Influence of Close Relationship Status and without Close Emotional Essay

Influence of Close Relationship Status and without Close Emotional Relationship Status on GPA - Essay Example This relationship can impact many aspects our day-to-day life. Friends in need are friends indeed. More than that, close relationship with friends will impact the way an individual reacts or respond to both positive and negative things. If the friends make a positive impact on an individual or student in a academic environment, then he/she will absorb those positive aspects and use it many aspects of life particularly education. However, if the friends are a negative influence on the student, it will wreck not only his/hers education, but whole life. â€Å"The influence of peers can be both positive and negative. On the positive side, it can serve as an important incentive for adolescents to perform well in school. On the negative side, peer influence can lead to discipline problems and delinquent behaviors both inside and outside school† (â€Å"Students’ Peer Groups in High School† 1997). Relationship is completely an emotional characteristic which affects the e ntire psychological processes and it particularly has impacts on the curriculum development. So when students are limited to move with the people around then how the relationship is affecting the entire GPA? My hypothesis is that how close relationship status or without close emotional relationship status affect the GPA in and out. Thus, in this study we are interested in analyzing the influence of GPA (junior GPA, California State University Northridge GPA (CSUNGPA) and overall GPA over (1_ Close relationship status and (2) without close emotional relationship status. The earlier studies mainly focused on finding how whether the student will perform better, if he/she has relationship with academically oriented friends, more than the delinquent oriented friends. According to the survey done by the National Center for Educational Statistics, it is suggested that â€Å"students who had more "learning-oriented" friends tended to perform better in school than other students over the co urse of their schooling, and students who spent time with those interested in delinquent activities were less likely to experience success in school.† (â€Å"Students’ Peer Groups in High School† 1997). Thus, it is clear that finding the influence of these relationships on the GPA is very much an important aspect because they are dependent upon each other, as relationship are omnipresent things, which will and will continue to have impacts on every aspect of human or students’ life. In addition, the correlation between relationships and GPA at colleges plays an important role in guiding them to choose a better future careers as well as other future course of actions. Our prediction is that close relationship status may influence the GPA scoring to a considerable extent. In my opinion, GPA is more when the close relationship is stronger. For this, we first of all see the distribution of close relationship status. From the PSY 320L Survey there are several v ariables involved in finding out the influence of the GPA viz. Junior GPA, California State University Northridge GPA (CSUNGPA) and overall GPA. We are interested in analyzing the influence of these GPAs over any of the two relationships (1) the closerelationship status as well as (2) withoutclose emotional relationship status. Method Participants Participants were all students at CSUN. The age ranged from eighteen to fifty-four

The basis of structure, of life, and of mankind Essay Example for Free

The basis of structure, of life, and of mankind Essay Every single form of life on the planet is created and controlled by a chemical recipe, a chemical code consisting of hundreds of thousands of instructions in every single cell, the basis of structure, of life, and of mankind. Who, what, where, when, how, and why, are all questions which for centuries have remained unanswered. They demanded an extraordinary amount of skill, time, and precision from individuals the world over to be conquered to our current level of understanding. Many discoveries have led to the discovery of genetics. In 1895, Wilhelm Roentgen, a german physicist, accidentally discovered x-rays, whilst studying cathode rays in a high voltage gaseous discharge tube. This marked the beginning of a long series of explorations and experiments, eventually leading to the discovery of DNA. A year later in 1896, Antoine Becquerel, this time a french physicist, discovered through experimentation and observation, the disintegration of electromagnetic rays (x-rays, and gamma rays), also known as radioactivity. He was observing the element uranium and saw that it could blacken a photographic plate even though the latter was separated by a sheet of glass and paper. Becquerel also noticed that the rays were capable of emitting charge captured by an electroscope, which showed they possessed an electric charge too. Becquerels idea was revolutionised in 1898 by Pierre and Marie Curie who suggested radioactivity occurred due to the structure of atoms. Max Von Laue then discovered x-ray diffraction in 1912, which was, not long after, mathematically interpreted by Lawrence Bragg by analysing the different diffraction patterns made by x-rays when they deviate from their original paths, due to closely spaced atoms in the crystal. Bragg didnt believe that Laues theory was correct in detail. He therefore carried out numerous experiments and concluded by using the now common Bragg law. This details at what angles x-rays will be most efficiently diffracted by crystals when the wavelength and distance between the crystal atoms are known. One very famous scientist who played a large part in the progression towards the discovery of DNA was Maurice Wilkins. Teamed with Rosalind Franklin, both x-ray crystallographers, their studies included analysing DNA crystals and diffraction. They discovered that the sugar-phosphate backbone of the DNA molecule is present on the outside of the molecule and also discovered the basic helical structure of the molecule. The final breakthrough came in 1953, when Francis Crick, and James Watson (Wilkins was also a principal contributor) officially published their model for the structure of DNA. They discovered how information, governing heredity is carried in the chromosomes of human cells (DNA), hence determining physical development in every single cell of the individual. Procedures have evolved even further since then, which shows how much science can progress over the years. What begins as a small theory can drastically transform into an enormous scientific revolution, changing they way we would have previously visualised ideas. HUGO was set up in the year 2000. This organisation involves the very best scientists from all over the world and the technology of supercomputers and robotics also, and was set up originally in a bid to crack the genetic code. This occurred on the 26th of June 2000 and now provides the blueprint for all human life. Thanks to all the dedication of those scientists over centuries, many ideas previously considered as ridiculous are being reconsidered. Who would believe, for instance, that an actual living animal could be cloned using another animals DNA? It may have taken scientists over 250 attempts to clone Dolly the sheep, but they succeeded in the end. Could it now be seen as possible to clone a dinosaur? It could occur, although the odds of retrieving frozen, preserved, living cells are very slim. Another consideration would need to be finding a very closely related female living species for the cloning to work. An impossibility? Perhaps not! New technology derived from such scientific investigations now enable more effective medical treatments to be created, and also could help eradicate inherited diseases such as downs syndrome or some forms of cancer, giving people a better quality of life. Recent innovations are GM crops, and human cloning, over which there is much controversy. We do not yet know what disadvantages could occur if we mess with the chemical code for life. For all the advantages such as enabling crops to become drought resistant, creating decaffeinated coffee plants, and increasing disease and pest resistance, as well as maybe in the future being able to recreate an animal or person whom has died, or being able to choose how your baby will look, there are bound to be disadvantages. Recent research suggests that disease immunity decreases considerably in a cloned animal, than a normal animal. With such complicated and moral issues, the issue of religion must be considered. It can sometimes be perceived that science today is displacing the views of religion. For example it is believed that god created mankind. With evidence such as the above, it certainly questions the reliability of religion. I believe that both religion and science is important. The human race is forever wanting answers as to what they dont know. However, the amount of belief in religion seems to be declining due to people wanting evidence to support statements. No longer will they accept an idea as a safeguard because it is stated in the bible, they want to know why it is so. Its seems more people want to believe magic however. Maybe it is because science is so closely related to magic and is in itself a type of hocus pocus. It is a method of explaining why something occurs despite our limited knowledge and disbelief and doesnt need experiments to clarify it. In the past it was thought to contradict the bible, but, really it is another side of science which just needs to be explored. In the past, it was believed witches conjured magic. We now know that it is the planet earth which conjures up magic which is waiting to be uncovered. Altogether, it can be concluded that science has progressed dramatically over the years. It is a magic which is never ending and which will never cease to be investigated. It is an alternative way of looking at the world, which progresses everyday and which, just like religion or magic, brings about previously unheard of miracles. Science is always being revolutionised and is beginning to be seen by many as a new religion, which is gradually unfolding the mysteries the universe prevails.

Statement of Educational Goals and Philosophy :: My Philosophy of Education

Statement of Educational Goals and Philosophy Why do I want to become a teacher? When I think about that question, I’m sure a few of my answers would be like some of the others in the class: I love being around people, the pay isn’t too bad, you get holidays, summers, even weekends off, and I don’t even mind grading papers! On the other hand, I do have another reason I’d like to become a teacher that’s probably a little different than others. Let me explain. It was January and colder that ever. The weather didn’t seem to faze me at all as I got off the bus and rushed up my hill. The few steps from the end of the driveway to my front porch seemed like miles. I opened the door only to find an empty house. No one was there like I expected. I was going to be an aunt for the first time and I was looking forward to finding out it was going to boy or a girl. It seemed as though the whole day went by until I saw our car in the driveway. I rushed to the door anxious and excited, only to find tears dropping from my mom’s eyes, and my sister-in-law Holly sadder than I’d ever seen anyone. My mom took me in the bedroom and explained to me the ultra sound showed some serious problems with the baby. He had spina-bifida and severe fluid on his brain. She explained that the doctors said my nephew had little to no chance of living, but if some miracle would happen and my nephew would live, he would live a very short life and be a complete vegetable. A month and a half went by and on May 14,1993 Terry Paul Daniels was born. His little head was the size of a basketball and he had a hole in the lower part of his back. Within the first three days of Terry’s life he had four surgeries, rode in a helicopter, and faced death a number of times. Since then, Terry’s had four more surgeries, been in a complete body cast, and went through his parents getting a horrible divorce. Through all of this something that happened to him when he was in kindergarten sticks out to me the most.

