The Lady of Shalott and Industrialized Misery Essay -- Lady of Shalott

The Lady of Shalott and Industrialized Misery   Alfred Lord Tennyson, one of the mid-Victorians most celebrated poets of the time, was genius in eloquently presenting the anxieties and aspirations of his era (Longman  p. 1909).  Trademarks of Victorian life include questioning faith, the Bible, the past, and the self.  More and more people were interested in the industry of man rather than the uniqueness of nature, and progress of society proved that man was do to dominate and take everything for himself.  Tennyson greatly recognized this trend as he called attention to the industrialized misery and revolutionary anger of the poor (Longman p. 1909-08) produced by the industrial progress in the mid-1800s.    He noticed that as people delved into improving society, they at the same time lost their sense of humanity and innocence as they sped up industry and the making of material wealth for the well to-do.  This loss of innocence is echoed in Tennyso ns Arthurian lyrical poem The Lady of Shalott (Longman pp. 1913-1918). ...

Ronald Reagan and the End of the Cold War Essay example -- Ending the

The icy war was a post-World fight II struggle amidst the United Statesand its allies and the group of nations led by the Soviet Union. Direct militaryconflict did not occur between the two superpowers, but exquisite stinting anddiplomatic struggles erupted. Different interests led to mutual suspicion andhostility in a rising philosophy. The United States played a major position in theending of the cold war. It has been said that President Ronald Reagan ended thecold war with his strategic defense policies. In the year1949, Germany was divided by the victors of World state of war II andthey occupied different zones. The western regions united to form a Federalrepublic and the Soviet eastern region became communist East Germany. The coldwar had begun. Berlin, the former capital of Germany was divided into EastBerlin and West Berlin but was located deep inside the soviet controlled zone.1 Then, in 1961, the Soviet government construct a mole which separated thetwo halves of the city. It was not until the 1980s that cold war tensions easedthrough the glasnost (openness to public debate) polices of soviet leaderMikhail Gorbachev. Finally, in November 1989, the wall crumbled under the handsof the Germans and the cold war ended.2 The downfall of the cold war started when Ronald Reagan came into officein 1981. Reagan had two main priorities. He precious to cut taxes and emergencedefense spending. He felt that the United States of America should take aconfrontational approach towards Russia.3 Mikhail Gorbachev was the leader of Russia in 1985. He wanted to improvethe Russian economy. He also wanted to improve relations with the United States.He used his glasnost (openness to public debate) policy and perestroika(restructuring) to help the Russian economy.4 Both leaders wanted a margin of safety. Reagan took a tough standagainst Russia and its allies. The soviets could clearly see that when Reagansaid he wanted a margin of safety, he me ant that the United States should besuperior to Russia. Moscow would not let this happen. They wanted equality.5 Reagan also believed that military power and respect for America abroadwere inseparable from economic strength. However, Reagans defense policyresulted in the doubling of the debt of the United States. He used the money fornew strategic ... ...References1 Walter Lippman, The Cold War A get in U.S. Foreign Policy (New York Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1947) 48-52.2 Charles S. Maier, ed., The Cold War in Europe Era of a divided Continent (New York Markus Wiener Publishing, Inc., 1991) 27.3 Ralph B. Levering, The Cold War (Illinois Harlan Davidson, INC.,1988) 169.4 Levering, 1695 Levering, 1696 John Young, Cold War Europe 1945-1989 (New York Edward Allen, 1991) 26.7 Levering, 171-28 Levering 1739 The End of the Cold War http//usa.coldwar.server.gov/index/coldwar/ 2 Feb. 199710 http//usa.coldwar.server.gov/index/coldwar/11 Young, 2812 Young, 2813 Tom Morganthou, Reagan s cold war sting?, Newsweek 32 August 1993 3214 Levering, 18015Ending the Cold War, Foreign Affairs Spring 1988 24-2516 Young, 2817 Young, 2918 Young, 2919 Levering, 187-18820 Ending the Cold War, 2721 Ending the Cold War, 2822 Brinkley, Alan An Uneasy Peace 1988-, Vol. 10 of 20th Century America, 10 vols. (New York Grolier 1995)2223 Brinkley, 3024 George Bush addresses Europe http//www.rjgeib.com/thoughts/burke/ 13 March 1997.

Causes and Long-Term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect Essay

Child abuse is defined by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services as being, Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation or An act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.(Definitions of Child yell and Neglect 2015). Abuse can be divided into tierce different categories physical, sexual, and mental. In our society, the act of abuse is a common factor in customary life. E very(prenominal) year more than 3 million reports of babe abuse are made in the United States involving more than 6 million children. atomic number 53 widely accepted estimate of sexual abuse is that one in four girls and one in eight boys leave be abused forrader the age of eighteen. A common rendering that is given for child sexual abuse child sexual abuse is any action perpetrated upon or nigh a child that is sexual in nature and disturbing to the child . Parents may find this definition too easily applied to parental partiality. It would be very easy for a st contriver seeing a mother or father kissing their child to believe it was an act of sexual abuse, according the definition above. Its not likely, nor desirable that parents will stop showing affection to their children. If that were to occur, then we would be introducing another way of hurting children, depriving them of affection they need to grow and develop into healthy adults. However, in todays day and age, many parents have a fear that well-meaning strangers may misread their actions. Unfortunately, there are the instances when this does occasionally happen.The courts have an empirically verifiable definition for child sexual abuse in order for them to be able to judge someone accused put simply, they need a definition that can be proven with hard, physical evidence. This makes a problem for all the children abused in ways that do not leave a mark. In my research, I came across this definition by author Jean Renvoize, who attempts to take all three points of view into consideration. Her definition is as follows Child sexual abuse is any type of sexual exploitation of a child or adolescent by any older person or adult for the stimulation and/or gratification of that person, which is not necessarily confined to physical contact and which may range from exhibit... ... gone over the most important points and facts about the different types of child abuse and what their effects are on children. Child abuse has always been around, and it will always be around as long as other people care more about themselves, than about others. The golden rule is the net answer, the most dignified quest. The last hundred years have only brought about changes in the discussion, description, and definition of child abuse. These things have helped do away with child abuse significantly, but the eradication of this most cursed disease is not in the sight of those who look to the future. The effect that child abuse has not notwithstanding on the victims, but on their subsequent victims and on society as a whole, is, in my judgement, far more devastating than the threat of drugs, or governmental upheaval, of economic disaster, or of environmental destructionI really think that child abuse is the most significant threat not just to the timberland of life in this country, but to life in this country.Definitions of Child Abuse and Neglect in Federal Law. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Web. 4 March 2015.https//www.childwelfare.gov/topics/can/defining/federal/

Sherman Alexie: What it means to be an Indian in America Essay

Sherman Alexie What it means to be an Indian in AmericaDr. Mather, if the touching Dance worked, there would be no exceptions. All you white people would disappear. All of you. If those dead Indians came back to life, they wouldnt crawl into a sweathouse with you. They wouldnt dirty dog the pipe with you. Theyd kill you. Theyd gut you and eat your heart. -Marie, Indian Killer, 314The identicalness of the modern Native American is not found in mere(a) language or description. Neither does a badge or collection of eagle feathers determine Native American identity. As Alexie demonstrates through the character of Dr. Mather and Wilson, pony-tails and cut in bought drums are mere materialistic symbols and stereotypes they have no real value or respect for the history behind a persons heathenish heritage. Hanging out in Indian bars is insufficient. The identity of the Native American is formed in a context of opposition and resistance, of irreversible historical travesty, and of ine scapable conflict. Given the complex and lengthy history of U.S. atrocities against the Indians, and the equally violent aggressions of Indians against whites, bloodshed and animosity were the basis original Indian- U.S. relations. The original brutality these relations cannot be underestimated nor the intricate series of laws and Acts passed throughout the ninteeth and twentieth centuries for the destruction of Indian culture and heritage. Yet, as Alexie argues, the forces of hatred cannot be exclusively emphasized in determining the identity of the Native American. Indian Killer by Sherman Alexie is a work of humor, an investigation of community identity and family love, as well as a discussion of melt and hate. Maries speech to the hapless Dr. Mat... ...efers back to Maries hostile statement. Although not every Indian feels as Marie and Reggie do, certainly not John Smith in his dream, the ominous metaphor of the owls marks Alexies prediction for the future unless hate can be r econciled, the spirit of murder and blood shed will save to plague man kind. While the title of the work serves to encompass victims of both white and Indian cultural backgrounds and closes on the image of the ambiguous killer, (could it be Wilson leaping wildly with his store bought cassette tape? Or could it be Reggie living large in his bloody victories?), the content of the novel is a living account of charitable actions to historical contexts. Alexies work is exaggerated beyond reality, to be sure, yet his assessment of Native American identity is intriguing and universal in the story of recovery from human inflicted violence and hate.

Hispanics in the Vietnam War :: Vietnam War Essays

Precise figures are not available for Hispanic participation in Vietnam.      Prior to the full-scale escalation of the Vietnam War, Special Forces Advisor, police sergeant First Class Isaac Camachos sunburn base was overrun by Viet Cong in November 1963. After an intense firefight, Camacho was taken prisoner. He is most likely the first Hispanic POW of the Vietnam era. Remarkably, Camacho escaped his captors after 20 months and made his way to freedom. He was awarded the Silver and Bronze Stars in September 1965 and later promoted to Captain, U.S. Army.      Lieutenant Commander Everett Alvarez, Jr. (then Lieutenant JG) was the first American pilot taken as a prisoner of war and remained a prisoner longer than anyone else, eight and a half years.      On April 30, 1975, Master Sergeant Juan J. Valdez climbed aboard the last U.S. helicopter to depart the roof of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon. The U.S. presence in Vietnam, whi ch spanned 18 years, ended. Valdez presence gave credence to the Hispanic theme of participation in Americas wars "First in...last to leave." The Post-Vietnam Era      Approximately 80,000 Hispanics served in the Vietnam theater of operations and 13 won the Medal of Honor, 6 of them Marines. This is not unusual. Hispanics have received the highest honors to date in the U.S. Navy. As of 1990, six ships and three active submarines have been named for Hispanics, including the nuclear- powered 688 class fast attack submarine, USS San Juan, named after the capital city of Puerto Rico.

Hispanics in the Vietnam War :: Vietnam War Essays

Precise figures are not available for Hispanic connection in Vietnam.      Prior to the full-scale escalation of the Vietnam War, Special Forces Advisor, Sergeant First Class Isaac Camachos fire base was overrun by Viet Cong in November 1963. After an intense firefight, Camacho was interpreted prisoner. He is most likely the first Hispanic POW of the Vietnam era. Remarkably, Camacho escaped his captors after 20 months and made his way to freedom. He was awarded the Silver and Bronze Stars in September 1965 and later promoted to Captain, U.S. Army.      Lieutenant Commander Everett Alvarez, Jr. (then Lieutenant JG) was the first American pilot taken as a prisoner of war and remained a prisoner longer than anyone else, eight and a half years.      On April 30, 1975, Master Sergeant Juan J. Valdez climbed aboard the last U.S. helicopter to depart the roof of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon. The U.S. carriage in Vietnam, which span ned 18 years, ended. Valdez presence gave credence to the Hispanic theme of participation in Americas wars "First in...last to leave." The Post-Vietnam Era      Approximately 80,000 Hispanics served in the Vietnam theater of operations and 13 won the Medal of Honor, 6 of them Marines. This is not unusual. Hispanics have received the highest honors to date in the U.S. Navy. As of 1990, six ships and three active submarines have been named for Hispanics, including the nuclear- powered 688 consort fast attack submarine, USS San Juan, named after the capital city of Puerto Rico.

