Physical Constants, Prefixes, and Conversion Factors

Here are some useful physical constants, conversion factors, and unit prefixes. They are used in many calculations in chemistry, as well as in physics and other sciences. Useful Constants A physical constant is also known as a universal constant or a fundamental constant. It is a quantity that has a constant value in nature. Some constants have units, while others do not. While the physical value of a constant does not depend on its units, obviously changing the units is associated with a numerical change. For example, the speed of light is a constant, but it is expressed as a different number in meters per second compared to miles per hour. Acceleration of Gravity 9.806 m/s2 Avogadros Number 6.022 x 1023 Electronic Charge 1.602 x 10-19 C Faraday Constant 9.6485 x 104 J/V Gas Constant 0.08206 Latm/(molK)8.314 J/(molK)8.314 x 107 gcm2/(s2molK) Plancks Constant 6.626 x 10-34 Js Speed of Light 2.998 x 108 m/s p 3.14159 e 2.718 ln x 2.3026 log x 2.3026 R 19.14 J/(molK) 2.3026 RT (at 25C) 5.708 kJ/mol Common Conversion Factors A conversion factor is a quantity used to convert between one unit and another via multiplication (or division). A conversion factor changes the units of a measurement without changing its value. The number of significant digits in a conversion factor may affect the conversion in some cases. Quantity SI Unit Other Unit Conversion Factor Energy joule calorieerg 1 cal = 4.184 J1 erg = 10-7 J Force newton dyne 1 dyn = 10-5 N Length metre or meter ngstrm 1 = 10-10 m = 10-8 cm = 10-1 nm Mass kilogram pound 1 lb = 0.453592 kg Pressure pascal baratmospheremm Hglb/in2 1 bar = 105 Pa1 atm = 1.01325 x 105 Pa1 mm Hg = 133.322 Pa1 lb/in2 = 6894.8 Pa Temperature kelvin CelsiusFahrenheit 1C = 1 K1F = 5/9 K Volume cubic metre litregallon (U.S.)gallon (U.K.)cubic inch 1 L = 1 dm3 = 10-3 m31 gal (U.S.) = 3.7854 x 10-3 m31 gal (U.K.) = 4.5641 x 10-3 m31 in3 = 1.6387 x 10-6 m3 While a student should learn how to perform unit conversions, in the modern world there are accurate online unit converters in all the search engines. SI Unit Prefixes Metric system or SI units are based on factors of ten. However, most units prefixes with names are 1000 times apart. The exception are near the base unit (centi-, deci-, deca-, hecto-). Usually, a measurement is reported using a unit with one of these prefixes. Its a good idea to become comfortable converting between factors as they are used in all scientific disciplines. Factors Prefix Symbol 1024 yotta Y 1021 zetta Z 1018 exa E 1015 peta P 1012 tera T 199 giga G 106 mega M 103 kilo k 102 hecto h 101 deca da 10-1 deci d 10-2 centi c 10-3 milli m 10-6 micro 10-9 nano n 10-12 pico p 10-15 femto f 10-18 atto a The ascending prefixes (e.g., tera, peta, exa) are derived from Greek prefixes. Within 1000 factors of a base unit, there are prefixes for each factor of 10. The exception is 1010, which is used in distance measurements for the angstom..Beyond this, factors of 1000 are used. Very large or very small measurements are usually expressed using scientific notation. A unit prefix is applied with the word for a unit, while its symbol is applied together with a units symbol. For example, it is correct to cite a value in units of either kilograms or kg, but it is incorrect to give the value as kilog or kgrams. Sources Cox, Arthur N., ed. (2000). Allens Astrophysical Quantities (4th ed.). New York: AIP Press / Springer. ISBN 0387987460.Eddington, A.S. (1956). The Constants of Nature. In J.R. Newman (ed.). The World of Mathematics. 2. Simon Schuster. pp. 1074–1093.International System of Units (SI): Prefixes for binary multiples. The NIST Reference on Constants, Units, and Uncertainty. National Institute of Science and Technology.Mohr, Peter J.; Taylor, Barry N.; Newell, David B. (2008). CODATA Recommended Values of the Fundamental Physical Constants: 2006. Reviews of Modern Physics. 80 (2): 633–730.Standard for the Use of the International System of Units (SI): The Modern Metric System IEEE/ASTM SI 10-1997. (1997). New York and West Conshohocken, PA: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and American Society for Testing and Materials. Tables A.1 through A.5.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Treat Tony Soprano Essay

Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to treat Tony Soprano Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a derivative of behavioral therapy, where changing one’s behavior to modify problems is the core of treatment. With CBT the therapist takes on a teacher approach, demystifying patient’s belief and irrational behaviors with rational beliefs and behaviors (Corey, 2008). Cognitive restructuring is the basic technique with this form of therapy that involves changing how you think about negative beliefs by restructuring them into positive ones. With CBT the hypothesis is that our emotions stem mainly from our beliefs, which influence the evaluations and interpretations we make of the reactions we have to life situations (Corey, 2008). For example, if a client (Tony Soprano) believes in order to be a man, he has to treat others as if he is more dominant, this very belief may be the reason for his ‘antisocial behavior.’ Furthermore, the therapist tries to restructure a client’s negative beliefs so the patient ident ifies and dispute these irrational beliefs constructing rational ones. The strengths of cognitive behavioral therapy is that it is an evidence based approach to treatment with tons of empirical data on the success of this type treatment. Another key strength to this form of therapy is that it integrates all forms of psychotherapy in this approach (Corey, 2008). It uses the psychoanalytic approach to the psyche of individuals, it can also use Adlerian approaches byShow MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesDilemma Pitfalls of E-Mail 361 Case Incident 1 Using Social Media to Your Advantage 362 Case Incident 2 Should Companies That Fire Shoot First? 362 12 Leadership 367 What Is Leadership? 368 Trait Theories 369 Behavioral Theories 370 Summary of Trait Theories and Behavioral Theories 372 Contingency Theories 372 The Fiedler Model 373 †¢ Other Contingency Theories 375 Leader–Member Exchange (LMX) Theory 377 Charismatic Leadership and Transformational Leadership 379 Charismatic Leadership 379

Lost Languages Free Essays

It is a sad but true fact that out of the more than six thousand languages that existed in the world at one time, one disappears every fortnight! Take the example of Patrick Nudjulu of North Australia, one of the three remaining speakers of the dying language Mati Ke. As tradition forbids him to speak to his sister, he does not have anyone he can speak his own language with, and as a consequence, the language is dying out, and will disappear with the death of Patrick. Some of the other languages that will disappear soon and be lost forever are, according to Duncan Walker, Abenaki, Atures, Welsh, and Manx. We will write a custom essay sample on Lost Languages or any similar topic only for you Order Now    (Walker, Duncan 2005) In any culture, land and its language are closely inter connected, and in Aboriginal Australia, this is especially true because the entire continent is divided by its hills and other geographical distinctions, and also because of its languages. The people of Wadeye, who spoke Mati Ke, were forced to move over and start using the Murrinh-Patta. This meant that Mati Ke was no longer being used, and nobody even realized in the beginning that the language of their ancestors was slipping away into oblivion. Patrick Nudjulu, an old man, and one of the few people left in the world who can actually speak Mati Ke still, says, â€Å"I still dream in Mati Ke. See all in the past.† His own daughter and granddaughter do not know how to speak this language, and they use the Murrinh-Patta that they are more familiar with. It is interesting to note that for Patrick Nudjulu, English is his fourth of fifth strongest language. The author of the book Mark Abley, in a quest to gain knowledge of a few words of Mati Ke, learnt that ‘mi warzu’ is the name for fruit in Mati Ke, ‘a dhan gi’ means salt water prawns, ‘a wayelh’ refers to goanna lizard, although it was sadly true that Patrick Nudjulu himself was forced to use the Murrinh-Patta to communicate with his family. Patrick’s story is indeed a tragic but an all too familiar one; he was forced to leave the town in which he had been living after his parents had given up their difficult life in the bush, but had to go back to life in the bush because he could no longer tolerate the destruction of his town. He has in effect returned to the bark and bough shelters that were familiar to him, as he had lived in them through his childhood. However, despite his best efforts, it was obvious that his language would not be saved; although he spoke to his grandchildren in Mati Ke, they chose to reply to him in Murrinh-Patta, thereby leaving no doubt at all that yet another language, Mati Ke, is on its inexorable way to extinction.   Ã‚  (Abley, Mark 2005) Works cited Abley, Mark â€Å"Spoken here, travels among threatened languages† (2005) Google Book Search retrieved on March 11, 2008 from http://books.google.co.in/books?id=skV2wp81JQICpg=PA2lpg=PA2dq=lost+language+mati+kesource=webots=VgjTQUxV-csig=GKbK0bd-eTYNC-gHyIasUeaYmLwhl=en Walker, Duncan â€Å"In defence of ‘lost’ languages† BBC News (2005) Retrieved on March 11, 2008 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4172085.stm       How to cite Lost Languages, Essay examples

