Women Trafficking around the world Research Paper

Women Trafficking around the world - Research Paper Example This trend is expected to grow in the future with the fact that it is highly profitable, lowly investigated and few traffickers are usually prosecuted. In the Middle East, trafficking in women and girls is a prevalent crime where the victims are usually discriminated against by the prevailing cultures and customs. Some laws in the region do not even recognize human trafficking as a crime, which is why the crime continues to fester in the region (Murphy, 2001). Though victims of human trafficking are usually sold for reasons like slavery and forced labor, trafficking for sexual exploitation is still the biggest problem faced in the region. In most states in Arab regions, trafficking for sexual exploitation is not restricted. This is because some countries in the region have retrogressive laws that discriminate against women and favors the men. For example some countries allow temporary marriages, where the man decides when the marriage ends, which means that women and girls can be use d as sex slaves. Another supporting factor is that the women and girls who are caught up in the trafficking syndicates are usually prosecuted as illegal immigrants, which only serves to increase instances of human trafficking. ... The other economic factor that contributes to the women trafficking is the demand for cheap labor in destination countries. For example, Saudi Arabia demands for a lot of cheap labor, so women and children are trafficked from other countries and forced into slavery in this country. The other main cause of women and girls trafficking in the world is the increasing demand for sexual services. In the Middle East, women are usually discriminated against and can be exploited for sexual services Anti-Slavery International (2006). The traffickers understand that victims of human trafficking do not usually have any real rights in the countries of destination, so exploit this chance. Most of the women trafficked into these countries are transformed into sex slaves and commercial sex workers to earn a revenue for their masters. This increased sexual abuse of trafficked persons is recognized by the UN as a cause of increased demand for sexual services and should be addressed separately. The oth er reason why there is an increase in women trafficking is the fact that there are retrogressive laws in the destination countries. As already mentioned, some of the countries of destination of trafficked women and children do not recognize the rights of these women and children. Government lack of control and the lack of laws that prohibit women trafficking serve to increase its instances. For example, lack of legislation that expressly prosecutes human traffickers means that it is going to continue. In many countries, human traffickers are not sufficiently investigated or prosecuted. Domestic violence and organized crime are two other reasons that usually

Literature Review on Roles Played Essay Example for Free

Literature Review on Roles Played Essay Dalton (2002) had focused on what managers do, which are behavioural roles, rather than the reason or method used by these managers. He recognized that variations in cultural beliefs, values and norms as well as variations in managerial style challenged the performance of global managers. On the other hand, Rifkin (2006) said that soft skills may be more important for global managers to be effective. He suggested three steps companies and managers can take to better prepare for the challenges of managing globally, which are: †¢ To develop a clearer understanding of the challenges of managing people across borders; †¢ To instill in new global managers an awareness of and an appreciation for the vast differences among cultures in which they do business; and †¢ To give global managers the tools and support they need to succeed. Writing on international management and cross-cultural perspectives, Adekola (2007) stated that like the domestic managers, international managers must also adhere to the four major roles of planning, organizing, directing and controlling. He said that planning assures that the business organization has some idea of its purpose, where it is heading and how it will achieve its objectives. International managers must consider not only local conditions but also overall international operations in their short or long-range preparations to achieve their goals. They must be aware of the extent to which employees, local customers, government officials and suppliers are likely to accept or resist changes. Adekola (2007) also stated that control for an international manager includes ensuring that what is happening is what was intended to happen. Control is used in different ways by the organization depending on the level and scope of its application. He quoted Miller (1987) who said that for an international manager, â€Å"control should provide managers with the information necessary to monitor the operations of the firm to help achieve its global strategy†. According to Adekola (2007), â€Å"international direction and leadership style is the way in which a manager chooses to fulfill leadership, delegation, communication and supervision responsibilities. These choices reflect both personal and cultural differences. † He believed that international managers’ roles can be very effective when a manager can learn and develop leadership functions such as completing organizational work through employee motivation, getting commitment, energizing employees’ behaviour and by creating personal interests and excitement in the organization’s goals.

self mutilation Essay -- essays research papers

Self Mutilation It is estimated that one out of every 50 teens between the ages of 13 and 19 regularly practice self-abusive behavior with a reported 2 million cases in the US alone in 2004. Self-mutilation is defined as the direct and deliberate destructive alteration of one’s own body tissue, without conscious suicidal intent. It is considered a clinical disorder. Self mutilation is not a suicide attempt. It is an attempt for one to gain control over their life and cope with stress, pain, fear, and anxiety. Self mutilatory behaviors are cries for help. Self-abusive teens tend to internalize any conflicts with friends, school or parents as they do not want to â€Å"cause trouble† for anyone. Typical self mutilators are middle to upper class, intelligent, women. Self harm usually begins in adolescence and continues for 5to 10 years into the mid twenties. Although self harm more frequently affects females, 11 thousand males are known to suffer from it every year in the United States alone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are several types of self-abusive and mutilative behaviors. The most common are cutting and burning. Self harm, however, is not limited to these types. There are also banging, binge eating, biting, branding, breaking of bones, bruising, carving, carving words or symbols into flesh, drinking, hitting, ingesting sharp objects, ingesting toxic substances, marking, picking, piercing, pulling hair, punching walls, scalding, scraping, scratching, scrubbing, self ind...

Sallie Baliunas and the Dangers of Think Tanks :: Global Warming

Sallie Baliunas and the Dangers of Think Tanks Public policy makers increasingly rely on the research of think tank scholars to guide their policy decisions. But who checks the accuracy of think tank scholar research? Unlike academic journal publishing, which follows a rigorous system of peer review and editorial oversight, think tanks publish opinion pieces without regard to the peer review process. Their policy publications are not based on pure academics, but on a complex interaction between academic, political, and economic interests. In Washington, there is no time to focus on the academic details. As Eric Altermann points out in his book What Liberal Media?, think tank scholars â€Å"are expected to spend at least as much time networking with reporters and government staffers as on research.†1 Efficient dissemination of information is as important as the information itself in the think tank business of knowledge. Sallie Baliunas of the Marshall Institute fits Altermann’s think tank scholar profile well. Regarding her involvement in the global warming debate, she has spent less time on the scholarship of global warming and more time advocating the idea that it is simply a myth. She is a senior scientist at the Marshall Institute, which supports her writing of articles against the Kyoto treaty (â€Å"Bush right to oppose [Kyoto] treaty†)2 and the promotion of the idea that global warming is a natural process caused by increased radiation from the sun (â€Å"The Sun Also Warms†).3 Though she has published relatively little in academic journals on the issue, articles such as these are numerous in conservative political forums, such as the website TechCentralStation.com, â€Å"where free markets meet technology.†4 Though she is not considered a global warming expert by professional climate scientists, she is oft quoted by the anti-Kyoto folks as the expert voice that pr oves global warming is a hoax (see any article by Charli Coon of the Heritage Foundation5 or by Chris de Freitas6). Her global warming research has been funded, in part, by corporate oil interests. Think Tanks Baliunas’s association with think tanks does not make her scholarship automatically suspect. However, think tanks dwell in the grey area between scholarship and advocacy, and one must ask in which category Baliunas belongs. Think tanks cannot claim to be completely unbiased, because the majority of their funding comes from corporations, whose interests are not usually only academic, but also economic. Baliunas is an â€Å"Enviro-Sci Host† for TechCentralStation.com, a website sponsored by AT&T, ExxonMobil, General Motors Corporation, Intel, McDonalds, Microsoft, Nasdaq, National Semiconductor, PhRMA, and Qualcomm.

Essay and referencing

The three communication theories I have applied to provide the most insight into understanding the dynamics of the observed conversation between two people are; the transmission model (Shannon & Weaver 1949), Fuller's ecological model (Fouler 2004), and an expanded model of communication (Munson 2012). In this essay I have used a conversation I had listened to which was between my friend (from here on will be named George) and his friend (from here on will be named Mark). Problems that arose during the conversation will be explained as well as how George and Mark overcame them.From there the essay will compare and contrast the three communication theories and decide which of these best simplify the conversation. Complexities of the conversation I was asked by George to take him down to the pub to meet up with Mark for a couple of games of pool, whilst chatting over a cold beer. George is nearly completely illiterate due to him leaving school at the age of 12, moving to the Northern t erritory and working on a cattle farm up until the age of 19, where he then moved back to Lissome.Mark is completely deaf and has next to no ability to lip read (this I had not known until I met him). Both George and Mark do not know sign language of any kind. George and has learnt to use abbreviations in text messages, which is about the extent of his written language capabilities. Problems that arose George had been avoiding this meeting because he finds the conversations very difficult, and this usually leads to heated discussions, especially when the conversations centered on Mark's granddaughter (which George has always had affectionate feelings for but never acted upon).Both George and Mark have their own perceptions on what is going on in her life, which has, and still causes either Mark or George to have expectations from the other, and creates selective perceptions (Withes 2009). This introduces psychological noise and detracts from the meanings of some of the messages in t he conversation. A one way lack of tone and inflection in the voice to communicate feelings and emotions more clearly can provide misunderstanding in the meaning of some messages. Language barrier from non-literate to literate people poses the greatest barrier to messages both to and from each other.Feedback is restricted to kinesics emblems, regulators, and illustrators (De Vito 2001). George aged 2 and Mark aged 64 both have different educational backgrounds in which written communication differs. Text messaging or testing (Shaw et al. 2007) can be a major source of misinterpretation, though Mark has been using his mobile phone for some time now. This leads to the conclusion that this increases the communication abilities of how Mark can interact with George, though there is still the written language barrier between them (Kumara et al. 2011).How George and Mark overcome these problems The over emphasis of kinesics emblems, regulators, and illustrators (De Vito 2001) had o be used as feedback due to the lack of language being used by George. Facial expressions become very important for Mark and George to try to convey their own, and comprehend each other's emotions, from understanding to frustration. Increased eye contact which would make most people more nervous and defensive (De Vito 2001) become a highly prized resource for feedback as well it had helped regulate the control of the conversation.Shannon and Weaver's transmission model (Shannon & Weaver 1949) seems to be the simplest model, and therefore maybe the est. for most situations; however, it lacks the detail in which the complexities of this particular conversation pose, and that need to be addressed, in particular the noise sources. Figure 1 : Transactional model (Source: Shannon & Weaver 1949) Fuller's ecological model is an elaboration of (Alleles 1948) model of â€Å"Who, says what, in which channel, to whom, with what effect† (Fouler 2004) though it takes into account of the use of dif ferent languages using modern mediums.This model is an excellent model but focuses on more of the use of the language and the media it is conveyed in and to so much on person to person communications. Figure 2: An Ecological Model of the Communication (Source: Fouler 2004) Union's expanded model of communication is more complex than Fuller's as well as Shannon and Weaver's models, though it is more appropriate to this conversation had between George and Mark due to the fact it shows that in order for the communication to happen the sender must pre-edit and then encode the message pass the message onto the receiver where he decodes and edits the message.Munson also takes into account the use of mechanical, behavioral and semantic actors of encoding, and understands that if the message is to be understood the receiver must be able to decode the message. This is particularly relevant, and highly important to this conversation between George and Mark due to the factors mentioned before. Context Figure 3: An expanded model of communication (Source: Munson 2012) Conclusion I have found Shannon and Weavers transactional model too simple and cannot evaluate the complexities of this situation, and that Fuller's model too broad and not able to focus on the problems that need to be addressed.Therefore, I believe hat Union's expanded model of communication is the most adequate to use out of the three models that were written about because Union's model has shown how a message from George is first pre-edited (thoughts), then encoded (written on paper), passed on through noise (physical, psychological as well as expectations and selective perception), decoded by the receiver (reading Georges writing) and then finally edited to Mark's own meaning and interpretation.This explains how there was some heated discussions in the past, and will continue to be so until they are able to actively listen' to each other before they place their own selective perceptions and expectations on their conversation.