Distance Learning Essay -- Education Distant Learn Essays

Distance Learning "As we enter the Information Age, more and more adults from various economic and cultural backgrounds, already in the workplace, and with families are seeking to educate themselves to keep up in their careers" (Duderstadt, J., 1999). Whether that is through Higher Education, the university system, or their company's Intranet is usually dependent upon the learner. The ways that they seek to educate and re-educate themselves to stay abreast with current trends in their jobs is the topic of this paper, Distance Learning. Many of these non-traditional students are looking to advance their careers through education by non-traditional means. They may have constraints that keep them from attending a structured classroom environment. It is this population that forces Higher Education and the corporate Educational Services to rethink their approach and delivery of instruction. For example, a few days ago I was in the Securities and Loan office of Fidelity National Bank conducting a Needs Assessment on a young SPA Loan Officer Trainee. The young man, a recent graduate in Finance and Economics from Kennesaw State University, planned to enroll in the MBA program at Harvard University. That of course prompted me to ask, "How do you plan to complete a MBA at Harvard and continue your work here in Atlanta?" His reply, "I would take these courses online and meet at the school the second Saturday of every month." He then went on to say that a MBA from Harvard carries a lot of weight in this town's financial community. With new technologies and the Web, more and more Universities as distinguished as Harvard, are putting Masters and Doctorate programs online. Not only are these Universities using the Internet to p... ...orks Cited Comeaux, P. (1995, Oct.). The impact of an interactive distance learning network on classroom classroom communication. Communication Education, 44(4), 353-361. Duderstadt, J. (1999) Can colleges survive in the information age? In Dancing with the Devil. (p.4). San Francisco, Calif.: Joss-Bass Publishers. Harmon, S.W. & Hirumi, A. (1996, May). A systemic approach to the integration of interactive distance learning into education and training. Journal of Education for Business. 71 (5), 2 267-271 Retrieved September 30, 1999 from EBSCO business search on the Galileo: http://www.galileo.gsu.edu. Lohman, J. (1998, Sept.) Classrooms without walls: Three companies that took the plunge. Training and Development (52)9 38-42 Matthews, D. (1999) The origins of distance education and its use in the united states. The Journal. 54-64.

The Impact of Declining Nokia Market

PRESTIGE INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH SESSION 2012-2014 Minor Research Project Synopsis â€Å"THE IMPACT OF DECLINING NOKIA MARKET † CONTENTS 1. Introduction 1. 1 Literature Review 1. 2 Objective Of The Study 2. Research Methodology 2. 1 The Study 2. 2 Sample 2. 3 Tools For Data Collection 2. 4 Tools For Data Analysis 2. References 3. Questionnaire Introduction Nokia has come a long way to evolve from a paper mill founded in 1865 to a world renowned mobile phone manufacturer and one of the most powerful brands in the world. In 1992 Nokia appointed Jorma Ollila as the new CEO and concentrated its focus on telecommunications.Throughout the 1990’s Nokia was known as a relentless innovator and a pioneer that made the world’s first satellite call among many other groundbreaking milestones. In 1998 Nokia became the world’s largest mobile phone manufacturer with a turnover of 31 billion dollars. Nokia is still the most influential company to the Finnish n ational economy, but Nokia’s effect is far from what it was in the early years of the 21st century when Nokia accounted for almost half of the economic growth in Finland and produced as much as five percent of Finland’s annual Gross Domestic Product.In 2006, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo replaced Jorma Ollila as the CEO, but was not able to reverse the decline of Nokia’s market share especially in the high end segment, where competitors like Apple, Blackberry,HTC, Samsung, and phones using Google’s Android operating system captured market share from Nokia at an alarmingly increasing rate. At the end of year 2010 Android was already the most widespread smart phone operating system in the world and Nokia’s market share in the smart phone segment had declined from 38 to 31 percent in one year (Sokala).Literature Review The purpose of this literature review is to discuss relevant writings on how to improve marketing strategies from the branding perspective. Fir st, important terms such as brand equity and the concept of consumer-based brand equity are discussed. Secondly, the brand management process is discussed from a strategic viewpoint with the help of terms like brand revitalization and integrated marketing activity. The next part of the literature review concentrates on analyzing the marketing environment.Finally, the last section summarizes important conclusions on how the literature review relates to the company being observed, Nokia During 2012, the telecom infrastructure market saw slight growth in capital expenditures in Euro terms by global mobile operators, mainly attributable to operators in Japan, Asia Pacific and North America but it was off-set by declines in Europe, China and India, it added. Objective Of The Study The thesis has three distinct research objectives. First of all I will try to find out what is the aspired brand identity and brand image Nokia is trying to convey with its smart phone marketing.To achieve this I will conduct interviews with people who are responsible for Nokia’s brand management and marketing. The second research objective of my thesis is to find out what is the consumers’ brand perception of Nokia at the moment. To answer this question I will conduct a comprehensive smart phone brand perception survey to collect data from Finland and the United States. The last research objective of the thesis is improving Nokia’s current marketing strategies for its smart phones from a branding perspective in the countries subject to research.By comparing the results of the customer surveys with the company interviews, I can detect where the aspired brand identity of Nokia does not meet the brand perceptions of the consumers. By utilizing the existing knowledge and literature on the topic, I should be able to come up with ways to improve Nokia’s smart phone marketing in the two distinct geographical regions. Research Methodology The Study This Bachelorâ€⠄¢s Thesis is a case study with a conceptual research design since it consists of a defined research problem, clear research objectives, and exact research questions that lead to conclusions on a real-life phenomenon.The thesis includes empirical as well as descriptive elements. There are several contexts to the research, because the aim is to improve Nokia’s existing marketing strategies in different regions based on potentially differing brand perceptions prevalent in these areas. Data Collection Methods Interview Qualitative research and analysis methods were used to assess the depth interview (Appendix 1) conducted on the fourth of February, 2011, with Mr. Pekka Somerto, the Vice President of Nokia’s Brand and Marketing Portfolio Management. The interview was conducted at Nokia’s headquarters in Keilaniemi and it lasted for approximately an hour.The interview consisted of thirteen questions and the purpose was to find out about the brand identity Nokia tries to create with their marketing. The questions asked were chosen based on the literature discussed in the literature review, and with the overall goal of improving Nokia’s marketing strategies for smart phones from the branding perspective. The results of the interview not only helped in reaching the research objective, but they also provided useful ideas and additional questions for the consumer survey. Survey To find out consumers’ brand perceptions of Nokia, quantitative research and analysis methods were utilized.An online consumer survey (Appendix 2) was created with the Qualtrics-software and distributed to approximately 400 people in Finland and the United States through e-mail and social media networks. Data Analysis The data analysis of the survey results started with a general analysis of the averages and apparent trends. It was followed by the identification of significant regional differences between the responses with the help of cross tabulations. QUESTIO NNAIRE Smart Phone Brand Perception Survey REFERENCES Arnould, Eric, Linda Price, and George Zinkhan. Consumers. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin,2004.Print. Barrett, Larry. â€Å"Palm, Nokia Smartphone Users Most Likely to Switch: Survey. † Enterprise Mobile Today. Internet. com, 19 Jan. 2011. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. . Best Global Brands Ranking for 2010. Interbrand, n. d. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. . Business Source Complete. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. . Christodoulides, George, and Leslie De Chernatony. â€Å"Consumer-based brand equity conceptualization and measurement. † International Journal of Market Research 52. 1 (2010): 43-66. EBSCO Business Source Complete. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. . Drobis, David R. â€Å"Integrated Marketing Communications Redefined. † Journal of Integrated The Impact of Declining Nokia Market PRESTIGE INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH SESSION 2012-2014 Minor Research Project Synopsis â€Å"THE IMPACT OF DECLINING NOKIA MARKET † CONTENTS 1. Introduction 1. 1 Literature Review 1. 2 Objective Of The Study 2. Research Methodology 2. 1 The Study 2. 2 Sample 2. 3 Tools For Data Collection 2. 4 Tools For Data Analysis 2. References 3. Questionnaire Introduction Nokia has come a long way to evolve from a paper mill founded in 1865 to a world renowned mobile phone manufacturer and one of the most powerful brands in the world. In 1992 Nokia appointed Jorma Ollila as the new CEO and concentrated its focus on telecommunications.Throughout the 1990’s Nokia was known as a relentless innovator and a pioneer that made the world’s first satellite call among many other groundbreaking milestones. In 1998 Nokia became the world’s largest mobile phone manufacturer with a turnover of 31 billion dollars. Nokia is still the most influential company to the Finnish n ational economy, but Nokia’s effect is far from what it was in the early years of the 21st century when Nokia accounted for almost half of the economic growth in Finland and produced as much as five percent of Finland’s annual Gross Domestic Product.In 2006, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo replaced Jorma Ollila as the CEO, but was not able to reverse the decline of Nokia’s market share especially in the high end segment, where competitors like Apple, Blackberry,HTC, Samsung, and phones using Google’s Android operating system captured market share from Nokia at an alarmingly increasing rate. At the end of year 2010 Android was already the most widespread smart phone operating system in the world and Nokia’s market share in the smart phone segment had declined from 38 to 31 percent in one year (Sokala).Literature Review The purpose of this literature review is to discuss relevant writings on how to improve marketing strategies from the branding perspective. Fir st, important terms such as brand equity and the concept of consumer-based brand equity are discussed. Secondly, the brand management process is discussed from a strategic viewpoint with the help of terms like brand revitalization and integrated marketing activity. The next part of the literature review concentrates on analyzing the marketing environment.Finally, the last section summarizes important conclusions on how the literature review relates to the company being observed, Nokia During 2012, the telecom infrastructure market saw slight growth in capital expenditures in Euro terms by global mobile operators, mainly attributable to operators in Japan, Asia Pacific and North America but it was off-set by declines in Europe, China and India, it added. Objective Of The Study The thesis has three distinct research objectives. First of all I will try to find out what is the aspired brand identity and brand image Nokia is trying to convey with its smart phone marketing.To achieve this I will conduct interviews with people who are responsible for Nokia’s brand management and marketing. The second research objective of my thesis is to find out what is the consumers’ brand perception of Nokia at the moment. To answer this question I will conduct a comprehensive smart phone brand perception survey to collect data from Finland and the United States. The last research objective of the thesis is improving Nokia’s current marketing strategies for its smart phones from a branding perspective in the countries subject to research.By comparing the results of the customer surveys with the company interviews, I can detect where the aspired brand identity of Nokia does not meet the brand perceptions of the consumers. By utilizing the existing knowledge and literature on the topic, I should be able to come up with ways to improve Nokia’s smart phone marketing in the two distinct geographical regions. Research Methodology The Study This Bachelorâ€⠄¢s Thesis is a case study with a conceptual research design since it consists of a defined research problem, clear research objectives, and exact research questions that lead to conclusions on a real-life phenomenon.The thesis includes empirical as well as descriptive elements. There are several contexts to the research, because the aim is to improve Nokia’s existing marketing strategies in different regions based on potentially differing brand perceptions prevalent in these areas. Data Collection Methods Interview Qualitative research and analysis methods were used to assess the depth interview (Appendix 1) conducted on the fourth of February, 2011, with Mr. Pekka Somerto, the Vice President of Nokia’s Brand and Marketing Portfolio Management. The interview was conducted at Nokia’s headquarters in Keilaniemi and it lasted for approximately an hour.The interview consisted of thirteen questions and the purpose was to find out about the brand identity Nokia tries to create with their marketing. The questions asked were chosen based on the literature discussed in the literature review, and with the overall goal of improving Nokia’s marketing strategies for smart phones from the branding perspective. The results of the interview not only helped in reaching the research objective, but they also provided useful ideas and additional questions for the consumer survey. Survey To find out consumers’ brand perceptions of Nokia, quantitative research and analysis methods were utilized.An online consumer survey (Appendix 2) was created with the Qualtrics-software and distributed to approximately 400 people in Finland and the United States through e-mail and social media networks. Data Analysis The data analysis of the survey results started with a general analysis of the averages and apparent trends. It was followed by the identification of significant regional differences between the responses with the help of cross tabulations. QUESTIO NNAIRE Smart Phone Brand Perception Survey REFERENCES Arnould, Eric, Linda Price, and George Zinkhan. Consumers. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin,2004.Print. Barrett, Larry. â€Å"Palm, Nokia Smartphone Users Most Likely to Switch: Survey. † Enterprise Mobile Today. Internet. com, 19 Jan. 2011. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. . Best Global Brands Ranking for 2010. Interbrand, n. d. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. . Business Source Complete. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. . Christodoulides, George, and Leslie De Chernatony. â€Å"Consumer-based brand equity conceptualization and measurement. † International Journal of Market Research 52. 1 (2010): 43-66. EBSCO Business Source Complete. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. . Drobis, David R. â€Å"Integrated Marketing Communications Redefined. † Journal of Integrated

