Kudler Fine Foods Service Essay

Service Request The manager of Kudler Fine Foods, Kathy Kudler, has requested the development of a system to track customer purchases through a Frequent Shopper Program to award loyalty points for redemption. (Apollo, 2011) Key Stakeholders The key stakeholders are the individuals that are directly involved with Kudler Fine Foods and will have a direct effect on the overall project. These individuals will be the main source of information in the analysis, design, implementation and testing phase of the systems upgrade. Kathy KudlerProject Manager The Frequent Shopper Program for Kudler is specific in addressing current and future customers by rewarding them for shopping with the company. Both business and technical functions will be addressed as well as improved communication between the sales and marketing and purchasing departments. The goal is to provide better response to customer demands while rewarding the customer and accomplishing this in an efficiently fast manner. A marketing plan must be developed to inform current and potential customers of the program and encourage them to participate and take advantage of the benefits offered by the program. In utilizing an outside source for the program, Kudler will be able to provide a good relationship between the IT resources of the outside source and the internal sales and inventory  systems. There is also a need to modify the two different databases and the GUI in order to allow for smooth data transfer and communication. Kudler’s specific goals are to improve customer satisfaction in order to increase brand loyalty, cut costs by increasing supply efficiency, and increase sales which will result in higher revenue and profits for the company. In order to ensure success of this project, certain aspects will be monitored throughout the duration. This will allow Kudler to view what aspects are successful and what aspects are not. The main aspects that will be monitored are: new customer enrollment into the program, tracking of purchases from current and repeat customers, tracking of customer reward points, duration of participation from customers in the program, and total customer redeemed points, and difference in cost of redeemed items versus wholesale/supplier costs. Supporting Measures and Project Feasibility In order for Kudler Fine Foods to continue growth and experience profitability, the design and implementation of a Frequent Shopper Program must be accomplished. The program will need to utilize the best available hardware and software to accomplish their goals and to promote growth as well. The chosen system will need to address both short and long term needs and problems that could arise. This is done through a development phase that will combine all aspects and products that Kudler wishes to incorporate into the program. This phase must address the current budget allocated by Kudler for the implementation of the program while incorporating all needed requirements. Current Business Process Summary Proposed System Requirements The proposed new system must be capable of meeting the requirements set forth by the key stakeholders within the company. This list of requirements will be presented, discussed, and then edited based on what is needed, what is within budget constraints, and what is decided on by the stakeholders. This list of functional requirements proposed to Kudler is below. Functional Requirements System is capable of new customer enrollment System is able to track purchases for all customers System is able to track and store rewards points for individual customers System allows for rewards points to be redeemed System allows for viewing of customer rewards points on POS terminals System allows input changes from POS terminals System will sync with company website for tracking of rewards points System allows for data from each location to be stored and accessed in a central location System must be compatible with current system in place for easy transition. Determine Requirements The determination of the requirements for this system is a key part in the development of the Frequent Shopper Program (FSP). There are many methods that can be used to properly determine the requirements needed for an efficient system. These can range from simple observation of current processes and interviews with employees and management, to Joint Application Design (JAD) procedures. The commonly used methods of observation, interviews, etc., can help analysts pinpoint exact requirements based on user input and business processes. According to Charvat (2003), â€Å"One of the biggest benefits of a proper user requirements specification is that you’ll be able to plan and estimate your project correctly, decreasing the chance of cost and time overruns.† The analyst must listen to the employees and gain a thorough understanding of all business processes before establishing the new system requirements. The Joint Application Development (JAD) is a newer and more organized means of gathering information to base requirements on. This process is conducted by holding sessions in which key stakeholders and other key members of management are present and work together in the outline of the possible requirements. This allows for input from all levels within the organization and can yield better results than other commonly used methods. While this process can be lengthy, it keeps all key members involved up to date on the status of progress during the development phase and analysis. List of Confirmed Requirements System is capable of new customer enrollment Mandatory System is able to track purchases for all customers Mandatory System is able to track and store rewards points for individual customers Mandatory System allows for rewards points to be redeemed Mandatory System allows for viewing of customer rewards points on POS terminals Mandatory System allows input changes from POS terminals Mandatory System will sync with company website for tracking of rewards points Mandatory System allows for data from each location to be stored and accessed in a central location Mandatory System must be compatible with current system in place for easy transition Optional Proposed System Process View Functional Allocation Modeling This aspect is very important in ensuring all software and hardware utilized for the new system is up to date and current as of the time of this service request. Since technology advancements are made almost every day, it is important to stay on the cutting edge. This is why the use of computer systems with an Intel core i7 processor is being chosen. The hardware that will be used wil1l be purchase directly from Dell. This will give Kudler piece of mind with all hardware and full technical support with the warranty provided from Dell. The systems chosen will have 8GB of RAM (memory) and will include 22† LCD monitors, core i7 processors with 4.5GHz speed, and come preloaded with Windows 7.. Each system will also be equipped with 10/100 ethernet capabilities to meet the standards of the current network in place at Kudler. The current server in place at Kudler will be replaced by Unix servers by SPARC Enterprise Software SAP system for retail environments. The POS terminals will be replaced by NCR RealPOS 82XRT terminals which offer scanners, cash drawers, touch screen displays, and built in printing capabilities. VOIP phone systems and HP M521dn and HP 8015 printers will replace the outdated ones currently in use. Logical Model of System Preliminary Design Model Design Trade-off In order for Kudler Fine Foods to have a successful program, an examination of product roll out methodology must be performed. There will need to be a specific balance in regards to the mixture of cost, schedule and performance. It is understood that a program cannot incorporate all three aspects at once which then leads to deciding what the appropriate trade-offs shall be within the requirements. The following depict possible scenarios of combining two aspects but foregoing a third possible requirement. Cost and Schedule By having a program that is inexpensive and keeps to the specified timelines the company will end up with one that is affordable and able to start up right away. If the schedule is large for integration of the system with the current system then the time to capitalize on the customers data would take time. The downside is that cheap is not always best and can result in a low performance record that is fraught with hardware and software failures. If the program cannot function properly there is a decent chance that it will fail outright due to customers not wanting to take part in it. Schedule and Performance Creating a program that is scheduled to finish on time and functions to specified standards will allow Kudler customers to enjoy the program’s rewards with little to no problems. In this instance the design trade-off is cost. The cost of the new proposed system would be quite moderate to high. The cost to get the correct and reliable information at every instance of time is the biggest challenge over the cost incurred in the infrastructure. Not keeping up with costs for the creation though will result in a project that has a finishing cost much higher than was originally budgeted for. The result can pull funding from other much needed programs or can cause the program to change such as the customer receiving rewards that are of a lower  quality than originally promised. Cost and Performance If the project team is able to create the program at manageable costs while maintaining a high quality performance status the customers will be able to enjoy the benefits of the rewards while allowing the company to stay within appropriate budget levels. All the previous customers ‘ data would be inputted and further processed , which would take time The implementation of the new system would reduce costs of data transfer and catering the customers in a suitable manner. The performance of the system would improve with enhanced ability to track information about customers , their preference pattern and any change in their behavior In addition to all the above , the company can reduce the extra cost of hoarding of goods and can only customers preferences. The possible tradeoff is that the program may not be finished as scheduled. This can result in a backlog for future projects. In addition, if the project takes an exceedingly longer amount of time than originally thought, it may become scrapped so a new plan can come in its place. Detailed Design Process The prototype will drive the design of the forms and reports. The forms need to document predefined data in a clear and concise manner. Forms are typically based on one database record and have a stylized form. Reports are business documents that contain predefined data and data from many unrelated transactions or records used for reading or reviewing information. The forms and reports need to be end user friendly and clear to understand. They should not have simple rows or columns. The forms and reports can be designed using online graphical tools. This will help standardize them with other organizations. The forms and reports should have a transparent human computer interface. In designing a form or report there are some fundamental questions that need to be addressed: who will be the form/report user, the purpose, when will they be needed, who should have access to them, and who does it need to be delivered to? Answering these questions will allow the programmer to produce an effective form/report. The hardware and networks used should be consistent with what is already in use throughout the organization. Kudler Fine Foods uses UNIX operating system, HP blade server system and SAP as their software. The UNIX server needs to be upgraded to UNIX SPARC Enterprise software. The organization should upgrade their current version of SAP Retail SW to SAP for Retail. The HP Blade server should be upgraded to a Dell PowerEdge M620 blade server. The HP blade server is obsolete and this may create problems if future support or maintenance is needed. The CM2320nf printer is obsolete and should be upgraded with the HP M521dn printer. The HP 3015 printers, VOIP phones, APC Smart UPS, POS terminals, 22† screens, and the NAS 10 TB storage server should all remain. If the organization is going to upgrade their software they should upgrade their hardware as indicated. This will allow the organization the ability to use state of the art hardware with state of the art software and get the most out of the system. They will be able to utilize the most current technological features currently available and extend the life of their infrastructure. Human Computer Interface The human computer interface should be designed with Microsoft Visual Basic. Net. Microsoft is a universal program that employees are familiar with. Using Microsoft will allow end users to feel comfortable with the software because the commands for Microsoft can be applied. Training is easier for employees using Microsoft because so many of them are familiar with it. Microsoft reports can also be imported and exported to other mediums making it possible for end users to review the information in detail. They currently use Microsoft Windows 7. Using the most current version of software will extend the life of the system. Using outdated software will hinder the use of the most current applications and can make the program prematurely outdated. The organization should continue using Dell computers but they need to upgrade them to Dell XPS 8700 with an i7 processor, and 4.0 GHz. CD drives are no longer necessary, most information is transferred or stored via a memory stick. Physical System Model What are information architecture diagrams? â€Å"A diagram architecture is not necessary an architecture produced through diagrams†¦. Instead, diagram architecture is an architecture that behaves like a diagram, indifferent to  the specific means of its realization.