Murals of Mexico Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Murals of Mexico - Essay Example It is also after the Mexican revolution that a group of Mexican muralist formed an art movement known as the Mexican Muralism. The Mexican Muralism which I earlier told you about began in the period around the 1920s and it only lasted for approximately 2 decades before the Mexican mural could be taken over by the modern mural artists. It is through these murals in this museum and in other buildings out there that our lovely country-Mexico enhanced its image globally especially in the developed world where most of the renowned Mexican muralists paid a visit and exhibited their artistic potential. Certainly, these murals bring about revolutionary themes to the mind of people whenever you came across them. The murals were also important tools of championing the social cause of the oppressed in the society. They expressed strong post revolutionary statements and positions at personal, social, artistic and political levels considering that the artists used the murals to express their opinions, beliefs, and position in relation to a particular issue at hand. These murals were also used for upholding the Mexican culture and religious stance considering that they tell stories about the gods, significant ceremonies as well as scenes experienced in the early life of the Mexicans. One of the greatest mural works in the Museum of Modern Art involves Diego Rivera frescos of the Agrarian Leader Zapata. Diego Rivera is renowned for transforming the Mexican art industry and his work on the Emiliano Zapata was an exceptional masterpiece.

The United States Presidential Election Essay Example for Free

The United States Presidential Election Essay The recent victory of Barack Obama in the United States Presidential Election of 2008 is one of the biggest issues among many other big events that have occurred in America this year. Early on, even during the presidential primaries, the topic of whether or not then Presidential candidate Obama would be influential enough to win the electoral vote was an issue. It was undoubted that the Democratic Party enjoyed the support of the popular vote yet the bigger was issue was whether or not they would be able to gain enough of the Electoral College votes. The events and debates leading up to the election have also brought about a controversial election topic which is that of Electoral College reform. This brief discourse shall tackle the issue of Electoral College Reform and whether or not a different method for the selection of the United States president should be used. To arrive at a better understanding of the issue, it is important to first discuss the pros and cons of the current system. As such, there will be a discussion into the historical antecedents and the impact of such electoral changes. Finally, this discourse will highlight the reasons why the method used by Maine and Nebraska is more effective. Electoral College Reform In 1888, the election of Benjamin Harrison was controversial because for the first time in American History the winner of the Electoral College lost the popular vote. This raised a lot of questions because it was thought to symbolize the lack of support for the President by the American public. It would also mean that the mandate of the public was not for the President and it would make it very difficult to pass reforms and laws. This is because the United States has a democratic government. It must be remembered that a democratic system is often mistakenly characterized as the rule of the majority (Davenport 380). While there is usually a large group of middle class individuals that comprise this democratic system, it does not necessarily mean that the majority rule. This only means that the majority usually elects the representative to office but the hallmark of any democracy is still the protection of the rights of the minority. As such, the system of Electoral College ensures that while the majority may influence the outcome of an election it also makes sure the people are able to freely select their representation at all levels, most especially at the level of the presidency. Most recently, the issue of Electoral College Reform once again made the headlines as President George W. Bush narrowly won the electoral vote but had lost the popular vote. This victory raised a lot of questions and even the former Senator Hillary Clinton called for a constitutional amendment that would allow for the selection of the President to be through popular vote and not the electoral vote. It is clear that this measure did not pass yet it certainly did bring to the consciousness of the public the necessity of reviewing the issue of Electoral College Reform. Pros and Cons It stands to reason why such a system, which has been in place for so long and been the reason for the election of several Presidents, should be replaced with an antiquated election style. In order to arrive at a better understanding of the issue, it is important to first discuss the concerns of the Electoral College system. This is with the goal of proving that there is a need for Electoral College Reform and the adoption of the Congressional District method which is being used in Maine and Nebraska. The first reason is that it is argued that the system of Electoral College Reform does not accurately reflect the sentiment of the public. This is because as the examples in the recent elections have shown an individual can still be declared as the President of the United States even if he or she does not have the support of the majority or the popular vote. Under the Electoral College system, as long as the candidate enjoys the support of the States with the heaviest weight, he is virtually assured of victory. This is because of the fact that the framers of the Constitution sought for equality in representation and wanted to ensure that the voters in the sparsely populated states would have more weight as compared to those in the more densely populated states. This was done to ensure that those in smaller states would be able to be heard and have representation. This was also done to ensure that the majority would not overwhelm the minority. Another peculiar aspect of the Electoral System is that a candidate can win the election if he so happens to accumulate wins in many states that are relatively small in size even if his opponent is able to get larger wins in smaller states. The reason for this is that the Electoral System also features the â€Å"winner take all† system which rules that the proportion of the electoral vote often bears little resemblance to the popular vote. The winner take alls system also creates a few problems because the smaller number of electoral votes creates a discrepancy with the amount of random round offs which has been stated as an error. The presence of this error is also problematic because most studies have shown that it reduces voter turn out in areas and states where there are dominant parties. Seeing that they are not able to swing the vote either way, certain voters do not even attempt to exercise their right to vote for fear that it will all be for naught because of the numbers involved. Being the minority party in the state, they are aware that if their state uses the Electoral College System they will be unable to sway the outcome of the election either way. This is the reason why there is a voter apathy problem in most of these states. Perhaps the main problem with the Electoral College arises from the fact that in case there is no candidate who gets the majority of the electoral votes, it falls upon the House of Representatives to settle the issue. From this point alone, it is clear that there are several ramifications from such a method. The first is that the results of the election will not matter in any case because it will be the House of Representatives that will determine the winner. This may also be interpreted as a situation wherein the party which is able to get the most number of seats in Congress will decidedly determine the outcome of the election. The resulting partisan battle is no longer representative of the will of the public but rather the will of a representation that does not effectively carry the approval of the majority of the voting public. The second reason is because it often results in horse trading in order to determine the next President of the United States. Since the House of Representatives is composed of several congressmen, it boils down to trading votes for concessions when determining the leadership of the country. This totally disregards the electoral process and in a way can be construed as frustrating the will of the voting public. As such, the entire electoral process boils down to which side is able to gain more support for their candidate and which candidate is able to give more concessions to the parties. This is similar to events that transpired in 1824 and 1876. The leadership of a country boils down to tax measures and funding instead of what it is really supposed to be about, the will of the voting public. This system also creates another problem by limiting the choices of the public. Since it has been determined that the party which has a better network generally wins, the Electoral System leaves out the alternative parties such as the liberals. In the past elections, it has been shown that it is only the Republican or the Democratic Party that is able to field the candidates. While the liberal party has shown more strength, the realistic candidates are generally from the two party systems which in effect limit the choices of the voting public. One of the other problems in an Electoral College comes from the fact that there is a necessity for primary elections. This means that the long drawn out process of Elections is really simply just a process that was already more or less decided when the primaries were cast. As the recent elections have shown, when there are primary elections it already becomes clear where the popular votes are and where the electoral strengths are. This also results in a frustration in the vote and the will of the electorate because having the primaries means that in most cases the votes of the last states does not really matter, except when it is a really close election but in most cases this is not often the case. The reason for this is that the results of the elections have been decided because most of the candidates have conceded even before all the votes have been cast due to the projections of certain candidates having insurmountable lead. The end impact of all of these negative aspects is quite simple. It means that the electoral process is frustrated and the right of the voters to be heard and make a difference with their vote is disregarded. This is based on the fact that when the electoral process is determined before it is over it sends the signal that the vote of those who have not voted is no longer necessary in determining the results. This may, in the long run, lead to voter apathy and lack of support from certain states. From the point of view of the electoral process, it is not a real electoral process because it does not allow for the real sentiments of the public to be reflected. Through the electoral process, the foundations of a democratic system become all the more evident. The right of the people to vote and to choose who they will elect as president is one of the important foundations of a representative democratic system (Lijphart 139). Without these foundations in place, there would be no way to ensure that the rights of the people are protected. The right to select a representative ensures that everyone has a chance to be heard. In the wise words of Abraham Lincoln, Democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Final Solutions by Benjamin Valentino

