Abstract To be successful in today’s business environment, an organization must be able to perform certain fundamentals accurately and efficiently. One of these elements is having an effective and efficient Inventory System Management (ISM). ISM enables one to have the knowledge of where his or her inventory is at every step of the way. This allows one to better interact with consumer and make sales. Choosing the right ISM can lead and pave the ground work for future business success and profitability. Inventory System Summary The purpose of this group assignment is to collaborate as a team to compare different inventory systems and describe the advantage and disadvantages of each system in comparison to the others. Management of inventory is important to any business that wants to succeed. Companies purchase inventory systems to help manage the inventory of an organization. Team A reviewed the following companies and their inventory management programs: Best Buy, , and . This Inventory System Summary includes a description of the chosen companies and their inventory systems, and a comparison describing the advantages and disadvantages of each system. Best Buy Best Buy is the largest consumer electronics store in the world. Each year it increases its presence in the market share and distances itself from  others in the industry. Best Buy is headquartered in the Twin cities area of Minnesota, where it handles all main business functions and the leadership that manages its 180,000 employees and 4,000 stores across the globe (Best Buy, 2010). During the previous fiscal year, Best Buy accumulated nearly 50 billion in revenues and 2.2 billion in operating revenue. They also reported that they possess 18.3 billion in total assets and 6.3 billion in total equity. Best Buy has a large array of merchandise including: consumer and commercial furniture, small and major appliances, and a wide assortment of consumer electronics. They also offer an increasingly large list of services. These services include Geek Squad computer services, Best Buy for Business commercial services, and many other services designed specifically for the end user. They operate stores in many countries across the world; however they also operate their company online. From their website, Bestbuy.com, many of their products and services can be ordered and set up for delivery. The different types of products and services Best Buy offers in addition to the different options available to purchase and receive their merchandise makes Best Buy a very difficult company to maintain. They are successful because of the time and money put into their inventory systems. To maintain continuity across the board for all of their partner companies and different store brands they operate , Best Buy uses a similar inventory management system that allows them to track inventory, along with a transaction management system that directly adjusts and updates the world wide inventory both in warehouses and within each store. Most products that Best Buy sales are shipped directly from the manufacturer to the many warehouses and distribution centers across the US and the world where the stores and online sales can pull and ship directly from. One change that Best Buy has gone through the past five years is a switch to a partially vendor based management system. With this new system, Best Buy will limit the vendors and distributers that they purchase from, and will relinquish some of their inventory control over to them. The innovation created by this new system allows vendors to monitor inventory levels and to  ship and replenish product as levels get low. Some of the advantages of this system are: the advantage of directly supplying to the customer from vendor, which cuts the delivery time shorter, availability of the product, ability to offer products at a lower price compared to Best Buy’s competitors, and the flexibility to further develop other areas of their business. Some of the disadvantages are: limiting the vendors may limit the variety of products, relinquishing inventory control over to vendors and distributors may negatively impact their customer satisfaction, and the customers may decide to deal with supplier directly which could put Best Buy at risk of loosing their business. Inventory levels over the past 4 years have remained on an increasingly consistent track as their revenue has risen. According to Best Buy (2010), this rise in revenue and assets is partly due to the fact that they enter new markets and open new stores across the world. The latest opportunities that they have come across include new stores in Europe and other areas overseas. This is new territory for Best Buy but has been a successful venture based on their flexibility with their inventory systems that they have in place. The following table presents the last five year financial highlights according to the Financial Statements and Supplementary Data of Annual Report on Form 10-K. (Investor Relations, 2010) Dell Dell is clearly a giant leader in the information technology world. Dell is an American company with headquarters in Round Rock, Texas. The company develops, sells and supports computers and related products and services. The company got its birth in 1984, founded by Michael Dell. Dell has become one of the most admired companies in the electronic industry. According to Fortune Magazine, Dell is listed as the 38th largest company in the United States. Based on total revenue, Dell is the 5th largest company in Texas and the 2nd largest non-oil company in Texas (Wikipedia, 2010). So, how does Dell do it? Managing its inventory base is an indication. From its early beginnings, Dell set the bar. Dell uses the just in time (JIT) approach in the manufacturing facilities. By using this technique, Dell can minimize its inventory cost. In an industry that rapidly changes, maintaining low inventory levels is one key factor to survival. According to Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch (2010), the following table provides a  snapshot portion of the financials recorded for Dell from its balance sheet. Annual Financials for Dell, Inc. According to Wikipedia (2010), just-in-time (JIT) is an inventory strategy that is designed aide in improving a business’s return on investment by reducing in-process inventory and any carrying costs associated. JIT production method is also known as the Toyota Production System. JIT works with of use of signals at different points in the manufacturing process. The signals indicate the presence or absence of a part or the need to make another part. If JIT processes are implemented correctly, it can improve an organizations return on investment, quality,  and efficiency. It is quite simple; the philosophy behind JIT is inventory is waste and Dell has tried to capture that philosophy. Wal-Mart The world’s largest and most profitable retailer, Wal-Mart continues to expand its reach in the US and worldwide. To do this, Wal-Mart has to track what is selling, what isn’t, and what products its over 3,740 stores nationwide need – whether it be their discount stores, supercenters, or neighborhood markets. The below excerpt from the 2010 annual report (2010 annual report-walmartstores.com, 2010) shows the level of inventories that Wal-Mart has maintained for the last four years: (Amounts in millions except per share and unit count data) With an average of $34m in inventory, being valued under the LIFO – last in first out- method – keeping track of it is of major importance to the retail giant. To keep track of its inventory, â€Å"Wal-mart and Sam’s Club use electronic product code (EPC) labels to make sure the products you want are available when you need them† (walmartstores.com, 2010). What is an EPC? The EPC is a lot like a bar code that most stores use. Wal-Mart uses the EPC because the information that can be tracked about the product being purchased includes: what the product are, who are the manufacturers, and other specifics like color, size, style, and more. The information provided by the EPC allows Wal-Mart to better manage the inventory on hand, making sure the store provides its customers with what they want, when they want it. How does EPC work? EPC labels consist of a unique number that can be tied back to a specific piece of merchandise. Using special readers, and through the magic of RFID’s, the EPC doesn’t have to be scanned directly for them to be read by the computers. This means that Wal-Mart â€Å"can count thousands of items in seconds and know which products are out of  stock† (walmartstores.com, 2010). The products that Wal-Mart is tracking with the EPC are easy to find. They are identified by an EPC symbol. What does EPC mean to consumers? The ability to track finite inventory information is important as it ensures that the retail giant can keep products in stock that consumers want. Amazingly, with all the information that the EPC tracks, there is no invasion of privacy to the consumer. The EPC does not collect personal information when purchased. Labels are not tracked once the actual merchandise is bought and leaves the store. Comparison The different inventory systems used by each organization share a common goal. The system tracks the inventory for each company allowing them to hopefully save money by knowing where items are and what needs to be purchased. Each organization emphasizes inventory control and recognizes the effects of inventory management on their overall profitability. To this end, many of the companies use a variation of bar coding or Radio-frequency identification (RFID) to track inventory. Each organization also ties inventory management to an awareness of demand; this allows the organization to quickly react to changing market conditions. Conclusion Because inventory is possibly the largest current asset listed on a organizations financial statement, correct inventory management is at the heart of a business’s success or failure. References 2010 Annual Report – Walmartstores.com (2010). Retrieved on January 10, 2011 from http://cdn.walmartstores.com/sites/AnnualReport/2010/PDF/WMT_2010AR_FINAL.pdf Best Buy (2010). Company Reference – Best Buy. Retrieved January 11, 2011 from http://www.answers.com/topic/best-buy-co-inc Dell. (2010). Wall Street Journal: MarketWatch. Retrieved January 12, 2011, from http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/Stock/DELL/financials/balance-sheet Hoyt, W. (2002). The basics of inventory tracking. Retrieved on January 10, 2011 from http://www.essortment.com/career/smallbusinesst_tuag.htm

