Final exam 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Final exam 2 - Essay Example The information provided by the book with regard to the topic is one that shows that President Kennedy did not help people or rather workers during his tenure in that he did not push to the civil rights movements. It is critical to understand that a president is very critical towards initiating change and the fact that President Kennedy did nothing to see to changes shows how much of a poor leader he was. This information is important in comprehending the issue of a just society. A just society is one that involves people receiving similar treatment and not having one group showing superiority to the other. According to the book, John F. Kennedy Struggle for Black Equality, there is the understanding that the Black community did not have as much respect as it has today (Bryant 78). The reason behind the unfairness shown to this community is the fact that it was condescended upon by many other groups. There was a poll carried out in the United States between the year 1960 and 1961 that was to reveal the views of the people on what had to be done for America to advance in society (Bryant 93). This factor adds value to the entire project in that there is the understanding that earlier presidents in the United States did not support the black community as they were supposed to. The reason for this is the fact that they were all white. This proves that the American society has not always been just throughout the years. The information provided by the book is important to college students and history enthusiastic people. The fact that the students get to understand the history of the United States and the society makes them appreciate the current environment. In modern times, there are very few issues revolving around civil issues such as racism and social segregation. The changes witnessed in contemporary days are a product of the increased activism by different people in society. The Bystander: John F. Kennedy and the Struggle for Black

Management Concept Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Concept - Essay Example The fact is, with onset of new era of globalisation, the workforce is increasingly varied and faces problems due to geographical constraints, multilingual offices, changing organisational cultures and shifting domains as seen in case of IT organisations. The need of the hour is to develop a strategy to project a unified organisational culture which defines the whole character of the organisation and fosters an attitude of comradeship across employees, verticals, units and businesses thus creating a potential for organic and inorganic organisational growth. The new model on motivation that combines tenets of neuroscience, biology and evolutionary psychology points towards four basic needs (or drives) that guide motivation levels in people. (Nohria Groysberg & Lee 2008) These four drives, namely, drive to acquire, bond, comprehend and defend underlies every thought and action of employees and it is only by satiating these drives that an organisation can boost employee morale, enhance c reativity and extract higher productivity which leads to wholesome growth. The article emphasises on the need to focus on all four tangents for the desired results as there is tendency among Managers to overlook one or all aspects of these drives with disastrous consequences in terms of attrition percentages evoking high levels of loss n terms f experienced resources and business accordingly. The tunnel vision of handful of managers can have grievous consequences according by squelching creativity and life out of the organisation and promoting a stagnant organisational culture.(Amabile 1998) The root cause of loss of creative inputs are attributed to various factors that affect the three pillars of creativity in resources which include expertise, creative thinking skills and motivation. Thus from the ideas of these researches it is imperative to develop a theory that would promote the motivation levels and help in retaining the creativity of the employees. The organisational culture reflects the degree of interrelationship between the employees and the set of values and ideals that join them. Organizations with clearly codified and enforced cultures enjoy great employee and customer loyalty, in large part because they are effective in either altering ineffective behaviours or disengaging from values-challenged employees in a timely manner. ( Hessket Sasser and Wheeler 2008) Thus it is imperative that there is a positive culture that facilitates individual and organisational growth. The company can begin by promoting a clear, well organized mission statement which reflects the values and ideals stands up for and distinguishes it from its peers by reflecting for what it stands against. (Talbot 2003) The mission statement is important as it differentiates the company and lays down a clear line of ethics to be followed according to the organizations core values. The â€Å"IBMer† values that are instilled in every employee of IBM remind them of the core valu es of the organisation and its dedication to excellence in balancing personal and organisational goals. IBM markets itself as one of the best places to work due to the fact that it believes every employee is â€Å"special† and this is also propagated in its recruitment ad campaigns under the tag-â€Å"What makes you special?† Thus the company promotes a healthy image and strong organisation culture of mutual respect and camaraderie. The employees are given proper induction

Security Of Medical Records and Protected Health Information Essay

Security Of Medical Records and Protected Health Information - Essay Example Monaural stethoscope can be considered as the maiden application of technology in medicine, in less than two centuries technology has secured a commanding position in almost all specialties of medicine. Today, information technology is one such tool that is gradually empowering almost all the stakeholders involved in this domain of high social relevance, these stakeholders include health care delivery system, clinicians, patients and regulators. Researchers and practitioners in medicine have claimed that information technology boosts efficiency, reach, quality and safety of health care services and that telemedicine and electronic medical records are two of the prime applications of information technology in medicine. It is intriguing to note that adoption of information technology in health care is dismally low and the scenario is even worse when it comes to adoption of electronic medical records. There are many reasons those impede adoption of information technology medicine. The r easons are specific to all actants from provider to consumer of health care services; security and interoperability for a health care delivery system; reimbursement, data ownership and security for clinicians; confidentiality of health information for patients. Medicine being a safety as well as security critical domain, security and privacy are two prime concerns when it pertains to security of medical records and protected health information. The case in point mentioned at the start of this essay highlights the current state of affairs pertaining to the â€Å"security of medical records†. As per the remarkable and an insightful study on electronic medical records conducted by National Research Council Report (Stead and Lin 2009), electronic medical record implementations are unsafe, this finding reinforces our fears further (highlighted in the case pertaining to breaches in medical data of

My Childhood Days Essay Example for Free

