Monday, September 30, 2019

Pro Gun Control Essay

Persuasive Pro Gun Control Essay Gun control is a vital necessity to the welfare of our nation. Many people out there are supporting the â€Å"anti- gun control cause† with the excuse of â€Å"self-defense†. I believe that not everyone will handle a gun for self-defense. The possession of a gun is a sign of power. One of the bigger ambitions that one has is to have power and the easier it is to obtain a gun; the faster a criminal will gain power over an innocent person.When one is in possession of a gun, that person has complete control of their actions and may act upon the weapon however the person may please even if they know that their action will cause harm to defense-less people. There are many deaths caused by guns out there that could have been stopped by controlling the ownership of guns in our people. Alen Eppers ones said: â€Å"Dangerous laws created by well-intentioned people today, can be used by dangerous people with evil intentions tomorrow†. I und erstand that there may be different points of view to everything from everyone.This quote could be interpreted in two different ways but the way I see it is in favor of gun control. The well-intentioned people are the people out there trying to allow others to own a gun in order to use it as a self-defense tool, while the â€Å"people with evil intentions† are the criminals out there that use guns for the reason that they were constructed for: to kill. If the â€Å"well intentioned people† were to go against gun control and ban gun control, this law would make gun to be acquired easier to EVERYONE!Whenever a criminal decides that he/she wants to assault a random person in the streets, that person will be able to do so. Once the gun control is taken away, the violence will increase. People will be able to walk around the streets with guns so that whenever there is a fight, someone will die or get fatally hurt. Fights are not a â€Å"once in a while† thing. I know this. I witness this; I know that fight go on several times a week. Students fight for the smallest things. Middle and high school students are mature enough to control their actions and feeling. Teens are not â€Å"strong† enough.I always tell my sister that if she is not strong enough to control herself, she will never be strong enough to control others and will resort to the easiest ways to â€Å"eliminate† that person. She will do whatever is easier to get that stone out of her way rather than talking things over and controlling the situation. Not so long ago my neighbor’s daughter was killed by her ex. I am positive that this could have been stopped. I do not know how the man obtained the gun, but I am sure it was through an illegal way. He is not a policeman, he worked at a supermarket. He does not live in a violent area.He lived in Bergenfield with his girlfriend. The man did go buy a gun a day before because he knew that he wanted to kill his girlfriend . The saddest part is that he killed the girl because she wanted to break up with him. This is what we want for our country? For people to kill their former boyfriends/girlfriends because that person ended the relationship. This tragedy could have not been stopped by the girl having a gun with her. In fact, she might have had to face years of prison for murder and carrying a gun without a license. Sure, gun control will not eliminate violence or completely prevent criminals from obtaining guns.Criminals have their ways to go around the law but by having gun control the murders and assaults with gun will lessen. I know that everyone has rights but the 2nd amendment is misinterpreted. We are not in war with England anymore and do not need a militia, that is why we have a well-trained army. That right to bear arms does not mean everyone must have a gun. Yes, we have the right to bear arms, but only when needed. Everyone has â€Å"inalienable rights† and this girl had the right t o live, which was taken away by simply pulling a trigger. Death should be natural.Nobody has the right to take away someone else’s life. Lastly, if cars need licenses, then why are we against licenses for guns? A stirring wheel on hands of a drunken person is dangerous, but a gun in hands of a criminal is not? Cars could be dangerous, but in case of someone speeding too much, that person cans low down and save his/her life and the lives of others in, behind, in front and besides the car. This is not the same with guns. Once the triggered is pulled, one can’t slow down the bullet and decide that it should not kill the person. One cannot call the bullet back!Once the bullet is out, either the shot misses or it hits its aim. Why must one need a license to drive a car but not to be in possession of a gun? Let me ask you a question, what are licenses for? Who are they given to? Licenses are to protect others and keep them safe. These licenses are only given to those who are responsible enough to handle that specific object or matter. Licenses to be doctors are not given to fisherman and driving licenses are not given to people who cannot drive or who are blind. So why shouldn’t licenses be a requirement to own a gun?Aren’t they equally or more important to protect the safety that everyone yearns for? In conclusion, gun control can is very important for our security. Nobody wants teens with guns. Nobody wants mentally disabled people with guns. I am perfectly sure that not one person would want a gun to be given to a person with anger issues. Tragedies and unnecessary deaths could be prevented if there was a law approving gun control that was restricted to responsible, mentally and psychologically prepared people for the adequate usage of a firearm.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Media Influence on Students

Children's use of media is socialized mostly in the family (cf. Bryant, 1990). Television is an essential part of family life. Viewing occurs mainly with other family members, especially for young children. For instance, in one longitudinal study, more than 70% of the time that 3- to 7-year-old children spent watching general audience programming occurred with a parent (St. Peters, Fitch, Huston, Wright, ; Eakins, 1991). Moreover, television habits are formed early. The amount of television viewed is somewhat stable from age 3 onward, probably because it depends on family patterns that do not change readily (Huston, Wright, Rice, Kerkman, ; St. Peters, 1990). The process of learning is composite and multifaceted. The child should negotiate a series of vital tasks as he or she grows. The child must protect a sense of attachment to mother, father, and family (Bowlby, 1988). Then the child must move through the phases of separation and individuation (Mahler, Pine, ; Bergman, 1975). Here, the baby begins to move toward being a person (i.e., toward developing an internalized world of thought, emotion, and judgment that will facilitate the baby to be autonomous and self-regulating). From there, the child must start to deal with his or her issues of sexual identity, competition, power, and insertion in the group, elements that Freud (1933/ 1964) termed the Oedipal phase. The relationship between unconscious fantasy and the growth of the personality can be understood from the following: The growth of the personality occurs with the maturation of the perceptual apparatus, of memory as well as from the hoarded experience and learning from reality. This process of learning from reality is connected with the development and changes in unconscious fantasy. There is a constant struggle with the child's invincible fantasies and the encounter of realities, good and bad. (Segal, 1991, p. 26) It is also been asserted by experts that media is somewhat unethical for children. Television with its extreme reaching influence spreads transversely the globe. Its most significant part is that of reporting the news and sustaining communication linking people around the world. Television's most prominent, yet most stern feature is its shows for entertainment. Violence in entertainment is a main issue in the growth of violence in society, Violence is the exploit of one's powers to mete out mental or physical injury upon another, and exemplars of this would be rape or murder. Violence in entertainment attains the public through television, movies, plays, and novels. On July 26, 2000, officers of the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry issued a â€Å"Joint Statement on the Impact of Entertainment Violence on Children,† which was subsequently endorsed by both houses of the United States Congress. At this time, well over 1,000 studies—including reports from the Surgeon General's office, the National Institute of Mental Health, and numerous studies conducted by leading figures within our medical and public health organizations—our own members—point â€Å"Overwhelmingly to a causal connection between media violence and aggressive behavior in some children. The conclusion of the public health community, based on over thirty years of research, is that viewing entertainment violence can lead to increases in aggressive attitudes, values, and behavior, particularly in children†¦.† (Joint Statement on the Impact of Entertainment Violence on Children, Congressional Public Health Summit, July 26, 2000). â€Å"The effect of entertainment violence on children is complex and variable. Some children will be affected more than others. But while duration, intensity, and extent of the impact may vary, there are several measurable negative effects of children's exposure to violent entertainment†¦. We in no way mean to imply that entertainment violence is the sole, or even necessarily the most important factor contributing to youth aggression, anti-social attitudes, and violence†¦. Nor are we advocating restrictions on creative activity. The purpose of this document is descriptive, not prescriptive: we seek to lay out a clear picture of the pathological effects of entertainment violence. But we do hope that by articulating and releasing the consensus of the public health community, we may encourage greater public and parental awareness of the harms of violent entertainment, and encourage a more honest dialogue about what can be done to enhance the health and well-being of America's children† (Joint Statement on the Impact of Entertainment Violence on Children, Congressional Public Health Summit, July 26, 2000). New interactive digital media have become an integral part of children's lives. Nearly half (48%) of children six and under have used a computer (31% of 0-3 year-olds and 70% of 4-6 year-olds). Just under a third (30%) has played video games (14% of 0-3 year-olds and 50% of 4-6 year-olds). Even the youngest children — those under two — are widely exposed to electronic media. Forty-three percent of those under two watches TV every day and 26% have a TV in their bedroom (the American Academy of Pediatrics â€Å"urge parents to avoid television for children under 2 years old†). In any given day, two-thirds (68%) of children under two will use a screen media, for an average of just over two hours (2:05). (PR Newswire; 10/28/2003) Moreover, children at elementary level constantly struggle between fantasy and reality can be seen in the child's deep ambivalence concerning accepting the difference between â€Å"what's real† and â€Å"what's made up.† The child frequently attempts to obliterate differences, particularly those existing between the sexes and the generations. The child wants to be everything; he or she wants to be his or her own cause, he or she wants to be unlimited. The child wants to be a boy and a girl; to be his or her own father and mother; to know everything without learning and so forth. One can readily see that TV (as well as movies and video games) can be experienced as a means to gain the delusion of gratifying those wishes. However, teachers and parents distinguish that fantasy and daydreams persist to play an active, at times predominant, aspect of the child's development all through his or her formative years. In many cases, it is not until early adolescence that we see children able to assimilate their fantasies with rational thought in a way that make certain that external reality takes an increasing hold over perception, reasoning, and behavior. Although many more years are required before the child matures into a person who adeptly and constantly discriminates the internal from the external in a usually integrated fashion. It is this slow and accruing process of thought and fantasy being integrated with the resultant increase in the growth of the personality that seems to undergo the most inhibition when the consumption of media images becomes extreme or defensive. Children's animated cartoons show how outer, media-based images â€Å"mimic† the form of unconscious fantasy. The cartoon is a psychologically charged, exciting portrayal of fantastic (animated) characters. Its form is simple: An underdog (disguised child) comes into conflict with others (the top dog = parents or older children). There is danger, threat of destruction or death that is conquering in a magical and effortless fashion where pleasure and laughter are the outcome. The Coyote wants to eat the Roadrunner; Elmer Fudd wants to shoot Daffy Duck. Throughout complex and irrational activities, the â€Å"victim† triumphs over the â€Å"villain.† Furthermore, there are no real consequences attendant to the use of immense aggression and force. Magically, all characters reappear in the next cartoon and the cycle of conflict and decree, pleasing the child's wish to overcome limitation and smallness, is repeated once more. Further, teacher in classroom can develop the child's ability to be creative, to construct a â€Å"transitional space† (Winnicott, 1978) within which to form new blends of inner and outer, is inhibited to the degree that the child's mind is saturated with media-based images, characters, stories, and inspiration. The child must transform the â€Å"raw material† of both his or her inner and outer world in a pleasing synthesis in order to feel truly knowledgeable and in charge of his or her existence. The passivity by-product of TV viewing leads to a restraint of autonomous inspiration and produces what teachers are seeing more and more: anxious, irritable, angry, and demanding children who are unable to â€Å"play† and who demand to be â€Å"entertained† in a mode that approximates their experience of TV viewing. The use of drugs and alcohol utilize the same mechanisms as TV to achieve their psychological effects. As the substance user's body and mind are chemically altered, deep unconscious fantasies of security, charisma, power, or limitlessness are activated. Hence, Winn (1985) was accurate in describing TV as the â€Å"plug-in drug† as the â€Å"use† of TV to fend off depression, anxiety, and conflict is identical in its function to that of drugs and alcohol. The faction of â€Å"instant gratification† can be seen to plea to the universal wish to be the satisfied infant sucking at the breast: a mere cry, the feed and the bliss of satisfied sleep. The reality is unfortunately much more difficult, for what we see are increasing numbers of frustrated, angry, and uncooperative children, experiencing their wishes as demands, and their hopes as entitlements. However, learning is fundamentally based on more about how to communicate effectively with children on the subject of coping with the intimidating aspects of their environment. It is significant to recognize that some level of fear is suitable and indeed may be important to survival in certain situations. On the other hand, overburdening children with fears of horrendous disasters that are either unavoidable or highly unlikely to threaten them personally may add undue stress to the procedure of growing up. Because television is one of children's main sources of information about the world, we need to be capable to make reasoned decisions about what to expose our children to and when. We also require being able to explain crucial features of life to them in an age-appropriate way that preserves their youthful optimism while encouraging necessary and suitable precautions. Work Cited Bowlby J. (1988). A secure base: Clinical applications of attachment theory. London: Rutledge. Bryant J. (Ed.). (1990). Television and the American family. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Freud S. (1964). New introductory lectures on psychoanalysis (standard edition, 22). London: Hogarth Press. (Original work published in 1933) Huston A. C., Wright J. C., Rice M. L., Rerkman D., & St. M. Peters ( 1990). â€Å"The development of television viewing patterns in early childhood: A longitudinal investigation†. Developmental Psychology, 26, 409-420. Joint Statement on the Impact of Entertainment Violence on Children, Congressional Public Health Summit, July 26, 2000. Also Available At: http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/jstmtevc.htm Mahler M., Pine F., & Bergman A. (1975). The psychological birth of the human infant. New York: Basic Books. New Study Finds Children Age Zero to Six Spend as Much Time With TV, Computers and Video Games as Playing Outside; One in Four Children Under Two Have a TV in Their Bedroom. WASHINGTON, PR Newswire; 10/28/2003 Also Available at http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m4PRN/2003_Oct_28/109334573/p1/article.jhtml Segal H. (1991). Dream, phantasy and art. London: Tavistock/Routledge. St. M. Peters, Fitch M., Huston A. C., & Wright J. C., & Eakins D. (1991). â€Å"Television and families: What do young children watch with their parents?† Child Development, 62, 1409-1423. Winn M. (1985). The plug-in drug: Television, children and the family. New York: Penguin Books.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

