Reserach Methodology Essay

3.1 Research Design This study is a quantitative-descriptive in nature where the purpose is to describe the level of student’s satisfaction on services provided by the school towards the enrollment system through quantitative research method to quantify and reflect in numbers the observation made of the respondents being studied (Sampa, 2012). It attempts to explore and explain while providing additional information about the topic. This is where research is trying to describe what is happening in more detail, filling in the missing parts and expanding our understanding. This is also where as much information is collected as possible instead of making guesses or elaborate models to predict the future – the ‘what’ and ‘how,’ rather than the ‘why.’ The researchers used a modified questionnaire which answers the first two objectives of this study which is the extent to which students meets and/or exceeds their expectations and perceptions towards the enr ollment system provided by the University of Mindanao. 3.2 Research Respondents The respondents of this study were the students of University of Mindanao selected randomly according to their year level and their type (freshmen, old student, and transferee). 3.2.1 Population Population, statistically, refers to the entire aggregate of items, i.e., group of people or element, who shares common set of characteristics or interest, from which samples can be drawn, in which the researcher wishes to investigate. University of Mindanao has large population of students from both Bolton Campus and Matina Campus, hence, the population refers to the University of Mindanao students who are enrolled in Matina Campus. 3.2.2 Sampling Frame Sampling Frame refers to the target population. In this study, 60 respondents was selected from students currently enrolled in Matina Campus. 3.2.3 Types of Sampling Technique The researcher chose the simple random sampling whereby every element is selected independently and the sample is drawn by a random procedure from  the sampling frame. Sekaran(2003) as cited by Abdullah (2005) points out that through simple random sampling technique, all elements in the population are carefully weigh and each element has an equal chance of being chosen as the subject. If the main objective of this study is to generalize the ability of the findings to the whole population then, this sampling design is best suited. 3.2.4 Sampling Size It is concerned with how many people that should be surveyed. The sample size larger than 30 and less than 500 are appropriate for most research (Roscoe (1975) cited by Abdullah ( 2005)). It is believe that large sample generates inevitable results than smaller samples. However, it is not necessary to sample the entire target population or even a material portion to have reliable results. With this, the researcher only chose 60 sample units as the sampling size randomly due to the time constraints, cost and other human resources. Sixty questionnaires were being distributed to respondents who are currently enrolled in Matina Campus. 3.3 Research Instruments The researchers used a survey questionnaire in checklist form. This instrument was modified by the researchers to establish the level of student’s satisfaction on enrolment system provided by University of Mindanao. The instrument determined, among others, the gender, type of student (freshmen, old student and transferees), and year level of the respondents. The Itemized Rating Scale survey was the selected questionnaire type as this enabled the respondents to answer the survey easily. Though, it is somewhat similar to Likert Scale but it uses other than agreement /disagreement item statement. This rating scale requires the subject to indicate his or her level of satisfaction to a statement. In this type of questionnaire, the respondents were given five response choices.