World into winners and losers Essays

World into winners and losers Essays World into winners and losers Essay World into winners and losers Essay Globalisation, simply put, refers to the process by which the world is said to be transformed into a single global system such that events in one part of the world more and more have effects on peoples and societies far away. (Baylis Smith 2001, p. 7) However, to use the phrase simply put when giving a definition of globalisation may be misleading as there is no simple or agreed definition of what constitutes globalisation, nor any consensus about how far the process has advanced. About all that can be said with confidence about globalisation is that it represents a major site of contestation. The contestation that this essay will focus on is neither whether globalisation in fact exists nor whether it is a new phenomenon. Rather, the focus of this essay is on the impact that globalisation has had on the world. Is globalisation a savior that is uniting the globe? Or is it curse that is dividing us all into winners and losers? The first part of this essay will focus on the question of unity. That is, is globalisation unifying the world around common interests? This question involves looking at the increase in technology and thus the increase in global mass media and communications alike. While the biggest transnational corporations (TNCs), such as General Motors and Ford, have revenues larger then many states, the Internet has allowed small businesses to also offer their services worldwide. Music tastes, and fashions shape life across borders, as do economic practices such as Fordism (mass production techniques plus mass consumption). Even brand names such as Coke can move people (Clemens, Jr. 2004, p. 15). For example, in post-Communist Albania many people viewed their first Coca-Cola plant as a sign of good life to come. Cricket may unite the Commonwealth more than any speeches, and The Beatles and Coke may well have done more to subvert the Soviet realm than did the CIA. (Clemens, Jr. 2004, p. 15) Thus, it seems that as the world becomes globalised, it is also unified around common interest and values. This is also demonstrated in religious movements which, although have operated for millennia across borders and oceans, have increased since the onset of modern technology and have united millions of believers across borders. (Clemens, Jr. 2004, p. 14) A similar story can be found in governmental and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which unite millions across the globe around common goals. For example, Greenpeace has united parts of the globe around environmental concerns. This exemplifies that the globe is not just unified around cultural interests, but also political ones. In fact globalisation has three dimensions: cultural, political and economic. Looking at the advantages globalisation has to offer in these other realms, one would see increased free trade between nations, and increased liquidity of capital allowing investors in developed nations to invest in developing nations. There is also now a greater ease and speed of transportation for goods and people, as well as a spread of democratic ideals to developed nations. Certainly, it seems a valid argument that globalisation is uniting the world around common interests. However, many sceptics of globalisation would find flaws in this assertion. Many would argue that globalisation has not united the globe as it is uneven in its effects and thus only applies to the developed world. As Baylis and Smith commented, to pretend that even a small minority of the worlds population can connect to the World Wide Web is clearly an exaggeration when in reality most people on the planet have probably never made a telephone call in their lives. (Baylis Smith 2001, p. 10) Thus, not everyone is a winner in regards to receiving the benefits of globalisation. And what about the interests that are unifying the world? Some non-Western countries, such as Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia and Korea, enjoy economic success but subscribe to Asian values. As discussed earlier, globalisation unites many around Western values and thus, there is a somewhat paradox here: how can these countries continue to modernize without successfully adopting such values? Moreover, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan announced recently that the same open borders, free markets and technological advances that are the hallmarks or globalisation can also be exploited by terrorists, drug traffickers and other criminals. (Annan 2004) Thus, while the world may be uniting around common interests, it may lead to a conflict in values, crime, and the anticipation of possible disputes. This brings this essay to the question of winners and losers, and it seems that there are not as many winners as what first appears. In fact, critics have noted that there are very considerable losers as the world becomes more globalised. These critics may refer to the fact that globalisation symbolises the success of liberal capitalism in an economically divided world, which consequently allows less well off nations to be more effectively exploited. For example, there is an increased flow of skilled and non-skilled jobs from developed to developing nations as corporations seek out the cheapest labor. TNC managers look worldwide for settings that promise lower costs and higher profits. If their global outlook calls for a move to greener pastures, local workers and governments may be left high and dry. A recent article in the Age newspaper drew on this very problem. The sub-headline said it all: Global change will take jobs away from some people, with no guarantee of new ones. (Colebatch 2004) Economics Editor, Tim Colebatch, gave the example of Germanys global tyre maker Continental setting up a factory in Transylvania because Romanian workers cost $A2. 40 an hour, whereas German workers cost $42 an hour (Colebatch 2004) The winner/loser debate is incomplete without also looking at the global free trade market economy. In this system, states with smaller economies must compete against each other as well as the powerful countries. This creates a situation described as a race to the bottom as nations attempt to underbid each other in the competition for foreign markets and foreign investment. Moreover, when developing nations open up their own economies, local producing industries must compete against well-resourced and aggressive foreign companies in battles they rarely win. These same states are also faced with problems with the rapid expansion of Western companies into their economies, forcing out local producers and distributors. Certainly, it seems quite a strong contention that globalisation is dividing the world into winners and losers. Globalisation is a unifying force that is now, more than ever, connecting societies. Different peoples and societies are rallying around certain interests and values, and different cultures and political and economic systems are shaping lives across borders. The result of this has been great benefits, but benefits that are not shared by the whole globe. Not only are millions of people excluded from the benefits of globalisation, but also the worlds strong economies are using globalisation to exploit the economies of developing states. Therefore, this essay concludes that while globalisation is a unifying power, it is certainly also a tool that divides the world into winners and losers.

Essay on strategy of Whole Foods Market

Essay on strategy of Whole Foods Market Essay on strategy of Whole Foods Market Essay on strategy of Whole Foods MarketAmong various organizational diagnosis (OD) models, one of the most powerful models is the Nadler-Tushman congruence model. This model takes into accounts both internal and external factors, and helps to assess the alignment between the strategy of the company, its internal and external resources and actions (Falletta, 2005). The purpose of this paper is to analyze the existing strategy of Whole Foods Market and to determine Porters strategy which the company is pursuing now, to identify critical inputs of Whole Foods Market and to evaluate the alignment between these inputs and corporate strategy using the Nadler-Tushman congruence model.Nadler-Tushman Congruence ModelOD model developed by Nadler and Tushman is an invaluable instrument for analyzing organizational changes and assessing the organization in its environment. The key assumption of this model is the functioning of the organization in an open environment; in this context, an organiza tion is influenced by its inputs which include organizational history, resources, environment and strategy, and changes the environment by producing outputs at the individual, group and organizational level (Cameron Green, 2012). The core idea of Nadler-Tushman model is the focus on achieving congruence between organizational inputs, internal processes and factors, and outputs.In congruence model, organizational inputs include environmental factors (which encompass all factors external to the organization), resources (internal factors of the organization and the factors to which the organization has access), history (past behaviors, activities and performance which influence current functioning of the organization) and strategy (current stream of decisions aimed at achieving organizational goals in the organizational context) (Nadler Tushman, 1980).Strategy of Whole Foods MarketCurrent strategic goals announced by Whole Foods include market expansion, and in particular targeting l ow- and middle-income customer groups along with more affluent customers, increase of store footage, sales growth and reduction of expenses (Whole Foods Market, 2014). Among the strategic steps which have recently been undertaken by Whole Foods Market there are: launch of more affordable brands and marketing of organic products as affordable, focus on local sourcing and tailoring the offers to local community needs (Jargon, 2013), opening new stores in less affluent areas and opening smaller-sized stores. Furthermore, Whole Foods aims to reduce expenses by reducing the size of its existing superstores, reducing the amount of spoiled goods and optimizing its supply chain (AdWeek, 2013).In addition to this, Whole Foods reshaped its marketing approach. The company undertakes many marketing efforts such as flash sales of various items available for several hours, advice for customers how to reduce their expenses and advertising healthy food as the important component of health which oug ht not to be expensive (Watrous, 2014). Whole Foods also undertakes price matching against other competitors.One can identify three Porters generic strategies: cost leadership, differentiation and focus. Cost leadership and differentiation strategies refer to industry wide strategies: the former is based on offering lowest prices, while the latter is focused on offering a wide choice of products with unique qualities (Burke, Lake Paine, 2008). Focus strategies can be also targeting either cost or product qualities, but these strategies relate to particular market segments. Historically, Whole Foods was pursuing differentiation strategy, but the increase of competition in organic foods industry forced the company to switch to cost leadership strategy.Inputs of Whole Foods MarketWhole Foods Market emerged in 1980. The company has a rich history as it became the pioneer in organic foods industry. In the 1980s, the company focused on opening new stores, and in the end of 1990s and in t he 2000s Whole Foods primarily expanded through acquisitions. Whole Foods Market managed to establish own standards of quality and own ethical practices pertaining to growing and sourcing foods. These standards were often stricter than those of food industry in general. Whole Foods used to charge a high price premium for ensuring high quality of organic foods. In the context of history input for Nadler-Tushman congruence model, it is important to include such two inputs as high standards of quality (which are highly important for those customers who care about their health and choose organic food) and focus on affluent customers due to high price premiums (which shaped the perception of Whole Foods as the whole paycheck company in the past).Currently market position of Whole Foods is still strong: the company has a large network of stores, its superstores offer a wide range of organic foods, the company works with numerous suppliers of organic foods. Whole Foods expanded internation ally and is now also operating in Canada and in the UK. Key resources which are critical for the organization are its brand reputation associated with ethical practices and high-quality foods and its wide network of large stores.As for the external environment, the major factor which is affecting market position of Whole Foods are the increasing supply of organic foods (offered by private labels, small local stores, large retailers, etc.) and intensive competition in this market segment. These two phenomena can be viewed as one environmental factor increasing competition; this factor is the one that urges Whole Foods to reconsider its strategy and advertising approach.Congruence between inputs and strategyThe conclusions about the congruence of Whole Foods organizational inputs and strategy are ambiguous. On one hand, there is a clear controversy between historical inputs and current strategy: earlier the company positioned itself as a premium-segment brand and focused on attractin g affluent customers. In this way, Whole Foods managed to achieve high profit margins and high stock prices. Furthermore, most customers started associating high-quality organic products with high prices, so lowering prices might affect brand image of Whole Foods and create an impression among customers that the company is sacrificing quality to reduce price. Therefore, both historical inputs (high prices and high quality standards) and one resource input (brand reputation) are not congruent with the companys current strategy of cost/price leadership.Furthermore, the second resource input wide network of large stores is also poorly aligned with the strategy of cost   leadership. Large stores and wide range of various organic products naturally incur high costs and lead to price increase. Therefore, Whole Foods Market has to change its overall internal structure and approaches in order to implement the current strategy.At the same time, the new strategy is perfectly congruent wit h the critical environmental factor intensive competition in the sphere of organic foods. In this context, Whole Foods is attempting to reposition itself at the organic foods market in order to be able to compete with other large market players. In fact, it is the controversy between the key environmental factor with historical and resource inputs which leads to the conflict between the strategy and other inputs.Therefore, it is possible to state that Whole Foods is trying to change its business strategy completely, and therefore its historical developments are not congruent with its current strategic moves. At the same time, it is possible to recommend to Whole Foods to avoid such radical strategy reconstruction since the company might dilute its existing brand and lose its existing strengths without gaining any specific competitive advantages. In other words, it would be better for Whole Foods to pursue differentiation strategy instead of rapid expansion and cost leadership appro ach.

