The Current Punishments For A Student Cheating - 990 Words

It is a melancholy object to those who walk through this great school or travel in the county, when they see the classes, desks, and lab tables crowded with students, surrounded by three, four, or six cheet sheets, all in tatters and importuning every finished student for an answer. These pupils, instead of being able to work for their honest grade, are forced to employ all their time taking photos of the work of ireful classmates, who, when the next long math worksheet arises, either turn to cheating for want of sleep, or leave their dear homework in their backpacks to waste time on Narcos on Netflix, or contrive a stomach ache for desire to abandon education completely upon the due date. Lets first ponder about cheating, if you cheat,†¦show more content†¦The longer my proposal is in effect, the more independent and honest we will become, thus creating a more civil society. Who doesn’t want a more civilized society where we don’t steal one of the most valuable things mankind has, knowledge. Some administrators of a desponding spirit are in great concern about the vast number of students who are counterfeiting homework, gazing upon the scantrons of others, or applying cellular telephones for acts of in-class deviance, and I have been desired to employ my thoughts what course may be taken to ease the school of so grievous an encumbrance. I think the advantages by the proposal which I have made are obvious and many, as well as of the highest importance. For first, as I have already observed, it would greatly lessen the number of plagiarists, with whom we are overrun around exam week, being the majority of test takers of the school as well as the most eminent threat to national security; and who begin their studies the night prior on purpose to finally finish re-watching Breaking Bad, hoping to take their advantage by the absence of so many observant proctors, who have chosen rather to finally alot time to putting grades into Edline than carefully scrutinizing every sideways glance with hawk-like precision. Secondly, the ceremonious removal of body parts would likewise bring great custom to hallways between classes,Show MoreRelatedCheating is a Crime1023 Words   |  4 Pageseducational system it has become very common for students to cheat their way through school. High Schools have an honor code and other rules in place in order to prevent students from cheating, although it is still very common to cheat. Whenever a student is caught in the unethical crime of cheating, he or she will state that the only way to survive in today’s competitive society is to â€Å"cut corners†. The act of cheating is rarely pena lized. Others believe that cheating is unethical and will only backfire inRead MoreCai Yangbin Froggen 988215 Ge2021 W08 Dr. Braxton 2017/3/131470 Words   |  6 PagesWhy so many students choose to cheat? What kind of students are enrolled in academic dishonesty? (almost all). The relationship between market supply and academic dishonesty. Suggestions and measures relevant institutions take on this problem. The problem of academic dishonesty criticism can be seen everywhere in this document. More and more academic cheating makes the whole education system have a big hole. Low achievers destroyed the whole academic system balance. Author urge students not to do academicRead MorePlagiarism And The Reasons College Students1618 Words   |  7 Pagesignored, this problem will continue to rise from the current state and transform into a constant. There are ways to prevent this unruly fact, but one must be ready to face the obvious situation, and take measures to limit this growing prob lem. This article will explain plagiarism and the reasons college students turn so quickly to such an unstable â€Å"solution†. It will also present alternative ideas to learning and measures to limit the need that students feel for plagiarism and promote personal creativityRead MoreEssay on What is Cheating and Why Cheating is Bad?1219 Words   |  5 PagesWhat is Cheating and Why Cheating is Bad? In this paper, we discuss how academic dishonesty in general and what role if any, the structure and teaching of courses – as a part of business management curriculum in particular – plays, in curbing that dishonesty. Cheating can be defined as any act of academic dishonesty and is encountered in various forms. There has been extensive research [Whitley, 1998] to analyze fraudulent exercises- especially in undergraduate school setting. 72% students reportRead MoreDukes Mbas Cheating Scandal997 Words   |  4 PagesDuke s MBAs Cheating Scandal While students are overwhelmed with handbooks on plagiarism, school honor codes when they entering a university, cheatings are rampantly detected in university environment. Admittedly, plagiarism and cheating should be seriously punished. However, there do exist controversial cases where some assert that the cases are not considered cheatings, the others argue that they should be considered cheatings. An article named Duke MBAs Fail Ethics Test by Alison DamastRead MoreAcademic Integrity And Student Plagiarism1622 Words   |  7 Pagesintegrity as plagiarism and buying essays. This work addresses, much attention will be paid to the background of breaches of academic integrity. Students’ behavior will be described and thoroughly analyzed. This essay will provide an understanding that current educational system itself creates prerequisites for such violations. Nowadays, American students try to subvert the educational system by using plagiarism in essays. The educational system tries to withstand these manifestations of dishonestyRead MoreStudent Perceptions Of Cheating At Online1685 Words   |  7 PagesStudent Perceptions of Cheating in Online CoursesYour Name:Class Name:University Name:Instructor Name:Student Perceptions of Cheating in Online CoursesAcademic integrity has long been a core concern of faculty as well as administrators operating in campuses. Recent statistics done on the extent of cheating that occurs in college campuses shows that the large majority of students have engaged in this vice to some extent. The core difference in today’s environment is the wide proliferation of technologicalRead MoreThe Real Problem of Plagiarism1168 Words   |  5 Pagesexpects the students to behave. These codes can be different based upon the specific rules of the institution in question. Some have clothing rules, others rules ab out alcohol or drug use, but there are certain rules which are more universal and are found in almost all schools. Many schools have rules which dictate that students must behave in ways which the institution considers to be honorable. These honor codes can include different components, but it is primarily a pledge against cheating in any senseRead MoreWest Point Cheating Incident Essay1440 Words   |  6 PagesWest Cheating Incident Case Running Head: West Point Cheating Incident Case Submitted By: Warren Frazier For: Advanced Organizational Behavior 1 April 2014 West Point Cheating Case Description The success of a major corporation depends primarily on the development and completion of its mission statement. In order to achieve success, make profits and remain competitive in today’s market. Most organizationsRead MoreWhy Plagiarism Is Important For Academic Integrity?1731 Words   |  7 PagesNow in the age of information sharing, society has an obligation to consider where changing 21st century values fit within academic writing and whether there are any implications for standards regarding plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious form of cheating as it essentially defines the values of academic dishonesty, therefore changing generational views on academic integrity must be considered. These views, consequently, need to be considered to understand if they are directly correlated with increased

Red Robin Restaurant Evaluation Free Essays

Red Robin Restaurant Evaluation DeVry University Red Robin Restaurant Evaluation The theme for all Red Robin restaurants is â€Å"Red Robin†¦. Yum! † When thinking about this statement you really have to think about all that encompasses. What makes the food so good? Does the atmosphere make the yum factor even better? What about the staff how do they contribute to the yum factor of the food? For this evaluation I would like to explore this yum factor and truly understand what makes the Red Robin chain of restaurants stick with yum as a marketing tool to entice customers to come in. We will write a custom essay sample on Red Robin Restaurant Evaluation or any similar topic only for you Order Now Firstly we will explore the atmosphere of the Red Robin restaurants and how the atmosphere adds to the yum factor. When you first walk into a Red Robin restaurant you are greeted by a friendly hostess who joyfully takes you and your party to your table. Once you are seated your server comes over to greet you and take your drink order. This is great for the yum factor because no one like to eat food in the mist of negativity, when you are in a place where the atmosphere is negative it just makes your whole entire experience bad. The one down side to this is that at times if you have children, you are still in the process of settling in; you are not quite ready for your server to come by and take your drink order because you have not even looked at the menu. Secondly we must discuss the staff and how they add to the yum factor for Red Robin restaurants. The staff at Red Robin is for about 95% of the time the friendliest and warm restaurant staff you will encounter. The staffs at Red Robin restaurants are very accommodating for anyone who needs to place a special order. They are also good about getting food to children first, especially if it is later in the evening and they are hungry. This ability to get what I desire to eat the way that I desire it without having to be reprimanded for substituting this for that or adding this or that, makes the yum factor so much better because it is truly what I want. However, the one con that I have seen of the Red Robin staff is that, they are not prepared for last minute large parties. There have been times when a group of friends have decided to just go and have a great time eating together, the staff takes about thirty minutes to get their selves together to be able to accommodate the crew. Lastly, we must discuss what makes the food so good and how it makes the yum factor. The food at Red Robin consists of burgers, French fries, select chicken products, salads and sandwich wraps. The burgers are considered gourmet because they have more than just your typical bacon, cheese, ketchup and mustard. The food theme for Red Robin is classic comfort with a twist of class to heighten your taste buds. On the other hand when it comes to the food some may find that the classiness of some of the items is too much for them. Some people just want a simple cheeseburger with no muss or fuss, and with all the gourmet burgers this may be a turnoff to those people. The uniqueness of the food is what gives Red Robin the yum factor, the food is comforting and the flavors are bold. In conclusion you can clearly understand how the staff, atmosphere and food at Red Robin restaurants live up you their motto â€Å"Red Robin†¦Yum! † When you have a great atmosphere, great staff, and food that delivers’ on the taste, you have a great recipe for the yum factor. When you are choosing a place to eat you want to choose a place where you have the full yum factor effect. Some restaurants may just have one or two elements of the yum factor, but if you are looking for a place with all three yum factors, then Red Robin is the restaurant for you. How to cite Red Robin Restaurant Evaluation, Papers