Final Solutions by Benjamin Valentino This research paper discusses the main problem of â€Å"Final Solutions† by Benjamin Valentino. It also considers theories of mass killing origin. The stimulus for mass killing usually initiates from a relatively little groupings of forceful leaders and is often realized without any approval of society. When the average American is asked to name the conventional reasons for genocide and mass killing he is certain to indicate ethnic enmity or accuse the contradictory society. But in Final Solutions: Mass Killing and Genocide in the 20th Century (Cornell University Press), author Benjamin A. Valentino claims that ethnic harassment and the dysfunction of out society are unequal elucidation. Though Valentino considers these elements as factors, he notices that pervasive intentional cruelty is typically stimulated by small minorities of military or political leaders, their intentions and plans are realized without the approval of the community. There is something strangely tender about Benjamin Valentino’s book, on the wholly distenderless topic of genocide and mass killing in the twentieth century. If the Valentino is right about the crucial role of relatively small ethnic or military groupings in the cruelest offences of the twentieth century, then genocide/mass killing may appear not to be the secret it would seem. And if its nature can be seen in lucid terms that refer to a wide range of examples, then maybe something can be carried out to avert it. This is, first of all, the real aim of all genocide scientists. By the way, they care about the pragmatic consequences of their work in stopping the killing as they are with its purely scientific value (Miller). Summing up all phenomena connected with human activity especially genocide all over the world in the twentieth and nineteenth century – one can surely feel blue and disappointed. Though in a sarcastic manner, Valentino has evaded this partially by incl uding in his work what he calls mass killing, or the intentional killing of a massive number of noncombatants (Valentino). You are surely interested how massive these killings are? Here Valentino gives the definite figure of at least fifty thousand intentional deaths over the course of five or fewer years, though if his theory is proved to work, he claims, this figure should reduce as well (Valentino). The main point is not in definite number (and one of the cunnings of the UN’s Genocide Convention is that it does not require any researches revealed in specific numbers on a genocide studying). The main point is to understand how the mass killing of guiltless, defenseless people becomes the policy of some states. Valentino is surely not the only scientist who researches the causes of genocide/mass killing origin. His profound studying, nevertheless, allows him to make some rather well-reasoned and sensible refutation of earlier explanations such as social segmentation and raw governmental power. Opposing the plural society theory that Leo Kuper and others have suggested to explain genocide, for instance, he shows us that in Cambodia trespassers and sufferers belong to the same social and ethnic layers, and that many sufferers, actually, referred to dominant ethnic groups (Valentino). Similarly, Valentino catches reader’s attention by describing such examples as French behaviou in Algeria to refute the mind that genocide/mass killing depends on government. He appoints that democracy stimulates and gives a push to violence. He is also uncertain of scapegoating as the main motivating reason, quoting Michael Mann’s recent research of Holocaust offenders as evidence that private comp laints were rarely necessary to sketch behavior. Considering these researches, Valentino says they have strong intuitive appeal they are simply too common to serve as accurate indicators of this relatively rare kind of violence (Valentino). The author next opposes another overall presumption concerning the reason of genocide/mass killing: that it is sought after and supported by the major part of the society. Most scientists, I believe, won’t argue with the author in the chapter The Perpetrators and the Public,(Valentino) which views such classic works in this area as Christopher Browning’s â€Å"Ordinary Men†(compared very graciously with Daniel Goldhagen’s critically different consequences for the same grouping of men); the despotic individualism experiments of psychologists Stanley Milgram and Philip Zimbardo; and explores of what makes warriors readily risk their lives for things that don’t influence them in a direct way (Miller). Valentino as sumes that the course of mass killing lies in situational elements and the plans of relatively small but forceful groups, but not in wide public backing and deep-seated ideological odium. This is well proved by the chapter’s variable number of evidences. Actually, this chapter could be titled as a representation of the wide range of scientists theories about the question what makes people kill. But the main question is why people kill each other. In order to answer this, during the left three quarters of the book, the author provides thorough studying of the specific situations, goals, and conditions that lead political and/or military leaders to embark upon a policy of genocide/mass killing (Valentino). In chapter three, the author, defines six main courses of mass killing and genocide: communist, ethnic, territorial, counterguerrilla, terrorist, and imperialist (Miller). Considering communist, ethnic, and counterguerrilla mass murdering as the most dominant and fatal, his work then dedicates chapter to each reason. Moreover, as regards the common examples of ethnic genocide such as Armenia, the Holocaust, and Rwanda. Valentino devotes the whole chapter to the Soviet Union, China, and Cambodia, as well as the guerrillas’ mass murders in Guatemala and Afghanistan. In addition to this, in order to give profound reasoning, he finishes every chapter by studying duties t hat were much less cruel and never turned into genocidal such as Cuba, South Africa, and the Philippines during its counter revolt against the Huk rebellion of 1947-1953 (Miller). The outcome of all these examples, some of which could make up deserving abstracts for university or school teaching, is that, with the exclusion of Cambodia, genocide/mass killing is rarely a policy of first resort (Valentino). It is better to say that it is a deliberate and expedient strategy chosen to reach a definite goal. The Fascists made several attempts to vanish Jews from their captured territories, including compulsory emigration and deportation. In some time this methods were substituted by extirpation. The famous soviet ruler Stalin released the famine in Ukrainian. He did it by keeping to the policy of agricultural collectivization. And the author describes a parallel process with reference to the Guatemalan regime’s increasing violence against its village people considering the villag es population rising for the riot. The average reader is not familiar with Guatemalan example, but historians claim and approve the accuracy of the stated events. The main point of the book is that the leaders exploit genocide/mass killing in order to achieve their political or ethnical goals. Valentino contends that, assassinating innocent people in wide numbers is clarified as a tactical step based on a lucid vision of the end outcome. Indeed, Valentino leads us beyond the limits of what prompts people to kill other people, to the more important question of what moves their leaders to command them to act this way. It is an insuperable, profound and, of course, significant argument. Nevertheless, like most arguments it assumes some examples that cannot be brought into correlation with the author’s six motivational range. View, for instance, the often fatal behavior of the soldiers who act in accordance with the command of Bosnian Muslim Naser Ori in the Serb villages surroun ding Srebrenica. Now on trial in The Hague for war crimes, Ori was operating without the authority of the Bosnian leadership in Sarajevo and very much in response to the aggression of the Bosnian Serb army (which was receiving aid and directives not only from their civilian leadership in Pale, but from Belgrade itself) (Miller). Valentino may contradict that Ori’s deeds, as those of similar insurgents will never achieve the level of mass killing that is appropriate in their opinion. Moreover these rebels act only in accordance with their leader policy and views. They did, nevertheless, intimidate the Bosnian Serb people near Srebrenica. Similarly, the Guatemalan villagers intimidated by their own authorities. And despite that the Bosnian Serbs certainly did not need any additional motivation for their clearly conceived program of ethnic cleansing and genocide, Ori’s actions were, we know now, on their minds when they entered Srebrenica in July 2005 (Miller). Valentino’s research is not limited by the seven motives definition, it goes deeper. It does, nevertheless, point out that profound and deep reasons such as vengeance or simply terror, can also stir up cases of genocide/mass killing, especially when a current government is absent or does not have the real power. I have mentioned this because Valentino’s proofs can sometimes seem abundantly positive in effort to describe policies that forecast and avert genocide/mass killing. I understand that author tries to consider genocide not as something scheduled, but rather as the thoroughly chosen tools to reach goals that are desired for the state or certain group. Surely Valentino’s work is based on the investigation of others. Though his sources belong to scientific ones and his work is fully footnoted, his conclusions are based on impressive mixture of investigations that were carried out during the past half century, but not on any original reviews, original works, o r other investigation programs. For instance in chapter three he considers some rather intuitional causes that make genocide/mass killing more likely, including: the higher the priority that communist leaders assign to the radical transformation of society; the more rapidly ethnic cleansing is carried out; and the greater the physical capabilities for mass killing possessed by the perpetrators (Valentino). Similar example can be referred to the author’s believe the Holocaust was unique because each of the millions of lives it extinguished was unique, never to lived again â€Å"(Valentino). I cannot agree with this statement because every person in our world is unique. And one will not become unique only for the reason of being killed during the Holocaust. According to Nazi world view the Jews belonged to the lowest group of the human rung hierarchy. Actually the Hitler’s ideology regarding conceived of Jewish people was carried through the ages. Fascists were afraid o f their Aryan blood being contaminated. Valentino’s book has prospered in providing readers not only with a reasonable interpretation for genocide/mass killing, but also with many valuable proposals for what we should do to prevent it. Benjamin A. Valentino thinks that ethnic enmity or harassment, anti-democratic policy of government in community do not influence mass killing and genocide that is generally accepted. He affirms that the stimulus for mass killing usually initiates from a relatively little groupings of forceful leaders and is often realized without any approval of society. Mass killing, to the author’s mind, is a savage political or martial plan worked out to achieve leaders most significant goals. Leaders use this technique to overcome menace to their power, and resolve their most complicated problems. Valentino does not confine his research to mass killing aimed against ethnic groups. He characterizes mass killing as the intentional killing of 50,000 or more innocent people during five years. The book concentrates on three kinds of mass killing: communist mass killings like the ones carried out in the Soviet Union, China, and Cambodia; ethnic genocides as in Armenia, Nazi Germany, and Rwanda; and counter-guerrilla campaigns including the brutal civil war in Guatemala and the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan (Miller). Valentino finishes the book by disputing that attempts to prevent mass killing should be aimed on disarmament and shifting from governing the leaders and small groups in charge of initiating and arranging the killing. As for me the main conclusion of this book has been the clear gospel truth in all times. The problem that I consider the main – is contradiction of society. There will always be those leaders, and small groups that are aimed to reach their personal goals. But these leaders are the children of society. But on the other hand people need somebody to manage them, that is why they agree to all leaders requirements. All in all, Valentino has r aised a very important problem that alarms people all over the world. The author sets very vivid and arresting examples that simply catch your attention. But one thing I can say with certain that this book was not written for the average reader. To develop one’s reasonable mind on this book one should be good at history, sociology and psychology. Bibliography Miller, P. â€Å"Final Solutions.† H-Genocide 14.09 (2005): 34-38 Valentino, Benjamin. Final Solutions: Mass Killing and Genocide in the 20-th Century. Cornwell University Press, 2004.

