Application of Logic in Everyday Living

Numerous parts of science can be Involved and applied In our falter life, even the expansive investigation of rationale likewise are incorporated to our regular living, it is a thinking of life flow to improve and investigate. Fundamentally, person is the most impressive animal on earth that controls deferent physical, mental physiological, mental and scholarly inclinations. A demonstrated ability of an individual to make his condition change as indicated by what he/she plans, or we can say to Innovate and advance practical things to make work, to develop, to process and to develop.Considering that current occasions, assessments, and data are associated with which ordinary self-restraint or circumstance to our condition gets influenced. Living in a world loaded with difficulties is a wide demonstration of adjusting and acclimating to different states of how to live, languish endure and overcome planning over death, beginning of a fresh start, any expectations of those sad, being soli d from frail, living and passing on In numerous reasons, sharing life to other people, remembering good fortune you have, and making preferred position and accomplishments, are only instances of how we arrangement to keep us alive.As singular holder, the world likewise gone changes from its structure, structure and development. It is Just a matter of getting negative or idealistic. There are various degrees of seeing how individuals change or possibly how the world change. Some answer, that history rehashes itself, a piece of the new age, obtaining of incredible humanity, settling on decisions for a superior living. Well†¦ Being ready to ‘predict' how frameworks and individuals (which are a lot of the equivalent truly) will act in specific conditions and circumstances is a helpful expertise to have.In antiquated occasions picture you are finding your way through a scene and you gone to a did no chance to get round (in sight) well from the consistent viewpoint you see it l ike this 1 how profound Is the void 2 how far would i be able to Jump 3 will I make the Jump dependent on that estimation/experience? On the off chance that you didn't have rationale, at that point you would Just hop and trust in the best†¦ Welch Is the attitude a dreadful parcel of individuals appear to utilize when settling on choices now†¦ Look at the preeminent emergency! Obviously having an excess of Logic is the flip side.Imagine not going out in light of the fact that insights disclose to you that % of individuals get run over, shot, wounded, assaulted, snatched, struck by lightning, slaughtered by flying debris†¦ Etc†¦ , well rationale would let you know Don't go out It more secure in here! So rationale Is Like hypothesis and afterward there is practically speaking which is generally marginally unique. Generally you would prefer not to be excessively legitimate, or excessively imaginative, which Is the reason a great many people have an extent of bothâ₠¬ ¦ Nature expected it that path for an awesome reason.ANSWER Logic: points of view are explained, the utilization of rationale empowers thought of every single accessible alternative for conclusion and activity, and diminishes the influential intensity of prominent attitude; Because accessible choices have been genuinely thought of, the utilization of rationale improves the probability that ensuing suppositions and activities will hold fast most near reality. Adherence to reality, while some of the time excruciating, is the human condition bound to prompt good results much of the time. Thusly, rationale's pertinence to regular daily existence is that its utilization improves the probability of acceptable results in the everyday choices every individual makes. Russian's Logic is the capacity of thinking your decisions, to analyze the outcome of each accessible activity and afterward pick the best one. It has been demonstrated that a basic rodent has fundamental rationale, Scientists made a machine that would make two sorts of sounds: a long blare and a short beep.They likewise gave the rodent three little switches to pull, Lever 1 and switch 2 and switch 3. At the point when the researchers played a long solid or short stable, the rodent would get took care of a lot of good food on the off chance that it pulled the right relating switch to the sound played, left switch for long blare, right switch for short signal, if the rodent pulled the center switch, it would get took care of some food, yet not so much, regardless of what sound was played. In the event that the at pulled the erroneous switch, it would not get took care of anything for a while.The rodent in the long run got on that in the event that it pulled the right switch it would show signs of improvement food, so it began pulling the right switches. At some point, to test the rodents rationale capacities, the researchers chose to play a wide range of sounds, long short long short, to perceive what the rodent would do. The rodent had the option to consider his decisions, he decided to pull the center switch, and he took the limited quantity of food since he realized it was the best choice.The rodent would prefer not take a risk at passing up his food. Without rationale, everyone would act right away on their feelings, in this manner settling on numerous extreme decisions, without rationale there would be more lawbreakers, for instance: you get your sweetheart or beau undermining you, you have huge amounts of decisions you can make now A. A few people Just cut off the association and leave B. A few people may attempt to discuss it C. Sign individuals may even accomplish something terrible like assault someone Without rationale, the vast majority would presumably Just assault someone now since they didn't consider which decision was ideal, clearly either An or B is a dissuade decision than C, but since you were furious, you didn't utilize rationale, and Just picked. Envision if eve ryone picked alternative C for the entirety of their decisions? Life would be a great deal more awful than it is now.Without rationale, life would be disorder, without rationale, the rodent would starve ANN. Answer Logic, is a deductive thinking that outcomes when the human mind figures the most levelheaded and worthy result of some random circumstance and perceives that answer as the most productive, and therefore the most two gatherings; reasonable or unreasonable, instinctual or improve, enthusiastic or consistent. Enthusiastic reactions will in general be the most grounded want at the time, when followed results like violations of enthusiasm or snapshots of extraordinary passion.I will in general imagine that following up on a passionate worldview feels much improved, and will in general be additionally fulfilling however it likewise will in general go before more peril. Legitimate reactions happen when the individual glances at a circumstance from an outsider and perceives the ethical commitment or bigger segment of conclusion that would objectively choose the right choice. Why rationale is so applicable to regular day to day existence is a troublesome inquiry. I trust it originates from a characteristic unman want to help bolster a social gathering and in this way keep everybody content.

Climatic Change And Its Effect On Society free essay sample

Article, Research Paper Climatic Change and Its Consequence on Society There has been a significant climatic change that has taken topographic point all through the mature ages on Earth. These changes have affected society in more than one way. Be that as it may, there is nil society can make about the drawn out impacts of climatic modifications. Society has would in general go to the momentary impacts of climatic adjustments that impact the planetary temperatures inside the life expectancy of present coevalss. The accompanying will demo how climatic adjustments does outcome society, health, and monetary sciences. Society depends a clump on normal assets for grouped aspects. First of all, general public relies for the most part upon woods to give trees which in twist flexibly wood for building. Different assets incorporate oil and quicken creatures ( livestock ) . In the point of convergence of wood, there is the Western Canadian Boreal Forest which is a major maker of wood for the United States building industry. We will compose a custom exposition test on Climatic Change And Its Effect On Society or then again any comparable subject explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page Nonetheless, climatic adjustments has had enormous and affecting consequences for the structure business. Contrasted with eastern Canada, the southern boreal backwoods part of western Canada has a relatively dry clime. Along these lines, dry season impacts are one of the major concerns being tended to by inquire about specialists in this part. clime modelers have anticipated a major expansion in temperature for this part, which could take to considerably drier conditions and colossal emphasiss on vegetation in the western Canadian boreal wood. This kind of effect was watched following the 1988 drouth it encounters, when there was a bite the dust back of aspen over expanded nations of the aspen parkland in Western Canada. Related with this drouth was a evaporating of enormous lakes in the part. Another conceivable effect for the part is a significant expansion in woodland fires. This is because of the way that fire frequence is firmly connected to wet degrees which are relied upon to lessen under climatic change. In this way, it is seen that with expanded climatic adjustment the from now on that this wood has in giving timber is lessening, and the building industry will go up against a little downside because of this. In this it is seen that, with a disadvantage in the structure business # 8217 ; s final result, will other than outcome the monetary framework and society. The monetary framework will outcome society and the decreasing in final result implies a reducing in occupations, which in outcome wounds society. In opposition to the representation of the forested areas in Canada, is the data found on its agribusiness. Since mean temperatures are relied upon to increment more close to the shafts than close to the equator, the uprooting in climatic zones will be progressively set apart in the higher scopes. In the mid-scope parts ( 45 # 8211 ; 60 scope ) , the uprooting is required to be around 200-300 kilomete R for each degree Celsius of warming. Since today # 8217 ; s latitudinal clime belts are each ideal for impossible to miss harvests, such removals could hold a ground-breaking sway on agrarian and domesticated animals creation. For delineation, in the Canadian prairies, the turning season may protract by 10 yearss for each 1oC expansion in mean one-year temperature. Another delineation ( Taken from beginnings on the net ) is the effect of clime modification on H2O. Presently, H2O is a perseverance of world, by and large, however about for all life. Consequently, if H2O was affected by climatic adjustments, so would society, health, each piece great as monetary sciences be affected by climatic adjustments. In nations where clime adjustment causes diminished precipitation, freshwater stockpiling volunteer armies, predominantly in the signifier of groundwater, will consistently wilt. Zones where more precipitation was non coordinated by expanded vaporization would see immersions what's more, higher lake and waterway degrees. An expansion in most extreme occasions, for example, drouths what's more, immersions would undermine the reliability of numerous basic beginnings. Reduced snow growth in winter would chop down the spring run-off that can be basic to topping off lakes and streams ; a 10 % reduction in precipitation and a 1-2oC ascent in temperature could chop down run-off by 40-70 % in desiccant bowls. Declining drouths joined with the over-abuse of H2O assets would do salt to drain from the earth, along these lines raising the salt of the unsaturated zone ( the bed between the land and the certain in H2O plain cluster ) . In seaside zones, a brought down H2O plain cluster would other than pull salt-water from the ocean in the new groundwater. At a similar clasp, higher degrees of C dioxide in the atmosphere are relied upon to better the effectiveness of photosynthesis in workss, which could in twist cause progressively fast evapo-transpiration. Together, these various impacts would hold exceptionally negative impacts for stream water partings, lake degrees, springs, and different beginnings of new water. As it is found in the data discovered, such impacts would in world outcome society, agribusiness, and monetary sciences. Society, would hold lower degrees of new water, agribusiness would other than have lower degrees of new water to keep going on. Along these lines, the financial framework would be affected since more work will require to be implemented to recover the beginnings of new water, or happen more. It very well may be seen through these old outlines, that society is affected by arranged signifiers of climatic adjustment. Along these lines, if society is affected, so is the wellbeing of individuals inside the general public, and monetary sciences is other than affected. It on a very basic level resembles a nonstop cadence that continues with a connection between climatic changes and the impacts it has on society, health, and monetary sciences.

