Singapore Airlines

The Emerald Research Register for this journal is available at www. emeraldinsight. com/researchregister The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www. emeraldinsight. com/0960-4529. htm MSQ 15,3 A case study of service failure and recovery within an international airline David Bamford Manchester School of Management, UMIST, Manchester, UK, and 306 Tatiana Xystouri Ministry of Finance, Nicosia, Cyprus Abstract Purpose – This paper seeks to examine the effectiveness of internal processes of service quality recovery for an international airline. Design/methodology/approach – An action research methodology was adopted. The research involved: a review of available service quality literature; the identi? cation of causes of failure/errors within the host company; the development of key lessons and management guidelines. Findings – It is argued that, for service recovery to be effective, it must be external (to the customer) as well as internal (to the organisation). The need to incorporate employees and not overlook their signi? cance, power and in? uence on the delivery of quality service is highlighted. Through comparison with another airline the ? ndings re-assert that service quality excellence can only be achieved through employee satisfaction, commitment and loyalty as a result of senior management commitment, focus and drive. Research limitations/implications – The methodology applied was appropriate, generating data to facilitate discussion and from which to draw speci? c conclusions. A perceived limitation is the single case approach; however, Remenyi argues that this can be enough to add to the body of knowledge. For further investigation, there is an ongoing opportunity for future research n the area of service quality, failure and recovery, as well as the service quality gaps within the airline. Practical implications – Key lessons and management guidelines for improving service quality are presented. Originality/value – The paper describes how an international airline has tangible service quality failure and recovery systems in place, but fails to cap italise on the data and information generated. Keywords Customer services quality, Service failures, Service improvements, International travel, Airlines Paper type Research paper Managing Service Quality Vol. 15 No. 3, 2005 pp. 06-322 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0960-4529 DOI 10. 1108/09604520510597845 Introduction Services marketing and management literature widely acknowledge that keeping current customers and developing relationships with new ones is a key business strategy (Piercy, 1995). The growing sophistication of consumers does represent an ongoing challenge to all manner of service organisations. According to Zemke and Bell (1989) nothing is as common as the organisation committed more to lip service than customer service; more interested in advertising than action. This is not helped in the link between customer satisfaction and pro? s being neither straightforward nor simple. Zeithaml (2000) highlights three major problems in measuring relationships as: (1) the t ime-lag between measuring customer satisfaction and measuring pro? t improvements; (2) the number of other variables in? uencing company pro? ts such as price, distribution; (3) that other variables (such as behavioural issues) should be included in the relationship as they explain causality between satisfaction and results. However, a number of studies have demonstrated a clearly positive relationship between organisation performance and customer satisfaction/service excellence. Wirtz and Johnston (2003) highlight the positive correlation between the pro? ts and service excellence of Singapore Airlines (SIA). Commenting on the competitive nature of the airline industry, one of their interviewees states: [. . . ] it is important to realise that they (customers) are not just comparing SIA with other airlines. They are comparing us against many industries, and on many factors (Wirtz and Johnston, 2003, p. 11). A case of service failure and recovery 307 Van der Wiele et al. (2002, p. 191) ? d the same result for an employment agency, stating â€Å"perceived quality is related to organisational performance indicators in the same year and/or in the next year†. Service failure and the subsequent complaints from customers are a likely occurrence over a product/service lifetime and the rapid, effective handling of these has proven to be vital in maintaining customer satisfaction and loyalty. Indeed, the importance of service recovery reinforces the need for or ganisations to ? nd approaches that are effective in both identifying service failure and in developing strategies to recover successfully. Service recovery should be the cornerstone of a customer satisfaction strategy. This paper examines the effectives of internal processes of service quality recovery for an international airline. Literature review The changing environment in the service sector ? According to Gronroos (1987) the dimensions of service quality are diverse and relate to both the basic service package and augmented service offering. Two important contributions in developing models for measuring service quality are from Johnson et al. (1995) and Silvestro et al. (1990, cited in Dale, 1999), who assessed service quality in the UK. They identi? d 15 aspects of service quality, and categorised them into three factors: (1) Hygiene factors: those expected by the customer. (2) Enhancing factors: those that lead to customer satisfaction, although failure to deliver is not likely to cause dissatisfaction. (3) Dual threshold factors: those whose failure to deliver will cause dissatisfaction while delivery above a sp eci? c level will cause satisfaction. While the above model gives a clear view of what criteria a customer may use to judge service quality, it is not as widely reported as the one proposed by Parasuraman et al. (1985) who condensed ten original factors into ? e categories (tangibles, ? responsiveness, reliability, assurance and empathy). Gronroos (1988a, b) later added a sixth factor and called it recovery. Parasuraman et al. (1985) also suggested quality consists of the gap between what the customer expects and receives and that this gap is affected by four gaps on the MSQ 15,3 308 provider side (customer expectations; management perceptions of consumer expectations; service quality speci? cations; actual service delivery). Unfortunately when customers are asked for feedback the methodologies used sometimes lack empirical rigor and are often a response to a speci? crisis in the organisation (Berman, 1996). This loss of data at the organisational level means that operational change s are not tied to customer priorities in a routine manner. Dale (2003) summarises three major changes in the service sector. Stating the present emphasis on the service encounter, in particular the contribution made by service providers in enhancing and maintaining service quality, arises from environmental trends relating to: . consumers’ awareness and expectations; . technological developments and sophistication; and . competitive elements. In terms of consumers’ awareness and expectations, as society gets wealthier and the marginal utility derived from additional increments of goods declines, people turn to service expenditures. The growth in ? nal demand from consumers may be attributed to consumer expectations of quality, which are believed and accepted to be increasing (Fitzsimmons and Fitzsimmons, 1998). With regards to technological developments and sophistication, computerisation and technological innovations are radically altering the way in which many organisations do business with their customers. They can make a major contribution in the delivery of quality service. One view is that technological advances offer an opportunity to increase service in a variety of ways to improve the competitive stance (Schlesinger and Heskett, 1991). In terms of competitive elements, since entering the new millennium, it has become clear that most organisations are increasingly, in their quest for progress and advancement, interested in how they can achieve differentiation and competitive advantage (Verma, 2000). Globalisation and value driven business imperatives therefore mean that mistakes will not be tolerated. Services failures, recovering and learning The impact of active recovery strategies on a company’s revenue and pro? tability is dramatic. For example, Hampton Inn hotels in the USA realised $11 million in additional revenue from the implementation of its service guarantee and scored the highest customer retention rate in the industry (Ettorre, 1994). Research by the Of? ce of Fair Trading (OFT, 1990) illustrated when people make a complaint about goods and services and the complaint is satisfactorily resolved, three quarters of them will buy the same brand again. Where the complaint is not resolved, less than half will buy the same brand again. Clearly there is a pro? t to be made by retaining the customer loyalty of those whose complaints the company resolves (Citizen’s Charter Complaints Task Force, 1995). The ability to deal effectively with customer problems is closely related to employee satisfaction and loyalty. These are critical concerns in industries where customer relationships are closely associated with an individual service provider (Schlesinger and Heskett, 1991). Heskett et al. (1994) identi? s a number of factors that are considered important for employee satisfaction. These include: satisfaction with the job itself; training; pay; advancement fairness; treatment with respect and dignity; teamwork; the company’s interest in employees’ well-being; and the service worker’s perceptions of their abilities to meet customer needs. Of course the greatest barrier to effective service recovery and organisati onal learning is that only 5-10 per cent of dissatis? ed customers choose to complain following a service failure (Tax and Brown, 1998, p. 7; Dube and Maute, 1996). Instead, most silently switch providers or attempt to get even by making negative comments to others (Singh, 1990). Why are customers reluctant to complain? Several authors such as Dube and Maute (1996) and Singh (1990) uncover four reasons: (1) customers believe that the organisation will not be responsive; (2) they do not wish to confront the individual responsible for the failure; (3) they are uncertain about their rights and the ? rm’s obligations; and (4) they are concerned about the high cost in time and effort of complaining. To counter this several approaches have been highlighted that are effective in identifying service failures: setting performance standards; communicating the importance of service recovery; training customers in how to complain; and using technological support offered through customer call centres and the internet (Dale, 2003). According to Bitner et al. (1997) the level of customer participation in a service experience varies across services and customers can play a variety of roles. Through a review of the literature Bitner et al. 1997) identify three: (1) the customer as productive resource; (2) the customer as contributor to quality, satisfaction and value; and (3) the customer as competitor to the service organisation. These roles are not mutually exclusive, meaning individuals’ behaviours in a speci? c situation may apply to more than one of the three roles. What can ? rms do to improve recovery performance? Academic evidence, for example Hart et al. (1990), Mason (1993) and Bowen and Lawler (1995), suggests there are speci? practices that improve service-recovery effectiveness: hiring, training and empowerment; establishing service-recovery guidelines and standards; providing easy access and effective responses through call centres and maintaining customer and product databases. Bitner et al. (1990) in a study of 700 critical incidents found that it is not necessarily failure itself that leads to customer dissatisfaction, most customers do accept that things can go wrong. It is more likely the organisation’s response/lack of response to the failure that causes resentment and dissatisfaction. Boshoff (1997) surveyed 540 travellers, presenting them with a constantly negative service situation (a missed ? ight connection caused by ? ight delay) and looked for the most successful recovery strategies. They were: a fast response by the highest possible person in terms of seniority; a fast response accompanied by full refund plus some amount of compensation; a large amount of compensation provided by a high ranking manager. An apology was of limited use unless accompanied by some form of tangible compensation. A market-driven approach to service recovery consists of many tools in addition to identifying and responding to complaints: surveys; mystery shopping; focus groups; customer and employee advisory panels; and service operating performance data (Day, A case of service failure and recovery 309 MSQ 15,3 310 1994). In identifying opportunities to improve services, many ? rms integrate complaint data with data gathered through one or more of these research methods. Firms determining investment priorities in service improvement examine the impact of various options (e. g. ncreasing the speed of front-desk check-in versus expanding the room-service menu at a hotel) on customer satisfaction, repurchase intention, process cost, and market share. The goal is to identify those process improvements that will have the greatest impact on pro? tability (Rust et al. , 1995). Investment decisions should also be driven by customer pro? tability assessments. For example, United Airlines determined that business travellers account for 40 per cent of its business by headcount, but supply 72 per cent of its revenue; â€Å"mile-collecting vacationers† constitute 60 per cent of travellers but provide only 28 per cent of revenue. The most frequent business travellers, dubbed â€Å"road warriors†, generate 37 per cent of revenue even though they make up only 6 per cent of the passengers. United learned through complaints and survey results that the road warriors were the customers least satis? ed and most frustrated with air travel. Based on the data, the company invested $400 million to provide business travellers with better seats, food, and lounges; a pre-departure service to avoid long lines; more frequent-? ier bene? ts; and perks such as showers in terminals (Rust et al. 1995). The relationship between service recovery and organisational pro? tability can be clearly seen by examining the service-pro? t chain (Heskett et al. , 1994). This argues that pro? t results from customer loyalty, which results from customer satisfaction with the service system; customer satisfaction (value) is generated by satis? ed, loyal, and productive employees. The impact of service recovery can be traced through impro vements in the service system and through the direct effect on satisfaction of resolving a customer complaint. Resolving problems effectively has a strong impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty (McCollough and Bharadwaj, 1992). Conversely, poor recovery following a bad service experience can create â€Å"terrorists†, customers so dissatis? ed that they actively pursue opportunities to criticise the company (Heskett et al. , 1994). Loyal customers expect problems to be dealt with effectively and are disappointed when they are not, making service recovery key (Zeithaml et al. , 1993). Examples from the airline industry Wirtz and Johnston (2003), comment how SIA continues to get service quality right. They have consistently been one of the most pro? table airlines in the world and are routinely voted â€Å"best airline†, â€Å"best business class†, â€Å"best cabin crew service†, â€Å"best in-? ight food†, â€Å"best for punctuality and safety†, â€Å"best for business travellers†, â€Å"best