Gaps in education sector

Therefore, we applied a quality gaps model to ten courses belonging to the open university system In Brazil, researching course coordinatorsand students. Themulti-methods researchnoticed that institutionsgenerallydo not adopta market- riented model for decision-making in their courses and, therefore do not own d well- defined process to identity students' expectations and, consequently,to create quality strategies andpoliciesbased on theseexpectations. On the otherhand. lthoughhigher educatlonls legallyregulatedby the Ministry ofEducatlon, Institutions seekdifferentiation in the market byhiring and retaining qualified and caring personnel end by thedevelopment oflnnovetlveendexcltlnglearnlng actlvltlesthat stimulatestudent motivation. These actions are strategically differentiated and help reducing barriers related to distance education. Theinfrastructure which Is vital to thesuccess of atechnology-based coursels, stlll,a Ilmltanonlnremote areas. Flnally, a t- test shcwved there was a favorableperception of quality for both students andcoordlnators, but the latterwere moreoptlmlstlc Services quality.Introduction The study of services quality date of 1980's. These studies began with Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry published papers. Until then quality used to be studied only by operations field, which focus on tangible products quality. In operations quality means the absence of defects or compliance with the requirements of production [1]. Operations approach to quality assessment proved inadequate for the study of services, given its peculiar characteristics: intangibility, heterogeneity and inseparability . lntangibility means the inability to account for, store and test a service before its delivery.The heterogeneity comes from the intrinsic variability of the service, it means, a service will have different performance depending on the service provider, the client engagement and the context in which service is provided. Finally, inseparability concerns to th e fact that a service is consumed simultaneously to its production. These unique Mantovant Dateliy Mn et. al. l sep. -oct. 2013 | vol. 2 1 Issue 5130-39 characteristics make it difficult to assess quality for a service [1]. Parasuraman et al. were pioneers in assessing quality in services.Their approach was so successful that it has been used since the 80's. For the authors, unlike tangible products, the quality of a service refers to the perception customers have about it[l] and this perception occurs during the interaction between the client and the service provider [2]. Under this perspective, perceived quality is measured by the difference between the perceived erformance of a service and the initial expectations about it (service quality = perception of service performance – expectations about the service). pproach considers that expectations refer to the service desired by the customer and the minimum level of service acceptable in his/her point of view. Then, a zone of Available online at www. management]ournal. info tolerance is created, determining satisfactory and acceptable levels of service [3]. Difference between perception of service performance and initial expectations gave rise to what is called â€Å"gaps model of service quality', the object of this study. Pioneer studies focused on banking services quality, credit card and maintenance services [1].Services quality assessment became popular and other services began to be studied in the same light. Higher education can be understood under services point of view, since education market has become client-oriented (considering student as a client). This means education market is no longer purely education-oriented (pedagogy-oriented), which makes it possible to consider education institutions as providers of educational products and services [4]. It is important to note that education is not a common service, like banking or estaurant services, since it owns a key role in society and has a non-business mission to develop criticalcitizens.Education core mission is social, non-commercial; it means education aims to develop better human beings and better citizens Higher education institutions (HE's) have been facing fierce local and global competition, besides of challenges, such as high dropout rates and limited understanding of the market and students' needs. Online distance education has outstanding participation in increasing competitiveness among institutions around the approach feasible for education comprehension Word of mouth communicationIn Brazil, distance education has been gaining importance. In 2010, 14. 6 % of college students were attending distance education course, compared to Just 0. 2 % in 2002 [7]. This scenario can be explained by the expansion of education in Brazil, with the creation of new institutions, creation of new vacancies and creation of the Open University of Brazil (I-JAB), subject matter of the article. Distance education, for its pecu liar characteristics (space and temporal separation between instructor and student, technology intensive use, learner empowerment etc. faces its own challenges, such as student motivation ifficulties, high dropout rates and time management trouble. Given social importance of education, the growing role of distance education in Brazil and the challenges faced by this modality, the purpose of this article is to assess quality gaps in a distance education undergraduate course. We studied Public Administration undergraduate distance course from the Open University of Brazil, using the perspective of services quality.Thus, we compared students' and managers' (course coordinators) perceptions about the education services provided. We collected data from institutions belonging to I-JAB project and applied oth qualitative and quantitative methods in a multi-method research approach. Quality Gaps Parasuramanet al. [1] were pioneer on services quality research. As a result, they observed gaps between executives perceptions and consumers' perceptions about a same service quality, which gave rise to a five gap model, presented in Fig. 1.

