Edgar Allan Poe s The Tell Tale Heart Is Insane - 922 Words

The theme is insanity. The narrator in Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell Tale Heart is insane. Poe depicts the narrator’s insanity by using repetition, irony, and symbolism. The narrator in The Tell Tale Heart has a habit of repeating certain things. A lot. In the first line of the story, the narrator questions the reader, asking why the reader thinks this person mad. Throughout this story, the narrator continues to try to reassure the readers that this narrator is not mad. For example, still in the beginning of the story, the narrator states, â€Å"Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded—with what caution—with what foresight—with what dissimulation I went to work!† (pg 692). The narrator goes on to say how they watched the old man sleep for a week. The narrator states that it took â€Å"an hour to place [his] whole head within the opening so far that I could see the old man as he lay upon his bed. Ha!—would a madman have been so wise as this?† (pg. 692). As the narrator is trying to tell the readers that the narrator is not mad, the narrator is immediately doing something strange, like spying on an old man while he sleeps, or concealing the old man’s dead, lifeless body. Towards the end of the story, the readers are very convinced that this narrator is mad, but the narrator says that, â€Å"you will think [me] so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body† (pg 694). Usually, when someone has toShow MoreRelatedEdgar Allan Poe s The Tell Tale Heart1581 Words   |  7 PagesEdgar Allan Poe wrote many gothic stories with twisted themes and ideas. An example in his works is the conception of overthinking something that is not there. Many of these tales end with someone being killed due to the fascination of an unrealistic problem trying to be solved. Imagination is a main factor that drives the narrators to become worried. The obsessing narrators in Edgar Allan Poe’s â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart†, â€Å"The Black Cat†, and â€Å"The Imp of the Perverse† demonstrate the idea that guiltRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe s The Tell Tale Heart1538 Words   |  7 PagesPotentially Mad, Potentially Genius: Edgar Allan Poe’s Style â€Å"True!—nervous—very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad?† Poe wrote this line in his â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart,† and he very well could have been speaking about himself. Many generations have debated on whether or not Edgar Allen Poe was a mad. Reviewers and readers have looked at Poe’s work for nearly two centuries, trying to pick it apart and see if it’s the ramblings of a mad man or well piecedRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe : The Tale Heart, The Fall Of The House Of Usher, And Annabel Lee Essay1372 Words   |  6 PagesEdgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe is well known for his poetry. Edgar Allan Poe was not only a world renowned poet, but he is also known as being a writer of short stories, as well as known for being a critic. Edgar Allan Poe has many literary works; quite possibly the most famous one being The Raven. Some of Edgar Allan Poe’s other famous works include The Tell-Tale Heart, The Fall of the House of Usher, and Annabel Lee. Edgar Allan Poe is also known as being a Romanticist, due to the factRead MoreAnalysis Of Edgar Allan Poe s A Tell Tale Heart1289 Words   |  6 PagesInside the Heart There are many well-known poets, but not many are as unique as Edgar Allan Poe. By the age of 13, Poe had become a creative poet (Biographies). Many of Poe s works were horrific fictional stories. His first book was published in Boston in 1827, called Tamerlane and other Poems. More of Poe s major works include Tales of the Grotesque a d Arabesque, which included his most spine tingling tales such as Ligeia and The Fall of the House of Usher. Most of Poe s works haveRead MoreGothic Literature : `` Tell Tale Heart `` And `` The Raven ``1698 Words   |  7 Pagesdemonstrated through Edgar allan Poe. Edgar Allan has a number of common Themes, motifs and structures that make his work easily recognizable and more importantly, fits his stories into the classification of the gothic. Among these elements, they include the theme of death and decay, which is almost always in Gothic fiction, the theme or presence of madness, insanity or other internal chaos, and haunted or creepy locations. So me stories by Poe that include these elements are, â€Å"Tell-Tale heart† and â€Å"The Raven†Read MoreWhy Should We Care?1748 Words   |  7 PagesWhy Should We Care?: Edgar Allan Poe â€Å"Few creatures of the night have captured [reader’s] imagination[s] like [Edgar Allan Poe]† (â€Å"Vampires†). Poe has fascinated the literary world since he first became known for writing in 1829, when he was just twenty years old (Chronology†). While he is widely known for exploring the macabre, his work is controversial because of its psychologically disturbing nature. Edgar Allan Poe is worth examining as an author because his many contributions to the literaryRead MoreThe Tell Tale Heart By Edgar Allen Poe993 Words   |  4 PagesIn â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† by Edgar Allen Poe, it is classified as a short story with horror fiction as the genre. This was written in three different types of fear during the Romanticism period. In this short story the encounter is filtered through the eyes of the unnamed dynamic narrator. The narrator consumes upon the old man’s eye and determines to perform a conscious act of murder. Fear is define d as a horrid feeling that is caused by a belief that a person or something is unsafe, most likelyRead MoreAn Analysis Of Edgar Allan Poe s The Tell Tale Heart 1015 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Insane in the Membrane† Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most acclaimed short story writers of all time and is considered the father of the psychological thriller. He has achieved ever-lasting fame for his work in various fields of literature, from prose to verse. However, it is his Gothic narrative, in the short story realm he is greatest known for and is regarded as one of the foremost masters of horror that the United States has ever fashioned. The crucial component to these horror stories isRead MoreAnalysis Of Edgar Allan Poe s Writing1561 Words   |  7 PagesHumberto Orozco Mahoney 1102 MW 10:50 11/22/2015 E.A.P Edgar Allan Poe is famous for writing short stories that are themed particularly around death and the macabre. His writing includes horrific scenes with gruesome deaths and murders. Poe’s style of writing is very much on a podium of its own. He was a brilliant writer for his time period. His wicked works continue to grab the attention of readers with his dark and scary form of writing. His short stories are typical of describing the twistedRead MoreAnalysis Of Edgar Allan Poe s The Tell Tale Heart 1291 Words   |  6 Pagessecrets hidden in the story line that does it? Individually when each of you close your eyes and visualise a book that has been flicked by hundreds and has been adored what comes to mind? The famous Edgar Allan Poe stands out in the history of gothic texts, especially his novel the â€Å" Tell-Tale Heart†. However there is a numerous amount of contemporary texts based off this genre including Tim Burton’s â€Å" Vincent†. In this prese ntation I hope to engage you in the history of the gothic genre. Gothic