An Overview of Enterprise Resource Planning

Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) systems are software packages that can be used for the core systems necessary to support enterprise systems. The best-selling ERP is SAP Such ERP modules consist of Sales and Distribution, Material Managements, Financial Accounting, and Controlling and Profitability Analysis. In the words of Rockford Consulting (and many other firms), the single issue of ERP is failure to implement it. There are five known ways of how to constitute: not making the promised return on investment, extending the implementation schedule and start-up date inordinately, going over budget by unconscionable variances, grinding the organization to a crawl pace, or the severest of all consequences, and ceasing production and/or not delivering orders to your customers. Rockford has twelve â€Å"cardinal sins† regarding ERP Implementation: Lack of Top Management Commitment: Inadequate Requirements Definition; Poor Package Selection; Inadequate Resources; Resistance to Change/Lack of Buy-in; miscalculation of Time and Effort; Misfit of Application Software with Business Processes; Unrealistic Expectation of Benefits and ROI; Inadequate Training and Education; Poor Project Design and Management; Poor Communications; and Ill-advised Cost Cutting. Today, companies define success when it comes to an ERP implementation or upgrade. This is mostly due to well how they have planned for contingencies, set up reasonable expectations, and created lines of communication between the CEO, front-line users, and everyone else in between. For example, Au Bon Pain (a chain of restaurants) used to utilize â€Å"legacy systems† and â€Å"SAT ERP†, but currently uses a unified IT platform that provides such things as optimized performance, enhanced visibility with real-time data capture, Increased productivity, and accelerated financial closings. The environments in which IT professionals are striving on projects (similar to the one at Au Bon Pain) is disconcerting: Most businesses today are â€Å"oversoftwared†, in that many users are frustrated by applications’ poor performances, and return on software investments is almost always forgotten. This results in many CFOs and CEOs arriving at a state of general ambivalence toward ERP systems, or (as a worst-case scenario) an accrued and outward hatred of software overhauls. Like all things, ERP has its failures as well. Even after so many people love a substantial amount of money, there are substantial benefits. Commercial ERP software promises the seamless integration and consistency of all the information flows in an organization; financial and accounting, human resources, purchasing and supply chain, customer tracking and order placement, inventory management, and even production management. The promised savings in paperwork and man hours from automated processes is prodigious, not to mention the increased service quality provided to customers. In addition, there’s inventory reduction, supply chain cost efficiencies, and better decision support at every level. Most companies treat ERP implementation as a large scale IT project. But the scope and impact of an ERP implementation on the business is so great that the project is required to be considered as a business initiative with an IT component. This includes the development of a business plan for the project, which specifies the â€Å"market† or â€Å"business advantages† to be gained from implementing the ERP plan. The decision to implement ERP should be in response to specific business needs or objectives. Rather than just saying â€Å"yes, we want all those possible benefits†, the organization should focus on a limited set of business benefits to be gained from the ERP implementation. Once identified, these business needs would form the basis for much of the planning and management of the ERP project. If there are no compelling business needs that can be identified, then the ERP project is doomed to fail as a result of a lack of focus and the necessary management tools. The many companies that gain the most benefit from their implemented ERP systems are those that start by looking at them in strategic and organizational terms. The most (if not the best) fundamental reason for implementing ERP is to provide some competitive advantage, whether it be lower costs, faster response to market events, or better customer service. Nonetheless, these benefits can often be offset, by the impact the organization’s ERP system will have on its current business strategies and competitive advantages. Even after looking over articles by CIO, Rockford Consulting, and even CFO, I have no opinion about ERP. It has its successes and it has its failures. Whether or not to implement ERP in any particular company, I suppose it would be OK, only as long as the company is certain that it’s for the best for its management, its staff, and its regular customers; it would also be allowed as long as the company doesn’t go over the budget.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Master Degree Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Master Degree Proposal - Essay Example All tourists visiting Egypt require passports and visas, except for Middle East countries. Tourists from Africa need to test for cholera and yellow fever .  In order to understand Egypt’s government’s role in tourism, it is important to look at the political system, the visa requirement, and the restriction on area tourist can visit. The principles of constitutionalism which is popular sovereignty, limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, fundamental rights has not been strictly followed in case of Egypt. The rule in Egypt has not been â€Å"popular† sovereignty rule. The president was not elected democratically. Since the government was not socially elected therefore â€Å"limited† government does no have any meaning. The separation of powers was selectively done. As far as fundamental rights are concerned it was seldom followed. The Great Pyramid of Giza, build 4000 years ago, Great Sphinx, the largest statue of couchant sphinx are the main attractions for tourists in Giza. Mount Sinai in Sinai Peninsula attracts tourists for its coral reefs and biblical history. Luxor, city of ancient site of Thebes houses the world’s greatest open air museum. Saqqara complex, an ancient burial ground has numerous pyramids and mastabas. Egypt is considered an unsafe country due to various wars in the area. Thus the Government is playing an active role to bring back the positive perceptions about the country. Tourism sector of Egypt has always been a stronghold of the Government with involvement of the private sector. After the revolution in 1952 the Egyptian tourism industry was nationalized and the largest private hotels were expropriated (Richter & Steiner 2007). Small sectors were in the hands of the private sector. The largest hotels existing then were handed over to international hotel chains like Hilton and Shearaton. During 1967 the Ministry of Tourism was established to administer the tourism sector of the eco nomy. In 1971, there was introduction of free zones, giving public ventures to collaborate with the foreign investors (Ibrahim 2009). President Anwar Sadat’s Open Door Policy thereafter led the Government to feel that tourism could lead to economic prosperity of the nation. The structural change in the tourism sector can be attributed to the pro liberalization Minister of Tourism of 1980, Faud Sultan. He opened up the tourism sector to foreign funds, which infused fresh blood to the poorly performing hotels. The first wave did not create much impact; however a second wave of liberalization happened in the late 1980’s. New airline rules allowed charter flights to land directly in tourist areas. This led to a surge in demand from earlier times. During 1985 the Egyptian Government faced balance of payments crisis. To improve the economy’s position the Government received exclusive planning responsibility for tourism development and was granted the power to coordina te the provision of infrastructure in all areas designated for tourism development by the Prime Ministerial decree No. 993 of 1988 (Richter & Steiner, 2007). The liberalization led to lot of investment by the private sector on tourism and by 1993, major proportion of investment was from the private sector (Gray 1998). Law No. 230 of 1989, reshaped the legal and institutional environment for the tourism sector. This law guarantees that private companies can secure operating licenses. Capital investment in desert areas was given tax exemption for a

