Quality in Product and Service design

Introduction Quality is regarded as a very important part of life today, which has become necessary for businesses to compete effectively in the market (Dhillon, 2005, p.123). Generally, product quality directly affects consumer loyalty and company profitability (Mital, et al. 2008, p.78).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Quality in Product and Service design specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The concept is both vital in both manufacturing and service sectors, and has continuously played an important role in providing assurance to the safety of customers (Sower 2010, p.3). In addition, quality of a product or service has often being defined as ‘fitness for purpose’ (Chitale and Gupta 2007, p.332). This definition provides the impression that, for any industry or enterprise to be successful and accomplish its set goals effectively it has to possess the ability to supply products of excellent quality at minimal cost and also at minimum waiting time for the customer. Khanna sees quality as â€Å"the totality of features of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy the customer’s stated or implied needs† (Khanna, 2007, p.64). The author further believes that quality has the sole responsibility of providing satisfaction to both actual and perceived needs. Upon the inception of the concept of quality, the concern in many industries rested on checking raw materials before production and finished goods after production in order to attain quality objectives (Chitale and Gupta, 2007, p.332). But today, quality has become important to both the customer and the supplier whereby if a product is largely inadequate, it usually incurs additional costs for inspection, testing, scrap, rework and the handling of numerous complaints and this often heap many claims on the part of the supplier. Further, on the part of service industries, errors, checking enquiries and comp laint handling always lead to loss of efficiency and productivity, thus affecting the repeat sales and future markets. Therefore, quality has become a vital element in industries and it has to be ensured in all key areas of marketing, design, purchasing, production or operation and distribution.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Quality of design Most industries adopt different product design strategies where the ultimate goal becomes that of satisfying the customers. But it becomes necessary that the design of a product or service should integrate the features and attributes that provide satisfaction to the customer needs. Design quality essentially gives value to a product in the market place and hence graduates to be regarded as an important strategic issue (Khanna, 2007, p.65). With regards to this, the most vital feature of the design in relation to quality is the specifi cation which, in general terms, describes the product in a more comprehensive manner of all the aspects that are required to give full satisfaction to the customer’s needs. Therefore, specification becomes the benchmark upon which the maximum tolerable variations that can be accepted from the particular attribute (Khanna, 2007). Design quality has numerous dimensions that are employed in understanding the concept of product and service better: Performance, performance in this case constitute the basic operating characteristics of a product where the customers have the opportunity to evaluate the quality of a product by making comparison between the performance of the product or service with another similar products which are available in the market and given by the competitors (Khanna, 2007); Features, these vital elements constitute secondary characteristics which supplement the primary characteristics as outlined under performance. These characteristics often influence the perception held by the consumer concerning quality; Reliability, reliability in Product and service design refers to the probability of a product failing within a specified period of time. Many customers have come to show preferences to products with high reliability as compared to the products with low reliability and this particular phenomenon is always exhibited to products and services of high value; Durability, durability in this case is used to indicate the operational life of a product whereby some particular products are prone to complete failure after some period of time and hence have to be replaced fully while others may experience partial failure and therefore restored to their original performance through repairs (Khanna, 2007); Serviceability, serviceability is an indicator that shows the easiness with which a product can be repaired upon experiencing failure and from this if a product has the ability to be repaired easily and speedily, the availability of the product improves while at the same time leading to reduction in repair costs. On the other hand, the dimensions of quality for a service are somehow different from those of a product whereby