Understanding consumer behaviour in business The WritePass Journal

Understanding consumer behaviour in business Understanding consumer behaviour in business INTRODUCTIONCONSUMERSCONSUMER BEHAVIOURBUSINESS SUCCESSCONSUMER SATISFACTIONCONSUMER EMOTIONTHE LINK BETWEEN CONSUMER SATISFACTION AND CONSUMER EMOTIONARGUMENT AGAINSTRECOMMENDATIONCONCLUSIONREFERENCERelated INTRODUCTION The question of how understanding consumer behaviour informs business success is a vital issue. According to Parkinson (1982) with the analysis of 16 British and German machine tool manufacturer and 129 of their customer, the consumer behaviour in Germany determine the business success of the German machine tool industry. This suggests that the study of consumer helps a firm or organisation improve their strategies in order to provide the best services for them.The customers are the major determining factor of a business. They need to be satisfied in order to keep patronising which brings about the growth and development of a business. After all, it is a consumer who decides what a business is. When you understand the behaviour of consumers, you can create products and services that provide the consumers with more value. And then you can market those products and services in ways that the consumers’ understand. The entire idea of reviewing consumer behaviour is to persuade cus tomers’ to purchase. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the connection between consumer behaviour and business success. To achieve this certain factors needs to be considered and they are; the consumer buying process which are problem recognition, information research, evaluation of alternative, final purchase decision and post purchase behaviour. Also, personality, lifestyle, culture, emotions and satisfaction to mention a few needs to be put into consideration because the customers are from different geographical locations with different perspectives. Having considered all this, a business can then build a connection with the consumer which will bring about sales and development which is the aim of all business. This composition will concentrate on how the satisfaction and emotion of the consumers improves the success of a business. The essay argues that the understanding consumer behaviour through satisfaction and emotion informs business success. To understand your consumer; research are made which is the emotional and satisfaction research. The emotional brings about hidden attitudes, motivation and feelings while satisfaction tells us about the future needs and ideas for a new product. Firstly, a definition of terms will be presented; next, examples will be analysed .Then, the arguments against how understanding consumer behaviour informs business success. Understanding of consumer behaviour involves gathering of information from Economics, Marketing, Psychology and sociology. CONSUMERS According to Loudon D.L and Della Bitta A.J, A consumer is anyone who involves in physical activities of evaluating, acquiring, using or disposing of goods and services. A consumer is one who purchases a product or services from a particular organisation or firm. A customer is always defined in terms of a specific product or company. Customers may explain their satisfaction with a product or service in terms of specific aspects such as the product qualities, price, customer service, or a combination of these features. In order words, the consumer needs to be motivated and satisfied with the product or a service for them to patronize which brings about sales and growth between specific aspects of satisfaction and overall satisfaction. CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR Consumer behaviour is useful to distinguish the outcome of a business.   Consumer behaviour teaches companies of all sizes about the consumption patterns of their consumers as well as the internal and external influences that can affect the customers. Consumer behaviour reflects the totality of consumer’s decision with respect to the purchase, consumption and disposition of goods, services, time and ideas over time. Recognise consumer behaviour, you create products and services that provide the consumers with more value. Studying consumer behaviour is to motivate customers to purchase goods and services and to meet consumer emotions. Recognize consumer behaviour and explain the usefulness to better the marketability of an organisation or firm, explain your values, and increase your sales. BUSINESS SUCCESS The business is advised to identify and build a relationship with the customers. Understanding the consumers brings about growth and development. The business success requires the ability to know the weakness and strength. An organisation is advised to work on the strength instead of fixing the weakness. They should be able to adapt to all condition in order words tackle all problems as they come. In Conclusion, the organisations to meet the demand of their customers, they are advised to be productive which can be achieved through technology, automation, outsourcing and improving business sources. Having done all the above-mentioned, there will be an increase in purchase which helps in the success of the business. CONSUMER SATISFACTION Customer satisfaction has received considerable attention in the marketing literature and practice in recent years (Oliver, Westbrook and Oliver, Price et al).The cooperating with customers serves as a strategy in order to gain access to getting information on their needs and wants. Customer satisfaction can be described as a thinking process where customers consider whether their products, services and process needs are considered. Consumer satisfaction is defined as a post-consumption evaluation that a chosen alternative at least meets or exceed the expectations. According to Anderson, Satisfaction is a generally evaluation of performance based on all prior experiences with a firm. Customer satisfaction surveys can generate valuable information that enables an organisation to compare performance in different time period.Satisfaction measurement can make customers more satisfied as they receive position attention that they feel they are listened to. In order words, attention is given to customer satisfaction as a corporate goal.Szymanski,Spiro and Weitz suggests that The business plays a vital role in diagnosing and addressing customers’ needs and in sharpening the overall evaluation of the way in which the discrete exchange level. Hegebarth similarly argued that if contact centre capture and analyse customer interactions and share them throughout the organisation, as enormous opportunity exists in understanding customer needs and expectation, identifying opportunities and proactively addressing improvement areas. Aderson and Sullivan suggest that customers’ satisfaction is the overall or global judgement regarding the extent to which products and services performance match expectations. When a business has a close contact with the consumers, this influences the customers experience and creates a relationship satisfaction because consumer related information can only be obtained from consumers themselves. According to Beatty et al Customer-oriented business with customer understanding, proper customer care with trustworthy behaviour and reliable personal service are liable to building long term relationship with the customers. Winsted,Price et al recommend the important dimension of business that helps consumers perspective. They are mutual understanding, authenticity, extra attention, competence and meeting minimum standards of the consumers. With this, positive association between social regard and customer satisfaction are expected. Furthermore, several actions which are closely related to social regard increases customer satisfaction. According to Gremler and Gwinner (2000) an enjoyable interaction and personal connection on satisfaction with the company yield an encouraging outcome. The former variables included aspects such as â€Å"this employee relates well to me† or â€Å"this person has taken a personal interest in me†. Similarly, Van Dolen et al. (2002) found a positive effect of the â€Å"social competence† perceived by the customer on the customer’s encounter satisfaction, where social competence included aspects such as â€Å"the employee pays special attention to me†. On the other hand, recent results from Butcher et al. (2003) suggest a positive relationship between social regard and service satisfaction. Based on previous findings and taking into account that in a service context employees’ actions are an important driver of customer satisfaction (e.g., Price et al., 1995; Winsted, 1997; Van Dolen et al., 2002;Maxham and Netemeywer, 2003).The interaction with consumers as regards satisfaction has an impact on the business because working on the information increases organizational effec tiveness and also performance. With reference to Cisco,they used three types of data for customer satisfaction practice which were The Annual customers Satisfaction Survey Interviews with the targeted customer segments coupled with the internal brainstorming sessions. Records of individual transaction data. The survey indicated a broad problem, the detailed interviews showed the problem in detail and the transactional data indicates whether actions have achieved desired outcome. The brainstorming session help to identify the new opportunities. This has not only lead to customer loyalty but also profitability. CONSUMER EMOTION Customers attitude reveal the softer code of the business. Much of customers attitude about a brand are based on emotional connection they have formed with the company. Winkielman and Berridge (2004) argues that emotions, even if genuinely unconscious, may drive behaviour and reactions.Consumer use emotion in making good decision and to take effective action.Emotions play a highly motivating role in consumer behaviour. Emotions give us deeper understanding of the experimental aspects of consumption and are associated with the degree of consumer satisfaction by a strongly influential relationship.Consumers are typically and highly emotional about some brands and products while others are incompletely attached and indifferent about others.Consumers emotional connections have a specific and fairly simple structure regardless of the nature of the particular emotions involved. Bagozzi et al (1999) define emotions as mental states of readiness that arises from cognitive appraisals of events or one’s own thought.Furthermore Oliver (1997) suggests that emotion coexist with various thinking judgement which produces satisfaction and is important in understanding consumers consumption experiences. Emotion tends to have an influence on quality perception and customer behaviour (Liljander and Strandvik,1997).Positive emotions leads to positive word-of-mouth behaviour,while negative emotions may result to complaining behaviour.Customers respond to an event in certain ways in order to maintain positive emotion and to avoid negative emotions(Stauss and Neuhaus).An emotional reaction is part of the favourable experience (Cronin 2003,Sherry 1998).Oliver (1997) claims that the role of emotions is gaining attention as a central element in service quality management. Consumer emotion such as pleasure and sorrow are simple, primitive motivations in the consumer situ ation, and they are also critical factors in our choice of products and services. Consumer emotion shows that customer’s feelings of enjoyment serves as the best predictor of customers’ loyalty, while feelings of happiness serve as the best predictor of relationship quality. The business plays an important role in the delivery of service quality as well as the formation of the satisfaction. People remember emotional experience better than most other   element of a brand experience. However, satisfaction influences the customers behavioural responses in form of customer loyalty, word -of ­-mouth, or switching behaviour. Oliver suggests that the role of emotion is to gain attention as a central element in service quality management.Consumer begin to form a strong emotional bond with an organisation after they experience multiple episode of helpful and enjoyable service.As customers become more confident in their relationship with companies,additional helpful experiences stimulate even stronger and more enduring emotional attachment toward the company.Furthermore,emotional connections are not only the province of certain ‘emotional’ categories or brands.Consumers are emotional about checking accounts and discount merchandise,not just about soft drinks and expensive fountain pens.Bank of America and Wal-Mart create emotional connections just as surely as Jeblue and Ipod.They do it in different ways depending on the people than the product but the result is the same. In conclusion, customers use emotion to make good decision and act effectively. THE LINK BETWEEN CONSUMER SATISFACTION AND CONSUMER EMOTION Emotions may be classified as a core component of satisfaction, since there is a positive relationship between customer satisfaction and brand loyalty,and customer satisfaction incorporates cognitive and emotional component because emotion influence behaviour,therefore positive emotions would increase the emotional satisfaction of clients with any service industry.Decision making process of customers is also affected by emotions, as positive would result in a positive attitude or behaviour towards a brand.The emotional satisfaction of the consumers can be increased by providing unique services to the consumers. Jacoby and Chestnut (1987) suggests that Services or products provided by an organisation must be unique in order to meet the satisfaction of the consumers. Bagozzi (1999)found that when customers are provided with unique products or services to meet their needs they show greater willingness to pay more in the future due to the positive emotions they have with the brand. When a high quality of service is rendered to customers, they are comfortable and therefore customers who are emotionally satisfied are likely to recommend the services to others Hui (2007).Satisfying the psychological needs of the customers,their promotes positive attitude towards the organisation while the emotional satisfaction leads to an increase in customers appreciation towards the firm.Consumer satisfaction and emotion encourages the consumers to be loyal to the firms with respect to goods or services provided.The business needs to be responsive to the consumers needs and wants which makes them happy.Understanding the consumer is vital in order to provide better,faster and more services.The determinant of getting customers involved so as to enhance their awareness, exception and assurance through active participation has been a common policy to obtain reasonable level of quality of and satisfaction with the organisation. With reference to global competition advance in technology has improved what create a standard level of service. Volvo started with a companywide education programme to boost customer satisfaction awareness. The company combined qualitative research on customer motivation with customer satisfaction research. It also organises direct customer contact by production and design teams meeting with the customers and the senior managers visiting dealers and the consumers regularly. Besides, Volvo does additional qualitative customer research to track consumers shifting perceptions about key product attributes. ARGUMENT AGAINST Consumer behaviour measurement has both benefits and limitations. This part of the essay will describe the limitations of consumer satisfaction and consumer behaviour which simply means the negative emotions and dissatisfaction. This is linked the opposite decision of the consumers to leave or discontinue with a particular firm or organisation. This may result to complaining behaviour from the consumers. According to Andreasen(1999) suggest that negative consumer behaviour caused by the business results in consumer exit which creates a state of tension that affects the success of the business. It affects several desirable outcomes like customer loyalty,word of mouth promotion and purchases(Fornell,Oliver and Swan) Mihelis et al argues that customers satisfaction is a dynamic parameter of business organisation and is affected by the changes in customer’s preference and expectations.Poor treatment towards the customers leads to lack of satisfaction will leads the customer to other organisation where they will be satisfied.This could lead to image tarnish when the customers complain to friends and partners.Concentration of business on solving financial issues makes them neglect their customers. This causes negative impact on a brand   which makes the customers seek for better services from other organisations.If firms fail to develop strategies for managing consumer reaction,they face alienating and losing customer.Customers often only contact customer service or help line when something has gone wrong or they need problem solved, when such happens they are already in negative mood. This negative mood tends to fuel the negative perception of dealing with organisation’s customer se rvice personnel and reduce the customer’s zone of tolerance. It is therefore important for organisations to be willing to listen to the consumers and show understanding with empathy to customers’ predicament rather than leaving them unattended to. However, analysis seems to imply that emotions are brands that either inspire or does not, sports cars and perfumes are emotional while office supplies and households are not. The company faces major problem when it seeks to understand how the customers connect with the brands emotionally because emotions are treated as what can be sensed but not measured scientifically. When measures emotions are proposed, they are complex and difficult to administer. They organisations rely on strategies that are not always easy to replicate, like nonverbal photo sorts or deep psychological projective probing. In addition, while these measures may correlate with consumers stated intention, they may fail to provide sort of evidence that is d emanded in the boardroom.The problem of lengthy and complex questionnaire which are time consuming and difficult to develop consist of complex data which may be useful in improving quality shortfall but rarely shed light on customers expectation and delights.The consumers have problem understanding the questionnaire and therefore hard to interpret. RECOMMENDATION To ensure that all customers are satisfied,the service provider should avoid biasness,prejudice or discrimination against some customers.Developing a genuine desire and passion to serve others with skills and knowledge to serve their customers excellently.The business should engage in collection of customers opinion on services they render.The personnel dealing directly with the customers improves their satisfaction ,training and seminar should be conducted so that the best quality of service is delivered.High quality of services leads to customer satisfaction.The immediate response to customers complain increases emotional satisfaction as assurance that problems are solved on time which helps them retain their customers which increases loyalty(Hofstede 1994).According to Patterson (1999) customers express brand association through behaviour.Brand associations are represented as emotional impression in the memory such that customers are emotionally satisfied by services received whic h gives no room   considering an alternative. Supphellen suggests emotional brand association increases brand loyalty by becoming the dominating determinant of choices.Retaining customers is cheaper compared to attracting new ones.A business usually puts emphasis on the relationship between the consumers perceptions about the quality of the service they receive.Information of data from consumers promotes the improvement of services which inturn increase brand loyalty.Customer loyalty to a certain brand varies in industries and markets(Quelch and Harding,1996).The relationship between a customer and the brand determines the loyalty of the customer to brand(Bluestein 2003). Personalization, friendliness ,flexibility ,efforts and respect helps organisation increase their brand loyalty so as to have long-term relationship with them. CONCLUSION It is a challenge for the organisations to ensure that clients are provided with the best quality services. This promotes the psychological, physical and emotional satisfaction of the clients. All customers’ aim at getting value for their money when they purchase a product or on service rendered. Research established the relationship between consumer emotion and consumer satisfaction in organisation show that high levels of satisfaction increases brand loyalty. Consumers are faced with an array of product selection and competition is fierce among companies. This is why your understanding of consumer behaviour is vital to the success of your business. When you understand your consumer better than the competition you have a greater chance of winning their business. Understanding of life satisfaction including the emotional aspects and their relationship to consumption should enable a business to target consumer in a more meaningful way.Companies that have created successful emot ional connection with their customers benefit in cash flow, make profit and improve market share. Emotional connection can be measured, enhanced and managed. The investigation into how customer survey should take account of emotional satisfaction of customers in order to have a better understanding of how to monitor and improve upon the psychological and emotional aspects providing a quality service in any organisation. REFERENCE Consumer Behavior: The Basics Customer satisfaction: review of literature and application to the product-service systems;Final report to the Society for Non-Traditional Technology, Japan (Oksana Mont,Andrius Plepys) imperative

