Aztec Belief System Essay Example for Free

Aztec Belief System Essay Throughout the history of mankind civilizations have trusted in the existence of a higher power. Although the existence of a higher power doesn’t bear as large of an impact on societies like the United States today, it was the focal point of life in many civilizations of the past. A great example of a civilization that was extremely reliant on the connection between humans and higher powers was the Aztecs. The Aztecs believed that they were connected to the universe by a sacred energy. They believed this energy was the source of all natural events and if it were unbalanced, they would suffer. In order to maintain the balance, the Aztecs performed ceremonial sacrifices, bloodletting, and other forms of violent cultural behavior. The connection between the Aztecs and the universe is evident among their myths about how humans were created. One creation myth is the story of the goddess Tlaltecutli. In the story Tlaltecutli was ripped apart by the gods Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca and her body parts were used to create the earth and the other gods. This event caused Tlaltecutli to desire human hearts and she would not be quiet until they were brought to her. Nor would she bear fruit until she had been drenched in human blood. Another creation myth, and the most common legend amongst the Aztecs, was that the god Quetzalcoatl descended into the underworld and retrieved the bones and ashes of previous human beings in order to recreate humanity because the universe had been destroyed after the fourth Sun went out. Quetzalcoatl ground the bones into powder and used his blood to fertilize it and create humans.   The Aztecs also had a myth that explained how the Sun and moon were created. According to legend, the gods Nanautzin and Tecuziztecatl sacrificed themselves by jumping into a fire, which turned them into the Sun and moon. The other gods also sacrificed themselves to provide nourishment for the Sun. However the Sun and the Earth still had an insatiable craving for human blood, therefore war was created to satisfy the Sun’s needs. What’s interesting about these creation myths is that they all included some form of death, sacrifice, or blood shed in order to create something. The creation myths shaped the foundation for why Aztecs placed so much emphasis on violent cultural behavior. In the Aztec society, human sacrifice was extremely common. This is because sacrifices were the main method of creating cosmic order between humans and the universe. Pubic sacrifices took place at the beginning of each of the 18 twenty-day months. The sacrifices consisted of mostly captured warriors, but in rare cases included children and young women. The purpose of public sacrifice was to acquire the divine forces embedded in the physiology of human beings in order to nourish the Sun, Earth, and rain. Aztec ceremonies consisted of days of ritual preparation, ceremonial sacrifice, and acts of nourishing the gods and the community. Priests carried out the sacrifices, which included many forms such as decapitation, burning, hurling from great heights, strangulation, and arrow sacrifice. The most common was the removal of the heart. The heart and the head were the two most important body parts to the Aztecs. Tonalli was a type of energy that came from the head and determined the shape of one’s temperament and destiny. Tonalli was first acquired as an embryo in a female uterus. The Sun was the most powerful way to increase tonalli. It was believed that hair prevented tonalli from leaving the body. Therefore hair was a major prize in warfare. When heads were decapitated during ceremonies, the city as a whole gained tonalli. Teyolia, or â€Å"diving fire†, was the energy that came from the heart and determined a person’s sensibilities and thinking patterns. When a person died his or her tayolia traveled to the world of the dead, or â€Å"sky of the Sun†. Tayolia gives energy to the Sun, which is why heart sacrifices were so popular.   Giving hearts and heads wasn’t the only donation made to the higher powers. Bloodshed was also seen as a type of nourishment. The Aztecs believed that spilling blood was vital to please the gods and to ensure natural forces such as strong harvests. Another Aztec creation myth, the story of Tezcatlipoca, gives strong insight into the importance of bloodshed. In the story the body of Tezcatlipoca was cut into pieces and divided over the four directions of the world, with his blood flowing into the center. The divine blood redistributed energy to animals, body parts, vegetation, and the calendar. Although The Aztecs believed that by giving the hearts and heads of their victims to the gods and the universe, they would be blessed with gifts like bountiful harvests, strength in war, and healthy lives, they didn’t practice sacrifice just to receive blessings; they also feared that the universe would be destroyed. The Aztecs believed that there had been four previous ages that the universe passed through prior to the present age, the Fifth Age. At the end of each age, the Sun went out and caused a catastrophic event that destroyed all life on Earth. In the Second Age, for example, it was believed that the beings that lived there were carried away by the wind. (AD1, p. 4) The fear of the Sun going out again and ending the Fifth Age is one the main catalysts for explaining why the Aztecs placed so much importance on human sacrifice, warfare, and other violent cultural behavior. In order to ensure that the Sun wouldn’t go out again, the Aztecs participated in what is known as the New Fire Ceremony. It took place once every fifty-two years and was used to ensure that the Sun would last for another fifty-two years. The rebirth was achieved by the heart sacrifice of a brave, captured warrior specifically chosen by the king. The ceremony began at the top of a mountain with a priest cutting out the warrior’s heart and throwing it into a fire. The people in the village would then cut themselves and splatter their blood in the direction of the fire. The fire was then brought down the mountain and the people blistered themselves with fire. The Aztecs believed that if they did not perform the ceremony properly to nourish the Sun, it would go out and the demons of the darkness would descend to eat all human beings. The New Fire Ceremony is a great example of how the Aztecs viewed the connection between human beings and the cosmos. The role of humankind in the Aztec society was very pre-determined. Men were devoted to warfare and females were devoted to the household. Warfare was extremely important to Aztec men because it was used as a way to appease the gods with the hearts of prisoners of war.   