Do tratamento das reclamações à gestão da insatisfação: o comportamento de empresas hoteleiras mediante a insatisfação de seus clientes

Consumer dissatisfaction, when properly handled, is a significant information source for the manager. Studies in this area allow broadening the understanding of certain customer attitudes and behaviors, such as loyalty, repurchase intention or satisfaction and trust increase. Above and beyond supporting consumer feedback, dissatisfaction can provide significant opportunities for organizational learning. Starting from dissatisfied customer information, companies can detect service flaws and develop new products. This work presents the results of an investigation on the behavior of businesses belonging to the hotel sector in Natal, RN, through the dissatisfaction of their customers. We have sought to map the main problems presented by customers to hotels, in the perception of managers and employees, as well as to understand both the process of dissatisfactionrelated data collection, analysis, and processing, and the utilization of such information by businesses. Beyond this, we have compared the habits of organizations to the company reaction approaches described in the literature: Complaint Handling, Complaint Management, and Dissatisfaction Management. The used methodology has been based on case study. Data was collected via indepth interviews with managers and employees in six hotels, two independent ones and four belonging to national and international hotel networks. We have also made use of documents provided by the organizations, such as guest complaint registers and reports from satisfaction surveys on which content analysis was subsequently performed. The results of the investigation point to a high level of awareness in the companies concerning the importance of consumer dissatisfaction. Even though the maximum grade in the procedure scale is not achieved, it has been observed that answer to dissatisfaction is given in planned and systematic form, geared towards consumer satisfaction and improvement of products and processes. Hotel businesses still have to look into other possibilities for mapping consumer dissatisfaction, which implies, among other aspects, articulation with a range of public and private organizations in such a way as to guarantee sustainability of touristic activities in the long term

Vida y obra de Don Juan Suárez de Peralta : cronista y protoalbéytar de América : el hombre de las dos España (1541-1613)

Don Juan Suárez de Peralta nació en la ciudad de México-Tenochtitlán en 1541, habiendo sido sus padres Don Juan Suárez Marcayda y Doña Magdalena de Peralta; el padre también conocido como Juan Suárez de Ávila, o como Juan Suárez “El Viejo”, hizo la campaña militar de la conquista del Imperio Azteca como compañero de armas de Don Hernán Cortés. Suárez de Peralta escribió tres grandes obras: “Tractado de Alveiteria” hacia 1575, “Tractado de Cavallería de la Gineta y Brida” en 1580 y “Tractado del Descubrimiento de las Indias y su Conquista” en 1589. Estos tres tratados hacen de Suárez de Peralta, una inevitable y riquísima fuente de información para todo historiador investigando las vetas de la Historia Virreinal Novohispana y de la Historia de España del siglo XVI. Su obra sobre medicina equina y zootecnia de los caballos, es un magnífico y estupendo trabajo que se levanta como el primer libro de su tipo escrito en América. Suárez de Peralta asociado con su hermano mayor, Don Luis, establece un criadero de caballos de raza fina en Tacubaya, en el poniente de la antigua ciudad de México, y es ahí en donde aprende el arte científico de la médica equina, de la reproducción y de la zootecnia caballar y sus habilidades como jinete y gran caballista. En 1579, Don Juan debido a una serie de circunstancias decide exiliarse a España arribando al puerto de Sanlúcar de Barrameda, como huésped en el Palacio de su pariente el VII Conde-Duque de Medina Sidonia, para después habitar en Trujillo y en Sevilla en donde escribe y publica sus otras dos grandes obras. Se muda a Madrid en donde contrae nupcias con una aristócrata dama de la alta nobleza castellana, Doña Isabel Hurtado de Mendoza, perteneciente a la poderosa Casa del Infantado. Con ella procrea un hijo, llamado Don Lorenzo Suárez de Peralta, quien viaja a la Nueva España para tomar posesión de los bienes de su padre, su abuelo y de su tío Luís. Don Juan, nuestro albéitar, quien “alladese enfermo de calenturas”, fallece el 8 de enero de 1613 y es enterrado en la Iglesia del Spiritu Sanctus de los Clérigos Menores en el Madrid de los Austrias. Su manuscrito “Libro de Alveitería”, permaneció olvidado y sin publicar durante más de tres cientos años en la Biblioteca Nacional de Madrid, hasta que finalmente ve la luz en la ciudad de México, en ocasión del Centenario de la fundación de la Escuela Nacional de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia y del IV Centenario de la Real y Pontificia Universidad de México, ahora, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) en 195

