A Profile of Teresa of Avila

A Profile of Teresa of Avila Like Catherine of Siena, the other woman named Doctor of the Church with Teresa of Avila  in 1970, Teresa also lived in turbulent times: the New World had been opened to exploration just before her birth, the Inquisition had been influencing the church in Spain, and the Reformation began two years after she was born in 1515 in vila in what is now known as Spain. Teresa was born into a well-to-do family, long established in Spain. Some 20 years before she was born, in 1485, under Ferdinand and Isabella, the Tribunal of the Inquisition in Spain offered to pardon conversos- Jews who had converted to Christianity- if they had secretly been continuing Jewish practices. Teresas paternal grandfather and Teresas father were among those who confessed and were paraded through the streets in Toledo as repentance. Teresa was one of ten children in her family. As a child, Teresa was pious and outgoing- sometimes a mixture that her parents couldnt handle. When she was seven years old, she and her brother left home planning to travel to Muslim territory to be beheaded. They were stopped by an uncle. Entering the Convent Teresas father sent her at 16 to the Augustinian Convent Sta. Maria de Gracia, when her mother died. She returned home when she fell ill, and spent three years there recovering. When Teresa decided to enter the convent as a vocation, her father at first refused his permission. In 1535, Teresa entered the Carmelite monastery at vila, the Monastery of the Incarnation. She took her vows in 1537, taking the name of Teresa of Jesus. The Carmelite rule required being cloistered, but many monasteries did not enforce the rules strictly. Many of the nuns of Teresas time lived away from the convent, and when at the convent, followed the rules rather loosely. Among the times Teresa left was to nurse her dying father. Reforming the Monasteries Teresa began experiencing visions, in which she received revelations telling her to reform her religious order. When she began this work, she was in her 40s. In 1562 Teresa of Avila founded her own convent. She re-emphasized prayer and poverty, coarse rather than fine materials for clothing, and wearing sandals instead of shoes. Teresa had the support of her confessor and others, but the city objected, claiming that they could not afford to support a convent that enforced a strict poverty rule. Teresa had the help of her sister and her sisters husband in finding a house to begin her new convent. Soon, working with St. John of the Cross and others, she was working to establish the reform throughout the Carmelites. With the support of the head of her order, she began to establish other convents that maintained the orders rule strictly. But she also met opposition. At one point her opposition within the Carmelites tried to get her exiled to the New World. Eventually, Teresas monasteries separated as the Discalced Carmelites (calced referring to the wearing of footwear). Writings of Teresa of Avila Teresa completed her autobiography in 1564, covering her life until 1562. Most of her works, including her Autobiography, were written at the demand of authorities in her order, to demonstrate that she was doing her work of reform for holy reasons. She was under regular investigation by the Inquisition, in part because her grandfather was a Jew. She objected to these assignments, wanting to work instead on the practical founding and managing of convents and the private work of prayer. But it is by those writings that we know her and her theological ideas. She also wrote, over five years, the Way of Perfection, perhaps her best-known writing, completing it in 1566. In it, she gave guidelines for reforming monasteries. Her basic rules required love of God and of fellow Christians, emotional detachment from human relationships for full focus on God, and Christian humility. In 1580, she completed another of her major writings, Castle Interior. This was an explanation of the spiritual journey of the religious life, using the metaphor of a many-roomed castle. Again, the book was widely read by suspicious Inquisitors- and this wide dissemination may have actually helped her writings achieve a wider audience. In 1580, Pope Gregory XIII formally recognized the Discalced Reform order Teresa had begun. In 1582, she completed another book of guidelines for the religious life within the new order, Foundations. While in her writings she intended to lay out and describe a path to salvation, Teresa accepted that individuals would find their own paths. Death and Legacy Teresa of Avila, known also as Teresa of Jesus, died at Alba in October of 1582 while attending a birth. The Inquisition had not yet completed its investigations of her thought for possible heresy at the time of her death. Teresa of Avila was declared a Patroness of Spain in 1617 and was canonized in 1622, at the same time as Francis Xavier, Ignatius Loyola, and Philip Neri. She was made a Doctor of the Church- one whose doctrine is recommended as inspired and in accord with church teachings- in 1970.

Global Warming Is a Myth

Global Warming Is a Myth A free sample essay on global warming issues. There’s been a very piercing, but vital  argument  over global warming over the past few decades. As a matter of fact, this topic has become as common as Aristotle’s chicken and egg debate. Moreover, the question surrounding climatological conditions and global warming is a matter of valuation according to many international politicians and laymen philosophies. This isn’t a surreptitious subject, the weather conditions in the United States alone have seen a significate shift. Up till now,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Why is this happening?† Global warming and greenhouse effects have been monitored very closely for many years. As technologies have progressed, so has the ability to understand this age old event which has impacted the earth for hundreds of years. From the â€Å"save the earth movements† of the 80’s back to the famous Bio Domes of Henry-John Deutschendorf Jr. (John Denver a Popular American Singer), we are still sifting through the raw data of this event. Consequently, this is still a boundless deliberation that has remained to be unrequited. Existing Belief Systems on Global Warming One of the central reasons behind the debate of global warming is variances of belief systems. This indeed affects the way this â€Å"real† issue is perceived. For instance, within the political realms of the United States, there are varying belief systems. Yet, despite what many could personally reason there is a strong evidence that supports current changes. This can be exemplified within the documental film Al Gore has supported titled â€Å"An Inconvenient-Truth (2006)†. Furthermore, the United States Environmental Protection-Agency (EPA) recognizes the effects of global warming and climate change upon water resources. One of the key states in the U.S impacted by extreme drought and global warming is California. One of the most famous instances of climate change is the transformation of the Sahara Desert. The Sahara was once a rich, fertile and green area. Due to climate change and global warming, studies suggest the region may return to its lush magnificence. It is important to remember that global warming has affected the polar icecaps. The consequences of the icecaps melting can be seen in areas such as Alaska USA. RAINFOREST DESTRUCTION Aftermath Consequences Numerous studies show the possible aftermath that can happen internationally due to global warming. The consequences scientists perceive to be accurate show many detrimental effects. One of the most common issues that is being monitored incorporates changes of the ecological systems worldwide and local areas in the USA. Technologies such as sonar and monitoring sea levels are not excluded. Global warming has a keen impact on wildlife and their survival as well. A brilliant example of this can be seen in the Alaskan wilderness. Polar bears strongly depend on cooler temperatures, and this includes extended submarine species in the region. Global warming causes a shift in weather and the way individuals survive worldwide. This is as aforementioned exemplified by the droughts in California and other regions in the United States. If the water supplies are dampened due to global warming, this affects the food supplies to an entire nation. Additionally, the domino effect has the potential o f being intensified in the near future. Global warming disturbs the weather, ecosystem, and wildlife. Congruently, it can affect economic systems and this includes farmers. For example, if global warming continues due to preventable actions it can affect import and export systems internationally. This is especially true of the agricultural aspects in the U.S. Global warming and climate change are tough issues. However, Is it a definite myth? The evidence can be clearly seen and experienced by many individuals on a daily basis. There has been and currently is quantifiable evidence of global warming being a true fact. Despite few scientific comminutes that have not found sufficient evidence, the tangible proof is clear. Global warming affects millions of lives every day. This includes both micro and macro premises that are connected to this issue.