Is Female Perception of the Body Image Affected by the Media

Is Female Perception of the Body Image Affected by the Media Here is an overview of the body-image issue. Read how magazines and fashion industry determine the standards of the female body. Mass Media Effect on How We Perceive Ourselves America certainly has many problems in its own society – institutionalized racism, poverty, ignorance, teen pregnancy and drug addiction. But another major problem lies within the work of the media, the main means of mass communication (broadcasting, publishing, and the Internet) regarded collectively. The media, whether we realize it or not, dictates what we let into our lives; this certainly affects how we perceive ourselves – because we compare ourselves, and are compared, to celebrities and other people we see in the media. ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY EXAMPLE: DOES VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIA CAUSE VIOLENCE IN CHILDREN? Most times, these celebrities are quite perfect-looking individuals, and so everyday people can have a low self-esteem because of new low body image – and this definitely applies to many adults and most teens, male and female alike. However, in this case, an argument will be made that illustrates how media influence the female perception of the body image. Magazine Pics Install a Lack of Confidence Let’s look at how females are portrayed in publications and on the Internet. Go to a magazine stand – you’ll see attractive, strikingly beautiful women on just about every cover. It’s sickening. This definitely over-sexualizes and objectifies the female beauty. But it’s been that way a long time, though that doesn’t justify why it still exists. Also, on the Internet, in newspaper ads and on billboards in dodgy parts of town, are billions of erotic pictures and videos of women. For young girls and insecure women, this instills a lack of confidence in their own appearance, and a body-image problem emerges. This problem could last a lifetime; maybe it’s the reason they hit the gym, get elective surgery or buy an expensive Italian sports car. Thanks to the media, the American public – heck, the world, too – adores so many of the same people, actors, athletes, and billionaires, that the public feels lost in the midst of things – they feel overlooked, irrelevant and worthless. You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful. ? Amy Bloom Secondly, non-skinny, non-model-type women do appear on magazine covers, though, but they are usually overweight, maybe handsome and funny or overweight, plain looking and rich – like Queen Latifah, Oprah, Amy Schumer and Melissa McCarthy. This is terrible for a woman’s body image because it illustrates how – if you are an average-looking woman, maybe a little chubby, without a fortune, and not an actor or media mogul – you aren’t important enough to be on the cover of a magazine. Not that this means anything in the grand scheme of things, but it does happen and will continue to happen as long as the media is running the show and influencing people. Here’s the thing: wealthy billionaires run the media companies, mostly financially supported by the advertiser who depends on the consumer’s purchasing power. A woman with a low body image buys the products advertised to them in commercials hosted by beautiful bombshells of women. They purc hase many things advertised to them in order to fill the void they have created for themselves, deeply instilled by the media. People Can’t Take Their Own Mediocrity Lastly, the two aforementioned points illustrate how media influence the female perception of the body image, and this causes the everyday woman – bombarded by advertisements, commercials, magazine covers, Web articles – to feel inferior to the women they see on TV and in the movies. This is a terrible thing, for it tends to warp the minds of insecure people, men, and women alike, who aren’t confident and comfortable in their own skin, with their own imperfect appearance and body. This is quite tragic. This is perhaps why we still see suicides and homicidal rampages, alcoholic and drug binges – they can’t take their own mediocrity, their lack of celebrity, their ordinariness. We are trained to think, in this culture, that we are nothing if we are not of some renown. TV HAS A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON TEENAGERS To conclude, let’s try hard to address this problem in the future. It’s easy to see how media influence the female’s perception of how they view their bodies, their looks. Women probably assess their value in comparison to the beauty or style or sexual features of a famous female. And because most everyday women in America do not look like Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie, many women feel inadequate and inferior and undesirable. Until the media actively tries to include the everyday American woman in advertisements, magazine covers, billboards and TV shows, America will have this problem – and it could have many socio-economic implications that could point to a shift in confidence, along with many mental-health and low self-esteem problems.

Ruscha Formalist analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ruscha Formalist analysis - Essay Example The logo is coloured in red and orange tones, deferring to realistic lighting effects and shade variations as the colours appear slightly muted towards what is presented as being the logo's foreground. But other elements of the work are strangely inconsistent, perhaps in the interests of theoretical allusion, with what would be expected if the scene were viewed in reality. The eight yellow spotlights inter-crossing each other behind the logo are traditionally seen - when the logo is depicted before movies or on television - to penetrate, cross over and intermingle with the sturdy commercial monolith. In Ruscha's depiction, however, they are shown as being unable to penetrate the white opaque light source that projects the wording, and instead are partially blocked by its presence. The spotlights - supposedly for the purpose of illuminating desired features and drawing the attention of spectators - are feeble in comparison to the generating light force behind the imposing logo. Intrinsic within the marketing insignia itself seems to be an otherworldly, ethereal body of light - white and pure and absolute, while the accompanying spotlights possess a yellow, opacity that fails to lighten the nightscape, nor impinge upon the density of the red/orange hues of the logo. The juxtaposition seems to assert a difference between what is real, what is not real and what is contrived - what is genuine, and what is manufactured - positioned against the backdrop of the movie industry and its many illusions. Stylistically, Ruscha has adopted a rigid assemblage style without mergers - a compositional approach that adds to the artwork's impact with its clear lines and sure geometric delineations. Ruscha - Psychoanalytic analysis Ed Ruscha's Large Trademark with Eight Spotlights (1962) may at first appear to be a cultural snapshot of a piece of recognised movie industry iconography. But within this seemingly simple representation of a familiar symbol lie a plethora of contextualised meaning, sub-meanings and allusions.Within Lacanian psycho-analytic theory, the power of images as vehicles for multiple meaning is central to understanding the creative impulse. According to Kelly Oliver (177):"Lacan establishes a parallel between the figures of metaphor (the substitution ofone term for another, as in 'Juliet is the sun') and metonymy (the substitution of thewhole for the part, and the contiguous relations between chains of signifiers).These are described as the two main axes of language, and they are likened tocondensation and displacement (respectively the condensation of multiplemeanings into a single dream image, and the transfer of libido from one image toanother) . .In other words, for Lacan, the unconscio us is structured like alanguage." Within a Lacanian understanding - Trademark is a potent image reflecting a group consciousness that is interconnected with our own individual identities - and subsequently merging the

Mental Health Nursing (Essay base on a Case Scenario) Essay

Mental Health Nursing ( base on a Case Scenario) - Essay Example I will achieve this by identifying health problems and give interventions for the same. Confidentiality is important and therefore I will not expose the identity of my patient, I will identify her as Janet (not her real name). This is because the NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) code of conduct stipulates that people’s rights to confidentiality must be respected by professional nurses while giving health care. For that reason a nurses should explain to the client how and why information concerning their health is shared by healthcare professionals involved in the particular client’s health. As a result, good communication amongst healthcare professional facilitates understanding and working relation between them (Goldsmith, 2011). Janet has a problem of increasing low mood. I will implement nursing interventions such as cognitive behavior therapy, interpersonal therapy behavior therapy, mindful based cognitive therapy, medical intervention and support. In addition, I will define care planning and discuss its significance. Moreover, biopsychosocial model together with recovery framework are incorporated in the delivery of the clients health care. This paper will be informed by the use of relevant references from books and journals. 2. Care Planning 2.1. Needs The case regards Janet who is about to complete her studies in engineering. She is twenty two years and originates from Britain. Her free time is spent in the gym and cycling. She does not get along with her three roommates. The recent past shows that her mood is low; concentration is low, has no appetite and lacks sleep. Besides being unable to follow routine activities, her performance in class is dwindling after losing interest in learning. The physician prescribed antidepressants after diagnosing her with depression. The mental health nurse can use nursing intervention to assist the client recover from depression. The depression has caused the problem of low mood. A number of interventi ons that are useful for recovery have been identified and will be implemented in a care plan. Therefore Janet’s needs and problems are: low mood low appetite poor relationships low concentration lack of sleep no interest in studies unable to follow routine Depression is a mood disorder which manifests in different ways for different people. Depressed individuals complain of emptiness and feel sad. They become pessimistic and engage in negative thinking. A feeling of hopelessness sets in and they isolate themselves. They become restless and keep away from usual activities. Depression may cause individuals to become irritable and lead to poor relationships with others. They may end up losing interest in activities they have enjoyed doing and even abandon their hobbies. Because of many changes and engagement in thinking, individuals with depression lack concentration capabilities, forget important details and become indecisive when making choices. Their sleep patterns changes wi th either long episodes of sleep or lack of sleep. Lack of appetite or augmented appetite is common in depressed individuals. Consequently, depressed individuals complain of headaches, digestive problems, pain, aches and cramps. The client has symptoms such as loss of concentration, loss of appetite, lack interest at school and normal functioning is affected. According to Barrett et al (2008) a care plan is significant in providing quality care to patient. It assists the nurse treat the patient according to needs. The purpose

Karl Donitz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Karl Donitz - Essay Example This strategy required the conversion of German fleet to U-boats. Despite opposition from the other senior naval officers, Donitz went ahead to train his crew on his innovation. When the war begun, the German Navy was under the leadership of Donitz. This navy commander was very instrumental in the war because he mobilized his troop to conquer the British merchant ships during the War. At this time, the Germany navy was not prepared for war since it was anticipating that the war would begin in 1945. This unpreparedness resulted from the focus on German Navy's extensive "Z Plan" which was due for completion in 1945. When the war broke out, there was no choice for Germany but the use submarine warfare because it was the only naval option that was already prepared 1. Thesis statement Karl Donitz, a German Naval Commander served as a vital object in persuading the military organization to adopt an innovation based on the submarine in order to conquer the colonial rule during the inter-war period and the World War II. By November 1937, Donitz had a realistic vision of German’s success against its enemies. By this time, he was convinced that it was practical to launch a good campaign against merchant shipping. From this point on, Donitz begun to push for the conversion of the German fleet to U-boats to the greatest and most significant extend possible2. He also revived the idea of creating wolf-packs out of the entire German fleet. His influence was effective owing to his position in the navy. Since January 1938, he served as Commodore and Commander of Submarines. Many chief army commanders including Erich Raeder, the naval leader strongly opposed Donitz. There was also competition from people like Herman Goring who received much attention during this time. Despite the existing controversy with Raeder, Donitz went ahead and conducted intense training on his crews regarding the new tactics. His opposers had put their hope in German Navy's extensive "Z Plan,† a plan that was scheduled to be completed in 1945. As noted earlier, they were anticipating that the World War II would start in 1945. However, the war broke out in 1939 and at this time, the German surface fleet was in a state of marked inferiority. Because of this, the only naval option available for Germany was submarine warfare. Donitz and His Military tactics Background in the military Donitz joined the Imperial German Navy in 1910 and in April the same year, he became a sea-cadet. In April 1911 Donitz begun serving as a midshipman before becoming an officer working aboard the cruiser SMS Breslau in 1912. In September 1913, he was commissioned as an Acting Sub-Lieutenant. When the Breslau was sold to Ottoman navy in 1914, Donitz and his colleagues began operating out of Constantinople under Whilhem Souchon. At this time, they served in the Black sea where they were busy engaging the Russian forces. After this, Donitz was transferred to the U-boat service. In March 1916, he w as promoted to the position of Navy First Lieutenant and by October, his request to transfer to the submarine forces was granted hence he began serving as a as watch officer on U-39 as from October 1916. In January 1921, Donitz became lieutenant in the Germany navy. By 1928, he was already commanding torpedo boats and was promoted to the position of a Lieutenant-Commander in November the same year. Due to his great work, Donitz was promoted to the position of a full commander in 1933 and to a Captain in 1935. On January 1938, he was promoted

