title: Service & guest loyalty in the hotel industry: the impact of employee commitment on guest satisfaction

authors: Elebiary, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan

subjects: service

abstract: In today’s competitive environment, customer’s perceptions and expectations demand that service leaders distinguish themselves from their competitors not only by satisfying customers, but also by delighting them through providing service quality(Kandampully, 1997). Researchers(Kandampully, 1998; Lee, Barker, & Kandampully, 2003) have suggested that it is a two-way relationship, where service organizations aim to gain customer’s loyalty, and the customer, on the other hand, seeks an organization’s service loyalty. However, recent studies (Bowen & Chen, 2001) have indicated that there are many reasons for customer satisfaction other than service loyalty. This research used a series of focus groups to investigate the factors that the participants viewed as important for choosing an accommodation and would make them go to the same place again in the future.

text: Service & guest loyalty in the hotel industry: the impact of employee commitment on guest satisfaction In today’s competitive environment, customer’s perceptions and expectations demand that service leaders distinguish themselves from their competitors not only by satisfying customers, but also by delighting them through providing service quality(Kandampully, 1997). Researchers(Kandampully, 1998; Lee, Barker, & Kandampully, 2003) have suggested that it is a two-way relationship, where service organizations aim to gain customer’s loyalty, and the customer, on the other hand, seeks an organization’s service loyalty. However, recent studies (Bowen & Chen, 2001) have indicated that there are many reasons for customer satisfaction other than service loyalty. This research used a series of focus groups to investigate the factors that the participants viewed as important for choosing an accommodation and would make them go to the same place again in the future.

year: 2008

title: Video-based detection of shorelines at complex mesomacro tidal beaches

authors: Almar, Rafael

subjects: intertidal beach morphology

abstract: Remote video imagery is widely used to acquire measurements of intertidal topography by means of shoreline detection, but, up to now, problems of accuracy were still encountered in the challenging case of energetic waves in nonuniform, mesomacro tidal environments. Unique, simultaneous, video-based and global positioning system (GPS)based measurements of shoreline were undertaken at Truc Vert (France), a beach with such characteristics. An innovative video method, referred to herein as the Minimum Shoreline Variability (MSV) method, was developed to cope with highly variable spatiotemporal shoreline properties. The comparison of video-based and GPS-derived shoreline data sets showed that using images averaged over short periods (30 s), rather than the traditionally used 10-min averaged images, significantly improved the accuracy of shoreline determination. A local video-derived, swash-based shoreline correction was also developed to correct for the MSV error, which was found to be linearly correlated to local swash length. By combining shorter time-averaged images and video derived local swash correction factors, the horizontal root mean square error associated with MSV shorelines was reduced to 1.2 m, which is equivalent to errors reported at more uniform, microtidal, and less-energetic beaches.

text: Video-based detection of shorelines at complex mesomacro tidal beaches Remote video imagery is widely used to acquire measurements of intertidal topography by means of shoreline detection, but, up to now, problems of accuracy were still encountered in the challenging case of energetic waves in nonuniform, mesomacro tidal environments. Unique, simultaneous, video-based and global positioning system (GPS)based measurements of shoreline were undertaken at Truc Vert (France), a beach with such characteristics. An innovative video method, referred to herein as the Minimum Shoreline Variability (MSV) method, was developed to cope with highly variable spatiotemporal shoreline properties. The comparison of video-based and GPS-derived shoreline data sets showed that using images averaged over short periods (30 s), rather than the traditionally used 10-min averaged images, significantly improved the accuracy of shoreline determination. A local video-derived, swash-based shoreline correction was also developed to correct for the MSV error, which was found to be linearly correlated to local swash length. By combining shorter time-averaged images and video derived local swash correction factors, the horizontal root mean square error associated with MSV shorelines was reduced to 1.2 m, which is equivalent to errors reported at more uniform, microtidal, and less-energetic beaches.

year: 2012

title: Mental health of people of diverse genders and sexualities in Aotearoa/New Zealand: Findings from the New Zealand Mental Health Monitor

authors: Tan, Kyle K. H.

subjects: Science & Technology

abstract: Issues addressed: To examine mental health inequities, and social exclusion and isolation and protective factor differences between people of diverse genders and sexualities (lesbian/gay, bisexual, gender diverse, and takatāpui) and cisgender and heterosexual people in Aotearoa/New Zealand.  Methods: We employed data from the pooled probability sample of 2016 and 2018 New Zealand Mental Health Monitor. The sample comprised of 2,938 people at least 15 years old, of which 93 had diverse gender and sexuality identities. Generalised linear models were used to test for differences in mental health (current and lifetime mental distress, depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide), social exclusion and isolation, and friend and family support for people of diverse genders and sexualities. We also conducted exploratory linear regression analyses to examine whether mental health difficulties were associated with social exclusion and isolation and friend/family support.  Results: People of diverse genders and sexualities had high rates of mental health difficulties across all variables we examined. For example, people identifying as diverse genders and sexualities had three times the risk of considering self-harm and suicide than their cisgender and heterosexual counterparts (22% vs 5%; RR = 3.12). People of diverse genders and sexualities also scored an average of 6.08 points higher on the 27-point PHQ-9 depression scale when they had experienced social isolation, and 4.01 points higher when they experienced social exclusion. Conclusion: Our results are consistent with current literature on the large mental health inequities faced by people of diverse genders and sexualities.  So what?: Policy makers and healthcare providers in Aotearoa/New Zealand should consider the negative mental health consequences of social exclusion and isolation for people of diverse genders and sexualities.

text: Mental health of people of diverse genders and sexualities in Aotearoa/New Zealand: Findings from the New Zealand Mental Health Monitor Issues addressed: To examine mental health inequities, and social exclusion and isolation and protective factor differences between people of diverse genders and sexualities (lesbian/gay, bisexual, gender diverse, and takatāpui) and cisgender and heterosexual people in Aotearoa/New Zealand.  Methods: We employed data from the pooled probability sample of 2016 and 2018 New Zealand Mental Health Monitor. The sample comprised of 2,938 people at least 15 years old, of which 93 had diverse gender and sexuality identities. Generalised linear models were used to test for differences in mental health (current and lifetime mental distress, depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide), social exclusion and isolation, and friend and family support for people of diverse genders and sexualities. We also conducted exploratory linear regression analyses to examine whether mental health difficulties were associated with social exclusion and isolation and friend/family support.  Results: People of diverse genders and sexualities had high rates of mental health difficulties across all variables we examined. For example, people identifying as diverse genders and sexualities had three times the risk of considering self-harm and suicide than their cisgender and heterosexual counterparts (22% vs 5%; RR = 3.12). People of diverse genders and sexualities also scored an average of 6.08 points higher on the 27-point PHQ-9 depression scale when they had experienced social isolation, and 4.01 points higher when they experienced social exclusion. Conclusion: Our results are consistent with current literature on the large mental health inequities faced by people of diverse genders and sexualities.  So what?: Policy makers and healthcare providers in Aotearoa/New Zealand should consider the negative mental health consequences of social exclusion and isolation for people of diverse genders and sexualities.

year: 2021-10-03