Story of Xiao Xiao Essay Example For Students

Story of Xiao Essay â€Å"Child Bridge† System My theme will be the â€Å"child bridge† framework and the conventional rustic life in China toward to the story â€Å"Xiao Xiao† by Sheng Congwen. The story is predominantly about a little youngster, Xiao who goes into the kid connect framework with no decision and confronting the battle between the advanced and customary Chinese culture. Youngster connect framework was an unreasonable framework that utilization to against ladies and was extremely normal in country China. It was an orchestrated marriage which girl in the poor family would offer to a rich family for monetary help. The girl would wed with a male individual from the rich family who was more youthful than themselves as the spouse and a work. There is no affection between the couple. In provincial China, women’s life was basic. They simply need to have a spouse and a decent consideration. Women’s obligation of getting hitched is to conceive an offspring of the family. The exercises of the new spouse was cleaning, clothing, washing garments, cooking and deal with her little husband. In the tale of â€Å"Xiao Xiao†, Sheng Congwen gives a picture of how individuals in rustic China resembles. We will compose a custom paper on Story of Xiao explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now For ladies, they have no force at all and are subject to men a great deal. For instance, when Xiao discovered that she had feeling toward to Motley Mutt, she is dread and she requested that her significant other remain nearer her which she would feel progressively good. Starting here, we may know how men are essential to ladies. Indeed, even a young man, ladies would likewise have a sense of security next to him. Likewise ladies in country China contain the attributes of guiltlessness, naivete, dedicated, kind, customary and uneducated. Xiao is a decent portrayal of the ladies with those qualities. Indeed, even Xiao Xiao’s life loaded up with disaster yet she despite everything keeps her a player in blameless and kind. In the other hand, men in country China sees unpleasant, disgusting and absence of instruction. We may see that from the manner in which Motley Mutt has discourse with Xiao and the manner in which he tempts Xiao. Individuals in provincial China are disengaging from outside of the world. Sheng Congwen use co-eds to contrast and the ladies in provincial China. The job of the co-eds is to constrain ladies in the provincial town to without wanting to acknowledge the new life, for example, the co-eds. In the story, Sheng Congwen referenced the co-eds as new ladies and they are the image of opportunity. Co-eds can go to class and they can do whatever they like to do such pick their own marriage accomplice. They can lay down with any men who are not their better half and would not get any difficulty. In the other hand, ladies in rustic China have no opportunity. Their predetermination had just been foredooming. They never have chance to encounter the way of life as the co-eds, since they were conceived in the conventional town. At that point they should adhere to the standard of the country town. Co-eds are just a fantasy for them. In any case, Sheng Congwen accepts ladies in rustic town have capacity to be co-eds and they very need to be a co-ed. That’s why he referenced the battle between Xiao and co-eds. In the story, Xiao has her capacity to be a co-ed. For instance, she is very enthusiasm on the tale of co-eds. Now and then she will dream herself become a co-ed. When Xiao was pregnant, she chooses to go out and she decides to follow the street of the co-eds. Sheng Congwen’s type of composing is unmistakably and straight-forward. He depicts a great deal of the inclination, thought and feeling toward to the character of Xiao. .u36c5ee31341022c1a3dae991de5f76fe , .u36c5ee31341022c1a3dae991de5f76fe .postImageUrl , .u36c5ee31341022c1a3dae991de5f76fe .focused content zone { min-stature: 80px; position: relative; } .u36c5ee31341022c1a3dae991de5f76fe , .u36c5ee31341022c1a3dae991de5f76fe:hover , .u36c5ee31341022c1a3dae991de5f76fe:visited , .u36c5ee31341022c1a3dae991de5f76fe:active { border:0!important; } .u36c5ee31341022c1a3dae991de5f76fe .clearfix:after { content: ; show: table; clear: both; } .u36c5ee31341022c1a3dae991de5f76fe { show: square; progress: foundation shading 250ms; webkit-change: foundation shading 250ms; width: 100%; mistiness: 1; progress: haziness 250ms; webkit-progress: murkiness 250ms; foundation shading: #95A5A6; } .u36c5ee31341022c1a3dae991de5f76fe:active , .u36c5ee31341022c1a3dae991de5f76fe:hover { obscurity: 1; change: darkness 250ms; webkit-change: obscurity 250ms; foundation shading: #2C3E50; } .u36c5ee31341022c1a3dae991de5f76fe .focused content territory { width: 100%; position: relati ve; } .u36c5ee31341022c1a3dae991de5f76fe .ctaText { outskirt base: 0 strong #fff; shading: #2980B9; text dimension: 16px; textual style weight: striking; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; text-enhancement: underline; } .u36c5ee31341022c1a3dae991de5f76fe .postTitle { shading: #FFFFFF; text dimension: 16px; textual style weight: 600; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; width: 100%; } .u36c5ee31341022c1a3dae991de5f76fe .ctaButton { foundation shading: #7F8C8D!important; shading: #2980B9; fringe: none; fringe span: 3px; box-shadow: none; text dimension: 14px; textual style weight: intense; line-tallness: 26px; moz-outskirt range: 3px; text-adjust: focus; text-embellishment: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-stature: 80px; foundation: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/modules/intelly-related-posts/resources/pictures/basic arrow.png)no-rehash; position: total; right: 0; top: 0; } .u36c5ee31341022c1a3dae991de5f76fe:hover .ctaButton { foundation shading: #34495E!important; } .u36c5ee31341022c1a3dae 991de5f76fe .focused content { show: table; tallness: 80px; cushioning left: 18px; top: 0; } .u36c5ee31341022c1a3dae991de5f76fe-content { show: table-cell; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; cushioning right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-adjust: center; width: 100%; } .u36c5ee31341022c1a3dae991de5f76fe:after { content: ; show: square; clear: both; } READ: Creation And Evolution EssayHe portrays Xiao Xiao’s feeling very well which ladies in rustic town would confronting. To start with, Xiao appears to be glad and has no vexation, since she had spouse and family which ladies in provincial town would have. When Xiao gets on the importance of Motley Mutt’s words and melodies, she is modest and is uncertain how to respond, in light of the fact that she doesn’t have any information about sex. When Xiao engages in sexual relations with Motley Mutt and getting pregnant, she isn't disappointment to having intercourse with Motley Mutt, yet dread her midsection will get greate r and greater, so individuals would know it and she will get inconvenience. Sheng Congwen is showing a wide range of issues and circumstances that ladies will look in Chinese society, for example, sex and discipline. In customary Chinese society, ladies would get discipline in the event that they had intercourse with other man who was not their better half. Indeed, even idea the women’s spouse was a little child, they need to maintain their virtue in control to give their significant other when he is growing up. The disciplines are either suffocated by their families or auctions off. Xiao is the most karma one whose infidelity was found and still alive with no discipline. She can conceives an offspring and bring up her child. She can at present wedded to the kid that she is pledged to and have a cheerful family. In conventional Chinese society, individuals were following the Confucianism. Chinese ladies needed to comply with the â€Å"three submissions and four virtues† as per Confucianism. The three duties were comply with her dad before marriage, comply with her significant other after marriage and comply with her child after the husband’s demise. The four ideals were legitimacy in discourse, profound quality, humble way and persevering work. On the off chance that ladies separating both of those laws, she will get discipline, since she disgraced the family. The disciplines of suffocated by families or auctions off were utilizing by those individuals who follow the Confucian standards and frequently use to rebuff the adulteress. Indeed, even there are numerous Confucian standards appear in the account of â€Å"Xiao Xiao. † But we may see that Sheng Congwen is to some degree against the Confucian standards. As indicated by the story â€Å"Xiao Xiao,† Sheng Congwen writes,† By rights, she ought to have been suffocated, yet just heads of families who have perused their Confucius would do such a dumb things to spare the family’s respect. In the other word, Sheng Congwen doesn’t concur with Confucian method of managing adulteresses. He thinks the Confucian Principles is savage and dehumanization. It was regularly utilizing by those families considers their name as increasingly significant; they will be indecent if their little girl gets the discipline. On the off chance that the parent adores their girl, they ought not do it to their little girl. That’s why Sheng Congwen didn’t give any discipline to Xiao after her infidelity was found, in light of the fact that Sheng Congwen needs the perusers to give individuals possibilities on the off chance that they accomplished something incorrectly and ought not take out people’s life in the brutal manner. One of the subject that is available in the story â€Å"Xiao Xiao† is the mastery of guys over females. In customary China, men were responsible for everything. Ladies had no capacity to settle on any choice and they have to comply with their husband’s choice. Ladies can just wed once in as long as they can remember. Regardless of whether her significant other kicked the bucket, she should be a widow and can't remarry. In any case, men were extraordinary; they can have numerous spouses as they like. Individuals might want to have child more than girl, since they figured little girl will be hitched one day and not be their little girl any longer. However, child was extraordinary, on the grounds that child would remain with the family, so they could rely upon their child. As indicated by Xiao, her husband’s family let her to remain after the pregnancy is found, since she had a kid. In any case, if Xiao had a young lady, they would have executed her for her infidelity. Another subject is available in the story which individuals in country town against the city individuals. Those two differen

Obesity in UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Stoutness in UK - Essay Example (Stoutness Focused (2001) According to the heftiness society, an expected 200 million grown-ups and 18 million younger than five were fat in 1995. It additionally evaluates that more than 300 million people are presently large on the planet (WHO, 2004). In the United Kingdom, about 46% of men and 32% of ladies are overweight (with a BMI of 25-30) while an astounding 17% of men and 21% of ladies are fat. It additionally reports that, in the creating scene alone, as of now in excess of 115 million people are corpulent. Heftiness is significantly ascribed to poor dietary patterns, unchecked ways of life, inadequate rest, smoking, utilization of medicine, pregnancy, family ancestry, among different elements. Its wellbeing dangers can't be subverted as it causes a wide scope of illnesses, for example, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, stroke, cardiovascular maladies and specific sorts of malignancies. Different dangers incorporate mechanical inabilities like varicose veins, metabolic scatters like Gall stones, and even diminished future. It is likewise liable to cause various mental and social issues inside a person. For instance, a fat individual may experience the ill effects of low confidence since individuals typically see stoutness a s ugliness. The accommodation business is a different worldwide industry with a wide scope of administration ventures. These incorporate the inn business, the food administration industry, and the travel industry. Stoutness is for the most part accused on the general way of life of a person. The friendliness business essentially is worried about the improving the expectation for everyday comforts of people. In this way, it is reasonable to guarantee that the neighborliness business, through predominantly the food, inn and the drinks business, might be a contributing component to corpulence in a person. As per Marlene B. of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, weight is significantly connected with unfortunate eating and low degrees of physical movement. She asserts that the expansion in stoutness in the United Kingdom can be accused to the quantities of snappy help cafés which have jumped up in the urban focuses and which cook nourishments which have high soaked fat and high sugar content. She likewise takes note of that the adolescent are the ones who are significantly influenced by this pattern as the cafés for the most part carter for the young. (Weight center, 2004) Research by Yale University teacher Kelly Brownell demonstrated that inexpensive food contributed altogether to the measure of calorie taken in a day accordingly expanding the hazard for heftiness. The food business' significant move to arrangement of high vitality thick nourishments that are high in fat and sugars however low in nutrients and minerals can likewise be accused for the expanded instances of heftiness. This has prompted vitality unevenness as the calories devoured are not utilized subsequently they collect as fat. The business is additionally accused for not giving adequate data about the substance of nourishments they give to the general population. A gathering of heftiness activists in the United Kingdom is guaranteeing that the menu ought to be marked with data that would assist people with controlling their decisions of food, in this way empowering them to restrain or maintain a strategic distance from those nourishments that would build the odds of them being stout . This they propose, is to be finished by making it obligatory for eateries to remember for their menus an information demonstrating the carbohydrate level of individual nourishments. They guarantee this would illuminate customers as they request dinners. The vast majority in the general public don't comprehend impacts of the nourishments

