Customer Service Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Customer Service - Assignment Example And customers’ demands and expectations are rising every day. Customers always expect something more than that they buy. So organizations took several steps to retrain their old customers and if possible attract new customers. Retaining old customers is a game changer for companies as these customers are loyal to the organization and they keep valuable feedback as per the product and services they buy or get. No matter what an organization providing that can be industrial product or consumer durables but manufacturer have to bundle their product with significant amount of services. Otherwise they will lose to their competitor because customer will shift to the competitor from where they are getting more services. That is the reason now every organizations having effective customer policies. If we visit all most all the shops in central London or anywhere in London we shall find out every shops have a complain and suggestion form and after every purchase no matter what the volu me of purchase is seller will give after sale services like home delivery or call the taxi or free baggage etc. For high value consumer durables seller or manufacturer gives free installation and if the product is big and heavy they will provide home delivery and not only that seller or manufacturer are bound to give free insurance that can be lifetime also for some kinds of goods and quarterly or half yearly free servicing is became mandatory from manufacturers end. These are all customer services policies just to retain existing customer and attract new customers. Theoretical background of management gives several version of key words like Management, organisation. (Cole, G.A. 2004, p.6) P2: Continuous and sustainable scrutiny method for customer relationship management method is necessary to keep these services proper and effective. And for that purpose proper customer training policies are must follow steps. 2002) Service quality gap: In above figure seven gaps of service model is been shown. This model is a part of Parasuraman. As per the above pictorial representation the most important three gaps are Gap1, Gap5 and Gap6; these are very important because they directly deal with the customer and make a bond between the seller and buyer or manufacturer and customer. Gap1: Management perceptions versus customer expectations: If proper market research is not done and miscommunication between two parties are in place or proper data transfer between the managements is not taking place then this situation can arise. There a gap between customer expectations and management perception can arise if in an organization too many vertical management layer in place. Gap2: Services Specifications versus management perception: If organisation goal is not made and model of the works are not standardized then quality of the services will not match with the management perceptions. And management will not be able to fulfil its commitment towards customers. So an uncomfortabl e situation can arise for the organisation. Gap3: Services delivery versus services specifications: If proper team management is not going on and control over employees is lost and their work is not satisfactory then this situation may arise. As a result very poor employee performance and less technological development happen. Then conflict of role in organization regarding jobs arises. Gap4: External communication versus service delivery: If

Impact of low number of minorities working in healthcare industry in Research Paper

Impact of low number of minorities working in healthcare industry in usa - Research Paper Example Eventually, the disparities in the provision of care due to racism and ethnic issues will be tackled in details. Given that the majority of the health care providers are the Native Americans, the impact of language barriers in terms of providing care to minorities who could not speak the English language well will be determined. Given that half the US population would be the minorities, the impact of language barrier between the health care providers and the minorities as patients will be thoroughly analyzed. As of November 16, 2009, the total number of population in the United States is 307,946,634 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2009). In line with this, the total population of white Americans alone is composed of 65% of the total population. The rest of the minorities includes Hispanic (15%), African Americans (13%), Asian (4%), Two or More Races (2%), American Indian & Alaska Native (1%), and Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander (0%) (U.S. Census Bureau, 2009b). (See Figure I – US Population by Race & The number of minorities working in the health care industry is very limited as compared to the White Americans. Since the minorities are earning less as compared to the White American physicians, Weeks & Wallace (2006) revealed that black male and female family physicians tend to serve more patients as compared with the White Americans male and female counterparts. This is probably due to the fact that the number of African Americans who are practicing as family physicians is less as compared to the population of African Americans they are serving. Although socio-economic and racial issues are among the common factors that has contributed to lower number of available health care professionals in the United States, Sabin, Rivara, & Greenwald (2008) revealed that the classification of health care profession also matters when it comes to racial bias such that pediatricians are less likely to implicit racial

Facts And History About The Peacock English Language Essay

Facts And History About The Peacock English Language Essay Peacocks belong to the pheasant family, Phasianidae. There are three species, or types, of peacock-the blue (or Indian) peacock, the green (or Javanese) peacock, and the Congo peacock. The only peacocks that have trains of tail feathers are the males of the blue and green types. Peacocks usually live in lowland forests. At night they sleep in trees. The blue peacock comes from southern Asia, while the green peacock comes from southeastern Asia. The Congo peacock is found in central Africa. In both the blue and green types, the males body is about 35 to 50 inches (90 to 130 centimeters) long. Its train of metallic green tail feathers is about 60 inches (150 centimeters) long. Each tail feather has a shining spot at the end of the feather that looks like an eye. A crest, or tuft of feathers, tops the males head. The peahen of both these species is green and brown. It is almost as big as the male. Male blue and green peacocks put on a showy display when trying to attract mates. The peacock lifts its train and spreads it like a fan. It then struts about and shakes its train, making the feathers shimmer and rustle. The Congo peacock is mainly blue and green. Its tail is short and rounded. The peahen is reddish and green. Source: Peacock. (2011). In Britannica Junior Encyclopedia. Retrieved January  22, 2011, from Britannica Online for Kids: http://kids.britannica.com/ elementary/ article-9353606/Peacock Green Invaders April 18, 2008 Green invaders are taking over America. Nope, not invaders from space. Plants. You might not think of plants as dangerous, but in this case they are threatening natures delicate food web. The invaders are plants from other countries brought here to make gardens and yards look pretty.   