Blue Jay Bird Facts (Cyanocitta cristata)

The blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is a talkative, colorful bird commonly seen at North American feeders. The species name aptly translates as crested blue chattering bird. Fast Facts: Blue Jay Scientific Name: Cyanocitta cristataCommon Names: Blue jay, jaybirdBasic Animal Group: BirdSize: 9-12 inchesWeight: 2.5-3.5 ouncesLifespan: 7 yearsDiet: OmnivoreHabitat: Central and eastern North AmericaPopulation: StableConservation Status: Least Concern Description Male and female blue jays have similar coloration. The blue jay has black eyes and legs and a black bill. The bird has a white face with blue crest, back, wings, and tail. A U-shaped collar of black feathers runs around the neck to the sides of the head. Wing and tail feathers are barred with black, light blue, and white. As with peacocks, blue jay feathers are actually brown, but appear blue because of light interference from the feather structure. If the feather is crushed, the blue color disappears. Blue jay feathers are brown but appear blue due to light interference. epantha, Getty Images Adult males are slightly larger than females. On average, a blue jay is a medium-size bird measuring 9 to 12 inches in length and weighing between 2.5 and 3.5 ounces. Habitat and Distribution Blue jays live from southern Canada south into Florida and northern Texas. They are found from the East Coast west to the Rocky Mountains. In the western portion of their range, blue jays sometimes hybridize with Stellers jay. Blue jays prefer a forested habitat, but they are highly adaptable. In deforested regions, they continue to thrive in residential areas. Diet Blue jays are omnivorous birds. While they will eat small invertebrates, pet food, meat, and sometimes other bird nestlings and eggs, they usually use their strong bills to crack acorns and other nuts. They also eat seeds, berries, and grains. About 75% of a jays diet consists of vegetable matter. Sometimes blue jays cache their food. Behavior Like crows and other corvids, blue jays are highly intelligent. Captive blue jays can use tools to get food and work latch mechanisms to open their cages. Jays raise and lower their crest feathers as a form of nonverbal communication. They vocalize using a wide range of calls and can mimic the calls of hawks and other birds. Blue jays may mimic hawks to warn of the predators presence or to trick other species, driving them away from food or the nest. Some blue jays migrate, but how they decide when or whether to move south for the winter is not yet understood. Reproduction and Offspring Blue jays are monogamous birds that build nests and rear young together. The birds typically mate between mid-April and July and produce one clutch of eggs per year. Jays build a cup-shaped nest of twigs, feathers, plant matter, and sometimes mud. Near human habitation, they may incorporate cloth, string, and paper. The female lays between 3 and 6 gray- or brown-speckled eggs. The eggs may be buff, pale green, or blue. Both parents may incubate the eggs, but mainly the female broods the eggs while the male brings her food. The eggs hatch after about 16 to 18 days. Both parents feed the young until they fledge, which occurs between 17 and 21 days after hatching. Captive blue jays may live over 26 years. In the wild, they usually live around 7 years. Blue jay eggs are speckled with brown or gray. David Tran, Getty Images Conservation Status The IUCN categorizes the blue jays conservation status as least concern. While deforestation in eastern North America temporarily decreased the species population, blue jays have adapted to urban habitats. Their population has remained stable over the past 40 years. Sources BirdLife International 2016. Cyanocitta cristata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22705611A94027257. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22705611A94027257.enGeorge, Philip Brandt. In: Baughman, Mel M. (ed.) Reference Atlas to the Birds of North America. National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C., p. 279, 2003. ISBN 978-0-7922-3373-2.Jones, Thony B. and Alan C. Kamil. Tool-Making and Tool-Using in the Northern Blue Jay. Science. 180 (4090): 1076–1078, 1973. doi:10.1126/science.180.4090.1076Madge, Steve and Hilary Burn. Crows and jays: a guide to the crows, jays and magpies of the world. London: AC Black, 1994. ISBN 978-0-7136-3999-5.Tarvin, K.A. and G.E. Woolfenden. Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata). In: Poole, A. Gill, F. (eds.): The Birds of North America. Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA American Ornithologists Union, Washington, DC, 1999.

Physician Assisted Suicide Is Morally Than Just Suicide Essay

We as humans, according to Camus, seek meaning. As beings, we look for answers in a meaningless universe that yields no such comfort to our questions. Those that judge life as unworthy of living commit suicide. Since there is no such meaning, you as a free agent can choose to find meaning by taking a leap of faith, placing your hopes in a god, or choose to conclude that life is meaningless which results in suicide. Is suicide always the result of a meaningless life though? A physician-assisted suicide, by definition is suicide, but lacks the idea that he or she killed himself or herself due to a meaningless life. A physician-assisted suicide gives the individual a resolution to the problem at hand, allowing them to still be a free agent. A physician-assisted suicide is morally more than just suicide; it is a dignified resolution â€Å"There is but only one truly serious philosophical problem †, Camus says, â€Å"and that is suicide†. Deciding whether or not life is worth living is the most fundamental question in philosophy; any other question follows from that (3, Camus). Camus says it is absurd to shout into this void for answers. He states that suicide is a confession that life is not worth living, which he links this confession to what he calls â€Å"feelings of absurdity†. Camus links the feeling of absurdity to a meaningless life. Camus gives three dimensions to this notion of absurdity. As a free agent we as beings can choose to revolt, have passion, and freedom. As aShow MoreRelatedThe Ethical Issues Of Physician Assisted Suicide Essay1736 Words   |  7 PagesEuthanasia is described as the intentional discontinuation, by the patient s physician, of vital treatment that could prolong the person s life. Assisted suicide occurs when a health care worker provides a patient with tools and/or medication that will help the patient kill him or herself, without the direct intervention of the care provider. This paper will defi ne key terms for my argument against Physician Assisted Death, and why I believe it’s wrong, where I will provide a brief background ofRead MoreThe Legal And Ethical Issues Involving Physician Assisted Suicide1134 Words   |  5 Pageswhat conditions is physician assisted suicide morally acceptable, is the question at hand and did these states make the right decision on such a slippery slope debate. This paper will go on to explain one side of this very touchy debate, it will also consider objections from the other side, and ultimately defend the position physician assisted suicide is wrong not only morally but also, ethically. My argument for this thesis is provided below: P1: Physician assisted suicide violates the doctor’sRead MoreThe Rights Of Physician Assisted Suicide1347 Words   |  6 PagesThe Right to Die By: Antony Makhlouf Antony Makhlouf PHR 102-006 Contemporary Moral Issues Final Paper The Right to Die Physician-assisted suicide, also known as euthanasia, has been a hot topic as of late. If you do not know what this is, physician-assisted suicide is the taking of ones life. This usually occurs when a patient is in a irreversible state, and must live through a tube. With multiple cases occurring in the past, current and the more to occur the in the future, this looksRead MoreExplanation Of Physician Assisted Suicide1262 Words   |  6 PagesPhysician assisted suicide has been legal in Oregon since November 1997. Over 750 people have taken advantage of this law since it was passed. Many people think there is something wrong with such this and it should be outlawed. I will argue that there is no moral basis for the outlaw of such a practice. Explanation of physician assisted suicide Physician assisted suicide occurs when an ill patient consults a doctor and decides that they would like to end their life. Typically, the patient is prescribedRead More Physician-Assisted Suicide is Morally and Ethically Acceptable1160 Words   |  5 Pages   Ã‚  Ã‚   The long time debate over medically assisted suicide, the presence of a doctor at a patient’s suicide, resurfaced again with the conviction of doctor Jack Kevorkian.   Kevorkian was convicted of second degree murder when he euthanized, or administered the injection himself, Thomas Youk on September 17, 1998.   Dr. Kevorkian, an advocate and practitioner of medically assisted suicides, has many opponents on the issue. Opponents say that it is unethical and even with the consent of the patientRead MoreAssisted Suicide Should Not be Legalized1633 Words   |  7 PagesAssisted Suicide Should Not Be Legalized Throughout the course of history, death and suffering have been a prominent topic of discussion among people everywhere. Scientists are constantly looking for ways to alleviate and/or cure the pain that comes with the process of dying. Treatments typically focus on pain management and quality of life, and include medication and various types of therapy. When traditional treatments are not able to eliminate pain and suffering or the promise of healing, patientsRead MoreThe Infamous Story Of Dr. Jack Kevorkian1229 Words   |  5 PagesThe infamous story of Dr. Jack Kevorkian is a unique one. Professor Hengameh M. Hosseini wrote how he was a doctor and was one of the first notable physicians to aid in suicide for his patients that wanted it. In 1989 Kevorkian aided in Janet Adkins suicide, his first patient to do so. After many years of helping his patients in this way, Kevorkian got in trouble in 1998 when he got caught administering a lethal injection to Thomas York, a patient who was suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease and wantedRead MoreAssisted Suicide : A Controversial Subject1224 Words   |  5 PagesRichard Cantos Professor: Clerc Intro to Government 11/20/2014 Assisted suicide is a controversial subject that welcomes death over life and presents many ethical dilemmas. We are frequently confronted with situations that raise ethical and moral questioning in our lifetimes. Traumatic events, as witnessed in the cases of Terri Schiavo, Brittany Maynard and Dax Cowart, often leave an impression on one s mortality and fate. Decisions may leave us questioning our moral, ethical, and spiritual beliefsRead MoreEssay about Arguments against Physician-assisted suicide1173 Words   |  5 Pagesthis is true in terms of physician-assisted suicide. The ongoing struggle between those in favor and those opposed to this subject has ravaged the medical field, bringing into question what is morally and ethically right. The fact of the matter is that physician-assisted suicide is neither morally nor ethically acceptable under any circumstance. Not only is it a direct violation of a doctor’s Hippocratic Oath, but it is not constitutionally binding. Physi cian-assisted suicide would also lead to unnecessaryRead MoreEuthanasia And Assisted Suicide Should Be Legalized Essay1221 Words   |  5 Pagesco-authors of â€Å" Why active euthanasia and physician assisted suicide should be legalized† suggest that active euthanasia should be legalized because it can end a patient’s suffering, there is not much of a difference between the passive and active euthanasia, and it gives the patient a choice. In the article,â€Å"Why active euthanasia and physician assisted suicide should be legalized†, Len and Lesley Doyal argue that active euthanasia and physician assisted suicide should be legal in medical practices;