the service quality is evaluated with regard to time taken to make the service available and also the manner in which there is the interaction between the service provider and the customer. In this case therefore, the dimensions of service quality will largely include: Timeliness, which is the assurance that the service will be available at the appropriate and desired time; Completeness, which generally indicated the degree to which the customer is provided with almost everything he or she asks for; Courtesy, which largely measures how customers are treated by the service employees; Consistency, whereby it becomes necessary to provide the same level of service to each customer each time; Accessibility and convenience – this particular aspect refers to the ease with which a service can be made available; and lastly Accuracy, which is the correctness with which the service is able to be provided (Khanna, 2007). The role of quality in product and service design The key to success in business lies in establishing what the consumers need and, in cost effective way, providing the products and services that give satisfaction and happiness to them (Jackson and Frigon, 1998, p.20). Products and services usually get description basing on attributes with regards to performance but at the same time, customers will frequently review the quality of a product or service in terms of their reaction to their experience with the particular product or service. From this, it becomes vital for the business to participate in a thorough evaluation of presales, sales, delivery operation and post sales with the view of defining the appropriate product or service (Jackson and Frigon 1998, p.20). Moreover, data collected concerning the products and services provided a particular business which lar gely reflects the customer and the marketplace operation is refereed to us, the Voice of the Customer (VOC). Today, businesses are pressure to ‘listen’ to the Voice of the Customer which enables the particular business to learn the attributes of the entire customer experience in accordance to the products or services consumed by the customer. From these data, the business is able to determine what needs to be done in order to achieve customer satisfaction and essentially in most instances customer satisfaction is achieved through combining elements of performance, schedule and price (Quality, Schedule and Cost).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Quality in Product and Service design specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The attributes that add to customer satisfaction are always categorized into four types; expectors, spoken, unspoken and exciters (Jackson and Frigon 1998, p.21). Expectors are attributes w hich customers regard less important but if they are omitted they result into customer dissatisfaction, spoken characteristics are the ones the customer species and always appear in written descriptions expressing quality elements that the customer would prefer, on the other hand the unspoken characteristics have same importance as the spoken characteristics but largely constitute those elements that the customer forgot about, did not know about or did not want to talk about, the last type of characteristics are those that excite customers and customers rarely talk about them and also rarely thing about them but will be talked possibly in vague terms by the customer and they will largely be satisfiers and not dissatisfiers (Jackson and Frigon 1998, p.21). Role of quality in product design is essential in that it should reflect on the specific customer needs (Evans 2007, p.123). Customer expectations need to be identified correctly with no misinterpretation for the final product to b e regarded as of high quality (Evans 2007, p.123). The importance of systematic processes to design has been attached to product improvements and also the processes that establish them. Customer needs should be identified and used for the purposes of product planning. For majority of firms’ product design has been regarded as a key value creation process and therefore there is need for firms to have efficient processes that can be used to translate customer needs into product requirements through the processes of selecting key process performance elements considering customer needs, addressing quality needs early in the process of design, coordinating and integrating designs with production and delivery systems. Techniques used to measure quality ISO 9000 Standard provided a comprehensive definition of quality by stating that quality is essentially concerned by the customers’ needs and the ability to satisfy them in the most efficient ways (Mishra 2009, p.237; Webber a nd Wallace 2007). Customers are regarded to have the capability to evaluate whether a product meets the specifications that have been outlined and from this, quality is concerning with fulfilling the needs of the customer. In most cases there has been the existence of two main principal approaches that have been utilized with aim of ensuring that products and services fulfill the needs of the customer (Mishra 2009, p.237). The approaches generally used are, quality control and quality assurance. Quality control constitutes techniques that are employed in identifying products that falls short of the required specification (Mishra 2009, p.237).