Thursday, September 26, 2019

George Washington's Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

George Washington's Leadership - Essay Example extended to matters of communication with his troops and this enabled them have a competitive edge over the Indians and even protected the citizens from these frequent attacks. His extreme courage was immensely seen in the battle ground where he was not afraid to expose himself to the danger of even bullets. There is even one occasion where he was shot at four times during the war but this did not deter him from continuing to fight for his country. This courage extended to his troop and they therefore fought relentlessly and obeyed his orders without doubt. Even after his men were terribly killed and in large numbers at Valley Forge in 1777 and some died from diseases, this defeat and setback did not dishearten his military career or leadership but he continued to fight with renewed courage and determination. This showcased not only a tough man but a persistent one as well who would stop at nothing to see his country liberated (Goldfield, et al 215). His toughness also portrayed when it came to protecting his army without fear or favor and this made him the best military commander and commander in chief even after he became the president. Goldfield, David, Carl Abbot, Virginia Anderson, Jo Ann Argersinger, Peter Argersinger and William Barney. The American Journey: A History of the United States. New Jersey: Pearson Education Limited, 2011.

A Cadre of New Managers and its Control Case Study

A Cadre of New Managers and its Control - Case Study Example They also use two different crafts like the Airbus A320, which carries around 150 passengers and the Embraer E190 that carries 100 passengers. They also use E190 crafts for short-distance flights and the A320 for long distances. This strategy helps them to save on fuel as well as make maximum profit at the same time. Concurrently, they guarantee excellent customer service and travel. The financial performance of the company has been affected by various factors such as the increase of oil price, reduced number of passengers using flights and poor weather conditions among others. The profits have been dropping since 2003. Even though JetBlue made losses in the year 2005 and 2006, it made profits of $18 million (Rovenpor, N.D.). The financial reports of the company have been positive and increasing steadily unlike in some of their competitors who have gone into bankruptcy or merged with other companies as a survival tactic (Weil, 2007). There are many factors affecting the airline industry today and most of them are linked to the International Economy. These factors include oil prices, flight demands by passengers, the luggage carried, types and state of crafts and the routes they ply, and lastly, the nature of airports and geography of their countries or cities of destination (Lange,  2010).  

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Subnetting and IP address Scheme Project Assignment

Subnetting and IP address Scheme Project - Assignment Example In fact, it will take into consideration the fact that XUMUC has about four departments that include finance, sales, human resources, as well as research and development. Further, it will concentrate on the WAN transport issues that will ensure that the network design can eliminate high overheads when the company needs to expand in the near future. Introduction Recently, XUMUC institution that was only based in San Francisco merged with a Denver campus. The networking scheme was poorly documented for the original campus alone thus resulting in the presentation of poorly designed IP addressing schemes and an IP addressing table. In efforts to correct this error and ensure that the merger does not bring down the operations in the company, this paper presents details for their network design depending on various issues. ... the background information provided for XUMUC campus, the organization has WAN links in place for the set up of any new locations in the Houston Region. The organization, which currently has two main campuses in San Francisco and Denver, was originally based in one campus (San Francisco). Further, the work of the consultant created very large routing tables at the summarization points and at the San Francisco Campus. In addition, the organization lacks VLAN structures that isolate broadcast traffic. In any case, the organization has about four main departments that should be considered and they include sales, finance, human resources, as well as research and development. Hence, the newly designed networking design documentation should also note that the WAN transport is able to accommodate the network traffic. Moreover, it should ensure that all addresses in the network are dynamically assigned to ensure that unlike the previous design, the high administration does not experience ove rhead when changes are needed within XUMUC. Business Requirements and Network Growth for XUMUC As previously stated, XUMUC has expanded and requires a network design that can assist the organization cater for network requirements of the campus in San Francisco and Denver. The Wan Link that is always available for the expansion to new locations in the Houston region is very useful as it is concerned about the network requirements at the higher level. However, the network needs to be set up in a way that it takes care of the expansions in the lower level as well. This is in the sense that the IP addressing scheme should integrate the two regions and leave room for addition of users within the network. This is because in XUMUC network growth is necessary especially considering the fact that

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The Beat Within vs. Mother Jones Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Beat Within vs. Mother Jones - Essay Example The Beat Within is a San Francisco literary magazine that started in 1996 and is published by San Francisco’s Pacific News Service. It comes out weekly and includes essays, poems and art done by young people in prison (Sanders 2004). The staff who act as their support group, and who give them workshops, collect writings and artwork from regional areas including halls in Northern California, Arizona, New York, British Columbia and Virginia and publish them. Readership of The Beat Within is primarily composed of the kids who produce them, and each issue would carry a page called â€Å"The Beat Without,† featuring an essay of a former juvenile hall detainee (Martin 2005). The Beat Within started as a four-page newsletter when a mentor named Tupac died and the impact was so great, the children needed something to express their feelings on. The story goes - â€Å"The 1996 death of Tupac Shakur, an iconic rapper and the militant son of a Black Panther, who himself had been in prison, changed everything. His students mourned his death in such a powerful way that Inocencio [co-founder of Beat] felt their work needed to be shared. ‘I had to put it out there,’ he said. ‘It was urgent.’ Just like that, one man's death initiated a lifeline for others. The premiere of the Beat Within was a thin but powerful eulogy for Tupac.†(Sanders 2004). Now, the magazine runs more than a hundred pages to each issue and circulation has expanded to include interest groups especially those on welfare. Autobiographical in nature, the writings and artwork are believed to give the inmates something to start with (Ibid).

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Abbott and Merck Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Abbott and Merck - Essay Example In the United States, there are several regulatory bodies that such companies would have to deal with. While their financial operations as well as advertising methods are regulated by other bodies, even their basic operations of researching and producing medicine are heavily regulated. The Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, National Institute of Health, Center for Disease Control and even the National Science Foundation can have an impact on how pharmaceutical companies operate (DHHS, 2007). At the same time, some organizations have more regulatory control than others. For example, the FDA is one body which has the most control over regulations that can force pharmaceutical companies to operate one way or the other. The FDA comes under the Department of Health and Human Services which gives the FDA broad guidelines to follow. The FDA is the actual authority which makes the rules that drug companies have to follow. These regulations impact much more than medicine since food, dietary supplements, cosmetics, medicinal products for use in health care as well as medical implements are regulated by the FDA (FDA, 2007). For pharmaceutical companies, the basic regulations start from food and dietary supplements that may be produced by these companies such as Vitamin C tablets or folic acid pills that may not require prescriptions in many cases. However, in many cases these products may be treated as food in which case there is a strong labeling requirement of the FDA which regulates the producers as to what information needs to be on the packaging of the product (FDA, 2007). For example, as an industry regulation, the producers of dietary supplements are allowed to make claims as to the benefits of their products but they cannot make a claim that their supplements can prevent or cure a disease. At the same time, supplements are not heavily regulated and action against the producers of supplements can

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Normal and Abnormal Psychology Essay Example for Free

Normal and Abnormal Psychology Essay Psychology is a science that studies the human mind and behavior, to understand and explain thoughts, emotions, and behavior of individuals. Psychology can be applied in different ways, such as mental health treatment, performance improvement or enhancement, self-help and other areas impacting the health and daily life of individuals. Psychology is generally a broad field of science, and there are multiple subfields or areas within it. Two subfields in particular that are going to be discussed in this paper are normal and abnormal psychology. An individual is categorized within these two subfields according to whether their social behavior and way of thinking is common or totally out of the norm. Normal Psychology studies the common or average human behavior of individuals. This particular area focuses mainly on understanding the way the individual thinks and reasons throughout their everyday life. This area does not involve any disorders or psychological illnesses, but instead it researches the human mind in trying to better understand the individual’s thought process and behavior. An individual who would be categorized under normal psychology would not display any mental illnesses, disorders, psychological problems or un-normal behavior. Abnormal Psychology studies abnormal human behavior as well as psychopathology of the individual. Abnormal refers to something that is not normal or out of the norm. This particular area of psychology focuses more on research and treatment for the abnormal behavior displayed by the individual. This area of psychology covers a wide variety of disorders such as depression, sexual deviation, obsession-compulsion, anxiety, mood, developmental, etc. A good way to tell if there is a case of abnormal psychology is anytime the behavior of an individual is causing problems in their life or is disruptive to them or other people. There are a number of perspectives used to treat abnormal psychology. Three main perspectives are: behavioral, medical, and cognitive. The behavioral perspective focuses on the observable behaviors. The medical perspective focuses on biological causes on the mental illness. The cognitive perspective focuses on how their internal thoughts and reasoning contribute to the psychological disorders.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Strategies for Service Quality

