Four Approaches to Information Technology Infrastructure Investment

FOUR APPROACHES TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT Presented by: Kemeasoudei Fanama (u0856287) WHAT IS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY? Information technology is defined as the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer- based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware. IT deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, transmit, process, protect and securely retrieve information. APPROACHES TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT 1.Fundamental Approach: The basic tenets of the fundamental approach, which is perhaps most commonly advocated by investment professionals, are as follows: There is an intrinsic value of a security and this depends upon underlying economic (fundamental) factors. The intrinsic value can be established by a penetrating analysis of the fundamental factors relating to the company, industry, and economy. At any given point of time, there are some securities for which the prevailing market price would differ from the intrinsic value.Sooner or later, of course, the market price would fall in line with the intrinsic value. ? ? ? Superior returns can be earned by buying under-valued securities (securities whose intrinsic value exceeds the market price) and selling over-valued securities (securities whose intrinsic value is less than the market price). APPROACHES TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT (continued) 2. Psychological Approach: The psychological approach is based on the premise that stock prices are guided by emotion, rather than reason.Stock prices are believed to be influenced by the psychological mood of the investors. When greed and euphoria sweep the market, prices rise to dizzy heights. On the other hand, when fear and despair envelop the market, prices fall to abysmally low levels. Since psychic values appear to be more important than intrinsic values, the psychological approach suggests t hat it is more profitable to analyse how investors tend to behave as the market is swept by waves of optimism and pessimism which seem to alternate. The psychological approach has been described vividly as the ‘castles-in-air’ theory by Burton G.Malkiel. Those who subscribe to the psychological approach or the ‘castles-in-the-air’ theory generally use some form of technical analysis which is concerned with a study of internal market data, with a view to developing trading rules aimed at profit-making. The basic premise of technical analysis is that there are certain persistent and recurring patterns of price movements, which can be discerned by analysing market data. Technical analysts use a variety of tools like bar chart, point and figure chart, moving average analysis, breadth of market analysis, etc.APPROACHES TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT (continued) 3. Academic Approach: Over the last five decades or so, the academic community ha s studied various aspects of the capital market, particularly in the advanced countries, with the help of fairly sophisticated methods of investigation. While there are many unresolved issues and controversies stemming from studies pointing in different directions, there appears to be substantial support for the following tenets. Stock markets are reasonably efficient in reacting quickly and rationally to the flow of information.Hence, stock prices reflect intrinsic value fairly well. Put differently: Market price = Intrinsic value Stock price behaviour corresponds to a random walk. This means that successive price changes are independent. As a result, past price behaviour cannot be used to predict future price behaviour. In the capital market, there is a positive relationship between risk and return. More specifically, the expected return from a security is linearly related to its systematic risk. Stock price behaviour corresponds to a random walk. This means that successive price changes are independent.As a result, past price behaviour cannot be used to predict future price behaviour. In the capital market, there is a positive relationship between risk and return. More specifically, the expected return from a security is linearly related to its systematic risk APPROACHES TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT (continued) 4. ? Eclectic Approach: The eclectic approach draws on all the three different approaches discussed above. The basic premises of the eclectic approach are as follows: Fundamental analysis is helpful in establishing basic standards and benchmarks.However, since there are uncertainties associated with fundamental analysis, exclusive reliance on fundamental analysis should be avoided. Equally important, excessive refinement and complexity in fundamental analysis must be viewed with caution. ? Technical analysis is useful in broadly gauging the prevailing mood of investors and the relative strengths of supply and demand forces. How ever, since the mood of investors can vary unpredictably excessive reliance on technical indicators can be hazardous.More important, complicated technical systems should ordinarily be regarded as suspect because they often represent figments of imagination rather than tools of proven usefulness. The market is neither as well ordered as the academic approach suggests, nor as speculative as the psychological approach indicates. While it is characterised by some inefficiencies and imperfections, it seems to react reasonably efficiently and rationally to the flow of information. Likewise, despite many instances of mispriced securities, there appears to be a fairly strong correlation between risk and return. ? THANK YOU!!!

Nop Application Form

Lahore University of Management Science Application form for National Outreach Programme Batch 2013 Who can apply? 1 Photograph Paste here with glue Applicants should have atleast 80% MARKS IN MATRICULATION in order to apply for the NOP. Moreover, NOP is a NEED BASED SCHOLARSHIP. Only genuinely financially deserving students will be considered for the Programme. Instructions for the submission of application form: Please follow these instructions carefully: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Fill the form in BLOCK LETTERS.Fill in the form using a black pen. Write your name and date of birth at the back of each photograph. Fill the form completely; INCOMPLETE forms will not be processed. Submit all the required supporting documents (Listed below) with your application form. Applications WITHOUT COMPLETE DOCUMENTS will not be processed. No further reminder will be sent. †¢ †¢ Application Form along with all the required supporting documents should reach LUMS Admissions O ffice latest by April 19, 2013.Selection decisions will be mailed in June – July 2013. CHECKLIST OF THE REQUIRED ACADEMIC DOCUMENTS: Please mail all the required supporting documents (mentioned below) along with the application form in a single envelope to the mailing address given below in the box: †¢ †¢ †¢ Three attested latest passport size photographs; Attested copy of Matriculation/O level result card (Attestation should be from your School); Attested copy of National Identity Card (NIC) of your parents/guardian;Page 1 of 9 CHECKLIST OF THE REQUIRED FINANCIAL AID DOCUMENTS: For each of the items in the check list below, please ensure that you either provide the relevant document(s) or if this is not possible specify a logical reason for not being able to do so. For example: If you don’t have any loan outstanding against your name, you can write: I certify that I don’t have any loan outstanding against my name. The LUMS Financial Aid Office ha s the right to accept or reject the explanation/reason. †¢ †¢ †¢Income certificates of all earning members of the family* – This includes latest salary slip for salaried persons (father/ mother/ brothers/ sisters), pension books for retired, income affidavit for self employed or businessman and a certificate/ proof in case of any other income. Bank Statements (for the last year) of all bank accounts in the names of all the family members and in the name of business in case of businessmen. Utility Bills (last three months) – Electricity, Gas, Phone, Water. Note: * An income certificate is the document that shows monthly/annual income.If your parents/guardian are salaried, an original copy of a pay slip should be attached, otherwise if your parents/guardian own a business they should submit Bank Statement for the last one year. If parents/ guardian do not fall in either of the above two cases (that is salaried employee or business man) they should submit a n undertaking on a stamp paper/affidavit (of Rs. 20) stating their income and with relevant details. Important Notes: †¢ †¢ In case of providing false information, candidate will be disqualified and his / her application will not be considered.If required, you will be requested to provide more financial documents/ information to carry the process further. Mailing address is given below: Syed Absar Ul Hassan Office of Admissions Lahore University of Management Sciences Sector U, DHA, Lahore Cantt. 54792 2 Photographs Staple here Page 2 of 9 Personal Information Name: Father’s Name: Guardian’s Name: Date of Birth (of student): ______/______/______ dd / mm / yy Father’s / Guardian’s NIC #: (Provide a copy of NIC) Mailing Address: (All future correspondence will be made on this address) CITY: Phone #: / (City code) DISTRICT: Mobile #: PROVINCE:Permanent Address: ( If different from the mailing address) CITY: Phone #: / (City code) DISTRICT: PROVINCE : Email*: * It is mandatory for you to have a valid email address as well otherwise your form can be considered INCOMPLETE. Do you have internet access at home or near your house? YES NO Page 3 of 9 Secondary School Information Total Marks/ Grades Matric / O-level Name of School / College Name of Examination Board Did you have a position in Board Exam? If yes; which one? YES NO Obtained Marks/Grades 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 Post Secondary School/Intermediate level Degree InformationHave you completed your intermediate level degree? YES NO Total Marks/ Grades Intermediate / A-level 1st year Intermediate / A-level 2nd year General Science Roll No: Obtained Marks/Grades Stream Name: Pre-Medical Pre-Engineering Arts/Commerce Other Name of Examination Board Did you have a position in Board Exam? YES NO If yes; which one? Any other achievement: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 à ¢â‚¬â€œ 8 – 9 – 10 Give details of teacher / headmaster / principal of your institution who knows you personally. Name: School: Tel:________/_____________ (city code) Address:__________________________________________Email address: Page 4 of 9 Give details about yourself and your siblings*: *Siblings are brothers and sisters Full Name Age (in years) School / College / University (If still studying) Annual Fee (in Rs) Parents Scholarships Contribution (in Rs) (in Rs) Assets Title i. House ii. Land / Plot iii. Agriculture iv. Commercial Any other information Asset Ownership** Current Value ( in Pakistani Rupees) Area (in Kanals/Marlas or Sq. Feet) Location **In this column provide information about who owns the specific asset. It can be your father, mother, brother or grandfather etc.Income Source Profession i. Agricultural income (Annual) ii. Salary / Pension (Annual) iii. Returns on Saving & Investment (Annual) iv. Rental Income(Annual) v. Business Income (Annual) vi. Income from any other source Total (i, ii, iii, iv,v & vi) A: Total Income: (A+B+C) Father’s Mother’s Guardian’s / Brother’s & Sister’s B: C: Page 5 of 9 How many air-conditioners do you have in your house? Type of Vehicle 1 2 3 4 Make and Model Owned by Annual Educational Expenses Annual Rent (If living in a rented house) Annual Taxes Annual Telephone Bills Are there any outstanding loans? ) ii) iii) Yes No Annual Medical Expenses Transportation/Food/Traveling Expenses/Other Expenses (per Annum) Annual Electricity Bills Annual Water/Gas Bills If yes then: Please indicate the amount of loan in Rs. ________________________. And also please specify the purpose for taking the loan ___________________ The source from where loan was taken Bank * Relative Employer* Other (Please Specify): * Please attach the supporting documents in case the loan is taken from a Bank or Employer. Any other expense: ? Tuition Fee for the first year at LUMS is Rs. 5,00,000/ - approximately ?Please Indicate the total amount of contribution you can make towards your tuition fee annually at LUMS Rs: ________________ Page 6 of 9 Why do you require financial aid (Attach separate sheet if required)? How did you get to know about National Outreach Program? (Tick any one of the following) Friends/Relatives Newspaper Add LUMS website Information Session at School/College Kindly mention the School/College Name where you attended the session:_________________________________________ Other(Please Specify): ___________________________ Undertaking: I certify that the information given on this form is accurate to the best of my knowledge.I understand that any misrepresentation may cause my dismissal from the Programme at any stage. ________________________ Applicant’s Signatures Date: ______/______/______ dd / mm / yy ________________________ Father/Guardian’s Signature Date: ______/______/______ dd / mm / yy For enquiries regarding your application for m contact us at: Phone: 042-35608000; Ext: 2433 Fax: 042-35898317, Email: [email  protected] edu. pk Page 7 of 9 Essay Topic: Describe a situation or an experience of your life which demonstrates your best characteristic or quality (200 words): You can express your ideas in English or Urdu. Page 8 of 9 Page 9 of 9