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 9

Economics - Essay Example Economics as an existing discipline which relies on meticulous argument styles. Its objectives cover the formulation of theories that have more sound theoretical grounding and are simpler in the manner of explaining economic phenomena. Frequently the explanation starts with a plain framework which depicts the relationships of the variables . The complexities are locked away in the assumption of ceteris paribus or all equality of all other variables. An example is moneys quantity theory , which posits a positive assocoiation among the money supply and price level, ceteris paribus. The theory can be put to test by utilizing economic data, like the price index of GDP and a calculation of the supply of money; for example, bank deposits along with currency. Its quantitative methodologies facilitate the impact of opposing rationalizations and challenge to fine-tune for extraneous effects. Of late, the utilization of experiments on economics has been very progressive; thus making it compara ble to the natural sciences. Microeconomics examines the agents economic performance as well as firms and individuals, their connections through the given insufficiency, character markets and administration guideline. For a product there is a market specified, for instance a corn which is a factor of manufacture called bricklaying. Aggregating of the amount required by buyers and the number provided by sellers at each probable unit price is measured by the theory. It weaves these together to explain how an advertise may arrive at the equilibrium as to the amount or price that responds to the market change over the time. Demand-and-supply analysis is the general termed. Market structures such as domination and perfect competition is examined which is implied as a financial competence or behavior. The proceeds remains unchanged based on the analysis from the simplifying statement that behavior in the market it is the so

Managing in a Strategic Business Context - Consultancy Report Essay

Managing in a Strategic Business Context - Consultancy Report - Essay Example (Katherine, 2002) When Mersey Trust intends on making severe changes in its provision, structure and any other aspects, it needs to consider the community; these are the main beneficiaries of decisions made by the trust. The NHS Trust under study has to put in mind that the number of patients is increasing and more needs to be done to reduce waiting times and quality of health care provided to these increasing numbers. They need to ensure that patients have been adequately catered for. (Katherine, 2002) Staff members need to be incorporated in any changes that the Trust intends on undertaking. It should be aware that changes in staff payments or employee conditions are to be kept at minimum in order to reduce friction and possible confrontations that have been seen in the past from similar NHS trusts. The Trust has to face conflicting roles. It has to fulfil its humanitarian aspect of helping out those who need assistance in terms of health care. In addition, it also has to deal with the fact that it still has to consider market forces during its commissioning activities. This can prove to be a rather daunting task. (Legge, 2004) The Trust has to include technological advancements in its administration. Technological advancement should also be incorporated in the organisation’s information system so that accountability and good governance are promoted. Mersey Care has to deal with the increased competition among providers that has arisen after a number of independent health Care service providers have been given the mandate to provide their services to patients. Also, there have been some treatment and diagnostic centres that have been commissioned. This means that the Trust needs to focus highly on commissioning activities. (Black, 2003) There are a number of partners that are involved in health care provision. These need to be incorporate into the management of the Trust. Policies within the

Research issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Research issues - Essay Example Although authors like Horgen, Datar and Foster 2003 (as cited in Boyns & Edwards, 2013, p.22) provided separate definition of these two terms, it is difficult to see where they draw a line in-between these two. They defined management accounting as â€Å"It measures and reports financial and non-financial information that helps managers make decision to fulfil the goals of an organization† and defined cost accounting as â€Å"measuring and reporting financial and non-financial information relating to the cost of acquiring or utilizing resources in an organization†. As evident from these definitions, there is actually no difference in these definitions besides the shift of focus. Where one focus on achievement of organizations goal, the other focus on cost of resources that will help the organization to achieve it resources. It is evident that management accounting is the accounting, which will help organization in achieving its objectives. The widely accepted definition of management accounting according to the  Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, is "the process of identification, measurement, accumulation, analysis, interpretation and communication of information used by management to plan, evaluate and control within an entity and to assure appropriate use of and accountability for its resources. Management accounting also comprises the preparation of financial reports for non-management groups such as shareholders, creditors, regulatory agencies and tax authorities"  (CIMA Official Terminology, 2005). History The belief about the history of management accounting is that it existed even before the incorporation of large multi-national organizations. The small organizations doing business at that time also had the need to survive in the long run and needed the maintenance of positive cash flows to achieve this survival. These organizations needed some to direct their affairs to achieve their objectives. Those allotted the position of responsibility to achieve these objectives clearly needed specific information and details of the business to ensure long-term survival. As these details were supplied in form of accounting information, these firms were following management accounting even at that time. However, as there is no tangible proof to verify this history, it has not allotted much importance (Boyns & Edwards, 2013). The basic start of management accounting is associated with E.I du Pont de Nemours and Company, common name DuPoint. In 1903, the owners of the company Coleman, Alfred and Pierru du Point took a challenge upon themselves, which lead to the proper establishment of management accounting. The company was majorly a gunpowder manufacturing company, a very successful company facing severe competition, it was at that point its owner decided to start â€Å"forward integrating† by establishing their own network of branch sale offices throughout the whole United States. They also initiated â₠¬Å"backward integration† by buying out numerous of their supplier, with this they emerged as the largest vertical company in the United States. This huge structure of the organization created frenzy on how to manage it and lead to the innovation and use of management accounting techniques of budgeting and return on investment so that