A debate over ABC Family Values Free Essays

The article is based on the analysis of a Walt Disney Company owned ABC TV series;     Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Secret Life of the American Teenager† and attempts to relate its scenes and theme to the present day common teenage sexual encounters and early pregnancies. The authors attempt to question the shift to   programs   that are sex based by the ABC TV given that   Disney   not only has themes, in their view, are out of place on a channel with But â€Å"Secret Life† has the word â€Å"family† in its name but also has   a chaste image (James Chmielewsk, 2009). By venturing into teenage sex series, Disney which presumably ought to promote family values and fight sex before marriage, appears to have undergone a kind of revolution. We will write a custom essay sample on A debate over ABC Family Values or any similar topic only for you Order Now The series reportedly show playing on bed, a father enquiring about daughters’ sex life and revelation about a father molesting his son. ABC Family also plans to show a comedy about a young woman rejected by a boyfriend after having his baby, keeping in mind that its programs are known to advance youth innocence (James Chmielewsk, 2009). In a rejoinder however, the Disney-ABC Television Group argues that they are just being genuine and responsive to the life experiences of their audiences in attempt to mirror what is happening in the society (James Chmielewsk, 2009). However, this comment has generated concern about the paradigm shift from the â€Å"family programming,† to contemporary series despite a sensible reason to appeal to the younger viewers; a situation necessitated by research findings. I think that the â€Å"Sex Lives of the American Teenager† a timely series by ABC owing to the increasing cases of teenage sexual experiences, early pregnancies and child molestation. These, are social ills which contravene Disney’s family values hence the series serve to educate the public. At the same time, ABC has ensured that each episode ends with an advisory that encourages parents and children to talk before it’s too late, an idea which I believe illustrates the very message that the explicit teenage scenes tend to depict. Reference: James Chmielewsk. (2009, February 1).A Debate over ABC Family Values. Retrieved February 4, 2009.Available Online: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-fi-abcfamily1-2009feb01,0,4023158.story. How to cite A debate over ABC Family Values, Essays

Benefits of Conducting a Business Online free essay sample

What benefits do you think Knight Enterprises Ltd and their customers could gain from conducting their business online? An online presence for Knight Enterprises Ltd is a powerful marketing and communication tool, an incredible source of cost-efficiency, an environmentally friendly way to work, a sign of professionalism and pretty much a requirement today. Benefits for the organisation The first benefit identified that organisation have an advantage of from internet marketing is that is it cost effective – this is because using the marketing on the internet can reach a wide range of audience from one and businesses would not need to promote themselves over other marketing mediums that cost more than using the internet. Businesses based only online are able to make profits by saving money on promotions and also just being based online is another way of saving money as they do not need to pay for buildings (includes rent, bills etc). We will write a custom essay sample on Benefits of Conducting a Business Online or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Knights Enterprises Ltd will also be able to save money which they use for other expanding business methods which can attract various customers. The organisation could benefit from an online presence because the opportunity is given to use social networking, emailing, their website, banner ads as their marketing strategy which is much cheaper and also easier than other marketing techniques that does not involve the internet. It is also cheaper to get more customer awareness for their business as their internet marketing (website, ads) can be seen all over the world and now their products will available for international customers as well as national. A website can be changed anytime, so businesses are able to update their online view anytime to stay with the latest trend etc. The business can constantly add more products to their collection and update their business. With internet marketing available the organisation is able to do this anytime making it cheaper and quicker. A forum can also be added to the website for customers where they can comment and give opinion and the organisation will reply to them instantly like an online conversation giving them the advantage of gaining customer awareness; attracting more customers; retaining their customers they have already and gaining their trust Two-Way Communicative Marketing The two way communication is second advantage of online business because they can get their feedback really quickly and also can improve their Customers service and products. Cheap Market Research Market research is information about consumers, competitors and the effectiveness of marketing programs. Small business owners use market research to determine the feasibility of a new business, test interest in new products or services, and improve aspects of their businesses. Improve credibility The website gives the organisation opportunity to tell potential customers what their company is all about and why customers should trust them have confidence when they use website. Growth Opportunity A website serves as a great place to refer potential investors to, to show them what your company is about, this will provided all the information about the company to the customers, how well the company is doing, in terms of profit, revenue total sales etc. We can also guess from their customer’s reply how much better they are than before. Awareness Internet marketing enables businesses to see and compare with other businesses and compete with them more easily. They can view how much customers they have whether they are female or male and can use this to segment their targeted audience and market their business and products in ways that suit their customers. 24/7 Presence One of the biggest advantage of online business is that they dont have to worry about time because they are available 27/ 7 no risk of losing customer. The website can provide all the information that customers need can see the latest product been offered; it also saves people travel cost they can do shopping anytime with even thinking about day and night. They can gain more customers by this as customers that aren’t able to go to the shops in person at a certain time can access a business website anytime. Benefits for the customers Offer Convenience This is more convenient then going somewhere else to buy or find out something because its just one click of a button and all the information will come in front of the screen we need; its much better than ringing a company and waiting in the queue talking to or asking them about their product. Some customers prefer website rather than taking or travelling which is quicker and best service. 24/7 Shop One needs not to worry about the closing time of a store as it 24/7 online. They can whenever they feel like. Online business now meets people’s lifestyle. There is no need to worry about leaving work then popping into stores. People now have the opportunity to shop within the comfort of their own home. †¢People with disabilities or other special needs can stay at home and make orders. †¢Discounted prices and voucher savings.

