Aligning Operations and SCM with Other Functional Strategies

Aligning Operations and SCM with Other Functional Strategies 1. Discuss the importance of aligning operations and SCM with other functional strategies (e.g. Design, Marketing and Finance) in creating a viable business strategy. Skinner gives us a broad picture of how we look at the business as a whole moving away from sub optimization which he has criticised it and making choices that are sensible and how will compete on the market. Skinners work introduced the importance of the concept of trade-offs and the need to align the delivery systems to what market really require therefore the sub-functional trade-off choices are strategically aligned with key manufacturing tasks. Hill come with the concept of OWC and qualifying criteria and highlights the fact that focus should be on what important to the customer and a system require a common objective and everyone on the system is focus on common objective. Rumack Pharmaceuticals is an example of marketing strategy where they produce lots of variants of that ingredient, different pills, different potions, different bottle sizes, different packages because they little way of exploiting market opportunity. The cost of manufacturing is small compare to the value of the product because of the paten and the manufacturing was bottlenecked in this situation. In this case manufacturing means to be subordinate to the opportunity of the business and the nature of the product should be supporting the market opportunity. They end up with capacity problems and long setup times as they did not understood the implications of higher variety on that capacity. Higher variety means to go either for large batches but also inventory or smaller batches and where capacity is more absorbed thru setup. Tyndall B is another example where marketing influenced where company went. Manufacturing invested a lot of effort in chair and their process choice was to go for standard high volume but the demand was more than they would coop with. So marketing made them look at case goods but case goods would not give them so much return. They were not good in manufacturing producing case goods so the profits was declining. But why they did not invested more in tables and chairs rather than spending on galleries where marketing driven to produce a full range of products causing variety to go up and profits down. They was not paying attention of what manufacturing is capable of delivering. They werent aligned. Compare to Rumack there is no paten but there is capability which can be exploited. For both companies idea of alignment strategy was to be for volume and variety. Referring to Babcock Wilcox case study they mix up trade-offs choices because what is good for high volume is not good for low v olume and choices needs to be aligned. Regarding Finance operation strategy from Skinner point of view was all about avoiding local cost and local efficiency. Focus operations on delivery, speed, price and everyone work together to align themselves. Also he argue that quite often in factories every department try to optimise local cost and efficiency which encourage push and pull thinking. Local optimisation is not aligning with the system and we can see evidence of that at Rumack Pharmaceutical where basically in manufacturing you need to be align with the strategy thats being adopted which is all introducing new products resulting in new product capacity which should not happen as will require more capacity in the system. Going for higher variety will put more pressure on capacity because of the setups. Tyndall they had really good arrangements in terms of producing tables and chair colonial style lots of demand for them but they wont exploit it because they said that there is no capacity for that so they went for case goods. Problem was that case goods was providing throughput but no revenue. They were doing everything rather then bringing throughput per bottleneck/minute. There was no alignment to improve throughput per limiting factor or to understand what constraints are and if is a market or resource constraint. Coming to Design from an operation point of view we would like standardisation. From market point of view they want customization. So product have to be standardised as much as we can and have the ability to customise later in other words to postpone it and reduce variability and introduce the buffering options as late as possible. Postponement is used to achieve customisation and efficiency within one operating system. 2 Critically discuss how developing operational excellence can support and lead a business strategy. Porter argue that operational effectiveness is not a strategy and also Lean and TOC are not strategies because they can be copied. Lean, TQM, TOC are all about managing flow in organisation with the idea of cost, push and pull. The main question is how can we improve performance and rid away of trade-offs or how can we break them. Slack et al. (2004) argue that there are five operations performance objectives: cost, quality, speed, dependability and flexibility. The law of trade-offs states that no single plant can provide high performance in all dimensions simultaneously. We would expect to find support for this law if all competitors use similar technologies and are operating near the asset frontier. If all plants are far from the asset frontier, however, one plant can simultaneously provide higher levels of product quality, flexibility, and delivery at a lower manufactured cost if, through betterment, its management approaches create an operating frontier which is superior to its competitors. The theory of performance frontiers clarifies the impacts that assets and operating practices have on competitive advantage. However, the resource-based view took this thinking a step further through positing that competitive advantage can be sustained only if the capabilities creating the advantage are supported by re sources that are not easily duplicated by competitors. Both the asset and the operating frontier can be the source of competitive advantage but they are based on resources of different nature. Armed with an understanding of a firms operating position relative to both competitors and the performance frontiers, strategic planners are better equipped to evaluate and plan manufacturing initiatives. For example, a quality improvement initiative may well be more attractive than a new technology initiative to a firm that considers itself far from its asset frontier. Can operation not just follow business strategy and lead business strategy? Hayes and Wheelwright stage 4 evidence that.In 80s quality and lean was a paradigm shift. Operation capability can actually win the orders. Porter(96) argue that Japanese dont have a strategy as they have operational effectiveness which wins on short term but actually Toyota production system is still difficult to copy on long term. Thus, the process of strategy development should be based on a sound understanding of current operational capabilities and an analysis of how these could be developed in the future. This can then provide the basis for decisions about which markets are likely to be the best in which to deploy current and future capabilities, which competitors are likely to be most vulnerable and how attacks from competitors might best be countered (Hayes et al., 2005). organization fits with the resource-based view (RBV) .toc lean etc 3 Practically evaluate the means of enabling pull (e.g. production, project and distribution) referring to the design of a specific planning and control system. Lead time requirements of the customers tend to drive the OPP towards the customer whereas product variability and demand uncertainty drive it away from customer. The more product variables, less likely it is economically sustainable to keep every variable in stock. Therefore, often large and steady volume products are kept in stock whereas products with a lot of variance are either assembled- or made-to order. Thus, companies have often multiple OPPs depending on the product characteristics. MTS method of production reduces before demand is realise or before orders come in.This are some goods or builds based on capacity or forecast which more often are greater than current demand. This is the reason that stocks are made only to be stored or sold at some future date. MTO builds according to actual demand. This system wont produce stock as all outputs are consumed or sold immediately. MTO is a pull system since every station doesnt start processing unless pull by demand or next process. Therefore we can talk about a pull line or JIT line. This is a type of MTO system in which all working stations are strictly produce according to the takt time. JIT is also known as a lean system or Kanban system. Kanban system control the flow thru a form of electronic or physical signal which tell to start producing or deliver the next part. In the case of MTO the overall approach is termed Drum Buffer Rope (DBR). Pull means small batches and we try get as required by the system. JLR is a pull system because everyone is working at the pace of the system. They relishing car or raw material into the system at the plant rate and everyone is working at