Ever since people started to arrive on Americas shores, theyve carried along trees, flowers, and vegetables from other places. Now there are so many of those plants, they are crowding out the native plants that have lived here since before human settlers arrived. And thats a problem, says Dr. Doug Tallamy. Hes an entomologist (an insect expert) at the University of Delaware. He explains that almost all the plant-eating insects in the United States-90% of them-are specialized. That means they eat only certain plants. Monarch butterfly caterpillars, for example, dine on milkweed. If people cut down milkweed and replace it with another plant, the butterflies will not have the food source that they need to survive. But the trouble doesnt stop there, it goes right across the food web. When insects cant get the right plants to eat and they die off, then the birds dont have enough bugs for their meals. Tallamy points out that almost all migrating birds depend on insects to feed their young. We cannot let the plants and animals around us disappear, says Tallamy. The way to preserve them is to give them food to eat. But when we plant non-native plants, we are clobbering the food web, because then we dont have the insects the birds need to live. Fewer of the right plants mean fewer bugs, and fewer bugs mean fewer birds. And thats bad for the Earth, because we need a variety of living things to keep the planet healthy and beautiful. The good news is, gardeners everywhere are working hard to protect native plants and get rid of the invaders. Many local garden centers sell native plants. Just Google native plants and your location, and you can find out which plants really belong where you live, says Tallamy. Planting the right things makes a real difference, and fast. He describes planting milkweed in a tiny city courtyard about the size of a living room one spring. By summertime, that milkweed patch had produced 50 new monarch butterflies! Tallamy encourages kids to go out and plant native plants. Adopt a bird species in trouble and see if you cant plant some things that will attract the insects they need, he suggests. It will happen-insects move around a lot, and they will find the plants you put out there for them! Text by Catherine Clarke Fox Fox, C. (2008). Green invader. Retrieved January 22, 2011, from national geographic kids: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com /kids /stories/animalsnature/ Chomp! Meat-Eating Plants March 14, 2007 I want people to get passionate about plants, says Lisa Van Cleef about a new exhibit at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers. Everybody gets excited about the zoo and animals, but once you start looking at plants you find they have a lot going on, too! Especially the carnivores, or meat eaters, that use the sneakiest of tricks to trap their insect dinners. Take bladderworts, for example. They appear so small and delicate growing in a quiet pond. But these are the fastest-known killers of the plant kingdom, able to suck in unsuspecting mosquito larvae in 1/50 of a second using a trap door! Once the trap door closes on the victim, digestive enzymes similar to those in the human stomach slowly consume the insect. When dinner is over, the plant ejects the remains and is ready to trap again. Carnivorous plants grow in places with soil that doesnt offer much food value. You and I could take a vitamin pill, says Van Cleef. But these amazing plants have had to evolve over thousands of years, developing insect traps to get their nutritional needs met. Just look at all theyve done in the fight to survive.   The traps can be well-disguised to fool the eye, like pitcher plants, which get their name because they look like beautiful pitchers full of nectar. The Asian pitcher plant, for example, has a brightly colored rim and an enticing half-closed lid. Curious insects are tempted to come close and take a sip, then slide down the slippery slope to their deaths. Hair-like growths along the pitcher walls ensure that nothing can scramble out, and the digestive enzymes can get to work. A tiny insect called a midge might be digested in a few hours, but a fly takes a couple of days. Some of these pitchers are large enough to hold two gallons (7.5 liters). Carnivorous plants only eat people in science fiction movies, but once in a while a small lizard, rodent, or bird will discover that a pitcher plant isnt a good place to get a drink. Other plants have found different ways to grab a bite. Sundewsand butterworts snag snacks with flypaper-like stickiness, while the Venus flytrap snaps shut on its victims. Carnivorous plants grow mostly in wet areas, from sea level to the mountains. They may seem exotic, but if you live in the United States, you dont have to travel to faraway lands to see some. North America has more carnivorous plant genera than any other continent. If you cant travel to the exhibit in San Francisco, check out a carnivorous plant guidebook from your local library, and you may discover some growing in your neck of the woods! Fox, C. (2007). Chomp! meat-eating plants. Retrieved January 22, 2011, from national geographic kids: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/ stories/ animalsnature/meat-eating-plants/ Basic Rule All lines after the first line of each entry in your reference list should be indented one-half inch from the left margin. This is called hanging indentation. Authors names are inverted (last name first); give the last name and initials for all authors of a particular work for up to and including seven authors. If the work has more than seven authors, list the first six authors and then use ellipses after the sixth authors name. After the ellipses, list the last authors name of the work. Reference list entries should be alphabetized by the last name of the first author of each work. If you have more than one article by the same author, single-author references or multiple-author references with the exact same authors in