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The technique usually carry out inspections after the production of the product has been done and at the same time, the technique can result in very high costs as huge resources would have been used to bring about the products that do not meet the required specifications. In eliminating or reducing on the high costs of the quality control technique, a second approach in measuring quality is adopted. The technique is known as quality assurance whereby the technique pays attention to the processes that give rise to the product and not on the product itself (Mishra 2009). The interest on the processes that give rise to the product ensures that only products and services that fulfill customer needs are created and the approach aims to get rid of the underlying weaknesses in the process that may lead to defective products and services. These descriptions give the picture of quality assurance as largely interested in prevention and not remedial actions especially after the defects have oc curred (Mishra 2009). In achieving the goals of quality assurance, it is necessary that the needs of the customer are adequately understood and an effective and reliable quality system designed. Integrating Quality Function Deployment approach (QFD) Quality Function Deployment (QFD) provides a method for listening to the Voice of the Customer and providing adequate answers to it. QFD aims at maximizing customer satisfaction and eliminating dissatisfaction (Bolt and Mazur 1999). The methodology has been accepted by many countries in developing products and services by enhancing ability to give answers to the Voice of the Customer and in cost effective way, providing the desired products and services on time, every time. Major firms have reported that using QFD has enabled them to put reduction to the product development cycle time by almost 75 per cent while at the same time realizing positive improvement in customer satisfaction (Jackson and Frigon 1998, p.33). Hence, using QFD has become advantageous for firms especially for competitive reasons, profit realization and growth of wealth; furthermore, QFD has graduated as a method for listening to customers, thereby optimizing design, materials and processes with aim of ensuring customers expectations are fully satisfied and quality becomes to be evaluated on the basis of the customer’s satisfaction with a particular product or service. To this end implementing QFD will requires resources of the Voice of the Customer in all functional areas of research and development, engineering, sales and marketing, purchasing, quality operations, manufacturing, packaging and after-market support and this sequence ensures the specific firm operates collaboratively in support of designing, developing, producing and servicing its products and services. Conclusion The modern world of doing business is becoming challenging in terms of competition while customers, who are consumers of most products and services, are becomin g more educated and informed. Customers are having unchallenged desire to have the best possible ‘bargain’ for the money and time they invest in obtaining particular products and services. These desires and other vital factors have exerted pressure on firms to adopt effective approaches that are intended to ensure quality management for their products and services. In addition, firms are vigorously participating in producing products and services that are of good quality that provide satisfaction to the consumers. Moreover, consumers’ preferences therefore are going to dictate the quality standards of most firms in terms of producing the required products and services and hence for the firms to remain competitive and realize growth, they need to embrace efficient and effective quality management techniques and approaches in their product and service design. Reference List Bolt, A. and Mazur, G. H., 1999. Integrating Service and Product Quality Function Deployment . University of Michigan. Web. Available from: http://www.mazur.net/works/jurassic_qfd.pdf . Chitale, A. K. and Gupta, R. C., 2007. Product Design and Manufacturing. New Delhi, PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=CFlyglsIINYCpg=PA332dq=Quality+in+Product+and+Service+designhl=enei=95NfTICdNYjz4gamy4TXBwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCsQ6AEwADgK#v=onepageq=Quality%20in%20Product%20and%20Service%20designf=false . Dhillon, B. S., 2005. Reliability, quality, and safety for engineers. NY, Taylor Francis. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=vUI_B-zdSXMCpg=PA123dq=importance+of+quality+in+product+and+service+designhl=enei=u7lfTO2RHIP44AbK8oneBwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=6ved=0CE8Q6AEwBQ#v=onepageq=importance%20of%20quality%20in%20product%20and%20service%20designf=false . Evans, J. R., 207. Quality and Performance Excellence: Management, Organization, and Strategy. Cengage Learning. Web. Available from: https://bo oks.google.com/books?id=cp0k20nfMBcCpg=PA124dq=importance+of+quality+in+product+and+service+designhl=enei=_LpfTK-KFcqq4AaS-Z33Bwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=3ved=0CDcQ6AEwAjgK#v=onepageq=importance%20of%20quality%20in%20product%20and%20service%20designf=false . Jackson, H. K. and Frigon, N. L., 1998. Fulfilling customer needs: a practical guide to capacity management. NY, John Wiley and Sons. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=uZt9jdGOKuYCpg=PA27dq=role+of+quality+in+product+and+service+designhl=enei=M7BfTNBC4pXiBrHe1KgHsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=5ved=0CEcQ6AEwBDgK#v=onepageqf=false . Khanna. 2007. Production and Operations Management. New Delhi, HI Learning Pvt. Ltd. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=GgxdXnfKhHgCpg=PA66dq=Quality+in+Product+and+Service+designhl=enei=95NfTICdNYjz4gamy4TXBwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=7ved=0CFEQ6AEwBjgK#v=onepageq=Quality%20in%20Product%20and%20Service%20designf=false . Mishra, D. K., 2009. Op eration management: Critical Perspectives on Business. New Delhi, Global India Publications. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=Gp6jDnUb7gICpg=PA237dq=quality+control+techniques+used+to+meet+customer+needshl=enei=Fr9fTKjvJsWA4QbFx_DRBwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=9ved=0CF8Q6AEwCA#v=onepageq=quality%20control%20techniques%20used%20to%20meet%20customer%20needsf=false . Mital, A. et al. 2008. Product development: a structured approach to consumer product development, design, and manufacture. MA, Butterworth-Heinemann. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=AE1kFh_sdVACpg=PA72dq=importance+of+quality+in+product+and+service+designhl=enei=4qxfTJ__LsT44gbixMXRBwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=4ved=0CD8Q6AEwAw#v=onepageq=importance%20of%20quality%20in%20product%20and%20service%20designf=false . Sower, V. E., 2010. Essentials of Quality with Cases and Experiential Exercise. NJ, John Wiley and Sons. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books ?id=l-vc5QAbP8UCpg=PA53dq=Quality+in+Product+and+Service+designhl=enei=ppFfTJD8BoL34Ab1yNj4Bwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=2ved=0CDQQ6AEwAQ#v=onepageq=Quality%20in%20Product%20and%20Service%20designf=false . Webber, L. and Wallace, M., 2007. Quality Control for Dummies. NJ, Wiley Publishing Inc. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=9BWkxto2fcECprintsec=frontcoverdq=what+is+quality+controlhl=enei=Y8NfTKjUHpPc4ga_orWmBwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=5ved=0CEQQ6AEwBA#v=onepageqf=true . 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Economic Prosperity of Peru essays

Economic Prosperity of Peru essays In 1532 the Spanish soldier and adventurer Francisco Pizarro conquered the Inca Empire, creating a catalyst for the creation of a new colonial society. Steve Stern discusses the manner in which the indigenous peoples of Huamanga met the challenge of European conquest in his piece entitled, "Peru's Indian Peoples and the Challenge of Spanish Conquest". When the conquistadors first arrived, there appears to have been a mutual attraction and dependency between the Spaniards and indigenous peoples. Stern cites for example that the military skills of the Spaniards intrigued the native aristocracy, the kurakas, and helped local Andean society recognize their new "masters". Besides this element of respect, the local societies of Huamanga saw an alliance with the Spaniards as an efficient way to break from Inca rule and to "protect and advance their own ethnic interests". Hence, it could be said that there was a mutual cooperation between the Spaniards and indigenous people at first. India ns were extremely open to the Spaniard's influence and way of life at first. Joining with them, they believed in the creation of a new society for the financial and commercial profit. However, as Stern mentions, this alliance did not imply that life was without conflict. As in most cases, when there is an ongoing struggle for power, violence is practically inevitable. Peru was no exception. Early relations displayed an uneasy mixture of force, negotiation, and alliance (34). Like the alliance between the two groups, the violence was also shared; Indians abused African slaves and Indians were often subjected to "whipping, looting, and rape by Spaniards, blacks, mestizos, and mulattos" (34). As the Spanish rule continued, the relationship between the Spaniards and the indigenous peoples worsened. Stern mentions labor as one of the elements of civilization that caused negative effects. Spaniards employed Indians for the majority of their labor force, squeezin...

