Critical Reading and Writing in the Humanities Essay

1. Reflective Essay (Diagnostic) Describe briefly your experiences with writing at the pre-university level. Discuss how any factor or an individual has influenced your approach and/or attitude to writing. Explain your expectations of this course. (300 words) 2. Essay Outline and Annotated Bibliography-20% Annotated Bibliography Compiling a list of annotated references will help you to become familiar with a variety of perspectives on your chosen topic so that you can begin to formulate or strengthen your view about it. Based on information gathered from the library session as well as from class readings and discussions on critical thinking, you will summarise each source’s content and critically evaluate its relevance to your documented essay in no more than 150 words per source. NB. Only four sources are required for this activity. Each of the entries in this single-spaced document will consist of the following three sections: The publication details of the source in M.L.A or A.P.A. format. Paragraph 1 -a succinct summary of the main ideas and supporting points of the source, an explanation of the author’s purpose and a description of the intended audience Paragraph 2 – short discussion of the author’s credibility of the relevance of the source to your topic. 3. The Response Paper -20% The response paper requires students to summarise, explore and critically analyse a written text. This allows for the communication of the students’ perspective on the author’s ideas. 4. The Documented Essay-30% The research and writing processes in which you will engage as you prepare this assignment are outlined on the seminar schedule. Before writing your first draft, you will select a theme/topic that is relevant to your discipline; generate ideas on it; narrow it to a researchable theme/topic that can be reasonably explored in a 1000-word essay for a general academic audience; prepare a short proposal; research the topic and make relevant notes; write an annotated bibliography which evaluates your source materials and prepare your essay outline (with sources included). You are required to show evidence of at least four (4) scholarly/reputable/credible sources which must include at least one journal article and a book. Only one newspaper article (not news item) is allowed. 5. Collaborative Project/Group Presentation- 10% Students will work in groups to present research or analysis of a theme from their discipline. Works of art, songs, poetry, films and written text may be used. 6. Final Reflective Essay -20% Instructions will be given in seminar. FOUN 1012 SEMINAR SCHEDULE for SEMESTER I (2013-2014) LECTURES are given weekly on Wednesdays 12:00-1:00 and 5:00-6:00pm in N1. SEMINAR NUMBER LECTURE TOPICS CURRENT WEEK’S SEMINAR ACTIVITIES PREPARATION and ASSIGNMENTS for NEXT SEMINAR Sept..2 – 6 Critical Reading and Writing in the Humanities and You 1. Enrolment confirmation. 2. Discuss course aims and objectives, teaching structure, assignment and grading schedule, and special requirements for academic reading and writing. 3. Students and tutors share on literacy 4. Discussion of reflective essay Choose and attend a Library OPAC session. Visit the Foun1012 website at http://ourvle.mona.uwi.edu and Watch Shaped by Writing and E-literate (before Week 3). Browse the resources and download the course outline Read chapter 11 of Wadsworth and write a definition of the humanities. Sept 9-13 Researching for Academic Writing The Writing Process Submit the reflective essay. 1.Discussion of features of writing in the humanities 2. Discussion of The Right to Write 3. Brainstorming of documented essay topics and explanation of the proposal ESSAY TOPICS/THEMES: a. Enslavement b. Language and Culture c. Media and Professionalism d. Technology and the Arts Read chapter one of Wadsworth. Revise the reflective essay after feedback and upload to Turnitin. Record the similarity index. Peruse samples of the proposal on OurVLE. Write and submit proposal. Guide questions for your proposal: 1. What are my broad and narrowed topics? 2. How is my narrowed topic related to a sub-discipline in the humanities? 3. What do I already know about this topic? 4. What am I interested in finding out OR sharing with a general academic audience about this narrowed topic? 5. How will I go about gathering additional data on this topic? Sept. 16 – 20 [Deadline for all students to register with TURNITIN.] Communicating in the Academy- Rhetorical Contexts Submit the proposal at the beginning of seminar and collect at the end. [Go to the Main Library for your seminar.] 1. Practise locating information from a variety of sources. 2. Discuss shaping your writing and evaluating sources 3. Visit this website and attempt the multiple choice activity on evaluating sources: http://www.lib.calpoly.edu/infocomp/modules/05_evaluate/index.html. 4. Browse this website for tips on critical thinking: www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/webcrit.html Visit the â€Å"Foun1012 website at http://ourvle.mona.uwi.edu read and download Critical Reading 1. Manage YOUR Sources: Locate TWO source materials for your Documented Essay- a journal article and book chapter. In addition to taking notes on NOTE CARDS, summarise each source material in a few sentences and record the publication details. Sept. 23 – 27 [Deadline for students with special English language needs to start self-help exercises in the â€Å"Grammar & Mechanics† folder on OurVLE or in the recommended texts.] Critical Thinking and Reading 1. Introduction to Rhetorical analysis- Critical Reading 1 2. Summary writing Elect a class representative Annotate one of your sources and consult your tutor for feedback. Ensure that you have uploaded your reflective Essay to Turnitin. Peruse the model (sentence) outlines on Ourvle, and chapter 2 of Bazerman: The Informed Writer. Sept. 30-Oct.4 Language and Communication 1 1. Summary Writing contd. 2. Writing Workshop: a. Thesis statements and the Introduction b. Writing the formal Outline Read chapter 6 of Wadsworth and prepare your formal outline and your annotated bibliography for submission at the beginning of next week’s seminar. Upload it as a single file to Turnitin. Reminder: All hard copies of the assignment are to be submitted within the first 20 minutes of the seminar Read and download Critical Reading 2 on OurVLE as directed. Oct. 7 – 11 Language and Communication 2 Submit your Outline and Annotated Bibliography along with your accountability statement and rubric. 1.Critical Analysis 2. Response Writing Prepare for the Mid semester exam. Oct. 14 – 18 Students should NOT change Documented Essay topics after this week. Ethics and Academic Writing Critical Analysis contd. a. Organising Principles b. Paragraph Development Mid Semester Exam- One sitting Manage YOUR Sources: Locate TWO more source materials for your Documented Essay In addition to taking notes on NOTE CARDS, summarise each source material in a few sentences and record the publication details. √ Give your tutor, in writing, your group presentation topic (see Week 11), thesis, names of group members and group leader’s name. Oct. 21 – 25 **October 21 is a public holiday. Please attend another seminar during this week if your class is on a Monday.] Working With Sources 1 Class discussion and presentations on The functions of language Caribbean language varieties Language and social status Type and upload your essay draft and references to Turnitin. Record the similarity index, read the report and complete your self -review. Revise the draft based on your self- review and Turnitin report. Bring the revised draft to the next seminar. Visit the OurVLE course website and download and read â€Å"Peer Critique Checklist† & â€Å"Peer Critique Model†. Bring the Peer Critique Checklist to the next seminar. Do not lose your documented essay draft and the accompanying materials! You will need them for final submission of the essay. Oct. 28 – Nov. 1 Working with Sources 2 Using the â€Å"Peer Critique Checklist† as your guide, participate in the IN-CLASS peer critiquing session by allowing TWO of your peers to read and discuss your essay. Afterwards, ONE of your peers will WRITE a critique of your essay draft. Attach the critique and your self- review to your essay draft. Continue revising your documented essay draft based on feedback from your peers and tutor. Bring a copy of your single-spaced revised essay to the next seminar. Nov. 4-8 Revising and Editing 1. Framing/ integration of sources 2. Corresponding reference entry/ies. 3. Style of writing Prepare to submit your double-spaced documented essay for grading (along with your first draft, self-review, peer comments, and accountability statement at the start of your seminar in Week 11 (30%). Reminder: All hard copies of the assignment are to be submitted within the first 20 minutes of the seminar in Week 11. Download â€Å"Group Presentation Guidelines† from the course website and bring it to the next seminar. Nov. 11-15 [Tutors to reserve multimedia equipment for groups] Reflective Writing SUBMIT the hard copy of the final draft of your Documented Essay (30%) along with your draft, self-review, peer comments and accountability statement. Planning for Collaborative Project/ Group Presentations & Performances. Visit the OurVLE course website and read text on reflective writing to prepare for writing the final reflection. Topic for Collaborative Project : Issues in your Discipline Caribbean Realities Nov. 18 – 22 Oral Presentations Discussion on Reflective writing Drafting the Final Reflection Prepare to give the script for your group’s presentation and your assessment of your group members to your tutor at the start of the seminar. All presenters are to be in place within the first 10 minutes of the seminar. Revise your Reflection for submission next class. Upload To Turnitin. Nov. 25 – 29 No LECTURE Collaborative Project/Group Presentations & Performances (10%) Give the script for your group’s presentation and your assessment of your group members to your tutor at the start of the seminar. Submit your Final Reflection and accountability statement. END OF COURSE

Got Milk Analysis

Case Analysis of the Got Milk BRANDING A COMMODITY 1. A. The got milk? Ad campaigns was a sign of beverage industry, it symbolized beverage industry’s innovation. It stopped milk demand rate of decline, and created new brand of milk. Let commodity also have brand to effect consumers’ purchase decision. B. 1) Television Ads, the television ads gradually built the tension that was so critical to the deprivation strategy. 2) Additional communications programs, the creative strategy lent itself to using complementary food as promotional tools for milk. ) Media strategy, According to manning there were three ideal times to communicate the milk message—at home where milk could be immediately consumed, on the way to the store, and in the store, 2. The United Dairy Industry Association (UDLA) commissioned a marketing research study to investigate the reason behind the perpetual decline of per capita milk consumption. 1) Proliferation of other beverages 2) Lack of portabi lity 3) Lack of flavor variety 3) not thirst quenching 4) Lack of consumer mind share 5) shared nature of consumption. 3.The new advertising campaign had to satisfy three objectives: 1) Change consumer behavior, the CMPB’s foremost priority was to increase milk consumption by one occasion per week. To change the ways for consumers think about milk. 2) Increase mind share, although many people drink milk every day, milk suffered from a complete lack of consumer mind share. 3) Halt sales decline, obviously, sales represented the bottom line for the CMPB. 4. Got milk Campaign used research data of California to explain dairy industry trend, then compared milk need rate of American. Gained a credible evidence to show advantage of drink milk.It will make consumer change their drink habit. It not only advertise brand, but also develop brand to consumers. Ensured target market, created campaign objectives, branding strategy, and then let it became spirit of brand integrate into peop le’s life. 5. Base on strategy of case already mention, to create music about advertising of got milk, let consumer remembered brand easily, associate with beverage companies which produce milk show their logo on Got Milk’s advertising. Decide coupons and discount day on newspaper, printed cartoon or old fashion out packing to attract consumers with different age, sexuality, religion.