Plato And Gatto On Divisions In Society Essays - CDC Software

Plato And Gatto On Divisions In Society Essays - CDC Software Plato And Gatto On Divisions In Society F. Joseph MakoDohertyEN101Writing Assignment 1September 22, 1998The Divisions In education and in other fields of life, people are separated and grouped into nice sections. It has been going on for a long time, even before Plato defined his ideal society. The separating of the good and bad, intelligent and stupid, and high and low class will continue to be a part of who we are as a culture, because our educational structure requires students to learn the basic skills. A problem arises because many people do not fit nicely into a box. I didnt want to be in a box. I was not Gattos good student, who waited on the teacher for instruction. (Gatto 169) I was driven to find the answer before the teacher asked the question, not so I could answer quickly, but for the reason of having time to do what I wanted. I am not one who likes following other peoples trains of thought; I would much rather take a jumping point, and go off in other directions. As in the time when one of my teachers wanted a paper on an animal, and I wrote a story about two boys hunting a squirrel. I didnt like the teachers agenda, but I did it so I could go do my own. When the class worked on mechanical procedures, as in Anyons working-class schools, I looked for reasoning behind why. I thought in original ways, and was successful at staying out of a box. I soon found I had another dilemma, as a result of not fitting in, I failed at relating with other children therefore, was rejected by my peers. When we were all classified and pegged at the start of junior high, the other children were not pleased with the fact that I was different and placed in the high level classes. I thought it odd that most of the lower level children focused their rage on me, when I was very quiet, and rarely bothered anyone. Gatto failed to teach them to envy and fear the better classes. (Gatto 168) It was possibly to create an illusion of them having a higher self-esteem by beating mine down. I just wanted everyone to leave me alone. So, I let my grades fall, but for some reason that made them even madder. As a last resort, I made everyone fear me through various violent and illegal actions. It solved one problem, but in the process, I created myself a criminal record and no one wanted to get near me for fear I might kill him or her. I was the example of following a private drummer, the type teaches dont want. (Gatto 171) My family and I moved away, I grew up, and I started high school. The four years I spent in secondary school were mostly uneventful. The restrictions on what I could do during the school day were levied, as they were in Anyons executive elite school. I joined the track team, learned how to make friends by being nice, and found a group of others like me that I fit in with. High school was very different from junior high; people looked up to me for my intelligence, instead of trying to push me down. Maybe it was because I focused my efforts on being nice and helping others, instead of forgetting about everyone else. I came to understand that school did a poor job at teaching me book-knowledge. Yet it put me in social situations that no amount of bookwork could get me out of; it took non measurable skills such as reasoning with the irrational. Facts couldnt help me out in a physical conflict; logic and experience in dealing with others helped to find a solution.The more that I think about it, the more I believe that I mostly educated myself, and learned about myself through interactions with others. School really didnt teach me book knowledge, but I learned who I am by attending. I am an exception to Gattos lesson on intellectual dependency. I rarely waited for an expert to tell me what to do, and that our economy depends on how well the public