My Childhood Days Essay It was a green world where I was born. I was born and raised in a small town which could almost know as countryside. Now, the small town has already collapsed and turned into a developing-city. It is so sad that I can only recall my childhood days in my mind instead of visiting the small town. It was a small town with warm-hearted villagers. We were all friends and always share our foods and games. Mak Kwan had the most famous cooking while En. Chong could fly the kite highest. Hmm†¦ I could still smell the curry in the air! My brother and I, we used to rush to Mak Kwan’s home and asked for curry when we smell it. Mak Kwan never decline and always offers us a big bowl of curry to share with our family. The satisfaction is so hard to describe. In my childhood days, I loved to fish in the rivers. Especially hand-fishing! I never like to fish with the rods because it is too messy. Although I like to fish, I am not good at it. So, it was always a big surprise for me when I succeeded to catch a fish. It made me smile all the day because I was over the moon! I usually went fishing with my brother. Not like me, he was good at hand-fishing. He could always catch a basket-full of fish. But, we only chose a fish to bring home and let the others go. Brother said that this was to make sure that there are always fishes in the rivers. One day, I watched â€Å"Recess† and I was so impressed by the tree-house. I asked for permission to build a tree-house, and my father promised to make me one! God is so good to me! My dad said that it was his dream when he was small too, so, he tried to make his and my dream came true. Then, we started to proceed. First, we selected a tree which was suitable to build a tree-house. After that, we drew a simple blue-print of the tree-house. We chopped down some trees and cut them into boards (it was not encouraged to cut down trees at that time, but no one stopped us because everyone was excited to see the tree-house). After three months, it was done! Not as luxurious as the one in â€Å"Recess†, but it was pretty good. At that time, I thought that I would become a good architect because I could design and build. Now, I learned that I was naive and stupid. In my childhood days, it was not only my playground, but also my safe haven when I was scolded by my parents. It use d to be my home to home. In the small town I lived, there was a small jungle. My brother and I enjoyed jungle trekking and explored some new things in the jungle. We had an album named ‘Jungle Diary’. We wrote down all the interesting incident during the exploration. We also collected the unique leaves, sticked it in the album and did some notes. We also liked to observe the animals’ lifestyle. We had an old digital camera, we shot the photos of the birds and wrote down the characteristics. It was fun. One time, we followed a deer along and accidentally went in too far into the jungle. We got lost! It was a terrible incident, I absolutely don’t want to recall it. In my childhood days, all the children in the village loved to fly kites. As I said before, En. Chong could fly the kites highest. So, he taught us how to fly the kites high in the sky. It was all about control. If the string is too tight, It breaks, but if it is too loose, it can’t go high. Just like our life. In a windy season, we organized a small kite-flying competition. Although it was small, everyone took it seriously. Because the design and beauty of the kites would be judged, we had to do it on our own. No shop would sell the kites at that time to prevent us from cheating. Of course, En. Chong was the busiest person because everyone asked for his help to make sure the kites could fly. En. Chong is a selfless person, he never declined to teach. He said that he was happy that many people tried to learn the way of making a good kite. It was not easy as what we thought, I failed three times before I got it. It was a big day, the competition. I didn’t win the first p lace, but it was a very memorable incident. I am not going to forget it. There were else more funny and wonderful memories in my childhood days. Unfortunately, kid nowadays can’t experience these funny things anymore. In the city now, people don’t even bother to know their neighbour’s name. The river is polluted, the tree with tree-house is gone, no more jungle for us to explore, and how often can we see the kites in the sky? They said it is the inevitable price for the modernization and industrialization. Yes, thanks to the development, and the pollution. I am glad that I was born in the 90s. Shame for the 00s, all they have is the internet. In the time comes, we will learn that how much hurts we had brought to our Mother Earth.

Business Report On Marketing Intelligence

Business Report On Marketing Intelligence Market research helps the organization to bring the data which make sense of the organizational performance. Moreover, the successful marketer has focused on the market research to bring the information which is applied in the marketing activities. Therefore, the organization become becomes stable when the marketing activities are successful (Kumar, 2010).. However, the competitive advantage is increased due to the successful inauguration of the marketing plan. For an example, the Proctor Gamble is operating huge market research to strengthen the marketing activities which brought the larger market share. Through this paper the key concepts of marketing research will be merged with the different marketing activities. 1. Requirement One 1.1 Stages of Purchase Decision Making Process Here the purchase decision making process is directly concerned with the final consumer purchase decision making process and the consumer purchase decision is differs in the particular products to products. For example, the buying behavior of toothpaste is different from i-pod. However, the purchase decision process has five stages which are reflected in the following figure one. http://www.seo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Consumer-Research-Process1.png Figure One: Purchase Decision Stage, Source: Jeannet and Hennessey, (2011) This figure is suggesting that, consumers go through all of the stages when they need to purchase (Jeannet and Hennessey, 2011). For an example, when a customer need to purchase a Mobile phone, he/she needs to have need awareness, then move to the information search in the mobile market, then make evaluation between alternatives, then make purchase, finally he/she express the post purchase behavior which reflect the positive or negative feedback. 1.2 Theories of Buyer Behavior in Terms of Individual and Market The buying behavior of the consumers differs in the different market and for that reason exper developed different theories of consumer buying behavior. According to Czinkota and Ronkainen, (2012), there are four theories of the buying behavior which is listed in the following. Complex Buying Behavior: In this situation, consumers have higher involvement in the expensive, risky, purchased infrequently, and highly self-expressive product. Dissonance Reducing Buying Behavior: Highly involvement but seeks little difference between brands. Habitual Buying Behavior: Low involvement of consumers but little brand differences. Variety-Seeking Buying Behavior: Have low consumer involvement but brand difference is significance. 1.3 Factors Affecting Buyer Behavior In the modern market, consumers need to make different buying decision in different condition which is affected by the different factors. However, consumer purchase decision is affected by the culture, society, personality, and psychology. This is listed in the following figure. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshlKY9XqBIYkmlUJyyD8isT_lQFv6Oe9IirAOF-2c2QRb6NRLJElLVOQAOZsJ8zNnDDEaoRn_1qnlIOHDOevT4j_lcFZgG-WYJpP_PICdhWEHNyF_iayW3sk5C5L3acvRZbc3mI4uECM/s1600/chart+1.jpg Figure Two: Factors affecting consumer buying behavior. Source: Craig and Douglas, (2009) Cultural: Human behavior is controlled by the culture that is followed by the people and this culture affects purchasing decision. Social: The social structure influences the purchasing behavior of the consumers. Personal: The personal characteristics influence the purchasing decision of the consumers. Psychological: The psychological factors influence the purchasing behavior of consumer like motivation toward purchasing. 1.4 Relationship among Brand Loyalty, Corporate Image, and Repeat Purchasing The brand loyalty, corporate image, and repeat purchasing have strong impact on the competitive advantage of a firm in the highly competitive market. The brand loyalty creates customer loyalty which is resulted the repeat purchasing of the customer Douglas and Craig, (2009). However, the brand loyalty, corporate image, service, price and service quality leads to increase the loyal customer and those loyal customer is the asset of a firm who enhance the brand loyalty and corporate image. The brand loyalty will authentic when the customers have true attitude to make the repeat purchasing. For example, the Pepsi is considered as the true brand loyalties which have the corporate image in the competitive market. 2. Requirement Two 2.1 Types of Market Research Techniques Generally, the market research or the marketing research is designed to collect information to implement in the marketing activities of the firm. Normally, the market research has the two techniques which are listed in the following. Primary Research: The primary research has two ways which is Qualitative and Quantitative research. In qualitative research the research can be designed through the open-ended question and focus groups. However this research technique is used to gather the descriptive information (Dodd, 2008). On the other hand, the quantitative research gathers numerical information to analyze the marketing techniques. The quantitative techniques are done through the surveys. Secondary Research: The secondary research gathers information on the topic which is already published. The secondary research information is gathered from the different institution like trade associations, chamber of commerce, universities, media like newspaper, magazines etc (Dodd, 2008).. 2.2 Source of Secondary Data The secondary data is collected from the different sources which are already published. The secondary research information is already exists. For that reason, the primary data collection is not needed and the secondary information can be gathered from the libraries, public information centre, books, business publication, magazines, newspapers, trade associations, NGOs, banks, real states, insurance companies, wholesalers, manufacturer, regional organsiation, media representatives and many others (Dodd, 2008).. 2.3 Validity and Reliability of Market Research Findings Every research does not require the high level elaboration of study. But, the marketing research needs to conduct the minimum level of study which makes the actual result of the study. The small and informal research background may bring the irrelevant or wrong result (Craig and Douglas, 2009). However, the research validity comes from the data gathering techniques, ethical consideration, and the claims that are done through during the preparation of the research. The research validity may influence greater techniques which mentioned the similarities of other research and opinions. Most of the cases the samples are too small which leads to the poor reliability of the research findings. 2.4 Preparing Marketing Research Plan The marketing research plan is designed to bring the information to implement the current marketing activities. For an example, the market research plan for the Proctor Gamble (PG) has developed to bring out the information of 4.2 billions of customer perception. However, PG has developed the marketing research to justify the brand equity in the market to provide the competitive advantage (Ahmed et al., 2010). For that reason, the company started to cater the consumer to find out the appropriate result and the company has spent tremendous amount of money, effort to bring the innovation. PG knows that, the consumers know about the products which are delivered for the development of the marketing research techniques. PG has successfully handled the market research which brought the appropriate result to determine the marketing result. Now, PG believes that was the only reason why the company is placed in the worlds top one of the brands. 3. Requirement Three 3.1 Market Size Trends within the Market The market size is calculated by the total volume or value of sales in the market and the total volume is calculated through the number of units sold and the amount spent by the customer to have the costs of goods sold. To illustrate this an example of UK book market can be considered, the UK book market is healthy and dynamic market which saw that the market size is upward. In this market, the consumers are the main driver and the publishers need to promote the new writers books rather the old writers (Ahmed et al., 2010). Because, the old writer already captured the market and new writers can expand the market which increase the market size. However, the book market size is also expanding due to non-fiction growth of the products and services which helps to expand the market size. 3.2 Competitor Analysis of Tesco Tesco is the biggest supermarket chain in the UK. The most significant issue is that, the UK supermarket and food retail market is considered as heavily consolidated. In the supermarket chain, the top five supermarket chain has the major market share which is minimum more than five and these companies are Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys, Wm. Morrison, and Somerfield. These five companies have more than 80 percent of the total market share in the UK. However, the competition between these companies is intense and dynamic (Henry, 2011). However, the competition is begins with plan which is set to position in the market, Tesco considers Asda and Wm Morrison low price group who has the strong market influence in the market and Asda is the second largest UKs supermarket chain. Whereas, the Sainsburys and Somerfield are considered as the smaller competitors, which have focus on the higher price. Tesco is the largest supermarket chain and consider all the competitors to set the marketing activities in the market to increase the sales of the product. In the UK supermarket chain, Tesco is holding the 30 percent market share and Asda and Sainsburys has the second and third position which belongs 16 and 17 percent market share respectably (Bagozzi Foxall, 2009). However, the Morrison holding the fourth position which has the 11 percent market shares with the acquisition of the Safeway. The competitor Somerfield has the 6 percent market share for the fifth position. 