Advertising Is A Multi Billion Dollar Industry - 1631 Words

Advertisements are everywhere. Whether they are on television, radio, internet, or in a magazine, there is no way that we can escape them. They have all their target audience who they have specially designed the ad for. They often use manipulating schemes, get into people psychotically in order to sell their products. Advertising is a multi-billion dollar industry and the advertising’s study was created so that they can attract the audience’s attention. There is always an image or a symbol on an advertisement that is able to attract consumers’ attention and shift their interest to appeals and desires. An advertising is able to travel beyond its expectations through the audience’s mind by using a simple piece of paper displaying an image or an encouraging phrase. In the Adidas sneaker advertisement, their demographic target is anyone from teenager age to around 30-year-old adults. The Adidas sneaker advertisement contains a few aspects in it, for example, t he dark background that contrasts with the brighter sneaker, the brightness of the sneaker, the wings, the angle of the toe, etc. In the Adidas commercial presented, advertisers were able to successfully accomplish their objective of capturing the consumers’ attention by innovating the audience’s needs to achieve, dominate and escape. Advertisements have become an integral part of our daily lives. The endless advertisements shape the society in which we are living. But people are being exposed to hundreds of advertisementsShow MoreRelatedWhy Marketers Must Stop Being Distracted942 Words   |  4 PagesPerhaps no industry has changed so dramatically over the past 10 years as Marketing. The media landscape has grown exponentially at the exact same time consumer expectations and empowerment has exploded. The marketer’s daily ‘To Do’ list has become increasingly cluttered and complex. In a spirit of self-preservation, marketing departments have sought out time saving solutions, and media publishers and media buying agencies have been quick to provide them. The outcome is a multi-billion dollar industryRead MoreNike Swot Analysis1214 Words   |  5 Pagesof its owners’ cars at track meets, through the 80s and 90s when it lavished multi-million dollar endorsement deals on sports icons. Following is a SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity and threat) analysis of this great American business enterprise. Strengths: Marketing expertise Nike is a marketing trailblazer. Its commercials are so unique and iconic that every new advertising campaign is analysed by industry watchers and experts, and reviewed like it is a new novel or bestseller (HowellRead MoreEssay on Hispanic Marketing in Latinos INC by Arlene Davila691 Words   |  3 PagesIn the beginning of the book she states that the Hispanic market is a multi-billion dollar industry. This market has grown tremendously and it is most prominent in densely populated Latino cities, such as Miami and Los Angeles. In these cities the main percentage of these Latino Americans tend to be Cuban. Davila explains and argues many points about Hispanic Marketing that bring great insight into this billion dollar industry. The dominant ideas about the Hispanic population and how to market themRead MoreEssay on Children and the Media/Advertising816 Words   |  4 Pages It has been noted that the media and advertising industries have targeted the children in the process of selling products and services. Children are in the age range that is most influenced and are most desired for companies to sell products to. Minors are young and are therefore potential long-term consumers. Some of these advertising industries include companies selling credit cards, tobacco, alcohol, clothing and fast food. According to marketing expert James U. McNeal, PhD, author of quot;TheRead MoreWomen Objectification Of Women1524 Words   |  7 PagesImages of females are everywhere. The image of females portrayed through advertising for the most part gives off a negative message to girls who struggle with body image and even women who want to look a particular way. The most negative message that advertising portrays is objec tification of women and violence towards them. Women and girls need to recognize the true meaning behind the advertisements that we see in all aspects of media. They should not allow themselves to be objectified in any wayRead MoreTobacco Advertising Essay608 Words   |  3 PagesTobacco Advertising Although the Tobacco Industry recently paid enormous fines to the US Government and Individual states, they continue to promote smoking and influence young human beings world wide to use their products through multi dimensional advertising. For decades Americans were not told the truth about the dangers of smoking. The media stayed silent because it did not want to lose the hundreds of millions of dollars it made from cigarette advertising. TheRead MoreMobile Advertising : An Effective Tool For Many Users866 Words   |  4 Pagescontinually growing and expecting to be an optimal tool for many users? Mobile advertisement is becoming more relevant and it might even replace dramatically the industry of television advertisement, according to Griffith (2015), Mobile advertising, a meaningless sliver of its business three years ago, made up 73% of its $3.3 billion in advertising revenue in the first quarter of 2015. Instagram is proving to be a social platform of worth. Standford studen and former worker of Google, Kevin Systrom,Read MoreCustomer Service Services And Services1232 Words   |  5 PagesSERVICE THE BUSINESS WILL BE BUILT The initial service that ShopOPS is built on, is a cloud-based Point-of-sale offering for retail and convenience store operators. The service is constructed to perform heavy processing for store operations in a multi-tenant cloud environment. Key operations would consist of credit card processing, B2B real-time transaction interfaces, back-office accounting and reporting and customer portal offerings for ecommerce services and mobile applications. In terms ofRead MoreShould College Athletes Be Paid?1385 Words   |  6 Pagesand also making millions of dollars off of contracts with television networks. Because of this I believe college athletes should be compensated for the time and dedication during their time as an athlete in college The NCAA was made in 1905, and it was created by Theodore Roosevelt. Since then the NCAA has made many changes. The NCAA has become a multibillion dollar industry that makes billions annually off college athletes. Universities also make millions of dollars annually from their athletesRead More ATT Essay673 Words   |  3 Pages The dominant economic traits of this industry start with having an enormous amount of capital required for staying competitive. One is also required to spend lots of money on research and development, as the telecommunications industry seems to be the vision of the future. More and more companies like ATamp;T are trying very hard to combine their network services of phone line, video and data transfer, high speed internet access, and television cable via one line in the consumers homes. With a

