Monday, September 30, 2019

Baroque period examples

Rich in deep colour and intense contrast of shadows, 17th century Baroque paintings tended to show the most dramatic and culminating moments of a scene, whose simplicity and clarity was supposed to appeal to the viewer’s senses rather than mind. Caravaggio’s The Taking of Christ (1602) represents Judas’ treacherous kiss and the capture of Jesus Christ by soldiers. A contrast between defenseless Christ’s humility and the guards’ formidable armour and determination is intensified by the use of light and dark shadows, known as chiaroscuro and typical of Baroque painting.The scene’s emotional intensity is emphasized by the horrified expression of St Mark fleeing out of the painting (Lubbock, 2007). Both Rubens’ Deposition (Lille’s version) and Rembrandt’s The Descent from the Cross (1633) represent Jesus’ dead body, the central figure, being lowered from the cross and surrounded by His lamenting followers. A similar co ntrast between light and dark, although to a different extent, is used to intensify the dramatic moment (Jones, 2004; Lussier).Caravaggio, Rubens, and Rembrandt produced their masterpieces at a time when the Roman Catholic Church was fighting against the spreading Protestant Reformation in Europe. Trying to strengthen its position and authority, the Church encouraged painting representing religious scenes which, along with preaching, could help inspire devotion and promote its official doctrine. Although various biblical scenes proliferated in art at that time, most artists also introduced their own features to the new artistic style.Caravaggio used models when depicting Christ and other biblical figures often introducing dirty reality in his works (Lubbock, 2007). Rubens was preoccupied in his paintings with the description of life as it was realistically depicting flesh of both living and dead naked human beings. The subject of death is one of his favourite themes (Jones, 2004). R embrandt was interested in capturing the psychological aspect of human actions and expressions and showing it in his paintings. His subjects are dynamic and his works fill the viewer with sadness and compassion (Lussier).All three works of art helped promote the ideals taught by the Roman Catholic Church and enhance the authority of biblical figures. Caravaggio’s Christ does not resist His fate, and by showing humility and faith He emphasizes the importance of spiritual strength rather than physical fight and encourages His followers to do the same (Caravaggio’s The Taking of Christ). Rembrandt’s figures are dressed in contemporary clothes emphasizing that the Saviour’s death has been the central event of human existence at all ages.The beaten dead body of Christ is realistic and not different from an ordinary human being arousing compassion and inspiring devotion (Lussier). A realistic depiction of Christ’s dead body by Rubens is similarly compuls ive, and the sorrowful faces and desperate gestures of the surrounding women are supposed to fill the viewers with compassion and make them bow their heads in worship (Campbell, 2004). These masterpieces are simple in terms of subject matter, produce immediate emotional impact on viewers, and make them emotionally participate in the sacred scenes.All three paintings represent scenes from Jesus Christ’s life and death. The composition in Rubens’ Deposition and Rembrandt’s The Descent from the Cross gives us the impression of a movement from the upper part of the paintings to their lower part, as if to enhance the idea of the Saviour’s death and His descent into the tomb. In Caravaggio’s The Taking of Christ the figures are moving from right to left as though through Jesus who is not moving. Caravaggio’s composition seems to emphasize the spiritual difference which exists between Him and the rest of us.The way the figures are represented in al l three works is also different to some extent. Caravaggio did not depict the whole bodies of his figures, but only parts of them, the rest of the space being filled with fragments of clothes, armour, and dark shadows (Lubbock, 2007). Rembrandt and Rubens realistically and with great detail depict Christ’s dead body and those of other figures. Rubens also depicts the ideal human bodies of the men lowering Christ in the same way classical painters did (Lussier).References Campbell, P. (2004, April 1). In Lille. Retrieved January 30, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www. lrb. co. uk/v26/n07/print/camp01_. html Caravaggio’s The Taking of Christ. Retrieved January 30, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www. nga. gov/exhibitions/caravbr-2. htm Jones, J. (2004, April 3). Flesh of Genius. The Guardian on the Web. Retrieved January 30, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www. guardian. co. uk/artanddesign/2004/apr/03/art Lubbock, T.(2007, April 6). Caravaggio: The Takin g of Christ (1602-3). The Independent on the Web. Retrieved January 30, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www. independent. co. uk/arts-entertainment/art/great-works/caravaggio-the-taking-of-christ-16023-744398. html Lussier, L. The Descent from the Cross: Two Paintings once assumed to be painted by Rembrandt. Retrieved January 30, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www. geocities. com/Hollywood/Bungalow/2201/cross/rembrandt. html

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Living the Dream of a Juvenile Probation Officer Essay

I have always wanted to make an impact on a youth that completely changed them forever; to help change if not a family’s life, but a youth’s life for the better. A juvenile probation officer helps to steer youths in the right direction and keep them out of trouble. The job of a Juvenile Probation Officer contains many types of jobs and responsibilities that are necessary in the role of deterring many youths from a life of crime. The job requires patience and understanding, while providing supervision and counseling to the youths and their families to create a rehabilitation plan to get back on track. Juvenile probation officers play an important role in our communities since they are the last line of defense and intervention before a youth is placed into a correctional facility. Becoming a juvenile probation officer begins with enjoying to work with youth and find the work rewarding. It is a good idea to first do some volunteer work with organizations such as Big Brothe rs, Big Sisters or Boys and Girls Club to determine if counseling and rehabilitation of young adults is something effective and enjoyable. In order to meet basic qualifications for most juvenile probation officer jobs it is needed to complete a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, corrections, social work, psychology, or related. Together with a strong educational background and some work experience, the necessary skills will be provided to begin applying for positions. Most probation jobs will require a background check, drug testing, and psychological examination. Juvenile probation officers monitor offenders’ behavior through personal contact, not just with the offender but the offender’s family and school as well. Many probation officers also have to work in the courts. The number of cases a probation officer is responsible for depends on the counseling needs and the threat the offenders pose to the society. Being a probation officer can be very stressful, dealing with clients their families and friends who may be angry, upset and uncooperative. Stress does makes this job and any job more diff icult, but at the end of the day it is very rewarding to know someone made a better life decision. Many probation officers build a bond with their clients and families; it becomes more personal getting to know the clients, while the whole goal is helping the client become a productive citizen. Ever since I can remember my goal has been to get my Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice. I have enjoyed working with the youth and young  adults; a troubled teen deserves a second chance to turn their lives around. Becoming a juvenile probation officer will allow me to work with troubled youth, helping them get back on the right track and becoming more focused on getting an education and becoming extremely successful later on in life; making sure they can stay out of trouble long enough to accomplish these goals . The job growth is also expected to occur in other areas of the criminal justice field, including police work and the private detective field. Many of these job openings will be in government agencies, to provide good benefits and job stability. When choosing a career in criminal justice, it’s opening the door to many other career possibilities down the road. Once you gain experience working in corrections or law enforcement, if wanting to change careers, it’s likely to find that opportunity for a person with experience. Prisons and other correctional facilities won’t be going away anytime soon. As of 2011, the (Bureau of Labor Statistics) â€Å"reported that job growth for prison employees and probation officers will be higher than average until at least 2018.† Overcrowding in prisons has forced judges and prosecutors to search for alternatives punishment, such as electronic monitoring, and day reporting centers. Not only is probation avoiding housing clients in overcrowded prisons, probation is far less expensive, saving tax payers’ dollars. (Bureau of Labor Statistics,) Probation officers must be in respectable physical condition and emotionally stable. Most places require being at least 21 years of age and not over 37; also must not have any previous or pending felony charges. Another skill required is having strong writing skills, because of the large number of reports to write on a daily basis to be familiar with computers is often required. To be eligible for a job as probation officer also have be knowledgeable about the laws and regulations pertaining to corrections in your state. Education and training vary from state to state. A bachelor’s degree in social work and or criminal justice is usually required. Some states require having one year of work experience or one year graduate study in criminal justice, social work, or psychology. Most probation officers must go through some type of training program and work as a trainee for about six months. Candidates who successfully meet these requirements and complete the training period obtain a permanent position. Some but not all states require you to take a certification test during or after training. Also applicants  are usually made to pass a number of tests from oral, written, psychological and physical. Probation officers are very dedicated to what they do. The job is very demanding, not only do they have their normal everyday appointments, but to receive several phone calls an hour, clients that stop in the office needing to speak immediately. Probation officers are strong willed, dedicated, they know their own strengths and weaknesses those qualities makes them able to help others in need. A career as a Juvenile Probation officer can be extremely rewarding, and challenging. Although the position requires a vast variety of skills, the satisfaction of helping a troubled teen makes the challenge worth it. Annotated Bibliography Alpert D. Andrew Internet http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2001/fall/art05.pdf Probation officers who, in some states may be referred to as community supervision officers. Monitor offender’s behavior through personal contact with the offenders and their families. Officers also may arrange for offenders to get substance abuse rehabilitation or job training. Correctional treatment specialist, also known as case managers or drug treatment specialists, assess inmate’s rehabilitative development. They work with inmates, probation officers, and agencies to develop plans for parole and release providing case reports. They also write treatment plans and summarizes for each client. Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists work similar ways with people convicted of crimes. In addition, they arrange for offenders attendance at education and job training programs and counsel offenders. The different ways of counsel are either individually or in groups, regarding issues such as coping skills, anger management and drug and sexual abuse. Probati on officers in some states may be referred to as community supervision officers, minor offender’s behavior through personal contact with families. Bryant Linda These are some of the steps she gave me to pursue being a juvenile probation officer. Have at least a 4-year college degree at an accredited university,  pass a background check that is free of any felony convictions, must pass a drug screen test, You must pass the polygraph test; also I would need to go through an Oral Board Interview. Officers are involved in community, such as religious institutions and neighborhood groups. Probation officers usually work a standard of forty hour weeks but they may be required to work longer or be on call hours a day to supervise and assist offenders. Probation officers may find the job stressful for a variety of reasons. They work with convicted criminals, some that can be very dangerous. Supervising offenders and officers usually interact with many other individuals, including family members and friends of their clients who may be angry or upset. Fieldwork assignments in high crime areas may require that probation officers carry a firearm or o ther weapon for protection. The job outlook for these occupations depends on the amount of government funding that is given to the corrections. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/probation-officers-and-correctional-treatment-specialists.htm (visited April 30, 2013) Many people who are convicted of crimes are placed on probation, instead of being sent to prison. People who have served time in prison are often released on parole. During probation and parole while they are in prison, offenders must stay out of trouble and meet other requirements. Probation officers and correctional treatment specialist’s work with and monitor offenders to prevent them from committing new crimes. They work with criminal offenders, some of whom may be dangerous. Probation officers, who are called community supervision officers in some states, supervise people who have been placed on probation. They work to ensure that the offender is not a danger to the community and to help in their rehabilitation. Probation officers write reports that detail each offender’s treatment plans and their progress since they were put on probation. Most probation officers work with either adults or juveniles. Only in small, mostly rural, jurisdictions do probation officers counsel both adults and juveniles. Pretrial services  officers investigate an offender’s background to determine if that offender can be safely allowed back into the community before his or her trial date. They must assess the risk and make a recommendation to a judge who decides on the appropriate sentencing or bond amount. When offenders are allowed back into the community, pretrial officers supervise them to make sure that they stay with the terms of their release and appear at their trials. 1999 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates 21-1092 Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists http://www.bls.gov/oes/1999/oes211092.htm Social services to assist in rehabilitation of law offenders in custody or on probation or parole. Make recommendations for actions involving formulation of rehabilitation plan and treatment of offender, including conditional release and education and employment stipulations. As guidelines are reduced or repealed, judges have more flexibility in sentencing offenders for each case. For offenders who are deemed to be a lower risk, this may result in less prison time, more community-based corrections, or some combination of the two. Employment growth depends primarily on the amount of government funding for corrections, especially how much there is for probation and parole systems. Although community supervision is far less expensive than keeping offenders in prison, a change in political and social trends toward more imprisonment and away from community supervision could result in reduced employment opportunities. In addition to openings resulting from growth, many openings will be created by the need to replace large numbers of these workers expected to retire in the coming years. This occupation is not attractive to some potential entrants because of relatively low earnings, heavy workloads, and high stress. For these reasons, job opportunities should be excellent for those who qualify.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Business Case for Investment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business Case for Investment - Research Paper Example mme contribute in the investment, what things are done in order the projects can fit with future and current capabilities, the funds and resources needed and the delivery of the benefits acquired. Business case development should be in possession of a sponsor of the business and later all the stakeholders should be involved in documenting and creating a business result of an investment that is complete. Curley (2004) asserts that the business case should illustrate how business results are measured and the initiatives needed in achieving a good result. The initiatives are either any changes of the nature of the business enterprise, processes in the business, and skills of the people, technology involved and competencies. The business case identifies how these initiatives contribute in the business. Risks are needed to be spotted and documented. The sponsor of the business is the one who will make a decision on whether to go on with an IT-facilitated investment. He also verifies if the business case is viable to be evaluated on the portfolio stage. Distinguishing between the processes needed to be followed when getting on IT-facilitated investment is important. The investment category, size of the investment and the position of the investment in the financially viable life sequence are factors that establish business case parts that need more attention (Curley, 2004). In an IT-facilitated investment, the business case considers the resources needed to be developed, a technology service to support the investment, business and operational capability and the values of the stakeholder. The business case is usually developed from top to down. In creating a business case, a clear recognition of the outcomes desired in a business should be the one starting. When the investment is endorsed, delivery of the capabilities needed and the outcomes should be monitored and managed in the investment’s life sequence (Ross, 2001). The components in the business case are