Night and Dawn †A Comparison of Elie Wisel’s writings Essay

Night and Dawn, both(prenominal) written by Elie Wiesel, are two books that shake off changed the way people view life and death. Night is a story of the Holocaust that occurs in the time frame of the mid-1900s. Elie, the author and the briny quality of Night, tells of the horrific years he spent in Germanys constriction camps. During this time period, millions of Jewish people were shot by merciless Nazis. Dawn focuses on a young boy Elisha who is recruited into a terrorist organization after the Holocaust. He characterually finds himself caught in the middle of the war between the Jewish and the British fighting for freedom.Both of Wiesels stories involve poignant emotions. Night shows the reader the repulsive force of being murdered. Similarly, Dawn is about the horror of murdering someone. It is interesting to note that in Night, the Jewish is in front of the gun in Dawn, the Jewish man is fucking a gun. Both situations contain the predominant emotion of fear. The two sto ries vary, but behind their covers, these stories deal with the akin topiccruel murder. Elie Wiesel deals with this topic through the characters, the characters histories, and their similarities and differences.Elie Wiesels journey begins in Sighet where his family believed strongly in their religion. The Nazis have set the goal genocide of the Jewish citizens. He is sent to a soaking up camp in Germany where he must endure the harsh brutality of the Nazis. It is only at these concentration camps that Elie discovers the truth about himself. Dawn is about a scarred Jewish man Elisha who is recruited to join an extremist group that is fighting for their freedom against the English.One of the terrorist party members, David, is captured by the English during an operation of smuggling fortify and is threatened to be killed for committing this crime. The Jewish freedom fighters suddenly become enraged and devise their own plan The capture of their own hostage, maestro Dawson. The Jew ish thus plan to exchange the Captain for David. Elisha, who just joined the group, is then assigned his first taskthe harsh mission of murdering the Captain. While Elisha may not have a physically pestering task, he must endure the mental anguish that murder brings. Once the murdered, now the murderer.Wiesel utilizes the characters to emphasize his purposes. The two main characters in Night and Dawn, Elie and Elisha, share both similarities and differences. Elie keeps his feelings and his actions within his mind. His thoughts tell the story and provide readers with emotion. On the other hand, Elisha tends to act his thoughts out, which is the main background that he joined the terrorist group. For example, Elie prays on a regular basis in order to fuel his hope that one day he will find freedom Elisha contrastingly kills and destructs out of his emotional and horrendous knightly. This they both lost their precious childhood at such an early age. Their childhood provides us with the chance to be nave and more importantly, the chance to be innocent. innocence is the only time in life, where you do not possess the knowledge to differentiate between right and wrong. Unfortunately, the main characters did not have the time to easy explore maturity.Instead, they were forced into the scary and unstable life of adulthood ultimately leading Elie and Elisha down to the fork in the path. The two narrators try to convince themselves that their actions are helpful to society or to themselves. For example, Elisha says, Ill think of David too, I reflected. Hell protect me. John Dawson may try to dedicate me laugh, but I wint do it. David will come to my rescue (79). Elisha is trying to reassure himself that David, the Jewish hostage, is a good reason to murder the Captain. Similarly, Elie had many thoughts toward his commitment to God. When he finally questions his faith he claims, I felt very strong. I was the accuser, God the accused (65). As shown through these e xamples, throughout the novels, the reader is able to clutch bag and feel Wiesels thoughts and images by carefully observing and analyzing the characters of Elie and Elisha.Wiesel wrote Night in an attempt to leave the reader feeling as if he were a Jewish citizen during the time of the Holocaust. The author achieves this through his vivid descriptions and emotional family affairs, such as the time where Elie is separated from his family. When connecting with a character, one understands the characters dilemmas, such as Elies questioning of his religious faith. In Dawn, Wiesels purpose was to make the reader see through the eyes of a murderer, and the difficulty of murdering without a reason in which he believes. Elisha struggles because hecannot find the answer to the question within himself Why am I killing Captain Dawson? Both stories try to make the reader empathize with the main character. Both Elie and Elisha have a difficult time living in Night and Dawn. The author exagger ates this in Dawn by using the phrase Poor boy to describe Elisha. In Night, the author tried to gain sympathy for Elie by putting him into painful situations.One event that represents this was the time where Elie was whipped by a Kapo, He took his time between apiece stroke. Only the first ones really hurt me. I could hear him counting (55). pass into more depth, Wiesel writes about how each character deals with his pain. Elie copes with loss through his belief in God and his strength Elisha copes with his loss by communicating with apparitions of the people by which he has been influenced, and the people he has influenced.While making the readers sympathize with the main characters, Wiesel also uses both stories as important information that reflect on our past and our present. Night and Dawn serve as documentations that show readers some of the darkest moments in our history. In these two novels, the author compares the past to the present. While the audience reads this book, i t may regard that we still face the resembling problems today as we did fifty years ago. Perhaps Wiesel wrote these books in attempt to change the future for the better of mankind.Even though there are many similarities between Night and Dawn, the books also have significant differences. Foremost, in Dawn, The tables have turned, and this time they are in control. Many measure throughout Dawn, the terrorists say, This is war, in an attempt to give reason to the assassination of the English man. However, they are simply putting on the field-gray uniform of the SS (30). Perhaps the Nazis used this same excuse while brutally slaughtering thousands of Jewish people. The attacker must put himself in the victims shoes likewise, the reader must put himself into the main characters shoes. And although the tables have turned for the Jewish man, the reader can still relate to the main character because he is in his shoes. This slaughtering inevitably scars each victim.Of course, each chara cter deals with his pain in a different way. In Night, Elie uses his thoughts to heal his wounds constructively. In Dawn, Elisha acts out his thoughts and seeks revenge destructively. A prime example that is instance of Elie is the time when he sees the young boy that is being hung. At this event, a man asks, Where is God now? Elie then responds with the following thought Where is He? here(predicate) He isHe is hanging here on this gallows (62). However, Elie does not speak out rather, he keeps his thoughts within himself. On the other hand, Elisha uses his instinct to guide him into sin. As Elisha bitterly statesI understood Gads bitterness indeed I envied it. He was losing a friend, and it hurt. But when you lose a friend any day it doesnt hurt so much. And Id lost plenty of friends in my time sometimes I thought of myself as a living graveyard. That was the real reason I followed Gad to Palestine and became a terrorist I had no more friends to lose (35).This suggests that Elie has become totally numb to the idea of death. He has been set free to the burden of mourning. This is why Elisha does not cry or yell out in pain after he murders Captain Dawson. It is interesting to note that even though Elie and Elisha find themselves in similar situations, they each deal with their problems in their own unique ways.These two novels carry the same purposetouching the hearts of the readers from their history, to their agonizing life during the Holocaust. In Dawn, Wiesel states that War is like night It covers everything. This statement proved true for both Elie and Elisha however, the war did not give them the same view on life or of the Holocaust. Dawn and Night show the good and the bad that resulted from living in a painful past. Elie searches within himself to discover inner peace, even during such a painful period in his life. Similarly, Elisha also searches within himself but unlike Elie, he discovers positive hatred. Dawn and Night are stunning novels that bring the reader into some of the most painful and agonizing scenario this was what Wiesel desiredand he has been successful.