What Are Your Rights When Youre Depressed

What Are Your Rights When You're Depressed Depression Print What Are Your Rights at Work When Youre Depressed? How Mental Disorders Are Covered Under the Americans With Disabilities Act By Nancy Schimelpfening Nancy Schimelpfening, MS is the administrator for the non-profit depression support group Depression Sanctuary. Nancy has a lifetime of experience with depression, experiencing firsthand how devastating this illness can be. Learn about our editorial policy Nancy Schimelpfening Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on April 01, 2018 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on February 04, 2020 Depression Overview Types Symptoms Causes & Risk Factors Diagnosis Treatment Coping ADA & Your Rights Depression in Kids If you have a mental disorder such as major depression, you may wonder what your rights are when you apply for a job or are up for a promotion. Obviously, if you had a physical disability it wouldnt be legal for an employer to discriminate against you, thanks to the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), which came into effect in 1992  to prevent private employers, state and local governments, employment agencies, and labor unions from discriminating against people with disabilities. It applies to job applications procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, job training, and more. Businesses or companies with 15 or more employees are required to comply with the ADA. In 2008, important changes to the ADA expanded the definition of disability, making it possible for people with invisible conditions, such as depression, to be protected, even when their symptoms are controlled by medications, lifestyle changes, or therapy. If youre experiencing depression, knowing your  rights in the workplace can make a substantial difference in how you cope.? Verywell / Nusha Ashjaee Are You Covered by the Americans With Disabilities Act? The ADA???, along with the  2008 amendment, states that persons qualify for disability if they: Have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities and/or bodily functions (the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions). Major life activities include, but are not limited to, caring for yourself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working.Have a history of such an impairmentAre regarded as having such an impairment What Is a Mental Impairment? In terms of the ADA, a mental impairment includes mental or psychological disorders (as defined by the DSM-V)?? such as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders (panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder), schizophrenia, and personality disorders. Problems not covered by the ADA include  adjustment disorders, relationship troubles, or illegal drug use. In addition, behavior traits such as irritability or stress are not included. Even if these conditions arent continual, but cause flare-ups of impairment, they qualify under the ADA as long as the disorder is considered a long-term problem. Usually  a condition has to be present for several months before it qualifies as a long-term problem. Disorders that are included in the definition of disability are those that are permanent or have potentially long-term effects, not those that are temporary such as the break up of a relationship. How Is Substantial Limitation Determined? A determination of substantial limitation does not always have to be made by an expert. Sometimes the credible testimony of the person seeking disability, his or her family, friends, or co-workers may be enough. Drug and Alcohol Abuse Because self-medication with drugs and alcohol is so common among people with depression, it is important to note that the ADA does not cover those with a substance abuse problem. Any employee with a substance abuse problem can be held to the same standards as other employees. If your employer does not know about your depression and then later discovers a substance abuse problem, you will not be protected. Understanding Reasonable Accommodation: One of Your Rights Under the ADA, employers are required to make what is called a reasonable accommodation for people with a known disability as long as it doesnt create an undue hardship such as significant difficulty or expense for the company.?? Examples of reasonable accommodation for an employee with depression include a flexible work schedule or job sharing; time off for therapy or support group meetings; a quiet or out-of-the way workspace; extended leave after a  hospitalization; and allowing the worker to work at home periodically. Negotiating Reasonable Accommodations If you need to negotiate reasonable accommodations for yourself, here are some questions to consider:What is your most difficult task at work? What would make it easier?Does any part of your job make your depression symptoms better or worse?Is there anything in your workplace that causes distraction?Would a modified work week be helpful?  For example, decreasing your hours?Is telecommuting possible with your job, either full time or on certain days? Disclosing Your Depression Employers are forbidden by law to ask if someone has a disability, or even to ask questions about a known disability.?? If youve been diagnosed with depression, its up to you to tell your boss or manager and to ask for whatever accommodations you need to be able to do your work. It may be hard to do this, given the stigma and misconceptions that surround mental illness. But its much better to be upfront and to get what you need, rather than risk poor performance reviews or even losing your job because youve decided to tough it out.  Keep in mind that the purpose of the ADA is to protect people just like youâ€"people who wish to work at a job but are frightened about how their performance may be affected by their mental health disability. Dealing With Discrimination If you suspect youve been discriminated against because of your depression, contact the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to file a complaint. A charge of discrimination generally must be filed within 180 days. You may have up to 300 days to file a charge if there is a state or local law that provides relief for discrimination on the basis of disability. To file a charge of discrimination contact any EEOC Field Offices. These offices are located in cities throughout the United States. If its found youve been discriminated against, youre entitled to a remedy that will place you in the position you would have been in if the discrimination had never occurred. You may be entitled to hiring, promotion, reinstatement, back pay, or reasonable accommodation, including reassignment. You may also be entitled to attorneys fees. As with disclosure, remember that the ADA is designed to help people like you. Not only are you standing up for your rights when you claim the protection of the disability act, youre setting an example that will help others with mental illness avoid discrimination due to an illness they never asked to have to cope with. How to Know If Your Anxiety Disorder Is Covered by the FMLA

The Laws Affects People s Everyday Life And A Business

The law affects people’s everyday life and a business is not an exception. There are many definitions of law, but nor one can be generally accepted, because with so many types of the law, these definitions cannot cover every aspect of the law properly. Therefore, the law can be simply described as the principles, rules and regulations, created by the state (the parliament) and established within a community. From the history, in the time of Henry II, the law was based only on the customs that were then applied by all other judges all around the country, known as common law. Common law principles created the basis for today’s law and helps distinguish between the law created by previous decisions and the law created by legislation. For instance, murder is a common law because it is not defined by the Act of Parliament, unlike theft what is defined by Theft Act 1968. Martin(2010) Since the Human Right Act 1998 section 2(1)(a) English law is determined by the European Union and the judge must take into account human right cases of the European Court of Justice as well as the English law cases. However, it is very different from the other countries law. In contrast, while deciding a case in the UK, judge is bound to apply a judicial precedent of a higher court, based on the previous cases’ judgements and principles known as ratio decidendi (the reason for deciding), rather than being only guided by previous cases like other European Union countries. Based on Martin(2010), TheShow MoreRelatedMarijuan Is Everywhere1011 Words   |  4 Pageswas started back in the1970’s by President Nixon and although it is a war on all illegal drugs the major one is marijuana. It is the drug that people get arrested the most for and it is the biggest illegal drug seller in the United States today. 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Julia Child Quotes on Cooking and Life

Cookbook author and television cooking personality Julia Child introduced French cooking techniques to Americans in a way that was both entertaining and accessible. Shes known for her distinctive voice and willingness to make a mess and for her popularization of cooking instruction. Quotes on Life Find something youre passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it. You must have discipline to have fun. Life itself is the proper binge. I think the inner person is the most important...  I would like to see an invention that keeps the mind alert. Thats what is important. Drama is very important in life: You have to come on with a bang. You never want to go out with a whimper. Tears mess up your makeup. Everything in moderation, including moderation. Friendship, Love and Marriage Dining with ones friends and beloved family is certainly one of lifes primal and most innocent delights, one that is both soul-satisfying and eternal. Its fun to get together and have something good to eat at least once a day. Thats what human life is all about—enjoying things. You find yourself refreshed by the presence of cheerful people. Why not make an honest effort to confer that pleasure on others? Half the battle is gained if you never allow yourself to say anything gloomy. The secret of a happy marriage is finding the right person. You know theyre right if you love to be with them all of the time. I wouldnt keep him around long if I didnt feed him well. Cooking as Art Non-cooks think its silly to invest two hours work in two minutes enjoyment; but if cooking is evanescent, so is the ballet. It took architects years to get established, to show that they werent just artisans, and thats what I hope will happen with gastronomy. For some reason people dont consider cooking a serious business, but its like any discipline, and its a passionate and fascinating one. Some people like to paint pictures, or do gardening, or build a boat in the basement. Other people get a tremendous pleasure out of the kitchen, because cooking is just as creative and imaginative an activity as drawing, or wood carving, or music. Its so beautifully arranged on the plate—you know someones fingers have been all over it. How to Cook This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook—try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun! You dont have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces—just good food from fresh ingredients. Once you have mastered a technique, you barely have to look at a recipe again. Be a fearless cook! Try out new ideas and new recipes, but always buy the freshest and finest ingredients, whatever they may be. Furnish your kitchen with the most solid and workmanlike equipment you can find. Keep your knives ever sharp and—toujours bon appetit! The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking youve got to have a What the hell? attitude. Always remember: If youre alone in the kitchen and you drop the lamb, you can always just pick it up. Whos going to know? In department stores, so much kitchen equipment is bought indiscriminately by people who just come in for mens underwear. I think every woman should have a blowtorch. Always start out with a larger pot than what you think you need. The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken. French Cooking and French Food In France, cooking is a serious art form and a national sport. After one taste of French food... I was hooked. Id never eaten like that before, I didnt know such food existed. The wonderful attention paid to each detail of the meal was incredible to me. Id never really drunk good wine before, and knew nothing at all about it. It was simply a whole new life experience. Cassoulet, that best of bean feasts, is everyday fare for a peasant but ambrosia for a gastronome, though its ideal consumer is a 300-pound blocking back who has been splitting firewood nonstop for the last twelve hours on a subzero day in Manitoba. American Food It is the Americans who have managed to crown minced beef as hamburger, and to send it round the world so that even the fussy French have taken to le boeuf hache, le hambourgaire. How can a nation be called great if its bread tastes like Kleenex? How to Teach and Learn Cooking I would far prefer to have things happen as they naturally do, such as the mousse refusing to leave the mold, the potatoes sticking to the skillet, the apple charlotte slowly collapsing. One of the secrets of cooking is to learn to correct something if you can, and bear with it if you cannot. Just like becoming an expert in wine—you learn by drinking it, the best you can afford—you learn about great food by finding the best there is, whether simply or luxurious. The you savor it, analyze it, and discuss it with your companions, and you compare it with other experiences. A cookbook is only as good as its worst recipe. Speaking About  Her Own Life Being tall is an advantage, especially in business. People will always remember you. And if youre in a crowd, youll always have some clean air to breathe. I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate. Until I discovered cooking, I was never really interested in anything. Upon reflection, I decided I had three main weaknesses: I was confused (evidenced by a lack of facts, an inability to coordinate my thoughts, and an inability to verbalize my ideas); I had a lack of confidence, which cause me to back down from forcefully stated positions; and I was overly emotional at the expense of careful, scientific though. I was thirty-seven years old and still discovering who I was. I enjoy cooking with wine, sometimes I even put it in the food Im cooking. I dont think about whether people will remember me or not. Ive been an okay person. Ive learned a lot. Ive taught people a thing or two. Thats whats important. Work and Achievement If youre in a good profession, its hard to get bored, because youre never finished-there will always be work you havent done. The measure of achievement is not winning awards. Its doing something that you appreciate, something you believe is worthwhile. I think of my strawberry soufflà ©. I did that at least twenty-eight times before I finally conquered it. Success and Celebrity Why languish as a giantess when it is so much fun to be a myth? Celebrity has its uses. I can always get a seat in any restaurant. Dieting and Diets Moderation. Small helpings. Sample a little bit of everything. These are the secrets of happiness and good health. I just hate health food. Dieting got really big in the 60s, when fashion models were very thin. They werent always, you know! Now were eating all this fat-free, fake stuff, and were getting fat anyway because were not satisfied. In spite of food fads, fitness programs, and health concerns, we must never lose sight of a beautifully conceived meal. The only time to eat diet food is while youre waiting for the steak to cook. You can have some butter, you can have some olive oil. It all comes down to moderation, variety, exercise and use your head. Fat gives things flavor. If you’re afraid of butter, just use cream. I find that if I just taste everything and eat small portions I maintain my weight. I watch my fat intake, but I eat hearty. Personally, I dont think pure vegetarianism is a healthy lifestyle. Ive often wondered to myself: Does a vegetarian look forward to dinner, ever?

William Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet - 1632 Words

Through the ages, women have always had a powerful role, whether or not it was recognized by society. They cook, clean, give birth, and nurture which all are more than necessary jobs. However, also throughout the ages, women have been separated from society and seen as a lesser being and not being granted the same rights and equality as men. Specifically this can be seen in the Elizabethan age. Queen Elizabeth fought for women to be seen as equals to men through her reign. But in loving the theatre, she never allowed women to be on the stage; forcing men to play the role of men and women makes her ideals and society s hypocritical. William Shakespeare writes using strong women characters, such as Katherine Minola and Juliet Capulet, to show the society he inhabits just how important women are. Through his writing he shows that he views women as strong and independent. In Romeo and Juliet, Juliet becomes independent from her family and stands up for the enemy, who is also her true love, putting herself in complete danger and becoming a traitor to her family and their beliefs, Tis but thy name that is my enemy, (Shakespeare 2.2). By Shakespeare, including Juliet s freedom in the way she chooses to live her life, he portrays the view that women should be allowed to voice their opinions and make their own decisions instead of being tied down to the restrictions of societal expectations. Eventually Juliet sacrifices her life to be with the one she loves showing howShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1287 Words   |  6 PagesLizzy Baginski English Composition 2 Mr. Spera March 10, 2015 Romeo and Juliet Research Paper The movie Romeo and Juliet is a modern classic film that took place in 1996. Overall this is a timeless story that everyone should go and watch. This movie has an intriguing plot line that tells the story of two feuding families, The Montagues and The Capulets, and how the children of these two different families fall in love. The two children overcome various obstacles such as hiding their chemistry fromRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet 966 Words   |  4 Pages Beauty Over Gold â€Å"Beauty provoketh thieves sooner than gold.--William Shakespeare, 1623. In his book As You Like It, William Shakespeare pointed out the supremacy of love rather than the want of gold and wealth. Truly, beauty is more important to thieves than wealth. Many of the thieves in this world would rather have an elegant woman than to obtain precious rubies. After all, what good is a prosperous man if he doesn’t have a charming woman? Two famous men grab my attention who didn’t fear forRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet Essay1024 Words   |  5 PagesRomeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare s most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed plays. Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal young lovers. Romeo and Juliet belongs to a tradition of tragic romances stretching back to antiquity. The plot is based on an ItalianRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1124 Words   |  5 PagesThe play Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. 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The story of two destined lovers who were killed by their own doing. But what if they weren t two destined lovers who got unlucky, but doomed partners that were never going to have a good-life to begin with.William Sha kespeare gives us a view of early signs of gang conflict in the early age of Verona, Italy. He gives us a perspective of the norms and customs of Italy during the Setting of William Shakespeare s most famous story. Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, givesRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1264 Words   |  6 Pagestheater-going public the most important dramatist in English literature, Shakespeare occupies a well-known position in the world of talented authors. His canon contains thirty-seven plays, written in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Additionally, throughout the years, they continue to sustain critical attention, with the majority of his works circling tragedies, one being Romeo and Juliet. 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Last Memories with My Grandfather Essay Example For Students

Last Memories with My Grandfather Essay During summer, I usually spend two months at Ranong visiting my grandfather. At his large home in countryside, I can stay with a different life from city life at my home. I live simply there such as wandering leisurely in a natural environment, dressing as plainly as I want, and having many spicy local dishes. Moreover, my kind grandfather takes care of me well. Not only does he usually go out with me, but he also gives me lots money. Therefore, I always look forward to staying with him during summer. However, my last memories about my grandfather were different. I was called to be in hurry from Bangkok to Ranong. It was not a visit at his home in summer, but it was an emergency at the hospital at urgent night. At peaceful night, on the quiet roads stands the big old shadowy government hospital. At the top of the building was the square label ‘Ranong hospital’ brightened vaguely by the dim green light. Around the hospital was a car park which had few cars left. One ambulance with sparkling red and blue light and angry siren interrupted the calmness of this hospital. I saw it passing my car which just arrived to the front of the hospital that made me more depressed. Getting off the car, I felt the groaning wind touching my face and then I rushed into the hospital. Inside the hospital was busily contrastive to the outside. The patients were sitting on every unoccupied sofa while the troop of nurse in identical white uniform was moving tightly. The front section was the information center with wearily nurse informing me unwillingly about the direction of my grandfather’s room. Walking through the straight corridor to his room, I passed some unpleasant sections. First is the waiting room where many patients walked unsteadily like toddler and some were on wheelchairs with bandages and plasters seeping with blood. Next was an emergency room where a man wearing helmet and torn shirt over which had blood held by his frightened wife was screaming. Seeing these miserable scenes, I turned my face away and walked as fast as I could to my destination. Thereafter, in front of me was an exclusive male patients’ room. I nervously walked inside to search for my grandfather. The entire room presented a gloomy look. It was a medium-sized white room laying four beds in four rows. Every single bed had many patients crying and groaning. The room was so congested that the air conditioner was not cold enough to comfort anyone. At the fourth row on the right side, I hastened to join my arriving cousins gathering around the bed. On that bed hung the name, Suwit, and the details, diabetes and high-blood pressure, my grandfather lay unconsciously. The smell of the medicine was around him diffusely. Beside him was many medical equipment and ropes suspended disorderly. The prayer from the radio beside him echoed around us. Also, the slower of the heart rate monitor machine sound was, the louder of my family’s scream and cry were. It was difficult for me to believe that this was my grandfather. He looked totally different from the one I have known. The chubby man with dark complexion in healthy look turned to be boney and pale. His twinkling eyes which were full of warmness shut motionlessly. His sharp natural-colored lips became dry and pale, and they were also covered with a respirator. His usual smiling face now showed no emotions. As I touched him, I felt the dryness of his skin like a sand paper and the coldness on his body. His wrist was vaccinated for saline solution and fluid food. It looked terribly painful. His inconsistent breath was gradually slower until at once it missed. Suddenly, the heart rate monitor machine beeped like a horn. The wisely doctor and energetic nurse calmly told us that poor grandfather wouldn’t suffer from these painful medical equipment anymore. We moved from the former tragic room to the tranquil one with fresh air. .u7c6b9cc3ffaba52f06ee18f4f0b6ae91 , .u7c6b9cc3ffaba52f06ee18f4f0b6ae91 .postImageUrl , .u7c6b9cc3ffaba52f06ee18f4f0b6ae91 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7c6b9cc3ffaba52f06ee18f4f0b6ae91 , .u7c6b9cc3ffaba52f06ee18f4f0b6ae91:hover , .u7c6b9cc3ffaba52f06ee18f4f0b6ae91:visited , .u7c6b9cc3ffaba52f06ee18f4f0b6ae91:active { border:0!important; } .u7c6b9cc3ffaba52f06ee18f4f0b6ae91 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7c6b9cc3ffaba52f06ee18f4f0b6ae91 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7c6b9cc3ffaba52f06ee18f4f0b6ae91:active , .u7c6b9cc3ffaba52f06ee18f4f0b6ae91:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7c6b9cc3ffaba52f06ee18f4f0b6ae91 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7c6b9cc3ffaba52f06ee18f4f0b6ae91 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7c6b9cc3ffaba52f06ee18f4f0b6ae91 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7c6b9cc3ffaba52f06ee18f4f0b6ae91 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7c6b9cc3ffaba52f06ee18f4f0b6ae91:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7c6b9cc3ffaba52f06ee18f4f0b6ae91 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7c6b9cc3ffaba52f06ee18f4f0b6ae91 .u7c6b9cc3ffaba52f06ee18f4f0b6ae91-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7c6b9cc3ffaba52f06ee18f4f0b6ae91:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Globalization and music EssayThere was only our family and everyone could control their minds to stop crying. my grandfather who now left medical gadgets penetrating to the body that once tortured him was calm. The last moment I saw him was that he was serene with happiness before he was covered with unbleached cloth and was taken from us. Although my last memories about him was not the same as good old days that he always smiled and played with me, he was always my same generous grandfather who stuck in my mind forever in my good memories.

Mxico, D.F. 2015 Essays - DraftT.T. Blues, , Term Papers

Mxico, D.F. 2015 Estimado mayorista Presente A travs de stas lneas, nos dirigimos a Usted, con la finalidad de exhortarlo para que se integre como socio activo de la Asociacin Nacional de Abarroteros Mayoristas A.C., ANAM. Es muy importante para nuestro sector tenerlo a Usted como socio, ya que, al contar con las empresas ms relevantes de cada regin, logramos crear un sector mejor definido e identificable ante autoridades federales, proveedores de mercancas y de servicios con los cuales interactuamos en nuestra cotidiana labor comercial. Los objetivos por los cuales trabajamos en ANAM, desde nuestra fundacin son principalmente: . Lograr mayor representatividad del sector mayorista ante autoridades federales y estatales, relaciones que nos puedan ayudar como sector y si se presenta el caso, como socio individual para solucionar problemas que afecten la operacin del negocio; . Motivar la profesionalizacin y modernizacin del mayorista abarrotero, de manera que el mayorista sea el mejor medio para procurar que el detallista no solo subsista, sino que se inserte plenamente en nuestra nueva realidad comercial; . Promover ante los industriales polticas de equidad y respeto entre los diferentes canales de distribucin. Los mayoristas abarroteros socios activos de ANAM sabemos que debemos contar con la fortaleza necesaria ante nuestros principales proveedores, con el propsito de convencerlos para que nos ayuden a contrarrestar la desaparicin de nuestro principal cliente, EL PEQUEO COMERCIO, a travs de alianzas estratgicas que nos conduzcan a detectar las necesidades ms elementales del pequeo comerciante, para que conjuntamente ANAM y la industria, elaboremos programas de trabajo que permitan a los pequeos comerciantes contar con las herramientas necesarias y los conocimientos bsicos para administrar mejor su tienda, por medio de cursos de capacitacin, as mismo pretendemos que la industria apoye al pequeo comerciante para que modernice fsicamente su negocio. Algunos de los logros alcanzados por ANAM hasta el momento son los siguientes: . Editamos la revista denominada "ASI ES ESTO DEL ABARROTE". Cada dos meses se distribuyen 12,000 ejemplares con los socios de ANAM y a su vez con clientes de ellos. A travs de esta revista publicamos artculos cortos, pero interesantes para el comercio mayoristas y sus detallistas, y as estar capacitando al pequeo comerciante, con la finalidad de que sea un excelente vendedor y administrador de su propio negocio. . Anualmente organizamos la Exposicin y Venta ANAM, enfocada al mayorista abarrotero. En este importante evento, los principales proveedores del mayorista abarrotero exponen sus productos, algunos de ellos con un descuento especial para los socios de ANAM, adems de que este foro brinda la oportunidad de intercambiar ideas con los principales directivos de las empresas industriales. . Participamos en la elaboracin del Proyecto de Ley, donde estamos pidiendo se prohban y sancionen las prcticas desleales, tales como la venta por debajo de costo de los productos, y las decisiones unilaterales por parte de las cadenas de autoservicio. . Organizamos Congresos de Capacitacin para Socios de ANAM, con la finalidad de dar continuidad a un sinnmero de acciones que nos llevarn a la capacitacin y preparacin terico-prctica necesaria para que nuestros asociados cuenten con los conocimientos bsicos y suficientes para seguir mejorando, y as ser ms eficientes y competitivos ante nuestros principales competidores. . Participamos en reuniones con ANGECAI, AMECE, CANAINCA, ANDIVYL y otras asociaciones, con la finalidad de estar al da de lo que acontezca en Mxico y especficamente en nuestro giro y asimismo mantener la imagen de ANAM ante stas. . A travs del IDEDI (Instituto para el Desarrollo del Detallista Independiente) ofrecemos capacitacin para el personal de nuestros asociados con el fin de que ellos puedan transmitirlo a sus clientes detallistas en busca de la modernizacin y permanencia en el mercado de sus clientes. Todos lo materiales y manuales ser proporcionarn gratuitamente. Beneficios que obtendr al ser socio de ANAM . La ANAM, NIELSEN e ISCAM, empresas dedicadas a realizar estudios de mercado, realizaron un contrato para investigar y recopilar informacin del canal mayorista, esta informacin solo ser para todo aquel socio que haya firmado contrato de acuerdo, sin costo alguno, con aquella empresa para permitir realizar dicha investigacin, as mismo, los datos arrojados por este trabajo estar disponible nicamente para mayoristas socios de ANAM. . Participar en el Congreso de Capacitacin a celebrarse en mayo dirigido para Socios de ANAM. La asociacin apoya a los agremiados con el pago de una habitacin por dos noches

