Tuesday, January 7, 2020

The Controversy Over Stem Cell Research - 1169 Words

In recent years, stem cell research has become a prominent way of treating: heart disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS, spinal problems, and much more ; moreover, in recent years as Stem cell research became more popular, it has sparked controversy over the religion aspect of stem cell research. Stem cell research begins with culturing an embryonic cell and then injecting the stem cell into the area of concern(Robertson). Pluripotent stem cells are gathered and used to treat the areas, pluripotent stem cells are those that are in the earliest stages of development ; in addition, at this stage, cells can learn the jobs and take shape of cells that did the job once before (Robertson). Unfortunately, even though stem cell research can prove to be†¦show more content†¦Although to some scientist, human embryos are not considered to be a human at that point because they cannot feel pain ; on the contrary, religious groups believe that a human embryo should have the same human rights as a liv e human. The picture above helps show the controversy between the two sides. Scientist believe that stem cell research should be allowed if the stem cells are cultured within the first trimester (Lazar). They believe this because during the first trimester, the embryo is just a small cluster of cells. It is not affected by the outside environment, it does not react to pain; in addition, it also does not react to pleasure. The pros of Stem Cell Research and Treatment are never ending. There is an account of two women being completely blind, but due to stem cell research, their sight was repaired. Another case is that of a ninety-five year old woman who was taken off medication and her health somewhat restored due to the use of stem cells. Doctors were able to inject stem cells into her heart and they took the shape of heart neurons. In past years, some states have completely banned stem cell research and stem cell treatment; none the less, a recent court case ruled that fetuses are not con sidered to be human until after the first trimester because that is when they begin to react to pain and pleasure (Robertson). Although some view stem cell research as immoral and wrong, others

