ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Which of the seven elements of the services marketing mix are addressed in this case? Give examples of each ‘P’ you identify Based on the information in the case study, it is evident that Dr. Beckett specializes in offering services to patients who present with dental problems. She aims at providing consumers with exemplary dental services, which would help her to realize better proceeds that would be critical in expanding her firm. The seven Ps are utilized in marketing approaches in the evaluation and re-evaluation of business activities. They are important in achieving the set goals because they enable managers to closely monitor the impacts of rapid changes vis-a-vis customers and needs (Lovelock & Wirtz 2011). In varying degrees, Dr. Beckett addresses each of the seven Ps in the reconstruction of her practice and the overall process of providing services to patients. The product is embodied in professional dental care since she goes out of her way to give her clients the best treatments possible. Price In a typical marketing scenario, prices of goods and services are adopted on the grounds of the costs of production and the quality of items, among others (Lovelock & Wirtz 2011). In the context of the case study, it is clear that the overall costs of providing dental care have continued to rise remarkably. The pricing element of the dentist’s marketing mix is underlined by the fact that her services are slightly more expensive than those of business rivals. This is because she has spent more funds to make her practice more executive looking and effective. In addition, higher prices tend to be assumed to represent relatively high-quality services (Wu, Ray & Whinston 2008). Promotion Small changes with regard to how products are promoted can lead to great changes in sales results. Promotion is also prominent in her marketing mix. She advertises her services in unique ways, such as providing an office with an executive look. She has also displayed her degree certificates on the wall and occasionally gives her clients some presents. Her clients’ referrals are her means of promoting her work (Kowalkowski, Kindstrom & Brehmer 2011). In fact, it has been demonstrated that consumers who are satisfied with certain products could be important in improving their sales by referring to other persons. However, if the quality of goods and/or services start to worsen, then many people discourage others from making purchases, which could negatively impact the performance outcomes of many organizations (Kowalkowski et al. 2011). Place As far as the place aspect is concerned, she has also excelled by providing an attractive office that is tastefully designed and strategically located for easy access by her target white-collar clients. In fact, it
Introduction It is pointed out that, “in its preamble to the 1949 Housing Act, Congress declared its goal of ‘a decent home in a suitable living environment for every American family’” (Schwartz 1). In the course of over the last six decades, beginning from the time the this legislation was passed, the U.S Federal Government has engaged in assisting to finance the construction as well as rehabilitation of over five million housing units for the families that have a low income and has also offered rental vouchers to almost two million more families. However, the housing problems in the United States remain severe. For instance, it is reported that in the year 2005, over forty two million families stayed in physically deficient housing, with more than thirty percent of their incomes being spent on housing and even some families were homeless (Schwartz 1). Since housing is very costly, its development as well as acquisition mostly relies on borrowed funds. It is reported that “housing construction, acquisition of existing rental buildings, and the purchase of single-family homes all rely on debt” (Schwartz 51). It is also reported that in the year 2009, the residential mortgages were more than eleven trillion dollars, and this was more than fifty percent of the whole federal government debt (Schwartz 51). There has been structuring of the “housing finance system” to a larger extent by the federal government, usually in response to a crisis. A large number of the most stable elements as well as institutions, “including fixed-rate, self-amortizing mortgages, mortgage insurance, and a secondary mortgage market, stem from Roosevelt administration’s interventions in response to the Great depression” (Schwartz 51). The response made by the government to the savings as well as loan crisis that occurred in the course of the 1980s assisted in ushering in a fresh era in housing finance; an era that was marked by securitization. The “housing finance system” fell into a crisis once again in the year 2007 and it is reported that, as of mid-2009, its final impact remained unknown and “a new regulatory and institutional landscape is still taking shape” (Schwartz 51). Much has been written on the impacts of the US mortgage crisis on the global economy. Financial experts have warned that the impacts of the US housing and financial crises might persist if the necessary policies are not implemented (Kolb 6). As a result, adjustments in the financial institutions have been inevitable. Most mortgage lenders have tightened their lending rates to survive in the changing markets. Several financial experts believe that the effects of the current US mortgage crisis are far much worse than stated by the government economists. Objectives of the investigation The main aim of the study is to inves
