The Gambia and the Movie Industry

Table of Contents The Globalizing of Films and Introduction of Film Industries into Developing Countries 3 The Globalizing of Films and Introduction of Film Industries into Developing Countries and the Affect on the Business Environment 8 The Globalizing of Films and Introduction of Film Industries into Developing Countries and the Affect on the Business Environment, Case Study: The Gambia 13 Bibliography18The Globalizing of Films and Introduction of Film Industries into Developing Countries Movies, films, cinema, the big picture; all of these are terms used to describe an industry that has captured the minds and imagination of billions of people throughout the world. And what an evolution process this industry has gone through. Video recording has been around since the late 1800’s, and back them the videos seemed more like Claymation technique than anything else. The videos were grainy, stopped a lot, and had no sound. Of course through time improvements have been made. As th e 20th century moved forward, so did the movie industry.Videos became clearer and longer, and so people decided to shoot movies and charge people money to see said films. The early ones of course had no sound and had to use cue cards, but as time progressed so did technology. In just a few short years not only was sound added to the films, but also color, and even 3d technology. So what comes next for this billion-dollar industry? The industry is now taking its business throughout the world; to countries that one would not expect the movie industry to set up camp due to the increase in technology and decrease of technological costs.The movie industry is also becoming less localized, in that the movies that are being produced in any of these countries are not simply made for the local audience, but rather are made for a global audience. Of course, almost everyone in the world knows about Hollywood, and Bollywood is bigger than Hollywood in terms of movies produced, though may not be as well known in the world. Nollywood is a well-established movie-producing powerhouse. In the past, when Hollywood was the main movie-producing powerhouse, Nigeria was probably one of the least places experts in the industry thought would take begin producing movies.Now, Nollywood is a main staple in movie productions each year. It appears as though these â€Å"woods† are beginning to pop up all over the world. Countries, regions, cities, are all beginning to see the benefit to having their own movie producing location. What is causing this trend of areas wanting to set up their own movie producing locations? The main aspect that is leading the way for this increase of â€Å"woods† throughout the world is the fact that movies are now being made in a less localized fashion. There are not nearly as many movies produced that are made specifically for a certain region.A movie producer is no longer going to fund a movie that will only do well in the country that it is made in. No, producers want to make the most money on the films, and that means relating the films to a global audience. Nigeria can be looked at as an example. Nigeria has a decent sized population, but how many people of that population would be willing to pay money to see a film. Not many, there are many other problems that need to be fixed before going to see a movie. So why produce movies in Nigeria for a population that would not sustain the industry? It is because the production costs have gone down so drastically.It no longer takes $50 million to make a movie. Nollywood thrives on its many producers providing small capital to many different movie projects (Haynes). The old movies that were created in, for lack of a better word, developing countries have always been inferior to those created by the US, England, and France. The technicality, special effects, costumes, and so on were never able to compete with the powerhouse countries (Callimanopulos). Now, however, with the lower cost of these techniques, these less fortunate countries are able to use the same technique, or at least those of equal quality.Sure, these countries may not be able to use the newest of filming technology (such as 3d or Imax), however these improvements give these countries a greater edge in the market. In fact, the average cost of a Bollywood film is $1. 3 million, whereas the average cost of a Hollywood film is $13. 6 million (Factoids). No longer are countries following Hollywood’s style of producing blockbuster after blockbuster. Nigerian producers realized that by dividing capital amongst many different projects, the income from each project may not be as great, however the total revenue from the combined projects is plenty to sustain Nollywood.That is why Nollywood has become the third largest movie producing area in the world. The same case can be made for Bollywood. India was an emerging market where movie producers took an opportunity to produce many movies at a che aper cost, and the effect was the same. This style of movie producing is what is allowing these developing countries to, basically, take over the market. A few decades ago the US was producing 5% of the movies in the world, however these US movies occupied 50% of the screen time in the world (Callimanopulos).While these numbers have not changed drastically, they are still beginning to take a new form. The world is producing more movies in general, and the US movies are occupying slightly less screen time than before. This decrease, however, is the forefront to what is expected to be a greater change as time progresses on. In fact, what is happening is that the major studios are begin to see how successful these â€Å"guerilla† movie making tactics is, that they are beginning to want to get into the market as well. For example, Warner Brothers is now financing French films and Fox is financing Latin American films (Toward).This just adds to why the movie industry is globalizin g so quickly, and why it is beginning to reach these developing countries. As these big companies continually invest more money into these less than fortunate countries, then the movie makers will be able to use the newest equipment to make technical better films, ensuring their spot in the global film industry. These movie producers, directors, and writers are now realizing that even with this increase of lower budget films being produced, they need to make sure that the movies produced are made for a global audience, rather than simply a local audience.France is actually experiencing the negative side of low budget film production. The number of French films produced is well over 200 a year now, however with so many of these low budget films being produced, the audience is beginning to see fewer films because of the repetitive nature of the films (Hayes). What French filmmakers failed to do was to look ahead at the big picture. Instead of writing scripts and backing films that the French society will only understand, they should have been producing films that a global audience can enjoy. By continuing to produce movies that can only be relevant in France, the audience gets bored.If these movies were more globally friendly, then there is less of a chance of the audience getting â€Å"bored† with the same predictable movies. It is this thought of less localized more globalized filmmaking that has opened the door to new areas of film. For example, 20 years ago China and Korea films were unheard of. The movies that they made there were made specifically for those countries. Now, it is very common to see Chinese or Korean films in theaters around the world (Toward). The movie industries within these countries realized that simply producing movies for their citizen’s alone is not enough.In order to stay relevant they would need to begin to produce movies that the global audience can enjoy. Specifically, South Korea has taken this attitude and run wit h it. A decade ago, South Korea was hardly in the movie scene. The current system of localizing the films was flawed. Instead, the film industry began producing movies with less nationalism so as to appeal to the global audience. As a result, the country produced The Host, the most successful movie in South Korean history, beating out worldwide famous movies like Titanic (Lee).The reason this movie did so well is that it did not focus on issues simply related to South Korea. It was a contemporary look at a monster attacking a city. Before this movie was produced, most South Korean films depicted the lifestyle of problems facing South Korean citizens. By taking on a movie that appeals to the global audience, they were able to reach a larger number of people, resulting in a much more successful film. This concept of producing fewer localized movies is allowing these smaller film industries to compete with the likes of Hollywood and Bollywood.If these smaller nations were to simply pro duce films that appealed to their own country, there would not be enough demand to sustain it. There are a lot of people in the world, and by reaching out and connecting with that audience, the smaller film industry nations are able to thrive as efficiently as the leading film industries. The Globalizing of Films and Introduction of Film Industries into Developing Countries and the Affect on the Business Environment This shift in the production of films affects the business industry in many ways. Being such a large industry, a multibillion-dollar industry. This industry is also very versatile.It does not take a lot to have the industry fall apart one year and bounce back with record numbers the following year. Since the movie industry is so big an impacts so many people, this versatility can drastically affect the business that is done in the entire country. This may not be true in the United States since there is so much other business that gets done in the country, however just th ink about the impact it could have on a small country. If the country loses small country without a high GDP loses another couple billion dollars form a poor movie year, then that country will suffer directly from that poor year.The opposite is also true. If that same country has a magnificent year in terms of movie productions and sales, then the entire country’s GDP and way of life will improve directly due to the movie industry. Since the movie industry is so vast and covers so many different areas of the business sector, including marketing, management, and finances, a country’s entire economic well-being could depend directly on the success of that movie industry, which relies on the experiences of the marketers to sell those films. Most people would consider actors, directors, and producers to be the most important part of filmmaking.Of course, these aspects are very important, but it is hard to admit that those aspects are the most important part. Just thinking about it for a second. If a movie were to have the best director of all time, director the best actor of all time, acting the best scrip of all time, it would seem like it would be the formula for an extremely successful film. The problem is, if no one knows about the film how is anyone going to be able to see it. If there are no ads, promotions, or tours, how is the movie going to make a profit.The muscle behind the movie could be the actors and directors, however the brains behind the revenue and eventually profits are the marketers. This becomes especially important when thinking about the shift of localized films to globalized films. It is one thing to be able to market a movie properly to one country, but it is entirely different to market the same movie in 5 different regions across the globe. The first place to look is towards Bollywood, the largest film industry in the world, located in India. The films produced in India are unique to their own country.These movies tend to b e, a lot of the time, musicals, which can be difficult to introduce into new territories. Recently, however the Bollywood film industry has looked toward producing more global friendly film. Just look at the success of Slumdog Millionaire. This movie stars unknown actors from Bollywood, and went on to be a huge global success, even going as far as winning at the Oscars. Similarly, one year later Bollywood released a period-epic movie entitled Jodhaa-Akbarr, which was the most successful Bollywood film at the time, being released in 26 other countries.The following year, My Name Is Khan was released in 70 countries, taking over as the most successful release from Bollywood in terms of release countries and revenue (Mahmood). This clearly shows that Bollywood is following the trend of trying to release more globally friendly films, but the important part that always gets overlooked is that marketing of these globally friendly films. It is put best when it was said, â€Å"In Bollywood today, if the box-office is King, then marketing is the Queen† (Bollywood). This seems to put Bollywood in the best perspective.Of course, box-office and revenue are the ultimate goal of any movie being released in Bollywood, which is why box-office can still be considered king. On the other side, these movies could never reach those revenue streams without marketing. The two go hand-in-hand. With countries such as India trying to release produce globally friendly movies, marketing becomes even more important. This can include creating a trailer that will attract the attention of the most consumer, to actually doing the market research to find out which country’s would be the best to release the film in and which countries the film would not fare well in.This is connecting the film to the audiences that are most likely to create a large return on profits (Arons). The cost to market a movie properly has gone up. The audiences are expecting to see more trailers, more app earances, more billboards, more everything, and as inflation and prices begin to go up, it is easy to see