Animal Testing and Researching Essay -- Biology Medical Biomedical Ani

Animal Testing and Researching Animal testing is supported by some, but opposed to others. The growing number of animals used in research differs among the different countries. The fruit fly and nematode are the most used animal in testing. However, the most common mammals used in animal research are mice and rats. Shaved albino rabbits and guinea pigs suffer severe testing for skin irritancy and eye irritancy. Though the usage of non-human primates are outlawed in some countries, the U.S. still finds the need to use them. The U.S. government uses tax dollars for testing pesticides and flourine products on animals. Animal testing has been a subject of controversy throughout the years. Though it may seem like a ?cruel and unusual punishment? to some, others see it as an opportunity to expand the knowledge of our constantly changing society. These experiments are the beginning of a new perspective in scientific evolution, but an end for others. Some examples of animal researching and testing would be mutagenesis, evolution, genetics, product safety, and so forth. According to the Laboratory Primate Advocacy Group, it is estimated that one hundred million animals are experimented on around the world and twenty-three to twenty-five million belong to the United States. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that in 2004, 26,573 rabbits, 105,678 farm animals, 64,932 dogs, 23,640 cats, 54,998 non-human primates, 244,104 guinea pigs, 175,721 hamsters and 171,321 other mammals--excluding mice and rats which make up over 80% of the number of animals tested on. The number of mice and rats are not recorded, but it is estimated that a plethora of these animals are utilized, ranging from fifteen million to twenty million. (Wikipedia... ...wn life. People?s beliefs differ with their background, whether animal testing is a pro or con. Nowadays, animals are tested a lot more humanely than the past. Fortunately, researchers are finding more alternatives to testing animals and the numbers of unnecessary deaths are decreasing. Bibliography Bennie I. Osburn, DVM, PhD, Dean. "The Mouse in Science: Why Mice? ." . 1996. UC Davis. 22 July 2006 . Best, Steven; Bentham, Jeremy; Francione, Gary; Langley, Gill . "Wikipedia." . 23 July 2006. . 23 July 2006 . "U.S. Government Testing Programs." . . . 23 July 2006 . "World Animal Net: Cosmetics Testing - Background." . . British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection. .

Lemurs of Madagascar

Lemurs of Madagascar Name: Course: Tutor: Date: Lemurs of Madagascar 1. Madagascar biome is a tropical rain forest. The main characteristic of a tropical rain forest biome is the presence of Warm temperatures throughout the year. In a tropical rain forest biome, there are three layers. These layers include the top trees, followed by the canopy layer characterized by dens leaves hence low light penetration and the third layer are the ground layer. The ground layer lacks any vegetation owing to the low amount of sunlight reaching it due to the dense canopy layer. 2. Changes happening in Madagascar pose challenges to lemurs in the island.The main changes that affect the lemurs include the effects of agricultural activities on the environment. Forestland conversion for agricultural use including the creation of pastureland, cropland, and degradation of the soil due to fire and clearing by humans is the agricultural changes on Madagascar. Soil erosion caused by slash-and-burn farming also forms the other changes in Madagascar that brings forth challenges to lemurs. As a conclusion, high deforestation rate and increased human population and erosion form the main changes that challenge the existence of lemurs in Madagascar. 3.The lemurs that are adapting well with the changes in Madagascar are the ones with the ability to live in an altered habitat. (This is a habitat with secondary characteristics owing to human activities in the island). These include the ring-tailed lemur lemma catta and sifakas, but between the two, the ring-tailed lemma catta is adapting better to changes in the ecosystem. The fossil lemurs’ disappearance in the island was due to inability to adapt well to the changes. The other types of lemurs that have disappeared due to change in the habitat include Palaeopropithecus, Daubentonia robusta, Archaeiindris fontoynonti and Megaladapis edwardsi. . A generalist behavioral type is required of the lemurs in Madagascar to be able to cope with the change s in the island for their adaptation and survival. The species favored in this criterion are sifakas and lemur catta, which are adapting well to the changes. Other behavioral characteristics required include being terrestrial for them to adapt well with the changes as depicted by the lemur catta. Physical characteristics that improve adaptation to the changes include ability to take advantage of changes by feeding on crops, tourist handouts, insects, flowers, and fruits. . Lemurs might not develop to adapt to changes in Madagascar because they lived on trees and the deforestation affects their form of livelihood. The reduction in the soil’s ability to support the vegetation that forms the main food for the lemurs is another reason owing to the high rates of soil erosion and degradation. Similarly, human actions in the highland affect their ability to adapt with the changes hence another reason for the inability to adapt to changes in the habitat. 6. The water cycle is the biochemical cycle that may be altered by activities in Madagascar.An alteration on the water cycle takes the following pattern owing to the activities in mainly deforestation and soil erosion and degradation. Cutting of rain forests results in low moisture transpiration to the atmosphere. The result is a reduction in the cloud cover, diminished precipitation, and lead to drought in the area. The replacement of the forests requires water hence an impossible occurrence when there is drought in the area. Reference â€Å"Lemurs in Madagascar: Surviving on an Island of Change. † Films Media Group, 2006. Films On Demand.