Career Roles in Health Information Technology Free Essays

At present, great demand in health services are of the fastest growing career opportunities (â€Å"Prepare for a Career in Today’s Fastest Growing Field†). Professionals with the expertise in the design, operation and maintenance of the different developments in health technologies are indeed highly needed. It is then expected that ten out of twenty jobs likely to grow quickly in the next several years are focused in the medical field. We will write a custom essay sample on Career Roles in Health Information Technology or any similar topic only for you Order Now Maintaining patients’ records to examining vital information are careers in health and medical information technology which permits work in active domain that’s rich with chances and radical development. Health Applications Developer As a health applications developer, it is his duty to help others do their work more efficiently as they supervise their patients. Thrilling tests in the field will be very much enjoyable as he designs, builds, and integrates higher technological tools for the healthcare vocation. Technological expertise as well as problem-solving skills, works hand in hand together with analytical capabilities in explaining the different patient data, and its further reformation (â€Å"Prepare for a Career in Today’s Fastest Growing Field†). Health Information Technicians or Medical Records Managers Whenever a patients submits himself for general check-up in any hospital, or when a patient obtains any medical intervention, a record of all the remarks, therapy, surgeries, medical history and the like are taken for further use. The records also include all the basic information needed so that anyone that gets the information could immediately understand the patient’s condition. This is the duty of a health information technician, to organize and to systemize this data so everything would be put to order. Technicians collect patients’ health data, being certain that the patients’ primary medical information and charts are well accomplished, that every form are properly recognized and true, and that all needed data is in the computer (â€Å"Medical Records and Health Information Technicians†). They habitually are in contact with doctors and other health care specialists to refine diagnoses or get further information. Technicians also tabulate programs regularly and investigate data to expand patient concern, betterment of the cost, and supply documentation for utilization in lawful actions, or use in investigation studies. The responsibilities of medical records and health information technicians’ also differ with the volume of the amenities present in their work place. Technicians could concentrate in a specific field of health data or could manage health information clerks and transcriptionists in medium to large-scale services whereas a medical records and health information manager supervises the division. On the other hand, a certified medical records and health information technician could have the chance to supervise the division in small facilities. Some of them concentrate in coding patients’ medical data for insurance reasons. These technicians are also known as health information coders, medical record coders, coder/abstractors, or coding specialists (â€Å"Medical Records and Health Information Technicians†). The said technicians allocate a system to every diagnosis and method, on the basis of their familiarity and skill in disease progression. Hence, they utilize classification schemes software to allot the patient to some individuals out of a hundred â€Å"diagnosis-related groups,† or DRGs. They decide the quantity for what the hospital will be repaid if the patient is shouldered by Medicare or other insurance plans under the DRG scheme. Furthermore, coders utilize other coding schemes, like those needed for ambulatory situations, physician function, or long-term therapy. Another specialization of this field is on cancer registry. Cancer registrars preserve all types of information of their cancer patients. Registrars evaluate patient data and files and pathology statements, and allocate codes for the judgment and management of distinguishing cancers and chosen benign tumors. Registrars carry out yearly follow-ups on every patient in the registry to trace their therapy, endurance, and revitalization. Certain health organizations like public health and physicians then utilize this data to compute survivor degree and success percentage of a variety of sort of therapy, situate geographic portions with increased instances of particular cancers, and recognize possible partakers for clinical drug experiments. Public health officers also utilize cancer registry information to aim areas for the provision of resources to offer intercession and selection. The technicians have a pleasant and comfortable workplace. This is just one in the small number of health-related professions where there is small or no absolute connection with their patients. Since precision is vital in their work, technicians should be attentive to every feature. They who work in front of computer monitors for long spans of time should watch incidents of eyestrain and muscle soreness. Medical records and health information technicians generally labor a 40-hour week and several overtime could be necessary. Health information divisions frequently are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Technicians could work day, evening, and night time shifts in hospitals. Health Information Managers Health Information Manager plans and coordinates all services offered by the Health Information Department that includes the Medical Records division (â€Å"Health Information Manager Job Description†). A health information manager has several duties, some of which are the following: †¢ Organizes, guides and assesses everyday routines of every file room procedure at the facility. †¢ Evaluates purposes and methods of medical records. †¢ Does service area and departmental excellent assurance duties needed for conformity, recognizing agencies and regulatory matters. †¢ Offer on-going guidance to specialized, clinical and clerical personnel concerning the medical record details, coding, discretion, and safety. †¢ Directs the study of medical documentation records for regular accomplishment and certification. †¢ Organizes methods for discharge of medical data and correlation demands according to regional policies, nation and federal decrees and laws. †¢ Makes new strategies and updates on hand policies in association to gist and context of the medical details. †¢ Expands