† (Par. 13) When it comes to these diagrams you are taking the knowledge of the architecture and molding it into a visual and understandable aid laid out in sequence like patterns that show direction. And when these diagrams are designed of information architecture the process usually ends up back where it started making a loop back to the requirements. Producing this process of creating an information architecture diagrams can be a bit confusing and people end up getting information confused rather easy. Until a man named Philippe Kruchten came up with a brilliant way to look at the diagram. He introduced the concept of viewing the diagram through the eyes of the stakeholders. This process became known as the 4+1 information view model. The 4 is for the several views in which he describes as the Physical view, Logical view, development view and the process view. And the +1 is added to describe the scenarios. Modeling the architecture of a software system can be presented in two areas known as the High level design and design patterns. High level is the use of the core components who work together for the one mission of fulfilling the requirements. And depending on if the system is large enough it is possible that each component will sustain its own high level setup that will provide descriptions of its smaller parts. Design patterns are used here and there in the particular designs of each of the components. A pattern is a waypoint that will direct you to the end solution of the program in which it is accommodating. If the same pattern is used through the design of separate programs it will act as a money saver as it saves in the purchase of new software and saves time in the design process. Testing Process Summary This phase will be somewhat similar to the installation and implementation phase in some ways. The overall functionality of every aspect within the system must be tested to ensure it meets the requirements of the original project plan. All new software and hardware must go through thorough examination and a system of checks to accomplish this. This phase must be continued throughout the life cycle of the system to continuously check for errors and bugs to keep the system performing at optimum capacity. To properly complete this phase there are guidelines to follow for testing that will cover all aspects of the system. Hardware and Software Installation Process/Training Plan In order to accomplish the implementation of the Frequent Shopper Program Successfully Kudler will need to implement the POS Server database flawlessly into the system in order to avoid data loss or corruption of data. The online Cash Registers and the in-store cash registers will be communicating to the same database and a seamless integration of these three components is crucial during the early implementation phase of the installation. The challenge during this phase of the installation is the software that will be used to bring these three components together. Continuous testing of the POS, The CMS, and the store website are needed to ensure that any bugs in the system are pointed out early. Once this is complete the Kudler will be able to focus on the smaller aspects of the program such as ensuring that all merchandise are coded correctly and the scanners are properly transmitting the data. The timeline for the implementation of this project is 2-3 months. The company should take measures during the implementation and installation regarding marketing to  maintain the competitive edge and afford customers needed time to adjust to the idea of this new system. Time will be needed to train staff on the proper procedures for issuing and Frequent Shopper Cards, and the support teams will need training on how to troubleshoot system errors. The cashiers will need training on methods of marketing the programs and procedures for how to use, issue, and reissue cards to customers enrolling or already enrolled in the program. One of the keys to success of the program is ensuring the cashiers have a clear understanding of how to market the program. Failure to ensure marketing or the cards is upheld and train employees on how to properly process cards will be counterproductive to the program and could lower customer value. Installation Process Installation is the organizational process of change over from the current information system to the new one. â€Å"Managing the change to a new system—whether or not it is computerized — is one of the most difficult tasks in any organization† (George, Hoffer, & Valacich, 2012). After system construction, final acceptance tests performed during systems installation and evaluation ensures the development team has completed all tasks for the project. After determination that system operations are fully functional, the system is ready for installation. During the installation process, the old system becomes disabled and subsequently, the new system activated. The project manager and developers assemble the resources required for installation as the work begins. Resources required for installation of the system includes development team members and their various programming tools, including software. Project constraints in this instance have a comparatively narrow degree because of the streamlined and limited changes. The installation team begins by changing the modems over to broadband, and activating broadband connections at each store. At this stage, the installed applications including updates to the Point of Sale system software, the database management system, credit card interface software, and printer applications undergo testing for appropriate functionality. The entire system is then tested, and confirmed successful for use (George, Hoffer, & Valacich, 2012). The installation of the Kudler Fine Foods Frequent Shopper Program and related plans for training will correspond with the timeline illustrated. Training Plan The training and installation timeline provides a sufficient and organized schedule for installation and system testing, also providing an expedient finish to the system implementation processes. The project team develops training materials and documentation for training classes. The next step in the implementation phase is training system users, managers, and IT staff. Diagram 1: Installation and Training Timeline User training and training documentation should include an overview of system features, capabilities and limitations, data entry and menu screen options, contents, and processing instructions, and procedures for requesting changes and reporting problems. Other important inclusions are troubleshooting examples and error situations including resolutions, and a section on frequently asked questions (Cashman, Rosenblatt, & Shelly, 2013). As illustrated, Frequent Shopper Program System Training, the specific details for training specific groups vary according to employee function and extent. Documentation Plan Summary Documentation needs to be accurate and will also be a determining factor on the software’s success or failure. Documentation needs to include how to work the system, navigate it, its potential, how to use the data, and reporting methods. This should be done early on so the end user has reference materials. The documentation process should begin when developing the system. This will provide supporting material for developers and help develop future training materials. If the end user does not understand how to use the system or recall information for reporting purposes, the software is not serving its purpose. Most systems in place today are for information gathering and storage. If the end user can’t access the collected information, then the software will be rendered useless. The system will need to be maintained so a maintenance manual should be available to guide developers on how to make fixes and update the system. An operational manual should be available for the subject material expert, designers and users. This manual will help when they have questions on a process or how to get a certain part of the program to produce or collect  the proper data. A technical manual will be necessary so the technical writers can refer to the system structure when they have questions. The technical manual should include drawings, flowcharts, and the database structure. The system should have a training manual that has step by step instructions that a user can follow. It should also have a list of any codes, available reports, system outputs, a troubleshooting guide, work a rounds, and be current on updates. The Training manual or user manual will help the user by providing a guide for future reference and for training. The training manual will help decrease questions and improve efficiency. The more information that is available for the user the more proficient they will be at using it. Training end users is very important. This could mean the difference between an efficient and easy flowing system or a cumbersome, difficult to use nightmare. Visuals should be used to make training easier and provide future training material references. If there are inquiries that are not frequently performed, the end user might not recall how to initiate the inquiries and having a visual to refer to, might help the end user be more efficient when conducting these inquires. Support & Maintenance Plan It’s not enough to just implement a system and fully integrate it into the new business system. There must be a support system that covers common mistakes and helps people locate answers to their technical questions. And along with the system support there also must be some type of maintenance schedule that keeps the system healthy, like frequent updates to keep the system up to date and as free from bugs as possible. Software Support In order for a system to operate at full potential the software must remain up to date with all of the bug fixes and security issues that comes with having software. Having your software up to date could very well be the lifeline of your company. If your software fails, then the work production conducted on that system will also fail. Hardware Support Just as important as software support is hardware support. Hardware consists of several critical and physical components of an IT system. These components include but are not limited to; servers, systems used to store data, personal computers (PC) and the networks that tie them all together. When it comes to business communication is the key, and this doesn’t exclude the communication of the IT systems. Network Support Like previously mentioned, networks are the communication for IT systems. Keeping your network up and running can be a little difficult to deal with. When a network goes down then every piece of hardware on that network has no communication. Unfortunately network issues usually get dealt with as soon as they happen. What is recommended is to have a preventative maintenance schedule in increments of monthly, bimonthly, semiannually, annually or biannually to periodically check the condition of the network before it fails resulting in a downed network. When software is merged over into a company system there are user manuals and lists of known and unknown bugs for the system. Each member should have been briefed on the new software and also provided the information included in the user manuals and the known and unknown bug reports. For the hardware and network, preventative maintenance is the best way to avoid a downed asset. And a well maintained support system with frequent updates will ensure your software stays up to  date with the latest security and bugs fixes. Conclusion This thorough analysis and all aspects carefully and fully examined, the proposed project will not only meet, but exceed the request of Kudler Fine Foods for implementing a rewards program. The use of cutting edge technology in both hardware and software aspects will ensure a smooth running system for years to come. The incorporation of the rewards program and the system upgrades should not only increase profitability, but brand loyalty from customers as well. The system meets all required needs of Kudler Fine Foods to include time scheduling, budget, and both short and long term goals. References Apollo Group Inc. (2011). Kudler Fine Foods. Service Request SR-kf-013. Retrieved from: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/CIST/VOP/ServiceRequests/index.asp#Kudler Fine Foods Cashman, G. B., Rosenblatt, H. J., & Shelly, G. B. (2013). Systems Analysis and Design (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Thomson – Course Technology. Charvat, Jason. (June 30, 2013). Determine User Requirements Now to Avoid Problems Later. TechRepublic. Retreived from: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/determine-user-requirements-now-to-avoid-problems-later/ Dennis, A., Wixom, B. H., & Roth, R. M. (2012). Systems analysis & design (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Federal Bureau of Investigation (2013). The Insider Threat: An introduction to detecting and deterring an insider spy. Retrieved from: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/counterintelligence/the-insider-threat George, J. F., Hoffer, J. A., & Valacich, J. S. (2012). Essentials of Systems Analysis and Design. Retrieved from: http://www. bau.edu.jo/inst/hamza/SAbook.pdf Riordan Manufacturing Intranet Website (2014). Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Business/Riordan/ (2010, 05). Diagram Architecture. StudyMode.com. Retrieved 05, 2010, from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Diagram-Architecture-63657523.html