how expensive it can become to promote a movie (Bollywood). This again details the importance of picking the right countries to release the movie/market in. If a marketer fails to pick the right country, it can be a large expense on the film company.It is the marketers job to put in the time and money to promote the movie in the best way possible on the smallest budget possible. These movie companies in areas like India do not have the amount of spending that US film companies have, which is why it is so important to count every penny. In addition, Bollywood continues to find new markets in which to export. In fact, in the past 4 years there has been a 60% growth in overseas sales (Lorenzen). As these sales continue to rise, there will be more need for marketers.The importance of all of this is that as more countries, like India with its Bollywood, begin to improve their movie i ndustries, they are going to need marketers. As the movies that these movie industries produce, such as in South Korea and Taiwan, begin to look towards the global market with their movie productions, their marketing tactics need to improve. Since most countries with a film industry are making globally friendly films, the need for marketers, accountants, and the likes will increase. A company will need a lot more employees to promote a movie abroad as compared to promoting one in a single country.The need of so many new employees to keep up with the demand of overseas promotion can vastly help the economies of any country, especially those that are less fortunate than our own, which is where many of these new film industries are popping up. A little over a decade ago, Nigeria was a crime-ridden country that where people were afraid to leave their homes. This was before the time of Nollywood (Obhafuoso). This, obviously, would lead to a problem with the economy. If people were afraid to leave their homes, how would people spend money? How does an economy survive without money being spent?The short answer is that it cannot. To make matters worse, the reason people were turning to crime was because there was no work to make money at. It was a vicious cycle that seemed to have no end. Nollywood became Nigeria’s answer to these problems. If the country could get people jobs, and give them a decent wage, then that would (at least in theory), reduce the number of people who would have to turn to crime to support themselves and their family. Did the theory work well in the business world as well as it was suppose to? In short, yes.To put it into scope, Nollywood is considered the second largest employer of labor. Each film that is made employs, on average, 130 people (Obhafuoso). So how many movies are made each year? Well, each week, there are 30 new movies that hit the market. That is 4,500 movies each year (About Nollywood). This is a drastic change from the late 80’s to early 90’s. Back then it was extremely dangerous to walk around and even harder to find work. Now, with the growth of Nollywood, not only are the streets safer, but the way of life of the citizens is improving because of the money that is generated from the movie industry.These employees of these 4,500 films are going home with a minimum of 5-10,000 naira per film, but can make up to 20-25,000 naira. That is equal to about 128 US dollars (About Nollywood). It may not sound like a lot, but that kind of money really can change the lives of a family, economically and socially. By raising a kid on a fair day’s wage, that same child will see that it is possible to make a living without the crime that seems to plague the country at the moment. It is a turning point for the country.Nollywood injects the country with $250 million dollars a year (About Nollywood). In a country that was not well off to begin with, that is a huge difference. This one industry has single handedly changed the economic downfall of a country. There are of course still problems, still crime, still unemployment and poverty in the country, but there always will be. This film industry can be an example of a tool that can be utilized by a country to fight poverty and crime, and vastly improve the economy and standard of living throughout the country.The Globalizing of Films and Introduction of Film Industries into Developing Countries and the Affect on the Business Environment, Case Study: The Gambia Now the question turns to where to next open a movie industry. Africa seems to be the newest location where these new film industries (like Nollywood and Bollywood) are being created. A movie industry is exactly what many of these African countries need. There is not a lot of stability in these countries, both politically and, more importantly, economically. As shown earlier, a film industry can pump a large amount of money into an economy as ell as employee many ci tizens with jobs and a steady income. One country in Africa that seems to be looking at these statistics is The Gambia. Gambia is located on the western shore in Northern Africa. In Gambia, about 60% of the population falls below the overall poverty line. This can be due to the fact that the unemployment rate in the country is over 40% (The Gambia: An Assessment). With such a high unemployment rate, it is difficult to maintain an economy. The introduction of a national film industry in Gambia would allow for the economic growth that the country seems to be in need of.If a country wishes to be economically successful, it is important to be a part of the global economy. A country does not need to be a part of the global economy to sustain itself, but of course life can be made easier for the citizens of global economy countries. It appears that Gambia, and its 1. 8 million citizens, are struggling with their economy (History). If 60% of those 1. 8 million people are out of work, then there is clearly a need for the creation of new jobs. As stated earlier in the paper, many countries have had similar problems with their economies, and needed to change something.These countries saw the film industry as an opportunity to help its citizens. The film industry can be made extremely global if done correctly, which would allow for greater demand for films and create more jobs. Gambia is following suit by attempting to also start its own economy. There was once a short lived film industry in Gambia, but was shut down by the government in 1994. Since then the government has had major control of media outlets such as radio and television (History). Over the years the country has been slowly switching to give the people more power and control over their lives.It is this slow shift in power that is allowing Gambia and its citizens to have another go at creating a film industry. The government is also beginning to understand the need for change in such an impoverished country . Since the citizens are now able to vote for their leaders, it is now of more importance of these leaders to keep the citizens happy. If the country is not making any money for its citizens, then these leaders will not be re-elected. This is extremely important because the creation of such a big industry in a country of poor economic standard would require support from the government (Kasumaye). In order to get movie roducing off the ground, there needs to be investments. How can people invest if no one has enough money? That is where the government needs to step in and begin to financially back this industry. As the movies begin to take off and sell and make profit, then the industry will be able to sustain itself. Until then the government needs to understand the effects such an industry can have on Gambia. It seems strange to think that the government should back an industry such as filmmaking. Would it not be better to back things such as farming? Farming is important, but farm ing will not bring the country into the global economy.The film industry in Gambia has a large impact on the citizens of the country. It creates commerce throughout the entire country and teaches the individuals in the country new skills (The Gambia and its). Any kind of film costs a lot of money. In fact, simply look at The Hobbit. The new movie was filmed in New Zealand, and contributed more than 2. 4 billion dollars to the New Zealand economy (Child). That movie is an exception, since they are such large production unites, however it just goes to show that one movie really can make a difference in the economy.The film companies need to feed their workers, hire clean up crews, etc. , and if Gambia creates a major film industry with many movie companies, then the economy will reap the benefits as much as the CEO’s. Going hand in hand with an increase in commerce is that fact that a new industry will create many new jobs for the citizens. In fact, it is estimated that a film industry created in The Gambia would employ, at a bare minimum, 5,000 Gambian youths (Janko). This does not include the actors, directors, or any of the business aspects (such as marketers, accountants, financers, etc. . This is simply extra people needed on set to help with set up, tear down, dining, and every other aspects involved with filmmaking. As the industry begins to take off, so will the amount of jobs available. The more movies that are made, the more jobs will have to be filled. These 5,000 jobs can increase to 20,000 if the film industry grows. Nearly 20,000 new jobs can be a huge benefit to an economy that is suffering from high unemployment. Clearly as more people get jobs and begin to receive a steady income, the more money families will be able to spend on the market. The ore money that is spent on the market, the faster the economy will turn around. The faster the economy turns around, even more jobs will be created to keep up with the improvements. In fact, a well organized film industry could not only help the standard of living in Gambia, but also the surrounding areas as well (Sankanu). As the industry grows, it is very possible for citizens of surrounding countries to migrate over to Gambia in order to be apart of the industry. This influx of new people also means that these same people will be spending their money in the Gambian economy.Also, as the Gambian film industry creates more and more globally friendly movies (if they continue to follow the current trend in movie making), then the surrounding countries could be big importers of these films. Countries closer to Gambia may find Gambian films more appealing than, say, a Hollywood blockbuster. These imported movies can clearly help both video stores and movie theaters in these bordering countries to survive. As stated earlier, marketing is one of the most important factors in the film production process. The consumers need to know about the movie in order to see it.That being said, a Gambian film industry would open the door for all sorts of marketing professionals, both local and global marketers. It would seem pretty obvious that the locals of the country would work on the local promotion of the film. It would not be too far fetched to think that a movie company would want to hire a professional marketer from an already well-established company overseas. It can be a safe assumption that these kind of professionals will most likely have more experience with this global marketing than a native individual from Gambia. Normally, marketing a film globally would be extremely difficult.However, due to the established tourism industry and breathtaking scenery, Gambian movies may be easier to promote to the world than, say, a movie from Chad (Kasumaye). If the world has a basic understanding of The Gambia, then people will be much more open to watching a film from Gambia. This makes the jobs of whatever marketing professional get the job that much easier. The Gambia is currently struggling to improve its economy and standard of living. The unemployment is too high and their economy is not sufficient enough to give its citizens a proper standard of living. Nigeria was in a ery similar situation, and by adding a film industry, hundreds of millions of dollars was expelled into the economy, creating jobs, and improving the standard of living. The Gambia has a similar opportunity, in that there are plenty of actors, directors, and writers that want to create films, there just does not seem to be enough capital to truly get the industry off the ground. The government needs to realize this opportunity, and fund (at least for the beginning) the creation of this industry so as to create a greater flow of cash and employment throughout the country.This will create a large number of new opportunities for marketers to jump into the new industry to become a part of the growing phenomenon. A Gambian film industry can not only help the economy and business th rive in the country, but can also create new business opportunities on a global scale as well. Bibliography â€Å"About Nollywood. †Ã‚  This Is Nollywood. N. p. , 2006. Web. 08 Nov. 2012. . Arons, Marc. â€Å"Five Key Drivers of Global Marketing. †Ã‚  Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 17 Mar. 2010. Web. 07 Nov. 2012. . â€Å"Bollywood Goes over the Top with Marketing Bollywood, Updated Feb 25, 2012 at 03:10pm IST. †Ã‚  Http://ibnlive. in. com/. CNN, 25 Feb. 2012. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. . Callimanopulos, Dominique. â€Å"Film and the Third World. †Ã‚  Cultural Survival. N. p. , 11 Feb. 2010. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. .Child, Ben. â€Å"The Hobbit Boosts New Zealand Film Industry. †Ã‚  The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 04 Apr. 2012. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. . â€Å"Factoids. †Ã‚  : Bollywoodcountry. N. p. , 2011. Web. 03 Dec. 2012. . Hayes, Graeme, and Martin O’Shaughessy. â€Å"French Cinema: Globalization, Representation, And Resistance. † French P olitics, Culture, & Society 23. 3 (2005): 1-13. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Nov. 2012 Haynes,