Marketing Concept and the possible limitations Essay

Marketing is defined as a social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and values with others.(Kotler.P 2002 : 5) The goals of marketing is to attract new customers by promising superior value and keep and grow current customers by delivering satisfaction. There are five core concepts of marketing, which includes needs, wants and demand; products, services and experience; value, satisfaction and quality; exchanges, transactions and relationships; and finally, market and marketing. After World War II, the variety of products increased and hard selling no longer could be relied upon to generate sales. Customers afford to be selective and buy products which can precisely met their changing needs with increased discretionary income. The key questions arose: What do customers want? Can we develop it while they still want it, and how can we keep our customers satisfied? In order to response to these discerning customers, firms began to adopt the marketing concept. This involves focusing on customer needs before developing the product, aligning all functions of the company to focus on those needs, and realizing a profit by successfully satisfying customer needs in long-term. In other words, in the context of marketing concept, company must first determine what the consumer wants, then produces what they wants, then sells the consumer what they wants. In marketing concept, more listening to and eventual accommodation of the target market occurs. Two-way communication is emphasized in marketing so â€Å"learning† can take place and product offerings can be improved. Business must first fulfill consumers’ needs and wants. Marketing concept â€Å"holds that the key to achieving organizational goals consists in determining the needs and wants of target markets and delivering the desired satisfactions more effectively and efficiently than competitors† (online material #5) To illustrate the marketing concept, Peter Drucker, in 1954 said: â€Å"If we want to know what business is, we must first start with its purpose†¦Ã‚  There is only one valid definition of business purpose: to create a customer. What business thinks it produces is not of first importance – especially not to the future of the business or to its success. What the customer thinks he/she is buying, what he/she considers â€Å"value† is decisive – it determines what a business is, what it produces, and whether it will prosper.† (Online material #4) Marketing concept was considered a breakthrough in business philosophy. It’s because it represented the antithesis of the product, production, and selling concepts. The marketing concept holds that businesses should first determine the existing needs in the marketplace and then design and produce a product to satisfy this need rather than taking an existing product and endeavoring to modify demand for it by reducing price or varying promotional technique. Marketing concept plays an important part in an organization. According to the Customer Service Institute, it costs as much as five times as much to acquire a new customer than it does to service an existing one and that the customers tell twice as many people about a bad experience over a good one. According to their studies, 65% of the business of an average company comes from its presently satisfied customers. (Online material #4) There are a range of firms gain success and earns at a very high profit through the use of marketing concept. One of the examples of successful organization implementing marketing concept is JVC. JVC has been building and expanding its mobile electronics capabilities throughout the last decade, and it now markets a complete line of mobile audio equipment and accessories. In the December of 1998, JVC celebrated its success. (Online material #3) JVC launched revolutionary and market-making products like the world’s smallest CD changer, cutting-edge MD-to-CD receiver for audio aficionados, as well as JVC’s loaded  car A/V system. JVC sees customers’ needs and wants and made an attempt to fill their needs and wants, and satisfy them by expanding its product offerings and adding more varied and exciting features. They are very successful in satisfying their  customer that their customers know that with JVC, they are getting the very best sound for their dollar. JVC is so successful with its marketing concepts that they have become a global leader in the development and manufacturing of innovative audio and video hardware, as well as related software products. Another example of successful firm is the Thayer Interactive Group (TIG), an online hospitality marketing firm. TIG sees that consumer behavior has changed. People are using the internet more than ever to make research of different options prior to booking travel, and that they are approaching hotels preemptively. Therefore, TIG targets individuals who are actively looking for lodging solutions at the precise place and time that they wanted to get. Because they know that the consumers nowadays are buying based on â€Å"get more, pay little†, their program offers the industry’s first and only comprehensive suite of Web marketing services designed to administer all aspects of a hotel’s internet presence, AND bypass excessive fees charged by third-party travel sites. TIG even provides a customized â€Å"five-part program† – website development and content