the exact same order are listed in order by the year of publication, starting with the earliest. When referring to any work that is NOT a journal, such as a book, article, or Web page, capitalize only the first letter of the first word of a title and subtitle, the first word after a colon or a dash in the title, and proper nouns. Do not capitalize the first letter of the second word in a hyphenated compound word. Capitalize all major words in journal titles. Italicize titles of longer works such as books and journals. Do not italicize, underline, or put quotes around the titles of shorter works such as journal articles or essays in edited collections. Please note: While the APA manual provides many examples of how to cite common types of sources, it does not provide rules on how to cite all types of sources. Therefore, if you have a source that APA does not include, APA suggests that you find the example that is most similar to your source and use that format. For more information, see page 193 of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, sixth edition. In-Text Citations: Author/Authors Summary: APA (American Psychological Association) is most commonly used to cite sources within the social sciences. This resource, revised according to the 6th edition, second printing of the APA manual, offers examples for the general format of APA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the reference page. For more information, please consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition, second printing. Contributors:Elizabeth Angeli, Jodi Wagner, Elena Lawrick, Kristen Moore, Michael Anderson, Lars Soderlund, Allen Brizee, Russell Keck Last Edited: 2010-11-16 02:10:54 APA style has a series of important rules on using author names as part of the author-date system. There are additional rules for citing indirect sources, electronic sources, and sources without page numbers. Citing an Author or Authors A Work by Two Authors: Name both authors in the signal phrase or in the parentheses each time you cite the work. Use the word and between the authors names within the text and use the ampersand in the parentheses. Research by Wegener and Petty (1994) supports (Wegener Petty, 1994) A Work by Three to Five Authors: List all the authors in the signal phrase or in parentheses the first time you cite the source. (Kernis, Cornell, Sun, Berry, Harlow, 1993) In subsequent citations, only use the first authors last name followed by et al. in the signal phrase or in parentheses. (Kernis et al., 1993) In et al., et should not be followed by a period. Six or More Authors: Use the first authors name followed by et al. in the signal phrase or in parentheses. Harris et al. (2001) argued (Harris et al., 2001) Unknown Author: If the work does not have an author, cite the source by its title in the signal phrase or use the first word or two in the parentheses. Titles of books and reports are italicized or underlined; titles of articles, chapters, and web pages are in quotation marks. A similar study was done of students learning to format research papers (Using APA, 2001). Note: In the rare case the Anonymous is used for the author, treat it as the authors name (Anonymous, 2001). In the reference list, use the name Anonymous as the author. Organization as an Author: If the author is an organization or a government agency, mention the organization in the signal phrase or in the parenthetical citation the first time you cite the source. According to the American Psychological Association (2000), If the organization has a well-known abbreviation, include the abbreviation in brackets the first time the source is cited and then use only the abbreviation in later citations. First citation: (Mothers Against Drunk Driving [MADD], 2000) Second citation: (MADD, 2000) Two or More Works in the Same Parentheses: When your parenthetical citation includes two or more works, order them the same way they appear in the reference list, separated by a semi-colon. (Berndt, 2002; Harlow, 1983) Authors With the Same Last Name: To prevent confusion, use first initials with the last names. (E. Johnson, 2001; L. Johnson, 1998) Two or More Works by the Same Author in the Same Year: If you have two sources by the same author in the same year, use lower-case letters (a, b, c) with the year to order the entries in the reference list. Use the lower-case letters with the year in the in-text citation. Research by Berndt (1981a) illustrated that Introductions, Prefaces, Forewords, and Afterwords: When citing an Introduction, Preface, Foreword, or Afterwords in-text, cite the appropriate author and year as usual. (Funk Kolln, 1992) Personal Communication: For interviews, letters, e-mails, and other person-to-person communication, cite the communicators name, the fact that it was personal communication, and the date of the communication. Do not include personal communication in the reference list. (E. Robbins, personal communication, January 4, 2001). A. P. Smith also claimed that many of her students had difficulties with APA style (personal communication, November 3, 2002). Citing Indirect Sources If you use a source that was cited in another source, name the original source in your signal phrase. List the secondary source in your reference list and include the secondary source in the parentheses. Johnson argued that(as cited in Smith, 2003, p. 102). Note:When citing material in parentheses, set off the citation with a comma, as above. Electronic Sources If possible, cite an electronic document the same as any other document by using the author-date style. Kenneth (2000) explained Unknown Author and Unknown Date: If no author or date is given, use the title in your signal phrase or the first word or two of the title in the parentheses and use the abbreviation n.d. (for no date). Another study of students and research decisions discovered that students succeeded with tutoring (Tutoring and APA, n.d.). Sources Without Page Numbers When an electronic source lacks page numbers, you should try to include information that will help readers find the passage being cited. When an electronic document has numbered paragraphs, use the  ¶ symbol, or the abbreviation para. followed by the paragraph number (Hall, 2001,  ¶ 5) or (Hall, 2001, para. 5). If the paragraphs are not numbered and the document includes headings, provide the appropriate heading and specify the paragraph under that heading. Note that in some electronic sources, like Web pages, people can use the Find function in their browser to locate any passages you cite. According to Smith (1997), (Mind over Matter section, para. 6). Note: Never use the page numbers of Web pages you print out; different computers print Web pages with different pagination.