Kashmir Issue

These claims are often reinforced with partisan interpretation of history and selective evidence. The real attitude and concrete policies towards the dispute, however, are often governed by perception of short term â€Å"national interests† as defined by dominant political elite of the two countries the interests that apparently are irreconcilable and non-negotiable. While each side sticks to its claims over Kashmir, the Kashmiri Muslims continue to pay a heavy price for their defiant struggle against overwhelming odds in order to exercise their right of self determination. For more than half a century the Kashmiris are oscillating between uncertainty and destitution. They continue to suffer misery and repression under illegal Indian occupation, and despite a stream of strong words and resolutions passed by the Security Council the Kashmir issue is still a bone o f contention between Pakistan and India. Rather the situation has taken a quantum leap for the worse. Indian has conceded the Security Council resolutions vindicating the right of self determination for the Kashmiris but has since reneged on its solemn commitment to the international community and the people of Kashmir. The brutal and blatant Indian repression and state sponsored terrorism against innocent Kashmiri men, women and children had few parallels in the annals of history. The valley has become a festering sore and the miseries of the oppressed people of this valley and the â€Å"terror let loose† by Indian forces is not less cataclysmic in nature than that of Jaliawala massacre ordered by infamous General Rex Dyer. In spite of facing all these hazards, the freedom fighters are exuberant. They have not only caused the military and political debacle to India but they have also done irreparable damage to Indian’s much touted and trumpeted secularism. Would it be too much to assume that Kashmir might well be the graveyard of Indian secularism. Unless sanity prevails to make the B.. P leadership realize the sheer folly o f their politico military aggression against the Kashmiris. In the name of freedom and self determination, the Kashmiris are being inured, mutilated and killed, their women raped, and their children robbed of hope for a better future. The dispute has shattered their economy polarized their society and festered a culture of violence among the people known for their non violent character. But the Kashmiris are not only the one’s who suffer from the adverse consequences of the dispute. Millions in Pakistan and India re paying a high cost form direct or indirect effects of this issue. Both counties spend huge and unaffordable resources on defence which could be spent more productively on improving the lot of their people. The Kashmir issue has also led both counties to use their limited scientific knowledge and skills to develop weapons of mass destruction exposing them the an unimaginable holocaust. The dispute and military activities related to it have strengthened the pre-existing culture of violence, promoted glorification of material values and intensified the desire to take revenge from the enemy for the past humiliations. The culture will be a breeding ground for future conflicts between the two countries. Even if the Kashmir problem itself is somehow solved. The Kashmiris have long history of sufferings and oppression, the worst chapter of which was written by the Dogra rule, particularly from 1931 onwards. Contrary to their hopes the partition of the sub-continent and the emergence of two new states, instead of ending the woes of Kashmiris, multiplied them. Since then they have suffered the consequences of three wars, well documented atrocities by the Indian army since 1989 and often violent activities of the militants, a umber of them religiously motivated non Kashmiris. Since the days of Muslim Mughal Empire, Kashmir has got a prominent Muslim majority population. There are more than eighty percent Muslims and the Hindu population is less than twenty percent. Unfortunately, on the fall of Mughal Empire, the State fell to the British East Company in 1840, which sold it to the Sikh traitor â€Å"Raja Gulab Singh† in 1846, as reward for his betrayal of the Sikhs at a very negligible price of Rs. 75 lac. Hence onward the Muslim population of Kashmir came under continuous torment of the cruel Sikh rulers. They tried to strengthened their hold on the State with the singular aim of shattering the will of their Muslim subjects, crushing their religious zeal. They cowed them down into accepting the slavery of the Hindu minority. The genesis of the Kashmir issue is that in August 1947, when partition of the sub-continent took place, Lord Mountbatten, the viceroy of undivided India, influenced Radcliff into awarding the predominantly Muslim district of Gurdaspur, situated in the East Punjab, to India. By this treacherous act, admitted by Lord Mountbatten himself on nation wide British television, the cruel Viceroy not only subjected a Muslim majority area to the cursed Hindu domination, it also sowed the seed from which could crop up the domination of India on another predominantly Muslim State Kashmir, because it is only through a narrow strap in the Gurdaspur district that India was linked with Kashmir. The canker in no time cropped up into the â€Å"Kashmir Problem† that has ever since proved to be a serious threat to the security of the South Asian region. Pakistan has made a lot of efforts to break the strangled hold of India on Kashmir, including third party’s mediations but the fate of Kashmiris is still trembling in the balance. The first effort was made when immediate after partition India airlifted its forces to Srinagar. When Quaid-e-Azam was informed he ordered Incharge of Pak Army General Gracy, to send forces to Srinagar but the General refused to do so. Mujahideen tried their level best to capture the valley but they were defeated by Indian army as they were not well equipped and trained. Then India took this dispute to the Security Council. The Security Council decided that a plebiscite must be held in Kashmir. At that time India agreed but after sometime she backed out of her promise. In 1962 Pakistan lost a golden opportunity to conquer Kashmir during Indo-china war. As India requested President Kennedy of America to influence Pakistan for not taking any step regarding Kashmir during Indo-China war. Kennedy pressurized Ayub Khan and he accepted the America influence on these conditions that after Indo-China war America would help in resolving the Kashmir issue through discussion. In this regard after the Indo-China war Sheikh Abdullah came to Pakistan to initiate some discussion on Kashmir. During his tour of Pakistan Jawahar Lal Nehru died and he had to rush back. Ayub Khan tried to atone for his mistake and he prepared five thousand gorillas form army to capture Kashmir. This operation was given the name of â€Å"operation Gibraltar† and it was done in 1965. All these gorillas caused a lot of destruction in the valley but at least they all were captured or killed by the Indian forces due to lack of planning. In revenge, India made heavy shelling on Awan Sharif, a village near border. In response to this incident Pakistani forces along with Azad Kashmir forces crossed the ceasefire line by making official announcement. During this war of 1965, at one stage the Pakistani forces advanced upto Akhnoor and they were in a position to capture Srinagar as well but under Soviet Union’s influence Ayub Khan declared ceasefire. In this way Pakistan also lost this opportunity to get Kashmir. The Indian areas occupied by the Pakistani forces were also given bank to India according to â€Å"Tashkent Accord†. After this war, tension mounted between the two countries upto this extent that they had another war in 1971. This war resulted in separation of East Pakistan as an independent State now known as Bangladesh. The Kashmiri freedom fighters took inspiration from brave freedom fighting display of Afghanis and an upgrade uprising began in the valley. But due to lack of planning and poor diplomatic approach, this brilliant tactical move ended in a terrible strategic blunder. Before Kargil episode, international opinion was focused on Indian army repression in Kashmir. What a pity that Kargil changed this focus completely. India achieved the world’s sympathies through its excellent diplomatic policies and quickly made propaganda against Pakistan mainly through its electronic media. On the other hand Pakistan became isolated in international politics and even China the most reliable friend of Pakistan gave a cold shoulder in these circumstances. The ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan had to call off the whole operation due to huge international pressure. The most unfortunate aspect of the whole Kargil operation was tht although jawans, officers and Mujahideen won the war at Kargil hills, yet they had to descend as Pakistani government lost this war on the diplomatic front. The great uprising is still going on in the valley. Pakistan tried to internationalize the Kashmiri freedom fighting and inhuman behavior of Indian forces through Kargil operation in 1999. Under this scenario of events, it is clear that a change in policy direction is necessary. New objectives have to be formed. Almost certainly the wings of our hawks have to clipped. For this purpose the following steps can be taken: One, the line of control can be transformed into the international border between Pakistan and India . India itself has been moving in this direction for a while now- in the event of its inability to stamp out the freedom struggle in Kashmir. This option is, from the Indian perspective, the least disturbing and the most aligned to its prevailing Kashmir stance. However, despite this option having support amongst some Western analysts, it is unworkable. This is because the line of control has never been accepted by the Kashmiris. Rather, it is simply a temporary cease fire line which marks a cessation of military hostilities between two antagonists and is expected to remain in place until the dispute is resolved. Two, the valley of Kashmir along with some Northern areas, must be given independence. This option although sounds very well, yet from India’s point of view it is not beneficial because an independent Kashmir bordering China will become a permanent thereat to India. Three, Northern areas in control of Pakistan whereas Jammu and Laddakh should be given under trusteeship of United Nations for twenty years in order to eliminate the Pakistan and Indian influence and than after twenty years it should be asked from the people of Kashmir whether they want to become independent or they want to become a part of Pakistan or India. In the light of above mentioned options for the solution of Kashmir issue, the third option is very much applicable as it looks neutral in all respects. So, conceived in this way, it is a reality that Kashmir continues to define parameters of the Pak-India relationship. And unless it is resolved there is a detente between these two states, there con not be meaningful stability in South Asia, which would allow India the power status is seeks. But as a matter of fact, India has ignored the realities of history its own leaders commitments to a plebiscite in Kashmir, India has denied itself a role commensurate with its power indicators. This is the time now that India must act with the confidence of a great power and more beyond its unacceptable status quo stance in Kashmir. It is clear that India can not maintain status quo in Kashmir indefinitely that is untenable. Even if Kargil had not happen in 1999, India would have had to accept that it has failed to make Kashmir an integral part of Indian Union through a bizarre mix of the use of military force and elections. Despite the horrible facts of Indian repression in the valley and the failure of lot of efforts mentioned above one may hope that according to the concrete stance taken by Pakistan the things will be changed for Kashmiris and that day is not far away when the Kashmiris will get the reward of their sacrifices and hey would also be able to get the palm. Kashmir Issue These claims are often reinforced with partisan interpretation of history and selective evidence. The real attitude and concrete policies towards the dispute, however, are often governed by perception of short term â€Å"national interests† as defined by dominant political elite of the two countries the interests that apparently are irreconcilable and non-negotiable. While each side sticks to its claims over Kashmir, the Kashmiri Muslims continue to pay a heavy price for their defiant struggle against overwhelming odds in order to exercise their right of self determination. For more than half a century the Kashmiris are oscillating between uncertainty and destitution. They continue to suffer misery and repression under illegal Indian occupation, and despite a stream of strong words and resolutions passed by the Security Council the Kashmir issue is still a bone o f contention between Pakistan and India. Rather the situation has taken a quantum leap for the worse. Indian has conceded the Security Council resolutions vindicating the right of self determination for the Kashmiris but has since reneged on its solemn commitment to the international community and the people of Kashmir. The brutal and blatant Indian repression and state sponsored terrorism against innocent Kashmiri men, women and children had few parallels in the annals of history. The valley has become a festering sore and the miseries of the oppressed people of this valley and the â€Å"terror let loose† by Indian forces is not less cataclysmic in nature than that of Jaliawala massacre ordered by infamous General Rex Dyer. In spite of facing all these hazards, the freedom fighters are exuberant. They have not only caused the military and political debacle to India but they have also done irreparable damage to Indian’s much touted and trumpeted secularism. Would it be too much to assume that Kashmir might well be the graveyard of Indian secularism. Unless sanity prevails to make the B.. P leadership realize the sheer folly o f their politico military aggression against the Kashmiris. In the name of freedom and self determination, the Kashmiris are being inured, mutilated and killed, their women raped, and their children robbed of hope for a better future. The dispute has shattered their economy polarized their society and festered a culture of violence among the people known for their non violent character. But the Kashmiris are not only the one’s who suffer from the adverse consequences of the dispute. Millions in Pakistan and India re paying a high cost form direct or indirect effects of this issue. Both counties spend huge and unaffordable resources on defence which could be spent more productively on improving the lot of their people. The Kashmir issue has also led both counties to use their limited scientific knowledge and skills to develop weapons of mass destruction exposing them the an unimaginable holocaust. The dispute and military activities related to it have strengthened the pre-existing culture of violence, promoted glorification of material values and intensified the desire to take revenge from the enemy for the past humiliations. The culture will be a breeding ground for future conflicts between the two countries. Even if the Kashmir problem itself is somehow solved. The Kashmiris have long history of sufferings and oppression, the worst chapter of which was written by the Dogra rule, particularly from 1931 onwards. Contrary to their hopes the partition of the sub-continent and the emergence of two new states, instead of ending the woes of Kashmiris, multiplied them. Since then they have suffered the consequences of three wars, well documented atrocities by the Indian army since 1989 and often violent activities of the militants, a umber of them religiously motivated non Kashmiris. Since the days of Muslim Mughal Empire, Kashmir has got a prominent Muslim majority population. There are more than eighty percent Muslims and the Hindu population is less than twenty percent. Unfortunately, on the fall of Mughal Empire, the State fell to the British East Company in 1840, which sold it to the Sikh traitor â€Å"Raja Gulab Singh† in 1846, as reward for his betrayal of the Sikhs at a very negligible price of Rs. 75 lac. Hence onward the Muslim population of Kashmir came under continuous torment of the cruel Sikh rulers. They tried to strengthened their hold on the State with the singular aim of shattering the will of their Muslim subjects, crushing their religious zeal. They cowed them down into accepting the slavery of the Hindu minority. The genesis of the Kashmir issue is that in August 1947, when partition of the sub-continent took place, Lord Mountbatten, the viceroy of undivided India, influenced Radcliff into awarding the predominantly Muslim district of Gurdaspur, situated in the East Punjab, to India. By this treacherous act, admitted by Lord Mountbatten himself on nation wide British television, the cruel Viceroy not only subjected a Muslim majority area to the cursed Hindu domination, it also sowed the seed from which could crop up the domination of India on another predominantly Muslim State Kashmir, because it is only through a narrow strap in the Gurdaspur district that India was linked with Kashmir. The canker in no time cropped up into the â€Å"Kashmir Problem† that has ever since proved to be a serious threat to the security of the South Asian region. Pakistan has made a lot of efforts to break the strangled hold of India on Kashmir, including third party’s mediations but the fate of Kashmiris is still trembling in the balance. The first effort was made when immediate after partition India airlifted its forces to Srinagar. When Quaid-e-Azam was informed he ordered Incharge of Pak Army General Gracy, to send forces to Srinagar but the General refused to do so. Mujahideen tried their level best to capture the valley but they were defeated by Indian army as they were not well equipped and trained. Then India took this dispute to the Security Council. The Security Council decided that a plebiscite must be held in Kashmir. At that time India agreed but after sometime she backed out of her promise. In 1962 Pakistan lost a golden opportunity to conquer Kashmir during Indo-china war. As India requested President Kennedy of America to influence Pakistan for not taking any step regarding Kashmir during Indo-China war. Kennedy pressurized Ayub Khan and he accepted the America influence on these conditions that after Indo-China war America would help in resolving the Kashmir issue through discussion. In this regard after the Indo-China war Sheikh Abdullah came to Pakistan to initiate some discussion on Kashmir. During his tour of Pakistan Jawahar Lal Nehru died and he had to rush back. Ayub Khan tried to atone for his mistake and he prepared five thousand gorillas form army to capture Kashmir. This operation was given the name of â€Å"operation Gibraltar† and it was done in 1965. All these gorillas caused a lot of destruction in the valley but at least they all were captured or killed by the Indian forces due to lack of planning. In revenge, India made heavy shelling on Awan Sharif, a village near border. In response to this incident Pakistani forces along with Azad Kashmir forces crossed the ceasefire line by making official announcement. During this war of 1965, at one stage the Pakistani forces advanced upto Akhnoor and they were in a position to capture Srinagar as well but under Soviet Union’s influence Ayub Khan declared ceasefire. In this way Pakistan also lost this opportunity to get Kashmir. The Indian areas occupied by the Pakistani forces were also given bank to India according to â€Å"Tashkent Accord†. After this war, tension mounted between the two countries upto this extent that they had another war in 1971. This war resulted in separation of East Pakistan as an independent State now known as Bangladesh. The Kashmiri freedom fighters took inspiration from brave freedom fighting display of Afghanis and an upgrade uprising began in the valley. But due to lack of planning and poor diplomatic approach, this brilliant tactical move ended in a terrible strategic blunder. Before Kargil episode, international opinion was focused on Indian army repression in Kashmir. What a pity that Kargil changed this focus completely. India achieved the world’s sympathies through its excellent diplomatic policies and quickly made propaganda against Pakistan mainly through its electronic media. On the other hand Pakistan became isolated in international politics and even China the most reliable friend of Pakistan gave a cold shoulder in these circumstances. The ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan had to call off the whole operation due to huge international pressure. The most unfortunate aspect of the whole Kargil operation was tht although jawans, officers and Mujahideen won the war at Kargil hills, yet they had to descend as Pakistani government lost this war on the diplomatic front. The great uprising is still going on in the valley. Pakistan tried to internationalize the Kashmiri freedom fighting and inhuman behavior of Indian forces through Kargil operation in 1999. Under this scenario of events, it is clear that a change in policy direction is necessary. New objectives have to be formed. Almost certainly the wings of our hawks have to clipped. For this purpose the following steps can be taken: One, the line of control can be transformed into the international border between Pakistan and India . India itself has been moving in this direction for a while now- in the event of its inability to stamp out the freedom struggle in Kashmir. This option is, from the Indian perspective, the least disturbing and the most aligned to its prevailing Kashmir stance. However, despite this option having support amongst some Western analysts, it is unworkable. This is because the line of control has never been accepted by the Kashmiris. Rather, it is simply a temporary cease fire line which marks a cessation of military hostilities between two antagonists and is expected to remain in place until the dispute is resolved. Two, the valley of Kashmir along with some Northern areas, must be given independence. This option although sounds very well, yet from India’s point of view it is not beneficial because an independent Kashmir bordering China will become a permanent thereat to India. Three, Northern areas in control of Pakistan whereas Jammu and Laddakh should be given under trusteeship of United Nations for twenty years in order to eliminate the Pakistan and Indian influence and than after twenty years it should be asked from the people of Kashmir whether they want to become independent or they want to become a part of Pakistan or India. In the light of above mentioned options for the solution of Kashmir issue, the third option is very much applicable as it looks neutral in all respects. So, conceived in this way, it is a reality that Kashmir continues to define parameters of the Pak-India relationship. And unless it is resolved there is a detente between these two states, there con not be meaningful stability in South Asia, which would allow India the power status is seeks. But as a matter of fact, India has ignored the realities of history its own leaders commitments to a plebiscite in Kashmir, India has denied itself a role commensurate with its power indicators. This is the time now that India must act with the confidence of a great power and more beyond its unacceptable status quo stance in Kashmir. It is clear that India can not maintain status quo in Kashmir indefinitely that is untenable. Even if Kargil had not happen in 1999, India would have had to accept that it has failed to make Kashmir an integral part of Indian Union through a bizarre mix of the use of military force and elections. Despite the horrible facts of Indian repression in the valley and the failure of lot of efforts mentioned above one may hope that according to the concrete stance taken by Pakistan the things will be changed for Kashmiris and that day is not far away when the Kashmiris will get the reward of their sacrifices and hey would also be able to get the palm.