The Solitaire Metaphor in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men :: Steinbeck Of Mice and Men Essays

The Solitaire Metaphor in Of Mice and Men In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, George Milton is shown many times playing the game of Solitaire, a card game which requires only one man and a pack of playing cards. His companion, Lennie Small is never asked to play cards or other games because George knows emphatically that Lennie is incapable of such a mental task. Although Lennie and George are companions, George has the idea of being "solitaire" to be no longer burdened by Lennie's company. Solitaire, meaning alone, is a metaphor for the loneliness that many of the characters feel in the novel. John Steinbeck shows in Of Mice and Men, that all human beings are essentially alone. "I ain't got no people. I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That ain't no good. They don't have no fun. After a long time they get mean. They get wantin' to fight all the time... 'Course Lennie's a God damn nuisance most of the time, but you get used to goin' around with a guy an' you can't get rid of him" (45). George proclaims his view on loneliness to give a reason for his connection with Lennie. This connection George has with Lennie makes the two of them unique to the rest of the characters. Many of the men on the ranch have a dream, but only Lennie and George have a chance of obtaining it. Essentially, John Steinbeck wants to show that although George and Lennie have the advantage of being a team, they will never accomplish it because all human beings are in essence, alone. Thus, George's constant playing of the game of solitaire foreshadows his eventual decision to become a solitary man. John Steinbeck demonstrates loneliness of Crooks, the black handicap. He has a strong difference from the rest of the crew, as he must live in a separate room from the rest of the workers. He attempts to explain this to Lennie, "S'pose you didn't have nobody. S'pose you couldn't go into the bunk house and play rummy 'cause you was black. How'd you like that? S'pose you had to sit out here an' read books.

Freight Forwarders Essay

A freight forwarder, forwarder, or forwarding agent, is a person or company that organizes shipments for individuals or corporations to get goods from the manufacturer or producer to a market, customer or final point of distribution. They act as an intermediary between shipper and carriers, that is between exporter and the shipping line either by air, sea, road or rail. It is not unusual that multiple carrier is needed for a single shipment. The freight forwarder responsibilities include advice on documentation and customs requirements in the country of destination. His overseas correspondent looked after the shipment and keeps the forwarder informed about any matters that would affect the movement of the goods. When a business uses a freight forwarding company to move their merchandise, they are outsourcing many activities that are required in international shipping. A forwarder does not only move the goods but acts as an expert in the supply chain management. By outsourcing a shipment to a freight forwarder, there are various advantages for the trader as per below: 1. Outsourcing makes the trader job easier: One of the first benefits of hiring a freight forwarder is that the trader gets to outsource the job. The services offer by the forwarding agent includes customs documentation, risk management, insurance, warehousing, and customs clearing so that takes away the burden of managing these things to transport your freight items. 2. Freight forwarder provides professional services: Shipment of goods need a good planning and organising methods for a proper flow and ensure a good sequence. When hiring a freight forwarder, the trader can be assured of the professionalism in the work. At the same time, every process that is involved in the transportation of goods is duly considered. The freight forwarding company is also familiar with international destinations, custom rules and regulations, which vehicle and equipment are suitable for specific goods transportation. Therefore it is a good practice to hire a professional freight forwarder. 3. One stop solution for transportation needs: A freight forwarder provides various cargo related services to the exporters and importers worldwide. They have link and contact with many other different transporters and can transport your goods by means of air, sea and land. Freight forwarders have vast experience in the transport business and they are the best advisor for export and import business. 4. Time and cost saving: Freight forwarding companies are experienced in the transportation business therefore you get your job done in the shortest amount of time possible with quality service commitment. It can also save you the total cost for freighting your products. These companies have highly-skilled labors that have the sense of quality work and know their duties. 5. Offers the extreme ease: Freight forwarders offer the extreme ease for your transporting needs. You will get your goods transferred with satisfaction and reliability in the easiest way you could ever imagine. Such companies have vast connections with customs and other agencies that get your job done in a timely manner. 6. Avoid the risk of damage or any loss: If you hire a freight forwarding company, you can avoid the risk of damage or any loss of goods. Because the company will be responsible in that case if something happens to your freight items.

