Class student dicussions answers week 4 Assignment - 1

Class student dicussions answers week 4 - Assignment Example When revising written messages, it involves trying to find the errors within the message. In doing this, I would read the message to others and take their opinions. Then using their opinions I would go back and step by step correct the errors. In cases where no one is available, I would use different references to see if the message is constructed correctly. I still am learning new ways to better construct my messages, and how to revise them. Over the years, I have done great in courses in revising my messages, and within my written, this course is my first to not get it done properly. I go over my messages, and try to correct them, and use many resources to help, but I find myself still coming up short. Even with spell-check and other things to help aide me, it seems not to be working. It seems that the best revising plan for me would be to keep working on my revising, and being open to many new ways to revise my work. I agree with Joshua scenario on the chosen OSI Model. However, I think a model in computer networking will clearly explain this model. Messages or data is sent from one computer user to another via the internet. The Application layer is where a person decides on the interface to use like Mozilla Firefox. The Presentation layer is where the message will be encrypted into a Microsoft Office document and then copied to the interface. The Session layer is where the sender ensures that the computer is well connected to the internet. The Transport layer is where the sender decides on how to send the message and based on a given priority. The Network layer is to obtain information on the required email address and obtaining the IP address of the sender. The Data-link layer puts the email address to the subject of the email where the MAC address of the sender is stated while the Physical layer involves the sending of binary signals in the process of data exchange. The scenario used

Implement Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Implement - Assignment Example The facilitators will be two so that one can compliment in the absence of the other. The facilitators should be either a professors or associates and below the merit cannot be allowed to perform the facilitation process. The description on the place and the time the event should take place is critical for the planning process. The lesson should take place in the lecture halls during their respective time in the timetables. Each module should be facilitated concerning the daily stipulations in order to provide equal time for other subjects. The scheduling of all the modules with respect to one another allows for the effective functionality of all the facilitators to avert the possible clashes. The venues might clash due to the scheduling of two nodules at one venue at the same time. The course is named module number of identification and the module name are essential. The course prerequisite demands an understanding of the previous connections to the module. The facilitator should fill the form to confirm the understanding on the pre requisite to the targeted knowledge. The teachers should assume the students dockets to realize the essence of administering their services in serious modes. The teachers thinking in the students perspectives would be capable of providing the services as per the student demands. The students would require the service delivery that fosters greater understanding amongst them. The teachers should also imitate the facilitators’ purposes. The assumption of the facilitator tasks would imply the employment of the facilitators techniques. The facilitators would always employ the technique of tackling the questions as raised by the students. The immediate answers on the inquiries by the students assist in creating a credible flow of ideas amongst the students. Therefore, the students can obtain distinct understanding because they

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

Summary and Analysis Assignment - Essay Example Dick existed of blacking boots and what intensified its appeal was because the pay gathered from such activities would support Dick and his companion Fosdick quite a while. Dick is a persevering individual without formal instruction and energetic about knowing how to put pen and paper in journey for information. Algers work outlines how Dick rejected Fosdick to pay their rent because he was his casual instructor and did not need to pay rent (Wendy Glenn 5). Algers works have fro long demonstrated that anyone could be rich whenever without notice and timing. The stream of occasions in the origin of Alger depicts the ability he holds in assembling extraordinary bits of work. It was amid their visit to Brooklyn on a ship that his fortune struck him without cautioning. Alger is most likely a swimmer because he knows the amount individuals fear of the profound water, and takes us through the story to the closures of the ocean (Wendy Glenn 7). It is doubtless that Dick turns out a legend. Going with Dick was Fosdick, who remained tongue-tied from the exercises that carried on for the most limited time of ones life. Algers dialect utilization is full of symbolism. This dialect style effectively expressed the idea about what went ahead in Dicks brain just before hopping into the water. The occasions that transpired are all fixated on Dick and the salvage mission. The occasions now are the peak of the story and serves as a defining moment too for the life of Dick. Dick had never utilized swimming for any great following the time. However, this was his chance and in the midst of the amazement of all viewing he figured out how to force it off well. Numerous reasons would have been a response to the inquiry why Dick chose to take the hazard of hopping. Alger puts the reasons unmistakably, as if he was Dick himself. In a way recommending, he was assembling an individual background story. The salvage was pegged on prizes, attractive

