Saturday, August 31, 2019

New competition everywhere Essay

1) Discuss globalization. Identify & define any four major risks that you may perceive during globalization. Identify the challenges that MNC managers face in the 21st century. (1+2+2) 2) Draw the Open System Model for int’l management & briefly discuss the variables for the same. (5) 3) Discuss political risk. Define 7 typical political risk events around the world. Discuss how to asses & manage political risks. (1+2+2) 4) Distinguish between e-business & e-commerce. Discuss technological environment. Discuss the factors affecting the management in the int’l arena. (1+1+3) 1) Discuss CSV. Define human rights & MNC responsibilities. Identify & discuss some code of conducts for CSR. List & define some benefits of CSR in int’l arena. (1+1+1+2) 2) Draw the Moral Philosophy of Cross-cultural Societal Ethics flowchart. Discuss the Relation between ethics & technology. Discuss the characteristics of different types of questionable payments. (1+2+2) 3) Discuss how to manage Subsidiary-Host country interdependence. (5) Ch 03_Role of Culture 1) Define culture. Draw & briefly discuss the diagram for environmental variables that are affecting management functions.(1+4) 2) Discuss societal & organizational cultures. Identify & discuss the Affects of culture on management. (1+4) 3) Identify & discuss the variables that form the subsystems in a society. (5) Ch 04_Communicating across Cultures 1) Draw the communication process diagram & discuss the noise for the same. Define why trust-based relationship is necessary for the success of marketing communication. (2+3) 2) Identify & discuss some cultural variables that influence the perceptions of other nations.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Environmental Pollution Essay

Environmental pollution is one of the biggest problems the world faces today. It is an issue that troubles us economically, physically and everyday of our lives. The contamination of the environment is also being linked to some of the diseases that are around currently. Yet, most people do not know about this problem. This shows that environmental pollution is becoming an increasingly worse problem that needs to be taken care of as soon as possible, not only for the good of the environment but also for the people that live in it. Many factors are present for why environmental pollution has become such a large issue in the world. However, if the people of the world were to address the issue it would definitely help both the environment and it’s people. There are many activities that can be done by both the common citizen to the governments of the world, which could severally improve the world’s environmental problem. On the other hand, if the current way the world’s environmental problem is being handled continues, catastrophic consequences can follow for the future population. Over the years, environmental pollution has become more of a problem for a number of reasons. â€Å"Due to the great increase in the world’s population, which is at 6.1 billion, energy use, and the number of vehicles on roads make air pollution a greater threat than ever  (Pollution, Environmental). Because of this, â€Å"air pollution kills eight thousand people a year due to respiratory related problems  (Air Pollution Kills). â€Å"Also, 40% of the world’s deaths are being attributed to environmental factors  (Segelken). With such a number of people dying a year due to air pollution one can see how much the environmental pollution is affecting us. This dilemma is only made worse due to the current means of disposing nuclear waste. â€Å"Until 1993, Russia would resort to the dumping of its high and low level radioactive waste by dumping it into the Arctic seas and any other low-level waste into the Seas of Japan  (Nitze). â€Å"Radiation from nuclear waste is known to cause a series of reactions in body tissue that results in damage to the bodies cells  (Daley). This can cause disease, such as cancer, injury, or death. The effects on the human body make the situation even worse for the people of the world. But, an even more common threat is the use of incinerators and landfills, for the reducing and disposal of waste. Using incinerators to reduce the volume of trash not only causes air pollution but also produces  toxic ash that must be disposed of in specially made landfills. Landfills themselves can pollute groundwater after heavy rain, which would then be drunk by the surrounding population.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Evolution of Management Accounting Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Evolution of Management Accounting - Term Paper Example Since then, there has been gradual development and implementation of changes in managerial approaches to match the new business requirements (Riahi-Belkaoui, 54). However, the business environment has been undergoing tremendous developments both in nature and scope over the last six decades (Bhimani, 76). This is due to emerging innovations and increase in operations as a result of globalization. Therefore, each business should be aware of its goals and develop strategies for accounting to achieve its goals of production more effectively and efficiently. As a result of 1980s innovations, there is an increase in competition for the businesses which requires a change in the way businesses use to make their financial reports and regulate their operations (Kaplan, 399). Due to poor stock market performances of 1920s, business directors started focusing on creating financial report as a financial reporting requirement at that time hence limiting the growth of management accounting strateg ies. As a result of emerging competitions among the world nations, Automobile manufactures of Japan forced Americans and European nations to establish broader view of business performance based on value and service as opposed to assessment based on efficiency of output (Kaplan, 394). The business performance has been undergoing a lot of changes aimed at improving their operations and increasing the managerial efficiency. The ancient strategies are inadequate to match the modern requirement for effective business operations (Riahi-Belkaoui123). This is because in the modern period business are focusing on cost reduction and profit maximization through technology and advancement. There is no room for errors in the current period since a slight defect could make... As a result of 1980s innovations, there is an increase in competition for the businesses which require a change in the way businesses use to make their financial reports and regulate their operations (Kaplan, 399). Due to poor stock market performances of the 1920s, business directors started focusing on creating the financial report as a financial reporting requirement at that time hence limiting the growth of management accounting strategies. As a result of emerging competitions among the world nations, Automobile manufacturers of Japan forced Americans and European nations to establish a broader view of business performance based on value and service as opposed to assessment based on an efficiency of output. The business performance has been undergoing a lot of changes aimed at improving their operations and increasing the managerial efficiency. The ancient strategies are inadequate to match the modern requirement for effective business operations. This is because in the modern pe riod business is focusing on cost reduction and profit maximization through technology and advancement. There is no room for errors in the current period since a slight defect could make the business to lose its entire operations to the competitors. Furthermore, businesses are focusing on minimization of the expenses through reduction of inventory. Therefore, businesses have to develop production strategies to ensure they meet daily client’s needs without surplus or deficit as a result of a deficiency of inputs.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

How to increase productivity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How to increase productivity - Assignment Example ity include taking medical covers for the employees, enhancing communications within the firm and sponsoring advanced studies to sharpen the skills and expertise of specific employees in a firm. These are some of the actions that a management team can adopt to increase the productivity in a firm. Taking medical covers for the employees ensures that the workers are not worried of their health and whenever a health issue arises, it is quickly controlled and the person resumes to duty (Chowdhry et al). Communication is also important in regard to productivity because with proper communication all the challenges facing performance can be controlled. Managers should ensure that both up-ward and down-ward communications are effective and all departments are in harmony in their operations. In order to precise determine the factors that affect productivity and the measures that can be undertaken to increase productivity, it is important to conduct a research. The main objective of the research will be to confirm and ascertain whether the factors mentioned above contribute to the increase in productivity in organizations. The research should involve interviewing employees and the management teams of a least five top performing firms. The information required can be collected through interviews, questionnaires and surveys on their

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Political Potential of Citizen Journalism Essay

Political Potential of Citizen Journalism - Essay Example In such circumstances when reporting from the place affected by crisis becomes valuable and essential, those who earlier were simple observers take roles of journalists with the help of modern technologies. It makes professional journalists face a serious question about the future of their profession as information is becoming more available and easier to generate. A possibility to disseminate news within a click of a mouse is turning the whole process of information production into a tool of political influence and democracy establishment, and historical events in Eastern Europe and in Arab countries can serve as bright examples of the statement.   However, it is necessary to define what the concept of citizen journalism means as it has appeared quite recently and is still shaping. According to Bowman and Willis, citizen journalism is defined as the media content produced by citizens who take an active role in â€Å"collecting, reporting, and analyzing information and news† (2003, 9). Reasonably, it is the Internet that has played a crucial role in emerging citizen journalist phenomenon. Moreover, technological evolution and fast spread of innovations were important for accidental journalism emergence. A great variety of devices that are charged and plugged rapidly and connected to the Internet within seconds permitted almost every citizen to create some content from posts on Facebook to videos on YouTube. It allowed many people sharing their information instantly and also gave a chance to find the right auditory for this information. And the combination of these two factors: instant and relevant content and those wh o consume it was the primary factor in the phenomenon emergence (Bruns, 2005, 1).   The appearance of citizen journalism is closely connected to the introduction of digital culture.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Explain how you have prepared for the academic challenges of the MMH Essay