Flavonoids - Critical regulators of seed development Literature review

Flavonoids - Critical regulators of seed development - Literature review Example It has been observed that the size of a seed has influence on the germination process as well as on how the plant survives and grows in the long run. Seeds that are large in size generally possess greater germination and survival power that smaller sized seeds (USDA Forest Service, 2010, pp.132-137). This reflects on the importance of the seed size in the development of the seed. Mizuno et al had mentioned that when hybridization is considered in relation to development of seeds, the speciation of hybrid can be learnt to be present in two classifications. These classifications depend on the ploidy level of the plant and thus can be either homoploid or polyploidy. Genetic incompatibilities might occur in the process of such hybridization that might be considered as barriers for the process. The barriers in the hybridization process might occur as a result of the abnormalities in the hybrid like the hybrid necrosis that includes a reproductive isolation in the plant development phenomenon (Mizuno et al, 2010). According to Thompson et al, flavonoids and transporters of flavonoids are necessary in the developmental process of seeds. The Arabidopsis flavonoid transporter plays a major role in seed development. The flavonoids protect the seeds from the ultraviolet light as well as pigmenting the flowers of the plants for the enhancement of pollination which is essential for seed development. The flavonoids regulate the transport of auxin in the seed. What is more important is the manner in which the compounds conduct their transportation in between the synthesis site to the necessary cell location and tissues (Thompson et al, 2009, pp.439-451). Studies of Fulton et al represent the fact that the behavior of a cell needs controlling measures that are efficiently conducted by intercellular signaling. The integument cell development has been observed in the Arabidopsis that presents the

Manager of a company Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Manager of a company - Assignment Example When it comes to organization in the company, the manager is in charge, be it getting parts to be used in the manufacturing department or distribution of finances and resources to all the departments which is facilitated by the finances and human resources departments. The company has an information system that helps the management know the number of employees in each department and required for each shift; night and day shifts. When it comes to management it’s mostly about leadership though these are two different activities; management of employees and the company resources is led by the top level manager. The manager supervises all the activities through the various departmental leaders; moreover, knowing and listening to our employees needs, ideas and suggestions have a great impact on the leadership of our company. Controlling is mostly about guaranteeing whether as an organization we have achieved our objectives and met our goals; this is done by evaluating the situation of the company after the duration set in the objectives or plan. Evaluation is mainly about comparing the cost and the output/benefits/performance of the organization ie no of motorbikes sold, their cost of manufacturing and profit. Noticeably, the management shares this information with the employees, giving copies of this information to all the departments and discussing the different figures; this builds a sense of trust, feeling of involvement and team work for the employees. By implementing these four functions in managing the HD Cycles company, it is clearly understood by the top level management that it’s all about these functions in all the organization’s departments. The HD cycles company has an overall number of 100 employees and five departments/branches i.e. finances, human resources, sales, manufacturing and employee welfare departments. Management is

Discuss with reference to two other poems Essay Example for Free

Discuss with reference to two other poems Essay Crossing the Bar’ contains the most powerful presentation of death in the anthology. To what extent do you agree? Discuss with reference to two other poems in the collection – Tennyson question Tennyson presents death in different ways in ‘Crossing the Bar’, ‘Break break break’ and ‘Morte D’Arthur’. Each presentation is powerful however; it is difficult to decide whether ‘Crossing the Bar’ contains the most powerful presentation because it depends on what type of death the reader finds the most significant. If it is the death of one’s own life, then ‘Crossing the Bar’ might seem more powerful because it is a representation of Tennyson’s complacency with his own death. But, if the death of a friend relates more to the reader’s personal experience, death in ‘Morte D’Arthur’ could be more meaningful and powerful. To some extent I do not agree that ‘Crossing the Bar’ contains the most powerful presentation of death in the anthology. Both ‘Crossing the Bar’ and ‘Break break break’ use imagery of the sea to convey different meanings. In ‘Crossing the Bar’, the sea represents the world the speaker will transgress into after death. ‘And may there be no moaning of the bar, when I put out to sea’. Tennyson uses the metaphor of the sandbar to describe the barrier between life and death. One side of the sandbar is life and the sea on the other side is death. This is a powerful representation because Tennyson sets out a distinction between the two worlds clearly, suggesting that death should be embraced because it’s now peaceful and natural. ‘And may there be no sadness of farewell, when I embark’. This is in contrast to the normal response of death, which is indicated in ‘Break break break’. In ‘Break break break’ the speaker displays feelings of anguish and pain, this is shown in the title. The repetition of the word ‘break’ emphasises the onomatopoeic sound of a heart breaking. It could also be interpreted as waves breaking on the rocks. ‘Break break break at the foot of thy crags, O sea! ’ This quote describes how life progresses in an endless cycle even in the event of the death. The effect of the ‘O’ and exclamation mark at the end punctuates the speaker’s frustration that