What are the main features of British conservatism, and how have these features changed from one conservative leader to another Essay Example

What are the principle highlights of British conservatism, and how have these highlights changed starting with one traditionalist pioneer then onto the next? Article Given that the Conservative Party is the most seasoned political foundation in Britain, an investigation of its history and advancement will reflect more extensive financial changes. From the soonest long periods of parliamentary majority rule government in Britain to the current present day commonwealth, the Conservative Party has withstood numerous changes and difficulties. This paper endeavors to character the fundamental highlights of British conservatism by method of contemplating its essential political delegate that is the Conservative Party, the suggestion being that not all strategies of the Conservative Party have been steady with the topic of British conservatism and the other way around. Traditionalists have never been known to help all inclusive social insurance. The hesitance of the Conservative party to help a proficient and open subsidized medicinal services framework stays one of its significant reactions. Conservatism in Britain is additionally connected with steadfast patriotism and the idea of â€Å"one-nation†. The Tory party’s endeavors to restore its appointive possibilities host appeared as gathering pamphlets and purposeful publicity writing. The â€Å"Renewing One Nation† battle under the administration of Stanley Kalms might not have convinced the electorate, however it all things considered uncovered the other repetitive subject of Conservative belief system in Britain†that of its connections with Christian associations. Regardless of whether official Conservative talk goes on about the ethics of isolating State and Church, it is one of the loosely held bits of information in British nation that the Conservative Party belittl es Christian confidence and at decisions expects an arrival favor. This clarifies why the Tories have neglected to win the trust of the developing quantities of strict and ethnic minorities in the nation (Coxall Robins, 2003). We will compose a custom paper test on What are the principle highlights of British conservatism, and how have these highlights changed starting with one moderate pioneer then onto the next? explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now We will compose a custom paper test on What are the principle highlights of British conservatism, and how have these highlights changed starting with one traditionalist pioneer then onto the next? explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer We will compose a custom article test on What are the fundamental highlights of British conservatism, and how have these highlights changed starting with one preservationist pioneer then onto the next? explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer However, disregarding the clear inflexibility in Conservative belief system, the gathering has given some adaptability at significant crossroads in the nation’s history. While the â€Å"one nation† strategy and its specialist arrangements of social change and restricted monetary arranging were huge factors in the Tories’ steady constituent accomplishment for most piece of the twentieth century, the party’s strategy system had additionally given indications of pliability: â€Å"When Winston Churchill lost force in 1945, he immediately approached individuals, for example, Rab Butler to devise a comprehensive, socially reformist after war strategy plan. The outcome was a radically decreased Labor greater part in 1950 and a Tory political decision triumph in 1951. In the two ensuing decisions, the Conservatives, drove by men who had confidence in the party’s national obligation and who despised the traditional bias of a portion of the party’s activists, expanded a lot of the vote to edges that Margaret Thatcher would just have the option to dream of.† (Porter, 1999) In surveying Britain’s execution in the time of Conservative gathering rule during the 1950s, two conspicuous topics rise as the foundation of British character. The first is a representative one, that of the triumph over Nazi Germany in 1945. While Britain’s long stretches of supreme greatness had reached a conclusion by at that point, it had different possibilities to anticipate, in particular the success and way of life of its kin. During the 1950s and mid 1960s, the British individuals saw a â€Å"sustained improvement in government assistance arrangement, significantly after Labor offered path to the Conservatives in 1951. Along these lines, as well, did the rising degree of individual thriving coming full circle in an 'extraordinary jump forward’ into opulence toward the finish of the 1950s.† This is even more excellent when found considering the way that social government assistance isn't typically connected with British Conservatism. To be sure the Tory government during the 1950s had honorably â€Å"balanced the regularly clashing needs of 'welfare’ and 'greatness’† (Porter, 1999). In any case, a few reporters are of the view that in the exchange off among ‘welfare’ and ‘greatness’, it was the previous that had developed the more grounded. At the end of the day, â€Å"if government assistance, comprehensively characterized, was organized, was it extremely such an unfortunate result? England may have lost a realm yet there are numerous who might ask whether this was an ethically solid or financially beneficial plan anyway† (Clarke, 2004). The 13 years of Conservative gathering rule from 1951 to 1964 are significant to any evaluation of the country past the Second World War time frame. For Tory legislatures of this period, headed first by Winston Churchill and later by Eden, Macmillan and Home, the essential issue was to adapt to the diminished height of Britain in the new worldwide request to go with the rising desires for Britons at home â€Å"as individuals started to view government assistance as a privilege and abundance as a sensible desire. In this period 'the craft of the possible’, as legislative issues was once portrayed, necessitated that steady consideration be given to the sensitive harmony between outside needs (significance) and interior needs (welfare)† (Clarke, 2004). This carries us to the most dubious of Tory pioneers in the individual of Margaret Thatcher. While she conveys the qualification of being the party’s longest serving Prime Minister, she likewise earned the gathering notoriety and developing disagreeability †something that stands up to the gathering even today. Indeed, even two decades after retirement from legislative issues and gathering initiative, Margaret Thatcher is as yet being accused for the Conservatives’ rest from power since 1997. The gathering has never observed three continuous thrashings in parliamentary decisions as it did since 1997. In a perfect world, such a calamity ought to have prompted a patch up like the one directed by Rab Butler after the Second World War. However, Thatcher had not just adjusted the normal example of Tory governments by seeking after another traditional strategy system, she had likewise contorted the nature and picture of Conservative gathering authority. To elucidate furth er, â€Å"for the vast majority of the twentieth century, Conservative pioneers were effective in light of the fact that, overall, they would not put themselves helpless before their activists. Churchill, Eden and Macmillan were only the most conspicuous pioneers who felt uncomfortable with Tory activists, and rather considered their to be as being to speak to the desires and needs of the huge wrap of general supposition outside the gathering. This prompted constituent achievement, and that, thusly, assuaged the activists. Thatcher was bizarre in that she drew her motivation from the most profound wells of Conservative activism. She conveyed the equivalent, separate ideological things, and saw the world through a similar crystal, as her voting public followers.† (Kampfner, 2003) Subsequently, the Tories’ activists discovered their optimal pioneer in Margaret Thatcher. Following Thatcher, her replacements have not had the option to represent any important test to one side wing’s stranglehold on strategy. All the more worryingly, the activity of picking contender for parliamentary seats, because of turning into an altogether nearby undertaking, â€Å"has prompted a substantially more ideological brand of MP†. Thus, under the rule of Margaret Thatcher, the liberal components in the gathering administration had been overpowered by the traditionalist grass roots supporters (Kampfner, 2003). The foundation of Margaret Thatcher’s authority was not its sympathy towards British residents, but instead a heartless way to deal with what she esteemed as progress. Thatcher, more than some other pioneer of her gathering, was the most vocal in advancing free enterprise and its specialist privatization. The value of such overbearing way to deal with administration is far from being obviously true yet she all things considered constrained numerous adjustments for the sake of progress. In any case, Thatcher’s iron-fisted endeavors were to leave the Conservative party and its political way of thinking an inheritance of offensiveness. As it were, it wound up being a horrendous procedure â€Å"that cost her the initiative and almost obliterated her gathering. No Conservative chief after her has had the option to slow the party’s decrease into a spiteful riffraff. On the off chance that John Major couldn't bump it once again into the standard, William Hague and Iain Duncan Smith fared no better in their endeavors to lead it from the right† (Coxall Robins, 2003). With binds to custom broken along these lines, the gathering had gotten difficult to oversee. Somewhat later in the party’s history, the ascent and fall of William Hague shows the kind of frail administration the gathering has come to be related with as of late. Hague, who demonstrated a ton of guarantee and potential, to oblige his wonderful and affable character, took the Tory party into more profound disarray with his notorious discourse about â€Å"a outside land†, further estranging the gathering from racial minorities inBritain. Coming at a crucial time as it did, the discourse was even denounced by the gatherings own backbenchers. For instance,

Arthur Miller Essay Tragedy And The Common Man Summary Example For Students

Arthur Miller Essay Tragedy And The Common Man Summary Arthur MillerI. Individual life A. conceived in New York City in 1915 and brought up in Harlem 1) the Stock market crash in 1929 radically impacted his creating creative mind II. Education1) very little thought about his educationa. said that he scarcely passed secondary school and didn't get into school that first time he appliedb. got into University of Michigan second time applying c. he went to turn into a writer yet won the Hopwood Prize for his emotional content so chose to expound on dramatization insteadIII. Career1) Early occupation decisions a. recently out of school he chose to work quickly for the Federal Theater Project b. at that point composed two or three radio plays and records of military preparing c. first realized book was Situation Normal 2) Popular booksa. Passing of a Salesman was his first huge hitb. The Crucible was his second large bookPsychology Essays

Today at SIPA Climate Conference Discussion COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Today at SIPA Climate Conference Discussion COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog One of the great parts about a SIPA education is having access to events that focus on issues that are shaping the policy world.   With over 20 different institutes and centers focused on both regional and functional areas of study it is possible to see distinguished policy makers every week on campus.   Today a discussion will take place concerning the upcoming Climate Conference scheduled to take place in Copenhagen. SIPA, the Columbia Law School, and The Center of Energy, Marine Transportation, and Public Policy are sponsoring a panel discussion entitled, The Obama Administration’s Road to Copenhagen: Views from the Trenches. The panelists are: Jody Freeman, Counselor for Energy and Climate Change the White House Lorie Schmidt, Senior Counsel US House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee Taiya Smith, Senior Associate, China Program Carnegie Endowment for Peace Stephen Eule, Vice President, Climate and Technology U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for 21st Century Energy The moderators are: Prof. Albert Bressand, Executive Director, CEMTPP Prof. Michael Gerrard, Director, Center for Climate Change Law

