The Fallen Angel Analysis of the Final Scenes of Blade Runner Essay Example For Students

The Fallen Angel: Analysis of the Final Scenes of Blade Runner Essay Director Ridley Scotts Postmodern reply to the modern consists of recognizing that the past, since it cannot be destroyed, because its destruction leads to silence, must be revisited. So memories and emotions are meaningless without immortality. Like tears in the rain. Director Scott has a chilling story to tell, and there is a complex web of allegory and meaning lurking in the background. The final scene of Blade Runner reveal religious and philosophical parallels and these are Miltons Paradise Lost and humanity itself. God is questioned, mocked and finally destroyed. The use of tightly framed shots, reaction shots, and mise en scene are used to highlite the allegoricall relationship to Christianity. Humanity itself is brought up for definition in this film, as the Replicants are in many ways more human than the real humans they are interacting with. The mise en scene suggests a vision of the future that is not only a sprawling, technological metropolis, but an empty soulless place. Through its characters a sense of quiet desperation. We will write a custom essay on The Fallen Angel: Analysis of the Final Scenes of Blade Runner specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now They are withdrawn almost, living in a mellow dream which when disrupted, is painful and struggling. The characters seem random, everyday people of the city, but united by the will to survive because there is nothing else, nothing but fear. Death to the replicants is represented by their own mortality and the outside embodiment of the Blade Runners; stalkers. Roy and his followers: Pris, Zora and Leon are Miltons fallen angels. They are created by Tyrell God and given a limited life span. Roy a symbol of mankind is separated by his maker, when he is sent off world expelled from heaven . And like Lucifer, is obessed with the same questions of mortality: How much time do we have? Were are we going? Miltons battle takes place in heaven. Here it is fought on earth. Roy cannot approach Tyrell directly. He uses an intermediary; Sebastian Jesus Christ as his link to God. Bibical teachings has it that God can only be approached through His Son, Jesus Christ. Sebastian is the only true human. He is the composite of both man and replicant as Jesus is a composite of God and man. Just as Jesus lived among men, Sebastian lived among the replicants. The Bible syas the score between Lucifer and Christ is yet to be settled, Ridley Scott decides to to take advantage of the liberties afforded him by Postmodernism by deciding to rewrite the future. With God and Christ dead, satan becomes almost a Christ-like figure. Light and shadow is evoked to show Roy in a new role as all knowing and all seeing. Extreme close-up of Roys eye reveal a person who is enlightened and empowered with knowledge. A further significance to substaniate Roys transition into Christ is that he pierces his hand with a nail, a symbol of Christian crucifixian. The final scenes were Roy becomes the hunter takes place high above the city. The concerns of the people no longer permiate the scenes. Dekkard is filmed from a high angle to suggest vulnerbality and a lack of understanding, with his eyes closed as his clings to life; a keep of blindness to the world around him. With the end near Roy Batty goes through yet another change. This manifests in the fact that he prevents Dekkard from falling to his death and becomes his savior. As they face each other, the proxemics patterns change and for the first time Dekkard and Batty are frame tightly together. Roy brings himself down to his opponants level of understanding by sitting eye to eye. As they face each other, Roy seemms to come to terms with his own mortality and the inevitability of death. He ceases to struggle against what he cannot change, the hand of death. By the time Roy dies, he has redeemed himself by following in the footsteps of Christ. In order for God to forgive him, he spares the life of the men trying to kill him. As he dies a high angle frames a white dove flying free towards a clear sky. Finally his soul is purified.