Explain how you have prepared for the academic challenges of the MMH program - Essay Example While working for Okinawa’s public destination marketing organization, I learnt a lot about the relevance of knowing about the local history, culture and economy, so as to have a holistic perspective of the available opportunities and markets. I am also actively involved with Okinawa Society of Tourism Education, a professional organization that comprises of teachers, researchers and tourism associated executives. The organization holds regular meetings to discuss the issues facing the hospitality sector. My struggle to crack GMAT was a real humbling and insightful experience. The overall preparation for GMAT turned out to be a positive reinforcement in more than one way. It made me realize the value of language skills in everyday business. Therefore, I have taken ample pains to improve on my language skills and have gained much in the area of correct grammatical construction and composition. With sincere practice, my proficiency in all the language skills, that are reading, writing, listening and speaking has become much better than before. Strategic and analytical reading has become a habit with me. I am an avid reader of the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Economist and the contemporary English fiction. Not to mention, I have access to supportive, understanding and well qualified friends, family and colleagues, who are always willing to lend a helping hand.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Anti-Death Penalty Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Anti-Death Penalty - Research Paper Example As the paper outlines many imaginative and cruel ways of implementing the death penalty have been witnessed through time – from the guillotine to the garrote to firing squads to gas chambers to electric chairs -- before the more â€Å"humane† lethal injection has been made the manner of choice in countries that consider themselves civilized. However, there still are some countries in the world that use cruel ways of implementing capital punishment. Worse, these are for crimes that in many jurisdictions would not warrant the death penalty, or in some cases, any punishment at all. In Sudan, for example, a married person found guilty of adultery is executed by stoning; an unmarried person receives 100 lashes. In Afghanistan during the Taliban regime, a woman and a man were stoned to death in public using palm-sized stones for non-marital sex. The man died within minutes but the woman had to be finished off by dropping a large chunk of stone over her head. This paper will a rgue that the death penalty should no longer be used as a form of punishment. Four main arguments will be forwarded. First, the irrevocability of the death penalty means that there is no hope of correcting an injustice committed against a convict later found to be innocent. Second, it violates the principle of restorative justice, which should replace the principle of retributive justice. Third, it has been proven by empirical evidence that it in no way deters crime or helps in crime prevention. Fourth, racial biases affect any objective application of the death penalty law.  Human errors and frailty, as well as the lack of adequate forensic facilities in some countries, have led to many convictions that later turn out to be wrong. In a situation where the maximum penalty that may be meted out is life imprisonment, the State may still be able to provide reparation for an innocent man wrongly convicted. He will be allowed to go free and will even be given damages. In a country wher e the death penalty is legal, the finality of the sentence of death renders any mistake in convictions irreversible.  The problem is seriously considering that, according to a death penalty information website, "since 1973, at least 121 people have been released from death row after evidence of their innocence emerged. During the same period of time, over 982 people have been executed. Thus, for every eight people executed, we have found one person on death row who never should have been convicted."  This issue has generated widespread public outrage and is perhaps one of the more compelling reasons as to why the anti-death penalty advocates are gaining ground. Says Haines (125):  An analysis of newspaper coverage suggests that flawed convictions, in which possibly innocent persons either suffer or narrowly escape execution, are especially potent threats to public support for capital punishment. The injustice brought about by sending an innocent man to prison is magnified a th ousandfold by the horrific idea that such an innocent man might be wrongly executed. There can be no recompense that may be provided to the dead. In recent times, we have seen a paradigm shift from retributive justice, where a convict is made to pay for grievances to the community he belongs to, to restorative justice, wherein a recognition is made that a crime has been committed and a wrong has been done, but the convict is still a member of the community and is perceived as a human being with the capacity for reform.  

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Techniques To Optimize Communication Skills Assignment

Techniques To Optimize Communication Skills - Assignment Example When I have to communicate with my team members, I would endeavor to keep the following techniques in mind to ensure optimized communications.Interaction Model: With a linear mode of communication, one finds it easy to make the listener understand his or her points. In all my transactions, I have seen that instead of going through a medium, one on one interaction with the listener has worked best for me. It helps develop fruitful communication and establish understanding and grow relationships in better ways. Even when interacting with the team I prefer to use interactive model through which multiple listeners can react to what I am saying one by one. This mode according to me has the least barriers to communication. I always ensure that the medium of the message is as direct as is possible to avoid misunderstandings. Transaction Model: This is more effective in group and multi-listener scenarios, wherein the speaker has all the attention of the audience and keeps it that way through the use of intelligent phrases and quips that indulge the audience and make them agree or disagree with the point being asked much like a dance between partners (Baack, 2012). However, I prefer to use this in group communication scenarios rather than one to one conversations since it starts to sound animated when too much of transaction is encouraged in one to one conversations.In both of the above techniques, barriers are extremely reduced which is the main reason why I prefer to use it.

Friday, August 23, 2019

International Business--FOUNDATIONS OF BUSINESS KNOWLEADGE EDGE Essay

International Business--FOUNDATIONS OF BUSINESS KNOWLEADGE EDGE - Essay Example There are even times when self-assessment examinations and tests reveal personality traits that surprise one as being eminent as a self-image or concept. In this regard, the objective of the report is to indicate an assessment of oneself using several indicators such as The Big Five Locator (Emotional Stability, Extroversion, and Openness to Experience, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness), Visual/Nonverbal Learning Style, and the Hemisphere Dominance Test, and Interactive Styles, among others, to give a clearer understanding of one’s assessment, as an individual, to be used for future endeavors. According to Dr. Joachim de Posada (2003), the Big Five Locator Personality Test aims in assisting an individual to â€Å"define issues that may be important to (one’s) effectiveness in a leadership capacity† (1). The focal areas upon answering well designed questions would determine an individual’s preponderance to the following: emotional stability, extroversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. After taking the examination, the results reveal the following: emotional stability (14) with a norm score of 48 indicating responsiveness or practically a balanced emotional stability rating; extroversion (19) with a norm score of 57 which clearly manifests traits of extroversion as assertive, sociable, warm, optimistic, and even talkative, to some extent; openness to experience (11) and a norm score of 40 indicating the traits of a preserver, or someone with low openness to experience – one who is conservative, efficient with a great depth of knowledge, among others; agreeableness (20) with a 55 norm score which clearly manifests traits of being a negotiator – someone who is balanced in argumentation and in conflict resolution skills; and finally, conscientiousness scored 17 with a norm score of 50, which

Analyze any two themes in Edgar Allan Poes short story, The Tell Tale Essay

Analyze any two themes in Edgar Allan Poes short story, The Tell Tale Heart - Essay Example It is quite difficult to ascertain a particular genre onto the story because as Reilly puts it, this is an ‘ultimate mystery story’; however, the reader will immediately notice the discrepancies between the classical detective genre and Poe’s work. In a classic detective story, the plot is centered around guessing who the murderer is, however, Poe’s stories are not whodunits, rather, they are concentrated on the psyche of the murderer. ‘If there is a mystery in these tales, it is the mystery of motive: not who did it, but why. Poe’s fascination with the idea of a crime without a clear motive has proved to be one of his richest bequests to later writers.’ (Benfrey, 29) One of the themes in Poe’s story is of a murder sans motive. It is closely interconnected and interwoven with the theme of madness and obsession that leads to this murder, inexplicable to a ‘sane’ person. The topics of insanity and guilt are dominant in many of Poe’s works like in ‘Berenice’, ‘The Black Cat’, ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’, ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue’, ‘Metzengerstein’, ‘William Wilson’, and are very often developed by the writer from an unexpected angle. To begin with, it is necessary to take a quick look at the plot of the story in order to understand the themes of the story. ‘The Tell Tale Heart’ is a story told along the lines of a monologue narrated by an unnamed character – an aspect dominant in many of Poe’s works. The narrator of the story is often referred to as ‘unreliable’ – his credibility is questioned due to his clear mental disorder. This may be understood as a ploy to puzzle the mind of the reader (Benfey 30) and to create that special mixture of suspense, absurdity and fatality, peculiar for Allan Poe’s short stories. The main character (traditionally considered to be a man, though there are no evidences that this could not be a woman) confesses that he murdered an old man to an

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Carol Ann Duffys anthology Mean Time Essay Example for Free