Introduction Employment is essentially a business transaction out of which all parties should come out fairly like in any other business transaction. It involves employees exchanging their skills, knowledge and experience for a wage with employers. Naturally, employers would like to pay as little as possible for work done while employees would like to get as much as possible for their work. Since employers are few in number and more powerful than employees and can conspire to remunerate workers unfairly, there is need for employees to come together in form of labor or trade unions in order to enhance their bargaining power regarding fair remuneration, as well as, provision of good, safe and secure working conditions. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how unionization has impacted retail food industry (Publix) and the role of labor unions in shaping retail food industry and current business conditions for Publix. How unionization has impacted retail food industry (Publix) in US Labour unions popularly known as trade unions play significant roles in protecting unionized workers labor rights against abuse by employers in virtually all industries. Unionization has enabled retail food industry workers to enjoy various work related benefits. For instance, according to Institute for Women’s Policy Research (2002), unionized retail food industry workers earn higher wages in comparison to those not unionized. Unionized workers also stand greater chances of enjoying health insurance cover through their employment, get relatively bigger health insurance premium subsidies and are more than two times likely to take part in an employer or union-sponsored pension plan than non-union counterparts (IWPR 2002).These benefits help in safeguarding the economic well being of retail food industry workers and their families. In response to extra labor and operational costs brought about by unionization of workers, as well as, competition some players have opted to merge. Others have been driven out of the market while others have been replaced by nonunion chain drugstores selling food products, greengrocers and upscale specialty food stores (Ness, 2005). Other supermarket chains like Publix have lowered costs by establishing part-time jobs that give much lower wages and offer few if any benefits. Some players employ new immigrants who work longer hours under poorer work conditions (Ness, 2005). In addition, supermarkets have been pushing for labor unions to assist in cutting down labor costs in their quest to expand their profit margins. In fact, entry of new immigrant jobseekers in to retail food industry is one factor that has been significant in reorganization of the conventional employer-employee relationships. The role of labor unions in shaping retail food
Introduction The American Revolution spans way back from the British colonization era. The first colony for the British was Newfoundland in 1497. Then a century later, it found its place in America. One of the major interests of the British to relocate to America (New England) was as a result of the ample space the continent provided for its population. This is so because the Rural England was said to be full by the 17 th century. By 1604, an agreement had been signed between the two countries and in 1606 America was subdivided into two monopolies, that is, North and South Virginia. North Virginia was reserved for merchants and fishermen from Plymouth (South West England) whereas South Virginia was set aside for investors and immigrants from London. However, the 17 th century turned out to be one of the most turbulent times for the British Empire which resulted to a civil war (British Civil War) between the Parliament and the King 1 . Though the war was as a result of political misunderstandings there were also religious strings that were attached to the war. The British Civil War and its Effects on Colonists The English Civil war that began in 1642 was as a result of a contest which was of political nature between the King and the parliament. It was also fueled by religious circles which saw Anglicans favor the king whereas the Puritans supported the parliament. This was a war against King Charles I, though the Puritans felt it was their obligation to remain in England opposing migration to the New England. The war came to halt in 1649 when King Charles I was executed and the parliament won the war. Therefore, during the following eleven years, between 1649 and 1660, the Puritans were the supreme leaders of England and this had an impact on the New England. One impact was that the colonists in New England governed themselves and secondly they did not strictly conform to the orders or wishes of the rulers in England anymore. This was as a result of the Parliament and Puritans defeat of King Charles I where the battle was of a political nature. Since the Puritans believed they had a religious obligation which implied they had to remain in England, this led to a low migration number of the Puritans from 1649 which in return made the New England colonists gain governance power over themselves 2 . A great number of Puritans had migrated to New England between 1630 and 1642 where King Charles I had not prohibited then to do so. This was because it was in his favor if they migrated due the rising pressure between the Parliament and him since the Puritans were always against him; therefore they were in support of the Parliament. The reluctance of the Puritans to relocate to New England made life easier for the colonists as opposed to the time when King Charles I was in power. This led to the colonists in Virginia to accepting Cromwell’s authority and those of the Puritans; which in return saw them reclaim power to govern over themselves. Charles II Policies and their Effects on Colonists The reign of the Puritans came to an end as from the 1660s when Charles II rose to the throne of England as King. This was viewed as a restoration to the throne by
