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Analysis of Human Behavior in Organizations: Case of Blue Group.

Analysis of Human Behavior in Organizations: Case of Blue Group.
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Analysis of Human Behavior in Organizations: Case of Blue Group.
Human behavior in an organization immensely contributes to the overall performance of the company. For effective accomplishment of a company’s goals, it is prudent for the company’s employees to regularly meet and strategies on the best way to meet the set objectives. For the frequent organization of an organization’s meeting, integration of technology is ineluctable. Organizational behavior can be attributed to the study and use of acquired knowledge on how people act in a given organization. The key components of organizational behavior are the workforce, the structure, the technology implored and the external atmosphere that houses the organizational operations (Beer, 2017). In a bid for a workforce to join and work towards a common goal, the embodiment of a well-defined structure is ineluctable. Furthermore, different technological innovations have been adopted to see the successful completion of set objectives.
Characteristics of organizational behavior entail the following;

a) It presents a scientific approach to the relationship between cause and effect. This allows the formulation of problems within a framework of dependent and independent variables (Will & Mueller, 2019).
b) It encompasses a comprehensive and broad perspective. It allows analysis of behavior free from biasness (Schwartz, 2013).
c) It is oriented to change thus emphasizes the need for transition in human behavior as technology evolves throughout the sector.
d) It is shifting on performance based orientation.
e) Lastly it encompasses a distinctive humanist purpose which is detailed in its push for productivity, growth, development of oneself and focus on the quality of life (Beer, 2017).
Methodological Options for an Integrated Perspective
In considering the laws formulated in the ancient times concerning organization it is evident that the more an organization divides work in respect to skills the high it records the production results (Soltani et al., 2018). Consequently, an increased production is attributed to increased level of satisfaction at working level of an employee. Embodiment of bureaucracy in an industrial economy, is an efficient organizational adventure (Soltani et al., 2018). However, organization on peer state is also considered superior in an industrial economy. The error of the ancestors of organization theory was one of universalism. Their discoveries about the advantages of specialization, the relevance of workers’ preferences, and the coordination properties of hierarchy or peer groups were in good part valid, and, for those parts, were in fact resurrected in later models and are all still in use (Soltani et al., 2018). But the specification of the conditions under which those laws and properties are valid were at best very weak or absent in those classics. For quite a long time, and sometimes even now, then, what were hypotheses valid under different circumstances were treated as irreconcilable paradigms (Schwartz, 2013).
This error of universalism was denounced in organization studies, especially in the 1960s and 1970s, by what is known as ‘contingency theory’ of organization trying to specify what are the best forms of organizing given what types of technology are used, what tasks are performed, and what types of environmental uncertainties and interdependencies are faced (Schwartz, 2013). But this criticism was either not deep enough, or partially flawed, or not listened to enough, or all these things together, because the temptation to announce the discovery of unconditioned best ways of organizing keeps reappearing (Hofeditz et al., 2015). The criticism leveled at the possibility of formulating valid universal laws did not go far enough. Contingency theories ended by substituting the idea that “one best way of organizing” can be identified in general, with the idea that one best way of organizing can be identified in correspondence to each among a few different configurations of environmental and technological variables (Soltani et al., 2018). Bounded rationality theory provided the cognitive foundations for the development of a relatively autonomous organizational and behavioral science. However, it has ended by sharpening unnecessary divisions with its contrast between “absolute” and “bounded” rationality (Soltani et al., 2018).
There was also the acknowledgment of some more epistemic problems that echoed and in some cases anticipated other contributions on the nature of rationality in general and economic rationality in particular: the recognition of the intrinsic fallibility of human judgments and knowledge, of the models of the world that decision-makers are acting upon of the unavoidable imperfection in knowledge codification and transmission of the logical necessity of “decision premises” and “background knowledge” considered “out of discussion” providing a framework and a language for starting any decision process. These are sources of complexity and difficulties in knowing rather than in calculating. Subsequent perspectives have often paid attention only to partial aspects of bounded rationality (Hofeditz et al., 2015).
In many cases, important and possibly complementary perspectives on organization and economic behavior ‘do not talk’ to each other and generate incomparable predictions because they talk different languages: the descriptive language of how things are (descriptive laws), or the prescriptive language of how things should be if they are to produce certain consequences (prescriptive laws) (Schwartz, 2013). Some studies argue that they do not describe how decisions are made, they prescribe how they should be made in order to achieve superior results. However, it is always possible to reformulate prescriptive (and even normative) propositions – provided that they have an empirical basis – in descriptive propositions, in the form: if x is a necessary and/or sufficient cause of y, if one wishes to observe y, then it is necessary and/or sufficient to observe x (Schwartz, 2013). On the other hand, many regularities expressed in a descriptive language in organizational studies – such as “system size is correlated to decentralization” – are in fact valid only under some conditions of effectiveness (Beer, 2017). Hence they can be translated into prescriptive statements, such as “decentralize in large systems to improve performance.”
The lack of translation between descriptive and prescriptive models has merged with a controversy about the content of the “objectives” pursued by economic actors to generate another and possibly the most wrongly defined conflict among organizational perspectives – the contrast between “power” and “efficiency” explanations of organization (Will & Mueller, 2019). Efficiency is the generation of valuable outcomes through the use of the minimum possible amount of resources (Soltani et al., 2018). Encompassing the two components of benefits and costs, efficiency can be augmented not only by reducing costs, but also, and often more easily and productively, by creating more value. In practice this is quite important, as it may make the difference between, say, cutting personnel in order to be more efficient in one production or making an alliance to open a new line of production; or between accepting the first satisfactory partner for forming an alliance, for reducing search and negotiation costs, or investing more resources for finding a partnership that creates more surplus (Soltani et al., 2018). In fact, the value-increasing component of efficiency is commonly distinguished by the term effectiveness (capacity to reach valued outcomes).
In addition, efficiency is ill-defined unless the subjects bearing benefits and costs are defined and the time horizon is defined. Short- and long-term efficiency are almost proverbially conflicting criteria. When there are many subjects, efficient solutions are all those (and usually they are more than one) with respect to which no improvement for one or more party is possible without subtracting something from other parties (Pareto-efficiency) (Schwartz, 2013).
Furthermore, efficiency criteria can be applied in a static way (for example, in terms of comparative costs, it is more efficient to make rather than to buy a component) or in a dynamic way (for example, the marginal costs of adding one more item to internal production may be higher than the marginal costs of adding a procurement relation). Therefore, in the first place, different organizational solutions to the same problem can be explained by different efficiency criteria (Hofeditz et al., 2015).
Power is an even more multifaceted concept. As used in organization studies, it has been used in at least the following meanings, with quite different implications. Power has been used as a synonym for dominance: the reduction of the freedom of action and of the resources of other actors in order to make them dependent on one’s own will and redistribute resources to one’s own advantage (Schwartz, 2013). In this sense, a power criterion does make a difference with respect to efficiency and fairness criteria. Supposing that there is no incentive to impose a solution that can be improved both for oneself and for others, still one party (typically because it is much less substitutable than others) may be able to impose an arrangement in which it captures all the surplus created by cooperation or exchange and gives others their minimum acceptable reward rather than their fair share. Lastly, part of the confusion on the issue of power and efficiency stems from a lack of perception of the difference between the motives leading to an action (its “teleological explanation”) and the properties that this action has (its “functionalist explanation”) (Hofeditz et al., 2015).
The issue of natural selection has recently received increasing attention in organization
studies not only because of the growing influence of economic models in the field, but also because of the development of an influential research program in organizational sociology applying the concepts and tools of biological. In their first proposal of the new approach, studies have insightfully and understandably contrasted a change process based on natural selection with one based on learning, arguing that organization studies overrated the importance of the latter and neglected the former. In the first case “it is the environment which optimizes” (the firm chooses an organization form and the environment “chooses” a state which may be favorable or not), while in the second case individual firms change their internal structure to adapt to a changing environment (Soltani et al., 2018). Initially, then, this was a methodological distinction between processes of variation and selection of organizational solutions occurring at different levels – within a single actor (a firm in the case) through competition among alternative solutions, or among actors through competition among subjects “incorporating” different solutions (Schwartz, 2013). This was the origin of the hypothesis of “structural inertia” at the level of individual subjects: in order to see the effects of natural selection, let us “assume” that organization structures and behaviors, once adopted, cannot be further adapted by an actor but are exposed to competition with other choices.
In subsequent developments and debates, however, these “assumptions,” that were
and should have remained methodological conventions for isolating the effects of natural selection from those of learning, became interpreted as substantive predictions about whether organizational structures and behaviors are in fact inert or not, as assumptions on the “nature” of organization in this respect, thereby causing another mistitled division in organization studies. In fact, not only do both individual learning and natural selection processes obviously exist in reality, but, more importantly, they interplay rather than being mutually exclusive, so that one cannot be well understood without the other in social systems (Sarmoen et al., 2019).
Natural selection needs variation in structures and behaviors, but is fairly indifferent toward the origins of these organizational variations (inertia, random trials, intelligent adaptation, etc.) (Sarmoen et al., 2019) Furthermore, if economic actors, firms in particular, were permanently marked by an organizational “blueprint” from their birth to their death (like biological individuals), the rate of change and evolution would be as slow as in the evolution of natural species. Such a strict biological analogy would lead one to underestimate the rate of change and the importance and effect of natural selection itself on social constructs. In fact, conversely, competition and the possibility of natural selection are fundamental incentives for learning and adaptation, precisely because they are a “credible threat” but not a certain sanction (Hofeditz et al., 2015).
Adam Smith long ago and vividly described the advantages of the division of labor among different actors, or their specialization. The phenomenon documented by Smith is that of the spectacular increase in productivity that one can obtain through the specialization of workers in more and more focused activities to the point where they are no longer technically divisible (Schwartz, 2013). The great motor of economies of specialization is learning by deepening competence. The focus on an activity based on a single technique and its repetition trains the worker to perform that technique better. One discovers all the “tricks of the trade” building a repertoire of effective and efficient work procedures that permit one to solve production problems in order to obtain the best results in the shortest time without spending further time on analysis and decision-making. But there is more. The processes of discovery and growth of knowledge are never limited. To that extent, learning may sustain technical improvement and economies of experience over time indefinitely.
The complexity of the competences required in the activities reinforce this effect. The more difficult activities are, the longer the learning cycle required to master them, the greater the importance of specialization and experience. Where activities are very difficult, it is unlikely that a single person, a group of people, or even a firm, who succeed in mastering that set will be capable of performing equally well in another set of activities. A high division of labor and specialization, therefore, does not necessarily imply the “deskilling” and job-impoverishment with which it has been associated in the so-called “Fordist” or “Taylorist” applications of specialization in mass production industries. Highly specialized and professionalized forms of organization of work are common in modern economies (Beer, 2017).
The economies generated by the division of labor do not derive exclusively from the process of learning relevant techniques, but also from the learning and the development of cultural traits, cognitive, and emotional orientations that sustain performance in that activity (Hofeditz et al., 2015). For example, in a firm, the division of labor between those who produce and those who sell is not only a function of the technical differences that characterize the two types of activity. The production activities usually require and generate an allocation of attention, interest, and even a passion for the details, for the data, for ingenious and optimal solutions. Production activities also require and generate an orientation to short-term results and an adverse attitude toward risk. In contrast, sales activities usually require and generate strong orientation toward people and relationships, tolerance and acceptance of different mentalities and a plurality of solutions, an orientation toward medium-term results, less risk-averse attitudes and the capacity to confront and manage uncertainty. These specialized orientations are efficient in the performance of different work activities, and once formed in a particular person, they can produce diseconomies of variety. Although a variety of different techniques can be learned by one individual, it is increasingly difficult for one individual to acquire more than one mentality.
Economies of specialization are not generated exclusively from the division of labor and the focus on a technique by human resources, but also thanks to the specialization of technological resources. Machines, as well as humans, can be specialized. We need only think of the productivity gains caused by the change from universal tools (such as the hammer) to machines dedicated to a particular class of operations (such as the lathe), and then to machines specialized for only one type of transformation process and one output (such as an automatic assembly line) (Sarmoen et al., 2019).
For both human and technical resources, the great limit to specialization is the lack of flexibility, i.e. the inability to adapt to changing needs and demand. Flexibility implies, in fact, the opposite of specialization: generalism, the redundancy of competence with respect to the activity currently being performed, and the polyvalence of resources. A specialized economic actor is an actor exposed to risk; he “bets” on an activity and invest in resources that limit his capacity to become reconverted. He or she will win the bet only if the state of the future world remains favourable to the activities that can be performed with those resources – that is, if other actors demand those activities. As a consequence, even if there are economies of specialization in an activity, the opportunity to realize them and the incentives for actors to specialize in them depend also on other factors, such as the uncertainty of the demand for that type of activity. The advantages of specialization will be actually captured only if we can see a stable demand for that type of activity, or at least a demand that is cyclically and frequently favourable (Schwartz, 2013). Finally, the mere presence of economies of specialization should not automatically lead one to adopt an organization form based on a massive division of labor, for another reason too – the effect of other key variables on the degree of and type of division of labor that is effective and efficient, among which are the interdependences among activities (which is often the most important rival variable). The more activities are specialized and the more they are interdependent, the more they need to be coordinated.
Rationality can assume different configurations that, in economic behavior, materialize in different decision processes or strategies. These decision strategies are formulated here in a way conducive to comparative evaluation according to three criteria:
• to what extent are they able to link actions – and the results those actions are expected to produce – to the preferences and objectives of decision-makers (effectiveness)
• to what extent do they economize on the scarce resource of cognitive capacity and effort (efficiency)
• To what extent are they able to resolve conflicts between different actors with different objectives using that strategy (conflict resolution capacity) (Schwartz, 2013).
The main decision-making models that have been identified in economics, organization, and management can be described as particular, salient, and effective combinations or configurations of rules and procedures for defining and modifying the fundamental decision inputs: procedures for defining objectives, for generating and evaluating alternatives, and for learning from experience. In other words, one decision model or strategy differs from another if it is characterized by a different approach to any of these fundamental cognitive activities. The initial information conditions that make these diverse approaches or strategies applicable can be and will be specified (Schwartz, 2013).
A second type of motivation process can be retraced to the general characteristics of decision-making based on aspiration levels and acceptability judgments. Instead of taking into account utility functions to be maximized, actors can allocate effort and competence according to targets and goals to be reached. Hence, the informational requirements of this strategy of effort allocation are less ambitious than those of an expectancy based strategy. The core question about motivation then becomes: Are performance levels related to the type of goals actors formulate? Originally, March and Simon formulated this problem as one of “optimal tension”: low aspiration levels reduce search and lead to accepting low results; very high aspiration levels lead to lower success probability estimates, so that above certain levels action is inhibited (Schwartz, 2013).
Lastly, the process through which goals are set is obviously important and has been much studied. The results, however, are less obvious and clear than one might expect. The relationship between actors’ performance and their participation in goal-setting processes is very complicated. The ties connecting the specificity and the difficulty of the objectives with the performance described above are valid both when the actor autonomously sets personal objectives, and when the actor accepts objectives set by others (Soltani et al., 2018). Participation generates two contrasting effects: on the one hand, self-set objectives may not be as high as those which, in equal circumstances, would be set by others (a self-serving bias); on the other hand, the self-determination may solicit stronger conviction and dedication to goals (commitment) (Schwartz, 2013). But it has also been demonstrated that high levels of commitment are also obtainable when the objectives assigned by others are convincingly explained and understood and are connected to interesting rewards, and regular feedback is provided on the progress of the performance toward the objective (Beer, 2017). Participation is fundamental, however, when the performers themselves possess the relevant knowledge for formulating valid and accurate hypotheses on attainable objectives – i.e. “participating in goal setting is necessary for cognitive reasons and not motivational ones”.
Reinforcement theory, as applied to motivation, maintains that when consequences are attributed to one’s own actions and are perceived as positive, the probability that those actions will be repeated increases; whereas the perception of negative consequences of one’s own actions diminishes this probability. Reinforcements can be direct (rewards or punishments connected to actions) or indirect (abstention or absence of rewards and punishments).
Hence, the model considers four typical situations, called positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment, and extinction. Applying reinforcement theory to motivation has contributed notably to explaining apparently irrational behavior and developing
“positive-reinforcement programs” oriented toward correcting such behaviors and improving the relational climate. In fact, one of the characteristics of reinforcement processes is that of regulating (often inadvertently) behaviors that are given little explicit attention and analysis, such as those requiring quick interactions: interpersonal relationships, aspects of work that have not (yet) been analyzed because they have never constituted a problem, and habitual actions. The fact that these processes take place automatically does not, however, mean that they have consequences of little significance, whether in terms of the quality of inter- personal relationships, or in terms of direct impact on economic results (Soltani et al., 2018).
Adoption of virtual team is a new trend that is emerging owing to the current looming pandemic of coronavirus. In business organization, most trends are scrutinized before their implementation to assess the reliability and the consistence in service delivery.
Advantages of Virtual team integration
One of the advantages of virtual team integration is the ability to save on cost. The embodiment of this technology allows businesses to save on cost and huge expenses such as rental office, utility bills, and executive travels. Most of the big companies outsource their operations to the low cost places. Thus decreasing the cost of production with less cost on raw materials, operational charges and reduced wages for the employees in the set geographical regions (Sarmoen et al., 2019).
Virtual teams also foster the leveraging of the worldwide talent. The organization uses this technology to sources for talents beyond their geographical jurisdiction. This allows the organization to amalgamate expertise and specialists that can complete a project effectively. Furthermore, it increases the sharing of ideas and innovations among the organization’s human capital, thus increasing knowledge base (Will & Mueller, 2019).
There is increase in profit as a result of high productivity. Virtual team experts usually prioritize the task that is at hand. It is the primary function of the virtual team to uphold the structure of the organization. The members do not engage in time consuming bureaucratic processes of decision making which enhances the profitability.
Reduced time to market.
Most virtual teams have members from different time zones. This means that different members can work on the same project for the whole twenty four hours. This results in shortened time of product development while increasing response time to the demands in both local and worldwide markets.
Newer Opportunities
At the larger perspective of the technology. Virtual team has created new employment opportunities across the world. This is even commendable for the less mobile experts that are resistant to relocate and adapt to the new geographical demand or physical needs. Candidates can deliver results through this technology without the physical presence (Will & Mueller, 2019).
Disadvantages of virtual teams
Cost of the technology
An effective virtual team base is supported by softwares that necessitate instant sharing of video calls, emails. There is still no one communication software that can deliver the whole package holistically. This makes it expensive to install and maintain multiple softwares.
Conflicts, reduced collaboration and trust.
The differences in culture of the team members from different continents in the world predisposes the system to frequent conflicts. For example when American employee points at a situational incidence in the company, a counterpart from the any south Asian country will consider it as impolite and disrespectful. This results in conflicts, mistrust and affects collaboration resulting in reduced productivity and profits (Will & Mueller, 2019).
Social Isolation
Most of the effective virtual team players are adversely impacted by the lack of interaction at personal level. All communication in the virtual space are oriented to project being offered. In the normal job market, our co-partners in an organization form the bigger part of an employees’ social life, this is not the situation in the virtual systems. Thus, the team players in virtual systems may face stress and eventually depression (Sarmoen et al., 2019).
Virtual team system is prominent following the coronavirus pandemic. Most organizations are adopting improved leadership and management in a bid to realize the positive outcomes of virtual teams and overcoming the negativity it is associated with. Hence it is prudent for Blue Group organization to adopt better leadership and management strategies while embracing the use of virtual system.

