Glaucoma label study Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Glaucoma label study - Article Example However, a small number of glaucoma patients with reduced visual function might benefit from large print labels on their topical eye drops. Glaucoma is an important global public health concern with the proportion of patients burdened with this sight threatening disease ever increasing due to the rapidly ageing population. In Australia, glaucoma causes 3% visual impairment and 14% blindness in patients aged 40 and over. Since the majority of glaucoma patients are managed initially with medical therapy, compliance is critical for decreasing disease progression. Despite the availability of effective pharmacologic therapies, non-compliance in patients with glaucoma has been reported to vary from 24 to 59%. Many obstacles affect treatment compliance including regimen factors (refill, cost, complexity, change, side effects), patient factors (knowledge, skill, memory, motivation, health beliefs, comorbidities), provider factors (dissatisfaction, communication) and situational or environmental factors (lack of support, major life events, travel, competing activities, change in routine). Quality of written instructions such as amount of information and readability is important in ensuring medication compliance especially in visually impaired, elderly patients where written treatment information often supplements verbal instruction. In some cases, especially when a patient has a care giver, this information becomes the main source reference for correct interpretation of their medication regime. The aim of our study was to assess whether readability and comprehension of medication label size was a contributing factor to treatment compliance in glaucoma patients. Eighty subjects with diagnosed glaucoma were recruited from the public out-patient clinic of a tertiary eye hospital in Melbourne, Australia. The duration of study was 6 weeks (27.03.07 to

Target vs. Walmart Essay Example for Free

Target vs. Walmart Essay Once an employee is hired, a lot of money is invested to ensure proper training of each and every employee. Target does their best to try and ensure they hire not only good team members, but great managers to lead the team members. After an employee is hired, they instill their motto of â€Å"Fast, Fun, and Friendly† into each employee. Target wants each employee to follow this motto. Even lingo at Target has made a positive impact. For example, Target does not call people who come and in shop customers, instead they call them guests. They want to ensure their guests feel at home. My research is about Target being the best in customer service compared to other retail chains. I am going to find studies, articles, and do an experiment with the class. I plan on showing evidence that because Target has implemented different techniques, which is what makes them successful. I used to never shop at Target because other retail stores are closer to my home. After working at Target and seeing how the store was put together and the type of training employees go through, I will always be a Target customer. While working at Target, I always thought to myself, â€Å"If only Wal-Mart would implement the technologies and training that Target employees receive, they would be unbeatable. † I have no idea why Wal-Mart won’t get walkies for every sales floor employee. When I walk into a Walmart, Meijer, Kroger, etc. , I know I will have a really hard time finding an employee who knows where the items are that I need. When I go into a Target, I have confidence that any sales floor person can help me. My research is from personal knowledge and from a journal article I found through the UC library website. In July 2010, Consumer Reports did a rating of 11 stores and in best to worst the stores ranked were: Costco, Dillard’s, Kohl’s, JCPenny, Target, Sam’s Club, Sears, Macy’s, Meijer, Wal-Mart, and Kmart. I’m not at all surprised that Wal-Mart was second to last and also not surprised that Target is right up there with department stores. Wal-Mart had the worst possible rating in: returns, checkout, store problems, and product quality of clothing items. In conclusion, if Wal-Mart would focus just as much attention on customer service as they do low prices, they would be unstoppable. Walkies may be a large expense, however, I believe they will pay for themselves. They will be able to find items quicker for customers, check out will run smoother, and because of the better customer service, they will see an increase in repeat customers. I worked at Target from _________________ I got to personally experience what great team work really is. In that time, I gained valuable skills that I’ll have for the rest of my life. Each Target store is a manager-led store. For the most part, Target does a really good job hiring excellent people who can lead teams. However, in my case, sometimes Target lets bad apples slip through the cracks. Target has a store leader, Executive Team Leaders for each department, team leaders for each department, two brand team members in softlines (clothing, shoes, and accessories) and one brand team in hardlines. From what I personally witnessed, if you have great managers team members will work together more effectively and be happy. In softlines, the ETL and team lead were very bias and cruel. Softlines constantly had people switching out of the department, were constantly complaining, and softlines had a higher turn-over rate. How Stores Stack Up! † Consumer Reports Vol. 75, Issue 7, p. 20-21 (July 2010) For my presentation to the class, I’m going to do an experiment. If the library allows me, I am going to borrow two walkies. If walkies are unavailable, I can use cell phones as a backup. I’m going to ask for 4 volunteers. There will be Team Target and Team Wal-Mart. I will give one pers on on each team an item that a customer is going to ask for (I will be the customer). I will then give Team Target the walkies. I will ask the people with the items to go anywhere they want to inside or outside of Flory, out of sight. I will then pretend I’m a customer and ask both people for the item that I sent with their team mates. I will have both teams use the current communication method that the stores they represent use. Team Target will get on the walkie and say, â€Å"Team, where can I find (whatever item it is I will give them)? † The other Target team member will say, â€Å"It’s in (and give their location). † Team Wal-Mart will use the guessing method and have to look for where their team member is. I will time them both and see who can help the customer faster.