Strategies for Service Quality Literature Review Chapter One: An overview of Service Quality 1.0 Introduction Nowadays, service quality strategy is an important weapon used to gain a competitive advantage over competitors. This chapter starts by defining quality, services and service quality. Some essential elements such as the expectations of service, importance of service quality and its benefits are also being highlighted. It further stresses the need for handling customer complaints and underlines the role of service failure and recovery. 1.2 Meanings of Quality Quality is constantly evolving depending on its application techniques used. Quality is a term that is heard almost everywhere nowadays, from top management business to the small corner shop on the local street to the stall selling fruits in the market. Quality is perceived as a subjective term which means different things to different people in different situations. According to Joseph M. Juran (1988), quality is defined as â€Å"fitness for purpose†. Deming W. Edwards (1982), another quality guru, described quality as being â€Å"a predictable degree of uniformity and dependability at low cost and suited to the market†. However, â€Å"Delighting the customer by fully meeting their needs and expectations† is a more common definition of quality. Other definitions of quality are listed below: â€Å"Quality is a conformance to requirement† (Philip Crosby, 1979) â€Å"Quality is the customers opinion† (Armand V Feigenbaum, 2004) â€Å"Quality is the extent to which the customer or users believe the product or service surpasses their needs and expectations† (Gitlow et al. , 1989) The different definitions of â€Å"quality† given above are not stating the same thing. Thus, it is possible that one business concentrates on quality to meet a specified requirement, but this may not satisfy the customers expectations. Also, it is possible for a product to be of a degree of excellence but may not fit for purpose, that is, the definition underlined by Joseph Juran. Simply expressed, all gurus of quality dance around the definition of quality but none of these definitions stated above is a complete statement of what is meant by quality. 1.3 Importance of Quality The concept of quality is currently so widely used by organisations that it is no longer just an advantage to adopt it but a must for survival. Increased globalisation leads to increased competitive pressures. Therefore, businesses are forced to do their best to be more efficient, more up-to-date with the changing technologies and at the same time to be responsive to the markets. Dale (2003) stresses the importance of quality in that it increases productivity, followed by enhanced performance in the marketplace and improves overall business performance. According to Armand Feigenbaum (2004), quality is considered to be the single most important force resulting in organisational success and growth in both national and international markets. Competition nowadays is fiercer as existing competitors need to improve their offerings while new and low cost competitors emerge in the marketplace (Dale, 2003). Consequently, businesses are required to understand the great significance of quality and try to indulge in continuous and sustainable quality improvements in order to survive. Quality is a key aspect that plays a great role for both goods and services providing enterprises. More specifically, quality and its management have turned out to be progressively significant in pursuing business excellence, superior performance and market supremacy. But why quality in service? This is because organisations face challenges such as meeting customer requirements while remaining economically competitive. Services are labour intensive even today. There is not any substitute for high quality personal interaction between service employees and customers. Thus, quality practices need to be implemented by the service enterprises to identify problems quickly and systematically, establish valid and reliable service performance measures and measure customer satisfaction. 1.4 Services The new catch-all word â€Å"services† is making its rounds in the industry in the last decade. Indeed, the role of services in the world economy has increased considerably within the last ten years, particularly in developed nations. According to Jiang and Rosenbloom (2005), the shifting of the economy in industrialised countries from goods to services is considered to be one of the most essential long-term trends in the business world today. In fact, the service sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in the USA nowadays, accounting for over 75% of the increase in the GNP (Gross National Product) in the last decade. Regan (1963) brought in the idea of services being â€Å"activities, benefits or satisfactions which are offered for sale, or are provided in connection with the sale of goods†. As human beings, we consume services in our everyday life such as switching on the television, talking on mobile phones and using emails. Economies of the world are becoming more and more services based. Some activities such as banking, construction, tourism, accounting and hairdressing can be easily identified. Organisation goals can be achieved by knowing the needs and wants of target markets and thus delivering the appropriate and desired service better than competitors. According to Zeithaml et al. (1990), customers are considered to be the only judge of service. However, it is often difficult for customers to predict satisfaction and evaluate service prior to purchase and consumption and hence, they are more likely to look for information before purchasing services than goods This may be mostly due to the fact that services, in contrast to goods, are commonly said to derive from the four characteristics namely intangibility, heterogeneity, perishability and inseparability. However, some authors have argued that services are not fundamentally different from goods and have also reported that no pure goods or services exist in todays marketplace (McDougall et al. , 1990; cited by Stell et al. , 1996). This stream of thought puts forward that the service/good dichotomy is such that consumers can purchase either a good or service to fulfill their needs. For instance, when consumers need to have their documents copied, they may buy a personal copy machine (a good) or go to a copy center (a service). In these circumstances, services may compete directly with goods (Dholakia and Venkatraman, 1993). So, instead of identifying differences, marketing strategy should be based on the similarities between services and physical goods in relation to the characteristics of the total market offering. 1.4.1 Services in Retail Industry Organisations must be able to identify their most important customers and prospect and at the same time integrating customer insights and powerful analytics into retail decision-making. Thus, this can drive high performance throughout the business. Evidence suggests that services business customers tend to remain with the same service provider if they are continually and continuously satisfied (Hong and Goo, 2004). The building and maintenance of such relationships can attain better financial performance, customer trust, commitment and satisfaction (Hsieh et al, 2002). In order to achieve high performance in the retail industry, there are several attributes that retailers should strive towards to guarantee success and outperform their competitors. They have to excel in areas such as being customer focus, being continuously innovative, establishing a performance-oriented culture and improving the distribution channel. All these add a new dimension of competition. 1.5 Definition of Service Quality Service quality has drawn attention of researchers in recent decades (Zeithaml, 2000). Nevertheless, since there is not a universally accepted definition for service quality, many different meanings exist. For instance, Czepiel (1990) portrays service quality as customers perception of how well a service meets or exceeds their expectations whereas Bitner, Booms and Mohr (1994, p. 97) define service quality as â€Å"the consumers overall impression of the relative inferiority or superiority of the organisation and its services†. Zeithaml et al. (1996) depict service quality as â€Å"the delivery of excellent or superior service relative to customer expectations†. While other researchers (for example, Cronin and Taylor, 1994) view service quality as a form of attitude representing a long-run evaluation in general, Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1985, p. 48) define service quality as â€Å"a function of the differences between expectation and performance along the quality dimensions†. Indeed, this has appeared to be consistent with Roest and Pieters (1997) definition that service quality is a relativistic and cognitive discrepancy between experience-based norms and performances concerning service benefits. As for Gronroos (1983), service quality is viewed as the accomplishment of customers expectations whereas Parasuraman et al. (1985) define it as the gap between customers expectations, in terms of service, and their perception developed by the actual service experience. That is, service quality is an attitude that results from the comparison of expected service levels with perceived performance. Furthermore, Parasuraman et al. (1985) have reported that outstanding service is a profitable strategy as it results in more new customers, fewer lost customers, more business with existing customers, more insulation from price competition and fewer mistakes requiring the re-performance of services. Accordingly, by offering superior service quality, a firm is liable to become more profitable and at the same time to sustain a competitive edge in their served markets. Evidently, superior service quality is a strategic weapon aiming to attract more customers. Lassar et al. (2000) believe that service quality is a significant sign of customer satisfaction and thus delivering superior service quality is a strategy that eventually leads to success. 1.5.1 Service Quality in Retailing With the rapid development in the retail industry nowadays, understanding of retail service quality and identifying determinants of retail service quality has become strategic importance for retailers. By satisfying customers through high quality service, firms not only retain their current customers, but at the same time, their market share also increases. (Finn and Lamb, 1991; cited by Nguyen, 2007) According to numerous marking researchers (for example, Berry, 1986; Reichheld Sasser, 1990; Dabholkar et al., 1996; NcGoldrick, 2002), the offer and supply of high quality service is often perceived to be of fundamental importance in retailing. In the retail context, when customers evaluate retail service, they compare their perceptions of the service they receive with that of their expectations. Customers are seemed to be satisfied only when the perceived service meets or even exceeds their expectations. However, they are dissatisfied when they feel that the service falls below their expectations (Levy and Weitz, 2005). To date, Parasuraman et al. (1988) believe that many studies on service quality relied on service quality construct and scale. Nevertheless, Kaul (2005) and Dabholkar et al. (1996) argue that this application to the retail industry may not be appropriate for service quality in retailing industry as the latter seems to be different from other services. In retail setting, where there is a mix of product and service, retailers are prone to have impact on service quality more than on product quality (Dabholkar et al. , 1996). Hence, since retailers can create such effects, service quality plays a significant strategic role in creating quality perceptions. 1.6 Customer Expectations of Service According to Parasuraman et al (1993), understanding customer expectations is a must for delivering superior and value-added service. Customers have the tendency to compare their perceptions with that of expectations when judging a service. They are satisfied only when the service they have received is the same or exceeds what they expected. Lewis (1991) define expectations as the desires or wants of consumers and what they believe a product or service should offer, which are formed on the basis of previous experience with a company, its competitors and the marketing mix inputs. Thus, identifying what a customer expects is the prime step in delivering high quality of customer service. 