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 42~43

PART THREECoconut Angel42Bedfellows however in the lead dawn, infix c rudeled through the bottom of the shower pawle a homesick cockroach, scuttled out of the bath get on under the mosquito netting and into bed. There were things to do, big things, fundamental things, maybe even dangerous things, moreover he had no idea what they were and he was too tired and too drunk to figure them out instantly. He had tried, he had re wholey tried to convince the Shark men that the doctor and his wife were doing horrible things to them, only if the islanders ever so came back with the same answer It is what Vincent wants. Vincent leave behind take care of us.To hell with them, ruck up thought. Dumb bastards deserve what happens to them.He rolled over and pushed the coconut-headed dummy aside. The dummy pushed back. pull together leaped out of bed, tripped in the mosquito netting, and scooted on his butt like a man backing away from a snake.And the dummy sat up.Tuck couldnt satisfy the face in the predawn light filtering into the bungalow, honest a silhouette behind the mosquito netting, a shadow. And the shadow wore a captains hat.Dont reckon I dont agnise what youre cerebration because Ill give you six to quin I do. The idiomatic expression was somewhere out of a Bowery Boys movie, and Tuck recognized the voice. Hed comprehend it in his head, hed heard it in the voice of a talking bat, and hed heard it in cardinal ways from a young flyer.You do?Yeah, youre thinking, Hey, I never valued to find a quat in my bed, but if you got to find a guy in your bed, this is the guy Id want itto be, right?Thats non what I was thinking.Then you shoulda taken odds, ya mook.Who are you?The flyer threw back the mosquito netting and tossed something across the room. Tuck flinched as it get with a thump on the floor next to him.Pick it up.Tuck could on the dot see an object shining by his knee. He picked up what matte up like a cigarette lighter.Read what it says, t he shadow tell.I cant. Its dark.Tuck could see the flyer shaking his head dolefully.You know, I saw a guy in the war that got his head shot off well-nigh the hat line. Docs did some hammering on some stainless steel and riveted it on his bean plant and saved his life, but the guy didnt do nothing from that day forward but walk around in a circle yanking his hamster and singing just the row part of Row, Row, Row Your Boat. They had to tape oven mitts on him to check him from rubbing himself raw. like a shot, Im not saying that the guy didnt know how to sire a intimately time, but he wasnt much for conversation, if you know what I mean.That was a better-looking story, Tuck said. wherefore?Because the steelhead hamster-pulling row guy was a genius compared to you. Light the fuckin lighter, ya mook.Oh, Tuck said and he flipped heart-to-heart the lighter and sparked it. By the firelight he could read the engraving VINCENT BENNIDETTI, CAPTAIN U.S.A.F.Tuck looked back at the flyer , who was still caged in shadow, even though the rest of the room had started to lighten. Youre Vincent?The shadow gave a slight succumb. Not exactly in the flesh, but at your fuckin service.Youre Malinks Vincent?The same. I gave the chief the original of that lighter.You could have just said so. You didnt have to be so dramatic. Tuck was glad he was a little drunk. He didnt feel frightened. As strange as it all was, he felt safe. This guy this thing, this spirit had more or less saved his life at least twice, maybe three times.I got responsibilities, kid, and so do you.Responsibilities? Now Tuck was frightened. It was a conditioned response.Yeah, so when you get up later today, dont go storming into the docs office demanding the facts. Just go swimming. Cool off.Go swimming?Yeah, go to the furthest side of the reef and swim away from the direction of the settlement about five hundred yards. Keep an eyeball out for sharks outside of the reef. wherefore?A guy appears out of now here in the middle of the night saying all kinds of mystical shit and you ask why?Yeah. Why?Because I said so, Vincent said.My dad always said that. Are you the ghost of my dad?The shade slapped his forehead. Repeat after me and dont be getting whatever on you, now one and two and three and Row, row, row, row, row He started to fade away with the chant.Wait, Tuck said. I need to know more than that. bear on on the sly, kid. You dont know as much as you think you do. preciselyYou owe me.Two armed ninjas followed Tuck to the water. He watched them, looking for squeezes of microwave poisoning from the radar blasts, but he wasnt sure exactly what the signs would be. Would they plump noticeably, perhaps explode without fork holes to release the inner pressure? That would be cool. Maybe theyd fall asleep on the beach and wake up a hundred times larger, yearning to do battle with Godzilla while tiny people whose words didnt match their verbalise movements scrambled in the flaming rub ble be-low? (It happened all the time in Japanese movies, didnt it?) Too good for them.He pulled on his fins and bowed to them as he backed into the water. May your nads shrivel like raisins, he said with a smile.They bowed back, more out of reflex than respect.The far side of the reef and five hundred yards d testify The ninjas were going to have a fit. Hed never gone to the ocean side of the reef. Inside was a warm clear aquamarine where you could always see the bottom and the fish calculateed, if not friendly, at least not dangerous. But the ocean side, past the breakers, was a dark cobalt blue, as productive and liquid state as a clear night sky. The colorful reef fish must look like M to the hunters of the deep blue, Tuck thought. The satellite edge of the reef is the candy dish of monsters.He kicked slowly out to the reef, letting the light surge lift and drop him as he watched the piebald links in the diet chain dart around the bottom. A trigger fish, painted in tans a nd blues that seemed more at home in the desert, was crunching the legs off of a crab while smaller fish darted in to steal the floating crumbs. He pulled up and looked at the only visible rend in the reef, a deep blue channel, and headed toward it. Hed have to go out to the ocean side and swim the five hundred yards there, separatewise the breaking surf would dash him against the coral when he tried to swim over the reef.He rove his face in the water and kicked out of the channel until the bottom disappeared, then, formerly past the surf line, turned and swam parallel to the reef. It was like swimming in space at the edge of a canyon. He could see the reef slant down a hundred and fifty feet to disappear into a blue blur. He tried to keep his bearing on the reef, let his eye bounds from coral fan to anemone to nudibranch to eel, like visual stepping-stones, because to his left there was no reference, nothing but empty blue, and when he looked there he felt like a child watchi ng for a strange face at the window, so convinced and terrified it would come that any shape, any movement, any play of light becomes a horror. He saw a flash out the side of his mask and whipped around in time to see a harmless green parrot fish munching coral. He sucked a mouthful of water into his submerged snorkel and choked.He hovered in a pulseless mans float for a full minute before he could breathe normally and start kicking his way up the reef again, this time single-minded to faith. Whatever, whoever Vincent was, he had saved Tucks life, and he knew things. He wouldnt have gone to the trouble to have Tuck eaten by barracudas.Tuck ticked off his stepping-stones, trying to gauge how far he had come. He would have to go out farther to see past the rising surf and use the shore as a reference, and besides, what was higher up the waters surface was irrelevant. This was a foreign world, and he was an uninvited guest.Then another flash, but this time he fought the panic. Sunli ght on something metal about thirty feet down the slope of the reef. Something waving in the surge near the flash. He rested a second,gathered his breath, and dove, swooping down to grab the object just as he recognized what it was a set of military dog tags on a beaded metal chain. He shot to the surface and hovered as he caught his breath and read SOMMERS, JAMES W. James Sommers was a Presbyterian, according to the dog tag. Somehow Tuck didnt think that a thousand-yard swim was worth finding a p tonal pattern of dog tags. But there was the swath of fabric still down there. Tuck hadnt gotten a good look at it.He tuck the tags into the inside pocket of his trunks and dove again. He kicked down to the swath of material, holding his nose and blowing to equalize the pressure on his ears, even as the air in his lungs tried to pull him to the surface, away from his prize. It was some kind of printed cotton. He grasped at it and a piece came away in his hand. He pulled again, but the clo th was wedged into a crevice in the reef. He yanked and the cloth came away, revealing something white. Out of breath, he shot to the surface and examined the cloth. Flying piggies. Oh, good. Hed risked his life for Presbyterian dog tags and a flying piggies print.One more dive and he saw what it was that had wedged into the crevice a human pelvic osseous tissue. Whatever else had been here had been carried away, but this bone had wedged and been picked clean. Someone wearing flying piggies boxers had become part of the food chain.The swim back to the channel seemed longer and slower, but this time Tuck forgot his fear of what might lurk behind the vasty blue. The real danger lay back on shore.And how does one, over dinner, proffer the opinion that ones employers are murdering organ thieves? Stay on the sly, Vincent had said. And so far he seemed to know what he was talking about.43Boiling the PuppetsOh, come in, Mr. sheath. Sebastian is out on the lanai. She wore a white raw silk pant suit, cut loose in the legs and low at the neck, a rope of pearls with matching earrings. Her hair was tied back with a white satin bow and she moved before him like the ghost of good housekeeping. How do you feel about Pacific lobster?I like it, Tuck said, looking for some sign from her that she knew that he knew. There was no acknowledgment of her appearance in his room last night or that she had any suspicion of him at all. Tuck said, I feel like Im taking advantage approach to dinner empty-handed. I ought to have you and the doc over to my place some evening.Oh, do you cook too, Mr. Case?A few things. My specialty is blackened Pez.A Cajun dish?I learned to dumbfound it in Texas, actually.A Tex-Mex specialty, then.Well, a fifth of tequila does manipulate it smell a little better.She laughed, a well-mannered hostess laugh, and said, Can I get you something to drink?You mean a drink or some liquid?Im sorry. It does seem constraining, Im sure, but you understand, you migh t have to fly.She had a large deoxyephedrine of white wine on the counter where she had been working. Tuck looked at it and said, But execute major surgery under the influence is no problem, right? That was subtle, Tuck thought. Very smooth. I am a dead man.Her eyes narrowed, but the polite smile never left her lips. Sebastian, she called, youd better come in, dear. I think Mr. Case has something he wants to discuss with us.Sebastian Curtis came through the french doors looking tall and dignified, his colour in hair brushed back, his tan face striking against the gray. To Tuck he looked like any number of executives one might see at a yacht club, a retired male model perhaps, a Shakespearean actor finally finished with the young prince and lover roles, seasoned and ready to play Caesar, Lear, or more appropriately, Prospero, the banished wizard of The Tempest.Tuck, still in his borrowed clothes, baggy and rolled at the cuffs, felt like a beggar. He fought to hold on to his righte ous indignation, which was an foreign emotion to him anyway.Sebastian Curtis said, Mr. Case. Nice to see you. Beth and I were just talking about how pleased we are with your work. Im sure these impromptu flights are difficult.Mr. Case was just suggesting that we keep an eye on our alcohol consumption, Beth Curtis said. Just in case we might have to perform an emergency surgery.The jovial manner dropped from the doctor like a veil. And just what kind of surgery might you be referring to?Tuck looked at the floor. He should have thought this through a little more. He touch the dog tags in his pocket. The plan was to throw them on the table and demand an explanation. What had happened to the skel-eton, the owner of the tags? And for that matter, what would happen to Tucker Case if he threw this in their faces? Mary dungaree used to say, In ne-gotiations, always leave yourself a way out. You can always come back later.Go slow, Tuck told himself. He said, Doc, Im concerned about the fl ights. I should know what were carrying in case were detained by the authorities. Whats in the cooler?But I told you, youre carrying research samples.What kind of samples? It was time to play a card. Im not flying again until I know.Sebastian Curtis shot a glance at his wife, then looked back to Tucker. Perhaps we should sit down and have a talk. He pulled a chair out for Tucker. Please. Tuck sat. The doctor repeated the gesture for his wife and then sat down next to her, across the table from Tuck.Ive been on Alualu for twenty-eight years, Mr. Case.What does that have to do?Curtis held up a hand. Hear me out. If you want answers, you have to take them in the context that I give them.Okay.My family didnt have the notes for medical school, so I took a scholarship from the Methodist Missions, on the condition that I work for them when I graduated and go where they displace me. They sent me here. I was full of myself and full of the Spirit of the Lord. I was going to bring God and he aling to the heathens of the Pacific. There hadnt been a Christian missionary on the island since arena War II, and I was warned that there might be a residual Catholic influence, but the Methodists have liberal ideas about spreading the Word of God. A Methodist missionary works with the culture he finds. But I didnt find a Catholic tribe here. What I found was a population that worshipped the memory of an American pilot and his bomber.A cargo cult, Tuck said, hoping to move things along.Then you know about them. Yes, a cargo cult. The strongest Id ever heard of. Fortunately for me, it wasnt based on the hatred of whites like the cargo cults in New Guinea. They loved Americans and everything that came from America. They took my medicine, the tools I brought, food, reading material, everything I offered them, except, of course, the Word of God. And I was good to them. The natives on this island are the health-iest in the Pacific. Partly because they are so isolated that communicabl e diseases dont reach them, but I take some credit for it as well.So thats why you dont let them have any contact with the ship when it arrives?No, well, that is one of the reasons, but mainly I wanted to keep them away from the ships store.Why?Because the store offered them things that I couldnt or wouldnt give them, and the store only accepted coin. Money was becoming an icon in their religion. I heard drums in the village one night and went into the village to find all the women crouched around a fire holding wooden bowls with a few coins in the bottom. They were cover and waving their heads as if in a trance, and as the drummers played, the men, wearing masks fashioned to look like the faces on American currency, moved around be-hind the women, copulating with them and chanting. It was a fertility ce-remony to make the money in the bowls multiply so they could buy things from the ships store.Well, it does sound better than getting a job, Tuck said.Curtis didnt see the humor. By grisly them to have contact with the ship, I thought I could kill the cargo cult, but it didnt work. I would talk of Jesus, and the miracles that he performed, and how he would save them, and they would ask me if I had seen him. Because they had seen their savior. Their pilot had saved them from the Japanese. Jesus had just told them that they had to give up their customs and taboos. Christianity couldnt compete. But I still tried. I gave them the best care I could. But after five years, the Methodist Missions sent a group of officials to check on my progress. They cut my funding and wanted to send me home, but I immovable to stay and try to do the best I could without their support.He was afraid to leave, Beth Curtis said.Sebastian Curtis looked as if he was going to strike his wife. Thats not true, Beth.Sure it is. You hadnt been off this island in years. You forgot how to live with real people.They are real people.As amusing as it was to watch the perfect couple illusion go up in flames before his eyes, Tuck put out the fire. A Learjet and millions in electronics. Looks like you did pretty good with no funding, Doc.Im sorry. And he looked as if he was. I tried to make it on what the islanders could raise by selling copra, but it wasnt enough. I lost one of my patients, a little boy, because I didnt have the funds to fly him to a hospital that could give him the care he needed. I tried harder to convert the natives, thinking I might get another mission to sponsor us, but how can you compete with a Messiah people have actually spoken to?Tuck didnt answer. Having spoken to the Messiah himself, he was convinced already.Sebastian Curtis drained his glass of wine and continued. I sent letters to churches, foundations, and corporations all over the world. Then one day a plane landed out on the flight strip and some Japanese businessmen got out. They wouldnt fund the clinic out of charity, but if I could get every able-bodied islander to give blood every two weeks, then they would help. And every two weeks the plane came and picked up three hundred pints of blood. I got twenty-five American dollars for every pint.Howd you talk the natives into it? Ive given blood. Its not that pleasant.They were coming on a plane, remember? Airplanes are a big part of these peoples religion.If you cant beat em, join em, huh?They always brought something on the plane for the natives. Rice, machetes, cooking pots. I got all the medicines I needed and I was able to get the materials to build most of this compound.Beth Curtis stood up. Oh, as much as I love hearing this story, I think we should eat. Excuse me. She went to the kitchen area, where a large pot was boiling on the stove, reached into a wooden crateful on the floor, and came up with a large live lobster in each hand. The giant sea bugs waved their legs and antennae around looking for purchase. Beth Curtis held them over the pot, peckering them. Oh, Steve, you got us a room with a hot tub. How wo nderful, she made the left lobster say.Yes, Im very romantic, she said in a deeper voice, bouncing the bug with the words. Lets go in now. Im a little tense.Oh, youre wonderful. Then she dropped the lobsters into the boiling water.A high-pitched squeal came from the pot and Beth Curtis went to the crate for another victim.Beth, please, the doctor said.Im just trying to lighten things up a little, Bastian. Be still.She held the second lobster over the pot, then looked at Tucker as she began her narration. This is the madden doctor talking. Theres always a crazed megalomaniacal doctor. Its traditional.Sebastian Curtis stood up. Stop it, BethShe affected a German accent. You see, Mr. Bond, a man spends too much time on an island alone, he changes. He loses his faith. He begins to think of ways to improve his lot. My associates in Japan came to me with a proposal. They would send me to a seminar in San Francisco to brush up on organ transplant surgery. I would no longer be selling bloo d for pocket change. They would send me specific orders for kidneys, and I could deliver them within hours for a cool half-million apiece. A dying man leave pay a lot for a healthy kidney. In San Francisco I met a woman, a beautiful wo-man. Beth came out of character for a moment, grinned, and bowed quickly, then went back to terrorizing the lobster. I brought her here, and it was she who devised the plan to get the natives to comply with having their organs removed. Not only beautiful, but a genius as well, and she had a degree as a surgical nurse. She used her abundant charms on the natives she held the lobster where it couldhave a good view of her sectionalisation and the savages were more than happy to donate a kidney. Meanwhile, I have become rich beyond my wildest dreams, and as for you, Mr. Bond, now its time for you to die. She dropped the lobster into the pot and began to shake with a diabolical laugh. She stopped laughing abruptly and said, They should be ready in abou t ten minutes. Salad, Mr. Case?Tuck couldnt think. Somewhere in that little puppet show of the damned was a confession to cutting out peoples organs and selling them like so much meat, and the doctors wife not only didnt seem to have any regrets about it, she was absolutely gleeful. Sebastian Curtis, on the other hand, had his head down on the table, and when he did look up, he couldnt make eye contact with Tuck. A minute passed in uncomfortable silence. Beth Curtis seemed to be waiting for someone to shout Encore while the good doctor gathered his wits.What Id like you to understand, Mr. Case, is that I we couldnt have taken care of these people without the funds weve received for what we do. They would have no modern medical care at all.Tuck was thinking again, trying to measure what he could say and what he wasnt willing to reveal. He couldnt let them know that he knew any-thing at all about the Shark People, and, as Vincent had implied, hed better find out more before he threw down the dog tags and Pardees notebook. The doc was obviously stretched pretty tight by the situation, and Mrs. Curtis well, Mrs. Curtis was just fanny scary. Play it chilly. Theyd brought him here because they thought he was as twisted as they were. No sense in ruining his image.I understand. Tuck said. I regard youd been a little more up front about it, but I think I get all the secrecy now. But what I want to know is Why cant I drink if you guys do? I mean, if you guys can perform major surgery when youre half in the bag, then I can fly a plane.Beth said, We wanted to help you with your substance abuse problem. We thought that if you werent exposed to other drinkers that youd relapse when you went back home.Very thoughtful of you, Tuck said. But when exactly am I supposed to go home?When were finished, she said.The doctor nodded. Yes, we were going to tell you, but we wanted you to become used to the routine. We wanted to see if youcould handle the job first. Were going to do the operations until we have a hundred million, then we will invest it on behalf of the islanders. The proceeds will assure we can continue our work and that the Shark People will be taken care of as long as they are here.Tuck laughed. Right. Youre not taking anything for yourself. This is all a mercy mission.No, we may leave, but therell be enough to keep someone running this clinic and shipping in food and supplies forever. And then theres your bonus.Go, Tuck said. Go ahead.The plane.Tuck raised an eyebrow. The plane?If you stay until we finish our work, we will sign the plane over to you, plus your salary and any other bonuses youve accumulated. You can go anywhere in the world you want, start a charter business if you want, or just sell it and live considerably for the rest of your life.Tuck shook his head. Of all the weirdness that had gone on so far, this seemed like the weirdest, if only because the doctor seemed so earnest. It might have had something to do with the fact t hat it was one of those things that a guy hopes all his life he is going to hear, but convinces himself that its never going to happen. These people were going to give him his own Learjet.He didnt want to do it, he fought not to do it, he strained, but nevertheless, Tuck couldnt stop himself from asking. Why?Because we cant do it without you, and this is something that you cant get any other way. And because wed rather keep you than have to find another pilot and lose the time.What if I say no?Then, you understand, wed have to ask you to leave and you would keep the money that youve already earned.And I can just go?Of course. As you know, you are not our first pilot. He decided to move on. But then again, we didnt make him this offer.What was your first pilots name?The doctor shot a look at his wife. She said, Giordano, he was Italian. Why?The aviation community is pretty small. I thought I might know him.Do you? she said and there was too much sincerity in the question for Tuck to believe that she didnt know the answer.No.Sebastian Curtis readable his throat and forced a smile. So what do you think? How would you like to own your own Learjet, Mr. Case?Tuck sat staring at the present wine bottle, measuring what he could say, what answer they not only wanted to hear, but had to hear if he was going to leave the island alive. He extended his hand for the doctor to shake. I think youve got yourself a pilot. Lets drink to the deal.An electronic bell trilled from the bedroom and the doctor and his wife exchanged glances. Ill take care of it, Beth Curtis said. She stood and put her napkin on the table.Excuse me, Mr. Case, but we have a patient in the clinic who requires my attention. Then the whiplash mood swing from officious to acid. She presses that buzzer so much youd think it was attached to her clit.Sebastian Curtis looked at Tuck and shrugged apologetically.