A Literary Analysis of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

This paper analyzes   the novel Frankenstein. It is subdivided into two parts. The first part is a thematic analysis of the novel and the second part is a discourse analysis of the novel. Specifically it seeks to answer the following: what are the major themes of the novel; what are the discourses contained in and articulated by the novel?Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus is a famous novel by Mary Shelley. It was completed on May 1817, when Mary was just nineteen years of   age. It was made while she and her husband Percey Bysshe Shelley were on their summer vacation with Lord Byron in the Alps (â€Å"Frankenstein† ). With the best writers in England, Mary offered her contribution to the literary classics, the famous Frankenstein novel, which became famous in two genres: Science Fiction and horror (Milner, p.149).Thematic Analysis of FrankensteinThe novel Frankenstein is centered on four major themes: ignorance versus knowledge, injustice in world, in a feminist viewp oint—equality of men and women, and murders explained from the viewpoint of the murderers. Among many other themes, these four, in my opinion, are the major themes and therefore should be expounded.The novel was written in the early phase of the industrial revolution (â€Å"Analysis of Frankenstein†), that is, when science and technology was initially progressing. From this premise I can say that the novel is an attempt to criticize the existing social condition, that is to say, the novel criticizes the progress of science and the acquisition of knowledge. Shelley’s  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   use of the character Victor Frankenstein, the medical doctor who created a being more superior to the present race of men, explains my point. Even though Victor is knowledgeable enough to create life, he is still bounded by his imperfections. He created a killing monster instead—The Frankenstein Monster. This suggests that science could unravel the m ysteries of nature, but knowledge is still too dangerous for man to acquire. The novel suggests that knowledge is dangerous like when Victor discovered the mystery of life. knowledge is a monster.Furthermore, the novel suggests that some knowledge should be kept secret from men. Some knowledge do more evil than good, as the novel suggests. It says that ignorance is good. Knowledge is evil (â€Å"Remarks on Frankenstein†).The other title for Frankenstein, The Modern Prometheus, is suggestive of the theme of this novel. Prometheus is a mythological character who gave fire to men to keep them warm (â€Å"Prometheus gave fire to Men†). But Zeus punished Prometheus for doing so. Prometheus received an eternal punishment. In connection, the fire symbolizes knowledge. In the myth, knowledge is forbidden to men just like in the novel Frankenstein. The fire can warm, but it can also kill just as knowledge can. The novel criticizes the scientist most especially, in their empiric al quest for knowledge.The character of the Monster serves dual purpose in the novel, as far my first and second themes are concerned. First, the character is a concrete articulation of knowledge. It is the product of Victor’s study and experimentation. And so, it symbolizes the fruit of knowledge. In the novel, the monster was depicted as ‘ugly, abhorred, and disgusting’ and a killer. What does it say about knowledge? It suggests that knowledge is also ugly, abhorred and disgusting—a killer, too—a monster.The second function of the Monster character in the novel points at the second theme of the novel—injustice in the world. First instance is when Victor created a lone monster, without a companion. It lamented saying that â€Å"†¦Even Satan had his companions, fellow devils, to admire and encourage him; but I am solitary and abhorred† (Shelley, p. 130). This points out that there is injustice committed to the Monster. Secondly, V ictor denied the monster a companion when the monster pleads for it. It pleads:My vices are the children of a forced solitude that I abhor, and my virtues will necessarily arise when I live in communion with an equal. I shall feel the affections of a sensitive   being, and become linked to a chain of existence and events, which I am now excluded.