It was also used a way to rank the importance and worth of a man. Men higher up in the military rank received more luxuries and entitlements than men of lower ranks. For example, a top war commander, or â€Å"quauhpilli†, was given land by the ruler and could run schools for commoners.   Military service was a compulsory obligation by all free men. The Aztec’s innate desire for combat is a direct impact of the believed connection between conflict and nourishment for the universe. When a male child was born, he is dedicated to the Sun, and â€Å"the flowery death† of the warrior in battle or on the killing stone. This shows that the Aztecs believed that the only honorable death for a male is on the battlefield or being sacrificed on another tribes killing stone. The Aztec devotion to the universe was so strong that they not only believed that they had to sacrifice others in battle to please the gods; they had to sacrifice themselves as well. The culture and beliefs of the Aztec civilization were much different than the culture and beliefs of society today. Human sacrificing no longer occurs because it is considered cruel and unusual punishment. Humans do not believe that sacrifices and bloodshed are necessary to please a higher power. Although there are certain religions that believe that the way humans act bear some consequence on things like karma and where we go in the afterlife, it is rare to find a society in today’s world that believes wholeheartedly that there is a direct connection between human’s actions, the divine, and natural forces, like the Aztecs believed. Science and technology have allowed humans to understand that we can control all aspects of processes such as growing crops and that the gods have no effect on it. Warfare, although still important, does not have nearly as strong of an impact on humans today. Warfare is only needed for protection, to defend other countries, or in certain areas of the world, to attempt to settle religious differences like the Shiite and Sunni Muslims. Today, men and women have the choice to grow up and become whatever they want. Men are not required to serve in the military and women have the ability to do more than just take care of the household. The main difference between the Aztecs and humans today is that for the Aztecs, the connection to the universe was the most important aspect of life, while today creating a family, treating others fairly, and having proper morals are the most important aspects of life. The majority of people just want to make the most of their lives on Earth while they still have time, and depending on their beliefs, if they do it right they will reach an afterlife when they die. The Aztecs were one of mankind’s most interesting civilizations. They devoted their lives to pleasing the universe and believed that sacrifice and bloodshed were the best ways of doing it. They attempted to control every aspect of their lives in order to keep the connection between humans and the universe in balance. The Aztec belief system was very extreme. No other civilization has put so much emphasis on sacrifices, and more than likely, no civilization ever will again.

Background and future potential of electronic marketing

Background and future potential of electronic marketing Describe the background, current and future potential of e-marketing, e-business model, e-marketing process, and different types of e-marketing strategies, contemporary strategic e-marketing issues in Viet Nam / another country. Explain the critical impact of internet and how it changes the traditional marketing in the aspects of segmentation, targeting, differentiation, positioning, product, price, distribution, intergrated marketing communication and customer relationship management. Support your agrument with suitable examples. > Very simply put, e-marketing, which is also called as online or internet marketing, refers to the combination of old-age marketing principles and techniques via electronic media and over the Internet network. The terms e-marketing, e-business, e-marketing strategies and e-marketing process are frequently interchanged, and can often be considered synonymous. Traditionally, marketing has been around for a very long time. Marketing comes in many different forms and has been used in different ways throughout the history, but is really meant for one thing only. Marketing helps to increase the profitability of products or services. Since the day when humans first started trading whatever it was that they first traded, marketing was there. At the time, it was the stories traders used to convince others to trade. Marketing has come a long way since then; up until a few years ago marketing has all been done in the same basic method, but the Internet has changed everything dramatically. The ways that people do marketing and business have changed and improved year by year and now they have become a lot easier to deliver their stories, products or services and get marketing messages out there. E-Marketing consists of both direct response marketing as well as indirect marketing factors whilst using a wide range of technologies to get businesses to their customers connected. The Internet, actually, has brought billions of people from all walks of life together within the reach of any marketer. By doing so they can reach a wider marketplace which is still targeted for their particular product or service. The Internet has really changed the way many people do business and as it continues to evolve we will see even more changes in the way that e-business is being gained. This is true more than ever in the case of Vietnam. Given the fact that Vietnam has the 13th largest population on the earth and should come as no surprise that it has the very large number of internet users also. Vietnam have an estimated more than 30 million people online by the year of 2010 [1] which account for 15% internet penetration rate. Those internet users spend over 50% of the leisure time online, which amounts to more than fifteen hours per person in Vietnam per week. Of these users, 10 million are users of social networking sites, and over 20 million are search engine users. Most notably, though, the value of online business transactions in Vietnam reached 20000 billion Viet Nam Dong last year, that is, 1 billion USD [2]. Also, online commerce is now being more widely accepted by marketers as a legitimate and useful tool of spending advertising dollars. The online economic