The Museum And Art Gallery Kelvingrove Tourism Essay

The Museum And Art Gallery Kelvingrove Tourism Essay The current study analyzes the visitor operations and experience in a detailed manner for Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. The visitor operations and experience is handled in the current study in four different perspectives namely: Marketing Perspective, Management Perspective, Operations perspective and Quality Perspective. Marketing perspective starts with the approach of marketing strategies using 4 Ps technique for understanding the prevailing strategies for the organizations. Then, using the mentioned strategies the study shifts to the Kelvingrove museum art and gallery analysis for marketing strategies. Management perspective follows the marketing perspective analysis specific to Kelvingrove with the factors that influence the management success or failure. Then, it analyses the key functions that are implemented by the management of Kelvingrove in the art gallery with respect to the staff and the visitors experience. Third perspective that deals with the visitors attraction s and the operational activities that are performed in general is operational perspective. The second part of this deals with the analysis of how Kelvingrove manages the operations effectively that made them successful. The next part is to concentrate on the quality perspective which is being carried out in all the organizations but which is the key factor that needs to be taken utter care for performing in higher levels of standard. This is analyzed for Kelvingrove using the famous technique of SERVQUAL method. The current study then highlights the recommendations which though minor needs to be followed up by the museum organizations to be in a better position. Then, the study ends with the limitations to the current study which can be further studied if those were not restricted. INTRODUCTION The Museum and Art Gallery, Kelvingrove is run by the Culture and Leisure Services Department of Glasgow City Council. The Museum is housed in an impressive Category A listed building which was first opened in 1901 as part of the International Exhibition and is one of Glasgows landmarks. Kelvingrove is the most visited museum outside London, receiving over one million visitors a year in the last five years (Scottish Tourist Board). Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is an excellent place to visit with a vast collection of masterpieces of various people (Top-ten-Glasgow-guide, 2009).   Marketing Perspective Philip Kotler (2008:17) defines marketing as satisfying needs and wants through an exchange process. Marketing is an integrated process through which companies create value for customers and build strong customer relationships in order to capture value from customers in return. Marketing is not just about selling. Peter Drucker (2004:34) explained, The aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous. [It] is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service fits him and sells itself. Ideally, marketing should result in a customer who is ready to buy. In addition the marketing management should be innovative while product development and calculating the added value. This would also ensure that the short run needs and long run requirements are balanced to meet the customer requirements and yield profits (Swarbroke, 1999:218). In the current study, we focus on marketing visitor attractions. A visitor attraction can be defined as somewhere worth leaving home for and this is as relevant to a single museum or cathedral as it is to a town or place. In a successful visitor attraction, the product on offer is the experience itself, spending money on that experience must be worthwhile. In the experience economy, the visitor attractions must continuously reinvent itself to have repeat visits and survive. This economy of experience is about quality, service and choice it is not about size. Successful visitor attractions of whatever size sells memories, experiences and expectations to individual customers. Hence it is important to have the right marketing mix for the product you are trying to sell. The term marketing mix refers to the primary elements that must be attended to in order to properly market a product or service. Also known as The 4 Ps of Marketing, the marketing mix is a very useful, if a bit general, guideline for understanding the fundamentals of what makes a good marketing campaign. (Hooley, 2008: 45-60). Four Ps Strategies: Product: A visitor attraction will have many different products on offer namely the permanent collection, temporary exhibitions, special events and educational resources for schools, colleges and universities. In addition to this, there are products such as the membership schemes, gift shops, cafes and corporate hire facilities. Place: Place is the location where the products or the customers output is ready for use. There are two key factors that a museum or a visitor attraction promotes with regards to its location: Excellent transport links by bus and train. Easy ticket booking facilities available onsite or online. Price: Price impacts strongly on how businesses fare competitively (Diamantopoulos et al., 1995). Hence price is considered as the key element in the marketing mix. There are different factors that affect pricing decisions for marketers namely organizational and marketing objectives; pricing objectives; costs; remaining marketing mix variables; channel member expectations; buyers perceptions; competition; legal and regulatory issues and perceived value. The following three aspects need to cover while determining price: standard admission fee, discounts on admission fee (discount percentage and conditions) and concessions provided mainly in public sector attractions to disadvantaged people. Promotion: This aspect of the marketing mix represents the possible tools used to communicate with and attract the target audiences. These can include: Advertising paying for adverts in newspapers, magazines and radio, and on poster sites Print producing banners, posters, leaflets and other items, and arranging distribution. Leaflets are sent to places such as libraries, tourist information offices, cafes and other places likely to be visited by the campaigns target audience. Direct mail sending leaflets or other print with a letter to named individuals, using in-house data bases or external lists of names which are either researched or bought. Sales promotion and brand partnerships promotions include offering prizes or discounts on tickets in collaboration with other parties, from newspapers and magazines to rail networks and coffee shops. Partnerships could involve window displays in shops, or branded giveaways. New media e-newsletters and website features Public relations (Kevin, 1994: 20) In this context, Kelvingrove has done a fantastic job in being the most popular museum in U.K outside London through its effective marketing plan. For the management, the key the primary challenge has been to encourage repeat visits and Kelvingrove has successful done so with new advanced features or quality improvements. Kelvingrove successfully underwent a re-development of its displays and visitor facilities. At Kelvingrove there are 200,000 objects with only 20,000 on display at any time within the gallery. After the refurbishment 50% more items are on display to the public. Lot of efforts have gone to ensure that Kelvingrove meets all the requirements pertaining to security, humidity control and lighting to attract major tours to Glasgow. Working on feedback from researchers who identified that a very large number of visitors to the gallery never left the ground floor, marketing experts have ensured that public gets more back space and have all the information to find way around the gallery. A Formal Educational Space for children and Childrens Discovery Centers and developments like these will be a major boost to schools, colleges and universities in and around Glasgow. The acquisition of knowledge is supported at various levels and the gallery is geared up for those who wish to explore subjects in more detail with support from staff with the availability of quiet self-study areas. At Kelvingrove there is now an Object Cinema and 22 themed galleries focusing on 100 different stories. These wonderful features are supported by an effective promotional campaign through vibrant brochures and hand-outs. Since, its an icon by itself, not much is spent on advertising through media. The museum sponsors for many events including sports and cultural activities. Kelvingrove uses the approach of newspapers and posters which is a modest way for marketing. The museum sponsors many events including sports and cultural activities and hosts various exhibitions. It has als o maintained its reach to the public through its website which is always providing updated and relevant information to potential visitors. These are the marketing strategies that Kelvingrove marketers follow. Figure: Goma Family Festival, 2009 (Source: Glasgow museums, whats on for families?) Management Perspective: The management has indirect impact on the visitors experience at the attractions. It directly impacts the employee attitudes and job satisfaction. The visitor management is the key aspect for the management to handle in different scenarios namely during the visit and before the visit. Museum and art galleries are defined by International Council of Museums as a non-profit institution, permanent institution in the service of society and its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, entertainment and study (ICOM Statutes art.3 para.1, 2007) . One of the major causes of dissatisfaction is connected with the process of management. Many of the staff members (employees) feel that their managers do not know how to manage because of the conflicting agenda or cause of stress and frustration. Better management skills and training would be valuable for overcoming these problems. Museums have a potential valuable resource where many managers appear to enjoy the creative aspects of their work. Here