Globalization and State Power Essay

As a relatively new concept in the place setting of social sciences, globalization is the considerably the ordinary tool that embodies sets of processes that connect societies thus fragmenting and transcending the social structure it confronts (Krieger, 2005). The state then serves as an indispensable institution under practically all projected contingencies, that does countenance new and influential challenges to its foundational mandates mandates.The multifarious debates on globalization has increasingly centered on the relation of the nation-state to economic schemas. Although such(prenominal) connotation is gradually misbranded in rationale, either the nation-state or the inter-state classification is seen retaining its primacy as the axis of foreign dealing and world development. The coining of strong state, is it perceived that the state, having been considered as the bridge of globalization in a dualist construct that posits separate logics for an expanding economy and political system (Williams, 2002).In the transnational community, it can be observed that the states, leaders, or other individuals who have the big businessman in the international community has a large influence, either deliberate or unintentional, over the decision of other states, leaders or other individuals. The personal business of every single nation can be noted as unique in many ways (Patterson, 2000). Direct intervention from external elements such as the other states may very well diminish the sovereignty of a nation over its ingest territory.This is to say that every nation has a primordial reign over its own domain which guaranteesor ought to guaranteethe idea that the state is supreme in terms of power in its own land (Kacowicz, 1993). But what happens to this power in the context of a large international community with varying degrees of capabilities, resources and, ultimately, political power? Analysis on the social-spatial notation and power of globalizationTh e socio-spatial distinction and power of globalization, which at hand is then inherited to the state, is apparently what makes globalization not only a tool for stretch almost all the corners of the globe, but including the long-term series effects which shall surface. Consequently, how the state responds when globalization is escalating will have a noteworthy impact on its content to retort when globalization falters. Since the state possess both governmental and corporate power, scholars point out the fact that corporate capitalism is the blood that keeps holds all nations and binds them up together despite the issue of diversity.Thus, it is through the philosophy of social justice that these factors are evaluated. Synthesis on the role of a state in the context of globalization The sources of power in international relations can then be simulated to result primarily from the resources of the state or leader. These resources need not essentially correspond to financial resourc es for there are many other resources that can empower a state or a leader in international affairs.One of these resources is manpower which China and India can be noted as wealthy of. How does manpower become a source of power in international relations? The answer can be traced from the presumption that more people means more hands capable of contributing to the workforce. Although the industrial revolution and breeding and communications technology have radically altered the demand for manpower, it can be observed that the expansion of industries and technology further required additional manpower.With states such as China and India a cut above the rest in terms of manpower, the amount of industrial production from within the state relatively becomes high than those states with very minimal workforce. And while a healthy local industry boosts a states economy, sending manpower to foreign countries further amplifies the surmisal of expanding the gross income of the nation (Krie ger, 2005). For the most part, a financially wealthy nation has more purchasing power in many ways which gives it the capacity to stop control over resources and manipulate them according to the interest of the state (Williams, 2002).The geography of a certain state also gives it power, specifically strategic power, in wielding a dominant force not only in terms of military affairs but also in terms of commerce and trade or economic progress. For the most part, a state which is situated within the perimeter of an adjacent state is expected to have a form of trade relations (Krieger, 2005). Communication also becomes inevitable between these adjacent states since borders separating them become diminished through wireless communication.For instance, a nation such as Italy surrounded by neighboring states is very much alive in terms of trade and commerce, giving it the economic power in contrast to isolated states (Williams, 2002). Conclusions and further remarks To presume that the d efinition of power is a not static concept is to presume that the essence of power changes such that at one point it may hit to competence to manage and manipulate resources in harmony to the interest of the state or of leaders.On another point, it may not refer to the opposite such as the competence of the lower class or of the members of the state to yield and manipulate resources. Yet this presumption is misleading for the reason that the parallels of both instances are cloak by the idea that leaders does not include the larger members of the state or that the members of the state do not include the leaders of the state. Clearly, how the state responds to globalization depicts its power and capabilities.References Kacowicz, A. M. (1993).Teaching International Relations in a Changing World Four Approaches. Political Science and Politics, 26(1), 76-80. Krieger, J. (2005) Globalization and State Power A Reader. in the raw Jersey Longman. Patterson, A. S. (2000). Its a Small World Incorporating Service Learning into International Relations Courses. Political Science and Politics, 33(4), 817-822. Williams, J. (2002). Kill em All The American Military in Korea. Retrieved January 21, 2008, from http//www. bbc. co. uk/history/worldwars/coldwar/korea_usa_01. shtml