Appeals Process free essay sample

Many times within a sentencing, an offender is given a certain time to file an appeal within. If they don’t appeal a verdict or decision within 30-days for example, they must wait until the ‘next go-around’ so to speak. Many times a certain amount of time must be served before an appeal can be filed. This can be easily demonstrated in the process an inmate within a prison files an appeal. If he or she serves four-years of a 15-year sentence and files an appeal and follows the appropriate steps to do so, they can still experience the misfortune of having their appeal turned down. If that happens, they are often made to wait another year before they can file another appeal. The decisions from these appeals can be returned fairly quickly or they can take anywhere from a day or two, to a week or more. In the case of a parole board hearing an inmate’s appeal, they often render a decision the same day and within an hour or two from the end of the hearing at the longest. We will write a custom essay sample on Appeals Process or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page To relate a story, a very close friend of ours is serving time in a correctional facility in the state of Colorado, a sentence and a decision put him there that I firmly disbelieve. He has served six-years of a ten-year sentence and went before the parole board last November. His original sentence is Sexual Misconduct with a Minor. Again, this is a charge that I firmly disbelieve in relation to this specific person, but nonetheless he is serving it. His parole got denied and he filed an appeal, due to the fact that accusations were made regarding his conduct before arrest that weren’t related in the least bit to his original charge. An appeal was filed to contest the parole board’s decision and the accusations made by malicious involvement from former family members. The appeal was shot down and he was told to continue on with his sentence and he would be eligible for parole again in November of 2013. We pray that this one goes better! Appeals can be lengthy and can be costly, but they serve a purpose. It should not be an easy process that these offenders go through in order to be let out. The best and most effective way for improvements to be made in the appeals process is to vary the cost of such procedures. If an offender is Page: 3 esirous to file an appeal, the cost of said appeal should vary depending on the severity of the crime committed. If it was a first-time offense and a non-violent offense that put the offender behind bars, the cost of their appeal should not match that of an appeal from someone who was convicted of a brutal, violent and bloody murder of multiple victims where no remorse was shown at all. Offenders don’t pay these costs themselves, but rather the money to pay for such filings is shelled out by their families. In many cases, these families are suffering enough by having their loved one behind bars in the first place. The family shouldn’t have to suffer a financial drain as well as an emotional drain just because their relative decided to go hog-wild with a machete or some other equally violent crime. When an appeal is filed appropriately, it can also make the process much easier. Another often forgotten fact is that if an appeal is not filed appropriately and proper steps followed, it can often be turned down before it even gets seen by the right people. I feel that part of the process that shows an offender is serious about their appeal, should be to follow every step and every measure laid out before them. If the paperwork telling them how to file instructs them to quack like a duck while wearing yellow and pink polka dotted pants at a Dixie Chicks concert, all while wearing a sign that says ‘I love purple unicorns’ then they should follow that exact process. If they leave out a step, they were not serious enough and need to go back to the drawing board!

Annotation from Emma essays

Annotation from Emma essays This passage from Emma initiates the conclusion to the novel. As the conversation between Mr. Knightly and Emma unfolds both misinterpret the intentions of the other. Mr. Knightly believes that Emma grieves over the loss of Frank Churchill while Emma fears that Mr. Knightly intends to express his attachment to Harriet. These false assumptions reinforce one of the major themes of the novel: the obstacles of open expression. Seldom, very seldom does complete truth belong to any human disclosure; seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised, or a little mistaken; but where, as in this case, though the conduct is mistaken, the feelings are not, it may not be very material. In support to this quotation, when they finally remove the restraints of their feared assumptions all becomes clear and they finally express their true feelings for each other. Mr. Knightly finds great difficultly in expressing his feelings though; ironically he finds himself with a lack of words. T he declaration of love shared between Mr. Knightly and Emma also helps to tie up most loose ends; however, it foreshadows an obstacle with regards to Harriet. This match further confirms Emmas failure at matchmaking having been so happily matched herself while also impending that the news of Emmas engagement to Mr. Knightly will crush Harriet. It is at this point bitter-sweet emotions arise. While Emma is overcome with happiness in her match, she also feels guilt for Harriet and for the uncertainty which lays ahead for Harriet. ...

New Microsoft Word Document Essay

New Microsoft Word Document Essay New Microsoft Word Document Essay Noora Al-Ogaili Prof. Jamal Abedin English 81 Cuyamaca college Ipad Essay Ever thought it was impossible to carry textbooks, notebooks, iPod, agenda, calendar, alarms, camera, and more in just one object? Well guess what? It is possible! Using the iPad 3 you can carry all these things in just one object. It is lightweight and has up to 64 gigabytes of storage. You can download many apps to make the most of your iPad. You can even use the iPad to carry all your textbooks. The iPad is perfect for a college student, because that’s why the iPad was created. The iPad was created to be light and portable for students and business people of all ages. These days technology has become very important in our life. And with the emergence of two biggest and famous companies such as Apple and Samsung, the people can not live without their products such as iPhones, iPads and iPods because it has many good education programs. In my view, iPad is better because it is easier to use than text books and worksheets and more evolved. Weighing only 1.44 pounds and only .37 inches thin, the iPad is designed brilliantly for mobility especially going from class to class or when going to the library. The screen gives a display with over 3 million pixels, making every picture look ten times better. The iPad also has a camera that takes amazing pictures for when you need to take pictures of notes on the board or when you just want to have fun. The iPad comes in both black and white, two very sleek and modern colors. The iPad is also wifi enabled and can be hooked up with a cellular service to get wifi wherever you go. It also has up to 64 Gigabytes of storage! That’s a lot of space. The iPad can also get up to 10 hours of surfing the web, watching video, or listening to music. The iPad as physically ideal with its lightness, appeal, technology and more. You can take the iPad everywhere and use it for anything and everything. There are over 275,000 apps available for the iPad. Using apps you can edit pictures, edit movies, read a novel, write a novel, and much more. There are also apps you can use to write papers, make cool power points, and make spreadsheets. The app iBooks can be used to turn your iPad into your personal library with over 1.5 million books. Also, there is the iTunes U app which has complete courses from universities. Don’t forget the find my iPhone app which can locate any apple device just using your apple device because, face it, things can get misplaced. There is literally an app for everything