system for the country is coming. Maybe the only statistics more impressive than these quantities are their unparalleled growth rate. Since the year 1999, the number of internet users in Vietnam has increased by over 15000% from less than 200 thousand users to 30 million [3]. The use of the internet in some of the largest cities such as Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi has even exceeded 50%. The use of social networking sites has also been expanding much more rapidly than expected, with the actual number of users exceeding predictions by over 10 million people. Even more importantly, over the past year the number of online business transactions grew by 900% while the value of these transactions more than doubled [4]. Through these facts and figures, while intriguing in their own right, are much more crucial insofar as they hint at Vietnams tremendous potential for growth. Despite 30 million people who currently use the internet in Vietnam, still 56 million people who are not yet online, and while it is naive to think that every single person in Vietnam will inevitably be an internet user, if internet penetration in Vietnam were to reach levels similar to those of America which a certainly obtainable goal of around 75%, this would be an addition of over 70 million users to the web. To these new users, many would be drawn to online marketing and business, further expanding an already vibrant and robust market. Most importantly, those new users in Vietnam could expand the field of potential customers which can be reached through careful marketing strategies. As one of the fastest growing economies in the world despite the global financial crisis, Vietnams real GDP is expected to grow another 30% by the year 2015 [5], bringing even more disposable income to the rapidly increasing number of internet users in Vietnam, which is a prospect for the future potential of e-marketing, e-business model, e-marketing process and different types of e-marketing strategies. Does it make any sense to not reach out to this through e-marketing and e-business? By learning to effectively employ Vietnamese search engines, being culturally sensitive in how you target a foreign audience, and learning to navigate the language barrier, a relatively modest investment of time and effort may pay dividends later. By simply translating the homepage on the website into English, for example, to encourage people to conduct business with the product or service in English, your page will be able to appear in Vietnamese search engines. With Vietnams rapidly expanding econom y and internet user base, it only makes sense to venture forth into Vietnamese e-marketing. Besides these things, issues also exist. The contemporary strategic e-marketing issues, however, are series of constraints that hinder the performance of e-marketing in Vietnam. These problems include the following: Technology: Online marketing requires Vietnamese customers to use modern technologies rather than traditional media; Cyber crime: Vietnamese does not have habit of purchasing online. Many customers are hesitant to buy items via the internet because they do not know whether their personal information will remain private or not; Quality: The concern that customers have with e-commerce merchants is whether or not they will receive exactly what they purchase, which leads to the solution that many online merchants have attempted to share this concern by investing in and building strong brands (for example: Amazon.com, eBay, Nganluong.vn, Chodientu.vn, etc), and by leveraging their feedback rating systems as well as e-commerce bonding solutions. All of those are attempts to assure customers that their transactions will be free of scams because the merchants can be trusted to provide reliable products and services. In addition to this, the major online payment merchanisms (credit cards, for instance) have also provided back-end buyer protections systems to address problems if they actually do occur. Xenophilia: The preference for foreign products always is a problem. Because of the development process of Vietnam and our inability to produce most high quality goods, specially technologically sophisticated products, Vietnamese customers tend to prefer buying from the more industrialized countries. This makes the development process of Vietnamese industries and commercial life of the people more impoverished. Developing countries as vietnam constitute over 70% of the worlds population, but only contribute about 12% of the worlds industrial production that often boost e-marketing in these economies. Why should this be the case, and who is to be blamed for the structural discrepancy and imbalance? What actions could Vietnam adopt to accelerate the pace of industrialization and the development in order to boost the tempo of e-marketing? It is generally felt that Vietnam locally-made goods are only for the poor, uneducated and those who are not fashionable, whilst the consumption of i mported goods and services is taken as a status symbol for the elite and affluent even when foreign products are of less quality when compared to similar Vietnamese high quality brands. This situation makes the growth of e-marketing and satisfaction of customers in Vietnam locally difficult; High cost of production: Internet marketing has suffered in most developing countries like Vietnam because virtually all production techniques are imported from the developed countries. The cost of acquiring equipments and other inputs used for production in Vietnam to boost e-marketing sometimes extremely difficult to buy. How can marketers resolve these problems? They certainly must have proper e-marketing strategies: The vital significance of developing an effective e-marketing strategy is indicated by Michael Porter (2001) who has said: The key question is not whether to deploy Internet technology, companies have no choice if they want to stay competitive, but how to deploy it. [6] An e-marketing strategy is needed to provide consistent direction for any organizations e-marketing activities that integrates with its other marketing activities and supports the overall objectives of the business. For most companies, the first attacks into online marketing is not the result of a well-defined, integrated e-strategy but rather a response to competitors activities and customers need. After establishing a site for a year or so, marketing staffs and senior managers in a company may question its efficiency. That is often the point where the need for a logical e- marketing strategy becomes apparent. As consequence, the starting point