Mitigation of Delayed Projects in the UAE

Introduction In the construction industry, one of the most common and recurrent problem is the delay that is associated with projects. Delays in the launching and completion of projects cost the parties involved in terms of money, time, safety of the project, and the overall quality. These effects are not only felt in the construction industry but also other sectors of the economy that are hurt as well.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Mitigation of Delayed Projects in the UAE specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The effects are multiple in a country that earns most of its revenue through the projects and the construction industry in general. The best example is the United Arab Emirates. It is estimated that the construction industry in the UAE contributes to more than 14% of the GDP, which makes the industry an important one to the country’s economy. Investigation is required into the causes of delay in the in dustry, as it leads to loss of revenue. It was reported that over 50% of the projects in the UAE experience delays with their completion surpassing the set time (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p.67). Some of the causes of delays in the construction industry and especially in the UAE include delay in the approval of drawings, inadequate and late planning, and slow decision-making for the part of the owners. Some of the people involved in the delays include the owners, the stakeholders, construction professionals, and the final users of the projects. These people are also the main causes of the delay based on the part they play in the project construction. The delay of projects causes increase in overhead costs. After the project is complete, the total cost used in construction is more than that projected at its start. Some of the projects delayed in the UAE include the construction of housing units, office blocks, airports, and industries. This paper focuses on the mitigation of delayed p rojects in the UAE by looking at the case studies for some of the delayed projects in the country over the past decade. Reasons for Delays Many people view completion of a project on the time projected for completion especially the construction companies to be a sign of success (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p.67). The planning of projects therefore takes into consideration the consequences of construction delays. Significant effort is spent here. However, despite the meticulous planning and adequate preparation, over 50% of the projects in the world are not completed on time. The delay in completion of projects in the UAE is because of many factors, which may co-exist to push the completion time further.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Project delays are both in principle and in the actual construction phase. Delays start in the conception of the project, the planning, and in t he interpretation of the designs. Previous studies have listed the causes of project delays to be in the construction phase while at the same time ignoring the delays that may take place in the development of the plan, the drawings, and in the other pre-construction events. It is therefore necessary to know that many delays can take place in a project even before the groundbreaking takes place. Some of the reasons behind the delay in these stages include financial constraints, poor competence of the planners, constant revision of the plans, and delay in inspection of the plans by the government authorities overseeing the legal factors. Differences between the investors and other parties involved in the construction have caused delays of projects in the past (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p.68). After the construction of a project has started, delay can take place at any stage. One of the major causes of delay at this stage is the financial constraints. Many projects have run out of mone y at a period in their construction. This case has necessitated their abandonment and suspension for a given period. Design flaws have also caused major projects to be suspended and in the end delayed in the UAE. When the contractor starts working on the designs, flaws may be found thus necessitating revision. Work on the project stops to facilitate revision of the designs. Project delays can be internal or external to the project. This classification is based on the origin of the delay (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p.69). The signatories of the contract who include consultants, contractors, and the clients cause internal delays (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p.67). External causes of delay arise from events and individuals who are not involved in the contract. These causes are not in the control of the parties (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p.69). Some of the external factors causing delay in project completion include natural events such as disasters, delay in provision of building materials by the suppliers, and changes in government policy during the construction process. Another classification of delays is the categorization into â€Å"excusable but non-compensable delay, compensable delay, and inexcusable delay† (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p.69). The first delay is caused by factors external to the organization. It is equivalent to external delay in the previous classification. Compensable delays â€Å"result from acts or omissions of the owner or someone for whose acts an owner is liable† (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p.69).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Mitigation of Delayed Projects in the UAE specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Inexcusable delay results from the contractor, the suppliers of the materials to be used in construction, or the sub-contractors involved in the process of construction. The most common cause of delay in the UAE projects is due to internal factors mainly in the financing of the projects (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p.69). Some researchers have concluded that most of the causes of project delays in the construction process can be found in the preliminary phases. These include poor estimation of quantities, errors in the design, conditions at the project construction site, elevation of costs of materials, and construction process (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p.70). The estimate is important in project construction. In fact, it is done through plans and or quotes (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p.70). Delays caused by cost escalation, underestimation of the costs, inflation, and complex projects are the main causes of the overrun costs (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p.70). Project managers should therefore use real quantitative data to make thorough studies of the projects to be constructed â€Å"in order to formulate pertinent terms before starting to attribute the said project† (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p.70). Industrialists in the construct ion industry should also be given special attention during project planning since their involvement will contribute in the reduction of delays due to cost escalation (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p.70). The engagement of poor contractors in the construction of major projects has not been discussed in the past as a cause of project delays in the UAE. However, it is believed that poor planning and the communication breakdown caused by the engagement of poor contractors in the project management is a significant cause of delay in the completion of some of the projects. Reasons for mitigation of Delayed Projects The UAE and Dubai in particular present a challenge to the construction industry due to a number of factors. These include the rapid construction growth, the tight schedule involved, and the unique architectural expectations of each project from the clients in the country (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p. 71). The industry also has players from a number of countries. With the divergent views and specifications, the challenge of completion of projects on time presents very often. With the large number of projects being undertaken in the country, the performance of the economy is related to the outcome of these projects. Any poor outcome has a negative effect on the economy. Examples of reasons for the delay in the projects in the country include the large-scale nature of the projects (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p.71). Some of the large projects completed in the recent past or under construction include the Dubai Marian, Souk Al Nakheel, the palm Islands, the extension of Dubai international Airport, and the Burj Khalifa (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p. 70).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Most of these projects experienced delays in their construction. Those under construction have had the dates of completion pushed forward. International companies mainly do the construction of the major projects in the UAE due to the inability of the local companies to undertake projects of such large magnitude. The international companies are involved in disputes and settlement cases in the process with the subcontractors. This often leads to project delays. Project delays lead to increase in pricing of the final items under construction due to the increase in overhead costs in the extra time the projects take. The problems of inflation also contribute to the rise in the final costs of the unit. This condition is often felt with the increase in the time required for project completion. Another reason for delays in construction projects in the UAE is the procurement approach by the companies involved in the projects (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p.71). For most of the projects in the U AE, the traditional procurement approach is favored with the foreign consultants involved in the preparation of contract documents and project design (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p.72). The market has also experienced an influx in small contractors who are also affected by the market trends. When the market trends change with time, small contractors end up delaying any of the projects they are undertaking and hence a major cause of delays in the Emirates (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p.72). With the boom in construction industry and the large returns experienced by the real estate business, many of the contractors are involved in commitments that are well above their capabilities (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p.72). They often end up taking a number of projects, which also end up being delayed. There is a need to mitigate the delay in projects caused by this kind of workmanship. The effects are detrimental to the economy if left unchecked. With the prices of oil meant to reduce over the nex t decade, the UAE economy will be dependent on the revenue earned in the construction of the projects and in the completed ones. It is therefore necessary to ensure that the projects undertaken are not delayed, as this will have a significant effect on the UAE economy. Suggestions for Delayed Projects The financial crisis that rocked the world after the year 2007 is a major factor in the delay of projects experienced in the UAE. Avoiding it was not possible for the industry. However, the method of dealing with the repercussions of the crisis in the construction of projects is important to the clients, as it determines the eventual fate of the projects. Since the delays in the past have been caused by the unrealistic duration set by the owners and the contractors, the control of most of these projects should be done by the authorities in the construction industry, which should also be allowed to set the time for completion of the projects. The making of provisional sums and additiona l costs to the projects has also been a cause of delay in the part of the client. Adequate financial planning should be done with enough room being left for any added costs. The government should also come up with a legal framework of streamlining the industry. In some of the delayed projects, the contractors have abandoned the project at times due to delays in payment from the clients. This case could be avoided if the clients and the project contractors plan adequately for the financing of the projects with the clients respecting the terms of the contract. The consultant firms in the UAE and especially in the state of Dubai, which has been experiencing a construction boom, are usually full of drawings for the many projects being planned. However, these firms are not willing to let any business pass them. They end up overworking their employees. With the increased speed at which the drawings are demanded by the clients and the large workload, the designs are often full of flaws who se correction causes delay in the construction process, as the errors are corrected (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p.73). The main problem affecting the designing of projects and their approval in the UAE is the limited number of consultants. It is therefore common for projects to have documents, which are incomplete, frequent changes in the specifications of the building, and an involving inspection procedure (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p.74). The mitigation of delays caused by the shortage of specialists in the construction industry could be achieved by the training of more specialists in the country, engaging more foreign-based consultants, and providing suitable conditions for the working of immigrant specialists in the country (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p.75). The contractors have often been the source of delays in some of the projects due to differences in culture, mistakes during construction, and breakdown in communication between the internal and external participants of the pro jects. This situation can be corrected by increasing the number of contractors in the country and or facilitating the creation of better working conditions in the industry. The government has a number of measures that it can implement to streamline the construction industry to ensure a better return on the investments it makes in this field. With the experience from the global economic crisis, the authorities here should relook into the development agenda and do more planning to ensure that a repeat of the same does not occur in the future. There is also a need to train more professionals in the construction industry especially specialists. This effort will improve delivery of quality projects on time. Some of the causes of delays are beyond individual, company, or government control. They should therefore be pre-empted with adequate planning being done beforehand. Case Studies Delay in the completion and opening of projects in the United Arab Emirates is common. Most of the complet e projects and those under construction have experienced some degree of delay at some point in their construction. It is therefore important to focus on some of the major projects that have reported delay in their completion, as this would assist in the efforts to mitigate delayed projects in this country. In the following case studies, profiles of the projects are discussed with focus being made on the causes of delay in each of them. This case is then followed by recommendation on the steps that could have been taken to avert the delays. Burj Khalifa The Burj Khalifa is currently the world’s tallest building, and currently the landmark of downtown Dubai. The building was an ambitious project undertaken by Emaar Properties PJSC at an estimated cost of 1.5 billion US dollars (Foreman, 2011, p. 23). It took six years to construct with construction beginning on January 2004 and completion taking place on January 2010. The notable features of the project include the Dubai founta in, which is on record as the tallest functional fountain in the world, as it shoots water a hundred and fifty meters high as it is illuminated by thousands of lights and 50 color projectors (Foreman, 2011, p. 23). The fountain also has music playing as it shoots the water up. Other records include the â€Å"world’s highest observatory deck with an outdoor terrace located on Level 124† (Foreman, 2011, p. 24). The building was the crowning piece of the project that entailed the construction of a 500 acre mixed use development, â€Å"Downtown Dubai† (Foreman, 2011, p. 25). Apart from the construction of this 828-meter building, the project also involved the construction of the largest shopping mall in the world and an entertainment destination (Foreman, 2011, p. 23). The building, when completed, would be 160-storey high incorporating 185,000 square meters of residential space and more than 28,000 square meters of office space (Foreman, 2011, p. 24). The building also has the â€Å"world’s first 160-room Armani Hotel in addition to the world’s highest swimming pool, located on Level 76† (Foreman, 2011, p. 26). The whole project was initially valued at 20 billion US dollars. More than 12,000 workers were on the site (Foreman, 2011, p. 23). 