Mercedes Benz (Franchise Evaluation Paper) Essay

Mercedes Benz (Franchise Evaluation Paper) - Essay Example The luxury car market is well segmented with only the members of the society who are deemed to be well off financially being the principal consumers of the products. The products and services will be delivered from a show room that is strategically located. The franchise fees for a Mercedes Benz leadership vary with a number of factors including the expected sales volumes. It normally ranges from $80,000 to $300,000. The inventory cost will also depend on the business model adapted. High end Mercedes Benz models could cost as much a $100,000 in productions costs only before a profit margin is included. An estimate for the initial inventory cost would be $250,000. The Mercedes Benz franchise arrangement will allow me to get the brand placement and advantages that already accrue from association with the brand. The Mercedes star logo is well known. Advertising and marketing will be covered by the franchise and I will only be required to focus on the sales. The franchise fee will also allow me to benefit from technical expertise. Car dealership is a technical field and a lot of technical expertise especially in servicing and repairs will be required. An inclusion in the Mercedes Benz international franchise network will also mean that I can easily source for international clients. Finances and capital to run the Mercedes franchise can be obtained through a number of means. The first source of capital and finances will obviously be my personal savings. I will speak to my bankers and my fund managers to see how much I can rise for the venture from my personal savings. The second source of capital is a bank loan. Bank credit is the most popular source of business financing. Although banks are usually reluctant to fund start-ups, I am very confident that they will find a reason to finance this venture. This is because the fact that I have obtained a franchise by itself can act as a good collateral for the bank. Mercedes is a luxury

Fixed and Variable Costs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fixed and Variable Costs - Essay Example Examples of semi variable costs include electricity expense, telephone expense. In one broad category of Over head expenses, these costs are collectively shown for example depreciation of machinery as well as the heating and lighting cost. Electricity cost is a semi-variable cost because there is a fixed charge and then on any unit we use we are charged an additional amount. So this additional amount is the variable cost and the fixed charge is the fixed cost. Semi variable cost stays constant for a certain time period and then it goes to a higher cost at a specific increased volume (Leslie 1993). For analysis purpose, the fixed part is separated from the variable part and both are written separately so that proper analysis can be done and so the company should know as to how much is their fixed cost and how much is variable. 2. A company's break-even point is its sales volume at which its total costs equal its total revenues. This means that at the break-even point, the company is making neither any profit nor any loss. If a company is operating below its break-even point it would not be able to exist in the long run as its costs (fixed and variable) would not be covered by the revenues (Susan 2008) .

Blog Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Blog - Essay Example It also ensures that The IT services offered are affordable to the customers (Ernest, 2010). For this process to be a success, the ITIL processes must be in place. This level of management also makes sure that the quality of services offered is enhanced through a continuous procedure of agreement, close monitoring, and reporting. Secondly, service availability process is essential since it ensure that all the IT services offered are available at any one given time. The major activities here include monitoring and analysis of services and their components as well. The analysis of past mistakes is crucial to the organization because they learn how to avoid similar mistakes in future. A series of tools measures Service availability. There is the availability aspect that covers the service and response times. Help desk calls entails the response and resolution times as well as issues raised. Lastly, capacity aspect measures performance of number of users, online transactions, and report production (Ernest, 2010). Another important process entails the capacity management. This is crucial in providing the IT service in the specified right volume, in the right time and at the right place. By monitoring and analysis of the IT service capacity, this process makes sure that the services are available and are running smoothly at all times. In addition, it is useful in gathering information from other areas in the organization in an attempt to identify the needed services. It also determines the infrastructure and cost involved in implementing the services. Financial management is another crucial process in IT service management. It makes certain that the infrastructure required is obtained at reasonable prices. It is also involved in calculating the costs of providing IT service (Ernest, 2010). This is crucial to the organization in pricing its services appropriately. Thus, the