Breast Cancer Information Essay Essay Example for Free

Breast Cancer Information Essay Essay Breast cancer is the malignant form of tumor that develops from the breast cells and is the most common form of cancer invasive in women worldwide. This is considered second in malignancy after skin cancer in women. It starts from the inner lining of the milk ducts and spreads to the surrounding tissue. Breast is composed of microscopic cells, which multiply in an orderly manner with older cells being replaced by new cells. Uncontrolled multiplication of cells in a progressive manner is the phenomenon in cancer. Milk duct is the most common spot for the cancer to begin and this form is also known as â€Å"ductal carcinoma. While most breast cancer cases occur in women, male breast cancer is also rarely present. Breast cancer has two forms: invasive and non-invasive. Invasive form of breast cancer is where the cancer cells reach the nearby tissue from inside the lobules. In such cases, cancer cells reach the lymph nodes and reach other organs through metastasis. Liver, lungs and bones may get affected. The cancer cells may even reach other body parts by traveling through bloodstream or lymphatic system. Non-invasive form of breast cancer is where the cancer cells are limited to the origin i.e. inside the lobules. It is usually the pre-cancerous stage where cancer cells haven’t actually spread outside the place of origin and are â€Å"in situ†. This over a period of time develops into invasive breast cancer. The type of breast cancer determines the treatment to be carried out in each case. For breast cancer to be diagnosed it is important that its symptoms be known. The signs of breast cancer that are evident to the patient include headache or pain. Sometimes a rash or swelling may develop. Symptoms are what the doctor can detect like thickening of the tissue in the woman’s breast. Presence of lumps is not a sure sign of cancer as lumps need not be cancerous every time. It is important to get a health check up done by professional in case of lumps. Here are some known signs and symptoms which women report before the detection of breast cancer and need be diagnosed for analysis: 1. Redness of skin 2. Lump formation in the breast 3. Pain in armpits or breast not during menstrual cycle but otherwise 4. Swelling in the armpits(lumps) 5. Nipples of breast turning sunken or inverted 6. Change in size and shape of breast 7. Rash present around the nipples 8. Thickened tissue of breast 9. Discharge which may be that of blood from the nipples 10. Peeling, scaling or flaking of skin of nipples or breast It must be noted that these symptoms are not confirmatory indicators of breast cancer but are only a possible sign of malignancy. It may rather be a cyst or infection that causes such symptoms. In cases where diagnosis gives positive results, further treatment and course of action needs to be started by the medical professional. Determination of cancer type and its grade and also if genetic mutation is responsible for it or if it is hormone receptive is to be done. Positive breast cancer determination gives rise to the need for determining whether the cancerous cells have spread to other organs, tissues or bones. Effective treatments can cure the cancer or prevent it from spreading further. Local or systematic treatment based on the size, nature and extent of tumor is carried out post diagnosis. Surgery and radiation are means of local treatment where cancer cells are tried to be destroyed without affecting the other body parts or remaining body. Breast-sparing lumpectomy or mastectomy in aggressive form where the entire breast may have to be removed can be done as a part of the surgery. Systematic treatments involve targeting of bloodstream in the entire body and are given through mouth to reach target cancer cells. Toxic drugs such as cyclophoshamide or methotrexate may be used in such treatments. Biological treatment is the most recent form where therapy is used to strengthen the immune system to fight the cancer cells and curb the growth of cancer cells which have protein in higher levels. Which treatment regimen is adopted for a patient depends upon the age, type and stage of cancer. Since women over 50 years of age are most likely to develop cancer, early diagnosis can prevent cancer from happening altogether in many cases. Breast cancer screening tests are recommended in women over 40 years of age which are tests done without the  presence of any symptom. Detection is done by self exams, check up by medical experts or clinical mammography. Women who have family history of cancer must undergo the early screening tests as they are at higher risk of developing the malignancy through genes. Although causes of breast cancer are not ascertained, there are many factors that can be considered for its likelihood in females. As age progresses, the risk of developing breast cancer grows. Genetics also play a major role. Breast cancer is more common in such women whose close relative had ovarian cancer. If a woman had developed the non-invasive problem ever in her life, she is quite likely to develop breast cancer again in lifetime. Breast lumps at some stage can turn into cancer later on. For women with dense breast tissues, the chance of developing breast cancer is always higher. It is very crucial that a breast cancer gets diagnosed for the treatment to begin. The doctors have wider range of options to begin and judge the patient’s progress and prevent metastasis from occurring. Staging of cancer, i.e. the extent to which cancer has evolved in patient’s body can be determined only after its diagnosis. Further survival rates are highly dependent upon the type, stage and location of cancer. Women can keep away breast cancer by eating healthy diet, drinking less alcohol and breastfeeding their children besides being physically active in their routines. Breast cancer can be managed through surgery or chemotherapy or both in case needed. Risk of reoccurrence is a prominent factor during treatment and thus prevention is always better than cure.