M10 Organizational Change Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

M10 Organizational Change Paper - Assignment Example Community coalition is particularly identified as crucial in garnering support for policies seeking to promote improved health and health behavioral changes among the community members. According to Smith, Johnson, Lamson and Sitaker (2006), the success of policies and environmental change initiatives driven by public health practitioners is influenced by several factors including community collaboration, sufficient support or endorsement by community leaders or decision makers and inclusion of actions or activities aimed at benefiting the community as a whole. On the other hand, realization of community collaboration and support is depended on several issues including development of trust, values and norms to guide the collaboration, and effective exploitation of existing social networks to establish impeccable social relationships (Smith, Johnson, Lamson & Sitaker, 2006). Public health practitioners must strive to work closely with the community members at the various levels in order to realize their roles in promoting and upholding improved community health. The need for community collaboration in the development and implementation of community policy has been demonstrated through attempts by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) to address community health problems such as obesity and overweight through both community based and state policies. Evaluation of community-based health policies initiated by DOH among the Moses Lake and Mount Vernon communities reveals that there is need for enhanced community collaboration in the implementation of such policies (Smith, Johnson, Lamson & Sitaker, 2006). Minority communities such as Hispanics were significantly misrepresented in committees involved in the development and implementation of health policies affecting the communities. The community health group model is identified as crucial to public health practitioners because application of

Global warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Global warming - Essay Example Heating up and increasing the levels of our oceans has many ill consequences the most obvious of it are storms, hurricanes, droughts, chilly winter and extended rainy season that we experience. In addition to extreme weather patterns, global warming also harms our food source as it also kills many organism in our oceans which disrupts our ecosystem3. This harms our food source because it would mean lesser catch of fishes in the ocean. This is bothersome because our food source is diminishing while our population continue to increase creating a vicious cycle of increased number of people polluting the environment that causes global warming while food supply continues to diminish as our population grows4. The alarming effects of global warming made many writers to take up the cause to sound the alarm bell before it is too late. Their approach in educating and warning the public takes in several forms. There is Michael Pollan who wrote several books, articles and novels such as The Omnivores Dilemma that warns us about the global warming and its effects. Another author who writes in scientific journals is Antipas Massawe who confronted the issue by informing us how global warming is caused and that it requires collective effort to address it. Then there is the former Vice-President of the United States who was among the pioneers in raising public consciousness about global warming with his documentary The Inconvenient Truth. WWF on the other hand is a Non-government organization that reminded us that global warming also affects our food source. At the rate that we are still spewing carbon gases into the atmosphere, it will not be long that our planet will no longer be habitable because of the apocalyptic consequence of global warming. All the signs of an impending apocalypse are already present with our storms getting stronger, hurricanes getting fierce, with floods that already kills and

Discuss the range of possible outcomes if Shakespeare's advice of Essay

Discuss the range of possible outcomes if Shakespeare's advice of neither a lender nor a borrower be should become a general law - Essay Example Besides, it provides easy and cheap liquidity than other available lenders and intermediaries (Delaume 2012). In the event that Shakespeare’s statement was a general law, there would not be the expanded financial liberalization and enhanced volumes of private capital flaws in the developed countries that was characteristic of 1990s. The post crisis capital mobility in the developing world (especially in Asia) was as a result of four forms of capital inflows; portfolio investments, direct investment, bank loans and other investments. Bank loans in countries like Malaysia saw their economies grow from third world economies to second world status (Shin-Ichi, 2013). Loans that were advanced to the states through World Bank and IMF helped improve the overall economy of the nations and the welfare of their citizens. This would not be possible had Shakespeare’s statement been a general law. In domestic financial markets, banks are the most outstanding means of channeling savings to investments with the most favorable returns. In the event that the statement by Shakespeare became a common law, banks would not provide liquidity and permit efficient pooling of risks (Shin-Ichi, 2013). The fact that there are lenders and borrowers creates an environment that enables the activities of banks to alter the composition of capital in a manner that is potentially good for enhancing capital accumulation. Development of banks as lending institutions institutionalizes them as the gatherers of information about firms and reducing corporate myopia by conquering the quandaries associated with informational asymmetry (Shin-Ichi, 2013). The powers are given to the banks by depositors. These powers have led to availability of valuable information that helps a firm engage economically with another. Had lending and borrowing been absent, such powers would not be within the reach of banks. Economic development and

Summary Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary - Article Example This is best done when they understand the company’s value creation process and have analytical tools such as a discounted cash valuation model that helps in forecasting revenues, expenditures and other performance measures. DCF (discounted cash flow) models have been used in the past to record and track company performance and would especially be used during crises (Slogan Management Review, n.d). Out of them, finance experts would be able to determine whether the information presented by directors is grossly incomplete or misleading. It is however a fact that the model is subject to manipulation and may not reflect the true state of events. According to the Slogan Management Review (n.d), an effective DCF model will always delineate the operating performance level that is necessary to achieve preset valuation targets. However, company directors must be able to distinguish temporary and permanent events for the successful use of DCF models. DCF models by nature are known to give directors the ability to maximize the value of shareholders in a manner that can be monitored. They also are capable of highlighting the differences between cash flows and accounting accruals. Yet again, DCF models require the explicit accounting of resources for future growth while also providing an additional tool for executive compensation. Such models, in spite of their numerous advantages may not be able to detect false revenues among other accounting tricks (Slogan Management Review, n.d) such as was in the case of Enron. With an aim of solving problems related to the incompetence of governing boards, some organizations have opted to redefine the role of their directors. Such measures are taken to ensure that board members act in the best interest of shareholders in all their activities. Some critics have also suggested that a separate staff should be

Expert Systems and the Collision regulations Essay

Expert Systems and the Collision regulations - Essay Example Port corridors have become so congested that it is even tough to row through let alone guide a huge vessel to its berth. The upswing in the accident curve has made scientists sit up and think about safer modes to navigation. Application of technology has certainly made it possible for us to have a safer travelling and transport environment. This paper examines the various devices that have been devised to assist navigators and empower them to make knowledgeable decisions in the event of a crisis. Advance warning is a key area in which these radar based electronic devices have managed to improvise leaving the human element to play a vital role to decide on the final course of avoidance action. The International and Inland Maritime Navigation Rules were formulated in the Convention on International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea Treaty in 1972 and became effective on the 15th of July, 1977. The rules were intended to codify the standard behaviour of vessels of all the nations to substantially reduce the possibility of mid-sea collision by promoting orderly and predictable responses to a variety of frequently occurring situations. In the case of aircrafts, they too require such laws and international standards. In the initial days of flying, the pilots trusted their eyes and ears to do the job. All through World War I and later mail aviation happened without any sophisticated navigation equipment except for a front mounted compass. Later as technology developed, wireless communication systems were installed and during the Second World War, an airborne radar was fitted to the aircrafts -not initially to assist navigators to fly, but to hunt down submarines and ships and to shoot at them. Later, as civil aviation grew in volume and planes were taking off airstrips more often than earlier a combination of these two systems - the wireless and the radar helped pilot make decisions that avoided mid air collisions. These systems had their risk. If the pilot was not experienced enough, he could not make the knowledge calculations to prevent a collision in a crisis situation. Huge efforts were being made to train pilo ts to retain their sanity at the time of a crisis. The introduction of the jet age compounded the situation. Aircrafts were now flying higher and faster. The pilots had less response times at hand. Research showed that the aircraft would easily travel a mile along its horizontal displacement vector between the time the pilot pulled the stick and the aircraft even begins to climb. This is a huge gap for error. Needle line consciousness of pilots prevented accidents from occurring. But more planes were lost due to mid air collisions than at landing and take off - most of them quite unjustly described as pilot errors. The complications of aircrafts were constraining to both the regulators and the

Sault Ste. Marie sand and gravel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sault Ste. Marie sand and gravel - Essay Example These exposed rocks pose a challenge to the government in terms of using road as a means of transport. Preference is made on alternatives, which are viewed to be cheaper in transportation of other products. It is believed that the whole of Ontario was once covered by glacial. Glaciation resulted to the emergence of several lakes known as glacial lakes in the region. The lakes are found in the north of Ontario as well as the southern and western boundaries. Sand was left in the middle region with rivers such as the Grand River flowing to the formed lakes. Glaciation leads to the exposure of rocks in the southern region of Ontario which are scattered. Oak ridge moraine is an example of conspicuous events in glaciated areas exposed by the height of land that lies between the Georgian Bay and Lake Ontario. Horse shoe moraines are evident in the Bruce peninsula to the southeast where escarpments extend towards Lake Erie. Deposits and drumlins are also found in the Petersburg region. Further, there is a glacial lake and rain forest region to the south, which is located to the south west of Lake Superior. The forest region is reasonably fertile due to the deposition of the glacial masses. The geographical landscape of the southern region does not favor the construction of roads due to the rugged terrain together with extended water bodies. For this reason, the use of tracks to transport sand to the southern region may not be possible as it would be uneconomical considering the cost of transport and construction of roads. Political issues also play part in the impossibility of transporting sand and gravel to the south. Issues of land ownership and establishment of parks in appreciation of wilderness has caused laxity in constructing roads to the south. Local conservation has been the point of focus thereby taking preference at the expense of road construction in the region for commercial purposes. Much emphasis is made on agriculture as a basis of planning

