Of Mice and Men – Misc Questions

OMAM Essays a) How does Steinbeck use details in this passage to present the bunkhouse and its inhabitants? Steinbeck uses many different ideas to present to present the bunkhouse and its inhabitants. Steinbeck emphasises that the inhabitants have little possessions by commenting about the â€Å"apple box† forming â€Å"two shelves for the personal belongings of the occupant of the bunk†. As all the occupants would be itinerant workers, which meant that they had a nomadic lifestyle, this also highlights that the occupants couldn’t afford possessions and probably didn’t have a lot of room for them anyway.This indicates that they had little home comfort and it was probably quite an uncomfortable, stark and hostile environment they lived in. This lack of familiarity or care is also further portrayed by the description of the bunkhouse itself. The walls are described as â€Å"whitewashed† and the floor is â€Å"unpainted†. This could indicate tha t the owners of the bunkhouse really don’t care about the inhabitants. However, this may not be because the owners dislike the inhabitants, more probably because the itinerant workers don’t stay around for long enough for the workers and the boss to have a proper relationship.This reiterates the point that â€Å"maybe everyone in the whole damn world is scared of each other† and the society they live in is truly a backstabbing and hostile environment. We even know that Crooks, who is a long time inhabitant of the bunkhouse, isn’t treated fairly and much more like an animal because he lives in the barn and he has little possessions. This also shows how cruel their environment is. Despite all of this – at least the inhabitants still have pride.This is demonstrated by George’s disgust when he finds a yellow can of pest killer next to his bed, indicating that the bed may be infested. Clearly, George was not expecting there to be pests in his bed which could indicate that he is a cynical man and has been hardened by his surroundings. This could also emphasise how out of place Lennie is. His docile approach just doesn’t fit in with his life. b) In the rest of the novel, how does Steinbeck present the lives of ranch workers at that time? Steinbeck has intentionally designed each character to represent a segregated group of society.Together, all the characters are presented in a microcosm and they all represent something much larger. For example, Crooks represents the prejudice that black people had to put up with and Crooks’ opinion of this treatment is evident throughout the book in an unbiased way, allowing the reader to digest the ideas of Steinbeck. George is one of the most pivotal characters in the book, as he represents the typical itinerant worker, trying to get money wherever they can after the backlash of the wall street crash.Unfortunately, like most workers at the time, they were all very lonely beca use of their nomadic lifestyle. Although George doesn’t appear to be lonely because of his friendship with Lennie, there are subtle indicators that being lonely is George’s fate. For example, George often plays Solitaire which is a game for one person. Steinbeck is highlighting how lonely it would be for the workers to always be working with no stable home. George also says that he â€Å"ain’t got no people† and that people like him who are alone â€Å"get wantin’ to fight all the time. This indicates that life for the workers was hard because all the workers were exactly like George – they were alone and they were a product of an inimical environment. Through George, Steinbeck is also describing how angry and nasty everyone becomes when they are alone. This is demonstrated by Crooks – who was cynical and nasty to Lennie when he showed weakness. Crooks has often proven to be an angry and bitter man, however this is only because of th e way he is treated. As he is black, people don’t talk to him or accept him for what he is.They even go as far as to not let him in the bunkhouse. Early on in the book, when Candy is describing Christmas on the ranch he says â€Å"they even let the nigger in† as if that was an unusual event – which of course for them it was. Through this, Steinbeck is addressing the segregation that blacks lived with in 1930s America. a) How do the details in this passage add to your understanding of George and his relationship with Lennie? In this passage it is clear that Lennie looks up to George