Carol Ann Duffys anthology Mean Time Essay Carol Ann Duffys anthology Mean Time is littered with references to the past. With the title Mean Time in its self referring to time in an ambiguous ways, like Greenwhich mean time, or time associated with angry emotions. The most common interpretation being that the characters represented in many of Mean Times poems as in between two states, past and present. The characters are trapped, escaping, or reminiscing about past times retrospectively from a present time. Much of there past is what is now influencing there present situation or state of mind and Duffy accentuates this factor by being explicit and drawing attention to language that would draw a conclusion to that notion. The Captain of the 1964 Top of the Form Team is a 1960s quiz show between competing teams of school children who, representing their school and in school uniform, would answer general knowledge questions in front of an audience of school children. The individually competitive suggestion of the name of the show individual competition was emphasized in the education system of the 50s and 60s (it would not be unusual for a class to be sat in their rank order according to the last set of exams) and it precedes the change to a comprehensive system. This competitive tone, the sense of a hierarchy, is an important element in the poem. This poem questions the romantic view of the past forming a persona to there present as he characterises his children as his thick kids and his wife as stale. He ambiguously illustrates his past in that he want it back, The Captain. The captain is a symbol of his youth and past in that he wants it back but its so isolated and remote that he cant obtain it and only exists as memories in his mind. The comparison between the first six stanzass representing the past and the last stanza representing the present exhibits a barrier between the two. The constant music references mentioned within the poem to past artists and songs reflects the rich memories that are illustrated to the reader, by appealing to more senses, the eyes and hears. Duffys purpose for inclusion of these songs is not only that they are connected to the time period and create a richer spectacle but they clearly reveal the more desired time period of the character, showing him to feel nostalgia. We see the nostalgia form as he describes his family and current situation in the last stanza previously discussed. Carol Ann Duffys dramatic monologue The Suicide provides an intriguing insight into the forces of the past having an effect on a situation in the present. This poem establishes how the past and present are interconnectivly dependant on each other. This is explained as, without a past of experience and events that shape u as a person there can be no present effects. This notion is also reversed in that without a present the past would never be expressed fully either emotionally or physically with no results or effects seen from past causes. The poem title explicitly provides the reader with exactly what the context of the poem is. The reasons for this is possibly to engage the reader into how is Duffy going to describe the feelings of suicide appealing to our macabre sides of personality. It is commonly thought that language fails to describe many feelings especially that of suicide. The poem analyses the nature of suicidal impulse, by letting a would-be suicide talk to us in the moments before her death. It compares with The Captain of the 1964 Top of the Form Team (The captain), as it is also a dramatic monologue but fails in comparison similarities to that poem. It does refer to the past like The Captain does, however not as explicitly. In The Suicide the reference to the past is, Kisses on a collar. Lies. Blood. The above is a strong reference to a past event of what implicitly seems to be infidelity by the partner. This is followed by short sharp sentences of Lies and Blood. These single emphasised words almost tell a complete story; the history of a relationship, written in lies. Lies that lead to blood (perhaps the blood of the suicide). There is a sense that the whole story is told in these few words. But this whole event can not be ignoring the fact that it was all triggered by a past event that is now influencing if not directly causing the present situation of suicide. The Good Teachers is one of Duffys explicit references to the past but written in present tense which instantly makes the reader form the opinion of reminiscence and living in the past letting past events form the future. We believe to be a male because of the hints to passion for female teachers, as he reveals that you love Miss Pirie. It describes his memories of his life in school as a child but most significantly how he retrospectively looks back and regrets the tom foolery that took place then and how he wasted his time in school. This forms similar themes to End of innocence about regret of the past and wants to escape it. The short sentences in the last stanza can be symbolic of time and how it speedily passed by to leave him where he is now which we never quite find out. Again a barrier is formed between the past and the present by the line But theres the wall you climb. The wall denoting the barrier between past and present and shows how the two are separate. The context before the wall line is about the past, the context of the poem after the wall line is about the present. This structure reinforces the separation of the past and present. Also this show how the past forms a barrier that forms the future and weather or not you accomplish successfully by getting over or around the barrier will have an impact on your life to come. The Captain of the 1964 Top of the Form Team, The Suicide and The Good Teachers all portray the past, but in separate ways. In The Captain the past is seen as a rich rejoicing memory, with dignity and pride at the forefront of it where the past was contrasted to the future to reinforce how commendable the past was. The nostalgia was accentuated by the language and references to his current situation of him having a stale wife and thick kids. The suicide depicts the past consuming the character and a direct cause for her present situation. The language illustrates a dyer situation and forms the opinion that suicide is not chosen, it happens when pain exceeds resources for coping with pain. It fails to by the inadequacy of language and context fully describe the emotion and direct feeling of suicide caused from the past events. It only refers to four words to describe the past, kisses on a collar. This is a classic example of the notion that the past is represented as irretrievable and irreplaceable. Also that not being able to alter the mistakes made in life will undoubtedly form the situation of present and which is suicide in this case but also that those events will characterise you for the future. The Good Teachers forms a view of the past being one of regret and wanting to escape from it. This also, like The Captain and The Suicide, forms a barrier separating the past and present by language and contrasting stanzas.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Upper Respiratory Infections: Causes and Properties

Upper Respiratory Infections: Causes and Properties Robert Middleton Case Study:Â  Upper Respiratory Infections Nature of Upper Respiratory Infections The upper respiratory tract includes the mouth, nose, throat, larynx, and trachea and diseases are named for the anatomical sites that are involved with the infection. Sinusitis is named for the inflammation and infection of the sinus cavity; pharyngitis, the inflammation and infection of the throat; laryngitis, the inflammation of the larynx; and tonsillitis, the infection and inflammation of the tonsils. Many times because the infections affect several sites at the same time, the infections can be grouped under either rhinopharyngitis or tonsillopharyngitis. Rhinopharyngitis is a viral disease that causes the inflammation of the pharynx and mucous membranes inside the nose, increasing the production of mucous. Additional symptoms may include coughing, fever, headache, and fatigue, if left untreated, infection could lead to viral or bacterial pneumonia. Tonsillopharyngitis is a bacterial or viral disease that causes the inflammation of the tonsils and pharynx, when caused by group A streptococcal bacteria, it is called strep throat. Common symptoms include sore throat, inflammation of the tonsils, high fever, headache, pain in the ears and neck, and fatigue. Causative Agents and Mechanisms of Pathogenesis of Upper Respiratory Infections Pathogenesis: Upper respiratory infections are very contagious and spread by inhalation of droplets containing the microorganism or hand to hand contact and then spread to the epithelial layers of the upper respiratory tract. Causative Agents: Most upper respiratory infections are caused by viruses and are the most common of human infections worldwide. Bacterial infections can occur in the upper respiratory tract and are usually the result of group A streptococcus and outside of the United States corynebacterium diptheriae is a major pathogen. Abscesses can develop as a result of infections of deeper tissues of the mucosal sites like peritonsillar abscesses, retrotonsillar abscesses, and retropharyngeal abscesses. Disease Viruses Bacteria and Fungi Rhinitis Rhinoviruses, adenoviruses, coronaviruses, influenza viruses, respiratory syncytial virus Rare Pharyngitis or tonsillitis Adenoviruses, parainfluenza viruses, influenza viruses, rhinoviruses, herpes simplex virus Group A streptococcus, corynebacterium diptheriae Peritonsillar or retropharyngeal abscesses None Group A streptococcus, Fusobacterium, species, Staphlococcus aureus [i]