and monitors departmental finances. †¢ Manages clinical data and records completion scheme to remain method and workflow constant with specialized standards and official necessities. †¢ Systemizes the storage, recovery, archiving and obliteration of medical files according to state laws. †¢ Serves as connection between medical, secretarial, and executive force in issues concerning coding, information acquisition and investigation. †¢ Presents instructions, discussion and execution of recent agenda associated to medical records. Health Services Managers In the healthcare industry, efficient management is necessary to guarantee excellent services are offered to those needy. Health services managers are people who oversee, guides and organized healthcare (â€Å"Medical and Health Services Management Careers, Jobs and Training Information†). Health services managers should battle with complex rigid schemes, due to the fast-changing budget and arrangement of healthcare. Greater focus on preventive care, reconstruction of work, delivery schemes, and technological developments are implemented as well. These managers have a vital role in the medical field. Working together with certain organizations, the health service managers try to find alternatives in making interrelated services, like outpatient follow-up care and inpatient care, more effective. The clinical manager is accountable for organizing different activities consisting of diverse managers, assess, work and staff, rising budgets and reports, as well as making and performing methods, rules, and purposes for their department. Clinical management titles practice or trains in particular clinical fields. Say a manager over medical records and health files usually has a bachelor’s degree in whichever in medical record administration or health information while a director of physical therapy must have wide understanding as a physical therapist. Managed care amenities are being worked on by the health services and medical manager. Their duties are not far from each other which corresponds a specific manager for group practices. However, they manage bigger group of workers and does work in preventive care and society outreach. They also are responsible in supervising numerous health system services that provide various inpatient and outpatient services. Hospitals and nursing care facilities present a twenty-four hour round the clock care, thus make the majority of health services and medical managers work in long hours and could be on-call at no specific time. Travel may also be needed to investigate satellite spots or to be there on meetings. They also should be able to provide efficient decisions, analyze information, and comprehend information schemes and budget, because health services and medical managers are accountable for a great number of employees and very exclusive equipment and amenities. Tough headship expertise is required to encourage and implement their decisions. Communication competence mediation, litheness, and judgment are grave because of their consistent communication with people. Getting a career as a health services or medical manager may evolve by progressing to a bigger competence or by achieving a title as a subordinate or partner administrator. These titles not only pay much, but obligate greater accountability. Biomedical Engineering Technologists Bioengineering and biomedical engineering technologists lastly, concentrates on biomedical apparatus (â€Å"Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering Technology†). They could labor on draft or appliances, or could be accountable for setting up, preparation, procedure or preservation for the biomedical equipment. Bioengineering technologists may also labor on the improvement or execution of biomedical schemes. They usually labor in hospitals or self-governing medical assistance organizations, and may examine, standardize, or handle equipment established in the provision they work in. Conclusion The employment rate under the medical field is expected to grow more than the normal profession through 2012, because of an increasing health services industry. Elevating chances will originate in out-patient care foundation, health practitioners and doctor’s working places, and in residence healthcare services. Workers with fine administration and business expertise and understanding in the healthcare industry will have the utmost opportunities. However, job availability in hospitals are predicted to elevate at a slower speed than in other specialization areas because of the hospitals’ focus on substitute care areas and to more guarded budgets. But, hospitals will still utilize the uppermost number of health services. The finest job opportunities in hospitals will go to them with great competence experience. Employment is increasing fastest in residence healthcare agencies and in practitioners’ workplace, due to a number of hospital benefits that are moving offsite because of developing technologies. Skilled experience in a line of work will give managers with more opportunities. Employees working in these fields will be obtainable with an elevated concentration on preventive care, financial responsibility, forces of cost suppression, and will concentrate on civilizing the public health. Healthcare companies offer hospitals and organizations, and particular sector (physician employing, emergency, handled care deal talks, and data management schemes) with a variety of management services. Health and medical career opportunities then will have employment chances with these institutions. Works Cited: â€Å"Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering Technology†. 2008. Sloan Career Cornerstone Center. April 16, 2008. http://www. careercornerstone. org/engtech/disciplines/bioet. htm. â€Å"Health Information Manager Job Description†. 2008. Migrant Clilnicians Network. April 16, 2008. http://www. migrantclinician. org/clearinghouse/view. php? file_id=418. â€Å"Medical and Health Services Management Careers, Jobs and Training Information†. 2008. Career Overview – Career Information and Job Search Guide. April 16, 2008. http://www. careeroverview. com/medical-health-manager-careers. html. â€Å"Medical Records and Health Information Technicians†. 2008. US Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics. April 16, 2008. http://www. bls. gov/oco/ocoS103. htm. â€Å"Prepare for a Career in Today’s Fastest Growing Field†. 2008. DeVry University – We major in careers. April 16, 2008. http://www. devry. edu/programs/health_information_technology/career. jsp. How to cite Career Roles in Health Information Technology, Papers