life still continues to go on. The speaker takes on a tone of bitterness that the world is not morning with him. ‘O, well for the sailor lad, that he sings in his boat on the bay! ’ In contrast, the use of an exclamation mark in ‘Crossing the bar’ demonstrates the speaker’s excitement of death instead of feelings of enragement. ‘Sunset and evening star, And one clear call for me! ’ This shows how the speaker is compliant of death because it is their own life and they are ready, however in ‘Break break break’ the speaker is demoralised because death has taken their friend without warning. ‘Crossing the Bar’ and ‘Break break break’ both present death powerfully, however ‘Break break break’ may appear more powerful because it uses an expression of grief caused by loss and uses intense emotions, like anguish. Then again, to some extent I do agree that ‘Crossing the Bar’ contains the most powerful presentation of death in the anthology, especially in comparison with ‘Morte D’Arthur’. A similarity between ‘Crossing the Bar’ and ‘Morte D’Arthur’ is that they both discuss religion and relate them to death. King Arthur’s death in ‘Morte D’Arthur’ can be seen as an allegory for the loss of honour and chivalry in an increasingly materialistic age. ‘And the days darken around me, and the years, among new men, strange faces, other minds’. Arthur and his knights at the round table can be interpreted as Jesus and his disciples. ‘But now the whole round table has dissolved, which was an image of a mighty world. ’ The presentation of death here appears powerful because it is the removal of a higher authority, which has followers and believers just like religion. If a God is removed, then the religion will fall apart because it no longer has a leader. This makes the death of Arthur seem even more significant because it represents the collapse of civilisation. ‘Ah! My Lord Arthur, whither shall I go? ’ However, ‘Crossing the Bar’ uses religious connotations such as ‘crossing’ to describe the speaker’s journey into the next world or crossing into faith and devotion. Tennyson complements this metaphorical link with a spiritual one as he hopes he will see his ‘Pilot face to face’. This can also be interpreted as Tennyson hopes to see Hallam in the Pilot, however it is more likely that Tennyson is discussing a Christian God. This is because seeing God face to face is a biblical theme and the transition from life to death in Christianity allows people to join God in heaven, which is beyond ‘Time and Place’. The presentation of death in ‘Crossing the Bar’ may appear the most powerful because unlike ‘Morte D’Arthur’, death becomes an end that is not confusing. In ‘Morte D’Arthur’ Arthur goes to Avilion, which could be a metaphor for heaven. However, he leaves behind a disorientated world with a lack of guidance. In comparison, the bar in ‘Crossing the Bar’ is also a metaphor for heaven, but the crossing is far more peaceful and conclusive. To conclude, I believe that ‘Crossing the Bar’ contains the most powerful presentation of death because in contrast to ‘Break break break’ Tennyson is conclusive – he is being valiant about his own deaf or has come to terms with the grief of his friend and is ready to be reunited with him. ‘And may there be no moaning of the bar’. Even the structure of the poem can represent the shortness of life. By having fewer words, they can hold more control and capture the attention of the reader. In contrast, ‘Morte D’Arthur’ is longer and this makes the presentation of death less powerful because the meaning may be lost as the poem is read.

Euthanasia Essay - Physician-Assisted Suicide :: Euthanasia Physician Assisted Suicide

Views on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide      Ã‚   This essay explores the views of doctors, of the general public, and of the original Hippocratic Oath on the practices of euthanasia and assisted suicide. Considerable reference material is employed - from professional sources.    Regarding the views of physicians on euthanasia and assisted suicide, it is difficult to get a true picture of physicians views from articles in newspapers or from journal review articles. Since euthanasia and assisted suicide are new and a challenge to established values, a report about a single physician practicing assisted suicide is more likely to get published than a report that members of a large physicians' organization reaffirms traditional values. Physicians that practice euthanasia and assisted suicide have been more outspoken and vociferous since many consider themselves as pioneers. Whereas many physicians who continue to practice with traditional ethics, see no need to advertise this fact. Even if one reads consensus statements from medical ethics groups one may get a biased idea of the mainstream views of physicians. These statements are usually written by a small group of physicians, many of whom are active in ethics groups because they want to see change. Several arti cles have been published that poll doctors' views on euthanasia and assisted suicide, and these are likely to get closer to the real views of doctors. In a survey of doctors on management of the persistent vegetative state, 35% of doctors would never withdraw feeding or nutrition and 28% would always treat an acute infection or other life-threatening condition (1).    In a survey of 355 oncologists, the majority found euthanasia or assisted suicide unacceptable. However one in seven oncologists had actually carried out euthanasia or assisted suicide (2). 37% of physicians who look after AIDS patients would be unlikely to assist a patient with established AIDS to commit suicide but 48% said they would be likely to do so (3). 48% of 1355 physicians in Washington state agree that euthanasia is never ethically justified but 33% said they would be willing to perform euthanasia (4). 40% of 1119 Michigan physicians involved in the care of terminally ill patients were in favor of legalization of assisted suicide and 17% favored prohibition of assisted suicide. 22% of physicians would participate in either assisted suicide or euthanasia (5).    Regarding the views of the general public toward these two practices, two-thirds of oncology patients and of the public consider euthanasia and assisted suicide acceptable for cancer patients with unremitting pain (6).