System Analysis and Design Documentatio Essays

System Analysis and Design Documentatio Essays System Analysis and Design Documentatio Essay System Analysis and Design Documentatio Essay Introduction The computer is most likely one of the great technologies ever invented. Nowadays, people tend to see the future with computers in it. Presently computers have influenced the society and they do more than simply compute. Computers can now be on office tool and commonly used in businesses. More complex information can be collected and explored with the use of computer-based information system. Information technology nowadays, invaded the workplace and served modern corporations a proficient infrastructure. Due to futuristic ideas of people, they tend to use an information system to their businesses. Some even pay a high amount of money in order to obtain an information system. Though in reality futuristic ideas of people or company owners is only one of the few reasons why people choose to have an information system. There are many businesses that play a vital role in the society. And the researchers focus on Health care, specifically Dental Health care. According to Ardee Joy’s thesis regarding a patient information system that whether information is handwritten or entered electronically, the medical orders become a part of a patient is very important for dental records are mostly gathered when a person dies. Health care is the preservation of mental and physical health by preventing or treating illness through services offered by the health professionals. Whereas, dental health is preservation of the tooth and preventing or treating various problems of the tooth. According to Taylor of the book ‘qualitative research methods, the public requires a health facility which can also be applied to a dental facility four qualities of their health or dental care system, these are quality, affordability, security and access. A manual based system or a method of collecting and storing data or information using paper, can achieve only few of the four requirements. That’s why people or business owners or in the researcher’s case dental facility owners turn to information technology for support. According to Harrison (2006) of the book entitled â€Å"The role of clinical information systems in health care quality improvement†. It says that the quality of a computer based information system is higher than a manual based system for a manual based system consists of more problems rather than a computer based information system. That is why private sectors, health or dental care providers are moving away from traditional paper based medical or dental records to electronic versions. A dental clinic information system or dental office information system is a system made for owners of dental clinic. This system is only suitable for a dental clinic, dental clinic information system is different from a medical information system for medical covers the medical condition of a patient while dental clinic information system only covers the dental condition of a patient. A dental Information system consists of patient information system, where  the entire patient’s information and a few question regarding their health and dental history are collected and stored. This system excludes the amount of the treatment that has been offered though the treatment is recorded in Patient Information system. A Billing system is where the computation of the amount of each treatment offered to its patient and its total amount. Some even add the usage of credit or debit cards in billing system. A dental information also includes the reservation of appointments to the dentist assigned to the treatment the patient wanted. The researchers decided to make a dental information system in order to reduce or eliminate paper works. Institutional errors, human errors and time cost can be substantially reduced and coordination of each worker will be improved. Background of the Study Manual based system is very often in a newly opened establishment just like Sibulo-Gutierrez dental clinic which opened just last year, 2011. Though the company is passed through generation the Sibulo-Gutierrez just opened its facilities in 2011. The other owners have closed their facilities. A manual based system can be determined when a company or a business uses paper in collecting and storing confidential files. Presently the Sibulo-Gutierrez Dental Clinic is still running with the use of a manual based system. The manual processes are; writing the dental information of the patient on an index card; recording the patient information, medical and dental history on a piece of paper; placing the billing information on another separate piece of paper; and on a calendar the scheduled appointments of each dentist. Based on the researchers’ observation, the manual based system of the Sibulo-Gutierrez dental has several problems such as the security measures, efficiency, or time cost, money cost, and reliability. Security measures or control measures for the researchers have observed that even an unauthorized person can access the manual based system of Sibulo-Gutierrez Dental Clinic. Efficiency or time cost in a manual based system is noting down of information and this takes time. Money cost for buying bundles of papers would cost a big amount of money. The Sibulo-Gutierrez Dental Clinic has a computer inside their clinic that they use for entertainment as what has the researchers observed. If the Dental Clinic will have a computer based information system is money cost will lessen. Reliability is the quality of being dependable. A computer based information system is more reliable compare to a manual based system for in a computer based information system, files will not get easily lose unless the user didn’t save the information correctly. The researchers therefore conclude and decided to propose a Dental Clinic Information System for Sibulo-Gutierrez Dental Clinic. The researchers aim to make a system that will contain a patient information system, billing system and appointment reservation system. A patient information system is a system where all the information relating to the patient is recorded and stored. A billing system on the other hand, is a system where the amounts of each treatment are stored and computed. This will also contain the payments made by the patient. And an appointment reservation system contains the appointment made or requested by the patient. These three systems will be connected to each other in terms of the name of the patient and dentist, the treatment made to the patient, and the date. The researchers considered four things in order to say that the system is essential to the dental clinic. One, the quality of the system will help the company for it reduce time and energy in searching such information. Two, affordability for instead of buying tons of paper and index cards, the company only needs a personal computer. And the last two are security and access. Anyone in the company can use the system for it has instructions that can be easily understood by the users. The records and confidential files are also secured for the system has a log in system so that the user can only open and see the records. Scope and limitation The researchers aim to conduct a study of Dental Clinic Information System for Sibulo-Gutierrez Dental Clinic. In this chapter, a provision of information regarding the scope and limitation of the researchers’ system will be stated. This will help in knowing the capabilities of the said system and the system’s limitations. The study involves observation on how the manual based system of the company works. The outcome of the observation will help the researchers know what the system would look like. The researchers would like to emphasize more on Dental Clinic Information System wherein there are subsystems which are Patient Information System and Billing System. The patient information system revolves around the recording of the brief patient information, medical and dental history and also recording the patient’s dental check-up and the treatments to be done on the patient. The billing system on the other hand, covers the name of the patient, the treatment made, the dentist’s name who made the treatment the amount of each treatment, and the total amount of all the treatment. The study also covers the listing of appointments of patients to the dentist. The system is limited to the credit or debit cards. The company doesn’t accept credit or debit cards due to various requirements that aren’t met by the company. So with that, the researchers didn’t include credit and debit card processes to the system for it will not be necessary for the company is not necessary. Though the system doesn’t accepts debit or credit cards, they still accepts health cards namely; maxicare, healthwise, intellicare, Filipinodoctors, forturecare, omni, asianlife and philcare. The system does not also have a sign up application; though it has a log in system other user cannot create another account for it. The company only prescribes medicine but does not sells, so the system only contains the prescriptions. The user of the proposed system will be the secretary of the Dental Clinic. The patient will still answer the patient form using the paper, but afterwards the secretary will be the one who will encode the records to the database for the future use and for storing. Statement of the problem This study is intended to design and develop a dental information system for Sibulo-Gutierrez Dental Clinic. 1 . What are the problems encountered in the current system of the Sibulo-Gutierrez Dental Clinic in terms of the following: a. Recording; b. Billing; and c. Schedule Reservation. 2. What are the features or characteristics to be measured in terms of the following: a. security; b.data accuracy; and c. user-friendly 3. What are the recommendations that the dental clinic can obtain in terms of the following: a. Dentist; b. Patient; and c. Future Reader? Chapter 2 Review of Related Literature Local literature According to Lumbers (2002) a thesisist who made a study entitled, â€Å"a Systematic Enrolment Process Using Database System in Saint John Academy. Calamba, Laguna†. She stated that a database application will increase the efficiency of the enrolment process in the school. In the researchers study, efficiency is one of its aim for the dental clinic lacks efficiency in finding such records. With the use of a database, Information will be recorded properly in a database. And searching such information will be easily found with just one click. According to Lazaro’s(2004)study entitled â€Å"Liceo delos Banos record management system†, confidential records should kept in a database where only authorized person/s can be able to access. The researchers company, Sibulo-Gutierrez Dental Clinic, has many confidential files sush as information about the patients and dentists. A log in application where only authorized people know the password and username should be able to access the database. According to Velasco (2002), maintaining records manually is a very difficult task and very time consuming. In his study entitled â€Å"Maulawin National High School Student Information System†, he decided as a resolve to the manual based system of recording files he conducted a computerized system which will lessen or diminish the problem. The researcher’s problems are the same on Velasco’s, and the answer to those problems the researchers proposed a system that will diminish the company’s problem. Foreign Literature Computers are very flexible in terms of usability. Silverman and Turkey stated in their book â€Å"Computer Language†, that computers plays an important role in people’s daily work and leisure activities. Many circumstances a person can think that will need an involvement of a computer such as engineering, manufacturing, scientific and in the researcher’s case business and health care. Business and health care are two important activities for this study for the researchers will do this study for the business of the owners of the dental clinic. And health care for the establishment that will benefit the study is a healthcare institution. The researchers believed that the existence of the computer is a great turning point to people. It does not only concerns large companies but also to the small business who are really willing to put everything a systematic way of managing form a very simple paperwork for the monitoring of customers. According to Alcaira (1999), he stated that using computers will help the person to acquire a new knowledge for the person will not use papers in recording files but a system that is especially made for that company or business. Alcaira also said that handling information manually is conflicting. The researchers will make a system that will be easy to understand and use or access, the person who will use the system is guaranteed that he will not have a hard time figuring things out. The Sibulo-Gutierrez Dental Clinic as have said uses a paper Based System. This System will cost more time for the user always needs to rearrange information in a way where it will be easily collected when needed. The researchers considered a computer based system for Hammer (2003) stated that a computer or a computer based system could eliminate the need for copying or rearranging information. Hammer also stated that a computer can do computations in short according to Hammer computer can eliminate most of the paperwork. Output * All the data are stored in a database for future use. * SQL database * Dental Clinic Information System for Sibulo-Gutierrez Dental Clinic Input Patient Information -First Name, Middle Initial, Surname, Date, Citizenship, Age, Gender, Civil Status, Birth Date, Occupation, Mobile Number, Email Address, Fax Number Tel. Num, Regular Dental Appointment Reminder preference. Process The current processes in the Dental Clinic system includes Storing the patient’s information such as the dental history, medical history, and check-up result. Creation of a reservation of the dental appointment for the dentist. Computation of the total amount of the entire patient’s treatment. Conceptual Framework FEEDBACK Figure 1. 0 (Dental Clinic Information System for Sibulo-Gutierrez Dental Clinic) The figure above shows the input, process and output of the system. The input contains the information needed by the system. This information must be inputted in order for the system to process the recording of the information. All the information inputted will be stored in an SQL database for future use and storage. Definition of terms 1. Amalgam is an alloy of mercury with various metals used for dental fillings. 2. Caries-also known as tooth decay or a cavity, is an infection, bacterial in origin, that causes demineralization and destruction of the hard tissues (enamel, dentin and cementum), usually by production of acid by bacterial fermentation of the food debris accumulated on the tooth surface. 3. Composite filling- is a tooth colored plastic and glass mixture used to restored decayed teeth. Composites are used for cosmetic improvements of the smile by changing the color of the teeth or reshaping disfigured teeth 4. Dental Clinic Information System- a system specially made for a dental clinic. 5. Dentist- the person who provided terms and information for the researchers. 6. Extraction- is the removal of a tooth from the mouth. 7. Impacted- is a tooth that is all the way or partially below the gum line and is not able to erupt properly. 8. Paper Based System- it is a type of manual based system which uses paper in storing information. The Sibulo-Gutierrez Dental Clinic uses this kind of system. 9. Porcelain jacket crown- are full porcelain ceramic crowns cover that protects the entire surface of a tooth. 10. Secretary- the user of the system. Chapter 3 Conclusion 1. Based on the researchers study, system and observation various conclusions were sought. The researcher concluded that there are problems on the current system of the Sibulo-Gutierrez Dental Clinic. The researchers saw the problem in recording information, billing and reserving an appointment. The common problems in recording information are money cost for paper is an expensive material especially when an individual uses a large amount every day, time cost for writing consumes a lot time and lack of efficiency for writing as have said consume time. In the billing the common problem is money cost for the paper expenses. In the reservation, the problem is using a calendar which consumes space to the table and not enough space for the information to be written. 2.The researchers included features in the Dental Clinic Information System which corresponds to the three categories namely; security, accuracy and user –friendly. For the security, the researchers include a login application. With this feature the confidential records will be secured to the people who want to access the dental Clinic Information System. For the accuracy, the researchers designated formulas in order to automate the computations in the system. This feature will eliminate the use of calculators. The Dental Clinic Information System has instructions that can be easily understood by the user. This feature is considered user friendly by the researchers for the system with this instructions, won’t be a burden to the user. 3. The researchers can recommend the dental Clinic with our system to other dentists, patients of the said dental clinic and to the future reader of the researchers documentation. The Dentist of other dental clinic can adapt the system so that their encountered problems while they use the manual based system can be omitted. The patients can have less time in visiting the dental clinic. The future reader on the other hand can obtain more knowledge with the researchers documentation. Recommendation Based on the findings and conclusion, the researcher recommends the following: 1. A continues monitoring of system’s efficiency and reliability in meeting its objective shall be taken in place. 2. Possible restructuring or enhancement of the system is recommended, specially on the design interface, enhancement or normalization of the current database. 3. An evaluation is a recommended in order to test if the system did meet the expectations of the Dental Clinic.