management; search engine marketing; guerilla marketing and online advertising; reporting and analysis; and proactive account management. The objective is to deliver the travel consumer directly to individually managed hotel Web sites which allows them to maintain control of pricing and avoid excessive third-party fees.TIG is so successful that it is already generating an average of more than $1 million in incremental revenue per participating hotel. (Online material #2) Other successful firms which have adopted the marketing concept are such as  Procter and Gamble, Wal-Mart, Marriott, Dell Computer etc. The marketing concept is founded upon the assumption that consumers are knowledgeable, intelligent, and rational, and base their product purchases upon a careful consideration of the relationship between their own needs and product attributes. However, do the consumers always know what is â€Å"needed†? In many cases, customers do not know what they want or even what is possible. For example, 30 years ago, how many consumers would have thought to ask for 24-hour Internet brokerage accounts and DVD players? Moreover, by focusing on customers’ needs, marketing concept ignore other important stakeholders. In order to implement marketing concept, a lot of research are needed to be carried out and it is very expensive to do such marketing researches. In U.S., the latest consumerism movement has caused limitations to marketing concept as well. Nowadays, consumers assert their rights to products which are safe, economic, reliable, honestly labeled and advertised, and product’s impact upon the environment. Moreover, consumerists have been very proactive in seeing that these â€Å"rights† are guaranteed, either by the firms selling the products or by the government of the U.S. In this, Peter Drucker blamed the marketers for failing their consumers and publics in using the marketing concept: We have asked ourselves where in the marketing concept consumerism fits or belong. I have come to conclusion that the only way one can really define it within the marketing concept is as the shame it. It is essentially a mark of failure of the concept†¦ (Drucker P. 1969). (Online material #5) It is often taken for granted that the marketing concept is true. The concept is usually expressed as the assertion that firms which are marketing oriented will do better than firms which are not. This assertion is being put to test empirically by Massey University by comparing the financial  results of firms exhibiting high levels of marketing orientation with those of lower levels. The result showed that there is actually no clear association between adapting in line with marketing concept and success. (Online material #1) In order to adapt and implement marketing concept, firms have to be able to meet changing customer needs and wants, as well as competitor strategies. There are a number of firms such as General Motors and Zenith, which lost substantial market share because they failed to adjust their marketing strategies to the changing market. Top management in an organization must ensue that all employees are driven by marketing concept. They must be driven by the marketing concept before they can expect employees to whole-heartedly commit to it. In addition, top management should foster an organizational culture and set organizational values that embody the concept by encouraging cross-functional communication and coordination directed toward satisfying the needs of the customers. Bibliography Armstrong G & Kotler P, 2002, Marketing An Introduction 6th ed, Prentice Hall, New Jersey Online Material #1: Marketing Bulletin,1991,2,1-7, http://marketing-bulletin.massey.ac.nz/article2/article1b.asp [22/9/2003] Online Material #2: Business Editors,2002,Thayer Interactive Group Proves Marketing Concept to Hotel Industry, http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/mOEIN/2002_Oct_7/92536200/p1/article.jhtml?term=%22marketing+concept%22 [20/9/2003] Online Material #3: Business Editors,1998,JVC Celebrates Success in Mobile Electronics With New Image and New Marketing Concept, http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m4PRN/1998_Dec_15/53402065/p1/article.jhtml?term=%22marketing+concept%22 [20/9/2003] Online Material #4: The Research Exchange Vol.5, http://www.ncddr.org/du/researchexchange/v05n01/adapting%20Marketing%20Concept.htm [23/9/2003] Online Material #5: Robert D,Social Responsibility,Consumerism,and The Marketing Concept,1999, http://www.sbaer.uca.edu/Research/1999/SMA/99sma110.htm [24/9/2003]

Environmental Taxes in the Uk

Environmental Taxes in the UK| BEA2002 Group Report Assignment| Ben Dance, Liwei Rao, Qi Gao, Nellie Ho and Ahmed Mujtaba| 1. Introduction 1. 0 We have been commissioned by the government to write a report on how the current UK tax system encourages taxpayers to behave in an environmentally friendly manner. In the first part of the report we will look at three elements of the UK system and outline how they encourage environmentally friendly behaviour and in the second part we will compare these elements to measures in place in Sweden. 2.Key Elements of the UK Tax System 2. 1 Climate Change Levy 2. 1. 