Tourism strategy for Glasgow Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Tourism strategy for Glasgow - Assignment Example The research paper â€Å"title† highlights tourism strategy for Glasgow that is guided by its vision statement, which states that their shared ambition for metropolitan Glasgow is of sustained and sustainable growth in the tourism industry as a contribution to the wealth and well-being of all. In addition, the vision for Glasgow 2016 action plan is of leading destination in key markets offering a unique, dynamic, and authentic experience through the quality of place, product, and service differentiated through the strength of the brand, Glasgow: Scotland with style. Glasgow 2016 action plan takes advantage of the city’s growth, favorable national policy environment, and higher level of ambitions and desire for Glasgow’s future prosperity and well-being. This clearly indicates that the strategy for Glasgow tourism is closely linked to the national and city policy document. The Glasgow outcomes and to ensure it meets its 2016 vision, there are certain elements that highlighted in its vision that shows its intention of ensuring economic growth of Scotland. Due to this, the tourism sector takes a major role in protecting the environment and working closely with communities for mutual benefits (Tribe 2010 p. 5). For successful strategic planning, there are several key elements of corporate strategy, which if well implemented, leads to success. These elements include; i. Strategic analysis ii. Strategic purpose iii. Strategic choice iv. Strategic implementation Strategic purpose for tourism Glasgow is defined in its mission which states what the organization aims to achieve in the specified period. In the case of Scotland tourism 2016 action plan, the mission is that by 2016, tourism is seen as the major contributor to economic growth of Scotland. in this regard, the key contributor to Scotland tourism include Glasgow leading attractions, Tourism retail and leisure group, Greater Glasgow hotels association, Glasgow restaurateurs association, Scotland tourism and ministry of tourism. Strategic analysis incorporates consideration of influences upon Scotland tourism in terms of operating environment and resources available in order to attain its objectives by 2016. Strategic analysis is concerned in dealing with major strengths and weaknesses within internal resources and threats and opportunities posed by external environment in which the organization operates (Tribe 2010 p.10). In this sense, Scotland tourism identifies some threats in its external environment. These threats include; i. The use of IT by customers ii. The impact of travel on climate change iii. Competitive natur e of tourism destination iv. Increase in fuel prices The major strength include i. Brand name ii. culture iii. partnership and joint working iv. international gateway v. city centre retail offer vi. architecture vii. conference facilities and viii. access to highlands Major opportunities for Scotland tourism include; i. Continued brand development ii. Increase in short break travel iii. , New hotel development iv. Experiential services v. Collaboration with Edinburgh and other, surrounding destinations vi. Developing service excellence vii. Attracting large scale events viii. Innovative new products and packaging ix. Waterfront regeneration x. Differentiation through unique selling points xi. Employment-rich sector xii. Green issues Major weakness includes; i. Signage ii. gaps in transport infrastructure iii. packaging of experience iv. cleanliness v. Image of sector for employment Strategic choice is more concerned with selection strategy, evaluation of available options and genera tion of strategic options. The strategic option favored by Scotland tourism 2016 action plan has moved from mass tourism where they initially concentrated on price to major emphasis on quality or differentiated tourism where consumer or visitor and host experience is emphasized. The Glasgow: Scotland with style

The Concept of Satisfaction in Higher Education

The Concept of Satisfaction in Higher Education Introduction and frame of the study This literature review aims at investigating the importance of satisfaction of the students in higher education form a marketing point of view. As such, we understand the meaning of words, expression, and concepts we only have a limited relation to Operational field of study (that would understand HEIs as a Business entity). The study will be constructed as follow, we shall first understand the definition of satisfaction within the boundaries of the subject earlier mentioned before investing its particular meaning for students and its place and importance in Service Quality. We would like to warn the reader that we have a limitation in term of references. To overcome this later one, we chose to focus on fairly recent articles. Our aim is certainly not to diminish the utter significance of early literature but they will be often quoted here as part of our chosen references. While sourcing for articles, we noticed that service quality is an avant-gardiste and ever growing field of study that branchs out worldwile to every industries, Education makes no exeption. The assumption we made