An Analysis of the Importance of Setting In James Baldwins Giovannis Essay

An Analysis of the Importance of Setting In James Baldwins Giovannis Room - Essay Example The story itself is well written and intriguing, but many of the elements involved are only able to arise in the unique atmosphere of Paris. This paper will attempt to examine some of the reasons for Baldwin's choice of setting. The two American characters in the novel have both left the United States for different reasons. David, the narrator, claims that "I wanted to find myself" (p. 31) when leaving towards France, reflecting in hindsight that he would only find the self that he kept trying to escape. His past hinges on a dysfunctional relationship with his father, who spent most of David's youth drunk, to the point that by the time David grows older and the father attempts to get closer, then David no longer wishes it. David's rejection of his father stems from two root causes: firstly, David has begun to judge his father and, while not disapproving of the alcohol exactly, David resents his father's emotional absence through the years. Secondly, David has had at least one homosexual experience by this time - with a boy named Joey - whom he then promptly rejects. David's actions show a subconscious shame about his own homosexual tendencies, as well as a concern that his father might discover this aspect of his son. David's departure from the United States is an attempt to put physical distance between himself and his father, as well as psychological distance between himself, the experience with Joey, and the possibility of his father's discovery. Hella is on a similar journey of self-discovery with similar parallels of trying to escape. She is from Minneapolis and not much is said about her hometown. Instead, she is absent the first half of the novel because she is in Spain, contemplating David's marriage proposal. Hella's quest is to find a nobler purpose in her life than to become an average mother and housewife, yet when she returns to Paris, she grudgingly says that "it's really all I'm good for." (p.163). Her spirit is broken. Her old stance had been that a woman's attachment to a man was degrading, yet she now feels that even though a man will always be a stranger to a woman, she will only be free once she is committed to a relationship. She claims that "women get attached to something by default." (p.167), and that, essentially her purpose is therefore defined by David's need for her. Both of these characters go through an evolution in the course of the novel: they seek to escape their own nature, then accept it for a time and are happy, only to become miserable in the end by denying it once more. David only acknowledges his love for Giovanni when Giovanni is slated for execution; Hella leaves David when he needs the most support, primarily because of the revelation of David's love for Giovanni. Because of the very nature of the Americans, they are portrayed in sharp contrast to the Parisians. Hella declares that "coming back to Paris is always so lovely" (p. 160), implying the American romanticism attached to the city, but her true confusion of the Europe experience is hidden in her description of Spain "it's very beautiful. I just didn't know what I was doing there." David, while he enjoy Parisian life, identifies closely with the his fellow customers at the American Express Office, whom he perceives as having a quality "unedited, unrealized the sorrow of the disconnected." (p. 119). These aspects have become

BRAND MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

BRAND MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH - Essay Example We recommend Walmart to continue building its brand image not with just customer perspective but from employee and ethical perspectives as well. With its unique positioning it should continue to expand with market penetration and market expansion. Development and projection of its own brand Great Value will also help in increasing its brand value and trust of the customers and will help in maintain its positioning as low price provider by eliminating the margin of the manufacturers. Walmart is a strong brand and can even become stronger by following these strategies. 11 References 12 Introduction In this highly competitive globalized world, markets are flooded with plethora of products and services of various brands. Consumers are literally spoilt with choice. In such an environment the importance of brands has increased manifold both for the consumers and the organizations. Brand management is vital from many aspects for any organization but the most important role is providing the differentiation to the brand from competitors and other products. Brands are part of the company’s intellectual property. ... The company through its brand, make it clear what they promise and deliver to the customer based upon their vision and strategy for the future of the business and the product. It is very important for the company to have a clear understanding of the expectations of the customers and living up to those expectations. The aim of brand management is to build a healthy relationship between the customer and the company through their brand. Brand management is extremely important for the companies. Brand image can be the determining factor between success and failure of a company (Riezebos et al 2003) Today corporations spend millions on brand establishment and maintenance due to the increased importance of branding. Researchers have tried to identify the scope, domain and potential of branding. It has resulted in many different frame works, theories and concepts. Although there are mainly seven different approaches of branding but the brand strategy should be customized to meet the specifi c challenges and opportunities specific to a brand at a specific point of time. One approach of branding is economic approach where brand is part of the traditional marketing mix. The identity approach links brand with corporate identity. Consumer based approach gives prime importance to customer satisfaction and customer associations. Personality approach treats brand as a human like character. The relational approach treats brand as a viable relationship partner. The community approach treats brand as a vital point of social interaction, whereas brand is treated as part of the broader cultural picture in the cultural approach (Heding et al. 2009) Whatever approach the companies utilize for the establishment and maintenance of the

An Analysis of the Importance of Setting In James Baldwins Giovannis Essay

An Analysis of the Importance of Setting In James Baldwins Giovannis Room - Essay Example The story itself is well written and intriguing, but many of the elements involved are only able to arise in the unique atmosphere of Paris. This paper will attempt to examine some of the reasons for Baldwin's choice of setting. The two American characters in the novel have both left the United States for different reasons. David, the narrator, claims that "I wanted to find myself" (p. 31) when leaving towards France, reflecting in hindsight that he would only find the self that he kept trying to escape. His past hinges on a dysfunctional relationship with his father, who spent most of David's youth drunk, to the point that by the time David grows older and the father attempts to get closer, then David no longer wishes it. David's rejection of his father stems from two root causes: firstly, David has begun to judge his father and, while not disapproving of the alcohol exactly, David resents his father's emotional absence through the years. Secondly, David has had at least one homosexual experience by this time - with a boy named Joey - whom he then promptly rejects. David's actions show a subconscious shame about his own homosexual tendencies, as well as a concern that his father might discover this aspect of his son. David's departure from the United States is an attempt to put physical distance between himself and his father, as well as psychological distance between himself, the experience with Joey, and the possibility of his father's discovery. Hella is on a similar journey of self-discovery with similar parallels of trying to escape. She is from Minneapolis and not much is said about her hometown. Instead, she is absent the first half of the novel because she is in Spain, contemplating David's marriage proposal. Hella's quest is to find a nobler purpose in her life than to become an average mother and housewife, yet when she returns to Paris, she grudgingly says that "it's really all I'm good for." (p.163). Her spirit is broken. Her old stance had been that a woman's attachment to a man was degrading, yet she now feels that even though a man will always be a stranger to a woman, she will only be free once she is committed to a relationship. She claims that "women get attached to something by default." (p.167), and that, essentially her purpose is therefore defined by David's need for her. Both of these characters go through an evolution in the course of the novel: they seek to escape their own nature, then accept it for a time and are happy, only to become miserable in the end by denying it once more. David only acknowledges his love for Giovanni when Giovanni is slated for execution; Hella leaves David when he needs the most support, primarily because of the revelation of David's love for Giovanni. Because of the very nature of the Americans, they are portrayed in sharp contrast to the Parisians. Hella declares that "coming back to Paris is always so lovely" (p. 160), implying the American romanticism attached to the city, but her true confusion of the Europe experience is hidden in her description of Spain "it's very beautiful. I just didn't know what I was doing there." David, while he enjoy Parisian life, identifies closely with the his fellow customers at the American Express Office, whom he perceives as having a quality "unedited, unrealized the sorrow of the disconnected." (p. 119). These aspects have become

Kingston Communications Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Kingston Communications - Assignment Example Using "Porter's Five Force Model" (http://www.12manage.com/methods_porter_five_forces.html), let us see where the issues may exist for Kingston Communications. Porter's model states that thefollowing forces can affect how business relates to the rest of the marketplace: The problem that Kingston had in converting from what was then a traditional telecoms industry using analogue technology to modern digital technology was that they did not readily have the expertise, technology or the agreements in place with providers such as British Telecom, in order to compete against established companies, such as Skype and recently, Vonage. Since then there have been a proliferation of VOIP providers. Various broadband providers have included VOIP as part of their services, when originally all they provided was a dial-up service to access the internet, and later broadband. There are now several companies on the market providing integrated services, including broadband as an 'add-on' as opposed to a primary service as was the case in the recent past. Examples are Sky Television, Orange mobiles, and even BT have got in on the act, by offering digital services alongside their communications offerings. Therefore, Kingston is not alone in feeling the heat of the com petition, as others strive to win market share. How this has changed from a few years ago, and especially for Kingston Communications who used to have a monopoly on these types of service. Kingston probably recognized this as they acquired companies and organizations that had the technology and the resources available. This would make the transition easier, but it came at a price. The acquisition of Affiniti, the business communications integrator,Information Services providing contact centre and directory services, plus the development of their own broadband services would allow Kingston to compete on a level playing field. 2. Threat of substitutes. With regard to VOIP, a substitute phone serviceis exactly what happened.Once the technology for Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) was developed, it became a real threat, not only to Kingston, but other large telecoms companies such asBritish Telecom (BT).The real threat was in the cost of the service. For example, Skype offer a free telephone service to other Skype users. This is now standard among most VOIP providers. It became obvious to Kingston and other telecom providers that drastic decisions had to be made with regard to their technology strategy. 3. Bargaining power of buyers. With the proliferation of VOIP and integrated providers, the relative bargaining power of buyers in this market is relatively strong, especially for the average consumer. They can now choose between integrated solutions, such as digital TV and VOIP services, or choose a relatively low-cost broadband only solution. The costs of these services continue to decline, as more and more suppliers compete for market share. 4. Bargaining power of suppliers.In the early days of VOIP, perhaps the