Branches of Philosophy Essay

Thesis This essay project with answer different questions to the six branches of Philosophy. The branches are Metaphysics-is something real? Epistemology-How do we know? Ethics-What is right or wrong? Aesthetics- Is something beautiful? Political- What government is best? And Social- How should we act in in society. Six Branches of Philosophy There are six branches of philosophy. There is Metaphysics, Epistemology, Ethics, Aesthetics, Political, and Social. Each branch asks us all specific types of questions that we ask ourselves each and every day. Some of these questions we ask without even realizing that we have done so. Metaphysics is the first branch of Philosophy in this discussion. This asks the question of what is real. At an early age we are taught that there is a heaven and earth. At different times we ask ourselves is there really a heaven. Based on what we are taught I believe there is a heaven and that there will come a time in our life that we will be in the place created by God called heaven. According to the bible, God created man from the dust of the earth. We live in the physical world and the spiritual world depends on each person’s spiritual belief. I believe each one of us has a soul. I believe the soul stays around loved ones until the day of reckoning. I believe all people have free will but different circumstances determine what happens to us thru fate. The psychological world I believe consists of our mind and the world that we chose to create for ourselves to live in. The Epistemology branch asks us the question of how is anything known. Things that are known are taught to us from our parents and by teachers in school. We are taught different things thru text books and by experience. Thru different experiences we learn how to conduct ourselves around other people and we gain knowledge by studying the different works of scientists and scholars. There are not any limits to human understanding. Each person’s understanding depends on them. Some people understand things differently than others and each person’s limits differ from others. I don’t believe there is a relationship between faith and reason. Faith goes along with ethics and morals. I don’t fully understand what artificial intelligence is. The next branch of philosophy is the Ethics branch. We are taught from an early age the difference of right and wrong. Laws tell us what is or isn’t right and as humans if we break these laws we are punished. To me being a good person means to follow the golden rule â€Å"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you†. I believe that virtue does lead to happiness. If you do what is right by others then others will have the tendency to follow your lead. I believe society affects morality. This all depends on the circumstances in which you live. If you live in an area that has a lot of crime and hatred then you have the tendency to follow others in that area. If you set high moral standards for yourself then no matter where you live or the types of people you are surrounded with won’t affect you. I think that morality is more culture based. Each person has to choose how they apply the morals they are taught at an early age to their adult lives. Each person has different morals that they live by and have to decide how these will be applied. The next branch of philosophy we are going to discuss is the Aesthetics branch. This brings up the question of what is beautiful. In my opinion beauty is in the eye of the beholder and each culture has what they regard as to what is beautiful. Art depicts the creator’s feelings or ideas as to what they believe beauty is. Art can be successful and valuable to the creator and also to the person that enjoys different art forms. To one person a piece of art might have beauty to it and to another person it might be just horrendous. So therefore beauty in art may or may not matter to all people. The next topic is the political branch of philosophy. I believe the best type of government is the democratic government. This form of government, people do have a small voice in different matters. I think the government should have limited power and that the government should listen to the common people as to what the needs of the population are. I believe that if the common person had the ability to be more involved in the government of today then the needs of the common person would be made possible thru a vast majority voice. The last branch of discussion is the Social branch. I believe this branch is determined thru the ethics branch of philosophy. People shouldn’t have to give up rights just to live in a specific society. We should be able to live our lives the way we now and by the morals and ethics we have built for ourselves. I think some people act according to the surroundings they are in at different times. With many different cultures of society today, I believe there is a large language barrier. With all the different cultures communications has become a big issue. Each culture believes that their language should be the language spoken. I believe that there needs to be one universal language spoken and then different societies of people wouldn’t feel as if they were being mistreated or neglected. Reference: Baird, F. E. , & Kaufmann, W. E. (2000). Ancient philosophy. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. M. U. S. E. My Unique Student Expeience.

Prin of Human Resource Mgmt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Prin of Human Resource Mgmt - Essay Example Now, more than ever America needs collective bargaining because of the economic and financial crisis it faces. It will help produce efficiency and fairness since the workers’ voice is being heard (Clong , par 15). The goal of the decalogue is â€Å"to lead organizations on a sure path to dramatically improving their performance† (Lapore and Cohen , par 3). It aims to â€Å"provide organizations with conceptually powerful guidelines to manage any organization systematically† (Intelligent Management Inc. , par 1). The ten steps of the decalogue are â€Å"1) establish the goal of the system, the units of measurement and the operational measurements; 2) understand the system; 3) make the system stable; 4) build the system around the constraint; 5) manage the constraint; 6) reduce the variation of the constraint; 7) create a suitable management structure; 8) eliminate the external constraint; 9) bring the constraint inside the organization and fix it; and 10) create a continuous learning program† (Intelligent Management Inc. 1). ãÆ' » To manage effectively and be able to undertake continuous improvement, managers must have the ability to understand the organization as a system. Define a system and provide a simple example of a system. A system is â€Å"a network of interdependent components that work together (to try) to accomplish the aim of the system† (Intelligent Management Inc. , par 1). A system must have an objective or goal. An example of a system is the iPhone 4 marketing system. The goal is to sell a certain number of iPhone 4s. There are several constraints that affect the system such as the demand for the product, which is an external constraint, and the production capacity of the factory, which is an internal constraint. The precise responsibility of the manager in the decalogue is to be able to link the three faculties of the mind, i.e. the intuition,

Is American education only about competing to be the best or improving Research Paper

Is American education only about competing to be the best or improving citizen's future - Research Paper Example In this competition the exact motive of getting education has left behind and technologies have developed a battle field among different countries. (National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Future Technologies for Army Multimedia Communications - Technology & Engineering, 1995). This paper will describe how this race began and still progressing in world among different kingdoms. The evolution of modern education took place when John Eliot, a graduate from Jesus College, Cambridge arrived in Boston in 1633. He gave some ideas for improving education system by teacher training as a result of which evolution started. By the passage of time and changing conditions, the influences of this theory were appeared and the development starts from colonial period and continue up till now. Latin Grammar School transformed from secondary to modern high school. Later other normal schools also emerged as professional schools and the whole system get revolutionized. (Dickson A. Mungazi, 1999 p 121) In 1998, an international NGO group was established named as Global Nomads Group (GNG) that design interactive global programs for students focusing global issues. In these programs four types of videoconferences were held i.e. PULSE, current, innovation and Rapid Response. In these conferences students took active part, they learn and discuss issues arising around the world related to teachers and students. It develops a new creativity in the minds of students. All the programs that are held by GNG are directly related to school prospectus in addition to teachers training. The topics include civics, social and global studies, geography, world history, science, economics and politics. In the last ten years this group has organized programs in more than forty countries. Each year about ten thousand students take part in these programs and are awarded by the Goldman Sachs Foundation and United States Distance Learning Association. They are also

Juvenile Justice System of the Future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Juvenile Justice System of the Future - Essay Example It will also talk about the challenges faced by juvenile delinquents at present time and how to improve the current juvenile justice system. A concrete plan or proposal on how to improve the current justice system is given by including the objectives, goals and how to measure the success rate. Keywords: juvenile delinquency, youth offender, crime rate, criminal justice system, trial court JUVENILE DELINQUENCY The number of juvenile delinquents or otherwise known as children in conflict with the law has significantly increased for the past decade. It has become one of the alarming problems that requires immediate attention by countries all over the world. The current situation of the justice system needs major overhaul as many children who are behind bars are not given proper care and guidance by the government to ensure that youth offenders emerge as better citizens after serving imprisonment. The primary purpose of serving sentence is for retribution for the wrong doing that they ha ve committed against the law and social order. However, the justice system should oversee that public safety will not be compromised because they are dealing with children. Towards the end of their ordeal, government support must at hand to guarantee that the youth offenders are rehabilitated and turn-out to be disciplined and responsible individuals after going through the process of trial and serving. It has been said that the nation’s hope lies on children so we must treat them with utmost compassion. Challenges of Juvenile Delinquency at Present Time â€Å"At present time, the juvenile justice system conducts the trials of the youth offenders in adult courts. In effect, they are also penalized in the same degree of judgment that is expected of adults† (Corriero, 2006 p.3). In a Supreme Court decision entitled Roper Vs. Simmons, 543 U.S. 551 (2005), Justice Anthony Kennedy held that executing juveniles and imposing capital punishment for crimes committed while under 18 years of age is unconstitutional. According to him, â€Å"From a moral standpoint, it would be misguided to equate the failings of a minor child with those of an adult, for a greater possibility exists that a minor’s character deficiencies will be reformed.†( Corriero, 2006, p. 3). It is at this tender age that the youth offender still cannot exercise his discretion to decide what is right from wrong. The level of responsibility that they possess to justify their actions is nil and they cannot fully comprehend the effect of their actions. Children as seen have the tendencies to reform and change for the better compared to adults. If they will be exposed to trial, pre-trial detention and imprisonment, more likely than not, they will experience abuses, cruelty and violence, which will leave them defenseless and unprotected. How to Improve the Juvenile Justice System Judge Michael Corriero stated that: â€Å"At the turn of the 20th Century, our juvenile justice proce ss reflected a concept of childhood based on the notion that children are innocent, vulnerable, dependent and incapable of making matured decisions. As we enter the 21st Century, after decades of disillusionment with the juvenile court process, the ideas and beliefs that had inspired the progressive and humane treatment of children, especially disadvantaged children, have been largely abandoned in terms of fixing criminal responsibility. America and its children deserve a justice system that not only holds children accountable for their

Ethics and governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ethics and governance - Essay Example hat people are ready to pay a greater price, or forego a little taste in the food, to follow the ethical practices and to support what they believe in; hence the increased spending on ethical goods. Recession has called for various phenomenons which were previously absent in consumer behavior. This recession has brought about major changes in the minds and buying patterns of humans. Since premium priced products are bound to lose during recession in such a market which is saturated with other supplementary goods, the sales of ethical products are a question mark in the days of recession (William, 2004). a) Ethics can derive many responses from the consumers; they may be neutral towards products which are ethical, they may be aware about them but don’t consider it an incentive enough to make a purchase or they follow the ethical approach and confine themselves to buying only ethical goods. The two responses that will be evaluated are ethical dilemma and ethical neutrality. Before moving forward, one needs to understand the two responses better in order to grasp the reaction that recession may have created for ethical products. Ethical dilemma refers to an intricate situation during which a person is in a mental conflict of choosing between two or three options, of different moral imperatives. A paradox exists and a person is lost between either acting morally ethical or loosing onto something which is important to that person. Ethical dilemmas usually arise when some ethical system or a moral code that is gaining attention and importance is wanted to criticize or the people want to present the other side of the picture to the people. An example of ethical dilemma from normal life is that of abortion; after an unwanted pregnancy, a woman is faced with the ethical dilemma whether to abort or not, as it is a human life in existence now. Another example from the business perspective is when your family has a non-gifting policy and some suppliers of the co mpany gift

