Corporate Social Responsibility in Banking

Corporate Social Responsibility in Banking Abstract: In todays global economy, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a core component of corporate strategy. As a result CSR emerge as a safeguard to protect financial scandals and diminish reputation of the banks. It also advocates and works to minimize the conflicts with stakeholders. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) designed to respond to huge unmet needs of the society in the achievement of long term and persistent business value. Especially commercial banks play an important role in implementing various social and philanthropic programs to help disadvantaged people of the country. To reinforce, CSR activities, banks have focused the area of market place, work place, community and environmental policy. The analysis in the study was targeted to understand the overall corporate responsibility status in the banking sector of Bangladesh. Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility, Commercial Banks, Bangladesh. Introduction: Now-a-days corporate strategy planner focuses their concentration on wealth maximization rather than profit maximization. The main cause is the intense market competition. So, they divert mentality from conventional business to social business. In addition, recent financial scandals eg, Enron, Parmalat, Worldcom etc have forced corporate executives, globally, to contemplate a broader strategy beyond the focused view of stockholders wealth maximization. The impact of business on the society has become a crucial issue. As a result, banks are emphasized on social, ethical and environmentally responsible approaches to business activity. Bank examine the environmental effect of projects in loan approval process and no projects are approved which are detrimental to the environment. Commercial banks are well aligned with Bangladesh Banks guidance on this aspect. They believe in the need to focus on poverty alleviation through education and health care, for long run benefit of the nation. Recent theories of CSR (Baron (2001), McWilliams and Siegel (2001), Bagnoli and Watts (2003)) assert that firms engage in profit-maximizing CSR. That is, companies are assumed to be socially responsible because they anticipate a benefit from these actions. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) has given the following definition of CSR: CSR is the task of a business to contribute to sustainable economic development, working together with workers, their families, the local community and society in general to improve quality of life. Barnea and Rubin (2005) demonstrate that the decision to invest in CSR is negatively related to insider ownership, and interpret this finding in the light of an overinvestment hypothesis. CSR is good for shareholder value, up to a given level, but insiders may have an interest to overinvest in it to improve their reputation, and they are more likely to do so when their ownership share is lower. Literature Review: There is a growing trend for investors to direct their money towards explicitly socially responsible organizations. According to Peter A. Heslin and Jenna D. Ochoa (2008) The amount invested in green mutual funds in the U.S. rose 695% in the last six years. During the last three years, the amount of money invested in clean energy has reached U.S. $70.9 billion globally. The primary goal of any economy is to maximize the material wealth of nations (Adam Smith), production and distribution of wealth (John Stuart Mill), to maximize material wealth and material welfare (Alfred Marshall), satisfaction of the human needs with the scarce means (Lionel Robbins). But now a day, the objective of a firm is not only consistent with those scholars but also incorporates social, ethical and environmental concerns. Therefore the primary objective, the purpose or use for which, firms exist is to ensure the subsistence of mankind and sustenance of the Earth containing the mankind. Some authors have argued that the stakeholder perspective of CSR ought to extend to the concept of accountability. Drawing from the works of other academics (e.g. Gray et al. 1987; Williams 1987; Roberts and Scapens, 1985), Swift (2001:17) broadly describes accountability as the requirement or duty to provide an account or justification for oneÊÂ ¹s actions to whomever one is answerable and narrowly as being pertinent to contractual arrangements only, where accountability is not contractually bound there can be no act of accountability. According to Lantos (2001), ethical CSR is a firms mandatory fulfillment of economic, legal and ethical responsibilities. It is akin to the first three components of Carrolls typology. Altruistic CSR is the same as philanthropic responsibility of Carrolls typology but differed from it in the sense that Lantos argued that it would only be possible for private firms to be philanthropic and irresponsibility on the part of public corporations since they do not have the rights to use the funds of shareholders (who might also be involved in private philanthropy) for public philanthropy. As argued by Konz and Ryan (1999: 200): People are searching for meaning in work that transcends mere economic exchanges between isolated, autonomous individuals. (and) a way to connect their work lives with their spiritual lives, to work together in community, to be unified in a vision and purpose that goes far beyond making money. In modern era, business activities moving around the society visualizing sustainable development. It is not only a promotional activity but also an ethical dilemma. Some of the authors findings are given below: Author Findings Sethi (1975) corporate activities should be stable over time definitions of various categories should be applicable across firms, industries, or even social systems, making comparative analysis possible. Carroll (1991, 2004) CSR is made up of the following components in a bottom-up order: (1) economic responsibility be profitable (2) legal responsibility obey the law (3) ethical responsibility be ethical (4) philanthropic responsibility -be a good global corporate citizen Lantos (2001) Identified the following strands of CSR: (a) ethical CSR, (b) altruistic CSR and (c) strategic CSR CPD (December, 2002) Following issues have been identified under corporate responsibility framework:- Sustainable Development Business Ethics Human Rights Legal Compliance Corporate Governance Fair Employment Health Safety Labor Standards Community Relations Environmental Responsibilities Objectives of the Study: The objective of the study is to investigate a definite structure and concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the area of banking sector. It deals with early history of corporate social responsibility, banking mission, and the area of social welfare. Besides these, it has some special objectives. These are: To get an