Social Inequality A Social Institute Of Society And Its...

Social inequality differentiates society, divides it into different social groups and classes. Inequality has many facets and it appears in various sections of the unified social system: family, institutions, enterprise and social groups. For normal functioning of society, it is needed the optimal combination of all activities. The society reproduces inequality, because it needs it as a source sustenance and development. In terms of functionalism every society does need a class stratification, since the unequal distribution of social goods serves as a tool for solving problems, allocation and motivation of individuals within the social structure. It concludes that social inequality is useful for society, because social stratification†¦show more content†¦Not everybody can run the country or business, just because of the lack of talent; not everybody can be a doctor or scientist; musician or a plumber. That s why everybody should do what he is able to and like the most. Parsons assumed that individuals are born with attributed status, but later due to the education the differentiation process begins by acquiring certain roles. Children are enrolled in primary school relatively homogeneous within their inherent socio-economic status and age. Schools in fact organize a competition between individuals, where the contestants are initially in terms of equal opportunities. Parsons believes that there is dependence between economic background of the family and the ability of the child. Usually children who haven’t any problems at school are living in families with a higher level of culture and income. Such parents do care more about the achievements of their child, they try to encourage their child to school, great achievements and results, which in future might lead to success. They develop children’s skills and talents, involve them to the culture by reading them books, attending theater etc. Usually such parents possess a secondary educati on. Furthermore, the children of parents with a high level of culture and income often communicating with educated people outside the family (friends of the family) what is playing a huge role on the child life outlook. The same rule but from the other side can be applied to theShow MoreRelatedPrescription Drugs And The United States1749 Words   |  7 Pagesboundaries in our society and is destroying lives, families, and whole communities, especially those most vulnerable; the physically and mentally ill. For one to better understand the full social implications of this issue, it is important to first review the history, impacts, and current debates around prescription drug abuse in the United States, and to then evaluate the connections that are formed by the culture, social roles, social inequalities, and social changes in our society. HistoricallyRead MoreThe Ways Oppressions Are Carried Out1481 Words   |  6 Pages It has been a repetitive and shameful practice of the United States, and other countries, to shy away from or oppress those who are different. This form of inequality is shared with immigrants, African Americans, the physically ill, and the mentally ill. In particular, the discrimination against the mentally ill becomes an interesting and unique history that has evolved due to Western medicine, and now effects the whole world. In many instances, it has become apparent that the symptoms and stigmaRead MoreThe Bankruptcy Of Marxist Ideology : The Dilution And Variability Essay1720 Words   |  7 Pagesincreasingly cultural and social abstractions of Marxist ideology that stray from the objective â€Å"materialism† of traditional Marxist analysis, which shows a moderate rationalization for capioti8alism in the Neo-Marxist theory. 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However, Gregg and WadsworthRead Morestructural functionalist theory1737 Words   |  7 Pagesdiscussion will be outlined. â€Å"Functionalism holds that society is a complex system whose various parts work together to produce stability and solidarity† (Giddens 2006:20). It also views society in terms of their functions. Merton (1968), made an important distinctions between manifest and latent functions. The manifest functions of an institution are open, stated, conscious functions. They involve intended, recognized consequences of an aspect of the society such as the university’s role in classifying academicRead MoreAnalysis Of The Institute Of Modern Art854 Words   |  4 PagesMaterial Politics, a contemporary art exhibition that reflects conceptuality and politics has recently showcased in on of Queensland’s leading independent art gallery, the Institute of Modern Art (IMA) located in Brunswick Street, Brisbane. 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This task of bringing up the young, making them members of the society in terms of culture, and imbibing positive attitudes and behaviours normally begins at home and continues in the school. This situation is normally described as socialization. When the process of socialization malfunctions, the result is not always favourable for the society. Many a times, the effort of the homes are thwarted by other factors thatRead MorePublic Expenditure and Economic Growth in India13502 Words   |  55 Pagesexpenditure refers to Government expenditure i.e. Government spending. It is incurred by Central, State and Local governments of a country. Spending by government , municipality, or any local authority. It covers things such as health, education or social services and is funded by tax revenue. It is one of the element that make up aggregate expenditure. Government spending or government expenditure is classified by economists into three main types. Government acquisition of goods and services forRead MoreMental Health : Mental Illness1604 Words   |  7 Pagesthe most prevalent (evident on graph) followed by depression and substance abuse. Prevalence of mental illness generally decreases with age with most prevalence in ages 16-24 Anxiety is characterised by constant feelings of worry. The Black Dog Institute identified that women were more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and eating disorders, whereas men had higher rates of substance abuse and were also less likely to access help than women. Comorbidity factors, such as substance abuse, are

Ford Motor Company Essay - 1149 Words

torFord Motor Company Case Report Executive Summary Ford Motor Company is based in Dearborn Michigan and was incorporated in 1903 by Henry Ford. Its core business is the design and manufacturing of automobiles. As Teri Takai, the Director of Supply Chain Systems, I will recommend Environmental and Root Cause Analysis How should Ford progress with emerging technologies and other high tech ideas Virtual integration - Ford needs to radically change its supply chain to keep up with the changing technologies. Others were more cautious Shareholder value and customer responsiveness Auto industry is increasingly competitive, especially with the introduction of foreign based manufacturers Need to improve quality and reduce cycle times while†¦show more content†¦b) Disadvantages: Ford’s IT will eventually become obsolete. 2) Form a mix of online and offline operations and lay procedures to enable customization and ordering by customers over the internet but maintain physical dealerships as well. a) Advantages: Customization to clients, start of vertical integration, b) Disadvantages: Costly, time consuming, requires internalShow MoreRelatedFord Motor Company2304 Words   |  10 PagesFord Motor Company GROUP PROJECT ACC 505 - FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING 12/01/96 TABLE OF CONTENTS DESCRIPTION PAGE INTRODUCTION........................................................1 LIQUIDITY...........................................................1-3 Working Capital...................................................1 Current Ratio Quick Ratio.......................................2 Receivable Turnover Average Days Sales UncollectedRead MoreFord Motor Company1426 Words   |  6 PagesFord Motor Company Supply Chain Strategy Background In 1913, Henry Ford revolutionized product manufacturing by introducing the first assembly line to the automotive industry. Ford s hallmark of achievement proved to be a key competence for the motor company as the low cost of the Model T attracted a broader, new range of prospective car-owners. However, after many decades of success, customers have become harder to find. Due to relatively new threats to the industry, increasing numbersRead MoreFord Motor Company1853 Words   |  8 PagesFord Motor Company Corrie Madison-White MGT/521 August 13, 2011 Andrew Rosenberg Abstract A mutual funds manager is trying to decide whether or not they would be willing to invest in the Ford Motor Company. In order to make an informed decision the potential mutual funds manager will look at how recent economic trends are influencing the business, strategies the company has used or could use for adapting to changing markets, tactics the company has implemented to achieve theirRead MoreFord Motor Company1971 Words   |  8 PagesFord Motor Company Ford Motor Co. Benefits from Service Parts Software from SAP Mary Ann Tindall Steve Balaj Manager, Business Technology Renewal IT Manager, Business Technology Slide 2 Confidential SAPPHIRE 08 OR3349 Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Co. Benefits from Service Parts Software from SAP Mary Ann Tindall Steve Balaj Manager, Business Technology Renewal IT Manager, Business Technology Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader basedRead MoreFord Motor Company5077 Words   |  21 PagesCASE ASSIGNMENT Faced with an overwhelmingly complex situation, Alan Mulally has been brought in as Ford Motor Companys new president and CEO. As diverse global dynamics confront the company and competitive pressures continue to build, he has the challenging task of improving Fords brand image and returning the company to profitability. Mulally has invited your consulting firm to advise his management team on restoring the companys reputation and viability. Assigned to the project, you haveRead MoreFord Motor Company1787 Words   |  8 PagesFord Motor Company’s Value Enhancement 1. Does Ford have too much cash? The amount of cash that Ford is carrying on its balance sheet is too much considering that additional money not used for the advancement of the company belongs to the owners of the firm, the shareholders. Having too much cash on its balance sheet will be a disincentive to Ford’s employees who consequently will feel not feel an urgency to perform and add value to the company. Notwithstanding the fact that the companyRead MoreThe Ford Motor Company And General Motors1851 Words   |  8 Pagesdestructions riddled throughout Canada’s history? This is the Canadian automotive industry and it is enormous and powerful yet so threatened by politics. Two of the largest players in the automotive industry are the Ford Motor Company and General Motors. 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Prices dropped with industrial innovations like the moving assembly line. With these new prices, people could buy more per dollar. Henry Ford’s, The Ford Motor Company is an example of a business that prospered i n the 1920s. The innovation of Ford’s Model T allowed many Americans to explore the country and experience being on the road. Along with these new products and appliances, businesses made a new formRead MoreFord Motor Company Essay760 Words   |  4 PagesFord motor company: The Ford Empire was almost a century old. After a series of great growth periods and high revenues, the company from early 2004 to 2008 has been hit by the recession and very challenging times. The decision to invite an outsider as the CEO of Ford motors was to take a fresh and rather novel view of Ford operations and to look at it unbiased. Ford appears on the list of the world’s most ethical companies its commitment to stakeholder engagement, corporate governance, sustainability

Should People Be Allowed to Use Mobile Phone While Driving Free Essays

Should People be allowed to Use Mobile Phone while Driving? These days, mobile phone has become almost a basic necessity. We need a mobile phone everywhere for a faster and swifter communication with rest of the world. Unfortunately sometimes, because of the misuse of mobile phone especially while driving, even the lives of people are at risk. We will write a custom essay sample on Should People Be Allowed to Use Mobile Phone While Driving? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Using cell phones while driving distracts drivers from the road, and drivers need to use all their senses, including hearing, to drive. Since we can’t use our sense of hearing for the purpose of driving when we are on our cell phones, many accidents can be caused. Although mobile phone makes our communication easy and fast, it should not be used while driving on the road. In my opinion, talking on a cell phone while driving is an extremely dangerous practice. The idea of allowing the use of mobile phones while driving is relevant because the use of cellular phones has become a necessary part of our modern life. On the contrary, driving requires full attention on road. †Studies show that driving while talking on a cell phone is extremely dangerous and puts drivers at a four times greater risk of a crash† said  president and CEO The National Safety Council Janet Froetscher. Compare and Contrast Driving in the Winter and Driving in the Summer iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);" src="https://phdessay.com/compare-contrast-driving-winter-driving-summer/embed/#?secret=7CS4jE1ZC6" data-secret="7CS4jE1ZC6" width="500" height="282" title="#8220;Compare and Contrast Driving in the Winter and Driving in the Summer#8221; #8212; Free Essays - PhDessay.com" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"/iframe It causes miscommunication between driver and traffic control. Using mobile phone while driving can cause loss of concentration and as a result a single mistake while driving can lead to injury or death. However, most of all texting and driving should be banned because it can hurt themselves and other too. As technology has become more advanced, more distractions are available for drivers and became more dangerous. Now it’s not just a simple conversation or a text message that can distract drivers: it’s YouTube, Face book and the New York Times, all competing with the road for the driver’s attention. It can also be said that, while the usage of mobile phone during driving is considered as dangerous, conversing with passengers during driving can be called as equally dangerous. Taking â€Å"hands free† on a cell phone can be considered the same as talking to a passenger while driving. On the other hand, it can be said that while, multitasking during driving seems to be normal, but in reality, multitasking can actually reduce the field of vision while driving. On top of that, another study demonstrates that talking to passengers, as opposed to talking on a cell phone, actually makes adult drivers safer, because passengers help alert drivers to potential driving risks. In addition, recent studies have shown that the use of communication devices can actually impair ones driving, as during communication we are required to give attention to the speaker. In the process of listening to the speaker, many people unconsciously, lose focus on their driving and hence their driving is worse than before. Since all cell phone conversation still required focused attention, hands free devices are no less distracting than hand held devices. Another point in favor of the use of cell phones while driving could be that, responsible people who understand the risks involved in using mobile phones while driving and can actually handle this should be allowed to use mobile phones during driving. Even though people might argue about responsible people being allowed to use mobile phones while driving, studies have shown that drivers who are allowed to talk while driving tend to respond less quickly and are much more likely to cause car accidents. Furthermore, driving while using cell phones can be considered equivalent, to a certain extent, as drunk driving because people when drunk become unresponsive and while talking on their cell phones while driving they also become unresponsive, although not as much as drunk people but still enough to be called risky. During driving when people talk on their mobile phones, risk the lives of other people as well as they are distracted from the task at hand. After considering all the above arguments I still strongly believe that, people should not be allowed to use mobile phones while driving. Driving while talking on a cell phone is distracting as it causes many accidents each year. It is a dangerous practice and needs to be outlawed because a lot of people who have gotten into car accidents were found to be on their cell phones when the accident happened. So in conclusion, I would like to state that, laws on preventing drivers to use cell phones while driving should be implemented where there is none and laws should be made stricter where there are such laws. (751 WORDS) How to cite Should People Be Allowed to Use Mobile Phone While Driving?, Essays