3.3 Opportunities and Threats for Asda Asda is a second largest supermarket of UKs supermarket chain, which have currently booming position in the supermarket chain. However, the company was taken over by the USAs biggest brand Wal-Mart. Though, it has been taken over by the Wal-Mart, the brand name didnt change and the old brand name successfully promoted by the Wal-Mart which is completely efficient strategic decision (Bagozzi Foxall, 2009). This strategy has brought some opportunities for Asda, as well as threats. This is relevant in all business practice that, the threats is existed in line with the opportunities. So the opportunities and threats need to identify to attempt for the best alternative action in the market. In the following the opportunities and threats is identified (Lewis and Slack, 2003). Opportunities Threats Sufficient Shareholder More brands but lower selling of high brand products. Currently second largest supermarket chain in UK Asda cannot be compared with TESCO(first biggest supermarket chain) Provides best value rather money to the retailer Focus on selling of Asdas product rather the big brand like Nestle, Cadbury, Proctor and Gamble, Unilever. Having high profit margin Less stores compared to the competitors Efficient procurement system Focus on great profit Table: Opportunities and Threats of Asda. 4. Requirement Four 4.1 Techniques to Assess Customer Response The assessment of the customer response is fully depends on the activities of the firms performance in the firms activity sector. Moreover, the techniques of the customer response are highly developed on the assessment and measurement of the financial planning in which the customer survey is considered as the best way to assess the customer response Doyle, P. (2008). Besides, the customer survey, an organization can assess the different yardsticks which are described in the following part of the paper. Productive Performance Indicator: The productivity of the organization will be increased when the customer response is developed. Because, the sales of the product is increased and the demand for the product also increased in line with the sales. Then, a company try to increase the productivity is increased. Then the organization can easily trace the customer responses. Financial Performance: when the customer response is positive the financial performance is upward. Because, the increased sales contribute to increase the profit margin which make the company profitable. The positive performance brings the customer response. Quality Performance: if the organization offers the better products in the market the customer try to take the full responsibility which increases the product sales. The quality performance is able when the continuous selling is running. Response Cycle Time: The customer who intends to response with the product quality then the repeat purchase increase. The sales volume represent whether the customer making the repeat purchase. This indicates the customer response of the organization. 4.2 Customer Satisfaction Survey To assess the customer satisfaction the direct survey is continued which has logical collaboration of the abandon item. But, most of the cases the survey questions do not matched with the customer satisfaction level and the perceived customer value are highly merged with customer experience (Catherine, 2011). Here, the questionnaire for customer survey is as follows. What is your gender? Which range indicates your age? How long the products are used? Which product and services is preferred by the organization to serve you. How frequent the purchasing of the products needs. The rating of the overall satisfaction level to customer level. Will you recommend to your friend and family to buy from this product. The brand attributes need to be argued or not? Rating the companys product. Which logo customer beliefs to make brand relation? How satisfied you overall with the products attributes? Is the firm is able to support your problems? If the product dont be able how the staff are offer to serve recent problems? How efficient the customer service system of the organization. This question is designed with the options which have the logical structure of the satisfied, strongly satisfied, not satisfied, and neutral. This survey result will help to find out the actual result of the survey. 4.3 Review of the Survey The survey questionnaire brings the data of specific problems and weaknesses of the organization. The term customer satisfaction will be measured when the result of the survey report will be submitted. Moreover, the actual results will carry the recent information which is carried by the research objectives (Catherine, 2011). Customer satisfaction will be brought when the result of the survey will be positive. However, the results may positive or negative both is expected. When the result will be positive the company will try to maximize the service components and features. On the other hand, if the result is negative the organization may take action to make the product development with the special feature comparing the competitors. The customer service provides the special features of the recommendation which develop the marketing activities. Training Plan The training session for the 10 mid level manage will be focused on the key procedures of the market research techniques. The market research techniques is designed to develop the authentic collaboration with the different techniques of research, how to bring the actual result, how to response with the negative result. This system will be enhanced when the research is designed to develop the specific actions of the research techniques. The ten midlevel manager will able to carry out the research of the organization. Conclusion In brief, the high level of value adds the high level of the organizations performance. The customer service is designed to provide the actual results which are demonstrated the individual customers (Bagozzi Foxall, 2009). However, the firms need to focus on the after sale service to bring the customer response which bring the brand equity in line with the corporate image. So, the research and development is the necessary part to know whether the customer is satisfied or not. Finally, the satisfied customer bring the huge benefit for the organization in long run with profitability and growth.

Public Transport And Traffic In Penang Tourism Essay

Public Transport And Traffic In Penang Tourism Essay Chapter 1 Infrastructure is a broad concept linked to every facet of the economy and human life. Accordingly, the list of associated issues is long. For any purposeful analysis of issues in infrastructure development to lead to an action-oriented way forward, it is necessary to narrow down the definition of infrastructure and associated issues. The term infrastructure has been used since 1927 to refer collectively to the roads, bridges, rail lines and similar public works that are required for an industrial economy to function. Transportation, communication, sewage, water and electric systems are all a part of infrastructure. These systems tend to be high-cost investments. In general, infrastructure is location-specific and cannot be moved from place to place (www.unescap.org). Transportation infrastructure cannot operate without transportation and transportation cannot run without transportation infrastructure. Different transportations have their own infrastructure to support each other. For air transportation, their infrastructure will be the airport. Port will be the infrastructure for water transportation while infrastructure for land transportation such as public bus will be the bus terminal or bus stop. Transport infrastructure development in East and South-East Asia has played a key part in the phenomenal growth of world trade. The infrastructure backbone for international trade has been the container shipping network and increasingly the airfreight network. World container port traffic, which expanded by 9.2 per cent to 266 million TEUs in 2003, is dominated by Asian countries. They accounted for 46 per cent of container ship operations, 62 per cent of container port throughput, and 83 per cent of container ship building. Twelve major South and East Asian exporters together account for half of the worlds containerized exports (www.unescap.org). Bus terminal or known as bus station  is one of the most important transportation infrastructure where  buses  stop to pick up and drop off passengers. It may be intended