Product and Service Marketing Analysis Essay

Product and service marketing are highly related. Take the success of a company like Apple, for example. The technology giant operates nearly 400 retail stores, employs more than 42,000 people and hosts more than a million visitors each day. In 2012, Apple’s retail operations generated nearly $19 billion. Furthermore, it’s estimated that Apple’s Fifth Avenue store generates more than $35,000 per square foot, making it the highest grossing retailer in New York – ever. Those statistics reinforce the company’s product and service strategies of those of a highly successful company. Apple continues to hold a number one spot on a list of the world’s most admirable companies. However, the success of Apple hasn’t always been so great. It wasn’t until the company combined good products with good services, that profits increased exponentially. Slide 12-12: Service Differentiation Apple actually had a point in business in which it struggled. That was in the 1990s when the company was selling products through larger retailers such as CompUSA and Sears. It was then, that Apple computers were shoved to the side, out of the main view of customers, as just another computer brand available on store shelves. Apple employees didn’t pay enough attention to the installation of the product in the big box stores in which it was being sold, so there wasn’t a true selling point for buyers. Also, the product delivery took a major hit. In fact, the brand became so weakened when retailers did not market the products properly, that the inventory wasn’t fully stocked. While Apple products plummeted in sales, the Gateway company was offering direct sales to consumers in its own stores, and Apple had to reinvent its business model, and quickly learn how to operate in a different manner. Less than two years after Apple launched its retail stores, Gateway shut down all of its shops and laid off 2,500 workers. Only three years later, CompUSA closed its chain of 23-year-old stores as well. Apple went against much of the advice it had received, and clearly the company was doing something right. Apple created retail stores that offer more than just a product. The stores offer a shopping experience that consumers often give raving reviews on. That includes ordering ease, smooth delivery, clear installation, the right customer training and consulting, and simplified maintenance and repair. Slide 12-11: Product Differentiation Apple Stores are now the highest performing stores in retail history. This isn’t due to just good in-store and online service. The products typically set the bar among all other technology products offered in the industry. Many Apple products come with customizable features based on a customers wants and needs. That includes hard drive and disk space, all the way down to the detail of an optional custom engraving on a product. In addition to the features, Apple products are known to hold superior performance quality. Sure, the products aren’t cheap, but typically when a customer buys an Apple product, they know that product will pay for itself over time. Slide 13-5: Categories of Service Mix When you’re dealing with a product that Apple designs and sells, it’s typically a highly technological device. That tangible good brings on accompanying services. The more advanced the product, the greater the need for those high-quality supporting services. When a customer goes into an Apple store looking for a new computer or an iPad, there’s a chance they don’t know how to maximize its use to its full capability. Apple found a way to assist costumers, so they can learn about the devices they’re purchasing for free. Employees at each Apple retail shop hold free workshops for consumers to teach the basics. In addition to workshops, customers can sign up for one-on-one training sessions to dig even deeper into their product’s capabilities. Slide 13-6: Service Distinctions These services offered by Apple require the client’s presence; therefore employees need to be considerate of the consumer’s needs. That is why Apple is known for hiring â€Å"customer-obsessed, empathetic employees.† Apple cofounder Steve Jobs offered a unique insight about how consumers interact with technology. Jobs said often the problem was that consumers are limited to thinking in terms of only what they know, instead of what is possible. Jobs once said that one of the keys to Apple is that the company builds products that turn the employees on. That is certainly to the benefit of the customers, that it â€Å"often means products are exactly what they want because Apple employees are so deeply entrenched in and committed to the customer’s experience.† Slide 13-8: Distinctive Characteristics of Service While many consumers know the physical products Apple offers are those of high quality, the company has made it a point to â€Å"manage the evidence,† and â€Å"tangibilize the intangible.† In doing so, Apple had to create stores that have a clean layout, in which traffic flows steadily, have employees that are busy, but they can still manage the workload, have equipment that is state of the art, have a symbol that suggests quality in both product and service, and finally, has a reasonable price for service. We already know that Apple services are offered for free, the company’s logo is iconic, and that the equipment is top notch. So, Apple’s stores had the main focus of a clean layout and employees readily available, yet still busy. When a customer walks into an Apple store, the aesthetics are clean and well thought out. Each product is on display for testing use, and the floors, walls, and counter spaces are clean and tidy. In addition to that, carefully recruited and trained sales associates are encouraged to take customers on a â€Å"ride.† They give each willing customer a short, informative tour of the space to be able to have a conversation and connect with each and every visitor. Then, of course, there’s the offering of support for each customer, which is just another delight to those who shop at Apple. The end result of Apple’s mix of product and service marketing combined is certainly one of success. Apple has the highest retail sales per square foot than any other U.S. retailer. The stores average more than $6,000 per square foot, which is more than twice the former gold standard Tiffany & Company. That success did not come with quality products alone, but quality product marketing coupled with quality service marketing. The company’s marketing strategy is unique, but the company figured out how to attract and retain customers, generate an extremely large amount of word-of-mouth and brand appeal to give it a huge competitive advantage. Works Cited Chazin, S. (2013). The Retail Secrets of Apple. Retrieved from http://www.marketingapple.com/marketing_apple/2013/01/the-retail-secrets-of- apple.html on 07/23/2013. DuBois, S. (2011). World’s Most Admired Companies. Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/mostadmired/2011/snapshots/670.html on 07/23/2013. Kotler, P; Keller, L (2011). Marketing Management (14th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Moorman, C. (2012). Why Apple is a Great Marketer. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/christinemoorman/2012/07/10/why-apple-is-a-great-marketer/ on 07/23/2013.

