Analysis of ‘Drops of Jupiter’ with Thesis

No two journeys are alike, because the knowledge and experiences gained differ for each person. One of the texts I have chosen to study is the song Drops of Jupiter written my Pat Nonhuman, performed by Train. The song is about a dream that the writer had about his mother who had recently passed. The line ‘She's back in the atmosphere' was the first line written, and led to him writing the song as an extended metaphor of his mothers journey in the afterlife, and the return of her spirit to him. The inner journey is his own in the way of his journey to deal with grief.He is challenges the notion that the afterlife is a different adventure with his belief that the passed never truly leave us, and that they remain with us in spirit. The lyrics feature an extended metaphor, where the universe is the afterlife, and he is asking his mother about her visit. The verse ‘Now that she back in the atmosphere, with drops of Jupiter in her hair,' shows the metaphor of his mothers death being a temporary journey to the heavens, and has returned with ‘drops of Jupiter in her hair,' as proof of where she has been. The simile used is also comparing her to the beauty of nature. She acts like summer and walks like rain.. ‘ Since the return of her spirit, he can feel her in the air and the nature. He can sense her everywhere around him. Another technique that Monahan used to express the concept of journey was repetition. The constant repetition of the words ‘Tell me' helps to embed the idea of his mother returning to his life as a spirit, and she is sharing her experiences with him. In the text, it is evident that he is worried his mother has forgotten about him, and moved on. This is expressed using poetic devices in the line ‘I'm afraid she might think of me as plain old Jane,'.Plain old Jane is an idiom which means someone boring and ordinary. He admits his fear of his mother forgetting him. Through the song, he realized that the best thing yo u can do about loss of love is find yourself through it. His personal experience was finding a way to deal with death, and that separates him from others facing similar losses. Through his inner journey of dealing with grief, he has learnt a new perspective on death and the afterlife, which is unique to his voyage of self-discovery. No two journeys are alike, because the knowledge and experiences gained differ for each person.

Explaining of the Sociological Perspectives in Health and Social Care

There are 3 main perspectives: †¢ The Structural/Functional Perspective – Relationship between parts of society, i.e. how aspects of society are functional and adaptive. – Macro – all aspects of society contribute to the way society functions as a whole. For example the government pays for school teachers and schools and bin collection etc. and in return citizens pay tax. The country couldn’t run without the citizens paying tax. People who believe in this theory believe that member of society have to work together and agree on what will be best for society as a whole. †¢ The Conflict Perspective – Competition for scarce resources, i.e. how the elite control the poor and weak. – Macro – this theory focuses on the negative aspects and conflicted areas of society, the ever changing areas. – Society is ever struggling and inevitably changing sometimes it is beneficial and other times it is negative and violent. Inequality is widely spread. To one partner this is the symbol of eternal love.To the other a mere financial expense. †¢ Symbolic/Interaction Perspective – Use of symbols, i.e. face to face interactions. – Micro – how people interact with each other and how they interpret symbols and the details of everyday life. People are seen to attach meanings to symbols, and then act up on these meanings. Words are not static they have a meaning or meanings but the way in which the sender means/says the word could be taken differently by the receiver. Micro – level of analysis is of small social patternsMacro – level of analysis is of large social patternsThe principal of sociological perspective are:Functionalism- an important part of some accounts of functionalism is the idea of multiple realisation. Since, according to standard functionalist theories, mental states are the corresponding functional role, mental states can be sufficiently explained without taking i nto account the underlying physical medium (e.g. the brain, neurons, etc.) that realizes such states; one need only take into account the higher-level functions in the cognitive system.Marxism- is an economic political theory by which law is considered an instrument of oppression and control, and which the ruling class uses against the working class. Marxism holds at its core a critical analysis of capitalism and a theory of social change. The powerful and innovative analytical methods Marx introduced have influenced a broad range of disciplines.Feminism- has altered predominant perspectives in a wide range of areas within Western society, ranging from culture to law. Feminist activists have campaigned for women's legal rights (rights of contract, property rights, voting rights); for women's right to bodily integrity and autonomy, for abortion rights. A social institution can be defined as an organizational system which functions to satisfy basic social needs by providing safe and s uitable environment. Institutions such as: government – public servicesreligion – place of worship education – schools economics – areas family – social servicesPrimary socialisation is when you learn the basic day to day norms and values through socialisation. This occurs during childhood. Secondary socialisation is when learning what is the appropriate behavior as a member of a smaller group within the larger society. To learn how to react to the situation you find yourself in. This occurs with teenagers and adults, and involves smaller changes than those occurring in primary socialisation. WHO (world health organisation): definition of HealthHealth is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. 3 main factors that influence healthGeneticsPhysical environmentSocial environment – an individual’s choice and peer pressure of ‘friends’ e.g. doing drugs may b e forced by peers. Home, lifestyle, nutrition and income all affect health also. Concepts of healthPersonal responsibility – if you keep yourself clean and tidy (covering up cuts) then you minimize the risk of infection. If you do exercise and eat good food you build up your immune system. Health as the absence of illness – if you remain in a healthy state then it’s unlikely for you to become ill. All of these affect a person’s health.Concepts of ill-health Ill health as a disease – if a disease can be cured it can only be done by medicine or treatment Ill health as a disorder – a disorder can be treated sometimes and can be done by changing your lifestyle or with help from medicine or treatment.Definitions of disability Impairment = a loss or abnormality of physical bodily structure or function, of logic-psychic origin, or physiological or anatomical origin Disability = any limitation or function loss deriving from impairment that prevents the performance of an activity in the time-lapse considered normal for a human being Handicap = the disadvantaged condition deriving from impairment or disability limiting a person performing a role considered normal in respect of their age, sex and social and cultural factors The medical model sees a person’s impairment as the cause of disability. The person with a disability to adapt to society instead of society adapting to them. Socio-medical modelRecognises links between social life and the body. The social model is based on the premise that people are not disabled because of illness or impairment. Instead, they are disabled because of how society is constructed.MEDICAL MODEL SOCIAL MODEL Disability is a deficiency or abnormality. Disability is a difference. Being disabled is negative. Being disabled, in itself, is neutral. Disability resides in the individual.Disability derives from interaction between the individual and society. The remedy for disability-related proble ms is cure or normalization of the individual. The remedy for disability-related problems are a change in the interaction between the individual and society. The agent of remedy is the professional.The agent of remedy can be the individual, an advocate, or anyone who affects the arrangements between the individual and society. Even though people who have disabilities are very different, we are all different ages, races, and different kinds of disabilities, we still share a lot of things in common – such as a common history and common experiences of being discriminated against (being treated different because of our disability). MedicalisationTendency of normal life stages, experience and events as needing medical intervention because they are seen to be risky and problematic. Clinical iceberg – medical issues, the amount recognised etc. is just like the tip of an ice berg

Final exam Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Final exam - Term Paper Example The major depiction of the style by the building is shown on the columns, which were a common feature in the neoclassical style. Other things that shows this style include the presence of a dome and the combination of color and other things such as the landscape. The brushstroke in this painting, which are relatively thin and the light which changes qualities within the painting are some of the reasons why the artwork reflects the impressionism style. For example, one of the most distinct light element in this case is the sun, which is in different forms while at the sky and while in the water. The use of color in this painting also shows the impressionism style since it is mostly analogous or related. The painting is a neoclassical style mainly because of its beauty and its emphasis on the figure that are of central importance. This is mainly enabled through a dark background and more clear figures of the foreground figures. Organization of the painting, the details and the clarity of each element also shows that the painting is a neoclassical painting in terms of style. The style is shown in the painting because of the painter’s use of geometry shapes and angles. The style is also depicted through the inclusion of nudity since all the women in the painting are

Economics Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economics Project - Essay Example He started developing the ‘dialectical materialism’ which addresses the economic order efficiency and its inherent weaknesses and contractions that lead to its own decay/ collapse. The concept attempted to critic capitalism tenets and prediction of its own collapse. His constant revolt against the current rulers saw him exiled in Belguim, France and Britain where he eventually died in London (Heilbroner, 136 - 139). Economic Ideas and concepts Karl Marx is often referred to as the father of Socialism and Communism owing to his Marxist theories and The Communist Manifesto. He was a critique of capitalism which dominating Europe by them after overthrowing feudalism. According to Marx, current tenets of capitalism were not sustainable as they had little regard for laborers who are important in the production process. While critiquing the capitalism, Marx argued that while capitalism was revolutionary, industrializing and driven by universal qualities of development, it expl oited and alienated laborer resulting to high unemployment rate. As a result, the system was subjects to depression shocks and the exploitation led to suffering of most laborer. These conditions were the recipes that would lead to class struggle, system decay and eventual collapse of capitalism. In essence therefore, what Marx was suggesting is a form of production process that would give decency to the working class. Such a method of production would be socialism or what is referred to as inexorable system of Karl Marx’ (Heilbroner 167). His assertions make sense when viewed in the light of modern capitalism as modern practices have come to recognize the importance of labor as a factor of production. Most companies are concerned about the welfare of their staff where business objectives are being driven by triple bottom line. Such an approach will most likely reduce tension between owners of capital and laborers. Karl Marx also contributed immensely to labor relations and in dustrial actions. He viewed the society as comprising of two classes i.e. the owners of capital and laborers who provided labor. According to him there exists a class struggle as each wants to maximize from each other. Unfortunately, the owners of capital who often forms part of the ruling class oppress the workers through long working hours and poor pay. Given the power of the ruling class and increased population, are able to maximize value at the expense of the laborers. Welfare of the workers is not a priority, maximizing surplus value and profit is. Heilbroner (32) noted that the English ruling class ‘failed to understand what fluid and mobile labour force would seek to achieve’. According to Marx, Capitalists optimize the discrepancy between labor markets and produce market to make surplus value. Surplus value is realized when input costs are lower than output price and the surplus according to Marx is taken away from laborer due the imbalance. The surplus value a rises from unpaid work as they are only paid enough to keep the body and soul together i.e. to make laborers survive. He noted that in the long run as class struggle continues, the surplus value reduces considerably a situation which forces the owners of capital to rescue their capital. In labor relations, the argument makes sense in that most laborers will go on