Child Is The Father Of Man

The child-life is a hiding place of mans` power where man must seek it with all his mature faculties. Our tradition asserts that â€Å"Home is the best school and parents are the first and best teachers†. This thought has been a continuous source of inspiration for our society to protect the creative and spirited life of the child.Today, the situation is absolutely averse. Growing restlessness and stress in small kids is something very strange but a harsh truth, which was not existent in past times. When our parents or their parents tells how easy, joyful and carefree their childhood was, it seems to our coming generations as a fairy tale, not possible in these days. Erich Fromm once said that â€Å"the danger of the past was that men became slaves but the danger of the future is that men may become robots†, and that is what we are beginning to face.We are living in an age where there is no scope in our life-style which can nurture and evolve self-born genius in every c hild. Parents think it normal to admit child in school very early where within a few months small becomes an obedient bull to carry the load of heavy school bag upon their back. We people appreciate this pattern very well on the name of education without being bothered that it has been killing the innocent spirits and dormant potentials before they get manifest.‘A child,’ said William Wordsworth, a famous poet, ‘is the Father of Man’. What he means here is that everyone`s mature imagination faintly follows out the traces of the childish-fancies, innocence and wonder visions?Sources of joy and fun play and merriment in the past are now supplemented mechanically by video-games and computers. Conventional ways of growth i.e.-idea of building character in manifolds is un-deliberately forsaken. Young-ones are temped to emulate their all habits from these unscrupulous resources with disastrous consequences. Together with this they come to know all the tact and ug ly information in a very tender age, what they really should not. Such unwanted things fed into the young minds, ultimately stifles the possible manifestation of the right conduct, characters and inherent creativity.The worst role in un-shaping the tender mind is played by our modern pattern of education through unsystematic institutional body. Displaying the meaning of education in terms of marks, grades or merits has increased immense pressure on the young learner, which not only brushes aside all the creative faculties but also leads young ones often to emotional and mental breakdowns. Every year after results we meet with such news that a boy or girl has committed suicide after unsatisfactory performance.There is a must situation today that thinking people within educational regulatory bodies and in our society together rise to resolve this serious but long neglected problem. It is true that in our world today, to discriminate what is going on right track and what is not, becaus e everyone claims to be on right direction. But, a simple question always remains to be answered that if we are really heading correctly then why we reach at wrong ends.Does it not signify that there is a need of great introspection, yes we do? This is so because regarding this problem, no policy or educational reform alone would be able to mould and protect the healthy future of child unless it is decided individually ‘for what are we marching forward’, what is the result of such a bone-broken hard work due for a small child. To gain what values in life we indulge him in such un-deliberate state of affairs.It is true that to resolve it means to swim against the tide, but if we want to save our children from becoming robots and if we want this phrase ‘Child is the father of Man’ to remain true in the test of time, we must have to penetrate, introspect and work positively, for there can be no better way than this.