Production And Consumption Inseparability

Production And Consumption Inseparability Inseparability of production and consumption refers to the concepts of interaction and service encounter. The process of simultaneous production and consumption involves the presence of customers, the customers role as a co-producer, customer-employee and customer-customer interactions that makes it unique from a product (Shostack 1977). Researchers often refer to the customers as partial employees in a service setting. During co-production, customer involves himself in self-service (self check-in), using technology and machines offered by the service provider (airlines). 2.1 Service encounters During simultaneous production and consumption, it is the service encounters, that are the critical moments of truth in which customer often develops a perception/ attitude about the business (Bitner et al. 2000) and creates a differentiation from other competitors. In the airline industry, these service encounters are on which the organisation, either thrives or dies based on customers evaluation of their service. And the successful organisations take it a step further to enhance their core or essential features with extended or enhanced features. Service encounters can take place across a range from the traditional face-to-face (check-in, cabin crew), telephone (telephonic check in, booking tickets), and lastly through the internet (web check-in, booking tickets) and at every point the airline industry thrives to make it easier and comfortable (less time consuming) for the customer. A successful organisation is which that exceeds the customers expectations (enhancing features) and not just meeting their expectations (core features). But Harris et al. (2003) suggests that if the core features are not met by the airline industry, it is that leads to customer dissatisfaction. He also suggests that only 5% of the unhappy customers complain to the service providers, thus making it difficult for the service providers to address the issue. What intrigues even more is that the 95% of the customers, who do not complain, talk negatively about the service to their acquaintances. . However, when dissatisfied customers do complain and the problem is resolved to their satisfaction, they are very likely to return. The reasons for dissatisfaction may vary across long queues at check-in or booking counter, incompetent personnel, unsafe website and so on and so forth. Bitner et al. (2000) suggests that in the airline industry core factors vary from friendliness of the staff, knowledge about the service, efficiency, and quality service, sanitary and safe environment. But to create differentiation from their competitors these organisations, provide added or enhancing factors and those include concierge service, reservations, seating by host, lounge/ hotel facilities for delayed flights and so on and so forth. Today in the airline industry, companies do offer most of these features but it is noted that the cost increases for a more pleasurable experience. For example, an Air India flight provides cheaper flights just barely meeting the core features, but Emirates for the same route provides expensive flights with a varied extended factors. What companies like Air India could do to provide a better experience would be to remove/ reduce the unsatisfactory experience (upgrading a customer, complimentary meal in case of delayed flights, trained personnel to deal with unhappy customers). 2.2 Shostacks Models Based on Shostacks Continuum, the package tours (Flights+ Hotels) offered by most airlines, form the intangible end, even though there are tangible ends to be considered. Shostack (1977) suggested that there is no element known as a pure service and that there is always a continuum between the tangible dominant goods and intangible dominant services. The airline industry, the tangible elements include the interiors of the flight, food, seat and also the overall graphic continuity from buying tickets to the attendants uniforms (Shostack 1977). Even though the airline industry is intangible dominant, different market segments require different elements to make it an experience for them. Say for example in the case of Virgin airlines they have three tailored traveling experience for three different markets. In the case of students/ backpackers or during bad economic conditions, it is elements such that reaching from one destination to the other or a no frills flight would be of emphasis on the nuclear core (cheap flights+hostels, bed and breakfast) In the case of business travelers, it would be schedule frequency along with comfort would be most important (a comfortable travel+ hotel with internet, office facilities). Lastly for tourists (with families), it would be unison of in-flight and post-flight services (hotels) that would be of paramount importance (Comfortable flight-but not too expensive+hotel near a tourist destination) But in the case of tangible elements the various markets demand differently. For example, for flights like Air Asia, which offers low cost air travel, the travelers are not provided certain tangible elements such as food and drink in-flight. But these airlines just cater to travelers who wish to travel on a limited budget. So the challenge for other firms is to create an experience for each market, so that it would form an experience for each of them as each of their needs differ from another. The challenge is to understand how consumers perceive a certain service and what as a firm they should do to manage and meet the expectations (Lovelock and Gummesson, 2004). Shostack (1977) defined a model that was termed as total market entity where she argues that a change in one element may change the entity on a whole or partial basis. Say for example in an air travel there, it is a unison of both tangible as well as intangible factors. And some tangible factors just act as service elements/evidence. 1. Peripheral evidence: this refers to a tangible factor, which no or little value if it exists on its own. It is part of the service or is required to experience a service. For example a flight ticket, does not mean anything on its own, but is essential for completion of a service. 2. Essential evidence: Consumers do not own these and can exist on its own as its highly dominant in its impact on a service purchase. An example of an essential element provided by Shostack is the DC-10 aircraft, which was involved in a few crashes in the 1970s. But even though all the issues were resolved, US refused to fly in a DC-10 aircraft that eventually led to scrapping them off completely. This model however does not show how a service functions and this is explained using another model by Shostack-Service Blueprinting. It has been developed to deal with processed, acts and flows and in (fig 4), a blueprint for airline travel has been presented under how airlines try to reduce variability 2.3 Service experience Every time a customer is interacting or having a service encounter, a service experience is taking place and because simultaneous production and consumption takes place, the customer mostly experiences the service in the firms physical surroundings (Groove and Risk, 2001). In some cases the level of involvements between the customer and the employees of the organisation is high and in some cases very low and some with no involvement at all. And the nature of physical environment depends on the nature of service as well as service experience. What the firms aim to do is make profit while creating a satisfactory or unique service experience. What determines an experience is also the nature of the physical space. For a high involvement case, (for example, self check-in, lounge services, website) customer satisfaction can be enhanced, by creative use of physical design (Bitner 1992). In the second case, where the employees play a major role, and where customers have less or no contact (cock-pit, cargo personnel) with the service personnel, the physical environment should be to motivate, satisfy the employees, as no or few customers will experience that. In the last case, where there both customers and employees interact in the same environment at the same level (counter check-in), the servicescape is the most complex as it needs to appeal to the customers but at the same time be efficiently motivating the employees (for example, at a check-in the counter needs to look clean and efficient to the customers, but also comfortable for the employee-nice seats, environment). Thus the environment should be neutral to appeal to bot h customers and employees. Other than the physical environment, it is the customer to whom the service is delivered is what is important. Like mentioned earlier, different customer have different needs and it varies based on their gender, age, social status and so on and so forth. For example, a customers needs travelling on business class will vary from that from one travelling in economy class and the service provider needs to meet each of their needs. What normally happens in the airline industry is that the customer travelling on business class is more looked after than the economy class traveller. This would mean that it creates a negative service experience for the traveller. 