What are some of the key ideas and messages presented in the novel, Ess

What are some of the key ideas and messages presented in the novel, Fahrenheit 451? Explain your answer with examples and quotations. What are some of the key messages and ideas presented in the novella, Fahrenheit 451? Explain your answer with detailed examples and quotations. Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian, science fiction novel, which is written through the perspective of Bradbury’s protagonist, Guy Montag. Fahrenheit 451 was initially published in 1953; however it is set in the twenty fourth century in a conformist society, where literature is illegal. Throughout Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury conveys some very important messages and ideas. Among these are; censorship, the influence of technology, individual choice and the role of the individual in society, ruling by fear and totalitarianism, and the evolution of society. Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 forces us to envision a world that has been so thoroughly censored that firemen, such as Guy Montag no longer exist to fight fires (for all buildings are fireproof) but rather to start them and take part in censorship. In this world individuality and individual choice are lost. Appropriately named, Guy appeared from the start to be just like any other firefighter. He found it â€Å"a pleasure to burn (p.3)†, and followed the dictations of his leaders. Eventually, however, Montag begins to realize that he lives in a society that takes away the power of an individual to make choices and to make a difference. Montag realizes that without being fully aware of it, that in two minutes he was essentially destroying something that took someone an entire lifetime to create. Censorship is a significant theme in Fahrenheit 451. Bradbury, through Beat... ...he loss of characters freedom to read and to think was not an act that was forced on the people, but rather one embraced by the people, either because they do not find the content of literature appropriate or because technology makes takes the place of literature. The terrifying resemblance that Bradbury’s vision of the twenty fourth century bears to the world today only further extends the possibility that some day our world might become no different from the world which Guy Montag lived in. Bradbury describes this world, â€Å"Every adjective that counted, every verb that moved, every metaphor that weighed more than a mosquito- out! Every simile that would have a sub-moron’s mouth twitch- gone! Any aside that explained the two- bit philosophy of a first rate writer- lost!....Every image that demanded so much as one instant’s attention- shot dead.(Afterward)†

Alcohol Laws

Three days ago, i attended the burial ceremony of my best friend. Not only do we do everything together, we have become family.Our parents were mates in college so the legacy continued with the children. We went to the same preschool, high school and as we planned it, we went to the same university. Jack did not die of any sickness neither was he murdered – he, like many Americans, lost his life in a highway accident as a result of drunk driving.In this essay, I will be making an exposition into alcohol abuse and the problems that come with it. I will also explain the extent to which this vice has eaten up into our lives as a nation.Furthermore, I will examine the major alcohol laws in America and probing into if these laws have actually helped in curbing the problems associated with alcohol use. I will also be making a comparison of the DUI laws in each state and how this directly or indirectly tells on the extent in which people abuse alcohol in these states. Finally, I will be using Las Vegas as a point of reference for alcohol abuse – the DUI laws that exist in the state, the people’s disposition towards alcohol use and the effect that this lifestyle has on the people of the state.For the purpose of clarity of this essay, it will suffice to make a conceptual definition of the major terms that will be used in this essay. Alcohol abuse can be defined as the act that involves the use of alcohol in an immoderate manner turning into an unhealthy habit. Alcohol abuse is not the intake of alcohol but the intake of alcohol everyday or excessively at a time.Many people confuse alcohol abuse to alcoholism. Alcohol abuse as an act is less severe to alcoholism. Although both of them are alcohol disorders, alcoholism is an extreme form of alcohol intake that leads a person to alcohol dependence – a state where an individual develops unusual cravings for alcohol, uncontrollable consumption of alcohol, physical dependence on alcohol to feel alr ight and tolerance.Alcohol abuse as an act is typified when an individual who is under the influence of alcohol is involved in some life threatening activities like driving and other activities that pose a threat on the life of the individual and people around him/her.The term DUI simply put is an acronym for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol. In States in America, DUI is an alcohol laws that is set as a way of reducing casualties of highway accidents.This is determined by a test done on the blood of the person accused of the DUI offence. Although every state has a form of DUI laws that seek to keep alcohol consumers in check, the intensity of this law differ from one state to another. While some states have stricter and almost non-tolerant DUI laws, the DUI laws in other states are less strict and tolerant.â€Å"The 2001 survey shows 25 million (one in ten) Americans surveyed reported driving under the influence of alcohol. This report is nearly three million more than the pr evious year. Among young adults age 18 to 25 years, almost 23% drove under the influence of alcohol† (Drugs-rehabs.org, 2002).Alcohol abuse in America is not an individual problem but a national one. In America, alcohol remains the number 1 drug problem we face. According to statistics gotten from a study made in 2000, an average American consumes over 25 gallons of beer, 2 gallons of wine and 1.5 gallons of distilled spirits every year (Drugs-rehabs.org, 2002).Apart from this, it was discovered that The American government spends over $100 million in healthcare on alcohol and alcohol related problems. Perhaps the most appalling of these statistics is the fact that over 15 million people are dependent on alcohol and of these number, 500 000 fall between the ages of 9 and 12.Alcohol has made a nuisance of many families in America. As statistics have it that three out of four of cases of spouse violent victim incidents happened as a result of alcohol use/abuse by the offender. à ‚  Apart from this, it is reported that four in ten criminal offenders blame alcohol as reason for their violent behaviour. The younger generation are not excluded from this madness. In the same report, it is alleged that students in America spend over $5.5 billion on alcohol.This accounts for double of what they spend on beverages books and milk combined.   In addition to this, it was reported in a survey done in 200 that about 7 million persons between the ages of 12 to 20 was an excessive drinker (drug-rehab.org, 2002). With the death toll statistics by alcohol abuse rising each year, we are faced with a problem that we ourselves caused with our very own hands. We have become a prisoner of our own decisions and every day, someone somewhere in America has to pay the price.Alcohol has been woven into the fibres of our lives. Everyday, someone somewhere is being lured into the population of alcohol consumers. â€Å"Each year, a typical young person in the United States is inundat ed with more than 1,000 commercials for beer and wine coolers and several thousand fictional drinking incidents on television† (drug-rehab.org, 2002).  With the society being infused with this unhealthy habit, the family is the first contact of a victim to alcohol usage. According to drug-rehab.org, about 43% of Americans have been exposed to alcoholism in their families while growing up so they grow up consuming alcohol.