Queen Victorias Golden Jubilee Celebrations

Queen Victorias Golden Jubilee Celebrations Queen Victoria reigned for 63 years and was honored by two great public commemorations of her longevity as ruler of the British Empire. Her Golden Jubilee, to mark the 50th anniversary of her reign, was observed in June 1887. European heads of state, as well as delegations of officials from throughout the empire, attended lavish events in Britain. The Golden Jubilee festivities were widely seen not only as a celebration of Queen Victoria but as an affirmation of Britains place as a global power. Soldiers from throughout the British Empire marched in processions in London. And in the distant outposts of the empire celebrations were also held. Not everyone was inclined to celebrate the longevity of Queen Victoria or the supremacy of Britain. In Ireland, there were public expressions of protest against British rule. And Irish Americans held their own public gatherings to denounce British oppression in their homeland. Ten years later, Victorias Diamond Jubilee celebrations were held to mark Victorias 60th anniversary on the throne. The 1897 events were distinctive as they seemed to mark the end of an era, as they were the last great assemblage of European royalty. Preparations for Queen Victorias Golden Jubilee As the 50th anniversary of Queen Victorias reign approached, the British government felt that a monumental celebration was in order. She had become queen in 1837, at the age of 18, when the monarchy itself had seemed to be coming to an end. She had successfully restored the monarchy to where it occupied a preeminent place in British society. And by any accounting, her reign had been successful. Britain, by the 1880s, stood astride much of the world. And despite small-scale conflicts in Afghanistan and Africa, Britain had essentially been at peace since the Crimean War three decades earlier. There was also a feeling that Victoria deserved a great celebration as she had never celebrated her 25th anniversary on the throne. Her husband, Prince Albert, had died young, in December 1861. And the celebrations which likely would have occurred in 1862, which would have been her Silver Jubilee, were simply out of the question. Indeed, Victoria became fairly reclusive after Alberts death, and when she did appear in public, she would be dressed in widows black. In early 1887 the British government began making preparations for the Golden Jubilee. Many Events Preceded Jubilee Day in 1887 The date of large public events was to be June 21, 1887, which would be the first day of the 51st year of her reign. But a number of associated events began in early May. Delegates from British colonies, including Canada and Australia, gathered and met with Queen Victoria on May 5, 1887, at Windsor Castle. For the next six weeks, the queen participated in a number of public events, including helping to lay the cornerstone for a new hospital. At one point in early May, she expressed curiosity about an American show then touring England, Buffalo Bills Wild West Show. She attended a performance, enjoyed it, and later met cast members. The queen traveled to one of her favorite residences, Balmoral Castle in Scotland, to celebrate her birthday on May 24, but planned to return for London for the major events which would take place close to the anniversary of her accession, June 20. The Golden Jubilee Celebrations The actual anniversary of Victorias accession to the throne, June 20, 1887, began with a private commemoration. Queen Victoria, with her family, had breakfast at Frogmore, near the mausoleum of Prince Albert. She returned to Buckingham Palace, where an enormous banquet was held. Members of various European royal families attended, as did diplomatic representatives. The following day, June 21, 1887, was marked with lavish public spectacle. The queen traveled by a procession through the streets of London to Westminster Abbey. According to a book published the following year, the queens carriage was accompanied by a bodyguard of seventeen princes in military uniform, superbly mounted and wearing their jewels and orders. The princes were from Russia, Britain, Prussia, and other European nations. The role of India in the British Empire was emphasized by having a troop of Indian cavalry in the procession close to the queens carriage. Ancient Westminster Abbey had been prepared, as galleries of seats had been built to accommodate 10,000 invited guests. The service of thanksgiving was marked by prayers and music performed by the abbeys choir. That night, illuminations lit the skies of England. According to one account, On rugged cliffs and beacon hills, on mountain peaks and lofty heaths and commons, great bonfires blazed. The next day a celebration for 27,000 children was held in Londons Hyde Park. Queen Victoria paid a visit to the Childrens Jubilee. All the children attending were given a Jubilee Mug designed by the Doulton company. Some Protested the Celebrations of Queen Victorias Reign Not everyone was favorably impressed by the lavish celebrations honoring Queen Victoria. The New York Times reported that a large gathering of Irish men and women in Boston had protested the plan to hold a celebration of Queen Victorias Golden Jubilee at Faneuil Hall. The celebration at Faneuil Hall in Boston was held on June 21, 1887, despite pleas to the city government to block it. And celebrations were also held in New York City and other American cities and towns. In New York, the Irish community held its own large meeting at Cooper Institute on June 21, 1887. A detailed account in the New York Times was headlined: Irelands Sad Jubilee: Celebrating in Mourning and Bitter Memories. The New York Times story described how the capacity crowd of 2,500, in a hall decorated with black crepe, listened attentively to speeches denouncing British rule in Ireland and the actions of the British government during the Great Famine of the 1840s. Queen Victoria was criticized by one speaker as Irelands tyrant.