air cargo carrier†, and even â€Å"Asia’s most admired company†. SIA seems to follow many of the normative models that are well researched and published in the service literature such as: a strategic focus on customers; adopting a â€Å"total company† approach to service excellence; incremental improvement and periodic process redesign; and continuous benchmarking. The company strives for a constant â€Å"exceeding of expectation† (e. g. Berry, 1995) and has active customer feedback systems (e. g. Berry and Parasuraman, 1997, Wirtz and Tomlin, 2000). SIA’s culture of service excellence at a pro? t is in line with the service pro? t chain (Heskett et al. , 1997) and the cycle of success (Schlesinger and Heskett, 1991). Final observations made by Wirtz and Johnston (2003, p. 18) include what they term as these â€Å"somewhat surprising ? ndings†: SIA’s holistic process perspective – a culture were all staff look at all processes all the ime to search for incremental improvement; SIA strive to maintain consistency in service excellence that meets the needs of every customer (maintaining the dif? cult balance between standardisation and customisation); a simultaneous focus on service excellence and costs/pro? ts, pushed right out to the front line staff. Their conclusion is that SIA has no secret formula for succe ss; they just follow widely known and applied frameworks and models. At British Airways (BA) in 1983, the then chief executive, Colin Marshall, launched the Customer First campaign. The cornerstone of the Customer First campaign was detailed research into what customers expect in terms of personal service. BA established monitoring mechanisms, which continually told them what the customers expect, and how well they were doing against these expectations. The market research covered both customers and staff, so as to form the starting point for a fully integrated campaign to improve standards of service. The training programmes included a personal development course looking at such aspects as handling feelings, understanding and coping with stress, and being assertive. The programme was then extended to embrace all non-customer contact staff. Great emphasis has been placed on teamwork and on an appreciation of the contribution that each individual and each role makes towards the success of the airline as a whole. Further, the Quality Assurance Unit, whose activities were to focus on de? ning detailed customer service standards, and develop quality control mechanisms by which BA could measure their local performance against customer expectations, monitored the progress of improving service quality. At the same time, a service quality audit was developed to meet the needs of overseas stations. The objective has been that all staff within the company becomes actively involved and committed to the corporate objective of improving customer service, with the slogan: â€Å"Putting our customers ? rst – if we don’t, someone else will† (Hamill and Davies, 1986). SAS suffered an $8 million operating loss in 1981. Within two years, they achieved a gross pro? t of $71 million on sales of $2 billion, although the industry as a whole lost a total of $1. 7 billion (Albrecht, 1985). The success story at SAS was claimed to come from an organisational commitment to manage the customer’s experience through so-called â€Å"moments of truth†, â€Å"the ? rst 15-second encounter between a passenger and the front-line people† (Carlzon, 1987, p. viii). Carlzon, SAS President at the time and later author of ‘Moments of Truth’, his take on successful customer service quality, put all 27,000 employees through a company-wide training programme. Everyone, from baggage handlers to company vice presidents received the training in a two-day workshop, speci? cally targeted to meeting the needs of their customers. According to Carlzon this cross-functional training is essential; if only front-line staff have it then their best efforts to satisfy customers may be blocked by back-room staff. He goes on to propose that the link between tactics and strategy is not made in many customer service organisations, ultimately resulting in failure of service quality. Research method An action research methodology was adopted (Remenyi et al. , 1998). Action research was developed during the 1960s and has proven particularly useful in the area of managing change and identifying areas for improvement (Remenyi et al. 1998). Moore (1999) states that to be properly regarded as action research, a project must contain a continuous thread of objective evaluation and a mechanism whereby the results of the A case of service failure and recovery 311 MSQ 15,3 312 evaluation and the lessons learned during the project can be fed back into the process so that it becomes something which is dynamic and constantly modi? ed in the light of experience. The main advantage of action research is that it is done in real-time; produces a concrete result and everyone in the organisation can see what is going on. This can have its disadvantages as well – mistakes made are very public, but on the whole it makes for research which has the support and backing of people who might otherwise have shown little commitment to the idea. Its distinguishing feature is that it integrates something of real, practical worth into an organisation. This has to be the case, otherwise the research would never have been sanctioned – ? rms do not have resources to spare and would not waste their own time and resources on a futile project. As detailed above, one potential weakness of the adopted research methodology might be its very public nature. If the project did not produce tangible real-time results, those supporting it may lose interest and bias any future initiatives. The applied methodology needed to be systematic so that it ? tted with the basic aims of the research. Informal interviews, observation and company documentation were all used. This investigations objective was to make an assessment of the airline’s process of service quality recovery with respect to service failure, driven by the goal of customer satisfaction and internal improvement. Once access was established key measurables, and causes of failure were identi? d through a detailed examination of company processes, informal discussion with Company personnel, and formal interviews with various employees. This process, over a period of time, allowed the identi? cation of sources of errors within the host company. The case study The research presented here involved full participation from an international airline. During the 1990s the airline concen trated on improving customer service, reducing costs and aggressive marketing. Signi? cant effort and new approaches were initiated to improve the quality of service delivered to the customer, in order that the organisation remains ompetitive in future years. A central pivot of the airline’s approach was a commitment to improve service to the customer and they subsequently won a number of passenger accolades. Service failure in the airline Among the key data was the record of passenger complaints during a four-year period. These records included the revenue-passengers carried by the airline, number of complaints received, number of complaints offered compensation and the amount of money paid out during each of the four years. They are represented in Table I. The number of recorded complaints increased by nearly 60 per cent and those offered compensation increased dramatically by 147 per cent during this period. The Year Revenue passengers carried Complaints received Instances paid Amount of money paid (? ) Table I. Passenger complaints records 1 2 3 4 1,298,000 1,355,000 1,346,000 1,400,000 545 684 715 870 253 403 462 626 22,736 47,048 70,253 73,869 manager of the complaints department commented on these numbers by asserting the increase re? cted â€Å"only a small extent of the increased passenger movement†, even in year three when a slight trough was observed, the numbers of complaints showed no sign of decline. The percentage â€Å"complaints paid† increased from 47 per cent in year one to 72 per cent in year four. The complaints department manager af? rmed that increasing customer complaints have been a factor for the previous decade indicating the complaints/passengers ratio has been st eadily increasing. In 1990 one complaint was recorded for every 2,700 passengers, a decade later, one complaint is recorded for just over 1,500 passengers. Figure 1 represents the number of complaints per 10,000 passengers during an 11-year period. In year 1, the complaints average was 3. 6 per 10,000 passengers, within ten years that became 6. 2. Due to this upward trend in complaints, the airline’s expenditure on compensation is increasing noticeably year-by-year, demonstrated in Table I. Expenditure on compensation increased by more than ? 50,000 in the period year eight to year 11, with the most fundamental increases being witnessed in ? scal years nine and ten. Table II demonstrates which recorded complaints are the most frequent and re? cts the main causes of recent service failure in the airline. Commenting on the ? gures of Table II, a senior manager identi? ed the majority of complaints concentrating around three areas: (1) delays, usually technical in nature; (2) service interruptions, e. g. through frequent strikes; and (3) complaints regarding the attitudes of ground staff. Complimentary letters were seldom received b y the airline and were never logged or recorded. Anecdotal evidence suggests when a passenger compliments an employee it is done face-to-face, not in writing. Interestingly, all current effort at the airline is put A case of service failure and recovery 313 Figure 1. Number of complaints per 10,000 passengers MSQ 15,3 Nature of complaint Act of God Cabin staff attitude Downgraded Flight cancellations/diversion of ? ights/delays Food and beverage Ground staff attitude Lack of facilities Mishaps during ? ight Overbooking Reservation problems Strikes Travelled on jump-seat Cases 1 4 6 544 5 103 7 17 18 39 124 2 314 Table II. Passenger complaints records into recording complaints not compliments; senior managers believed this was because the board of directors (BoD) expected complaint data to discuss ithin their meetings. The service recovery plan The airline’s activities for service recovery and in-house improvement are proceduralised through a detailed ? owchart shown in Figure 2. Monthly â€Å"service recovery†, â€Å"customer voice† and quarterly meetings with cabin crew supervisors take place to allow issues to be raised and discussed to seek improvement. Appreciation for outstanding performance is provided through gifts (e. g. free business class two-way tickets to any destination), and printed letters of appreciation, signed by the president of the airline. Discussion The research data revealed that 89 per cent of customer complaints resulted from 25 per cent of the problem areas, evidence of the Pareto principle in action. Evidence indicated the service recovery plan of the airline was not addressing these priority areas according to their signi? cance. Presented in Figures 3 and 4 are cause and effect diagrams (Dale, 2003) re? ecting the main service failures of the airline. With regard delays, diversions and cancellations, senior managers asserted that some causes, such as the weather, are predictable yet cannot be controlled – little can be done to avoid their consequences. According to the US Department of Transportation (1989) 70 per cent of delays in the commercial airline service are caused by weather. In addition, external factors beyond the immediate control of the airline can cause service failure (? ight diversion or cancellation due to air-traf? c congestion, a failure in another airport where the airline’s aircraft are engaged). For the airline the planned purchase of new aircraft and a scheduled upgrade of existing ? eet should reduced problems caused by purely technical failure. Service quality should improve and expenditure on compensation reduced. Findings here also con? rmed assertions from the literature that technological advances can offer opportunities to increase service in a variety of ways to improve competitive stance, and lead to cost savings (Mulconrey, 1986). Although this contrasts with the view that customers insist on â€Å"client-centred† performance as opposed to â€Å"technical-centred† A case of service failure and recovery 315 Figure 2. Flowchart of service recovery and in-house improvement processes performance (Kotler and Connor, 1977), the ? dings indicated that a reliable â€Å"personal touch† service is what the airline’s customers perceived as being good service quality. Findings indicated the perceived â€Å"bad attitude† of ground staff was a major area of service failure. The airline’s senior management team agreed that for employees to be competent in offering soft quality, rigorous se lection procedures and appropriate training was vital. However, research evidence suggests that these principles were not applied throughout the company. Dobbs (1993) af? rms that without formal training staff have few tools to meet the expectations of customers or managers. The level of consistent, appropriate and focused training was found to be a key issue within the airline. Ground staff were not suf? ciently trained for the highly MSQ 15,3 316 Figure 3. Cause and effect of delays/ diversions/cancellations Figure 4. Cause and effect diagram of bad ground staff attitude â€Å"customer centred† aspects of their jobs and therefore lacked appropriate key skills and diplomacy for handling the demands of customers. This is demonstrated in Figure 5. The ability to deal effectively with customer problems is closely related to employee satisfaction and loyalty (Schlesinger and Heskett, 1991). Customer satisfaction is also increased when company management attempts to couple the service recovery process with offering initiatives to the employees (Reichheld, 1993). However, within the airline employee satisfaction is not as important as customer satisfaction. That ground staff are perceived as having a bad attitude con? rms assertions from the literature (Heskett et al. , 1994, p. 164) that important factors for employees are: satisfaction with the job itself; treatment with respect; and the company’s interest in employees’ well being. A case of service failure and recovery 317 Figure 5. Ground staff attitude complaints Research ? ndings indicated a range of reasons for employee strikes. The diffusion of the single union 20 years ago (the Union of the Airline Staff) and the creation of several resulted, according to one senior manager, in â€Å"the power to in? uence events in the hands of an uncompromising few†. Employees who felt their needs were not taken into consideration used their union to make demands. Weak management support, in combination with discontented employees, results in continual strike action that gives an impression of a disorganised company (see Figure 6). The management of the airline failed to work towards a process of identifying and resolving the issues triggering employee dissatisfaction. Furthermore, the senior management team has been unsuccessful in attempts to improve internal company communications. Although researchers have studied the concept of service for several decades, there is no real consensus about the conceptualisation of service quality (Cronin and Taylor, 1992; Rust and Oliver, 1994). Different researchers focus on different aspects of service Figure 6. Cause and effect diagram of strikes MSQ 15,3 318 quality. The most common de? ition is the traditional notion that views quality as the customer’s perception of service excellence (Berry, 1995; Parasuraman et al. , 1985). Attempts have been made to provide applicable conceptual models, see for example Zhu et al. ’s (2004) paper on â€Å"A mathematical model of service