Fallida ley migratoria Alabama HB56, modelo de Trump

La fallida ley HB 56 de Alabama sobre  inmigrantes indocumentados  fue en su dà ­a considerada como la mà ¡s dura de Estados Unidos. Tras la victoria de Trump surgen voces que consideran que deberà ­a ser el modelo migratorio. Por esta razà ³n es importante conocer en quà © consistà ­a esta ley de 2011, comenzando con las partes de la misma que sà ­ son de aplicacià ³n para seguir con quà © partes fueron dejadas sin valor pero que se considera que pueden ser modelo para la administracià ³n Trump. Disposiciones de la ley HB-56 que sà ­ se aplican La policà ­a puede investigar el estado legal de cualquier persona de la que razonablemente sospechen que puede estar en el paà ­s ilegalmente. Es decir, puede exigir que se presenten papeles que demuestren el estado legal de una persona. Es lo que en inglà ©s se denomina stop and ask o show me the papers. Asimismo, la ley reconoce el derecho a demandar a la policà ­a que pida los papeles sin que exista una sospecha razonable sobre el condicià ³n de indocumentada de una persona. Las personas arrestadas mientras se verifica su estatus legal o mientras esperan para ser puestas a disposicià ³n del ICE para su deportacià ³n, cuando ya ha quedado claro su condicià ³n de indocumentadas, no tienen derecho a fianza. Es decir, no se las va a dejar libres mientras se resuelve definitivamente su caso. Provisiones de la ley que no se aplican por decisià ³n de las Cortes federales Por decisià ³n de la Corte de Apelaciones del Circuito 11, no se autoriza a las escuelas pà ºblicas a que verifiquen el estatus legal de los nuevos estudiantes ni tampoco de sus padres. Tambià ©n la Corte de Apelaciones del Circuito 11 suspendià ³Ã‚  la obligacià ³n de toda persona de llevar en todo momento un ID. Y tambià ©n por decisià ³n de la misma corte no puede  aplicarse la provisià ³n de la Ley de Alabama que prohibe las relaciones comerciales en las que una de las partes es un indocumentado. La aplicacià ³n de esta provisià ³n en la prà ¡ctica implicarà ­a que las personas indocumentada no podrà ­an, entre otras actividades, tener una cuenta en un banco o un contrato con la compaà ±Ãƒ ­a suministradora de los servicios de agua o electricidad o un contrato de arrendamiento. Tampoco aplica  la disposicià ³n de la ley que prohibe que las cortes del estado de Alabama obliguen al cumplimiento de los contratos celebrados entre una persona indocumentada y otra que sabe el estatus inmigratorio irregular de la primera. Contexto de la ley Alabama HB-56 Alabama no forma parte de los estados con mayor porcentaje de poblacià ³n extranjera, pero à ©sta es muy reciente ya que la inmigracià ³n ha crecido enormemente en los à ºltimos diez aà ±os. Se estima que viven en Alabama 185,000 hispanos, tanto ciudadanos como residentes legales como indocumentados, principalmente en los condados del norte del estado. En Alabama se considera que el 4,2 por ciento del total de la fuerza laboral no tiene papeles para trabajar y que el 2,5 por ciento del total de la poblacià ³n de ese estado es indocumentada. A pesar de su bajo porcentaje de inmigrantes indocumentados, Alabama ha seguido el ejemplo de otros estados como Arizona al aprobar leyes restrictivas de la inmigracià ³n. La idea de esta ley y otras semejantes es hacer muy difà ­cil el dà ­a a dà ­a para los inmigrantes indocumentados de tal manera que tomen estos la decisià ³n de irse de los Estados Unidos o o que tambià ©n se conoce como self-deportation. Quià ©nes apoyan la HB-56 y quià ©nes la critican Apoyan la ley los partidarios de controlar rà ­gidamente la inmigracià ³n ilegal, entre los que se encuentra el gobernador de Alabama. Entre los que la rechazan destacan no sà ³lo los grupos defensores de los derechos de los inmigrantes sino tambià ©n un importante nà ºmero de organizaciones religiosas. Tambià ©n encontrà ³Ã‚  una importante crà ­tica en el sector de los empresarios agrà ­colas, por las dificultades que pone el sistema legal para contratar a trabajadores extranjeros mediante la visa H-2A para labores de campo. Y es que   no funciona lo bien que debiera como para garantizar que trabajadores legales puedan sustituir a los ilegales. En consecuencia temà ­an que no pudieran realizar todas las labores agrà ­colas, particularmente en à ©poca de cosecha. Por à ºltimo, tambià ©n se ha notado cierta crà ­tica a la ley por parte de distintas fuerzas de seguridad. Las razones son bà ¡sicamente dos: por un lado creen que las nuevas labores incrementarà ¡n notablemente el gasto de sus departamentos. Y, por otro lado, se cree que la disposicià ³n sospecha razonable para poder realizar un stop and ask es ambigua y puede acabar dando lugar a que se presenten demandas contra los agentes de la policà ­a. Dà ³nde pedir ayuda por ahora en caso de abusos en Alabama El Departamento de Justicia del Gobierno federal bajo la administracià ³n Obama ha creado una là ­nea directa para denunciar violaciones de los derechos civiles que se puedan estar cometiendo relacionados con la aplicacià ³n de esta ley. Se puede marcar al 1-855-353-1010 o escribir un correo electrà ³nico a Hb56usdoj.gov y denunciar. La administracià ³n Trump puede varias esta situacià ³n. Quà © hacen otros estados respecto a la inmigracià ³n indocumentada Mientras que lugares como Alabama, Arizona, Carolina del Sur, Georgia y Utah han pasado leyes restrictivas de la inmigracià ³n indocumentada, otros han hecho lo contrario en asuntos que afectan a la salud, estudios universitarios, licencias de manejar, etc. Y es que mientras que la ley migratoria federal es igual en todo Estados Unidos cada estado aprueba medidas que afectan de manera distinta la calidad de vida de los migrantes. Y eso tambià ©n lo que hay que tener en consideracià ³n a la hora de elegir dà ³nde vivir. Hay estados que permiten que tengan licencias de manejar, no colaboran con las autoridades federales a la hora de proporcionar informacià ³n sobre estatus migratorio, han creado ciudades santuario, permiten a los estudiantes indocumentados acceder a matrà ­culas estatales, etc. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Central America S Child Migrants A Humanitarian Crisis

CENTRAL AMERICA’S CHILD MIGRANTS: A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS Policy Position Analysis Chris Prince Policy Evaluation PUP 4003 Dr. Natasha Christie December 9, 2014 Introduction: According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the number of unaccompanied children (UAC’s) apprehended crossing the border into the United States has increased from fewer than 20,000 in 2011 to over 66,000 as of August 2014, with a projected total of 77,200 by the end of the fiscal year (U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 2014). The large majority of UAC’s migrate from Central America, namely El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras (50,303 in total) (USCBP, 2014). The policy response to the recent surge of UAC’s has been inadequate, and highly†¦show more content†¦Failing economies and weak institutions are also to blame; corruption and an inability to enforce the law have left citizens to fend for themselves (UNHCR, 2014). Those most vulnerable, specifically women and children, are targets of extortion, forced gang recruitment, rape, torture, and murder on a regular basis. Yet, many policy makers in the U.S. view the current mass migration as an immigration issue, thusly; the policy debate has centered on border security and enforcement rather than humanitarian need. It is the last resort of desperate parents to send a child on a dangerous overland journey of up to 1,500 miles, often times on foot or freight hopping on deadly trains. To better understand the circumstances that would create such a desperate situation it helps to understand how Central America came to be so violent and poorly governed in the first place. Historical Context: Weak Institutions: Since the late 1800’s, â€Å"Latin America [has been] the incubator for all great United States multinational corporations† (Harvest of Empire, 2012). The domination of the local resources and land, by MNC’s and the maintenance of that domination by the U.S. military effectively captured many Central American states economically and politically. This went on from the 1896 until the end of WWII when U.S. policy shifted, the paradigm became more

The Generation Of Young Professionals - 1375 Words

Our world today is dominated by a fast paced, result driven society. We are surrounded by busy people, full schedules, and an inquiry for the next greatest thing. Millennials, representing the largest generation in America today by accounting for a total of one-third of the total U.S. population, are the rising professionals of society today and, for better or for worse, will soon be the next up and coming leaders in our career fields. However, due to the burst of scientific and technological development that has so rapidly occurred over the past twenty years, this generation of young professionals is distinctly unique from those of the past in the sense that we are more informed, yet less relational. High exposure to instantaneous†¦show more content†¦Cognitive behavioral therapy, a more modern model of therapy that focuses on evidence based results, can be compared to the mindset of many practicing millennials today; yet, there is still something for this generation of pra ctitioners to hold on to from the founding father of the more in-depth and personal, psychoanalytic therapy. Therefore, this essay will serve the purpose of comparing and contrasting the two therapies, cognitive and psychoanalytic, and analyzing their functionality today. The Nature of the Person: Psychoanalytic therapy and cognitive therapy differ distinctly from one another in their view of the nature of the person. Psychoanalytic therapy emphasizes a deterministic view of human nature, meaning that there are many pre-determined factors that result in the occurrence of an event or outcome in the life of the individual. This idea stems from the philosophical idea that every human action or decision is impacted by inevitable external stimuli. It is understandable that this would be the concept of human nature during the era of its founder Freud, who first developed psychoanalytic theory during a time in which science was beginning to question traditional thinking. Scientists like Ernest Rutherford and Neil Bohr recognized that there are physical laws that control the motion of atoms, alluding to a deterministic world in which objects are pre-determined in physical patterns and movement. However, other

Ethical Issues for IT Security Professionals-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the Ethical Issues in ICT. Answer: It professionals, especially those offering security services, have access to private and confidential information about other people and companies and their network and applications. This access gives such individuals the power that can either be used for benefit of others or abused for personal gains or malice. Unfortunately, the field lacks standardized requirements for the specialists. Usually, IT experts are taught technical skills that lack consideration on how their abilities can be used for wrong reasons (Shinder, 2005). Furthermore, it is not mandatory for IT security professionals to join the few existing associations focused on addressing ethical issues in ICT. Regrettably, many IT security professionals lack understanding of the ethical issues concerning their careers. On the contrary, the experts make many decisions in their line of duty that result in critical ethical concerns. IT firms and security experts have raised concerns about the security of company and individual data in computer environments in the wake of increased hacking and virus attacks that have led to huge loss of money and destruction of brand reputation. In effect, firms have become very afraid of the trend and business owners are willing to do anything to secure their information assets. As such, security experts can play on customers fear to exploit them by making them spend more money on security tools than they ought to pay (Ahmed, 2015). Marking up software got for a customer when passing the cost through can become unethical when the IT specialist puts an extremely and an unjustifiable price on a product. Further, accepting kickbacks from manufacturers might be unethical since an IT security professional can convince clients to purchase low-quality solutions for them to receive commissions. Business transactions in all fields should not overstep on crucial values such as transparency and honesty. As such, pricing ethics should establish a balance between an IT professional and the customer. Unfortunately, few authorities control pricing practices since. Further, pricing legality and ethics are not regulated and they flow freely between right and wrong. However, IT professionals and providers should practice some pricing measures that can be considered ethical. One first strategy that IT security experts should avoid to achieve an ethical price model includes price fixing involving service providers only without consumer representatives. Instead, price fixing agreement should bring together the product manufacturer, IT specialist, and consumers to set a justifiable price for a good or service. For instance, IT professionals can agree on a fixed hourly rate together with clients. Competition between the experts can only drive the prices down but not higher than the agreed one. At this point, associations should regulate competitors (IT security professionals) to prevent them from collaborating to increase base prices to manipulate fickle clients. Another loophole that IT experts should avoid is favoritism based on rigging a bid. This case involves promising clients that they will get a reliable solution based on their requirements, yet the professional knows that the product will be purchased from a manufacturer based on commissions and kickbacks offered and not the capabilities of that solution. This unethical behavior hurts the client and the best producer may never sell their products since they are not offering good commissions. Professionals should overcome this unethical challenge by offering information on all existing solutions (manufacturers) and giving the client the freedom to select their choice. IT security professionals should ensure that they source product from the manufacturer selected by the consumer without favoritism caused by favoritism, kickbacks, or shareholding power. This process should be transparent and honest to ensure that all parties benefit in and to avoid conflicts the future. Additionally, professionals should avoid price discrimination that involves selling solutions at different prices based on the consumer (Merler, 2017). As mentioned earlier, customers might be willing to spend more than expected out of fear of an attack on their confidential data. In effect, a professional can end up quoting only highly-priced solutions even in cases where the problem can be solved efficiently using a cheaper product or service. Moreover, the IT personnel might overprice a cheap solution to a customer willing to pay for it. Price discrimination is an unethical behavior that professionals should avoid to prevent future backlash. Finally, a client can place a higher value than the cost of developing a product. In effect, a manufacturer or an IT professional might find it justifiable to accept the exaggerated offer and matching it with non-existing value or the solution. For instance, highly-skilled experts and IT products with a limited supply can end up being demanded by more consumers at higher prices than what the vendor was looking for. In such cases, manufacturers and professional should not ask for exorbitant prices that extremely exceed the cost of producing that item. Ultimately, IT manufacturers and personnel should avoid offering services and products at unethical prices. It is always advisable to set pricing by considering all stakeholders, including the customer. ICT is not about quick business. The field benefits more from healthy relationships between suppliers and consumers. As such, stakeholders should ensure they adopt sustainable practices to avoid brand and other business disasters in the future. References Ahmed, M. (2015). Ethical issues for IT security professionals. LinkedIn. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ethical-issues-security-professionals-mostafa-ahmed Merler, S. (2017). Big data and first-degree price discrimination. Bruegel. Retrieved from https://bruegel.org/2017/02/big-data-and-first-degree-price-discrimination/ Shinder, D. (2005). Ethical issues for IT security professionals. Computerworld. Retrieved from https://www.computerworld.com/article/2557944/security0/ethical-issues-for-it-security-professionals.html Top of Form Bottom of Form