Interview a principal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interview a principal - Essay Example This constitutes on interview with one such individual – Principal Robert Cavo of Nixon Elementary School in Roxbury School District. Interview 1. What was the hardest job you had to manage as a principal? Hardest thing for him was curriculum because this was an area of weakness. In this situation he brought in experts (his curriculum coordinators) in to help him through it. While there were state standards for curriculum, managing the means by which specific curriculum aspects were emphasized and the most efficient means of instruction were and remain prominent areas of concern. In a sense teachers, like the students, need to come to intimately understand the curriculum as through this deep-understanding the greatest instruction emerges. It becomes his responsibility to ensure that this occurs. In situations where your weakness lies, you need to know when to get/bring in help. Therefore, as a leader, you must take the time to learn the area of weakness to improve but also bri ng in strong individuals to assist you in the process. He notes that it’s impossible for a single individual to have the greatest knowledge of all areas and this was a major aspect he had to learn early in his administration. Since he has come to recognize that in large part the job of the principal is the successful and efficient delineation of power. Your personality will dictate your areas of strengths and weakness. A good leader will know their areas of strengths and areas of improvements. 2. What is/was the greatest internal reward you got out of your principal position? One afternoon, I was walking down the hallways and there was a little boy walking towards me and I happen to know his name. Therefore, I said hello, David. The boy turned to me and asked me, if I know every student in the schools name. By this comment, it symbolized that the students felt like they mattered to me. Ultimately I entered the education profession primarily because I saw it as an avenue to ut ilize my given strengths and talents in a meaningful context. I feel my life is enriched everyday through interactions with students and parents, as you really come to recognize that you are making a positive difference in the community. Kids felt like they matter when they attended school, which meant the teacher felt like they mattered, which meant the parents felt like what they thought mattered and that is what the principal’s main goal was as a school leader. 3. Are there words of advice or wisdom someone had told you or you have heard that you try to structure your principal philosophy around? Don’t feel that you can’t ask someone a question or someone for help. I am one to always ask for help? Or how did you get his done, or how did you do this? Not like I am going to do the specific task the same way, but I will see the path on how you got there. While I recognize that it’s important for the school principal to demonstrate a strong vision and inde pendent path, this must occur within the context of the school and greater community. Rather than attempting to institute my outside vision I have come to adopt a view of progress and leadership as an organic element of community and student interests. My role as a principal then becomes balancing and forming these interests into a functional whole. 4. What is/was your principal’

Finance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Finance - Assignment Example The founding story shows that its founder had an inspiration from his job in the banking sector where he focused on facilitating the accessibility and establishment of attractive pricing for bank products. The founder knew that changes to improve the services in the banking industry would take long. Therefore, he had to maximize the opportunity that he had to establish a business that could provide financial services at a profit. HelloWallet offered a range of product and services. Overall, they classified them under detailed financial guidance and money management services. While providing these services, the company established a software that could perform aggregation, cloud hosting, email messaging, and billing. The cost of the solutions relied on the subscriber base and the minimization of the capital. However, the significant fixed cost was salaries for its engineers. HelloWallet has established competitors including Mint.com and Yodlee that offered tools for tracking expenditure freely. The existing market opportunity was still sufficient to attract many customers to the company irrespective of the existence of strong competitors. However, the consumer behavior always fluctuated as some clients had difficulty in facing the financial realities. Other customers feared for data security and could not feed their financial data online. The management of the company used the subscription revenue model where they could establish the price points for its services. It used the model to evaluate how the customers view proposed value of its products. Under the leadership of the CEO Matt Fellowes, the company worked to ensure that it acquires customers, generates revenue, thrives and grows as a

Touch Screens Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Touch Screens - Research Paper Example (Nicholas, 2005, 315) The foremost model of contemporary touch screen with a transparent surface was then invented during 1974 by Dr Sam Hurst with his co-workers. Then the launch of touch screens with the five wire resistive technology took place during 1977. This technology is still in use by several companies that are making touch screen devices. During 1994, its name was changed from Elographics to Elo Touch Systems by the company. (Shelly, 2009, 01) These days a large number of both virtual and non virtual applications are making use of Touch-screen technology. It is estimated that there will be a yearly 25% increase in its usage in upcoming years. The board for Resistive Touch Screen is covered by a conductive layer of metal and a resistive coating that causes an alteration in the electric current which is recorded in case of a touch event and then delivered to the controller for further proceeding. Resistive touch screen panels are usually more reasonably priced but propose only 75% transparency and the coating can be scratched if sharp objects are used on the screen. Such types of touch screen panels remain unaffected from external pollutants e.g. dirt or water. This type of screens employs ultrasonic waves which pass over the touch screen board. When the screen is touched by the user, a fraction of the wave is taken up by the panel. This variation in the ultrasonic waves records the place of the touch occurrence and delivers this information to the regulator for further processing. This type of touch screens are the most modern type of the touch screens, however, these screens can easily get harmed due to external elements. This type of touch screens are covered with a substance that reserves electrical charges. When the user touches this type of screen, a minute fraction of charge comes out at the position of contact. (Nicholas, 2005, 316) There are circuits, present at all the corner

Service encounter journal and analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Service encounter journal and analysis - Essay Example The paper throws light on strategic marketing as the process of analyzing the way a company can achieve the satisfaction of its customers and thus, enlarge its profits. Strategic planning is of huge significance to any organization and is fundamentally directed from the top management. It is governed by several principles that include but are not limited to understanding the requirements of customers, setting clear objectives and delivering value. In order to gain competitive advantage, it is imperative that a company determines the sources of its products’ demand and draw a clear competitive landscape whereby the customers want its products more than its competitors in the market. In order to achieve this, the company should divide customers into individual segments and look out for techniques to gain their consent and satisfaction. This is a very challenging task as the needs of different segments call for different marketing mixes. One of the most important principles of st rategic marketing is the establishment of clear objectives of the company in terms of its position in the market. Market share is a key variable for this principle because a company keeps its prices higher and its long-term position in the market is stronger when it dominates in a specific segment of consumers. In addition to satisfying the individualistic needs of consumer segments and gaining increased share in the market, it is equally necessary for a company to add value to its product. This provides a company with a strong foundation upon which it can build its strategic marketing planning. ... found that application of TOC in the work resulted in the reduction of cycle times by 65 per cent, inventory levels by 49 per cent and lead times by 70 per cent. With this reduction in the respective times, companies successfully managed to deliver the customers their products on time. Their performance in the delivery dates upon application of the TOC was improved by 44 per cent. Application of TOC was also profitable for the companies in terms of revenue as it increased the profit by 76 per cent. I know some of the most renowned companies that are currently offering the worst customer services around. Good customer services can provide these companies with great competitive advantage particularly in these years of financial crisis when there are more companies than ever before in the market to produce the same goods or services along with equally increased expectations of the consumers (Milakovich, 2003, p. 62). Unfortunately, not many gurus have realized this simple formula to suc cess. In this paper, I have discussed my five experiences with different companies in which, I have been given a poor customer service. Some of the companies I shall discuss are very famous and my complaint might sound inconsistent with the quality of service generally given by these companies, but I am writing what happened to me anyway! May be I am a bit too particular about what good customer services mean†¦ I had a slight problem in the working of my laptop few months back. I took it to the Apple Genius Bar for checking. I can understand that these bars are very busy and have a lot of work to do. I was not the only one to have taken my laptop to them. They have hundreds of customers coming to them on daily basis for the same reason. So it would have been quite acceptable to me had the