as a  terminal or station  for a number of routes or as a transfer station where the routes continue. It is larger than bus stop where bus stop is usually built at the road side for the bus to stop for a while but not to wait for passengers. Tel Avivs new central bus station was officially inaugurated recently, after 26 years of off-and-on construction, legal and financial disputes (Encyclopedia.com). A majority of the Dan and Egged Tel Aviv-area buses are now based at the new station; 5,000 buses pass through the station daily, carrying some 150,000 passengers. The station is the largest bus station in the world, encompassing 197,600 square meters indoors, and 34,400 square meters outdoors (Encyclopedia.com). The largest underground bus station in Europe is  Kamppi Center  of  Helsinki,  Finland  completed in 2006. The terminal cost 100 million Euro to complete and took 3 years to design and build. Today, the bus terminal, which covers 25,000 square meters, is the busiest bus terminal in Finland. Every day, the terminal has around 700 bus departures, transporting some 170,000 passengers (www.webcitation.org). Since bus station play a vital role in strengthening the volume of traffic as well as in providing better services to the passenger, the bus service undertakings, specially in the public sector, should come up and encourage the emergence of the bus station management as an independent discipline in the field of traffic management. (Kulshrestha, 1993, p.9) Penang, as most of us may already know, is one of Malaysias most popular destinations for travelers coming from the local or the international communities (Talk Malaysia 2010). One of the main reasons for Penang to have so many travelers coming and going out annually is partly because there are a lot of interesting places to visit in Penang. Most of the interesting places in Penang are located at mainly around Georgetown and Seberang Perai (www.talkmalaysia.com). Therefore, transport infrastructure especially bus terminal or station in Georgetown play an important role in order to pick up and drop off passengers from a destination to another destination. This is because Penang has traffic problem, therefore public transport are used. Komtar Bus Terminal is the hub of bus services in George Town. All the bus routes of Penang radiates from this terminal. To be exact, Komtar Bus Terminal is not a terminal proper, but rather a bus station, because buses do not actually start from here, but rather, from the Weld Quay Bus Terminal. Nevertheless, most people will know it by that name. At the Komtar Bus Terminal, you can catch buses going to the north, central, south and west parts of Penang Island, as well as some buses that go to the mainland. Among the bus companies that use the terminal includes Rapid Penang, Milan, Transit Link and KGN-Hin. The terminal is located along Lebuh Tek Soon, although buses approach it via Jalan Ria and they emerge from the terminal into Jalan Ria once more (www.penang-traveltips.com). As a bus stop user, not satisfied with bus terminal in Georgetown. Some of the same complaint had been made by locals and tourists too. This is because they have the difficulties in determine which bus to ride in order to reach their destination. Therefore, this study is to find out what are the factors which make the tourists satisfied and not satisfied with the bus terminals in Penang. This study also includes, to identify the present condition of transport infrastructure, the cleanliness in the bus terminals and the safety and security in the bus terminals. From these factors, this study is able to conclude what are their expectations towards bus stop in order to let the government make improvement. 1.2 Statement of Problem Transport and traffic management have always been a bone of contention for Penang. Many feel that rapid economic development has not been met with an equal amount of attention given to proper traffic management and planning. There are about 1.4 million vehicles (motorcycles, cars and other vehicles) for a population of about 1.4 million people in Penang. This is about double the number of vehicles in 1999 (Sympologic, 2008). For the above reason, public transportation had played a very important role to reduce the traffic in Penang. But without a good infrastructure, public transportation will not be able to run smoothly. There are 2 main transport infrastructures for bus in Georgetown which are Komtar Bus Terminal and Weld Quay Bus Terminal. But, locals and tourists are not satisfied with the bus terminals in Georgetown. This is because there are no proper route information and bus timetable. It is difficult especially for tourists to identify which bus to ride in order to reach their destination. Tourists always have to ask the bus driver one by one to ask for the destination. This had slow down the traffic also. Besides, from the observation, the bus terminals are not well-maintained in term of cleanliness and safety. 1.3 Goal Objectives The goal of this research is to study tourists satisfactions and expectations towards bus terminals in Penang. In order to achieve the above goal, there are some objectives need to be done. To examine tourists satisfactions towards bus terminals To examine tourists expectations towards the bus terminals To examine the present condition of bus terminals To identify the cleanliness in the bus terminals To identify the safety and security in the bus terminals 1.4 Hypothesis From the objectives above, the below are the hypotheses which had concluded: Locals and tourists are not satisfied with the bus terminals. Locals and tourists have high expectations on the bus terminals in term of cleanliness and security. There is no proper route information or sign board in the bus terminals. The bus terminals are not clean. The bus terminals are not secure. The above hypotheses are made based on my own experiences and observation. Significance of the Study This research is able to let the government and private sector to make improvement on the bus terminals in order to let them become truly efficient. From the questionnaires which will be distribute and collected, they able to tell us the satisfaction level and expectation of locals and tourists towards the bus terminals. From their expectation, the improvement can be made. For example by putting up the route information and sign board, locals and tourists able to know which bus to ride to reach their destination. Besides, clean the bus terminals daily so that locals and tourists will feel comfortable and assign more security to secure the bus terminals. When the improvements have made, the locals and tourists will have the chance to use better bus terminals. All these will make the business of the bus increase too. 1.6 Scopes and Limitations of the Study The scopes for my research are Penangites and tourists in Penang. Penangites and tourists who are the user of bus terminals are targeted. 