Human Resources Role in a Strategic Acquisition - Sample Solution

Question: What is the role of human resources in a Strategic Acquisition? Answer: Human resources role in a Strategic Acquisition During the planning and execution levels of any kind of merger or acquisition the role of Human resource revolve around employment, the compensation and finally the benefits related issues. There are six stages or levels that usually Human resources could involve or likely to involve during the merger and acquisition functions. These are Target screening Planning stage or pre acquisition strategy Negotiations about employees or related things Due diligence Planning of integration Post deal integration procedures Aguilera along with Dencker strategized the approach to human resource management in all kinds of merger and acquisition processes. Strategic Human resource management is the explicit link that Human resource management has with the strategic management process of the organisation. In plain terminology the strategic Human resource management can be summarised as follows: Strategic Human resource management is basically a systematic pattern of connecting employee with the concern firm. Concerned system of this field exerts a vital connection the between the atmosphere of the business activity and strategic human resource. It emphasises co-ordination or complete connivance amongst the various Human resource management usability like Human resource plan staging, process of recruitment, and method of selection, pattern of training, human resource development, employee compensation limits, and policy of retention, process evaluation and finally the promotion of personnel within the organisation. It seeks to enhance organisational performance, employee needs and societal well being The word strategy is derived from the Greek word of strategus or basically commander in chief. As per Mr. Chandler, human resource strategy is basically the basic determining long term plans of any incorporation. It is all about deciding the best course of action and necessary resources allocation for carrying out those defined organisational goals. Strategic Human resource management Strategic Human resource management could be explained as an attempt for taking decisions for Organisation intentions and the concerned people. Human resource management concerns itself with the integration or linkages between the overall strategic aims of the business, human resource strategy and its implementation. Strategic Human resource management usually utilizes the strategic actions that is important to the employee management acceptable at all levels in the business and that are used for the implementation of strategies directed towards sustainable methods.Strategic Human resource management make use of broad issues like organisational application, personnel performance, employee competence and the overall complementing resources to further the business essentials, and finally employees overall development and their strategic deployment.Strategic Human resource management places a great emphasis on strategic HR practices, flexibility, communication, organisational capabilities, coherence, empowerment, change management, participative management, organisational commitment and organisational culture to obtain a particular strategy, along with developing strategies and also to procure and overlook the required systematic change for gaining and sustaining competitive advantage. Emergence of strategic human resource management Human resource management (20th century) Strategic Human resource management (21st century) Reactive Proactive Staff function Strategic function Production oriented People oriented People as liability People as investment Resource in production process Key player in competitive advantage Isolated from Companys goals and strategy Integrated role in company goal and strategy According to Ruona and Gibson, the twenty first century strategic Human resource management lays more emphasis on the enhanced people centrality for success of the organisation, importance of whole entire systems and inbuilt solutions in the alignment which is strategic in nature with lots of impact and lastly has a tremendous capacity for change. Aim of strategic Human resource management The whole idea of strategic Human resource management is basically to help in generating the capability which is strategic in manner by making sure that the organisation has very skilled as well as dedicated and encouraging employees that are needed to achieve sustained competitive advantage. The objective of strategic Human resource management is to allow a directional sense in an environment which is turbulent in order that the organisational needs and individual needs of employees could also be matched by such level of developing and implementing the logical and feasible policies of the human resource and their programmes. The soft strategic Human resource management would need a better and bigger emphasis on the human resource outlook of people management. The hard strategic Human resource management otherwise has emphasised the overall outcome which is expected to be obtained by such investment in human resources in the interest of the business. Strategic Human resource management attempts to maintain a balance between hard and soft elements. Organisations exist to obtain an overall purpose and need to make sure that they have resources required and they also use them effectively. It needs to take into account all the considerations humane in nature and overall concept of soft strategic Human resource management and planning with working people in strategy, which takes into account the requirement and level of aspiration of the employees of the organisation. Mostly in organisations, the hard strategic Human resource management is considered first, leaving soft ones way behind. The overall idea for strategic Human resource management is the obtained advantage of an agreed basis for creative approaches to human management in the longer term. Benefits of strategic human resource Identifies and analyses the outside opportunities and threats which could be very crucial to the companys success. Creates strategic business vision for the future Supplies cut throat technology that could be used in all kinds strategic planning process Recruits, retains and motivates people Develops and retains of highly competent people Ensures that people development issues are addressed systematically Supplies required info for companys internal strengths and weakness Meets the expected norms of customers effectively Ensures better production Guarantees surplus in competent business Acquisition Perspective of strategic Human resource management Target screening It is basically the process of getting preliminary stage information of prospective companies for ready acquisition and or merger. The delicate nature of such investigations and the basic potential effect these can have on stock values could lead to either windfall or spiral out of control. During any target screening process human resource do a reconnaissance and get in touch with other teams who knows the target company. These kind of discussion usualy give enough informations required about the target companys HR policy and other practices. Planning or pre recquisition strategy During this period the human resource team usually get involved in the following types of activities: Advising senior management on retention and benefit packages Much of these senior managers interest in this information generally meant only for the purpose of financial accounting and although there would be various rationale for the recommended packages for justifying the cost to company but as per