Amazon Com An E Commerce Retailer Marketing Essay

Amazon Com An E Commerce Retailer Marketing Essay Aggressive competition, along with the external factors of a poor economy and possible repeal of the Internet sales tax exemption, has forced Amazon.com to reevaluate its current strategies and redevelop an â€Å"effective differentiating strategy† in order to make the company a â€Å"consistent money maker† in the short and long-term time frames, while still continuing to pursue corporate objectives of expanding at reasonable costs and staying ahead of the company’s competition. 2. Summary statement of the recommended solution: Develop and implement a competitive business-to-business (B2B) exchange for suppliers, retailers, manufacturers and distributors. B. THE SITUATION Amazon.com was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994 and was , â€Å"à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦considered to be the premier online retailer in the world† (Collins, P., Mockler, R., & Gartenfeld, M., p. 2, 2003) in 2003. The company originally only started with selling books, but later expanded into severa l other product lines such as: CD’s, DVD’s & videos, electronics, toys, apparel, and home & garden supplies. Amazon.com also offered services which included: online auctions, partnerships with retailers (i.e. The Gap & Eddie Bauer,) Zshops (store hosting) and website management. In 2003 the company reported its first operating profit of $64.1 million, which was an 115.55% increase from 2001’s $412.2 million operating loss, for the fiscal year ending December 31st, 2002. Amazon continued to meet its internal goals, â€Å"à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦of focusing on increased market share, expanded product offerings, and overall sales growth, the company was still facing pressureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦to produce consistent operating profits and to prove that its business model worked financially over the long-term.† (Collins, P., Mockler, R., & Gartenfeld, M., p. 3, 2003) The pressure the company was facing, combined with a decreasing consumer confidence, an increased unemploymen t rate, and competitive threats from other online companies, like eBay and Yahoo!, who had started to expand into Amazon.com’s current markets, left Bezos â€Å"à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦with the task of developing an effective differentiating enterprise strategy if Amazon.com was to survive and prosper against aggressive competitionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Collins, P., Mockler, R., & Gartenfeld, M., p. 2, 2003) II. ANALYSIS A. ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION 1. Management In Amazon.com first year as a company, they focused completely on increasing market share and superior customer service, but when the dotcom â€Å"bubble burst† happened and Amazon.com’s stock prices fell Bezos and his management team struck a good balance between their goal of increasing market share and their goal of producing a profit. This shows that the management team for Amazon.com is rather flexible one and is willing to change strategies when the opportunities arise and the company is willing to modif y its business model if it feels that an opportunity to expand in a new area will be profitable. 2. Operations Amazon.com has a corporate headquarters, which is located in Seattle, WA, and several distribution centers that are located in New Castle Delaware, Coffeyville Kansas, as well as in Campbellsville and Lexington Kentucky. Having these distribution centers allow for a better ability to regionally segment the United States, which allows for faster order fulfillment and higher customer satisfaction. Since they operate online, they have also expanded their website operations into several different countries including: Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom.

Importance of Emotions for Children Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Importance of Emotions for Children - Assignment Example Most of the people whom I crossed paths with were not smiling at the start of our encounter. They mostly seemed deep in thought and in a hurry to get their kids into school so they could go on with their day. However, when I took the time to smile at them as we passed each other, most of them smiled back at me. They seemed puzzled by my smile and, since I was smiling even at the parents whom I did not know personally, I bet some of them were wondering where we had met before. I would like to think that by smiling at them at the start of their workday, I was able to bring a little brightness into their lives and perhaps influenced them into going about their day in a more positive manner than they started out. On my part, I have to say that I felt very lighthearted and welcoming of the people whom I smiled at. A simple smile on my part was enough to bring a sense of positivism to my day and helped me get through my day without ever feeling cross. That is because each time I would begin to feel weary or irritated, all I had to do was think of the parents whom I exchanged smiles with earlier in the day and everything negative that I felt seemed to melt away. My show of choice for this particular study of nonverbal communication and body gestures was Full House starring Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, Candace Cameron (Burke), Jodi Sweetin, Lori Loughlin, John Stamos, and Bob Saget. I felt that this show would be perfect for this exercise because the show was part of a genre that everyone enjoyed and could easily be understood even with the sound on the television or laptop turned off, comedy. It turns out that I did not make a mistake with my choice of television shows. What I learned from the show is that the human face can deliver emotions even better than the voice of a person. By simply watching the facial expression on the characters faces, I was able to tell if the scene being played out was lighthearted or serious.  

MARKETING PLAN FOR SKAGEN DESIGN Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

MARKETING PLAN FOR SKAGEN DESIGN - Essay Example Entry Modes for International Marketing 9 Export-based Entry Mode 11 Contractual Entry Modes 11 Foreign Direct Investment 12 Joint Venture as appropriate mode for Skagen Design to enter China 13 Why Joint Venture for Skagen Design? 13 Marketing Objectives of Skagen Design 14 Product Mix 16 Price mix 16 Place mix 16 Promotion Mix 17 STP strategy of Skagen Design 17 Segmentation strategy of Skagen Design 17 Targeting Strategy of Skagen Design 18 Positioning Strategy of Skagen Design 18 Conclusion 18 References 19 Introduction 3 Skagen Design: Company Overview 3 Analysis of Internal and External Environments 5 SWOT analysis 5 Strengths and Opportunities 6 Weaknesses and Threats 6 Market Choice for Skagen Design 7 China and Business opportunities 7 Entry Modes for International Marketing 9 Export-based Entry Mode 11 Contractual Entry Modes 11 Foreign Direct Investment 12 Joint Venture as appropriate mode for Skagen Design to enter China 13 Why Joint Venture for Skagen Design? 13 Marketing Objectives of Skagen Design 14 Product Mix 16 Price mix 16 Place mix 16 Promotion Mix 17 STP strategy of Skagen Design 17 Segmentation strategy of Skagen Design 17 Targeting Strategy of Skagen Design 18 Positioning Strategy of Skagen Design 18 Conclusion 18 References 19 Introduction In today’s competitive business environment, marketers are required to develop certain strategies to help them achieve sustainable competitive advantage. Out of various marketing strategies, going global is one of the most effective strategies as it not only widens the market potential but also help the firm seize more marketing opportunities. A marketer is one who designs and creates benefit or utility that deliver the want or need-satisfying power to the customers (Boone and Kurtz, 2009, p. 5). In a global marketing perspective, marketers are to identify its customers, research in to their requirements and develop products or services accordingly so as to market them globally. This piece of research paper presents an international marketing plan for Skagen Design to help the management team in deciding about the best appropriate entry mode to launch its business in China. The report presents a detailed marketing audit of Skagen Design and investigates marketing objectives an d better marketing strategies for the company in relation to its international marketing plan to China. Skagen Design: Company Overview Skagen design, started as a small business upstart in 1989 in Denmark, has now emerged to be a successful multinational company designing, making and marketing stylish Danish designed watches, sun glasses, jewels and related accessories (Zacks Equity Research, 2012). It’s co-founders Henrik and Charlotte Jorst came to USA to start their own business in 1989 by developing the idea of a business opportunity from the Danish lifestyle and philosophy and started their business by marketing well designed watches and other accessories (Skagen, 2012). This illuminates an example of how effectively a business dream can be converted to reality by exploring newer business opportunities and marketing newer ideas. As Crane (2009, p. 3) noted, a successful entrepreneur starts thinking creatively from finding a hidden marketing opportunity and develops his marketing by identifying customers’ specific requirements and by developing products accordingly. Henrik and Charlotte Jorst developed the business idea based on the marketing potential for supreme quality watches made in Danish spirit, elegant design, skillful craftsmanship, perfect technology and so on. With its mission to create a Skagen Global Community ingrained with a commitment to design impressive and unique products and to offer high valued customer services, the company has long been able to generate a positive zeal among its customers. As of very recent report, Fossil Inc is proposing to purchase Skagen Design for a total value of $236 million including 150,000 shares in Fossil Inc (Zacks Equity Research, 2012). Skagen Design ltd is manufacturing and marketing watches, sun glasses and jewels for both men and women offering its products and services through third party retailers as well as online stores. Apart from administrative offices and manufacturing plants sit uated in Nevada, it operates stores in Tokyo, Nagoya, Japan, Taiwan and markets it products to various countries such as Singapore, Malaysia,

WRITE A PROFILE ON ONE OF YOUR FRIEND ON A SOCIAL NETWORK Essay

WRITE A PROFILE ON ONE OF YOUR FRIEND ON A SOCIAL NETWORK - Essay Example I think perhaps it is her lively character that serves the chief ground for her becoming a national motor club representative. Irina tells me this is not the kind of stuff she is into much but it motivates her to find out that majority of people appreciate the way she is. Of course, the club has still made her go through certain struggles due to human imperfections. Nevertheless, she acknowledges at heart this truth in nature and proceeds to earn more trust and respect so she can go about an increasingly remarkable performance every time. To this point, I could not help wondering how life would treat me if there is no such friend as Irina Ward with whom to share life’s topsy-turvy yet fulfilling quest for inner beauty. At 45, being a mother of four must have been a mundane task but Irina is the type who grows fondly in love with her kids and discovers in each of them a huge bundle of joy to keep her going at work and elsewhere. This is something which my friend would not tire or may not be kept from sharing to people within her circle of influence including myself. For Irina, the precious moments of living are not really worth too dear a cost to die for. In a child’s delightful eyewink or in plain yet eager hugs from her little ones, she knows and feels that love truly speaks to the soul to create the brightest of