Causes of Tension Between Cuba and the United States Essay Example for Free

Causes of Tension Between Cuba and the United States Essay On January 9, 1959, following their successful overthrow of the oppressive Batista regime, a band of freedom fighters, anchored by Fidel Castro, marched through the Cuban capital city of Havana. Upon his arrival, Castro immediately seized control of the Cuban government and declared himself the highest executive of the island nation, Premier of Cuba. In April of 1959, Castro visited the United States in order to gain support for his policies in leading Cuba. The majority of Americans warmly embraced Castro, assuming that this charismatic leader would guide Cuba to democracy (Cuba). Some Americans remained cautious in accepting Castro, however, primarily disturbed by his previously demonstrated socialist sympathies. In the following month, Americans were given reasons to become anti-Castro as the Premier took hold American owned sugar plantations, Cubas multi-national companies, and the nations petroleum holdings (Cuba). By the end of 1959, the nation began to show signs of Communist involvement. Communist affiliated groups took control of the nations military, bureaucracy, and labor movement, and Soviet interest in the island increased. In February of 1960, Anastas Mikoyan, vice-prime minister of the Soviet Union, came to Cuba. . . . A major topic [of the meeting] was the Soviet Unions purchase of Cuban sugar and [the Cuban] purchase of Russian oil (Franqui 66). Following the meeting, the Soviet Union entered into a trade agreement with the USSR, causing the United States to drastically limit the import of Cuban sugar into the nation. In response, Cuba nationalized all remaining American properties and negotiated an expanded trade agreement and loans with the Soviets, causing the United States to break all diplomatic relations with the country (Cuba). Before the end of 1960, the USSR had begun sending military aid to the Cubans. (Cuba) The U. S. government was by now convinced that Cuba had become a Communist state (Dolan 92-93). The falling of Cuba into a Communist regime proved extremely important to the U. S., primarily due to Cubas proximity to the United States, only 90 miles. In addition, there were reports that the Soviet Union intended to make a staging base out of Cuba for the  communization of the other Latin-American countries and rumors that construction projects inside Cuba appeared to be designed for launching missiles (Rivero 170). To stop the spread of Communism in the Western Hemisphere, Americans felt that the islands government had to be toppled (Dolan 93). Upon hearing from Cuban exiles that a great deal of unrest had been present on the island, Washington saw the time as ripe for an invasion attempt (Rivero 183). The U.S. government put the Central Intelligence Agency in charge of plotting the attempt, along with officers from the Pentagon. The goal of the CIA-planned attempt would be to mask American involvement in the coup, so that the United States could not encounter accusations of illegally endangering the sovereignty of an established foreign government (Dolan 93). The plan entailed using Cuban exiles to carry out an uprising, seemingly attempting to liberate their country. Following the planning of the invasion, the CIA utilized their Guatemalan bases in training 1,300 exiles (Dolan 93). News of the supposedly secret plan leaked to Castro, who accused Washington of planning the worst sort of intervention in the islands affairs and damned the United States for dropping the attitude of neutrality it had long professed in regard to Cuba (93). The Premier put the islands defense forces on alert and ordered them to prepare and be ready for an attack. On March 29, 1961, President John F. Kennedy gave the CIA permission to proceed with the launch the Cuban invasion. Changes were made to the plan however, the most important being the ban of U.S. air support of the campaign, excluding air attacks on three Cuban air bases (Rivero 184). Along with the ban came the necessity of a simultaneous mass uprising by the Cuban people (184); without mass popular support, the invasion was doomed to failure. Two days prior to the invasion, B-26 bombers attacked three crucial Cuban air bases, San Antonio, Cubas main base, Camp Liberty in Havana, Castros main headquarters, and the military airport at Santiago de Cuba (Rivero 184). A second wave of B-26 strikes was planned as well, but was called off by President Kennedy, who was suspected to have felt that strong U.S. participation would threaten a war with Russia (Dolan 95). The cancellation of the second group of air strikes left Castro with one-third of his air  force and the goal of destroying the entire air force unfulfilled. Two days after the air strikes took place, approximately 1,500 CIA-supported Cuban exiles landed near the Bay of Pigs. The men were accompanied by old, unmarked American B-26 bombers that dropped leaflets urging the Cuban people to rise against Castro and join the attack force (Dolan 93). The invaders assumed that the leaflets would draw the widespread support of Cubans unhappy with their government. In the three days in which the people would supposedly aid in holding off Castros forces, the invaders were to set up a provisional government and appeal for American help. From there, the United States would recognize the provisional government and intervene in overthrowing the Castro regime (93). The CIA plan assumed excessively, mostly due to the optimism derived from the agencys previous successes in staging coups in Guatemala and Iran, and all of the invasion plans resulted in complete failure: The expected assistance did not come from the islands dissidents. On being hit by Castros air force, the attackers asked that U.S. Navy jets be sent to help them. The planes, however, never appeared, due to the Kennedy-issued ban on U.S. air involvement (Dolan 95). After two days, Castros forces had thoroughly suppressed the attack, killing 150 of the men, and capturing approximately 1,200 of the attackers (95). According to the authors of Cuba and the United States: Troubled Neighbors, Kennedy had never liked the idea (Dolan 95) of an American-sponsored invasion of Cuba, mostly due to his belief that it would undoubtedly fail. The plan had been created under the Eisenhower administration, and Kennedy had little input in its creation. Nevertheless, the President allowed the invasion to occur, and despite his opposition to the whole affair, he accepter full responsibility for its failure because he was in office at the time it was staged (95). While Kennedy had been assured that the plan he approved would be both secret and successful, he discovered too late that it was too large to remain secret and too small to succeed (Wyden 310). Kennedy was greatly upset by the failure of the invasion, and he held himself personally responsible, for both the lives of the men who died as well as for the 1,200 men whom his government had helped send to their imprisonment (qtd. in 310). Kennedy viewed the failure as the ultimate  failure of his career (310), and from the defeat, his prestige suffered a severe blow (Dolan 96). About a year and a half later, however, he was to regain that lost prestige (96), in his impressive handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Works Consulted Cuba Exhibit History. The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. 2001 . Dolan, Edward E., and Margaret M. Scariano. Cuba and the United States: Troubled Neighbors. New York: Franklin Watts, 1987. Franqui, Carlos. Family Portrait with Fidel. New York: Random House, 1984. Rivero, Nicholas. Castros Cuba: An American Dilemma. New York: Van Rees P, 1962. Sierra, J.A.. Timetable History of Cuba: After the Revolution. 27 Aug. 2001 www.historyofcuba.com/history/timetbl4.htm Wyden, Peter. Bay of Pigs: The Untold Story. New York: Simon, 1979.