the management prescribed rate called takt time. Ohno didnt had physical restriction of space but he had this rule to do something only if you have a Kanban instruction, the signal. Fords moving assembly line physical space was the control, the signal. Kanban was the idea of inventory in the system and TOC BM was another signal: what do I do next? When do I expedite? When do I interfere with the process? Ford had pretty much a lean system that why Ohno quoted from fords book. There is a more complex environment but the principles are the same. planning of stock or raw materials or finished stock in excess is a waste(ford 1926,p99).Ford understood the importance of the flow. He forced everyone to work on the same pace and had the idea of flow line. Ford was applying principles of flow to an environment where it was not so much variety. Ohno had variety and apply principles of flow thru JIT and C.I. linked to law of variability and variability buffering and theory Theory of Swift and Even Flow. He put a lot of effort in minimizing the fluctuations, stabilizing the demand and reduce variability. Ford didnt had Jidoka but he had teams which responded fast. C. I. challenged the traditional trade-offs model. Batch size reduction was the key for lean (Schronburger 1982).Right from the beginning was all about how to reduce batch quantities and setup time which is interpreted like a source of variability in the process. Batches will be reduced till will create a bottleneck again. Reducing setup times will reduce variability. Kanban represents inventory but also time and they are interrelated. In JLR they have a fast response and they doing first order which is coming compare to buffer management. In the case of MTO the overall approach is termed Drum Buffer Rope (DBR) introduced by Goldratt(1990) to reduce variation and improve activity. In the next case study SDBR was used with time being the rope and drum the market demand. The drum previously was the roasting and char grill departments which were considered constraints. In the case of Freshcut Foods when it was to manage the flow they was releasing work in the system to early and cause quality issues and wastages. They had late demands but they were uncertain if they have the capacity to produce. So they needed a system to tell them if they have capacity to take the orders. Finally a system which can tell them how to prioritise what they should produce next and when to release the working to the system was put in practice. If is in the red zone they need to expedite if the red zone is growing means that they have a problem and they need to escalate it.. So Kanban is like an automatic system where everyone knows how to use it. 4 Critically evaluate the circumstances best suited to Kanban and Buffer Management pull systems. Benton (2014, 2) describe that the main objective of manufacturing planning and control function: is to ensure that the desired products are manufactured at the right time, in the right quantities, and meeting quality specifications in the most cost-effective manner. To illustrate the significance of BM in TOC, the functions of BM in TOC is compared with Kanban in TPS. Firstly, both BM and Kanban prioritise work orders albeit with different assumptions and mechanisms. For Kanban, there is a pre-planned quantity or WIP in buffers designed in between every work center. In addition, there is also a specific routing sequences or dedicated production line required for each product, which results in rigidity in responding to market requirements. In BM however, the priority of work is triggered by the percentage buffer penetration of completion time. As it is time-based, it allows each work center to have flexibility to react (or catch-up with time) to disruptions when Murphy strikes. Other than the function of prioritisation, both BM and Kanban have their own mechanism to monitor and control their production throughput. In Kanban, the deployment of distributed buffers in between work centers enables problems to be immediately surfaced and dealt without passing the problem to the subsequent work centers (Ohno, 1989:30). In TOC, aggregated buffer is deployed and thus has a certain delay as problems are only escalated and expedited for attention after entering into the Red zone of BM. However, as highlighted by Stratton and Knight (2010), though Kanban is more sensitive, the problems highlighted are mainly related to quality and process, whereas in BM, it also includes issues such as product volume and mix changes. In spite of these differences, both BM and Kanban advocates continuous improvement. This is seen in the final steps of both TPS: Pursue Perfection (Womack and Jones, 1996:90) and TOC: not to allow inertia to cause a systems constraint (Goldratt and Cox, 2004:307). In Kanban, continuous improvement is encouraged through reducing inventory to expose problems which then can be targeted; whereas in BM, causes of delay (Red zone penetration) are being targeted. 5. Critically evaluate the use of MTA and dynamic buffer management as a means of practically enabling a pull distribution system. VMI say communicate demand and stock levels thru the system and replenish them on the regular basis. Replenish on the stock target MTA is similar with VMI but give a priority code in terms of buffer penetration. DBM is less common as the buffer status signals whether the target level is too large or too small and this can be used to signal automatic adjustments. By monitoring how we are performing in terms of green,yellow and red we can determine whether we need to increase or decrease the stock target For example if we are in the green zone reduce stock target and if is in the red zone increase the stock target. It is the means of getting the system to work at the pace of the consumption where drum is the consumer so is signalling down to distribution system what we need to replenish and how fast which resulting in an idea of pull. In the case of Frozen Meals they replenish based on consumption on the 3rd party distributer so is very straight forward till the stock time. MTA will say if there are multiple orders in the system will give an indication what the priority is. If the consumption was high and replenishing the full quantity in the distribution depot will be less stock. This stock will have to be replenish very quickly so VMI will communicate consumption across the whole supply normally replenishing it within a day or couple of days. So all the demand in the distribution depot will go in the red zone. So VMI says communicate demand and stock level always thru the system and replenishing to the stock target. The problem come when Frozen Meals tried to replenish and couldnt because the warehouse was full. Analysing demands and orders there is obviously that demands are pretty stable and orders are more volatile in demand represented by the consumption of consumer in Weatherspoon. This difference was caused by 3rd party distributer which has his own warehouse and has more stock that he needed and fluctuating and planning orders ad hoc. Because placing order in ad hoc manors caused Frozen Meals to ask for 7 days delay of supply. The ordering system from 3rd party distributer was ad hoc. There was a stock target so why not just replenish this stock automatically communicate down the supply chain whats required. The solution was to go for VMI rather than 3rd party distributer placing orders on Frozen Meals. A pull system was created when the supplier is responsible for maintaining agreed target stock levels. 6 Discuss the strategic importance of postponement through configuration, packaging and distribution, making reference to the concept of an Order Penetration Point (OPP). In the first part I was discussing about focus factory and separating different orders. This can be also separate by postponing which means that will be 2 strategies. one at the first part of the supply chain which is looking to stabilise and standardise and a different strategy at the later stages with a decupling point. How can we design the supply chain to postpone the impact of variation and uncertainty? This can be done in the manufacturing process but distribution side as well. Skinner strategy is about how we take the system perspective and how we meet the needs of the market reducing variability in the process. With TQM the reason why ends up with variability in the process is that no-one consider how to reduce variation. This is what SPC done: to focus on variation which will bring the cost down. Unless will do that then the variability tend to be there which make the trade-off choices about quality and cost. So all of them are about reducing variability. Agility is about dealing with demand uncertainty and demand variability. Stability is associated with lean and uncertainty demand with agility. This table is similar with line vs jobbing looking for two extremes such as delivery speed and low cost. Skinner will argue that this should be two different factories because the owc are different Fisher model talking in the idea of Skinner operation trade-offs in terms of a supply chain. If we have variability in demand we need to buffer like any variation. The ideal efficient model will have flow, minimum variation in demand and