From the novel Beloved by Toni Morrison i need to answer, How does Essay

From the novel Beloved by Toni Morrison i need to answer, How does Paul's D concern with his masculinity cause him to act in certain ways throughout the novel - Essay Example Though kind and optimistic, Paul D remains concerned with his masculinity and this causes him to act in certain specific ways throughout the novel. Morrison uses Paul D’s concern with his masculinity to subtly allude to the attitude of the male members of the African American community and their expectations of how females need to act. The author portrays Paul as a character, who really loves and cares for Sethe. However, while he feels â€Å"proud of her† on the one hand, he becomes â€Å"annoyed by her† on the other when he realizes that she did not need either her husband or Paul to go through her delivery (Morrison 4). His annoyance derives from his concern for his masculinity due to which he believes that Sethe must depend on him or her husband for the delivery. Paul D’s masculinity can be seen as a dominating trait in him even in the scene when he first arrives at Sethe’s home after several years and she starts cooking for him and he says â€Å"Don’t go to any trouble on my account† (7). This dialog manifests his concern and love for Sethe on the one hand and he is prepared to quit a meal lest he gives any trouble to the woman for whom he cares a lot. However, on the other hand, it transpires that his reaction to her invitation also stems from his concern for his masculinity due to which the idea of a female taking a trouble for a male like him does not appeal to him. More significantly, in the context of the story’s theme, it can be seen that the storyline basically relies on Paul D’s knowledge of his masculinity. He is a person who has always known his value as a â€Å"laborer who could make profit on a farm† (120). Thus, he takes pride in his own strength and the ability to work. This, perhaps, is the power that imbibes in him the quest for freedom, which ultimately culminates into the attempted escape. In addition, he nourishes a desire in him to save Sethe from her problems and also drives out the evil from her

How the Global Finacial Crisis impacted Egypt Term Paper

How the Global Finacial Crisis impacted Egypt - Term Paper Example One effect of the challenges was a disruption of the reforms that were later resumed in 2004. This paper will discuss how Egypt’s economy was impacted by the crisis, what the government’s response was in terms of policies, and the nation’s current economic status. An understanding of Egypt’s economy before the 2008 crisis helps in understanding and analyzing how the economy was impacted. The economic reform policies that had run from 1991 to 2007 met most of the terms set by international institutions, donors and lenders and included broader incentives to the private sector’s role in all monetary activities. The greatest negative impact was felt, rather than by the banking sector, on the real economy (Altintzis 1). This was occasioned by the fact that among the reforms that preceded the financial crisis, the government had put limits to the level of integrating the banking subdivision into the global financial system. Instead, banks had been consoli dated into larger corporations with restructured management as the government did away with toxic debts, reducing the impact of the crisis on the sector, while the economy’s growth rate and the stock market suffered the most. According to a report by the Cairo Chamber of Commerce, the losses by commercial and production sectors alone due to the crisis were estimated at US$4 billion for the year 2008/2009 (Altintzis 1). The greatest negative impacts on the real economy can be listed as the decline of GDP between 2007/8 and 2008/9 from 7.2% to 4%; a drop in domestic investment; a decline in the flow of foreign direct investment (FDI); an increase in the rate of return migration accompanied by reduced remittances; collapse of the capital market; a pronounced strain on payments balances; volatile oil prices; and reduced tolls from the Suez Canal that previously generated 70% of the nation’s foreign exchange (Altintzis 1). The implication is that the economy was impacted in a complex manner, with the nation being exposed to true economic shocks and the government remaining relatively protected in terms of financial shocks. The worst hit portion of the population was the lower and middle income earners, who spend 45% of the earnings on food. The government was soon faced with the need for an urgent response to the financial crises as from mid 2008 to 2011, food prices became unaffordable to 40% of Egypt’s population that was below the poverty line (Radwan 40). The slight improvement in annual growth rate did not reach the poor as only the wealthy benefited from it, increasing the poverty percentage to 50. The result was a socioeconomic instability that was politicized leading to the 2011 revolution. Among the policy changes to alleviate the effects of the crises, a bill was endorsed into law by parliament with the intention of protecting the 40% citizens below the poverty level as well as the lower and middle income groups. The bill reflected a fiscally and socially neutral package characterized by a decrease in energy subsidies as well as increased fees on the registration and licensing of automobiles and using cement raw materials. There was also an increase on cigarette sales tax with various income tax exemptions abolished. In particular, the

OPM 300 MOD 1 CA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

OPM 300 MOD 1 CA - Essay Example Hard Rock Cafe applies this by constantly modifying and improving the products and services that they offer. They have changed their menus from simple ones to more high-end items. They have likewise added a new emphasis on live music and even maintain a popular website and a weekly cable television program on VH-1. Next, quality is constantly and strictly managed by Hard Rock as they do surveys on a regular basis to evaluate the quality of food and service at the cafe. Hard Rock also understands that process and capacity design is crucial so that they make sure that they use the right equipment and technology in their branches all over the world. Next is location selection decision. Since Hard Rock is located at Orlando Universal Studios which is a traditional tourist destination, their cafe is flocked by tourists and locals alike and they never run out of customers. They were also able to strategize the layout of the place carefully to accommodate the needs of their customers. When it comes to human resources and job design, Hard Rock employees are chosen so that they are not only competent in their job skills but are also passionate about music and have engaging personalities. This makes it even more pleasant for customers to frequent Hard Rock.

The effects of working night shift Research Paper

The effects of working night shift - Research Paper Example Studies provide enough evidence that adequate sleep benefits alertness, memory, problem solving capacity, overall physical and mental health, and also reduces the risk of accidents. A good sleep during night will allow us to wake up feeling refreshed. On the contrary, if sleep is deprived every part of our body and life can suffer. The jobs, relationships, productivity, health and safety are all put at risk when sleep is deprived. Night shift working can be a serious problem to health and well being of an individual. Nursing profession is a good example for shift based working. In today’s busy schedule of nurses, they often have to compromise on sleep. According to a study, nurses get an average of 6.8 hours of sleep on a working day which is far less than the recommended 8 hours of sleep. This may result in reduced vigilance, reaction time, memory, psychomotor coordination, and decision making that is of utmost importance in this profession (Stutts et al.). There are also stu dies that show that speed of mental processing slows down during the night under conditions of sleep deficiency (Monk et. al. 399-401). Interns made significantly more serious medical errors when they worked repeatedly on shifts of 24 hours compared to when they worked in shorter shifts. (Landrigan et al. 1838-1848). The results for the study by Landrigan et al. may also be extended to nurses who work overtime and commit serious medication errors. In addition to sleep deprivation, there are other problems such as finances, family life, disease, studies, parents, children, etc. that can be a major cause for stress and anxiety. And when lack of sleep combines with stress and anxiety over a period of time, many serious health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes etc. may occur. The major health challenges in people who work regularly during the night are due to sleep deprivation and unscheduled eating habits. Studies have identified that human body works on natu ral biological clock that is termed as Circadian Rhythms. Several physiological functions in the human body undergo natural rhythmic changes in the course of 24-hour period that are seriously disturbed in night shift workers. For instance, the heart rate and body temperature for individuals getting adequate sleep are lowest around 4:00 am and are at peak around 12:00 pm. For night shift workers, the circadian rhythms are disturbed and this can be linked to most disturbing health effects such as gastrointestinal problems, increased risk for cancer, obesity and type 2 diabetes (Baldwin and Barrett 149-155; Levi 119-136; Blask et al. 11174-11184; Arendt 10-20). Additionally, night shift working may also aggravate diseases such as diabetes mellitus, epilepsy and thyrotoxicosis (LaDOU 525-530). Studies on night shift working women showed an increased risk of breast cancer. More precisely, these women working during the nights have 60 percent higher chances of developing breast cancer whe n compared to other women. The reason for this is linked with the production of a hormone Melatonin that occurs during the night and there is a lack of this hormone in night shift working women. Additionally, problems such as irregular menstrual cycles and pain during menstrual periods are also high in these women. There are also problems such as higher risk of spontaneous abortions, low fertility, delayed fetal development, premature delivery and low birth weight faced by women who work during the night (OHCOW 1-6). Night shift working people are