1CCL is a tax on the supply of energy to businesses in the commercial, agricultural and industrial sectors. The tax, introduced in April 2001, works by charging for each unit of energy used therefore the more energy used the more tax a business has to pay. It’s an arbitrary way of trying to get businesses to reduce the energy they use and the emissions they produce. The charge per unit of energy varies depending on the commodity used and the pollution that the commodity produces.For example, electricity has a higher rate of charge (0. 509 pence per kilowatt hour) compared to gas (0. 177 pence per kilowatt hour) because it is more damaging to the environment (HMRC, 2013). 2. 1. 2 The government claims the CCL has had a significant impact on reducing the emissions produced by the UK. However, the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee has an alternate view that the reductions are due to other measures already in place. They believe that the CCL rates are not significant enough to influence behaviour (CIOT, 2009).Another argument suggests that businesses are just passing on the tax by increasing their prices leaving the incidence of the tax with the consumers. If we look at the tax revenues from CCL, we can see that it has never reached its annual target of ? 1 bn, suggesting the tax is ineffective (Annie Reece, 2012). 2. 1. 3 In support of the governme nt claims, there is clear evidence that the annual emissions are on the down – carbon dioxide emissions have decreased by 15. 9% from 1990 to 2010 (Department of Energy & Climate Change, 2013).It may not be clear whether this is down to CCL but you cannot argue that companies are now far more aware of their emissions. 2. 2 Landfill Tax 2. 2. 1 The UK government introduced the landfill tax in October 1996 in order to meet its obligations under the 1999 EU landfill directive. Before 1996, the municipal waste in UK was growing at an average rate of 3% per annum up to 21. 63 million tonnes in 1995/96 (European Commission, 2001). However, even after this introduction the UK remained as one of the biggest producers of waste in Europe.To combat this, the Treasury implemented a radically increasing rate of landfill tax (CIOT, 2009). There are two types of landfill wastes which are taxed at two different rates. The first type is the normal (active) waste which is taxed at ? 64/tonne a nd will most likely rise to ? 80/tonne in 2014; the other type is known as inert waste, such as rock and bricks, which is taxed at ? 2. 5/tonne. 2. 2. 2 The general incentive of the landfill tax is to encourage more sustainable waste management and to alter businesses and customers’ behaviour by producing less waste.However, the tax has not been as effective as expected. The disposal of inert waste has declined but the same cannot be said for active waste. A possible reason for this could be that, although the tax rate of inert waste is much lower than active in absolute value, it is higher in percentage value which means the tax burden on an inert waste producer is heavier than on an active waste producer (European Commission, 2001). Also, the active waste is more likely to be weighed at the disposal stage rather than collection stage, which may result in less incentive for individuals to reduce their waste.The revenue from the landfill tax is only a small proportion of the total tax revenue to the HMRC, so the large increase of this tax reflects the determination of government to change waste behaviour rather than raising tax revenue. 2. 3 Fuel Tax 2. 3. 1 In the UK there is a fuel tax  that is applied to all Hydrocarbon fuels, including unleaded petrol, diesel, LPG, biodiesel, bioethanol and other fuels that are used in cars. The rate of the fuel duty is usually set during the budget preparation and it consists of an additional tax that is applied to the petrol before it is sold.Currently the tax levied on the most commonly used petrol and diesel prices are 85p and 85. 93p respectively. Thus, the total price for the petrol and diesel is around 136. 26p and 143. 27p respectively as well (BBC Business, 2012). 2. 3. 2 Such taxes are levied by the government to reduce the excessive usage of the fossil fuels and in this case oil. Petrol and diesel are both extracted from the crude oil and are the most commonly used fuels around the world. The government hopes that the tax will reduce usage because it is directly passed onto the consumers.Thus, not only would this measure rake in millions for the government, it would also reduce the carbon footprint which is a concern for the countries like UK. 2. 3. 3 As a result of this 527 million fewer litres of petrol and diesel were sold in the UK last year, as individuals and companies chose to drive less, according to Edmund King, president of the Automobile Association. The government has faced a lot of criticism from some groups about the tax and praise from others such as various environmental group and agencies (BBC Business, 2012). . 3. 4 In particular, â€Å"a review by Lord Heseltine into governments continued support for low and ultra-low carbon vehicles† was deemed helpful by SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt. 2. 3. 5 Separately, changes to capital allowance and tax relief rules, as well as the car fuel benefit charge, should help â€Å"green the UK's business fleet†, according to Mike Moore, automotive analyst with Deloitte, a consultancy. He also added â€Å"This means that businesses should seriously consider the carbon footprint of their fleet in order to control costs. (D Martin, 2012). 3. 0 Comparison with Sweden 3. 1 Climate Change Tax 3. 1. 