Strategic Management in Music essays

Strategic Management in Music essays The music industry has seen more rapid and extreme changes than any of the other consumer media in the world. This is true in a variety of respects, the most significant of which include commercial and technological change. These two areas of change have worked concomitantly since the rise of Rock and Roll in the 1950s to transform the music industry to the various forms it has evolved into today. This has a significant impact on companies such as Arista Records, which has, in comparison with other companies, worked with its artists in a very traditional way. While this has been successful in the past, the future of Arista Records is to a large degree dependent on how it can integrate its proven, traditional values, with the rapidly changing world of technology and music. In addition to the rapid increase of consumer spending on music since 1984, the increased demand for music in the comfort of the home also resulted in rapid technological improvements to music. The long play record was for example replaced by the much higher-quality CD, and later developments such as the MP3 player and memory stick made music even more portable not only to the home, but to the workplace, the vehicle sound system, and basically any location with a radio outlet. The most recent development in the music industry is the Internet. Concomitantly with an increase in music sales, this also resulted in an increase in music-related crimes such as piracy. Many Internet locations for example offer free downloads of music that have not been authorized by artists or record companies. Controlling these cases is at best a challenge to the music industry. Such rapid technological change and the increase of ease in which music can be purchased, has also necessitated a change in the business structure of the music industry. Large entertainment conglomerates sprang up to begin taking over the entertainment and music industry. In addition to music, all ...

LEFEBVRE Surname Meaning and Family History

LEFEBVRE Surname Meaning and Family History A derivation of the French occupational name Fevre, which described an iron-worker or smith, Lefebvre derives from the Old French fevre, meaning craftsman. Similar French surnames include Fabre, Faivre, Faure, and Lefà ¨vre. Lefebvre  is the French equivalent of the English surname SMITH. Surname Origin: French Alternate Surname Spellings:  LEFEBVRES, LEFEVRES, FAVRES, FEBVRE, FEBVRES, FAVRE, LEFABRE, LEFABRES, LEFEVRE, LEFEUVRE, LEFEUBRE, FABER, LEFEBURE   Famous People with the LEFEBVRESurname Henri Lefebvre  - French Marxist philosopher and sociologistMarcel Franà §ois Marie Joseph  Lefebvre -  French Roman Catholic archbishopJames Kenneth Jim Lefebvre  - former MLB baseball player, manager and coach; television actorArthur Henry Lefebvre - British scientist and engineerRenà © Lefebvre - French factory owner; active in the French resistanceFranà §ois Joseph Lefebvre  - French marshal during the Napoleonic wars Where is the LEFEBVRESurname Most Common? According to surname distribution from Forebears, Lefebvre is one of the most common surnames in France, ranking as the 17th most frequently used surname in the country. It is also fairly common in other countries with at least a partial French-speaking population, including Canada, New Caledonia and Belgium. WorldNames PublicProfiler  tells us that Lefebvre is found  most commonly throughout northern France, especially in the departments of Eure, Seine-Maritime, Somme, Pas-de-Calais and Nord.   Genealogy Resources for the Surname LEFEBVRE Meanings of Common French SurnamesUncover the meaning of your French last name with this free guide to the meanings and origins of common French surnames. How to Research French AncestryIf you are one of those people who have avoided delving into your French ancestry due to fears that the research would be too difficult, then wait no more! France is a country with excellent genealogical records, and it is very likely that you will be able to trace your French roots back several generations once you understand how and where the records are kept. Lefebvre  Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Lefebvre  family crest or coat of arms for the Lefebvre surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. LEFEBVRE  Family Genealogy ForumThis free message board is focused on descendants of Lefebvre  ancestors around the world. FamilySearch - LEFEBVRE  GenealogyExplore over 500,000 results from digitized  historical records and lineage-linked family trees related to the Lefebvre  surname on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. LEFEBVRE  Surname Mailing ListFree mailing list for researchers of the Lefebvre  surname and its variations includes subscription details and a searchable archives of past messages. DistantCousin.com - LEFEBVRE  Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Lefebvre. GeneaNet - Lefebvre  RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Lefebvre  surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries. The Lefebvre  Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Lefebvre  surname from the website of Genealogy Today.- References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Back toGlossary of Surname Meanings Origins

Uncertainty Reduction Theory Critique Assignment

Uncertainty Reduction Theory Critique - Assignment Example However, I have come to realize that this is only the short term goal. The long-term goal of the entire process is to gain some related benefits. Having said that, I think maximizing relational outcomes is the ideal motivator when people encounter new people. The majority of human beings are motivated into gaining more information about other people simply because of maximizing on the relational outcomes. It is because almost all people tend to be less interested in others that have little significance to their lives. For example, an average or poor performing academic student will tend to gain information about another top performing student not for reducing uncertainty, but for gaining academic related benefits. In another example, a political candidate will choose a running mate, not because good friendship, but because of amassing more votes that would eventually help the pair at winning the elections. Due to our current life situation, we approach new people to fulfill an emotional, psychological or physiological need. Basing on the same concept, our group picked on the primary motivator in class because we want to maximize on the relational outcome. We made that choice because we want someone that is more like a role model and one that will help us through our emotional, psychological and physiological needs. Making such choice makes more sense than uncertainty reduction theory in that learning and understanding a person does not entirely add value to another person’s life. Therefore, it is justified to conclude that people are motivated by rewards or associated benefits they would gain from a new person they

Project closing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Project closing - Essay Example In Terry’s case, Power Point presentation contained technical information, and it was appropriate for engineering students (Rutledge & Mucciolo, 2001). To make an effective presentation, the speaker must be adequately prepared in advance. Terry could have known the audience well, their purpose of attending the meeting, and what they expect from the presentation. Slides are supposed to be few, short, and to the point. They should contain the key points that the speaker delivers quickly. Students are too busy to be bombarded with long-winded discussions. In Terry’s case, the slides were too many and did not contain all the information he was required to give. To choose an appropriate language of explaining technical concepts, Terry ought to have contemplated about his audience and their purpose of attending the meeting. The slides could be better if accompanied by pictures or graphics of the product (Davis, 2004). Questions always arise during a presentation, and the speaker must anticipate them. Terry ought to have explained to the group earlier that he would have the questions and answers session at the end of the meeting. Instead of being angry and defensive, he had to courteously say that the research had not supplied the answer to the questions. To have the students buy the idea, he had to make handouts of the presentation, distribute them to all to complement the presentation. They needed to have all the information instead of jumping to questions about information that was in the remaining slides. The project manager is responsible for solving problems, coordinating efforts related to lights and time signals, and requesting for questions. In this presentation, the manager could fill the remaining time with questions and discussion in order to stay on schedule. He could then adjourn the meeting by briefly summarizing the presentation and adding few last minute comments (Rafinejad,