RITZ CARLTON HOTEL COMPANY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

RITZ CARLTON HOTEL COMPANY - Essay Example The logo of the hotel, which had the British royal seal (the crown) and the logo of a financial backer (the lion) was designed by Cesar Ritz. The hotel assumed the status of a private club meant for the very rich. The hotel entertained only those guests who were on the Social Register or were the Who’s Who of the society. Edward Wyner, the owner of the Ritz-Carlton,  Boston passed away in 1961. The property was thereafter owned and managed by land developers Cabot, Cabot & Forbes and their chairman Gerald W. Blakely. Charles Ritz, son of Cesar Ritz, remained an active board member of the Ritz-Carlton hotel until he died in 1977. William B. Johnson bought the hotel and the rights to The  Ritz-Carlton name from Blakely and established The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company (Ritz-Carlton, 2014). Herve Humler is the President and Chief Operations Officer of Ritz-Carlton. Leeny K. Oberg is the Chief Financial Officer while Bob Kharazmi is the Global Officer, Worldwide Operations (Marriot, 2014). Simon F. Cooper remained the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company from February 2001 to September 2010 and was instrumental in the expansion spree of the hotel chain during the period (Ritz-Carlton, 2014). Ritz-Carlton is committed to providing top-notch service to its esteemed customers. The hotel chain has adopted the motto; â€Å"We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.† Genuine care and comfort of its guests is the highest mission of Ritz-Carlton. All the employees of the company are taught the â€Å"The 12 Service Values,† â€Å"The Credo,† â€Å"The Three Steps of Service,† and â€Å"The 6th Diamond† which together form the basis of day-to-day working of the company. The company has been honored with the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award twice (Ritz-Carlton, 2014) The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. operates the Ritz-Carlton chain of luxury hotels. It is

Managerial Support Systems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Managerial Support Systems - Assignment Example If a company has a new product it wants to launch into the marketplace then the marketing function of the business become extremely important. A process is much different that a functional area. A business process can be defined as a set of coordinated tasks and conducted by both people and equipment that leads to a specific organizational goal (Techtarget, 2009). In a manufacturing plant the entire production line constitutes a business process. Business processes can be either internal or external. For example a company could have a business process in which the customers after purchasing a product must register the purchase in the corporate website in order to activate the warranty. This business process could be considered an external process because someone other than the employee had to perform the task. Business processes are important because they provide guidelines and parameters for stakeholders to follow. Typically each functional area within a business has its own set of business

Issues in Global Business and Strategic Concepts Essay - 2

Issues in Global Business and Strategic Concepts - Essay Example Being a major contributor to the economic growth process, Australian mineral extraction sector supports a better quality and standard lifestyle of the citizens. Nevertheless, the research also revealed that there are also few noteworthy negative consequences caused by the increasingly expanding functioning of this sector, affecting especially the indigenous people and the environmental stability of the continent. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Contribution of Mineral Extraction in Australian Economy 4 Benefits and Advantages of Mineral Extraction to Australian Economy 8 Domestic and International Issues in Australian Mining 10 Conclusion 12 References 13 Introduction Australia is world renowned for its rich and unique natural vegetation, cultural diversity and democratic stability in comparison to other developed nations, which makes it one of the strongest economies in the world (The Associated Press, 2013). Apart from these characteristics, Australia is also appreciated in the global realm for its abundant and diverse natural resources, which has since long been attracting the foreign investors. It includes an extensive collection of copper, gold, uranium, coal, iron ore, natural gas and renewable energy sources (Central Intelligence Agency, 2013). Australia, with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of AUS$ 1.57 trillion and a wealth of AUS$ 6.4 trillion, can be considered as one of the world’s biggest capitalist economies (Central Intelligence Agency, 2013). In rewarding the economy with its leadership position in the global platform, on the basis of its GDP growth, its mineral extraction sector can be regarded to have a major role. For instance, the mining sector in Australia signified approximately 19% of its total GDP as on the fiscal year 2011-2012 (Colebatch, 2012). In Australia, mining ores have a major contribution in boosting up the economy’s growth prospects in comparison to other mineral extraction functions. Based on the above facts it can be affirmed that having low inflation, low government debts, low unemployment rate, highly skilled workforce and a high quality education system, Australia has emerged as the fastest growing regions in the world (McHugh, 2010). Contribution of Mineral Extraction in Australian Economy Major active mines in Australia include the Olympic Dam and Super Pit Gold Mine. Large quantities of minerals are extracted here, which includes iron ore, nickel, aluminium/bauxite, diamond, uranium, silver, gold, copper, zinc, coal, petroleum and natural gas among others. For instance, in 2008, Australia was counted as the world’s third largest supplier of iron ore after China and Brazil, with a supply of 332 million metric tonnes (Jorgenso, 2010). Additionally, Australia was also attributed as the world’s 2nd largest producer of Nickel in 2006 after Russia (Louthean, 2007) and world’s largest producer of Bauxite/Aluminium in 2011 (Bray, 2012). In case of gold, Australia is referred as the 2nd largest producer in the world, after China (McHugh, 2010). Similarly, like gold, Australia is also the 2nd largest producer of Zinc, after China contributing 14% of the total world production of the Zinc (Tolcin, 2010). Correspondingly,

Evaluation of a Career Development Resource Assignment

Evaluation of a Career Development Resource - Assignment Example Quintessential Careers has provided the information for career counselors to help jobseekers and students find employment opportunities by posting current jobs and career information at no costs. The website has mainly focused on career guide and college guide but provides few employment opportunities for jobseekers. Society Human Resource Management (SHRM) provides career information, education requirements, and job networking for Human Resource jobs. This career website contains profound information and data about HR disciplines, legal issues, career toolkits, publications on Human Resource Management, Conferences, online community of HR professionals and current news and statistics about Human Resource Management. The career website is only created for one major career which is Human Resource crippling career counselors to limit their services to jobseekers who have different skills and experience in other disciplines. National Career Development Association (NCDA) is a database of career information from different websites for students, job seekers, military veterans and volunteer workers among others. It has a list of detailed information with regard to career development conference, facilitator, guidelines, online community in social networks and personal motivation among others. NCDA contains all the information career counselors would require to enable jobseekers acquire the best jobs, maintain a high emotional intelligence and assess competence and confidence in careers (Para 14). This career website does not post current jobs for jobseekers or students. Quintessential Careers should balance the content on how to acquire the best education and career with job opportunities. This will be of great value to career counseling directed to people who are unemployed because they will have the skills, experience and a tool to get and keep a good career while also applying for the career that suits them. Society Human Resource Management career website has

Biomedical philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Biomedical philosophy - Essay Example , when one is relying on CEDs might not be that effective despite advocated, which entails the respective authorities devise rules meant to govern its usage to shun thwarting of analytical skills realization. Since, attainment of analytical skills is an essential aspect that will aid the learners not only in the confinements of their educational facilities but also in their entire lives. Hence, use whatever they have acquired but this entails rule guiding in terms of its usage to produce well-prepared individuals. Analytical skills in this case is an internal good for its attainment is not via attributing with certain environmental settings but one’s involvements as well as interactions with varied aiding facilities. This is to development themselves but not because a person he or she went to a certain institution. Since in attributable ant good with where a person he or she went to certain institution comprises describes an external good, which in most cases is more of one associating with a given icon or place. For instance, an internal good its attainment its realization basis or success considers one’s efforts as well as a belief they control their lives (Hager, Alison & Reich 23). Hence, externalities do not have any influence on what they attain except in the case where they ought to play as per certain rules to maximize chances of realizing what they want. In this case will be quite evident with regulating CEDs’ usage but the extent of analytical skills one has des pite all people constrained by same rules will have varying capacities based one’s efforts. Conversely, external good mostly relies on environmental settings thus who attain or fail associate them with external influences like institutions as well as certain icons. Consequently, this is the reason why analytical skills which is an internal good varies across individuals to the extent some accorded certain preserve of being exemplary analytical in all their errands not only in educational

Professional Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Professional Organizations - Essay Example AACN members are virtually found in every institution ranging from progressive care units, home health and primary care settings, traditional care units, cardiac and surgical units. Members enjoy an array of benefits. First, they get up-to-date information on the constantly dynamic nursing profession. This transforms knowledge based experts into flexible health providers. They also have access to award winning publications such as peer reviewed journals, popular magazines and electronic newsletter in digital and print media. The information is critical for understanding complex elements within the nursing profession. Through the organization, nurses can validate their expertise using various certification programs offered through E-learning education courses (AACCN, 2014). Most importantly, the organization creates a platform of online connection of nurses around the world. This promotes sharing of knowledge, comparison and critical decision making. The final decision to join AACN at a later stage of my profession development remains critically based on the career match it has with my interest. Furthermore, the organization creates a global network of professionals that can advance my knowledge to a greater