human resource standpoint these decisions are not taken in isolation. The acquiring company has to provide a source of getway between the employee segments or may have to use own plans during consolidation process Speaking to employees to understand and predict the change impact and workforce reaction The more the expectations for getting a deal done during the transaction, the bigger is the decision makers work become steadily lined up with existing beliefs and due assumptions about the take over organisation. Planning of communicating and following up with activitives which are in support of the transaction declaration Planning of key processes like selection and relocation along with placement out In case of every simple acquisition of small institutes or companies by a big conglomerate, its only the dominant company which outlines the implementation rules. Comprehensive plan for the selection of emloyee are devised by the less dominant partner but employees are not informed of any due information as the dominant companies employees are less likely to be effected. Due diligence To ensure the merger and acquisition is smooth the nest method would be to get it done through due diligence. A proper due diligence study goes a long way than just comparing the financial database. Any due diligence check list should begin with a wide range of over view and needs examination throughly for human resource functions. These are likely to be employment, training and the general benefits. Due diligence fact finding needs to be direct and appropriate during the merger and acquisition and needs discussion with representatives or cross checking records. Integration planning and execution During all transition and integration methodology HR practitioners could create the most positive impact. HR drives performance and help create a environment which is for real change and increase the level of employee satisfaction. Educating the workforce about the psychological aspects of change and transition is necessary and the employees needs to be addressed for their anxiety level and how the transition will affect the employees. The drive for employee selection and retention should begin with a specific strategy. Adopting an acquisition Perspective The concept of investment perspective does not encourage viewing human resource as variable cost of production. It views human resource as human assets and that they should be viewed as any other physical assets like plant, property, machinery etc. as high return assets to its strategic objectives. This allows organisation to determine how to best invest in people and helps in allocating current expenditures to meet long-term performance goals by considering the risk and return on possible expenditure related to procurement, training, etc. Physical assets can be cloned by competitors, but investment perspective toward human resource is critical. Human assets cant be cloned or copied and hence it has good advantage the organisation may enjoy in the market. An organisations techniques are more people oriented than in capital as the same has developed a workplace where labourers are getting replaced with workers with knowledge. Organisations that ignore to follow investment perspective of human assets may be less attractive to prospective employees. Valuation of Assets before acquisition There are overall five types of products that a organisation could leverage in order to aid in the performance as well as add value to such things. These assets are: Financial assets: This includes equity, securities and investments and account receivables. Physical assets are plant, land, equipment and raw material. Market assets include overall goodwill, market branding, and process loyalty of customer, overall product range, and distribution of such products, required essential patents, usage of trademarks and product knowledge copyrights. Operational assets include the specific practices of management, work structure and technology. Factors Influencing an Organisations acquisition Orientation There are overall 05 factors that could affect investment of a company makes in the management of human resources. These factors are as follows: Management values, Attitude towards risk, Nature of employee skills, Utilitarianism, Availability of outsourcing. 1. What legal issues does Gemma need to take into account in designing a redundancy process? Is Alans suggestion of targeting old people closer to retirement age a feasible approach? Answer: Gemma need to take into account the new terms and conditions which advises the implementation and discharging the instruction of the client recruitment and selection and she also has to manage large and small scale redundancy along with the restructuring programmes which requires to carry out staff consultations and formal staff meetings. Alans suggestion of targeting old people closer to retirement is based on fact that he wants a young and vibrant team to carry out job. It may not be feasible as knowledge of running system lies with the old heads. 2. How should Gemma Configure the HRIMS to provide useful data about the company's workforce? What sorts of workforce data reports should the system generate? Answer: HRIMS usually helps in data storing and review it as well and effectively manage the workforce. Before configuring the HRIMS, Gemma needs to understand the overall requirements, everyones opinions and concerns of the workforce. The HRIMS system should generate payroll accounting along with time reporting, workforce management which include the commencement, pink slip and finally employee exit system besides the integration and maintenance. These may also help in generating the basic employee information like the names, their address, each of the family details, their respective qualifications, rest of attributes, and the joining date. 3. What kind of HR planning process would be appropriate at this point in the company's development? Would a qualitative or quantitative approach be more effective? Why? Gemma should devise a HR planning which would finally mix both the qualitative and quantitative data about the workforce. The qualitative data would include the reports with definite observations of the workforce in the Mainly Books. These observations may include the individual workplace conduct, the daily obstacles each worker needs to overcome for augmenting the workplace performance along with the habits. While quantitative planning would help in gathering the workforce statistics in Mainly Books. The quantitative data would be more useful as it helps in finding the varied processes and enhance the employee productivity. 4. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of the company developing or outsourcing operational and administrative HR functions? What should Gemma RECOMMEND and Why? Answer: The main advantages of the out sourcing to select administrative HR functions like the payroll and the record maintenance along with the files help in reducing the business enterprise risk. Companies many a times outsource these functions with an objective to reduce the running costs. These may lead to poor quality performance when the outsource provider function improperly. Gemma in such cases needs select the firm properly for the purpose of outsource and these could be accomplished by checking all previous work records. Most outsourcing units may be located at places far from the parent firm and this may lead the organization and the employees to experience a distance sense. Gemma hence has to carefully formulate the activities that need to be outsourced. She has to speak to the store managers and the outsource provider of Mainly Books before taking a call to outsource the non-core human resource functions.

