Market analysis of Sodexo and food and facilities management services

Market analysis of Sodexo and food and facilities management services INTRODUCTION: Sodexo is one of the flourishing food and facilities management services. It believes in providing quality services is winning the customers heart and trust ;through which they have been successful in the market. The organization has more than 25 years old experience in the field of hotel chains, resorts and vacation villas. The organization contains the best and most efficient staff to provide quality service including laundry, housekeeping and food serving. According to Peter, customer service is defined as fulfilling needs and expectations of customers according to them (Whitman, 2001). Since quality assurance is the key to gain the trust of customers and to maintain the competitive edge it is important to have a quality assessment in hotels to know the standards of a hotel. (Bo Edvardsson, 2006) Edvardsson advised the concept of services should be viewed from customers approach because they are the main users of the services and best to judge it. Different customers have different demands and they may look at same thing with different views. People belonging to different cultures, religions have different perceptions, social behavior and preferences. Many researches are done on assessing the service qualities through customer satisfaction in several parts of the world; (Davidson, 2003), (ONeill, 1996), the Kano model (Preece, 2002), (Amy Wong Ooi Mei, 1991) etc. Literature Review: The theory and models designed to evaluate the service quality and potential gaps in quality in hotel industry are necessary. Hotels do market research to get full information about its target audiences and the environment. TQM Total Quality Measurement is a new management term introduced to execute the exceeding demands of the customers. Different hotels use different approaches to TQM according to the surroundings and competition. Measuring Service Quality: The actual evaluation takes place at the time of delivery, whether its beyond expectations are below expectations. The time when we service our customers is the moment of truth that gives the result. For instance the food delivered in the hotel gets its immediate feedback either by the verbal response or in written form by the customers. SERVQUAL MEASURING TECHNIQUE: SERVQUAL model which is also referred as the skeleton for measuring service quality. It basically evaluates what the customer demanded and what he got, the difference between the two. It includes five basic dimensions on which the customers assessed the quality he received and what he had in mind; Tangibles: the physical appearance and facilities of the personnel Reliability: ability to perform the desired service accurately and efficiently Responsiveness: Availability and willingness to help the customers Assurance: Knowledge of employees to gain trust and confidence Empathy: Caring, making customers feel special and cared. The advantage from this model is that it provides an immediate response of the customers after the service delivery which if not up to mark could be sent for improvement. For instance the responsiveness of the hotel staff is just a call away from ones room. On time assistance availability always adds up to the quality of services they provide. Today almost every hotel in the world has their feedback form based on the SERVQUAL model of assessing the quality of services. However there has been some criticism about the model, Brotherton and Booth implemented SERVQUAL strategy on a 4 star hotel and found out that customers viewed tangibles as the hygiene and cleanliness of the resources. The homogeneity in the dimensions of the model is said not to be appropriate in providing exact results. Knutson introduced LODGSERVE for service quality evaluation, Mackey developed REQUAL and etc. all the studies carried out on this topic indicates that certain dimensions are highly valued by the custo mers which mainly includes the interaction and physical quality. THE CHRISTOPHER NAD YALLOP MODEL: Christopher and Yallop suggest a four stage process model to measure the perceptions customers have when they receive the services; Identify the vital elements that are important to the customers and why Understand the importance attached behind it Investigate how successful the organization is in providing those elements Analyze from the collected data for improvements. The model basically suggests an inquiry set to investigate the expectations of the customers. It is important to know what the special or important requirement of the customers is and why is it so? Answers to this can help the organization earn customers trust and reliability. Then the organization needs to evaluate itself by seeing how well he fulfills those demands and how The answer to this can lead the organization to further improvement, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the organization in terms of customers perception. Especial rooms are designed according to the demands of the customers, the food menu contains a variety to serve all possible taste they could for vegans, Chinese or different people from different culture. THE PRUDENTIAL MODEL: (McCabe, 2001) Prudential model suggest how financial advice is also a way to meet the expectations of the customers and gain their satisfaction. It examines the perception of customers in terms of what they value most or what would make them value the most. Are there any possible changes that could be implemented in the organization? The charges in the hotel are reasonable and set according to the market equilibrium which should be acknowledged by the customers. The overall package of their stay; food, laundry, hygiene etc are the factors that the customers look for and expect it to be standardized. The hotel charges are kept such that if offers a complete package the customers with the room and other complimentary facilities like sports club, gym, swimming pool etc. THE ECR (EFFECTIVE CONSUMER RESPONSE) MODEL: The main theory of this model suggests that the companies should give continuous focus on the elements that are highly values by the customers. The preference of a certain service or product for instance if the room service is very