development and implementation of the required skills is an important issue. (Swarbroke, 1999: 50). MANAGEMENT STYLE: Management in all business areas and human organization activity is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leading or directing, and controlling an organization (a group of one or more people or entities) or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal. Resourcing encompasses the deployment and manipulation of human resources, financial resources, technological resources, and natural resources. This is very much the case in places of visitor attractions as well. Good management may not be the measure of a good museum, butà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦would most certainly appear to be one of its critical prerequisites (Weil and Cheit, 1994: 289). A well-managed museum is one in which: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Everyone has a clear idea of the purpose of his or her work and its value to the museum; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Staff works to a plan which has been devised for their area; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Clear procedures are followed for the activities which they undertake; and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Each section of the museum is involved in, and is responsible for, the efficient operation of its area. (Shostack, 1985: 25). Museum management can have different emphasis regarding service delivery depending on the prevailing management styles. The two different management styles are the custodial management and the market focused management. A successful museum management may require the right balance of the two styles. Recognition of the multi-dimensional nature of the museum experience and consideration of the values of both the roles is vital for the effective management of a museum. (Leask Yeoman, 1999: 38-42) At Kelvingrove the management has done an excellent job in utilizing the resources and capabilities at their disposal to make Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum Scotlands busiest visitor attraction last year according to VisitScotland. It excels in a number of areas a few of which are discussed below: Aesthetically displayed exhibits: Kelvingrove Museum has always enjoyed a unique position of its own in the world of heritage museums and recently with its imaginative and empathetic redesigning it has become more appealing to art lovers. Be it the gallant and fragile Spitfire hanging by a thread to show how desperately perilous those wartime raids must have been, the 40-foot dinosaur of the Rennie Mackintosh rooms or the story of the Scots POWs who painted icons on sacks: each of them keep you hooked with odd life-art juxtapositions and the credit goes to none other than the management team who has done a fantastic job in their maintenance. And with the recent reinvention, the museum has become much more organized than before. The doors now open in the basement. Thats the first of the changes. One enters through chic white vaults glowing with red and blue landing light and ascends by stairways fluttering with fabulous birds. The restaurant is a glass pavilion. The clutter of corridors has been rationalized. Light da nces more brightly round the vast halls now that the grime of a century has been scoured away to reveal brilliant blond sandstone. And a third more space has been created in which to display stunningly lit, in jewel-colored rooms nearly twice as many objects. Thus we see that quality has been the foremost focus of the management of Kelvingrove museum and the aim has always been to provide its visitors a life changing experience (Policy Strategic Planning, Glasgow Museums). Organizational Structure: A flat organizational structure ensures that communication is fast across levels and resolutions of operational and management issues take place at a quicker pace. It is a three tier structure with the deputy director heading the management. Furthermore the Culture and Sport Glasgow, which is responsible for museums in Glasgow, reports to a Board of 11 Directors, which comprises six elected members, four independent Directors and the Chief Executive of Culture and Sport Glasgow. Cross Functional Efficiencies: Functional units within the museum instead of working independently interacts and co-ordinates with each other to promote the museum and help the management to achieve their objectives. For instance the marketing department works along with the IT department to reach out to potential and incumbent visitors. Through various online and print publications and also through the website, relevant information about the museum and events surrounding it is made available to the general public. Supporting Activities: The management has also taken significant steps in providing various activities to the general public apart from the viewing of the museum. These range from general facilities like parking, cafe/restaurant, shops, guide assistance dogs to facilities for hosting corporate, and private events. There is also a Centre of New Enlightenment (TCoNE)  designed for young people aged from 10 to 14 years. It uses state-of-the-art equipment and dramatic presentations to explore the museum and its collections and help young people discover their potential. It has an Object Cinema located on the first floor. It is a multi-media centre using video, sound and lighting to tell the story behind a single object or a group of objects. The content will change on a regular basis. Thus we see that the management has taken utmost care of providing the most pleasant experience to visitors at Kelvingrove Art gallery and Museum and continuously tries to improve their service. Operations perspective: In visitors attractions operations management can be defined as a day to day management of the site. Although it appears to be a simple task of managing the site it involves many internal processes, which will help to manage the attraction more efficiently and effectively (Swarbrooke, 2002). According to Rogers Slinn (1993) cited in (Swarbrooke, 2002), operations management is concerned with the design, operation and control of the system that matches the organisations resources to customer service needs. According to Slack, Chambers et al. (1995) cited in Leask Yeoman (1999), resources can be classified into transformed resources which can be transformed or converted and transforming resources which will act upon the transformed resources. Transformed resources include materials, information and customers where as the transforming resources include facilities and staff. Operations management mainly concentrates more on using the available transforming resources like staff and mach inery to provide an efficient service for the customers. In visitor attractions effective management of operations will help in smooth and efficient operation of the site. Every one working within the site will be directly or indirectly involved in operation management (Swarbrooke, 2002). Generally operations management deals with real people and real issues within a practical environment. In visitors attractions operations management deals with many tasks like Design of the site. Management of visitors and capacity management. Staff training. Monitoring quality issues. The operations within an attraction site vary depending upon the organisation or its customer point of view (Leask Yeoman, 1999). From an organisation perspective operations management generally concentrates on increasing the visitors opportunities in the site, staff and visitors safety, low operational costs, looking after visitors with special needs within the available resources, ensuring to maintain high quality standards, compliance with the law and effective problem solving. However customers perspective of the operations might vary in different areas as the customers are not concerned about the operating costs, they generally look for minimized delays and queues and safety of visitors, high quality service and optimized visitor enjoyment regardless of costs, complaints should be dealt in a positive manner without any time delay. Many skills and attributes are required for effective operations management within a site like good knowledge of the site its staff and its usage by the visitors, paying attention in detail about the site, planning systems, procedures in advance and flexibility to change them in different circumstances, effective crises management, financial management, being firm but tactical, confidence on own abilities and judgement, seeing things from customers and staff perspective and looking for constant improvement. Operations management within an attraction site is to enhance the quality of visitors experience. Generally the areas which have a great impact might include the way the queues are managed, handling complaints in an effective and efficient way, solving problems quickly, steps to increase visitors enjoyment and their safety to make them feel positive to visit the site. There are constraints on operations management with in an attraction site which depends on: Operation manager attitude, experience, abilities. The attractions organisations structure, culture and beliefs. Availability of resources like skills of the staff and their freedom in order to solve the problems. Availability of financial resources. Legislation, regulations and social acceptability (Swarbrooke, 2002). Financial resources are funded by Glasgow City Council and are ahead of many national names like British Library and Tate Liverpool. The attractions include the opening of the Doctor with exhibition at the end of the month where Kelvingrove will be the centre of scientific universe. Bailie Liz Cameron, chairwoman of Culture and Sport Glasgow manages the museums and galleries said that These (as stated above) figures prove once again that Glasgows collections are of both national and international significance. We will continue to invest in our museums and art galleries, bringing new exhibitions to some of Scotlands most cherished attractions(Cameron, Glasgow News). The operations