A Guest Experience Based Upon Hospitality Marketing Essay

A Guest Experience Based Upon Hospitality Marketing Essay The rewards are the opportunity to create a guest experience based upon hospitality rather than efficiency, to implement customer service that makes memories rather than horror stories, to truly be in touch with guests rather than seeking to avoid them because a guest contact usually indicates a problem. Because of their size, small boutique properties often do not have the clout in the market to recruit and retain good line employees. Seasonality can have the happy retired hotelier making beds, doing laundry and unstopping toilets in the off-season when he/she has had to lay off the seasonal staff. Any furloughs due to seasonality pretty well guarantee that the quality labour in the market will go to a property with the mass to offer them year round employment. Operational Performance Objective: Flexibility Personal Approach LOCATION (segment market) COST (budget) Demand Service process Keep on changing customer Taste The four houses of quality function deployment connect customer needs with engineering design characteristics, components production processes, and associated control parameters http://www.naukrihub.com/india/hospitality/overview/challenges/ http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2006_4th/Nov06_ISHC.html http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3656/is_200612/ai_n17190382/ Q3 http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2007_April_3/ai_n27189784/?tag=rbxcra.2.a.22 .http://www.managingchange.com/masscust/overview.htm http://www.hotel-online.com/Trends/ChiangMaiJun00/CustomizationHospitality.html#1 IMPORTANT http://www.smthacker.co.uk/postponement_mass_customisation.htm http://www.madeforone.com/Articles/index.php/page/2/ http://www.readwriteweb.com/start/2010/03/weekend-reading-mass-customization-round-up.php http://www.igi-global.com/bookstore/TitleDetails.aspx?TitleId=743DetailsType=Preface http://www.sideroad.com/Customer_Service/measuring-customer-loyalty.html http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/210546/hotels_and_hostels/new_trends_at_boutique_hotels.html 1. Shortage of skilled employees: One of the greatest challenges plaguing the hospitality industry is the unavailability of quality workforce in different skill levels. The hospitality industry has failed to retain good professionals. 2. Retaining quality workforce: Retention of the workforce through training and development in the hotel industry is a problem and attrition levels are too high. One of the reasons for this is unattractive wage packages. Though there is boom in the service sector, most of the hotel management graduates are joining other sectors like retail and aviation. Personalization and Design by Own Individualism (demand) Peoples lives today are more turbulent and diversified. The one size fits all model is out-of-date. Individuals now want to be seen and treated as individuals and many are prepared to pay for this. They are better educated and informed; able and willing to make their own decisions. http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/210548/hotels_and_hostels/unique_features_with_new_boutique_hotel_resort_trends.html _ boutique hotel http://www.hotel-online.com/Trends/ChiangMaiJun00/CustomizationHospitality.html Davis, Stan, Future Perfect, 10th anniversary edition, Addison-Wesley Pub Co, Harlow, England, 1996, ISBN: 020159045X Gilmore, James H. Pine, B. Joseph II 1997, The four faces of mass customization, in Gilmore, James H. Pine, B. Joseph II (eds.), Markets of One, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Boston MA, U.S.A. pp. 115-132 Introduction Boutique hotels are believed to have been invented in the early 1980s. (Anhar,L,2001) There is no single definition of a boutique hotel but most of the boutique hotels do share some common characteristics. The first, boutique hotels put more emphasis on design and architecture than traditional chain hotels. (Anhar.L.2001) Creating unique design with additional lifestyle amenities in order make hotel guest feel something special than others. For example each guest room in Blakes Hotel in South Kensington, London was designed by celebrity stylist Anouska Hempel. This kind of hotel is very individual and focuses on their look. (Jones.P,2002) The aim is to create an environment with sense of style, warmth and distinction which they are willing to pay premium room rates. Second, the common feature of boutique hotel is superior personal service.(Drayton.P Rodwell.K,2001) Providing personal service guide to hotel guests is importance to enhance guest experience rather than efficiency, to t ruly be in touch with hotel guests rather than ignorance them when they faced to problem, to makes guest with unforgettable memories will come back on next time rather than terrible service that not return again. Furthermore, boutique hotel tend to provide a higher quality and wider range of guest amenities; such as pillow menu, complimentary candies and nuts. (Reich.M Ho Jung Kim) The third feature is the number of rooms. The number of room should not exceed 150 rooms to maintain the intimacy between the guests and the hotel staff, and the personalized attention by the staff. (Anthar.L,2001) However, there seems to be not upper limit on the maximum number of room; for example among properties operated by Ian Schrager, Pramount Hotel has 594 rooms and Hudson Hotel has 821 rooms. (Ibid) The last common feature of boutique hotel is the target market. The middle to upper income group of people tend to be target market of boutique hotel. In addition, the image of boutique hotel is major element for promoting through media, fashion, entertainment and advertising companies that are attracted to the trendy design and lively atmosphere.(Jones Lang Lasalle report) Location of the boutique hotel can be classified into two types. The first is the city destination hotels. () Accordingly, most existing city boutique hotels are located in urban edgy and chic neighbourhoods in major cities like New York, London, San Francisco, and Miami. (Anthar) Nevertheless, more companies are targeting less cosmopolitan cities. Location of traditional hotels often seeks for convenience to their customer but for boutique hotel, they are often located in cities with big fashion capitals to best attract their target market. The second type of boutique hotel is located in generally well-hidden, tucked always in deserted corners of the island or the mountains. Each boutique resort hotels promote the non-existence of electronics and communication devices in guestrooms as a competitive advantage. () Q1 Every company will face problemà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ challenges Boutique hotel tend to serve their guest with high degree of service quality therefore the greater of customer contact, the greater degree of interaction between the service system and the customer. (Jacobs.R,Chase.R,2008) Service systems with high degree of customer contact are more difficult to control and rationalize rather than low degree of customer contact. In high-contact systems, the customer can affect the time of demand, the exact nature of the service, and the quality, or perceived quality of service because the hotel guests are involved in the process. (Jacobs.R,Chase.R,2008) This is reason why boutique hotel manager should take into account on this particular area of service design process. This is not easy as all customers are different and have different expectations of what the service will provide. Perhaps a boutique hotel guest tend to wait for too long to check-in at resulted he or she might not come again due with the expectation on their speed of their service provided was disappointment. Hence, boutique hotel can offers several counters with different type of function such as registration check-in, check-out counter, and complaint counter to shorten the time of waiting by other guests. Flexibility approach take part on this challenges, Service process must be short and accurate in order to SOA(219) Service Blueprinting 211 As mentioned above, for boutique hotel the customer indeed is greater extent involved in the actual delivery of the service. The service employees by boutique hotel have frequently work together with their customer thus the behaviour if employees is likely to have a major effect on the customers perceived level of service quality.(Greasley.A,2009) Unlike tangible products, technology can be replaced the workforce on certain jobs but in services, it is difficult to replace the element of human interaction completely. (Greasley.A,2009) For service industry, the service operation for boutique hotel greater front office tasks by adding value to their customer both input and output of the operation while back office task is lesser. (Figure 1.1)(Greasley.A, 2009) Boutique hotel as a mass customization operate at high volume and high variety because the customer require high levels of contact with the service provider and a customized service. Human resource development: Some of the service s required in the tourism and hotel industries are highly personalized, and no amount of automation can substitute for personal service providers. India is focusing more on white collar jobs than blue collar jobs. The shortage of blue collar employees will pose various threats to the industry Lack of skilled hotel employees can become an issue for boutique hotel that tend to provide superior personal service. STANDARD The hotel boutique employees are expected to know their guests needs very well with caring, polite, friendly, and etc. Hence, the manager of Boutique hotel has to invest on a series of training program in order to maintain the quality of the service provided by their employee especially front-line employees which interact with customer most of the time. Assume a boutique hotel employees does not know well about a potential customer whose is vegetarians, but sending meal with chicken to the customer. This in the result, the potential customer will feel very disappointed on the careless of service provider by particular boutique hotel. The customer definitely switches to other brand of boutique hotel and not to return again if there is no a good service recover to resolve the problem. Service is unlike product that can be easier to argue back but in service industry especially with high service quality provided by boutique hotel, customers tend to be correct most of the time. Quality is a particular challenge for boutique hotel in both the tangible and intangible aspects, for example the quality of the food served, the quality of the mattress in the room and service of the staff must meet quality standards in order to retain customer. However, intangible service may be difficult to measure and often depends on an unpredictable interaction between the service provider and customer. (Greasley.A, 2009) The boutique employees cannot predict what the next will be happen thus they have to get ready to resolve problem at anytime. However, there are three authors; Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1985) define the quality in service with five principal dimensions that customers use to judge service quality which is Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, Empathy and Tangible based on a comparison between expectations and perceptions of the service quality. Marketing strategy: For the side of marketing view of point on boutique hotel, the image is very important to enhance the quality of the hotel itself to their target market. What are so special about boutique hotel compare to other hotel chain without paying high price of room rate? This is why Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) gets involved to work together to promote the brand and image of boutique hotel. A good service cannot be successful without the demand in a market. To open a new boutique hotel in a market place obviously is very fresh on the particular brand. Hence, branding can become one of the challenges to a new boutique hotel. At that point, the new brands that were ill-conceived and lacking clear definition and marketability ultimately become the weaker performers which are then often absorbed by the stronger ones.( ISHC Annual Conference,2007)Investing on brand proliferation to attract consumer interest toward the new boutique hotel. Marketing research effort s hould not be neglected by collecting information on favourable design of hotel room, service encounter and etc. By doing marketing research better performance outcome in order to meet customer needs. Virtual advertising can be useful to let customer know more information about the boutique hotel. An addition, online booking hotel becomes more convenience to customer in the purchase processes. A system that can let customer choose the theme or design of the room that they prefer including the menu of pillow, type of food to serve and etc. Public relation is also a powerful tool to get useful public opinion from the public. Distribution channel renovation : In 2006, it is estimated that $24 billion worth of hotel rooms in the US alone will be booked through internet sites representing 27% of US hotel industry room revenues up from $15.5 billion just two years ago. (INSH,2007) Meanwhile, this is current challenge of distribution management, manage and market to the consumer in the online world. Without understanding online consumers buying behaviour, the possible investment on marketing will be wasted. Buying process change rapidly nowadays with advancement of technology device support. Brick and Motor Directors of Sales Marketing and Directors of Revenue Management must understand at least the basics of search engine optimization, pay-per-click marketing, link popularity strategies and web traffic analysis. (INSH,2007) Connection between the service provider and their potential customer is linked. Expanding distribution revolution preserves the relationship with their customer. (INSH,2007) Click and M ortar approach can be applied on boutique hotel strategy in order to serve the best quality by using online or offline form of service provided. Construction cost: To build up a new boutique hotel, cost definitely has to take into account because it involved a huge amount of money on constructing, furniture, equipments and labour cost. The cost of raw materials for construction such as wood, steel, sand and so on is categorized as dramatically changes according the demand of the world. For example steel prices experienced a 48.8-percent increase in 2004, which was preceded by significant increases in scrap iron and steel prices in 2002 and 2003.(INSH,2007) By constantly monitoring changes in the markets for both construction materials and labor costs, a developer has to ensure that a project has a better than even chance of being completed on time and on budget.(INSH,2007) Adoptability and Knowledgeable on new technology system: In this 21th century with all digital-based of world with high-technology advancement that can improving the effectively and efficiently of doing things. The research and development (RD) department have to gone through emphasis on the design of the room in boutique hotel. Supply and demand service capacity : skilled employees or unskilled employeesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Training Demand of the market : middle to upper class. Fashion ,media Finance Q2 Mass processes that produce high-volume and low variety products are termed line or mass processes. Because of the high volumes of product it is cost-effective to use specialized labour and equipment. Because of the low variety, setting up of equipment is minimized and utilization of equipment is high. Examples of mass process included automobile plant, television factory, vehicle manufacturing, DVD production and food processes. (pg78) Customization processes is special customized to the need of the customer. High variety of product but low volume. This customization processes can be applied on goods such as big size shoes, special design for wedding cake and while service on or services like facial treatment, cosmetic, and hair style that can meet individual needs. The target market is niche market with a small group of people with the similar needs. High degree of customization, in order to meet individual customer needs. For exampleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Because the need of specialized, time-consuming to finish on certain number (usually with low quantity) However, the variety is very low for mass processes, customer could not have much choices. Meanwhile, with the customization goods and services the price is trend to expensive. It is difficult to meet individual needs with low cost. It can be either want to pay higher price to meet individual price or low price but no choice. Based on the statement above, the trend of the layout process changed to Mass customization. What is mass customization? Mass customization is processes that combine the Mass and Customization feature in one which mean high volume and high variety at a relatively. (Figure 1.2) An attempt to combine high-variety and hiagh-volume output to provide the customer with customized products at a relatively low price. ( Greasley.A,2009)was typothie si s For example, Dell is the worlds largest volume producer of personal computers yet allows each customer to design (albeit in a limited sense) their own configuration. (Slack et al, 2007,pg47) Customer can select the feature of specification of the computer that they wanted after that make an order. Once Dell received the order, they will make customized computer requirement by the customer and delivery to them within two weeks. Another example on Land à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Feel different from others. Repeat buyer. Capture their interest and follow up by sending greeting card to welcome back to the boutique hotel interested like music. Event singing competition. Live band Designà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Flexibilityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ act quickly , fast, information or data tranformation

Deforestation and Biodiversity Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Pa