The Great Gatsby American Dream Essay

If you are looking for a way to kill the American Dream, you should call a man named Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, New York. I think he's found it. Jay Gatsby is a wealthy man who lives in one of the  ¨Eggs ¨ in New York. Jay Gatsby's real name is James Gatz, and was originally born in North Dakota on a farm. While he was a young boy he had always thought that he was meant to become something more than a farmer from North Dakota. Because of this he leaves his home and meets a man named Dan Cody.They meet while he is working on the beach of Lake Superior he see's a yacht and warned them about a storm that was coming. Dan cody was grateful and hired James Gatz to work for him. Dan Cody asked James Gatz what was his name and at that moment James Gatz became Jay Gatsby. While Jay was working for Dan Cody he figured out how to act rich. Dan Cody dies and tries to leave Gatsby $25,000, but Cody’s mistress prevented him from claiming his inheritance. Then Gatsby dedicated himself to become a wealthy man.Gatsby joins the Army and does his training in Louisville, Kentucky and meets a girl named Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby and Daisy end up falling in love and then Gatsby is shipped off to the war. When Gatsby comes back from the war 5 years later he finds out that Daisy is married to another man. Gatsby becomes very wealthy and moves across from Daisy just to be close to her. Gatsby never intended to leave her for so long and always regrets it. Because of this Gatsbys main dream is to marry Daisy, also part of this dream is that Daisy has to tell her husband Tom that she never loved him.After Daisy tells Tom that she never loved him both Gatsby and Daisy can move back to louisville and live out their past together. Gatsbys main driving force to get this dream is so that he and daisy can live in the past again and forget all of the bad things that happened to them in the that they were away from each other. Gatsby has many qualities that could make this dream a reality. For example, when Gatsby was with dan Cody he learned how to play the part of a rich man, because of this he can go to social events to get closer to Daisy.Another example is the amount of hope that Gatsby has when it is about him and Daisy being together, he never gives up on her and never lets go. But these qualities don't help him too much because Gatsby fails to get Daisy. He failed because Gatsby,Daisy,Daisy's husband Tom, and their friends Nick and Jordan was at the Plaza hotel, then Gatsby and Tom fought for who was going to take Daisy. Soon Tom started to bring up facts about Gatsby being involved in illegal activities. Daisy did not like that Gatsby was into these illegal activities so she leaves and Gatsby goes with her.on their way home Daisy is driving Gatsbys car and in her fury she hit and killed a lady and never stops. As a result Tom told the lady's husband that Gatsby hit his wife. So the lady's husband went to Gatsby house and he shot Gatsby while he wa s swimming in his pool, then the lady's husband choose to commit suicide. Gatsby died as a man whose dream was to be with the love of his life but came short and died for her. There is always a chance that your dream could never happen so don't be disappointed if it does not. The Great Gatsby American Dream Essay If you are looking for a way to kill the American Dream, you should call a man named Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, New York. I think he's found it. Jay Gatsby is a wealthy man who lives in one of the â€Å"Eggs† in New York. Jay Gatsby's real name is James Gatz, and was originally born in North Dakota on a farm. While he was a young boy he had always thought that he was meant to become something more than a farmer from North Dakota. Because of this he