Solutions to Rising Healthcare Costs

Solutions to Rising Healthcare Costs Rising cost in health care its solution Contents Executive Summary Reasons for high cost in health care Solutions to the rising cost of health care Implementation of Universal Health care model The Beveridge Model The famous Bismark Model The National Health Insurance Model The Out-of-Pocket Model Procedure to implement Workplace Health Model Conclusion References Executive Summary Undoubtedly, health care costs has emerged as a severe issue these days, especially when the budget is appreciably high. The present financial situation of the world today reveals comparatively high cost in medical and health care. Day by day, the cost of insurance premiums and medical claims for employees is rising at an all-time high and is continuously following an upward trend. In such critical situation, business leaders are being called upon to make changes at workplaces and to implement models which can help in curbing rising costs. Many of them are turning to workplace health programs to help employees so that they can adopt healthier lifestyles. This also will help in lowering the risk of developing costly chronic diseases. A coordinated move toward the workplace’s health promotion results in a planned, prearranged, and comprehensive set of curriculum, policies, benefits, and ecological supports designed to meet the health and safety needs of all employees. Programs r elating to workplace health care tend to be more successful when both occupation and health is considered in the design and execution of the workplace. In fact, a mounting body of evidence indicates that workplace-based interventions that take coordinated,  planned and integrated approaches towards reducing health threats to workers both in and out of work are more effective than traditional isolated programs. (Prevention, 2013) (Figure 1: Health care expenditure) (Source: Forbes, 2013) Reasons for high cost in health care This decade has alarmingly witnessed an appreciable increment in health care costs. Whether it is ever-increasing health indemnity premiums, growing drug costs, or escalating hospital prices, it is an agreeable fact that these costs need to be constrained, or even lowered. For many years and in immeasurable articles, physicians have been the scapegoat for rising healthcare costs in thewhole world. On the other hand, it has been seen that something else is exposed by digging deeper into the key mechanism in healthcare spending as technology and know-how, various administrative expenses, hospital costs, lifestyle substitute and chronic disease conditions have all had superior impacts on rising overall healthcare costs than medical doctors. The bulk of medical payments go to hospitals and device manufactures. It has been suggested by critics that the incomes of physicians is directed by most spending of healthcare. Despite the fact, it is not necessary that the primary beneficiaries of health care spending are physicians. The medical procedure payment in bulk goes in hospitals and in manufacturing the devices. But this does not mean that majority of benefits are gained by physicians and they have caused a rise in the health care settings. This becomes an extremely wrong notion. The five main factors responsible for the increase in health care costs have been discussed below: Unnecessary Care in various occasions Out of many reasons, overuse and needless care, accounts one-third to one-half of all health care expenditure and this equals to hundreds of billions of dollars, in addition to the half-a-trillion spent per year. Preventable Harm to Patients This is one of most common problems of health care. The information is astounding. This is a surprising fact that early elective delivery harms both women and newborns. Children born at 37-39 finished week growth are at much elevated risk of death. They are also at a distant higher risk for evils like respiratory problems and right of entry to theNICU. Wastage of Billions of Dollars A report submitted by the Institute of Medicine  Health  suggests that a third or more of health expenditure are pointless. The cost of these pointless, injurious and early hours elective deliveries account to nearly $1 billion per year as was predicted in a study by the  American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Vicious inducement in how we pay for Care? By tradition, people pay providers for various health plans, Medicare and other Medicaid no matter what services they provide. This is regardless of whether the overhaul truly reimburses the patient or not, as the tremendous new book called The Incentive Cure points out. Deficient in Transparency There must be proper requirement for medical expenditure made. Transparency stimulates change like nothing else. Cases like early elective deliveries demonstrate that, despite of warnings over the years from medical societies and various organizations and highly appreciated national organizations, the rates of these deliveries have been going up for decades.(Forbes, 2013) Solutions to the rising cost of health care Cost in health care all over the world is rising at a rapid rate. The health care spending is increasing faster than the overall economy in US too. As per the National Health Expenditure Accounts data from 2008, it is shown that, people of US spend more than $2 trillion every year on health care which is 16.2 percent of gross domestic product. The amount spent per person comes out to be approximately equal to $7,681. Going up health care costs are inextricably linked to the enlargement in the number of uninsured, making it imperative that the subsequent step in health system improvement include efforts to address growing costs. The American Medical Association (AMA) has recognized four broad policies to maintain the health care expenses and get good benefits for the amount spend after health care: Diminish the burden of avertable disease Make health care delivery more efficient Diminish nonclinical health scheme costs that do not add to patient concern Uphold value-based administration at all levels Here is an elaborate discussion on the above four strategies: Diminish the burden of avertable disease The policy to diminish the risk factors for ailing and preventing the commencement of chronic diseases will definitely improve the patient’s fulfillment with