Provision of Acute Hospital Services Free-Samples -Myassignment

Question: Discuss How Efficiency in the Provision of Acute Hospital Services may be Improved. Answer: Introduction Technical efficiency refers to the maximization of profits and minimization of cost in a firm. Allocative efficiency refers to that point that fully satisfies the customers demands with the least possible resources. This paper explores transformational leadership as one way in which both technical and allocative efficiency can be realized in the health centres. Contrast between allocative and technical efficiency In as much as economical or allocative efficiency seeks to use the least possible inputs, the measures are centered on clients satisfaction. In a hospital setting, the marginal point is the point at which patients are served at the level best with the same inputs. On the other hand, technical efficiency is centered on profit maximization. The measures taken do not hold onto the clients needs since the marginal point is the point at which the minimum resources are used to achieve the best outputs. Another major difference between allocative and technical efficiency can be viewed in terms of monopoly whereby in the allocative efficiency, firms are able to set their prices higher than the marginal cost and still meet the demands of the population. As a matter of fact monopolies are the most allocative efficient firms. According to Skinner and Staiger, (2015) technical efficiency is not concerned with monopoly of the market and it is in no way related to clients social concerns. Technical efficiency operates at the firms perspectives without so much consideration of the external factors. Technical as it may sound, technical efficiency seeks to minimize cost and maximize output. With this in place, allocative efficiency measures and policies may exploit the clients without it hitting their consciousness since clients may not probe so much into the inquiry of the methods or approach. Ozcan, (2014) is convinced that it is possible to achieve technical efficiency in a health set up without allocative efficiency. This is mainly because; technical efficiency does not involve the health requirements. It involves the inputs and outputs in the service. Allocative efficiency which is so much concerned with the population distribution and the societal demands and concerns of the individuals of a certain population has to take route of both the inputs and the distribution to ensure that they get to the right clients in a way that is of maximum benefit. Nelson and Staggers, (2017) suggests that allocative efficiency has more returns technical efficiency. If efficiency is examined in terms of profits realized and impact on the society, allocative efficiency is far way above the technical efficiency. This is so because in technical efficiency, the profits almost compares with the cost of production since even labor is highly minimized just to suit the primary needs of production. However, in allocative efficiency, in terms of both impacts and the realized benefits it is higher since it is efficient in meeting needs not realizing profits and returns. Satisfied clients are all the same willing to pay due returns for health services if they are happy about the services. Transformational leadership to improve efficiency in service provision Solanas, et al (2016) efficiency is important when it comes to the running and management of any firm whether profit oriented or not. In hospitals for instance, efficiency is necessary since inefficient practices would put the lives of patients at risk. However, the most important thing about improving the efficiency is that it minimizes works of the management in supervision, it also reduces the work load of the health workers and most importantly it makes clients to receive better services and quality heath. The efficiency in the delivery and provision of hospital services may be improved in various ways. Transformational leadership is one of the most important ways a health institution can boost its efficiency. Leaders are the heart of every institution and the engine that drives all progress. Leaders are concerned with the day to day running of the organization. Good leadership practices affect both the leaders and the led. It gives satisfaction and happiness to workers since they feel that their efforts are appreciated. Effective leaders are able to plan and execute development projects that contribute to the success of the hospitals (Majumdar and Chakraborty, 2015). Transformational leadership fosters moral courage and other transformational tools such as emotional intelligence, intellectual courage and it also helps workers to strictly adhere to the Hippocratic Oath in the health practices. Raghupathi and Raghupathi, (2014) moral courage helps health workers to stand with what is right despite the circumstances. It helps the workers to be competent and avoid all forms of malpractice. These values and principles help health workers in their day to day operations by improving the efficiency of service delivery and interaction with patients. This provides an environment that is both rewarding and reinforcing to both the patients and the health workers and it also works to the general good of all in the society. Barr and Dowding, (2015) explains that it is essential for every leader in a health institution to take up their roles. Leaders whose work is to supervise workers should be keen in ensuring that workers are able to avoid errors in diagnosis, treatment of patients, handling of equipment. The workers should also be made competent enough in order to avoid errors in reasoning which are prone to producing lethal effects. Good communication among the heads will ensure smooth flow of information in the institution. It is clearly evident beyond any reasonable doubt just how professional health workers are faced with various ethical dilemmas in their day to day activities. The way, and know-how of solving these challenges needs one to be equipped with the tools of moral courage. Which will in turn help them to take action and specifically the right action. Many people including the ancient Greeks have tried to define moral courage. Some have it but others can also be termed as shallow backwards and biased. Transformational leadership helps to induce moral courage into the workers (Kobuck, 2015). Ancient Greeks used the term moral courage to refer to behavior at the battle field. Courage in itself can only be seen in situations where death is imminent. They had to conclude that the courage here is the agility of declaring or waging a war without fearing its consequences such as harm, injury or death. However, (Sodeke, 2016) argues that moral courage is an important to the willingness of an individual to adhere to and support ethical responsibilities to uphold professional values. Moral courage means doing things not because there is a reward and not because it is the law of the land but to uphold it because it is the right thing to do. Moral courage is best seen with people who once they face a dilemma decide a course of action based on their ethical standards and then get a decision to the right course of action. In the case of a health professional, Sodeke, (2016) argues that one may exhibit moral courage when one is pressured by a health institution to document patients treatment that wasnt administered or one who refuses to overcharge a patient although there are internal or external forces that he or she is being subjected to. This can be as a result of profit maximization that is exploitative in nature. A health professional may also show moral conduct by refusing to engage in an investigation that is targeted to release some harmful disease in the community in order to benefit from treating the same. Most scholars have however proves that this virtue requires to be worked upon. Others still ask whether moral courage is learnable. The strategies include open discussions, case studies and open life examples and rehearsals. This may require a never ending commitment and a careful reflection of moral behaviors. It is of importance that some of the healthcare organizations however recognize the importance of ethical principles to solve health and professional dilemmas that pose a threat on personal qualities and discipline of the profession. It is of utmost importance to demonstrate moral courage in a clinical setting when one is faced with a challenge of ethical importance (LaSala, 2010). Individuals should be well familiar with all conduct that can disrupt the moral upright individual actions. All health care workers should have the power to appreciate their fellow workers who are determined to stand firm and embrace professional moral courage. Those organizations that dont embrace moral courage should also start so as to develop workers of integrity who shall live with the right moral values even in the face of opposition. Cylus, Papanicolas and Smith (2015) leaders should also be concerned with improvement of information and communication technology is another very important milestone in the improvement of efficiency and delivery of acute services. Improvement of ICT revolves about improving and maintaining good and sound communication between the health officials and the patients. Sound communication systems prevent misinformation between the clients and the doctors. This ensures that sound medication advice gets to the patients in good time. It also helps the patients to consult the doctors regularly since they can gain access to their services. Information communication technology also helps in the improvement of record keeping and information management system. Sound information management systems and record keeping is important for both health workers and the patients since it makes the available information easily accessible which makes it useful in day to day operations. It saves time and also economizes on space since no bulky files are used to store data. Electronic data is also important information management system since it ensures security of health records. Transformational leaders ensure safe records keeping and privacy of patients information which is consistent with the legal procedures of health keeping. Electronic data helps the health workers to attain these standards. Easily available information is used as a standard for reference in the treatment of similar disorders. Modern methods of health keeping however require competent and skilled workers in order to be consistent with modern technological advancements. Efficient data management system is also important for patients with chronic illnesses since they can easily keep track of their health history and progress. Leaders should purchase competent and consistent technology in the medical in order to improve efficiency in the provision of acute services. New and modern technology is important in detection of diseases and looking for cure of available diseases. The available post modern innovations include the positron emission tomography which is essential in the detection and treatment of cancerous cells. Professionals have also used the functional magnetic resonance imaging which is able to detect the brain functions and helps to identify malfunctions and disorders so associated to the brain. The improvement of imaging techniques has further improved the observation of clinical disorders and it has led to sound conclusions in the treatment of the various infections (Hall, 2014). Good leaders help to advance technological advancements. Technological advancements in the medical field are also important in that they provide the necessary information for research, inquiry and learning. This not only improves provision of services to patients but it also improves learning and research to medical students and health practitioners willing to perform research in various fields. Caution is however necessary on the handling and use of up to date machinery and equipments since some such as cosmic rays may cause harm to the health workers. Page, (2014) argues that boosting the productivity of workers is also essential in the improvement of efficiency in the production of acute services. There are several ways in which the productivity of workers can be boosted. One of them is improving the working conditions of workers and addressing some of the challenges that they face directly. When workers are happy, they are likely to provide better services and also leave happy clients. Andersen, et al (2013: 56) satisfied workers are likely to misplace aggression on the patients which makes the patients to suffer. Transformational leaders mind the welfare of their workers. Minding the social welfare of workers makes them happy and more willing to serve especially in the health sector. The management should also carry out activities that not only reflect the clients but also tackle the challenges that face workers such as space of operation, tools of service, working hours and good salaries, due payments and automation of the possible operations in order to reduce the work load. In conclusion, (Groves, et al 2016) technical and allocative efficiency is best realized when leaders are passionate and willing to further development for the common good of the people and the society at large. Transformational leadership, along with mental courage are both very important tools of ensuring that efficiency is realized in a hospital setting. References Andersen, R.M., Davidson, P.L. and Baumeister, S.E., 2013. Improving access to care.Changing the US health care system: Key issues in health services policy and management, pp.33-69. Barr, J. and Dowding, L., 2015.Leadership in health care. Sage. Bowling, A., 2014.Research methods in health: investigating health and health services. McGraw-Hill Education (UK). Cylus, J., Papanicolas, I. and Smith, P.C., 2015. Using data envelopment analysis to address the challenges of comparing health system efficiency.Global Policy. Finkelman, A., 2015.Leadership and management for nurses: Core competencies for quality care. Pearson. Groves, P., Kayyali, B., Knott, D. and Kuiken, S.V., 2016. The'big data'revolution in healthcare: Accelerating value and innovation. Hall, R., 2014. Patient flow.AMC,10, p.12. Kobuck, S. L. (2015). Moral courage: A requirement for ethical decision making in nursing home leadership (Doctoral dissertation, DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY). LaSala, C. A., Bjarnason, D. (2010). Creating workplace environments that support moral courage. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 15(3). Majumdar, A. and Chakraborty, R., 2015. Measurement of efficiency of hospital care in terms of Patients' Health Expenses.TSM Business Review,3(1), p.41. Nelson, R. and Staggers, N., 2017.Health informatics: An interprofessional approach. Elsevier Health Sciences. Ozcan, Y.A., 2014. Evaluation of Performance in Health Care. InHealth Care Benchmarking and Performance Evaluation(pp. 3-14). Springer US. Page, T., 2014. Notions of innovation in healthcare services and products.International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development,8(3), pp.217-231. Raghupathi, W. and Raghupathi, V., 2014. Big data analytics in healthcare: promise and potential.Health Information Science and Systems,2(1), p.3. Skinner, J. and Staiger, D., 2015. Technology diffusion and productivity growth in health care.Review of Economics and Statistics,97(5), pp.951-964. Sodeke, S. (2016). Bioethics Skill Sets Can Work, But It Would Take Moral Courage to Apply Them and Get Desired Results. The American Journal of Bioethics, 16(4), 19-21. Solanas, A., Patsakis, C., Conti, M., Vlachos, I.S., Ramos, V., Falcone, F., Postolache, O., Prez-Martnez, P.A., Di Pietro, R., Perrea, D.N. and Martinez-Balleste, A., 2014. Smart health: a context-aware health paradigm within smart cities.IEEE Communications Magazine,52(8), pp.74-81. Valdmanis, V.G., Rosko, M.D., Leleu, H. and Mukamel, D.B., 2016. Assessing overall, technical, and scale efficiency among home health care agencies.Health care management science, pp.1-11. West, M., Eckert, R., Steward, K. and Pasmore, B., 2014. Developing collective leadership for health care.London: The Kings Fund. Yeow, A. and Goh, K.H., 2015. Work Harder or Work Smarter? Information Technology and Resource Allocation in Healthcare Processes.Mis Quarterly,39(4), pp.763-785.