Keyword Research for WordPress Why It Matters and How to Do It

Succeeding online is not easy. But its a lot easier if your content ranks highly in search engines like Google, right? But to accomplish that, you need to optimize your site. To do that, performing keyword research for WordPress is one of the best ways you can improve your content and get it in front of more readers.Performing keyword research for WordPress helps you with understanding your audience and comprehending the psychology behind peoples actions. In this article, we will talk about how to rank higher in Google results pages by doing keyword research correctly. Backlinks and site authority are also a must if you want to actually rank for your target keywords, but this should be only your next concern after youre done with the keyword planning.While there are certainly other search engines, most keyword research for WordPress focuses on Google because Google powers over 76% of all global desktop search traffic and over 94% of the mobile/tablet searches.Why do keyword research for WordPress?Well, here it depends on what you want to achieve with your site. One thing is clear: if you want to monetize it, you should consider SEO as the main driving force of web content. Especially if you want to sell products and services online or you simply want to grow a publishing platform.Why?81% of shoppers conduct online research before making big purchases.Today, Google handles more than 100 billion searches every month.There are around 60,000 Google searches every second.86% of consumers stated that using a search engine allowed them to learn something new or important that helped them increase their knowledge.60% of all organic clicks go to the top 3 organic search results.These stats definitely speak for themselves. So having an optimized page would help you rank higher and get more traffic no matter what kind of conversions youre seeking sales, downloads, email subscription, social shares, etc.Long story short, keyword research for WordPress helps you get ranked by Google, thus to exist online. As a bonus, you get to know your audience/customers better by learning their thinking. Also, by seeing and monitoring what people search for, you can understand their needs better and then adjust your services based on that.How to perform  keyword research for WordPressOne of the most popular  tools in this regard is Google Keyword Planner. If you guide it well, the tool will return the most searched keywords  by using many filters. And its totally free. Heres how:Sign up for Google AdWords to get startedThe first thing you need to do is to sign in to Google AdWords. If you dont have an account already, its very easy to create one. Before starting, you have to give the tool a few pieces of information about your products, the area you want to sell in, the language youre targeting, negative keywords, date range, price range etc.Once you get through that, choose Search for new keywords using a phrase, website or category and fill out the form.To get an overall look at the most searched phrases in your niche, you can just start with one simple keyword and then make refinements later on:Following the example above, these are the top searches for old books:As you can notice, Google Keyword Planner displays the competition for each entry, which indicates how many people have bid for that specific keyword in Google AdWords (not necessarily the competition for search engine optimization).The nice thing about this tool is that it doesnt display only entries containing the words you try to get keyword suggestions for, but also all the top related searches in the same field. That is, if you look for old books, the tool will also display vintage books, used books etc.Think about competition when performing keyword researchThe competition column indicates how  many people are targeting the keyword in their Google AdWords campaigns. So, the competition consists of the number of advertisers who use the keyword in their business ads. Of course, you may not want to use the keywords for an ad, but knowing their value, you can estimate their popularity and their conversion rate.Hint! The competition and the monthly searches are not the same thing. A keyword can have lots of searches and yet a low competition or vice versa. Lets take book as an example. Everybody will use this term, but its not very specific and very few people will ever convert by using the keyword book, without any additional information. Thats why fewer people will bid for book. Cheap book, instead, will always suggest that there are customers who intend to buy your books.Sometimes, youll even get a specific keyword with a large number of searches and low competition. Which could be to your benefit. Why? Because people seem to be interested in it and you dont have many opponents to compete against. So, at times, targeting a keyword with low competition will help you very much. This advice fits more publishers who just need page views and not thos e who seek conversions (sales). Usually, the keywords with the highest competition are the ones that convert the most.How to refine your keyword researchIn the sidebar placed to the left of the keywords list, you can make the desired adjustments and add some filters to make the search even more relevant:If youre selling only in your country, then youre not interested in what people from other countries search for. Therefore, dont forget to select the country and the language youre targeting. You can also select if you want to extend the search to other search engines.In Negative Keywords, you should add words that are not relevant to your product/service and might mislead your customers. If youre ranking for an irrelevant keyword, your conversion rate will drop down and the bounce rate will increase.In the date range, select the time intervals youre interested in (you might want to know only the searches made in the last month). In keyword filters, you have some options to improve t he results and you can also add new keywords you want to get ideas for.Other places to perform  keyword research for WordPressWhile the Google AdWords tool is a good starting place because its free, its lost some of its value because Google made the decision to only show a range of values in the  Avg. monthly searches column.If youd like a more exact number, as well as some assessment of how easy it is to rank your website for that keyword in Google, here are some other helpful tools:KWFinder free for up to 3 searches per dayMoz Keyword Explorer   free for up to 2 searches per dayHow and where to add keywords to your WordPress siteNow that you have the right keywords, whats the next step? Where should you add them or how can you use them to improve your SEO? Well, the keywords must be scattered through all your sites content, be it pages, blog posts, tagline, categories, headings, URLs etc. On each of these pages, its recommended to choose one focus keyword and add it multipl e times (stay within reason, though!).Google looks into every web corner in its attempt to localize and count the keywords a user searched for. As a rough  rule, the more it finds relevant keywords within your content, the better it understands what your site is about and will display it in the results page accordingly.How to add keywords to your site overallStart with adding your strongest keyword in your sites Title and Tagline (only if it fits; its not mandatory). You can do this by going to Settings → General.  If you have a rich menu, you can sneak the keyword as a category in Appearance → Menus, too:If your WordPress theme comes with a header/slider, you can add a related sentence there too. Just look into your themes settings and customize the header. Do the same if you have a sub-header. Furthermore, make sure the page headings contain keywords as well.Every image you add to your site should have descriptive alternative text. Dont leave those spaces empty b ecause youll miss one more opportunity to place your keywords on your WordPress site.How to add keywords to posts and pagesBeyond your main pages, youll also want to perform at least a little bit of keyword research for every single post that you write.Once you know the keywords that you want to optimize your post for, using  a WordPress SEO plugin  is a great way to help you optimize your post. Try to use your targeted keyword at least once at the beginning of your post, and then try to fit it in several more times if you can do so naturally.As you become more acquainted with SEO, you can even implement an SEO-friendly content structure based on your keyword research for WordPress.Taking keyword research for WordPress a little further LSI and LDABefore adding keywords to your site, keep in mind that they have to fit the content. Otherwise, you are at risk to sound weird, unprofessional, unnatural, and people might not take you seriously. No matter what youre trying to target, it can be done without sabotaging your business. Keywords are not the only thing you need for SEO, trust is also vital.Heres where Google gets smarter than just tracking exact keywords.LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) is a mathematic method created to make natural (human) connections between terms and concepts. This way, related words and synonyms are taken into consideration. If you use words semantically/lexically connected with the keyword, Google will label your site as relevant to the original meaning.For instance, your keyword is second-hand laptops. You can sneak in your content alternatives like used laptop(s), small prices, major discounts, very cheap laptop etc. and Google will understand what this is about.LDA (Latent Dirichlet Allocation) is a topic modeling tool according to which a document (in this case, your site) is a combination of a few different topics, each topic covering a small set of words repeatedly, which Google can recognize and categorize easily.For instanc e, if the search query is piano, using descriptions with words from its lexical family such as notes, keys, hands, music(al), instrument might help you and Google mark your site as relevant. So, describe your product or service with as many characteristic words as you can, it will bring you extra points with the search engines.ConclusionBasic SEO is not hard to do. It requires training just like any other technique, after all. It comes in many steps and it can get pretty complex at times, but the most important step to start with is keyword research. If you manage to target the right keywords and add them to your site wherever theyre needed, you can then start to focus on building authority and trust.And you can only do that by delivering honest services and creating trustworthy content. Use your keywords, but try to stay true and objective at the same time. People are rarely impressed by sales-y, commercial, and incoherent website presentation. Keyword research for #WordPress is es sential. Here's how to do it

Short Story and Dance Pianist Essays

Short Story and Dance Pianist Essays Short Story and Dance Pianist Paper Short Story and Dance Pianist Paper Status in Two Chekhov Stories In the introduction to our edition of Chekhovs short stories, by George Pahomov, it is stated that Chekhovs fiction â€Å"captured the burgeoning Russian democracy† and that â€Å"in Chekhovs democratic world view, no one was excluded† (vii-viii). We see these ideals being put forward in the two stories by Chekhov that we will discuss in this paper. In these two stories, â€Å"The Resurrection† and â€Å"The Dance Pianist,† we can see how Chekhov depicts a world where the authors own democratic ideals may be in mind, but which is in reality still very much based on the old-fashioned concepts of status and rank. We will see that both of these stories center around the concept of social status, especially in the way that different types of people react to a sudden change in the social status of one particular character in each story. What these two stories have in common is that in both cases, the central character is the one suffering the sudden change in status, and having to tell the reader about it afterward. â€Å"The Confession† is an early story of Chekhovs which deals with an unnamed, first-person narrator who tells the reader the story of how, one day, he received a small promotion at his work along with a small raise. He goes on to describe how this seemingly minor change in his life caused him to experience a sudden and unexpectedly intense shift in the way he was treated by people around him, who already had known him for almost his whole life. Not only does this sudden promotion change the way others treat him, it also shifts the way he perceives himself, leading him to take dangerous risks that will result in a disaster for himself. At the beginning of â€Å"The Confession,† the narrator explains that â€Å"I was rejoicing over the promotion and the slight increase in salary, nothing more† (Chekhov 1). And yet, he also realizes immediately that â€Å"all at once people appeared to have changed† in his mind. Even one of his superiors, Kazusov, who he used to consider an arrogant ogre, starts acting friendly to him and invites him to his house (pp. 1-2). The narrators mother and father start spending extravagantly, buying better food and clothes even though he warns them that he is really not making much more money: â€Å"you know, my salary wasn’t doubled. The increase was trifling,† he tells them (p. 2). These early events give us the hint that others may be exploiting the man for their own ends, and this point will be important at the end. A hint of trouble comes fairly quickly in this very short story. Here, the narrator explains that the demands on him for money from his friends and family, and for his sudden wedding, have led him to take money from his workplace, even though he attempts to justify it in his mind: â€Å"Why not take it, when you know you are going to put it back as soon as you receive your salary? (Chekhov 3). Unfortunately, he never actually does return the money and is caught almost immediately, bringing disaster upon himself. Suddenly, no one wants anything to do with him anymore, and even his newfound friends abandon him: â€Å"Yesterday I was respected and honored on all sides; today I am a scoundrel and a thief† (p. 4). The point of this story is to realize that it is not about the making of a thief, or how a man turns dishonest due to outward demand s on him. Rather, the point is clearly about how others perceive ones sudden change of status almost immediately, and will try to use it for their own benefit. The mans friends and family have not turned away from him because they are so honest themselves, since they benefited from his generosity and even encouraged him to spend beyond his means. It is simply his sudden downturn in social status, the opposite of his sudden rise in status at the beginning of the story. The second story also deals directly with a sudden shift in a characters status is â€Å"The Dance Pianist. † Like to â€Å"The Confession,† this story also centers around a single character, who tells the story of an event that has just taken place in his life. Unlike the first story, however, the character in this story has a name, Pyotr Rublyov. Also in contrast to the first story, he is telling the story not to the readers directly, but to another character, his roommate who is the first person narrator of the story. A third contrast between â€Å"The Dance Pianist† and â€Å"The Confession† is that in the present story the status change is really a change in other characters perception of the main characters status, rather than an actual shift in his status. In â€Å"The Dance Pianist,† the point is centered on a man who is mistaken for someone of more importance than he really is, and how society tends to treat people very differently based on perception of status. At the beginning of â€Å"The Dance Pianist,† our main character, Pyotr, a â€Å"former student,† comes bursting into his room late one night and after some prodding by his roommate tells his story of that evening. He had been working as a paid pianist for society people at an aristocratic party, and says that he was kicked out for something that he will soon describe in detail (Chekhov 47). He complains about the poor way that he is treated by society people, which lays out the foundation for what is to follow: â€Å"And what am I, after all? A piano player, a domestic, a waiter that knows how to play the piano. In the homes of merchants I’m addressed as an inferior, given a tip, and – no offense intended† (p. 48). He explains that a young woman at the party began speaking to him casually, and he soon realizes (due to an overheard conversation) that she has mistaken him for an invited guest of the party, not just a hired piano player. Pyotr goes on playing the piano, trying to forget the incident, but it keeps bugging him throughout the night: â€Å"I commenced thinking what rubbish I had turned out to be; that after traveling two thousand versts to reach Moscow, in the hope of becoming a concert pianist or a composer, I now find myself a dance pianist† (Chekhov 50). Pyotr seems to feel bad for his roommate, a struggling writer, as well. Finally the point of the story occurs to him, and he explains it to his roommate, neatly summing up the lesson to be learned: What is it in the Russian character, I wondered, that makes it possible, as long as you are free, a student, or loafing around without a job, to drink with a man, slap him on the belly, flirt with his daughter; but as soon as you are in even a slightly subordinate relation to him, the shoemaker must stick to this last! Chekhov 51) As a result of this sudden realization, he finds that he cant hold his embarrassment and shame inside any more, and gets thrown out of the party for losing his composure. The clear message we can obtain from this long anecdote is that something as simple as a change in other peoples perception of ones status is enough to greatly influence the type of relationships that are possible or permissible for one. As we can again read from the introduction, we find an example of the sort of situation where â€Å"human relationships then become vertical, subject to object† (xi-xii). In both of these Chekhov stories, the author has clearly set forward the reality of social status in the Russia of his own time, but he has also stated something universal about human relationships. We can see in both stories the sometimes disastrous effects that can result from either a real change in social status (as in â€Å"The Confession†) or even a perceived or mistaken one (as in â€Å"The Dance Pianist†). Although Chekhov himself may have held democratic ideals (as mentioned at the beginning of this paper), in these stories he is able to describe the reality of a society in which status roles and social position are of high importance, and which imposes serious consequences for violations. Chekhov, Anton. â€Å"The Confession. † In Anton Chekhov: Selected Stories, pp. 1-4. New York: Signet Classics 1960. . â€Å"The Dance Pianist. † In Anton Chekhov: Selected Stories, pp. 46-52. New York: Signet Classics 1960.