Cultural Differences Affecting Meaning and Understanding Essay Example for Free

Cultural Differences Affecting Meaning and Understanding Essay How do cultural differences affect meaning and understanding? In today’s business environment, the mechanics of global business seem to be working on a surface level. We can make quick money transactions by phone or by computer. Consumers can purchase products from all different countries in one transaction. Although trade barriers are still a major topic, they are slowly decreasing. As we sick below the surface, we will see that Global business is still in major jeopardy because of a newly emerging challenge: Cultural differences. Culture is the pattern of beliefs or expectations that inevitably shape the behaviours of individuals and teams within organisations. It is concerned with the basic assumptions, values, attitudes, food and feeding habits, dress and appearance, relationships, a sense of self and space and norms shaped by members of an organisation or country. These elements of culture are usually taken for granted and guide others perceptions, thoughts and actions. For example, the Culture at McDonald’s fast food chain emphasises efficiency, speed and consistency. It orients employees to company goals and charters and suggests the necessary behaviours for success. Many educated, business people may say â€Å"But we are getting closer and closer to each other, we don’t have any cultural problems’. Yes, it is possible to transcend cultural differences; however statements like this can be misleading to many people. (Funakawa, p18) Geert Hofstede, a successful cross-cultural management researcher, observes five different dimensions within a culture: Power/Distancing – This refers to the degree of inequality that exists and is accepted among people with and without power. High Power distancing cultures conclude that society accepts an unequal distribution of power and people understand their place in the system. Low Power Distancing means that power is shared and well dispersed. It also means that society members view themselves as equals. Application: According to Hofstedes model, in a high Power distancing country like Malaysia, you would probably send reports only to top management and have closed door meetings where only a select few, powerful leaders were in attendance. Individualism – This refers to the strength of the ties people have to others within the community. A high Individualism society indicates a loose connection with people. In countries with a high Individualism society there is a lack of interpersonal connection and little sharing of responsibility, beyond family and perhaps a few close friends. A society with a low Individualism would have strong group cohesion, and there would be a large amount of loyalty and respect for members of the group. The group itself is also larger and people take more responsibility for each others well being. Masculinity – This refers to how much a society sticks with, and values, traditional male and female roles. High Masculinity societies are found in countries where men are expected to be tough, to be the provider, to be assertive and to be strong. If women work outside the home, they have separate professions from men. Low Masculinity societies do not reverse the gender roles. In a low Masculinity society, the roles are simply blurred. You see women and men working together equally across many professions. Men are allowed to be sensitive and women can work hard for professional success. Uncertainty/Avoidance Index – This relates to the degree of anxiety society members feel when in uncertain or unknown situations. High Uncertainty societies try to avoid ambiguous situations whenever possible. They are governed by rules and order and they seek a collective truth. Low Uncertainty societies indicate the society enjoys novel events and values differences. There are very few rules and people are encouraged to discover their own truth. Geert also observes that when people write about national cultures in modern society becoming more and more similar, the evidence cited is usually taken from the level of practices; people dress the same, use the same fashionable words in context, buy the same products and brands, they participate in global sports etc. These manifestations of culture are sometimes mistaken for all there is: the deeper, underlying values is often overlooked. (Funakawa p33) The value for cross cultural communication cannot be overemphasised. It is what enables any mission statement, vision or strategy, and affects meaning and understanding on every level.

The influence of airline service quality on passenger satisfaction and loyalty Essay Example for Free