The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead AMC’s gritty and gruesome apocalyptic hit â€Å"The Walking Dead† places the blood thirsty, agonized groans of zombies right in our living rooms. The show follows a small group of survivors in the midst of a zombie apocalypse that has decimated some seventy-five percent of the population. The cable series which first premiered in 2010 made no bones about its weekly offering of flesh-eating, blood-splattered gore.The opening sequence of the pilot episode features a virus-ridden little girl being thrust into the pavement when former sheriff Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) shoots a bullet into her skull as he struggles to ward off her flesh-hungry zombie attack. â€Å"The Walking Dead† has since amassed quite the following of fans who rave in equal parts about the show’s violent and spine-tingling special effects and its subtle commentary on hope and the human condition.Watching the hour-long gorefest in which infected men, woman and even childr en are repeatedly shown receiving violent and bloody blows to the head, one cannot help but wonder, is â€Å"The Walking Dead’s† portrayal of violence harmful in its appeal to debased human interests or does it ultimately provide a hopeful look at the human spirit trying to survive in a bleak world? One look at primetime’s lineup of this or that network’s violent flavor of the week and it is not a stretch to surmise that the populace has not come very far since the gladiatorial games of the ancient Romans.From a macro perspective, humans love gratuitous violence. The media is inundated with copious images of cold killings and moral depravity that serve no other purpose but to shock the masses. Violence tends to equate to ratings, which in turn leads to the exposure of more violence. Studies have shown, however, that continued and prolonged exposure to horrific images, like those in â€Å"The Walking Dead†, is not necessarily without consequence. Ac cording to researchers Craig A. Anderson and Brad J.Bushman in the peer-reviewed â€Å"Effects of Media Violence on Society†, televised violence, as substantiated by six major professional societies in the United States including the American Psychiatric Association, is shown to adversely affect certain members of our society. Fictional violence across television waves has a very real human effect. The greater the exposure, the more pronounced the effect. Violent televised images, Anderson and Bushman continue, have been connected numerous times to a propensity towards violent behaviors such as assault, robbery and even childhood aggression (Anderson and Bushman).Given this research, it is therefore reasonable to conclude that â€Å"The Walking Dead† will not leave all of its viewers unfazed. In all of its gore, blood and killing, â€Å"The Walking Dead† is yet another piece of the violent puzzle that contributes to the aggression of many in our society. Even th ose who do not respond to the viewing of violence with aggression are likely to experience some effects from watching â€Å"The Walking Dead†. Prior to the opening of the show each week, viewers are provided with a parental advisory which reads, â€Å"This program contains violent images which may be too intense for some viewers.Viewer discretion is advised† (â€Å"The Walking Dead†). Disturbing images permeate the AMC hit drama. They are unsettling, unnatural and can lead to psychological trauma and fear. Current trends in media suggest our generation is obsessed with shows featuring a post apocalyptic world. We both fear and favor the dark. Like the tendency toward aggression that can be created from exposure to violence, other antisocial or anxiety related behaviors can manifest from such images. According to Dimitri A. Christakis and Frederick J.Zimmerman in â€Å"Violent Television Viewing During Preschool is Associated with Antisocial Behavior During Scho ol Age†, exposure to violence can also result in a variety of anti-social behaviors including depression, anxiety and suicidal tendencies (Christakis and Zimmerman). Again, we see a strong correlation between media violence and behavior. Perhaps the biggest fear, however, concerning viewership of â€Å"The Walking Dead† is the possibility it has of eschewing one’s moral compass. Viewers continually watch protagonist Grimes and his cohorts violently kill and maim the walking dead without pause and vice versa.It leads one to wonder, if this prolonged exposure to killing without thought can also increase one’s own ability to exercise uncivil behavior without hesitation or remorse. If a society’s values are represented in what that society chooses to watch, should we be concerned that our viewing choices revolve around