leaves his home and meets a man named Dan Cody.They meet while he is working on the beach of Lake Superior he see's a yacht and warned them about a storm that was coming. Dan cody was grateful and hired James Gatz to work for him. Dan Cody asked James Gatz what was his name and at that moment James Gatz became Jay Gatsby. While Jay was working for Dan Cody he figured out how to act rich. Dan Cody dies and tries to leave Gatsby $25,000, but Cody’s mistress prevented him from claiming his inheritance. Then Gatsby dedi cated himself to become a wealthy man.Gatsby joins the Army and does his training in Louisville, Kentucky and meets a girl named Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby and Daisy end up falling in love and then Gatsby is shipped off to the war. When Gatsby comes back from the war 5 years later he finds out that Daisy is married to another man. Gatsby becomes very wealthy and moves across from Daisy just to be close to her. Gatsby never intended to leave her for so long and always regrets it. Because of this Gatsbys main dream is to marry Daisy, also part of this dream is that Daisy has to tell her husband Tom that she never loved him.After Daisy tells Tom that she never loved him both Gatsby and Daisy can move back to louisville and live out their past together. Gatsbys main driving force to get this dream is so that he and daisy can live in the past again and forget all of the bad things that happened to them in the that they were away from each other. Gatsby has many qualities that could make this dream a reality. For example, when Gatsby was with dan Cody he learned how to play the part of a rich man, because of this he can go to social events to get closer to Daisy.Another example is the amount of hope that Gatsby has when it is about him and Daisy being together, he never gives up on her and never lets go. But these qualities don't help him too much because Gatsby fails to get Daisy. He failed because Gatsby,Daisy,Daisy's husband Tom, and their friends Nick and Jordan was at the Plaza hotel, then Gatsby and Tom fought for who was going to take Daisy. Soon Tom started to bring up facts about Gatsby being involved in illegal activities. Daisy did not like that Gatsby was into these illegal activities so she leaves and Gatsby goes with her.On their way home Daisy is driving Gatsbys car and in her fury she hit and killed a lady and never stops. As a result Tom told the lady's husband that Gatsby hit his wife. So the lady's husband went to Gatsby house and he shot Gatsby while he was swimming in his pool, then the lady's husband choose to commit suicide. Gatsby died as a man whose dream was to be with the love of his life but came short and died for her. There is always a chance that your dream could never happen so don't be disappointed if it does not.

Screening report Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Screening report - Movie Review Example As Sirk intended All that Heaven Allows to be a critic of the conventional American values, the movie successfully resorts to the exploitation of appropriate angles of vision, to accentuate this theme. The movie typically opens up with a high-angle shot of a cold and aloof church spire in New England, thereby making the values symbolized by it that governed the lives of the people inhabiting that town look petty, insignificant and flimsy. The other theme that the director intended to accentuate was the literal and thematic asphyxiation of Cary, by the dominant social norms and values. Metty successfully managed to visually develop this theme by resorting to placing frames within frames. Many a times the main character Cary is shown to be positioned within frames, as behind the windowpanes or the foreboding reflection of Cary in the television set, symbolizing and pointing towards her metaphorical and actual