process, minimum buffering. In contrast the responsive model demand varies and also product changes in the same time and we got demand uncertainty and we ll buffer with inventory capacity. Talking about lean and agile supply viewed in terms of dependency, fluctuation, buffer capacity and buffer inventory we can refer to law of variability, law of variability buffering, law of variability pooling. Talking about service it represents the customer input which can be put on MTS which can be a date, a forecast. MTA say that the priority of the order all depends on what stock level is, if the stock level goes down rapidly the priority goes up, if the stock level is not priority (demand is low) the priority goes down. In Lego case they was doing bad because they grow over the years resulting in too much variety as increasing number of elements, to many colours and they diversified to do other things(low of focus) As a start-up they cut the number of colours and elements (no elements to be unique to one product stated by the law of variability pooling).In manufacturing they segmented some of the machines as all machines should be able to do everything. They organised and streamlined how they going to manufacture elements. They rationalized the suppliers which is a lean thing. The distribution changed to a pull system and the they supply to one distribution centre in Europe in 3-4 days which is consider closer to the customer. In terms of packaging machines and capacity. By reducing the range of colours and elements setup process variability all this helped to reduce variation and uncertainty. Buffering packaging they postponed rather than holding stock in packets they opted for a centralized distribution centre and more frequent distributions. All this system was about flow. Production is lean if is accomplished with minimal waste due to unneeded operations, inefficient operations, or excessive buffering in operations. Production is agile if it efficiently changes operating states in response to uncertain and changing demands placed upon it ( Narasimban et al..,2006) References Benton, W. C. Jr. 2014. Supply Chain Focused Manufacturing Planning and Control. Stamford, Connecticut: Cengage Learning

Chivalry Essay -- essays research papers

Chivalry Chivalry, the order of knighthood, and especially, the code of knightly behavior, comes from many origins. In Middle English, the word "chevalrie" meant "mounted horseman". In Old french, the word "chevalrie" meant knightliness or "chevalier" meaning knight. (Microft, Encarta) Almost all origins of the word meant horseman. Warfare was not an option in the medieval period and the knight was the most crutial part. The knight's ability, and the military strength of the lord or king were nessesary for their survival. A knight was loyal to his king even though he was not always a member of his personal court. He was also loyal to his lord or landowner. Most of all, he was loyal to God, as all Christian knights were. A Christian knight had virtues of fidelity, piety, loyalty and devotion to God. However, some knights did not live this ideal lifestyle. (Duby) A young boy in training to be a knight spent the first few years of his life in care of the women in his family. At the age of 7 years old, a child of noble birth would be placed in the castle of a lord or govenor. This is where the training for knighthood began. As a page, the boy would be tutored in Latin and French, but he devoted most of his time to physical exersice, and duties. A page was educated in wrestling, tilting with spears, and military exercises that were done on horseback....

NAFTA and Maquiladoras Essay -- Essays Papers

NAFTA and Maquiladoras The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which became effective on January 1, 1994, is a comprehensive, rules-based agreement designed to promote â€Å"free-trade† among the United States, Mexico and Canada (NAFTA Forum,1998). Although the agreement was made between three countries, it was largely the inclusion of Mexico around which most of the oppositional debate was centered (Mayer, 1998). Canada is a modern, developed nation very similar in culture and economy to the United States. Mexico, however, is considered a developing nation with an economy much weaker than the United States. Still, a prior trade agreement did exist between the United States and Mexico. Therefore, in order to properly evaluate NAFTA, we must also take into account that prior trade agreement, the Border Industrialization Program (BIP) of 1965. The increase in maquiladoras on the U.S.-Mexico border, and its inherent problems, is a direct result of the BIP (Blank & Haar, 1998). The over all impact of the BIP on the U.S.-Mexico border and the maquiladora industry has been manifold, resulting in increases in maquiladoras, border population, environmental pollution and human social and health concerns. It is also important to recognize that prior to ratification of NAFTA, the Clinton Administration demanded, under pressure by environmental and labor groups, the attachment of two side agreements concerning labor and the environment. Although still too early to tell, NAFTA appears to be amending some of the inherent problems which exist along the U.S.-Mexico border. Opposition to NAFTA must be placed in some historical context. During the 1980’s many American manufacturing jobs were being exported to Mexican maquilad... ... Legal Issues. Available at: http://www.heritage.org/library/categories/trade/bg936.html Viewed on 3/19/99. 8. Environment. 1998. United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce. http://www.usmcoc.org/environment.html Viewed on 2/27/99. 9. NAFTA Partners Approaching Agreement on Transboundary Environmental Impact Assesment. 1999. Commission for Environmental Cooperation. Available at: http://www.cec.org/new/Data.cfm 10. McGuiness, Michael J. 1998. The Landscape of Labor Law Enforcement in North America: An Examination of Mexico’s Labor Regulatory Policy and Practice. Law and Policy in International Business. 11. Sweatshop Watch. 1998. U.S. Labor Department Review Finds Sex Bias at Border Plants in Mexico. Available at: http://www.sweatshopwatch.org/swatch/headlines/1998/sexbias_jan98.html Viewed on 3/27/99.

Dhumketu (Gaurishankar Govardhanram Joshi). The Letter-Summary Essay

-Dhumaketu (Gaurishankar Goverdhanram Joshi) (SUMMARY) Dhumaketu can be glorified as a prolific writer who has given a very vivid and wonderful description of the village and its people, along with the nature and loneliness of human beings. The story talks about coachman Ali who could not bear the pain of separation when his daughter left after her marriage. His loneliness gained momentum with passage of time in which he desperately waited for a letter from his daughter Miriam. The story begins with a very vivid description of how silent the village was â€Å"wrapped in deathly silence.† The description of it being early dawn and people fast asleep in a winter morning is very well portrayed through various phrases such as â€Å"early dawn stars†, â€Å"distant steps†, â€Å"occasional bark of dogs†, etc. The old man goes to the post-office everyday occupying a particular seat with a fixed purpose – awaiting a letter from his daughter. People found h im to be a lunatic and laughed at him. In the following lines of the story we find Ali missing from the post-office for several days as he falls sick terribly. At last, he reaches the place one day and asks for the much awaited letter. The postmaster gets infuriated and chases him away. Although this angers Ali, he doesn’t lose his temper. He gives five golden guineas to the postmaster to forward his letter to his grave as he considers that very day to be his last day of survival. He was never seen again. The turning point in the story comes when trouble knocks on the postmaster’s door in the form of news about his own daughter who lay sick in another town. He was anxious about receiving a letter from her, discussing her health. He searched in the pile of letters and to his shock, found Ali’s much awaited letter from his daughter. His anger disappeared in a whiff and he sent for the postman to send it to Ali right away. The story here turns quite heart-rendering when the postmaster feels empathy towards Ali. He is grieved because of his condition and is filled with sympathy for the old man. He then personally went to the post office to give Ali the letter. To his amazement, Ali received the letter with gratefulness and tears in his eyes. The postmaster shrunk back when he noticed a light of kindness when Ali received the letter. The postmaster narrated this entire story to the postman. When asked on whom he saw the postmaster said he saw Ali. This is when he came to know that Ali had died three months before. Here, the  bewildered postmaster found at the doorway that Ali had disappeared. Imagination had deceived him. That evening he went to Ali ‘s grave and laid the letter there. Empathy makes us understand each other and build strong relationships. One can feel the anxiety of other when one finds himself in that particular situation. In the end of the story, tortured with remorse and grief, the postmaster waits for news from her ill daughter, passing a restless night beside the charcoal sigri.