from the coursework statement is that we certainely will be assessed on both the core chosen subject and our technical skills for conducting a literature review. Therefore, we shall try our best and limit our volume of reference without compromising the integrity of the subject. The concept of Satisfaction The concept of satisfaction plays a key role in any marketing strategy (Churchill and Suprenant, 1982), and it is even considered the king of marketing research (Oliver, 1999). Creating a sustainable advantage in todays competitive market depends, to a large extent, on the ability to deliver high-quality service that translates into satisfied customers (Shemwell, Yavas and Bilgin, 1998). Customer satisfaction is a central concept in marketing research (Luo and Homburg, 2007). In fact, Machleit and Mantel (2000) consider satisfaction as the core of all marketing activities. In the beginning, research in the area of customer satisfaction focused only on end consumers. It was therefore commonly referred to as consumer satisfaction (Bearden and Teel 1983, Cadotte et al., 1987, Anderson, 1993). Customer satisfaction is the result of experiencing a service and comparing that experience with the expected service quality (Oliver, 1980), in relation to both intangible and tangible goods; it can be defined on two different levels: as a simple transaction, or as the overall accumulation of the relationship (Jones and Suh, 2000). While there is some academic agreement that the process of contradiction is a precedent of satisfaction, empirical support for this relationship has not been complete (Yi, 1990). There is a wide discussion as to whether it is expectations that directly affect satisfaction, or whether its main antecedent is perceived quality (Churchill and Surprenant, 1982, Bahia et al., 2000). Hereby, the evaluation of client satisfaction (Bahia et al., 2000) can provide a more realistic and dynamic representation of the clients satisfaction (Bahia et al., 2000). Various definitions of satisfaction have been established within the scope of service marketing. Oliver (1980) defines this as a finite-duration experience that relates directly to the experience of a product or service, serving to maintain or improve the previous attitude that the client had about the product or service in question. Kotler (1999, 2000) considers it as the mood of a person that results from comparing the perceived performance of a product or service with their initial expectations, having a close relationship with the perceived value. This global customer satisfaction is an important indicator of the perceived past, present and future results of a company or any other entity offering products or services (Anderson, Fornell and Lehmann, 1994). Mano and Oliver (1993) define satisfaction as a hedonistic evaluative attitude or judgment centered on the product, and that it could be evaluated after consumption. Fornell (1992) defines satisfaction as a general assessment, based on the evaluation of the perceived product after the purchase, which has to be compared with the expectations before the purchase. On the other hand, Halstead et al. (1994) consider that satisfaction is an affective response, in the centre of which is the comparison of the result of the product before the purchase, and during or after its consumption. Rust and Oliver (1994) suggest that the level of satisfaction reflects the degree to which a consumer believes that the possession or use of a service generates positive feelings. As noted by Chang et al. (2009), when satisfaction is considered as an emotional response, it is defined as satisfaction of transaction, whereas when the service depends on many factors, in which repeated transactions occur, satisfaction is given as a cumulative result, or overall satisfaction (Shankar et al., 2003). To a great extent, this view of repeated transactions corresponds to the service provided by universities, since it depends on many factors over a long period of time. In addition, students do not have the opportunity to easily switch providers, causing opportune dissatisfaction. Various researchers have defined satisfaction as a positive orthe net value of services received from a provider (Schmidt and Allscheid, 1995; Woodruff, 1997; Douglas et al., 2004). The table below shows a selection of definitions about this concept. Therefore, the concept of customer satisfaction has been extensively debated in the literature, and numerous definitions have been proposed without a consensus being reached. After having thoroughly examined the main definitions that have been proposed, Giese and Cote (2000) identify three basic distinctive components that make up satisfaction: 1. The type of response, (i.e. whether it is a cognitive, affective or conative), as well as the intensity of the response. 2. The focus or object of this response, which may be based on an evaluation of the rules related to the product, the experiences of consumption of the product, or the attributes related to the purchase, such as, for example, the sales staff. 