For an industry to attain its objectives, it has to focus on strategic planning. For instance, Kuwait has an objective that is entwined in its vision 2033. It has to achieve this by ensuring that there is utter utility in production of energy (Federal Research Division 9). However, several factors should be taken into consideration. To begin with, quite a number of setbacks normally affect the utility and production in the energy sector. For instance, the Kuwait energy industry is facing four major setbacks namely geological, KPC management, lack of clarity and political interference. Looking for appropriate ways of containing the stated setbacks is an opportunity to develop the industry. Pie chart showing setbacks in the industry. To begin with, the country has to engage complex geology in finding untapped oil fields (Al-Dekhayel 29). Though this requires massive investments, it is worthwhile. For instance, by the year 2020, Kuwait has an objective of attaining a capacity of 4 million b/d. Apparently, it only has a reserve of 101.5 billion barrels, which are not enough to achieve such a target. Therefore, the stakeholders will have to work an extra mile to achieve the target. Secondly, the country has to instill meritocracy in Kuwait Petroleum Corporation management. Mismanagement of the corporation is a setback to the performance of the industry. Thirdly, there is lack of clarity in the oil sector. Lack of stipulated laws makes it hard to achieve the stated targets. Lastly, the oil industry is marred with political interference. This adversely affects the development of the industry as other parties misguide it. Therefore, to develop the industry, there should be unprejudiced management. The management should not be politically instigated, but instead function independently. Under such circumstances, the oil industry will most likely develop to conform to the vision 2033. Exploration of oil fields. After dealing with the setbacks that affect the oil industry, the management will have to plot various development criteria to help improve the sector. First, the industry has to focus on the stated targets. For a country to develop, it has to make an upward improvement in the production. Therefore, the sector will only make an improvement when there is an increase in the production. Similarly, surpassing the targets will be appealing, as the industry will have surpluses, which can act as extra revenue. Secondly, the industry has to focus on the efficiency. Employing and deploying the appropriate number of workers in the industry will
Bharati Mukherjee’s essay, “Two Ways to Belong in America” talks about the experiences of two Indian sisters who migrated to the United States in the early 1960s to further their education and how they have been influenced by the American culture after more than 3 decades. In the essay, Bharati tries to compare the American lifestyle she has embraced with the Indian traditions that her sister Mira espouses. Whereas Bharati was “opting for fluidity, self-invention, blue jeans, and T-shirts” (Mukherjee 273), on the other hand, her sister, Mira, “clings passionately to her Indian citizenship and hopes to go home to India when she retires” (Mukherjee 273). Even as Bharati has quickly adjusted to the American culture, as evidenced by her wearing of American clothes (for example, jeans), in contrast, Mira is reluctant to embrace the American culture. According to Bharati, for an immigrant to belong in America, he/she either has to remain an “exile” or transform him/herself and embrace the American culture. Bharati has chosen to embrace the American way of life, including getting married to an American and applying for American citizenship. On the other hand, Mira has chosen to remain in exile and although she retains her green card, she still plans to relocate to India upon her retirement. Based on the experiences of the two sisters, we can argue that one chosen to change in order to belong to a certain culture, but culture does not change us. In her essay, Bharati Mukherjee has tried to compare herself to her sister Mira in terms of their divergent philosophies, attitudes, and feelings. Before leaving India, the two sisters shared similar attitudes and appearances. More than three decades after settling in the U.S, the two sisters share divergent attitudes and feelings. For example, Bharati is now an American citizen while her sister is not. Bharati is also concerned by the thousands of residents who are applying for American citizenship after the U.S government introduced an anti-immigration bill, but this does not seem to bother Mira. From Bharati’s point of view, her sister Mira has a narrow perspective on the whole issue of American citizenship. Bharati also pities her sister for her involvement with “the superficial culture of this society” (Mukherjee 274). On the other hand, Mira pities her sister for having erased her Indianness, for her unstructured life, and lack of unchanging daily core. The differences in the divergent points of view between the two sisters on issues to do with life and culture are largely due to the fact that Bharati has embraced the American culture while Mira is still stuck with the Indian culture. Consequently, there is a cultural crash between the two sisters. Bharati sees Mira as alien to the American culture, while Mira contends that Bharati has betrayed her Indian identity. Bharati has endeavored to explore the differences between her and her sister Mira as regards the issue of the U.S citizenship. Bharati is of the opinion that i