22 million labor hours went into the construction of the project with the laborers coming from over 100 countries (Foreman, 2011, p. 23). The project also included the construction of a park, which is on a lake with an island on it. Millions of people witnessed the opening ceremony of the project internationally, as it was aired on the internet and in the broadcast stations. It also received awards for the many records that it attained at its completion. Apart from all the glory and praise that the project enjoyed, and still enjoys after its completion, there were some delays in the opening of the project, which pushed the inauguration date to a number of days past the scheduled date of completion. Until the year 2006, the construction progress of the Burj Khalifa was remarkable and well ahead of schedule. However, the construction started lagging behind after workers form countries such as India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan started complaining of the low wages they were receiving at the project (Foreman, 2011, p. 23). The building also received economic blows especially in the year 2008 when the real estate markets started experiencing the economic crisis. The world economic crisis reduced the prices of the investment while at the same time making the prices of materials escalate (Foreman, 2011, p. 24). The same year experienced a fall in world trade with the prices of oil in the international market slumping (Foreman, 2011, p. 24). It is reported, â€Å"In late 2008, the price of property at Burj Dubai slumped by about 50%-60% while prices in the surrounding Downtown Burj Dubai fell by at least 22%† (Foreman, 2011, p. 24). The construction delays in the proj ect are a combination of internal and external factors as discussed above. Some of them could have been avoided if the contractor, engineers, and the owner of the project had evaluated and predicted the causes of delay before the start of the project. For the economic crisis of 2008, the project managers and financier could have done little to avert the delay caused by it. However, the delay could have been mitigated by adapting the crisis adequately. The project contractor and the owner should have also allowed a longer time of construction by stating a hypothetical completion date and working towards beating the deadline. For a project of its magnitude, the number of employees employed is large. This case may have caused the cost escalation as evidenced during the completion of the project. Even after the completion of the project, the company responsible for the investment reported a delay in the occupation of the completed units and office suites (Faridi, El-Sayegh, 2006, p.67) . Should adequate planning have taken place before the start of the project, these problems could have been simulated and planned. During the construction process of the tower, the workers are said to have rioted due to poor pay and poor working conditions (Foreman, 2011, p. 26). The riots led to the destruction of property and a halt in construction work. This case was also a source of delay in the completion of the project. It is reported that the cause of the riot was a delay in the buses used by the workers in the evening with most of them being stranded at the work place. Workers did not work for company in the days following the protest despite going back to their stations (Foreman, 2011, p. 25). This was one of the causes of reduction in output by the workers in the construction process and hence a major cause of the delay in the project completion. The awarding of better pay could have prevented the strike by the employees. It would also have contributed to the completion of the project on time. The working conditions of the workers and their housing units were said to be poor and hence a factor in their grievances. Improvement of the living conditions of the workers could have been done by ensuring that adequate planning takes place in the welfare of the employees. The company should have set up proper housing units for the employees before the start of the project. The project is the most ambitious in recent times in Dubai. The delay in the completion elicited a change in the policy on the planning for projects in the UAE state. The financial crisis that took place in the years presiding the opening of the building was also a very significant factor in the delay of completion of the project. The state of Dubai was forced to ask for a bail out from Abu Dhabi to aid in the completion of the project along with others that had stalled. A grant was then made to the state. This act was viewed as a positive gesture by the Dubai administration. In return, na me of the tower was changed from Burj Dubai to its present name; Burj Khalifa (Foreman, 2011, p. 23) meaning that the project could have been delayed farther should Abu Dhabi have declined to offer the grant to her neighbor. The main reason for the economic hardship experienced by Dubai during the economic crisis of 2008 is the large number of projects that it was undertaking mainly in the construction industry (Foreman, 2011, p. 23). To mitigate the delays, the government therefore has to come up with a limit to the number of construction projects it can undertake at a particular time. This strategy will ensure that there is regular supply of the required capital for subsequent projects. The Burj Khalifa stands as evidence that delay in the construction industry is inevitable even in the large-scale projects. The surrounding ‘Downtown Dubai’ also experienced delays in completion. This case was also because of a number of factors (Foreman, 2011, p. 25). These were relat ed to the causes of delay in the Burk Khalifa. If same measures were put, the problem would have been solved. In the mitigation of delays in the projects in the UAE, the Burj Khalifa project is important to consider. The findings would help the authorities involved in the planning for future projects of that scale. The Dubai Waterfront The Dubai waterfront just next to the palm islands was designed to be the largest project of its kind in the world. The developers, engineers, project designers, and the owners of the project also stated that the project would be the single largest development ever made by man (Frasca, 2011, p. 34). The construction of the project is similar to the construction of the palm islands adjacent to it. It would involve a series of islands and artificial canals when completed (Frasca, 2011, p. 34). The project was originally intended to serve as a destination for the wealthy in the area and in the world after the creation of its luxurious housing projects an d hotels. The project would also have zones, which would be residential, commercial, and amenity zones (Frasca, 2011, p. 34). The owners of the investment scheduled the project’s completion to the year 2020 though this has been debated due to the suspension of the project on financial grounds. The Dubai waterfront company is responsible for the running of the project. Nakheel, which is a real estate investment company, has a 51% stake in the project (Frasca, 2011, p. 34). Nakheel is a well-established real estate company with branches in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world. Its involvement in the project was therefore a significant contribution to the popularity of the project, and the financing was to be made by using the Islamic bonds that it possesses. Several companies are also involved in the project though they have smaller stakes in the project. The original plan of the project was made to resemble the star and crescent symbol, which is a common symbol in the Is lamic world (Frasca, 2011, p. 34). The construction of this crescent-shaped archipelago of Islands would also involve the construction of the Palm Jebel Ali that is also constructed by the same real estate investment company Nakheel (Frasca, 2011, p. 34). The palm island would be at the center of the crescent. It would be sheltered by it from the sea (Frasca, 2011, p. 34). The construction works started with the construction of the canal running parallel to the Dubai coastline in the year 2007 (Frasca, 2011, p. 34). The construction was halted at this stage. The reason behind the suspension was financial constraints. The project is expected to be delayed for a number of years because of the financial crisis, which hit the world at the time of the start of the project. The project owners have however announced that several parts of the project would be opened to the public. The parts completed have successfully sold. The suspension of the project is also expected to last until the ma rket for the envisioned units and components improves (Frasca, 2011, p. 34). With the global financial outlook, this case is likely to take place slowly. The project will therefore be delayed longer or done away with (Frasca, 2011, p. 34). The above project is just but an example of a delay that is caused by a combination of internal and external factors. With the ambitious development by the project owners, the financial planning was poorly done. The managers and the investment company involved in the project supervision and development should have done adequate planning to ensure that the project is complete. Nakheel Real Estate Investment Company was engaged in the construction of many projects at the time of construction of this project. The case reveals the delays experienced in its construction. Most of the projects that the company had planned to undertake at this particular time and those it had been working on have also stalled with some of them being cancelled. With adequa te planning, the company could have foreseen the impending financial crisis besides reserving some of the money to complete the on-going projects before engaging in new ones. Dubai Maritime City The ambitious project, which happens to be a member of the Dubai World Group of companies, is expected to be the first of its kind in the world (Frasca, 2011, p. 34). The completion of the project was slated for the year 2012. However, delays have been experienced from its start. The project involves the construction of a maritime city in Dubai, which will have residential, industrial, educational, and recreational areas. The delay in the construction of the project are mainly due to the financial constraints experienced in the construction period, the difficulty in the construction of the components of the project, and the delay due to correction of the original plans. With the drop in the property value experienced in the UAE in the advent of the global crisis, the project received a blow as the demand for most of the units under construction fell with those remaining retailing at a cheaper price. The client also had to invest more money on the project. The delay in the payments to professional means that time was lost in the construction process. There has been growing speculations as to the actual completion date of the project with some of the professionals in the field stating that it would take more than five years beyond the time earmarked for completion (Foreman, 2011, p. 29). The World Island Project The World Island Project is another project that has experienced a number of belays since it began in the year 2003. The project consists of many artificial small islands arranged to make an illustration of the world. These islands were then sold off to developers with the intention of developing them to residential and recreational areas. By the year 2010, the islands were still to be developed despite their completion with only one building existing on them. Th e building was used as a show-home (Frasca, 2011, p. 34). The main culprit for the reduction in demand for the islands and the drop in the prices is the global financial crisis, which is thought to have resulted in the reduced demand and increased cost of materials for construction (Frasca, 2011, p. 34). The project has since stalled with rumors that the islands had begun eroding and sinking into the sea (Frasca, 2011, p. 34). Some suggestions were also made that the islands are inhabitable. This case has discouraged many investors in the project. It is reported that the price of properties in the UAE fell by 58% in the year 2008 thus qualifying as a major factor in the abandonment of the project by most of the investors initially interested in the development (Foreman, 2011, p. 29). The company involved in the transport of people to and from the islands has also experienced the economic blow. It has since considered pulling out of the agreement. This situation is a major blow to th e project since the value of the units is set to drop as the owners sell them off. Nakheel Investment Company that is responsible for the project has not set any time for completion of the project. The duration of the delay in completion therefore remains unknown (Foreman, 2011, p. 29). Analysis The above projects demonstrate the need for mitigation measures in the delays of projects. The main reason for most of the delays in the projects has been cited as the financial constraints arising after their start with almost all of them being affected by the global financial crisis, which took place in the year 2008. Billions of dollars were lost in the delay of the projects due to the escalation of the building costs. The prices of property in the UAE are also said to have dropped with the global financial crisis. This situation discouraged further investment in the ongoing projects (Frasca, 2011, p. 34). The growing uncertainty in the market is also said to have locked potential propert y buyers in the industry here. This decision locked the much-desired money for property investment in the UAE. The economy is also said to have been affected by the delays in the completion of the projects being undertaken here. In Particular, Dubai had to take a grant from its neighbor Abu Dhabi (Foreman, 2011, p. 23). The financial crisis and the effect on the economy led to some people referring to it as the Dubai financial crisis (Frasca, 2011, p. 34). In the year 2008 alone, more than 200 projects in Dubai were stalled or suspended following the pending resolution of the financial crisis. Most of them were not to resume construction. The auctioning of the construction equipment took place for some. The contractors closed their operations in the country with others concentrating their resources on a number of projects. Some of the causes of the delay in completion of the projects were internal to the parties involved in construction. However, these were of little significance. T he mitigation efforts in place for the delayed projects in the UEA are mainly the control of the stalled projects by the government and the intervention that it took in the wake of the global financial crisis. Recommendations In the mitigation of delayed projects in the UAE, some measures are necessary. They need participation from all the parties involved in the construction of the projects. The major player in the mitigation efforts is the federal government of the UAE, which has the control in the industry. It should therefore actively participate in the streamlining of the industry by setting standards in the construction industry, and embarking on the vigorous training of consultant specialists in this field. The government should also set up a committee or a board whose function would be to look into the financial implications of new projects in a bid to recommend the actions to be taken in the case when the projects are delayed. The industry should also find a way to attract more specialists into the country. This move will reduce the burden on the few specialists. In the end, the delays caused by the constant revision of drawings and plans due to poor work by the consultants would be mitigated. There is also a need to motivate workers in all levels in the projects. This case will improve their output thus reducing the delays caused by this party. The UAE has enjoyed a boom in construction industries over the past. This situation has often had an effect on the pricing of the property in this part of the world. The federal government should make legislation aimed at regulating the industry to ensure that the investors do not lose the money they invest in the projects. Conclusion As discussed above, a number of projects in the UAE have been delayed due to one reason or another. A need has therefore arisen for the mitigation of the delay in projects in this country. The federal government is the main player in the mitigation measures. Some of the major cau ses of delays discussed above include the financial crisis of 2008, the escalation of construction costs, and the drop in the cost of completed units in the UAE. These delays are said to have influenced the local economies in a significant way and hence the need to avoid the same in the future. Some of the recommendations have been provided on how to prevent a repeat of the same in the future. Reference List Faridi, A., El-Sayegh, S. (2006). Significant factors causing delay in the UAE construction industry. Construction Management Economics, 24(11), 67–76. Foreman, C. (2011). Abu Dhabi projects: turning a vision into reality. Dubai, UAE: MEED. Frasca, A. (2011). Dubai, debt, and dependency the political and economic implications of the bailout of Dubai. Austin, Tex.: University of Texas. This essay on Mitigation of Delayed Projects in the UAE was written and submitted by user Lennox Valdez to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Change of Heart essays