Hunting should be allowed Essay Example for Free

Hunting should be allowed Essay Hunting is beneficial to our society and therefore should be allowed. Historically human beings have been pursuing wild animals to provide their families with food, clothing, and shelter. In modern times the need for hunting for survival has lessened because of the development of animal husbandry and agriculture. There were times in history worldwide when hunting became profitable and hunters began killing animals for their fur, skins, and meat. Then it became necessary to put regulations in to effect to preserve wildlife as well as to somewhat appease the critics who felt hunting should be illegal. Three main reasons why hunting should be allowed is to regulate the amount of wild animals, so that areas do not become over populated by them. Another reason is that hunting is a major money making industry. The third main reason is that hunting for sport of food is an exciting and educational experience for hunters of all ages. In John Clare’s poem â€Å"The Badger† we see hunting at its worst and a major turnoff due to the unethical and cruel nature of the townspeople engaged in the hunt. Poems like these motivate people to be anti-hunting but if we look closely at the benefits of hunting it overrides such negativity and we can plainly see the benefits. Hunting if done responsibly should be allowed. It is a great privilege to have and is regulated by the government. Some of the steps put in place is the requirement to pass a hunter education course before hunting, this protects people. There are also laws that set hunting season dates to protect wildlife. Most states grant their wildlife agencies the authority to manage wildlife population using regulations. Regulations are generally easier to change and better suit the dynamic nature of wildlife management. For example, if a drought caused many a deer to die, the wildlife agency would be able to change its regulations by reducing the number of permits and protecting the deer population. If the situation was reversed a sudden increase in the deer population was observed then the wildlife agency can change its regulations, increasing the number of permits and providing more opportunity for hunting. Many benefits come from hunting not only to the hunter, but also to society. Without the hunter, many breeds of animals would become overpopulated and die off from lack of food due to excess in their numbers and lower percentage of food per herd. Not only would there be too many animals, but it would greatly increase the chance of disease and inner-herd killings. Nature decrees the survival of the fittest, those that are weak and old will be the first attacked, even by their own kind. Hunting also brings benefit to humans through the control of the wildlife and the predatory animals that would invade neighborhoods when overpopulation occurs. These dangerous animals are wolves, bears, mountain lions, coyotes, and bobcats. Hunting wildlife keeps disease among wildlife at a lower rate and ensures better survival. Hunters also donate millions of dollars each year from hunting license and stamp fees that buy thousands of acres of open land, natural habitat, and wetlands that forever preserve them for wildlife use each year. Individuals who are against hunting do not spend any money on this. Hunting is a major money maker for the government as well as private establishments. The average hunter spends quite a reasonable amount of money on his hunting trips. These hunting trips approximately last for about seven to twelve days on average. The taxes on the hunting licenses increase every year adding to the expense and putting money in to government coffers. Hunters also buy equipment. This helps private businesses and retailers. Hunting offers benefits to the hunter in the form of a sport, not only for food but it is a relaxing, exciting and an educational experience for hunters of all ages. There are the benefits of education, by studying the animals the hunter will learn how they relate amongst themselves, their patterns for breeding, migration, and their tendencies of behavior. The hunter will not only benefit by this knowledge within his hunt but also will know what animals to pursue when hunting. Ill or deformed animals often give the hunter a sense of empathy when hunting. These animals may not live very long and possibly spread its disease to the other animals. Sport hunting should not be banned when examining information from this angle as it affects us all in general. Hunting also provides excitement and a close connection with nature. While hunting, the hunter often connects with nature while sitting in silence. He has the opportunity to observe his surrounding and become familiar with his hunting ground. Knowing the plant life and growth rate of the area crops is very important part to being a good hunter. This knowledge comes through conservation of the land being managed for hunting. Through this land management, the plant and animal life become more abundant. Hunting should be allowed and protesters should make the effort to become more knowledge about the benefits of hunting. There are many environmental benefits to society and to wildlife. The health of the animals is important to hunters as they reproduce and replenish there will be ongoing game for hunting. Hunting is a privilege and privileges require responsibility. Citizens must meet certain standards. The greatest threat to hunting in North America is not anti-hunters. It is the negative hunter image created by poor hunter behavior in the field. Our actions when we are not hunting may also give hunters a poor image. For example, bragging about the animals killed or wearing dirty hunting clothes in public gives all hunters a poor image. Support from non-hunters decreases when hunters act unsafe or unethically in the field. An example of this can be seen in John Clare’s poem, â€Å"The Badger† The main subject of this poem is the relationship of the wild animal to the hunters who bait and tame it. The townspeople act unethically to the badger while hunting it. The badger-baiters are a poor example of what hunting should be and their sadistic behavior is one reason why many anti-hunters are so against hunting and do not want it to be allowed. They literally torture a vulnerable creature and he is pitched against cudgel wielding, stone throwing townspeople and ferocious dogs. â€Å"The Badger† is a weaker adversary and when he runs toward the woods and freedom, the townspeople turn him back with clubs. When the badger finally lies beaten and helpless, he is continuously kicked and torn by the savage mob. Moreover, the last stanza about the badger is yet another example of human tyranny over less fortunate creatures, which is most anti-hunter’s perception of what hunting is really like namely the abuse of the powerless by the powerful. The townspeople are capturing and confining the badger for the sport of it, to get their fun at his expense and at the end of it all â€Å"till kicked and torn and beaten out, he lies and leaves his hold and cackles, grows and dies. † (39-40) This poem is not a clear depiction of what hunting is about in today’s regulated society. There has never been a case in modern times where a regulated hunting season has driven any animal to the point of being endangered or tortured and treated cruelly it is only when there is no regulation where this type of issue occurs. Hunting can strengthen game animals by trimming the population and preventing overpopulation that can destroy the environment and cause lack of food. Not only is overpopulation of animals a great inconvenience to humans it can be downright dangerous. Hunting provides much financial aid to our government and to many who hunt it is a relaxing, exciting and an educational experience. With all the negative press from anti-hunters, the benefits cannot be denied and with the significant rules in place to ensure good hunting, if adhered to then most definitely hunting should be allowed. Works Cited Kruuk, H. Hunter and Hunted: Relationships between Carnivores and People Cambridge, UK, New York, NY Cambridge University Press, 2002 Sunstein, Cass R. ; Nussbaum, Martha Craven Animal Rights: Current Debates and New Directions Oxford, New York Oxford University Press (US), 2004. Clare, John. â€Å"The Badger. † Making Literature Matter; An Anthology for Readers and Writers. 3rd ed. Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford. Boston; Bedford, 2006. 913-915.