3. The time or moment at which the evaluation is performed, which can be expressed before or after making the choice, after consumption, after accumulated experiences, or at any other time. In this study, for example, the evaluation is performed after the consumption of the service and gathers experiences accumulated from the perspective of the graduate. Achieving consumer or customer satisfaction is one of the main goals for greater competitiveness (Seymour, 1993). Knowing the satisfaction of different audiences gives rise to different benefits (Anderson, 1993): For clients this means that organizations understand the variables that improve the satisfaction of the public, which leads to improvements in products and services and improvements in life standards; For companies this means improvement of the customer portfolio (forecast for the future), improvements in the distribution of resources, competitive information; For countries this means an increase in competitiveness within national strategies, improvements in state economies, aid for decision making in the businesses (national and foreign), and a better understanding of the differences between countries. Understanding of satisfaction with the organizations gives rise to synergies that, generally, tend to favor the competitiveness of a country. Satisfaction for university students A university, as a public institution, should try to create a positive image for its different audiences. It must know each one of them deeply to satisfy them adequately and to know what all those variables that influence a positive assessment of the university are. In the case of students, it is important to analyze all those variables that influence both: their university experience, as well as their pre- and post-experiences. Therefore, universities progressively create, maintain and consolidate relationships with their different audiences, especially with their students (Hasan, Ilias, Rahman and Razak, 2008). It is only with the satisfied students that the success and permanence of the students, and, above all, the formation of a positive word of mouth can be achieved in the institution (Alves and Raposo, 2004). In the context of higher education, Elliot and Healy (2001) affirm that student satisfaction is a short-term attitude derived from the evaluation of their educational experience. On the other hand, Elliott and Shin (2002) define student satisfaction as the subjective evaluation of the different students outcomes (employment, social, etc.) as well as of their experiences of education and life on campus and their initial expectations. The reasons that motivated students to decide on their career and on the university play a fundamental role in such expectations (Elliot and Shin, 2002). A university students satisfaction is a multidimensional concept that depends on students own implication and goals, as well as on the quality and service provided by the university (Hartman and Schmidt, 1995). As a rule, student satisfaction was assessed throughout the literature with the help of questionnaires that evaluate the quality of teaching and the content of subjects or specific services, such as libraries. But a lesser degree of questionnaires are sent to students after finishing the university stage, so that they can evaluate the institution. In addition, it is important to analyse the psychological and pre-university aspects that influence the academic evolution of the student. Students participating in the learning process are the main stakeholders of the university, and therefore, the focus on student satisfaction goes hand in hand with the development of a culture of continuous improvement of the university (Harvey, 1995). Biggs (2003) reviews the studies that have addressed university satisfaction, concluding that achieving high student satisfaction allows for different benefits to be obtained in the learning process: Teachers show higher productivity and enthusiasm when the appreciation of their services is evaluated; In the case of higher education, an institution is more willing to adopt changes; for example, to assume new teaching / learning styles; It is assumed that students performs their university studies and have fun at the same time; Students perception and experience are evaluated so that the university is aware of the aspects to be improved based on the students opinion. There have been numerous researches, who focused on the concept of university satisfaction, via studying which components or determinants make up such satisfaction (Aitken, 1982; Bean Bradley, 1986; Pike, 1991; Hartman Schmidt, 1995; Webb Jagun, 1997; Browne et al., 1998; Aldridge Rowley, 1998; Browne et al., 1999; Elliot Healy, 2001; Wiers-Jenssen, Stensaker Grogaard, 2002; Elliot Shin, 2002; DeShields, Kara Kaynak, 2005; Marzo et al., 2005; Arambewela Hall, 2006; Alves Raposo, 2007; Nasser, Khoury Abouchedid, 2008; Husain et al., 2009; Alves Raposo, 2010; Pike Larkin, 2010; Duque Weeks, 2010; Kheiry et al., 2012; Duarte, Alves Raposo, 2012; Moosmayer Siems, 2012; Blà ¡zquez et al., 2013). Table 3.11 lists papers whose main objective is to analyze the components and processes of satisfaction in the context of higher education. The performed work has measured the satisfaction of current students, that is, during their university experience. Among these studies, Aitken (1982) established that satisfaction depended on academic factors and accommodation services, whereas