medications and precautionary care recommendations. This policy will also encourage enhanced nutrition and physical movement with prevention in injury due to accidents and violence. This policy will also give enhancement in carrying out more public health campaigns. Formulate health care delivery more efficient The policy of formulating a better health care delivery is always needed to reduce the rising expenses in health care. This will not only improve coordination of care but will also help in reducing unnecessary use of services. This particular strategy is helpful in increasing use of services with optimistic return on investment i.e. in terms of future disease and cost. Here we can get increased accessibility of information on the usefulness of different treatments; advance management of chronic diseases. This will in turn reduce the medical errors and shift care to cost-effective sites of service. Diminish nonclinical health scheme costs that do not add to patient concern This particular strategy will help in eliminating unwarranted spending that does not make an addition to the value of patient concern, such as administrative expenses, profit making, etc. Uphold value-based administration at all levels. This successful strategy tends to improve the processes by which assessment are made so that both cost and benefit can be taken into consideration. Again particularly clinical outcomes are considered in this strategy. Both information and incentives are needed to be improved a lot for host of resolutions. Assessment can be increasingly incorporated into such assessments as physicians and patients decide among medicinal therapies, as insurers plan health chart features, and as legislators settle on budgets or authorization coverage of meticulous benefits. (Association, 2013) The ultimate solution to the ongoing rise in healthcare expenses cannot lie in shifting responsibilities, generating hostility among workers, and contracting the managerial screws on the system. Such solution must lie in dealing with healthcare in a truly fundamental way. Implementation of Universal Health care model Rising costs in Health care is definitely a serious problem. There is a need that every company in the world formulates some strategic and universal plan for appropriate healthcare treatment of its human resources. They must put into practice such plans, which will not only be advantageous to the employees, but also will help that organization to curb the large expenditure in health care. A sound deliberate plan sets the long-term course for a healthcare system in any organization. This will identify the key initiatives and define answerability for results. Various healthcare strategic planning solutions of various organizations in reality guarantee improved presentation through establishing: A fixed accountability for results by human being and date A trouble-free tool to use with which management can manage day-to-day outcomes There must be fast start for one to start on accomplishment of plans Arrangement and promise from all stakeholders An exclusive explanation specific to one’s capability and needs (System, 2005-2013) Health care is the economic black hole of every country. Legislation and rules can only go so far as setting up the system and paving way for new technology but can’t do a great deal on their own. For a genuine combat with health care’s cost challenges, the focal point must budge to disruptive business models as searching innovative ways of delivering accessible treatments at a much lower cost. While new business models are looked-for across the spectrum of healthcare, many impediments put off new ideas from captivating root. There are barriers, which possibly will stem from the fact that health care in various countries do not function like the free market. For example, customers rarely compensate directly for their own care, so there is modest incentive for making trade-offs such as preferring something cheaper that they can get in lesser cost. The regulatory atmosphere often does not allow reasonably priced solutions to make it to marketplace. Finally, there are inco mpatible incentives and hospitals want patients to get that operation, but insurance companies do not want such. (Eyring, 2012) As the expenditure of healthcare has risen, companies have tried to apply many cost-containment stratagems. However, all of which are likely to be only in part effective and only for a little while. More imperative, the new strategy make enemies, cause workers to be disbelieving of the company’s goodwill and intentions, subvert constructive attitudes on the part of the workforce, and harshly degrade the attitude and esprit of retirees with regard to the corporation. The contemporary approaches all amount to cutting benefits and variable costs. The most widespread practice is to push up the workers’ assistance while, at the identical time, reducing the obtainable benefits in the company’s insurance plan. If we take a corporate point of view, we can notice that implementation of a universal health care system is relatively easy and clear-cut. Corporations would make a permanent annual contribution to the national health care system as a percentage of the salary and wages of all workers. For example, it may be only as a talking point, 7.5 percentages of all salary and wages. (Coates, 2004) For implementation of a Universal Health care system, there are four basic models, which can be applied for an appropriate health care system within an organization. Countries all across the globe are following the map of complex legal, economic, and political landscapes to settle on the best path towards worldwide health coverage (UHC). Below we can illustratefour basic models for health care systems. The Beveridge Model In the Beveridge Model, the facility of health care is provided and financed by the government through tax expenditure, comparable to the public library. Many, but not all, hospitals and health centers are owned by the government and some doctors are employees under government, but there are also personal doctors who accumulate their fees from the government. These schemes tend to have low costs per capita, because the government, as the one and only payer, is in charge of what doctors can do and what they can charge. The countries, which are using the Beveridge Model or a variation include: Cuba