The influence of airline service quality on passenger satisfaction and loyalty Essay The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/1754-2731.htm TQM 25,5 The influence of airline service quality on passenger satisfaction and loyalty 520 The case of Uganda airline industry Juliet Namukasa Makerere University Business School, Kampala, Uganda Abstract Purpose – The general objective of this study was to examine the influence of airline service quality on passenger satisfaction and loyalty. To achieve this, the research was guided by four specific objectives to which data collection was effected mainly by interview method using fully structured questionnaires. Design/methodology/approach – The study used random sampling technique and it covered 303 respondents on international flights using Entebbe International Airport. Data were analyzed using statistical package for social sciences 16, were w2 was used to test the hypothesis and regression analysis was performed to examine the relationships between variables. Findings – Findings indicated that the quality of pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight services had a statistically significant effect on passenger satisfaction. In addition to that, passenger satisfaction as a mediating variable also had a significant effect on passenger loyalty. It was noted that passenger satisfaction differed from person to person as some were more interested in off board facilities, others onboard, others in the quality of food while others wanted more extra luggage. Originality/value – It was recommended that airline management should consider developing various strategies for  improving service quality based on demographic characteristics of the customers such as occupation, age, gender and education level. Keywords Customer loyalty, Customer satisfaction, Airline service quality, Competitiveness, Airlines, Uganda Paper type Research paper The TQM Journal Vol. 25 No. 5, 2013 pp. 520-532 r Emerald Group Publishing Limited 1754-2731 DOI 10.1108/TQM-11-2012-0092 Introduction Nowadays the airline industry is characterized by heavy regulations which limit airlines’ room for maneuvering and accessing global markets compared to other industries which have paved ways for companies to transform into global players. This has prevented airlines from becoming truly global businesses by impeding crossborder merger and acquisition activities (Hanlon, 2007). To overcome the restrictions imposed by this nationality rule, airlines formed global alliances as a means to secure some of the benefits of a larger size and scope offer. Three major alliances namely Star Alliance, Oneworld and Sky Team now dominate the competitive landscape (Doganis, 2006). Airlines furthermore have to cope with marginal profitability (Hanlon, 2007). Therefore the delivery of high-quality service becomes a marketing requirement among air carriers as a result of competitive pressure (Ostrowski et al., 1993). Moreover airline passengers can experience many service encounters with front-line employees as well as in-flight attendants, this is called â€Å"moment of truth†. Passengers may judge or evaluate airline service quality through a comparison between their experiences and  ¨ expectations over a number of quality attributes (Gronroos, 2000) hence there is need to examine the influence of airline service quality on passenger  satisfaction and loyalty because customer satisfaction holds a significant importance in corporate sector. The airline industry in Uganda Uganda is a landlocked country, air transport is therefore of strategic importance to the nation as it guarantees an alternative gateway to the rest of the world. It provides the most efficient and quickest transport means to Uganda and from the country to the rest of the world. The development of a safe, efficient and reliable air transport industry is thus among government’s priority programmes and Uganda’s geographical location in the heart of Africa gives Entebbe International Airport greater advantage for hub and spoke operations in especially the great lakes region (Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, 2012). Uganda’s official national carrier Uganda Airlines was liquidated in May 2001 after 24 years of operations. Attempts were made by the Ugandan Government to privatize the company, however, all interested parties which included British Airways and South African Airways pulled out leading to the carrier’s demise (Centre for Aviation, 2012). Problem sta tement Excellent passenger satisfaction is one of the greatest assets for air businesses in today’s competitive environment, the on board experience is still something special for the customer, if the passenger is not satisfied with the quality of service, they will reconsider the buying decision for further flights and will probably switch to another airline (Archana and Subha, 2012). The research related to service quality and customer satisfaction in the airline industry has been growing in interest because the delivery of high service quality is essential for airlines’ survival and competitiveness (Archana and Subha, 2012). A number of studies examining the effect of airline service quality on passenger satisfaction have been carried out in other countries, for example, Archana and Subha (2012) carried out such study in India, Huang (2009) in Taiwan, Munusamy et al. (2011) Malaysia, Ahadmotlaghi and Pawar (2012) India and Mohsan et al. (2011) in Pakistan and none of such s tudy has been carried out in Uganda’s airline industry which is a great motivation for this study. General objective The general objective was to examine the influence of airline service quality on passenger satisfaction and loyalty. Specific objectives (1) to analyze the effect of pre-flight service quality on passenger satisfaction; (2) (3) (4) to examine the effect of in-flight service quality on passenger satisfaction; to analyze the effect of post-flight service quality on passenger satisfaction; and to assess whether passenger satisfaction has a significant effect on passenger loyalty. Literature review and hypotheses The aviation sector The aviation sector has become the most important segment in the economic development of a nation. It plays a vital role in moving people or products from one place to another, be it domestic or international, especially when the distances involved are far. In a highly competitive environment the provision of high quality services to passengers is the core competitive advantage for an airline’s profitability and sustained growth. Since the air transportation market has become more Airline service quality 521 TQM 25,5 522 challenging, many airlines have turned to focus on airline service quality to increase service satisfaction since service quality conditions influences a firm’s competitive advantage by retaining customer patronage and with this comes market share (Archana and Subha, 2012). Therefore delivering quality airline services to passengers is essential for airline survival, since passengers are becoming increasingly sensitive to quality. Definitions of service quality, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty Service quality can be defined as a consumer’s overall impression of the efficiency of the organization and its services (Park et al., 2004) or as a chain of services in which the entire service delivery is divided into a series of processes (Chen and Chang, 2005). Most definitions of service quality depend on the context and therefore focus on meeting the customers’ needs and requirements and how well the service delivered matches the customers’ expectations of it. In the airline industry, service quality is composed of various interactions between customers and airlines with employees seeking to influence customers’ perceptions and the image of the carriers (Gursoy et al., 2005). Though price is increasingly used as the primary way to attract customers; some airlines are looking more to service quality to get a competitive edge by distinguishing their products because competitors are relatively efficient in responding to price changes ( Jones and Sasser, 1995). These airlines’ competitive advantage lies in their service quality as perceived by customers (Chang and Yeh, 2002). Therefore ensuring quality service is the key for survival of all businesses/industries dealing in service offerings airlines inclusive. Oliver (1981) defined satisfaction as â€Å"a person’s feeling of pleasure or disappointment resulting from comparing a product’s perceived performance (or outcome) in relation to his or her expectations†. While Hansemark and Albinson (2004) defined it as an overall customer attitude towards a service provider, or an emotional reaction to the difference between what customers anticipate and what they receive regarding the fulfilment of some needs, goals or desire. The definition provided by Oliver (1981) has been used for  this study. Therefore it is very important to satisfy customers because nowadays most of them have exposure to a variety of information, they are more familiar with the present trends in technology, very well educated and more demanding in the products and services they require. Customer loyalty can be defined as â€Å"a deeply held commitment to re-buy or re patronize a preferred product/service consistently in the future, thereby causing repetitive same-brand purchasing despite situational influences and marketing efforts having the potential to cause switching behavior† (Oliver, 1997). Chin (2002) stated that an attractive frequent flier program (FFP) could actually contribute to increased loyalty from the repeat business of an increased number of customers and numerous studies have revealed that customer satisfaction positively affects loyalty (Mohsan et al., 2011; Fornell, 1992; Anderson and Jacobsen, 2000). Therefore airline companies need to review and re-examine their strategies in order to sustain customer loyalty. Effect of pre-flight service quality on passenger satisfaction In order to achieve customer satisfaction, organizations must be able to build and maintain long-lasting relationships with customers through satisfying various customer needs and demands which resultantly motivates them to continue to do business with the organization on an on -going basis (LaBarbera and Mazursky, 1983). Therefore it is presumed that pre-flight service quality has a significant effect on passenger satisfaction, thus: Airline service quality H1. Pre-flight service quality has a positive significant effect on passenger satisfaction. Effect of in-flight service quality on passenger satisfaction Ng et al. (2011) stated that in-flight services offered by flight attendants affected customer satisfaction. Airline passengers may experience many service encounters with in-flight attendants, this is called â€Å"moment of  truth†. Passengers may judge or evaluate airline service quality through a comparison between their experiences and  ¨ expectations, over a number of quality attributes (Gronroos, 2000) since most services are intangible. Thus because of this intangibility, most companies find it difficult to understand how customers perceive their services. Therefore in-flight attendants should focus on tangibles by communicating to the customers the features of the service being provided. Thus it is presumed that in-flight service quality has a significant effect on passenger satisfaction: H2. In-flight service quality has a positive effect on passenger satisfaction. Effect of post-flight service quality on passenger satisfaction An after-sales service constitutes a means to uncover extra customer needs and a strategic driver for customer retention. Oliver (1997) demonstrated that extremely satisfied customers are much more likely to remain loyal to firm than those who are merely satisfied. Hence it is presumed that post-flight service quality has a significant effect on passenger satisfaction: H3. Post-flight service quality has a positive significant effect on passenger satisfaction. Effect of passenger satisfaction on passenger loyalty A study by Mohsan et al. (2011) revealed that customer satisfaction was positively correlated with customer loyalty. It further stressed that, there was need for airline companies to always look into the needs and demands of their customers in order to survive and compete successfully in today’s dynamic corporate environment. While Fornell (1992) found that high customer satisfaction would result in increased loyalty for the firm and that customers would be less prone to overtures from competition. Thus the underlying assumption is that passenger satisfaction is positively associated with passenger loyalty: H4. Passenger satisfaction has a positive effect on passenger loyalty. Conceptual framework It gives a more detailed insight on the variables that influence passenger  satisfaction and loyalty in the airline industry based on pre-flight service quality, in-flight service quality and post-flight service quality. The variables were developed from the extensive review of literature related to the study (Figure 1). 523 TQM 25,5 524 Figure 1. Airline service quality Pre-flight Service †¢ Reliability †¢ Responsiveness †¢ Discounts In-flight Service Quality †¢ Tangibles †¢ Courtesy †¢ Language skills H1 Passenger Satisfaction H2 H4 Passenger Loyalty Post -flight Service Quality †¢ Frequent flyer programs †¢ Timeliness H3 Pre-flight service quality Quality of service is very important in ensuring customer satisfaction because frequency of bad experiences will impact a customer’s perception on the company (Munusamy et al., 2011). For example, if customers receive rude services from the same airline consistently they will be dissatisfied with the services and eventually, these customers might decide to take their businesses elsewhere. Therefore in this study, it is anticipated that pre-flight service quality (such as reliability of airline web site, discount offers, responsiveness to emergency situations like cancelled flights and baggage allowance have an influence on passenger satisfaction and loyalty). In-flight service quality In a study by Ng et al. (2011) stated that in-flight services offered by flight attendants affected customer satisfaction. Therefore in order to develop a good customer service, the in-flight crew should put emphasis on tangible cues in order to create a strong organizational image. Hence it is suggested that in-flight services such as (safety percussions, seat comfort, quality of food, in-flight entertainment services, language skills and courtesy of in-flight crew) affect customer satisfaction. Post-flight service quality Post-flight services like offering FFP, promptness of baggage delivery and retrieval are regarded as important factors that have an impact on establishing good relationships with customers which eventually influence satisfaction and loyalty. In order to survive and grow, airlines regardless of place of operation, have to be both internationally competitive and must continuously improve all aspects of their operations (Doganis, 2006). Research methodology Research paradigm Positivist paradigm was adopted because it relies mainly on statistical and quantitative estimations to arrive at a conclusion. Population and unit of analysis The population was made up of 13,558 passengers based on Uganda’s international seat capacity per week by carrier for the selected airlines between 28 November 2011 and 4 December 2011 (Centre for Aviation, 2012). It comprised of international passengers who had at least travelled once in the last 12 months with the selected airlines operating at Entebbe International Airport. This meant that the participants had a clear view about airlines’ services. These airlines included: Air Uganda, Precision air, Kenya airways, Rwanda air and Fly 540. In order to ensure fairness and accuracy of the study, airlines registered within East Africa were chosen. Compared to other regions in Africa, East Africa forms a relatively homogeneous group of countries in many respects. This homogeneity creates a favourable environment towards the emergence of an integrated air transport market. Entebbe airport was chosen because it is the one that handles international flights in Uganda. Sample design This study adopted convenience sampling. Sampling was done by interviewing randomly selected passengers, waiting for their flights at different times of the day, on every day of the week, during the period 19 July to 15 August 2012. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The questionnaire was divided into five sections, the first section was about the demographic profile of respondents and second, third and fourth sections were designed to evaluate passengers’ overall experiences with the quality of services they had received from the airlines and the last was dealing with the effect of passenger satisfaction on passenger loyalty. Sample size Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table was used in determining the sample size of a randomly chosen sample from a given finite population of 13,558 based on Uganda’s international seat capacity per week, by carrier for the selected airlines between 28 – November 2011 and 4 –December 2011 (Centre for Aviation, 2012). Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table indicates that if the study population size is 13,558, a statistically representative sample size should be 378 respondents. However, out of the 378 questionnaires that were  distributed, a total of 303 questionnaires were complete and had valid responses, 75 questionnaires were incomplete hence they were removed. The number of passengers sampled per airline was based on how busy the airline was at the airport during the period 19 July to 15 August 2012. The actual sample size of 303 respondents was valid for this study, because studies which had dealt with passengers as a unit of inquiry had relatively dealt with sample sizes ranging from 270 to 602, for example, Archana and Subha (2012) sampled 270 respondents; Munusamy et al. (2011) sampled 300 and Huang (2009) sampled 602 respondents. Also (Roscoe, 1975 in Sekaran, 2003) proposed some rules of thumb in determining sample size of which one of it stated that, â€Å"sample sizes larger than 30 and o500 are appropriate for most researchers†. It has also argued that in order to use w2, the overall number of items should be at least 50 (Kothari, 2004) hence the actual sample was fairly enough and suitable for models which were to be used in data analysis (Table I). Data collection methods Data were collected using both primary and secondary data sources. Primary data were collected through the use of structured questionnaires which consisted of five sections on the following aspects: respondents’ profile, quality of pre-flight services, in-flight services, post-flight services and the effect of passenger satisfaction on passenger loyalty. The questions were phrased in the form of statements scored on a five-point Likert type scale, ranking from 1 â€Å"strongly disagree† to 5 â€Å"strongly agree†. The study was conducted in the departure hall of Entebbe International Airport. Questionnaires were distributed to respondents who had under taken at least one international flight in the previous 12 months with the selected airlines. Face-to-face Airline service quality 525 TQM 25,5 Carrier airline name 526 Table I. Sample frame Population (total number of seats per week) between 28/11/11 and 4/12/11 Intended sample Actual sample Air Uganda Kenya airways Precision air Rwanda air express Fly 540 aviation Total 4,392 6,280 564 948 1,374 13,558 72 158 65 51 31 378 58 127 52 41 25 303 interviews of passengers waiting for their flights were conducted at Entebbe airport. A total of 303 sets of usable questionnaires were successfully collected yielding a response rate of 80 per cent. To reduce the refusals to participate or to answer specific questions, the researcher contacted passengers politely by explaining the purpose and contribution of the research. Reliability and validity Cronbach a was used to test the internal consistency for all items under respective variables. Hair et al. (2006) suggested that Cronbach’s a coefficient over 0.6 is adequate for basic research. The reliability of each construct was assessed by using Cronbach’s a measure which in the experiment was ranging from 0.645 to 0.850, indicating that the scale are internally consistent and reasonably free of measurement error. To ensure the perfection of the study tool, a pilot study was also conducted (Table II). Data analysis Data were analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 16. w2-test was used as a way of testing the hypothesis and regression analysis was performed to examine the relationships between variables. This is in line with what was used in similar empirical studies, for example, Munusamy et al. (2011) used Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis while Mohsan et al. (2011) used Microsoft excel and SPSS 16 to analyze data. Descriptive statistics was used to provide an overview  on the profile of international passengers using Entebbe International Airport. Interpretation and discussion of findings Hypotheses results w 2 was used in determining the relationships and significance of the variables. Testing of hypotheses was at 95 per cent level of confidence interval and results from this were Sl.No Table II. Reliability of various service factors Factors I II III IV V Pre-flight In-flight Post-flight Passenger satisfaction Passenger loyalty Number of statements Number of cases Cronbach’s a 8 8 3 3 6 303 303 303 303 303 0.723 0.819 0.645 0.704 0.850 used to reach the conclusions. To verify the causal relationships, regression was used for determining the correlation coefficients amongst variables: Airline service quality H1. Pre-flight service quality has a positive significant effect on passenger satisfaction. In the study, respondents were asked to express their opinions on different items that measured pre-flight service quality on a five-point Likert scale that ranged from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Results showed that seven out of eight measurable indicators of pre-flight service quality had a significant effect on passenger satisfaction since they scored w2-values that were above the table value of 26.296 and also registered significant values less than the critical value of 0.05. It can therefore be concluded that pre-flight service quality has a positive significant effect on passenger satisfaction. This is in line with findings by (Munusamy et al., 2011) whose results showed that pre-flight service  quality had a positive impact on customer satisfaction. These results imply that if airline companies are to achieve a high level of customer satisfaction, they should deliver a high level of service quality, as it is normally considered an antecedent of customer satisfaction. In addition to the w2-test, correlations of indicators of pre-flight service quality were regressed against passenger satisfaction to confirm the results got from the w2-tests. Regression results showed that there was a significant positive relationship between pre-flight service quality and passenger satisfaction. Findings also indicated that from among the measurable indicators of pre-flight service quality prompt response to emergencies (r  ¼ 0.434) and reliability of airlines’ web site (r  ¼ 0.429) were among the strongest contributors to passenger satisfaction compared to price charged (r  ¼ 0.337) and baggage allowance (r  ¼ 0.122). Results therefore implied that improvement in the quality of pre-flight services offered by airline companies would result into passenger satisfaction: H2. In-flight service quality has a positive effect on passenger satisfaction. From the respondents’ opinions, all the measurable indicators of in-flight service quality had a p ositive significant effect on passenger satisfaction since they all registered significant values of 0.000 that were less than the critical value of 0.05. This concurs with the findings by Ng et al. (2011) who confirmed that in-flight services offered by flight attendants affected customer satisfaction. The findings imply that inflight services are one of the key drivers of ensuring passenger satisfaction (Table III). Additional analysis was performed were in-flight variables were cross-tabbed and regressed against passenger satisfaction in order to confirm the results got from w2-tests. Results from table below at 95 per cent confidence interval revealed that indeed in-flight service quality had a significant effect on passenger satisfaction because all significant values were 0.000 which was below the critical value 0.05 that is to say ( po0.05). This therefore confirmed that there was a significant positive relationship between in-flight service quality and passenger satisfaction. Amongst the in-flight variables, comfort and cleanliness (r  ¼ 0.460), safety (r  ¼ 0.400) and quality of food (r  ¼ 0.397) had more impact on passenger satisfaction compared to employee appearance and crew uniforms (r  ¼ 0.268) This therefore implies that airlines should improve on their inflight services, for example, quality of food, safety measures and comfort of seats since they have higher impact on passenger satisfaction (Table IV): H3. Post-flight service quality has a positive significant effect on passenger satisfaction. 527 TQM 25,5 In-flight service quality variables 1 2 3 528 4 5 6 7 I feel safe when I fly with this airline The aircraft has clean and comfortable  interiors and seats. Employees of this airline appear neat  and tidy The airline provides quality food  The cabin crew of this airline is  friendly and has good language skills. The airline provides good in-flight  services consistently My in-flight experiences with this  airline has exceeded my expectations The in-flight services that this airline  offers are worth what I pay for Table III. 8 w2-test for in-flight service quality and passenger satisfaction Note: *Critical value at 0.05 significance  ¼ 26.296 w2 Df Sign Status 16 0.000 Significant 1.500E2* 16 0.000 Significant 1.192E2* 99.534* 16 16 0.000 0.000 Significant Significant 1.296E2* 16 0.000 Significant 79.790* 16 0.000 Significant 89.575* 16 0.000 Significant 69.843* 16 0.000 Significant R R2 Significance 0.400 0.460 0.160 0.212 0.000 0.000 0.268 0.397 0.072 0.158 0.000 0.000 0.365 0.380 0.133 0.144 0.000 0.000 0.355 0.126 0.000 0.301 0.507 0.091 0.257 0.000 0.000 85.831* In-flight service quality variables 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Table IV. Regression of in-flight service quality on passenger satisfaction 8 I am less worried when I fly with this airline because I feel safe when I fly with it The aircraft has clean and comfortable interiors and seats Employees of this airline appear neat and tidy and I like the crew uniforms The airline provides quality food (Cuisine ) and beverages The cabin crew of this airline are friendly and have good  language skills The airline provides good in-flight services consistently My in-flight experiences with this airline has exceeded my  expectations Considering the in-flight services that this airline offers; they are worth what I pay for Overall in-flight service quality From Table V, all the three post-flight indicators registered w2-values above the table values of 26.296 and indicated significant values less than the critical value (0.000o0.05). These results indicate that the quality of post-flight services has a significant effect on passenger satisfaction. Oliver (1997) demonstrated that extremely satisfied customers were much more likely to remain loyal to firm than those who were merely satisfied. Therefore this implies that a company has to create customer relationships that deliver value beyond those provided by the core product (Table V). Further analysis was performed to identify the causal relationship amongst these variables were by indicators of post-flight service quality were regressed on passenger satisfaction. Results indicated that there was a significant positive relationship between the quality of post-flight services and passenger satisfaction. From the indicators of post-flight services, passenger comments and concerns (r  ¼ 0.503) had more predictive power on passenger satisfaction because it had a higher correction coefficient compared to the FFP (r  ¼ 0.325): Airline service quality H4. Passenger satisfaction has a positive effect on passenger loyalty. Results from Table VI show that passenger satisfaction has a significant effect on passenger loyalty. This concurs with previous studies by Parasuraman et al. (1988) and Anderson and Sullivan (1993) who concluded that customer satisfaction was one of the major determinants of customer loyalty. This aspect is strengthened by Lin and Wang (2006), whose study concluded that customer satisfaction influences customer loyalty. This relationship has been investigated in previous studies for example findings by (Yang and Peterson, 2004) suggested that customer loyalty can be generated through improving customer satisfaction and offering high product/service value. Therefore delivering high quality in the airline industry should be recognized as the most effective means of ensuring customer satisfaction and loyalty. 529 Conclusion In general the study findings have coincided with other studies that the quality of airlines’ services has a significant influence on passenger satisfaction and loyalty. Findings indicated that pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight services had a significant effect on passenger satisfaction. In addition to that, passenger satisfaction as a mediating variable also had a significant effect on passenger loyalty. The study results imply that airline marketers should develop various strategies to improve service quality, for example, meeting passengers’ desired service levels, improving the quality of in-flight meals, solving service problems effectively, developing convenient reservation and ticketing systems, making convenient schedules for passengers and reducing the effect of service failures as these directly affect passenger satisfaction and loyalty. Implications of the results to the various stakeholders Managerial implications to the airline companies The results of this study highlight to management that safety and security are the most important in-flight service quality dimensions in international  air travel as perceived w2 df Sign Status 62.255* 66.676* 1.316E* 16 16 16 0.000 0.000 0.000 Significant Significant Significant Post-flight service quality variables 1 2 3 The airline has a sound loyalty programme to  recognize you as a frequent customer This airline has efficient baggage handling My concerns are highly valued by this airline Note: *Critical value at 0.05 significance  ¼ 26.296 Passenger satisfaction variables 1 2 3 In comparison to other airlines, am satisfied with the  airline’ services Am satisfied with this airline’s personnel This airline values customers’ comments w2 df Sign Status 1.560E2 89.604 1.100E2 16 16 16 0.000 0.000 0.000 Significant Significant Significant Table V. w2-test results for post-flight services and passenger satisfaction Table VI. w2-test results for passenger satisfaction and passenger loyalty TQM 25,5 530 by airline passengers. This may be as a result of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, the Iraq War and the constant threat of terrorism. To address the public’s growing concern about air travel safety, airlines should be receptive to consumer input. Airlines should inform the public of their continuous drive to provide a safer flying environment and should publicize the security improvements of the international air travel industry to boost consumer confidence. Government policy makers Government should reduce on the ill-conceived policy initiatives that over-regulate and excessively charge high taxes from airline companies as this limits airlines registered within East Africa from competing effectively with other airlines from other nations due to economic hardships. This prevents aviation from being the catalyst for economic growth. Based on the study findings, the effect of airline service quality on passenger satisfaction and loyalty imply that a company with good airline services is more likely to stand out in the market place because it draws both repeat customers and trial users Therefore airline companies should strive to be consistent with the quality of services they offer to their passengers. Recommendations Customers have to be actively involved in the service process to ensure their satisfaction and commitment (loyalty) in the long run. The coordination of the different airline service components, as well as their incorporation in a clear and integrated communication strategy further supports the creation of a harmonious brand image in customers’ minds, which is the basis for the development of relationships between customers and the airline and, this could result into the development of true customer loyalty. Airline companies should strive for value creation and appropriate allocation of resources in international air travel by creating more realistic consumers’ expectations about the promises that airlines make as this may increase the level of passenger satisfaction, for example, through meeting customers’ desired service levels, dealing effectively with dissatisfied customers and confronting customer complaints positively. This will enable management to differ entiate their brand from other airlines in terms of service quality. Suggested areas for further research This study was limited in the context of airline services for international passengers. Domestic passengers’ opinions on the influence of airline service quality on passenger satisfaction and loyalty might be different from that of international passengers. Hence, an empirical examination needs to be undertaken in order to assess how domestic passengers’ opinions are different from that of international passengers. The airline industry is subject to strict controls and tight regulation requirements in the provision of services resulting from an increase in customer involvement and continuing demand for more security regulations on the part of airlines. This may affect the quality of airline services and later passenger satisfaction and loyalty, therefore further research into airline travel should consider the impact of airline regulations and controls on passenger satisfaction and loyalty. References Ahadmotlaghi, E. and Pawar, P. (2012), â€Å"Analysis of CRM programs practiced by passengers’ airline industry of India and its impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty†, Journal of Arts, Science Commerce, Vol. III No. 2 pp. 2-5. Anderson, E.W. and Sullivan, M.W. (1993), â€Å"The antecedents and consequences of customer satisfaction firms†, Marketing Science, Vol. 12 No. 2, pp. 241-268. Anderson, H. and Jacobsen, P.N. (2000), â€Å"Creating loyalty: it’s strategic importance in your customer strategy†, in Brown, S.A. (Ed.), Customer Relationship Management, John Wiley, Ontario, pp. 55-67. Archana, R. and Subha, M.V. (2012), â€Å"A study on service quality and passenger satisfaction on Indian airlines†, International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, Vol. 2 No. 2, pp. 50-63. Centre for Aviation (2012), â€Å"Analysis of increasing tourism economic growth and oil make Uganda an attractive destination†, available at: www.centreforaviation.com (accessed 3 June 2012). Chang, Y.H. and Yeh, C.H. (2002), â€Å"A survey analysis of service quality for domestic airlines†, European Journal of Operational Research, Vol. 139 No. 1, pp. 166-177. Chen, F.Y. and Chang, Y.H. (2005), â€Å"Examining airline service quality from a process perspective†, Journal of Air Transport Management, Vol. 11 No. 2, pp. 79-87. Chin, A. (2002), â€Å"Impact of Frequent Flyer Programs on the Demand for Air Travel†, Journal of Air Transportation, Vol. 7 No. 2, pp. 53-86. Doganis, R. (2006), The Airline Business, 2nd ed., Routledge, Abingdon. Fornell, C. (1992), â€Å"A national customer satisfaction barometer: the Swedish experience†, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 56 No. 1, pp. 1-18.  ¨ Gronroos, C. (2000), Service Management and Marketing – A Customer Relationship Management Approach, 2nd ed., John Wiley Sons, Ltd, Chichester. Gursoy, D., Chen, M.H. and Kim, H.Y. (2005), â€Å"The US airlines relative positioning based on attributes of service quality†, Tourism Management, Vol. 26 No. 1, pp. 57-67. Hair, J., Black, W.C., Babin, B.J., Anderson, R.E. and Tatham, R. (2006), Multivariate Data Analysis, Pearson Education, New York, NY. Hanlon, P. (2007), Global Airlines: Competition in a Transnational Industry, 3rd ed., ButterworthHeinemann, Burlington, MA. Hansemark, O.C. and Albinson, M. (2004), â€Å"Customer satisfaction and retention: the experiences of individual with employees†, Managing Service Quality, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 40-57. Huang, Y.K. (2009), â€Å"The effect of airline service quality on passengers’ behavioural intentions using SERQUAL scores in Taiwan†, Journal of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies, Vol. 8 No. 2, pp. 3-5. Jones, T.O. and Sasser, W.E. (1995), â€Å"Why satisfied customers defect†, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 73 No. 6, pp. 88-99. Kothari, C.R. (2004), Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques, 2nd revised ed., Wishma Prkashan, New Delhi. Krejcie, R.V. and Morgan, D.W. (1970), â€Å"Determining sample sizes for research activities†, Educational and Psychological Measurement, pp. 607-610. LaBarbera, P.A. and Mazursky, D. (1983), â€Å"A longitudinal assessment of consumer satisfaction, dissatisfaction: the dynamic aspect of cognitive process†, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 20 No. 4, pp. 393-404. Lin, H.H. and Wang, Y.S. (2006), â€Å"An examination of the determinants of customer loyalty in mobile commerce contexts†, Information Management, Vol. 43 No. 3, pp. 271-282. Mohsan, F., Nawa, N.M., Khan, S., Shaukat, Z. and Aslam, N. (2011), â€Å"Impact of customer satisfaction on customer loyalty and intentions to switch: evidence from banking sector of Pakistan†, International Journal of Business and Social Science, Vol. 2 No. 16, pp. 265-268. Munusamy, J., Chelliah, S. and Pandian, S. (2011), â€Å"Customer satisfaction delivery in airline industry in Malaysia: a case of low cost carrier†, Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, Vol. 5 No. 11, pp. 718-723. Airline service quality 531 TQM 25,5 532 Ng, S.I., Sambasivan, M. and Zubaidah, S. (2011), â€Å"Antecedents and outcomes of flight attendants’ job satisfaction†, Journal of Air Transport Management, Vol. 17, pp. 309-313. Oliver, R.L. (1981), â€Å"Measurement and evaluation of satisfaction processes in retail settings†, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 57 No. 3, pp. 25-48. Oliver, R.L. (1997), Satisfaction: A Behavioral Perspective on the Consumer, McGraw Hill, New York, NY. Ostrowski, P.L., O’Brien, T.V. and Gordon, G.L. (1993), â€Å"Service quality and customer loyalty in the commercial airline industry†, Journal of Travel Research, Vol. 32, Fall, pp. 16-24. Parasuraman, A., Berry, L. and Zeithaml, V.A. (1988), â€Å"SERVQUAL: a multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality†, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 64 No. 1, pp. 12-40. Park, J.W., Robertson, R. and Wu, C.L. (2004), â€Å"The effect of airline service quality on passengers’ behavioral intentions: a Korean case study†, Journal of Air Transport Management, Vol. 10, pp. 435-439. Roscoe, J.T. (1975), Fundamental Research Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, 2th ed., Holt Rinehart Winston, New York, NY. Sekaran, U. (2003), Research Methods for Business: A Skill-Building Approach, 4th ed., John Wiley Sons, Inc, New York, NY. Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (2012), â€Å"About Uganda†, available at: www.caa.co.ug (accessed 3 June 2012). Yang, Z. and Peterson, R.T. (2004), â€Å"Customer perceived value, satisfaction, and loyalty: the role of switching costs†, Psychology Marketing, Vol. 21 No. 10, pp. 799-822. Further reading Zeithaml, V.A. and Bitner, M.J. (1996), Services Marketing, Tata McGraw Hill, New Delhi. Corresponding author Juliet Namukasa can be contacted at: [emailprotected] To purchase reprints of this article please e-mail: [emailprotected] Or visit our web site for further details: www.emeraldinsight.com/reprints