The Law of E-Commerce

English law has long been recognized as respecting freedom of contract. In other words, the state has not, generally, laid down legislation which has interfered with the freedom of parties to agree the terms of their contracts. In more recent years, there have been a number of inroads into the principle of freedom of contract, particularly with respect to consumer protection. It very much remains the case that English law does provide parties with considerable flexibility both as how they conclude contracts and the terms that they include. Offer and acceptance In order for a contract to be binding under English law it requires an offer, acceptance, intention to create legal relations, consideration and capacity. With regard to electronic commerce, the contractual requirements need careful consideration. Offer A supplier offers an unconditional offer which could be accepted by any potential customer. If the customer informs the supplier that he or she accepts the offer ,there will be a binding contract. On the other hand, the supplier could provide to the customer what is known in legal terms as an â€Å"invitation to treat†. This is not a binding offer, but an â€Å"invitation† for the customer to make an offer, which the supplier can then accept. It is very important for suppliers wanting to sell goods through on line to ensure that their websites and other on line advertisements are interpreted as invitations to treat. If a supplier's website constituted a formal offer to provide certain services or goods, the supplier may be in breach of the local laws (both civil and criminal) if there are certain kind of customers who would not ordinarily be entitled to make the purchases which are being offered. For instances, the sale of alcoholic products to minors and guns or other weapons into all countries, when some countries restrict more carefully the circumstances in which guns or other weapon can be purchased. Acceptance English law is generally very flexible about how an offer can be accepted. Acceptance could be communicated by an acknowledgement (e.g. email) or by physical act such as the shipping of the goods. What is more uncertain under English law is when acceptance takes place – particularly in an Internet contract. The general rule is that an offer is not accepted until acceptance is communicated to the offeror. So far there is no case relating to this rule which applies to contracts made over the internet. But however, there is case law which applies to other instantaneous forms of communication, such as telexes and facsimiles, provided that such communications are sent during the business hours. With the global use of electronic trade, the question of when each business day begins may be difficult to determine – particularly when the customer cannot easily work out where the server accessed is based. The major exception to the general rule on acceptance concerns acceptance by post. In the majority of cases, acceptance takes place when the acceptance is posted and not when it is received by the offeror. The â€Å"postal† rule means that the contract will already have been made and the offeror will be bound to complete his obligations, provided that the other party can prove that the acceptance letter has been posted. In some ways, notwithstanding its instantaneous nature, acceptance by electronic means does have similarities to postal acceptance. A common carrier will assume the responsibility in transmitting the message (in this instance the carrier is the Internet Provider). With this kind of communication, it is not easy to determine the receipt with respect to email sent over the internet. What this means is that the sending party will not know when or if the acceptance has been received. Given the fact that it is not clear when acceptance of an offer will occur, any supplier should take care to consider how and when acceptance will take place. This has long been the principle adopted in EDI contracts, and those doing business on the Internet have to ensure that they do not leave anything out for questioning later in the contract. Any supplier should have no difficulty in exercising control over the manner in which the only contracting process is conducted. Unlike the Internet most real world contracts are formed on a person to person basis, either by a face to face conversation or verbally over the phone. By contrast, most Internet contracts are remotely made, impersonal and above all automated. If there is any ambiguity or uncertainty over the transaction but a more likely issue to whether there was a contract at all. Contract terms and liability English law gives the contracting parties the freedom to set many of the terms upon which they will contract the business. But this will be subjected to two areas where the law will imply terms. First, certain terms will be implied by statute. Secondly, the law will imply terms just to give â€Å"business efficiency† to a contract. This happens where either parties have forgotten to deal with an issue expressly in circumstances where they would have done so had they thought about the issue at the time f the contract was finalized. The main terms implied by statute in contracts to sell goods is the Sale of Goods Act 1979. This terms will imply to any contract that: * the goods will be of satisfactory quality; * where expressly or impliedly known by the supplier, the goods will be reasonably fit for the buyer's purposes; * where goods are sold by reference to a description, the goods will correspond to that description. This term is particularly important for internet sales where a buyer may make a purchase of certain goods having visited a supplier's website. If a supplier provides services, the implied term for the services will be that they will be dealt with â€Å"reasonable skill care†, and within a reasonable time frame (Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982). Under the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977, these terms cannot be exempted in any circumstances with respect to consumers. Sometimes in the contract for a business, a supplier can exclude liability for breach of these implied terms where it is â€Å"reasonable† to do so. Not only the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 in which the implied terms under the Sale of Goods Act can be exempted, but the Act also imply other liability can be limited as far as the services concerned. The main provisions deal with: * liability for death and personal injury – this cannot be exempt under any circumstances; * liability in negligence other than for death and personal injury – this can be exempt where reasonable; * liability to a consumer – this can be exempt only where reasonable (except in the case of liability for breach of the terms implied under the Sale of Goods Act; * liability when dealing on the supplier's standard terms and conditions – a supplier can only be exempt liability to his customers where it is reasonable to do so; There are a number of matters with regard to the reasonableness that the court will take into account when questioning each case individually. The questions are undoubtedly related to the insurance carried by both parties; what other sources were open to customers; and whether the buyer knows or ought to know the exclusions and limitations clauses incorporated into the contract. If there are any ambiguities in the terms of the contract, the court will be in favour of the customer. And the supplier will be left to prove that his exclusions are to be reasonable with respect to doing the business. No doubt that many online contracts will incorporate standard terms and many sales will be directly to consumers, the Unfair Contract Terms Act will play a role in determining the exposure a supplier may face in providing the services or goods using the Internet as a communication mechanism. The UCTA will only be using the English law system for a contract of consumers if they are based in the UK and for a contract where there is a choice of law other than English law, when it is selected for the purposes (mainly or wholly) of trying to avoid the effect of UCTA. Apart from the Unfair Contract Terms Act, there is one exception with regard to the contracts conducted over the Internet. It concerns the international supply contracts where the offer and acceptance of the sale of goods take place in different countries or the goods are physically shipped from one jurisdiction to another. Many companies wishing to sell goods through the Internet could use this exception whereby the purchaser accesses the server to order goods from other location which is outside of the English jurisdiction. It should be realized that this exception can be applied even where the English law is governing law of contract. When a contract is considered to be an international one, the Unfair Contract Terms Act will not intervene and a supplier is free to limit or exclude his liability without having to look at the UCTA to see whether if it is reasonable to do so. Although it is likely to apply to sales to businesses only in the light of certain parallel consumer legislation – the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1994. In addition to UCTA, any supplier considering doing businesses over the Internet must also bear in mind the impact of the Regulations when dealing with the consumers. These Regulations incorporate into English law of the European Community Directive on Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts, which provides the entire states of the European Union cases in which it is unfair to limit or to exclude certain rights of consumers by contract terms. If the terms of the contract is considered to be unfair, then it will be declared as void. Furthermore, the Regulations could assist the consumers if the consumers are asked to pay a penalty in the event they fail to complete their contractual obligations and when the supplier restrict the consumers' legal recourse in the event of a breach (for instance, by making the consumer go to arbitration). It is for this reason that it was suggested that the international supply contract with the exception in UCTA will only be of real benefit to those selling goods to businesses. Furthermore, there are also other helpful pieces of legislation which a consumer can depend on: * The Consumer Credit Act 1974 – if a customer has paid for the goods by credit card and the value of each item is à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½100 or more then the credit card company assumes the same responsibilities as the supplier does and a consumer can make a complain to them. * The Misrepresentation Act 1967 – may give a customer the right to return goods and have his money back if he/she has been told something factual about them that made him/her decide to buy but which turns out to be untrue. * The Trades Description Act 1968 – if a seller makes a particularly gross misrepresentation about an article or if he or she is regularly misrepresenting the qualities of any goods then this may warrant a complaint to and investigation by Trading Standards who have the power to prosecute. * Misleading Prices Regulations – the law does not control prices as such but does requires that prices are accurately displayed or advertised. If a seller has incorrectly displayed a price a customer cannot force a sale at that price but it may warrant a complain to Trading Standards. So how can businesses conducting sales over the Internet protect themselves from the inevitability of pricing errors? Hence thousand of orders can be placed with online retailers before they can detect the problem. When the prices are incorrectly displayed and contracts are formed, the sellers are forced to choose between accepting that price as a financial loss in goodwill or trying to consider the contracts under the doctrine of unilateral mistake. Otherwise to avoid the contracts to be binding with customers with the incorrectly pricing, the sellers should employ protective methods of contract formation that assist them to prevent loss. The risks and costs of pricing errors Many online errors result from the fact of proofreading mistakes and software problems, but a lot of mistakes keep increasing because many sellers online tend to change their prices more often than normal and convenience high street stores [1]. Furthermore, online businesses execute sales automatically and therefore lose the added safety of having the human eye confirm the price. The Internet, with all the richness of information resources, can cause some harm. Many of the online shopping combine with chat rooms, emails and bulletin board which in turn can result in a flood of orders and thousands of sales being processed before the sellers is able to pinpoint and correct the mistake. For instance, in 2001, Kodak offered a à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½329 digital camera for à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½100 [2]. At the time the case was decided that Kodak's automatic confirmation email formed legally binding contracts [3], and in the end, the company was forced to honour the sales. The incident caused the company substantial losses of more than à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2 million [4]. Kodak argued that, if there was a contract formed, that contract could be void by reason of â€Å"mistake† (i.e. the price of the goods offered was so low that there was obviously a mistake). Kodak's refusal to fulfill orders was widely reported. The common law view was that Kodak would lose any actions brought against it because 1) its standard terms were unfair to the consumer; 2) a camera worth à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½300 being sold as a special offer for à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½100 was not an obvious mistake; and 3) Kodak's reply not only to acknowledge the sale, but used the words â€Å"this contract†, Kodak forced to accept the orders. In another example involving Argos, a catalogue online retailer, who advertised a TV on its website for à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.99, one one-hundredth of its normal price. Argos received orders worth over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1 millions, none of which were acknowledged. Argos argued that there was no contract between the customers and itself, because Argos did not confirm any orders as far as the product concerned. The case was decided confidentially and it is believed that Argos did not fulfill the majority of those orders. The equitable doctrine of unilateral mistake When the online seller make honest and honourable mistake on pricing which result in big losses, their mistake could be considered based on the doctrine of unilateral mistake. What this means is that one party's mistake could make the contract voidable when the mistake concerns a basic assumption on which the contract was formed and has a material effect on the agreement that is adverse to that party [5]. Furthermore, the effected party must prove that: a) the mistake is such that enforcement would be unconscionable, or b) the other party had reason to know the mistake or should have known that the price was a mistake [6]. An unconscionable contract is defined as â€Å"no man in his senses, not under delusion, would make†¦.and which no fair and honest man would accept†¦.† [7]. The contract, if was formed, must cause hardship to the effected party [8]. In addition to this, the court would look to see whether the sale would cause the seller a big loss and not merely a diminished profit [9]. Alternatively, the online seller could also prove that the customers had reason to know or ought to know that the price was wrong [10]. â€Å"Reason to know† means that a person â€Å"has a duty to another† and â€Å"he would not be acting adequately in the protection of his own interests were he not acting with reference to the facts which he has reason to know† [11]. Rescinding the contract is the only remedy option under the unilateral mistake; it is not a basis for reformation [12]. It means that the seller cannot ask the customer to go ahead with the sale at the actual price. But instead, the seller must cancel all customer's order and re-offer the good at the actual price. However, after the re-offering the good the customer might not show any more interest in purchasing it. In some instances, the court might refuse to order rescission. The court will consider whether one party has so detrimentally relied on the contract it would be inequitable to order rescission [13], will be prejudiced by rescission [14], or cannot be returned to the status quo [15]. Furthermore, the court might refuse to rescind the contract when the mistake resulted from the seller's negligence or lack of due care [16]. Case of an e-seller policy Amazon.com provides an example of an online seller who has incorporated a policy into its website to deal with potential pricing mistakes. It provides a direct link to its pricing policy from its term of use. In its term, Amazon states that the price of any products is not confirmed till the customer completes the order. Additionally, Amazon further states that the items in the catalogue may be mispriced and the price will be verified before it's sent out. If the actual price is lower than the stated price, Amazon will charge the lower price and ship the good. On the other hand, if the actual price is higher, Amazon will either contact the customer or cancel the order and notify the customer of its cancellation. Despite all these precautions, however, Amazon has been involved in a number of argument concerning the incorrect pricing. Recently, in the UK Amazon made a mistake in advertising iPaq handheld computers priced at less than one fiftieth of the retail price. But fortunately, Amazon has managed to avoid big losses because its conditions of sale explicitly stated that the contract is not formed till the good was dispatched, giving Amazon the right to cancel most of the orders it has received. The contents of its conditions' statement were the same throughout. On the same token, in America, Amazon mistakenly put on sale a memory module priced at 10% less than the actual price and DVD's priced at 75% of their list price. Amazon in America emailed notices to customers, in according to their pricing policy, requesting if they could pay for the actual price of the products or cancel their order completely. Several customers filed complaints to the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau. But it is not clear how these complaints have been resolved. Conclusion In short, to avoid losses caused by pricing errors, online seller can employ a few measures ensuring that his business is protected. One of the thing the seller should do is he should include the terms and conditions in the contract stating that he reserves the right to cancel orders and an explanation that the customer's order only constitutes an offer, which the seller can accept by charging the customer's credit card or by dispatching the good. In addition, the customer should be required to assent to those terms and conditions by clicking â€Å"I accept† during the checkout process. The English cases indicate that the terms of a contract are binding if a seller has made sufficient efforts to bring the terms to the attention of the buyer and if the parties agree to the terms. It is very important that the buyer who buy things online ought to see and accept the terms before an order is placed. However, the terms should allow the sellers to reject orders at any stage before dispatch. Any automatic response to an order ought to let the buyer know that a binding contract has not been entered into and the price is subject to change until it is shipped. Although these precautions has taken place, a seller online may still face potential litigation and consumer complaints, concerning any incorrect prices confirmed by auto-reply emails. The Internet is undoubtedly will grow in importance and it is no more than a tool of communication just like the telephone, telex or fax. Furthermore, electronic contract is becoming more common and right now a substantial percentage of both commerce and consumer contracts is concluded in cyberspace. Although e-commerce contracts suffer some problem, but they can be overcome by applying the three basic questions, when was the contract concluded? What are the terms of the contract? and where is the contract governed? These questions would help us to deal with any contract whether it is formed electronically or by more traditional means. â€Å"It is the moral equivalent of being given too much change in a supermarket and pocketing the money instead of handing it back† ( Bill Thompson, technology analyst).

Helping in Schools Essay

1. Identify the current legislation relating to equality and inclusion aspects. (LO 1.1) 2. Write up your â€Å"Anti-discrimination Application/ Assessment Worksheet†, completing one row independently. (LO 2.1, 2.2) 3. Briefly reflect on your how your own attitudes, values and behaviour might impact on your work with children and young people by completing the following statements: a. It is important to support the rights of all children and young people to participation and equality of access because†¦.(LO 1.2) b. It is important to support anti-discriminatory practice in schools because †¦(LO 2.4) c. I could challenge discrimination by†¦(LO 2.5) d. Avoiding stereotyping groups of people is particularly important in school because†¦(LO 2.3) e. It is important to be a role model in the area of equality and inclusion because†¦..(LO 2.3) f. It is important to value and celebrate Cultural Diversity because†¦I can contribute to this by†¦ (LO 1.3, 2.3) g. As a volunteer I have a particularly important role to play in promoting equality and inclusion because†¦(LO 2.3) 4. Briefly describe a display in your school and say how you feel it celebrates diversity and equal opportunities or challenges discrimination. Alternatively you could suggest a plan for a display which would celebrate diversity, promote equal opportunities or challenge discrimination in school.

Book Review . Discuss the process of maturation of Frederick Douglass Essay

Book Review . Discuss the process of maturation of Frederick Douglass from childhood to adulthood. Make sure that you employ a - Essay Example The first theme that manifests in Douglass’s narrative is that of inequality. African American slaves got treated cruelly by their slave masters who viewed them as not being human beings. He begins his narrative by stating that he was not aware of his birth date. He states that neither did he ever meet a slave who could tell his or her birth date (Douglass 1). Meanwhile, the white children could tell their birth date. This shows the inequality that slaves got born into. He narrates of how when his master died they got valued together with livestock as his family shared property. He states how slaves of all kind got ranked with sheep, swine, and horses (Douglass 51). This shows that slaves got viewed as equal to animals by their masters. This was a form of racial inequality. Another theme that manifests itself is that of the path to freedom. Douglass aims to show that he believes education and a progressive urban environment as the keys to freedom. He remarks that a city slave is freer than a slave on a plantation. He notices this when he gets moved to Baltimore, Maryland. He views a city slave as getting fed and clothed better than a slave on a plantation (Douglass 38). In spite of the decency accorded to the city slave, he later notes that there still was much injustice to the slaves whether in the city or plantation. Douglass also believes that education can play a key role towards the freedom of the slave. He strives to learn as much, but again the more he learns, the further he casts doubts on whether knowledge would earn his freedom. He remarks that the more knowledge he acquires, the more his eyes open to the endless evils of slavery (Douglass 47). When Hugh Auld forbids his wife from teaching Douglass, he realizes that this was a witty way through which slaveholders kept their slaves. Auld tells his wife that education ruins slaves. Douglass views that slaveholders hide knowledge from slaves to keep them unaware of the evil that is slavery. Dougla ss embarked on self-education as the key towards his ability to free himself. In his narrative, Douglass also shows the theme of Christianity. He highlights that there exists two forms of Christianity at the time; the real and hypocritical form of Christianity. According to him, there exists Christianity of the land and that of Christ (Douglass 95). Douglass believes the real Christianity gets practiced by him and the whites who preach against slavery. The hypocritical Christianity gets practiced by whites such as Mr. Covey who totally ignore and hide the real ideals of Christianity. He makes a distinction between the two by stating the real Christianity was based on charity and peace. The false Christianity revolves around the immoral and violent actions of slaveholders. Douglass, through his narrative, shows how the slaveholding masters in the south use Christianity to spread their evil deed of slavery. Conclusion The narrative by Douglass presents an emotional and quite moving st ory about his life as a slave until he becomes a free man. He is born a slave and recounts losing his mother at a remarkably young age. He encounters the brutality of slavery at a very early age when he witnessed his aunt Hester getting whipped. He undergoes harsh treatment and cruelty from his slave masters and whites while growing up. In spite of all this hardships, Douglass still manages to remain upbeat and pursue self education even when Mrs. Auld stops teaching