A Good Friend Being Essay Example for Free

A Good Friend Being Essay Everyone not only wants a good friend in their life, but they need one too. Friendships often face a great number of conflicts that may weaken you, or it may do the opposite, make your relationship stronger. A good friend may also be known as a true friend or a best friend that will always be there for you. Having a good friend will keep you going in life, and make you have a brighter smile on days when you are gloomy. They also help you out when you need them the most, and this will help you accomplish certain goals in your life. I have many good friends that I am extremely fortunate to have in my life and I wouldnt trade them for anything else. Most people say that friends do not stay good friends for a long period of time, but that is not true and if you have a good friend you know that is incorrect. First and foremost, a good friend has great number of beneficial qualities and one of them is when everyone walks out on you, they stay with you through everything. You can tell them anything and they wont tell a single soul just to make you feel happy. For instance, I thought I would never be able to explain my secrets to anyone besides my mother, but when I became good friends with a couple of my class mates, I could tell them anything and everything. They do the same back, sometimes we just talk on the phone for ours telling about our days even if we spend these days together. A good friend will always want to talk to you about anything, even if theyre busy, its just one of the great numbers of things a good friend does for you. They are a marvelous thing to have, and if you do have a good friend you should be very fortunate to have them. Furthermore, if you need help on anything and no one is around to help you, you can always count on your good friends. Having a good friend by your side will help you accomplish extraordinary life goals that you could never imagine achieving. I know for a fact that this is true mainly because I have had this happen to me. One afternoon I was at the local park and I had just realized that I had a enormous test that I had to take the next day. I knew exactly who to call, my good friend Candy. She came and picked me up and we went to her house. She had all the notes out and ready to study. I knew I could count on her to help me with this test. So we studied for a couple of hours, and then I went home. The next day I was ready for the test and I knew I got every answer correct. I was very thankful to have my good friend to always help me when I need it and no one else is around. I decided I would always study with her.

History Of Monte Carlo Method :: essays research papers

It could be argued that current physics research could be divided into three areas - theoretical, experimental and computational. Numerical approach, in which systems are mimicked as accurately as possible using a computer or in which computer models are set up to provide well - behaved experimental systems are increasingly providing a bridge between theory and experiment, for instance; the Monte Carlo method (MC) and the molecular-dynamics method (MD). In Monte Carlo method the exact dynamical behavior of a system is replaced by a stochastic process, whereas the MD methods are based on a simpler principle and consists of solving a system of Newton's equations for an N-body system. Stochastic simulation is some times called MC simulation (simulation is a numerical technique for conducting experiment on a digital computer, which involves certain types of mathematical and logical models that describe the behavior of the system over extended period of real time). The generally accepted birth date of the MC method is 1949, when an article entitled "The Monte Carlo Method" appeared, the American mathematicians J.Neyman and S.Ulam are considered to be its originator. The first successful application of this method to a problem of statistical thermodynamics dates back only to 1953, when Metropolis and co-workers studied "fluid" consisting of hard disks. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, statistical problems were sometimes solved with the help of random selections, that is, in fact, by the MC method. Prior to the appearance of electronic computers, this method was not widely applicable since the simulation of random quantities by hand is a very laborious process. Thus, the beginning of the MC method as a highly universal numerical technique became possible only with the appearance of computers. Historically, the MC method was considered to be a technique, using random numbers, to find a solution of a model under study.