Change of Heart essays It all started with Really World, a television show on MTV. This show taped seven strangers living together. This show was reality programs at it finest, so I thought. Real World first aired in the early 90s. Now in 2001 there seems to be an overflow of these types of really shows. Michael Smith my cousin had a change to a particate on one the new hottest reality shows Change of Heart. Whats is the point of change of heart? Well, couples that have been dating for less than one year can test their relationship, by dating other people. Before the show is air you and your partner go on dates with other people. Then all four of people meet back at the show to tell what happen on their dates. After the couples faces off they decide where to stay together or to have a change of heart. Although Change of Heart is a reality show, you cant just show up at the studio. Couple must first apply, by fill out a very long questionnaire. The questionnaire ask every question under the sun, although most are gear toward your relationships and likes and dislikes in a mate. After filling out the long questionnaire you can email it, or mail it back to the producers, along with a headshot. This process makes me think that this show isnt a real as they want us to thing it is. That the easy part said Michael Smith, we talked about his experience on the show. The hardest are part was yet to come. The producers get your pictures and questionnaire and if the like you, they call you and your partner in for a personal interview. At the interview they go over your questionnaire and they try to find out what you are looking you in mate. They also get the dirt on you partner, this information will be used during the shows taping. After you talk to them, you go home and wait for a phone call from them. In the mean while, the producers try to find you a perfect date. Not only do ...