Customer Satisfaction

Part 1: Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty Definition of Consumer Satisfaction: The satisfaction of customer is considered as the popular topic at the practice on marketing and the research as academic in view of the fact that the primary study of Cardozo's (1965) on the effort of customers, their expectations and along with the satisfaction of them. In spite of taking many attempts for measuring and explaining the satisfaction of customer, there is not so much consensus conducting in relation to the definition of the satisfaction of customer (Giese and Cote, 2000).The typical definition of customer satisfaction can be provided as the evaluative judgment of post consumption in relation to the certain product or service (Gundersen, Heide and Olsson, 1996). It is considered as the outcome of the process of evaluative through which expectations of pre purchase are contrasted with performance perception in the time of or after the experience of the consumption (Oliver, 1980). The concept of the satisfaction of the customer is considered as the concept as most widely recognized which is based on the theory of expectancy disconfirmation (McQuitty, Finn and Wiley, 2000).Oliver developed the theory which proposes that the level of satisfaction is considered as the outcome of difference among the performance as expected and perceived. The occurrence of the satisfaction can be done when an organization provides better product or services than the expectation of the customers (Positive disconfirmation). In other side, dissatisfaction can be occurred while the worse performance is provided by the organization (Negative disconfirmation).It has been showed by studies that the results of business can be impacted directly and indirectly through the satisfaction of customer. It has been concluded by Luo and Homburg (2007) that the profitability of the business can be affected by the satisfaction of customer positively. The relationship among the patterns of the behavior of the c ustomer has been investigated by the most of the studies (Dimitriades, 2006; Olorunniwo et al. , 2006; Chi and Qu, 2008; Faullant et al. , 2008).In accordance with these findings, the loyalty of the customer can be enhanced by the satisfaction of the customer; along with this intentions of repurchasing are also influenced by the satisfaction of customer which can be concluded with positive effects a positive word of mouth leads to the positive publicity. By giving the major consideration towards the satisfaction of customer, not surprisingly there are so many researches have been done which are devoted towards the satisfaction determinants investigation.The factors as subjective and objective are assisting to determine the satisfaction for example: subjective factors are the needs of customer, emotions etc and the objective factors are the features of products and services. In application on the airlines industries, there has been occurred so many research studies through which attr ibutes are examined which are found out by the passenger as significant in relation to the satisfaction of customer. It has been found out by Atkinson (1988) that customer satisfaction can be determined by proper scheduling, security, value for money and the staff courtesy.It has been revealed by Knutson (1988) that scheduling, comfort, convenience of goods, prompt service, safety and security, staff friendliness are required. It has been stated by Barsky and Labagh (1992) that passengers’ satisfaction can be influenced by the attitude of the employee, scheduling, goods security, landing on scheduled time etc. Akan (1995) conducted the study where it has been showed that airlines passengers’ satisfaction has the determinant of the staffs’ behavior, scheduling, timeliness, pricing of ticket, productivity and performance, robust schedule planning, etc.The conclusion has been drawn by Choi and Chu (2001) that the top factors of airline industries which can determin e the satisfaction of the airline passenger are: the quality of the staff, schedule planning, values, productivity, price of ticket etc. Customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in Hilton Hotel: In the past, tourism has been often considered as the natural outcome of environmental and cultural resources of a specific territory. In this view, the role of hospitality enterprises cannot influence demand levels and is merely limited to the supply of services to tourists.Le Blanc ; Nguyen (1996) suggest that marketing efforts should be directed to highlight the environmental characteristics of the location in order to attract new customers. The constant increase of demand of touristic services, and the request for higher standards by the guests, has enforced the competition among hospitality suppliers and highlighted how the attractivity of the touristic destination is influenced by the standards of the services provided by the local hotels.In this scenario, providing high quality serv ices and improving customer satisfaction are widely recognized as fundamental factors boosting the performances of companies in the hotel and tourism industry (Barsky ; Labagh, 1992; Le Blanc, 1992,; Le Blanc et al. , 1996; Stevens et al. , 1995, Opermann, 1998). Hotels with good service quality will ultimately improve their profitability (Oh ; Parks, 1997). In a competitive hospitality industry which offers homogeneous services, individual hoteliers must be able to satisfy costumers better then their counterparts (Choi ; Chou, 2001).To obtain loyalty and to outweigh other competitors, hotel providers must be able to obtain high levels of customer satisfaction for the service supplied. There are several studies that analyze the needs and the desires of tourists. A research by Wuest et al. (1996) defined the perception of hotel attributes as the degree to which guests may find various services and facilities critical for their stay in a hotel.Hotel's attributes such as cleanliness, p rice, location, security, personal service, physical attractiveness, opportunities for relaxation, standard of services, appealing image, and reputation are recognized as decisive by travelers to assess the quality of the hotel (Atkinsons, 1988; Ananth et al. , 1992; Barsky & Labagh, 1992; Cadotte & Turgeon, 1988; Knutson, 1988; McCleary et al. , 1993; Rivers et al. , 1991; Wilensky & Buttle, 1988). Part 2: Corporate culture: Culture  is defined in varying terms by different theorists. A opular  definition  is the one provided by Schein (1985: 9): A pattern of basic assumptions – invented, discovered, or developed by a given group as it learns to cope with the problems of external  adaptation  and integral integration – that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems. The terms  organisational culture  and corporate culture are used interchangeably in the literature to refer to the culture pervading an organisation, be it a for-profit  or a non-profit entity.Corporate culture is invariably influenced by natural or regional cultures, or macro-cultures (Hampden-Turner 1994: 12). The emphasis on  individualism  in US corporations, the emphasis on collective  decision making  in Japanese firms, and the age old burra sahib culture of British companies in colonial days are all reflections of the influence of macro-cultures on corporate culture. Corporate culture is not entirely monolithic or uniform throughout the organisation. Within the overall culture, there are usually subcultures.For example,  marketing  and accounts personnel may have different subcultures due to the differences in the  nature  of their work and  environment. The conflicts which sometimes arise among departments can be attributed to such differences. In a similar but broader vein there is a hotel culture, which in turn take s a different hold when the corporate culture of the Hilton chain is compared to that of  Sheraton. Similarly, airlines still have a different corporate culture; that of TWA and  Singapore  airlines are not the same.At International Hotel Group AG’s, fulfilling the individual needs of a clearly defined target group has been a proven recipe for success in the group’s corporate philosophy for long years. Our hotels precisely distinguish themselves not only from each other but from those of the competition as well through their individual character and extraordinary architecture. Enthusiastic, qualified staff and confident interaction based on partnership are just as important to the International Hotel Group as the fulfilment of our guests’ needs and the solution of individual, out of the ordinary problems.Each staff member in the business