Customer service and customer retention in fast food industry in karachi - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 29 Words: 8790 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? Abstract This study investigates the relationship between dining attributes, customer satisfaction and customers retention in the fast food industry. In short this research paper is to describe analyze why customers come back to the same restaurant when there are several options available to them. What influence their decisions? This research has brought out how to gain customer retention to the services and the factors that influence the customer retention. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Customer service and customer retention in fast food industry in karachi" essay for you Create order For this research qualitative approach is used. Data collection method is questionnaire and interviews to clarify what is their real mean of filling the options; sample size of 100 consumers from different fast food restaurant has been taken randomly on the basis of convenience sampling. Results obtained from the statistical analysis corroborate using the optimal regression as a statistical tool which shows that research can be used by marketers especially by the managers of the restaurants for better understanding, and assessing what influences customer how they behave and why they come back to the restaurant. Managers can also use our findings to increase the retention rates by adjusting relevant service elements of the restaurants. 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 INTRODUCTION Eating is observably a daily action and necessity for all human beings. Depending on individuals reason for eating at restaurants, individual intentionally or instinctively assess a multifarious set of attributes ahead of choosing a restaurant. The significance involved to these restaurant attributes is ultimately evaluated in the customers mind, leading to a decision of purchasing. Some factors, like age, company and even social division come into take part in to amplify these attributes as the customer makes a decision of dining (Johnson and Champaner, 2004). The restaurant industry has undoubtedly not been free from either augmented competition or from increasing customer expectations regarding quality. In the greatly competitive food industry, large operators chain have a propensity to gain competitive gain in the course of cost leadership, likely only due to standardization and economies of scale beginning from large market shares, while smaller, independent restaurants on the other hand endeavor to gain benefit through differentiation (Lowenstein, 1995). Branding keeps on gaining importance in the marketing of restaurants services and marketers have spent lot of money to create and give support to brand images. This have seen in the marketing of strong and well defined brands like Mc Donalds and Kfc fast food restaurants which attracts the customer through their marketing , service and by making brand loyal customers of their products. This increases the retention rate due to satisfied and loyal customer. Particularly, there is lot more to discern about customers perceive restaurant brands and the comparative weight these links get during purchase decision as there is lot more to discern about customers perceive restaurant brands and the comparative weight these links get during purchase decision. According to the Kaplan and Norton (2001) the importance of the perceived quality in order to get the retention effect in restaurant industry is always considered as a main element to retain in the customers and the business. The main reaso n behind that in this industry entry barrier are usually low and any one can easily enter due to investment required that is not on the higher side. So the point is that when ever consumer is satisfy from the arrangement by the management, the quality of the food provided by the staff members with the positive attitude than this result in increasing the loyalty towards the particular restaurant and increases the retention intensions of the customers. 1.2 Purpose of the study The purpose of study fold in two parts: one suggests that how important is dining attributes in term of Re-patronage intentions and second part suggest the customer satisfaction which leads Re-patronage intentions in restaurants. The role of dining attributes and customer satisfaction is very important for knowing the customer intentions, would they will visit to that restaurants again or not. There has been a strong support for the espousal of consumer retention in restaurants as one of the key performance indicators. It has found that there is a high association between customer retention and the profit earn by the industries. The fragmentation of media choices and the active nature of the marketplace, tied with an enlarged number of additional demanding and prosperous consumers, brought bigger challenges to marketing practitioners in keeping hold of their regular customers. Customer satisfaction is regularly used as a sign of whether customers will come back to a restaurant that shows the customer retention. Whereas there is no agreement of a satisfied customers repeat visit, it is nearly certain that a not satisfied customer will not return. The majority of the preceding customer satisfaction researches are mentioned in the literature that has pay attention on recognizing the resource of customer contentment such as characteristic and attributes and on determining useful ways to establish consumers desires, wants and needs. On the other hand, significant dissimilarity comes out in the level of specify of the characteristic investigated. 1.3 Research Objectives To identify the process to gain customer retention to the services and what are the factors that influence the customer retention. The primary problem is to identify the customer retention in the detail that includes factors of dining attributes and customer satisfaction in context to food restaurant industry. Thus these factors leads to consumer behavior and customer revisit the restaurant. 1.4 Research Methodology This study find out the relationship between dining attributes, customer satisfaction and customers Re patronage intentions and this execute particularly in restaurant industry, how customers decide to revisit the restaurant and what are those factors which influences the customer for returning back to restaurants again and again. To find these reasons we used quantitative approach for this research. The constructed instrument was pre-tested, where 5 to 6 sample questionnaire to be filled, to know if there are any problem with the instrument and therefore it was simple to understand and figure out the questions or not. Through pre-testing it was found that all respondents felt at ease in responding and instrument was interested to them. Instrument:All the information is collected through a questionnaire containing closed ended, structured and unstructured questions. This method was chosen primarily due to ease in handling and recording information. Procedure:The research study is conducted to examine the outcomes and responses of our sample targeted (Local Industry) in order to conclude the impact of customer service on customer retention. Sample size: 100 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Literature review Whether human live to eat or eat to live, food always plays a fundamental role in the lives of human being. The significance of foodstuff cannot be overstated from the physiological viewpoint; food gives us sustenance; while on the other hand from a psychological point of view food is classified as a basic need. Food can also characterize a product used to describe self-actualization. Therefore, individual can quarrel that above and beyond provided that nourishment food plays a variety of roles together at individual and group level. Edifice brands have become a key focus of restaurant managers. Furthermore, restaurant managers are relating brand management theories and practices which have done so far, and lots of restaurants are redesigning their business missions to imitate branding orientation rather than they go for product orientation. There is also an influence of brand recall on consumers intensions in choosing a restaurant for dining due to the different discount offers through different mediums of advertising that mostly include the below the line activities that makes restaurants brands that diminish the perceived risk of pay for the food and also indicate the quality of the product that creates their willingness to make wider positive word of mouth, recommendations, and complaint intention (Lowenstein, 1995) In our research we find that since the last few years the trend of dinning out and fast food restaurants has been increasing with the increasing rate. Now you will find (at least one) fast food restaurant in every society, whether it is high profile or low profile people society. The culture has always significant impact on the societys emerging trends. It is also observed though people dont consider fast food a healthy meal, yet they go for it over again. Due to availability of too many options to the customers, their behavior is more towards variety seeking instead of going for one meal second time. Especially the Pakistani youth seems that they are fond of entertainment and they find only fast food restaurants the best to be visited whenever they go for entertainment (Syed Kamran, 2010) The food industry is highly aggressive and customers have also become more demanding due to sufficient knowledge and information they have about the different trends in restaurant industry which causes increase the significance of effective marketing strategies to get the competitive advantage in order to understand the wants and needs of the customers (Bateson and Hoffman, 1999) Numerous Fast Food restaurants are paying attention in studying, assessing and implementing the marketing strategies with the aim of gaining maximum market share of customers and improving customer retention in analysis of the advantageous effects on the monetary performance for the organization. Customer satisfaction, contentment, quality of the service, excellence and retention are global matter that influences all organizations. This increases in the restaurant business revenue as well and this increases the word of mouth publicity (Almanza and Jaffe, 1994). Evaluating quality awareness and price elasticity related to quality, suggested that buyers are generally steady in their evaluations of quality. The results of their study showed that there was a strong association between a products attributes and the quality perceptions of the customers. It was found that tangible quality has a bigger circumlocutory effect than the straight effect indicates from a theoretical point of view; affect was a fractional mediator, facilitating the association among tangible quality and behavior. The consequences of well-situated parking must not be the lost upon restaurant management. Often the cost of attaining parking near to a restaurant is sighted as a non-revenue generating expenditure. This specifies the value of given that well-located parking along with the direct consequence it has on consumer intentions to patronize a restaurant (Lasser and Winsor, 2000). In customers mind when there is no defect in the overall dining service, then they consider the quality of the food is good enough for them (Bitner, 1992). Quality is all about eliminating internal failures that means all shortcomings before the product leaves from the factory and the external failures are the defects after usage of the product (Eileen and Berry, 2007). In Early research and study efforts in measuring and defining quality were mainly centered in the tangible goods, whereas the apparently more complicated services products was ignored. Products quality was conventionally correlated to the technical stipulation of products, with the most description of quality coming up from the manufacturing goods sector where excellence and quality control has inward drawn out awareness and research. Quantifying service quality is a difficult task because the idea of service quality is intrinsically insubstantial in nature and complicated to define (Kincaid, 2009) Branding and its orientation have been wicker strongly into the contemporary act of consumption in restaurants. Undeniably, the previous century will be considered as the century of brands in marketing (Johnson and Champaner, 2004) Researchers have acknowledged customer satisfaction, service quality and the loyalty to be similarly important for marketers, because they are responsible for determining dining satisfaction, and they must know the important of dining that must position restaurant functions competitively in the current and future marketplace (Kaplan and Norton, 2001). Customer satisfaction and the quality of food have long been acknowledged as a essential function for success and endurance in competitive marketplace that have been connected to consumer behavioral intentions as purchase and loyalty intention, their willingness to widen positive word of mouth, recommendation, and complaint intention (Olsen, 2002). Purchase behavior of the consumer in restaurants can be pretentious by the surroundings in different ways. Researcher consider atmosphere, which is an attention-building medium that can make restaurant inkling. The centre of attention is based on the collective possessions of those clues on customers idiosyncratic through design, sound, motion, and color. Customers are delimited by true rock and roll memorabilia (Supphellen 2000). The indication of Service in selecting by means of restaurant services, customers frequently act like detectives as they investigate for information and standardize their opinions into a set of mind-set regarding the resultant service. For example, the whole thing about the dining attributes of a restaurant or caf starts from the dining table potential communicate to the customers, with the table top used, if practical sign concern the technical excellence of the service, mainly concerning to whether the service is carry out proficiently. The research also highlighted that customers who pay for high quality foodstuffs also had a low acceptance for deviations from predictable quality. In the Fast food restaurant perspective, this entails that customers who want superior dining quality are more sensitive to quality fluctuations and possibly will be less price sensitive but, for example in relation to the relative higher pricing of the menu items and marketing strategies that put together the quality image of the