Raul leoni Essay Example For Students

Raul leoni Essay Ral Leoni naci en Utapa (estado Bolvar), en 1905 y muri en Nueva York en 1972. Ral Leoni fue abogado y poltico venezolano, fue electo presidente de la Repblica de Venezuela en 1964 hasta 1969. A los 16 aos estuvo preso en la crcel de Rotunda por participar en la lucha estudiantil. Curs sus estudios de derecho en la Universidad Central donde alcanz la presidencia de la Federacin de Estudiantes de Venezuela y encabez las protestas de 1928 contra e rgimen de Juan Vicente Gmez, por sta razn tuvo que irse en 1928 de Venezuela a Colombia para un largo exilio, hasta 1936. Una vez muerto Gmez, regres Leoni a Venezuela, participando desde su llagada en las actividades de los sectores polticos de izquierda. En 1937 fue expulsado del pas junto a otros dirigentes polticos. Se dirigi a Colombia, donde continu sus estudios hasta graduarse en Derecho y Ciencias Sociales en la Universidad de Bogot. En Junio de 1939 regres a Venezuela para incorporarse a la actividad clandestina del Partido Democrtic o Nacional (PDN). En 1941 particip en la fundacin del partido centrista Accin Democrtica, liderado por Rmulo Betancourt. Tras la revolucin de 1945 que derroc a Isaas Medina Angarita, a Leoni fue ministro de trabajo durante el gobierno de Rmulo Gallegos desde 1945 hasta 1948. En 1948 tuvo que exiliarse de nuevo por el golpe militar que derroc a Rmulo Gallegos y no pudo volver hasta que termin la dictadura de Marcos Prez Jimnez en 1958. El 1 de Diciembre de ese 1963 fue elegido presidente de la Repblica e inici su mandato en Marzo de 1964, continuando con la poltica econmica y social de su predecesor y maestro Rmulo Betancourt. Durante su gobierno tuvo que hacer frente a la intensificacin de la actividad guerrillera del FALN (Fuerzas Armadas de Liberacin Nacional), por lo que firm con el presidente colombiano Guillermo Len Valencia el pacto antiguerrillero de Ro Arauca en el ao 1966. Al siguiente ao en 1967 tuvo que suspender las garantas constitucionales y su partido sufri una divisi n que dio origen a un nuevo partido llamado MEP (Movimiento Electoral del Pueblo). En las elecciones de 1968, el candidato de su partido, Gonzalo Barrios, fue derrotado. En 1969 Ral Leoni traspas su poder al presidente electo Rafael Caldera. Bibliography:

Analysis Chipotle Mexico Grill Company

Vision and Mission Chipotle Mexico Grill’s vision aims at serving high quality food that is prepared deliciously. The high quality food is obtained from classic cooking techniques, as well as sophisticated recipes. The company’s idea is to fulfill the promise of a full-service restaurant that values speed and convenience.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Analysis Chipotle Mexico Grill Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The ambition of the restaurant is to offer an extra special dining atmosphere that succeeds in redefining the fast food knowledge and enjoyment for everybody at inexpensive prices. Part of the vision says: â€Å"Food with Integrity†. This is a critical aspect that also forms part of the mission statement. It further declares the organization’s purpose of identifying the products and customers who are unique. This distinguishes it from the rest of the competitor s (Jones George, 2011). The restaurant realizes the fact that there is a difference between high quality food and mere maintenance of freshness. As such, the company intends to consider the source of food it serves as a way of ensuring that its organic status does not affect the society and the general environment in a negative way. Chipotle uses a simple strategy to determine the corporate goals by explaining the simple means through which resources will be used to achieve the particular goals (Jones George, 2011). The company focuses on serving food that is grown in a suitable way through supporting farmers who observe highly commendable environmental practices. This, in turn, builds the farmers’ capacity, thus ensuring a steady supply of foods in the restaurant. Competitive Intelligence Strengths Fast food restaurants mainly target strategic locations as an effective means of enhancing their competitive edge. Mucho chain of restaurants, for instance, has strategically es tablished its outlets in front of, or near Walmart stores and other highly frequented public places like bus stops. The company realizes how popular Walmart is among Americans; therefore, it makes it easy for shoppers to pop into its restaurants after or during their shopping sprees (Chipotle: Food With Integrity, 2011). This way, Mucho is able to raise significant revenues because of the high human traffic around its outlets. The fast food industry is highly competitive, thus players have to build on strategic means through which they can attract and convince buyers to be their frequent and loyal customers. The success of quick service restaurants depends on market position, strength of brands, as well as segmentation. Any industry player that fails to address these aspects keenly faces the danger of achieving overall poor performance. Taco Bell, for instance, only focuses on Mexican foods (â€Å"Taco Bell makes spicy retort to suit†, 2011). Taco Bell is a subsidiary of one of America’s largest fast food chains, Yum! Brands Inc. This segmentation has seen the company achieve a significant 50% market share throughout the US (Yum! Brands, Inc. SWOT Analysis, 2012). Its quality is high because of the total focus that the company achieves in serving only a few selected food items, thus it manages to attract more buyers than any other industry player.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Brand recognition is a critical characteristic that determines market success to a great extent. McDonald’s has maintained the number one position in the US and the North American markets. Its well established market operations for many years have seen it consistently build a strong image among the fast food buyers in this region (â€Å"McDonald’s Corporation SWOT Analysis†, 2005). Other smaller QSRs that have less established brand names are unable to compete with McDonald’s effectively because customers have built strong trust and loyalty in the brand over the years. Weakness The fast food industry has witnessed an increase in the number players, particularly in the USA. This has left the market saturated (Min Min, 2011). Many new ventures are using low prices in an attempt to win customers from other highly established chains, such as McDonald’s. This works for them, especially in luring price-sensitive buyers away from the competitors. Although McDonald’s prices remain relatively high, the chain is unable to make significant revenues as the case was in the past (Ashman, 2001). The industry’s sensitivity to negative image is very high and firms are at a higher risk of suffering losses in case an incident of negative image arises. Taco Bell has suffered such negative publicity. The company is struggling with the aftermath of the incident. In early 2011, the gigantic restaurant chain wa s sued over its beef content. The bone of contention was the fact that the products comprised of only 36% ground beef (Taco Bell sued for putting too little beef in its ‘meat’, 2011). According to the USDA standard, the prescribed ground beef content has to make up at least 40% to be considered as meat. The lawsuit was later withdrawn in April 2011, but Taco Bell still suffered immense losses (â€Å"Consumer reports fast food survey: McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, and Taco Bell lose†, 2011). Fewer outlets and a relatively smaller floor space equally reduce the propensity of fast food restaurants to make large revenues and profits (Winter Szulanski, 2001). While the highly established brand names in the industry, such as McDonald’s and Taco Bell, have literally opened up stores in all significant locations in the US and North America as a whole, it is a different case for other small players. Mucho, for instance, has a relatively small number of outl ets. This hampers its revenue capacity. References Ashman, S. M. (2001). Consumer choice models with customer loyalty programs in retail food stores. (Order No. 9994493, University of Minnesota). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 222-222.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Analysis Chipotle Mexico Grill Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Chipotle: Food With Integrity. (2011). Chipotle Mexican Grill: Gourmet Burritos and Tacos. Web. Consumer reports fast food survey: McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, and Taco Bell lose. (2011, Jun 30). PR Newswire. Web. Jones, G. R., George, J. M. (2011). â€Å"Chapter 11.† Essentials of contemporary Management. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. McDonald’s Corporation SWOT Analysis. (2004). McDonald’s Corporation SWOT Analysis, 1-9. Min, H., Min, H. (2011). Benchmarking the service quality of fast-food restaurant franchises in the USA. Benchmarking , 18(2), 282-300. Taco Bell makes spicy retort to suit. (2011, Jan 31). Wall Street Journal. Web. Taco Bell sued for putting too little beef in its ‘meat’. (2011, Jan 25). McClatchy – Tribune Business News. Web.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Winter, S. G., Szulanski, G. (2001). Replication as strategy. Organization Science, 12(6), 730-743. Yum! Brands, Inc. SWOT Analysis. (2012). Yum! Brands, Inc. SWOT Analysis, p.1. This case study on Analysis Chipotle Mexico Grill Company was written and submitted by user Roy B. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Mexico Essays - Valley Of Mexico, Americas, History Of North America

Mexico Essays - Valley Of Mexico, Americas, History Of North America Mexico The Aztecs The Aztecs were the native American people who dominated northern Mxico at the time of the Spanish conquest led by Hernan Cortes in the early 16th century. According to their own legends, they originated from a place called Aztlan, somewhere in north or northwest Mexico. At that time the Aztecs (who referred to themselves as the Mexica or Tenochca) were a small, nomadic, Nahuatl-speaking aggregation of tribal peoples living on the margins of civilized Mesoamerica. In the 12th century they embarked on a period of wandering and in the 13th century settled in the central basin of Mxico. Continually dislodged by the small city-states that fought one another in shifting alliances, the Aztecs finally found refuge on small islands in Lake Texcoco where, in 1325, they founded the town of TENOCHTITLAN (modern-day Mexico City). The term Aztec, originally associated with the migrant Mexico, is today a collective term, applied to all the peoples linked by trade, custom, religion, and language to these founders. Fearless warriors and pragmatic builders, the Aztecs created an empire during the 15th century that was surpassed in size in the Americas only by that of the Incas in Peru. As early texts and modern archaeology continue to reveal, beyond their conquests and many of their religious practices, there were many positive achievements: the formation of a highly specialized and stratified society and an imperial administration the expansion of a trading network as well as a tribute system the development and maintenance of a sophisticated agricultural economy, carefully adjusted to the land the cultivation of an intellectual and religious outlook that held society to be an integral part of the cosmos. The yearly round of rites and ceremonies in the cities of Tenochtitlan and neighboring Tetzcoco, and their symbolic art and architecture, gave expression to an ancient awareness of the interdependence of nature and humanity. The Aztecs remain the most extensively documented of all Amerindian civilizations at the time of European contact in the 16th century. Spanish friars, soldiers, and historians and scholars of Indian or mixed descent left invaluable records of all aspects of life. These ethnohistoric sources, linked to modern archaeological inquiries and studies of ethnologists, linguists, historians, and art historians, portray the formation and flourishing of a complex imperial state.

The Influence of OBAOR Strategy in the GCC Countries Thesis Proposal

The Influence of OBAOR Strategy in the GCC Countries - Thesis Proposal Example This essay analyzes that UAE is considered as one of the advancing economies globally in a list that has India and China. While UAE enjoys close ties with nations such as the EU and the U.S. the nation’s still maintain close trade ties with Iran and other nations in the Middle East. It is known that the Western nations have placed trade sanctions on some nations that are considered to have violated human rights as well as being led by authoritarian administrations. It is from this context that it remains to be seen how the U.S. and the EU will precede in terms of the trade relations with UAE and other nations in the Gulf Region. The decision by GCC nations to form a regional economic block and by extension a free trade area is seen as one of the greatest step by the nations in the region. It is also significant Middle East states to take control of international trade, not just in the region but other regions such as Europe and Southern parts of the world. However, the strateg ies put in place can be said to be working as trade activities appear to be on the rise in the said regions. It is often assumed that the formation of trading blocs is aimed at creating some form of monopoly, particularly when the nations involved have some common characteristics. GCC nations are primarily oil producing countries. It can, therefore, be argued that the major motivation of the GCC was to try and monopolize oil prices and by extension the oil industry. Despite the numerous challenges, the general economic prospects in this region remain positive.

How are Night Vision Devices Beneficial to Society Research Paper

How are Night Vision Devices Beneficial to Society - Research Paper Example This essay stresses that one of the filed that has solely relied in these devices is the military. Military has benefited on this technology close to a century. This has enabled them to perform most of their vital operations in the darkness. This paper declares that before the development of this technology the military carried out their main operations during the day. This technology of night vision devices was markedly enhanced with the advent of World War II. At this period, both Germany and Britain developed a basic infrared sniper. However, few of these innovations were used during this reign. This is because this basic apparatus only assisted in offering a perimeter defense. Additionally, they were extremely heavy and required continuous replenishing of power. This reduced their effectiveness and worth during this period. However, these challenges experienced at this time helped in development of improved technological materials. This led to the development of an advanced night vision technology. Most of the military leaders saw the usefulness of such technology beyond just operating under the cover of darkness. This potential existed in the use of night vision goggles, helmets and weapons that was to help armies o perate effectively under the cover of darkness. This meant that there was to be an improvement that would ensure there was no need of IR searchlight. This would ensure that the enemy could not detect the position of the soldier. (Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate, n.d.). T

Fake News the Epidemic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fake News the Epidemic - Essay Example Basically, in opinion news is the real or accurate information about the event in societies. For example, local weather news stations are what would be called real news because really can't lie about the weather. Another example of real news would be nature disaster that happens around the world. There has been a call for a state of natural disaster to be declared in the parts of New Caledonia worst hit by Cyclone Cook on Monday (Call for state of natural disaster in New Caledonia, April 2017). In early March, unprecedented rainfall brought extreme flooding to Peru, leaving 94 dead and almost a quarter of a million without homes so far (Delaney Chambers, April 2, 2017). Another form of News can describe in sports. "Jimmy Butler scored 22 points, Rajon Rondo finished one rebound shy of a triple-double and the Bulls beat the Boston Celtics 111-97 on Tuesday night to take a 2-0 lead in their series against the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference" (Bulls beat top-seeded Celtics 111-97 t o take 2-0 series lead, April 19, 2017). Overall there are many forms real news but fake news is still a growing epidemic in 2017 society. Fake news, or hoax news, refers to false information or propaganda published under the guise of being authentic news (Forrest Stroud, n.d.). In layman terms, the Fake news is information that someone or a group of people decided was accurate information. For example, the "pizzagate" conspiracy theory end in 28-year-old Edgar Welch shooting gun inside of a Washington D.C. pizzeria.