80% Penangites and 20% tourists are chosen to carry out this research. In order to complete this research, distribution of questionnaires will be made to these 2 groups of people mentioned above. Besides, observation in the bus terminals will be done by my own selves too. The bus terminals in Georgetown which would like to research on are Komtar Bus Terminal and Weld Quay Bus Terminal. These are the two popular bus terminals in Georgetown which crowded by people every day. This is because these are the two main stops which the bus will pick and drop passenger. There are also limitations for this research. The first limitation is resources. There is very few information on books, journals or articles about transportation infrastructure. The next limitation will be the time. Only 5 months to complete this research. Last but not least, the limitation is the manpower. I am the only one who doing this research. Chapter 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Transport and Tourism Page (2005) said that transport act as one of the important that contributed to the international development of tourism. According to Page (2007), the mode of transport can be one of the main motivations for the tourists to travel. He also said that in the growth of domestic and international tourism, transport is the most critical element in the promotion. He continued said that transport links the tourist from the origin area with the destination area. Therefore it enables the holidaymaker, business traveler and other categories of traveler to purchase the products and experience what they have purchased. He added that transport may be an attraction in its own right. Tourists who travel by road may use public transport or private transport to experience a variety of destinations. 2.2 Transport and Tourism in Penang, Malaysia A combination of East and West, Penang continues to grow in modernity but at the same time holding its traditions and old charm. Recently, because of the harmony of multiracial in Penang and the heritage buildings which are well preserved, these make the Georgetown being accorded a listing as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Penang, long regarded as the food capital of Malaysia, it also attracts tourists with its beautiful beaches and delicious cuisines (www.tourismpenang.net.my). Transportation in Penang is convenient. You can travel in or out of Penang by the well-connected of road, rail, sea and air. Not only the air and train service is good in Penang but the seaways also offer good transportation. Ferry and seaports are there to create convenient to the people in Penang and Buttterworth. Penang ferry is provided by the Penang Ferry Service that connects George Town, Penang and Butterworth. There are four terminals, one on Penang Island (Swettenham Pier) and three on the mainland. Next, railway act as one of the transportation in Penang, but they are not popular due to their low speed. Besides, international flights are available in Penang International Airport which situated in the Bayan Lepas area of Penang, Malaysia (www.asiarooms.com). Goh (2010) said that traffic jams in Penang especially the major roads including Jalan Burma, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Jalan Jelutong and Jalan Mesjid Negeria re common although the population is small. Outside the city, jams are found even in Bayan Lepas and Telok Kimbar. He added that although the Jelutong Express Way had provided some relief to Jalan Jelutong and Jalan Mesjid Negeri, but the costs to Penangnites have yet to be calculated, although the highway is touted to be free. He suggested that Penang should follow the example of Crutiba. Crutiba is a city where the people rely on buses to avoid traffic jam. Recently, Rapid Penang buses are introduced for those who do not have car or have chosen not to use their cars. 2.2 Public Transportation Zegeer (2002) said that good public transportation is an important to the quality of a community as good roads. According Ramanathan and Parikh (1999, cited in Ramanathan, 2001; Banister and Berechman, 2001; Ramanathan and Parikh, 1999; Eisner, 1991), transport is a vital element for the modern society now and key to sustained economic growth. But, Ortuzar and Willumsen (2001) argued that the world of transport still face many problems of the past such as congestion, pollution, accidents, financial deficits and so on. They continued said that these problems will not get away until the traffic management improved. Figure 1 Car and Public-transport vicious circle Car and Public-transport vicious circle cited in Ortà ºzar, J.d.D., Willumsen, L.G., 2001, p. 8 They continue said that the transport problems have spread widely in both industrialized and developing countries. According to them, fuel shortages which are temporarily not a problem, but the increase in road traffic and transport demand has resulted in congestion, delays, accidents and environmental problems well beyond what has been considered acceptable so far. These problems have not been controlled to roads and car traffic alone. They added that economic growth seems to have generated levels of demand exceeding the capacity of most transport facilities. They continue argued that these problems are not likely to disappear in the near future. They suggested that it is necessary to ensure that a major effort in improving most forms of transport, in urban and inter-urban contexts. With respect to the quality of prices and services, transport services have been traditionally been subject to tight economic regulation with respect to entering and exciting the market. In many countries, road and rail networks and airport and port systems are traditionally designed, built, and operated by the public sector itself, which is the ultimate form of regulation. This type of government intervention has resulted in excessive costs that are not matched by prices or quality, therefore creating an outcome that reflects the interests of the sectors civil servants of contractors, unions, and other interests groups more than preferences of users and taxpayers (Estache and Rus, 2000). According to UITP (2004), government and public transport share a same goal to make sure the public transport is accessible to all especially the traffic environments have to be well-designed and managed to let the people to reach and use public transport safely and with confidence. UITP suggested that government and the public transport community to work together to reduce not only the physical but also the psychological barriers such as cognitive, information, fear and discrimination to travel safely in cities. UITP continues said that at any one time, an average of 25% of the population may have a degree of reduced mobility due to a physical or mental disability, impaired sight or hearing, or through having to carry heavy bags or travel with small children. UITP added, physical and sensory disabilities are often related to age and, as is well known, the proportion of the elderly population in western countries is growing and will continue to do so well into the 21st century. These are clear of the importance of improving accessibility to transport systems. According to UITP, benefits from improvements in transport accessibility are accrued not just to the disabled and ageing communities, but to all clients of the transport system. 2.3 Transport infrastructure Traditionally, building extra capacity has been addressed due to the blockages in transport infrastructure. But the possibility is small for the further expansion of infrastructure in many urban areas where the demand for transport is highest. Furthermore, a number of reports have found that the construction of new roads and airports to relieve congestion is ineffective because it only serves to induce new traffic. On the other hand, a study undertaken by a Norwegian research organization, the SINTEF Group claims that infrastructure capacity increases are directly linked to decreases in polluting emissions from motor vehicles. Using a traffic micro-simulation, it showed, for example, that upgrading narrow, winding roads or adding a lane to a congested motorway can yield decreases of up to 38% in CO2 emissions, 67% in CO emissions and 75% in NOx emissions, without generating substantially more car trips (EurActiv.com, 2008). According to Cà ¡rcamo-Dà ­az and Goddard (2007, cited in IADB, 2000), Infrastructure, defined as the set of engineering structures, equipment and facilities with a long-term, useful life employed by households and the different productive sectors of the