A Simple Trip At The Grocery Store - 1227 Words

A simple trip to the grocery store is not what it seems. Each step the consumer takes as they enter the market is predicted and governed to drive purchases. Every aspect of the environment has been designed to take advantage of the consumer’s primordial need for nourishment and basic urges. Product placement used to be dictated by a handful of large companies in the United States who control food distribution. They enticed customers with weekly coupons, colorful endcap displays, and nationwide advertisements on television. However, an explosive growth in the organic food industry has redefined consumer beliefs and store layouts; changing the way grocery stores do business. Purchasing trends have shown that customers are moving away from processed foods to fresh, organic products with packaging that is good for the environment. The design of new markets and grocery stores proves that consumers are looking for quality foods and are willing to pay for them. Today’s markets have lighting that showcases the products, soft music in the background, and the smell of fresh bread baking somewhere in the kitchen. Isles are a little wider to increase flow, produce displays have more color, and organic foods are front and center. They have become the products of choice by consumers, and grocery stores are highlighting the benefits. There is a clear shift in the people’s desire to live a healthier lifestyle and eat better, and the new marketing focus is on organic productsShow MoreRelatedShould A Simple Trip At The Grocery Store Require Investigative Journalism?1178 Words   |  5 PagesShould a simple trip to the grocery store require investigative journalism? Big soda brands like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper seem to think so, as finding out what goes on behind closed doors -- and inside sealed bottles -- takes research, not to mention awareness of the fact that the soda industry is even doing anything wrong. The companies behind these products are just that -- companies. Profits and income are of the utmost importance to them. They will do anything to maintain their massiveRead MoreHealthy Diet Vs. The United States916 Words   |  4 Pageshuman cannot live without, yet so many people are deprived of a nutritious diet. Healthy eating habits are hard for many to obtain with the economy being as bad as it is. Healthy food is pricey and many low income families cannot afford the correct groceries. A healthy diet is not only costly money wise but health wise as well. Quick unhealthy meals can cause very pricey health problems. Even with assistance, finding the funds to support a nutritional diet in the United States is very difficult. ObtainingRead MoreHow To Make Macaron Franà §ais789 Words   |  3 Pagesmake French macaroons of your very own; It’s time to get creative, Almond macaroons are blank canvas. To start make a trip to the grocery store, unless you have all these items handy in your kitchen at home. You’ll need an eight ounce bag of confectioner’s sugar along with another eight ounce bag of almond flour. Warning almond flour is difficult it find, not all grocery stores carry it. If you cannot find it, you are more than welcome to make your own. By using a food processer add four cups ofRead MoreAldi s A Low Cost Strategy816 Words   |  4 Pages The company owns over 10,000 stores in over 17 countries that generated $66 billion in sales in 2012.The retailer entered the US market in 1976 and now operates more than 1,200 stores in over 32 states with the plan to open 650 more until 2018. Aldi pursues a low-cost strategy. It is heavily focused on private labeled products, which account for 95% of all products in each Aldi store. The average store is located in a nondescript but highly trafficked areas. Stores are generally small with a sizeRead MorePeapod Online Case Study Essays1245 Words   |  5 PagesPeapod Online Grocery Case Analysis Abstract This paper explores Peapod Online Grocery (2008) and its possibilities for success and failure based on several types of consumer behaviors. Most analysts do not expect the online grocery business to become more popular than the 8 to 10 percent of consumers that are estimated to purchase their products online. Parkinson, one of the founders of Peapod could not disagree more. â€Å"He states that this strategy can leverage the buying power of AholdRead More Industry anlysis of Retail Grocery Industry Essays1348 Words   |  6 Pagesindustry, it is important to determine where it is in the industry lifecycle. During the 1970’s and 1980’s the retail grocery industry was expanding at a phenomenal rate. Throughout this boom period, the number of large grocery stores was rising and forcing the existing† Mom and Pop† grocery stores out of the industry. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In the early 1990’s, the retail grocery industry began leaving the growth stage and entered the maturity stage in the industry lifecycle. This was causedRead MoreFood Pricing and Marketing Practices: Dietary Choices and Food Alternative1126 Words   |  5 PagesWhen public assistance is restricted, diminished or extinguished, at risk consumers are required to make even greater cost determinative choices. These choices, although lower in cost, are often high fat, high sugar, and highly processed foods for simple meal solutions (French, 2003; Drewnowski, Specter, 2004). The poor lack the financial ability that would allow them to make healthy choices. â€Å"In a nationally representative sample of more than 6,000 adults, wages were inversely related to BMI –Read MoreWalmart As A Corporate Entity1170 Words   |  5 Pages To say that Walmart influences buying habits of consumers worldwide would be an understatement. According to Walmart.com , as of October 2014, Walmart Corporation has 4,987 retail units in the United States alone. These nearly 5,000 stores employ approximately 1.3 million people. (Walmart Locations Around the World - United States.) You may be asking how all of this fits into sociology. The answer is, simply, function. Walmart as a corporate entity serves a purpose in society, thus fitting intoRead MoreA Report On Shopping Carts1818 Words   |  8 Pagesare able to make lists, compare prices, and prepare their shopping trip. When they arrive at the store, they can sync their pre-made trip from their phones to a screen on the shopping cart. This makes shopping quicker and more efficient, for you can see any information you may need on items right on your cart. The SmartCart perfectly combines current technology with our breakthrough technology that is not present in grocery stores today. With any new product and technology, there are things thatRead MoreWedding Speech - Original Writing940 Words à ‚  |  4 Pagesnow I was a full-time mother. With one meager income and five-hungry mouths to feed, including our pets, we needed a plan. We didn t squabble about a budget. After we paid the bills, we had two- hundred dollars left and not a penny more for groceries, paper products, and pet food. In a homesteading magazine, I d read about a family who spent one-hundred-dollars a month for food. But I hated their suggested menus. Bacon gravy stirred with white rice and fried onions didn t sound appealing

Review of the 2005 Film version of Pride and Prejudice Essay

For any great reader, it is known that the book is always better than the movie. Try as they may, moviemakers can never fully capture the authors magic from the original text. I am happy to say that this is not the case in the 2005 movie version of Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen was a fabulous writer and her novels have captured the attention of booklovers for centuries. The screenwriter, Deborah Moggach, takes Austens slightly rambling story and polishes it up and makes it easy for modern day people to understand. In the days when fathers were forbidden, by law, to leave property to their daughters, two sisters, Elizabeth and Jane Bennet are being pressured to marry rich gentlemen. It is luck then, which brings two such young men,†¦show more content†¦Through a series of misunderstandings, Jane and Charles are separated at the great dismay of the whole family. The main focus however, is Elizabeth and whom she chooses to marry. Many undercurrents and sub plots occur in the story. And with a house full of girls, how could it be different? The costume and set designs in the movie are astoundingly realistic. Instead of looking like costumes and sets, the clothing looks like things a person would have worn or lived in during that period of time. While other versions of this same novel have elaborate costumes and fancy clothes, the costumes in the 2005 version are much simpler, which makes it seem much more real. Most of the filming took place in locations which were around when the novel was written, which eliminates the modernism of the movie. Unspoiled beauty was the order of the day in this version of Pride and Prejudice. Kiera Knightly, who played Elizabeth Bennet, could also be described as an unspoiled beauty. Her acting is superb without being overly perfect. Other wonderful actors include Mathew Macfayden, Rosamund Pike, and Simon Woods as Darcy, Jane and Bingly, respectively. Throughout the whole film, an impression of not trying too hard is given off, which keeps it fresh, and the acting is no different. The actors know who their roles are and played them as real people, not dramatic overdone characters. All in all, the plot,Show MoreRelatedThe Representations of Femininity in Pride and Prejudice904 Words   |  4 Pageswith stories of love and romance through the transformation of her novels into film and television. All of her novels are about women dealing with romance, courtship, and marriage during a repressing period. Most of her characters and stories revolve around the lives of the upper class. It centers on the values, rituals, and manners of high society in England during the Regency Era. Her most popular novel, Pride and Prejudice published in 1813 maintains the interest of its audiences as it did almostRead MorePride and Prejudice, directed by Joe Wright1305 Words   |  6 Pages For those that enjoy romantic costume dramas set in England, the 2005 film version of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice starring Kiera Knightley and Mathew MacFadyen is the perfect movie to watch on a rainy day while sitting in a comfy chair, sipping hot tea, with a plate of biscuits nearby. Director Joe Wright’s and screen writer Deborah Moggach’s film â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† brings a romanticized slant to the world of the Bennet’s where the main dilemma facing the family is what to do with fiveRead MorePride and Prejudice: A Film Review Essay1090 Words   |  5 PagesUpon being assigned to write a film review for Joe Wright’s 2005 instant classic Pride and Prejudice, for a â€Å"Writing by Women† course my pulse quickened and my pupils dilated. This physiological reaction to the task before me was not founded in the same excitement that had the dozen or so young women in my class squealing and clapping with giddy approval. Rath er it stemmed from a much more primal instinct—FEAR! A fear that was quickly confirmed; for, while my amygdila was still wrestling withRead More Mansfield Park, the novel, or Mansfield Park the film? Essay1842 Words   |  8 Pagessix of her novels have been made into films or television dramas with varying degrees of success, from the classics of Persuasion, Pride amp; Prejudice and Sense amp; Sensibility, to the funny modern version of Emma in the form of Clueless. In this paper I want to show how director Patricia Rozema has made Austens novel Mansfield Park much more modern, accessible, and, as some claim, radical, by skipping parts of the story that would make the film version drag, and importing events and dialogueRead MoreManners in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen3437 Words   |  14 Pages Pride and Prejudice Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice not only established her historical importance among scholars and critics, but continues to remain popular. Pride and Prejudice, a comedy of manners, was published in 1813, and is a staple of the English literature. It recreates the social world of the landed gentry of early 19th-century England and embodies the theme that preconceptions and egotism can overcome true love. Pride and Prejudice is somewhat autobiographical; emphasizes the key elementsRead MoreLgbt19540 Words   |  79 Pagescommonly recognised - heterosexual, homosexual (gay and lesbian) and bisexual. Homophobia Homophobia refers to fear of or prejudice and discrimination against lesbian, gay and bisexual people. It is also the dislike of same-sex attraction and love or the hatred of people who have those feelings. The term was first used in the 1970s and is more associated with ignorance, prejudice and stereotyping than with the physiological reactions usually attributed to a ‘phobia. While homophobic comments or attitudesRead MoreThe Simpsons: Effect and Common Sense4091 Words   |  16 Pagesmany female characters such as Marge Simpson, Maude Flanders, and Mrs. Lovejoy who occupy traditional, western gender roles for women. These are women who occupy traditional gender roles and enjoy them. Marge takes great pride in being a mother, a wife, and a homemaker. She takes pride in her work and often struggles for appropriate recognition and respect from her family members and the community for what she and other women like her do. The Simpsons is also very progressive when it comes to g enderRead MoreTeaching Middle and High School Students Literature7100 Words   |  29 Pagescruel to someone we love? Then ask students to share their definitions and examples of symbolism. Praise students for correct symbols and correct any misconceptions. Next tell students to silently reread their interpretations of the statement â€Å"Pride is a wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life and death.