The Sex Tape Of Joost Van Der Westhuizen

The Sex Tape Of Joost Van Der Westhuizen Joost van der Westhuizen, the former Springbok rugby captain, was secretly taped in a bare-looking room with a blonde stripper while snorting a white substance with her. Heat Magazine, a South African celebrity gossip spot, can be seen as publishers constituting to invasion of Joosts privacy according to South African Media ethics and the after effects that has inevitably affected Joosts personal life and rugby reputation. It was the scandal of the year in 2009 when heat exclusively brought South Africa the sex and drugs videotape of Joost in the 250th issue, whereby the story further unfolded months after the first publication of the videotape. Joost denied being involved in such a sex tape to the extent that his team behind protecting him took the original videotape from heats attorneys to the CSIR in Pretoria to have it analysed for authenticity. (www.heat.co.za : 09/05/2011) We are given the breakdown in the magazine and on the Heat Homepage, however, from an ethical perspective we can argue that such invasion of privacy shouldnt have constituted Heat winning an award for the scoop, but rather further legal actions shouldve arisen. The word ethics is based on the Greek word ethos, referring to character. Heat Magazine journalists, like all other print journalists, have to make ethical choices. The line of privacy is defined by the code of ethics, and deals with the philosophical foundations of decision making, or choosing among the good (ethical) and bad (unethical) options that one now has to face through such publications by journalists. Ethical decisions in the media determine what the public will read, hear and see. Thus heat magazine chose for the public to read and see this invasion of Joosts privacy. However, one needs to also take into consideration that ethics is such a broad and complex code, and poses a primary problem for the media public, students and journalists alike. What is ethical has to be moralising, and the argument then follows if publishing a sex and drug scandal with graphic images and unknowingly authentic information in the eye of the public. Regarding teleological theories, one can see Hedonism as a feed off to the Heat Magazine theme and structure. The Hedonists believe that pleasure is the sole purpose of life and thus means of information can be twisted to an extend as long as people are receiving pleasure from the information. (Froneman and De Beer, 1998: 296) However, one needs to consider the Utilitarianism effect which briefly explains the difference between wrong and right, and that everything should inevitably bring the greatest amount of good. (Froneman and De Beer, 1998: 295) As Heat magazine twists information for pleasure, one must also consider the goodness that needs to come out of it, in order to not break the code of conduct. Gossip, the general content of Heat, is poles apart to a formal academic publication and can be seen as idle-talk, exaggeration, broken telephone or a rumor. Gossip is ideally about personal or private affairs of others, and constitutes to a degree of the invasion of privacy. It is a way of sharing views/facts but also has know as a means of communication which has the tendency to produce and introduce errors and variations. Gossip can be seen as personal or trivial nature, as opposed to formal means of information. (Niko Besnier, 2009) Thus, heat is already risky with its content, however has evidentially stepped over the line with this explicit videotape of the former Springbok. Van der Westhuizen views the release of the video as a scandalous attempt to sell tabloid news, a means of entertainment for the public. (www.iol.co.za/news: 08/05/2011) Inevitably exactly what Heat Magazine aims to do through gossip Entertain. Not only is Joost a married man to Amor Vittone, but being a former captain of the Springboks, he is the hero in the eyes of many South Africans. Heat thus did take advantage of the publicity from the scoop as Joost is a well known celebrity in this country, however crossing ethical boundaries is a downfall on heats behalf. The ten commandments of Ethical Journalism according to Johan Retief (2002: 44 45) in George Claasens (2005) article Why Ethics Matter, follows the code of ethics that journalists need to take into consideration before publishing a story, despite the magazines publicity and reactions which might be increased. Firstly, the content of the publication needs to be accurate and secondly, truthful. The fact that Heat received the videotape from an unreliable source, or likewise a source that could easily be out to get Joost the content was not one hundred percent accurate at that time and still had to undergo authenticity, thus unethical. Thirdly, the publication must be fair and present all relevant facts in a balanced way. The videotape was in no way fair to joost, and produced no balanced facts. It was merely what the media call a juicy story to get people talking and buying heat at the time to find out the scoop. Similarly, the content must also be duly impartial in reporting the news, and in no way biased. It is clear that heat was, like the majority of their articles which are structured and themed around what the public want to hear is biased to the spiced up version of the story, rather than getting a fair ground balancing both parties sides and opinions. Joost had not seen the video or heard about it until the news was released in the 250th issue which is unethical due to its explicit and personal content. Thus the ethical code states that the publication must protect confidential sources and be free from obligation to any interest group. Above all, this publication unethically disrespected the privacy of individuals. Unless it is overridden by legitimate public interest, which is no way a matter of public interest but merely gossip. Nobodys personal sex life, especially not approved to be viewed by the public and unaware of the tape itself should be of the publics moral interest, and thus goes against ones rights. The publication can be seen as a level of intuition into privacy and despite refraining from stereotyping, is not socially responsible in referring to matters of indecency, sex and the usage of drugs. As the magazine is sold to all ages, the heat magazine is opening up unethical publication and explicit viewing to underage readers. Media ethics is important because the media need to regain their credibility, where thus can be seen as morally incorrect for heat magazine winning an award for such a scoop. The woman on the tape, Marilize van Emmenis, told her story in heat further on as the story progressed. Her ex- boyfriend who requested to remain anonymous, told heat that the videotape was all his idea and that was further beaten up by men which he claims was organized by Joost in 2006, where the video was confiscated and thus not released. (Heat homepage, www.heat.co.za: 08/05/2011) This again, constitutes for unreliable and biased sources which are not fully authentic and fair. The first issue (250th) to release the story of this scandal included graphic images of the former Springbok captain snorting a white power, which is believed to be CAT, while with a topless stripper. Additional information was and still is today available on the heat homepage website. One of the tabs names is Joostgate and entails the full timeline of how the story progressed as well as a link to the unclear and unreliable video where we can see the stripper prepare the camera in her bag. The fact that the incident was staged without Joosts knowledge and then given to Heat Magazine, heat couldve either produced an article with far less and more fair information about their findings without graphic images and a link to the video, or approached Joost in person before as this evidentially goes against his privacy rights. However, heat undoubtedly took advantage for their own benefits. On the 6th of March, as seen in the timeline on Heats homepage (www.heat.co.za, 09/05/2011), Mike Bolhuis tells the media that Joost will lay criminal and civil (human rights) charges against heat and the producers of the video and that proceedings will start on Monday. The fact that Joost had a leg to stand on and that he was ready to take the case to the court, immediately justifies that this publication has undergone means of invasion of privacy, along with going against other ethical codes. Joost van der Westhuizen announced at the end of March 2009, that he was not going to sue anyone for the video due to his reasoning being that South Africa has a weak legal system and would drag his court case out which would affect his personal life to a greater extend. Firstly, the fact that it has affected his personal life from content that was between him and a stripper and was not a means that effected anyone whatsoever is unethical for getting put out in the public eye, and secondly, the fact that he makes mention of the weak legal system it is distressing as a country due to the fact that such a scoop from Heat went on to win an award and got rewarded rather than punished. It merely fades such boundary lines for further publications and other journalists and the media need to take note of the code of ethics to not invade such privacy of an individual to such an extend again. The sexual conduct in the Code of the Broadcast Complaints Commission of South Africa (2003) states that sexual conduct is forbidden in the context of; A person who is depicted as being under the age of 18 to view such or participate and engage in such publication; to be open to explicit sexual conduct and finally sexual conduct which degrades a person in the sense that it advocates a particular form of hatred based on an individual which can cause harm to their personal reputation and emotional stability. Thus, this videotape and publication in the heat magazine goes against the Code of the Boradcast Complaints Commission of South Africa. Within the Code of the Broadcast Complaints Commission of South Africa (2003) where there is a reason to doubt the correctness of the news and it is practicable to verify the correctness thereof, it shall be verified before publication. Heat Magazine released this news in issue 250 whereby they were unaware of the correctness of this video and took a huge risk with Joost further denying that it was not him in the video. Regarding privacy in the Code of the Broadcast Complaints Commission of South Africa (2003), as both news and comments are concerned, there should be extra care and consideration in matters involving the private lives and private concerns of individuals. Invasion of privacy is one of the most controversial ethical issues. Despite including the harassing of celebrities and releasing false information about their lives, this issue does also entail using cameras to photograph an individual without them knowing. As seen in this case. Journalists do have a job to do however, which means they are paid to tell the public what they want to hear which often blurs the boundaries of privacy and questions what privacy is and when has one crossed the line. Justifiably, however, as this content entail sexual content and drugs and clearly is a production produced without the victim being aware of the video, Heat magazine has crossed the line. In conclusion, as Snyman (1994) argues that there is no absolute right of the public to know everything, this explicit and graphic heat publication has broken the codes of ethics by invasion of privacy of Joost van der Westhuizen, as well published as unfair and initially unreliable content which entails sexual and drug content. The mere fact that Joost was believed to be unaware of the videotape until Heat released the scoop, and that it entailed his private life which caused harm to his personal reputation and emotional stability such a publication should result in legal ethical punishments, rather than rewards through awarding heat magazine for such gossip.

A True Hero Essay -- Definition Hero Heroes Essays Role Model

A True Hero As I read David Halberstam’s ideas in his essay, â€Å"Who We Are† (2004), I started thinking about our nation’s leaders and heroes. September 11th came to my mind and the many firefighters and rescue workers who heroically risked their lives to save complete strangers. Then, I remembered that the media dubbed Jessica Lynch a hero when she came back to the United States. Not only Jessica, but also many other American soldiers fighting abroad are called heroes. I started wondering if their bravery actually makes them true heroes or not. I asked myself, what is a hero? Do people need heroes? Where does the belief that we need heroes come from? This belief has caused us to over apply our use of the word to almost everyone: leaders, firefighters, and even sports figures. Sometimes, those who we title heroes are merely good people in the right place at the right time or are simply doing their jobs. Essentially, we shouldn’t need â€Å"heroes.† Instead, we should seek role models and acknowledge the everyday worker. However, the ultimate search for a hero should be within us. We all have the capacity to embrace our inner strength in order to lead our lives with courage and nobility. I. Archaic Definitions In a US News & World Report special online issue about heroes, Clark (2001) gives several definitions of a hero: [heroes] go above and beyond the call of duty, they champion a good cause, and (my favorite) they serve as a calling to our higher selves. In an online â€Å"Answers† dictionary, hero is defined as â€Å"a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life† (2005). There is a song sung by Bonnie Tyler called â€Å"Holding Out for a Hero† in which a line is: â€Å"I n... ..., from http://www.yourdictionary.com/library/changed.html. Jordan, R. (1989). The quiet hero. Washington D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press. Ruotolo, L. (1973). Six existential heroes: the politics of faith. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Singh, Manjari-Lu, & Yu, Mei. (2003). Exploring the function of heroes and heroines in children's literature from around the world. Retrieved Dec. 04, 2005, from http://www.ericdigests.org/2004-1/heroes.htm. Steinman, J. (2005). Bonnie tyler. Retrieved Dec. 11, 2005, from http://www.lyricscafe.com/t/tyler_bonnie/holding_out_for_a_hero.html. Think Exist Quotations, (2005). Quotes. Retrieved Dec. 06, 2005, from http://en.thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/martyrs/. Warner, J. (2004). Do we need another sports hero?. Retrieved Dec. 04, 2005, from http://www.webmd.com/content/article/93/102060.htm.