restaurant, ambience and service. The concept of service quality comprises the tangible and intangible fundamentals most essential to consumers. Service quality has been related to customer satisfaction, contentment and loyalty as well as the business performance, success and profitability (Raajpoot, 2002) Fundamentals such as surface and texture, smell, color, sound, and texture inducing intuitive reactions in restaurant atmosphere that persuades purchase likelihood known as the mechanical clues (Eileen and Berry, 2007) Food and drink quality is an imperative dining attributes to diners representing restaurant management should certify an aggressive quality control agenda is in place to make sure food and drink quality must maintained The convenience of location includes the parking space, seating availability in the restaurant; the nearness to roof-tops like peoples residence, hotels, and motels is significant for the accomplishment of restaurants all through the dinner mealtime duration. The significance of the physical excellence raise of foodstuff and service and convenience to restaurant administration is to facilitate these constructs that have an affirmative association with influence which is completely linked with customer intentions to retention a restaurant. The objective of most restaurants is to obtain and maintain customers; restaurant administration organized with the information get that will be better prepared to accomplish their aim. There is a intense deficient in understanding about dining satisfaction and pleasure and post-dining behavioral intentions in the customer literature reviewed studied so far away, and up till now, according to the literature allude to, aspects concerning to customer satisfaction and return customer are elementary when put together business and marketing strategies of the organization. Professed service quality may perhaps be improved if customers are support with the mauve list and bill of fare and if a worker responds suitably to a customers asked for quick service. Customer always feel admire and important if they get the best service and respect from the overall management of the restaurant specially from the behavior of the front line staff that increases the comfort level of customers and at the same time makes them brand loyal to that particular restaurant. The impacts of customer satisfaction on customer retention are bringing into being to be momentous and positive. Specially, the customer satisfaction will influence the re customer retention intentions (Reece, 1999) Customer satisfaction is vital to the restaurant management for the reason that it is normally assumed to be a noteworthy determinant of replicate sales, customer loyalty and affirmative word of mouth. The more pleased the customers, the larger are their retention. Another attention-grabbing finding was that a products higher volume rate like for instance, fast food restaurants resulted in a lower sensitivity side to quality. This shows that management of restaurants must segment the market based on the food usage rate includes the repeat purchase of the particular item and quality preferred (Jochen and Rachel, 2000). The previous research shows the effect of physical quality construct on behavioral intentions for restaurant consumer and finds that influence is a strong moderator between tangible quality constructs and behavioral intentions when cognition affect actions archetype is applied to the restaurant location. One more factor for the customer retention which really brings customers back is that the customer likes to have a positive attitude of employee throughout the dining as a support for the disputation that employee approach is strongly linked with customer satisfaction. Ease and the location of the restaurant is also considerable and also the other factor influence customers to select that particular restaurant which satisfy their needs and wants regarding quality of the food and the restaurant environment. This leads in the increase of the retention rate and the loyalty of the customers towards that restaurant diners have an effect on restaurant (Bateson and Hoffman, 1999) It is suggested that commonly and normally used indicators of customer satisfaction comprise repeat customer behavior, brand loyalty and reliability and at last word of mouth recommendation (Lowenstein, 1995) In case of large restaurants franchised group, this kind of relative study and positioning might be important. Besides, while the performance of anyone of the outlet can impinge on the reputation of a whole network, identifying and recuperating those outlets that have a delicate association in the series can be vital. Valuable curriculum in marketing, human resource and man oeuvre be capable also be learnt as of those outlets where service exceeds or meets expectations of the customers (Kuo and Kao, 1999). The one of the fact is that business like restaurants is considered as a low credibility service and that is one of the reason that quality of the services are complicated to prove until consumers revisit the restaurant. Furthermore, the service quality that customers come across may be dissimilar apiece time they visit that particular restaurant, thus persuading the level of contentment and ultimately upsetting their retention intentions. There may possibly be a countervailing competitive consequence to enhance in product differentiation. Revelation of restaurant sanitation grades may serve up to decrease search costs for customers. Positive completion always ends in setting new ideas and innovation in the mind of the management of the management that makes them superior and differentiated in the industry in between the existing market players (Kaplan and Norton, 2001) Both service value and customer retention is extensively acknowledged as practices of repurchase intentions. Though, it is understood that restaurant possessor would like to identify the strongest influence on retention intentions. A recent study divulges that customer satisfaction is the better predictor of intention comparing to service quality to repurchase. Increasing trend in retention is always due to service quality which is provided by the management to the customers and at the same time customer should be satisfied. Any of the factor missing may cause the decrease in loyalty of the customer towards that particular restaurant and customers are unwilling to re-visit for dining to the same restaurant. In researches, results found that managing for most select customer satisfaction necessitates so as to satisfaction statistics be used in previous researches advise implement the positioning strategies with the intention of helping a business whittle a niche. Each restaurant has its own strategies to get the competitive edge in the market. Such information is able to facilitate to modify the restaurant service so that it congregates the desires of the target market segment. Supporting a firms competitive benefit and enduring productivity and profitability possibly will better rely on the incorporation of customer satisfaction into the service organizations strategies and operations that helps the restaurant management to look their positions in the long run completion in the industry (Olsen, 2002) In some countries like Germany, there is a system of Grade cards according to the quality differentiation in restaurants what decrease the expenditure of learning whether an individual restaurant has high-quality hygiene, and possibly will give confidence to customers to go to restaurants they want or else would not have. This may perhaps encourage competition among restaurants, by making customers not as much of incarcerated to any particular restaurants providing inducement for lesser prices, improved food quality, or better hygiene quality food provided and if this result is there, still amongst restaurants with the identical sanitation quality ranking, compulsory revelation may cause lesser prices or enhanced food quality (Johnson and Champaner, 2004). In Chinese and French restaurants, customer view of service quality by the side of all proportions drop short of customers expectations, even though an evaluation of the unprejudiced quality scores shows that the French restaurant is nearer to summiting the prospect of its consumers along all extent of service quality than in the Chinese business. It is evident that compassion and consistency are the two extents which plunge the largest part of below customer prospect inside the French restaurant As a meaning- generating medium, the environment gives discriminative motivation to buyers that facilitate them to identify a restaurants divergences as a source for select that restaurant. For instance, snowy white linen tablecloths, the soft lighting, and crystal chandeliers of a chic restaurant communicate the level of service and a kind of food to customers that create a fine-dining experience (Palmer and Neill, 2003). 3. FAST FOOD INDUSTRY 3.1 Introduction Fast foodis one of the worlds largest growing food types which are growing with an increasing rate. The term Fast Food refers to many items that can be prepared and served quickly usually outside the home. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store which is rapidly prepared and served to the customer in a packaged form to dine out, take out or take away. A typical fast food meal in the United States generally consists of fries, a burger and a soft drink. 3.2 Customer Preferences People pick fast foods because its easy. They could just go to McDonalds, Mr. Burger or KFC and order a burger or sandwich with fries and soft drink, rather than spending hours in the kitchen for cooking food. Another reason would be if they work for long hours, while they come back to home, they could just stop at the drive through and order something to eat. Through this they can save their time to get rest. When an individual is rushing for next appointment after lunch or work, it is more convenient to pack fast food. 3.3 Significance of Service Elements We believe that customer service elements have huge impact on customer retention. Many researchers have closely analyzed all the service elements of several service providers. But in our research we have tried to cover and analyze all the service elements of Karachis famous multinational and local restaurants. 7 ps of service marketing elements Restaurant service elements associated with 7 ps of service marketing model Product Food Price Odd pricing offers Place Outlets Promotion Deals discounts offers People Friendly helpful staff Physical Identity Atmosphere (interior, music) Process Payment process Easy table reservation process Easy fast order taking process Researchers urge all service providers to pay attention towards all of the above service elements in order to improve and enhance the level of service quality.Poor service quality leads to switching intentions of the customer. To satisfy customer the restaurants service elements should be more competent or should have an edge over competitors. 3.4 Brand Perception When customers think or hear about any product or restaurant they start building perception about the brand. Sometimes it is based on observation or may be on the pat experience whether it is negative or positive. Most common methods of forming perception about brand are Past experience Interaction with sales staff or employees Word of mouth (colleagues or friends) Advertising Reviews by reputable sources Some researchers call brand image and brand perception are the two sides of a coin; brand image is how company want you to see them where as brand perception means how you see to the company. In our research we believe that in Karachi people are very brand consciouses the impact of brand over people is very huge and their replies to our questions were little biased. 3.5 Strategies for Retention In this chapter some theories are presented in the context of customer retention which was not discussed in the previous part, because these cannot be analyzed within our practical research. These studies are important part of the customers retention problem and can be used for advance researches. n this chapter some theories are presented in the context of customer retention which was not discussed in the previous part, because these cannot be analyzed within our practical research. These studies are important part of the customers retention problem and can be used for advance researches. The research of Fruchter and Zhang (2004) examine strategic use of targeted promotion for gaining and retention of customers. Authors stress that selection of strategy: defensive targeted promotions for retention and repulsive promotions for acquisition depend on market share of a company. Fruchter and Zhang 2004 highlighted that for companies with larger marketplace share offense promotions targeted on learning generate little knock on gross sales than defensive promotions. Therefore, researchers state that if market share of firm increases it should spend more on customer retention; if market share of firm decreases it should spend more on customer acquisition. This research highlights when marketers should put emphasize on retention or acquisition but it does not provide keeping increase strategies and reasons for keeping. (Fruchter and Zhang, 2004) Hogan, Lemon and Libai (2003) discuss changes of the customers value during the product life cycle. Authors stress the value of retained customer and impact of the lost customer on companys ability (Hogan, Lemon and Libai, 2003). Kumar (1999) highlights that relationship oriented service firms have higher level of trust and more repeated service encounters with their clients, therefore, such firms get higher level of ability and lower expenses over time. Desai and Mahajan (1998)argue that feeling based attitudes appeal to fillings wishes emotions etc. can takings component in a strategic part in small indefinite amount brands to obtain develop and retain customers. 