Apollo Hospital Essay Example

Apollo Hospital Essay Example Apollo Hospital Essay Apollo Hospital Essay The ‘‘wow’’ factor in service relies on constant innovation and demands continuous and sensitive focus on all issues that may affect the patient’s stay in a hospital. Every touch point of the hospital needs to be ‘‘alive’’ and the client must be able to feel the warmth offered. The culture of service is imperative in today’s scenario, where the differentiators could just be the manner in which services are offered. All the major players could replicate infrastructure within a short span of time, but not the service culture. Dr. Umapathy Panyala, Chief Executive Officer, Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore (March 2013) Dr. Panyala, CEO, Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore believed that in the future, the hospitality aspect of hospitals- the service provided to patients- would differentiate Apollo Hospitals from a large number of equally competent competitors in the growing Indian healthcare industry. He had set up a quality department at the Apollo Hospital in Bangalore, headed by Dr. Ananth Rao. Apart from being an expert on Metabolic Diseases and Biochemistry, Dr. Rao was also a Lean Six-Sigma black belt from the Indian Statistical Institute, Chennai. You can’t manage what you don’t measure- although this may sound cliched; I am still a firm believer of this philosophy and want to apply this, especially in the hospitality part of hospitals. Clinical benchmarking is a compulsory requirement and is taken care of; however, patients have so many other touch points in their stay at hospitals- the hospitality part. Some of the world-class hotels (such as the Ritz–Carlton) have performed benchmarking to standardise their hospitality offerings; at the same time, its employees are allowed to use their judgment to provide whatever delights the customer in every visit. 1 We want to internalise this in our culture as well. – Dr. Ananth Rao, Head–Quality Department, Apollo Hospital, Bangalore (March 2013) Dr. Rao also believed that the hospitality aspect would differentiate Apollo Hospitals from its competitors. Patient cure and care played very important roles in hospitals. Many patients were generally anxious when in a hospital and the sense of disservice increased their anxiety level very easily. Integrating healthcare and hospitality was essential for creating patient-focused care. Hospitality aspects included a smooth admission procedure, friendly medical and non-medical staff, comfortable furniture, varied choices on the food menu, attractive surroundings, recreational facilities, privacy, clear signposting, adequate provisions for visitors, and so on. 2 Important aspects of hospitality were managed by the nursing staff and other non-medical staff, which meant inherent variability of service owingto human interventions. Dr. Panyala and Dr. Rao wanted to measure the hospitality aspects at Apollo Hospitals and improve hospitality to create a world-class hospital. Dr. Rao and his team collected feedback every day from the patients and received a number of complaints, ranging from not having a TV remote to long response time on the part of nursing staff in attending to requests from patients. For Apollo Hospitals, it was important that the patients’ experience in the hospital was not compromised, since it could have a significant financial impact. Managing the hospitality elements of the hospital was as important as managing the clinical aspects. Apollo Hospitals had a stringent process in place to take care of clinical aspects. Dr. Rao wanted to improve the hospitality at Apollo Hospitals by reducing the 1 Hall, J. M. and Johnson, M. E. , When should a process be art, not science, Harvard Business Review, 2009, 1–9. Hepple, J. ,Kipps, M. and Thomson, J. , The concept of hospitality and an evaluation of its applicability to the experience of hospital patients, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 1990, 9(4),305–318. 2 Suhruta Kulkarni, Kripa Makhija and U Dinesh Kumar, Professor of Quantitative Methods and Information Systems, prepared this case for classroom discussion. V Sandeep assisted in data collection and analysis. This case is not intended to serve as an endorsement or source of primary data, or to show effective or inefficient handling of decision or business processes. Copyright  © 2013 by the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. No part of the publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise (including internet) – without the permission of Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. This document is authorized for use only by NIKITA VAIDYA in Nutrition 346 taught by Carol Blindauer, at Dominican University Illinois from January 2015 to May 2015. For the exclusive use of N. VAIDYA, 2015. Apollo Hospitals: Differentiation through Hospitality Page 2 of 20 number of complaints from patients; he also wanted to achieve significant improvement in sigma levels measured through the Six Sigma performance scale. According to Dr. Ananth Rao: The immediate challenge is to understand the patients’ sentiment towards the hospitality provided and to design a process improvement plan that is affordable. Apollo takes feedback from patients every day and the quality department staff interviews many patients every week to understand their needs. Dr. Rao was aware that improving hospitality at Apollo Hospitals was going to be a continuous exercise in improvement; collecting feedback was one way of approaching the process of continuous improvement. He treated every complaint as a â€Å"defect† and planned to use lean Six Sigma concepts to eliminate defects. Implementing Six Sigma in all departments was likely to be a challenge since departments such as housekeeping faced high attrition rates. His immediate objective was to introduce a system where future complaints related to hospitality could be reduced. Also, how much importance should be given to hospitality by Apollo Hospital was one of the dilemmas faced by Dr Rao and he wanted to set a realistic target for Sigma level in hospitality at Apollo. APOLLO HOSPITALS: THE TRENDSETTER Dr. Prathap C. Reddy, founder of Apollo Hospital Enterprises Ltd. (AHEL) had accomplished a successful medical career in the United States. He returned to India in 1972 to contribute to the healthcare system in India. Health infrastructure in India was very poorly developed in the 1970s. In 1971, there were 3,862 hospitals and 12,180 dispensaries with a total of 348,6553 beds for a population of 548,159,6524- a ratio of 6. 36 beds per 10,000 people as against the ratio of 9 beds per 10,000 people in 2011. 5 India’s first National Health Policy was declared in 1983,6 almost 36 years after independence, which was an indication of the neglect faced by the health sector in the country since independence. Dr. Reddy had set up a good medical practice in India and used to send patients outside the country for specific treatments. However, in 1979, a young patient died as he could not arrange the money for treatment in the United States. Dr. Reddy then decided to provide the best of medical treatment from the West to patients in India with an emotional touch, calling it â€Å"High Tech with High Touch. † Apollo was a doctor-promoted enterprise- 10,000 Indian doctors, 4,700 U. S. -based doctors, and 60 doctors from the United Kingdom invested approximately USD 5,000 to start the venture. Dr. Reddy selected the best of the talent available to ensure the best possible service and care. He also ensured that a clear distinction was maintained between business management and clinical management. 7Apollo pioneered world-class healthcare in India, which was later emulated by several other hospitals. Apollo focused on technological excellence and garnered many firsts to its credit in the country. Apollo was the first not only in India but also in South Asia to launch Oncological Robotic Surgery, G4 Cyberknife Robotic Radiosurgery System, 320-slice computed tomography scanner, 64-slice positron emission tomography-computed scan system, full-field digital mammography with tomosynthesis, and many such technologies. 8 According to Dr. Rao, Apollo intended to carry forward technological excellence in hospitality to provide patients with the best cure and care services. Dr Preetha Reddy, Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Enterprises Limited has been the pioneer and chief architect of the tender loving care –TLC ‘‘mantra’’, a pillar of the Apollo way, which is affectionately applied to every patient at Apollo Hospitals. â€Å"The patients and staff comprehend this language better,† she points out. The concept of TLC integrates service delivery with clinical outcomes resulting in exceptional patient experiences9,10. 3 Background Papers: Financing and Delivery of Healthcare Services in India, National Commission on Macroeconomics and Health, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Government of India, 2005, p. 47. 4 Source: http://cyberjournalist. org. in/census/cenpop. html, accessed on March11, 2013. 5 Source: globalhealthfacts. org/data/topic/map. aspx? ind=78, accessed on March11, 2013. 6 Health Research Policy, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, (October 2007). 7 Mitra, M. , The Apollo Mission, Corporate Dossier with The Economic Times, June 1, 2012. 8 Apollo Investor Presentation, www. apollohospitals. com, accessed in January 2013. 9 N Amarnath, and D Ghosh, The Voyage to Excellence: The Ascent of 21 Women Leaders of India Inc. , Pustak Mahal, pp. 80-95. 