† Inform them they may change their interpretation after the reading of â€Å"The Scarlet Ibis.† Allow students to silently read the story in class and answer the following questions:Read MoreBohlander/Snell-Managing Hr24425 Words   |  98 Pagesproperty rights are now generally enforced in China, intellectual property rights have seen little protection. For example, when General Motors formed a joint venture with a Chinese company to produce and sell a new automobile in the country, a knockoff version of the car could be seen on China’s s treets even before GM and its partner were able to manufacture their first car. Environmental restrictions also make some countries more attractive to do business in than others. Beyond the economic and political-legalRead MoreService Marketing-Pizza Hut13362 Words   |  54 Pages Submitted By: Pallavi (07BS2758) â€Æ' Table of Contents Company Profile †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.02 Industry profile†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦10 Major competitors profile†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦13 Literature review†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.20 Marketing Mix Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..23 Marketing Mix Of Competitors†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.29 Pizza Hut Competitive Advantage†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦32 Restaurant Management/ job description†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦39 Present

China vs. Rome Compare and Contrast Free Essays

China and Rome China and Rome were astonishing civilizations that managed to advance technology and civilations. Both civilizations were rapidly growing and making changes to the world. The two cultures were pretty similar, yet very different. We will write a custom essay sample on China vs. Rome Compare and Contrast or any similar topic only for you Order Now Their religions were something to be modest about. When it came to religion it helped the decline of both societies, by religion changing. When it came to technology though, its change is what caused the societies to flourish. As for education the both leaders of China and Rome worked on making it easier, evident from the letters, for common people to gain knowledge. Changing things in their kingdom clearly took time. With politics being something of a fight in many respects; came as part living in an ancient society. Peaceful changes in power was a rare occasion in Rome but, highly common in China. Both societies treated each other differently, no matter if it was regarding slaves, or women. The underclass was not treated well not out of hate but out of a well beaten attitude that whoever they were, somehow they were always better. Both societies were similar yet highly different it’s surprising how it came about. When two societies emerge like the Romans and Chinese, we would expect conflict, yet none came about, here is a look into both societies as truly empires. The Han China and The Roman Empire were well-organized bureaucracies. In Han China their government was based on Confucian ideas a main one of which was; that a ruler should learn self-discipline, should govern his subjects by his own example, and should treat them with love and concern. An example of this is in document four when it calls a governor â€Å"he was a generous man and his policies were peaceful. † This shows how clearly the people loved their emperor. While in all but the last few years of the roman rule the religion was very scattered. Due to the vastness of the Roman Empire uniting them under one religion was impossible. But one of the things that did spread was the idea that the Emperor was a god. No one ever came out and bluntly said it but a change in ideals that came with Christianity led to the famous saying of Emperor Constantine which was â€Å"I am simply the first among equals. † This truly represented a new era for Rome that helped lead to its decline. The politics of Han China were all about the good of the people. Showing this is in document one where it is said â€Å"and supply enough workers to those carry out the repair work in each district. † Clearly this document is showing a want of the work to be done, for the good of the people. While in Rome it seems the Emperor had less respect for his people when even one of his advisors writes â€Å"I do not believe that tools for the crafts were invented by wise men. †(Document 7) This total lack of respect for the common people is rather disgusting. Even though the two had different political philosophies, both managed control over their vast empires. In technology there is so much to be said for these two empires they managed to change the world with their developments. Rome had many technologies that gave new life to their capital. The first of which is aqueducts, â€Å"The abundance of water is sufficient not only for public and private uses and application but truly even for pleasure. † (Document 8) The point of this is that they had enough water coming into the city to do whatever they wanted to do. That’s how Rome ended up with so many fountains, bath houses and other water related activities. Another accomplishment of Rome is roads level, and strait. It took a long process of building to achieve what they did; making something rival to The Great Wall of China. Traditionally known to the Chinese as the â€Å"Long Wall of Ten Thousand Li†, the stretch of formidable defensive structures built to ward off invasion of the Celestial Empire by barbarians from the North. If all the fortified walls built in the different dynasties around northern China are included, the total length would exceed 31,000 miles. This is so long and large that the Great Wall of China can even be seen from space. When it came to water like the Romans Chinese were controlling it like putty in their hands. The main thing was the grand canal which brought water from one city to another and acted as a road way. The Grand Canal is the world’s longest man-made waterway, being 1,800 kilometers long. The canal connects the present cities of Beijing in the north and Hangzhou in the south, which served as dynastic capitals in the past, and contains 24 locks and 60 bridges. Since most of China’s major rivers flow from west to east, the fact that the Grand Canal runs north and south provides it as an important connector between the Yangtze River valley and the Yellow River valley. A good example of their care for water is in Document 1 â€Å"I request that you establish water conservation offices in each district and staff them with people who are experienced in the ways of water. † When it says this you can tell how much they care about the water. Both societies clearly had a good grip on the control of water, for their benefit and their pleasure. The last topic that shows the intellect of the people and the emperor, it seems that these peoples were highly intelligent. When you are looking at Document 5 it says â€Å"all craftsman spend their time in vulgar occupations; no workshop can have anything enlightening about it. I take this as the upper class looking down on what their lower class does to support their lifestyle. Slavery was commonly practiced throughout all ancient history, but no other people in history owned so many slaves and depended on them so much as the Romans. Many Romans had slaves do their dirty and hard work for them. These slave s were bought and sold in the slave markets. Some slaves were soldiers who had been captured in wars, while others were the children of slave parents. If they tried to run away, they were whipped, burned with iron, and sometimes even killed. Slavery was accepted as part of life in ancient Rome by the slaves themselves and by the society. Women were treated differently, as time went forward. When a young woman married in the early years of the Roman Republic she left her childhood home and the authority of her father and entered not only the home of her husband but his power and control as well. In law her status was not very different from that of her husband’s daughter. As Rome’s empire grew and more and more money poured in things began to change. Any amendments to the law probably seemed quite insignificant at the time they were made, but the reality of day to day life gradually began to transform the way society viewed women and the way they viewed themselves. By the end of the First Century women had achieved a level of freedom they would not see again in Western Society until the last half of the Twentieth Century. While in China slaves were less prominent in history, they were simply people with debts to pay off, and people who created with, in some cases their lives and blood and sweat the greatness that was ancient China. Women in ancient China were considered inferior to men. This meant that their whole lives were spent being subservient to the men in their families. Generations of one family often lived in the same house together and older people were greatly respected. It seems that even though there are changes to society over time both treated others in their society badly. Even with the greatest of technology some societies just have issues with the idea of equality. Even though the quality of life was a concern as shown in document 3 â€Å"later, water power was also applied, and the benefit was increased a hundredfold. † This truly shows an attempt on improving quality of life. How to cite China vs. Rome Compare and Contrast, Papers

Understanding Multinationals From Markets -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Understanding Multinationals From Markets? Answer: Intoducation Westpac Banking Corporation, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, National Australia Bank and Australia and New Zealand Banking group are the four largest and the biggest retail banks in Australia having the AA rating and serving the population since decades. The banking system in Australia is undergoing progressive deregulation and privatization, with a large number of foreign banks getting the permission to enter into the financial market the competition is getting intense among the existing and the new players. It is the Reserve Bank of Australia which sets monetary policy and regulates the payment system (Vincent, 2016) Westpac Banking Corporation is the oldest bank of Australia which has been serving the people since last 200 years. The bank is one of the most trusted banks amongst the population owing to its wide range of financial service offering, and its vision to become one of the worlds great service companies, helping the customers, communities and people to prosper and grow. Westpac is Australias second largest company employing over 40,000 people across the world and serving more than 13 million customers worldwide(Cranston,2017) Westpac has its headquarters located at Sydney and is flourishing under the leadership of Brian Hartzer (MD CEO). Westpac earned revenue of 21.64 Billion AUD in the year 2015 and its financial result of FY 16-17 are promising as well (Pomering, 2017) Over the period Westpac realized that globalization in banking is extremely important for the business as well as for the benefits of people in different nations. With this aim in mind Westpac is looking to explore banking opportunities in the markets of France, Korea Brazil. The purpose of the report is to assess the banking opportunities in these countries, understand the macro environment of the countries, the banking habits of the population, cultural difference in these countries and finally make a recommendation based on all the above factors for Westpac to make an entry. Global Expansion It can be understood as planned expansion of companys business activities into different countries around the world, it is often confused with making investment in foreign countries but in actuality it is more than that; the concept lies in maintaining an actual business presence in other countries, serve the nation and its population and raise the envelope of product and services offered in those countries. Entry of banks in foreign countries depends on the bilateral treaties existing between the countries, but majorly there are 2 forms of entry on a foreign market (Williamson, 2014). Greenfield investment-This involves setting up an institution from the scratch, the investment is not limited only to human resources but also applied to capital infusion in the