The Evolution and Importance of Advertising Essay

The Evolution and Importance of Advertising - Essay Example During the era of written advertisement, other types of adverts were even in play; one of such methods was town criers. Town crier refers to an individual who publicly announces information; this was a good method to communicate with those who still were illiterate. These individuals used to roam around a particular town announcing different types of information such as public policies, goods and services that are being sold and news paper information. Town criers are recognized the first form of aural broadcasters as they orally provided information in live form to a particular audience who were in the surrounding areas (Russell, 1993, p.25). This means of advertisement was considered better as this information was obtained by people in first hand form as compared to magazines and a newspaper in which the information is reaches the public after a short delay. Previously information used to target a larger market and advertisements were expected to bring in huge amount of returns. Now, advertisements are more niches based due to increase in merchandisers focus on customer niches. Consumer awareness have increased due to changes in educational system, now consumers can easily tell when they are being cheated or being manipulated into buying goods and services and when wrongful information is being provided to them. Advertisers have to involve huge amount of time and effort while conducting the process of creating and delivering advertisements as consumers nowadays have become tech savvy. Today, a merchandiser cannot depend on one or two tools of advertisement in order to gain the attention of consumers. Currently, if businesses have to make their advertising operations successful, they have to use Integrated Marketing Communication. Integrated Marketing Communication refers to the use of all tools and resources available for advertising to gain consumers attention. These tools range from mobile phones to internet communities, blogs and social networks. Importance of Economy and Managers Economics rule states that when consumers have more money, they tend to spend more and save less, keeping this concept in view, economy has a major impact on advertiser’s efforts. If advertisement is conducted during the period of economic down trend, when the unemployment rate is high and people have less money to spend, the efforts of advertisement fail as during that time period, people tend to spend less and save more. All businesses have a specific budget especially for advertising purpose. A manager’

Treatment of disorders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Treatment of disorders - Essay Example The obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has numerous psychopharmacological and psychological treatments, this include medications, such as antidepressants which have direct effect on the patients mind and this can also have few side effects, which however are bearable. The cognitive behavioral theory has proved to be the most useful source of treating such disorders, this include actions like identifying the main factors causing disorder and than trying to separate them from the patients thinking using various techniques, "support groups" is another technique used to eliminate the disorder, here the patient shares his/her experiences with the other of the same category or with people who have already experienced OCD, this brings in a lot of knowledge about the undergoing conditions in the patient's mind. The autistic disorders that are found right from the childhood, people having such disorders have relatively less chances of being cured from the disorders. The treatment include special educational program, designed to improve the patient's speaking, interacting and reacting skills, else social skills training and individual therapies are also encouraged. One interesting fact about autistic disorders is that it requires treatment on the basis patient's age, the symptoms, the extent of disorder, patient's tolerance for the medications etc. The intensive behavior therapy in the early age of patient or child and actions of parents are in great relation to better improvement in the conditions of the patient or child. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder Generally found in children, ADHD has certain steps that are necessary for ensuring the treatment's success, it consist of an overall analysis on child's strengths and weaknesses, behavior therapy is again very much encouraged to treat children with ADHD, a health guide from Webmd says the following: Your child's health professional may recommend that your child take a stimulant medication, such as amphetamine (examples include Dexedrine or Adderall) or methylphenidate (examples include Ritalin, Concerta, or Metadate CD). These medications improve symptoms in about 70% of children who have the condition. However parents are a lot more concerned about their children, and it often makes them worried about the loss of appetite of their children, sleeping problems in children and related issues, research has shown that nothing such teribles happens if the medication is properly taken. post traumatic stress post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is having a common background, it appears in chidren due to sudden shocks, it can be treated but it has no different treatments than most of the other disorders, it includes psychodynamic psychotherapy in which more concern is on the past accidents and how they are linked with present experiences, Exposure theapy is another treatment which is related to the reactions of the pateint and his/her