5 States Where People Need to Watch Out for Predatory Title Loans

5 States Where People Need to Watch Out for Predatory Title Loans 5 States Where People Need to Watch Out for Predatory Title Loans 5 States Where People Need to Watch Out for Predatory Title LoansTitle loans are illegal in many states, but where they are allowed they can all too easily trap borrowers into a predatory cycle of high-interest debt.When it comes to taking out a bad credit loan or no credit check loan, your options are going to depend on where you live. These small-dollar cash advance products are regulated at the state levelâ€"with municipal governments occasionally adding their own regulations on top!Now, not all bad credit loans are dangerous. Some, like bad credit installment loans  in particular, can be a great way to bridge financial shortfalls or cover an unforeseen bill. But one of the most dangerous kinds of no credit check loans, ones that you should do everything in your power to avoid, are title loans.These loans are secured by the title to your car or truck, which means that failing to pay the loan back will almost certainly result in your vehicle being repossessed! Title loans also come with ludicrously high interest rates, which can leave borrowers stuck between a rock and a hard place.But that’s why we’re here! We did some digging to find the areas in the U.S. where predatory title lenders tend to thrive. And if you live in one of these five states, make sure you do everything you can to avoid taking out a risky, expensive title loan. They’re just not worth it!1. AlabamaAlabama is quite the hunting ground for predatory car title lenders. With no restrictions on maximum loan limits and annual percentage rates (APRs) as high as 300 percent, it’s a place where they can make a lot of money. By one estimate, Alabama title lenders rake in over $356 million per year in fees.Maybe this is why Alabama has more title loan locations than any other state in the union. With a total of 627 locations, there is one title loan issued in Alabama for every 5,427 residents. Even in other states where predatory title lending runs rampant, you won’t see numbers like that.Ti tle lenders in Alabama are classified as pawnbrokers, which means that their loans are subject to the state’s Pawn Shop Act. As such, title loans are made for an initial 30-day term with a maximum interest rate of 25 percent.If the lender doesn’t receive payment within that 30-day period, another 30-day redemption period begins. Customers are faced with paying an additional interest fee to roll over the loan or have their car repossessed and sold to pay their debt. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), one in five title loan borrowers has their vehicle repossessed.Lastly, Alabama is one of the two states in the whole country (the other being Georgia) where lenders are allowed to keep all the proceeds from the sale of a repossessed vehicle. So if the vehicle being sold nets more than the borrower owed on their loan, they’re out of luck. To learn more about predatory lending in the  state, check out our subprime report on payday and title lending in Alaba ma.2. MississippiThere may not be nearly as many title loan locations in Mississippi as there are in neighboring Alabama (355 storefronts to 672), but Mississippi title lenders still seem to do pretty well for themselves to the tune of over $297 million in fees per year.Title lending in Mississippi was greatly expanded in 2016 when the Mississippi Senate passed a bill allowing payday lenders and check cashing stores to offer car title loans as well. According to data from the Center for Responsible Lending and the Consumer Federation of America, there are 73,867 title loans issued annually in the state, which comes out to 208 loans per location.In the state of Mississippi, title loans are regulated under the Title Pledge Act, which sets a maximum loan amount of $2,500 and a maximum interest rate of 25 percent monthâ€"a rate comes out to 300 percent over the course of a full year.Under the Title Pledge Act, title loans in Mississippi are issued with a 30-day repayment term, and the b orrower can renew their loan term (i.e. get another 30 days to pay the loan back plus additional interest) if they pay 10 percent of the principal.That fee structure is one of the only positive things you’ll find regarding title loans in this state. Customers can still end up paying way more towards interest than the amount they originally borrowed, but requiring that these renewals go towards the principal loan amount helps slow the predatory debt cycleâ€"if only a little bit.The Center for Responsible Lending has also named Mississippi as one of the five states that together account for almost half of payday loan and title loan fees charged nationwide. In total, over $526 million in payday and title fees is drained from Mississippi borrowers annually.When you consider how many fewer people live in Mississippi compared to the other four states on that listâ€"Texas, California, Illinois, and Ohioâ€"the scope of the problem becomes clear. If you want to learn more about payday lend ing in Mississippi, check out our report on the state’s subprime lending industry.3. GeorgiaTitle loans in Georgia are a little more complicated than similar loans in Mississippi or Alabama. While title lenders in the state can charge a 25 percent monthly interest rate on their loan products, they can only do so for the first three months that the loan is outstanding.While Georgia title loans come with 30-day repayment terms, those terms can also be extended beyond that initial time frame. After three months, the monthly interest rate that title lenders can charge is cut in half, with a maximum charge of 12.5 percent per month. This means that title loans in Georgia come with a maximum APR of 187.5 percent.That’s much lower than the 300 percent APRs you’ll find on title loans in Alabama and Mississippi, but it still means that a borrower who took out a $1,000 title loan on their car would end up paying $1,875 in interest charges alone if they rolled it over for a full year.Plu s, there is still the threat of repossession. While title lenders in Georgia have to observe a 30-day grace period between when they repossess a vehicle during which the outstanding balance can be repaid, they still don’t have to share any proceeds with the original owner that exceed the amount owed. Oh, and they can also charge you a $250 fee for repossessing your vehicle.You can find out more in our Georgia subprime report.4. TexasOn the surface, title loans in Texas don’t seem to be that bad, as title lenders in the state are limited to a 10 percent monthly interest rate. While that works out to an APR of 120 percent, which is extremely highâ€"especially for a loan that’s secured by collateralâ€"it’s still a great deal less than the maximum APRs for title loans we talked about above.But there’s a loophole. While Texas auto title lenders have to observe a 10 percent cap on monthly interest, there are no caps to the amount of money they can charge in additional fees. This is why some title loans in the state have APRs as high as 1,000 percent!According to the Texas Fair Lending Alliance, there are no restrictions on how many times a Texas title loan can be rolled over (i.e. extended). However, a number of municipalities have moved to restrict or regulate title lending at the local level, including limiting the number of rollovers.Title loans drain over $432 million in fees from Texas borrowers every year. By exploiting multiple loopholes, these lenders have turned Texas into one of the largest title lending states in the entire nation. It really is the wild west of predatory lending.If you want to read more about payday and title lending in Texas, check out our subprime report for the state.5. VirginiaTechnically, Virginia shouldnt be on this list. Not because title lending isn’t a major problem there, but because it isn’t actually a stateâ€"it’s a commonwealth. Still, we guess we can make an exception.Like Georgia, Virginia title lenders have to abide by a sliding scale when it comes to charging interest. But whereas the Georgia scale is based on the length of time during which the loan is outstanding, Virginia’s is based on the amount that’s being borrowed.Title loans under $700 come with a maximum monthly interest charge of 22 percent while loans between $701 and $1,400 have a maximum monthly charge of 18 percent. And for title loans in Virginia with principals above $1,400, lenders can’t charge more than 15 percent a month.While this a small bit of a progress, it still means that title loans in Virginia come with APRs between 180 and 264 percent! And with a minimum loan term of four monthsâ€"with a maximum term of a yearâ€"this means that even the lowest rates really add up.A Virginian who borrowed $1,500 through a title loan would pay $900 in interest over four months and $2,700 over the course of a full year. Meanwhile, a Virginian who took out a $500 title loan would pay a minimum of $440 in interest and a m aximum of $1,320!With rates like that, it’s no surprise that these title loans can easily trap borrowers into a predatory cycle of debt, leaving them with the hard choice between forking over hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars in interest or having their vehicle repossessed.Check out our subprime report to find out more about payday and title lending in the stateâ€"sorry, “commonwealth”â€"of Virginia. And if you’re still curious about how title lending stacks up in other areas of the country, we suggest you also read our subprime reports for high-volume title lending states like Illinois, California, and Ohio.Here at the OppLoans Financial Sense blog, we like to help people steer clear of predatory loans. And the best way to do that is to improve your money management skills. To learn more about managing your finances, check out these related posts from OppLoans:Your Guide to Escaping a Debt TrapHow to Responsibly Maximize Your Credit Card Rewards8 Ways To Save Money To day, Tomorrow and Every Day AfterFrom Budget to Baller: 6 Tips to Grow Your MoneyWhat other questions do you have about title loans? We want to hear from you! You can find us  on  Facebook  and  Twitter.

This paper will demonstrate why Hume thinks accepting...

This paper will demonstrate why Hume thinks accepting testimony about a miracle is unreasonable and why he is incorrect. It will do so by first presenting Humes argument as to why miracles are improbable. Second it will present Humes four main justifications for not accepting miracles. Finally it will present how Humes justifications are incorrect. Hume believes that accepting testimony about miracles is unreasonable because there is no imperative reason to believe in miracles. Our knowledge of miracles comes from the testimony of others, and since this a second hand experience one should not regard it as reputable compared to ones own experiences. () Hume concludes that beliefs should be proportioned to evidence. ()Thus in cases†¦show more content†¦() Third he states that most descriptions of miracles comes from uneducated, barbarous people, who are not refined enough to not believe such an account. () He also states that civilized societies are not subjected to these fa lsehoods. Finally he states that every religion has their own accounts of micelles that not align with the miracles of other religions. () Each religion argues against each other and portrays other religions miracles as pharisees. The evidence of miracles counter other religions and dont correspond. () Therefore Hume concludes that there is no rational grounds onto which one could trust in miracles and that they are just based on religious faith, and not in reason. Hume is incorrect in his justifications of why accepting testimonies of miracles is unreasonable, because he presents a circular argument. Hume states that miracles have possibly not arisen because they are a infringement of past experiences, but they are only a violation because they have not occurred in the past.The Laws of nature are organized in a way that is based off of past experiences. Therefore if one has experienced miracles, it is then part of their past experiences, and most past experiences differ from one another. For example people open doors everyday, if someone always went through a door that said push and one day started going through a door that says pull, that would not be aShow MoreRelatedThe Love Of Love And Love1732 Words   |  7 Pagesstill today, love is one of the most talked about topics, from the media to our everyday lives. It is described as being one of the best feelings on earth, and one that many cannot live without. Being in love gives a feeling of purpose; something to live and strive for. Everyone in this world desires love in any form, whether it is with family, friends, or a romantic partner. It is a basic human need. Basic needs are said to motivate people when they are essentially unmet. When love and affectionRead MoreLove And Love : My Love Of Love724 Words   |  3 Pagesthis did not stop me, and I continued my kindergarten career chasing after a boy in my class, making him hold my hand every time we went to recess. 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The Past, Present and Future of Labor Unions Essay