management should consider handling the operations such as minimize the risks associated with the display of art gallery and museum articles. They (Kelvingrove operations team) focus on the spending of visitors at various occasions. This is handled by museum by placing all the facilities and amenities which all aged people feel to spend money such as cafeteria, restaurant and some books related to history, some articles which can easily attract young generation which are stylish. They (operations team) not only considers these aspects of entertainment of making maximum profits from visitors but also the management should spend appropriately on labour, power sources etc. To handle the cost-in and cost-out schemes equally. They should also need to take care of providing special access to the disabled people or old people who are challenged but would like to visit the museum. All these activities are handled complying the laws and regulations in Scotland. The next aspect is about the Kelvingrove handles several minute things also in a big picture like: facility for car parking, toilets and elevators to be provided. And for the safety guidance, there are many fire exit points where the staff is trained to guide the visitors to the fire exit in case of fire. For addressing difficulties the visitors are facing or challenges they face during the visit or suggestions they would like management to keep an eye and improve better: All certain feedback can be submitted in a separate department for efficient handling of all the concerns. So, The operations management is either successful for Kevin grove as it follows and perfectly implements the functions namely problem-solving, resource management, risk management, visitor attractions, customer satisfaction and last but not the least: quality. Quality perspective: Generally in product related manufacturing industries quality is a product-led concept which concentrates on features and attributes of the product. The extent to which a product or service can satisfy wants and needs of a customer can be seen as a quality. According to Swarbrooke (2002) quality can be defined as the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs. Quality is not only about the outcome of the product or service but also the whole processes that involves getting the outcomes. Quality in visitors attractions is all about offering a good service to the visitors. Quality at visitor attractions can be viewed in two ways as a set of outcomes visitors receive or the processes how the attraction operates. For example set of outcomes might include the physical appearance; the price the customer pays, service offered, safety, reliability and the number of complaints about the attractions. The process es include human resource management, hierarchy, culture style of management, and marketing style of the visitor attraction. When designing quality management systems there are three important questions that should be considered for attractions they are (i) definition of the quality the management will use (ii) performance standards and measurement system to be used (iii) the management systems they need to adopt for achieving quality. So attraction operators should pay attention to both process and outcomes in their quality management systems. The quality management system should include every aspect of management of attraction like tangible elements of the attraction which include buildings and structures, maintenance levels, comfort and security of visitors. Quality management within a visitor attraction can be viewed from both internal and external perspective. For example internal perspective includes the views of attraction managers for whom quality is smooth operation of attr action site and minimum customer complaints, attraction staff who sees quality as their terms and conditions of employment and few complaints to handle. The external perspective includes the views of customers who tend to see the quality in terms of how easy, safe and secure to use the site and the value for their money (Swarbrooke, 2002). Measuring Quality: In order to maintain quality service it is important to measure quality. Among the techniques available for service quality measurement SERVQUAL method developed by Parasuraman et al. in 1985 is the most popular. It is a technique that can be used to perform a gap analysis between an organizations service quality performance and the customers service quality needs. It is an empirically derived method that can be used by a service organization to improve its service quality. It takes into account the perceptions of the customers of the relative importance of service attributes. This allows an organization to prioritize and use its resources to improve the most critical service attributes. The methodology is based on 5 key dimensions: Reliability: This is an ability to deliver the service accurately and as promised. According to Zeithaml and Bitner (2000) it is the most important determinant. Responsiveness: to provide prompt service and willingness to help customers. Assurance: the trust and confidence customers will have on staff. Empathy: it covers care and individualized attention to customers. Tangibles: this includes physical facilities, equipment, machinery, personnel and infrastructure (Fitzsimmons, 1994). Quality is subjective and has different meanings to customers and service providers. From the staffs point of view quality is measured by the number of complaints registered from the customers, the fewer the number the higher is the quality of the service. However for the customer it is the environment and experience of the place with respect to the money spent which defines quality. The aim of the management is always to minimize the gap between these two and hence in order to measure quality Servqual is an effective tool under such conditions. In the following section we will try to use the tool to measure quality of the Kelvingrove Art gallery and Museum using the personal experience of the author. ASSESSMENT OF THE KELVINGROVE MUSEUM FOR QUALITY The author paid a visit to the museum recently to have a firsthand experience of the museum and its facilities. During the course of the visit he interacted with visitors to get their feedback on their experiences. In most of the cases the feedback varied from good to excellent, a number of them were thrilled with the experience the museum offered after the restoration. They were happy that the things were better organized, displays were in order, lighting was improved and overall the museum had improved aesthetically. On the five dimensions of Servqual, museum performed as follows: Reliability: After the restoration work, out of 20000 objects that were made for display, there were 50% of the objects being displayed with a number of nearly 8000 objects as promised. More back space has been provided to the public. Responsiveness: Staffs have been highly customer focussed and responsiveness level to customer discomfort has been very high. This is seen in the visitors rating who have rated Kelvingrove art gallery and museum as the best and rated 5 out of 5(Info and Reviews, Kelvingrove). Assurance: The organisation is particular with the awareness of the social inclusion. I observed during the visit to Kelvingrove that there are many educational activities like: training, volunteers, providing knowledge to the children about the history. Moreover all the staffs are knowledgeable about the exhibits and were courteous in explaining them to the visitors. These are as discussed above suit the role of assurance in the SERVQUAL approach for the museums. Empathy: Staffs are presentable and courteous and are always at the disposal of the customers. Tangibles: All the facilities and art works are neatly maintained From the above analysis, it is evident that Kelvingrove ranks high up in the list of places of attraction in Scotland. It is a cultural heritage and pride of Scotland. Recommendations: In spite of the fact the management of Kelvingrove is continuously trying to improve the service to the visitors there are still some areas where considerable improvement can be done. These are as follows: 1. Continuous training needs to be provided to staffs about the artefacts and exhibits at the museum so that they can provide the correct information when asked for by the visitors. A couple of times the author faced this issue during the visit 2. A few artefacts in the Italian Art Gallery do not have any description about them. Visitors may feel a sense of incompleteness when they dont get a descriptive narration of art works. 3. The day of visit of the author collided with a national holiday which drew a large number of visitors to the museum. However, to manage this large crowd customer assistance staffs were not sufficient. Management should look into this matter and probably fill this gap through part time staffs if not by full time to handle large crowds 4. Management should look into rationalizing the food price at the restaurant which appeared to be too costly. 5. Management should take adequate precaution and strictness when allowing children inside the museum as they were touching art work and might damage them. 6. Some of the artworks and other objects were hung in a manner which was crowded and distracting, for instance, the Vuillard. Moreover every painting in the Impressionist room had a horrid flip chart attachment projecting from the wall. 7. Titians Christ and The Adulteress and the Bellini Madonna could not be contemplated in silence because of the nearby narration concerning Botticellis Annunciation These recommendations should be addressed as soon as possible to wipe off any kind of blemishes on the otherwise extraordinary place of attraction in the heart of Glasgow. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY: 1. The annual reports for the museum are very limited that are published in the website which are not sufficient to analyze the position of the museum in the current market. 2. Few of the managers were providing only certain amount of information and are not ready to give detailed information.