Customer Contribution to Improving Service Quality in the Hospitality Industry

Quality Management in Services Drago Constantin Vasile The Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, Romania E-mail: [email  protected] com Abstract The actors on the today business stage have no more well-defined roles with clear and rigid borders between them. Hospitality industry in particular is a good example how it has been blurred the roles that customers play in dealing with service providers. The study reveals that customers can influence the quality of hospitality service through performing a qualitycontrol function. This involves a series of activities to be achieved by them: (1) on-the-spot quality control, (2) service failure control, (3) quality consultancy, and (4) co-production control. However there are some difficulties and the hospitality organizations need a structured approach to overcome them. Developing a strategy to enhance the effectiveness in performing this function is an important challenge for the hospitality organization management. Our study recommends five courses of actions to be included in such a strategy. They envisage (1) increasing the customer`s knowledge of the firm`s quality standards,(2) encouraging customers to voice their concerns, (3) training customers (and employees) to manage the interpersonal encounter, (4) motivating customers to involve in performing the quality-control function and (5) training customers about their tasks in coproduction. Keywords: quality, hospitality industry, hospitality service, service, customer JEL Classification: L83, M31, M11 Introduction The issue of quality has taken an increased importance in business, being associated with a competitive advantage that can ensure the firm`s profitability and survival (Maddern et al. , 2007). The recognition of the nature and the important role of quality in business is the result of an evolution of quality ideas over time. To this respect, Dale and Cooper (1992) describe four stages (i) quality inspection, (ii) quality control, (iii) quality assurance, and (iv) total quality management. The last involves a shift of paradigm: a changing culture where quality is a basic value of the organization and the goal is a steady improvement in quality, as a strategy to gain competitive advantage. The assumption is that suggestions for improvements may come from any level in the organization (Barnes, 1995). But, in our opinion an important aspect is that valuable suggestions may come from the exterior of the organization, in particular from customers. The aim of this study is to discuss the challenge caused by managing service quality in the hospitality industry. The key questions are how customers may contribute to improving Vol XI †¢ Nr. 26 †¢ June 2009 441 Customer Contribution to improving Service Quality in the Hospitality Industry quality and what approach should adopt the hospitality organizations to enhance their contribution. The specific characteristics of the hospitality services cause an inherent involvement of the customer into their design and/or provision. In this context we claim that customers may perform a quality-control function and the actions firms can take regarding the co-option of customers` competence must be encouraged because of their beneficial effects. Our line of reasoning relies on theories and concepts from the international scientific literature and on the practice in the hospitality organizations. The evaluation of the issue of customers` contribution is made from the original perspective of integrating separate aspects within a function of quality control that can be assigned to customers of the hospitality services. The first section of the study presents the characteristics of hospitality services which provides the main explanation of the customer`s participation. The second section describes the activities that are included in the quality-control function. The last section discusses the difficulties that may be encountered in performing this function and it is presented a model of a strategy for enhancing customer contribution to improving hospitality service quality 1. Quality in the hospitality services Quality is an important topic in management and marketing research but there is no agreed definition of the word among scholars and practicians. Faced with the great number of points of view, Garvin (1988) describes several categories of the way in which the concept can be defined. A first perspective is that high quality is identified by customers with the help of their senses, for example by looking to the furniture design in a hotel room, by testing the food, by perceiving the atmosphere of a restaurant. A more technical point of view is represented by definitions based on superior product/service attributes`, or those underlining `conformance to specification` which involves carrying out operations with zero defects. Finally, other definitions are customer-oriented. So, it is recognized that the customer decides what quality means based on the fitness for use from his/her perspective, or on the basis of the best value received for his/her money. When dealing with the topic of qua lity in the hospitality industry, we have to take into consideration some particularities that result from the nature of the hospitality services. The characteristics like intangibility, heterogeneity, simultaneity, perishability (Ioncica, 2000) have an impact on the ways quality is managed. For example, in their well-known study, Parasuraman et al. (1985) conclude that service quality is founded on a comparison between what the customer feels should be offered (expectations) and what is provided (performance). More than that, as relieved by Gronroos (1984), customers do not evaluate only the outcome of the service (the technical quality) but they also take into consideration the service delivery (functional quality). For instance, in a restaurant setting, the delicious food served to the guest is the technical quality of a service; while how the guest is treated and served by the waiter is the functional quality. Both of them give influence to the customer in perceiving the service quality. In the context of our study, we also mention other significant implications. One is the fact that hospitality services are generally consumed at the point of production, which makes inspection of the service output very difficult. This requires the presence of an inspector at the service delivery (Barnes, 1995). The job can be performed by an employee of the hospitality company, but also the customer may be involved in the process. 442 Amfiteatru Economic Quality Management in Services Another significant aspect of a hospitality sale is that it can be define as a human experience for consumers. A visit at a hotel is finished without a product to be taken home; in exchange, the guest will remember the whole experience. Pine and Gilmore (1998) point out that experience is different from service, as different as the last is from goods. They consider that â€Å"an experience occurs when a company intentionally uses services as the stage, and goods as props, to engage individual customers in a way that creates a memorable event. Commodities are fungible, good tangible, services intangible, and experiences memorable. † (Pine and Gilmore, 1998, p. 98). For example, theme restaurants such as Hard Rock Cafe offer food, but this is a prop for entertainment. Also, luxury hotels like Burj-al Arab do not provide accommodation but memorable moments of life for â€Å"guests†. That`s why, in this paper we`ll use the equivalent terms of customers and guests (i. e. buyers of experiences). Finally, hospitality services usually involve the customers` participation in helping to create the service value (Calycomb et al, 2001). The degree and forms of participation are very different. Sometimes, it is low, when all that is required is customer`s physical presence (e. g. attendance at an evening show in a all inclusive resort); other times, it is higher, when guest is part of the service experience (e. g. ctive involvement of the audience at the evening show). In this paper we are interested of the customer`s participation in the area of managing quality. 2. The service quality control function of the customers A function is a general category of activities that a person must perform. For example a managerial function refers to the activities performed by managers to develop and maintain work environments in which people can accomplish goals effectively and effic iently. Fayol first suggested a set of five functions that were widely accepted and are popular until today. In this field of quality management in the hospitality organizations, we think that an important function is performed by customers, namely service quality control function. Some arguments support this opinion. One argument is that the changing dynamics of business has modified the traditional roles of customers who have become active players in the creation of value. As Prahalad and Ramaswamy (2000) put it customers possess knowledge and skills that are useful to companies and they tend to engage themselves in an active dialogue with manufacturers of products and services. So, from the company`s point of view, they become part of an enhanced network from where competence can extracted in the benefit of all parties involved in the value chain. The customers` competence is an essential issue in the hospitality industry where they play key roles in the production and provision of services. Other arguments are provided by the research dealing with the customer`s roles. Much of the existing literature focuses on their roles as sources of income or proxy marketing agents who disseminate information about venues or brands (Lugosi, 2007). However, there is a literature that offers insights towards a customer-firm partnership perspective. LangnickHall (1996) describes five distinct roles for customers: (1) resource, (2) worker (or coproducer), (3) buyer, (4) beneficiary, and (5) outcome of transformation activities. All of them involve different degrees of participation with various possibility of co-opting customer`s competences. For example, as a resource customers supply inputs that â€Å"can include any of the factors of production: capital, natural resources, ideas, or any tangible or Vol XI †¢ Nr. 6 †¢ June 2009 443 Customer Contribution to improving Service Quality in the Hospitality Industry intangible contribution to production activities† (Langnick-Hall, 1996, p. 798). Bitner et al (1997) suggest that consumers may participate in the construction of service experiences in three ways: (1) as productive agencies (e. g. providing inputs); (2) as contributors to quality, satisfaction and value (e . g. patrons of a bar may see it is as partly their responsibility to entertain themselves in the venue); and (3) as competitors (e. g. ustomers choose to provide services for themselves, for example, by purchasing alcohol and consuming it at home). Ford and Heaton (2001) highlight that customers may take responsibility for entertaining fellow consumers, directing the behavior of staff and guests, and providing critical feedback. In this paper we focus on the active involvement of the customers in assessing quality of hospitality services. The