Virtual Learning Environments Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Virtual Learning Environments - Research Paper Example These learning tools are taken into consideration primarily because they fulfill the standards for a Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) by virtue of their usability and functionality. However, the evaluation of these learning tools is quite different in their methodologies. Evaluation can be done by considering several key components including the easiness of utilization, extensibility, distribution, maintainability, interactivity, functionality such as E-tutoring, security issues, service management, ease of interface and simplicity of accessibility features and the extent of using such tools in Higher Education. The application server of Blackboard works on Windows and Unix platforms in association with a cross-platform browser support for Windows, Macintosh and Unix settings. One of the most important features, which I have noticed while using this learning tool is that, is of course to include the support for IMS. While considering the flexibility system, the provision of contribution by Blackboard application as a learning tool is quite up to the mark especially with its easy-to-use interface. Conversely, the interface may attribute to some debatable aspects considering its applicability in practice as I find it beneficial with a steady and dependable interface while some consider it as a restriction or constraint and having limited option to interact as such. However, the Blackboard learning tool has a significant implication in the segment of Higher Education with high-end and highly-developed components like training materials and workshop templates such as Netskills. The learning tool Desire2Learn is considered as having the potential to be used as a course-delivery device in the regime of Higher Education. An evaluation was conducted to assess the potentiality in relation to increasing popularity and use. A user of Desire2Learn does not require downloading any application; rather the company's server consists of all the required software in order to support their LMS platform with an exception of JAVA as it is used under the license. This product environment provides to create conferences for the members within a class-setting or its sub-groups. It also supports basic chat function in association with HTML based chat tool. When conferences are prepared in order to proclaim an individual course, new conferences can easily be accommodated for consecutive declarations of the course. A user has the privilege to edit or modify a thread and can control the access option for a user or user group at different levels. The threaded messages can be seen in clear and user may perform search option and may be able to find out results sorted by date, topic, and sender. There are other significant features too e.g., incorporate saving, printing, editing and deleting of postings. D2L uses a 'learning storage' approach that let the users to store objects like pages, graphics and test-item banks, etc., and it is XML standard-based. These objects can be shared across several courses or programs. A context-sensitive help aspect endows with help on each one of the most important tools. The product is in accordance with the most important standards of course-sharing globally that is counting SCORM and IMS, and assembles global standards for the right to use.

Mission and Values of Loyola Marymount University Essay

Mission and Values of Loyola Marymount University - Essay Example If my friends are going bungee jumping or parasailing I usually will find that I have something pressing that needs to be attended to immediately, such as tidying my sock drawer. The issue is not if I ever take risks; I do. The real issue for me is deciding if the risk warrants the reward. Fr. Robert Lawton’s words have helped me to see that taking risks in order to discover who I really am during my college career are risks that will pay great rewards. Who doesn’t want to have happiness and a feeling that God approves of who we are and what we are doing? Ultimately, if I accomplish this level of happiness and closeness with God, I will feel as though I have lived a life of real substance and value. Fr. Robert Lawton said that this journey would be risky, and I believe him. In my mind, I see three potential risks that will need to be faced when journeying to discover how to be myself. I believe that if these three risks can be overcome, I will have accomplished somethin g great during my college education in addition to all of the knowledge I will gain. The first of these three risks is the risk that I will discover I am a very different person than I am now. We all have preconceived notions about our state of being. I have a whole list of likes and dislikes. One of my great failings is that I tend to be judgmental about those who have different tastes and values than myself. I catch myself forming opinions about others based on wholly superficial criteria more often than I care to admit. A nice pair of shoes, the type of car and the city or neighborhood a person lives in too often informs my opinion. The risk of journeying to discover my true self and being judgmental of others scares me because I may discover the things I have used to differentiate myself from others really do not matter to me anymore. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I like who I am right now. I recognize that I have much to learn but I am comfortable with me. The risk for me centers on discovering I’m not who I thought I was and that I might mourn the loss of my old self. I have no desire to look back on my high school self and be glad that I am no longer that person. I would like to think I have arrived at most of my authentic self at this point in my life, but I have the suspicion that everyone looks back on their high school self and has regrets. The risk of becoming your true self is you must necessarily reject portions of the person that you are today. To me, that sounds very uncomfortable. A second risk that needs to be overcome on the road to becoming my authentic self is the risk of defying expectations. I have a way I would like to see my life turn out. So do my family and friends. The risk of opening myself up to change is apparent when I realize that the change may disappoint some of the people I love. I will be exposed to new people and ideas at college. What if I find myself changing course and it is a course I’m not su re my loved ones will accept? I feel that taking this risk to find my true self will be perhaps the hardest. My family has always been loving and supportive. I would never want to disappoint them in any way. But according to the words of Fr. Robert Lawton, I may need to take that risk or I may be sacrificing my own happiness and relationship with God. A final risk I anticipate in this journey is never knowing when you have arrived at the journey’s end. How will I now when I have arrived? I know too many people from my parent’s and grandparent’s generation that seem to think their happiness lies in their new yoga class or the next protest movement they can join. They seem to be constantly seeking but never finding what they are looking for. I think they are looking for a sense of self. The risk for me looking to identify my true

Risk Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Risk Management - Essay Example Thus facility might be owned by local authorities or councils while the event might have a number of service providers such as medical and transport companies. The event must be executed in conformance with agreements signed with them. Next there is the inevitable risk of increasing costs as the project or the event gets under way. It’s financially sacrosanct to control the event’s costs within the budgeted limits. For example in the case of the above sports event the government might sanction limits on spending by local authorities. If the event management company fails to identify the degree of risk associated with overspending then it’s bound to fail. Similarly insurance costs associated with the event must be controlled. This goal is of very critical significance for the successful implementation of the event. For instance the greater the element of risk associated with an event the greater will be the insurance premium to be paid by the company to the insurer (Bannerman, 2008). For example in times and places where there is tension taking tourists to a site would involve a greater degree of risk. Thus in order to insure the tour, including the life and property (e.g. the bus) the insurer would demand a higher premium. Thus reducing the risk related premium as far as possible is an objective of the firm. Fifthly reducing over concern with risk is one of the goals in event risk management process (Williams, 1993). For example non-profit organizations have a tendency to reduce the risk element associated with event management by removing the anxiety of stakeholders. A non-profit organization involved in social welfare projects might plan an event like introducing a novel agricultural or farming technique to local farmers. The anxiety about the degree of risk associated with the adoption of the new technique might in fact increase the level of risk. Sixthly the organization must take into consideration the social

The use of vaginal examinations in assessing progress during the first Essay

The use of vaginal examinations in assessing progress during the first stage of labour - Essay Example During the first stage of labour, which begins with the onset of regular uterine contraction, it plays instrumental role in assessing the progress made in labour. It provides information about the cervical effacement and dilatation, descent , position and attitude of the fetus. But it may also give rise to certain problems like infections, premature stimulation of cervix, premature rupture of membranes and women find them uncomfortable. The approach used by midwives to vaginal exam further adds to the problems. While undertaking these exams, they become inconsiderate towards the feelings of the women and in their attempt to deliver a healthy baby ignore their professional ethics , which requires them to provide a supportive, encouraging atmosphere for birth, respectful of the woman’s wishes. Although midwives acquire enough skill through practice and experience to use external signs to gain knowledge about the progress, still they consider it the most accurate method. This study revolves around vaginal examination at the onset of labour. It attempts to find the reason behind the frequent use of these interventions to assess the progress during first stage, despite its problematic nature. This report explores the necessity and effectiveness of the vaginal exams in assessing the progress. It brings to notice the problems faced by the women from vaginal examination and from the methodology used by the midwives in conducting them. It considers the alternative techniques that can be used instead of vaginal examination. This study takes into consideration the results of various researches done on vaginal examination during the labour. Vaginal examination is a complete

It is a research paper about the topic (Homeless Families) Essay

It is a research paper about the topic (Homeless Families) - Essay Example A majority of these people are thrust into the homeless state by life-altering events that were unexpected. Some tragic life occurrences such as job loss, domestic violence, family disputes, and loss of loved ones can lead to homelessness (Bassuk et al, 2010). Homelessness is by and large a three-pronged problem. It is affected by economic, political, and social factors. The state of homeless families exploded in the early 1980s when federal funds were withdrawn from social assistance and low-income housing programs. The programs were meant to cater for the mentally ill and low-income families. Lack of affordable housing and the rising gap between earnings have left many of families and individuals in America homeless (Nunez, 2000). Economic factors are a central cause, as are social factors such as long-term drug addiction, mental illness, and alcoholism which can contribute to homelessness. Studies show that at least 25 percent of homeless people suffer from a kind of mental illness (NHC 2006). Twenty percent of the homeless are also drug and alcohol addicts, and the lack of access to affordable care can leave them vulnerable to the problem for their entire lives. This paper evaluates various aspects of homeless families such as how hom elessness affects children, and what society is doing to alleviate the problem (Bassuk et al, 2010). The rate of homelessness among American families has grown extensively over the last two decades. Between 2007 and 2010, the number of homeless families rose significantly. In 2007, 30% of the homeless people were in families and the percentage changed to 35% in 2010. This percentage is, however, devoid of the proportion in the suburban and rural areas (Khadduri & Culhane 2011). The affected families experienced frequent moves while in search of employment and secure affordable housing. The turbulence resulting from the movement affects children, and they