Civil disobedience Essay Example for Free

Civil disobedience Essay In Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay â€Å"Self Reliance† and Henry David Thoreau’s essay â€Å"Civil Disobedience,† both transcendentalist thinkers speak about being individual and what reforms and changes need to be made in a conformist society. Thoreau elaborates more on the relationship between individuality and society and to break free from conformity. Meaning to take a stance and influence man to make a social change. Emerson leans more towards nature and the connection to spirituality. He exclaims that for individuality there has to be some sort of understanding of oneself to make an impact – which is the basic nature. He believes that man’s connection to nature is the most valuable source of life because nature is what links man to God, â€Å"the divine providence.† Both authors express the need for individuality in order to possess a strong moral and become whole through their transcendentalist ideals. In Emerson’s â€Å"Self-Reliance,† social responsibility is important. The meaning behind this is that there is a time in man’s life when he will finally realize that he has a purpose, a destiny, and the responsibility to achieve goals as long as there is a tap into spiritual nature. Emerson states, â€Å"The strongest man in the world is he who stands alone,† which references the belief of individualism. Emerson notes that famous men and women are often misunderstood simply because of their opinion, ideas, and thoughts; however, this misunderstanding is why they are so respected. One large point in â€Å"Self Reliance† is that humans should not conform to society but to be independent in mind. Emerson stresses that one should connect with nature to maintain peace of mind and individual mentality. In â€Å"Civil Disobedience,† Thoreau meets a man while serving time in prison who has been locked away for burning down a barn. Even so, Thoreau sees his cellmate as an honest man by simply trusting his own intuition. Furthermore, Thoreau writes, â€Å"The government is best which governs least,† in lines 2-3, which is based on the belief that people should not conform to society but stay independent and embrace their own beliefs, goals, values, and morals. Both â€Å"Self Reliance† and â€Å"Civil Disobedience† are relevant in modern society because they discourage conformity, which is a big problem in the world today. Humans tend to lean with the majority, but should be taught to stand their ground. Both essays also mention the government and the problems involved in it. Since they were written, government has not improved; it may have even worsened. Government is best when it governs least- that perspective should still be applied to today’s government. Now, the government tries to constantly control every aspect in everyone’s life, but like Thoreau states, it should allow its people to decide major issues.

Theories for Youth Gang Crime

Theories for Youth Gang Crime Reasons Why Teens Engage in Street Gang Related Crime Introduction The rapid increase of criminal gangs in the United States of America has been alarming in the recent past. It had been reported that these criminal gangs have been recruiting juveniles as members of the gang  (Howell, 2015). Due to this tremendous increase, there has become the need to address this issue critically and extensively. The issue of radicalization of the youth can also be addressed on this topic  (Howell, 2015). Most youths have enrolled themselves in these gangs for a couple of reasons such as the need for affiliation and peer pressure, weak social; control structures among others. The thirst of power for these youngsters can also be seen as a driving factor to the enrolment to this criminal gang. The gangs have structures that are determined by the ability and willingness to commit crimes  (Howell, 2015). These gangs are a major heat to the well-being of the people they operate around due to their actions of robbery, assaults and uncontrolled killings. Failure of the federal government to implement harsh laws on criminals bears all the blame for the increase in street gangs. Structure of gangs Most types of gangs form the general structure of the organized group.   The group members, as derived from the definition of a gang, are from a similar background and share a common interest  (Ratcliffe, 2016). The members of these groups are arranged in hierarchies which are determined by specific factors such as the ability to fight, physical structure, the willingness to commit crimes among others.   Most gangs operate informally having their leadership falling on whoever takes control. The structure depends on their primary size which in most times ranges from five to thousand  (Krohn & Eassey, 2015). The structure of gangs may also depend on the mission of the gang. It may have subgroups in itself that report to the main group. Research done by the federal board of investigations indicates that about thirty-three thousand criminal gangs operate in the United States of America. These gangs have been reported to enroll about 1.4 million members in the past fourteen years  (Ratcliffe, 2016). Another study by statistic brain found that about forty percent of the gangs in the US are below eighteen years of age. It further analyzed that about eight percent of the gang members are females. Large cities and their suburbs remains the hub of street gangs in the United States America having about forty-one and twenty-five percent respectively  (Phillips, 2015). Street gangs cost the government about one million dollars to establish the gang risk intervention program that was initiated in the Los Angeles school system Social control theory postulates that most people would commit crimes if not for the controls that the society puts on them  (Krohn & Eassey, 2015). In this case, most children will engage themselves in crimes since the society has less strict rules that guide the conduct of the children. The society may lack the fundamental structures that control the children such as the school. Due to this, the children are likely to be pulled by their peers to enter into crime and criminal related activities to so as to quench their thirst of affiliation  (Krohn & Eassey, 2015). The failure of the school to develop affirmative guidelines to control the behavior of the students can lead the students to crimes. Strain theory assumes that the society sets goals for the people to achieve. The people are guided by the societal values so as to achieve that target. When people fail to achieve the targets in the most moral ways, they use every means to make sure that they at least accomplish what the society expects regardless of the moral drive  (Krohn & Eassey, 2015). By so doing, they find themselves engaging in criminal acts. In most times most people who engage themselves in crimes do not like hard work and delayed gratification, therefore, thy look for a better and faster way of achieving their goal. Social disorganization theory postulates that a child’s physical and social environments are key factors that shape the behavior of the child. A society that has weak structures is likely to mold people who are weak in their morality. In this theory, the society a person lives in is held into account of the person’s choices  (Howell, 2015). A society that is characterized by poor schools, high rate of unemployment, and a mix of the residential and commercial property is likely to have many young people developing criminal behaviors. For example, a child living in a filthy environment will tend to have a behavior that leans towards crime while that who lives in a physically and morally clean environment is likely to have a behavior that leads the towards morality and deviance to crimes. Engaging in crimes violates the law. Gang violence is a threat to the social and economic welfare of the country. Gang violence drives away investors since they threaten investment. People who engage themselves in crimes are an economic liability to the society  (Krohn & Eassey, 2015). Also, the cost of incarcerating gang members is very high and strains the public finance for the federal government. The other problem of young people engaging in crimes is that they act as a threat to security. Young people are usually very energetic, and if engaged in criminal activities they can cause high insecurity to the lives of peoples and their property. Criminal gangs dissolve the societies’ values but acting in defiance of the set rules. The meaning of the laws set by the society is lessened by the criminal activities  (Krohn & Eassey, 2015). Criminal gangs tamper with the social order. They change the usual way of living and after that dismantle the already existing social structures. These gangs give teachers and the law enforcers a hard time during their correction. The social structures such as the school should be made stronger so as to prevent radicalization of the youth. They should have an elaborate structure of governance that offers strict rules and regulations to be used as a guidance tool for the conduct of the young children. Teachers, for example, should conduct themselves in a way that is worth copying by the children  (Howell, 2015). They should act as role models for the children to emulate and embrace their behavior. The school should have mechanisms that control the children behavior not only in the school environment but also in their entire interactions in the society at large. The federal government of the United States of America has set up the National gang intelligence center with the aim of curbing the growth of criminal gangs which have been reportedly increasing tremendously. The NGIC has the mandate to integrate the gang intelligence across the individual states and the local law enforcement agencies  (Ratcliffe, 2016). The center provides timely and accurate information by ensuring that it provides strategic analysis of intelligence. The The Transnational Anti-Gang task force has been established to curb the MS-13 and the 18th street gangs which are very popular in the United States. The mission of this force is to investigate interrupt and dismantle any of these transnational gangs  (Howell, 2015). This force operates as a team with the FBI. The government should also ensure that they initiate the safe neighborhood projects that will help in reporting crimes when the gangs start to form. This will help combat the criminal gangs from the grassroots. Recommendation Parents must be provided with the necessary education on how to spot the signs of aging associations of their children. They should also be taught on how to work with their children to make the value of the gangs seem less fashionable.   Families also need help to deal with their children who show aspects of deviance by joining street gangs  (Krohn & Eassey, 2015). The school also should put in place viable measures that will help in reducing the pressure for the children to join the street gangs. The school should provide the law enforcers with the right information on the development of gangs in the schools.it should also give accurate information on drugs to the students  (Phillips, 2015). The teachers should also teach the students on how to â€Å"say no† to drugs and other crimes. Conclusion As from the above statistics, street gangs are very dangerous and bring about extensive problems  (Howell, 2015). They are very critical, and they should be dealt with immediate effect because they get bigger and worse when they realize that there is no action being taken against them. Even after the efforts of the government, and the social structures to combat the gangs, the gangs have continued to grow tremendously in the United States of America  (Phillips, 2015). The above recommendation is believed to bring an amicable solution if put in place since they deal with the criminal gangs at the grassroots. References Howell, J. (2015). The history of street gangs in the United States: their origins and transformations. New York: Lexington Books. Krohn, M., & Eassey, J. (2015). Integrated theories of crime. The encyclopedia of theoretical criminology, 81-94. Phillips, S. (2015). The Gang-Drug Nexus: Violence, FBI Safe Streets Task Force. In New Approaches to Drug Policies. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. Ratcliffe, J. (2016). Intelligence-led policing. London, UK: Routledge.