ABSTRACT: Labor Unions have become an important factor in our industries. For many years, labor unions have served as the main voice of the workers to their employers. The continuous effort of labor unions in helping the laborers ensure their rights in their jobs, acquire all the benefits they need and to eliminate the injustice experienced by workers in their workplace is still an ongoing process. In order to understand labor unions in general, knowing the roots of it is the best way to start. In this paper, the progress of the labor unions throughout history, the issues faced the developments it achieved, laws passed and the problem faced by today’s unions will be tackled. Table of Contents I.†¦show more content†¦By following the chronological timeline of how unions emerge and develop into what they have become today, it is easier to understand its concept of unions and the problems it faced during the era of modern industries. Looking up where unions actually originated can be traced back to the early history of America. Throughout time, unions did their best in acquiring the rights needed by their members and having a power in the workplace. The events that labor unions have participated and contributed a lot in the history of the United States. The first workers who fought for their rights did play a very important role in America’s fight for independence. Carpenters disguised as Mohawk Indians were the active participants at the Boston Tea Party in 1773. Also, the Declaration of Independence was signed by the Continental Congress who met in Carpenters Hall in Philadelphia during 1776. 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Although Union labor had its shortcomings, this typeRead MoreThe Decline Of Private Union1291 Words   |  6 Pagesbrought about the concept of, and formed, unions: organizations meant to protect workers from unfair working conditions and fight for better pay. Unions fought for their workers with the notion that labor is not just a product to be sold, bought and interchanged, but a service given to the employee that allowed them certain entitlements. The history of Unions in America is one with strong beginnings, to what seems to be volati le future. The decline of private union sectors have have many possible factorsRead MoreThe Labor Relations Act Of The Senate1630 Words   |  7 Pagesthan ever. Organizations need unions to survive and a process to keep them. Under the present conditions, unions need to embrace revolutionary change. 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Unions are important in today’s society because checks and balances are necessary entities in business and government, so if CEOs are just focusing on themselvesRead MoreThe Importance Of Labor And Labor Unions1125 Words   |  5 PagesImportance of Labor and Labor unions 1800-1900) Prior to the American Civil War in 1861 much of American workforce was completed by slaves brought from Africa. Slave labor was used mostly in southern agriculture. Working conditions for slaves were dismal at best with inadequate housing, lack of food, resources and broken families. The quality of life for slaves was seldom taken into account by slave owners as slaves were seen as property rather than people or employees. After the Unions victory howeverRead MoreA Brief Look at Terrence Vincent Powderly1461 Words   |  6 Pagesyears later, at the age of 17, Powderly become a machinist and pursued that line of work for eleven years. In 1871 Powderly joined the Machinists’ and Blacksmith’s Union and a year later was appointed the organization’s president. A few years later in 1874 Powderly joined another secretive organization named the Knights of Labor. He quickly progressed into a leadership role as Corresponding Secretary. In February of 1878 Powderly w as elected for his first of three terms as Mayor of ScrantonRead MoreThe History of the Labor Movement up to the Present1565 Words   |  7 Pageshistory of the Labor Movement up to the present. Labor Unions were made to help the worker. The first know labor union was in New York in 1768 when New York Journeymen protested wage agreements (History.com Staff). Then later in 1794 a bunch of journeymen otherwise known as shoemakers formed together to form what was the first known Union (History.com Staff). Labor Unions actually started with skilled workers. Not many factory workers were part of a union. One of the most famous Labor Unions is knownRead MoreThe Need For Advanced Training and Education Within Unions1194 Words   |  5 Pagesof top priority in every union? First of all let’s take a moment and think back to when you were an infant. Imagine as an infant you were born with no one to instruct you in your â€Å"trial and error† learning process. What happens? You have just been set up for failure; and with enough failures, comes extinction. Ok, now let’s bring you back from being an infant and back into the present. Imagine now you have been a â€Å"rank and file† union member for several years. Your union is about to hold electionsRead MoreStarbucks : Good Reputation As An Organization1395 Words   |  6 Pagesthree decades, cases were rare in which Starbucks was accused publicly of mistreating its workers, despite that the company’s workers had a union meant to advocate for better conditions and terms prior to 1987. However, numerous cases have emerged in which the company has been sued for treating workers unfairly since establishment of Starbucks Workers Union (SWU) in 2004. SWU has been the main force behind suing Starbucks for any incidence that the company is deemed to treat workers in an unfair

Types of Leaders Free Essays

Knowing your management type can help you change it if necessary, as certain circumstances may call for such a shift. Below we discuss five of the most common types of managers. While most entrepreneurs might relate to one type, the Ideal manager should be able to move from one to another as the situation warrants. We will write a custom essay sample on Types of Leaders or any similar topic only for you Order Now Keep reading to learn which style is right for specific situations and when you should set some of your managerial habits aside and adopt a different one. The Dictator 1 OFF business. Rarely will they ask for input from their employees, and they may or ay not make final decisions with their employees in mind. They will usually â€Å"go it alone† when establishing new product lines, creating partnerships or considering new ventures without consulting others in the organization. Dictators largely rely on their own experiences and knowledge to set agendas they feel best answer their business’ needs. When being a dictator works: If you are faced with an immediate crisis or other urgent business matter, you will often need to step up and make the decision that is in the best interest of the business without consulting your team first. Sometimes quick action is critical, and asking everyone to weigh in or come up with solutions could waste precious time you Just don’t have. When being a dictator may not work: While this management style often leads to efficient business operations because only one person is involved in the decision making, it can also lead to costly oversights and mistakes that wouldn’t have occurred had frontline employees been consulted. Managers and executives, no matter how smart or well-reasoned their decisions, are still susceptible to errors in Judgment. The Collaborator Collaborative managers are conscious of their entire organization and acknowledge the utility of feedback from employees, investors, partners and vendors used to reach business objectives. Collaborators will regularly call meetings to brainstorm ideas. They compel employees to offer feedback on business proposals and may even go as far as designating a â€Å"devil’s advocate† to pinpoint problems with a plan. When being a collaborator works: Involving employees in the decision-making process is almost always a good idea because you benefit from insight gleaned from different perspectives. Collaboration also boosts employee morale, as employees feel valued because their ideas are requested and respected. This also provides employees with a real sense of commitment to projects they are actively involved in. It’s also a great strategy when time is abundant, giving you plenty of time to hash out ideas. Just be sure you aren’t using collaboration to stall when you are pressed to make an important decision. Indecisive or even weak because they spend so much time talking about ideas and not enough time executing them. Employees can become frustrated if all the concussion leads to nowhere. Also, beware of instances where an employee may not have enough knowledge about project details to provide relevant or useful advice. Bad advice can be costlier than no advice at all. The Micromanage Micromanages need to control everything and feel it’s necessary to constantly be in the loop, even in seemingly trivial discussions. They check in with employees too frequently and expect constant updates on the status of projects. They operate with the expectation that each employee must complete every assignment exactly as the micromanage would. Employees have little freedom to be creative or to use their own intuition and knowledge to solve problems. When being a micromanage works: When you have Just hired a new employee, or you are trying to turn around the performance of a struggling employee, watching them closely is ideal. You want to ensure that they are on the right track and help them overcome any challenges before they exacerbate. Another time to micromanage is when you must follow specific rules or guidelines for regulatory, legal or compliance issues. Remember to let employees know that your constant attention is to ensure compliance and does not reflect a lack of trust in them or their abilities. When being a micromanage may not work: As a result of working under constant dictation, employees may feel boxed in and controlled. This can have an extremely detrimental effect on morale, which increases turnover and breeds dissatisfaction. For those employees who have proved their competence and trustworthiness, ease up and give them the space to do their Jobs the way they see fit. The Delegated Delegate’s take a hands-off approach and allow their employees to run the business. They divide and make assignments based on whom they think can best handle a given task, and they spend the bulk of their time generating new business and crafting long-term strategy instead of focusing on the minutiae of managing the business, they can focus on generating revenue. Employees may also feel affirmed by the confidence shown in their ability by trusting them with these operations, which increases their commitment to the business. When being a delegated works: If you have enough competent staff, it’s almost always a win-win situation to delegate work to employees. Just be sure to secularly consult with employees about their workload and regularly confirm their comfort level before you unload new assignments on them. Also, be sure to step in from time to time to cover the grunt work and to show employees that you are still part of the team. Finally, make certain that employees fully understand how the work you do each day contributes to the bottom line. When being a delegated may not work: Problems occur if there aren’t enough employees to cover all the work, and employees become resentful as they struggle while the boss is out entertaining clients with golf, sporting events and inches. It can also be extremely upsetting for hardworking employees to not get any credit for delegated work they completed; as such, be sure to always acknowledge all contributors when projects are successfully finished. And even though you may have a pool of employees to delegate to, they may not yet have the skills to handle that type of work. If possible, take time to train your potential delegate on the finer points of the Job to ensure it’s done right. The Coach Coaching managers believe in a team-oriented atmosphere, where everyone contributes to the goals of the business. Because of that, coaches are committed to training employees and providing regular and frequent feedback. They praise employees when they deserve it and constructively correct them when they slip up. Much like the collaborator, they believe everyone should provide input and be involved in decisions that affect the team. Employees typically feel a great deal of loyalty to managers who invest so much time and effort in helping them succeed. When being a coach works: Effective coaching of all of your employees helps them grow and advance their careers. However, don’t forget to acknowledge your est. employees. Rewarding employees who deserve it sets an example and motivates underperformed. It also drives friendly competition that can raise everyone’s performance. When being a coach may not work: Because coaches want everyone to succeed, Top performers could resent that their outstanding efforts aren’t setting them apart from the rest of the team, and they might either begin to perform at an average level or take their talents elsewhere, which can bring down productivity. Conversely, lower-performing employees might begin to see their subpart reference as adequate, which stifles productivity even further. If this is the case, make sure to temper your encouragement with pragmatism by specifying where an employee may need to improve. Conclusion Determining your management style is the first step to understanding its impact on your business. Knowing your management approach helps you recognize your organization’s strengths as well as highlight its areas for improvement in whatever situation may arise. How to cite Types of Leaders, Papers

Ethical Issues and Issues of Sensitivity in Sociological Research Essay Example For Students

Ethical Issues and Issues of Sensitivity in Sociological Research Essay Ethical Issues and Issues of Sensitivity in Sociological Research Ethical issues are the considerations that can have an important influence on the research process. They are moral principles- beliefs about what is right and wrong, which often guide research. Sociological associations in many countries have a set of ethical guidelines for conducting research. There are six main ethical issues; I will explore them below. Sensitive issues are issues that need to be dealt with tactfully because of their subject matter. This could include subjects such as death, health issues, sex etc. These are potentially sensitive subjects as the people being researched may have had an unpleasant situation with them. The first ethical issue I will investigate is informed consent. This is the idea that those the researchers are studying should be given the opportunity to agree or refuse to participate in the research. This means covert observation could not take place, as this involves not letting people know they are being observed. Informed consent means that the researcher must provide information about the aims of the research, what the conduct of the research involves and the purpose to which the research will be put. This issue was raised when James Patrick did his research on A Glasgow Gang Observed. This involved him becoming part of a gang, only one member of the gang knew he was a researcher undercover. From spending time with the group, he gained information about what they did, what their attitudes were and how far they were willing to go e.g. breaking the law. This research did not involve informed consent, as the majority of . .o depends on what sort of person the researcher is, are they highly principled? Or are they willing to cut a few corners to make their research easier or more accurate? How strict a researcher is can definitely benefit/ruin their research. Telling the complete truth to participants about the research could undermine the research or cause research problems, as if the participants know they are being observed it could cause them to act very differently. A lot of issues are not straightforward, some conflict and often need a great deal of thought put into them. To do completely accurate and valid research, the balance between respecting participants privacy, not deceiving them, being careful not to put them at risk of harm and making sure the data collected is true has to be right, and this is a difficult balance to get.