Social Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Social Media - Essay Example These websites are designed for sharing messages, pictures, events, updates and such other activities. Social Media sometimes feeds in innovating and discovering new contents like news, stories and other activities. There are hundred thousand of people, who daily perform searches on social media websites to search social media contents (Thomas, 2012). At managerial ability of permissible astuteness, it has four important components: The Attitudinal Component Officially astute teams hold the instruction of commandment and identify the ethical features of planned choice. The astute TMTs take duty for handling the permissible features of corporate and would not delegate those conclusions to people such as counsel, who could not comprehend the wider business points. It is identified that it is a duty of the general manager to take decision that which provision of possessions and rewards creates the sensible business. Counsel does not advise that a certain course of act is legal or not, i t depends upon the administration team to take decision whether a certain risk is valuable or not. A prominent data administration software and hardware manufacturer will have to decide whether to obtain the entire standard of VMware, the designer of leading-edge Virtual software that allowed customers to run unlike computer operating classifications like Unix, Linux and Windows instantaneously on a single server (Mandiberg, 2012). The Proactive Component Officially astute administration teams claim lawful guidance that is professional business oriented, and they assume their solicitors to support them in addressing corporate opportunities and pressures in conducts that are lawfully permissible, actual, and competent. Rather than observing the rule purely as a restraint, somewhat to respond to and fulfill with, officially astute administration teams contain lawful restraints and opportunities at each phase of plan preparation and implementation. They take a preemptive method to rule , both to elude extra difficult government rule and to take benefit of the renewal opportunities parameter and de rule suggestion. Such as Regina Company decreased its product accountability disclosure and shaped an improved product in the method when it fortified its home-grown spa applications with an engagement recognition circuit interrupter that sheltered customers from electrical tremor if they unintentionally let fall the appliance in water. The Judgment Component Officially astute administrators with proper legal training do not have reason to guide themselves on permissible issues of significance. They appreciate the significance of choosing a right counselor at rule, who syndicates information of the black-note rule with decision and knowledge. Convinced developments of achievement might be lawful but not astute. Part of the highest administration team’s work is assimilating all method of viewpoints, from economic specialists, HR specialists, and marketing administr ators to solicitors. General Executives must take decision, how much to devote for gaining extra information, whether it is in the marketplace research or based upon lawful opinion. The Knowledge Component Although the knowledgeable administrator may realize the role that rule plays in setting the directions of the good game, it is frequently less clear, how commandment distresses the risk ratio for any

Lease Review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Lease Review - Assignment Example These clauses will be discussed and possible remedies for change given. One problem that may arise from the lease agreement has to do with the no pets allowed clause. This is because I own a pet that I have owned for a long time and which is a family favourite as it helps an autistic cousin who lives with us. Two types of laws, which would provide a tenant with the right to keep their pets where there is a provision against pets like this exist. One of them is local or municipal law, which holds that provisions against keeping pets are waived if the tenant keeps a pet and the landlord does not enforce the said no pet’s provision in the first 3 months in which the tenant is openly and notoriously keeping the pet in their house (Garner & Frith 38). In addition, local laws and federal laws will also allow a tenant to keep pets even where the landlord has expressly insisted on no pets allowed. Those laws prohibit discrimination against disabled people, mandating the landlord to gr ant tenants reasonable accommodation that is required for disabled persons to enjoy and use their new home (Garner & Frith 38). These laws should be used to correct the lease agreement to allow me to keep pets where there is opposition even from fellow neighbours who obey their lease agreement. While the landlord may be within his rights, these prohibitions are overridden by superseding laws. Another problem that may arise from the lease agreement is the access to the house by the landlord. While this would not be such a problem in other circumstances, keeping a pet in the house for the first three months to prevent its removal will be compromised by the landlord coming into the house when he wishes. There are very many variables to the in the definition of what reasonable access for the landlord is. What can be considered reasonable will be dependent on each individual circumstance. Standard terms will give the basis on which the correction to the lease agreement will be made (Garn er & Frith 49). These terms contend that landlords cannot access the house before 8 in the morning and after 6 in the evening, on public holidays, and on Sundays. Since the pet dog is usually in the house during these periods, the lease agreement can be changed. In addition, it can be corrected by insisting the lease agreement includes a clause that entry can only be granted where the tenant consents, there are issues of safety and health, and where urgent repairs are required during these periods. The lease agreement could also include a clause that does not allow the landlord to interfere with the tenant’s reasonable peace, privacy, or comfort (Garner & Frith 50). This will place a restriction on access the landlord may be entitled to. While the tenant is required by law to allow the landlord some access, this access may at times be in breach of the discussed clause, which the tenant is allowed to refuse. The third problem that arises from the lease agreement entails the cl ause on indemnity regarding use of premises. The problem could arise where fellow neighbors cause damages or children cause damage to neighbors’ properties together with other children living in the leased property. To ensure that this is corrected in the lease, the indemnity can be changed so that it is in the form of cross-indemnity, rather than just one way from tenant to landlord so as to