Canterbury Tales Essay - Comparing The Wife of Bath Prologue and Tale :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

The Wife of Bath: Similarities Between the Prologue and the Tale In The Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer, The Wife of Bath seems to be one of the more vivacious characters on the pilgrimage. Dame Alice has radical views about women and marriage in a time when women were expected to be passive toward men. There are many things consistent between The Wife of Bath's prologue and her tale. The most apparent similarities that clearly depict the comparison between the prologue and the tale are dominance of both women over their husbands, the duplication of appearance between the old hag and Dame Alice and finally the reality is that the fifth husband and the knight are very alike in personality. Although there are some contrasts amid the prologue and the tale, the resemblance far outweigh them. To commence, The Wife of Bath, Dame Alice, is dominant over all five of her husbands and although she struggles with her fifth husband to gain the upper hand in the marriage, Dame Alice nevertheless in the end accomplishes her initial intention. Dame Alice seems to be only authentically happy when she has mastery over her husbands. They have to willingly hand over this power, consciously or unconsciously, because without their consent she has a battle on her hands, both challenging the other for ultimate superiority in the relationship. The old hag, likewise, gains control over her husband when the knight places her in the governing position and yet again as seen in the Wife of Bath's Prologue, the knight must consent to give up this power in order for the old hag to acquire it, for if he had not given her control of the partnership, both would have continued unhappily. Subsequently, a second relationship between the prologue and the tale is the description of both the old hag and the Wife of Bath, at least physically concerned. The Wife of Bath describes herself as old and lethargic, "But age, allas, that al wol envenime, Hath me biraft my beautee and my pith." (Chaucer: line 481-482). Although the physical description of Dame Alice is not as unpleasant as the portrait of the old woman, there is notable mimicry between the two women. The old woman is described by the knight as, "A fouler wight ther may no man devise." (Chaucer: line 1005), the old woman also quotes him later as saying she was "foul and old" (Chaucer: line 1219).