2.4 Service Quality Service experience is defined by the quality of service provided by the airlines. Based on this service quality, a conceptual model by (Parasuraman et.al 1988), defines the gap between what the customers expect and what is provided. From this model, it can suggested that to create a better service encounter for the customers: Gap1 This represents the void between the perceptions and expectations between the marketer and the consumer. The key is to understand what the customer expects rather than forming a perception of what they might want. Parasuraman et al. (1988) suggests that this void can be filled if sufficient market research is done prior to offering the service. For example, if an airline firm is to find out what a particular target market is looking for, before offering enhanced factors. Gap 2 This refers to the void between what the company perceives and the service quality specifications. For example, low-budget flights like Air Asia advertise that they provide in-flight entertainment, but the quality is limited (all passengers view the same programme on a single television set) Gap 3 This is the void between quality specification and service delivery. For example in the case of few Asian airline companies, the quality of service provided would be accepted by the home nation. But outside the home nation, the quality specification may not be on par with what the customers expect. For example, in India, Kingfisher airlines claims to provide world class travel experience to its customers. Even though the service provided is perceived to be on par with top airlines in India, the quality of service offered is nowhere close to airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways etc. Gap 4 This relates to the void between the standard of quality promised and the service delivered. Thai airways has positioned itself has an airline that brings together quality as well as hospitability (Travel with the Thai touch, Smooth as Silk). But what raised issues and led to negative publicity was when their personnel were found to be rude to passengers. This led to a completely contradicting image of what they claim to be to what is delivered. 2.5 Differentiation To create a differentiation from their competitors, airline firms use the Porters Generic Strategy Model (1980): Cost Differentiation Cost Leadership (No Frills) Rynair, EasyJet, AirAsia Differentiation (Premium price for superior quality) Singapore Airlines, Emirates Cost Focus (Differentiation only for a particular target group) Kingfisher Red-low cost Business travel Differentiation Focus (Premium price for superior quality for a small target group) Concorde flights used by BA, Air France A380 flights-Singapore airlines, Qantas, Air France Scope Narrow Broad Fig 1: Porters Generic Model for the airline industry Airlines Pursuing cost leadership strategy Airlines pursuing an integrated strategy (some stuck in between) Airlines unable to achieve either a cost leadership or differentiation strategy Airlines pursuing a differentiation strategy High Fares Low Fares Low Service Level High Service Level Fig 2: Airlines Realized Business strategies (adapted from Dostaler, Flouris 2004) Using Fig 1 and fig 2, Porters Generic strategy can be explained as: Cost Leadership Cost leadership refers to gaining competitive advantage and giving your company an edge over the others. This can be attained in two ways: Firstly increasing profits by reducing costs. Secondly increasing market share by charging low prices. Airlines such as Air Asian, Rynair have chose to cut costs to a minimum, thus enabling to charge the customers low prices. This tactic helped them gain market share, and also have all their flights fully booked, which leads to further reduction in cost. But where they did compromise in on the in-flight and other services. For example, these airlines do not even provide water in the flight; one is expected to buy them, free seating etc helps them price their tickets low. Smaller airlines even provide just few routes at cheaper prices than their international rivals. But the risk if when competitors follow suit and hence firms should look for means to continuously reduce costs. Differentiation Strategy This involves making ones service different and more unique. This could be achieved by airlines in terms of their airplane types, costs, brand image etc. Singapore Airlines, Emirates have portrayed this image of making travel an experience with their superior quality. But as Porter (1980) argues that for a company using differentiation strategy, they would incur additional costs for research, development, innovation as well as advertising, which are normally recovered from the customers. Focus Strategy Airlines using focus strategy focus on a niche market and this could be a unique low cost airline for a target group or high-end price for another target group. For example, the A380 airplanes used by Singapore Airlines and Emirates charge a premium price of  £3600 for Business Class travel on Emirates from Heathrow to Dubai. So this is for the target group who like to travel with a lap of luxury with pool tables, spas, Internet, lounge area etc during their flight of less than 7 hours. There is very less competition in markets where focus strategies are used. But the risk is when the niche will disappear and when the business and customer preferences change over time. 2.6 VARIABILITY OF SERVICES One other feature of services marketing is its heterogynous nature and organisations strive to reduce the variability that would lead to building a strong brand. The aim is to communicate a persistent image and message to its customers at different places and different times. Service Variability can take place in different ways. Variations in external Conditions -weather, crowding and differences in service locations Variations in service delivery- customer interactions with employees Variations in customer perception-customers perception of a service may differ from place to place and with time too The figure below shows the causes and consequences of service variability in any organisation. High Level of perceived risk for buyers Difficulty in presenting an image of consistent quality Difficulty in developing strong brands Services are produced live Often leads to no chance to correct mistakes before consumption Often reliant on imperfect human inputs May be difficult to blueprint the service Variability of Service Fig 3 : Cause and Consequences of Service Variability The issue of variability leads to difficulty in attaining a uniform output especially in services that require a lot of human interaction. Say for example, we still have not developed technology to eliminate the need of humans completely. Airlines do not use robots to replace the human cabin crews as one human interaction is essential and secondly some technologies are too expensive to adopt suggest that behavior varies not only amongst different employees but also amongst the same employee on different days and with different customers (Lovelock 1983). And even though scripting and blueprinting is used to reduce variability, it still has its demerits. To provide a good service as well create an experience for the customer and to ensure reduced service variability, the airlines use the following techniques: 1. Employee Training As employees are part of any service provided, most airline firms have a rigorous selection and training process. For example, Singapore Airlines hires staff who fit in with the Singapore Girl image and portray the same values as the firm does. Firms who invest a lot in selection and training process mostly offer higher quality service than others. Air India does not provide constant training to its staff and hence issues arise when the staffs do not communicate a coherent message. Staff hired should be able to empathise with the customers as well as trained to deal with different types of unsatisfied customers. Also it is taken care to see that the staff matches the cultural differences of the country they are based in. 2. Scripting Most airlines have pre-determined scripts for each type of service encounter, which consists of either verbal responses or series of actions. The usage of verbal scripts is common while booking a ticket or enquiring about a service. Like for example, when a customer calls a call centre for a query, they normally have a script, which goes by: Good morning, Thank you for calling Malaysian Airlines. My name is Ben and how may I help you? Similarly a scripted message is used after a call or as an apology. In the case of scripted actions, it would how all cabin crews, follow the same actions once passengers are in the flight. All messages and actions are scripted so as to ensure a coherent image, message as well to ensure that the information is communicated at all times. But this has its limitations in terms of how at times personnel feel restricted from offering superior service based on their judgement. 