The Humankind and Its Laws through the Eyes of a Child

world essays

world essays Chapter One: Were moving I come home from school, put my torn, ready to be thrown out blue school bag down on our round island in the kitchen and storm outside to enjoy the very first day of summer vacation. The air is warm and the sun is shinning brighter than ever. My spirits are so high and Im ready to begin the most exciting two and half months of the year. I put on my pink diva flip- flops and run as fast as I can to my best friend Rachaels house. I feel the warm air tickle my face as my adrenalin reaches sky high. Dancing and singing as I run, I dont care who sees. I want the whole world to know of my excitement. I get to Rachaels and plop right down on her soft, comfy couch. I sink right into the butt-grove I created on it after many years of hanging out with her and our friends. Next to me is her fat cat named George which I call cow cat due to his massive size and white dots over his black body. She brings me a glass of Pepsi (my favorite drink) and plops down right next to George. He meows, stretches, runs away and jumps onto the dusty windowsill. This is the life I say to Rachael as I pull my legs out onto the foot stool and take a sip of my refreshing ice cold drink, the bubbles tickling my nose. Were free for a whole two and a half months she says as she looks at me with that twinkle of excitement in her eyes. Theres nothing better than soaking up the sweet summer with your very best friend. Hours go by and my mom calls for me to come home for dinner because she has something important to say. I can tell by the sound of her voice that its something big, something that could change my life. Possibly more important than anything shes ever had to say. Her voice doesnt sound angry; I am relieved because at least I know I havent done something wrong....

SOCIOLOGY Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

SOCIOLOGY - Term Paper Example They also specify the rewards for observing them as well as punishment for conformity purposes (Chrisman 127). Therefore, norms form the foundation of collective expectations that people of a given community have from one another, and play a vital role in social control and order. A person’s behavior or thinking capacity can be classified as abnormal if at all it violates the set of laws about the expectations in a given social group. Other people might feel threatened or even uncomfortable with their behavior. It is explicitly clear that social behavior varies from one culture to another. For instance, it is a common phenomenon for people to stand closer to strangers in Southern Europe than in the United Kingdom. The extent to which a norm can be violated, the value attached to it and the importance of the norm varies from one community to another. Whether the violation is abnormal, criminal, eccentric or rude depends with the affected individuals. Social norms can be termed as inevitable and unstable. Behavior that would be considered abnormal may with time become acceptable in a community. For instance, driving under alcohol influence could be considered acceptable but at the present time it can be viewed as socially unacceptable. On the other hand, homosexuality can be considered unacceptable, but it is acceptable in many countries today. Social norms come up as a result of social values, and they serve the purpose of differentiating human behavior from that of other animals. Human beings have the ability to elaborate communication that is symbolic and structure their behavior in terms of preferences referred to as values. For that reason, norms are the means which values can be articulated in behavior (Lewis 83). While shopping in London city on one afternoon, it started drizzling. Everyone was happy because it had taken

WEEK 3 ASSIGNMENT Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

WEEK 3 - Assignment Example Nevertheless, unresolved conflict may lead to feelings of unhappiness, dissatisfaction; depression, hopelessness as well as a whole wide range of other emotions. In addition it can lead to such behaviors as resigning from jobs, ending of personal relationships, aggressiveness as well as violence (Coombs & Avrunin, 2013). The way one communicates can both be the cause of as well as the cure for conflict. It should be noted that understanding how to communicate effectively as well as satisfactory resolution of disputes can result into a happier and more productive life. The fundamental components of most conflicts include; involvement of 2 or more individuals, there is a perception of incompatibility in regard to ideas, goals, beliefs or actions and finally the opposing parties view their way as the only way to accomplish their objectives and goals (Baack, 2012). Boeing is a top aerospace corporation in the world as well as the largest manufacturer of military aircraft and commercial jetliners. Boeing designs in addition to manufacturing rotorcraft defense and electronic systems, satellites, missiles, launching vehicles etc. The company has been a leader and an authority in aerospace industry for the past century. Boeing’s headquarter is in Chicago, Illinois. It employs more than 27,000 employees in America as well as in 70 other countries (Greenberg & Moore, 2010). On 6th of September, Boeing was on headlines when about 27,000 of its employees in Washington, Kansas, California and Oregon went on strike. At the time, the company was holding negotiations with International Association of machinist and Aerospace Workers (IAM) in regard to benefits pay as well as job security. The main stakeholders in Boeing’s conflict were its employees alongside their families, suppliers and customers affiliated to Boeing. The strike affected several parties spanning from its employees to