is when a company which has an existing site and it is reviewing the current site and its efficiency with a view to future improvements. There is no evidence to suggest that the approach to developing and implementing a strategy should be importantly different for e-marketing. Establish frameworks for corporated strategy development or strategic marketing planning, hence, should still be followed. Those frameworks provided a coherent continuation to follow which makes sure inclusion of all main activities of strategy development. It could be argued, neve rtheless, that with online marketing there is an even greater need for a highly responsive strategy process model where speedy reaction may occur to events in the market. In 2002, the economist Chaffey noted that e-business and e-marketing tend to use a three-stage model strategy [7]. They are: Strategic analysis: Continuous scanning of the micro and macro-environment of an organization which is required with particular emphases on the changing needs of the customers, actions and business models of competitor and opportunities afforded by new modern technologies. [8] Strategic objectives: Companies must have a clear vision that if digital media will accompaniment or alter other media and their capacity for change [9]. Clear objectives should be set and in particular goals for the online revenue contribution needed to be defined. Strategy implementation: Devising and executing tactics should be set to achieve strategic goals. This includes relaunching a website, opening promotive campaigns associated to the site and monitoring the efficiency of the site [10]. The above three-stage strategy mentioned to the effectiveness of the website in strategic management. Back to this subject, we can easily find out the crucial impact of the Internet and how it changes the traditional marketing in the aspects of segmentation, targeting, differentiation, positioning, product, price, distribution, intergrated marketing communication and customer relationship management. An e-marketing planning programme has 2 sides. The first is the part devoted to individual customers. The second is the business to business component. E-commerce programmes, advertising, sales online support and customer service are all factors of an online marketing programme. Parallel companies compete against one another whilst being only a click of the mouse away. In other words, with the internet the purchaser is able to locate plentiful sellers which sell similar merchandise, similar prices and similar offers in only a short time period. Since more and more people are comfortable with the internet, the marketing plans is likely to continue to educe soon in coming years. During the last decade, the use of the internet has exploded radically in both the consumer and business-to-business markets. Though experts still argue the future of the internet, nobody doubts it is having a great impact on how business is taking place in the 21st century. Here are details about the internet that highlight its extreme growth and presence in trends of the society: The most common products that customers search online and purchase at the store or outlet are car, computer, computer hardware, travel, electronics, books, music, sporting goods and clothing; In 2004, 10% of business-to-business advertising dollars were spent online, the total amount spent was 8.7 billion USD over the world; About 54% email users have responded to an e-mail advertisement, almost half purchased an item; Internet retail sales account for almost 2.5% of all retail global sales [11]. Many companies use the internet for their every business activity such as taking orders, sales programs, service departments, inventory control, communications plans, and production schedulingThe change from traditional communication channels to the internet occurred so quickly today. Marketers and consumers are among the first can get profits from the internet. Nowadays in marketplace, it is a trend to realize that the internet, namely websites, is becoming the communication tool of choice for many business-to-business companies. The internet provides opportunities for segmentation, targeting, differentiation, positioning, product, price, distribution, intergrated marketing communication and customer relationship management. How about the future of the e-marketing, e-business and e-commerce? E-commerce has grown by high jumps and continues to set new horizon line every year. As huge as Google is, it was created in 1998. Google how far have come to the world. Since the Internet continues to grow, the future potential of e-marketing is a much discussed subject. E-marketing is now rather messy but quickly in the near future remnants of the old, such as banner ads and email marketing, are clearly one their way out. In conclusion, the impact of the internet on marketing and industries has been clearly noted in todays world. The presence of the internet and e-commerce is so sweeping that the various applications of hi-tec technology are now crucial elements of a fully integrated marketing communications programme. In other words, the internet opens new horizon for todays marketing world. > Total word count: 2273 (Â ± 10%)

Company Comparison of Customer Satisfaction

Company Comparison of Customer Satisfaction CHAPTER FOUR RESEARCH FINDINGS: ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION 4.1 INTRODUCTION This chapter attempts to analyse questionnaire findings regarding customer satisfaction with the two land transport companies involved in the present study: a publicly-owned company (referred to as Company A) and a privately-owned company (referred to as Company B). Satisfaction rates of customers of both companies are also compared against each other in Chapter Five to illustrate which company provides more satisfactory services to its customers. Seventy questionnaires were distributed to the passengers of Company A and sixty to the passengers of Company B. Fifty questionnaires were completed by passengers of each company and returned to the researcher. This gives response rates of 71.4% and 83.3%, respectively. These return rates are acceptable response rates. Passengers who declined to participates either they claimed that they were not interested in the survey, whereas some other claimed they did not have the time to complete the questionnaire. 