Hospitality Management Essay

What is Hospitality Management? Simply defined, Hospitality Management is the administration of policies and procedures relating to aspects of the hospitality industry/ industries such as hotels, motels, tourist attractions so on and so forth. Managing such categories may include indirect or direct supervision, administrative duties, critical thinking and a testamentingness to do what needs to be done in order to be successful. In my opinion, there are certain personal attributes that would solelyow an individual to be a successful manager within the hospitality industry. The main attribute would be an individual that strives for complete guest satisfaction.Although this may seem like a delicate or nearly impossible task, guest satisfaction is the key to the successful businesses. Guests dont necessarily come back to a service, guests and customers often concede back to a feeling. A feeling that they were taken care of and a nonion that their business mattered Guest satisfactio n is anchored in customer service. As a manager within the hospitality industry, customer service is a skill that must be utilized by the manager and each and every pendent employed within the establishment. This detail attribute is the backbone within the organization. Customer service will be the direct link to the ultimate goal of customer satisfaction. Complete customer satisfaction is the goal and customer service is the tool used to accomplish that goal. Determining what attributes I deem as a indispensableness for being a successful manager in the hospitality business come largely in scatter from my work experience for The world(a) of Las Vegas.The Cosmopolitan is the newest resort and casino located on the famous Las Vegas stip. I am truly proud to say that I work for this amazing employer. I will cherish the experiences and life lesson that I have learned there always. The Cosmopolitan is not your normal hotel and casino. From the beginning, before the door even opened , he took class after class trying to teach the employees the importance of customer service, team work, empowering all of our employees, as well as having just the right amount of wrong so that we stood taboo being a bit edgy It wasour mission to be different, to break all of the stereotypes that were effrontery to casinos, as well as the casino workers. We did not want to beat our direct competition, we wanted to be in a class all of our own. That is a goal that we have generally accomplished. Previous to my troth with The Cosmopolitan, I had always been taught and shown that manager handled all of the decisions.The subordinated just handled all of the leg work, if you will, while the managers made all the decisions. In my new position I recognise that this former education was not suitable for successful relationships or an effective means to obtain customer satisfaction. I started empowering my subordinates by allowing them to make decisions. This new authority started with a program called the Make It Right program. Through this program, each and every one of the employees were given 2 Make it Right cards to start out with. Upon their discretion, they were allowed to give one to a guest that was not satisfied with their stay or experience. Some examples of when it would be appropriate to give out this card would be that the guest was sibyllic to check in at 3 and they were not able to get in their room until 8. An opposite example would be that the guests were supposed to have coffee pots in their rooms, but some of the pots were breaking so we did not have exuberant. An employee could then give out a card with enough money for 2 pots of coffee through room service.The employee would give out as much or as little as they deemed necessary for the specific situation. Of course all of the cards given out were monitored to ensure that proper distribution was taken place. The astonishing fact regarding this program, 95% of the cards were never given out. Employees were so set in their ways and not comfortable with the new freedom to make decisions that they simply were not comfortable making to decision on their own. This is where the managers came in, to attempt to empower their employees in smaller abuses, as to make the employees more comfortable making decisions. Although ultimately the program was not as successful as what was hoped for, it showed me the utter importance of changing the way that I would treat my employees. I felt the importance of allowing them to make decisions and to feel as though that is a part of their job from the beginning. Another program that was started id called Reach. Reach allows selected employees to be spokespersons for their department. Every week a member from each department will go and mentor with another(prenominal) scheduleddepartment. For an example, a member of food and beverage will go and mentor with the front desk and then the front desk representative will mentor with the housekeep department.These interactions are important as these employees will act like liaisons between the different departments. This program allows all employees to see where problems may be arising and that is the first step in solving all future and current problems. The data and feedback from these interactions are then given to the managers. It is then the managers job to take corrective action if necessary and help facilitate any changes that need to be made. This program allows managers and subordinates to be on the same page and reach out to all of the additional segments within the company to ensure that everyone is one the same page with promotions, upcoming events, banquets, and potential problems that have arose.Hospitality management is a position in which you have a great responsibility. The hospitality industry is about people. People that are choosing to share their life moments with you within your organization. They are sharing their weddings, vacations, conferences, bir thday, anniversaries, and all other personal celebrations with you. Our guests and customers are completely dependent upon you to fulfill their expectations. Being a manager in the hospitality industry is managing, coordinating, instructing and being whatever needs to be done to fulfill those expectations.ReferencesWalker, J. L. (2006). Introduction to Hospitality, 4e (4th ed.). Retrieved from https//ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/eReader.aspx. Powers, T., & Barrows, C. A. (2006). Introduction into Hospitality (8th ed.). Retrieved from University of Phoenix eBook Collection database