Awareness and Adoption of E Banking in Pakistan

Abstract: This study aims to understand customers’ perception towards adoption and awareness of electronic banking in Pakistan. The outcomes would help the policy makers to develop effective strategies for future outlook of electronic banking in a country. The results suggest that banks’ customers in Pakistan perceive electronic banking as a tool for minimizing inconvenience, minimizing risk of carrying cash and time saving. Customers further believe that electronic banking increases chances of government access to public data, increases chances of fraud and data losses. It reduces cost and save our precious time. There are also some limitations of e-banking as it requires skills to operate it and passwords can be hacked. This research paper discussed that people of Pakistan are well aware of electronic banking but they are not satisfied with the services provided by the bank and they also feel risk in that service that’s why they trust more on employees. It contains different demographics and their association with research questions. The results conclude that various customers segments do not differ in opinions towards benefits and risks associated with e-banking. This paper also includes recommendations in which it describes that what strategies the banks should choose to increase the satisfaction of customers Keywords: electronic banking; e-banking; customers’ perception; adoption; Pakistan, e-banking in Pakistan, e-banking, SMS banking, ATM I. INTRODUCTION The developments taking place in information and communication technology are increasing competition in financial institutions worldwide. Development of electronic distribution channels in financial industry has completely transformed the traditional bank–customer relationship in recent years. It has reduced personal contacts between the service providers and the customers (Barnes and Howlett, 1998). The scenario is further changed with increased competition among banks and non-bank financial institutions (Zineldin, 1996). Thus an enhanced understanding of why some people adopt one distributional channel and others do not, alongside an identification of the factors that may influence this decision is vital to investigate (Patricio, 2003). Thus, the deployment of advanced technologies is essential to achieve a competitive edge. In the world of banking, the development of information technology has an enormous effect on development of more flexible payments methods and more-user friendly banking services. Recently, the banking industry was highly affected by the technology evolution that transformed the way banks deliver their services, using technologies such as automated teller machines, phones, the Internet, credit cards, and electronic cash. In line with global trends, electronic banking in Pakistan has been undergoing many changes. Electronic banking is a term for the process by which a customer may perform banking transactions electronically without visiting a brick-and-mortar institution. Electronic banking refers to systems that enable bank customers to access accounts and general information on bank products and services through a personal computer (PC) or other intelligent device. There are many benefits of e-banking as it provides easy way to monitor an account, we can shop, pay bills, buy items at auction, and transfer money from anywhere at any time, it reduces costs, it saves time, and vice versa. Objectives This study focuses on awareness and adoption of electronic banking in Pakistan. Our objectives of this research were to: 1. Check awareness of electronic banking in Pakistan. 2. Check why people are not aware of electronic banking. 3. Know if the people are aware of electronic banking then to how much extent. 4. Check whether banks of Pakistan are providing electronic banking or not. 5. To find the critical attributes that customers expect important while using electronic banking. 6. To find the key variables that affect customers’ evaluations towards risk associated with electronic banking. 7. To understand the relationship between demographic characteristics of customers and their perceptions towards electronic banking. 8. To present results and implications which are insightful to researchers and banks interested in electronic banking. This research is important because it tells bankers that how much people in Pakistan are aware of and adopt the electronic banking and to how much extend. It also tells them to improve their e-banking services in Pakistan. Electronic banking in Pakistan State-owned banks dominated the Pakistani financial market before 1990. The government introduced economic liberalization policies in 1991 when two smaller banks, Muslim Commercial Bank and Allied Bank were privatized. Since then, the government continuously advocated the privatization of existing state-owned enterprises and encouraged the private and foreign banks to setup their businesses in the country. Recent acquisition of locally owned Union Bank by Standard Chartered Bank indicates foreign interest in domestic financial market. According to State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) annual report (2005), there were 35 commercial banks, including 16 private banks (with 797 branches), 11 foreign banks (with 82 branches), 4 privatized banks (with 4,141 branches) and 4 public banks (with 1,543 branches), respectively. Electronic banking is an innovation in the series of technological wonders. Automated teller machine (ATM), telephone banking, internet banking, credit cards and debit cards, etc. have emerged as effective delivery channels for traditional banking products. In Pakistan, foreign banks took a lead by introducing ATM and credit cards in mid-1990s followed by domestic banks in late 1990s. Annual Report of SBP (2003, p. 110) explained this delay in electronic banking largely by regulatory hurdles, higher startup costs, an ongoing banking sectors reforms and lack of technical skills. The government also introduced Electronic Transaction Ordinance in 2002. This ordinance provides legal recognition to digital signatures and documentation. Thus reducing the risks associated with the use of electronic medium of business. At present, almost all commercial banks in Pakistan have setup their ATM networks, issuing debit and credit cards and have joined one of the two operating ATM Switch Networks. According to Kolachi (2006) Pakistani banks provide the following online banking services and products. 