efficient hotel should invest more in this department in order to gain more customers. Also an appropriate use of technology for efficient usage of resources to satisfy customers. BLUE PRINTING It is a common and very effective theory adopted by the hotel through which they ensure an effective service delivery. It defines the whole process of offering services in three stages; backstage, front stage and line of visibility. The whole struggle is to maintain service standards and to update the whole process with a backup plan. The front stage for instance is the interaction the staff has with the people. The reservation process, greeting the customers and introducing them to the hotel, parking the car, guiding them to their rooms with their luggage etc. Second and the third stage that is the invisible services that the hotel takes care off. Like maintain the reservations with updates and checking for the desired room and its availability. Taking care of the facilities and maintenance required for it. Process Redesigning It is important to set service target standards which are transparent to the staff to work on. The feedback from the customers should be analyzed and strategies should be redesigned according to the demands of the customers. Redesigning services reduces the services failure, enhance productivity and increase customer satisfaction. The process of redesigning first step is to eliminate the non value adding steps, shift the system to self service. The involvement of customers to co-produce the service can lead to progression. SSTs Self Service Technology is the form of customer involvement such that the customers avail the services provided by the suppliers to evaluate and give a response. It is a flexible and cost saving method but requires a lot of effort. Therefore the basic delivery process involves three stages; Introductory scene Delivering the core/main service or product. Conclusion of the drama This provides the hotel with the information where the hotel is lacking in customers eye. MEHRABIAN- RUSSELL STIMULUS RESPONSE MODEL This is a model that indicates how customers response to environment that surrounds the, Emotional or physical responses like anxiety, boredom or excitement. How different environments gives different responses of customers in different surrounding. How variety of factors can affect customers response. The surrounding, color scheme etc influence the customers. For instance the signs and symbols hanged for guidance in multi languages for the ease of the customers. All these models and theories incorporate the similar concept implied for customer satisfaction. Sodexo and other hotels in the world implied these concepts to maintain or improve their service standards because hotel business heavily relies on quality service. SERVICE QUALITY GAPS: It is important to identify the key gaps that exist in delivering the services to the customers and how they can be overcome. (Sargeant, 2008) The Knowledge Gap: it is basically the barrier in communicating the expectations and demands of the customers to the hotel staff. It could be overcome by having a strong market research by carrying out interviews or sampling questionnaire which should be repeated once a while. Management should be allowed to interact with the customers to know what they feel and expect. The management should make sure the feedback is implemented immediately and monitored constantly. The Policy Gap: it is the differences or restrictions made because of the policies. To overcome this gap it is important to use systematic processes to improve working methods. The goals, agendas and priorities based on customers demands and expectations which should be transparent to the employees. The Delivery Gap: it is the difference between the quality service delivered and the service itself. It is important to ensure that the performance of the customers and also that the customers understand the service delivered. For this the employees should be well trained to perform the required tasks more efficiently. Employees should be clear in what they have to deliver and do in more effective way. Consistent monitoring should be done to endure how well are they are performing; they should be motivated to work harder with incentives. The hotel should be updated in terms of technology. Advanced and cost effective equipments should be installed for better and quick services. This would also make a balance between productivity and demand. The customers should be educated enough o perform their roles successfully to gain customers trust. The Communication Gap: this occurs because of the communication barriers between the customers and the staff. To overcome this gap it is important to have transparent vertical integration in the organization such that the information can easily flow in. The managers should be able to identify the problems the staff is facing or their demands to produce better results. Employees should be involved in the basic functions of the organization. By rotating and recruiting the staff can lead to more efficient and motivated employees to provide better results. The Perception Gap: this occurs when there is a perception gap between the customers and the management and employees. It is important to show customers with some evident changes that the hotel is putting in efforts to meet their requirements. By tangibilizing the management can show their customers how concerned they are for their customers. The Service Gap: it is the collection of all the gaps which cause the services to get bad. It could be overcome by overcoming and monitoring all other gaps. It is important to provide the customers with the best service and make sure that they acknowledge it and are satisfied. By implying the theories and models according to the requirement of the hotel the management can meet the demands of the customers and gain their trust. The hotels should have a constant feedback system with immediate implementation to make the customers realize that they are important. By monitoring the work and progress of the staff the management needs to make sure that the staff is motivated enough and works with a team spirit. It is highly important for the hotel industry that the customers are satisfied and becomes loyal to the service it offers.