Customer comparision - Kohl's vs. Home Depot Essay

Customer comparision - Kohl's vs. Home Depot - Essay Example Both companies build customer value by offering customers both a wider range of channels, and more personalized treatment through the integration of channels. Recent years, US retailers have maintained high-speed growth through continuous optimization of its product/service mix and technological innovation. It has also realized rapid expansion through capital injections. The changes are closely connected with Internet facilities and WWW which opens international markets for these companies. Be in one of the most highly rated industries for stability and success, Home Depot and Kohl’s offer an opportunity to everyone who wants to change his home and personal style. Home Depot is a US based company. It is a leader in home improvement retail market. Today, Home Depot relies chiefly on an efficient technology innovation system and supply chain. Home Depot is â€Å"the second largest retailer operating over 1,700 stores in North America. The company operates Home Depot stores, Expo Design Centers, Home Depot Supply Stores, Home Depot Landscape Supply Stores, and Home Depot Floor Stores† (Speight, 2004). Kohl’s is a nationa l retailer proposing a wide range of products for the whole family: â€Å"our stores are stocked with everything you need for yourself and your home - apparel, shoes & accessories for women, children and men, plus home products like small electrics, bedding, luggage and more† (www.kohlcorporation.com). Target market of Home Depot involves professional users and non-professional users from middle classes. Home Depot â€Å"offers products and services primarily to builders, contractors, municipalities, industrial customers and maintenance professionals† (Hall, 2007). Kohl’s target audience also involves middle class consumers looking for high product quality and good service. Customers within the segment are similar to each other and dissimilar to other groups of customers in other segments. Today, Home Depot orients

Geriatric Category Patients and Their Treatment Essay

Geriatric Category Patients and Their Treatment - Essay Example Healing, especially, has been identified as an issue in the elderly’ due to characteristic age related changes in skin texture, reduced processes of wound healing which are clearly distinct from the rapid healing in young patients (Gosain & Dipietro, 2004: 321). The particular patient shortlisted for this assessment belongs to the geriatric category as he is an 80 years old man, with an established diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), probably precipitated due to a history of excessive smoking. The man has also suffered an episode of shingles, as revealed from his medical history sheet. Due to the multiple comorbidities he is suffering from, he is currently being administered a combination of medications, which complicate his care further due to the multifarious side-effects associated with them. Taking history of a patient is an art which needs to be mastered by each nursing professional. It needs preparation of a proper environment, good communication s kills of the nursing practitioner, and is a thoroughly systematic, sensitive and professional activity (Lloyd & Craig, 2007: 42). The Calgary Cambridge Framework, a widely accepted standard for collecting the anamneses of a patient is generally recommended and includes five stages which summarize the history taking process (Lloyd & Craig, 2007: 44). ... tween the patient and the nurse for establishment of a true interaction, proper planning for shared decision making with the patient’s compliance, and closing the consultation amiably in accordance with the patient’s expectations (Lloyd & Craig, 2007: 44). Unhelpful interview techniques involving questions which are too probing, offensive, misleading or inappropriate are expressly prohibited in the Calgary Cambridge Framework. The framework advises against the use of defensive responses and tendency to jump to conclusions. A properly structured sequence of questioning aimed at obtaining comprehensive information about the patient's condition yielding pertinent data should be strictly followed. Discretion should be employed while obtaining answers to sensitive questions such as sexual and social history, and while gathering details about alcohol, tobacco or substance abuse (Lloyd & Craig, 2007: 47). The patient shortlisted for assessment is dependent on PEG tube for feed ing but is fully capable of taking care of his toilet and bathing needs with some guidance. Currently he suffers from cellulitis, especially in the lower body and the resultant wounds in both legs are causing considerable pain. The severely affected left leg is kept raised to reduce his discomfort and the wound is dressed aseptically on a daily basis. On immediate observation, the patient is afebrile, has a blood pressure (BP) of 140/95, a respiration rate (RR) of 20-37, and a heart rate (HR) of 80 beats per minute. His health parameters have consistently remained at this level for the last few days with only slight variations. However, as the patient was a regular smoker with an established diagnosis of COPD, he is in need of special care and oxygen therapy due to his compromised respiratory system

Homeland Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Homeland Security - Essay Example While larger agencies are more likely to utilize computers for data retrieval as well as communications, the smaller agencies lag behind (p.25). Third, data sharing among agencies at all levels has become a critical component of an effective and efficient system. Again, there needs to be a focus on funding and "substantial federal assistance for technology enhancement" aimed at the smaller local agencies that may lag behind in this area (p.26). Fourth, advances in technology have made the recognition of individuals increasingly possible and important. Biometrics such as face recognition or iris scans can serve to discourage false identities and uncover deceptive practices. 2.) The ability and need to share information between the various agencies, from the federal level to the local, is a key factor in maximizing the efficiency of the system. Information sharing serves to insure that the information available is comprehensive, current, and complete. Information sharing serves a number of vital functions such as eliminating redundant processes and procedures, and identifying patterns in criminal or terrorist activity. These functions make law enforcement more efficient and the elimination of redundant activities can be a cost saving process. A key consideration for information sharing is the cost of system, which includes installation and maintenance. In addition, as with all technology based products, it may have a relatively short life span. In the past, systems such as the Wide Area Network (WAN) and Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS) have been used with success in numerous locations (Russo and Labriola, 2003, p.31). The major drawback to t hese systems has traditionally been their reliance on large amounts of computer and networking hardware that incurred a significant cost (Russo and Labriola, 2003, p.31). Russo and Labriola (2003) suggest the use of a Virtual Private Network (VPN) as a means to emulate a Local Area Network (LAN), Intranet, or WAN at a fraction of the cost. Because the VPN utilizes the existing Internet structure, it is easy install and operate. In essence, the VPN is a highly secure Internet connection, and most facilities already have the equipment required to establish a VPN. In addition, modern encryption techniques can assure the safety of the data and can "shift many aspects of community policing from a reactive to a proactive mode" (Russo and Labriola, 2003, p.31). 3.) A community must continually evaluate the threats that they are exposed to, and constantly update their relationship to these threats. Flynt and Olin (2003) have developed a threat assessment model that can provide a cursory assessment for use by communities and organizations. The Flynt and Olin (2003) model uses a Venn diagram to illustrate whether the relevant threats are being adequately addressed. Plotting the threats, and the policy response, will reveal if all threats are being adequately addressed, as well as if threats are being addressed that do not exist (Flynt and Olin, 2003, p. 35). The model uses three colors, red, blue, and gray to indicate the threats, the self, and the environment. The threats would include known threats and threat actors. These threats need to be analyzed in regards to their "motive, means, methods, and mission" (Flynt and Olin, 2003, p.36). This will help managers develop a greater understanding of the threat and how the self will address the threat. The

Take-Home Exam final exam DIRECT MARKETING Term Paper - 1

Take-Home Exam final exam DIRECT MARKETING - Term Paper Example h agnostic channel of advertisements such as short messages services, mobile telephone, email, websites, flyers, online ads, magazines and newspapers, outdoor adverts, promotion letters and catalogs. It is a direct response form of communication as used in the MADD campaign. The marketing strategies used in the creation of the advert give an individual the urges to read the advert from top to the end. It is clear that the advert is for youths who are fond of driving under the influence of alcohol in the society. The mode of advertisement is online. The marketing strategy is important in designing and implementing a successful campaign in the social market. MADD has established appropriate elements of marketing o the social media to meet its objectives as far as the campaign is a concern. On the other hand, it has also minimized its ideas for easy understanding of the advert. This gives individual time and understanding of their main objective. The campaign advert is clear enough to give the organizational goal in regards to the targeted group. The first impression in relation to this campaign advert is that it gives individual full information on what is required. MADD identifies various problems related t drinking and driving. The campaign advert gives a robust strategy in setting out of the main points in regards to their requirements. Since the advert has no urgency in any way, the organization has taken time to state all their requirements and qualifications so as not to hire people who will not make their campaign a success. Since their main objective is to fight drunkard in the society especially on the road, they have highlighted it as the main point in every category of individuals they wish to hire. Even though they have faced criticism from various governmental and private bodies, they stood firm towards such critiques thus considers them challenges for their success. MADD mode of advertisement is up to standard as far as online marketing is concerned.

Documenting the Crime Scene Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Documenting the Crime Scene - Research Paper Example The responding offer must assess the scene and treat it as a crime scene through remaining cautious and observing events, potential evidence, persons, and vehicles (Horswell, 2010). According to Orthmann & Hess (2012), the initial responding officer is expected to take not of the physical location, time, address and date of the crime and make observations such as smell and sounds at the scene. Accordingly, the responding officer must take protective and safety measures by remaining attentive while scanning the area for any dangers such as natural gas, gasoline or hazardous chemicals that entail smells and sounds (Pepper, 2010). The next step is provision of medical attention to the victims of the crime without contaminating the scene and minimizing contact with the evidence such as knife tears and bullet holes (Orthmann & Hess, 2012). The officer can take statements from witnesses, the victim and suspects that are at the crime scene and victims or suspects that are sent to health facilities must be accompanied by enforcement officials in order to preserve the evidence (Ogle, 2011). The next step is securing and controlling the scene through limiting the access and movements and separating the suspects and witnesses, removing bystanders, family members and medical personnel in order to prevent scene contamination and destruction of evidence (Dale & Becker, 2007). The responding offers will then put physical barriers to the points of entry and document all people entering the scene.