4.2 FACTORS MOTIVATING CUSTOMERS TO DEAL WITH THE COMPANY A Responses to the factors that have motivated the customers of this company are presented in Table 4.1 and illustrated in Figures 4.1 to 4.3. Factors motivating customers are divided into three groups: Reliability and Customer Service (RCS) factors (eight factors), Convenience and Accessibility (CA) factors (nine factors) and On-Board Services (OBS) (five factors). Responses to the eighteen statements are illustrated in Table 4.1. To facilitate data analysis, responses to the Strongly Agree and Agree groups were combined and presented in Figures 4.1 to 4.3 as SA/A. Similarly, for the Disagree and Strongly Disagree groups were combined as DA/SDA. The No View responses (NV) were left as it is. Table 4.1 indicates that between 4% and 20.0% of responding passengers declined to express their views. This indicates their indifference to the questionnaire items. Table 4.1. Reasons for choosing to travel with Company A Variables SA A NV DA SDA CA Convenient reservation and ticketing 76.0 16.0 8.0 0.0 0.0 CA Prompt and accurate reservation and ticketing 44.0 40.0 16.0 0.0 0.0 CA Good checking-in service 44.0 44.0 12.0 0.0 0.0 CA Frequent journey programme 40.0 40.0 20.0 0.0 0.0 CA Convenient journey schedule 36.0 48.0 12.0 4.0 0.0 CA Seat allocation 28.0 56.0 16.0 0.0 0.0 RCS Courtesy of employees 28.0 56.0 16.0 0.0 0.0 RCS Employees willingness to help passengers 36.0 48.0 16.0 0.0 0.0 RCS Employees knowledge to answer passengers questions 40.0 48.0 8.0 4.0 0.0 RCS Passengers are given personal attention 44.0 40.0 8.0 4.0 4.0 RCS Neat appearance of employees 40.0 44.0 16.0 0.0 0.0 RCS Safety of Driving 44.0 44.0 8.0 0.0 4.0 RCS Sincere interest in solving problems 36.0 44.0 16.0 4.0 0.0 RCS On-time performance 36.0 48.0 16.0 0.0 0.0 OBS Seat comfort 40.0 40.0 12.0 8.0 0.0 OBS Meal service 48.0 32.0 8.0 12.0 0.0 OBS On-Board entertainment services 40.0 44.0 4.0 4.0 8.0 OBS Up-to-date coach and on-board facility 40.0 44.0 4.0 4.0 8.0 CA = Convenience and Accessibility RCS = Reliability and Customer Service OBS = On-Board Services 4.2.1 SATISFACTION WITH CONVENIENCE AND ACCESSIBILITY FACTORS Passengers (thereafter referred to as respondents) were asked to express their agreement or disagreement with the six items relating to convenience and accessibility factors: Convenient reservation and ticketing (Item No. 1), Prompt and accurate reservation and ticketing (Item No. 2), Good checking-in service ((Item No. 3), Frequent journey programme (Item No. 4), Convenient journey schedule (Item No. 5), and Seat allocation (Item No. 6) (see Table 4.1, Figure 4.1). Patterns of their responses are analysed below. It is noted in Table 4.1 and Figure 4.1 that 92.0% of the respondents were satisfied (strongly agreed/agreed, SA/A) with the reservation and ticketing procedures undertaken by the company (Item No. 1). Only a small minority of respondents showed their indifference to this item, whereas none of them disagreed with it. The majority of the respondents (88.0%) were satisfied (SA/A) with check in service (Item No. 3) (Table 4.1, Figure 4.1), and a minority (12.0%) did not express their views, but none of the respondents were dissatisfied with this service. In terms of prompt and accurate reservation and ticketing (Item No. 2), convenient journey schedule (Item No. 5), and seat allocation (Item No. 6) (Table 4.1, Figure 4.1), 84.0% of the respondents were satisfied with these three items, and only 4.0% of the respondents were dissatisfied with convenient journey schedule (Item No. 5). 4.2.2 SATISFACTION WITH RELIABILITY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE FACTORS Respondents were asked to indicate their rate of satisfaction/dissatisfaction with eight items concerning reliability and customer service factors. The majority of respondents (88% of the sample) indicated that they were satisfied with employees knowledge to answer passengers questions (Item No. 9), and with safety of driving (Item No. 12). Only 4.0% of the respondents were dissatisfied with these services and 8.0% of them indicated their indifference. With regard to courtesy of employees (Item No. 7), employees willingness to help passengers (Item No. 8), passengers are given personal attention (Item No. 10), Neat appearance of employees (Item No. 11) and on-time performance (Item No. 14), the majority of respondents were satisfied (SA/A) with these items. However, between 8.0% and 16.0% of the respondents expressed their indifference to these items, and only 4.0% to 8.0% of them were dissatisfied with some of these items, as indicated in Table 4.1 and Figure 4.2. With regard to the item: sincere interest in solving problems (Item No. 13), 80.0% of the respondents were satisfied with it, and 16.0% of them expressed their indifference, whereas only 40.0% of them disagreed with it. 4.2.3 SATISFACTION WITH ON-BOARD SERVICE FACTORS Respondents were asked to indicate their rate of satisfaction/dissatisfaction with four items concerning on-board service factors. Table 4.2 and Figure 4.4 clearly show that 84.0% of the respondents were satisfied with on-board entertainment service (Item No. 17) and up-to-date coach and on-board facilities. However, 12.0% of them were dissatisfied and 4.0% expressed their indifference. Figure 4.3 also illustrates that 80.0% of the respondents were satisfied with the seat comfort (Item No. 15) and meal service (Item No. 16). However, 8.0% and 12.0% of the respondents were dissatisfied with Items No. 14 and 15, respectively, and 12.0% and 8.0% of them expressed their indifference with these two items, respectively. It can be noted that more respondents were dissatisfied with these four services than with the other items in other two dimensions. 4.3 FACTORS MOTIVATING CUSTOMERS TO DEAL WITH THE COMPANY B Responses to the factors that have motivated the customers of this company are presented in Table 4.21 and illustrated in Figures 4.4 to 4.4. Table 4.1 indicates that between 20% and 40.0% of the responding passengers declined to express their views. This indicates their indifference to the questionnaire items. 