is responsible for actively realizing of these objectives – seen as obligation – within his/her sphere of influence. . We both require from and promote creativity in our staff in order to provide our guests with concepts that embody Lindner quality beyond expectations. In this respect, everyone is allowed to make mistakes, too, because we consider mistakes a chance to learn and improve the quality of Lindner. Through believing in the capabilities of our staff and by guaranteeing their creative and personal development, we achieve a strong commitment and creative work.Together, we create values and reach new goals. Transparency, comprehensive information and a regular exchange between the staff members in our hotels support their further qualification. We manage our business in an honest, reliable, and fair way and our relationship with business partners is characterized by partnership, respect, and cooperation. It is with this foundation of integrity in partnerships that we achieve the permanent development of our International Hotel Group. Customer Satisfaction 1. Do right things and do it right first time. This Total Quality Management Principle means that in work , one must be effective enough to do what is right. A person must produce quality work, not just an ordinary work that would affect an ordinary experience, but something that will cause you to be productive enough. Do the right things and do it the first time reflects that a person is obliged to do what is right or just and once you do it, do it like you’ve never done it before. Do it like it is your first time to do such, why? Because once you do something like it was your first, you’ll give your one hundred and one percent of effort to it because you wanted an assurance of success. Example, your manager gave you a project, he had entrusted you this project so you have to give your best efforts to it. What you have to do is give your best while you’re doing it. This only proves that you deserve to have this project and soon your boss will entrust more projects to you and maybe give you a higher position for doing a great job. 2. Management by walking around. Another Total Quality Management principle is management by walking around. For me this means continuous improvement on what you’re doing plus respect and teamwork all throughout. Management is not just about being the leader and leading your subordinates but being a good subordinate as well. It’s best for a leader if he/she is also a good follower. As they say, a good leader is a good follower. When you learn to be a good leader you also learn how to pay respect to others. Giving respect is very much important in the industry. You can’t stay long in your work if you won’t give and take respect. It’s like a mutual relationship that you have to develop in order to love your work. One must also have a strategic approach to improvement. One must not be settled and contented in being developed, because one must continue having productivity with his/her work. This will bring good effects in his/her work, because work is not just about going there everyday and doing the same old things because productivity and development will not surely go their way. Customer Satisfaction Whether the buyer is satisfied after purchase depend on the offers performance inrelation to the buyer expectation. In general satisfaction is a person's feelings of pleasure or disappointment resulting from comparing a products perceived performance relation to his/her expectations. If the performance falls short of expectation, the customer is dissatisfied. If the performance matches the expectationcustomer is satisfied. If the performance exceeds the expectation the customer ishighly satisfied. Customer satisfaction cannot be very difficult. After all you either satisfied with theservices you receive or you are not. If you don’t you are not. If it is that easy, thenobtaining people's opinion about how satisfied they are with relatively straightforward matter- or is it?. Customer satisfaction is a marketing tool and a definite valueaddad benefit. It is often perceived by customers as important as the primary productor service your organisation offers. It looks at what is involved from 3 different angles, the first is from the view of anorganisation wishing to understand, and measures, how satisfied its customer are withthe products and services they receive from it. The second is from the perspective of aresearch agency that has been asked to obtain feedback from customers and abouttheir experiences when dealing with companies. Finally it considers the issue from the perspective of consumers who participate in surveys, including both businesscustomers and members of general public. Customer satisfaction is a business term, is a measure of how products and servicessupplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectation. It is seen as a key performance indicator within business and part of the four prospective of balancedscore card. IN a competitive market place were businesses compete for customers, customer satisfaction is seen as a key differentiator and increasingly has become a key elementof business strategy customer satisfaction drives successful private sector business. High performing businesses have developed principles and strategies for achievingcustomer satisfaction. This paper presents a framework or set of ideas for usingcustomer satisfaction principles and strategies to improve the quality responsiveness,and possibility of public sector privately provided services in vulnerable communities. The framework suggested that resident who live in tough neighbourhoods can besupported through customer satisfaction strategies to become empowered individuals Customer Satisfaction Part 1: Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty Definition of Consumer Satisfaction: The satisfaction of customer is considered as the popular topic at the practice on marketing and the research as academic in view of the fact that the primary study of Cardozo's (1965) on the effort of customers, their expectations and along with the satisfaction of them. In spite of taking many attempts for measuring and explaining the satisfaction of customer, there is not so much consensus conducting in relation to the definition of the satisfaction of customer (Giese and Cote, 2000).The typical definition of customer satisfaction can be provided as the evaluative judgment of post consumption in relation to the certain product or service (Gundersen, Heide and Olsson, 1996). It is considered as the outcome of the process of evaluative through which expectations of pre purchase are contrasted with performance perception in the time of or after the experience of the consumption (Oliver, 1980). The concept of the satisfaction of the customer is considered as the concept as most widely recognized which is based on the theory of expectancy disconfirmation (McQuitty, Finn and Wiley, 2000).Oliver developed the theory which proposes that the level of satisfaction is considered as the outcome of difference among the performance as expected and perceived. The occurrence of the satisfaction can be done when an organization provides better product or services than the expectation of the customers (Positive disconfirmation). In other side, dissatisfaction can be occurred while the worse performance is provided by the organization (Negative disconfirmation).It has been showed by studies that the results of business can be impacted directly and indirectly through the satisfaction of customer. It has been concluded by Luo and Homburg (2007) that the profitability of the business can be affected by the satisfaction of customer positively. The relationship among the patterns of the behavior of the c ustomer has been investigated by the most of the studies (Dimitriades, 2006; Olorunniwo et al. , 2006; Chi and Qu, 2008; Faullant et al. , 2008).In accordance with these findings, the loyalty of the customer can be enhanced by the satisfaction of the customer; along with this intentions of repurchasing are also influenced by the satisfaction of customer which can be concluded with positive effects a positive word of mouth leads to the positive publicity. By giving the major consideration towards the satisfaction of customer, not surprisingly there are so many researches have been done which are devoted towards the satisfaction determinants investigation.The factors as subjective and objective are assisting to determine the satisfaction for example: subjective factors are the needs of customer, emotions etc and the objective factors are the features of products and services. In application on the