Pre-Submission Checklist for Essay Writing

Pre-Submission Checklist for Essay Writing 1. Do Not Change Grammar Tenses Throughout the Essay Use the present tense (He takes this stance because †¦) or past tense (He said this because †¦) – but not both in one essay. Professors will take off quite a few points for this simple mistake. 2. Write Only in the Third Person Never write an essay in the first person (I believe). Never write in the second person (You †¦) Only write college writing assignments in the third person (The reader may not agree with this statement.) TOP 10 MISTAKES MADE WHEN WRITING ESSAYS PART 1 3. Avoid Using Contractions Not can’t see, but cannot see. Not couldn’t, but could not. Don’t use didn’t, but did not. Don’t use, should’ve but should have. 4. Spell Words Correctly There are dictionaries and spell checks for a reason. Use them. Misspelling words will cost a student a substantial loss in points due to carelessness. 5. Fact-Check the Sources and Complete a Page to Avoid Plagiarism Any source used in an essay, no matter how little, should be recorded in the student’s page. Just in case. It helps them avoid plagiarism: the practice of taking someone elses work or ideas and passing them off as ones own. Which results in Expulsion. TOP 10 MISTAKES MADE WHEN WRITING ESSAYS PART 2 6. Leave no Dangling Participles This is when a participle (the nominal form of a verb, most often ending –ing) lacks a clear connection with the word it modifies. It’s like a sentence changing midstream for no apparent reason. Incorrect – dangling participle: Writing at my kitchen table, the sudden noise startled me. [Writing lacks connection with noise]. Turning around, the view was much transformed. [Turning lacks connection with a view]. Correct – no dangling participle: Writing at my kitchen table, I was startled by the sudden noise. Turning the corner, he discovered that the view was much transformed. The tips listed in the article will definitely help you consider all the details when writing an essay. If you want to know more about the pitfalls  to be avoided in writing your college essays, read the related articles on our website. Some links are given above in the article. If you  dont feel like learning all those nuances, place an order and our writers will write a perfect essay for you.

The role of arbitration in settling foreign invetment related Dissertation

The role of arbitration in settling foreign invetment related disputes' - Dissertation Example It will be argued that despite the lack of an international convention or codification of investor-state FDI law, customary law and the doctrine of fair and equitable treatment as interpreted by arbitrators has inspired sufficient confidence in arbitration and as such, FDI. It will therefore be argued that the role of arbitration as a method of resolving ISA in FDI relate disputes is very important to promulgating FDIs. To substantiate this hypothesis, this dissertation will examine and analyse the rapid growth of BITs, the fair and equitable treatment clause and the arbitration clauses typically included in BITs. An analysis of resulting arbitration awards will also be conducted. The provision for institutional and ad hoc ISA in BITs will also be examined. Contents Abstract 2 Contents 3 Introduction 5 I.Research Questions 7 II.Statement of the Problem 8 III.Significance of the Study 10 IV.Aims and Objectives 11 V.Research Methods and Designs 11 A.Research Methods 11 B.Research Desig n 13 Chapter Two 14 The Investor State Relationship 14 Introduction 14 I.Investor/State Relationships 14 A.Definition of Foreign Direct Investment 14 B.FDI and Investor-State Relations 17 II.Issues Arising in FDIs Between the Foreign Investor and the Host State 20 A.The Risk of Expropriation Without Compensation 21 B.The Need For Fair and Equitable Treatment 23 C.The Risk of the Host State Changing the Regulatory Framework Once The Investment is Made. 26 D.The Risk of Contract Breaches and Breaches of Other Promises and Violations of International Law 27 III.International Investment Treaties 28 A.Compensation 30 B.Currency Control 31 C.Non-discriminatory Treatment 32 D.Full Protection and Security 35 E.Umbrella Clauses 36 F.Minimum Treatment Standard 37 G.Fair and Equitable Treatment 39 Conclusion 42 Chapter Three 44 Investor-State Arbitration: Substantive and Procedural Laws 44 I.Investor/State Arbitration: The Washington Convention 44 II. Arbitration Decisions 49 Conclusion 60 Cha pter Summary 61 Chapter Four 62 Findings/Conclusion 62 Findings 62 Conclusion 65 Bibliography 67 Chapter One Introduction Over the past 20 years, the number of FDI treaties have tripled.3 Since the 1970s the rate of growth of FDIs has eclipsed that of the growth of worldwide exports by double. This trend continues today.4 The proliferation of FDI is attributed to the â€Å"widespread liberalization of the FDI regulatory framework† as well as advancement in information technologies and the intensification of business competition. A majority of states have implemented institutional and policy reforms that appeal to FDI and have improved treatment and protection standards. These changes reflect the popular view that FDIs are associated with the introduction of capital, skills, technology, employment and access to markets. The main objective in implementing foreign investment treaties, particularly BITs is to let investors know that their investments will have the benefit of lega l protection and to encourage the inflows from FDIs.5 By year end 2010, the number investor/state arbitration (ISA)