Abuse :: Essays Papers

Abuse â€Å"Brenda Spencer fired forty shots at San Diego school children, fatally wounding two and injuring nine others, neighbors later informed police that Spencer had repeatedly abused dogs and cats often setting their tails on fire† (Finch 1). The situation of Spencer of abuse at a young age and carried on through her adult life. â€Å"Domestic abuse is directed toward the powerless, animal abuse and child abuse often go hand in hand. Parents who neglect an animal’s need for proper care or abuse animals may also abuse or neglect their own children. Some abusive adults who know better than to abuse a child in public have no such qualms about abusing an animal publicly†(PETA). At an early age children are effected throughout their lives by images and situations, and are very fragile in their way of thinking. The emotional impact of right and wrong are very important to the children’s attitude. The harsh images children see when they are young, forces the child to react to images in different ways. The situation of abuse from parents or siblings to a young child can bring out rage, and anger to others or to defenseless animals. Parents have a strong duty to their children when they are at an age of not knowing how to control their actions, and still learning how to express their emotions in a positive way. There are many tips for parents to learn how to control their abuse towards their children. Many times children are not taught properly by their parents and then they impersonate their parents do, such as hitting to solve problems and hurting others to raise self esteem. The children need good role models to tell them what they see is wrong, or right. The Abuse children go through or see when they are young could lead to a child needing to visit a therapists throughout the course of their adult lives. The situation of Brenda Spencer exhibits how much of an impact t hat animal abuse has on their lives as an adult if the child isn’t corrected when they were younger. The impact of animal abuse shows many different situations of people that have been effected by this problem. â€Å"Alberto Desalvo, the self-confessed Boston Strangler who killed thirteen women had, as a youth, trapped dogs and cats in orange crates and shot arrows through the boxes† (Finch 1).

Bank Internship: National City Corporation

This past summer (2002), I was an intern in the Credit Department at the corporate headquarters of National City Bank located in downtown Cleveland. During my time as an intern I was able to put my classrooms knowledge and experience into practice dealing with real world situations. Let me give you an overview of what our department basically did on a day to day basis. We were what you would call the â€Å"number crunchers† of the building. Senior Credit Officers, Loan Officers, and Secured Credit Analysts would send numerous financial statements for various companies to our floor. These financials, with the attached project (I will explain the projects/assignment later) would then be assigned by our department head to specific analysts. We were then responsible for completing the desired task that the Officer had requested by a certain date and time. Analysts would gather as much information about the company as needed and perform the various tasks in order to get the Officer’s approval of the completed product. All in all, that is basically what the Credit Department did on a day to day basis, but this is just a brief overview. I will go into further detail throughout the remainder of the paper. On my first day at the internship, I was introduced to my supervisor and Assistant Vice President of Credit, Anita Swoboda (she interviewed me and gave me the job over the phone, so we had never met) and the rest of my coworkers on the 9th floor. After the introductions were made and I was situated in my new desk, I was instructed to go to a computer in the back of the office to learn the system that the department worked off of. The instructional tour took me through the database that I would be using on an everyday basis and showed me what everything the specifics of the system. The database was constructed like an Excel spreadsheet, but it was specifically made with equations for the different data entries. After I was fully acquainted with the database (it is called FAMAS), I was given my first assignment to complete. The slang term used around the office for these financial tables was â€Å"spreads†. The spreads were the end result of the data entered into FAMAS. I was given a set of financial statements from a specific company and my job was to enter the relevant data into the necessary categories and subcategories in the system. After all of the data was entered, I had to check to make sure that the balance sheet was in balance, the income statement provided the correct net income for the period ending, and the cash flow statement was in accordance to the company’s given data. If everything was in place and all of the data was correct, I then would print off the â€Å"output†. The output gave six pages of the summarized data that I had entered. Three pages were the replicas of the balance sheet, the income statement, and the