Importance-Performance Evaluation Essay Example for Free

Importance-Performance Evaluation Essay 1. 0 Introduction Patronage of any product or service is a function of the satisfaction a consumer derives from its usage. In the case of hotels, patrons tend to equate good service to the facilities and amenities which make their stay as pleasurable and comfortable as can be desired for their money’s worth. It is, therefore, imperative that the hotel management carefully considers customer feedback in addressing hotel improvement initiatives. The purpose of this report is to undertake an Importance-Performance Evaluation of the City Hotel as commissioned by the Griffith University Hotel based from the ratings given by selected business and pleasure travelers on how important the existing hotel facilities were to them and the performance of these facilities in meeting their needs. Preliminary calculations were performed to find the means and standard deviations for each facility which aided in the identification of the five highest and five least most important facilities, as well as the facilities which garnered the five highest and five lowest performance ratings. A scatter plot was then drawn with benchmarks set to indicate acceptable levels of importance and performance. Statistical analysis using the t-test was also conducted to identify significant differences on the respondents’ perceived importance of each hotel facility. Findings revealed that the over-all mean of the importance and performance rating are 2. 83 and 3. 15, respectively. Facilities with the highest importance and performance ratings are in-room cable television and family restaurant, respectively. The two types of travelers differed significantly in their perception of the importance in eight of the 17 facilities evaluated. 2. 0 Research methods This paper made use of Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) to identify hotel facilities which are performing well and those that need particular attention from management for improvement and to detect significant differences in the perceived importance of each facility. Utility of the IPA for use in this paper stems from the fact that results may be graphically displayed and interpreted on a two-dimensional grid, simultaneously indicating importance and performance dimensions of the hotel facilities being evaluated. The IPA method of assessment makes use of four sets of data, namely the means, standard deviations, scatter plot and the t-statistic. The t-test was performed using a 0. 05 level of significance. 3. 0 Results Figure 1. Importance – Performance Mean and SD and t-test Results Figure 1 displays the mean and standard deviation of each of the 17 facilities of the City Hotel as evaluated by its patrons, as well as the results of the t-test performed on the importance ratings given by the two types of travellers. As shown in Figure 1, the five most important hotel facilities are the in-room cable television, in-room broadband connection, a-la-carte restaurant, express check-out and the free daily newspaper; while the five least important facilities are the express check-in, valet parking, wireless broadband connection throughout hotel, mini-bar, and tennis courts. The over-all mean of the importance ratings is 2. 83. The facilities with the five highest performance ratings are the family restaurant, express check-out, tennis court, in-room broadband, and in-room pay movies. The five lowest performance ratings were given on the following facilities : wireless broadband connection throughout hotel, valet parking, in-room cable television, mini-bar and tour booking service. The over-all mean of the performance ratings is 3. 15. As expected of an IPA, the scatter plot in Figure 2 presents a visual of the importance and performance ratings. The plot also shows established benchmark standards indicative of acceptable levels of importance and performance. The sector defined by the quadrant at the top right indicates high importance and performance, where facilities are said to be performing well. Hotel facilities identified to be performing well include in-room broad connection, a-la-carte restaurant, swimming pool, express check-out, free daily newspaper and games room. On the other hand, the area covered by the quadrant at the top left portion of the plot signifies facilities of low importance but high performance, and are probably facilities which are being over-resourced like room service, family restaurant, tennis courts and in-room pay movies. Meanwhile, the quadrant at the bottom right portion represents facilities which are of high importance but were given low performance ratings. Such facilities are those that need attention from the management, namely the gymnasium and the in-room cable television. Finally, the quadrant at the bottom left portion of the plot contains the facilities with low importance and performance such as the wireless broadband connection throughout the hotel, mini-bar, express check-in, valet parking and tour booking service. These are the facilities with no real issue to focus attention on. Figure 2. Importance-Performance Scatter Plot Figure 3 next page represents the results of the t-test performed between business travelers and pleasure travelers to ascertain any significant differences in the means of their ratings on the perceived importance of each facility at 0. 