IT Planning at Modmeters Essay

Introduction This paper discusses the various aspects of IT planning at Modmeters Company which has two strategies of expanding globally and providing direct-to-customer sales. The role of IT is important in the expansion initiatives of Modmeters. The executives of various departments held a meeting to identify the budget requirements for the expansion. The plan is to establish new plants in Asia and Eastern Europe where the infrastructure facilities are not sufficient required for the operations at Modemeters. Brian Smith, CIO of Modmeters is worried about these two initiatives as the IT funding was very poor. The company has never invested in reengineering the existing systems, instead, they always introduced new systems on top of the other. John Johnson, CEO wanted to change the name of the company as MM for this updated strategy. The current budget levels at the company are not going support the expansion initiatives. Surprisingly, only 2% of the revenue was allocated to IT. According to Brian, 80% of the IT budget was fixed for running the existing systems and fixing errors. The remaining 20% was allotted based on ROI, where majority of the budget was used by manufacturing department, Human resources and marketing departments having minor share. Brian believed that this kind of budgeting is not effective for their new business strategies (McKeen & Smith, 2012). Brian explains the need to implement flexible systems to support the updated strategies. He stresses on the budget requirements to buy new infrastructure and problems with the existing systems. The systems are not integrated and use different terminologies in different divisions. IT needs investment for infrastructure, underlying processes and to manage the information. However, the outcomes of the budget meeting after having a long discussion were to prioritize the IT projects depending up on their contribution to the key objectives of the company and also how each of them is adding value to the Modmeters. To develop the direct-to-customer sales, the marketing department needs more investment to get the resources. Hence, to implement the new strategic  initiatives at Modemeters, the budget allocated to IT and marketing plays a key role. Recommendations An IT planning process needs to be developed to meet the demands of the new projects. First of all, the IT architecture has to be changed such that the systems are flexible to use. All the divisions should use similar terminology to manage the information and communicate with other divisions. A data dictionary need to be developed to address the terminology issues. IT should be involved in decision making at Modmeters. An enterprise architecture need to be developed to get the best out of IT. Though, I accept that IT projects should be measured in terms of ROI, the current situation at Modmeters is different. The systems are never reengineered and the communication between the systems look like a spaghetti, where failure of each system may lead to a complete failure. There is a need to invest on improving the architecture considering long term advantages of the investment. The IT and business should have a common goals and objectives in developing the existing business. The needs of the manufacturing, marketing, R&D and HR need to be understood and allocate the budget accordingly. Identify the core competencies of IT and a cost-benefit analysis should be made for the projects. The business employees’ opinions should be taken in using technologies. The key business staff needs to be identified and made account managers. They should present their findings to the top management so that, the governance body can look for interoperability of the systems. In the IT vision, guiding principles should be developed which links the business strategies. Meanwhile, existing business requirements and operations should be addressed as a continuous process. A departmental approach should be taken while prioritizing the projects. This approach focuses on improving the business by expanding globally, enabling direct-to-customer sales, satisfying Stan’s auditing needs, making use of existing projects and improving the infrastructure. Account managers should analyze how the proposed project would benefit their respective departments. The IT and business people should work closely while developing strategies. A SWOT analysis should be made while developing the plan. IT should be given enough budget and team work is essential to implement new strategies. The people need to be trained by allocating budget required to HR department.  