Emerging trends in the sea state of the Beaufort and Chukchi seas

The sea state of the Beaufort and Chukchi seas is controlled by the wind forcing and the amount of ice-free water available to generate surface waves. Clear trends in the annual duration of the open water season and in the extent of the seasonal sea ice minimum suggest that the sea state should be increasing, independent of changes in the wind forcing. Wave model hindcasts from four selected years spanning recent conditions are consistent with this expectation. In particular, larger waves are more common in years with less summer sea ice and/or a longer open water season, and peak wave periods are generally longer. The increase in wave energy may affect both the coastal zones and the remaining summer ice pack, as well as delay the autumn ice-edge advance. However, trends in the amount of wave energy impinging on the ice-edge are inconclusive, and the associated processes, especially in the autumn period of new ice formation, have yet to be well-described by in situ observations. There is an implicit trend and evidence for increasing wave energy along the coast of northern Alaska, and this coastal signal is corroborated by satellite altimeter estimates of wave energy.

Tabu search for the cyclic bandwidth problem

International audience

Synthesis and proton conduction properties of lanthanide amino-sulfophosphonates

Crystalline acid-functionalized metal phosphonates are potential candidates as proton conducting electrolytes. Their frameworks can be chemically modified to contain proton carriers such as acidic groups (P-OH; -SO3H, -COOH,…) and guest molecules (H2O, NH3,…) that generates hydrogen bond networks stable in a wide range of temperature [1,2]. In this work, focus is laid on properties derived from the combination of lanthanide ions with the amino-sulfophosphonate ligand (H2O3PCH2)2-N-(CH2)2-SO3H. Hightrough-put screening was followed to reach the optimal synthesis conditions under solvothermal conditions at 140 ºC. Isolated polycrystalline solids, Ln[(O3PCH2)2-NH-(CH2)2-SO3H].2H2O (Ln= La, Pr and Sm), crystallize in the monoclinic (La) and orthorhombic (Pr and Sm) systems with unit cell volume of ~2548 Å3. Preliminary proton conductivity measurements for Sm derivative have been carried out between 25º and 80 ºC at relative humidity (RH) values of 70 % and 95 %. The sample exhibits enhanced conductivity at high RH and T (Figure 1) and constant activation energies of 0.4 eV, typical of a Grothuss mechanism of proton.

Structure-properties correlations in divalent metal phosphonates

Crystalline metal phosphonates may offer acidic sites, structural flexibility and guest molecules (H2O, heterocyclics, etc.) which can act as proton carriers. In addition, some frameworks are also amenable for post‐synthesis modifications in order to enhance desired properties [1,2]. In this work, we present the synthesis and structural characterization of two hydroxyphosphonoacetates hybrids based on magnesium, [Mg5(O3PCHOHCOO)2(HO3PCHOHCOO)2·8H2O] [Mg5(HPAA)2(H1HPAA)2·8H2O], and zinc, [Zn6K(O3PCHOHCOO)4(OH)·6.5H2O] [Zn6K(HPAA)4(OH)·6.5H2O]. Both solids present three-dimensional frameworks and their crystal structures were solved ab initio from X-ray powder diffraction. The proton conductivity of [Zn6K(HPAA)4(OH)·6.5H2O] as well as ammonia derivatives of M(II)(HO3PCHOHCOO)·2H2O [M(II)=Zn, Mg] will be reported and discussed.

Photochromism of the complex between 40-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-7-hydroxyflavylium and b-cyclodextrin, studied by 1H NMR, UVeVis, continuous irradiation and circular dichroism

1st International Caparica Conference on Chromogenic and Emissive Materials

Novel laser-induced luminescence resulting from benzophenone/O-propylated p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene complexes. A diffuse reflectance study