bank(Jensen, Cobbs Groza,2014) Acquisition of a control position from a local institution, this control can range to any percentage. Entering the market via Greenfield investment helps bank to take advantage of international reputation, these are beneficial for less stable economies or underdeveloped economies as people are looking for secure placements. By acquiring a control position in local institution helps the bank to get access to the existing banking clients and also gets a better access to the market knowledge. Westpac being a foreign bank and having a reputation of being extremely successful is better positioned to offer products and services requiring a global platform, a considerable amount of capital with a strong technological content, as well as the experience and the skills needed to provide sophisticated products to the consumers (Rugman Verbeke, 2017) The four key strategic decisions at the hand of Westpac group are: Country Choice- Have to pick from Korea, Brazil and France Entry Mode- MA, Strategic partnership, setting up a new institution Timing Sequencing Exploiting existing product and services or create new ones. Points to take into consideration by Westpac on how to go global Assessing the competitive advantage in the chosen countries. Forming joint ventures with overseas banks, swapping information, technology and the human resources. Outsourcing the areas Westpac is not strong in and redirects the resources to its strength. Going overseas with the aim of building the sales and achieving economies of scale. Hiring managers with global perspective. Recognizing that the entire business, operation and services are important, just a brand will not make much of a difference after the initial impetus. One of the most important factors which Westpac has to consider while evaluating its foreign market strategy is the cultural forces. Some of the factors contributing to the cultural composition are: Based on differences in the structure of marketing, potential size and profitability of each market, analysis of potential problems in selling and supporting the markets, analysis of future developments, consideration of foreign exchange and trade implication consideration of cultural aspect impacting the entry of Westpac in Korea, France Brazil will be accessed and a calculative decision will be taken based on the finding Banking Sector in Brazil The banking system in Brazil in the present era is extremely efficient and effective; multiple banks in Brazil have internet banking, offering most or all of the products and services. The network of bank and branches in Brazil is widespread with nearly all cities in the country having at least one major branch. International operations of the banks are centralized around the headquarters mostly located in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janerio (Ahmed, Coulibaly Zlate, 2017) Brazilian central bank is the one controlling the money and the monetary policies of all the banks in Brazil, according to the central bank, out of the top 10 banks in Brazil by assets three are state owned banks (Banco do Brasil, Caixa Economica Federal Banrisul), five being private Brazilian banks (Bradesco, Itau-Unibanco, Votorantim, Safra BTG Pactual) and two being foreign banks (Banco Santander from Spain and Citibank from USA) (Summerhill, 2015) Current Features of the Banking system in Brazil The Central Bank of Brazil(CBZ) has eased the monetary policy in the year 2016 by lowering the Selic( Special system for Settlement Custody, it is the Brazilians central bank system for performing open market operations in execution of the monetary policy) from being as high as 14.25% in October 2016 to 11.25% in April 2017. Inflation dipped to 6.3% in the year ending 2016 and now is expecting to undershoot to 4.5%. The role of the states in the credit market grew since 2008 with public banks holding 55 percent of the total loans to the private sector. The lending rates in Brazil are high owing to high taxation, repayment risks and prevailing concerns over the inconsistent judicial enforcement of the contracts and a high inflation, all the figures are though expected to go down in the forthcoming years. Four largest commercial banks account for approx. 72% of the commercial banking sector assets (Bayne, 2017) The Forex market of Brazil is small, despite growth in the past, the latest study shows the net daily turnover on the Brazils market for OTC foreign exchange transaction was USD 19.7 Billion, a notch up from USD 17.2 Billion in the year 2013. The risk of banking liquidity remains low and the same trend will continue for quite some time. Performance of the banking systems is a clear indication of the positive outlook for 2018; the Return on Equity reached a figure of 12.1% in June which was marginally higher by .8% in comparison to December 2016. The GDP of Brazil is growing annually by 2.415%(2015) and the GDP in the year 2016 stands at 1.796 trillion, all these figures are promising knowing that country went through global recession(Lavinas, 2017) At the same time Australia and Brazil shares history of 70 years of bilateral relation which can be seen as a promising sign for the future development of the Australia Bank in Brazil. Further, PEST analysis will give an understanding about how various forces will play their role in determining the favourability of the nation. PEST analysis The utility of the PEST analysis lies in the fact that it helps to identify various Political, economic, social and technological factors that may affect the business in the future. Hence doing an analysis well in advance will help the company make better decision. PEST is relevant to all the industries, but particularly in the better sector it plays a really important role, the reason being that banks dont behave independent and are dependent on the government and the economy. Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and the largest country in Latin America and the South America region. It is 8 largest economies in the world and is home to many natural resources, natural environment and wildlife. The company recently suffered recession in the year 2009, but the countrys strong fundamental lead it out of the crisis. PEST analysis will give a better insight on Brazil. Political Brazil got its independence in the year 1980 and in the year 2010 it elected its first female president Dilma Rouseff and she was re-elected in the year 2014, but due to certain wrong doing in the government funds she was impeached and Michael served as the acting president. Hence it can be said that there is no political stability in Brazil. Corruption is a big issue in Brazil and government charge huge payment if a small business is getting opened in Brazil; this kind of creates fear amongst the businesses. A lot of people raised their voices against Dilma for the wrong doing in the working of government, hence it can be said that Brazil does not have political stability (Aman, Baer, Trebat Lora, 2016) Economical The countrys GDP was high in the year 2010 but suffered a huge drop in the year 2012 and 2014, now the GDP stands at 1.796 Trillion USD. The countrys potential can be seen as high due to huge FDI inflows and a large population. The middle class seems to be growing and the gap between poor and rich is on a declining trend; moreover the central bank of Brazil has been successful in reducing the risk of currency devaluation and has also got inflation under control to a large extent. It can be definitely said that the economy is on an upward trend post the recession in the year 2009. Social Around 20% of the people live below the poverty line and there is a huge difference between the wealthy class and the poor class, the rise of the middle class is definitely a saving factor. Brazilians population is up to date with the new trends and online penetration has been good in Brazil, the banking habits of the people are focussed on future investment and hence a lot of securities are being traded in the country. It can be said that Brazil has to go a notch higher by creating good jobs and raise the purchasing power of the population. Technological The country in comparison to advance economies like US and Russia has a weaker technology infrastructure, but the government is investing sizable amount of money to push up the envelope. The country spends around 1.16% to 1.21% in its RD in technology. The future of technology in Brazil seems promising. In Brazil it takes around 120 days to open up a business and the senate and the companies are treated as separate legal entities. Keeping all the points discussed above in mind it can be said that Brazil seems to be a favourable destination for Westpac, but the political environment makes it a little dicey and a tough call to make. Banking Sector in Finance The banking sector in France is currently in a very unprecedented situation, it has to meet the three major challenges at hand to excel: Digital transformation, a low interest rate environment and an increasing number of regulatory constraints (Coleman, 2016) The Economic condition in France is improving steadily with a slow pace though, a GDP growth of 1.2% was seen in the year 2016 after having an acceleration of 1.1% in the year 2015.Domestic demand and increase in export can be seen as the contributing factors for increase in the investment along with the growth in the dynamic industrial activity in France (Baum, 2015). The France banking sector has over 364 Banks, and 6 of the Banks are amongst the Global Systemically important banks. The financial firms account for almost 4.5% of the total value addition in France and of which 60% is contributed by the banks. The banking industry employs more than 370,000 people at the end of 2015 which represents 2.3% of the private workforce of France. The 6 largest French banking groups operate in accordance to the universal banking model and have showed a strong performance in the year 2016, the total net banking income was 145.7 billion pound in the year 2016 and out of which retail banking act ivities account for 67%. The sector is burdened with high tax burden and a large number of European regulatory requirements Banking sector in France can be seen as a robust sector with the improved performance shown in the year 2016. France follows a universal banking model and brings in together a full range of banking and financial services under one single institution, it can be seen as the USP of Banking sector of France. The Banking sector in France dedicates around 3.5% of the payroll towards the training of its employees and it give importance to professional integration and conducts various work study program to increase the banking knowledge amongst the population (Kindleberger, 2015) It can be said that Frances Banking sector is showing signs of growth, but the growth can be seen as marginal. Further a PEST analysis will give insight on the Political, economic, social and technological factors which would help in reaching a conclusion about attractiveness of the banking sector in France. PEST analysis of France France is officially known as the French republic and is known as the land of Perfumery and wine. It is the worlds fifth largest economy and second largest European economy (Riley, 2014) In order to summarize, the French banking sector is on a spree of major reform, but the Tough European regulatory regulation and a huge tax burden makes it a less promising destination for Westpac to expand. Banking Sector of Korea The banking sector of Korea consist of both banking and non-financial banking institutions, and Financial services commission and the financial supervisory services are the regulatory arm which are responsible for supervision and examining all the banks and its procedures and policies (Bruno Shin, 2014) The banking sector risk in Korea has improved marginally to 32 from its previous figure of 32, which is a fairly good assessment of the banking sector of Korea. The net foreign asset position of the bank has turned positive in 2014, it moved from US $ 100m in 2014 to US$47.2 Billion in the year 2018. Bank of Korea is the central bank of Korea and it has spoken in its press releases that it will leave Won to operate according to the market force and will not intervene in controlling the currency, until and unless there are some serious concerns. The year 2014 saw banking sector struggle when HSBC and Standard chartered moved away from the retail market, banking scandals and excess liquidity in the market also raised some concerns on the stability of the banking sector. Few additional negative points against the banking sector are the decline in the corporate profitability owing to the weakness in the external sector. A low interest rate has led to increasing household debts which seem to be a problem of concern in the banking sector (Fritz Prates, 2014) Salient feature of the South Korean Banking Sector South Korean GDP stands at 1.411 trillion USD in 2016, an increase by 2.2 % from the FY 2015. Raise in the domestic demand and investment shows a positive outlook for the sector. Increase in consumer spending 2 Internet banks have arrived in South Korea which has caused a major reshuffle in how people do Banking. South