Looking at the social comments Bennett Essay Example for Free

Looking at the social comments Bennett Essay For I could easily afford to keep my mother and wife too. This conveys that from Phillips point of view, women are the responsibility of men and this also reflects his upbringing as through the environment he has been brought up in, he has gained the arrogance of being able to believe that he is higher than women and that women to him, are something that must be brought in order to look after or keep them. Bennett stereotypes the arrogance of men in society through the assumptions that Phillip makes about his mother. This is shown as when in the text Phillip comes to know that dinner was set for three; he immediately thought that it was something to do with him, that his fianci e Agnes was arriving he did not consider the fact that the guest could be for his mother. By presenting Phillip like this, Bennett is suggesting that Phillip is portraying the arrogance of the male in society; However, Phillip can not be blamed for his attitude towards women in society as he was merely acting of the confines of the social rules within the society that he was brought up in at the time. This is shown as at the end of the story, Phillip realises that the arrogance he was brought up with was wrong as when Phillip realises that his mother is engaged, he states I had never thought of my mother as a woman with a future. By saying this, Phillip admits that his views were not necessarily correct as he never thought his mother had a future or a life of her own but after hearing the news of the engagement from his mother and Mr Nixon, he realises that he was wrong and admits this by simply stating we live and we learn. Through news of the engagement Bennett shares the views of Phillip towards the relationship between him and his mother, leaving the reader to assume that Phillips mother has an unfair status within society and that her views are different to those of her sons views. This is shown as Phillip wouldnt share his personal matters with his mother, he tells the reader this by stating .. you cant write even to your mother.. In cold blood: I think Agnes likes me by saying this, Phillip is implying that his mother and him do not have a close relationship as he cant tell his mother about his engagement, he also shows that his mothers opinion doesnt count or matter as he states she might be a little bit hurt just at first . Here, Bennett insinuates to the reader that Phillip has been brought up to be independent enough to perform personal matters without involving his mother as she isnt very important to him; although he believes that he means everything to his mother as he is the only man in her life. However, nearly to the end of the story, the reader comes to know that Phillips mother feels exactly the way towards Phillip as he does towards her, this is shown as Mr Nixon states .. she couldnt have well written, My dear Phillip, an old friend, Mr Nixon, is falling in love with me and I believe Im falling in love with him. .. . This proves that Phillips mother is also a product of her environment as she also implies that she believes her sons opinion does not count or matter and that he does not need to be involved in her personal matters. This is very ironic as at the start of the story Phillips environment lead him to believe that he couldnt write in a letter to his own mother that he is getting engaged then, in the end, Phillip learned that his mothers environment also lead her to believe that she couldnt write in a letter to her own son that she is getting engaged, this changed Phillips views as he realises the irony and the views that his society and environment brought him to believe he admits his mistake by simply stating we live and we learn. Bennett simply comments on society, inferring simple messages such as we live and we learn, he does not criticise society through his stories, unlike Charles dickens, who sends highly critical messages across about society through his famous stories such as a Christmas carol and Oliver! . Bennetts stories are inferred comments about social and historical issues and how they are or should change, he explores the upbringing and status of the characters in news of an engagement and implies the change in society after the main character realises the irony of the relationship between him and his mother.

Implementation And Advantages Transformational Leadership In Nursing

Implementation And Advantages Transformational Leadership In Nursing Transformational leadership is a leadership approach that brings value and positive change to the followers with the ultimate goal of transforming those same followers into great leaders. Accordingly, this style of leaderships main goal is to convert the followers into great leaders, in addition to providing guidelines for success. The leader in this style, on all occasions, has words of motivation for the followers that heightens moral for the reason of producing a higher level of performance. There are many advantageous ways of inspiring the group. To begin with, the leader is to associate with the identity of the follower. By asking to questions: Who are they? What are their goals in life? What kind of background do you have? A transformational leader finds out all the pertinent information about their potential leaders and uses those specifics to generate the transformations. For this purpose, the leader is always perceived as a good role model to the group. The leader inspires them to be the best they can be and on all occasions, challenges them when needed. All things considered, the leader understands and is aware of all their weaknesses so the future leaders can be up for the challenge and optimize their performance. In conclusion, the followers of this style must possess charisma, idealized influence and stimulation, so the end result can be the finished task. This style promotes new direction that allows the followers to successfully execute the assignments on their own. Being a transformational leader is somewhat challenging but the rewards are endless. Laissez-Faire leadership is best defined as a non-authoritative style of leadership. Laissez-Faire, is French which means allow to pass, or let go. Accordingly, this leadership explains why the leaders possess no control, as they try to have the least amount of involvement as possible. The leaders maintain the belief that if people are left alone they will excel in their own time. Consequently, these leaders allow their team to be responsible for the own outcomes, with no intervention or assistance from management. The Laissez-Faire style is only effective if the members are skilled, prideful, experienced and highly educated. In addition, this style is not for employees who need constant supervision, and always need a pat on the back for a job well done. All things considered, in the interest of nurses, the majority of the time, nurses will have no leadership or direction from upper management. In the event of an emergency, there is no time for calling for assistance or direction. The implementation of the nursing process has got to be immediate with no intervention from management until problem has been alleviated. For this reason, this style is not effective for nurses that lack experience, are unable to function on their own and need constant interaction with their preceptor. The manager, as I stated earlier, is nowhere to be found, so you must be a self started and motivated by your own means to work with this style of leadership. The first quality of a good leader is that he has passion for the craft and challenges you to be the best that you can be at whatever you do. If things are made easy or handed to you, you will not work as hard to accomplish it. You are already aware of the outcome and it is always in your favor. A good leader challenges the highest level of ability and expects the best from you. He expects you to put your best foot forward, consequently rewarding you when you have done your best. A good leader always sets a good example