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (Shelley, 147)Instead of creating a lady monster, Victor destroyed every little chance that the monster have of waiting for his lady companion by destroying the monster he was about to give life to.Third, there is injustice in the world when the monster experienced ostracism because of its appearance. It was drawn by villagers away and was forced to live alone, and excluded from humanity (â€Å"Frankenstein†).The theme on equality between sexes, in my opinion, is evident in the novel when the Monster pleads Victor to create a lady monster. There was no hint in the novel that the monster will dominate the la dy monster because all it wanted was to have a companion whom ‘it shall feel affection to’ (p.147). The novel did not hint at the superiority of men over women, as far as the character of the monster is concerned.Lastly, the most obvious theme of the novel is murder. But in this case, there was no negative presentation of crime because the murders were explained from the viewpoint of the murderers. The murderers were presented to have logical reasons for committing the crimes [this is unique] (my emphasis). Let us take for instance the first murder case—the murder of   Victor’s brother.Although the novel may have presented a ‘shallow’ reason why the monster murdered Victor’s brother, that is, victor’s brother recited a litany of epithets to the monster, it somehow explained the reason behind the murder. The monster was too sensitive with its appearance that’s why it has over reacted to the epithets.Another murder was com mitted when Victor destroyed the lady monster he was about to give life to. Victor is also a murderer. His reason was that if he let the lady monster live, he will bring tragedy to the world by ‘producing a race of devils’. Victor’s course of action was paid for by the monster’s killing of Victor’s fiancà ©e—Elizabeth. It was the price Victor has to pay for his murderous act.One good point about this novel was that it has presented murder from the viewpoint of the murderer. Shelley has produced characters with realistic motives, that is, the characters were driven by logical reasons for committing the crimes. This is something good about this novel.In conclusion, the novel Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus was centered on four major themes: ignorance is good and knowledge is evil; injustice in the world; equality of men and women; and murders as explained from the viewpoint of the murderers.A Discourse Analysis of the novelDiscourse theo ry of Foucault can be applied to the Frankenstein Story. Foucault defines discourse as a way of thinking shared by a particular group of people at a particular place and time producing truth and power and controlling actions. It is a lived way of thinking deeply inculcated into individuals. Individuals become the subjects of discourses (Foucault, pp 21-30 ).Applying the theory of discourse, let us examine the discourses or ways of thinking which the story of Frankenstein articulate. What kinds of discourse are inculcated into individuals by the novel Frankenstein?Man as God and the Dawn of Scientific RevolutionThe story exemplifies man as a God. The giving of a life to an inanimate object is an act only reserved toa God. Yet in the story, man created life through Victor’s creation. It suggests an era where science has triumphed. It suggests that science could be a god, in this respect. It suggests that Science can offer man the impossible– that man can be a god.Just li ke in the literary text, the movie Shelley’s Frankenstein (dir. Branagh) explicates the dawn of scientific revolution. Below is an excerpt of the conversation between Clerval and Victor:Frankenstein:   Sooner or later, the best way to cheat death will be to create life.Clerval: Now, you’ve gone too far. There’s only one God, victor.Frankenstein: No, leave God out of this. Listen, if you love someone, they have a sick   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   heart, wouldn’t you give them a healthy one?Clerval: impossible.Frankenstein: No it’s not impossible, we can do it, we’re steps away. And if we can do   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   that, if we can replace one part of a human being, we can replace every part. If we can do   Ã‚  Ã‚   that, we can design life. We can create a being that will not grow old or sicken. One that   Ã‚   will be stronger than us, better than us, one that will be more intelligent than us, more civilized.