idea of banking role in sustainable development. Evaluate transparency and accountability of corporate as well as public entities. To learn business ethics, safety and ergonomic issues. To learn banks responsibility to community. To know standard conduct that includes employment fair policy and all core labor standards. Methodology of the study: The paper is constructed to synchronize theoretical and practical exposure of CSR in Banking perspective. As a result, the paper is descriptive in nature. Most of the information are generated by evaluating Secondary Sources like: Annual report of different commercial Banks Study related books and journals Web sites Collected data have then processed compiled with the aid of MS Word, Excel other related computer software. Necessary tables have been prepared on the basis of collected data and various statistical techniques have been applied to analyses on the basis of classified information. Evaluation and Findings: In Bangladesh, there are forty eight scheduled banks and out of them forty six had engagement in CSR practices in some form or other in 2009 (Review of CSR Initiative-2008-09). Due to intense competition in the banking sector, it is essential for a bank to behave in a responsible manner towards the society. This sense stimulates business activities in a long term and persistent social value. To attain this intrinsic quality banks should: Focus on vision based strategy (wealth maximization rather than profit maximization). Draw their attention to internal and external components of the CSR activities like; fair salary structure, employee benefit, corporate governance, labor standards etc. They need to trust their shareholder-customers, shareholders, employees and society. Behaving responsibility towards society and the environment strengthens this trust. Their commitment has always been to behave ethically and to contribute towards changing the quality of life of their people, the local community and generally the society. Corporate social responsibility focuses on: Figure 3.2: Area of Social Responsibility Work Place Environment Market Place Area of CSR Community Source: Annual Report of National Bank Ltd (2009) In 2004 and 2005, several banks adopted meticulous CSR policies to limit lending related to destructive projects. The intense pressure from environmental activists and shareholders, different banks agreed to not finance projects in endangered or high conservation value forests or where illegal logging is occurring. Environmental concerns have grown steady during the past several decades. Goldman Sachs was the first global investment bank to adopt a comprehensive environmental policy. The natural environment is the major worldwide issue facing the business and the public. World concern continues to mount about the depletion of the Earths ozone layer and the resulting green house effect, a dangerous warning of the Earth. In the year 2007, There is a greater concentration in the field of disaster relief, both in participation and expenditure wise, was observed mainly because of the cyclone Sidr. Whereas, in the year 2009, the Education and Health sectors were getting more attention and appeared to be the most popular area for CSR activities as huge investments are being made by several banks in these segments. These shifts point to the responsiveness of the banking community to the changing need of the society. Despite progress made by many companies, adoption of CSR policies and reporting are still in its early stages at most corporations. Our Corporate Social Responsibility Program engages companies to adopt strong social and environmental policies, and follows us to ensure that commitments are kept. Corporate social responsibilities may provide added advantages to the business like as Balanced Score Card. Because pushing incentives in the base level (Work Place, Market Place, Community and Environment) will increase bottom line figure (Profit) of the statement. The positive attitude towards the focused element (Table-03) is the way of getting added advantages from the society. Major Areas Focused Element Added Advantages Work Place Working Environment Enhance employee satisfaction, confidence, productivity and loyalty Employee Benefit Training Job Security Gender Discrimination Staff welfare Day-care Center for children of bank employee Market Place Customer Service Attain customer fidelity, and retention New Product Introduce new technology Community Education Secure public confidence, interaction, positive attitude and devotion Employment Sports Cultural Activities Health Care Disaster Relief Environment Forestation Allure public attention through ethical behavior Financing on eco-friendly firm (Financial Inclusion) Fig: Added Advantages received by practicing CSR The Financial sector in turn can contribute hugely by catalyzing CSR practices in their real sector corporate clients, promoting inclusive economic and social development. In terms of direct monetary expenditure, engagements of banks in CSR initiatives are increasing, particularly following issuance of BB guidance (DOS Circular No 01 Dated 1st June 2008): CSR expenditures of banks have thus far largely been in the form of passive grants and donations. Apart from one-off grants and giveaways, some banks have engagements in longer term continuing support commitments, in areas of education and healthcare. Besides the passive engagements by way of grants/donations (Table 1, Section B, page 2), banks are now getting actively engaged in socially responsible business operations, by way of increased lending to under-served economic sectors like agriculture and SMEs, towards fuller financial inclusion and faster poverty eradication. The June 2008 BB Guidance circular suggested that banks could begin reporting their CSR initiatives in a modest way as supplements to usual annual financial reports, eventually to develop into full blown comprehensive reports in GRI format. Banks are yet to adopt separate reporting of their CSR activities in comprehensive formats such as the GRI format. Recommendations: The ultimate conclusion is that corporate responsibility is a changing philosophy of business. The demands for social responsibility have provoked enthusiastic discussion and debate on what new roles, if any, business firms should play in the social system. Banks should not attempt to minimize the expectations of the society; rather they need to respond to them more efficiently. The corporate responsibility practices can play positive role in improving competitiveness in the corporate entities in Bangladesh as well as improve working and living environment for the workforce. Whether is for the government, the community, shareholders, directs, top management, employees or the general public, a corporate organization that intends to effect changes in the environment must always perform a number of socially responsible