Friday, September 27, 2019

Dominant Types and Seriality in Architectural Practices Essay

Dominant Types and Seriality in Architectural Practices - Essay Example This tendency of the concept of typology to take different shapes and meanings in the history of architectural design methodology has been a subject of debate for a long time. A commonly held squabble against the typological procedures in architecture has been a claim that such practices are manifestations of the times of craft or preindustrial art. The purpose of this essay is to evaluate the persistence of the concept of typology in architectural practices of different time periods and contexts. Also the essay will attempt to comprehend the relevance of typology in the current architectural design approaches, as well as the significance of the employment of classification and seriality in such innovative architectural practices as FOA will be discussed. The impact of globalization on the political agencies of different countries and consequently on their attitude towards the urban transformations will be evaluated taking the example of Singapore. Hence the importance of controlling the individual identity of practice using repetitions and differentiations will also be discussed in order to identify the means of evolving distinct types in certain working environment and under different ethical influences. It is one of the universal principles to reduce human perceptions to certain persistently occurring patterns, regular geometries or harmonies. Hence the debate of typology is not new in the architectural discussions. Likewise typologies in architecture specify and direct the varying requirement profiles of certain buildings or spatial systems. These categories of typologies vary with the scale of architectural intervention. Hence at the level of urban planning the typologies may deal with groups of houses, attached or isolated, while the typologies of building may inspect residences, industrial units, entertainment complexes, etc. Building typology has offered the governing model

Thursday, September 26, 2019

2010 Chilean Mining Rescue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

2010 Chilean Mining Rescue - Essay Example In 2010, the San Jose mine got bought by the Minera Andes bought 49% of the shares of the company. This was a company owned by Marcelo Kemeny and Alexander Bohn (Scott 56). They diversified the San Jose mine in the production of copper. The two, Marcelo and Alexander, were the ones in charge of the company when the incident happened in 2010. Marcelo was the son of Jorge Kemeny who started Minera Andes in 1957, the company that later took charge of the San Jose mine. The San Jose produced approximately 2,700 kilograms of copper daily in 2010. This was approximately $22,000. The production of gold in the year 2010 was 12,549 ounces. Further, the gold deposits as per 2010 were worth up to a billion dollars. This was the importance of the company to the copper mining industry. The company together with other copper mining companies provided the largest part of the government revenue. With Chile being among the leading producer of copper, the San Jose mine was at the centre of private mining companies that were fast producing copper (Amy et al 4). Until the 2010 incident, the San Jose mining company had been growing in terms of it profit margin. The profit margins had been on an upward trend. Despite the various minor accidents, the company had been able to increase its productivity. The change in ownership of the company, in 2010, helped to further increase its productivity. There was a new management and more capital available for investment. However, the 2010 incident dealt it a significant blow (Franklin 32). In the year ended December 2010, the Minera Andes, which owned 49% of the San Jose mine company, recorded a net income of $ 30.9 million. For the same period in 2009, the company had recorded a $26.8 million income. This indicated a rise of $4.1 million in income. . The company reported an $18.8 million net income in the final quarter of the year. It is worth noting that Minera Andes had bought the 49% shares of San Jose mine in 2010. This

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Business IT A Professional Issues Group Report Essay

Business IT A Professional Issues Group Report - Essay Example Improving treatment of depression in primary care requires properly organized treatment programmes, regular follow-up, monitoring of treatment adherence, and a prominent role for the mental health specialist as educator, consultant, guide and clinician. Future research should focus on how guidelines are best implemented in routine practice, since conventional strategies are not displaying any substantial improvement in their impact on patients. *Shifting patients away from mental health specialists decreases costs but worsens functioning outcomes. The appropriate strategy for making care for depression treatment cost-effective is through quality improvement and not through changing specialty mix. *Psychologists managing patients on antidepressant medications did as well as psychiatrists in reducing functioning limitations and were superior to primary care physicians.) *Pharmacotherapy be preferred over psychotherapy for the severely depressed, cognitive therapy, with supportive management. Either medication or psychotherapy could serve as the initial treatment for patients with mild or moderate depression. Our summation is that the idea to turn treatment of depression over to primary care physicians using antidepressant medications

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Education system in Saudi Arabia and the United States Research Paper

Education system in Saudi Arabia and the United States - Research Paper Example Similarities between the US and Saudi Arabian education systems In both countries, the government has a great influence on education. For instance, governments of both countries fund the free public education. It is mandatory for children to attend school in both countries. Education is offered by the public and private institutions in both countries. Public institutions are obliged to follow a common curriculum set by the various education boards. The private institutions are free to develop their curriculum, but the designed curriculum should be within the limits of low. The private institutions have freedom determine the fee to be paid by students for offering the education services. In both countries, the higher education has gone through massive improvement and transformation (Cordesman, 2003). The number of universities and tertiary institution in both countries has been on an increase in the past few decades. The government and the private sectors have been involved in developing the higher education in both the US and Saudi Arabia. In addition, the systems in both countries facilitate awarding of scholarships to students wishing to pursue higher education. Awarding of scholarships is open not only to the residents of the respective countries but also students from foreign countries. Essentially, the education systems of both countries accommodate foreign education exchange programs.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Whether the assumption that Stokes made would affect the Article

Whether the assumption that Stokes made would affect the Incompressible fluid equations - Article Example This volume is known as the control volume. The equation is applied on a number of fluids. These are the Compressible Newtonian fluids, incompressible Newtonian fluids and Non-Newtonian fluids (Gresho 414). These equations are the benchmark for viscous fluids and are derived by relating the Law of Motion by Newton to a fluid. It is important to note the aspects of the Compressible, Incompressible, and Non-Newtonian fluids. The definition of compressibility is important in understanding what compressible fluids are. Compressibility refers to the decline in volume of the fluid because of outside forces exerted on it. It is imperative to note that, there are three basic assumptions that guide the application of these derivative functions to a number of fluids. The derivative function is shown below Application of the above assumptions will lead to a generic equation that has a number of elements. Important elements to note are two distinct proportionality constants that categorically denote that stress is determined linearly by stress rates. These constants are viscosity and the second coefficient of viscosity. The value of the second coefficient of viscosity generates a viscous stimulus that leads to volume change. However, the value is hard to ascertain in compressible fluids and is habitually negligible. It is stipulated that almost all fluids can be compressible to a certain extent. That is, variations in temperature and/or pressure will lead to variations in density. The influence of outside pressure will force a compressible fluid to diminish its volume. In this regard, the numerical extent of compressibility is denoted as the relative variation in volume of the fluid due to change in pressure. Gases are greatly compressible as opposed to fluids. There are two types of c ompressibility. Adiabatic compressibility refers to