†From the above, we can see that what was ‘impossible’ like a giving of a healthy heart, has become a possibility in the contemporary times. Heart transplant is a commonly practiced surgery these days. And it was made possible by science. The Frankenstein novel provides this transition.Even the creation of the monster symbolizes the triumph of Science. From this story of Frankenstein, we see that Science is like a God. Science can give life, too.Imperfect Beings and Unjust WorldIt is said that we can never be perfect like God. Whatever we do, we are still incomplete and imperfect. It is only God who is perfect. This way of thinking is also exemplified by the story of Frankenstein.Victor, a medical doctor and the creator of the monster, abhorred his very creation. In his attempt to create a being superior to human race, he had created a monster instead. This suggests that man, in his efforts, cannot create a being more superior to him. Victor has labored days and nights to create a being , yet a monster, instead, breathed to life. Even the monster itself abhorred his condition.Hateful the day when I received life! I exclaimed in agony. â€Å"Accursed Creator! Why did you ever form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust?†¦Satan had his companion, fellow devils, to admire and encourage him, but I am   solitary and    abhorred. (Shelley, p.130)Similarly, God created men in his own image and likeness, but then we are not like God who is perfect. More over, with imperfect beings came the imperfect and unjust world.Because of the grotesque appearance of the monster, the villagers attacked him. Everyone was disgusted by mere seeing the monster. Because of this, the monster too became malevolent to humans. It experienced injustice from the world.Remember, that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam; but I am rather the fallen    angel whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed. Every where I see bliss, from which I alone   am irrevocabl y excluded. I was benevolent and   good; misery made me a fiend.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Make me happy, and I shall again   be virtuous (Shelley, p.100)Another form of injustice made on the monster is thru Victor’s destruction of the lady monster. The monster had promised to live in peace and live in wilderness with his wife, the lady monster. The monster said:My vices are the children of a forced solitude that I abhor, and my virtues will necessarily arise when I live in communion with an equal. I shall feel the affections of a sensitive   being, and become linked to a chain of existence and events, from which I am now   Ã‚   excluded (Shelley, p.147).It was injustice to give life to a being, and let it suffer without even a friend, a loved one,not even anybody.In conclusion, the novel Frankenstein articulates the following discourses: man can be a God through Science; man is always imperfect; and the world is unjust.ConclusionThe horror science fiction of Shelley entitled Frankenstein, as my arguments pointed out, is a critique of the existing social condition of Shelley’s time—that is—the onset of industrial and scientific revolution.The novel is centered on the four major themes, namely; ignorance is good and knowledge is evil; injustice in the world; equality of men and women; and murders as explained from the viewpoint of the murderers.Frankenstein also articulates the following discourses or ways of thinking: that man can be a god through Science, and that man is always imperfect just as the world is always imperfect.Indeed, the novel has shown us that knowledge and science can bring chaos to man.Works CitedFoucault, Michel. Archeology of Knowledge and the discourse on Language. Trans. Smith,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sheridan A.M. USA: Tavistock Publication Limited. 1972Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, dir. K. Branagh (Tristar, 1994, 118 mins)Milner, Andrews. Literature, Culture and Society . London: UCL press, 1996Prometheus gave Fire to Men. No date published. A Hand-out in Mythology Class.Remarks on Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus; A Novel. No date published. April 21,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2007.Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus. M.K. Joseph (ed) Oxford: Oxford   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   University Press, 1980