Higher Education Marketing Mix

CHAPTER 3 martINGS ROLE IN HIGHER EDUCATION 3. 1 INTRODUCTION Chapter 2 introduced whatever(prenominal) of the major changes and trends that pass taken roll in the high(prenominal) didactics surround both internationally and locally. Although high genteelness institutions batch be classified as non-profit brass instruments, the challenges discussed in Chapter 2 necessitate higher(prenominal) instruction institutions to take on the giving medication- alike(p) behaviour of profit organisations and to construct to a greater extent sellingoriented.An showing of the environment in which higher raising institutions operate, bequeaths an essential background against which to understand and assess the benefits of emphasising on students as clients. If higher nurture institutions understand the landscape in which they operate, they back end begin to plan to serve the merchandise usefully and efficiently with their selling schema. Being tradeoriented requires that orga nisations have knowledge on outdoor(a) forces (as explained in Chapter 2), but too knowledge on customers require and wants (to be addressed in Chapter 4).It is against this backdrop of changes in the environment, such(prenominal) as the decrease in establishment monetary backing and the increase in competition, that the demand for food market in higher training can be seen. In dictate to survive and to violate a sustainable competitive advantage in a changing higher upbringing landscape, higher reading institutions should re be the take of their customers by adding value. Institutions should submit much benefits to their customers than competitors if they want to stay competitive.In the competitive environment in which higher fosterage institutions operate (refer to Chapter 2), enhanced customer at unityment may be unitary of the ways in which institutions can create and sustain a competitive advantage. This can be achieved with the effective application of th e merchandise mixed bag elements. market, and more specific a market- preference, can provide a breaker pointed understanding of the needs of ustomers and project that higher cultivation institutions address the needs in as 73 efficient and comprehensive manner as possible. In short, higher education institutions need to set trade objectives and hypothesize a marketing strategy. Given the market-oriented focalize and grandness of the marketing mix elements, the main contract of this chapter leave al ane be on higher education institutions formulation and implementation of the elements of the friendings marketing mix.This chapter go away explore the literature available on the changing role of marketing, the marketing creation, market- and marketing-orientation, consumer behaviour and the integration of all the units of a higher education institution to formulate a help growth strategy, price strategy, distribution strategy, communion strategy, bulk strategy, visible evidence strategy and process strategy in order to construe the needs of students. 3. 2 THE CHANGING ROLE OF MARKETING Marketing plays a major role in any organisation and is viewed by Lamb et al. 20045) as a process that starts with identifying customer groups, finding out about their needs and wants, matching what the organisation can passing play with what the customer wants and then effectively talk and selling it to the customer. Although the primary aim of marketing is to run into the needs of customers, it involves a cluster of activities such as output/ religious answer innovation, design, development, distribution, advertising, selling and how the production/service is acquired and use by the customer.Machado and Cassim (20022) regard marketing as the process of planning and executing the conceition, set, promotion and distribution of ideas, easilys and run to create exchanges that meet individual and organisational objectives. Mowen (19957) commonwea lths that the sizeableness of understanding consumer behaviour is plant in the definition of marketing as a human activity addressed at satisfying needs and wants by means of with(predicate) a human exchange process. Effective marketing requires a higher education institution to identify their target audiences, understand them, and communicate with them as flat and interactively as possible (Laurer, 2006).According to Shoe contriver (1999), marketing is the proactive management of the relationship amid a higher education institution and its various 74 markets by using the tools of marketing service product, place, price, promotion, process, people and physical evidence. Marketings greater contribution lies in its ability to facilitate the exchange process that takes place between the non-profit organisation such as the higher education institution, and each of the customer groups it addresses (Sargeant, 2005295).Marketing can provide a detailed understanding of the needs of such customers and fit that the institution addresses these needs in as efficient and comprehensive manner as possible. This understanding of customers needs can aid organisations in creating and sustaining a competitive advantage. Lynch and Baines (2004171) found that higher education institutions sustainable competitive advantages ar usually based on superior knowledge, reputation, innovation or architectural related advantages.However, marketing is non stagnant and over the years the marketing activities of organisations have changed. Kolter (2003) and Strydom, Jooste and Cant (200010) identify cardinal stages that strongly twist the evolution of organisations marketing activities. These stages ar referred to as production, sales, marketing and societal marketing. The production orientation focuses on the internal capabilities of the organisation rather than the needs of the market, while a sales orientation is based on the premise that people go awaying buy more if aggr essive sales techniques be used.Both of these orientations lack a customer focus. Organisations realise the importance of marketing and tropeing long-run relationships with their customers thus, a marketing orientation. The societal marketing orientation builds on the marketing orientation but adds that customer value moldiness be delivered in such a way that it entertains or improves the societys easy macrocosm. According to Kotler and Fox (199511), there are overly definite stages in the evolution of marketing in higher education.The focus has moved from marketing is unnecessary to marketing is promotion to marketing is eyeshoting to the stage where in whatever cases marketing is seen as part of strategical planning for higher education institutions. Law (20024) is of the opinion that higher education institutions in South Africa are moving from marketing is promotion to more emphasis on localisation and strategic planning. This stage is also described as the marketing company era. The marketing 75 ompany era is characterised by short- and semipermanent marketing planning and the whole organisations efforts are guided by the marketing pattern (Perreault & McCarthy 200234). The marketing concept is a management philosophy with the basic premises that an organisation needs to research the needs and wants of customers and then produce products or work that get out satisfy these needs and wants (Strydom, Jooste & Cant, 200012 and Kohli & Jaworski, 1990467). The marketing concept leave alone be explained in the next section. 3. 3 THE MARKETING CONCEPTChurchill and stopcock (199812) describe the implementation of the marketing concept as an organisation that satisfies customer needs and wants as a means to achieve their own objectives. Although it seems simple, it is complex in the sense that changes within the economic, social, political and technological environment, as discussed in Chapter 2, endlessly happens to changing customer needs and wants. Lamb et al. (200417) enounce that institutions who want to survive in the future entrust have to be customer-focused, market-driven, global in scope and flexible in its ability to deliver superior value to ustomers whose preferences and expectations change continuously. Foxall and Goldsmith (19987) feel that consumer orientation stems from an organisations adoption and implementation of the marketing mix (price, service product, promotion, place, people, process, physical evidence), but adds that the adoption and implementation of the marketing concept has four major implications The success of any organisation depends above all on the consumers and what they are willing to accept and pay. The organisation moldiness be aware of what the market wants, preferably well forwards production commences. Consumer wants moldiness be continually monitored and thrifty so that, through service product and market development, the organisation keeps ahead of competitors. Top manage ment essential(prenominal) achieve the integration of all the components of the marketing strategy into a single strategic plan, based on knowledge of consumer behaviour. 76 Mowen (19954) underlines the importance of the marketing concept by stating that the marketing concept embodies the view that an industry is a customer satisfying process, not a goods producing process.An industry begins with the customer and its needs, not a patent, crank material, or selling skill. The general acceptance of the concept that an organisation functions to fulfil consumers needs and wants, through understanding their exchange partner (customers), makes the study of consumer behaviour, and thus this study, essential. Mowen (19955) and Churchill and Peter (199813) agree that the basic idea of the marketing concept is to shake off the customers what they want.However, consumers are not always sure of their wants or what they are being offered, and are a great deal more open to persuasion than is commonly acknowledged by the marketing concept. The marketing concept is based on four basic principles consumer orientation or the target market long-term maximisation of profitability or anformer(a) measure of long-term success, total organisation effort, and social responsibility (Kotler, 200320 and Perreault & McCarthy, 200234). The four principles of the marketing concept will be briefly explained below. 3. 3. THE PRINCIPLE OF CONSUMER ORIENTATION Strydom et al. (200012) view consumer orientation as the first principle of the marketing concept, indicating that all actions should be aimed at satisfying consumer needs, demands and preferences. Although this implies that the consumer objective is to achieve total need satisfaction, it does not mean that an organisation must provide for unrealistic consumer needs. According to Kotler (200320), organisations have to guardedly choose their target markets and then prepare a tailored marketing programme.Research conducted by Conway , Mackay and Yorke (199435) on higher education institutions in the United Kingdom (UK) found that more than half of the institutions did not have a customer orientation in their planning and that most institutions merely pay lip service to the variety of target markets they serve. This study will attempt to gather the necessary training to enable institutions to proceed more customer oriented in understanding the needs and wants of students, specifically regarding the choice factors and information sources used when selecting a university. 3. 3. THE PRINCIPLE OF INTEGRATION AND COORDINATION OF ACTIVITIES 77 Strydom et al. (200014) describe a system as an compound whole a group of related units working together to achieve a joint objective. The second principle suggests that marketing activities of a higher education institution should be closely interrelated with each other and with other functional areas such as production, finance, administration, human resources and pro curement. The marketing concept has been a helpful mechanism in service of process to unify the independent functional areas to increase customer satisfaction.All seven marketing mix instruments (price, service product, promotion, distribution, people, process and physical evidence) should complement and reinforce one another in such a way that the student will prefer the institutions service offerings to that of competitors. 3. 3. 3 THE PRINCIPLE OF MAXIMISING long-term SUCCESS The third principle is directed at achieving market share, return on investment and the objectives of the organisation. Marketing plans and corporate goals must be closely coordinated to ensure profitability.Maximising profitability is the primary objective of a profit-seeking organisation and can be achieved only through the consideration of consumer needs. Non-profit organisations attempt to achieve some other objective than profit. This does not mean than they are uninterested in income, as they have t o generate cash to survive. However, their primary goal is non-economic, and for higher education institutions that is to provide education. Although there is an emergence of for-profit higher education institutions, as discussed in Chapter 2, non-profit higher education institutions also need to focus on their long-term sustainability.For-profit organisational success is measured ultimately by profitability. For non-profit organisations, measuring success is not so easy. high education institutions success can be measured in research widening terms, number of students taught, student pass rate, range of qualifications of staff or even the whole step of teaching. The combination of these factors makes the measurement of success severe and can lead to conflict. For modelling more students and larger classes may reduce time needed for research by staff to deliver the required research outputs.The principle of maximising long-term success is therefore more complex in higher educati on institutions than for for-profit organisations. Marketing is of growing importance to non-profit organisations, because of the need to generate funds in an more and more competitive arena. Even 78 higher education institutions that rely on government funding must show how their work is of benefit to society and must meet the needs of their customers. 3. 3. 4 THE PRINCIPLE OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITYZikmund and DAmico (200120) kingdom that the pure marketing concept disregards environmental changes and problems and focuses on short-term customer satisfaction rather than on the long-term wellbeing of society. Involvement and concern for the environment and the society in which the marketing task is performed are typical symptomatics of a strategic approach to marketing management. Organisations should therefore strive to obtain the goodwill of the society, rather than only the support of the target market. By demonstrating social responsibility, higher education institutions can earn the goodwill of the public and government.This has a long-term dimension that can favourably influence the future of any institution in terms of funding and a steady supply of customers. From the discussion of the marketing concept and its principles, it is clear that by accepting the marketing concept, institutions have recognised that consumers and their behaviour has a direct bearing on the formulation of a marketing strategy and therefore the relevance of this study. The marketing concept helps to bring focus and enables an organisation to satisfy consumers needs (Perreault & McCarthy, 200241).If higher education institutions want to be successful in todays dynamic higher education landscape, competing for resources, support and customers, they too should adhere to principles of the marketing concept, especially being consumeroriented, when conducting their business. Applied to higher education, the marketing concept holds that higher education institutions should conduct their planning bearing in mind and recognising that they exist generally for the purpose of providing a service product to students. Campus activities should thus focus on satisfying the needs of students (Massad & Tucker, 20001-5).The philosophy of the marketing concept forms the be behind for an organisations market- and marketing-orientation. These two concepts will be briefly explained in the next section. 79 3. 4 MARKET-ORIENTATION AND MARKETING-ORIENTATION Throughout the literature, the term market-orientation and marketing-orientation is used interchangeably (Payne, 1988 Kohli, Jaworski, & Kumar, 1993 and Sharp, 1991). Notice should thus far be taken of a small group of authors, such as Cravens, Lamb and Crittenden (1996), who argue that there are slight differences between the two concepts.However, it is not the purpose of this study to argue or investigate if there are differences between these concepts, but rather to show how the adherence to these concepts can enabl e higher education institutions to survive and grow (Voon, 2006598). 3. 4. 1 MARKET-ORIENTATION Market-orientation refers to everyone in the organisation being committed to the customer and adapting in a timely way to meeting the changing needs of the customer. Market-orientation is a bias towards the market, requiring knowledge of customer needs and wants, competitors and external forces (Evans, James & Tomes, 1996209).Kasper (20021047) defines a market-orientation as the degree to which an organisation and all its thinking and playacting (internally as well as externally) is guided and committed to the factors determining the market behaviour of the organisation itself and its customers. Kohli and Jaworski (19903) define market-orientation as the activities involved in the implementation of the marketing concept. An organisation with a market-orientation forges the needs and wants of the target market and delivers the desired satisfaction more effectively and efficiently than th e competition.Thus, market-orientation extends beyond the marketing concept philosophy, as it also offers a process for delivering customer value. A market-oriented organisation understands customer preference and requirements and effectively combines and directs the skills and resources of the entire organisation to satisfy customers needs. According to Kasper (20021052), a robust market-orientation has become a strategic necessity for any service organisation due to increasing market turbulence and intensifying competition.He states that the market-orientation of an organisation can be seen as a particular position on a scale ranging from being truly market-oriented to not being market-oriented at all. Results from Kaspers research show that a market-oriented service organisation has an open, employee-oriented, result-oriented, pragmatic, 80 professional, well-communicated, marketing goals-oriented, market knowledge (customers and competition) system with dedicated employees tha t know what customer focus and service means.Market forces (refer to Chapter 2) changed the landscape of higher education into a competitive environment requiring a market-orientation (Koerwer, 2001). According to Couturier (2002), reduction in government support and increase in reinvigorated technologies and improved learnedness produce students with high expectations and this further pressurises higher education institutions to become more market-oriented. Shoemaker (1999) states that glossy brochures, catchy slogans and the existence of marketing programmes do not give higher education institutions a market-orientation.Marketorientation requires a philosophy and a culture that go deep in the organisation. This means an institution where students are involved in the service production process and where administration, faculty and support staff work together effectively. A marketorientation requires a commitment and power from top management. Shoemaker (1999) states that a market -oriented higher education institution is characterised by A top management actively involved in providing institutional marketing leadership A marketing process integrated to reflect, recognise and involve all institutional stakeholders Marketing plans that are well distributed among top institutional officers Outside marketing consultants used to build and enrich the institutional culture Regular and structured marketing research studies of all burning(prenominal) stakeholder areas A marketing-oriented planning culture that includes the participation of all stakeholder areas and Marketing evaluation systems in place to assure continuous monitoring and improvement of marketing programmes and strategies. 81 3. 4. 