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Sports Hunting is inhuman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Sports Hunting is inhuman - Essay Example t is often done as a sport and too many, sport hunting is an acceptable pastime, despite the glaring immorality that it represents in that human take the lives of living creatures for the sake of entertainment. Bearing in mind that modern humans consider themselves civilized because of their â€Å"humanness† among other things, sport hunting is the epitome of inhumanity and reflects badly on the civilization of humankind. Sport hunting does not only strip animals of their right to leave free in the wild but also contributes to the depletion of some of the already endangered species. Wild animals like elephants and tigers have a right to live out their natural lifespan no matter how long or short they are so when hunters kill these animals they reduce their lifespan considerably (Ford). This is immoral because humans strive to ensure that their lives  are  as long as possible; taking care of their health and having hospitals and other health care institutions to promote longevity. Considering that, humans have a right to live out their natural life, they should not engage in reducing the lifespan of other creature just so they may experience a rush of adrenaline to collect a few game trophies (Simmons 4). In the same way, it is not permissible to kill, and skin fellow humans for sports or use them for experimental purposes such as medical research, one should not be allowed to treat the animals in a manner, which they know they would never want to be treated, or treat other human beings. It is also worth noting that in sports, hunting does not always die, as result an animal may be hit by a hunter’s bullet and this might remain in its body. With no way of getting it out, the animal will likely live the rest of life maimed or in pain until it dies of from injury or inability to feed acquire food due to the same injury. For example, wolf hunting in North America often involves the use of traps,  these can hold the animal in agony for hours and even day before the

Saturday, September 21, 2019

International Trade & Finance Speech Essay Example for Free

International Trade Finance Speech Essay International trade is essentially when two or more countries exchange goods and services. Many countries export their goods and services to other countries and in turn, they can also import goods and services from other countries to into their own. Advancements with technology have made it a lot easier for international trade to take place. Communication between countries is a good example. Communicating has vastly improved and helped to simplify the trading process. Some technologically advanced countries, like Japan and China have bountiful natural resources and that has a heavy impact on us. The United States is one of the largest contributors to international trade. Our GDP (Gross Domestic Product), is greatly impacted due to being huge import consumers. The United States relies heavily on products from other countries and we import much more than we export. Not only does this impact our GDP by lowering it as we import more than export, is also has an impact on our domestic markets because we are buying more from other countries. In regard to Foreign Exchange Rates, it is very important to know how they are determined. Considering economic growth within a country is important, governments can make certain that fiscal and monetary policies are in place to ensure that growth continues. Due to the goods and services that are traded between different countries around the world, there are foreign exchange rate payments that are required to be paid. You will see the foreign exchange rate differ from country to country. What happens when there is a surplus of imports brought into the U.S.? Cite a specific example of a product with an import surplus and the impact that it has on the U.S. Businesses and Consumers involved. First, it is important to try and keep imports and exports balanced. However, when one exceeds the other, it is called a surplus. Having a surplus of imports can create a lower price for the consumer, and have a positive effect on the employment rate of the country where the product was obtained. Seafood is a good example of a product with surplus. There are several states, mainly coastal states that have fishing boats out at sea for many months catching lobster, fish, crabs, etc. The seafood that is collected is used for both domestic sales and international export. This allows for several options when selecting fish, etc at the grocery store. It also increases your selection when out dining at a restaurant. A downfall could be that a surplus of seafood, fish, etc could result in a declining need for domestic fisherman to work and this could cause layoffs and cutbacks. What are the effects of International Trade to GDP, Domestic markets and University Students? GDP stands for Gross Domestic Product and international trade. GDP is the market value of all final goods and services produced in an economy in a one year period. (Colander, 2010) International trade is the exchange of goods and services between two or more countries. International trade greatly affects the GDP due to the fact that is we are able to have goods produced outside of the United States and the imported for sale at a cheaper cost than if we were to produce here, the consumer demands will increase and therefore help the GDP. Domestic markets are also affected by international trade as they have the ability to have products manufactured outside the United States at cheaper rates. This takes away from domestic manufactured product sales and could increase unemployment. On the reverse, it could affect domestic markets positively, as domestic retailers could mark up the products to consumers and keep the additional profit. International trade affects University students in a much different way. Suppose there was an increased demand for innovative ideas and qualified individuals to help keep our domestic markets alive? A University student could be a huge asset there. Also, the higher the GDP, more jobs will be available. If the GDP crashes, graduates should probably look for a job in another country. How do Government choices in regards to tariffs and quotas affect international relations and trade? Both International relations and trade are greatly affected by government decisions that are made about tariffs and quotas. Tariffs are the most familiar and most commonly used type of trade restriction. Tariffs are most often recognized as taxes here in the United States. Quotas are quantity limits that are placed on imports. These limits are decided by the government. The choices made by the government as it relates to additional fees for imports and limitations placed on the amount of imports directly affects international relations and trade. The positive side to this is that the government has the ability to control trade between themselves and other countries. This allows the United States to be picky. The ability to raise or lower tariff amounts gives us the power to possibly do business with underprivileged countries simply by lowering the tariffs as an incentive. They can also raise the tariff as a means to end relations with a country. What are foreign exchange rates? How are they determined? In regard to Foreign Exchange Rates, it is very important to know how they are determined. Considering economic growth within a country is important, governments can make certain that fiscal and monetary policies are in place to ensure that growth continues. Due to the goods and services that are traded between different countries around the world, there are foreign exchange rate payments that are required to be paid. You will see the foreign exchange rate differ from country to country. Why doesn’t the U.S. simply restrict all goods coming in from China? Why can’t the U.S. just minimize the amounts of imports coming in from all other countries? To put it simply, it is not possible for the U.S. to restrict all goods from China. This is mainly because there is an enormous trade deficit between us and China. China currently holds a very large portion of our nation’s debt and it would be a bad business decision to try and end relations when we still have a large debt owed to them. Not only do we have a large debt owed to China, the U.S. consumer has a very large demand for products that are made in China. China is one of the largest manufacturers of electronics and other luxury items, like the Iphone, Ipad, Ipod that we have come to rely upon. If we were to restrict all goods, we would not only destroy our economy, but also China’s economy. References: Colander, D.C. (2010). Macroeconomics. (8th ed). Boston, MA: Mcgraw-Hill/Irwin Trading Economics. (2012) United States Consumer Confidence. Retrieved from http://www.tradingeconomics.com/united-states/consumer-confidence.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Natural and Shale Gas Monetization