With reference to current research and your own experience, consider Essay

With reference to current research and your own experience, consider importance of children's essesntial needs to a school's behaviour management policy - Essay Example Good practice within schooling comprises of a great deal with doing elementary basics for the students so that their basis is made stronger and that they do not have issues which are of the most basic nature. Their nurture must be done in a way that their personalities mold in a positive manner and that optimism should reign supreme. It is usually the responsibility of the parents and teachers to make sure that the good practice is embedded within the personalities of the students, and that there are absolutely no glitches in the make-up of their work domains when they grow up within the future (Noell 2002). Hence good practice is deemed as very pivotal towards schooling of students, the grooming and other realms. More than anything else, good practice comes about with an effort to turn desires into realities, on the part of the school authorities through school behavior management policies. As far as the identification of threats towards normal development of students is concerned, there are aplenty. These suggest that normal development can be marred if there is disconnect between the school’s behavior management domains and the students for a long amount of time. Perhaps the curriculum taught to them is not in line with the requirements that the students have at that particular stage within their lives. There are a number of other threats as well, all of which can bring about trouble for the students and their future aspirations (Shuttleworth 2003). These include the basis of interruption that the students might have within their lives as well as the modern sources of entertainment which take away the attention of the students every now and then. The threats come in large numbers as fun and frolic seems to be a much happening thing as compared to the curriculum and books that these students read. Now it is the responsibility of the schools to make sure that

Liberal Democratic Tradition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Liberal Democratic Tradition - Essay Example From these principles, other elements of freedom include individualism, egalitarianism, universalism and meliorism. The presentation was positioned in the minds of the people that it gives a detailed point of liberation. Liberalism is being steered by certain themes such as not allowing the government to take control of people’s life (Buchanan 2008). A good number of Liberals believe that one is entitled to his/her opinions and thoughts. A rebel will agree with a woman who wants to abort. Liberals have support for every woman who is deemed free to choose what is good or bad for her. When it comes to love issues, most Liberals are not bothered with same-sex marriage. Liberals in America believe that every gay or straight is entitled to choose whom to love and marry. There is no boundary when it comes to the issues of the heart. It is clear for every liberal that everyone in society is free to believe in his or her religion. Individuals can believe in what their religion prescribes them to do (Mower, 2012). One can decide to worship throughout the week or even once per week depending on how they want it. If once decides to follow no religion its right for him/her. Religion should be kept private among individuals and that prayer should not interrupt other people (Barry 2009). Liberals believe that whether rich or poor everyone is subjected to equality. Economic conditions should not favor the privileged members of the society. Every member of the community is subjected to equal rights, Resources should be distributed amongst people equally without discrimination of age, race and gender. While individualism is a valid element egalitarianism, meliorism are primary fundamentals of liberalism. As promoted by classical liberalism, egalitarianism defines the equal opportunity everyone is entitled to. This will also comprise legal and political equality. Experts in the

Unions And The Hotel Industry Management Essay

Unions And The Hotel Industry Management Essay While trade unions have been a significant factor for workers in the United States, beginning in the late 18th century and peaking in 1945 when 35 percent of the non-agricultural workforce was unionized, it is no secret that the membership of trade unions in the private sector has significantly been declining. The reason for decline may be the globalization of products, completion with overseas competition with overseas manufacturers causing a decline in sales; and work may be. Several studies point to compositional changes in the U.S. labor force in terms of demographic, industrial, or occupational factors (Bronfenbrenner, 2005). In addition, the cost of union workers have also become so expensive that it may be difficult for some industries to compete. Recently both Chrysler and General Motors went through bankruptcies primarily to regain the ability to compete by disavowing union contracts which impose specific wages and benefits that the company said they could no longer afford. While the service/hospitality industry in the past was a weak section of the union movement, it is now seen a ripe target for the unions to increase their membership (Source.. BLS). Given the low wages, poor job security, lack of trust of corporations and managers, and for many English not being their first language (which often increases the fear of asking for something), it was only a matter of time that hotel workers would embrace the idea and welcome someone coming in and saying they can make their life better with increased, wages, benefits and working conditions. It should be noted that even with the decline of numbers, unions are still an influential force. (Silverman, Jacob. how Labor Unions Work. June 2007. How Stuff Works.http://money.how stuff works.com/labor.union.htm June 26 2010 and it hopes to be an influential force within the hospitality industry. John Wilhelms said What workers in this industry need, what the country needs is a permanent campaign to do in the service sector what we did in the manufacturing 70 years ago: transform low-wage work into decent jobs that give people the opportunity to make it into the middle class. (Source). With all this being said the large percentage of hotel workers are not union members yet. In fact approximately 8% of hospitality workers are union members. However, with the new CARD CHECK, and the feeling of powerlessness in their employment, time is coming. But the question is why? Every hotelier knows that people are our business and people are our greatest resource to profits, yet many in the hospitality industry have forgotten about their prime asset, their workers This paper reviews certain key human relations practices at leading luxury hotel companies and the goals and methods of the leading trade union representing hotel and hospitality workers in the United States and Canada. The purpose is to assess whether the HR practices employed by leading luxury hotel companies are compatible with the goals and methods of the leading hospitality union. In this paper we will look at the unions within the hospitality industry, goals of the employees and the methods the leading trade union representing hotel and hospitality workers in the United States are using. We will also look at leading luxury hotel companies, some of which have been named in the top 100 companies to work, and assess whether the HR practices employed by leading luxury hotel companies are compatible with the goals and methods of the leading hospitality union. (Fortune). The objective herein is to assess whether the human resource practices employed by these hotels are compatible with those of the unions is to provide an understanding of unions within the hospitality industry as well as to assess whether these leading luxury hotels human resource practices are compatible with the goals of the unions. The questions are: a) with good human resource practices do we need unions and b) if unions are here to stay, can we work as partners with benefit to both industries. To achieve these goals, this paper will first provide a short history of unions which will include the methods of which they are presently using to increase membership of the hotel workers. We will look at the specific goals of the employees and how it relates to unions within the industry; how lack of attaining these goals may be impacting the industry. The luxury hotels we focus on are Marriott and the Four Seasons. Review of Union History Unions in the United States date back to the 18th century, with its first strike by the printers in New York City, in 1794. The issues then were not much different from today; a shorter work week and an increase in wages. The idea of coming to together to achieve a common goal was began to take hold in the 1800s. Workers as a Federation were seeking shorter work hours, from a 12 to 10 hour work week. In the beginning of the 20th century the union membership rose to 6.78 percent of workers to 13.24 percent in 1936. In 1945, shortly after World War II and a booming economy, the unions reached their peak with 35% of the industrial and manufacturing work force becoming members. Even the great hotels in large American Cities were unionized at that time. (Summer 2006). Unions and the Hotel Industry While during the peak of the labor movement, great hotels in American Cities were unionized, today approximately 8% of hotel workers belong to a union. Even considering the general decline in union members, the gap is quite significant. What happened? Characteristically hotel workers are low paid, work for tips, and due to large turnover they are not around long enough to be in a bargaining position throughout their career. Considering that at that time they did not fit the conventional union pattern, unions went on to the automotive, industrial, and manufacturing sectors. However, with the outsourcing of materials, competitive products from overseas and loss of dominance from many of the manufacturing and industrial industries, these industries are not as prominent as they once were. It appears that what once caused the service industry to be neglected by unions, now may be become their holy grail (Sherwyn, Eigen and Wagner, 2006à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.The Hotel Industrys Summer of 2006) UN ITE AND HERE joined forces to become UNITE HERE in 2004 and are putting 50% of their national budget to organize the non organized as that is their goal and main focus. ((Sherwyn, Eigen and Wagner, 2006à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.The Hotel Industrys Summer of 2006) UNITEs John Wilhelms said What workers in this industry need, what the country needs is a permanent campaign to do in the service sector what we did in the manufacturing 70 years ago: transform low-wage work into decent jobs that give people the opportunity to make it into the middle class. (Source). Why do the workers of the hospitality industry want to organize? Everyone wants their fair share of the pie and power comes with numbers. What they want is improved wages, better working hours, better working condition, benefits and job security. It is interesting to note that while the hospitality membership is growing in the United States, Great Britain still has difficulty unionizing this group. The reasons are similar, low pay, low j ob security, high labor turnover and arbitrary management. Current interviews with managers in Scotland concurred early studies that there is tension by the managers as well as reluctance to accept a need for union for union representation. In fact they believe that unions are irrelevant. What do hotel workers want that they feel the unions can get for them? What do they want and what goals does the Union have for them? Better Wages, job security, safe environment to work and respect. Since the 1980s the hotel industry has been steadily growing. Even with the glitch after 9/11, the industry is growing, yet the salaries of hotel workers are not keeping up. The median salary of most hotel workers like, housekeepers, doormen, servers, bell hops have not kept up with the median salary of the average U.S. worker. (This of course is without tips). Moreover, the gap between the high earner and low earner in this industry has grown wider and wider, creating more anger and distrust towards management. Back in 2000, for hotel service workers, the median wage was $8.62 per hour, $3.41 per hour below the overall median hourly wage of $12.03 (These wages may not include tips for such workers as waiters and waitresses, bartenders, and bellhops.) The wage gap between high- and low-wage hotel workers has grown during the last two decades. In 1979, high-wage hotel workers earned 240 percent of what their low-wage counterparts earned and in 2000, 325 percent of what their low wage counterpart workers earned. Moreover, the disparity between high and low wage earners was larger in the hospitality industry that in several others even if the overall wage levels are similar, including meatpacking, nursing homes, building services, laundry services, department stores, grocery stores, and child care. (Bureau of Statistics) Even more disparaging are the non-supervisory hotel employees salary with the CEOs of a number of chains these people work for. For example, the Hyatt CEO earns 3,670,913 per year which calculates to $1,835.46 per hour; Starwoods ($ 8,240,034 per year/ $4,120.02 per hour); Marriott ($4,280,311 per year/$2,140.16 per hour) and Wyndham ($6,095,801/ $3,047.90 per hour. Source: Proxy Statements for annual meetings filed with US Securities and Exchange Commission available at: www.sec.gov With regards to a safe environment; blue collar and service workers have a higher risk of injury, work related injuries and exposure to chemicals. (Public Health Reports/September 2007/Volume 122 670-679). Without a union, many service workers may never get the opportunity to express their concerns and needs regarding their job related health issues. However, with the union behind the worker, a 40 year old immigrant from Aguascalientes, Mexico was able to do just that. As part of a campaign to raise awareness regarding health perils in the hotel housekeeping, she will be able to improve her workplace environment and will not have to trade their health for any wage. Housekeepers have a high rate of pain with some having to take pain pills before going to work. In addition the rate of injury among housekeepers is almost twice as much as other service workers. Because this worker is in a unionized hotel, she can now seek medical health, where others working in a non unionized environmen t have no insurance, thus impeding their ability to obtain care. Opportunities to improve the health of a worker is a benefit to not only management but to the public as well. This was further demonstrated in a study reported by in Public Health Reports. (Public Health Reports/ September October 2007. Even though every employer has to follow the Occupational Safety Health Act, the environment can sometimes be unsafe and unhealthy; such has cleaning materials and second hand smoke. Union Contract Provisions Reviewing the union contract between Sunstone Hotel Properties, Inc. and UNITE HERE Local 21 of Rochester, Minnesota for the period September 5, 2005 through August 31, 2010, a number of the hotel workers goals were addressed with standard provisions concerning wages, overtime, benefits, seniority, termination only for cause, and grievance procedures. In addition, there are some provisions which reflect the unique nature of hotel operations. A Guest Service addendum states that premiere guest service is essential to the success of the hotel and provides progressive discipline up to discharge for poor, rude or discourteous guest service. This addendum also requires the hotel to train the employees in providing premiere guest service and allows termination of employees who fail the course or tests concerning the hotels service standards. ( Conflicts with between union and employer Successful luxury hotels such as Four Seasons and Marriott know that their employees are their greatest asset. They seek to embrace their employees into their family and have a culture of caring, open communication, fair resolution of disputes, innovative staffing initiatives and supportive management. Unions also consider the employees as their asset and seek to insinuate into the relationship and communication process between the employer and the employee and tend to stifle creative problem solving by the formal grievance procedure and the desire for uniformity. Creative staffing is also more difficult due to the union work rules. The hotels want to embrace their employees into their corporate culture and family. The union seeks to have the employees consider the union as their family and necessary to protect them from the employer. Some hotels have more difficult labor relations than others. In its 2009 initial public offering prospectus, Hyatt Corporation identified one of the major risk factors of its business as, Negotiations of collective bargaining agreements, or changes in labor legislation, could disrupt our operations, increase our labor costs or interfere with the ability of our management to focus on executing our business strategies. Hyatt is now the subject of a nationwide boycott due to the firing of 100 housekeepers in Boston after replacing them with minimum wage temporary workers. Resource Functions and Unions Impact A review of the literature notes via surveys, conferences, that human resource issues remain the most frequently noted area of concern. Much of the literature suggests that human resources is the central area of concern. Among a number of the issues within this area are retention and job satisfaction. According to one survey conducted in 2008, hotel managers. What one or two problems or concerns are most troubling to you as a manager? A total of 243 individuals from over sixty countries participated and the most frequently identified area of concern is human resources issues, such as attraction, retention, training and development of the industrys workforce Human resources are key to grown the overwhelming sentiment, similar to a paper written seven years earlier. (March 2009; Cornell Hospitality Report) A major human resource concern in the hospitality industry is the large turnover. Every time an employee leaves there are costs connected to new training, loss of productivity and loss of knowledge (Tracey Hinki 20606). With this in mind it would only behoove the companys to provide an exit interview to find out where the problem lies. (Tracey Hinkin, 2008) In another study indicated that while job satisfaction, extrinsic rewards, constituent attachments, organizational commitment and organizational prestige were the most frequently mentioned . However, what it is noteworthy is that those employees who were non hourly and high perormers were more likely to endorse advancement opportunities and prestige as reasons for remaining with the firm. On the other hand, low performers and hourly employees were more likely to choose extrinsic rewards as the reason or staying. With regards to unions and its impact on retention, non union personnel were more likely to leave if they were not satisfied, while union employees may indicate poor satisfaction but with no intent to leave. This indicates that the voice given to employees by the union was significant (Friedman, etal 2007) People are our most important commodity. Steven Porter, urged accountability from HR and senior leadership on people-related issues..Its not the bricks and morter. Its not the creativity. Its the people He also basically told more than 600 people that if this industry does not pay well we should at least do a better job of respecting individuals, engaging the heart of employees and expanding their horizons. On partnering with Unions interests are much great stated Christopher T. Chee, managing director of an equity firm that invests heavily in the hotel industry and further stated that partnership with unions is more productive than not. labor is a huge issue in hotels President of UNITE-HERE said both employers and unions will be losers unless they join together to create good public policy. And the (Human Resource Executive Online-Story:2010) Our employees are our most important commodity, satisfied employees..satisfied customers result is increased revenue. People are our most important resource If we are in the people business, shouldnt we know how to make our own employees satisfied and committed; do we need unions for this? Conclusion To provide superb customer service luxury hotels must motivate their employees to give more than the minimum level of effort to their jobs. They must build a culture where each employee is motivated to provide an extra level of effort. Although unions are seeking the best for their members the union culture with its us versus them confrontational style is not designed to encourage the level of engagement need by luxury hotels. If a hotel is focused on the employees well being, open communication, and a general sense of care and really direct their energy on taking care of their employees first, then the entire purpose of the union would cease to exist.  Not every hotel is willing or able to provide employees with the types of benefits and environment that will increase employee job satisfaction and retention.  This may due to competitive reasons or the desire to generate superior economic returns for the owners and management.   The unions may be able to help the employees of s uch ventures.  Ã‚  They will not be successful at luxury hotels with progressive employee relations models.