actions. Formulate uniform rules and regulations: Government or regulatory bodies should formulate uniform rules and regulation regarding CSR practices in banking sector. Tax Shield: All social contribution by the banks should be tax exempted. As a result, social contribution will increase gradually. Change corporate values: In most of the cases, social contribution treated as enhance reputation only. But, they have to change their values and try to think its their responsibility too. Improving Business and Social Productivity: A societys productivity depends on how efficiently it uses resources. If the naturally human and financial resources are combined and managed effectively by business forms then the productivity of both business and society can be high. Balancing Ethics and Economics:A serious social challenge to business is to integrate ethics and economics. How much more profit is desirable and what cost to the customers? What about product quality? Is the customer being cheated through poor measurement or abrasive advertisement? Ethical behavior and economics are the opposite sides of a bad coin. There should be a balance. References: Carroll, A. B. (1991). The pyramid of corporate social responsibility: Toward the moral management of organizational stakeholders. Business Horizons, 34(4):39-48 Carroll, A. B. (1999). Corporate Social Responsibility: Evolution of a Definitional Construct. Business Society, 38(3):268-295 Carroll, A. B. (2004). Managing ethically with global stakeholders: A present and future challenge. Academy of Management Executive, 18(2):114-119 Lantos, G. P. (2001). The boundaries of strategic corporate social responsibility. Journal of Consumer Marketing 18(7): 595-630 Konz, G. N. P Ryan, F. X. (1999). Maintaining an organizational spirituality: no easy task. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 12(3):200-210. Peter A. Heslin and Jenna D. Ochoa , Understanding and developing strategic corporate social responsibility, Vol. 37, No. 2, pp. 125-144, 2008 www.sciencedirect.com

Obesity in American Children :: Obesity in Children

Childhood obesity in America is a growing disease that has become an epidemic that has lasting psychological effects because of advertisement of fast food, lack of physical activities, and parental control has made food become a major health issue in many young teenagers’ lives today. Who is to blame? Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years (cdc.gov). this takes us to the focus of how childhood obesity has become an enormous issue today. For us to understand the impact of obesity and why we should prevent it, we will need to figure out the causes of obesity and what keeps people obese. The first step for us to look at is childhood obesity, even if children are slightly overweight and not quite obese at childhood, their childhood is laying the foundation for possible obesity in their future. The primary argument for childhood obesity is between three factors: 1. How parents may be aiding in unhealthy eating habits. 2. What the schools are serving to the children. 3. How much physical activities children are participating in. Many parents tend to typecast obesity more as a social issue rather than a health issue. As lead author and registered dietitian Susan T. Borra, International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation senior vice president, director of nutrition from (Parents, Kids Don’t Perceive Obesity as a Health Problem From Journal of the American Dietetic Association) states; â€Å"Parents indicated that they have tools to deal with other risk behaviors, such as drug use and sexual activity, but not overweight. They also don’t see themselves as good role models.† Though it isn't easy, especially if the parents themselves are overweight, but teaching our children to make healthier choices is essential if we want them to be healthy and avoid the health consequences of being overweight. This reiterates the reason we need to teach our children how and what to eat and facilitates healthy habits by setting the example. This reveals the necessity for us to change the way that we eat, to pass on nutritional knowledge to our children to assist in the prevention of childhood obesity. We are all guilty at one point of convenient, quick, and cheap solutions that are offered from fast food restaurants or cafeterias. This brings us to what is being served to our children in school. Our schools are filled with junk food vending machines, an assortment of fried foods in the cafeterias and sugar filled snack bars.

Frogs :: essays research papers fc

Frogs are needed for everyday life. They are part of pond life. Each animal is important because even in the pond, there is a food chain. Frogs are amphibians, animals that spend half of their lives under water, and remainder on land. The first frog appeared in the early Jurassic period about 200 million years ago.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Frogs live on every continent except Antarctica, but tropical regions have the largest amount. Like all amphibians, frogs spend half their lives near water because they must return to the water to lay their eggs. Frogs live underwater mostly when the are growing up to be an adult frog and when they are laying their eggs. When they hatch under water they are tadpoles and the breath with gills and swim using a tail. As they mature they loose their tail and they develop to be able to breathe air. During an extensive period of heat, a drought, frogs can enter a period of damancy similar to hibernation called starvation. Most of the frogs live in tropical and semitropical regions, most species of frogs breed in the spring or in early summer. Although the different species my vary in size and color, mostly all frogs have basic body structure. They have large hind legs, short front legs and flat head and body with no neck.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most frogs have teeth only on their upper jaw. Toads swallow their prey in one piece. To aid in the swallowing process, the frog’s eyes sink through the openings in the skull and force the food down its throat. Frogs eat insects, catching them with their long sticky tongue. They also eat small fish and worms. They also absorb concentrate to make them stronger, and toxins (poisonous substances) in their fatty tissues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since the 1980’s scientists have noted the decline of many frog species. People do not know for certain what has caused these declines. A possible factor is pollution, disease, habitat destruction, and acid rain. Another factor may be the thinning of the earth’s protective ozone layer, which allows more harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun to reach the earth. Because frogs have thin, moist skin and an aquatic tadpole stage, they are easily affected by pollution and changes in the environment.