Sunday, December 29, 2019

The Between Authority And Other Forms Of Power Essay

As its most basic level, power means â€Å"A has power over B to the extent that [A] can get B to do something B would not otherwise do.† (Hatch, 2013, p. 231). And at any level, whether individual, group, or organizational, power assumes a contextual relationship. Hatch (2013) discusses several forms of relational power: (1) formal authority, which emanates from a hierarchal structure by which the power flows downward from those with the greatest authority; (2) counter-balancing power, by which those below the most powerful may relationally exercise control using their personal characteristics, expertise, force, resource control, application of sanctions via rules and cultural assumptions and values, and accessing people with more power; (3) authoritative power based on a legitimized source that, in the members’ perceptions, has become accepted and expected, and thus institutionalized as part of the authority structure. (p.231). The difference between authority and other forms of power is that authority has fewer costs. With authority, nothing is expended or needs replacement to prevent power dilution. (Hatch, 2013, pp. 231-32). And, prevailing advice recommends ways to maximize power and use it effectively. Common strategies to maximize power include: creating dependency; coping with uncertainty; developing personal networks; and continuously developing expertise. Common strategies for using power include: controlling the information flow, agendas, and decision- makingShow MoreRelatedPower And Influence On Employees1533 Words   |  7 PagesIn its simplest definition, power is regarded as the ability to influence to behavior of other people using different tactics to push or prompt action. It is as well referred as the possession of authority and influence over others. Depending on how it is used, power can lead to either positive or negative outcomes. There are different sources of power that one can gai n power in different places such as country, organization or any other place that leadership is required. Additionally, there areRead MorePower, Authority And Power And The Views Of The State1388 Words   |  6 Pagesdemocracy, authority and power and the views of JS Mill and Plato, giving their thoughts, ideas and styles. The researcher will also apply these definitions of authority and democracy to both Mill’s and Plato’s theories of the state. Heywood tells us that authority is, in the broadest sense of the word, a form of power which can be thought of as ‘legitimate power’. He goes on to say how power, â€Å"is the ability to influence others† (Heywood, 2000). It is important to remember that authority and power areRead MoreBourdieu On Language And Symbolic Power976 Words   |  4 Pageslanguage and symbolic power. In the beginning Bourdieu talks about a concept he calls linguistic exchange, this refers to a transfer of language between two people, one who holds capital or assets and another who consumes the capital (knowledge) given by the speaker. For Bourdieu language is extremely symbolic and to go along with this symbolism are certain rules that people naturally understand and follow. It comes from the belief that language can be a form of power, those with power (capital) in a givenRead MoreIntroduction to Max Weber Essay595 Words   |  3 Pages Max Weber( Bureaucracy, power and control). Fredrick Taylor ( Scientific Management). Henri Fayol (Administration). Also it is essential to have an over all view of the three theories and a critical comparison to reflect on how much these theories have contributed to classical theory of business. Definition of management: (1)Management takes place within a structured organizational setting with prescribed roles. It is directed towards the achievement of aims and objectives throughRead MoreEssay Government1525 Words   |  7 PagesAccording to Hobbes the need to create a form of government arises from fulfilling the need of security. In order for government to provide this security, it is necessary for government to be able to use its authority in any way it pleases. Locke and Mill on the other hand believe that government should be able to provide security for its citizens, but in order to do this government does not need to be large rather it should be limited. Thus, the question arises of how limited government should beRead MoreMax Weber Political Authority Essay1414 Words   |  6 PagesVocation†, he states that political authority can be broken up into three different types. He defines these three types as Traditional authority, charismatic authority and rational-legal authority. Charismatic authority comes from a person’s special qualities and ability to hold followers because of them. Charismatic individuals may use their authority over a whole society or even just a specific group within a larger one. These individuals can use their authority for good and sometimes bad. SomeRead MoreChristianity And The World And Judaism1291 Words   |  6 PagesThe ability of influence that an authority has on a person or group of people displays their power. Power emanates from knowledge. The practices belonging to specific religions exhibit their own sense of authority. Christianity is a monotheistic religion that bases their faith on the teachings of Jesus Christ. Judaism is an ancient monotheistic religion that bases their faith with the study of the Torah. Christianity is the largest practiced religion in the world and Judaism is the tenth largestRead MoreMax Weber And Hannah Arendt1602 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"What distinguishes Weber’s accou nt of power from Arendt’s account of power?† The concept of power has been a topic of interest of many sociologists as they seek to define the term. Ensuring that the exercise of power is legitimate is a key integral to the concept of power in present day. However, although the power is seen as legitimate, it also has to be exercised appropriately as; ‘power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely’ (Dalberg-Acton, 1907: 504). Max Weber and HannahRead MoreDifference Between Federalism And Federalism1273 Words   |  6 Pagesby maintaining, by some means, law and order. In addition to that, one system of government is Federalism and Federalism is â€Å"A form of government in which some powers are assigned to the national government, some to lower levels of government, and some, such as the power to tax, are exercised concurrently† (Jillson 40). This system of government power is divided between a national government and a government that operates in small regions governments. However, in the U.S, both State and NationalRead MoreChristianity : The World And Judaism1290 Words   |  6 PagesThe ability to influence a person or group of people displays the power of the authority. Power emanates from knowledge. The practices belonging to specific religions exhibit their own sense of authority. Christianity is a monotheistic religion that bases their faith on the teachings of Jesus Christ. Judaism is an ancient monotheistic religion that bases their faith with the study of the Torah. Christianity is the largest practiced religion in the world and Judaism is the tenth largest. In the

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Ratio Analysis of Two-Year Financial Statements...