Essay --

INT. CLASS ROOM 303 EXT. ALFRED NEW YORK - AFTERNOON ENTER FRAME, DANIEL STANDs BY A WHITE BOARD POINTING TO THE LIGHT POSITIONS, EACH TURNING ON AS HE POINTS TO IT. A VOICE OVER IS HEARD. VOICEOVER HELLO EVERYONE, THIS VIDEO WILL HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE BASICS OF PRODUCTION WITH US TODAY WE HAVE DANIEL. HI DANIEL THE THREE COMPONENTS TO 3 POINT LIGHTING ARE... YOUR KEY LIGHT; WHICH IS THE MAIN ILLUMINATOR IN THE SCENE AND CAUSE THE STRONGEST SHADOWS... NEXT IS YOUR FILL LIGHT, THE FILL LIGHT IS FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDE AND IS USUALLY A LITTLE LOWER, ITS MAIN PURPOSE IS TO ILLUMINATE THE DARKER SHADOWS CASTED FROM THE KEY LIGHT... LASTLY IS THE BACKLIGHT, THE BACKLIGHT HIGH LIGHTS THE CONTOURS OF THE SUBJECT AND GIVES A SENCE OF DEPTH. CUT TO: TWO X MARKS ARE PLACED ON THE FLOOR SIGNIFYING WERE DANIEL AND RANDY WILL WALK TO. AFTER ARIVEING AT THERE DESIGNATED SPOT THE TWO WILL LOOK TO BE HAVING A CONVERSATION AS A VOICE OVER IS USED. VOICEOVER NOW WE WILL TALK ABOUT BLOCKING BLOCKING IS THE PLAN OF ACTION MADE BY THE DIRECTOR FOR WHICH THE ACTORS WILL FOLLOW AS CAN BE SEEN, THE "X" ... Essay -- INT. CLASS ROOM 303 EXT. ALFRED NEW YORK - AFTERNOON ENTER FRAME, DANIEL STANDs BY A WHITE BOARD POINTING TO THE LIGHT POSITIONS, EACH TURNING ON AS HE POINTS TO IT. A VOICE OVER IS HEARD. VOICEOVER HELLO EVERYONE, THIS VIDEO WILL HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE BASICS OF PRODUCTION WITH US TODAY WE HAVE DANIEL. HI DANIEL THE THREE COMPONENTS TO 3 POINT LIGHTING ARE... YOUR KEY LIGHT; WHICH IS THE MAIN ILLUMINATOR IN THE SCENE AND CAUSE THE STRONGEST SHADOWS... NEXT IS YOUR FILL LIGHT, THE FILL LIGHT IS FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDE AND IS USUALLY A LITTLE LOWER, ITS MAIN PURPOSE IS TO ILLUMINATE THE DARKER SHADOWS CASTED FROM THE KEY LIGHT... LASTLY IS THE BACKLIGHT, THE BACKLIGHT HIGH LIGHTS THE CONTOURS OF THE SUBJECT AND GIVES A SENCE OF DEPTH. CUT TO: TWO X MARKS ARE PLACED ON THE FLOOR SIGNIFYING WERE DANIEL AND RANDY WILL WALK TO. AFTER ARIVEING AT THERE DESIGNATED SPOT THE TWO WILL LOOK TO BE HAVING A CONVERSATION AS A VOICE OVER IS USED. VOICEOVER NOW WE WILL TALK ABOUT BLOCKING BLOCKING IS THE PLAN OF ACTION MADE BY THE DIRECTOR FOR WHICH THE ACTORS WILL FOLLOW AS CAN BE SEEN, THE "X" ...

An Evaluation on Factors That Influence the Choice of a Mobile Telecommunications Service Provider