Ines of My Soul Essay Example

Ines of My Soul Paper In Isabel Allende’s Ines of My Soul, one woman, Ines Suarez, challenges the traditional role of women and society by embarking upon a journey alongside her companion to conquer a part of the New World. Throughout the expedition, Ines faces challenges because of her gender, yet she also manages to use her gender and the traditional gender role to her advantage. In Spain, machismo was prevalent in society, allowing for men to feel and act as if inherently superior to women. Although she was not a submissive wife, Ines was still subject to sexist remarks by her husband, Rodrigo de Quiroga. For example, as Ines attempted to discourage Rodrigo from an expedition to the New World by arguing that everything had already been discovered, Rodrigo shouts, â€Å"How ignorant you are, woman! † Yet, Ines refused to be submissive and would sometimes react rebelliously and demand respect, sometimes resorting to physical violence in order to be respected. Although societal norms encouraged women to stay home, Ines had the intention of leaving to the New World behind Rodrigo, despite the dangers they could have faced. As soon as the trip initiated, Ines gained her respect from the members on board. Working in a nun’s hospital in Plasencia, Ines had learned how to cauterize wounds and care for people with broken bones, which worked to her benefit as sailors sought her help, in addition to her food. Ines would also use the role as the disconsolate wife to her advantage. As she intended to sail to Peru with a group of Dominican priests, Ines wore her black dresses to express her fidelity to Juan, yet Ines had not loved Juan in years. Yet, Ines would endure several worrying situations, especially among men. We will write a custom essay sample on Ines of My Soul specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Ines of My Soul specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Ines of My Soul specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Since it was rare for a woman to set sail alone and surrounded completely by men, Ines was an easy target for sexual harassment. Sebastian Romero in one instance tried to rape Ines. On her journey to Peru, men also harassed Ines despite the vigilance by priests. The fact that Ines was one of the very few Spanish women in the region did contribute to some challenges, yet it also contributed to certain benefits. Ines explains that since men were not accustomed to seeing a Spanish woman without a partner, they also treated her with great consideration. In that long, slow journey to Cuzco they tended to my needs, shared their food with me, lent me their tents and mounds, and gave me boots and a blanket woven of vicuna, the finest cloth in the world. † Indeed, Ines enjoyed many privileges because she was Spanish. Ines also benefitted of the different culture of the New World. In Peru, no one denied her respect. Pedro de Valdivia was a married man yet Ines justified their relationshi p by arguing that in the New World, â€Å"†¦men needed immediate love, or a substitute for it. Besides, men have mistresses in Spain. † Ines’s character was very different from the traditional conduct of women at that time. In fact, Pedro admits that Ines was intimidating. She was also very assertive. Yet, because of women’s inferior status in society, Ines would not be taken seriously as she tried to convince Pizarro to allow her to accompany Pedro de Valdivia on his quest to Chile. However, Ines would use one of her skills to her advantage, that of dowsing, or locating water as an argument for why she should be allowed to go. When in Chile, Ines does indeed find water and all the conquistadores manage to drink, for which they, especially Pedro de Valdivia, were very thankful with Ines. â€Å"She saved us from thirst and in the desert†¦she, more than anyone, deserves to participate in this meeting. † Yet, Ines did express concern at times with her role as a woman among men. As the captains debated whether to execute Sancho de la Hoz, Ines remained silent and did not tell Pedro what he should do, since she did not want to be seen as a virago who told de Valdivia everything that he should do. During the battles against the indigenous, Ines and the other women were expected to cook for the soldiers and take care of them. Indeed, the women played a key role in the sustenance of the soldiers. Ines, Catalina, Cecilia, and other women would go to surrounding areas and trade with the indigenous tribes. They also considered themselves ‘healers’ and ‘physicians. ’ As Ines states, â€Å"We had good hands for setting broken bones, cauterizing wounds, and helping as midwives; those talents served us well. Certainly, Ines and the other women played an important role in the colonization of such countries, including Chile. In Spain, women lived in a highly patriarchal society. Yet, even though such traits were present in the New World, women were allowed to express themselves more freely there. In the New World, women had a higher chance of social mobility and increasing their social status. With them, they brought their nurturing skills as caretakers of the soldiers, which contributed to their survival significantly. However, one also has to consider the hardships that women had to endure. Ines Suarez faced many of these challenges, yet her character allowed her to overcome them. She also possessed unique talents that allowed her to earn a higher level of respect from the men. However, not all women who came with the conquistadors shared such qualities. ? Bibliography Allende, Isabel. Ines of My Soul. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006. Burkholder, Mark A. , and Lyman L. Johnson. Colonial Latin America. 7 ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.

Free sample - Counter Thesis Essay. translation missing

Counter Thesis Essay. Counter Thesis EssayThis article contains information on why the speaker, the CEO of SPX Chris Kearney believes in the potential of the American industry to exploit the business opportunities that exist in today’s world. Kearney presents the argument that the American industry has a reason to remain optimistic about the market even in time of recession and globalization, which have far-reaching transformative consequences for the country. Kearney (2009) believes that the problem that the American industry faces is that of liquidity, particularly in this time of recession.   In other words, the recession is not about shortage of business opportunities or international competition, it is about liquidity. In support of his thesis, Kearney (2009) is confident of his assertion that globalization is not a condition, but rather, a fact of life. He also notes that with globalization, the world economy is growing, and the middle class is expanding. A growing middle class, according to Kearney, implies increase in the demand for most of the products that are made in the American industries. The thesis is also supported with a highlight on the emerging global economic giants such as China, India and Brazil. Growth in these countries, predicts Kearney (2009), will generate a massive wave of consumer demand, thereby bringing about a shift by these economies from investment models to consumer models. This will translate into new business opportunities for the American industry. The article contains many other examples that support the thesis. For instance, immediately after the World War II, no one thought that Russia would be the leading auto industry player in Europe. More importantly, no one thought that the computer would be making every industry hum, most significantly, many thought that the African continent would forever remain on the sidelines of the global economy. The optimism about the opportunities that are there for the American industry to exploit runs till the ending section of the article, where it is stated that America is home to seven out of the world’s top ten brands. Using such examples, the American way is presented as a bold, and one that is future-oriented.

How to Introduce Your Class Rules (Grades K-6)

How to Introduce Your Class Rules (Grades K-6) Its important to introduce your class rules on the first day of school. These rules serve as a guideline for students to follow throughout the school year. The following article will give you a few tips on how to introduce your class rules, and why its best to only have a few. How to Introduce Class Rules to Students 1. Let students have a say. Many teachers choose to introduce the rules on or around the first day of school. Some teachers even give the students the opportunity to pitch in and create the rules together. The reason for this  is that when students feel they had a hand in deciding what is expected of them, they tend to follow the rules more closely. 2. Teach the rules. Once the class has created a list of acceptable rules, then its time for you to teach the rules. Teach each rule as if you are teaching a regular lesson. Provide students with an example of each rule and model if necessary. 3. Post the rules. After the rules are taught and learned, then its time to set them in stone. Post the rules somewhere in the classroom where it is easy for all students to see, and send a copy of them home for parents to review and sign off on. Why It's Best to Only Have Three to Five Rules Have you ever noticed that your social security code is written in groups of three, four, or five numbers? How about your credit card and license number? This is because people find it easier to remember numbers when they are grouped in three to five. With this in mind, its important to limit the amount of rules you set in your classroom from three to five. Try not to set more than five rules at a time. If you find it necessary to have more than five, then post them in groups of three to five.Feel free to replace a rule once it has been learned. The students must still abide by this rule, it is just now known as an unwritten rule.When writing the rules, state the rules in the positive instead of starting with Do Not. What Should My Rules Be? Every teacher should have their own set of rules. Try to refrain from using other teachers rules. Here is a list of some general rules that you can tweak to fit your personal class expectations: Sample List of Rules Come to class prepared.Listen to others.Follow Directions.Raise your hand before speaking.Respect yourself and others. Specific List of Rules Complete morning work at your seat.Wait for further directions once a task is completed.Keep your eyes on the speaker.Follow directions the first time they are given.Change tasks quietly.