The resources should be used effectively for the global expansion. A centralized IT structure is essential for Modmeters to share the information between the divisions. Fred, VP of manufacturing should understand the value of IT. At Modmeters, business needs should be understood by IT to deliver the best technology meanwhile, business people should provide necessary funding to IT. Apart from the ROI, Customer satisfaction, greater efficiency, product quality, cash savings and other intangible benefits need to be considered while assessing the business value of a project (Ferris, 2012). The marketing department funding needs to be increased. It is important to enable smooth transition while expanding and change should be managed carefully to be successful. Also, the policies and procedures in the IT plan should comply with the regulations. To conclude, IT and business collaboration is important in strategic IT planning. IT value should be understood by business and business needs should be understood by IT. At Modmeters, reengineering the existing systems, taking a departmental approach, satisfying the departmental needs and funding sufficiently will help to implement the two strategic initiatives. References Mckeen, J. D., & Smith, H. (2012). Delivering Value with IT (2nd ed). New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. Ferris, B. (2012, June 12). How to Measure the Business Value of a Project. Retrieved February 17, 2015, from http://cobaltpm.com/measuring-business-value-of-a-project/

buy custom Divorce in the Bible essay

buy custom Divorce in the Bible essay Divorce is a termination of an effectual matrimony between living spouses. In general, the Bible tells that divorce is evil and stands against it. However, it does not mean that every divorce is sinful in its nature. In many places in Holy Scripture, the Lord shows us the legal grounds for divorce. This question is widely discussed in scholarly articles. I have reviewed and examined three different scholarly articles: Women in the Bible by D. Bergant and B.E. Reid, Divorce, Jewish by Elliot N. Dorff and Divorce by David L. Lieber, BenZion Schereschewsky and Moshe Drori. Despite all these articles are based on the Bible, they have common and different features. These articles pay the biggest attention to the divorce in Judaism. The divorce has been permitted. It has not been considered as something good but rather as a necessary evil. In these articles, we can see that a man had all rights to divorce. Moreover, a woman was subordinate to her husband. The main cause of parting was rooted in the insipidity of the marriage. While Women in the Bible discusses this problem more from the historical point of view, Divorce, Jewish and Divorce examine a modern attitude to this question. According to the academic perspectives on a historical issue in the Bible, it is clear that women played a secondary role in everyday life. A wife was dependent on a husband and sisters were subordinate to their brothers. It was a patriarchal society. Sons carried forward the family name and earned for a living. In Judaism, the divorce has been considered as something sad, but still it has been permitted since the days of the Bible. In addition, in New Testament Jesus says about such sins as adultery and lust and has a negative attitude to divorce. n ancient Israel, this process was an established custom. A Hebrew could send his wife out of his house because of his wish. In Mesopotamia, there was no detailed instruction how to divorce. A man had just to write a bill of divorce and give it to his wife. Therefore, in the Bible the divorce was rather oral declaration, witnessed by the writ. The similar way of divorce had Sumerians. A husband needed to pronounce, You are not my wife and give her some money. These three articles tell that a man has had all rights to divorce. Even a court could not dissolve spouse without the husbands act. In the Divorce, Jewish it is said that only a husband could initiate a divorce. While the Divorce tells that, there were two cases when a husband was not allowed to divorce. The first situation was when he expressed false accusations of his wife having premarital sexual intercourse. And the second was if he raped the virgin. On the other hand, there are no such situations in the Bible showing a man who divorces rapidly and willingly. Therefore, from the historical point of view we can see that all the power belonged to a man. Authors of articles gave examples of different historical epochs. Especially the authors of Divorce provide the information about divorce in ancient Israel, then they tell about later attitude to divorce, and they give some information about the 20th century and finally todays situation. Divorce, Jewish provid es data about ancient and modern Israel. In Divorce and Divorce, Jewish the political issue is also considered. But there are some inconsistencies in these two articles. Elliot N. Dorff writes, if the man refuses to authorize a writ of divorce, the court cannot act in his stead. And authors of Divorce give many cases when divorce is completed. For example, it is said that the decision of the court depends on the existing right of a husband or wife to demand a divorce. In addition, a wife can demand a divorce in case of some physical problems of her husband that can hinder their living together. If she has no children and wishes to have them but her husband is infertile, she can divorce. The other case for a woman to demand a divorce is when her husband refuses to support her despite the fact