TITLE:AN EVALUATION ON FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE CHOICE OF A MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICE PROVIDER TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Executive Summary3 2. Background4 2. 1Purpose of study5 2. 2Significance of study5 2. 3Research Objectives5 2. 4Research Questions6 3. Methodology7 3. 1Method of Research7 3. 2Types of Research7 3. 3Population7 3. 4Sampling7 4. Sources of data collection8 4. 1Secondary Data8 4. 2Primary Data8 5. Data collection tools8 5. 1Questionnaire8 5. 2Validity and Reliability9 6. Data Analysis10 7. Recommendations15 8. Limitations and Delimitations of the study16 9. Conclusion17 0. References18 11. Appendices19 1. 0Executive Summary The Zimbabwean telecommunication sector has grown rapidly over the past years. This exponential market growth attracted new players to this sector, which in turn resulted in increased competition. The aim of this study was to establish critical factors in the selection of mobile telecommunications service providers. A research instrument was e mployed to collect data from consumers of the three mobile phone operators in Zimbabwe. Convenience sampling, a form of non-probability sampling was used to collect data from 40 participants.This research used descriptive statistics for data analysis and discussions. The results of the study revealed that customers’ selection of which mobile telecommunications service providers to use is influenced by overall service quality, free calls and free SMSs, network capability, reliability of service, network innovativeness, low rate charges, accessibility, promotions with discount, geographic network coverage, family and friends, and customer care. In addition to this, the study found that customers prefer subscribing to the same service provider as their family members and friends.However, visually appealing physical facilities and high profile customers, were found to be the least influential factors in selecting mobile telecommunication service provider. Marketing mix elements a re relevant towards evaluating factors that determine the selection of mobile service provider in Zimbabwe. However, this study incorporated and investigated further by including factors influencing consumer buying behaviour, which makes it more comprehensive for application in telecommunication services.Thus, the focus on consumer behaviour was helpful in situating and understanding customers' buying behaviour in mobile telecommunication services. The study recommended specific marketing strategies to enhance the success of mobile service providers in this competitive market and ensure quality service delivery to satisfy customers. This study had limitations in its research design, strategy and sampling method; hence, areas for future studies addressing these shortcomings have been identified and recommended. 2. 0Background and objectivesThe mobile telecommunication industry has grown over the past few decades and has seen the industry undergoing intense competition to attract and retain customers. The mobile industry has become an important factor in global interactions as computer-based technologies and communication networks are being implemented daily. In the last twenty years, the mobile revolution has truly changed the socio-economic landscape of Zimbabwe and has seen the industry grow rapidly, that is keeping pace with global advancements in the mobile telecommunication market.The year 1997 marked a new era in the Zimbabwe telecommunication sector as it marked the beginning of deregulation of the telecommunications sector, which was previously a monopoly. The Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (PTC) which was wholly owned by the Government; did not have any competition and thus it flourished as the sole fixed line provider. According to Melody (1999) technological change and new service opportunities are factors bearing on the telecom reform process everywhere. In 1996, technological advancement saw the birth of NetOne, the first cellular network operator in Zimbabwe, a subsidiary under the PTC.However, in 1998 things started to change dramatically when the first major new player, Econet Wireless entered the telecommunications market. The deregulation of the telecommunications sector opened the market from a monopolistic market to a competitive multiple service providers. Currently, there are three mobile service providers in Zimbabwe, which are Econet Wireless, Telecel and NetOne, and the competitive pressure is high. The three MSPs compete with each other to grab customers by proving a wide range of both basic services and value added services.The customers enjoy the option of choices among the service operators and thus the competitive environment causes brand consciousness among the subscribers and potential buyers (Melody, 2003). In order to survive the competitive environment, the service providers must ensure network quality, customer acquisition and retention. Table 1 shows the detail of the mobile subscribers in Zi mbabwe, that depicts the market share of the MSPs. 2. 1Purpose of study The purpose of the study was to evaluate factors that determine the selection of mobile service providers.Also to evaluate and understand the consumers buying behaviour in selecting service providers and to help service providers to design more appealing marketing programs which deliver better customer value and thus providing the required returns. 2. 2Significance of study The robust competition between the three mobile network operators in Zimbabwe has intensified. Therefore, identifying and understanding the factors which considerably influence the customer buying behaviour is of greatest importance to the marketers.Thus, the key success factors in mobile telecommunication battles are effectiveness of marketing strategies and understanding of consumer behaviour. The determinant factors for customers choice of the MSP in Zimbabwe is not clear as there is insufficient documentation on the issue. Therefore, ther e is a need to empirically evaluate and analyze the phenomenon for managerial implications. The outcome of the study would provide insights to service providers to take profound actions towards enriching customers’ service experience.Moreover, the study also builds on existing consumer behaviour literature by exploring the factors influencing consumer buying behaviour that ultimately influence the selection of mobile service providers. In addition, the findings of the study will also assist telecommunication companies to invest their resources more efficiently, or to make changes to crucial quality attributes that bring out consumers’ satisfaction levels. 2. 3Research Objectives The overall objective is to ascertain the logic behind customers’ selection of a particular mobile service operator.Sub-objectives †¢To determine the social factors which lead the customer towards selecting a particular mobile service provider. †¢To determine the service qualit y dimensions influencing the customers’ selection of a particular mobile service provider. †¢To establish the influence of marketing mix elements on purchasing behaviour of mobile service operators. 2. 4Research Questions †¢Which social factors influence the selection of a mobile service provider? †¢Which service quality dimensions influence the customers’ selection of a particular mobile service provider? Which marketing mix elements have an influence in purchasing behaviour of mobile service operators? Keywords: Consumer behaviour , Service quality, Price, Promotion, Service availability/place 3. 0METHODOLOGY 3. 1Method of Research This is a quantitative study which mainly will depend on numeric data to classify features and count them. According to Burns & Grove 2005:23, quantitative research is a formal, objective, systematic process in which numerical data are used to obtain information. This research method is used to examine relationships among va riables and to determine the cause-and-effect interactions between variables.This study is concerned with the assessment of factors that influence consumer buying behaviour. 3. 2Types of Research A descriptive research was used for the study to describe factors that influence the customers buying behaviour as well as describing the marketing mix elements that play a role in determining the customers’ selection for mobile service provider. Polit and Hungler 1999 state that the descriptive research mainly describes what exists and may help to uncover new facts and meaning.The purpose of descriptive research is to observe, describe and document aspects of a situation as it naturally occurs. They further state that the descriptive research involves the collection of data that will provide an account or description of individuals, groups or situations. The research instruments that were used for this study were questionnaires with closed questions. 3. 3Population Population select ed for this study were all Bulawayo residents who are customers of any of the three mobile service providers available in Zimbabwe which is unknown. 3. Sampling Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2003) state that it is not easy to assess the entire population, therefore, it is necessary to assess a sample of the population as an alternative in order to generalize about the entire population. The researcher will target the Bulawayo residents who visit the National University of Science and Technology Campus along Gwanda Road and Cecil Avenue. The sample size used for the research was 100 respondents and a non-probability sampling technique was used. The convenience sampling method was used to select the targeted sample.According to convenience sapling is a statistical method of drawing representative data by selecting people because of the ease of their volunteering or selecting units because of their availability or easy access. The researcher used this method to get easy access to info rmation from walk in customers at the Main Administration Building (NUST Campus). Time and cost constraints also justified the convenience sampling technique. 3. 5Sources of data collection 3. 5. 1Secondary data Secondary data is the data which is collected for some other purposes or the data which is gathered by previous researchers.The research was involved in a desk research were information about the background of the telecommunications industry was acquired. The researcher also used articles, books and the internet to gather more information about the factors that influence the purchasing behaviour of mobile service provider. The data acquired aided the researcher in the analysis of data as a toll for deriving in reliable and relevant conclusions. 3. 5. 2Primary data In this research primary data was obtained by collecting data from uestionnaires which were administered at the Main Administration Building at the NUST Campus to the target sample size. The researcher issued the r espondents the questionnaire and gave the at most fifteen minutes to fill in the questionnaire. 3. 6Data collection tools There are many tools available for gathering empirical data but it depends upon research question and purpose of study that which tool is used for study. For this study, the researcher used the questionnaire because it is less time consuming, and provides good quality data easily. 3. 6. 1QuestionnaireThe questionnaire is the medium of communication between researcher and respondent. The researcher used close ended questions because of the quantitative nature of the study. The researcher chose the questionnaire because it is considered to be inexpensive, less time consuming and provide good quality data easily (Babbie, 2010). The questionnaire was drafted with the aim of answering the research question and research objectives. The questionnaire consisted of closed-ended questions as they were quicker and easier to answer and readily accessible to coding and quanti tative analysis.The questionnaires consisted of five categories and items on different constructs are organised in each category namely; service quality, price, promotions, availability and social factors. The questionnaires were personally handed to the respondents as they were entering the Main Administration Building. 3. 7Validity and Reliability Gravetter and Forzano (2009) state that the validity of a research study is the degree to which the study accurately answers the question it was intended to answer.According to Babbie (2010), the reliability of a research instrument is the degree of consistency with which the instrument measures the attributes it is supposed to be measuring. Validity and reliability were not measured for this report. 4. DATA ANALYSIS A five-point Likert scale was used to measure the output of each item answered by the respondents. The outputs, frequency tables were generated using the SPSS package and from these the data was presented in bar graphs. More over, the number of respondents who selected each of the response options is reported as percentages of the total number of responses.The total number of questionnaires issued was 40 but there were three spoilt questionnaires, so for the data analysis 37 questionnaires were analysed. Service Providers The findings in Fig 1 reveal that a total of 57% of the respondents were Econet Wireless subscribers, whilst 23% were NetOne and 20% being Telecel subscribers. The findings illustrate that most of the respondents were Econet Wireless subscribers. Frequency Responses from Social Factors Fig 2: Frequencies for Social FactorsThe findings in Figure 2 reveal that a total of 7% of the respondents disagreed, 36% were unsure and 57% agreed that it is important to subscribe to the same service provider with family members and friends. Additionally, 30% of the respondents disagreed, 10% were unsure while 60% agreed to value friends, colleagues and family members’ opinions before buying an y product from the service provider. On the other hand, 95% of the participants disagreed, 1% were unsure and 4% agreed that high profile customers of a particular service provider influence them to choose a mobile service provider.Frequency Responses for Service Quality Dimensions Fig. 3: Frequencies for Service Quality Dimensions Figure 3 reveal that 8% of the participants disagreed, 10% were unsure, 82% agreed that reliability of service influence their choice of the mobile service provider. Moreover, the figure show that 2% of the respondents disagreed, 0% were unsure and 98% agreed that network capabilities of a service provider influence their subscription to a mobile service operator.It is evident that customer’s choice of mobile service provider is significantly influenced by network coverage. It also reflects that 5% of the respondents disagreed, 7% were unsure and 88% agreed that network innovativeness is an important factor that they consider when subscribing to a mobile service provider. Likewise, the results reveal that 18% of the respondents disagreed, 3% were unsure, and 79% agreed that customer care at the service provider outlets influence them to choose a mobile service provider.Frequency Responses for Price Fig 4: Frequencies for Price Findings in Figure 4 illustrate that 15% of the participants disagreed, 2% were unsure, 83% agreed that low rate charges influence them to subscribe to a mobile service provider. Frequency responses to Promotional Mix Fig 5: Frequencies to promotional mix The findings in Figure 5 reveal that the results shows that 63% of the respondents disagreed, 3% were unsure, and 34% agreed that advertisement influences them to subscribe to a mobile service provider.These finding revealed that, the majority of the customers indicated that advertisement does not influence their choice of mobile service provider, thus advertisement was insignificant. Additionally, the findings shows that 17% of the respondents disagre ed, 11% were unsure and 72% agreed that offers such as SIM card offered with initial balance influences their selection of a service provider. Similarly, Figure 5 reveal that 13% of the participants disagreed, 2% were unsure and 85% agreed that free calls and free SMS encourage them to subscribe to a mobile service provider.The findings show that free calls and free SMS significantly determine customers’ choice of mobile network. Frequency Responses from Service Availability Aspects Fig 6: Frequencies from Service Availability Aspects The data in Figure 6 reveals that 37% of the respondent’s disagreed, 30% were unsure, 32% agreed to value visually appealing physical facilities than customer care. Likewise, it illustrates that 11% of the participants disagreed, 10% were unsure and 79% agreed that accessibility of services influence their preference for mobile service provider.That means ease access to telecommunication services influence consumers’ choice. On the other hand, the findings reveal that 51% of the respondents disagreed, 24% were unsure, 25% agreed that international roaming plays an important role when choosing a mobile network. 