References
Beer, M. (2017). Developing strategic human resource theory and making a difference: An action science perspective. Human Resource Management Review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2017.11.005
Hofeditz, M., Nienaber, A., Dysvik, A., & Schewe, G. (2015). “Want to” Versus “Have to”: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivators as Predictors of Compliance Behavior Intention. Human Resource Management, 56(1), 25-49. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21774
Sarmoen, N., Khalid, H., Abd Rasid, S., A L Baskaran, S., & Basiruddin, R. (2019). Understanding Human Behaviour in Information Security Policy Compliance in a Malaysian Local Authority Organization. Business Management and Strategy, 10(2), 64. https://doi.org/10.5296/bms.v10i2.14909
Schwartz, M. (2013). Developing and sustaining an ethical corporate culture: The core elements. Business Horizons, 56(1), 39-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2012.09.002
Soltani, Z., Zareie, B., Milani, F., & Navimipour, N. (2018). The impact of the customer relationship management on the organization performance. The Journal of High Technology Management Research, 29(2), 237-246. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hitech.2018.10.001
Will, M., & Mueller, J. (2019). Chapter 7 Change Management: The Organization as a Micro–Macro System. Management for Scientists, 99-111. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78769-203-920191007

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Key Drivers for Chinese Customer Satisfaction in Spanish Tapa Bars

Case of Cerveceria Catalan and Gourmet Tapas by Sensi in Barcelona

Abstract (1 page)

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

The classification of outlets in the foodservice industry depends on the menu style, food preparation methods, and the pricing methods taken up. However, the situation is different for foreigners living in another country who have to get used to the local cuisine. Some like foods are as close to those of their home countries as possible, while others prefer foods that are completely different, in a bid to taste something outside of their usual pallet. Either way, the experience a consumer has in a restaurant will determine whether he or she will have a return visit or not.

Trying out meals originating from other countries in your own country is interesting and easy because most are adapted to the local tastes and preferences, but when you visit the country itself, you quickly realise that the local foods are quite different from those sold in global chains. For example, a McDonald burger in a McDonald located in China will taste different from a burger served at an American location. Differences like these make trying the local cuisine and getting used to it an adventure that customers look forward to. If the food proves good, the customer will be loyal to a restaurant or a brand. The situation is no different in Barcelona where Chinese nationals are taking to the local cuisine, and since their number is growing by the day, restaurants are making effort to attract this market segment.

The researcher set out to investigate the perception of the Chinese customers regarding the Spanish Tapa restaurants in Barcelona. On the one hand, as the number of foreign restaurants increase all across Spain, establishments, through their employees, are growing conscious of the needs of the customers and are working to impress and maintain them. On the other hand, customers also see that they have a wider array from which to choose and are now becoming particular regarding the quality of food, aesthetics, customer service, waiting time, and other qualities of the experience they previously did not pay much attention to.

Previous studies conducted only sought to determine the perspective of the restaurant owners regarding the efforts they were making to improve the customer experience, but none of the studies considered the consumers’ point of view regarding the issue. The customers are a critical element of the restaurant experience as every effort put focuses on their needs and interests. On the other hand, the employees in the restaurants make for an interesting study group because their efforts directly influence the customer service, the food, the ambience, and the general experience, all which contribute to the customers’ dining experience. As such, in investigating factors that influence the consumers’ dining experience, these two study groups would make an interesting part of a research by providing their opinion concerning the efforts the restaurants are making in accommodating the Chinese customers. Therefore, upon identifying the study gap, this study seeks to determine the factors that influence the customers’ dining decisions in the Restaurants serving Spanish Tapas food in Barcelona, using Cerveceria Catalan and Gourmet Tapas by Sensi located in Barcelona, for a case study.

Research Objective

The study’s primary objective is to determine the influence that various elements of thriving customer service dining have on the customers’ experiences and expectations in restaurants across Barcelona from the perspectives of the customers. As such, the study seeks to clearly identify elements of the customer service that directly impact the customers’ dining experience. The study chooses to focus on restaurants Cerveceria Catalan and Gourmet Tapas by Sensi in Barcelona because they are now some of the most popular eating spots for Chinese customers in the city. Hence, the restaurants would make an interesting study to determine the factors that work best when it comes to attending to the needs of the Chinese customer.

Research Questions

Following the objective indicated above, the study established research questions to guide the study. They include:

Does the consumer’s culture affect his or her dining experience?
How do the elements of the dining experience influence the customers’ perception of their dining experience?

Following the research questions above, the study makes the following hypotheses:

A restaurant’s extent of its implementation of the elements of the dining experience that attract customers determines its success in securing their loyalty.
There exists a significant positive relationship between the elements of pleasant dining and the customers’ loyalty.
A restaurant must speak to the unique needs and preferences of customers from a particular culture, which makes them gain an affinity for the restaurant in question.

Research Methodology

The study will take up a quantitative research method approach that uses structured questionnaires to collect data from Spanish Tapas food-loving customers. The quantitative approach is favourable because the researcher gets to interact directly with the customers, which would ensure that the questions asked are precise and relevant to the current study. The researcher will seek out respondents from among the customers visiting Cerveceria Catalan and Gourmet Tapas at least twice in a month and request them to participate in the study. The study will compare the response given by customers who frequent both restaurants and from this information, compile a list of factors that are working to enhance the dining experience for the customers. The researcher will use inferential and descriptive statistics to better analyse and interpret the data collected.

The study expects to find that the quality of food served, the setting, quality of service, the waiting time, adventure, restaurant image, customers’ value of the eating out experience, customers’ opinion of the restaurant chain, and the customers’ view of the local culture and cuisine as some of the factors that influence the customers’ choice to take up Spanish food.

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

Through a review of past literature, the study evaluates concepts and theoretical frameworks or models that guide answering the research questions and filling the knowledge gaps the study identified.

The Value of Customers Satisfaction

One of the most crucial business tenets is that any firm’s activity must seek to ensure customer satisfaction, create mutually beneficial, and establish a long-term relationship with the seller. In other words, the business’ success depends on the benefit it provides to the customers with its satisfactory products or services (Jang, Liu, & Namkung, 2011, p.663).When it continuously creates value, the result is a long-term relationship. One way to effect this tenet is through customer orientation, which businesses do by putting the customers’ needs and interests first (Liu & Jang, 2009, p.341). Following this, a customer-oriented business culture would be more profitable for firms working to succeed in their fields.

In the services industry, service employees create contact between the business’ values and marketing efforts with the customers. Service workers are responsible for actualizing the business’ customer orientation in the front line and seek feedback from the customers before presenting it as market intelligence to the management (Altamore et al., 2018, p.495). As such, the ability of a business in the service industry to present a customer-oriented approach depends primarily on the products or services presented and the quality of individualized customer service orientation the employees present (Jang, Liu, & Namkung, 2011, p.663). Services differ from products, and their distinguishing characteristic is that services are ‘processes’ not ‘things’ (Mudu, 2017, p.197). Also, production and consumption are partly simultaneous, and customers participate in the production process (Jang, Liu, & Namkung, 2011, p.664). As such, unlike products, services are interactive, and the entrepreneurs must make pricing, marketing communication, and distribution decisions.

The restaurant industry is a crucial contributor to the service industry in many countries. In Spain, mainly, the rapid growth of restaurants provides an opportunity for consumers to make the best choices regarding their dining wants (Liu & Jang, 2009, p.342). Also, the high urbanization and improved living conditions cause a majority of the people therein to switch up their dining patterns, especially those living in towns and cities (Zhong & Moon, 2020, p.460). Most people prefer dining out instead of preparing their meals at home after a long day of work. The trend of eating outspread across the country and led to rapid industry growth, supported by a growing population with higher incomes (Bak-Geller, 2015, p.124). The upscale restaurants are gaining popularity among middle and upper class segments of society, with the ethnic restaurants, particularly receiving more positive demand as people warm up to the international fine-dining restaurant offerings (Mudu, 2017, p.196). Experts say that word of mouth is the most effective marketing tool that influences the consumers’ choices, but that all depends on the dining experience the customers have (Zhong & Moon, 2020, p.460). As such, restaurants are now focusing on improving the customer experience, hoping to have the word spread among the people.

Over the last few years, the consumption of foreign cuisines has become a trend, especially among younger people. For this reason, competition in the catering industry is now fiercer than ever before (Ma et al., 2011, p.125). Despite competing among themselves, restaurants serving foreign cuisine must also compete with local food restaurants, and seek to generate a profit (Jang, Liu, & Namkung, 2011, p.666). As such, they must pay close attention to service quality, price, physical environment, and food quality. Of the four factors, food quality and price are the most influential (Hanaysha, 2016, p.310). The price often reflects the quality of service offered and may influence the customers’ behaviour, and perception of the quality of food served even before they get in (Jang, Liu, & Namkung, 2011, p.667). However, besides the price, the quality dimensions, the food, service, and ambiance are the most crucial determinants of customer satisfaction (Chaudhry & Crick, 2014, p.39). Maintaining customer satisfaction is quite essential because it leads to increased sales and repeats customers.