Psychology and education in the twentieth century Essay

The twentieth century was innovative in a multiplicity of fields, including psychology and education. The attempt to develop the understanding on how humans learn was a challenge upheld by a â€Å"huge and diverse cast of characters† (Harrà ©, 2005: p7), with some so prolific that they didn’t only affect the classroom but â€Å"have left an enduring mark on our understanding of ourselves† (Harrà ©, 2005: p7). For this essay, I will describe and reflect on the theories of Burrhus Fredrick Skinner and Jerome Bruner, particularly focusing on Operant Conditioning and Cognitive Learning and apply them to an educational setting. Jerome Bruner (1915-2016) is renowned as one of the most significant and influential cognitive and constructivist theorists of the twentieth century and specifically developed â€Å"the study of the mental processes of thinking† (Harrà ©, 2005: p49). His initial focus was the development of human cognition but psychology at Harvard, according to Bruner had become â€Å"centrifugal† (Bruner,1983: p252). In turn, this led Bruner to begin his exploration into child cognitive development, heightening the importance of categorization in learning as well as â€Å"challenge the old psychology in the latter years of the 20th century† (Harrà ©, 2005: p.60) Bruner was highly influential in educational thinking, especially after the release of his book â€Å"The Process of Education (1960)† that is now recognized as a classic. Himself and other cognitivist theorists such as Piaget were both interested in child development, and Bruner agreed with Piaget that biological organisation underlies cognitive development but queried whether age ranges were correct in his developmental stage theory and believed that â€Å"it paid insufficient attention to the role of social interaction† (Olson, 2005: p.25). Similarly to Bruner, I do not believe that a child’s age always indicates their level of understanding. Limited description is offered of a child’s learning necessities, capability level, or motivational influences; all of which will have an impact on their understanding. I believe that this is a notion that still hasn’t been explored deeply enough and has a negative impact on our education today, as some students are still failing as the curriculum is generalised â€Å"the exam boards adopt common ways of working† (Ofqal,2017). The Eminent Harvard Psychologist has contributed greatly towards psychology overall, but his works have been most recognized in education; he felt that it was substantial for a learner to attain the fundamental values of a subject – his theory generally expressed that learners develop new ideas and concepts based upon existing knowledge; correspondingly to Piaget, he used three phases to develop his theory on modes of representation (how a learner may think of an object). Each mode is foremost at different stages of development, but all are present throughout the process. The first stage (1-18 months), was termed â€Å"inactive†. Thinking is utterly based on the child’s physical actions rather than their internal thinking. This mode is continuously seen in the later years, an example of that would be when a child is learning how to get dressed for school or ride a bike. The second mode begins to develop when a child reaches 18 months and was named â€Å"iconic†, and is mainly obtained via pictures or icons. These are mainly based on the five senses (hear, touch, smell, visualise). In an educational setting, diagrams and/or illustrations are often useful when introducing a new topic. The third stage, mainly reached at the age of 6 is â€Å"symbolic† and is primarily based on the use of symbols. Language also serves the purpose of regulation in this stage; as children develop, they shift from being external to being internal in cognitive processes. Using language as a symbol is essential to develop the capacity to think in abstract terms. Based on this three-stage notion, Bruner recommended using a combination of concrete, pictorial and then symbolic activities which will lead into more effective learning. This remains true even for adult learners. The theory is conceptually useful in teaching, as it allows staff to engage with all learners regardless of their cognitive level. With a range of supplies (study materials, activities, and tools), a new topic can be taught easily as it can begin as a concrete representation, and eventually end as an abstract one. This also provides learners something they can return to if they come across any problems with the matter. A primary example would be to engross the learners to do physically create 3D shapes. The following exercise would be an illustration of a shape, and the names of the shapes would aurally be read out and explained by the tutor. Thirdly, the learners should discuss the concept of the lesson and discuss any findings. Not only is this a far more gradual and realistic way of learning, I believe it also encourages motivation; something Bruner felt strongly about â€Å"The act of grasping the meaning, significance or structure of a problem or a situation without explicit re liance on the analytic apparatus of one’s craft† (Bruner, 1966: p.) For Bruner, the purpose of education is not to impart knowledge, but instead to facilitate a child’s thinking and problem solving skills which can then be transferred to a range of situations. Bruner’s notions and concepts have been rejected and critiqued by other theorists. For example, Piaget trusts that patience is necessary to reach the stage where a child is ready, whereas Jerome Bruner believes that the speed of cognitive development process can be increased if necessary. Unlike Piaget who was â€Å"resistant to criticism, sticking to a fixed position in the face of theoretical objections and empirical refutations† (Harrà ©, 2005: p57), Bruner was â€Å"unafraid of words like mind, and expectation, and perception, and meaning† (Miller, 2003: p.142). Bruner places a broader focus on his theory and attempts to be more open-minded and take a variety of studies into account

14 Strategies for Writing Better College Papers

14 Strategies for Writing Better College Papers Learning how to write solid college papers is literally half the battle with most majors. In this 3-minute article we’ve broken down the 14 most effective strategies involved. Breeze through each one and ingest them at your leisure. 1. Adjust Your Writing Attitude No, writing doesn’t suck, but your attitude might. College writing is actually quite fun and engaging once you get into it. Make it easy on yourself and just settle into the papers as they come. Accept them. Commit to them. 2. Get Interested Intrigued Part of adjusting your attitude is getting personally invested and interested in the subject. The more involved you are the higher the quality in most cases. Your personality will come through. The things you learn will be genuine. The paper won’t feel forced. Get it? 3. Master the Craft of Outlining Once swept away into the passion of writing (expression), it’s easy to get artsy and try to wing it. Don’t. Instead, make it a habitual practice to get an outline drawn up. Love them. Outlines are just structure to help your thoughts mold along certain parameters. Without them you can find yourself either a) mid-paper and at a dead end, or b) mid-paper and completely off the radar. 4. Get a Second Opinion Show your initial outlines and drafts to other people. If your friends and family aren’t interested, then find people who are. Or, pay someone a couple bucks. It’s worth it. A second pair of eyes can tell you things that are simply invisible to you as the writer. 5. Begin Writing Sooner rather than Later Even if the paper isn’t due for three months, be engaged and working on it from day one. However, don’t try to turn it in super early. There’s no real benefit to doing so other than saving mental space perhaps. Otherwise just take all the time you have and relax. Craft something amazing because you’ve got plenty of time. 6. Visit a Writing Center Once in a While Yeah, really! Grab your outline/draft and head over to the writing center. See what kinds of things they say. Critiques are worth their weight in proverbial gold. They’ll help you edit/polish as well as nail down your thesis. Plus, they know everything about all the small formatting details (more on this in a moment). 7. Don’t Freaking Plagiarize! It’s so tempting! Yes, you can definitely use quotes and cite small supportive paragraphs from relevant sources but there’s a limit. Now, aside from that it’s also quite tempting to try and just copy/paste someone else’s thinking†¦don’t do it. Professors these days have many tools at their disposal to find duplicate content. 8. Let Your Thesis Evolve By beginning the writing process as early as possible you give it lots of time to naturally evolve or settle on the primary thesis you’re searching for. Go with the flow, but stick to deadlines. Give your thesis room to breathe. Don’t stay so narrowed in focus/perspective that you end up with a narrow paper (something most professors are likely to dock you on). 9. Start Thinking Analyzing like a Professor Speaking of professors, look at your thesis statement, outline and drafts like a professor would. If you aren’t sure what your professor will say, then show it to them! Throughout the process try to step into their shoes and critique yourself. It helps. It’s a sobering practice. 10: Spend Serious Time on Formatting The writing center can really help here. All the many formatting details with citing courses, subtitles, adding graphs/charts, etc. can be daunting at first. Instead of wasting tons of time doing it yourself, get some help until it becomes like second nature. Little errors add up fast! 11. Be Creatively Risky In essence college really isn’t a time to strictly follow the rules and conform. Don’t be afraid to test professors and truly express yourself. Don’t be afraid to bend the rules a little as long as it doesn’t have to do with the technicalities. Like, as long as your paper is well-written, though out, formatted correctly and clear, it’s going to be hard for a professor to dock you even if you went a little left field. 12. Let Information Marinate Never underestimate the power of absorbing ideas/concepts and then letting it marinate in your mind or subconscious where ideas form. Let it sit and settle. Let the information coagulate and mold together naturally. Don’t force writing. Follow your gut instincts here. 13. Learn to Take Thorough Notes If you ditch class and skimp on notes it will translate into more hours researching. Take proper notes with your paper in mind. 14. Don’t Forget to Think Critically This is serious business and seriously lacking in America today. Be objective as possible, and then color that cold data with your subjective self. Get it? Be critical. Think critically. Deduce things critically. Okay all you aspiring and accomplished college paper writers out there, how do you do it? Share your wisdom!

Definition of Consumption within Sociology

Definition of Consumption within Sociology In sociology, consumption is about so much more than just taking in or using up resources. Humans consume to survive, of course, but in todays world, we also consume to entertain and amuse ourselves, and as a way to share time and experiences with others. We consume not only material goods but also  services, experiences, information, and cultural products like art, music, film, and television. In fact, from the sociological perspective, consumption today is a central organizing principle of social life. It shapes our everyday lives,  our values, expectations and practices, our relationships with others, our individual and group identities, and our overall experience in the world. Consumption According to Sociologists Sociologists recognize that many aspects of our daily lives are structured by consumption. In fact, Polish sociologist Zygmunt Bauman wrote in the book Consuming Life that Western societies are no longer organized around the act of production, but instead, around consumption. This transition began in the United States in the mid-twentieth century,  after which most production jobs were moved overseas, and our economy shifted to retail and the provision of services and information. As a consequence, most of us spend our days consuming rather than producing goods. On any given day, one might travel to work by bus, train, or car; work in an office that requires electricity, gas, oil, water, paper, and a host of consumer electronics and digital goods; purchase a tea, coffee, or soda; go out to a restaurant for lunch or dinner; pick up dry cleaning; purchase health and hygiene products at a drug store; use purchased groceries to prepare dinner, and then spend the evening watching television, enjoying social media, or reading a book. All of these are forms of consumption. Because consumption is so central to how we live our lives, it has taken on great importance in the relationships we forge with others. We often organize visits with others around the act of consuming, whether that be sitting down to eat a home-cooked meal as a family, taking in a movie with a date, or meeting friends for a shopping excursion at the mall. In addition, we often use consumer goods to express our feelings for others through the practice of gift-giving, or notably, in the act of proposing marriage with an expensive piece of jewelry. Consumption is also a central aspect of the celebration of both secular and religious holidays, like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Halloween. It has even become a political expression, like when we buy ethically produced or sourced goods, or engage in a boycott of a certain product or brand. Sociologists also see consumption as an important part of the process of forming and expressing both individual and group identities. In Subculture: The Meaning of Style, sociologist Dick Hebdige observed that identity is often expressed through fashion choices, which allows us to classify people as hipsters or emo, for example. This happens because we choose consumer goods that we feel say something about who we are. Our consumer choices are often meant to reflect our values and lifestyle, and in doing so, send visual signals to others about the kind of person we are. Because we associate certain values, identities, and lifestyles with consumer goods, sociologists recognize that some troubling implications follow the centrality of consumption in social life. We often make assumptions, without even realizing it, about a person’s character, social standing, values, and beliefs, or even their intelligence, based on how we interpret their consumer practices. Because of this, consumption can serve processes of exclusion and marginalization in society  and can lead to conflict across lines of class, race or ethnicity, culture, sexuality, and religion. So, from the sociological perspective, theres much more to consumption than meets the eye. In fact, theres so much to study about consumption that theres a whole subfield dedicated to it: the sociology of consumption.

Quotation Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Quotation Analysis - Assignment Example Therefore, competitive professionals that include artists and athletes are needed to endure pressure and pain to attain professional excellence. It expresses the belief that for one to develop solid large muscles they need to train and constantly suffer sore muscles. This idiom has also been used in the field of education to encourage the poorly performing students to press on and work harder despite the challenges they face. It is through hard work that they will be assured of better results (Wimmer, 96). Therefore, the phrase â€Å"No pain, No gain† means that God rewards those who work hard. In life nothing comes the easy way instead one has to work for it. If anyone desires to be successful and enjoy a brighter future, he must be ready to endure the challenges and problems that come along the way. For example, in education if a student desires to have good results and better grades he or she must be ready to sacrifice so many things, put in more time and work extra

The role of entrepenurship in the 1860-1900 and the role of technolgy Essay

The role of entrepenurship in the 1860-1900 and the role of technolgy in railroads and government influence and tariff policys a - Essay Example The demand for steel and oil hit an all time high. This industry had very renowned personalities (Link and Susannah 34). These included John D. Rockefeller who dealt in oil and Andrew Carnegie, who dealt in steel. These individuals went by the name of robber barons because people believed that they got their wealth through unscrupulous business deals. It is Gilded Age because of the notable fortunes realized in the period and people’s improved level of affordability. It is during Gilded Age that the United States shifted from an agricultural society to an urban industrial society. This was as a result of massive movement of people to cities after the Civil War. In 1860, only twenty percent of people in the U.S.A lived in cities. This number grew to forty percent in 1900. Cities provided a place of adventure for young people who left the countryside to go to towns and cities. This heightened modernization in the U.S.A as more skyscrapers came up department stores emerged and, t elephone and electric lamps installed. Consumerism and middle classes emerged as a result of industrialization and immigration into cities (Meyer 61). Technology and expansion of railroad Railroad was perhaps the single most important factor that transformed industrial cities in the West in the 1800s. The advanced technology of the time enabled the building of railroads that helped ease transportation around the U.S.A and made travelling safe and cheap. Transcontinental lines helped move grain, people, ore, cattle, and equipment to and from across the Midwest. Railroad passed through Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada and the fertile areas of California and Oregon (Link and Susannah 35). The building of railroads transport transformed the landscape of the West. Bison travelled across the Great Plains to provide food and clothing to Native American tribes. Railroads destroyed Bison’s habitat and brought sport hunters to their environment. Americans killed many Bison and by 1885, o nly 1,000 Bison survived. There were other things that contributed to the expansion of railroads in the U.S.A. One important factor was the Civil War. The Civil War caused an increase in U.S.A’s industrial production leaving it among the world’s leading industrial producers in the 1890. The war also accelerated the growth of corporations as it demanded more consumer goods and services. The growth and popularity of money capital also contributed greatly to the expansion of railroads as it attracted foreign investors into American economy. Consequently, more people increased their investment in capitalist ventures. Government support of business also had an impact on the growth of railroads in America (Meyer 62). The government donated enormous land to railroad companies for the expansion of railroad transport. Pullman sleeper car complemented the development of railroad transport by increasing railroad passengers’ comfort. Double sets of tracks took the place of a single set track system. This enabled two-way rail traffic with snarl-up. Iron rails gave way to steel rails that could handle heavy weight loads. The development of locomotive tenders enabled the use of coal to power trains. Coal took the place of wood as it was more efficient than wood. Coal power cut on the number of times trains had to stop and refuel (Link and Susannah 36). After Westinghouse got patent rights for air brakes, mechanical brakes paved the way for air brakes. Air brakes allowed for