Nano-diamond Powder Layer Effect on Fast Neutrons Reflection

Nano-diamond Powder Layer Effect on Fast Neutrons Reflection A. Taghian, D. Rahi, H. Sadeghi Abstract: This paper has investigated the effect of nano-diamond powder on reflection of fast neutrons. It compares the effect of graphite and nano-dimond layers on reflection of fast neutrons. Nano-diamond as a new article that theres carbon in families of many of the behaviors and properties of carbon and other members of the family, the impact of the application of this article accepts it without knowing so, and understand it without understanding the carbon carbon and other members of the family is not possible. Nano-diamond in addition to diamonds, diamond properties such as hardness, resistance to different environments and The small size and a shell with active groups that it has different properties to conventional diamonds. On the one hand the diverse applications of properties and provide new and on the other hand, production and working with this article difficult. Of course, the proper use of diamond in different applications when possible, which is a non-diamond carbon and other impurities as possible are separated from it in addition any application requires special surface properties as well. The amount of impurities in synthetic diamond production depends on the extreme ways. We used 241Am-Be 100  µCi, BF3 and LiI detector in the present study. Two materials have been coated. The experimental and simulated results have good agreement with consideration of errors. The results show that fast neutrons reflection could be carried out by nano-diamond powder better than graphite. Keyword: 1-Nano-diamond powder 2-Graphite 3-Neutron 4-Neutron reflection 5- BF3 detector 6-LiI detector 1-Introduction Neutrons shielding is based on the fast neutrons reflection as prompt and delay gamma are produced by neutron capture [1]. The scattering cross section of hydrogen is high for neutrons. So, hydrogen containing material such as polyethylene and hydrocarbon are used for neutron shielding [1]. Diamond has cubic lattice structure [2]. In this structure, one carbon atom is surrounded by four atom of carbon with covalent bonds. Very strong covalent bond of a carbon adjacent atom is caused by increasing of elastic modulus and ultra-high temperature stability [2]. Therefore, they make the strongest natural material. The structure of bulk material is 3D. But, the structure of nanomaterial is 2D (thin film), 1D (nanorod and nanotube) and zero dimensions (nanoparticle and nanocrystal). In addition to change properties of material, this technology increases the surface to volume ratio. Therefore, the ratio of surface reaction increases on the material. By development of nuclear technology over the past 40 years, rules and standards of the IAEA have become more difficult and smaller for absorbed dose of personalities and environments in different conditions. There have been many limitations for neutron shield construction such as mass and volume of the shield [3]. 2-Investigatin of neutron reflector Reflectors are used in reactors to prevent neutrons escaping. The best reflector has small absorption cross section and large scattering cross section. Graphite and beryllium (according to solid phase) are usually used for reflection of neutrons. Actually, the size of structural units (a) must be comparable to the wavelength of neutrons (ÃŽ »). Coherent and efficient scattering of neutrons is proportional to the ratio of ÃŽ »/a. A neutron can be described by wavelength, ÃŽ » and wave vector . The neutron energy is equal to , and are mass, energy and Plank constant respectively [2]. The neutron beam intensity is decreased by transmission across material. The neutron beam intensity reduction is equal to , , and are thickness of material, number of atoms in unit volume and total cross section respectively [1,4]. 3-Experimental setup 3-1-BF3 detector BF3 detector is used for detection of thermal neutron. It works on proportional region. The isotope of 10B is used in the BF3 gas detector. The absorption cross section of 10B is large for absorbing of thermal neutrons. The BF3 counter detects the alpha and the lithium particles produced by the reaction [4,6,5]: The efficiency of BF3 detector is proportional to absorption cross section of 10B and it changes for neutrons with different energies. 3-2- LiI detector In addition of BF3 detector, LiI detector has been used for detection of neutron. 6LiI is an inorganic scintillator. Neutron detection by 6Li is based on the reaction The cross section for this reaction is of the l/v type up to 10 keV, with a value of 937 b at 0.025 eV [3, 6]. 3-3- The used material The neutron source was 241Am-Be 100  µCi. The BF3 and LiI detectors were used with 2 cm diameter and 20 and 14 cm height respectively. The BF3 and LiI detectors were located on polyethylene base. 3-3-1- The origin and fabrication method of the nano-diamond powders Diamond powder production properties depend on the method. Desired characteristics are obtained by purification and properties are determined. A manufacturing process for milling the nano-diamond to the appropriate size is explosive method. Diamond powder production common methods are carried out in dry (environmental gas synthesis) and wet (water base) mediums. The Nano-diamond powder production was carried out by blasting method which could lead to the Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, nitrogen monoxide and etc. creation. The tiny particles of diamond are formed along with some solid impurities mixed with gases in the blast chamber. Table 1 shows the chemical analysis of ash samples. The results recorded in the table indicate the chemical analysis of ash residue from the combustion of the samples by wet chemical methods which are XRD, ICP. Table 1: The chemical analysis of ash samples are presented In the nano-diamond powder manufacturing process through blasting, diamond particles are formed at pressures higher than 200 kilo bars. At temperatures above 1000  ° C, the low pressure converted particles into graphite. Methods of separation and purification of gas and liquid nano- diamonds are divided into two groups that raise the cost of investment. After all purification of the resulting material is carried out as the carbonic compound still has many types and amounts of impurities such as O, N, H, a small amount of metal and carbondioxide. Nano- diamond is then purified and turned ashen while the ash explosion leads to a large amount of black and dark -graphite production. Powder used in these experiments was purified by liquid method. In this method, different oxidizing agents such as acids, mixed acids, bases and salts are used. All these methods are only carried out in laboratory scale. Characteristics of nano-diamond powder used are shown in Table 2. Table 2: The properties of the used nano-diamond powder in experiments Figure 1 shows the measured spectrum of 100  µCi 241Am-Be neutron source supplied by I.R. Iran Atomic Energy Agency and figure 2 show absorption cross section of 10B and 11B. Figure 1: Neutron spectrum of 241Am-Be Figure 2: Variation of neutron cross section of 10B and 11B isotopes 3-4-Geometry The experimental setups have been sketched in figure 3 and 4 for investigation of graphite and nano-diamond layers effect on reflection of fast neutrons. Figure 3: The experimental setup for investigation of graphite and nano-diamond layers effect on reflection of fast neutrons Figure 4: The experimental setup for investigation of graphite and nano-diamond layers effect on shielding of fast neutrons In the present study of neutron reflection, the height and radial of the cylinder are 35 cm and 11 cm respectively with one side open and the other closed. The neutron source is in center of the cylinder and the detector is placed in front of the open side. The cylinder is made of polyethylene with 2 mm thickness. Graphite and nano-diamond are coated with polyethylene in cylinder. The distance of the detector lateral surface and the open side of the cylinder was 20 cm. The thicknesses of coated graphite and nano-diamond were 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 mm. The background neutrons are originated from walls, floor and other instrument in the around environment. A polyethylene cube with 10 cm thickness and a lead block with 2 cm thickness are located between source and detector for absorption of emitted gamma rays and neutrons from source. This geometry detects gamma rays background and neutrons. This work repeats for each measurement with and without absorbers. The first and second counts are foreground and background respectively. If background subtracts from foreground count, the result will be net count of reflected neutrons from cylinder to detector. To investigate the neutron shielding properties, neutron source has been located in center of graphite cubic with 2 mm thickness. Also, the LiI detector has been set in front of one side of the graphite cubic. Graphite and nano-diamond are coated on the same side of graphite cubic. The distance between the detector lateral surface and the open side of the cubic was 15 cm. The thicknesses of coated graphite and nano-diamond were 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 mm. 4-Results of measurements As mentioned above, the thicknesses of graphite and nano-diamond were 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 mm respectively. In each measurement, the same thicknesses were compared at a margin oferrorequal to  ±23 percent. The errors come from neutron source and count measurement as the error of neutron source was  ±15 percent and the count measurement (N) one was N1/2.The neutron counts in different thicknesses of graphite and nano-diamond are shown in figure 5 and 6. Figure 5: Neutron count diagram for graphite and nano-diamond layers with different thicknesses (Reflection) Figure 6: Neutron count diagram for graphite and nano-diamond layers with different thickness (Shielding) 5-Simulated results by Monte-Carlo method All the system parts have been simulated by Monte-Carlo method. We have used MCNPX2.6 to calculate the absorbed dose. MCNPX2.6 is a general purpose of Monte Carlo radiation transport code designed to track many particle types over broad ranges of energies. Form of molecule, bond and density are changed in a nano chemical composition. Coulomb force determines the form of molecules. The total charge of the neutron is zero. Therefore, there is no effect on neutron cross section with matter of nano scale. Also, the neutron reaction is nuclear and it is independent of charge or electron cloud so that it can be simulated by MCNP code. Therefore, it is not important to consider the nano-scale of the nano-diamond. However, nano-scale affects density and it must be noted in Monte-Carlo input. The neutron flux has been calculated in the sensitive volume of BF3 and LiI detectors with different thicknesses of graphite and nano-diamond. The results are shown in figure 7 and 8. Figure 7: Calculated neutron flux in sensitive volume of BF3 detector in different thickness of graphite and nano-diamond layers (Reflection) Figure 8: Calculated neutron flux in sensitive volume of LiI detector in different thickness of graphite and nano-diamond layers (Shielding) Because of hydrogen presence in the nano-diamond composition, it can reflect neutrons better than graphite. The neutrons counting is increased by graphite and nano-diamond thickness enhancement. However, determining thenumberofneutrons is faster for nano-diamond layer. Fig. 4 and fig. 6 show that the reflected neutrons are increased by thickness enhancement. The differences arise from the measurement method as the measurements are done by BF3 detector which measures thermal neutrons. The simulated results are considered the all of neutrons. Also, Fig. 7 and 8 show that nano-diamond has a more shielding effect in comparison with graphite because the net count rate becomes smaller by using nano-diamond shielding. The differences are because of the measurements done by BF3 detector and the simulation results are considered as the spectrum of neutrons. 6-Conclusion Two main factors effecting on neutron reflection are cross section and density. Nano-diamond (C10H16) contains hydrogen and it has larger cross section interaction in comparison with graphite. In addition, the density of nano-diamond and graphite are 3.5 and 1.8 g/cm3 respectively. According to the results, true count of nano-diamond reflector is 2 times of graphite reflector. The simulated and experimental results have good agreement by consideration of errors. Also, the number of low energy neutrons in nano-diamond reflector is larger than in graphite one. Therefore, conventional material can be put aside and nano-diamond is used for neutron shielding. References Glenn F. Knoll, â€Å"Radiation Detection and Measuremen†, Fourth Edition, 2010, , John Wiley Sons, Inc T. Taler, Characterization of Isolated Nnaodiamond Particle, Material Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, 6-18 (2004). Nicholas Tsoulfanidis; †Measurement and Detection of Radiation†; 2th edition, university of Missouri- Rollapress. 706 (1995). V. A. Artem’ev, †Atomic Energy†, Vol. 94, NO. 4, 282(2003). H.W. Schmitt, R.C. Block, R.L. Bailey, Total neutron cross section of 10B in the thermal neutron energy range, Volume17, June–July 1960, Pages 109–115. K. Kleinknecht, Dtectors for Particle Radiation, Cambridge University Press, London New York New Rochele, 120-125(1986). [1] Isfahan University, Faculty Of Advanced Science And Technologies, Department of Nuclear Engineering, Isfahan, Iran Ahmad Taghian; Email: [emailprotected]; Telephone: 00989128482357 Davood Rahi: Email: [emailprotected] [2] Malek Ashtar University Of Technology, Health Physics Department, Shahin shahr, Isfahan, Iran Hosein Sadeghi: Email: [emailprotected]