05 level of significance. Results of the t-test revealed that there were significant differences in the importance ratings between the business and pleasure travelers in terms of the following facilities: in-room broadband connection, family restaurant, gymnasium, in-room pay movies, express check-in, free daily newspaper, games room and tour booking service. Variable Group P-value Significance (P0. 05) Business Pleasure in-room broadband connection 3. 29 3. 21 0. 01 Yes wireless broadband connection throughout hotel 2. 26 2. 23 0. 09 No room service 2. 64 2. 61 0. 07 No a-la-carte restaurant 2. 97 2. 93 0. 1 No family restaurant 2. 86 2. 88 0 Yes mini-bar 2. 2 2. 18 0. 42 No swimming pool 2. 92 2. 91 0. 22 No gymnasium 3. 01 2. 99 0. 02 Yes tennis courts 1. 94 1. 94 0. 15 No in-room pay movies 2. 95 2. 98 0 Yes in-room cable television (foxtel) 3. 8 3. 8 0. 46 No express check-in 2. 8 2. 84 0. 01 Yes express check-out 2. 86 2. 81 0. 05 No valet parking 2. 53 2. 49 0. 19 No free daily newspaper 2. 74 2. 69 0 Yes games room 2. 95 2. 99 0 Yes tour booking service 2. 84 2. 9 0. 02 Yes 4. 0 Conclusions In summary, the evaluation of the facilities of the City Hotel using IPA indicated that the three facilities with the highest importance and performance ratings and are considered as the strongest areas of service in the hotel are in-room broadband connection, a-la-carte restaurant and express-check-out. Management should see to it that these strengths should be well maintained and upgraded whenever possible. Meanwhile the weakest areas are the tour booking service and valet parking. Future improvement plans should include strategies to revitalize the said facilities in order to ensure continued patronage and possibly improve City Hotel’s share of the market. 5. 0 Recommendations Based from the findings and conclusions, the following recommendations are being forwarded : (1) Institute a check-out survey among the hotel guests on how the hotel can be of better service to its patrons particularly in the areas of tour booking service and valet parking. This way, management will be appraised of what measures to undertake to enhance customer satisfaction; (2) Review how the other hotels are delivering their tour booking and valet-parking services and take on initiatives which will make City Hotel’s facilities comparable or the best among its class; (3) Undertake an environmental scan on all facilities being offered by the City Hotel in order to single out problem areas, apply potent solutions and improve service on all facilities, prioritizing areas that need attention like the gymnasium and the in-room cable.

Metamorphosis of Celie in Alice Walkers Color Purple Essay -- Color P

Metamorphosis of Celie in The Color Purple  Ã‚   In the book The Color Purple (1982) by Alice Walker, the main character Celie develops from an abused, shy and browbeaten teenage girl into a strong, mature and self-confident woman. This metamorphisis is due to five major factors: Celie observes other successful women, she receives love and appreciation, changes in Celie’s view of God, Celie’s maturation and a bit of luck. As Celie is brought up, her father sexually molests her over and over again, making her pregnant twice. And as a girl of fourteen, she has to marry an older man named Albert. Albert also bullies Celie as well as beats her. Celie does not know how to fight back. â€Å"All I know how to do is stay alive†, she says (18). But some things start changing around Celie. Being married to Albert, she meets other women that show her different ways of fighting back. Sofia, who is married to Albert’s son Harpo, is a big and strong woman. Whenever Harpo tries to beat Sofia up in order to make her obey him, Sofia always fights back, even harder. Celie looks up to Sofia, and the knowledge that a female can physically strike back is strengthening for Celie. Another woman that shows Celie that women can and are allowed to be successful is the singing queen Shug Avery. Shug is a well-known singer that almost every man admires. She, therefore, has the power to control them. Once again Celie is being taught that a woman can succeed and rule over her own life. The third woman that has an important role in Celie’s life is her own sister, Nettie, who is living away from Celie most part of her life, but who anyway stays in contact with Celie through a number of letters. Nettie was always said to be the most clever, good and b... ...and last main reason for Celie’s development. Firstly, Celie happens to find out that the father that she grew up with was not her real father. Her biological father was a better and much more successful man. Knowing that her family bonds were quite good after all strenghens Celie by making her feel better inside. Secondly, the inheritance of a house and money after the father makes it possible for Celie to become richer and fulfill some of her dreams. All the reasons mentioned above lead to Celie’s development into a strong, mature and self-confident woman who manages to leave her abusing husband, run an industry and a store, and become independent in many other ways. Celie’s own saying illustrates this new independence perfectly: â€Å"If she [Shug] come, I be happy. If she don’t, I be content. And then I figure this the lesson I was suppose to learn† (290).   