Korean banks have shown Higher earnings in the year 2017 South Korean Banks are looking for globalization themselves and are looking to expand in the Asian market(Doh Kim, 2014) K Bank and Kakao banks are the internet banks which are giving brick and mortar banks a run for its money. PEST Analysis of South Korea South Korea which is also called as the Republic of Korea is spread across 38,375 square miles and has an estimated population of 50 million. Seoul is the largest city and the capital of South Korea and is known for its high rise in technology, It boasts of the highest Wi-Fi sped in the world, and hence it can be said that South Korea is way ahead in terms of technological infrastructure. It is the 4th largest economy of Asia and 15th largest economy in the world. It had faced tough challenges during the Asian financial crisis and is on the path of recovering from the crisis In the light of the analysis, it can be said that although South Koreas banking sector is looking strong and positive and is continuously looking for improvement in the banking sector. Somehow there are challenges in its political environment which makes South Korea not a promising sector. The Korean banks looking towards east for expansion and abandoning their own country for better opportunities outside is a sign that there is some trouble in the banking sector and hence Westpac should avoid entering such a country. Recommendation South Korea, France and Brazil, all the countries are awakening from the aftermath of the financial crisis and all these countries are showing positive reforms and growth. There are certain challenges in each of the countries which make the other country look more feasible for expansion. France can be ruled out owing to its slow growth in the economy and poor banking habits of the individual, at the same time high tax burdens and increasing European legislation makes it less attractive. South Korea seems to be in troubled water due to rise of two internet banks, which are changing the entire banking sector of Korea, also , the economy is recovering slowly and exit of HSBC and Standard Charted banks show that it is not feasible to expand in South Korea. Brazil on the other hands look a far better destination than both South Korea and France, it has a stable and fast paced economy, seventh largest economy in the world makes it more attractive. The efforts of the government are focussed on improving the economy and in several press releases it has been mentioned that Brazil will do certain reforms to improve the banking sector. The rise in FDI and strong demand from the domestic market makes the country more appealing. The population of Brazil is also looking for a player which will improve the ways banking sector operates. Australia has strong ties with Brazil which will further pave a smooth road to entry for Westpac into the heartlands of Brazil. Hence, Westpac should not get into any MA, albeit is should do a Greenfield investment and start from the scratch and be on a mission to make a difference. The way Westpac has improved and strengthened the banking sector in Australia, it is expected to create a similar story in Brazil. Conclusion Westpac group being a 200 years old group is one of the finest banking institutions of Australia and New Zealand; it has created wonders for Australia in terms of developing banking habits in the people and revolutionizing the way banking operates. Westpac is also a responsible company which through its corporate social responsibility work towards environmental sustainability. It is strongly recommended that Westpac expands into the heartlands of Brazil, primarily owing to the developing economy, High GDP and a strong growth potential. Less intervention of the government in the banks makes it more attractive and scores a plus point for Westpac. Westpac is at the stage where it has all the Human resource, Processes, policies, technology to expand, and Brazil is the ideal market for its expansion opportunities. References Ahmed, S., Coulibaly, B. and Zlate, A., 2017. International financial spillovers to emerging market economies: How important are management fundamentals?.Journal of International Money and Finance. Amann, E., Baer, W., Trebat, T. and Lora, J.V., 2016. Infrastructure and its role in Brazil's development process.The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance,62, pp.66-73. Baum, W.C., 2015.French Economy and the State. Princeton University Press. Bayne, N., 2017.Staying together: the G8 summit confronts the 21st century. Routledge. Bruno, V. and Shin, H.S., 2014. Assessing macroprudential policies: case of South Korea.The Scandinavian Journal of Economics,116(1), pp.128-157. Coleman, W.D., 2016.Financial services, globalization and domestic policy change. Springer. Cranston, R., 2017.Principles of banking law. Oxford university press. Deresky, H., 2017.International management: Managing across borders and cultures. Pearson Education India. Doh, S. and Kim, B., 2014. Government support for SME innovations in the regional industries: The case of government financial support program in South Korea.Research Policy,43(9), pp.1557-1569. Fritz, B. and Prates, D., 2014. The new IMF approach to capital account management and its blind spots: lessons from Brazil and South Korea.International Review of Applied Economics,28(2), pp.210-239. Jensen, J.A., Cobbs, J. and Groza, M.D., 2014. The niche portfolio strategy to global expansion: the influence of market resources on demand for Formula One Racing.Journal of Global Marketing,27(4), pp.247-261. Kindleberger, C.P., 2015.A financial history of Western Europe. Routledge. Lavinas, L., 2017. How Social Developmentalism Reframed Social Policy in Brazil.New Political Economy, pp.1-17. Pomering, A., 2017. Communicating CSR Through Corporate Image Advertising. InHandbook of Integrated CSR Communication(pp. 171-190). Springer International Publishing. Riley, J.C., 2014.The Seven Years War and the Old Regime in France: The Economic and Financial Toll. Princeton University Press. Rugman, A.M. and Verbeke, A., 2017.Global corporate strategy and trade policy(Vol. 12). psychology. Summerhill, W.R., 2015.Inglorious revolution: political institutions, sovereign debt, and financial underdevelopment in imperial Brazil. Yale University Press. Vincent, J., 2016. Westpac Banking Corporation v Wittenberg (2016) 330 ALR 476.Brief,43(11), p.21. Williamson, P.J., 2014. The global expansion of EMNCs: paradoxes and directions for future research.Understanding Multinationals from Emerging Markets. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp.155-169.

Effects of a Prenatal Yoga Programme on the Discomforts of Pregnancy and Maternal Childbirth Self-Efficacy in Taiwanâ„¢, Midwifery Essay Example

Effects of a Prenatal Yoga Programme on the Discomforts of Pregnancy and Maternal Childbirth Self-Efficacy in Taiwanâ„ ¢, Midwifery Essay Sun, Y.C. Hung, Y.C. Chang, Y. and Kuo, S.C. (2009) Effects of a Prenatal Yoga Programme on the Discomforts of Pregnancy and Maternal Childbirth Self-Efficacy in Taiwanâ„ ¢, Midwifery. [Online] DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2009.01.005 (Assessed: 9 April 2010) In this 21st century, people are more educated and are more aware on products they are using or services that are provided. When they purchase a product, they will demand for evidence which proves the effectiveness of the item. Not only that, people are more health concern, they will consume food that are proved to benefit the body, for example, oranges are proved to eliminate flu and etc. As we can see, we live in a world flooded with evidence. As compared to many years before, nurses practice through experience, tradition, culture or patientsâ„ ¢ need and yet they value the clinical experience, patientâ„ ¢s experience, local culture as evidence (Rycroft-Malone et.al., 2004). As today, we are being instilled on evidence-based practice. Even that, nurses must be clear of the basis of practice despite knowing that the practice is not evidence-based to provide a sensible care to the patients (Zeitz McCutcheon, 2003) We will write a custom essay sample on Effects of a Prenatal Yoga Programme on the Discomforts of Pregnancy and Maternal Childbirth Self-Efficacy in Taiwanâ„ ¢, Midwifery specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Effects of a Prenatal Yoga Programme on the Discomforts of Pregnancy and Maternal Childbirth Self-Efficacy in Taiwanâ„ ¢, Midwifery specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Effects of a Prenatal Yoga Programme on the Discomforts of Pregnancy and Maternal Childbirth Self-Efficacy in Taiwanâ„ ¢, Midwifery specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In health care, many of our practices are evidence-based. The policies and procedures, medications and treatment, included nursing care are practiced base on the evidence shown. By practicing evidence-based practice, we need to search for the best evidence available from research done recently (Sackett et.al., 1996) and evidence-based practice should not be argue and should not be any disagreement as the practice is proved (Goding Edwards, 2002). Once we practice with evidence, we can surely observe the outcomes from patients as in the piece of research. However, Scudder (2006) states that it is difficult to practice based on evidence as patients in this modern world would prefer to make their own treatment methods which might not have evidence to prove the effectiveness. When we evaluate our own practice, are all of the practices that we are following still the safest or still the most effective way in promoting health and preventing diseases This is in doubt. As health care personnel, it is important to keep ourselves updated with latest evidence-based practice to improve our care to patients. In order to do that, the most effective way is to search for research articles to compare and evaluate the findings. Hence, we can improve or initiate new practices based on the research done. Nurses have to take the lead in initiate new practices and to perform effective leadership to improve nursing care. The top management of an organization should take the lead to transform research knowledge into real practice and change the culture of the hospital (Stetler, 2003). There are five steps leading healthcare workers to evidence-based practice, we must be able to question what practice is good, nurses must be able to structure the information provided and critically appraise the information found also nurses be able to search for research articles and evaluate critically, then to implement the new practices (Cleary-Holdforth Leufer, 2008). However, in selecting research articles, we need to critically analyse the validity and reliability of the researchers and the research process before adapting the practice. Nurses should not follow blindly with orders and policies that are being set except that nurses need to critically analyse the strength and weakness of current practice, policies and procedures and theories that we have learn (Timmins, 2006). At times, we notice that some research has insufficient data to conclude the results and some has no definite findings (Aveyard Sharp, 2009). It is a good practice that nurses form a group in a ward to seek for better practices and discuss new policies which is supported by evidence. With this practice, it will not only build up leadership in every staff and also will improve the standard of care in the ward. I am a Staff Midwife working in a 10 bedded delivery suite in a private hospital in Malaysia as well as a part time pregnancy yoga instructor. I have a great interest in womenâ„ ¢s health and promoting healthy pregnancy. Most of the pregnant mothers in Malaysia prefer to stay home and refuse to perform any form of exercise throughout their pregnancy. They think it is a taboo for pregnant women to be active as this will cause miscarriage or preterm labour. Moreover, there are limited exercise can be done during pregnancy and most of the pregnant ladies in Malaysia are not exposed to information regarding exercise during pregnancy. Hence, they are afraid to exercise without guidance as well as support from health care workers and this is supported by the research of Duncombe et.al. (2009) shows that majority of the pregnant women thinks that exercise specially designed for pregnant mothers are the safest and they are more willing to learn those exercise. During pregnancy, yoga is one of the safest exercises to stay healthy and fit. On top of that, yoga relieves stress and promotes relaxation to eliminate mood swings. When the pregnant mother has pain or other discomfort during pregnancy, it will encourage mood disorders (Beddoe et.al., 2009). This is supported by the research of Furlow et.al. (2008) and Beddoe et.al. (2009) said that yoga is widely practice in pregnant mothers in obstetrics and gynaecology condition as well as meditation and it is one of the top choices of physicians in providing alternative care to the patients in the United States. With yoga practices, most of the mothers are able to cope with stress and have a healthier body as there is a link between our mind and body, when our mind is relaxes and calm, our body will