Laser-induced room temperature luminescence of air-equilibrated benzophenone/O-propylated p-tert-butylcalix[ 4] arene solid powdered samples revealed the existence of a novel emission, in contrast with benzophenone/p-tertbutylcalix[ 4] arene complexes, where only benzophenone emits. This novel emission was identified as phosphorescence of 1-phenyl-1,2-propanedione, which is formed as the result of an hydrogen atom abstraction reaction of the triplet excited benzophenone from the propoxy substituents of the calixarene. Room temperature phosphorescence was obtained in air-equilibrated samples in all propylated hosts. The decay times of the benzophenone emission vary greatly with the degree of propylation, the shortest lifetimes being obtained in the tri- and tetrapropylated calixarenes. Triplet - triplet absorption of benzophenone was detected in all cases, and is the predominant absorption in the p-tert-butylcalix[ 4] arene case, where an endo-calix complex is formed. Benzophenone ketyl radical formation occurs with the O-propylated p-tert-butylcalix[ 4] arenes hosts, suggesting a different type of host/guest molecular arrangement. Diffuse reflectance laser. ash photolysis and gas chromatography - mass spectrometry techniques provided complementary information, the former about transient species and the latter regarding the final products formed after light absorption. Product analysis and identification clearly show that the two main degradation photoproducts following laser excitation in the propylated substrates are 1-phenyl-1,2- propanedione and 2- hydroxybenzophenone, although several other minor photodegradation products were identified. A detailed mechanistic analysis is proposed. While the solution photochemistry of benzophenone is dominated by the hydrogen abstraction reaction from suitable hydrogen donors, in these solid powdered samples, the alpha-cleavage reaction also plays an important role. This finding occurs even with one single laser pulse which lasts only a few nanoseconds, and is apparently related to the fact that scattered radiation exists, due to multiple internal reflections possibly trapping light within non-absorbing microcrystals in the sample, and is detected until at least 20 mus after the laser pulse. This could explain how photoproducts thus formed could also be excited with only one laser pulse.

A diffuse reflectance comparative study of benzil inclusion within p-tert-butylcalix[n]arenes (n=4, 6, and 8) and silicalite

Diffuse reflectance and laser-induced techniques were used to access photochemical and photophysical processes of benzil in solid supports, namely p-tert-butylcalix[n]arenes with n = 4, 6, and 8. A comparative study was performed using these results and those obtained with another electronically inert support, silicalite, which is a hydrophobic zeolite. In the latter substrate, ground-state benzil has the two carbonyl groups in an s-trans planar conformation while in the calixarenes a distribution of conformers exists, largely dominated by skew conformations where the carbonyl groups are twisted one to the other. In all substrates, room-temperature phosphorescence was obtained in air-equilibrated samples. The decay times vary greatly and the largest lifetime was obtained for benzil/p-tert-butylcalix[6]arene, showing that this host cavity well accommodates benzil, enhancing its room-temperature phosphorescence. p-tert-Butylcalix[6] and [8]arene molecules provide larger hydrophobic cavities than silicalite, and inclusion complexes are formed with these hosts and benzil as guest; p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene does not include benzil. This probe is deposited outside the calix[41 cavity, in the form of microcrystals. Triplet-triplet absorption of benzil was detected in all cases and is predominant in the silicalite channel inclusion case. Benzil ketyl radical formation occurs with inclusion in calix[6]arene and calix[8]arene. In the three cases, benzoyl radical was detected at long times (in the millisecond time scale). Product analysis and identification clearly show that the main detected degradation photoproducts in all substrates are benzoyl radical derivatives. Calix[6] and [8]arenes are able to supply hydrogen atoms that allow also another reaction, the reduction to benzoin through benzil ketyl radical formation.

Ammonia effects on proton conductivity properties of coordination polymers

Crystalline metal phosphonates are referred to as a type of structurally versatile coordination polymers [1]. Many of them contain guest molecules (H2O, heterocyclics, etc.), acidic sites and, furthermore, their structure can be also amenable for post‐synthesis modifications in order to enhance desired properties [2]. In the present work, we examine the relationships between crystal structure and proton conductivity for several metal phosphonates derive from multifunctional ligands, such as 5-(dihydroxyphosphoryl)isophthalic acid (PiPhtA) [3] and 2-hydroxyphosphonoacetic acid (H3HPAA). Crystalline divalent metal derivatives show a great structural diversity, from 1D to 3D open-frameworks, possessing hydrogen-bonded water molecules and acid groups. These solids present a proton conductivity range between 7.2·10-6 and 1.3·10−3 S·cm-1. Upon exposure to ammonia vapor, from an aqueous solution, solid state transformations are observed accompanied of enhance proton conductivities. The stability of these solids under different environment conditions (temperature and relative humidities) as well as the influence of the ammonia adsorption on the proton conduction properties of the resulting solids will be discussed.