Having figured out the food, the treatment accorded to the customers must also be excellent. Among the factors that make customers change, their preferred restaurant is unprofessional, inexperienced, or inappropriate (Chaudhry & Crick, 2014, p.39). The performance fails to meet the quality of service required, resulting in poor service and low standards (Altamore et al., 2018, p.495). The provision of excellent service quality is the way to please and get to many customers to meet their satisfaction and expectation (Maroco & Maroco, 2013, p.120). The quality of the food, which depends on the food’s taste, remains a critical factor in determining whether the customers return for a second visit of not (Bak-Geller, 2015, p.124). However, essential to note is that every customer has a different perception towards the tastes of food, and what some may like, others may not (Altamore et al., 2018, p.497). However, where the quality of food is good, most customers will leave a positive review, in the form of star ratings on sites such as Yelp, Google, and TripAdvisor.

The atmosphere a restaurant creates is also crucial in determining the customer’s perception of the restaurant. Some unique atmosphere may cause a customer to prefer the restaurant, while others will keep the customers off, even when the quality of food and service is excellent (Zhong & Moon, 2020, p.460). The reason is that people are into different themes and atmospheres, and what one likes another will not like (Hanaysha, 2016, p.311). For example, some customers prefer to have a quiet ambiance when eating to allow them to have a quiet conversation with their, while others cannot stand silent and will prefer a restaurant with loud music or one where people are shouting over each other (Maroco & Maroco, 2013, p.121). Also, the decoration may put off some customers but attract others. Therefore, the atmosphere, just like the food quality, is also a unique selling point for restaurants, and may or may not be acceptable to most customers (Chaudhry & Crick, 2014, p.40). A restaurant should endeavour to set up an environment that the majority of the customers will agree to.

There has not been much research regarding the quality of service in restaurants in Barcelona and this creates an information limitation let alone the Spanish Tapas oriental restaurants, which creates a limitation to information (Zhuang & Jiang, 2016, p.85). Therefore, with no much reference information, restaurant owners must come up with creative ways to keep their customers engaged, with the help of the employees (Zhuang & Jiang, 2016, p.85). Also, restaurants must dedicate their attention to studying and discovering the customers’ perception of their restaurants and readjust accordingly.

Cerveceria Catalan and Gourmet Tapas by Sensi in Barcelona

Gourmet Tapas by Sensi is one of the restaurants under the Sensi Group. The hotel’s location is an exotic place that seeks to provide a fun, fresh, and dynamic atmosphere for its customers. The restaurant specializes in recreating traditional Spanish menus to come up with a brand new experience. Gourmet Tapas by Sensi serves vegetarian-friendly, gluten-free, European, Spanish, Mediterranean, Spanish, Catalan, and vegan options. The restaurant opens every day from 6:30 pm to midnight. With close to 1500 reviews, the restaurant ranks 171 out of 9,381 restaurants in Barcelona. The restaurant also has three stars out of 5 on a Chinese App, and 4.4 out of 5 ratings on Google.

Cerveseria Catalana is both a tapas restaurant and a beer bar located in Barcelona. It is one of the most popular places in the city for the best and tastiest tapas. The restaurant offers different kinds of montaditos and tapas. The restaurant also has a wide selection of international and national beers. Cerveseria Catalana opens Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 1:30 am and from 9 am on Saturday and Sunday. The restaurant is famous for its excellent food and low prices. Cerveseria Catalan has 4.4 out of 5 ratings on Google, and 5 stars on the Chinese App

The restaurant business is not built only on the quality and type of food the restaurant offers its customers; it also is about the quality of service and other finer aspects that are not only intangible but also negotiable. As such, a restaurant can choose where to lie in the spectrum from doing all things correctly to let some things slide (Sitinjak, Pangaribuan, and Tafriza, 2019, p.31). However, on the customers’ side, the decision on where to eat depends on the customer’s perception of a restaurant’s ability to capture the most critical factors to the customer. One restaurant’s failure introduces an improvement gap that another restaurant can take advantage of and work on to perfection to attract new customers (Dibley, Clark, and Myers, 2016, p.134). However, besides losing a customer, a bad experience could do more damage by negatively influencing other regular customers, which could undo a long time cultivate a favorable brand image. Hence, the needs of the customer must be a priority to the restaurants.

The demands of the customers push the restaurant industry into fierce competition. Because of this, restaurants must note the elements of the experience they provide that keep the customers loyal and take advantage of the customers’ loyalty (Dibley, Clark, and Myers, 2016, p.136). By taking note of the factors that lead a customer to loyalty and understanding how to meet these needs well, restaurants can generate plenty of revenue. Venkatesakumar (2014, p.21) also adds that the food quality, atmosphere, menu variety, convenience, and the prices set are critical factors that influence the dining experience. Apparently, each of these factors varies depending on the priorities of the management and the employees (Sitinjak, Pangaribuan, and Tafriza, 2019, p.33). For example, among the factors that vary among restaurants is the ability to deliver good customer service, a fundamental element that is excellent for securing customer loyalty (Dibley, Clark, and Myers, 2016, p.136). Also, the restaurant’s image and the quality of food are essential factors in the restaurant context. Therefore, a restaurant must identify the factors that are of the highest importance and then maximize its investment.

Customer Loyalty

Gaining attention and customer loyalty is an essential objective of any organization interested in securing its life in the long-term. Sofia, Pangaribuan, and Sitinjak (2020, p.16) say that loyal customers often are less susceptible to the marketing tactics of the competitors. The loyalty aspect divides into two: attitudinal and behavioral. Venkatesakumar (2014, p.22) says that the attitudinal concept related to the psychological commitment to the business or band, while the behavioral idea is related to patronage frequency (Dibley, Clark, and Myers, 2016, p.136). The hospitality industry takes up the attitudinal aspect as the measure of loyalty (Venkatesakumar, 2014, p.23). A customer who presents a warm attitude towards a restaurant and its services is likely to repurchase and recommend it to others. As such, the study takes an attitudinal approach in discussing customer loyalty.

Sitinjak, Pangaribuan, and Tafriza (2019, p.33) say that the need to keep the existing customers is one of the primary objectives of marketers. Restaurant owners are careful to switch their marketing strategies between keeping the current customers and attracting new ones. With restaurants offering nearly similar services and products, retaining customers is quite difficult, yet it is the key to surviving the perfectly competitive market. Sofia, Pangaribuan, and Sitinjak (2020, p.16) took note of the benefits restaurants to derive from securing customer loyalty. First, loyal customers tend to choose the same restaurant every time and visit more frequently because choosing where to dine is now easier for them (Javanmard, 2016, p.8). Second, loyal customers are less sensitive to prices, and as such, slight price adjustments do not affect their dining decisions (Javanmard, 2016, p.8). Third, loyal customers are the most viable word-of-mouth marketing tools, one of the most effective methods of bringing in and retaining new customers (Sofia, Pangaribuan, and Sitinjak, 2020, p.17). With loyal customers, the restaurant saves advertising money because the existing customers bring in new customers. As such, keeping loyal customers is advantageous to business and offers more benefits than the attraction of new customers.

Factors Affecting Customers’ Loyalty to a Restaurant

The quality of food

Food quality is one of the fundamental elements that influence the satisfaction of diners regardless of the setting—the quality of food influences how the consumer perceives almost all other dining experience elements (Cibro and Hudrasyah, 2017, p.285). For example, if the food is good, but the restaurant is somewhat crowded, a customer will seek to come into the restaurant when the number of persons in the restaurant tends to be small. Experts express the quality of food through six elements, such as variety, taste, healthy options, presentations, temperature, and freshness (Sitinjak, Pangaribuan, and Tafriza, 2019, p.34). Presentation refers to the staging of food on the plate and its attractiveness while there. Food presentation should balance its color, contrast, texture, and shapes. Experts feel that food presentation is the key attribute that invites diners and gets word of mouth around.

Food variety refers to the availability of numerous options on the menu. Restaurants continually work on new menus to create an assortment of beverages and foods in an attempt to entice and satisfy the diners (Javanmard, 2016, p.10). Healthy eating is also an attractive factor that is hyped in the food industry today. Due to health consciousness, the customers now have new demands, often opting for healthy rather than fast foods. As such, a restaurant that sells healthy, nutritious foods will influence customers to purchase their meals there. Taste is also an element of the food that affects customer satisfaction and decision-making in the future (Javanmard, 2016, p.10). Regardless of performance in other areas, if the taste of the food is not pleasant to the customers, they consider low food quality (Venkatesakumar, 2014, p.24). Today’s customers are more particular about the ingredients that make up their food and want to take their time to savor the tastes. As such, the restaurants doing well on this day are those that serve tasty food.

Along with the taste, important also is the freshness of the food served. Freshness refers to the juiciness, aroma, and crispiness of the food. The food’s temperature matters too because it influences the food’s sensory attributes such as smell, taste, and sight. If the food is attractive in all three aspects, the customers take a liking to the restaurant and become loyal. The more loyal the customers are, the better the chance of succeeding for the restaurant.

The staff’s behavior

The employees in a restaurant are its face to the customers, and for this reason, restaurateurs make an effort to invest in their employees through rigorous hiring and training processes (Dibley, Clark, and Myers, 2016, p.135). The thorough vetting and supervision ensure that the employees present the image that the restaurant wishes to offer to its present and potential customers (Pangaribuan, and Sitinjak, 2020, p.18). The staff training must include the values and norms that the business wants to align itself in creating a pleasant customer experience and building its brand.

Employees deliver what is called the service quality. By definition, service quality refers to the customer’s judgment of the overall superiority or excellence of service. The quality of service a restaurant presents depends on the attitudes of both the employees and the customers. It is a determinant of the perception a customer will have of an eating establishment. Sitinjak, Pangaribuan, and Tafriza (2019, p.34) say that the employee’s right attitude leads to a positive attitude and helps create a positive working environment for the entire team. In contrast, a negative attitude makes the working environment harmful also, leading to lousy service delivery (Dibley, Clark, and Myers, 2016, p.135). Excellent service will require simple acts such as a friendly greeting, courtesy, and smiling when interacting with the customer. Lee, Moon, and Song (2018, p.630) add that service quality is one of the primary determinants of a customers’ return to the establishment. He divides the service experience into five aspects: reliability, responsiveness, tangibles, empathy, and assurance. By taking up empathy, the employees offer the customer individualized and focused attention. Providing a good table and calling the customer by name show empathy to the customer (Lee, Moon, and Song, 2018, p.631).

Assurance refers to treating the customer with courtesy or in a way that invokes confidence and trust. Responsiveness refers to the employees’ willingness to approach the customers and provide the needed help promptly (Lee, Moon, and Song, 2018, p.631). A responsive employee must be able to attend to a customer’s special request quickly. Reliability refers to the ability to deliver on the promise accurately and dependably. If the restaurant advertises fresh, healthy foods, it must provide the same, and if the set waiting time is some predetermined time, the customers must not wait for longer than that (Kurniawan, 2020, p.98). The restaurant must excel in its equipment, facility appearance, décor, cutlery, and written materials regarding tangibles (Shields, 2016, p.79). The atmosphere these elements create should attract customers. The tangibles present a critical image of the restaurant regarding its ranking and the quality of service or food it offers. In creating an excellent dining experience, excellent service quality is necessary to stop unfavorable feedback from the customers, such as badmouthing the restaurant and its service.

Value for money spent

Research indicates that price is a significant factor in the food business. People may not want to return to a restaurant if they perceive it to be pricey, and in this case, this means that the food or service therein does not provide them with value for their money (Lee, Moon, and Song, 2018, p.633). Customers also rely on the price to gauge the level of satisfaction they may decipher from the meals or services they may receive at an establishment (Kurniawan, 2020, p.98). For example, when the price is high, the customer expects excellent food while very low pricing means that the customer could expect some mistakes, such as food taste. However, if the prices are too high, the customers will freely shift bases from one establishment to another (Lee, Moon, and Song, 2018, p.633). As such, costing also must be a priority to ensure that the meals are not out of reach for the target customers and that the business does not run on losses.

Regarding the post-purchase behaviors, the perceived price also plays an essential role in the customers’ practices (Kurniawan, 2020, p.98). The perceived value of the purchase is in terms of monetary and nonmonetary value, including the effort and time put into creating the meals. In a previous study, Cibro and Hudrasyah (2017, p.285) observed that low prices heighten customer satisfaction without significantly influencing the customer’s perception of the entire dining experience. As such, the customer’s understanding of the price’s reasonableness affects their knowledge of their satisfaction.

The restaurant ambiance and interiors

The interior of the restaurant dictates how the customers perceive the restaurant. In essence, the first impression the customers get is the lasting impression and is critical in attracting and retaining the customers by seeking to imprint positivity. However, the interiors and ambiance are about the color or layout; it is also about the emotions space radiates and how the customer takes it (Cibro and Hudrasyah, 2017, p.286). Suhud and Wibowo (2016, p.56) say that an appealing ambiance does not involve expensive remodeling; it could also mean ensuring ambient light and including some brilliant interior colors (Kurniawan, 2020, p.99). Adequate space and the seating layout even matter; customers like to eat at a spacious restaurant that maintains their privacy. The hotel layout should maximize the floor space to ensure that area carries the maximum number of customers it can comfortably (Suhud and Wibowo, 2016, p.57). Aesthetics are also an essential component of the ambiance. Restaurants should offer a beautiful environment that makes customers want to purchase food there, particularly during the social media age, when people want to show their endeavors out to the world through pictures and videos.

Convenience

One of the factors that could make a business lose its loyal customers is the waiting time. If the customer walks into a restaurant and the servers delay taking the order, or the food takes too long before reaching the table, or there are discrepancies with the payment, the customer becomes irritated (Suhud and Wibowo, 2016, p.56). Customers now demand high-quality treatment as they are more aware of their options. Since restaurants are continually competing, the restaurants are better placed to cater to their customers’ needs (Suhud and Wibowo, 2016, p.56). Some of the conveniences to expect in a restaurant include an interactive environment, easy ordering, secure billing, and several payment modes.

A unique menu

Uniqueness produces character. When a customer has a unique experience at a restaurant, he or she will have difficulties forgetting the restaurant. An example of uniqueness is having a signature dish or having the food made in order instead of reheating it (Kurniawan, 2020, p.99). Also, restaurants often have an in-house meal they created, especially to bring them some uniqueness. Others will offer free dessert, which adds a unique touch to their service (Sofia, Pangaribuan, and Sitinjak, 2020, p.20). Whichever option the restaurant takes, the goal is to create an unforgettably pleasant experience that will keep the customers returning.