Great Britain The famous Bismark Model Despite of being most popular in all around the various European countries, this system of providing health care would look comparatively recognizable to Americans. It uses an insurance system and here the insurers are called sickness funds. They are usually financed in cooperation by employers and employees through payroll deduction. Unlike the U.S. indemnity industry, though, Bismarck-type health insurance plans have to wrap everybody, and they do not make a profit. Doctors and hospitals tend to be personal in Bismarck countries. Although this is a multi-payer model and the country, Germany has about 240 different funds but this tight regulation gives government comparable cost-controls as single-payer Beveridge Models. Countries those are familiar in using the Bismarck Model or a variation comprise of; Germany France Belgium the Netherlands Japan Switzerland The National Health Insurance Model These systems have elements in combination of both Beveridge and Bismarck models. It uses private-sector providers, but imbursement comes from a government-run insurance plan that each citizen pays into. Since there is no need for advertising, no financial reason to deny claims and no profit, these universal insurance plans tend to be cheaper and much simpler managerially than American-style for-profit insurance. The single-payer is inclined to have substantial market power to consult for subordinate prices. The classic National Health Insurance system is found in Canada, but some recently industrialized countries like Taiwan and South Korea. These are some newly developed countries, which have also considered the NHI model. (Forward, 2011) The Out-of-Pocket Model Researches state that only some developed, industrialized countries, perhaps 40 of the world’s 200 countries in the world have established health care systems. Most of the countries on the planet are too deprived and too incompetent to provide any kind of mass health checkup facilities and proper medical care. The essential rule in such countries is that the rich get medical care but unfortunately, the people who cannot afford the cost, stay sick, or die. Almost hundreds of millions of people go past their whole lives without ever seeing a doctor in rural regions of Africa, India, China, and South America. They may have right of entry, although, to a village healer using home-brewed medication that may or not be of use against very disease. In the world under poverty, patients can from time to time scratch together enough money to pay a physician bill but if they cannot, then they pay it otherwise like they pay in potatoes or goat’s milk or child care or anything else they may have to provide. If they have nothing, they remain deprived of health checking facility. The above mentioned four models are moderately easy for Americans to understand because the Government and people of the country have all these elements in their fragmented national health care equipment’s (RESOURCES, 2010) (Figure 2: Health care systems) (Source: Resources, 2010) Countries in blue have some type of universal health care. Countries in green are currently attempting to implement some type of universal health care. Orange countries have universal health coverage provided by United States war funding. (Glow, 2007) Procedure to implement Workplace Health Model (Source: (Prevention, 2013) Any organization before implementation must look into the procedure to be followed for implementing an appropriate health care model. There may be four steps to follow: Step 1: Assessment A proper assessment process must be carried on relating to individual, organizational and community. For individual assessment on health risks and use of services needed to be taken. Current practices and infrastructure of the organization must be assessed. Step 2: Planning or Workplace Governance In the next step, planning and workplace governance needed to be considered. This starts with leadership support and management and continues with various workplace health improvement plans and dedicated resources. Step 3: Implementation In the third stage, there require proper implementation of various rules and regulations. There must be proper programs and policies with regard to various health benefits and environmental supports. Step 4: Evaluation After implementation of workplace health care model, evaluation on such polices must be taken. Evaluation is needed on workers’ productivity and health care costs. Management should look into whether implementation of health model helps in cost curbing or not. Assessment also needs to be taken on improved health outcomes and organizational changes (Glow, 2007) Conclusion We all are aware of rising cost of health care and thus, workplaces are suggested to implement such a health care plan that will not only prove to be beneficial to the employees but will also help in curbing the cost within the organization. For having a reasonable health care opportunity, an organization must take into consideration some ideas including of implementing an automated prior authorization program, having a therapeutic consultation programs, transformation of electronic health records and various health information in exchange of e-prescribing. Policies also can be taken on simplification in administration of home and community based services, taking proper information on pharmacy claims, proper review on payment methods etc. (Moeller, 2013) As evident from this report, there is a significant issue with regard to health disparities that exists in the countries. This issue leads to high costs in healthcare. Especially in between 2003 and 2006, it was estimated by Joint center for political and economic studies that health inequity costs that are either total direct or total indirect affect the minority populations (racially or ethnically inclusive of low wage and low productions) In order to achieve truly the costs of savings in the systems of healthcare, it is advised by experts to look at every factor that drives the costs of healthcare over the GDP, growth of population and inflation. Also, analysis of literature and data does not simply point out that physicians are the main cause of rising health care costs. The factors are several as discussed in the report with respect to life style of people and chronic status of individuals (Coates, 2004).