4. CUSTOMER SERVICE AND CUSTOMER RETENTION 4.1 Introduction For more than last couple of decades customer satisfaction is extensively discussed subject in different research areas like consumer behavior and marketing research. Since the mid-1970s many annual conferences on customer satisfaction were held, with proceedings being published since 1981 in the Journal of Customer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction, and Complaining Behavior. During the past couple of decades more than 1300 articles have been published to discuss and understand customer satisfaction. In recent era, customer satisfaction has gained new attention. Now it has been shifted from transactional marketing to relationship marketing , which refers to all marketing activities directed towards establishing, developing, and maintaining successful relational exchange (Morgan Hunt, 1994, p 22). The key to retention is satisfaction of the customer and it has been treated as the necessary premise in many publications and research articles. The link between satisfaction and the long-term retention of customers is developed by scholars and marketing practitioners in a rather categorical way, and is therefore treated as the starting point, rather than the core question of the analysis. The assumption that satisfaction/dissatisfaction meaningfully affect on repurchase behavior underlies most of the study in this area of inquiry. Consequently, only a few researchers have investigated the nature and to which degree the relationship between satisfaction and retention exist. The number of studies in this area can be classified into three groups. Most of the researchers use monetary data as dependent variables, such as revenues or profit. In this procedure the investigation of the satisfaction-retention relation considerably limited for two reasons. First, the aggregation of data renders any analysis on the individual customer level impossible. Second, revenues and prot are determined by a large amount of variables, which in addition are highly correlated. Therefore, a suitable assessment of the relationship investigated here seems barely accomplishable with this research design. A second group of studies on an individual level utilizes repurchase intentions of customers to investigate the link between satisfaction and retention (Bitner, 1990; Oliver, 1980; Oliver Bearden, 1985; Oliver Swan, 1989). This approach is also accompanied by two main limitations. Because satisfaction values and intention measures are usually obtained through the same questionn aire, the data are inherently correlated. This may lead to an overestimation of the strength of the relationship. Furthermore, previous research in the area of customer loyalty shows that the predictive validity of intention measures varies depending on the product, the measurement scale, the time frame, and the nature of the respondents (Bolton, 1995, p. 2; see also Morwitz Schmittlein, 1992) and, altogether, must be seen as rather low (LaBarbera Mazursky, 1983; Oliva, Oliver, MacMillan, 1992). Closely related to the problem of intention measures is the usage of other inadequate operationalizations. 4.2 Importance of Service Quality A restaurant service engages a route or a performance in which customers are involved in the overall service production process. This happens due to the interaction of the consumers with the service surroundings and personnel throughout the utilization experience, understanding consumers sentimental response become vital in replicating satisfaction in a service locale. Study indicated that the affective processes throughout the consumption phase might play a straight, unmediated role in determining customer retention. A study of the basics or attributes of customer satisfaction be supposed to give indication concerning what action a restaurant service manager must take to raise the probability that customers will appear back. It appears that study is not often concluded that the remarkable rate of malfunction in the restaurant service industry advices that the management can find the targets of converting customer satisfaction into financial achievement a vague one. Research accept as true that restaurant failures are partially a consequence of managements lack of strategic direction in determining and focusing on customer contentment, satisfaction and at last most importantly retention. 4.3 Customer Loyalty Brink and Berndt (2004:32) state that customer trueness the aim of CRM is more than having customers brand repeat purchases and beingness content with their experiences and products or employment they bought. Client loyalty entails that customers are attached to buying products and services from a particular business and will resist the activities of competition companies attempting to attract their backing (Paswan et al.,2007). With customer loyalty, a bond is formed between the business and customer and the bond is based on more than a positive feeling about the business. By ensuring high levels of customer loyalty something Fishy, Nandos attains greatly reduced customer defection rates which in turn push to favorable rates of customer retention (Terblan-che, 2007). 4.4 Customer Problem in Retention There are a variety of researches which investigate the retention of the customers problem. Many authors look at the retention of the customers from the switching barriers perspective (Colgate et al., 2007; Ahmad and Buttle, 2001; Roos, 1999; Anton et al., 2007; Jones et al., 2007; White, Lemon and Hogan, 2007 etc.). Colgate etal. (2007) in their work, researched customers who decided to stay with their current service provider after serious consideration of shifting to another service provider. Colgate et al. (2007) conducted a big empirical research which covered big variety of service industries (banks, insurance companies, doctors, electricity companies, dentists, mobile phone companies, fitness centers, hairdressers, Internet service providers, telephone companies, airlines, credit card companies, auto mechanics, video stores, and opticians) but not the restaurant service industry. The final reasons to stay according to the Colgate et al. (2007) are categorized into the switching barriers and affirmatory barriers. Research of Colgate et al. (2007) gives the understanding of wide categories which influence the customers retention (e.g. satisfaction), but dont specifies these categories (i.e. the satisfaction with which determinants of the service enhances retention? Indeed, if the customer replies that he or she is satisfied with the present service provider. It will not be helpful to understand the satisfaction in depth and what factors makes customers come back. Han, Back, and Barrett (2009) research relationships among consumption emotions, customer satisfaction, switching barriers and customer retention. They identified next switching barriers for the restaurant customers: switching costs, relational investment, lack of alternatives, preference. Authors also stated that these switching barriers are extensively related to repurchase intentions, and they explain why customers come back even when they experience low level of satisfaction or fault-finding emotions at the restaurant. Han, Back, and Barrett (2009) highlighted that there is a positive relationship between customer satisfaction and customer retention, also customer satisfaction highly influenced by emotional factors such as comfort and displeasure. (Han, Back, Barrett, 2009) Another researcher is Roos who looks at the customers retention from the scope of switching barriers. Roos (1999) defines switching determinants as pushing determinants (what makes customers to switch to another provider) and pulling determinants (what makes customers come back). The pushing determinants according to the Roos (1999) are price, range of goods, product mix, location, failure of system, design, policy (terms of payment), variation (a natural need of people for variation). While pulling determinants are variation, location, and range of goods, habit, pleasure and policy (Roos, 1999). Lets compare the restaurants service elements with the switching determinants presented by Roos (1999). Product P can be associated with the range of goods, product mix, variation; Place P can be associated with the location; Physical environment P can be associated with design; Process P (payment part) with policy. Interesting determinants presented by Roos (1999) are pleasure, habit and failure of the system. It is challenging to compare mentioned determinants with the restaurants service elements, but we think that satisfaction with, for example, Physical environment and People Ps can create pleasure. Malfunction with delivering of some or all of the restaurants service elements can create a service failure. We assume that stable satisfaction with the restaurants service elements desired by the customer can create a habitual (routine) process of buying. Also we can look at the restaurants service elements from the creating of switching barriers scope. We think that the restaurants service elements could be used to create different kind of economical, social and emotional switching barriers. Jones et al. (2007) propose three switching costs dimensions: social, lost benefits and procedural. The behavioral outcome of creating these types of costs according to the Jones et al. (2007) could be repurchasing intentions and Negative Word of Mouth (if customers are locked in the relations they dont want to be involved in by the switching costs they can start generating Negative WOM). Social switching costs Jones et al. (2007) relate to the potential loss of friendship with the service provider. This type of switching costs we associate with the People P of the 7 Ps Model. Lost benefits switching costs Jones et al. (2007) relate to the economical loses of the customer such as special offerings and price. We assume that lost benefits switching costs can be associated with the Price restaurants service element and Special offers, discounts etc. restaurants service element. Procedural switching costs Jones et al. (2007) relate to the time and efforts needed to find and adapt to a ne w service provider. At the same time they positively influence the customer dissatisfaction which directly influence the customer switching intentions (Anton et al., 2007). The service quality according to the Anton et al. (2007) is founded on such dimensions as the service outcome, interaction between service and customer, and physical environment qualities. We assume that the service outcome can be associated with the Food and Additional services restaurants service elements, interaction with the Friendly and helpful staff restaurants service element, and Physical environment qualities respectively with the Atmosphere restaurants service element. Commitments according to Anton et al. (2007) are willingness to invest, shared information, loyalty and commitment to the customer, or perceived desire to continue. The unfair pricing and anger incidents according to Anton et al. (2007) strongly affects switching intentions of the customers both directly and indirectly through satisfaction. We think that un fair pricing can be also analyzed through the Price restaurants service element. The anger incidents according to Anton et al. (2007) are related to the customers experience when they become upset and lose confidence in the firm. There could be lots of factors generating lose in the firms confidence. At this stage we assume that dissatisfaction with some or all of the restaurants service elements can be one of such factors which makes customers upset. Lemon, White and Winer (2002) state that when customers decide whether or not to come back they consider not only current and past evaluations of companys performance (service quality, satisfaction) they also evaluate future expectations (future benefits and future regret). Authors state that firms should put more emphasize on customer expectations of future benefits in order to achieve retention and suggest to marketers to take into consideration how marketing mix elements (for instance, pricing strategy) influence customers current usage levels and expectations of future use when developing marketing strategy (Lemon, White, Winer, 2002). Keaveney (1995) defined reasons of switching behavior of the customers within the service industries: price, inconvenience, core service failures, failed employee responses to service failure, ethical problems, involuntary factors, competitive issues and service encounter failures. In his model are present such elements of 7 Ps Model like Product, Price, People, Physical environment etc. Also Keaveney (1995) stated that six of the eight causes of switching behavior can be controlled by the service provider. Ahmad and Buttle (2001) emphasize that the Marketing Mix model is the tool of traditional marketing approach which is directed to acquisition of the new customers, at the same time it can be used to achieve higher rates of customers retention. Ahmad and Buttle (2001) propose three types of potential retention increase strategies for three types of consumers: consumers of fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), consumers of services, businesses as users of physical goods and services. In all strategies they propose adjustment of particular elements which can be associated with Marketing Mix Model. Berne et al. (2001) see retention of the customers as a function of the customer satisfaction while customer satisfaction is a function of the service quality (SQ-CS-CR model). Also he adds to this model variety seeking determinant which influences the customer retention directly (Berne et al, 2001). The variety seeking determinant we can try to associate with the Food restaurants service element as the big variety of products can satisfy the natural need of customer for variety seeking process. Furthermore, to the determinants of customer satisfaction Berne et al. (2001) relate: personnel and cleanliness, food, atmosphere, fast service. Personnel and cleanliness we can associate with Friendly and helpful staff restaurants service element, Food with Food restaurants service element, atmosphere Atmosphere restaurants service element, Fast service Easy and fast order taking process and Service delivery speed restaurants service elements. Based on the overviewed theoretical background in our empirical research we want to find out which role each restaurants service element plays in retention of the restaurant customers. Another important view on the customer retention was highlighted by the Yi and La (2004). Their study research the impact of the loyalty factor on customer satisfaction and repurchase intention (Yi, La, 2004). Authors concluded that for loyal customers satisfaction has a direct impact on repurchase intentions, when for non-loyal customers adjusted expectations (expectations formed after consumption) play leading role in forming repurchase intention (Yi, La, 2004). Therefore, researchers highlight that when failure happens; repurchase intentions of loyal customers are less affected than repurchase intentions of non-loyal customers (Yi, La, 2004). Looking for the loyalty measurement tool we have directed our attention at the research of Reichheld (2003). He has presented the set of questions directed to the loyalty measurement and identified one question which was the most effective tool of loyalty measurement among other questions (Reichheld, 2003). Reichheld (2003) justified the correctness of his question by the notion that those customers, who recommend the service, are highly likely to be the loyal customers. This gives us the opportunity to touch the relation between retention and loyalty of the customer. 