Appreciating Visual Art forms through Fashion

Art can be defined as the product or process of deliberate arrangement of elements in a manner to affect the emotion or senses of a viewer (Tolstoy, pp.28). A diverse range of human activities, forms of expression and creations encompass art. These would include visual and the performing arts that entail music, sculpture, paintings, literature and film among others.Visual art is the form of art that mainly produce works that can be appreciated visually (Bell, pp. 17). These include paintings, drawings, videos and films, fashion, photographs, graffiti, tattoos and even crafts.   Visual art can also be broken down to performing arts (plays, drama and other human performances), textile arts (fashion and fabric work), and conceptual art (artistic manipulation and representation of concepts).According to Bell, visual art is not only used for its aesthetic value but also for its practical application in industrial design, decorative art, fashion design, graphic design and also interior d esign. He adds that the aesthetic value of a piece of work may differ with its use among different users (pp. 19).Tolstoy adds that art has been seen to adhere to certain principles and elements that complete the different forms we have. Principles and elements of art include visual elements that are used to produce different works of art. These include line, shape and color with an addition of space, balance and movement.The use of color line and space has the capability of creating movement balance and space in a peace of art. Artists use these principles and elements of art to create works that send a message, affect emotion or are for aesthetic value (pp, 28).Visual art utilizes the elements and principles of art in that artists use color to make paintings, lines for drawings and also paintings, space in their drawings and paintings and also the creation of balance space and movement through the use of line color in their pieces of work.Different forms of visual art are products of different artists being inspired by personal preferences, different people, events, emotional experiences and/or other factors in creating different forms of visual art (Tolstoy, pp. 28).Visual art and fine art are closely interrelated. Fine art utilizes the elements and principles of art and takes a wide range of scope from paintings, to calligraphy, music and dance among others. The difference between fine art and visual art is that fine art is purely for aesthetic value unlike visual art that can be used in industrial application such as sculptures. Fine art can be termed as visual art is it is appreciated though seeing.This essay will concentrate on the appreciation of visual art in the fashion industry. Different visual art forms have been used in the fashion industry based on the preference of the artist, collector or the designer. Designers may choose to produce various visual works of art or even collect them. Collectors of visual works of art include photographers and c ollectors of antiques, paintings and other visual works who range from individual designers to museum employees (Abbott, pp. 22).Their work involves the collection and arrangement of these works of art in a manner that will affect the emotion or sense of the viewer in the message it conveys. The works of such an artist may also be for aesthetic value if not both to convey a message and for beauty. These artists also serve the function of storing history and events (Fashion Projects, para 1).The photographs and items collected act as a preservation of the information or art work conveyed therein which can be reviewed in future. In fashion, these collections (photographs and other items) are used for beauty as well as different functional uses. An example would be the imprints of iconic figures’ pictures on fabric such as bags, t-shirts, pendants and even shoes (Abbott, pp. 36).