statement of cash flows. The other three pages gave concise ratios and detailed reconciliations pertaining to the data. This, inevitably, was used by the Officer to make an accurate assumption about the stability of the company’s cash/asset/liability position. This was the most basic and most assigned project for the analysts in general. The next type of responsibility that I had was in the contents of what was called a Criticized Asset Sheet or CAC for short. These CACs were used by Officers when a company was underperforming according to National City’s standards for loan payments. These companies often times would have negative net income levels for more than one year, poor repayment practices in the past, and overall bad quality dealings with National City in general, just to name a few. The CAC required the analyst to do the assigned company’s spreads as well as a number of other pieces of financial analysis in order to give the Officer and the committee a better idea of where exactly this company stood and if it was beneficial to keep doing business with them. I was responsible for going through another database (I was taken through another step by step training session, this time with an individual) to get all of the pertinent information needed for the assessment. This new database allowed me to get detailed information on all of a company’s outstanding loans (i. e. what type of loan, when it matures, how much is outstanding, etc. ), the list of beneficiaries/individual signers on the loans as well as their financial commitment in the company, and the company’s past status on its old loans. After gathering the necessary information, it was my duty to input the data into a pre-designed word document and add verbiage to tell what each number represented (this is difficult to explain without showing you exactly what the sheet looked like). I would then send an updated copy of the CAC to the Officer (whoever it was that I was working with) and he would look over it to see if there should be anything else added and also to see if there were any mistakes that I had made. After looking over the sheet, the Officer would then send me a new copy of the CAC via interoffice email with his/her pdated section. Their section dealt mostly with notes from the last meeting, recommendations, developments, etc. which were relevant for the next meeting with the committee. I would then take this new copy and send it over to Secured Credit, where someone would derive an analysis on collateral determinants, cash flows summaries, etc. and that would then go into the CAC at the end. After I had collected all of the necessary items, I would put the CAC together with my section, the Officer’s section, the Secured Credit comments, and the spreads. I would then print out a copy and give it to the CAC secretary who would put it on the stack of other CACs to go down to the printing room for multiple copies. These copies would then be distributed to the various committee members when the CAC was due to be discussed. It was the committee’s duty to discuss the company’s situation with the Officer (the Officer was closely related with the company, meaning that he had gone to the location, spoken with the executives on several occasions, etc. to see if it was feasible or not to continue funding their outstanding loans or if they should be ended. The last responsibility I had as an intern at National City was the most detailed and the most important assignment that permanent analysts completed. Toward the end of my internship, it was noticed by my superiors that I could handle large workloads and put out excellent results. So, my supervisor decided that I should be taught how to do the main thing that permanent analysts d id on a regular basis. These assignments were called Credit Sheets. The Credit Sheet incorporated all of the things that dealt with the CACs and the spreads, but required an extreme amount of financial information and overall analysis. This sheet dealt with the loan structure, financial position of the company, statements from the CEO, industry and company analysis, future implications that may hinder the business’s performance and various other aspects of the overall picture company and its industry in general. These sheets were usually between 30 and 100 page reports and were done because a company was seeking new loans, extensions on old loans, or more borrowings. My duties were to gather all of the information that I could about the company and its industry. I would be in constant contact with the Officer so that he/she could give me any updated financial or company news in general and also so that I could let them know how my progress was coming along. I would then construct a broad industry analysis as well as a very detailed company analysis. It was also my job to provide a detailed financial analysis of the company including collateral trends, borrowing base, future commitments, 1, 3, and 5 year cash flow analysis, and projected future position. The sheet, again just like the CAC, would be passed between the Officer and myself, with him/her adding necessary information as necessary, until we were both confident with the content. The sheet would