failure and recovery strategies† for an example. Of perhaps more direct use here is a simple comparison of how the Airline operates re service quality, with one of the best in the business, SIA. Table III offers a straightforward comparison between various service recovery elements of the two airlines. Taken from Wirtz and Johnston’s (2003) paper on SIA, which took SIA’s senior managements perspective on sustaining their service excellence, we used ten key service recovery elements. Of these, all of which SIA excel at, our research indicates the airline actively pursue only one, acknowledging the challenge of delivering service excellence. Disappointingly, they would appear to fail on every other element. As the two companies have similar systems in place the key difference would appear to be the level of senior management commitment. Indeed this comes across compellingly in the Wirtz and Johnston paper. If similarities exist in the perceived execution of objectives, a difference in perception of what the â€Å"long-term† view actually is may be key (see Bamford and Forrester, 2003). The research does indicate the airline BoD is actively trying to improve its service quality. Through enhanced organisational intelligence they are striving to improve the fundamentals of their service delivery. They can ? x what they can see; they can ? x what they can directly in? uence. New equipment is easy, though expensive to bring in; changing company attitudes is another issue. The comparison with SIA highlights key differences between a so-called â€Å"best in class†, in terms of airline service quality and an airline that is trying very hard to survive in an increasingly competitive market sector. Key lessons and management guidelines As business and management research is essentially a ? eld of applied studies it is appropriate that research of this type should convert at least some of its ? ndings into a series of practical management guidelines (Remenyi et al. , 1998). Therefore, although it Singapore Airlines (Wirtz and Johnston, 2003) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Service recovery element Acknowledge the challenge of delivering service excellence Adopt a â€Å"total† systems approach Strive for consistency with personalisation in service delivery Understand customers and anticipate their needs Listen to both customers and front-line staff Log compliments and complaints Continuously training and motivate the front-line staff Provide dedicated resources for communication and motivation Manage the organisation with an eye for the detail in everything Focus, above all, on delivering consistently high quality at a pro? t for the company The airline Yes No No No No No No No No No Table III. Airline service quality set-up and recovery comparison is not our main purpose to present prescriptions, the following maybe useful for practitioners. The key lessons presented below offer straightforward advice: . Do not lose focus of internal service quality: quality of the workplace; job content and variation; recruitment; selection and suf? cient training of employees; management support; rewarding employees for good job performance; recognising employees for good job performance. The latter is said to wield signi? cant in? ence over the quality of employee job performance (Piercy, 1995). . Put evaluation and reward systems into practice to ensure good performance is monitored and rewarded (e. g. with cash bonuses or free tickets). . Empower front-line employees. This is a tool for improving employee motivation, as having the power to own, manage and resolve a problem makes roles more meaningful and interesting. . Frequent ser vice education and training can enhance the ability of front-line staff to provide greater levels of customer care. It also prepares them for handling the differing demands of customers. A case of service failure and recovery 319 Conclusions This research has reported the main causes of service failure within an international airline and through comparison with another airline the ? ndings re-assert that service quality excellence can only be achieved through employee satisfaction, commitment and loyalty as a result of senior management commitment, focus and drive. The paper has assessed the organisation’s process of service recovery with respect to the main causes of service failure, in its goal to achieving customer satisfaction and internal improvement. The analysis of the ? ndings conformed to the Pareto principle, by which the majority of the organisation’s failure resulted from a small proportion of the problem areas (technical problems; strikes; ground staff attitude). The ? ndings indicated that for service recovery to be effective, it must be external (to the customer) as well as internal (to the organisation) so that internal improvement can be ensured. The ? ndings also substantiated previous claims of the need to approach service quality in a manner that goes beyond unsophisticated and narrow-minded practices that verlook the signi? cance, power and in? uence of the employee on the delivery of quality service and the smooth operation of the organisation’s activities. Finally, the ? ndings con? rmed previous assertions that employee satisfaction, commitment and loyalty require high levels of management commitment, as well as frequent communication. This research raises a number of implications for management. T he interactive concepts of external and internal quality and their importance raise issues of recruitment and training to achieve the right blend of employee skills and motivation. There appears to exist the need for the organisation to adopt management-employee relationship strategies, to ensure it manages and gets the best out of this key resource. Periodic review of performances and reward schemes are considered of vital importance, to aid the co-evolution of mutual understanding between managers and employees, and hence the development of superior service quality. A further implication for management is re? ected by the importance of understanding the positive effects of internal marketing on the pro? tability of the MSQ 15,3 320 rganisation. As the literature suggests (Albrecht, 1985; Hamill and Davies, 1986), satis? ed employees have all the means to make customers happy by offering superior quality service and thus reducing the occurrence of complaints substantially. The eventual result on the pro? tability of the organisation can only be encouraging, even at its most basic level fewer complaints mean less complaint expenditure and thus improved pro? ts. The methodology applied for collection of the research data was wholly appropriate and consistent with the perceived outcomes required. It generated ample data, which facilitated discussion and the drawing of speci? c conclusions. A perceived limitation is the adoption of a single case approach; however Remenyi et al. (1998) argues that this can be enough to add to the body of knowledge. As a result of this research the Airlines senior management team have recognised the need to address internal marketing in a manner that will be translated into the company’s philosophy and cultural attributes. This research has also provided a foundation for future work. Although many valuable insights were revealed through this research, there is an ongoing opportunity for future research in the area of service quality, failure and recovery, as well as the service quality gaps within the airline. References Albrecht, K. (1985), â€Å"Achieving excellence in service†, Training and Development Journal, Vol. 39 No. 12, pp. 64-7. Bamford, D. and Forrester, P. (2003), â€Å"Managing planned and emergent change within an operations management environment†, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 23 No. 5, pp. 546-64. Berman, E. 1996), â€Å"Implementing TQM in state welfare agencies†, Admin. Soc. Work, Vol. 19 No. 1, pp. 55-72. Berry, L. L. (1995), On Great Service – A Framework for Action, Free Press, New York, NY. Berry, L. L. and Parasuraman, A. (1997), â€Å"Listening to the customer – the concept of a service-quality information system†, Sloan Management Review, Vol. 38, Spring, pp. 65-76. Bitner, M. J. , Booms, B. H. and Tetreault, M. S. (1990), â€Å"The service encounter: favourable and unfavourable incidents†, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 54, January. Bitner, M. J. , Faranda, W. T. , Hubbert, A. R. and Zeithaml, V. A. 1997), â€Å"Customer contributions and roles in service delivery†, International Journal of Service Industry Management, Vol. 8 No. 3, pp. 193-205. Boshoff, C. (1997), â€Å"An experimental study of service recovery options†, International Journal of Service Industry Management, Vol. 8 No. 3, pp. 110-30. Bowen, D. E. and Lawler, E. E. (1995), â€Å"Empowering service employees†, Sloan Management Review, Vol. 36, Summer, pp. 73-84. Carlzon, J. (1987), Moments of Truth, Ballinger Publishing, Cambridge, MA. Citizen’s Charter Complaints Task Force (1995), Complaints Handling in the Public Sector: A Research Study Conducted by MORI, HMSO, London. Cronin, J. J. and Taylor, S. A. (1992), â€Å"Measuring service quality: a re-examination and extension†, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 56, July, pp. 55-68. Dale, B. (1999), Managing Quality, 3rd ed. , Prentice-Hall International, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Dale, B. (2003), Managing Quality, 4th ed. , Blackwell Publishing, Oxford. Day, G. S. (1994), â€Å"Continuous learning about markets†, California Management Review, Vol. 36, Summer, pp. 9-31. Dobbs, J. (1993), â€Å"The empowerment environment†, Training and Development, Vol. 47 No. 2, February, pp. 55-7. Dube, L. and Maute, M. (1996), â€Å"The antecedents of brand switching, brand oyalty and verbal responses to service failures†, in Swartz, T. , Bowen, D. and Brown, S. (Eds), Advances in Services Marketing and Management, Vol. 5, JAI Press, Greenwich, CT, pp. 127-51. Ettorre, B. (1994), â€Å"Phenomenal promises that mean business†, Management Review, March, pp. 18-23. Fitzsimmons, J. A. and Fitzsimmo ns, M. J. (1998), Service Management: Operations Strategy and IT, Irwin/McGraw-Hill, New York, NY. ? Gronroos, C. (1987), â€Å"An applied service marketing theory†, Working Paper, No. 57, Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration, Helsingfors. ? Gronroos, C. 1988a), â€Å"Service quality: the six criteria of good perceived service quality†, Review of Business, Vol. 9 No. 3, pp. 10-13. ? Gronroos, C. (1988b), â€Å"Assessing competitive edge in the new competition of the service economy: the ? ve rules of service†, Working Paper, No. 9, March, First Interstate Centre for Service Marketing, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ. Hamill, B. and Davies, R. (1986), Quality in British Airways: Are You Being Served? , Phillip Alan, Oxford, pp. 77-87. Hart, C. W. L. , Heskett, J. L. and Sasser, W. E. (1990), â€Å"The pro? table art of service recovery†, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 8 No. 4, July-August, pp. 148-56. Heskett, J. L. , Sasser, W. E. Jr and Schlesinger, L. A. (1997), The Service Pro? t Chain, Free Press, New York, NY. Heskett, J. L. , Jones, T. O. , Loveman, G. W. , Sasser, W. E. Jr and Schlesinger, L. A. (1994), â€Å"Putting the service-pro? t chain to work†, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 72, March-April, pp. 164-74. Johnson, R. L. , Tsiros, M. and Lancioni, R. A. (1995), â€Å"Measuring service quality: a systems approach†, Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 9 No. 5, pp. 6-19. Kotler, P. and Connor, R. A. (1977), â€Å"Marketing professional services†, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 1 No. 1, January, pp. 71-6. McCollough, M. A. and Bharadwaj, S. G. (1992), â€Å"The recovery paradox: an examination of consumer satisfaction in relation to discon? rmation, service quality, and attribution-based theories†, in Allen, C. T. , et al. (Eds), Marketing Theory and Application, American Marketing Association, Chicago, IL, pp. 102-7. Mason, J. B. (1993), â€Å"The art of service recovery†, Retailing Issues Newsletter, Vol. 5 No. 1, pp. 1-4. Moore, N. (1999), How to Do Research: The Complete Guide to Designing and Managing Research Projects, Library Association Publishing, London. Mulconrey, B. G. (1986), â€Å"High-tech that create high touch†, Best’s Review, October, pp. 28-33. Of? ce of Fair Trading (1990), Consumer Loyalty, OFT, London. Parasuraman, A. , Zeithaml, V. and Berry, L. (1985), â€Å"A conceptual model of service quality and its implications for future research†, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 49, pp. 41-50. Piercy, N. F. (1995), â€Å"Customer satisfaction and the internal market: marketing our customers to our employees†, Journal of Marketing Practice: Applied Marketing Science, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 22-44. A case of service failure and recovery 321 MSQ 15,3 322 Reichheld, F. F. (1993), â€Å"Loyalty-based management†, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 71, March-April, pp. 64-74. Remenyi, D. , Williams, B. , Money, A. and Swartz, E. (1998), Doing Research in Business and Management, Sage Publications, London. Rust, R. T. and Oliver, R. L. (1994), â€Å"Service quality: insights and managerial implications from the frontier†, in Rust, R. T. and Oliver, R. L. (Eds), Service Quality: New Directions in Theory and Practice, Sage Publications, Beverly Hills, CA. Rust, R. T. , Zahorik, A. J. and Keiningham, T. L. (1995), â€Å"Return on quality: making service quality ? ancially accountable†, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 59 No. 2, pp. 58-70. Schlesinger, L. A. and Heskett, J. L. (1991), â€Å"Breaking the cycle of failure in services†, Sloan Management Review, Vol. 32, Spring, pp. 17-29. Singh, J. (1990), â€Å"A typology of consumer dissatisfaction response styles†, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 66 No. 1, pp. 57-99. Tax, S. S. and Brown, S. W. (1998), â€Å"Recovering and learning from service failure†, Management Review, Vol. 40 No. 1, pp. 75-88. US Department of Transportation (1989), Federal Aviation Administration Airport Capacity Enhancement Plan, US Government Printing Of? e, Washington, DC, p. 3. Van der Wiele, T. , Boselie, B. and Hesselin, M. (2002), â€Å"Customer satisfaction and business performance†, Managing Service Quality, Vol. 12 No. 3, pp. 184-93. Verma, R. (2000), â€Å"An empirical analysis of management challenges in service factories, service shops, mass services and professional services†, International Journal of Service Industry Management, Vol. 11 No. 1, pp. 8-25. Wirtz, J. and Johnston, R. (2003), â€Å"Singapore Airlines: what it takes to sustain service excellence – a senior management perspective†, Managing Service Quality, Vol. 3 No. 1, pp. 10-19. Wirtz, J. and Tomlin, M. (2000), â€Å"Institutionalising customer-driven learning thro ugh fully integrated customer feedback systems†, Managing Service Quality, Vol. 30 No. 4, pp. 205-15. Zeithaml, V. A. (2000), â€Å"Service quality, pro? tability and the economic worth of customers: what we know and what we need to learn†, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 28 No. 1, pp. 67-85. Zeithaml, V. , Berry, L. L. and Parasuraman, A. (1993), â€Å"The nature and determinants of customer expectations of service†, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 1, pp. 1-12. Zemke, R. and Bell, C. R. (1989), Service Wisdom: Creating and Maintaining the Customer Service Edge, 2nd ed. , Lakewood Books, Minneapolis, MN. Zhu, Z. , Sivakumar, K. and Parasuraman, A. (2004), â€Å"A mathematical model of service failure and recovery strategies†, Decision Sciences, Vol. 35 No. 3, p. 493. Further reading Zeithaml, V. , Berry, L. L. and Parasuraman, A. (1988), â€Å"Communication and control processes in the delivery of service quality† , Journal of Marketing, Vol. 52, April, pp. 35-48.