financial and personal factors, and involvement determined student retention. Later, Bean and Bradley (1986) concluded that the academic results do not affect the perception of the quality of aspects such as the service received or the physical aspects and satisfaction. More recently, Elliot and Healy (2001) concluded that attributes related to the environment, learning and student welfare are the main sources of satisfaction. Wiers-Jenssen et al. (2002) determined that university environment, as well as infrastructures and quality of service (as a specific dimension) are the main factors. While Husain et al. (2009) evidenced empirically that the sources of greatest satisfaction are the physical environment, interaction and received support, feedback, evaluation, and management. Finally, within the factors considered, Blà ¡zquez et al. (2013) concluded that sports activities and international programs are the social aspects that have the greatest impact on student satisfaction. In their study they included aspects related to facilities and resources (libraries, leisure resources, etc.), academic factors (teaching, workload, etc.) and social aspects (sports, housing, environment, etc.). Thereby, most of the authors have examined the satisfaction from the perspective of the current students, that is to say, that they were at the moment of carrying out their studies. Therefore, they have not been based on the recommendations of Westbrook and Oliver (1991) and Mano and Oliver (1993) who affirm that satisfaction is a state that must be evaluated after product consumption or service experience. However, Hartman and Schmidt (1995) took the perspective of the graduate (hence, after consumption) concluding that satisfaction depends largely on whether academic and work expectations have been met in addition to a favorable assessment of the services received during the experience. In this regard, the work of Duarte et al. (2012) compared the satisfaction of 150 students at two stages: halfway through their university career and after completing their studies. The results indicated that satisfaction is maintained at similar levels both when studying and at the end of the course; in fact, certain aspects, such as quality, were valued more once the graduates had had work experience. This contrasts with the results of Pike and Larkin (2010), and although they did not measure satisfaction by means of the graduate, they compared the evaluation of postgraduate students satisfaction at the beginning, middle and end of their course, revealing that satisfaction was greater during the initial stage of their studies, followed by higher levels of dissatisfaction later because their expectations have not been met. Nasser et al. (2008) reached the same conclusion, where he determined that the newcomers in the institution are those that present a higher degree of satisfaction . Apart from these studies, it is also worth mentioning the studies of graduates in Spain where they measure the satisfaction of the graduates with respect to the training and the service received that were analyzed in chapter 1 (for example, the UGR). With respect to other researchers, only Webb and Jagun (1997) took into account the employees of the university, and Browne et al. (1999) analyzed parental satisfaction compared to that of their own children, concluding that there is practically no difference in satisfaction among them, although it is slightly higher among the parents. Another aspect resulting from the observation of the table is that satisfaction has been a subject of research in many different countries, but the research done in the United States has been put in the forefront (Aitken, 1982; Bean and Bradley, 1986; Pike, 1991; Schmidt 1995, Browne et al., 1998, Browne et al., 1999, Elliot and Healy, 2001, Elliot and Shin, 2002, DeShields, Kara and Kaynak, 2005); there the majority of studies have focused on understanding the satisfaction attributes and development of a methodology or definition of a special measure for the university sector. Taking into account the Spanish context, Marzo et al. (2005) analyzed the influence of teaching components as factors of satisfaction. More recently, Blà ¡zquez et al. (2013) considered a greater number of aspects of university quality such as offered services or visual elements. It is noteworthy that in the study carried out by Duque and Weeks (2010) among both Spanish and American students, it was concluded that the implication is relevant in mediating the positive or negative assessment of the university service. Mention that studies have emphasized the importance of the relationship between quality and satisfaction (as was already possible in the section on quality) and will be analyzed later. Academic achievement has also been the subject of study as the basis for satisfaction with intellectual expectations (Bean and Bradley, 1986; Pike, 1991). Finally, taking into account the methodologies used to measure satisfaction, statistical techniques of regression analysis and structural equations stand out. Qualitative methods have been used to a lesser extent in relation to other variables such as image or quality, with certain exceptions (Webb and Jagun, 1997; Aldridge and Rowley, 1998).