then be presented to the committee and it would be determined through discussion, whether or not the company’s request was valid according to the information presented and the committee’s feeling about the future of the company. I did also have other various responsibilities such as side projects for different people and whatnot, but basically, the things that I described above were my most important responsibilities. These duties, no matter how large or small, were an integral part of the corporation’s functioning as a whole. During my time as at National City, I, along with the two other interns and the new permanent employees, was required to take a Commercial Credit class. We would meet as a group one or two times a week with Anita, in a classroom setting, and go over the different topics we were assigned to read. There were five parts in all: Qualitative Company Analysis, Credit Risk Analysis, Cash Flow Analysis, Balance Sheet Analysis, and Case Studies. These areas were integral in the learning process of dealing with Commercial Credit in that it taught us what to look for when dealing with companies’ financial statements and allowed us to take a more in depth look at the financial process. It was an incredible learning tool because it allowed all of us to take what we were learning in the classroom and use it in a real world situation. I thought that that aspect was the best part of the internship in that it expanded on my current skills and enabled me to experience situations that cannot be taught merely in a college setting. The purpose of an internship, as I see it, is to make a person aware of the world that waiting for them after college and to give them a better understanding of what is out there in corporate America. Not only did this internship show me what could be waiting for me after college, but it also taught me a great deal about how a corporation works as a single unit. My job and status in the corporation was not looked down upon and I was not handed filing work or other types of â€Å"busy work†. I was being taught and molded in a way that was in accordance to how they train their ermanent employees. It was truly an incredible learning experience for me. The internship was very beneficial to my future professional career. I speak with employers now and they are thoroughly impressed with my experiences at National City. I have a superior knowledge of certain aspects of the financial world that has given me a leg up against the competition during the interviewing process as well as in conversations with professionals in the field. I feel more comfortable and confident with my skills and abilities than I have ever felt before. National City made me feel important and now that is the attitude that I carry around with myself. The thing that I enjoyed the most about my internship at National City was the fact that I was treated as an equal and important member of the corporation. Aside from the learning aspect of the job, I gained a sense of what it would be like to be an employee of a large company, such as a bank. I was given work that the permanent employees were doing and I was expected to perform within the same parameters. I also enjoyed the work setting in general. We worked hard, but it was a laid back atmosphere where you could really get to know the other people in the office. Plus, most of the people that I worked with were either fresh out of college or had graduated just a few short years back. There were also a few Ohio University College of Business alumni in my department which made for interesting and resourceful conversations. With all of things in mind, I cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed the fact that this job really taught me a lot. I know that I have already mentioned this, but the knowledge that I gained from my time at National City was priceless. I never thought that an internship could be so beneficial to me in the long run, but I was proven wrong in this case with flying colors. The internship, overall, was just an incredible experience for me and I am truly grateful that I was given the opportunity to prove my self while expanding on my skills at the same time. The College of Business has done a fantastic job in preparing me for my professional career in many ways. Many of the classes I have been required to take have given me a strong base of knowledge in particular areas of finance. I felt extremely prepared for this job when I first started just because of the fact that the finance and accounting classes that I have taken so far have taught me a great deal about the raw material in dealing with income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, etc. The course I took at National City was mostly a method of fine tuning my already present skills and also a means of allowing me to put my entire classroom learning to work in real world situations. The course that really prepared me the best for this position was the second business cluster (301i). In the cluster, I learned how to better my time management skills, work through tough situations, and gain more experience with interacting with other individuals (group work). I thought it was amusing that the permanent