Free Essays on Fahrenheit 451

In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 the theme, man verse society is demonstrated by Bradbury’s character, Guy Montag by comparing the two different outlooks of society in the world he lives in. In this novel of a fireman, Montag faces society and must deal with it on his own. â€Å"Nobody listens anymore†(pg.82). The society does not listen to people only the television that controls society. The television turned into a brainwashing machine rather than leisure entertainment. â€Å" I just want someone to listen to what I have to say† (pg.82). Montag must deal against everyone because everyone thinks the same as one another. He has no one to turn to because no one will listen to him or agree with him besides the very few that are out there. Montag explains to Professor Faber how he has to deal with society. Nobody listens any more. I can’t talk to the walls because they’re yelling at me. I can’t talk to my wife; she listens to the walls. I just want someone to hear what I have to say. And maybe if I talk long enough, it’ll make sense. And I want you to teach me to understand what I read. (Pg.82) The whole society that Montag lives in is brainwashed by the television. The television has the control over the entire society, over everything and everyone. Montag starts to understand the world more than behind a screen when he meets a girl named, Clarisse. Since everyone is brainwashed and gullible to whatever is thrown at them Montag feels he is alone. Montag dealt with his problems and did everything he could including leaving his past behind. Montag must also deal with himself, which creates the theme, man verse self. â€Å"About what?, Me,? My house? (pg.135). This is when the police where after Montag because they know he knows how everything really is. Montag had to deal with secret information within him. â€Å" But I did not speak, and thus became guilty myself†(pg.82). He couldn’t deal with the things he knew and felt like some... Free Essays on Fahrenheit 451 Free Essays on Fahrenheit 451 Imagine a world where houses are fire proof, highways are ten lanes across, and firemen are called to begin fires not to put an end to them. In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, all of these are a reality in everyday life. Each house in the novel is fireproof, bringing about drastic changes in the roles of firefighters. Firefighters now begin fires, rather than extinguish them as they do today. On a number of occasions throughout the novel, the mechanical hound appears. This is a robotic dog at the firehouse which takes the place of the common firehouse Dalmatian that today’s society is familiar with. In the world in this novel, if people were reported to have books in their possession, the books as well as the home in which they were being hidden would be destroyed by the firefighters. The views of society towards literature are the opposite of today’s society. Changes in technology, attitudes of people in society, partnered with many other events in the st ory contribute greatly to the science fiction theme in Fahrenheit 451. In the novel the role of firefighters has changed drastically. Firefighters are called to burn books, as well as the houses that the books are being stored in, instead of extinguishing fires. â€Å"And so when houses were finally fire-proofed completely, all over the world, there was no longer need of firemen for the old purposes.† Captain Beatty explaining to Guy Montag why the roles of firemen have changed. (58). On the wall of the firehouse is posted a set of rules of how firemen are now supposed to go about their jobs. â€Å"Answer the alarm, start fire, burn everything, return to firehouse, stand alert for other alarms.† (35). â€Å"Kerosene.† â€Å"They pumped the cold fluid from the numbered 451 tanks strapped to their shoulders, they coated each book, they pumped rooms full of it.† (38). After responding to an alarm, the men are drenching the house of an old woman with kerosene because the hou... Free Essays on Fahrenheit 451 FAHRENHEIT 451 Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451 reflects Bradbury’s views on both censorship and conformity besides many other things. His opposition to both censorship and book burning is demonstrated through the characters feelings and thoughts. Originally written in 1951 as the Fireman (Beachams), Fahrenheit 451(symbolically named because that is the temperature at which paper burns) quickly became one of Bradbury’s best known and most acclaimed novels. In the novel the future is a lot different from the society we have come accustomed to and know well, books aren't read; they're burned. That's the premise of FAHRENHEIT 451(brookingbook). Guy Montag, a fireman who burns books (and the houses they're found in), loves his job - until he meets a young woman who causes him to start reading the books he once regarded as kindling. Full of surprises and brilliant insights on the importance of literacy, Bradbury's classic just might frighten you into reading more. His unique styles and artistic development keep the reader entertained and uncertain throughout the novel. The futuristic firemen seek out and burn books. It is a crime, in this society, to own or read books. Trivial information, in this culture, is good, and knowledge is evil. People receive all of their culture through television walls that are built right into their houses. Guy Montag is a fireman who loves his work. He likes nothing better than to spray kerosene on a pile of books and watch the pages curl and turn into flakes of black ash that flutter through the air. This is shown when the Montag said, â€Å" It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed†. (Bradbury 14) This statement shows how Guy was so sure of his feeling, until the day he meets Clarisse, a young girl who has been told about a world of books, thoughts, and ideas. Their conversations precipitate a crisis of faith in Guy, and he begins to s... Free Essays on Fahrenheit 451 (1.) Fahrenheit 451†¦The Temperature at Which Books Burn By: Ray Bradbury Copyright 1953 by Ray Bradbury 179 pages Fahrenheit 451 portrays censorship in the future through the fictional story of one man, Guy Montag, who undergoes an â€Å"awakening† by realizing the significance of his actions and the need to express the ideas that were bring oppressed by the future government. (2.) Guy Montag is a fireman who appears to be heartily supportive and contributive to the burning of books, which is normal because firemen in the conformist future burn books for a living. He meets Clarisse McClellan, a sixteen year old idealist with strong convictions against the social structure that oppresses individual thinking and demands conformity. Clarisse opens his mind to new concepts and from then on he begins to perceive the world differently. One day, Guy and the other firemen have to burn down the book-infested house of an elderly lady who refuses to leave her house and her books, s o she burns! to the ground with her books making Guy realize that â€Å"There must be something in books, things we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there.† (p.51) Guy sneaks two books from the lady’s home and as the time goes by, he secretly reads many books until his wife discovers his secret and turns him in. After that, Guy burns his firehouse and the men in it to evade being caught and as a result becomes the most wanted fugitive in his country. Guy escapes successfully and works with a small group of revolutionaries to restore the respect and circulation of books. (3.) The title of the book, Fahrenheit 451†¦The Temperature at Which Books Burn, is significant because it is a metaphor for real life and it is used as a prominent symbol in the book. Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which books are burn. The firemen know this because they work with burning books everyday. The â€Å"Book People† dread this temper at... Free Essays on Fahrenheit 451 Fahrenheit 451 is a science fiction novel, but not all of its elements and messages are fictional. Some of them are very much at large in today’s world. The biggest example would be media’s control and influence over every society. Throughout history, and in every existent society, media has always played a key role in determining the norm of any given society. Among these similarities are the ways the media is able to censor what we see, the way media portrays and leads people into believing what the media wants them to believe, and the way the media is slowly turning society into mindless zombies. Fahrenheit 451 was written during a time when there was a widespread fear of communism, more commonly known as the Red Scare. During this time, anything that was thought to be a communist idea, or rather anything that was anti-capitalist was banned or confiscated. The same thing happened in Germany. Any book, any song, anything that was created by a Jew was banned. Only books that were supporting the ideas of Hitler were allowed, and in fact, it was a law to own the book, Mein Kamph, which was written by Hitler himself. To censor is to remove or ban anything regarded as harmful or of an offending nature. However, it is solely up to the authorities to decide what should be censored and what should not. This censorship is portrayed in the novel by the burning of books. At first it seems that the books are being burnt simply because they believe that knowledge is a bad thing, and the knowledge leads to conflicts and thus unhappiness. Even though this is part of the reason of the burning of books, it is not all of it. Captain Beatty explains that every book, in one way or another put down or insulted one of the many minorities, and the more power each minority gained, the more difficult it was for the author to please everybody: â€Å"Don’t step on the toes of the dog lovers, the cat lovers, doctors, lawyers, merchants, chiefs, Mormo... Free Essays on Fahrenheit 451 The book entitled â€Å"Fahrenheit 451† was written by Ray Bradbury in 1953, to reincarnate the idea of fire men burning books in a futuristic society populated by non-readers and non-thinkers that he originally came up with in his previous work â€Å"The Fire Man.† Set in the 24th century, â€Å"Fahrenheit 451† tells the story of a man named Guy Montag who, at the beginning of the story, is content with his job as a â€Å"fire man.† In actuality of course, he is one of the men who burns houses and the books that occupy them. Shortly thereafter, however, Guy begins to develop a friendship with his 16 year-old neighbor Clarisse McClellan. She has such an outlook on human life as it is, and is so inquisitive, that Guy begins to examine himself. He realizes that he is unhappy in his marriage to his wife, Millie. He begins to wonder why books have been banned. Later, while at the scene of a book collection he is to burn, Guy steals a book for his personal use. The next day, Guy is visited by his boss, Captain Beatty. Beatty hints that he, somehow, knows that Montag is in possession of a book and lectures Montag about the offensiveness of books. Unsure as to what to do next, Montag recalls meeting a retired professor, Faber, a year earlier and discussing with the old man the value of ideas. He decides to visit Faber, who is at first afraid to speak with him, fearing that he will be the firemen's next victim. However, as the two men grow to trust one another, Faber becomes a mentor to Montag, sharing insight with the fireman and conspiring with him to have copies of his books made. Quickly though, the fire men are called to an alarm. Montag is stunned to find that it is his home that is to be burned. Beatty and Montag engage in a scuffle and Beatty is killed via flame-thrower. At once the Mechanical Hound, a computerized attack dog that can track down any human being, pursues him. It stabs him in the leg with a needle, before he is able to anni... Free Essays on Fahrenheit 451 The book â€Å"Fahrenheit 451† talks about a man, who is a protagonist. His name is Guy Montag, and he is a 30-year-old firefighter, who makes a living by burning books. Books to be in a house in the future are illegal. He loves his job, but later on in the novel, he feels that his life is empty, without meaning. He feels that everything has no meaning, his life, wife, and job. He realizes this when he meets up with a neighbor, a 16 year old girl. Montag steals a book from a house he is burning down, and keeps it and begins to read it, everyone that knows of this is frightened for him. Montag becomes close friends with a former English Professor, and begins to read. Montag’s boss gives him a hard time, and Montag resorts to murder. His wife is Mildred Montag, she has no meaning in life too. She forgot the meaning of happiness, and all day she sits and watches television. Mildred later tries to commit suicide by overdosing on pills. She later leaves her house, and her husband because of the book Guy Montag had brought home. The neighbor is Clarisse McClellan, and she is the one that opens up Guy Montag’s eyes to the world. She questions him, showing him that there is more to his life. She is later killed in the novel. Captain Beatty is the head of the fire department, his job is to destroy all books in sight. Montag later murders him, and he does not fight back against it either. Professor Faber is a former English teacher. He gives Montag inspiration to keep doing what he believes in. Montag later inspires him because how of he is daring to stand up against society. Guy Montag is a man who burns books for a living. He soon begins to question himself about his work, and his wife. He is saddened about his wife, who does nothing but listens to the radio and watch television. He becomes good friends with a 16-year-old girl, who shows him the way. He later wonders what makes a book so dangerous and illegal. Montag later steals a book... Free Essays on Fahrenheit 451 Set in the 24th century, Fahrenheit 451 tells the story of the central character, Guy Montag, who at the start of the story takes pleasure in his profession as a fireman whose job is not to put out fires - houses are now fireproofed - but rather to set fires to burn books, which are contraband, and the houses in which they are kept illegally. Montag soon begins to question the value of his profession and, in turn, his life. As he develops a friendship with his teenaged neighbor, Clarisse McClellan, the girl's humanistic outlook and inquisitive nature prompts Montag to examine himself. He realizes that he is unhappy in his relationship with his wife, Millie, who is unwilling to deal with reality and instead chooses to immerse herself in an addiction to tranquilizers the virtual world provided her by television and radio. He is unfulfilled by his occupation as a book burner, and discontent with his society, which seems unconcerned with reports of an impending war, he begins to wonder what it is about books that make them such a danger. Driven by his increasing uneasiness, Montag steals a book from a collection that he has been sent to burn. Soon after, he is shaken when the owner of the books, an older woman, refuses to leave her home, which is to be burned to the ground. Instead, the woman sets fire to her house herself, and remains there as it - and she - is destroyed by flames. That a person could feel so strongly about books and the information contained therein makes Montag realize that perhaps the key to the happiness he lacks lies in the written word. He returns home sick to his stomach, made so by the scene he has witnessed and the thought that he has been an instrument of destruction rather than service during his ten-year career. When he learns that Clarisse had been killed, hit by a speeding car his condition worsens. The next day, Montag is visited by his boss, the abrasive and patronizing Captain Beatty. Beatty hints th... Free Essays on Fahrenheit 451 In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 the theme, man verse society is demonstrated by Bradbury’s character, Guy Montag by comparing the two different outlooks of society in the world he lives in. In this novel of a fireman, Montag faces society and must deal with it on his own. â€Å"Nobody listens anymore†(pg.82). The society does not listen to people only the television that controls society. The television turned into a brainwashing machine rather than leisure entertainment. â€Å" I just want someone to listen to what I have to say† (pg.82). Montag must deal against everyone because everyone thinks the same as one another. He has no one to turn to because no one will listen to him or agree with him besides the very few that are out there. Montag explains to Professor Faber how he has to deal with society. Nobody listens any more. I can’t talk to the walls because they’re yelling at me. I can’t talk to my wife; she listens to the walls. I just want someone to hear what I have to say. And maybe if I talk long enough, it’ll make sense. And I want you to teach me to understand what I read. (Pg.82) The whole society that Montag lives in is brainwashed by the television. The television has the control over the entire society, over everything and everyone. Montag starts to understand the world more than behind a screen when he meets a girl named, Clarisse. Since everyone is brainwashed and gullible to whatever is thrown at them Montag feels he is alone. Montag dealt with his problems and did everything he could including leaving his past behind. Montag must also deal with himself, which creates the theme, man verse self. â€Å"About what?, Me,? My house? (pg.135). This is when the police where after Montag because they know he knows how everything really is. Montag had to deal with secret information within him. â€Å" But I did not speak, and thus became guilty myself†(pg.82). He couldn’t deal with the things he knew and felt like some... Free Essays on Fahrenheit 451 Nobody likes to be told what to do. Censorship is not right we have natural rights and they should be honored. We shouldn’t be told what to do and our natural rights shouldn’t be violated. If so you should have the right to at least start the process of impeachment of the president or person in which ever political position. We do listen to our government for laws and we do follow what they say to a certain extent as long as are natural rights aren’t effected. We have natural rights in which we are granted when were born. These are now represented in the bill of rights and constitution, in which we didn’t always have. Also not all countries have these, but as for in the United States we have documents (constitution and bill of rights), to keep are government from having to much control over us. Not only this but we have put systems into play like checks and balance. In the book â€Å"Fahrenheit 451† the government tries to tell people what to do and it backfires. Since they tried to control the lives of people by basically brainwashing them. The government put advertisements all over on billboards, huge billboards. They made people rely on â€Å"the family† instead of actually interacting with other people. The â€Å"family substitutes all natural thinking, people are basically just told what to think; and aren’t encouraged to think elsewhere. They also banned books from anyone to further extend the discontinuation of thinking. There’s always a couple people who are different though and still think. These people, some at least create pockets of people that feel the same way. Gathered together forming a rebellion almost. People will stand up for what they believe in so you cant control people for good. With these pockets of people against the government it creates much disturbance. Rather then have the people create there government and everyone would be for it. The rebelling people basically want to overthrow it rather then ... Free Essays on Fahrenheit 451 An Overview of Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is the epitome of censorship in America. Guy Montag, the protagonist, is a fireman whose sole job is to burn books and the homes of people who harbor them. Montag’s life is unfulfilled and dictated by ignorance until he meets Clarisse McClellan, whose character is a catalyst. Clarisse’s ability to see the beauty of life around her awakens a sense of curiosity in Montag as well his ability for intellectual thought. It is through Clarisse that Montag begins to understand that books represent awareness and knowledge. The introduction of Professor Faber is also significant in that his character is well educated and ultimately believes that burning books leaves people less enlightened. The professor has memorized literary works in the hopes that one day he will be called upon to recite them so that they may be re-written. Captain Beatty is another essential character. While Beatty’s character vehemently detests books and those who read them, paradoxically, he is well educated and often includes literary references in each of his conversations with Montag. While the supporting characters such as Millie, Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowels add dimension with their respective story lines, the exclusion of any of these characters would not detract from the story’s overall theme. These characters do not have the influence over the protagonist that Clarisse, Professor Faber and Captain Beatty have throughout the story....