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

SERVQUAL MODEL as a Service Quality Measure

SERVQUAL MODEL as a Service Quality Measure 1.0 Introduction A great deal of service-quality research in recent decades has been devoted to the development of measures of service quality. In particular, the SERVQUAL instrument (Parasuraman et al., 1988) has been widely applied and valued by academics and practicing managers (Buttle, 1996). However, several studies have identified potential difficulties with the use of SERVQUAL (Carman, 1990; Cronin and Taylor, 1992; Asubonteng et al., 1996; Buttle, 1996; Van Dyke et al., 1997; Llosa et al., 1998). These difficulties have related to the use of so-called difference scores, the ambiguity of the definition of consumer expectations, the stability of the SERVQUAL scale over time, and the dimensionality of the instrument. As a result of these criticisms, questions have been raised regarding the use of SERVQUAL as a measure of service quality. 1.1 The SERVQUAL scale When the SERVQUAL scale was developed by Parasuraman et al. (1985, 1988), their  aim was to provide a generic instrument for measuring service quality across a broad range of service categories. Relying on information from 12 focus groups of consumers, Parasuraman et al. (1985) reported that consumers evaluated service quality by comparing expectations (of service to be received) with perceptions (of service actually received) on ten dimensions: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, communication, credibility, security, competence, understanding/knowing customers, courtesy, and access. In a later (Parasuraman et al. (1988) work, the authors reduced the original ten dimensions to five: (1) tangibles (the appearance of physical facilities, equipment, and personnel); (2) reliability (the ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately); (3) responsiveness (the willingness to help customers and provide prompt service); (4) empathy (the provision of individual care and attention to customers); and (5) assurance (the knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence). Each dimension is measured by four to five items (making a total of 22 items across the five dimensions). Each of these 22 items is measured in two ways: (1) the expectations of customers concerning a service; and (2) the perceived levels of service actually provided. In making these measurements, respondents are asked to indicate their degree of agreement with certain statements on a seven-point Likert-type scale (1 strongly disagree to 7 strongly agree). For each item, a so-called gap score (G) is then calculated as the difference between the raw perception-of-performance score (P) and the raw expectations score (E). The greater the gap score (calculated as G  ¼ P minus E), the higher the score for perceived service quality. Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.0 Introduction Despite the widespread use of the SERVQUAL model to measure service quality, several theoretical and empirical criticisms of the scale have been raised. Buttle (1996) summarised the major criticisms of SERVQUAL in two broad categories theoretical and operational. Theoretical issues comprise: Paradigmatic objections: SERVQUAL is based on a disconfirmation paradigm rather than an attitudinal paradigm; and SERVQUAL fails to draw on established economic, statistical and psychological theory. Gaps model: there is little evidence that customers assess service quality in terms of P E gaps. Process orientation: SERVQUAL focuses on the process of service delivery, not the outcomes of the service encounter. Dimensionality: SERVQUALs five dimensions are not universals; the number of dimensions comprising SQ is contextualized; items do not always load on to the factors which one would a priori expect; and there is a high degree of intercorrelation between the five RATER dimensions. Operational criticisms include: Expectations: the term expectation is polysemic; consumers use standards other than expectations to evaluate SQ; and SERVQUAL fails to measure absolute SQ expectations. Item composition: four or five items can not capture the variability within each SQ dimension. Moments of truth (MOT): customers assessments of SQ may vary from MOT to MOT. Polarity: the reversed polarity of items in the scale causes respondent error. Scale points: the seven-point Likert scale is flawed. Two administrations: two administrations of the instrument cause boredom and confusion. Variance extracted: the over SERVQUAL score accounts for a disappointing proportion of item variances. The above criticism will be discussed below. 2.1: Paradigmatic objections (Theoretical Criticisms) Two major criticisms have been raised. First, SERVQUAL has been inappropriately based on an expectations disconfirmation model rather than an attitudinal model of SQ. Second, it does not build on extant knowledge in economics, statistics and psychology. SERVQUAL is based on the disconfirmation model widely adopted in the customer satisfaction literature. In this literature, customer satisfaction (CSat) is operationalised in terms of the relationship between expectations (E) and outcomes (O). If O matches E, customer satisfaction is predicted. If O exceeds E, then customer delight may be produced. If E exceeds O, then customer dissatisfaction is indicated. According to Cronin and Taylor (1992; 1994) SERVQUAL is paradigmatically flawed because of its ill-judged adoption of this disconfirmation model. Perceived quality, they claim, is best conceptualised as an attitude. They criticise Parasuraman et al. for their hesitancy to define perceived SQ in attitudinal terms, even though Parasur aman et al. (1988) had earlier claimed that SQ was similar in many ways to an attitude. Cronin and Taylor observe: Researchers have attempted to differentiate service quality from consumer satisfaction, even while using the disconfirmation format to measure perceptions of service qualityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ this approach is not consistent with the differentiation expressed between these constructs in the satisfaction and attitude literatures. Iacobucci et al.s (1994) review of the debate surrounding the conceptual and operational differences between SQ and CSat concludes that the constructs have not been consistently defined and differentiated from each other in the literature. She suggests that the two constructs may be connected in a number of ways. First, they may be both different operationalisations of the same construct, evaluation. Second, they may be orthogonally related, i.e. they may be entirely different constructs. Third, they may be conceptual cousins. Their family connections may be dependent on a number of other considerations, including for example, the duration of the evaluation. Parasuraman et al. (1985) have described satisfaction as more situation- or encounter-specific, and quality as more holistic, developed over a longer period of time, although they offer no empirical evidence to support this contention. SQ and CSat may also be related by time order. The predominant belief is that SQ is the logical predecessor to CSat, but this remains unproven. Cronin and Taylors critique draws support from Olivers (1980) research which suggests that SQ and CSat are distinct constructs but are related in that satisfaction mediates the effect of prior-period perceptions of SQ and causes revised SQ perceptions to be formed. SQ and CSat may also be differentiated by virtue of their content. Whereas SQ may be thought of as high in cognitive content, CSat may be more heavily loaded with affect (Oliver, 1993). Cronin and Taylor suggest that the adequacy-importance model of attitude measurement should be adopted for SQ research. Iacobucci et al. (1994) add the observation that in some general psychological sense, it is not clear what short-term evaluations of quality and satisfaction are if not attitudes. In turn, Parasuraman et al. (1994) have vigorously defended their position, claiming that critics seem to discount prior conceptual work in the SQ literature, and suggest that Cronin and Taylors w ork does not justify their claim that the disconfirmation paradigm is flawed. In other work, Cronin and Taylor (1994) comment that: Recent conceptual advances suggest that the disconfirmation-based SERVQUAL scale is measuring neither service quality nor consumer satisfaction. Rather, the SERVQUAL scale appears at best an operationalisation of only one of the many forms of expectancy disconfirmation. A different concern has been raised by Andersson (1992). He objects to SERVQUALs failure to draw on previous social science research, particularly economic theory, statistics, and psychological theory. Parasuraman et al.s work is highly inductive in that it moves from historically situated observation to general theory. Andersson (1992) claims that Parasuraman et al. abandon the principle of scientific continuity and deduction. Among specific criticisms are the following: First, Parasuraman et al.s management technology takes no account of the costs of improving service quality. It is naÃÆ' ¯ve in assuming that the marginal revenue of SQ improvement always exceeds the marginal cost. (Aubrey and Zimbler, 1983., Crosby., 1979, Juran., 1951 and Masser., 1957) have addressed the issue of the costs/benefits of quality improvement in service settings.) Second, Parasuraman et al. collect SQ data using ordinal scale methods (Likert scales) yet perform analyses with methods suited to interval-level data (factor analysis). Third, Parasuraman et al. are at the absolute end of the street regarding possibilities to use statistical methods. Ordinal scales do not allow for investigations of common product-moment correlations. Interdependencies among the dimensions of quality are difficult to describe. SERVQUAL studies cannot answer questions such as: Are there elasticities among the quality dimensions? Is the customer value of improvements a linear or non-linear function? Fourth, Parasuraman et al. fail to draw on the large literature on the psychology of perception. 2.2: Gaps Model A related set of criticisms refer to the value and meaning of gaps identified in the disconfirmation model. Babakus and Boller (1992) found the use of a gap approach to SQ measurement intuitively appealing but suspected that the difference scores do not provide any additional information beyond that already contained in the perceptions component of the SERVQUAL scale. They found that the dominant contributor to the gap score was the perceptions score because of a generalised response tendency to rate expectations high. Churchill and Surprenant (1982), in their work on CSat, also ponder whether gap measurements contribute anything new or of value given that the gap is a direct function of E and P. It has also been noted that: while conceptually, difference scores might be sensible, they are problematic in that they are notoriously unreliable, even when the measures from which the difference scores are derived are themselves highly reliable (Iacobucci et al., 1994). Also, in the context of CSat, Oliver (1980) has pondered whether it might be preferable to consider the P E scores as raw differences or as ratios. No work has been reported using a ratio approach to measure SQ. Iacobucci et al. (1994) take a different tack on the incorporation of E-measures. They suggest that expectations might not exist or be formed clearly enough to serve as a standard for evaluation of a service experience. Expectations may be formed simultaneously with service consumption. Kahneman and Miller (1986) have also proposed that consumers may form experience-based norms after service experiences, rather than expectations before. A further issue raised by Babakus and Inhofe (1991) is that expectations may attract a social desirability response bias. Respondents may feel motivated to adhere to an I-have-high-expectations social norm. Indeed, Parasuraman et al. report that in their testing of the 1988 version the majority of expectations scores were above six on the seven-point scale. The overall mean expectation was 6.22 (Parasuraman et al., 1991b). Teas (1993a; 1993b; 1994) has pondered the meaning of identified gaps. For example, there are six ways of producing P E gaps of -1 (P = 1, E = 2; P = 2, E = 3; P = 3, E = 4; P = 4, E = 5; P = 5, E = 6; P = 6, E = 7). Do these tied gaps mean equal perceived SQ? He also notes that SERVQUAL research thus far has not established that all service providers within a consideration or choice set, e.g. all car-hire firms do, in fact, share the same expectations ratings across all items and dimensions. A further criticism is that SERVQUAL fails to capture the dynamics of changing expectations. Consumers learn from experiences. The inference in much of Parasuraman et al.s work is that expectations rise over time. An E-score of seven in 1986 may not necessarily mean the same as an E-score in 1996. Expectations may also fall over time (e.g. in the health service setting). Grà ¶nroos (1993) recognises this weakness in our understanding of SQ, and has called for a new phase of service quality research to focus on the dynamics of service quality evaluation. Wotruba and Tyagi (1991) agree that more work is needed on how expectations are formed and changed over time. Implicit in SERVQUAL is the assumption that positive and negative disconfirmations are symmetrically valent. However, from the customers perspective, failure to meet expectations often seems a more significant outcome than success in meeting or exceeding expectations (Hardie et al., 1992). Customers will often criticise poor service performance and not praise exceptional performance. Recently, Cronin and Taylor (1992) have tested a performance-based measure of SQ, dubbed SERVPERF, in four industries (banking, pest control, dry cleaning and fast food). They found that this measure explained more of the variance in an overall measure of SQ than did SERVQUAL. SERVPERF is composed of the 22 perception items in the SERVQUAL scale, and therefore excludes any consideration of expectations. In a later defence of their argument for a perceptions-only measure of SQ, Cronin and Taylor (1994) acknowledge that it is possible for researchers to infer consumers disconfirmation through arithmetic means (the P E gap) but that consumer perceptions, not calculations, govern behavior. Finally, a team of researchers, including Zeithaml herself (Boulding et al., 1993), has recently rejected the value of an expectations-based or gap-based model in finding that service quality was only influenced by perceptions. 2.3: Process orientation SERVQUAL has been criticized for focusing on the process of service delivery rather than outcomes of the service encounter. Grà ¶nroos (1982) identified three components of SQ: technical, functional and reputational quality. Technical quality is concerned with the outcome of the service encounter, e.g. have the dry cleaners got rid of the stain? Functional quality is concerned with the process of service delivery, e.g. were the dry cleaners counter staff courteous? Reputational quality is a reflection of the corporate image of the service organization. While technical quality focuses on what, functional quality focuses on how and involves consideration of issues such as the behaviour of customer contact staff, and the speed of service. Critics have argued that outcome quality is missing from Parasuraman et al.s formulation of SQ (Cronin and Taylor, 1992; Mangold and Babakus, 1991; Richard and Allaway, 1993). Richard and Allaway (1993) tested an augmented SERVQUAL model which they cl aim incorporates both process and outcome components, and comment that the challenge is to determine which process and outcome quality attributes of SQ have the greatest impact on choice[1]. Their research into Domino Pizzas process and outcome quality employed the 22 Parasuraman et al. (1988) items, modified to suit context, and the following six outcome items: (1) Dominos has delicious home-delivery pizza. (2) Dominos has nutritious home-delivery pizza. (3) Dominos home-delivery pizza has flavourful sauce. (4) Dominos provides a generous amount of toppings for its home-delivery pizza. (5) Dominos home-delivery pizza is made with superior ingredients. (6) Dominos prepared its home-delivery pizza crust exactly the way I like it. These researchers found that the process-only items borrowed and adapted from SERVQUAL accounted for only 45 per cent of the variance in customer choice; the full inventory, inclusive of the six outcome items, accounted for 71.5 per cent of variance in choice. The difference between the two is significant at the 0.001 level. They conclude that process-and-outcome is a better predictor of consumer choice than process, or outcome, alone. In defense of SERVQUAL, Higgins et al., (1991) have argued that outcome quality is already contained within these dimensions: reliability, competence and security. 