Highly active DNA cells Essay Example for Free

Highly active DNA cells Essay Some people are born with some highly active DNA cells in their body. In my case, that highly active DNA gene was the Fashion gene. I recall having a highly developed fashion sense at a very early age. It all started when I learned to hold a crayon and got my first coloring book. I remember that it was a Barbie Fashions coloring book and my mother taught me how to color within the lines using only the 8 basic colors that was in the crayon box. I became addicted to the Barbie Fashion coloring books and my mother noticed that I was also getting frustrated by my 8 color crayon set. That is why my crayon coloring set kept growing in number until I finally maxed out at 72 colors. Eventually, I learned the rudiments of drawing in school and I began to hone my drawing talent by copying the Barbie designs from my coloring book collection. As I grew out of the Barbie era of my childhood, I came to be influenced by the young teen fashion magazines like Seventeen and Teen Vogue. Magazines that I got to know about because my relatives who knew of my passion for fashion would often gift me with fashion magazine subscriptions for my birthday and other holidays. I began to replicate the dress style in those magazines while throwing in my personal touch in order to come up with my own highly distinct and memorable fashion style which was often copied by my friends and schoolmates. Indeed, she who has the keen fashion sense will always start the trends. Don’t get me wrong. I did not grow up as a fashion obsessed teen. I had a well rounded youth that included school, social, sports, and other extra curricular activities. My parents made sure that even though I spent most of my time poring over fashion related activities, I would still have a wide view of the world around me and learn how to deal with other people in various settings. That is the reason why they sent me to soccer camp over four summers. For a few weeks in every year, my attention was turned from my budding talent for fashion towards learning the necessary disciplines of drive, determination, and the importance of being a team player. Those are things that I would never learn from fashion magazines but would need in order to succeed in the highly competitive fashion industry. While at school, I was often assigned to the decorations committee for various school functions and it was with great pride that I often helped my friends design their dance and prom gowns. My designs really turned heads every time my friends and I walked into the gym. But, when I was not busy with such activities, I could almost always be found at band practice after classes. I was a member of the school band since I was nine years old and I was assigned to play the drums. Knowing that I had spent practically all my life following the daily goings on in the fashion world, my parents were not surprised when I told them that I waned to major in Advertising, as well as marketing and communications. I had always talked of becoming a member of the writing or design staff of a fashion magazine and they knew that I was never one to let go of my ambitions. The one thing that always amazes my family and friends is that I am a person who can be so multi-tasking that it almost seems like I no longer sleep at night. Time seems to be my friend which is why I get to enjoy other activities like writing fictional stories and poetry, aside from my constant doodling of my fashion ideas on a sketch pad. When my parents asked me, â€Å"Where do you see yourself five years from college graduation? † after I graduated from high school, my reply was almost instantaneous, that is the same answer that I wish to share with you now. I am a very passionate person when it comes to fashion. So, it is pretty obvious that I see myself working in the creative or advertising department of a leading fashion magazine. I know that will not be hard to achieve. After all, I have spend all my time constantly preparing for that career. I know that is what I want and I know that I can make it happen for me. There is nothing that I cannot accomplish provided my mind and heart are set upon achieving it.