hospitality services involve a person-to-person interaction, i. e. an interactive process between service providers and receivers. In this context perceptions and actions of both partners should be taken into consideration when evaluating and managing quality. In this respect, customers` actions may be regarded as components of a genuine quality-control function. The main activities that are included in the quality-control function are presented in figure 1. CLIENTS †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ QUALITY CONTROL FUNCTION On-the-spot control Service failure control Quality consultancy Co-production control FIRMS Figure 1 – The components of the customer quality control function On-the-spot quality control. The hospitality firm`s commitment to service quality is highly dependent on the employees who have tasks of the delivery of the service and who are part of the service through their attitude and behaviors. They are ultimately responsible for the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of customers with the experience they have (Presbury et al. , 2005). Managers spend time to supervise, train, motivate, and reward the employees so that they should produce excellent guest experiences (Ford and Heaton, 2001). However a manager, say, in a hotel cannot be present all the time near each of his/her subordinates. On the other hand, guests in a hotel are very often in contact with frontline employees, talk to them, and see their job performance. So, they have the opportunity to control the employees` activity and react when the last fail to behave as expected. It is also important that customers should have adequate knowledge and experience in evaluating the employee`s job performance and in assesing the quality of the service delivery. Many hotel guests who are familiar with hotel services meet this requirement. In conclusion, many customers do have the willingness and the necessary competence to signal nonconformance to quality standard in the activity of frontline staff. More than that, they can take corrective actions through negative comments, praise, or tips. The same aspects are valid for customer`s interactions with each other. For example, in an all-inclusive resort the guests dance together, play games and make sport, or attend evening 444 Amfiteatru Economic Quality Management in Services shows with extensive participation. In many such situations, customers help each other in case someone fails in performing adequately his/her part in the common hospitality experience. Service failure control. A type of control activity similar to the former is linked with customers' formal complaints and suggestions in case of service failure. Chung and Hoffman (1998) identify three categories of service failures: (1) Service system failure (e. g. cold food, slow service, insect problems, dirty silverware); (2) Failures in implicit or explicit customer requests (e. . food not cooked to order, lost reservations); (3) Unprompted and unsolicited employee actions (e. g. wrong order delivered, incorrect charges, rude behavior of employees). Hospitality services have a great propensity to fail due to their intangible and experiential nature, or the simultaneous production and consumption. The organizations cannot also guarantee error-free in advance due to o ther several factors. One is the high â€Å"human factor† (Susskind, 2002), namely high level of human interaction between frontline staff and consumers, giving rise to variability in service quality. Other ones are uncontrollable external factors (e. g. customer late arrival) or the possible confusion as to what exactly the firms have been promised. On the other side, the today`s restaurant or hotel guests are more demanded and educated, so it is more difficult to meet their expectations (Lee and Sparks, 2007). Quality consultancy. Customers often provide valuable consultation before and after the service experience (Ford and Heaton, 2001) and a significant area of interest concerns the service quality. Generally, this activity consists in providing information by the customer about what he/she likes or dislikes about the guest experience. The typical methods by which the firm collects such information are surveys, mostly in form of comment cards or detailed questionnaires. A comment card encourages guests to provide observations or suggestions about their service experience. The small size, easy distribution, and simplicity are considered sufficient factors to make customers to fill them out. Questionnaires address, inter ales, the business’s physical and service attributes areas (e. . rating the hotel room on a Likert-type scale) so that when analyzing the data managers could get an idea of the relative importance of these attributes to guests’ overall satisfaction. Co-production control. The most important way in which guests can participate in service experiences is that of active co-producers. In this case, the customer behaves as a partial employee who contribute s effort, time, or other resources to either design the service or perform some of the service delivery activities (Caycomb et al, 2001; Lengnick-Hall, 1996). Consequently, quality of a service is dependent on the quality of customer`s resources (e. g. adequate information about his or her needs), contributions, or behaviours (e. g. the way in which he/she interacts with the service provider). Hence, the necessity that quality control should be parted between organization and customer in function of each party contribution to the service design and provision. For example, a prerequisite for service quality is the firm`s understanding of customer`s needs, but also the firm must ensure the clarity of the customer`s tasks, i. . what is expected and how is expected to perform. On the other hand, the quality of customer`s participation depends on his or her ability and motivation to do the work. In addition to co-producing their own experiences, guests are often part of each other’s hospitality experience (e. g. enjoying the meal with other people at a restaurant). Again, the quality of participation can influence positively or 445 Vol X I †¢ Nr. 26 †¢ June 2009 Customer Contribution to improving Service Quality in the Hospitality Industry negatively the experience for others. Successful hospitality organizations look for opportunities to include their guests as a part of each other’s experience in positive ways. 3. The strategy to enhance customer contribution to improving service quality The quality-control function exists in a certain degree in almost all the hospitality interactions. The first step of a successful organization is to recognize the value of customer`s participation. On the other side, the performance of the quality-control function by customers is not an easy task due to a number of risks and limitations in the process. On-the-spot inspection of the frontline personnel`s job performance may give rise to defensive reactions. Sometimes it is possible that employees should not appreciate or accept guests` comments even when they are responsible for the quality failure caused by their poor performance. This has a potential of conflict resulting in hurt feelings and, finally, unhappy customers. The risk is higher if customers have excessively high expectations about the services the hospitality organization has to deliver. This element of confusion has a negative impact on the effectiveness of the quality-control function operation. Another risk does not come from a guests` intervention but from their lack of reaction, when they do not voice their concern. This is a loss for the hospitality organization because the management receives no more a qualified help of the experienced customers who possess the competence to supplement its effort of improving service quality. Concerning service failure, customers` typical reactions are exiting silently and never to return, continuing to patronize the establishment despite their dissatisfaction (but they will spread a negative word-of-mouth), or voicing their complaints to the operator (Kim et al, 2009; Susskind, 2002). Customer`s complaint is the most valuable reaction because it can give rise to prompt corrective actions of the service provider, such as fixing product and service delivery problems. The difficulty with the customer`s function of quality consultant is represented by the fact that he/she must accomplish two basic condition. First, he or she must possess adequate knowledge and experience. Second, he or she has to possess the willingness to participate in activities that involve spending time. Besides these aspects, a problem resides even in the methods by which the hospitality organization collects information from customers. Most of them are quantitative data – such as rates of customer`s perceptions as a point on a scale – provided by questionnaires or comments cards. But these methods might not help the hospitality organizations to obtain insights on what guests are thinking about the quality of the service experience. For example, as Pullman at al. (2005) point out, if hotel guests rate their perception of employee friendliness as 7 points out of 10 points, instead of 8 points, it is not very clear what this difference in perception means. Finally, co-production implies the division – in various proportions – of the hospitality service provision between staff and guests. This introduces some uncertainty in the system in comparison with the situation when only trained and motivated employees do the entire job. Firstly, customers may have poor abilities to do their work. Secondly, some of them may prefer not to act as co- producers (e. g. they prefer to be served by waiters instead of preparing, say, salad by themselves). 