Terrorism Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Terrorism Assignment - Essay Example Al Qaeda has, despite its being weakened through the efforts of the United States and its allies, still has the ability to target a diverse number of locations all over the world, and these mainly tend to be American interests. One of the reasons why al Qaeda has continued to survive and remain a threat to America is because of the sectarian divisions in the Middle East (Poole, 2010), which has made it easier for it to gain some political support from some prominent members of government who sympathize with them. This has ensured that members of the organization have safe places where they can operate without any interference from their respective government. It can be suggested that the presence of external forces in the Middle East, such as NATO’s military presence, have helped strengthen the organization because the former is seen as an invading force targeting Muslims instead of terrorists. Furthermore, the power vacuum left from the ousting of Saddam Hussein in Iraq ensur ed that the presence of Al Qaeda was expanded to this country. The fact that al Qaeda is still a threat to the United States has called to question its ability to protect its civilians from any potential attacks from this organization especially after the catastrophe in 2001. The security posture of the United States before the September 11 attacks is very different from the one which came after these attacks. Before these attacks, the federal government played an extremely restricted role in the internal security of the nation and most of the security matters were left in the hands of the state and local governments. Since the responsibility for internal security was left to the latter, one would surmise that they concentrated more on the domestic threat than on any potential one from outside the United States (Borch, 2003). In addition to this, most of the security agencies at the federal level were not on a high alert for any foreign attacks on the United States because such threats were considered to be non-existent. All these changed after the attacks as the United States moved to swiftly secure itself from the new external threat, al Qaeda (Chau, 2008). The activation of the American security apparatus has worked well towards ensuring that no furthe r attacks on the United States on the same scale as September 2001 have yet to occur again. The intelligence services, which once jealously guarded their jurisdictions from each other have seen an unprecedented level of cooperation between them, and these has been facilitated by the development of fusion centers as points through which they have come to share intelligence. The fact that these agencies are now sharing information, has ensured that they have become more effective in their fight against al Qaeda both at a local and international level and many potential strikes by this organization have been pre-empted (Sales, 2010). The American military has bases all over the world in allied countries and these have been put in place to protect American interests in these respective regions. Among the most prominent military bases can be found in the Middle East where they have been continuously used to fight terrorism in this region (Crook, 2006). The military has been an effective tool in dealing with the threat to the United States from al Qaeda. One of the most notable acts of the military was when Navy Seals attacked and killed the former al Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden, dealing a massive blow to the terrorist organization (Soherwordi et al, 2011). Furthermore, the military has used drones to strike at specific targets within al Qaeda who have been found to be a threat to the national security of the United States. Because of this drone strikes (Hudson, et al, 2012), many prominent al Qaeda leaders have been

Issues in Arts Politics project prospectus Essay

Issues in Arts Politics project prospectus - Essay Example With an evaluation of the video viewers’ statistics, the study implements that the developed online videos , trailers, short films, and other digital copiesdevolved a situation of increased business value; hence, rendering art as an important aspect of developing businesses and guaranteeing income and improved lifestyles to its practitioners. In relation to Dr. James McQuivey arguments, the value accrued by an individual video developer after streaming a one-minute video clip through the available and renowned online sites is equivalent to 1.8 million words. The Forrester Research based analyst provokes an understanding that the online community or any other businessperson would be incapacitated to deliver the aspired information through writing since the ill-advised alternative will consume a range of 3,800 web pages. Therefore, the writing process will be challenging the business value of the video as the writing process will consume a period of 150 days at the least (GarciÃŒ a & YuÃŒ dice, 2001). Holding to the fact that the developed online video depicted the intended message and attracted a large population of viewers, it is evident that the streaming process devolved business value as the majority viewers acknowledged and viewed the advertisements that the parent companies to the video-hosting sites included in t he process. For instance, statistics indicate that the current measure on the use of online information in different consumer demographics equals 45.4% of the total population of consumers in the media industry. The survey is vital in evaluating the value created to the video development business process through online viewing. The analytical use of mathematical values investigated that the business would accrue profitable outcomes since the information borne therein attracted a profound population of consumer groups. For example, the

Group Communications Essay Example for Free

Group Communications Essay Three videos of different group and team interaction will be reviewed for this paper. After they have been viewed they will be discussed on matters of the relationship between group members, member diversity and communication style. The first case study to be reviewed is: Helping Annie. In this video a school nurse has called a meeting with a psychiatrist and a social worker to discuss the case of a High school student, Annie, who possibly suffers from depression and an eating disorder. Right off the bat the school nurse is interrupted by the psychiatrist before she can finish giving the background information on Annie. He wants facts immediately not impressions. He makes a quick decision as to her problem and her treatment within minutes of their meeting and seems to believe that they are done, no more needs to be said. The Social worker does not agree with his decision and offers a counter solution but is again interrupted by the psychiatrist. The psychiatrist wants to use medication and the Social workers wants to first talk to Annie and see if they can understand what the teenager is going through. The psychiatrist sees this as a total waste of time. There does not seem to be any real facilitator of these meeting, and no one points out the psychiatrists constant interruptions of the social worker but the social worker herself. The school nurse is totally intimidated into silence by both of their behaviors. The psychologist seems to have the communication traits of what the test calls thinkers, and the Social worker has the traits of a feeler. According to the text, Thinks are task-oriented. They take pride in their ability to think objectively and logically, regardless of if those thoughts are correct. (Reeve, 2007, Ch. 3, pg.69, para.2) Feelers are people-oriented. The psychologist is very direct and analytical. He seems to want to remove any feelings or humanity from Annies case while the social worker is taking a more subjective, humane approach to Annies problems and is obviously more concerned with the girls well-being than a quick fix. The diversity that exists in this group is both gender and class. The group consist of two women and one older man, the older man, the psychiatrist,  seems to believe that the social worker and school nurse are not in the same class as he, his age, experience and profession making him superior to them on all levels, therefore, their opinions are not worth considering. This diversity is a hindrance in their communication because the psychologist is not listening to the two women and continues to interrupt them because he doesnt have much time here. If using a high context perspective the viewer could draw the conclusion that the psychologist does not agree with the social worker by watching his nonverbal behavior such as his gestures and facial expressions. In a high-context culture little meaning is expressed through words. Meaning can be conveyed through status such as age, gender, education or title. (Reeve, 2007) One method that could have been used to improve communications would have been to have a facilitator present to ensure that each party had the same amount of time to express his or her opinions. Another improvement would have been a change of setting from the informal setting to a more professional seating arrangement that may have helped foster communication between all parties present, such as a round table or face to face seating. The second video reviewed is: Planning the Playground. The group consists of three males and two females; three Caucasians and two minorities. The video case opens with two new members, one a younger male, Ray and one older woman, Betty, meeting the team for the first time. There seems to be two slightly awkward moments when Ray first only offers to shake the hands of the men at the table and when he has trouble pronouncing the name of the minority female Iesha. The moment was defused quickly when Iesha decided to make a small joke about her name to ease the tension and held out her own hand in greeting. Betty seemed uncertain about speaking and said she only joined the team to make friends. Communications between the team started out stiff and slow but by using team talk, (the nature of the language that group members use as they work together. Not only does team talk enable group members to share information and express opinions, but analysis of team talk also reveals where the team is coming from and where the team is headed.) (Reeve, 2007, Ch. 5 pg. 124, Para. 2), team leader David kept the discussion flowing and moved it to the reason they were there. The role the diversity of the group played in their communication was the different  experiences each had to bring to the discussion. Iesha obviously liked research and set numbers and offered not only a sound dollar amount to strive for but reasoning behind it. Ray countered that he thinks the amount should be higher but offered no real reason as did Phil who wanted the amount lower. After deciding to compromise they moved to fundraising. The immediate response to Bettys suggestion of having a Bake sale was obvious. They did not take her input seriously at all but again the team leader chimed in before their dismissive attitude could be considered rude and insulting. Di versity was also not a strong hindrance to the group even though the potential was there. Conflict management techniques were used by the group by expressing interest in solving the problem and keeping their tone and language non-threatening, using phrases like well, yes but lets look at it from a different angle or thats a good idea but may not be exactly what we need now.The use of team speak was a very effective communication tool that kept the team focused and on track. Another important tool that was used was nonverbal. The seating arrangement at the table permitted members to have their personal space but still be able to have direct eye contact. According to Reeve, each persons choice of seating position in groups has a direct effect on interaction and influence. A number of studies have demonstrated that group members prefercorner-to-corner or side-by-side seating for cooperative activities. Such an arrangement allows them to be close enough to share materials. (Reeve, 2007, CH. 5 pg. 138, Para 1) The team in this case study did show good communication skills on t he whole but the one improvement would have been to ensure that before the meeting took place, that each member understood what the reason for the meeting was. The last video reviewed is Virtual Communication. This video is a presentation of three people meeting as a team via conference call. The third unseen member is not listening to what is being said by the manager or his coworker. This is obvious because when they ask him a question he pauses or stutters, then repeats something that neither of the other participants actually said. Listening is important in any group so that you can be sure to get all the available information as well as know exactly what is  expected of you. This is even more so in the virtual business work when team members are not actually sitting face to face. Charlie is neither listening to what is being said or to the messages that were contained in Ellens email or voice mails to him. According to the text, Effective listening in virtual groups requires adapting to a different medium of expression Your only adaptation is making sure that your microphone is on or off at appropriate times. In an email discussion, however, you can neither see nor hear participants, but you still must listen to their messages. (Reeve, 2007, Ch.6, Pg,.168)The disadvantage of group meetings using a virtual medium is that you can fake listening by answering I agree or a non-committal sound. You can also pretend you didnt hear something that you dont want to address as Ellen does in this video when Charlie tries to place the blame on her. Charlie did not effectively use any of his listening skills while on this call. It was apparent by his distracted non-answers that he was not listening. The entire fault is not necessarily Charlies; it is not known if he ever fully understood what was expected of him from the first meeting. If he had at any time used one listening skill such as paraphrasing he might have had enough clarification to get his assignment done in time. Paraphrasing is a form of feedback that one lets the speaker know you are listening and gives them the opportunity to clarify their statement. Paraphrasing can be used for multiple purposes such as: To ensure comprehension before evaluation; to reassure others that you want to understand them; to clear up confusion and ask for clarification; and to help others reach their own conclusions. (Reeve, 2007) References Engleberg, I. Wynn,D. 2007. Working in Groups: Communication Principles and Strategies (4th ed.) Allyn Bacon Publishers. The Collaboration Tool Box. 2002-2003. MIT. Online resource. Retreived online January 12, 2009 from http://web.mit.e