airlines industries, there has been occurred so many research studies through which attr ibutes are examined which are found out by the passenger as significant in relation to the satisfaction of customer. It has been found out by Atkinson (1988) that customer satisfaction can be determined by proper scheduling, security, value for money and the staff courtesy.It has been revealed by Knutson (1988) that scheduling, comfort, convenience of goods, prompt service, safety and security, staff friendliness are required. It has been stated by Barsky and Labagh (1992) that passengers’ satisfaction can be influenced by the attitude of the employee, scheduling, goods security, landing on scheduled time etc. Akan (1995) conducted the study where it has been showed that airlines passengers’ satisfaction has the determinant of the staffs’ behavior, scheduling, timeliness, pricing of ticket, productivity and performance, robust schedule planning, etc.The conclusion has been drawn by Choi and Chu (2001) that the top factors of airline industries which can determin e the satisfaction of the airline passenger are: the quality of the staff, schedule planning, values, productivity, price of ticket etc. Customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in Hilton Hotel: In the past, tourism has been often considered as the natural outcome of environmental and cultural resources of a specific territory. In this view, the role of hospitality enterprises cannot influence demand levels and is merely limited to the supply of services to tourists.Le Blanc ; Nguyen (1996) suggest that marketing efforts should be directed to highlight the environmental characteristics of the location in order to attract new customers. The constant increase of demand of touristic services, and the request for higher standards by the guests, has enforced the competition among hospitality suppliers and highlighted how the attractivity of the touristic destination is influenced by the standards of the services provided by the local hotels.In this scenario, providing high quality serv ices and improving customer satisfaction are widely recognized as fundamental factors boosting the performances of companies in the hotel and tourism industry (Barsky ; Labagh, 1992; Le Blanc, 1992,; Le Blanc et al. , 1996; Stevens et al. , 1995, Opermann, 1998). Hotels with good service quality will ultimately improve their profitability (Oh ; Parks, 1997). In a competitive hospitality industry which offers homogeneous services, individual hoteliers must be able to satisfy costumers better then their counterparts (Choi ; Chou, 2001).To obtain loyalty and to outweigh other competitors, hotel providers must be able to obtain high levels of customer satisfaction for the service supplied. There are several studies that analyze the needs and the desires of tourists. A research by Wuest et al. (1996) defined the perception of hotel attributes as the degree to which guests may find various services and facilities critical for their stay in a hotel.Hotel's attributes such as cleanliness, p rice, location, security, personal service, physical attractiveness, opportunities for relaxation, standard of services, appealing image, and reputation are recognized as decisive by travelers to assess the quality of the hotel (Atkinsons, 1988; Ananth et al. , 1992; Barsky & Labagh, 1992; Cadotte & Turgeon, 1988; Knutson, 1988; McCleary et al. , 1993; Rivers et al. , 1991; Wilensky & Buttle, 1988). Part 2: Corporate culture: Culture  is defined in varying terms by different theorists. A opular  definition  is the one provided by Schein (1985: 9): A pattern of basic assumptions – invented, discovered, or developed by a given group as it learns to cope with the problems of external  adaptation  and integral integration – that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems. The terms  organisational culture  and corporate culture are used interchangeably in the literature to refer to the culture pervading an organisation, be it a for-profit  or a non-profit entity.Corporate culture is invariably influenced by natural or regional cultures, or macro-cultures (Hampden-Turner 1994: 12). The emphasis on  individualism  in US corporations, the emphasis on collective  decision making  in Japanese firms, and the age old burra sahib culture of British companies in colonial days are all reflections of the influence of macro-cultures on corporate culture. Corporate culture is not entirely monolithic or uniform throughout the organisation. Within the overall culture, there are usually subcultures.For example,  marketing  and accounts personnel may have different subcultures due to the differences in the  nature  of their work and  environment. The conflicts which sometimes arise among departments can be attributed to such differences. In a similar but broader vein there is a hotel culture, which in turn take s a different hold when the corporate culture of the Hilton chain is compared to that of  Sheraton. Similarly, airlines still have a different corporate culture; that of TWA and  Singapore  airlines are not the same.At International Hotel Group AG’s, fulfilling the individual needs of a clearly defined target group has been a proven recipe for success in the group’s corporate philosophy for long years. Our hotels precisely distinguish themselves not only from each other but from those of the competition as well through their individual character and extraordinary architecture. Enthusiastic, qualified staff and confident interaction based on partnership are just as important to the International Hotel Group as the fulfilment of our guests’ needs and the solution of individual, out of the ordinary problems.Each staff member in the business is responsible for actively realizing of these objectives – seen as obligation – within his/her sphere of influence. . We both require from and promote creativity in our staff in order to provide our guests with concepts that embody Lindner quality beyond expectations. In this respect, everyone is allowed to make mistakes, too, because we consider mistakes a chance to learn and improve the quality of Lindner. Through believing in the capabilities of our staff and by guaranteeing their creative and personal development, we achieve a strong commitment and creative work.Together, we create values and reach new goals. Transparency, comprehensive information and a regular exchange between the staff members in our hotels support their further qualification. We manage our business in an honest, reliable, and fair way and our relationship with business partners is characterized by partnership, respect, and cooperation. It is with this foundation of integrity in partnerships that we achieve the permanent development of our International Hotel Group.

The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 11

Elena hung up the phone. She and Bonnie had discussed everything that was going on, from the mysterious appearance of Celia's and Meredith's names to Margaret's upcoming dance recital. But she hadn't been able to bring up what she had real y cal ed to talk about. She sighed. After a moment, she felt under her mattress and pul ed out her velvet-covered journal. Dear Diary, This afternoon, I talked with Caleb Smallwood on the front lawn of my house. I barely know him, yet I feel this visceral connection with him. I love Bonnie and Meredith more than life itself, but they have no idea what it's like to lose your parents, and that puts a space between us. I see myself in Caleb. He's so handsome and seems so carefree. I'm sure most people think his life is perfect. I know what it's like to pretend to have it together, even when you're coming apart. It can be the loneliest thing in the world. I hope he has a Bonnie or a Meredith of his own, a friend he can lean on. The strangest thing happened while we were talking. A crow flew straight at us. It was a big crow, one of the biggest I've ever seen, with iridescent black feathers that shone in the sun and a huge hooked beak and claws. It might have been the same one that appeared on my windowsill yesterday morning, but I wasn't sure. Who can tell crows apart? And, of course, both the crows reminded me of Damon, who watched me as a crow before we even met. What's strange – ridiculous, really – is this dawning feeling of hope I have deep inside me. What if, I keep thinking, what if somehow Damon's not dead after all? And then the hope collapses, because he is dead, and I need to face that. If I want to stay strong I can't lie to myself. I can't make up pretty fairy tales where the noble vampire doesn't die, where the rules get changed because it's someone I care