Investment Opportunity Essay

What is the interest rate or coupon rate?   The stockbroker has already given us the answer to this and it is already very appealing. What is the bond price? The stated bond price refers to the cost of purchase or investment in the bond issue. This part of the question should also include elaboration of the yield to maturity period.   The referred yield to maturity of a bond is the expected rate of return until the bond matures. What is the bonds credit quality, its rating and is it insured? The credit rating of a bond is an initial indicator of the views of the market place considering the position of the issuer’s ability to repay interest and principle on a timely basis. It is very convenient to be aware of the type of bond you want to invest in, that is, an investment grade bond or high yield If the bond is insured, there is guarantee that the investors will be indemnified for their principal amount and interest should the Yubetchyu state default. Investors are also privileged to purchase insurance on purchases of secondary market bonds. What is the tax status? Different types of bonds have different tax status. Interest income from the United States for example is exempted from state and also local taxes. The stock broker should expound on whether the Yubetchyu state is likely to drop state and local income taxes. What is the tax break worth? There should be the ample consideration of the tax break worth. This is mostly determined by the state you are in and your income tax bracket. It is therefore advisable to consult from financial professionals before investing in areas carrying out tax implications. What is the actual yield after my broker has taken his commission and fees? Calculations of the total yield should be done with relevance to deductions. It is calculated as follows:   Annual Interest à · Price = Yield, this however does not reflect fees charged on the brokers commission or the overall transaction. This is rather calculated as a percentage of the sales. What is the transaction type of the bond? Before purchasing a bond, it is important to know whether the bond is being offered for the first time or not. New issue bonds are more likely to prove difficult to invest in since the competition is against institutions and professional investors. Finally how credible is my advisor? Is he a registered one and if so, how long has he been working in the field of investing in bonds for clients. By asking these questions, you determine what kind of investment advisor you are associating with.

Definition of Family paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Definition of Family paper - Essay Example On the other hand, the extended family includes all immediate relatives. Significant inclusions in this family setting are the grandparents. Grandparents in this case are on top of the family tree. In a research carried out in 1996, fourteen percent of all children lived in extended families (Friedman, Bowden and Jones, 2003. Pp. 22). Regardless of what setting families share, they remain the best setting individual posses in the society. The family is viewed as the center of all the relationship created in the social setting. According to Friedman, Bowden and Jones (2003), parents are viewed as the providers (pp. 53). The author further argues that the relationships formed in the family setting come naturally. These relationships have assurance on commitment and honor. Researches on family relationships have pointed out that families provide individuals with more than just a relationship. They also provide a unit of companionship and support. It is proven that many people believe th at the strongest bonds in life are created from family settings. An individual living without the family bond does not have required relationship bond in the society. Different families have different ways in which they bond with one another. One common way in which such moments are shared is through sharing of meals and holidays. Sharing of meals in a family setting is viewed as a way of keeping in track with everyone’s life in the family. Meal times are used to strengthen bonds in the family since people get to know about each other. The healing process during family meal times is the most inspiring healing process. In case of any problem which a family member has incurred during the day, they have a time to put it across and receive advice or solutions. The most significant way of creating strong bonds in any form of relationships is solving each other’s problems. To me this is the most important function of a family. A family should not be a unit of formal relation ship but a unit which provides guidelines to all its members. Solving problems in a family setting can be termed as the best therapy anyone can have. Apart from counseling sessions, family meal times are characterized by the sharing of memorable moments that strengthen the relationship between members. Meal times are viewed as an activity which family members carry out together. Spending time on holidays brings out the moments that have a significant impact on the strengthening of family circles. Holidays with family members provide with the best memories I hold to date. Family holidays also play major roles in strengthening the bonds in family. Family holidays produce as well comfortable environments in which people can relate more to each other. Holidays away from the normal social setting bring out the serenity and calmness one needs. This scenario is made more comfortable when one spends it with family members. A family that usually has more than two holidays annually have stron g relationships compared to other families that do not have or spend fewer holidays together. My other view on a family is the issue on proper division of labor. In the division of labor there should be an inclusion of team work. In the division of labor, fathers are usually required to take on the most challenging tasks and majority provisions to the families needs. As much this is viewed as a duty, most fathers appreciate this gesture and view it as a form of respect from other family members.

Week 7 posts 6330 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 7 posts 6330 - Assignment Example The fact that its goal is to educate the students shows that there is focus to the beneficiaries. The evaluation of the relationships at home and the workplace is important since these two are closely related. The post regarding the evaluation model you chose to educate registered nurses in the local hospice was very interesting. I support the fact that the hierarchical model you chose is useful in that it uses multiple aspects to form the evaluation. These aspects include the process, outcome, content, impact, and the program as a whole (Keating, 2011). The only proposal is to look for a wide range of feedback mechanisms to improve the efficiency of the evaluation. The formative evaluation model you chose is very impressive. This is because of the ready availability of the tools to measure input, processes, support systems and outcomes (Keating, 2011). The use of an accrediting agency review to improve this program quality increases its efficiency. This is good in that it helps to recruit the right faculty, and student

Operationalizing New Service Concept in Pre-Existing Fast Food Chain Essay

Operationalizing New Service Concept in Pre-Existing Fast Food Chain of Restaurants - Essay Example Introduction 4 2. Background 5 3. Literature Review 5 4. Designing New Service Concept and Service Innovation 6 5. Research 6 6. Service Recovery Design 7 7. Recommendations 8 8. Service Strategy 10 9. Conclusion 10 10. References 12 1. Introduction Customers are significant for every business , however, for fast food companies , which offer food which are perishable, it is very important to retain customer, create customer loyalty and regulate customers to survive in the increasingly competitive environment, which has been elevated through the globalization of fast food chains. Brink and Berndt (2004) found that many companies spent a lot of their efforts, money and time to recruit new customers but a few companies took appropriate steps to retain customer and customer loyally. In 2011, the total revenue generated by Italian fast food market was $2.1 billion, which represents a negative annual rate from 2007 to 2011. The demand for fast food was high till 2007 and the market perform ance also reduced during this time period. The market volume in fast food is classed as the number of visits the customer makes to the same fast food restaurant. Fast food restaurant market can be broken down into- Take Away Quick Service restaurant Mobile Food Street The fast food restaurant at the leisure locations The fast food chains meet new competitors in the market and customer relationship is the marketing purpose which can keep customers from going to the competitors (Ramakrishnan, 2006). Customer retention is the method which helps to keep customers actively involved with the firm through optimal allocation of resources (Kotelnikov, 2006). Six economic benefits of customer retention as outlined by Brink and Berndt (2004)- It reduces the cost of customer acquisition and customer replacement. It guarantees base profits as the customers may follow the minimum spend for a time period. It promotes increased customer revenue. It reduces the overall operating costs as the compani es spread the costs over many customers. It provides easy referral to new customers from the pre-existing customers and the customer can be charged premium price as they do not wait for discounts or price reductions. 2. Background The Italian restaurant operates a chain of 26 full-service restaurants close to shopping malls and high streets. The restaurant is known for excellent service and high quality Italian cuisine. The restaurant is looking for expansion opportunities and the management wants to launch new chain which will have following features 1. Low cost food 2. Limited menu The main issue is that the new outlets may lead to poor customer experience which can tarnish the image of the well established restaurant brand. Regardless of what the service industry perceive about their service and customers, the service should function for customers properly. It should be as per the perceived notion of service by the customer, even if in case, the customers have not experienced it previously (Johnston and Clark, 2001). Through word-of-mouth customer have a perceived imagination of the type of service, and during and after the service delivery the service should meet customers’ expectations related to the duration, notion and flexibility provided. Every organisation should focus on delivering the service concept. The paper explains how service concept is the key driver in service design decision at various

Reviewing The Adventures of an IT Leader Assignment

Reviewing The Adventures of an IT Leader - Assignment Example In businesses, management of relationships with competitors, rivals, suppliers, and customers can only be achieved when the business is going on the right track and emerging technologies are being scanned and analyzed. Updating systems and being up-to-date with the new technologies must be the first priority of every IT manager. Sometimes, other business managers fail to understand these meetings and problems as they fail to understand the technical terms and their importance. Whether the IT department receives any attention or not, they must spend a reasonable time to scan the emerging technologies and analyze them for their systems. Sometimes systems are automatically updated and sometimes they need to be updated to utilize certain features. These emerging technologies must be scanned and applied before the business goes into deeper challenges. The first question that Rubens asks regarding the blog entry about the June outage is what has to be done about it. The blog entry is made by a blogger who described the day when all systems in IVK went down for a while. This was bad for the business and managers were looking to the IT manager for answers of how this happened. Such blog entries are made on the internet and they were accessible to everyone. Removing it wasn’t an option as it has already been posted and someone must have the copy (Austin, Nolan & O’Donnell, 2009). Blogs are not even undoable. Thus, for this blog, it was better to leave it as it is and be careful for future blogs. The blog entry hadn’t caused harm to anyone in this firm but such blogs may cause negative consequences to other firms. Every business must have policies to protect the inside information of the company from being publicized. Viruses and hacking are two major problems within the IT field that make it difficult for businesses to maintain their policies. Ruben asks his team about the general policies that should be implemented to prevent such inside