Barbie and Mattel Corporation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Barbie and Mattel Corporation - Term Paper Example Creating a brand name serves as the best way to achieve this objective. This was the main story behind the success of Barbie in Mattel Corporation. Handler and Elliot modeled a success story by taking a different approach in that designing and modeling Barbie differently from other dolls in the market, which are susceptible to fashion and fickleness. Since customers are aware of an existing similar brand in the market, they are more likely to be more attached to a brand extension that provides better utility as compared to a new product (Arslan & Altuona, 2010). The success behind Barbie was that while other dolls were modeled on the prospect of being tender and dependent , Mattel developed a completely different approach of the same dolls by making Barbie to appear independent and having an elaborated adult figure that portrayed compete femininity that many girls of different ages were attracted to or tried to emulate. This was better enhanced by providing Barbie with different hair styles, mood expressions and different expressions of careers. Barbie according to these aspects became more than a doll in the lives of many young and middle age girls, in that Barbie had a different lovely expression to each age group. This was the story behind creating a brand name in dolls industry that made Barbie to become a lifestyle for many. Though Barbie was hardly a high tech product, it was through innovation that Mattel made the model to be a brand name in the market. The idea of innovativeness and extensions made the two to adopt a different approach that made the product a brand name in the market. An existing product can be created into a new product through brand extension that is much cheaper as compared to introducing a new product in the market (Arslan & Altuona, 2010). Largely brand extensions provide a better way to making brand recognition and image in venturing new markets (Aaker & Keller, 1990).  

Ethical Egoism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Ethical Egoism - Essay Example For example, while working at the Single Stop in Miami Dade College Kendal campus, it was clear that every activity had both benefits and costs. First, experience gained in working is very essential as one gets exposure to various challenges and thereby learning ways of overcoming them. Secondly, one gains the ability to manage time and to interact with people with different views and ideas that are usually helpful in life. It is also motivating to learn that through own efforts somebody else lives a better life through the role one played in their life success. In most cases, every action will have a cost under whatever circumstances. The costs are sometimes are minimal and outdone by the benefits, and acts as a motivation to others in most cases. Time is one of the major costs in engaging in an activity. It is a challenge to allocate time to assist others especially when there are no benefits tied to the activity. Engaging in an activity also requires dedication of own efforts, resources such as money or knowledge. These costs in most cases are necessary to part with in  daily  lives. The theory of ethical egoism offers a suitable platform for justification in every action one engages. The theory states that it is sufficient and necessary for action to stand as morally right if it maximizes one’s self interest (Shaffer-Landau 193). It takes two versions the individual and the universal ethical egoism. In individual ethical egoism, one should check on one’s own interests, and one should concern with others only if the extent of involvement contributes to own interests. In universal ethical egoism, everybody has an obligation to act on their best self-interest and ought to concern about others only if the extent of concern contributes to their self-interests. Thus, the theory outlines that before engaging in an action it is necessary to evaluate the benefits and the costs attached. If the costs exceed the benefits, then it is not

Regulatory Effects on the Transportation Industry Essay Example for Free

Regulatory Effects on the Transportation Industry Essay Economic effects on freight and passenger services Transportation Management, to the government, is the agency oversight of the movement of people and goods. That includes oversight of the economic practices of the companies that perform these services. The economic effect of such regulation is complex. Service industries, which include the various forms of transportation of freight and passengers, are subject to a wide array of regulations. These regulations affect the economies of transportation services in differing ways. Regulations are imposed on these industries to achieve various social and economic goals. Whether they achieve these aims is a separate question. The most obvious effects of regulation are economic. Well-crafted, appropriate regulations can be an asset both to industry and the consumer. They can move resources toward socially productive uses and away from negative ones. They can also ensure public safety and foster competition. Over regulation, however, can have the opposite effect. Transportation, like any industry, is resistant to regulation. Evidence exists that shows the negative economic effects of regulation. Over regulation or regulations that are poorly written can unnecessarily stunt economic activity in situations where the free market could have regulated more effectively. It is up to policy makers to find a balance that achieved social aims yet allows business to thrive. The freight transportation industry and the passenger transportation industry have some similar concerns about regulation. There are also regulations that are distinct to each industry; therefore the economic effects will likely differ. Regulation can result in a higher cost of doing business which is passed down the line to consumers. This is true in both the freight and passenger sectors. The increased price to consumers has a ripple effect on the economy on the whole. Each sector contains complex economies, though, in which the effects of regulation may not always be clear. Oversight-The mission, in general Federal oversight of both the freight and passenger industries is managed by the General Services Administration. It is concerned with both regulatory cooperation and promoting the economic heath of the industries involved. The GSA works collaboratively with businesses to develop flexible regulatory policies and incentives.In both sectors, the GSA is working to smooth the process to electronic forms of transportation. The GSA is working to support the initiatives put forward in the President’s Management Agenda (PMA). They include: the expansion of electronic government, the integration of performance and budget, strategic management of human resources and improved financial performance. The Economic Theory of Regulation The creation of governmental bodies to oversee and regulate certain industries has prompted efforts to measure the effects of such regulation on the overall economy. In 1971, George Stigler proposed the Economic Theory of regulation, or ET, for short. This model measures regulatory effects on the supply chain, prices and costs, among other factors. Elements of this theory have been used to develop some of the more recent regulatory efforts. The model has since been revised. Critics of this model argue that it is successful for academic purposes, but is incomplete in an always changing business environment. Comparing economic effects directly between the freight and passenger transportation industries is difficult because of the differing nature of regulation. Creating regulations for these industries, or removing them, is a trial and error process. The Freight Industry Regulation in the freight industry traditionally has focused more on business structure than in the safety and price conscious passer industry. As in passenger service, the trend in freight has been toward gradual deregulation. Monopolistic practices have been a concern, particularly in the United States, since the beginnings of the modern transportation industry. The question is to whether assertive government regulation is better than the free markets alone for creating competition. The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was created after the Interstate Commerce Act was signed into law in 1887. This organization exercises broad regulatory powers over surface transportation industries. The ICC can not only review rates upon complaint, it can replace them with new rates. Many passenger and freight service companies protested, or tried to evade altogether, the reach of the ICC. Regulation introduced an unnecessary variable into the theory of consumer behavior, they felt. If prices are not solely the function of demand and cost, the outcome for the business is unpredictable. Regulation, they feared, would also make market entry more difficult. Competition could be reduced and the consumer could suffer in the end. Early actions of the ICC benefited producers of raw materials and goods. At the same time, their actions hurt manufacturer and decreased national economic efficiency. Rate manipulation by the ICC prompted factories to locate closer to final markets in order to minimize transportation costs. Railroads also challenged the ICC in court or found ways around the regulations. Even if it is not specifically quantifiable, it is obvious that regulations affected the economy. The reverse is also true. Changes in the overall economy have prompted changes in regulation. The Great Depression and its negative effect on the rail industry prompted the appointment of a Federal Transportation Coordinator and the passage of the Motor Carrier Act of 1935. A 1960 report by the United States Senate highlighted the effect of over regulation of the freight industry. It stated that the railroads and other transportation industries under direct federal regulation were at a distinct economic disadvantage to those that were not. The rail industry, in particular, was unable to set competitive rates under ICC control. Meanwhile, the less regulated motor carrier industry prospered. As that industry became more regulated, efficiency began to drop. In response, deregulation of both industries began in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. As carriers were allowed to eliminate unprofitable activities and set their prices based on demand, revenue and investment increased. In the mid-1980’s, the ICC was replaced by the Surface Transportation Board, a regulatory agency that is reduced in size and scope. Today’s oversight of the industry has changed in nature. Security and safety concerns are paramount after the events of 9/11. Freight carriers are incurring more expenses for security either directly because of regulation or on their own. These costs are passed down the line to consumers. The question has arisen as to whether economic reregulation is necessary as the number of railroad companies shrinks. It appears as if that is not likely in the short term. As long as the motor carrier industry is competitive, it will serve to hold rail rates down. Market entry, however, is more difficult for railways. Opening that market may be a goal of future regulation. Security has become a primary focus of government regulation. There is a great deal of pressure for companies to do more thorough screening of cargo and implement more stringent security practices. This will inevitably increase cost to both the industry and consumers. The shipping industry is inherently international. Many laws exist, to protect domestic carriers and to ensure safety and security. Domestically, all goods must travel on approved U.S. flag vessels. Separate restrictions apply for HAZMAT or classified materials. For all shipments, the shipper must check for any contracts or rate tenders that may apply. In selecting a provider, the shipper must demonstrate no preferential treatment toward any one provider. Insurance may also be required. Incentives may exist for selecting a provider that uses alternative fuels. In that sense, regulation indirectly benefits the alternative fuel industry. The government can mandate that certain international shipments be performed by a U.S. flag carrier. Cargo preference laws regulate the international shipment of property by water. In this situation, a U.S. flag carrier must be used whenever available. Waivers can be obtained, but they must be approved in advance. The Maritime Commission is the agency that monitors compliance to these and other laws. These laws, and similar ones by other countries, limit the amount of competition and may affect the efficiency of domestic businesses. The Passenger Industry Air travel is the most popular non-automotive mode of travel in the world. In recent years there has been a drive toward deregulating the industry. Service agreements have been liberalized, especially in the United States. Open Skies agreements loosen restrictions on market entry and airport usage between the U.S. and other countries. Price and route scheduling in the air industry are for the most part deregulated but other parts of the industry are not. Deregulation of the air industry began in 1979. Since then, there has been vast growth in the industry. Competition has also increased, allaying the fears of some that monopolies would develop. Prices, adjusted for inflation, have also fallen since the 1980’s in the United States. They have remained constant in Canada and other more regulated economies. Competition has not benefited every consumer but, on average, it has had a positive effect. Demand has increased to an all-time high, even as airlines continue to recover from the effects of 9/11. The basic structure of the airlines has changed since deregulation. Most airlines have instituted a â€Å"hub and spoke system† in which a traveler can travel efficiently through â€Å"hub† cities to their destination. This also allows airlines a more cost-efficient organization of their fleet. As airlines eliminated non-profitable destinations, other specialty carriers have moved in to meet demand in those cities. A significant amount of study has been done on the economic effect of regulation on the airline industry. It should be noted that determining exact cause and effect is not a straightforward process. Prices and industry efficiency are dependent on regulation and a multitude of other factors. Profits fluctuate wildly in passenger industries. A deregulated environment is effective for such industries because the fluctuations attract new investment and can actually facilitate market entry. The airline industry is inherently global, and regulation has global effects. In this sense, the passenger industry has to deal with economic realities that most surface freight industries do not. For example, United States regulations allow Canadian airlines to land or pick up at U.S. airports. They cannot, however, have both ends of the flight within the U.S. This reduces competition because Canadian air cannot form a complete hub and spoke system to efficiently serve passengers. This may have the end result of raising prices for consumers in certain markets, or, it may prompt other airlines to enter in order to serve that market. In this regard, the effect of regulation is somewhat uneven and unpredictable. Another source of regulation fro the passenger industry is the issue of foreign ownership. Theoretically, allowing foreign ownership of U.S. airlines could create more competition and lower prices. However, officials fear that allowing foreign ownership could create a situation where airlines are less accountable to regulatory power. An emerging focus of regulation in the passenger industry is security. Many new measures affecting airlines, airports and surface carriers are in the process of being implemented. The economic effect of these measures has not been studied and is not yet well known. Some of the expense is being absorbed by the federal government, such as in the case of the federalization of airport screeners. In the passenger ship industry, restrictions are fewer regarding international ownership and usage of U.S. ports. There is pressure on congress, however to provide greater oversight of this industry. It is unclear at this point if regulation will increase and what effect it will have on the economy of that industry. Deregulation Theory and the Critics In the passenger service industry, the seemingly successful deregulation of the airlines has prompted deregulation efforts in other sectors. The theory behind deregulation is simply that free markets work. Free markets will solve most of the problems that regulation seeks to remedy, as long as there is a competitive market. Demand, or lack of it, will control prices and force healthy competition. The Herfindahl index is a measure of industry concentration in certain markets. Proponents of deregulation in the air industry, for instance, cite that the Herfindahl has remained relatively stable since the initial shake-out of firms after the 1979 deregulation. In other words, competition is healthy and the consumer is being served at reasonable prices. Some of the effects that critics feared have apparently not come to pass. In the airline industry, research shows no significant decline in safety levels, and no decreases in service to smaller communities sine deregulation. Past experience shows that there is a negative linkage between regulation, market structure and service. There are some concentrated markets, proponents concede, but this is not necessarily bad. Some concentration allows the airlines to create bigger, more complete networks that serve more consumers. Regulation in both the freight and passenger industries now focuses away from business structure and price control. Regulations are more directed toward safety and security issues. Oversight in the freight industry still has a somewhat wider scope. Deregulation is not without its critics. Some point to the power industry as an example of deregulation gone too far. In the wake of deregulation, huge entrepreneurial companies such as Enron surfaced. Monopolistic practices were ushered in, and ultimately the needs of the consumers were not fulfilled. Deregulation proponents in the transportation industry, however, do not see this as a relevant example. The corruption at Enron was not created by deregulation, and economic factors in transportation are not the same. Conclusions The economic effects of regulation on both the freight and passenger service industries are many and varied. Difficulties exist in quantifying exact effects. Government attempts to regulate price, in particular have not always produced the intended result. The lack of knowledge on exact economic effects of regulation can be improved upon. More comprehensive studies can be undertaken in future years to clarify how these restrictions help or hurt the economy. Sophisticated technology is in development that can replicate various scenarios, a tool officials need before attempting to write policy. Regulations on transportation affect not only the transportation industry itself, but also any company that uses that industry. It is estimated that for the average company, transportation accounts for 3% to 7% of the total company costs. Therefore, regulation can have a significant effect on the economy as a whole. For the individual business, regulation can have ripple effects that influence inventory control, warehousing, accounting, customer service and a host of other area. It is not necessarily a negative effect, though. Efficient business combined with well thought out policy can provide a positive result for the economy. The way business is conducted is undergoing a rapid overhaul. New technologies are being introduced at a blinding pace. Future regulatory efforts will have to take this into account. A well-intentioned regulatory action could have the effect of slowing down a business in a climate where fastest is best. The safety and security measures that are necessary in the 21st century will inevitably have an economic effect. The money, however, is well spent. In future years, companies with good track records on security and safety will reap the financial benefits. For the freight and passenger industries, the trend has been toward deregulation in the economic sphere. The government will still take action if it perceives that there is a constraint on competition. It still holds veto power over large mergers, for example. Comparison of the economic effects of regulation between the passenger and freight industries suggests that a limited regime of regulation is necessary for safety and, to a lesser extent, for the economic health of the industries themselves. There are different regulatory focuses for each industry. What they all share is that they all produce a ripple effect that branches out to all sectors of the business, the consumer, and the larger economy. That effect can be negative, or, with well written policy, it can be positive.