follows; hence reduces stress not only in our mind and also in our body. By practicing yoga postures, chanting om, breathing exercise and yoga nidra (deep relaxation) will improve physical stre ngth and flexibility, improve self-awareness and also calm the body and mind (Chuntharapat et.al., 2008). In addition to that, when the level of stress hormones in the motherâ„ ¢s body is high, it will affect the health of the mother and the baby (Tiran Chummun, 2004). Wadsworth (2007) noted that exercises can relief minor discomfort and have lower incident of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, preterm labour and etc. Pregnancy is a natural process and it is not a type of disease. Hence, many doctors or midwives do not prescribe medications to pregnant mothers if there are no medical conditions such as diabetes or hypertension and etc. because by consuming unnecessary medications will cause complications not only to the mother and also to the baby. Tiran Chummun (2004) commented that the use of drugs must be prevented in making sure that the side effects of the drugs will not affect the fetusâ„ ¢ wellbeing. For this reason, complementary therapies such as yoga, meditation, relaxation, reflexology and etc are the recommended techniques to promote healthy pregnancy. Thus, as a midwife and a certified pregnancy yoga instructor; I would like to discover some information from research regarding exercises during pregnancy and the effectiveness in practicing yoga during pregnancy. With this information, I would like to promote pregnancy yoga including relaxtion in my practice area especially in antenatal classes that are conducted in the hospital in order to maximize the health of pregnant mothers. Tiran Chummun (2004) and Satyapriya et.al. (2009) agreed that promoting relaxation in antenatal class helps mothers stay in more relaxed state when they preparing for labour. This piece of research that I have chosen is from a journal named Midwifery and it is published by Elsevier, the leading publisher of science and health. Midwifery is a journal that publishes all information regarding midwifery to enhance the knowledge, skills and attitudes of all midwives. Hence, this is a reliable source for the research article that I have chosen. This research article is regarding the outcome and the experience of pregnant mothers in terms of minor discomforts and the outcome of handling the labour process after the practice of yoga. As stated clearly in the title of this research, the words used attract readers and readers are be able to form an outline on what is the focus of this research from the title. However, as this is a quantitative research, the title should emphasize on the population of pregnant mothers was benefitted on the yoga programme as the format of a quantitative research focus much on the quantity or frequency of the study (Aveyard et.al., 2009). There are four researchers in this research study. They come from different field of work, including nursing division, midwifery, social culture and welfare, and an instructor for exercise and health science. This mixture of different discipline can enhance the flow of the research as they have different opinion and experience irrespective of nursing point of view, social culture or in the view of exercise. With this, the research can only proceed with a correct direction and then the study objective can be met. There is an abstract for this research article. The objective of the research, the design, place, participants, intervention, measurements, conclusions and implications are clearly identified. Readers can have a clear outline regarding this piece of research article by studying the information in the abstract of this paper. Yoga has been proving to relieve tension and improve health in practitioners and to promote relaxation, improves flexibility and relieves some minor discomfort, for example, backache and cramps etc. has shown in the wide range of the primacy source of literature reviews by the researchers ranging from the year 1991 till year 2008 included a research conducted in India regarding yoga on pregnancy outcome was clearly been evaluated. The aim of the researchers is to find out the incidence of minor discomforts occur during pregnancy and the self efficacy in labour and by practicing yoga during antenatal period by seeing that there are no studies conducted regarding this subject in Taiwan. The aim and objectives are clearly identified in the introduction of this piece of research article which leads the readers into the research findings. This is a qualitative research using a non-randomised controlled experimental study, the researchers chose participants who had antenatal checks and decided to deliver in the study hospital. The researchers used statistical power analysis to calculate the sample size which was around 41 participants per group. The sampling process conducted in the antenatal clinic in an urban hospital in Taiwan. There are few inclusion and exclusion criteria while choosing the participants. The inclusion criteria includes primigravida 18 years old at the 26-28 gestational weeks with a singleton pregnancy who are be able to listens and speaks in Chinese and has no experience in practicing yoga before, besides that, she had not been exercising for at least a year. The exclusion criteria includes pregnant mother who experienced premature labour or used epidural anaesthesia as the form of pain relieve and caesarean section is the delivery method. The researchers select the participants for control group from January to March 2004 while the participants in experimental group from April to June 2004. After the fine selection, the total of 96 participants was allocated into 2 groups â€Å" the control group consists of 45 participants and the experimental group consists of 51 participants. After the allocation of the participants, a double-blind procedure is used to avoid bias during the selection procedure to ensure that the researchers will not select the desire samples. Along this sampling process, participants were provided a written and informed consent in maintaining the confidentiality of democratic data and questionnaires during this research process. Researchers are advice to consider ethical issues in research to prevent discomforts in participants; hence, the findings are more authentic (Robson, 2007). According to Guillemin Gillam (2004) reflexivity in research not only helps researchers to reflect on the research process and construct the whole research and also to maintain the ethics in the research. Both the control group and the experimental group received the standard obstetric care and usual antenatal information including information on yoga practice in pregnancy. But only the experimental group receive a yoga programme which prepared by professionals. Throughout the research study, 2 participants from control group and 6 participants from experimental group was removed by the researchers due to various reasons such as unable to contact participant while follow up procedure; participants had preterm labour during the research period and etc. Therefore, only 43 participants in the control group and 45 participants in the experimental group participate in this research study. With total number of 88 participants is not a good sample size to conclude the research findings. There is only small percentage of urban pregnant ladies in Taiwan being studied which unable to conclude the results for most pregnant women in Taiwan which has different culture background and educatio n level in the rural area. There is no power calculation done to ensure the reliability of the sample size. Power calculation is very important in determining sample size. if the sample size is too big, researchers will waste their time and resources to conclude the data which normally will have minimal gain; whereas if the sample size is too small, the reliability of the findings to determine the research questions is suspicious (Hill Lewicki, 2007). This yoga programme in experimental group was evaluated by 5 experts using the context validity index (CVI) to ensure the content validity. The CVI is a measurement measured by content experts for a particular tool used in a research is appropriate in collecting data and conducting the research to ensure the objective of the research is met (Polit Beck, 2006). As stated in the research article, the CVI of this yoga programme was 0.96 which is a good validity. Participants were given a 10-pages booklet and a 30-minutes videotape yoga workout to practice at home and the researchers will make phone calls to all participants every week in the first 2 weeks then every 2 weeks till delivery. The researcher learnt the yoga exercise from a yoga instructor after which the researcher will teach the participants by following the videotape which consists of 9 exercise and meditation. Participants were asked to practice at home for an hour at least 3 times a week for 12 to 14 weeks. Noneth eless, Yoga is an art to improve health; it is best practice from the pregnancy yoga instructors. Participants might interpret the information wrongly by practicing from the videotape. Injuries could happen when there is no guidance during the practice. Although follow up phone calls was made, the compliances to the practice were unknown. In the study of Chuntharapat et.al., (2008), noted that the participants who can fulfill the research process are mostly housewife who can practice consistently in the yoga center in Thailand. Participants might have inconsistency in practice which will affect the research findings. For these reasons, it is best to have participants to attend yoga classes 3 times a week for 12-14 weeks instead of videotape practice. There are 2 methods used by the researchers. They are the discomforts of pregnancy questionnairesâ„ ¢ and childbirth self-efficacy inventoryâ„ ¢ (CBSEI). The discomforts of pregnancy questionnaires consists of 20 questions that reviewed by antenatal experts. Each question in this questionnaire was scored by five-point scale. The scale was composed as very severe (5 points) to none (1 point). The higher the score for this questionnaire indicates that the more discomfort of pregnancy occurs. As indicated by the researchers of this research article, the CVI value for this questionnaire was 0.92 shows that the questionnaires have a fine validity. CBSEI was the diagnostic tool to assess the self efficacy in pregnant mothers during labour. There are 4 measurements needed to conclude the results for CBSEI. The self-efficacy expectancy during active phase of labour; the outcome expectancy during labour; the self-efficacy expectancy during second stage of labour and the outcome expectancy during second stage of labour. It is measured by a 10-point likert scale. In self efficacy expectancy scale, 10 points indicates very sure to 1 point indicates not at all sure. Whist in outcome expectancy scale, 10 points indicates very helpful to 1 point indicates not at all helpful. Before the questionnaires was distributed and before videotape with booklet was hand out to participants, pilot tests was conducted to make sure that participants understand the video content and the booklet also be able to practice the yoga exercises alone at home. Pilot test allow researchers to test the public before the real data collection and to make amendment on any uncertainties (Robson, 2007). Three sets of data collection were done. Demographic information and discomforts of pregnancy questionnaires was collected during 26 weeks to 28 weeks for pre test, this procedure was carry out when the researchers distribute and explain the consent once the participants agreed to participate in this research. The 2nd time of data collection for discomforts of pregnancy questionnaires was during 38-40 weeks gestation (post test) before delivery. The third data collection was during active phase of labour (when the participant having a contraction in 3 to 5 minutes) that participants were asked to complete the CBSEI along with another CBSEI data was collected 1 to 4 hours after second stage of labour. Data was evaluated by researchers after collection. All data ware analyse using Mann-Whitney U-test. The researchers used a statistical package in assisting them to get an accurate result. It is important for the researchers to know and be familiar with the statistical test to analyse the data collected. Robson (2007) thinks that the researchers must seek help if they are not an expert in using the statistical test in order to interpret results accurately. A research cannot contribute evidence to guide clinical practice if the findings of the research are not accurate, biased or fail to accurately represent the experiences of the experimental group, for example, the scale given to evaluate the discomfort of pregnant women must be clear and understandable to participants so that the participants answer accurately. The findings of this research presented clearly by the researchers. The differences between control group and experimental group clearly stated. The p values of this research are less than 0.5. This shows that the reliability of this research is high. Besides that, the questionnaires and the