because he leads by example. If your leader is unprepared, unmotivated, has no confidence and has lost his passion then you will be the same way. Your leader strives to be number one, because he expects the same determination from you. A good leader finds ways to keep his team motivated and you will benefit from his experience. In addition, a good leader offers a complete explanation of the job to be done, as well as clear and concise directions so that you will successfully do a great job the first time. A good leader wants his team to be successful with every task because that reflects back on him. A good leader praises a teams good work and offers ways to improve on the jobs that were not as successful. In any case, one of the traits of a good leader is he is always visible. In order to provide strong leadership he needs to have a strong visual presence with the workers. They need to see him in the middle of a task working alongside them getting the job done. He needs to be available for questions, comments and general discussions. He needs to be in the forefront so that the followers can have him at their disposal when needed. Furthermore, another trait of a successful leader is consistency. Keeping a working, supervisory relationship is the key. People will come to you for leadership and guidance and must receive direction consistency on a daily basis. Also, it is important not to let your personal feelings cloud your decisions. Stay focused on the situation or issue, not on any one particular person. Many times leaders are connected with some workers more than others. Leaders must never let the working relationships change their response. All employees musts be treated equally with the same amount of fairness and respect. Showing favoritism hampers the fluidity of the working process. Above all, leaders must include employees in the problems solving process. When leaders include their followers in the troubleshooting process, it makes them feel like an important part of the team. By keeping all lines of communication open, encouraging input for improvement and change, will set the team apart. The leader improves the team by listening to them, discussing and challenging their skills while complementing on jobs well done. Simultaneously, setting the tone for the work environment, coming from an optimistic leader, can excite and motivate the team to perform the best job possible. Confidence, exhibited by leadership, can be contagious, as employees feed off the tone set by leadership. A good leader is encouraged to show gratitude for a job well done, and encouraged to thank all whom were involved. Incidentally, many times leaders make mistakes they are human beings just like everyone else. They, like all people, are not perfect and will make mistakes, while the good leader admits to those errors. Every team member will have more respect for the leader if they are open and honest about all events. Honesty is always and forever the best policy. By the same token, sometimes leaders make the mistake of putting business before people. A good leader always make sure his followers feel like they are a active part of the team and that all the information they present is just as important as any other member. On the contrary, my preceptor Mrs. McKenzie is a wonderful leader. She is always ready to teach you something new and has the confidence that you will do a good job. She is a good leader because she does not have the Im the teacher, youre the student attitude. She is always open to suggestions and answers the many questions that I have for her each and every time I am in clinic. When there is a code or another stressful situation she never loses control. Mrs. McKenzie is full of useful information for both me and the doctor. Ms Angela, the charge nurse over the emergency room, seems cold and stuffy but when in action she wants the students to be involved in all aspects of patient care. She goes as far as informing the medical doctor on duty that they have a student and makes sure you are in the middle of everything that comes thru the emergency room. Correspondingly, on my clinical rotations, the most positive trait brought to my attention, is one of teamwork. When a new patient is admitted, no matter who is assigned to that patient, all the nurses converge on the room and make sure the core nurse has everything she needs. For this purpose, one nurse starts the IV, one nurse disrobes the patient, one nurse applies the ECG leads and the other starts the initial assessment along with the vital signs. Nevertheless, as the student, if you dont confidently move fast and be quick on your feet, you will miss out on all important experiences. Students need positive role models and feedback to make certain that what they see and experience in their nursing rotations, make them a competent nurse throughout their entire career. The nurses on my rotation worked like a well oiled machine and made sure that the patient as well as the family had all they needed and were comfortable with the care we were providing. Many things make you a reliable nurse but I believe proper training and education play a large role in being able to perform effectively, thus increasing reliability. The negative traits that I have observed is some nurses do not want to have a student or a nurse in orientation for that matter. They forget that at one time they were a student or a new nurse on the job. They just want to have less interference as possible to make their day go by. You are not allowed to ask them any questions or be in their patients room. I have observed nurses not always using the proper techniques for different duties around the hospital. They are not washing their hands between patients, not using sterile technique when necessary and sometimes just over looking hospital protocol all together. The one negative trait that I will never possess is that I will never be a nurse because of the pay. I will always be the kind of nurse that loves nursing and that is why I do it every day. I will never forget where I came from and treat someone like they are less than me because they work in a different area than me. I will never be the type of nurse that speaks negatively about a medical doctor or a nurse in front of the patient or anyone else for that matter. I will always have respect for my leaders in nursing even when they dont have it for me. However, I will be the nurse that pulls then to the side to try to get the problem worked out instead of working with hostility daily. All things considered, I am a transformational leader. I work well with others, am trained and highly motivated with everything I do. I love to see people do well under the title they work. I always try to be a good example and promote nothing but positive attitudes in the work place. I provide the guidelines and would allow the employees to do what they do. I like this style because it utilizes the skills that you know your employees already possess, that makes them into their own leaders. My peers come to me for advice on a daily basis because they know that I really have a no-nonsense attitude when I am working towards something. I offer strong but friendly words of advice and never sugar coat anything to them. When a plan needs to be made normally I am the one who implements the stages. To my friends I am a strong leader because I get it done and take no excuses. Now will that make me a good RN? I hope so, but time will only tell. An RN has to be a strong selfless leader who never turns down a challenge unless it is unsafe for the patients. Always ready to give the right information when needed and always learning new things every day. I was never given the opportunity to be the team leader, but had it happened I am confident I would have handled it in a very professional manner. I would have made sure that I referenced back to the BON website when I was unsure about delegation and my scope of practice as a nurse. My personal philosophy is I believe that nursing is a profession that uses the criteria Pavalko used to define the