Electric Commuter Train Or Commuter Rail Tourism Essay

Electric Commuter Train Or Commuter Rail Tourism Essay Electric commuter train or commuter rail is a passenger rail transport service between a city center and commuter towns that draw large numbers of people who travel on a daily basis. Commuter trains are usually optimized for maximum passenger volume, in most cases without sacrificing too much comfort and luggage space, though they seldom have all the amenities of long-distance trains. This service provided by the government in order to give more convenience towards people for urban and rural areas to move (White, 2002). The service is able to meets the requirement and desire through the perception of Malaysian citizen towards the service quality of commuter train by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB). The service quality in the commuter train can be measured by SERVQUAL dimension which is focuses in term of tangibles, reliability and responsiveness (Parasuraman et. al., 1985). According to Wiki, SERVQUAL was originally measured on 10 aspects of  service quality: reliability, respo nsiveness, competence, access, courtesy, communication, credibility, security, understanding the  customer  and tangibles. It measures the gap between customer expectations and experience. The service quality of the commuter train becomes important issue in order to have better and comfortable environment. The service quality of the public transport in that area seems unsatisfied and average level, which are physical facilities in term of cleanliness and comfortableness, punctuality, frequencies and responsiveness of the driver and conductor of the public transports. Is it the services quality of the commuter train is really implemented well in this country whether in urban or rural areas? This is because more allocation provided to reconstruct the quality of public transport. Therefore these researches try to investigate the perception of the Malaysian citizen towards the service qualities of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB). Background of the study In Malaysia, KTM commuter is the one of the electrified commuter train service that operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB). It was first introduced in 1995 to cater people especially in Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding suburban areas and it is a popular mode of transport for people who are working in Kuala Lumpur as they can travel to the city without being caught in traffic congestion. KTM commuter is currently the most profitable passenger service offered by KTMB, contributing RM84.63 million to group revenue in 2006, higher than KTM Intercitys profit of RM70.94 million in the same year (Nathan and Darshini, 2007). KTM commuter has attracted a significant number of passengers in the transportation market. According to the Ministry of Transport Malaysia 2008 Statistics; the annual ridership for KTM commuter was 36,557 millions of passengers (MOT, 2008). This study is important for KTMB generally and KTM commuter specifically to improve their services especially trains services. Having the information gathered from this study, they can look for effective ways in overcoming these problems and be more competitive in their services since the respondents for this study are KTM commuter customers themselves. From the findings of this study, the management can be made aware of the problems that they are facing everyday and the come up with proactive actions to provide better services to the customers. In return, the customers will enjoy a better quality of services in the future. Research objectives The objectives of the study are: To assess the service quality perceived by passengers of Malaysian citizen who ride the KTM commuter To examine factors influencing the good services provided by KTM commuter. Problem statement The current issues and problems regards in the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) public transports is the time arrival and time travel delaying. Many customers or passengers when went and used that service they was not satisfied with the service quality provided by this KTM B after used the KTM commuter service in term of punctuality and frequencies of train arrive. This issue showed even the public transportation is modernized and in the urban areas but service quality is still lacking and not well implemented. This will lead to negative perception and not satisfy the consumer using the public transports (Karen Thompson, Peter Schofield 2002). The problem of time arrival delaying was related with the other problem which is the space in the KTM commuter. This is because insufficient space to carry more passengers and others whereby the congestion occurred. Nowadays people out there mostly using a public transport like commuter as their transport so, the chance of increase passenger s are higher than before. So when the space of KTM commuter limited and crowded it will become worse to passengers to use and went it. Significant of the study Today the need for an efficient and effective public transportation service like KTM commuter is becoming more importance in order to overcome these problems especially in the Klang Valley. Besides that, many transportation companies are competing with each other to attract as many customers and gain more profit. It is imperative that KTM commuter needs to become more progressive and aggressive to compete with the competitors because nowadays, customers are becoming more demanding with the quality of the service. The want value for money that is they expect the service quality that they received from the service providers equals or exceeds what they had paid for (Mitra Lagerstrom, 2002). Reliability is focusing on frequencies and punctuality of the public transport arrives on time and able to meet the perception expectation of the user. Reliability means the ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately (Parasuraman, et. al., 1988). The measuring arrival of the pu blic transport at the destination on time is of limited usefulness and will give positive impact towards the public expectation and perceptions. The punctuality measured in term of time arrival and departure is important elements in reliability service quality of dimension. Theoretical framework Speed Punctuality Service quality Space Frequency Safety Reliability Train operationDEPENDENT VARIABLES Comfort INDEPENDENT VARIABLES Research hypothesis There are three hypothesis developed in this study: Hypothesis 1 : There is a significant difference