Roles and Responsibilities of a Qualified Nurse

Roles and Responsibilities of a Qualified Nurse Professional Role Development The aim of this essay is to explore and discuss important aspects of the roles and responsibilities of the newly qualified nurse. It will look at and abroad discuss on different type of roles and responsibilities including transition. The roles and responsibilities of a qualified nurse include essential professional skills such as leading in care management and care delivery situations as well as maintaining standards of care. The focus of the essay will be discussing in detail two particular roles of the newly qualified nurse (delegation and patient group direction). It will discuss the meaning of these concepts and their importance for nurses and provide some practical contextual examples. It will also discuss the rational of chosen roles A new qualified nurse expected to be competent to work in all environments and situations. This emerging health care system requires a registered nurse workforce at all levels post initial registration capable of critical reflective thinking in order to create this system. Lofmark A (2006) claim that with registration comes a shift in professional accountability together with wider clinical management and teaching responsibilities. On becoming a qualified nurse, the expectations and dynamics of relationships changes fundamentally. Suddenly the newly qualified nurse is the one who must know the answer whether it is a query from a patient, a career, a work colleague or a student. The newly qualified nurse will encounter many challenging situations where she or he must lead care delivery. This includes dealing with care management within the team, dealing with patients/service users, dealing with other professionals and dealing with the required needs of the whole workplace environment. The NMC requires a student nurse to demonstrate professional and ethical practice, be competent in care delivery and care management and show personal and professional development in order to join the register NMC (2010). It is recognized that nurses should be provided with some form of preceptorship and supervision in their role for a period of four months time NMC (2006)) once qualified. Even in this period of preceptorship, there are new expectations and challenges faced by the newly qualified nurse. Mooney (2007) found that newly qualified nurses were faced with assumptions from others that they should know everything. This was also a high expectation they had of themselves. In meeting the NMC standards of proficiency, the nurse should have demonstrated the relevant knowledge and skills in order to practise in their career. However, it is important to recognise that not every nurse knows everything about everything in their career especially if they are practising in highly specialized fields. What they need is to be able to develop and adapt to changing situations. Therefore, for the nurse it is impossible to know everything but they should have developed the skills to find out relevant information, reflect on it, and apply this to their practice. In essence they should have learnt how to learn. There is a great deal to be learnt once qualified especially related to a nurses new area of work and a good deal of the development needs to take place on the job Lofmark A (2006). The study by Jackson. K (2005) suggested that a successful transition requires the nurse to develop a self-image relevant to the change in status to be able to do the job and that they meet the expectations with others with appropriate support. Mooney (2007) also points out that the duties faced by most newly qualified nurses were not patient contact centred. There were a lot of duties related to contacting and dealing with other professionals and services. These brought anxieties related to the responsibilities that might be faced as the nurses would become increasingly senior in their roles with others expecting them to provide the actions and the answers in complex situations. This highlights how the experience of nursing of transition from student to newly qualified nurse can be daunting. In the current environment there is an expectation that nurses have a preceptor one qualifying for aid in these transitions but the literature still suggests there is a difficulty in the transit ion process for such professionals. Hole. J, (2009) found that individual accountability, delegating duties without appearing bossy and some challenging clinical situations such as death and dying and specialised technological roles were found to be stressful by qualifying nurses. Issues of the preceptorship of newly qualified nurses become apparent and important in dealing with the transition from supervised student to autonomous practitioner. The approach taken throughout the rest of this essay will be to provide a discussion of the main theories, concepts, and issues related to the roles and responsibilities of delegation and PGD for newly qualified nurses. It will discuss the meaning of these concepts and their importance for nurses, and provide some practical contextual examples. The rational of choosing these two roles are because: Firstly delegation is a huge newly qualified nurses concern. According Hole. J, (2005) newly qualified nurses are not capable to delegate tasks to someone else and they end up overloading themselves. This is because an accountability issue or not knowing the staffs well as they is new to the ward. Secondly, it is a legal requirement that newly qualified nurses need to have knowledge of PGDs in order to work within legal and ethical frameworks that underpin safe and effective medicines management NMC (2010). For this reason, I personally was interested and picked them to discuss in order to develop my understanding and prepare me to successfully make the transition from student nurse to a registered professional. Delegation is a major function of an effective manager of patient care and is an essential skill when directing the activities of others at all levels in an organization. It is the means by which an individual is able to accomplish needed tasks with and through others. Although the delegator remains accountable for the task, the delegate is also accountable to the delegator for the responsibilities assumed. Delegation can help others to develop or enhance their skills, promotes teamwork and improves productivity Sollivan.E.J et al (2009). Therefore, delegation is the area where newly qualified staff experience huge difficulties. Often they do not feel confident enough to ask someone else to do something for them. Consequently, they try to do all of the work themselves and end up leaving late or providing less than adequate standards of care. Other members of staff will not mind if they delegate tasks to them as long as they apply the basic rules such as ensuring that it is something they are competent to do. When delegating, the delegator remain responsible for that care if he/she do not delegate appropriately as stated by NMC (2008). It is also important that the delegator explained clearly what it is he/she want them to do and why because he/she might genuinely busy or is it just something that he/she does not want to do. Hole.J, (2005) point out that as long as he/she asks the other member of staff in a courteous manner and stick to the rules, there will be few problems. However, there may always be someone who has the potential to react in a negative way to his/her request. These people are often known for this type of behaviour and it should be dealt with swiftly by the manager. This type of reaction experience should be discussed with the member of staff or if he/she not feels confident enough to do this, he/she should talk to the manager. As mention above this will be a difficult skill for a newly qualified nurse especially at first. They will need to get to know the other staff before they will feel truly comfortable delegating to others in the team. They may feel guilty about asking others to do tasks which they feel that they should be doing themselves. What they need to realise is that they cannot possibly do everything themselves and that they will need to work as a team in order to deliver good patient care. The new qualified nurses may well feel that they cannot ask others especially HCAs who have worked on the ward for years to do things for them. The nurse will probably feel self-conscious and embarrassed. The answer is that it is not what the nurse asks them to do that are important. It is how he/she asks them. Good communication is the key to successful delegation. The nurse should take a few minutes to discuss with the HCA/student with whom he/she is working who will be doing what during that shift. Share the workload and be realistic. Therefore the newly qualified nurses must not overload themselves with care they do not really think they can give. The member of staff would rather know what their workload is at the beginning of the shift so that they can organise their time effectively. If the delegator has to ask them to take on extra work during the shift, they will find this difficult Ellis, J.R. and Hartley, C.L, (2005). So the delegator should keep communicating with them during the shift, and if he/she is held up with relatives or an acutely ill patient, he/she should tell them and explain that he/she will try to help them as soon as possible. According to Hole.J, (2005) when the new qualified nurses are delegating, it is important to ensure that this is appropriate as it is their responsibility to ensure that the member of staff to whom they delegate is competent to perform the task. This means that if they delegate a task to a member of staff who is not competent and they perform the task wrongly, they are accountable for the harm caused to the patient. Although the member of staff responsible, they remain accountable. For example, they cannot assume that the HCA/student with whom they are working is competent in the skill of measuring and recording a patients blood pressure. Just because the member of staff has worked on that ward for a period of time, this does not mean that they have been taught correctly. They must assess their competence to perform the task before they allow them to do this independently. They can then justify their delegation of that skill if necessary. A Patient Group Direction (PGD) is a written instruction for the supply and/or administration of a licensed medicine (medicines) in an identified clinical situation signed by a doctor or a dentist and pharmacist. It applies to a group of patients who may not be individually identified before presenting for treatment NPC (2009), page 11. In simple terms, a PGD is the supply and/or administration of a specified medicine or medicines by named authorised health professionals for a group of patients requiring treatment for the condition described in the PGD. Conversely the health professional must be registered. RCN (2004) state that implementing PGDs may be appropriate both in circumstances where groups of patients may not have been previously identified for example, minor injuries and first contact services and in services where assessment and treatment follows a clearly predictable pattern such as immunisation, family planning and so on. Professionals using a PGD must be registered or equivalent members of their profession and act within their appropriate code of professional conduct. This differs from supplementary prescribers and independent prescribers who must also successfully complete specific prescribing training and be appropriately registered before they may prescribe. However, organisations using PGDs must designate an appropriate person within the organisation. For example, a clinical supervisor, line manager or General Practitioner to ensure that only fully competent, qualified and trained healthcare professionals use PGDs. Individual practitioners using a PGD must be named NP C (2009). A Patient Group Direction allows specified registered health care professionals to supply or administer a medicine directly to a patient with an identified clinical condition without him/her necessarily seeing a prescriber. For example, patients may present directly to health care professionals using PGDs in their services without seeing a doctor. Alternatively, the patient may have been referred by a doctor to another service. Whichever way the patient presents, the healthcare professional who works under the PGD is responsible for assessing the patient to ensure that patient fits the criteria set out in the PGD. In general, a PGD is not meant to be a long-term means of managing a patients clinical condition. This is best achieved by a health care professional prescribing for an individual patient on a one-to-one basis NPC (2009). The use of PGDs is widespread throughout the NHS and since April 2003, some non-NHS organisations have been able to use them suggested by NPC (2009). Organisations must ensure that staff responsible for the development / implementation of PGDs and those authorised to work under PGDs have the experience, knowledge and skills necessary to do so. However, different supplementary prescribers, nurse independent prescribers and healthcare professionals using PGDs do not have to become specifically qualified to do so. Alternatively, they must be assessed by their organisations as fully competent, qualified and trained to operate within a PGD. A suitably competent and experienced health care professional who will be working under the PGD should be involved in the writing of the PGD to ensure that the PGD meets the needs of the service. NPC (2009) suggests that there is no specific national training for healthcare professionals producing PGDs. Therefore, the role by RCN (2004) for nurse proposes that the registered nurse must be assessed as competent in medicines administration, must be trained to operate within a PGD and must follow the 6 Rs of medicines administration. Also In order to work under the PGD, register nurses need to be qualified for at least 6 months. They must assess the patients to ensure they fit the criteria as detailed in the PGD as well as ensuring the PGD meets the necessary legal requirements. Importantly, the supplying/dispensing or administration stage cannot delegate to another registered nurse or student nurse. The newly qualified nurses are not expected to be able to operate under a PGD until competent in medicines administration. However, they need to have knowledge of PGDs for their patient safety. For example, if patient under PGD admitted to the ward, the nurse must ensure that the medicines not stopped. The NMC (2010) code of conduct outline that newly qualified nurses to be fully understood all methods of supplying medicines. This includes Medicines Act exemptions, patient group directions (PGDs), clinical management plans and other forms of prescribing. They are expected to demonstrate knowledge and application of the principles required for safe and effective supply and administration via a patient group direction including an understanding of role and accountability. And also demonstrate how to supply and administer via a patient group direction. The newly qualified nurses may be involved with PGDs such as assisting and identifying areas where a PGD would offer more benefits than a PSD, understand the principles and processes of PGDs and be fully conversant with all the principles associated with dispensing and administering medicines they may also be working in a variety of settings where PGDs are used for example prison health care setting, nurse led service, walk in centres In my conclusion, I have learnt the roles and responsibilities of newly qualified nurses and I have developed skills and professional knowledge to work effectively with others. The Patient Group Direction helped me how the laws and policies are set up to ensure safe and effective delivery of care given to service users under a patient group direction. I am now prepared for the challenges I will face on being a newly qualified nurse by providing the knowledge and skills required to become effective and accountable practitioners. Clinical decisions will still have to be made in relation to meeting the needs of the people within my care. However, becoming a qualified nurse brings with its wider responsibilities in making and taking decisions related to the nursing team, other staff, and the work environment as a whole. These changes require a large shift from the experience of being a student and a mentored supervised learner, so it is essential that I am equipped with all the skills re quired to successfully make the transition.

Importance of Solar Energy Essay

Importance of Solar Energy Essay Solar energy is the nature available source of energy; it is continuous providing by the Sun. It is the most important of non-conventional sources of energy therefore it is one of the non-polluting energy and helps in less the greenhouse effect. The method as solar panels absorb energy from sun to gain heat for water heating. Similarly as we use the energy of the sun to dry our clothes. Such systems are readily available in the market and are being used in worldwide factories and homes. Solar water heaters are cost competitive in many applications when it take into account the total energy costs over the life of system. Although the initial cost of solar water heaters is higher than that of conventional water heaters. However, the fuel (i.e. sun) is safe, free and environmental friendly. To take advantage of these heaters, it must have an unshaded, south-facing location (e.g. roof or south-facing windows for externally mounted solar panels on building facade). In this coursework, different types of solar water heaters will be introduced, including application on different types of systems available with their economic and environmental benefits. Solar energy is the most nature inexhaustible renewable energy. To the worlds energy resources perspective, we have relied heavily on traditional energy stocks are already very limited storage capacity of the remaining oil can be used only forty-three years; natural gas storage capacity of the remainder can only be used Liushiernian Coal is the 200 à £Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ thirteen years, these stocks will be growing as people increasingly exhausted to do extraction. In addition, carbon dioxide emissions from conventional energy sources is the phenomenon of global warming caused by à £Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ major reason. Chinas response to the global Framework Convention on Climate Changes international responsibilities, set de 2020 renewable energy will estimate the total generating capacity of 12% of the long-term goal, and actively promote the development and application of renewable energy, reducing the use of traditional fossil fuels and to play a accessibility of renewable energy, while promoting domesti c energy diversification and the main nature. In the vast universe, and human relying on a star is to shine a recent four-color sun. The sun, it was a huge light and heat, all things on earth to bring vitality, it wasted no time in sending to the space with a lot of energy. It has been calculated, only issued for every wonderful energy, by about the equivalent of 1.3 quadrillion tons of coal combustion is emitted by all the heat. The sun sends to Earths energy is considerable, but only to its 22 billionth of outward radiation of energy, just from these energies, if the surface of the Earths atmosphere to remove the reflection and absorption of energy, it will really reach the Earth the surface of solar energy, approximately equal to the worlds current generation capacity of 20 million times. Solar energy received on Earth every day, equivalent to the entire world for one year the total energy consumed by 200 times. Only from these figures we can see a huge, really worthy of the suns energy is an inexhaustible treasure house of mankind. On the other hand, the earths variety of energy sources, including chemical energy, wind energy, ocean energy, thermal energy and nuclear energy are all descendants of solar energy, solar energy conversion made. Because photovoltaic clean noise-free and changing, as many renewable energy sources and development of the most characteristic items of energy. In building the use of renewable energy technologies are being widely studied and applied them. Renewable energy is a natural? Health and inexhaustible source of energy, which include (but are not limited to) solar, wind, tidal energy, wave energy, geothermal energy, hydropower and bio-energies. Each type of renewable energy has its own unique features, only the full understanding of these characteristics, we can effectively in our buildings in respect of use of these energy sources. Solar and wind are the most common renewable energy sources. Compared with other renewable energy sources, they are more likely to be collected and used in the building. Currently we collected solar energy can be grouped into three kinds of purposes: power generation, heating / cooling, and chemical processes. The first two applications have been applied in Hong Kong, and they are also among the most popular in building the application method, application examples include: the use of passive solar design to warming the room; the use of solar water heating system can heat water; use of solar PV systems can generate electricity and the joint power companys electricity supply systems that supply the building. The wind can be? Buildings to provide natural ventilation, or to generate electricity. These application methods are not on the environment pollution.