Residential schools in a first-year undergraduate engineering programme

BACKGROUND OR CONTEXT: For over 20 years, Deakin University has delivered an accredited undergraduate engineering course by means of distance education. Prior to 2004, off-campus students were not required to attend classes in person on campus. The course was designed so that the off campus students were able to undertake all study and assessment tasks remotely from the university campus. Offering accredited domestic undergraduate engineering courses via distance education has been seen as an important strategy for helping to provide graduate domestically educated engineers to meet Australia’s current and future needs. From 2000 the Australian accreditation management system for professional engineers, as managed by Engineers Australia, has increased its scrutiny of accredited domestic undergraduate engineering courses that were provided in distance-education mode. This led to a series of policies and recommendations for Australian universities that offer accredited engineering courses in distance-education mode: one of the recommendations was that off campus
enrolled engineering students should periodically attend some campus-based activities throughout the course. During the 2004 accreditation review of engineering courses at Deakin University, the
accreditation panel requested that mandatory campus-based activities be incorporated into the accredited undergraduate engineering course. Specifically the request was that Deakin mandate that all off-campus students enrolled in an accredited undergraduate engineering course provided by university attend in person a residential school at least once during every year of equivalent full-time study load. The accreditation panel suggested a program model for the residential school component of the course as developed by the University of Southern Queensland.
PURPOSE OR GOAL: This paper describes the development of the mandatory residential school component of accredited distance education undergraduate engineering courses at Deakin University with
a particular focus on how the residential school program is implemented at level 1 (first-year full-time equivalent level) of the courses.
APPROACH: To be compliant with accreditation requirements, since 2005 Deakin has conducted residential schools for off-campus students at its Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus. Initially the schools were conducted annually over two-weeks during the first semester, and have transitioned to the current mode where the residential school is conducted as a one week programme in each of the trimesters. During these schools, activities are organised around the respective engineering-course units undertaken by students during the trimester.
DISCUSSION: The minimum requirements for the on-campus components of distance-education-mode accredited engineering courses were developed by Engineers Australia in consultation with members of the Washington Accord (International Education Alliance) and at the time of development, generated considerable debate (Palmer, 2005, 2008). The intended purpose of residential schools was for off-campus enrolled students to have reasonable exposure to a typical “on-the-campus” student experience periodically throughout the course. Elements considered suitable and worthwhile for inclusion in residential school programs included:
• in person engagement with their academic lecturers,
• presentations and interaction with guest speakers from industry,
• industry-based site visits,
• engagement in sole and group-based learning and assessment activities on campus, and
• social interaction with other students.
RECOMMENDATIONS/IMPLICATIONS/CONCLUSION: We have found that advantages to the students who attends a residential school include completing real practical work without the need to assemble their own materials at home, and social engagement with staff and students. Off-campus students leave the residential school with a sense of belonging to a “community”, “one of many doing the same and not the only one”. They have the opportunity to share their often significant professional experience with the generally younger and less experienced on-campus student colleagues. Through this interaction between on-campus and off-campus students, the on-campus students benefit as much as the off-campus students. The disadvantages to the off-campus students is the requirement to travel to Geelong for an extended time, which costs the students both money and time away from work and family. From our experience, we recommend to other institutions starting residential schools of their own that they exploit the mandatory on-campus-presence requirement to enhance learning outcomes, well publicised timetables be available to students before trimester begins (certainly before census date), a standardised academic week during trimester be set for all residential schools, encourage student feedback on the program, and apply a practice of uniformity and consistency in how the programme is managed, especially mandated student attendance. Our residential schools for off-campus-mode students have been running for over 10 years. We have found that the educational and social advantages to the student outweigh the disadvantages.