Company Law Legal Organisations Essay Example for Free

Company Law Legal Organisations Essay Introduction Thor plc is a Public Limited registered company as per the provisions of Companies Act 1985, listed in London Stock Exchange.   A public limited company must have at least two directors to manage the business affairs of the company apart from a qualified company secretary.   Further public limited companies are also permitted to offer shares to the public to raise funds by way of public offer of shares to a minimum value of   Ã‚ £50,000. Thor plc is a commercial catering company   which has both shares and debentures to its credit.   A public limited company is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association which details the entire internal and external boundaries of a director beyond which a director cannot act in any manner.   Chapter 2 Section 171-177 of Companies Act 2006   provide about scope and nature of general duties of a director. Some of the important general duties are : Duty to act within powers and in accordance with the company’s constitution (MA) and exercise powers dutifully.(Sec.171) Section 172 states that a director must promote and work to the success of a company in bona fide and in good conduct for any long term decisions, in the interests of company employees, fostering the business relationship with business suppliers, customers and others, consider the company’s operations, its impacts on environment     and community.   A director must have interest to maintain the reputation of the company. Section 173 states that a director has the power to exercise independent judgment which is in accordance with the provisions and compliance of legal provisions enabled by Companies Act 2006 and authorized by Company’s constitution and which is not restricted and in contradiction with the agreement entered into between the director and the company. Section 174 states that a director must exercise reasonable care, skill and diligence. Section 175   provides that a director is in a position to always avoid a conflict of interest. Section 176 provides that a director must not accept any benefits   from third parties. Third parties means a person other than the company, a person acting on behalf of a company, an associate body or a body corporate. Section 177 provides that a director can always declare interest in a proposed transaction or arrangement. The proposed interest must be disclosed or declared either in a meeting with other directors, by a notice to other directors in accordance with Section 184   (notice in writing) or Section 185 (general notice). A director need not disclose interest in case the director is of the opinion that (a) the proposed interest for a transaction may give rise to a conflict of interest. (b) To an extent, if other directors are aware of transaction. ( c) The proposal need to be considered in a meeting of directors or by a committee of directors appointed for this purpose under company’s constitution. Section 178 deals with civil consequences of breach of general duties by   a director. Companies Act 1985 imposes a statutory prohibition that it is a criminal offence if a director without the prior permission of the Board, considers an option to sell or buy shares or debentures.   Insider trading is a criminal offence under Financial Services Act 1986 as per sections 61-62A when a private investor or person suffers a loss from breach of statutory duty which is caused by a director. Under Criminal Justice Act 1993 Part V, if a person knowingly commits insider trading, it will be considered as offence if, buy or sell shares is performed in a regulated market, where there is intermediary professional. Encourages another person to deal with such proposals of insider trading. Disclosure of information to persons who are outside of office, employment or profession. All the above offences are penalized either with fine or imprisonment of up to seven years. Mary in the capacity of a director, is entitled to sell Thor Plc shares which are held by Mary in the position of a director only after the prior intimation to the Board and after a resolution has been passed to that extent that certain number of shares held by Mary, the director of Thor plc can be sold. Mary has committed a serious offence by neither intimating the Board about selling of shares, nor took the consent of the Board in which case,   Mary has invited penalties under Companies Act 2006. Further, Mary has also encouraged another shareholder Graham to sell shares by revealing the confidential business information about the company which is also another serious offence which was not supposed to be performed by a director who is in the Board of a company. Mary as director has violated all the legal rules of Companies Act 2006 and has violated the rules of Thor plc. In view of the above, Mary is either required to pay a penalty or seek assistance from a legal practitioner 2(a) In October 2008, certain of the codified directors’ duties come into force. Explain briefly the relevant fiduciary duties which will be applicable prior to that date Directors have the major decision making power in a company. No other position in a company is greater than the position of a director.   The duties of directors are designed in a way that companies’ interests are protected, shareholders interests are protected in order to make corporate business as transparent and efficient.   There are many rules, statutory duties and fiduciary duties for a director’s position which have to be fulfilled in accordance with Companies Act 1985 and as amended by Companies Act 1989.   The government is of the opinion that codification of directors’ duties which are included in the Companies Act 2006, which was granted permission from Royal Assent on 8th November, 2006, ensures the law to be consistent and also enables directors to not to breach any duty that is written in law. Prior to the codification of directors’ duties, the fiduciary duties were prevalent which are briefly explained as below. Further fiduciary duties are of two categories. (1) Duty to act in good faith in the interest of the company and not for any collateral purpose. (2) Duty to not to permit conflict of personal interest with that of duties to be discharged as director of a company.   Ã‚  Fiduciary duties can never be breached by a director wherein case, the director would be held responsible for any loss suffered thereof.   Any profit or loss that is made from the discharge of duties by   a director, must be disclosed to the company in all respects.   Directors owe duties to the company only and not to individual members.   A director must disclose any interest in a proposed contract or a contract in a meeting of the directors of the company.   Director’s service contract must be kept available for inspection by the members.   Service contracts for more than five years must be approved in a general meeting.   Further a director must notify the company about any personal interest in shares of the company.   Personal liability for a director is more when   a director is participating directly or indirectly in fraudulent trading in the event of a company being liquidated or wrongful trading when a company is being declared as an insolvent and the court holds director as liable. When a company is in insolvent liquidation, the directors of the company are not eligible to incorporate another company in the same name or similar to the existing name for a term of five years. In case if a director is floating another company with the similar name, director becomes personally liable for the debts of such new company. Further an officer or director who signs cheques or orders for goods on behalf of the company is also held personally liable for all the transactions of the company, when the name of company does not appear on cheques or order documents.  Ã‚   Company records have to be kept at the registered office for inspection of company law officials or such other authorized persons as per Companies Act 2006. Fiduciary duties of a director are of equal source of personal liability as that of general duties of a director.   All fiduciary duties are self-explanatory whereas all general duties are specific and task-oriented for each director.   Breach of director’s duties result in either as offence, personal liability or termination of directorship as per the provisions of Companies Act 2006. There are totally four directors in Edu-con Ltd who are managing the business affairs of the company.   The constitution of Edu-con Ltd is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association of the company which details the powers and duties of directors of Edu-con Ltd and further statutory laws and provisions of Companies Act 2006 apply to Edu-con Ltd for both filing the required statutory documents and for detailing the duties of directors of Edu-con Ltd.,   All the four directors of Edu-con Ltd for responsible for execution of general duties as well fiduciary duties of the company. Part 10 Chapter 1 Section 154 – 169 of Companies Act 2006 details about appointment and removal of directors. Chapter 2 of Part 10 Section 170 – 177 of Companies Act 2006 details about general duties of   directors. Section 252 of the Companies Act 2006 details about persons connected with a director. Section 253 of the Companies Act 2006 details about members of director’s family.   Section 254 states about a body corporate with which the director is connected.   Vera Freet lives with her partner, Bertram Boss who owns a business by name â€Å"Bell Agentis†. Vera Freet did not disclose partner Bertram Boss in any Board meeting and neither while selling the land adjacent to â€Å"Bell Agentis† for value  £350,000 to Edu-con Ltd., whereas it is important for a director to disclose about family members and also about any interest in business proposal that is related to the business management of Edu-con Ltd., Wilson Rabbit who is another director of Edu-con Ltd., has earned a commission of  £900 for awarding a printing contract to Bees Books Ltd.,   In this aspect, Companies Act 1985 states that disclosure of transactions that are within a sum of    £1000 in a financial year need not be disclosed by a director as long as it is a secret commission in terms of monetary benefit earned by a director. It is also important that the acts of directors are within the purview of Articles of Edu-con Ltd., and considered not as an offence.   However it is important that the Board must be notified about the paying of commission by Bees Books Ltd., to the director even though it is a small amount,   for all good purposes and to keep the transparency of the transactions. According to the EU Directive when a company is taken over by another company, existing board or change in board effects the value of   the company. In the present case, Edu-con Ltd has been taken over by another company, and subsequently there is also a change in the board members which means the existing four directors of Edu-con Ltd no longer carry the position of director. Any transactions that are still in term period do not hold good when a director ceases as board member which is relevant in the case of   Wilson Rabbit who has been receiving commission from Bees Books Ltd for printing contract. Similarly the land that is acquired from Bell-Agentis can also be reconsidered whether it should be retained by the new board members.   The new board has every right and authorized to write-off all the transactions that were exercised by previous board basing on the interest of the new board and for making the business good. Conclusion Companies Act 2006 is yet to come into force effectively by the end of the year 2008 as there are many changes in Company Reform Bill to bring order to all the existing UK companies and for all the new companies that are being incorporated. However it is important to always refer Companies Act 1985 as well Companies Act 2006 for deriving the maximum benefits in the matters related to directorships and financial related matters. References Companies Act, 2006 Reviewed 14 April 2008 http://194.131.210.216/eappub/includeimages/2007041722C1FAUHD_Companies%20Act%202006.pdf Company Law guide http://www.youngandpearce.co.uk/corporat.htm Companies Act 2006 and duties of directors Reviewed 17 April 2008 http://www.bytestart.co.uk/content/legal/35_2/companies-act-directors-duties.shtml Companies Act, 2006 Reviewed 14 April 2008 http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2006/pdf/ukpga_20060046_en.pdf Explanatory Notes to Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2000 Chapter 12 Reviewed 14 April 2008 http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2000/en/ukpgaen_20000012_en_1 Partnership Act, 1890 Reviewed 14 April 2008 http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/bimmanual/BIM72505.htm http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2006/ukpga_20060046_en_1 http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/uksi_20072194_en_7 http://books.google.co.in/books?id=zb7VqRT4hOgCpg=PA44lpg=PA44dq=selling+of+shares+by+director+of+a+company+is+a+criminal+offencesource=webots=9RfouwoVBzsig=8REfcxgg1RLBiW-dxrG-4ioh6uwhl=en#PPA52,M1 UK Government’s new Company Law Reform Bill Reviewed 14 April 2008 http://www.mallesons.com/publications/2005/Dec/8221850W.htm