he is in the position to do so. Divorce, Jewish says that the law follows the School of Hillel, and so the couple do not need to show any evidence to justify their divorce. The authors of Divorce write the same. They write that delivery of the get is enough to break up the marriage in the court. However, Elliot N. Dorff admits that today many Jews have adopted America's individualism and its understanding of marriage. That is why they follow their way to divorce. The authors evidence is solid. There are many references to different sources. The articles have references to the gospel of Matthew, Mark, John, and Luke. What is more, there is information from the Genesis, Deuteronomy, and Mishnah. The political issues are supported by references to Jewish law. Authors of these articles based their reasoning on all these sources. That is why they are logical. To sum up, the problem of divorce in the Bible has been studied by scientists during many years and continues to be studied nowadays. There are many scholarly articles on this theme. Therefore, there are still lots of controversial points about divorce in the Bible. After having examined three articles, I can say that views of different scientists on this question are similar as all of them rely on the same sources. They have logical reasoning and their evidences are solid. Buy custom Divorce in the Bible essay

Common Symptoms of Eye Strain

Common Symptoms of Eye Strain Vision-intensive tasks like reading or computer work can cause the muscles in the eye severe stress, ultimately resulting in a condition known as asthenopia, or eye strain. Straining your eye muscles can produce a variety of symptoms, which means  eye strain can be a debilitating repetitive stress injury. Furthermore, you may not even recognize some of these symptoms as â€Å"eye† problems as the symptoms are typically nonspecific. However, once you understand that these issues can point to  symptoms of eye strain you are well on your way to treating eye strain or preventing eye strain entirely. Symptoms of Eye Strain Due to overwork and repetitive stress, the muscles in your eyes fatigue. The primary symptom associated with early stages of eye strain typically involve the head, neck, or backaches or dizziness and lightheadedness, and although these early symptoms may point to general work-related soreness, its best to give your body a break if you begin to feel pain near or around the eyes. Prolonged, intensive use of the eyes cause their ciliary muscles to tighten, often resulting in spasms or twitches around the eyes. This is the earliest sign directly indicative of eye strain and can intensify to include heaviness of eyelids, blurred or double vision, tired or sore eyes, or even overly watery, itchy or dry eyes.   If left untreated and exposed to continued stress, the pain can intensify resulting in a burning sensation, even with eyes closed.   Other nonspecific symptoms include car sickness, nausea, reading problems, lack of concentration, and general fatigue.   Treating Eye Strain Symptoms Although many of the above symptoms do not directly point to eye strain, if you begin experiencing more than one of these symptoms while undergoing eye-intensive tasks, it is best to take a break and assess your overall well-being. Your first response should be to cease the activity causing tension, close your eyes and relax for five to ten minutes. If you are reading, especially on a computer screen, and begin to experience these symptoms, it is best to allow your eyes and the ciliary muscles to relax by focusing away from the reading material. Focus instead on an object considerably further away. This relaxes the strained muscles of your eye and interrupts the repetitive stress of continued reading. Doing this over the course of working on eye-intensive tasks may reduce your chance of straining your eyes.   If your symptoms do not lessen as a result, you may have over-stressed your eyes. In this case, the best solution is to turn out all the lights in the room and allow your eyes to fully relax in the dark. If you are experiencing a burning sensation even with your eyes closed, covering them with a cold compress (nothing too cold, like ice) should alleviate some of the tenderness. Over time of non-use, your eyes will recover on their own. If symptoms continue to occur, even after a long rest, consult your physician as this may be indicative of a larger optical issue.   Effects of Eye Strain Chronic eye strain may also be a significant factor in learning and attention problems. Without the ability to see or read without significant discomfort, you may find yourself unable to retain information due to the distraction of pain. Chronic pain, if left untreated, may cause your vision to suffer, eventually resulting in blindness. Fortunately, diagnosing eye strain is rather easy since these symptoms typically only appear during a visually intensive task. When youre undergoing such stressful work, be sure to be aware of the fatigue of your eyes. Take breaks often and desist if eye pain continues for more than 30 minutes.