Strategies for Service Quality

Strategies for Service Quality Literature Review Chapter One: An overview of Service Quality 1.0 Introduction Nowadays, service quality strategy is an important weapon used to gain a competitive advantage over competitors. This chapter starts by defining quality, services and service quality. Some essential elements such as the expectations of service, importance of service quality and its benefits are also being highlighted. It further stresses the need for handling customer complaints and underlines the role of service failure and recovery. 1.2 Meanings of Quality Quality is constantly evolving depending on its application techniques used. Quality is a term that is heard almost everywhere nowadays, from top management business to the small corner shop on the local street to the stall selling fruits in the market. Quality is perceived as a subjective term which means different things to different people in different situations. According to Joseph M. Juran (1988), quality is defined as â€Å"fitness for purpose†. Deming W. Edwards (1982), another quality guru, described quality as being â€Å"a predictable degree of uniformity and dependability at low cost and suited to the market†. However, â€Å"Delighting the customer by fully meeting their needs and expectations† is a more common definition of quality. Other definitions of quality are listed below: â€Å"Quality is a conformance to requirement† (Philip Crosby, 1979) â€Å"Quality is the customers opinion† (Armand V Feigenbaum, 2004) â€Å"Quality is the extent to which the customer or users believe the product or service surpasses their needs and expectations† (Gitlow et al. , 1989) The different definitions of â€Å"quality† given above are not stating the same thing. Thus, it is possible that one business concentrates on quality to meet a specified requirement, but this may not satisfy the customers expectations. Also, it is possible for a product to be of a degree of excellence but may not fit for purpose, that is, the definition underlined by Joseph Juran. Simply expressed, all gurus of quality dance around the definition of quality but none of these definitions stated above is a complete statement of what is meant by quality. 1.3 Importance of Quality The concept of quality is currently so widely used by organisations that it is no longer just an advantage to adopt it but a must for survival. Increased globalisation leads to increased competitive pressures. Therefore, businesses are forced to do their best to be more efficient, more up-to-date with the changing technologies and at the same time to be responsive to the markets. Dale (2003) stresses the importance of quality in that it increases productivity, followed by enhanced performance in the marketplace and improves overall business performance. According to Armand Feigenbaum (2004), quality is considered to be the single most important force resulting in organisational success and growth in both national and international markets. Competition nowadays is fiercer as existing competitors need to improve their offerings while new and low cost competitors emerge in the marketplace (Dale, 2003). Consequently, businesses are required to understand the great significance of quality and try to indulge in continuous and sustainable quality improvements in order to survive. Quality is a key aspect that plays a great role for both goods and services providing enterprises. More specifically, quality and its management have turned out to be progressively significant in pursuing business excellence, superior performance and market supremacy. But why quality in service? This is because organisations face challenges such as meeting customer requirements while remaining economically competitive. Services are labour intensive even today. There is not any substitute for high quality personal interaction between service employees and customers. Thus, quality practices need to be implemented by the service enterprises to identify problems quickly and systematically, establish valid and reliable service performance measures and measure customer satisfaction. 1.4 Services The new catch-all word â€Å"services† is making its rounds in the industry in the last decade. Indeed, the role of services in the world economy has increased considerably within the last ten years, particularly in developed nations. According to Jiang and Rosenbloom (2005), the shifting of the economy in industrialised countries from goods to services is considered to be one of the most essential long-term trends in the business world today. In fact, the service sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in the USA nowadays, accounting for over 75% of the increase in the GNP (Gross National Product) in the last decade. Regan (1963) brought in the idea of services being â€Å"activities, benefits or satisfactions which are offered for sale, or are provided in connection with the sale of goods†. As human beings, we consume services in our everyday life such as switching on the television, talking on mobile phones and using emails. Economies of the world are becoming more and more services based. Some activities such as banking, construction, tourism, accounting and hairdressing can be easily identified. Organisation goals can be achieved by knowing the needs and wants of target markets and thus delivering the appropriate and desired service better than competitors. According to Zeithaml et al. (1990), customers are considered to be the only judge of service. However, it is often difficult for customers to predict satisfaction and evaluate service prior to purchase and consumption and hence, they are more likely to look for information before purchasing services than goods This may be mostly due to the fact that services, in contrast to goods, are commonly said to derive from the four characteristics namely intangibility, heterogeneity, perishability and inseparability. However, some authors have argued that services are not fundamentally different from goods and have also reported that no pure goods or services exist in todays marketplace (McDougall et al. , 1990; cited by Stell et al. , 1996). This stream of thought puts forward that the service/good dichotomy is such that consumers can purchase either a good or service to fulfill their needs. For instance, when consumers need to have their documents copied, they may buy a personal copy machine (a good) or go to a copy center (a service). In these circumstances, services may compete directly with goods (Dholakia and Venkatraman, 1993). So, instead of identifying differences, marketing strategy should be based on the similarities between services and physical goods in relation to the characteristics of the total market offering. 1.4.1 Services in Retail Industry Organisations must be able to identify their most important customers and prospect and at the same time integrating customer insights and powerful analytics into retail decision-making. Thus, this can drive high performance throughout the business. Evidence suggests that services business customers tend to remain with the same service provider if they are continually and continuously satisfied (Hong and Goo, 2004). The building and maintenance of such relationships can attain better financial performance, customer trust, commitment and satisfaction (Hsieh et al, 2002). In order to achieve high performance in the retail industry, there are several attributes that retailers should strive towards to guarantee success and outperform their competitors. They have to excel in areas such as being customer focus, being continuously innovative, establishing a performance-oriented culture and improving the distribution channel. All these add a new dimension of competition. 1.5 Definition of Service Quality Service quality has drawn attention of researchers in recent decades (Zeithaml, 2000). Nevertheless, since there is not a universally accepted definition for service quality, many different meanings exist. For instance, Czepiel (1990) portrays service quality as customers perception of how well a service meets or exceeds their expectations whereas Bitner, Booms and Mohr (1994, p. 97) define service quality as â€Å"the consumers overall impression of the relative inferiority or superiority of the organisation and its services†. Zeithaml et al. (1996) depict service quality as â€Å"the delivery of excellent or superior service relative to customer expectations†. While other researchers (for example, Cronin and Taylor, 1994) view service quality as a form of attitude representing a long-run evaluation in general, Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1985, p. 48) define service quality as â€Å"a function of the differences between expectation and performance along the quality dimensions†. Indeed, this has appeared to be consistent with Roest and Pieters (1997) definition that service quality is a relativistic and cognitive discrepancy between experience-based norms and performances concerning service benefits. As for Gronroos (1983), service quality is viewed as the accomplishment of customers expectations whereas Parasuraman et al. (1985) define it as the gap between customers expectations, in terms of service, and their perception developed by the actual service experience. That is, service quality is an attitude that results from the comparison of expected service levels with perceived performance. Furthermore, Parasuraman et al. (1985) have reported that outstanding service is a profitable strategy as it results in more new customers, fewer lost customers, more business with existing customers, more insulation from price competition and fewer mistakes requiring the re-performance of services. Accordingly, by offering superior service quality, a firm is liable to become more profitable and at the same time to sustain a competitive edge in their served markets. Evidently, superior service quality is a strategic weapon aiming to attract more customers. Lassar et al. (2000) believe that service quality is a significant sign of customer satisfaction and thus delivering superior service quality is a strategy that eventually leads to success. 1.5.1 Service Quality in Retailing With the rapid development in the retail industry nowadays, understanding of retail service quality and identifying determinants of retail service quality has become strategic importance for retailers. By satisfying customers through high quality service, firms not only retain their current customers, but at the same time, their market share also increases. (Finn and Lamb, 1991; cited by Nguyen, 2007) According to numerous marking researchers (for example, Berry, 1986; Reichheld Sasser, 1990; Dabholkar et al., 1996; NcGoldrick, 2002), the offer and supply of high quality service is often perceived to be of fundamental importance in retailing. In the retail context, when customers evaluate retail service, they compare their perceptions of the service they receive with that of their expectations. Customers are seemed to be satisfied only when the perceived service meets or even exceeds their expectations. However, they are dissatisfied when they feel that the service falls below their expectations (Levy and Weitz, 2005). To date, Parasuraman et al. (1988) believe that many studies on service quality relied on service quality construct and scale. Nevertheless, Kaul (2005) and Dabholkar et al. (1996) argue that this application to the retail industry may not be appropriate for service quality in retailing industry as the latter seems to be different from other services. In retail setting, where there is a mix of product and service, retailers are prone to have impact on service quality more than on product quality (Dabholkar et al. , 1996). Hence, since retailers can create such effects, service quality plays a significant strategic role in creating quality perceptions. 1.6 Customer Expectations of Service According to Parasuraman et al (1993), understanding customer expectations is a must for delivering superior and value-added service. Customers have the tendency to compare their perceptions with that of expectations when judging a service. They are satisfied only when the service they have received is the same or exceeds what they expected. Lewis (1991) define expectations as the desires or wants of consumers and what they believe a product or service should offer, which are formed on the basis of previous experience with a company, its competitors and the marketing mix inputs. Thus, identifying what a customer expects is the prime step in delivering high quality of customer service. 1.6.1 Determinants of Customer Expectations of service Berry and Parasuraman (1993) have developed a complete model of customer expectations and have given their opinions through two levels namely desired and adequate expectations and the zone of tolerance in the middle which separates them (refer to Figure 1.3). This model shows the different factors that affect these three features. Desired service is that level of service which a customer expects to receive from a service firm. In fact, it is a blend of what the customer considers ‘can be and ‘should be. It is believed to result from six sources namely, enduring service intensifiers, personal needs, explicit service promises, implicit service promises, word-of-mouth and past experience. Conversely, adequate service level is related to which the customer finds acceptable. It is based on the customers appraisal of what the service ‘will be. It is influenced by five factors such as transitory service intensifiers, perceived service alternatives, customer self-perceived service role, situational factors and predicted service. Berry and Parasuraman (1993) describe a tolerance zone as â€Å"a range of service performance that a customer considers satisfactory†. This concept assumes that customers have expectations of a service attribute on the two given levels which have been discussed above. If the real experiences of a customer fall in the zone of tolerance, then the perceived quality is regarded as good. Understanding the different sources of customer expectations can therefore help managers to perceive correctly what their customers want and expect. They can then put emphasis on the services elements that they can control and deliver the services they have promised. Hence, this model can serve as a valuable diagnostic tool to boost up the overall level of perceived service quality (Kettinger and Lee, 2005).Yet, one of the perplexing issues confronting service businesses is how to measure quality service perceptions of existing and potential customers since many of these factors are uncontrollable and also expectations differ from customer to customer and, possibly, from one situation to the next for the same customer (Young et al. , 1994). Why is Service Quality Important? Across all service industries, service quality remains a critical issue as businesses strive to maintain a comparative advantage over their competitors in the marketplace (Kandampully et al., 1999). As a result, the environment of service organisations is more and more competitive. Ghobatian et al. (1994) point out that â€Å"customers are the lifeblood of any business† and â€Å"service quality can be the means to win and keep customers†. Actually, in todays aggressive environment, the pursuit of service quality is believed to be the most important strategic weapon in achieving a sustainable differential advantage within the global marketplace (Devlin et al., 2000). More importantly, it is conceded that companies that excel in high quality service as perceived by their customers, tend to be the most profitable ones. On the other hand, poor service has been classified as the prime cause for customers switching to competitors (Ghobatian et al., 1994). It is often observed that organisations providing a sophisticated level of service, try to go beyond just satisfying their customers. â€Å"They emphasise the need to ‘delight them by providing them more than what is required. They also now talk about winning customers† (Dale, 2003). The latter highlights some customer service facts and indicates why service quality is crucial for a firm. (See Appendix A) While focusing on the increased importance of service quality, it is also essential to assess the related benefits and costs. Lewis (1991) has underlined some benefits when adopting a quality service strategy such as customer satisfaction and customer retention, loyalty, expanded market share, enhanced firms reputation, improvement in employee morale, low staff turnover, increased productivity, less mistakes, lower costs, high revenues, increased financial performance, high revenues and positive word-of-mouth. On the other hand, Crosby (1979) has identified the costs of poor quality which are related due to lack of responsiveness to customers, low morale of employees, dissatisfied customers and unfavorable word-of-mouth communication. Hence, it is important for businesses to clearly anticipate that service quality is the basic prerequisite for continuous success. 