Deforestation and Biodiversity While the loss of forests is clearly visible, a decline in biodiversity has a less apparent effect. The subtle loss of biodiversity fails to indicate the significance that fewer species in the ecosystem increases the fragility of life for all species. Despite the negative effects of deforestation and the consequential decline of biodiversity, trees are cut down for an economic and consumer benefit. Members of society need to determine how much economic cost they are willing to spend in order to preserve plant and animal species. To reduce the degree of deforestation, tree harvesters may use selective logging, which involves only the removal of trees that are the most economically beneficial. Trees with lower economic value are left standing. This method still has problems intrinsic with any kind of deforestation and selective logging also introduces new environmental problems. Tree harvesters need to build roads into the forests to remove the timber (Vandermeer and Perfecto, 1995). The road construction means that a greater surface of land will be covered by asphalt, which increases the amount of rainwater runoff that is not filtered by the soil before entering a stream. These streams are polluted by sediment carried by the rainwater. Vandermeer and Perfecto also say that selective logging introduces secondary damage when non-targeted trees are knocked down in the process of removing the desirable trees. In addition, selective logging over a long period of time leads to deterioration of the stand, which reduces the overall value of the forest when the loss of more valuable trees leaves lower grade timber behind (Vandermeer and Perfecto, 1995). Another change related to the effect of sel... ...eforestation/deforestation_3.html>. Sanchez-Azofeifa, G., Rivard, B., Calvo, J., Moorthy, I. (2002). â€Å"Dynamics of Tropical Deforestation Around National Parks: Remote Sensing of Forest Change on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica.† Retrieved April 16, 2003, from BioOne . Southwick, C. H. (1996). Global Ecology in Human Perspective. New York: Oxford University Press. State Department. (2003). â€Å"Study Says Smaller Households threaten Worldwide Biodiversity,† January 15. Retrieved April 16, 2003, from United States Consulate Mumbai-India . Vandermeer, J. and Perfecto, I. (1995). Breakfast of Biodiversity: The Truth about Rain Forest Destruction. Oakland, California: The Institute for Food and Development Policy.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Analyzed, Interpreted, and Theorized Essay

Obsession is defined by preoccupying or filling the mind of (someone) continually, intrusively, and to a troubling extent (dictionary.com). A compulsion is defined as to force or drive, especially to a course of action. All of this grouped together with a psychological irregularity can describe someone going through Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Those suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder have recurring thoughts, feelings, and ideas to feel driven to accomplish a certain task, usually cleaning, counting, fixing, etc. These people feel anxiety because of their reoccurring compulsions and can only be rid of it by acting on the thought which is called thought-action fusion. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder effects maybe 1 out of 100 children in the US and a total 3% of people in the general population due to recent research completed by the WHO www.ocdeducationstation.org ). I think the prevalence of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in children is so low because Obsessive Compulsive D isorder is a generalized biological vulnerability, meaning the child has a heritable contribution to negative effects. This means that the child has learned from outside sources; parents, teachers, friends; that a certain stimuli will bring about a certain set of feelings and therefore actions (thought action fusion). Some research studies done by the National Institute of Health have shown that Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is caused by an uncommon mutation of the human serotonin transporter gene (www.ocdeducationstation.org). Another theory explained in an article in the JAMA Network Journal by Ben J. Harrison; PHD states that those who have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder have an altered corticostriatal function in the brain. This corticostriatal function means the networks of nerves in the brain. It was shown in their research that those with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder have even higher functionality than those without Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. This does not mean a higher IQ or brain function; it only means altered networks create abnormal and reoccurring thoughts and actions. I believe Obsessive  Compulsive Disorder to be a learned or conditioned response to events taught by those responsible for early development. This hypothesis comes from an article in Psychiatry research by Francesco Catapano that shows the relationship between levels of melatonin and cortisol, the stress hormone, in those with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder compared to those who do not have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Their findings showed that those with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder had lower melatonin levels giving them irregular sleep patterns and abnormal circadian rhythms. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder patients were also found to have higher doses of cortisol in their blood in comparison to the healthy control group. More research was done on the subject by Xinhua Zhang; MD who claims that aft6er treating a patient with a brain tumor, the patient began to have compulsive thoughts about her children and husband living longer than her. She realized these thoughts were unnecessary and went back to the hospital. Xinhua Zhang concluded that since the tumor excavation took place in the right frontal lobe that this is where obsessions originate and the surgery caused her to behave abnormally. Upon further research I’ve found that the right frontal lobe is the perfect place for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder to spawn from because the frontal lobe is said to control our emotions and cause us to be different in personality (www.neuroskills.com ). There has been a lot of research on the treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and it almost always leads to medication. The treatment that has gotten the most recognition and funding is a drug called Clomipramine (www.psychcentral.com/medicationsforObsessive Compulsive Disorder ). Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a chronic disorder that doesn’t really go away because of the serotonin levels in the brain of those affected. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder causes serotonin to be absorbed at an abnormal speed which accounts for constant urge to seek relief from stress. Clomipramine allows serotonin to bind to the drug and be free flowing in the synapses of the brain instead of being absorbed and shoveled off as waste. Considering Barlow’s Integrated Model of mental health. I would categorize Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as both generalized biological vulnerability  and generalized psychological vulnerability. It could be a biological abnormality because, as previously stated, there could be something wrong with the right frontal lobe causing obsession and compulsive thoughts. To me, psychological vulnerability just means a learned thought process either from parents, teachers, siblings, or other outside sources. According to a study done by J. Griffiths, a Bristol Doctorate graduate in Clinical Psychology, the data taken from those who live with parents or close relatives with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder has a serious indication on the prevalence of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder within the children of the family. The children reported feeling embarrassed by their parent and a feeling of loss of control considering boundaries and the happiness of said â€Å"sick† relative. Children who suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder usually have fears of getting dirty, getting hurt, or have a feeling of need for exactness and/or symmetry. They’re both linked because of the integrative model of psychological disorders. Having a parent with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or any other type of mental disorder for that matter will have an effect on those in close proximity of them due to classical conditioning and learned response from an abnormal or neurotic pattern of behavior according to Etelà ¤-Savon Sairaanhoitopiiri, the writer of the article â€Å"Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in childhood† in the Duodecim journal. Many studies show that Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is more common in people who don’t follow pre- and perinatal health advice. Since prenatal childcare is the most crucial due to the formation of the brain and the natural chemicals combining in the amniotic sack, those who do not exercise greater caution in certain respects may cause their children to inherit Obsessive Compulsive Disorder later on in life. Data showed that excessive weight gain and edema of the hands, feet, and face during pregnancy lead to higher rates of people born with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Another huge contributor to predisposed Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is whether or not the mother took or mixed medications during the beginning stages of the pregnancy. A counter point made in â€Å"The Structure of Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors for Dimensional Representations of DSM-5 Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders† in JAMA Psychiatry shows that there  is a strong correlation bet ween environmental factors and the onset of mental disorders. Their conclusion was that it is much more possible to get Obsessive Compulsive Disorder from traumatic experiences or living arrangements than biologically inherited. Those who suffer because of life events rather than genetics suffer to a higher degree than those of their biologically inherited symptom counterparts. This usually accounts for a higher drug dosage and a lesser ability to control and manage the symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (Benedetta Monzani, PhD). This is supported by the lecture we did on experiential avoidance and the conditioned responses we acquire due to stress. If someone lives in such a way that any thought they encounter causes them stress, then they might pick up some behaviors that stop them from stressing out due to thinking; which is exactly what victims of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder encounter on a daily basis. It starts out as either biologically inherited or psychologically learned Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Once they experience a str essful thought or action, they revert to their learned stress relief which is usually compulsive behavioral rituals to suppress said thoughts. In â€Å"Adverse childhood experiences and gender influence treatment seeking behaviors in obsessive–compulsive disorder†, an article in Comprehensive Psychology, it states that adverse childhood experiences (ACE) leads to higher activity in the frontal lobe of the brain; which we have deduced is where compulsive behavior originates. Different outcomes according to sex were also examined in this study and it was shown that males do a better job at rebounding after adverse or traumatic experiences than females which accounts for the higher rate of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in females than in males. During my studies, while distinguishing adverse health outcomes due to prenatal care is easy and logical, I think that more research states that Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is more psychologically conditioned than inherited. The number of patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder who had traumatic or rough living environments vastly outnumber those who did not have such circumstances. I think this also shows the degree to which they are affected. Someone who is predisposed to have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder would not be as strongly influenced by their thoughts in comparison to someone who has a physical real life correlation with a traumatic experience. This is supported by the fact that the pharmaceutical treatment  for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is the same as treatment for PTSD. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are both used to slow the absorption of serotonin in the brain so it is free floating in a higher dosage which leads to less stress and less abnormal behavior. The rate at which the serotonin is released and absorbed is equivalent to the time spent in less stress. Antidepressants work in these types of situations because of the high impact that Obsessive Compulsive Disorder has on the emotional state of the mind. The frontal lobe, as previously discussed, is the anatomical site for emotion and personality, so an abnormality in chemical processing or a physical abnormality not only spawns Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in subjects, but also alters their emotional state and how their outlook on life. Studies show that patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder who have a better outlook on their treatment and acceptance of it, have a better treatment outcome than those who don’t take SSRI’s. In conclusion, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a rare abnormality originating in the frontal lobe. The absorption rate of serotonin in the brain strongly correlates with onset of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Although there are many medications to take, the most widely used is Clomipramine and SSRI’s so the emotional and physical stress can be tolerated. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can be contracted at any time but due to recent studies, I have more confidence in the theory that traumatic life experiences and negative living arrangements have a higher rate of setting on OCD than a predisposed genetic availability to contract it because of the physical testimonies from those in that situation. Although I’m sure that prenatal care and genetics play a viable roll in mental health, I would still say that those who have a physical association with stress or trauma are more affected by it in the mind. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder affects only 3% of people in the general population, but given the fact that mental health takes a toll on family members, coworkers, and fri ends; it can be conjectured that it is affecting more than that by a â€Å"contact mental illness†. The problems people face every day should be taken into softer hearts because you never know who has been affected by this rare disorder. Works Cited Benedtti, F. (2014). Comprehensive psychiatry. Adverse childhood experiences and gender influence treatment seeking behaviors in obsessive–compulsive disorder, 55(2), 298-301. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010440X13002988 Flament, M. (1988). Journal of the american academy of child & adolescent psychiatry. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Adolescence: An Epidemiological Study, 27(6), 764-771. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890856709658615 Monzani, B. (2014). The Structure of Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors for Dimensional Representations of DSM-5 Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders, 71(2), Retrieved from http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1792141 Ocd education station. (2014). Retrieved from www.ocdeducationstation.org Traumatic brain injury. (2014). Retrieved from www.neuroskills.com