Importance of Uniforms in Schools Speech or Presentation

Importance of Uniforms in Schools - Speech or Presentation Example Brunsma and Rockquemore (54) define school uniform by arguing that clothing would be considered uniform if it sufficed as an emblem of a group, suppressed individuality and demonstrated the legitimacy of an institution by revealing the relative positions of individuals. Studies by Brunsma and Rockquemore back the argument that school uniforms improve behavior among both the female and male students (53). These studies indicate that suspensions from schools reduce drastically with adoption of school uniforms and in cases where an increase would be recorded, infractions of school uniform regulations could be the outright cause and not other forms of indiscipline. This suggests that the behavior of students shifts towards less severe infractions. In Norfolk, Ruffner Middle School recorded a 42% decrease in referrals related to discipline following the introduction of uniforms. The improved discipline in students translates to improved academic achievement. Research on elementary student s to ascertain this hypothesis deduced a 10% improvement on test scores after adoption of school uniforms with 0.05 standard deviations. ... Without uniforms, clothing could distract students especially the teenagers known to dress to be noticed by others. Holtz reported that teenage students would put on â€Å"shirts that comment on reasons not to do homework, may be associated with gang colors and symbols or expose too much skin† hence causing distraction to other students. Too much time would be spent on dressing up to impress others at the expense of concentrating on academic work. Standardized clothing would ensure that all students are at the same level hence no one would stand out to distract others. It builds team spirit and the desire for good ambassadorship hence promoting healthy academic competition among students from different schools (Stafford and Wade 416). Brunsma and Rockquemore (54) argue that if uniforms socially control the behavior of students, students in uniforms would therefore portray behaviors consistent with the goals of their respective schools. School uniforms make it easier to identif y unauthorized visitors thus preventing use of insignia and gang colors, which in turn reduces theft with students no longer having to bring along expensive clothing to school. These authors give the example of the effectiveness of school uniforms for safety of students in gang plagued areas in Los Angeles where putting on some colors could set off fights. The Long Beach School District also noted 50% decrease in muggings and fights and 74% decrease in sexual offences with the introduction of school uniforms (Brunsma and Rockquemore 54). Being a sign of group membership, school uniforms would signal those outside the school membership. Indeed, the argument on

Does it seem as though parenting values have changed Essay

Does it seem as though parenting values have changed - Essay Example With the modern technology, many books on parenting, an individual may expect parenting now to be much better and easier compared to fifty years ago. The kind of society where confusion and all manner of immorality exist among parents and children, leave people wondering whether the parenting values have also positively changed with the changing world. In order to instill values in a child, the parents have to be the example to their children but what is happening in the society currently proves the opposite. This trend emerged greatly after the Second World War. With modernity and economical strains, most parents work day and night to provide for their children material needs and forgetting the most important aspect of parenting which involves instilling values. Absentee parents can have negative impacts on their children (Raiford, web). An ever-absent parent cannot instill discipline or values such as respect for others in a child. Most research show that parent’s absenteeis m can even lead to psychological trauma in children, which may extend to adulthood. Any child or person with psychological problems may develop some behaviors that are not admirable in any society set up such as a careless attitude towards life (Raiford, web). According to statistics, there have been an increasing number of divorce cases across the nation. Divorce cases where children are involved rather expose the kind of irresponsibility and lack of parental values among parents in the society. Divorcing especially when the children are still young will always have a negative impact on the children’s well being. Research show that children raised by single parents suffer emotionally and may develop certain habits to adulthood. It is quite evident that most parents no longer know what they want for their children in future and fail to consider the welfare of their children before divorcing. Being together as a family is important in the development of children and building s trong personality in these children (Chambers, 55). It is upon parents to know the values they want their children to acquire and it is upon them to instill these values (Reasoner and Marilyn, 4). Parents who consider divorce without concrete reasons seem to have lost or changed the meaning of parental values. The increased immorality among our teenagers raises alarms and leaves people wondering if by any chance parental values still exist in the modern world. Teenage alcoholism and smoking are common phenomenon among American children even though it may have serious health repercussions. Researchers have blamed the problem on parents. It is upon the parents to guide their children towards making the right choices in life. Making the right choices is a value that a parent can only instill in a child if they were the example. For instance, with alcoholic parents, there are high chances of a child picking the habit from the parents since children are greatly influenced by nature of th e family set up. According to Jacob, adolescent children and adults tend to have similar drinking patterns with their parents (205). It is a fact that children with alcoholic or smoking parents do pick the habits at a tender age. In the early days, high school and birthday parties were occasions where age mate met to discuss and share their experiences but today it is the exact opposite. Children become adults in such parties drinking and smoking themselves even to a point of death. It is with no doubt

Industry analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Industry analysis - Essay Example The forces have profound impact on the industry and on the organization. The global economic recession will affect both the national economies and the organization. The consumers' disposable income will be reduced. The weak economy negatively affected software sales, increasing pressure on software firms' gross margins. This means that higher marketing and operational capabilities should be more important than R&D capabilities i.e. the ability to rapidly innovate. The technological environment consists of the skills and equipment used in design, production and distribution. R&D capabilities are thought to be particularly important in software industry. In this industry,being first to market is often essential to becoming the de facto standard. Given the rapid rate of change in the software industry, we would expect that firms having higher R&D capabilities would have a distinct advantage (Slaughter & Shanling & Shang, 2006). The demographic forces result from changes in the nature, composition and diversity of a population. More and more households use the Internet. The baby boomers age i.e. people that are over 54 are interested in using a computer.The education and entertainment software segment is growing very quickly (U.S. Department of Labor, 2006). On the business side, computer networks are pop... The trend in business customers is to have their data accessible, secure and private. On the other hand, the task environment includes immediate persons involved in producing, distributing and promoting the offering and therefore it includes internal and external factors that are influenced by the general environment. The task environment forces are suppliers, distributors, customers and competitors. The suppliers provide organization with inputs. The managers of the organization need to secure reliable input sources. The suppliers provide raw materials, components and even labor. In the case of the software industry the suppliers provide mainly components and service. It can be hard to work with suppliers' shortages and lack of substitutes. Suppliers who are in a good bargaining position are those that possess scarce items so they can raise the price. Managers' preference is to have many similar suppliers of each item. The distributors are organizations that help others to sell goods. Microsoft, which is a leader of the software industry, uses mainly wholesalers for selling its products to the SOHO market whereas Microsoft sells directly to the large customers. The distributors can threaten not to carry your product unless a strong brand name is established as it is in Microsoft's case whereas the actual power is in the hands of the producer. Customers are the people who buy the goods. For Microsoft, there are business, home and government buyers. The competitors are other organizations that produce similar goods. The most serious force facing managers is the rivalry between competitors. High levels of rivalry often means lower prices and profits become hard to find. Software industry is characterized by intense rivalry but due to the fact that the R&D

In the book, The Descendants, what roles does stress play in their Essay

In the book, The Descendants, what roles does stress play in their lives Describe 3 stressful situations that Matt King, Alex - Essay Example One of stress is that her wife Elizabeth is so sick and is in a coma. For this reason he claims, â€Å"I am a the backup Parent†. Elizabeth had written a will that she be left to die in peace. This forces Matt to remove her wife from the life-supporting machine. Secondly, her daughter Alex reveals to him that her wife Elizabeth was having an affair with Brian. This stresses Matt so much that he finally confronts Brain and asks him about the secret affair. ‘Nothing is ever a woman’s fault!’ he snarls, defiantly. It also pains him to realize that his wife did not love him and had planned to leave him earlier even before the accident. The third stress that challenges Matt is the family land. Most of the owners of the landowners who are Matt’s cousin want the land to be sold. However, Matt does not want the land to be sold. He tells his cousins that he does not worry about their threats to make the matter a legal case. He then says, "I think paradise can go fuck itself." These challenges influences Matt’s life and for this reason he blames his wife for destroying his family. However, he finally agrees to forgive her wife and kisses her goodbye (Philip French). Matt solves his problems by forgiving his wife and kisses her goodbye. He also decides not to sell their ancestral land because this land means a lot to them. Moreover, the land values so less hence, the best solution is to keep it. Alex is Matt’s first daughter. ... She asks her father, â€Å"mom was cheating on you†? This caused a rife between the mother and daughter in this film. Another challenge is that Alex is a flirtatious beauty queen. She is obsessed with speed sports on land and water and their daughters. She is also a heavy drinker and drug abusing. She is very rebellious, intellectually precocious, foul mouthed and semi-delinquent. These are all bad habits that are stressing Alex. Alex fails to solve most her problems but she decides to forgive her mother. She also decides to forgive his father and live with his father but she does not stop her disastrous life style. She tells her father, â€Å" am really doing well dad†. Even though Alex is a drunk, she manages to stick with his dad and this enables her to keep her boyfriend is closer to his father, which solves the problem. Most of the time the father reasoned with Alexander’s boyfriend and asked him to take care of Alex. Scottie is a 10-year-old girl. She is Ma tt’s daughter. Her first problem is that her mother is so sick and is in a coma. At her age, it is so painful to realize that her mother will soon die after making her will that she dies in peace. It is painful for Scottie to see her mother die after the accident. Scottie is also the person who reveals to his father that her mother was having an affair. This is also quite a problem for Scottie to realize that her mother was not in love with his father and had plans of deserting his father for his lover Brian. Scottie is having a problem of parenting. She only has one sister whom she admires but the sister Alex is ill mannered. Interestingly, Scottie develops the bad manners that Alex has acquired. In one of the instances in the movie, Scottie is shown dancing provocatively in front of the swimming pool