Customer Satisfaction By Measuring Service Quality Tourism Essay

Customer Satisfaction By Measuring Service Quality Tourism Essay Rationale of the study: The measurement and management of service quality are fundamental to the survival and success of service companies (Legcevic, 2008). The hotel sector is a large segment of the service industry which provides services and accommodations to a wide range of customers. To make sure that a hotel is satisfying its customers needs, it is necessary to measure service quality periodically to identify areas in need of improvement. There are several methodologies used for measuring service quality, but this research study shall employ one of the more popular models called the SERVQUAL model. This theory was developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry. They were early researchers studies about the concept of quality (Jain and Gupta, 2004). The SERVQUAL model was created to measure service quality as perceived by the customer (Parasuraman et al., 1985). According to Shangri-La Hotels Annual Report of year 2008 and 2009, the occupancy rate of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok has declined continuously (Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2008, Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2009). The most likely cause of this problem is the political instability that hit Thailand recently. On the other hand, it is possible that this decline in the number of customers was a result of a decline in service quality. Even though the Shangri-La Hotel continued to emphasize customer needs and provide excellent service to their customers, it is still crucial to measure service quality to ensure that the customers are satisfied with the hotels services and responsiveness to customer needs. The result of measuring service quality also helps management to understand exactly what their customers expect from the hotel and the level to which they are satisfied with their experience at the hotel. This measurement model functions as a tool to promote communication between the hotel man agement and their customers. This research was conducted to observe customer perceptions about hotel services by measuring service quality using the SERVQUAL model at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok. The benefits of this research are not just to understand the level of customer satisfaction; but moreover, it can use as a guideline to enhance service quality and promote customer loyalty. Title of project: A Study of Customer Satisfaction by Measuring Service Quality; A Case Study of Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok Statement of research problem: A continual decline in the number of hotel customers over the past few months has had a direct effect on the hotels income. The main factor which is believed to have caused this decline was internal political instability in Thailand. In an effort to transform a crisis into opportunity, this is an appropriate time to observe customer perceptions of service quality in order to help hotel management improve quality and prepare their business for when the situation returns to normal. Project objectives: The objectives of this research are as follows: To measure service quality of Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok by using SERVQUAL model, To understand the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality, and To gain a clearer understanding of customer perceptions of service quality from Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok in order to improve hotel service quality in the future. Conceptual framework: Figure 1: Conceptual framework Reliability SERVQUAL Dimensions Responsiveness Customer Satisfaction Assurance Empathy Tangibles Scope of the study: The scope of this research focuses on measurement of service quality at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok by using the SERVQUAL model which considers service quality from the following five dimensions: a) reliability, b) responsiveness, c) assurance, d) empathy and e) tangibility. The sample population would be a random sample of 100 hotel customers during the period from July to August, 2010. The survey technique would employ the use of questionnaires. This study focuses on the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality. Definitions of terms used in the study: SERVQUAL model: An instrument for measuring service quality comprised of five dimensions such as: a) reliability, b) responsiveness, c) assurance, d) empathy and e) tangibility. Parasuraman summed up that customers perceive service quality by comparing their expectations with the actual organizational performance, and they evaluate service quality in different dimensions (Parasuraman et al., 1988). Service Quality: A product or outcome of all the staff managers of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok working together to satisfy their customers. In other words, high-quality service is a service that meets or exceeds customer needs and expectations (Wisniewski, 2001). Customer Expectation: is prediction service of customer that hotel should be provides to them. Predict service directly influence customer satisfaction evaluation (Zeithaml et al., 1993) Customer Perception: A feeling or sense possessed by the customer which is derived from their experiences at the hotel. Customer Satisfaction: The level to which a customer perceives that their expectations were met in the transaction with the hotel (Hallowell, 1996). Assumptions: A customer who receives a high level of service quality from the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is more likely to be satisfied with the overall level of service at the hotel. Limitations: Size of sample: The political uncertainty in Thailand during the past several months resulted in a decrease in the number of tourists all over Bangkok. Furthermore, the occupancy level at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok has been suppressed due to a reduction in room availability for internal renovations. The limited number of hotel customers may limit the sample size, leading to sample error. Time frame of data collection: The time frame is a major problem for this research because the research time table is quite short, especially considering that this season is the low season for tourism in Thailand. Since the tourist numbers are much lower than during high season, it could be difficult or impossible to reach the appropriate sample size. Human ethics considerations: This research is being conducted for educational purposes to learn about customer satisfaction at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok. For this reason, the hotels management is allowing researchers to collect data from their customers. Therefore, the researchers should not force the customers to complete the questionnaire if they are hesitant. The questionnaire is being designed so that it does not contain sensitive items which would make customers feel uncomfortable. Practical significance: Measuring service quality is more difficult than measuring the quality of manufactured goods because the nature of services is intangible (Bergman and Klefsjo, 1994). The SERVQUAL model is an efficient tool to help measure service quality and clarify customer satisfaction. The result of this research would be useful for the Shangri-La Hotels management and staff members so that they can better understand their customers level of satisfaction with perceptions about the hotels services. It will help hotel management in their efforts to maintain and improve hotel service quality. In addition, other hoteliers and organizations within the service industries sector could adapt this research to use as basis for studies into their own organizations. Background information: Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is a well-established Asian hotel chain in major cities throughout Asia, Oceania and The Middle East. The headquarters is located in Hong Kong. Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is one property of many properties of Shangri-La Company, located in the Silom district, has a total of 799 rooms including serviced apartments and other facilities such as restaurants, conference rooms, spa, swimming pool and tennis courts (Shangri-La Hotel, 2010). Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is located in a convenient place next to the Chao Phraya River which is the main river of Thailand, and is only half an hour from Suvarnabhumi Airport and 10 minutes away from central business by BTS Skytrain. For these reasons, this hotel has the ability to attract numerous tourists. Furthermore, Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is connected to Sathorn Pier, so tourists can take public boats or long tail boats to travel to and visit several kinds of tourist attractions easily such as the Temple of Dawn, the Grand Palace, the Flower Market and Khaosan Road. There is a high diversity of tourism industries which promote the economy in this district and along this river. However, in recent years, the Thai economy has experienced difficulty for a variety of reasons. Figures 1 and 2 compare the performance of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in the period from 2007 to 2008 with the period from 2008 to 2009. Table 1: The Shangri-La Hotel Weighted Average Room Yield 2007-2008 Source: Shangri-La Asia Limited (2008) Table 2: The Shangri-La Hotel Weighted Average Room Yields 2008-2009 Source: Shangri-La Asia Limited (2009) The figures above show that there was a significant decline in the performance of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Thailand in 2008 compared with 2007, and this decline in performance continued into 2009 with a drop on average room occupancy. According to the 2008 Shangri-La Asia Limited Annual Report, occupancy and RevPAR for Shangri-La Hotels decreased in 2008 by 15 and 10 percentage points respectively (Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2008). Moreover, the overall weighted average RevPAR for Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts Thai properties decreased a further 11 percent in 2009 (Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2009). The global financial crisis, the extensive renovations at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok and political uncertainty are cited as the main reasons for this decline. Literature review: There are several pieces of literature regarding studies of service quality which say that if a customer had a pleasant service experience, they would probably use that service again and would be likely to invite their friends or tell someone else to utilize those same services. In the same way, if customer had a poor service experience, they generally never forget about it, and many customers will complain and go elsewhere (Assael, 1987, Farrington et al., 2009, Peter and Olson, 1987). Word of mouth is a powerful communications tool. Customers may tell others whenever they experience poor service quality, and this would have a direct effect on the organizations image resulting in an eventual decrease in revenue. The power of this communications tool has always been evident from the past until the present. Consequently, organizations must always ensure that their service quality is the most pleasant and best to generate customers satisfaction. This is because the backbone of service organization growth is not just a high quality product or pricing strategy, but it is also the combination with good customer service. Nowadays, companies increasingly emphasize service quality and customer satisfaction throughout, so that they can increase customer loyalty, because it has determined that high customer loyalty is key to success in their market segment(Cronin et al., 2000). Service quality is widely studied and useful in service industries(Carman, 1990, Collier and Bienstock, 2006, Cronin and Taylor, 1992, Cronin et al., 2000, Gronroos, 1984, Parasuraman et al., 1985, Parasuraman et al., 1988). Many scholars have taken an interest in service quality issues because of their intangibility, which makes them very difficult to measure (Bergman and Klefsjo, 1994). For these reasons, several researchers created a model to help clarify the measurement of service quality. The most popular and extensively used models are Gronroos Service Quality Model and Parasuramans Gap Model (Legcevic, 2008). It could be describes of each model as following; Gronroos Service Quality Model splits customer perceived service into two dimensions: 1) technical quality, and 2) functional quality (Gronroos, 1984). 1) Technical quality or outcome quality is what customer receives as outcome of the process in the resources. Functional quality is how customer receives from technical outcome (Legcevic, 2008). Parasuramans Gap Model indicates that five gaps exist between management and customers during the service delivery process (Parasuraman et al., 1985). For my research, I will employ the SERVQUAL scale by using gap scores to help measure service quality. Service Quality: Today quality become recognized as a strategic tool to enhance and improved business actual performance both of goods sector and service sector. The key factor to success in service industry is service quality. The purpose of service quality is to satisfy the customer. Hence, service quality and customer satisfaction influence each other. As mentioned in the beginning, service quality is defined as a product or outcome resulting from all members in the organization trying to satisfy their customers (Wisniewski, 2001). Service quality also could be defined as crucial decision-making criteria for service consumers (Cronin et al., 2000). Customers evaluate service quality by comparing organizational performance with their expectations (Zeithaml et al., 1993). However, Parasuraman proved and indicated that there is a problem with customer perception of service, because five gaps exist between the customer and the service provider during service delivery. The figure below illustrates the Service Quality Gap Model by Parasuraman. Figure 2: The Service Quality Gap Model Source: Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1985) According to figure as above, it could be describes each gap as following; Gap1: Service provider not knowing what the customers expect Gap2: Service provider not selecting the right service design Gap3: Service provider not delivering to service standard Gap4: Service provider not matching performance to promises Gap5: The difference between customer expectations and customer perceived service (Legcevic, 2008) A gap which may occur between customer expectation and customer perception is not the only measurement of service quality. However, it is a determinant of customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction. If the service providers response to customer needs is below their expectations, the customer would estimate that the quality is low. SERVQUAL Scale: The main benefit of the SERVQUAL instrument is that it helps management to measure the quality of service by comparing customers expectation of service and customer perceived service which categorizing each problem facet into five dimensions. It lets them