about. But that hope comes sneaking up on me again: What if? It would be too cruel to say anything about the crow to Stefan. His grief has changed him. Sometimes, when he's quiet, I catch a strange look in his leaf green eyes, like there's someone I don't know in there. And I know he's thinking of Damon, thoughts that take him somewhere I can't follow anymore. I thought I could tell Bonnie about the crow. She cared about Damon, and she wouldn't laugh at me for wondering whether there were some way he might still, in some form, be alive. Not after she suggested the very same thing earlier today. At the last minute, though, I couldn't talk to her about it. I know why, and it's a lousy, selfish, stupid reason: I'm jealous of Bonnie. Because Damon saved her life. Awful, right? Here's the thing: For a long time, out of millions, there was one human Damon cared about. Only one. And that one person was me. Everyone else could go to hell as far as he was concerned. He could barely remember my friends' names. But something changed between Damon and Bonnie, maybe when they were alone in the Dark Dimension together, maybe earlier. She's always had a little crush on him, when he wasn't being cruel, but then he started to take notice of his little redbird. He watched her. He was tender with her. And when she was in danger, he moved to save her without a second thought as to what it might cost him. So I'm jealous. Because Damon saved Bonnie's life. I'm a terrible person. But, because I am so terrible, I don't want to share any more of Damon with Bonnie, not even my thoughts about the crow. I want to keep part of him just for me. Elena reread what she had written, her lips pressed tightly together. She wasn't proud of her feelings, but she couldn't deny they existed. She leaned back on her pil ow. It had been a long, exhausting day, and now it was one o'clock in the morning. She'd said good night to Aunt Judith and Robert a couple of hours ago, but she didn't seem to be able to make it into bed. She'd just puttered around after changing into her nightdress: brushing her hair, rearranging some of her possessions, flipping through a magazine, looking with satisfaction at the fashionable wardrobe she hadn't had access to in months. Cal ing Bonnie. Bonnie had sounded odd. Distracted, maybe. Or perhaps just tired. It was late, after al . Elena was tired, too, but she didn't want to go to sleep. She final y admitted it to herself: She was a little afraid to go to sleep. Damon had been so real in her dream the other night. His body had felt firm and solid as she held him; his silky black hair had been soft against her cheek. His smooth voice had sounded sarcastic, seductive, and commanding by turns, just like the living Damon's. When she had remembered, with a sickening horror, that he was gone, it had been as if he had died al over again. But she couldn't stay awake forever. She was so tired. Elena switched off the light and closed her eyes. She was sitting on the creaky old bleachers in the school gym. The air smel ed of sweaty athletic shoes and the polish they used on the wooden floor. â€Å"This is where we met,† said Damon, who she now realized was sitting beside her, so close the sleeve of his leather jacket brushed her arm. â€Å"Romantic,† Elena replied, raising one eyebrow and looking around the big empty room, the basketbal hoops hanging at each end. â€Å"I try,† Damon said, a tinge of a laugh coloring his dry voice. â€Å"But you chose where we are. It's your dream.† â€Å"Is it a dream?† Elena asked suddenly, turning to study his face. â€Å"It doesn't feel like one.† â€Å"Wel ,† he said, â€Å"let me put it this way. We're not actual y here.† His face was serious and intent as he gazed back at her, but then he flashed one of his sudden, bril iant smiles and his eyes slid away. â€Å"I'm glad we didn't have gymnasiums like this when I did my studies,† he said casual y, stretching out his legs in front of him. â€Å"It seems so undignified, with the shorts and the rubber bal s.† â€Å"Stefan said that you played sports then, though,† Elena said, distracted despite herself. Damon frowned at Stefan's name. â€Å"Never mind,† she said hastily. â€Å"We might not have much time. Please, Damon, please, you said you're not here, but are you anywhere? Are you al right? Even if you're dead†¦ I mean real y dead, dead for good, are you somewhere?† He looked at her sharply. His mouth twisted a little as he said, â€Å"Does it matter that much to you, princess?† â€Å"Of course it does,† Elena said, shocked. Her eyes were fil ing with tears. His tone was light, but his eyes, so black she couldn't tel where the iris ended and the pupil began, were watchful. â€Å"Everyone else – al your friends – this town – they're al okay, though, aren't they? You have your world back. There are such things as col ateral damages you have to expect if you're going to get what you want.† Elena could tel from Damon's expression that what she said next would matter dreadful y. And, in her heart of hearts, hadn't she admitted to herself the other day that, as much as she loved Damon, things were better now, that everything could be good again with the town saved and her returned to her old life? And that she wanted it that way, even if it meant Damon was dead? That Damon was what he said: collateral damage? â€Å"Oh, Damon,† she said at last, helplessly. â€Å"I just miss you so much.† Damon's face softened and he reached for her. â€Å"Elena – â€Å" â€Å"Yes?† Elena murmured. â€Å"Elena?† A hand was gently shaking her. â€Å"Elena?† Someone stroked her hair, and Elena nuzzled sleepily into the touch. â€Å"Damon?† she said, stil half dreaming. The hand paused in its stroking and then withdrew. She opened her eyes. â€Å"Just me, I'm afraid,† said Stefan. He was sitting next to her on her bed, his mouth a straight, tight line, his eyes averted. â€Å"Oh, Stefan,† said Elena, sitting up and throwing her arms around him. â€Å"I didn't mean – â€Å" â€Å"It's al right,† Stefan said flatly, turning away from her. â€Å"I know what he meant to you.† Elena pul ed him toward her and looked up into his face. â€Å"Stefan. Stefan.† His green eyes had a distant expression. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said pleadingly. â€Å"You have nothing to apologize for, Elena,† he said. â€Å"Stefan, I was dreaming about Damon,† she confessed. â€Å"You're right, Damon was important to me, and I†¦ miss him.† A muscle twitched at the side of Stefan's face, and she stroked his jaw. â€Å"I wil never love anyone more than I love you, Stefan. It would be impossible. Stefan,† she said, feeling like she might cry, â€Å"you're my true love, you know that.† If only she could reach out and show him with her mind, make him understand what she felt for him. She'd never ful y explored her other Powers, never ful y claimed them, but losing their telepathic connection felt like it might kil her. Stefan's expression softened. â€Å"Oh, Elena,† he said slowly, and wrapped his arms around her. â€Å"I miss Damon, too.† He buried his face in her hair and his next words were muffled. â€Å"I've spent hundreds of years fighting with my only brother, with us hating each other. We killed each other when we were human, and I don't think either of us ever got over the guilt and the shock, the horror of that moment.† She felt a long shudder go through his body. He sighed, a soft, sad sound. â€Å"And when we final y started to find our way back to being brothers again, it was al because of you.† His forehead stil resting on her shoulder, Stefan took Elena's hand and held it between both of his, turning it over and stroking it as he thought. â€Å"He died so suddenly. I guess I never expected†¦ I never expected Damon to die before I did. He was always the strong one, the one who truly loved life. I feel†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He smiled a little, just a sad twist of his lips. â€Å"I feel†¦ surprisingly lonely without him.