Marketing and health care Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing and health care - Research Paper Example However, healthcare industry is too diversified and complex which makes it difficult to be treated with a single perspective. Hence, the marketing management problems are also complex with no single solution. This paper looks into factors leading to marketing success of banking sector and has attempted to relate these strategies to healthcare marketing. The concept of marketing incorporates certain important variables like customer focus, profitability, integration as well as coordination of marketing along with other major functional areas like that of finance, human resources, logistics, purchasing and operations as well (Stahl, 2003, p. 348). Now, there is stark differentiation between marketing concepts in different industries and now we will be discussing the differentiation between marketing in banking sector and marketing in health care industry. The scope of marketing in the banking sector can be considered under the purview service marketing framework. Marketing in banking sector not only include the service selling of the bank but it is also deemed as a function reflecting personality and image for the bank on the mind of its customers. A sizeable number of banks are now applying more customer oriented approach as compared to the fast moving consumer goods marketing counterparts (Withey, 2012, p.33). The marketing concept s of the banks are applied in their price, distribution, promotion, personal selling, and advertising, public relations as well as selling promotional tools. These fall within the context of marketing mix within the banking sector (Jayarum & Kotwani, n.d., p.421). In terms of commodities and service, health care can be also defined as a product or service but the definition of health care is rather ill defined with the outcome attaches a large scale uncertainty. Larger segment of the industry gets

Research on Sharia law Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

On Sharia law - Research Paper Example , the origins of Sharia laws derive from a combination of laws, like Roman laws, contents of the Holy Koran (qiyas), teachings of Prophet Mohammed and present day assimilations of ancient legal interpretations and treatises (ijmas). However, an interesting aspect of Shari has been that in their countries of acceptance and faith, different interpretations exist for these laws. Modernists, traditionalists and fundamentalists all hold different views of Sharia, as do adherents to different schools of Islamic thought and scholarship. Different countries and cultures have varying interpretations of Sharia as well. Thus, Sharia practices in African countries may be quite different from those in Arab countries. On the other hand, Muslim population in India may have different cultural and sociological interpretation of Sharia than what is being done in Indonesia, or Yemen, for that matter. Thus, what is important is the sociological background of these laws in the context of respective countries where these laws are followed. Moreover, it is also seen that Islam has two sub sects – Sunnis and Shias. It is now necessary to consider the differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims, which essentially finds the difference in religion but politics. This is primarily because it concerns leadership matters subsequent to the prophet’s era and what led to division of Muslim sect soon after the death Mohammed. When the question arose as to who would inherit the mantle of the Prophet, of one sect believed that leadership should be taken over by one of his worthy followers. But Shias believed th at leadership should move to the member of his own kith or kin, like his son- in- law, or nephew. Thus, major differences arose between Sunnis and Shias, such that the latter were not able to ever reconcile themselves to the fact that Ali’s descendants were not provided due leadership in the Muslim order after the lifetime of Prophet. Thus, they refused to accept the authority of Sunni

Fairy tales Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Fairy tales - Essay Example Children find such tales so interesting because some of the fairy tales touch on their every day experience. Parents should expose their children to some of the fairy tales when they turn five. Children will concentrate more in listening to fairy tales when relaxing, especially when they are about to retire to bed. Fairy tales are not just associated with children. They are very much important to teens. They are important to teens because they build on their emotional resilience. Parents should show their responsibility in taking care of the family by showing the teens about the reality of life. This will make them know and appreciate that problems do not come to people because they are bad, but rather problems are faced by people in order to make them stronger and to be able to survive in any environment no matter how complicated it is. There are a lot of lessons we can learn from fairy tales. Some of them range from the society’s perception of the role of a girl child to chi ld trafficking. In most societies, including China’s, boys have been traditionally valued than girls. You find boys given the best kind of education, given opportunity in places of work and at the same time given an opportunity to marry any girl he wishes, sometimes with the help of the parents. This is not only common in China but also other nations though the situation is now