Natural and Shale Gas Monetization According to the US Central Intelligence, Russia has the highest proven reserves of Natural gas in the world, being this approximately 24.2% of them. Followed by Iran, Qatar and United States (Central Intelligence Agency, 2016) It is good to mention that United States has bigger reserves in comparison to earlier years, because of the Shale Gas Boom, which is not included in the other countries reserves. Table 1: 4 first World Natural Gas Producers Rank Country (Cu m) Date Total World 197,200,000,000,000 1 January 2016 est. 1 Russia 47,800,000,000,000 1 January 2016 est 2 Iran 34,020,000,000,000 1 January 2016 est 3 Qatar 24,530,000,000,000 1 January 2016 est. 4 United States 10,440,000,000,000 1 January 2016 est. 1.1. Natural Gas Resources Very small quantities of Soviet gas had been exported to Poland since the late 1940s, the idea of large-scale imports of Soviet gas into Western Europe seemed to some both unworkable and unwise. The focus of Soviet natural gas production was moving from the Volga/Urals, North Caucasus and Ukraine, to Siberia, which would require additional transportation amounting to several thousand kilometers. (Stern, 2001) The transport problem was resolved by the Siberian gas development of the 1970s and 80s based on the super-giant fields discovered at Medvezhe, Urengoy and Yamburg. With multiple strings of largediameter pipeline being built from Siberia to the Ukraine, it required only a relatively short extension for one or two pipelines to reach Europe (map 2). Between 1970 and 1980 deliveries of Soviet gas to Western Europe increased from 3.4 Bcm to 26 Bcm. By 1990 gas exports had risen to 109 Bcm and Western Europe, with 63 Bcm of imports, was the largest customer for Soviet gas. (Stern, 2001) Figure 1: Old and New Pipelines In the context of increasing demand and declining supply, the importance of Russia as a partner in European gas becomes abundantly clear. The opportunity for a much closer natural gas partnership between Russia and Europe is based on firm foundations (Stern, 2001): Russia has huge discovered resources of gas available for development. Russia has gas reserves of 48 trillion cubic metres (TCM) according to the Russian A+B+C1 classification. Gazprom estimates that it has 28 TCM of reserves in fields in production or being prepared for development, compared with an international estimate of 18.5 TCM of proven and probable reserves in those same fields. Whichever estimate is chosen, it is clear that Russian reserves overwhelm all other gas reserves available to Europe with the exception of Middle East countries. Russian gas production of over 600 Bcm of gas in 2003 is projected to increase to 730 Bcm by 2020 (Stern, 2001). Over the past 35 years, pipeline infrastructure has been established for delivery of very substantial volumes of gas from Russia to Europe (Stern, 2001). As far as Russian exports to Europe are concerned, compared with the position in 1973 when just four countries were supplied with less than 7 Bcm of gas, thirty years later nearly 140 Bcm was exported to nineteen countries (Stern, 2001). Russian gas exports to Europe passing through Ukraine from where a number of pipelines travel west, delivering gas to central and northern Europe. Some lines travel south through Moldova to south eastern Europe and Turkey; others pass through Hungary delivering to the Balkan countries. In 1999, the Yamal pipeline began transporting gas through Belarus and Poland to Germany, providing an alternative to the routes through Ukraine. There is also a pipeline which passes via St Petersburg taking gas into Finland. Another major pipeline takes Russian gas across the Black Sea to Turkey; the Blue Stream pipeline which started transporting gas in 2002 set a new record by laying pipeline in water depths exceeding 2000 meters (Stern, 2001). The next major pipeline bringing additional Russian gas to Europe is expected to be the North European Pipeline (NEP) running from Vyborg in north west Russia via the Baltic Sea to Germany and potentially on to the UK. The possibility of the North European pipeline being able to deliver gas to Sweden and Denmark is also under consideration (Stern, 2001). Figure 2: New Pipelines from Russia On May 2 1, 2014 the media reported that China and the RF reached a 30-ycar gas deal worth about $400 billion. Some sources said the deal had been in the making for about a decade. On Nov. 10, 2014 China and the RF signed a second gas deal in which the RF would supply China with 30 Bern of natural gas via the western route over 30 years. This would require construction of the pipeline Power Sibcria-2. Gazprom signed the 30-ycar contract with Chinas National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) (Reineberg, 2017). The two combined natural gas deals between Russia and China would amount to about 68 Bern which is considerably more than the 45 Bcm the RF provides Germany each year. The gas deals would make China Russias most important customer, second only to Germany (Reineberg, 2017). Figure 3: New Pipelines to China In December 2014 the South Stream pipeline project to supply gas to the south eastern part of Europe was argued in yet another sign of the weakening and decreasing of Russias energy collaboration with Europe EU. The diagram above is available from Gazprom and displays what the scheme would have seen like once completed (Ashton, 2015). This project was intended to reduce risk involved in transporting gas to the Europe by evading Ukraine, much as Gazproms northern gas pipeline to Germany has done. But a flagging political condition means the European units no longer focusing only supply risk and is also focusing on transportation risk. To mitigate the risk of supply, Europes goal is to reduce volume of Russiass supplies (Ashton, 2015). Figure 4: New Pipelines to EU 1.2. Natural Gas Reserves In 2015 Russia`s natural gas reserves (ABC1) amount to 50.2 tcm, which is one percent more than in 2014. The largest gas fields are located in Western Siberia oil and gas bearing province. The growth in gas reserves was provided by gas fields in the Yamal Peninsula Bovanenkovo, Kharasaveyskoye, Yuzhno-Tambeyskoye, Eastern Siberia Kovyktinskoye, Russian Far East Chayandinskoye and on the Arctic Shelf Shtokman, Kruzenshternskoye. In European Russia the central gas reserves are concerted in Astrakhan field and Orenburg areas. In the following graph we can see the reserves and their defined amount . Figure 5: Russia`s largest natural gas fields: reserves About 80% of Russia`s NG natural gas production is developed in the Nadym-Pur-Taz region, Yamalo-Nenets AO. In 2014, three gas fields Zapolyarnoye, Urengoy, Yamburg accounted for more than 40% of country`s gas production. In 2012, gas production was started at the Bovanenkovo field (Yamal Peninsula), and it accounted 42.8 bcm in 2014. It is expected that to 2020 Bovanenkovo will be the largest gas producing field in Russia. Positive production dynamics also featured on Yurkharovskoye field and Beregovoye field (Analytical Center for the Government of the Russian Federation, September 2016). Table 2: Major producing gas fields in Russia Major producing gas fields, (bcm) 2013 2014 Zapolyarnoye 117,5 97,9 Urengoy 90,6 85,5 Yamburg 75,3 62,8 Bovanenkovo 22,8 42,8 Yurkharovskoye 38,4 39,0 Yuzhno-Russkoye 25,1 25,0 Lunskoye 16,4 16,6 Orenburg 16,9 16,3 Beregovoye 10,8 11,2 Astrakhan 11,7 11,1 Medvezhye 12,2 10,4 In 2015, Russia`s natural gas and associated petroleum gas production amounted to 633.4 bcm, which is 0.9% less than in 2014. The decrease was caused by significant reduction of natural gas consumption in Russia. In 2010-2015, the gas supply to the domestic market decreased by 24.8 bcm, or by 5.3%. In 2015, Russia`s natural gas exports increased by 7.1% year on year to 200 bcm. Natural gas imports of the major importers of Russian gas remained relatively stable. A significant decrease was recorded in supplies to the Ukraine. (Analytical Center for the Government of the Russian Federation, September 2016). Figure 6: Natural gas in Russia: production, consumption and exports (2011-2015) In 2015, 79.2% of natural gas production in Russia was provided by Yamalo-Nenets, AO, which is 1.1 pp lower than in 2014. In 2010-2014, YNAO share in Russia`s gas production was 80-83%. In 2015 to 2014 gas production significantly increased in Krasnoyarsk region and Sakha. The largest drop was observed in YNAO (-2%, or -11.6 bcm). Table 3: Russias natural gas production by region Region 2015, bcm Yamalo-Nenets 501 Khanty-Mansi 33 Sakhalin 28 Orenburg 20 Krasnoyarsk 11 Others 41 1.3. Natural Gas Consumption and Production In 2014, the production of electricity and heat energy provided 48.3% of Russia`s natural gas consumption, which is 3.5 pp less than in 2013. Gas consumption decreased by 6.4% in these two sectors, by 2,2% in industry and increased by 0.1% in residential sector (Analytical Center for the Government of the Russian Federation, September 2016).. Figure 7: Russia`s natural gas consumption by sector, 2014, mtce Russia`s LNG Liquid Natural Gas exports and production is developed in a single plant on Sakhalin Island, with a capacity of 9.6 mtpa. LNG is exported by sea to the Asia-Pacific countries, mainly to Japan. There are LNG Liquid Natural Gas plants projects in Russia. The plant on the Yamal Peninsula is under construction, with an installed capacity of 16.5 mtpa, start at 2017-2018. It is also planned to implement projects in Vladivostok and the Baltic Sea and Sakhalin Island (Rosneft). In 2015, Russias share in the global LNG market was 4% (Analytical Center for the Government of the Russian Federation, September 2016).. Figure 8: LNG production and exports in Russia (2009-2015), bcm Russia`s CNG consumption is 450 mcm, or about one percent of the world total. The natural gas consumption in transport is a priority of Russia`s gas industry development. State subsidies for regions are aimed to stimulate the growth of CNG consumption. Gazprom plays the main role in development of the Russian NGV market. Other participants are Rosneft and Novatek (Analytical Center for the Government of the Russian Federation, September 2016).. Figure 9: CNG consumption in road transport, 2008-2015, bcm 1.4. Natural Gas Industry The current Russian gas industry is tightly related to the Soviet gas industry structure as it evolved in the 1970s and 1980s. It was characterized by exploitation of huge deposits and long distances between production sites and consumption centers, which required construction of a comprehensive trunk pipeline network. These characteristics lent themselves to economies of scale and in line with Soviet thinking a unified industry structure intended to minimize costs of extraction and transportation of natural gas. In the centrally planned economy gas was prioritized in electricity and heat production, thereby making more oil available for highly profitable export. The regulated domestic price of natural gas was very low. Natural gas was distributed according to priorities in the centrally planned economy. Consumption of various users power stations, industrial burners and cooking in vast apartment complexes were usually not measured but estimated according to technical standards o f energy needs. The prioritization of natural gas in electricity and heat generation is clearly evident in the consumption structure today; use of gas in the power sector amounts to 40 percent of total gas consumption in Russia (Aune, Golombek, Moe, Rosendahld, 2015). In the 1970s and 1980s extraction and transportation of gas were organized within the Soviet Ministry of the Gas Industry. Then in 1989 a new entity, Gazprom, was established. It got control of the entire Soviet unified gas supply system and was also given a regulatory role. This type of agency was something new an entity outside the ministry structure although it was state owned. When the economic reforms in Russia started for real in 1992, an important element was the creation of new industry organizations. Notably this happened in the oil industry where several new companies were formed and subsequently privatized. In the gas sector the situation was different. The top management of Gazprom maintained that the technical characteristics of the gas industry required a centralized organizational structure. These arguments won over reformers who argued that a split-up of the production side was desirable. In 1992, Gazprom was transformed into a jointstock company, which was subsequently partly privatized. The state, even if it had a minority stake of some 40 percent, retained key control, but generally the company became independent. The new company obtained ownership of all the major physical assets of the Russian gas industry for free. In addition, the functions of the new company were extended to include roles which had earlier been covered by bodies outside the industry: investment and output targets, which had previously been decided by central planning organs, now became part of the internal processes in Gazprom. Distribution to final consumers, which used to be the remit of a separate structure, now became a business activity of Gazprom. Gas exports, which earlier were managed by a special foreign trade organization outside the gas industry, now became part of the activities of the company. In the end, the gas industry became more centralized and monopolized than it had been in the Soviet system. Gazprom did not only get new privileges, it also inherited old obligations. It was expected to continue to supply gas domestically at very low prices, but in exchange the company was allowed to keep a considerable share of the export revenues. Thus a situation emerged were domestic supplies became almost a secondary activity compared to exports, where the big money was earned. Domestic supplies were, however, in volume terms about four times higher than exports to Europe. This arrangement can only be understood in the context of the serious economic crisis and restructuring taking place in the 1990s. Maintaining stable gas supplies was of paramount importance for social stability, and low gas and electricity prices were important instruments to ensure this goal. Gas continued to be distributed like in the centrally planned economy: consumers had to obtain permission to take gas in certain volumes, and new consumers could not freely choose energy sources. Gas was, more than other fuel s, a subsidized commodity and was de facto rationed (Aune, Golombek, Moe, Rosendahld, 2015). 