Title: Ratio analysis of 2-year financial statements: Woolworths Limited Assignment Topic Evaluate the performance of a company through critical analysis of its published financial statements over the two latest years, as follows: Locate, extract and analyse data from the published financial statements to provide a comprehensive analysis of a company’s operations and performance; Structure an argument about performance based on the analysis of five aspects of performance evaluation: Profitability Efficiency Short-term solvency Long-term solvency Market based ratios Present a clear, well-structured report using appropriate style and language. Word count: 2 337 (from the start of the Introduction to the end of the Conclusion)†¦show more content†¦Financial leverage ratios give an indication of a company’s fixed financing obligations and its ability to service the source of financing. Liquidity ratios are used to evaluate a firm’s ability to meet its shorter term debts, and efficiency ratios provide information on the ability of the firm to manage its assets, specifically receivables and inventory (Erdogan 2013). 1.1 Profitability Ratios As previously pointed out, profitability ratios provide information on the success of a firm in terms of profitability. Profitability on its own is a good indicator – the higher a firm’s profit, the better. However, in order to understand and manage profit, its relationship to sales, cost of sales and expenses must be understood. For example, if profit decreases noticeably – managers need to understand whether this drop is due to an equal drop in sales or whether it is due to an increase in cost of sales (gross profit) or possibly other expenses (net profit). Profitability ratios shed some light on these relationships. And just as with profit, the return (gain) on assets and shareholder’s equity may give an indication on a company’s performance. The net profit (NP) margin for Woolworths Limited is 3.3% (please refer to APPENDIX I for details on calculated margins and ratios) in 2012 and increases by 0.6% by 2013. As the gross profit margin (GP) increases by the same amount fromShow MoreRelatedWoolworths Financial Perfomance Case study1593 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿HSC Business Studies Financial Statement Analysis Task 1: Liquidity – The current Ratio = - Current ratio = Current Assets/ Current Liabilities 2013: Total current assets = 6226.1 Total current liabilities = 6866 Total current assets / Total current liabilities = 6226.1/6866 = 0.9068016312 = 0.9 (1dp) 2012: Total current assets = 5802.1 Total current Liabilities = 6766.2 Total current assets / Total current liabilities = 5802.1 / 6766.2 = 0.8575123408 = 0.86 (2dp) Read MoreFinancial Statement Analysis : Financial Analysis759 Words   |  4 PagesWoolworth Financial Analysis Financial statement analysis assists a business entity, business shareholders and other people interested, to analyze the figures in financial statements to present them with superior information about such most important factors for decision making and ultimate business survival. As exemplified by Gibson (2001), income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statements project the financial performance a company at the present and probably the future. According to theRead MoreEssay on Financial Analysis of Woolworths Ltd3168 Words   |  13 PagesFinancial Analysis of Woolworths Limited 10 October 2011 By: Huatong (Claire) Liu To: Potential investors Executive Summary The primary purpose of this report is to determine whether Woolworths Limited is an appropriate and profitable company to invest in. Specific objectives include analysis of annual reports of Woolworths and its competitors (Wesfarmers) as well as interpretation of relevant government and industry statistics, stock exchange, market information and media commentsRead More205321153 Woolworths PAST JOB 1 Essay6928 Words   |  28 PagesAND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS Group Assignment OCTOBER SESSION Report to: PROFESSOR ZOLTAN MATOLSCY Case Study: Woolworths Prepared by: Student Name Student Identification Brent HENLEY 10388039 Peter HOWE 02130033 Christian ORITZ 03005802 Zhiming YE 10669428 ASSIGNMENT DUE 21 October 2009 Table of Contents Woolworths Limited: Case Study 3 Executive Summary 3 Restating Financial Statements 3 Industry and Business Strategy Analysis 4 1. Industry Analysis 4 2. Business Strategy Analysis 5 AccountingRead MoreSwot Analysis Of Woolworths And Woolworths2987 Words   |  12 Pagessector is dominated by Coles and Woolworths (owned by Wesfarmers Group and Woolworths Limited respectively), following a string of acquisitions and expansions by the ‘big two’ parent companies over the past twenty years. Woolworths currently owns 840 supermarkets in Australia as of 2011 (Woolworths Limited, 2011: 86), up 17 from 823 in 2010 (ibid) while Coles owns 741 (Wesfarmers Limited, 2011: 20), down 1 from 742 in 2010 (Wesfarmers Limited, 2010: 20). Woolworths is an Australian based trade groupRead MoreWesfarmers : Financial Analysis Essay1488 Words   |  6 PagesWesfarmers : Financial Analysis Wesfarmers main focus is very simple but an effective objective of providing a satisfactory return to its shareholders. The beauty of this objective is that it is measurable, and they seek to achieve a return on equity, which ranks Wesfarmers in the top 20 percent of Australia’s listed companies and able to manage the portfolio of businesses which make up the group with strong financial focus (Australian Securities Exchange,2008). The ongoing success of WesfarmersRead MoreMid Sem Paper4114 Words   |  17 PagesSURNAME OF CANDIDATE: FIRST NAME OF CANDIDATE: STUDENT ID: SIGNATURE: Official Use Only Q 1 2 SCHOOL OF ACCOUNTING Mark 3 4 5 6 Total (/75) ACCT 1511: Accounting and Financial Management 1B FINAL EXAMINATION November 2007 Time Allowed: Reading Time: Total Number of Questions: Answer ALL questions. The questions are NOT of equal value. †¢ Answers to Questions 1 to 6 must be written in ink on the lines or in spaces provided in this Booklet. †¢ Question 7 must be answered on the separateRead MoreThe Impact Of Announcement And Stock Market Performance2382 Words   |  10 PagesCONTENTS Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 OBJECTIVE 3 OVERVIEW OF COMPANY AND INDUSTRY 4 Metcash 4 WESFARMERS 5 WOOLWORTHS 6 ANNOUNCEMENT 7 IMPACT OF ANNOUNCEMENT AND STOCK MARKET PERFORMANCE AND RESULTS 8 RESIDUALS AND REASON BEHINED CALCULATING IT 12 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Project Includes the Reports of the Three Companies That Are Metcash and its Competitors That Are Woolworths And Wesfarmers. The Current Report Provides An Examination Of The Effect Of Accounting Information On The ShareRead MoreCorporate Finance4881 Words   |  20 PagesTable of Content Executive Summary 3 1. Introduction 4 1.1 Overview of Harvey Norman Holding Limited 4 1.2 Major Competitor 5 1.2.1 JB Hi-Fi 5 1.2.2 Woolworth 5 2. Capital Structures 6 2.1 Types of Funding 6 2.2 Recent Trends of Leverage 7 2.3 Comparison of capital structure with similar companies 9 2.4 Capital expenditures and its financing 10 2.5 Important factors influencing the use of debt financing 10 2.5.1 Tax Advantage 10 2.5.2 CorporateRead MoreMetal, Mining and the Consumer Industry: A Top -Down Valuation Process4100 Words   |  17 Pagesanalyses BHP Billiton Limited and Woolworths Limited. Variables affecting the Australian economy are inflation and interest rates; the gross domestic product; the exchange rate; and economic risks. The metal and mining industry is the largest sector in Australia and the consumer industry is the third largest sector. The present value of the dividend model and the present value of the operating free cash flow were used to evaluate BHP Billiton Limited and Woolworths Limited. Based on the dividend