Customer Relationship Management Systems

Customer Relationship Management Systems Abstract: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) focuses on customer retention through development of sustainable relationships. Establishment of these relationships is based on customer satisfaction and an organisations ability to sustain high standards that identify them from competitors. CRM is also concerned with attracting new customers. In order to ensure customer satisfaction, there is need to understand customer requirements through studies which is essentially the function of CRM. Evolution of information technology has given rise to CRM systems which make this function even easier so that long-term profitability resulting from customer loyalty and cost cutting is realized. The use of these systems has proved invaluable so that higher education institutions are highly being encouraged to make use of them in order to enhance their ability to retain existing customers and attract new customers. Executive summary The use of Customer Relationship Management Systems is a strategy that has been received with high levels of enthusiasm in the business world. Many businesses have embraced the use of Customer Relationship Management Systems; simply known as CRM systems to enhance satisfaction of existing customers and to attract new customers. This has been referred to as a shift from transaction-specific to cumulative customer oriented satisfaction through incorporating information technology in CRM. CRM systems are attributed to the growing concept of customer-centrism which focuses more on customer satisfaction to increase profitability. Institutions of higher learning have not been left behind and several of them have already turned to the use of these systems. The high level of competitiveness in institutions of higher learning as more investments are made in the sector has prompted them to adopt more proactive approaches to customer attraction and retention. Constant changes in customer expectations and demands have also played a big role in the adoption of these systems in order to help in meeting these needs. It is however notable that many institutions are still stuck with the traditional manual system of customer care. This is mostly due to the unavailability of funds or ignorance of the benefits that they are likely to obtain from CRM systems. This paper aims at filling this knowledge gap so that institutions of higher learning may realize how much they stand to gain from investing in CRM systems. It clearly demonstrates how they can use these systems to retain existing customers and recruit new ones. A study conducted in various universities and colleges revealed that customers would appreciate the use of CRM systems which would ensure that their queries are solved efficiently. The fact that CRM could help in saving time made it even more important to the customers. The study which incorporated high school seniors, university and college students, parents, staff and alumni in a study sample made note of the importance that customers placed on efficiency citing that long procedures are tiring and demoralising. Most respondents were quick to note that websites eliminate a great deal of unnecessary inquiries since most of the information required about the institution was likely to be available from the website. This way they did not have to contact the administration when they had questions. This study reveals that the use of CRM could actually save institutions from the unnecessary expenses resulting from customer dissatisfaction. This is done through the identification of customer needs which are then assimilated into the institutions strategy to meet these needs. This way, complaints are eliminated which saves the institution from loss of customers and loss of money. Stefanou and Sarmaniotis (2003: 623) note that dissatisfaction of customers is not only costly to the institution but to the customer as well. When a customer loses in a deal, the probability that he or she will utilize an organisations services again is greatly reduced. CRM systems could help institutions of higher learning to cut on their costs significantly thereby improving their profitability. In the study, the question of costs is raised and it is considered one of the limiting factors towards the acquisition of CRM systems. On the same note however, the study establishes that the cost involved in the acquisition is worth considering the benefits that the institution is likely to obtain in the long-run once the system is in place. In concluding the study, the need for caution during the selection of CRM systems to be used in the institutions is also emphasised. Chapter 1 Introduction/Background 1.10 Statement of the problem Institutions of higher learning are often overwhelmed by the high numbers of customers that they have to handle. Consequently, they end up not satisfying every customers need and instead opt for ways to collectively address customer needs. This however could be detrimental to the institutions because needs vary from one customer to the other. Further, there is a risk of losing customers as a result of the high number of colleges and universities that have emerged thereby raising the level of competition. In public institutions, it is common for customers who are mainly students being taken for granted. The administration is likely to be tempted to assume that it is the students who require education and hence demand their services and not vise versa. Conant (2003: 3) however notes that this kind of ignorance could culminate into deleterious effects on the institutions performance and even loss of customers. This according to Cleary (2001: 33) would be quite unfortunate because even t he best institution is ineffective when its customer focus is lost. Every student, parent, alumni and any other type of customer that the institutions serve is of great importance and deserves to be treated right. For this reason, understanding their needs and integrating this with the company strategy to better satisfy them is quite inevitable. Whenever such kind of a proposition is put forward, several questions are bound to arise: What options do institutions of higher learning have in ensuring that their customers needs are properly taken care of? Can any given institution cope with the ever changing customer needs in order to satisfy them? What about the ever rising levels of competition? Which is the right criterion to address these issues? Is it possible to gain positive results from their implementation? How much will it cost the institution? These are some of the problems and queries that this paper seeks to demystify. Many options are available when a company needs to meet its customers needs. A customer care strategy that caters for the present as well as the future needs of customers is what any modern organisation requires in order to survive the rising levels of competition. The most recent strategy and whose popularity is growing at a high rate among organizations not necessarily in the education sector is the use of customer relationship management systems. As put forth by various studies, customer relationship management systems will undoubtedly help in the provision of better services, management of existing customers and recruitment of new ones in higher education institutions. A proper understanding is however necessary if these institutions are to use CRM systems as their customer care strategy. This study is therefore justifiable and its findings will come in handy in ensuring that higher education institutions can manage their customers better. 1.20 Justification of the study Increase in competition among institutions of higher learning has been on the rise hence the need for strategies aimed at retaining current customers and attracting new ones. Just like in any other business entity, institutions must aim at satisfying their customers. This way, they are assured of increased profitability. This study will form a discussion on customer relationship management which is in essence a sophisticated way of ensuring customer satisfaction through establishment of sustainable customer relationships. This study could therefore be of great importance to institutions of higher learning which have not yet embraced the use of CRM systems into their programs. There is a general agreement that technology is advancing at a high rate and that customers are now turning towards information contained on the internet to make their purchasing decisions (Bull, 2003: 593-594). This new trend calls for a change in strategies used by companies to attract and retain new customers. By the use of the internet, customers can now get information about products and services, their prices and unique characteristics which they can then compare to others available over the internet. Making such information available over the internet is therefore very vital in todays business world. This applies perfectly to prospective students and staff who are likely to make use of the internet information to make important decisions about their school of choice. By making use of CRM systems, institutions are able to attract new customers and their customer base can be improved. A study focusing on the importance of CRM systems which are basically computer-based strategies is therefore justifiable as it will help institutions to better understanding of its working and importance. 1.30. Objectives of the study To make this study plausible in addressing the research issues and concerns, several objectives were set to guide the study. The major objective was to determine characteristics of customer relationship management systems that make them useful to higher education institutions and why institutions should adopt them to improve their competitiveness. Other objectives included: To find out whether costs of CRM systems impact on organisation ability to attain the systems. To establish whether there are any risks involved in the use of CRM systems. 1.40. Research questions What constitutes of customer satisfaction according to customer satisfaction theories? Does ensuring customer satisfaction contribute to the business effectiveness, productivity and profitability? What is meant by Customer Relationship Management Systems? Is there a relationship between Customer Relationship Management and customer satisfaction? Are they useful in higher education institutions? If so, how can they benefit from adopting Customer Relationship Management Systems? 1.50. Methodology outline This study makes the use of reliable sources of information through conducting interviews and using secondary data from previous studies conducted by various scholars in the same field. By making use of an example of Imperial College, this study will show that adopting the use of CRM systems could lead to a tremendous transformation in an institutions service delivery. Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1. The customer satisfaction theory 2.1.1. Customer satisfaction Customer satisfaction forms the core in the attraction and retention of customers into a business. It is for this reason that customer satisfaction is often considered very vital for business survival. Customer satisfaction is used to refer to contentment, happiness or well-being of an organisations customers (Anderson, 1973: 38). It is all about doing what is desirable to a customer. In the classical definition however, the degree of correspondence between a customers expectations and what is actually provided in the perceived product or service is what constitutes customer satisfaction (Stefanou and Sarmaniotis, 2006: 619). Should the service or product exceed expectations or just fulfil it, customer satisfaction is deemed to have occurred. The level of at which the product meets the customers needs then determines whether the customer is satisfied, moderately satisfied, highly satisfied and so on. Depending on the customers attitude, this could work well towards improving the busi ness customer loyalty. If a product or service is below the customers expectations, dissatisfaction occurs and the probability of losing the customer to competitors increases (Anderson, 1973: 38-39). In measuring customer satisfaction, a comparison between the expected and the perceived quality are objectively compared. The expected quality is what the customer expects from the company and which should be provided by the company. It is what represent the customers wishes, expectations and needs and is referred to as the Should factor (Wilson 1991: 152). On the other hand, what the business actually gives the customer is what is referred to as the perceived quality. Perceived quality is known as the is factor (Wilson, 1991: 152). The basic factors are those referred to as must have aspects or dissatisfiers. Basic factors do not afford the customer any satisfaction and they are deemed to be obvious. In other words, the characteristic is in essence what the customer wants and if this is not there then he would not even buy the product or service in the first place (Croteau, 2003: 25-26). For example, any customer will expect that an institution of higher learning provides education as a prerequisite and is bound to take this for granted. This characteristic does not trigger any sort of excitement from the customer as it is considered normal (Kano, Seraku and Tkahashi, 1984: 40). It is other factors that drive the excitement towards making a particular choice. This leads us to the excitement factors which are also known as satisfiers. These factors are the attractive characteristics of a good or service meant to generate delight in the customer (Croteau, 2003: 26). They are also considered as the factors that di stinguish an organisation from its competitors. It is these same features and characteristics that an organisation should emphasise on when advertising their goods to prospective customers so that they choose them over their competitors. Finally, the performance factors serve the purpose of providing the explicit needs of the customer (Conant, 2003: 7). When the performance is high or when the customers needs are completely met, the result is customer satisfaction. If there is low level of performance however, customer dissatisfaction results and this could cause detrimental effects on the company through loss of customers. 2.1.2. Significance of customer satisfaction Numerous empirical findings are of the view that customer satisfaction forms the basis of establishing competitive advantage. It is through customer satisfaction that the business can be assured of a bright future through repeat sales (Kano, Seraku, Takahashi and Tsuji, 1984: 39-41). Customer satisfaction helps to gain loyalty and hence retain current customers besides attracting new customers to a company. Unsatisfied customers are likely to leave because as Wilson (1991: 156) notes, only four out of every one hundred customers come back to complain. Instead, they go on and switch companies opting to keep the discontentment to themselves. This is to mean that satisfaction is extremely vital for the survival of any business and should therefore be highly regarded. Stefanou and Sarmaniotis, 2003: 619) contend with the fact that retaining the existing customers is much easier than attracting new ones hence the need to build strong customer relationships through striving to satisfy thei r needs and meeting their expectations. Consumer satisfaction is therefore vital for any organisations success and should be taken seriously. With this kind of knowledge, business strategies are now being inclined towards customer satisfaction. To do this, Customer Relationship Management has been embraced by many businesses (Grant and Anderson, 2002: 36; Conant, 2003: 21; Light, 2003: 607; Kirker, 1994: 12). Recommendations made by customers are said to attract almost the same number of customers that the business attracts on its own. This happens through recommendations. Wilson (1991: 103) notes that every satisfied customer is bound to say something positive about the product to her friends and relatives. These individuals could eventually end up being loyal customers to the business thus increasing customer base. Dissatisfied customers will complain and talk ill of the product or service such that prospective customers are discouraged and may never take the companys product following negative remarks from those that had used it before (Wilson, 1991: 157). 