1.6.1 Determinants of Customer Expectations of service Berry and Parasuraman (1993) have developed a complete model of customer expectations and have given their opinions through two levels namely desired and adequate expectations and the zone of tolerance in the middle which separates them (refer to Figure 1.3). This model shows the different factors that affect these three features. Desired service is that level of service which a customer expects to receive from a service firm. In fact, it is a blend of what the customer considers ‘can be and ‘should be. It is believed to result from six sources namely, enduring service intensifiers, personal needs, explicit service promises, implicit service promises, word-of-mouth and past experience. Conversely, adequate service level is related to which the customer finds acceptable. It is based on the customers appraisal of what the service ‘will be. It is influenced by five factors such as transitory service intensifiers, perceived service alternatives, customer self-perceived service role, situational factors and predicted service. Berry and Parasuraman (1993) describe a tolerance zone as â€Å"a range of service performance that a customer considers satisfactory†. This concept assumes that customers have expectations of a service attribute on the two given levels which have been discussed above. If the real experiences of a customer fall in the zone of tolerance, then the perceived quality is regarded as good. Understanding the different sources of customer expectations can therefore help managers to perceive correctly what their customers want and expect. They can then put emphasis on the services elements that they can control and deliver the services they have promised. Hence, this model can serve as a valuable diagnostic tool to boost up the overall level of perceived service quality (Kettinger and Lee, 2005).Yet, one of the perplexing issues confronting service businesses is how to measure quality service perceptions of existing and potential customers since many of these factors are uncontrollable and also expectations differ from customer to customer and, possibly, from one situation to the next for the same customer (Young et al. , 1994). Why is Service Quality Important? Across all service industries, service quality remains a critical issue as businesses strive to maintain a comparative advantage over their competitors in the marketplace (Kandampully et al., 1999). As a result, the environment of service organisations is more and more competitive. Ghobatian et al. (1994) point out that â€Å"customers are the lifeblood of any business† and â€Å"service quality can be the means to win and keep customers†. Actually, in todays aggressive environment, the pursuit of service quality is believed to be the most important strategic weapon in achieving a sustainable differential advantage within the global marketplace (Devlin et al., 2000). More importantly, it is conceded that companies that excel in high quality service as perceived by their customers, tend to be the most profitable ones. On the other hand, poor service has been classified as the prime cause for customers switching to competitors (Ghobatian et al., 1994). It is often observed that organisations providing a sophisticated level of service, try to go beyond just satisfying their customers. â€Å"They emphasise the need to ‘delight them by providing them more than what is required. They also now talk about winning customers† (Dale, 2003). The latter highlights some customer service facts and indicates why service quality is crucial for a firm. (See Appendix A) While focusing on the increased importance of service quality, it is also essential to assess the related benefits and costs. Lewis (1991) has underlined some benefits when adopting a quality service strategy such as customer satisfaction and customer retention, loyalty, expanded market share, enhanced firms reputation, improvement in employee morale, low staff turnover, increased productivity, less mistakes, lower costs, high revenues, increased financial performance, high revenues and positive word-of-mouth. On the other hand, Crosby (1979) has identified the costs of poor quality which are related due to lack of responsiveness to customers, low morale of employees, dissatisfied customers and unfavorable word-of-mouth communication. Hence, it is important for businesses to clearly anticipate that service quality is the basic prerequisite for continuous success. 1.7 Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction In a competitive business environment where organisations compete for customers, customer satisfaction is perceived as a key differentiator and increasingly has become a primary element of business strategy (Carl D. McDaniel, 2005). Customers are the foremost decision makers in any marketing effort. They opt for a service offering that adds value to them and optimises their satisfaction. Many researchers such as Brady and Robertson (2001) and Lovelock, Patterson and Walker (2001) conceptualise customer satisfaction as an individuals feeling of pleasure or disappointment resulting from judging against a products perceived performance with respect to his or her expectations. But, Westbrook and Oliver (1981) make use of the confirmation-disconfirmation theory to better explain the meaning of customer satisfaction. This paradigm states that customers assess their levels of satisfaction by comparing their actual experiences with that of their previous experiences, expectations, and perceptions of the products performance. Parasuraman et al. (1994) mention that customer satisfaction is a key consequence of service quality and thus, it can determine the long term success of a service organisation. In the same vein, Oliver (1980) points out that customer satisfaction is affected by customer expectation or anticipation prior to obtaining a service and can be approximated by the following equation: Customer Satisfaction = â‚ ¬Ã‚  Perception of Performance Expectations Based on the above equation, Parasuraman et al. (1994) devise that a service provider can boost up overall customer satisfaction by either improving customer perceptions of a service or by lowering their expectations of it. If a service firm fails to respect this equation, then, this may dissatisfy the customer at the time and, in turn, will result in his or her switching to alternative service firms (McCollough, Berry, and Yadav, 2000; Roos, 1999). Thus, this equation is a valuable tool and a clear reminder that both factors, perceptions and expectations of customer satisfaction need to be managed and controlled by the service provider. An analysis of the literature on the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality has received a widely held view among researches. Caruana and Malta (2002) point out by mentioning that service quality is an important input to customer satisfaction. Zeithaml et al. (1996) share the same line of thought by suggesting that a customers relationship with a company is strengthened when that customer makes a positive appraisal about the companys service quality and is weakened when a customer makes negative assessments about the companys service quality. They argue that favourable assessment of service quality will result in favourable behavioral intentions like â€Å"praise for the company† and expressions of preference for the company over other companies. Thus, implying that there is a positive relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction. However, the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality has been criticised for not being inter-related by many researches. For instance, Iacobucci et al. (1995) identify that the vast majority of articles attempting to scrutinise this inter-relationship have been of a non-empirical nature. Similarly, Anderson and Fornell (1994) point out that the literature is not very clear about the distinction between quality and satisfaction. Satisfaction is a â€Å"post consumption† experience which judges perceived quality against expected quality, whereas service quality refers to a global evaluation of an organisations service delivery system (Anderson and Fornell, 1994; Parasuraman et al., 1985). Hence, Dabholkar et al. (2000) suggest that it is recommended that customer satisfaction should be measured separately from service quality so as to understand how customers evaluate service performance. 1.8 Service Quality and Customer trust The trust that customers have in service organisations is an important concern for customer relationship managers. Existing research has accentuated the significance of trust and its implications for driving profitable and long-lasting customer relationships (Garbarino and Johnson, 1999; Morgan and Hunt, 1999). Practitioners and researchers have repeatedly emphasised the importance of service quality which enable firms to build stable and trusting relationships with customers (Grà ¶nroos, 1983; Rust, Moorman, and Dickson, 2002; Zeithaml, Berry, and Parasuraman, 1996). Recent evidence highlights that there exists a positive relationship between service quality and trust (Chiou and Droge, 2006; Sharma and Patterson, 1999). To reinforce this notion, a firm that consistently meets or exceeds the expectations of customers will cultivate more trusting relationships with its customers. The courteous, caring, and responsive employee behaviours that are characteristic of service quality will inspire confidence in customers, particularly in retail outlets and thus will introduce a sense of trust for the retail store in customers (Weisinger, 1998). These related factors of service quality eventually contribute to the development of trust, and trust starts to develop as the customers experience positive service interactions and obtain benefits from this personal interaction. Consequently, the higher the service quality, the stronger is customer trust in an organisation. 1.9 Service Quality and Customer Loyalty The main aim of leading service organisations is to maintain a superior quality of service in an effort to gain customer loyalty. Coupled with this, Zeithaml (1996) believes that a service firms long term success in a market is essentially determined by its ability to expand and maintain a large and loyal customer base. Buttle and Burton (2002) simply describe customer loyalty as â€Å"a customer who continues to buy is a loyal customer†. Boulding et al. (1993) find that there is a positive relationship between service quality and customer loyalty, that is, customers having the repurchase intentions and the willingness to recommend. Sharing the same line of thought, Zeithaml et al. (1990) also report a positive relationship, thereby, customers willingly pay a price premium and intend to remain loyal in case of a price increase. However, Johnson et al. (2001) point out that this positive relationship varies between products, industries, and situations. On the other hand, some researchers argue that it has remained unclear whether or not there is a direct relationship between service quality and loyalty. In the study done by Cronin and Taylor (1992), service quality did not appear to have a significant or positive effect on customer loyalty. Similarly, Bloemer et al. (1999) mention that this relationship has remained relatively underdeveloped. 1.10 Handling customer complaints The phenomenon of customer complaints is considered as an area of great significance for businesses, particularly where organisations are increasingly recognising the value of pursuing long-term relationships with customers. Tax and Brown (1998) identify that only 5-10% of customers who are dissatisfied actually complain. Hence, it is imperative for organisations to encourage their customers to voice their dissatisfaction by providing communication facilities such as customer service desks. However, Blancero and Johnson (2001) argue that customer complaints could result in negative reactions from employees, which may in turn reduce service quality. But complaints can have a positive impact as well. It is an excellent opportunity for an organisation when receiving complaints in order to restore customer confidence and to capitalise on this feedback for helping in organisational improvements (Johnston, 2001; Ramsey, 2003). When focusing on handling customer complaints, it should include adequacy or fairness of the outcome, access to the organisation contact points, friendliness, empathy, active feedback, and speed of response (Stauss, 2002). 