4.5 Customer Service Satisfaction The core aim of any business is to make sure that the customer that buys its product or service is satisfied. Customer satisfaction can be described as the degree to which a businesss product or service performance matches up to the expectations of the customer. If the performance matches or exceeds the expectations, then the customer is satisfied, if performance is less than par then the customer is dissatisfied (Brink and Berndt, 2004:46). However, to make sure that the business satisfies the needs and wants of its identified target market, the business must focus on customer value. All customers want to buy a product or service of value. Customer satisfaction is defined as the consumers fulfillment response. It is a judgment that the service or product features, its attributes provided a delightful level of consumption associated achievement including levels of under fulfillment or over fulfillment (Eileen and Berry, 2007). 4.6 Product Specific Satisfaction In todays fast rapidity and progressively more competitive market, the base line of a firms promotion and marketing strategies, tactics and procedure is to make s and add to the growth of the company. Customer satisfaction, contentment, quality of the service, excellence and retention are global matter that influences all organizations. This include all type of organizations, it can be large or small, global or local or non-, services provider. The significance of elevated quality service given to business success, there are various prospective benefits for the management of restaurants from performing a customer-based assessment of the service quality veteran at their organization. In restaurant industry, the intangible nature of services means that particular specifications for the homogeneous quality of service are complicated if at all probable to set. This sometimes put together it difficult for restaurant managers, workforce and customers to calculate, measure, assessment or confirm service productivity and service quality 4.7 Timeliness of Delivery Customer service departments can meet customers in person or be reached over the phone. Customer service delivery relates to certain elements that are necessary when serving customers, including treating them properly and answering the customers question to his satisfaction. Special Attention: One customer service deliverable includes providing the customer with special attention, which includes eye contact, according to Inc. This attention ensures that the customer gets to ask her question without getting rushed. Customers usually appreciate it when companies take time to listen to them. Professionalism: Professionalism is another element that companies must deliver to customers. A customer service rep must maintain certain decorum and not get angry with the customer, though the customer may be upset. Timeliness: People are busy today, so customer service delivery also entails handling transactions or refunds in a timely manner. No one wants to stand in line for 10 or 15 minutes. When customer service reps see a line queue, they should allocate more reps to serve the customers. Fax or phone orders to the restaurant. Pick up and deliver the food to customers, then collect payment. 4.8 Customer Relationship Management Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has developed from a synthesis of relationship marketing, internal marketing, and customer care to form a fully integrated system (Lancaster and Reynolds, 2005:259). CRM has developed From a technology-centered view to a business-value activity Because companies now view customers as important Assets rather than just exploitable income sources that have to be looked after and developed (Iriana and Buttle, 2006: 24-26). CRM is a strategy which is used to learn more about customers needs and behaviors in order to develop stronger relationships with them (Leverin and Liljander, 2006:233-235). 4.9 Servperf Model According to Audrey (2003), the development of the SERVPERF model is aimed at providing an alternative method of measuring perceived service quality and significance of the relationships between service quality, customer satisfaction, and purchase intentions. This model consisted of five dimensions which are: Tangibility:The concern here is more specifically with the condition of physical environment of the restaurants, the equipments used to provide services and the products consumed by the customers (Yuksel, 2001). Besides, it also referred to the presentation of the interior (i.e. clean environment with a nice decoration of the place) and the convenience offered to the customer (Subhash, Ashok, Soon, 2000). Reliability:It is the restaurants regularity and consistency in performing services and the degree to which it inspires confidence and trust in customers. In operational terms, this means keeping promises, trust worthiness in transactions and the efficiency of the recovery process if anything goes wrong (Yuksel, 2001). Responsiveness: According to Parasuraman et al. (1985), Zeithaml, Parasuraman, and Berry (1990) and Fetus, Maxwell, and Godwin (2006) responsiveness is defined as willingness and readiness to help customers and provide prompt service. Assurance: Assurance means the knowledge and courtesy of restaurant staff and their ability to convey trust and confidence to its customers. It also includes three main elements which are (i) Courtesy: politeness, respect, consideration, and friendliness of contact personnel; (ii) Credibility: trustworthiness, believability, and honesty of the service provider as well as (iii) Security: freedom from risk, or doubt (Parasuraman et al., 1985; Zeithaml et al., 1990; Fetus et al., 2006). Empathy: This term means caring, giving individual attention from the restaurant staff to its customers. There are several components in this dimension which are (i) Access: approachability and ease of contact; (ii) Communication: keeping customers informed in languages they can understand and also listening to them; and (iii) Understanding Customers: making the effort to know customers and their needs and wants. What exactly they demand (Parasuraman et al., 1985; Zeithaml et al., 1990; Hyung, 2006). 5. RESEARCH FINDINGS 5.1 Analysis 1. Specify your age range, please: 15-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 56+ 4.1 Distribution of the respondents through the age range categories. Age range category Number of respondents 15-25 15 26-35 15 36-45 21 46-55 20 56+ 29 Analysis: The total numbers of questionnaires that we distributed were 100, out of which 15% respondents were in the age group of 15 to 25 years, 15% were in the age group of 26 to 35years and 21% were in the age group of 36 to 45 years. 20% were in the age group of 46 to 55 years. And the rest 29% were in the age group of 56+. Hence the majority of people surveyed had age group from 56 +year. 2. How often do you visit this restaurant? 1-10 11-50 51-100 101-200 201+ Table 4.2 Distribution of the respondents through restaurants visiting frequency categories. Analysis:The frequency of visiting the restaurant of the respondents were, 31% of the respondents have visited the same restaurant 1 to 10 times, 39% of the respondents said that they have visited the same restaurant 11 to 50 times, 17% visited 51 to 100 times, 7% said 101 to 150 times 4% of them visited more than 150 times. 3. What makes you come back to the restaurant? Mark 3 options Retention reason Amount of Respondents % Food 87 33.21 Atmosphere 45 17.18 Price 23 8.78 Location 22 8.40 Friendly and helpful staff 12 4.58 Easy and fast order taking process 14 5.34 Service delivery speed 13 4.96 Special offers, discounts etc. 45 17.18 Who other clients are 1 0.38 Total 262 100% Analysis:we find many reasons of revisiting to the same restaurant from the respondent in which top 3 are Food, Atmosphere, Special offers discounts are major reasons for retention. 4. How long are you being a regular client of the restaurant? Table 4.3 Distribution of the respondents through duration of being restaurant regular customer, years. Analysis:Some of the respondents were not sure whether they have been returning back to the restaurant for 2 or 3 yrs so we interpreted this value as 2.5 years. It has been observed during the research that customers that fall in the first 4 categories of duration have declining interest because they have got better options offered by other restaurants where as the customer of last 3 duration categories are loyal to the same restaurant because of primarily food, service, and location. 5. To what extent from 1 to 10 (10 means the most important) does the following attributes influence your decision to continue to go to the restaurant? Restaurants service element Rating Food 8.7 Friendly and helpful staff 8.26 Atmosphere 7.51 Service delivery speed 7.24 Location of the restaurant 7.05 Price 7.01 Payment process 7 Easy and fast order taking process 6.87 Easy table reservation process 6.56 Recognition by the staff 5.83 Special offers, discounts etc. 5.45 Who other clients are 5.38 Additional services 4.29 Table 4.5 Rating of restaurants service element from closed questions Analysis:There is no doubt about that food is the core service element of the restaurant and customers who dine out are more conscious about taste quality of food. That is why the food is rated highly and nobody has weighted Food as 1-3. But the fact, which influences them more, is the staff of the restaurant. The highest amount of respondents rated this element as an important. The lowest rated element was additional services like (newspapers, parking etc). 6. How likely is it that you would recommend restaurant x to a friend or colleague? Where is 1not at all likely, 5 is neutral and 10 is extremely likely (Reich held, 2003) Customer distribution through Reichhelds customer categories Table 4.4 Respondents distribution through Reichhelds (2003) customer categories Analysis:we find that the 14% of the respondents done a critical analysis of the restaurants service elements where as 35% customer are least bothered about other service elements or they have compromised on other services elements that is why they look satisfied to some extent. While 51% of the respondents were fully satisfied and they were trying to defend the restaurants service elements and were eager to recommend the restaurant service, are highly likely to be the loyal customers. 6. CONCLUSION RECOMMENDATIONS 6.1 Conclusion Testing customer demands indicated that management of the restaurant must make an effort to deliver not only quality food stuffs and services, but at the same time a high level of dining satisfaction that will lead to increased customer return results in re-patronage of customer and greater market share. The consequence of customer satisfaction and contentment in relation to possession rates, return rates and equally management researchers and experts in the generosity field have long urged ability. The behavior of the restaurant staff (the way they treat, talk, their face expressions, willingness and positive response) to the customers is another most important factor that helps in increasing the customer retention. The management of the restaurant should focus on the way their staff welcome and acknowledged their customers on the board. In the fast food industry, patronage and recommendations are dependent on the personalized service through empathy and assurance, the better the way they deal with their customers the higher will be the retention rate. As an outcome, the restaurants whole environment of service, the atmospherics of feelings of the surroundings is always very imperative in seminal both customers and front line staff attitude about the procedures and service delivery outcome. This entails that, it was very important that the awareness of the tangible pressure on service quality, such as the substantial and physical facilities, and the appearance of personnel The challenge for the management here is to train their staff to ensure better quality service, like appearance and cleanliness of the restaurant staff which are significant factors and play an important role in increasing the retention rate of the customers. In servicing industry the appearance and behavior of the employees is most important therefore, manager should focus these aspects with high priority. Tangible quality on its own may have a weaker influence and effect on behavior, but it helps in developing feelings and sense of attachment towards the restaurant, which results in a stronger influence on behavior. Restaurants supposed to strive for enlightening positive feelings to their brand name by maneuvering tangible attributes. Another most important issue for the fast food restaurants of Karachi is that though people do not accept that they are price conscious yet we find them, but price factor can be made less important for the customers if they are valued properly though all service elements. 6.2 Recommendations Customer satisfaction is a key element for the planning of the marketing in view of the fact that satisfaction does sway customers intention to re-patronage the restaurant in fast food industry. Therefore, marketers are supposed to look into the issues that would have an effect on customer satisfaction intensity. Besides, as customer prospect are altering over time and it is advised to determine the customer satisfaction and expectation on regular basis and grip complaints timely and effectively. In order to provide the value addition to know the needs to the consumer and to satisfy them then managers and restaurants administration should understand what customers value and must understand how consumers perceives their restaurants products and services. So to have a study that divulges consumer perception of all brands is necessary. A study of this type should generate an accepting of how customers appraise main brands in order to get better both managerial and the academic understanding in the customers assessment process. Restaurants should invest in the training and development of their employees as they are the one who in actual are dealing with the customers, their presence and approach will create an image in the customers mind. Customer retention is important in the current competitive environment; restaurant manager should need to take care of the factors that have a direct impact on the customer retention rate.