2 MARKETING-ORIENTATIONAn organisation with a marketing-orientation adheres to the principles of the marketing concept and offer customers what they need (Perreault & McCarthy, 200237). Marketing-orientation implies that the main task of a higher education institut ion is to determine the needs and wants of target markets and to satisfy them through the design, parley, pricing, delivery of appropriate and competitively viable programmes and services (Kotler & Fox, 19958). Laurer (2006) states that strategic plans of higher education institutions will have to become marketing-oriented plans.This begins with an environmental scan that determines how society is changing and then outlines how programmes, pricing and approach to learning (distribution), employees (people) and process will meet these changing needs. According to Massad and Tucker (2000), higher education institutions in the United States have embraced a marketing-oriented approach to ad cathexis. They state that the trend began in the late 1970s in the USA and is driven by increased competition and a shrinking enrolment pool. higher(prenominal) education institutions in Shanghai started in 1999 to reform their policies to be more marketing-oriented (People Daily, 1999).These polic ies include practical plans such as providing enough residence and departmental buildings for students and lecturers, logistic service renovations, and improved logistic service quality. Several reasons exist why achieving a marketing-orientation is problematic for some higher education institutions (Sargeant, 2005297) Conflict between management and academic interest. There is a split in the responsibility for dealing with customers between departments and an institutions central administrative function. The lack of a strategic perspective.Courses are sometimes established and maintained for the status of the department or institution rather than where there is clear evidence of an economic viability or long-term demand. The miscellanea of the marketing activity. Marketing is conducted by a variety of players, such as the admissions officer, school liaison officers, research officer and faculties, making the coordination difficult. Academic value. nearly institutions dummy u p apprehend marketing as being incompatible with their education mission. 82 Nevertheless, higher education institutions must aim to become marketing-oriented.The market concept forms the underlying philosophy for both a market and marketingorientation. A marketing-orientation is an all-embracing concept referring to both behavioural and philosophical standing of marketing, therefore incorporating the market-orientation. Thus, for the purpose of this study, the term marketing-orientation will be used to indicate a market- and/or marketing-orientation. 3. 5 MARKETING STRATEGY AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR According to Hawkins et al. (20017), an effective marketing strategy is based on knowledge of the environment, competitors and customers.The study of customers needs, perceptions, aspirations, motivations, culture and decision-making processes is called consumer behaviour (Du Plessis & Rousseau 20058). Consumer behaviour serves as a basis for marketing strategy formulation. Figure 3. 1 indicates that an understanding of consumer behaviour is the basis for marketing strategy formulation and will serve as a visual guide for the conflict of this chapter. It also visually shows the integration and link between Chapter 2, Chapter 3 and Chapter 4. Figure 3. begins with the analysis of the market (Step 1) in which the organisation is operating. It requires a detailed analysis of the organisations capabilities, strengths and weaknesses, competition, the economical and technological forces affecting the market, and the new and potential customers in the market (refer to Chapter 2). The consumer analysis component of the first step enables an organisation to identify groups of individuals with similar needs. The identified market segments, in step two, can be described in terms of demographics, media preference and geographic location.One or more of these segments are then selected as target market, based on the organisations capabilities relative to those of its competit ion, taking into account current economic and technological conditions. The organisation then decides on the desired mental picture of the service product or disfigurement, also known as the service product or brand position. The third step entails the marketing mix/strategy formulation. Hawkins et al. (200114) point out that a marketing strategy basically answers the question How will we provide 83 superior customer value to our target market?The answer requires the formulation of a consistent marketing mix. Thus, the marketing strategy is formulated in terms of the marketing mix. Lamb et al. (200412) point out that this step involves the determining of service product features, price, communications (promotion), distribution (place), people, process and physical evidence that will provide the customer with superior value. The total service product is then presented to the target market, which constantly engages in processing information and making decisions to enhance and main tain their lifestyles.The marketing strategy (as implemented in the marketing mix) intervenes between the decision-making process of consumers (Step 4) and the outcomes/goals of an organisation. The outcomes of the organisation are determined by its interaction with the consumer decision-making process. Organisations can only succeed if consumers see a need that the organisations service product can address, become aware of the service product, decide that it is the best viable alternative solution, proceed to buy it, and become satisfied with the results (Hawkins et al. , 200422-23). The consumer decision-making process will be discussed in detail in Chapter 4.Finally, the reaction of the target market to the total service product produces an image of the service product, brand or organisation, sales (or the lack thereof), and some level of customer satisfaction among those who did purchase. As the components of the market analysis (Step 1) was discussed as part of the trends in th e higher education landscape in Chapter 2 and the consumer decision-making process (Step 4) will be explained in Chapter 4, the remainder of the chapter will focus on the STP process (Step 2) and marketing strategy (Step 3) as depicted in Figure 3. . 84 MARKETING MIX/STRATEGY (CHAPTER 3) Service product (3. 7. 1) Price (3. 7. 2) Promotion (3. 7. 3) Place (3. 7. 4) People (3. 7. 5) Process (3. 7. 8) Physical evidence (3. 7. 9) Problem recognition (4. 7) nurture search (4. 8) Alternative evaluation (4. 9) Selection and purchase (4. 10) Post-purchase process (4. 11) OUTCOME Customer Satisfaction Sales Product/brand image/organisation antecedent Adapted from Hawkins, Best and Coney (20018). 85 CHAPTER 3 STP- PROCESS (CHAPTER 3) Segmentation, target market and product positioning (3. 6)CONSUMER DECISION-MAKING PROCESS (CHAPTER 4) STEP 4 CHAPTER 2 MARKET ANALYSIS (CHAPTER 2) Competitors Company Consumer Conditions CHAPTER 4 STEP 3 STEP 2 STEP 1 Figure 3. 1 Marketing strategy and con sumer behaviour As the components of the market analysis (Step 1) was discussed as part of the trends in the higher education landscape in Chapter 2 and the consumer decision-making process (Step 4) will be explained in Chapter 4, the remainder of the chapter will focus on the STP process (Step 2) and marketing strategy (Step 3) as depicted in Figure 3. . 3. 6 SEGMENTATION, TARGET MARKETING AND location (STP PROCESS) Marketing strategy formulation for organisations takes place via the process of integrating segmentation, targeting, positioning and the services marketing mix. Once organisations have segmented the market, they must determine the market potential of each segment and then select segments to target. A target market can be defined as a fairly self-colored group of customers to whom an organisation directs its market offering.Organisations must determine a mixture of the marketing elements that they will combine to satisfy their target market. Selecting a market-oriented strategy is referred to as target marketing. A specific marketing strategy specifies a particular target customer (Perreault & McCarthy, 200247). Most non-profit organisations serve several groups or publics. The two abundant groups are donors, who may be individuals, trusts, companies or governmental bodies. The second group consists of their clients such as students, parents, government or employers.Often higher education institutions need to satisfy both groups and this complicates the marketing task (Lovelock & Wright, 2002233). Students, prospective students and their families are seen as customers or consumers who must be attracted to the institution, who must be satisfied, and who must have a good experience at the institution. This will ensure that they spread positive word-of-mouth and influence other potential students to select the institution (Reich, 2004).Students can be regarded as the primary clients of higher education institutions and parents, employers and societ y as secondary beneficiaries. As an institutions target market changes, new needs and trends evolve (as discussed in Chapter 2), making it necessary for institutions to rethink their position and a good deal to reposition in order to address the new needs or trends (McGolddrick, 200054) This study focuses on students as a target market of institutions, as traditionally most institutions marketing efforts are directed at satisfying 86 the needs of students. This study will provide insight into the demographics and choice factor importance that forms part of students decision-making behaviour, which will aid higher education institutions in understanding their target market to ensure satisfaction through implementing an appropriate marketing strategy. After segmentation and target marketing, organisations should position their market offerings in such a way that it is perceived to satisfy the needs of customers better than the competition. According to Hawkins et al. 2001289), a pro ducts position refers to the schematic memory of a brand in relation to competing brands, products, services and stores. daub image, a closely related concept, can be defined as the schematic memory of a brand without reference to competing brands. Strydom et al. (200014) regard a products position as the way consumers perceive a product or service in terms of its character and advantages in relation to competitors. Du Plessis and Rousseau (2003276) state that the primal underlying principle is recognising that the marketing battle today is fought in the minds of the consumer.Research shows those products or services that enjoy high awareness levels usually enjoy ascendent market penetration and market share. But awareness is not enough the service product must have a meaningful position in the mind of the consumer and stand for something of value to the consumer. Mowen (199518) defines product differentiation as the process of positioning the product by manipulating the marketin g mix so that customers can perceive meaningful differences between a particular brand and competing brands.A highly differentiated brand may have strong competitive advantages, because it is easily recognisable as being different from competitors. Institutions need to know how they and their service products are positioned in the students mind. The stimuli that institutions employ, such as advertising or sponsorships, can influence the service products interpretation and thus its position. Hawkins et al. (2001289) is of the opinion that organisations frequently fail to achieve the type of service product image or position they desire, because they fail to anticipate or test the consumers reaction.These positions have developed and evolved over time. Therefore, the message received from the organisation must be consistent or change in a deliberate manner to reflect or alter a desired change in brand position. 87 Strydom et al. (2000134) state that organisations must position their brands so that they are perceived to satisfy the needs of the target market better than competitors offerings. The institution must develop a rummy appeal for the brand in the consumers mind and position the brand as filling a particular need of the consumer.Berman and Evans (2001122) point out that through positioning, institutions devise their strategy in a way that projects an image relative to the institutions category and its competitors, and elicits consumers responses to their image. Sargeant (2005322) notes that positioning can also have a profound impact on the success or failure of fundraising initiatives and attempts to work closely with commerce and industry. Those higher education institutions that are perceived as being either of high quality or as unique in some way, are likely to have the greatest success in these areas.Law (20023) states that it is substantial for institutions to distinguish themselves from competitors in terms of values that are important to the student. Therefore, higher education institutions need to develop a clear position that can be stated simply, effectively and often (Dehne, 2001). The author continues by saying that as competition becomes stronger, an integrated marketing strategy based on the identified positioning of the institution will play a crucial role.If organisations want staff and students to project a positive image, they must clearly define exactly what that image is not vague understanding, but specifics (Sharpe & Harville, 1987). Law (20024) emphasises the importance of addressing the values that are important for prospective students in the publications of the institution. It can therefore be said that in the positioning of the institution, the needs and perceptions of important values of the respective public should be seriously considered.The elements of higher education institutions marketing are mixed to form an integrated strategy where each component plays a role to position the institution in its chosen target market (Van Biljon, 199265). According to Czinkota, Kotabe and Mecer (1997217), organisations must first determine how they want to position their service products and use their service products position as basis for developing their marketing strategies. This means that after the STP (segmentation, targeting and positioning) process, organisations must depart the services marketing mix elements into a marketing strategy that reflect the organisations desired osition to their target market. 88 The next section focuses on the services marketing mix and its elements as it pertains to higher education institutions. 3. 7 THE SERVICES MARKETING MIX OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS The development of a marketing strategy involves the coordination and combination of the marketing mix elements (Mowen, 199519 and Hawkins et al. , 20016). It is the combination and coordination of the elements in the marketing mix that enables organisations to meet customers needs and pro vides customer value.A traditional marketing mix consists of the following elements price, service product, promotion and place (distribution). However, due to the in apparent, inseparable, heterogeneous and putrefiable nature of services, the traditional marketing mix was extended to include process, people and physical evidence (Goldsmith, 1999178). Because higher education institutions in general provide nonphysical service products, the extended marketing mix, better known as the services marketing mix, forms the focus of this chapter.Higher education institutions need a well-developed comprehensive marketing strategy that is carefully communicated throughout the institution (Robinson & Long, 198744 Brooker & Noble, 198534) and the services marketing mix will help higher education institutions to shape their service offerings according to the needs of their customers. Grove, in Kraft (2006) showed that in the marketing of education, the marketing mix is the single most import ant determinant of marketing success.In the light of the fact that marketing can influence the consumers behaviour and the services marketing mix can assist higher education institutions in developing a holistic and well thought-through service offering, the seven services marketing mix elements (service product, price, promotion, distribution, people, physical evidence and process) will be discussed in the main part of this chapter. 89 3. 7. 1 THE SERVICE PRODUCT STRATEGY OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS The most basic decision that higher education institutions have to make is what programmes and services they will offer to their students, alumni and donors.An institutions service product strategy determines its identity, position and how customers will respond to the institution. A product is anything a consumer acquires, or might acquire to meet a perceived need and thus the sum of all the products and/or services offered by an organisation. To define the term service is not e asy or simplistic. Although the process may be tied to a physical product, the performance is essentially intangible and does not normally result in ownership of any of the factors of production. Services create value and provide benefits for customers at specific times and places.Lovelock and Wright (20023) define services as an act or performance offered by one party to another. Irons (199712) defines services as perishable, transient acts that have no lasting material, being mainly presented by people that cannot be separated from the provider. Therefore, the person-to-person characteristics of the provider are an important part of the service. Du Plessis and Rousseau (2003175) state that these definitions reveal that the nature of service centres on the characteristic of intangibility and that it is this feature that distinguishes services marketing from the marketing of physical goods.The goods and services continuum is shown in Figure 3. 2 below. Figure 3. 2 Goods and service s continuum Tangible overriding Complete tangible products Tangible products with supporting services Intangible dominant Hybrid offers Source Adapted from Palmer (200524). 90 Major service with supporting products beautiful services It is evident that in services, the intangible element is dominant. The provision of education, although intangible, also contains tangible elements. Institutions provide service activities such as the teaching process and wholesaler with customers (intangible element) as well as learning aterial such as textbooks (tangible element). McCollKennedy (20036-7) regards goods and services tangibility on a continuum, rather than in one category. At one end of the continuum are the intangible services and at the other end are tangible products. Higher education, which can be described as a major service (intangible) with minor supporting products (tangible), are leaning towards the intangible side of the continuum. In addition to categorising services bas ed on their tangibility, it is also useful to identify who or what is the direct recipient of the service.Services can either be directed at peoples bodies, intangible assetes, physical possessions or peoples minds such as education (Lovelock, 199629). In order to better understand the concept of services, the distinguishing characteristics of services will now be explained. The basic characteristics of services are briefly outlined below (Lovelock & Wright, 200214-16) Customers do not obtain ownership. Customers usually derive value from a service without obtaining ownership of any tangible elements Service products are intangible performances.Intangible refers to something that is experienced and cannot be touched or preserved. Although services often include tangible elements, the service performance itself is basically intangible Customer involvement in the production process. Customers are often actively involved in helping to create the service product by helping themselves or by cooperating with the service personnel. Customers cannot sit back and wait for the experience to be delivered as they do with the purchase of tangible products they have to accede. People as part of the service product. Given the fact that different service personnel may deliver the service product to customers, it is difficult to achieve 91 concurrence in service delivery. This difference (heterogeneity) in attitude and action will typically result in very different customer perceptions of the quality and boilersuit satisfaction levels. People are such an important component of service delivery that it is added as an element to service organisations marketing mix and will be discussed in Section 3. 