1.11 Service Failure and Recovery The retail industry involves a high degree of interaction between employees and consumers and as a result, provides many opportunities for service failures to crop up. According to Michel (2001), service failures include those circumstances when a service fails to live up to the customers expectations. Some consequences of service failures are dissatisfaction, negative word-of-mouth (Mattila, 2001), decrease in customer confidence and a decline in employee morale and performance (Boshoff and Leong, 1998). When service failure occurs, then service providers have to take actions to recover which gives rise to service recovery. Miller et al. (2000) describe service recovery as the actions takes to problems, change negative attitudes of dissatisfied customers and to ultimately retain these customers. Examples of recovery efforts consist of price discounts, improved services, refunds, free products or services, apologies, and acknowledgment of the problem (Kelley et al. , 1993). 1.12 Summary of the Literature Review This chapter has provided a general idea on service quality. It has started by providing an overview of services and quality with emphasis in the retailing industry. In addition, customer expectations, customer trust, loyalty and customer satisfaction have also been discussed. Undoubtedly, in the service quality literature, service quality is proven to provide many benefits to organisations. Literature Review Chapter Two: Related Concepts of Service Quality 2.0 Introduction In this chapter, service quality and its related concepts have been explored. They are as follows: The dimensions of service quality including SERVQUAL, Gap analysis, the three dimensions of Lehtinen and Lehtinen and the Perceived service quality model. Besides, the difficulties in measuring service quality as well as a critical review of the concept of service quality have also been identified 2.1 Dimensions of Service Quality Service quality is not a singular but rather it is a multidimensional phenomenon (Ghobatian et al, 1993). Without doubt, the identification of the quality dimensions to measure is of fundamental necessity as customers base their views about service on these dimensions (Kunst and Lemmink, 1996). Various writers and researchers have suggested a number of dimensions of service quality. For instance, Lehtinen and Lehtinen (1982) identify three dimensions for service quality which are physical quality (tangible aspects of service), corporate quality (company image and reputation) and interactive quality (two-way flow between customers and personnel). They also argue that it is important to differentiate between the output quality of service and the quality associated with the process of service delivery. Indeed, service quality is being perceived as a multidimensional concept. Grà ¶nroos (1984) point out that service quality comprises of three global dimensions: The technical quality which refers to what is delivered or what the customer gets from the service. For example, for a retail store, technical quality may consist of the range of products offered and the availability of parking space. The functional quality, that is, the way in which the service is delivered or how it is delivered. For example, customers of a retail store will assess whether the salespersons are friendly or whether products are easily returnable. The corporate image has to do with how consumers perceive the firm and is built by mainly both technical and functional quality and to some extent other factors such as the traditional marketing activities (pricing, advertising). Unlike Grà ¶nroos (1984) who uses the global measure of service quality, Parasuraman et al. (1985) argue that the criteria used by consumers to evaluate service quality fits ten dimensions: reliability, responsiveness, competence, courtesy, communication, credibility, security, access, tangibles and understanding/knowing the customer. Later, after having carried out successive research, analysis and testing, Parasuraman et al. (1988) refine the dimensions into only five dimensions namely: Tangibles: the appearance of physical facilities, personnel, communication materials and condition of equipment. Reliability: the ability to perform the promised service on time dependably and accurately. Responsiveness: the willingness to help customers, to deal effectively with complaints and provide prompt service. Assurance: the employees knowledge and courtesy and their ability to convey trust and confidence. Empathy: The level of caring, individualised attention provided to the customers. 2.1.1 SERVQUAL Model Based on these five dimensions above, the SERVQUAL instrument has been developed. This particular instrument which is originally developed by A. Parasuraman, Valarie A. Zeithaml and L.L. Berry in 1988, measures service quality through customer opinions. They point out that SERVQUAL essentially comprises of two sections. The first section basically questions customers expectations, while the second part measures customers perceptions. The gap between the expected service and perceived service is measured using the SERVQUAL together with its five underlying dimensions of service quality (tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy). The SERVQUAL incorporates 22 items in each of the two sections which are sub-items of the predefined five dimensions (refer to Appendix B). According to Zeithaml et al. (2006), SERVQUAL has been creatively used in multiple service contexts. Indeed, Parasuraman et al. (1988) suggest that the instrument is applicable across a wide variety of services. In the same line, Getz et al. (2001) put forward that SERVQUAL has been broadly used in a variety of service industries. They also point out that it is a helpful tool comprising of potential applications in assessing effectively consumers expectations and perceptions of service quality. Despite the fact that SERVQUAL is the most well known instrument for service quality, it has been criticised from several researchers. Cronin and Taylor (1992) claim that there are deficiencies in both the conceptualisation and operationalisation of service quality in the SERVQUAL model. Buttle (1996) criticises on the dimensionality of the SERVQUAL scale, especially to the number of dimensions and their stability from contexts to contexts. He also states that the dimensions are not universal. Following the same line of thought, Bahia and Nantel (2000) declare that this model emphas Strategies for Service Quality Strategies for Service Quality Literature Review Chapter One: An overview of Service Quality 1.0 Introduction Nowadays, service quality strategy is an important weapon used to gain a competitive advantage over competitors. This chapter starts by defining quality, services and service quality. Some essential elements such as the expectations of service, importance of service quality and its benefits are also being highlighted. It further stresses the need for handling customer complaints and underlines the role of service failure and recovery. 1.2 Meanings of Quality Quality is constantly evolving depending on its application techniques used. Quality is a term that is heard almost everywhere nowadays, from top management business to the small corner shop on the local street to the stall selling fruits in the market. Quality is perceived as a subjective term which means different things to different people in different situations. According to Joseph M. Juran (1988), quality is defined as â€Å"fitness for purpose†. Deming W. Edwards (1982), another quality guru, described quality as being â€Å"a predictable degree of uniformity and dependability at low cost and suited to the market†. However, â€Å"Delighting the customer by fully meeting their needs and expectations† is a more common definition of quality. Other definitions of quality are listed below: â€Å"Quality is a conformance to requirement† (Philip Crosby, 1979) â€Å"Quality is the customers opinion† (Armand V Feigenbaum, 2004) â€Å"Quality is the extent to which the customer or users believe the product or service surpasses their needs and expectations† (Gitlow et al. , 1989) The different definitions of â€Å"quality† given above are not stating the same thing. Thus, it is possible that one business concentrates on quality to meet a specified requirement, but this may not satisfy the customers expectations. Also, it is possible for a product to be of a degree of excellence but may not fit for purpose, that is, the definition underlined by Joseph Juran. Simply expressed, all gurus of quality dance around the definition of quality but none of these definitions stated above is a complete statement of what is meant by quality. 1.3 Importance of Quality The concept of quality is currently so widely used by organisations that it is no longer just an advantage to adopt it but a must for survival. Increased globalisation leads to increased competitive pressures. Therefore, businesses are forced to do their best to be more efficient, more up-to-date with the changing technologies and at the same time to be responsive to the markets. Dale (2003) stresses the importance of quality in that it increases productivity, followed by enhanced performance in the marketplace and improves overall business performance. According to Armand Feigenbaum (2004), quality is considered to be the single most important force resulting in organisational success and growth in both national and international markets. Competition nowadays is fiercer as existing competitors need to improve their offerings while new and low cost competitors emerge in the marketplace (Dale, 2003). Consequently, businesses are required to understand the great significance of quality and try to indulge in continuous and sustainable quality improvements in order to survive. Quality is a key aspect that plays a great role for both goods and services providing enterprises. More specifically, quality and its management have turned out to be progressively significant in pursuing business excellence, superior performance and market supremacy. But why quality in service? This is because organisations face challenges such as meeting customer requirements while remaining economically competitive. Services are labour intensive even today. There is not any substitute for high quality personal interaction between service employees and customers. Thus, quality practices need to be implemented by the service enterprises to identify problems quickly and systematically, establish valid and reliable service performance measures and measure customer satisfaction. 1.4 Services The new catch-all word â€Å"services† is making its rounds in the industry in the last decade. Indeed, the role of services in the world economy has increased considerably within the last ten years, particularly in developed nations. According to Jiang and Rosenbloom (2005), the shifting of the economy in industrialised countries from goods to services is considered to be one of the most essential long-term trends in the business world today. In fact, the service sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in the USA nowadays, accounting for over 75% of the increase in the GNP (Gross National Product) in the last decade. Regan (1963) brought in the idea of services being â€Å"activities, benefits or satisfactions which are offered for sale, or are provided in connection with the sale of goods†. As human beings, we consume services in our everyday life such as switching on the television, talking on mobile phones and using emails. Economies of the world are becoming more and more services based. Some activities such as banking, construction, tourism, accounting and hairdressing can be easily identified. Organisation goals can be achieved by knowing the needs and wants of target markets and thus delivering the appropriate and desired service better than competitors. According to Zeithaml et al. (1990), customers are considered to be the only judge of service. However, it is often difficult for customers to predict satisfaction and evaluate service prior to purchase and consumption and hence, they are more likely to look for information before purchasing services than goods This may be mostly due to the fact that services, in contrast to goods, are commonly said to derive from the four characteristics namely intangibility, heterogeneity, perishability and inseparability. However, some authors have argued that services are not fundamentally different from goods and have also reported that no pure goods or services exist in todays marketplace (McDougall et al. , 1990; cited by Stell et al. , 1996). This stream of thought puts forward that the service/good dichotomy is such that consumers can purchase either a good or service to fulfill their needs. For instance, when consumers need to have their documents copied, they may buy a personal copy machine (a good) or go to a copy center (a service). In these circumstances, services may compete directly with goods (Dholakia and Venkatraman, 1993). So, instead of identifying differences, marketing strategy should be based on the similarities between services and physical goods in relation to the characteristics of the total market offering. 