1. Enquiry, account statement enquiry, account balance enquiry, check statement enquiry, fixed deposit enquiry 2. Payment, funds transfer, credit card payments, direct payments, utility bills payments 3. Request, checkbook request, stop payment request, demand draft request, new fixed deposit request 4. Download, customer profile, statement download, other information and guidelines downloads. 4 Literature review Consumers’ perceptions towards adoption of electronic banking have attracted many researchers in recent years. Thornton and White (2001) who compared seven distribution electronic channels available for banks in US concluded that customers’ orientation such as convenience, service, technology change, knowledge about computing and availability of internet affected the usage of different channels. According to Hagel and Hewlin (1997) the Internet banking became very attractive to customers and lots of banks because the technology is being accepted by them and they can now understand and have information about the complex products. Nowadays banks are also facing a lot of competition and need a high market share and provide better services to its customers so that they can attract the new customers and old customers do not try to leave them. Howcroft et al. 2002) found that the most important factors that have encouraged consumers to use online banking are lower fees followed by reducing paper work and human error which subsequently minimize the human disputes (Kiang et al. , 2000). Byers and Lederer, (2001 ) concluded that it was changing consumer attitudes rather than bank cost structures that determines the changes in distribution channels; they added that virtual banks can only be profitable when the segment that prefers electronic media is approximately twice the size of th e segment preferring street banks. Decrease in percentage of customers visiting banks with an increase in alternative channels of distribution will also minimize the queues in branches (Thornton and White, 2001). Internet banking increases power of the customers to make price comparison across suppliers quickly and easily, which subsequently pushes the price and margins downwards (Devlin, 1995). Although, electronic banking provides many opportunities for the banks, it is also the case that the current banking services provided through Internet are limited due to security concerns, complexity and technological problems (Sathye, 1999: Mols, 1999). Risks associated to electronic banking Although internet provides many opportunities for banks but it is the case that current banking services through internet are limited due to security concerns, complexity and technological problems (Mols, 1999; Sathye, 1999). Hewer and Howcroft (1999) referred the term trust to measure a risk. While, Suganthi et al. (2001) viewed risk in context of security concerns and risk in context of trust in one’s bank. Finally, a number of studies also found trust and perceived risks have a significant positive influence on ommitment (Bhattacherjee, 2002; Mukherjee and Nath, 2003) and ultimately leads towards overall satisfaction (Rexha et al. , 2003). Reputation of a service provider is another important factor affecting trust. Doney and Cannon (1997) defined reputation as the extent to which customers believe a supplier or service provider is honest and concern about its customers. Tyler and Stanley (1999) argued that banks can build close and lo ng-lasting relationship with customers only if trust, commitment, honesty and cooperation are developed between them. Nancy et al. 2001) study found that customers’ complaint about computer logon time which are usually longer than making a telephone call. Further, the respondents felt that they have to check and recheck the forms filled online, as they are worried about making mistakes. Frequent slow response time and delay of service delivery causes customers to be unsure about the completion of a transaction (Jun and Cai, 2001). Min and Galle (1999) found crashes in operating systems and disruption of information access as common factors related to unwillingness to use internet channels for commerce. Liao and Cheung (2002) found that individual expectations regarding accuracy, security, transaction speed, user friendliness, user involvement and convenience are the most important attributes in the perceived usefulness of internet-based e-retail banking. Confidentiality of consumer data is another important concern in adoption of online banking (Gerrad and Cunningham, 2003). Customers fear about someone’s unlimited access to personal financial information. White and Nteli (2004) focused on why the internet usage has not been increased in UK as compared to internet usage for banking purposes? Results found that the customers still have concerns about the security and safety aspects of the internet. Lack of internet accessibility and a provision of documentary evidence for all transactions are found important hurdles in the development of electronic banking in Thailand (Jaruwachirathanakul and Fink, 2005). Laforet and Li (2005) found that habit of carrying cash, less accessibility of internet and documentary proof of