Leadership Styles In Professional Nursing Research Paper

Leadership Styles In Professional Nursing - Research Paper Example This component of the essay seeks to achieve two major aims. Firstly, it is to describe two different leadership styles in the nursing profession and also discuss how these two nursing leadership styles can be implemented in a professional nursing practice. In the first place, Rampur (2011) identifies two major leadership styles in the nursing profession. According to him, these leadership styles are democratic and autocratic leadership styles. Earlier in his submission, Rampur (2011) elucidates that leaders in the nursing profession are mostly seen to be either nurse managers who are â€Å"assigned the obligation of handling one unit† or nurse executives who are â€Å"responsible for the operations of all in-patient nursing units.† Under whatever portfolio a nurse might be in a leadership position, the leadership styles mentioned earlier happen to reign at one point in time or the other. On the whole, the type of leadership style that implemented should depend on a spe cific situation rather than adopting one of the two as a routine leadership style (Cummings, 2010). With the democratic leadership style, the nurse leader â€Å"engages his nurses in decision-making and let them carry out their work in an independent manner (Rampur, 2011).† In the autocratic nursing leadership however, the nurse leader â€Å"would provide instructions without looking for inputs and superintend his nurses in a close manner (Rampur, 2011).† Simply put, democratic leadership allows for group participation, discussion and contribution as far as decision making is concerned but with autocratic leadership style, subordinates always have to take instructions from the leaders. Without passing outright judgment on the either types of nursing leadership styles as to which is right and which is wrong, it is worth noting that there are different ways and at different points in time that the various leadership styles are brought to work. As a matter of fact, the is sue of whether a particular leadership style is right or wrong would come in if the right leadership style is implemented at the wrong time and vice versa. In implementing any of the leadership styles, it is important that leaders put into consideration the â€Å"health authority structures, inter-professional teamwork and conflict, the actions and decisions of senior administrators and government officials, changing public demographics and consumer expectations of the healthcare system, and the implementation of new knowledge, evidence and innovation†

History of education Essay Example for Free

History of education Essay Learning is a natural ability that is wired into many animals DNA; the way that humans should learn has been debated by the various educators because of the endless ways to teach. Teachers and parents take this matter seriously like Ralph Waldo Emerson in â€Å"From Education† and Todd Gitlin in â€Å"The Liberal Arts in an Age of Info-Glut† who created essays on education; and Billy Collins in â€Å"The History Teacher† entail for then and who wrote a poem concerned with the status of education. These people show what the importance of education is entailing what learning should and should not involve; a teacher should respect and have patience for children; a teacher should also let a child have creativity and lessons of the past. Many teens do not respect their teacher which might be because the teacher does not respect them; as the golden rule goes, â€Å"treat others the way you would treat yourself†; Ralph Waldo Emerson in â€Å"From Education† would probably agree with this quote because he strongly believes that, â€Å"the secret of [e]ducation lies in respecting the pupil,† (page 102). Shows that Emerson understood what children are thinking then did something to help them by simply respecting them. Another big issue with education is patience; some people do not have enough patience to guide children to what they are supposed to learn. Emerson also believes that patience is an important part in education, â€Å"to regard the young [children, they require] no doubt, rare patience: a patience that nothing but faith in medial forces of the soul can give,† Emerson was trying to say that someone has to really care in order to teach information to children (page 105). Some people do not see the point in having art classes or history classes; the reason why is because art assists students to express themselves in a way that words cannot along with helping them find out what kind of person they truly are; and history is needed to teach children where they originated from; and to show them mistakes that other people in the past made so they will not make them again. Todd Gitlin in â€Å"The Liberal Arts in an Age of Info-Glut† agrees with this â€Å"[students] need some orientation to philosophy, history, language, literature, music, and arts that have lasted more than 15 minutes,† (page 156). Because students need the outlet to express themselves; or if they do not they would not learn morals then they would become exactly  what people were trying to stop; as shown in â€Å"The History Teacher† by Billy Collins who stated, â€Å"the children would leave his classroom for the playground to torment the weak and the smart,† all because â€Å"[the teacher tries] to protect his students’ innocence he told them the Ice Age was really just the Chilly Age, a period of a million years when everyone had to wear sweaters. And the Stone Age became the Gravel Age, named after the long driveways of time,† this demonstrates how not teaching children lessons of the past which are the brood violence’ that others committed in history; by not teaching this history it affects children’s behavior in real life (page 143). Morals are right and wrong many people’s morals will differ; this is why teaching them is tricky because the teacher’s morals might not be the same as the parent’s morals. This is why some of the history in textbooks is sometimes just the summary of what really happened but not enough for the main point to be set across unlike in â€Å"The History Teacher† where, â€Å"the Spanish Inquisition [is] nothing more than an outbreak of questions such as â€Å"How far is it from here to Madrid? †,† and â€Å"the War of the Roses took place in a garden, and the Enola Gay dropped one tiny atom on Japan,† explains when a teacher goes too far in trying to protect student’s mind from bad; when only good is taught and everything else is censored then the students become the opposite; because they do not know the consequences of doing bad, which is why history is taught. As teachers and parents they have to let their students make their own choices as shown in â€Å"From Education† Emerson says, â€Å"it is not for you to choose what he shall know, [or] what he shall do,† shows that sometimes a student needs to find out the consequences the hard way, and let them choose what they want to learn (page 143). Education is needed in modern day society to help students and children grow and help the nation; by giving students proper education the teacher are not really helping the students but they are helping themselves. Teaching creativity helps a student express themselves; respect should be given so the student can give it back; patience is needed to help them understand; morals need to be taught through history so the student will make fewer mistakes; these are essential to a good education and an even better future: as shown by the writings of Billy Collins, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Todd Gitlin.