Pride And Prejudice - Point Of View Essay -- essays research papers

Marry For Love The point of view of a novel usually decides which characters we sympathize with. In the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Elizabeth Bennett is the focal character, which causes the reader to feel closest to her. The reader can relate more easily to her feelings and actions, and given that all of Elizabeth’s opinions on large issues are known and understood, the reader tends to side with her. By making the story from the point of view of Elizabeth, Austen is able to take advantage of the closeness between reader and character to make a political statement about the institution of marriage, and thus shows her own feeling that it is a mistake to marry for any other reason besides love. One way that she shows her feelings on matrimony is by using Elizabeth’s voice as her own to approve of some characters decisions about marriage. Elizabeth’s approval of certain characters shows Austen’s approval, and in this case, Elizabeth approves of the marriage between Jane and Bingley. Jane and Bingley show throughout the novel their genuine affection for one another, and Elizabeth observes about Bingley’s affection for Jane, "I never saw a more promising inclination. He was growing quite inattentive to other people, and wholly engrossed by her†¦ Is not general incivility the very essence of love?" (106). Mrs. Bennett approves of the match mostly on a monetary basis, and exclaims, "Why, he has four or five thousand a year, and very likely more. Oh my dear Jane, I am so happy!" (260). Elizabeth, however, looks down on her mother for this, and approves of the marriage because she can tell that the two are truly in love with one another. Austen also makes those in love the happiest of all the characters. Jane and Bingley are truly in love, consequently, they are two of the happiest characters in the novel. Jane announces that, "’Tis too much! By far too much. I do not deserve it. Oh! why is not everybody as happy?" (259) and, "I am certainly the most fortunate creature that ever existed!" (262). Jane and Bingley’s happiness shows the author’s approval of their marriage. Austen uses Elizabeth’s voice as her own to make the statement that love is the only acceptable reason to marry. Another way that Austen uses Elizabeth to show her feelings on the issue of matrimony is b... ...iven to Wickham by Darcy, they are the ones in the worst financial situation. "They were always moving from place to place in quest of a cheap situation, and always spending more than they ought" (290-291). By using Elizabeth as the character from whose point of view we see the other characters, we are shown by Austen how to feel about each specific situation. In the case of Lydia and Wickham, we are to agree with Elizabeth (and thus Austen) that they have gotten what they deserve for jumping into marriage for the wrong reasons. Therefore, Austen’s voice comes through Elizabeth to make the statement that it is foolish to marry for any reason besides love. Jane Austen uses Elizabeth as the focal character in the novel Pride and Prejudice to relay a message to the reader. Her own voice comes through Elizabeth to make the political statement that it is unwise to marry for any reason other than love. Elizabeth (and thus Austen) feels that true happiness cannot be achieved in a marriage unless there is a great deal of love between the partners, and so explains her pursuit for true love, and her disapproval of marriage between those she knows are not in love.

Terrorism and the Just War Tradition Essay -- September 11 Terrorism E

Terrorism and the Just War Tradition       It ´s important, at the outset, to understand what the just-war tradition is, and isn ´t. The just-war tradition is not an algebra that provides custom-made, clear-cut answers under all circumstances. Rather, it is a kind of ethical calculus, in which moral reasoning and rigorous empirical analysis are meant to work together, in order to provide guidance to public authorities on whom the responsibilities of decision-making fall. This essay will study the tradition and apply it to the Sept. 11 aftermath.    From its beginnings in St. Augustine, just-war thinking has been based on the presumption -- better, the classic moral judgment -- that rightly-constituted public authorities have the moral duty to pursue justice -- even at risk to themselves and those for whom they are responsible. That is why, for example, St. Thomas Aquinas discussed just war under the broader subject of the meaning of "charity," and why the eminent Protestant theologian Paul Ramsey argued that the just-war tradition is an attempt to think through the public meaning of the commandment of love-of-neighbor. In today ´s international context, "justice" includes the defense of freedom (especially religious freedom), and the defense of a minimum of order in international affairs. For these are the crucial components of the peace that is possible in a fallen world.    This presumption -- that the pursuit of justice is a moral obligation of statecraft -- shapes the first set of moral criteria in the just-war tradition, which scholars call the "ius ad bellum" or "war-decision law:" Is the cause a just one? Will the war be conducted by a responsible public authority? Is there a "right intention" (which, among ... ...tc.; no one suggests that guerrilla warfare is anything other than warfare. It is true that the just-war tradition is accustomed to thinking of states as the only "unit-of-count" in world politics. The new situation demands a development of the just-war tradition. As a method of moral reasoning about politics, the just-war tradition emerged long before the state system; the tradition developed to deal with the realities of a world in which states were the primary actors, and now it must develop to help us think through our moral obligations in a world in which non-state actors, like terrorist organizations and networks (often allied with states), are crucial, and intentionally lethal, actors.    SOURCES CITED:    CNN.com http://www.cnn.com/    In Response to Terrorism. http://www.powertochange.com/peace/articles/terror_response.html   

The Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Essays -- Dai Sijie

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is a marvelous novel, written by Dai Sijie, which himself was re-educated between 1971 and 1974 during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. In Dai Sijie’s Balzac and the Little Seamstress three separate accounts are given of an incident in which Luo and the Little Seamstress make love in an isolated mountain pool. Two of these perspectives are given by the participants while the third is provided by the old miller who observes their love making from a distance. Of all the accounts, I found the count of this incident of Little Seamstress most appealing as she is able to present at an imaginative description of this setting and allow the readers to understand her thoughts and feelings. In contrast the account of the Old Miller is more detached and is more focused about the physical beauty of the Little Seamstress, while Luo’s story to me is more focused on his own concerns and is desire to escape the remote mountain village which he ha s been sent. The Old Miller’s perspective conveys the sense that he is both transfixed by what he sees, but he feel shamed for being unable to take his eyes off the lovers. Their acrobatic movements in the water make him feel his age in the fact that he realizes he can never again enjoy such pleasures. What he focuses on is their nudity and their coupling. This is captured in the image of â€Å"their bodies entwined, whirling round and round in the water.† Feeling â€Å"rooted to the spot† he notices â€Å"the limpid water glittering in the sun exaggerated and distorted their obscene movements.† The miller’s account makes the reader feel like a voyeur and imagine the old man with his face â€Å"reddened.† He is overcome by the beauty of the Little Seamstress â€Å"her naked belly and un... ...h an injury on the Little Seamstress’s finger. A turning point comes up when they get back to the village and finds out that his mother’s been rushed to the hospital, which than he has to visit her for a month. Out of the three stories told by Luo, the Old Miller and the Chinese Seamstress, I find the Little Chinese Seamstress’s story more appealing than others. From my view, it shows a variety of meanings because overall, the Little Seamstress was not educated, but from this story I could tell that she gained knowledge and was able to use what she was capable of doing and you would not expect to gain feedback from a woman who just had relationship with a man. Luo’s story is also very appealing but it shows only concerns for himself and is own feelings. Whereas the Chinese Seamstress was more appealing and showed improvement of her ability to think independently.