Biography of Louis XV, Beloved King of France

King Louis XV of France (February 15, 1710 – May 10, 1774) was the second-to-last king of France prior to the French Revolution. Although he was known as â€Å"Louis the Beloved,† his fiscal irresponsibility and political maneuvers set the stage for the French Revolution and, ultimately, the fall of the French monarchy. Fast Facts: Louis XV Full Name:  Louis of the house of BourbonOccupation: King of FranceBorn: February 15, 1710 in the Palace of Versailles, FranceDied: May 10, 1774 in the Palace of Versailles, FranceSpouse: Marie LeszczyÅ„skaChildren: Louise Élisabeth, Duchess of Parma; Princess Henriette; Princess Marie Louise; Louis, Dauphin of France; Philippe, Duke of Anjou; Princess Marie Adà ©laà ¯de; Princess Victoire; Princess Sophie; Princess Thà ©rà ¨se; Louise, Abbess of Saint DenisKey Accomplishments: Louis XV led France through a period of immense change, winning (and losing) territories and ruling over the second-longest reign in French history. His political choices, however, laid the foundation of dissent that would eventually lead to the French Revolution. Becoming the Dauphin Louis was the second surviving son of Louis, Duke of Burgundy, and his wife, Princess Marie Adelaide of Savoy. The Duke of Burgundy was the eldest son of the Dauphin, Louis, who was in turn the eldest son of King Louis XIV, the â€Å"Sun King.† The Duke of Burgundy was known as â€Å"Le Petit Dauphin† and his father as â€Å"le Grand Dauphin.† From 1711 to 1712, a series of illnesses struck the royal family, causing chaos in the line of succession. On April 14, 1711, the â€Å"Grand Dauphin† died of smallpox, which meant that Louis’ father, the Duke of Burgundy, became first in line for the throne. Then, in February 1712, both of Louis’ parents fell ill with measles. Marie Adelaide died on February 12, and the Duke of Burgundy died less than a week later on February 18. This left Louis’ brother, the Duke of Brittany (also, confusingly, named Louis) as the new Dauphin and heir at the age of five. However, in March 1712, both brothers contracted measles as well. A day or two into their illness, the Duke of Brittany died. Their governess, Madame de Ventadour, refused to let doctors continue bleeding Louis, which likely saved his life. He recovered and became the heir to his great-grandfather, Louis XIV. In 1715, Louis XIV died, and five-year-old Louis became King Louis XV. The laws of the land required there to be a regency for the next eight years, until Louis turned thirteen. Officially, the role of Regent went to Phillippe II, Duke of Orleans, the son of Louis XIV’s brother Phillippe. However, Louis XIV had distrusted the Duke of Orleans and preferred that the Regency be held by his favorite illegitimate son, the Duke of Maine; to this end, he had rewritten his will to create a Regency council rather than a singular Regent. In order to circumvent this, Phillippe made a deal with the Parlement of Paris: annul Louis XIV’s changed will in exchange for the return of the droit de remontrance: the right to challenge the king’s decisions. This would prove fatal to the monarchy’s functioning and ultimately lead to the French Revolution. Regency and the Boy King During the Regency, Louis XV spent most of his time at the Tuileries Palace. At the age of seven, his time under Madame de Ventadour’s care ended and he was placed under the tutelage of Franà §ois, the Duke of Villeroy, who educated him and taught him royal etiquette and protocol. Louis developed what would be a lifelong love for hunting and horseback riding. He also came to have an interest in geography and science, which would influence his reign. In October 1722, Louis XV was formally crowned king, and in February 1723, the Regency was formally ended. The Duke of Orleans transitioned into the role of prime minister, but soon died. In his place, Louis XV appointed his cousin, the Duke of Bourbon. The duke turned his attention to brokering a royal marriage. After evaluating nearly a hundred candidates, the somewhat surprisingly choice was Marie LeszczyÅ„ska, a princess from the deposed Polish royal family who was seven years Louis’ senior, and they married in 1725, when he was 15 and she was 22. Their first child was born in 1727, and they had a total of ten children—eight daughters and two sons—over the next decade. Although the king and queen loved one another, the successive pregnancies took a toll on their marriage, and the king began taking mistresses. The most famous of those was Madame de Pompadour, who was his mistress from 1745 to 1750 but