Body soul destinction Essay

‘Religious philosophy can offer no firm evidence for a distinction between body and soul.’ Discuss. Humans appear to have both a body and a mind, the body which is related to physical movements and appearances. And the mind which relates to feelings and emotions, qualia. Many philosophers therefore make a distinction between the mind and body, the dualist view that a person is made of two separate substances. On the other hand, some philosophers take a monist/ materialist view that the mind and the body are the same substance. This is a contentious area of philosophy, and has created a debate known as â€Å"the mind, body problem†. Such philosophers as Plato take a dualist view and try to offer evidence to suggest a distinction between the body and soul. Plato saw the body and soul as two separate entities. The soul that most closely resembles the divine and immortal. While the body resembles the human and mortal, which is endlessly changing and can be broken down. Plato was not trying to suggest the soul was perfect as it joined the body which it is inhibited by, however, he explains that by taking care of the soul the person can develop knowledge. Plato used evidence such as the â€Å"world of the forms†. He suggested that by taking care of the soul and ignoring physical pleasures the soul can return to the word of the forms when the body dies. The evidence of Plato’s theory can be seen everyday. For the body to survive it must meet its basic needs such as food, reproduction and physical pleasure. On the other hand for the mind to be stimulated it has other needs that are met through deep thought and learning. However, there is a flaw to Plato’s theory, how can you have two completely different substances that are the same thing? Plato’s theory suggests the body and soul can work together to achieve a higher level of existence, but if the body and soul are completely different there is no evidence to suggest they would be compatible. Another dualist, Aquinas took a more religious view of dualism. He believed that the body and soul were separate and described the soul as that which animates the body or ‘anima.’ According to Aquinas, the soul operates independently of the body. Aquinas believed the only things that are divisible into parts decay. The soul is not divisible and therefore on this basis of Aquinas’ argument it is able to survive death. However, through the link with a particular human body the soul becomes an individual so even when the body dies the soul that departs has an immortal existence. Evidence for religious views on the soul come from the bible. Within the new testament, there are stories of Jesus’ resurrection that suggest dualism. Within one particular story Jesus’ disciples are walking to Emaus. Along the way they are joined by a man, it is only when they arrive at Emaus and offer the man a place to eat and stay that he reveals himself as Jesus. This supports the dualist view as firstly, it proves that the soul is immortal and lives on after death, and secondly that the soul is separate from the body as the man who claims to be Jesus appears to be unrecognisable implying he has a different physical appearance. For Christians this will act as firm evidence that there is a body soul distinction, however for those who are not Christian the evidence may not be so reliable. Cartesian duality formed by Rene Descartes, describes the mind and body as being separates and is based on the phrase † I think therefore I am.† Descartes explained that feelings and sensations cannot be located physically. He accepted that everything non physical is in the mind and therefore must be distinct from the body. The mind according to Descartes is non – spatial and is distinct from material and bodily substances. He suggested that everything has characteristics and that the mind and body’s characteristics are different therefore hey must be separate. For example a property of the mind may be consciousness, whereas the body has more aesthetic qualities such as height breadth etc. Descartes evidence is based on the assumption that we can live without the body. He concluded that the body has the job of performing physical activities however, it is the mind that contains our identity. For Descartes the mind is I, that we can live without the body as the mind makes us who we are. Descartes took the religious view that after our death the soul is able to continue and be with God. † A man’s soul is that to which the pure mental properties of a man belong.† Richard Swinburne developed a dualist view based on the soul being indestructible and indivisible. Swinburne suggested that is a logical possibility for a person to exist after the body dies, as the soul lives on. The soul according to Swinburne is linked with mental processes and activity and it’s independent from the body. Evidence for Swinburne’s theory comes from near death experiences. In many instances people have claimed to have had near death experiences whereby their hearts have stopped during surgery and yet they have reported detailed accounts of what happened during the time they were clinically dead. For some this is evidence for consciousness, however if the body and soul is one entity this would be impossible. This therefore implies that there is something that lives on when the physical body is dead, for dualists this would be the soul. On the other hand although the details of the experiences seem to be accurate there is no proof that the experiences may not be caused by another physical phenomena. On the other hand Dawkins, a biological materialist would disagree with the opinion that the soul and the body are separate substances. Dawkins bases his theory on evolution and genetics. He would reject any concept of an eternal soul and therefore rejects dualism. Some of Dawkins work includes the â€Å"selfish gene† and the â€Å"blind watchmaker† Within these he rejects any idea of the religious view of dualism and within the â€Å"selfish gene† he explains that humans are a lucky accident and that all life is opportunistic and humans are merely genetic mutations with the need to mindlessly replicate. Dawkins does not deny human dignity and accepts the complexity of human life to be able to contemplate the origins of human life. The evidence for Dawkins theory of biological materialism is based on DNA. Dawkins explains DNA as a code of instructions that is made up of millions of strands of genetic information. Genes according to Dawkins program who a person is, and it is DNA that singly creates what a person looks like as well as their personality. For Dawkins both the mind and body are controlled by the DNA and therefore he suggests that there is no need for a soul. Although Dawkins theory is based on empirical evidence and it has been proved that certain genes decide certain parts of a persons characteristics there is yet no proof to suggest that genes make up the whole of a someone’s personality and therefore it could be seen that there may be something else, this may be the soul. John Hick has formed a view of religious materialism. He stated that humans are one composite being, one substance. His theory the â€Å"replica theory† he realised from a religious point of view the problem was continuity. In life after death how can someone be the same person without their body. Therefore Hick suggests that there must be some kind of replica. This replica is the same person however, whilst they cannot exist at the same time. According to Hick at the same time that when a person dies a replica of them is created by God. This is a way of preserving personal identity after death. The evidence for religious materialism is based on the resurrection of Jesus. Some accounts during the new testament describe Jesus after the resurrection and was recognised by followers before ascension. From a religious view this is evidence for the replica theory as it appears that Jesus died and when he came back had the same physical appearance as well as the same personality. Identity theory puts forward a materialist view of the soul. Identity theory is against behaviourism and suggests that the mind and the brain are in the same place. In the brain, consciousness is generated as well as the other physical processes we link with the brain such as movement. Evidence for this is put foreward in â€Å"the philosophy files†. Within the book and analogy explains how if you were to look in the brain you would be able to locate an area that is stimulated and that thoughts must be generated in this area. We already know only 10% of the brains capacity is used consciously and therefore it is a logical assumption that our mind is located within the brain. An analogy for this is that a woman can be a mother, a daughter and a sister etc. The same person can have many functions, it is therefore the same for the brain which as well as having the functions we already recognise such as controlling physical activity, speaking and controlling bodily functions it ca n also control the mind. Overall, although religious philosophy offers an explanation for the body soul distinction it is based on little empirical evidence. For those who already follow the religion it may fit in with their beliefs however, for those who are atheist of follow another religion the evidence that it uses makes little logical sense. Such dualists views as Plato where the assumptions are based on everyday life may be more appropriate, however there is still little empirical evidence to prove the theory. On the other hand materialists put fore ward convincing arguments based on scientifically testable theories i.e. Dawkins. But neither arguments yet put enough evidence fore ward to either prove their views or disprove that of others. Therefore the statement Religious philosophy can offer no firm evidence for a distinction between body and soul may be considered as correct, however there is not yet enough evidence to suggest that religious views of dualism cannot be true.

Angiosperms and Gymnosperms essays

Angiosperms and Gymnosperms essays Angiosperms are flowering plants. Angiosperms are the biggest group in the plant kingdom. They have true roots, stems, leaves and flowers. They also have seeds. The seeds are formed when an egg is fertilized by pollen in the ovary. The ovary is within the flower. The flower contains the male or female parts of the plant. Fruits are frequently produced from these ripened ovaries. Angiosperms are more highly evolved that the algae, mosses, fungi and ferns. Their advanced structures allow them to live on land. They have roots that hold the plant in place and take in needed minerals and water. They have leaves that are the major food makers for the plant. They have stems that hold the plants up and move the nutrients and water about the plant. Angiosperms are the primary food source for animals and provide oxygen for us to breathe. They provide lumber for buildings and other objects, fibers for clothes, are the basis for many drugs. Gymnosperms are a type of plant that reproduces by a seed that is not enclosed. They are not like the angiosperms that have seeds contained flowers. Many of these plants are cone-bearing plants. Gymnosperms are found throughout the world. They have roots and stems. Their leaves are in the form of needles in conifers. At the time of pollination, the pollen grains fall among the cone scales until they fall on to the ovules. As the cone grows up, it gets bigger and the seeds that are created by the male pollen and female parts are seen. Most conifers are always green and they do not shed their leaves as deciduous plants do but retain their needles for quite a while. When the needles fall off, they are quickly replaced. Other groups within the gymnosperms include the gingkos and cycads. ...

Chronicle of a Death Fortold Essays - Gabriel Garca Mrquez, Santiago

Chronicle of a Death Fortold Essays - Gabriel Garca Mrquez, Santiago Chronicle of a Death Fortold Chronicle of a Death Fortold, by Gabriel Marquez, is concerned with death in life and life in death. It was rainy on the day of Santiago Nasars murder, and yet by the account of others, it was not. His death is so mingled with illusory images that everything seems mystified: much like death itself. The fact that the story is about how a death consumes the lives of the entire town as well as the victim, shows that it is concerned with death in life and asks us to evaluate our own views. Not only is the story concerned with death in life on the literary level, but the people of the town feel obliged to honor and offer gifts to a bishop that doesnt even like the town. It is perhaps because they fear if they do not keep their faith, they are putting in jeopardy their fate after death; this is the primary concern of all religions, life after death and fear of the unknown. "For years we couldnt talk about anything else. . .and it was obvious that we werent doing it from an urge to clear up mysteries but because none of us could go on living without an exact knowledge of the place and the mission assigned to us by fate"(113). "All right, girl, he said to her, trembling with rage, tell us who it was. . .Santiago Nasar, she said"(53). Whether or not Santiago Nasar was the reason behind Angela Vicarios lost honor, his death shapes and defines her life afterwards. Many in the town describe her as being a woman half in mourning and the narrator is amazed at how she ends up understanding her own life despite how much she was made to die in life(101). Chronicle of a Death Fortold makes us look at life and death and face uncertainty about our future. Because it questions death and our belief in religion, it depreciates, in a sense, our strong belief in the glories of afterlife. Like the narrator, maybe we, "couldnt bring ouselves to admit that life might end up resembling bad literature so much"(102). It makes us think that we should be content now, and not later, and that the intermingling of life and death is not purely coincidental, but perhaps one is no greater than the other.