methods used were evaluated by experts. Hence, the reliability, validity and trustworthy of this research was maintain. However the analytical process was not clearly identified. From the research findings, there are no significant differences in birth weight of baby in control group and in experimental group. The findings for pregnancy discomfort in control group were increase during the post test compare to pre test; whereas in experimental group, there is not much difference in pregnancy discomfort. Participants from experimental group had increase in self efficacy in childbirth. In addition to this, there are extra findings regarding physical responses after each yoga session such as chances of pregnant women experience contractions while practicing yoga and feelings of pregnant women after the yoga programme in experimental group. Most of the participants have no contractions during the practice of yoga, but experience sweating and slight panting after practice. However, most of the participants felt yoga ease discomforts in pregnancy and meets their needs by practicing yoga. The limitations of this research are clearly stated. For example, the sample size is small, it is unable to conclude the population in Taiwan and the participants are primigravidas also a further research needs to be done on multigravida mothers too. Furthermore, the timing of data collection for CBSEI is varies between participants; for instance that some participants need longer time to have a close contractions while the other do not; Some participants fill up the CBSEI 1 hour after delivery while the others complete the CBSEI at 4 hours after delivery. This will cause some difference in the findings as the timing was not fixed. From this research, it shows the benefits of practicing yoga during antenatal in helping pregnant ladies to cope with stress, relieves discomforts during antenatal and also increases the coping mechanism during labour through the practice of breathing exercise and relaxation techniques. As a midwife and a yoga instructor, I have witness some cases which the mother had learned yoga during antenatal and have a positive outcome in coping labour contractions. As in a study done by Chuntharapat et.al. (2008), the result shows by practicing yoga or three times a week for 30 minutes a day will decrease discomfort during pregnancy, decrease pain during labor and shorten the labor process due to the enhancement of coping mechanism. As in Malaysia, most of the women do not exercise during pregnancy. From this assignment, I would like to propose to the hospital management to encourage yoga programme as one of the programme in antenatal class to build awareness in pregnant mothers and the public in this country, bringing from good care of the hospital to excellent care! However, the hospital that I am practicing is a catholic hospital, most of the Muslims and Catholics in my country do not practice yoga as their perception on yoga is a religious practice and it is related to meditation. Hence, to respect different religions in a multiracial country, I would like to look for more evidence on this matter to clarify the uncertainties, so that the Muslims women and Catholics women can also beneficial on this programme. In order to implement new practices, a clear vision, a good leadership and sufficient evidences are needed to help change the culture of practice. Hockenberry et. al. (2008) noted that if there is no incorporation of the hospital environment, there will be no significant changes in practice. On top of that, audit on current practices is important to ensure the quality in current practice; audit need to be done to encourage quality improvement. When an organization need to change a practice, evidences are needed to encourage change and audit is to decide which evidence to follow will benefit the patients most as well as to monitor the staff compliances to the new practices. Audit need to make sure that the hospital staff are trained and accreditated by experts before commencing new practices to guarantee safe practice. Research, audit and quality improvement work hand in hand to provide quality care to patients (Hill Small, 2006). In conclusion, as a healthcare worker, we are encouraged to update our knowledge constantly not only by reading evidence based research and also to analyse the content critically whether it is valid and reliable before turning it to the new practice in our practice area and it is supported by Haynes et. al. (2002), he thinks that there is no purpose of an excellent research done but there is nobody to implement the research findings into practice. In line with this, nurses must be able to evaluate the strength of the research findings before implementing in order to provide a safe evidence based practice to patients (Nolan Bradley, 2008). Reference Aveyard, H. and Sharp, P. (2009) A Beginnerâ„ ¢s Guide to Evidence Based Practice in Health and Social Care Professions. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Beddoe, A.E. Yang, C.H.P. Kennedy, H.P. Weiss, S.J. and Lee, K.A. (2009) The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Yoga during Pregnancy on Maternal Psychological and Physical Distressâ„ ¢, Journal of Obstetric, gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing, 38, pp.310-319. Chuntharapat, S. Petpichetchian, W. and Hatthakit, U. (2008) Yoga during Pregnancy: Effects on Maternal Comfort, Labor pain and Birth Outcomesâ„ ¢, Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practiceâ„ ¢, 14, pp.105-115. Cleary-Holdforth, J. and Leufer, T. (2008) Essential Elements in Developing Evidence-Based Practiceâ„ ¢, Nursing Standard, 23(2), pp.42-46. Duncombe, D. Wertheim, E.H. Skouteris, H. Paxton, S.J. and Kelly, L. (2009) Factors Related to Exercise over the Course of Pregnancy including Womenâ„ ¢s Beliefs about the Safety of exercise during Pregnancyâ„ ¢, Midwifery, 25, pp. 430-438. Furlow, M.L. Patel, D.A. Sen, A. and Liu, J.R. (2008) Physician and Patient Attitudes towards Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Obstetrics and Gynecologyâ„ ¢, BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 8(35). [Online] doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-8-35 (Assessed: 9 April 2010) Goding, L. and Edwards, K. (2002) Evidence-Based Practiceâ„ ¢, Nurse Researcher, 9(4), pp. 45-57. Guillemin, M. and Gillam, L. (2004) Ethics, Reflexivity, and Ethically Important Moments in Researchâ„ ¢, Qualitative Inquiry, 10(2), pp.261-280. Haynes, R.B. Deveraux, P.J. and Guyatt, G.H. (2002) Physiciansâ„ ¢ and Patientsâ„ ¢ Choices in Evidence Based Practiceâ„ ¢, British Medical journal, 324, pp.1350. [Online] doi:10.1136/bmj.324.7350.1350 (Assessed: 20 April 2010) Hill, T. and Lewicki, P. (2007) Statistics Methods and Applications. Tulsa: Statsoft. Hill, S.L. and Small, N. (2006) Differentiating between Research, Audit and Quality Improvement: Governance Implicationsâ„ ¢, Clinical Governance: An International Journal, 11(2), pp.98-107. Hockenberry, M. Walaen, M. Brown, T. and Barrera, P. (2008) Creating an Evidence-Based Practice Environment: One Hospitalâ„ ¢s journey, Journal of Trauma Nursing, 15(3), pp.136-144. Nolan, P. and Bradley, E. (2008) Evidence-Based Practice: Implications and Concernsâ„ ¢, Journal of Nursing Management, pp. 388-393. Polit, D.F. and Beck, C.T. (2006) The Content Validity Index: Are You Sure You Know Whatâ„ ¢s Being Reported Critique and recommendationsâ„ ¢, Research in Nursing Health, 29, pp.489-497. Redman, B.K. (2003) Measurement Tools in Patient Education 2nd Edition. 2nd edn. Broadway: Springer Publishing Company. Robson, C. (2007) How to Do a Research Project: a Guide for Undergraduate Students. Cambridge: Blackwell Publishing. Rycroft-Malone, J. Harvey, G. Seers, K. Kitson, A. McCormack, B. and Titchen, A. (2004) An Exploration of the Factors that Influence the Implementation of Evidence into Practiceâ„ ¢, Journal of Clinical Nursing, 13, pp.913-924. Sackett, D.L. Rosenberg, W.M.C. Gray, J.A.M. Haynes, R.B. and Richardson, W.S. (1996) Evidence Based Medicine: What It Isnâ„ ¢tâ„ ¢, British Medical Journal, 312(1), pp. 71-72. Satyapriya, M. Nagendra, H.R. Nagarathna, R. and Padmalatha, V. (2009) Effect of Integrated Yoga on Stress and Heart Rate Variability in Pregnant Womenâ„ ¢, International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetricsâ„ ¢, 104, pp.218-222. Scudder, L. (2006) Using Evidence-Based Informationâ„ ¢, The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, March, pp. 180-185. Settler, C.B. (2003) Role of the Organization in Translating Research Into Evidence-Based Practiceâ„ ¢, Outcomes Management, 7(3), pp.97-103. Timmins, F. (2006) Critical practice in Nursing Care: Analysis, Action and Reflexivityâ„ ¢, Nursing Standard, 20(39), pp.49-54. Tiran, D. and Chummun, H. (2004) Complementary Therapies to Reduce Physiological Stress in Pregnancyâ„ ¢, Complementary Therapies in Nursing Midwifery, 10, pp. 162-167. Wadsworth, P. (2007) The Benefits of Exercise in Pregnancyâ„ ¢, The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, May, pp.333-338. Zeitz, K. and McCutcheon, H. (2003) Evidence-Based Practice: To Be or Not To Be, This is the Question!â„ ¢, International journal of Nursing Practice, 9, pp.272-279.

Free Essays on Creation Myth

Creation Myth In the beginning†¦ There was only water and bare, empty land. In the center of this nothingness was a great mountain. This mountain stood tall and proud and it reached all the way into the heavens. At the very top of this mountain lived a pair of every kind of animal. In the center of this heaven grew a tree. This tree was not just any tree, it was the sacred tree of life, and it was not to be harmed in any way. Among the diverse group of animals was a pair of giraffes. The female giraffe had grown tired of eating the same old leaves and fruits. Being strong-willed and stubborn she decided that she just had to try a fruit from the sacred tree. She convinced her husband to accompany her and to be one of the first ones to taste this great, unknown fruit. Reluctantly her vacillating husband agrees. He tells himself that the consequences couldn’t be that bad, after all its only a tree. The pair reach the tree and begin to devour the delicious fruits. As they ate, they were ob livious to the great winds that had begun to blow. The winds continued to pick up speed and then with one strong gust every pair of animals is blown right off the mountain to the bare lands below. All the Animals are bewildered as they try to figure out what caused this. Finally the giraffes step forward admit to their part in the dilemma and take they blame. The animals are furious, but being sensible put aside their anger and decide to deal with the situation on hand. All the animals agree that they need a leader. The most skillful builders gather together and from the dirt and clay they build a figure with double of everything†¦4 eyes, 2 noses, 2 mouths, 4 legs. Hoping that the Great One will grant them this one request they go to sleep that night. When they Awake in the morning they find that they clay figure has come to life. That day this human proves to be very helpful and creates a wonderful paradise out of the barren land. That night there i... Free Essays on Creation Myth Free Essays on Creation Myth Creation Myth In the beginning†¦ There was only water and bare, empty land. In the center of this nothingness was a great mountain. This mountain stood tall and proud and it reached all the way into the heavens. At the very top of this mountain lived a pair of every kind of animal. In the center of this heaven grew a tree. This tree was not just any tree, it was the sacred tree of life, and it was not to be harmed in any way. Among the diverse group of animals was a pair of giraffes. The female giraffe had grown tired of eating the same old leaves and fruits. Being strong-willed and stubborn she decided that she just had to try a fruit from the sacred tree. She convinced her husband to accompany her and to be one of the first ones to taste this great, unknown fruit. Reluctantly her vacillating husband agrees. He tells himself that the consequences couldn’t be that bad, after all its only a tree. The pair reach the tree and begin to devour the delicious fruits. As they ate, they were ob livious to the great winds that had begun to blow. The winds continued to pick up speed and then with one strong gust every pair of animals is blown right off the mountain to the bare lands below. All the Animals are bewildered as they try to figure out what caused this. Finally the giraffes step forward admit to their part in the dilemma and take they blame. The animals are furious, but being sensible put aside their anger and decide to deal with the situation on hand. All the animals agree that they need a leader. The most skillful builders gather together and from the dirt and clay they build a figure with double of everything†¦4 eyes, 2 noses, 2 mouths, 4 legs. Hoping that the Great One will grant them this one request they go to sleep that night. When they Awake in the morning they find that they clay figure has come to life. That day this human proves to be very helpful and creates a wonderful paradise out of the barren land. That night there i...