Customer Satisfaction at The Plaza Crowne Hotel

Customer Satisfaction at The Plaza Crowne Hotel Chapter I Introduction 1.1 Introduction Tourism is frequently and justifiably described as a major phenomenon of modern times. Since 1950 the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide has increased spectacularly, from just 25 million to over 924 million in 2008. Representing an average annual growth of 7 % a year (Sharpley, R., 2004; and WTO – World Tourism Organisation, 2009). International tourism generated US$ 856 billion in 2007, representing 30% of the world’s exports of services for the related year. Under the influence of the recent global economic recession, tourism demand has significantly slowed down in the past few months. Notably in the second half of 2008 growth came to stagnation with the number of international arrivals declining slightly – a trend which is expected to continue in 2009 and probably beyond, if the economy does not show signal of reaction (WTO – World Tourism Organisation, 2009). Regardless of the current actual global recession, it is undeniable the importance of the tourism activity for the world economy, mutual understanding of nations, personal growth and development, just to mention a few benefits that tourism brings in. The hospitality industry, as a segment of the tourism industry, plays a major role in this economic activity (King, 1995). Being accommodation the biggest percentage in tourism expenditure, in average of 34% of the total expenditure per trip (Sharpley, R., 2004). The success of the hospitality industry, relies massively on the quality of the service delivered and customer satisfaction. The index of the measurement of both, quality service and customer satisfaction, will widely influence on occupancy rates, hence, on the profitability of the company (Holloway, JC, 1998; Solomon et al, 2006). Therefore, justifying the need for a reliable model of assessment of customer satisfaction and service quality that would better adapt to the hospitality field, which at present still have a lack of agreement. 1.2 Research Title The measurement of service quality and customer satisfaction in the hospitality industry: a case study of the Plaza Crowne Hotel. 1.3 Research Background For Cardozo (1965), cited by Williams and Uysal (2003), marketing researches in the consumer satisfaction field started in the early 60’s. The subject had a relevant increase in popularity by organisations and researchers only in the 80’s, when organisations, in an attempt to try to keep itselves in the marketplace, started paying substantial attention on customer’s expectations demands. 1.4 Research Aims The aim of this project is to analyse customer satisfaction and service quality measurement, using the SERVQUAL model, within The Plaza Crowne Hotel – Kansas City (USA), based upon the hotel’s own data against the highlighted gaps within the model. 1.5 Research Objectives In order to achieve the specified aim it will be necessary to: Conduct a review of service quality and customer satisfaction; Illustrate The Plaza Crowne Hotel’s current customer satisfaction and service quality measurement model to identify its positive and negative aspects; Conduct an initial diagnosis of the key issues presented in the Crown Plaza data, examining the hotel’s past assessments in order to identify areas of failure; Analyse the SERVQUAL model focusing on the hospitality industry; Identify and critically recommend suitable quality measurement practices to apply within The Plaza Crowne Hotel, if necessary; Chapter II Literature Review 2.1 Introduction To Kotler et al (1996), nowadays companies need to change their view and attitude in the marketplace and adopt a more customer centred philosophy, in order to keep competitive and profitable. Customers are changing their behaviour towards consumption, becoming more challenging to companies to attend their expectations, as they are increasingly aware of their rights, expect more than they used to, and know exactly what they want when purchasing a product or service. This increase in consumers expectation naturally leads to the need of a higher quality in costumer services delivery. Customer satisfaction and quality service became priority for companies worldwide. They are believed to generate repeated business, therefore increased profit margin. The hospitality industry is paying close attention to it. Hampton’s Inn, a well know resort in Florida, has developed a 100% satisfaction guarantee program that promises its customers no charge unless they are completely satisfied. Other companies such as Sheraton Hotels has implemented a employees’ reward system for superior services to guests, the Sheraton Guests Satisfaction System (SGSS). Hilton International has adopted as a primary goal its customers satisfaction with global diversity. Moreover, organisations are increasingly becoming adept of rewarding its employees with bonuses, incentives and salary rise, just to mention a few actions to improve service. (Oh, 1997). Therefore, marketing researchers are constantly developing and improving models of measuring customers satisfaction and quality service. Among many measurement models and theories, this dissertation will focus on the analysis of the 5 Gaps Model developed by Parasuraman, Berry and Zeithaml also called The Servqual Model. 2.2 Defining Service Service is any act or performance that one firm can offer to a costumer, its nature is essentially intangible and does not result in the ownership of anything. The service production may or may not be tied to a physical product (Kotler, P, 2003). Addittionaly, Gronroos (1990) cited by Hsu et al (2001, p.18) defines service as â€Å"an activity or series of activities of more or less intangible nature that normally, but not necessarily, takes place in interactions between the costumer and services employees and/or physical resources or goods and/or systems of the service provider, which are provided as solutions to customer’s problems†. From the consumer’s optic, service is nothing else than the experience lived in the whole process of this transaction (Hsu et al, 2001). Moreover, it was noted that services have four major characteristics that greatly affect the way it is delivered and its marketing programme. Which are: intangibility, inseparability, variability, and perishability (Kotler, 2003). Bellow the four charactecristics are briefly explained in the light of Kotler (2003) and Hsu et al (2001): Intangibility relates to the extent that services cannot be tried in anyway before they are actually purchased and delivered. The only thing that can be done to reduce uncertainty is to look for evidences of service quality; Inseparability is the relation that services are typically produced and consumed simultaneously. The person who provides the service, is actually part of the service purchased, therefore the importance of the interaction of providers and customers; Variability occurs because services depend on who provides, when and where, one experience is never exactly equal the other. As people are the means through service production, personal problems, mood, knowledge of the job and many other factors can interfer and widely vary the service; Perishability means that services cannot be stored as we can do with manufactured products, because services are produced and consumed simultaneously. As an example, in a hotel, a room that was not occupied yesterday, cannot be sold anymore as time does not goes backwards. For Cook (2002) the increased global competition has made many organisations realised that they cannot compete only in price. Therefore companies are developing their own strategy in providing superior customer care to differentiate their products and services. â€Å"Surveys suggest that service-driven companies can charge up to 9 per cent more for the products and services they provide. They grow twice as fast as the average company and have the potential to gain up to 6 per cent market share† (Cook, 2002, p.1). 2.3 Defining customer satisfaction and quality service Peter Drucker cited by Cook (2002, p.1), once said: â€Å"There is only one valid definition of business purpose: to create a customer () an organisation’s ability to remain in business is a function of its competitiveness and its ability to win customers from the competition. The customer is the foundation of the business and keeps it in existence†. Customer satisfaction relates to the personal opinion and result of customers’ assessment of a service based on a comparison of their expectations and actual perceptions of the service delivered (Clark, G.; and Johnston, R., 2005). According to Lancaster et al (2002) from the customer’s point of view, service is judged by the mix of customers’ previous experiences and their perception of the outcome of the service. The service experience is the customer’s direct experience of the service process and concerns the way the customer is dealt with by the service provider. The result for the customer of the service delivered is described by the term service outcome. (Lancaster, G. et al, 2002). â€Å"Service quality is more often used to mean different things. Some managers use the term to mean how the customer is treated. This is perhaps more accurately called quality of service, as opposed to service quality, which can mean the entirety of outcome and experience† (Clark, G.; and Johnston, R., 2005, p.108). Van Looy (et al, 2003) differentiates service quality and customer satisfaction stating that â€Å"service quality is a form of attitude representing a long-run, overall evaluation, whereas satisfaction represents a more short-term, transaction-specific judgement. The level of customer satisfaction is the result of a customer’s comparison of the service quality expected in a given service encounter with perceived service quality. This also means that satisfaction assessments require customer experience while quality does not â€Å"(p.124). 2.4 Benefits of service quality Kotler (1996) has listed many benefits that an organisation enjoys as a prize for delivering service quality. As listed bellow: Retaining customers – high quality builds loyal customers and creates positive word of mouth. Avoidance of price competition – â€Å"the PIMS data show that firms in the top third in quality could charge 5% to 6% higher than those in the bottom third. High quality can help to avoid price competition and help to maximise potential revenue† (p.363). Retention of good employees – employees appreciate working in operations that are well managed and produce quality services and products. When an organisation operates in high quality, it decreases turn over rates, hence, retaining good employees. Additionally, recruiting is easier and training costs are reduced. Reduction of costs – which are divided in three categories of costs: Internal costs are those associated with correcting problems discovered by the firm before the product reaches the costumers; External costs – are associated with errors that the costumers experience; Quality system costs – are costs viewed as investments in the future of the company to ensure that customers return. (Kotler, 1996) 2.5 Benefits of a customer-centred organisation An excellent service provides many benefits to an organisation, Cook (2002) has listed what some of the best-practice organisations have gain on focusing on the customer. â€Å"Differentiate itself from the competition; improve its image in the eyes of the customer; minimise price sensitivity; improve profitability; increase customer satisfaction and retention; achieve a maximum number of advocates for the company; enhance its reputation; ensure products and services are delivered ‘right first time’; improve staff morale; increase employee satisfaction and retention; increase productivity; reduce costs; encourage employee participation; create a reputation for being a caring, customer-oriented company; foster internal customer/supplier relationships; bring about continuous improvements to the operation of the company† ( p.24). 2.6 Importance of customer relationship management (CRM) Customers perceive service quality through everyday aspect of their contact with the company. In improving the quality of its service therefore an organisation needs to develop a strategy bearing in mind all aspects of the relationship with its clients. (Cook, 2002) Customers often do not perceive the service they receive from an organisation as a complete entity. Attention to detail is a key tool of the organisation’s relationship with the customer â€Å"such as an incorrectly addressed letter, a lengthy delay in receiving an e-mail response, a service which turns out to be different to how it was originally advertised, which forms customers’ impressions† (Cook, 2002, p.24). CRM involves managing the customer relationship across all its interfaces with the company as one entire process. A CRM system can help identify sales prospects from existing or potential customer databases. It also can assist with all aspects of the sale and service being provided, eg offering online access to order status and a single view of the customer status when the sale is complete. It can collect information about the customer and the queries that he or she made. It can also monitor customer-usage patterns, so abnormal patterns or a reduction in use can be identified. Hotels systems can store any peculiarity or requests made by guests, such as preferences for smoking or non-smoking rooms, higher or lower floors etc. (Cook, 2002 and Lancaster et al, 2002). Ernst and Young found elements that are essentially important for organisations to build a CRM framework. First basic step is to accumulate systematic knowledge of its markets and costumers. This could be made by complex IT systems, that are designed to store, manager and analyse informations about customer’s value. With this tool organisations can access business informations regard theier costumers, and also predict consumer’s behaviour. Enabling organisations to share informations across departments, and automatically update this informations by tracking loyalty cards costumers, any time they make a purchase or request the company’s service,for example (Cook, 2002). CRM systems helps companies to target theier segments, and also to analyse the information flow throughout the company. Making easier to identify its costumers needs, and more importantly, shows the best way to approach its most profitable clients. The more information a company holds about its costumer’s the best is the knowledge built, as it helps refines consumer segmentation and individual needs. In this particular case, data about costumers life-style is very helpful (Cook, 2002). Selling involves taking a proactive approach towards costumers, rather than a reactive. For instance, hotels can treat their most profitable business guests with special offers on their holidays. To finish the CRM framework, is essential to hold a service, providing an after-sales which should be measured to individual needs (Cook, 2002). 