The History Of The Oromo People History Essay

The History Of The Oromo People History Essay The following summary information was adopted from the book by Gadaa Melbaa, Oromia: An Introduction to the History of the Oromo People, 1999. The Oromo are also known by another name, Galla. The people neither call themselves or like to be called by this name. They always called themselves Oromoo or Oromoota (plural). It is not known for certain when the name Galla was given to them. It has been said that it was given to them by neighboring peoples, particularly Amhara, and various origins of the word have been suggested. Some say it originated from the Oromo word gaiaana meaning river in Oromiffa. Others indicate that it came from an Arabic word qaala laa. There are other similar suggestions as to the origin of the word. The Abyssinians attach a derogatory connotation to the Galla, namely pagan, savage, uncivilized, uncultured, enemy, slave or inherently inferior. The term seems to be aimed at generating an inferiority complex in the Oromo. Culture The Oromo are one of the Cushitic speaking groups of people with variations in colour and physical characteristics ranging from Hamitic to Nilotic. A brief look at the early history of some of the peoples who have occupied north-eastern Africa sheds some light on the ethnic origin of Oromo. The Cushitic speakers have inhabited north-eastern and eastern Africa for as long as recorded history. The land of Cush, Nubia or the ancient Ethiopia in middle and lower Nile is the home of the Cushitic speakers. It was most probably from there that they subsequently dispersed and became differentiated into separate linguistic and cultural groups. The various Cushitic nations inhabiting north-east and east Africa today are the result of this dispersion and differentiation. The Oromo form one of those groups which spread southwards and then east and west occupying large part of the Horn of Africa. Their physical features, culture, language and other evidences unequivocally point to the fact that they are indigenous to this part of Africa. Available information clearly indicates that the Oromo existed as a community of people for thousands of years in East Africa (Prouty at al, 1981). Bates (1979) contends, The Gallas (Oromo) were a very ancient race, the indigenous stock, perhaps, on which most other peoples in this part of eastern Africa have been grafted. In spite of the fact that there are several indications and evidences that Oromo are indigenous to this part of Africa, Abyssinian rulers, court historians and monks contend that Oromo were new corners to the region and did not belong here. For instance the Abyssinian court historian, Alaqa Taye (1955), alleged that in the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries the Oromo migrated from Asia and Madagascar, entered Africa via Mombasa and spread north and eastwards. Others have advocated that during the same period the Oromo crossed the Red Sea via Bab el Mandab and spread westwards. Abyssinian clergies even contended that Oromo emerged from water. On this issue, based on the points made in The Oromos Voice Against Tyranny, Baxter (1985) remarked, . . . the contention that the first Oromo had actually emerged from water and therefore, had not evolved to the same level of humanity as the Amhara (i.e. treating a myth of origin as a historical fact); or, more seriously, that Oromo were late co rners to Ethiopia and hence, by implication, intruders and not so entitled to be there as the Amhara. The history of the arrival of the Oromo people in the sixteenth century in East Africa from outside is a fabrication and denial of historical facts. It is a myth created by Abyssinian court historians and monks, sustained by their European supporters and which the Ethiopian rulers used to lay claim on Oromo territory and justify their colonization of the Oromo people. Several authorities have indicated that the Oromo were in fact in the North-eastern part of the continent even before the arrival of the Habasha. According to Perham (1948): the emigrant Semites landed in a continent of which the North-East appears to have been inhabited by the eastern groups of Hamites, often called Kushites, who also include the Gallas. Paulitschke (1889) indicated that Oromo were in East Africa during the Aksumite period. As recorded by Greenfield (1965), Oromo reject the view that they were late arrivals, . . . old men amongst the Azebu and Rayya Galia dismiss talk of their being comparative newcome rs. . . . . Their own (Abyssinians) oral history and legends attest to the fact that Oromo have been living in Rayya for a long time. Beke (cited by Pankurst, 1985-86) quoted the following Lasta legend: Meniiek, the son of Solomon, . . . entered Abyssinia from the East, beyond the country of the Rayya or Azebo Gallas. There are also evidence (Greenfield et al, 1980) that at least by the ninth and tenth centuries that there were Oromo communities around Shawa and by about the fourteenth century settlements were reported around Lake Tana. The recent discovery, (Lynch and Robbins, 1978), in northern Kenya of the pillars that Oromo used in the invention of their calendar system, dated around 300 B.C., is another indication that Oromo have a long history of presence as a community of people, in this part of Africa. The so called Galla invasion of Ethiopia is also a tale. It was first written around 1590 by a monk called Bahrey and henceforth European historians and others almost invariably accepted this story as a fact. From his writing, it is evident that he was biased against Oromo. The following quotation from Bahrey, (in Beckingham et al, 1954), vividly illustrates typical Abyssinian cultural, religious and racial biases against Oromo. He began his book The History of the Galla: I have begun to write the history of the Galla in order to make known the number of their tribes, their readiness to kill people, and the brutality of their manners. If anyone should say of my subject, Why has he written a history of a bad people, just as one would write a history of good people, I would answer by saying Search in the books, and you will find that the history of Mohamed and the Moslem kings has been written, and they are our enemies in religion. In fact it appears that the main purpose of his writin g was to encourage Abyssinians against Oromo. Bahrey, Atseme, Harris, Haberiand and others description of what they called the Galla invasion of Ethiopia as an avalanche, a sudden overwhelming human wave which could be likened to a flood or swarms of migratory locust is unrealistic and difficult to imagine to say the least. The Oromos Voice Against Tyranny argued that: . . . the so-called Galla invasion of the sixteenth century was neither an invasion nor a migration. It was rather a national movement of the Oromo people . . . with the specific goal of liberating themselves and their territories from colonial occupation. It was nothing more or less than a war of national liberation. In fact the last 2000 years were occupied with a gradual expansion of Abyssinians from north to south. This expansion had been checked throughout by Oromo. It was only with the arrival of Europeans and their firearms that Abyssinians succeeded in their southward expansion mainly in the middle of last century. Abyssinian and European historians alleged that there was a sudden population explosion in the Oromo community in the sixteenth century that enabled it to invade Ethiopia. The claim lacks a scientific base. During that time no significant, if at all any, technological development such as discoveries or introductions of medicines, new and improved tools for food production, etc. took place in the Oromo community that could have been the cause for the sudden population explosion. The Oromo community had no advantages of these sorts over neighbouring communities. Different areas have been indicated as place where the Oromo developed or differentiated into its own unique community of people or ethnic group (Braukamper, 1980). According to some ethnologists and historians, the Oromo country of origin was the south-eastern part of Oromia, in the fertile valley of Madda Walaabu in the present Baale region. This conclusion was reached mainly on the basis of Oromo oral tradition. Based on scanty anthropological evidence, others have also pointed to the coastal area of the Horn of Africa, particularly the eastern part of the Somali peninsula, as the most probable place of Oromo origin. Bruce, an English traveller, indicated that Sennar in Sudan was the Oromo country of origin and that they expanded from there. It should be noted here that many European travellers have suggested the origin of peoples, including Oromo, to be where they met some for the first time, which in most cases happened to be peripheral areas. There are several groups of people in East Africa very closely related to the Oromo. For instance, the Somalis are very similar in appearance and culture. The fact that the Somali and Oromo languages share between 30 percent and 40 percent of their vocabulary could be an indication that these two groups of people became differentiated very recently. Other Cushitic-speaking groups living in the same neighborhood who are closely related to the Oromo are Konso, Afar, Sidama, Kambata, Darassa, Agaw, Saho, Baja and other groups. Oromo have several clans (gosa, qomoo). The Oromo are said to be of two major groups or moieties descended from the two houses (wives) of the person Oromo represented by Borana and Barentu (Barenttuma). Borana was senior (angafa) and Barentu junior (qutisu). Such a dichotomy is quite common in Oromo society and serves some aspects of their political and social life. The descendants of Borana and Barentu form the major Oromo clans and sub-clans. They include Borana, Macha, Tuuiiama, Wallo, Garrii, Gurraa, Arsi, Karrayyu, ltu, Ala, Qaiioo, Anniyya, Tummugga or Marawa, Orma, Akkichuu, Liban, Jile, Gofa, Sidamo, Sooddo, Galaan, Gujii and many others. However, in reality there is extensive overlap in the area they occupy and their community groups. And since marriage among Oromo occurs only between different clans there was high degree of homogeneity. The vegetation of Oromia ranges from savanna grassland and tropical forest to alpine vegetation on the mountaintops. The forests contain a variety of excellent and valuable timbers. Oromia is known for its unique native vegetation as well as for being, the center of diversity for many different species. For instance, crops like coffee, anchote (root crop), okra, etc. are indigenous to this area. The Economy Potentially, Oromia is one of the richest countries in Africa. Agriculture is the backbone of its economy. Still employing archaic methods, subsistence agriculture is the means of livelihood for more than 90 per cent of the population. There are a variety of farm animals and crop plants. Farm animals include cattle, sheep, goats, donkeys, mules, horses, camels and chicken. The Cushitic speaking communities of this region perhaps Nubians, are credited with the domestication of donkey and were the first to breed mules, (a result of a cross between a donkey and a mare). The Oromo are expert in animal husbandry through their long tradition as herdsmen. For some, cattle-rearing (pastoralism) is still the main occupation. Because of Oromias favorable climate and rich soil, many types of crops are cultivated and normally there is little need for irrigation. Normally one and sometimes two crops can be harvested annually from the same field. Among the major food crops are cereals (wheat, barley, tef, sorghum, corn, millet, etc.), fibre crops (cotton), root crops (potato, sweet potato, yam, inset, anchote, etc.), pulses (peas, beans, chick-peas, lentils, etc.), oil crops (nugi, flax, etc.), fruit trees (orange, mango, avocado, banana, lemon, pineapple, peach, etc.), spices (onion, garlic, coriander, ginger, etc. coriander and ginger also grow wild) and a variety of vegetables like okra which is indigenous to Oromia. Many varieties of these important crops occur naturally in Oromia. These diverse crop plants are very valuable natural resources. Oromo farmers have contributed to world agriculture by cultivating and developing some of the worlds crop plants and in this way have discovered new domesticated varieties. The main cash crops are coffee and chat (a stimulant shrub). Coffee, a major cash earner for many countries, has its origin in the forests of Oromia and neighboring areas. Specifically, Kafa and Limmu are considered centers of origin for coffee. It is from here that coffee spread to other parts of the globe. Coffee was one of the export items of the Gibe states. Wallagga and llubbabor regions of Oromia exported coffee to the Sudan through the inland port of Gambelia on the Baro river and border towns of Kurmuk, Gissan, etc. Hararge, because of its favorable location for communication with the outside markets through the Red Sea, has been producing one of the finest coffees for export. C offee has remained the chief export item, representing more than 60 per cent of the foreign earnings of successive Ethiopian colonial regimes. The country is also rich in wild animals and plants. Many different species are found in the waters and forests of Oromia: different kinds of fish, hippopotami, and crocodiles. Land animals include lion, leopard, rhinoceros, buffalo, giraffe, wild ass, zebra, columbus monkey and elephant. There are a number of wild animals that are found solely in Oromia, such as nyaaia, bush-buck (special type), fox (from Baale), etc. Various types of birds, many of them unique, are found around lakes and elsewhere. These creatures are a source of attraction for tourists and natural scientists alike. The forests of Oromia are a source of excellent timber. Although the major portion of the forests has been destroyed since its occupation, some still remain in the south and west. However, this is threatened by mismanagement, particularly through the fast the expanding state farms and resettlement programs. At the time of colonization a large part of Oromia was covered with forest. This has been reduced to the present 5-7 per cent. In addition to timber trees, medicinal plants and trees producing different kinds of gums, grow in abundance. Myrrh, frankincense and gum Arabic are gathered from the wild trees. Forests, besides being a source of timber, medicine and gum, are useful in the conservation of water and soil, and as shelter for wildlife. They also have an important aesthetic value. Oromia has important mineral deposits. The gold mines at Adola and Laga Dambi in the Sidamo and around Nejjo, Asosa and Birbir river valley in Wallagga regions which were the major sources of revenue for Meniiek and Haile Selassie are being exploited using modern machinery. Other important minerals found in Oromia are platinum, sulphur, iron-ore, silver and salt. As early as 1900 Meniiek granted concessions to a Swiss company to mine gold, silver and other minerals in Nejjo, Wallagga region. Later the Germans took over. English, Russian and Italian companies extracted gold and platinum at Yubdo and neighboring areas in the same region. After some 60 years, the Soviet Union is continuing this business today in the same areas. It is known that large deposits of natural gas and oil exist in Baafe and Hararge regions. The Ethiopian government announced as 1986 the discovery of a new deposit of natural gas in Baale. The hundreds of hot springs scattered over Oromia are also of economic importance. Thousands of people, including foreigners, visit these springs for their medicinal and recreational value. They are a great potential source of thermal energy. Rivers, streams and springs are plentiful. The rivers have many fails that could be used to generate electric power with little effort. The extent of this electric power could easily satisfy the power needs of Oromia and several neighbouring countries.