Personal Leadership Philosophy Of Leadership - 929 Words

I believe a personal leadership philosophy is developed through experiences as both a follower and a leader. Leadership skills are gained in many ways such as learning from the successful methods and mistakes of others, constructive criticism from followers and leader colleagues alike and remaining current in leadership literature. I have developed my theory based on personal encounters with positive and negative leadership experiences which include leading by example, listening and adapting to your followers needs and lastly, including followers in times of significant change. I believe that leading by example is a vital tenet of leadership. Johnson (2015) found that when a police field supervisor proactively engaged in investigative work, the volume of same work performed by their patrol officers doubled (p. 238). Johnson (2015, p. 237) also found that the supervisors had to only engage in one or two of these proactive activities in order to spark the patrol officers to conduct extra investigative work. I believe that if you want a specific result from your followers such as working more efficiently, improving their skills or showing initiative in the workplace you must do the same so they do not feel that they are merely picking up your slack. When a leader is contributing towards the common goal it makes the leader a member of the team and not just the task manager. My second position on leadership is that a leader’s style depends on their followers and situation atShow MoreRelatedLeadership : A Personal Philosophy1541 Words   |  7 Pages LEADERSHIP: A PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY Kandice Carpenter Saint Leo University Abstract The text will cover a number of different aspects of leadership. We will consider my personal understanding of leadership and it relates to certain leadership theories. 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Each individual aspect is a facet of a complete whole. Much like a timeline that includes a past present and future, my personal philosophy consists of a foundation, action, and growth. If you do not understand where your foundation of leadership came from you will have problems acting in a leadership capacity. Also if don’t pay attention to how you are acting as a leader you cannot know in what ways you need to grow. WhyRead MoreA Personal Leadership Philosophy1589 Words   |  7 PagesThe path to a personal leadership philosophy is made up of three parts. Each individual aspect is a facet of a complete whole. Much like a timeline that includes a past, present and future, my personal philosophy consists of a foundation, action, and growth. If you do not understand where your foundation of leadership came from, you w ill have problems acting in a leadership capacity. Also if don’t pay attention to how you are acting as a leader you cannot know in what ways you need to grow.Read MoreMy Personal Leadership Philosophy Of Leadership1214 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Leadership is an influential word: and its meaning may differ from person to person. Some describe leadership as the people in the highest and most powerful positions within an organization. But as I look back on the positions I have held and the people I would consider leaders, the people I would choose to follow, they were not necessarily the higher ranked people in the organization. They were the people with vision and moral compass who moved the company forward. These peopleRead MorePersonal Leadership Philosophy : Personal Philosophy2794 Words   |  12 Pagesdictionary.com leadership is defined as, the position or function of a leader, a person who guides or directs a group: Its synonyms include guidance, influence, control, direction and supervision. 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Music Teacher Free Essays

Reflective Essay #5 I value everything about music. I believe that it promotes many good things, including creativity and cooperation, and it encourages and helps build friendship. I believe that there is one thing that it does that is most important, however. We will write a custom essay sample on Music Teacher or any similar topic only for you Order Now It helps to build confidence. Confidence is a huge factor in a person’s life, and it usually starts as a child. It helps them to make friends, and to feel good about themselves. Involvement in music helps to start building self-confidence in children gradually and not forcefully. Most of the time, children don’t even know that it’s happening; I didn’t realize it until I started college. Performing in front of an audience gives a person courage that they didn’t even know that they possessed, and they can then go on to use this courage and confidence in other situations in their lives, thus creating a better life for them. Music education is the best teacher of this self-confidence, and I believe that most children wouldn’t have the same confidence if they didn’t have a music class every week. This is a very strong point that I would make as a school board member. I believe that self-confidence is a huge component of life, and that it should be taught or encouraged starting at a young age. Music definitely teaches this, along with other great things such as creativity, cooperation, and friendship, which is why children should have a music class at least once a week, starting in kindergarten. These values would influence my teaching in a couple ways. It would help me to prepare students for concerts, starting to build their confidence before they perform for an audience. I would also prepare them so that they wouldn’t have to add the worry of forgetting their music to the fear of performing. I also get performance anxiety, so I understand how much preparation really helps aid a performance. Self-confidence is a huge part of life, and it is partially taught through music performance. How to cite Music Teacher, Papers