1 In Sweden, there is a variety green taxes related to climate change. Sweden was the first country in Europe to introduce a green tax in 1991 when they brought in the Energy and Carbon Dioxide Tax (Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, 2000). This introduction, ten years ahead of the UK, shows that the Swedish government was much more aware of the damage their behaviour was causing than the UK government. 3. 1. The Swedish Energy and Carbon Dioxide Tax works by charging the user for the amount of CO2 produced unlike the UK CCL which charges in respect of the source of energy. Both have the same impact on behaviour as they both encourage taxpayers to reduce the amount of energy they use and the em issions they produce. Over the years, there has been a significant increase on the tax rate to continue the fight against climate change. The increase has been so great that Sweden now has the highest carbon tax rate worldwide (Government Commission of Measures against Climate Change, 2000). . 1. 3 Unlike we found in the UK, it has had a huge impact on individual and business behaviour. There has been a 9% reduction in gas emissions in the past decade even though economy has grown 44%. At present, the general CO2 tax rate amounts to more than 100 EUR/tone; this is a much larger burden than the UK’s CCL rate (Swedish National Energy Administration, 2000). This may explain why the Swedish Tax has changed the behaviour so much more. 3. 1. 4 In the UK, we found that it is not clear which tax is causing the reduction in emissions.However, in Sweden the CO2 tax has contributed significantly to reducing fossil fuel consumption, particularly the situation for the household, service s ectors and district heating production, where the full CO2 tax rate is applied (Developing Green Taxation – Summary of a Government Assignment Report 5390, 2004). 3. 2 Landfill Tax 3. 2. 1 The current landfill tax in Sweden, which was introduced in January 2000, is very similar to the tax in the UK in that it aims to prevent the increase of waste generated.However, Sweden also uses their tax to try and encourage the use of the waste to generate energy while minimizing health and environmental effects to humans (European Topic Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production, 2009). The tax rate started off at â‚ ¬26/tonne and has increased to â‚ ¬47/tonne (? 40) (Scottish Government Rural Environment Research, 2008). This is lower than the rate in the UK (? 64/tonne) which suggests that waste management is not as big an issue in Sweden when compared to the UK. 3. 2. 2 Before 2000, landfill only went down by 2% p. . but after the implementation, it began to decrease by 1 3. 6% p. a. between 1999 and 2006. At the same time, recycling in the country increased by 4. 6% p. a (European Topic Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production, 2012). In 2009, revenue from landfill tax was only 15% of that in 2000, which proves that the tax has provided a good incentive in Sweden to reduce waste; unlike the UK where the tax has been arguably ineffective (European Topic Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production, 2012). 3. 2. Sweden has also successfully implemented schemes which divert landfill to recycling or to waste-to-energy power plants, where it is burned as fuel. According to the most recent figures from Eurostat, only 1% of waste from Swedish households ends up in landfill. This is much lower than the same figure for the UK of 48% which suggests the recycling schemes in place in the UK are not effective (Care2, 2012). The beverage industry in Sweden has a return rate of over 90% on glass and plastic bottles which shows the tax affects businesse s behaviour as well as households (Scottish Government Rural and Environment Research, 2008). 3. . 4 From this comparison, it seems apparent that the UK could learn from Sweden and change people’s behaviour more effectively by implementing and encouraging a better recycling scheme rather than penalizing people through taxes. 3. 3 Fuel Tax 3. 3. 1 The fuel tax in Sweden comprises of an energy tax  and a carbon tax. A tax is placed on top of the price of petrol in the same way that the UK government do. The total tax (including  value added tax) has been 6. 875 kr (about ? 0. 6913) per litre since January 1, 201. This rate is lower than the tax in the UK which again suggests that the consumption of fuel is less of an issue. . 3. 2 The energy tax contains excises on motor vehicle fuels, the average proportion being 3. 4 points in EU. Sweden is the country has second highest percentage (4. 9 points) among the EU member states. This tax is similar to the vehicle road tax in th e UK. 3. 3. 4 There is a significant difference in the revenues of fuel tax in the UK and Sweden. In the UK, the proportion of the revenue of fuel tax amounts to more than 90% of the total energy taxes revenue, while the percentage for Sweden is only slightly above 50 %.The tax revenues on natural gas and electricity are the main reasons that result to this different situation. Sweden collects the most revenues from electricity and natural gas taxes (about 30 %). In contrast, the United Kingdom only receives negligible revenues on related items (less than 2 %) (Taxation trends in the European Union, 2009). 3. 3. 