changing. This paper therefore aims at drawing illustrations based on the issues that affect children and some of the ways in which parents and relatives have contributed to such problems. Most of the illustrations will however be drawn from children fairy tales like Disneyland for clarifications. Girls lack freedom of choice. This is because they are always viewed as weaker sex. In as much as many people could hold similar opinion about girls, I tend to wonder the kind of criterion such people have always used to measure weaknesses of girls. Perhaps one of the reasons for holding such belief is the fa ct that boys tend to be a little bit brave as compared to girls. Boys’ brevity can be seen in the way they handle situations, friends and enemies, animals, scary movies and tales. Some girls, on the other hand, are more afraid of touching animals and certain insects; they also fear scary movies like horrors. However much people feel that girls are naturally born weaker sex and that they are always cowards, this again should not be true with all girls; certain girls are braver just like there are certain boys who are cowards. The ability to be brave or cowardice depends on certain factors, some of them being entirely dependent on genes. Generalizing that all girls are cowards or all boys should be brave is a fact that does not hold water. Besides, should it be the reason why most societies do not have respect for girl child? If it is so then it is regrettable because creation is an occurrence which is beyond human understanding. Certain tales teach about the power of confidenc e. A good example is (Cinderella) the girl who falls in love with a prince and despite her poor background, breaks all odds to marry the handsome prince. This is done against the wishes of many including the step sister. The view that girls are inferior is something that even women appreciate. They are not given a chance to choose what they feel is best for them. In Cinderella, Cinderella’s step sister falls in love with a mere baker, a love triangle that later leads to marriage. Cinderella’

Customer Loyalty in a Business To Business Context Essay Example for Free

Customer Loyalty in a Business To Business Context Essay Customer loyalty is considered to be a powerful tool for most organizations in ensuring that they gain a competitive advantage in their respective industries ( Lam, Shankar, Erramilli, Bvsan, 2004, p. 294). Customer loyalty is necessary for ensuring that organizations remain profitable while also achieving growth through reaching out to new market grounds. The importance of customer loyalty in the world of economics has developed gradually as an area of study especially business to business (B2B) environments. This is due to the need to study and identify factors that ensure customer loyalty is maintained and even increased, according to Haghkhah et al. , (2013, p. 156). Haghkhah, et al., (2013, p. 156) further noted that increased competition for customers in the market signifies that business ought to react even faster and more specific to the demands and wants of clients in order to win their loyalty. For this reason, marketers in most organizations tend to focus on customer retention techniques and also to lay an emphasis on increasing their loyalty levels. In order to achieve this, B2B has offered vast opportunities to ensure that most organizations achieve their objectives of customer retention and loyalty. Thus, the latter shows the importance of understanding customer retention and loyalty as an important area of the research study. Customer loyalty is viewed as a behavior of repetitive buying and further developed moving forward with factors such as antecedents, consequences, and factors. This has led the researcher to gain an interest in conducting further research on customer retention and loyalty, therefore, this research paper will be on the various ways and techniques that organizations can implement in order to increase customer loyalty in a B2B context Customer loyalty According to Haghkhah, et al., (2013, p. 157) a high rate of loyalty in a B2B environment is a competitive advantage to the seller due to the clients willingness to pay a higher price for goods and sensitive since they start becoming less price sensitive as a result of trust that has been gained. This means that the income generated is likely to increase and remain stable to move forward Customer loyalty is viewed as a strategy that aims at ensuring customers gain behaviour of repetitive purchasing from the same company. Customer loyalty in a B2B environment achieves a mutual reward that benefits both the customer and the organization. It is usually considered as ways of gaining competitive advantage by an organization over its competitors. Various companies have applied the strategy of maintaining customer loyalty since it is considered cheaper in regard trying to gain new customers in order to increase their revenue base. ÄÅ'ater.T ÄÅ'ater.B (2010, p. 1322) view customer loyalty based on activities such as contract renewal, making recommendations to clients and increasing patronage in a business to business environments. They further note that these factors will likely influence the level of loyalty to clients of an organization. In other research, customer loyalty in a B2B environment is based on the experiences of the client, the future expectations that a client may have about the organization and the frequency at which a customer buys goods and services from the organization( haghkhah, Abdul