Domestic Violence Essay

Before I answer to this question, let me tell you a short story. Her friends describe Maria â€Å"as the perfect girl†. She is beautiful, she is working and she has many friends. However, Maria has many problems in her family. Her father is alcoholic and he is not working to feet his family. So, Maria and her mother are doing two or three jobs each in order to earn enough money to survive. Her father was hitting her and her mother almost everyday. One day one of Maria’s friends that know what it was happening report this situation to the police in order to help Maria. When the police ask Maria if she believes that there are any signs of Domestic Violence in her family, her answer was just like that â€Å"Of course not, no one rape me or my mother or my little brother.† I am here to talk you about Domestic Violence and specifically what it is, how common it is and some basic signs of identifying it in everyday life. In 1993 the Home Affairs Select Committee (HASC) Report on Domestic Violence used the following definition: â€Å"any form of physical, sexual or emotional abuse which takes place within the context of a close relationship. In most cases, the relationship will be between partners (married, cohabiting, or otherwise) or ex-partners†. So domestic violence can affect many aspects of someone’s life. It is more likely to acts against women more than men. Crime survey found that 45% women and 26% men had experienced at least one incident of inter – personal violence in their lifetimes. This means that women affected almost twice as much than men. Domestic violence is repetitive, life – threatening and can destroy the lives of women, children and men. I will be concentrating on how common is domestic violence nowadays. The association for domestic violence prevention in the family was founded in Nicosia on the 25th July 1990. The association is an non- profitable organization. An Administration Body of 9 members also administrates the association. The goals of the association are prevention of use in the family, immediate help to victims in the family, shetter to victims of family members and provide information and generate awareness of the public for the problem of domestic violence. According to the statistics 20% of the murders are due to family violence, generally speaking the police signify two events of domestic violence murders a year. In 2009 8 out of 19 murders are family-violence murders. 85% of murderers are men and 15% are women. 36% of victims are men and 54% are women. We have seen until know how common is domestic violence between sexes but it is very important to highlight some points that can help you to recognize an abusive act or relationship. All forms of domestic violence, psychological, economic, emotional and physical come from the abuser’s desire and control over other family members or intimate partners. Although every situation is unique, there are common factors that link the experience of an abusive relationship. Acknowledging these factors is an important step in preventing and stopping the abuse. This list can help you to recognize if you, or someone you know, are in an abusive relationship. Firstly, is the destructive criticism and verbal abuse like shouting/mocking/ accusing/name/calling verbally threatening. Secondly, the Pressure tactics like sulking; threatening to withhold money, disconnect the telephone; lying to your friends and family about you; telling you that you have no choice in any decisions. Thirdly, when they show to you disrespect for example putting you down in front of other people; not listening or responding when you talk; interrupting your telephone calls; taking money from your purse without asking. Also when breaking your trust, for example lying to you; being jealous and having other relationships. The most serious forms of domestic violence is the sexual and physical violence. Using force, threats or intimidation to make you perform sexual acts or having sex without want it. Punching, slapping, hitting, biting kicking and so on are part of the physical violence. Maria now, knows that the problems that she was having are fall in Domestic Violence. Now she can realize that rape is not only the main cause of it. She and her mother report her father in the police. But even though Maria she is never going to forget what it was happening to her all these years. Further to my analysis of what Domestic Violence is, how common it is and what are the basic signs of it I will show you once again which are the statistics about reported facts of Domestic Violence in the UK. 1. One call about Domestic Violence every minute†¦ 2. 1,300 calls each day†¦ 3. 570,000 every year†¦ After all now you know what Domestic Violence is. Next time you are asked what Domestic Violence is †¦., now you Know the answer.

Case Netflix PR Box flop Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Netflix PR Box flop - Case Study Example Moreover, the video did well in the graphics, setting, lighting, and clarity, and recognizing the significance of the customers at Netflix, Inc (An explanation and some reflections 2011). From a customer perspective, the recently announced changes would upset a Netflix subscriber because the changes lead to an increase in prices with no guarantee to quality. Moreover, the separation of DVD and streaming did not involve customers’ views (Sandoval 2012, p. 1). Prior to the new changes, Netflix offered value to its customers in the entertainment rental industry. That value related to steady supply of internet services, timely and detailed communication, a simple-to-use Web site that delivered DVDs right to the customers’ doorstep at no late fees (Sandoval 2012, p. 1). In developing a communication, Netflix management should consider different stakeholders, which include shareholders and customers. Such a communication will affect the share price and share value in the stock market. On the other hand, the communication will influence the customers’ choice to subscribe to Netflix. It will also influence the customers’ purchasing power. Ideally, Netflix should handle the negative situation with the â€Å"@Qwikster† Twitter handle by apologizing to Netflix twitter followers, address the negativity by devising efficient measures, and responding to the negative tweets in an informed and respectable manner. It can also hire a PR consultant to advice on the best ways of addressing the online negativity. Furthermore, Netflix management might consider other business actions like seeking for professional advice on business operations, organizational change, and customer relations. The company can also engage in positive online and broadcast advertisement. Sandoval, G 2012, Netflixs lost year: The inside story of the price-hike train wreck, retrieved

Abstract Expressionism and Surrealism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Abstract Expressionism and Surrealism - Essay Example The focus of the essay "Abstract Expressionism and Surrealism" is on abstract expressionism and surrealism styles. Surrealism in painting is shown by highly abstract image that is loosely painted or drawn that also involves improvisation. In Abstract Expressionism, attention is drawn to the surface qualities of the paintings such as the monumental canvas and the paint viscosity; improvisation is also involved. The Surrealists such as Max Ernst (1891-1976), Yves Tanguy (1900-1955), Joan Miro and Andre Masson (1896) had the liking for the Positivists who intended to define and categorize elements in a way that their truths looked verifiable. The Abstract Expressionists such as Willem De Kooning (1904-1997), Jackson Pollock (1912-1956), Barnett Newman (1905-1970), Franz Kline (1910-1962) and Philip Guston (1913-1980) on the other hand utilized the improvisatory technique that had similarities with the psychic automatism. The abstract expressionism is similar to the surrealism. There are key distinct and similar features between the two styles of art. The main similarity is that both of them are interested in the subconscious mind. In orientation surrealism is classical (poses the desire to develop and order that can be understood by a group) whereas abstract expressionism is romantic (distillation of truth perceived through the artist’s personal vision). Both abstract expressionism and surrealism seek to capture the sub conscious mind in their work. The surrealists highly honored the studio of the painters.

What is the relationship between text messaging and literacy Research Paper

What is the relationship between text messaging and literacy - Research Paper Example t the exposure to text messaging and their counterparts who do not have access to SMS might be contributing, positively, to the literacy skills development among 9 to 10-year-old-children (Wood 35). Furthermore, past studies analyzed by Verheijen report a positive correlation between the use of SMS and literacy levels among users (Verheijen 588). Belying the findings of these studies, however, is the viewpoint among older generation researchers and academicians that text messaging has negative correlations to improving learning skills among users. They argue that text messaging has contributed detrimental implications on learners as opposed to its emphasized importance by recent researchers. They present counterarguments justifying their disapproval of the importance of text messaging on learning. They cite the negative implications of technology on learners as justification to their opposing viewpoints to the debate while attributing the effect of text messaging. Text messaging affe cts literacy positively by encouraging open discussions and communication. Although older generation researchers and academicians argue that technological developments in communication have detrimental implications on the youth and future generations, it is justifiable that text messaging has a positive influence on literacy levels by encouraging communication and open discussion. Worldwide text messaging is a popular activity and the number of text messages sent continues to enlarge. In Wood’s analysis of the situation, he says, â€Å"texting supports spelling development amongst children because they get to understand abbreviations and the words they represent†. The use of the texting abbreviations leads to phonological awareness and processing and this result to spelling. On the other hand, not all the children who are good in spelling are capable of using creative ‘textisms’. Thus, rehearsal of such creative text slangs and the words they represent is a beneficial skill. If

The West Side Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The West Side Story - Essay Example But for everything to be alright, there was a very high price to pay, and that is Tony’s death. The West Side Story was a musical that borrowed the concept of Romeo and Juliet. It had the same plot line. There were lovers who wanted to be together despite their differences. They succeeded only to fail in living together since they died together. Of course the stories wouldn’t be that much similar or else it won’t be successful anymore. The West Side Story was a story of two rival gangs, same as Romeo and Juliet’s two rival families. It was set in Manhattan, New York. During the time the story was finalized, gang violence was rampant. It was very timely and it intrigued the public because it had a relevant social issue. The West Side Story was not just a tragedy because of the dark mood and depressing final act that it had. It was also a story about how triumph can have a very high price. In this case, it was death. With Tony’s death, the rival gangs joined together realizing what hate and anger can do to them. When Maria declared that â€Å"all of (them) killed him, not with bullets or guns, but with hate. (And now she) can kill too because now (she) has hate,† it made them realize the alarming situation of how every one of them can die because of their hatred towards each other. And this hatred is not even something that has enough bearing. They were just fighting because they had different racial backgrounds. They have different beliefs and perspectives. The hatred was passed on from one generation to another. When Anita tried to send Tony a message, she was almost raped by the Tony’s group. She was treated with disrespect and because of this, she sent out a distorted message. Instead of warning them that Chino is looking to kill Tony with a gun, she blurted out that Maria was killed by Chino in a fit of jealousy and rage. And this caused Tony to seek out Chino and his death. Anita was touched by hatred because of what was done to her. Something that could have been prevented if only she was treated with respect. But as Tony felt that it will be alright in the end, it did become alright. When the members of both gangs joined together to carry Tony’s body, it symbolizes intersecting of racial differences to repent and have peace with each other. This plot line is still powerful even up to these times. This is a story about racial differences. It tells us what biases and prejudice can do to us. It is still a significant social issue until today. It is still a challenge for some people to accept another race as part of a group or a team. Gangs are street groups. They are created to protect their territories, places where they grew up, places where they are comfortable with. Of course, as any other person, if your personal space is threatened, you fight for you. This is the same for gangs. They fight for their space. They believe that only one group can stay in one place. But because p eople cannot compromise and because hatred is set so deep in their hearts, people die. The characters in the story signify the different personas that are involved in street gangs. There are the leaders, their successors, the followers and their women. The women are not muses of the gangs. They are not direct members of the gang. They are only associated with the gang members by blood or by relationship. They may be a sister, cousin or girlfriend. But even if they are not members of the gang, they still get involved in whatever conflicts there are between the gangs. Since they are associated with the members by blood or relationship, it is believed that their loyalty will be with their own. As Chino said to Maria when her brother was killed by Tony, she should â€Å"stick with (her) own kind.† That was the thought process of someone whose racial belief is

Green roofs vs Conventional roofs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Green roofs vs Conventional roofs - Essay Example On the other hand, conventional roofs are the more common type of roofs made of such materials as glass, wood, concrete, and bricks. This paper draws a comparison between the green roofs and the conventional roofs. Types The conventional roof has many types. Types of the conventional roof include but are not limited to the single ply roofs, built-up roofs, metal roofs, and asphalt shingle roofs. Single ply roofs are sheet-like membranes manufactured in the factory. Thermoplastic membranes and thermoset membranes are the two types of single ply membranes. Built-up roofs contain several layers of reinforced membranes and modified bitumen roofs. Built-up roofs are the most common as well as the oldest type of conventional roofs. They are also called as the gravel or tar roofs. There are three components in the built-up roofs, which include a layer of waterproofing, a reinforcement layer, topped with a surfacing layer. It is installed with the help of asphalt or coal tar. Structural meta l panel roofs are used for roofs with low slopes as they have the characteristic quality of water barrier. They can also be used for roof assemblies with steep roofs. The structural metal panel roofs are constructed in such a way that water cannot pass through the joints. These roofs are installed in a broad range of substrates. Asphalt shingle roofs are amongst the most commonly used roofs where the slope is steep. There are two types of asphalt shingle roofs; organic roofs and fiber glass roofs. â€Å"Organic consists of paper saturated with asphalt to make it waterproof with a top coat of adhesive with embedded ceramic granule† (gogreenconstructionnow.com, n.d.). Owing to their greater weight, organic shingle roofs offer better blow-off resistance as compared to the fiber glass roofs. Roof shingles may contain single or multiple layers, but all types contain an adhesive strip which is sun-activated and serves as a sealant for the rows. There are three main types of green r oofs; extensive green roofs, semi-intensive green roofs, and intensive green roofs. The extensive green roofs are used in ecological landscapes. The type of vegetation used in the extensive green roofs ranges from moss and herbs to grasses. The depth of substrate in the extensive green roofs is between 60 mm and 200 mm, and their weight is in the range of 60 kg/m2 to 150 kg/m2 (Livingroofs.org, 2012). The cost of extensive green roofs is the lowest of the three types of green roofs. The semi-intensive green roofs are used in ecological landscapes as well as gardens. The type of vegetation employed in them includes herbs, grass, and shrubs. Their depth of substrate ranges from 120 mm to 250 mm whereas their weight is generally between 120 kg/m2 and 200 kg/m2. The cost of semi-intensive green roofs is periodic. The intensive green roofs are used in parks and gardens. The type of vegetation used in the intensive green roofs ranges from perennials and shrubs to trees. Their depth of sub strate is generally 150 mm to 400 mm. The weight of the intensive green roofs is between 180 kg/mm2 and 500 kg/mm2. The cost of intensive green roofs is the highest of the three types of green roofs. Cost Payne et al. (n.d.) conducted a research to compare the expenses associated with the green roofs to the cost of conventional tar roofs to identify the places where the installation of a green roof is more feasible economically than the conventional roof.