Virginia Woolfs A Room of One’s Own Essay examples -- Literature Room

In Virginia Woolf’s feminist essay â€Å"A Room of One’s Own,† Woolf argues that â€Å"a woman must have money and a room of her own† (16) if she is to write fiction of any merit. The point as she develops it is a perceptive one, and far more layered and various in its implications than it might at first seem. But I wonder if perhaps Woolf did not really tap the full power of her thesis. She recognized the necessity of the writer’s financial independence to the birth of great writing, but she failed to discover the true relationship to great writing of another freedom; for just as economic freedom allows one to inhabit a physical space---a room of one’s own---so does mental freedom allow one to inhabit one’s own mind and body â€Å"incandescent and unimpeded.† Woolf seems to believe that the development and expression of creative genius hinges upon the mental freedom of the writer(50), and that the development of mental fre edom hinges upon the economic freedom of the writer (34, 47). But after careful consideration of Woolf’s essay and also of the recent trend in feminist criticism, one realizes that if women are to do anything with Woolf’s words; if we are to act upon them---to write the next chapter in this great drama---we must take her argument a little farther. We must propel it to its own conclusion to find that in fact both the freedom from economic dependence and the freedom from fetters to the mind and body are conditions of the possibility of genius and its full expression; we must learn to ‘move in’: to inhabit and take possession of, not only a physical room, but the more abstract rooms of our minds and our bodies. It is only from this perspective in full possession of ourselves that we can find the unconsciousness of ourselves,... ...d imposing figure of a gentleman, which Milton recommended for my perpetual adoration, a view of the open sky† (34). In this, the message is clear: women’s perspectives of the world should not be framed by the figure of a man; we should not allow the limits of our minds to be dictated to us by a patriarchal social structure, nor should we allow ourselves to be defined by the function that is prescribed for our bodies. We should instead transcend the struggle to find our right relation to men, and move in to our own minds and bodies; regain possession of them, inhabit them, and from these rooms of our own we should look for our place, our room, our right relation to reality. Only then will our glances upward be greeted with an incandescent, unimpeded view of the open sky. Works Cited Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One's Own. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1989.

Characters as Portrayed Through Themes and Images in The English Patien

Characters as Portrayed Through Themes and Images in The English Patient       While the four main characters of The English Patient are extremely powerful, and important to the reader's understanding of the story, they cannot stand alone without the patterns of imagery, symbolism and metaphor which underpin the text, and offer a complexity which extends beyond the literal level. These patterns reveal information about each character, and provide significant links between characters and ideas which lead to a greater understanding of the novel. Likewise, the plot would have little impact upon the reader were the novel not so densely coloured with these patterns of imagery, symbol and metaphor; amongst which skin, hands, mapping and the elements are particularly important.    A metaphorical idea which resonates throughout the novel, and is present in all of the characters (particularly the English patient and Caravaggio) is the concept of man as a sort of communal Book, whereby every aspect of his life, and his relationships with others are "mapped" onto him. This also operates literally, through the obvious markings of scars on the English patient, and in Caravaggio's case, the loss of both thumbs.    ...his black body, beginning at his destroyed feet... ahove the shins the burns are worst. Beyond purple. Bone.    This description of the English patient's body is gruesome and confronting; it addresses the theme of pain, the construction of identity, and of course the physical evidence of his tortured past, which the reader learns more about as this imagery develops. It is almost as if his body is a landscape; a war zone onto which all evidence of suffering is mapped.    Imagery... ...o mirror the horrors of the wa rin which these four people are involved. The themes explored through the elements in particular, are complex and contradictory, just as the elements are themselves. Sometimes harsh, sometimes cleansing, and almost always painful, these elements shape the characters and plot, and reside in much of the imagery explored in the novel. The techniques of symbolism, metaphor and imagery develop the novel's themes of love, war, suffering and identity, which inform a reading of the novel which would not be as powerful through use of characters and plot alone. The subtlety and eloquence through which these themes are explored really inspire thought and reflection in the reader, which in turn credits a more complex understanding of the novel.    Work Cited Ondaatje, Michael. The English Patient. London: Pan Books, 1993   

Internship with Credit Analysis

Met people from different departments, asked on the Job they perform. I and another trainee passing internship in ORBS had an Introductory meeting, where our supervisors explained Bank structure, its goals and objectives. . During the whole period of internship in Retail Unit, I have learned a lot about the RAM, about Bank products, on how to find potential customers, how to keep them loyal to the Bank, what procedures and legal documentation to set the deal. I was introduced to Asset Sales and RAM work. Worked under the supervision of Senior Relationship Manager, observed the working processes of other units: Customer Service Unit (CSS), Sales Department and Retail Transfer Operations.Assisted on indoor meeting, as well as on meetings with clients, worked on client base, learned how managers evaluate credit risk RAM – is a relationship Manager, who's main responsibilities are client search and client support. Now I have realized that in any organization, as well as in the ban k, customer relationship is very important, as I would like to say, RAM is the first step of all major banking operations. 3. Remained time I conducted in Corporate Department. Assisted on evaluation of the credit risk analysis of the company, under the supervision of employees. Learned how to make a credit risk analysis: consolidated balance sheet analysis with all ratios required, market analysis.Benefits to the Student: great opportunity to learn and practice in the sphere of finance and banking business ; learn how to use financial modeling in practice ; life experience of working with real financial documents ; work in the real business environment, under the time pressure The colleagues showed high cooperation in sharing their experience and deep knowledge in the operations of ORBS. The skills and theoretical knowledge acquired on the finance courses in SKIMP was of great value, and I found them very effective in performing my duties and responsibilities. The main difficulty f aced during the internship process was the Iterance AT languages AT study (Engel's) Ana ten language AT ten company's documents and operations (Russian).However, this was not a big obstacle because my colleagues helped me to understand and learn the translations and meanings of Russian financial and accounting terms. This internship gave me such benefits as real life banking experience, new skills. I have seen the operations of the bank from different points, I've been in different departments during the internship, get accustomed to the variety of Jobs in the Bank, learned the structure, the culture, the goals and objectives. I learned how to evaluate credit risk of both private and corporate customers. Recommendations and suggestions: I would recommend students to take an internship instead research projects or substitute courses, in order to have a working experience before the graduation that will help them more easily get into gear.