5. 0RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the findings of this research, the mobile service providers are recommended to: †¢Provide service quality through network quality, network extension and upgrade. †¢Offer quality service at lower rates. †¢Provide more offers for family and friends. †¢Enrich customer’s service experience and loyalty.Value the importance of day-to-day interactions, such as response quality in call centers, skills of staffs in retail outlets, speed of technical repair and other measures. †¢Pay attention to staff skill possession, knowledge, attention to customers and their needs, offering of fast and efficient services and general attitude to customer services. †¢Consistently monitor what customers want and what they get through the feedbacks, then identify t he gap in between through research and bridge the gap through continuous innovation. 6. 0LIMITATIONS AND DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDYA discussion of the study limitations demonstrates that the researcher understands that no research project is perfectly designed; consequently, the researcher will make no overweening claims about generalizability or conclusiveness about what has been learned (Marshall and Rossman, 2011). This study was limited to evaluate the factors that determine the selection of mobile service provider. In fact, considering resources and time constraints, the research was limited to one town in Zimbabwe. Therefore, it cannot be representative of the whole of Zimbabwe population’s behaviour. Some of the limitations originated from the tool that was used.The use of the closed ended questionnaire meant that it was not possible to ask follow-up questions and thus finding out the reasons for selecting a particular service provider over the other. The other concern is that this study was measuring factors affecting consumers’ perception in the telecommunication sectors were measured, but there is a lack of related literature. The delimitations of a study are those characteristics that limit the scope of the inquiry and define boundaries for the study (Ledez, 2008). Furthermore, the delimitations of this study were also related to the use of a singular research design as opposed to triangulation.The research instrument and the number of test items were also limited. 7. 0CONCLUSION This study aimed to evaluate the factors that determine the selection of mobile service providers in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe’s mobile telecommunication market has grown over the past decade and it is highly competitive. In any competitive environment, firms are likely to compete in order to attract and retain customers. However, it is extremely important that a company recognizes the needs, wants, tastes, criteria and the perceptions of its customers.The stu dy employed data representing factors that influence customers’ selection of mobile network to identify and meet customers’ needs and wants as well as to establish the perceived and preferred service quality, activities that would entice customers, the prices that customers are willing and able to pay, and the possible best ways of utilizing available resources to supply the needed/desired services. The Zimbabwean mobile networks must maintain a combination of all these variables in order to succeed in a competitive telecommunication market as well as to enjoy the uch-needed profit to invest in network infrastructure, innovations and human resources. Providing superior service quality, particularly, in the dimensions of network quality and performance, reliability, responsiveness, and convenience, is of utmost importance that requires mobile service provider managerial attention in order to attract and retain customers. The study suggested that regulators in the Zimbab we’s telecommunication sector should take appropriate measures to include these dimensions in undertaking objective assessment of quality of service of mobile telephone operators in safeguarding customers’ interest.In this study, the focus on marketing mix elements and consumer behaviour was helpful in situating and understanding customers' preferences and buying behaviour in mobile telecommunication services. Besides, it is evident that customers’ choice is largely influenced by marketing mix elements. The current study established that customers look at the call rates; promotional mix offers such as free calls/minutes and free SMSs, and promotions with discount and free sample play a vital role in customers’ choice of mobile service provider . REFERENCES 1. Babbie, E. R. (2010), The Practice of Social Research. 2th edition. USA: Wadsworth. 2. Burns and Grove aker, M. J. (2003), The Marketing Book. 5th edition. USA: Butterworth-Heinemann. 3. Gravetter, F . J. and Forzano, L. B. (2009). Research Methods for the Behavioural Sciences. 3rd edition. USA:Wadsworth. 4. Hanif, M. , Hafeez, S. , and Riaz, A. (2010). Factors Affecting Customer Satisfaction. International Research Journal of Finance and Economics [online], 60 (2010), p. 44-52. Available from: http://www. eurojournals. com/irjfe_60_04. pdf [Accessed 22 February 2013]. 5. Kapoor, R. , Paul, J. and Halder, B. (2011). Services marketing: Concepts and Practices.New Delhi: McGraw-Hill. 6. Marshall, C. and Rossman, G. (2011). Designing Qualitative Research. 5th edition. California: Sage Publications, Inc. 7. Melody, W. H. (1999). Telecom Reform: Progress and Prospects. Telecommunications Policy, 23 (1999), p. 7 – 34. 8. Melody, W. H. , (2003). Preparing the Information Infrastructure for the Network Economy. World Telecommunications Markets: International Handbook of Telecommunications Economics, Vol. III, p. 1-27. 9. Paulrajan, R. and Rajkumar, H. (2011). Service Quality and Customers Preference of Cellular Mobile Service Providers.Journal of Technology Management & Innovation, 6(1), p. 38-45. 10. Thornhill, N. (2003). Your research Project. 2nd edition. London: Sage. 11. Wilson, R. M. S. and Gilligan, C. (2005). Strategic Marketing Management: Planning, Implementation and Control, 3rd edition. Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. Appendix 1 Table 1: Subscriber base in Zimbabwe Service ProviderNumber of Subscribers Econet Wireless10. 2 million NetOne2. 6 million Telecel1. 8 million Appendix 2 A QUESTIONNAIRE ON EVALUATION OF FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE CHOICE OF A MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICE PROVIDER Good day, my name is Thembelihle Moyo.I am a student at the National University of Science and Technology doing Master of Science Degree in Marketing. I am carrying out a evaluation on factors that influence the selection of a particular mobile service provider. The information solicited herein is purely for academic purposes and will be treated in the stric test confidence. 1. Which service provider’s connection do you have? Econet Telecel NetOne 2. Social Factors Using a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being â€Å"strongly agree† and 1 being â€Å"strongly disagree†. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements:Strongly DisagreeDisagreeNot SureAgreeStrongly Agree Family and friends should be the sole reason of choosing a mobile network I value the opinions of my friends when making purchasing decisions High profile customers inspire me in making purchase decisions 3. Service Quality Strongly DisagreeDisagreeNot SureAgreeStrongly Agree The mobile service provider I use is reliable The mobile service provider has a wide network coverage The mobile service provider has high quality in network innovativeness The have high standards of customer care 4. Price Strongly DisagreeDisagreeNot SureAgreeStrongly AgreeThe low rate charges attract customers to this service provider 5. Promotion al Mix Elements Strongly DisagreeDisagreeNot SureAgreeStrongly Agree The advertisements of this mobile service provider attracted me to be their subscriber The sim card with initial balance attracted me to this mobile service provider The free calls and free sms attracted me to be a subscriber 6. Service Availability Aspects Strongly DisagreeDisagreeNot SureAgreeStrongly Agree The offices are visually appealing The service is easily accessible International roaming is one aspect that is essential in a mobile line THANK YOU An Evaluation on Factors That Influence the Choice of a Mobile Telecommunications Service Provider TITLE:AN EVALUATION ON FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE CHOICE OF A MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICE PROVIDER TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Executive Summary3 2. Background4 2. 1Purpose of study5 2. 2Significance of study5 2. 3Research Objectives5 2. 4Research Questions6 3. Methodology7 3. 1Method of Research7 3. 2Types of Research7 3. 3Population7 3. 4Sampling7 4. Sources of data collection8 4. 1Secondary Data8 4. 2Primary Data8 5. Data collection tools8 5. 1Questionnaire8 5. 2Validity and Reliability9 6. Data Analysis10 7. Recommendations15 8. Limitations and Delimitations of the study16 9. Conclusion17 0. References18 11. Appendices19 1. 0Executive Summary The Zimbabwean telecommunication sector has grown rapidly over the past years. This exponential market growth attracted new players to this sector, which in turn resulted in increased competition. The aim of this study was to establish critical factors in the selection of mobile telecommunications service providers. A research instrument was e mployed to collect data from consumers of the three mobile phone operators in Zimbabwe. Convenience sampling, a form of non-probability sampling was used to collect data from 40 participants.This research used descriptive statistics for data analysis and discussions. The results of the study revealed that customers’ selection of which mobile telecommunications service providers to use is influenced by overall service quality, free calls and free SMSs, network capability, reliability of service, network innovativeness, low rate charges, accessibility, promotions with discount, geographic network coverage, family and friends, and customer care. In addition to this, the study found that customers prefer subscribing to the same service provider as their family members and friends.However, visually appealing physical facilities and high profile customers, were found to be the least influential factors in selecting mobile telecommunication service provider. Marketing mix elements a re relevant towards evaluating factors that determine the selection of mobile service provider in Zimbabwe. However, this study incorporated and investigated further by including factors influencing consumer buying behaviour, which makes it more comprehensive for application in telecommunication services.Thus, the focus on consumer behaviour was helpful in situating and understanding customers' buying behaviour in mobile telecommunication services. The study recommended specific marketing strategies to enhance the success of mobile service providers in this competitive market and ensure quality service delivery to satisfy customers. This study had limitations in its research design, strategy and sampling method; hence, areas for future studies addressing these shortcomings have been identified and recommended. 2. 0Background and objectivesThe mobile telecommunication industry has grown over the past few decades and has seen the industry undergoing intense competition to attract and retain customers. The mobile industry has become an important factor in global interactions as computer-based technologies and communication networks are being implemented daily. In the last twenty years, the mobile revolution has truly changed the socio-economic landscape of Zimbabwe and has seen the industry grow rapidly, that is keeping pace with global advancements in the mobile telecommunication market.The year 1997 marked a new era in the Zimbabwe telecommunication sector as it marked the beginning of deregulation of the telecommunications sector, which was previously a monopoly. The Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (PTC) which was wholly owned by the Government; did not have any competition and thus it flourished as the sole fixed line provider. According to Melody (1999) technological change and new service opportunities are factors bearing on the telecom reform process everywhere. In 1996, technological advancement saw the birth of NetOne, the first cellular network operator in Zimbabwe, a subsidiary under the PTC.However, in 1998 things started to change dramatically when the first major new player, Econet Wireless entered the telecommunications market. The deregulation of the telecommunications sector opened the market from a monopolistic market to a competitive multiple service providers. Currently, there are three mobile service providers in Zimbabwe, which are Econet Wireless, Telecel and NetOne, and the competitive pressure is high. The three MSPs compete with each other to grab customers by proving a wide range of both basic services and value added services.The customers enjoy the option of choices among the service operators and thus the competitive environment causes brand consciousness among the subscribers and potential buyers (Melody, 2003). In order to survive the competitive environment, the service providers must ensure network quality, customer acquisition and retention. Table 1 shows the detail of the mobile subscribers in Zi mbabwe, that depicts the market share of the MSPs. 2. 1Purpose of study The purpose of the study was to evaluate factors that determine the selection of mobile service providers.Also to evaluate and understand the consumers buying behaviour in selecting service providers and to help service providers to design more appealing marketing programs which deliver better customer value and thus providing the required returns. 2. 2Significance of study The robust competition between the three mobile network operators in Zimbabwe has intensified. Therefore, identifying and understanding the factors which considerably influence the customer buying behaviour is of greatest importance to the marketers.Thus, the key success factors in mobile telecommunication battles are effectiveness of marketing strategies and understanding of consumer behaviour. The determinant factors for customers choice of the MSP in Zimbabwe is not clear as there is insufficient documentation on the issue. Therefore, ther e is a need to empirically evaluate and analyze the phenomenon for managerial implications. The outcome of the study would provide insights to service providers to take profound actions towards enriching customers’ service experience.Moreover, the study also builds on existing consumer behaviour literature by exploring the factors influencing consumer buying behaviour that ultimately influence the selection of mobile service providers. In addition, the findings of the study will also assist telecommunication companies to invest their resources more efficiently, or to make changes to crucial quality attributes that bring out consumers’ satisfaction levels. 2. 3Research Objectives The overall objective is to ascertain the logic behind customers’ selection of a particular mobile service operator.Sub-objectives †¢To determine the social factors which lead the customer towards selecting a particular mobile service provider. †¢To determine the service qualit y dimensions influencing the customers’ selection of a particular mobile service provider. †¢To establish the influence of marketing mix elements on purchasing behaviour of mobile service operators. 2. 4Research Questions †¢Which social factors influence the selection of a mobile service provider? †¢Which service quality dimensions influence the customers’ selection of a particular mobile service provider? Which marketing mix elements have an influence in purchasing behaviour of mobile service operators? Keywords: Consumer behaviour , Service quality, Price, Promotion, Service availability/place 3. 0METHODOLOGY 3. 1Method of Research This is a quantitative study which mainly will depend on numeric data to classify features and count them. According to Burns & Grove 2005:23, quantitative research is a formal, objective, systematic process in which numerical data are used to obtain information. This research method is used to examine relationships among va riables and to determine the cause-and-effect interactions between variables.This study is concerned with the assessment of factors that influence consumer buying behaviour. 