Cultural Issues in Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cultural Issues in Management - Essay Example (Ghauri, P., & Fang, T. 2001). There are many management issues that are affecting both the Japanese employees and the American employees due to the differences in cultural practices. These differences should be integrated so that the company’s activities can be done effectively and efficiently. A chief issue affecting the company is differences in context cultures of both Americans and Japanese. Japanese employees are high context cultures while Americans’ have low context cultures. Japans people value personal relation and good will while Americans value expertise and performance. Japanese make agreements on the basis of general trust while Americans make agreements based on specified legal contract. In cross cultural communication between the Americans and the Japanese, there will be conflict of understanding and extremely long time is required to have consensus in any aspect. This has always forced the company to make late decisions. To solve the problem arising fro m context culture, the company should come up with guidelines for how things are done so that there are no conflicts of interests due to cultural differences. Secondly, there are vast difference in the attitudes of sale force between the Japanese and the Americans. Japanese have particularism and high universalism as illustrated by Trompenaars cultural perspectives. Americans have the attitude of take or leave in sales while the Japanese have room for modification and customization to accommodate the opinions of the customers. The company should adopt the Japanese attitude of sales and train the Americans on some of the techniques since it gives more customers satisfaction and less harassment. The company should also come up with sales commissions to encourage more sales. This will encourage the Americans to adopt the Japanese attitude of sales that they can achieve higher sales. (Ghauri, P., & Fang, T. 2001). The management of Chiba international has challenges because it comprises of both Americans and Japanese. American managers are individualistic in nature while the Japanese are collective. Americans are concerned with their issues and their reporting authority while the Japanese are concerned with the overall objectives of the company. The individualistic nature of the Americans has led to power conflicts amongst themselves, and this has derailed many activities in trying to solve the problem. In the recruitment process, the Japanese are concerned with performance, ability, and the attitude of a person measured in an interview. The Americans lay most of the emphasis on the person who has high education credentials. This has lead to poor communication between the two workforces. Chiba communication should come up with clear separation of duties so that there is no conflict in any decision making process. In the recruitment process, the company can use external employment bureaus and set the standards for qualification. (Kedia., & Mukherji, 1999). In the m anagement of financial activities, there is a wide variation between the Japanese and the Americans. The management of the Japanese follows all the financial activities throughout the company. All the expenses and revenues are accounted for when they are incurred or earned. Chiba international follows the theory of noodle peddler which considers expenditure of all resources for any objective achieved

Ralph Lauren Rugby 's fail reasons and re-launch marketing strategy Essay

Ralph Lauren Rugby 's fail reasons and re-launch marketing strategy - Essay Example ng up with a new market strategy for the company is to give the company a chance to re-launch and come in the market again growing at a good pace and capturing the maximum market across the globe. This will help the company to revamp and also grow in the Competitive market environment. Polo Ralph Lauren been the parent company launched Rugby Ralph Lauren in 2004 in America as a clothing brand. The brand was launched getting inspired from the Rugby lifestyle for both male and females of age group in between 16 to 25. Rugby brand was available at 12 stores in whole of US and one in London. The brand also started its online marketing from 2008 and started its own website Rugby.com. This brand was a concept which was developed by designer Ralph Lauren. The first store location of the brand was in Boston which was opened in 2004. The biggest advantage that the brand had was its low price and attractive designs which attracted the young generation a lot from their parent brand products which were much more luxury and costlier than the brand Rugby. The company did launch the dress materials and bags in the designs with logos and photos of rugby players and also in the colours of the uniforms of the rugby teams. This brand had a line of products under its name like the po lo’s, jackets, outerwear, dresses, shirts and also many other accessories for the young generation mainly. The brand also gave the option of making personalized shirts for the customers based on the patches of various designs that the company had under its list of designs. In this report the reasons for the failure of this brand in the market is been studied based on which the marketing strategy that can be utilised for the re-launching of the brand and make it successful is been understood and analysed using various marketing theories and concepts. The parent brand Ralph Lauren has many sub brands under its umbrella like the Polo brand, Club Monaco, Chaps, RRL and RLX brands, Black Label, Pink Pony,

OI wk 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

OI wk 5 - Essay Example The company also targets schools and universities as a market for their products. Despite being a leader in soft drinks industry, the PepsiCo Company has been faced by stiff competition from other firms such as the Coca Cola Company. This has made it necessary for PepsiCo to adopt innovative strategies to ensure that their products continue to reach the desired market. This stems from the realization that it is important for the company to come up with innovative ways to reach the target market in a highly competitive market. The success of PepsiCo can be attributed to their ability to target new markets. PepsiCo has been known for its niche marketing. Market niche innovation refers to the ability of the company to open up new markets using the existing technology (Von Stamm, 2003). In earlier years the company targeted the black community as a market for their products. The company also targeted different communities and came up with strategies to reach this target markets. As a result of their innovative marketing, PepsiCo was able to raise sales in the targeted communities. At present the company continues to come up with more innovative ways to reach the desired market. These include a redesigning of the Pepsi cans to have a design that included more than 30 different backgrounds for each can. This is an example of the innovation that is carried out by PepsiCo to help in achieving growth and success. The PepsiCo Company is driven by the market share in reaching it niche market. This has made it easier for the Company to identify the proper channels of distributions for their products. To enable the Company to attain a larger market share, the company has developed distribution channels that allow it to reach its entire target market. The company has also expanded the distribution channels through globalization. In addition, the PepsiCo Company has reached to a wider market through the use of proper and targeted promotions. The company has also been able to

Racial Profiling Essay Example for Free

Racial Profiling Essay A person should not be judged due to their appearance. Today skin color makes you a suspect in America. It makes you more likely to be stopped, more likely to be searched, and more likely to be arrested and imprisoned. When police officers stop or charge a person based on their race; that’s racial profiling. Racial profiling has been occurring around the nation for years. Statistics show that if a Caucasian man and an African American man are both driving a nice car and speeding at the same time; the police officer is most likely to stop the African-American man. Not only is racial profiling wrong, but is disrespectful to minorities, and should be illegal throughout America. Racial profiling should be illegal because it causes discomfort and humiliation to many minority citizens, lack of unity in the American people, and the possibility of real criminals getting away because he is not a minority thus becoming a threat to society. Racial profiling causes a huge discomfort and humiliation to many minority citizens. New Jersey officials admitted to racial profiling on April 20, 1999. The report showed that racial profiling practices in New Jersey are not just an insight. The report recognized the targeting of African American and Latino drivers to troopers who abused their positions by ignoring the rights of minorities. Police officers dont understand how degrading and humiliating this can be. Yes racial profiling can be used by countries to fight crimes thus giving security to its citizens, but it also causes a discomfort to minorities. Additionally, the more police continue to arrest citizens based on their race, cultural background, and religion the more we lack unity in America. When police officers offend minorities by racial profiling, it makes the country divide even more. You would think that after the civil rights movement people would become as one; however, racial profiling only makes it worse. How can we unite as a country if we can not look past the surface? Racial profiling is a great divider among the people in America; if America can not look past its differences this problem will worsen, and then America, the land of the great, will fall. Don’t ask what the police can do to make the situation better-but what can we do to help the police make the  situation better! The Possibility of real criminals getting away is becoming a threat to society because police are overlooking the fact that he or she is not a minority. If a detective is given a description that does not include the ethnicity of the suspect, they automatically search for a suspect that has the ethical background of the African American, or Hispanic decent. This happens because African-Americans and Hispanics are known for causing the most crimes, which is why we need to stop the racial profiling. With that being said, this inevitably disregards all the possible suspects who are not of the minority decent. Even though racial profiling is used by police to narrow down their search for the possible suspects, minority citizens become more intensified with the fact that they are the ones being targeted and accused for such crimes that they did not commit. To conclude, racial profiling is a conflict all around America. We as citizens in America need to our best to stop racial profiling; I reiterate we need to try our best to stop racial profiling! I heard this quote once â€Å"United we stand, but divided we fall.† This quote should urge you to want to put an end to racial profiling. Racial profiling is something that may never stop in America. It is wrong and unjust. Still, it is something worth fighting for, for the many who suffer because of the problem and for this country in general. Everyone has different opinions on Racial Profiling, some people say there are benefits or others have negative impacts on racial profiling.