1.5. Natural Gas Pricing Starting rather early in the 1990s, gas prices were in fact increased but from a very low level. By 1996 the average official gas price was around 250 roubles per 1000 m3 (corresponding roughly to 45 USD). But with a deep economic crisis most of Gazproms customers were not able to pay the increasing bills. Many turned to surrogates for payment: goods, shares in enterprises and various services. Others did not pay at all. Gazprom reported that in 1998 their domestic consumers paid for 28.5 percent of the gas deliveries only. According to OECD , only 16 percent of these deliveries were paid in cash. This was the nadir of Gazprom. Then the situation improved: After the economic crisis in 1998 and subsequent rouble devaluation, both Russian exports and the general economy picked up. Gazprom was now allowed to take tougher measures against non-paying customers, and cash payment was widely enforced in the state sector. The companys take-over of local distribution organizations also helped increasing the share of paying customers. By 2000, 62 percent of the delivered gas was paid for, see OECD, and by 2004 Gazprom reported that 98 percent of the domestic deliveries were paid in cash, see OECD (2004). This development also reflects that gas prices had been allowed to fall in real terms: by 2000 gas prices were 62 percent below the 1996 level, see OECD (Aune, Golombek, Moe, Rosendahld, 2015). In the transition from the centrally planned economy to a market oriented system, Gazprom had been given production infrastructure and pipelines that had been built and financed by the Soviet state (see discussion above). Thus Gazprom had very low capital costs and the company could therefore handle losses in the domestic market as long as it kept the export income. But as years went by the need for renewal of the pipeline network as well as investment in production capacity grew. Gazprom therefore started paying more attention to the domestic market, first by devising schemes for payment when cash was lacking, and then, as the general economic crisis subsided in the early 2000s, to argue for domestic price increases: prices should cover operating costs and also allow for accumulation of investment funds. Gazproms argumentation was helped by Russias negotiations to become a WTO member: the Russian government committed to reduce subsidies to domestic customers and raise gas prices to USD 37-42 per 1000 m3 by 2006, and further to USD 49- 57 by 2010, see OECD. Despite the decision to increase the price of gas from 2000, by the end of 2003 the regulated average gas price for industry customers was still low: it corresponded to USD 24 per 1000 m3, see OECD. A plan for raising the regulated gas price to European netback parity European price minus the extra transportation costs and duties on export was authorized by the Russian government in May 2007,); this plan addressed both the concerns of the WTO and Gazproms request. The government foresaw a stepwise increase whereby the domestic price for industry would reach European netback parity by 2011. In 2007, experts considered the plan as feasible even though the price for industrial consumers corresponded to USD 44 per 1000 m3 -the netback price would have been USD 145 per 1000 m3. However, the international oil price increases in the following years implied that the target gas price was steadily increasing because the export gas price was linked to oil. In 2013, the netback price would have been USD 230 per 1000 m3, see Henderson and Pirani, a price level that would have had a detrimental impact on most Russian consumers. In the end the government therefore postponed the netback goal, first to 2014 and later to 2018 (Aune, Golombek, Moe, Rosendahld, 2015).. By 2013 the regulated price had reached USD 105 per 1000 m3, see IEA. Still, according to Gazprom this was not enough to cover investments needed to sustain production in the long run. Gazprom continued to argue that a European netback price should be the goal in order to secure the viability of the gas industry as well as enhance economic efficiency: undervalued prices negatively affect the domestic economy, because there is no favorable environment for promoting gas- and energy-savings as well as for developing high-tech industries. For some years the governments policy was more or less in line with Gazproms wishes: in 2010 the government decided to increase gas prices by 15 percent annually until 2015 (Aune, Golombek, Moe, Rosendahld, 2015).. There was, however, growing concerns that higher domestic gas prices would weaken the competitive position of the manufacturing industry and hamper economic growth. These concerns were enhanced by the significant fall in gas prices in the United States because of the shale gas revolution.3 In the end the policy was adjusted: in the fall of 2013 the government decided to freeze gas prices until, then index the price to inflation, and after 2016 let gas prices grow slowly, see Table 1. According to this plan, gas prices to industry users may on average increase by 3.2 percent annually between 2016 and 2030,. This is supposed to result in a domestic industry gas price slightly above 70 percent of the netback price by 2030. For households, the plan is to increase prices at a rate slightly higher than the one for industry 3.5 percent (Aune, Golombek, Moe, Rosendahld, 2015).. Table 4: s Gas price development plan. Annual growth rates 2016-2020 2021-2025 2026-2030 2016-30 Industry price 4.4 2.9 2.1 3.2 Household price 4.5 3.5 2.6 3.5 To sum up, after the establishment of Gazprom in 1989 the gas industry first became more centralized and monopolized than it had been in the Soviet system. Since 1990, prices of gas have increased considerably but they are still far below the netback price. Whereas Gazprom for years has been pushing for a higher price, the most recent plan for domestic Russian gas prices indicates only a moderate increase in prices (Aune, Golombek, Moe, Rosendahld, 2015).. 1.6. Natural Gas Monetization Techniques The foundations of Russias gas export business were laid during the Cold War. The trade was able to develop despite political opposition partly because West European governments believed gas could be a force for peace and partnership and prosperity. The other main reason has been the excellent track record of first Soviet, and then Russian, gas deliveries to Europe over the past 35 years. With the passing of the Cold War and the increasing need for Europe to develop strong relationships with its energy suppliers, the European Commission proposed an energy dialogue with Russia. In 2001 (Stern, 2001): à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The EU imported 21% of its net oil imports (equal to 16% of consumption) and 41% of gas imports (equal to 19% of consumption); à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 53% of Russias oil exports and 36% of its gas exports were delivered to the EU, and 45% of Russias exports to the EU were energy products. Within the framework of the dialogue, the EU has agreed to recognize certain Russian gas projects as energy infrastructure projects of common interest, specifically: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the North European gas pipeline for which the EU has agreed to co-finance a feasibility study; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the Yamal pipeline; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the Shtokman gas field; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the Druzhba-Adria oil pipeline link. In 2015, the gas price in the major markets fell by 30-40% compared to the previous year. The causes for the falling gas prices were decreasing oil prices, warm winters in the USA and Europe and fierce competition inside the industry with other gas producers, as well as competition with producers of other energy resources, such as coal and renewable ones (Analytical Center for the Government of the Russian Federation, September 2016). In Green Line we can see the price of Russia comparing in Marron with the price of US. Figure 10: The World Prices of Natural Gas (2005-2015) $/1000 Cubic meters Among the prices from the natural gas in Russia we have the cost for the last 4 months in United states dollars per MBTU (Indexmundi, 2017) Table 5: Prices of the Last 4 Months in Dollars per MBTU Month Price Exchange Rate oct. 2016 4,01 1,26 % nov. 2016 4,54 13,22 % dic. 2016 5,16 13,66 % ene. 2017 5,14 -0,39 % 1.7. Impact of Natural Gas in Russia Economy According to the following graph, Russia got for 2013 73 Billon of Dollars, which is 14% of its total income; the other products are oil and derivatives of oil. Figure 11: Russia gross export sales 2013 (Billon of US Dollars) Russia is a major exporter of crude oil, and natural gas. Sales of these fuels accounted for 68% of Russias total export revenues in 2013, based on data from Russias Federal Customs Service. Russia received almost 4 times as much income from exports crude oil exports and natural gas as petroleum products (Metelitsa, 2014).. Europe, including Turkey, receives all exports of NG natural gas. Asia, particularly China receives substantial volumes of liquefied natural gas or LNG from Russia. Lately, Russia finalized a 30 year, for about $400 billion to supply China with natural gas from fields in Siberia, which later will increase Russian export incomes. North America imports some Russian petroleum products, particularly oils that are unfinished, used in refineries. Although Russia exports less crude oil and less natural gas than it consumes locally, domestic sales of crude oil and natural gas are lower in value than exports because of the vertical integration of the NG and oil industry and also the subsidized domestic prices (Metelitsa, 2014). Almost all Russian oil firms are vertically integrated, owning oil fields and refineries that process crude oil, giving them power in making decisions and regulating price. That is why, these firms can sell crude oil directly to their own refineries at very low prices. Domestic natural gas prices are subsidized too, forcing Russian companies to use export revenue to fund investment in new infrastructure and projects. The energy agency estimates that Russian domestic sales of natural gas and crude oil were nearly about $20 billion in 2013 (Metelitsa, 2014). Although revenue from local sales of crude oil and natural gas in the year 2003 was significantly low than revenue from exports. (Metelitsa, 2014). Oil and natural gas activities make up a large portion of Russias federal budget. According to the Ministry of Finance, 50% of Russias federal budget revenue in 2013 came from mineral extraction taxes and export customs duties on oil and natural gas (Metelitsa, 2014).. 1.8. Future of Natural Gas in Russia and its global impact Gas demand across Europe increased highly over the past 30 years, most of it used for power generation shaped by environmental and commercial advantages enjoyed by gas à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ is the key to continued growth over the next several decades. Imports of gas will be needed increasingly as Europes indigenous supply declines and Russia is in a very good position to expand its market share due to its resource endowment, established infrastructure and markets, and track record as a secure supplier (Stern, 2001). These advantages have been recognised and reinforced politically by an energy partnership between the EU and Russia which recognizes Russias growing role as a source of energy and its contribution particularly in terms of gas and oil supplies. In summary, the Russian contribution to European energy balances both oil and gas is substantial