Analysis of John Updikes A&P Short Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of John Updikes A&P Short Story - Essay Example The character of Sammy in the story is replete with ironical undercurrents and a sarcastic and mocking tone towards the things. Sammy who serves as a young checkout clerk at an A&P store though being hateful of a lot of his colleagues and superiors, in a way is ironically subservient to the same sense of compliance and duty. During his cynical and intense monologue, Sammy evinces a more than average dejection for Stokesie, who is from a middle class background, married and merely aspires to crawl high up the corporate ladder or the traditionalist like Lengel, who is happy bidding his time haggling about a cabbage lot or festering behind the confines of his office door. However, the readers could discernibly identify the verbal irony inherent in Sammy’s monologue in the sense that Sammy is himself serving as an ordinary checkout clerk at the A&P story, a plight that he vehemently abhors and detests in his colleagues and superiors. Hence, in a way, one could see that there is a wide gap between what Sammy says what he actually means and what he is really doing at the store. Sammy’s monologue in the short story A&P also depicts ample inherent verbal irony in his attitude towards the young girls in the bathing suit. One could amply discern that the girls do unleash the suppressed bestiality and savageness in young Sammy’s consciousness (Greiner 93). When the leader of their group, Queenie comes to Sammy to pay for her shopping, Sammy blatantly ends up being a victim to indecorous reveries like touching Queenie’s breasts or cheeks. In fact, Sammy goes on to register that Queenie’s breasts are, â€Å"two perfect scoops of ice cream (Updike 313)†. The monologue going on in Sammy’s mind more than amply conveys to the readers that he harbors visible carnal feelings and a sense of lust towards the girls. The readers to a great extent assume that Sammy has an irreverent and indecorous attitude towards the girls in the bathing suits.

The Customer Satisfaction By Measuring Service Quality Tourism Essay

The Customer Satisfaction By Measuring Service Quality Tourism Essay The measurement and management of service quality are fundamental to the survival and success of service companies Legcevic, 2008. The hotel sector is a large segment of the service industry which provides services and accommodations to a wide range of customers. To make sure that a hotel is satisfying its customers needs, it is necessary to measure service quality periodically to identify areas in need of improvement. There are several methodologies used for measuring service quality, but this research study shall employ one of the more popular models called the SERVQUAL model. This theory was developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry. They were early researchers studies about the concept of quality (Jain and Gupta, 2004). The SERVQUAL model was created to measure service quality as perceived by the customer (Parasuraman et al., 1985). According to Shangri-La Hotels Annual Report of year 2008 and 2009, the occupancy rate of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok has declined continuously (Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2008, Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2009). The most likely cause of this problem is the political instability that hit Thailand recently. On the other hand, it is possible that this decline in the number of customers was a result of a decline in service quality. Even though the Shangri-La Hotel continued to emphasize customer needs and provide excellent service to their customers, it is still crucial to measure service quality to ensure that the customers are satisfied with the hotels services and responsiveness to customer needs. The result of measuring service quality also helps management to understand exactly what their customers expect from the hotel and the level to which they are satisfied with their experience at the hotel. This measurement model functions as a tool to promote communication between the hotel man agement and their customers. This research was conducted to observe customer perceptions about hotel services by measuring service quality using the SERVQUAL model at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok. The benefits of this research are not just to understand the level of customer satisfaction; but moreover, it can use as a guideline to enhance service quality and promote customer loyalty. Title of project: A Study of Customer Satisfaction by Measuring Service Quality; A Case Study of Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok Statement of research problem: A continual decline in the number of hotel customers over the past few months has had a direct effect on the hotels income. The main factor which is believed to have caused this decline was internal political instability in Thailand. In an effort to transform a crisis into opportunity, this is an appropriate time to observe customer perceptions of service quality in order to help hotel management improve quality and prepare their business for when the situation returns to normal. Project objectives: The objectives of this research are as follows: To measure service quality of Shangri-La hotel, Bangkok by using SERVQUAL model, To understand the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality, and To gain a clearer understanding of customer perceptions of service quality from Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok in order to improve hotel service quality in the future. Conceptual framework Reliability SERVQUAL Dimensions Responsiveness Assurance Customer Satisfaction Empathy Tangibles Scope of the study: The scope of this research focuses on measurement of service quality at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok by using the SERVQUAL model which considers service quality from the following five dimensions: a) reliability, b) responsiveness, c) assurance, d) empathy and e) tangibility. The sample population would be a random sample of 100 hotel customers during the period from June to July, 2010. The survey technique would employ the use of questionnaires. This study focuses on the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality. Definitions of terms used in the study: SERVQUAL model: An