The Taming of the Shrew Essays -- English Literature Essays

The Taming of the Shrew Examine the different ways in which Shakespeare presents the attitude towards marriage in the play, ‘The Taming of the Shrew.’ The Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeare’s earliest comedies, and it shares many essential characteristics with his other romantic comedies, such as Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. These characteristics include light-hearted and slapstick humour, disguises and deception and a happy ending in which most of the characters come out satisfied. The play has been dated from as early as 1594 and as late as 1598. (http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shrew/context.html) The main themes in the play are love, marriage, domination, society expectations, betting and money. Does love really exist in the play or is it just love for money. It seems that the key to a happy and successful marriage is money. This comedy written by Shakespeare uses disguises and that also is a key part to the play. Although it is intended to be a comedy, there is sometimes a black cloud hanging over it. For instance the way in which Katherina is treated doesn’t always seem to be funny; instead it is quite cruel and degrading. â€Å"She eat no meat today, nor none shall eat; last night she slept not, nor tonight she shall not.† (Page 62, act 4 scene 1 line 182-183) Men saw marriage as a way to get rich; love didn’t even enter the equation. Padua is a rich area and therefore many suitors fled there in the hope of becoming wealthy. â€Å"I come to wive it wealthily in Padua,† says Petruchio. He asks outright, â€Å"Then tell me – if I get your daughter’s love, what dowry shall I have with her to wife?† (Page 37, act 2 scene 1, line 119-120) The husbands were given a dowry by the father of the daughter when they became married. Women didn’t have any say in who they chose to marry; instead the decision was given to the father. If a daughter was not married then they were looked shoddily upon within the society. In this era every woman was to be married otherwise they were frowned upon within the community. Further more without Katherina getting married, Bianca would also never marry. Within a family the eldest daughter must be married off first and in this play turned out to be a bonus. â€Å"Her father ke eps from all access of suitors and will not promise her to any man until her elder sister first be wed.† This is the main an... .... She now obeys what is asked of her by Petruchio like such as when she is told to lecture the other wives about how to be a good wife, â€Å"Katherina, I charge thee, tell these headstrong women, what duty they do owe their lords and husbands.† Without arguing and saying a word against what is asked of her she gives her advice, â€Å"Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, thy head, thy sovereign, one that cares for thee.† Women in the Elizabethan era were presented as very obedient to their husbands and respectful to them also. They had no power and no say, they were treated badly and nothing would be done to stop the behaviour. In modern society most women have as much say as the men, they are not expected to stay at home and clean etc, and instead they go to work as well. Some women are like Katherina before she was supposedly tamed, very out spoken, yet inequality still exists. During the Elizabethan era marriage was like a business contract, if the money is there then so is the signature. Love was never a part of the play and this showed in both Hortensio and Petruchio, who Shakespeare uses to expose this superficial approach to the supposedly romantic notion of marriage.

The Cornerstone of Christian Faith: the Resurrection of Jesus

The resurrection of Jesus Christ separates Christianity from all other religions. Christianity without the literal, physical resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is merely one religion among many. â€Å"And if Christ is not risen,† said the Apostle Paul, â€Å"then our preaching is empty and your faith is in vain†. (1 Corinthians 15:14) Furthermore, â€Å"You are still in your sins! † Paul could not have chosen stronger language. (Mohler) Still, the resurrection of Jesus Christ has been under persistent attacks since the Apostolic age. Why? Because it is the central confirmation of Jesus' identity as the incarnate Son of God, and the ultimate sign of Christ's completed work of atonement, redemption, reconciliation, and salvation. Those who oppose Christ recognize the Resurrection as the vindication of Christ against His enemies. Christ’s resurrection is the cornerstone of our faith. Without it, Christianity crumbles. It is precisely because the physical resurrection of Christ is at the very heart of Christianity that it is constantly under attack. Our culture frequently denies the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ due to a bias against miracles. It is common for aberrant Christianity and cultism to deny the physical resurrection of Christ as well. For these reasons, we must be equipped to defend this essential of essentials. To do so, let's look back at the biblical and historical records of Christ's resurrection. (Hanegraaff) First, the physical resurrection of Christ is affirmed in the Scripture. When the Jewish leaders asked for a miraculous sign, Jesus answered, â€Å"Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days† (John 2:19). Scripture confirms that the temple he was speaking of was the temple of his own body. John states: â€Å"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched — this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life† (1 John 1:1). Furthermore, the confessions of Christianity are replete with references to the physical resurrection of the Redeemer. Cyril of Jerusalem proclaimed, â€Å"Let no heretic ever persuade thee to speak evil of the Resurrection. For to this day the Manichees say that the resurrection of the Savior was phantom-wise, and not real. (Hanegraaff) Like the church fathers, the medieval church and the Reformation produced compelling confessions concerning the bodily resurrection. Thomas Aquinas condemns those who â€Å"have not believed in the resurrection of the body, and have strained to twist the words of holy Scripture to mean a spiritual resurrection. † the Westminster Confession assert: â€Å"On the third day he rose from the dead, with the same bod y in which he suffered; with which also he ascended into heaven, and there sittith at the right hand of the Father. (Hanegraaff) Finally, the characteristics of Christ's body bear eloquent truth to his physical resurrection. Jesus invited the disciples to examine His resurrected His resurrected body so that they would know beyond the shadow of a doubt that it was the exact same one that had been fatally tormented. He also ate food as proof of the nature of His resurrected body. Jesus provided the final exclamation mark for His physical resurrection by telling the disciples that His resurrected body was comprised