2.4: Dimensionality Critics have raised a number of significant and related questions about the dimensionality of the SERVQUAL scale. The most serious are concerned with the number of dimensions and their stability from context to context. There seems to be general agreement that SQ is a second-order construct, that is, it is factorially complex, being composed of several first-order variables [2]. SERVQUAL is composed of the five RATER [3] factors. There are however, several alternative conceptualizations of SQ. As already noted, Grà ¶nroos (1984) identified three components technical, functional and reputational quality; Lehtinen and Lehtinen (1982) also identify three components interactive, physical and corporate quality; Hedvall and Paltschik (1989) identify two dimensions willingness and ability to serve, and physical and psychological access; Leblanc and Nguyen (1988) list five components corporate image, internal organisation, physical support of the service producing system, staff/customer interaction, and the level of customer satisfaction. Parasuraman et al. (1988) have claimed that SERVQUAL: provides a basic skeleton through its expectations/perceptions format encompassing statements for each of the five service quality dimensions. The skeleton, when necessary, can be adapted or supplemented to fit the characteristics or specific research needs of a particular organization. In their 1988 paper, Parasuraman et al. also claimed that the final 22-item scale and its five dimensions have sound and stable psychometric properties. In the 1991b revision, Parasuraman et al. found evidence of consistent factor structure à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ across five independent samples. In other words, they make claims that the five dimensions are generic across service contexts. Indeed, in 1991, Parasuraman et al. claimed that SERVQUALs dimensions and items represent core evaluation criteria that transcend specific companies and industries (1991b) [4]. 2.5: Number of dimensions When the SERVQUAL instrument has been employed in modified form, up to nine distinct dimensions of SQ have been revealed, the number varying according to the service sector under investigation. One study has even produced a single-factor solution. Nine factors accounted for 71 per cent of SQ variance in Carmans (1990) hospital research: admission service, tangible accommodations, tangible food, tangible privacy, nursing care, explanation of treatment, access and courtesy afforded visitors, discharge planning, and patient accounting (billing)[5]. Five factors were distinguished in Saleh and Ryans (1992) work in the hotel industry conviviality, tangibles, reassurance, avoid sarcasm, and empathy. The first of these, conviviality, accounted for 62.8 per cent of the overall variance; the second factor, tangibles, accounted for a further 6.9 per cent; the five factors together accounted for 78.6 per cent. This is strongly suggestive of a two-factor solution in the hospitality industry. The researchers had initially assumed that the factor analysis would confirm the [SERVQUAL] dimensions but this failed to be the case. Four factors were extracted in Gagliano and Hathcotes (1994) investigation of SQ in the retail clothing sector personal attention, reliability, tangibles and convenience. Two of these have no correspondence in SERVQUAL. They conclude the [original SERVQUAL scale] does not perform as well as expected in apparel speciality retailing. Three factors were identified in Bouman and van der Wieles (1992) research into car servicing customer kindness, tangibles and faith [6]. The authors were not able to find the same dimensions for judging service quality as did Berry et al. One factor was recognized in Babakus et al.s (1993b) survey of 635 utility company customers. Analysis essentially produced a single-factor model of SQ which accounted for 66.3 per cent of the variance. The authors advance several possible explanations for this unidimensional result including the nature of the service, (which they describe as a low-involvement service with an ongoing consumption experience), non-response bias and the use of a single expectations/perceptions gap scale. These researchers concluded: With the exception of findings reported by Parasuraman and his colleagues, empirical evidence does not support a five-dimensional concept of service quality. In summary, Babakus and Boller (1992) commented that the domain of service quality may be factorially complex in some industries and very simple and unidimensional in others. In effect, they claim that the number of SQ dimensions is dependent on the particular service being offered. In their revised version, Parasuraman et al. (1991b) suggest two reasons for these anomalies. First, they may be the product of differences in data collection and analysis procedures. A more plausible explanation is that differences among empirically derived factors across replications may be primarily due to across-dimension similarities and/or within dimension differences in customers evaluations of a specific company involved in each setting. Spreng and Singh (1993) have commented on the lack of discrimination between several of the dimensions. In their research, the correlation between Assurance and Responsiveness constructs was 0.97, indicating that they were not separable constructs. They also found a high correlation between the combined Assurance-Responsiveness construct and the Empathy construct (0.87). Parasuraman et al. (1991b) had earlier found that Assurance and Responsiveness items loaded on a single factor and in their 1988 work had found average intercorrelations among the five dimensions of 0.23 to 0.35. In testing their revised version (Parasuraman et al., 1991b), Parasuraman and colleagues found that the four items under Tangibles broke into two distinct dimensions, one pertaining to equipment and physical facilities, the other to employees and communication materials. They also found that Responsiveness and Assurance dimensions showed considerable overlap, and loaded on the same factor. They suggested that this was a product of imposing a five-factor constraint on the analyses. Indeed, the additional degrees of freedom allowed by a subsequent six-factor solution generated distinct Assurance and Responsiveness factors. Parasuraman et al., (1991a) have now accepted that the five SERVQUAL dimensions are interrelated as evidenced by the need for oblique rotations of factor solutionsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦to obtain the most interpretable factor patterns. One fruitful area for future research, they conclude, is to explore the nature and causes of these interrelationships. It therefore does appear that both contextual circumstances and analytical processes have some bearing on the number of dimensions of SQ. 2.6: Contextual stability Carman (1990) tested the generic qualities of the SERVQUAL instrument in three service settings a tyre retailer, a business school placement centre and a dental school patient clinic. Following Parasuraman et al.,s suggestion, he modified and augmented the items in the original ten-factor SERVQUAL scale to suit the three contexts. His factor analysis identified between five and seven underlying dimensions. According to Carman, customers are at least partly context-specific in the dimensions they employ to evaluate SQ. In all three cases, Tangibles, Reliability and Security were present [7]. Responsiveness, a major component in the RATER scale, was relatively weak in the dental clinic context. Carman also commented: Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry combined their original Understanding and Access dimensions into Empathyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ our results did not find this to be an appropriate combination. In particular he found that if a dimension is very important to customers they are likely to be decomposed into a number of sub-dimensions. This happened for the placement centre where Responsiveness, Personal attention, Access and Convenience were all identified as separate factors. According to Carman, this indicates that researchers should work with the original ten dimensions, rather than adopt the revised five-factor Parasuraman et al., (1988) model. 2.7: Item loadings In some studies (e.g. Carman, 1990), items have not loaded on the factors to which they were expected to belong. Two items from the Empathy battery of the Parasuraman et al., (1988) instrument loaded heavily on the Tangibles factor in a study of dental clinic SQ. In the tyre retail study, a Tangibles item loaded on to Security; in the placement centre a Reliability item loaded on to Tangibles. An item concerning the ease of making appointments loaded on to Reliability in the dental clinic context, but Security in the tyre store context. He also found that only two-thirds of the items loaded in the same way on the expectations battery as they did in the perceptions battery. Carman supplies other examples of the same phenomena, and suggests that the unexpected results indicate both face validity and a construct validity problem. In other words, he warns against importing SERVQUAL into service setting contexts without modification and validity checks. Among his specific recommendations is the following: We recommend that items on Courtesy and Access be retained and that items on some dimensions such as Responsiveness and Access be expanded where it is believed that these dimensions are of particular importance. He also reports specific Courtesy and Access items which performed well in terms of nomological and construct validity. Carman (1990) further suggested that the factors, Personal attention, Access or Convenience should be retained and further contextualised research work be done to identify their significance and meaning. 2.8: Item correlations Convergent validity and discriminant validity are important considerations in the measurement of second-order constructs such as SERVQUAL. One would associate a high level of convergent validity with a high level of intercorrelations between the items selected to measure a single RATER factor. Discriminant validity is indicated if the factors and their component items are independent of each other (i.e. the items load heavily on one factor only). Following their modified replication of Parasuraman et al.,s work, Babakus and Boller (1992) conclude that rules for convergence and discrimination do not indicate the existence of the five RATER dimensions. The best scales have a high level of intercorrelation between items comprising a dimension (convergent validity). In their development work in four sectors (banking, credit-card company, repair and maintenance company, and long-distance telecommunications company) Parasuraman et al., (1988) found inter-item reliability coefficients (alphas) varying from 0.52 to 0.84. Babakus and Boller (1992) report alphas which are broadly consistent with those of Parasuraman, varying from 0.67 to 0.83 (see Table III). In their 1991b version, Parasuraman et al. report alphas from 0.60 to 0.93, and observe that every alpha value obtained for each dimension in the final study is higher than the corresponding values in theà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦original study. They attribute this improvement to their rewording of the 22 scale items. Spreng and Singh (1993), and Brown et al., (1993) are highly critical of the questionable application of alphas to difference scores. They evaluate the reliability of SERVQUAL using a measure specifically designed for difference scores (Lord, 1963). Spreng and Singh conclude that there is not a great deal of difference between the reliabilities correctly calculated and the more common [alpha] calculation, an observation with which Parasuraman et al., (1993) concurred when they wrote: The collective conceptual and empirical evidence neither demonstrates clear superiority for the non-difference score format nor warrants abandoning the difference score format. 2.9 Expectations (Operational Criticisms) Notwithstanding the more fundamental criticism that expectations play no significant role in the conceptualization of service quality, some critics have raised a number of other concerns about the operationalization of E in SERVQUAL. In their 1988 work, Parasuraman et al. defined expectations as desires or wants of consumers, i.e. what they feel a service provider should offer rather than would offer (emphasis added). The expectations component was designed to measure customers normative expectations (Parasuraman et al., 1990), and is similar to the ideal standard in the customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction literature (Zeithaml et al., 1991). Teas (1993a) found these explanations somewhat vague and has questioned respondents interpretation of the expectations battery in the SERVQUAL instrument. He believes that respondents may be using any one of six interpretations (Teas, 1993b): (1) Service attribute importance. Customers may respond by rating the expectations statements according to the importance of each. (2) Forecasted performance. Customers may respond by using the scale to predict the performance they would expect. (3) Ideal performance. The optimal performance; what performance can be. (4) Deserved performance. The performance level customers, in the light of their investments, feel performance should be. (5) Equitable performance. The level of performance customers feel they ought to receive given a perceived set of costs. (6) Minimum tolerable performance. What performance must be? Each of these interpretations is somewhat different, and Teas contends that a considerable percentage of the variance of the SERVQUAL expectations measure can be explained by the difference in respondents interpretations. Accordingly, the expectations component of the model lacks discriminant validity. Parasuraman et al. (1991b; 1994) have responded to these criticisms by redefining expectations as the service customers would expect from excellent service organizations, rather than normative expectations of service providers, and by vigorously defending their inclusion in SQ research. Iacobucci et al. (1994) want to drop the term expectations from the SQ vocabulary. They prefer the generic label standard, and believe that several standards may operate simultaneously; among them ideals, my most desired combination of attributes, the industry standard of a nominal average competitor, deserved SQ, and brand standards based on past experiences with the brand. Some critics have questioned SERVQUALs failure to access customer evaluations based on absolute standards of SQ. The instrument asks respondents to report their expectations of excellent service providers within a class (i.e. the measures are relative rather than absolute). It has be