Customer entertainment and privacy

The first rule to any restaurant or entertainment venue is to ensure that the customers are entertained and engaged consistently. Besides good food and having tables that allow customers to participate freely, some restaurants install screens with the customers’ favorite shows on them (Cibro and Hudrasyah, 2017, p.287). The staff occasionally speaks with the customers to inquire about their meal and see how they like it so far (Kurniawan, 2020, p.99). However, besides engaging, the customers will sometimes want to have some privacy, and it takes well-trained staff to determine these times. The team needs to know how to identify each of the customers’ moods and preferences, and then provide the kind of service or attention they require.

The above factors act as pull factors to the customers, but the opposite, the harmful elements, push the customers away. They include a longer waiting time, the cooking smells, arrogance and rudeness from the servers, inappropriate approach, improper parking, inadequate parking, too much noise, variances in the quality of food and service, unfair treatment of employees, and overcrowded spaces (Suhud and Wibowo, 2016, p.59). Customers are not only concerned about their food and how the treatment they receive; customers also care to know that those they are interacting with are happy (Tobin & Huffman, 2016, p.4). As such, a business must treat its workers well as it reflects in their service, and will affect the attitudes the customers develop towards the restaurant business.

The Role of Employee Engagement in Influencing Customer Perception

Due to the internet’s influence, society has come to the point where everything in life is under constant connectivity. Technology’s steady march is driving culture into the ‘know everything’ zone, influencing how people perceive a particular brand (Eiland, 2015, p.25). In most cases, perception is a product of word of mouth through friends’ recommendations, tweets, Facebook posts, and online reviews, while in others, it’s from life experiences. All these ideas influence how a customer perceives a brand or an item. However, the opinion shapers are not only the customers on the receiving end. The employees, too, influence how customers perceive the business.

By definition, customer perception refers to the customer’s individual opinion regarding the products or business a company is carrying out. Attitude has to do with how the customers feel regarding the brand from their direct or indirect experience engaging with the company (Chand & Kapoor, 2010, p.31). If a business can monitor customer perception, the market can quickly identify some user spots that could improve its interactions with the customers (Eiland, 2015, p.27). It is important to note that the best way to measure customer reception, besides the reviews online, is through the business employees (Chand & Kapoor, 2010, p.32). Employees offer the all-important contact point between the customers and the company, and from their interaction with the customers, they can collect a wide array of quantitative and qualitative data from sources such as customer reviews, product usage reports, tipping tendencies, and the amount of food consumed, in the case of a restaurant (Yashwanth, 2017, p.16). While collecting data is essential, ensuring that the customers receive proper treatment at your establishment is critical.

In any establishment within the hospitality industry, many employees’ behaviours occur in the workplace. The responses are either positive, referring to the employees’ constructive actions on behalf of the organization, or the adverse reactions that extinguish the productive environment (Altamore et al., 2018, p.497). Negative behaviour provokes stress and depression among employees and the customers, and unlike the positive response, the harmful kind has a way of spreading fast and influencing perception. Tobin and Huffman (2016, p.4) says that negative behaviour on the part of the employees ruins many businesses and lead to losses to the employers in millions of dollars daily. Also, its consequences drive away from the customers, damage the employees’ morality, and increases the turnover rates for companies (Yashwanth, 2017, p.18). As such, the employees’ behaviours are an essential factor in service delivery and are critical to developing a productive working relationship with the customers.

Scholars agree that there exists an undeniable link between customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction. When employees are happy, their morale is boosted, resulting in much more efficiency and diligence (Sitinjak, Pangaribuan, and Tafriza, 2019, p.34). A study indicated that 72% of the employees, when engaged, believe that they interact with customers positively (Eiland, 2015, p.29). The information here is not only right in research but also in everyday life. Most people have had a bad experience in restaurants after waiters and servers treated them badly or barely paid attention. Poor treatment influences not only a person’s perception of the restaurant but also the enjoyment of the food, however good it is (Tobin & Huffman, 2016, p.5). After a negative experience, most customers deflect and opt to take up any other options available. The situation is the same in every competitive environment such that instead of waiting for the case to get better or bearing with the producers, most customers find it easier to deflect and look for better options in the market (Jaini, Ahmad, & Zaib, 2015, p.65). However, the reality is that businesses today cannot afford to lose customers, albeit due to poor performance and behaviour.

The CEO of Campbell Soup, Doug Conant, said that he or she must be winning in the workplace to succeed in the market place (Jaini, Ahmad, & Zaib, 2015, p.65). According to Conant, if both the customers and the employees are happy, they must be doing something right (Jaini, Ahmad, & Zaib, 2015, p.65). However, the culture the management establishes is responsible for building continuous employee satisfaction while insisting on the need to keep the customers happy. The reality is that there exists a secure connection between the two. The business must deliver a positive customer experience whenever serving customers. A study by PwC indicated that when customers have a great experience, they tend to make more purchases, become loyal, and readily share their experiences with friends (Kim, Kang, & Park, 2014, p.113). However, Wood (2017, p.8) insists that the way to ensure this positive experience is by creating a culture that keeps the employees engaged and motivated. Also, in confirmation, a Harvard Business Review article cited a study conducted by Glassdoor that associated a happy workforce with the company’s ability to please and satisfy its customers (Wood, 2017, p.10). The study found that today, companies are increasingly changing their business framework and adopting a more customer-centric approach (Sitinjak, Pangaribuan, and Tafriza, 2019, p.36). Unfortunately, for most employers, the customers take centre stage until they appear insignificant to the business process (Warde and Martens, 2010, p.21). The study felt that allowing the workers to suffer at the customer’s expense is an unfortunate and near-sighted strategy (Chen, 2014, p.20). The truth is that employee and customer satisfaction are two sides of the same coin and must receive attention in equal measure. The relationship between customer and employee satisfaction has indicated that organizational cultures sit at the base of any company’s efforts to improve either.

The products a company sells might not be the real pull factor for customers; they esteem the service quality better than the products. There might be another producer offering superior goods, but if the producers’ demeanour is nasty, they will opt for the next best alternative. Hence, a company should make sure to invest in customer service development better than any other should. Excellent customer service is easy to achieve when employees are eager to work and have confidence that their job is the best suited for them. If the employees have an inward drive towards conducting their job, then bonding with customers and treating them well will not require much effort.

The employee relationship not only depends on their interactions with the management; other factors also count. The first is the relationship employees have with fellow workers (Kim, Kang, and Park, 2014, p.113). An excellent relationship ensures peace and creates a conducive environment that allows for collaboration, friendship, and assistance where needed, without involving the management (Armstrong et al., 2018, p.25). A good relationship also reduces the likelihood of breeding conflicts and promotes bonding. The employee experience is also an important determining factor (Susskind, Kacmar, and Borchgrevink, 2017, p.372). If a job is too monotonous, the employee will become bored and lack the motivation to work or learn something new. Hence, the working environment should encourage learning, not only through training but also introducing unique technical, cultural, psychological, and physical aspects that make the atmosphere fun and challenging (Armstrong et al., 2018, p.26). The wellbeing of the employees is another of the essential factors that influence employee satisfaction (Susskind, Kacmar, and Borchgrevink, 2017, p.373). A business should understand employees’ expectations, level of happiness, stress levels, and overall health—it all about creating the right mood and a sense of purpose in the business. If the workers become overwhelmed and succumb to burnout, or face work-related problems, their morale to work will be very low, which will influence their service delivery to customers. As such, employers must create systems that consider the employees’ welfare, which will positively impact their relationship with customers.

As part of ensuring that the employees are well and satisfied, a business must institute developmental programs. Today’s more significant proportion of the workforce is made up of millennials who are hardworking, enthusiastic, innovative, and are continually looking out for growth (Chand and Kapoor, 2010, p.33). As such, in meeting the need for growth, the business must develop new practical training and development programs based on the employees’ needs. Training not only ensures that the workforce continually improves its skills, but also ensures that they continually become better at their jobs (Susskind, Kacmar, and Borchgrevink, 2017, p.373). When employees feel that the workplace is continually growing them, they are likely to become more loyal and attentive to their duties at work. They will be more satisfied, dedicate their energies, and focus towards their jobs (Susskind, Kacmar, and Borchgrevink, 2017, p.375). Additionally, a happy employee projects positive energy to the customers, which makes the customers’ dining experience more comfortable.

For the businesses to correctly assess the needs of the employees, the management needs to observe their behaviour and conduct surveys. Responses from surveys provide direct answers from the employees regarding their current experiences and any changes they wish to see (Chand and Slath, 2018, p.20). Managers need constant updates to ensure that things are working well and that any problems are addressed as soon as they arise before they can affect the employees’ attitudes towards work. In addition, once the employers address the issue early enough, the issue is unlikely to affect other issues. In addition, when the management shows care and concern for the issues affecting the employees, the employees feel valued, which increases their morale for work and increases their confidence, resulting in higher levels of satisfaction that translates to better customers’ experience.

Employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction are a win-win situation. Engaged employees lead to happy customers and vice versa. Satisfied customers play a critical role in developing an essential cultural foundation of dignity and purpose on the side of the employees (Chand and Slath, 2018, p.20). However, negative customer experiences are a vital source of valuable lessons and provide points of improvement for the players in the field. Sorting these issues becomes a source of motivation and drive to the employees.

In summary, customer satisfaction is a significant issue in business. It leads to happy customers who promote the industry by becoming repeat customers and advertising to other potential customers by word of mouth (Chand and Kapoor, 2010, p.35). However, for there to be satisfied customers, the employees must be happy and confident with their issues, especially those related to their work environment, sorted out (Barnes, 2015, p.14). As such, with disgruntled employees and unsatisfied customers, business begins to plummet. As such, the workforce is an essential factor that determines the longevity of doing business.

Cultural Differences between Chinese and Western Restaurant Guests

The difference between the Western and the Chinese diet cultures is worth exploring to understand the Chinese customer’s specific needs. The Chinese dietary culture is quite profound and extensive, and there are common sayings like ‘people-eat-for-the-day’ and the people compare food to the sky (Chand and Slath, 2018, p.22). The people’s attention to food and dietary plans is explicit. Western diet, on the other hand, is specialized and delicate. There are apparent differences on the surface. For example, Western and Chinese eating behaviour appears to be forks and knives versus chopsticks (Pecotić, Bazdan, and Samardžija, 2014, p.11). While the Chinese prefer to eat communally and share their dishes, Westerners enjoy eating individually. Chinese cooks’ food is bite-sized, and the eaters do not need knives to cut it up, while Western cooks make the food in big pieces then use forks and knives to cut the food up. The Chinese often cook their vegetables by boiling, frying, steaming, and stewing, while Western salads are steamed or eaten raw. Chinese eaters prefer dried or fresh spices, while Western meals use processed spices.

Traditionally, the Chinese eat their food in round tables, and family meals are quite popular in the Chinese market. They find it convenient to share their meals with others by placing it, for example, on a lazy Susan (Zhong and Moon, 2020, p.462). Importantly, they prefer round tables because roundness is a symbol of unity in China. On the other hand, Westerners like square tables and a set up that makes it convenient for individual meals, and longer ones for when eating in bigger groups (Barnes, 2015, p.15). Importantly, Chinese people use peanut and animal oils to fry their foods, while Westerners use olive oil, butter, and sunflower oil to cook their meals. While all these factors appear superficial, they matter in regards to how restaurants attend and seek to meet the Chinese customers’ needs.

The differences between the Western and Chinese cultures are mostly different, creating a difference in their food cultures. The Chinese diet culture mainly draws from the people’s long history, about 180 million years of food history, a unique factor about the Chinese food that is different from other nations (Almohaimmeed, 2017, p.12). Apart from cooking food for nutrition, the Chinese diet culture also relates mainly to healthcare and diet therapy, which is why their food is abundant and uses various cooking techniques meant to preserve the food’s nutrition content (Pecotić, Bazdan, and Samardžija, 2014, p.11). What’s more, the county’s rich and vast land resources are ideal for growing different kinds of foods, which allows the region to develop its rich food flavour genres that have unique characteristics. When used jointly in food, they result in a colourful and splendid diet. The situation in the West is unique also (Zhong and Moon, 2020, p.463). The United States, for example, is a land with a short history made up of people from more than 100 countries (Zhong and Moon, 2020, p.463). The result is a ‘melting pot’ of cultures is a ‘melting pot’ of food dishes. However, much of the American culture descends from the earliest immigrants who loved to eat fresh raw foods, without too much flavouring or additives, preferring to retain their original flavour. The process of cooking Western meals is quick and straightforward, and there are not too many decorations.

Notable also is the differences in the two regions’ diet concept. The Chinese care about the organic unity of taste, colour, and aroma of the food. As such, they are very strict regarding their food requirements (Canny, 2013, p.27). The diet should primarily be beautiful, prompting the people’s appetite, and the food must have a unique smell. The taste is the most critical aspect of the food, and the Chinese always strive for the highest state of diet. Therefore, Chinese cuisine not only appeals in taste but also to the other senses. Many of the dishes have a fancy or allegoric name.

In summary, the Chinese people’s pursuit of good food is quite severe, causing them to develop a unique diet culture different from that of people in the West. On the other hand, Western people have more concern for the nutritional value of food than its appearance, or the name was given to it (Armstrong et al., 2018, p.27). There is more emphasis on the scientific allocation of the dietary nutrition for each meal, attaching more importance to the vitamins, calories, proteins, and other nutrients per meal. Another difference is that the Chinese diet places emphasis on the artistic and emotional aspects of food, while the Western diet leans towards rationality, emphasizing the health and scientific aspects of the food.

Eating habits also differ between the two cultures. The Chinese prefer foods with coarse grains, while Westerners like refined grains such as wheat flour, corn flour, and others. The Chinese also love fermented foods, soymilk, tofu, and other similar products, while Westerners like cheeses, milk, and different kinds of dairy products. In China, almost everything in the environment is edible; they date to eat anything eatable, whether from the land, sea, or sky, whether wild or domestic. Westerners tend to stay away from particular foods and not take up some Chinese delicacies like frogs, snakes, or dogs (Canny, 2013, p.27). In Chinese culture, food is also a symbol of generosity, and the hosts will often serve food until the guests are full. In Western culture, the hosts do not necessarily use the menu as a sign of politeness and often assume that the guest is full after clearing the plate (Canny, 2013, p.28). The differences between the two cultures are significant and could determine the suitability or lack of a dining experience. Most restaurants in Spain treat all foreigners alike, assuming they all are Westerners or are adapted to Western culture (Pecotić, Bazdan, and Samardžija, 2014, p.14). However, the Chinese values of dining matter to the Chinese living in Spain, and they use these differences to choose the restaurant from which to have their meals.