of â€Å"flesh and bones. † â€Å"Touch me and see;† He says, â€Å"a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have† (Luke 24:39). Those who would attack the Church and reject its gospel must direct their arrows at the most crucial truth claim of the New Testament and the disciples: That Jesus Christ, having suffered death on a cross, though sinless, having borne the sins of those He came to save, having been buried in a sealed and guarded grave, was raised by the power of God on the third day. The two factors about the resurrection which are very significant for the Christian faith are as follows; †¢It became the fruits for the believer’s own experience. As Christ rose from the grave so shall the believer be. This shows the triumph of faith over the grave. †¢It is by the resurrection that the divine approval is shown for the work of Christ on the cross. The resurrection is the coping stone of the whole ministry of Jesus. In conclusion and simply stated, Christianity stands or falls with the empty grave. If Christ is not raised, our faith is in vain. Paul asserted that Christ rose from the dead and our faith is not in vain, but is in the risen Lord. Jesus willingly faced death on a cross and defeated death from the grave. The Resurrection is the ultimate sign of God's vindication of His Son. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the promise of our resurrection from the dead, and of Christ's total victory over sin and death. Therefore, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is at the very center of the Christian gospel. Bibliography Hanegraaff, Hank. â€Å"Jesus Christ's Resurrection: The Exclamation Point. † 03 March 2008. Crosswalk. com. 08 October 2011 . Mohler, Albert. Christianity. com. Unknown. 07 October 2011 . The NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.

Servicecape

the heart of the services product is the experience of the customers which takes places in real time . The concept of services capes was developed by booms and bitner to emphasize the impact of the environment in which a service process takes places .They defined it as ‘the environment in which the services is assembled and in which seller and customer intersect , combined with tangible commodities that facilitate performance or communication of the service In the service encounter the customers is in the factory and is part of the process production and consumption of the service are simultaneous where the firm and the customer interact (Baker and Cameron 1996 ) It encompasses several factors related to the delivery of service which includes all the physical , behavioral , and emotional aspects that surround services delivery The research is purely based on the idea of ?Servicescape? which has emerged as an important concept for understanding customers behaviour in service ind ustry. Service providers should build environments that develop environments that appeal to consumer pleasure and arousal states while avoiding atmospheres that create submissiveness. The construct environments should be such that, it facilitates the operational ease and efficiency of the firm. Today the Business thinking has changed; it has come closer to the customer or to be more apt to the consumer.It can be observed that the consumer’s decision making for purchasing a product or service is not limited to the tangibility but to the whole product including the environment of delivery. Similarly the place or physical environment where product or service is delivered is of great importance. As said by Philip Kotler â€Å"One of the most significant features of a total product is the place where it is bought or consumed. In some cases , the place, more specifically the atmosphere of the place is more influential than the product itself in the purchase decision.In some cases the atmosphere is the primary product†. The above quote signifies the importance of servicescape in selling of a product or service. Booms and Bitner defined a servicescape as â€Å"the environment in which the service is assembled and in which the seller and customer interact, combined with tangible commodities that facilitate performance or communication of the service† It includes facilities exterior (landscape, exterior design, signage, parking, surrounding environment) and facilities interior (interior design ; decor, equipment, signage, layout, air quality, temperature and ambiance).The aim of this research is to focus on how important is servicescape in terms of atmospherics in zara that impacts consumer’s perception and attitudes to buy this service. It is quite important for this industry to concentrate on physical attributes apart from food served consumers are quite sensitive about the ambience, lighting, decor, music These factors may drive the motiva tion and decision making aspects of consumer behavior , as well as the time spending and the experiences at the end . t constantly changes in to make the experience of visiting the museum more enjoyable and fruitful each and every time the physical environment doesn t just influence customers , it influences employees as weel . idealty the business enviroment should cater simultaneously to the needs of the employees as well as the customers customers and employees perceive the environment holistically as a composite of three dimensions . ambient conditions , spatial layout and functionaity , sign , symbols and artifacts. ach dimension may affect the overall perception independently ans or through its interaction with the other dimensions . ambiant conditions: they are notable when they are extrem hot cold ect.. , when the customers spend large amount of time in them , when they don t match one s expectations spatial layout and functionality : important self service setting , complex ity of task , situation when time is short sign , symbols and artifacts re important in forming first impressions , communicating new service concepts , repositioning a service , hughtly competitive industries to differentiate from competitors . Elements of servicescape affect customers' perceptions of the service experience Main Elements According to Bitner (1992) 1. Ambient Condition – condition surrounding employees and customers that can be sensed through a human's five senses (i. e. eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin). thise carachteristique of the environement pertaining to our five enses . even not consciously noted they may still affect . they create a mood that is perceived and interpreted by the custonmers they are perceived both separately and holistically . 