Ethics Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Ethics Paper - Essay Example This paper will analyze the role of Ethics and social responsibility in developing a strategic plan while considering stakeholder needs and agendas, engaging an example that is taken from real life and discussion preventive measures that could have been utilized to avoid this kind of situation. Speaking of role of Ethics in creating a strategic plan, one might point out the following. First of all, the engagement of the above mentioned concept allows people to focus on achievements in the long terms perspective, avoiding actions that might bring benefits in the short run, but result in devastating consequences in future. In addition to that, Ethics makes sure that the corporate plans respect human rights of the employees and provides with reasonable conditions to work in. Finally, it helps the stakeholders to find a perfect balance between their goals and the available tools to achieve them. There is another concept that should be taken into account while considering the issue in question. It is called corporate social responsibility. One might suggest that the acknowledgement of it is relatively new since businesses in the previous ages did not pay enough attention to it; nevertheless, nowadays it is considered to be one of the pillars that hold the strategic development of a company. Another point that should be mentioned with regard to corporate social responsibility lies in the fact that only company with a developed corporate culture are able to take this concept into account. Indeed, the essential part of it focuses on the acceptance of influence that an organizations has on the environment, both social and natural, as well as readiness to be responsible for any changes that are introduced, positive or negative. So, corporate social responsibility makes sure that the way the stakeholders want to achieve their goals is a sustainable one. It may be particularly useful to

Greatest Communicator Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Greatest Communicator - Essay Example Bill Clinton is a notable personality whose skill communication make audience yearn to listen more from the personality. Bill Clinton was at some point the president of US and pulled crowd with how he presented his speech. Additionally, Bill had good leadership skills that made him unique. Leaders need to be multi-talented so as to be there for the people. Bill Clinton displayed all these characteristics making him one of the most prominent and notable leader of all time. Bill Clinton had the most impressive communication skills any leader would want to possess. When addressing the audience, Bill Clinton would use gesture sync with words to ensure that a given message is efficiently grasped by the audience (Marcus par 3). To guide audience’s emotion and attention, he would extend his arms facing up or out. Additionally, Bill Clinton overlapped arms across the chest to show emphasis on a given statement. Moreover, he used hard-stop pacing in his word to ensure that points mention got the stress required. Use of frequent pause in statements helped to gather the attention of the audience. Visuals enabled Clinton to pass information clearly. Policy used was fewer words but more visual to ensure that the audience enjoyed the speech. In most of Clinton’s speech, monotony breakage was fostered by the addition of a story in the middle of a speech. Excellent communication skills by Clinton impacts individuals on a significant margin. When presenting a speech, it is crucial that the audience needs to enjoy the speech. Use of gestures like Bill Clinton ensures that the audience gets information clearly as well as enjoys the speech. Moreover, involving the audience in the presentation of speech makes them ride along. Direct eye contact is vital in enhancing emphasis to a given statement or speech. Moreover, it ensures that the audience’ attention does not get diverted. Bill Clinton’s good communication skills influence individual’s speech