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The Difference Between Perception And Expectation Marketing Essay The survival of any organisation is determined by satisfying the needs and wants of its customers. Sivadas and Baker-Prewitt (2000) asserts satisfaction is a critical measure of a firms success and has been shown to influence attitude, repurchase, and word-of-mouth communication. A customer is satisfied once he steps out of the sellers shop and his happy when the immediate need or want his met. Lovelock Wirtz (2007) explains that dissatisfaction drives customers away; it makes them willing to switch to other alternatives. Therefore, if customers are not satisfied with the services received, they easily find a substitute which makes the other organisation unprofitable. Fornell (1992) argues that high customer satisfaction will result in increased loyalty for the firm and that customers will be less prone to overtures from competition. Bainbridge (2003) defines convenience stores as a retail business with primary emphasis placed on providing the public with a convenient location to quickly purchase a wide array of consumable products. Therefore, Village store is considered as a convenience store. Lovelock Wirtz (2007:29) If a service experience does not meet expectations of customers, they may complain about poor service quality, suffer in silence, or switch providers in the future, customers evaluate service quality by comparing what they expected with what they perceived. 1.2 ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND Village store started on the 24th of September 2007 during the Welcome Weekend and is accommodated in the same building with the Sports Centre close to the school hostels (Student Village and Carroll Court hostels). It is been controlled by the University of West of England Bristol, United Kingdom. Village store operates only on the main campus, Frenchay. Village store is a grocery shop that sells goods and provides services to its customers (students living in the school hostels and students that go to the Gymnasium). Their rush hours are between 5pm till 8pm. Their opening times are: Monday Friday 9am 10pm, Saturday Sunday: 11am 8pm. 1.3 PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION AND CONSEQUENCES. This problem focuses on Village store failures in satisfying its customers needs and wants despite its convenient location to them. This report is as a result of students complains about the delay in processes of goods sold and in services provided in Village store in UWE. After a close observation and investigation, it was discovered that students were not satisfied with the following: service promptness (Speed) and goods not available on time (Dependability). This results into some students saying they would prefer walking to a big store closer to UWE rather than shop at the Village store despite its convenient location to their hostels because they dont take the stocks of their goods on time and this would dissatisfy a customer that wants to purchase a good and finds out the good is not available (Dependability). 1.4 CUSTOMERS SATISFACTION FRAMEWORK Village stores objectives is to provide adequate goods and services to meet its expectant customers needs Slack et al (2007) Five Performance objectives would be used to analyse the difference between the companies objective and its customers expectations also the concept of the 7Ps of Service Marketing Mix Lovelock Wirtz (2007:22) to analyse the Processes services rendered and the People. Village store is a grocery store that sells goods and delivers services. The goods are displayed to be bought by the customers and their services are provided by the cashiers for the payment of their purchased items. 1.5 OBJECTIVES This objective is based on the problems encountered by students dissatisfaction of services provided in Village store. These issues could be divided into two parts which are the marketing and operational perspective of the grocery store which briefly explains the motive for this report and how it would be achieved. How does Village store know what their customers expect? What makes Village store objectives different from their customers expectation Why does a part of services provided by Village store not satisfy its customers? To recommend ways to improve the satisfaction of Village store customers. Brassington Pettitt (2006: 193) explains that Segmentation can be viewed as the art of discerning and defining meaningful differences between groups of customers to form the foundations of a more focused marketing effort and they further explained the organisation that fails to segment deeply enough on significant criteria will lose customers to competitors that do. Thus Village store customers are differentiated below: Segmentation Profile of Village Store Variable Segment 1 Segment 2 Segment 3 Gender Male Female Male Female Male Female Categories Of Customers Hostel Residents Gym Goers Non-Gym Goers Visits Frequency Regularly Regularly Occasionally Benefits Cigarettes, Alcohol, Sanitary pads, Soaps, etc Energy drinks, towels, socks, Gym bags, water etc Juice, coke, biscuit, yoghurt, crisps, etc 2.0 METHODOLOGY Methods adopted in gathering informations for this report are the two sources of data which are the primary and secondary data. To get the primary data SERVQUAL questionnaires were given out to forty students who visit the Village store during the peak periods of the store between 7pm-8pm to get a clearer view of the situation and their opinions of the goods and services provided (Appendix 1), And (Appendix 2) for a pictorial evidence of my observation of the students at exactly 8pm on a week day. For further data collection a secondary research was also carried out to analyse the situation, sources were mainly from, academic writings, articles, journals, and reports. 2.1 RESULTS Gilmore (2003:23) Service Quality is defined as the ability of an organisation to meet or exceed customers expectations. The outcome of the SERVQUAL instrument by Berry et al (1985) distributed to forty students who visits Village store regularly and occasionally showed students expectations is greater than their perceptions and this is seen from the table below with the aid of the formula which gives all the results in negative. Their responses were from a scale of 1(Strongly Disagree) to 7(Strongly agree) while 4 is neutral. Thus, my discovery was that service promptness of Village store is not satisfactory to what the students expects. EXPECTATION PERCEPTION Frequency of response Average Frequency of response Average 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 reliability 1 2 0 0 5 9 8 16 5.675 1 6 8 4 11 0 3 0 2.4 2 0 0 0 4 3 13 20 6.225 2 19 4 10 5 2 0 0 2.175 3 0 1 0 5 8 12 14 5.8 3 17 6 12 3 0 2 0 4.95 4 0 0 0 3 12 8 17 5.975 4 14 12 7 5 0 1 1 2.3 responsiveness 5 0 3 1 5 5 8 17 5.525 5 14 8 0 5 0 7 6 3.35 6 0 0 0 1 3 5 31 6.65 6 18 5 9 5 1 3 0 2.45 7 0 2 1 3 4 6 25 6.25 7 5 4 5 15 5 2 4 3.825 8 0 2 0 4 1 12 21 6.1 8 14 8 4 7 1 3 3 2.85 Fig 1 Expectations Perceptions (P-E) 1. 5.675 2.4 -3.275 2. 6.225 2.175 -4.05 3. 5.8 4.95 -0.85 4. 5.975 2.3 -3.675 5. 5.525 3.35 -2.175 6. 6.65 2.45 -4.2 7. 6.25 3.825 -2.425 8. 6.1 2.85 -3.25 Fig 2 The the total reliability expectations (23.67) and perception (11.85) of students who goes to Village store is illustrated below Fig 3 The total responsiveness expectation (24.52) and perception (12.47) of students who goes to Village store is illustrated below. Fig 4 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERCEPTION AND EXPECTATION Perception Expectation P-E Reliability 11.85 23.67 -11.82 Responsiveness 12.47 24.52 -12.05 Total 24.32 48.19 -23.7 Fig 5 The pie chart below shows the overall total of students expectations is 48.2 and the total perceptions is 24.3 OVERALL TOTAL PERCEPTION AND EXPECTATION Fig 6 3.0 PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES AND CUSTOMER NEEDS The management of an organisation controls their objectives which determine their operational activities in fulfilling customers expectation. Slack et al (2007), explains that organizations set their objectives relating specifically to its basic task of satisfying customer requirements. Village store provides services that are run by UWE and part of their aim is to ensure that service to customer is delivered promptly. Slack et al (2007). The Five Performance Objectives of organisations are: Quality, Flexibility, Speed, Dependability and Cost. Village store has not been able to meet the needs of its customers in this two: Speed and Dependability. 3.1 SPEED DEPENDABILITY SPEED: It is essential in the operations part of an organisation by providing express delivery of goods and services to its customers. Slack et al (2007) defines Speed as the elapsed time between customers requesting products or services and their receiving them. This objective is important to Village stores serving promptness to its customers as quick as possible to reduce queues at the payment point. Katz et al (1991); Taylor (1994) claims Longish waits impact negatively on customer evaluations of an outlets quality because long queues affect the customers perceptions of the punctuality of a service i.e. how promptly customer requirements are satisfied and hence his or her ratings of the service providers overall efficiency and reliability. DEPENDABILITY: It requires fulfilling all customers needs and wants without delay of their desired goods and services. This makes the organisation dependable to its customers; they are assured that their expectation would be met. Slack et al (2007) defines Dependability as delivering, or making available, products or services when they were promised to the customer. This objective is also important to Village store having a minimum amount of goods out of stock so as to be able to always keep promises made to the customers. 3.2 PROCESS AND PEOPLE The seven elements referred to as 7Ps of service marketing which are product, place, price, promotion, physical environment, people, process: represent decision variables facing managers in an organisation Lovelock Wirtz (2007:21) A process is the method and sequence of actions in the service performance. Therefore if an organisations process is not well built its outcome would be poor. The manner in which an employee relates to a customer boosts the service quality of the organisation. Village store processing of goods and service takes a long time due to its low members of staffs. The frontline staff attends to customers as much as 400-500people in a day (high volume) and this diminishes the quality of the service. f Customer pays for goods Customer search for goods in the store Customer goes to the counter Customer sees the price of goods bought Customer enters the Village Store f Line of interaction Cashier put cash in the till and gives change Cashier politely request for payment Cashiers scans goods at the tills contact person (visible action) Line of visibility Cash till indicates the total amount of goods bought Contact person (Invisible action) F means Fail Points The above diagram is the blueprint of the process of interactions between a customer and Village store. Lovelock Wirtz (2007) defines Blueprinting as a powerful tool for identifying fail points which enables us to visualize the process of service delivery by depicting the sequence of front stage interactions that customers experience as they encounter service providers, facilities and equipment, with supporting backstage activities which are hidden from the customers and are not part of their experience. Mittal Vikas (2004) Managers can identify areas of high service responsiveness, that is, areas in which overall satisfaction is low but customers are highly responsive to improvements in service quality The first fail point pinpoints when a customer search for goods in the store and sees that goods have not been stock for sale; this affects the customers behaviour towards the grocery store since he/she was unsatisfied. After an interview with an employee, it was discovered that there is a capacity problem in Village store. Slack et al (2007) defines Capacity of an operation is the maximum level of value-added activity over a period of time that the process can achieve under normal operating conditions there are four components of capacity and if limited in an organisation can lead to constraints of capacity, they are: Manpower (Human Resource) Machinery(Equipment Facilities) Materials(Raw Materials) Money (Investment Funds). At this point Village store lacks manpower (human resource) capacity and this has resulted into a stock availability problem because there are not enough employees to quickly restore goods on shelf. This has made Village store undependable because customers would get dissatisfied if they cant get what they want from the store. Second fail point explains when a customer goes to the counter to pay for the selected goods. After thorough observation it was discovered at this point that Village store lacks machinery (Equipment Facilities) and manpower (human resource) capacity to cater for its demands which results into a queuing problem since there are not enough employees to serve customers and not enough equipments. 3.3 Gaps in Service delivery The gaps model of Zeithamal, Berry and Parasuraman was extended by Lovelock Wirtz (2007:424) identifies seven service quality gaps that occur at various points during the design and the delivery of a service performance of an organisation and the expectation of customers: The knowledge gap The standards gap The delivery gap The internal communications gap The perceptions gap The interpretation gap The service gap. The gaps noticed between Village store and its customers are identified below: The standards gap: Lovelock Wirtz (2007:424) the difference between managements perception of customer expectation and the quality standards established for service delivery. The management of Village store has not been able to understand the expectations of the customers and have therefore set a standard below what the students expect. Although students have not shown concerns about the cost, quality and flexibility they have shown dissatisfaction about the speed of service and also for the fact that you cant always get what you want when you need it (Dependability). The service gap: Lovelock Wirtz (2007:424) the difference between what customers expect to receive and their perceptions of the service that is delivered. Village store has not been able to meet the expectations of its customers, Customers are dissatisfied when they come into the store and can not find what they want. As shown in the questionnaire Village store customers expectations are higher than the perceived service they are getting. CONCLUSION After observations and thorough investigations for this research it was noticed that Village store needs to work on elements like speed of service and also work towards customers seeing the store as reliable to increase their service quality and customer satisfaction rate. This research also examined the process of interaction between a customer and the store and also identified fail points of the process. The gaps that exist between customers perception and expectations in village store were also discussed in this report. RECOMMENDATIONS Customers needs must always be satisfied at all times in both goods and services received from Village store notwithstanding that they have no competitor in their convenient location and they need to go out of their way to attract more customers. The following suggestions would be helpful in solving the two major problems observed between Village store and its customers Village store needs more effective and trained hands to increase the speed of serving customers at peak periods (manpower) by planning their capacity. Slack et al (2007:299) defines Capacity Planning as the task of setting the effective capacity of the operation so it can respond to the demands placed on it by deciding how the operation should react to fluctuations in demand. To retain these students they need to have an effective capacity management to control high demands of their goods and services. Slack et al (2007:309) explains that there are three methods of responding to demand fluctuations and they are: Ignore the fluctuations and keep activity levels constant (level capacity plan) Adjust capacity to reflect the fluctuations in demand (chase demand plan) Attempt to change demand to fit capacity availability (demand management). Slack et al (2007:309) An organisation uses the combination of these plans but one could overcome the other. Village store should use chase demand plan to respond to fluctuating demands of its customers by hiring a part time staff to assist the full time staff during peak periods to serve demands of customers at these times. Roger Bennett (1998) Other policies for reducing average queue lengths at checkouts include the practice of automatically opening a new till whenever there are more than (say) five people in an existing queue. Village store should provide self service checkouts (machinery) for the students to avoid queue and reduce pressure employee at the till. In closing the standard and service gaps Village store would develop innovative ways of carrying out feedback survey from the students by issuing a single paper form to customers at the cash till or fill a register book for queries to know their perceptions about Village store satisfaction rate to make more people take part in the survey and use incentives to motivate students to want to participate, this information gathered from its students would assist the management on making sure that promises made to their customers should be fulfilled at all times. The management of Village store needs to improve on the standard they aim to achieve these recommendations by making sure they are financially buoyant enough to focus on the areas they lack in satisfying their customers without going bankrupt. This can be done by recruiting employees that are hardworking, committed, focused on achieving target goals of the store, willing to abide by their set rules, and should always do what is expected of them by making sure they not only add value to the store but also to themselves. These are essential in satisfying customers needs and wants. Slack et al (2007) explains that dependability is valued by most customers.