5 As is well known, Sweden has a high international profile in environmental policy all over the world. The revenue from environmentally related taxes is however not particularly high in this country.On the other hand, the revenue from green taxes in Sweden has been steady rather than decline in recent years, which is in contrast to the trend in many other countries (Swedish Tax Policy: Recent Trends and Future Challenges, 2010). Bibliography CIOT, 2009. Green Tax Report. [online]. Available at: [Accessed 28 January 2013]. HMRC, 2013. Climate Change Levy Rates from April 2012. [online]. Available at: [Accessed 28 January 2013]. Annie Reece, 2012. Landfill Tax Revenue Set to Increase. [online]. Available at: [Accessed 28 January 2013]. Department of Energy & Climate Change, 2013. GHG Inventory summary Factsheet. [online]. Available at: [Accessed 28 January 2013]. European Commission, 2001.Study on the Economic and Environmental Implications of the Use of Environmental Taxes and Charges in the European Union and its Member States. [online]. Available at: [Accessed 27 January 2013] BBC Business, 2012. Fuel duty rise cancelled by chancellor. [online] Available at: [Accessed 11 February 2013]. BBC Business, 2012. Budget 2012: Fuel duty increase gets go-ahead. [online] Available at: [Accessed 10 February 2013].D Martin, 2012. We're the fuel tax capita l of Europe: British motorists pay up to 60% duty and VAT on petrol – the highest figure in the EU. [online] Available at: [Accessed 11 February 2013]. Care2, 2012. The Environment and Wildlife Cause. [online. ] Available at: [Accessed 5 February 2013]. European Topic Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production, 2009. Fact Sheet for Sweden. [online. ] Available at:

The approach to disclosure in the Companies Act 2006 is preoccupied Essay

The approach to disclosure in the Companies Act 2006 is preoccupied with one audience, shareholders - Essay Example The obvious way for companies to prove legitimacy to the wider class of stakeholders is through reporting requirements. Unfortunately, the Companies Act 2006, while recognizing the social contract between the company and stakeholders, does not make social and environmental reporting mandatory. A close reading of the relevant sections of the 2006 Act reveals that environmental and social reporting are entirely voluntary. It is therefore reasonable to conclude that the Companies Act 2006 has shifted momentum in favour of stakeholder theory to the principle of shareholder primacy. Clark and Knight argue that the disclosure requirements contained in the Companies Act 2006 appear to meet the needs of shareholder and while they may appear to meet the needs of stakeholders, the disclosure requirements are motivated by the market value of the corporation rather than expanding the concept of corporate social responsibility. In this regard, the disclosure requirements of the Companies Act 2006 speaks to informing the shareholders of the company rather than to all stakeholders. Essentially, companies, may if they wish, inform stakeholders of their social and environmental activities and policies, while they must inform shareholders of their financial activities and policies. This is symptomatic of the ambiguous approach taken by the Companies Act 2006 to stakeholder and shareholder primacy.

Computer sciences and Information technology Article

Computer sciences and Information technology - Article Example 11, 1994). Large companies have so many systems in use within their organizations that range from employee time recording systems, accounting systems, claims systems, manufacturing systems, and sales planning systems just to name a few. If you lay on top of these systems an ERP system such as Oracle or SAP then you have to develop numerous interfaces so that the systems can pass information back and forth. The one point I do not agree with the author is with the statement about generic applications, â€Å"When companies buy a generic application, they buy a generic process as well. Both the cost savings and the interoperability benefits make the sacrifice of distinctiveness unavoidable† (Carr, p.44, 2003). Industry specific software is not a one size fits all. I have been involved with ERP implementations and the software out of the book has never given the company exactly what they need. Referring back to the Software’s Chronic Crisis article once again, the author wri tes â€Å"The biggest challenge is to find ways of cutting the ties that inherently bind programs to specific computers and to other programs†¦a common language that could be used to describe software parts, programs that reshape components to match any environment, and components that have lots of optional features a user can turn on or off† (Gibbs, p. 11, 1994). By creating software components that have optional features that can be turned on and off depending on the business’ processes, IT can then create customized systems to match the needs of the business better. My Response 1 I would disagree with the assertion that the comments made that software and hardware has become inexpensive, software and hardware are still expensive; however, I agree that most firms, small business have access to both hardware and software as are multinationals. I would also disagree that information technology does not provide economic advantage as was in the past; this is incorre ct since firms with efficient IT systems achieve efficiency in their operations, reducing operating costs and overheads and