Dangers of Driving Essay -- Road Safety

What is as dangerous if not more dangerous than murder and suicide? A car accident is. Being in the seat of a vehicle put’s a driver’s life in jeopardy the instant they are in the seat of a vehicle. Adam Ford explains drivers licenses were issued first in the 1900s and conditions have changed substantially: More powerful cars exist, and more are on the road (Ford). With this notion, Ford explains why cars are more dangerous on the road; however, the types of cars that exist in present times are not the sole reason the road is more dangerous. John Pearson states, car accidents are the leading cause of death from ages three to thirty-five world-wide (Pearson). Mainly, drivers cause these car accidents. Cellphone usage in the US is one of the central contributors to car crashes, because the habits shaped from cellphone usage, such as texting generate danger. According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 500,000 people were injured and 5 ,500 were killed by distracted driving in 2009 (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). The road has become a progressively hazardous place with distracted driving on the increase. Additionally, alcohol misuse causes increased danger while in a car. Ralph Hingson, a Sc.D., states that of all alcoholic-related crashes in 2002, 4 percent caused death, and 42 percent caused injury. Hingson further asserts, in dissimilarity of the crashes that did not involve alcohol, 0.6 percent caused deaths, and 31 percent caused injury (Hingson). Deaths and injuries increased this much cannot be taken lightly. Furthermore, age is also a factor in why car crashes have increased in the last decade. Youth drivers are the primary users of cellphones, which means that they text... ...ows older their eyesight does diminish, and other drivers would also have the opportunity to know if they needed any glasses or contacts. Once an individual receives a license, they are certified to drive for life until they get caught drinking and driving. Works Cited Ford, Adam. â€Å"The Minimum Driving Age Should be Raised†. The Minimum Driving Age. (2009). 2-2. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 23 Nov. 2010. Hingson, Ralph. â€Å"Epidemiology and Consequences of Drinking and Driving†. Alcoholic Research &Health. 27.1 (2003): 63-78. SIRS Knowledge Source. Web. 2 Dec. 2010. Pearson, John. â€Å"Cellphone Bans Make Sense† Cellphones. (2009). 5-5. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. United States. Department of Transportation. â€Å"Faces of Distracted Driving†. Distraction.gov. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2010.