3. Blueprinting Shostack (1982) suggested that blueprinting allows quantitative description of critical service elements, such as logical sequences of actions and processes, time that happen at a place of service delivery. It also defines actions for the place of interaction (front-line) as well for events taking place beyond the line of visibility. (Zeithaml, Bitner et al. 2006) define service blueprinting as a tool for simultaneously depicting the service process, the points of customer contact, and the evidence of the service from the customers point of view. With this description, the authors emphasise the different systemic layers overlapping in a service, from the layer of customer interaction and physical evidence to the layer of internal interaction within the service production process. The figure 4 below shows a service blueprinting for an air travel. Fig 4: Blueprinting for Air Travel Airport exterior Parking Baggage claim Seats Gift shops. Toilets Terminal Food/beverage Magazines Airplane Seats Gift shops. Toilets Terminal X-ray machine Metal detector Conveyor belt Computer/ credit card Desk Ticket Terminal Airport exterior Parking Online/ website Mechanic Check plane Metal detector Conveyor belt Conveyor belt Remove bags Pilot Serve customer Greet customer Send off customer Load bags on plane Check Passenger Greet take bags Registration Leave airport Pick up luggage Immigration Exit plane Fly Board plane Check in Wait at gate Security check Arrive at airport Reservation Support Process Contact Person Backstage Onstage Customer Physical Evidence 4. Quality Audits This is done to monitor the consistent quality provided by the airlines. Ground service analysis covers ticketing, check-in, security, lounges, boarding, departures, transfer, arrivals, and corporate branding. Onboard service analysis is a detailed and complex Qualitative evaluation of all product and service delivery elements core product standards, service efficiency and critical factors of staff service delivery. IATA carries out frequent safety audits. 5. Quality Awards Airlines often advertise the awards they have received for their superior quality. These awards are recognized worldwide and ensure that these airlines provide world-class travel experience for their travelers. For example, in 2009, Singapore Airlines was awarded the Airline of the Year award for its superior quality and safety. These information may not be too relevant for the customers, it just adds enough publicity to make consumers realize how one offers superior service than another thus prompting them to try these airlines on their next travel. 6. Service Recovery However thorough an airline is on its quality and service provided, there would still be occasional glitches. And a feature of any service is its heterogeneous nature, where each service encounter is different from another one. Berry (1995) argues that companies do not empower front line employees to solve problems immediately. A service failure does not automatically lead to a lost customer. But once an issue is identified, if it is dealt with promptly and the right actions are taken to ensure that the customer is satisfied, then it mostly would not lead to a lost customer. But in case of a major issue, the customer might seek financial compensation. 7. Customer Retention Parasuraman et al. (1985) suggests that even though there is a positive relationship between service quality and customer loyalty, above a certain level, additional improvements in quality do not have further impact on customer retention as there is no point in increasing quality costs if it cannot be passed down to the customers. The variability of services poses a high threat when it comes to brand building, but since humans are an integral part and cannot be eliminated completely, steps are taken to provide better training, motivate and encourage employees as they all form part of the service encounter. As Lovelock and Gummesson (2004) suggests that performance is less variable when machine-intensive technologies are used. So as to reduce the consequences of service variability, airline industries have adopted the use of technology so as to reduce if not eliminate the factor of human error. These include: Use of computerised system instead of telephone operators. Use of self-check in Kiosks at airports, mobile check-in (SSTs-Self Service Terminals) Using website to book or amend tickets. The other dimension of variability is the extent to which a service can be altered to meet the demand of individual customers. Services that are manufactured for a large number of customers are difficult to be customised like in the case of air travel, but can be customised in particular areas. For Example scheduled airline service is highly standardized in design but offers modules for customizing specific elements, such as alternative schedules; service to or from different airports in the same metropolitan area; different classes and prices; seat location; and a selection of drinks, food, and other amenities. But with the evolution of technology, industries especially the airlines are adopting technology as far as possible as with rising competition there is no room for error. But not using humans at all is impossible. So as Jim Collins said: people are your most important asset is wrong. The right people are your most important asset. REFERNCES Berry, Leonard L. (1983), Relationship Marketing, in L.L. Berry, G.L. Shostack, and G.D. Upah Emerging Perspectives on Services Marketing. Chicago: American Marketing Association, pp. 25-28. Bitner, M. J. (1992), Servicescapes: The impact of Physical Surroundings on Customers and Employees Journal of Marketing. Vol. 56, pp. 57-71. Bitner, M., Brown, S.W., and Meuter, M. L. (2000). Technology Infusion in Service Encounters Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. Vol. 28, No.1, pp. 138-149. Dostaler, I. and Floris, T. (2004). Business Strategy and Competition for the Future in the Airline Industry. Airline Magazine. No. 28, pp. 1-4. Harris, K.J., Bojanic, D., and Cannon, D. (2003). Service Encounters and Service Bias: A Preliminary Investigation Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research. Vol. 27, No. 3, pp. 272-290. Groove, S and Risk, R. (2001), Service theatre: An analytical framework for services marketing in Lovelock and Writz (2004) pp. 78-87. Lovelock. C (1983) Classifying Services to Gain Strategic Marketing Insights, Journal of Marketing, Vol.47, pp. 9-20. Lovelock, C. and Wirtz, W. (2004), Services Marketing, People, Technology, Strategy, USA, Pearson Prentice Hall Lovelock, C., and Gummesson, E., (2004). Wither Services Marketing? In Search of a New Paradigm and Fresh Perspectives. Journal of Services Research. Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 20-44. Parasuraman, A., Valarie A. Z., and Leonard L. B. (1985), A Conceptual Model of Service Quality and Its Implications for Future Research, Journal of Marketing,Vol. 49, pp. 41-50. Parasuraman. A, Zeithaml. V., and Berry. L. (1988), SERVQUAL: A Multiple-Item Scale for Measuring Consumer Perceptions of Service Quality. Journal of Retailing. Vol. 64, No.1, pp. 12-40. Porter, M.E. (1980). Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors, New York, NY: Free Press. Shostack, G.L (1977). Breaking free from Product Marketing Journal of Marketing. Vol. 41, No. 2, pp. 73-80. Zeithaml, V. A., Bitner, M. J. (2006). Services Marketing : Integrating Customer Focus across the Firm. Boston, McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