Skin Cancer Essay Example For Students

Skin Cancer Essay Skin CancerGone are the days when people sent children outside to play to get a littlecolor in their cheeks. They know too much about the dangers of unprotected sunexposure and the threat of skin cancer. Or do they? Despite the fact that 58%of parents remembered hearing about the importance of protecting their childrenfrom the sun, children are still playing in the sun without sunscreen orprotective clothing (3., p 1). Sunburn is the most preventable risk factor ofskin cancer. Skin type and family history cannot be changed. Protection fromthe sun and education of the potential hazards of the sun need serious attention. The American Cancer Society estimates that over 850,000 cases of skin cancerwill occur in the United States during 1996. Of those cases, they predict that9,430 will end in death (4., p 1). Apparently, Americans still do not have anadequate amount of prevention information to help reduce the disfigurement andmortality from this cancer. Exposure to the ultraviolet radiation from the sun is the most frequently blamedsource of skin cancer. Due to the reduction of ozone in the earths atmosphere,UV radiation is higher today than it was several years ago. Ozone serves as afilter to screen out and reduce the UV light that reaches the earths surfaceand its people. Very simply, sunburn and UV light can damage the skin and leadto skin cancer (1., p 1). The American Cancer Society also faulted repeatedexposure to x-rays, artificial forms of UV radiation like tanning beds, andcontact with chemicals like coal tar and arsenic as other causes of skin cancer(4., p 1). Additionally, if there is a history of skin cancer in the family, anindividual may be at a higher risk (1., p 1). Individuals who have experiencedonly one serious sunburn have increased their risk of skin cancer by as much as50% (1., p 4). Two types of genes, which are only a small fraction of the genetic material,play particularly important roles in triggering cancer. Proto-oncogenes inducecell growth and reproduction, while tumor suppressor genes inhibit it. Together,they carefully control the proliferation of cells. However, if a proto-oncogeneis mutated, it can become a carcinogenic oncogene, driving excessivemultiplication. Tumor suppressor genes, on the other hand, contribute to cancerwhen they are inactivated by mutation (Ruddon, 1995). Luckily, cancerous tumorsare not caused by one little mutation in one cell they are caused bymultiple mutations in a number of the cells growth-controlling genes. Thenumber of mutations necessary can be as low as two or quite high, depending onthe specific type of cancer. Generally, these mutations occur either frommistakes during cell reproduction, or due to DNA damage caused by carcinogenssuch as tobacco, certain poisons, and UV rays. So, why dont we all get cancerfrom these th ings right away? Consider that one of your cells is damaged bypoison and becomes mutated. In order for this cell to turn into a cancer cell,the rest of the necessary mutations must also occur in this very same cell. Thisin itself, is fairly unlikely. It normally takes decades for an incipient tumorto collect all the mutations required for its malignant growth, whichexplains why the average age for cancer diagnosis is 67 (Ruddon, 1995). Why,then, do some individuals contract cancer before the typical age of onset? Inmany cases, this is explained by the inheritance of a mutation in a criticalgrowth controlling gene. Typically, this mutation would be a very rare event. However, in this individual, the mutation is present in ALL the cells of thebody, instead of in some randomly stricken cell. So, the process of tumorformation skips its first, slow step. No one can actually inherit cancer;rather, they inherit a predisposition to develop a cancer, which is why cancersdo tend to run in families, but not all family members are stricken (Brock,1993). The outlook for people with cancer has improved steadily since thebeginning of the 20th century, when few cancer victims survived for very long. The Struggle for the Soul of Arthur Dimmesdale EssayToday, 51% of cancer patients survive for 5 years or more, and the AmericanCancer Society estimates that an additional 25% of cancer deaths could beprevented with earlier diagnosis and treatment (ACS homepage). However, one inthree people in the United States will eventually develop some type of cancer,so routine screening for early detection should be an important part ofeveryones lives (Ruddon, 1995). The earlier cancer is diagnosed and treated,the better the chance of its being cured. Some cancers, such as breast andskin cancers, can be detected by routine self-examination before they become tooserious, while others are only detected by more complicated methods. Either way,early diagnosis appears to be the key to survival. BibliographyRuddon, Raymond W. 1995. Cancer Biology, 3rd ed. New York: Oxford UniversityPress. Brock, D.J.H. 1993. Molecular Genetics for the Clinician. 1st ed. NewYork: Cambridge University Press.

Medieval Weapons Essays - Projectile Weapons, Medieval Warfare

Medieval Weapons Medieval Weapons were (are) very dangerous. They Can kill, puncture, wound, hurt, or anything else. All weapons From the Middle Ages were looked upon as frightening and crucial Tools to kill. From a small dagger to a large cannon; all weapons Would kill, no doubt about it. A lot, in fact most of the weapons were used for siege and Defense against castles. Castles were the most integral part of the Middle Ages. They held the king, the servants and anyone else Important. If you wanted land or money, a castle was the perfect Place to hit. Movable Towers were just one thing used to lay siege on These castles. Not necessarily a weapon itself, it held Weapons...knights and peasants. Knights and (or) peasants carried many weapons depending On what specialty they had. Some carried bows-and-arrows, others Maces, some swords, some knifes, etc. A mace was a metal ball with metal spikes welded on the Ball. A chain was attached to a wood stick onto the ball. The Mace would not kill only torture. Other siege weapons included the ballista, a HUGE Crossbow- like slingshot that could send a huge tree trunk 3 football fields Long. The ballasta was manly for breaking down castle walls, or for scattering A heavily guarded area. The most commonly used weapon was the sword. It was a long metal Object that was very sharp on both sides. The sword could actually cut the Sheet metal on modern day cars. Imagine this power through your neck! Next to the sword, the "soldiers" held a small dagger in a pouch on Their belt. This was used to finish people off, as a last resort, or sometimes Even suicide missions. Trebuchet, the name strikes fear in people's eyes, a HUMONGOUS Slingshot that could send a big monkeys boulder 2 football fields. This Weapon could be used to demolish castle walls, or could even be used to kill Hundreds of people on the battlefield. Anyway used, it was a big dangerous Weapon. Medieval Warfare and Weaponry In the Middle Ages, the nobility of many cultures had large fortifications built to house a small town as well as themselves. These fortification were called castles, and they were so well defended that some historians have called it the most formidable weapon of medieval warfare (Hull 1). As one can imagine, conquering such a colossal structure cost much money, even more time, and many lives. There were three main ways to infiltrate a castle; each no more common than the other two. The first way to conquer to castle is known as the siege. In a siege, an army would bar passageways into the castle, and continue to pound away at the castle's defenses until it was vulnerable to a final attack. In this form of assault, the attacking party did not have to approach the castle, as was required in a storm, the second way to attack a castle. In a siege, large projectiles from catapults often bombarded the ramparts of the castle. Hunger, plague, or actual weapons such as Greek fire arrows killed off the defenders of the castle. Greek fire was a mixture comprised of highly flammable substances that was agonizingly hot. Bits of cloth were dipped into the Greek fire compound and wrapped it behind the head of an arrow, and then lit on fire. Yet another common tactic in the siege was undermining. Undermining was the digging of tunnels underneath towers. However, the purposes of such subt erranean activity were not for passage, but to create instability in the towers and in the end cause their disintegration. The second, more certain form of attack upon a castle was the blockade. To blockade a place was to preclude all entry and departure from the site. In doing so to a castle, one limited their food supply, for a castle, unlike a manor, could not survive unless contact with the outer world could be attained. However, starving a castle out was costly in both money and especially time. For a long while an army waited for the castle to deplete their resources, the army itself had to continue to supply themselves with such resources and the soldiers were to be paid for their vigilant act. Although it was costly and lengthy, blockade did work. Richard the Lionhearted's stronghold, the Chateau-Gaillard, which was built in only a year along the Seine River, was sacked on March 6, 1204 by

buy custom Perfume Magazine essay

buy custom Perfume Magazine essay The advertising power is stunning and Perfume magazines are part of the mass medium that plays various roles concerning the perfume industry. This is because the industry is a multimillion dollar venture as a lot of new perfumes are launched and brought in yearly and customers by no means appear to be exhausted of buying the products. Most men and women are fond of using perfumes as part of their daily tidying up habits. The magazine media involves in the perfume industry in order to manipulate the sensitivity of people on given products in the industry (Paul 23). According William (55) the perfume magazines also help the perfume companies in branding the new invention of products so that they can reach out to the users. They mostly use successful approaches like finding famous people to support in branding the product. Through the use of such approaches, the consumers can easily notice the products and go for them and therefore the perfume companies will easily be able to market and sell their fragrances. The magazines also use special shapes of containers like that of a form of a womans figure with attractive colors. The approach can also be suitable as even those that may create perfumes that have scents that are not so good will still do well because the celebrity backing. This will be of great help to the perfume companies as most producers are never creative concerning such matters The perume magazines are behind the successful stories of most perfumes as they are being depended on by most manufacturing companies. The sales representatives of the magazines issue free samples to the consumers while in the supply rooms and the hooked up ones will later buy the products thus an income to the company (William 33). Not only do the magazines help in marketing the fragrances but they also help the consumer with knowledge concerning the product. Information such as how the product is supposed to be used or applied, the quantity to apply, how often and also the details of the content of the products are provided. The information may also include the price at which the product is sold so that by the time the consumer decides to buy the perfume or the fragrance, he or she will be totally sure of the product. The manufacturing companies may also use the perfume magazines to let the public know about the offer or discount on their products at a given period and how long the offer will last (Diane 44). The interviews with famous people are also included in the magazines. An example of such magazines is the Esquire magazine which is published every month and meant for the market of men under the age of 45. It focuses on shopping, entertainment, gadgets, fashion and health. The articles featured in the magazine comprise of interviews with well-known actors, capitalists or politicians of the moment. There are two main social illustratioons of masculinity in the magazine. Cool cosmopolitan is the first man who is emotionally isolated but rather controlled body. He symbolizes the existing hegemonic perfect masculinity that the magazine sponsors. He is secure and brave in the face of hardship but depends more on intelligence than strength. He is skilled at using the apparatus of modernity (all the most recent knowledge and gadgets but is never a nerd. The man is a soft operator confidently placed within the up-market accessories and fashionable labels culture of consumer (Mayer 99). He may also be viewed as a controlled and scheming risk taker emerging in the movies and fiction of twentieth century famous culture like James Bond. The next most common masculinity image is The Action man frequently revealed as the outdoor kind, a sportsman or an explorer. He depends mainly on his bodily potency, agility and ability for him to overcome his surrounding or get success. The passion with personality, perfume and clothing, bodily and sexual look are the main themes in the magazine. The location of self-esteem is stiff in a background of materialist use in which ladies and gentlemen work mainly as consumers. Practically all the social representation of masculinity and femininity are positioned within linked to features of consumer culture whether it is perfume selling in advertisement or support of films and books in dialogues. So far in the same magazine, sexual woman is the most leading social representation of femininity (Richard 201). Buy custom Perfume Magazine essay