Free Essay on Frost’s Out, out and Mid Term Break :: term out

The Fragility of Life in Frost’s Out, out and Mid Term Break  Ã‚   The poem â€Å"Out, out† by Robert Frost is a poem about a young boy who uses a buzz saw.   When fate decides the boy’s time is up, the saw cuts the boy’s hand, and the boy slowly dies. The theme of â€Å"Out, out†, as well as â€Å"Mid Term Break†, is the fragility of life.    â€Å"Out, out†, like â€Å"Mid-Term Break† focuses on the issue of God’s randomness in choosing who lives and who doesn’t. This fragility is emphasized, as the title of the poem is a line from the play Macbeth, â€Å"Out, out brief candle, life is but a walking shadow.† This way of portraying life as a candle, gives the impression that whoever guards this candle could just as easily blow it out, at any time, any place and just as sudden. The pace of this poem varies from slow and steady at the beginning and then quick in the middle and then back to slow and steady again. At the beginning of the poem, the pace is very slow and gentle as the poet introduces us to the future incident. Once the incident occurs, the pace of the poem dramatically increases. This increase in pace relates to how quickly the incident happened to those people who were observing the accident. The poem’s tone evolves around acceptance. Unlike in â€Å"Mid Term Break†, the poem has no true sadness or funerals, there seems not to be any real emotions shown by other family members. For example, there is no body grieving over the death of this boy. The people who witnessed the accident accepted this accident as they would an earthquake, a natural disaster that can’t be prevented. In this poem, Robert Frost uses many techniques to describe to us his feelings and emotions on the issue of death; these emotions and techniques can be compared to those of Seamus Heaney in the poem, â€Å"Mid Term Break†. In both â€Å"Out, out† and â€Å"Mid Term Break†, the poets use candles to symbolise life, although the poets use this symbolism differently. In â€Å"Mid Term Break†, Seamus Heaney uses candles to symbolise everlasting life, whereas Robert Frost uses candles to portray the vulnerability of our lives in the title of his poem, â€Å"Out, out†. In the opening part of this poem, the poet uses the technique of onomatopoeia. This means that he uses words that sound like their meanings.

Malaria :: essays papers

Malaria Malaria is a potentially fatal illness of tropical and subtropical regions. The disease is caused by a parasite which is transmitted to human beings bitten by infected mosquitoes. The disease is widespread in Africa, and over one million people die of malaria every year on the continent. WHICH AREAS HARBOUR MALARIA? Within South Africa's borders the disease is encountered mainly in northern and eastern Mpumalanga, northern Kwa-Zulu Natal, and the border areas of the Northern and North West provinces. Considering South Africa's neighbours, malaria is also considered to be a threat to travellers visiting the lower lying areas of Swaziland, while it is encountered throughout Mozambique and Zimbabwe, and much of Botswana. Northern Namibia is also a malarious area. Within South Africa's borders, malaria transmission is at its highest during the warmer and wetter months of November through to April. From May through to October the risks of acquiring malaria are reduced. For a full size map and a list of game parks follow this link.(368K) HOW TO AVOID MALARIA Prevention of malaria relies upon adopting personal protection measures designed to reduce the chances of attracting a mosquito bite, and the use of appropriate anti-malarial medication. Both personal protection methods and anti-malarial medication are important, and neither should be neglected at the expense of the other. PERSONAL PROTECTION MEASURES Personal protection measures against mosquito bites include the use of an appropriate insect repellent containing di-ethyl toluamide (also known as DEET), the wearing clothing to conceal as much of the body as practical, sleeping under mosquito nets, and the spraying of sleeping quarters at night with a suitable pyrethroid containing insecticide, or the burning of an insecticide laden coil. If at all possible avoid being outdoors at night, when malaria carrying mosquitoes are more likely to bite. ANTI-MALARIA TABLETS (PROPHYLAXIS) There are a number of different types of anti-malaria tablets available. The exact choice of which to use depends both upon the particular area being visited, and the traveller's own medical history. Within South Africa's borders either a combination of chloroquine with proguanil, or Mefloquine (Mefliam) alone are the commonly used anti-malaria tablets. Chloroquine and proguanil are available without a doctor's prescription. Mefloquine (Mefliam) can only be obtained with a doctor's prescription. Because of the emergence of chloroquine resistant strains of malaria in South Africa, chloroquine should not be taken alone but should always be combined with proguanil. The adult dosage is two chloroquine tablets per week, starting one week before entering the malarious area. Proguanil may be started twenty-four hours before entering the malarious area, and two tablets must be taken every day. Both chloroquine and proguanil should be taken for four weeks after departing the malarious area, and both are best taken at

Lucky Shot :: essays research papers

LUCKY SHOT. I sit in my room with a gun on my left and pills on my right. I sit and think – is it worth living another day? It’s a difficult question, which I think about every night. I look to my left, then to my right. I should have gone to sleep I tell myself, and hope tomorrow will be different. It’s time just to give up! I try to think about something positive in my life but there’s nothing to think of. Maybe the years I don’t remember were good, but I doubt that. I turn to my left again and stair at the gun. The gun isn’t loaded yet but I have one bullet sitting on the table waiting for this special occasion. Maybe it would be easier to take the pills. It’s much quieter and clearer that way. But maybe I should leave ‘HELL’ with a bang? But then again it’s not my style. My whole life I was quiet; I think that the suffering should end – yes! I grab the bottle and open the lid. For some reason I pour the pills on the bed and begin to count them. Twenty-one. That should do it. I grab one pill and carry it towards my mouth, but I am unable to put it in. I place the pill back on the bed. I look up at the ceiling thinking. My neck begins to hurt, but it doesn’t bother me – I’ll be dead soon. I start to wonder if my life would have been any different if God was a part of it. My neck begins to hurt more so I bring my head down and stare at the wall. As I’m staring at the wall, I try to build up confidence to end it all. I never had any confidence. My misery will soon end. Why can’t I just do it? The world will be better off with out me, one less useless person in the world. Hell can’t be worse then this. Lucky Shot :: essays research papers LUCKY SHOT. I sit in my room with a gun on my left and pills on my right. I sit and think – is it worth living another day? It’s a difficult question, which I think about every night. I look to my left, then to my right. I should have gone to sleep I tell myself, and hope tomorrow will be different. It’s time just to give up! I try to think about something positive in my life but there’s nothing to think of. Maybe the years I don’t remember were good, but I doubt that. I turn to my left again and stair at the gun. The gun isn’t loaded yet but I have one bullet sitting on the table waiting for this special occasion. Maybe it would be easier to take the pills. It’s much quieter and clearer that way. But maybe I should leave ‘HELL’ with a bang? But then again it’s not my style. My whole life I was quiet; I think that the suffering should end – yes! I grab the bottle and open the lid. For some reason I pour the pills on the bed and begin to count them. Twenty-one. That should do it. I grab one pill and carry it towards my mouth, but I am unable to put it in. I place the pill back on the bed. I look up at the ceiling thinking. My neck begins to hurt, but it doesn’t bother me – I’ll be dead soon. I start to wonder if my life would have been any different if God was a part of it. My neck begins to hurt more so I bring my head down and stare at the wall. As I’m staring at the wall, I try to build up confidence to end it all. I never had any confidence. My misery will soon end. Why can’t I just do it? The world will be better off with out me, one less useless person in the world. Hell can’t be worse then this.