Monday, August 19, 2019

Emerson :: essays research papers

Emerson emphasizes over and over again that in order to gain ones own independence, one must first abandon all learned things and seek to accumulate thereafter only the knowledge which one attains firsthand and deems pertinent to be assimilated into ones own truth. "Nothing is at last sacred, but the integrity of your own mind" states Emerson, because "Nothing can bring you peace but yourself" (Emerson 203). Emerson ultimately arrives at the conclusion that one must be self aware. He believes that one must come to recognize the power one has within and to utilize that power through self thought. â€Å"The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried† (Emerson). One must learn to give up all external knowledge and begin a quest for the knowledge one has within. One will never know his full potential until he attempts to think on his/her own self derived thoughts. David Gale, on the other hand, after finding himself in a harsh predicament turns to an internal quest as Emerson’s. A University of Texas professor of philosophy and capital punishment abolitionist, David Gale, finds himself on Death Row convicted of murder. Gale is a man who has tried hard to live by his principles but in a peculiar distorted twist of fate, finds himself on Death Row for rape and murder (Lim). Gale is accused of murdering his long time friend and co-activist. He was a self reliant man to begin with in some aspects because he was fighting for a cause which not favored in majority in favor of Gale. â€Å"It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect wetness the independence of solitude† (Oschman 41). He as Emerson states did not conform to society’s views but rather held on very firmly to his own. After the false charges of rape Gale lost his prestigious job as a professor at the university and was forced work in the post office. Although this may have been a blow to his pride, Gale remained consistent with his passion for his cause. Emerson states that one must realize that you deal with what you have good or bad, but one can make the world a good place even though all the evil in the world. Emerson :: essays research papers Emerson emphasizes over and over again that in order to gain ones own independence, one must first abandon all learned things and seek to accumulate thereafter only the knowledge which one attains firsthand and deems pertinent to be assimilated into ones own truth. "Nothing is at last sacred, but the integrity of your own mind" states Emerson, because "Nothing can bring you peace but yourself" (Emerson 203). Emerson ultimately arrives at the conclusion that one must be self aware. He believes that one must come to recognize the power one has within and to utilize that power through self thought. â€Å"The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried† (Emerson). One must learn to give up all external knowledge and begin a quest for the knowledge one has within. One will never know his full potential until he attempts to think on his/her own self derived thoughts. David Gale, on the other hand, after finding himself in a harsh predicament turns to an internal quest as Emerson’s. A University of Texas professor of philosophy and capital punishment abolitionist, David Gale, finds himself on Death Row convicted of murder. Gale is a man who has tried hard to live by his principles but in a peculiar distorted twist of fate, finds himself on Death Row for rape and murder (Lim). Gale is accused of murdering his long time friend and co-activist. He was a self reliant man to begin with in some aspects because he was fighting for a cause which not favored in majority in favor of Gale. â€Å"It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect wetness the independence of solitude† (Oschman 41). He as Emerson states did not conform to society’s views but rather held on very firmly to his own. After the false charges of rape Gale lost his prestigious job as a professor at the university and was forced work in the post office. Although this may have been a blow to his pride, Gale remained consistent with his passion for his cause. Emerson states that one must realize that you deal with what you have good or bad, but one can make the world a good place even though all the evil in the world.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Science of Microwave Heating :: microwave oven

The microwave oven, a tool that we use often in our busy lives to heat up foods when we just don't have the time or patience for a conventional oven to do its work. How does this device work? It's pretty simple if we use the basics of physics to explain it. Vibrations from the high frequency radio waves cause the water and fat cells in food to generate heat through friction of the molecules. An example of this using a turkey shows the molecules positive and negative particles acting through these vibrations to cause friction. J. Carlton Gallawa -- http://www.gallawa.com/microtech/howcook.html "In microwave cooking, the radio waves penetrate the food and excite water and fat molecules pretty much evenly throughout the food. There is no "heat having to migrate toward the interior by conduction". There is heat everywhere all at once because the molecules are all excited together. There are limits of course. Radio waves penetrate unevenly in thick pieces of food (they don't make it all the way to the middle), and there are also "hot spots" caused by wave interference, but you get the idea. The whole heating process is different because you are "exciting atoms" rather than "conducting heat"." -- Howstuffworks.com From Wikipedia.org: "Microwaves, also known as Super High Frequency (SHF) signals, have wavelengths approximately in the range of 30 cm (1 GHz) to 1 mm (300 GHz)." and "A microwave oven uses a magnetron microwave generator to produce microwaves at a frequency of approximately 2.4 GHz for the purpose of cooking food. Microwaves cook food by causing molecules of water and other compounds to vibrate. The vibration creates heat which warms the food. Since organic matter is made up primarily of water, food is easily cooked by this method." From http://www.gallawa.com/microtech/howcook.html: "Microwaves possess three basic characteristics: * Just as sunlight shines through a window, microwaves pass right through some materials. Materials such as glass, paper, and plastic are transparent to and generally unaffected by microwaves. * Microwaves are reflected by metal surfaces, much as a ball would bounce off a wall. The metal walls of the cooking space actually form a cavity resonator. In other words, the enclosure is designed to resonate the microwaves as they are radiated from the magnetron tube. The principle of resonance may be illustrated using sound waves. When a piano key is struck, it produces sound vibrations or sound waves. Sometimes a note is played on a piano, and an object across the room, perhaps a wineglass, can be heard vibrating and producing the same sound.

Abandonment and Struggle on a Farm Essay -- Literary Analysis

Simplicity, especially in poetry, can be an often underrated and overlooked method of conveying a meaningful and extended message. Ted Kooser, an American poet and writer, is well known for his ‘simplistic’ style of writing and has been described as using an â€Å"[H]onest, accessible verse†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ted Kooser: The Poetry Foundation). Kooser was born in Iowa and now resides in Nebraska. Both Iowa and Nebraska are situated in the Midwestern United States, an area noted for its rural landscape and population. Kooser’s rural background and ‘accessible verse’ are exceedingly evident in his poem â€Å"Abandoned Farmhouse†. The poem is as an observation of an abandoned farmhouse, it infers details about the house and the family that lived in it through inanimate objects as well as the condition of the house and surrounding farmland. Using figurative language devices such as simile, metaphor, and personification Kooser allows the reader to draw their own conclusions. As well, Kooser allows the reader to fill in the gaps in his writing, however, he creates themes in this poem that are hard to ignore and thus they must be acknowledged. Themes of abandonment and a struggling family are prevalent in â€Å"Abandoned Farmhouse† and they help lend to the broader thematic purpose of the poem which looks to provide an insight on rural life, particularly the realities and hardships of living on a farm. Using the figurative tools mentioned previously, Kooser creates an image of an empty and neglected farmhouse and uses it as a symbolic representation for the hardships experienced in farming and the strain it can put on a family. In the 1980s, many farmers in the Midwest were running out of business rapidly and found that they could not stay in the agriculture indust... ...ation the narrator in â€Å"Abandoned Farmhouse† is able to tell the story of a struggling family on a farm while presenting the idea of abandonment, of the farm and of the family. The inferences made on characteristics of the farm and inanimate objects scattered throughout it allow the narrator to conclude that something went wrong on the farm and with the family. The poem, and the observations made throughout it, is a representation of the difficulties faced in rural life and the strain that it can put on a family. The unfortunate ending suggested in the poem symbolizes the struggles that a farm can present and provides an insight into the realities of farm life. Works Cited Crisis in Agriculture. n.d. Website. 2 April 2012. Kooser, Ted. "Abandoned Farmhouse." ENG 105B: Poems for Essay #2. 2012. Ted Kooser: The Poetry Foundation. 2010. Website. 2 April 2012.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Genres Of Literature