eight dimensions of a profession. It shows that nursing has relevance to social values, education, self-motivation, a code of ethics, commitment to lifelong work, a theoretical framework, and there is a common identity. Additionally, how the ADN prepared professional nurse has many roles, such as a caregiver, teacher, advocate, manager, colleague, and expert. It is my opinion nursing is a remarkably rewarding profession that consists of various obstacles that are triumphed over in order to pave the way for a rewarding and honorable future. There are many significant achievements accomplished by nurses in todays society including the values instilled in our social lives, as well as the education attained by individuals in order to seize the ability to give great care to the community. I believe it takes a unique type of person with a great deal of motivation and ambition to be capable of performing as a caretaker for others. It is crucial to believe in what you are doing by always using superior judgment, and by following the Code of Ethics in each decision you make in your working institution or at home with friends and family. Using the term Career in regards to nursing seems to be an understatement of my outlook on this astounding health care position, I have always considered this opportunity as a permanent gratifying commitment not on ly to myself, but to all of those whom rely on my specialized training and care for their well being. Although maybe not suitable for each person, nursing is a profession of choice for general public to apply themselves to if they so desire. There are numerous different regulations and system policies the nurses adhere to in order to maintain safety and quality care for all people. I believe nursing colleagues may be able to unite as one group with the same values in their trade in order to work harder on leading by example, and following each others strategies as well; furthermore, overcoming the obstacles of modern day traditional standards and excelling beyond the current generations outlook of the nursing profession. Nursing leadership and management is crucial in the foundation of nursing care. There is a direct correlation between leadership and quality of care. Â   Poor nursing leadership leads to poor patient outcome and, inversely, good nursing leadership leads to excellent patient outcomes. I believe that a profession has a commitment to a lifelong work because you get involved in your establishment. It is very hard for me to think of leaving the nursing field, or the hospital I work in now, because there are so many people relying on me for my knowledge of this hospital. I have grown attached to those I work for and with. The rules of this hospital differ from others and after familiarizing myself in such depth here I could not just leave in hopes of finding another place to be so comfortable or appreciated. However, in todays generation many nurses do not feel the same way. There are many nurses that choose to work short term in one hospital and then leave to work in another facility. Due to this constant battle for hospitals and other health care provider facilities to keep continuous adequate nursing staff, the United States has had to find other means of populating our health care systems. For instance, According to the American Hospital Association, 17% of hospita ls recruit from abroad to fill nursing vacancies. New Trends in foreign Nurse Recruitment, Texas Nursing Voice, April, May, June 2008. That says to me we really need to start more nursing schools and helping the people who are already working in the medical field to move up to nursing and make a solid career move. The most important thing I learned from this paper and from my clinical experience is that every member of the team really holds the same amount of importance. There is no one person that is more important than the other. If there is no team work involved there is no team. Being a good nurse not only takes excellent training but it takes compassion for the job. There is always something you can improve and many new things to learn. This new role is going to be somewhat of a challenge but with continued hard work I know I can get it done. I have learned to never be afraid of the unknown, just do your best to figure it out and make it work in your favor. In addition I learned that being a part of a team although very important, being an individual is even more important. Do not allow other peoples negative views cloud your judgment. As a new nurse everyone is trying to recruit you to their team or to their way of thinking. My preceptor has always told me to stand on my own two feet and whatever decision I make in my career I need to make sure that I am comfortable with it and that it satisfies the job. I have learned to always keep patient safety first and treat the patient as I would want a member of my family treated. Nursing is a rewarding profession physically, mentally and in spirit. Throughout my years in the nursing profession I have observed many challenging circumstances with a wide variety of remarkable people. All individuals, at some stage in their lives, will seek medical attention. During these times of need each person desires to find comfort in the ones looking over them. People need a doctor that is aware of their si tuation and that has a plan of overcoming the quandary the patient is in. These same individuals interact with nurses recurrently and find relief in their understanding and ability to console the patients during the period of their predicament. The major social value of the contributing nurses is, at times, overpowering. With so many people all over the world constantly struggling to endure their circumstances it is evident of how valuable the medical skills are and the people who provide them.

Drivers of Customer Loyalty and Firm Profitability Research

Drivers of Customer Loyalty and Firm Profitability Research Financial institutions perform a vital role in facilitating the aggregation and allocation of capital with the help of conveying individual savings in to loans to businesses, government and individuals. The role of banking division in the concentration and distribution of capital in Ghana can not be disputed. The recent credit crunch has left a deep impact over the performance of various banks all over the world. Thus, in order to survive in the long run, the institutions need to adopt competitive strategies. One and the most important of such strategies in the banking sector constitute customer loyalty to business which makes the banking businesses competent. In this paper, we will analyze the determinants of customer loyalty and their impact on the share market and firm profitability with the help of studying the customer relationship management (CRM) and contact management of Barclays Bank in Ghana. In the late seventies and early eighties, the state owned banks in Ghana dominated the formal banking system of the country as they had monopoly with respect to their spread and operations (Hinson and Hammond, 2006). However, the banking environment has now been evolved. According to Hinson and Hammond (2006; p.45), universal banking law has permitted all categories of banking to be performed under a single body for corporate banking which has greatly restructured the scopes of competency in various banking products in Ghana. Thus, the banking sector in Ghana has been brought in to the competitive arena which is based on the customers and products due to the reforms and deregulations. This infers that the management of the banks in Ghana should employ the strategies that provide customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, customer retention and thereby, increase firm profitability and market shares. 