Customer Switching Behaviour for Mobile Networks

Customer Switching Behaviour for Mobile Networks EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Consumers use services everyday, these ranges from taking the train or opening a bank account to talking on a mobile phone. Businesses also rely on a wide range of services on a daily basis, but on a much larger scale compared to consumers. However, customers are not always satisfied with a particular service that they maybe using and often resort to switching their service provider in order to resolve the issue or pursue better value from a less expensive service. The objective of this study is to investigate customer-switching behaviour in the mobile industry, why it takes place and what factors influence it. This topic area has been chosen, as customer switching and the mobile phone industry are contemporary and relevant to the present day and will continue to evolve overtime. Research has been undertaken using secondary and primary data collection methods. Secondary data provided a background to the mobile phone industry and an overview of customer switching behaviour in services. Primary data consisted of self administered questionnaires to a convenient sample of university students, this enabled data to be collected which would provide an idea of mobile phone users contemplation of switching and their understanding of why they believe they would switch from one service to another. Findings revealed that a majority of customer switching is due to high call and monthly charges and consumers trying to obtain more free minutes and texts. This contrasts with the literature and precious studies, which have found other reasons to cause customer switching, which illustrates how causes of switching differ in every industry according to the nature of the service. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Project Aims The aim of this project is to determine the reasons as to why consumers switch from one mobile phone network to another? The research objectives that arise from the aim will therefore be: 1 To evaluate whether competitors offerings are causing consumers to switch from one network to another 2 To evaluate whether retail offerings are causing consumers to switch to gain a better deal 3 What actions of the service firms or their employees cause customers to switch from one service provider to another The research will be UK based geographically using a convenient sample of university students and will be done using both primary and secondary research methods. The research may help managers and researchers understand service switching from a customers perspective in the mobile phone industry and the switching drivers may provides answers as to what has influenced customer behaviour. The results of the research will be analysed to provide recommendations. The reason for choosing this topic area is that there appears to be a lack of research on customer switching behaviour in the mobile phone industry. This study aims to explore this topic are further. 1.2 Background on Mobile Phones Service Mobile phones service refers to a service whose customer base includes firms using mobile phones for business and customers using it for their personal use. Mobile phones have become substitutes for fixed telephone lines and have led to the decline in calls made from fixed telephone lines. The take up rate of mobile phones is constantly increasing and over the years the growth in the use of mobile phones has been dramatic. According to EMC mobile user numbers reached the 1.5 billion mark in June 2004 and is set to reach 2 billion by July 2006 and 2.45 billion by the end of 2009. (http://www.cellular.co.za, 2005) Mobile phones today are not solely used to make calls, additional value added services such as Short Messaging Service (SMS), Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), radio, internet access and so on. This means that the benefits and use of mobile phones is also expanding, which is also contributing to industry growth. This has become a focus point for the various operators as intense competition has led to increasingly lower voice call prices. SMS was first used in 1992 and is currently the fastest growing communications technology in history. Worldwide, 135 billion text messages were sent person to person in the first quarter in 2004 (http://www.cellular.co.za, 2005). Retail revenues from voice and data services (including MMS, SMS) account for 79% of the total revenue of the four main UK mobile operators (Vodafone, O2, Orange and T-Mobile), which accounted for  £13.6 billion in revenues in 2003, (see appendix 1). CEPG Research Company conducted a study of the mobile telecommunications industry in 2002, in which findings showed that turnover had reached  £32 billion a year, with the sector contribution to GDP being  £19.4 billion (2.2%), (ofcom.org.uk/research/telecoms, 2005). The demand for mobile phones has never been so great as it has become a must have for people of all ages; consumers are constantly exchanging their outdated phones for the latest colour handsets. The popularity of mobile phones is immense and it is perceived that this interest in mobile phones will continue to grow over the next decade or so, as demand increases and new models and technology is introduced to mobile phones. 1.3 Mobile Phone Service Industry The mobile phone industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of the British economy, with the UK making up the second largest mobile market in Europe, with a share of 18% (Datamonitor, Nov 2004). This growth is due to factors such as changes in government policies towards communication (deregulation), economic growth and developments in information technology. The more recent growth has come from existing mobile phone users upgrading their handsets, which have led to mobile phone companies and network operators targeting first time buyers (Datamonitor, Nov 2004). Mobile phones are not only seen as a vital element for success in business but also as a much wanted item for social use. This is evident in the increasing number of individuals both young and old who now have at least one mobile phone. As indicated by an Oftel report, in Britain over one million people own a mobile phone instead of a fixed telephone line. 2.3 million UK residents live without a fixed line telephone at home. The popularity of the fixed line phone drastically declined after the mass introduction of mobile phones to the UK. It is worth noting however, that fixed phone line companies have not taken this lightly and have retaliated by introducing mobile phones linked to fixed home lines and companies such as BT setting up their own mobile networks i.e. BT until recently owned O2 and also offering special discounted rates to encourage customers to use their fixed lines. There are four main network providers in the UK; they are T-mobile, O2, Vodafone and Orange. In 2004 there were 342.43 million mobile subscribers, which is an increase of 8.54 percent from the previous year and a penetration rate of 87.63 percent. T-mobile UK accounted for 15.06 million subscribers, Orange UK had 13.75 million, O2 UK had 13.06 million and Vodafone UK had 12.98 million (mobile communications). Recently there have been changes in terms of ownership of the major mobile phone networks. T-mobile is now one of the three strategic growth areas of Deutsche Telekom, a German network provider and O2 is now owned by Spanish firm Telefonica. Orange was sold to German mobile phone network Mannesman, which was then taken over by Vodafone, who sold Orange to France Telecom. Orange has a strong network in the UK and overseas but recent management decisions by France Telecom have reversed their user growth and subscriber numbers, which has been partly due to customers switching to other networks. Customers can become concerned that, if their chosen network provider is owned by a firm overseas, their needs will not be met as well as they could by a UK owned provider. Additionally events such as these can contribute to switching behaviour through customer confusion, as found by Oftel (2003), where many consumers switched due to confusion over re-branding of the network. 1.4 Customer Switching Behaviour in the Mobile Phone Industry According to research by TNS Telecom Trak, consumers tend to use their handsets for about twenty months before upgrading to a new one. Telecommunications regulator OFTEL found that this is also the average amount of time that a majority of mobile phone users will stay with the same mobile provider for. Oftels research ascertained that 90% of consumers thought about changing their network when changing handsets. Oftel published a report in April 2003, which provided an overview of the key findings of trends in consumer behaviour in the mobile market based on a residential consumer survey conducted in February 2003. Research was carried out by Recom (Research in Communications) amongst a representative sample of 2,289 UK adults, 75% of who claimed to have a mobile. Findings revealed that 26% of mobile customers have switched network/ supplier. There was a strong indication that the rise in switching in the last quarter was a reflection of confusion over re-branding and rise in mobile penetration. One in ten (9%) of mobile customers were found to have switched network at least twice since owning a mobile, including customers switching back to a previous operator. Men (37%) and younger mobile users, 15-34 (38%) were found to be most likely to switch multiple times, which included returning to a previously used network. Although the switching differed according to type of package, 36% of contract customers had switched multiple times compared to those on prepay (33%). 24% of customers had switched once in the last 6 months, compared to three in ten (28%) of those that had switched twice and 43% that had switched more than 3 times. The same survey also revealed that in November 2002, 34% of consumers stated that they had switched mobile network, which was believed to have a result of customer confusion caused by the re-branding of O2 (formally BTCellent) and T-mobile (One2One). Yet this rise was temporary and soon returned to the previous level of 27%. In February 2003, 7% of T-mobile customers said that they had switched network having previously being with One2One, this was the same for O2 customers who had switched from BTCellnet. This accounted for 3% of all switchers who were confused by the re-branding during February. The current percentage of mobile consumers that have switched mobile network remains at 26%. When looking at multiple switching, two in ten (18%) of mobile customers had changed their network once, and seven out of ten claimed to have never switched network. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter will review all existing literature related to the mobile phone industry with a focus on customer switching habits and their surrounding elements such as consumer lifestyles, services themselves, competitor offerings and loyalty to help understand the research problem. This chapter will also review the contributions other researchers have made to the concepts of switching behaviour, yet it should be noted that literature on mobile phone choice is sparse and issues relating to why customers actually switch services remains unexplored in marketing literature which will be explored through this study. 2.1 Classification of Services There is no one single definition of services that is universally accepted, although many authors have attempted to define it. Yet very few products are 100% service or 100% tangible, they usually consist of a combination of both. Gronroos (1990) defines services as: â€Å"A service is an activity or series of activities of more or less intangible nature that normally, but not necessarily, takes place in interactions between the customers and the service employee and/or physical resources or goods and/or systems of the service provider, which are provided as solutions to customer problems†. This illustrates the fact that services can take place through physical form, for example this project is concerned with customers switching network provider service (which is intangible) but to have that service to begin with, customers need to purchase a mobile phone, which is a tangible product. Therefore switching behaviour in such a situation may differ from switching a service, which is not integrated with hardware; this may be due to the fact that when physical products are also involved, the costs and risk of switching is different to when there is just a service alone. Brassington (2003) acknowledged that most products tend to have a combination of both physical goods and service e.g. purchasing a gas appliance; this would require the professional fitting service as well as purchasing of the appliance itself. Kotler (1997) also recognised that some services are a combination of both a service and a product and has incorporated this in his definition of services: â€Å"Any act or performance that one party can offer to another that is essentially intangible and does not result in the ownership of anything. Its production may or may not be tied to a physical product.† This emphasises two key elements: 1. Intangibility A Service cannot be experience before it is purchased, 2. Lack of ownership there is no ownership in a pure service as there is no physical product involved. This is further illustrated in the Figure 1 below which illustrates Kotlers (1997) four categories of products, which are: 1. A pure service 2. A major service with accompanying minor goods/services 3. A tangible good with accompanying service 4. A pure tangible product New services are being introduced on a daily basis to satisfy and meet all customer needs from individual consumers to business consumers. The service industry comprises the majority of todays economy. In 2001, it represented 80 percent of the GDP of the USA (U.S Bureau of Economic Analysis). Keiningham et al (2003) said â€Å"there is a growing recognition among managers of the importance of measuring the share of business a customer conducts with a particular service provider (share-of-wallet) as opposed to simply repurchasing a product or service at some point in the future or continuing to keep a business relationship with a service provider†. This indicates the importance of retaining and maintaining customers and the importance of the relationship with them. Research carried out by Bitner (1990); Boulding at al, (1993) looked at service quality in service organisations, Crosby Evans and Cowles (1990); Crosby and Stephens (1987) researched relationship quality and Cronin and Taylor (1992) looked at overall satisfaction with regards to the issue of customer retention in service organisations. These researchers all agreed that service organisations could improve the likelihood of customers intention to remain with a particular service organisation, as it is these features that contribute to customer satisfaction and the growth of the organisation. The above studies all illustrated strategies relating to customer retention in services. Yet issues relating to why customers actually switch services remain unexplored in marketing literature. 2.2 Characteristics of Services When describing the main characteristics of a service, it can be depicted as being intangible, as a service has no physical dimension but can take place through a tangible product as is the case with mobile phones and network providers, as discussed earlier. A service can also be described using a tangible noun as Shostack (1987) exemplified that an ‘airline means transportation and a ‘hotel means lodging rental. Berry (1980) described a good as ‘an object, a device, a thing in comparison to a service which is ‘a deed, a performance, an effort. This further illustrates the fact that consumers cannot see, touch, hear, taste or smell a service; all they can do is experience the performance of the service as said by Carman and Uhl, (1973) and Sasser et. al, (1978) but, the experience may not be possible in all cases without some form of hardware in addition. Because services are delivered by individuals, each service experience will differ from another; as a result each purchaser will receive a different service experience. Additionally, when a consumer purchases a good, they own it, yet with a service the consumer only has temporary access or use of it, as the service is not owned, only the benefit of it is. Wyckham et al (1975) and Kotler (1986) defined this concept as ownership. 2.3 The Services Marketing Mix As previously discussed above, many features separate services from tangible products, yet the marketing principles remain the same for both. One particular difference is that there is close contact between individual employees from the supplier organisation and the customer themselves. Because of this, the traditional marketing mix needs to be re-evaluated in terms of the 7ps. Product: This refers to the features of the product or surrounding it, which in this case would be a good service or supplementary services surrounding it. These features should be benefits, which the customer would desire, and the surrounding features would be competing products performance. (Lovelock and Wirtz, 2004). Place and Time: Delivering a service to customers involves place, time of delivery and distribution channels used. Delivery can be done both physically and through electronic distribution channels according to the nature of the service being provided. Services can be delivered directly to customers or through intermediary firms, e.g. rental outlets. (Lovelock and Wirtz, 2004). Promotion and Education: these are three fold, firstly information and advice needs to be provided to customers, target customers need to be persuaded towards a product, and they need to be encouraged to take action. Service promotional communication are usually educational, informing potential customers of the benefits of the service, where and when to obtain it and how. These communications are delivered through individuals (sales people) or media (TV, radio, newspapers etc.). (Lovelock and Wirtz, 2004). Price and Other User Outlays: In services monetary values refer to rates, fees, admissions, charges, tuition, contributions, interest etc. (Gabbott and Hogg, 1997). Physical Environment: A firms service quality can be perceived through the appearance of buildings, landscaping, vehicles, interior furnishing, equipment, staff members, signs, printed materials and other visible cues. These are physical evidence and impact customer impressions. (Lovelock and Wirtz, 2004). Process: A service is delivered to a customer through a process, which is the method and actions in the service performance. Poor processes can result in slow and ineffective service and unsatisfied customers. Front line staff may also find it difficult to do their jobs well as a result of poor process, which can again lead to service failure. (Lovelock and Wirtz, 2004). People: Services tend to involve direct interaction between customers and firms employees. The experience of the interaction, for example talking to call centre staff, can influence the customers perceptions of service quality. The implication is that firms need to train and motivate their employees to ensure good service quality. (Lovelock and Wirtz, 2004). 2.4 Marketing in Services Image is often a key factor in differentiating a service from its competitors. Marketing is therefore important in service because it enables the customer to link an image with a brand. Examples of these can be seen on delivery vehicles, which are painted, hotel soap and shampoos etc. When consumers have no experience with a product, they tend to ‘trust a favoured or well-known brand name; therefore service marketers need to build a favourable brand image. Some consumer theorists have linked service quality with consumer behaviour intentions, in that the quality of the service will determine whether the consumer remains with that particular provider or defects to a competitor. When consumers perceive high service quality, the behavioural intentions will be positive, as they will remain with the service provider. In contrast, poor service quality will lead to the relationship with the customer weakening resulting in defection to a competitor. Financially the firm will benefit more by retaining customers through increasing service quality; this is demonstrated in the figure 2 below. The figure above shows that the more favourable a firms service quality is, the more likely the customer is to remain with the firm, benefiting the firm. But when the service quality is poor, the customer will show unfavourable behavioural intentions, which will result in defecting/ switching. This highlights that in order to prevent customers from switching and to enable the firm to continue making profits, the firm needs to retain customers through good service quality. Service firms and service marketers need to recognise the significance of these reasons as they can lead to negative effects on share and profitability as noted by Rust and Zahorik (1993). This can arise from negative word of mouth, which will in turn deter potential customers. These reasons can also help markets to plan their promotional campaigns according to the aspects that are causing customers to switch. As maintained by Reichheld and Sasser (1990) companies can boost profits by almost 100% by retaining just 5% more of their customers. 