1.7 Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction In a competitive business environment where organisations compete for customers, customer satisfaction is perceived as a key differentiator and increasingly has become a primary element of business strategy (Carl D. McDaniel, 2005). Customers are the foremost decision makers in any marketing effort. They opt for a service offering that adds value to them and optimises their satisfaction. Many researchers such as Brady and Robertson (2001) and Lovelock, Patterson and Walker (2001) conceptualise customer satisfaction as an individuals feeling of pleasure or disappointment resulting from judging against a products perceived performance with respect to his or her expectations. But, Westbrook and Oliver (1981) make use of the confirmation-disconfirmation theory to better explain the meaning of customer satisfaction. This paradigm states that customers assess their levels of satisfaction by comparing their actual experiences with that of their previous experiences, expectations, and perceptions of the products performance. Parasuraman et al. (1994) mention that customer satisfaction is a key consequence of service quality and thus, it can determine the long term success of a service organisation. In the same vein, Oliver (1980) points out that customer satisfaction is affected by customer expectation or anticipation prior to obtaining a service and can be approximated by the following equation: Customer Satisfaction = â‚ ¬Ã‚  Perception of Performance Expectations Based on the above equation, Parasuraman et al. (1994) devise that a service provider can boost up overall customer satisfaction by either improving customer perceptions of a service or by lowering their expectations of it. If a service firm fails to respect this equation, then, this may dissatisfy the customer at the time and, in turn, will result in his or her switching to alternative service firms (McCollough, Berry, and Yadav, 2000; Roos, 1999). Thus, this equation is a valuable tool and a clear reminder that both factors, perceptions and expectations of customer satisfaction need to be managed and controlled by the service provider. An analysis of the literature on the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality has received a widely held view among researches. Caruana and Malta (2002) point out by mentioning that service quality is an important input to customer satisfaction. Zeithaml et al. (1996) share the same line of thought by suggesting that a customers relationship with a company is strengthened when that customer makes a positive appraisal about the companys service quality and is weakened when a customer makes negative assessments about the companys service quality. They argue that favourable assessment of service quality will result in favourable behavioral intentions like â€Å"praise for the company† and expressions of preference for the company over other companies. Thus, implying that there is a positive relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction. However, the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality has been criticised for not being inter-related by many researches. For instance, Iacobucci et al. (1995) identify that the vast majority of articles attempting to scrutinise this inter-relationship have been of a non-empirical nature. Similarly, Anderson and Fornell (1994) point out that the literature is not very clear about the distinction between quality and satisfaction. Satisfaction is a â€Å"post consumption† experience which judges perceived quality against expected quality, whereas service quality refers to a global evaluation of an organisations service delivery system (Anderson and Fornell, 1994; Parasuraman et al., 1985). Hence, Dabholkar et al. (2000) suggest that it is recommended that customer satisfaction should be measured separately from service quality so as to understand how customers evaluate service performance. 1.8 Service Quality and Customer trust The trust that customers have in service organisations is an important concern for customer relationship managers. Existing research has accentuated the significance of trust and its implications for driving profitable and long-lasting customer relationships (Garbarino and Johnson, 1999; Morgan and Hunt, 1999). Practitioners and researchers have repeatedly emphasised the importance of service quality which enable firms to build stable and trusting relationships with customers (Grà ¶nroos, 1983; Rust, Moorman, and Dickson, 2002; Zeithaml, Berry, and Parasuraman, 1996). Recent evidence highlights that there exists a positive relationship between service quality and trust (Chiou and Droge, 2006; Sharma and Patterson, 1999). To reinforce this notion, a firm that consistently meets or exceeds the expectations of customers will cultivate more trusting relationships with its customers. The courteous, caring, and responsive employee behaviours that are characteristic of service quality will inspire confidence in customers, particularly in retail outlets and thus will introduce a sense of trust for the retail store in customers (Weisinger, 1998). These related factors of service quality eventually contribute to the development of trust, and trust starts to develop as the customers experience positive service interactions and obtain benefits from this personal interaction. Consequently, the higher the service quality, the stronger is customer trust in an organisation. 1.9 Service Quality and Customer Loyalty The main aim of leading service organisations is to maintain a superior quality of service in an effort to gain customer loyalty. Coupled with this, Zeithaml (1996) believes that a service firms long term success in a market is essentially determined by its ability to expand and maintain a large and loyal customer base. Buttle and Burton (2002) simply describe customer loyalty as â€Å"a customer who continues to buy is a loyal customer†. Boulding et al. (1993) find that there is a positive relationship between service quality and customer loyalty, that is, customers having the repurchase intentions and the willingness to recommend. Sharing the same line of thought, Zeithaml et al. (1990) also report a positive relationship, thereby, customers willingly pay a price premium and intend to remain loyal in case of a price increase. However, Johnson et al. (2001) point out that this positive relationship varies between products, industries, and situations. On the other hand, some researchers argue that it has remained unclear whether or not there is a direct relationship between service quality and loyalty. In the study done by Cronin and Taylor (1992), service quality did not appear to have a significant or positive effect on customer loyalty. Similarly, Bloemer et al. (1999) mention that this relationship has remained relatively underdeveloped. 1.10 Handling customer complaints The phenomenon of customer complaints is considered as an area of great significance for businesses, particularly where organisations are increasingly recognising the value of pursuing long-term relationships with customers. Tax and Brown (1998) identify that only 5-10% of customers who are dissatisfied actually complain. Hence, it is imperative for organisations to encourage their customers to voice their dissatisfaction by providing communication facilities such as customer service desks. However, Blancero and Johnson (2001) argue that customer complaints could result in negative reactions from employees, which may in turn reduce service quality. But complaints can have a positive impact as well. It is an excellent opportunity for an organisation when receiving complaints in order to restore customer confidence and to capitalise on this feedback for helping in organisational improvements (Johnston, 2001; Ramsey, 2003). When focusing on handling customer complaints, it should include adequacy or fairness of the outcome, access to the organisation contact points, friendliness, empathy, active feedback, and speed of response (Stauss, 2002). 1.11 Service Failure and Recovery The retail industry involves a high degree of interaction between employees and consumers and as a result, provides many opportunities for service failures to crop up. According to Michel (2001), service failures include those circumstances when a service fails to live up to the customers expectations. Some consequences of service failures are dissatisfaction, negative word-of-mouth (Mattila, 2001), decrease in customer confidence and a decline in employee morale and performance (Boshoff and Leong, 1998). When service failure occurs, then service providers have to take actions to recover which gives rise to service recovery. Miller et al. (2000) describe service recovery as the actions takes to problems, change negative attitudes of dissatisfied customers and to ultimately retain these customers. Examples of recovery efforts consist of price discounts, improved services, refunds, free products or services, apologies, and acknowledgment of the problem (Kelley et al. , 1993). 1.12 Summary of the Literature Review This chapter has provided a general idea on service quality. It has started by providing an overview of services and quality with emphasis in the retailing industry. In addition, customer expectations, customer trust, loyalty and customer satisfaction have also been discussed. Undoubtedly, in the service quality literature, service quality is proven to provide many benefits to organisations. Literature Review Chapter Two: Related Concepts of Service Quality 2.0 Introduction In this chapter, service quality and its related concepts have been explored. They are as follows: The dimensions of service quality including SERVQUAL, Gap analysis, the three dimensions of Lehtinen and Lehtinen and the Perceived service quality model. Besides, the difficulties in measuring service quality as well as a critical review of the concept of service quality have also been identified 2.1 Dimensions of Service Quality Service quality is not a singular but rather it is a multidimensional phenomenon (Ghobatian et al, 1993). Without doubt, the identification of the quality dimensions to measure is of fundamental necessity as customers base their views about service on these dimensions (Kunst and Lemmink, 1996). Various writers and researchers have suggested a number of dimensions of service quality. For instance, Lehtinen and Lehtinen (1982) identify three dimensions for service quality which are physical quality (tangible aspects of service), corporate quality (company image and reputation) and interactive quality (two-way flow between customers and personnel). They also argue that it is important to differentiate between the output quality of service and the quality associated with the process of service delivery. Indeed, service quality is being perceived as a multidimensional concept. Grà ¶nroos (1984) point out that service quality comprises of three global dimensions: The technical quality which refers to what is delivered or what the customer gets from the service. For example, for a retail store, technical quality may consist of the range of products offered and the availability of parking space. The functional quality, that is, the way in which the service is delivered or how it is delivered. For example, customers of a retail store will assess whether the salespersons are friendly or whether products are easily returnable. The corporate image has to do with how consumers perceive the firm and is built by mainly both technical and functional quality and to some extent other factors such as the traditional marketing activities (pricing, advertising). Unlike Grà ¶nroos (1984) who uses the global measure of service quality, Parasuraman et al. (1985) argue that the criteria used by consumers to evaluate service quality fits ten dimensions: reliability, responsiveness, competence, courtesy, communication, credibility, security, access, tangibles and understanding/knowing the customer. Later, after having carried out successive research, analysis and testing, Parasuraman et al. (1988) refine the dimensions into only five dimensions namely: Tangibles: the appearance of physical facilities, personnel, communication materials and condition of equipment. Reliability: the ability to perform the promised service on time dependably and accurately. Responsiveness: the willingness to help customers, to deal effectively with complaints and provide prompt service. Assurance: the employees knowledge and courtesy and their ability to convey trust and confidence. Empathy: The level of caring, individualised attention provided to the customers. 2.1.1 SERVQUAL Model Based on these five dimensions above, the SERVQUAL instrument has been developed. This particular instrument which is originally developed by A. Parasuraman, Valarie A. Zeithaml and L.L. Berry in 1988, measures service quality through customer opinions. They point out that SERVQUAL essentially comprises of two sections. The first section basically questions customers expectations, while the second part measures customers perceptions. The gap between the expected service and perceived service is measured using the SERVQUAL together with its five underlying dimensions of service quality (tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy). The SERVQUAL incorporates 22 items in each of the two sections which are sub-items of the predefined five dimensions (refer to Appendix B). According to Zeithaml et al. (2006), SERVQUAL has been creatively used in multiple service contexts. Indeed, Parasuraman et al. (1988) suggest that the instrument is applicable across a wide variety of services. In the same line, Getz et al. (2001) put forward that SERVQUAL has been broadly used in a variety of service industries. They also point out that it is a helpful tool comprising of potential applications in assessing effectively consumers expectations and perceptions of service quality. Despite the fact that SERVQUAL is the most well known instrument for service quality, it has been criticised from several researchers. Cronin and Taylor (1992) claim that there are deficiencies in both the conceptualisation and operationalisation of service quality in the SERVQUAL model. Buttle (1996) criticises on the dimensionality of the SERVQUAL scale, especially to the number of dimensions and their stability from contexts to contexts. He also states that the dimensions are not universal. Following the same line of thought, Bahia and Nantel (2000) declare that this model emphas Strategies for Service Quality Strategies for Service Quality Literature Review Chapter One: An overview of Service Quality 1.0 Introduction Nowadays, service quality strategy is an important weapon used to gain a competitive advantage over competitors. This chapter starts by defining quality, services and service quality. Some essential elements such as the expectations of service, importance of service quality and its benefits are also being highlighted. It further stresses the need for handling customer complaints and underlines the role of service failure and recovery. 