Insider Trading Essay -- Business, Investment, Trading

It can fairly be said that an Investor considering an investment decision (whether to purchase, sell or hold stock) in publicly traded company acts on the basis of extensive information which is available by corporation to him until the last moment of his investing decision and try to determine the fair price of corporate stock. In the light of continuous creation of a particular impression of corporate affairs by the corporation, new information by corporate can vanish the importance of previous available information to investor. In the scenario only one kind of investors can get advantage over others, who is either very close to corporate operation (corporate officers) or can access nonpublic price-sensitive information to corporation (large shareholder). These investors are known as insider. To ensure fair platform of trading to all investor, the law of insider trading is one of the vehicles which is used by society to allocate the property right to information generated by firm and it can be ensured that by virtue of being insider, director or company’s officer cannot explore private information in trading of his or her company’s stock but many studies (e.g., Jaffe, 1974; Finnerty, 1976a,b; Seyhun, 1986, 1988a,b; Rozeff and Zaman, 1988; Lin and Howe, 1990) conclude that Insiders like to buy (sell) their own company stock before price-favorable (unfavorable) information disseminates in public and take the advantage of nonpublic information. For example, Jaffe (1974a) find the insiders are able to make abnormal return by taking position in their own stock but insiders’ short-term prediction power is greater than long-term predication. Several aspects of insider trading activity are debatable. Like is insider trading is... ...ces in compensation package to their executives between two groups. Graver and Graver (1995) find that intangible assets of a firm are important factor to determine the executives’ compensation and a large portion of their compensation derives from long term incentive compensation like stock option grants. When executive receivers a large portion of compensation in stocks, then his investment portfolio is subject to more idiosyncratic risk than any diversity investment portfolio or to survive, for example to pay home rent, he needs liquidity, which in turn, either to achieve diversify investment portfolio or to achieve liquidity, he sells his a part of his stake in open market even his stock in undervalued (Meulbroek, 2000). We assume that insiders selling of intangible assets’ firms are less likely to convey information to public than tangible assists’ firms.

Death of a Parent Essay

I believe we are defined by events that happen throughout our lives both passivity and negatively. Most of the events that change people’s paths often happen suddenly in their life and sometimes have long term effects. Whether it is a personal, religious, life style, or even a career change the fact still remains the cause for change was caused by the event. The statements above are true for my life; my life was about to change forever. This is the day I found out my mother had only six months to live, I was only 19 years old. I was picking my mother up from a routine follow-up appointment she had at Keesler Air force Base Hospital in Biloxi Mississippi, on the afternoon of 3 March 1997. I was walking up the steps of the hospital when I saw her walking out her face was pale I asked her if she was ok, her response was no. At this point in time everything went silent she asked me to sit down on the steps but I couldn’t I just wanted to know what was wrong. My mother while holding my hands then told me the results of the test and that she had liver cancer and it was untreatable. I was frozen not knowing what to say I just grab her and held her close and begun to cry. She told me to stop crying because she was going to need me to be strong for her and my brothers, that she wanted her last six months to be happy memories not sad ones. Let’s step back for a moment so I can explain the relationship I had with my mother because it was not your normal one. My mother was so much more to me than just a mom, she was my best friend I told her everything and she told me everything. We spent many late nights talking about everything in life from how our day went to what life would hold for us in the future. My mother was one of those people who never wanted or asked for anything for herself but was one who gave everything and would do anything for her children. When I say her children I don’t just mean her biological ones, she took care and provide for so many more, whether it was local neighbor hood, friends, family, co-workers and sometime even complete strangers who just need help. I remember many nights sitting at the kitchen table with people eating dinner with us who I did not know and many of them I would never see again after that night. My mom would always say we don’t have much but what we do have is sometimes way more than what others have. My mother was the strongest person I ever known, who also had the biggest heart. Two years before we found out she only had six months to live my mother kicked breast cancers ass. At least so we thought until the cancer showed back up in her liver and the doctors only gave her six months to live. At first nothing changed for her life or mine after finding out the bad news in fact she made me promise not to tell my brothers or anyone else. She continued working up to about the last two months. That is when things started to fall apart. The first thing to go for my mother was her memory. I can remember coming home from work and my mother talking to me about going camping like I was five years old. Not knowing how to handle it I just played along with the conversation, it seemed to make her happy. This went on and off for about two weeks and then things really started heading down hill pretty quick. I had to get help from hospice care, to have help taking care of her, because she was basically bedridden and unable to care for herself. Hospice came into our home and set up a medical bed and other medical equipment in our formal living area, this was the open area in our house. At this point I quit my