Sociological research methods questionnaires Essay Example

Sociological research methods questionnaires Paper Using questionnaires is favoured by positivists as they produce results that can be easily generalised, are highly reliable and largely representable of the studied subjects. This also means that interpretivists dislike this method as the results are not personal and have very little depth to them. There are strengths and weaknesses to both arguments. An advantage of questionnaires is that they are cheap and fast to produce, this means that they can be produced on mass to produce more reliable results. Answers in questionnaires are easily comparable with standardised and close ended questions and could produce representative, qualitative data that is also easily replicable. This means that sociologists are able to make links and comparisons in society in different areas and during different time periods. If a large number of questionnaires are sent out they should produce representative results with a better chance of being truly accurate. Connor and Dewson send out nearly 4000 surveys to 14 higher education institutes around the country which resulted in a large sample size. This method is also favoured more for purposed of educational attitudes than others such as participant observations, which is used to study small groups and produce valid qualitative data. A researcher’s hypothesis should be proven or proven wrong with the results of the questionnaire but this may lead the researcher to produce leading questions, the parent, in this instance, may then try to please or attempt to second guess the researchers aims, leading to further invalid results. We will write a custom essay sample on Sociological research methods questionnaires specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sociological research methods questionnaires specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sociological research methods questionnaires specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Statements can then be produced from the questionnaires which will either prove or disprove the hypothesis, and a ‘cause-and-effect’ relationship can be gathered from relevant information and variables. Questionnaires also raise very few ethical problems even though they ask sensitive and intrusive questions as people are generally under no pressure to answer them and can skip questions if they choose to. This method produces unbiased results making them objective. Practical problems include a low response rate as not all those that the survey is sent to will respond and end it back as they may think it is pointless, however the response rate is likely to be higher when considering questionnaires linked to education as most parents will assume that filling in the forms will benefit their child, as stated in item A, especially if the forms are from the school. However, this information is confidential, making it harder for a sociologist to acquire a reasonable and accurate sampling frame. Also, parents may lie or answer incorrectly due to ‘right answerism’ when completing the questionnaire as they don’t want to be seen to be bad parents. It would be easier for them to lie by postal questionnaire, however if the questionnaire was done face to face their body language could be analysed. The response rate may also be raised if there is an incentive offered such as a prize or money. Questionnaires are also quite inflexible as if closed questions are used they are set for all potential respondents. This means that if they do not understand the question or wish to add more information they will be unable to do so. In other methods such as unstructured interviews any area can be explored in-depth as it is much more flexible, the weakness to this method is that irrelevant issues which take up time. Questionnaires also only give a small snap shop of the whole picture and so may not consider outside factors that affect a pupil such as their peer group, ethnicity or class. Therefore, this may not represent all parents’ attitudes to their children’s schooling as a whole as the picture is not totally valid. Sociologists that take an interpretivist approach such as Aaron Cicourel (1968) argue that questionnaires are too detached and so lack validity. They would argue that only methods that allow the researcher to get close to the subjects they are studying should be used so that the researcher can relate and understand the answers more clearly. Without this contact it can be argued that may be misunderstanding that cannot be clarified as there is no way of knowing if the researcher and respondent are interpreting the questions in the same way. In conclusion, questionnaires are a good way to get quick results at a low cost and can produce reliable, quantitative results if the right questions are asked. However, other methods should also be used as well as questionnaires to get a clearer and more precise picture of how parents’ attitudes are towards their child’s education.

How to Search for Files and Folders With Delphi

How to Search for Files and Folders With Delphi When looking for files, it is often useful and necessary to search through subfolders. Here, see how to use Delphis strength to create a simple, but powerful, find-all-matching-files project. File/Folder Mask SearchProject The following project not only lets you search for files through subfolders, but it also lets you easily determine file attributes, such as Name, Size, Modification Date, etc. so  you can see when to invoke the File Properties Dialog from the Windows Explorer. In particular, it demonstrates how to recursively search through subfolders and assemble a list of files that match a certain file mask. The technique of recursion is defined as a routine that calls itself in the middle of its code. In order to understand the code in the project, we have to familiarize ourselves with the next three methods defined in the SysUtils unit: FindFirst, FindNext, and FindClose. FindFirst function FindFirst(const Path: string; Attr: Integer; var Rec: TSearchRec): Integer; FindFirst is the initialization call to start a detailed file search procedure using Windows API calls. The search looks for files that match the Path specifier. The Path usually includes wildcard characters (* and ?). Attr parameter contains combinations of file attributes to control the search. The file attribute constants recognized in Attr are: faAnyFile (any file), faDirectory (directories), faReadOnly (read only files), faHidden (hidden files), faArchive (archive files), faSysFile (system files) and faVolumeID (volume ID files). If FindFirst finds one or more matching files it returns 0 (or an error code for failure, usually 18) and fills in the Rec with information about the first matching file. In order to continue the search, we have to use the same TSearcRec record and pass it to the FindNext function. When the search is completed the FindClose procedure must be called to free internal Windows resources. The TSearchRec is a record defined as: typeTSearchRec record Time: Integer; Size: Integer; Attr: Integer; Name: TFileName; ExcludeAttr: Integer; FindHandle: THandle; FindData: TWin32FindData; end; When the first file is found the Rec parameter is filled, and the following fields (values) can be used by your project.. Attr, the files attributes as described above.. Name holds a string that represents a file name, without path information. Size in bytes of the file found.. Time stores the files modification date and time as a file date.. FindData contains additional information such as the file creation time, last access time, and both the long and short file names. FindNext function FindNext(var Rec: TSearchRec): Integer; The FindNext function is the second step in the detailed file search procedure. You have to pass the same search record (Rec) that has been created by the call to FindFirst. The return value from FindNext is zero for success or an error code for any error. FindClose procedure FindClose(var Rec: TSearchRec) ; This procedure is the required termination call for a FindFirst/FindNext. Recursive File Mask Matching Searching in Delphi This is the Searching for files project as it appears at run time. The most important components on the form are two edit boxes, one list box, a checkbox and a button. Edit boxes are used to specify the path you want to search in and a file mask. Found files are displayed in the List box and if the checkbox is checked then all subfolders are scanned for matching files. Below is the small code snippet from the project, just to show that searching for files with Delphi is as easy as can be: procedure FileSearch(const PathName, FileName : string) ;var Rec : TSearchRec;Path : string;begin Path : IncludeTrailingPathDelimiter(PathName) ; if FindFirst (Path FileName, faAnyFile - faDirectory, Rec) 0 thentryrepeat ListBox1.Items.Add(Path Rec.Name) ; until FindNext(Rec) 0;finally FindClose(Rec) ; end;...{all the code, particularly recursivefunction call can be found (downloaded) inthe project source code}...end;