between dimension of tangible and service quality of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) Hypothesis 2 : There is a significant difference between dimension of reliability and service quality of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) Hypothesis 3 : There is a significant difference between dimension of responsiveness and service quality of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) Task 2 (LOC 3 : AC 3) Introduction Literature review is a documentation of a comprehensive review of the published and unpublished work from secondary sources of data in the areas of specific interest to the researcher. Past research on the phenomenon under investigation must play key role in the process of problem formulation. Literature review Customer satisfaction According to our team survey , most of the people satisfied with KTMB services meanwhile there are some services that KTMB are not doing well in their job customer satisfaction are important because customer are judging by services based on pricing that KTMB create. KTMB also have to improve their services based on doing a survey, give a recommendation to customer itself, on other hand the customer also have to give their opinion on what there want or like. Customer loyalty Customer loyalty always follows satisfaction, which is determined from the service quality offered by the KTMB. It is also one of the most frequently used indicators to measure the success of a marketing strategy. Research methodology Introduction The word methodology is the method that any researcher used with appropriate steps, method, technique and tools together with the approaches taken in the research process. Data collection Primary data Primary data is used for this research and the data is obtained using self-administered questionnaires. The questionnaire comprised of two sections. The first section is designed to capture the respondents demographic. The questions asked in this section are related to the respondents gender, nationality, ethnicity, age, marital status, and occupation. The second section is designed to measure the customers perceptions towards various dimensions of services performance in KTM commuter service. The questionnaires are distributed among customers on board the train and those waiting for trains in the stations between 8 October to 10 October 2010. The sample for this study consists of 50 respondent in Batang Benar station. Secondary data According Kotler and Armstrong, secondary data can be defined as information that already exists somewhere, having been collected for another purpose. It may be available from internal sources, or may have been collected and published by another organization. Secondary data usually can be obtained more quickly and at lower price than primary data as researchers can gain the needed data in form of government reports and statistics, company reports and accounts, articles or journals in internet and reports in newspapers. Besides, the data that has been collected can be used to get a new perspective on the current study, to compare the work from previous findings or to use as a reference for future study. The table below shows the secondary sources that will be used in carrying out the research. Sources Explanation Books Literary work by professionals that relates to the food and beverage industry, guides on conducting research projects, as well as information on data of previously conducted research. Internet The internet offers unlimited sources of information that caters to all topic areas. Journals Journals are a good source of secondary data, as they may contain vital information of a certain period of time. Past Research Data from previous research can be used to compare the statistics and other information Task 3 (LOC 3 : AC 4 and LOC 4 : AC 1 and AC 2) Here are more ideas as to how to solve the problem on transportation. This research can understand for simplicity why KTMB designate their routes Seremban-Rawang and Sentul-Port Klang. But being so rigid about it can lead to adverse effects. Most people who take the KTM commuter are doing it to get in and out of the city (e.g. Subang Jaya-Sentral). Or users who just want to travel down the line (e.g. Seremban-Kajang). Although there must be people who use it to cross the Klang Valley (e.g. Seremban-Rawang), they are not in the majority. The way the service routes are designed, it seems silly why these trains have to make one full journey back and forth each branch for every run. Actual fact, delays at one part of the system can lead to other trains being delayed elsewhere, further down the line. For example, a Rawang-Seremban service might be delayed simply because somewhere in Kajang, there is a delay. In other words, researcher suggesting that the operations of these services should be made somewhat a bit more independent to each other. KTMB should consider introducing a variety of routes. Other than that, at not so busy hours, they should maintain their current service routes, as usual. But at peak hours: Seremban-Tasik Selatan Passengers take the Sri Petaling LRT or KLIA Transit to continue their journeys. Rawang-Bank Negara Passengers take the Sri Petaling and Ampang LRT to continue their southward journeys. Reduce service on the Sentul KTM branch passengers can hope off at Bank Negara to continue on the Sri Petaling and Ampang LRT. Introduce express services that bypass not-so busy stations. Introduce services that start and terminate at busy stations like Subang Jaya, Serdang etc. Construct a Komuter station at Abdullah Hukum to allow westerly passengers to bypass Sentral (and finally putting Abdullah Hukum to good use). Continue serving the usual full Rawang-Seremban and Sentul-Port Klang routes but at low frequencies. With the savings of rolling stock, couple those together to serve busy routes. The delays experienced by KTM commuter users seem to be with regards to clashing intercity and freight trains, and usually this is most severe in KL, from the Jalan Bangsar Junction to Jalan Kuching. Naturally the most sensible thing would be to schedule all trains, and make sure they follow their schedules. But they dont, for reasons sometimes beyond KTMs control. There is the issue of different grades of service on different lines. KLIA Transit, being the most posh, followed by the LRTs and Monorail and the KTM commuter at the bottom. And with this, also have different fares for similar journeys. For example, for the journey Bandar Tasik Selatan to KL Sentral Komuter RM1.00 KLIA Transit RM4.20 Sentul to Bandaraya/Bank