Money reward is superior to any other motivational incentives Assignment

Money reward is superior to any other motivational incentives - Assignment Example However, Thomas (2000) explains that without good working conditions, it is impossible for high salaries to be a good motivator to the employees of an organization. Thomas (2000) therefore explains that, the link between compensation, performance and motivation is very complex, and difficult to understand. Research indicates that if people were left to decide on how much money they should earn, then chances are high that they would not get satisfaction in their jobs. Human resource experts, who advocate for money as a motivator, also accept the notion that money alone cannot act as an effective motivator. Other factors such as a good working environment, cooperation between employees and the management, ability for growth are other motivational factors that are effective in increasing the morale of workers. The basic question to ask in this debate is on whether money plays a role in making our jobs enjoyable or not. Furthermore, the question to ask is whether high salaries play a role in motivating or de-motivating the employees of an organization. Whiteley (2002) explains that in as much as money is not the major motivator, in an organization, lack of good salaries can become a de-motivator. We are living in a capitalistic world, where everything we do, is monetized. It is very difficult to survive without making good money, or earning a good salary. The social status of an individual is also motivated, based on the kind or amount of money that he or she earns. It is based on these factors that employees of a business organization normally want to be paid high salaries, or a decent income for their services to an organization. Whiteley (2002) explains that a good theoretical framework that explains the importance of money is the Hierarchy of Needs theory, formulated by Abraham Maslow. The second level of these needs is security. Maslow explains that employees of an organization always have a

Social and Personal Related Factors Influencing Teenage Pregnancy Essay Example for Free

Social and Personal Related Factors Influencing Teenage Pregnancy Essay Introduction Teenage pregnancy or adolescent pregnancy is the early conception of female whose age ranges from 13 to 19. Just recently, adolescent has become an important issue in health in great number of countries, both developed and developing. However, pregnancy in adolescence is not an unusual phenomenon as it keeps on rising every now and then. There are lots of speculations about which factors triggers pregnancy the most. Some of these factors were deemed to be poverty, socioeconomic factors, educational attainment etc. Actually, a family with history of teenage birth is considered as one of the factor that influences teenage pregnancy. Teen female with family history of teenage births are significantly more likely to experience teenage pregnancy (East, et.al 2007). Childhood history of sexual abuse has also been taking in place as a factor of having early pregnancy. This factor increases the risk of teen women for subsequent adolescent pregnancy and that addressing conditions associated with childhood sexual abuse might impact the overall pregnancy rate (Noll, et.al. 2009). Somehow, even non expected factors such as childhood bullying were deemed to contribute for teen to have early pregnancy. Childhood bullying tends to have negative effect on the childhood of teen females. In fact, both bullies and victims had high risk of becoming teenage mothers regardless of the family-related risk factors. Reports of bullying and victimization from the girls themselves, their parents and their teacher were associated with becoming teenage mother independently of each other. Therefore, there is a predictive association between being a bully in childhood and becoming a mother in adolescence and it may be useful to target bullies for teenage pregnancy prevention (Lehti, et.al 2010). Conclusively, there are lots of factors which are deemed to influence teenage pregnancy and it is still a mystery that which factors we should consider above them all thus awareness could be given to those who will need it mostly. The aim of the study is to determine whether which of the social-related or personal-related factors greatly influences teenage pregnancy. Thus, when the study have determined and relay the results this could serve as a basis or guidelines for women to avoid early pregnancy. While for the parents of female teenager this will enable them to know of what aspect should they consider to avoid this teen pregnancy from happening and even for nurses, to conduct health teaching and public awareness that teenage pregnancy can always be prevented just as long as the action plan includes proven data and has the real factors that might lead teenagers to this unwanted and early pregnancy. Significance of the Study The study is deemed to be relevant in nursing profession and for the community in establishing a link between rendering care for the community both in Public and Private setting. The result aims to determine or to discover which among the following factors influences the teen women to be pregnant the most. The study is believed to benefit the following.