Hamid, Ebrahimpour, Roghanian, Gheysari, 2013, p. 158). Further, (ÄÅ'ater ÄÅ'ater, 2010) notes that in order to influence the loyalty of clients in a B2B context, and then the organization has to understand the behaviour of the client and the attitude of the client. Literature review 2.1 Limitations and Gap in Literature The field of customer loyalty is one that has much information, but very little attention has been given to business-to-business scenarios. Most previous research has mainly focused on the customer’s point of view (Mascareigne, 2009). This could be because most view customer retentions as a behavioral factor. (Ranaweera Prabhu, 2003) In any economy, businesses have to transact to perform their daily operations. Some businesses, such as audit firms, exist to serve other businesses. Extensive research on this area could aid other businesses to learn the dynamics of customer loyalty amongst themselves. A major limitation that was also experienced in the research was the over generalization of the research based on a B2B context. Since different businesses have different operations and strategies, some aspects may works for a certain sector that may not necessarily work for another. For example, concepts that may be used to increase customer loyalty in the banking sector, may not work in the manufacturing sector. According to Buttle (2008, p. 267) commitment is defined as the relationship that exist between the two firms and is likely to be terminated at a reasonable future date. In a B2B environment, the commitment shared by the two firms is usually on a mutual agreement. Doma (2013, p. 72) notes that commitment between two firms is usually bonded by trust among the two firms. The level of trust that is usually shared by the two or more firms that conduct business affects their commitment framework. The more a firm is committed to another increases the level of loyalty shared by the two firms. Moorman Rust (1999, p. 183) in their research notes that commitment is usually the level of effort that is put by firms in ensuring a valuable relationship enjoyed by the two firms is maintained in the long term. The relationship usually has economic benefits for the two firms in their bid to ensure they remain profitable in their operations. For this reason, there exists a belief among organizations that the relationship has economic benefits; thus efforts are put in maintaining it. However, according to Hennig-Thurau (2004, p. 463) states that many scholars tend to argue that there is no major difference between loyalty and commitment. That school of thought has been dismissed by Morgan Hunt (1999, p. 24) who argued there is a difference between loyalty and commitment. They, however, noted that the two are related, with a commitment being an antecedent of loyalty. This means that commitment is a factor in B2B environment that will increase the level of loyalty. This also meant th at the existence of commitment had a strong positive impact on the level of commitment. Shabbir et al. (2007, p. 280) in their research demonstrated that commitment is an antecedent of loyalty. They argued that commitment in the B2B environment, it played a central role in ensuring that loyalty is always maintained and even increased to higher levels. Sharma, et al. (2006, p. 77) in their study note that commitment is the situation whereby there is a desire to make a relationship stronger with another person or even group due to familiarity or even friendship has that has been developed over time due to the personal interaction that has occurred between the two over a period of time(Eakuru Mat, 2008, p. 125). Therefore, commitment should be as a result of identifying the values that are shared commonly between two organizations. It is crucial to note that the customer will retain a relationship with another party due to the positive effect they have with the supplier. At times, a client may be forced to continue staying in a relationship with another party due to lack of valuable options that may be available to them (Fullerton, 2005, p. 1388). However, most relationships are maintained with a commitment as a result of the benefits that both parties will benefit from (Brandi, 2001, p. 67). When commitment is the guiding principle of B2B environment, and one organization performs poorly in comparison to the incumbent organization, then due to the level of commitment shared the partners are unlikely to switch to other options (Stephan , 2002, p. 20). This makes a commitment an underlying factor that will help in influencing the level of loyalty in a B2B environment (Stephan , 2002, p. 33). Akin (2012) gives an example, in comparing the loyal between customers with low loyalty and customers with high loyalty and explains that customers with high loyalty will be not be swayed by discounted prices from other suppliers. Therfore, the higher the level of commitment that will be shared between organizations an increase in loyalty levels between the organizations will be experienced. If the level of commitment is increased through activities such as contract renewal and making of recommendations to the other organization, it will in turn increase the level of loyalty enjoyed by the two firms. Therefore, if organizations want to increase the rate of exit by their clients, then they have to build a relationship that will be founded on a commitment. Commitment will in turn increase the level of loyalty in a B2B environment. This will ensure that the future of the organization is maintained as it will continue making profit. In a study conducted by CITATION Gus05 l 1033 (Gustavsson Lundgren, 2005) they give an example whereby airline companies use their frequent flyer programs as a means to enhance repeated purchase through provision of economic incentives to ensure that they increase and also maintain loyal among their clients. 