classify the problems into dimensions, helping management to focus on the problems and improve service quality in the right way when some elements of service are found to be lacking. The SERVQUAL model was created by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry in 1985. The 1985 version consisted of ten dimensions. The model was further developed, and in 1988 it was refined into five dimensions. The SERVQUAL model has been widely used as an efficient instrument for measuring service quality in many service industries (Asubonteng et al., 1996). The five dimensions are: 1) reliability, 2) responsiveness, 3) assurance, 4) empathy and 5) tangible. According to Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1985), they defined each dimensions as follows: Table 3: SERVQUAL 5 Dimensions Reliability: Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately Responsiveness: Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service Assurance: Knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence Empathy: Caring, individualized attention the firm provides its customers Tangible: Physical facilities, equipment, and appearance of personnel (Parasuraman et al, 1985) The most important dimension that the customer used to evaluate service quality is the reliability dimension (Legcevic, 2008). Parasuraman developed a set of questionnaires using 22 parallel questions to measure customers expectation of service and customer perception of service in the five dimensions. The measurement uses a Likert Scale with seven levels ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. The service quality measurement of each pair of questions uses performance minus expectation. A positive score represents positive service quality (Parasuraman et al., 1988). Quality = Performance Expectation Nevertheless, there are numerous of academic studies which do not support these five dimensions. These studies determined that problems occur with this measurement method. Chen (2008) argued that SERVQUAL should add more dimensions to give the result more validity and credibility (Chen, 2008). Carman (1990) argued that each dimension should not be general because each service industry is different. Therefore, this model could not be used in the same format across industries (Carman, 1990). Although, there are weak points existing in SERVQUAL model, the concept of dimensions is still useful and when anyone interested in service quality issue, one choice which remind is SERVQUAL scale because its great to demonstrative power (Jain and Gupta, 2004). Then, it is used frequently today. SERVPERF Scale When discuss about SERVQUAL scale, it can not forgot to talks about SERVPERF scale as well. SERVPERF is one of service quality measurement scale. The results of both scale (SERVQUAL and SERVPERF), when compare these method to each other, the result which occurs are quite similar. However, there are differences in measuring process. Moreover, it is difference in reliability. To classify divergence between SERVQUAL scale and SERVPERF could be concise explain as following; SERVQUAL use customers expectation of service and customer perceived service to find service quality while SERVPERF use only customers perception for consideration. Cronin and Taylor (1992) compare between these two scales a found that SERVPERF is enough for measure service quality. However, the SERVQUAL scale is effective than SERVPERF scale because it provide more pragmatic diagnosis of service quality (Jain and Gupta, 2004). Customer Satisfaction: There are plentiful researchers studies on customer satisfaction. The definition of customer satisfaction is also diverse. Pizam and Ellis(1999) states that customer satisfaction is a psychological concept relating to a feeling of pleasure and well-being which is a result between needs in mind and an appealing product or service (Pizam and Ellis, 1999). The sense of satisfaction brings about positive attitudes which leads a customer seek that satisfying experience again (Assael, 1987). Customer satisfaction also has an influence on corporate survival. Naumann (1995) states that in order to attract a new customer, an organization has to pay costs in the form of time and resources equal to approximately five times that which is necessary to retain an existing customer (Naumann, 1995). Therefore, it leads the organization to determine quality as the ability to retain existing customers. However, not every customer will perceive the same level of satisfaction with the same level of service, because their sense of satisfaction is related to word of mouth communication and their past experiences (Pizam and Ellis, 1999). All people have had different experiences, thus they also have different objectives, needs and expectations. To ensure that the organization provides a high level of service quality, customer satisfaction surveys are necessary. Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Bery (1994) suggested that product quality, service quality, and price are each factors that encourage satisfaction (Parasuraman et al., 1994). Customer loyalty develops when customers become satisfied with these different factors provided by the organization (Farrington et al., 2009). The following is a conceptual framework showing the connection of each element which involves customer satisfaction. Figure 3: A Conceptual Framework for the Effects of Perceived Product Quality, Service Quality, and Pricing Fairness on Consumer Satisfaction and Consumer Loyalty Customer Satisfaction Product Quality Perceived Product Quality Perceived Service Quality Service Quality Customer Loyalty Perceived Price Fairness Price Source: (Bei and Chiao, 2001) Understanding the critical elements described above, how they are related, and how they help the organization is a foundation to success in the service industry. Data required: The data required for this study would be based in information collected from Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok customers. This research also requires the use of SERVQUAL as the main model to help measure service quality. Furthermore, may utilize some other theories from journal articles and textbooks which are related to this research. Other sources of information may include Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts information, particularly with regards to general information and occupancy data as required supporting in this research. Data sources: This research will utilize the following two types of data: Primary data: The primary data for this research will be collected from 100 hotel customers who stay at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok for least one night. The guests will be selected by simple random sampling technique, and they will fill out questionnaires regarding hotel service quality. Each questionnaire shall contain three parts: the first part will be general information of respondent, the second part will be about the expectations and perception service quality, and third part is level of satisfaction of the customer. Secondary data: The secondary data will be gathered from literature such as journal articles, textbooks, Shangri-la Hotel, Bangkok data and hotel website sources. The process of data collection shall be conducted from July to August, 2010. Data collection techniques: This research would be collects the data from 100 of customers of Shangri-La hotel, Bangkok who stay at the hotel at least one night. The researcher would be select population sample by employ random sampling method and using questionnaire as the tools. The measuring service quality instrument in this research is SERVQUAL. The questionnaire composes of three parts as following; First part is about demographic data of customers; 1) gender, 2) age, 3) country of resident, 4) reason for stay, and 5) why they selected Shangri-La hotel, Bangkok as a place to stay. Second part, it would be focusing on customers expectation of service quality (customers expectations) and received service quality (customers perceptions), in this area customer would answer both of these two aspects into SERVQUAL dimensions. This research would use Likerts scale to measure into five point scales. Likerts scale is a instrument to help measure attitude and opinion (Laerhoven et al., 2004). On the customers expectation question side and customers perception question side would be ask customer to give rate ranging from Strongly Disagree 1,2,3,4,5 Strongly Agree. Third part would be ask customer one question about their satisfaction of overall hotel service quality. In addition, researcher would leave the area for customer to add any recommendation. Data analysis: As for this research would be use R software (R Development Core Team, 2009) to help analyze questionnaire survey. Then would be using descriptive analysis and present it as table form, pie chart, and percentage calculated would be show. The standard deviation (SD) and mean are also would include. Timeline: Researcher has 13 weeks to process this report. This research process began on May 22, 2010. Due date of research proposal is on June 20, 2009. As for research final report is require to be submit on August 22, 2010 Table 4: Timeline Research Methodology: The precise measurement of hotel service quality is vital in order to be success in the hotel business. Because it helps hotel management to understand the hotel service quality level which hotel staff provide to customer. Without an appropriate measurement, it would be difficult to understand the expectation and satisfaction of customer and moreover, it would be difficult to create the strategies to upgrade hotel service quality. This research survey adopted the questionnaire 25 parallel items from (Mey et al., 2006) which is proper use to measure in hotel service quality industry, instead of using the original SERVQUAL questionnaire of 22 parallel items which establish by (Parasuraman et al., 1988). This research uses the quantitative as the main methods. Refer to the questionnaire, this research intends to identify and analyze the gaps between customer expectations and customer perceives service quality. The objective of this paper is to measure customer satisfaction and hotel service quality of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok. The questionnaire survey was divided into three categories. The first category was demographic data and travelling characteristics of respondents. The second category was to investigate the customer expectation and customer perception regarding hotel service quality by using SERVQUAL dimensions. In this part of questionnaire were on 5-point Likert scale ranging from Strongly Disagree 1,2,3,4,5 Strongly Agree. The last category was asked one question about the overall satisfaction regarding the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok service quality. Generally, the five stars hotel even in Bangkok had a strong policy which concern with guest privacy issues and not allowed the external people to do survey in the hotel. However, the researcher had been trainee and employee at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok for two years; with this reason, the hotel was confidence and permits the researcher to do survey eventually, because the hotel saw that this research survey would gain more benefits to the hotel than disadvantage. The Sampling The researcher faced the problems during doing the survey; the questionnaire survey prepared for customer at the hotel check-in/ out counter. In the beginning front office attendant was given the questionnaire survey to customers when they are check-in and aim to get it back after they are check-out. Most of customers got the questionnaire survey from front officer, but indeed they are not completed it questionnaire. To reduce uncompleted questionnaire, the front office attendant was change to given questionnaire survey to customer during they were checking-out instead, and return it from customer promptly. However, the front office attendant was not enforced customer to fill out the questionnaire, if they were reluctant. The samples were 100 hotel customers who stay at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok at least one night. However, the researcher collected data from 100 hotel respondents as aims. Results and Analysis: The questionnaire composes of three sections as following; First Section It is about demographic data of customers; 1) gender, 2) age, 3) country of resident, 4) reason for stay, and 5) why they selected Shangri-La hotel, Bangkok as a place to stay. Demographic Data Gender of respondent According to result, it indicated that the majority of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok customer were female than male. Female were 63% and male 37%. There were female customers almost 2 times of male customers. See table 5. Table 5: Frequency and Percentage of Gender Gender Frequency Percentage Male 37 37 Female 63 63 Total 100 100 The result of elaborating on male and female were showed in figured below; Figure 4: Gender of hotel customer 2. Age of respondents This research survey classifies the age of hotel customer into 4 categories; 1) below 30 years, 2) 31 40 years, 3) 41 50 years, and 3) above 50 years. The result indicated that the majority of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok customer were between 31 40 years (60%), were below 30 years (28%), 41 50 years (9%), and above 50 (3%) respectively. See table 6. Table 6: Frequency and Percentage of Age Age Frequency Percentage Below 30 year 28 28 31 40 year 60 60 41 50 year 9 9 Above 50 3 3 Total 100 100 The result of elaborating on age of hotel customer was showed in figured below; Figure 5: Age of hotel customer Resident country of respondent According to result, it indicated that the majority of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok customer was had resident country in China (13%). Also were USA (12%); Japan (10%); Australia, Thailand and Singapore (7%); UAE (6%); England, German, Hong Kong, Italy and Korea (5%); India (4%); Canada (3%); Span and France (2%); Belgium and New Zealand (1%) respectively. See table 7. Table 7: Frequency and Percentage of Resident Country Resident Country Frequency Percentage Australia 7 7 Belgium 1 1 Canada 3 3 China 13 13 England 5 5 France 2 2 German 5 5 Hong Kong 5 5 India 4 4 Italy 5 5 Japan 10 10 Korea 5 5 New Zealand 1 1 Singapore 7 7 Span 2 2 Thailand 7 7 UAE 6 6 USA 12 12 Total 100 100 The result of elaborating on resident country of hotel customer was showed in figured below; Figure 6: Resident country of hotel customer The main objective of respondents for staying at Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok The result showed that the most of the hotel customer come to stay at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok significantly for leisure as main objective (84%). And also for business (16%). See table 8. Table 8: Frequency and Percentage of Objective for Stay Objective for Stay Frequency Percentage For Leisure 84 84 For Business 16 16 Total 100 100 The result of elaborating on objective for Stay of hotel customer was showed in figured below; Figure 7: Objective for Stay of hotel customer Reason of Select Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok for stay This research survey c