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Service Quality Dimensions That Affect Customer Satisfaction Commerce Essay

Service Quality Dimensions That Affect Customer Satisfaction Commerce Essay The objective of this chapter is to formulate the research question and develop the conceptual framework for the study. A detailed overview of how the research was conducted, the operationalisation of the variables, hypothesis formulation and the research methodology used which covers data collection methods used, sample selection and method used for data analysis are discussed. 3.2 Research Question Based on the review of literature and the research problem, the following question has been formulated in order to determine the relationship that exists between the various dimensions of customer expectation and the service quality by the insurance companies for motor insurance policy holders. It is important to understand this relationship as it would enable the companies in the insurance sector to improve their service quality and to match and to exceed customer expectations and create a knowledge base in order to stay ahead in the market. The following research questions were derived from the research problem and the review of the literature. What are the Service Quality Dimensions that affect customer satisfaction in the Motor Insurance industry in Sri Lanka? What is the extent to which customers are satisfied with the services received from the Motor Insurance Industry? What are the gaps between customer Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction of Motor Insurance policy holders? 3.3 Conceptual Framework Service Quality Dimensions Dependant Variable Independent Variables [Source: Developed by the Researcher] 3.3.1 Rationalization of the conceptual framework Conceptual framework was replicated based on Zeithaml, Parasuraman Berry (1991), to test this study in the Motor Insurance Industry in Sri Lanka. On the detailed literature review, the research identified five factors that impact value delivery to customer of Motor Insurance services. These five service quality dimensions of SERVQUAL Model by Parasuraman and Berry et el (1985), have been derived as independent variables. These variables fall under Service providers Perspective in the conceptual framework. The dependent variable was identified as Customer satisfaction. The gaps in quality of service will be identified by using these five dimensions. This is the gap between the Customers expectation and experience of the Motor Insurance service delivery, which will subsequently have an impact on customer satisfaction. Rust Oliver (1994) and the Nordic Model (Gronoos, 1992) too emphasizes the importance of meaning of the gap between expectations and the experience in service industry. Hence all these have been included in the conceptual framework. 3.3.2 Definitions for Variables Tangibles Modern Equipment and Technology, Visually appealing physical facilities neat appearing employees and agents, visually appealing materials associated with services. Appearance of physical facilities, equipment personnel and communication material (Parasurman et.al,1998 and 1990). Reliability Keeping promises when promises to do something by a certain time , offering products and services of utmost quality, issuing contracts with clear, transparent and non ambiguous terms, settling customers claims with no unnecessary delays, ,showing sincere interest when solving customers problems, offering services right the first time without unnecessarily discomforting customers, providing services within the specified contract time limits, issuing error free bills, statements, receipts, contracts, claims and other documents. Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately (Parasurman et.al,1998 and 1990). Responsiveness telling customers exactly when the services will be performed, doing their best to give prompt service to customers, always willing to help customers, never being too busy to respond to customers requests . Willing to help customer and provide prompt service (Parasurman et.al,1998 and 1990). Assurance Customers feeling safe in their transactions, behavior instilling confidence in customers, being consistently courteous with customers, having employees and agents with the necessary knowledge to give professional services to customers. Knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence (Competence, courtesy, creditability and security of the service), (Parasurman et.al,1998 and 1990). Empathy Giving customers individual services, operating hours convenient to all customers, giving customers personal attention, having the customers best interest at heart, understanding the specific needs of customers. Caring, individualized attention the firm provides its customers (Access to organizations representatives, communication and understanding the customer), (Parasurman et.al,1998 and 1990). As presented in the above conceptual model, the independent variable of dimensions of service quality will be studied. Price is also a relevant variable. However, the focus of this study is on service quality attributes and therefore is not within the scope of this study. Theoretical research has presented several different service quality definitions. However, Parasuraman et al. (1985) definition of service quality, which has been used in many industry studies before, was adopted. Service quality is defined as the degree of discrepancy between customers normative expectations for the service and their perceptions of the service performance. The SERVQUAL model developed by Parasuraman et al.(1998), is therefore used for this study. Hypotheses Formulation Hypothesis is a testable speculative statement delineating the relations between all the elements of a theory (Page Meyer, 2000). The development of hypothesis was categorized into two sections based on insurance companies customers. Accordingly five hypotheses were developed. The source for all hypothesis development was based on the conceptual framework. Furthermore, the hypotheses based on insurance companies were primarily related to the importance of each expectation. The hypotheses developed for customers were based on the service quality of obtaining Motor insurance policies. When developing hypothesis, Literature review under section 2.18, according to the study carried out in Greece and Kenya by Rand, (2006), it was proved that there is a relationship between service quality dimensions and expected and experienced service quality by the customers in the insurance industry. 3.5 Hypothesis Rationalization Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Reliability dimension in motor insurance According to Parasuraman et al (1985) Reliability dimension measures the ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately. As per the research carried out by Rand (2006) , it says that the Reliability has a huge impact on the service quality in service industry. Especially in a industry like Motor insurance it has a huge effect. Consumers satisfaction choice of service provider and service quality evaluation are influenced by the expectations of the consumer, (Trinh et al.2000). As mentioned above in the research carried out in Kenyan Insurance industry by Rand (2006), it is noted that most of the researchers (Rand, 2006; Trinh, 2000) have identified that Reliable service always has a positive impact on the service quality provided by the company. Therefore it is worthy to investigate the relationship among Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Reliability dimension in motor insurance. It could be hypothesized that, H 1 0 There is no relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Reliability dimension in motor insurance H 1 There is a relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Reliability dimension in motor insurance Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Responsiveness dimension in motor insurance The Dimension Responsiveness explains about willingness to help customers and provide prompt service. Responsiveness factor significantly has a positive effect on Customer satisfaction. Quality service provision, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty has recently been emerging as important parameters for both researchers and practitioners in turkey. This has been proved through a research carried by Yale University in Turkey (2009) on Service Quality in healthcare. This research was also based on the service quality. To provide superior service quality responsiveness is a very important factor since service providers should always willing to help customers. Especially in an industry such as insurance it is a very decisive factor since the customer is expecting a prompt action for their problems. So responsiveness factor effectively contributes to reduce the gaps between the Expected Experienced Service quality by the motor insurance policy holders. Therefore it is worthy to identify the relationship between the Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Responsiveness dimension in motor insurance. So it could be hypothesized that, H 2 0 There is no relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Responsiveness dimension in motor insurance H 2 There is a relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Responsiveness dimension in motor insurance Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Assurance dimension in motor insurance Assurance dimension is all about, the knowledge, competence, and courtesy of service employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence. Ducker (1991) defines service quality as What the customer gets out and is willing to pay for rather than what the supplier (of the service) puts in? Hence, service quality is often conceptualized as the comparison of service expectations with actual performance perception (Bloemer, Ruyter et al. 1999; Kara, Lonial et al. 2007). Service science literature often relies on SERVUQAL as an instrument to measure quality of service provided. SERVQUAL scale was developed based on a marketing perspective with the support of the Marketing Science Institute (Parasuraman, Zeithaml et al. 1986). It is very important to keep the assurance on the agreement made the company to their customers. Specially in the insurance industry, it is crucial factor to offer the assurance of the services provided. Therefore it is worthy to identify the relationship betwee n the Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Assurance dimension in motor insurance. So it could be hypothesized that, H 3 0 There is no relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Assurance dimension in motor insurance H 3 There is a relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Assurance dimension in motor insurance Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Empathy dimension in motor insurance Empathy dimension is about caring individualized attention provided to customers. According to the expectancy disconfirmation model, customers satisfaction is a function between his/her service performance perception and expectation (Pizam and Ellis, 1999), and illustrated as Satisfaction=f (Perception-Expectation). It is very important to offer individual attention to the customers specially in the service industry. Trustworthiness is one of the critical factors in any industry for the customers. Empathy factor defines that. Keeping the customer complaints and criticisms is very important in the motor insurance industry as the competition is very high. If the organization looses one policyholder that may affect the organization immensely. Therefore it is worthy to identify the relationship between the Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Empathy dimension in motor insurance. So it could be hypothesized that, H 4 0 There is no relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Empathy dimension in motor insurance H 4 There is a relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Empathy dimension in motor insurance Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Tangibility dimension in motor insurance Tangibility is all about appearance of physical facilities, equipment, ambience, personnel and communication materials. The rewards to firms that establish a loyal customer base have been well documented (Armstrong and Symonds, 1991: Heskett et al. 1994: Reichheld amd Sesser, 1990). In general, increased loyalty leads to lower cost of servicing the firms customers, reduced marketing expenditure, increased business from the existing customer base and greater profits. The internal appearance and the facilities is also affecting the service quality. It in turn helps the company to retain their customer and reduce the unnecessary costs such as saving costs. Therefore it is worthy to identify the relationship between the Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Tangibility dimension in motor insurance. So it could be hypothesized that, H 5 0 There is no relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Tangibility dimension in motor insurance H 5 There is a relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Tangibility dimension in motor insurance 3.6 Operationalization Based on the SERVQUAL scale and using five service quality dimensions. Concepts Variable Indicator Measure Reliability Price/Premium Reasonable Premium rates In order to evaluate customer