Mobile Phone-based Interaction Techniques Essay -- Technology, Bluetoo

Many of the research presented in the field of mobile phone-based interaction techniques that have been developed so far fall into three main classes according to Sas & Dix [21]. In some research, the personal device effectively acts as an extended input device for text editing or pointing task. In others, the phone is used to upload and download media using standard content and protocols. The third class is where the mobile phone is a more integral part of the interaction, typically using the display of the device in concert with the public display. Ballagas et al [7] present a survey of the existed interaction techniques that use mobile phones as pointing device. Alongside with the survey, they present an analysis on these techniques based on the following taxonomy: position, orient, select, path, quantify, and text .The study concludes that the mobile phone is suitable devise for positioning tasks in various ways especially when interacting with public display in pervasive environ ment. Bellow we present some studies based on Sas & Dix classification [21]. Mobile phone as pointing devise: As a research area, several studies use image processing and visual recognition as a base in there interaction technique, since that most of the smart phones and handheld devices are equipped with digital camera. Jiang et al [1] attempted to take advantage of this fact by proposing a study to interact with display through mobile device camera. There method uses the position of the cursor on the display as the basic input source. The presented systems depend on a closed-loop of feedback between the handheld device and the display to provide continuous-visual feedback. This closed-loop starts with presenting the cursor on the display. Then, th... ...sts of three units: the Symbian client application running on the mobile phone. The role of this unit is to enable users to select a track from the presented list on the phone screen. The second unit is the server application running on a PC which counts the votes from all client unit users. The last one is a large public display which acts as the main user interface showing the track list and their votes. Kaviani et al [13] propose new user interface concept that take advantage of the input and output capability of large public display and mobile phone. They call this mode of interface as â€Å"dual display†, which allows users to execute multimedia user interfaces across both large and small display types. By shifting parts of a user interface down to a personal mobile device number of problems originating from limitations in large display real estate can be solved.