Negara (although Sentul KTM and LRT are at different places) Komuter RM1.00 LRT RM1.40 It is also inevitable that KTM has to Improve on its scheduling and also further computerization with traffic control. Increase in capacity by acquiring more rolling stock to articulate the current trains and to have more train sets in service. Improve its station quality as well as integration with other rail lines. C:UsersANNA HBCRDesktopKlktm.gif Finding To find effectiveness of KTMB as a public transportation KTMB was an effective way to travel as a public transportation. KTMB was the respondents choice as a public transportation to travel around Rawang-Seremban, Sentul-Port Klang. Alternative public transportation that the respondents choose was bus. To identify the areas covered by KTMB KTMB covers the area that the respondents were going therefore it showed that the respondent were happy and satisfied with the areas covered by KTMB. The areas that had been covered by KTMB was close to the respondent workplace and to Mid Valley which one of a top spot for tourist and people to shop and hang out. To compare the fare of KTMB with other public transportation The researcher found out that the respondent were satisfied with the ticket price of KTMB compared with the price of other public transportation. The factor that many respondents were satisfied was the fare price is cheaper than taking other public transportation. KTMB was close to the place that many respondents were going therefore KTMB was the majority respondents choice of transportation. To analyze the frequency of travelers using KTMB transportation The researcher found out that the travelling frequency for KTMB was adequate for respondents as many of the respondents used this service to travel around Rawang-Seremban, Sentul-Port Klang. Important factor would be that the respondents used this service because their workplace is situated in KL Central, Mid Valley and etc also to avoid traffic jams. Gantt Chart for Research Project Proposal Activity Start Date Duration (days) End Date Proposal 14/9/2011 3 17/9/2011 Survey Methodology 14/9/2011 1 15/9/2011 Literature Review: 18/9/2011 12 10/9/2011 Authors 18/9/2011 7 25/9/2011 Government Publications 27/9/2011 7 4/10/2011 Questionnaire Preparation 5/10/2011 1 6/10/2011 Interview and Survey 6/10/2011 2 8/10/2011 Tally and Analyze Survey Questionnaire 8/10/2011 1 9/10/2011 End Discussion and Conclusion 9/10/2011 1 10/10/2011 14/9/2011 8/10/2011 25/10/2011 6/10/2011 Proposal Survey Methodology Literature Review: Authors Government Publications Questionnaire Preparation Interview and Survey Tally and Analyze Survey à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ End Discussion and Conclusion Start Date Duration (days) Task 4 (LOC 4 : AC 3) Conclusion and recommendation Findings of this study have important practical to management of quality of the Malaysian rail services. This study demonstrates the usefulness as a measure of service quality. The measurement scale also serves to identify symptoms and the underlying problems that inhibit the effective provision of quality services in rail transport. Once the attributes of rail services from the customers perspective are more clearly known and understood, its service providers will be in a better position to anticipate consumer requirements rather than to react to consumer dissatisfaction. The attributes of reliability and tangibles have been identified by respondents to be the most important dimensions of service quality. These two dimensions were also found to have the highest gap (perception minus expectation), implying that customers expectation of reliability and tangibles dimensions of the railway services are not met by KTMB. Although these findings cannot be generalized to the overall passenger profile, KTMB should use it as an impetus to assess their services, particularly to study ways of improving on their reliability and tangibles dimensions. KTMB management could start by improving on staff training, especially to train their staff to be more professional and courteous when dealing with customers. The public confidence of KTMB has to be gained and the best way is for the management to look at improving on aspects such as reliability of services, improving physical facilities, training of staff and communicating precise information on train schedules. In view of the intense competition in the transport sector with the opening of the North-South Highway, it is imperative that the management of KTMB carry out more research to discover any shortfalls in service quality and to take necessary corrective measures in case of a shortfall. This could ensure that the service quality of KTMB provides the best to its consumers in order to compete effectively with other modes of transport. As the consumer plays a key role in the definition and evaluation of the quality of rail services offered, managers of KTMB should incorporate consumer expectations and perceptions in the formulation of effective long-term marketing strategy. KTM should improved the train service in terms of the punctuality and provide a suitable frequency (for example: every 10 minutes) to reduce congestion at the stations especially during peak hours. This study also recommends that future researchers should come out with the focus groups to compare the opinion between KTMB users with other transportation mode users.

Analysis of Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Essay -- Marlow Heart o

Analysis of Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Heart of Darkness is a story about Marlow’s journey to discover his inner self. Along the way, Marlow faces his fears of failure, insanity, death, and cultural contamination on his trek to the inner station. Marlow, who goes on his journey to meet Kurtz, already has a fascination with Kurtz after listening to many people along the way. Conrad tries to show us that Marlow is what Kurtz had been, and Kurtz is what Marlow could become. Marlow says about himself, "I was getting savage," meaning that he was becoming more like Kurtz. Along the trip into the wilderness, they discover their true selves through contact with the native people. On one occasion, the steamer is attacked by a party of natives, killing the helmsmen and frightening the crew. This event triggers a change in Marlow, who takes off his shoes, which were covered in his friend’s blood. This taking off of clothes is a return to nature, bringing about a more primitive Marlow. Even as Marlow ventures further up the Congo, he feels like he is traveling ba...