Genres of literature are important to learn about. The two main categories separating the different genres of literature are fiction and nonfiction. There are several genres of literature that fall under the nonfiction category. Nonfiction sits in direct opposition to fiction. Examples from both the fiction and nonfiction genres of literature are explained in detail below. This detailed genres of literature list is a great resource to share with any scholars. Types of Nonfiction: Narrative Nonfiction is information based on fact that is presented in a format whichtells a story. Essays are a short literary composition that reflects the author’s outlook or point. A short literary composition on a particular theme or subject, usually in prose and generally analytic, speculative, or interpretative. A Biography is a written account of another person’s life. An Autobiography gives the history of a person’s life, written or told by that person. Often written in Narrativ e form of their person’s life. Speech is the faculty or power of speaking; oral communication; ability to express one’s thoughts and emotions by speech, sounds, and gesture.Generally delivered in the form of an address or discourse. Finally there is the general genre of Nonfiction. This is Informational text dealing with an actual, real-life subject. This genre of literature offers opinions or conjectures on facts and reality. This includes biographies, history, essays, speech, and narrative nonfiction. Nonfiction opposes fiction and is distinguished from those fiction genres of literature like poetry and drama which is the next section we will discuss.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Egypt and Mesopotamia Essay

Most societies that developed in ancient civilizations were centered around their belief systems. The Egyptians and the Mesopotamians were no different in this sense. Both civilizations were polytheistic and built elaborate temples to praise their gods. Additionally, the leaders in both regions were believed to be related to the gods because of the great power they held and the wealth under their control. However, the Mesopotamians had a pessimistic outlook on life because of the unpredictability of their environment. The Egyptians, on the other hand, had an optimistic outlook because the Nile River inundated their region regularly, which could be predicted by the stars. The similarities and differences in the religions of these two regions may be attributable to the relative geographical isolationism of the two areas, which allowed them to develop without the influence of outside cultures. Both ancient cultures built sophisticated monuments to praise their gods. The Egyptians constructed a vast network of impressive temples to honor their many gods, each of which had an elite staff of priests whose job was to care for the temple and the gods. One of the most prominent temples was Abu Simbel, which was carved out of the side of a cliff and had four giant statues of Ramses, the â€Å"Alexander the Great† of Egypt, guarding the entrance. Another notable example was the mortuary temple of King Khufu at Giza, which had polished limestone floors and ornately painted columns. The Mesopotamians built ziggurats to glorify their gods, which were considered â€Å"stairways to heaven.† One of the most famous ziggurats was the enormous, complex structure built at Ur which reached up to almost 100 feet. It was erected to honor the moon goddess Nanna, the divine patron of the city state. The gods were central to both cultures and, as a result, much time was devoted to constructing and maintaining their monuments. The importance of the gods in their cultures was also reflected in their political structure. Both societies believed that their leaders were somehow related to their gods. The Egyptians believed that their pharaohs were the reincarnation of the sun god Re, the chief god who held the most power of all of the gods. This was believed because the pharaohs had immense power, governed huge areas of lands, and controlled vast resources such as gold and slaves. The pharaohs also elevated their status by building huge structures to the gods that seemed to transcend their earthly life, such as the pyramids and temples. The pharaohs used ordinary Egyptians to build the pyramids, not slaves, because the Egyptians wanted to please the god king so they would be guaranteed a place in the afterlife. The pharaohs also conquered thousands of square miles of land through military victories which seemed almost impossible for mere mortals. Similarly, the Mesopotamian kings were believed to be the sons of gods. The god the kings were related to depended on the city state’s main god, which was usually Anu. The king was also the chief priest which continued the relationship, keeping them close to the gods. The kings took on massive public works projects as well as military conquests which further cemented this belief. Because of the importance of the gods to these societies, their leaders were raised to a â€Å"godly† status as a reflection of their significance and as a result of their many accomplishments, which also gave the people a more tangible connection to the gods. While both societies honored their gods and saw their leaders related to the gods, the Mesopotamians had a pessimistic outlook on life because they believed that the actions of their gods were unforeseeable while the Egyptians had an optimistic outlook on life because they believed their gods were predictable. The Mesopotamians beliefs arose because their region had an unstable environment. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers often overflowed their banks in flash floods, ruining farmland and houses as well as killing people and livestock. The environment also varied when they had droughts that led to famines and then regular rainfall which gave them food surpluses. In addition, the major factor that ended this civilization was the environmental decline because of over farming which led to an ecological disaster that still plagues this region to this day. The Egyptians, on the other hand, believed that their gods were predictable because their environment was very unsurprising. They could forecast the inundation of the Nile River by looking at the stars. As a result, they believed the gods were telling them things through the stars. Therefore, their priests often looked to the heavens for answers, blending science into their religion and resulting in a certain amount of control over their lives. But because everything that happened was attributed to the gods, the outlook on life for both societies was closely linked to the region they lived and the problems that were encountered. The gods were central to both Egyptian and Mesopotamian societies. The architecture of both regions reflected the religious symbols that were instrumental to the faith of the people. The leaders in both societies were considered to be related to the gods because of the amazing structures they built and the accomplishments they achieved. Finally, the perception of life was determined by environmental factors that shaped the peoples view of how their gods treated them. At the heart of their religions, the Egyptians and Mesopotamians were focused on pleasing their gods so that they would be rewarded and anything bad that happened was attributed to not satisfying the gods. Unaffected by outside influences, these civilizations shared many similarities in how their religions shaped their cultures but also had differences which arose from the impact of their geographical location.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

My future

I wanted to study business administration which consider of being the one in charge of the whole company and lead it to the success. Also is to be aware of everything that happens around, is like being a boss and make all kind of work that Is necessary. I decided that I wanted to study that because I Like to lead and being In charge of Important things like a company. Also because I Like companies and control them, Like being the boss and give orders to others.All begins with a dream when I was little for the novels I watch in television and so many of them where of people hat has company and has a lot of power and I thought â€Å"l want to be like them† and from there I became interested, but I never imagine it would be so much work that has to be done. I decided to make my practice of business administration in the pharmacy â€Å"Canvass Pharmacy'. This pharmacy is located in the arbitration Logic Valley, Canvass. I went there because of my aunt, she works there as a pharma ceutical.My aunt helped me so I could do the work there without any problems. Her boss, the lawyer Border, was very understanding and didn't say no. Mrs†¦ Border was very happy and she said that I can start working as soon as I anted. She Is a really good person, as soon as I met her I Like her, as well as her work team, they were friendly to me. I was really excited about this Job because I was going to work In what I always dream of, what I wanted to study, what I wanted to be when I grow up.I wanted to achieve my goal and don't defraud the boss because I don't like to do a bad work, I like to make things right. Also I like to make people proud of me and the things I do that I know are well done, well Ohio doesn't right? We all like that. The first day of my work I was really nervous because I didn't know what I as supposed to do and how it was going to be. As soon as I arrived to the pharmacy everyone welcome me in a good way. The work team was good, they were all really coo perators and they make me feel part of the team for the few days I went there.They help each other, Like Is supposed to be. The first work they make me do was to organize medical recipes by date and numbers and then store them. I hate It that work, It was too boring and long because there were too many medical recipes. The boss and my aunt worked with me so I didn't have to It alone and they correct me If I id something wrong. I always try to do everything right so they don't have to be correcting me all the time and I have the ability to learn fast. After that I had an hour of break in which I can eat and rest. Then I keep doing the same thing.While I work I talked to the lawyer, she told me about her life and gave me advices about life and asked me if I was sure this was really what I wanted to be. Well she told me that I have to propose to myself so many things to achieve them. She suggested me that I should study pharmacy because according to her that is leaving a lot of money t hese says. She told me that her life is really good because she gained a lot of money and is her own boss; make her own schedule the way she wanted according to her convenience. That made me thought a lot of what I wanted for my future.I know that the money Is not all, but I wouldn't mind having It. That day I finish working at 5:pop. M. The next day I went to work at 1 1 a. M. That day I was storing medical recipes once again. I was tired of doing the same thing so I told the boss. She moved medicine we're in its respective place and has the exact amount it should. In that place I was working with my aunt and a few people in charge of that area. Lately that day arrive the owner of the pharmacy and him by itself presented to me and he was really nice, a friendly man with all his employees and clients.I finish my work that day at 4:pop. M. That was my last day, I only work two days. The following experience that I lived I didn't like it that much because it wasn't what I really expec ted. This helped me to notice that I don't want to study business administration. I won't deny that I share with really good people that were so dedicated to their Job and this is admirable because there are not so many people like them that give the hundred percent in their Job.I feel that this work isn't for me because is something monotonous and I don't like that; I love to try new things and learn something new every day if it's possible. It was a good experience but sincerely this isn't what I want to be. I decided that I would look for other branches of work to know what I really want to study. I was thinking of following the advice that the lawyer give to me in looking something that is leaving a lot of money these days, like Ewing pharmacist.Although I'm not so sure, but I'm really interested in psychology because I like to hear and help others and give them advice. I'm also interested in veterinarian because I love animals so much, they are the best thing in the world, not all of them of course Just the majority. There is a lot of things that I like and they are so great that is hard for me to make a choice, I would study them all if it's possible, but we all know is impossible. The objective of Ms. Chilean in my case is accomplished. Actually I'm eternally thankful with the teacher for giving us the opportunity to realize this work.It helps us to notice what we really want and want to be in our future. Opportunities like this come once in a lifetime and we have to enjoy them while we can. If the teacher gives us the opportunity to do this work again I would do it again, but in some other thing that I mention previously. We have to make good choices about our lives because everything starts here and there's no way back. â€Å"The future is something that everyone can reach at a rhythm of sixty minutes per hour, whatever you do and whoever it is† (Clive Staples Lewis).