10 apollohospitals. com/apollo_pdf/dr_preetha_reddy_managing_director. pdf This document is authorized for use only by NIKITA VAIDYA in Nutrition 346 taught by Carol Blindauer, at Dominican University Illinois from January 2015 to May 2015. For the exclusive use of N. VAIDYA, 2015. Apollo Hospitals: Differentiation through Hospitality Page 3 of 20. CLINICAL BENCHMARKING Apollo Hospitals had been using a clinical score card called [emailprotected] (Apollo Clinical Excellence), which measured and monitored clinical excellence among the group’s hospitals. [emailprotected] measured 25 clinical parameters (Exhibit 1) every month, which were benchmarked against global standards. [emailprotected] was launched on September18, 2008 and used across 32 hospitals of the group. Clinical benchmarks were published by various institutions and bodies such as Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, and National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), among others. Hospitals were grouped according to their bed strengths, locations, services offered, and so on. Group A hospitals had to report 25 parameters- 23 were common parameters, while two were location-specific. Group B and Group C hospitals had to report 15 and 10 parameters, respectively, out of which two were location-specific. [emailprotected] was an internally developed clinical scorecard, created by drawing upon the wealth of expertise available within Apollo. An audit committee at the corporate level was set up to validate the data, methodology, and definitions followed at each location. According to Sangita Reddy, Executive Director, Apollo Hospitals Group: We needed a yardstick like [emailprotected] that would pit us against international institutes like Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, and others, and position us on the global healthcare firmament for excellence in clinical quality. This also enables us to assess where we stand and where we need to 11 be, while pursuing excellence in clinical quality. Apart from this internal benchmarking exercise, seven of Apollo’s hospitals were accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI); and it was the largest group in South Asia to be accredited by the JCI. The JCI was a U. S. -based accreditation body dedicated to improving healthcare quality and safety around the world and recognized as the gold standard for hospitals. Apollo was also accorded the Superbrand status by the Indian Consumer Superbrands Council, which recognised that the best practices were used in the brand. Apollo was the 12 only hospital that was accorded the Superbrand status in India. There were other accreditations that several Apollo hospitals had achieved (Exhibit 2). According to Dr. Panyala, Living the brand should be our focus in every initiative or activity we perform. Apollo Hospitals has been one of the consistent names among the Superbrands. The perceived value of a brand like Apollo Hospitals is set very high in the backdrop of the decades of service and excellence it has offered. Clients need to see and experience that value, and the gap between perceived value and obtained value must be zero at best or at a bare minimum. PATIENTS’ FEEDBACK AND REAL-TIME ACTION On average, a patient spends 80% of the time in hospital for the care part rather than the cure, and we need to focus on care to ensure speedy recovery and maximum satisfaction. Hospitality is critical in healthcare as the patient and his/her attendants are already distraught and highly anxious. Hospitality is driven mainly by human interventions- in nursing, housekeeping, as well as food and beverages. It is very difficult to ensure consistency of quality and hence, we want to benchmark these to ensure we provide the best quality of hospitality all the time. –Dr. Ananth Rao, Head–Quality Department, Apollo Hospital, Bangalore (December 2012) Dr. Rao believed that although clinical services formed the core of Apollo’s services and brand image, hospitality would support the brand, and in the long run, both would merge to form the Apollo brand (as shown in Exhibit 3). All services that did not require core clinical expertise were classified as hospitality services, including services such as billing, dietician service, food beverages, facility, housekeeping, nursing, facility, and overall operations. Each service was executed through a variety of processes. All the processes included in each service were identified and defined with regard to the procedure, timelines, required output, and so on. All the processes were mapped and the quality measures defined; these would be used as Sigma metrics. 11 12 Express Healthcare, (2010), http://healthcare. financialexpress. com/201009/strategy01. shtml Source: http://kolkata. apollohospitals. com/newsroom/271-apollo-hospitals-only-healthcare-super-brand-in-india. html This document is authorized for use only by NIKITA VAIDYA in Nutrition 346 taught by Carol Blindauer, at Dominican University Illinois from January 2015 to May 2015. For the exclusive use of N. VAIDYA, 2015. Apollo Hospitals: Differentiation through Hospitality Page 4 of 20 The Quality Department, established under the leadership of Dr. Rao, comprised two dedicated staff- Soumi Dutta and Nisha Maria- who looked after a variety of quality-related issues. Soumi and Nisha collected feedback from the patients between March 2011 and December 2012using the form presented in Exhibit 4. Patients were asked to rate each department on a scale of 1 to 10. Additionally, open-ended feedback such as patients’ comments, opinions, or suggestions was also collected. A schedule was developed for collecting feedback, which ensured that Soumi and Nisha collected feedback from a cross-section of patients; this also ensured that no biases crept into the feedback. The feedback collection methodology is shown in Exhibit 5. Soumi and Nisha were trained to collect frank, free-flowing feedback from the patients. If they received complaints while collecting feedback, they would immediately inform the department concerned and get the errors rectified, whenever possible; or ensure that the complaints were addressed to the patient’s satisfaction in real time. One of them recollected the following anecdote: A patient had complained that the door was not getting locked properly. I got in touch with the facility personnel and they worked on the door and the lock and fixed the problem- all in a matter of 25 minutes from the moment it was brought to my attention. The patient was satisfied with the immediate solution. However, we did not stop there. We teamed up with the facility team and checked every door of the hospital and repaired them if required. We wanted to ensure that such complaints were not repeated. The feedback collection process served multiple objectives such as collecting open-ended feedback from patients, resolving the issues in real time, and further auditing the actions of the service departments. The real-time escalation flowchart is shown in Exhibit 6. The feedback was saved on an MS Excel spread sheet, and stored on a monthly basis for easy retrieval. The data was then analyzed using various parameters and trends were plotted for each service. At Apollo, each service was related to a department; hence, it was easier to deal with the complaints and determine monthly improvements. FEEDBACK ANALYSIS From March 2011 to December 2012, 1,434 complaints were received from among the 1,38,600 in-patients treated during that period (approximately 1. 03%). A Pareto chart was plotted for these complaints (as shown in Exhibit 7). The housekeeping department received the maximum number of complaints, while the dietary service had the least number of complaints. The department-wise spread of complaints is shown in Exhibit 7. Some of the complaints were genuine concerns while some were related to minor discomfort. A few of the complaints were very specific, while some were generic. All of these were analyzed, which would enable the hospital to work towards reducing the overall number of complaints. Some of the sample complaints from each department are provided in Exhibit 8. According to Dr. Rao, Every complaint is an opportunity to improve. We keep looking for the smallest of the complaints, which will help us in improving our quality by several levels. Sometimes it is difficult to interpret the complaints and it is even more complex to develop strategies that will enable a better patient experience. The complete data set was analyzed to determine the word frequency count in the complaints section. The significant words with their frequencies are shown in Exhibit 9. This analysis was used to focus on specific tasks to ensure reduction in the number of complaints. For example, the most significant word was â€Å"time† and it was associated with delays in response time for the various services. The twenty-fourth most frequent word was â€Å"late,† which is again related to response time. Thus, the word frequency technique helped in focusing on problem areas. Based on the results of the analysis, benchmarks were set in consultation with the respective department for the response time of each service as shown in Exhibit 10. Apart from this quantitative analysis, another approach was used to analyze the feedback and obtain deeper insights for quality improvements. Dr. Rao used the term â€Å"defect-defective† from the Six Sigma methodology- one â€Å"defective† product/service could be caused by one or several â€Å"defects†. According to Dr. Rao, This document is authorized for use only by NIKITA VAIDYA in Nutrition 346 taught by Carol Blindauer, at Dominican University Illinois from January 2015 to May 2015. For the exclusive use of N. VAIDYA, 2015. Apollo Hospitals: Differentiation through Hospitality. Page 5 of 20 Any complaint from a patient is considered as a ‘‘defective’’. For example, consider the complaint: ‘‘Food is not served on time’’. This complaint may arise due to several reasons such as food not being prepared in time, food not being delivered on time, patient changing his/her order, etc. It is essential to identify these defects in order to eliminate the defective. On receiving a complaint from the patient, which was termed as â€Å"defective,† defects that led to the defective (complaint) were identified. Root-cause analysis was performed on all the processes of the identified defects. The processes were re-engineered to eliminate all the defects and a pilot study was conducted using the â€Å"Define Measure Analyse Improve Control† (DMAIC) cycle. Once the process was found acceptable, it was then deployed across locations. This was followed by routine and surprise audits to ensure that the process was being followed as defined to ensure customer satisfaction. The flowchart is shown in Exhibit 11a and b. All feedback related to medical services was escalated to the Medical Director’s office. In addition to this, the Quality Department at Apollo Bangalore developed a methodology called the Daily Point Average © or DPA ©. The ratings provided by patients for different departments were used to calculate the DPA ©. The departments had to improve these ratings over a period of time. The DPA © effectively captured the â€Å"mind of the customers† since the feedback was collected during the patients’ stay and not at the time of discharge. BENCHMARKING OF HOSPITALITY Hospitality required high human involvement and was very specific not only to local cultures but also to each individual. Since a patient had to stay in a hospital to get cured, hospitality automatically came into the picture. Hospitality in various hospitals was very different owing to the surroundings and differences in customer (patient) requirements. Patients did not walk into a hospital out of volition- they came in only because there was some problem. Under such conditions, the patient would be very agitated and any small thing that was out of place would become a big issue. Any kind of delay would be extremely intolerable and all the services had to be perfect all the time. Even in the hotel industry, hospitality was not standardized and benchmarks were not available. The Ritz–Carlton hotels, which are considered the gold standard in the hospitality industry, had used Six Sigma and benchmarking for their hospitality business. 