A Dissertation Proposal Essay Example for Free

A Dissertation Proposal Essay Chapter One: The Problems and Its Components The problem to be investigated in this study is school climate, considering and comparing teacher perceptions of both the actual and ideal psychological environment in three different African American private schools. The literature indicates that an open climate with lines of communication that are established at all levels, staff freedom, professional interest, and participatory decision making, among other similar factors, will lead to positive teacher attitudes and improved teacher performance. The relationship between teachers’ perceptions of the actual and ideal psychological school environment has not yet been tested for African American private schools. See more: Examples of satire in adventures of huckfinn essay Problem Background As explained by Beachum and McCray (2004), school climate has a significant impact on the attitudes and performance of teachers in that it influences professional growth and development in academic and social terms, influences the ability to handle work pressures, and ultimately can lead to attrition if the climate is not open and does not have adequate lines of communication. The school’s value systems, work pressures, participatory decision making, resource adequacy, growth opportunity, and student support all play a part in the overall climate of the school (Cole-Henderson, 2000). The study of this climate is of critical importance to the well being, positive attitudes, and professional development of the school’s teachers. The current need to provide every child with qualified and committed teachers in the face of a national teacher shortage supports the importance of conducting research on factors influencing teacher attitudes and stressors in the teaching profession, particularly those that might affect burnout and turnover. It is also clear that a healthy school climate–a school with a strong academic emphasis and a principal who has influence with superiors and is willing to use it on behalf of teachers–is conducive to the development of teachers beliefs that they can influence student learning and make a difference. It is also clear that work pressures can exert additional stress on a teacher if the school climate is perceived in a negative light. Numerous studies (Harris, 1999; Jamal, 1999; Ma Macmillan, 1999; MacDonald, 1999; Remy, 1999) have focused on teacher stress. According to Remy, research has shown that 40% of new teachers leave the profession within 5 years. These studies also have shown that approximately half of all teachers leave the profession within the first 7 years because of job-related stress. Because teaching is a stressful occupation (Ma Macmillan; Remy; Weiss, 1999), teachers often self-select out of the profession. Schools must then scramble to replace these teachers. Remaining faculty and the school district become further strained in the attempt to make up for the shortage. Knowledge of how teachers perceive the current school climate and what teachers think the ideal environment should be would be of invaluable importance. Theoretical Orientation The literature review will focus on both the conceptual framework of the study and the major variables of concern. The conceptual framework will be based on attribution and motivation theory. The major variables of concern are the ideal and actual perceptions of the school climate by teachers. Initially, attribution theory was presented as a theoretical process in the late 1970s and middle 1980s (Frieze, 1976; Weiner, 1979, 1985, 1986). It provided the framework for examining the responses of teachers to such academic outcomes of students as failure or success in the general education classroom. Since that time a number of studies have been conducted that provide empirical support of its principles. According to Graham (1990; 1991), both ability and effort have been identified as the major perceived causes of individual teacher failure or success. In other words, failure can be overcome by effort, while success comes about as a result of personal competence. Teacher ability is comprised of aptitude and learned skills in an academic context. Effort, on the other hand, is the amount of exertion applied to a learning situation. Attribution can be applied in situations in which teachers try to understand their own behavior. It can also be applied when teachers try to assess the classroom performance of students in order to increase their teaching success (Graham, 1990, 1991). When teachers’ expectations are not met, the instructors may resort to any number of actions. They may often be tardy or absent. In fact, attrition is often the end result. The individuals may also withdraw from teaching psychologically–that is, not concentrate, do no more than absolutely necessary, and have no interest or initiative. As a result, the quality of teaching in general may suffer. Vroom (1964) stated that motivation is a product of the anticipated worth that individuals place on a goal and the chances they see of achieving that goal. According to Vroom, three factors influence achievement: force, valence, and expectancy. Force equals valence times expectancy. Force is the strength of the teachers’ motivation while valence is the anticipated satisfaction from the result. Expectancy is the probability of achieving the outcome. The impact of force depends on both valence and expectancy. For example, if teachers show indifference in achieving a goal, the valence becomes zero. Specifically in his expectancy theory, Vroom (1964) suggested the following: Motivation = Perceived Probability of Success (Expectancy) x Connection of Success and Reward (Instrumentality) x Value of Obtaining Goal (Valance, Value).   From this formula it is clear that a high value for one variables of the formula will result in a high motivation value and vice versa. In Vroom’s (1964) view, the three variables must exist for motivation to take place. Thus, when teachers do not think they will be successful at a task or do not value the results of becoming successful in their school or do not perceive a connection between their attitude and the school climate, it is more than likely that they will not apply themselves to the teaching activity. Organizational theory also relates to the proposed investigative study in terms of communication. According to this theory, restrictive and closed climates with closed lines of communication relate to poor teacher performance (Cole-Henderson, 2000). The school system is an organization, and thus communication theory applies. When lines of communication are closed teachers do not communicate with administrators or students, and school management does not communicate with teachers other than giving orders from the top down. Communication only flows from the top down. In such a school system, the perceived motivational climate is negative and achievement goals suffer (Bennett, 2002). Clearly, when there are open lines of communication, there is more interest in teaching and thus knowledge has more meaning. This translates into improved achievement on the part of both the teacher and the student. It is clear to see that school climate has a decided bearing on teachers in a number of different ways. Purpose of the Study The purpose of the study is to evaluate teacher perceptions of the climate of three independent Black private schools in relationship to the actual and ideal climate. Thus, the purpose is three-fold: 1. To determine if teacher perceptions of the actual school climate differs between and among the three African American private schools included in the study. 2. To determine if the teacher’s perceptions of the ideal or preferred school climate differs between and among the three African American private schools included in the study. 3. To determine if there is a correlation among teachers who teach at different levels in the three schools included in the study regarding their perceptions of their school climate. Research Questions The major research question can be stated as follows: â€Å"Is the actual school climate of independent African American private schools adequately meeting the perceptions of its teachers regarding their ideal school climate perceptions?† From this question several sub-questions have been formulated. These may now be listed as follows: 1. Do teacher perceptions of the actual school climate differ between and among the three African American private schools included in the study, as determined by scores on the actual environment answer form of the School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ)? 2. Do teacher perceptions of the ideal or preferred school climate differ between and among the three African American private schools included in the study, as determined by scores on the ideal or preferred environment answer form of the School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ)? 3. Is there a significant correlation among the perceptions of teachers employed in the three schools included in the study in terms of their view of their school climate, as determined from both answer forms of the School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ)? 4. Do the perceptions of teachers differ for those who teach at different student grade levels, as determined by a comparison of results from the School Level Environment Questionnaire for teachers instructing at different levels? Limitations and Delimitation One limitation of the study relates to the fact that the research has no control over the teacher participants’ reliability. It will be assumed, however, that the teachers will answer the survey questionnaire items honestly and to the best of their ability. There is also a certain weakness associated with only the use of a survey questionnaire to obtain data for analysis. Researchers do suggest the use of two or more sources–that is, triangulation – to produce better support data (Babbie, 2003; Creswell, 2003). With respect to delimitations of the study, the data source of this case will be limited to three independent Black private schools located in an urban city. Definitions Several common terms and designations are used uniquely in the proposed study. These are defined as follows: Independent Black private school. This term refers to a school owned by African Americans which is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operation and is instead operated by tuition charges, gifts, and perhaps the investment yield of an endowment (Mahiri, 1998). School climate. This term refers to the school atmosphere. In restrictive and closed schools, authority emanates from the top down through hierarchical levels. Communication is restrictive and closed. In an open school climate, communication reaches all levels and moves in all directions (Moeller, 2005). School climate perceptions. Teacher views of their school environment will generally influence their motivation to teach, grow professionally, participate in decision making, and handle work pressures. In this study, the term will be operationally defined by scores on the School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ)? Self-concept. Self-concept is considered the most basic and crucial components of personality and can be influenced by environment. Self-concept can become positive in an open school climate; conversely it can become negative in a closed and restrictive school climate. The proposed study views self concept in this context (Branden, 1999). Staff development. For this research project, this term pertains to any activities that attempt to improve the teacher’s ability to implement a new instructional program. Staff development includes an emphasis on attitude, competencies, and knowledge that enhances learning (Sykes, 1996). Teachers perceptions. In general, perceptions in the present study pertain to teachers thoughts, beliefs, and feelings about professional development training, work pressures, participatory decision making, innovation, staff freedom, student support, professional interest, and affiliation, among other related variables. Their thoughts and beliefs affect their teaching approach and presentation. Teachers are active information processors who affect classroom events as much as they are affected by them (Chance Costa, 1998). Importance of the Study African American students are not doing as well in school as others and this may be related to their teachers (Tatum, 2006). The findings of this investigative study may provide valuable knowledge about the teachers of these students. Also, other independent schools can use these outcomes to improve their educational programs for teachers and improve teacher productivity. In addition, the implications may insure that the professional and development needs of the teachers are met at school. The proposed study will add to the scholarly research. School reform and restructuring as it relates to professional development of teachers have gained momentum in the United States for the past 2 decades (Sparks, 1997). Meaningful educational reform cannot occur, however, unless teachers are integrally involved in the reform process and unless they have the time and resources to conceptualize the implementation of the changes need in their classrooms. But more research is needed to identify the ways in which the school climate can become more open and conducive to these needs. The significance of the proposed study lay in its ability to add to the database in this respect. The significance of the study and its potential results touches a number of areas and addresses several different audiences. As noted, the findings will add to the scholarly research. For example, understanding factors that influence teacher perceptions of climate in African American private schools can help reveal the underlying logic that influences their motivation, professional development, and perhaps their participation in the decision making processes. Chapter Two: Review of Literature It is important to note that educational researchers have consistently found unequal levels of achievement between African American and Caucasian students (Bankston Caldas, 1997; Graybill, 1997). Educational specialists such as Hurd (2001) refer to the problem faced by African American students, as the achievement gap and further point out that in today’s school systems less than 60% of African American high school students graduate in 14 years. Joseph (2000) noted that if Caucasian students were dropping out at the same rates as African American students, we would declare a state of crisis in teaching these students. According to Tyson (2002), it is time to require teachers and administrators to address the problem and to consider issues related to achievement motivation among African American students. According to Baldwin, Coney III, and Thomas (1993), the eleven areas of school effectiveness are â€Å"effective instructional leadership, clear and focused mission, safe and orderly environment, positive school climate, high expectations, frequent assessment/monitoring of student achievement, emphasis on basic skills, maximum opportunities for learning, parent community involvement, strong professional development, and teacher involvement in decision-making.† In these areas of school effectiveness, school climate is one of the most important things wherein it has been subject to extensive research. School climate is a term referring to the â€Å"personality of a school,† according to Hoy and Miskel (1982). It is a characteristic of a school which includes the school’s physical structure of its buildings and the interactions between students and teachers. These are the two factors that both affect and help to define the concept of school climate according to Marshall (2004). Les Gallay and Suet-ling Pong (2004), on the other hand, viewed school climate as â€Å"the part of the school environment associated with attitudinal and affective dimensions and the belief systems of the school that influence children’s cognitive, social, and psychological development.