expectation and experience , a 5 point scale was used. To measure customer perception the rating scale , for 1 Not important and 5 Very Important . And to measure customer experience the rating scale, for 1 Not Experienced at all , to 5 Experienced at a high level Product Range Range of products offered, to suit individual requirements Physical Access Availability and convenience of facilities and branch network Electronic access Availability of Telephone and online facilities Service delivery Level of service as expected/promised Responsiveness Waiting time Average time taken to process a claim after an accident In order to obtain data on average time spent with the Insurance providing company to get an service rating scale from 1 to 5 was used . for 1 Not Experienced at all , to 5 Experienced at a high level . In order to evaluate customer expectation and experience , a 5 point likert scale was used. Level of responsiveness of the Insurance staff Time taken to respond to an issue Assurance Stability The guarantee of safety when making a claim In order to evaluate customer expectation and experience, a 5 point likert scale was used. Safety of the investment Making the actual cost Convenience to the holder Confidentiality Maintenance of confidentiality Product Knowledge The knowledge of the product/features by the staff members Empathy Benefits Special benefits and features for the customer In order to evaluate customer expectation and experience, a 5 point likert scale was used. Attention Personal attention to customers and recognizing regular customers Caring Helping customers in a pleasant and caring manner Approachability Easy to approach staff members Tangibles Environment Pleasant ambiance inside the company In order to evaluate customer expectation and experience, a 5 point likert scale was used. Facilities Facilities provided to the policy holders Parking Availability of adequate parking at the Insurance company Number of repair centers in Sri Lanka Directional signs and information Availability of adequate instructions and directions of counters and procedures and easy directions when filling forma and other documents Appearance of Staff members Staff members are dresses appropriately Layout Convenient layout of the company interior Customer Satisfaction Level Satisfaction Level of satisfaction of the insurance company in relation to each service quality dimension A 5 point likert scale was used to measure the likelihood of these indicators ranging from Very Likely to Highly Unlikely. In Order to measure the time length of the relationship the respondent has with the Insurance provider , 5 time slots were presented where by the respondent could select his/her most relevant time slot. Study was carried out to ascertain the validity and Reliability of the Questionnaire. This was done as the instrument to use collected data was not tested previously. 3.7 Research Methodology The Research methodology is the way research is conducted. Research methodology refers to the theory of how research should be undertaken (Saunders, et al 2005). The first step of the study is to assess the service quality gaps in relation to the customer expectations and experience among five leading Insurance Companies which deals with Motor insurance in Sri Lanka and with each of the five SERVQUAL dimensions. This study helps to determine the average service quality gap score (between customers expectations and experience) for each service quality dimensions and how it affects the overall customer satisfaction. The second step each Insurance companys gap scores for each service quality dimensions. This is to examine the differences within each insurance company when providing services to the customers and to compare the differences of the overall satisfaction of customers in each insurance company. Stage three measured the level of satisfaction of the customers and the fourth stage examines the relationship between the expected and experienced service quality gaps by the customers for each dimensions. The final Stage integrates the data obtained from the five insurance companies and conclusions were prepared in accordance to the findings. Based on research problem, preliminary data was the main source of data used in this research. Consistent with the deductive research method, data collection through questionnaires has been a long proven method to collect valid and reliable data (Page Meyer, 2000). The deductive method refers to the use of a theory to generate prepositions or hypothesis that can be tested. Thus, the research method has been chosen for this study is based on deductive method. 3.7.1 Method of Data Collection In this study the primary data was collected through a self completion questionnaire from customers of the selected five Insurance companies. The study followed the Quantitative method to gather and analyze the data. The secondary data was collected from secondary source such Government publications (IBSL Annual Report 2010 Central Bank Annual Report 2010), Company Annual reports and from other publications. 3.7.2 Selection of Sample For the purpose of gathering data on customer expectation and customer experience, a total number of 250 questionnaires were distributed, from which a total of 224 valid Reponses were received and selected for data analysis. Individuals within a sample are chosen by chance rather than by the researcher or by being self-selected (Page and Meyer, 2000). A simple random sampling technique was used for this study, so that each unit of the population will have a known and equal chance of being selected. The sample was spread across Motor insurance policy holders of Five different Motor insurance providing companies in Sri Lanka. A brief description of selected five companies are given below, Aviva NDB Insurance PLCPLC Aviva NDB Insurance PLCtook wing as a leading player within Sri Lankas insurance landscape in the late 1980s. Over the years, the Companys good governance practices, ethics and innovation have helped it to soar to new heights. The dynamism and creativity of the Aviva NDB Family has been the engine of its evolution into a superior entity in the insurance and financial services sector. The Company has recorded a Consolidated Revenue of Rs. 7, 265 million with an impressive growth rate of 23.7% over the previous year. The Revenue reported for the current year includes Rs. 171.2 million being the gross-up of tax withheld at source on Government Securities. Excluding this, the growth for 2010 stands at 20.8%. Union Assurance PLC Union Assurance is a composite insurer transacting both Life and General business including personal insurance, in operation since 1987. A Public Quoted Company, UA entered the insurance arena at the time the private sector was permitted to set up in insurance, following the enactment of the Control of Insurance (Amendment) Act No. 42 of 1986. Committed to pursuing the highest standards of service and security, UA is backed by the corporate might of blue chip companies John Keells and Carson Cumberbatch. UAs reinsurers are world leaders, chosen for their dependability and total security. In short, they are the best in the business. The companys paid up capital as at 31 December 2009 is Rs 250 million and net asset base, Rs 1.6 billion, also indicates the companys  Ã‚   financial stability and strength, and places it firmly at the apex off private insurance service providers in Sri Lanka. Asian Alliance Insurance PLC Within a very short time period, Asian Alliance Insurance PLC has achieved what every company yearns for; it has touched the hearts of its customers with outstanding levels of professionalism and service. Asian Alliance commenced operations in December 1999 with 50 employees. Today the company has grown from strength to strength to become one of Sri Lankas leading players in the insurance industry. The company caters to an ever-growing client base that consists of corporate and individual clients. The secret behind the Asian Alliance Insurance success story lies in its ability to offer tailor-made insurance solutions to its customers. Sri Lanka Insurance Cooperation Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation which was established in 1962 as a State Owned Corporation was converted to a Limited Liability Company for a brief period of 6 years and was re-instilled in the state sector on the 4th June 2011, further strengthening the Corporation as the strongest and the largest Insurer in the Country. Sri Lanka Insurance is now backed by government protection and service excellence on par with the best in the private sector. At present Sri Lanka Insurance has over 120 Branches Island with an unparalleled assets base under management of over Rs.64.8 billion with a Life fund of over Rs.39 billion and over one million policies in force. The Motor Insurance Department has branched off into unrelated areas such as Theft only, Fire Only, Fire and Theft, 3rd Party Fire and Theft and Act only; once again, offering covers aimed at satisfying their clientele to a maximum. Ceylinco Insurance PLC From a solid and innovative start in 1939, Ceylinco Insurance Company Limited has faced numerous changes and challenges and has successfully weathered them all. Registered as Ceylinco Insurance Company Limited in 1987 and commenced business on the 14th of January 1988, in the spheres of Life and General Insurance, we have grown from strength to strength. Today, they have become the leading insurance company in Sri Lanka, with the largest network of branches and agents in the insurance industry. Their goals include becoming the leading provider of protection and financial security in Sri Lanka and in select international markets. 3.7.3 Structure of the Questionnaire Part one of the questionnaire focuses on demographic features of the respondents. Part two focuses on the dimensions. Questions from 1.14 entail in Reliability dimension and thereafter, based on Operationalisation, 10 questions focus on Responsiveness dimension 16 questions represents the Assurance dimension and 9 questions on Empathy dimension. Final dimension which is Tangibility has 10 questions. Each dimension has 2 columns to rate expected and experienced using a likert scale of 1.5, not important at all being No.1 and Very important being No.05. For the study, questionnaire was designed in accordance with the research objectives. The Questionnaire is based on the five SERVQUAL dimensions presented by Parasuraman et al (1985) and the Gap 5 which is also known as the Customer gap (the gap between customer expectation and experience) of the SERVQUAL mo del presented by Parasuraman et al (1985) , modified and tailored to specific service quality requirements of the Motor Insurance industry. Table 2: Structure of the Questionnaire Questionnaire Variables Measurement Items Section 1 Personal details Section 2 Measure Service quality perceptions of five insurance companies in general from individuals Section 3 Measure Service Quality dimensions separately to find out Expected Experienced service quality by each customer. 3.1 Reliability 3.2 Responsiveness 3.3- Assurance 3.4 Empathy 3.5 -Tangibility 3.7.4 Method of Data Analysis The Data was collected through a Questionnaire. The study was carried out using Descriptive statistics as well as Inferential Statistics. Under Inferential statistics an ANOVA analysis and paired sample two test were carried out. Descriptive Statistics Descriptive statistics  are used to describe the main features of a collection of  data  quantitatively. Inferential Statistics Inferential statistics are used to draw inferences about a  population  from a  sample. T-Test This test is used to compare the means of two samples (or treatments), even if they have different numbers of replicates. ANOVA test The Analysis Of Variance, popularly known as the ANOVA test, can be used in cases where there are more than two groups. The following methods have been used to analyze the data obtained from the study. Gap technique The gap technique will be used to analyze and identify the service quality gaps between expectation and experience of customers. Comparative Analysis A comparative analysis will be conducted in relation to the gap technique between the five Insurance companies using graphs and tables. Relationship Analysis Under Inferential Statistic analysis paired sample two test will be conducted to analyze the relationship between Expected service Quality and Experienced Service Quality by the customers. 3.7.5 Pilot Study Pilot study was carried out to ascertain the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. The instrument used to gather data in a research should be valid and reliable (Page Meyer, 2000). 3.8 Summary The purpose of this chapter was to explain and formulate the research questions and to provide a conceptual framework. The research question was formulated and thereafter the conceptual framework was designed using Service Quality as the independent variable and Customer Satisfaction being the dependent variable. Thereafter, the operationalization for the study was designed in accordance with the features/qualities of motor insurance industry. Given this, the methodology for the researcher was presented which included methods of data collection, selection of the sample, the questionnaire design and the methods of data analysis. Finally the limitations of the study were mentioned.