In the following text Essay Example for Free

In the following text Essay I think she does not want the light on her because it is exposing the truth. In the following stage direction when she wants to have another tumbler of whiskey, you can see that she is very nervous, hysterical mentally unstable: [She rushes to the closet and removes the bottle; she is shaking all over and panting for breath as she tries to laugh. The bottle nearly slips from her grasp. ] She lies to her sister when she seeks the bottle of whiskey, because she knows where it is. As Blanche speaks, she reveals her unsettled emotional state. In just a brief dialogue with her sister, Blanche expresses affection, shock, modesty, concern for Stella, vanity, resentment and uncertainty about herself. While almost every sentence reveals another dimension of Blanches inner turbulence, the dialogue also illustrates the relationship between the sisters. She treats Stella in a patronising way and is domineering. Stella says in the text to Blanche: You never did give me a chance to say much, Blanche. So I just got in the habit of being quiet around you. In the first scene, we get to know that Blanche works as a teacher. She explains that she has suffered a nervous breakdown and has therefore taken a leave from her teaching job in the middle of the term. Here she presented as the burnt out teacher, but you can notice that she is lying when she says that to her sister, because of her strange behaviour: [Nervously tamping cigarette], [She drinks quickly. ] These actions are meant to cover up this lie. She is dishonest. The truth is that she had sex with a 17-year-old boy of her class, but that is not revealed in this scene. Blanche then disparages Stellas messy apartment. She cannot believe that she has only two rooms. Blanche wants to maintain her Southern way of life and behaves like this. Also she reproaches Stella for gaining so much weight. Blanche does not know that she is pregnant. Blanche comes across as a frivolous, hysterical, insensitive, and self-obsessed individual as she derides her sisters lesser social status. In the following quotation you can see again that Blanche is very bossy and plays the big, domineering sister: You hear me? I said stand up! You messy child, you, youve spilt something on that pretty white lace collar! About your hair- you ought to have it cut in a feather bob with your dainty features On the other hand Blanche wants to be ensured that she is looking very well. She is fishing for compliments: I want you to look at my figure! [She turns around. ] You know I havent put on one ounce in ten years, Stella? You can see that Blanche has lots of thoughts about the way she looks like. She recognizes that she is getting older. You see I still have that awful vanity about my looks even now that my looks are slipping! In my opinion, that is also a reason, why she does not want to be seen in the light. Now there is a point in scene one where you are informed about Blanches loneliness. She tells Stella the following: I want to be near by you, got to be with somebody, I cant be alone! Because as you must have noticed Im not very well. This quotation shows aswell that she is aware of her mental state. Stella notices that she is nervous and overwrought. Blanche worries about whether Stanley will like her but also she does not speak well about him. He is not the type of man she is accustomed to. I think Stella already knows that Stanley and Blanche are not going to get along. They come from two different worlds. Blanche is posh and a descendant of a rich, aristocratic family. He is not the type of man they went out with at home, because of his civilian background. Blanche now turns the conversation to news of their home. She tries to tell Stella that Belle Reve is lost. Therefore she uses a very dramatic and emotional language. She has frightened of Stella as she could be reproaching her for this. The entire burden descended on Blanches shoulders, because Stella left Belle Reve after the death of their father. Blanche has suffered trough the deaths of all her relatives, save Stella, and the loss of her home and old way of life. I, I, I took the blows in my face and my body! All of those deaths! The long parade to the graveyard! Father, mother! Margaret, that dreadful way! Every death had to be paid for with a little piece of Belle Reve, and gradually the place just slipped away through Blanches fingers. More shocked than angry, Stella says nothing. Blanche thinks that Stella doubts the story and cruelly lashes out at her sister: Yes, accuse me! Sit there and stare at me, thinking I let the place go! I let the place go? Where were you. In bed with your Polack! Blanches attack on Stella suggests the intensity of her feelings about the loss. On the other hand, she could be covering up the facts, possibly to protect herself, possibly because she cant face the truth. Unable to accept responsibility, she may be casting blame on the dead people in her family and ultimately on her little sister, all characters, take note, without the capacity to defend themselves. Blanch has suffered terribly. Loneliness and desire are integral to her being. She chose the harsh road of staying at Belle Reve to care for the dying, and she has suffered because of it. For many years, she was a delicate young woman who lived alone in house full of the terminally ill. When Stella runs to the bathroom in tears, Stanley returns from bowling. This is the first encounter between him and Blanche. He asks her a lot of questions. Finally, when Stanley asks her about her marriage, Blanche cannot talk about it with him. The only thing she said: The boy the boy died. [She sinks back down. ] Im afraid Im going to be sick! [Her head falls on her arms. ] It seems that the subject is too painful for her or that she has something to hide. But at this point we know that she was married. She must have been very young, because she is talking of a boy. It is a very dramatic ending.