2.2. Understanding Customer Relationship Management The survival of any business is to a large extent determined by the level of customer satisfaction. This understanding has seen the rise in the customer-centrism strategy as a means to retain and attract new customers (Patterson, 2007: 5-6). The rise in globalization has led to high levels of competition so that every business must work towards addressing customer needs to keep them from turning to competitors. According to Oliver (1996: 88) customers are likely to move to competitors if they feel that they are not obtaining what they want. Loss of customers could be detrimental since a business cannot exist without customers. In this kind of competition for customers, the notion of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has gained an important role in business management. Light (2003: 603-604) refers to CRM simply as the management of company-customer relationships while Stefanou and Sarmaniotis (2003: 617) call it relationship marketing. Seeman and OHara (2006: 25) add that CRM aim s at increasing customer satisfaction by customizing the service provided to each consumer. Further, Seeman and OHara refer to CRM as the process by which business information and consumer information are brought together through a centralized system. Major components of CRM include communication management, marketing, recruitment, customer support and service among others. It is a strategy that places the customer as the major focus in the organisation. Stefanou and Sarmaniotis (2003: 613-617) refers this as a customer-centric strategy where understanding the customer life cycle is essential. There is also need to understand the ever changing customer needs triggered by changes in lifestyles and income changes. CRM has often been described as a shift from the transaction-specific to cumulative customer satisfaction through relational orientation (Raab, 2008: 132). In order to satisfy this prerequisite, CRM has been divided into two major procedures; the operational function and the analytical function. While the operational function involves the collection of data from customers, the analytical function is concerned with analysis of data in order to understand the customer needs so that they can be effectively addressed (Peelen, 2005: 63). Data can be collected through the use of interviews and questionnaires, customer feedback, complaints and physical reactions among others. Using this kind of information, the customer service department can easily determine whether customers are satisfied with their products or not (Kirker, 1994: 14). If they are not satisfied, strategies aimed at addressing the various needs must be formulated. With the increasing level of globalisation, technological advances are being strongly felt in the business world. Further, customer relationships have become more complex due to consumer mobility and the rise of suburbs (Milliron, 2001: 52). Customer tastes and preferences are changing by the day as people embrace the modern world. In response to this, more companies have taken up technology-led techniques to further enhance their performance. It is for this reason that the CRM systems have emerged and companies are now turning from the manual CRM to computerised CRM. 2.3. Customer relationship management systems The use of Customer Relationship Management in institutions of higher learning is a relatively new genre of technology operations whose popularity is growing at a high rate (Light, 2003: 605). The application which is computer-based has aided in making sure that the relationship between customers and businesses can be effectively managed (Peelan, 2005: 79). Information Technology advances have been a catalyst in customer relationship management systems. Traditional analysis of data is slowly becoming outdated and the use of software to perform such duties is being adopted by the day. CRM systems have gained widespread popularity especially with the so called forward thinking managers(Croteau, 2003, 29). These systems not only analyze customer needs effectively but also make work easier for managers thus saving the time required for data analysis. Bradshaw and Brash (2001: 522) define CRM systems as a combination of discrete software tools which serve the purpose of enhancing customer satisfaction, reducing costs, identifying new opportunities, increasing revenue and attraction new customers among others. They note that organisations have no reason to fear initial costs of acquiring these systems because the benefits to be gained in the long-run exceed the costs incurred in the acquisition. Research shows that sophisticated technology has brought about the emergence of more advanced CRM systems (Milliron, 2001: 51). Further, it is notable that organisations that are currently using these sophisticated CRM technologies are gaining competitive advantage over their competitors who make use of basic data collection approaches (Abbott, Stone and Buttle, 2001: 27). Information Technology has aided companies to effectively customise their customer care procedures so as to ensure that they are well served. Following the emergence of CRM which aims at individualising customer needs, companies are now demanding technologies which make it easier to keep records about individual customers. This eliminates high numbers of record which have to be retrieved every time a customer visits the business (Bull, 2003: 31).Using the various CRM systems available in the market, it is possible for companies to collect all available data about a certain customer which is then saved in the company database. Whenever an enquiry is made by this customer, the customer care representative just needs to feed the necessary details in the database to retrieve everything about the consumer (Grant and Anderson, 2002: 26). This way, it is becomes easier to address these customers needs depending on the situation at hand. The use of web technology is one of the most prevalent applications of CRM technology (Milliron, 2001: 52). Savvy managers have realised the high rate at which the world is suddenly becoming computerized. The ease of internet navigation and development of broadband services has turned customers into active internet users. To maximise on this, internet marketing has emerged with more companies now displaying their goods in popular web pages such as networking sites (Kotler and Fox, 1995:96). It is not only the goods that they advertise on the internet however, websites containing company information have been developed so that customers can easily access any information they desire from the website (Light, 2003: 605). Most websites often have customer inquiry sections where questions can be asked and complaints deposited (Light, 2003: 606). The use of chat rooms to answer customer questions directly from the help care desk is also used in certain sophisticated websites. While websites are likely to serve customers who are already familiar with the company, new ways of directing prospective customers have been established. In popular web pages for example, clicking on a certain advertised good or service takes the prospective customer to the companys website where he or she can now access more information on about the company and other goods and services offered by the company. This is to mean that while company websites were previously used by companies to showcase their activities and other information about the company, they are now doubling up as marketing tools to retain existing employees and obtain new ones (Light, 2003: 606). 2.4. Customer relations in institutions of higher education Starting the mid-80s and into the late 90s, many higher education institutions engaged themselves in restructuring and engineering their administrative operations so that costs were reduced and consequently better services could be provided (Grant and Anderson, 2002: 24). The focus is slowly shifting from these operational changes meant to improve service delivery to identification of customer needs. These needs are then being used to identify the areas that need to be improved in order to effectively satisfy customers. This has been described as a proactive action because institutions can learn what their customers want then work towards satisfying these needs before they lose them to other institutions which meet such needs (Bull, 2003: 593). Customer relationship management (CRM) is fast gaining popularity as more institutions realize that maintaining healthy relationships with customers is vital for business success. Organisations that make use of customer relationship management report increased sales resulting from the good relationships established with their customers (Croteau, 2003: 29). Customer relations management (CRM) enables the analysis of past customer behaviour in a bid to anticipate future trends and hence do everything in their capacity to ensure that customer needs are met. While many institutions have embraced CRM, few have ventured into the use of customer relationship management technologies (Conant, 2003: 3-5). For some, it is because of inadequate information about customer relationship management (CRM) systems while for others is because of fear of initial costs associated with installing such systems. Seeman and OHara (2006: 26) note that at least 75 percent of the students entering higher education institutions have a substantial exposure to technology. The new generation of students are described as technology savvy students due to their undeniable contact with technology. As a result, their expectations about technology resources available in the institutions are very high (Milliron, 2001: 16). From what they have learnt over the internet and other technology literature, technology has been used to make procedures easier for customers unlike when manual systems were used. In their minds, institutions of higher learning should fall under this group that has acquired these systems in order to serve them better. Their absence therefore could frustrate their expectations which could culminate to serious consequences (Croteau, 2003, 31). For existing students, they could change schools and discourage their counterparts from joining the school. The use of CRM also serves the purpose of unifying the university or college administration such that the needs of customers can be catered for without having to move from one office to another. Many businesses today have now introduced websites through which they serve their customers needs. In the same trend, colleges and universities should take on this innovative method of communication to reach out to their customers without necessarily requiring them to visit the institution physically (Kotler and Fox, 1995: 96). This reduces physical and geographical barriers through providing all the information that current and potential customers would like to know about the institution. In designing a website, the technician involved must collect all the information that the institution wishes to put on the site (Milliron, 2001: 17). This information is then arranged in such a way that given links can lead the customer to the desired departments so as to access the required information. Chapter 3 Methodology Introduction This section of the paper quantifies the ability of the study to effectively satisfy the set objectives. Besides giving the procedures, methods and samples used in the study, it also outlines major limitations faced during the study. 3.1. Research scope The essence of this study is to establish whether Customer Relationship Management Systems could be of help to higher education institutions. As such, the study delimits itself to the role of customer relationships in institutions of higher learning. The importance of Customer Relationship Management systems forms the basis for this study and hence the advantages of this strategy form a core subject of the study. Due to the large geographical coverage of institutions and financial constraints, only schools in Madrid and Canterbia in Spain were used for the study. 3.2. Data and data collection Collection of data forms influences the outcome of the study to a large extent. For this reason, the data collection procedure was applied in the best way possible to enhance efficiency and to give the most accurate results. Both primary and secondary data were applied in the study. a) Primary data Factual information from the respondents was vital in making effective conclusions. To obtain this information, two separate types of questionnaires were set. These focused on current customers and potential customers. For simplicity, senior high school students who are most likely going to join universities and colleges after graduating were interviewed to determine the qualities they considered important in a college. Further, they were required to suggest the various components they would like incorporated in the college and university CRM systems. Current customers included students at colleges, staff, parents and alumni. The questionnaire directed at this group was aimed at finding out the application of CRM in their schools and how they thought it could be better improved to by incorporating technology. For those whose schools had already adopted CRM systems, they were asked to give the advantages they had witnessed and the difference with what they heard from colleagues in oth er schools not using CRM systems. Questionnaire were read out and filled by the researcher as the respondent gave their views. b) Secondary data Equally important was the use of secondary data which gave the study a theoretical background. Without the use of books, journals and periodicals among other written works, there was no way of justifying the concept of Customer Relationship Management Systems. The literature review in particular was solely dependent on previously published works. As such, secondary data was highly employed in the study. 3.3. Sample selection, technique, and size The study sample consisted of ten college students, ten university students, twenty high school seniors, twenty staff members and a random selection of twenty parents and alumni of various colleges and universities. Due to the large population of probable respondents, a method for selecting a sample had to be identified. The strategic sampling method was used to identify respondents for the study. 3.4. Ethics of the research methodology Before the beginning of the study, an objective of reducing respondents compromise as far as possible was set. The views contained in the questionnaires were for research purposes only and no third party was allowed to come into contact with them. With such an assurance, respondents felt free to give out information considered sensitive. For privacy purposes, no respondent was required to give out his or her name during the interviews. This raised confidentiality as required in scholarly research. 