1.1 Service Quality Concept The European school of thought, vastly expressed by the work of Gronroos (1984), explains that the customers recognize service quality from two aspects which are: (1) the technical aspect of service and (2) the functional aspect of the service. Technical quality is determined by knowing if the customers expectations from the service are fulfilled or not. The functional quality is recognized through the customers perception about the service production and its delivery. According to Richard and Allaway (1993), both of these distinctions are correct and needed to define customers service quality analysis and loyalty behaviour. However, this concept does not consider the physical environment of the service. Thus, the American school of thought led by the work of Parasuraman et al., (1985, 1988) has been adopted in various studies which states that service quality is basically the difference between perception and expectation of the delivery of service. According to this model, service q uality has five dimensions on which customers judgement about perceived service quality is based. These dimensions are: Reliability: Performance assurance, accuracy and dependability of the service. Responsiveness: Will to help and provide prompt service to the customers. Assurance: Knowledge, courtesy and ability of the employees that ensures trust and confidence. Empathy: Care and special attention given to the customers. Tangibles: Outlook of the personnel, equipments and other physical facilities. These five dimensions will be measured through a scale called SERVQUAL comprising of 22 items. Service quality is operationalized according to the gap between perception and expectation (P-E). Thus, the SERVQUAL determines the gaps in the service delivery of a firm. SERVPERF is another service quality measure that has been developed by Cronin and Taylor (1992) considering that SERVQUAL was inadequate. According to them, performance and not perception minus expectation determines service quality by proving that expectations have almost no impact on the customers evaluation about service quality. Both of the SERVQUAL and SERVPERF conceptualizations have been incorporated in our research model for this study. Although, our research model includes P E, we measure service quality on the basis of perception only since expectation is insignificant (Cronin and Taylor 1992; Brady et al., 2002). However, the basics of Parasuraman et als., (1988) dimensions of service quality have been retaine d in our model. Moreover, the 22 items of these dimensions in our study are slightly modified according to relevancy. 7 point likert scale will be used to measure P. 1.2 Customer Loyalty Concept In our study, we have incorporated both attitudinal and behavioural concepts of customer loyalty. The following cues will be used to measure customer loyalty in the banking sector of Ghana. Word of Mouth: Recommendations made by the customers to their friends and family for using the services of the bank. Repeat Purchase: Repetition or consistency in making purchases by the customers for the banks products and services. Satisfaction: The level of pleasure or happiness of the customers with their banks services and products. 2. SERVICE QUALITY MODEL The Disconfirmation Paradigm (Parasuraman et al., 1985) allows service quality model to measure disparity between consumers perceptions and their expectations for the quality of service. Figure 1 given below represents the service quality model for the banking sector. This model illustrates that there are five gaps in delivering the quality service to the customers. These gaps are described below. Gap 1: This gap can be referred as Understanding as it depicts the difference between expectations of the customer and the management perceptions of the customers expectations. Gap2: This gap can be referred as Service Standards since it depicts the disparity between management perceptions of customer expectations and specifications of service quality. Gap 3: This gap can be referred as Service Performance as it illustrates the disparity between the service quality specifications and the actual service delivered to the customer. Gap 4: This gap can be referred as Communications since it shows the disparity between service delivery and external communication with the customer about the service. Gap 5: This gap can be referred as Service Quality as it depicts the disparity between customer expectation for the quality of the service and the customers perception about the performance of the firm. Gaps 1 till 4 impact the service delivery leading to Gap 5. Thus, these four gaps have a very strong influence over the gap 5. This study will focus on the potential discrepancies found in all the gaps. The managerial implications associated with these gaps must be assessed in order to formulate proper business strategies. These resultant strategies will then be properly implemented for closing the identified gaps found in the banking sector in Ghana and thereby, to improve service quality and profitability of concerned Bank. Word of Mouth Communication Personal Needs Past Experience Expected Service Perceived Service Gap 5 Service Delivery External Communications with Customers Gap 4 Translation of Perceptions in to Service Quality Specifications Management Perceptions of Costumer Expectations Gap 2 Gap 3 Gap 1 3. PROBLEM STATEMENT The gaps 1 to 4 impact the service delivery and are concerned with the management and service providers of the bank. Thus, the question arises, what variables or factors are responsible for creating these gaps or what is the lacking of the management that refrain them from delivering the quality service to the customers? As for Gap 5, the question arises which business strategies should be adopted to reduce the gaps and thereby, improve service quality and performance of the bank. 4. HYPOTHETICAL MODEL This paper is aimed towards finding loyalty drivers according to the viewpoint of the customers of the Ghanaian retail banking. This chapter of the paper will present a hypothetical model that will be used to determine the relationship among loyalty, loyalty drivers, banks profitability and market share. Figure 2 provided below represents the framework of our hypothetical model. The model presented in figure 2 below explains the service quality as perceived by the customer. This model has been premised on seminal model (SERVQUAL), Cronin and Taylor (1992; SERVPERF), Parasuraman et al., (1988) and Brady and Cronin (2001). The quality of service conceptualized by 2 pathways that are: (1) P-E representing the gap in between perception, P and expectation, E and (2) P that represents only perception as the conceptualization of expectation (E) is not important (Cronin and Taylor, 1992). Thus, perception is what is actually measured. Hence, the questionnaire in the survey will consist of a single set to elicit answers concerning customers perception (Brady and Cronin, 2001) instead of two sets of questionnaires for measuring perception and expectation distinctively and for determining the difference between the two as was done by Parasuraman et al., (1988). The framework provided in this paper demonstrates the fact that fake loyalty may be found abundantly and inco mplete satisfaction will result in customer switching. The model below illustrates a gap which represents the disparity between the customers perception and expectation. Since the expectation of a customer does not influence the actual service delivered to him/her by the bank, thus, it holds an insignificant value. This infers that the actual service delivered will depend on the perceived service quality which in turn is also influenced by various service quality dimensions namely: tangible, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. Moreover, it is known that these dimensions influence both the customers service quality perceptions and the management designed service quality. Thus, the hypotheses and the hypothetical model are the same for all the gaps mentioned above. This research paper will investigate the disparity between the perceived service quality and the actual quality of service delivered to the customer by measuring the above mentioned service quality dimensions. Service quality dimensions Competitive Price Expectations (Expected Service) Perception  (Perceived Service Quality) Satisfaction Loyalty Actual service Experienced Tangible Reliability Responsiv-eness Assurance Empathy Banks Profitability Bank (image reputation) Market share Dissatisfied customers Switching customers 5. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES 5.1 Purpose of the Research The purpose of this study is to empirically analyze the hypothetical model and the related hypotheses. The analysis of the hypothetical model will lead to the formulation of appropriate business strategies that will overcome the potential disparity between perceived service quality and the actual quality of service delivered to the customer upon implementation. 5.2 Research Objectives 5.2.1 Primary Objective The objective of this paper is to investigate the drivers of customer loyalty and firm profitability with the help of collecting empirical evidence through interviewing the customers of various banks in Ghana and also, through assessing a case study of Barclays Bank Ghana. Due to the distinct cultural values of the Ghanaian Society, our study will focus on the extant literature. 5.2.2 Secondary Objectives Businesses conventionally implement aggressive marketing strategies in order to draw the attention of the new customers and thus, increase market share at the cost of competitors. According to the latest trends in competition, those businesses benefit the most that focus on retaining their customers while providing them the goods and services (Roberts, 2005). Customer retention with the help of enforcing quality in products, services, prices and accessing facilities of the bank among others play a critical role in customer satisfaction. Studies have shown that satisfied customers always return to their service providers and also, make their recommendations to friends and families which in turn increase both market share and profitability of the firm. In the banking sector of Ghana, it is generally hypothesized that high performance of the bank is associated with high customer retention. Thus, Bankers appraise customer loyalty as the key factor towards maintaining market share and increasing profitability of the bank. Due to the high customer chum, it is important to know that what drives customer loyalty. Ghauri and Grà ¶nhaug (2005; p. 14) state that assumptions and speculations should not be accepted or rejected unless these assumptions are critically studied to give logical and reliable reasoning for their acceptation or rejection. This study seeks to attain this aim that requires investigation of the drivers of customer loyalty serving as the core of design strategies that result in the increase of customer retention and bank performance by taking in to account the case study of Barclays Bank in Ghana. 6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND HYPOTHESES 6.1 Research questions In order to study the optimization of the enterprise contact management through a CRM enabled contact centre platform by taking in to consideration the case study of Barclays Bank in Ghana, the following question are being posed in this paper. What are the factors driving customer loyalty in Ghanas banking sector, in particular Barclays Bank Ghana? What are the factors that set back customer loyalty and retention in the banking sector in Ghana, particularly Barclays Bank Ghana? Does customer loyalty is achieved through customer satisfaction? Do reluctant customers approach other banks in order to get better and improved customer relations and services? 6.2 Hypotheses Our study will test the following hypotheses in this paper. H1- Service quality influences loyalty and satisfaction of the customer. H2- Tangibility, responsiveness, reliability, assurance and empathy are the five dimensions of service quality that vary to the extent to which they instigate customer loyalty and satisfaction. H3- Customer loyalty and satisfaction depend upon competitive pricing. H4- Perceived reputation and image of the bank stimulate customer loyalty. H5- Banks or enterprises profitability can be increased by customer loyalty and market share. H6- Reluctant customers approach other banks in order to get improved service quality from other banks. 7. BACKGROUND- BANKING IN GHANA Ghana has a well structured financial system that is built around the capital market, the Bank and the non Bank Financial Institutions. Banks are further divided in to the following classes on the basis of a licensed system: Universal Banking under Class I banking license. Universal and off-shore Banking under Class II banking license. Universal, off-shore Banking and ARB (Association of Rural and Community Banks) APEX Banking under the general banking license. (Bank of Ghana, Annual report, 2007). At present, the minimum amount of GHC 60 million is required to be possessed by the banks that are operating in Ghana as their stated capital (Bank of Ghana, Annual report, 2007). Ghana has 26 major banks operating under the Universal banking license and 126 rural and community banks that have been licensed for ARB Apex banking system. And also, 41 non Banking Financial Institutions which comprise of Discount Houses, Finance Companies, Mortgage Finance Companies, Savings Companies, Loans Companies and Leasing Companies. All of these NBFIs are supervised by the Bank of Ghana that is the central bank of Ghana. The activity based division of Commercial, Merchant and Development banking operating previously in Ghana have been replaced by this categorization. This was done in the wake of the initiative for the financial reforms that enabled universal banking in Ghana and thus, dissolved the operating limits hypothesized on the initial activity of incorporation. The goal was to transform t he conventional way of banking operation in order to welcome competitive trading in to the banking sector. Dr. Acquah, the Governor of the Bank of Ghana stated in his speech at the Fifth Banking Award Ceremony that universal banking was introduced in order to promote new banks, liberalize the options for the banking services, extend the branch network and increase competition for deposit at the level of retail (Acquah, 2009). Since the banks constitute 70 per cent of the financial sector, thus, they are the most common source for contributing to the economy (Bawumia, 2008). The head offices of all the banks in Ghana are situated in the national capital of the country while their several branches are located in major cities and town of Ghana that are owned by the government, Ghanaians, foreigners or the combination. Currently all the banks in Ghana possess Universal Banking License. Only 12 banks in Ghana are owned by its citizens. The table below shows the banks operating in Ghana with their branch networks, area of activity and proprietorship. Name of Bank Number of Branches Ownership Current Banking Licence Barclays Bank of Ghana Ltd 120 Non- Ghanaian Universal Merchant Bank (Ghana) Ltd 16 Ghanaian Universal Ecobank Ghana Limited 32 Non- Ghanaian Universal Ghana Commercial Bank Ltd 143 Ghanaian Universal National Investment Bank Ltd 24 Ghanaian Universal Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Ltd 19 Non- Ghanaian Universal SG-SSB Bank Limited 36 Non- Ghanaian Universal The Trust Bank Limited 17 Ghanaian Universal Agricultural Development Bank Ltd 50 Ghanaian Universal Amalgamated Bank Limited 10 Non- Ghanaian Universal Prudential Bank Limited 10 Ghanaian Universal Fidelity Bank Limited 6 Ghanaian Universal Zenith Bank Limited 9 Non- Ghanaian Universal Stanbic Bank (Ghana) Limited 10 Non- Ghanaian Universal Unibank Ghana Limited 11 Ghanaian Universal Intercontinental Bank Limited 12 Non- Ghanaian Universal HFC Bank Ghana Limited 11 Ghanaian Universal First Atlantic Merchant Bank Ltd 4 Ghanaian Universal International Commercial Bank Ltd 12 Ghanaian Universal Guaranty Trust Bank Limited 5 Non- Ghanaian Universal CAL Bank Limited 10 Ghanaian Universal United Bank for Africa (Gh) Ltd 16 Non- Ghanaian Universal Bank of Baroda Ghana Ltd 1 Non- Ghanaian Universal BSIC 1 Non- Ghanaian Universal BPI Bank Limited 9 Non- Ghanaian Universal Table 1: Banks in Ghana (Source: Price Waterhouse Banking Industry Survey, 2008). 