job to take care of her because hospice care was only coming to the house like twice a day the rest was up to me. I had made a promise to her not to let her die in a hospital and I was trying to keep that promise. As the days went on the care became more and more demanding not really physical but mentally. I was doing everything thing for her, from bathing, changing her clothes, and bed pan to forcing her to take the meds she still need to take for pain control. At this point she was no longer able to speak, it seemed like her mind was completely gone just a blank stare. My breaking point was met, I was unable to care for my mother at home anymore she had pretty much slipped into a coma. I had to have my mother moved to the hospital, I couldn’t keep that promise I made her and still to this day I beg for forgiveness from her. She was only in the hospital for three nights before she passed. My brothers and I took turns at night staying with her and my night was night three. That night was a special night, it was her birthday. On the night she passed away we got her a birthday cake and song happy birthday to our mother for the last time. After singing happy birthday and blowing out the candles we each gave her a hug. When it became my turn to give her a hug I told her it was ok for her to go, that we will be ok and I love you. It wasn’t long after that she passed away at the age of 40. Not long after my mother died my life begun to fall apart. I could not deal with people always asking me if I was ok or if I needed anything. I started pushing everyone away and shutting out the ones I love. I needed to make a positive change in my life because my mother would not want me to live this way. So I joined to U. S. Army and left home and everybody I loved. I didn’t really have a plan I just knew I needed my space and this was the only way I was going to get it. In fact I wrote a letter to my girlfriend breaking up with her on my flight to Germany, after I had completed all my initial training. I was completely alone for the first time after my mother died. Not a day goes by that I do not think about my mother and how her passing changed my life. Today I live my life the way I believe she would have wanted me to, with an open mind, trying to see the positives in every situation I find myself in. There are things I wish I would have handled differently when it comes to my love ones I left behind when I joined the Army. My mother’s passing away changed my life in so many ways and has dad a major impact on the way I raise my kids, I do not take the time I have with them for granted. You never know when your time is up, so I say make the most of it and never wait until tomorrow to tell someone you love them.

Mr Guan

Report Report Due: pm Friday 23rd August, Week 4. Hand in report electronically vie e-learning. Time to complete: This assessment task should take the average student 10-15 hours to complete, Including research time. Late Penalty: As for all other assessment tasks for this course, late penalties are 20% of the maximum possible mark per day or part thereof.Time of submission Is logged via e-learning, note that the e-learning time may not be the same as your watch/phone/computer timely Weekends and public holidays are not included . Plagiarism: You must include a plagiarism compliance statement. Reports may be checked for plagiarism with an online system, please correctly use quotes from sources and reference them correctly as per the author/ date or numbered system. Refer to the library weapon for guidance on referencing and plagiarism.Any report found to have been plagiarisms will be processed as per the University plagiarism policy. Task Description: Written case study report (20% of course total assessment). Present a written technical (In report format as per lecture one guidelines) case study focusing on a major workplace safety incident that occurred (anywhere In the world). The emphasis and purpose of the report Is to; research, describe and discuss the Incident primarily In relation to the Safety Systems related to the event. Ђ Describe the Incident/event and possible causes of the event (including causes related to the management/operation of safety systems) Relate the incident/event to any failures in safety systems (including managerial) that were present Discuss what preventative measures could/should have been taken What changes would you suggest be made to limit the possibility of repeat event occurring? How would you review the effectiveness of your proposed changes?Word Limit: This Report should be approximately 2000-3000 words in length (not including the title page, summary, table of contents, references or appendices). Writing concise yet Informative reports Is an Important part of being a Professional Engineer. The ability to accurately convey Information In a concise, relevant and effective manner is a key skill that you should endeavourer to develop. Reports containing more than 3250 or fewer than 1750 words will result in mark penalties of 0% of the possible mark for every 250 words under/ over the limit.Grade Descriptors A+ A ABA+ B BIO 95 90 85 80 75 High Distinction 85% – 100% As for the criteria for ‘Distinction', however the work also shows a high degree of professionalism. The report structure is excellent and provides a convincing discussion/argument of the topic. There is good evidence of in depth, critical discussion of the topic. Report has excellent grammar, spelling and Is of a concise nature. The work shows a good appreciation of the general alma/purpose of the topic. There Is good coverage of the topic with relevant and accurate support ND a well developed scholarly discussion/argument .Grammar and spelling are very good and report is reasonably concise. The work is relevant and addresses several reasonable amount of the content and a scholarly discussion/argument has been advanced. There is limited evidence of an overall integrative view of the topic. Grammar, spelling and conciseness are lacking. The information in the various aspects of the work is relevant and accurate but is not integrated and only covers some core aspects of the topic. There is an attempt at a scholarly discussion/ argument and the work indicates a limited understanding of the topic.