instrument for measuring service quality comprised of five dimensions such as: a) reliability, b) responsiveness, c) assurance, d) empathy and e) tangibility. Parasuraman summed up that customers perceive service quality by comparing their expectations with the actual organizational performance, and they evaluate service quality in different dimensions (Parasuraman et al., 1988). Service Quality: A product or outcome of all the staff managers of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok working together to satisfy their customers. In other words, high-quality service is a service that meets or exceeds customer needs and expectations (Wisniewski, 2001). Customer Expectation: is prediction service of customer that hotel should be provide to them. Predict service directly influence customer satisfaction evaluation (Zeithaml et al., 1993) Customer Perception: A feeling or sense possessed by the customer which is derived from their experiences at the hotel. Customer Satisfaction: The level to which a customer perceives that their expectations were met in the transaction with the hotel (Hallowell, 1996). Assumptions: A customer who receives a high level of service quality from the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is more likely to be satisfied with the overall level of service at the hotel. Limitations: Size of sample: The political uncertainty in Thailand during the past several months resulted in a decrease in the number of tourists all over Bangkok. Furthermore, the occupancy level at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok has been suppressed due to a reduction in room availability for internal renovations. The limited number of hotel customers may limit the sample size, leading to sample error. Time frame of data collection: The time frame is a major problem for this research because the research time table is quite short, especially considering that this season is the low season for tourism in Thailand. Since the tourist numbers are much lower than during high season, it could be difficult or impossible to reach the appropriate sample size. Human ethics considerations: This research is being conducted for educational purposes to learn about customer satisfaction at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok. For this reason, the hotels management is allowing researchers to collect data from their customers. Therefore, the researchers should not force the customers to complete the questionnaire if they are hesitant. The questionnaire is being designed so that it does not contain sensitive items which would make customers feel uncomfortable. Practical significance: Measuring service quality is more difficult than measuring the quality of manufactured goods because the nature of services is intangible (Bergman and Klefsjo, 1994). The SERVQUAL model is an efficient tool to help measure service quality and clarify customer satisfaction. The result of this research would be useful for the Shangri-La Hotels management and staff members so that they can better understand their customers level of satisfaction with perceptions about the hotels services. It will help hotel management in their efforts to maintain and improve hotel service quality. In addition, other hoteliers and organizations within the service industries sector could adapt this research to use as basis for studies into their own organizations. Background information: Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is a well-established Asian hotel chain in major cities throughout Asia, Oceania and The Middle East. The headquarters is located in Hong Kong. Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is one property of many properties of Shangri-La Company, located in the Silom district, has a total of 799 rooms including serviced apartments and other facilities such as restaurants, conference rooms, spa, swimming pool and tennis courts (Shangri-La Hotel, 2010). Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is located in a convenient place next to the Chao Phraya River which is the main river of Thailand, and is only half an hour from Suvarnabhumi Airport and 10 minutes away from central business by BTS Skytrain. For these reasons, this hotel has the ability to attract numerous tourists. Furthermore, Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is connected to Sathorn Pier, so tourists can take public boats or long tail boats to travel to and visit several kinds of tourist attractions easily such as the Temple of Dawn, the Grand Palace, the Flower Market and Khaosan Road. There is a high diversity of tourism industries which promote the economy in this district and along this river. However, in recent years, the Thai economy has experienced difficulty for a variety of reasons. Figures 1 and 2 compare the performance of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in the period from 2007 to 2008 with the period from 2008 to 2009. Figure 1: The Shangri-La Hotel Weighted Average Room Yield 2007-2008 Source: Shangri-La Asia Limited (2008) Figure 2: The Shangri-La Hotel Weighted Average Room Yields 2008-2009 Source: Shangri-La Asia Limited (2009) The figures above show that there was a significant decline in the performance of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Thailand in 2008 compared with 2007, and this decline in performance continued into 2009 with a drop on average room occupancy. According to the 2008 Shangri-La Asia Limited Annual Report, occupancy and RevPAR for Shangri-La Hotels decreased in 2008 by 15 and 10 percentage points respectively (Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2008). Moreover, the overall weighted average RevPAR for Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts Thai properties decreased a further 11 percent in 2009 (Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2009). The global financial crisis, the extensive renovations at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok and political