446 Amfiteatru Economic Quality Management in Services These difficulties highlight a number of issues that are important to be taken into consideration. Consequently, we think that a strategy to enhance customer contribution to improving hospitality service quality has to include five courses of action: †¢ Increasing the customer`s knowledge of the firm`s quality standards; †¢ Encouraging customers to voice their concerns; †¢ Training customers (and employees) to manage the interpersonal encounter; †¢ Motivating customers to involve in performing the quality-control function; †¢ Training customers about their tasks in co-production. Increasing the customer`s knowledge of the firm`s quality standards. Customers have to be very familiar with the quality standards of a service in order to perform effectively the quality-control function. However, the hospitality organization has a role to play by helping customers to know better its performance standards and relevant rules, regulations, policies, and procedures. Advertising is a means by which firm can express its value proposition but also other communication methods are adequate. For example, the manager making the table rounds at a restaurant and the hotel manager talking with a guest have the opportunity to clarify such issues. Encouraging customers to voice their concerns. A dissatisfied or upset guest who simply walks quietly away is an inconvenient situation for the hospitality organization not only because it loses one customer or more customers (taking into account the negative word-ofmouth communication). The firm loses valuable information about a service failure. From another point of view failing in expressing a feedback, the guest abandons his/her role of quality-controller. The organization must prevent it, for example trough clearly inviting customers to express their opinion about the quality of the service experience, explaining how a complaint should be lodged, or simply how to give feedback. In case of service failure, adequate service recovery (i. e. actions addressing the customer complaint) can restore customer satisfaction (Kim et al. , 2009). A distinct issue is that of the customer`s involvement as a quality consultant. The firm may increase the effectiveness of the consultancy process through collecting not only quantitative data but encouraging customers to provide a more detailed feedback. For example, a section can be included on the comments cards asking open questions. Thus, the customer is allowed and encouraged to explain good or bad incidents, or to mention employees and their actions that have made pleasant or problematic the service experience. Training customers (and employees) to manage the interpersonal encounter. Making suggestions to the employee who fails in observing the quality standards requires appropriate behaviors of the both parties in the encounter. This is even more significant in case of complaints. In terms of transactional analysis, the customer who indentifies a service failure and makes a critical comment or lodge a complaint is in the psychological ego state of â€Å"Parent†, using evaluative, critical, disapproving behaviors. Usually, this ego state activates another one, the â€Å"Child† ego state, involving confronting responses, anxiety, blaming others, anger. Such a transaction is not productive at all because it gives rise to defensive (i. e. aggressive or passive) attitudes. Generally, the most effective human relationships and performance come from the â€Å"Adult† ego state. Hospitality organizations must encourage and help the customer to adopt an Adult behavior which involves a rational approach of the case, providing and collecting clear and relevant information, or making Vol XI †¢ Nr. 26 †¢ June 2009 447 Customer Contribution to improving Service Quality in the Hospitality Industry claims with calm behaviors. The same is valid for employees who must be trained to always react in a friendly manner to customer`s observations and complaints. Motivating customers to involve in performing the quality-control function. Customers must be motivated to engage in performing the quality-control function. A motivator for undertaking the role of on-the-spot controller can be the fact that the guest feels qualified to do it and that he/she has paid for the service. But, most of them may prefer not to assume additional burdens upon them. This is a critical aspect in performing quality consultancy tasks, or in co-participation. Because hotel guests may not accept to spend time to answer open questions unless there are some incentives to be received, the management may make some promisses like free dessert if the customer will become a â€Å"consultant† in a program of improving quality. Being member in a focus group involves sometimes the remuneration of the participants. Finally, customers` motivation to the quality of co-participation is a complex issue because of the great variety of situations and degree of involvements. An interesting contribution to the topic has been made by Schneider and Bowen (1995), who has identified several possible incentives for co-production: (a) productivity increases that result in lower prices, (b) increased self-esteem because of increased control, (c) more discretion and opportunities to make choices, (d) shorter waiting times, and (e) greater customization (cited in Langnick-Hall, 1996). It is the duty of the organization to define appropriate ways to motivate its own co-producers. Training customers about their tasks in co-production. Co-production involves special care because of the degree of uncertainty it introduces in hospitality service provision. To enhance service quality it is essential that customers should know what and how they are expected to perform their tasks. Hospitality organizations have several responsibilities. First of all, they must identify suitable services for co-participation and the degree of customer`s involvement in designing and providing the service. Then, it is necessary a careful selection of the customers who are able and willing to become co-participant in service provision (Do they have the necessary skills? Is the experience too dangerous? Is this participation in accordance with their expectation? ). Finally, customers must be trained so that they should understand their specific roles and contributions to co-production. In this respect, the organization may receive a valuable aid from other guests who are co-participants and who can help with training the `colleagues` to perform better. But even in this case, the organization has a responsibility to look for opportunities to â€Å"include their guests as a part of each other`s experience in a positive way† (Ford and Heaton, 2001, p. 1). Conclusions The study examines the complex interactions between hospitality firms and their customers and from the perspective of the former`s involvement in the organization`s quality management. The customers` role is quite extended in this area and has multiple facets. Thus, based on relevant international literature, the first research question receives the answer that customers may contribu te to improving hospitality service quality through accomplishing on-the-spot control, service failure control, consultancy, and co-production control. A quality control function is proposed to summarize and describe these activities. The value of the theoretical model resides in providing a unitary view of some actions of customers that seem to be disparate but have the same end of addressing service quality issues. So, the firm`s managers may go further from simply recognizing the value of 448 Amfiteatru Economic Quality Management in Services customer`s commitment to quality assessment and control and this conceptual framework may help with deepening their understanding of these processes. Also, the study put into light the obstacles hindering the performance of the above mentioned function. Following this line of reasoning, several courses of actions are suggested to be adopted by the hospitality organizations to enhance customers` contribution to managing service quality, which addresses the second research question. The findings have significant implications for shaping a strategy to enhance customer contribution to improving hospitality service quality. The core of this strategy is constituted by intensifying the two-way communication between the two parties involved in the hospitality service experience. On one side, transmiting information about the firm`s quality standards may eliminate customer`s possible confusion as to what exactly the firms have been promised. On the other side, the firm has to encourage customers to express their concerns, to give feedback, to lodge complaints when necessary, to communicate observations and suggestions about the quality of service experiences. Finally, an important aspect is also the perspective of the Transactional Analysis, underlining the effectiveness of objective and problem-oriented Adult-Adult relationships between customers and hospitality firm`s employees. Further research can be developed on the basis of the theoretical model and strategy presented in this paper, aiming to testing the customer quality control function and identifying good practice of its performance. References 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Barnes, D. , Managing operations, The Open University, Milton Keynes, 1995 Bolwijn, P. T. , Kumpe, T. , â€Å"Manufacturing in the 1990`s – Productivity, flexibility and innovation†, Long Range Planning, Vol. 23, No. 4, 1990 Chung, B. , Hoffman, D. K. , â€Å"Critical incidents†, Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Vol. 39 No. 3, 1998 Claycomb, C. t al. , â€Å"The customer as a productive resource: a pilot study and strategic implications†, Journal of Business Strategies, 2001 Dale, B. G. , Cooper, C. , â€Å"Total quality and human resources: An executive guide†, Blackwell, 1992 Dutta, K. et al. , â€Å"Service failure and recovery strategies in the restaurant sector†, Int ernational Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 19, No. 5, 2007 Ford, R. C. , Heaton, C. P. , „Managing Your Guest as a Quasi-Employee†, Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, April 2001 Garvin, D. A. , Managing quality, Free Press, New York, 1988. Gronroos, C. „A service quality model and its marketing implications†, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 18, No. 4, 1984 10. Ioncica, M. , Economia serviciilor, Ed. Uranus, Bucursti, 2000 Vol XI †¢ Nr. 26 †¢ June 2009 449 Customer Contribution to improving Service Quality in the Hospitality Industry 11. Kim, T. et al, „The effects of perceived justice on recovery satisfaction, trust, word-ofmouth, and revisit intention in upscale hotels, Tourism Management, no. 30, 2009 12. Lee, Y. L. , Sparks, B. , „Appraising tourism and hospitality service failure events: A Chinese perspective†, Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, no. 31, 2007 13. Lengnick-Hall, C. , â€Å"Customer contributions to quality: A different view of the customer-oriented firm†, The Academy of Management Review, Vol. 21, No. 3, 1996 14. Lind, M. , Salomonson, N. , „A pragmatic conception of service encounters†, AIS Special Interest Group on Pragmatist IS Research, Inaugural Meeting, Paris, Dec. 2008 15. Lugosi, P. , „Consumer participation in commercial hospitality†, International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 1, No. 3, 2007 16. Maddern, H. et al. , „Customer satisfaction and service quality in UK financial services†, Discussion Papers in Management, University of Exeter, No. 0, 2007 17. Ok, C. et al. , â€Å"Modeling roles of service recovery strategy: a relationship-focused view†, Kansas State University, 2002 18. Parasuranam, A. , et al. , „A conceptual model of service quality and its implications for future research†, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 49, 1985 19 . Pine, B. J. ; Gilmore, J. H. , â€Å"Welcome to the experience economy†, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 76, No. 4, 1988 20. Prahalad, C. K. and Ramaswamy, V. , â€Å"Co-opting customer competence†, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 78, No. 1, 2000 21. Presbury, R. et al. „Impediments to improvements in service quality in luxury hotels†, Managing Service Quality, Vol. 15, No. 4, 2005 22. Pullman, M. et al. , „Let me count the words: quantifying open-ended interactions with guests†, Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Vol. 46, 2005 23. Susskind, A. M. , „I told you so! : Restaurant customers' word-of-mouth communication patterns†, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly , No. 43, 2002 24. Widjaja, D. C. , „Managing service quality in hospitality industry through managing the ‘moment of truth’: a theoretical approach†, Universitas Kristen Petra, 2002 450 Amfiteatru Economic