7.1 The era of post Banking Reform in Ghana Developments in the era of post Banking Reforms in Ghana can be concisely expressed as the transformation of the distressed and dysfunctional banking system with illiquidity and insolvency, credit rationing and interest rate controls in to a market based regime along with improving the bank supervision in order to ascertain that efficiency and profitability is increased (Acquah, 2006). The Economic Recovery Programmed (ERP) introduced the Financial Sector Adjustment Program, generally referred as FINSAP so that the banking sector can play a vital role in promoting the economic development. This program was executed in two in two phases. In the first phase, FINSAP 1, provisions were made for liberalizing the banking industry and restructuring the distressed banks in Ghana (Brownbridge et al., 1998). The restructuring part was very crucial since these banks were either extremely important for the economy or deeply associated with other economic activities such that their demolition may result in disastrous ramifications. The second phase, FINSAP 2 brought new dimensions in the financial industry reform program through privatizing state owned banks, technological advancements, human capital development and careful supervision and regulation by the central bank of Ghana. In addition to this, the second phase of FINSAP characterized cautious banking through revising the Banking Law of 1970 and through introducing the Banking Laws of 1989 and 2004 which enforced the requirement of minimum capital keeping in view the increased number of banks and branches. Due to FINSAP 2, the banking and the financial industry in Ghana experienced strong regulation and supervision along with the advancement in latest payments and settlement system. Above all was the Payment Systems Development Strategy by the central bank of Ghana that focused at the delivery of financial services that enhanced the financial intermediation with the help of the progress of electronic payment products that include ATM (Automated Teller Machine) services, e-money, transfer of funds at the point of sale, SMS (Short Message Service), internet and telephone banking. Recently, e-zwich was brought in to the market in order to build a common platform that assisted in connecting the different banking institutions through a biometric smart card (Acquah, 2009). All the banks responded positively to the introduction of information and communication technology (ICT) in delivery of financial services which in turn improved the financial performance. This outlook over shadowed the competition and distinguished market share and profitability among the banks in Ghana. The new foreign and private banks launched latest technologies whereas the government banks have to cope up with the redundant man power and non-performing assets. The new banks encounter the challenges of market share, spread and size from the conventional banks. In order to overcome this challenge, the new banks employed the strategic option of swift implementation of the prescribed new products and the development of financial services administered by the Bank of Ghana so that the un-banked, banked and under banked customer classes of the population could be captured. 7.2 The Case Study of Barclays Bank, Ghana As shown in the table 2 provided above that Barclays Banks holds a leading position in the Ghanaian financial services market place in addition to an aggressive nationwide branch network. Thus, Barclays being the premier banking institution of Ghana is leveraging its distinct characteristics in order to compete effectively in the highly competitive and fast progressing banking and financial services industry of Ghana. In order to further differentiate itself from the rest in the competition, Barclays Bank is headed towards promoting its strategy of holding its market leadership position through developing its customer management functionality with the help of implementing a robust solution for customer relation management (CRM) with strongly emphasizing over its customer service operations. Barclays commenced this initiative for CRM in order to facilitate the customer facing the banks operations with the technology platform enhancing the banks operations and enabling the bank to compete effectively in addition to becoming a truly customer focused organization. Thus, Barclays is looking forward to working with a reputable organization in order to develop and upgrade its existing customer contact centre along with integrating it with CRM Dynamic Solution by Microsoft. Completely equipped, contact centre of Barclays Bank will eventually enable the customers to interact and deal with the bank via multiple channels such as voice, e-mail, fax, IVR, web, etc.) that fulfils various functionalities of sales, marketing and service at the time of their convenience either with a customer representative or through self service. It is highly vital for Barclays to enhance its processes facing customers in order to develop the business relationship in between its customers and employees for attaining its business goals. The implementation of such an advance and complex customer management project is to be based upon detailed and comprehensive planning, apt consulting and allocation of technical resources to ascertain that the desired goals are achieved with in a certain time period, being as cost effective as possible. Electronic services department of Barclays strongly believes that the goals of this initiative required being in line with the overall business strategies of Barclays Bank. It has been observed from similar engagements that spanning numerous industries is not adequate to ensure desired result. Barclays must recognize the important role that it has to play in the initial stages of the project. Complete commitment and dedication from Barclays is required through out the total time frame of the project in order to ascertain and realize the significance of enhancing its customer management functionality which will ultimately result in the growth in revenue and profitability. 7.2.1 Requirements for the Barclays Bank Ghana Barclays Bank Ghana is looking forward to improving its overall customer management operations through commencing a CRM strategy that is most likely to enhance the banks customer focus strategy. The first stage of this CRM initiative will emphasize over improving the customer service function of the bank through making new advancements in its current platform for the centre. This is achieved by employing latest tools that will improve the interaction of the customers with the bank either through the customer service representation or by means of self service. The first stage of CRM initiatives is most likely to improve the sales and marketing processes of the operation of the bank and set the stage for linking these processes with the customer service operations and allowing them to access the tools that will support in improving their performance, enhance their functions and recognize understand the customer as the Banks primary asset. The bank has recognized the following basic functions necessary for improving its existing contact centre platform. Outbound Calls and Multimedia Channels Automatic Distribution of Calls Caller Line Identification Complaint Management Interactive Voice Response Integration of CRM Computer Telephony Integration Call Recording Reports or Dashboard System Backup Barclays Bank has also recognized the following modules of Microsoft Dynamics CRM platform as the desirable milestones for the project. Marketing module Service Module Sales Module Workflow Module Analytical Module 7.2.2 Recommended Solution The recommended solution is divided in to the following three different components. CRM-Workshop for Business Process Mapping Implementation of Microsoft Dynamic CRM Up gradation of the platform of Contact Centre Technology 7.2.3 Business Process Mapping The aim of this exercise is to recognize the current business processes, future business processes and the gap between the two scenarios. It is formulated to overcome barriers between the business values and its technology. The outcome is strict accountability and a higher probability of customer satisfaction through its deployment. The exercise will determine the metric that need to be tracked down, managers and customers that will be held accountable for these measurements of the performance, required new processes, impact of processes and sub processes on data importing, solution configuration and integration with other technologies and systems used at the back end. The results of this exercise are given below: Detailed Process Map that consists of report on current state as validated by the stockholders. Detailed Process Map consisting of report on future state as validated by the stockholders. Gap Analytical Report Business Requirements Report After the above documents have been produced, the business users will eventually examine and validate the provided information. After approval, these documents will be used to support project execution. 