† They also cited Ashby and Krug (1998) and Griffith (2000) on what school climate is a how it affect the society. According to Ashby and Krug (1998), school climate is reflected in the social interactions within the classroom and within the school community. According to Griffith (2000), values, attitudes, beliefs and communications are subjective matters; many researches rely on the perceptions of the participants (teachers, students, parents) to measure the effect of school climate. For many years and up to the recent days, the concept on school climate influencing significantly in educational outcomes is still being researched by many researchers. Perceptions on school climate influence many people (e.g. students, teachers, parents) which may also influence the processes and outcomes in a physical, social, and learning environment. Research shows that both teacher and student perceptions of school climate influence student achievement. An early study by Fraser (1989) laid the groundwork for this research. Fraser (1989) studied the effects of classroom environment on student achievement, for example, and found that student outcomes could be improved by creating classroom environments that are conducive to learning. Classroom environments studied by Fraser (1989) used student perceptual data to assess the school environment and reach conclusions. A number of studies have been conducted since the 1980s showing a relationship between students’ perceptions of the school climate in various terms and their achievement in one form or another. In 1995, the study of Bulach, Malone, Castleman on the investigation of variables related to student achievement showed that there is a significant difference in student achievement between schools with good school climate and schools with poor school climate. On schools with positive school climate, students develop a positive perception on school climate, making them comfortable with the learning environment they are in. On separate studies conducted by Hirase (2000) and Erpelding (1999) on the relationship between school climate and achievement of students, both studies came up with same result that schools with a positive climate had a higher academic achievement as compared to schools with negative climate. Another case presented by Freiberg (1998) showed that the students’ perceptions are important especially during the transition from one school level to another (e.g. elementary to high school). According to him, attending a new school can be frightening for students which could affect their perceptions on the school climate which could consequently affect their learning outcomes or performance. With that, the research showed that having good or positive school climate will result to an easy transition or adaption to the new school environment and a good performance of students may be easily achieved. This chapter will focused more on the theories and studies related to the teachers’ perception on school climate in order to have critical views on it. In addition, this chapter will also present and analyze established studies on the influences made by school climate on teachers’ perceptions and subsequently to the effect of having these perceptions to the assessment and improvement of the students’ performance in school. Conceptual Framework The conceptual framework of the study is related to attribution, motivational, and organizational climate in terms of lines of communication. According to attribution theory, teachers’ perceptions of their school teaching experiences will generally influence their achievement motivation and performance development more than the actual objective of those experiences (Weiner, 1985). School climate is also an important aspect of learning and effective instruction (Freiberg, 1998). When teachers are more empowered, students are able to voice their concerns and learn from the experience. When questions and answers are free flowing, the school climate is open. For example, understanding factors that are influenced by an independent Black school climate such as academic achievement can help reveal the underlying logic that influences teacher motivation and performance (Joseph, 2000). Motivation on the part of teachers is an important aspect of effective instruction (Joseph, 2000). Vroom (1964) defined motivation as a product of the anticipated worth that individuals place on a goal and the chances they see of achieving that goal, as mentioned in Chapter 1. According to him, three factors influence achievement: force, valence, and expectancy. Force is the strength of the teachers’ motivation while valence is the anticipated satisfaction from the result. Expectancy is the probability of achieving the outcome. The impact of force depends on both valence and expectancy. In his view, the three variables must exist for motivation to take place. Thus, when teachers do not think they will be successful at a task or do not value the results of becoming successful in their school or do not perceive a connection between their attitude and the school climate, it is more than likely that they will not apply themselves to the teaching activity. But when teachers are motivated to perform competently in the classroom, they will have more positive attitudes resulting to a positive result to the students. As noted by Banks (2001), school climate can also impact teacher identity. Banks reported that, â€Å"The school climate communicates†¦the school’s attitudes toward a range of issues and problems† (p. 24). School values not in agreement with those of its teachers and a lack of communication and perceptions of shared power and control on the part of administration (teachers and principals), may negatively influence teachers’ attitudes about the school itself and their chances for professional development (Hoy Woolfolk, 1993). When the climate of the school promotes a harmonious value system that is in agreement school wide, and when high levels of communication exist, teacher attitudes are more positive. Thus it can be seen, as Karpicke and Murphy (1996) have noted, a positive school climate has a great impact on success of both teachers and students alike, significantly encouraging achievement on the part of all. Lynn and Hassan (1999) examined pedagogical practices and beliefs of African American teachers and students at a private middle school in an affluent African American community. Their investigative study provided a portrait of the school and the students in an attempt to raise the critical consciousness of the students. From their observations and interviews, they found the role of alignment between the school mission and teacher beliefs and practices was high. Also, there were shared views about the principles taught regarding the development of moral, intellectual, and spiritual aspects of students. According to attribution theory, teachers’ perceptions of their school climate experiences, whether they be the actual objective of the experience or not, will generally influence their attitudes toward teaching (Weiner, 1985). In other words, teachers try to explain their failure or success by relating (attributing) this to certain school climate characteristics. Weiner (1986) also linked attribution theory to achievement motivation in specific steps. In Weiner’s view, the first step starts with an outcome realization. Deciding whether or not the outcome is negative or positive represents the second step of this sequential process. During the third step, specific information about the outcome is gathered. Next, the search for a cause takes place. This involves a determination as to whether the outcome is the effect of a specific strategy, conscious effort on the part of the student in question (i.e., the doer), or just plain luck. In this way, achievement motivation is explained. McClelland (1985) also linked attribution theory to achievement motivation, but carried the analysis as well as the theoretical orientation a step further. McClelland identified variables or component parts that comprised achievement motivation and subsequently acknowledged some common characteristics. These included (a) concern for personal achievement over concern for external rewards for success, (b) an ability to set obtainable goals, (c) the desire for performance related feedback as opposed to attitudinal feedback, and (d) consistent thinking about ways in which progress can be made which thus increases their achievement levels. Expectancy theory as related to achievement theory is yet another theoretical orientation of the present investigative research. It should be explained that the emotional feelings of achievement and satisfaction are actually determined by each individual. Teachers decide on the degree to which their learning experiences are satisfying by comparing them with their own expectations (Whaley Smyer, 1998). Aspects of learning that fall short of these expectations can cause discontent. Often teachers compare their perceptions of their school climate to their perceptions of what it should be. If a teacher’s subjective evaluation or perception of ratio of school climate inputs to output (e.g., positive attitudes and satisfaction) is lower than the comparison, the teacher is very likely to be dissatisfied. Expectations and comparisons of perceived worth, however, are subjective, and often biased or even erroneous. Private Schools As the achievement gap grows larger, African American parents have also lost faith in public school education, especially those who have enrolled their children in private schools (Sander, 1997). This is because of some factors such as racial discrimination of the white teachers and white students to black students, low interest of students to go to school for a reason that they develop low self-esteem in school because of diverse ethnicity, and many other more. Black and White parents alike believe that attending private schools would rid their children of such problems as bullying, skipping school, high dropout rates, and would give their children a better chance to higher academic achievement. According to National Center for Education Statistics (2008), there are 28, 384 private schools in the United States now with 6.1 million PK-12 students enrolled. Over 25 percent of the nation’s schools are private schools and about 11% of all students are enrolled in these private schools. On the other hand, the National Center for Education Statistics, which periodically test the grade 4, 8, and 12 students’ skills and knowledge using the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), showed their analysis on the score of students from private and public schools. Based on their results, students in private schools consistently score well as compared to public students. There are many factors that could affect students’ achievement. Factors may include the type of school the student is enrolled, number of students in a classroom (class size), the efficiency of the teacher teaching the subject, the student’s classmates, and many other more including family and social factors that could hinders students’ achievement (Betts et. al, 2003). However, one of the most influential on students’ achievement is the way the teacher is teaching the subject and the values he/she taught to the students. With this reason, the teachers’ perception on their school climate will greatly influenced the way they will teach the students for their perceptions will determine factors that motivates them to teach such as job satisfaction or secured environment. Attribution Factors in Terms of School Climate A number of attribution factors influencing achievement motivation are identified in the literature and are examined in the research. These include (a) school climate in terms of lines of communication, (b) peer influence, and (c) perceptions of educational experiences. Each has an important influence and is considered to be an important attribution variable influencing achievement motivation. With respect to school climate, perceptions are related to their overall educational experience. Studies have shown that perceptions of school climate affect a wide variety of social and academic success factors, and vice versa. For example, the social environment and climate of the school and the actions within those environments influence students’ perceptions of their own effort and success in school (Kaufman, 2004). Moeller (2005) found that students’ perceptions of school climate and their own sense of responsible behavior are correlated. Studies also found that school climate can be effective in many ways. Researchers found school climate positively affect academic performance/achievement. They also found that it influences the behaviour of a student and the decision to remain in school (Monrad et al., 2008). Similarly, according to Kuperminc et al. (1997), a positive school climate showed association with fewer behavioural and emotional problems for students. Smerdon’s (2002) study, which collected data from a nationally representative sample of high school students, discovered that students who may need perceived school membership and open school climate the most and may benefit most from it perceived lower levels of membership than did their peers. The cultural environment in schools can also contribute to African American students’ poor academic performance. Teachers often comment on the fact that these items give them little chance to help African American students in meaningful ways: (a) they often can only maintain minimal order in the classroom, (b) school violence is on the increase, (c) with curriculum requirements teachers have little time to help student’s to fulfill the requirements of the curriculum, and (d) these students become discouraged and very often drop out of school (Hale-Benson, 1996). Voelkll (1995) examined the influence that participation and creating a warm school environment would have on academic achievement. The study included a nationwide sample of 13,121 eighth graders. The finding showed, â€Å"that there was a direct relationship between warmth in the classroom environment parent involvement in the school and students willingness to participate. It seems that participation in class has a distinct and crucial influence on the relationship between students’ perceptions and achievement† (p. 112). In addition, on the study conducted on school climate in urban environments by Haynes Comer (1993) showed that a positive school climate and is conscious of cultural differences can significantly improve academic success or performance among the urban students. Hoy and Woolfolk (1993), on the other hand, assessed teachers’ perceptions of the school climate as related to organizational health. Specifically, the researchers examined the relationships between two dimensions of teacher efficacy (general and personal teaching efficacy) and aspects of a healthy school climate as defined in terms of institutional integrity, principal influence, consideration, resource support, morale, and academic emphasis. The sample of the study consisted of 179 teachers from 37 elementary schools in New Jersey (Hoy Woolfolk, 1993). A modification of the Organizational Health Inventory was administered to the teachers to obtain the data for analysis. The researchers concluded from their data analysis that a healthy school climate (strong academic emphasis and a principal who was able to influence superiors on behalf of teachers) was favorable to the development of teachers’ beliefs that they could influence student learning, â€Å"Thus, teachers confidence that they can reach students was supported by organizational factors that help teachers manage and teach students† (p. 355). Studies have shown that a positive school climate is associated with increased job satisfaction for teachers (Taylor and Tashakkori, 1995; Ma MacMillan, 1999), level of work efficacy, and teacher autonomy. Teachers found satisfied in their jobs have more positive views or perception about school climate as compared to those teachers who were not satisfied (Bahamonde-Gunnell, 2000). While on the research conducted by Hirase (2000), the researcher found out that teachers working in a school with positive school climate have greater sense of work-efficacy. The research conducted by Erpelding (1999) found that there is a strong relationship between teacher autonomy and school climate. Same with the studies of Bempah et al. (1994) and Rosenholz (1989), when teachers feel that they have some power or autonomy and also involves into school-level decision-making, they are less likely to leave. Consequently, when teachers feel powerless and alienated, their efficiency to teach lowers (Ashton Webb, 1986). With an increased in job satisfaction, work-efficacy, and teacher autonomy, teachers will be able to educate the students with quality education, thus, increasing the students’ performance or success in learning and making the school successful too. To support this favourable development of teachers in positive school climate which can lead to successful school, studies also found that a having a positive school climate is related to indicators of school success such as standardized test scores (Monrad et al., 2008). Chapter Three: Methodology Previous chapters introduced the problem of the study, explained the purpose, provided the theoretical orientation, and reviewed the literature pertinent to the major variables. The purpose of this chapter is to detail the methodology that will be employed to collect and analyze the data. Thus, this chapter presents the design, procedures, and analysis plan for carrying out the study. Research Design The method for this study is based on a non-experimental design that focuses on the use of data collected using scores from the SLEQ in a selected population. Thus, the research approach of the study will be descriptive and will essentially represent a quantitative study. Research provides us with a variety of perspectives from which to see things and a way of empirically analyzing our findings (Rinaldo, 2005). It enables use to see from where we have come, provides us with a description of where we are now, and gives us some semblance of the direction in which we seem headed (Rinaldo). Quantitative and qualitative research is vital part of any investigation. Quantitative research is defined as the collection of numerical and statistical data (O’Neil, 2006). Quantitative research is frequently used to investigate research questions. This research often starts with the collection of statistics, based on data, observations, or surveys. One popular quantitative technique is the survey. Surveys can be administered by telephone, face to face, mail, or more recently by the Internet. Quantitative data is described by O’Neil as data which can be sorted, classified, measured in a strictly objective way. The relationship between these variables is expressed using effect statistics, such as correlations, relative frequencies, or differences between means (Hopkins, 2000). The researcher is a very valuable component throughout the collection of data. According to Glesne and Peshkin (1992), when conducting a quantitative study, the researcher is described as being detached, impartial, objective, and portrayal. The researcher’s purpose is to generalize, predict, and provide causal explanations. There are several approaches the research can use. Some approaches are subject to hypothesis, theories, manipulation and control, experimentation, deductive, and component analysis (Glesne Peshkin). According to Hopkins (2000), in a descriptive study, subjects are usually measured once and no attempt is made to change behavior or conditions; things are measured as they are. Hopkins stated that the aim in quantitative research is to distinguish the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable in a population. Selection of Participants Babbie (2003) indicated that it is appropriate for a researcher to conduct purposeful sampling because of the researcher’s knowledge of the population, its elements, and the nature of the research objectives. In addition, Babbie (2003) suggested that a researcher may want to study a small subset of a larger population in which members of the subset are easily identified. It is for this reason that three African American private schools in one urban area in the United States were selected for inclusion in the study. These will be named A, B, and C to ensure anonymity. Together, the study population total will be 67 teachers instructing preschool through twelfth grade. All will become the target population. Those who agree to participate in the study will become the sample. Their responses will provide data regarding their perception of the climate in their school, both actual and ideal. School A focuses on educating students ages 2-12 and strengthening basic educational components to prepare students to be competitive in a global society. The co-educational school enrolls 121 students in grades prekindergarten to fifth grade and employs 20 teachers. The student to teacher ratio is 9.3:1. All of the students are African American. School B is a Christian school. The co-educational school enrolls 220 students in grades prekindergarten to twelfth grade and employs 26 teachers. The student to teacher ratio is 7.8:1. Ninety-eight percent of the students are African American. School C has built its program around the concept currently known as African-Centered education, a holistic approach based upon the premise that children excel academically and intellectually when the curriculum, teaching methodology, and environment reflect the builders of yesterday and the ideas of the future. The co-educational school enrolls 215 students in grades prekindergarten to eighth grade and employs 21 teachers. The student to teacher ratio is 10:1. Ninety-eight percent of the students are African American. Instrumentation Data used in the proposed study to analyze the perceptions of teachers will be collected through administration of a test instrument, the School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ), as developed by Fisher and Fraser (1990) and published in the Handbook of Tests and Measurement in Education and the Social Sciences (2000). The SLEQ is comprised of 56 items that measure teacher’s perceptions of the psychological environment of a school. As explained by the originators, the SLEQ consists of two answer forms–one that measures the actual environment as perceived by teachers and the second that measures the ideal or preferred school environment. Three different teacher samples assisted in the development of the test instrument (Fraser, 1989). Alpha coefficients ranging from 0.70 to 0.81 were provided as an estimate of the internal consistency of each of the eight subscales. These subscales include student support, affiliation, professional interest, staff freedom, participatory decision making, innovation, research adequacy, and work pressure. Each subscale consists of seven items which, when added together, provide a separate score. The scale development for the SLEQ was derived from the Work Environment Scale (Fraser, 1989). It is divided into three basic dimensions. These include relationship, personal development, and system maintenance and system change dimensions. As reported by Fisher and Fraser (1990), these broad dimensions were used for the development of the SLEQ. Non-participatory decision making (suggesting a closed school climate) is indicated, for example, by such items as â€Å"I have little say in the running of the school† and â€Å"It is very difficult to change anything in this school.