uncertainty are cited as the main reasons for this decline. Literature review: There are several pieces of literature regarding studies of service quality which say that if a customer had a pleasant service experience, they would probably use that service again and would be likely to invite their friends or tell someone else to utilize those same services. In the same way, if customer had a poor service experience, they generally never forget about it, and many customers will complain and go elsewhere (Assael, 1987, Farrington et al., 2009, Peter and Olson, 1987). Word of mouth is a powerful communications tool. Customers may tell others whenever they experience poor service quality, and this would have a direct effect on the organizations image resulting in an eventual decrease in revenue. The power of this communications tool has always been evident from the past until the present. Consequently, organizations must always ensure that their service quality is the most pleasant and best to generate customers satisfaction. This is because the backbone of service organization growth is not just a high quality product or pricing strategy, but it is also the combination with good customer service. When customers receive good service the outcomes are positive(Farrington et al., 2009). Nowadays, companies increasingly emphasize service quality and customer satisfaction throughout, so that they can increase customer loyalty, because it has determined that high customer loyalty is key to success in their market segment(Cronin et al., 2000). Service quality is widely studied and useful in service industries(Carman, 1990, Collier and Bienstock, 2006, Cronin and Taylor, 1992, Cronin et al., 2000, Gronroos, 1984, Parasuraman et al., 1985, Parasuraman et al., 1988). Many scholars have taken an interest in service quality issues because of their intangibility, which makes them very difficult to measure (Bergman and Klefsjo, 1994). For these reasons, several researchers created a model to help clarify the measurement of service quality. The most popular and extensively used models are Gronroos Service Quality Model and Parasuramans Gap Model (Legcevic, 2008). It could be describes of each model as following; Gronroos Service Quality Model splits customer perceived service into two dimensions: 1) technical quality, and 2) functional quality (Gronroos, 1984). 1) Technical quality or outcome quality is what customer receives as outcome of the process in the resources. Functional quality is how customer receives from technical outcome (Legcevic, 2008). Parasuramans Gap Model indicates that five gaps exist between management and customers during the service delivery process (Parasuraman et al., 1985). For my research, I will employ the SERVQUAL scale by using gap scores to help measure service quality. Service Quality: Today quality become recognized as a strategic tool to enhance and improved business actual performance both of goods sector and service sector. The key factor to success in service industry is service quality. The purpose of service quality is to satisfy the customer. Hence, service quality and customer satisfaction influence each other. As mentioned in the beginning, service quality is defined as a product or outcome resulting from all members in the organization trying to satisfy their customers (Wisniewski, 2001). Service quality also could be defined as crucial decision-making criteria for service consumers (Cronin et al., 2000). Customers evaluate service quality by comparing organizational performance with their expectations (Zeithaml et al., 1993). However, Parasuraman proved and indicated that there is a problem with customer perception of service, because five gaps exist between the customer and the service provider during service delivery. The figure below illustrates the Service Quality Gap Model by Parasuraman. Figure 4: The Service Quality Gap Model Source: Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1985) According to figure as above, it could be describes each gap as following; Gap1: Service provider not knowing what the customers expect Gap2: Service provider not selecting the right service design Gap3: Service provider not delivering to service standard Gap4: Service provider not matching performance to promises Gap5: The difference between customer expectations and customer perceived service (Legcevic, 2008) A gap which may occur between customer expectation and customer perception is not the only measurement of service quality. However, it is a determinant of customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction. If the service providers response to customer needs is below their expectations, the customer would estimate that the quality is low. Measuring the gap between expected and perceived service is a routine method of utilizing customer feedback(Pizam and Ellis, 1999). SERVQUAL Scale: The main benefit of the SERVQUAL instrument is that it helps management to measure the quality of service by comparing customers expectation of service and customer perceived service which categorizing each problem facet into five dimensions. It lets them classify the problems into dimensions, helping management to focus on the problems and improve service quality in the right way when some elements of service are found to be lacking. The SERVQUAL model was created by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry in 1985. The 1985 version consisted of ten dimensions. The model was further developed, and in 1988 it was refined into five dimensions. The SERVQUAL model has been widely used as an efficient instrument for measuring service quality in many service industries (Asubonteng et al., 1996). The five dimensions are: 1) reliability, 2) responsiveness, 3) assurance, 4) empathy and 5) tangible. According to Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1985), they defined each dimensions as follows: Reliability: Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately Responsiveness: Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service Assurance: Knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence Empathy: Caring, individualized attention the firm provides its customers Tangible: Physical facilities, equipment, and appearance of personnel The most important dimension that the customer used to evaluate service quality is the reliability dimension (Legcevic, 2008). Parasuraman developed a set of questionnaires using 22 parallel questions to measure customers expectation of service and customer perception of service in the five dimensions. The measurement uses a Likert Scale with seven levels ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. The service quality measurement of each pair of questions uses performance minus expectation. A positive score represents positive service quality (Parasuraman et al., 1988). Quality = Performance Expectation Nevertheless, there are numerous of academic studies which do not support these five dimensions. These studies determined that problems occur with this measurement method. Chen (2008) argued that SERVQUAL should add more dimensions to give the result more validity and credibility (Chen, 2008). Carman (1990) argued that each dimension should not be general because each service industry is different. Therefore, this model could not be used in the same format across industries (Carman, 1990). Although, there are weak points existing in SERVQUAL model, the concept of dimensions is still useful and when anyone interested in service quality issue, one choice which remind is SERVQUAL scale because its great to demonstrative power (Jain and Gupta, 2004). Then, it is used frequently today. SERVPERF Scale When discuss about SERVQUAL scale, it can not forgot to talks about SERVPERF scale as well. SERVPERF is one of service quality measurement scale. The results of both scale (SERVQUAL and SERVPERF), when compare these method to each other, the result which occurs are quite similar. However, there are differences in measuring process. Moreover, it is difference in reliability. To classify divergence between SERVQUAL scale and SERVPERF could be concise explain as following; SERVQUAL use customers expectation of service and customer perceived service to find service quality while SERVPERF use only customers perception for consideration. Cronin and Taylor (1992) compare between these two scales a found that SERVPERF is enough for measure service quality. However, the SERVQUAL scale is effective than SERVPERF scale because it provide more pragmatic diagnosis of service quality (Jain and Gupta, 2004). Customer Satisfaction: There are plentiful researchers studies on customer satisfaction. The definition of customer satisfaction is also diverse. Pizam and Ellis(1999) states that customer satisfaction is a psychological concept relating to a feeling of pleasure and well-being which is a result between needs in mind and an appealing product or service (Pizam and Ellis, 1999). The sense of satisfaction brings about positive attitudes which leads a customer seek that satisfying experience again (Assael, 1987). Customer satisfaction also has an influence on corporate survival. Naumann (1995) states that in order to attract a new customer, an organization has to pay costs in the form of time and resources equal to approximately five times that which is necessary to retain an existing customer (Naumann, 1995). Therefore, it leads the organization to determine quality as the ability to retain existing customers. However, not every customer will perceive the same level of satisfaction with the same level of service, because their sense of satisfaction is related to word of mouth communication and their past experiences (Pizam and Ellis, 1999). All people have had different experiences, thus they also have different objectives, needs and expectations. To ensure that the organization provides a high level of service quality, customer satisfaction surveys are necessary. Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Bery (1994) suggested that product quality, service quality, and price are each factors that encourage satisfaction (Parasuraman et al., 1994). Customer loyalty develops when customers become satisfied with these different factors provided by the organization (Farrington et al., 2009). The following is a conceptual framework showing the connection of each element which involves customer satisfaction. Figure 3: A Conceptual Framework for the Effects of Perceived Product Quality, Service Quality, and Pricing Fairness on Consumer Satisfaction and Consumer Loyalty Customer Satisfaction Product Quality Perceived Product Quality Perceived Service Quality Service Quality Customer Loyalty Perceived Price Fairness Price Source: (Bei and Chiao, 2001) Understanding the critical elements described above, how they are related, and how they help the organization is a foundation to success in the service industry. Data required: The data required for this study would be based in information collected from Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok customers. This research also requires the use of SERVQUAL as the main model to help measure service quality. Furthermore, may utilize some other theories from journal articles and textbooks which are related to this research. Other sources of information may include Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts information, particularly with regards to general information and occupancy data as required supporting in this research. Data sources: This research will utilize the following two types of data: Primary data: The primary data for this research will be collected from 100 hotel customers who stay at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok for least one night. The guests will be selected by simple random sampling technique, and they will fill out questionnaires regarding hotel service quality. Each questionnaire shall contain three parts: the first part will be general