The Role of Commitment in Relationship Marketing in Consumer Services:an Airline Perspective

This study proposes a relationship marketing model, which identifies the antecedents of commitment in the context of consumer services. The literature review initially considers relationship marketing (RM) and the concept of commitment from the context of the marketing and social psychology literature. Commitment is a key element of RM. If parties to a relationship are not committed, the relationship risks dissolution. In this study, commitment is conceptualised as having two distinct dimension i.e. affective and calculative commitment. Affective commitment represents a positive motivation for relationship continuance, whereas calculative commitment represents a negative motivation. Many studies consider commitment to be a unidimensional, global construct. However, using a global measure of commitment without considering the differing motivations could lead to problems in understanding why relationships are maintained. The proposed relationship marketing model identifies the antecedents and one consequence of commitment in the context of consumer services. A conceptual framework graphically represents the various relationships between the variables in the model. The relationships between the variables have been taken from empirical results of other commitment models from the various literatures. There is a lack of research that models the nature of commitment in consumer services and this research aims to address this issue. Depending on the dimension, the antecedents of commitment differ. The affective antecedents that are being considered in this study include affect, satisfaction, freedom to choose and trust, while the calculative commitment antecedents include dependence, size of investment, availability of alternatives, and value. Finally, the behavioural outcome that is considered in this study if ‘intention to continue’. The context of the study relates to a consumer service model of commitment tested on passengers of the airline industry. The research objectives are (1) to develop measurement instrument with good psychometric properties which will test the model, (2) to test the hypothesised relationships of the model and (3) to compare sub-groups within the respondent population. The research was designed to be quantitative in nature. The constructs of the model were measured using summated rating scales and consisted of established measures as well as measures developed specifically for this study. The sample consisted of 243 passengers intercepted at Dublin airport. The sampling technique involved non-probability sampling, by means of quota sampling. The final section of the study concerns the analysis and findings of the research. The analysis was carried out in three main stages in accordance with the three objectives of the study. The first part of the analysis deals with objective one, i.e. a measurement instrument with good psychometric properties. The scales of the final instrument demonstrated good reliability, as was evidence by high Cronbach alphas and demonstrated good unidimensionality, as shown by factor analysis. The second part of the analysis involves testing the conceptual model and the hypotheses relating to it by means of regression analysis (in line with objective two). Thirteen of the seventeen hypothesised relationships are supported by the regression analysis. The third and final part of the analysis concerns objective three of the research and involves comparing the subgroups within the respondent population. T-tests and ANOVA are used to determine whether the subgroups differ in terms of the variables in the conceptual model such as affective and calculative commitment

Metallica: Some Kind of Monster Film Review

This is a film review of the 2004 documentary, Some Kind of Monster, which provides an in-depth portrait of the heavy metal band, Metallica, during the making of their St. Anger album. It addresses issues of mental health, depression, group dynamics and the pressures that successful artists face in maintaining their internal and external relationships while still trying to create new music

Can the catastrophizing interview technique be used to develop understanding of childhood worry?

Background: The current research-base into childhood worry is extremely limited, in part owing to the lack of appropriately validated measures of worry suitable for use with children. Although some adult measures of worry have successfully been adapted for use with children, as of yet no measure suitable for use within an experimental paradigm has been developed, meaning that the majority of the existing research is based on correlational designs and therefore does not allow exploration of causative relationships between childhood worry and other factors. Aim: This thesis aimed to explore the use of the catastrophizing interview technique with children, with the goal of validating this technique as an experimental measure of childhood worry. Method: A mixed methodology was employed, using both single group correlation and between group comparisons. Additionally, a qualitative aspect to the design allowed greater exploration of the interview responses given by participants. The data from 88 participants aged 9 – 11 was used for the analysis. Participants completed a number of interviewer-assisted measures of worry, verbal reasoning, verbal fluency and tendency to respond in a socially desirable manner, before completing two catastrophizing tasks. Results: Limited evidence was found for a relationship between the catastrophizing interview responses and tendency to worry. However, when confounding variables such as verbal ability were controlled, a relationship between the number of steps generated using the interview and tendency to worry was found. Additionally, high worriers were more likely to respond in an extreme or circular manner, than low worriers. Discussion: Although this study found limited support for using the catastrophizing interview technique with children, there were a number of methodological issues with the study design that may have affected results. Given the need for a greater understanding of the processes of childhood worry, further exploration of using the catastrophizing interview technique is warranted

The Causes and Effects of Teacher Attrition Amongst Secondary Educators

Abstract This paper will examine the research on teacher attrition rates across schools in the United States and around the world. This project examines three themes in the literature on teacher attrition in middle and high school: teacher age and inexperience, workload, and high levels of teacher burnout. Working conditions affect the likelihood of teacher attrition, and without addressing issues in the working environment, more and more teachers will leave the profession. This paper goes on to examine specific causes and effects of teacher attrition by examining data and studies from countries around the world like Chile, Sweden, Australia, Canada, and the United States. The data from the research also has the potential to explore implications for future research and transform practices regarding the prevention of teacher attrition