The Missouri Compromise Essay Example for Free

The Missouri Compromise Essay In 1819, The United States of America was made up of 22 states. At the time there was an even amount of free states and slave states. Due to the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, there were boundless acres of territory that had yet to be settled in the United States. Later that year, the territory of Missouri requested for statehood (Jones 361). This request set up controversy and conflict between the North and South states. Since the bulk of the settlers in the territory of Missouri were southerners, it was implied that if Missouri were to be welcomed to the Union as a state it would have to be a slave state. Nonetheless, if Missouri were added it would strictly disturb the political status quo. Amid all this tension, â€Å"Missouri’s admission was stalled† (Jordan 247). During this debacle, the territory, which we now call Maine, applied for statehood. Henry Clay, a politician at the time, knew that with Maine applying for statehood, this stalemate between slave states and free states could end. Soon after, the Missouri compromise of 1820 was the agreement that politicians made to evenly balance slave states and free states. Additionally, it was established that slavery would not be permissible to prolong in the territories north of the 36 ° 30’ latitude line (Jordan 247). The predicament with the Missouri Compromise was that the compromise was going to boost sectional division by outlining what the free states are in the North and what the slave states are in the South (Jordan 247). The result of this compromise was going to be a division between the North and the South. Furthermore, the Missouri Compromise was not adequately sufficient enough to keep the North and the South pleased. As the Missouri Compromise was written it was made permissible for Missouri to turn into a slave state as long as Missouri didn’t limit the rights of blacks or whites that immigrated into Missouri and that Maine would merge into the US as a free state (Jones 362). Even though the Missouri Compromise was very thought out, it was not the resolution to the slave predicament that people look forward to. To be more precise, it brought about the quarrel between politicians and citizens and led to a larger sense of sectionalism. The United States transformed into a hand tools, animal-power society into a mechanized, market-oriented society that came into sight in the North and West during the 1800s. This period of transformation was known as the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution was during the time the cotton gin was invented. Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin to help making the picking of cotton easier (Jordan 248). Inadvertently, the cotton gin helped revitalize slavery. Inventions like the textile mills, and interchangeable parts helped create the market economy. In the market economy, produce was raised and merchandise was created for sale in the market. The money that farmers and merchants made from market transactions was spent to pay for goods raised or created by others (Norton 245). There was a market cycle beginning to form. Due to the market economy, cotton started to become very valuable and it also started to become more lucrative due to the cotton gin. Many settlers wanted to join in on this newfound wealth so all the settlers started to move west to grow cotton. Since the settlers knew that they would make more money if they had slaves on their farms they demanded slavery. To accommodate the needs of the new settlers the Missouri Compromise was drafted. Manifest Destiny was a belief that the United States had to keep on moving west. Moving west and settling in more area is the outcome of territorial expansion. With the combination of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 and the Louisiana Purchase states would be created easier. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 allowed territories to have its own government if it met a certain amount of people residing in that territory (Jordan 141). As I stated before in my introductory paragraph, the Louisiana Purchase gave the United States thousands of acres of land. It nearly doubled the size of the United States at the time of the transaction. The Louisiana Purchase gave settlers land to move west while the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 helped set up statehood and government for territories. If the Louisiana Purchase and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 didn’t occur there would be no Missouri Compromise if no one settled in Missouri. The Missouri Compromise brought out the disparities within the politicians of different parties and was a foundation to a transformation in American politics. The country was gradually separating into two distinct factions, those that preferred the southern agrarian, slave holding economy and those that preferred to shift the country in a more industrial course and preferred the abolition, or at least the restraining, of slavery. The resolution that Henry Clay recommened that was to be known as the Missouri Compromise of 1820 simply suspended a quarrel of great proportions until a later date. Word Count: 837 Outline Missouri Compromise Soon after, the Missouri compromise of 1820 was the agreement that politicians made to evenly balance slave states and free states. Additionally, it was established that slavery would not be permissible to prolong in the territories north of the 36 ° 30’ latitude line (Jordan 247). Sectionalism The predicament with the Missouri Compromise was that the compromise was going to boost sectional division by outlining what the free states are in the North and what the slave states are in the South (Jordan 247). Even though the Missouri Compromise was very thought out, it was not the resolution to the slave predicament that people look forward to. To be more precise, it brought about the quarrel between politicians and citizens and led to a larger sense of sectionalism. Industrial Revolution and Market Economy In the market economy, produce was raised and merchandise was created for sale in the market. The money that farmers and merchants made from market transactions was spent to pay for goods raised or created by others (Norton 245). Territorial Expansion The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 allowed territories to have its own government if it met a certain amount of people residing in that territory (Jordan 141). The Louisiana Purchase gave settlers land to move west while the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 helped set up statehood and government for territories Conclusion The resolution that Henry Clay recommened that was to be known as the Missouri Compromise of 1820 simply suspended a quarrel of great proportions until a later date.