information, the second part will be about the expectations, perceived service quality and third part is level of satisfaction of the customer. Secondary data: The secondary data will be gathered from literature such as journal articles, textbooks, Shangri-la Hotel, Bangkok data and hotel website sources. The process of data collection shall be conducted from June to July, 2010. Data collection techniques: This research would be collects the data from 100 of customers of Shangri-La hotel, Bangkok who stay at the hotel at least one night. The researcher would be select population sample by employ random sampling method and using questionnaire as the tools. The measuring service quality instrument in this research is SERVQUAL. The questionnaire composes of three parts as following; First part is about demographic data of customers (gender, age, nationality, occupation, reason for stay, how often that they have been stay at Shangri-La hotel, Bangkok and why they selected here as a place to stay). Second part, it would be focusing on customers expectation of service quality (customers expectations) and received service quality (customers perceptions), in this area customer would answer both of these two aspects into SERVQUAL dimensions. This research would use Likerts scale to measure into five point scales. Likerts scale is a instrument to help measure attitude and opinion (Laerhoven et al., 2004). On the customers expectation question side would be ask customer to rate ranging from Very unnecessary 1,2,3,4,5 Very necessary. On the customers perceive service question side would be ask customer to rate ranging from Very poor 1,2,3,4,5 Very good. Third part would be ask customer one question about their satisfaction of overall hotel service quality. In addition, researcher would leave the area for customer to add any recommendation. Data analysis: As for this research would be use SPSS program (Statistic Package for Social Science) to help analyze questionnaire survey. Timeline: Researcher has 13 weeks to process this report. This research process began on May 22, 2010. Due date of research proposal is on June 20, 2009. As for research final report is require to be submit on August 15, 2010

Children’s Television Essay

Over the past three months I have been studying children’s television programmes to find out about what influences they have over children’s behaviour, the types of shows that are on offer and why children opt to watch them. I picked three key questions based on what I thought would get the best reactions and results and the most frequently asked problems such as the amount of violence children see on TV. I used various different methods of searching for information which included surfing the Internet, emailing relevant people, setting up focus groups and interviewing people who have an appropriate opinion on this subject, e. g. parents. I broke my research up into three categories, primary, secondary and tertiary this allowed me to organise myself and also to get opinions as well as facts. My primary research consisted of interviewing people such as parents to find out their opinions on certain aspects of this subject. I have planned to interview a media teacher who is also a parent because she will have factual information and first hand experience. My second interviewee will be a single father of four young children, each child is in one of my aimed target groups so this will help when finding out why his children chose to watch what they do and why they enjoy it. I will also visit schools to interview children, first hand about their opinions on certain programmes and find out why they watch them. This will be very helpful when answering my second key question. To gather more information I will be conducting a set of focus groups, each will consists of five to six people who I will be directing questions at for them to discuss among themselves. I will be recording the discussion so I can referee to it later on, this will allow me to use quotes and pick out relevant information. I have produced a questionnaire that consists of 15 questions that I will be handing out to members of each of my focus groups. This is also part of my primary research and allows me to refer back and can be used as evidence when trying to make a point for one of my key questions. The only piece of primary research I have conducted thus far is to try and contact some of the industries producers and writers to find out some factual information about different shows. Whilst searching the Internet I located the BBC website, www. BBC. co. uk this was a big help as I found a link to the teletubbies website which then led me to find one of the writers email addresses. I emailed Will Brenton with an explanation of what I hoped to achieve from his knowledge and set him a few simple questions, I have yet to receive a reply but do frequently check my email. I am also hoping to get in contact with a producer or director for the BBC to find out about scheduling, I have yet to find the relevant address. My secondary research consisted mostly of searching through countless amounts of websites to try and pick out related information, I found this extremely frustrating as I had to search for hours at a time to find anything that would help me. I made a list of which websites were useful and visited them regularly for updates; www. turnoffyourtv. com, www. limittv. org and www. familyresources. com/parenting. Once I had collected enough information I began sifting through it and highlighting the most interesting parts. Whilst looking on the Internet I managed to determine what shows were on offer and which were the most popular, from this I chose three main programmes to focus on, all of which were aimed at different ages but for both sexes. Another reason why I chose them was because they had received the best ratings over any other TV show for the same age group and were also on the same channel, this made it easier to access information.