1.2 Meanings of Quality Quality is constantly evolving depending on its application techniques used. Quality is a term that is heard almost everywhere nowadays, from top management business to the small corner shop on the local street to the stall selling fruits in the market. Quality is perceived as a subjective term which means different things to different people in different situations. According to Joseph M. Juran (1988), quality is defined as â€Å"fitness for purpose†. Deming W. Edwards (1982), another quality guru, described quality as being â€Å"a predictable degree of uniformity and dependability at low cost and suited to the market†. However, â€Å"Delighting the customer by fully meeting their needs and expectations† is a more common definition of quality. Other definitions of quality are listed below: â€Å"Quality is a conformance to requirement† (Philip Crosby, 1979) â€Å"Quality is the customers opinion† (Armand V Feigenbaum, 2004) â€Å"Quality is the extent to which the customer or users believe the product or service surpasses their needs and expectations† (Gitlow et al. , 1989) The different definitions of â€Å"quality† given above are not stating the same thing. Thus, it is possible that one business concentrates on quality to meet a specified requirement, but this may not satisfy the customers expectations. Also, it is possible for a product to be of a degree of excellence but may not fit for purpose, that is, the definition underlined by Joseph Juran. Simply expressed, all gurus of quality dance around the definition of quality but none of these definitions stated above is a complete statement of what is meant by quality. 1.3 Importance of Quality The concept of quality is currently so widely used by organisations that it is no longer just an advantage to adopt it but a must for survival. Increased globalisation leads to increased competitive pressures. Therefore, businesses are forced to do their best to be more efficient, more up-to-date with the changing technologies and at the same time to be responsive to the markets. Dale (2003) stresses the importance of quality in that it increases productivity, followed by enhanced performance in the marketplace and improves overall business performance. According to Armand Feigenbaum (2004), quality is considered to be the single most important force resulting in organisational success and growth in both national and international markets. Competition nowadays is fiercer as existing competitors need to improve their offerings while new and low cost competitors emerge in the marketplace (Dale, 2003). Consequently, businesses are required to understand the great significance of quality and try to indulge in continuous and sustainable quality improvements in order to survive. Quality is a key aspect that plays a great role for both goods and services providing enterprises. More specifically, quality and its management have turned out to be progressively significant in pursuing business excellence, superior performance and market supremacy. But why quality in service? This is because organisations face challenges such as meeting customer requirements while remaining economically competitive. Services are labour intensive even today. There is not any substitute for high quality personal interaction between service employees and customers. Thus, quality practices need to be implemented by the service enterprises to identify problems quickly and systematically, establish valid and reliable service performance measures and measure customer satisfaction. 1.4 Services The new catch-all word â€Å"services† is making its rounds in the industry in the last decade. Indeed, the role of services in the world economy has increased considerably within the last ten years, particularly in developed nations. According to Jiang and Rosenbloom (2005), the shifting of the economy in industrialised countries from goods to services is considered to be one of the most essential long-term trends in the business world today. In fact, the service sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in the USA nowadays, accounting for over 75% of the increase in the GNP (Gross National Product) in the last decade. Regan (1963) brought in the idea of services being â€Å"activities, benefits or satisfactions which are offered for sale, or are provided in connection with the sale of goods†. As human beings, we consume services in our everyday life such as switching on the television, talking on mobile phones and using emails. Economies of the world are becoming more and more services based. Some activities such as banking, construction, tourism, accounting and hairdressing can be easily identified. Organisation goals can be achieved by knowing the needs and wants of target markets and thus delivering the appropriate and desired service better than competitors. According to Zeithaml et al. (1990), customers are considered to be the only judge of service. However, it is often difficult for customers to predict satisfaction and evaluate service prior to purchase and consumption and hence, they are more likely to look for information before purchasing services than goods This may be mostly due to the fact that services, in contrast to goods, are commonly said to derive from the four characteristics namely intangibility, heterogeneity, perishability and inseparability. However, some authors have argued that services are not fundamentally different from goods and have also reported that no pure goods or services exist in todays marketplace (McDougall et al. , 1990; cited by Stell et al. , 1996). This stream of thought puts forward that the service/good dichotomy is such that consumers can purchase either a good or service to fulfill their needs. For instance, when consumers need to have their documents copied, they may buy a personal copy machine (a good) or go to a copy center (a service). In these circumstances, services may compete directly with goods (Dholakia and Venkatraman, 1993). So, instead of identifying differences, marketing strategy should be based on the similarities between services and physical goods in relation to the characteristics of the total market offering. 1.4.1 Services in Retail Industry Organisations must be able to identify their most important customers and prospect and at the same time integrating customer insights and powerful analytics into retail decision-making. Thus, this can drive high performance throughout the business. Evidence suggests that services business customers tend to remain with the same service provider if they are continually and continuously satisfied (Hong and Goo, 2004). The building and maintenance of such relationships can attain better financial performance, customer trust, commitment and satisfaction (Hsieh et al, 2002). In order to achieve high performance in the retail industry, there are several attributes that retailers should strive towards to guarantee success and outperform their competitors. They have to excel in areas such as being customer focus, being continuously innovative, establishing a performance-oriented culture and improving the distribution channel. All these add a new dimension of competition. 1.5 Definition of Service Quality Service quality has drawn attention of researchers in recent decades (Zeithaml, 2000). Nevertheless, since there is not a universally accepted definition for service quality, many different meanings exist. For instance, Czepiel (1990) portrays service quality as customers perception of how well a service meets or exceeds their expectations whereas Bitner, Booms and Mohr (1994, p. 97) define service quality as â€Å"the consumers overall impression of the relative inferiority or superiority of the organisation and its services†. Zeithaml et al. (1996) depict service quality as â€Å"the delivery of excellent or superior service relative to customer expectations†. While other researchers (for example, Cronin and Taylor, 1994) view service quality as a form of attitude representing a long-run evaluation in general, Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1985, p. 48) define service quality as â€Å"a function of the differences between expectation and performance along the quality dimensions†. Indeed, this has appeared to be consistent with Roest and Pieters (1997) definition that service quality is a relativistic and cognitive discrepancy between experience-based norms and performances concerning service benefits. As for Gronroos (1983), service quality is viewed as the accomplishment of customers expectations whereas Parasuraman et al. (1985) define it as the gap between customers expectations, in terms of service, and their perception developed by the actual service experience. That is, service quality is an attitude that results from the comparison of expected service levels with perceived performance. Furthermore, Parasuraman et al. (1985) have reported that outstanding service is a profitable strategy as it results in more new customers, fewer lost customers, more business with existing customers, more insulation from price competition and fewer mistakes requiring the re-performance of services. Accordingly, by offering superior service quality, a firm is liable to become more profitable and at the same time to sustain a competitive edge in their served markets. Evidently, superior service quality is a strategic weapon aiming to attract more customers. Lassar et al. (2000) believe that service quality is a significant sign of customer satisfaction and thus delivering superior service quality is a strategy that eventually leads to success. 1.5.1 Service Quality in Retailing With the rapid development in the retail industry nowadays, understanding of retail service quality and identifying determinants of retail service quality has become strategic importance for retailers. By satisfying customers through high quality service, firms not only retain their current customers, but at the same time, their market share also increases. (Finn and Lamb, 1991; cited by Nguyen, 2007) According to numerous marking researchers (for example, Berry, 1986; Reichheld Sasser, 1990; Dabholkar et al., 1996; NcGoldrick, 2002), the offer and supply of high quality service is often perceived to be of fundamental importance in retailing. In the retail context, when customers evaluate retail service, they compare their perceptions of the service they receive with that of their expectations. Customers are seemed to be satisfied only when the perceived service meets or even exceeds their expectations. However, they are dissatisfied when they feel that the service falls below their expectations (Levy and Weitz, 2005). To date, Parasuraman et al. (1988) believe that many studies on service quality relied on service quality construct and scale. Nevertheless, Kaul (2005) and Dabholkar et al. (1996) argue that this application to the retail industry may not be appropriate for service quality in retailing industry as the latter seems to be different from other services. In retail setting, where there is a mix of product and service, retailers are prone to have impact on service quality more than on product quality (Dabholkar et al. , 1996). Hence, since retailers can create such effects, service quality plays a significant strategic role in creating quality perceptions. 1.6 Customer Expectations of Service According to Parasuraman et al (1993), understanding customer expectations is a must for delivering superior and value-added service. Customers have the tendency to compare their perceptions with that of expectations when judging a service. They are satisfied only when the service they have received is the same or exceeds what they expected. Lewis (1991) define expectations as the desires or wants of consumers and what they believe a product or service should offer, which are formed on the basis of previous experience with a company, its competitors and the marketing mix inputs. Thus, identifying what a customer expects is the prime step in delivering high quality of customer service. 1.6.1 Determinants of Customer Expectations of service Berry and Parasuraman (1993) have developed a complete model of customer expectations and have given their opinions through two levels namely desired and adequate expectations and the zone of tolerance in the middle which separates them (refer to Figure 1.3). This model shows the different factors that affect these three features. Desired service is that level of service which a customer expects to receive from a service firm. In fact, it is a blend of what the customer considers ‘can be and ‘should be. It is believed to result from six sources namely, enduring service intensifiers, personal needs, explicit service promises, implicit service promises, word-of-mouth and past experience. Conversely, adequate service level is related to which the customer finds acceptable. It is based on the customers appraisal of what the service ‘will be. It is influenced by five factors such as transitory service intensifiers, perceived service alternatives, customer self-perceived service role, situational factors and predicted service. Berry and Parasuraman (1993) describe a tolerance zone as â€Å"a range of service performance that a customer considers satisfactory†. This concept assumes that customers have expectations of a service attribute on the two given levels which have been discussed above. If the real experiences of a customer fall in the zone of tolerance, then the perceived quality is regarded as good. Understanding the different sources of customer expectations can therefore help managers to perceive correctly what their customers want and expect. They can then put emphasis on the services elements that they can control and deliver the services they have promised. Hence, this model can serve as a valuable diagnostic tool to boost up the overall level of perceived service quality (Kettinger and Lee, 2005).Yet, one of the perplexing issues confronting service businesses is how to measure quality service perceptions of existing and potential customers since many of these factors are uncontrollable and also expectations differ from customer to customer and, possibly, from one situation to the next for the same customer (Young et al. , 1994). Why is Service Quality Important? Across all service industries, service quality remains a critical issue as businesses strive to maintain a comparative advantage over their competitors in the marketplace (Kandampully et al., 1999). As a result, the environment of service organisations is more and more competitive. Ghobatian et al. (1994) point out that â€Å"customers are the lifeblood of any business† and â€Å"service quality can be the means to win and keep customers†. Actually, in todays aggressive environment, the pursuit of service quality is believed to be the most important strategic weapon in achieving a sustainable differential advantage within the global marketplace (Devlin et al., 2000). More importantly, it is conceded that companies that excel in high quality service as perceived by their customers, tend to be the most profitable ones. On the other hand, poor service has been classified as the prime cause for customers switching to competitors (Ghobatian et al., 1994). It is often observed that organisations providing a sophisticated level of service, try to go beyond just satisfying their customers. â€Å"They emphasise the need to ‘delight them by providing them more than what is required. They also now talk about winning customers† (Dale, 2003). The latter highlights some customer service facts and indicates why service quality is crucial for a firm. (See Appendix A) While focusing on the increased importance of service quality, it is also essential to assess the related benefits and costs. Lewis (1991) has underlined some benefits when adopting a quality service strategy such as customer satisfaction and customer retention, loyalty, expanded market share, enhanced firms reputation, improvement in employee morale, low staff turnover, increased productivity, less mistakes, lower costs, high revenues, increased financial performance, high revenues and positive word-of-mouth. On the other hand, Crosby (1979) has identified the costs of poor quality which are related due to lack of responsiveness to customers, low morale of employees, dissatisfied customers and unfavorable word-of-mouth communication. Hence, it is important for businesses to clearly anticipate that service quality is the basic prerequisite for continuous success. 