Critically assess the view that multicultural policies promote social Essay - 1

Critically assess the view that multicultural policies promote social segregation - Essay Example The policy proposes that all the ethnic groups should be treated equally. No one group is taken to be superior to the other. The government does not force people to adhere to one universal religion or culture. Many people support multiculturalism. This is especially so in the academic circles and in the media (Malik, 2008:89). It receives a lot of support from those countries that are culturally diverse, with a lot of different cultural groups making up the society, as opposed to one cultural group. But this theory has its share of opponents. It is especially opposed by those people who adhere to a particular set of norms of one culture. In Europe and the United States of America, this phenomenon of multiculturalism can be traced back to the last years of the nineteenth century (Barry, 2001:56). It started as a form of philosophical, pragmatist ideology. Then, as the nineteenth century came to an end and the twentieth century began, it metamorphosised into something entirely new. It became part of the political and cultural pluralism in these countries (Barry, 2001:67). Around this time, the European and Western countries were colonising Africa and as such, had to recognise the cultural d iversity of these countries. There were a lot of migratory activities in to Europe and America which meant that these countries had a diverse society as far as cultural groups are concerned. The sociologists and historians of the time came up with a form of cultural pluralism that gave rise to multiculturalism (Harker, 2006:45). This paper will try to look at multiculturalism as far as social segregation is concerned. This is because multicultural policies have been accused of segregating the society into different and separate cultural groups and these acts as a hindrance to social cohesion. These policies might include the recognition of multiple citizenship. The administration might also promote media houses that operate in a minority

Customers Role in the Service Encounter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Customers Role in the Service Encounter - Essay Example Standard Industry Classification System. The first one is the goods-producing sector and the second one is the service-producing sector. The goods-producing sector includes agriculture, forestry, and fishing; mining; construction; and manufacturing. The service-producing sector includes the divisions of transportation, communications, and utilities, wholesale and retail trade, finance, insurance, real estate, public administration and other services. In other words, the service sector can be termed as hospitality sector (Simmering, 2006). Today's customers have more power than ever before. This is mainly because of the fact that a single product or service is provided by several agencies. As a result of this competition, customers have more than enough choices. They have high-quality alternatives, greater access to information, and the unprecedented ability to compare brands. It can be said that power has shifted from producers to consumers. For example, it a person decides to buy a car with specific model, colour, and interiors in his mind and approaches a showroom that does not have that model, he would look for another showroom. But if the seller is good at selling, he may convince the customer to either change his choice by giving a better option at competitive price or buy some time from the customer to deliver the exact model. Consumer Consumerism has changed the out look of hospitality sector. Recent years has witnessed the intense competition in the hospitality sector. This sector need to excel is customer service not only to retain existing customers, but also to attract new customers. To thrive in the ever increasing competition, today hospitality sector needs to aim for process excellence (vfirst.com, N.D.). For example, if a customer decides to have food from a restaurant, he first decides on what type of food he would like to have it may be Chinese, Indian or any other. The next question that comes to his mind is which Chinese or Indian restaurant he would go Based on his past experience, he takes the decision mainly based on the quality of food and the service that he got in previous instances. Today, service industries are facing challenges as they are only as good as their last customer transaction or touch-point. As customers compare value and tale decisions at a much faster rate due to easy accessibility to information, this sector must live up to their promises. Irrespective of the type of market, the reasons a customer chooses a particular brand may not be the same tomorrow. Hence it becomes even more difficult to have and maintain customers. As a result of these challenges, nothing is more important than understanding customer behaviour. Knowing what leads to a customer's choice allows the company to make better business decisions, develop effective marketing strategies, and hold the attention of the customers. There are only a few companies that consistently live up to their brand promises and have large customer base. And these companies are the ones who benefit from the rewards of repeat business and customers who are advocates for their products and services (Maritz research, 2005). It is important for a service oriented company to understand what differentiates their companies from others and must understand the needs of the consumers in their markets. These two ingredients are the key to develop a