7.2.4 Deployment of CRM System The desired outcome of the successful deployment of a CRM system is determined through the end users usage and willingness to use it daily in order to improve their personal productivity. In this regard, the adapted methodology gives a frame work for dealing with customer relationship management as a business strategy and also as a project for developing technical systems. The concept behind this process is that technology alone with out strategy does not produce business results. Thus, a proper strategy for CRM is required to be adopted side by side with the deployment of the technical system. The success of CRM lies in the implementation of the technology with the clear picture of the improvements in measurable business performance. 7.2.5 Strategy The strategic model used by the Barclays Bank Ghana constitutes of four components that must be understood in order to achieve real business advantage from any CRM based project. Figure 2 (Source: e.Services Africa Ltd. 2010). Performance Management The purpose of any CRM project in an organization is to improve or optimize its performance. However, it is complicated to precisely define: the areas and object to be improved, the extent of this improvement and the enhancement of this improvement measure through the CRM system. This objective is fulfilled by embedding key point indicators, business metrics in the form of understandable charts and graphs in to the user interface of the CRM system. This enables the user to use the system as a routine activity. User can easily find the changes made by them to the system in clear metrics on their dashboard. Users and the management must seriously operate the business in accordance to the embedded metrics on the dashboards. Management Commitment Commitment of the management serves as the basis for success of any CRM project. Senior managers must completely comprehend and be involved in adopting CRM as a strategy and they must also, actively take part in the implementation of CRM project. Existing processes need to be changed for improving performance of any business or system, thus, any CRM project could be referred to an effort for changing management and modifying behavior. Managers are supposed to support such changes. Irrespective of the technological functions, the managers must back the process changes along with communicating the fact that new procedures need to be adopted in order to achieve the desired goals of the business.

Accounts Settled: A Review :: essays research papers

Accounts Settled: A Review In the book, Accounts Settled, there is only one major character named Gordon. Gordon is seventeen, six feet tall, and has the beginning of a beard. The main setting is in a forest-filled valley that is a mile from Gordon's home. The story does not give a specific date but the most logical time this story takes place is in the winter during the early 1900s. The inciting incident in the story is when Gordon's dad came down with flu-pneumonia and Gordon must take his place in taking care of the trapline that he had set up in the forest. The conflict of the story is internal and external because Gordon had to face himself and nature. The rising action started when Gordon had a sense of fear as he went into the valley. The, the porcupine stole his food and Gordon was going to kill it but remembered an old woodsman tale that it's bad luck to ill a porcupine. Gordon then goes to bed, hungry and it took him awhile to fall asleep. He later wakes up to find a cougar ready to pounce on him. The cougar dose not strike yet because it is waiting for Gordon to move. Gordon knows better and stayed in the same position for what seemed like hours. Suddenly, the porcupine returns to look for more food and this disrupts the cougar. The climax is when Gordon quickly reaches for his gun and shoots the cougar. The resolution is when Gordon "cries the final tears of his boyhood" and he is finally a man. This writer used suspense in his story many times. For instance, "his eyes held the boy unwinkingly as he waited in the fiendish way of cats for the moment when the man must stir, or make an attempt to escape, the moment when his ingrained fear of man would be swallowed up by the rising tide of his blood- lust" and "moments passed, horrible heart-thudding moments, during which neither

Effect of the Normans on Middle English Essay -- Papers

Effect of the Normans on Middle English The year 1066 had a resounding impact on the course of English history. William the First, Duke of Normandy, conquered England and took it as a stronghold in his reign. The French rule over England lasted for several centuries and brought about innumerable changes to the English state, language, culture and lifestyle. William imported French rulers to take over English government and religious posts. The French were not only the new aristocracy in England, but the new society. The English amended their language and their culture in an effort to more resemble the French and to communicate with their new lords. The English language was more changed by the Norman Conquest than by any other event in the course of English history. Middle English is defined as the four hundred year period between the Norman Conquest and the time the printing press was introduced to England in 1476. This essay will explore the specific effects that the French had on Middle English morphology, phonology, syn tax, semantics and lexicon. During the period of French rule in England the standing of English as a valid language dropped substantially as French took over as the status language. Because so much of the French influence has been nativized by present-day speakers, many do not realize the impact that our language took in the years following 1066. Not one aspect of English life went untouched by the Norman presence in England, notably, its language. Phonology In addition to introducing new words into the English language, the Normans also introduced some new sounds. The English had previously had no phonemic distinction between /f/ and /v/; /v/ was merely an allophone of /f/ that occurred between vowels. Howeve... ...eculate what the English language might look like today if the Normans had never invaded Britain. However, suffice it to say, the present English language has been extensively enriched by the quantity of this foreign influence. Bibliography: Alexander, James W. William I, King of England, Grolier's Multimedia Encyclopedia, 1996. Burrow, J.A. and Thorlac Turnville-Petre. A Book of Middle English, Blackwell Publishers; Oxford. 1992. Fisiak, Jacek. A Short Grammar of Middle English, Oxford University Press; London, 1968. Millward, C.M. A Biography of the English Language, Harcourt Brace; Boston. 1996. Take Our Word For It, weekly online publication, available at http://www.takeourword.com Yerkes, David. English Language, Grolier's Multimedia Encyclopedia, 1996. Yerkes, David. Middle English, Grolier's Multimedia Encyclopedia, 1996.