2.5 Marketing in the Mobile Phone Industry As the market becomes more competitive, firms will endeavour to maintain their market share by focusing on retaining their current customers. It can be said that recent competition amongst mobile phone networks has become aggressive, especially with all the competitive price plans and handsets on offer, which are being promoted by the networks. More recently a ‘camera wars are taking place between mobile brands as consumers are considering this an important feature when purchasing mobile phones, Marketing magazine (2004). When network 3 entered the market, they were able to encourage many consumers to switch mobile networks from their existing providers to 3. this was done using challenging and direct advertising comparing brand and product features with those of competing networks. Marketing magazine (2004). As a result of this, 3 were able to reach the one million-customer mark faster than any other network since launching. It is evident that mobile phone networks are being innovative in their marketing tactics in the aim of securing higher customer bases. Much of the marketing the mobile networks today to do this are directed towards consumer confusion tactics. Consumer confusion tactics are where consumers are provided with large amounts of decision-relevant information, in regards to mobiles, this is seen in the form of deals, discounts, leaflets, newspaper adds and television advertising line rentals from as little as 99p per month. Confusion marketing and overload aims to confuse consumers into a state of stress and frustration, resulting in information overload and sub-optimal decisions. Price confusion is the most common confusion marketing tactic used in the mobile telephone market today in order to assist companies to gain a competitive advantage. It has been found that this tactic of confusion marketing appears to work and confuses customers to such an extent that they end up being persuaded b y this marketing literature and the information overload that they are provided with that they purchase the plan that is sold to them without investigating it further as they feel that they have all the information that they need and have made an informed choice. Confusion usually arises from 3 main sources: i) Over choice of products and stores there are independent mobile phone shops opening up regularly, and new mobile phones are being introduced to the market every month. ii) Similarity of products all the price plans available are very similar in terms of price as well as network call charges. iii) Ambiguous, misleading or inadequate information conveyed through marketing communications For example, many retailers are offering line rental for 99p per month, what consumers are not aware of is that they have to pay the full line rental for the first six months and then they claim their cash back. But using confusion marketing can have adverse effects on consumers. The ‘information overload can cause consumers to shop around, which can reduce brand loyalty towards the firm. 2.6 Decision Making Process for Mobile Phones When customers purchase a product or service they go through a complex process of three stages: the pre purchase stage (decision to buy), the service encounter stage and the post purchase stage. This can be applied to the purchasing of mobile phones. The post purchase stage will determine the customers future intentions on whether or not to remain loyal to that service provider or to switch service. During the post purchase stage, customers evaluate service quality and their satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the service experience. This is done by comparing what was initially expected with what they perceived they received from a particular provider. If expectations are met, customers are likely to be satisfied and therefore more likely to make repeat purchases and remain loyal. If customer expectations are not met, customers may complain about poor service quality, suffer in silence or resort to switching service provider. It has become evident in recent years that customers no longer â€Å"suffer in silence† with bad service to the extent that they previously and if they experience service that they are not satisfied with then are more likely to switch in order to receive a better service/better value for their money. When considering the purchase process of mobile phones, again there are complex factors, which influence the decision the decision process which include both macro and microeconomic conditions, but it generally tends to follow the traditional buying process. When faced with the problem of whether or not to purchase a mobile phone, consumers will initially take part in an information search before choosing which one to buy. The consumers decision-making process is directed by preferences that the consumer has already formed regarding a particular brand. Beatty and Smith (1987) and Moorthy et al (1997) argue that this means the consumer is most likely to make a choice based on a limited information search and without evaluating fully all the alternative brands available. As indicated by Dhar and Wertenbroach (2000), limited information search and evaluation of alternatives can result in a situation where the consumers choice is driven by hedonic considerations. Utilitarian goods are co nsidered to be instrumental and functional whereas hedonic good are seen as being fun and exciting, but some goods can have both features, as stated by Barta and Ahtola (1990). With relation to mobile phones the choice has both utilitarian (e.g. communication, SMS, planning) and hedonic (e.g. games, music, camera) features. Wilska (2003) believes the younger the consumer gets, the more they value the hedonistic features in their mobile phones. The mobile phone market is a technology driven market, therefore products are created based on consumers possible future needs which tend to be hedonistic features. Riquelme (2001) explored the level of knowledge consumers have when choosing between different mobile phone brands. The study focused on main factors, which were: telephone features, connection fee, access cost, mobile-to-mobile phone rates, call rates and free calls), which respondents had to rate according to importance. Findings revealed that respondents with previous experience about products predicted their choices well, although they over-estimate the importance of features, cal rates and free calls and under-estimated the importance of the monthly access fee, mobile-to-mobile phone rates and the connection fee. 2.7 Customer Switching Behaviour There is no one clear definition of customer switching, due to the lack of research into this area, although very few authors have attempted to define it. According to Brassington (2003) customer switching refers to â€Å"consumers who are not loyal to any one brand of a particular product and switch between two or more brands within the category†. Switching behaviour has also been referred to as defection or customer exit (Hirschman, 1970; Stewart, 1994) and refers to a customers decision to stop purchasing a particular service or patronising the service firm completely as agued by Bolton and Bronkhurst (1995) and Boote, (1998). Yet it can be argued that this is not a valid definition of customer switching as this definition refers to the consumers behaviour as abandonment of the use of a product/service although, whereas switching is concerned with consumers using one product/service provider and then deciding to switch to another. Many models have attempted to portray customer switching behaviour in services yet they all imply that switching derives from a gradual dissolution of relationships as a result of multiple problems encountered over time as found by Bejou and Palmer (1998) and Hocutt (1998). 2.8 Causes for Dissatisfied Service and Switching Bitner et al (1994) has looked at the events that lead to satisfying and dissatisfying service encounters for customers from an employees point of view. Bitner et als (1994) study found that employees were inclined to describe the customers problems with external causes such as delivery system failures as the most prominent followed by problem customers. A small percentage of dissatisfactory incidents were classified as spontaneous negative employee behaviours such as rudeness or lack of attention. It was evident that the employees were biased in terms of not blaming themselves for failures. Past research associating customer and employee views on critical factors compelling customers to switch offers assorted assumptions. Schneider and Bowen (1985) and Schneider, Parkington, and Buxton (1980) found a strong relationship between employee and customer attitudes regarding service quality on the whole in the banking service. The results from their study contradicted those of a study carried out by Brown and Swartz (1989). Data was collected from patients based on experiences with their physicians and were compared to what physicians perceived of the experiences of their patients. Results showed large differences inversely associated to patient satisfaction in general. Thus researchers have different views regarding customer and employee attitudes on service quality. When considering switching in the financial service, Mintel International Group believes the critical factor causing consumers to switch providers is price. Price is a sensitive issue and one that is close to th e heart of customers so it is perceived that they may consider switching on the basis of this if they are not satisfied with the service they are receiving. But it can be concluded that the customers view holds greater value, as it is their opinion that brings in business for a firm. Bolton Brankhurst (1995) and McDougal (1996) have looked at customer switching behaviour in relation to complaints, which they believe leads up to the defection. They suggested, that this field should be further explored, as there is a lack of research that tries to investigate the correlations between the factors that influence service switching and those that influence complaints before switching. Complains are again another major area of concern. The first Customer Switching Behaviour for Mobile Networks Customer Switching Behaviour for Mobile Networks EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Consumers use services everyday, these ranges from taking the train or opening a bank account to talking on a mobile phone. Businesses also rely on a wide range of services on a daily basis, but on a much larger scale compared to consumers. However, customers are not always satisfied with a particular service that they maybe using and often resort to switching their service provider in order to resolve the issue or pursue better value from a less expensive service. The objective of this study is to investigate customer-switching behaviour in the mobile industry, why it takes place and what factors influence it. This topic area has been chosen, as customer switching and the mobile phone industry are contemporary and relevant to the present day and will continue to evolve overtime. Research has been undertaken using secondary and primary data collection methods. Secondary data provided a background to the mobile phone industry and an overview of customer switching behaviour in services. Primary data consisted of self administered questionnaires to a convenient sample of university students, this enabled data to be collected which would provide an idea of mobile phone users contemplation of switching and their understanding of why they believe they would switch from one service to another. Findings revealed that a majority of customer switching is due to high call and monthly charges and consumers trying to obtain more free minutes and texts. This contrasts with the literature and precious studies, which have found other reasons to cause customer switching, which illustrates how causes of switching differ in every industry according to the nature of the service. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Project Aims The aim of this project is to determine the reasons as to why consumers switch from one mobile phone network to another? The research objectives that arise from the aim will therefore be: 1 To evaluate whether competitors offerings are causing consumers to switch from one network to another 2 To evaluate whether retail offerings are causing consumers to switch to gain a better deal 3 What actions of the service firms or their employees cause customers to switch from one service provider to another The research will be UK based geographically using a convenient sample of university students and will be done using both primary and secondary research methods. The research may help managers and researchers understand service switching from a customers perspective in the mobile phone industry and the switching drivers may provides answers as to what has influenced customer behaviour. The results of the research will be analysed to provide recommendations. The reason for choosing this topic area is that there appears to be a lack of research on customer switching behaviour in the mobile phone industry. This study aims to explore this topic are further. 1.2 Background on Mobile Phones Service Mobile phones service refers to a service whose customer base includes firms using mobile phones for business and customers using it for their personal use. Mobile phones have become substitutes for fixed telephone lines and have led to the decline in calls made from fixed telephone lines. The take up rate of mobile phones is constantly increasing and over the years the growth in the use of mobile phones has been dramatic. According to EMC mobile user numbers reached the 1.5 billion mark in June 2004 and is set to reach 2 billion by July 2006 and 2.45 billion by the end of 2009. (http://www.cellular.co.za, 2005) Mobile phones today are not solely used to make calls, additional value added services such as Short Messaging Service (SMS), Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), radio, internet access and so on. This means that the benefits and use of mobile phones is also expanding, which is also contributing to industry growth. This has become a focus point for the various operators as intense competition has led to increasingly lower voice call prices. SMS was first used in 1992 and is currently the fastest growing communications technology in history. Worldwide, 135 billion text messages were sent person to person in the first quarter in 2004 (http://www.cellular.co.za, 2005). Retail revenues from voice and data services (including MMS, SMS) account for 79% of the total revenue of the four main UK mobile operators (Vodafone, O2, Orange and T-Mobile), which accounted for  £13.6 billion in revenues in 2003, (see appendix 1). CEPG Research Company conducted a study of the mobile telecommunications industry in 2002, in which findings showed that turnover had reached  £32 billion a year, with the sector contribution to GDP being  £19.4 billion (2.2%), (ofcom.org.uk/research/telecoms, 2005). The demand for mobile phones has never been so great as it has become a must have for people of all ages; consumers are constantly exchanging their outdated phones for the latest colour handsets. The popularity of mobile phones is immense and it is perceived that this interest in mobile phones will continue to grow over the next decade or so, as demand increases and new models and technology is introduced to mobile phones. 1.3 Mobile Phone Service Industry The mobile phone industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of the British economy, with the UK making up the second largest mobile market in Europe, with a share of 18% (Datamonitor, Nov 2004). This growth is due to factors such as changes in government policies towards communication (deregulation), economic growth and developments in information technology. The more recent growth has come from existing mobile phone users upgrading their handsets, which have led to mobile phone companies and network operators targeting first time buyers (Datamonitor, Nov 2004). Mobile phones are not only seen as a vital element for success in business but also as a much wanted item for social use. This is evident in the increasing number of individuals both young and old who now have at least one mobile phone. As indicated by an Oftel report, in Britain over one million people own a mobile phone instead of a fixed telephone line. 2.3 million UK residents live without a fixed line telephone at home. The popularity of the fixed line phone drastically declined after the mass introduction of mobile phones to the UK. It is worth noting however, that fixed phone line companies have not taken this lightly and have retaliated by introducing mobile phones linked to fixed home lines and companies such as BT setting up their own mobile networks i.e. BT until recently owned O2 and also offering special discounted rates to encourage customers to use their fixed lines. There are four main network providers in the UK; they are T-mobile, O2, Vodafone and Orange. In 2004 there were 342.43 million mobile subscribers, which is an increase of 8.54 percent from the previous year and a penetration rate of 87.63 percent. T-mobile UK accounted for 15.06 million subscribers, Orange UK had 13.75 million, O2 UK had 13.06 million and Vodafone UK had 12.98 million (mobile communications). Recently there have been changes in terms of ownership of the major mobile phone networks. T-mobile is now one of the three strategic growth areas of Deutsche Telekom, a German network provider and O2 is now owned by Spanish firm Telefonica. Orange was sold to German mobile phone network Mannesman, which was then taken over by Vodafone, who sold Orange to France Telecom. Orange has a strong network in the UK and overseas but recent management decisions by France Telecom have reversed their user growth and subscriber numbers, which has been partly due to customers switching to other networks. Customers can become concerned that, if their chosen network provider is owned by a firm overseas, their needs will not be met as well as they could by a UK owned provider. Additionally events such as these can contribute to switching behaviour through customer confusion, as found by Oftel (2003), where many consumers switched due to confusion over re-branding of the network. 1.4 Customer Switching Behaviour in the Mobile Phone Industry According to research by TNS Telecom Trak, consumers tend to use their handsets for about twenty months before upgrading to a new one. Telecommunications regulator OFTEL found that this is also the average amount of time that a majority of mobile phone users will stay with the same mobile provider for. Oftels research ascertained that 90% of consumers thought about changing their network when changing handsets. Oftel published a report in April 2003, which provided an overview of the key findings of trends in consumer behaviour in the mobile market based on a residential consumer survey conducted in February 2003. Research was carried out by Recom (Research in Communications) amongst a representative sample of 2,289 UK adults, 75% of who claimed to have a mobile. Findings revealed that 26% of mobile customers have switched network/ supplier. There was a strong indication that the rise in switching in the last quarter was a reflection of confusion over re-branding and rise in mobile penetration. One in ten (9%) of mobile customers were found to have switched network at least twice since owning a mobile, including customers switching back to a previous operator. Men (37%) and younger mobile users, 15-34 (38%) were found to be most likely to switch multiple times, which included returning to a previously used network. Although the switching differed according to type of package, 36% of contract customers had switched multiple times compared to those on prepay (33%). 24% of customers had switched once in the last 6 months, compared to three in ten (28%) of those that had switched twice and 43% that had switched more than 3 times. The same survey also revealed that in November 2002, 34% of consumers stated that they had switched mobile network, which was believed to have a result of customer confusion caused by the re-branding of O2 (formally BTCellent) and T-mobile (One2One). Yet this rise was temporary and soon returned to the previous level of 27%. In February 2003, 7% of T-mobile customers said that they had switched network having previously being with One2One, this was the same for O2 customers who had switched from BTCellnet. This accounted for 3% of all switchers who were confused by the re-branding during February. The current percentage of mobile consumers that have switched mobile network remains at 26%. When looking at multiple switching, two in ten (18%) of mobile customers had changed their network once, and seven out of ten claimed to have never switched network. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter will review all existing literature related to the mobile phone industry with a focus on customer switching habits and their surrounding elements such as consumer lifestyles, services themselves, competitor offerings and loyalty to help understand the research problem. This chapter will also review the contributions other researchers have made to the concepts of switching behaviour, yet it should be noted that literature on mobile phone choice is sparse and issues relating to why customers actually switch services remains unexplored in marketing literature which will be explored through this study. 2.1 Classification of Services There is no one single definition of services that is universally accepted, although many authors have attempted to define it. Yet very few products are 100% service or 100% tangible, they usually consist of a combination of both. Gronroos (1990) defines services as: â€Å"A service is an activity or series of activities of more or less intangible nature that normally, but not necessarily, takes place in interactions between the customers and the service employee and/or physical resources or goods and/or systems of the service provider, which are provided as solutions to customer problems†. This illustrates the fact that services can take place through physical form, for example this project is concerned with customers switching network provider service (which is intangible) but to have that service to begin with, customers need to purchase a mobile phone, which is a tangible product. Therefore switching behaviour in such a situation may differ from switching a service, which is not integrated with hardware; this may be due to the fact that when physical products are also involved, the costs and risk of switching is different to when there is just a service alone. Brassington (2003) acknowledged that most products tend to have a combination of both physical goods and service e.g. purchasing a gas appliance; this would require the professional fitting service as well as purchasing of the appliance itself. Kotler (1997) also recognised that some services are a combination of both a service and a product and has incorporated this in his definition of services: â€Å"Any act or performance that one party can offer to another that is essentially intangible and does not result in the ownership of anything. Its production may or may not be tied to a physical product.† This emphasises two key elements: 1. Intangibility A Service cannot be experience before it is purchased, 2. Lack of ownership there is no ownership in a pure service as there is no physical product involved. This is further illustrated in the Figure 1 below which illustrates Kotlers (1997) four categories of products, which are: 1. A pure service 2. A major service with accompanying minor goods/services 3. A tangible good with accompanying service 4. A pure tangible product New services are being introduced on a daily basis to satisfy and meet all customer needs from individual consumers to business consumers. The service industry comprises the majority of todays economy. In 2001, it represented 80 percent of the GDP of the USA (U.S Bureau of Economic Analysis). Keiningham et al (2003) said â€Å"there is a growing recognition among managers of the importance of measuring the share of business a customer conducts with a particular service provider (share-of-wallet) as opposed to simply repurchasing a product or service at some point in the future or continuing to keep a business relationship with a service provider†. This indicates the importance of retaining and maintaining customers and the importance of the relationship with them. Research carried out by Bitner (1990); Boulding at al, (1993) looked at service quality in service organisations, Crosby Evans and Cowles (1990); Crosby and Stephens (1987) researched relationship quality and Cronin and Taylor (1992) looked at overall satisfaction with regards to the issue of customer retention in service organisations. These researchers all agreed that service organisations could improve the likelihood of customers intention to remain with a particular service organisation, as it is these features that contribute to customer satisfaction and the growth of the organisation. The above studies all illustrated strategies relating to customer retention in services. Yet issues relating to why customers actually switch services remain unexplored in marketing literature. 2.2 Characteristics of Services When describing the main characteristics of a service, it can be depicted as being intangible, as a service has no physical dimension but can take place through a tangible product as is the case with mobile phones and network providers, as discussed earlier. A service can also be described using a tangible noun as Shostack (1987) exemplified that an ‘airline means transportation and a ‘hotel means lodging rental. Berry (1980) described a good as ‘an object, a device, a thing in comparison to a service which is ‘a deed, a performance, an effort. This further illustrates the fact that consumers cannot see, touch, hear, taste or smell a service; all they can do is experience the performance of the service as said by Carman and Uhl, (1973) and Sasser et. al, (1978) but, the experience may not be possible in all cases without some form of hardware in addition. Because services are delivered by individuals, each service experience will differ from another; as a result each purchaser will receive a different service experience. Additionally, when a consumer purchases a good, they own it, yet with a service the consumer only has temporary access or use of it, as the service is not owned, only the benefit of it is. Wyckham et al (1975) and Kotler (1986) defined this concept as ownership. 2.3 The Services Marketing Mix As previously discussed above, many features separate services from tangible products, yet the marketing principles remain the same for both. One particular difference is that there is close contact between individual employees from the supplier organisation and the customer themselves. Because of this, the traditional marketing mix needs to be re-evaluated in terms of the 7ps. Product: This refers to the features of the product or surrounding it, which in this case would be a good service or supplementary services surrounding it. These features should be benefits, which the customer would desire, and the surrounding features would be competing products performance. (Lovelock and Wirtz, 2004). Place and Time: Delivering a service to customers involves place, time of delivery and distribution channels used. Delivery can be done both physically and through electronic distribution channels according to the nature of the service being provided. Services can be delivered directly to customers or through intermediary firms, e.g. rental outlets. (Lovelock and Wirtz, 2004). Promotion and Education: these are three fold, firstly information and advice needs to be provided to customers, target customers need to be persuaded towards a product, and they need to be encouraged to take action. Service promotional communication are usually educational, informing potential customers of the benefits of the service, where and when to obtain it and how. These communications are delivered through individuals (sales people) or media (TV, radio, newspapers etc.). (Lovelock and Wirtz, 2004). Price and Other User Outlays: In services monetary values refer to rates, fees, admissions, charges, tuition, contributions, interest etc. (Gabbott and Hogg, 1997). Physical Environment: A firms service quality can be perceived through the appearance of buildings, landscaping, vehicles, interior furnishing, equipment, staff members, signs, printed materials and other visible cues. These are physical evidence and impact customer impressions. (Lovelock and Wirtz, 2004). Process: A service is delivered to a customer through a process, which is the method and actions in the service performance. Poor processes can result in slow and ineffective service and unsatisfied customers. Front line staff may also find it difficult to do their jobs well as a result of poor process, which can again lead to service failure. (Lovelock and Wirtz, 2004). People: Services tend to involve direct interaction between customers and firms employees. The experience of the interaction, for example talking to call centre staff, can influence the customers perceptions of service quality. The implication is that firms need to train and motivate their employees to ensure good service quality. (Lovelock and Wirtz, 2004). 2.4 Marketing in Services Image is often a key factor in differentiating a service from its competitors. Marketing is therefore important in service because it enables the customer to link an image with a brand. Examples of these can be seen on delivery vehicles, which are painted, hotel soap and shampoos etc. When consumers have no experience with a product, they tend to ‘trust a favoured or well-known brand name; therefore service marketers need to build a favourable brand image. Some consumer theorists have linked service quality with consumer behaviour intentions, in that the quality of the service will determine whether the consumer remains with that particular provider or defects to a competitor. When consumers perceive high service quality, the behavioural intentions will be positive, as they will remain with the service provider. In contrast, poor service quality will lead to the relationship with the customer weakening resulting in defection to a competitor. Financially the firm will benefit more by retaining customers through increasing service quality; this is demonstrated in the figure 2 below. The figure above shows that the more favourable a firms service quality is, the more likely the customer is to remain with the firm, benefiting the firm. But when the service quality is poor, the customer will show unfavourable behavioural intentions, which will result in defecting/ switching. This highlights that in order to prevent customers from switching and to enable the firm to continue making profits, the firm needs to retain customers through good service quality. Service firms and service marketers need to recognise the significance of these reasons as they can lead to negative effects on share and profitability as noted by Rust and Zahorik (1993). This can arise from negative word of mouth, which will in turn deter potential customers. These reasons can also help markets to plan their promotional campaigns according to the aspects that are causing customers to switch. As maintained by Reichheld and Sasser (1990) companies can boost profits by almost 100% by retaining just 5% more of their customers. 2.5 Marketing in the Mobile Phone Industry As the market becomes more competitive, firms will endeavour to maintain their market share by focusing on retaining their current customers. It can be said that recent competition amongst mobile phone networks has become aggressive, especially with all the competitive price plans and handsets on offer, which are being promoted by the networks. More recently a ‘camera wars are taking place between mobile brands as consumers are considering this an important feature when purchasing mobile phones, Marketing magazine (2004). When network 3 entered the market, they were able to encourage many consumers to switch mobile networks from their existing providers to 3. this was done using challenging and direct advertising comparing brand and product features with those of competing networks. Marketing magazine (2004). As a result of this, 3 were able to reach the one million-customer mark faster than any other network since launching. It is evident that mobile phone networks are being innovative in their marketing tactics in the aim of securing higher customer bases. Much of the marketing the mobile networks today to do this are directed towards consumer confusion tactics. Consumer confusion tactics are where consumers are provided with large amounts of decision-relevant information, in regards to mobiles, this is seen in the form of deals, discounts, leaflets, newspaper adds and television advertising line rentals from as little as 99p per month. Confusion marketing and overload aims to confuse consumers into a state of stress and frustration, resulting in information overload and sub-optimal decisions. Price confusion is the most common confusion marketing tactic used in the mobile telephone market today in order to assist companies to gain a competitive advantage. It has been found that this tactic of confusion marketing appears to work and confuses customers to such an extent that they end up being persuaded b y this marketing literature and the information overload that they are provided with that they purchase the plan that is sold to them without investigating it further as they feel that they have all the information that they need and have made an informed choice. Confusion usually arises from 3 main sources: i) Over choice of products and stores there are independent mobile phone shops opening up regularly, and new mobile phones are being introduced to the market every month. ii) Similarity of products all the price plans available are very similar in terms of price as well as network call charges. iii) Ambiguous, misleading or inadequate information conveyed through marketing communications For example, many retailers are offering line rental for 99p per month, what consumers are not aware of is that they have to pay the full line rental for the first six months and then they claim their cash back. But using confusion marketing can have adverse effects on consumers. The ‘information overload can cause consumers to shop around, which can reduce brand loyalty towards the firm. 2.6 Decision Making Process for Mobile Phones When customers purchase a product or service they go through a complex process of three stages: the pre purchase stage (decision to buy), the service encounter stage and the post purchase stage. This can be applied to the purchasing of mobile phones. The post purchase stage will determine the customers future intentions on whether or not to remain loyal to that service provider or to switch service. During the post purchase stage, customers evaluate service quality and their satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the service experience. This is done by comparing what was initially expected with what they perceived they received from a particular provider. If expectations are met, customers are likely to be satisfied and therefore more likely to make repeat purchases and remain loyal. If customer expectations are not met, customers may complain about poor service quality, suffer in silence or resort to switching service provider. It has become evident in recent years that customers no longer â€Å"suffer in silence† with bad service to the extent that they previously and if they experience service that they are not satisfied with then are more likely to switch in order to receive a better service/better value for their money. When considering the purchase process of mobile phones, again there are complex factors, which influence the decision the decision process which include both macro and microeconomic conditions, but it generally tends to follow the traditional buying process. When faced with the problem of whether or not to purchase a mobile phone, consumers will initially take part in an information search before choosing which one to buy. The consumers decision-making process is directed by preferences that the consumer has already formed regarding a particular brand. Beatty and Smith (1987) and Moorthy et al (1997) argue that this means the consumer is most likely to make a choice based on a limited information search and without evaluating fully all the alternative brands available. As indicated by Dhar and Wertenbroach (2000), limited information search and evaluation of alternatives can result in a situation where the consumers choice is driven by hedonic considerations. Utilitarian goods are co nsidered to be instrumental and functional whereas hedonic good are seen as being fun and exciting, but some goods can have both features, as stated by Barta and Ahtola (1990). With relation to mobile phones the choice has both utilitarian (e.g. communication, SMS, planning) and hedonic (e.g. games, music, camera) features. Wilska (2003) believes the younger the consumer gets, the more they value the hedonistic features in their mobile phones. The mobile phone market is a technology driven market, therefore products are created based on consumers possible future needs which tend to be hedonistic features. Riquelme (2001) explored the level of knowledge consumers have when choosing between different mobile phone brands. The study focused on main factors, which were: telephone features, connection fee, access cost, mobile-to-mobile phone rates, call rates and free calls), which respondents had to rate according to importance. Findings revealed that respondents with previous experience about products predicted their choices well, although they over-estimate the importance of features, cal rates and free calls and under-estimated the importance of the monthly access fee, mobile-to-mobile phone rates and the connection fee. 2.7 Customer Switching Behaviour There is no one clear definition of customer switching, due to the lack of research into this area, although very few authors have attempted to define it. According to Brassington (2003) customer switching refers to â€Å"consumers who are not loyal to any one brand of a particular product and switch between two or more brands within the category†. Switching behaviour has also been referred to as defection or customer exit (Hirschman, 1970; Stewart, 1994) and refers to a customers decision to stop purchasing a particular service or patronising the service firm completely as agued by Bolton and Bronkhurst (1995) and Boote, (1998). Yet it can be argued that this is not a valid definition of customer switching as this definition refers to the consumers behaviour as abandonment of the use of a product/service although, whereas switching is concerned with consumers using one product/service provider and then deciding to switch to another. Many models have attempted to portray customer switching behaviour in services yet they all imply that switching derives from a gradual dissolution of relationships as a result of multiple problems encountered over time as found by Bejou and Palmer (1998) and Hocutt (1998). 2.8 Causes for Dissatisfied Service and Switching Bitner et al (1994) has looked at the events that lead to satisfying and dissatisfying service encounters for customers from an employees point of view. Bitner et als (1994) study found that employees were inclined to describe the customers problems with external causes such as delivery system failures as the most prominent followed by problem customers. A small percentage of dissatisfactory incidents were classified as spontaneous negative employee behaviours such as rudeness or lack of attention. It was evident that the employees were biased in terms of not blaming themselves for failures. Past research associating customer and employee views on critical factors compelling customers to switch offers assorted assumptions. Schneider and Bowen (1985) and Schneider, Parkington, and Buxton (1980) found a strong relationship between employee and customer attitudes regarding service quality on the whole in the banking service. The results from their study contradicted those of a study carried out by Brown and Swartz (1989). Data was collected from patients based on experiences with their physicians and were compared to what physicians perceived of the experiences of their patients. Results showed large differences inversely associated to patient satisfaction in general. Thus researchers have different views regarding customer and employee attitudes on service quality. When considering switching in the financial service, Mintel International Group believes the critical factor causing consumers to switch providers is price. Price is a sensitive issue and one that is close to th e heart of customers so it is perceived that they may consider switching on the basis of this if they are not satisfied with the service they are receiving. But it can be concluded that the customers view holds greater value, as it is their opinion that brings in business for a firm. Bolton Brankhurst (1995) and McDougal (1996) have looked at customer switching behaviour in relation to complaints, which they believe leads up to the defection. They suggested, that this field should be further explored, as there is a lack of research that tries to investigate the correlations between the factors that influence service switching and those that influence complaints before switching. Complains are again another major area of concern. The first