Long Term And Short Time Orientation English Language Essay

Long Term And Short Time Orientation English Language Essay This time, the manager from Uzbekistan is heading to Malaysia, to the beautiful country of forests and mountains, located in southeast Asia. Malaysia is a very interesting country that combines the features of the West and East cultures, it uses the development system of the Western culture, but at the same time, remains the traditions of the East. The people, who live there, Malaysians, are really proud of their country, their history and their culture. The formation of the Malay culture was influenced by many nations in the past, including local inhabitants, Malays who moved there, Chinese and Indian traders and, of course, the British colonizers. Even now the Malaysia is a multicultural country, where people of different nations live and cooperate together, especially Malays, Chinese, Indians and Eurasians. The unity is also supported in Malaysias motto, which is directly translated as Unity is Strength. The Malaysian constitution proposes the freedom of religion, nevertheless, it has clearly stated that the Islam is the main state religion and Malay is the main language. British influence can be observed in Malaysias governance as Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy with a king as a head of state, the Malay constitution is also based on English Law. Hofstedes framework Lets look at the Malaysia in the framework of the Hofstedes model, which measures such cultural dimensions as the power distance, individualism and collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity and femininity, long-term and short-term orientations. Power distance According to Hofstede G.(n.d.), power distance is the degree, by which the society tolerates the inequality of power and authority and the division on social stratas. The statistics from Hofstede G.[n.d.] show that Malaysia has a very high score of 104 in power distance index, which means that inequality of people is encouraged in this country, there is a strong hierarchy and every person has his own place. In the organizations, boss or manager is the source of power and his decisions are right like the law, so they must be performed by lower ranking employees without any challenges. Anyway, lower ranking employees always expect to be told what they should do. In addition, it means that contact with the boss can be achieved only through the command line. Referring to Ismail Z.(n.d) , survey showed that 69,4% of Malaysian managers use the sensing-judging style or tell style of communication with their subordinates, they always control and tell employees what to do. Individualism and collectivism Further dimension, individualism and collectivism, as it can be understood, refers to how people are treated in the culture as an individual person or they tend to belong to a certain groups, in other words, do people say I or we about themselves. The statistics from Hofstede G.(n.d) show 26 low score in individualism, which means that collectivism is more developed in Malaysia. People belong to a certain groups and there is a strong relationship between the group members, so that the group members take care of each other. Success is considered to be the result of the group work performance. The individual person who doesnt belong to any group isnt respected. Oluwabusuyi I.(2011) notes that there are lots of Malay proverbs promoting collectivism and here are few: A heavy load should be borne together as well as a light load ,As a bamboo conduit makes a round jet of water, so taking counsel together rounds men to one mind. Uncertainty avoidance The third dimension is uncertainty avoidance referring to White J.(2012), which shows the degree by which cultures are afraid of uncertainty and try to avoid it. Again the statistics from Hofstede G.(n.d) shows 36 index, meaning that Malay culture is more tolerate towards uncertainty. While USA tries to control the uncertainty by rules or actions to minimize it, the Malay culture dont have rules against uncertainty and they just let it be the way it is. Masculinity and femininity The next dimension is masculinity and femininity, which describes the main cultural traits of society. This time, referring to Hofstede G.(n.d) Malaysia has 50, which means that it has features of both masculine and feminine cultures. Masculinity can be seen in placing male traits such as competitiveness, power and success as the main cultural values, whereas, for feminine cultures the important values are the life quality and relationships. Most Malaysians work very hard in order to be successful, and, as a collectivistic culture, they also dont forget about importance of maintaining good relationship within the group, consequently, Malays combine both in the workplace. Long-term and short-time orientation Finally, I am pretty sure that Malays as a people, who tend to have relaxed time nature and who value the strong relationships and success, would prefer long-term orientations as only long period of time can help to achieve success and strong relationships. In addition, White J.(2012) states that Malaysians do not rely on the short term goals but rather they focus on long term goals to be achieved which make them one of the developing nations of the world. Halls model Now we will find out the communication style of Malays using the Halls framework, which proposes that there are high-context and low-context communication cultures. I would surely state that Malays are the high-context communication culture. This decision is right with accordance to Salleh L.(2005), which clarifies that high-context communication cultures build close relationships, they use indirect messages and analogous language, and they widely use non-verbal messages in the communication. Close Relationships Malays tend to build close relationships during communication. Malays are very hospitable, they always welcome their guests serving them with their traditional food and drinks. This tradition has been also used now in business meetings. The main intention here is to create a comfortable atmosphere for communication. Salleh L.(2005) notes that even during meetings, Malays firstly try to build the relationship with his partner asking him a lot of personal questions. Only after that, the partners get to the business. Indirect messages Further, Malays are comfortable to use indirect messages. They talk around things and leave the message to be understood by the interpreter. For example, instead of telling the friend directly: I need the ride to home, they say: Oh I am so tired and I need to go home on bus, expecting the message to be interpreted as a desire to get a ride. Salleh L.(2005) describes that in Malay culture, due to the mutual respect, it is impolite to tell straightly the desire as it sounds demanding, moreover, it is impolite to express negative feelings directly or to say no. Non-verbal language Thirdly, Malays use the non-verbal messages more in their communication, because their language contains less verbal information, as a result, the Malay interpreter is more sensitive to non-verbal language. For example, Sellah L.(2005) illustrates that in Malay culture, if the boy acts impolitely by interrupting elders, the long-lasting look of parents is understood by the boy as a sign that he was rude, whereas in USA culture, the boy may just think that parents are listening attentively. Analogous language According to Sellah L.(2005), Malay language is more analogous. One word in Malay language has several meanings at the same time. For example, Sellah L.(2005) indicates that the word beri that is translated as give has 12 meanings in the English language. These 4 factors surely demonstrate that Malays belong to high-context communication culture. Laurents model Laurent has conducted a global research in order to compare the managerial styles in different countries. Managers authority The first interested question was to know the spread of the managers authority outside of the organization in different countries. In my opinion, as Malaysia has a very high power distance, I am pretty sure that Malay managers are autocrats within the organization as well as in the society. Due to the collectivistic culture, either manager is an autocrat in the group of company employees or more likely he belongs to the higher ranking group of managers. Bypassing hierarchy Secondly, Laurent was interested in finding whether the employees are able to bypass the hierarchy for a benefit of effective work or not. Weir D.(n.d.) reports that one of the Asian countries, China, has 66% of disagreement in bypassing the hierarchy. Ismail Z.(n.d.) found that the Malay managers are the same as Chinese managers in their value systems. In Malaysia, the power distance is very high, so the bypassing is not appreciated, moreover, it is the sign of disrespect of authority. Manager is an expert Thirdly, Laurent wanted to know is it important for managers to know answers on all work-related questions. Weir D.(n.d.) asserts that Asian countries show the highest scores for this statement, agreeing that the manager should be an expert in the organization. I think it happens because mostly, in Asian companies, people begin their career from the very beginning, getting promotion with time and expertise. So, as a manager who has experienced everything in the organization, it is important to know answers on all work-related questions. Therefore, the employees there cant become managers until they improve their knowledge to perfect. The manager who doesnt know the answer loses his face. Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck culture Now it is time to focus on Kluckhohn and Stodtbecks cultural theories which will help us to determine the value orientations of Malays. There are six values to identify, they are the relationship with nature, time orientation, human nature, behavior, relationship with others and spatial usage. Harmony with nature According to Ismail Z.(n.d.), Malays live in harmony with nature. It means that Malays coexist with the nature in balance like it is proposed in Feng Shui. That is why there are still lots of forests in the Malaysia, indexMundi(2011) reports that 62,3 % of Malaysian area is still covered by forest. However, harmony also implies the partial usage of nature resources, otherwise, the furniture company couldnt operate without the supply of woods. Time orientation Secondly, Ismail Z.(n.d.) states that the Malay culture focuses mostly on future in time orientation. This implies focusing on long-term goals and planning strategies to accomplish the future achievements. However, Malays also believe that changes in present leads to the success in future. People nature Thirdly, Ismail Z.(n.d.) determines that Malays view their peoples nature as neutral they think there are good people as well as bad people with reference to ying-yang . Malays trust each other, but they also dont forget about being careful. For example, according to Bosrock M.(2012), for Malays, the trust in partner is more important than the written contract, that is why the Malay may ask to repeat spoken business terms, but anyway signs contract for safety. Behavior Further, Ismael Z.(n.d.) informs us that Malays behavior style is being. Being is all about our internal motives to do something that we value or enjoying our lives. Relationship with others Then, due to the combination of the high power index and collectivism, the Malays are subject to hierarchical relation to others in society. In other words, people belong to groups, but depending on his social status. For example, higher ranking executives would belong to elite group of high ranking employees. Spatial usage Finally, of course as a collectivistic culture, Malays prefer public spatial usage over private. Malays as a collective workers are used to public spaces. In my opinion, it would be the big room with the big table, where everybody could sit face-to-face in order to work together. Trompenaars model Finally, we got to the Trompenaars model of cultural analysis, where we will distinguish between universalism and particularism, neutral and affective relationships, specific and diffuse relationships, achievement and ascription, sequential and synchronous time approaches, internal and external controls. Particularism vs Universalism According to via-web.de(2012), Asian countries have particularism tendencies, therefore, the relationship is the determinant of what practices should be applied. For example, before thinking of business, Malays firstly build the relationship with their partner. Depending on level of trust and relationship gained, the terms of agreements may change several times. For Malays even the spoken contract terms are more crucial than those of written. Neutral vs Affective White J.(2012) writes that Malaysian culture is very neutral, which means that people there control their emotions. They dont show their thoughts and feelings. They try to orient more on reasons than on emotions to act upon. This happened due to the impact of the Asian culture, where respect to other people is emphasized through being neutral in feelings and calm. Diffuse vs Special Thirdly, with reference to SCIE(1999) , it is clear that most East Asian cultures tend to have diffuse relationships, where their relationship also spreads beyond the workplace. As a collectivism is developed in Malay, the new employees who enters the organization, also belongs to the company team, which means that he is interdependent on the group even beyond the office. Achievement vs Ascription The ascription is more practiced in Malaysia, because of the hierarchy and respect to elders. The statuses are given depending on the age and authority. The following words from Bosrock M.(2012) surely prove my words: Malays judge people by who they are rather than what they do. Sequential vs Synchronous Malay attitude towards time is synchronous, according to MindTools,(2012), they see past, present and future as interwoven, and therefore their view of time is flexible. For example, Salleh L.(2005) illustrates that even on Malay weddings flexible time scheduling can be observed, even if the wedding was announced to be held at afternoon, the guests were coming after twelve and even few in the evenings. Internal vs External Malays as people, who are Muslims, believe in external locus of control or or in fatalism with reference to White J.(2012). Fatalism is the strong believe that everything happening good as well as bad is happening by the will of the God, as a result, religious believers are driven by feelings combined with their religious faith. Recommendations: For Uzbek manager, high hierarchy situation would be beneficial because the employees would perform everything told without a doubt, although manager should be active and thoughtful as he is the only decision maker, excluding the boss. Also, if the manager would have a boss, he is strongly recommended not to challenge his decisions. The manager should keep in mind that, in Malaysia, where the collectivism is high, he is going to manage not individuals, but the groups. The performance of the groups is more effective than of individuals, if managed well. As the collectivism is encouraged, also it is advisable for manager to head to Malaysia in groups beforehand or to enter the company group in order to be respected. Uzbek manager should be careful with decisions, because it is risky and difficult to make right decisions in such uncertainty atmosphere as it is found in Malaysia, especially if he hadnt lived there before. The combination of masculinity and femininity allows male as well as female manager to be sent there. Also, it means that manager should not only focus on succeeding on masculine values, but also he should make relationships with other managers, as in such culture belonging to group plays an important role. Due to the long-term orientation, manager should be focused on improving performance and planning strategies in the long-run. According to Salleh L.(2005), Malays have strong feelings of hospitality, therefore they serve their guests with snacks and drinks. Moreover, this tradition is now being used in business meetings. In that case, our manager should at least try the servings to show respect against the partner. However, Its only the beginning, as this process creates an atmosphere for communication. According to Bosrock M.(2012), before getting down to business, Malays tend to involve the partner into a very long conversation with a lot of personal questions in order to build a trust and relationship, so, I would advise our manager to be patient. Bosrock M.(2012) claims that Malay businessmen may try to renegotiate even after drafted written contract is concluded, it happens because spoken contract terms are more important for Malays than written ones, therefore as a manager, be ready for it. In addition, Malay businessmen will insist on concessions, but wont give up something in exchange, therefore plan several meetings beforehand. Salleh L.(2005) states that expressing the desire and negative feelings is impolite for Malays, therefore as a high-context communication culture, they will be sending indirect messages and using non-verbal signals a lot. For our manager, it means that he should be more sensitive towards the expressed words searching for their hidden context and pay more attention to the non-verbal signals as they will help to decode the context more accurately. Dont bypass the hierarchy in Malaysia, you will lose your face. According to Weir D.(n.d.), in Asian countries, the manager should be able to answer to any work-related question of the employee. If he couldnt answer, he loses his face, therefore, I advise our manager to be experienced, knowledgeable and to research on everything about companys operations. My personal suggestion is to be ready to the change in the work atmosphere, as I am pretty sure that the group work of Malays will be conducted in one room, where it would be noisy and all people would be sitting face-to face and discussing everything together. White J.(2012) claims that Malays judge person by who he is, therefore, the manager should be chosen appropriately by age, gender, background, family, previous status and so on. I would suggest that he should be a very experienced and knowledgeable senior manager, preferably male, with a diploma from a famous university and with work experience in most powerful companies, in addition he should be from well-bred family, and also the important thing is that he should be powerful and from the high social strata. Keep in mind that Malays have flexible time nature, so dont be angry if he comes late, however, according to Wikia(2012), if you are hosting an event you should be punctual. With regard to Wikia (2012), left hands and feet is considered as dirty, therefore never use your left hand or legs to do something. However, business cards taken with both hands are the sign of respect. In addition, carefully examine the taken card as it is very respectful. Backpacking-tips-asia (2012),Malays are so polite that they cant say no , so dont be too trustful with yes answers. Avoid making meetings on Friday as it is the religious day and Muslims go to the mosque. If you want to invite to a dinner, keep in mind that they dont eat pork and dont drink alcohol; in addition they eat Halal food. If someone gives you a gift, you should give something of the same value in exchange or invite somewhere, in addition, I would advise not to open the gift in the presence of gift presenter. Remove the shoes before entering someones house Backpacking-tips-asia(2012) notes that, if someone invites you, bring a gift but avoid wrapping it in white, blue or black as they symbolize death, also yellow too as it is a royal color. If you want to visit mosque, wear long clothing and cover your head. According to Bosrock M.(2012), pointing with a finger is insult, keeping the hands in pocket is anger and hitting fist into cupped hand is obscene, in addition, it is not allowed to touch someones head as head is considered as the home of the soul, so dont do all this. Kwintessential(2012) states the the family is considered as the centre of the social structure, that is why elders should be always respected, and it is not allowed to smoke near to them. When introducing, you should first introduce senior or higher-ranking executives and women first According to Kwistessentials(2012), the concept of face is different in Malaysia as it is the indicative of good name, characters and reputation of the generations. And you can easily lose your face if you criticize, disagree or insult someone; if you earn shame to your group; if you challenge an authority; if you deny a request or dont keep your promise. It is also told that, face can be saved by keeping yourself calm. Dont smile as it has several good as well as bad meanings. There are lots of rooms for prayers in the streets, so dont mess them up with restrooms. To greet a person you should lightly touch someones both hands and then bring your right hand to your chest and say Salam. Handshake with women is not allowed, until she offers it first. Just in case, simple smile and nodding is enough as a greeting. Thorough analytical research of Malaysia has showed that Malaysia has a very unique culture. Before this research, I was thinking that all Asian cultures are similar, but now I have seen a lot cultural values and customs that differ from ours. Many traditions and customs were so entertaining and interesting to observe. Anyway, in my opinion, there are things that cannot be illustrated by any paper and one of such thing is culture, which can be observed only practically through living side-by-side with the culture representatives. I wish good luck and success to our manager in Malaysia.