analysts were working on industry analyses for their projects and I was able to help them because of the fact that I had done so many of them in the cluster. I guess I really didn’t realize just how much I have truly learned until I experienced it first hand in a situation like the one I just mentioned. The introductory finance class given in the cluster (FIN 325) was also an important class that helped to prepare me for this job. I was introduced to the stock market on a more specific level and was taught about how to â€Å"analyze† the numbers (basically, what everything means). But, like I said, the overall knowledge that I gained from all of the classes I have taken here at Ohio University have been a huge benefit to my professional career. When I began my internship, I knew that I was prepared, but I didn’t know that I could be fully prepared for the task that was laid before me. To my relief, everyone around me was extremely helpful if I had any problems with anything and the Credit class also refreshed my memory about some of things that I may have forgotten over time. All in all, I was prepared enough to perform to the best of my ability and to add value back to National City. My overall outlook on my career and future has always been a concern of mine. I would always ask myself what kind of job of do I want to have when I graduate, where do I want to work, what will make me happy, etc. and it has always been hard for me to answer. To be honest with you, I never thought that I would want to work at a bank, to become a â€Å"banker†. But after experiencing a banking job first hand, I feel that it is something that I truly enjoy. I feel that banking is a great place for a finance major to start off in a career because it allows one to gain an understanding about the â€Å"meat and potatoes† of the financial world. Banking is a broad field to get into because there are so many aspects of it and so many different career paths to follow. I have interviewed with a number of companies to get a feel for what is out there for finance majors coming out f college and have found that it is mostly banking or sales. I know for a fact that I do not picture myself in a sales type position (life insurance, broker, etc. ) and that banking just seems to be the right fit for me. I have had the benefit of being able to take an in depth look at what the banking industry is all about and what it has to offer to myself i n regards to developing my professional career. I am happy to say that I am currently in the second round of interviews with National City for a Commercial Banking position. This is a position that I feel will be the most beneficial for me to begin at directly out of college. I feel that this position will give me the sound financial background that I need in order to advance in my career and develop into the professional that I have always strived to become. This internship was a great experience for me, one that gave me something more than just a paycheck. National City is an excellent corporation and deserves praise for its efforts in the internship arena. Please let me know if there are any other questions that you would like answered, for I may be able to explain myself better in spoken words (592-6294). Thank you.

The Republic, Socrates And Glaucon - 1244 Words

Yezhen Li Professor David Goldman Philosophy 1300 11 September 2014 First Paper In sections 433-445 of The Republic , Socrates and Glaucon discuss about definitions and properties of both justice and injustice, with reference to the structure and condition of an ideal city with absolute justice. Considering the properties of justice and injustice, they conclude that just lives, even without anything desirable, are better than any other unjust lives. To start off, Socrates discusses about a just city where three kinds of people (rulers, defenders and basic constructors) are well functioning and limiting themselves to do only their own work. With the just city as an analogy, Socrates proves that every individual’s soul consists of three parts- the rational part ruling the soul, the spirited part following the rational one and defending the body, and the appetitive part providing various basic desires. Hence, Socrates defines justice as an individual’s inside harmony where three parts of the soul are only engaged in their own work and cooperate well with one another, whereas defining injustice as the opposite. Based on the definitions of both justice and injustice, Socrates and Glaucon draw the conclusion that just lives are better than any other unjust lives. According to Glaucon, an individual’s life is â€Å"thought to be not worth living when the body’s nature is ruined† (Glaucon 121). The nature of the body is the situation where both body and soul are â€Å"in a natural relationShow MoreRelatedGlaucon in the Republic1047 Words   |  5 PagesIn Platos Republic, Glaucon is introduced to the reader as a man who loves honor, sex, and luxury. As The Republic progresses through books and Socrates arguments of how and why these flaws make the soul unhappy began to piece together, Glaucon relates some of these cases to his own life, and begins to see how Socrates line of reasoning makes more