Week4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week4 - Essay Example The above firms’ intellectual properties are patents, trademarks and other trade secrets like product design more so in relation to Covidien. These go a long way in protecting the companies’ production and innovations. BioMarin is heavily guarded by these intellectual properties as it deals with a tighter environment which is about chemical compositions, discoveries and developments. Factors considered in determining intellectual properties range from the type of products or services that the firms deal in and the nature of the industry according to Lindberg (2008). As earlier mentioned BioMarin is in the drug manufacturing arena which has stiff intellectual property rules and regulations. Each brand’s trademark needs to be well guarded as well as its chemical composition. For Covidien, the design of the surgical products is more important to patent. This is because a design is there for all to see and another firm may adopt it altogether if not lawfully guarded. Intellectual properties are quite expensive to acquire and maintain. This is more so in respect to health related products. Lindberg (2008) states that huge amount of time and resources are poured into research so as to come up with a unique product and to have such a product patented and inserted as a trademark. In the current global market place and intensified competition, stiffer environment is in the offing for entrepreneurs wishing to start operations. Firms are facing challenges which there before were not as huge as today making the contemporary market place a huge challenge to overcome. One of these is stiffer laws on copyrights, patenting and other intellectual property factors says Reynolds (2007). Due to increased competition firms are finding it prudent to have their products protected and this has become a huge requirement. As mentioned earlier, the entrepreneur will need to cough more and spend more time in these

ASDA Case Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ASDA Case Analysis - Assignment Example The company had acquired loans to facilitate its expansion and it was therefore necessary for the organization to develop new measures to ensure profitability. The management was unable to ensure that the new stores were profitable. Communication between employees and the management is a serious issue for any organization. There was a breakdown in communication between the management and lower level employees in the organization. The management structure in an organization can limit communication and ASDA had placed a structure that prohibited effective communication. 2. The organization faced serious management issues ranging from lack of motivation for workers to poor financial decisions. According to the motivational theory, employees can only perform when they are given flexibility and the chance to succeed. At ASDA, creativity from the employees was continuously repressed and they lacked the ambition to succeed in the work place. In addition, leadership theories such as transactional theory suggest that leadership is about focusing on the set goals and motivating employees to achieve these goals. At ASDA, these problems created a vacuum, which in turn brought about uncertainty. The financial crunch at the time and bad management were therefore responsible for the issues at ASDA. The goal setting theory states that organization should set goals. The management should therefore have set clear goals to avoid the issues. Strategies adopted by Hardman introduced a dictatorial culture in the organization that inhibited creativity from the employe es. 3. It was clear to Norman that the culture in the organization needed an overhaul so that it could accommodate all employees and attract new customers. In addition, the shareholders needed to trust the organization once more. To achieve this, it was important to change employee attitude at ASDA. This should have been

The Efficacy of non-invasive ventilation in the acute exacerbation of Research Paper

The Efficacy of non-invasive ventilation in the acute exacerbation of COPD Patient - Research Paper Example Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease best known as COPD, is actually a group of lung diseases that together block airflow to the lungs making it hard to breathe. The two most common diseases that constitute this disease are chronic bronchitis, inflammation of the bronchial tract mucosal lining, and emphysema, gradual destruction of the alveoli at the end of the bronchioles (Huang and Ghio et al., 2012). These may also be accompanied by asthma. Chronic bronchitis causes coughing and sputum production, which may scar and damage the airways. Alveoli damage by emphysema reduce oxygen uptake thus causing breathing problems for the patient. The combination of the destruction these two diseases cause irreversible damage to the pulmonary system, but the good thing is that there is treatment available that can help reduce the symptoms of the disease. One of them is through non invasive ventilation, otherwise known as NIV in short. This paper will be looking at this form of therapy and its ef ficiency in the treatment of COPD. It will discuss its use and advantages it the clinical setting. Being a pulmonary disease, its symptoms are generally ignored or just taken in passing for something else. COPD can cause breathlessness/dyspnea, coughing, excessive production of mucus/phlegm and fatigue. Some of these symptoms, breathlessness and fatigue, are hard to point out or see because they are sensations that are experienced by the patient and do not manifest physically (Barnes, 2009). Only the person experiencing the symptom can describe them and talk about how badly they make them feel as opposed to the production of sputum and coughing which manifest physically. Unfortunately, once these symptoms, among others begin to manifest the patient may discard them as simply smoker’s cough or fatigue from being unfit. These are to be considered as signs

How may the Christian faith inform the debate over euthanasia?