Customer Satisfaction for Chinese Restaurants in the US

Customer Satisfaction for Chinese Restaurants in the US Introduction: Aim of Project: Perception of Chinese restaurant in the U.S: What affects customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions? Objectives: To analyse the customers behavioural intentions for Chinese restaurant in U.S. To analyse the perception of Chinese restaurant in the U.S. To evaluate and analyse what affects customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions. The United States is a multicultural and multiethnic nation and this national trend of diversity is expected to consistently increase (Josiam and Monteiro, 2004; Sukalakamala and Boyce, 2007). One reflection of this cultural and ethnic diversity is the variety and prosperity of ethnic restaurants in the American foodservice market. The U.S. ethnic food market generates $75 billion in annual sales, around 65% of which is attributed to the foodservice industry (US ethnic food market, 2005). Yet, the fast growth of ethnic restaurants is not driven entirely by the growing number of new immigrants. In fact, 75% of ethnic food consumption comes from non-ethnic customers (US ethnic food market, 2005). As lifestyles change and dining out becomes more and more commonplace, many customers desire new flavours and experiences. Along with this popularity is the rapid development of Chinese restaurants. According to Chinese restaurants news (2007), there are about 43,139 Chinese restaurants in the United States, which is more than the total number of all McDonalds Wendys and burger king domestic outlets combined. Chinese restaurants generate over $17.5 billion annual sales, accounting for about one fourth of overall annual sales generated by ethnic restaurants in the U.S. (Chinese Restaurant News, 2007). Known for its good taste and great value for the price, Chinese cuisine is among the â€Å"big three† most popular ethnic cuisines in the U.S. food service market (National Restaurant association, 1995). It is estimated that 90% of the American population has tried Chinese food and 63% of Americans eat Chinese food each month (George, 2001). Facing more sophisticated American consumers and increasing competition in the restaurant industry, Chinese restaurants can no longer succeed by depending on good taste or low price alone. According to National Restaurant Association (2000a,b), due to an increased familiarity with ethnic food. American consumers attitudes toward ethnic cuisine have recently changed. Today, an exotic experience is not enough to attract consumers to an ethnic restaurant. Customers are no longer willing to trade off inferior service or atmosphere for an opportunity to try new flavours. They prefer an excellent overall dining experience. Moreover, Chinese restaurants are facing increasing challenges from other emerging Asian restaurants and from the changing tastes of American customers who prefer healthy or spicy food. Therefore, a better understanding of the key attributes influencing customer satisfaction and post dining behavioural intentions in Chinese restaurants will provide important practical implications for Chinese restaurants operators. Literature review: At all stages in the elaboration of a dissertation, the author must exert control over both the content and the way it is organised. The literature review is what shows that the author understand the chosen topic and keeps to the aim. ‘In researching for your dissertation or project, you will generally be expected to source material for yourself says MacMillan (2007, p.61). Meanwhile, Swetnam (2005, p.76) gives examples and his definition is that ‘the literature review is central to the dissertation and in all styles of work. It has a number of functions, for example, it shows that you have read widely around your chosen topic, it demonstrates your critical understanding of the theory; it informs and modifies your own research. White (2006, p.83) gives a newer definition that the literature review ‘will help you to discuss the dissertation in its relevant context, together with any theoretical frameworks which may be involved. It may also trigger your imagination an d help you set the work in a new and different light because the author learns and understands more, which can stimulate further analysis. Research Method: The researcher need way to get the data will be from books, magazines, newspaper and through internet. As there are so many websites, no. of books, newspaper and magazines from where researcher will get updated information regarding the research. Through qualitative method the researcher will be able to find out easier way for doing research and by getting direct information related with the research. And the other thing is that in qualitative method accuracy rate is good not all time but, mostly.Quantitative method also very helpful to do the research. Code of Ethics: The world tourism organisation developed a code of ethics. This is recognition of the need to enshrine many of the principles of global action on the environment and the rights of tourists and workers. The basic principles inherit in the code are: 2 Table of contents Implementation of the principles of the code of ethics of hospitality. Mutual understanding and respect between peoples and societies. Restaurant as a beneficial activity for host countries and communities. Summary: This work will introduced the conceptual issues associated with the research of â€Å"customer satisfaction from Chinese restaurant in US† and also demonstrate what is happening with people of the local community. Chapter: 2 Literature Review Literature Review: An Introduction At all stages in the elaboration of a dissertation, the author must exert control over both the content and the way it is organised. The literature review is what shows that the author understand the chosen topic and keeps to the aim. ‘In researching for your dissertation or project, you will generally be expected to source material for yourself says MacMillan (2007, p.61). Meanwhile, Swetnam (2005, p.76) gives examples and his definition is that ‘the literature review is central to the dissertation and in all styles of work. It has a number of functions, for example, it shows that you have read widely around your chosen topic, it demonstrates your critical understanding of the theory, it informs and modifies your own research. White (2006, p.83) gives a newer definition that the literature review ‘will help you to discuss the dissertation in its relevant context, together with any theoretical frameworks which may be involved. It may also trigger your imagination an d help you set the work in a new and different light because the author learns and understands more, which can stimulate further analysis. Chapter: 1 Ethnic cuisine development and Chinese restaurants in the US. In the past few decades, with the influx of new immigrants as well as diversifying tastes of Americans, ethnic foods have become widely available and increasingly popular in the U.S. food service market (Josiam and monteiro, 2004). Traditional ethnic cuisines such as Italian, Mexican and Cantonese Chinese have become so familiar to American customer that they are perceived as mainstream American foods (Mills, 2000). In the meanwhile, many emerging ethnic cuisines such as Caribbean, Mediterranean and Pan Asian have also gained wide acceptance in recent years (US ethnic food market, 2005). Chinese cuisine arrived in the U.S. with the first railroad construction workers brought over to the west coast of the U.S. in the nineteenth century (Freeman, 2008). From the first Cantonese style Chinese restaurant opened in San Francisco in 1849, it rapidly penetrated towns and cities all over the U.S. and became part of the American experience (Chen and Bowen, 2001). Cantonese style cuisine, characterised by its light sweet and sour flavours, is the most popular Chinese cuisine in the U.S. In the recent years, other styles of Chinese cuisine have also become familiar to American customers, such as Szechwan, Hunan and Mandarin styles. The first two styles are famous for their hot and spicy flavours, while the last one is characterised by light, elegant and mildly seasoned foods (George, 2001). According to the National Restaurant Association (1995), customer perceived Chinese cuisine as a great value for the price, good for carryout, rich in flavour and difficult to prepare at hom e. Although there a few Chinese restaurant chains operating in the U.S. such as P. F. Changs China Bistro and Panda Express, most Chinese restaurant has a Chinese name outside, is decorated with Chinese styled pictures and artifacts, such as Chinese brush landscape paintings red lanterns, offers a menu printed in both Chinese and English, and provides Chinese characterised tableware, such as chopsticks and Chinese restaurants have been facing intense competition among themselves due to fast development and expansion in the U.S., as well as from other emerging Asian restaurants such as Indian, Japanese, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese ( Jang et al., 2009). Thus, maintaining customer satisfaction and repeat patronage may be more important for Chinese restaurants than ever before. Chapter: 2 Customer satisfaction and related theories The topic of â€Å"customer satisfaction† has held a significant position in the marketing literature over the decades since satisfied customers can be generate long-term benefits for companies, including customer loyalty and sustained profitability (Homburg et al., 2006). Researchers have explained the mechanism of customer satisfaction with number of distinct theories, such as expectancy-disconfirmation theory (Oliver, 1981), contrast theory (Howard and Sheth, 1969), assimilation or cognitive dissonance theory (Anderson, 1973), equity theory (Oliver and Swan, 1989), and value percept theory (Westbrook and Reilly, 1983). Among them, the most widely accepted theory is the expectancy disconfirmation theory. According to this theory, customers satisfaction judgements are the results of comparisons between customers expectations and perceived performance. If the perceived performance exceeds the expectation, the expectation is positively disconfirmed and the customer is satisfie d. On the contrary, if the perceived performance falls short of the expectation, the expectation is negatively disconfirmed and the customer is dissatisfied. Another influential theory for customer satisfaction is the equity theory. This theory suggests that satisfaction occurs when customers perceived that they have obtained more benefits compared to their cost (e.g. money, time and effort) and perceived value is an appropriate factor in measuring satisfaction (Oliver and Swan, 1989; Yuan and Jang, 2008). Another commonly used theory, the three factor theory, provides a basic explanation for the structure of customer satisfaction. This theory claims that three independent satisfaction factors influence customer satisfaction in different ways (Kano, 1984; Matzler and Sauerwein, 2002). Basic factors are minimum requirement for satisfaction. Failure to fulfil the minimum requirements causes dissatisfaction, whereas fulfilling or exceeding them does not necessarily lead to satisfaction. Excitement factors increase customer satisfaction if delivered but do not cause dissatisfaction if not delivered. Performance factors lead to satisfaction if performance is high and to dissatisfaction if performance is low (Fuller and Matzler, 2008). This theory has been validated empirical studies (e.g. Fuchs, 2004; Matzler et al., 2006) and could provide an additional perspective for understanding the effects of restaurant attributes on customer satisfaction. Basic factors can be seen as the prerequisite s for the satisfaction, signifying that customer take that for granted. Performance factors are a critical competitive area and directly related to customers explicit needs and wants. Excitement factors are unexpected by customers, so they can be a â€Å"surprise gift† that generates extra delight (Fuller and Matzler, 2008). Chapter: 3 Behavioural Intentions Behavioural intention can be defined as the degree to which a person has formulated conscious plans to perform or not perform some specified future behaviour (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980). According to the theory of reasoned action (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975), behavioural intention is the motivational component of a volitional behavioural and is highly correlated with behaviour itself (Jang and Feng, 2007). Although there are still arguments about the level of correlation between behavioural intentions and actual actions, it seems to be generally agreed that behavioural intention is a reasonable variable for predicting future behaviour (Quelette and Wood, 1988). Thus, a good understanding of the determinants of favourable post-dinning behavioural intentions such as saying positive things about the restaurant, recommending the restaurant to others, and repeat purchasing can provide practical guidance for restaurant practitioners. Another construct that is highly related to behavioural intentions is customer satisfaction. It is regarded as one of the key antecedents of post purchase behavioural intentions because customer satisfaction has a positive effect on the customers attitude towards the product or service and can reinforce the customers conscious effort to purchase the product or service again in the future (Oliver, 1989, 1999). However, previous studies have also suggested that factors that influence customer satisfaction are not always in accordance with factors influencing customer behavioural intention, for example, Sulek and Hensley (2004) found that food, atmosphere, and fairness of the seating order were all significant predictors of a customers overall dining satisfaction, but only food quality predicted post-dining behavioural intention. In examining food quality in restaurants, Namkung and Jang (2007) reported that food temperature had a significant effect on customer satisfaction but no effec t on behavioural intention. Conversely, healthy options were a direct determinant of behavioural intentions but did not influence customer satisfaction. Therefore, there is a practical need to investigate the effects of restaurant attributes on both customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions. Chapter: 4 Factors influencing customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions in restaurants Reuland et al. (1985) suggested that hospitality services consist of a harmonious mixture of three elements: the material product, the behaviour and attitude of the employees, and the environment. Berry et al. (2002) also proposed three categories of cues that present themselves in the service experience: functional cues (technical quality of service), mechanic cues (nonhuman elements in the service environment) and humanic cues (behaviour of service employees). Based on these propositions, the basic restaurant attributes can be said to be include food, service and environment. Though a literature review of dining satisfaction and behaviour intention, all three basic elements were found to directly or indirectly contribute to customers overall satisfaction with a restaurant experience and their post dining behavioural intentions. Chapter: 5 Food Quality As the core product of a restaurant, food plays a pivotal role in the restaurant experience. Food quality has been generally accepted as major factor influencing customer satisfaction and post dining behavioural intention. For example, Dube et al. (1994) measured the relative importance of seven restaurant attributes in repeat purchase intention in an upscale restaurant setting and found that food quality was far more important to restaurant customers than all others attributes, Sulek and Hensley (2004) investigated the relative importance of food and physical setting, and service in a full-service restaurant and found that food quality was the most important factor influencing satisfaction and the only factor predicting behavioural intention. Namkung and Jang (2007) evaluated the relationship of individual attributes that constitute food quality (e.g. food presentation, menu variety, healthy options, taste, food freshness and temperature) with customer satisfaction and behavioural i ntentions. The findings indicated that food presentation, taste and temperature were significantly related to customer satisfaction whereas food presentation, taste and healthy options (instead of temperature) were significant predictors of behavioural intention. Besides the above- mentioned six individual attributes, â€Å"food safety† is also an important cue for evaluating food quality. â€Å"Although food-safety defects are not always immediately apparent, customers do tend to notice undercooked food, food with an off taste, or foreign material in their food† (Sulek and Hensley, 2004). Thus, food may serve as the most basic and lowest standard when judging quality. Service Quality: In the service literature, perceived service quality is defined as the customers judgement of the overall excellence or superiority of the service (Zeithaml, 2008). It is the customers subjective evaluation, resulting from a comparison of expectations and perceived performance. SERVQUAL (Parasuraman et al, 2008) is the instrument most often used for measuring perceived service quality in the marketing literature. It consists of five service dimension, namely, tangibles (physical facilities, equipment, and appearance of personnel), reliability (ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately), and responsiveness (willingness to help customers and provide prompt service), assurance (knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence) and empathy (caring, individualized attention the firm provides its customers). To adapt SERVQUAL to the restaurant industry, Stevens et al. (2005) modified several items from the original SERVQUAL and d eveloped DINESERV to measure perceived service quality in restaurants. In the restaurant industry, since customers not only evaluate the quality of food but also the service encounters during their dining experience, perceived service quality is seen as another core determinant of customers satisfaction and behavioural intention. For example Kivela et al. (2009) proposed a comprehensive model for dining satisfaction and return patronage. Their study indicated that the probability of return patronage was dependent on customers satisfaction with five aspects of a restaurant: first the last impressions, service quality, and ambience quality, food quality and feeling comfortable eating there and reservation and parking. Ladhari et al. (2008) investigated determinants of dining satisfaction and post-dining behavioural intentions, and concluded that perceived service quality influenced customer satisfaction through both positive and negative emotions, Customer satisfaction, in turn, influ enced recommendations, customer loyalty and willingness to pay more. Their results suggested that compared with food quality/reliability, physical design and price, service responsiveness was the most important contributor to customer satisfaction. ATMOSPHERICS Atmospherics is perceived as the quality of the surroundings space. According to Kotler (2006) it is the conscious designing of space to produce specific emotional effects in buyers that enhance their purchase probability. Atmospherics is made up of a set of elements, such as music, lighting, colour and scent. Research in environmental psychology has suggested that atmospherics has a powerful impact on peoples emotions, attitude and behaviour. Mehrabian and Russell (2005) first introduced a theoretical model to explain the impact of environmental stimuli on individual behaviour. The model claims that the physical environment could influence peoples emotional response (such as pleasure and arousal), which in turn elicits approach or avoidance behaviour toward the environment. The model has gained consistent support from the numerous empirical studies in different service settings, such as retail stores and hotels (Baker and Cameroon, 2006). In the restaurant context, Ryu and Jang (2007) explored the combined effect of multiple atmospheric variables on behavioural intentions in upscale restaurants. Their findings supported that ambience (example music, aroma, and temperature) and employee appearance had the most important influence n customers post dining behavioural intentions. OTHER FACTORS-PRICE FAIRNESS AND AUTHENCITY Besides food, service and atmospherics, perceived price fairness could be another factor that influences the customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions (Bei and Chiao, 2007). It is based on consumer internal reference prices, which could be generated by the last price paid, the price most frequently paid and the market prices in similar transactions (Kahneman et al.2006). This principle posits that firms are entitled to a reasonable profit and customers are entitled to a reasonable price. An