economy, is essential for economic growth (cited in Easterly and Serven, 2003) and integration. As pointed out by IADB (2002), there is a positive relationship across countries between income levels and the quality of infrastructure. According to Tanzi (2005), the implicit assumption about the direction of causation goes from infrastructure to growth, although this issue is still debated in the literature. In many cases, the objective of transport infrastructure investment is to improve the accessibility of a given region by reducing travel time or increasing the potential to travel. Accessibility can be measured as the quantity of economic or social activities that can be reached using the transport labor, leading to increased competition and centralization. On the other hand, the impact for region concerned could be both positive and negative, depending on its initial level competitiveness (OECD, 2002). According to ITF and OECD (2008), there are some features of surface transport infrastructure that make its provision distinct from many other areas of the economy and which will likely have to be accounted for when different models are being considered. They claimed that transport system does not exist for their own sake but rather to serve other economic and social activity, this is because transport is a derived demand. This means that the possible wider implications of capacity shortages in, and overall standard of, the transport system, must be taken into consideration in the design if any model for providing transport infrastructure. 2.4 Transport Infrastructure in Different Countries 2.4.1 Luxembourg The pressure of congestion, excessive strain on transport infrastructure and environmental have led to a challenge due to a large and increasing number of commuters (OECD, 2008c). These pressures stem from both resident and cross-border commutes, which are broadly similar in number. High and increasing number of commutes among residents is reflected in Europes highest car ownership rate and one of the highest annual distances covered by automobile per capita. For cross-border commutes, 85% are made in passenger cars without use of public transport. These patterns lead to alarming levels of congestion on the main road transport corridors and there are now severe bottlenecks at the entrance to urban areas, notably in the city of Luxembourg. This results in wasted time, unsafe driving conditions, noise and high levels of emission and local air pollution (OECD, 2010). 2.4.2 France According to Willis (2010), the transport infrastructure in France is one of the most modernized to be found anywhere in Europe and this makes international freight movements streamlined and effective. In the area of modern tramways, France is a world leader in railway technology. Rail transport is therefore always a best option for shipping companies and freight forwarders operating in France. The transport network is built as a web, with Paris at the center. There is a total of nearly 32,000 kilometers of track in France, most of which is operated by the French railway company, SNCF. Over the last twenty years, a set of high speed LGV (lignes a grande vitesse) have been constructed to connect most parts of France with Paris. There are same gauge rail links to adjacent countries of Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and Sweden, as well as the Channel Tunnel link with the UK. The TGV, the French high speed train has broken world speed records is a sign of the way that France is a tr ue global leader in rail transport. For freight transport, rail is a model in France. 2.4.3 Germany According to Willis (2009), Germany has a transport infrastructure that is the envy of the world and this has helped enable the development of a highly effective freight services industry. The phrase Germanic is often used as a byword for efficiency and with good reason, if the freight services industry in Germany is seen as a measure. He continued said that when consider that it is less than twenty years since the Berlin Wall came down and East Germany started its process of integration within Germany, the efficiency of the transport network throughout the country is all the more remarkable. There is a very efficient network of waterways, railways and motorways that make internal connections fast and straightforward and also connect Germany with other countries throughout the world. 2.4.4 Middle East Timon Singh (2010) claimed that the Middle East and North Africa region has invested heavily in its transport infrastructure and for the likes of the UAE in particular over the past few years. He continued claimed that the money has gone into planes and trains in order to better improve between states, but to turn the region into both a business and tourist hub. Air traffic in the Middle East is the fastest growing in the world, and in order to cater for the increasing number of passengers at their various airports and thus improving their general transport infrastructure, the UAE has been implementing various aviation projects. According to him, rail is another part of the regions transport infrastructure that has gathered support in the Middle East from Dubais Metro System to plans for an expansive network connecting the GCC states. Qatar and Bahrain have one of the most ambitious projects, combining both rail and metro lines, which is set to transform the emirate into a major transport hub. The project, which is rumored to be costing over US$36.6 billion (QR133.5 billion) and estimated to take six years, is expected to be finished in phases over the next six years, with three major sections being the focus of the scheme the metro network within Greater Doha, the over-ground railways covering the whole of Qatar and then, linking it to the rest of the GCC region and cargo trains. 2.4.5 London, United Kingdom McDougall (2010) asked how do cities meet the needs of a growing population, promote diverse and healthy communities, improve the environment and tackle climate change. The answer is its a tall order and one that London is tackling head on with their aptly named London Plan. He said that the London Plan sets out to ensure that Londons transport is easy, safe and convenient and encourages cycling, walking and electric vehicles. The ambitious plan sets out the overall strategic direction for an integrated economic, environmental, transport and social framework for the development of London over the next 20-25 years. He continues said that the London Plan identifies what are termed Opportunity Areas in and around Londons major reservoirs of brown-field land. These areas are characterized by their potential to accommodate new housing, commercial and other development linked to existing or potential improvements to public transport accessibility. It is important to make sure that they can be developed without undue additional pressure on Londons already-crowded public transport, or on the limited funds available for anything beyond committed transport improvements. 2.4.6 India According to Pradhan (2010), transport is a key infrastructure in the present study, as causes energy consumption as well as economic growth in India. Therefore, he suggested that increasing transport facility along with energy consumption will lead to more economic growth in India. The achievement of higher economic growth through transport infrastructure and energy consumption could be due to its various direct and indirect benefits in the economy. But he claimed that the level of transport infrastructure is not so good, both in quantity and quality, in contrast to developed countries in the world. He suggested that if there is sufficient transport infrastructure in the economy, the result would be much better. He continued suggested that a suitable transport policy should be required urgently to boost economic growth and to maintain sustainable economic development in the country since transport infrastructure is a big deal to economic growth. 