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Labelling Theory Essay -- Psychology, Deviant Behavior

The main aim of this essay is to describe two general theories of offending and then consider the extent to which they explain youth offending. This essay will firstly outline the context of the labelling theory then go on to discuss the way in which a label becomes a person’s master status in life. The essay will then compare the differences with primary and secondary deviance and define the term self fulfilling prophecy. The second stage of the essay will describe the learning theory, explaining the background including all the terms, classical conditioning, operant conditioning and social learning theory. Furthermore, it will then go on to explore the research and describe the extent to which both theories explain youth offending. Finally, the essay will compare and contrast the two theories and evaluate any of the assets or implications. The labelling theory became dominant within society during the 1940’s and 1950’s, when a group of graduate students from the Chicago school tried a different approach to applying theory to deviant behaviour. Within this group was a highly influential young man, Howard S.Becker who became the person most recognised for his work with the labelling of crime (Williams.F. McShaneM. 2010.p110). Becker argued that labels could be applied through the social reaction of others when a deviant or criminal act had been committed he stated that â€Å"Labelling is the process of identifying, categorising and stereotyping social categories such as delinquents† (Davies.M.et.al.2010.p30). When an individual becomes labelled a criminal, people do not consider all the praiseworthy things they may have done previously, they just see that they have committed some form of deviance and are now judged within societ... ...more stimulus for the individual to learn from (Williams.F. McShane.M.2010.p241). Furthermore, deviance within the labelling theory is defined through society’s norms and value’s, where as the deviance within the learning theory is imitation of deviance from society. To conclude this essay, it would be safe to say that the labelling theory and the learning theory both have great powers over young people’s lives, possibly because of their vulnerability and the way they perceive different behaviour within society. With criminal and deviant acts being formed and constructed by society, then behaviour displayed by a young person will inevitably be labelled if they do not live up to the norms and value’s that are in place. However, as the essay explains young people will gather characteristics of deviance from society’s influential structures.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Philosophy of Education Essay example -- Philosophy of Teaching Statem

Philosophy As Abigail Adams once said, â€Å"Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attained to with diligence.† Just as students learn with ardor and diligence, teaching is also a profession learned with ardor and diligence to achieve excellence as a teacher in today’s classroom. As I have grown up in a family thriving with teachers, I have seen both lessons taught and lessons learned. Children can offer a unique reward; to see a child learn is an accomplishing and satisfying feeling. To teach is to be an intellectualist, dramatist, psychologist, and many other titles. Only teaching offers this wide range of possibilities—and what exciting possibilities these are! Teaching styles differ among educators, and it should be the goal of aspiring teachers to analyze themselves to become the best teachers as possible. Imagine a patchwork quilt full of variation in size, color, texture, and detail in every different piece. This picture is what surfaces in my mind when I think of the nature of students in today’s world. If the quilt represents a classroom, each piece represents a student with different inter-weavings, but similar ties among themselves. My job, as teacher, is to recognize each piece just as unique and contributing as the one beside it. We must remember that each child is shaped differently, both internally and externally, and affected by circumstances that not all may experience. Their nature should be inquisitive and attentive; however, these qualities are not always the case in students today. It is the teacher’s duty to mold his or her students to be better and reach higher in school. It is the teacher’s duty to understand that each child has a different nature and... ...s public education system requires leaders to take children into the new millennium. This new time period will hold many challenges for our children, and the instruction they will require must be from charismatic and caring teachers. Each philosophy molds the way that teachers feel about teaching and teachers, in turn, must mold their students carefully to face many different challenges. Although I believe in the basic attitude of an essentialist, I also believe that teachers must inspire and arouse curiosity in their students. As Anatole France best describes it, â€Å"The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards.† I hope to be that type of teacher who awakens my students to new ideas and remains in their minds as a great inspirer for not only school, but for life as well.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Journal of Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction in Transportation Essay