Cell Phone Use While driving Essay

While driving through the city you see many on their cell phones while driving. When on the road, or away from my loved ones we always want to make sure that we are in touch with them in case of an emergency. Many state that turning off your phone is key to being a safer driver. I disagree with that statement because your family needs you at any time of the day and that is why cell phone usage should be allowed while driving. Although some say that talking on the cell phone while driving is dangerous, i disagree because talking on the cell phone is just as dangerous as turning on the radio while driving, talking to the passenger, looking at the speed limit sign, eating food, or putting on makeup while driving. Nobody wants to be told when and when not to use their own cell phone, would if you could only use your car when you were told you were able to drive it. People will refuse to be told when and when not to use their cellphones, therefore there is no way to enforce this law. Some say that talking on the cell phone While driving is dangerous. â€Å"Talking on the cell phone makes you 1.3 times more likely to crash than if you were a non distracted driver.† This law should not pass because a driver that is under the influence, is far more dangerous than a driver who is talking on her cell phone, yes there are fatalities when people are on their phones. there was 3,000 deaths due to the use of cellphones while driving, compared to the 10,000 deaths that drunk driving has caused in one year! Every day in America, another 28 people die as a result of drunk driving crashes. (MADD.org) Almost every 90 seconds, a person is injured in a drunk driving crash. (MADD.org) Enforcing a bigger issue such as drunk driving is what we should be focusing on instead of talking while driving. I would have a far more concern driving next to a drunk driver other than somebody that is talking on the cell phone rather than somebody who is drunk. Some people need to learn how to call and drive, some are far better than others at talking while driving. maybe we should teach this in drivers ed classes, and teach people how to be safer while driving. â€Å"TSA’S 100 car study indicated that if a driver takes his or hers eyes off the road for more than two seconds the risk of them crashing is greatly increases the risks of crashing.† I disagree with this statement, because it may make you more likely to crash, but a lot of things distract you on the road such as the radio, food, makeup, people on the side of the road etc. Some say that driving didstracted is one of the most dangerous  things that you can do, but that is wrong in my opinion, being distracted can be dangerous but compared to drunk driving or driving under the influence, being distracted is a very sma ll problem, being distracted while driving is dangerous but in the world there are over double the fatalities as distracted driving has. We should focus more on drunk driving than distracted drivers. Also the intensity of the call matters, if you are talking on the phone and in an intense conversation you are twice as likely to crash the vehicle. But still drunk driving is a lot more dangerous than talking while driving. There are some variations to the texting/calling while driving law that many americans are trying to enforce today that are somewhat reasonable and somewhat not. â€Å" Turning your cell phone off and allowing calls to go to voicemail while you’re driving is key to safer driving† this quote states that you should keep your phone off at all times while driving. I disagree with the fact that i should be told when and when not i can use my phone. For example, would if it is an emergency call and it can not wait? All phone carriers (Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile etc.) need to have a drivers mode setting on their phone i think, the drivers mode would work like this, if a family member or a emerge ncy contact calls you more than once, the call will go through, but if they only call you once the call will be stopped. This is one great alternative to saving lives on the road without taking away the privilege of using your cell phone while driving. People in america will respond better to this new law instead of rebellious actions from the community. â€Å" Letting drivers know laws will be enforced has been devoloped to enforce drunk driving, speeding, seat belts etc.† Yes, i agree that trying to enforce the cell phone law will help prevent crashes, but how do you enforce this law, by talking to the phone carriers to put a drivers mode on every cell phone in America is the best way to enforce this rule. Sometimes you need to take important phone calls while you’re in the car, that is why this law should not be enforced, there are many times in the car when you do not need to take phone calls, surf the web, text your friends while driving. Doing this kind of stuff while driving is bad and dangerous that is why many phone companies should have the drivers mode setting on their phone devices. There are many fatalities every year and texting and driving is not the main thing we need to be focusing on.

Free Essays on Children

Deep Book Discussions Research findings Children construct meaning from their experiences. They are not just passive receivers of information; they cognitively interact with new information, based upon what they already know. The traditional theories of learning are teacher dominated. The teacher transmits a body of knowledge that is assumed to be true. The social constructivist perspective proposes that knowledge increases as learners interact with each other and the world. Thus, deep discussion of text is an integral part of the constructivist classroom. Readers must access prior knowledge and interact with the text in order to facilitate comprehension and assimilate new knowledge. In the classroom One way for deep discussion to happen is through social interaction. Students talking to each other-discussing, questioning, sharing points of view-helps them gain and assimilate knowledge. (Gavelek and Raphael) Students need multiple opportunities to talk about text such as:  · Whole class settings  · Student led small-group discussions In whole class settings:  · The teacher reads aloud to the class. Not only is the teacher's enthusiasm for reading contagious but "think alouds" (sharing of the teacher's reading processes as well as related ideas) model reading strategies.  · In Fishbowl or Hot Seat, student takes on the role of a character in the story and answers questions posed by the rest of the class. This may be in a "talk show" format.  · In class brainstorming and/or clustering, teachers and students generate ideas, impressions, facts spontaneously without correction. In student-led, small-group discussions: Reciprocal Teaching. The teacher models strategies of a good reader-generating questions about the content, summarizing, clarifying points, predicting. The students then take over the teacher's role in small groups as they assume responsibility for leading the dialogue. Literature Circles. Two potent ... Free Essays on Children Free Essays on Children Deep Book Discussions Research findings Children construct meaning from their experiences. They are not just passive receivers of information; they cognitively interact with new information, based upon what they already know. The traditional theories of learning are teacher dominated. The teacher transmits a body of knowledge that is assumed to be true. The social constructivist perspective proposes that knowledge increases as learners interact with each other and the world. Thus, deep discussion of text is an integral part of the constructivist classroom. Readers must access prior knowledge and interact with the text in order to facilitate comprehension and assimilate new knowledge. In the classroom One way for deep discussion to happen is through social interaction. Students talking to each other-discussing, questioning, sharing points of view-helps them gain and assimilate knowledge. (Gavelek and Raphael) Students need multiple opportunities to talk about text such as:  · Whole class settings  · Student led small-group discussions In whole class settings:  · The teacher reads aloud to the class. Not only is the teacher's enthusiasm for reading contagious but "think alouds" (sharing of the teacher's reading processes as well as related ideas) model reading strategies.  · In Fishbowl or Hot Seat, student takes on the role of a character in the story and answers questions posed by the rest of the class. This may be in a "talk show" format.  · In class brainstorming and/or clustering, teachers and students generate ideas, impressions, facts spontaneously without correction. In student-led, small-group discussions: Reciprocal Teaching. The teacher models strategies of a good reader-generating questions about the content, summarizing, clarifying points, predicting. The students then take over the teacher's role in small groups as they assume responsibility for leading the dialogue. Literature Circles. Two potent ...