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The purpose for science is to understand/seeing how things behave and interact through observation and comparison. Some sources define art as an advanced expertise that you can learn by studying, practice and observation (Princeton, n.d.). Some people believe that management/leadership is innate but it is something that can be learned. Customarily, McN amara (1999) stated, management is thought of by four general activities which include planning, organizing, leading and coordinating of resources. There are many areas of knowledge and skills that are required in order to carry out the main functions of management. McNamara (1999) stated that â€Å"managers work toward the organization’s goals using its resources in an effective and efficient manner.† This definition is true in all forms of management, whether it’s in the corporate world or in healthcare. 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Writting assingment on john wycliffe (argument ) Essay

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The Mexican-American War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Mexican-American War - Essay Example The northerners who were partial to free labor quarreled with the southerners who desired to expand slavery over the fate of the new lands. Congressman David Wilmot’s proviso that barred slavery in the new lands was supported by the northern Democrats but objected to by the southerners. These disagreements were sorted out in the compromise of 1850 that accepted California as a free state, ending slave trade in Washington D.C, solving the boundary quarrel between Texas and New Mexico, easing Southerners ability to recapture fugitive slaves and formation of Utah and New Mexico regions with issues regarding slavery in each to be settled by popular sovereignty (Singletary).  Capital punishment has been abolished in many countries across Europe, Latin America although it is still retained in some parts of Asia and Africa. In non-democratic countAfrica.pecially in the Middle East, capital punishment is still quite common. Capital punishment is usually given for murder, treason and in Muslim countries, it is also given for sexual and, religious crimes. In China, the death penalty could be given for corruption and other serious offenses. In countries where capital punishment has been banned, the punishment is usually considered as a human rights issue and opponents of capital punishment argue that capital punishment does not deter criminals and the poor or minority are sometimes wrongfully convicted.

Writting assingment on john wycliffe (argument ) Essay

Writting assingment on john wycliffe (argument ) - Essay Example The childhood life and the environment in which John Wycliffe grew shaped his future life. According to Roberts, the birth date of Wycliffe is estimated to be around 1330 and he grew up in Yorkshire, England (1). During this period, the clergy people had great influence in the community and flourished an expensive life compared to the other citizens. It is these scenarios that influenced Wycliffe to become an anticlerical supporter in the world of religion. Roberts further states that Wycliffe was interested in studying English and was also interested in the matters of spirituality (1). These passions exhibited by Wycliffe at his tender age were reflected in his life at latter years. For instance, Wycliffe was motivated to study theology at Rector of Fillingham College and also contributed to the bible translation into other vernacular languages (Roberts). These kinds of activities require people with passion to learn and exercise their writing skills. It is after his studies and interaction with the clergy people that Wycliffe clearly understood and influenced his civilization concerning the Holy Scriptures and the conduct of the church leaders. Because of his spirituality and involvement in various church activities, Wycliffe was supported by the church for his further studies in Oxford University. Wholesome Words Organization cites that John Wycliffe once served at the parish of Ludgershall (1). This indicates that Wycliffe real life experience of the functioning of church in England. Moreover, Farley explains how Wycliffe was directly involved in the spread of the gospel. However, it is after joining the Oxford University as a scholar that Wycliff started attacking the Catholic clergy for practicing the ‘wrong’ approach in Christianity. It is also at this time that he became closer to the son of King Edward III and therefore received

The Mexican-American War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Mexican-American War - Essay Example The northerners who were partial to free labor quarreled with the southerners who desired to expand slavery over the fate of the new lands. Congressman David Wilmot’s proviso that barred slavery in the new lands was supported by the northern Democrats but objected to by the southerners. These disagreements were sorted out in the compromise of 1850 that accepted California as a free state, ending slave trade in Washington D.C, solving the boundary quarrel between Texas and New Mexico, easing Southerners ability to recapture fugitive slaves and formation of Utah and New Mexico regions with issues regarding slavery in each to be settled by popular sovereignty (Singletary).  Capital punishment has been abolished in many countries across Europe, Latin America although it is still retained in some parts of Asia and Africa. In non-democratic countAfrica.pecially in the Middle East, capital punishment is still quite common. Capital punishment is usually given for murder, treason and in Muslim countries, it is also given for sexual and, religious crimes. In China, the death penalty could be given for corruption and other serious offenses. In countries where capital punishment has been banned, the punishment is usually considered as a human rights issue and opponents of capital punishment argue that capital punishment does not deter criminals and the poor or minority are sometimes wrongfully convicted.