13 Although benchmarks for clinical services were well-established, those for hospitality in hospitals were yet to be established. Apollo Bangalore developed benchmarks for several common complaints with three levels of services (as shown in Exhibit 10) by adopting the Kano model, which was developed by Noriaki Kano (Exhibit 12). This model was used across service industries and it helped in understanding customer expectations from any product or service. The threshold or the basic quality was the minimum requirement of the customer, which would be taken for granted even if it were present; however, if it were not there, the customer would complain about its absence. Normal or performance quality was something that the customer would expect because these were stated either by the product/service provider or by the customer as a requirement. This quality was observed by the customer and its absence would cause discomfort and disappointment. Exciting quality of the service or product was something that would not disappoint the customer; the presence of this would delight the customer, since the customer did not expect this quality. With time, the exciting quality would become performance quality and the performance quality would become a basic quality. Hence, the manufacturer or the service provider should always strive to provide new exciting qualities. Accordingly, several metrics were defined for benchmarking. For example, patients were informed that routine hospital-provided meals would be served within 10 to 20 minutes of every mealtime. This became a performance attribute. The threshold requirement of the patient would be that meals should be served within 20 minutes after placing the order. If the meal was served within 10 minutes, the patient would be delighted. However, if this customer (patient) were to come to the hospital again, she/he would expect the meal to be delivered within 10 minutes; this then would become a performance quality for her/him. 13 Source: qfdi. org/newsletters/six_sigma_qfd_hotel_application. html This document is authorized for use only by NIKITA VAIDYA in Nutrition 346 taught by Carol Blindauer, at Dominican University Illinois from January 2015 to May 2015. For the exclusive use of N. VAIDYA, 2015. Apollo Hospitals: Differentiation through Hospitality Page 6 of 20 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS The Quality Department required funding for data collection, analysis, and other related activities. These expenses affected the bottom line of the hospital. However, from March 2011 to December 2012, the number of re-visits increased, which implied that customer loyalty had increased. There was a 15% increase in the number of inpatients. Earlier, high discounts had been offered to dissatisfied patients owing to errors in service or poor quality of service. Gradually, there was a reduction in the discounts provided, which was a direct result of better satisfied patients. Additionally, owing to better processes, cost of quality (in terms of re-work and consumable wastage) had reduced, which helped in improving the bottom line. Further, owing to better service and higher levels of satisfaction, the patients acted as brand ambassadors for Apollo and provided word-of-mouth publicity, which improved the top line. Another example of decreased turnaround time and a resultant increase in profitability was seen in the Biochemistry Lab at the Apollo Bangalore Hospital. Dr. Rao headed this lab and he understood the patients’ requirement of receiving diagnostics reports in two hours instead of three. Dr. Rao and his team redesigned the process using 5S and lean concepts and managed to reach a turnaround time of two hours. Profits from the Biochemistry Lab nearly doubled after the decrease in turnaround time; while the cost of consumables increased by only 11%. Even though the Apollo team was trying to improve customer satisfaction, it still faced the question of how much satisfaction could be actually provided to the customer considering the room tariffs that were charged. As seen from Exhibit 13, the charges at the Apollo Bangalore Hospital ranged from USD 25 for a basic room to USD 120 for the Platinum Suite. A Ritz–Carlton basic room would cost USD 799 at Washington, U. S. A. and USD 165 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (per person, per night). 14 The Apollo team might be able to provide high quality hospitality to patients in the Platinum Suites. However, the aspiration to provide the same service to patients in other rooms might not be financially feasible. The team was trying to build high levels of service for the Platinum Suites. However, the volumes in the other rooms were too high to be ignored, especially in the Indian context. Additionally, customer loyalty was extremely important to Apollo; in Dr. Panyala’s words, Customer loyalty and not mere retention is what we need to focus on. It is important to think ahead of the customer to identify issues that may compromise the experience. QUANTIFYING HOSPITALITY ACROSS APOLLO According to Dr. Rao, Once, we develop the benchmarks and the Sigma metrics, we want to replicate the system across all Apollo hospitals in the country. Each hospital will have to devise its own benchmark and Sigma metrics. However, we want to provide a framework for developing these and then measuring the outcomes. All the hospitals would then be compared by equalisation of scores and would benefit from one another’s learning†. After collecting the feedback and attempting to set benchmarks, Dr. Rao knew that he needed to go deeper and analyze each service through the complaints, set up relevant benchmarks, and target certain Sigma levels for each benchmark. He wondered whether they could collect and analyze data in a better manner. He wanted to arrive at the basis for the cost-benefit analysis of this activity. Looking at the complaints and the analysis, Dr. Rao had two major questions on his mind: 1. 2. 14 What strategy should be used to reduce the number of complaints and sustain the culture of excellence at Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore under the leadership of Dr. Panyala? Given the manual intensive processes involved in addressing the hospitality issues, what is a good Sigma level? Could Apollo set a target for Sigma level in hospitality? Source: www. ritzcarlton. com, accessed on April 15, 2013. This document is authorized for use only by NIKITA VAIDYA in Nutrition 346 taught by Carol Blindauer, at Dominican University Illinois from January 2015 to May 2015. For the exclusive use of N. VAIDYA, 2015. Apollo Hospitals: Differentiation through Hospitality Page 7 of 20 Exhibit 1 [emailprotected] parameters Sl. Parameter No. 1 Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) mortality rate. 2 Complication rate post coronary intervention(percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty; PTCA) 3 Average length of stay (ALOS) post angioplasty 4 Average length of stay (ALOS) post total hip replacement (THR) 5 Average length of stay (ALOS) post total knee replacement (TKR) 6 Complication rate for total knee replacement (TKR) 7 Average length of stay (ALOS) post renal transplant 8 Average turnaround per dialysis chair per day 9 Average length of stay (ALOS) post transurethral resection of the prostate(TURP) 10 Complication rate transurethral resection of the prostate(TURP) 11 Endoscopy complication rate. 12 Patient satisfaction with pain management 13 Door to thrombolysis time in ischemic stroke in emergency room (ER) 14 Percentage conversion of coronary angiographies to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) 15 Catheter-related blood stream infection (CR-BSI) 16 Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) 17 Catheter-related urinary tract infection (CR-UTI) 18 Average length of stay (ALOS) in hospital 19 Average length of stay (ALOS) in intensive care unit (ICU) 20 Door to CT time in stroke cases in emergency room (ER) 21 Surgical site infection (SSI – Clean wound) 22 Medication errors. 23 Average length of stay (ALOS) post modified radical mastectomy (MRM) 24 Average length of stay (ALOS) post microdisectomy 25 Average urea reduction ratio* 26 Percentage of patients achieving/maintaining haemoglobin level of 11gram or higher after 3 months of dialysis in end stage renal disease (ESRD) *Optional This document is authorized for use only by NIKITA VAIDYA in Nutrition 346 taught by Carol Blindauer, at Dominican University Illinois from January 2015 to May 2015. For the exclusive use of N. VAIDYA, 2015. Apollo Hospitals: Differentiation through Hospitality. Page 8 of 20 Exhibit 2 Accreditation of Apollo Hospitals Accreditation Joint Commission International (JCI) Delhi, Apollo Hospital Location Chennai, Hyderabad, Ludhiana, Bangalore, Kolkata, Dhaka National Accreditation Board for Hospitals Madurai, Chennai Healthcare Providers (NABH) National Accreditation Board for Laboratories (NABL) Chennai ISO 9002 Chennai Source: Apollo Investor Presentation (retrieved from www. apollohospitals. com in January 2013) Exhibit 3 Apollo Brand–Clinical and Hospitality Services Core Clinical Services Hospitality Source: Interview with Dr. Ananth Rao. This document is authorized for use only by NIKITA VAIDYA in Nutrition 346 taught by Carol Blindauer, at Dominican University Illinois from January 2015 to May 2015. For the exclusive use of N. VAIDYA, 2015. Apollo Hospitals: Differentiation through Hospitality Page 9 of 20 Exhibit 4 Feedback Form YOUR FEEDBACK Thank you for choosing Apollo Hospitals for your healthcare needs. As a quality improvement initiative, we are looking for improvements in parameters towards ‘‘Service Excellence’’ of our hospital. Please provide a few minutes of your valuable time for a personal interaction. How satisfied are you with your experience and the services provided by our hospital on a scale of 1 to 10? 1. MEDICAL SERVICES 1 2 3 4 5 6 Poor 2. NURSING SERVICES 1 2 3 7 8 Good 4 5 6 3. OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATION 1 2 3 8 5 6 7 1 2 3 1 2 4 3 5 6 7 1 2 3 10 Excellent 8 9 10 Good 4 5 6 Poor 6. FACILITY MAINTENANCE 9 Good Poor 5. HOUSEKEEPING SERVICES 10 Excellent 8 Poor 4. FOOD BEVERAGES 9 Good 4 7 Excellent 8 9 Good 4 Poor 5 6 10 Excellent 7 Poor 9 7 10 Excellent 8 Good 9 10 Excellent COMMENTS (OVERALL): Patient Name (Optional): UHID: Date of Admission: Room No: Signature: Date: This document is authorized for use only by NIKITA VAIDYA in Nutrition 346 taught by Carol Blindauer, at Dominican University Illinois from January 2015 to May 2015. For the exclusive use of N. VAIDYA, 2015. Apollo Hospitals: Differentiation through Hospitality Page 10 of 20 Exhibit 5 Feedback collection methodology A Typical Process Map: DPA Daily Data Collection Method 1:00pm–2:30pm Data consolidated; DPA Score developed* 11:00am–1:00pm Survey conducted Point of Data Colle ction Score given to IT Dept. disseminated to individual stakeholders via.