3. 2Types of Research A descriptive research was used for the study to describe factors that influence the customers buying behaviour as well as describing the marketing mix elements that play a role in determining the customers’ selection for mobile service provider. Polit and Hungler 1999 state that the descriptive research mainly describes what exists and may help to uncover new facts and meaning.The purpose of descriptive research is to observe, describe and document aspects of a situation as it naturally occurs. They further state that the descriptive research involves the collection of data that will provide an account or description of individuals, groups or situations. The research instruments that were used for this study were questionnaires with closed questions. 3. 3Population Population select ed for this study were all Bulawayo residents who are customers of any of the three mobile service providers available in Zimbabwe which is unknown. 3. Sampling Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2003) state that it is not easy to assess the entire population, therefore, it is necessary to assess a sample of the population as an alternative in order to generalize about the entire population. The researcher will target the Bulawayo residents who visit the National University of Science and Technology Campus along Gwanda Road and Cecil Avenue. The sample size used for the research was 100 respondents and a non-probability sampling technique was used. The convenience sampling method was used to select the targeted sample.According to convenience sapling is a statistical method of drawing representative data by selecting people because of the ease of their volunteering or selecting units because of their availability or easy access. The researcher used this method to get easy access to info rmation from walk in customers at the Main Administration Building (NUST Campus). Time and cost constraints also justified the convenience sampling technique. 3. 5Sources of data collection 3. 5. 1Secondary data Secondary data is the data which is collected for some other purposes or the data which is gathered by previous researchers.The research was involved in a desk research were information about the background of the telecommunications industry was acquired. The researcher also used articles, books and the internet to gather more information about the factors that influence the purchasing behaviour of mobile service provider. The data acquired aided the researcher in the analysis of data as a toll for deriving in reliable and relevant conclusions. 3. 5. 2Primary data In this research primary data was obtained by collecting data from uestionnaires which were administered at the Main Administration Building at the NUST Campus to the target sample size. The researcher issued the r espondents the questionnaire and gave the at most fifteen minutes to fill in the questionnaire. 3. 6Data collection tools There are many tools available for gathering empirical data but it depends upon research question and purpose of study that which tool is used for study. For this study, the researcher used the questionnaire because it is less time consuming, and provides good quality data easily. 3. 6. 1QuestionnaireThe questionnaire is the medium of communication between researcher and respondent. The researcher used close ended questions because of the quantitative nature of the study. The researcher chose the questionnaire because it is considered to be inexpensive, less time consuming and provide good quality data easily (Babbie, 2010). The questionnaire was drafted with the aim of answering the research question and research objectives. The questionnaire consisted of closed-ended questions as they were quicker and easier to answer and readily accessible to coding and quanti tative analysis.The questionnaires consisted of five categories and items on different constructs are organised in each category namely; service quality, price, promotions, availability and social factors. The questionnaires were personally handed to the respondents as they were entering the Main Administration Building. 3. 7Validity and Reliability Gravetter and Forzano (2009) state that the validity of a research study is the degree to which the study accurately answers the question it was intended to answer.According to Babbie (2010), the reliability of a research instrument is the degree of consistency with which the instrument measures the attributes it is supposed to be measuring. Validity and reliability were not measured for this report. 4. DATA ANALYSIS A five-point Likert scale was used to measure the output of each item answered by the respondents. The outputs, frequency tables were generated using the SPSS package and from these the data was presented in bar graphs. More over, the number of respondents who selected each of the response options is reported as percentages of the total number of responses.The total number of questionnaires issued was 40 but there were three spoilt questionnaires, so for the data analysis 37 questionnaires were analysed. Service Providers The findings in Fig 1 reveal that a total of 57% of the respondents were Econet Wireless subscribers, whilst 23% were NetOne and 20% being Telecel subscribers. The findings illustrate that most of the respondents were Econet Wireless subscribers. Frequency Responses from Social Factors Fig 2: Frequencies for Social FactorsThe findings in Figure 2 reveal that a total of 7% of the respondents disagreed, 36% were unsure and 57% agreed that it is important to subscribe to the same service provider with family members and friends. Additionally, 30% of the respondents disagreed, 10% were unsure while 60% agreed to value friends, colleagues and family members’ opinions before buying an y product from the service provider. On the other hand, 95% of the participants disagreed, 1% were unsure and 4% agreed that high profile customers of a particular service provider influence them to choose a mobile service provider.Frequency Responses for Service Quality Dimensions Fig. 3: Frequencies for Service Quality Dimensions Figure 3 reveal that 8% of the participants disagreed, 10% were unsure, 82% agreed that reliability of service influence their choice of the mobile service provider. Moreover, the figure show that 2% of the respondents disagreed, 0% were unsure and 98% agreed that network capabilities of a service provider influence their subscription to a mobile service operator.It is evident that customer’s choice of mobile service provider is significantly influenced by network coverage. It also reflects that 5% of the respondents disagreed, 7% were unsure and 88% agreed that network innovativeness is an important factor that they consider when subscribing to a mobile service provider. Likewise, the results reveal that 18% of the respondents disagreed, 3% were unsure, and 79% agreed that customer care at the service provider outlets influence them to choose a mobile service provider.Frequency Responses for Price Fig 4: Frequencies for Price Findings in Figure 4 illustrate that 15% of the participants disagreed, 2% were unsure, 83% agreed that low rate charges influence them to subscribe to a mobile service provider. Frequency responses to Promotional Mix Fig 5: Frequencies to promotional mix The findings in Figure 5 reveal that the results shows that 63% of the respondents disagreed, 3% were unsure, and 34% agreed that advertisement influences them to subscribe to a mobile service provider.These finding revealed that, the majority of the customers indicated that advertisement does not influence their choice of mobile service provider, thus advertisement was insignificant. Additionally, the findings shows that 17% of the respondents disagre ed, 11% were unsure and 72% agreed that offers such as SIM card offered with initial balance influences their selection of a service provider. Similarly, Figure 5 reveal that 13% of the participants disagreed, 2% were unsure and 85% agreed that free calls and free SMS encourage them to subscribe to a mobile service provider.The findings show that free calls and free SMS significantly determine customers’ choice of mobile network. Frequency Responses from Service Availability Aspects Fig 6: Frequencies from Service Availability Aspects The data in Figure 6 reveals that 37% of the respondent’s disagreed, 30% were unsure, 32% agreed to value visually appealing physical facilities than customer care. Likewise, it illustrates that 11% of the participants disagreed, 10% were unsure and 79% agreed that accessibility of services influence their preference for mobile service provider.That means ease access to telecommunication services influence consumers’ choice. On the other hand, the findings reveal that 51% of the respondents disagreed, 24% were unsure, 25% agreed that international roaming plays an important role when choosing a mobile network. 5. 0RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the findings of this research, the mobile service providers are recommended to: †¢Provide service quality through network quality, network extension and upgrade. †¢Offer quality service at lower rates. †¢Provide more offers for family and friends. †¢Enrich customer’s service experience and loyalty.Value the importance of day-to-day interactions, such as response quality in call centers, skills of staffs in retail outlets, speed of technical repair and other measures. †¢Pay attention to staff skill possession, knowledge, attention to customers and their needs, offering of fast and efficient services and general attitude to customer services. †¢Consistently monitor what customers want and what they get through the feedbacks, then identify t he gap in between through research and bridge the gap through continuous innovation. 6. 0LIMITATIONS AND DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDYA discussion of the study limitations demonstrates that the researcher understands that no research project is perfectly designed; consequently, the researcher will make no overweening claims about generalizability or conclusiveness about what has been learned (Marshall and Rossman, 2011). This study was limited to evaluate the factors that determine the selection of mobile service provider. In fact, considering resources and time constraints, the research was limited to one town in Zimbabwe. Therefore, it cannot be representative of the whole of Zimbabwe population’s behaviour. Some of the limitations originated from the tool that was used.The use of the closed ended questionnaire meant that it was not possible to ask follow-up questions and thus finding out the reasons for selecting a particular service provider over the other. The other concern is that this study was measuring factors affecting consumers’ perception in the telecommunication sectors were measured, but there is a lack of related literature. The delimitations of a study are those characteristics that limit the scope of the inquiry and define boundaries for the study (Ledez, 2008). Furthermore, the delimitations of this study were also related to the use of a singular research design as opposed to triangulation.The research instrument and the number of test items were also limited. 7. 0CONCLUSION This study aimed to evaluate the factors that determine the selection of mobile service providers in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe’s mobile telecommunication market has grown over the past decade and it is highly competitive. In any competitive environment, firms are likely to compete in order to attract and retain customers. However, it is extremely important that a company recognizes the needs, wants, tastes, criteria and the perceptions of its customers.The stu dy employed data representing factors that influence customers’ selection of mobile network to identify and meet customers’ needs and wants as well as to establish the perceived and preferred service quality, activities that would entice customers, the prices that customers are willing and able to pay, and the possible best ways of utilizing available resources to supply the needed/desired services. The Zimbabwean mobile networks must maintain a combination of all these variables in order to succeed in a competitive telecommunication market as well as to enjoy the uch-needed profit to invest in network infrastructure, innovations and human resources. Providing superior service quality, particularly, in the dimensions of network quality and performance, reliability, responsiveness, and convenience, is of utmost importance that requires mobile service provider managerial attention in order to attract and retain customers. The study suggested that regulators in the Zimbab we’s telecommunication sector should take appropriate measures to include these dimensions in undertaking objective assessment of quality of service of mobile telephone operators in safeguarding customers’ interest.In this study, the focus on marketing mix elements and consumer behaviour was helpful in situating and understanding customers' preferences and buying behaviour in mobile telecommunication services. Besides, it is evident that customers’ choice is largely influenced by marketing mix elements. The current study established that customers look at the call rates; promotional mix offers such as free calls/minutes and free SMSs, and promotions with discount and free sample play a vital role in customers’ choice of mobile service provider . REFERENCES 1. Babbie, E. R. (2010), The Practice of Social Research. 2th edition. USA: Wadsworth. 2. Burns and Grove aker, M. J. (2003), The Marketing Book. 5th edition. USA: Butterworth-Heinemann. 3. Gravetter, F . J. and Forzano, L. B. (2009). Research Methods for the Behavioural Sciences. 3rd edition. USA:Wadsworth. 4. Hanif, M. , Hafeez, S. , and Riaz, A. (2010). Factors Affecting Customer Satisfaction. International Research Journal of Finance and Economics [online], 60 (2010), p. 44-52. Available from: http://www. eurojournals. com/irjfe_60_04. pdf [Accessed 22 February 2013]. 5. Kapoor, R. , Paul, J. and Halder, B. (2011). Services marketing: Concepts and Practices.New Delhi: McGraw-Hill. 6. Marshall, C. and Rossman, G. (2011). 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Appendix 1 Table 1: Subscriber base in Zimbabwe Service ProviderNumber of Subscribers Econet Wireless10. 2 million NetOne2. 6 million Telecel1. 8 million Appendix 2 A QUESTIONNAIRE ON EVALUATION OF FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE CHOICE OF A MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICE PROVIDER Good day, my name is Thembelihle Moyo.I am a student at the National University of Science and Technology doing Master of Science Degree in Marketing. I am carrying out a evaluation on factors that influence the selection of a particular mobile service provider. The information solicited herein is purely for academic purposes and will be treated in the stric test confidence. 1. Which service provider’s connection do you have? Econet Telecel NetOne 2. Social Factors Using a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being â€Å"strongly agree† and 1 being â€Å"strongly disagree†. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements:Strongly DisagreeDisagreeNot SureAgreeStrongly Agree Family and friends should be the sole reason of choosing a mobile network I value the opinions of my friends when making purchasing decisions High profile customers inspire me in making purchase decisions 3. Service Quality Strongly DisagreeDisagreeNot SureAgreeStrongly Agree The mobile service provider I use is reliable The mobile service provider has a wide network coverage The mobile service provider has high quality in network innovativeness The have high standards of customer care 4. Price Strongly DisagreeDisagreeNot SureAgreeStrongly AgreeThe low rate charges attract customers to this service provider 5. Promotion al Mix Elements Strongly DisagreeDisagreeNot SureAgreeStrongly Agree The advertisements of this mobile service provider attracted me to be their subscriber The sim card with initial balance attracted me to this mobile service provider The free calls and free sms attracted me to be a subscriber 6. Service Availability Aspects Strongly DisagreeDisagreeNot SureAgreeStrongly Agree The offices are visually appealing The service is easily accessible International roaming is one aspect that is essential in a mobile line THANK YOU