1.4.1 Services in Retail Industry Organisations must be able to identify their most important customers and prospect and at the same time integrating customer insights and powerful analytics into retail decision-making. Thus, this can drive high performance throughout the business. Evidence suggests that services business customers tend to remain with the same service provider if they are continually and continuously satisfied (Hong and Goo, 2004). The building and maintenance of such relationships can attain better financial performance, customer trust, commitment and satisfaction (Hsieh et al, 2002). In order to achieve high performance in the retail industry, there are several attributes that retailers should strive towards to guarantee success and outperform their competitors. They have to excel in areas such as being customer focus, being continuously innovative, establishing a performance-oriented culture and improving the distribution channel. All these add a new dimension of competition. 1.5 Definition of Service Quality Service quality has drawn attention of researchers in recent decades (Zeithaml, 2000). Nevertheless, since there is not a universally accepted definition for service quality, many different meanings exist. For instance, Czepiel (1990) portrays service quality as customers perception of how well a service meets or exceeds their expectations whereas Bitner, Booms and Mohr (1994, p. 97) define service quality as â€Å"the consumers overall impression of the relative inferiority or superiority of the organisation and its services†. Zeithaml et al. (1996) depict service quality as â€Å"the delivery of excellent or superior service relative to customer expectations†. While other researchers (for example, Cronin and Taylor, 1994) view service quality as a form of attitude representing a long-run evaluation in general, Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1985, p. 48) define service quality as â€Å"a function of the differences between expectation and performance along the quality dimensions†. Indeed, this has appeared to be consistent with Roest and Pieters (1997) definition that service quality is a relativistic and cognitive discrepancy between experience-based norms and performances concerning service benefits. As for Gronroos (1983), service quality is viewed as the accomplishment of customers expectations whereas Parasuraman et al. (1985) define it as the gap between customers expectations, in terms of service, and their perception developed by the actual service experience. That is, service quality is an attitude that results from the comparison of expected service levels with perceived performance. Furthermore, Parasuraman et al. (1985) have reported that outstanding service is a profitable strategy as it results in more new customers, fewer lost customers, more business with existing customers, more insulation from price competition and fewer mistakes requiring the re-performance of services. Accordingly, by offering superior service quality, a firm is liable to become more profitable and at the same time to sustain a competitive edge in their served markets. Evidently, superior service quality is a strategic weapon aiming to attract more customers. Lassar et al. (2000) believe that service quality is a significant sign of customer satisfaction and thus delivering superior service quality is a strategy that eventually leads to success. 1.5.1 Service Quality in Retailing With the rapid development in the retail industry nowadays, understanding of retail service quality and identifying determinants of retail service quality has become strategic importance for retailers. By satisfying customers through high quality service, firms not only retain their current customers, but at the same time, their market share also increases. (Finn and Lamb, 1991; cited by Nguyen, 2007) According to numerous marking researchers (for example, Berry, 1986; Reichheld Sasser, 1990; Dabholkar et al., 1996; NcGoldrick, 2002), the offer and supply of high quality service is often perceived to be of fundamental importance in retailing. In the retail context, when customers evaluate retail service, they compare their perceptions of the service they receive with that of their expectations. Customers are seemed to be satisfied only when the perceived service meets or even exceeds their expectations. However, they are dissatisfied when they feel that the service falls below their expectations (Levy and Weitz, 2005). To date, Parasuraman et al. (1988) believe that many studies on service quality relied on service quality construct and scale. Nevertheless, Kaul (2005) and Dabholkar et al. (1996) argue that this application to the retail industry may not be appropriate for service quality in retailing industry as the latter seems to be different from other services. In retail setting, where there is a mix of product and service, retailers are prone to have impact on service quality more than on product quality (Dabholkar et al. , 1996). Hence, since retailers can create such effects, service quality plays a significant strategic role in creating quality perceptions. 1.6 Customer Expectations of Service According to Parasuraman et al (1993), understanding customer expectations is a must for delivering superior and value-added service. Customers have the tendency to compare their perceptions with that of expectations when judging a service. They are satisfied only when the service they have received is the same or exceeds what they expected. Lewis (1991) define expectations as the desires or wants of consumers and what they believe a product or service should offer, which are formed on the basis of previous experience with a company, its competitors and the marketing mix inputs. Thus, identifying what a customer expects is the prime step in delivering high quality of customer service. 1.6.1 Determinants of Customer Expectations of service Berry and Parasuraman (1993) have developed a complete model of customer expectations and have given their opinions through two levels namely desired and adequate expectations and the zone of tolerance in the middle which separates them (refer to Figure 1.3). This model shows the different factors that affect these three features. Desired service is that level of service which a customer expects to receive from a service firm. In fact, it is a blend of what the customer considers ‘can be and ‘should be. It is believed to result from six sources namely, enduring service intensifiers, personal needs, explicit service promises, implicit service promises, word-of-mouth and past experience. Conversely, adequate service level is related to which the customer finds acceptable. It is based on the customers appraisal of what the service ‘will be. It is influenced by five factors such as transitory service intensifiers, perceived service alternatives, customer self-perceived service role, situational factors and predicted service. Berry and Parasuraman (1993) describe a tolerance zone as â€Å"a range of service performance that a customer considers satisfactory†. This concept assumes that customers have expectations of a service attribute on the two given levels which have been discussed above. If the real experiences of a customer fall in the zone of tolerance, then the perceived quality is regarded as good. Understanding the different sources of customer expectations can therefore help managers to perceive correctly what their customers want and expect. They can then put emphasis on the services elements that they can control and deliver the services they have promised. Hence, this model can serve as a valuable diagnostic tool to boost up the overall level of perceived service quality (Kettinger and Lee, 2005).Yet, one of the perplexing issues confronting service businesses is how to measure quality service perceptions of existing and potential customers since many of these factors are uncontrollable and also expectations differ from customer to customer and, possibly, from one situation to the next for the same customer (Young et al. , 1994). Why is Service Quality Important? Across all service industries, service quality remains a critical issue as businesses strive to maintain a comparative advantage over their competitors in the marketplace (Kandampully et al., 1999). As a result, the environment of service organisations is more and more competitive. Ghobatian et al. (1994) point out that â€Å"customers are the lifeblood of any business† and â€Å"service quality can be the means to win and keep customers†. Actually, in todays aggressive environment, the pursuit of service quality is believed to be the most important strategic weapon in achieving a sustainable differential advantage within the global marketplace (Devlin et al., 2000). More importantly, it is conceded that companies that excel in high quality service as perceived by their customers, tend to be the most profitable ones. On the other hand, poor service has been classified as the prime cause for customers switching to competitors (Ghobatian et al., 1994). It is often observed that organisations providing a sophisticated level of service, try to go beyond just satisfying their customers. â€Å"They emphasise the need to ‘delight them by providing them more than what is required. They also now talk about winning customers† (Dale, 2003). The latter highlights some customer service facts and indicates why service quality is crucial for a firm. (See Appendix A) While focusing on the increased importance of service quality, it is also essential to assess the related benefits and costs. Lewis (1991) has underlined some benefits when adopting a quality service strategy such as customer satisfaction and customer retention, loyalty, expanded market share, enhanced firms reputation, improvement in employee morale, low staff turnover, increased productivity, less mistakes, lower costs, high revenues, increased financial performance, high revenues and positive word-of-mouth. On the other hand, Crosby (1979) has identified the costs of poor quality which are related due to lack of responsiveness to customers, low morale of employees, dissatisfied customers and unfavorable word-of-mouth communication. Hence, it is important for businesses to clearly anticipate that service quality is the basic prerequisite for continuous success. 1.7 Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction In a competitive business environment where organisations compete for customers, customer satisfaction is perceived as a key differentiator and increasingly has become a primary element of business strategy (Carl D. McDaniel, 2005). Customers are the foremost decision makers in any marketing effort. They opt for a service offering that adds value to them and optimises their satisfaction. Many researchers such as Brady and Robertson (2001) and Lovelock, Patterson and Walker (2001) conceptualise customer satisfaction as an individuals feeling of pleasure or disappointment resulting from judging against a products perceived performance with respect to his or her expectations. But, Westbrook and Oliver (1981) make use of the confirmation-disconfirmation theory to better explain the meaning of customer satisfaction. This paradigm states that customers assess their levels of satisfaction by comparing their actual experiences with that of their previous experiences, expectations, and perceptions of the products performance. Parasuraman et al. (1994) mention that customer satisfaction is a key consequence of service quality and thus, it can determine the long term success of a service organisation. In the same vein, Oliver (1980) points out that customer satisfaction is affected by customer expectation or anticipation prior to obtaining a service and can be approximated by the following equation: Customer Satisfaction = â‚ ¬Ã‚  Perception of Performance Expectations Based on the above equation, Parasuraman et al. (1994) devise that a service provider can boost up overall customer satisfaction by either improving customer perceptions of a service or by lowering their expectations of it. If a service firm fails to respect this equation, then, this may dissatisfy the customer at the time and, in turn, will result in his or her