1.7 Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction In a competitive business environment where organisations compete for customers, customer satisfaction is perceived as a key differentiator and increasingly has become a primary element of business strategy (Carl D. McDaniel, 2005). Customers are the foremost decision makers in any marketing effort. They opt for a service offering that adds value to them and optimises their satisfaction. Many researchers such as Brady and Robertson (2001) and Lovelock, Patterson and Walker (2001) conceptualise customer satisfaction as an individuals feeling of pleasure or disappointment resulting from judging against a products perceived performance with respect to his or her expectations. But, Westbrook and Oliver (1981) make use of the confirmation-disconfirmation theory to better explain the meaning of customer satisfaction. This paradigm states that customers assess their levels of satisfaction by comparing their actual experiences with that of their previous experiences, expectations, and perceptions of the products performance. Parasuraman et al. (1994) mention that customer satisfaction is a key consequence of service quality and thus, it can determine the long term success of a service organisation. In the same vein, Oliver (1980) points out that customer satisfaction is affected by customer expectation or anticipation prior to obtaining a service and can be approximated by the following equation: Customer Satisfaction = â‚ ¬Ã‚  Perception of Performance Expectations Based on the above equation, Parasuraman et al. (1994) devise that a service provider can boost up overall customer satisfaction by either improving customer perceptions of a service or by lowering their expectations of it. If a service firm fails to respect this equation, then, this may dissatisfy the customer at the time and, in turn, will result in his or her switching to alternative service firms (McCollough, Berry, and Yadav, 2000; Roos, 1999). Thus, this equation is a valuable tool and a clear reminder that both factors, perceptions and expectations of customer satisfaction need to be managed and controlled by the service provider. An analysis of the literature on the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality has received a widely held view among researches. Caruana and Malta (2002) point out by mentioning that service quality is an important input to customer satisfaction. Zeithaml et al. (1996) share the same line of thought by suggesting that a customers relationship with a company is strengthened when that customer makes a positive appraisal about the companys service quality and is weakened when a customer makes negative assessments about the companys service quality. They argue that favourable assessment of service quality will result in favourable behavioral intentions like â€Å"praise for the company† and expressions of preference for the company over other companies. Thus, implying that there is a positive relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction. However, the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality has been criticised for not being inter-related by many researches. For instance, Iacobucci et al. (1995) identify that the vast majority of articles attempting to scrutinise this inter-relationship have been of a non-empirical nature. Similarly, Anderson and Fornell (1994) point out that the literature is not very clear about the distinction between quality and satisfaction. Satisfaction is a â€Å"post consumption† experience which judges perceived quality against expected quality, whereas service quality refers to a global evaluation of an organisations service delivery system (Anderson and Fornell, 1994; Parasuraman et al., 1985). Hence, Dabholkar et al. (2000) suggest that it is recommended that customer satisfaction should be measured separately from service quality so as to understand how customers evaluate service performance. 1.8 Service Quality and Customer trust The trust that customers have in service organisations is an important concern for customer relationship managers. Existing research has accentuated the significance of trust and its implications for driving profitable and long-lasting customer relationships (Garbarino and Johnson, 1999; Morgan and Hunt, 1999). Practitioners and researchers have repeatedly emphasised the importance of service quality which enable firms to build stable and trusting relationships with customers (Grà ¶nroos, 1983; Rust, Moorman, and Dickson, 2002; Zeithaml, Berry, and Parasuraman, 1996). Recent evidence highlights that there exists a positive relationship between service quality and trust (Chiou and Droge, 2006; Sharma and Patterson, 1999). To reinforce this notion, a firm that consistently meets or exceeds the expectations of customers will cultivate more trusting relationships with its customers. The courteous, caring, and responsive employee behaviours that are characteristic of service quality will inspire confidence in customers, particularly in retail outlets and thus will introduce a sense of trust for the retail store in customers (Weisinger, 1998). These related factors of service quality eventually contribute to the development of trust, and trust starts to develop as the customers experience positive service interactions and obtain benefits from this personal interaction. Consequently, the higher the service quality, the stronger is customer trust in an organisation. 1.9 Service Quality and Customer Loyalty The main aim of leading service organisations is to maintain a superior quality of service in an effort to gain customer loyalty. Coupled with this, Zeithaml (1996) believes that a service firms long term success in a market is essentially determined by its ability to expand and maintain a large and loyal customer base. Buttle and Burton (2002) simply describe customer loyalty as â€Å"a customer who continues to buy is a loyal customer†. Boulding et al. (1993) find that there is a positive relationship between service quality and customer loyalty, that is, customers having the repurchase intentions and the willingness to recommend. Sharing the same line of thought, Zeithaml et al. (1990) also report a positive relationship, thereby, customers willingly pay a price premium and intend to remain loyal in case of a price increase. However, Johnson et al. (2001) point out that this positive relationship varies between products, industries, and situations. On the other hand, some researchers argue that it has remained unclear whether or not there is a direct relationship between service quality and loyalty. In the study done by Cronin and Taylor (1992), service quality did not appear to have a significant or positive effect on customer loyalty. Similarly, Bloemer et al. (1999) mention that this relationship has remained relatively underdeveloped. 1.10 Handling customer complaints The phenomenon of customer complaints is considered as an area of great significance for businesses, particularly where organisations are increasingly recognising the value of pursuing long-term relationships with customers. Tax and Brown (1998) identify that only 5-10% of customers who are dissatisfied actually complain. Hence, it is imperative for organisations to encourage their customers to voice their dissatisfaction by providing communication facilities such as customer service desks. However, Blancero and Johnson (2001) argue that customer complaints could result in negative reactions from employees, which may in turn reduce service quality. But complaints can have a positive impact as well. It is an excellent opportunity for an organisation when receiving complaints in order to restore customer confidence and to capitalise on this feedback for helping in organisational improvements (Johnston, 2001; Ramsey, 2003). When focusing on handling customer complaints, it should include adequacy or fairness of the outcome, access to the organisation contact points, friendliness, empathy, active feedback, and speed of response (Stauss, 2002). 1.11 Service Failure and Recovery The retail industry involves a high degree of interaction between employees and consumers and as a result, provides many opportunities for service failures to crop up. According to Michel (2001), service failures include those circumstances when a service fails to live up to the customers expectations. Some consequences of service failures are dissatisfaction, negative word-of-mouth (Mattila, 2001), decrease in customer confidence and a decline in employee morale and performance (Boshoff and Leong, 1998). When service failure occurs, then service providers have to take actions to recover which gives rise to service recovery. Miller et al. (2000) describe service recovery as the actions takes to problems, change negative attitudes of dissatisfied customers and to ultimately retain these customers. Examples of recovery efforts consist of price discounts, improved services, refunds, free products or services, apologies, and acknowledgment of the problem (Kelley et al. , 1993). 1.12 Summary of the Literature Review This chapter has provided a general idea on service quality. It has started by providing an overview of services and quality with emphasis in the retailing industry. In addition, customer expectations, customer trust, loyalty and customer satisfaction have also been discussed. Undoubtedly, in the service quality literature, service quality is proven to provide many benefits to organisations. Literature Review Chapter Two: Related Concepts of Service Quality 2.0 Introduction In this chapter, service quality and its related concepts have been explored. They are as follows: The dimensions of service quality including SERVQUAL, Gap analysis, the three dimensions of Lehtinen and Lehtinen and the Perceived service quality model. Besides, the difficulties in measuring service quality as well as a critical review of the concept of service quality have also been identified 2.1 Dimensions of Service Quality Service quality is not a singular but rather it is a multidimensional phenomenon (Ghobatian et al, 1993). Without doubt, the identification of the quality dimensions to measure is of fundamental necessity as customers base their views about service on these dimensions (Kunst and Lemmink, 1996). Various writers and researchers have suggested a number of dimensions of service quality. For instance, Lehtinen and Lehtinen (1982) identify three dimensions for service quality which are physical quality (tangible aspects of service), corporate quality (company image and reputation) and interactive quality (two-way flow between customers and personnel). They also argue that it is important to differentiate between the output quality of service and the quality associated with the process of service delivery. Indeed, service quality is being perceived as a multidimensional concept. Grà ¶nroos (1984) point out that service quality comprises of three global dimensions: The technical quality which refers to what is delivered or what the customer gets from the service. For example, for a retail store, technical quality may consist of the range of products offered and the availability of parking space. The functional quality, that is, the way in which the service is delivered or how it is delivered. For example, customers of a retail store will assess whether the salespersons are friendly or whether products are easily returnable. The corporate image has to do with how consumers perceive the firm and is built by mainly both technical and functional quality and to some extent other factors such as the traditional marketing activities (pricing, advertising). Unlike Grà ¶nroos (1984) who uses the global measure of service quality, Parasuraman et al. (1985) argue that the criteria used by consumers to evaluate service quality fits ten dimensions: reliability, responsiveness, competence, courtesy, communication, credibility, security, access, tangibles and understanding/knowing the customer. Later, after having carried out successive research, analysis and testing, Parasuraman et al. (1988) refine the dimensions into only five dimensions namely: Tangibles: the appearance of physical facilities, personnel, communication materials and condition of equipment. Reliability: the ability to perform the promised service on time dependably and accurately. Responsiveness: the willingness to help customers, to deal effectively with complaints and provide prompt service. Assurance: the employees knowledge and courtesy and their ability to convey trust and confidence. Empathy: The level of caring, individualised attention provided to the customers. 2.1.1 SERVQUAL Model Based on these five dimensions above, the SERVQUAL instrument has been developed. This particular instrument which is originally developed by A. Parasuraman, Valarie A. Zeithaml and L.L. Berry in 1988, measures service quality through customer opinions. They point out that SERVQUAL essentially comprises of two sections. The first section basically questions customers expectations, while the second part measures customers perceptions. The gap between the expected service and perceived service is measured using the SERVQUAL together with its five underlying dimensions of service quality (tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy). The SERVQUAL incorporates 22 items in each of the two sections which are sub-items of the predefined five dimensions (refer to Appendix B). According to Zeithaml et al. (2006), SERVQUAL has been creatively used in multiple service contexts. Indeed, Parasuraman et al. (1988) suggest that the instrument is applicable across a wide variety of services. In the same line, Getz et al. (2001) put forward that SERVQUAL has been broadly used in a variety of service industries. They also point out that it is a helpful tool comprising of potential applications in assessing effectively consumers expectations and perceptions of service quality. Despite the fact that SERVQUAL is the most well known instrument for service quality, it has been criticised from several researchers. Cronin and Taylor (1992) claim that there are deficiencies in both the conceptualisation and operationalisation of service quality in the SERVQUAL model. Buttle (1996) criticises on the dimensionality of the SERVQUAL scale, especially to the number of dimensions and their stability from contexts to contexts. He also states that the dimensions are not universal. Following the same line of thought, Bahia and Nantel (2000) declare that this model emphas