2.4.7 Malaysia The greatest advantage to manufacturers in Malaysia has been the nations persistent drive to develop and upgrade its infrastructure. Over the years, these investments have paid off and serious bottlenecks have been avoided. Today, Malaysia can boast of having one of the well-developed infrastructures among the newly industrializing countries of Asia (www.mida.gov.my). The latest development of Kuala Lumpur Sentral has become a futuristic self-contained city, providing the perfect live, work and play environment. A modern transportation hub integrating all major rail transport networks, including the Express Rail Link to the KLIA and Putrajaya, the governments new administrative center. Besides, the Peninsular Malaysias network of well-maintained highways is a gain to industries. These highways link major growth centers to seaports and airports throughout the peninsula and provide an efficient means of transportation for goods. (www.mida.gov.my). Malaysias central location in the Asia Pacific region makes her an ideal gateway to Asia. Air cargo facilities are well-developed in the five international airports the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Penang International Airport and Langkawi International Airport in Peninsular Malaysia, Kota Kinabalu International Airport in Sabah, and Kuching International Airport in Sarawak. Malaysias biggest airport, the KLIA, surrounded by four main cities of Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam, Seremban and Melaka has a capacity of handling 25 million passengers and up to 8 million tons of cargo per year. Cargo import and export procedures are fully automated at the KLIA to cut down delivery time (www.mida.gov.my). Recently, Rapid Penang has introduced a state-of-the-art Intelligent Commuter Information System (ICIS), which provides real-time information on the arrival times of buses at terminals in Penang. The ICIS system, the first of its kind used by stage bus companies in the country, would enable some 75,000 commuters who use Rapid Penang buses daily to plan their journey more efficiently. It proved to be a success and has since been expanded for usage at the Komtar bus terminal, which sees the highest number of people boarding buses daily. A total of 200 buses operate from the Komtar bus terminal on a daily basis. The ICIS display system uses global positioning system (GPS) to map out the movement of all Rapid Penang buses and calculate the exact time of arrival of each bus at the Komtar bus terminal. The ICIS display system will later be extended to other strategic areas throughout the state including the possibility of having it installed in shopping complexes (newstraitstimes, 2010). 2.5 Bus Stop and Bus Terminal There are bus stops all over the Penang and there are three main bus terminals for buses in Penang, Malaysia. They are Weld Quay Terminal, Komtar Bus Terminal and Sungai Nibong Terminal. According to Zegeer (2002), a well-designed transit routes a reachable stops are essential to usable system. He continues said that bus stops should be located at intervals that are convenient for passengers for safety purpose and should be comfortable places for people to wait. UITP (2004 cited in Grenoble, 2004) argued that if the related infrastructure is inaccessible or inappropriately designed, much of the accessible vehicles will lost. Grenoble has carried out extensive research and development work to design tram and bus stops, starting some 20 years ago. The principle adopted by Grenoble was that the bus services should be made as accessible as the tram. According to Grenoble, the design standards found to be most effective for accessible bus stops were 14m(standard bus) and 20m(articulated bus) for overall length of bus boarding platform, 2.1m(minimum) and 2.6m(if a shelter is provided) for overall breadth of boarding platform, 3% for gradient of access ramp at end of platform, 21cm for height of boarding area, 60cm back from front edge of boarding area for safety line and 1.1m(minimum) and 1.3m(preferred) for clear space between front end of bus shelter and front edge of boarding area. Zegeer (2002) said that besides the bus stop signing, a bus shelter with seating, trash receptacles, and bicycle parking are also desirable features. He suggested that bus stops should be highly visible locations where pedestrian can reach them easily by means of accessible travel routes. Therefore, a complete sidewalks system is essential to support a public transportation system. Convenient crossings are also important. He continued suggested that proper placement of bus stops is key to user safety. For example, placing the bus stops on the near side of intersections or crosswalk may block pedestrians view of approaching traffic, and approaching drivers view of pedestrians. Approaching motorists may be unable to stop in time when a pedestrian steps from in front of a stopped bus into the traffic lanes at the intersection. Far-side bus stops generally encourage pedestrians to cross behind the bus. Reallocating the bus stop to the far side of the intersection can improve pedestrian safely since it climates the sight-distance restriction caused by the bus. Placing bus stops at the far aside of intersections can also improve motored vehicle operation. Besides, he also suggested that the bus stops should be fully accessible to pedestrians in wheelchairs, should have paved connections to sidewalks where landscape buffers exist, and should not block pedestrian travel on the sidewalk. Adequate room should exist to operate wheelchair lift. Yet, it is also useful to install curb ramps at bus stops so that a passenger can board from the street if bus-lift deployment is blocked. According to Iles (2005), problem may arise at bus stations which are used as intermediate stops for buses passing through the town or city when services are operated to schedule. Iles gave an example on when a full bus with a few passengers drop enter the station, they have the capacity to pick up same number

Book Review Of The Name Of The Rose: The Name Of The Truth Essay

Imagine a medieval Benedictine monastery, with cellarers, herbalists, gardeners, librarians, young novices. One after the other, half a dozen monks are found murdered in the most bizarre ways, and the reader very quickly finds out that the monastery, supposedly a place of piety and tranquility is the place of sin and corruption. William of Baskerville, a learned Franciscan who is sent to solve the mystery finds himself involved in the frightening events inside the abbey. This is the story of "The Name of the Rose" by Umberto Eco. It is the year 1327 when William of Baskerville and his young scribe (Adso of Melk, who narrates the story many years later) arrive at the monastery. The monastery contains the greatest library of Christianity. The monks live "by books and for books" (351), however, only the librarian and his assistant are allowed to enter the stacks in the labyrinth of the library. The reason is that there are thousands of books by pagan, Jewish, Arab authors, and the librarian has the sovereign power to decide whose mind is mature enough to view these "heresies" (340). Naturally, the forbidden library, like heaven, becomes the place that all the monks crave for. Strange intrigues develop among the monks, and suddenly turn to murder. A gifted young illuminator, Adelmo, is killed; the next morning a second monk is found dead, plunged head first into a barrel of pigs' blood. Surprisingly enough, toward the end of the book it turns ou...