What Happens When We Die Religion Essay

What Happens When We Die Religion Essay Death is an issue that we all face no matter what our personal beliefs are so What Happens When We Die?, is one of the greatest questions of life. Generally we are very reluctant to think of our own expiry. Death is a great equaliser and no matter what or whom you are in life, eventually we all have to face the reality of dying. Is death the end of our consciousness and existence? In spite of hundreds years of research, Science cannot prove when or where life began. Researchers have found that the human nervous system and brain operate largely through electrical impulses. The brain requires blood and oxygen to function, when breathing, if our blood circulation is impaired, the brain simply does not function or ceases completely. Humans are a complex structure composed of many co-operating interactions within our bodies. We have a desire to understand and influence, search for explanations through our natural curiosity and yet, we are so preoccupied with the everyday concerns of our lives that death is pushed into the background until we have to face it through the loss of a loved one. Our thoughts turn to their demise and we decide whether we believe they are gone to a better pace, is there a better life after death, does death bring a new life, are our departed loved ones sleeping and awaiting reawakening, or does death signify nonexistence .(Atheist). The sheer grief and pain of death, the loss of a loved one causes suffering for those left behind. We carry out an array of customs during the burial of our dead, we commemorate them in memory of their lives as mankind has a need to go through a ritual in order to try to understand what happens when we die. Is it normal to want a future life after death or is death necessary as our limited world cannot conceivably harbinger all life eternally? We question What is Death? What is life? Is death a simple and definable end to life? Where does our spirit go when the bond between our material body is dissolved? Is death permanent? We wonder whether upon death when our physical body disintegrates what happens to our soul?. If we do return, do humans have the ability carry memories of past events into their present life?. Our attempts to understand death generate fear, controversy, self-questioning and rationalisation. In every culture when a loved one dies ceremonies are held by family and friends to reminisce about the dead. Universally, although cultures differ, praying plays a highly important part during the death ceremony. The finality of death is frightening and humankind have dealt with their loss since the beginning of time through ceremonies which us to get through what we dont understand. Death has been depicted by macabre images such as the Grim Reaper coming to take away a persons soul. The scythe is a symbol that he reaps the soul of both saints and sinner alike; The Harvest of Souls. Physical death is the Bottom of Form 1 cessation of bodily functions, when your heart stops beating, your brain stops to function and you stop breathing. It is also the severing of the connection between our spirit from our physical body and when consciousness finally leaves our human form to go to the next life. The mind or soul is not a physical part of our bodies, it is formless and a separate entity from our human body form. Questions are raised upon death; when the body disintegrates at death does our consciousness cease? This is where we search for spiritual answers through religion, creators, God, Gods and Goddesses. During our lives we seek to find answers to the many questions we have about death and man, since the beginning of time, man has tried to conceive a way to escape death. Questions range from; Is death permanent? Does our spirit carry on in another form and at a deeper level of consciousness? Can be reincarnated and come back to Earth? If we are reincarnated are all of our previous memories erased? Is there a creator who will welcome us into our new existence? Are we merely a collection of cells, molecules, skin and are we just another cycle of nature? Are we a natural part of evolution? Is there an afterlife? Is our physical demise temporary? Where, if anywhere, do we go? Scientists find it difficult to accept a life after death theory. However, they have to accept unintelligible natural phenomena and other realms of reality through their own facts based on Quantum Mechanics. Death can be considered either as the end of existence or as a transition to another state of being or consciousness. The Hindus deal with death by viewing life as an illusion and learning through the levels of reincarnation the true meaning of life and both religion and mythology concern themselves with what happens to our essence after physical death. There are many causes of death such as the natural process of aging, natural death, illness, disease, suicide, homicide, natural disasters, accidents and wars. Universally, death rituals can vary extensively depending on religion, race and culture however, rituals and ceremonies are cross cultural such preparation of the corpse for a funeral and the ceremony surrounding the disposing of the corpse. Although practices may differ from culture to culture, death ceremonies are the norm and can include a three day watch of the corpse, gathering of relations and friends to mourn their departed right through to elaborate rituals which go on for weeks. The Ancients flourished on a social structure where rites of ancestor worship and spiritual beliefs were the norm. The Celtic Druids had a strong belief in sacrifice and believed in the reincarnation of the soul into another form hence they did not fear death. The ancient Egyptians practiced forms of ancestor worship and believed in rebirth after death and considered death as merely a temporary interruption. The Mayans were a very religions people who lived in fear of their destructive Gods so their funerals were held with great respect and ceremony. Shamanism is based on the belief that spirits and invisible entities permeate our visible world. The Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and came down to earth to rid them of original sin thus saving their souls and after death, returning to God in Heaven. Jehovahs Witnesses believe that the Bible is the Manual for Life, Jesus is the Son of God however, they are not Trinitarian. On their death they sleep until God call s everyone who has departed this Earth for Judgement Day and those who lived their lives according to the Bible, will live back on Earth and be reigned by a Council in Heaven. Taking the Bible as an example we determine that the word Heaven, which is used in a strictly material signification as forming a part of the created universe. In Genesis i.1, In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. The ancient Hebrews, however, seem to have entertained strange notions as to the structure of the material Heaven, believing it to be a solid arch resting on pillars, and having foundations. Thus, in Job xxvi. 11, the pillars of Heaven tremble, and we are astonished at his reproof. In other passages of the Bible Heaven is compared to a curtin, or the covering of a tent, as in Ps. civ.2, Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtin. The ancient Jews believed that there were several different Heavens; the lower, the middle, and the third or higher heavens. The lower level of Heaven was considered to take in the clouds and the atmosphere; the middle as being the stellar or starry region; and the third as being the Heaven of Heavens, or the habitation of God and his angels. The word Heaven is not only used in a material but also a spiritual sense, to indicate the future abode of the righteous after death. The belief in Heaven beyond the grave, accordingly, is not limited to Christians, being a recognized creed of Heathens, Jews, and Mohammadeans. Among the ancient Romans and Greeks, the Heaven to which the good ascended was named Elysium. The precise location of Elysium was a topic of debate for generations; writers of classic antiquity declared the happiness of the souls in Elysium to be complete and allegedly, some believed that the departed souls would return to earth again. Eternal blessedness was, in view of the ancient Pagans, reserved for those who were distinguished for their exhalted virtues and who were accordingly admitted into the society of the Gods and could, at any time, return to their ancestors on this earth. Summerland, a place for resting of the soul until it is ready to continue on a journey of self, until the person learned and escalated to the higher realms of eternal consciousness. Heaven of the Hindu culture is the absorption on Brahm and of the Buddhist, annihilation or Nirwana. The priesthood of the ancient Egyptians taught the immortality of the soul under the mane of Palingenesia, or second birth, being a return of the soul to the celestial spheres; or its reabsorption into the Supreme Being. This doctrine was allegedly inculcated only upon the illerate multitudes who could form no conception of the existence of the soul without the body. The ancient Scandinavians, believed in two different heavens; one, the palace of Odin which they named Valhalla where this divinity received all of those who died a violent death; and the other called Gimli (place covered with gold), the everlasting home of the righteous where to enjoy ecstatic and perennial delights. Those received into the palace of Odin, heroes, believed that every day would be filled with fighting, eating, drinking and surrounded by virgins. Jewish Rabbis teach that there is an upper and lower paradise or heaven with a fixed pillar of Zion. On every Sabbath or festival, the righteous climb up and feed themselves with a glance of the Divine majesty until the end of the Sabbath or festival. The souls of the righteous, according to the Jewish Rabbis, do not ascent to the upper paradise immediately after they have left their body, but they are represented as undergoing a pervious kind of novitiate in the lower paradise, which is situated half way between this corporal world and the upper Heaven. Mohammadeans believe in a Heaven prepared for the blessed among the faithful; a place for those who are true to their religion and followers of the holy prophet Mohammed. Here, they shall spend eternity and shall join him in perpetual light and all heavenly pleasures, always beautiful, in their full strength and vigour, brighter than the sun, and thought worthy to see the face of the Most High God, and to adore him. They hold that there are eight Heavens of varying degrees. We have looked at varying traditions in the belief of Heaven and now shall look at the belief in Hell. Both in the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures there are two words, Sheol and Hades which are sometimes translated into hell but which denote the world of departed spirits in general; while two other words Tartaros and Gehenna, signify the place of eternal punishment reserved for the unrighteous and wicked after death. The Amenti of ancient Egyptians, the Patala of the Hindus and the Orcus of the Romans, refer to a future state; but the doctrine of a future punishment is found embodied in all religious systems whether Christian, Heathen, Jewish or Mohammedean. Hell is believed to be a place of eternal torment, a bottomless pit, a worm that never dies, the fire that shall never be quenched. The Jewish Rabbis believe in an upper and lower hell. Gehennon, to which the Talmud adds seven other names, is said to be applied to seven mansions into which hell is divided. Many Jewish people believe in hell, not as an eternal dwelling-place of the wicked, but, to the Israelites at least, as a place of temporary purgatorial punishment. It is believed that the very wicked shall be eternally annihilated. The Mohammedeans, like the Jews, divide Hell which they call Gehennon, into