remained a close friend and advisor, as well as a major cultural influence. Religious dissent was the first and most enduring problem of Louis’ reign. In 1726, a delayed request from Louis XIV to the pope was fulfilled, and a papal bull was issued condemning Jansenism, a popular subset of Catholic doctrine. Ultimately, the bull was enforced by Cardinal de Fleury (who persuaded Louis to back it), and heavy penalties were levied on religious dissenters. De Fleury and the Duke of Bourbon clashed over the king’s favor, and de Fleury ultimately was the victor. Rule of Fleury From this point until his death in 1743, Cardinal de Fleury was the de facto ruler of France, manipulating and flattering the king into allowing him to make all the decisions. Although the cardinal’s rule produced an appearance of harmony, his strategies for keeping power actually resulted in a growing amount of opposition. He banned debate in Parlement and weakened the navy, both of which came back to haunt the monarchy in huge ways. France was involved in two wars in relatively quick succession. In 1732, the War of Polish Succession began, with France supporting the Queen of France’s father Stanislaw and an Eastern European bloc secretly agreeing to bypass him. Ultimately, Fleury spearheaded a diplomatic solution. Following this, and its role in negotiating the Treaty of Belgrade between the Holy Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire, France was hailed as a major diplomatic power and came to control trade in the Middle East. The War of Austrian Succession began in late 1740. Louis XV initially refused involvement, but under Fleury’s influence, France allied with Prussia against Austria. By 1744, France was struggling, and Louis XV went to the Netherlands to lead his army himself. In 1746, the French occupied Brussels. The war didn’t end, though, until 1749, and many French citizens were unhappy with the terms of the treaty. Louis’ Later Reign and Legacy With Fleury dead, Louis decided to rule without a prime minister. His first act was to try to reduce the national debt and improve the tax system, but his plans met with fierce opposition from the nobility and the clergy because it taxed them, rather than just â€Å"ordinary† citizens. He also attempted to purge Jansenists from a semi-religious organization of hospitals and shelters. War followed again, first in the New World in the French and Indian War, then against Prussia and Britain directly in the Seven Years’ War. The end result was the end of French rule in Canada and the West Indies. Louis’ government continued to falter; the Parlements rebelled against the king’s taxation authority, which would begin the pre-Revolution dissent. By 1765, Louis had suffered major losses. Madame de Pompadour died in 1764, and his son and heir Louis died of tuberculosis in 1765. Fortunately, the Dauphin had a son who became Dauphin in turn, the future Louis XVI. Tragedy continued: the late Dauphin’s wife died, followed in 1768 by the Queen. By 1769, Louis XV had a new mistress: Madame du Barry, who gained a reputation for crassness and impertinence. In 1770, Louis’ ministers began fighting back against the rebellious Parlements, consolidating royal power, imposing controls on the price of grain, and attempting to rid the tax system of corruption. The same year, Marie Antoinette came to court as the wife of the future Louis XVI. Even in his final years, Louis XV pursued new construction projects. In 1774, Louis fell ill with smallpox. He died on May 10 and was succeeded by his grandson Louis XVI. Although Louis XV was popular during his lifetime, historians point to his hands-off approach, his conflicts with Parlements, his expensive wars and courts, and his suppressive activities as laying the foundation for the French Revolution. The French Enlightenment took place during his reign, with the participation of brilliant minds such as Voltaire and Rousseau, but he also censored many of their works. A handful of historians defend Louis and suggest his negative reputation was created to justify the French Revolution, but that view is in the minority. Ultimately, Louis XV is typically viewed as a poor monarch who gave over too much of his power and in so doing set in motion events that would eventually lead to the destruction of the monarchy and the upheaval of France. Sources Bernier, Olivier. Louis the Beloved: The Life of Louis XV, (1984).â€Å"Louis XV.† Biography, https://www.biography.com/royalty/louis-xv.â€Å"Louis XV: King of France.† Encyclopaedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-XV.