Friday, December 13, 2019

Barriers to Communication in the Health Sector Free Essays

Barriers to communications in health and social care Communication is simply being able to pass a message and that message being understood by the person it was meant for and well understood and carried out without any problem. When this circle is interrupted either message is lost or not understood then we need to understand why. Barriers in the health sector comes in either: PHYSICAL is when a person can not access the care they want or need because of a physical problem like a walking difficulty or a wheelchair access * EMMOTIONAL:The barriers in the care sector are emotions. We will write a custom essay sample on Barriers to Communication in the Health Sector or any similar topic only for you Order Now If not have dealt with certain feelings before by the feeler. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Emotions can play a big part in barriers. It is important that workers within the health and social care field do not let their own emotions get the better of them.They must be professional and although friendships can be made it is important not too get attached to a service user or patient. † †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢In the health and social care setting many people may have problems and many things may be hard to deal with but workers must maintain professionals and not show a lot of emotion, yes we can empathise but we should not make a service user feel worse or more upset. * LANGUAGE :If a patient calls at his Gp and he cant speak English and no one can understand what he/she is saying then it might lead to time waste in treating that patient in terms of diagnosing patient ailment which could be deadly in terms of wrong diagnoses or time wasted in getting an interpreter. How to cite Barriers to Communication in the Health Sector, Papers