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

“Night” by Elie Wiesel Essay

Have you ever been separated from your family? What if living wasn’t guaranteed? The holocaust killed over eleven million people. The purpose of the holocaust was to eliminate the entire Jewish race. In Night, by Elie Wiesel, Elie and his family were separated. Elie was forced to take care of his father while his mother and sister were killed. The Jews’ freedom, identity, and sense of hope were taken from them to make the Jews feel less than human. Is freedom really free? In Night, they lost their freedom when the Germans made a new edict that stated, â€Å"All Jews are prohibited from leaving their house for three days under penalty of death (page 10). † Also, the Germans stated that, â€Å"From this moment on, you [Jews] are under the authority of the German Army (pages 23-24)†. Without the Jews’ freedom they couldn’t fight back. With that in mind, the Germans took away the Jews’ sense of hope as well. In order to do this, however, the Germans practically starved all the Jews to death; â€Å"At that moment in time, all that mattered to me was my daily bowl of soup and crust of stale bread (page 52). † The Germans also killed most of the Jews for little things like backtalk, taking an extra ration of food, or pilfering from the kitchen. To make the Jews feel less than human, the Germans took away their identities. They did this by taking away their name and referring to them as only a number. They even tattooed that number onto their skin. This was so the Jews would not forget that the Germans were of more value then they were, and that Germans were worth more than just a number and worth more then Jewish people in general. Another way was by placing them all in one type of surrounding (concentration camps). Also by forcing them all to wear a yellow star to show the world that they were â€Å"Jews†. By doing that they were hoping to eventually break them down and make them feel ashamed for being Jewish. This is what the Jewish people went through, and the hardships every single Jew must go through to, hopefully, see the sun tomorrow. Freedom is of no use anymore. Identity has vanished into thin air. The Jews’ sense of hope turned into ashes along with them. If you were there, in Elie’s shoes, would you want to keep on living?

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

The Elecdyne Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Elecdyne Company - Case Study Example . In relation to these challenges, the company is aiming at coming up with new strategies in order not only to remain viable, but also to make profit (Ireland, Hoskisson & Hitt 2008). One of the strategies that the company considers to be viable is its expansion internationally through venturing in the EU countries. The countries of choice include Russia, USA, and France. In addressing this, the report will expound on the current and future environmental factors that will impact the affect Elecdyne through the aid of STEEP analytical framework. I chose STEEP analysis because of its simplicity in addition to being general and permitting one to analyse the diverse factors that impact an organization. Apart from STEEP, PEST and SWOT analysis will be used in analysing the selected countries extensively in order to determine the best option for expanding internationally. Griffin argues that competitiveness is the most crucial characteristic of a global market. This assertion is in relatio n to the globalization expansion. This claim aids a company to formulate ways of overcoming environmental challenges. The use of strategic tools as the ones will be expounded in this report will probably aid in achieving this objective. The global industry is estimated to be 5.4% (Nummela 2010) with continuous growth in the coming years. However, the influence of the recent recession has been very significant in electronic industries as well as other industries.

Monday, August 12, 2019

The impact of e-business on an organisation Dissertation

The impact of e-business on an organisation - Dissertation Example Organizations all over the world have taken the help of various methods to facilitate the operations and expansion of their business. With the development of Information and Communication Technology, firms have chosen to conduct a large part of their business activities through e-commerce. This has generated a new area of interest among financial researchers. Analysts have been curious to know the impact of the introduction of e-commerce on an organization. They have also been interested in comparing the firms’ business functioning in the earlier days with that in the new technological era. The introduction of e-commerce in corporations has brought about significant changes in their operations. The new technologies have enabled firms to undertake a larger volume of business with the help of the same resources.Service organizations are now able to reach out to a wider range of customers. The new ICT methods have facilitated a more efficient functioning of the overall activities of firms. For this reason, it is important to evaluate the impact of e-commerce on an organization. Therefore, this paper has chosen to undertake a research on this subject. The Indian banking sector has been currently been witnessing an ICT revolution. Most of the banks have adopted new technological methods to improve the efficiency of their existing operations and also to expand their business among a larger spectrum of the population. Recently the HDFC Bank has implemented a multichannel integration program across its business operations.... or choosing the project topic area Organizations all over the world have taken the help of various methods to facilitate the operations and expansion of their business. With the development of Information and Communication Technology, firms have chosen to conduct a large part of their business activities through e-commerce. This has generated a new area of interest among financial researchers. Analysts have been curious to know the impact of the introduction of e-commerce on an organization. They have also been interested in comparing the firms’ business functioning in the earlier days with that in the new technological era. These issues have urged analysts to undertake relevant research in this domain. The introduction of e-commerce in corporations has brought about significant changes in their operations. The new technologies have enabled firms to undertake a larger volume of business with the help of the same resources. Service organizations are now able to reach out to a w ider range of customers. The new ICT methods have facilitated a more efficient functioning of the overall activities of firms. For this reason, it is important to evaluate the impact of e-commerce on an organization. Therefore, this paper has chosen to undertake a research on this subject. Reasons for choosing the particular organization-HDFC INDIA The Indian banking sector has been currently been witnessing an ICT revolution. Most of the banks have adopted new technological methods to improve the efficiency of their existing operations and also to expand their business among a larger spectrum of the population. Recently the HDFC Bank has implemented a multichannel integration program across its business operations. Under this project, the bank has integrated its branches, the ATMs, the POS, the

Roman Masculinities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Roman Masculinities - Essay Example the present days, during times of peace, war and truce negotiations which depict the manpower, management, money value, machinery strength (the intellectual property of the states powerfulness and ability to create creatively) as well as the manufacturing process of the elite-stature of the belonging-to state "nor must we forget the examples nor separate from these examples the memory of M. Marcellus. Such vigor of courage was in him that by the Po he with a few horsemen attacked the king of the Gaul, who was surrounded by an enormous host, and straightway slew him, stripped him of his arms, and dedicated them to Jupiter Feretrius." [1] a roman soldier – as with all the armies in world- is the honorary representative of the strength and decisiveness of the state in the war affairs among nations. He is the determiner of the strength of power as well as the education that has been bestowed upon him by the civility of the state he belongs to, as opposed to the Phoenicians, Hellen ics, Spartans and the Greek, in the race to define the meaning of "heritage" versus the declining of nations in their due times to be writ down in the pages of history honorably as well as worthily under the nations name; "Roma" in this case. The Roman Empire has been depicted in movies to be the "sole conqueror of the ancient world, defying the fate of degenerating states and the superior hand over the weaker states destinies. In battle, the strength of the roman soldier was the smallest moving wheel that instituted the armor of the armys artillery force. Strength of body as well as that of personality, pierced through the minds of nations when introducing oneself to another during war, the natural defense line for fearlessness against that of opposition in a battlefield for land conquest. Empires built their reputations in accordance to physical strength as well as educational / scholarly refinement, so as to fix the mind of the nation itself upon that of the enemys as not a brutal,

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Australian Latest Mining Boom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Australian Latest Mining Boom - Essay Example Both quantitative and secondary research is done to reach at a conclusion. Contents Topic Page Number 1) Introduction 3-4 2) Main Body a) Fiscal policy challenges emerging out 4-5 of the recent mining boom in Australia b) Resource Rent Taxation and Negative externality 5 c) Economic Framework of Non-Renewable 6 Resource Taxation d) Economic Costs and Benefits of Mining Super 6-8 Profit Tax e) Conclusion 9 f) Recommendations 9 g) Appendix 11 Introduction Mining boom in Australia is an outcome of huge demands for these resources in the global market, mainly Asia because of its growing need for these minerals. In all parts of Australia, mining companies are increasing their present operations, shuttered mines are being re-opened and all this is taking place at a never before pace. Moreover, this latest boom in this mining sector can also be attributed to the expansion in demand for Australian commodities by the foreign nations. This, coupled with decreasing import prices has resulted in an amazing enhancement in their terms of trade. (Banks, 2011, p. 1) At first it was perceived by most of the Australians that the boom in their mining sector had bought unequivocal benefits to their nation’s economy by creating more jobs, generating higher revenues from exports, taxation and higher incomes for most of the people. But studies have revealed that some of these increased profits from the mining companies are at the cost of profits from the non mining institutes (Richardson, 2009, p. 2). Australia is known to be an inherently resource rich nation and one of the leading countries in the world from the point of view of production of minerals. Australia, as already said, is a major exporter of mineral resources, exporting huge amounts to Asia and the Pacific regions. The Australian economy, during 2007 had grown at a rate of 3.9% owing to the increasing global demand for mineral commodities. Since, higher prices in world market for mineral commodities were expected in future as well, the Australian economy kept on expanding. As a result of an increase in the domestic demand for more workers and thinning labor market, in 2007, the consumer price index (CPI) rose by 4.2% (Australia Mineral and Mining Sector Investment and Business Guide, 2006, p. 45). With this boom came the need to review the ongoing tax system in the country. Under the Henry tax reviews the mining super profit tax was introduced which was instantly subjected to a lot of opposition from the mining community as well as the media. Here, in this report, the economic costs and benefits arising out of the mining super profit tax are analyzed and the discussion also includes some reasons as to why this tax is a good/bad policy measure. In this paper, both quantitative and qualitative research has been done. In order to analyze the costs and benefits of the super profit tax, vast literature in the form of journals, articles, books etc. have been reviewed. The proposals made by the gov ernment regarding the use of the revenues that would be generating out of this tax led to the cost-benefit analysis part. Quantitative analysis has been performed to see the amount of revenue that would have generated out of this tax, had it been implemented. Fiscal policy challenges emerging out of the recent mining boom in Australia In the upcoming years, with the increase in value of Australia’