Strategic Management Real insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic Management Real insurance - Essay Example Insurance provision flourishes on records and the skill to strategise information from a range of diverse sources to issue course of actions and supervise. Consequently the rapidly growing division in the insurance business is the incorporation of wide-ranging business processes, for instance underwriting policies, executing policy controller services, and reporting argues into workflow structures. Sensitive industry antagonism, augmented customer hopes and requirements for larger effectiveness are chief drivers shoving the insurance business to reassess its tactics and to adjust its long-established in use processes. Insurance organisations, such as Real Insurance, should gather the advantages of modernised Web-based flow mechanisation, lessening expenses of operations and cutting decision making time. By employing online automation, Real can divest the vastness of this practice and enhance profits by giving end users direct access to their records online instantaneously and letting them to deal their own service requests, ask for an excerpt and even join and download a policy (Liang, 2000). Sharing and swap of confidential information between numerous public and corporations need by insurance industries. The test is how to achieve this harmlessly and cost effectively while promising customer trustworthiness and keeping high levels of customer satisfaction. Likewise it is essential to certify that only authorised staff can access restricted consumer statistics or supervise claim records in line with the Privacy laws. This process can be considered a great innovation by handing over not only information access but also operational transactions to the end user. The revolution will have the following impact on the insurance industry (Cockburn, 2001): Upgrading level of service to clients, Noteworthy cost reduction Versatile flexible, groups and products presented, Updated procedural effectiveness Better control of technology. 2. Outline of the analysis with reasons of the selections The link between Knowledge Management and Strategy (Zack, 1999) is the key to Web-based Insurance Structure of Real Insurance and will enable this organisation to find gap between knowledge and strategy (Refer figure 1). Figure 1: 2.1 Modernised form of Insurance The function of Internet and associated information technologies is to create and allocate insurance functionalities. In an advanced sense, it

Progressivism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Progressivism - Essay Example The era ensured direct primaries and voting of American seniors. This achievement was vital because it gave the citizens power of their regime. The progressives had a goal of improving education in high school through construction of vital facilities such as playgrounds. This measure was to suppress certain districts and substitute the urban machines (Henretta & David 253). The urban machines were corrupt and inefficient systems of municipality. The era saw the regulation of labor laws hence all people especially women were able to receive minimum wages (Henretta & David 583). Child labor was in restriction and insurance cover for factory workers enhanced. The work of progressives facilitated to the redress of various issues, for example, drugs and operation of the railroad industry (Henretta & David 461). There was firm antitrust laws plus decreased tariffs. The congress ensured control of banking systems hence improving conditions of work. Progressivism featured constitutional changes allowing income tax. The changes in constitution altered the election process leading to gender consideration. The reforms outlawed the sale plus manufacture of alcohol in various regions. The pioneers of progressivism called for restriction of immigrants through control of borders, and changing the nationality of the

Movie review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Movie Review Example One of the aspects of the Iranian society that has been shown in the documentary is the anti-U.S protests. The highly-educated society has demonstrated against the U.S government on several occasions. It is vital to note that the anti-U.S protests are not aimed against the U.S people, but against the U.S policies on the Middle East and Iran. In addition to the anti-U.S protests, the film show the functioning of Iranian propaganda (Omaar, 2012). Iranian propaganda is different from the U.S propaganda because it is strict. Iran has blatant censorship of media content. This differs from the subtle censorship used by U.S media. The BBC documentary on Iran highlights the misrepresentation and misunderstanding of the Iranian society and Islamic culture. The aim of the documentary is to use local Iranians to give their stories and perceptions about different issues. The documentary helps in the understanding that Iranians are picking up elements of Western societies. Most of the people outside Iran think that Iranians are against American citizens. All the same, the documentary succeeds in showing that they are against the policies of the American

Pepsi Entry into india A lesson In globilization Case Study

Pepsi Entry into india A lesson In globilization - Case Study Example Haunting challenges in the political, public, economic and social front where there in store aplenty for Pepsi, but the paramount task was to appease the politicians, i.e., the government first, which would automatically reduce the burden in all other front to a great extent. Peter Druker had long back said about the future globe that reciprocity will be the central principle of international economic integration. Thus Pepsi knew that for it to enter India, it has to reciprocate by some deeds that would facilitate the The promises that Pepsi made to deliver if it were allowed access to Indian Market was aplenty. A few noteworthy ones are focussing on food and agro processing generating job opportunities for the people of Punjab, boosting the image of Indian products in foreign markets, etc. Given all these promises, If a question is asked whether the company materialized all that, the answer would be no. It did make an attempt to bring about a green revolution in the state of Punjab; there was a drastic increase in the production of tomatoes, farmers were given free farming equipments and agro based research centres were opened in Karnataka and Punjab. Corporate Social Responsibility is an often heard word now, but the colossal part that it plays is corroborated by Pepsi's entry into India. It was only through its social perks that it got access to the Indian Market.The cat was out of the bag in 1991, around two years after Pepsi's entry into India that it was conspicuous that Pepsi failed in mos t of its obligations. This was a double whammy for the same George Fernandez who blasted the Rajiv Gandhi run Government at the parliament. His accusations where that, pepsi was indulging in under invoicing and by consecutively preparing bogus receipts and hiding transactions to a great extent. That is a different case in itself. A foreign company should be polycentric- meaning, it should consider that each and every host country where they set there shop has got a different set of culture and habits and especially problems with which they wouldn't be in a position to appreciate any endeavour by a foreign company. Thus Pepsi was aware of it and Knew that winning public opinion is the only solution for there entry and especially the farmers of Punjab.There motto was "performance with purpose" which did sell well among the people of India and the politicians. Under this tagline, apart from engaging the farmers' pepsi did quiet a number of social activities like replenishing waste water, waste to wealth initiative, collaboration with farmers through contract farming etc. This only tells that for a multinational company to explore a new customer base, it has to deal with ordinary people of the host country first who may not be their customers in the first place. But still their good will is always necessary for the company to survive.

Niketown as an Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6750 words

Niketown as an Experience - Essay Example As part of this swing toward making everything an aspect of the brand, companies were beginning to recognize the power of the building to promote the brand itself. One of the companies to key into this idea early was The Body Shop, which expanded by as many as 50 stores per year beginning in 1988, even during the years of the recession. â€Å"Most baffling of all to Wall Street, it pulled off the expansion without spending a dime on advertising. Who needed billboards and magazine ads when retail outlets were three-dimensional advertisements for an ethical and ecological approach to cosmetics? The Body Shop was all brand.†2 Another company to quickly realize the potential of focusing completely on developing the idea of brand was Nike. Despite the potential for long-term payoffs, there has often been difficulty in getting business executives typically focused on the current ‘bottom line’ to understand the significant assets architecture and design can be in developing the corporate brand, which, in turn, works to establish the company’s ultimate success. â€Å"While statistical analysis and econometric techniques have been used to evaluate the trade-offs between alternatives, features and prices for products, there has not been a tool to inform the design process of architecture, environmental graphic design and the built environment. However, the ‘fixed assets’ of built environments, especially those of retail and consumer service sectors, are integrally linked to brand identity and equity.†3 The executives at Nike, though, did their homework and revolutionized the architecture/design/brand connection to such an extent that it becomes difficult to draw the line between reta il outlet, entertainment venue and museum.   

Why I want to work in the Maritime Industry Essay - 2

Why I want to work in the Maritime Industry - Essay Example Therefore, skilled and experienced professionals are required to handle and operate these vessels. I am fond of travelling, hence want to build my career as a Seaman or a Seafarer in the Maritime industry. I enjoy meeting new people of different cultures. I have an interest in the field of electronics, art and mechanics and want to build a career in electronics. I have the excitement and eagerness to learn various types of trades and incorporate it in career. I have full dedication towards my work and do not fear hard work. The work of a Seafarers is to operate and manage the ships and deliver transportation services from one country to another country. Thus, if any problem arises in electronics and mechanical sections regarding repair and maintenance, I will be able to resolve it through my skills and experience. Therefore, I want to work in the maritime industry and make my presence felt, through my hard work, dedication and knowledge. Furthermore, Seaman is an essential body of maritime industry as well as the Navy. It provides engineering base support towards the seagoing elements. I will feel proud to be an eminent member of this industry as it supports the national security by building and repairing the ships of defense manufacturing base. Well-built maritime infrastructures such as shipyards, suppliers and seafarers are among the crucial aspect for a country to fulfil the requirements of navy with regards to protection. I have a strong working experience, which will assist me in developing my career in maritime industry. I have worked in the field of electronics and warehouse and have adequate knowledge in the given field. I want to utilize my knowledge, zeal and experience in the maritime industry as a seaman. This job will be a boost in my career path and help me in achieving my desired goal. There are career prospects in this industry as it provides training and education support to