Thursday, December 5, 2019

A Just Moral Code free essay sample

How far will people go to uphold their moral standards? In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch’s character is tested when he is assigned to serve as the defense attorney for a black man. This is considered nearly a grave sin by his fellow Southern peers. Atticus Finch risks his reputation, career, friendships, and even his own life because he has a strong moral sense uncommon to the Caucasian-dominate state of Alabama at the time. It is clear that Atticus risks his reputation by defending Tom. He loses respect from his closest friends and family members. For instance, Aunt Alexandra believes that Atticus’ deeds reflect negatively on the family image. Jem and Scout can hardly walk a block without hearing harsh remarks about their father. There is no margin of doubt that Atticus’ reputation is definitely put in danger. Atticus’ career is most certainly put on the line as well. We will write a custom essay sample on A Just Moral Code or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There are probably few people in Maycomb County that would gladly hire Atticus Finch after he defended an African-American man. As sickening as it may sound, the average southern man would rather any other lawyer in the state represent them before Atticus Finch. Alabama was undoubtedly a racist state, and Atticus could have potentially lost a lot of business after the case. This evidence truly proves that Atticus risks his career as an attorney. Friendships were dissolved as a result of Atticus defending Tom. There were several instances where Atticus lost life-long friends. One example was how Mr. Cunningham almost ended Atticus’ life while attempting to reach Tom Robinson at the jail. Atticus did legal work for Mr. Cunningham, and even allowed him to pay Atticus with food rather than money. Atticus was good to Mr. Cunningham, and in return he lost a friendship. It does not take a genius to conclude that Atticus desires to defend Tom. Although he was assigned as the defense attorney, Atticus still wants to do the job. Atticus even says to his own children that he could not tell them what to do if he did not take this case. He means that if he does not live a just way of life himself, then it would be hypocritical to establish a moral code into his children. This serves as evidence that it is in Atticus’ interest to be Tom’s lawyer. Atticus is willing to lay down his life for this case. History shows that death was certainly a factor for white men who supported black men in the South. The Ku Klux Klan was an active organization during the time. Atticus was obviously knowledgeable of these circumstances and he went forth and did the right thing. This really shows a lot about Atticus’ character and shows that Atticus knows that death could be a possible outcome as a result for representing Tom. Atticus believes that all men are created equal. He makes the decision to defend Tom because of this fact. His decision should not surprise his audience because they know who Atticus is. They know how much he cares about his town, family, and country. There should not be any wonder why Atticus would risk everything for this case. It is obvious that Atticus did not identify people by their skin color, but by their character. Overall, one can conclude that Atticus’ heart is fully devoted to this case. He risks it all because he needs to maintain his just way of life. It is necessary to Atticus’ well being that he does this case. Atticus Finch risked his life to stay lawful to his moral code. His character was tested, and he aced that test. He did the right thing, and in the process risked his reputation, friendships, career and even his life.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Sample Resume - High School - Work Experience Essays - Economy

Sample Resume - High School - Work Experience Massah Sheriff 24 Gomana Street Slack Creek, OLD 4127 cell: 0412853256 email: [emailprotected] Objective: To obtain a part time position as a replenishment team member at Woolworths Sunnybank Hills. Experience One Stop Pizza and Kebabs Stock Rotation Cash Register Cash Handling Cleaning, Store Set Up Store Closing Procedures Customer Service KFC Position: Customer service team member Stock rotation Unpacking stock Cash register, cash handling on drive thru and front counter Cleaning, Store Set Up Store Closing Procedures Achievements Certificate ll Health Services 2015 Certificate lll Health Services 2016-11-28 CPR for life in schools Certificate for Participation 2016 Interests/ Activities Learning about other cultures Fashion Learning Other cultures Reference Chole Martin KFC Manger M: 0428933899 Email: [emailprotected] Tammy Vonhill KFC Manger M: 0407674530

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Total Quality Management and Malaysia Airlines Essay Example