† Resource inadequacy is indicated by responses to such items as, â€Å"Tape recorders and cassettes are seldom available when needed† and â€Å"The supply of equipment and resources is inadequate.† Assumptions It will be assumed that all study subjects will answer the survey questions honestly and to the best of their ability. It is also assumed that the students in the three schools where their teachers are being surveyed will be representative of the larger population of African American students attending an independent Black private school. Procedures Data will be collected by the researcher from the teachers at each school at a time selected by the administrators and researcher. The purpose of the study will be presented to the teachers and the questionnaires will be distributed. The researcher will remain until the teachers have completed the questionnaires and will collect the completed forms before leaving the meeting. Those teachers who agree to participate and return completed survey forms will become the sample. All respondents will be asked not to sign their name. In this way this researcher can assure anonymity. Those who wish a copy of the results when the study is completed will be asked to provide an e-mail address to be used for this purpose only. Data Processing and Analysis Data collected from survey questionnaires will be assessed to determine whether teachers’ perceptions of their actual school climate are similar to their perceived ideal school climate. The perceptions will be compared. Teachers’ view of the ideal and actual psychological environment will also be compared across the three African American private schools included in the proposed study. Findings from the analysis of data will be reported as descriptive statistics. These include standard deviations, percentages, mean averages, and others of a similar nature. From this information, implications and conclusions will derive from the teacher perceptions. Findings from schools will be compared to each other and to those in the literature. References *Anderman, E. M., Maehr, M. L. (1994). Motivation and schooling in the middle grades. Review of Educational Research, 64, 287-309. Ashby, Dianne E., and Samuel E. Krug. (1998). â€Å"Understanding and Promoting School Climate and Culture.† Thinking Through the Principalship. New York: Eye on Education Inc. Ashton, P. T., Webb, R. B. (1986). Making a difference: Teachers sense of efficacy and student achievement. New York: Longman. Atkinson, J. W., O’Conner, P. (1996). Neglected factors of achievement oriented performances: Social approval as an incentive and performance decrement. New York: Wiley. Babbie, E. (2003). The practice of social research (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Thompson. Bahamonde-Gunnell, M. A. (2000). Teachers perceptions of school culture in relation to job satisfaction and commitment. Dissertation Abstracts International, 61(09), p.3419. (Publication Number AAT 9988423) Baldwin, Lee, Freeman Coney III, and Roberta Thomas. (1993) School Effectiveness Questionnaire (SEQ). Harcourt Brace Educational Measurement, Order Service Center, PO Box 839954, San Antonio. Bandura, A. (1991). Social foundations of thought and action. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Banks, J. A. (2001). Multicultural education: Characteristics and goals. In J. A. Banks C. A. McGee Banks (Eds.), Multicultural education: Issues and perspectives (4th ed., pp. 3-30). New York: John Wiley. *Bankston, C., III, Caldras, S. J. (1997). The American school dilemma: Race and scholastic performance. Sociological Quarterly, 38, 423-429. Beachum, F. D., McCray, C. R. (2004, September 14). Cultural collision in urban schools. Current Issues in Education, 7. Retrieved 4 April 2008, from http://cie.ed.asu.edu/volume7/number5/ Bempah, E. O., Kaylen, M.S., Osburn, D. D., Bikenholz, R. J. (1994). An econometric analysis of teacher mobility. Economics of Education Review, 13 (1), 69-77. Bennett, C. I. (1999). Comprehensive multicultural education, theory, and practice. Boston: Allyn Bacon. Betts, Julian R., Zau A. C., and Rice L. A. (2003). Determinants of Student Achievement: New Evidence from. ISBN 1-58213-044-2. Branden, N. (1999). The psychology of high self-esteem (3rd ed.). Chicago: Nightingale-Conant. Bronkhurst, H. (2001). Achievement motivation. New York: Wiley. Bulach, C. R., Malone, B., Castleman, C. (1995). An investigation of variables related to student achievement. Mid-Western Educational Researcher, 8(2), 23-29. *Caldas, S. J. (1993). Reexamination of input and process factor effects on academic achievement. Journal of Educational Research, 86, 206-214. Chance, E. W., Costa, E. W. (1998). Principals for our changing schools: A study of entry year teachers perceptions of their principal. Norman, OK: Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, College of Education, University of Okalahoma. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED379793) Cole-Henderson, B. (2000). Organizational characteristics of schools that successfully serve low-income urban African American students. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 5(1-2), 77-91. Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design, qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Erpelding, C. J. (1999). School vision teacher autonomy, school climate, and student achievement in elementary schools. Dissertation Abstracts International, 60(05), p.1405. (Publication Number AAT 9930316) Finn, J. D. (1989). Withdrawing from school. Review of Educational Research, 59, 117-142. Finn, J. D. (1992). School engagement and student at risk. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics Research and Development Reports. Fisher, D. L., Fraser, B. J. (2000). Validity and use of the School-Level Environment Questionnaire. In P. E. Lester Bishop, L. K. (Eds.), Handbook of tests and measurement in education and the social sciences (pp. 67-69). University Center for Research and Development in Teacher Education. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. Fleming J. (1995). Special needs of Blacks and other minorities. In A. W. Chickering Associates (Eds.), The modern American college: Responding to the new realities of diverse students and a changing society (pp. 279-295). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. *Ford, D. Y., Harris, J. J. (1996). Perceptions and attitudes of Black students toward school, achievement, and other educational variables. Child Development, 67, 1141-1152. *Foster, R. (1997). Epistemologic and practical issues in multimethod research: A procedure for conceptual triangulation. Advances in Nursing Science, 20(2) 1-12. *Fraser, B. J. (1989). Twenty years of classroom climate work: Progress and prospect. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 21, 307-327. *Fraser, B. J. (1998). Classroom environment instruments: Development, validity and applications. Learning Environments Research, 1, 7-34. Freiberg, H. J. (1998). Measuring school climate: Let me count the ways. Educational Leadership, 56(1), 22-26. *Frieze, I. H. (1976). Causal attributions and information seeking to explain success and failure. Journal of Research in Personality, 10, 293-305. Gallay, Les and Suet-ling Pong. (2004). â€Å"School Climate and Students’ Intervention Strategies.† Society for Prevention Research Annual Meeting, Quebec City, May 2004. Glesne, C., Peshkin, A. (1992). Becoming qualitative researchers: An introduction. White Plains, NY: Longman. Graham, S. (1990). On communicating low ability in the classroom: Bad things good teachers sometimes do. In S. Graham V. Folkes (Eds.), Attribution theory: Applications to achievement, mental health, and interpersonal conflict (pp. 17-36). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Graham, S. (1991). A review of attribution theory in educational contexts. Educational Psychology Review, 3(1), 5-39. *Graham, S., Weiner, B. (1986). From attribution theory to developmental psychology: A round-trip ticket? Social Cognition, 4, 152-179. Grant, D. F. (1997, February). Achievement motivation in rural African-American female high school honor graduates: Preliminary report. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Eastern Education Research Association. Hilton Head, SC. Graybill, S. W. (1997). Questions of race and culture: How they relate to the classroom for the African American students. The Clearing House, 70, 311-319. Griffith, James (2000). â€Å"School Climate as Group Evaluation and Group Consensus: Student and Parent Perceptions of the Elementary School Environment.† The Elementary School Journal 101(1): 35-61. Guild, P. (1994). The culture/learning style connection. Education Leadership, 51(8), 16-21. Hale, J. E. (1980). A matter of culture: The educative styles of Afro-American children. Connecticut: Elementary and Early Childhood Education. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No ED197856) Hale, J. E. (1982). Black children: Their roots, culture, and learning styles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Hale, J. E. (2001). Learning while Black: Creating educational excellence for African American children. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press. Hale-Benson, J. (1996). Black children: Their roots, culture and learning styles. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press. Harris, C. A. (1999). The relationship between principal leadership styles and teacher stress in low socioeconomic urban elementary schools as perceived by teachers (Doctoral dissertation, Regent University, 1999). Dissertation Abstracts International, 60(6-A). Haynes, N. M., Comer, J. P. (1990). Helping black children in the context of their culture: The significance of some social factors. In K. Lomotey (Ed.), Going to school: The African-American experience (pp. 103-112). Albany: State University of New York Press. Haynes, N. M., Comer, J. P. (1993). The Yale School Development Program process, outcomes, and policy implications. Urban Education, 28(2), 166-199. Hirase, S. K. (2000). School climate. Dissertation Abstracts International, 61(02), p. 439. (Publication Number AAT 9963110) Hopkins, W. (2000). Quantitative research design. Sportscience, vol. 4, no.1. Hoy, W.K. Miskel, C.G. (1982). Educational administration: Theory, research, and practice.(2nd ed., pp. 185-219). New York: Random House. Hoy, W. K., Woolfolk, A. E. (1993). Teachers’ sense of efficacy and the organizational health of schools. Elementary School Journal, 93, 355-372. Huang, S. L., Waxman, H. C. (1996, April). Learning environment differences between high- and low-achieving minority students in urban middle schools. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Washington, DC. Hurd, H. (2001). The Black/White achievement gap in North Carolina. Black Issues in Higher Education, 18(6), 33-49. Irvine, J. J., Armento, B. J. (2001). Culturally responsive teaching: Lesson planning for elementary and middle grades. New York: McGraw-Hill. *Jamal, M. (1999). Job stress and employee well-being: A cross-cultural empirical study. Stress Medicine, 15, 153-158. Joseph, P. B. (2000). Cultures of curriculum. New Jersey: Erlbaum. Karpicke, H., Murphy, M. E. (1996). Productive school culture: Principals working from the inside. NASSP Bulletin, 80(576), 26-32. *Kaufman, J. (2004). The interplay between social and cultural determinants of school effort and success: An investigation of Chinese-immigrant and second-generation Chinese students’ perceptions toward school. Social Science Quarterly, 85, 1275-1298. *Keller, J. (1995). Intrinsic/extrinsic motivation in children: Detrimental effects of superfluous social controls. Review of Educational Research, 52, 309-339. Kuperminc, G. P., Leadbeater, B. J., Emmons, C., Blatt, S. J. (1997). Perceived school climate and difficulties in the social adjustment of middle school students. Applied Developmental Science, 1(2), 76-88. Ladson-Billings, G. (1995) The dreamkeepers: Successful teachers of African American children. Quarterly Black Review of Books, 4, 30. *Lynn, M., Hassan, K. (1999). Raising the critical consciousness of African American students in Baldwin Hills: A portrait. Journal of Negro Education, 68, 42-54. *Ma, X., Macmillan, R. B. (1999). Influences of workplace conditions on teacher’s job satisfaction. The Journal of Educational Research, 93, 1-12. *MacDonald, D. (1999). Teacher attrition: A review of the literature. Teacher and Teacher Education, 15, 835-848. Mahiri, J. (1998). Shooting for excellence: African American and youth culture in new century schools. New York: National Council of Teachers of English and Teachers College Press. Marshall, Megan L. (2004). â€Å"Examining School Climate: Defining Factors and Educational Influences.† Center for Research on School Safety, School Climate and Classroom Management. Georgia State University. McClelland, D. (1985). Human motivation. New York: Scott, Foresman. Moeller, M. R. (2005). Changes in students’ perceptions of school climate and responsibility during their high school years. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities Social Sciences, 65, 2491. Monrad, Diane M., May, R. J., DiStefano, C., Smith, J., Gay, J., Mindrila, D., Gareau, S., Rawls, A. (2008). Parent, Student, and Teacher Perceptions of School Climate: Investigations Across Organizational Levels. New York. National Center for Education Statistics. (2008). PSS Survey. Accesed April 29, 2008 O’Neil, R. (2006). The advantages and disadvantages of qualitative and quantitative research methods. Accessed September 8, 2007, at http://www.roboneill.co.uk/ papers Ping Xiang LEE, Amelia. (2002). Achievement goals, perceived motivational climate, and students’ self-reported mastery behaviors. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 73, 58-65. Remy, M. (1999). The relationship of principal leadership styles and school-site conditions to stress levels of elementary school teachers (Doctoral dissertation, University of San Diego, 1999). Dissertation Abstracts International, 49. Rinaldo, V. (2005). Today’s practitioner is both qualitative and quantitative researcher. The High School Journal, 89(1), 72-79. Rosenholtz, S. J. (1989). Teacher’s workplace: The social organization of schools. New York: Longman. *Sander, W. (1997). Catholic high schools and rural academic achievement. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 79, 1-12. *Smerdon, B. A. (2002). Students’ perceptions of membership and their high schools. Sociology of Education, 23, 275-281. *Sykes, G. (1996). Reform of and as professional development. The Phi Delta Kappan, 77, 464-467. Tatum, Alfred W. Engaging African American Males in Reading. Helping Struggling Students, February 2006, vol. 63, no. 5, pp. 44-49, Taylor, D. L., Tashakkori, A. (1995). Decision participation and school climate as predictors of job satisfaction and teacher’s sense of efficacy. Journal of Experimental Education, 63(3), 217-227. *Tyson, L. (2002). Cross cultural literacy: Foundations of the new reform. Harvard Educational Review, 40, 411-451. Voelkl, K. E. (1995). School warmth, student participation and achievement. Journal of Experimental Education, 63(12), 14-17. Vroom, V. H. (1964). Work and motivation. New York: Wiley Sons. *Waxman, H. C., Huang, S. K. (1997). Classroom instruction and learning environment differences between effective and ineffective urban elementary schools for African American students. Urban Education, 32, 7-44. Weiner, B. (1985). Theories of motivation mechanism to cognition. Chicago: McNally. Weiner, B. (1986). An attributional theory of motivation and emotion. New York: Springer-Verlag. Weiss, E. M. (1999). Perceived workplace conditions and first-year teachers’ morale, career choice commitment, and planned retention: a secondary analysis. Teaching and Teacher Education, 15, 861-879. Whaley, A. L., Smyer, D. A. (1998). Self-evaluation processes of African American youth in a high school completion program. The Journal of Psychology, 132, 317-328. Weiner, B. (1985). Theories of motivation mechanism to cognition. Chicago: McNally. Weiner, B. (1985). An attributional theory of achievement motivation and emotion. Psychological Review, 92, 548-573. Weiner, B. (1986). An attributional theory of motivation and emotion. New York: Springer-Verlag.