Influence of Gender Differences

Gender is one of the critically influential factors in the purchasing process. Gender is one of the decisive factors in marketing and influences a brand’s market penetration. A larger number of women are turning to be more active and powerful in the purchase industry, which AUTHOR says is helping to ignore the gender differences that exist when due to devising marketing strategies that most advertisers tend to use. AUTHOR also adds that women are often emotional in the choices while men take the autonomous and more aggressive path towards making their choices. As such, when rating restaurants or other service providers, the female customers will give a higher rating than the male because they will consider the effort put towards presenting them with the services or products. Important also, female customers place more emphasis on the social interactions the employees have with them. As such, even when the food presented is of high quality, but the server is ruder, unkempt, or possess any other quality that the female does not agree to, the client will give a negative or low rating. Female clients are also keen on how the management treats the employees, and how workers interact with each other, making it important for businesses to present a strong united front when serving the customers. Male customers, on the other hand, tend to use reason and cognition in their ratings. When asked to give an opinion regarding the quality of food, the male customer only reviews the food, with no influences from the service quality, or any other factor. As such, gender is a critical influencer of the opinions customers will have.

Besides being emotionally influenced by the service while rating a restaurant or the quality of service received, AUTHOR also notes that female clients have a keener eye than their male counterparts have, and are likely to note small issues that male clients would not. Female clients take note of the hygiene practices, the décor on the tables and the walls, and other minute details that most male clients would not. Additionally, differences in gender influence food choices. AUTHOR indicates that some studies concluded that female customers are keener about their food, including its presentation, taste, and the value they get from purchasing it. Going by these differences, a person’s gender will influence their opinion regarding the quality of a restaurant and influences the person’s subsequent behavior. Evaluating the influence of gender on Chinese customers’ dining experience in Spanish restaurants is important. It may lead to a more superior understanding of how gender groups interact with their food. It will also take out the research gap in previous studies by providing a perspective of Chinese customers and their appreciation of Spain’s local cuisines.

Although female clients offer the toughest perspective in their review of service and foods, AUTHOR indicates that according to the Customer Satisfaction Index in Spain, the female customers’ satisfaction was higher than that of the males. AUTHOR explains that females have common concerns and often seek to preserve the relationships, connections and harmonious living they have with others, even those that are not part of their inner circles, and often treat them well, with respect. As such, women rarely give negative ratings, especially when they have to do it one-on-one. However, when it comes to taking risks and trying new things, AUTHOR indicates that men are more open to switching brands and will often open up to the idea of trying new things. Men rarely become loyal customers and often pick the items, services or restaurants that would best meet the man’s needs quickly and effectively. Women, on the other hand, are likely to revisit a restaurant if their needs are met efficiently there. However, the day that the business fails to reach the customers’ expectations, the business immediately loses its female customers.

Some studies on psychology indicate that gender does not influence the perception of happiness. AUTHOR says that female customers’ life satisfaction and happiness have to do with their families and the social ties they work to develop. However, male happiness has to do with tier self-concept and the feelings that this induces. An investigation of the effects of gender on life satisfaction and happiness in Hong Kong and found that gender is somewhat influential in its relationship with happiness. In taking note of the influence of gender on restaurants’ ratings, the research will investigate the relationship relative to the Chinese restaurants.

Customer Satisfaction

Since customer satisfaction is the fundamental factor driving the service industry, the concept is quite important to business owners and scholars. Due to its influence in repeat purchases, and one-on-one recommendations, customer satisfaction is a critical factor for businesses of all kinds. Satisfaction builds on comparing the expected or advertised versus the product or service presented to the customer, a process traditionally called the confirmation-disconfirmation process. It begins with the customer forming expectations before making the purchase, consuming the product or service, and then making a conscious decision regarding the perceived quality, based on the expectations made. If the perceived performance only falls slightly below the expected performance, the customer assimilates, and adjusts the perceived performance upwards, towards the expectations. However, if the perceived performance falls short of the expectations substantially, the customer exaggerates the resulting shortfall, influencing others’ purchase decisions. As such, the goal each business ought to pursue is to exceed or meet the client’s expected quality, leaving no room for assimilation or lags.

Satisfaction Function

The figure above is the satisfaction function showing the relationship between the expected and the perceived quality. The performance goes above the customers’ expectations, the satisfaction increases, though at a decreasing rate. However, falling perceived performance increases the disconfirmation even more.

AUTHOR makes an important observation that the satisfaction itself is subjective, and depends on the customers’ emotions, needs, and other objective characteristics of the service or product. As such, a feature that one customer will find pleasing and satisfactory may not be so for another because their tastes and preferences differ. AUTHOR gives the example of numerous studies that examined the aspects that travelers find important regarding their travel and found that the customers’ needs are wildly different. As such, customer satisfaction and service quality are distinct concepts whose relationship varies greatly. In the hospitality industry, AUTHOR notes that value for money, cleanliness, staff courtesy, and security influence satisfaction for many customers. AUTHOR noted that prompt service, cleanliness, comfort, employee friendliness, security, and location convenience affect customer satisfaction. In his study, AUTHOR also noted that the hospitality industry’s vital factors are timeliness, employee behavior, cleanliness, and food quality. Still, AUTHOR noted that staff quality, the value of food, and ambiance in the room are the top three factors that affect customers’ satisfaction in the hotel business.

Drawing from the above conclusions, the study sought clarification from the theories of customer satisfaction.

Theories of Customer Satisfaction

Some theoretical approaches are used to distinguish between satisfaction and disconfirmation among customers in the service industry paradigm. The theories explain the process by which the customers make satisfaction judgments. The theories include:

The Assimilation Theory

The Assimilation theory builds on the dissonance theory developed by Festinger. The dissonance theory suggests that customers tend to make mental comparisons between the perceived and the expected product performance. AUTHOR adds that under the assimilation theory, customers make an effort to avoid dissonance by adjusting their perceptions about the purchased products by shifting it upwards, to match their expectations. Also, customers bring down the tension resulting from any discrepancy between the product performance and the expectations by distorting their expectations. They are in line with the perceived performance by minimizing or underrating the relative importance of the disconfirmation reported.

Despite providing an excellent explanation for customer choice and satisfaction, the assimilation theory receives criticism for assuming the existence of a relationship between satisfaction and expectation. The critics say that the theory does not explain how the disconfirmation of expectation leads to the satisfaction or the lack of it because the customers ought to have enough motivation to adjust their perceptions or expectations regarding the product or service presented. AUTHOR also adds that a high quality of the products offered improves the relationship between satisfaction and expectation. Therefore, dissatisfaction should never occur unless the evaluation process begins with a negative rather than positive customer expectation.

The Contrast Theory

AUTHOR summarizes this theory as the customers’ tendency to magnify the discrepancies between their attitudes and opinion statements’ attitudes. The theory provides an alternative view of the customers’ evaluation process post-usage of the product or service, indicating the effects the customers’ expectations had on satisfaction. While the assimilation theory assumes that the customers tend to minimize any discrepancies between performance and expectation, the contrast theory holds the opposite view that customers tend to exaggerate or magnify even tightest discrepancies. Often, the exaggerations made are in the direction of the discrepancy. As such, when a raises the customers’ expectations during the advertising and fails to provide what was advertised, the customer will reject the service or product immediately and deem it as unsatisfactory. However, over-delivery and under-promising produce a negative effect because the customer still exaggerates the positive disconfirmation.

By far, the contrast theory enjoys the support of multiple industry experts because it predicts the customers’ reaction rather than bringing down the dissonance. The reality is that most times, the customers tend to magnify the differences between their expectations and the experience after using the product or service.

Negativity Theory

Carlsmith and Aronson developed the negativity theory in 1963 to suggest that the inconsistency between performance and expectation disrupts the recipient’s emotions and often produces ‘negative energy.’ The negativity theory builds on the disconfirmation process and states that consumers often give a negative reaction to even the slightest disconfirmation by strongly holding on to their expectations. As such, the consumer expresses dissatisfaction whether the perceived performance surpasses or goes below the customer’s expectations. Any disruption, whether positive or negative, produces negative energy.

METHODOLOGY

Overview

The methodology chapter outlines the methodological approach the study will take in seeking the information necessary to answer the research questions. The study ensured strict adherence to the philosophical points, theoretical foundations, and the research design that would adequately address the study’s necessary details. Therefore, the methodology chapter highlights the critical choices the study took up, including the philosophy of the research, research design, approach to research, data collection procedure, and the data analysis. The study also takes the opportunity to specify the study’s context, the sampling technique, and the ethical considerations made in deriving and compiling the data. The methodology chapter has massive significance to the research process because it breaks down the study’s legitimate way to the conclusion indicated. Overall, the methodology chapter underscores the validity of the findings of the research.

Research Philosophy

By indicating its philosophy, the research lays the foundation for the process to take in the research. As such, the study took up a pragmatism paradigm due to its philosophical foundation despite the debate surrounding scientific research philosophies. AUTHOR reflects on the ideological divisions among pioneer research philosophers regarding the subject and says that there’s no harmonized consensus regarding the classification of the research paradigms despite the debate. However, the study took up pragmatism philosophy because the data collected is based on the customers’ individual dining experiences. Also, the study’s approach allows for both qualitative and quantitative approaches to data collection, opening itself up to support measures from both the interpretive and the positivist paradigms.

Research Design

The research design is the overall strategy the study chooses to logically and coherently integrate various study components to address the research problem identified effectively. The research study dictates every other step the study takes, including the data collection, data measurement, and data analysis. The study took up a descriptive research design because it seeks to describe the situation under research in its entirety. The descriptive design is theory-based and gathers the relevant information or data by analyzing, gathering and presenting the data collected. From the process, the research can then gain insights regarding the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of the research subject matter. Also, the descriptive design provides a better understanding of the problem where the problem statement is unclear.

Research Approach

The research approach is the plan and procedure that the study takes, indicating the steps that the study takes towards data collection in broad and detailed terms. The study took up a mixed research method, which involves collecting and integrating both qualitative and quantitative data. A mixed approach assumes that the combination of quantitative and qualitative research approaches provides a complete understanding of the research problem rather than qualitative and quantitative research approaches. As such, the study takes up both content analysis and questionnaires to collect qualitative and quantitative data, respectively. The study hoped to gain comprehensive information from various data sources, different researchers, multiple interpretations of results, and the use of multiple methods to investigate the research problem.

Data Collection

After choosing a mixed methods research approach, the study went on to take up content analysis and questionnaires to collect the relevant data. Content analysis is the research tool that uses the presence of particular words, concepts, and themes in some piece of qualitative data. Using content analysis, the researcher quantified and analyzed the presence of unique meanings, presence, and relationships between words, concepts, and customer satisfaction themes in the restaurant environment. The researcher sought relevant data from online journal databases like JSTOR, Google Scholar, and Ebscohost to find relevant data. In finding the right articles, the research used words like ‘customer experiences in the restaurant business,’ ‘the Chinese customers’ dining experience,’ and ‘customer satisfaction in the restaurant industry.’ From the articles chosen, the researcher made inferences about the ideas discussed in the journals and articles chosen.

From reviewing the content, the researcher also got to prepare to undertake the interviews. The chosen sample size for the research was 30 Chinese customers to represent the larger population in Spain. The stratified random sampling method worked best in choosing customers going in for their return or regular visits. In particular, the researcher understood the restaurant industry’s consumption patterns, the intentions and drives of the customers, the behavioral and attitudinal responses the customers give to various stimuli, and the emotional and psychological state to expect when administering the interviews. With this information, the researcher went forward to collect the quantitative data.

The researcher came up with a well-structured questionnaire made up of both open and closed-ended questions. Since a questionnaire takes the form of a written interview, making it easy for the researcher to administer the questionnaire face-to-face, the study took the interviewing approach. The researcher would meet up with the chosen respondents and seek answers from them regarding their dining experiences, guided by the chosen questions.

Data Analysis

Data analysis for the qualitative data was in three important steps. The first was to gather the notes, documents, PDFs, and other materials that the study found would contribute to the study. Next, the researcher reviewed and explored the data available to ascertain that it was right for the study. Using headings and sub-headings, the researcher grouped the information collected again and organized it into themes before presenting the information more cohesively. The study organized the questionnaire responses into codes that would make it easier to conduct a proper analysis of the responses—analyzing the numeric information from the coded responses made it easier to run the data through Microsoft Excel. The researcher then determines descriptive statistics of the data to give a picture of how the data looks. The study also ran other tests and used the results to interpret the information derived from the people.

Study Population and Context

The target population for this study was the Chinese people living or visiting Barcelona. The Chinese immigrate to other countries from China in large numbers, which is the case for Spain. There are so many Chinese people living in Spain, more than 200,000 persons, excluding citizens already. Chinese people rarely assimilate into the locals’ lifestyle and like to keep to their ways and culture. However, when something intrigues them, such as good food, they often will take it up and make it a part of their new culture. As such, Chinese customers are often loyal, making them an ideal customer group to study the aspects of the customer dining experience that increase customer satisfaction. As such, the study approached Chinese customers entering the two specified hotels and invited them to participate in the study. The study preferred customers who had visited the restaurant two times or more, assuming the existence of a pull factor that would be driving them towards picking the same restaurant each time.

Ethical Considerations

The study maintained ethical standards through its course, beginning with the review of literature, data collection, and the presentation. Regarding seeking answers from the respondents, the researcher kept a keen eye on the participants’ welfare and conducted an unbiased analysis of data derived. For example, the participants’ contribution to the study was purely voluntary, and the responses they gave were treated with utmost confidentiality, for purposes of this research alone. Regarding content analysis as a data collection tool, the study also remained ethical by obtaining only publicly available data and providing an in-text citation to reference the authors of the content reviewed. The careful approach was to prevent the breaching of information and data or impose on the respondents’ rights. There was also strict adherence to academic standards to ensure that the study met the ethical practice requirements. AUTHOR says that ethics play a critical role in research because they enhance the moral standards and ensure acceptable practice, justifying the research and its purpose. In this knowledge, the study took note of areas that needed attention to secure the research study’s credibility and reliability.