2.2 Theories and Methodologies A common principle that has emerged from the total quality management (TQM) movement is that the decisive path, to retaining customers, is to satisfy their needs (Colby, 2013). The theory holds that if by identifying what customers expect and by meeting these requirements and expectations, these customers are less likely to opt for the services given by a competitor. Past research conducted by Colby (2013) has shown a positive relationship between satisfaction and loyalty. In other words, if a client is satisfied with the services offered by a business, the client is bound to be loyal to the business. Other studies have also identified a positive relationship between service quality and customer loyalty (Van Es, 2012). However, a certain level of satisfaction does not always guarantee the desired loyalty. In a certain survey, Colby suggested four indicators of customer loyalty and this include; demographics, past behavior, perception of gain or loss of switching to a different brand and attitudes towards openness to new brands. Studying these four indicators can give a better understanding of customer loyalty. For instance, if a business expects to save on costs by transacting with another business, then they are most likely to be loyal to that particular partnership. The attitudinal approach takes a view of purchase behavior and tends to explain in terms of values, beliefs and attitudes. Deterministic theory entails the logical relationship between variables and researchers in this field are responsible for identifying which variables affect customer loyalty. It appears to be acceptable to most cognitive researchers that attitude comes before behavior in a scenario that involves repurchasing a product and is very important because attitude comes before a choice. The behavioral approach holds that internal processes cannot be measured and, therefore, have no place in research (Bennet Bove, 2002). Understanding customer loyalty in a B2B scenario is a long term relationship regardless of the importance of the transactions. Both methods may differ in views but can be both used to understand the concept. Although customer loyalty research has evolved over the years, most of this research uses a logical empiricist paradigm(Paavola, 2006). Information about customer loyalty has been derived mainly from cognitive psychology, with theories about attitude forming most of the work. Current theoretical framework could, therefore, bring a new perspective into the loyalty research. Paavola (2006) uses the social constructionism paradigm to examine the notion of customer loyalty critically. The study gives a detailed description of customer loyalty that is based on the social reality of customers. The results imply that different types of loyalty should be taken into considerations when making managerial implementations. Categorization can also be very beneficial when it comes to future loyalty research. Most theories, which are associated with loyalty studies, deal with issues such as loyalty programs, customer satisfaction, customer value, service quality and social bonds (Jacobsen, Olsson, Sjovall, 2004). A model constructed by Jacobsen, Olsson and Sjovall (2004) shows that social bonds have the most significant effect on customer loyalty with companies in the banking sector. The study shows that the most important factors, in maintaining customer loyalty in the banking sector, were social bonds and personnel. This is because, banking services are very similar and to survive in such as market, strong competitive personnel are required to make the right connections. The same study revealed that monetary benefits are not a significant factor in that area of business. According to Kuusik (2007), the factors, trustworthiness, satisfaction, importance of relationship and image are important factors that play a role in the different levels of customer loyalty. Traditionally, most research has focussed on either the influence of individual factors on loyalty or the nature of different levels of loyalty. It is important to not only view loyalty through behavioural criteria, but also attitudinal criteria as well. Behavioural clients could be divided into; forced to be loyal, functionally loyal and loyal due to inertia (Kuusik, 2007). For instance, in a B2B context, when a certain company is a monopoly, getting supplies from them is the only logical answer, and this forces a company to be loyal by force. Businesses can be loyal by inertia due to the importance of a certain process. If the process is of low importance, then there is practically no need to get another partner. This can happen in situations where the transaction is routine such as trash- pickup. Functionality loyalty is gained from when organizations have to partner with other organizations because they have an objective reason to be. Research has shown that inertia is a situation opposite to loyalty CITATION Aki12 l 4105 (Akin, 2012). For example, a business may select another business since they require minimal effort to reach them. Dahlgren (2005) used multivariate data analysis techniques to build a link between dimensions of brand loyalty and to capture the different levels of customer loyalty. The