Reflection reaction 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflection reaction 2 - Assignment Example In fact, the country is recorded to have been wealthy and dominated by the Islamic culture at that time; in addition, the country also had large populations of the Jewish people that were prevalent in Europe. The Christian and Muslim religions had shared the Iberian Peninsula, which is the current homeland to Portugal and Spain. During this time, it is recorded that these regions enjoyed relative peace and calm, something that played a role to their wealth and prosperity. When people live together in peace and understanding, they can do great things that can influence the course of life. This was evidence during this time that relative peace and calm characterized these regions. It is believed that the Jewish scholars and their Muslim counterparts collaborated in many things (Hannon 2). For instance, they worked together in the process of compiling great and important works of as well as making translations to this information. The same was applied in other disciplines like mathematics, science and sociology among others. It is believed that the period during and after 1469, saw Spain begin to make important and bold advances towards building its empire. During this period, Ferdinand and Isabella were united as king and Queen setting the pace for these developments. It is believed that the unison of these two people led to the union of Aragon and Castle, which were the most powerful kingdoms at that time (Moore 1). The support for Columbus by these rules played an essential role in bringing some many kingdoms under the Spanish rule. Columbus and other American possession remained under the custody and check of the Spanish rule and were passed to Charles I, who was the grandson of Ferdinand after his death in 1519 (Moore 3). Charles was very famous, history records that by this time, he had already conquered vast lands including Luxembourg,

Respond to post Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Respond to post - Article Example (Nomensa 2009) According to Capital Community College Foundation (2004), â€Å"a sentence fragment fails to be a sentence in the sense that it cannot stand by itself. It does not contain even one independent clause. There are several reasons why a group of words may seem to act like a sentence but not have the wherewithal to make it as a complete thought: (1) it may locate something in time and place with a prepositional phrase or a series of such phrases, but its still lacking a proper subject-verb relationship within an independent clause; (2) it describes something, but there is no subject-verb relationship; (3) it may have most of the makings of a sentence but still be missing an important part of a verb string; and (4) it may even have a subject-verb relationship, but it has been subordinated to another idea by a dependent word and so cannot stand by itself. Regardless of the rationale, fragmented sentences have tendencies of creating confusion, miscommunication, and ineffective transmission of messages. Well spoken and written languages should follow the correct grammatical rules to avoid communication problems. Procrastination means deferring or delaying action till another day or time. There have been several studies identifying the causes of procrastination – from being perfectionist, to having negative feelings and anger at the time when one is supposed to undertake certain tasks. In this regard, when one has identified the exact cause for procrastination, the person would be able to move on and to take positive action in preventing it to happen. One of the recommended measures to address procrastination is to take small steps, to wit: â€Å"remind yourself to take small steps, as each small step makes up the bigger picture. It will also help you to plan out your work schedule, and make the work seem a lot more manageable and less threatening. Similarly, even for

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 10

Psychology - Essay Example In fact, the paper seeks to identify ideas that can compare and contrast both classical and operant conditioning, and discuss both their strengths and weakness. Operant conditioning is a theory that seeks to explain the way organisms function in the environment, and this relates to the response associated with things offered by the environment (Greengrass, 2004). The study of Operant conditioning concerned a cat that was positioned in a box with a single point of exit, which had to be pushed for it to open, and the cat struggled to get out of the box, since this was a behavior reinforced through a reward, while attempt to escape was initiated by the opening of the door. When the cat had freed itself, it was taken to the box again, and it would naturally remember how to open the door by identifying an area that needed to be pressed. The ease of getting out of the box increased with the number of times it was placed back in the box, hence, it had learnt through the natural consequence and the reinforcement was freedom. People learn through Operant conditioning in every day of their lives, whereby through making a certain mistake and one experiences a consequence, there is a chance of doing the thing differently given the same situation in the future. In this case, one can learn to act differently due to the consequences of the actions; the same action is repeated in the future if the consequence was positive. Therefore, Operant conditioning has a strength related to the positive or negative outcome that lead to change of behavior and sustenance of a certain behavior (Nye, 2000). For instance, a student, who is misbehaving is entitled to a negative reinforcement in order to eliminate the chances of the behavior occurring in the future. In addition, the strength of the Operant conditioning is evident through understanding of the potential of

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