Work-life balance Essay Example for Free

Work-life balance Essay Changes in relationships do not necessarily mean turbulence- even the most stable relationships go through constant changes. These changes are manifest in the smallest of gestures and interactions amongst people. The reactions, pro-actions or interactions may be between couples, parents, siblings, extended family, generations of grandparents, in-laws, cousins, on the family side, and boss, colleagues and subordinates, business partners, other stakeholders on the official or work side. Each action impacts a relationship either negatively or positively- each action process allows us to link our lives to one another. In short, this is the crux of the paragraphs that follow. Broadly, there are five everyday processes that can be instrumental in linking our lives to one another. These include routines for contact, common involvements, and pattern of interactions, everyday talk and reflection. Each of these requires day to day communication which provides the vital link to create and sustain the fragile fabric of personal relationships. Enduring personal relationships are formed when these vital everyday links are positive and in good health- it does not take an extraordinary circumstance or event to change relationships- at best it may be a spark to the build up that has happened as a result of everyday interactions. The essay titled, â€Å"The Everyday Accomplishment of Work and Family: Exploring Practical Actions in Daily Routines† by Caryn E. Medved, Communications Scholar, Ohio University, which is a part of the suggested reading focuses on the challenges of work and family in our daily lives; and studies women in minute detail through a survey which researches the micro practices of navigating and negotiating daily work and family life. The responses to the survey questionnaire help us examine how the women play their taken for granted roles of managing work and family. Responses highlight startling facts in relationship maintenance and repair amongst the dual career couples. Whether they engage in interaction communication patterns involving variables such as gender and emotions, or workplace interaction, which may even include efforts or signals for social change ( â€Å"frame bending†, as the author calls it), brought about by family routine needs, each respondent evidently looks at restructuring actions like negotiating, deliberating, seeking alternatives. This is done in order to prevent interruption in daily family routine, or to handle changes on the home which may hamper the process of keeping up the routine at work. During workplace interaction, the same actions or tactics may be used to balance out the relationship imperatives while at work. It is observed that in families, children feature topmost in the consideration set of some or all of the above actions. Routinizing actions like connecting, alternating, prepping and reciprocating, which are designated and carried out as per need and aptitude of the doer, or improvising actions like requesting assistance, trading off or even evading in order to maintain routine action and interaction at the required level whether at home or at work, all work on common sense assumptions which indicate the way forward. There are times when women decide to use â€Å"strategic ambiguity† (Eisenberg. 1984. Pages 227-242) to get out of tricky situations- ‘I don’t know’ is the safest answer to manage expectations and keep the relationship going, when one is not sure. Between workers on a lateral level, as well as spouses, this is very common- a bit of ambiguity and expression of helplessness helps to tide over a demanding query or situation. In my opinion, ambiguity is the culprit, not the solution- a near definite answer helps people to understand each other better and there are no grey areas, which are the starting point of dissent in relationships. What is surprising to note from the interpreted data is the fact that mundane chores which are seemingly innocuous, are so important to ensure proper navigation of everyday achievements of work and family lives. Prepping, for example, which means preparing for the next morning, can be a spoke in the wheel of smooth communication and relationship if not handled well- women seem to do most of the prepping for reasons including their love for meticulously coordinated activity, organized morning chores, less confusion, more time for spouse and children, among others. Reasons why men are not so fond of prepping include their indifference for neatness and coordination, their habit of relaxing after office and non involvement with the backend chores for children. They are good fathers nonetheless in that they indulge in outdoor activities with their offspring, buy them gifts and drive them to school. An element of emotion runs through the entire response analysis, both positive and negative, therefore each interpretation needs to be evaluated against scientific benchmarks which rely on biological differences, socio-economic conditions, work culture, even religion at times. It is not to be presupposed that all the interactions proposed and described above ensure smooth daily work and family life. An element of conflict exists, for the resolution of which, the study states communication as action embedded in the process of managing work and family responsibilities. Effective two way communication is the key to successfully managing work- family life balance. Balance and conflict are dynamic- and they both co-exist. The study has not been able to bring out this aspect of human relationships succinctly. The study while addressing inputs from women, chooses to completely ignore the male viewpoints. The biological difference certainly has a bearing on each gender’s role in maintaining work life balance; the study appears skewed towards feminine interpretations. There is also a need to study how single parents, gays, lesbians, the working poor manage their work – family relationships. In the study by Medved, family is taken as a nuclear unit- there is no mention of the extended family, which includes grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins, brothers, sisters, friends. We understand that no one lives in isolation, therefore, the work- family balance is certainly impacted by all the relationships mentioned above at some point in time. A purely feminist interpretation angle would play havoc with the data gathered in the study- it would champion the women by and large, and make men the villains of the piece! In conclusion, the study has certainly highlighted very critical aspects of human relationships- in current times, with professionalism equating men and women and gender parity being the new mantra, the study establishes the basic foundation of a successful work- life balance which helps improve performance, leading to efficiencies and creates opportunities to grow as successful professionals as well as human beings. References Eisenberg, E. M. Ambiguity as Strategy in Organizational Communication. Communication Monographs Published in 1984. Medved, Caryn E. The Everyday Accomplishment of Work and Family: Exploring Practical Actions in Daily Routines Published in 2002.

What Determines A Good Service Encounter?