Arguments for and Against Corporate Social Responsibility Essay

â€Å"A business’s obligation to follow goals that are good for both organization and society in the long-term, and are not required by law.† Corporate Social Responsibility The term â€Å"corporate social responsibility† came in to common use in the early 1970s. It means the duty of an organization towards society in order to prove itself responsible about its actions and their effects on environment, community and external stakeholders. It means that an organization is responsible for all its action towards the people who are affected by its actions and processes. Therefore, corporate social responsibility can be defined as: â€Å"Operating a business in a manner that meets or exceeds the ethical, legal, commercial and public expectations that society has of business.† The Socioeconomic View The Socioeconomic view stated that it is the responsibility of managers and all organization s to take care of public interests as well as their profits. Each organization should be responsible for all its actions which may harm or benefit community and should take actions to stop any malpractices in its operations, finance, marketing and human resource departments. Business organizations should not only act for their own profit but also for the welfare of community. They should take an active part in happenings in the society and should perform such actions which can improve the political, economical, social and environmental conditions of the society. In short, corporate social responsibility makes an organization to play its role in the improvement and welfare of society. Arguments For and Against Corporate Social Responsibility According to Classical view of social responsibility of an organization, the management and managers of an organization are responsible for maximizing organizational profits only. It is not their duty to take care of public interest. The only purpose of establishing a business is to generate profits and therefore, he only duty of managers is to maximize profits and reduce costs of doing business. Given are some of the arguments for and against corporate social responsibility: 1-Corporations as Moral Agents Business organizations are an important part of any society and play an important role in determining the economic and social condition of any society. As organizations are considered as one of the major factors affecting economy of a country, they should be responsible of what they are giving to the society. They generate profits by selling their products and services to customers and, therefore, should be responsible for any good or bad effects of their actions and products on consumers. On the other hand, the proponents of this view state that organizations should be responsible only for generating profits. As the owners or investors are also a part of community, the organization performs its duty by maximizing the wealth of their shareholders. The sole purpose of an organization is not to serve society by getting involved in welfare activities. The organization serves the community by making products and rendering services. Therefore, there is no other duty of an organization towards society. 2-Social Responsibility and Economic Performance The advocates of corporate social responsibility state that by getting involved in community services, an organization gets a chance to improve its revenues. The social welfare activities improve the good will of the organization and make its corporate image better than its competitors. Customers prefer to buy products and services from an organization which proves it to be socially responsible. Those who say that organization should not be socially responsible state that such activities increase the cost of doing business. As one of the major goals of a business is to reduce the costs, such practices are in opposition with benefit of business owners. For example, investing in a production plant which emits less carbon to the environment needs higher expenses as compared to the normal, cheap plant but is dangerous for environment is a question for managers. 3-Social Responsibility and Ethics Organizations should not be involved in any kind of practices which may give rise to the feeling of inequity and unfair actions in society. Discrimination based on gender, race and nationality is one major action which is considered as the social responsibility of organizations. When giving promotions to employees, every person should be given an equal chance to advance in the career and should be treated fairly. The proponents of corporate social responsibility also admit the fact that the organizational practices should be ethical in nature but to a limited extent. The practices should not harm anyone but should place organizational interest before the community interest. 4-Social Responsibility and Environment A corporation must produce goods and services that are beneficial to society while making sure that the processes of production also avoid damage, such as pollution. The initiatives such as green management and environment friendly products make it clear that customers want to purchase the products which are safe for them and do not damage environment. They also prefer those organizations which prove that they are not damaging the natural environment of earth in any case. On the other hand, the proponents of the view state that saving environment may increase the cost of their business and will make the organization less efficient in a number of its practices. They put the question of buying one kind of machinery over the other which is environment friendly but incurs huge costs. Conclusion  In order to get better financial performance and good will, it’s better for an organization to realize its corporate social responsibility and manage all its operations in an ethical way. Only an improved society can lead to an improved business which is in favor of both internal and external stakeholders of an organization. More and more organizations are taking serious steps to get involved in socially responsible actions and consider it profitable in the long as well as short run.

One girl one dream Essay

      This knew that this wasn’t the end of the man, he would be back, but next time I will hopefully be a bit more prepared. â€Å"Eleza is that you? † Cried a soft voice â€Å"Mum? Mum is that you? † I didn’t think it was possible â€Å"Eleza I knew you would come back† she replied â€Å"I have to go mum sorry, I can’t get close to you because it will rip you apart when I leave again, sorry† I shouted while running away down the street â€Å"No Eleza no! I can’t cope without you† screeched mum That was the last time I ever saw my mum. Gun shots were fired shortly after I had left, and I just assumed that the police heard her and found out where she was hiding. I knew that the police would be after me soon so I searched refuge on the out skirts of the village, fortunately a couple were also on the run from the police so I went into a home with them, it wasn’t an amazing home but at least it provided a roof over my head and food for my empty stomach. â€Å"Why are you running from the police? † I questioned the couple, â€Å"because of our religion, people here do not support our beliefs and say that we don’t belong in this community† they stopped, they were going to say more but they could see that I was too tired to listen and so they rested my head in the cloth and rug bed they had made up for me, I thanked them. I started to shiver as it got later into the night so I moved my bed closer to the raging fire to keep warm. I woke up the next morning still feeling incredibly tired because I didn’t sleep very well. The couple were very kind to me, for breakfast they gave me a cup of milk and also a piece of bread. Once I had finished eating my food I told the couple what my situation was and what my plans are, they took it as quite a surprise but understood completely and even offered to help out. Knowing that they were old enough to earn a living I stayed along side them for many days. Later on that evening we gathered around the beaming fire and chatted for hours and hours, that was until there was a knock at the door, â€Å"shh, Eleza hide quickly† said the couple silently. I tip toed towards the wooden toy chest and climbed in. â€Å"open up! † demanded a strong deep voice, The woman opened the door to the strange dark clothed man. â€Å"on the floor, now! † he shouted again The did as he said, I couldn’t see everything but I could see through a little hole in the side of the chest. Even before the couple could have a chance to speak, the man shot them both in the head. As that bullet pierced into their skull I cringed and couldn’t bare the sight, I wanted to cry but any noise could give me the same shot to the head. The strange dark man left, dragging the 2 bodies behind him. I broke out of the toy chest and went to the bathroom; I splashed water onto my face to revive my self, I knew it wasn’t worth getting worked up about as I already had a mission to complete. But this incident just made me more determined to get back at the mayor. What’s next? – Chapter 11 Screaming with silent rage I crept through the village of murderers. My mind was spinning and I had headaches slicing in and out my skull. I noticed the mayor walking down the street, I followed not too far behind, by the looks of it he was walking towards the forest, I wanted to go see if Oscar was ok but didn’t want to chance getting caught. I gave up on following the mayor because he walked into a building and then just disappeared out of sight. I then focused on getting into the forest to see the construction so far. It had been raining the night before so the way up the hill was wet and slippery, I fell many times, but easily managed to get back up again. When I finally reached the top of the hill I saw that the construction hadn’t progressed much at all. I went around back to see more, â€Å"Eleza.. PST.. Eleza over here† came a whisper from behind. â€Å"hey, how are you here, I saw you had a arrow in your back, you cant be alive! † I stepped back in shock, â€Å"that was a tranquiliser, the guard saw me and assumed I was trying to steal the blueprint, so shot me simple mistake, I’m sorry I scared you like that. † â€Å"are you still willing to help me then? † I wanted to get this over with so I wasn’t going to laze about. â€Å"don’t worry about the building Eleza, since you’ve been gone I have spoken to the mayor and many arguments were fought, but I have managed to convince them to make the building eco friendly. It will cost a lot more money to make but you are the reason why many animals in this forest will be preserved and protected well done! † â€Å"thank-you for doing this for me, how can I repay you for this? † I felt incredibly happy that someone was inspired by me. â€Å"come down to the mayors office with me tonight, I think he wants to talk to you† replied the boy. â€Å"are you mad! I will be killed! † I shouted â€Å"no seriously I can honestly say that you are safe with me, please trust me as I trusted you before† pleaded the boy I felt that if I didn’t go then it would be mean because he had helped me out a great deal and I should help him in return. â€Å"ok then, but if anything should go wrong then may your thoughts be guilty for ever† I accepted to see what the mayor wanted. I went off into the forest to get ready for tonight, I found Oscar beneath a big branch where we once stayed. He followed me down to the lake, I took a swim to clean off so not to get bad impressions with the mayor. The time passed and by the time I had dried off and got back to the construction site it was already time to go. â€Å"come on then we best get a move on† I said while already walking. We reached the mayors present house on time, we knocked on the door and waited for a response. Helping out- chapter 12 â€Å"Enter please† spoke a well mannered butler â€Å"Just stay calm and when the mayor wants to talk then let him† demanded the boy â€Å"Hello Eleza, I have heard many stories of you, I understand that you like to stand up for what you believe in, am I right? † said the mayor in a strong voice â€Å"Yes, you are correct† I answer in the simplest way possible â€Å"I want you to do a favour for me, I will pay for your food and sleeping place, you wonder why, but I really do think that you have the courage we need, do you think you can manage to stand up for what you believe in even if the opposition is bigger?. † I thought for a while before proclaiming my reply, â€Å"I would love to take hold of the responsibility of helping out, but do not understand why you would choose me to do this, I was being chased by your men the other day, how can I know that I can trust you? † I still wasn’t convinced but if what he was saying was true then I would be overwhelmed and hopefully do a good job. â€Å"Ok, I guess I should tell you now, I haven’t been completely straight with you, I will look after the forest here for you, but you must leave to southern Africa to do a job for me, flight is paid for, and you will be helping the green team to help decrease the amount of de forestation, and also in your free time you will be helping the smaller children in the schools but if you do not accept this then your precious forest will be burned to the ground for my house to be bigger! So the choice is yours. † It wasn’t much of a choice so I just did what I had to and agreed to go. â€Å"I will go but Oscar must be able to fly over with me! † â€Å"I’m sorry but it is illegal for wild animals like Oscar to fly over on the plane with you† I knew he was right so I just gave in, but made sure that he is promised to be looked after by the mayor. I looked back and went to talk to my friend, â€Å"I’ve never been to Africa, is this a nice place to be? † â€Å"I haven’t ever been either, but I do know that it is a third world country, with children that need your help† replied my friend. The mayor went out the room and talked to another man about the trip, I was shacking but not because I was scared, just because I was filled with many emotions, I was actually quite excited. Journey and arrival – chapter 13 I set off early the following morning and endured 12 long tiring hours on the flight to northern Africa, then another 9 hours on a train to my destination. When I got off the train my legs were numb and floppy. When I arrived I was directed into a small long building and was told what I should do. The mayor explained that he is only here today then will be flying home tomorrow, and then he introduced me to my mentor. â€Å"Eleza, I hope that your stay here will be pleasurable, my name is Mandisa please come meet our youngest residents in our village. † I was taken into a classroom where little children stared at the teacher, they gave her all their attention, there was no shouting, it was just calm nice place to learn. I didn’t want to disturb them so instead I went into the village centre and saw just how hard it was for them to survive. â€Å"Could I have a cup of water please? † I asked a local The man said nothing, he walked over to a well and scooped out a bucket of water, I went over to him, he handed me the bucket. â€Å"Is this what you drink everyday? † I wondered I looked into the bucket; the water was cloudy with dirt floating on the surface. This wasn’t what I was expecting, I was hoping that the people hadn’t been drinking this for too long, this water isn’t drinkable and could kill if the wrong bits are drank. â€Å"It is the end of the school day now, come with me to see the children† said Mandisa I followed her to the classroom again and met up with the kids, meeting them made me feel important, I felt like I was a vital part of their lives, and that I could make a difference to their lives. â€Å"Hello, my name is Keon, what’s your name? † questioned a young boy â€Å"Eleza, I am here to help you and your class friends out. â€Å"Yay, no-ones ever come to our village before, other than Aitan, your mayor† â€Å"Is your mum going to pick you up from school? † I just wanted to talk to him, I wanted to make friends. â€Å"My mum is gone† Keon fell silent and faced the ground â€Å"she is gone, but my dad is in the fields. I have to go; my older sister has a disease and needs all the support she can get. † Before I could get a chance to comfort him he was gone. I walked down the road and met up with Mandisa. â€Å"Come; come quick, its Keon’s sister! She is in desperate need of help. † I didn’t rely, I just ran with her to his home. There was a huge gathering of people out side of the house; me and Mandisa stepped into the sweltering house mounted of sad people, the mood was unbearable and cries came from the room that Keon’s sister lay. I ran into the room and looked into the eyes of the girl, I could see that she was in a cycle of eternal pain; I knew this was an incurable disease and couldn’t help but feel sorry for the girl, at such a young age, (2 years younger than me and 3 years older than Keon.) I left the house and went to the little mud cottage where I was staying, I sat on the bed and relaxed, I can’t stand emotional moments, it just brings back bad memories that I’d rather not think about. There was a knock at the door, â€Å"Hello, Eleza are you in there? † sobbed a voice from behind the door, I went over to the door to find Keon looking at me then grasped my waist and burst into tears I hugged him for over 10 minutes before he let go and sat next to me on the bed and told me the tragic news about his sister. His father kindly invited me to the funeral then took Keon back home to get some sleep. I was shattered and was shocked by how much happened to me in one day, and was glad when the day came to a close. But I was eager to see what tomorrow had in store for me. African life – chapter 14 â€Å"Eleza, Eleza time to get up† whispered a soft voice in my ear I couldn’t talk because my lips were so dry and crisp they remained sealed, I leapt out of bed. They gave me a towel and a bucket of water to wash my face with. The first job of the day was to cover a simple lesson of spelling; I walked to the classroom with the children and was introduced to them all. I then started off the lesson by asking each individual child what they think their abilities are, this helped me to know what their level of learning is currently. The teachers didn’t have books to teach from, just a teacher that goes by memory. I didn’t get an education so I wasn’t doing anything too complicated; I just went over what I already knew. The school day wasn’t very long because the children got too hot in the classroom, after the class Mandisa met me outside. She told me that I was here to make a difference to the people’s lives and that I should try to make some tasks up for myself to complete. I thought for just a few moments then decided what I was going to do next. Keon showed me around the village and pointed over to the forest, or what remained of it anyway. I told him that I will protest against the men but I couldn’t use force. â€Å"I think I have a plan, what is the cutest creature in your forest? † I questioned â€Å"The baby monkeys are cute, they live high in the trees† Keon replied â€Å"Let’s go then† I shouted to him while running through the forest. Keon knew that there was only a slim chance that my plan would work and so he didn’t get his hopes up. It took a while to spot any wildlife in the forest because the noise of the chainsaws had frightened them half to death, I crept up quietly to one of the babies, the mother was higher in the trees so she didn’t see me coming, Keon gently lifted down the monkey and handed it to me, then we walked for miles and miles to find the campsite of the tree murderers and once there Keon gave a good firm knock on the door and waited for a response. â€Å"Who’s there† came a voice behind them I turned around quickly and addressed them, â€Å"We are begging you please stop cutting down the trees, so many animals die because you have taken away their home and family, here is a monkey that is calling out for your help† I had to make up a sad story about the monkey or it wouldn’t take effect. â€Å"I am just against it as you but we must do this otherwise we are out of jobs and wont be able to afford to survive. † I could see that the man wasn’t the kind to give up easily and so I diverted to the second plan,†you know, we will always have a place for you in the village and even though you have had you arguments with them, I’m sure if you stop cutting the trees down they will be happy to take you in. † if this didn’t work then we were screwed. This is something I will consider, it wont be immediate but you idea will not be discarded, don’t come back, we will move I’m due course. † The turned and walked away into their house, we went back to the village and carefully put the baby monkey back exactly where we found it. I went back to my where I slept the night before and rested there. As I lay I thought about all the changes I could make to this village if I put my mind to it, I wasn’t an adult, but the village treated me as one and made me feel wanted. This was when I knew, my dream has become a reality, I wanted to make a difference to the world and help those in more need than me. For once in my life I feel that I have done my parents proud and just wish that they could be here beside me. Everyday for over a month I got up and helped around the village, and every evening I would visit Keon’s mother and comfort her because the loss of her daughter was still on her mind. I had gone through so many adventures in my life and only in 1 year I had gone half way across the world and have witnessed life and death pass me by, and yet am still at a young age of 14, but my birthday is next week and the village kindly offered to have a little bonfire to celebrate, Keon even offered to sing a traditional African song called Kpanlogo this song had a strong meaning behind it but he wanted to sing it because it had a great tune to it. Free life takes a change – chapter 15 Keon was now a big part of my life and was like a brother to me, his mum was a thoughtful woman and she welcomed me into her family. I took the job of permanently teaching his class and in the process I even taught myself new things and the children told me about the animals and wildlife that surrounds them. That night Mandisa walked up to me with tears building up in her eyes, she told me that the mayor said that I couldn’t stay any longer, he needed help back home. So unfortunately my time in Africa came to an end. I was heartbroken to leave my new family, I felt like someone when I was there and didn’t want to go.