2. Spatial Layout and Functionality Spatial Layout – the seamless layout of furnishing which is used to achieve maximum productivity in the most efficient and effective manners 3. Signs, Symbols, Artefac ts and Branding – the icons or signals that amplify the message from the buyer to the intended customers.The music in the cinema was played at barely audible volumes , the music have a powerful effect on perception and behaviour . the music was mostly played in the place where they was the bar / restaurant and we could hear it better and then it was very light in all the other place . this kind of music low but still energetic have an effect on their pace and behavoiur as they will tend to adjust to the mmusic in this case this is made to be confortable lowering their stress level , making you want to stay and will increased their level of impulse purchase in the restaurant or the bar .An ambiant smell is one that pervades an environment , the most present smell is the one of pop corn , this smell that is often associated to cinema so it make you want to consume and to buy some . neverless the scent is mostly present in the snack area . and by passing near to it the smell mak e the customer aware of an hunger and suggest a solution . this smell is typically present on cinema . Colors have a strong impact on people feeling . he cinemawolrd is mostly based on the colors blue a dark blue , instead of most of the others cinema that are using a lot of red wich give a feeling of warm and high energy that can exited and stimulate the company choose to use the blue wich is coolest , but represent relaxation , serenity and loyalty it help for relieving headach wich is a good things as a cinema can become crowded and with full of young people it can be annoying for some customers also Great color to give that impression Blue is calm, True and Honest.It is a symbol of peace, tranquility and good will Dark Blue is Moving, soulful and compassionate. This blue has heart and emotion. .   . neverless they are using a lot of other colors in the different area , in the arcade display the color is orange wich are warm color with energy Orange calls to mind feelings of ex citement, enthusiasm, and warmth. also for the snack area the atmosfere is totally different the color whyte is the most present the ligh are more bright the flor is also whyte carrelage all of this element give a eeling of space , but white is used also to give a sense of sterility wich can be great as this is where food are served so it reassure people but with the goods that are well showed and visible to the customers it give colors to the place and can attract . the lounge area is a mix of blue and red mixing a warm color with a cool one could be a bit strange but this association is often used in diverse place tjhis association give a feeling of warmth and stimulate but in the same time relax and serenity , the parquet on the floor wich is brown add a feelin of confort .The screen room are all black with low light wich give a great feeling of warmth * Orange is often used to draw attention http://fortunerep. hubpages. com/hub/Color-and-Emotion-Association Additional elements 1 . Virtual Servicescape – where the employees or the customers are not in the same physical area, but they are interacting via an electronic media – the Internet. Read more: http://www. oxbridgewriters. com/essays/management/physical-evidence-and-servicescape. hp#ixzz2MmE4NyXX A brand of a product or service is a bond (positive or negative) between the buyer and seller Brand is also seen by customers as to perceive risk, value, and signal the quality of the product or service Branding and servicescape are inseparable Branding is something that let the product or service stayed in customers' minds http://www. slideshare. net/ahmad1957/servicescapes-presentation . http://www. ukessays. com/essays/marketing/servicescape-in-uk-restaurant-industry-marketing-essay. php http://scholarworks. umass. edu/cgi/viewcontent. cgi? rticle=1177&context=gradconf_hospitality A servicescape plays four important roles. Package Servicescapes ‘package' the service offer and communicate an image to the customers of what they are going to get. Appropriate servicescaping is a sure shot way to create an image that the service provider is seeking to put up. It also helps moderate customer expectation and reinforces his experience and reminiscences. Servicescape is an outward appearance of organization and thus can be critical in forming initial impressions or setting up customer expectation.Facilitator Another important job of servicescape is to act as an a facilitator in assisting both the customers and service employees to make most of the opportunity it should make the service consumption comfortable convenient for the customer. Socializer Design of servicescapes aids in socialization of both the customers and employees, conveying expected roles, behavior and relationship. Differentiator Clearly the design of the servicescape differentiates one provider from its competitors, and hints at eth segment the services are targeted at.Companies adapt servicescape to reposi tion the services or identify new customer segments. Conclusion Although it is useful from a strategic point of view to think about the multiple roles of the servicescape and how they interact making actual decision about servicescape design requires an understanding of why the effects occur and how to manage them. The roles played by servicescape in a particular situation will aid in identifying opportunities and deciding just who needs to be consulted in making facility design decisions.Ambient Condition – tries to give the best premium shopping experience to the customer store is designed aesthetic and professional with high ceiling and luminous ambiance to create a sense of openness and spaciousness . indeed the with color is predominent on the store it directly give you a feeling of consumers able to sense that the premises are young with all the color but in the same time even if the price proposed are low , it doesn t show up in the store as the place is spacious white it give an imoression of upscale etail shope †¢male security guards in front of main entrances – security is also one of the elements for high-class people who prefer to have a sense of security when entering premises Staff is wearing a red shirt with black pant and other blue shirt that help reinforce the image of the company Spatial Layout and Functionality Spatial layout act on the emotional customers responses .The batiment is fully air conditioned on the summer and on the winter heater righ when the customers enter the stores wich reinforce the feeling of feeling safe and confortable main entrance made from clear tampered glass to provide spaciousness and a sense of welcome to any who want to enter , also there is a vitrine display outside that attract customers to enter by putting the commercial advertissement the first stage where †¦. is not really confortable to be in as there is huge colonne in the middle even if necessary its not aeteticke also the elevat or are in the middle of the room separating it . he bulding an original architectural shape that are differents from other bulding in its area we directly consta that this is a cinema . Escalator are a good way insrtead of using stairs like the cinema in occonel street people can just let themslef lift and as there is 4 stages it have an influence on the psychological customers responses . Also the seat are actinmg