Bibliography

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Barnes, J. G. (2015). Secrets of customer relationship management: It’s all about how you make them feel. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Canny, I. U. (2013, July). The role of food quality, service quality, and physical environment on customer satisfaction and future behavioral intentions in casual dining restaurant. In The 7th National Research Management Conference, Sriwijaya University-Palembang, Indonesia (27-28 November 2013).

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Dibley, A., Clark, M., & Myers, A. (2016). Emerging trends in customer management in a changing world. Journal of Emerging Trends in Marketing Management, 1(2016), 130-140.

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Javanmard, H. (2016). Relationship between store image, customer satisfaction, behavioral intention and fast distribution in retails. The Journal of Distribution Science, 14(1), 7-15.

Kim, K. B., Kang, S. Y., & Park, S. H. (2014). Perceiving the atmosphere of Asian restaurants: European customers vs. Asian customer. International Journal of Tourism Sciences, 14(2), 111-125.Bottom of Form

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Reader Response Essay- “Little Fires Everywhere” Excerpt

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Reader Response Essay- “Little Fires Everywhere” Excerpt

Shaker Heights was a residence established in the early eighteenth century, 1912. It was among the earliest planned communities as it had all the amenities situated in strategic places for the convenience of its residents. For instance, the schools were located in an area with no major streets to ensure children’s safety while commuting. Moreover, the side streets flawlessly connected to the main boulevards and the rapid-transit stop-overs that had been placed strategically to ferry the residents to Cleveland. Shaker Heights had many decent rentals that were quite affordable, such as the one owned by the Richardsons on Winslow Road. Several duplexes lined up on Winslow Road that appeared like single-owned house structures due to their well-planned setting.

Observers from the outside could only see a single front door and light, one house number, and a single mailbox. One could only note the two houses – the upstairs and downstairs apartment- when viewing at a closer range, from the entryway. They had been designed to reduce the stigmatization of the residents on rent payment instead of being a house owner. It was also the city planners’ intention to make the streets more desirable in appearances. On the south side of Shaker Heights, the houses were entirely squeezed together, and the yards appeared seemingly smaller. There were specific rules to be observed in Shaker Heights such as the regular mowing of lawns, failure to which one would receive a stern letter from the city, and if not corrected, in three days, the city would mow the lawns and bill them a hundred dollars.

There were different kinds of people that lived in Shaker Heights, such as the property owners like the Richardson family, some tenants such as Mr. Yang, and Mia, together with her daughter Pearl. The Richardsons owned a duplex property that they collected five hundred dollars every month, which was directed to their vacation fund. Although the houses were pricey in Shaker Heights, they kept the rent prices low as Cleveland was quite cheap. They were kind-hearted people that operated their rental homes as a form of charity to deserving people who they thought deserved more in life, but life had treated them quite unfairly.

According to the excerpt from “Little Fires Everywhere,” there were different tenants that lived in Shaker Heights. Some of them were Mr. Yang, a kind and hardworking Chinese immigrant who worked as a school bus driver at Laurel Academy. He ensured the house stayed in pristine conditions as he regularly maintained it. Mia was also a single mother who had moved in the upstairs duplex and lived with her daughter Pearl. Although little was known of her work and what medium of art she had ventured, she was an artist. There were ordinary people leading different lives, such as the cellist who left the city after being denied the first position in the Cleveland Orchestra as he had been hired to teach at the Institute of Music. There was also a divorcee that had opted to remarry after a few months and moved to Lakewood in a McMansion. There had also been a young, loving couple that had broken up after a year and a half and left behind a broken lease, wall cracks, and broken vases.

Work Cited

Ng, Celeste. “Read This Excerpt From Celeste Ng’s New Novel “Little Fires Everywhere.”” BuzzFeed News, 8 September 2017.

Avengers: Endgame Film Analysis

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Avengers: Endgame Film Analysis

In the Avengers: Endgame, different scenes showcase the film’s cast acts of generosity and sacrifice for the greater good. In one of the scenes where the Black Widow (Romanoff) and Hawkeye (Barton) visit Vormir, they meet Red Skull, who lays out the conditions of obtaining the Soul Stone, which involved sacrificing a loved one. Black Widow sacrificed her life to save the lives of billions of people who had been killed by Thanos. Her actions aligned with their goal of undoing the evil acts committed by Thanos against the people. Stark also displays virtuous by agreeing to travel in the past after theorizing the quantum realm that made time travel a possibility. Although he is in a dilemma of risking leaving his wife Pepper and daughter Morgan, he agrees to take the risk due to the pain of losing Peter Parker.

In the film Avengers: Endgame, revenge is a virtue as it is used to save the lives of a large mass of people who were destroyed by Thanos through the Infinity Stones. Although in most cases, revenge is morally perceived as a vice, it could be justified to be a virtue depending on the intentions of conducting vengeful actions. The Black Widow is majorly involved in the re-integration of the numerous superheroes in the film to form a team of avengers ready to undo the works of Thanos conducted during the previous Avengers: Infinity War film. Thanos’ selfish acts are pegged on his greed for power and control of the entire human race. The avengers in the film utilize their unique capabilities to combat the war set by Thanos collaboratively. They aim to obtain the Infinity Stones, which guarantee the reversal of the defeat and undoing of the evil acts conducted by Thanos against humanity. Although each of the avengers has their fears and challenges they are dealing with, they decide to put the benefit of the entire human race before their needs.

Their vengeance acts could be justified by the fact that none of them employed their might and unique powers to achieve anything of personal interest. They even go to the extent of implementing the theoretical ideas of the quantum realm to try accessing the past and making several modifications that would probably alter the events of the present time. They took the risk of trying out this method regardless of being aware of the common dangers if the time machine backfired on them. The vengeance set against Thanos, the villain, is justified as a virtue since the avengers also lost some of their team members along the way. Still, they soldiered on without losing their focus on the ultimate price of obtaining the Infinity Stones and reversing the disintegration of humanity as done by Thanos. It is also evident that revenge was a virtue as some of the avengers, such as Stark, went to the extent of terminating their own lives for the destruction of Thanos, who would have continued to conduct heinous acts against humanity.

Achieving Extended Release By Coating Oral Solid Dosage.

Achieving Extended Release By Coating Oral Solid Dosage.

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Achieving Extended Release By Coating Oral Solid Dosage.

Introduction.

Different drug products are made to lower the frequency of dosage by changing the rate at with the respective drug is absorbed. As stated by the Australian government, the modified release oral dosages occur in formulations such as delayed-release and extended-release. Common modified extended-release systems include; matrix system, reservoir system, and osmotic system. For the past three decades, the oral modified release system has undergone technological and infrastructural development and improvement to provide effective and quality drugs for respective patients.

Extended-Release Systems.

Successful integration of chemical and physical properties and designs significantly impacts the process of designing various oral extended-release dosages that prolong the drug’s effect while in the gastrointestinal tract. Most of the oral extended-release formulations are made by embodying the proprietary and non-proprietary extended release technologies that are founded on polymeric innovations. Likely, most of the oral extended-release drugs fall either in three divisions; reservoir systems, matrix systems, and osmotic systems [i](Maderuelo, Lanao & Zarzuelo, 2019, np). Remarkably, all the drugs that are manufactured using the extended delivery systems entail various mechanisms such as system swelling, diffusion of the drug, dissolution, and erosion, release that is linked to osmotic pressure.

Matrix system.

In light of this system, the chemicals that are used to manufacture the drug, are well mixed with the materials that control rate to attain a homogenous mixture. The drugs that are manufactured using the matrix system, they release the medicinal components through erosion or diffusion from the system [ii](Qiu & Zhou, 2020). Following the varying rate and properties of the rate-controlling material, the matrix system can either be defined as hydrophilic or water-insoluble systems. In the hydrophilic systems, the materials that control the rate of absorption are soluble in water while on the other hand, there are water-insoluble materials that rarely dissolve.

Notably, the matrix system is highly applied for the extended-release of medicinal materials due owing to its versatility and increased effectiveness. Moreover, this system allows the administration of high and low concentrations of drugs with drugs that have a large range of physicochemical features. In comparison with the other forms of drug delivery systems, the matrix is effective in terms of costs of production and is easily scalable and has fewer manufacturing processes.

Hydrophilic Matric System

The hydrophilic matrix release system entails the application of two processes; relaxational release and fiction diffusional. In the hydrophilic matrix, the sole rate controlling substances are polymers that characteristically hydrate and swell faster when placed in water to form a gel-like coating on the outer surface of the system [iii](Debotton & Dahan, 2016, 52). Besides the diffusion of drugs across the viscous gel coating, erosion further facilitates the movement of the pharmacological material across the layers. The erosion occurs due to the dissolution of the relaxation of the polymers. Furthermore, changes in the diffusion system affect the diffusional release of the drug into the body of the respective patient.

Hydrophobic Matrix System.

The hydrophobic matrix system was the first technology to develop oral extended release drugs. For instance, the Premarin tablet that was first developed in 1942 [iv](Kanasty et al., 2019, 35). In this matrix, there is a dispersion of the drug in the matrix. In this regard, most of the diffusion-based matrix systems, the pathway for diffusion increases while the corresponding release surface decreases.

Reservoir System

Extended drug release can also be done through the reservoir system. This system is usually applied when controlling active agents that are soluble in water. Typically, a reservoir system entails a drug that has an insoluble film on the surrounding. In a bid to establish a porous membrane, a leachable additive or soluble substance is normally included in the drug. Such substance may be a plasticizer or a polymer that is soluble in water [v](Khatri, Desai, Shelke & Minko, 2018, 231). A preferred reservoir system usually consists of various coated substances like pellets, beads, and small tablets. Besides, the multi-unit system allows a tailored pharmacological substance to can be formulated by combining various units with different release features. Likewise, this system is easily adaptable to varying strength of doses with less need for formulation change.

Osmotic Pump System.

Osmotic pump systems are almost similar to the reservoir system. This pump embodies a drug that has a core housed in an insoluble membrane. However, the osmotic pump has an orifice for the release of the drug and its core entails osmotic agent functions as an imbibe water that comes from the medium around via the semi-permeable layer. Such a devise was first discussed by Higuchi and Theeuwes in 1975 [vi](Raza, Shen, Li, Chen & Wang, 2019, 163). The release of the drug from this device is managed by an influx of water across the semi-permeable layer. The size of the orifice is made to lower diffusion rate thus reducing the chances of the build-up of the hydrostatic pressure that transition to osmotic pressure, hence interfering with the volume of the device. Notably, in the development of the osmotic pump systems, the elementary osmotic pump has been utilized.

Conclusion.

Over the years, there has been a technological and infrastructural change that has influenced the manufacturing of oral drugs. For instance, the establishment of extended-release technologies has effectively impacted the frequency of drug consumption among patients as described above. Such technologies entails the modified extended-release systems like; matrix system, reservoir system, and osmotic system. Formulating drugs in this format results in reduced rate of drug consumption since the pharmacological components are able to stay in the body much longer.

[i] Maderuelo, C., Lanao, J., & Zarzuelo, A. (2019). Enteric coating of oral solid dosage forms as a tool to improve drug bioavailability. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 138, 105019. doi: 10.1016/j.ejps.2019.105019

[ii] Qiu, Y., & Zhou, D. (2020). Understanding Design and Development of Modified Release Solid Oral Dosage Forms. Journal Of Validation Technology, 1(1), 23-32.

[iii] Debotton, N., & Dahan, A. (2016). Applications of Polymers as Pharmaceutical Excipients in Solid Oral Dosage Forms. Medicinal Research Reviews, 37(1), 52-97. doi: 10.1002/med.21403

[iv] Kanasty, R., Low, S., Bhise, N., Yang, J., Peeke, E., & Schwarz, M. et al. (2019). A pharmaceutical answer to nonadherence: Once weekly oral memantine for Alzheimer’s disease. Journal of Controlled Release, 303, 34-41. doi: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2019.03.022

[v] Khatri, P., Desai, D., Shelke, N., & Minko, T. (2018). Role of plasticizer in membrane coated extended release oral drug delivery system. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 44, 231-243. doi: 10.1016/j.jddst.2017.12.020 (Khatri, Desai, Shelke & Minko, 2018)

[vi] Raza, A., Shen, N., Li, J., Chen, Y., & Wang, J. (2019). Formulation of zein based compression coated floating tablets for enhanced gastric retention and tunable drug release. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 132, 163-173. doi: 10.1016/j.ejps.2019.01.025

Impact of Tough Gun Laws on Crime Rates and Gun Suicide

Introduction

Gun laws are the rules and regulations which govern the overall use and individual ownership of guns. Various researchers have argued that gun laws are not valid, while others have alluded that the requirements help combat criminal acts and are significant to the country. In this paper, we shall cover the gun laws concerning crime rates, gun violence, the mitigation measures, and the recommendations. Many people argue that strict gun laws do not affect crime rate and gun suicide, but I will show that the rate of crime in an area increases with guns’ availability.

Background

Violence and criminal acts in America and other parts of the world have become the order of the day. It has led to the need to find possible solutions to the problem. Political leaders and groups that control justice have come in with their opinions on the ownership of guns and how to manage the same. America has been on the receiving end when it comes to attacks related to firearms (The, Lancet, 2017.p.43). An average of 400, 000 people have died due to gun violence, a related case like homicides in the past decade alone. Several gun acts like the Free school gun act, Protection of Commerce, Federal Firearms, and National Firearms regulations were enacted.The majority ownership and carrying of guns have led to the prevalence of many cases involving gun violence and mass killings. It has been realized that people who own guns misuse them. For instance, when they are suddenly attacked or confused, they quickly give in and shoot. More than half of all homicides committed are due to the possession of firearms. Comprehensive studies have shown that owning guns has led to massive deaths. Data collected averages 70 % of the people who have guns with them end up committing suicide. These states include Alaska and Dakota. Moreover, inhabitants of regions like Rhode island will always record fewer cases of suicidal acts. Most of the deaths have been directly linked to trauma.However, there have also been opposing views that argue that reduced cases of murder and criminal acts are attributed to the fact that guns are everywhere. It can be confirmed by the figures collected in Hawaii and New York. Despite the cities harboring the majority of gun users, they have recorded a fewer number of deaths. The ownership makes criminals fear attacking people because they are also already armed. Criticism has all along been peddled, and accusations made mental disorders cause that gun violence. However, a study has shown that even if the nation invests all its resources in the health sector to reduce the number of mental cases, gun violence won’t reduce significantly (Metzl, 2015pg. 213). It is because mentally challenged people, according to statistics in the past decade, committed very few criminal acts related to firearm violence.The effect of gun laws to combat crimes and suicide have also received limitations. Over 200 million people have the arms in their possession in America. It becomes a problem to claim them back. Moreover, the dealers and sellers of the weapons are also stakeholders in the policy and regulatory units on gun laws (Rosen, 2016.pg 18). It because hard for them to pass legislation, which could, in turn, affect them. They also have access to licenses and use that authority to defy all the regulations.