† Elena entwined her fingers with Stefan's and held his hand tightly. He turned his face toward hers, meeting her eyes, and she pul ed back a little so she could see him more clearly. There was pain in his eyes, and grief, but there was also a hardness she had never seen there before. She kissed him, trying to erase that hard edge. He resisted her for half a second, and then he kissed her back. â€Å"Oh, Elena,† he said thickly, and kissed her again. As the kiss deepened, Elena felt a sweet, satisfying sense of rightness sweep through her. It was always like this: If she felt distanced from Stefan, the touch of their lips could unite them. She felt a wave of love and wonder from him, and held on to it, feeding the emotion back to him, the tenderness between them growing. With her Powers gone, she needed this more than ever. She reached out with her mind and emotions, past the tenderness, past the rock-solid love that was always waiting for her in Stefan's kiss, and delved deeper into his mind. There was a fierce passion there, and she returned it, their emotions twining together, as their hands held each other harder. Beneath the passion, there was grief, a terrible, endless grief, and farther stil , buried in the depths of Stefan's emotions, was an aching loneliness, the loneliness of a man who had lived for centuries without companionship. And in that loneliness was the taste of something unfamiliar. Something†¦ unyielding and cold and faintly metal ic, as if she had bitten into foil. There was something Stefan was holding back from her. Elena was sure of it, and she reached deeper into his mind as their kisses intensified. She needed al of him†¦ She started to pul back her hair, to offer him her blood. That always brought them as close as they could possibly be. But before he could accept her offer, there was a sudden knock on the door. Almost immediately it opened and Aunt Judith peeked in. Elena, blinking, found herself alone, her palms stinging from the speed with which Stefan had pul ed away from her. She looked around hastily, but he'd vanished. â€Å"Breakfast is on the table, Elena,† Aunt Judith said cheerful y. â€Å"Uh-huh,† Elena said, distracted, peering at the closet, wondering where Stefan had hidden himself. â€Å"Are you al right, dear?† her aunt said, her forehead creased with concern. Elena had a sudden picture of how she must look: wide-eyed, flushed, and disheveled, sitting in her rumpled bed and looking wildly around the room. It had been a long time since Stefan had needed to use his vampiric speed for anything as mundane as not getting caught in her bedroom! She gave Aunt Judith a reassuring smile. â€Å"Sorry, I'm stil half-asleep. I'l be right down,† she said. â€Å"I'd better hurry. Stefan wil be here to pick me up soon.† As Aunt Judith left the room, Elena final y caught sight of Stefan, waving from the lawn below her open window, and she waved back, laughing, the strange emotions at the bottom of Stefan's mind put aside for the moment. He gestured that he was going around to the front of the house and that he would see her in a minute. She laughed again and jumped up to get ready for the picnic at Hot Springs. It was nice to be the kind of girl who worried about getting grounded. It felt†¦ pleasurably normal. A few minutes later, as Elena, now dressed in shorts and a light blue T-shirt, her hair pul ed back in a ponytail, headed down the stairs, the doorbel rang. â€Å"That'l be Stefan,† she cal ed as Aunt Judith appeared in the kitchen doorway. Elena grabbed her beach bag and picnic cooler from the bench in the hal . â€Å"Elena!† Aunt Judith scolded. â€Å"You have to eat something before you go!† â€Å"No time,† Elena said, smiling at the familiarity of the argument. â€Å"I'l grab a muffin or something on the way.† She and Aunt Judith had exchanged these words, or similar ones, most mornings of Elena's years in high school. â€Å"Oh, Elena,† Aunt Judith said, rol ing her eyes. â€Å"Don't move, young lady. I'l be right back.† Elena opened the door and smiled up into Stefan's eyes. â€Å"Why, hel o there, stranger,† she said softly. He kissed her, a sweet touch of his lips on hers. Aunt Judith hurried back into the hal way and pressed a granola bar into Elena's hand. â€Å"There,† she said. â€Å"At least you'l have something in your stomach.† Elena gave her a quick hug. â€Å"Thank you, Aunt Judith,† she said. â€Å"I'l see you later.† â€Å"Have fun, but please don't forget Margaret's dance recital tonight,† Aunt Judith said. â€Å"She's so excited about it.† Aunt Judith waved good-bye from the doorway as Elena and Stefan strol ed toward the car. â€Å"We're meeting the others at the boardinghouse and caravanning to Hot Springs,† Stefan said. â€Å"Matt and Meredith are both bringing their cars.† â€Å"Oh, good, we won't be as crowded as we were yesterday. Not that I minded sitting on your lap, but I thought I might squish Celia in the middle,† Elena said. She turned her face up and stretched like a cat in the sunshine. A breeze tossed her ponytail, and she closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation. â€Å"It's a gorgeous day for a picnic,† she said. The world was alive with birdsong and with the rustle of trees. A faint tracery of white clouds underscored the bright blue of the sky. â€Å"Would it be jinxing ourselves to say it feels like the kind of day where nothing could go wrong?† she asked. â€Å"Yes, it absolutely would be jinxing ourselves to say that,† Stefan said, straight-faced, unlocking the passenger-side door for her. â€Å"Then I won't say it,† Elena said. â€Å"I won't even think it. But I feel good. I haven't been to Hot Springs for ages.† She grinned with pure pleasure, and Stefan smiled back at her, but Elena was struck once again by that certain something new – something troubling – in his eyes.

Slovin Formula

SAMPLE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUE Sample ? Is a finite number of an item (or individual) taken from a population having identical characteristics with those of the population from which it was taken. ? A sample is considered biased if one or several of the items (or individuals) in the population are given a consistently better opportunity to be chosen than the others. ? A collection with specified dimension Sample size ? Random sampling, the larger the sample, the more accurately it represents the population from which it was taken. As the sample size decreases, the degree of representativeness becomes less. Size of sample depends on some factors: ? Degree of accuracy required ? Amount of variability inherent in the population from which the sample was taken ? Nature and complexity of the characteristics of the population under consideration Sample Strategy ? Common Misguided Approach ? decide what data to collect ? then undertake survey ? decide what analysis should be done wrong data collected ? data collected on wrong subjects ? insufficient data collected ? Desired analysis may not be possible or effective Key to Good Sampling ? formulate the aims of the study ? decide what analysis is required to satisfy this aims ? decide what data are required to facilitate the analysis ? collect the data required by the study Determine sample size ? Slovin Formula: ? n = N__ ? 1+NE? ? Where: n = sample size ? N = population size E = margin of error * desired Example:What should be the representative sample size if the population from which the sample will be taken is 10,000 and the desired margin of error is 2%? Solution:To determine the sample size, use the formula; n = ___N__ 1+NE? n = 10,000 = 2,000 1+ (10,000) (0. 02)? The sample size is 2,000 This formula in finding the sample size cannot be used when the normal approximation of the population is poor or small. Margins of Error | |Population |Â ± 1% |Â ± 2% |Â ± 3% |Â ± 4% |Â ± 5% |Â ± 10% | |500 |* |* |* |* |222 |83 | |1500 |* |* |638 |441 |316 |94 | |2500 |* |1250 |767 |500 |345 |96 | |3000 |* |1364 |811 |517 |353 |97 | |4000 |* |1538 |870 |541 |364 |98 | |5000 |* |1667 |909 |556 |370 |98 | |6000 * |1765 |938 |566 |375 |98 | |7000 |* |1842 |959 |574 |378 |99 | |8000 |* |1905 |976 |580 |381 |99 | |9000 |* |1957 |989 |584 |383 |99 | |10000 |5000 |2000 |1000 |588 |385 |99 | |50000 |8333 |2381 |1087 |617 |387 |100 | Margin of Error Is the allowable error in percent due to the use of the sample, instead of the population ? * indicate that the assumption of normal approximation is poor and that the sample size formula does not apply. Guidelines with regards to the minimum number of items needed for a representative sample: ? Descriptive studies – a minimum number of 100 ? Co-relational studies – a sample of at least 50 is deemed necessary to establish the existence of a relationship ? Experimental and causal comparative studies – minimum of 30 per group ? Sometimes experimental studies with only 15 items in each group can be defended if they are very tightly controlled ? If the sample is randomly selected and is sufficiently large, an accurate view of the population can be had, provided that no bias enters the selection process Sampling Error ? Is the error attributed to chance that is being made when selecting random samples to represent a given population under consideration. ? It is the expected chance difference, variation or deviation between a random sample and the population. ? Does not result from measurement or computation errors, although these errors also contribute to inaccuracy.