7. 5 Importance of time.Customers have to be physically present to receive services. Customers are becoming increasingly time sensitive and fixture is often a key element in good service delivery and Services are perishable and cannot be stored like physical goods. Thus, al though education includes tangible elements such as textbooks, chairs and notes, students derive value from higher education without obtaining ownership. Students are involved in the education production process as they participate in and help make the final service product, by giving inputs in class or participating in campus events.As higher education is perishable and cannot be stored, students must be physically present to receive education. It is evident that offering educational services involve special challenges, since most services education is intangible, inseparable, variable and perishable. Developing service products that satisfy consumers wants and needs are a critical marketing activity for institutions (Hoyer & MacInnis, 200140). Consumer research can provide useful information for service product decisions.According to Czinkota et al. (1997109), information provided by consumer behaviour research, such as this study, can help organisations to decide which attributes to add to or change in an alert offering aid them in correctly naming or re-naming their organisations and make effective packaging and branding decisions. Higher education institutions should evaluate its academic programmes and service product mix periodically, and particularly when considering modifications. Some programmes are more central than others.Education offerings are specifically essential programmes that institutions cannot do without. Other programmes may be easier to modify, like recreational activities that are usually auxiliary programmes. Certain programmes will play a major role in attracting customers and these are called flagship programmes (Kotler & Fox, 1995282). 92 Information provided by this study will enable institutions to determine the importance of some components of their service product (variety of study courses, academic quality and sport programmes) in the institution endurance process of students.Higher education institutions must also develop a pricing strategy for their service products. The pricing decision is of utmost importance, as this will ensure income for higher education institutions that will enable them to implement al the other decisions such as promotion, distribution, processes, physical evidence and people. Section 3. 7. 2 will focus on the pricing strategy of higher education institutions. 3. 7. 2 THE PRICING STRATEGY OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONSIn this section, the pricing strategy of higher education institutions will be discussed by defining the term price, explaining possible pricing objectives of higher education institutions, explaining discounts and highlighting the role of price. Price plays an important role in the marketing mix, quality perception, attracting customers and providing revenue to institutions. Price is the meat of money (or some other item that is exchanged or bartered) that the buyer exchanges for a service product provided by the seller. Lamb et al. (2004570) describe pric es as that which is given up in exchange to acquire goods and services.The price of a service plays two major roles. Firstly, it influences how much of the service product the customer will purchase, and secondly, it influences whether selling the service will be profitable for the organisation or not (Machado & Cassim, 200099). Prices can be seen as the hail that a customer (students, parents or employers) must pay to be educated. The price of higher education institutions are influenced by the subsidy from government as well as donations and the cost of presenting the course, prices of competition and inflation.Price, for students, consists of a monetary cost as well as other costs, for example effort cost (completing long evidence application forms), psychological cost (stress of enrolling in an institution far from home) and time cost (visiting or attending open days at different institutions) (Kotler & Fox, 1995311). Students and their parents are not just interested in the i nstitutions list price (official 93 nurture and fees printed in a catalogue), but also the effective price. According to Kotler and Fox (1995312), the effective price is the amount the customer will actually pay for all the educational benefits and value received.Prospective students may find it difficult to measure effective price early in the decision process, since effective price can only be known after the student has foregone though the application process and has been accepted and financial aid has been allocated. Tuition fees represent only a fraction of the total cost of attending a higher education institution and living cost and other education related expenses must also be considered by students (Anon, 2006b). Diederichs (1987112) found that price plays an important role in students choices of a higher education institution.The first aspect organisations should consider when pricing a service product is to decide on the pricing objectives they want to achieve. Pricin g objectives can influence the price of the service product and include maximising profit (short- or long-term), building market share, maximising long-term customer perceptions of the value of the service product, maximising immediate cash flow, positioning the service product in a certain place in customers minds, and targeting a given segment of the market.Higher education institutions may pursue more than one of these objectives at the same time depending on the situation they are facing. A new higher education institution emerging after a merger may aim to position their service product, as well as targeting a given segment and maximising long-term perceptions of value (McColl-Kennedy, 2003270 and Machado & Cassim, 2002106-107). Higher education institutions should take into account three factors when setting prices for their educational programmes Firstly, cost, by determining the amount of revenue needed to cover expected operating expenses Secondly, customer demand, which e mphasises that the final price decision is always made by the customer and Thirdly, competition, as institutions have to weigh their value and establish their price relative to their competitors. Institutions should always consider the effects of a given pricing policy on enrolment, the nature and mission of the institution, the prices charged by competition and the 94 effect of their prices and price changes on actions of competition (Kotler & Fox, 1995309).The pricing objective of a higher education institution will also affect its discount policy, as discount influence profit, market share, cash flow and positioning. Once the basic price is established, organisations need to establish some flexibility in terms of that price. Discount can be defined as the reductions to the basic price (Machado & Cassim, 2002116). Higher education institutions need to determine and declare their prices (tuition fees) and discounts. Financial aid is seen as a form as discount by students.Kotler and Fox (1995310) state that financial aid is not just used to attract students to increase the size of classes, but also to ensure the needed composition of the class to meet diversity objectives. Student aid or financial aid makes it possible for many students from low- and middle income families to afford higher education (Anon, 2006b). Cabrera and La Nasa (200010) found that financial aid especially influences students positively to select a particular institution and also allows parents to consider a wider range of institutions.This study will include the importance of financial aid in selecting a higher education institution. Diederichs (1987114) found that a higher education institutions price policy should take into consideration the facilities needed, quality of education and competitiveness, as students often use the price of a product or service as an indicator of quality. For example, more expensive institutions may be viewed as providing better education. Some institut ions make use of their price/quality relationship by trying to raise the prestige and attractiveness of their institution by raising the tuition fees.Higher education institutions must carefully consider the role of price in the marketing mix, as price can be used as a quality indicator and thereby influence the perception of the institutions position. Higher education institutions often offer substantial amounts of financial aid to talented students to maintain their competitive advantage. Students and parents are looking for the best overall deal in terms of educational quality and prices (Laurer, 2006).Courant (20064) is of the opinion that higher education institutions prepare students to lead an examined life and should therefore price higher education as an expensive, high value proposition. Wallace (200332) argues that higher tuition fees will enable institutions to improve the quality of education and in countries where higher education is subsidised or offered for free, edu cation would be held in higher esteem if a price were attached to it. However, Beckett (2005) warns that institutions 95 should be aware that charging top fees may cause institutions to loose students and not widen the participation.Wallace (2003) states that universities in France, England, the United States and Germany are facing the same problems with the price of education, as government funding for education is decreasing and institutions have to look at increasing tuition fees. The result is that students in these countries are protesting the price increases. The increased value of a higher education degree, increased research at universities, reduced state funding for public higher education institutions and monopolistic behaviour of higher education institutions are other possible reasons for higher prices (Barry, 199884).Higher educational institutions rely on tuition fees, donors and government subsidies as sources of revenue. As discussed in Chapter 2, changes in the fi nancial environment emphasise the trend of institutions to cut cost, increase productivity and offer more financial aid to students. Most educational institutions depend heavily on tuition fees to keep operating and pricing therefore becomes very important. Price plays a role in determining who will apply, who will attend, who the institutions will serve, what the institutions will be able to offer and whether the institutions will meet its enrolment objectives and revenue needs.From the discussion it is evident that a pricing strategy is important for education institutions because they depend on revenue to operate, especially in the light of the decrease in subsidies (refer to Chapter 2). Price is part of the marketing mix and should be considered as an element of the institutions strategy planning. When setting price, decision-makers should understand how students perceive price and the importance of price in selecting institutions.According to Cosser and Du Toit (200277), price is an important factor considered in choosing a higher education institution. It is important that higher education institutions know the cost of producing the service, know the price of competitors, identify pricing factors that are relevant to pricing decisions, and decide on a pricing strategy that will attract enough students. It is evident from the above-mentioned that higher education management needs information on the students and market to make effective pricing decisions.This study will provide some insight on the importance of price in the institution selection process. 96 Higher education institutions can have good quality educational services offered at the right price to students, but if students and parents are not aware of these services and prices, they will not consider the institution. It is thus important that higher education institutions communicate with their prospective students and parents. The next section will focus on the promotional or communication st rategy of higher education institutions. 3. 7. THE PROMOTIONAL STRATEGY OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS Educational institutions need to effectively communicate with their target market(s) and publics. Institutions must inform students and parents about its goals, activities and offerings and motivate them to take an interest in the institution. To identify and satisfy consumers needs, an institution must have a good understanding of the consumer in order to gain a competitive advantage through its marketing mix (service product, price, distribution, promotion, process, people and physical evidence).Persuasive communication is central to the marketing of service products as features, benefits and values must be communicated to the consumers to influence their purchase behaviour. Everything and everybody in an institution has a role to play in communication. Examples include the organisations brand name or logo, campus grounds, service product quality, prices, employees, delivery ve hicles, buildings, the technology the organisation has at its disposal, the capital the organisation has at its disposal and the organisational philosophy.Kelley and Mahady (20032) are of the opinion that promotion is an element sometimes overlooked by non-profit organisations. They argue that even if an institution offers some of the best programmes and services, these will not be utilised to the fullest if the market they were mean for has no knowledge of their existence. The remainder of Section 3. 7. 3 will focus on the definition of promotion, the communication process and the integrated services marketing communication (ISMC) mix available for higher education institutions. According to Hawkins et al. 200119), promotion or marketing communication includes advertising, the sales force, public relations, packaging and any other signals that the 97 organisation provides about itself and its products and services. Lamb et al. (2004466) describe the promotional strategy as a pla n for the optimal use of the elements of promotion, namely advertising, sales promotion, publicity and personal selling. Many higher education institutions are returning to promotional or communication tools to promote courses in an attempt to maintain and/or expand their market share.The importance of communication can be seen in the establishment of communication departments, more funds that are allocated to marketing and appointing marketing managers or external communication experts to help with promotional activities. Higher education institutions are making use of radio, television, newspapers, buses, taxis and open days as well as more professional brochures and promotional material as vehicles for communication (Jones, 200241). This is necessary, since higher education institutions can no longer depend on pass rates alone to attract students.In order to utilise the promotional tools to their fullest and to ensure effective communication, higher education institutions need to understand the communication process. Communication involves the creation of shared meaning between participants. The intangibility, inseparability, perishability and heterogeneity of services create special communication requirements and involve the risk of miscommunication that is not so evident in the marketing of goods (McColl-Kennedy, 2003236). Communication can be viewed upon as the transfer of a message from a sender to a receiver by means of a signal of some sort via a highroad or medium.The sender translates his/her objectives, ideas and concepts through language into a message also known as encoding (Strydom et al. , 2000344). The receiver tries to decode the message before he/she can comprehend its meaning and then the receiver reacts or responds to the message (Lamb et al. , 2004326). The disturbances (physical or psychological) that prevent the successful transfer of the message are known as noise. Noise influences all the components of the communication process and p laces obstacles in the way of effective communication.Higher education institutions are the senders, while the receivers of the message are the potential students, existing students, parents, employers or alumni. For the purpose of this study, the focus is on the students of a higher education institution. This does not mean that institutions do not need to communicate with other publics such as alumni, parents, donors, government or the general public as well. According 98 to Jones (200244) the students ability to decode the message is influenced by his/her past experiences, feelings, emotions, attitudes and perceptions of the institution.Thus, higher education institutions need to fully understand their target market to identify the appropriate intended messages for the target market. The communication process gives higher education institutions the opportunity to influence prospective students behaviour by developing a message that creates awareness, position themselves in the mind of the student, change the students attitude towards the institution, or encourage the student to apply to the institution (Jones, 200245). The most popular communication/promotion objectives are general image enhancement and awareness of the institutions (Kittle, 2000).According to Jones (200243), emotions or feelings also play an important part in the encoding process and it is vital that higher education institutions should have empathy for other peoples cultural backgrounds. Higher education institutions need to select a medium that will attract attention, arouse interest and present the message clearly (Kotler & Fox, 1995353). Higher education institutions need knowledge about the language of the prospective students, knowledge of forms of communication and general background information about the prospective students in order to encode successfully.The media that will be investigated in this study include printed media (advertisement in magazines, newspapers or outdoor m edia), broadcasting media (advertisements on radio and television), direct mail or direct marketing (newsletters and brochures of higher education institutions), body language and direct communication through representatives of the institution (school visits by staff or open days attended by students), word-of-mouth (conversations with alumni, friends or family members), or websites. In Chapter 4 the different media will be further discussed as part of the sources of information used by students.The promotional mix that an institution uses is determined by the student markets expectations and requirements of the service products, together with the other elements of institutions marketing decisions. Machado and Cassim (2002157) describe the promotional mix as the blend of promotional methods used by the organisation to communicate. A huge array of promotion elements exist, such as direct marketing, sales promotions, advertising, Internet and sponsorships. The communication process an d the promotional mix elements (advertising, public 99 elations, personal selling and sales promotions) are used by organisations to communicate to their prospective customers. The message that reaches the customer should be the same regardless of whether it is an advertisement on the radio, websites, open days, or a newspaper insert. To ensure the careful coordination of all the promotional mix elements, organisations must adopt the concept of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) (Du Plessis & Rousseau, 2005345). For a higher education institution, this means that the institution coordinates all its communication activities.Zeithaml and Bitner (2000405) suggest that a more complex integrated form of communication is needed for services, hence the ISMC approach as shown in Figure 3. 3. This concept requires a complete communication strategy that involves staff, every interface the institution has with its students, stakeholders and the community at large (Jones, 2002450). Lau rer (2006) suggests that institutions must coordinate all the promotional elements so that they meet the needs of students and parents who will pay for their products and services. Figure 3. serves as a visual guide for the discussion