Recommendations

Various recommendations have been tabled to control the use of guns to reduce crime rates and gun suicide. Offering gun violence research institutes and organization support is very crucial in mitigating the issue. It can be done through reporting criminals who live with the public and own guns to the state authorities and police officers who will take the necessary actions. More so, the organizations should be funded well to have the required technology to do research (McGinty, 2014.pg 104). The authorities should establish sensible gun policies. The policies shall ensure restricted access to firearms and also abolishing highly sophisticated weapons. The guns should be handled by the right people who are not youths or mentally challenged.To reduce crime rates and suicides, society’s social classes are responsible for intervening and helping individuals who have problems. Families should raise emotionally upright and healthy children through proper parenting. Individuals who have emotional distress and may be a threat to peace existence should be helped to overcome the situations (Lee, 2017.pg 123). The future of gun laws and ownership remains unpredictable. However, the court system has embarked on serious discussions that have led to an outbreak of contests on the issue. It is evident with the several banns on handguns in various cities.Conclusively, gun laws have a positive impact on reducing crime rates and suicide incidences. However, it can be discovered that the more people own guns increases the power and the brutality the criminals engage them. The culprits will try to use more sophisticated weapons to outshine the owners. Therefore it means that citizens own the more firearms, the higher the criminal incidences will rise. Proper amendments should be done to ensure that policymakers on gun lawyers are not interfered with

Public Health Career Development

Student’s Name

Professor’s Name

Subject

Date

Public Health Career Development

After graduation it is everyone’s dream to either get employed or explore other channels that will result in attainment of other advanced scholarly credentials. During practicum and class sessions students are equipped with a varied range of critical information that not only makes them competent but also knowledgeable in given areas of expertise. Likewise, public health has various opportunities that facilitate respective professional development. For instance, scholarship and research opportunities exist to supplement the knowledge base while building the participant’s personal portfolio. A well versed professional is acquainted with critical information that uphold national health through equal sharing of healthcare needs and facilities. Nonetheless, challenges such as lack of adequate funding and reduced job opportunities is adversely impacting the rate of seeking professional development.

Public health is a broad field that encompasses different professional development opportunities. For instance, the field boasts of research option that allows scholars to conduct various researches and epidemiological studies. Besides, public health offers a chance to interact with patient in the healthcare system. As a healthcare professional, continuous professional development is fundamental in ensuring that the workforce is equipped with skills and knowledge to practice both effectively and safely. Furthermore, professional development enhances participants’ skills set through regular knowledge and skills update achievable in research and practice. In this regard, the participants are equipped with a broad base of knowledge thus encouraging equality and respect of other people’s culture.

On the other hand, public health professionals may fail to seek professional development due to financial constraints. Lack of adequate financing results in low levels research and studies to update the outdated skills among other practices. Establishing different sources of funding encourages professional development. The funding can be done through grants and scholarship positions to encourage more participants to conduct research and experiments in public health related fields. Likewise, it is prudent to establish a sustainable organizational system that encourages professional development. For instance, establishing mentorship program will allow nurturing young professionals thus encouraging development. Furthermore, establishing professional development workshops encourages research and updates of skills of workforce in practice. Professional development should be a continuous exercise and mandatory for all public health experts in the field.

The field of public health plays a significant role in the daily lives of all human beings. Public health experts conduct epidemiological studies and biostatistics to identify the trends in disease occurrence. Notably, this field requires consistent professional development in a bid to update the participants’ skills set and practice knowledge. Professional development is usually set back due to inadequate funding and research opportunities. Thus, financial support through scholarship, grants and internship encourages professional development.

Public Health Professional Development

Professor’s Name

Subject

Date

Public Health Career Development

After graduation, it is everyone’s dream to either get employed or explore other channels that will result in the attainment of other advanced scholarly credentials. During practicum and class sessions students are equipped with a varied range of critical information that not only makes them competent but also knowledgeable in given areas of expertise. Likewise, public health has various opportunities that facilitate respective professional development. For instance, scholarship and research opportunities exist to supplement the knowledge base while building the participant’s portfolio. A well versed professional is acquainted with critical information that upholds national health through equal sharing of healthcare needs and facilities.

What professional development opportunities exist for you within public health?

2. What benefits do you receive from professional development? Be specific; cite statistics and references.

Professional development encompasses various advantages to both the healthcare system and public health graduates. First, public health professional development facilitates easy access to information and sharing the best models and practices of patient and environmental care (Ignatavicius, and Chung, 138). Furthermore, this opportunity creates seminars, workshop among other collaborative opportunities, where healthcare team and public health professional freely share developed and researched innovations, practices and ideas that uphold quality and effective medical intervention as posited by (Horn et al. 51).

3. How does professional development help you address the issues of inequality, cultural competency, and analyze interrelationships among systems that influence the quality of life in communities?

Cultural incompetency, inequality issues are among the key factors that derail delivery of quality public health services to those in need. However, professional development provides the best way to overcome such challenges following its multifactorial approach. First, professional development establishes a collaborative environment where different professionals from various ranks meet and freely interact while working on the best practices and study. This nature of operation bridges any stratification that may have been existing. Secondly, the nature and design of professional development results in a close interaction with given members of a taskforce carrying out a particular research. As a result, the respective members tend to interact and understand each other’s culture. This opportunity allows the public health members in professional development to respect other members’ cultural norms. Furthermore, professional development provides insights on how best various healthcare department should work. The interaction allows to closely monitor and track the effectiveness of the departments thus increasing the quality of healthcare.

Works Cited.

Horn, Kelly et al. “Paediatric Staff Nurses’ Conceptualizations of Professional Development”. Journal of Paediatric Nursing, vol 45, 2019, pp. 51-56. Elsevier BV, doi:10.1016/j.pedn.2019.01.002. Accessed 22 July 2020.

Ignatavicius, Donna, and Catherine E. Chung. “Professional Development for Nursing Faculty: Assessing Transfer of Learning into Practice”. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, vol 11, no. 4, 2016, pp. 138-142. Elsevier BV, doi:10.1016/j.teln.2016.05.005. Accessed 22 July 2020.

Best Way to Clean Wheels and Tires

After I arrived in the city from visiting my family residing in the countryside, I found it hard to clean my car’s rims and wheels, hence I visited the nearest car wash, only to be told how important is observing routine car washing. Cleaning your car is one of the basic things to do as a regular maintenance activity. Car cleaning is a crucial service that makes the car look meticulous while upholding enhancing the durability of the paint among other parts.

Besides, various factors contribute to the cleanliness of the car especially the tires. Timely cleaning of wheels and rims help in protecting them against unnecessary damage. Nevertheless, it is important to note that different types of wheels deserve different types of cleaning methods to get impeccable results. Currently, the market is flooded with products that are best wheel cleaner however, you should endeavor to use only recommended and rated products to attain the best tire shine.

Cleaning of Chrome Versus Aluminium Wheel Surfaces.

Different types of wheel surfaces call for different cleaning methods.

If you are owning a most recently bought car or a high-end Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) you are likely to benefit from the chrome finishes on the car rims. You should be extra cautious to note that they are not a chrome-plated in a bid to avoid damaging the coated surfaces. Notably, most of the shiny metallic surfaces on cars are made up of alloys of aluminum that are mostly protected by a clear coating that is either polished or highly anodized. Most of the metal polishes are safer to apply due to their less aggressive nature thus they are common on metalized plastics and aluminum wheels.

Additionally, most aftermarket wheels are engraved with chrome finishes since they make the wheels to not only appear brighter but also function as a premium choice on most of the vehicles. Besides, most of the base metals that are either difficult to clean or are softer are receiving chrome plating thus posing danger while cleaning to avoid scratching off the bright plating. This type of cleaning can only be attained through the application of a special type of wax used to clean and maintain such surfaces.

How Regular Should You Clean Your Car Wheels and Rims?

Cleaning wheels should be done regularly and on time. However, you may consider practicing it every two weeks. It is advisable to regularly clean car wheels during the routine car washing sessions.

Nonetheless, washing sessions can vary following the change of driving habits and conditions of driving thus as a driver you should consider it while deciding when to wash your car. Furthermore, if you are driving within the city. The habit of stopping and going while on traffic jams is likely to generate more dust from the brake pads thus contributing to dirty wheels.

What Are the Proper Steps to Follow While Cleaning Wheels?

The first step entails washing the rims and drying them. Ensure they are thoroughly dry to reduce incidences of water spots.

Secondly, choose a less conspicuous spot and apply a small quantity of best wheel cleaner wax on a clean piece of cloth. Systematically, rub the applied wax back and forth for an approximate of ten strokes on the chosen spot. Afterward, use a dry cloth to buff the waxed area. Using a well-lit room check the polished area and note the improvement on the brightness of the metal. In instances where the metal has a milky look, you should apply another special liquid polish instead of metal wax.

Thirdly, the cleaning process should be systematic from one wheel to another, and ensure that the polish does not get to the black plastic or any other material made of rubber.

The fourth step, if the used cotton cloth turns either grey or black, means that the metal surface has uncoated aluminum hence may require more cotton cloths to effectively complete the cleaning project. However, if the cleaning cloth turns black then the metal has a clear surface coat or has a chrome plating. The application of a metal polish is suitable for both of these materials. Clear surfaces that are coated can be protected through the application of another liquid wax to enhance the shinning effects and protection.

Step five entails letting the polish dry off to attain a haze, thereafter, use soft clothing to wipe off the polish. Consequently, check out the wheels to ascertain the continuity of results on all the wheels. In case there are stubborn surfaces it is prudent to apply a second polish thus attaining the desired reflectivity that matches that of a new surface.

What Are the Steps of Removing Oxidation Stains From Chrome Car Wheels?

Currently, there are various polish and rust removers that are designed to remove corrosion spots from chrome met finishes such as wheels and bumpers. The polishes are scientifically mixed with other elements to aggressively remove the rust within a short time and leave behind a protective shine. However, the polish should be tested on a less conspicuous spot prior to application to ascertain its effectiveness in removing rust spots at intended areas.

First, you should wash and dry the chrome-plated steel before applying any polish product. Assess if the surface has any rough scars which normally indicate the presence of heavy rusting.

Secondly, test the amount of rubbing that will be effective for removing the rust. Then afterward ensure the same amount of energy and polishing wax is applied on the remaining metallic surface to attain an even look.

Thirdly, handle one wheel at every instance. If the wheels or the chrome-plated surfaces are large, the machine can be used to ease the buffing process. Use a suitable cotton clothing to polish the metal to get the effective sparkle.

Lastly, give the chrome surfaces time to dry before buffing with a soft microfiber cloth to get a meticulous shine.

What Are the Steps of Cleaning Break Dusts?

When you fail to observe a regular cleaning schedule, your vehicle is likely to develop persistent brake dust that becomes a problem to remove. However, best tire shines have brake dust removing ingredients that loosen the bonds of dust deposits on wheels. Thus facilitating easy cleaning even at intricate spots without intensive scrubbing.

Besides using applying the brake dust cutting formula, you should use a hard tire brush to conveniently clean the rusty pieces off the wheel.

The first step, ensure the wheel are cool enough to be touched with bare hands.

Secondly, Spray the wheel with the tire cleaner and give it an approximate of 40 to 50 seconds so that the product can penetrate and break the bonds present in the rust.

Thirdly, in the event, the rust becomes persistent, use a tire brush to effectively remove all the debris and rust deposits.

Lastly, use clean water preferably from a stream to thoroughly rinse off the rusts and form thus allowing the wheel to dry.

What Cleaning Steps Result In Sparkling Tires?

First, most of the cleaning products follow different steps, hence we recommend that you follow the manufacturer’s directive on the utilization of the product. However, most of the tire cleaners follow the following steps.

Ensure that you are handling one tire completely before moving to another. You should shake the product effectively and spray the foam adequately on the sidewalls and positioned six inches away.

Give the spray approximate of three to five minutes without wiping to facilitate the sidewall dirt to foam away and possibly grime.

For a successful shine, spray the tires and let them give them three to five minutes to effectively soak. Coating the tires wet tires with wax prevents the Ultraviolet rays from damaging them and allows them to shine.

How Do You Clean Wheel Trim On Your Car?

Wheel trims can be cleaned by removing all the visible dirt using your favorite car wax. Most of the waxes restore tired wheel trim. Besides, the wax can be used to clean the tires that have detailed sidewalls.

First, shake the product well and squeeze considerable quantities of the product on an applicator pad.

Massage the product gently to fit into the wheel trim. Give it approximately five to ten minutes so that the product can enter surfaces and break bonds formed by dust.

Use a dry microfiber towel to wipe the trim. Moreover, trims that have wax deposits may require another application.

Things to Consider While Choosing the Right Tire Cleaner.

The most recommended way effectively clean your tires is the application of specialized cleaning products, instead of using household materials that can dry leaving the tire faded.

Besides, the use of tested and proven products will provide your tires with a long-lasting natural look that not only gives protection but also allows your tires to shine.

Choosing a product that gives adequate foam is recommended since the foam enhances the attainment of a shining effect that matches the lettering on tires.

What Are The Common Mistakes To Avoid During Wheel Cleaning Process?

In a bid to attain an intended shining look, you should avoid the following things;

Avoid washing the wheels last.
Avoid cleaning all wheels at one time.
Avoid using acidic cleaners or soaps for domestic purposes.
Avoid soaking wheels in clean water and rubbing.
Do not use bathing or paper towels for drying the wheels.

Wheel cleaning should be an activity that should be regularly carried out. The act of keeping the rims and tires clean is recommended to allow the rims to sparkle and shine while reducing levels of oxidation and dirt deposits from regular driving and braking. However, effective cleaning of the care wheels and trims can only be achieved through the use of approved washing and waxing products. Furthermore, you should observe the stipulated process and avoid run-on steps while washing the wheels.