Rebel Without a Cause Essay

In the late hours of the night Jim Stark, the main character of Nicholas Ray’s, Rebel Without a Cause, can be found resting his head against a piece of crumpled wrapping paper, lying on the cold pavement, droning out all his troubles with the sound of a toy monkey’s clamour. Throughout the entirety of the film Jim constantly seems to be droning out his problems, whether it be with a toy monkey of with a rebellious facade, which subconsciously distracts him from his true issues. Jim Stark’s defiant nature is rooted at his angst and eagerness in which he holds within himself. The only manner in which he feels he can accurately expose his emotions is through rebellion. In the beginning of the film when Jim shouts to his arguing parents in despair, â€Å"You’re tearing me apart! You say one thing, he says another, and everybody changes back again,† he is unleashing the built up confusion that is festering inside of him. Being that Jim is a somewhat complicated teenager his thoughts often seem to be consumed with questions. Jim questions his masculinity, his choices, the meaning of his life and his purpose. This confusion within him leads him to become desperate for answers and since his parents do not seem to offer him a solution he rebels in order to find one on his own. Jim chooses to rebel in various different manners. The most dramatic forms of rebellion involve his parents and his peers, Judy, Plato, Buzz and Buzz’s gang. With his parents Jim questions their roles, specifically his fathers feminine mannerisms. Being that Jim’s mother seems to play a more masculine role while Jim’s father plays a more feminine role, Jim becomes confused and attempts to correct this problem through rebellion. A clear depiction of this is when Jim encounters his father in a frilly yellow apron cleaning up a tray of spilled food. At the sight of this Jim becomes infuriated with his father and tells him to stand up and be a man. This scene is later repeated later in the film when Jim returns home after the death of Buzz. After asking his father for guidance as to whether of not he should go to the police Jim’s father is unable to offer him a straight answer and resorts to everything that Jim’s mother has to say. This leads Jim’s mother to contemplate moving again and Jim responds by saying, â€Å"Dad, stand up for me. † At this point Jim is practically begging his father to be more of a man and to stand up for him against his mother. Jim’s father does not respond, propelling Jim to yank him up shouting, â€Å"Stand up. † This scene is a clear representation of Jim’s rebellion against his father. Jim feels as if he is lacking a fatherly figure and will resort to being violent towards his father in order to â€Å"man him up. † Another moment in which Jim’s rebellion shines through is in the deadly chicken game with his rival Buzz. Wearing a bright red jacket, to represent his destructive nature, over his pristine white shirt, that represents his true purity, Jim heads out the cliff where him and Buzz will drive stolen cars close to the water and jump out beforehand, the winner being the one who jumps out last. Buzz, who sports a yellow shirt representing his true cowardly ways, seems to push Jim into doing this strange activity. When Jim asks, â€Å"Why do we do this? † Buzz says â€Å"You got to do something. † In this moment it becomes obvious that Jim feels that by rebelling through the participation in this chicken game, he is developing some sort of meaning to his life. This game will create a name for himself amongst his peers and this influences him to participate. Because Jim is vulnerable and wants to fit in he gives in. His rebellious nature in this scene is derived from the need to fit in, which all teenagers go through. Often adolescents will attempt to prove themselves to their friends by doing something risky in order to be one with the crowd. Even though Jim knows that this is wrong, he is rebelling against his uncertainties and the unanswered questions he has within him because he views rebellion as the only viable answer. His overpowering emotions and his desire to fit in create a wicked mutineer out of him. Film critic Leo Goldsmith from Reverse Shot says in reference to the film, â€Å"Under Ray’s dissecting eye, the suburban home itself becomes a battleground where parent and child must scream over each other to be heard. † The beginnings of all of Jim’s problems seem to rest on the warzone in which he is living at home. This angst, resentment and anger that he feels towards his father translate throughout everything his does in his life and lead him to rebel. Because Frank is unable to fulfill his role of guiding Jim, Jim feels that he must find his way on his own, making his a rebel with a very good cause.

Social Control

Social Control 1 Social Control and Behavior Samantha Sipes Criminology 1017-42 1. Cesare Beccaria argued that the threat of punishment controls crime. Do other forms of social control exist? Aside from the threat of legal punishment, what else controls your behavior? In my opinion a lot of factors play a role in social control such as family, church and school. These Three factor can determine a person behavior. You are taught how to act, morals and beliefs at a small age. Having fear of losing your family or have them look at you with a despise is a strong social and self control. Everyone wants to be accepted and belong in today’s social environment. Church is can also be a strong social control instation by providing you with a strong foundation of faith which can determine your behavior toward life. Being a teenager myself school played a big social control for me most of my lessons were taught in school. 2. Aside from the threat of legal punishment, what else controls your behavior? A person’s personal sense of right/wrong, fearing of disappointing loved ones and friends and caring about other people are main factors in controlling my behavior. I big social control for me was my family I knew the consequence if I failed them or hurt them. I don’t have the heart to misbehave and treat people wrong. It is believed that most humans have a built in guide to what is morally right and wrong. Society in general sets a standard for what is right and wrong (not laws) and most people want to be seen by their friends and neighbors as good people with high morals. I personally believe this has more to do with our behavior than the threat of punishment. If the threat of punishment controls crime then why are our prisions overcrowded? Some people believe in God and believe he demands that we be morally good, but that is also made with the threat of punishment if we do not follow his teachings.