sense than his own. Once Glaucon comes to this realization, he embarks on a path of change on his outlook of what happiness is, and this change isRead More Platos Republic Essay 1025 Words   |  5 PagesPlatos Republic In Plato’s Republic, Glaucon is introduced to the reader as a man who loves honor, sex, and luxury. As The Republic progresses through books and Socrates’ arguments of how and why these flaws make the soul unhappy began to piece together, Glaucon relates some of these cases to his own life, and begins to see how Socrates’ line of reasoning makes more sense than his own. Once Glaucon comes to this realization, he embarks on a path of change on his outlook of what happiness isRead MoreSocrates Virtuous Soul Analysis1234 Words   |  5 PagesThis philosophy study will argue against Socrates’ â€Å"virtuous soul† as the motivation for just acts in The Republic. Socrates’ argument for the â€Å"balanced soul† as a motivation for just acts is defined in relation to the contrasting arguments of his contemporaries, such as Thrasymachus, Glaucon, and Adeimantus. This ideological view of the â€Å"virtuous soul† does not provide a pract ical explanation for the motivation of a â€Å"just act† in a hierarchical society. The argument of Thrasymachus defines justiceRead MoreThe Republic By Plato982 Words   |  4 PagesBook II of The Republic by Plato showcases the two very different views of Socrates and Glaucon in regards to the account of nature and origin of justice. Socrates and Glaucon discuss the theory presented by Glaucon that states that injustice is something that is intrinsically desired by all humans. Glaucon presents this argument to Socrates in order to understand and defend justice for its own sake. Glaucon seeks reassurance from Socrates that justice is not just only good for the positive consequencesRead MorePlato - Knowledge vs. True Belief Essay661 Words   |  3 Pagescorrect path to Larissa (Meno 97a-c). Socrates tells Meno that if both men led to the same result, then true belief is no more useful than knowledge and both beneficial (Meno 97c). This comparison changes in book five of th e Republic when Socrates says an ideal state must have a philosopher-king as a ruler (Republic 473d-e). Socrates and Glaucon conclude that knowledge and true belief are different powers so their natures cannot be the same (Republic 477c-478a). Knowledge is the most effectiveRead MorePondering The Policy And Its Principle1744 Words   |  7 PagesTradition Professor Lombardini Due October 5, 2014 at 5:00 PM Pondering the Policy and its Principle Book II of Plato’s Republic focuses on a debate between Glaucon, Adimantus, and Socrates about whether justice is beneficial for â€Å"the sake of whatever is to be got from it in terms of pay-off† (p.43) or if it is to be â€Å"valued both for its own sake and for what it gives rise to† (p.43). Glaucon, arguing this first point, relies on the assumption that humans are primarily driven by greed. As a result, humansRead MorePlatos The Republic and The Apology1714 Words   |  7 Pages In Plato’s The Republic and The Apology, the topic of justice is examined from multiple angles in an attempt to discover what justice is, as well as why living a just life is desirable. Plato, writing through Socrates, identifies in The Republic what he thought justice was through the creation of an ideal city and an ideal soul. Both the ideal city and the ideal soul have three components which, when all are acting harmoniously, create what Socrates considers to be justice. Before he outlines thisRead MoreEssay about Plato1268 Words   |  6 Pagese.).[6] Besides Plato himself, Ariston and Perictione had three other children; these were two sons, Adeimantus and Glaucon, and a daughter Potone, the mother of Speusippus (the nephew and successor of Plato as head of his philosophical Academy).[6] According to the Republic, Adeimantus and Glaucon were older than Plato.[7] Nevertheless, in his Memorabilia, Xenophon presents Glaucon as younger than Plato.[8] According to certain reports of ancient writers, Plato s mother became pregnant throughRead MoreSocrates Plausible Case for Justice862 Words   |  4 Pages This paper argues that Socrates makes a plausible case for justice. Socrates raised two main questions in the first two books of Plato’s Republic, what is justice? And why should we act justly? Thrasymachus and Glaucon both have different and more negative views of justice than Socrates. Throughout books one and two, Socrates, Glaucon and Thrasymachus go back and forth discussing the definition and application of justice in society. He starts his discussions with Glaucon and Thrasymachus by statingRead MoreThe Republic, By Plato1255 Words   |  6 Pagesworks, The Republic is the most read and circulated. In the Republic, Plato lays out two philosophical questions through a character named Socrates. Both questions re-occur as the foundation of dialogue amongst other characters, such as Glaucon, Adeimantus, and Polemarchu s. The first question is what is justice and the second question is why should a human being live a just life. Through this, the reader is being invited to observe a set of opinions and intense debate. In book one Socrates is traveling