A Study on the Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty of Furniture Purchaser in on-Line Shop

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www. emeraldinsight. com/1598-2688. htm AJQ 11,2 146 A study on the customer satisfaction and customer loyalty of furniture purchaser in on-line shop Yongju Jeong and Yongsung Lee Department of Business Administration, The University of Incheon, Incheon, South Korea Abstract Purpose – The paper intends to explore the in? uencing factors on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in the internet shopping mall through service quality based on the data obtained from furniture purchaser. Design/methodology/approach – The research model and the relevant research hypothesis were set up through the data derived from the existing researches, and then the relevant hypothesis was tested through regression analysis. Findings – As result of analysis, the in? uencing factors on customer satisfaction of furniture purchaser in the internet shopping mall were proved to be product diversity of service quality, tangibles, responsiveness, interaction, stability, and customer satisfaction was found to be a signi? cant in? encing factor on customer loyalty in the internet shopping mall. Research limitations/implications – Although this study was carried out against actual furniture purchaser in selecting the samples, it reached the limit in considering the diversity of internet shopping mall, and sorting into on-line and off-line concurrent shopping mall and internet exclusive shopping mall. Originality/value – The study reviews the service quality measure suggested in the existing literature on service quality, newly applying it to on-line services environment, and then ? ding out the in? uence of service quality in internet shopping mall on customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and repurchase intention as well as in which dimension they are built up. Keywords Internet, Shopping, Customer satisfaction, Customer loyalty, Electronic commerce Paper type Research paper The Asian Journal on Quality Vol. 11 No. 2, 2010 pp. 146-156 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 1598-2688 DOI 10. 1108/15982681011075952 1. Introduction Owing to rapid development of information communication, e-commerce through internet is picking up briskly throughout the world. According to the survey of Korea National Statistical Of? ce, the volume of transaction in domestic cyber shopping mall in Korea steadily grew starting from 2001 when it reached approximately 3,400,000,000,000 won, which is well over 20,000,000,000,000 won in 2009. Like this, internet market is growing in non-negligible scale, and even it is expected to grow more and more in future. Development of various information communication technology including computer has changed the consumption life of the consumers, and especially tons of changes take place in the consumers’ selection through their decision making. Such changes suggest a new environment characterized by global market, collapse of hierarchy, and economy of information era. Internet shopping mall is a business that can be operated at minimum expense with minimum labor force, which allows to ecure price competitiveness by minimizing distribution stages, and further provide better customer service than the existing off-line shopping by providing various information. These days, rapid growth of do-it-yourself furniture stimulates the tendency of purchasing furniture through internet shopping. On-line furniture sales system was attempted by a small-scale ? rm at the beginning, but large furniture suppliers soon after jumped on to the on-line market band wagon without hesitation (The Korea Economic Da ily, 2007, July 16). This study is intended to ? d out the factors of customer satisfaction and customer loyalty by exploring the characteristic of the users regarding customer satisfaction and customer loyalty of the furniture purchasers in the internet shopping mall, and then reviewing the literature on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, conducting empirical research through statistical data obtained from questionnaire survey by establishing model and hypothesis after reviewing the literature on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in order to discover the characteristic that appeared through the user’s purchase of furniture. . Theoretical backgrounds 2. 1 Internet shopping mall Internet shopping allows the purchaser to search and survey the information on service or product by accessing internet shopping site through internet in remote place instead of retail shop as a physical space, and then enables to select or order the goods, and ultimately pay the mone y using credit card to purchase the goods/services (Ruth, 2000). It is de? ed as the collective concept of on-line shops having the products in a variety of lines where advertisement and exhibition of the products for internet shopping is carried out through electronic shopping mall, server is equipped with data like prices, structures, characteristics of various products, webpage provides information on the product together with multi-media information (Hoffman and Novak, 1996). Internet shopping mall is characterized by connecting producer directly with ? al end-user while traditional off-line market comprises four steps from producer through ? nal consumer. In addition, it is rarely restricted by time/space, and easy to acquire information from customer. Traditional commercial transaction requires a large amount of investment to maintain ? xed assets and human resource, while e-commerce requires investment mainly for system installation only. Besides, in terms of advertisement, p romotion, etc. owing to conversion to two-way from the existing one-way, it is changed into the style of one-to-one connection with customer. . 2 Furniture industry The structure of Korea’s furniture industry is driven to domestic demand while Taiwan to export market. Therefore, the industry is very weak in its management foundation owing to extremely ? erce competition within the same industrial circle, generalized phenomenon of design being imitated and the subsequent deterioration of pro? tability, etc. In addition, because of insuf? cient timber source at home, the industry depends on import from Indonesia, etc. for 95 percent of major raw materials such as plywood for furniture production, etc. Domestic furniture industry has structural problems in both design and distribution sectors. Especially, in distribution sector, attacked by aggressive merchants who seek unlawful deals with low-price sale, general tax payers A study on customer satisfaction 147 AJQ 11,2 148 with sincerity tend to lose their competition foundation, and furthermore event companies or representatives hold their own discount sales ruthlessly, disturbing domestic distribution order, resulting in sharp drop of quality and subsequent damage to the consumers. Accordingly, it is necessary to develop our furniture business circle again in such a manner of reinforcing production foundation centered on own specialized product of each while expediting cooperative relationship with professional companies for the other non-specialized products, and thus it is needed to establish production and operation strategy under new system, and then reinforce the competitiveness in price and distribution. 2. 3 Service quality Service means an intangible activity or bene? provided by the services provider to customer, which can be tangible product and something that is added to intangible service, or in an independent form (Kotler, 1991). With regard to the nature of service, there exist some different opinions among the researchers, but service is known to have four properties; being intangible, inseparability of production and consumption, heterogeneity, and perishability (Parasuraman et al. , 1985). The concept of service quality can be represented in different way depending on aspect and approaching method. Especially, service quality has a aspect emphasized by subjective assessment recognized by each individual customer rather than that examined objectively being dif? cult to measure owing to its specialty. Generally, the de? nition of quality varies depending on the methods of approach driven to transcendental experience, product, manufacture, value, and user (Garvin, 1984). Parasuraman et al. 1985, hereinafter â€Å"PZB†) de? ned cognitive service quality, aside from objective quality, is a type of attitude â€Å"that is the comparison between consumer’s recognition of the result of service provided by the corporation and the expectation of consumer that should be provided by the corporation in their opinion†. Accordingly, cognitive service quality was observed through the degree and direction of the difference existing between consumer’s recognit ion and expectation (Woo-seong, 2006). According to PZB, although there exists the difference of relative importance that assess the service quality depending on service types, there exists basically similar assessment criteria, and therefore the service quality observation system developed by them is the decisive factor of service quality that may be generally applied to service industry. Since then, Parasuraman et al. (1988) discovered that there exist correlation among ten decisive factors of service quality that were examined from Parasuraman et al. 1985) conducted against the corporations such as machinery repair and maintenance, bank, long-distance telephone company, credit card company, and security broker. Finally, they named SERVQUAL for it by combining ? ve factors (tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy). SERVQUAL can be also measured by gap score between the score of consumer’s performance recognition and score of expectation. Five dimensions comprising SERVQUAL and the descripti on of each dimension is as shown in Table I. As a result of reviewing the precedent research on the service quality of on-line shopping mall, it was found that the study on the satisfaction with loyalty and consumer satisfaction as result of the service quality of on-line shopping mall was conducted in such a manner that the property of on-line shopping mall was re? ected in the existing service quality dimensions to develop the dimension of on-line shopping mall service quality. 2. 4 Customer satisfaction and customer loyalty 2. 4. 1 Customer satisfaction. In the study on customer’s satisfaction/dissatisfaction, there exists inconsistency concerning its concept among the researchers, and a variety of attempts are carried out in its measurement. The de? nition of customer satisfaction can be divided into two; de? nitions driven to outcome and driven to process (Lee, 1995). From the aspect driven to outcome, customer satisfaction is conceptualized as the result of consumption experience such as the recognition felt by customer that the price paid is rewarded in proper or improper manner, emotional reaction against the retail shop or purchasing behavior related with purchased speci? product or service, or emotional reaction against the behavior in wider meaning such as consumer’s behavior or the market on the whole, comprehensive mental state that occurs when the emotion due to inconsistent expectation is combined with the emotion prior to the customer’s experience of purchase. The aspect driven to process is useful i n that it generalizes the whole consumption experience, and it enables to examine an important process that reaches customer satisfaction through the measure of observing unique elements at each stage (Oliver, 1981). Internet shopping mall is a web site in virtual space in the name of internet. Chen and Wells (1999), in measuring the attitude to the web site, suggested three aspects; informativeness that shows the degree of usefulness of information provided by web site to the visitor, entertainment of web site that shows the degree on how it meets emotional necessity and desire of the visitor, and organization of web site that shows the degree on how it provides the visitor’s desired information and product/service in convenient and prompt way. 2. 4. 2 Customer loyalty. Typically, customer loyalty means the property of customer to repeatedly purchasing speci? c subject (brand, product, service, shop, etc. with affection regardless of the change in the circumstance (Jacoby and Chesnut, 1978; Oliver and Swan, 1989). There are the variables for measuring customer loyalty such as devotion into speci? c subject, repurchase intention, and intention to recommend to others, etc. (Reichheld, 1993). Especially, customer loyalty is known to arise from the result of customer sa tisfaction in general. Customer loyalty in on-line can be de? ned the tendency of customer to keep on using speci? c web site with affection (Anderson and Srinivasan, 2003). Customer with high loyalty is supposed to keep a speci? web site with him/her using bookmark function, frequently visit it, and show high site adhesion with high detention time. In addition, Dimension Tangibles Reliability Responsiveness Assurance Empathy De? nition Physical facility, equipment, outlook of employee Ability to perform the committed service in reliable and correct manner Will of assisting the customer and providing quick service to the customer Knowledge, courtesy, ability of the employees that give rise to reliability and assurance Careful concern and individual interest in the customer A study on customer satisfaction 149 Table I. Five types of SERVQUAL AJQ 11,2 they are very friendly with the site, and positively promote or recommend it to the others. The customers of high customer loyalty like this is very possible to purchase the goods from that site, and tends to consistently purchase again from that site in spite of positive marketing activity by other sites (Anderson and Srinivasan, 2003). 3. Design of research 3. 1 Research model and establishment of research hypothesis This study aims for reviewing service quality measure suggested in the existing literature on service quality, newly applying it to on-line services environment, and then ? nding out the in? ence of service quality in internet shopping mall on customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and repurchase intention as well as in which dimension they are built up. Therefore, research model for empirical analysis was established as Figure 1 based on the result of precedent research. As research model, based on the results of previous studies; Lee and Lin (2005), Lee (2 006), Jeon (2006), etc. the dimension of on-line service quality were suggested to ? nd out its in? uences on customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and repurchase intention: H1. Product diversity of service quality in on-line shopping mall will have positive (? in? uence. H2. Tangibles of service quality in on-line shopping mall will have positive (? ) in? uence. H3. Responsiveness of service quality in on-line shopping mall will have positive (? ) in? uence. H4. Interaction of service quality in on-line shopping mall will have positive (? ) in? uence. H5. Stable service quality in on-line shopping mall will have positive (? ) in? uence. H6. Customer satisfaction with service quality in on-line shopping mall will have positive (? ) in? uence on customer loyalty. Service quality Product driversity H1 Tangibles H2 H3 H4 Interaction H5 Customer satisfaction H6 Customer loyalty 50 Responsiveness Figure 1. Research model Stability 3. 