Simone Weil’s Love of Neighbor

Simone Weil’s â€Å"Waiting for God† have discussed the implied love of God through the reiteration of love and compassion as an answer or remedy for affliction and as a step in able to restore justice. Simone Weil was a wealthy French political activist and philosopher who have strived to argue about the â€Å"universal goodness of men†. She maintains that the world in which we lived in is generally composed of inequalities. In such case, there are some people who catch our attention while there are those â€Å"others† who are often regarded as the collective unknown. Since there was a lack of attention, otherwise of circumstance and/or affinity, these people remained to be unidentified. She further argues that those people who are with power acts in â€Å"mechanical ways†. This is because they are blindly under the assumption or thinking that they are obligated to enact their power over others in able to defend or protect themselves. They believe that if they do not act in such a way as imposing their power over other people, they might end up being slaves or being objects themselves. Those who do not have power are reduced to â€Å"mere items or objects† who functions as property and quantities obviously does so because they do not have the capability to command other people and they are viewed by those who are in power as means to their ends. This was largely reflected on wars, as soldiers are deployed in   combat areas, those who held government power are deciding which troop would be sent first or which troop would be in this or that position. To further understand her point, she tries to demonstrate the mechanical aspect of power through the ideas of affliction and slavery.   She renders that affliction is a mark of slavery; it is when the soul becomes blind and numb through the mechanical violence perpetuated by power that they exist only as things. Human’s primary task is to give attention to those who are afflicted or to those people who were possessed by power.   Since other afflicted person’s are hardened by the feelings and experiences that they posses, it is then the human being’s task to love our neighbor’s as much as we love ourselves. According to Weil, most people do not understand what the pain that the afflicted persons are feeling. It is quite impossible for unequal things to feel equal or the same, in such, people who are unequal cannot feel the same feeling, cannot understand the same thing that other people is experiencing. She argues that what connects everything is a link with what she renders as an â€Å"outside reality†. She clarifies that this â€Å"link† can be manifested through the presence of â€Å"injustice† which is the damage caused in the private sphere of an individual. Weil’s conception of Justice is base on a religious aspect of a universal obligation to â€Å"remedy the damages done in any body or soul†.   According to Weil, the universality of this obligation is in such form that disposing it would make one a â€Å"criminal†. Justice for Weil is reflective of compassion with the acknowledgement that there must be no harm done to other people most specifically to our neighbors. It is through justice that those who are in power would be compassionate to those who does not posses power for they would not treat those other people merely as objects or as indifferent persons but as reflections and extensions of themselves. They would then remove the mechanical ways that follows from their possession of power for this ways would not be recognize or at least utilize. In my opinion, Weil’s ideas are too idealistic, for although people may indeed love their neighbors as much as they love themselves, nonetheless, this could only happen if all would indeed subscribe to this kind of philosophical thinking. It is quite inevitable for people to dominate other things, and this is something that Weil herself recognizes, as she states that indeed inequality is something that we cannot demise. Yet she proceed on implying that humans can in some way become compassionate to other people or feel and share the pain of other people. This is simply implausible even if she argued that there is a universal link that determines compassion as an obligation to other people, still it is deeply imbedded in human being’s nature and personhood that he/she must strive for him/herself with or without the regard for other people. Her ideal morality and universal justice cannot be attained in our society and is only possible in a hypothetical realm where people may indeed recognize his/her obligation to other people. It might also work well in particular instances upon a serious contemplation and dedication to religion or to a morality that corresponds to the same ideals. For example, in instances like those done by Christ, helping other people without the regard of what will happen to yourself, is something that can indeed be treated to be an instance in support of Weil’s claims. However, one must not forget to take into account the fact that somehow there can be personal interest involved or such and such actions are only plausible in certain circumstances and not in others. Thus, my assessment of Weil’s philosophy is implausible and too idealistic. Works Cited: Weil, Simone. Waiting for God. New York: First Perennial Classics. 2001.      

Analysis of “Fight” by Laurel Blossom Essay

Complete opposite attract, just like a magnet. However at times, it may not always work out for the best. In â€Å"Fight† by poet Laurel Blossom, the contrast between the narrator and her lover seems to have affected her decision to either strive through their relationship in order to make it work or opt out. The narrator immediately tells readers â€Å"That is the difference between me and [him]†, helping readers understand from the start that they these lovers have their differences, as do most people in relationships do. However the narrator goes on to list their differences throughout the entire poem. She talks of how he â€Å"pack[s] an umbrella, #30 goo/And a red flannel shirt.† and later discusses their differences in hobbies, weather, natural state of temperature, and material preference when it comes to clothing. However the narrator bluntly states â€Å" That’s not what I do.† as if she’s trying to reinforce the idea and emphasize it so that readers can understand that they are complete opposite of one another. In the third stanza she uses repetition to add stress on â€Å"Florida† which could possibly mean that she’s trying to give readers the feel of her environment and setting of the poem. It’s a reasonable possibility considering the fact that in the next stanza, readers get a list of activities usually done in sunny and pleasant weather which Florida is known for. Once again the compare and contrast pattern is seen again as she critically states â€Å"[He] dig[s] in the garden. I swim in the pool/I like to wear cotton. [He] like[s] to wear wool.† in order to sincerely persuade her lover, since she addresses him directly within it, that they are too different for one another. In the last stanza the narrator finally comes to a conclusion after her rant of contrasting her and her lovers lifestyles. Apparently â€Å"[He] wants[s] to get married. [She] wants to be free†, which shocks readers, especially when the narrator blatantly tells her lover, who originally was the one she was talking to, that even though he doesn’t seem to mind â€Å"that is the difference between you and me†. The way that the narrator formed her poem, makes this line the strongest one and gives readers this feeling that she wants to end  whatever is going on between them. Her constant repetition within the poem that they are completely different and the constant contrasting between lifestyles, adds emphasis to her decision to end what they had since she wants to be â€Å"free†.

Slave Narrative essays

Slave Narrative essays I was born a slave girl; but I never knew it until I was about six years of age. I was born in Angolia, Africa with my birth family but soon after they were captured. They went through the Middle Passage and I went with them where we went through the slave trade. My family was partially separated due to the fact that my father was sold to work for a man as a carpenter in Charleston, SC; whereas my mother and I were sold to a different family in the same town. My mother was a house servant to a family named the Adams family. I was just a baby when my mother was sold so she had to bring me along with her. She was aware that when I got old enough I was destined to be a servant to the family as well. When I was about six years old my mother started to teach me how to do things such as cleaning up the house, assisting her with cooking, and helping nurse our masters children. She explained to me that I would soon be working with her as a house servant for the Adams family and there was a good possibility that I would be sold to another family somewhere else. I was so young at the time I really didnt understand what was going on. As time went by, I began to work for the Adams family; they assigned me to clean up anything necessary around the house and be the servant to their oldest children who were twelve and thirteen years old named Susan and Jacob. Mr. Adams was a very strict man and told me that if I didnt do my duties as a servant that I would be severely beaten. I tried my best to do everything I was suppose to and became quite good friends with Susan and Jacob. They treated me very kind and we played together everyday. Mrs. Adams was also very kind to me and she tried to he lp me the best she could if I messed up anything, so I wouldnt be beaten by her husband. She was very sincere to me and didnt treat me like a slave at all, but more like a daughter. After years passed by, the turmoil was just s...

UK Commercial Law - Final Year Coursework Case Study

UK Commercial Law - Final Year Coursework - Case Study Example But, it is to be remembered that the law has made certain conditions to be fulfilled by the claimant which may turn to the triumph of the defendant. Before proceeding to render an advise to ITS, Firstly we shall examine the provisions of various Acts arises from this case and also we shall examine how it is wrought to help claim of ITS, the defendant. The general rule is that he purchaser of goods, which turn out to be defective, will sue in contract for breach of the terms implied by the Sale of Goods Act 1979, or the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982, which cannot be excluded against a consumer. In Donoghue v Stevenson (1) Lord Atkin stated that a manufacturer of products owes a duty to the ultimate consumer to take reasonable care in the preparation of the product. But as said above the law never is single sided correspond to the description and such goods shall be of merchantable quality.(2) This aspect is well explained in the case Varley Vs Whipp.(3) The term, "merchantable quality' means that the goods comply with the description, so that to a purchaser buying goods of that description the goods would be good tender. In Harlingdon and Leinster Enterprises Ltd v. Christopher Hull Fine Art Ltd (4) also the same point has been discussed. Moreover in Wilson v Rickett, Cockerell (5) by applying the purview of S. 14 (3) the court of Appeal held that where the seller sells goods in the course of a business and the buyer expressly or by implication makes known to the seller any particular purpose for which the goods are being bought, there is an implied condition that the goods supplied under the contract, are reasonably fit for that purpose whether or not that is a purpose for which such goods are commonly supplied, except where the circumstances show that the buyer does not rely, or that it i s unreasonable for him to rely, on the skill and judgment of the seller. a) In the course of the buisiness In the course of a business' in the context of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 s14 (2), where it limits the statutory implication of a term as to the quality of the goods to sales where sellers are acting 'in the course of a business'. However, a requirement of merchantability was only implied if the sale was made 'in the course of a business' and that remains the case in relation to satisfactory quality By applying the scope of the phrase 'in the course of business in Stevenson v Rogers (6) it was held that the meaning to be given to the phrase 'in the course of a business' came to be considered as a preliminary matter. But there is an exception this -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.Sales of Goods Act 1979 3. Varley Vs Whipp 4. Harlingdon and Leinster Enterprise Ltd v Christopher Hull Fine Art