Irony in Nadine Gordimer’s “Once upon a time” Essay

Once Upon a Social Issue Fairy tales have always been told to us as children; whether to comfort or entertain us, they always seem to be a part of everyone’s childhood. â€Å"Once Upon A Time†, the title is a characteristic of a fairy tale, but she leads the story to an ending that is anything other than â€Å"happily ever after† (Gordimer 12). Although Nadine Gordimer’s title is typical in a fairy tale in the story â€Å"One upon a time†, the story she writes is anything but typical. Instead of dealing with characteristics and synonymous with fairy tales, the author uses irony to reflect the idea of humans leading into their destruction. Because the story about the happy family is as far away from a fairy story as it can be. She uses sentences as â€Å"living happily ever after†, the title â€Å"Once upon a Time† and words like +witch† (Gordimer 12) to imitate a story for children, but this is not a fairytale. This is a story ab out the social injustices between people and the injustices in which we see in the world. Gordimer is not trying to write a story for children. She uses the fairytale-like language to clarify the irony in the story. One of the more interesting examples of irony I found in the text was where the author wrote â€Å"Consult DRAGON’S TEETH The People For Total Security†¦ One evening, the mother read the little boy to sleep with a fairy story from the book the wise old witch had given him at Christmas. Next day he pretended to be the Prince who braves the terrible thicket of thorns to enter the palace and kiss the Sleeping Beauty back to life: He dragged a ladder to the wall, the shining coiled tunnel was just wide enough for his little body to creep in, and with the first fixing of its razor teeth in his knees and hands and head he screamed and struggled deeper into its tangle. The trusted housemaid and the itinerant gardener, whose ‘day’ it was, came running, the first to see and to scream with him, and the itinerant gardener tore his hands trying t o get at the little boy†. When it says â€Å"DRAGON’S TEETH† it reminds me of a fairy tale. Usually in fairy tales  The story involves an upper class woman, generally a princess or similar high-ranking nobility, saved from a dragon, either a literal dragon or a similar danger, by the hero (in this case the little boy pretending to be a prince). After the mom reads the boy a story of saving the princess through thorns, which in this case is the barb wire from the company â€Å"DRAGON’S TEETH† (Gordimer 14) the boy kisses the girl and brings her back to life. This fairy tale is ironic because usually fairy tales end happily while this fairy tale is a more realistic fairy tale. The story’s first paragraph starts with family existing by a man, his wife, their grandmother, and their son. They live in the suburb, in a city, in South Africa under the apartheid system. The separation between blacks and whites are huge, and every family in the suburb is secured in any possible way. No one from the outside is allowed in. Even though the husband keeps telling his wife that â€Å"these people were not allowed into the suburb except as reliable housemaids and gardeners, so there was nothing to fear† (Gordimer 12), the family keeps developing their safety equipment, in case something could happened. The irony is that the family has no idea what is happening outside the fence. They call them â€Å"these people† (Gordimer 12) as if they don’t even know that they look like. Gradually they add more protection to their home as their fear grows. Ironically, the protection they install boomerangs back and kills their son. The story’s second paragraph also portrays a perfect family taking all the normal precautions to keep them safe. â€Å"It was not possible to insure the house†¦against riot damage†(Gordimer 12) tells us that they were not able to protect themselves from everything and the repetition of â€Å"YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED† (Gordimer 12) tells readers that this story is in fact warning them that with each move they make they build their own prison and bring on their own destruction. As well as the sign â€Å"YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED† wasn’t just ironic but also has significance of foreshadowing by making an effort to continue to make their house safe, they brought it upon themselves that such misfortune should happen. There is also a mention of an intruder on the sign. By the end of the story, we realize this intruder does not have to be a person at all but could be an internal intruder in our lives. In the case of this family, the intruder is their inability to pay attention to the important things in life and just barricade themselves from others. Irony adds to this final effect in that everything the parents do to protect their  home becomes useless. The gate speaker is used by the boy as a walkie-talkie. The alarm is set off but no one cares. The high wall is mocked by the cat jumping over it. The ultimate destruction of this is their own son’s death. In the story, â€Å"happily ever after† (Gordimer 12) is constantly repeated which is ironic because they live in an injust society. This family is forced to keep to their own house and be scared for their lives, yet they are living â€Å"happily ever after†. The fact that the housemaid is the loyal one in the story is also ironic because stereotypically house workers are deceitful and try to steal their employer’s belongings as well as the housemaid is weeping and crying while the parents show no emotion. The biggest irony of â€Å"Once Upon a Time† is the child getting hurt by what was to protect him, especially since bed time stories and fairy tales are supposed to end happily. In conclusion, the most important element in the story is irony, which is used to reflect the idea of humans leading into their own destruction. And although this story seems to be a fairy tale, Gordimer makes it so that the irony leads to a completely different perspective on the story. Keeping in mind all these precautions/things the characters thought they would die without, bring on terrible misfortune, where the theme sends a very powerful message as well. In reality, many people are obsessed with protection and security. While they forget that being too paranoid can result in danger. Works Cited Gordimer, Nadine. â€Å"Once upon a time.† Pre-AP English 9 Supplementary Readings: Prejudice and Social Inequity. Milton: n.p., 2012. 12-14. Print.