2 Method of research In this study, the questionnai re survey was targeted against the customers aged from 20s to 50s who had experience of purchasing furniture from on-line shopping mall. To accomplish the purpose of research, questionnaire survey was carried out for approximately ten days from August 6, 2009 to August 15, 2009. Total 140 questionnaire sheets were collected out of 150 distributed to the subject. Among 140 sheets collected, 131 were adopted except nine returned deemed to be answered with insincerity. In this study, survey was targeted to the persons who purchased the products in furniture category 1 made of steel or wood available in on-line shopping mall. 4. Empirical analysis 4. 1 Reliability analysis In this study, in order to measure reliability, Cronbach’s a coef? cient – internal consistency analysis – was used. The reason of adopting Cronbach’s a coef? cient was to enhance variable reliability by sorting out the items affecting reliability and then ruling out those variables when several items were used to measure the same concept. Normally, it proves to be suf? cient when Cronbach’s a coef? cient appears at least 0. 6, and therefore reliability coef? cient on each variable was suggested in Table II to show reliability for each item. 4. 2 Validity analysis In this study, the result of exploratory factor analysis on service quality, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty in deriving the factors that in? uences on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty of furniture purchaser in the case of on-line shopping mall as shown in Table III. As result of factor analysis, product diversity of service quality, tangibles of service quality, responsiveness of service quality, interaction of service quality, stable service quality, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty were classi? ed to be the factors, and the variable to be excluded being less than 0. 5 in factor loading did not appear. 4. 3 Testing of hypothesis To test the hypothesis, analysis of correlation among variables and multiple regression analysis between antecedent and dependent variables were carried out. Multiple regression analysis normally aims for estimating one dependent variable from the knowledge of several variables. Accordingly, this would enable to ? nd out the In? uencing variable acting on the use of internet shopping mall Product diversity of service quality Tangibles of service quality Responsiveness of service quality Interaction of service quality Stable service quality Customer satisfaction Customer loyalty Cronbach’s a coef? cient 0. 827 0. 773 0. 829 0. 843 0. 758 0. 739 0. 917 A study on customer satisfaction 151 Table II. Result of reliability analysis AJQ 11,2 Factor Product diversity Component Variable Factor 1 Factor 2 Factor 3 Factor 4 Factor 5 Factor 6 Factor 7 sv1 sv2 sv3 st1 st2 st3 st4 sr1 sr2 sr3 sr4 sc1 sc2 sc3 sc4 ss1 ss2 ss3 cs1 cs2 cs3 cr1 cr2 cr3 0. 840 0. 770 0. 791 0. 129 0. 087 0. 028 0. 419 0. 145 0. 161 0. 113 0. 071 0. 264 2 0. 011 0. 189 0. 104 0. 329 0. 170 0. 187 0. 466 0. 363 0. 269 0. 180 0. 180 2 0. 027 0. 066 0. 238 0. 123 0. 820 0. 851 0. 772 0. 667 0. 231 0. 160 0. 104 0. 048 0. 175 0. 166 0. 162 0. 304 0. 019 0. 139 0. 069 0. 111 0. 109 0. 141 0. 019 20. 006 0. 006 0. 138 0. 146 0. 114 0. 113 0. 135 0. 195 0. 045 0. 707 0. 712 0. 801 0. 810 0. 075 0. 157 20. 040 0. 321 0. 299 0. 83 0. 134 20. 001 0. 141 0. 221 0. 213 0. 203 20. 024 0. 103 20. 056 0. 181 0. 052 0. 192 0. 112 0. 153 0. 263 0. 359 0. 086 0. 041 0. 682 0. 780 0. 807 0. 649 0. 315 0. 172 0. 125 0. 197 0. 089 0. 042 0. 035 0. 065 20. 023 0. 011 0. 129 0. 219 0. 225 0. 133 0. 205 0. 026 2 0. 095 2 0. 105 0. 221 0. 198 0. 167 0. 111 0. 168 0. 255 0. 573 0. 838 0. 854 2 0. 042 2 0. 219 2 0. 106 2 0. 154 2 0. 138 2 0. 263 0. 003 0. 172 0. 202 0. 227 0. 134 0. 190 0. 041 20. 059 20. 072 0. 208 0. 172 0. 221 0. 199 0. 261 0. 303 0. 279 0. 169 0. 099 0. 634 0. 751 0. 844 0. 091 0. 120 0. 004 0. 065 0. 109 0. 090 20. 097 0. 068 20. 015 0. 163 0. 05 0. 102 20. 079 20. 288 0. 254 0. 269 0. 233 0. 253 0. 233 20. 031 20. 014 20. 050 20. 024 20. 091 0. 808 0. 834 0. 545 152 Tangibles Responsiveness Interaction Stability Customer satisfaction Customer loyalty Table III. Result of factor analysis Notes: Extraction method: principal component analysis; rotation method: varimax with Kaiser normalization; rotation converged in six iterations strategy of enhancing customer satisfaction and customer loyalty by grasping which factors in? uence on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty of furniture purchaser in on-line shopping mall, and to which degree it has in? uence if so. In carrying out regression analysis, it may produce wrong interpretation if independent variables are not mutually independent or regression coef? cients are estimated incorrectly. In other words, there could exist the problem of multi-collinearity. In order to conduct the test for equal variance and normality that are the premise of multiple regression analysis, testing of multi-collinearity was carried out. Pearson’s correlation was used in the analysis of correlation, which shows there exist no problem of multi-collinearity (Table IV). 4. 3. 1 Testing of hypothesis between customer satisfaction and antecedent variable. As the antecedent factor of customer satisfaction, diversity of service quality, tangibles of service quality, responsiveness of service quality, interaction of service quality, and stable service quality were set up, and then multiple regression analysis was conducted to test the in? uence on customer satisfaction (Table V). Table VI is the result of analysis on the signi? cance for individual variables. Each b coef? cient appeared 0. 361 for diversity of service quality, 0. 526 for tangibles of service quality, 0. 364 for responsiveness of service quality, 0. 486 for interaction of service quality, and 0. 32 for stable service quality. Standardized regression coef? cient (b) that represents Constructive concept Diversity Tangibles Responsiveness Interaction Stability Customer satisfaction Customer loyalty Customer Customer Diversity Tangibles Responsiveness Interaction Stability satisfaction loyally 1 0. 201 * * 0. 125 * 0. 256 * * 0. 534 * * 0. 361 * * 0. 431 * * 1 0. 075 0. 601 * * 0. 512 * * 0. 526 * * 0. 367 * * A study on customer satisfaction 153 1 0. 219 * * 0. 438 * * 0. 364 * * 0. 547 * * 1 0. 608 * * 0. 486 * * 0. 249 * * 1 0. 332 * * 0. 341 * * 1 0. 236 * * 1 Notes: Correlation coef? cient is signi? cance at *0. 05 and * *0. 1 levels, respectiviely, at both sides; n ? 131 Table IV. Correlation matrix of constructive concepts R2 0. 487 Adjusted R 2 0. 476 F-value 50. 647 F-signi? cance 0. 000 Durbin-Watson 2. 016 Table V. ANOVA Independent variable (Constant) Diversity Tangibles Responsiveness Interaction Stability Unstandardized coef? cients b SE 2 0. 005 0. 361 0. 526 0. 364 0. 486 0. 332 0. 041 0. 061 0. 098 0. 057 0. 060 0. 054 Standardized coef? cients b 0. 360 0. 518 0. 375 0. 497 0. 356 T 20. 073 8. 053 12. 438 8. 215 10. 573 7. 663 Signi? cance probability 0. 292 0. 000 0. 000 0. 000 0. 000 0. 000 Note: Dependent variable: customer satisfaction Table VI. Multiple regression analysis between customer satisfaction and antecedent variable importance of regression coef? cient appeared 0. 360 for diversity of service quality, 0. 518 for tangibles of service quality, 0. 375 for responsiveness of service quality, 0. 497 for interaction of service quality, and 0. 356 for stable service quality. In the result of analysis, absolute value of beta coef? cient for tangibles of service quality appeared large and therefore, it is deemed to be the variable of best explanation of all. F-value of regression model was 50. 647 (? 0. 000) proved to be of signi? cance, and Durbin-Watson value was 2. 16 (close to 2) deemed to satisfy the assumption of independence. As result of testing, the coef? cient of determination (R 2) – one of the measures that show the adequacy of regression estimated from sample data to the observed value appeared 0. 476. Therefore, 47. 6 percent of variation on customer satisfaction that was the dependent variabl e as result of regression analysis was well explained by antecedent variables. AJQ 11,2 154 Thus, ? ve factors such as diversity of service quality, tangibles of service quality, responsiveness of service quality, interaction of service quality, and stable service quality were found to directly in? ence on customer satisfaction at a signi? cant level. 4. 3. 2 Testing of hypothesis between customer loyalty and customer satisfaction. F-value of regression model was 38. 763 (? 0. 000) proved to be signi? cant, and Durbin-Watson value was 1. 912 (close to 2). Therefore, it is deemed to satisfy the assumption of independence (Table VII). The coef? cient of determination ( ) was 0. 212, and therefore 21. 2 percent of variation on customer satisfaction that was a dependent variable as a result of regression analysis. That is, customer loyalty is explained by customer satisfaction, and it was found to directly in? ence on customer loyalty at a signi? cant level (Table VIII). 5. Conclusion T his study aimed for analyzing the in? uence on customer loyalty exerted by product diversity, tangibles, responsiveness, interaction, stability, and customer satisfaction that are suggested as service quality factor felt by furniture purchaser in internet shopping mall. The result is as follows. First, as result of exploring the factors in internet shopping mall service quality which in? uence customer satisfaction, it was proved product diversity, tangibles, responsiveness, interaction, and stability have positive in? ence on internet shopping mall customer satisfaction. As on-line shopping mall market reaches maturity, it is thought time-saving is the main reason for the customer to prefer internet shopping, and the shopping malls focus on their service on such needs. Second, as for the relationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty concerning internet shopping mall service quality, more satisfaction with internet shopping mall appeared to have more positive in? u ence on customer loyalty. In result, it seems that the consumer satis? ed with internet shopping mall can keep consistent relation with internet shopping mall in future. As aforementioned, the result of this study shows that excellent service quality of internet shopping mall operator becomes the factors that can improve the competitiveness of shopping mall, and furthermore the internet shopping mall could R Table VII. ANOVA 0. 216 Adjusted 0. 212 F-value 38. 763 F-signi? cance 0. 000 Durbin-Watson 1. 912 Independent variable Table VIII. Multiple regression analysis on customer loyalty (Constant) Customer loyalty Unstandardized coef? cients b SE 2 0. 002 0. 236 0. 052 0. 051 Standardized coef? cients b 0. 238 T 20. 036 5. 603 Signi? ance probability 0. 962 0. 000 Note: Dependent variable: customer loyalty raise customer loyalty if they would improve service quality consistently to get satisfaction from the customers. Although this study was carried out against actual furniture purchaser in selecting the samples, it reached the limit in considering the diversity of internet shopping mall, and sorting into on-line and off-line concurrent shopping mall and internet exclusive shopping mall. Thus, a further study needs to be done to ? nd the aforementioned area. References Anderson, R. E. and Srinivasan, S. S. (2003), â€Å"E-satisfaction and e-loyalty: a contingency framework†, Psychology & Marketing, Vol. 20. Chen, Q. and Wells, W. D. (1999), â€Å"Attitude toward the site†, Journal of Advertising Research, September-October. Garvin, D. A. (1984), â€Å"What does product quality really mean? †, SLoan Management Review, Vol. 26, Fall. Hoffman, D. L. and Novak, T. P. (1996), â€Å"Marketing in hypermedia computer-mediated environments: conceptual foundations†, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 60. Jacoby, J. and Chesnut, R. W. (1978), Brand Loyalty Measurement Management, Wiley, New York, NY. Jeon, H. -B. 2006), â€Å"Research about quality of service of cybermall†, Industry Management Research, Vol. 29. (The) Korea Economic Daily (2007), The Korea Economic Daily, July 16. Kotler, P. (1991), Marketing Management, 5th ed. , Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. Lee, G. -G. and Lin, H. -F. (2005), â€Å"Customer perceptions of e-service quality in online shop ping†, International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 33. Lee, J. -S. (2006), â€Å"Effect research that quality of service factor importance by service type gets in customer satisfaction†, Is Service Management Learned Society, Vol. No. 1. Lee, Y. -J. (1995), â€Å"Research on justice and measurement of customer satisfaction†, Management Symposium, Vol. 29. Oliver, R. L. (1981), â€Å"Measurement and evaluation of satisfaction processes in retail settings†, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 57. Oliver, R. L. and Swan, J. E. (1989), â€Å"Customer perception of interpersonal equity and satisfaction in transactions: a ? eld survey approach†, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 53, April. Parasuraman, A. , Zeithaml, V. A. and Berry, L. L. (1985), â€Å"A conceptual model of service quality and its implications for future research†, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 9, pp. 41-50. Parasuraman, A. , Zeithaml, V. A. and Berry, L. L. (1988), â€Å"SERVQU AL: a multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality†, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 64. Reichheld, F. F. (1993), â€Å"Loyalty-based management†, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 71. Ruth, C. (2000), â€Å"Applying a modi? ed technology acceptance model to determine factors affecting behavior intention to adopt electronic shopping on the world wide web: a structural equation modeling approach†, doctoral thesis, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA. Woo-seong, L. 2006), â€Å"The effects of service quality on customer loyalty in online shopping mall†, Master’s thesis, Sejong University, Seoul. A study on customer satisfaction 155 AJQ 11,2 Further reading Gefen, D. and Straub, D. W. (2000), â€Å"The relative importance of perceived ease of use in IS adoption: a study of e-commerce adoption†, Journal of the Association for Information Systems, Vol. 1. About the authors Yongju Jeong is graduated from Korea National Open Univ ersity. He is also graduated in MA from University of Incheon and doing PhD in University of Incheon. Yongju Jeong is the corresponding author and can be contacted at: [email  protected] net Yongsung Lee is graduated from the Department of Administration, University of Incheon. He is also graduated in Information and Communication Engineering, University of Incheon. He received his Master of Business Administration from University of Incheon Admission. 156 To purchase reprints of this article please e-mail: [email  protected] com Or visit our web site for further details: www. emeraldinsight. com/reprints