How may the Christian faith inform the debate over euthanasia? How may the Christian faith inform the debate over euthanasia? The concept of â€Å"free will† is one of the defining characteristics of Christianity and therefore the ability that Christians possess to make choices about their lives is sacrosanct. It is also pertinent to note in introduction that Christians believe that death is not the end of life but the beginning of life with God and as a consequence it can be argued that from a Christian point of view death is not to be feared. On the other hand it can be argued that it may be better to die in peace and with dignity than to live with terrible pain which is likely to transfer in the form of extreme anxiety to your friends and relatives. It is submitted that in order for euthanasia to take place it is necessary to engage the assistance of a third party. This is the fundamental difference between euthanasia and suicide. One essential problem with this, in terms of Christianity in particular, is that the sick individual may not have the right to ask another person to help take his or her life. The sixth commandment is straightforward:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thou shall not kill. On the strength of this first touch analysis euthanasia appears to contradict the Christian faith. Many Christians would argue that the suffering party must have faith and trust in God and in the future that he has for him or her. The Bible informs and guides Christians as to the moral and religious decisions they must take as they live their life. Although it is true that the Bible does not expressly state that euthanasia is wrong it does stipulate, as stated above, that thou shall not kill and another commandment sets down the rule that one should love ones neighbour. At first sight these fundamental rules imply that euthanasia is contrary to the Christian ethic. However, the rule love thy neighbour was addressed by Jesus himself in his answer to the Pharisees, the chief religious sect of the day, when He was questioned about the greatest commandment in the Law. The Pharisees had strenuously classified all the various laws and accorded them relative degrees of importance and their aim was to test Jesus. His answer was glorious in its simplicity: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. Therefore, Christianity dictates not just that we are to love our neighbour, but that we should love our neighbour as we love ourselves. It is submitted that this would appear to open the door to euthanasia on the grounds of pure Christian dogma, because there are many among us that would choose a dignified death for ourselves rather than deteriorating life in great pain. However, despite these putative interpretations of the words of Jesus Christ himself, the present day thinking of the mainstream Christian church appears to oppose assisted suicide in all its forms. Christianity and Euthanasia The modern majority or mainline Christian attitude to issue of assisted suicide is relatively straightforward. Euthanasia is opposed. As is the case with regards to the abortion issue, most Christians would agree that it is wrong to take the life of another human. Christians believe in the sanctity of life from the moment of conception until the intervention of natural death. Something in excess of sixty passages of scripture in the Bible refer to the sanctity of life, in particular the aforesaid Thou shalt not kill. Christians believe that God is the giver and taker of life. As a consequence they believe that God’s will in matters of life and death takes precedence over any desire that man may express. The fact that the so-called right to die movement would change laws so that doctors or relatives could directly and intentionally terminate another persons life flies in the face of this basic Christian belief in God’s authority. The Christian view is that God has endowed mankind with certain unalienable rights, and that that the first and most important of these is the right to life itself. From a Christian perspective all other God-given human rights are worthless, unless the right to life is held supreme. There is an argument that everyone has a right to do with their own body as they see fit, but the majority Christian view appears to be that this is not persuasive. Although euthanasia might be seen to be a private, victimless act it is not committed in a vacuum and Christians believe that the act would have far reaching â€Å"spill-over† effects for society at large. Given that euthanasia affords one person the power to engineer the death of another person it is a public matter which, in line with mainline Christian thinking, could well result in abuse and/or the steady erosion of care for the most vulnerable people. It is a Christian belief that today’s society values only healthy and comfortable life and faith dictates that this is a narrow-minded attitude. Christians assert that God’s plan to make us whole is such as to ensure that we experience all aspects of life, from good to bad in health and in sickness, from the springtime and opportunity of youth to the austerity and trails of the winter that old age inevitably brings. Christians argue that modern medical treatments for pain reduction offer most dying patients effective relief which renders the avoidance of pain as a reason for mercy killing nugatory as a medical or moral argument. It is submitted that it is central to the Christian ethos that God has a reason for everything that man can experience, including pain and suffering. Christians would contend, for example that many people given time to contemplate as they ail on their deathbed have been brought closer to Christ, and that the experience of seeing someone in such a position may bring the observer closer to Christ. It is a trite observation that the terminally ill and often, merely the elderly, may be concerned about becoming a burden to their family or to the greater community and those with responsibility for delivering care may come to resent the time, effort and expense entailed in the discharge of their duty. However, the Christian perspective on this is very clear, and steels the debate on euthanasia generally. The Christian view is well articulated by Gilbert Meilaender in the following extract:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Learning not to resent the claims on our time and energy is likely to be the work of a lifetime. If we decline to learn the lesson, however, we cease to live in the kind of community that deserves to be called a family, and we are ill prepared to live in the community for which God has redeemed us a community in which no one stands on the basis of her rights, and all live by that shared love Christians call charity† Christians may also contend that ‘quality of life’ should not to be measured by physical health but only by a person’s relationship with God. The natural inference is that sickness is an irrelevant consideration and one which should not be used as a justification for killing. Euthanasia, unlike abortion, is referred to, albeit tangentially, in the Bible. There are two such instances in the Old Testament. In Judges Abimelech pleaded with his armour-bearer to put him to death after he had been hit on the head by a millstone because he did not want to suffer the shame of being killed by the woman who had dropped the stone on him. In the second reference in Samuel, Saul, the first king of Israel, asked to be put to death after he had attempted suicide:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Stand over me and kill me! I am in the throes of death, but I am still alive. So I stood over him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive.† The Amalekite narrator of this story is then put to death by David, Sauls successor and the point is made that Saul had contradicted the word of God and lost the right to lead his people as a consequence. In neither instance is the notion of euthanasia treated with approval, but no specific lesson is clarified. The Roman Catholic Perspective It is submitted that the Roman Catholic Church opposes the practice of euthanasia. Roman Catholics apply the principle of Natural Law to assisted suicide just as they do in the case of abortion, where a similar prohibitive stance is taken. As a consequence Catholics believe that all life is regulated and ordered by God and that all events (including episodes of great suffering) occur just as God intends. The Roman Catholic Church thus teaches that euthanasia runs contrary to Gods will on the rationale that such human intervention in the process of death is unnatural. Indeed assisted suicide is deemed to constitute a sin. The Catechism of the Catholic Church sets down the following implacable principle:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus an act, or an omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in a order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder greatly contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator. The error of judgment into which one can fall in good faith does not change the nature of this murderous act, which must always be forbidden and excluded.’ This stance is softened to a small degree by the provisions made in 2278 and 2279 of the Catechism. 2278 Discontinuing medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be legitimate; it is the refusal of over-zealous treatment. Here one does not will to cause death; ones inability to impede it is merely accepted. The decisions should be made by the patient if he is competent and able or, if not, by those legally entitled to act for the patient, whose reasonable will and legitimate interests must always be respected.  2279 Even if death is thought imminent, the ordinary care owed to a sick person cannot be legitimately interrupted. The use of painkillers to alleviate the sufferings of the dying, even at the risk of shortening their days, can be morally in conformity with human dignity if death is not willed as either an end or a means, but only foreseen and tolerated as inevitable Palliative care is a special form of disinterested charity. As such it should be encouraged. However it is submitted that these provisos, while well rationalised and well founded, do not alter the fact that in terms of general principle the Catholic church stands fore square against the concept of euthanasia. Current Fears of Christianity: From the Right to Die†¦ to a Duty to Die? In March 2004 Lord Joffe introduced the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill into the House of Lords. The Bill aims to empower competent adults suffering a terminal illness to obtain medical assistance to die at his or her own considered and persistent request. In simple terms, the Bill aims to legalise voluntary euthanasia in the United Kingdom. In October 2005 leaders of the primary faiths of the United Kingdom sent a joint letter to both Houses of Parliament in an attempt to set out their position against the legalisation of any form of euthanasia prior to a scheduled debate on the proposed Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill in the House of Lords. As indicated above, signatories to the letter included not just Christian leaders but leaders of other faiths. The Bishop of Southwark of the Church of England the Rev. Tom Butler was joined by, among others, His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain, the Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks, Principal of the Muslim College and Chair of Muslim Law Sharia Council Sheikh Dr M.A. Zaki Badawi, General Director of Evangelical Alliance UK Joel Edwards and the Archbishop of Cardiff of the Catholic Church in Great Britain Peter Smith. The letter stated that:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We, the undersigned, hold all human life to be sacred and worthy of the utmost respect and note with concern that repeated attempts are being made to persuade Parliament to change the law on intentional killing so as to allow assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia for those who are terminally ill, The central message of the letter was, as has been discussed above, that the very sick are often vulnerable and they may well feel that they are a burden to their family and friends. The signatories to the letter wanted to make the point that legalising assisted suicide and euthanasia might have the effect of putting pressure on such individuals to ‘do the decent thing’ and request early death for the sake of the convenience, economic well being and happiness of those left behind. The letter warned that the so-called right to die could thus evolve subtly over time to become an unspoken duty to die in which considerations such as those described above could come to exercise undue influence over the decision-making process. The religious leaders argued in the alternative that the focus should be on improved palliative care, stressing that medical science is taking great strides in relieving the range of symptoms endured by those suffering from a terminal illness and emphasising the increasing sophistication of support systems for families. Moreover the letter suggested NHS reforms and innovations to buttress these developing areas. After a full debate in the House of Lords on 10 October 2005, Lord Joffe tabled a further Bill to introduce so-called physician assisted suicide. The Christian Charity CARE (Christian Action Research and Education) has launched a high-profile campaign, known as the Life Valued campaign, to oppose this suggested legislation. CARE Chairman Lyndon Bowring has proffered a biblical foundation for the campaign. He stated: ‘We have been given a duty to be God’s stewards†¦ It’s right to care for creation – and even more so to care for the pinnacle of his creation†¦Stand with those in Parliament who are speaking out in God’s name for the sanctity of human life.’ Concluding Comments It appears that the majority view among the modern custodians of the Christian faith, or at least the view that is most forcefully expressed, is that euthanasia is to be opposed in all its forms as contrary to the fundamental tenet of the sanctity of human life. There is a view that the rule that one must love one’s neighbour as oneself can be interpreted to mean that an act to limit the suffering of another could be justified because the same decision might well be taken on one’s own behalf and in one’s own interests. Moreover the rule that thou shalt not kill, which appears to set down a clear and simple prohibition, must also be subject to contextual interpretation. If the rule is to be followed to the letter then the Christian practice of killing animals for food must be thrown into question. In the words of Jesus: ‘Thou shalt not kill any living thing, for life is given to all by God, and that which God has given, let not man taketh it away.’ Ho wever, this rule must surely be subject to caveats since even Jesus Himself fed his followers with fish. It could be argued that killing to relieve suffering is a far higher motive than killing for food, given in particular that it is possible to survive without consuming animals. Indeed the words expressed by Jesus are impossible to follow to the letter, because even plant life is living matter. We cannot eat rocks or sand and we cannot survive on thin air, therefore there simply must be room for the practical interpretation of the sixth commandment. It follows that if we can justify killing to fill our dining table, we can surely justify killing to alleviate pain and suffering, where such is motivated by nothing but love and compassion for the victim. This is a personal conclusion. Although it is one drawn direct from the stated words and actions of Jesus Christ Himself, it is conceded that it is not the majority view of Christian church today. The principle of the sanctity of human life is one of the highest of human civilization, and it is easy to see why guardians and proponents of the Christian faith wish to strive so hard to protect it from erosion in any and all circumstances. In a perfect world this commentator would agree with this view but this is not a perfect world and there are no perfect rules at least it is submitted there are no rules perfect in application in every conceivable instance. Two thousand years ago, when Jesus delivered his teachings and the Christian faith was born, medical science was in its infancy. In those days terminal illnesses progressed at a far more rapid pace and the fraught questions that now confront twenty first century society, which has acquired the technology to prolong life over long p eriods, were seldom if ever posed. As a consequence, it is perhaps a pregnable exercise to seek moral or ethical guidance from teaching and faith established in an age that predates the issue now under debate and cannot possibly accommodate it. In plain terms, the Bible is a contemporary text. It simply was not written with the issue of euthanasia, in the context of twenty first century technological progress, in mind. The foregoing analysis illustrates the depth, sensitivity and difficulty of the issue of euthanasia. Such is only amplified when one considers religious perspectives, such as the Christian teachings and ethical framework discussed in this paper. The Christian faith can be applied to inform and enrich the debate on euthanasia in multifarious ways, and it can in theory be invoked with force by each opposing camp. Given the difficulty in interpreting God’s word, perhaps it is time for man to take sole responsibility for the decision, and perhaps it is man’s justification, not a faith-based rationale that should prevail. That is not to say the decision should not be guided by Christian principles, the question of euthanasia is one deserving of the utmost good faith and scrutiny, but perhaps mans’ ultimate assumption of responsibility is part of God’s overarching plan. This could be said to be the flowering of the free will that, in the Christian tradition, He gifted to us. One thing is certain: it lies within God’s power to intervene to guide the debate on euthanasia to His favoured conclusion. In the face of a morally and ethically challenging issue such as assisted suicide, Christians can draw solace and sustenance from that fundamental belief. BIBLIOGRAPHY The Bible Authorized version of King James ‘England Faith Leaders Lobby Parliament Against Euthanasia’, The Christian Post, October 10, 2005: http://www.christianpost.com/article/europe/550/section/england.faith.leaders.lobby.parliament.against.euthanasia/1.htm Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill [HL] 8 January 2004, http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200304/ldbills/017/2004017.htm Dramatic Launch for Anti-Euthanasia Campaign, Christian Action Research and Education, 29 November 2005: http://www.care.org.uk/Publisher/Article.aspx?id=31154. Catechism of the Catholic Church: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/ccc_toc.htm Pro-Abortion Madness: The abortion lobby has abandoned its rationales amid pro-life gains, Ted Olsen, Christianity Today, September 2004, Vol. 48, No. 9, Page 82. Christian Thinking About Advance Medical Directives, Meilaender, G, Christian Century 113 S 11-18 1996: 854-857.