Controllable drug uptake and nongenomic response through estrogen-anchored cyclodextrin drug complex

Breast cancer is a leading killer of women worldwide. Cyclodextrin-based estrogen receptor-targeting drug-delivery systems represent a promising direction in cancer therapy but have rarely been investigated. To seek new targeting therapies for membrane estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, an estrogen-anchored cyclodextrin encapsulating a doxorubicin derivative Ada-DOX (CDE1-Ada-DOX) has been synthesized and evaluated in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. First, we synthesized estrone-conjugated cyclodextrin (CDE1), which formed the complex CDE1-Ada-DOX via molecular recognition with the derivative adamantane-doxorubicin (Ada-DOX) (Kd =1,617 M(-1)). The structure of the targeting vector CDE1 was fully characterized using (1)H- and (13)C-nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry, and electron microscopy. CDE1-Ada-DOX showed two-phase drug-release kinetics with much slower release than Ada-DOX. The fluorescence polarization analysis reveals that CDE1-Ada-DOX binds to recombinant human estrogen receptor α fragments with a Kd of 0.027 µM. Competition assay of the drug complex with estrogen ligands demonstrated that estrone and tamoxifen competed with CDE1-Ada-DOX for membrane estrogen receptor binding in MCF-7 cells. Intermolecular self-assembly of CDE1 molecules were observed, showing tail-in-bucket and wire-like structures confirmed by transmission electronic microscopy. CDE1-Ada-DOX had an unexpected lower drug uptake (when the host-guest ratio was >1) than non-targeting drugs in MCF-7 cells due to ensconced ligands in cyclodextrins cavities resulting from the intermolecular self-assembly. The uptake of CDE1-Ada-DOX was significantly increased when the host-guest ratio was adjusted to be less than half at the concentration of CDE1 over 5 µM due to the release of the estrone residues. CDE1 elicited rapid activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (p44/42 MAPK, Erk1/2) in minutes through phosphorylation of Thr202/Tyr204 in MCF-7 cells. These results demonstrate a targeted therapeutics delivery of CDE1-Ada-DOX to breast cancer cells in a controlled manner and that the drug vector CDE1 can potentially be employed as a molecular tool to differentiate nongenomic from genomic mechanism.

Practitioner perspectives on extended clinical placement programs in optometry

.Background: Some universities are looking to provide a more diverse range of clinical learning experiences through extended clinical placement programs. This approach will potentially have a significant impact on practitioners. The aim of this study was to conduct a national survey of optometrists to ascertain their perspectives on participating in extended clinical placement programs. Methods: Members of Optometry Australia were invited to participate in a survey conducted during June and July 2014. Results: A total of 268 practitioners participated (six per cent of registered Australian optometrists): 159 were predominantly employees or locums and 109 were owners or managers who identified as the key representative of a practice or organisation for the purpose of this survey. Almost two-thirds (65 per cent) of participants, who were employees or locums were supportive of extended clinical placement programs. Among this group, females were more likely to be supportive than males (p=0.033). In comparison, just over one-third (34 per cent) of participants who were key decision-makers were supportive, with 30 per cent possibly supportive and 36 per cent not supportive. Among key decision-makers, males were more likely to be supportive (p=0.009). The top three perceived advantages of supervising a student were: opportunity to mentor early career development, opportunity to give back to the profession and future recruitment. The top three perceived disadvantages were: burden on time, decrease in number of patients examined and burden on support staff. Suggested incentives for supervising students were credit for continuing professional development and financial remuneration. Conclusion: There appears to be moderate support for extended clinical placement programs; however, there are incentives that might engage a larger proportion of the profession in the future. These findings can inform the development of effective and sustainable clinical training programs for optometry students. Additionally, the findings might be used as evidence to seek Government support for clinical placement training in optometry.

The development of cultural intelligence through the Indonesia immersion program

This paper identifies which immersion program activities are most important in developing cross-cultural skills, and identifies the cultural intelligence (CQ) factors that Master of Business Administration (MBA) students gain by their participation in a cultural immersion program. Twenty students were surveyed, and it was found that the most important immersion program activities to develop cross-cultural skills were “visits to Indonesian companies” and “cultural activities”, as opposed to lectures by academics/industry guest speakers or working in cross-cultural teams. Motivational CQ was found to be the highest scoring CQ factor, followed by behavioural, then metacognitive and finally cognitive CQ. Students may have developed less cognitive CQ competencies because they had less opportunity to learn about knowledge aspects of CQ and had more opportunity to put into practice their motivational and behavioural CQ through immersion program activities.