10 High Paying Jobs For People That Really Hate Stress

10 High Paying Jobs For People That Really Hate Stress Nearly everybody needs to work. But sometimes we think that in order to make decent money, we have to work slavish hours, answer emails at any time of night, and sacrifice all semblance of a personal life. It’s called â€Å"work† for a reason, right? But what if that were not the case? It is possible to get a low-stress, fairly easy job that pays well. Most require some advanced education, but there are plenty out there that are attainable with only a bachelor’s degree and some finesse. Start planning for how you’ll land yours and stop stressing!Here are 10 of the best low-stress, high paying jobs.1. OrthodontistThis is definitely a career path for which you’ll have to get some serious schooling- at least four years of dental school and a year or two of residency training. But the average annual salary is over $196k and the stress is relatively low. Put in the work early on, and reap the benefits later!2. EconomistYou might think the economy is a st ressful thing, but the theory probably less so than the practice. You can get started in this field with just a bachelor’s degree, and the average pay is just over $100k per year.3. Video Game PlayerNo really, this is a job. You won’t get benefits, but you don’t need any special education, plus it’s fun. Test out new games and make around $50k while you’re at it.4. Power Plant OperatorPaging Homer Simpson. You might be horrified to find out that this job requires only a vocational degree. Though it really only involves the flipping of switches- and you get lots of training (and donuts) on the job. The average pay is around $73k per year.5. Massage TherapistIf you have strong hands and like to help people, then you could make around $51k per year massaging people. And in creating a de-stressing environment for them, you won’t be able to help but de-stress yourself. You only need a certificate to start.6. OptometristKind of along the same line s as orthodontist, this job is fairly stress-free as the medical profession goes. You’ll have to do some studying, and learn all there is to know about eyes, but you can make up to $125k per year.7. Personal TrainerLike to work out? Like to watch other people working out even more? Don’t mind spending your time in the gym? Get yourself certified, show up in your sweatpants, and start raking in the cash. The median annual salary for personal trainers is around $55k.8. ActuaryEver wonder who assesses financial costs of risk for companies? Get yourself a bachelor’s degree and pass a few certification exams, and it could be you. The stress is relatively low and you can make an average annual salary of over $107k.9. Art DirectorNot so great with the STEM fields? Have a good eye for visuals and a savvy for design? Then all you need is a bachelor’s degree and some experience to start helping different media look better put together. Average annual salary is well over $96k.10. StatisticianLove math? Make an average salary of over $83k per year for collecting and analyzing data and numbers in a variety of fields- just you and your nerdiness and peace and quiet. Only trouble is, you might need a graduate degree. But once you have it, you’ll have it made in the stress-free shade.