International Journal for Quality research UDK- 656.025.2:658.56 Short Scientific Paper (1.03) SERVICE QUALITY AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTS Filipa Fonseca1) Sofia Pinto1) Carlos Brito2) 1) Faculty of Economics and Management, Catholic University of Portugal, Portugal 2) Faculty of Economics, University of Porto, Portugal Abstract: The objective of the paper is to identify the determinants of service quality as well as its impact on the satisfaction of public transport commuters. The paper explores the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction in a public transport service taking into account both internal and external perspectives. In order to analyse this relationship, the concepts of service quality, consumer satisfaction and dissatisfaction are assessed. A model of analysis is developed aiming at explaining this relationship and guiding the empirical study. This is based on an exploratory case study of a metro company in Europe. The results of the study put in evidence two key findings. The first is related to the level of service quality in its main dimensions. We conclude that reliability, security, speed, comfort and punctuality are quality dimensions of greater importance for the public transport services. Secondly, the study explores satisfaction and their determinants. Despite literature stipulates the existence of a distinction between the constructs of quality and satisfaction, this study found that the transport company, non-customers and customers clearly do not make such a distinction. Keywords: service quality, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, public transport 1. INTRODUCTION Marketing researchers have, for a long time, recognized the importance of service quality as well as consumer satisfaction. Significant investigation has been conducted in both fields, particularly in services (cf. Andreassen, 1995; Edvardsson, 1998; Friman e Garling, 2001; Higgs et al., 2005). However, few studies have explored the both sides of the service process: operations (the internal side) and customer (the external side) perspectives of quality and satisfaction. In the public sector this is likely to be of particular interest. Public services, such as public transportation, have to meet the needs of the customers playing, at the same  time, a role in economic and urban sustainability. They challenge operations to deliver quality to serve customers and non-customers while making the best use of company resources. Read more:  Investigation Into Customer Service The objective of this article is to identify the determinants of service quality and its impact on the satisfaction of public transport commuters. It is divided into five sections beyond this introductory section. It begins with a review of the literature that synthesizes and discusses some concepts considered relevant for the research. Then it addresses the methodology used in the study, as well as a number of considerations about the quality of the research design. The next section presents the findings, which are followed by a discussion of possible implications. Finally, the paper ends with the main conclusions, managerial implications and some suggestions for further research. 2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND The theoretical background is developed around three major issues: quality, satisfaction and dissatisfaction. In the management context, the word quality can be used to refer to different things: accordance with the specifications (Levitt, 1972; Juran and Gryna, 1991); excellence (Garvin, 1984); accordance with the requirements, adequacy of use, prevention of losses, or how to answer to or to exceed consumer expectations (Grà ¶nroos, 1984, Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry, 1985, 1988). Through such a variety of concepts, the common point of most of the definitions, exception for the first one, is that of targeting the consumer. In this research, quality is presented in the perspective of perceived quality because it is the most commonly used in the services area. Moreover, the research led to a better understanding of the existence or the non-existence of differences between quality and satisfaction. These arguments were enriched by the literature review of each theme, particularly satisfaction which is presented next. Literature about satisfaction has to be adapted to the context which is to be studied. Customer satisfaction is seen as an answer to completion and fulfilment of needs (Oliver, 1996); a psychological state (Howard and Sheth, 1969) and as an assessment of overall evaluation (Westbrook, 1987). Moreover, consumer satisfaction is seen as a cognitive response (Bolton and Drew, 1991; Tse and Wilton, 1988), an emotional answer (Cadotte and Turgeon, 1988; Halstead, Hartman and Schmit, 1994; Westbrook and Reilly, 1983) and as a result of a Vol.4, No. 2, 2010 125 development process (Oliver and De Sarbo, 1988; Tse and Wilton, 1988; Swan, 1992; Erevelles and Leavitt, 1992). Although literature encompasses diverse meanings for satisfaction, they all share common elements. When examined as a whole, three general components can be identified: (i) consumer satisfaction is a cognitive and emotional reaction; (ii) the reaction belongs to a particular focus, (iii) the reaction occurs in a particular period (after consumption, after choice based on experience and expressed before and after choice, after consumption, after extensive experience of using). From the literature it also seems that there is not a general consensus regarding the nature of this concept. If some authors argue that consumer satisfaction results from a specific transaction that occurs at a given time and by the benefits and value of the transaction, others see consumer satisfaction in terms of cumulative overall satisfaction, based on all contacts and experiences with a company and the client’s experience until a certain moment. Literature on customer satisfaction also clarifies the concept of dissatisfaction. For some researchers, these two concepts are totally different while for others, dissatisfaction is on one end and satisfaction is on the other end of the same continuous line, and it is stated that some of the determinants are primarily a source of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. So, this study also intends to make clear the differences between the two concepts. Dissatisfaction has been the focus of extensive research in the services area (Swan and Combs, 1976; Maddox, 1981; Cadotte and Turgeon, 1988; Johnston, 1995; Edvardsson, 1992, 1998, Liljander, 1999). From the literature, once again, contradictions amongst authors tend to arise. According to some researchers satisfaction and dissatisfaction are two different concepts, that is, the consumer can be satisfied or dissatisfied according to the level of received quality. However, for some other authors, the two concepts are not opposing,  but rather a continuum, in that, some determinants tend to be, firstly a source of satisfaction and others a source of dissatisfaction. A number of studies (cf. Edvardsson, 1998) have focused on how passengers of public transport value quality factors, and the final result provides a measure of the value of different factors and ranks them. Nevertheless, there are not significant studies about satisfaction in public transports, especially in metro services. Another gap in literature is that most studies analise customers, but leave non-customers aside. Furthermore, most studies use an external analisys based on surveyss. Finally, the majority of the literature does not execute further analyses about the correlation between customer satisfaction and insatisfaction. 3. FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYSIS In this research the process of data analysis began before its collection, by developing the research questions and model of analysis. The model of analysis developed would examine how quality relates to satisfaction and how this relationship takes place in a public transport services company. To ensure coherence and reliability of the empirical data, the elements which were under investigation and their respective variables were defined, as outlined and presented in Figure 1. Dissatisfaction (Johnston,1995) (Bo Evardson, 1996) Customer Satisfaction (Tse e Wilton, 1988) (Rust e Oliver, 1994) Zone of Tolerance (Berry e Parasuraman,1991) (Johnston, 1994) Personal Needs Experiencied Quality Technical Functional (Grà ¶nroos, 1982) Perceived Quality (Grà ¶nroos, 1982) Suggest Positioning Expectations (Teas, Boulding, Oliver, 1993) Pass-Word Beliefs Consumer Comunication Quality Dimensions: †¢ Reliability †¢Security †¢ Speed †¢Confort †¢Pontuality (Parasuraman, Berry, Zeithaml, 1885) Past Experience Figure 1 – Framework for Analysis 126 F. Fonseca , S. Pinto , C. Brito According to this diagram, the relationship between quality and satisfaction may be understood through a clarification of how customers evaluate the dimensions of quality. The zone of tolerance appears to be used as a unifying link between expectations, performance and results. Previous service marketing challenges have prompted some research questions about the relationship between quality and satisfaction, specifically:RQ1: In public transportation services, what are the determinants of service quality that influence perceived quality?RQ2: How does the perceived quality influence satisfaction and dissatisfaction of commuters in public services transports?Performance evaluations lead to an overall evaluation of service satisfaction, the results of which can be resumed to either satisfaction or dissatisfaction in general terms. The zone of tolerance emerged as important in the understanding of the relationship between quality and satisfaction. 4. METHODOLOGY The research clarifies the key dimensions of services quality that influence customers’ perceived quality. It also explains how the perceived quality influences customers’ satisfaction and dissatisfaction. In addition, the study explores and expands on findings or current theories about the differences and the relationship between satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Evidence was found that there are two different realities in the market: the customers’ and the non-customers’ complex perceptions. Finally, the research identifies the relevance of the zone of tolerance and its relationship with quality and satisfaction. The use of a case study approach seemed to be appropriate in this research. Within qualitative methodologies, a case study strategy was adopted, based on the interaction between theory and empirical data. Yin (1994) defines case study as an empirical study that investigates a contemporary phenomenon in real life context, especially when the boundaries between the phenomenon and context are not clearly evident. In terms of features associated with the processes under study, it seems  important to focus on contexts in which the phenomena developed. Moreover, this method allows the focus on perception processes more than outcomes, and how the participants interpret their experiences and give them meaning. Exploratory and â€Å"how† questions are being posed, and the researcher is focused on a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context (Yin, 1994). The research objective was to describe and understand processes and relationships in a consumer services organization. Attention was drawn to the processes, which was the study’s unit of analysis. The focus of analysis of this research was teams, groups and departments.Data was collected by both interviews and focus groups, as well as through documents. The interviews focused on the company’s perspective of quality and customer satisfaction, while the focus groups with customers and non-customers provided the market’s point of view. The interviews included people from different functional areas (operations and marketing) and hierarchical levels (executive vicepresident, director of technical systems, director of marketing and communication, manager of operational safety, lawyer and supervision of securities and marketing manager – processing of complaints and suggestions). In addition to the interviews, focus groups were conducted outside the company with customers and non-customers. The main objectives of the focus groups were to identify the most important determinants of satisfaction and dissatisfaction of both customers and non-customers, and to obtain or draw up a list of the determinants considered most relevant and most often expressed by the participants. Specifically, the analyzed documents consisted of: annual company reports, market research reports on service quality and satisfaction and internal memos. A pilot focus group was carried out to test the discussion guide and the survey. Subsequently, four focus groups were made. There were a total of 26 people involved (men and women). The age range of the participants selected was 13-35 years of age, this because prior studies had indicated that 65 percent of the commuters using the metropolitan were within this age range. The selection criteria used aimed at selecting participants consisting of customers who use the metropolitan, at least once a week and non-customers who had never used this transport service. The focus groups were recorded and handwritten transcription notes were taken for later analysis. The focus sessions were  divided in two distinct parts. Initially, the discussion focused on the reasons that would lead customers to use or not use the metropolitan. Subsequently, the focus was shifted towards the determinants of satisfaction and dissatisfaction and on the characteristics that are most valued in this service. The process of analysis and interpretation of data began with the transcription of the interviews and group focus. All of this met with the objectives of the research, including with comparing and contrasting the different views of stakeholders on issues of the research and allowed for individual analysis and comparisons of the case study. Data was also analyzed and grouped, then codified and reduced employing a systematic approach that complies with that proposed by Miles and Huberman (1994). 5. RESULTS AND FINDINGS The study focused on a company created in 1993 to operate a light rail system in the second largest city of a European country. For a matter of confidentiality, it will 127 F. Fonseca , S. Pinto , C. Brito be called Metro Europe. This is a network of electrified railways that goes underground in the city centre, and above the surface in the suburbs. It is divided into five separate lines (with seven services, including an express service) spread over six municipalities in the city metropolitan area. It comprises a total of 68 stations spread over 60 kilometres of commercial lines, with 8 kilometres of underground network. In 2008, this company employed about 120 people and carried 40 million commuters. Metro Iberia is a player in a context of a strong competition and is one of the companies responsible for the operations of public transport in the metropolitan area. The analysis of this mass consumer service follows in the next section. The study results point out two main perspectives. One related to the level of service quality in its main dimensions. It was concluded that reliability, security, speed, comfort and punctuality are the quality dimensions of greater importance for the public transport services company. Secondly, the study explores satisfaction and their determinants. The results showed that the dimensions of satisfaction for the company were exactly the same as  those of dimensions of service quality, in particular, security, reliability, comfort and speed. This analysis shows us that the company does not distinguish quality from satisfaction. Evidently, it seems that the dimensions of quality and the determinants of satisfaction are identical. There appears to be no clear difference between quality and satisfaction, findings that are no surprising. The main objective of this research is to understand the relationship between quality and satisfaction. It was found that the organization under study does not make a distinction between these two concepts. Therefore focus groups with the company’s customers were also conducted and undertaken. The objective would be to determine and discover the main determinants of satisfaction, comparing them with results obtained in the organization. In the focus groups it was found that commuters value exactly the same determinants of satisfaction as those advanced by the company, in particular comfort, punctuality, speed and reliability. One exception is safety, the conclusion being that customers assume from the outset that the metropolitan is safe. This is in line with the Johnston’s (ref?) argument about the hygienic factors having potential for dissatisfaction instead of satisfaction. The results also helped to further understand the views of noncustomers, from which we can conclude that the most mentioned determinants were reliability, comfort and cleanliness, security and punctuality. For these reasons it is concluded that despite the literature’s stipulation of the existence of a distinction between the constructs of quality and satisfaction, this study found that the company, non-customers and customers clearly do not make such a distinction. It seems that business, customers and non-customers all use the dimensions of quality to describe satisfaction. A more careful analysis of the case leads to the conclusion that quality and satisfaction are not entirely distinct and there is also a relationship between the two concepts. The relationship between quality and satisfaction exists when satisfaction is guaranteed. Their ability to meet the needs of the consumer with the service, must take into account the quality of service and its dimensions. Another view shown in this paper was the distinction between satisfaction and dissatisfaction. The study acknowledges that for non-customers satisfaction and dissatisfaction are opposing concepts. Moreover, the determinants of dissatisfaction are exactly the opposite of satisfaction, namely: reliability/failure to comply with schedules; comfort and cleanliness/discomfort and dirt; security/insecurity; punctuality/failure to comply with schedules. An interesting finding is that, these results are in line with literature. For customers there is no such relationship between satisfaction and dissatisfaction; dissatisfaction in this case is commonly associated with the technical aspects of the service. It is therefore not clear to customers that satisfaction is the opposite of dissatisfaction. While for the company, the conclusion is that these concepts are contrary, when referring to cofort/discomfort; security/insecurity at night/delays and robberies. Finally, the results for customers and noncustomers tolerance zones were examined. The paper confirms that customers have a greater tolerance zone towards the service than non-customers. In other words, non-customers are less tolerant to failures than customers. This conclusion is evidenced by the customers when they say that in the event of failures or problems with the service, such as delays, lack of cleanliness and lighting, or lack of seating, these reasons alone would not lead to abandoning the service. It is concluded that in the case of customers there may be some oscillation in the levels of satisfaction (very satisfied, satisfied, unsatisfied) within the zone of tolerance. Non-customers are less tolerant. In these discussion groups’ several situations or scenarios of dissatisfaction emerged that would cause abandoning the service, including failure to comply with the vehicle schedules, frequency of carriages and disabled access to the stations. 6. CONCLUSIONS This study answering RQ1 expands on existing knowledge by identifying that service quality dimensions serve as points of departure for companies to develop action plans and strategies that generate perceptions of quality by customers. Thus, for each type of service there may be a specific set of different dimensions of quality, in that they assume different orders of priority. Additionally there is yet another 128 F. Fonseca , S. Pinto , C. Brito possibility that each organization may have dimensions that are specific to each/its sector. The classification of the service quality dimensions is important because each one brings different approaches, which help the managers of the companies providing services to understand the importance of each dimension and their impact on customer satisfaction. The empirical data of this case indicates that reliability, safety, speed, comfort and punctuality are the dimensions of service quality which the organization believes most influence the perceived quality. This study also clarified and thus contributes to identify the key dimensions of service quality that influence the perceived quality service, in a specific means of public transportation. Furthermore, this study shows that if the dimensions of service quality are assured then the customers achieve a degree of satisfaction and dissatisfaction in accordance with their needs, answering RQ2. The research results also showed that depending on the subway line that is used by a particular customer, he/she usually chooses the same dimension as a priority, according to the satisfaction of his/her needs. The research results showed that a client that uses for example the yellow line gives preference to the quality dimensions of frequency and speed, since the choice of this line indicates the need to get to the city centre quickly. The customers who already choose the red line value the dimension of comfort, because it is a line with a more extensive network, which is important for the customer who wants to get a seat. From this we can conclude that if the principal dimensions of quality for customers are guaranteed, they will be satisfied or dissatisfied. There seem to be sever al implications of this study for service management. The first practical implication seems to be that it is important to reveal that if the managers know which dimensions of quality service their customers most value, (depending on the type of service we are dealing with), the customers may become more satisfied. This will occur because the organization will know specifically which dimensions of service quality will further satisfy the customers. Thus, organizations can focus their efforts on improving and increasing the dimensions of service quality which generate satisfaction. The second managerial implication appears to be the evident need for  clarification of the link between satisfaction and dissatisfaction. In terms of contribution to management, it is important that managers recognize that satisfaction and dissatisfaction are on a continuum, and that knowing of the dissatisfaction factors specifically, these can then be transformed into satisfaction, thus preventing the loss of a customer in a specific service. The third practical implication shows that for the non-customers if the companies and the managers know what quality dimensions this group value most, the company can focus investment on the development of these, including increasing the ability to attract new customers and tailor marketing and communication campaigns with a view to achieving this. The number of contributions presented serve not only to increase knowledge of the relationship between quality and satisfaction, but also encourages reflection on a topic which should be of utmost importance for managers and the vast majority of service companies, who are faced with the need to offer quality of service in its main dimensions and the consequent satisfaction of their customers. It is also expected that the contributions of the study encourage businesses and their managers to connect with their customers and noncustomers. As regards the customers it is important that the company be aware of the quality dimensions that they value most in order to tailor the service to their needs, maximizing satisfaction. This paper has limitations which are expected to be addressed in future studies. The limitations can be divided into three groups, namely: selection of the case and the process, limitations in data collection and finally the limitations of data analysis. One of the limitations is the small number of cases studied in public transport services which determines the strength and spread or validity of the conclusions. The inclusion of other cases corresponding to other paradigms or variations of the paradigms used here, will enrich the knowledge acquired. There were a range of other issues that were not explored which could enrich the research. There were other issues that emerged and seemed interesting but again, given the constraints, were not fully explored. For example, the identification of the factors that influence the formation of consumer expectations. When the interviewees were asked, in an open ended question, what factors influence expectations, the  answer was unanimous: communication with other consumers. Nevertheless, other factors could have been further explored. It would be even more interesting to emphasize the importance of expectations in a pre and post-consumer, or take into account the role of emotions in the construction or development of satisfaction and dissatisfaction of the customer. Replication of this study could be carried out in different public transports, which may be compared with another company in the sector. Furthermore, it would be interesting if the theoretical relationship model proposed had an emotional and experimental element. This study could be performed in different scenarios, particularly in areas of different service industries, such as luxury hotels chains, or telecommunications network providers. In addition to providing other results, these would undoubtedly further enrich the data already available. Vol.4, No. 2, 2010 129 REFERENCES: [1] Andreassen, W. (1995), â€Å"(Di)satisfaction with Public Services: the Case of Public Transportation†, Journal of Service Marketing, Vol. 9, pp. 30-41. 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(1991), Juran, Controle de Qualidade, Handbook, Vol. 1, Sà £o Paulo, Makron Books do Brasil Editora. [14] Levitt, T. (1972), â€Å"Production-Line Approach to Service†, Harvard Business Review, pp. 41-52. [15] Liljander, V. (1999), â€Å"Customer Satisfaction with Complaint Handling Following a Dissatisfactory Experience with Car Repair†, European Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 4, Bernard Bubois, Tina Lowrey, L. J. Shrum and Marc Vanhuele (Eds.), pp. 270-275. [16] Maddox, R. (1981), â€Å"Two-Factor Theory and Consumer Satisfaction: Replication and Extension†, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 8, pp. 97-102. [17] Miles, M. and Huberman, A. (1994), Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook, 2nd Edition, Thousand Oaks, Sage Publications. [18] Oliver, R. and De Sarbo (1988), â€Å"Response Determinants in Satisfaction Judgements†, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 14, pp. 495-507. [19] Oliver, R. (1996), Satisfaction: A Behavioral Perspective on the Consumer, New York, McGraw-Hill. [20] Parasuraman, A. Zeithaml, V., Berry L. (1985), â€Å"A Conceptual Model of Service Quality and its Implication for Future Research†, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 49, pp. 41-50. [21] Parasuraman, A. Zeithaml, V., Berry L. (1988), â€Å"SERVQUAL: A Multiple-Item Scale for Measuring Consumer Perceptions of Service Quality†, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 64, pp. 12-40. [22] Swan, J., and Combs, L. (1976), â€Å"Product Performance and Consumer Satisfaction: A New Concept, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 40, pp. 25-33. [23] Tse, D. and Wilton, P. (1988), â€Å"Models of Consumer Satisfaction Formation: an Extension†, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 15, pp. 204-212. [24] Westbrook, R. (1987), â€Å"Product Consumption-based Affective Responses and Post Purchase Process†, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 24, 1987, pp. 258-270. [25] Westbrook, R. and Reilly, M.  (1983), â€Å"Value-Percept Disparity: An Alternative to the Disconfirmation of Expectations Theory of Consumer Satisfaction†, Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 10, Richard P. Bagozzi and Alice M. Tybout, Eds. Ann Arbor, M1, Association for Consumer Research, pp. 25661. [26] Yin, R. (1994), Case Study Research: Design and Methods, 2nd Edition, United States, Sage Publications. Received: 15.12.2009 Accepted: 05.05.2010 Open for discussion: 1 Year 130 F. Fonseca , S. Pinto , C. Brito