would thus have economic advantage on firms with inefficient IT systems or lack of IT systems. With respect to the comment above, I would agree with its author that Carr’s (44) assertion that purchasing of a generic application by a company means the purchase of a generic process, as well. Specific software for specific industries does not necessarily serve different firms in the industry the same way, entirely, and efficiently-it’s not a one size fit all. Over the count/shelf software, as several studies have shown, does not meet the exact needs of the company. Question 1 – Classmate Comment 3 I would say that, based on the article â€Å"IT Doesn’t Matter,† the author makes the point very clearly that IT, in fact, does matter quite a bit. He explains how good IT is now an absolutely crucial part of being competitive in busine ss (Carr 46). His point of course is that it has become so ubiquitous that just having good IT no longer automatically produces a business advantage over competitors. IT is now simply one of many â€Å"costs of doing business.† It has become a commodity like electricity, transportation or Internet connectivity. Much like Internet connectivity, it is difficult to imagine how a business could be successful these days without robust IT integrated

Performance Improvement Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Performance Improvement - Research Paper Example Evidently, there is a weak link between healthcare spending and patient experience. In this context, it is advisable for health organizations to review their health delivery policies and think how their health budget could effectively enhance patient experience. Evidences suggest that efficiency of workflow is the key to improve patient experience, and in turn a number of factors such as time, process designs, and procedural efficacy may influence workflow efficiency. This performance improvement paper will discuss how improving workflow can contribute to enhanced patient experience by reducing wait-times. The paper will also address the outcomes of a one on one meeting with the finance team, patient experience team, and patients. The term workflow refers to the sequence of administrative and other processes through which a particular healthcare work passes from initiation to completion. As mentioned already, time is a crucial component of workflow such that a long wait time would contribute badly to patient experience. According to a Press Ganey article (2010), US patients have been experiencing the longest wait times in emergency departments since 2002. The report says that in 2009 a US patient spent an average of four hours and seven minutes in the emergency department from the moment he entered the room until the time he was discharged. This average time spent was 31 minutes more than the national average in 2002 and indicated an increase of four minutes compared to 2008 (Press Ganey, 2010). Previous researches have established a clear negative relationship between long wait time and patient satisfaction. According to one finding, â€Å"patient wait time for medical care has a direct impact on patient sa tisfaction, medical compliance, return show rate and patient attitudes toward clinicians, staff and clinics in general† (Cuevas & Joseph, n.d). To illustrate, researchers including Anderson, Camacho, and Balkrishnan (2007) conducted a study to evaluate the

The Grand Tour and British Masculinity Term Paper

The Grand Tour and British Masculinity - Term Paper Example Nevertheless, most of the young men could go to the various nations to increase their knowledge and, as a result, it led to many benefits to the countries. The peak of the grand tour appeared when they were sending young men abroad, the French fashions and the aspect of gender of connoisseurship influenced most of them and the view of masculinity associated them. Most of the men had developed the aspect of genders and sexuality, and their manliness had been reflected in their conduct, advising and education, and this was associated with men from the upper and middle class (Hilton & Shefrin 2009, p. 12). The grand tour was one of the memorable moments in Europe, where many transformations were made. The grand tour was done by the wealthy young men and the royal families of Europe more so England, then the Americans, who could go to various nations and stay for years. Most of these men were writers, artists, architects, and thinkers who influenced the current European country. They came up with many ideas of trade, architecture and culture, which motivated more men to be sent abroad for exploration. The places they toured include France, Italy and Rome among others, where each nation had its benefit that they brought home. They were attracted by the landscapes, cities, and a warm climate (Verstraete 2010, p. 34). They were able to travel to various archeological sites, and they influenced the places they went with western civilization. Rome attracted them with the classical heritage that ran through the museums and towns with attractive cosmopolitan centers. At first, they traveled to add knowledge to their education. However, with time, they realized that apart from adding knowledge to education, they also had other benefits that they brought back home such as the new culture, architecture and ideas (Savage 2008, p. 12). The grand tour influenced the social, cultural, economic, architectural,