Gaps of Service Quality

Measuring Perceived Service Quality Using s e rv q ua l: A Case Study of the Croatian Hotel Industry ? s u z ana m ar k ovi c Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management Opatija, Croatia s an j a r as p o r Polytechnic of Rijeka, Croatia The purpose of the study is to examine customers’ perceptions of service quality in the Croatian hotel industry. The aim is to assess the perceived service quality of hotel attributes and to determine the factor structure of service quality perception. A modi? d s e rv q ua l scale was used to assess service quality perceptions from the perspective of domestic and international tourists. Data were collected in 15 hotels in the Opatija Riviera (Croatia), using a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistical analysis, exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis were conducted. The study results indicate the rather high expectations of hotel guests regarding service quality. ‘Reliability,’ ‘empathy and com petence of staff,’ ‘accessibility’ and ‘tangibles’ are the key factors that best explained customers’ expectations of hotel service quality.The results of the quantitative assessment of perceived service quality may provide some insights on how customers rate the service quality of a particular hotel. Thus, the ? ndings can be used as a guide for hotel managers to improve the crucial quality attributes and enhance service quality and business performance. Key words: service quality, servqual, factor analysis, reliability analysis, hotel industry Introduction In the highly competitive hotel industry, service becomes one of the most important elements for gaining a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace.Consequently, the efforts of service managers and academic researchers are directed towards understanding how customers perceive the quality of service. Customers are likely to view services as a variety of attributes that may, in d ifferent ways, contribute to their purchase intentions and perceptions of service quality. Although researchers (Gronroos 1984; Parasuraman, Berry and Zeithaml 1985, Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry 1988; Zeithaml, Parasuraman and Berry 1990) have focused m anag e m e n t 5 ( 3 ) : 195–209 195 ?Suzana Markovic and Sanja Raspor on different aspects of service quality, they all agree that the emphasis should be on customers. The most common de? nition of the concept is attitude, which results from a comparison of customers’ expectations with perceptions of performance (Parasuraman, Berry and Zeithaml 1985, Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry 1988). What is more, customers perceive service quality as a multidimensional concept. The speci? c nature of services makes it dif? cult to provide, measure and maintain their quality.However, Parasuraman Berry and Zeithaml and Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1985, 1988) presented the s e rvq ual scale, which became the most popular ins trument for measuring service quality. The model has been applied in various service industries, including tourism and hospitality. In most of the researches the instrument was modi? ed to suit the features of a speci? c service. The study has several objectives. The ? rst objective is to determine the level of perceived service quality in Croatian hotels.The second aim is to establish the number of dimensions of perceived service quality in the hospitality industry, using the modi? ed s e rvq ual model. Finally, the third objective is to test the reliability of the modi? ed s e rvq ual model. Conceptual Background p e r c e i ve d s e rvic e q ual i t y The service quality construct is mostly conceptualized in the context of service marketing literature (Lee, Lee and Yoo 2000). Therefore, it deals with the concept of perceived service quality. According to Zeithaml, Parasuraman and Berry (1990), perceived service quality is the extent to which a ? m successfully serves the purpose of customers. Customers determine the perceived or cognitive value of service based on their experience with the service delivered. Ghobadian, Speller and Jones (1994) stated that customers’ expectations, service delivery process and service outcome have an impact on perceived service quality. Yoo and Park (2007) found that employees, as an integral part of the service process, are a critical element in enhancing perceived service quality. Furthermore, Edvardsson (2005) pointed out that service quality perceptions are formed during the production, delivery and consumption process.The author concluded that customers’ favorable and unfavorable experience, as well as their positive and negative emotions may have an important impact on 196 m anag e m e n t  · vo lu m e 5 Measuring Perceived Service Quality Using servq ual perceived service quality. Similarly, O’Neill and Palmer (2003) have reported that customers’ perceptions of service quality may, to a la rge extent, be in? uenced by the degree of their prior experience with a particular service. In the hospitality industry, several studies have examined hotel attributes that guests may ? d important when evaluating the performed service quality. Literature review suggests that cleanliness (Atkinson 1988; Knutson 1988; Gundersen, Heide and Olsson 1996), security and safety (Atkinson, 1988; Knutson, 1988; Gundersen et al. 1996), employees’ empathy and competence (Atkinson 1988; Knutson 1988; Barsky and Labagh 1992; Gundersen, Heide ? and Olsson 1996; Choi and Chu 2001; Markovic 2004), convenient location (Knutson 1988; Barsky and Labagh 1992), value for money (Atkinson 1988; Gundersen, Heide and Olsson 1996; Choi and Chu ? 001) and physical facilities (Choi and Chu 2001; Markovic 2004) are attributes that hotel guests perceive as being important. It should be noted that according to some authors, perceived service quality has been accepted as an antecedent of customer satisfact ion (Churchill and Suprenant 1982; Oliver 1997). What is more, Rowley (1998) argued that perceived service quality is an attitude related to, but not the same, as satisfaction. It is evident that the relationship between these two concepts is complex and that they have a causal ordering. e rvi c e q ual i t y m e as u r e m e n t One of the main research instruments for measuring quality in service industries is the s e rvq ual model, developed by Parasuraman Berry and Zeithaml and Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1985; 1988). The model contains 22 items for assessing customer perceptions and expectations regarding the quality of service. A level of agreement or disagreement with a given item is rated on a sevenpoint Likert-type scale. The level of service quality is represented by the gap between perceived and expected service. The s e rvq ual model is based on ? e service quality dimensions, namely tangibles (physical facilities, equipment and personnel appearance), reliability ( ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately), responsiveness (willingness to help customers and provide prompt service), assurance (knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to gain trust and con? dence) and empathy (providing individualized attention to the customers). During the last few years a variety of service quality studies have been conducted (Ladhari 2008). Among others, service quality was n u m b e r 3  · fal l 2 0 1 0 97 ? Suzana Markovic and Sanja Raspor measured in: accounting and audit ? rms (Ismail 2006), health spas ? (Snoj and Mumel 2002; Markovic, Horvat and Raspor 2004), higher ? ? education (Russel 2005; Markovic 2006), hotels (Markovic 2003, 2004; Juwaheer 2004; Wang, Wang and Zhao 2007; Raspor 2009), insurance (Tsoukatos, Marwa and Rand 2004), public-transport (Sanchez Perez 2007), restaurants (Andaleeb and Conway 2006; Namkung and Jang 2008), travel agencies (Martinez Caro and Martinez Garcia 2008), and web-sites (Parasura man, Zethaml and Malhotra 2005; Nusair and Kandampully 2008).Despite its wide usage, the model has been criticized by a number of academics (Carman 1990; Babakus and Boller 1992; Teas 1994). Criticism was directed at the conceptual and operational base of the model, mostly its validity, reliability, operationalization of expectations, and dimensional structure. However, there is general agreement that s e rvq ual items are reliable predictors of overall service quality (Khan 2003). As a result of these criticisms, alternative measures of service quality for speci? c service settings were developed.In the tourism and hospitality industry, Knutson et al. (1991) developed l o d g s e rv, a model utilized to measure service quality in the lodging industry. The model is based on ? ve original s r evq ual dimensions and contains 26 items. Getty and Thompson (1994) introduced another speci? c model for hotel settings, called l o d g q ua l, as did Wong Ooi Mei, Dean and White (1999) who de veloped a h o l s e rv model. The l o d ge q ual model identi? ed three dimensions, namely tangibles, reliability and contact. On the other hand, the h o l s e rv model includes 27 items, grouped in ? e original s e rv q ua l dimensions. Furthermore, d i n e s e rv is a model used for measuring restaurant service quality (Stevens, Knutson and Patton 1995). It contains 29 items and ? ve s e rv q ua l dimensions. O’Neill et al. (2000) developed the d i ve p e r f model for assessing perceptions of diving services. The model consists of ? ve servqual dimensions and 27 items. e c o s e rv was introduced by Khan (2003). It was utilized to measure service quality expectations in eco-tourism, using 30 items and ? ve s e rvq ual dimensions. All of these models represent modi? ations of the s e rvq ual instrument, aiming to improve its original methodology. However, Cronin and Taylor (1992) argued that performance is the measure that best explains customers’ perceptions of serv ice quality, so expectations should not be included in the service quality measurement instrument. They developed a performance-only scale called s e rvp e r f and tested it in four industries. Results indicated 198 m anag e m e n t  · vo lu m e 5 Measuring Perceived Service Quality Using servq ual that the s e rvp e r f model explains more of the variation in service quality than s e rvq ual; it had an excellent ? in all four industries and it contains only half the number of items that must be measured. These results were interpreted as additional support for the superiority of the servperf approach to the measurement of service quality. Several authors used the performance-only approach to assess service quality in tourism and hospitality settings. Travelers’ perceptions of hotel attributes were measured in Hong Kong’s hotels (Choi and Chu 2001), hotels of Mauritius (Juwaheer 2004) and Malaysian hotels (Poon and Lock-Teng Low 2005).The question of whether service quality should be measured as the difference between customers’ perceptions and expectations, or whether some alternative approach is more appropriate remains part of an extensive debate in service quality literature. Methodology Hotel guests’ perceptions were measured with a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was developed on the basis of a literature review and adopted to suit the speci? c features of a hotel setting (Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry 1988; Zeithaml et al. 1990; ? Snoj and Ogorelc 1998; Pizam and Ellis 1999; Markovic 2003). As a foundation or questionnaire development, the s e rvq ual model was used. The original items were slightly modi? ed to suit the hospitality setting. For example, instead of ‘x y z Company has modernlooking equipment,’ the statement was modi? ed to the ‘Hotel has modern-looking equipment. ’ The original item ‘Guests feel safe in their transactions with employees’ was replaced by the item ‘Guests feel safe and secure in their stay. ’ The reason for this change is the confusing meaning of the word ‘transactions’ and the fact that safety and security are regarded as an important factor in a hotel stay. Moreover, in order to measure attributes speci? to the hotel environment, the following items were added: ‘parking area’ (Pizam and Ellis 1999), ‘appropriate location,’ ‘available and clear information,’ ‘variety of facilities’ (Snoj and Ogorelc 1998), ‘clean and tidy hotel,’ ‘feeling safe and secure,’ ‘ease of ? nding a way around the hotel’ ? and ‘typical service quality for hotel category’ (Markovic, 2003). All the statements in the questionnaire were positively worded. Finally, the modi? cation resulted in the deletion of one original s e rvq ual item and the inclusion of eight new items, leaving a total of 29 hotel attributes . These attributes represented seven dimensions: ? e original servqual dimensions (tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, as- n u m b e r 3  · fal l 2 0 1 0 199 ? Suzana Markovic and Sanja Raspor surance, empathy) and two new dimensions, named as accessibility and output quality. The questionnaire consisted of two parts. The ? rst part measured guests’ perceptions of hotel attributes using a modi? ed s e rv q ua l model. Service quality perceptions were measured on a seven-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 ‘strongly disagree’ to 7 ‘strongly agree. ’ The second part was designed to capture respondents’ demographic and traveling characteristics, hich included country of residence, age, gender, purpose of visit, duration of staying at a hotel, level of education, and hotel category. The target population of the survey was guests staying in hotels on the Opatija Riviera (Croatia) during the summer of 2007. Questionnaires were distributed i n 15 (2-, 3- and 4-star) hotels, after hotel managers agreed to participate in the study. Reception desk employees were asked to administer the questionnaires to guests during their hotel stay, and to collect them after completion. In each hotel questionnaires were randomly distributed to the guests.Of 265 returned questionnaires, 12 were not included in the analysis because of incompleteness. Thus, data analysis is based on a sample of 253 valid questionnaires. The response rate was 26 per cent. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to describe respondents’ demographic characteristics and to evaluate service quality perceptions of hotel guests. An exploratory factor analysis was performed on the 29 perception attributes included in the questionnaire in order to determine underlying dimensions of hotel service quality perceptions. Principal component analysis with varimax rotation was conducted.Items with eigenvalues equal to or greater than 1, factor loadings above 0. 4, and factors which contain at least three items were retained (Hair et al. 2006). Furthermore, a reliability analysis was performed to test the reliability of the scale and inner consistency of extracted factors. For this purpose, Cronbach’s alpha coef? cients were calculated. Results In order to achieve the study’s goals, descriptive analysis, factor analysis, and reliability analysis were performed. The results are presented as follows. First, respondents’ demographic and traveling characteristics are provided.Next, the results of descriptive analysis of guests’ perceptions are presented. Third, the results of factor and reliability analyses are interpreted. The statistical analysis was conducted on 253 valid questionnaires. The demographic and traveling characteristics of the respondents 200 m anag e m e n t  · vo lu m e 5 Measuring Perceived Service Quality Using servq ual tab le 1 Demographic pro? le of the respondents Items Percentage Gender Items Percentage Age Male 51. 8 16–25 3. 6 Female 48. 2 26–35 15. 4 Purpose of visit Business Visit friends, relatives Vacation Others 36–45 26. 1 . 1 46–55 19. 4 4. 3 56–65 25. 7 86. 2 0. 4 Level of education Primary school 66 and above 9. 9 Country of residence Austria Croatia 16. 6 Secondary school 29. 2 Italy 20. 9 Higher education 24. 1 Germany 14. 6 University and above 36. 4 Others 36. 8 Others 3. 6 11. 1 6. 7 Duration of staying at a hotel Hotel category 4-star 53. 3 1–3 days 19. 0 3-star 33. 3 4–7 days 49. 8 2-star 13. 4 8–15 days 28. 1 are presented in table 1. The sample included domestic (16. 6 per cent) and international tourists (83. 4 per cent). There were slightly more males (51. 8 per cent) than females (48. per cent), and most of the respondents (55 per cent) were older than 46 years. More than 60 per cent of hotel guests in the sample had a university or college education. About 86 per cent of the respondents indi cated that the main purpose of their visit was vacation. Most of them stayed at a 4-star hotel, for between four and seven days. The results of the descriptive statistical analysis of guests’ perceptions in the hotel industry are shown in table 2. The range of service quality perceptions items was from 1 (very low perceptions) to 7 (very high perceptions). The mean scores of guests’ perceptions ranged from 4. 7 to 6. 34. The lowest perception item was ‘offering a variety of facilities,’ which indicates that hotels do not provide enough suitable facilities that could enhance hotel quality. On the other hand, hotel guests’ highest perceptions were regarding the ‘ease of ? nding a way around the hotel,’ Furthermore, guests highly assessed the following hotel attributes: ‘feeling safe and secure,’ ‘willingness for helping guests’ and ‘courteous hotel staff. ’ These indicate that a hotel’s staff has one of the crucial roles in n u m b e r 3  · fal l 2 0 1 0 201 ? Suzana Markovic and Sanja Raspor tab le 2Average scores of service quality perceptions in hotel settings Attributes Mean St. dev. v1 Modern-looking equipment 5. 31 1. 48 v2 Visually appealing physical facilities 5. 53 1. 23 v3 Neat hotel staff 6. 13 0. 90 v4 Visually appealing materials (pamphlets, web-sites) 5. 53 1. 23 v5 Clean and tidy hotel 6. 06 1. 05 v6 Appropriate location 6. 19 1. 00 v7 Parking area 4. 96 1. 87 v8 Performing service in the promised time 5. 98 0. 93 v9 Interest in solving guests’ problems 6. 09 1. 00 v10 Performing services right the ? rst time 5. 99 0. 89 v11 Service without delays 6. 02 0. 84 v12 Error-free service 5. 81 . 98 v13 Knowing the exact time when service will be performed 6. 00 0. 90 v14 Hotel staff provides prompt service 5. 98 0. 91 v15 Willingness to help guests 6. 25 0. 80 v16 Hotel staff has time to answer guests’ questions 6. 13 0. 94 v17 Hotel staff instil ls con? dence 6. 14 0. 92 v18 Courteous hotel staff 6. 25 0. 82 v19 Hotel staff has knowledge to answer questions 5. 99 0. 90 v20 Feeling safe and secure 6. 29 0. 81 v21 Providing individual attention 5. 81 1. 03 v22 Convenient opening hours 5. 94 1. 01 v23 Hotel staff provides personal attention 5. 86 0. 98 v24 Guests’ best interests at heart 6. 02 0. 87 25 Understanding guests’ speci? c needs 5. 86 1. 01 v26 Ease of ? nding one’s way around the hotel 6. 34 0. 85 v27 Available and clear information in the hotel 6. 17 0. 89 v28 Offering a variety of facilities 4. 77 1. 66 v29 Typical service quality for hotel category 6. 03 1. 09 Overall mean for 29 attributes 5. 92 performing high service quality. The overall mean score for service quality perceptions items was 5. 92. This score indicates rather high perceptions of hotel guests regarding service quality. The exploratory factor analysis extracted ? ve factors, which accounted for 65. 1 per cent of variance in th e data. Since the ? th factor contained only two items, it could not be considered as a factor and is not interpreted. The results are presented in table 3. Most of the factor loadings were greater than 0. 60, implying a rea- 202 m anag e m e n t  · vo lu m e 5 Measuring Perceived Service Quality Using servq ual Factor analysis and reliability analysis results of hotel guests’ perceptions (n = 253) Items (n = 29) Factors f1 f2 f3 f4 f5 Communalities v9 0. 751 0. 688 v12 0. 732 0. 703 v13 0. 671 0. 595 v11 0. 658 0. 675 v10 0. 648 0. 615 v14 0. 623 0. 664 v22 0. 623 0. 557 v8 0. 586 0. 584 v3 0. 505 0. 614 v25 0. 731 0. 793 v16 0. 725 0. 748 v23 . 723 0. 776 v21 0. 713 0. 711 v19 0. 688 0. 616 v17 0. 632 0. 688 v27 0. 622 0. 683 v6 0. 693 0. 580 v26 0. 686 0. 625 v20 0. 618 0. 679 v18 0. 554 0. 685 v5 0. 549 0. 509 v24 0. 537 0. 632 v29 0. 529 0. 447 v15 0. 482 0. 598 v2 0. 784 0. 778 v1 0. 748 0. 723 v4 0. 501 v28 % of Variance Cronbach alpha Number of items 0. 684 0. 675 0 . 669 2. 577 1. 514 18. 879 14. 774 8. 887 5. 222 65. 104 0. 869 0. 785 — 0. 953 8 3 2 v7 Eigenvalue 0. 562 0. 771 5. 551 4. 953 4. 284 19. 142 17. 079 0. 916 0. 917 9 7 sonably high correlation between extracted factors and their individual items. The communalities of 29 items ranged from 0. 47 to 0. 793 indicating that a large amount of variance has been extracted by the factor solution. Only one item (‘typical service quality for hotel category’) was below the suggested value of 0. 50 (Hair et al. , 2006). n u m b e r 3  · fal l 2 0 1 0 203 ? Suzana Markovic and Sanja Raspor The four remaining factors are labeled as follows: f 1 – ‘reliability’ (solving guests’ problems and performing error-free service at promised time), f2 – ‘empathy and competence of staff’ (staff knowledge and ability to provide individual attention), f 3 – ‘accessibility’ (appropriate location of the hotel and ease of co mmunication and ? ding the way around the hotel) and f 4 – ‘tangibles’ (appearance of the facilities, equipment and communication materials). The ? rst factor contains most of the items and explains most of the variance. Thus, hotel service reliability is an important determinant of perceived service quality. The results of the reliability analysis showed that Cronbach’s alpha coef? cients of the extracted factors ranged from 0. 785 to 0. 917. That is well above the minimum value of 0. 60, which is considered acceptable as an indication of scale reliability (Hair et al. 2006). Thus, these values suggest good internal consistency of the factors.Finally, Cronbach’s alpha value for the overall perception scale is 0. 953 and indicates its high reliability. Discussion and Conclusion Perceptions of hotel service quality are the degree to which hotel guests ? nd various hotel attributes important in enhancing their satisfaction with the hotel stay. In the present study, it was revealed that the main dimensions of perceived service quality in hotels are ‘reliability,’ ‘empathy and competence of staff,’ ‘accessibility,’ and ‘tangibles. ’ Two of these are similar to the s e rvq ual model, while others overlap with the original s e rvq ual dimensions.However, the studies conducted in the hotel sector identi? ed different outcomes with regard to the number and interpretation of dimensions guests use to assess perceived hotel service quality. Akan (1995) reported a seven-dimension structure, labeled as ‘courtesy and competence of the personnel,’ ‘communications and transactions,’ ‘tangibles,’ ‘knowing and understanding the customer,’ ‘accuracy and speed of service,’ ‘solutions to problems’ and ‘accuracy of hotel reservations. ’ Wong Ooi Mei et al. (1999) identi? ed ‘employees,’ ‘t angibles’ and ‘reliability’ as key dimensions of service quality in the hospitality industry.Moreover, Choi and Chu (2001) reported the following seven dimensions: ‘staff service quality,’ ‘room qualities,’ ‘general amenities,’ ‘business services,’ ‘value,’ ‘security’ and ? ‘i d d facilities,’ Markovic (2003) identi? ed a three-dimension solution, interpreted as ‘empathy and assurance of hotel staff,’ ‘reliability,’ and ‘physical quality. ’ This implies that the number and de? nition of the dimensions depend on the measurement context. 204 m anag e m e n t  · vo lu m e 5 Measuring Perceived Service Quality Using servq ual Furthermore, the ? ndings of this study reveal that among the four dimensions, reliability’ has emerged as the most important predictor of perceived service quality. In the hospitality industry, this dimensio n refers to solving guests’ problems, performing error-free service at the promised time, providing prompt service, convenient opening hours of hotel facilities. This ? nding is similar to Knutson et al. (1991) and Juwaheer’s (2004) research conducted in hotel settings. The indicators of factor and reliability analyses are also consistent with similar studies conducted in the hospitality industry. The proposed factor structure of the present study, as well as in the studies ? onducted by Choi and Chu (2001) and Markovic (2003) have explained the rather high percentage of variance in original data – 65. 