Cultural Influences on Service: Chinese Travellers in France

CULTURAL INFLUENCES ON SERVICE- INTRODUCTION Culture has many definitions, and it affects everything people do in their society because of their ideas, values, attitudes, and normative or expected patterns of behaviour. By Mulholland Culture is a complex concept, and no single definition of it has achieved consensus in the literature. So, out of the many possible definitions examined, the following definition guides this study: culture is a set of shared and enduring meaning, values, and beliefs that characterize national, ethnic, or other groups and orient their behaviour.It is said that culture exists only by comparison. The country scores on the dimensions are relative – societies are compared to other societies. Without make a comparison a country score is meaningless. These relative scores have been proven to be quite stable over decades. The forces that cause cultures to shift tend to be global or continent-wide. This means that they affect many countries at the same tim e, so that if their cultures shift, they shift together, and their relative positions remain the same (Hofstede, 2012).National culture is an important factor influencing expectations and perceptions of service quality and its satisfaction. Different cultural groups attach different importance to service quality criteria. Tourism is one of the many sectors of the economy, which services cater directly to tourist needs. However, tourists create demand for indirect services(financial, medical, electricity,.. ) as well. Resulting all of this, a tourism product is mostly a service rather than a tangible product.As far as service encounter, we define 3 process steps, which are: 1, interaction between the customer and the firm or service provider, 2,a period of time during which a provider and a customer confront each other, 3, a â€Å"moment of truth†, which means the quality of the services offered to customer. We know three classes of service: the first one is a maintenance-inte ractive (e. g. fast food restaurant), second is task-interactive (e. g. banking services) and besides these two we define one more, personal-interactive services where belongs tourism.Services are in general defined by 6 key characteristics. Intangibility of services means that they can not be seen, touched and so on before use/ purchase. Heterogeneity is another characteristic that talks about services which vary because they are delivered by people-to-people. In tourism, services are firstly sold and subsequently consumed. This is called â€Å"Inseparability†. Tourism services are perishable, they cannot be stored. They must be consumed at the point of production.When the tourist pays the price for tourist services, he or she pays for the benefits and experiences received, it doesn’t lead to ownership. The last characteristic is called â€Å"People-based and personality-dependent†. Tourism, hospitality and leisure services are provided by people and for people . Very important thing about Cultural influences on service is a perception of service. Those are very subjective. When the customers? cultural expectations and needs are met, service quality is perceived as good and vice versa.Cultural differences in expectations from services vary from country to country. This means that what is supposed to be a good service in China, must not be good in USA. When we are talking about service quality, it refers to the appropriateness of assistance and support provides to a customer and the value and benefits received for the price paid. When it comes to reliability evaluation, the only two could be the price and physical environment. However it is difficult to evaluate by price as this is set up the producer.In order to facilitate the evaluation of service quality, several distinct quality dimensions were identified: (1) physical, (2) corporate, (3) interactive, (4) procedural, (5) convivial, (6) technical, (7) functional. The importance attached by customers to service quality criteria and dimensions differs among various cultures. Tourists from different countries have various expectations for the tangibles and empathy dimensions in terms of hotel service.There can be a problem with cultural differences and the mismatch between service quality expectations and perceptions of customers from foreign countries, and quality expectations and perceptions of domestic providers. Services are in general very specific and they have a lot of different characteristics. They are people based and so the cultural effect is very strong in this field. Different foreign tourists attach different importance to service quality criteria.