Total Quality Management and Malaysia Airlines Essay Example Total Quality Management and Malaysia Airlines Essay Total Quality Management and Malaysia Airlines Essay VOLUME 4 NUMBER 6 1994 CELEBRATE ANDRECORD Malaysia Airlines Corporate Vision and Service Quality Strategy Abdullah Mat Zaid Malaysia Airlines vision is to become An Airline of Excellence, offering the very best to its passengers in terms of safety, comfort, service and punctuality. This vision was amplified by our chairman in the companys 20th anniversary commemorations in October 1992. The mission has been stated in three main thrusts as follows: (1) To make Malaysia Airlines one of the leading standard bearers for the airline industry in terms of safety, efficiency and quality of service. ) To develop Kuala Lumpur as the preferred gateway into Malaysia and the South-East Asia region. (3) To make Kuala Lumpur a major cargo transhipment area for the Asia-Pacific rim. Among the key initiatives taken to meet our mission for the future are a fleet modernization and network expansion programme, an upgrading of our in-house maintenance and engineering facilities, development of modern in frastructure and computer systems and training and developing of personnel to meet the needs of the future. In addition, top management has refocused its goal on creating a customer-driven and quality-oriented ulture in the launching of the company-wide Destination Service Excellence (DSE) programme in July 1991. (The DSE programme is an extension of Total Quality Management to provide a clear focus on customer requirements at the heart of Duslness processes In Malaysia Alrllnes ana to create a quality service culture through internal communications and human relations management practices which can firmly reflect the importance the company places on good customer service. At the second DSE Convention held by Malaysia Airlines in October last year, which carried the theme Enhancing World Class Quality hrough Competitiveness, our chairman Tan Sri Zain Azraai inspired the employees by reiterating top managements commitment to the vision for Malaysia Airlines to become An Airline of Excellence. Tan Sri Zain stressed that in any organization there are four areas within that paradigm of Total Quality which emphasize continuous improvement which need to be addressed: (1) The individual in an organization: it has been said that the key to creating a Total Quality organization is first to create a Total Quality person who uses a true-north compass that is objective. This compass is used to find and ocus on the organizations future direction. 2) Managerial effectiveness: which is basically to nurture a win-win partnership between the individual and the organization, and between the organization and its customers. (3) Organizational productivity: for which quality should be seen to start from the top. The leadership of the organization must be intimately involved to see that the quality paradigm is planted into the minds and hearts of all staff. (4) The non-human side of the organization: in terms of equipment, facilities, processes and systems; these also contribute to the custom ers impression about the type of uality to expect of the company. In the concluding part of his address, Tan Sri Zain said that the DSE programme is a philosophy, a paradigm of continuous improvement which is not the programme of the company but the philosophy and value of everyone in the company. He summed up: It has been said that Quality will give an lnOlvlOual or organlzatlon a long-term competltlve advantage. And if it is in the character of the individual and in the culture of the organization, it cannot be duplicated by anyone. Our managing director, Dato Kamaruddin Ahmad also offered some pertinent directions to he participants at the convention with his statement of the challenges facing the company and the service quality strategy which has been developed. The Malaysia Airlines service quality strategy which he articulated is briefly as follows. The first step Malaysia Airlines took in developing a service strategy was the embarkation Managing Service Quality, Vol. 4 No. , 1994, pp. 11-15 MCB university press, 0960-4529 11 MANAGING SERVIC E QUALITY on a company-wide thrust towards service excellence, when the DSE programme took off in July 1991 to position the airline as An Airline of Excellence in the Asia-Pacific region. This strategy has lately been reinforced by a comprehensive review of the companys business processes so as to align the people and systems components of the business process with the customer-driven strategy. The service quality strategy addresses two main thrusts. (1) To reinforce the Total Quality philosophy in the Malaysia Airlines service culture through the springboard of TQM. The philosophy embraces the concept of quality in everything we do, including decision-making, work processes, work environment, teamwork and so on. (2) To improve customers perceived quality of Malaysia Airlines. This covers both the technical and functional aspects of our service offerings. tlquette ana nanollng customer complalnts Employees have also passed through the Quality Improvement Team (QIT) training programmes under the DSE project, and employees have taken the initiative to form cross-functional action teams to identify specific problems in quality or service in their working environment and to propose solutions to management. These action teams help to promote a quality culture in the company by inculcating cross-functional improvement processes which make quality customer service an ngoing agenda in the company. We believe that the more that service quality is discussed within the company, the greater the understanding will be of what it means in the dayto-day working environment of the employees and the better the company will be in achieving it. We are still a long way from saying that the DSE quality customer service approach has been completely integrated into the company, but what we are clearly seeing is a significant transformation of the corporate culture that is becoming more