switching to alternative service firms (McCollough, Berry, and Yadav, 2000; Roos, 1999). Thus, this equation is a valuable tool and a clear reminder that both factors, perceptions and expectations of customer satisfaction need to be managed and controlled by the service provider. An analysis of the literature on the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality has received a widely held view among researches. Caruana and Malta (2002) point out by mentioning that service quality is an important input to customer satisfaction. Zeithaml et al. (1996) share the same line of thought by suggesting that a customers relationship with a company is strengthened when that customer makes a positive appraisal about the companys service quality and is weakened when a customer makes negative assessments about the companys service quality. They argue that favourable assessment of service quality will result in favourable behavioral intentions like â€Å"praise for the company† and expressions of preference for the company over other companies. Thus, implying that there is a positive relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction. However, the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality has been criticised for not being inter-related by many researches. For instance, Iacobucci et al. (1995) identify that the vast majority of articles attempting to scrutinise this inter-relationship have been of a non-empirical nature. Similarly, Anderson and Fornell (1994) point out that the literature is not very clear about the distinction between quality and satisfaction. Satisfaction is a â€Å"post consumption† experience which judges perceived quality against expected quality, whereas service quality refers to a global evaluation of an organisations service delivery system (Anderson and Fornell, 1994; Parasuraman et al., 1985). Hence, Dabholkar et al. (2000) suggest that it is recommended that customer satisfaction should be measured separately from service quality so as to understand how customers evaluate service performance. 1.8 Service Quality and Customer trust The trust that customers have in service organisations is an important concern for customer relationship managers. Existing research has accentuated the significance of trust and its implications for driving profitable and long-lasting customer relationships (Garbarino and Johnson, 1999; Morgan and Hunt, 1999). Practitioners and researchers have repeatedly emphasised the importance of service quality which enable firms to build stable and trusting relationships with customers (Grà ¶nroos, 1983; Rust, Moorman, and Dickson, 2002; Zeithaml, Berry, and Parasuraman, 1996). Recent evidence highlights that there exists a positive relationship between service quality and trust (Chiou and Droge, 2006; Sharma and Patterson, 1999). To reinforce this notion, a firm that consistently meets or exceeds the expectations of customers will cultivate more trusting relationships with its customers. The courteous, caring, and responsive employee behaviours that are characteristic of service quality will inspire confidence in customers, particularly in retail outlets and thus will introduce a sense of trust for the retail store in customers (Weisinger, 1998). These related factors of service quality eventually contribute to the development of trust, and trust starts to develop as the customers experience positive service interactions and obtain benefits from this personal interaction. Consequently, the higher the service quality, the stronger is customer trust in an organisation. 1.9 Service Quality and Customer Loyalty The main aim of leading service organisations is to maintain a superior quality of service in an effort to gain customer loyalty. Coupled with this, Zeithaml (1996) believes that a service firms long term success in a market is essentially determined by its ability to expand and maintain a large and loyal customer base. Buttle and Burton (2002) simply describe customer loyalty as â€Å"a customer who continues to buy is a loyal customer†. Boulding et al. (1993) find that there is a positive relationship between service quality and customer loyalty, that is, customers having the repurchase intentions and the willingness to recommend. Sharing the same line of thought, Zeithaml et al. (1990) also report a positive relationship, thereby, customers willingly pay a price premium and intend to remain loyal in case of a price increase. However, Johnson et al. (2001) point out that this positive relationship varies between products, industries, and situations. On the other hand, some researchers argue that it has remained unclear whether or not there is a direct relationship between service quality and loyalty. In the study done by Cronin and Taylor (1992), service quality did not appear to have a significant or positive effect on customer loyalty. Similarly, Bloemer et al. (1999) mention that this relationship has remained relatively underdeveloped. 1.10 Handling customer complaints The phenomenon of customer complaints is considered as an area of great significance for businesses, particularly where organisations are increasingly recognising the value of pursuing long-term relationships with customers. Tax and Brown (1998) identify that only 5-10% of customers who are dissatisfied actually complain. Hence, it is imperative for organisations to encourage their customers to voice their dissatisfaction by providing communication facilities such as customer service desks. However, Blancero and Johnson (2001) argue that customer complaints could result in negative reactions from employees, which may in turn reduce service quality. But complaints can have a positive impact as well. It is an excellent opportunity for an organisation when receiving complaints in order to restore customer confidence and to capitalise on this feedback for helping in organisational improvements (Johnston, 2001; Ramsey, 2003). When focusing on handling customer complaints, it should include adequacy or fairness of the outcome, access to the organisation contact points, friendliness, empathy, active feedback, and speed of response (Stauss, 2002). 1.11 Service Failure and Recovery The retail industry involves a high degree of interaction between employees and consumers and as a result, provides many opportunities for service failures to crop up. According to Michel (2001), service failures include those circumstances when a service fails to live up to the customers expectations. Some consequences of service failures are dissatisfaction, negative word-of-mouth (Mattila, 2001), decrease in customer confidence and a decline in employee morale and performance (Boshoff and Leong, 1998). When service failure occurs, then service providers have to take actions to recover which gives rise to service recovery. Miller et al. (2000) describe service recovery as the actions takes to problems, change negative attitudes of dissatisfied customers and to ultimately retain these customers. Examples of recovery efforts consist of price discounts, improved services, refunds, free products or services, apologies, and acknowledgment of the problem (Kelley et al. , 1993). 1.12 Summary of the Literature Review This chapter has provided a general idea on service quality. It has started by providing an overview of services and quality with emphasis in the retailing industry. In addition, customer expectations, customer trust, loyalty and customer satisfaction have also been discussed. Undoubtedly, in the service quality literature, service quality is proven to provide many benefits to organisations. Literature Review Chapter Two: Related Concepts of Service Quality 2.0 Introduction In this chapter, service quality and its related concepts have been explored. They are as follows: The dimensions of service quality including SERVQUAL, Gap analysis, the three dimensions of Lehtinen and Lehtinen and the Perceived service quality model. Besides, the difficulties in measuring service quality as well as a critical review of the concept of service quality have also been identified 2.1 Dimensions of Service Quality Service quality is not a singular but rather it is a multidimensional phenomenon (Ghobatian et al, 1993). Without doubt, the identification of the quality dimensions to measure is of fundamental necessity as customers base their views about service on these dimensions (Kunst and Lemmink, 1996). Various writers and researchers have suggested a number of dimensions of service quality. For instance, Lehtinen and Lehtinen (1982) identify three dimensions for service quality which are physical quality (tangible aspects of service), corporate quality (company image and reputation) and interactive quality (two-way flow between customers and personnel). They also argue that it is important to differentiate between the output quality of service and the quality associated with the process of service delivery. Indeed, service quality is being perceived as a multidimensional concept. Grà ¶nroos (1984) point out that service quality comprises of three global dimensions: The technical quality which refers to what is delivered or what the customer gets from the service. For example, for a retail store, technical quality may consist of the range of products offered and the availability of parking space. The functional quality, that is, the way in which the service is delivered or how it is delivered. For example, customers of a retail store will assess whether the salespersons are friendly or whether products are easily returnable. The corporate image has to do with how consumers perceive the firm and is built by mainly both technical and functional quality and to some extent other factors such as the traditional marketing activities (pricing, advertising). Unlike Grà ¶nroos (1984) who uses the global measure of service quality, Parasuraman et al. (1985) argue that the criteria used by consumers to evaluate service quality fits ten dimensions: reliability, responsiveness, competence, courtesy, communication, credibility, security, access, tangibles and understanding/knowing the customer. Later, after having carried out successive research, analysis and testing, Parasuraman et al. (1988) refine the dimensions into only five dimensions namely: Tangibles: the appearance of physical facilities, personnel, communication materials and condition of equipment. Reliability: the ability to perform the promised service on time dependably and accurately. Responsiveness: the willingness to help customers, to deal effectively with complaints and provide prompt service. Assurance: the employees knowledge and courtesy and their ability to convey trust and confidence. Empathy: The level of caring, individualised attention provided to the customers. 2.1.1 SERVQUAL Model Based on these five dimensions above, the SERVQUAL instrument has been developed. This particular instrument which is originally developed by A. Parasuraman, Valarie A. Zeithaml and L.L. Berry in 1988, measures service quality through customer opinions. They point out that SERVQUAL essentially comprises of two sections. The first section basically questions customers expectations, while the second part measures customers perceptions. The gap between the expected service and perceived service is measured using the SERVQUAL together with its five underlying dimensions of service quality (tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy). The SERVQUAL incorporates 22 items in each of the two sections which are sub-items of the predefined five dimensions (refer to Appendix B). According to Zeithaml et al. (2006), SERVQUAL has been creatively used in multiple service contexts. Indeed, Parasuraman et al. (1988) suggest that the instrument is applicable across a wide variety of services. In the same line, Getz et al. (2001) put forward that SERVQUAL has been broadly used in a variety of service industries. They also point out that it is a helpful tool comprising of potential applications in assessing effectively consumers expectations and perceptions of service quality. Despite the fact that SERVQUAL is the most well known instrument for service quality, it has been criticised from several researchers. Cronin and Taylor (1992) claim that there are deficiencies in both the conceptualisation and operationalisation of service quality in the SERVQUAL model. Buttle (1996) criticises on the dimensionality of the SERVQUAL scale, especially to the number of dimensions and their stability from contexts to contexts. He also states that the dimensions are not universal. Following the same line of thought, Bahia and Nantel (2000) declare that this model emphas