Basic Business Report

Level 4 pathogens are quite simply, the nastiest causes of disease ever discovered. Scientifically speaking, they are organisms that cause severe diseases to humans and are serious work hazards in the laboratory. They also present high risk of epidemics and there are usually no effective treatments yet discovered.Actual examples include Lassa fever, filoviruses, smallpox, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, Russian spring-summer encephalitis, Kyasanur forest. It is important to take not that each of these examples has garnered a huge media following and they usually spill over from medical concerns to socio-political.The Russian spring-summer encephalitis for one has been given global concern due to its research possibilities as a biological weapon. The Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever was known to have claimed hundreds of lives in an epidemic that transpired in the Afghan border in 2001. This means that a docudrama made about level 4 pathogens isn’t just â€Å"egghead stuffâ⠂¬ , the humanitarian side of the topic has great media value, even more so is the political side. If we look prominent television series such as 24 or Pandemic, they both feature fictional presentations of the â€Å"what-ifs† concerning level 4 pathogens.There are also several fictional movies that have garnered success on the genre such as Epidemic (1987), Andromeda Strain (1971) and several others. There are also real-life adaptations which garnered international acclaim such as Lorenzo’s Oil (1993). A docudrama on dangerous viruses can bring a factual spice to the fictional take on the genre. It can spur emotions from amazement the audience with its accurate presentation of just how these viruses are handled by specialized crew and the emotions behind them as they go about their work.Such a film can also bring out real-life fear from the viewers when presented with how dangerous a particular newly discovered strain of Ebola is or how likely a new undetectable viru s can be used as a biological weapon by terrorists. References Biological Weapons: How Big is the Threat? Retrieved April 22, 2007, from Society for General Microbiology Website: http://www. sgm. ac. uk/news/hot_topics/bio_weapons. cfm Disease DVD movies at Video Universe Retrieved April 22, 2007 from Video Universe Website: http://www.cduniverse. com/search/xx/movie/category2/3459/a/Diseases. htm Classification of Viral Pathogens into Hazard Groups Retrieved April 22, 2007 from http://virology-online. com/general/Safety2. htm Willet, E. (1999). Level 4 Labs. Retrieved April 22, 2007, from http://www. edwardwillett. com/Columns/level4labs. htm Butcher, T. (2001) Ebola Style Killer Sweeps Afghan Border. Retrieved April 22, 2007 from Telegraph. co. uk Website: http://www. telegraph. co. uk/news/main. jhtml? xml=/news/2001/10/04/wref04. xml

Bussiness Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Bussiness Organisations - Essay Example The relationship between leadership and national culture has often been held to impact closely the success and failure of an organisation in terms of leadership style, motivation and employee performance(Bass, 1990; Collins and Porras, 1996).In the context of National culture at least academics have pointed out that transformational leadership attributes which pertain to empowerment and perception contribute to employee job satisfaction and commitment in a very positive way (Iverson and Roy, 1994). The business academia has often focused upon the influence of gender on leadership and its various dimensions. When we are thus perusing the relationship between gender role and leadership style academics have pointed out towards a tendency of attaching "masculinity with task-oriented leadership styles and femininity with relationship-oriented ones".(Oshagbemi and Gill, 2003).It is perceived by the researchers and the academia that if sexes are perceived so differently in organizations their leadership styles would also differ a lot and this would seem likely that leadership styles are also different. Leadership is morality magnified"(Ciulla, 2006:17).In this regard this section seeks to define the relationships between ethics and leadership in the organisational context.The modern leader has to weather and face a plethora of situations like financial and political scandals,international pressure,public image,regulation and the current business mood and in this context it is also worth noting that gender and national culture issues have also reflected upon the common problems versus cultural specificity.(Individual responsibility v Corporate conscience). CONCLUSION This report concludes that the term "Leadership"is subjectively constructed and the whole concept has many dimensions.For Gardner (1995, p. 292), "The greatest challenge the leaders face is to bring about significant and lasting changes in a large and heterogeneous group". The link between leadership and ethics and gender has been accordingly explored to reflect cultural contexts aswell. INTRODUCTION The meaning and usage of the notion of leadership as an ingredient of success and value in an organisations contemporary structure has received a mixed response from the business academia,where skeptics have gone as far as to say that "All definitions are arbitrary. They reflect choices that cannot be proved or validated" (Shamir and Eilam 2005:395).The question is that when we seek an authentic meaning of the role of leadership instead of the "glittery and shiny"part it can be seen that the mere display of socially desirable behaviours does not make a good leader.Rather good leadership in the organisational structure should exhibit something more "genuine" and decisions based on a leaders courage to follow his or her own convictions.(Shamir and Eilam 2005) .According to Cooper et al (2005) this would indicate that we should be looking at leadership behaviours rather than styles like transformational, transactional, etc and there is a need to discuss how the leadership in promoting s uccess in contemporary organisations has to be multidimensional with regard to drawing from the elements such as traits, behaviors, and contexts.This

Critical appraisal of the growing dominance of Dell in the marketplace Research Proposal