customer driven and quality oriented. Reinforcing the Corporate Culture to Foster Change Communicating Externally with Customers While setting the right corporate culture is crucial to achieving good service quality through internal communication processes to motivate employees and to ensure that the companys aspirations are well understood by everyone, we have also to communicate externally to ensure that customers understand what the company is offering in terms of service, to manage their expectations and to persuade them to buy our service. This external communication process forms an important part of managing the evidence by providing tangible clues to help customers, as well as employees, form the ight mental picture of the intangible service offered by Malaysia Airlines. An example is in advertisements which feature employees to show to customers the importance of service through people, but advertising is only one of the ways in which external communications can help to Improve tne customers perception 0T quall Conscious efforts are being made to reinforce the customer-driven focus and quality-orientation conveyed in top managements vision for excellence to all employees. The DSE programme forms the main vehicle for company-wide definition and understanding of the shared values hrough top-down communication as exemplified in the management speeches at DSE conventions, as well as bottom-up communication of departmental missions and quality improvement projects to the DSE Council chaired by the managing director from time to time. Values are also shared through other internal communications processes such as the in-house newsletter (Berita MAS), by way of reports on the progress of service initiatives and to publicize the achievements of employees who have provided excellent service to customers. The in-house newsletter also features a column called From the MDs Desk which serves as a regular reminder to all employees on examples regarding the right way to satisfy customers and to provide top-quality service. External speakers have also been invited from top-quality organizations such as IBM and Shell to share their experiences on service quality with our employees at Saturday Encounters held from time to time. To help employees understand better what is expected of them in terms of serving customers, training programmes have been conducted for employees at all levels to educate them on what quality customer service is at Malaysia Airlines nd on basic service standards such as telephone Malaysia Airlines Advertisements The advertising medium plays a major role in Malaysia Airlines communication strategy but other media are also used such as press releases, the in-flight magazine Wings of Gold, familiarization tours of Malaysia Airlines facilities for travel agents, Journalists and the general public, and so on. Malaysla Alrllnes launcnea two major advertising campaigns in October last year for both the domestic and international markets. 12 enhance the recall value of the commercial as well as to create an airline advertisement that is clearly ifferentiated from others. The 9()-second commercial has received overwhelming praise from both industry sources as well as the public at large since it was launched last September. It is said to be the most ambitious television commercial ever undertaken by an advertiser in Asia, using state-ofthe-art visual effects developed by a company owned by George Lucas and Lucas Film Ltd, which won 12 Oscar awards for block-buster films such as Star Wars and ET and is also responsible for the box-office success Jurassic Park. The Care commercial was aimed at the local Malaysian market reinforcing a promise Malaysia Airlines has always nurtured since the company was incepted in 1971. The Care positioning theme promised the level of caring that goes into every aspect of handling the diverse needs and expectations of our passengers. A woman is seen anguishing over her pet budgerigars that are being carted into cargo, a pregnant woman needs help with her luggage, an old woman is rather bewildered and a child is separated from her parents in the mad rush to catch the flight. As usual, with ease and sincerity, the calm and caring staff from Malaysia Airlines sort and iron out all the problems captured at the moments of truth. Staff involvement is crucial towards underlining the credibility of the advertising message which is why, for the first time, more than 60 staff participated in the first of the series titled Care. In addition to the Care commercial, three other commercials have been developed on the themes of Reunion, Mulu and Special Fares. The Reunion commercial shares happy moments 0T Tamlly reunions among Malayslans. q The Mulu commercial demonstrates the extensive network served by Malaysia Airlines domestically. q The Special Fares features some 40 different choices available for Malaysians to fly around he country on economical value-added fares. The underlying promise conveyed in these commercials is to show that Malaysia Airlines cares, and that the new advertisements are not cosmetic, in line with the companys Destination Service Excellen ce strategy. The main thrust of the international advertising campaign titled Vision was to project the size and stature of Malaysia Airlines in a futuristic sense which reflects a modern, global and futuristic mental picture of the airline in the minds of the target consumers. The futuristic strataport is in the aerodynamic shape of Malaysia Airlines kite logo to symbolize he modernity and expansion of the airline and this vision is used as the springboard to convey a thousand dream flights. The Nision commercial also conveys the message that Malaysia Airlines has made great leaps forward from its previous stature as a relatively young airline, in that it now carries more passengers than any other airline from South-East Asia on some of todays most advanced aircraft, and spans a truly international network of 90 destinations across five continents. Also, to reflect the Malaysian character of the Vision commercial, a large number of