Animal Dissection

Animal Dissection: No Longer Cutting Edge American Politics 115-01 Dr. Griffith Chelsea Morrison April 24, 2012 The use of animals in science that results in harm or death has traditionally played an integral role in education. Many thousands of animals have been killed worldwide during attempts to teach practical skills or to demonstrate scientific principles which have, in many cases, been established for decades. Anatomy and experimental physiology started to be practiced around 300 B. C. Notable scientists like Aristotle, Vesalius and Gale conducted countless scientific studies with the dissection of animals almost every day.If the law permitted, human cadavers were also dissected, but the use of animals in vivisection and dissection was generally less mired in ethical or religious concerns. Like today, animals were dissected not only to learn more about them, but also as surrogates for humans. Though animal and human dissections were used to educate medical students, artists suc h as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, who wanted to learn to illustrate their subjects with better accuracy, also conducted dissections (Knight). They were also performed simply to illustrate the contents of ancient scientific texts.Later the 1500s, Andreas Vesalius, the founder of modern human anatomy, thought that dissection should be used to correctly teach students about anatomy instead of using illustrations in books, as well as to gain new knowledge (Knight). From this, Vesalius set the foundation for dissection as a teaching and research tool. In the early 1900s, the dissection of animals became more common in biology classes (Knight). Frog dissection was established in college level courses and eventually was taught in high schools.Around 1915, frogs became commercially available for use in education and by the 1920s, many high school classes considered frog dissection routine. A wider variety of animal dissection in high school became widespread after the Biological Scie nces Curriculum Study (BSCS). The BSCS was a federally-funded initiative in the 1960’s to create a science curriculum for elementary and high school students (Gilmore). Also as a result, more high schools offered advanced biology courses with the dissection of cats, minks, and fetal pigs, and even live animals.In 1998, it was estimated that animal dissection occurred in 75-80% of pre-college level biology classes (Gilmore). Most prevalently today, dissection of such animals is now in college anatomy courses. In fact, each year, an estimated 20 million animals – around 170 or more different species – are used in the U. S. in all areas of education and grade level (Capaldo). In most countries, veterinary students learn surgery through surgical practice on healthy animals and then killed afterwards by the students.It’s these practices that are controversial in veterinary school in concern for animals being harmed. But since harm accrues from any pain or disc omfort associated with such procedures, and it disrupts of the animals’ normal life, the dissections are harmful. With student being exposed to the vast amount of animal dissection worldwide, students are exhibiting an opinion being forced on them with no options to oppose dissection. Under the stress of forced dissection, education is also is disheartened.When forced to use animals in ways the student objects to, the student is traumatized and invariably learns less (Capaldo). But there are other options to animal dissection like â€Å"computer simulations, high quality videos, ‘ethically-sourced cadavers,’ such as from animals euthanized for medical reasons, preserved specimens, models and surgical simulators, non-invasive self-experimentation, and supervised clinical experiences†(Knight). Such options have been studied and proven to over and over to benefit both schools, educators and students.In a 2007 study, â€Å"twenty nine papers in which live ani mal dissection didn’t occur illustrated additional benefits of humane teaching methods in veterinary education† (PETA). These benefits include time and cost savings, enhanced potential for customisation and repeatability of the learning exercise, increased student confidence and satisfaction, increased compliance with animal use legislation, elimination of objections to the use of purpose-killed animals, and integration of clinical perspectives and ethics early in the curriculum.This evidence demonstrates that educators can best serve their students and animals, while minimising financial and time burdens, by introducing humane teaching methods that are not reliant on harmful animal use. Classroom dissection desensitizes students to the sanctity of life. Research has shown that a significant number of students at every educational level are uncomfortable with the use of animals in dissection and experimentation (PETA).Studies also suggest that exposing young people to a nimal dissection as ‘science’ can foster a callousness toward animals and nature and even dissuade some from pursuing careers in science. (Wadman) Students simply do not need to cut up animals to understand basic anatomy and physiology. In contradicting, students who plan to go into a medical field can do better to study humans in a controlled and supervised setting, examine human cadavers, or use any of the many non-animal learning methods available, such as those provided by computer models and sophisticated simulators.The simulation-based education would more accurately reflect what students will encounter when they get to medical school. This is in consideration that more than 90% of U. S. medical schools have abandoned the use of animals in their standard curricula (Wadman). Yet, despite the benefits, from 1986 to 2007, many academics remain opposed to the use of humane teaching methods (AAVS). I think more students haven’t stood up for their rights to not d issect because they do not even know where the animals are coming from and the process that occur.Pound seizure is a term that not many people are familiar with unless they are against humane animal dissection. Any animal shelter or pound that is located in a state that has a pound-seizure law, must turn over animals who are not claimed within a about five days, to laboratories that ask for them. These animals are then used in animal dissection or experiments and usually the healthiest animals are used for dissection.This presents an uncomfortable situation for families when they learn this because if their cat should run away and is not found for a week, chances are the cat has gone through pound seizure and since it’s a healthy house cat, their child might see her cat in the next dissection lab. Education institutions know this very well and support it because pound seizure provides an inexpensive and easy source of animals and allows educators to continue using animals ins tead of switching to better and humane alternatives that may require a financial outlay.For example, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center had bought cats for decades from a local animal shelter. They paid fifteen dollars for each cat and used the cats in cruel and deadly medical training exercises and dissections. Cats used had tubes lodged down their throats and needles stabbed into their chests, even though sophisticated simulators were available (City of Odessa). However, after PETA sprang a campaign that uncovered the school’s relationship with the shelter, the school stopped buying animals from the shelter and ended the use of animals in their courses (Hartman).More controversy is spiked from claims that the best educational learning is solely attributable to dissection on animals (Animal-Dissection); this is simply not true. An article published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine  evaluated the claims and concluded that it was not supported by any evidence (PETA). In fact, most animal dissections are not relevant to human health, don’t add meaningfully to medical advances, and many are done out of sheer curiosity and don’t even hold promise for curing illnesses.People are only under the misapprehension because the media, experimenters, universities and lobbying groups exaggerate the potential of animal dissection to lead to be the only way to learn and how they have helped in past medical advances- as in centuries ago with Galen, which is irrelevant with today’s technology-. In the last presidential election, 2012 midterms and most recent republican primaries, no laws or acts were implemented against animal dissection in education.The obvious reason is because the public is not concerned with the issue and is not being properly informed. In a 2009, a survey of opinions was conducted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to a general public of 2,000 adults. The poll reviled tha t â€Å"59% of the people thought regulations on animal research are not serious at all of an issue and only 27% said it’s a very serious issue†(PRCPP). However, past progress has been made, but it’s minimal.The following states have laws safeguarding students’ rights to choose humane alternatives over dissection without being penalized: Florida, California, Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island, Illinois, Virginia, Oregon, New Jersey and Vermont. Currently, student-choice legislation is pending in Connecticut. In Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts and New Mexico the Board of Education have policies, and Louisiana passed a state resolution in 1992. Numerous schools and school boards have also independently enacted student-choice policies because of student-run campaigns.This information relates to Bill of Rights that is frequently discussed in class and what we have learned about one of its ten parts; the freedom of religion, speech, press, right of assembly, petition. PETA itself is a non-profit government organization that despite many people who disagree with their beliefs, still releases revolutionary and controversial articles such as this one because of its right to freedom of speech and press. Hundreds of large, infamous companies have been fined millions, given a bad reputation, and shut down like PLRS because of PETA.I am sure many large research companies that use animal testing, zoo’s, food industry CEO’s and others would like PETA to keep their mouths shut and silence their undercover workers so they can stop sweating through late night anxiety attacks about whether PETA will catch them red handed next. But, because PETA’s work is protected under the Bill of Rights, their beautiful, righteous, revolutionary, jaw-dropping and god-like work can continue to save millions of animals’ lives.I am for the new virtual dissections because of its significantly better educational attributes and it prevents in nocent animals from being victims of companies trying to make a quick profit. I would improve animal dissection in education by implementing a law that requires all education institutions to provide students with an option to dissect real animals or do the virtual dissection. In addition, the optional agreement must provide each student with a list of both the positive and negative facts about each option because not many students will know why they should choose one option over the other.This shows both a lack of awareness and education of the severity of animal experimentation. In order to allow the student to form their own opinion, they must be given the correct facts about both options. Plus, PETA provides a wonderful service that allows you to create your own leaflet (brochure) advocating an issue your concerned about so I would   start a campaign urging local high school students not to dissect animals, create leaflets for the students or download or  order PETA's anti-di ssection leaflets and then expand to my college. This issue greatly impacts my life now and in the future.Currently, I dissected a fetal pig last week and was told my juniors who are also majoring in biology, that I must also dissect a cat and human cadaver. I understand the person who died did not die for the purpose of being dissected and willing donated their body to science, unlike animals. If I had been informed of where the fetal pigs came from and if there was a virtual option available, I would have definitely chosen the virtual option. Therefore, I am comfortable dissecting the cadaver but not the cat or any other future animals for dissection.