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Vectors and statics - Lab Report Example While addition of scalar quantities of the same nature such as mass, volume, temperature and speed is much simpler, addition of vector quantities poses some challenges since in their addition both direction and magnitude has to be taken into consideration. Addition of vectors is a critical exercise in classical physics since it is a unit of physics that deals with mostly moving objects. Motion is an effect of a resultant or net force applied on the body; that is a vector quantity. To find the net effect (force), all the forces acting on the body must be summed both in direction and magnitude. There are also vector quantities that do not involve force. According to Newton’s first law of motion, a body moving in a straight line with constant velocity has zero net force applied to it. Such bodies do not accelerate and Newton’s static laws, which includes vector addition, applies to such bodies. In this experiment, a force table was used to set up the three forces. On the first pulley, a 50g weight was placed on the pan, and the angle was set at an angle of 30degrees and on the second pulley a mass of 100g was placed on the pan, and the pulley set at 130 degrees from a standard predefined axis. The weight and angle of the third pulley were determined and recorded such that the ring at the center of the force table was balanced at the center. Errors on the measurement of third pulley was identified and recorded by adding multiples 1g of mass until the ring was off the center. The error on the measurement of the angle was also determined by carefully moving the pulley in one-degree angle increment; first to the right until the force table was off balance, then again to the left. An accurate diagram of a balanced force table was drawn to scale and used for the demonstration of the algebraic vector addition. Data analysis. The results of the measurement of the third force is shown in the attached data sheet. A scale

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Ethics Problem of Class Skipping Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethics Problem of Class Skipping - Term Paper Example The most obvious violation of an ethical principle that his action violated is the principle of nonmaleficence which posits that one ought not to harm others. My friend is not only harming others (his parents and school administrators who were in good faith to provide him with a good education) but he is also harming himself although he may not realize it yet. He is harming himself in several ways. In the short term, he would be grounded and scolded if his parents will know about his cutting classes. Later, his performance in school will surely be affected and it will not be for long that school administrators will find it out that he had been cutting classes and that could put him in trouble. Ultimately, even if he would be able to get away with the short and not so immediate repercussion of skipping class, he will surely harm himself by denying himself the opportunity to prepare for his future. The second moral problem that my friend created is his lying to his parents and getting allowances using school as a front. I need not cite philosophical basis how being untruthful is incorrect because lying is fundamentally wrong by any moral standards. I told my friend that one way or another, his parents or school administrators will find out about his skipping classes. I also told him that it is not fair to his parents who were under the impression that he was going to school with the money they gave him when in fact, it was otherwise. I also told him that ultimately, he is just harming himself because he was skipping lessons that he was supposed to learn and that will begin a vicious cycle of having difficulty understanding complex lessons in the future. Initially, I was detached to whatever my friend was doing because I already did my part as a friend which is to give him sound advice and it is his life anyway.