What Determines A Good Service Encounter? When giving examples of my service encounter I will, each time try to explain the reasons for my service encounter, a brief description of what the firm did and provided for myself, my level of satisfaction through a rating system between one to seven, from lowest to highest possible satisfaction, and lastly my reasons for this satisfaction rating. I feel this information will allow me to most effectively analyse the service encounter, and identify the determinants of a good service encounter whilst allowing me to compare different service encounters. I will firstly look towards the 7ps concept (Booms and Bitner 1982) which is an extended version of the marketing mix. What is crucial here, for the purpose of the essay, is determining if some Ps are more important than other Ps in terms of having a greater impact on a service encounter outcome. I will therefore proceed through each P, systematically and in turn evaluate its importance in determining a good or bad service encounter. The introductory marketing texts suggest that all parts of the marketing mix (4Ps) are equally important, since a deficiency in any one can mean failure (Kellerman, Gordon and Hekmat, 1995). Number of studies of industrial marketers and purchasers indicated that the marketing mix components differ significantly in importance (Jackson, Burdick and Keith, 1985). Robicheaux (1976) found that key marketing policies had changed significantly. Pricing was considered the most important marketing activity in Robicheauxs (1976) survey, although it ranked only sixth in Udells (1964) survey. Udell (1968) found that sales efforts were rated as most important, followed by product efforts, pricing, and distribution. LaLonde (1977) found product related criteria to be most important, followed by distribution, price, and promotion. Perreault and Russ (1976) found that product quality was considered most important, followed by distribution service and price. Thus, it appears from the studies above that business executives do not really view the Ps as being equally important, but consider the price and product components to be the most important (Kellerman, Gordon and Hekmat, 1995). Brunner (1989) argues that the marketing mix should be extended to include more factors affecting the services marketing and thus actually becoming mixes themselves. He provides examples of Concept Mix, Cost Mix, Channels Mix and the Communication Mix So far we have mainly touched on the 4 core Ps but what Ps can affect and determine the outcome of a service encounter? Fryar (1991) argues that differentiation and segmentation is the basis of a successful service. Further, the personal relationship with the customer and quality of the service are important elements of the service marketing. This may be referring to the extended Ps of the marketing mix. Heuvel (1993)seems to agree with Fryar stating that Interaction between the one delivering the service and the customer is very important and has direct effect on the service quality and quality perception. He goes on further to state that the Product element can be better demonstrated as having two components, the primary and secondary service elements as well as the process. Both Heuvel and Fryar seem to be heavily referring to the People and physical Ps of the extended marketing mix (Grove et al. 2000) compares service marketing to a theatrical production. How the service is performed is as important as what is performed. The critical factor is therefore the customer experience. He goes on to state that the traditional Marketing Mix does not adequately capture the special circumstances that are present when marketing a service product. As such it could be concluded that the 4Ps for the purpose of service marketing and thus as a determinate of a service encounter can be seen as outdated. Rafiq and Ahmed (1995) state that 7Ps is more comprehensive, greater refined and includes important participants such as people and process. For the purpose of Service encounters the three new Ps of People, Process and Physical design can be seen as equally if not more important than the four core Ps. This can be supported through the extended Ps widespread acceptance in recent years The customer satisfaction Kano model helps to understand and evaluate consumer acceptance and satisfaction, and can be used in many different disciplines. The model classifies product attributes based on how they are perceived by customers and their effect on customer satisfaction (Kano, Seraku et al. 1996). According to the model, there are three types of product attributes that fulfil customer satisfaction to a different degree: 1) basic or expected attributes, 2) performance or spoken attributes, and 3) surprise and delight attributes. A competitive product or service meets basic expected attributes, maximises performances attributes, and includes as many delighted attributes as financially feasible. In the model, the customer endeavours to move away from having unfulfilled desires. The basic or attributes are basic attributes, which customers take for granted and are not worth mentioning due to their obviousness. While the presence of these attributes is not really taken into account, the nonexistence of these attributes could be very dissatisfying for the customer. The performance or spoken attributes are those voiced by customers in what they are wanting from the product. These requirements can satisfy or dissatisfy consumer depending on the level of their satisfaction by a product or a service. The surprise and delight attributes if present can excite the customer, but their absence does not dissatisfy, as customers do not expect them. A competitive advantage can be achieved through successful use of both expected and exciting attributes Kanos model of customer satisfaction will now be looked at. According to various researchers, product life cycles are getting shorter, thus businesses are looking for ways to reduce product development time and to introduce their products to the market more quickly and efficiently (Tan , 2000) Further, in many of the competitive markets, customers are getting more selective, demanding greater features in products and services. As a result, identifying customer needs and transferring this information through to the product design stage is imperative for any business to be able to stay competitive in the market (Sireli et al., 2003, Tontini, 2003,) Kanos model helps deal with these new trends and in turn hopes to meet customer requirements in the most efficient and effective way Through traditional customer satisfaction tools, used to evaluate customer feedback, a strong correlation is assumed between product performance and customer satisfaction. For example, customer satisfaction is assumed to increase or decrease proportionally to the product performance improving or deteriorating respectively (Huiskonen and Pirttila, 1998). However according to Mazler, increasing fulfillment of customer expectations does not always mean a proportional increase in customer satisfaction as this change also depends on the type of expectation (Matzler et al., 1996). The different types of customer expectations can have different effects on customer satisfaction fulfillment. Kanos model of customer satisfaction tries to address this issue in providing particular types to each expectation such as attractive and indifferent. This can help companys understand the customer requirements. SERVQUAL can be used to determine if there are any differences between perceptions and expectations and if so whether this difference (if it was positive) contributed to a happy service encounter. SERVQUAL can only be defined in a consumers mind as it is a psychological difference between perceptions and expectations. Gronroos (1982) suggests that the perceived quality of a service is the result of an evaluation procedure whereby customers compare their perceptions of service quality delivery and the outcome against what they expected . Expectations can be can be defined as the customers frame of reference with respect to a product/service that allows anticipation of product/ service performance (Bitner et al. 1990). Due to the fact that the model involves perception it means judgment may differ among individuals and thus could be based on the cultural framework that the person brings to the encounter (Ueltschy et al., 2007). While customers can judge the quality of manufacturing goods in terms of functions and standards, they may find it difficult to measure service quality because they have to assess not only the outcome of the service, but more importantly the process of the delivery of that service. Therefore, before customers purchase a service, they have expectations about service quality that can be based on a number of variables such as word-of mouth recommendations, individual needs, past experiences and a service providers marketing communications (Parasuraman et al., 1988). Parasuraman et al., (1988; 1991) attempts to define the dimensions of service quality. Five major dimensions have be identified, namely reliability, responsiveness, assurance, tangibles and empathy. Reliability is the ability to execute the service as promised. Responsiveness refers to the willingness in providing the service. Assurance concerns the politeness in delivering the services and trustworthiness expressed to customers. Empathy can be defined as the understanding of customers specific requirements and their individual needs. Finally, tangibles include the physical evidence of the service such as facilities and personnel. It has been widely accepted that these dimensions of SERVQUAL are able to capture the construct of service encounter quality (Raajpoot 2004). The concept of customer relationship management will now be looked at which has emerged from relationship marketing. There is no doubt that in recent years there has been a greater emphasis on customer relationship management then ever but why is this? And is relationship marketing that important with regards to a service encounter? The emphasis on customer relationship management could be attributed to technological advancements which have allowed businesss to create increasingly intimate relationships with their customers. ÃÆ'-sterle (2002) suggests that electronic commerce, supply chain management, one-on-one marketing [and] customer profiling to name a few are developments which can be attributed to the dramatic changes in the supplier-customer relationship observed. It is this amalgamation of business functions which could loosely be referred to as modern customer relationship management. Stone et al. (2000) asserts that the concept of RM always included a very strong focus on the consumer. But possibly, CRM takes this a step further in its integration of business functions which contribute to value maximising services for the consumer via the management of customer relationships, and in turn increasing customer retention Relationship marketing has been successful in creating strong relationships with customers on a large scale. The technique has traditionally looked to apply its marketing communications to its customers depending on their relative needs. This entails customising marketing and product/service offerings to the various individual consumer groups to create a more personalised service as well as to develop a relationship based on interactivity. CRM, on the other hand, provides more to the individual marketing needs. This is due in the main part to the technology to make such a system technically and economically feasible (ÃÆ'-sterle 2002), organisations are now able to further customise their marketing and product offerings, not just to groups but to individuals themselves. This has meant there is no longer a need for customers to be grouped together into lifecycles with others, as businesss can mould their services around individual requirements. As such it can be concluded that CRM is an evolution of RM and has utilised advanced technology as an instrument to meet and surpass individual customer requirements. Discussion Section I will first mention my service encounter with Dominos pizza; in short I was throwing a small party with my friends from home as I had recently returned from university. My freinds were very hungry and fancied some fast food that wouldnt be too expensive. Thus I ordered three large pizzas over the phone. I was very happy with the service encounter and would rate it at a six. My high satisfaction from this service encounter can be attributed to the following. Firstly when I phoned up Dominos pizza the staffs were very friendly and polite, swiftly taking my order. We were also informed on the phone about a seasonal special offer that was ongoing at the time. This special offer allowed us to reduce our