seven portions, but they are not totally agreed as to the inhabitants of these districts. The most common opinion is that Gehennon, is destined for those worshippers of the true God who have not acted up to the principles of the faith which they have professed; the second division, called Lodha, is for the Christians; the third named Hothama, is for Jews; the fourth, denominated Sair, is destined for the Sabeans; the fifth, called Sacar, is for Magicians or Geubres; the sixty names Gehim, will received Pagans and idolaters, whilst the seventh, the most severe place of punishment within the lowest depths of the abyss, is named Hooviat, and reserved for the hypocritical professors of religion. The Hindus believe in a graduated scale of future punishments as well rewards; the less wicked being sunk into a lower position in the next birth (reincarnation), the more wicked being sent down to one or other of the innumerable Hells, to reappear, however, on earth, in mineral, animal, and vegetable forms before they rise to the human, the most wicked of all beings doomed to experience the misery and woe and perdition until the time of the dissolution of all things. The Buddhist tradition has a system of eight principal narakas, or places of torment, all of them situated in the interior of the earth and so enclosed it makes it impossible for escape. Gnostics, (gnosis, knowledge), the general name applied to various classes of pagans or heretics, arose in the early period of the Christian Church. They derived from the school of philosophy and denoted a higher and esoteric science which was designed to express the superiority of their doctrines to those of the Pagans and Jews. The systems of Gnosticism were various, all of them referable to two fixed historical centres, Syria and Egypt. Hence, there was a marked difference between the Syrian and the Alexandrian Gnosis, the former being characterized by a predominance of Dualism, the latter by a predominance of Pantheism. It is impossible to even cursorily examine Gnosticism in the diversified aspect which is assumes, without being at almost every point reminded of the old religious systems of Asia, Buddhism, Parsiam and Brahmanism. Gnostics believed in intuitions and symbols rather than conceptions. In the eye of the Gnostic everything became hyposaterized, which, to the Western thinker existed only as a conception. The foundation of most of the Gnostic systems lies in the idea of two different and opposite worlds, the one region of light, the other the region of darkness; one a region of purity and the other of sin; a superior world and an inferior world. The primal source of being was the Bythos (like the Brahm) of Hinduism in which was an invisible, incomprehensible being, enjoying perfect quiescence and from whom all emanations proceeded. Following their line of thought, they alleged the God or Jehovah of the Jews to be Demiurge, and the law they promulgated in the Old Testament to be inferior and imperfect whereas, the law which Christ promulgated in The New Testament was the expression of the mind of the Bythos or Unknown Father. Most Gnostics reportedly believed that salvation rested merely on knowledge; and that a man who possessed knowledge needed no more. The realisation of human mortality lives with each and every human being and ghost stories, spirits and hauntings have been a part of our history, handed down from generation to generation. We are taught about spirits, Witches, Angels, Demons, Gods and Goddesses and the paranormal world is rich in psychics, supernatural events, divination and with people who have real experiences with the paranormal such as out of body experiences, direct interaction with ghostly phenomena and near death experiences. Sceptics cannot ignore or dismiss paranormal occurrences just as Science cannot explain the unexpected e.g., apparitions, ghosts, hauntings, orbs or the supernatural. To sum up, no matter what our personal faith, belief, religions, culture or race, it is up to you whether you believe that the evidence is strong enough to justify your belief in paranormal, the supernatural and an afterlife. Near death experiences (NDE), the age-old debate, have been occurring for centuries. In the year 360 BC, Plato writes about a soldier named Er who recalled his NDE. Near death experiences are quite common and have been recorded through history. You may have heard someone who nearly died saying that they experienced their whole life flashing right before their eyes. NDEs have been a part of mankinds existence for thousands of years, as some ancient civilizations have recorded these supernatural encounters. With this history, many different explanations have come as to what could be the cause, or if the afterlife is real. Millions of cases are documented worldwide of NDEs, or near-death experiences. As they are such a common occurrence, Scientists have conducted research into thousands, if not millions, of cases. During the past 30 years, near-death experiences have been the focus of intense Scientific studies at Universities and Medical Centres around the world and they can no longer dismiss this phenomenon as hallucinations, chemical changes in the brain just prior to death, or as a pharmacologically induced experience. Science has questioned and studied NDEs experiences and one thing agreed on by all those involved in research is that near death experiences really do exist. No two near death experiences are the same; they are as unique and as individual as the person who goes through this experience. People who suffer severe trauma, clinical death, or those who nearly die, have reported similar traits during their near-death experience and many believe it to be very real and have significantly changed the views on life, spirituality and particularly their views on death. Some common experiences do occur however, not all NDEs follow a pattern. Common traits that have been widely documented with NDE include: Feelings of Peace and Terror: These feelings may include acceptance of death, total calmness, feelings of peace, being emotional and physically comforted. The person sees a bright light filling the room which they interpret as Heaven or God. Then there are those cases documented of people who do not have a feeling of peace, did not meet with family or friendly spirits. Rather, they experienced terror as while being attacked and upset by demons. (OBE): Out-of-body Experiences: The person feels that they have left their physical body. They observe from above, often describing the sight of doctors working on him. In some cases, the subjects spirit then flies out of the room, into the sky and sometimes into space. We have all heard stories about someone on the verge of death seeing a bright light at the end of a long tunnel, revealing that they have entered another dimension or realm, seeing spiritual entities and deceased family, friends and loved ones. The persons spirit may take a bit of time to look around and then notice a bright light. The light may start out to be small and then become larger as the spirit of the person moves toward it. In some cases there is not a tunnel, but a very bright light that fills the room. The light is brighter than anything the person has ever experienced on Earth, but they are not bothered by the it. General feelings that people experience include euphoria and report floating feelings and beautiful visions of scenic places. The majority of people who experience near-death say they feel very happy with a wonderful sense of calm and belonging. Another Realm or Dimension: Other people that experience NDEs say that they are led to another realm, most have positive experiences however, a few have reported a negative experience in which they get a feeling of loss of control and falling into a deep bottomless chasm. Near death experiences moves the person beyond this natural world and into worlds unseen, usually commencing with a tunnel of light which they are compelled to enter. This bright light pulls them into another realm and, as they leave this world behind, they experience sightings of spirits, family and their departed friends. Lastly, they experience a life review, where one sees their entire earthly life in fast forward. Once on the other side, they have reported being surrounded by entities, some of them they knew were dead and others who are there to talk to them. Some report being told certain things and are asked to go back to their bodies. The most common report for survivors of outer body experience(OBE) is that people feel they have been given a glimpse into Heaven as they encounter beings of light, or other representations of spiritual entities. Spiritual Beings and Entities: When a person experiences NDE most report that the feeling surrounding the spiritual beings and entities are pleasurable, and they feel completely disassociated with their physical body, have the ability to see through walls and they relate stories about what was happening outside the room where their physical body was pronounced clinically dead. Some report the transcendental or mystical elements emit a sense of complete peace and contentment and, on their return after communication with the spirits or entities, it has been reported by many people and they describe a male voice telling them that it is not their time and to go back to their earthly physical body. Returning to the Physical Body: On returning to their physical body, in most cases, they have a sense of being reborn, seeking to learn more about themselves, are stronger, self confident and pursue a life of truth with heightened appreciation and contentment. The typical near-death survivor emerges from their experience determined to live life to the fullest and most do not fear death. Negative NDE Experiences: Unfortunately, for others, the experience may not be a positive one. Some people have said they have increased fear, suffer from depression, and focus more on death. However, thankfully, it is a very small percentage that experience negativity after recovering from their NDE. Many survivors of NDE struggle with a fear of mental illness, ridicule and fear of rejection. Problems associated with negative experiences of NDE include depression, isolation, with a difficulty in explaining their experience to their family or to the medical profession and angry due to their difficulty after this experience to return to their previous beliefs. Those who experience a negative NDE can become very distressed, retreat into themselves, take years to adjust a near-death experience, believe that their experience was a hallucination rather than a real experience, fear to seek help or counselling and may feel that they have lost control over their minds. For these people, their mental stability is challenged as is their belief systems. The effects of those who experience negative NDE are often life-altering. No Scientific explanation to date can account or explain all of the aspects of near death experiences, why they happen or what are the causes and effects. NDEs follow a broad general pattern that crosses cultures; they remain in memory for decades as being realer than real. Scientists have delved into various forms of studies and a couple of examples include; lack of oxygen is not a factor in all NDEs, nor is the presence of drugs or medication responsible. Sceptics have a big problem with the belief in Near Death Experience because it is impossible to define the line between when life and death occurs. Definitions of death can vary from continent to continent and from culture to culture e.g.; what makes a person?, Define the soul or spirit in a person? and as none of this can be proved scientifically. However, this does not discount the real fact that many sincere and honest people have near-death experiences and that Scientists and Medical Practitioners have investigated the phenomena with no solid result or evidence to refute their experiences.