The Biomechanics of the Softball Swing in Seven Stages: Optimizing Exit Velocity

The study of sports biomechanics is a rapidly developing field that can be used to analyze an athlete’s most critical motions and improve their performance. In the world of baseball, sports biomechanists, scientists dedicated to the field of sports biomechanics, help keep pitchers healthy, optimize pitch performance, and improve a batter’s swing efficiency. Because of their surface-level similarities, the findings of baseball biomechanical studies have been projected onto the sport of women’s fastpitch softball, despite their substantial differences in physiology, field dimensions, pitch delivery, and classifications of hitters. The purpose of this study is to produce a biomechanical analysis unique to women’s fastpitch softball that helps to guide hitters and coaches in optimizing exit velocity, the speed the ball comes off the bat. Data werecollected in two separate experiments in which each batter took 30 at-bats and completed threebroad jumps, vertical jumps, and rotational medicine ball throws. The topfiveexit velocities were recorded and averaged, the furthest distances for broad jump, vertical jump, and rotational medicine ball were kept, and the correlation between these categories were found. Point of impact data was recorded in the second experiment and utilized.Each swing is broken down into seven swing stages and six body sections to complete a more complex analysis. A positive correlation coefficient was reported between both the broad jump and rotational medicine ball throw with exit velocity(r = 0.49 and r = 0.50 respectively). Point of impact was also evaluated, and an inverse relationship between impact height and exit velocity (r = -0.57)was shown. Results indicate the importance of hip and ankle muscle activation in energy production inthe swing as well as the need for further study regarding the influence on point of impact in the swing

Combining Static and Dynamic Analysis for Vulnerability Detection

In this paper, we present a hybrid approach for buffer overflow detection in C code. The approach makes use of static and dynamic analysis of the application under investigation. The static part consists in calculating taint dependency sequences (TDS) between user controlled inputs and vulnerable statements. This process is akin to program slice of interest to calculate tainted data- and control-flow path which exhibits the dependence between tainted program inputs and vulnerable statements in the code. The dynamic part consists of executing the program along TDSs to trigger the vulnerability by generating suitable inputs. We use genetic algorithm to generate inputs. We propose a fitness function that approximates the program behavior (control flow) based on the frequencies of the statements along TDSs. This runtime aspect makes the approach faster and accurate. We provide experimental results on the Verisec benchmark to validate our approach.Comment: There are 15 pages with 1 figur

Envisioning an Age-Friendly Belmont

The Belmont Council on Aging is a municipal office charged with “advocating on behalf of the seniors of Belmont and ensuring that their social, financial and healthcare needs are met. Services provided to seniors living in the community range from transportation support to nutrition services and social services, along with a range of programs and activities meant to enhance well-being and quality of life. Similar to many Councils on Aging, the Belmont COA also provides leadership in the community, as the community as a whole addresses the growing number and changing needs of senior residents. As a means of learning more about community concerns and values relating to aging in place, Nava Niv-Vogel, Director of the Belmont COA, arranged for two public forums to be held at the Belmont Senior Center. These events were held on May 18, 2016, at 1:15PM and 5:30PM. The forums were moderated by Jan E Mutchler, PhD, from the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Ceara Somerville, a doctoral student in Gerontology at UMass Boston, served as note-taker. The purpose of these forums was to introduce the community to the age-friendly community framework, as outlined by the World Health Organization; to present selected demographic features of Belmont relevant to planning for an age-friendly future; and to elicit input from the community about Belmont as a community in which to age in place. The purpose of this document is to report on each of these elements of the forums

Needs Assessment for Belchertown Council on Aging

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Belchertown Council on Aging, to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of Belchertown’s mature population. The focus of this report is on two broad cohorts of Belchertown residents—those aged 60 and older, referred to here as “seniors” or “older adults,” and those age 50-59, who will be aging into the “senior” age range over the coming decade. The contents of this report are meant to inform the Town of Belchertown, the Belchertown Council on Aging and Senior Center, and organizations that work with and on behalf of older residents in Belchertown, for the purposes of planning and coordination of services. The report will also help to build awareness about issues facing Belchertown among community members at large

Responding to COVID-19: How Massachusetts Senior Centers are Adapting

The COVID-19 pandemic has swept the United States with force and speed. Massachusetts is one of the hardest hit states in nation, with over 120,000 cases and over 8,500 deaths to date. Local governments across the Commonwealth have had to work quickly to meet the needs of their constituents in a constantly changing environment. With older adults being at high risk of contracting COVID-19, having more severe symptoms, and at higher risk of dying from the disease, special efforts are warranted to ensure that they are supported in their efforts to maintain physical distance while meeting needs for food and medical care

Senior Center Response to COVID-19: Involvement with Vaccine Distribution

In early 2021, access to a COVID-19 vaccine was prioritized for older adults and people with multiple co-morbidities. Between high demand and emerging supply, and new systems for booking a vaccine appointment, many people had challenges getting an appointment. Senior centers across the state became a crucial resource for access to the vaccine and additional information about its efficacy and safety