Customer Service and Retention in Fast Food Industry

Customer Service and Retention in Fast Food Industry Abstract This study investigates the relationship between dining attributes, customer satisfaction and customers retention in the fast food industry. In short this research paper is to describe analyze why customers come back to the same restaurant when there are several options available to them. What influence their decisions? This research has brought out how to gain customer retention to the services and the factors that influence the customer retention. For this research qualitative approach is used. Data collection method is questionnaire and interviews to clarify what is their real mean of filling the options; sample size of 100 consumers from different fast food restaurant has been taken randomly on the basis of convenience sampling. Results obtained from the statistical analysis corroborate using the optimal regression as a statistical tool which shows that research can be used by marketers especially by the managers of the restaurants for better understanding, and assessing what in fluences customer how they behave and why they come back to the restaurant. Managers can also use our findings to increase the retention rates by adjusting relevant service elements of the restaurants. 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 INTRODUCTION Eating is observably a daily action and necessity for all human beings. Depending on individuals reason for eating at restaurants, individual intentionally or instinctively assess a multifarious set of attributes ahead of choosing a restaurant. The significance involved to these restaurant attributes is ultimately evaluated in the customers mind, leading to a decision of purchasing. Some factors, like age, company and even social division come into take part in to amplify these attributes as the customer makes a decision of dining (Johnson and Champaner, 2004). The restaurant industry has undoubtedly not been free from either augmented competition or from increasing customer expectations regarding quality. In the greatly competitive food industry, large operators chain have a propensity to gain competitive gain in the course of cost leadership, likely only due to standardization and economies of scale beginning from large market shares, while smaller, independent restaurants on the other hand endeavor to gain benefit through differentiation (Lowenstein, 1995). Branding keeps on gaining importance in the marketing of restaurants services and marketers have spent lot of money to create and give support to brand images. This have seen in the marketing of strong and well defined brands like Mc Donalds and Kfc fast food restaurants which attracts the customer through their marketing , service and by making brand loyal customers of their products. This increases the retention rate due to satisfied and loyal customer. Particularly, there is lot more to discern about customers perceive restaurant brands and the comparative weight these links get during purchase decision as there is lot more to discern about customers perceive restaurant brands and the comparative weight these links get during purchase decision. According to the Kaplan and Norton (2001) the importance of the perceived quality in order to get the retention effect in restaurant industry is always considered as a main element to retain in the customers and the business. The main reaso n behind that in this industry entry barrier are usually low and any one can easily enter due to investment required that is not on the higher side. So the point is that when ever consumer is satisfy from the arrangement by the management, the quality of the food provided by the staff members with the positive attitude than this result in increasing the loyalty towards the particular restaurant and increases the retention intensions of the customers. 1.2 Purpose of the study The purpose of study fold in two parts: one suggests that how important is dining attributes in term of Re-patronage intentions and second part suggest the customer satisfaction which leads Re-patronage intentions in restaurants. The role of dining attributes and customer satisfaction is very important for knowing the customer intentions, would they will visit to that restaurants again or not. There has been a strong support for the espousal of consumer retention in restaurants as one of the key performance indicators. It has found that there is a high association between customer retention and the profit earn by the industries. The fragmentation of media choices and the active nature of the marketplace, tied with an enlarged number of additional demanding and prosperous consumers, brought bigger challenges to marketing practitioners in keeping hold of their regular customers. Customer satisfaction is regularly used as a sign of whether customers will come back to a restaurant that shows the customer retention. Whereas there is no agreement of a satisfied customers repeat visit, it is nearly certain that a not satisfied customer will not return. The majority of the preceding customer satisfaction researches are mentioned in the literature that has pay attention on recognizing the resource of customer contentment such as characteristic and attributes and on determining useful ways to establish consumers desires, wants and needs. On the other hand, significant dissimilarity comes out in the level of specify of the characteristic investigated. 1.3 Research Objectives To identify the process to gain customer retention to the services and what are the factors that influence the customer retention. The primary problem is to identify the customer retention in the detail that includes factors of dining attributes and customer satisfaction in context to food restaurant industry. Thus these factors leads to consumer behavior and customer revisit the restaurant. 1.4 Research Methodology This study find out the relationship between dining attributes, customer satisfaction and customers Re patronage intentions and this execute particularly in restaurant industry, how customers decide to revisit the restaurant and what are those factors which influences the customer for returning back to restaurants again and again. To find these reasons we used quantitative approach for this research. The constructed instrument was pre-tested, where 5 to 6 sample questionnaire to be filled, to know if there are any problem with the instrument and therefore it was simple to understand and figure out the questions or not. Through pre-testing it was found that all respondents felt at ease in responding and instrument was interested to them. Instrument:All the information is collected through a questionnaire containing closed ended, structured and unstructured questions. This method was chosen primarily due to ease in handling and recording information. Procedure:The research study is conducted to examine the outcomes and responses of our sample targeted (Local Industry) in order to conclude the impact of customer service on customer retention. Sample size: 100 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Literature review Whether human live to eat or eat to live, food always plays a fundamental role in the lives of human being. The significance of foodstuff cannot be overstated from the physiological viewpoint; food gives us sustenance; while on the other hand from a psychological point of view food is classified as a basic need. Food can also characterize a product used to describe self-actualization. Therefore, individual can quarrel that above and beyond provided that nourishment food plays a variety of roles together at individual and group level. Edifice brands have become a key focus of restaurant managers. Furthermore, restaurant managers are relating brand management theories and practices which have done so far, and lots of restaurants are redesigning their business missions to imitate branding orientation rather than they go for product orientation. There is also an influence of brand recall on consumers intensions in choosing a restaurant for dining due to the different discount offers through different mediums of advertising that mostly include the below the line activities that makes restaurants brands that diminish the perceived risk of pay for the food and also indicate the quality of the product that creates their willingness to make wider positive word of mouth, recommendations, and complaint intention (Lowenstein, 1995) In our research we find that since the last few years the trend of dinning out and fast food restaurants has been increasing with the increasing rate. Now you will find (at least one) fast food restaurant in every society, whether it is high profile or low profile people society. The culture has always significant impact on the societys emerging trends. It is also observed though people dont consider fast food a healthy meal, yet they go for it over again. Due to availability of too many options to the customers, their behavior is more towards variety seeking instead of going for one meal second time. Especially the Pakistani youth seems that they are fond of entertainment and they find only fast food restaurants the best to be visited whenever they go for entertainment (Syed Kamran, 2010) The food industry is highly aggressive and customers have also become more demanding due to sufficient knowledge and information they have about the different trends in restaurant industry which causes increase the significance of effective marketing strategies to get the competitive advantage in order to understand the wants and needs of the customers (Bateson and Hoffman, 1999) Numerous Fast Food restaurants are paying attention in studying, assessing and implementing the marketing strategies with the aim of gaining maximum market share of customers and improving customer retention in analysis of the advantageous effects on the monetary performance for the organization. Customer satisfaction, contentment, quality of the service, excellence and retention are global matter that influences all organizations. This increases in the restaurant business revenue as well and this increases the word of mouth publicity (Almanza and Jaffe, 1994). Evaluating quality awareness and price elasticity related to quality, suggested that buyers are generally steady in their evaluations of quality. The results of their study showed that there was a strong association between a products attributes and the quality perceptions of the customers. It was found that tangible quality has a bigger circumlocutory effect than the straight effect indicates from a theoretical point of view; affect was a fractional mediator, facilitating the association among tangible quality and behavior. The consequences of well-situated parking must not be the lost upon restaurant management. Often the cost of attaining parking near to a restaurant is sighted as a non-revenue generating expenditure. This specifies the value of given that well-located parking along with the direct consequence it has on consumer intentions to patronize a restaurant (Lasser and Winsor, 2000). In customers mind when there is no defect in the overall dining service, then they consider the quality of the food is good enough for them (Bitner, 1992). Quality is all about eliminating internal failures that means all shortcomings before the product leaves from the factory and the external failures are the defects after usage of the product (Eileen and Berry, 2007). In Early research and study efforts in measuring and defining quality were mainly centered in the tangible goods, whereas the apparently more complicated services products was ignored. Products quality was conventionally correlated to the technical stipulation of products, with the most description of quality coming up from the manufacturing goods sector where excellence and quality control has inward drawn out awareness and research. Quantifying service quality is a difficult task because the idea of service quality is intrinsically insubstantial in nature and complicated to define (Kincaid, 2009) Branding and its orientation have been wicker strongly into the contemporary act of consumption in restaurants. Undeniably, the previous century will be considered as the century of brands in marketing (Johnson and Champaner, 2004) Researchers have acknowledged customer satisfaction, service quality and the loyalty to be similarly important for marketers, because they are responsible for determining dining satisfaction, and they must know the important of dining that must position restaurant functions competitively in the current and future marketplace (Kaplan and Norton, 2001). Customer satisfaction and the quality of food have long been acknowledged as a essential function for success and endurance in competitive marketplace that have been connected to consumer behavioral intentions as purchase and loyalty intention, their willingness to widen positive word of mouth, recommendation, and complaint intention (Olsen, 2002). Purchase behavior of the consumer in restaurants can be pretentious by the surroundings in different ways. Researcher consider atmosphere, which is an attention-building medium that can make restaurant inkling. The centre of attention is based on the collective possessions of those clues on customers idiosyncratic through design, sound, motion, and color. Customers are delimited by true rock and roll memorabilia (Supphellen 2000). The indication of Service in selecting by means of restaurant services, customers frequently act like detectives as they investigate for information and standardize their opinions into a set of mind-set regarding the resultant service. For example, the whole thing about the dining attributes of a restaurant or cafà © starts from the dining table potential communicate to the customers, with the table top used, if practical sign concern the technical excellence of the service, mainly concerning to whether the service is carry out proficiently. The research also highlighted that customers who pay for high quality foodstuffs also had a low acceptance for deviations from predictable quality. In the Fast food restaurant perspective, this entails that customers who want superior dining quality are more sensitive to quality fluctuations and possibly will be less price sensitive but, for example in relation to the relative higher pricing of the menu items and marketing strategies that put together the quality image of the restaurant, ambience and service. The concept of service quality comprises the tangible and intangible fundamentals most essential to consumers. Service quality has been related to customer satisfaction, contentment and loyalty as well as the business performance, success and profitability (Raajpoot, 2002) Fundamentals such as surface and texture, smell, color, sound, and texture inducing intuitive reactions in restaurant atmosphere that persuades purchase likelihood known as the mechanical clues (Eileen and Berry, 2007) Food and drink quality is an imperative dining attributes to diners representing restaurant management should certify an aggressive quality control agenda is in place to make sure food and drink quality must maintained The convenience of location includes the parking space, seating availability in the restaurant; the nearness to roof-tops like peoples residence, hotels, and motels is significant for the accomplishment of restaurants all through the dinner mealtime duration. The significance of the physical excellence raise of foodstuff and service and convenience to restaurant administration is to facilitate these constructs that have an affirmative association with influence which is completely linked with customer intentions to retention a restaurant. The objective of most restaurants is to obtain and maintain customers; restaurant administration organized with the information get that will be better prepared to accomplish their aim. There is a intense deficient in understanding about dining satisfaction and pleasure and post-dining behavioral intentions in the customer literature reviewed studied so far away, and up till now, according to the literature allude to, aspects concerning to customer satisfaction and return customer are elementary when put together business and marketing strategies of the organization. Professed service quality may perhaps be improved if customers are support with the mauve list and bill of fare and if a worker responds suitably to a customers asked for quick service. Customer always feel admire and important if they get the best service and respect from the overall management of the restaurant specially from the behavior of the front line staff that increases the comfort level of customers and at the same time makes them brand loyal to that particular restaurant. The impacts of customer satisfaction on customer retention are bringing into being to be momentous and positive. Specially, the customer satisfaction will influence the re customer retention intentions (Reece, 1999) Customer satisfaction is vital to the restaurant management for the reason that it is normally assumed to be a noteworthy determinant of replicate sales, customer loyalty and affirmative word of mouth. The more pleased the customers, the larger are their retention. Another attention-grabbing finding was that a products higher volume rate like for instance, fast food restaurants resulted in a lower sensitivity side to quality. This shows that management of restaurants must segment the market based on the food usage rate includes the repeat purchase of the particular item and quality preferred (Jochen and Rachel, 2000). The previous research shows the effect of physical quality construct on behavioral intentions for restaurant consumer and finds that influence is a strong moderator between tangible quality constructs and behavioral intentions when cognition affect actions archetype is applied to the restaurant location. One more factor for the customer retention which really brings customers back is that the customer likes to have a positive attitude of employee throughout the dining as a support for the disputation that employee approach is strongly linked with customer satisfaction. Ease and the location of the restaurant is also considerable and also the other factor influence customers to select that particular restaurant which satisfy their needs and wants regarding quality of the food and the restaurant environment. This leads in the increase of the retention rate and the loyalty of the customers towards that restaurant diners have an effect on restaurant (Bateson and Hoffman, 1999) It is suggested that commonly and normally used indicators of customer satisfaction comprise repeat customer behavior, brand loyalty and reliability and at last word of mouth recommendation (Lowenstein, 1995) In case of large restaurants franchised group, this kind of relative study and positioning might be important. Besides, while the performance of anyone of the outlet can impinge on the reputation of a whole network, identifying and recuperating those outlets that have a delicate association in the series can be vital. Valuable curriculum in marketing, human resource and man oeuvre be capable also be learnt as of those outlets where service exceeds or meets expectations of the customers (Kuo and Kao, 1999). The one of the fact is that business like restaurants is considered as a low credibility service and that is one of the reason that quality of the services are complicated to prove until consumers revisit the restaurant. Furthermore, the service quality that customers come across may be dissimilar apiece time they visit that particular restaurant, thus persuading the level of contentment and ultimately upsetting their retention intentions. There may possibly be a countervailing competitive consequence to enhance in product differentiation. Revelation of restaurant sanitation grades may serve up to decrease search costs for customers. Positive completion always ends in setting new ideas and innovation in the mind of the management of the management that makes them superior and differentiated in the industry in between the existing market players (Kaplan and Norton, 2001) Both service value and customer retention is extensively acknowledged as practices of repurchase intentions. Though, it is understood that restaurant possessor would like to identify the strongest influence on retention intentions. A recent study divulges that customer satisfaction is the better predictor of intention comparing to service quality to repurchase. Increasing trend in retention is always due to service quality which is provided by the management to the customers and at the same time customer should be satisfied. Any of the factor missing may cause the decrease in loyalty of the customer towards that particular restaurant and customers are unwilling to re-visit for dining to the same restaurant. In researches, results found that managing for most select customer satisfaction necessitates so as to satisfaction statistics be used in previous researches advise implement the positioning strategies with the intention of helping a business whittle a niche. Each restaurant has its own strategies to get the competitive edge in the market. Such information is able to facilitate to modify the restaurant service so that it congregates the desires of the target market segment. Supporting a firms competitive benefit and enduring productivity and profitability possibly will better rely on the incorporation of customer satisfaction into the service organizations strategies and operations that helps the restaurant management to look their positions in the long run completion in the industry (Olsen, 2002) In some countries like Germany, there is a system of Grade cards according to the quality differentiation in restaurants what decrease the expenditure of learning whether an individual restaurant has high-quality hygiene, and possibly will give confidence to customers to go to restaurants they want or else would not have. This may perhaps encourage competition among restaurants, by making customers not as much of incarcerated to any particular restaurants providing inducement for lesser prices, improved food quality, or better hygiene quality food provided and if this result is there, still amongst restaurants with the identical sanitation quality ranking, compulsory revelation may cause lesser prices or enhanced food quality (Johnson and Champaner, 2004). In Chinese and French restaurants, customer view of service quality by the side of all proportions drop short of customers expectations, even though an evaluation of the unprejudiced quality scores shows that the French restaurant is nearer to summiting the prospect of its consumers along all extent of service quality than in the Chinese business. It is evident that compassion and consistency are the two extents which plunge the largest part of below customer prospect inside the French restaurant As a meaning- generating medium, the environment gives discriminative motivation to buyers that facilitate them to identify a restaurants divergences as a source for select that restaurant. For instance, snowy white linen tablecloths, the soft lighting, and crystal chandeliers of a chic restaurant communicate the level of service and a kind of food to customers that create a fine-dining experience (Palmer and Neill, 2003). 