4.2.1 SATISFACTION WITH CONVENIENCE AND ACCESSIBILITY FACTORS Data presented in Table 4.2 and illustrated in Figure 4.4 show that 76.0% of the respondents were satisfied (strongly agreed/agreed, SA/A) with the reservation and ticketing procedures undertaken by the company (Item No. 1). However, the remaining 24.0% of the respondents expressed their indifference to this item, whereas none of them disagreed with it. Around two-thirds of the respondents (68.0%) were satisfied (SA/A) with prompt and accurate reservation and ticketing, whereas the remaining 32.0% of the respondents did not express their views, and none of the respondents were dissatisfied with this service (Table 4.2, Figure 4.4). With regard to the remaining four items (good checking-in service, Item No. 3; Frequent journey programme, Item No. 4; Convenient journey schedule, Item No. 5; seat allocation, Item No. 6), 60.0% of the respondents were satisfied with these services. The remaining 40.0% of the respondents either expressed their indifference to these items, or were dissatisfied with them (Table 4.2, Figure 4.4). Table 4.2. Reasons for choosing to travel with Company A Variables SA A NV DA SDA CA Convenient reservation and ticketing 36.0 40.0 24.0 0.0 0.0 CA Prompt and accurate reservation and ticketing 28.0 40.0 32.0 0.0 0.0 CA Good checking-in service 20.0 40.0 40.0 0.0 0.0 CA Frequent journey programme 16.0 44.0 32.0 8.0 0.0 CA Convenient journey schedule 20.0 40.0 32.0 4.0 4.0 CA Seat allocation 24.0 36.0 28.0 4.0 8.0 RCS Courtesy of employees 16.0 46.0 30.0 4.0 4.0 RCS Employees willingness to help passengers 20.0 42.0 26.0 8.0 4.0 RCS Employees knowledge to answer passengers questions 16.0 42.0 32.0 4.0 6.0 RCS Passengers are given personal attention 18.0 34.0 38.0 6.0 4.0 RCS Neat appearance of employees 20.0 44.0 20.0 8.0 8.0 RCS Safety of Driving 10.0 42.0 24.0 12.0 12.0 RCS Sincere interest in solving problems 12.0 40.0 32.0 12.0 4.0 RCS On-time performance 16.0 30.0 36.0 12.0 8.0 OBS Seat comfort 20.0 28.0 32.0 16.0 4.0 OBS Meal service 16.0 12.0 40.0 20.0 12.0 OBS On-Board entertainment services 12.0 24.0 44.0 12.0 8.0 OBS Up-to-date coach and on-board facility 16.0 44.0 24.0 4.0 12.0 CA = Convenience and Accessibility RCS = Reliability and Customer Service OBS = On-Board Services 4.3.2 SATISFACTION WITH RELIABILITY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE FACTORS Respondents were asked to indicate their rate of satisfaction/dissatisfaction with eight items concerning reliability and customer service factors. About two-thirds of the respondents (64.0% of the sample) indicated that they were satisfied with employees neat appearance (Item No. 11) (Table 4.2, Figure 4.5). One-fifth (20.0%) and 16.0% of the respondents expressed their indifference or dissatisfaction with this item. Most respondents (62.0% of the sample) were satisfied with the courtesy of the employees and employees willingness to help passengers. However, many of them either expressed their indifference, or were dissatisfied with these services. Less than three-fifths (58.0%) of the were satisfied with employees knowledge to answer passengers questions (Item No. 9), and 32.0% of them expressed their indifference and 10.0% of them were dissatisfied. Around half of the respondents (52.0% of the sample) were satisfied with passengers are given personal attention (item no. 10), safety of driving (item no. 13), and sincere interest in solving problems (item no. 14). The remaining half either expressed their indifference or, to a lesser extent, was dissatisfied with these items. However, only 46.0% of the respondents were satisfied with on time performance (Item No. 14), and the remaining 54.0% of them either expressed their indifference or were dissatisfied with this item. 4.3.3 SATISFACTION WITH ON-BOARD SERVICE FACTORS Respondents were asked to indicate their rate of satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the four items relating to onboard service factors (Item No. 18) (Table 4.2, Figure 4.6). Figure 4.6 indicated that about two-thirds of the respondents (68.0% of the respondents) were satisfied with up-to-date coaches and on-board facilities, whereas the remaining respondents either did not express their views (16.0% of the sample) or were dissatisfied with this item. Data presented in Table 4.2 and Figure 4.6 clearly indicate that less than half of the respondents were satisfied with seat comfort (Item No. 15) (48.0%), meal service (Item No. 16) (38.0%), and on-board entertainment services (item No. 17) (44.0%). The remaining respondents (62.0% to 52.0% of the sample) either did not express their view or were dissatisfied with these items. On the whole, it can be said that more respondents either showed their indifference to these three items (30.0% to 36.0% of the sample) or were dissatisfied with them (20.0% to 32.0% of the sample). 4.3 DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF RESPONDENTS The demographic characteristics of the respondents from both companies, Company A, and Company B are analysed and compared in this section. Figure 4.7 clearly demonstrates that the majority of respondents of both companies (88.0%) were young between 21 and 50 year old. This is not surprising given that these ages represent people who are more active and more mobile than in other age groups. Forty-six respondents (92.0% of the sample) of Company A were Libyan nationals and the remaining four (8.0% of the sample) were Arab nationals. As for Company B, all fifty passengers were Libyan nationals. In terms of gender, thirty (60.0% of the sample) of Company A respondents were males, and the remaining twenty (40.0% of the sample) were females. As for Company B, twenty-six respondents (52.0% of the sample) were males and the remaining twenty-four (48.0% of the sample) were females. It can be argued that females represented a high proportion of the total number of respondents. As regards their income, Figure 4.8 clearly demonstrates that the majority of respondents of Company A (72.0% of the sample) and Company B (88.0% of the sample) were on the high salary scale of between Libyan Dinars (LD) 201 and over LD350. People with these high salaries, in the Libyan context, are those who can afford to travel more than lower paid people. With regard to their occupation, the majority of respondents of both companies were managers, employees of a company, or government employees (Figure 4.9). Respondents referring to themselves as professional or students were not represented in Company B sample. Most Company A respondents (60.0% of the sample) have been working for periods of 3 to more than 6 years, and 64.0% of Company B respondents were also working for that period of time. The remaining respondents have been working from less than one year to three years. As for their qualifications, Figure 4.10 indicates that the majority of respondents were highly qualified educationally. Most of the respondents of both companies held Diplomas and Bachelors Degrees. In the following chapter, the rate of satisfaction with the eighteen questionnaire items indicated by the respondents of Company A and Company B will be compared and contrasted against each other. Research conclusions will be drawn out and recommendations for both companies and for future research are also outlined in the following chapter.