expenditure on the Pizzas which surpassed my expectations of what I thought would be the price. The pizza was then delivered to us within thirty minutes, as promised and was absolutely delicious and still fresh. Thus, I would be very happy to order from Dominos Pizza again; however I was initially put on hold for three minutes which is why I am not rating the encounter at a seven. This nearly left me hanging up the phone and browsing for a close competitor, which of course would have been detrimental to Dominos Pizza. I will first look towards the 7ps concept (Booms and Bitner 1982) to determine why and how a good service encounter has occurred. Clearly the price had a major impact on our decision to choose Dominos Pizza. It can be see that Dominos pricing scheme is competition based, due to the high competitiveness of this industry driving the prices down. However our decision to buy from Dominos pizza was not solely based on the price, as we had options to look for a cheaper competitor. What did determine why we decided to choose Dominos Pizza was based on the brand name, reputation it holds, convenience and peoples past experiences with Dominos Pizza. The convenience and price alone would not have persuaded us to buy from Dominos Pizza thus the main determinant of why we purchased from Dominos Pizza could be accredited to the brand name. But what actually determined a good service encounter? One must look further and concentrate on the extended Ps, namely People, Physical Evidence and Processes . The personnel on the phone and the friendly delivery staff certainly contributed towards a good service encounter. The staff taking my order were clearly well trained and well informed, providing me information on the latest deals and being polite. The process was a high determinate of a happy service encounter. The Pizza was delivered within thirty minutes; failure to do so may have meant unhappy hungry customers who would not have been willing to repeat purchase from Dominos Pizza. Indeed the three minute wait I needed to endure on the phone nearly left me hanging up and not completing the service encounter. The physical evidence is not really relevant to this service encounter. It can be seen that the fast process, polite personnel, product and place (convenience) contributed greatest to a happy service encounter from the 7ps perspective. SERVQUAL will now be used to determine if there were any differences between perceptions and expectations and if so whether this difference (if it was positive) contributed to a happy service encounter. SERVQUAL can only be defined in a consumers mind; it is a psychological difference between perceptions and expectations. The SQ can be measured using Parasuraman et al.s (1985) Gaps Model. The Gaps model is made up of five so called gaps. Firstly, the knowledge gap is the difference between what customers want and managers think customers want. In this case as customers, we wanted a tasty pizza delivered to our door within a reasonable time at a reasonable cost. We got everything we wanted, thus it would appear that there was no knowledge gap. However being put on hold for three minutes could be seen as a slight knowledge gap which may have been detrimental to Dominos pizza. This knowledge gap could have been caused by the manager not hiring enough or enough productive staff. The standards gap is the gap between managements perception of customer expectations and actual results for the service delivery. In this case there is probably a positive gap. Although Dominos pizza stated the pizza would be delivered within thirty minutes we didnt actually believe it. Thus the actual delivery outweighed our expectations and can be seen as a positive gap. Gap 3 Delivery gap The promises of a delicious pizza and a fast delivery were fulfilled and thus we were happy and didnt have any quarms. From the above it can be seen there were little if any gaps between our expectations and what was delivered and this clearly heavily contributed to a happy service encounter. The customer satisfaction Kano Model will be now be used to determine how Dominos Pizza satisfied us. Kano uses three types of relationships between attributes and the levels of customer satisfaction they generate. We must determine which attributes account for the largest proportion of customer satisfaction. The first type of attribute is the must have attributes. These are expected by the customer, all our must haves were met by Dominos Pizza. The linear satisfier attributes keep the customer satisfied, the delighter attributes are not expected or required, but help create customer satisfaction and can make the difference in brand choice for a consumer especially in competitive markets. The convenience, speed of delivery and tastiness of the pizza could come under the heading of linear satisfiers. The polite personnel over the phone and great offers provided on the phone can be seen as delighter types of attributes and most contributed to my happiness on dealing with Dominos Pizza, further it was these delighters which have made me want to repeat purchase from Dominos in the future. From using the relevant theories it can quite clearly be seen that the main determinants of a good service encounter which Dominos Pizza offered was the speed of the delivery, the special offers that ensured the price of the pizzas were less than first expected and the freshness of the pizzas which can be related to the speed of delivery. Thus, a manager working in the take-away service industry should ensure that his /her staffs are well trained and informed to not only take peoples orders over the phone but to answer peoples queries and provide information on ongoing special offers. A manager should also ensure there is an efficient distribution process so the delivery is undertaken as quick as possible. The service encounter that Dominos Pizza offered delighted me and my friends as customers, further I would be very happy to order from them again and recommend them to others. Therefore Dominos Pizza have provided a good service encounter. My next service encounter I will mention is my orthodontist appointment with my local NHS hospital Northwick Park. I was referred to the orthodontist by my dentist, who advised that I needed braces. I thus made an appointment for 9:00am on the 24/09/2009. I was pretty unhappy with this particular service counter for a number of reasons. Ultimately I was unhappy that I needed to wait an hour and fifteen minutes for my appointment after arriving prompt at 9:00am meaning me missing my train back to university. I was also upset because my actual appointment was rushed only lasted ten minutes, thus not all my queries were answered sufficiently. I would rate this service encounter at a two. I will again look towards the 7ps when analysing why and how bad services was encountered by myself. Firstly, the price for my appointment was free and therefore started my service encounter on a good note. The place of my appointment was however quite inconvenient for me as it meant me coming back from university especially for the appointment. The actual service was rushed and incomplete, this made me dissatisfied with the service. The process was slow and very inefficient which contributed heaviest to my dissatisfaction of the service encounter. As a customer I would have ideally preferred an NHS orthodontist to be located nearer my university for convenience, furthermore, I sought after a brief waiting time and a productive and effective appointment which would fully answer my questions. I got none of these things and thus there most certainly was a knowledge gap. This knowledge gap could be decreased through an efficient process, a more thorough appointment and a local NHS orthodontist for my convenience. My expectation pre appointment was that I would need to wait about twenty minutes for my appointment which I was happy to do and that I would be provided an appointment lengthy enough to ensure all my queries were answered. My expectations were not met at all and therefore clearly there is a negative standards gap. Review | Back To The Future Review | Back To The Future The movie Back to the Future, is filled with an all star cast and dynamic visual effects that were stunning in nineteen eighty-five and still stunning by todays definition. It was an appealing movie in which all ages could relate to the fun and entertainment that it was meant to portray. The movie was set in the fictional town of Hill Valley and focused upon the antics of Doc. Emmett Brown played by Christopher Lloyd and his sidekick Marty Mcfly played by Michael J. Fox. The film was written by Robert Zemeckis, who also directed the movie and Bob Gale,who came up the story idea. Steven Speilberg was the producer for the film. The story idea came to writer Bob Gale one day when at his parents home he found an old yearbook of his fathers. He thought to himself, Would he and his father been friends if they had gone to school together? Gale returned to California and shared his idea with Robert Zemeckis. They decided to take the project to Columbia pictures and made a developmental deal with Columbia for the script in September of 1980. (Klastornin) The rough draft of the script was finished in February, nineteen eighty-one. The film turned out to be more than just a thought about his father. The film had only a nineteen million dollar budget and brought in more than three hundred-eighty million dollars. Back to the Future was a critically acclaimed best movie of nineteen eighty- five. Critic Christopher Null claimed it to be a quintessential nineteen eighties flick that combines science fiction, action, comedy and romance all into a perfect little package that kids and adults will devour.(Null) It won the Hu go Award for dramatic presentation, the Saturn award for best science fiction film, academy awards and Golden Globe nomination. The film marked the beginning of a franchise with the sequels Back to the Future ll in nineteen eighty- nine and the sequel Back to the future lll in nineteen ninety. There was an animated series, a theme park ride and a video game released as well. The movie has a scene in which Marty is asked who is president in nineteen eighty- five and replies, Ronald Reagan. The person he is talking to laughs and tells him that Ronald Reagan is an actor, not a president. When watching the film for the first time Ronald Reagan himself was so amused by the joke about his being president that he had the theater stop the movie and rewind the reel so he could see the part again. He even referred to the movie in his nineteen eighty-six State of the Union address. He stated, Never has there been a more exciting time to be alive, a time of rousing wonder and heroic achievement. As they say in the film, Back to the Future, where were going, we dont need roads.(cspan) Many years later president George H.W. Bush used references from Back to the Future in his speeches. The film had to shoot at Universal Studios in California because no town would allow producers to redo their town to fit the nineteen fifties setting. Hill Valley scenes were shot at Courthouse Square on the back lot. Industrial Light and Magic created the thirty- two special effect shots. (Freer) Designers set the fifties in a wonderful way to make the town look beautiful, they shot all the scenes from the fifties first so they could make the town look bleak and ugly for the scenes in the eighties. Back to the Future had to shoot differently than how most movies are filmed. Michael J. Fox was working weekdays on the hit television series Family Ties. This made him only available to work on the movie set from six-thirty p.m. to two-thirty a.m. on weekdays. They were forced to save exterior scenes until weekends because that was the only time he was available during daylight. This routine gave him only five hours for sleep each day. He found this schedule exhausting but worthwhile bec ause he was simultaneously living his dream of being on television and in movies. The movie took one hundred days to film and finally wrapped up on April twentieth of nineteen eighty- five. Producers and editors worked twenty-four hour shifts making sure the movie would be ready for its July third release date. Only eight minutes of filming was omitted when editing was completed. A lot of hard work went into the making of the movie Back to the Future. It was a risk at the time with lots of wondering whether the movie would flop or be a success. It proved a risk worth taking because now, twenty-six years later, it is movie that most all generations have seen. Back to the Future will continue to remain a film title known worldwide. This is a film that closes the generation gap and brings old and young together as one. Future generations will continue to enjoy this film for years to come.