Malaysia Airlines in-flight crew and Malaysian actors were nvolved in the lead roles for the advertisement. The computer-generated visual presentation of Malaysia Airlines as a futuristic airline helps to New Uniforms for Front-line Employees By managing the tangibles associated with the service experience, marketers have the opportunity to reinforce other service quality dimensions with a quality look not necessarily by looking expensive or elegant but by paying attention to basics such as cleanliness, orderliness and customer-friendly systems to the extent that such tangible evidence is approprlate to tne target market ana overall service strategy. This means attention to the smallest detail that competitors might consider trivial and unworthy of investment. Yet, it is the visible details that can add up for customers and signal a strong message of caring and competence. Malaysia Airlines experience in presenting a quality look as a component of its service quality strategy extends through many areas in the physical environment of the airline, including the decor of its front-office ticketing counters, its Golden Lounges at the airports, the cabin interior of its aircraft, the uniforms of its cabin crew and other frontline staff, he presentation of in-flight meals, the appearance of our check-in counters, and so on. Besides modernizing the aircraft fleet with the latest new generation 8747-400, A330 and 8737400/500 aircraft, Malaysia Airlines has implemented a new quality appearance for all frontliners since last year by introducing a collection of new uniforms for cabin crew and counter staff designed by Gherardini of Italy. While the timeless sarung kebaya with batik motifs has been retained for female staff, uniforms for the male staff have for the first time in 17 years seen a visible change to a style that is more in vogue. Quality Meals In the many other little things that we do that present a quality look to our passengers, I can draw from the example of the award Malaysia Airlines received from Inflight Research Services of London last year ranking Malaysia Airlines top in First Class service from a survey of 31 international airlines. 13 Malaysia Airlines scored highest in three service dimensions of cabin crew courtesy, meal presentation and quality of meals served. In the area of meal presentation, Malaysia Airlines excelled mainly because of the great attention given to the Tlner eta a 11S 0T tne meal presentatlon, e. . : Presentation of the bar service, with a good selection of internationally known liqueurs, wines and champagnes served by experienced and capable cabin staff. q Branded quality glasses, plates, bowls and cutlery which carried a good and consistent corporate image, presenting a pleasing and exclusive feel to the First-class cabin. In particular, Malaysia Airlines uses cut glass fo r its First-class drink service, and it was revealed that less than 25 per cent of the airlines surveyed offer this extra touch of exclusivity. Presentation of salt, pepper and butter is of a very good standard and appearance unlike everal airlines which make use of plastic cartons for butter and paper sachets for salt and pepper. In the case of the quality of meals served, this pertained mainly to the condition and appearance of the food at the point of service rather than the type of food served on board. Malaysia Airlines was ranked top on quality of meals served in terms of the meals being served in the best condition, that is the food served was fresh and appealing and retained a good flavour and appearance. Kuala Lumpur and London since last October. This is basically a standard tray set-up service which is vailable to those passengers who do not wish to go through the standard full-course supper service for First Class, which is otherwise delivered on a service trolley. The quick meal option is timed especially for flights departing around midnight to cater to those passengers who wish to have a quick supper and go to sleep. This meal service alternative was introduced based on feedback obtained from Malaysia Airlines Esteemed Travellers (MET) who attend special MET luncheons and food-tasting sessions organized by the airline. In view of the favourable response from passengers, this quick meal option was extended to ther flights in our menu change for the summer 1994 season. Prompt Meal servlce Tor en u Class Passengers We have also made improvements to service procedures for those passengers travelling in Golden Club Class. This has resulted in a reduction of the service delivery time by more than 25 per cent to about 1. 5 hours, without affecting the quality of service. Beverage Service on Cart for Economy Class Passengers This is another improvement we have made for the Economy Class passengers which was implemented in the summer 1994 season. Previously, our cabin crew offered Juice and beer s standard choices for after-take-off beverages in the Economy Class while passenger requests for other drinks were entertained separately. The new service for beverages to be delivered on the cart will offer passengers the drink of their choice on the cart without their having to wait for a separate Flexible Menu Policy Continuous improvements are being made to the in-flight menu, in keeping with the new menu policy (started last year) to increase the cycle of change to meet the changing needs and expectations of customers, based on feedback from voyage reports and passengers. This new policy reates better flexibility in customizing to the different tastes and preferences of the passengers by offering a greater variety of meal combinations, a more extensive range of appetizers, and creative food preparations with the aim of being on par with the cuisine served in excellent hotels. The new menus for international flights feature a variety of tastes and flavours of Malay, Chinese, Caribbean and Mediterranean cuisines. The health aspect of travellers has also not been ignored, due attention being given to low-fat content, calorie count and cholesterol levels in the menu preparation. Cabin Crew Proficiency in Foreign