financial transaction as important hurdles in adoption, in case of China. Lack of specific laws to govern internet banking is another important concern for users. It covers issues such as unfair and deceptive trade practice by supplier, unauthorized access by hackers. Larpsiri et al. (2002) argued that it is not clear whether electronic documents and records are acceptable as sufficient evidence of transactions. Another issue is the jurisdiction of the courts and dispute resolution procedures in case of using internet for commercial purpose. Dispute can arise from many issues. For instance, websites is not branch of the bank. It is difficult for the court to define location of branch and decide whether they have jurisdiction (Rotchanakitumnuai and Speece, 2003). Other risks associated to electronic banking are job losses, lack of opportunities to socialize and development of lazy society were mentioned by (Black et al. , 2001). Demographic factors Gender alone is not a significant factor, affecting adoption of technology in general (Gefen and Straub, 1997). However, Kolodinsk et al. (2004) found that married couples are more likely to adopt the new technology than either single males or females. Research has also linked age and adoption of technology, as young people are more likely to adopt technology (Lee et al. , 2002). Maturity in population in terms of knowledge, confidence and comfort in computer usage also increase influence towards online banking (Karjaluoto et al. , 2002). Increase in income and education have found positive effects on adoption (Lockett and Littler, 1997; Sarel and Marmorstein, 2003). Mattilia et al. (2003) indicated that young, educated and wealthy consumers are most likely to adopt internet banking in Finland. Mature customers prefer personal service and a printed receipt of their transactions. Mature customers also perceive internet banking to be more costly than paying bills over the counter. Methodology The study was conducted in Lahore city which is the second largest city of Pakistan and represents almost 20% of all branches network. Branches for survey were selected on convenience basis but after the permission of respective branch managers. Survey covered both residential and commercial areas. In this research data is conducted by using questionnaire as a data collection instrument, in which questions were asked starting from their command on computer and internet usage, following with the awareness of electronic banking and its types, about the benefits of e-banking and then some questions regarding their bank services and the security provide by these banks. The questionnaire includes close-ended questions and they were on liker scale of utilizing a five point categorical. IV. EMPIRICAL RESULTS There is â€Å"table † which shows gender wise association with research questions No. Question| Gender| | Total| P – values| | | | Male| Female| | | | | | | | | | | 1| Aware of electronic banking| 196| 200| 396| 0. 011| | 2| Your bank provides electronic banking facility| 190| 195| 385| 0. 000| | | | | | | | | 3| Aware of SMS banking| 196| 195| 391| 0. 036| | | | | | | | | 4| Aware of INTERNET banking| 189| 198| 387| 0. 010| | | | | | | | | 5| Aware of ATM card usag e| 193| 198| 391| 0. 054| | | | | | | | | 6| Aware of PHONE banking| 193| 199| 392| 0. 272| | | | | | | | | 7| Satisfied with the E-banking services provided by| | | | | | | bank| 192| 198| 390| 0. 08| | | | | | | | | 8| Satisfied with the security of E-banking provide by| | | | | | | bank| 191| 195| 386| 0. 068| | | | | | | | | 9| Want to use e-banking facilities in future| 194| 197| 391| 0. 000| | | | | | | | | Table shows the different questions and their association with gender. First question is about awareness of electronic banking. Total respondents who answered this question were 396 in which 196 were male respondents and 200 were female respondents. Its result shows that awareness of electronic banking is dependent on gender. Next question was answered by 385 total respondents from which the amount of male and female were 190 and 195 respectively. Its results show that providing e-banking services by banks were highly dependent on gender. Third one is about awareness of SMS banking which was answered by 196 male and 195 female respondents. Its result shows that awareness of SMS banking is also dependent on gender. Now the next question is about Internet banking awareness which was answered by 189 male respondents and 198 female respondents and its result shows that awareness of internet banking is dependent on gender. Next question is about awareness of ATM card usage. Total 391 respondents answered that question from which the amount of male and female were 193 and 198 respectively. It results shows that awareness of ATM card usage is not dependent on gender. Now there is a question about Phone banking awareness so total 392 respondents answered that question from which 193 were male and 199 were female and its result shows that phone banking awareness is not dependent on gender. Now the seventh question was asked by respondents about their satisfaction about e-banking services providing by their banks and total 390 answered that question and its result shows that satisfaction about e-banking services providing by banks is depends on gender. Now there is second last question which was answered by 191 male and 195 female respondents and its result shows that satisfaction about security of e- banking providing by banks is not depends on gender. Last question is about the using e-banking service in future and its results are highly dependent on gender. | | Aware of electronic banking| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | strongly| | | | | | | | | disagree| disagree| neutral| agree| strongly agree| Total| | Gender| Male| 13| 28| 46| 64| 45| 196| | | | | | | | | | | | Female| 31| 32| 53| 57| 27| 200| | Total| | 44| 60| 99| 121| 72| 396| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Now there is a table which shows the description of the question, â€Å"Aware of electronic banking †. It shows the amount of respondents from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The highest figures of people are agreed about awareness of e-banking. In male respondents 64 were agree which is 33% of total male respondents. Likewise, in female respondents 57 were agreeing about it which is 29% of total females. | | | High| | | Post| | | | No. | Question| Primary| School| Secondary| Graduate| Graduate| Frequency| P-values| | 1| Aware of electronic banking| 8| 7| 10| 195| 164| 384| 0. 