When a person reaches old age he is already much acquainted with the loss of loved ones and chronic impairments associated with aging (Tobin, 1988). In this regard, it is common to find people in old age to experience psychological problems. Yet, there are those who seem to have discovered the necessary coping mechanisms to go through the final stage of their lives without being overly distressed by the negative effects of loss. The said coping mechanisms can be understood using two theoretical frameworks, namely, self-psychology and attachment theory . In order to utilize theoretical frameworks used in the field of psychology, the proponent of this study interviewed Ralph Prior, an 84-year-old white male. He is now currently staying in a center for aging seniors and this is located within the Boston area. In the course of the interview, it became clear that Mr. Prior had a rough time dealing with loss, his vitality, his home, and especially his wife. Before going any further it is important to first discuss the nature of old age and why the idea of loss is a distinct characteristic in this stage of human existence. Understanding Old Age According to Sluzki, “Old age is both a biologic reality and a social construct” (2000); this is especially true when one compares the very old and the very young. When one is much younger death and loss were never part of the thought process. But as old age approaches there is the unmistakable sign of loss (Loewenstein, 1988). Physical vigor is no longer what it used to be (Min, 2005). There are body parts that are missing, especially, the hair, teeth and in cases of serious illness or injury limbs, breasts, or internal organs may have been lost to surgical operation or accidents. The frailty of the human body will never be felt more acutely than in old age (Lapsley, 1993). As a result, older people may react negatively to these changes (Greene & Cohen, 2005). An old man will feel the effects of aging but aside from the biological symptoms of advancing age the social aspect of aging is one that is arguably much harder to take (Stroebe, M. et al., 1992). The social aspect of aging includes relationships as well as how the person views himself as everything around him continues to change drastically. In order for social workers to help them go through this difficult stage, it is best to understand a few theoretical frameworks that will help the social worker gain the necessary knowledge and skills. For instance, the old person will have to struggle with the cumulative effects of the stages of the family life cycle (Carter & McGoldrick, 1989). By this time the elderly would have gone through the pain and suffering of seeing children grow old and leave the house. Attachment theory is one of the many theories that can help understand what old age can do to a person. Attachment theory is founded on the idea that humans develop this instinctive behavior in the infancy stage and therefore it is linked to the mother-child relationship (Bowlby & Parke
The restaurant I have chosen, called Casa Vasca , is a Spanish restaurant offering a variety of different seafood dishes. It is located in Newark, New Jersey (07105), at 141 Elm Street. As the restaurant is open daily, I have visited it once during the working days (21.11.2016 at 5:00 p.m.) and on the weekend (19.11.2016 at 9:00 p.m.) to compare whether the restaurant practices or service differs on regular days and at the weekends when it has many visitors, and the kitchen is indeed busy. According to my observation, the personal hygiene of the employees serving food was proper. Their hands seemed clean as well as their clothing. The waitress serving food was wearing a hair restraint and a special uniform. Apart from that, she did not have any jewelry and the scratch or a wound on her wrist was covered with a waterproof bandage. Importantly, the staff followed the essential rule of handling food, which is no direct contact between the hands and the ready meal (King, 2013). All of the employees were wearing a special uniform that represents the cultural views of the restaurant. All of the workers were neat; their clothes were clean and tidy. In general, the faculty was quite clean, the tables were properly washed as well as the tablecloths, and t
Introduction Widescreen International School situated in Sharjah, the UAE, offers its students Cambridge Curriculum adapted to meet the requirements of globalization and diversity. There are more than sixty-two nationalities found there, which ensures a truly international experience for both students and the staff. The school offers both primary and secondary broad-based education of the highest quality, giving students unique opportunities to build character, obtain knowledge, learn practical skills, develop leadership talents, and elaborate analytical thinking to the level at which they will be able to overcome challenges posed by the world of work. At the same time, traditional values and beliefs of the UAE are not left behind, either. The school promotes peace, tolerance, enlightenment, support, and collaboration. The Arabic language and Islamic Studies are the pivots of the students’ learning experience, which allows them not only to gain knowledge of the subjects but also to implement it in practice when they organize various enjoyable activities. The entrepreneur who was interviewed for the analysis at hand is the Head of the School. He stated that the school mission was not only to follow the content of the curriculum but also to provide students with the opportunity to take part in curricular and extracurricular activities, sports programs, community services, and performing arts. The entrepreneur is convinced that this helps children become more sensitive to all aspects of life regardless of their race, religion, and social status. The mission he believes to be central for the education of the youngest is that they should be brought up in love with a cultivated feeling of self-respect as well as respect for others. The campus is another chance for them to become more independent, improve their problem-solving skills, develop critical thinking, and shape their physical form. The entrepreneur places a great emphasis