Iago the Conniver in Shakespeares Othello Essay -- Othello essays

Iago the Conniver in Othello  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   If there were more than one evil presence in Shakespeare’s Othello who had the intensity of Iago, the play would be unbearably pessimistic. Let us examine the character who is unexcelled in his evil ways.    Lily B. Campbell in Shakespeare’s Tragic Heroes expounds on the self-centered philosophy of Iago:    To Iago love is merely â€Å"a lust of the blood and a permission of the will†. Self-love, which is in the thinking of   Shakespeare’s day the mother of all vices, is the only love that Iago respects. [. . .] It is thus that the villain is defined. Will is directed to the gaining of ends set by passion and judged by reason. The passion which escapes reason the leads men on to their destruction is the passion which marks the tragic hero. But the passion which sets the ends and has the means judged by reason is the passion which we have already seen is mortal sin. And such is the passion that has brought the judgment and the will into its service in Iago and the other villains. (157)    Is there any doubt as to how vital Iago is to the narrative of the play? Helen Gardner in â€Å"Othello: A Tragedy of Beauty and Fortune† elaborates on Iago’s exact function and place in the play:    . . . Iago ruins Othello by insinuating into his mind the question, ‘How do you know?’ The tragic experience with which this play is concerned is loss of faith, and Iago is the instrument to bring Othello to this crisis of his being. His task is made possible by his being an old and trusted companion, while husband and wife are virtually strangers, bound only by passion and faith; and by the fact that great joy bewilders, leaving the heart apt to doubt the reality of its joy. The strange and... ...ho Each Other.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint from Shakespeare: The Pattern in His Carpet. N.p.: n.p., 1970.    Gardner, Helen. â€Å"Othello: A Tragedy of Beauty and Fortune.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint from â€Å"The Noble Moor.† British Academy Lectures, no. 9, 1955.    Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.    Wright, Louis B. and Virginia A. LaMar. â€Å"The Engaging Qualities of Othello.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint from Introduction to The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare. N. p.: Simon and Schuster, Inc., 1957.   

The higher the temperature of the sodium thiosulphate the faster the :: GCSE Chemistry Coursework Investigation

The higher the temperature of the sodium thiosulphate the faster the reaction of the two liquids. Information. According to the kinetic theory all matter is made up of tiny, invisible particles that move all the time. When the temperature is increased around or on these particles, the faster they move. Heavier particles move more slowly than light ones at a given temperature. This theory defines the differences between solids liquids and gasses; in a gas the particles move freely and at random in all the space available, in solids particles only vibrate around fixed positions and in liquids the particles have some freedom and can move around each other. Using the kinetic theory we can explain changes in the state of substances as they are heated and cooled. We can also explain dissolving and diffusion using the kinetic theory. The kinetic theory says that gases diffuse to fill up the space around them. This explains how the smell of cooking can be smelt all over the house after a short period of time. It's not only gases that diffuse, diffusion occurs in liquids too. Diffusion involves the movement of particles from a region of higher concentration towards a region of lower concentration. The kinetic theory can be used to explain the factors affecting the rates of reaction, this is an extension to the kinetic theory called the collision theory. The collision theory says that Chemical reactions occur when particles of the reactants collide. They must collide with a certain minimum energy, called the activation energy. To summarise, the requirements for an effective collision (for a chemical reaction to occur): The reactants must collide with each other, The molecules must have sufficient energy to initiate the reaction (called activation energy). Planning This experiment is to discover what affects rate of reaction. In this experiment there are two solutions used, Sodium Thiosulphate and Hydrochloric Acid. (Sodium Thiosulphate + Hydrochloric Acid) (Na2S2O3 (aq) + 2HCl (aq) In this reaction, a fine precipitate of sulphur slowly forms, to measure the rate of reaction, we time how long it takes to form the precipitate. Five of the most common ways to influence the rate of reaction can be explained using collision theory. They are: changing the nature of the reactants, changing the concentration of one or more of the reactants, changing the temperature at which a reaction is performed, changing the surface area of a solid reactant, adding a catalyst. I have chosen to study how the rate of reaction changes when the temperature of the sodium thiosulphate is varied. Before we could conduct the experiment there was some preliminary work to be done. This was to find out what amount of each liquid would be

Global Awareness Essay Essay

The location of the university is set forth in such a widely diverse cultured location and in many ways puts its students in the global platform. In the modern world, where technology has been bridging the world tremendously, and where the concept of globalization and global citizenship is taking toll, it is highly important that everyone recognize differences among different cultures, religions, and races. This brings about ones awareness to the global scale. I intend to take part of this motive and be a catalyst of social understanding by fully understanding the relationship of different state actors within the world; ones that comprises the variances in culture. It is true that globalization has vast effects to the world. This has brought us economic growth, further knowledge, and even technological advancement. However, the cultural differences that come along with this concept have also damaged us tremendously. The most tragic that globalization has caused us are the terrorists attacks and the world wars where nation states opted to resolve their differences in view points through threats and violence. Global awareness can effectively be manifested through a deeper understanding of how different nation states deal with each other. These topics are under the course of International Relations. This course aims to fully comprehend the behaviour of different nation states as well as different global actors such as international organizations, its function on issues such as terrorism, human rights, war, and issues such as poverty, genocide, and environment. Also, it would be very helpful to learn about the culture of Asia. It has been noted that the continent, although is suffering from poverty in several regions, has a wide variety of cultures and understanding the diversity of the continent would give us a deeper