2.7 Importance of performance measurement and a programme development â€Å"You cannot manage what you can not measure† (Kelvin Anon, www.dti.gov.uk/quality/performance). According to Cook (2002) and Williams (2002) managers braves the way through customer satisfaction measurement. A measurement programme starts with a clear definition of objectives, budget and timeline. Moreover, for this task to be performed and achieve its highest level of success, it is necessary the full commitment and willingness of top management to act on the results founded. A starting point should be to decide which part of customer satisfaction the company is most concerned to measure. Is also important to be aware that expectations and satisfaction levels can widely vary between the costumers of a company, therefore, the need to identify market segments. For example, the different needs of a businesses and tourists guest of a hotel. (Cook, 2002; Laws, 2004; Williams, 2002) According to Clark and Johnston (2005) performance measurement is costly. Few organisations have calculated just how much time and energy they spend on measuring their performance and its value for money relation. Two useful tests of a performance measure are, first, what is its purpose and, second, what systems are in place to support or achieve that purpose. There are four main purposes or reasons to take measurement: communication, motivation, control and improvement within the company. In the endless improvement process, measuring performance is an important task in order to identify and track progress in harmony with the organisations’ goals; identify areas and opportunities for improvement; and compare performance with internal and external standards (www.dti.gov.uk/quality/performance). According to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) the main reasons of measuring performance is: †¢ â€Å"To ensure customer requirements have been met †¢ To be able to set sensible objectives and comply with them †¢ To provide standards for establishing comparisons †¢ To provide visibility and a â€Å"scoreboard† for people to monitor their own performance level †¢ To highlight quality problems and determine areas for priority attention †¢ To provide feedback for driving the improvement effort† (retrieved from ). 2.8 The SERVQUAL model The Servqual model was developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry, and has been one of the most popular service quality measurement instrument since then. The model was designed to measure those components of service that generate satisfaction within five dimensions (Ryan and Saleh,1991; Lee et al, 2004; Johns et al, 2004). Originally the researchers conducted a focus group studies with service providers and costumers, and as a result they came up with a list of ten determinants or dimensions of service quality which are: reliability, responsiveness, competence, access, courtesy, communication, credibility, security, understanding/knowing the customer and tangibles, (Van Looy, B et al, 2003; Parasuraman et al, 1990; Ryan and Saleh,1991) which will be briefly explained bellow: Tangibles – the appearance of physical facilities, the personnel, the tools or equipment used to provide the service and communication material. Guests of a hotel look for details of the building, web sites and reservation systems for instance. Reliability – consistency of performance and dependability. This means that the firm performs the service correctly the first time and that the firm honours its promises. Responsiveness – the willingness to help the customers and to provide prompt service. Competence – knowledge, ability and possession of the right skills to perform the job. Access – degree of approachability of service providers. Courtesy – use of good manners, politeness, friendliness, smiling during the service. Communication – ability to successfully communicate with costumers, keep them informed. Understanding – degree of interest of employees to know the costumers needs and wants. Assurance – knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence. Empathy – caring, individualized attention to customers. (Van Looy, B et al, 2003; Parasuraman et al, 1990; Ryan and Saleh,1991) Later on, in another attempt of improving their models they found a high degree of correlation between communication, competence, courtesy, credibility and security. They therefore, merged them into one dimension, which they called assurance. Similarly they found a high correlation between access and understanding which they merged into empathy. Thus compacting the dimensions of service quality in five which are: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy (Van Looy, B et al, 2003; Dabholkar et al 2000). The diagram bellow was originally made to suit the quality service measurement and customer satisfaction of a car repair garage. Which can be easily adapted to any other service organisation, surely including any hotels to be more precise. Source: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/fig/0240221006003.png The SERVQUAL identified gaps between clients and organisations perceptions of attributes of service perceived, and also between customers expectations and perceptions of the service actually delivered (Ryan and Saleh,1991; Landrigan, 1999). This has led to the well known and widely used 5 gaps of service quality: Gap 1: Consumer expectations versus management perception CEO’s and managers often fail to realise what consumers expect of a service and which features needs to be pursued to deliver a high-quality service. When management does not understand what their customers want, a gap 1 exists. Very often, organisations research to find out what are their markets needs and wants, but later can occur a divergence. When customer needs change but the product remains the same, gap 1 increases, as the service becomes less attractive (Parasuraman etal, 1991). Gap 2: Management perception versus service quality specifications A gap 2 situation occurs when managers know their customers needs, but do not deliver it, either for unwillingness or incapability. Reasons for gap 2 to happen could be inadequate commitment to service quality, absence of goal setting, lack of perception of feasibility, and lack of standardization. The pursuit to achieve short-term profits refrain companies to invest in equipments and people, causing service quality issues (Parasuraman etal, 1991). Gap3: Service quality specifications versus service delivery Gap 3 occurs when employees are unwilling or unable to deliver the appropriate service that was specified by management. In this case managers understand their customers needs, develop strategies and tasks to fulfil these needs, but in the moment of employee and costumer interaction it does not occur (Parasuraman etal, 1991). Gap 3 could be minimised through training and development, rewarding and internal marketing campaigns. Human resources department plays a major role in this task. Gap 4: Service delivery versus external communications A company creates gap 4 when it promises more than it can deliver, creating disappointments to its customers. Good sense and ethic when advertising should be primordial in any circumstances (Parasuraman etal, 1991). The image of a company that cheats or lies to its costumers leads to an extremely bad reputation and negative word of mouth. Gap 5: Expected service versus perceived service Last but not least, gap 5 is a function of the other gaps. It pictures the difference among expected quality and perceived quality. If any of the other 4 gaps increases or decreases, gap 5 will follow it (Parasuraman etal, 1991). The diagram below represents the 5 gaps model of quality service. Source: http://www.kmfadvance.com/mind_the_gap_files/image004.jpg 2.9 Criticisms and limitations of the SERVQUAL According to Oh (1997) the use of the difference of the scores contributes to discrepancies and errors, affecting the reliability and valididyt of the model. Such finding suggests that caution has to be taken when using the scores, and that additional work is essential to the development of measures of assessing the quality of services. In addition it is also noticeable that the SERVQUAL lacks in ties with statistics, economics and even psychology theories, therefore many arguments has formed a doubtful opinion regards its relaibility. 2.10 Other service quality and costumer satisfaction measurement models Obviously, the SERVQUAL is not the only model available to measure service quality and costumer satisfaction. Indeed, there is a range of variety of models out there. Some of them will be quickly explained in this study. 2.10.1 The expectancy-disconfirmation model (EDM) The principle of expectancy theory was early stated by Lewin (1938) who hypothesized that individuals make decisions on the most appropriate action to take based on their expectations of the outcomes of that action. After being reviewed by many researchers, the model developed to two processes: the formation of expectations and the disconfirmation/ confirmation of the expectations through performance evaluations (Oh, 1997; available at http://proquest.umi.com.newdc.oum.edu.my/pqdweb). Chapter III Research Methodology 3.1 Research Process This research will include several components of different character, promoting the approach to new problems, providing bibliographic survey, offering a selection of methodologies, as well as providing a critical analysis of results (Saunders, et al, 2003). In order for the aims of this research to be met it is necessary to gain an understanding of the practices of the service quality and customer satisfaction assessments applied within The Crowne Plaza Hotel (please see appendix II). This data will be given by one manager of the company, and will be adapted for a experimental application of the SERVQUAL model. The research and development will comprise creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to build knowledge accumulation, including not only the practices of the service quality and customer satisfaction assessments model researched but how would be applied within The Crowne Plaza Hotel in order to achieve competitive advantage and business success. The purpose of the literature review is theoretically discussing ideas that exist about the given topic. Data sources, such as library catalogues and indexes will be scanned for secondary data. This will produce a list of journals and newspaper articles, published books and internet sources (Saunders, et al, 2003). The secondary research will be complemented by primary research, through questionnaires and interviews with stakeholders of the organization in question. In case of interviews and questionnaires, the manager cooperating with this research will be fully informed about the, methods and intended possible uses of the research, what their participation in the project entails, the strict confidentiality, and academic purpose only (Bell, 1999). The project proposes to use analytical and theoretical framework, which extends descriptive research, making suggestions of why and how practices of the service quality and customer satisfaction assessments plays an important role in the competitive advantage, profitability and success of the firm (Yin, 2003). A method of both, quantitative and qualitative approach will be applied in order to examine values, attitudes and perceptions aspects of the research subject. (Flick, 2003) The departure point will be deductive, with the observation of the SERVQUAL model, fed by the organisation information’s collected where conclusions will be critically evaluated against facts. Moreover, a phenomenological philosophy will be implemented, applying a case study approach, since this kind of research methodology is ideally suited to investigate the insights into the service quality and customer satisfaction in theory and practice (Yin, 2003). The data collected for this research was taken between the months of January, February and March 2009, it consists of 380 customer satisfaction surveys, applied by the hotel. This surveys were answered by guests, either on the check-out or on the hotel web site, after their stay in the hotel. At the time of the data collection, was common practice of the hotel’s front desk manager to put the weekly result together and send to all hotel departments, so they could have a picture of the guest’s feedback. 3.2 Research Theories In order to achieve this reaserch objectives it will be necessary to apply many reaserch theories that reinforces the reliability of it. The theories used in this research will be briefly explained one by one. 3.2.1 Case study According to Robson (2002:178) cited by Saunders et al, 2003, p.93), a case study is â€Å"a strategy for doing research which involves an empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within its real life context using multiple sources of evedence†. A case study approach is recommended to those reasearchs that essentially aims to explain ‘why’, ‘how’ such phenomenon occurs, as well as in research that includes surveys (Saunders, 2003; Yin,2003). A case study is also a scientific way of explore an existing theory, which is one of the main objectives of this research, as is analysing the use of SERVQUAL (Saunders, 2003). 3.2.2 Descriptive studies In order to have a clear picture of the scenario studied is essentially important to describe with accuration every data collected. As cited by Saunders et al (2003, p.97), Robson, 2002:59 describes the objective of descriptive research as ‘ to portray an accurate profile of persons, events or situations’. 3.2.3 Deductive method Complementing the case study approach, a deductive method could be simply described as way of what we would think of a scientific research or theory, moving from theory to practice (Bailey, 2006; Cottrell, 2005; Saunders, 2003). â€Å"It involves the development of a theory that is subjected to a rigorous test† (Saunders, 2003, p. 86). The deductive method has many characteristics. â€Å"First, there is the search to explain casual relationships between variables† (Saunders, 2003, p. 86). Then, hypothesis development, followed by hypothesis testing, normally using quantitative data, but could also being backed up by qualitative data. 3.2.4 Quantitative data On the other hand quantitative research apply measurements and normally considered as better than qualitative research. Ghauri and Gronhaug (2005; p. 109) explains that â€Å"the difference between quantitative and qualitative methods and approach is not just a question of quantification, but also a reflection of different perspectives on knowledge and research objectives†. A method of qualitative approach will be applied in order to examine values, attitudes, and perceptions aspects of the research subject. 