Mastering Service Quality & Customer Experience
Characteristics of Services
- Intangibility: Services cannot be seen, touched, or stored before they are delivered. Customers cannot evaluate a service in advance, making trust, brand reputation, and testimonials very important. Example: You cannot “see” legal advice before receiving it.
- Inseparability: Services are produced and consumed simultaneously. The provider is often part of the service, meaning employee behavior and customer interaction are critical. Example: A haircut requires the customer
Group Dynamics: Formation, Types, and Cohesion Principles
Defining a Group
A group consists of a plurality of interrelated individuals, each performing a particular role, working towards common goals, and interacting to varying degrees according to a set of established guidelines.
Classifications of Groups
Groups can be classified according to various criteria:
Group Types by General Criteria
- The Crowd: Typically more than 50 individuals with little connection between them, and often with unclear objectives.
- The Band: Composed of a few individuals where similarity
Understanding Force: Properties, Laws, and Specific Examples
Properties of Force
A force is an influence acting on an object that causes it to change its state of motion. We notice it when we push or throw an object.
Property 1: Interaction Between Objects
A force is always applied by one physical object to another.
Property 2: Magnitude and Direction
A force is characterized by its magnitude and direction. These are required to specify a force. The magnitude can be expressed in kilopond (Kp). The direction is the direction in which the force would tend to move
Read MoreUnderstanding Geological Hazards and Risk Management
Erosion Risks and Impacts
Erosion is the starting and removal of materials from an area due to eroding agents involved in external geological processes, such as surface water, glaciers, wind, etc.
Erosion risk can constitute a threat for two main reasons:
Loss of Vital Resources
The most significant impact is the loss of soil, a vital resource for the development of vegetation, ecosystems, and crops, which can lead to desertification.
Impact of Mobilized Materials
When surface water starts and carries
Read MoreUnderstanding File System Structure and Operations
File System Structure
A file system structure typically consists of:
- Boot Block: Contains boot information.
- Super Block: Contains metadata about the file system.
- Inode Table: Contains inode structures for each file.
- Data Blocks: Store file data.
- Directory Blocks: Store directory information.
Key Components
- Inodes: Contain file metadata (ownership, permissions, location).
- File Descriptors: Identify open files.
- Directory Entries: Map file names to inodes.
File System Operations
- Create: Create a new file or directory.
Workers’ Movements and Spain’s Old Regime Crisis (1808-1814)
Workers’ Associations and Early Labor Movements
The Rise of Workers’ Associations
The initial reaction of workers, due to their opposition to mechanization, which they considered responsible for low wages and protest strikes, often resorted to the destruction of equipment and the burning of industrial establishments (Luddism). To defend their interests, some sections of workers created the first mutual aid societies.
Workers’ societies were outlawed by liberal governments. However, in 1825, Britain
Read MoreEconomic Production Functions and Cost Relationships
Key Relationships in Production and Costs
APL and AVC Relationship
If APL (Average Product of Labor) is growing, AVC (Average Variable Cost) and ATC (Average Total Cost) are decreasing. There is an inverse relationship between APL and AVC (and ATC). Specifically, you can check that:
AVC = w / APL
MC = w / MPL
Example Calculation: AVC = 2 / (0.25L) = 2 / (0.25 · 2Q0.5) = 4 / Q0.5
MPL and MC Relationship
If MPL (Marginal Product of Labor) is growing, MC (Marginal Cost) is decreasing. There is an inverse
Read MoreMolecular Biology and Bioinformatics Principles
I. Molecular Biology Fundamentals
Genes and Genomes
Every cell contains a complete set of genetic instructions—the genome—encoded in DNA and organized into genes packaged on chromosomes. A gene is a specific DNA sequence that encodes a functional product (usually a protein or an RNA). Genetic variation (mutations) underlies phenotypic differences, while environmental factors also contribute to traits.
DNA vs. RNA
| Feature | DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) | RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | Deoxyribose (no 2′–OH |
Business Acumen: Sales, Startups, & Modern Logistics
Business Operations & Payment Status
- The order has just been delivered.
The order has already been delivered.
Have these invoices already been paid?
These invoices have just been paid.
These invoices have already been paid.
Innovations in Logistics: Autonomous Vehicles
- A self-driving lorry has already been designed by ZF, the German car parts maker.
New technology that has been developed for lorries in recent years hasn’t been developed yet.
In a self-driving lorry, the driver can usually rest while
Read MoreUnderstanding Core Ethical Theories and Principles
Ethics and Morality: Core Distinctions
Today, morality is often associated with the expression of moral standards (the content of morality), while ethics is considered the philosophical reflection on the criteria of justification for those standards.
Ethics and Law: Defining Boundaries
While ethics is the philosophical reflection on the criteria for justifying various actions, law refers to the established legal framework. It dictates what is permissible or impermissible, regardless of individual ethical
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