increase in price is preserved to be fair if it is due to a cost increase. Otherwise, it is preserved to be unfair if the price is increased without any underlying cost increase. Perceived fairness of price is found to be positively related to customer satisfaction and loyalty (Bei and Chiao, 2007), whereas perceived unfairness of price can lead to immediate negative attitudinal and behavioural responses such as dissatisfaction, complaining and switching to other providers (Xia et al. 2005) . Authenticity is an attribute that could be specifically relevant to ethnic restaurants. Authenticity refers to whether the food and ethnic origin. In other words, the environment and cuisines are not adjusted to meet local tastes and customers who are familiar with the culture of the ethnic origin can be judging its authenticity (Ebster and Guist 2006). Compared with Americans restaurants, ethnic restaurants usually make use of ethnic art, decor, music and customers. Some scholars even describe ethnic restaurants as cultural ambassadors of the home country and the dining experience in an ethnic as culinary tourism (Wood and Munoz, 2006). Summary Based on the literature review, this study investigated customer perception of Chinese restaurant in terms of food related attributes service related attributes, atmosphere related attributes and other attributes (price and authenticity), and identified the key attributes affecting customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions. Research Method Chapter: 3 Research Method Research Method Introduction: Methodology is the study of methods and it raises all sorts of philosophical questions about what it is possible for researcher to know and how valid their claims to knowledge might be (Fisher, 2007, p.40) The researcher has to consider the nature of the setting being studied or the ‘question being asked, as well as any possible limitations on the study, such as time and resources. Resources may be human being or monetary resources, or research tools such as computers or computer assisted telephone interviewing laboratories. There also needs to be to be a match between the study topic and methodology. For example, a research question that seeks to determine the size of the visiting friends and relatives market in an area would use a quantitative methodology, not a qualitative methodology, because the focus is on quantification. A methodology is a systematic and orderly approach taken towards the collection and analysis of data so that information can be obtained from those data. Data are raw, specific, undigested and therefore largely meaningless; information, in contrast, is what you get when data have been arranged in such a way that uncertainty is lessened, queries resolved, and questions answered. In the words of Jankowicz (2005, p.220) â€Å"Everything you do in your empirical work should be directed to the one end of gathering and presenting data from which information can be easily and simply derived†. Veal (2006, p. 125) The research approach: The author will use primary sources in the dissertation. Two interviews will be conducted: with one member of Dancing Dragon, Teesside (one of manager ) with one regular customer of Dancing Dragon restaurant The two chosen people one from Dancing Dragon and another from a regular customer of Chinese restaurant. Therefore, that customer will be capable of answering all questions and give new examples. The experience for the author is important because the answers will be based on true stories, examples and theories that are necessary for the dissertation. The interviews will be done by email and telephone, which could give the author an opportunity to gain some extra information if the interview exceeds the prepared questions and some new information will come from the interviews. Practicality of research: The interviews are a very good research method and are also practical. The information gained in the process is something new because it is primary source, then from secondary source, which must be checked. Primary source data can help the help to avoid incorrect or approximate information to learn and present further on, there is no need for the author to check it before including it in the dissertation. Also, Face to face interview can also help the author to conduct the interviews on time. The appointments must be made on time and dates are set, interviewees will not have chance to put off the interviews. Finally, it is an interesting process for the author. Sitting with a lot of books or magazine articles in the learning centre sometimes does not arise any interest in the author and the creativity in this case is poor, but to go out and to speak with people makes impressive ideas and final work can differ a lot. Five Codes of Ethics: The author of this dissertation will comply with five codes of ethics, and they will also be the limitations: will not collect information in such a way that participants are not aware of it will explain for what purpose information is required will choose to interview random individuals and will not exert pressure of any kind on them will not change information provided by participants will maintain confidentially at the request of participants The author will strictly follow the Five Codes of Ethics to avoid unnecessary misunderstanding that could develop between the author and interviewees. It is important to respect the interviewees wishes if they have them. It is the best way to say â€Å"Thank You† to respect for the time they have devoted and the knowledge for the author. Methodology: ‘Methodology is the philosophical framework with which the research is conducted or the foundation upon which the research is based. To word it differently, methodology is the rationale for the particular methods you use in your researching and in that type of research in general says Berman (2006, p. 12). That means that methodology is needed to provide the author with the means to find the research needed for the written dissertation. For the purpose of this research, the primary data will consist of two interviews and they will cover all three objectives, first, with one regular customer of ‘Dancing dragon restaurant and the second with one member of the Chinese restaurant. The interviews will be conducted through email and telephone , and will be formal. There will be 10 questions. The interviews will give advice from people who have substantial experience in the industry. Primary and Secondary Data: Data can be drawn from both primary and secondary sources. A secondary source of information already exists and has been gathered by someone else. Official statistics, previous studies, journal, magazine and newspapers articles are all sources of secondary information, and will be used in the research project for findings, analysis and recommendations. There are many styles of primary research experiments, ethnographic research and surveys. Bedford (2006, p.61) defines ‘primary data which comes from the source at the time of the event; it may be a report, newspaper article, film footage, or a live or recorded interview. That means that primary data are something that is not from sources that are already available to each student, but what he/she has studied or gained from the information by doing some research on his /her own. Many courses of study require students to engage in some form of primary research activity. In this dissertation, there will be questionnaires for people selected for the research. An advantage is that information which will be found is something new and unreached, but the limitations may be about the confidentiality of the interviewees if they ask for it. Quantitative and Qualitative Data: Quantitative data encompass a group of methods focusing on quantities and on numbers, ‘scientific research relies heavily on quantitative data. This means it focuses on changes or differences that can be measured. Standardised measurements are used such as number, time, weight, and length, says Cottrell (2008, p.206), so that results are easy to compare unbiased. This source of data is very important and is well appropriate for the project, but at the end ‘check and verify the results, looking for errors and odd results adds Moore (2006, p.139). However, qualitative research can also enhance the rigour and credibility of quantitative research. Qualitative research is ‘founded on the belief that social phenomenon (belief and experiences) can be explained with reference to the wider contexts of lived lives adds Burns (2008, p.231). He adopts the stance that people have knowledge of their own lives and that they can talk about those. Questionnaire and Interview Design: There are two types of interviews, which are classified according to the degree of flexibility. One is unstructured and the second one is structured. ‘The strength of unstructured interview is the almost complete freedom they provide in terms of content and structure. You may formulate questions and raise issues on the spur of the moment, depending upon what occurs to you in the context of the discussion explains Kumar (2005, p.123). A structured interview, continues Kumar (2005, p.126), is when ‘the researcher asks a predetermined set of questions, using the same wording and order of questions, using the same wording and order of questions as specified in the interview schedule is a written list of questions, open ended or close ended, prepared for use by an interviewer in a person to person interaction. In this project, there will be structured interviews with open ended questions, because there are only 20 questions to gain the information needed for the project. T his means that the research methods for this project are qualitative. Summary: Basically methodology is the rationale for the particular methods the researcher uses in the research to gather the needed information. For this report, author will obtain information from these methods primary Findings Chapter: 5 Research Findings Findings Introduction: Findings: Demographic profile of respondents: Source: mintel 2007 Table one show the results of the respondents demographic and dining profiles. Among the 284 valid respondents, females accounted for 52.5% of diners. The average respondent was 37 years old. The majority of respondents were Caucasian (60.2%), followed by Asian (32%) and other (7.8%). Respondents were most likely to go to a Chinese restaurant with their family (47.6%), followed by friends (27.1%) and relatives (15.2%) and were less likely to dine with business colleagues (2.1%) or by themsel Customer Satisfaction for Chinese Restaurants in the US Customer Satisfaction for Chinese Restaurants in the US Introduction: Aim of Project: Perception of Chinese restaurant in the U.S: What affects customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions? Objectives: To analyse the customers behavioural intentions for Chinese restaurant in U.S. To analyse the perception of Chinese restaurant in the U.S. To evaluate and analyse what affects customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions. The United States is a multicultural and multiethnic nation and this national trend of diversity is expected to consistently increase (Josiam and Monteiro, 2004; Sukalakamala and Boyce, 2007). One reflection of this cultural and ethnic diversity is the variety and prosperity of ethnic restaurants in the American foodservice market. The U.S. ethnic food market generates $75 billion in annual sales, around 65% of which is attributed to the foodservice industry (US ethnic food market, 2005). Yet, the fast growth of ethnic restaurants is not driven entirely by the growing number of new immigrants. In fact, 75% of ethnic food consumption comes from non-ethnic customers (US ethnic food market, 2005). As lifestyles change and dining out becomes more and more commonplace, many customers desire new flavours and experiences. Along with this popularity is the rapid development of Chinese restaurants. According to Chinese restaurants news (2007), there are about 43,139 Chinese restaurants in the United States, which is more than the total number of all McDonalds Wendys and burger king domestic outlets combined. Chinese restaurants generate over $17.5 billion annual sales, accounting for about one fourth of overall annual sales generated by ethnic restaurants in the U.S. (Chinese Restaurant News, 2007). Known for its good taste and great value for the price, Chinese cuisine is among the â€Å"big three† most popular ethnic cuisines in the U.S. food service market (National Restaurant association, 1995). It is estimated that 90% of the American population has tried Chinese food and 63% of Americans eat Chinese food each month (George, 2001). Facing more sophisticated American consumers and increasing competition in the restaurant industry, Chinese restaurants can no longer succeed by depending on good taste or low price alone. According to National Restaurant Association (2000a,b), due to an increased familiarity with ethnic food. American consumers attitudes toward ethnic cuisine have recently changed. Today, an exotic experience is not enough to attract consumers to an ethnic restaurant. Customers are no longer willing to trade off inferior service or atmosphere for an opportunity to try new flavours. They prefer an excellent overall dining experience. Moreover, Chinese restaurants are facing increasing challenges from other emerging Asian restaurants and from the changing tastes of American customers who prefer healthy or spicy food. Therefore, a better understanding of the key attributes influencing customer satisfaction and post dining behavioural intentions in Chinese restaurants will provide important practical implications for Chinese restaurants operators. Literature review: At all stages in the elaboration of a dissertation, the author must exert control over both the content and the way it is organised. The literature review is what shows that the author understand the chosen topic and keeps to the aim. ‘In researching for your dissertation or project, you will generally be expected to source material for yourself says MacMillan (2007, p.61). Meanwhile, Swetnam (2005, p.76) gives examples and his definition is that ‘the literature review is central to the dissertation and in all styles of work. It has a number of functions, for example, it shows that you have read widely around your chosen topic, it demonstrates your critical understanding of the theory; it informs and modifies your own research. White (2006, p.83) gives a newer definition that the literature review ‘will help you to discuss the dissertation in its relevant context, together with any theoretical frameworks which may be involved. It may also trigger your imagination an d help you set the work in a new and different light because the author learns and understands more, which can stimulate further analysis. Research Method: The researcher need way to get the data will be from books, magazines, newspaper and through internet. As there are so many websites, no. of books, newspaper and magazines from where researcher will get updated information regarding the research. Through qualitative method the researcher will be able to find out easier way for doing research and by getting direct information related with the research. And the other thing is that in qualitative method accuracy rate is good not all time but, mostly.Quantitative method also very helpful to do the research. Code of Ethics: The world tourism organisation developed a code of ethics. This is recognition of the need to enshrine many of the principles of global action on the environment and the rights of tourists and workers. The basic principles inherit in the code are: 2 Table of contents Implementation of the principles of the code of ethics of hospitality. Mutual understanding and respect between peoples and societies. Restaurant as a beneficial activity for host countries and communities. Summary: This work will introduced the conceptual issues associated with the research of â€Å"customer satisfaction from Chinese restaurant in US† and also demonstrate what is happening with people of the local community. Chapter: 2 Literature Review Literature Review: An Introduction At all stages in the elaboration of a dissertation, the author must exert control over both the content and the way it is organised. The literature review is what shows that the author understand the chosen topic and keeps to the aim. ‘In researching for your dissertation or project, you will generally be expected to source material for yourself says MacMillan (2007, p.61). Meanwhile, Swetnam (2005, p.76) gives examples and his definition is that ‘the literature review is central to the dissertation and in all styles of work. It has a number of functions, for example, it shows that you have read widely around your chosen topic, it demonstrates your critical understanding of the theory, it informs and modifies your own research. White (2006, p.83) gives a newer definition that the literature review ‘will help you to discuss the dissertation in its relevant context, together with any theoretical frameworks which may be involved. It may also trigger your imagination an d help you set the work in a new and different light because the author learns and understands more, which can stimulate further analysis. Chapter: 1 Ethnic cuisine development and Chinese restaurants in the US. In the past few decades, with the influx of new immigrants as well as diversifying tastes of Americans, ethnic foods have become widely available and increasingly popular in the U.S. food service market (Josiam and monteiro, 2004). Traditional ethnic cuisines such as Italian, Mexican and Cantonese Chinese have become so familiar to American customer that they are perceived as mainstream American foods (Mills, 2000). In the meanwhile, many emerging ethnic cuisines such as Caribbean, Mediterranean and Pan Asian have also gained wide acceptance in recent years (US ethnic food market, 2005). Chinese cuisine arrived in the U.S. with the first railroad construction workers brought over to the west coast of the U.S. in the nineteenth century (Freeman, 2008). From the first Cantonese style Chinese restaurant opened in San Francisco in 1849, it rapidly penetrated towns and cities all over the U.S. and became part of the American experience (Chen and Bowen, 2001). Cantonese style cuisine, characterised by its light sweet and sour flavours, is the most popular Chinese cuisine in the U.S. In the recent years, other styles of Chinese cuisine have also become familiar to American customers, such as Szechwan, Hunan and Mandarin styles. The first two styles are famous for their hot and spicy flavours, while the last one is characterised by light, elegant and mildly seasoned foods (George, 2001). According to the National Restaurant Association (1995), customer perceived Chinese cuisine as a great value for the price, good for carryout, rich in flavour and difficult to prepare at hom e. Although there a few Chinese restaurant chains operating in the U.S. such as P. F. Changs China Bistro and Panda Express, most Chinese restaurant has a Chinese name outside, is decorated with Chinese styled pictures and artifacts, such as Chinese brush landscape paintings red lanterns, offers a menu printed in both Chinese and English, and provides Chinese characterised tableware, such as chopsticks and Chinese restaurants have been facing intense competition among themselves due to fast development and expansion in the U.S., as well as from other emerging Asian restaurants such as Indian, Japanese, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese ( Jang et al., 2009). Thus, maintaining customer satisfaction and repeat patronage may be more important for Chinese restaurants than ever before. Chapter: 2 Customer satisfaction and related theories The topic of â€Å"customer satisfaction† has held a significant position in the marketing literature over the decades since satisfied customers can be generate long-term benefits for companies, including customer loyalty and sustained profitability (Homburg et al., 2006). Researchers have explained the mechanism of customer satisfaction with number of distinct theories, such as expectancy-disconfirmation theory (Oliver, 1981), contrast theory (Howard and Sheth, 1969), assimilation or cognitive dissonance theory (Anderson, 1973), equity theory (Oliver and Swan, 1989), and value percept theory (Westbrook and Reilly, 1983). Among them, the most widely accepted theory is the expectancy disconfirmation theory. According to this theory, customers satisfaction judgements are the results of comparisons between customers expectations and perceived performance. If the perceived performance exceeds the expectation, the expectation is positively disconfirmed and the customer is satisfie d. On the contrary, if the perceived performance falls short of the expectation, the expectation is negatively disconfirmed and the customer is dissatisfied. Another influential theory for customer satisfaction is the equity theory. This theory suggests that satisfaction occurs when customers