on the psychological response from the cutomers even if there are a little small comparing for exemple with some seat in the usa wich can be almost the dobble . he batiment is well decorated with a lot of advertissement for the movie , also there in each stage a pancarte helping the custoners to find its way as the cinema is really big and have 4 stage . there is escalator that are placed in the center of each stage so people dont have to look everywhere to find them and they found themlseves in the center of the room being able to decide where to go next , there is also a lift and stairs . the cinema is well equiped for handicaped people as he provide a lift and for the stairs a †¦.. to help them have access to the screen room . n each screen room there is place in the middle of the front row for handicaped people there is also 2 seat at each side so if they come accompanied they can seat with their friend . the cinema also care for the mom that came with babies as they is a changing room out of thel adies restroon so they can have theyr own place . also on the lounge area the structure of the place is well managed providing two style of place like a restaurant and like a bar the mix of the place providing to each of its customers an ambiance but in the same area . he cinema also is provided with a ticket collection machine making the process to take its tikect more easily neverless they are placed on the oposite from the guichet and on the wall wich can be hard to find as you will not think to look there , but they put a big sign signaling it to the customers . 12 guichet are placed on the left side we can see them directly from the entrance , there is a queue defined by a line that help to stay organised . the number is great when there is a lot of people . n the second floor where the snack area is there is also guichet , the menu are well display with picture showing and putting in evidence the goods and price , there is also menu before so when you doing the cue you can already choose , there is there 8 guichet disponible and accroding to the average number of customers comming there is more or less staff present wich can be an error as for example with only two guichet open but a lot of customers people will have to wait and then miss the biggining of the movie wich can have a hudge negative impact on the consumer experience . he cinema is also furnished with some arcade place that are displayed in every stage permitting to have fun and wait the movie playing with your friend . the cinema also provide banch and lit tle waiting room between the screen room . the restroom are in all the main stage 1 2 and three were there is most of the activities , neverless there are little and only two or 3 toilet are there for a big cinema like cineworld that can have a lot of cutomers that can be an inconvenient . here is also a garage for car , so people can come with there car and are in the cinema even if the cinema is weel placed in the center of dublin in a well known street car will alswys like to just have to come park and leave rapidely . the situation of the batiment is also real good has taxi are often there and can drive you right in front of the cinema . he screen room are weel equiped with a lot of seat , even if some of them especially from the side don t have a good view of the screen and be anoying to see the movie like this queuing up to obtain ticke can be long so poster of upcoming movies and entertainment news to ease perception of long wait . there is tv showing the movir that are orese nted with the hour and availability . the restroom are clean and brightly lit a hugde mirror is intalled there is a distributor of woman prodcut but there is no hand owel only one hand when the cinema is in a high peak of people it must be overcrowded and maybe , odorent. It s well designed with no bad seat sufficient lighting to locate the seat , spacious , confortable chair with one drink holder on each seat and a suitabnle temperatures . An easy exit through a brigly lit and safe surrounding The distributor that are placed all over the batiment are good Imax facility sign symbol artifacts many things in the environement act as explicit or implicit signals to communicate the firm images , help customers to find their way and convey the rules of behaviour . or exemple there is a pancarte indicating at the entrance the differente stage and what you can find in eact of them . there is one in each stage that are place next to the elevator so if the customers go up or down he will just have to llok at it to know where to go . also there is no smoking sign , the tickel collector is writted in silver and big letter to attract the attention and coorect the fact that the machine can easly be unsee . the restroom are weel indicated as weel as the changing room . the lift area is not well display . he lighting in the parking and the bulding is well its not too bright inthe inside wich give a feeling of warmt and confort and as the ceiling are high it doesnt give a feeling small place . just in front of the bulding is a lampadaire witch give a great light just in front of the cinema so people can fell safe especially at night . there is maternity and handicaped parking close to the entrance wich demonstrates a sense of caring and understanding of customers needs . this also can act on the belief of the consumer or employees and create an approach feeling . nvironmental psychologist suggest that individuals react to place with two general and opposite behaviour approach wich include all positive behaviour that migh be directed at a particular place such as desire to stay , explore , work and affiliate and avoidance behaviour wich is the opposite . clearly a company will want to developpe a approach behavior toward their business and in the same time descouraging avoidance behavoir . and per consequent building loyalty with a consumer , and this behavior is influenced by its perception of the environement . he servicescape also influence the degree of sucess consumer experience inside the service organisaion and the realisation of its goal . bu creating positive internal response that will lead to an approach behaviors . the employee and custormers interaction have a major influence in the experience of the cosummer , † all social interaction is affected by the fisical container in wich it occurs † they suggest that the surounding will affect the interaction the progression of event . rcade the environement condition will have an impact on the nature of the social interaction , the physical environement influence hightly the behviour of the customers , it is in this point of view that they have created area for customers to have fun or o enjoy some time between friend and waiting for the movie to start as this can be anoying to always have to check befor at what time is the movie will begin if you are just walking and want to see a movie you will have to either find the timetable in internet or go to the cinemas to check it but then we will have to wait there