Capital Punishment: A Global Perspective Essay

               Capital punishment is also called the death penalty. It refers to the legal process where a criminal is put to death by the state, to act as a punishment for a crime that they have committed. The judgment of the jury that a person should get punished in this manner is known as a death sentence while the enforcement is an execution. Crimes that can lead to capital punishment are referred to as capital crimes or capital offenses and include murder, rape, and treason. Reasons for capital punishment Some of the reasons that support capital punishment include;                      Guilty people should get punished in proportion and magnitude to the severity of the crime they have committed. Real justice in essence requires people to suffer for their wrong doing, in an appropriate manner for their crime. Each criminal obtains what their crime deserves, and a murderer or a rapist deserves death.                         Prisoner parole or escapes can give criminals another chance to kill. Could be that the biggest reason to keep the death penalty is to prevent a crime from repeating itself. As much as a criminal is sentenced to life imprisonment, he or she still has a chance to kill while in prison. He is capable of killing his or her fellow inmates, or even the prison wardens. Worse still, a criminal can escape from prison and go on a murder or crime spree. Capital punishment prevents this process of re-offending. Those executed cannot commit more crimes. Execution removes the danger posed to the public by the criminal.                     Capital punishment promotes deterrence. By execution of criminals, it is possible to deter capable murderers from killing people. Crime would become more common if there were no means of deterring people from committing it.                  In case the death penalty is eliminated, it can contribute to the problem of overpopulation in the prison system. This means that the number of prisoners being housed for life will increase. This only adds to the problem of an overcrowded prison system and the facilities in that particular prison could be greatly overstretched. Reasons against capital punishment                     Mentally ill patients may be put to death. Most of the capital crimes are committed in an emotional state in which the perpetrator doesn’t think about possible outcomes. Some people are born with brain defects that cause them to act in unacceptable ways. It could be unconstitutional to put a mentally ill person to death. However, rules have a chance of being vague, and besides, one still needs to convince a jury that the defendant is of unsound mind.                  The court goes to great lengths before settling on a death sentence. During this period, there are endless appeals and required procedures which cause congestion on the court system. These appeals and hearings consume time of judges and other court employees, as well as use up courtrooms and facilities. This time could have been used to resolve other matters if the criminal were sentenced to life imprisonment.                   The society should move away from the revenge mentality. This is because a revenge philosophy leads to an endless circle of violence. Society should be made aware that attacking one’s enemy for revenge always worsens the situation. Besides, capital punishment is useless because it does not bring the victim back to life. Hate, revenge and anger cannot cure the emptiness of a lost loved one.                  Capital punishment does not rehabilitate the criminal or other potential criminals. Instead, it sends wrong signals to the society. It does not make sense for the state to punish someone who has committed murder through murder. Conclusion                        In conclusion, capital punishment should not be brought back because it violates the Bill of Rights. This is because it involves taking away the life of another person. The bill of rights states that everybody has a right to live. When somebody is executed, the right to life is greatly infringed. Besides, punishment of the death penalty is irrevocable. Once carried out it cannot be reversed. When somebody has been executed, it is impossible to bring them back to life. Capital punishment should thus be avoided at all costs.                     Any punishment must be fair, just, adequate and most of all enforceable. Society still views murder as the greatest crime, and should be met with the most severe punishment, which is capital punishment. Whole life imprisonment could fit punishment for murderers. This is because, in prison, the criminals are isolated from their families and are confined in the walls of a prison for the rest of their lives. However, according to many people, life imprisonment seems to be a soft opinion to punish capital criminals, and this perception needs to be corrected in order to do away with capital punishment.                   Imprisonment, whilst expensive and largely pointless, except as a means of removing criminals from society for a given period, is at least enforceable upon anyone who commits murder. Besides, the jury members will not suffer from a guilty conscience of ever passing a verdict for the death of a person. From the arguments on reasons against capital punishment, I should be done away with because it is an inhumane practice. References Hood, R. (n.d.). Capital Punishment: A Global Perspective. Punishment & Society, 331-354. Melusky, J., & Pesto, K. (2011). Capital punishment. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Greenwood. Source document