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Chris Layton 12 September 2013 Block 1 Rough Draft Drugs & Athletes During the advancement of technology, athletes have been able to get powerful drugs that help them during physical activity. These drugs are also banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). They use these drugs to give them a competitive edge to keep up with the competition. Some athletes have distinctive trait that some do not like having a gene that helps them perform like the ACE gene helps perform in long distance events. Other athletes that compete have to use performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) to be able to keep up with them and have a chance to win. Performance enhancing drugs, including blood doping, stimulants, and human growth hormone, should be prohibited because of moral and ethical concerns and the personal consequences to athletes. Performance enhancing drugs have been used since ancient times. The use of enhancement substances for sporting events dates back to the ancient Greeks and ancient Maya. () Performance potions were utilized by the Greeks to increase their abilities and cocoa leaves were thought to be used by ancient Maya. () Today, athletes will go to many lengths to increase athletic ability, including: steroids, HGH, Amphetamines, and even animal or human organs just as the Greeks did in their time. () The most common performance enhancing drugs or treatment is blood doping, stimulants, human growth hormone (HGH), and anabolic steroids. Stimulants are a generic term to describe various substances that are ingested by athletes into the human body for the purpose of increasing alertness or general physical performance. Common stimulants that have been typically utilized by athletes in various disciplines are caffeine, amphetamines, a... ...drugs and go suspended for one and a half seasons. Performance enhancing drugs are not worth all the problems they can cause and definitely not worth your fans losing respect for you because they’re the ones who support you throughout your years. Overall, the negative effects of PED’s overweigh the positive effects of the use and abuse of them. The head of sports made the right move to ban, performance enhancing drugs, including blood doping, stimulants, and human growth hormone, should be prohibited because of moral and ethical concerns and the personal consequences to athletes. Performance enhancing drugs granted give you an edge over your competitor, but later in life you will regret using them because it’s effects will still be there rather you’re still on them or not. The World Anti-Doping Agency made the right move to ban all substances that harm yourself.