Critical appraisal of the growing dominance of Dell in the marketplace - Research Proposal Example The importance of engineering principles will be extensively covered as well as legal and ethical issues associated with conducting business online. In section two, we will critically appraise the business models used by Dell, identifying their sources of competitive advantage. The technology used to facilitate their success will also be addressed. Dell is the largest merchant in selling all types of computer sizes and understand the customer well. It has a great website and the critical appraisal of the website is done for fetching the business model and knowing the sue experience. Besides buying products, Dell allows users to search for products, technical support, articles and solutions, read reviews/ content of the investor relations and corporate governance, recommendations /personalized services. It also provides its customers with online tutorials and order tracking. Users can interact with the technicians via chat services with technicians. Dell also provides intensive support services. Dell was an early and enthusiastic convert to the Internet, creating its first web site in 1994 and moving many of its business activities to the Internet ahead of its competitors. (Kraemer & Dedrick, 2001) The company witnessed that its direct model gave it a lead in selling online. Unlike indirect vendors such as Apple, IBM, HP and Compaq, Dell did not have to worry about channel conflict with resellers and distributors when it began selling online. It operates in business to consumer model (B2C). Describe Revenue Model Dell represents a new breed of retailers; changing the way business is conducted online with their business to consumer model (B2C.) It is a virtual reseller, one of the main new intermediaries (Sarkar et al, 1996.) They are an electronic-commerce only intermediary; business and customer relationship management (CRM) is conducted purely via their website. Describe Marketing Mode Dell's marketing is done through their site itself. They also resort various other forms of marketing like e-banners and web advertisement in social bookmarking websites. Analysis of Co. Web Site Usability Dell's homepage provides the user with an overview of their whole site, most importantly it speaks about all the products it sells, which is vitally important as (Nielsen, 2002) explains "The homepage is your company's face to the world." User friendliness Dell use standard blue hyperlinks, mouse over navigation, browse box, graphics and a search input box to help users interactively navigate the site, which is very user

PORTFOLIO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

PORTFOLIO - Essay Example This type of analysis is less time consuming and cost effective. Secondary sources available in academic journals and publications of the industry associations are reliable. 1. ‘Facilities Management’ reports on customer service, operational efficiency, service recovery in providing ‘Brand experience’ for the customers, asset management, risk management and development of human resources. 2. ‘Outsourcing’ covers key considerations such as quality of customer service, cost of outsourcing and type of customers involved in decision making. 3. ‘Environmental Management’ deals with environmental pollution, conservation of resources and corporate social responsibility with a view to enhance the company’s image with the public and customers and for a sustainable development. 4. ‘Technology’ discusses about the impact of technological developments in the industry with a view to enhance the level of customer service and g uest experience. Recommendations: Important recommendations in respect of facilities management include providing training facilities to employees, refurbishment and renovation on continuous basis and encouraging diversity in work place. It should be ensured that outsourcing does not affect quality of customer service. ... Recommendations References Outsourcing in Hotel Industry Introduction Broad areas of Outsourcing Opportunities for Outsourcing in Hotel Industry Conclusions and Recommendations References Environmental Management in Hotel Industry Introduction Customer Education and Employee Involvement Environmental Management Conclusions and Recommendations References Technology in Hotel Industry Introduction Technology in Hotel Industry Conclusions and Recommendations References Facilities Management in Hotel Industry Introduction According to the International Facilities Management Association (2013a), â€Å"Facility management is a profession that encompasses multiple disciplines to ensure functionality of the built environment by integrating people, place, process and technology.† Therefore, with reference to hotel industry it refers to the whole host of operations which includes front office management, house-keeping, property management and customer service. The metamorphosis of the in dustry over the period of time calls for internationalization at all level for survival. The main aim of this report is concerned with maintenance of quality standards, improving performance through training and development and refurbishment and renovation of the facilities for enhancing the level of customer service. Improved facilities management and HRD practices increase operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Training and development programs suitably designed will motivate the employees and ensures safety of the employees and guests. This will also make the service recovery process efficient in case of service failures. Facilities management According to Mass and Pleunis (2001, p. 28) FM is the responsibility of coordinating efforts in respect of buildings, technology, furniture and