Pepsi Entry into india A lesson In globilization Case Study

Pepsi Entry into india A lesson In globilization - Case Study Example Haunting challenges in the political, public, economic and social front where there in store aplenty for Pepsi, but the paramount task was to appease the politicians, i.e., the government first, which would automatically reduce the burden in all other front to a great extent. Peter Druker had long back said about the future globe that reciprocity will be the central principle of international economic integration. Thus Pepsi knew that for it to enter India, it has to reciprocate by some deeds that would facilitate the The promises that Pepsi made to deliver if it were allowed access to Indian Market was aplenty. A few noteworthy ones are focussing on food and agro processing generating job opportunities for the people of Punjab, boosting the image of Indian products in foreign markets, etc. Given all these promises, If a question is asked whether the company materialized all that, the answer would be no. It did make an attempt to bring about a green revolution in the state of Punjab; there was a drastic increase in the production of tomatoes, farmers were given free farming equipments and agro based research centres were opened in Karnataka and Punjab. Corporate Social Responsibility is an often heard word now, but the colossal part that it plays is corroborated by Pepsi's entry into India. It was only through its social perks that it got access to the Indian Market.The cat was out of the bag in 1991, around two years after Pepsi's entry into India that it was conspicuous that Pepsi failed in mos t of its obligations. This was a double whammy for the same George Fernandez who blasted the Rajiv Gandhi run Government at the parliament. His accusations where that, pepsi was indulging in under invoicing and by consecutively preparing bogus receipts and hiding transactions to a great extent. That is a different case in itself. A foreign company should be polycentric- meaning, it should consider that each and every host country where they set there shop has got a different set of culture and habits and especially problems with which they wouldn't be in a position to appreciate any endeavour by a foreign company. Thus Pepsi was aware of it and Knew that winning public opinion is the only solution for there entry and especially the farmers of Punjab.There motto was "performance with purpose" which did sell well among the people of India and the politicians. Under this tagline, apart from engaging the farmers' pepsi did quiet a number of social activities like replenishing waste water, waste to wealth initiative, collaboration with farmers through contract farming etc. This only tells that for a multinational company to explore a new customer base, it has to deal with ordinary people of the host country first who may not be their customers in the first place. But still their good will is always necessary for the company to survive.

Why I want to work in the Maritime Industry Essay - 2

Why I want to work in the Maritime Industry - Essay Example Therefore, skilled and experienced professionals are required to handle and operate these vessels. I am fond of travelling, hence want to build my career as a Seaman or a Seafarer in the Maritime industry. I enjoy meeting new people of different cultures. I have an interest in the field of electronics, art and mechanics and want to build a career in electronics. I have the excitement and eagerness to learn various types of trades and incorporate it in career. I have full dedication towards my work and do not fear hard work. The work of a Seafarers is to operate and manage the ships and deliver transportation services from one country to another country. Thus, if any problem arises in electronics and mechanical sections regarding repair and maintenance, I will be able to resolve it through my skills and experience. Therefore, I want to work in the maritime industry and make my presence felt, through my hard work, dedication and knowledge. Furthermore, Seaman is an essential body of maritime industry as well as the Navy. It provides engineering base support towards the seagoing elements. I will feel proud to be an eminent member of this industry as it supports the national security by building and repairing the ships of defense manufacturing base. Well-built maritime infrastructures such as shipyards, suppliers and seafarers are among the crucial aspect for a country to fulfil the requirements of navy with regards to protection. I have a strong working experience, which will assist me in developing my career in maritime industry. I have worked in the field of electronics and warehouse and have adequate knowledge in the given field. I want to utilize my knowledge, zeal and experience in the maritime industry as a seaman. This job will be a boost in my career path and help me in achieving my desired goal. There are career prospects in this industry as it provides training and education support to

Importance of Teamwork in Nursing Essay Example for Free

Importance of Teamwork in Nursing Essay Teamwork involves the merging of members of the same or different professions or domains to work towards a common goal. This group compliments the skills of each member who are consequently committed to one purpose. Teamwork is therefore challenging and at the same time rewarding. It is coupled with a lot of enthusiasm, hope and a share of its own setbacks. Teamwork is initially formed in any particular group with an aim of dividing the effort of accomplishing a particular task while at the same instance multiplying the effect. Any positive work experience usually has an aspect of teamwork in it. Nurses make up the largest care-provider in a hospital setting thus nursing is a job that requires a lot of teamwork. This involves a nurse to nurse or a nurse to physician teamwork. In most cases, the nursing workforce is neglected by the administration involved due to the anticipation of the patients’ recuperation and recovery, thus nurturing a form of autonomy among the workforce. This serves in downsizing the emphasis on teamwork and this happens at the very expense of the same patients. Service delivery is paramount in the field of nursing and teamwork is one of the core determiners of good service delivery. Teamwork among any group, on the other hand, is determined by various factors. These include openness, responsibility, honesty, accountability, reliability, dialogue and understanding. All this factors have to be put to consideration while putting together a coherent team. A slight disregard of any would see to the failure of the team to deliver as expected. Teamwork does come with its own set of challenges that inhibit the delivery of good service by the team. These mainly occur as a result of conflict among the members of the team which is in turn rooted on differences pertaining distribution of duty, sharing, priority and unnecessary competition. Poor handling of such issues often leads to the occurrence of many mistakes, mistrust among the team members, confusion, wastage of resources, lack of motivation, time wastage and lots of arguments that hold no water. More often than not, it is the patients who bear the yoke of such disagreements as the service rendered to them is henceforth substandard and this plunges their lives into jeopardy. Fallouts are common at this stage since the restructuring of these nursing teams would mean loss of time and complete loss of motivation among the team members. Precautions are therefore very necessary to avoid such grave situations as they do put the lives of others at stake. Adjustments should be made at the slightest sign of unrest among the team members. Sharing responsibility equally is usually the first major leap by any group. Matters pertaining age, seniority and level of experience should not be used to condescend against some members. On the contrary, the members should maximize on the potential that comes with these various facets of diversity and others like gender, socio-cultural and economic backgrounds. Put together, all this facets can give rise to a whole new of teamwork with a lot of diversity which would lead to the conception of new ideas. The approach of issues proactively rather than reactively is also a worthwhile measure to counter these challenges. Prevention has always worked better than cure and this is also the same convention with proactive action. The team members are charged with the task of ensuring that any prevailing or looming predicaments are brought to the light before they turn ugly and cause rifts within the team. This serves in ensuring that little or no time is lost in the process of solving problems. Letting the issues accrue and the procrastination of dealing with them ends up in the wastage of time and patients bearing the lion’s share of these problems due to the poor service delivery. Cultivating a culture of dialogue is another way of avoiding conflict in the course of teamwork. When a team embraces dialogue, prevalent issues are addressed and solved amicably. Positive criticism ensures that everyone can correct each other without any hard feelings. When criticism is directed towards a person positively, he or she is bound to make the amends wherever the error occurs. Gradual technological enhancement and restructuring the team every now and then is necessary in order to avoid monotony. This reignites the team with zeal thus ensuring a rise in quality service delivery. Clarity on the roles of each team member would also do some good. This would help in avoiding the confusion especially if the team has numerous members. Morale on the side of the administration would also improve the team’s service delivery. This could be done through the formation of some form of healthy inter-teams competitions that would see the appreciation of the team that is best at service delivery. Incentives can also be brought to the picture. This would actually ensure that the teams work hard to outdo each other and thus better their teamwork in this process. An improvement in the teamwork among the nurses would have some major effects in service to the patients. There would be definitely be an improved client-service delivery, improved relationships between team members and consequently with the administration. These healthcare institutions would also unveil a wider range of services due to the time efficient system. In conclusion, teamwork in nursing is sacrosanct since it is a profession that deals with lives of people. An improvement in service delivery therefore means that the clients are in safer hands. Reference: Institute for Innovation and Improvement, (March, 2007): Developing and sustaining effective teams. ISBN 9781904114482, Royal College of Nursing, Retrieved on 3rd April 2009 from: http://www. rcn. org. uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/78735/003115. pdf,