Diary Entries Of A Murderer

I can see Julia's grave in front of me. And Carla's. Yet, I don't really remember that night. The night they died, I mean. I know that Julie was arguing. She was arguing with me. It was a long and loud argument. Something about a hospital of some kind. She wanted me to go there. I don't know why. I don't think I was sick. I think she had something in her hand. It was glinting in the dim light of the room. She kept repeating that I shouldn't go near her. I couldn't understand why. I loved her. She was my wife and I went closer to her. She was so beautiful. Her hair was soft and pretty. I took two steps towards her. She pointed the silver object she was holding. I held her, holding the shiny metal part towards her heart which was beating fast. Then, I kissed her and she fell to the floor, heavily. Red was her favourite colour. 3rd April 2004 Blackthorn Road Blackthorn Road. What a name! It reminds me of a thorn, a really big one, covered with dried blood – blackened. Then, there she was. She was wearing red stilettos, a matching red dress with a white belt around her slim waist. Her shoulder-length brown hair was floating with the wind. Her bare legs, looking as soft as a baby's, were exposed. She was taking long strides, walking in an elegant manner. She walked right past me. Without even noticing I was there. â€Å"Julia!† I called out. She kept on walking. I called her again. But she continued to ignore me. Rage swept through me. How dare she ignore me like that? I thought to myself. I walked over to her and grabbed her arm. â€Å"Farewell, beautiful.† 8th April 2004 My daughter's bedroom Her bedroom was always well-kept. It has a single bed, and a small desk that occupied one side of the bedroom. The room is empty. No one is at home. She must be watching television downstairs. I love her. What's her name though? Amanda? Or the other one, Carla? It must be Amanda. Then who was Carla? She walks in, her blue eyes wide. â€Å"What are you doing here? How did you get in?† â€Å"What do you mean? This is my house, little miss daughter.† â€Å"I am not your daughter. Your daughter is dead!† â€Å"What are you saying?† â€Å"You killed her! And you killed your wife! Don't you dare come near me! I'll call the police!† I look at her. How did she know I killed her mother? Did she see it? Will she report it to the police? She can't know this and survive. I have to make sure of that. 15th April 2004 Swordbill Hotel I am in room number 101. I want to talk to my Julie. I miss her. She was probably making dinner right now. I dial our house number. It rings several times. Where is she? I almost hung up when: â€Å"Hello?† It is a man's voice. There was not supposed to be a man at home. No man was allowed to visit Julia when I was not there. Julia is having an affair, I think angrily. â€Å"How could you do this to me Julia? And who the hell are you? What are you doing at my house? How dare you!† I slam the phone down. At the same instant, a woman came in. She saw me and started to scream. â€Å"Keep quiet, damn it!† She shuts up. â€Å"What did I ever do to you, Julia?† I said sadly. â€Å"Why did you have to do this to me? Don't you know how much I love you?† She was cowering towards the door looking nervously at me, nearly in tears. I got irritated. Doing that innocent princess act on me is not going to work, I thought, I would have to make her pay for what she did to me Very quickly, I grab her and drag her to the bed. I take a pillow. I put it on her mouth watching her tremble in fear. Then I put it on her eyes and kissed her goodbye. I could taste the salty tears that had fallen on her lips. I then cover her entire face with it and hold it tight. After she lay limp on the bed, I walked out the door. 20th April 2004 Prison bunk I don't know why those men put me in here. I don't think I've broken the law or anything. They keep talking about killing someone. I have no idea what they are talking about. It doesn't matter though. I called Julia. She'll come to bail me out after she picks up Carla from her ballet lessons.