3.5. Limitations of the study As mu Customer Relationship Management Systems Customer Relationship Management Systems Abstract: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) focuses on customer retention through development of sustainable relationships. Establishment of these relationships is based on customer satisfaction and an organisations ability to sustain high standards that identify them from competitors. CRM is also concerned with attracting new customers. In order to ensure customer satisfaction, there is need to understand customer requirements through studies which is essentially the function of CRM. Evolution of information technology has given rise to CRM systems which make this function even easier so that long-term profitability resulting from customer loyalty and cost cutting is realized. The use of these systems has proved invaluable so that higher education institutions are highly being encouraged to make use of them in order to enhance their ability to retain existing customers and attract new customers. Executive summary The use of Customer Relationship Management Systems is a strategy that has been received with high levels of enthusiasm in the business world. Many businesses have embraced the use of Customer Relationship Management Systems; simply known as CRM systems to enhance satisfaction of existing customers and to attract new customers. This has been referred to as a shift from transaction-specific to cumulative customer oriented satisfaction through incorporating information technology in CRM. CRM systems are attributed to the growing concept of customer-centrism which focuses more on customer satisfaction to increase profitability. Institutions of higher learning have not been left behind and several of them have already turned to the use of these systems. The high level of competitiveness in institutions of higher learning as more investments are made in the sector has prompted them to adopt more proactive approaches to customer attraction and retention. Constant changes in customer expectations and demands have also played a big role in the adoption of these systems in order to help in meeting these needs. It is however notable that many institutions are still stuck with the traditional manual system of customer care. This is mostly due to the unavailability of funds or ignorance of the benefits that they are likely to obtain from CRM systems. This paper aims at filling this knowledge gap so that institutions of higher learning may realize how much they stand to gain from investing in CRM systems. It clearly demonstrates how they can use these systems to retain existing customers and recruit new ones. A study conducted in various universities and colleges revealed that customers would appreciate the use of CRM systems which would ensure that their queries are solved efficiently. The fact that CRM could help in saving time made it even more important to the customers. The study which incorporated high school seniors, university and college students, parents, staff and alumni in a study sample made note of the importance that customers placed on efficiency citing that long procedures are tiring and demoralising. Most respondents were quick to note that websites eliminate a great deal of unnecessary inquiries since most of the information required about the institution was likely to be available from the website. This way they did not have to contact the administration when they had questions. This study reveals that the use of CRM could actually save institutions from the unnecessary expenses resulting from customer dissatisfaction. This is done through the identification of customer needs which are then assimilated into the institutions strategy to meet these needs. This way, complaints are eliminated which saves the institution from loss of customers and loss of money. Stefanou and Sarmaniotis (2003: 623) note that dissatisfaction of customers is not only costly to the institution but to the customer as well. When a customer loses in a deal, the probability that he or she will utilize an organisations services again is greatly reduced. CRM systems could help institutions of higher learning to cut on their costs significantly thereby improving their profitability. In the study, the question of costs is raised and it is considered one of the limiting factors towards the acquisition of CRM systems. On the same note however, the study establishes that the cost involved in the acquisition is worth considering the benefits that the institution is likely to obtain in the long-run once the system is in place. In concluding the study, the need for caution during the selection of CRM systems to be used in the institutions is also emphasised. Chapter 1 Introduction/Background 1.10 Statement of the problem Institutions of higher learning are often overwhelmed by the high numbers of customers that they have to handle. Consequently, they end up not satisfying every customers need and instead opt for ways to collectively address customer needs. This however could be detrimental to the institutions because needs vary from one customer to the other. Further, there is a risk of losing customers as a result of the high number of colleges and universities that have emerged thereby raising the level of competition. In public institutions, it is common for customers who are mainly students being taken for granted. The administration is likely to be tempted to assume that it is the students who require education and hence demand their services and not vise versa. Conant (2003: 3) however notes that this kind of ignorance could culminate into deleterious effects on the institutions performance and even loss of customers. This according to Cleary (2001: 33) would be quite unfortunate because even t he best institution is ineffective when its customer focus is lost. Every student, parent, alumni and any other type of customer that the institutions serve is of great importance and deserves to be treated right. For this reason, understanding their needs and integrating this with the company strategy to better satisfy them is quite inevitable. Whenever such kind of a proposition is put forward, several questions are bound to arise: What options do institutions of higher learning have in ensuring that their customers needs are properly taken care of? Can any given institution cope with the ever changing customer needs in order to satisfy them? What about the ever rising levels of competition? Which is the right criterion to address these issues? Is it possible to gain positive results from their implementation? How much will it cost the institution? These are some of the problems and queries that this paper seeks to demystify. Many options are available when a company needs to meet its customers needs. A customer care strategy that caters for the present as well as the future needs of customers is what any modern organisation requires in order to survive the rising levels of competition. The most recent strategy and whose popularity is growing at a high rate among organizations not necessarily in the education sector is the use of customer relationship management systems. As put forth by various studies, customer relationship management systems will undoubtedly help in the provision of better services, management of existing customers and recruitment of new ones in higher education institutions. A proper understanding is however necessary if these institutions are to use CRM systems as their customer care strategy. This study is therefore justifiable and its findings will come in handy in ensuring that higher education institutions can manage their customers better. 1.20 Justification of the study Increase in competition among institutions of higher learning has been on the rise hence the need for strategies aimed at retaining current customers and attracting new ones. Just like in any other business entity, institutions must aim at satisfying their customers. This way, they are assured of increased profitability. This study will form a discussion on customer relationship management which is in essence a sophisticated way of ensuring customer satisfaction through establishment of sustainable customer relationships. This study could therefore be of great importance to institutions of higher learning which have not yet embraced the use of CRM systems into their programs. There is a general agreement that technology is advancing at a high rate and that customers are now turning towards information contained on the internet to make their purchasing decisions (Bull, 2003: 593-594). This new trend calls for a change in strategies used by companies to attract and retain new customers. By the use of the internet, customers can now get information about products and services, their prices and unique characteristics which they can then compare to others available over the internet. Making such information available over the internet is therefore very vital in todays business world. This applies perfectly to prospective students and staff who are likely to make use of the internet information to make important decisions about their school of choice. By making use of CRM systems, institutions are able to attract new customers and their customer base can be improved. A study focusing on the importance of CRM systems which are basically computer-based strategies is therefore justifiable as it will help institutions to better understanding of its working and importance. 1.30. Objectives of the study To make this study plausible in addressing the research issues and concerns, several objectives were set to guide the study. The major objective was to determine characteristics of customer relationship management systems that make them useful to higher education institutions and why institutions should adopt them to improve their competitiveness. Other objectives included: To find out whether costs of CRM systems impact on organisation ability to attain the systems. To establish whether there are any risks involved in the use of CRM systems. 1.40. Research questions What constitutes of customer satisfaction according to customer satisfaction theories? Does ensuring customer satisfaction contribute to the business effectiveness, productivity and profitability? What is meant by Customer Relationship Management Systems? Is there a relationship between Customer Relationship Management and customer satisfaction? Are they useful in higher education institutions? If so, how can they benefit from adopting Customer Relationship Management Systems? 1.50. Methodology outline This study makes the use of reliable sources of information through conducting interviews and using secondary data from previous studies conducted by various scholars in the same field. By making use of an example of Imperial College, this study will show that adopting the use of CRM systems could lead to a tremendous transformation in an institutions service delivery. Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1. The customer satisfaction theory 2.1.1. Customer satisfaction Customer satisfaction forms the core in the attraction and retention of customers into a business. It is for this reason that customer satisfaction is often considered very vital for business survival. Customer satisfaction is used to refer to contentment, happiness or well-being of an organisations customers (Anderson, 1973: 38). It is all about doing what is desirable to a customer. In the classical definition however, the degree of correspondence between a customers expectations and what is actually provided in the perceived product or service is what constitutes customer satisfaction (Stefanou and Sarmaniotis, 2006: 619). Should the service or product exceed expectations or just fulfil it, customer satisfaction is deemed to have occurred. The level of at which the product meets the customers needs then determines whether the customer is satisfied, moderately satisfied, highly satisfied and so on. Depending on the customers attitude, this could work well towards improving the busi ness customer loyalty. If a product or service is below the customers expectations, dissatisfaction occurs and the probability of losing the customer to competitors increases (Anderson, 1973: 38-39). In measuring customer satisfaction, a comparison between the expected and the perceived quality are objectively compared. The expected quality is what the customer expects from the company and which should be provided by the company. It is what represent the customers wishes, expectations and needs and is referred to as the Should factor (Wilson 1991: 152). On the other hand, what the business actually gives the customer is what is referred to as the perceived quality. Perceived quality is known as the is factor (Wilson, 1991: 152). The basic factors are those referred to as must have aspects or dissatisfiers. Basic factors do not afford the customer any satisfaction and they are deemed to be obvious. In other words, the characteristic is in essence what the customer wants and if this is not there then he would not even buy the product or service in the first place (Croteau, 2003: 25-26). For example, any customer will expect that an institution of higher learning provides education as a prerequisite and is bound to take this for granted. This characteristic does not trigger any sort of excitement from the customer as it is considered normal (Kano, Seraku and Tkahashi, 1984: 40). It is other factors that drive the excitement towards making a particular choice. This leads us to the excitement factors which are also known as satisfiers. These factors are the attractive characteristics of a good or service meant to generate delight in the customer (Croteau, 2003: 26). They are also considered as the factors that di stinguish an organisation from its competitors. It is these same features and characteristics that an organisation should emphasise on when advertising their goods to prospective customers so that they choose them over their competitors. Finally, the performance factors serve the purpose of providing the explicit needs of the customer (Conant, 2003: 7). When the performance is high or when the customers needs are completely met, the result is customer satisfaction. If there is low level of performance however, customer dissatisfaction results and this could cause detrimental effects on the company through loss of customers. 2.1.2. Significance of customer satisfaction Numerous empirical findings are of the view that customer satisfaction forms the basis of establishing competitive advantage. It is through customer satisfaction that the business can be assured of a bright future through repeat sales (Kano, Seraku, Takahashi and Tsuji, 1984: 39-41). Customer satisfaction helps to gain loyalty and hence retain current customers besides attracting new customers to a company. Unsatisfied customers are likely to leave because as Wilson (1991: 156) notes, only four out of every one hundred customers come back to complain. Instead, they go on and switch companies opting to keep the discontentment to themselves. This is to mean that satisfaction is extremely vital for the survival of any business and should therefore be highly regarded. Stefanou and Sarmaniotis, 2003: 619) contend with the fact that retaining the existing customers is much easier than attracting new ones hence the need to build strong customer relationships through striving to satisfy thei r needs and meeting their expectations. Consumer satisfaction is therefore vital for any organisations success and should be taken seriously. With this kind of knowledge, business strategies are now being inclined towards customer satisfaction. To do this, Customer Relationship Management has been embraced by many businesses (Grant and Anderson, 2002: 36; Conant, 2003: 21; Light, 2003: 607; Kirker, 1994: 12). Recommendations made by customers are said to attract almost the same number of customers that the business attracts on its own. This happens through recommendations. Wilson (1991: 103) notes that every satisfied customer is bound to say something positive about the product to her friends and relatives. These individuals could eventually end up being loyal customers to the business thus increasing customer base. Dissatisfied customers will complain and talk ill of the product or service such that prospective customers are discouraged and may never take the companys product following negative remarks from those that had used it before (Wilson, 1991: 157). 