so in order to make people have a great time by waiting they created facilities in the cinamas for example we can find a lot of arcade game in the store . lso a place to eat drink a coffee are present as well as retroom . as a message creating medium : using symbolic cue to communicate to the intended audience aboutn the distinctive nature and quality of the service experience as an attention creating medium to make the servicescape stand out from those of com peting establishement and to attract customers from target segment as an effect creating medium using colors textures sound scents and soatiacl design to enhance the desired service exoerience and or to heighten an appetite for cetains goods service or experiences the servicescape cleacrly communicates and reinforces the cinama positioning . he fact that the employee are present at the end of the movie is also an important part of it , by doing this customers are able to see by themselves that the cinemas is left clean and regularly cleaned for its customers employee have an important effect to and represent the company as well so they have to do a good impression . use of seat instead of staying standing up wich help them and reduce their level of displeasure , also they are working close to each other wich give them a sensation of group and friendship so when their is no customers during a time instead of staying alone they can simply talk with their collegue and that help to spen d the day . and then feel more relaxed and happy rather that being agitated and stressed . also for the cleaning they sometime do it by group of two reinforcing the team basis . t s alway more easy to do something when you are not alone act on the emotional and psychological responses from the employye as this will have a positive affect on the moods and feeling and its comfort. The company is one of the most important cinema present in dublin its well known and have a lot of good review neverless it still could be improved For exemple the sound qualitie can have a different perception according to people some may think its to loud other to low so in some screen room audio casque could be provided like on the plane . but they will have a high quality of sound in order to give a great experience to the customers as the sound is really important in a movie and to provide people stolling them they could be ratached to the seat with a long cord .Also , even if cinemaworld provide some a rcade place theyre are small and separated , they could construct a bigger one by using one of the waiting area between the screen room like the cinema gaumon t multiplex in france that have a vast arcade place to play with distributor of snack they could install some couch and make it a good place to wait for the movie. where they could also meet other people . Cineworld could also replace some of the seat and add a holder of pop corn because usually people came with one popconr and one drink so having to hold one can be annoying sometimes like for the cinema in miami . where the seat also have a place to put there feet and can slowdown there seat to be really confortable they also use a system where the arm of the seat can be elavated giving more confort and better feeling like home . On the parking lot , they could put color coded floors to help customers remember wich alley they are or numeroted them . ike on a aerport The ligh house cinema situated in dublin is well known to pr ovide a book-club, an innovative collaboration with Chapters Bookstore (one of Dublins finest bookshops) where a different book and film adaption are picked each month for discussion. so they can associate movie and book and speak it s a good way to meet people . The cinema can have a lot of people present in the room so it will be good to place a personne that will be in charge to watch if people are too loudy and annoy other spectators and then provide a good experience . like in miami Also in some horror movie a proffesional could be placed and could help people if they are too shoked by some scene from the movie . A little cyberescape could be placed in the cinema where people

Does Internet Increase Crime? Essay

In chapter 16, Oscar McLaren discusses how organized crime is â€Å"invading† the internet. One of Australia’s leading figures in online law enforcement says that the internet has so many opportunities for crime, and he believes that there will be a debate on the benefit of the internet at some stage. Organized crime is the biggest threat online or at least is emerging as it. The criminal gangs’ preferred weapon is referred to as botnets, which are groups of computers that have been infected with small computer programs known as malware. Malware has been effective to the point where it even infected the Sydney Opera House’s site. Malware can basically take your computer away from you. The criminal who infected your PC, will essentially own it and most of the time, steal bank account info from you. The Australian police covertly took control of a criminal online marketplace that was being run from Australia. Some even have a â€Å"delete, delete, delete† policy to any unsolicited email. Det Supt Hay says, â€Å"If everyone followed those three simple rules, that would reduce the chances of them falling victim online possibly as much as 80 per cent.† Achieving internet safety is hard. Mr. Ingram claims that you can’t just go around telling people not to click on links that you don’t know the meaning of, which makes the internet redundant. Based on what is said, it would seem that Australia has problems with internet crime quite a bit. My opinion: I believe that organized crime on the internet is pretty major. I never thought about the whole malware thing. If I were to give my opinion before I read about the topic, I would say it had no major connections with the web. But, now I believe otherwise. If any criminal desired to, they could communicate with possible members of a criminal group. They could, like said, use malware to create botnets and connect thousands of random computers to their web of crimes. All it takes is a simple click of the wrong link and your computer is as good as theirs. The internet does indeed make crime easier. Who needs robbing a bank when you can steal a bank account from a little hideout with a computer, right? Although, shutting the  internet down is not a good solution. I am not saying it was presented as a choice, but the idea was brought up. I think more people use the internet for good, than bad. If anything, programs should be capitalized on that trace the location of a sent malware to find and apprehend a criminal. Police can track phones, why not computers? Crime on the internet will definitely grow uncontrollably. Even if they make a program to fight back, the criminals can use the internet to find another way to hack into a network of computers. It is best to just be very careful what you do, and watch what you download on the internet. Always scan what you are doing to ensure the safety of your computer, and you.