1 per cent, 67. 2 per cent and 73. 9 per cent, respectively. The Cronbach alpha values are 0. 95 (this study), 0. 94 (Choi and Chu 2001) and 0. 92 ? (Markovic 2003) and indicate high reliability of the instruments. It can be concluded that the modi? ed version of the s e rv q ua l model is suitable for use by hotel managers in gaining easily interpretable and reli able data on hotel guests’ attitudes regarding perceived service quality.The results of this study suggest that solving guests’ problems, performing error-free service, employees’ attitude, appropriate location, and the appearance of the facilities are the key attributes for a hotel’s success on the Opatija Riviera. Thus, the ? ndings can be used as a guide for hotel managers to improve crucial quality attributes and enhance service quality and business performance. There are several limitations that need to be acknowledged. The data were collected in a small although important tourist destination in Croatia. The questionnaires were distributed during the summer months.Thus, the results’ interpretation should be limited to this group of hotel guests. It is possible that guests staying in hotels out of the main tourist season might have different perceptions of the service quality. Also, the measurement of hotel guests’ perceptions was limite d to 29 hotel attributes. Even though these attributes were included in other studies as well, there could be other relevant hotel attributes that are likely to in? uence hotel guests’ perceptions. In order to be able to generalize the ? ndings, it is suggested that similar studies be conducted in other Croatian tourist destinations as well.Moreover, this study was focused only on hotels. Future research should test whether the factor structure proposed in this study is valid in other types of accommodation in the region (e. g. camps, private accommodation, hostels). Additionally, future research could also assess hotel staffs’ perceptions of service per- n u m b e r 3  · fal l 2 0 1 0 205 ? Suzana Markovic and Sanja Raspor formance and compare them with guests’ perceptions in order to identify the differences. References Akan, P 1995. Dimensions of service quality: A study in Istanbul. Man. aging Service Quality 5 (6): 39–43. Andaleeb, S. S. and C. Con way. 2006. Customer satisfaction in the restaurant industry: An examination of the transaction-speci? c model. Journal of Services Marketing 20 (1): 3–11. Atkinson, A. 1988. Answering the eternal question: What does the customer want? The Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly 29 (2): 12–14. Babakus, E. , and G. W. Boller. 1992. An empirical assessment of the servqual scale. Journal of Business Research 24 (3): 253–268. Barsky, J. D. , and R. Labagh. 1992. A strategy for customer satisfaction. The Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly 35 (3): 32– 40. Carman, J. M. 1990.Consumer perceptions of service quality: An assessment of the s e rv q ua l dimensions. Journal of Retailing 66 (1): 33–55. Choi, T. Y. , and R. Chu. 2001. Determinants of hotel guests’ satisfaction and repeat patronage in the Hong Kong hotel industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management 20 (3): 277–297. Churchill, G. A. , and C. Surprenant. 1982. An Investigation into the determinants of customer satisfaction. Journal of Marketing Research 19 (4): 491–504. Cronin, J. J. , and S. A. Taylor. 1992. Measuring service quality: A reexamination and extension. Journal of Marketing 56 (3): 55–68. Edvardsson, B. 2005.Service quality: Beyond cognitive assessment. Managing Service Quality 15 (2): 127–131. Getty, J. , and K. Thomopson. 1994. A procedure for scaling perceptions of lodging quality. Hospitality Research Journal 18 (2): 75–96. Ghobadian, A. , S. Speller, and M. Jones. 1994. Service quality: Concepts and models. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management 11 (9): 43–66. Gronroos, C. 1984. A service quality model and its marketing implications. European Journal of Marketing 18 (4): 36–44. Gundersen, M. G. , M. Heide, and U. H. Olsson. 1996. Hotel guest satisfaction among business travelers: What are the important factors?The Cornell Hotel and Restaura nt Administration Quarterly 37 (2): 72– 81. Hair, J. F W. C. Black, B. J. Babin, R. E. Anderson, and R. K. Tatham. ., 2006. Multivariate data analysis. 6th Edition. Upper Saddle River, nj: Pearson Prentice Hall. 206 m anag e m e n t  · vo lu m e 5 Measuring Perceived Service Quality Using servq ual Ismail, I. 2006. Service quality, client satisfaction and loyalty towards audit ? rms: Perceptions of Malaysian public listed companies. Managerial Auditing Journal 21 (7): 738–756. Juwaheer, T. D. 2004. Exploring international tourists’ perceptions of hotel operations by using a modi? d s e rv q ua l approach: A case study of Mauritius. Managing Service Quality 14 (5): 350–364. Khan, M. 2003. e c o s e rv: Ecotourists’ quality expectations. Annals of Tourism Research 30 (1): 109–124. Knutson, B. 1988. Frequent travellers: Making them happy and bringing them back. The Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly 29 (1): 83–87. Kn utson, B. , P Stevens, C. Wullaert, and M. Patton. 1991. lodgserv: A . service quality index for the lodging industry. Hospitality Research Journal 14 (7): 277–284. Ladhari, R. 2008. Alternative measures of service quality: A review.Managing Service Quality 18 (1): 65–86. Lee, H. , Y. Lee, and D. Yoo. 2000. The determinants of perceived service quality and its relationship with satisfaction. Journal of Services Marketing 14 (3): 217–231. ? Markovic, S. 2003. Measuring service quality in the hospitality industry: An attributive approach. PhD diss. , University of Rijeka. . 2004. Measuring service quality in the Croatian hotel industry: A multivariate statistical analysis. Nase gospodarstvo 50 (1–2): 27–33. . 2006. Expected service quality measurement in tourism higher education. Nase gospodarstvo 52 (1–2): 86–95. ? Markovic, S. , J. Horvat, and S.Raspor. 2004. Service quality measurement in the health tourism sector: An exploratory stu dy. Ekonomski vjesnik 17 (1–2): 63–75. Martinez Caro, L. , and J. A. Martinez Garcia. 2008. Developing a multidimensional and hierarchical service quality model for travel agency industry. Tourism Management 29 (4): 706–720. Namkung, Y. , and S. Jang. 2008. Are highly satis? ed restaurant customers really different? Internationa Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 20 (2): 142–155. Nusair, K. , and J. Kandampully. 2008. The antecedents of customer satisfaction with online travel services: A conceptual model.European Business Review 20 (1): 4–19. Oliver, R. L. 1997. Satisfaction: A behavioral perspective on the customer. New York: McGraw-Hill. O’Neill, M. , and A. Palmer. 2003. An exploratory study of the effects of experience in consumer perceptions of the service quality construct. Managing Service Quality 13 (2): 187–196. O’Neill, M. A. , P Williams, M. MacCarthy, and R. Grovers. 2000. Diving . into service quality: The dive tour operator perspective. Managing Service Quality 10 (3): 131–140. n u m b e r 3  · fal l 2 0 1 0 207 ? Suzana Markovic and Sanja Raspor Parasuraman, A. , L. L. Berry, and V A. Zeithaml. 1985. A conceptual . odel of service quality and its implications for future research. Journal of Marketing 49 (4): 41–50. Parasuraman, A. , V A. Zeithaml, and L. L. Berry. 1988. s e rv q ua l: A . multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. Journal of Retailing 64 (1): 14–40. Parasuraman, A. , V A. Zeithaml, and A. Malhotra. 2005. e-s-q ua l: A . multiple-item scale for assessing electronic service quality. Journal of Service Research 7 (3): 213–233. Pizam, A. , and T. Ellis. 1999. Customer satisfaction and its measurement in hospitality enterprises. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 11 (7): 326–339.Poon, W. C. , and K. Lock-Teng Low. 2005. Are travelers satis? ed with Malaysian hotels? Intern ational Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 17 (3): 217–227. Raspor, S. 2009. Statistical analysis of service quality and customer satisfaction in the hotel industry. Ma. diss. , University of Rijeka. Rowley, J. 1998. Quality measurement in the public sector: Some perspectives from the service quality literature. Total Quality Measurement 9 (2/3): 321–335. Russel, M. 2005. Marketing education: A review of service quality perceptions among international students. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 17 (1): 65–77.Sanchez Perez, M. , R. Sanchez-Fernandez, G. M. Marin-Carrillo, and J. C. Gazquez-Abad. 2007. Effects of service quality dimensions on behavioral purchase intentions: A study on public-sector transport. Managing Service Quality 17 (2): 134–151. Snoj, B. , and D. Mumel. 2002. The measurement of perceived differences in service quality: The case of health spas in Slovenia. Journal of Vacation Marketing 8 (4): 362â €“379. Snoj, B. , and A. Ogorelc. 1998. Guests’ satisfaction with tourism services: A case of health resorts in Slovenia. Tourism Review 14 (2): 38–47. Stevens, P B. Knutson, and M. Patton. 1995. dineserv: A tool for mea. suring service quality in restaurants. The Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly 36 (2): 56–60. Teas, R. K. 1994. Expectations as a comparison standard in measuring service quality: An assessment of a reassessment. Journal of Marketing 58 (1): 132–139. Tsoukatos, E. , S. Marwa, and G. K. Rand. 2004. Quality improvement in the Greek and Kenyan insurance industries. Archives of Economic History 16 (2): 93–116. Wang, M. , J. Wang, and J. Zhao. 2007. An empirical study of the effect of customer participation on service quality. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism 8 (1): 49–73.Wong Ooi Mei, A. , A. M. Dean, and C. J. White. 1999. Analysing service 208 m anag e m e n t  · vo lu m e 5 Measur ing Perceived Service Quality Using servq ual quality in the hospitality industry. Managing Service Quality 9 (2): 136–143. Yoo, D. K. , and J. A. Park. 2007. Perceived service quality: Analyzing relationships among employees, customers and ? nancial performance. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management 21 (9): 908–926. Zeithaml, V A. Parasuraman, and L. L. Berry. 1990. Delivering service . , quality. New York: The Free Press. n u m b e r 3  · fal l 2 0 1 0 209

Nuclear Technology

One question that has caused a great deal of controversy over the years is nuclear technology. Although it offers a number of advantages in world peace and green power, it is also a dangerous technology. In this essay I intend to show how these benefits outweigh that disadvantage. The opponents of nuclear power generally base their arguments on the danger it represents to the world. There are two main dangers: the risk of nuclear warfare and the nuclear disasters. If one thinks about Chernobyl, it is easy to understand why people are worried about nuclear power, as it can cause major suffering. There are, however, two good reasons for believing that nuclear technology is generally advantageous. The first of these is that there has not been a major world conflict since the invention of nuclear weapons. While there have been wars, they have not been on the same scale as the Second World War. It is possible to say that the world is a safer place because of nuclear weapons. The other most significant benefit relates to the environment. Perhaps the greatest danger facing our world today is a combination of global warming and the greenhouse effect. This danger is caused partly by burning fossil fuels which leads to our polluted atmosphere. Nuclear power, however, is a much greener alternative which does not have such negative effects. Furthermore, in the last 50 years there have not been too many nuclear disasters and many experts claim that it is in fact a safe technology. In conclusion I would say that nuclear technology is better than the current alternatives. However, I also believe we should keep looking for ways to make it safer.