barbaric killer instincts? One too, however, could take the opposite look at what violent, post apocalyptic television, particularly â⠂¬Å"The Walking Dead†, reflects about our society.Many critics argue that â€Å"The Walking Dead† is ultimately a tale of one man’s struggle to create peace and unity for his family amidst a world of terror and strife. Our society’s interest in disaster and cataclysm is likely synonymous with our feelings of isolation and duress omnipresent in this modern and technological age. The violence shown in â€Å"The Walking Dead†Ã¢â‚¬â€the fight for survival, the loneliness, the internal struggles the characters face in response to the violence—can be compared to the challenges humans face every day.In this society in which modernism distances humans from nature, each other, and often a connection to what is genuinely important, it is easy to feel as though we are living in a dark world in which many of its inhabitants are out to attack us. Pop Matters television critic Jesse Hicks defends â€Å"The Walking Dead† as an important character st udy about modern man in the article â€Å"The Walking Dead: Blurring Lines†. Hicks explains that, like any good horror tale, â€Å"The Walking Dead† effectively scares with its use of monsters but more importantly balances this fear with â€Å"a search for answers, a way to remain decent among the ruins† (Hicks).Humans are calling out for more and more post apocalyptic examinations and thereby guides for how modern man can survive and ultimately succeed in a seemingly bleak world. Through all of its violence and grisliness, â€Å"The Walking Dead’s† dynamic characters and themes regarding a search for humanity among chaos do indeed offer such a guide. Among the layered personality struggles examined in â€Å"The Walking Dead† is Grimes’ and other characters’ quests to display bravery and self-sacrifice when faced with zombie attacks.The images are often unsettling and even at times shocking. However, the feelings conjured up by such startling images illuminate the magnitude of just how dire the surrounding circumstances are and just how difficult the decisions the characters make must be. Through the violence, we see Grimes do nearly anything to protect his family. He struggles with the decisions he makes—killing an infected child, taking the life of persons who could potentially threaten those dear to him, and abandoning his best friend.Grimes moral struggles to exhibit heroic character traits in the face of violence ultimately provides an uplifting tale of courage and principle regardless of how dire circumstances may appear. The violence in â€Å"The Walking Dead† might also provide some positive influences based on the various ways in which we watch different characters deal with that violence. Grimes’ opposing character, best friend and fellow officer Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal), reacts to violence and aggression in stark contrast to Grimes. Grimes is slow to anger and tends to ma ke decisions based on morality and he interests of all involved parties. Walsh, on the other hand, takes a more pragmatic, militaristic view of violence and the challenges they face. While the two characters’ plights can be disturbing, acknowledging how they fail and succeed based on their interactions with violence offers thought provoking questions on how we as individuals can deal with violence and pressures. In Alan Sepinwall’s â€Å"The Walking Dead Review—Better Angels: What a Shane†, Sepinwall argues that in contrast to Grimes’ ultimately more ethical decisions â€Å"Walsh’s death was inevitable† (Sepinwall).While a zombie apocalypse is hopefully not in our imminent future, the ways in which we deal with violence, aggression and personal struggle surrounds each of us. Though it is important to give sufficient attention to how violence in the media is affecting us as both individuals and a society, the dynamic character developm ent as well as the various ethical questions raised by the violence in â€Å"The Walking Dead†, if viewed with care, ultimately offer a more positive than negative depiction of violence.Violence in television, if served with purposeful intent, is an effective storytelling device for displaying the difference between good and evil. â€Å"The Walking Dead† effectively makes the distinction between gratuitous violence and violence necessary for plot and character development. In an apocalyptic world of isolation and gory yet morally charged killings, a small band of survivors in â€Å"The Walking Dead† are fighters for good amidst evil and a model for those seeking modern interpretations of what it means to survive in the real, and sometimes seemingly bleak, world in which we all find ourselves.