000| | | | | | | | | | | | 2| Use debit or credit cards for| | | | | | | | | | online transactions| 8| 6| 8| 191| 163| 376| 0. 008| | | | | | | | | | | | 3| Aware of ATM card usage| 8| 7| 10| 193| 163| 381| 0. 030| | | | | | | | | | | | | Aware of PHONE banking| 8| 7| 10| 194| 161| 380| 0. 155| | | | | | | | | | | | 5| Feel risk about hacking of| | | | | | | | | | passwords| 8| 7| 10| 192| 161| 378| 0. 555| | | | | | | | | | | | 6| Satisfied with the E-banking| | | | | | | | | | services provide by bank| 8| 7| 9| 191| 163| 378| 0. 269| | | | | | | | | | | | | More trust on the bank| | | | | | | | | 7| employees with communication| | | | | | | | | | tha n E-banking| 8| 7| 10| 191| 163| 379| 0. 680| | 8| Want to use e-banking facilities| | | | | | | | | | in future| 8| 7| 9| 192| 163| 379| 0. 69| | | | | | | | | | | | In this table there is a demographic of education whose relationship with research questions is given in above table. No. | | | | | | | | | Age| | | | | | | | Question| | | Below| 20 -| 30 -| 40 -| 50 -| Above| Frequency| P-values| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 19| 29| 39| | 49| 59| 60| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1| Have full command on computer| | 91| 241| 30| | 16| 10| 3| 391| 0. 034| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2| Involved in banking transactions| | 91| 239| 30| | 14| 14| 3| 391| 0| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Awareness of usefulness of| | | | | | | | | | | | | electronic banking| | | | 91| 238| 30| | 16| 14| 3| 392| 0. 004| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4| Your Banks provides online technical| | | | | | | | | | | | assistance or 24 helpline| | 88| 240| 30| | 16| 14| 3| 391| 0. 002| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5| Use debit or credit cards for online| | | | | | | | | | | | transactions| | | | 90| 237| 30| | 16| 14| 3| 390| 0| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6| Aware of INTERNET banking| | 91| 238| 29| | 14| 14| 3| 389| 0. 443| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Aware of PHONE banking| | 91| 240| 30| | 16| 14| 3| 394| 0. 105| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 8| It provides| easy| way| to monitor| a| | | | | | | | | | | | account| | | | | 91| 242| 30| | 16| 14| 3| 396| 0. 019| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 9| Feel risk about hacking of passwords| 91| 239| 30| | 16| 13| 3| 392| 0. 089| | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10| Have easy access to ATM machine| | 88| 240| 30| | 16| 13| 3| 390| 0| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11| Satisfied| with| the| E-banking| | | | | | | | | | | | services provide by bank| | 90| 240| 30| | 16| 13| 3| 392| 0. 47| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 12| Satisfied| with| the| security| of| | | | | | | | | | | | E-banking provide by bank| | 89| 239| 28| | 16| 13| 3| 388 | 0. 004| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 13| More trust on the bank employees| | | | | | | | | | | | with communication than E-banking| 90| 241| 30| | 16| 13| 3| 393| 0. 036| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Above table shows the relationship of research questions with age. In first question it is asked about command on computer. This question was answered by total 391 respondents from which from which 91 respondents had age less than 19.

Child Beauty Pageants Should Be Banned Essay Example

Child Beauty Pageants Should Be Banned Essay Example Child Beauty Pageants Should Be Banned Essay Child Beauty Pageants Should Be Banned Essay Child beauty pageants should be banned Child beauty pageants should be banned because they cause children, especially little girls, to use artificial means to boost their self esteem. People were not born with makeup, spray tans, big hair, and false teeth. Beauty pageants set false rules on beauty. They make children believe they have to wear make-up, jewelry, wigs, fake nails, and other acessories to be beautiful. Every child is beautiful in their own way. Their beauty is natural and they shouldnt have to have anyones opinion on the way they look. Beauty pageants can also cause serious mental and health issues. They can lead to depression, anorexia, suicide, and many other serious issues. Children might starve themselves to lose which could lead to eating disorders. Beauty pageants can cause depression, and depression may later lead to a suicide Children shouldnt be forced to be in pageants. Mothers try to live their dream through their children. Children shouldnt get their lives taken away from them. They only get one childhood, they dont get it back after its over. Any parent placing their child in these types of pageants, based solely on looks, is giving their child the attitude that appearance can get you anywhere in life. It is wrong to teach children that looks are the most important asset to possess. I am not stating that children shouldnt be encouraged to develop a talent or skill, and compete with that talent or skill, I am stating that competing over looks is sending the wrong message to children.