2.2. Understanding Customer Relationship Management The survival of any business is to a large extent determined by the level of customer satisfaction. This understanding has seen the rise in the customer-centrism strategy as a means to retain and attract new customers (Patterson, 2007: 5-6). The rise in globalization has led to high levels of competition so that every business must work towards addressing customer needs to keep them from turning to competitors. According to Oliver (1996: 88) customers are likely to move to competitors if they feel that they are not obtaining what they want. Loss of customers could be detrimental since a business cannot exist without customers. In this kind of competition for customers, the notion of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has gained an important role in business management. Light (2003: 603-604) refers to CRM simply as the management of company-customer relationships while Stefanou and Sarmaniotis (2003: 617) call it relationship marketing. Seeman and OHara (2006: 25) add that CRM aim s at increasing customer satisfaction by customizing the service provided to each consumer. Further, Seeman and OHara refer to CRM as the process by which business information and consumer information are brought together through a centralized system. Major components of CRM include communication management, marketing, recruitment, customer support and service among others. It is a strategy that places the customer as the major focus in the organisation. Stefanou and Sarmaniotis (2003: 613-617) refers this as a customer-centric strategy where understanding the customer life cycle is essential. There is also need to understand the ever changing customer needs triggered by changes in lifestyles and income changes. CRM has often been described as a shift from the transaction-specific to cumulative customer satisfaction through relational orientation (Raab, 2008: 132). In order to satisfy this prerequisite, CRM has been divided into two major procedures; the operational function and the analytical function. While the operational function involves the collection of data from customers, the analytical function is concerned with analysis of data in order to understand the customer needs so that they can be effectively addressed (Peelen, 2005: 63). Data can be collected through the use of interviews and questionnaires, customer feedback, complaints and physical reactions among others. Using this kind of information, the customer service department can easily determine whether customers are satisfied with their products or not (Kirker, 1994: 14). If they are not satisfied, strategies aimed at addressing the various needs must be formulated. With the increasing level of globalisation, technological advances are being strongly felt in the business world. Further, customer relationships have become more complex due to consumer mobility and the rise of suburbs (Milliron, 2001: 52). Customer tastes and preferences are changing by the day as people embrace the modern world. In response to this, more companies have taken up technology-led techniques to further enhance their performance. It is for this reason that the CRM systems have emerged and companies are now turning from the manual CRM to computerised CRM. 2.3. Customer relationship management systems The use of Customer Relationship Management in institutions of higher learning is a relatively new genre of technology operations whose popularity is growing at a high rate (Light, 2003: 605). The application which is computer-based has aided in making sure that the relationship between customers and businesses can be effectively managed (Peelan, 2005: 79). Information Technology advances have been a catalyst in customer relationship management systems. Traditional analysis of data is slowly becoming outdated and the use of software to perform such duties is being adopted by the day. CRM systems have gained widespread popularity especially with the so called forward thinking managers(Croteau, 2003, 29). These systems not only analyze customer needs effectively but also make work easier for managers thus saving the time required for data analysis. Bradshaw and Brash (2001: 522) define CRM systems as a combination of discrete software tools which serve the purpose of enhancing customer satisfaction, reducing costs, identifying new opportunities, increasing revenue and attraction new customers among others. They note that organisations have no reason to fear initial costs of acquiring these systems because the benefits to be gained in the long-run exceed the costs incurred in the acquisition. Research shows that sophisticated technology has brought about the emergence of more advanced CRM systems (Milliron, 2001: 51). Further, it is notable that organisations that are currently using these sophisticated CRM technologies are gaining competitive advantage over their competitors who make use of basic data collection approaches (Abbott, Stone and Buttle, 2001: 27). Information Technology has aided companies to effectively customise their customer care procedures so as to ensure that they are well served. Following the emergence of CRM which aims at individualising customer needs, companies are now demanding technologies which make it easier to keep records about individual customers. This eliminates high numbers of record which have to be retrieved every time a customer visits the business (Bull, 2003: 31).Using the various CRM systems available in the market, it is possible for companies to collect all available data about a certain customer which is then saved in the company database. Whenever an enquiry is made by this customer, the customer care representative just needs to feed the necessary details in the database to retrieve everything about the consumer (Grant and Anderson, 2002: 26). This way, it is becomes easier to address these customers needs depending on the situation at hand. The use of web technology is one of the most prevalent applications of CRM technology (Milliron, 2001: 52). Savvy managers have realised the high rate at which the world is suddenly becoming computerized. The ease of internet navigation and development of broadband services has turned customers into active internet users. To maximise on this, internet marketing has emerged with more companies now displaying their goods in popular web pages such as networking sites (Kotler and Fox, 1995:96). It is not only the goods that they advertise on the internet however, websites containing company information have been developed so that customers can easily access any information they desire from the website (Light, 2003: 605). Most websites often have customer inquiry sections where questions can be asked and complaints deposited (Light, 2003: 606). The use of chat rooms to answer customer questions directly from the help care desk is also used in certain sophisticated websites. While websites are likely to serve customers who are already familiar with the company, new ways of directing prospective customers have been established. In popular web pages for example, clicking on a certain advertised good or service takes the prospective customer to the companys website where he or she can now access more information on about the company and other goods and services offered by the company. This is to mean that while company websites were previously used by companies to showcase their activities and other information about the company, they are now doubling up as marketing tools to retain existing employees and obtain new ones (Light, 2003: 606). 2.4. Customer relations in institutions of higher education Starting the mid-80s and into the late 90s, many higher education institutions engaged themselves in restructuring and engineering their administrative operations so that costs were reduced and consequently better services could be provided (Grant and Anderson, 2002: 24). The focus is slowly shifting from these operational changes meant to improve service delivery to identification of customer needs. These needs are then being used to identify the areas that need to be improved in order to effectively satisfy customers. This has been described as a proactive action because institutions can learn what their customers want then work towards satisfying these needs before they lose them to other institutions which meet such needs (Bull, 2003: 593). Customer relationship management (CRM) is fast gaining popularity as more institutions realize that maintaining healthy relationships with customers is vital for business success. Organisations that make use of customer relationship management report increased sales resulting from the good relationships established with their customers (Croteau, 2003: 29). Customer relations management (CRM) enables the analysis of past customer behaviour in a bid to anticipate future trends and hence do everything in their capacity to ensure that customer needs are met. While many institutions have embraced CRM, few have ventured into the use of customer relationship management technologies (Conant, 2003: 3-5). For some, it is because of inadequate information about customer relationship management (CRM) systems while for others is because of fear of initial costs associated with installing such systems. Seeman and OHara (2006: 26) note that at least 75 percent of the students entering higher education institutions have a substantial exposure to technology. The new generation of students are described as technology savvy students due to their undeniable contact with technology. As a result, their expectations about technology resources available in the institutions are very high (Milliron, 2001: 16). From what they have learnt over the internet and other technology literature, technology has been used to make procedures easier for customers unlike when manual systems were used. In their minds, institutions of higher learning should fall under this group that has acquired these systems in order to serve them better. Their absence therefore could frustrate their expectations which could culminate to serious consequences (Croteau, 2003, 31). For existing students, they could change schools and discourage their counterparts from joining the school. The use of CRM also serves the purpose of unifying the university or college administration such that the needs of customers can be catered for without having to move from one office to another. Many businesses today have now introduced websites through which they serve their customers needs. In the same trend, colleges and universities should take on this innovative method of communication to reach out to their customers without necessarily requiring them to visit the institution physically (Kotler and Fox, 1995: 96). This reduces physical and geographical barriers through providing all the information that current and potential customers would like to know about the institution. In designing a website, the technician involved must collect all the information that the institution wishes to put on the site (Milliron, 2001: 17). This information is then arranged in such a way that given links can lead the customer to the desired departments so as to access the required information. Chapter 3 Methodology Introduction This section of the paper quantifies the ability of the study to effectively satisfy the set objectives. Besides giving the procedures, methods and samples used in the study, it also outlines major limitations faced during the study. 3.1. Research scope The essence of this study is to establish whether Customer Relationship Management Systems could be of help to higher education institutions. As such, the study delimits itself to the role of customer relationships in institutions of higher learning. The importance of Customer Relationship Management systems forms the basis for this study and hence the advantages of this strategy form a core subject of the study. Due to the large geographical coverage of institutions and financial constraints, only schools in Madrid and Canterbia in Spain were used for the study. 3.2. Data and data collection Collection of data forms influences the outcome of the study to a large extent. For this reason, the data collection procedure was applied in the best way possible to enhance efficiency and to give the most accurate results. Both primary and secondary data were applied in the study. a) Primary data Factual information from the respondents was vital in making effective conclusions. To obtain this information, two separate types of questionnaires were set. These focused on current customers and potential customers. For simplicity, senior high school students who are most likely going to join universities and colleges after graduating were interviewed to determine the qualities they considered important in a college. Further, they were required to suggest the various components they would like incorporated in the college and university CRM systems. Current customers included students at colleges, staff, parents and alumni. The questionnaire directed at this group was aimed at finding out the application of CRM in their schools and how they thought it could be better improved to by incorporating technology. For those whose schools had already adopted CRM systems, they were asked to give the advantages they had witnessed and the difference with what they heard from colleagues in oth er schools not using CRM systems. Questionnaire were read out and filled by the researcher as the respondent gave their views. b) Secondary data Equally important was the use of secondary data which gave the study a theoretical background. Without the use of books, journals and periodicals among other written works, there was no way of justifying the concept of Customer Relationship Management Systems. The literature review in particular was solely dependent on previously published works. As such, secondary data was highly employed in the study. 3.3. Sample selection, technique, and size The study sample consisted of ten college students, ten university students, twenty high school seniors, twenty staff members and a random selection of twenty parents and alumni of various colleges and universities. Due to the large population of probable respondents, a method for selecting a sample had to be identified. The strategic sampling method was used to identify respondents for the study. 3.4. Ethics of the research methodology Before the beginning of the study, an objective of reducing respondents compromise as far as possible was set. The views contained in the questionnaires were for research purposes only and no third party was allowed to come into contact with them. With such an assurance, respondents felt free to give out information considered sensitive. For privacy purposes, no respondent was required to give out his or her name during the interviews. This raised confidentiality as required in scholarly research. 3.5. Limitations of the study As mu