The Museum And Art Gallery Kelvingrove Tourism Essay

The Museum And Art Gallery Kelvingrove Tourism Essay The current study analyzes the visitor operations and experience in a detailed manner for Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. The visitor operations and experience is handled in the current study in four different perspectives namely: Marketing Perspective, Management Perspective, Operations perspective and Quality Perspective. Marketing perspective starts with the approach of marketing strategies using 4 Ps technique for understanding the prevailing strategies for the organizations. Then, using the mentioned strategies the study shifts to the Kelvingrove museum art and gallery analysis for marketing strategies. Management perspective follows the marketing perspective analysis specific to Kelvingrove with the factors that influence the management success or failure. Then, it analyses the key functions that are implemented by the management of Kelvingrove in the art gallery with respect to the staff and the visitors experience. Third perspective that deals with the visitors attraction s and the operational activities that are performed in general is operational perspective. The second part of this deals with the analysis of how Kelvingrove manages the operations effectively that made them successful. The next part is to concentrate on the quality perspective which is being carried out in all the organizations but which is the key factor that needs to be taken utter care for performing in higher levels of standard. This is analyzed for Kelvingrove using the famous technique of SERVQUAL method. The current study then highlights the recommendations which though minor needs to be followed up by the museum organizations to be in a better position. Then, the study ends with the limitations to the current study which can be further studied if those were not restricted. INTRODUCTION The Museum and Art Gallery, Kelvingrove is run by the Culture and Leisure Services Department of Glasgow City Council. The Museum is housed in an impressive Category A listed building which was first opened in 1901 as part of the International Exhibition and is one of Glasgows landmarks. Kelvingrove is the most visited museum outside London, receiving over one million visitors a year in the last five years (Scottish Tourist Board). Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is an excellent place to visit with a vast collection of masterpieces of various people (Top-ten-Glasgow-guide, 2009).   Marketing Perspective Philip Kotler (2008:17) defines marketing as satisfying needs and wants through an exchange process. Marketing is an integrated process through which companies create value for customers and build strong customer relationships in order to capture value from customers in return. Marketing is not just about selling. Peter Drucker (2004:34) explained, The aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous. [It] is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service fits him and sells itself. Ideally, marketing should result in a customer who is ready to buy. In addition the marketing management should be innovative while product development and calculating the added value. This would also ensure that the short run needs and long run requirements are balanced to meet the customer requirements and yield profits (Swarbroke, 1999:218). In the current study, we focus on marketing visitor attractions. A visitor attraction can be defined as somewhere worth leaving home for and this is as relevant to a single museum or cathedral as it is to a town or place. In a successful visitor attraction, the product on offer is the experience itself, spending money on that experience must be worthwhile. In the experience economy, the visitor attractions must continuously reinvent itself to have repeat visits and survive. This economy of experience is about quality, service and choice it is not about size. Successful visitor attractions of whatever size sells memories, experiences and expectations to individual customers. Hence it is important to have the right marketing mix for the product you are trying to sell. The term marketing mix refers to the primary elements that must be attended to in order to properly market a product or service. Also known as The 4 Ps of Marketing, the marketing mix is a very useful, if a bit general, guideline for understanding the fundamentals of what makes a good marketing campaign. (Hooley, 2008: 45-60). Four Ps Strategies: Product: A visitor attraction will have many different products on offer namely the permanent collection, temporary exhibitions, special events and educational resources for schools, colleges and universities. In addition to this, there are products such as the membership schemes, gift shops, cafes and corporate hire facilities. Place: Place is the location where the products or the customers output is ready for use. There are two key factors that a museum or a visitor attraction promotes with regards to its location: Excellent transport links by bus and train. Easy ticket booking facilities available onsite or online. Price: Price impacts strongly on how businesses fare competitively (Diamantopoulos et al., 1995). Hence price is considered as the key element in the marketing mix. There are different factors that affect pricing decisions for marketers namely organizational and marketing objectives; pricing objectives; costs; remaining marketing mix variables; channel member expectations; buyers perceptions; competition; legal and regulatory issues and perceived value. The following three aspects need to cover while determining price: standard admission fee, discounts on admission fee (discount percentage and conditions) and concessions provided mainly in public sector attractions to disadvantaged people. Promotion: This aspect of the marketing mix represents the possible tools used to communicate with and attract the target audiences. These can include: Advertising paying for adverts in newspapers, magazines and radio, and on poster sites Print producing banners, posters, leaflets and other items, and arranging distribution. Leaflets are sent to places such as libraries, tourist information offices, cafes and other places likely to be visited by the campaigns target audience. Direct mail sending leaflets or other print with a letter to named individuals, using in-house data bases or external lists of names which are either researched or bought. Sales promotion and brand partnerships promotions include offering prizes or discounts on tickets in collaboration with other parties, from newspapers and magazines to rail networks and coffee shops. Partnerships could involve window displays in shops, or branded giveaways. New media e-newsletters and website features Public relations (Kevin, 1994: 20) In this context, Kelvingrove has done a fantastic job in being the most popular museum in U.K outside London through its effective marketing plan. For the management, the key the primary challenge has been to encourage repeat visits and Kelvingrove has successful done so with new advanced features or quality improvements. Kelvingrove successfully underwent a re-development of its displays and visitor facilities. At Kelvingrove there are 200,000 objects with only 20,000 on display at any time within the gallery. After the refurbishment 50% more items are on display to the public. Lot of efforts have gone to ensure that Kelvingrove meets all the requirements pertaining to security, humidity control and lighting to attract major tours to Glasgow. Working on feedback from researchers who identified that a very large number of visitors to the gallery never left the ground floor, marketing experts have ensured that public gets more back space and have all the information to find way around the gallery. A Formal Educational Space for children and Childrens Discovery Centers and developments like these will be a major boost to schools, colleges and universities in and around Glasgow. The acquisition of knowledge is supported at various levels and the gallery is geared up for those who wish to explore subjects in more detail with support from staff with the availability of quiet self-study areas. At Kelvingrove there is now an Object Cinema and 22 themed galleries focusing on 100 different stories. These wonderful features are supported by an effective promotional campaign through vibrant brochures and hand-outs. Since, its an icon by itself, not much is spent on advertising through media. The museum sponsors for many events including sports and cultural activities. Kelvingrove uses the approach of newspapers and posters which is a modest way for marketing. The museum sponsors many events including sports and cultural activities and hosts various exhibitions. It has als o maintained its reach to the public through its website which is always providing updated and relevant information to potential visitors. These are the marketing strategies that Kelvingrove marketers follow. Figure: Goma Family Festival, 2009 (Source: Glasgow museums, whats on for families?) Management Perspective: The management has indirect impact on the visitors experience at the attractions. It directly impacts the employee attitudes and job satisfaction. The visitor management is the key aspect for the management to handle in different scenarios namely during the visit and before the visit. Museum and art galleries are defined by International Council of Museums as a non-profit institution, permanent institution in the service of society and its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, entertainment and study (ICOM Statutes art.3 para.1, 2007) . One of the major causes of dissatisfaction is connected with the process of management. Many of the staff members (employees) feel that their managers do not know how to manage because of the conflicting agenda or cause of stress and frustration. Better management skills and training would be valuable for overcoming these problems. Museums have a potential valuable resource where many managers appear to enjoy the creative aspects of their work. Here development and implementation of the required skills is an important issue. (Swarbroke, 1999: 50). MANAGEMENT STYLE: Management in all business areas and human organization activity is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leading or directing, and controlling an organization (a group of one or more people or entities) or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal. Resourcing encompasses the deployment and manipulation of human resources, financial resources, technological resources, and natural resources. This is very much the case in places of visitor attractions as well. Good management may not be the measure of a good museum, butà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦would most certainly appear to be one of its critical prerequisites (Weil and Cheit, 1994: 289). A well-managed museum is one in which: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Everyone has a clear idea of the purpose of his or her work and its value to the museum; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Staff works to a plan which has been devised for their area; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Clear procedures are followed for the activities which they undertake; and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Each section of the museum is involved in, and is responsible for, the efficient operation of its area. (Shostack, 1985: 25). Museum management can have different emphasis regarding service delivery depending on the prevailing management styles. The two different management styles are the custodial management and the market focused management. A successful museum management may require the right balance of the two styles. Recognition of the multi-dimensional nature of the museum experience and consideration of the values of both the roles is vital for the effective management of a museum. (Leask Yeoman, 1999: 38-42) At Kelvingrove the management has done an excellent job in utilizing the resources and capabilities at their disposal to make Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum Scotlands busiest visitor attraction last year according to VisitScotland. It excels in a number of areas a few of which are discussed below: Aesthetically displayed exhibits: Kelvingrove Museum has always enjoyed a unique position of its own in the world of heritage museums and recently with its imaginative and empathetic redesigning it has become more appealing to art lovers. Be it the gallant and fragile Spitfire hanging by a thread to show how desperately perilous those wartime raids must have been, the 40-foot dinosaur of the Rennie Mackintosh rooms or the story of the Scots POWs who painted icons on sacks: each of them keep you hooked with odd life-art juxtapositions and the credit goes to none other than the management team who has done a fantastic job in their maintenance. And with the recent reinvention, the museum has become much more organized than before. The doors now open in the basement. Thats the first of the changes. One enters through chic white vaults glowing with red and blue landing light and ascends by stairways fluttering with fabulous birds. The restaurant is a glass pavilion. The clutter of corridors has been rationalized. Light da nces more brightly round the vast halls now that the grime of a century has been scoured away to reveal brilliant blond sandstone. And a third more space has been created in which to display stunningly lit, in jewel-colored rooms nearly twice as many objects. Thus we see that quality has been the foremost focus of the management of Kelvingrove museum and the aim has always been to provide its visitors a life changing experience (Policy Strategic Planning, Glasgow Museums). Organizational Structure: A flat organizational structure ensures that communication is fast across levels and resolutions of operational and management issues take place at a quicker pace. It is a three tier structure with the deputy director heading the management. Furthermore the Culture and Sport Glasgow, which is responsible for museums in Glasgow, reports to a Board of 11 Directors, which comprises six elected members, four independent Directors and the Chief Executive of Culture and Sport Glasgow. Cross Functional Efficiencies: Functional units within the museum instead of working independently interacts and co-ordinates with each other to promote the museum and help the management to achieve their objectives. For instance the marketing department works along with the IT department to reach out to potential and incumbent visitors. Through various online and print publications and also through the website, relevant information about the museum and events surrounding it is made available to the general public. Supporting Activities: The management has also taken significant steps in providing various activities to the general public apart from the viewing of the museum. These range from general facilities like parking, cafe/restaurant, shops, guide assistance dogs to facilities for hosting corporate, and private events. There