3. FAST FOOD INDUSTRY 3.1 Introduction Fast foodis one of the worlds largest growing food types which are growing with an increasing rate. The term Fast Food refers to many items that can be prepared and served quickly usually outside the home. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store which is rapidly prepared and served to the customer in a packaged form to dine out, take out or take away. A typical fast food meal in the United States generally consists of fries, a burger and a soft drink. 3.2 Customer Preferences People pick fast foods because its easy. They could just go to McDonalds, Mr. Burger or KFC and order a burger or sandwich with fries and soft drink, rather than spending hours in the kitchen for cooking food. Another reason would be if they work for long hours, while they come back to home, they could just stop at the drive through and order something to eat. Through this they can save their time to get rest. When an individual is rushing for next appointment after lunch or work, it is more convenient to pack fast food. 3.3 Significance of Service Elements We believe that customer service elements have huge impact on customer retention. Many researchers have closely analyzed all the service elements of several service providers. But in our research we have tried to cover and analyze all the service elements of Karachis famous multinational and local restaurants. Researchers urge all service providers to pay attention towards all of the above service elements in order to improve and enhance the level of service quality.Poor service quality leads to switching intentions of the customer. To satisfy customer the restaurants service elements should be more competent or should have an edge over competitors. 3.4 Brand Perception When customers think or hear about any product or restaurant they start building perception about the brand. Sometimes it is based on observation or may be on the pat experience whether it is negative or positive. Most common methods of forming perception about brand are Past experience Interaction with sales staff or employees Word of mouth (colleagues or friends) Advertising Reviews by reputable sources Some researchers call brand image and brand perception are the two sides of a coin; brand image is how company want you to see them where as brand perception means how you see to the company. In our research we believe that in Karachi people are very brand consciouses the impact of brand over people is very huge and their replies to our questions were little biased. 3.5 Strategies for Retention In this chapter some theories are presented in the context of customer retention which was not discussed in the previous part, because these cannot be analyzed within our practical research. These studies are important part of the customers retention problem and can be used for advance researches. n this chapter some theories are presented in the context of customer retention which was not discussed in the previous part, because these cannot be analyzed within our practical research. These studies are important part of the customers retention problem and can be used for advance researches. The research of Fruchter and Zhang (2004) examine strategic use of targeted promotion for gaining and retention of customers. Authors stress that selection of strategy: defensive targeted promotions for retention and repulsive promotions for acquisition depend on market share of a company. Fruchter and Zhang 2004 highlighted that for companies with larger marketplace share offense promotions targeted on learning generate little knock on gross sales than defensive promotions. Therefore, researchers state that if market share of firm increases it should spend more on customer retention; if market share of firm decreases it should spend more on customer acquisition. This research highlights when marketers should put emphasize on retention or acquisition but it does not provide keeping increase strategies and reasons for keeping. (Fruchter and Zhang, 2004) Hogan, Lemon and Libai (2003) discuss changes of the customers value during the product life cycle. Authors stress the value of retained customer and impact of the lost customer on companys ability (Hogan, Lemon and Libai, 2003). Kumar (1999) highlights that relationship oriented service firms have higher level of trust and more repeated service encounters with their clients, therefore, such firms get higher level of ability and lower expenses over time. Desai and Mahajan (1998)argue that feeling based attitudes appeal to fillings wishes emotions etc. can takings component in a strategic part in small indefinite amount brands to obtain develop and retain customers. 4. CUSTOMER SERVICE AND CUSTOMER RETENTION 4.1 Introduction For more than last couple of decades customer satisfaction is extensively discussed subject in different research areas like consumer behavior and marketing research. Since the mid-1970s many annual conferences on customer satisfaction were held, with proceedings being published since 1981 in the â€Å"Journal of Customer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction, and Complaining Behavior.† During the past couple of decades more than 1300 articles have been published to discuss and understand customer satisfaction. In recent era, customer satisfaction has gained new attention. Now it has been shifted from transactional marketing to relationship marketing , which refers â€Å"to all marketing activities directed towards establishing, developing, and maintaining successful relational exchange† (Morgan Hunt, 1994, p 22). The key to retention is satisfaction of the customer and it has been treated as the necessary premise in many publications and research articles. The link between satisfaction and the long-term retention of customers is developed by scholars and marketing practitioners in a rather categorical way, and is therefore treated as the starting point, rather than the core question of the analysis. â€Å"The assumption that satisfaction/dissatisfaction meaningfully affect on repurchase behavior underlies most of the study in this area of inquiry†. Consequently, only a few researchers have investigated the nature and to which degree the relationship between satisfaction and retention exist. The number of studies in this area can be classified into three groups. Most of the researchers use monetary data as dependent variables, such as revenues or profit. In this procedure the investigation of the satisfaction-retention relation considerably limited for two reasons. First, the aggregation of data renders any analysis on the individual customer level impossible. Second, revenues and pro ¬Ã‚ t are determined by a large amount of variables, which in addition are highly correlated. Therefore, a suitable assessment of the relationship investigated here seems barely accomplishable with this research design. A second group of studies on an individual level utilizes repurchase intentions of customers to investigate the link between satisfaction and retention (Bitner, 1990; Oliver, 1980; Oliver Bearden, 1985; Oliver Swan, 1989). This approach is also accompanied by two main limitations. Because satisfaction values and intention measures are usually obtained through the same q uestionnaire, the data are inherently correlated. This may lead to an Customer Service and Retention in Fast Food Industry Customer Service and Retention in Fast Food Industry Abstract This study investigates the relationship between dining attributes, customer satisfaction and customers retention in the fast food industry. In short this research paper is to describe analyze why customers come back to the same restaurant when there are several options available to them. What influence their decisions? This research has brought out how to gain customer retention to the services and the factors that influence the customer retention. For this research qualitative approach is used. Data collection method is questionnaire and interviews to clarify what is their real mean of filling the options; sample size of 100 consumers from different fast food restaurant has been taken randomly on the basis of convenience sampling. Results obtained from the statistical analysis corroborate using the optimal regression as a statistical tool which shows that research can be used by marketers especially by the managers of the restaurants for better understanding, and assessing what in fluences customer how they behave and why they come back to the restaurant. Managers can also use our findings to increase the retention rates by adjusting relevant service elements of the restaurants. 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 INTRODUCTION Eating is observably a daily action and necessity for all human beings. Depending on individuals reason for eating at restaurants, individual intentionally or instinctively assess a multifarious set of attributes ahead of choosing a restaurant. The significance involved to these restaurant attributes is ultimately evaluated in the customers mind, leading to a decision of purchasing. Some factors, like age, company and even social division come into take part in to amplify these attributes as the customer makes a decision of dining (Johnson and Champaner, 2004). The restaurant industry has undoubtedly not been free from either augmented competition or from increasing customer expectations regarding quality. In the greatly competitive food industry, large operators chain have a propensity to gain competitive gain in the course of cost leadership, likely only due to standardization and economies of scale beginning from large market shares, while smaller, independent restaurants on the other hand endeavor to gain benefit through differentiation (Lowenstein, 1995). Branding keeps on gaining importance in the marketing of restaurants services and marketers have spent lot of money to create and give support to brand images. This have seen in the marketing of strong and well defined brands like Mc Donalds and Kfc fast food restaurants which attracts the customer through their marketing , service and by making brand loyal customers of their products. This increases the retention rate due to satisfied and loyal customer. Particularly, there is lot more to discern about customers perceive restaurant brands and the comparative weight these links get during purchase decision as there is lot more to discern about customers perceive restaurant brands and the comparative weight these links get during purchase decision. According to the Kaplan and Norton (2001) the importance of the perceived quality in order to get the retention effect in restaurant industry is always considered as a main element to retain in the customers and the business. The main reaso n behind that in this industry entry barrier are usually low and any one can easily enter due to investment required that is not on the higher side. So the point is that when ever consumer is satisfy from the arrangement by the management, the quality of the food provided by the staff members with the positive attitude than this result in increasing the loyalty towards the particular restaurant and increases the retention intensions of the customers. 1.2 Purpose of the study The purpose of study fold in two parts: one suggests that how important is dining attributes in term of Re-patronage intentions and second part suggest the customer satisfaction which leads Re-patronage intentions in restaurants. The role of dining attributes and customer satisfaction is very important for knowing the customer intentions, would they will visit to that restaurants again or not. There has been a strong support for the espousal of consumer retention in restaurants as one of the key performance indicators. It has found that there is a high association between customer retention and the profit earn by the industries. The fragmentation of media choices and the active nature of the marketplace, tied with an enlarged number of additional demanding and prosperous consumers, brought bigger challenges to marketing practitioners in keeping hold of their regular customers. Customer satisfaction is regularly used as a sign of whether customers will come back to a restaurant that shows the customer retention. Whereas there is no agreement of a satisfied customers repeat visit, it is nearly certain that a not satisfied customer will not return. The majority of the preceding customer satisfaction researches are mentioned in the literature that has pay attention on recognizing the resource of customer contentment such as characteristic and attributes and on determining useful ways to establish consumers desires, wants and needs. On the other hand, significant dissimilarity comes out in the level of specify of the characteristic investigated. 1.3 Research Objectives To identify the process to gain customer retention to the services and what are the factors that influence the customer retention. The primary problem is to identify the customer retention in the detail that includes factors of dining attributes and customer satisfaction in context to food restaurant industry. Thus these factors leads to consumer behavior and customer revisit the restaurant. 1.4 Research Methodology This study find out the relationship between dining attributes, customer satisfaction and customers Re patronage intentions and this execute particularly in restaurant industry, how customers decide to revisit the restaurant and what are those factors which influences the customer for returning back to restaurants again and again. To find these reasons we used quantitative approach for this research. The constructed instrument was pre-tested, where 5 to 6 sample questionnaire to be filled, to know if there are any problem with the instrument and therefore it was simple to understand and figure out the questions or not. Through pre-testing it was found that all respondents felt at ease in responding and instrument was interested to them. Instrument:All the information is collected through a questionnaire containing closed ended, structured and unstructured questions. This method was chosen primarily due to ease in handling and recording information. Procedure:The research study is conducted to examine the outcomes and responses of our sample targeted (Local Industry) in order to conclude the impact of customer service on customer retention. Sample size: 100 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Literature review Whether human live to eat or eat to live, food always plays a fundamental role in the lives of human being. The significance of foodstuff cannot be overstated from the physiological viewpoint; food gives us sustenance; while on the other hand from a psychological point of view food is classified as a basic need. Food can also characterize a product used to describe self-actualization. Therefore, individual can quarrel that above and beyond provided that nourishment food plays a variety of roles together at individual and group level. Edifice brands have become a key focus of restaurant managers. Furthermore, restaurant managers are relating brand management theories and practices which have done so far, and lots of restaurants are redesigning their business missions to imitate branding orientation rather than they go for product orientation. There is also an influence of brand recall on consumers intensions in choosing a restaurant for dining due to the different discount offers through different mediums of advertising that mostly include the below the line activities that makes restaurants brands that diminish the perceived risk of pay for the food and also indicate the quality of the product that creates their willingness to make wider positive word of mouth, recommendations, and complaint intention (Lowenstein, 1995) In our research we find that since the last few years the trend of dinning out and fast food restaurants has been increasing with the increasing rate. Now you will find (at least one) fast food restaurant in every society, whether it is high profile or low profile people society. The culture has always significant impact on the societys emerging trends. It is also observed though people dont consider fast food a healthy meal, yet they go for it over again. Due to availability of too many options to the customers, their behavior is more towards variety seeking instead of going for one meal second time. Especially the Pakistani youth seems that they are fond of entertainment and they find only fast food restaurants the best to be visited whenever they go for entertainment (Syed Kamran, 2010) The food industry is highly aggressive and customers have also become more demanding due to sufficient knowledge and information they have about the different trends in restaurant industry which causes increase the significance of effective marketing strategies to get the competitive advantage in order to understand the wants and needs of the customers (Bateson and Hoffman, 1999) Numerous Fast Food restaurants are paying attention in studying, assessing and implementing the marketing strategies with the aim of gaining maximum market share of customers and improving customer retention in analysis of the advantageous effects on the monetary performance for the organization. Customer satisfaction, contentment, quality of the service, excellence and retention are global matter that influences all organizations. This increases in the restaurant business revenue as well and this increases the word of mouth publicity (Almanza and Jaffe, 1994). Evaluating quality awareness and