perceived that they have obtained more benefits compared to their cost (e.g. money, time and effort) and perceived value is an appropriate factor in measuring satisfaction (Oliver and Swan, 1989; Yuan and Jang, 2008). Another commonly used theory, the three factor theory, provides a basic explanation for the structure of customer satisfaction. This theory claims that three independent satisfaction factors influence customer satisfaction in different ways (Kano, 1984; Matzler and Sauerwein, 2002). Basic factors are minimum requirement for satisfaction. Failure to fulfil the minimum requirements causes dissatisfaction, whereas fulfilling or exceeding them does not necessarily lead to satisfaction. Excitement factors increase customer satisfaction if delivered but do not cause dissatisfaction if not delivered. Performance factors lead to satisfaction if performance is high and to dissatisfaction if performance is low (Fuller and Matzler, 2008). This theory has been validated empirical studies (e.g. Fuchs, 2004; Matzler et al., 2006) and could provide an additional perspective for understanding the effects of restaurant attributes on customer satisfaction. Basic factors can be seen as the prerequisite s for the satisfaction, signifying that customer take that for granted. Performance factors are a critical competitive area and directly related to customers explicit needs and wants. Excitement factors are unexpected by customers, so they can be a â€Å"surprise gift† that generates extra delight (Fuller and Matzler, 2008). Chapter: 3 Behavioural Intentions Behavioural intention can be defined as the degree to which a person has formulated conscious plans to perform or not perform some specified future behaviour (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980). According to the theory of reasoned action (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975), behavioural intention is the motivational component of a volitional behavioural and is highly correlated with behaviour itself (Jang and Feng, 2007). Although there are still arguments about the level of correlation between behavioural intentions and actual actions, it seems to be generally agreed that behavioural intention is a reasonable variable for predicting future behaviour (Quelette and Wood, 1988). Thus, a good understanding of the determinants of favourable post-dinning behavioural intentions such as saying positive things about the restaurant, recommending the restaurant to others, and repeat purchasing can provide practical guidance for restaurant practitioners. Another construct that is highly related to behavioural intentions is customer satisfaction. It is regarded as one of the key antecedents of post purchase behavioural intentions because customer satisfaction has a positive effect on the customers attitude towards the product or service and can reinforce the customers conscious effort to purchase the product or service again in the future (Oliver, 1989, 1999). However, previous studies have also suggested that factors that influence customer satisfaction are not always in accordance with factors influencing customer behavioural intention, for example, Sulek and Hensley (2004) found that food, atmosphere, and fairness of the seating order were all significant predictors of a customers overall dining satisfaction, but only food quality predicted post-dining behavioural intention. In examining food quality in restaurants, Namkung and Jang (2007) reported that food temperature had a significant effect on customer satisfaction but no effec t on behavioural intention. Conversely, healthy options were a direct determinant of behavioural intentions but did not influence customer satisfaction. Therefore, there is a practical need to investigate the effects of restaurant attributes on both customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions. Chapter: 4 Factors influencing customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions in restaurants Reuland et al. (1985) suggested that hospitality services consist of a harmonious mixture of three elements: the material product, the behaviour and attitude of the employees, and the environment. Berry et al. (2002) also proposed three categories of cues that present themselves in the service experience: functional cues (technical quality of service), mechanic cues (nonhuman elements in the service environment) and humanic cues (behaviour of service employees). Based on these propositions, the basic restaurant attributes can be said to be include food, service and environment. Though a literature review of dining satisfaction and behaviour intention, all three basic elements were found to directly or indirectly contribute to customers overall satisfaction with a restaurant experience and their post dining behavioural intentions. Chapter: 5 Food Quality As the core product of a restaurant, food plays a pivotal role in the restaurant experience. Food quality has been generally accepted as major factor influencing customer satisfaction and post dining behavioural intention. For example, Dube et al. (1994) measured the relative importance of seven restaurant attributes in repeat purchase intention in an upscale restaurant setting and found that food quality was far more important to restaurant customers than all others attributes, Sulek and Hensley (2004) investigated the relative importance of food and physical setting, and service in a full-service restaurant and found that food quality was the most important factor influencing satisfaction and the only factor predicting behavioural intention. Namkung and Jang (2007) evaluated the relationship of individual attributes that constitute food quality (e.g. food presentation, menu variety, healthy options, taste, food freshness and temperature) with customer satisfaction and behavioural i ntentions. The findings indicated that food presentation, taste and temperature were significantly related to customer satisfaction whereas food presentation, taste and healthy options (instead of temperature) were significant predictors of behavioural intention. Besides the above- mentioned six individual attributes, â€Å"food safety† is also an important cue for evaluating food quality. â€Å"Although food-safety defects are not always immediately apparent, customers do tend to notice undercooked food, food with an off taste, or foreign material in their food† (Sulek and Hensley, 2004). Thus, food may serve as the most basic and lowest standard when judging quality. Service Quality: In the service literature, perceived service quality is defined as the customers judgement of the overall excellence or superiority of the service (Zeithaml, 2008). It is the customers subjective evaluation, resulting from a comparison of expectations and perceived performance. SERVQUAL (Parasuraman et al, 2008) is the instrument most often used for measuring perceived service quality in the marketing literature. It consists of five service dimension, namely, tangibles (physical facilities, equipment, and appearance of personnel), reliability (ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately), and responsiveness (willingness to help customers and provide prompt service), assurance (knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence) and empathy (caring, individualized attention the firm provides its customers). To adapt SERVQUAL to the restaurant industry, Stevens et al. (2005) modified several items from the original SERVQUAL and d eveloped DINESERV to measure perceived service quality in restaurants. In the restaurant industry, since customers not only evaluate the quality of food but also the service encounters during their dining experience, perceived service quality is seen as another core determinant of customers satisfaction and behavioural intention. For example Kivela et al. (2009) proposed a comprehensive model for dining satisfaction and return patronage. Their study indicated that the probability of return patronage was dependent on customers satisfaction with five aspects of a restaurant: first the last impressions, service quality, and ambience quality, food quality and feeling comfortable eating there and reservation and parking. Ladhari et al. (2008) investigated determinants of dining satisfaction and post-dining behavioural intentions, and concluded that perceived service quality influenced customer satisfaction through both positive and negative emotions, Customer satisfaction, in turn, influ enced recommendations, customer loyalty and willingness to pay more. Their results suggested that compared with food quality/reliability, physical design and price, service responsiveness was the most important contributor to customer satisfaction. ATMOSPHERICS Atmospherics is perceived as the quality of the surroundings space. According to Kotler (2006) it is the conscious designing of space to produce specific emotional effects in buyers that enhance their purchase probability. Atmospherics is made up of a set of elements, such as music, lighting, colour and scent. Research in environmental psychology has suggested that atmospherics has a powerful impact on peoples emotions, attitude and behaviour. Mehrabian and Russell (2005) first introduced a theoretical model to explain the impact of environmental stimuli on individual behaviour. The model claims that the physical environment could influence peoples emotional response (such as pleasure and arousal), which in turn elicits approach or avoidance behaviour toward the environment. The model has gained consistent support from the numerous empirical studies in different service settings, such as retail stores and hotels (Baker and Cameroon, 2006). In the restaurant context, Ryu and Jang (2007) explored the combined effect of multiple atmospheric variables on behavioural intentions in upscale restaurants. Their findings supported that ambience (example music, aroma, and temperature) and employee appearance had the most important influence n customers post dining behavioural intentions. OTHER FACTORS-PRICE FAIRNESS AND AUTHENCITY Besides food, service and atmospherics, perceived price fairness could be another factor that influences the customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions (Bei and Chiao, 2007). It is based on consumer internal reference prices, which could be generated by the last price paid, the price most frequently paid and the market prices in similar transactions (Kahneman et al.2006). This principle posits that firms are entitled to a reasonable profit and customers are entitled to a reasonable price. An increase in price is preserved to be fair if it is due to a cost increase. Otherwise, it is preserved to be unfair if the price is increased without any underlying cost increase. Perceived fairness of price is found to be positively related to customer satisfaction and loyalty (Bei and Chiao, 2007), whereas perceived unfairness of price can lead to immediate negative attitudinal and behavioural responses such as dissatisfaction, complaining and switching to other providers (Xia et al. 2005) . Authenticity is an attribute that could be specifically relevant to ethnic restaurants. Authenticity refers to whether the food and ethnic origin. In other words, the environment and cuisines are not adjusted to meet local tastes and customers who are familiar with the culture of the ethnic origin can be judging its authenticity (Ebster and Guist 2006). Compared with Americans restaurants, ethnic restaurants usually make use of ethnic art, decor, music and customers. Some scholars even describe ethnic restaurants as cultural ambassadors of the home country and the dining experience in an ethnic as culinary tourism (Wood and Munoz, 2006). Summary Based on the literature review, this study investigated customer perception of Chinese restaurant in terms of food related attributes service related attributes, atmosphere related attributes and other attributes (price and authenticity), and identified the key attributes affecting customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions. Research Method Chapter: 3 Research Method Research Method Introduction: Methodology is the study of methods and it raises all sorts of philosophical questions about what it is possible for researcher to know and how valid their claims to knowledge might be (Fisher, 2007, p.40) The researcher has to consider the nature of the setting being studied or the ‘question being asked, as well as any possible limitations on the study, such as time and resources. Resources may be human being or monetary resources, or research tools such as computers or computer assisted telephone interviewing laboratories. There also needs to be to be a match between the study topic and methodology. For example, a research question that seeks to determine the size of the visiting friends and relatives market in an area would use a quantitative methodology, not a qualitative methodology, because the focus is on quantification. A methodology is a systematic and orderly approach taken towards the collection and analysis of data so that information can be obtained from those data. Data are raw, specific, undigested and therefore largely meaningless; information, in contrast, is what you get when data have been arranged in such a way that uncertainty is lessened, queries resolved, and questions answered. In the words of Jankowicz (2005, p.220) â€Å"Everything you do in your empirical work should be directed to the one end of gathering and presenting data from which information can be easily and simply derived†. Veal (2006, p. 125) The research approach: The author will use primary sources in the dissertation. Two interviews will be conducted: with one member of Dancing Dragon, Teesside (one of manager ) with one regular customer of Dancing Dragon restaurant The two chosen people one from Dancing Dragon and another from a regular customer of Chinese restaurant. Therefore, that customer will be capable of answering all questions and give new examples. The experience for the author is important because the answers will be based on true stories, examples and theories that are necessary for the dissertation. The interviews will be done by email and telephone, which could give the author an opportunity to gain some extra information if the interview exceeds the prepared questions and some new information will come from the interviews. Practicality of research: The interviews are a very good research method and are also practical. The information gained in the process is something new because it is primary source, then from secondary source, which must be checked. Primary source data can help the help to avoid incorrect or approximate information to learn and present further on, there is no need for the author to check it before including it in the dissertation. Also, Face to face interview can also help the author to conduct the interviews on time. The appointments must be made on time and dates are set, interviewees will not have chance to put off the interviews. Finally, it is an interesting process for the author. Sitting with a lot of books or magazine articles in the learning centre sometimes does not arise any interest in the author and the creativity in this case is poor, but to go out and to speak with people makes impressive ideas and final work can differ a lot. Five Codes of Ethics: The author of this dissertation will comply with five codes of ethics, and they will also be the limitations: will not collect information in such a way that participants are not aware of it will explain for what purpose information is required will choose to interview random individuals and will not exert pressure of any kind on them will not change information provided by participants will maintain confidentially at the request of participants The author will strictly follow the Five Codes of Ethics to avoid unnecessary misunderstanding that could develop between the author and interviewees. It is important to respect the interviewees wishes if they have them. It is the best way to say â€Å"Thank You† to respect for the time they have devoted and the knowledge for the author. Methodology: ‘Methodology is the philosophical framework with which the research is conducted or the foundation upon which the research is based. To word it differently, methodology is the rationale for the particular methods you use in your researching and in that type of research in general says Berman (2006, p. 12). That means that methodology is needed to provide the author with the means to find the research needed for the written dissertation. For the purpose of this research, the primary data will consist of two interviews and they will cover all three objectives, first, with one regular customer of ‘Dancing dragon restaurant and the second with one member of the Chinese restaurant. The interviews will be conducted through email and telephone , and will be formal. There will be 10 questions. The interviews will give advice from people who have substantial experience in the industry. Primary and Secondary Data: Data can be drawn from both primary and secondary sources. A secondary source of information already exists and has been gathered by someone else. Official statistics, previous studies, journal, magazine and newspapers articles are all sources of secondary information, and will be used in the research project for findings, analysis and recommendations. There are many styles of primary research experiments, ethnographic research and surveys. Bedford (2006, p.61) defines ‘primary data which comes from the source at the time of the event; it may be a report, newspaper article, film footage, or a live or recorded interview. That means that primary data are something that is not from sources that are already available to each student, but what he/she has studied or gained from the information by doing some research on his /her own. Many courses of study require students to engage in some form of primary research activity. In this dissertation, there will be questionnaires for people selected for the research. An advantage is that information which will be found is something new and unreached, but the limitations may be about the confidentiality of the interviewees if they ask for it. Quantitative and Qualitative Data: Quantitative data encompass a group of methods focusing on quantities and on numbers, ‘scientific research relies heavily on quantitative data. This means it focuses on changes or differences that can be measured. Standardised measurements are used such as number, time, weight, and length, says Cottrell (2008, p.206), so that results are easy to compare unbiased. This source of data is very important and is well appropriate for the project, but at the end ‘check and verify the results, looking for errors and odd results adds Moore (2006, p.139). However, qualitative research can also enhance the rigour and credibility of quantitative research. Qualitative research is ‘founded on the belief that social phenomenon (belief and experiences) can be explained with reference to the wider contexts of lived lives adds Burns (2008, p.231). He adopts the stance that people have knowledge of their own lives and that they can talk about those. Questionnaire and Interview Design: There are two types of interviews, which are classified according to the degree of flexibility. One is unstructured and the second one is structured. ‘The strength of unstructured interview is the almost complete freedom they provide in terms of content and structure. You may formulate questions and raise issues on the spur of the moment, depending upon what occurs to you in the context of the discussion explains Kumar (2005, p.123). A structured interview, continues Kumar (2005, p.126), is when ‘the researcher asks a predetermined set of questions, using the same wording and order of questions, using the same wording and order of questions as specified in the interview schedule is a written list of questions, open ended or close ended, prepared for use by an interviewer in a person to person interaction. In this project, there will be structured interviews with open ended questions, because there are only 20 questions to gain the information needed for the project. T his means that the research methods for this project are qualitative. Summary: Basically methodology is the rationale for the particular methods the researcher uses in the research to gather the needed information. For this report, author will obtain information from these methods primary Findings Chapter: 5 Research Findings Findings Introduction: Findings: Demographic profile of respondents: Source: mintel 2007 Table one show the results of the respondents demographic and dining profiles. Among the 284 valid respondents, females accounted for 52.5% of diners. The average respondent was 37 years old. The majority of respondents were Caucasian (60.2%), followed by Asian (32%) and other (7.8%). Respondents were most likely to go to a Chinese restaurant with their family (47.6%), followed by friends (27.1%) and relatives (15.2%) and were less likely to dine with business colleagues (2.1%) or by themsel