is also a Centre of New Enlightenment (TCoNE)  designed for young people aged from 10 to 14 years. It uses state-of-the-art equipment and dramatic presentations to explore the museum and its collections and help young people discover their potential. It has an Object Cinema located on the first floor. It is a multi-media centre using video, sound and lighting to tell the story behind a single object or a group of objects. The content will change on a regular basis. Thus we see that the management has taken utmost care of providing the most pleasant experience to visitors at Kelvingrove Art gallery and Museum and continuously tries to improve their service. Operations perspective: In visitors attractions operations management can be defined as a day to day management of the site. Although it appears to be a simple task of managing the site it involves many internal processes, which will help to manage the attraction more efficiently and effectively (Swarbrooke, 2002). According to Rogers Slinn (1993) cited in (Swarbrooke, 2002), operations management is concerned with the design, operation and control of the system that matches the organisations resources to customer service needs. According to Slack, Chambers et al. (1995) cited in Leask Yeoman (1999), resources can be classified into transformed resources which can be transformed or converted and transforming resources which will act upon the transformed resources. Transformed resources include materials, information and customers where as the transforming resources include facilities and staff. Operations management mainly concentrates more on using the available transforming resources like staff and mach inery to provide an efficient service for the customers. In visitor attractions effective management of operations will help in smooth and efficient operation of the site. Every one working within the site will be directly or indirectly involved in operation management (Swarbrooke, 2002). Generally operations management deals with real people and real issues within a practical environment. In visitors attractions operations management deals with many tasks like Design of the site. Management of visitors and capacity management. Staff training. Monitoring quality issues. The operations within an attraction site vary depending upon the organisation or its customer point of view (Leask Yeoman, 1999). From an organisation perspective operations management generally concentrates on increasing the visitors opportunities in the site, staff and visitors safety, low operational costs, looking after visitors with special needs within the available resources, ensuring to maintain high quality standards, compliance with the law and effective problem solving. However customers perspective of the operations might vary in different areas as the customers are not concerned about the operating costs, they generally look for minimized delays and queues and safety of visitors, high quality service and optimized visitor enjoyment regardless of costs, complaints should be dealt in a positive manner without any time delay. Many skills and attributes are required for effective operations management within a site like good knowledge of the site its staff and its usage by the visitors, paying attention in detail about the site, planning systems, procedures in advance and flexibility to change them in different circumstances, effective crises management, financial management, being firm but tactical, confidence on own abilities and judgement, seeing things from customers and staff perspective and looking for constant improvement. Operations management within an attraction site is to enhance the quality of visitors experience. Generally the areas which have a great impact might include the way the queues are managed, handling complaints in an effective and efficient way, solving problems quickly, steps to increase visitors enjoyment and their safety to make them feel positive to visit the site. There are constraints on operations management with in an attraction site which depends on: Operation manager attitude, experience, abilities. The attractions organisations structure, culture and beliefs. Availability of resources like skills of the staff and their freedom in order to solve the problems. Availability of financial resources. Legislation, regulations and social acceptability (Swarbrooke, 2002). Financial resources are funded by Glasgow City Council and are ahead of many national names like British Library and Tate Liverpool. The attractions include the opening of the Doctor with exhibition at the end of the month where Kelvingrove will be the centre of scientific universe. Bailie Liz Cameron, chairwoman of Culture and Sport Glasgow manages the museums and galleries said that These (as stated above) figures prove once again that Glasgows collections are of both national and international significance. We will continue to invest in our museums and art galleries, bringing new exhibitions to some of Scotlands most cherished attractions(Cameron, Glasgow News). The operations management should consider handling the operations such as minimize the risks associated with the display of art gallery and museum articles. They (Kelvingrove operations team) focus on the spending of visitors at various occasions. This is handled by museum by placing all the facilities and amenities which all aged people feel to spend money such as cafeteria, restaurant and some books related to history, some articles which can easily attract young generation which are stylish. They (operations team) not only considers these aspects of entertainment of making maximum profits from visitors but also the management should spend appropriately on labour, power sources etc. To handle the cost-in and cost-out schemes equally. They should also need to take care of providing special access to the disabled people or old people who are challenged but would like to visit the museum. All these activities are handled complying the laws and regulations in Scotland. The next aspect is about the Kelvingrove handles several minute things also in a big picture like: facility for car parking, toilets and elevators to be provided. And for the safety guidance, there are many fire exit points where the staff is trained to guide the visitors to the fire exit in case of fire. For addressing difficulties the visitors are facing or challenges they face during the visit or suggestions they would like management to keep an eye and improve better: All certain feedback can be submitted in a separate department for efficient handling of all the concerns. So, The operations management is either successful for Kevin grove as it follows and perfectly implements the functions namely problem-solving, resource management, risk management, visitor attractions, customer satisfaction and last but not the least: quality. Quality perspective: Generally in product related manufacturing industries quality is a product-led concept which concentrates on features and attributes of the product. The extent to which a product or service can satisfy wants and needs of a customer can be seen as a quality. According to Swarbrooke (2002) quality can be defined as the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs. Quality is not only about the outcome of the product or service but also the whole processes that involves getting the outcomes. Quality in visitors attractions is all about offering a good service to the visitors. Quality at visitor attractions can be viewed in two ways as a set of outcomes visitors receive or the processes how the attraction operates. For example set of outcomes might include the physical appearance; the price the customer pays, service offered, safety, reliability and the number of complaints about the attractions. The process es include human resource management, hierarchy, culture style of management, and marketing style of the visitor attraction. When designing quality management systems there are three important questions that should be considered for attractions they are (i) definition of the quality the management will use (ii) performance standards and measurement system to be used (iii) the management systems they need to adopt for achieving quality. So attraction operators should pay attention to both process and outcomes in their quality management systems. The quality management system should include every aspect of management of attraction like tangible elements of the attraction which include buildings and structures, maintenance levels, comfort and security of visitors. Quality management within a visitor attraction can be viewed from both internal and external perspective. For example internal perspective includes the views of attraction managers for whom quality is smooth operation of attr action site and minimum customer complaints, attraction staff who sees quality as their terms and conditions of employment and few complaints to handle. The external perspective includes the views of customers who tend to see the quality in terms of how easy, safe and secure to use the site and the value for their money (Swarbrooke, 2002). Measuring Quality: In order to maintain quality service it is important to measure quality. Among the techniques available for service quality measurement SERVQUAL method developed by Parasuraman et al. in 1985 is the most popular. It is a technique that can be used to perform a gap analysis between an organizations service quality performance and the customers service quality needs. It is an empirically derived method that can be used by a service organization to improve its service quality. It takes into account the perceptions of the customers of the relative importance of service attributes. This allows an organization to prioritize and use its resources to improve the most critical service attributes. The methodology is based on 5 key dimensions: Reliability: This is an ability to deliver the service accurately and as promised. According to Zeithaml and Bitner (2000) it is the most important determinant. Responsiveness: to provide prompt service and willingness to help customers. Assurance: the trust and confidence customers will have on staff. Empathy: it covers care and individualized attention to customers. Tangibles: this includes physical facilities, equipment, machinery, personnel and infrastructure (Fitzsimmons, 1994). Quality is subjective and has different meanings to customers and service providers. From the staffs point of view quality is measured by the number of complaints registered from the customers, the fewer the number the higher is the quality of the service. However for the customer it is the environment and experience of the place with respect to the money spent which defines quality. The aim of the management is always to minimize the gap between these two and hence in order to measure quality Servqual is an effective tool under such conditions. In the following section we will try to use the tool to measure quality of the Kelvingrove Art gallery and Museum using the personal experience of the author. ASSESSMENT OF THE KELVINGROVE MUSEUM FOR QUALITY The author paid a visit to the museum recently to have a firsthand experience of the museum and its facilities. During the course of the visit he interacted with visitors to get their feedback on their experiences. In most of the cases the feedback varied from good to excellent, a number of them were thrilled with the experience the museum offered after the restoration. They were happy that the things were better organized, displays were in order, lighting was improved and overall the museum had improved aesthetically. On the five dimensions of Servqual, museum performed as follows: Reliability: After the restoration work, out of 20000 objects that were made for display, there were 50% of the objects being displayed with a number of nearly 8000 objects as promised. More back space has been provided to the public. Responsiveness: Staffs have been highly customer focussed and responsiveness level to customer discomfort has been very high. This is seen in the visitors rating who have rated Kelvingrove art gallery and museum as the best and rated 5 out of 5(Info and Reviews, Kelvingrove). Assurance: The organisation is particular with the awareness of the social inclusion. I observed during the visit to Kelvingrove that there are many educational activities like: training, volunteers, providing knowledge to the children about the history. Moreover all the staffs are knowledgeable about the exhibits and were courteous in explaining them to the visitors. These are as discussed above suit the role of assurance in the SERVQUAL approach for the museums. Empathy: Staffs are presentable and courteous and are always at the disposal of the customers. Tangibles: All the facilities and art works are neatly maintained From the above analysis, it is evident that Kelvingrove ranks high up in the list of places of attraction in Scotland. It is a cultural heritage and pride of Scotland. Recommendations: In spite of the fact the management of Kelvingrove is continuously trying to improve the service to the visitors there are still some areas where considerable improvement can be done. These are as follows: 1. Continuous training needs to be provided to staffs about the artefacts and exhibits at the museum so that they can provide the correct information when asked for by the visitors. A couple of times the author faced this issue during the visit 2. A few artefacts in the Italian Art Gallery do not have any description about them. Visitors may feel a sense of incompleteness when they dont get a descriptive narration of art works. 3. The day of visit of the author collided with a national holiday which drew a large number of visitors to the museum. However, to manage this large crowd customer assistance staffs were not sufficient. Management should look into this matter and probably fill this gap through part time staffs if not by full time to handle large crowds 4. Management should look into rationalizing the food price at the restaurant which appeared to be too costly. 5. Management should take adequate precaution and strictness when allowing children inside the museum as they were touching art work and might damage them. 6. Some of the artworks and other objects were hung in a manner which was crowded and distracting, for instance, the Vuillard. Moreover every painting in the Impressionist room had a horrid flip chart attachment projecting from the wall. 7. Titians Christ and The Adulteress and the Bellini Madonna could not be contemplated in silence because of the nearby narration concerning Botticellis Annunciation These recommendations should be addressed as soon as possible to wipe off any kind of blemishes on the otherwise extraordinary place of attraction in the heart of Glasgow. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY: 1. The annual reports for the museum are very limited that are published in the website which are not sufficient to analyze the position of the museum in the current market. 2. Few of the managers were providing only certain amount of information and are not ready to give detailed information.