Monday, September 16, 2019

Research Design and Methodology Essay

Method of Research This Study will use the Experimental method of research.The experimental method involves manipulating one variable to determine if changes in one variable cause changes in another variable. This method relies on controlled methods, random assignment and the manipulation of variables to test a hypothesis. The researchers decided to use experimental method because it is the most suited kind of method of research for our Investigatory Project which is involves creating a new product. Respondents of the study The respondents of our study are the 1st year students of Roosevelt College Rodriguez School Year 2012 – 2013. The researchers decided to use the 1st year students because they are the youngest among the high school students, proving that they are the ones that are most obedient and cooperative students. The researchers used 5 neighbor are chosen as respondens. Locale of the Study The study was conducted at the Roosevelt College Rodriguez, in the high school department. Roosevelt College Rodriguez is a private non-sectarian high school which is located at Manggahan, Rodriguez Rizal. It was established in 1962 and it is one of the branches of Roosevelt College System. It is a three-story building which has 53 well-ventilated and well-lighted rooms. Roosevelt College Rodriguez has facilities like elderly care rooms for the care giver course. It has also fine laboratories namely three computer laboratories, in which each has approximately 25 computer units. One highly maintained speech laboratory which contains 40 cubicles and one equipment and apparatus. The school has its own air conditioned resource learning center (library) with several books that can help the students in doing researches and home works. It has an audio visual room (AVR) to be used for meetings, small sized events and presentation of videos to the students. A function hall was built recently that serves as a venue for different events/programs, seminars conducted inside the campus for the whole year round. Roosevelt College Rodriguez also has facilities like a  canteen, covered walk, basketball court, herbal garden and a wide school ground that were highly maintained and can assure the security of the students. Being managed by our beloved directress, Mrs. Carmencita V. Alcantara, Roosevelt College Rodriguez has passed the PAASCU level 1 status accredited private school and is now undertaking and complementing requirements for the level 1 PAASCU accreditation. Research Instrument The research instrument that the researchers used is a questionnaire which was made by the researchers. The questionnaire consists of 5 different questions all concerning our product, the Spinanggay Cookies. The questionnaire will be answered by checking 1 of the boxes that corresponds to the following Excellent – 5, Very Satisfactory – 4, Satisfactory – 3, Failed – 2, Poor – 1. Procedure: 1. Preheat the oven to 375 °F/190 °C 2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. To reduce lumpiness, sift through a sifter or sieve. Gently mix these together, then set the bowl aside. 3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars together, then beat in eggs and vanilla. The coarseness of the sugar granules will help break the butter down, so be sure to do these first. Then add the eggs and vanilla and mix again until completely combined. 4. Slowly add the dry ingredients from the medium bowl to the wet ingredients in the large bowl, and then add spinanggay powder. Pour some of the dry ingredients, stir, and repeat until the dry and wet ingredients are totally combined. 5. Drop spoonful of cookie dough onto a pre-greased or a lined baking sheet. Leave at least an inch of space between the cookies because they’ll spread out when they cook. You can usually fit 12 cookies on a full-sized cookie sheet at a time. 6. Bake for about 9 to 11 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies rest on the pan for 3-4 minutes. Seventh, using a spatula, lift cookies off and place onto wax paper or a cooling rack. Let cool for about 5 more minutes. Last, Eat when hot and steamy or cooled and slightly crisp. Experimental Design In gathering the data for our research, we conducted a survey on the 1st year students of Roosevelt College Rodriguez. The â€Å"table of random numbers† was used to identify the 30% of the 1st year students which was going to be our respondents. Before conducting the survey we passed a copy of our questionnaire to our teacher to validate the questionnaire. To conduct the survey we went to each section of the 1st year and handed out the questionnaires and a piece of the Spinanggay cookies. After answering the questionnaires, the questionnaires were returned to us for the tabulation of results to make a conclusion. Statistical Tools Weighted Mean We will use the weighted mean to rate and get the results of the questionnaire that will be given to our respondents and to make our study accurate. Table 1 represents the tally of the respondents’ answers together with the computed weighted mean and the verbal interpretation. Question 1, earned a weighted mean value of 3.00 interpreted as satisfactory. This suggests that the spinanggay cookies tastes good and the respondents liked the Spinanggay Cookies. Question 2, got a weighted mean value of 3.00 weighted mean value in table 1. It is interpreted as Very Satisfactory, showing that the respondents find it easy to observe the taste of the Malunggay and spinach while eating the cookies. Question 3, obtained a weighted mean value of 3.00, and interpreted as   Satisfactory. This shows that the respondents think that the Spinach and Malunggay tastes good when mixed together. Question 4, got a weighted mean value of 3.00, and interpreted as satisfactory,implicating that the respondents think that the Spinanggay Cookies is not too good but is good enough to sell in the market. Question 5, earned a weighted mean value of 3.00, and interpreted as Satisfactory,implicating that the Spinanggay Cookies may be as good as the commercially sold cookies.  Based on the table 1, the product is acceptable. The respondents particularly liked the taste of Spinaggay cookies. The taste of spinach and malunggay may be observed easily as it was the one with the highest weighted mean value, with 3.00 weighted mean. The lowest is 3.00 which correspond to number 4 asking if the product is ready to be sold in the market. It acquired the verbal interpretation of Satisfactory showing that the product is ready to be sold but may still be improved to increase sales if it is sold. 1. Does the Spinanggay cookies taste good? 2. Were you able to taste the spinach and Malunggay in the Spinanggay cookies? 3. Do you think that the Malunggay and Spinach in Spinanggay cookies complement each other? 4. Is the spinanggay cookies good enough to sell in the market? 5. Is the Spinanggay cookies comparable to commercially sold cookies?