Mesopotamia vs. Egypt Essay

When you think about Mesopotamia and Egypt you may think that they are very different. They are, but they also have many similarities and differences as well. Both of these societies have done things that have effected the way we live today. One similarity is they were both polytheistic, meaning that they believed in many gods. Another similarity is the both had their own writing system. Two differences they have are their feelings about the afterlife and their rivers. A similarity between the Mesopotamians and Egyptians is they both had their own writing system. The Egyptians used hieroglyphics which used pictorial symbols that represented sounds, concepts, or syllables. Because it took so long to learn how to read and write using hieroglyphics, scribes and priest were mainly they only ones who used it. The Mesopotamians used cuneiform. Cuneiform was basically wed-shaped symbols that represented words or syllables. Because so many symbols had to be learned, literacy was confined to a very small group made up of priest and scribes. Cuneiform originated in Mesopotamia but was then used by the Sumerian and Akkadian. Another similarity is both the Mesopotamians and the Egyptians were polytheistic, meaning that they believed in many gods. Both believed that everything happened because of the gods, and if you made the gods mad then you would be punished. The Mesopotamians were a little more skeptical about the gods compared to the Egyptians, the Egyptians were very optimistic about the gods. Also, both groups were very dependent on the gods and prayed to them daily. Many of their gods had to deal with nature. A difference between the two is their rivers. The Egyptians relied on the Nile river. It would flood often, but it was predictable. Because of this, the Egyptians built their homes where they wouldn’t get destroyed. They would also used irrigation to help their crops when the river would flood. The Mesopotamians had the Tigris and Euphrates river. It would flood Mesopotamia at unpredictable times at least once a year. The floods would destroy many homes and buildings. Another difference between Mesopotamia and Egypt is their outlook on death. The Egyptians spent their whole lifetime planning for the afterlife, they even planned their burial. After death hey were mummified and buried with their prized possessions and things such as food to help them along their trip to the afterlife. But the Mesopotamians had a bad outlook on death. They believed they gods were harsh, and did not look forward to the afterlife. As you can see Mesopotamia and Egypt have many similarities and differences. They are similar by both having their own writing systems and they were both polytheistic. They are different because of their outlooks on the afterlife and the flooding of their rivers. Both of these civilizations have shaped us today. Without them we wouldn’t be the world we are now.

To date human rights law has contributed little in terms of gender and Essay

To date human rights law has contributed little in terms of gender and sexuality related rights. Discuss - Essay Example Contextually, we must proceed to analyse the effects of human rights law in relation to gender and sexuality linked rights. This paper utilises a detailed review of academic and legal literature which is followed by a legal analysis. Next, case examples have been appended and the paper finally culminates at an appropriate conclusion. Evolution of the human rights law framework is one of the relatively recent developments. To understand the implications, backgrounds and characteristics of gender and sexuality related rights in relation to human rights, review of the literature related to feminism and feminist jurisprudence in particular becomes rather important. Hilaire Barnett has attempted to evaluate the relevance and implications of feminist jurisprudence from feminist, historical, socio-cultural and legal perspectives.1 Historical evidence of discrimination against women can be empirically testified by the practices like Chinese footbinding, female circumcision, Hindu suttee of India, European witch murders, wife sale in England, etc. A comparative analysis of these historic socio-cultural trends reveals the existence of certain tendencies in the society which give rise to gender-based violence against women. The legal developments too have been affected in efforts to curb these tendencies. For example, British colonial rulers in India had to pass a legislation that stopped the practice of Hindu suttee during the 19th century. Hence, gender inequalities and related violence have been intercultural and appropriate legal action in this regard must always be welcome.2 Further, analysis of gender based crime against women is extremely important in the context of criminal law as well. Law’s engagement with the female body is not only an ethical but also a technical issue in evaluating the existing criminal law framework.3 Addressing discrimination issues in regards of women is thus important in the context of UK. In fact, British women

Money Laundering and Corruption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Money Laundering and Corruption - Essay Example The government and various financial institutions have made significant efforts of preventing and detecting and fraud issues. This is  when making transactions issues that involve dirty money. Corruption is a moral impunity that involves embezzlement of funds and bribery issues. The government employs operational issues such as use of the FATF for investing corruption and conducting money laundering as well as asset tracing investigations. The Risks Posed By Money Laundering and Corruption to the Global Financial System and International Business Money laundry and corruption pose varied risks towards global financial system and international business. Laundering of money and corruption are interrelated because they both pose risks to customers  and their  products or transaction made and also impose risk to geographical risk factors in varied ways. There are many highlighted cases that have posed risks to many economies across the globe. Therefore, FATF has made considerable ef forts of preventing money laundering and corruption. Therefore, their independent organization have implemented anti monetary laundry and combating terrorist financing activities in order to reduce the risks that may arise from these threats. Understanding risk posed by these threats is significant. This is because it enables the government to provide recommendation for a  reporting entity  to implement  the risk  management systems and assess the level of enhanced due diligence (EDD) in order to reduce risks. Customer Risk Factors Money laundry and corruption issues expose political people and other public official to risks. The measures employed in money laundry are intended to encourage entities to report risk sensitive issues existing in the entity or exposing politically persons to high-risk to customers. The politically exposed persons (PEPs) status does not reveal that a person is corrupt or incriminated for being corrupt, but it reveals the potential risks money laun dering contribute to customers and their transaction process. The risk that corrupt PEP poses to the financial system is seen as one way of putting customers under risk especially when they are making transactions (Karsten 2003, p.15). Business relationships with PEPs contribute to increased customer risks because of increased possibility that an individual is holding. For instance, politicians may misuse authority by influencing their personal gain with an aim of achieving their own advantage. Moreover, the nature of the position may lead to customer risk factors. Someone holding a position in a certain office may have a substantial opportunity and authority of assessing the funds or assets of the state. He or she can take control over the government resources including setting money for combating terrorism issues and other activities; thus exposing customers to greater risks. For instance, the court case of Nicolau Dos Santos Neto, the ex-president of Brazil is one of the incidenc es that reveal the corruption nature of PEPs (FATF Report 2012, p.14). The actual corruption vulnerability may vary depending  upon the extent to which they exercise authority in the hierarchy. It is significant to recognize that not all PEPs cause risks to customers.