Do Peptides Boost Immunity?

Everyone’s dream is to stay healthy and maintain the high performance of their body. Well, there are various activities that human beings do to uphold a high level of a healthy status; such activities include the consumption of a balanced diet. A balanced diet significantly provides the necessary nutrients for a healthy and young-looking body. For instance, peptides, among other nutrients, provide the body with required amino acids for use I various body functions.

For many years, the impact of peptides in the human immune system has been known. Peptides act as the raw materials for building and strengthening the human immune system. Likewise, various immune supplements are used to provide the body with essential amino acids and peptides that aid in fighting against micro-organisms such as viruses, fungi, and bacteria.

What Is The Definition Of A Peptide?

Peptides refer to short chains that contain a varying number of amino acids attached by peptide bonds. The peptides contain an approximate of two to fifty amino acids. Different peptides have a varying length of the amino acid chain. For example, a chain that has less than ten amino acids in its chains is called the oligopeptides. Examples of the oligopeptides include the tetrapeptides, dipeptides, and the tripeptides.

Likewise, there are even much longer peptide chains that are continuous in nature and lack branches, such peptides when they encompass more than fifty amino acids; they are called the biological polymers. A protein is a biological polymer with more than fifty amino acids. Consequently, there are different families of peptides; for instance, there are antimicrobial peptides that fight microbial organisms affecting the body. Such antimicrobial peptides entail; defensin, cathelicidin, magainin, and cecropin family.

What are the natural peptides of medical importance?

Notwithstanding the impact of various amino acids on the immune system, they also positively contribute to the formation of collagen fibers that maintain a younger look in the old population. Amino acids, such as glutamic acid, BCAAs, and glycine, play a role in the immune system besides contributing to the collagen quantities.

Glycine.

Glycine is known for its anti-inflammatory functions; however, there is growing evidence of the function of glycine in the cytoprotective and immunomodulatory function as well. Research shows that glycine helps maintain and even boast the functioning of macrophages, which eventually suppresses the formation of inflammatory cytokines and free radicals.

Additionally, various studies have shown how collagen proteins facilitate the fight against the micro-organisms. Recently, scientists found out that;

Macrophages in the lymphatic system enhance the functioning of the NK cells.
Collagen fibers play a crucial role in positioning the natural killer cells near the target cells. This functionality greatly helps in the productive delivery of effector responses, among other cytokines.

L-Glutamine.

This is a free amino acid that is readily available for human body use. Research has shown that this amino acid plays a significant role in the regulation of immune system function. Notably, the various cell that forms the immune system use glutamine to survive and proliferate, thus maintaining their functionality and ultimately offering the defensive purpose against the micro-organisms. These functions are attained when the L-glutamine;

Helps in the regulation of glutathione synthesis. Glutathione is a protein that functions in protecting cells from oxidative stress.
Moreover, L-glutamine upholds the functioning of the immune system through the activation of the macrophages and lymphocytes. These two cells offer immense support in a healthy immune response.

More studies are showing that the presence of glutamine in athletes reduces the risk of developing respiratory tract infections. For instance, athletes who take an oral l-glutamine benefit from reduced incidences of exercise-induced decrease in plasma glutamine levels. Consequently, there is reduced lymphocyte count and hence low risk for upper respiratory infections.

Furthermore, glutamine upholds the endurance of the athlete’s immune system. Athletes who are under strict training risk developing infections, rather the use of glutamine supplementation, boasts the ratio of the T-helper cells to the T-suppressor cells, hence maintaining a steady immune system against the micro-organisms.

Notwithstanding the recent controversy of the use of peptides in sports, studies are still being carried out to evaluate the ability of amino acids such as glutamine in regulating the inflammatory responses and reducing oxidative stress.

Arginine.

This is a conditionally vital amino-acid. Notably, arginine acts as a precursor to nitric oxide, an element that constitutes various functions of the human body. For instance, it regulates the flow of blood through sequential vasodilation, activation of the immune system, and mitochondrial function.

Moreover, arginine is needed to support adaptive and innate immune systems following its function in different pathways that involve the cells of the immune system. Recent studies have shown that arginine enhances the functionality of T-cells, preserves the immune function that enhances their ability to fight microbial organisms.

Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAS).

This chain of amino acids comprises of Leucine, Valine, and Isoleucine. These amino acids form peptides that are associated with the repair and maintenance of muscle proteins. Furthermore, some studies prove the involvement of this type of peptides in the immune system, besides helping to raise the expression of genes that take part in antioxidant defense, specifically in patients who are experiencing microbial infection and incidences of malnutrition.

Tryptophan

Despite not being found in collagen, tryptophan plays a role in supporting the immune system. Studies show that tryptophan actively participates in soothing an overactive immune system in instances of auto-immunity.

Peptides play a significant role in establishing a strong immune system. Different peptides constitute different amino acids that determine the function of the peptides. The interlinking of constituent amino acids forms peptides through peptide bonds. Amino acids, such as arginine, Valine, Leucine, and isoleucine, form the peptides that are involved in the maintenance of the immune system.

Furthermore, research shows that L-Glutamine enhances the functioning of the immune system through the activation of the macrophages and lymphocytes. Macrophages and lymphocytes form the basis of a healthy immune response. If you need further assistance on various peptide supplement formulations, call us or visit our offices for detailed information. We are pleased to see you understand the role peptides play in maintaining your immune system.

References

Bourne, L. (2020). A new, powerful antimicrobial peptide that can give the immune system a helping hand. Retrieved 30 June 2020, from https://lucbourne.scienceblog.com/51/a-new-powerful-antimicrobial-peptide-that-can-give-the-immune-system-a-helping-hand/

Marcinkiewicz, M., & Majewski, S. (2016). The role of antimicrobial peptides in chronic inflammatory skin diseases. Advances In Dermatology And Allergology, 1, 6-12. doi: 10.5114/pdia.2015.48066

Vollmar, A. (2005). The role of atrial natriuretic peptide in the immune system. Peptides, 26(6), 1086-1094. doi: 10.1016/j.peptides.2004.08.034

Wiesner, J., & Vilcinskas, A. (2010). Antimicrobial peptides: The ancient arm of the human immune system. Virulence, 1(5), 440-464. doi: 10.4161/viru.1.5.12983

Bestway or Intex Pool – Which One Is Best for You?

Every year the world experiences hot summer that pushes every citizenry to look for a better way to cooling the body. Among the best feasible options is dipping oneself in a cool pool with fresh water. Notably, life has become so complicated that most homeowners do not have the time and resources to maintain an in-ground pool.

However, there are various temporary options such that a pool is set up during the spring and later packed back during winter. Among the companies that offer above ground pool options, Bestway and Intex have stood the test of time to always deliver high quality above ground pools. You may ask, so which brand is better? You will be answered through the following succinct analysis of Bestway vs. Intex pool options.

Intex

For the past forty years, Intex has been making inflatable pools. The company’s consistency in the delivery of quality products has seen it expand to international markets by exceeding 100 nations globally. The company’s first above the ground pool was manufactured in 1997, and subsequent years have seen intense concentration on quality and expansion of available products.

What are Different Types of Intex Pools?

There are different types of Intex pools, such as; Easy Set, Metal Frame, Prism Frame, Ultra Frame, and Ultra XTR Frame.

Where to install your Intex Pool

One of the outstanding characteristics of the Intex pools is they do not require complex construction or digging deep into the ground. These pools require a flat leveled solid surface that does not have sharp materials underneath.

Dimensions

Different types of Intex pools have varying dimensions.

Easy Set Intex Pool.

The Easy Set Intex Pool has the smallest size of 10 inches by 30 inches, and the largest one measures 18 inches by 48 inches. Consequently, other options measure 12 inches by 30 inches, 13 inches by 33 inches, and 15 inches by 33 inches. You may also choose from the medium range pools that measure 15 inches by 42 inches and 15 by 48 inches.

Metal Frame Intex Pools.

Metal Frame Intex Pools offers different capacities, with the largest being 18 by 48 inches and the smallest measuring 10 by 30 inches. These design also offers medium sizes that have capacities such as 12 by 30 inches and 15 by 48 inches.

Intex Prism Frame Pools.

This type of Intex Pool has designs that are circular and rectangular. The smallest circular Prism Frame Pools measures 10 inches by 30inches while the largest options measures 20 by 52 inches. The rectangular options measure 16 by 9 by 48 inches at the lowest limit while the largest boasts of 20 by 10 by 48 inches.

Quality of Steel

Intex Pools are widely known for their concentration on the quality of the products they produce. All materials used in the production are well-sorted and secured from the effects of water. For instance, the steel used is heavy-duty that is coated with powdered technology, which prevents it from rusting and bending due to the pressure of the water.

Other distinguishing features of Intex Pools include Krystal Clear Pump. The Krystal Clear Pumps are easily installed and cleaned.

Bestway Pools.

Since the formation of Bestway Pools in 1994, the company has grown to emerge as the top in creating the inflatable pools. Besides offering all features offered by Intex, Bestway explores an extra mile to offer different types of on-ground pools.

What are the Different Types of Bestway?

Bestway has different types of pools, such as Fast Set Pool, Steel Pro Max, Power Steel, and Hydrium.

Dimensions.

Fast Set Bestway Pools.

Fast Set Pools has varied dimensions with the smallest measuring 8 by 26 inches. Other models measure 12 by 30 inches and 15 by 33 inches. The largest dimensions of the Fast Set Pool measures 18 by 48 inches.

Steel Pro Max.

This type of pool is comparable to the Metal Frames of the Intex Pools. The least dimensions of Steel Pro Max include 12 by 30 inches and 15 by 48 inches. The largest dimensions measure 14 by 33 inches and 18 by 48 inches.

Power Steel.

This type of Bestway Pool is comparable to the Intex Prism Frame Pools. The pool has both round and oval designs. The round-shaped Power Steel measures 16 by 48 inches while the oval-shaped pool measures 24 by 12 by 52 inches.

Hydrium.

Hydrium has both circular and rectangular designs. The rectangular-shaped designs have various dimensions that enable the pool to fit in different locations. The least circular pool measures 10 by 48 inches. The medium-sized pools measure 12 by 36 inches and 12 by 48 inches. The largest Hydrium circular pool measures 15 by 36 inches.

On the other hand, the rectangular Hydrium measures 16 by 12 by 48 inches while the largest one has dimensions of 20 by 12 by 48 inches.

Quality of Steel Used.

Bestway has used steel in two of its pools, namely; Hydrium and Power Steel pools. The Power Steel Pool is comparable to the Prism Frame of Intex Pools. However, the Steel Pro Max offers a deluxe version of what is depicted in the Intex’s Prism Frame.

Additionally, Bestway Power Steel has a profound frame that offers structural support.

Remarkably, the Hydrium version of the Bestway Pools features quality steel that is not matched by any of the Intex’s Pools. The walls and frames of the pool are quality and firm to offer support. Likewise, the strength of the steel used allows the pool to be set even in a roughhousing where vinyl-sided pools cannot be established.

Additionally, Bestway Pools are supplied with Flowclear Pumps. This pump comes in two versions the Flowclear Sand type and the Flowclear type. However, the Bestway’s pumps are not as effective as the Intex’s Krystal Clear Pumps.

So which is the Better Brand?

Setup

On the other hand, both pools do not require special tools to facilitate the process of assembling. They are easily set up and run. Nonetheless, Intex has well-laid steps of instructions, unlike the Bestway that lack straightforward guidelines. You may miss inserting the rings while laying down the Bestway pool for your family due to unclear steps.

Sidewalls.

Bestway has the best protective and strong sidewalls.

Nevertheless, the two companies have strived to establish pools of different sizes and shapes. Notably, Intex has a three-ply PVC type of walls, while the Bestway has a single layer made of polyester sandwiched between two PVC layers. Furthermore, there is one type of Bestway pool that has walls made of steel.

Frames.

Intex has the best frames that are coated by powder, thus preventing rusting. Notwithstanding the Bestway’s coated frames, rusting still occurs when they are left soaked in water for a long time.

Price

When compared according to respective prices, Bestway has incredibly affordable prices as compared to the Intex pools.

Pumps.

Despite the efforts made by the Bestway Pools to deliver a quality and durable pump for its product consumers, Intex stands out with the best pool pumps.

What Are The Features Of Bestway And Intex Pool?

Bestway Pools.

Bestway pools have metal frames that are rust resistant.
The brand’s pool liner is well reinforced by a rope.
The brand boasts of an easy to drain pool that has a reliable drainage valve.
Additionally, the brand has walls either made of three layers of ply or PVC.

Intex Pools.

The brand boasts of walls made of laminated Ply.
Step by step instructions facilitates easy installation.
The pool comes with a corrosion resistant ladder thus enhancing accessibility of the pool across users of all ages.

What Are The Benefits Of Buying both Intex and Bestway Pool?

Bestway.

Bestway pools offers large capacities
The frames used last longer.
The pool can easily be drained.

Intex.

The pool comes with step by step installation manual.
The Krystal pump is durable and reliable.
The pools are relatively cost effective.

Reservations

Both the Intex and Bestway pools cane be reserved from the online stores. Intex can be bought at amazon at an affordable price. Likewise, Bestway can be acquired from amazon too and delivered to your doorstep.

What are Customers Saying about Intex pools?

The customers report and efficient filter Krystal pump that is not only reliable but also durable. The instructional DVD is cited as a great step in facilitating easy installation of the Intex pools. Besides, the pool is tough enough to accommodate both adults and children.

What are Customers Saying about Bestway pools?

Despite the faulty pump that breaks after some time, the pool still offers adequate space that accommodates large families. Additionally, customers who chose the three layered sided pool report of durability that exceeds other pools due to integration of the PVC. During assembling time, the pool does not require use of specialized equipment.

Since the establishment of both Intex and Bestway Pools, there have been numerous transformations and improvements geared to delivering quality above ground pools for kids and family. However, Intex leads in the way it lays out installing instructions, quality pumps, and delivery of a varied range of products, thus making it the best above ground pool.

Contrary, Bestway is famous among less spenders due to its affordable price and the well-secured firm steel walls as well as the vinyl options. Before you consider buying a large above ground swimming pool, assess the Bestway Intex difference stipulated above to make an informed decision.