Deserts Essays - Ecosystems, Desert, Geomorphology, Xerocole, Rain

Deserts Essays - Ecosystems, Desert, Geomorphology, Xerocole, Rain Deserts A desert is an area defined by it has less than 50 cm of precipitation annually. Not all deserts are dry and sandy.Most of the worlds deserts tend to lie between 20 degrees to 30 degrees north and south latitude. North Africa, south western North America, the Middle East, and Australia support the largest deserts, but there are smaller deserts in other regions. Overall deserts cover one fifth of the earths surface.Hot desert climates are hot and dry, with high temperatures, usually around the 45 degrees Celsius mark which inturn with the low rainfall makes life in the desert very hard to support. At night the temperature can drop to around 18 degrees Celsius. With the hot deserts high temperatures and low rainfall amount, it can make life in the desert hard to support. The main way in which animals and plants survive is by adaptation, they adapt to survive in their surroundings. The Australian desert is the greatest example of a desert in which animals and plants have adapted for the ir survival.Desert plants use various techniques to reduce water loss and increase water intake. Many plants store their water in their leaves or another space. When a plant stores water in its leaves, it must keep it their, without loosing it. Some plants have a low Surface Area to Volume ratio which reduces water evaporation. There is another plant which has the ability to twist its leaves, so its thinnest side is facing the sun, thus it heats less, then less water evaporation occurs. But before plants store their water carefully, they must obtain it. The main way in which desert plants obtain their water is by having a deep root system which are extremely effective.Desert animals use a variety of different techniques of avoiding dehydration. Some animals use the fact that night time is cooler to their advantage (nocturnal). Others store water in a specialised area in their body (camel). The Rock Marsupial survives the high tempretures by living in rock crevices, or in a cave. The y found that inside the caves the tempreture is considerably lower, and the humidity is higher, therefor decreasing waterloss.

Explain two psychological theories of individual development and Essay

Explain two psychological theories of individual development and discuss how these can be used to understand the health of an individual today - Essay Example â€Å"He tried to trace current behavior to early childhood experiences including children’s sexual fantasies† (Kalat, 2008, p.24). Erik Erikson’s greatest contribution to Psychology is evidently his take on the stages of Human Development. Divided into eight stages, he argues that for every stage man has definite goals and desires to master to be able to overcome various personal conflicts. The inability to conquer these could lead to arduous consequences in the long run. His theory offers a more practical approach to dealing with psychological troubles. They are specifically founded on stimuli response from the subject. The congruence of stimuli and behavior becomes an apparent main topic for Erikson as a psychologist. Perhaps his dissimilarity lies in the perspective of change attributable to a person that he suggests. The stages, to Erikson, have particular social and emotional conflicts that lead to the paced development of the individual. The person’s inherent analysis of his life, this becomes the main focus of humanistic psychology. The newborn stage, as he suggests, is delineated to trust vs. mistrust between the infant and his parents or caretakers. This where this issue is introduced trust is established. Infancy require parental affection and constant nurturing to provide a positive grounds for human relations. The absence of these factors could lead to a future that may be ridden with the child’s inability to form bonded relationships. The main issue in adolescence is identity. This is particularly so in Western societies where this stage is vital in the formation of a person that could lead to his character throughout his life. This choice is separated between intimacy and isolation. The person may choose to be with others and commit to sharing himself or he may opt to shut out others from his life. A full lifespan gives rise to

Leith Agency Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leith Agency - Case Study Example This is clearly evident in the Tennents Lager, a beer brand in Scotland, wherein it had good market share with one out of four pints consumed, but it wasn't popular among younger population. The question why younger lots were not drinking the Tennents Lager was a critical incident and the challenge was to make them believe that it was their brand (Lieth Agency case study). Lieth Agency can identify the critical incidents in the similar manner by analyzing the product and its marketability as in the above mentioned case. It is necessary to assess customer satisfaction as it is the best lead indicator of future loyalty as mentioned by Hill et al (2003:3). It is further stated that customer satisfaction will enable to know whether their expectations have been met, identify priorities for improvement for customer satisfaction and set goals for service improvement and monitor progress against a customer satisfaction index. Customer satisfaction is measure of how your organizations "total product" performs in relation to a set of customer requirements. (Hill et al, 2003:6). Similarly Vavra (1997:3) states that customer satisfaction measurement is formalized, objective tool for assessing how a business treats its clients and employees as well who testify that an organization is quality oriented. In regard to Leith Agency, the company can assess its customer satisfaction through product survey and its improvement index in terms of sales and its market share after the campaign. This will give an insight int o the effect of advertising campaign on the particular product which will in turn help in assessing the customer satisfaction. Merits of Servicescape Framework The concept of a servicescape developed by Booms and Bitner emphasizes the impact of the physical environment in which a service process takes place (Ghanghas,M n.d) wherein it plays an important role, both negative and positive, in customer's impression formation (Lin, 2004:163-178). According to Lin (2004), servicescapes are an important tangible component of the service product that provide clues to customers and create an immediate perpetual image in customers' minds. At Leith Agency, customers can encounter interpersonal servicescape as the company has to provide few ideas and samples of the ad campaign, discuss the changes required and then strike a deal while completing talks in financial matters. The framework plays important roles as package, wherein the customer is allowed to see a sample of their product or what they are going to get, so that client gets what he wants; facilitator, providing equal opportunities for both customers and service employees; socializer, providing cordial and friendly atmosphere to the customers in the office and differentiator, wherein the appearance and ambience of the workplace leaves an overall impression on the customers and provides pleasant atmosphere for its employees to work (Ghanghas, M, n.d).. The merits of servicescapes as mentioned above like package, facilitator, socialzer and differentiator will be helpful to the agency in developing a cordial atmosphere among its employees and making it stand apart from its competitors. Moreover, a difference in the type of working and ambience is itself a creative thinking which may entice the existing and future customers. References 1. CALT Learning (2007)