Mozart's 40th Symphony Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mozart's 40th Symphony - Essay Example In words of Donald Tovey, "it is not only difficult to see the depths of agony in the rhythms and idioms of comedy, but it is not very intelligent to attempt to see them." There are different views in realizing the essence of overall tone from tragedy, sorrow, dejection to lightness and grace. Alfred Heuss finds the aura of profundity is permeated and unified by grief-tinged interval of low tone second notes. The second movement is a lyrical work. The first is contemplative mood which tries to surmount the agony and despair of world. The theme the first movement is mirrored in a more subtle way in the second movement, Andante. The second movement is the submediant major of the overall G minor key of the symphony which carry us into darker expressions of urgency with further modulations with relying back on the recapitulations of the main theme. It features short two-note figures, called Seufzer (sighs) in Mozart's day. The bass-heavy instrumentation, 3-bar phrasing, cross-accented hemiola rhythm is although labeled as menuetto; it hardly offers joyous relief such dance-like movements typically offer. The forceful Menuetto (Allegretto) section, in G major, alternates the playing of the string section with that of the winds which offers a brief respite from this movement's grim dance. The main theme of last movement consists of a rising phrase followed by earth-bound one which suggests continuous struggle to go beyond the defeat with unresolved questions lurking in the background. The finale also includes the most harmonically challenging music in which Mozart disrupts his escalating theme with a bitter note and a semi-tone, and then plays a sequence of ten tones on the level of chromatic scale. The single left note is g-natural. The previously steady rhythm is interrupted into a movement which is not random but its forward motion; free of the questioning figures leaves a glimmer of hope. Its notes are structured in mathematical logic as an interlocking series of diminished 4th and 7th, the least tonally anchored of all intervals. As Heinrich Jalowetz noted, "For a fleeting moment the sequence escapes from the gravity of diatonic (tonal) space and sets up a genuine chromatic (atonal) segment." In words of Barbara Heninger,"Mozart has taken us on an unusual voyage, but in the end his musical language still achieves a balance, order, and resolution". Beauty of Mozart's composition is not enraptured in technical analysis but its ethereal effects which bring you into different realm of flight from sorrow, despair into rise, uplift and redemption. Bibliography Symphony No. 40 in

Fashion marketing research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Fashion marketing research - Essay Example The essay "Fashion marketing research" provides a research on fashion marketing. Due to short-lived nature of particular fashion trend, fashion marketers feel the pressure of continuously upgrading inventory and product offering to customers. Otherwise, it will be difficult for fashion marketers to ensure sustainable relevance to the customer based value proposition being offered by them (Kotler et al., 2001). In order to understand dynamics of fashion market, the study has selected two UK based fashion retailers as case organizations such as French connection and jigsaw. Objective of this study will be to analyze UK fashion market by comparing these two brands. In the last part, based on the analysis, suitable suggestions will be made for improving value proposition for French connection and jigsaw. In order to conduct primary research, author of this essay has visited Jigsaw store located in Duke Street, London and French Connection store located in oxford street, London. Objective of this study had been discussed with incoming customers in both the store. Convenience sampling (non probabilistic sampling) was used for selecting five respondents in each store. Open ended questions regarding perceptions of customers regarding profile/image of these two brands were asked to customers. In case of Jigsaw store located in Duke Street, London; marketer has integrated with juice bar, juke box and coffee shop inside the store while such types of additional amenities were absent in case.

Paramedics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Paramedics - Essay Example Paramedics will always interact with students who come to learn and gain field experience. Interaction between a qualified paramedic and a paramedical student can result into fruitful learning session in both theoretical and practical skills (Taghavi et al. 2012). There are various ways in which students interact with paramedics and any encounter presents a chance for learning. Due to the nature of work, paramedics are always in constant oscillation between health facilities and places of emergency. This implies that learners have to follow the paramedics’ team to interact with them in either of the places. While in the emergency areas, paramedics are more involved in saving live, reducing the number of casualties and stabilizing those who are severely ill or injured. Interaction here is by active participation of students, with the guidance of qualified paramedics. Procedures and lifesaving skills are taught by experience and observation. On the other hand, paramedics located in health institutions interact with learners variously; those performing certain procedures engage students either through observation, asking of question related to the procedure at hand or carry out demonstrations for learners (Halpern et al. 2012). While the patient is transferred to another facility for further management, continuous medical care is provided, a learner who is with the paramedic has a chance to observe the whole process of care and ask relevant question. Also he or she actively participates in providing care under supervision.