3.2.5 Qualitative data A narrative analysis process was implemented to interpret the data that were collected from the research portion of this project. Thomas (2003; p.1) argues that â€Å"Qualitative methods involves a researcher describing kinds of characteristics of people and events without comparing events in terms of measurements or amounts† 3.3 Research Design The survey consists of a questionnaire of 44 questions (picked by the hotel’s own customer satisfaction survey) related to the quality of the service provided by the hotel. The guests (sample = 380) will answer the questions according to their perception of the service received, whilst the managers (sample = 4) will answer the questions according to what they expect the overall of the guests to answer. The answers will range between score 1 to score 5. Being 1 the best degree of satisfaction and 5 the worst degree of dissatisfaction, (Saleh and Ryan, 1991) having some variations as follows: Score 1: very satisfied / definitely would / much more than you paid / much better / excellent / yes Score 2: somewhat satisfied / probably would / somewhat more than you paid / somewhat better / very good Score 3: neither / might or might not / about what you paid / about the same / good Score 4: somewhat dissatisfied / probably would not / somewhat lees than you Customer Satisfaction at The Plaza Crowne Hotel Customer Satisfaction at The Plaza Crowne Hotel Chapter I Introduction 1.1 Introduction Tourism is frequently and justifiably described as a major phenomenon of modern times. Since 1950 the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide has increased spectacularly, from just 25 million to over 924 million in 2008. Representing an average annual growth of 7 % a year (Sharpley, R., 2004; and WTO – World Tourism Organisation, 2009). International tourism generated US$ 856 billion in 2007, representing 30% of the world’s exports of services for the related year. Under the influence of the recent global economic recession, tourism demand has significantly slowed down in the past few months. Notably in the second half of 2008 growth came to stagnation with the number of international arrivals declining slightly – a trend which is expected to continue in 2009 and probably beyond, if the economy does not show signal of reaction (WTO – World Tourism Organisation, 2009). Regardless of the current actual global recession, it is undeniable the importance of the tourism activity for the world economy, mutual understanding of nations, personal growth and development, just to mention a few benefits that tourism brings in. The hospitality industry, as a segment of the tourism industry, plays a major role in this economic activity (King, 1995). Being accommodation the biggest percentage in tourism expenditure, in average of 34% of the total expenditure per trip (Sharpley, R., 2004). The success of the hospitality industry, relies massively on the quality of the service delivered and customer satisfaction. The index of the measurement of both, quality service and customer satisfaction, will widely influence on occupancy rates, hence, on the profitability of the company (Holloway, JC, 1998; Solomon et al, 2006). Therefore, justifying the need for a reliable model of assessment of customer satisfaction and service quality that would better adapt to the hospitality field, which at present still have a lack of agreement. 1.2 Research Title The measurement of service quality and customer satisfaction in the hospitality industry: a case study of the Plaza Crowne Hotel. 1.3 Research Background For Cardozo (1965), cited by Williams and Uysal (2003), marketing researches in the consumer satisfaction field started in the early 60’s. The subject had a relevant increase in popularity by organisations and researchers only in the 80’s, when organisations, in an attempt to try to keep itselves in the marketplace, started paying substantial attention on customer’s expectations demands. 1.4 Research Aims The aim of this project is to analyse customer satisfaction and service quality measurement, using the SERVQUAL model, within The Plaza Crowne Hotel – Kansas City (USA), based upon the hotel’s own data against the highlighted gaps within the model. 1.5 Research Objectives In order to achieve the specified aim it will be necessary to: Conduct a review of service quality and customer satisfaction; Illustrate The Plaza Crowne Hotel’s current customer satisfaction and service quality measurement model to identify its positive and negative aspects; Conduct an initial diagnosis of the key issues presented in the Crown Plaza data, examining the hotel’s past assessments in order to identify areas of failure; Analyse the SERVQUAL model focusing on the hospitality industry; Identify and critically recommend suitable quality measurement practices to apply within The Plaza Crowne Hotel, if necessary; Chapter II Literature Review 2.1 Introduction To Kotler et al (1996), nowadays companies need to change their view and attitude in the marketplace and adopt a more customer centred philosophy, in order to keep competitive and profitable. Customers are changing their behaviour towards consumption, becoming more challenging to companies to attend their expectations, as they are increasingly aware of their rights, expect more than they used to, and know exactly what they want when purchasing a product or service. This increase in consumers expectation naturally leads to the need of a higher quality in costumer services delivery. Customer satisfaction and quality service became priority for companies worldwide. They are believed to generate repeated business, therefore increased profit margin. The hospitality industry is paying close attention to it. Hampton’s Inn, a well know resort in Florida, has developed a 100% satisfaction guarantee program that promises its customers no charge unless they are completely satisfied. Other companies such as Sheraton Hotels has implemented a employees’ reward system for superior services to guests, the Sheraton Guests Satisfaction System (SGSS). Hilton International has adopted as a primary goal its customers satisfaction with global diversity. Moreover, organisations are increasingly becoming adept of rewarding its employees with bonuses, incentives and salary rise, just to mention a few actions to improve service. (Oh, 1997). Therefore, marketing researchers are constantly developing and improving models of measuring customers satisfaction and quality service. Among many measurement models and theories, this dissertation will focus on the analysis of the 5 Gaps Model developed by Parasuraman, Berry and Zeithaml also called The Servqual Model. 2.2 Defining Service Service is any act or performance that one firm can offer to a costumer, its nature is essentially intangible and does not result in the ownership of anything. The service production may or may not be tied to a physical product (Kotler, P, 2003). Addittionaly, Gronroos (1990) cited by Hsu et al (2001, p.18) defines service as â€Å"an activity or series of activities of more or less intangible nature that normally, but not necessarily, takes place in interactions between the costumer and services employees and/or physical resources or goods and/or systems of the service provider, which are provided as solutions to customer’s problems†. From the consumer’s optic, service is nothing else than the experience lived in the whole process of this transaction (Hsu et al, 2001). Moreover, it was noted that services have four major characteristics that greatly affect the way it is delivered and its marketing programme. Which are: intangibility, inseparability, variability, and perishability (Kotler, 2003). Bellow the four charactecristics are briefly explained in the light of Kotler (2003) and Hsu et al (2001): Intangibility relates to the extent that services cannot be tried in anyway before they are actually purchased and delivered. The only thing that can be done to reduce uncertainty is to look for evidences of service quality; Inseparability is the relation that services are typically produced and consumed simultaneously. The person who provides the service, is actually part of the service purchased, therefore the importance of the interaction of providers and customers; Variability occurs because services depend on who provides, when and where, one experience is never exactly equal the other. As people are the means through service production, personal problems, mood, knowledge of the job and many other factors can interfer and widely vary the service; Perishability means that services cannot be stored as we can do with manufactured products, because services are produced and consumed simultaneously. As an example, in a hotel, a room that was not occupied yesterday, cannot be sold anymore as time does not goes backwards. For Cook (2002) the increased global competition has made many organisations realised that they cannot compete only in price. Therefore companies are developing their own strategy in providing superior customer care to differentiate their products and services. â€Å"Surveys suggest that service-driven companies can charge up to 9 per cent more for the products and services they provide. They grow twice as fast as the average company and have the potential to gain up to 6 per cent market share† (Cook, 2002, p.1). 2.3 Defining customer satisfaction and quality service Peter Drucker cited by Cook (2002, p.1), once said: â€Å"There is only one valid definition of business purpose: to create a customer () an organisation’s ability to remain in business is a function of its competitiveness and its ability to win customers from the competition. The customer is the foundation of the business and keeps it in existence†. Customer satisfaction relates to the personal opinion and result of customers’ assessment of a service based on a comparison of their expectations and actual perceptions of the service delivered (Clark, G.; and Johnston, R., 2005). According to Lancaster et al (2002) from the customer’s point of view, service is judged by the mix of customers’ previous experiences and their perception of the outcome of the service. The service experience is the customer’s direct experience of the service process and concerns the way the customer is dealt with by the service provider. The result for the customer of the service delivered is described by the term service outcome. (Lancaster, G. et al, 2002). â€Å"Service quality is more often used to mean different things. Some managers use the term to mean how the customer is treated. This is perhaps more accurately called quality of service, as opposed to service quality, which can mean the entirety of outcome and experience† (Clark, G.; and Johnston, R., 2005, p.108). Van Looy (et al, 2003) differentiates service quality and customer satisfaction stating that â€Å"service quality is a form of attitude representing a long-run, overall evaluation, whereas satisfaction represents a more short-term, transaction-specific judgement. The level of customer satisfaction is the result of a customer’s comparison of the service quality expected in a given service encounter with perceived service quality. This also means that satisfaction assessments require customer experience while quality does not â€Å"(p.124). 2.4 Benefits of service quality Kotler (1996) has listed many benefits that an organisation enjoys as a prize for delivering service quality. As listed bellow: Retaining customers – high quality builds loyal customers and creates positive word of mouth. Avoidance of price competition – â€Å"the PIMS data show that firms in the top third in quality could charge 5% to 6% higher than those in the bottom third. High quality can help to avoid price competition and help to maximise potential revenue† (p.363). Retention of good employees – employees appreciate working in operations that are well managed and produce quality services and products. When an organisation operates in high quality, it decreases turn over rates, hence, retaining good employees. Additionally, recruiting is easier and training costs are reduced. Reduction of costs – which are divided in three categories of costs: Internal costs are those associated with correcting problems discovered by the firm before the product reaches the costumers; External costs – are associated with errors that the costumers experience; Quality system costs – are costs viewed as investments in the future of the company to ensure that customers return. (Kotler, 1996) 2.5 Benefits of a customer-centred organisation An excellent service provides many benefits to an organisation, Cook (2002) has listed what some of the best-practice organisations have gain on focusing on the customer. â€Å"Differentiate itself from the competition; improve its image in the eyes of the customer; minimise price sensitivity; improve profitability; increase customer satisfaction and retention; achieve a maximum number of advocates for the company; enhance its reputation; ensure products and services are delivered ‘right first time’; improve staff morale; increase employee satisfaction and retention; increase productivity; reduce costs; encourage employee participation; create a reputation for being a caring, customer-oriented company; foster internal customer/supplier relationships; bring about continuous improvements to the operation of the company† ( p.24). 2.6 Importance of customer relationship management (CRM) Customers perceive service quality through everyday aspect of their contact with the company. In improving the quality of its service therefore an organisation needs to develop a strategy bearing in mind all aspects of the relationship with its clients. (Cook, 2002) Customers often do not perceive the service they receive from an organisation as a complete entity. Attention to detail is a key tool of the organisation’s relationship with the customer â€Å"such as an incorrectly addressed letter, a lengthy delay in receiving an e-mail response, a service which turns out to be different to how it was originally advertised, which forms customers’ impressions† (Cook, 2002, p.24). CRM involves managing the customer relationship across all its interfaces with the company as one entire process. A CRM system can help identify sales prospects from existing or potential customer databases. It also can assist with all aspects of the sale and service being provided, eg offering online access to order status and a single view of the customer status when the sale is complete. It can collect information about the customer and the queries that he or she made. It can also monitor customer-usage patterns, so abnormal patterns or a reduction in use can be identified. Hotels systems can store any peculiarity or requests made by guests, such as preferences for smoking or non-smoking rooms, higher or lower floors etc. (Cook, 2002 and Lancaster et al, 2002). Ernst and Young found elements that are essentially important for organisations to build a CRM framework. First basic step is to accumulate systematic knowledge of its markets and costumers. This could be made by complex IT systems, that are designed to store, manager and analyse informations about customer’s value. With this tool organisations can access business informations regard theier costumers, and also predict consumer’s behaviour. Enabling organisations to share informations across departments, and automatically update this informations by tracking loyalty cards costumers, any time they make a purchase or request the company’s service,for example (Cook, 2002). CRM systems helps companies to target theier segments, and also to analyse the information flow throughout the company. Making easier to identify its costumers needs, and more importantly, shows the best way to approach its most profitable clients. The more information a company holds about its costumer’s the best is the knowledge built, as it helps refines consumer segmentation and individual needs. In this particular case, data about costumers life-style is very helpful (Cook, 2002). Selling involves taking a proactive approach towards costumers, rather than a reactive. For instance, hotels can treat their most profitable business guests with special offers on their holidays. To finish the CRM framework, is essential to hold a service, providing an after-sales which should be measured to individual needs (Cook, 2002). 