result showed several differences in the loyalty dimensions. In a similar study, Kuusik (2007) uses a LOGIT regression model to determine the significant factors that affect customer loyalty. The model comprises of various factors that affect customer loyalty. The study reveals that image, satisfaction, importance of relationship and trustworthiness are the most significant factors in loyalty research. According to East et al. (2005) the definition of loyalty is useful if they can be used to predict phenomena such as search, retention, and recommendation. The authors establish that combination measures of customer loyalty often act as poor indicators of consumer loyalty as compared to other singular indicators such as recommendations. Apart from viewing these combinations to be of limited value, the research also establishes that there is no form of loyalty that always predicts different loyalty outcomes and a general concept of loyalty should be abandoned (East, Gendall, Hammond, Lomax, 2005). For instance, instead of using indicators such as loyalty programs and money rewards, researchers should either look for retention of customers and any recommendation given by them. 2.3 Identifying relationships between ideas and practice to increase loyalty in a B2B context Various ideas have been drafted in order to increase customer loyalty in a B2B context. For example, from the above review, it is noted that identification of the companys prospects and acting on them will help in increasing the loyalty. However a company can deliver on all the needs of their clients, but the delivery of their services will influence the level of loyalty moving forward. If when delivering all the needs of their client, and they produce a poor delivery service, then this will likely lead to a decrease in loyalty level. For example according to Akin (2012) factors that help increasing the loyalty of customers is high-level service quality delivered by firms that will lead to a high level of customer satisfaction. In another scenario, companies tend to try and find ways in which they can influence the frequency at which their clients access their websites for information. However, research indicates that half of the customers get information from their website. The lack of companies to invest and provide websites that are easy to access and provide the necessary information to their clients will lead to a decline in the level of loyalty. For this reason, there is a clear distinction between the ideas developed to increase loyalty and the practices a company will adopt. Conclusion From this literature review, it can be shown that various researches have tried to establish the existence of a positive relationship between loyalty and aspects such as service quality and customer satisfaction. Some studies have employed the use of correlation analysis to investigate this relationship. Correlation research allows a researcher to determine whether a relationship between variables exists, it allows one to define the extent of the relationship between the variables (Gall, Gall, Bord, 2005). Qualitative and quantitative research methods both have their benefits and drawbacks. For instance, when the correlation between two variables has been established, it still does not tell the researcher what should be done, but rather what can be done. Qualitative methods, as used by Paavola (2006), can also bring out knowledge that is not familiar with other researchers. The results can also be influenced by the researcher’s personal biases. However, some of these studies tend to cover wide areas that may take long periods of research. The benefits of customer retention have been recognized by many researchers (Feihua, 2011). In the business to business scenario, certain aspects of retaining a customer bring out themselves than conducting business with the ordinary customers. For instance, paying attention to the ordinary, like attending meetings on time is not a necessary, but a crucial habit to consider. In a B2B relationship, the parties are more defined, and this is based on the assumption that both parties are seeking common benefits in the relationship (Oy, 2010). In a normal business to customer relationship, the dissolution of the relationship ends up in the consumer leaving the services of the provider. In the B2B setup, the end of the relationship is thought in terms of a process while in switching is thought as just as a change in the relationship. In customer loyalty research, perhaps it would be of vital importance to consider the industry in which the research is being conducted on. In industries wher e the businesses provide similar services, social bonds could be the prevalent factor that promotes consumer loyalty between businesses. In other industries, where the services offered are different, probably loyalty programs and monetary rewards could be the way to win customer loyalty. References Akin, E. (2012). Literature Review and Discussion on Customer Loyalty and Consciousness. European Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Sciences, 158-170. Brandi, J. (2001). Building Customer Loyalty: The 21 Essential Elements in Action. Texas: The Walk The Talk Company. Buttle, F. (2008). Customer Relationship Management (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge. Doma, S. A. (2013). Relationship Quality as Predictor of B2B Customer Loyalty. SYSTEMICS, CYBERNETICS AND INFORMATICS, 111(1), 72-78. Gustavsson, S., Lundgren, E. (2005). 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