9 things to do before you write that resume- The JobNetwork

9 things to do before you write that resume- The JobNetwork So, you’ve found that job posting that looks a little too good to be true. You want to put your best foot forward, but you haven’t even gotten your resume in order. Sound familiar? Since your resume is your potential employer’s first impression of you, resume writing is a serious task - one that can’t be started without getting your life together first.Here’s what you should do before you start writing your resume:1. Introspection is keyBefore you even set pen to paper (or really, in this day and age, boot up your laptop), you first have to decide what it is you’re aiming for. This applies to both new job seekers and to those who simply wish to embark on a new phase of their career. Do you have a goal in mind for what you want to do with your life or where you want your career to go?If you need some help discovering your career path, check out these approaches:ââ€"  Search your soul: Set some time aside to ask yourself important questions about where you would like your career to go. Brainstorm what you enjoy doing, think through your priorities, or ask yourself questions like where you would like to see yourself in ten years. The conclusions you arrive at will be instrumental in helping you find your way.ââ€"  Take a test: If you’re interested to see if there are any options that you haven’t previously considered, there are plenty of free career tests online, such as Sokanu’s Career Test or the O*NET Interest Profiler, which is created by the U.S. Department of Labor. In these tests, you answer a set of questions and see if your interests or personality are suited for a certain career path. After that, you can research your results and see if it’s what you want.ââ€"  Talk to a professional: If you feel that talking to an unbiased professional would benefit you, seeking guidance from a career counselor may be a good move. A career counselor’s job is to guide you through your car eer choices. He or she may first find out more about you and your interests, and then give you suggestions based on what he or she knows about you and her expertise on the salaries and skills required for various fields. Though this option costs between $75.00 to over $1,200.00 per hour-long session, some colleges offer free counseling to alumni, so be sure to explore your options thoroughly.Once you decide on your path, it will be easier to see what assets you have that will take you where you wish to go.2. Gather your informationIf you already have a dream job in mind, great! The next step is figuring out what an employer in that field is looking for in an ideal candidate and preparing accordingly. According to  this article by Workopolis, only 2% of job seekers make it to the interview, with a well-crafted application being what elevates you to the top 2% of contenders. Therefore, having a resume that provides a lot of targeted information clearly and concisely is one of the be st ways to make the strongest impression possible.To create a competitive resume, be sure to take a stroll down memory lane and compile these important tidbits: ââ€"  Relevant previous work experience, including specific dates of employment. ââ€"  Pertinent certifications, licenses and awards, honors, and activities. ââ€"  A list of your publications. ââ€"  Your GPA, but only include this if it’s above a 3.0.Once you get all this information together, you can use it to build the case that you are exactly what your would-be employer is looking for.3. Ready your portfolio, website, and/or LinkedIn profileWhether it’s a hard copy binder or online, a portfolio is a collection of your best work that your potential employer can peruse to determine if you have the skills they are looking for. It’s a valuable tool, providing incontrovertible evidence that you’re the real deal, and not overselling yourself. Depending on the industry you’re hoping to enter, particularly if it’s arts related, a portfolio may even be required.A personal website often serves the same purpose as an online portfolio, with more biographical information in the form of an â€Å"About† section, and some additional features, such as a blog and contact page. Having a personal website greatly increases your visibility, and is known to impress would-be employers when he or she Googles you. So, if you have one, make sure that it’s up-to-date before including it on your resume.Finally, in this age of social media, your LinkedIn profile is quickly becoming a must-have on your resume. Therefore, an important step to preparing your resume is optimizing your LinkedIn. Although the information on both your resume and LinkedIn profile may seem similar, make sure that it’s not identical. Think of your LinkedIn as an additional opportunity to showcase yourself, so don’t waste it!4. Brainstorm your skillsNow that you have your past a ccomplishments laid out in front of you, it’s time to analyze the concrete skills that led to your success.For first time job seekers :If this is your first-ever resume, start by thinking about your achievements from school or other endeavors. If you’re a student, were you on the executive board for a club? If you’re a stay-at-home mother, did you run a fundraiser? Maybe you can even leverage your travels by emphasizing the skills you gained. Even if these are not â€Å"jobs† per se, they require certain skills to pull off, skills that you can put on your resume. For job seekers who have gone through the grind before : If this isn’t your first job, that means you must have some work experience you can glean skills from. If your previous job is similar to the one you’re seeking, then this part should be fairly easy because you already know the skills necessary for success.However, if your next job is in a completely  new field, identifying and convincingly presenting transferable skills between jobs will be your most critical and difficult task. Nevertheless, doing so will make you a much stronger candidate. Don’t forget soft skills!When assembling your list of skills, in addition to the more technical hard skills, such as typing or operating certain machinery, don’t forget to work in soft skills that may not be so obvious at first, such as people skills or leadership skills. If you can show that you are a well-rounded individual with the appropriate skills, it will convince your would-be employer that this job is right up your alley and that you are the best person for the job.5. Check in with your referencesThis tip is a matter of courtesy. Although a list of references is not customarily part of the resume, it’s a resource that should be available upon request. Therefore, before crafting your resume, it may also be a good idea to take a moment and ponder who would make an appropriate reference. Before you list names and contact info of your references, however, you should remember to make sure that the people you’re volunteering are okay with your potential employer contacting them. Not only are you showing your references that you respect them and don’t come off entitled to their good reviews, but asking for their permission ensures that your references aren’t taken by surprise when they are contacted by your would-be employer. After all, you want your reference to be prepared when the call comes!To make sure that you get the best possible recommendation, your reference should know what you are applying for and you should remind them of what you did while working under him or her. If possible, provide a template highlighting what you would most like the reference to emphasize. Even if you are the best job candidate, if your potential employer can sense that your references are caught off guard or don’t really know who you are or what you did, t hat reflects badly on you. You come off as disrespectful and unorganized, two strikes against you that will turn off any would-be employers.6. Determine what format works best for youResumes usually fall under one of three formats: reverse chronological, functional, or a combination of both. Each of these formats has their own advantages and disadvantages. You should choose accordingly, depending on which format presents your character and professional background in the most positive light.Here’s a quick explanation of the differences between the three formats:ââ€"  Reverse chronological : With this format, since your work experience is listed in reverse chronological order, would-be employers can easily discern upward mobility with your roles and responsibilities, making you a highly attractive candidate. However, despite being the most common format, it puts applicants who have a work gap or who don’t have as much work experience at a disadvantage, since your expe rience is front and center.ââ€"  Functional: Since functional resumes lead with the skills section and gloss over your past jobs, it’s good for applicants who would like to conceal a gap in their work experience, such as a stay-at-home mother returning to the workforce. Since functional resumes aren’t as common, hiring managers sometimes interpret it as a red flag, so be sure to back up your resume with a compelling cover letter and be ready to field questions about it in the interview.ââ€"  Combination: Another format that puts the skills section first, this format is ideal for applicants who are going for a very technical job or one who might be seeking to switch fields. After all, this format emphasizes your skills, which may be transferrable, and draws attention away from your work experience, which may not directly correlate with the job you’re applying for. A mix of both of the preceding ones, this format could be the perfect fit for your career path . However, since this format still has your work history in it, it is unable to conceal work gaps, so if you have any, you should choose a different format.Before you start writing, make sure you take a good look at your career up until now and choose the format that will best showcase it.7. It’s all in the wordsWord choice for your resume is also of critical importance. For one, most companies now run resumes through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) that will scan your resume for relevant keywords. If your resume doesn’t hit enough of the keywords, your resume may never even reach human eyes before it’s summarily rejected.However, if your resume does reach a human, one thing you don’t want crossing his or her mind is: this is boring. Bear in mind that it’s likely that he or she has probably at least skimmed through hundreds of resumes before yours, so if your resume doesn’t stick out or command a presence, it won’t leave much of an impression.Here’s how you can ensure that your word choice makes your resume stand out from the rest:ââ€"  Research, research, research : A quick search of similar job postings should inform you what keywords have direct bearing on your industry. Work these into your resume, but don’t go overboard. Don’t forget to catch related keywords, as well.ââ€"  Ready a list of action verbs: Action verbs are important tools to have readily accessible because they vividly describe your actions and don’t take up as much space as passive voice. They also make you sound more authoritative, since you are actively implementing duties, instead of the duties passively happening to you. Employers love assertive resumes because they are more inclined to entrust you with important tasks.ââ€"  Dust off your thesaurus : Making use of a thesaurus will keep you from the monotony of repetition, thus keeping the hiring manager engaged. So, even if you have all this experien ce and know-how, it won’t amount to much if you can’t frame it with descriptive and powerful words that will resonate with your would-be employer.With the perfect words at your fingertips, you can weave them all together to compose a resume that will earn the approval of both the robots and the hiring manager.8. Style counts!This is one of those steps that seems trivial compared to the others. However, the font you choose can factor into your potential employer’s first impression of you. Choosing a silly font is going to make you stand out, but not in a way that you may want. Instead, fonts that convey reliability and trustworthiness are your best bet.Likewise, you want to help out your would-be employer as much as you can, so you should prioritize readability for your resume over something ostentatious. Depending on the typeface, something too flashy can obscure or distract from your message. If you want some suggestions on fonts that have proven to be well-lik ed by recruiters, take a look at this list of best fonts to use on your resume.9. Be prepared to kill your darlingsPhoto of William Faulkner by Carl Van Vechten [Public domain], via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto of William Faulkner by Carl Van Vechten [Public domain], via Wikimedia CommonsNo matter how long and illustrious your career, your resume should not be a document that rambles on and on. If you consider the hundreds of resumes hiring managers have to power through, it’s natural that they wouldn’t spend more than six seconds on each resume, as this study by The Ladders. This leads to an old adage that your resume shouldn’t exceed a single page, which still holds true today. Therefore, you should approach writing with the mindset: be concise.If you find yourself hesitating, take some advice from a famous writer, William Faulkner, and be prepared to kill your darlings. While this advice sounds extreme, what Faulkner really means is that you should be mentally read y to cut stuff out of your writing, even if you take great pride in writing it.This idea can also be applied to resume writing. Maybe you have a fondness for that first job you ever took or that high school club you participated in. However, if neither of these are pertinent to the job you are seeking, it’s best to just trim out the unnecessary information or reword it more efficiently.Wrapping things up Sitting down and writing your resume isn’t something you should approach haphazardly. Being mentally prepared and having all the appropriate information ready will result in a better looking and better received resume, making the job hunting process all the more smooth. So, don’t be afraid to take your time and brainstorm away!About the author:  Lauren McAdams is a hiring manager, career consultant, and lead writer at ResumeCompanion.com. She’s been quoted by sites like Forbes, Fox Business, and TechRepublic, and her resume templates and career advice o n Resume Companion have helped hundreds of applicants find their dream jobs. When she’s not busy enriching the lives of job seekers, she’s either sipping on coffee or a glass of wine – depending on the time of day of course.

Innovation in Banking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Innovation in Banking - Essay Example The purpose of this paper is to explore the technological determinist view of banking and the way in which it is causing changes in the society and customer behavior. The term technological determinism was first coined by Veblen, a sociologist in America and had later recurred in the works of a number of researchers. The fundamental idea behind technological determinism is that technology cannot be influenced by cultural and political forces as it has its own predictable and traceable path. Researchers have also suggested that once a technology has been introduced then it begins to show its effect on the society and the society supports further technological development. Though technological determinism has received its own share of criticisms, it remains as one of the most popular concepts of the 19th century. Technological determinism has been pointed as the key source that is driving competition in the global market in the present era. According to the research conducted by Chandl er, it has been found that technological determinism is the main reason that causes historical and social changes at a macro and social level. It was also pointed out in his research that technological determinism has the power to produce psychological influences on the minds of the consumers. According to the research conducted by Smith and Marx, it was established that technology can act as a major driver leading the path in which organizations and society are expected to behave in the future as successive innovations are introduced in the society.