price elasticity related to quality, suggested that buyers are generally steady in their evaluations of quality. The results of their study showed that there was a strong association between a products attributes and the quality perceptions of the customers. It was found that tangible quality has a bigger circumlocutory effect than the straight effect indicates from a theoretical point of view; affect was a fractional mediator, facilitating the association among tangible quality and behavior. The consequences of well-situated parking must not be the lost upon restaurant management. Often the cost of attaining parking near to a restaurant is sighted as a non-revenue generating expenditure. This specifies the value of given that well-located parking along with the direct consequence it has on consumer intentions to patronize a restaurant (Lasser and Winsor, 2000). In customers mind when there is no defect in the overall dining service, then they consider the quality of the food is good enough for them (Bitner, 1992). Quality is all about eliminating internal failures that means all shortcomings before the product leaves from the factory and the external failures are the defects after usage of the product (Eileen and Berry, 2007). In Early research and study efforts in measuring and defining quality were mainly centered in the tangible goods, whereas the apparently more complicated services products was ignored. Products quality was conventionally correlated to the technical stipulation of products, with the most description of quality coming up from the manufacturing goods sector where excellence and quality control has inward drawn out awareness and research. Quantifying service quality is a difficult task because the idea of service quality is intrinsically insubstantial in nature and complicated to define (Kincaid, 2009) Branding and its orientation have been wicker strongly into the contemporary act of consumption in restaurants. Undeniably, the previous century will be considered as the century of brands in marketing (Johnson and Champaner, 2004) Researchers have acknowledged customer satisfaction, service quality and the loyalty to be similarly important for marketers, because they are responsible for determining dining satisfaction, and they must know the important of dining that must position restaurant functions competitively in the current and future marketplace (Kaplan and Norton, 2001). Customer satisfaction and the quality of food have long been acknowledged as a essential function for success and endurance in competitive marketplace that have been connected to consumer behavioral intentions as purchase and loyalty intention, their willingness to widen positive word of mouth, recommendation, and complaint intention (Olsen, 2002). Purchase behavior of the consumer in restaurants can be pretentious by the surroundings in different ways. Researcher consider atmosphere, which is an attention-building medium that can make restaurant inkling. The centre of attention is based on the collective possessions of those clues on customers idiosyncratic through design, sound, motion, and color. Customers are delimited by true rock and roll memorabilia (Supphellen 2000). The indication of Service in selecting by means of restaurant services, customers frequently act like detectives as they investigate for information and standardize their opinions into a set of mind-set regarding the resultant service. For example, the whole thing about the dining attributes of a restaurant or cafà © starts from the dining table potential communicate to the customers, with the table top used, if practical sign concern the technical excellence of the service, mainly concerning to whether the service is carry out proficiently. The research also highlighted that customers who pay for high quality foodstuffs also had a low acceptance for deviations from predictable quality. In the Fast food restaurant perspective, this entails that customers who want superior dining quality are more sensitive to quality fluctuations and possibly will be less price sensitive but, for example in relation to the relative higher pricing of the menu items and marketing strategies that put together the quality image of the restaurant, ambience and service. The concept of service quality comprises the tangible and intangible fundamentals most essential to consumers. Service quality has been related to customer satisfaction, contentment and loyalty as well as the business performance, success and profitability (Raajpoot, 2002) Fundamentals such as surface and texture, smell, color, sound, and texture inducing intuitive reactions in restaurant atmosphere that persuades purchase likelihood known as the mechanical clues (Eileen and Berry, 2007) Food and drink quality is an imperative dining attributes to diners representing restaurant management should certify an aggressive quality control agenda is in place to make sure food and drink quality must maintained The convenience of location includes the parking space, seating availability in the restaurant; the nearness to roof-tops like peoples residence, hotels, and motels is significant for the accomplishment of restaurants all through the dinner mealtime duration. The significance of the physical excellence raise of foodstuff and service and convenience to restaurant administration is to facilitate these constructs that have an affirmative association with influence which is completely linked with customer intentions to retention a restaurant. The objective of most restaurants is to obtain and maintain customers; restaurant administration organized with the information get that will be better prepared to accomplish their aim. There is a intense deficient in understanding about dining satisfaction and pleasure and post-dining behavioral intentions in the customer literature reviewed studied so far away, and up till now, according to the literature allude to, aspects concerning to customer satisfaction and return customer are elementary when put together business and marketing strategies of the organization. Professed service quality may perhaps be improved if customers are support with the mauve list and bill of fare and if a worker responds suitably to a customers asked for quick service. Customer always feel admire and important if they get the best service and respect from the overall management of the restaurant specially from the behavior of the front line staff that increases the comfort level of customers and at the same time makes them brand loyal to that particular restaurant. The impacts of customer satisfaction on customer retention are bringing into being to be momentous and positive. Specially, the customer satisfaction will influence the re customer retention intentions (Reece, 1999) Customer satisfaction is vital to the restaurant management for the reason that it is normally assumed to be a noteworthy determinant of replicate sales, customer loyalty and affirmative word of mouth. The more pleased the customers, the larger are their retention. Another attention-grabbing finding was that a products higher volume rate like for instance, fast food restaurants resulted in a lower sensitivity side to quality. This shows that management of restaurants must segment the market based on the food usage rate includes the repeat purchase of the particular item and quality preferred (Jochen and Rachel, 2000). The previous research shows the effect of physical quality construct on behavioral intentions for restaurant consumer and finds that influence is a strong moderator between tangible quality constructs and behavioral intentions when cognition affect actions archetype is applied to the restaurant location. One more factor for the customer retention which really brings customers back is that the customer likes to have a positive attitude of employee throughout the dining as a support for the disputation that employee approach is strongly linked with customer satisfaction. Ease and the location of the restaurant is also considerable and also the other factor influence customers to select that particular restaurant which satisfy their needs and wants regarding quality of the food and the restaurant environment. This leads in the increase of the retention rate and the loyalty of the customers towards that restaurant diners have an effect on restaurant (Bateson and Hoffman, 1999) It is suggested that commonly and normally used indicators of customer satisfaction comprise repeat customer behavior, brand loyalty and reliability and at last word of mouth recommendation (Lowenstein, 1995) In case of large restaurants franchised group, this kind of relative study and positioning might be important. Besides, while the performance of anyone of the outlet can impinge on the reputation of a whole network, identifying and recuperating those outlets that have a delicate association in the series can be vital. Valuable curriculum in marketing, human resource and man oeuvre be capable also be learnt as of those outlets where service exceeds or meets expectations of the customers (Kuo and Kao, 1999). The one of the fact is that business like restaurants is considered as a low credibility service and that is one of the reason that quality of the services are complicated to prove until consumers revisit the restaurant. Furthermore, the service quality that customers come across may be dissimilar apiece time they visit that particular restaurant, thus persuading the level of contentment and ultimately upsetting their retention intentions. There may possibly be a countervailing competitive consequence to enhance in product differentiation. Revelation of restaurant sanitation grades may serve up to decrease search costs for customers. Positive completion always ends in setting new ideas and innovation in the mind of the management of the management that makes them superior and differentiated in the industry in between the existing market players (Kaplan and Norton, 2001) Both service value and customer retention is extensively acknowledged as practices of repurchase intentions. Though, it is understood that restaurant possessor would like to identify the strongest influence on retention intentions. A recent study divulges that customer satisfaction is the better predictor of intention comparing to service quality to repurchase. Increasing trend in retention is always due to service quality which is provided by the management to the customers and at the same time customer should be satisfied. Any of the factor missing may cause the decrease in loyalty of the customer towards that particular restaurant and customers are unwilling to re-visit for dining to the same restaurant. In researches, results found that managing for most select customer satisfaction necessitates so as to satisfaction statistics be used in previous researches advise implement the positioning strategies with the intention of helping a business whittle a niche. Each restaurant has its own strategies to get the competitive edge in the market. Such information is able to facilitate to modify the restaurant service so that it congregates the desires of the target market segment. Supporting a firms competitive benefit and enduring productivity and profitability possibly will better rely on the incorporation of customer satisfaction into the service organizations strategies and operations that helps the restaurant management to look their positions in the long run completion in the industry (Olsen, 2002) In some countries like Germany, there is a system of Grade cards according to the quality differentiation in restaurants what decrease the expenditure of learning whether an individual restaurant has high-quality hygiene, and possibly will give confidence to customers to go to restaurants they want or else would not have. This may perhaps encourage competition among restaurants, by making customers not as much of incarcerated to any particular restaurants providing inducement for lesser prices, improved food quality, or better hygiene quality food provided and if this result is there, still amongst restaurants with the identical sanitation quality ranking, compulsory revelation may cause lesser prices or enhanced food quality (Johnson and Champaner, 2004). In Chinese and French restaurants, customer view of service quality by the side of all proportions drop short of customers expectations, even though an evaluation of the unprejudiced quality scores shows that the French restaurant is nearer to summiting the prospect of its consumers along all extent of service quality than in the Chinese business. It is evident that compassion and consistency are the two extents which plunge the largest part of below customer prospect inside the French restaurant As a meaning- generating medium, the environment gives discriminative motivation to buyers that facilitate them to identify a restaurants divergences as a source for select that restaurant. For instance, snowy white linen tablecloths, the soft lighting, and crystal chandeliers of a chic restaurant communicate the level of service and a kind of food to customers that create a fine-dining experience (Palmer and Neill, 2003). 3. FAST FOOD INDUSTRY 3.1 Introduction Fast foodis one of the worlds largest growing food types which are growing with an increasing rate. The term Fast Food refers to many items that can be prepared and served quickly usually outside the home. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store which is rapidly prepared and served to the customer in a packaged form to dine out, take out or take away. A typical fast food meal in the United States generally consists of fries, a burger and a soft drink. 3.2 Customer Preferences People pick fast foods because its easy. They could just go to McDonalds, Mr. Burger or KFC and order a burger or sandwich with fries and soft drink, rather than spending hours in the kitchen for cooking food. Another reason would be if they work for long hours, while they come back to home, they could just stop at the drive through and order something to eat. Through this they can save their time to get rest. When an individual is rushing for next appointment after lunch or work, it is more convenient to pack fast food. 3.3 Significance of Service Elements We believe that customer service elements have huge impact on customer retention. Many researchers have closely analyzed all the service elements of several service providers. But in our research we have tried to cover and analyze all the service elements of Karachis famous multinational and local restaurants. Researchers urge all service providers to pay attention towards all of the above service elements in order to improve and enhance the level of service quality.Poor service quality leads to switching intentions of the customer. To satisfy customer the restaurants service elements should be more competent or should have an edge over competitors. 3.4 Brand Perception When customers think or hear about any product or restaurant they start building perception about the brand. Sometimes it is based on observation or may be on the pat experience whether it is negative or positive. Most common methods of forming perception about brand are Past experience Interaction with sales staff or employees Word of mouth (colleagues or friends) Advertising Reviews by reputable sources Some researchers call brand image and brand perception are the two sides of a coin; brand image is how company want you to see them where as brand perception means how you see to the company. In our research we believe that in Karachi people are very brand consciouses the impact of brand over people is very huge and their replies to our questions were little biased. 3.5 Strategies for Retention In this chapter some theories are presented in the context of customer retention which was not discussed in the previous part, because these cannot be analyzed within our practical research. These studies are important part of the customers retention problem and can be used for advance researches. n this chapter some theories are presented in the context of customer retention which was not discussed in the previous part, because these cannot be analyzed within our practical research. These studies are important part of the customers retention problem and can be used for advance researches. The research of Fruchter and Zhang (2004) examine strategic use of targeted promotion for gaining and retention of customers. Authors stress that selection of strategy: defensive targeted promotions for retention and repulsive promotions for acquisition depend on market share of a company. Fruchter and Zhang 2004 highlighted that for companies with larger marketplace share offense promotions targeted on learning generate little knock on gross sales than defensive promotions. Therefore, researchers state that if market share of firm increases it should spend more on customer retention; if market share of firm decreases it should spend more on customer acquisition. This research highlights when marketers should put emphasize on retention or acquisition but it does not provide keeping increase strategies and reasons for keeping. (Fruchter and Zhang, 2004) Hogan, Lemon and Libai (2003) discuss changes of the customers value during the product life cycle. Authors stress the value of retained customer and impact of the lost customer on companys ability (Hogan, Lemon and Libai, 2003). Kumar (1999) highlights that relationship oriented service firms have higher level of trust and more repeated service encounters with their clients, therefore, such firms get higher level of ability and lower expenses over time. Desai and Mahajan (1998)argue that feeling based attitudes appeal to fillings wishes emotions etc. can takings component in a strategic part in small indefinite amount brands to obtain develop and retain customers. 4. CUSTOMER SERVICE AND CUSTOMER RETENTION 4.1 Introduction For more than last couple of decades customer satisfaction is extensively discussed subject in different research areas like consumer behavior and marketing research. Since the mid-1970s many annual conferences on customer satisfaction were held, with proceedings being published since 1981 in the â€Å"Journal of Customer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction, and Complaining Behavior.† During the past couple of decades more than 1300 articles have been published to discuss and understand customer satisfaction. In recent era, customer satisfaction has gained new attention. Now it has been shifted from transactional marketing to relationship marketing , which refers â€Å"to all marketing activities directed towards establishing, developing, and maintaining successful relational exchange† (Morgan Hunt, 1994, p 22). The key to retention is satisfaction of the customer and it has been treated as the necessary premise in many publications and research articles. The link between satisfaction and the long-term retention of customers is developed by scholars and marketing practitioners in a rather categorical way, and is therefore treated as the starting point, rather than the core question of the analysis. â€Å"The assumption that satisfaction/dissatisfaction meaningfully affect on repurchase behavior underlies most of the study in this area of inquiry†. Consequently, only a few researchers have investigated the nature and to which degree the relationship between satisfaction and retention exist. The number of studies in this area can be classified into three groups. Most of the researchers use monetary data as dependent variables, such as revenues or profit. In this procedure the investigation of the satisfaction-retention relation considerably limited for two reasons. First, the aggregation of data renders any analysis on the individual customer level impossible. Second, revenues and pro ¬Ã‚ t are determined by a large amount of variables, which in addition are highly correlated. Therefore, a suitable assessment of the relationship investigated here seems barely accomplishable with this research design. A second group of studies on an individual level utilizes repurchase intentions of customers to investigate the link between satisfaction and retention (Bitner, 1990; Oliver, 1980; Oliver Bearden, 1985; Oliver Swan, 1989). This approach is also accompanied by two main limitations. Because satisfaction values and intention measures are usually obtained through the same q uestionnaire, the data are inherently correlated. This may lead to an