2.7 Importance of performance measurement and a programme development â€Å"You cannot manage what you can not measure† (Kelvin Anon, www.dti.gov.uk/quality/performance). According to Cook (2002) and Williams (2002) managers braves the way through customer satisfaction measurement. A measurement programme starts with a clear definition of objectives, budget and timeline. Moreover, for this task to be performed and achieve its highest level of success, it is necessary the full commitment and willingness of top management to act on the results founded. A starting point should be to decide which part of customer satisfaction the company is most concerned to measure. Is also important to be aware that expectations and satisfaction levels can widely vary between the costumers of a company, therefore, the need to identify market segments. For example, the different needs of a businesses and tourists guest of a hotel. (Cook, 2002; Laws, 2004; Williams, 2002) According to Clark and Johnston (2005) performance measurement is costly. Few organisations have calculated just how much time and energy they spend on measuring their performance and its value for money relation. Two useful tests of a performance measure are, first, what is its purpose and, second, what systems are in place to support or achieve that purpose. There are four main purposes or reasons to take measurement: communication, motivation, control and improvement within the company. In the endless improvement process, measuring performance is an important task in order to identify and track progress in harmony with the organisations’ goals; identify areas and opportunities for improvement; and compare performance with internal and external standards (www.dti.gov.uk/quality/performance). According to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) the main reasons of measuring performance is: †¢ â€Å"To ensure customer requirements have been met †¢ To be able to set sensible objectives and comply with them †¢ To provide standards for establishing comparisons †¢ To provide visibility and a â€Å"scoreboard† for people to monitor their own performance level †¢ To highlight quality problems and determine areas for priority attention †¢ To provide feedback for driving the improvement effort† (retrieved from ). 2.8 The SERVQUAL model The Servqual model was developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry, and has been one of the most popular service quality measurement instrument since then. The model was designed to measure those components of service that generate satisfaction within five dimensions (Ryan and Saleh,1991; Lee et al, 2004; Johns et al, 2004). Originally the researchers conducted a focus group studies with service providers and costumers, and as a result they came up with a list of ten determinants or dimensions of service quality which are: reliability, responsiveness, competence, access, courtesy, communication, credibility, security, understanding/knowing the customer and tangibles, (Van Looy, B et al, 2003; Parasuraman et al, 1990; Ryan and Saleh,1991) which will be briefly explained bellow: Tangibles – the appearance of physical facilities, the personnel, the tools or equipment used to provide the service and communication material. Guests of a hotel look for details of the building, web sites and reservation systems for instance. Reliability – consistency of performance and dependability. This means that the firm performs the service correctly the first time and that the firm honours its promises. Responsiveness – the willingness to help the customers and to provide prompt service. Competence – knowledge, ability and possession of the right skills to perform the job. Access – degree of approachability of service providers. Courtesy – use of good manners, politeness, friendliness, smiling during the service. Communication – ability to successfully communicate with costumers, keep them informed. Understanding – degree of interest of employees to know the costumers needs and wants. Assurance – knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence. Empathy – caring, individualized attention to customers. (Van Looy, B et al, 2003; Parasuraman et al, 1990; Ryan and Saleh,1991) Later on, in another attempt of improving their models they found a high degree of correlation between communication, competence, courtesy, credibility and security. They therefore, merged them into one dimension, which they called assurance. Similarly they found a high correlation between access and understanding which they merged into empathy. Thus compacting the dimensions of service quality in five which are: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy (Van Looy, B et al, 2003; Dabholkar et al 2000). The diagram bellow was originally made to suit the quality service measurement and customer satisfaction of a car repair garage. Which can be easily adapted to any other service organisation, surely including any hotels to be more precise. Source: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/fig/0240221006003.png The SERVQUAL identified gaps between clients and organisations perceptions of attributes of service perceived, and also between customers expectations and perceptions of the service actually delivered (Ryan and Saleh,1991; Landrigan, 1999). This has led to the well known and widely used 5 gaps of service quality: Gap 1: Consumer expectations versus management perception CEO’s and managers often fail to realise what consumers expect of a service and which features needs to be pursued to deliver a high-quality service. When management does not understand what their customers want, a gap 1 exists. Very often, organisations research to find out what are their markets needs and wants, but later can occur a divergence. When customer needs change but the product remains the same, gap 1 increases, as the service becomes less attractive (Parasuraman etal, 1991). Gap 2: Management perception versus service quality specifications A gap 2 situation occurs when managers know their customers needs, but do not deliver it, either for unwillingness or incapability. Reasons for gap 2 to happen could be inadequate commitment to service quality, absence of goal setting, lack of perception of feasibility, and lack of standardization. The pursuit to achieve short-term profits refrain companies to invest in equipments and people, causing service quality issues (Parasuraman etal, 1991). Gap3: Service quality specifications versus service delivery Gap 3 occurs when employees are unwilling or unable to deliver the appropriate service that was specified by management. In this case managers understand their customers needs, develop strategies and tasks to fulfil these needs, but in the moment of employee and costumer interaction it does not occur (Parasuraman etal, 1991). Gap 3 could be minimised through training and development, rewarding and internal marketing campaigns. Human resources department plays a major role in this task. Gap 4: Service delivery versus external communications A company creates gap 4 when it promises more than it can deliver, creating disappointments to its customers. Good sense and ethic when advertising should be primordial in any circumstances (Parasuraman etal, 1991). The image of a company that cheats or lies to its costumers leads to an extremely bad reputation and negative word of mouth. Gap 5: Expected service versus perceived service Last but not least, gap 5 is a function of the other gaps. It pictures the difference among expected quality and perceived quality. If any of the other 4 gaps increases or decreases, gap 5 will follow it (Parasuraman etal, 1991). The diagram below represents the 5 gaps model of quality service. Source: http://www.kmfadvance.com/mind_the_gap_files/image004.jpg 2.9 Criticisms and limitations of the SERVQUAL According to Oh (1997) the use of the difference of the scores contributes to discrepancies and errors, affecting the reliability and valididyt of the model. Such finding suggests that caution has to be taken when using the scores, and that additional work is essential to the development of measures of assessing the quality of services. In addition it is also noticeable that the SERVQUAL lacks in ties with statistics, economics and even psychology theories, therefore many arguments has formed a doubtful opinion regards its relaibility. 2.10 Other service quality and costumer satisfaction measurement models Obviously, the SERVQUAL is not the only model available to measure service quality and costumer satisfaction. Indeed, there is a range of variety of models out there. Some of them will be quickly explained in this study. 2.10.1 The expectancy-disconfirmation model (EDM) The principle of expectancy theory was early stated by Lewin (1938) who hypothesized that individuals make decisions on the most appropriate action to take based on their expectations of the outcomes of that action. After being reviewed by many researchers, the model developed to two processes: the formation of expectations and the disconfirmation/ confirmation of the expectations through performance evaluations (Oh, 1997; available at http://proquest.umi.com.newdc.oum.edu.my/pqdweb). Chapter III Research Methodology 3.1 Research Process This research will include several components of different character, promoting the approach to new problems, providing bibliographic survey, offering a selection of methodologies, as well as providing a critical analysis of results (Saunders, et al, 2003). In order for the aims of this research to be met it is necessary to gain an understanding of the practices of the service quality and customer satisfaction assessments applied within The Crowne Plaza Hotel (please see appendix II). This data will be given by one manager of the company, and will be adapted for a experimental application of the SERVQUAL model. The research and development will comprise creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to build knowledge accumulation, including not only the practices of the service quality and customer satisfaction assessments model researched but how would be applied within The Crowne Plaza Hotel in order to achieve competitive advantage and business success. The purpose of the literature review is theoretically discussing ideas that exist about the given topic. Data sources, such as library catalogues and indexes will be scanned for secondary data. This will produce a list of journals and newspaper articles, published books and internet sources (Saunders, et al, 2003). The secondary research will be complemented by primary research, through questionnaires and interviews with stakeholders of the organization in question. In case of interviews and questionnaires, the manager cooperating with this research will be fully informed about the, methods and intended possible uses of the research, what their participation in the project entails, the strict confidentiality, and academic purpose only (Bell, 1999). The project proposes to use analytical and theoretical framework, which extends descriptive research, making suggestions of why and how practices of the service quality and customer satisfaction assessments plays an important role in the competitive advantage, profitability and success of the firm (Yin, 2003). A method of both, quantitative and qualitative approach will be applied in order to examine values, attitudes and perceptions aspects of the research subject. (Flick, 2003) The departure point will be deductive, with the observation of the SERVQUAL model, fed by the organisation information’s collected where conclusions will be critically evaluated against facts. Moreover, a phenomenological philosophy will be implemented, applying a case study approach, since this kind of research methodology is ideally suited to investigate the insights into the service quality and customer satisfaction in theory and practice (Yin, 2003). The data collected for this research was taken between the months of January, February and March 2009, it consists of 380 customer satisfaction surveys, applied by the hotel. This surveys were answered by guests, either on the check-out or on the hotel web site, after their stay in the hotel. At the time of the data collection, was common practice of the hotel’s front desk manager to put the weekly result together and send to all hotel departments, so they could have a picture of the guest’s feedback. 3.2 Research Theories In order to achieve this reaserch objectives it will be necessary to apply many reaserch theories that reinforces the reliability of it. The theories used in this research will be briefly explained one by one. 3.2.1 Case study According to Robson (2002:178) cited by Saunders et al, 2003, p.93), a case study is â€Å"a strategy for doing research which involves an empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within its real life context using multiple sources of evedence†. A case study approach is recommended to those reasearchs that essentially aims to explain ‘why’, ‘how’ such phenomenon occurs, as well as in research that includes surveys (Saunders, 2003; Yin,2003). A case study is also a scientific way of explore an existing theory, which is one of the main objectives of this research, as is analysing the use of SERVQUAL (Saunders, 2003). 3.2.2 Descriptive studies In order to have a clear picture of the scenario studied is essentially important to describe with accuration every data collected. As cited by Saunders et al (2003, p.97), Robson, 2002:59 describes the objective of descriptive research as ‘ to portray an accurate profile of persons, events or situations’. 3.2.3 Deductive method Complementing the case study approach, a deductive method could be simply described as way of what we would think of a scientific research or theory, moving from theory to practice (Bailey, 2006; Cottrell, 2005; Saunders, 2003). â€Å"It involves the development of a theory that is subjected to a rigorous test† (Saunders, 2003, p. 86). The deductive method has many characteristics. â€Å"First, there is the search to explain casual relationships between variables† (Saunders, 2003, p. 86). Then, hypothesis development, followed by hypothesis testing, normally using quantitative data, but could also being backed up by qualitative data. 3.2.4 Quantitative data On the other hand quantitative research apply measurements and normally considered as better than qualitative research. Ghauri and Gronhaug (2005; p. 109) explains that â€Å"the difference between quantitative and qualitative methods and approach is not just a question of quantification, but also a reflection of different perspectives on knowledge and research objectives†. A method of qualitative approach will be applied in order to examine values, attitudes, and perceptions aspects of the research subject. 3.2.5 Qualitative data A narrative analysis process was implemented to interpret the data that were collected from the research portion of this project. Thomas (2003; p.1) argues that â€Å"Qualitative methods involves a researcher describing kinds of characteristics of people and events without comparing events in terms of measurements or amounts† 3.3 Research Design The survey consists of a questionnaire of 44 questions (picked by the hotel’s own customer satisfaction survey) related to the quality of the service provided by the hotel. The guests (sample = 380) will answer the questions according to their perception of the service received, whilst the managers (sample = 4) will answer the questions according to what they expect the overall of the guests to answer. The answers will range between score 1 to score 5. Being 1 the best degree of satisfaction and 5 the worst degree of dissatisfaction, (Saleh and Ryan, 1991) having some variations as follows: Score 1: very satisfied / definitely would / much more than you paid / much better / excellent / yes Score 2: somewhat satisfied / probably would / somewhat more than you paid / somewhat better / very good Score 3: neither / might or might not / about what you paid / about the same / good Score 4: somewhat dissatisfied / probably would not / somewhat lees than you