Influence Of Gambling Activities In College Students Psychology Essay

Influence Of Gambling Activities In College Students Psychology Essay My previous experience and lively interest in this subject motivated me to select Essence of gambling and influence of gambling activities in college students as a topic for my literature review. I had been problematic gambler for two years (gaming peers promoted tendencies to gamble) at first I started it as a means of recreation, but as a result it became major activity for me. I was spending great deal of time and money on it, without taking care of family budget or private life and it initiated real financial crisis and nervousness for me. But today, I am not gaming at all; I broke a deadlock, after loosing big sum of money, so I would like to scientifically realize the process of starting and terminating gambling by me. On the other hand, in Georgia sports betting (bookmakers) and Casino games are primary gambling activities, not only adults, but teenagers also are frequent users of these venues and I consider gambling as a large national problem. Increasing number of gambling v enues (for instance: my native city Batumi looks like a big casino) and promotion of gaming directed at students makes problem even more severe and large-scale. There had been hot debates around this topic, should gambling be declared illegal? Should it be removed from urban centers? Or simply prioritized as a profitable industry which is one of the main sources of taxation revenue? I want to assess where we are, acknowledge positive and negative sides of gambling, make judgments and as a voter support conventional wisdom. Why researchers even bother to tackle this topic? Because current developments in the world and mainly in USA makes lots of things around gambling challenging to investigate, analyze and conclude. On one hand there is profitable industry, which contributes a lot to taxation revenue, economic growth and development of services in urban centers, on the other hand negative consequences it yields to society, like emotional distress, personal bankruptcy, psychological trauma, so it is interest for researchers weather benefits cover those disadvantages or not. And why college students? Because studies of other risk behaviors have reinforced the opinion, that college students are at high risk for gambling ( LaBrie A. Richard; Shaffer J. Howard; LaPlante A. Debi; Wechsler Henry (2001) Correlates of college student gambling in the United States). Researchers examine different stages of gambling, when it becomes harmful, what are motives And which individuals are more inclined to gamble to deathà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦On the whole, the increase in the prevalence of gambling has stimulated a considerable body of research. (Platz Laurie and Murray Millar (1998) Gambling in the context of other recreation activity: A quantitative comparison of casual and pathological student gamblers.) As a prospective economist first I reviewed article by Koo Jun et al Rolling the dice? Casinos, Tax revenues and the social cost of gaming, (Journal of urban affairs. Volume 29, number 4.) Do the benefits from increased taxes and job opportunities associated with gambling outweigh those personal and social costs resulted from increased number of addicted gamblers? So three main issue worked out in this research are: 1)tax revenues and economic growth supported by these funds, 2) jobs at the casinos and improved public service, 3)possible social consequences. Wagering tax rates varies between 8.5 and 45.5% in US (Nevada, New Jerseyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Illinois) and as a percent of tax revenue it is between 3.4 and 27.8% (Illinoisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Nevada), in Detroit casinos are sixth largest employer (Source: Indiana Gaming Commission, 2006) rigid evidence to agree that this industry is special for states economic stability. Research also focused on social costs: do casinos induce higher leve ls of social problems? Is there a link between casinos and socially destructive behaviors like unemployment, bankruptcy fillings and crime rate? Direction of causality must be checked. Article tried to answer these questions by analyzing changes in Michigan, Virginia, Indiana and Ohio; in Ohio casino-style gaming is forbidden while in others not, so researchers compared outcomes relative to social problems. Quasi experiment was carried out, unemployment rates of casino and non-casino countries in Michigan between 1991 and 2003 were compared and result was that although there was a slight decrease in the unemployment rate gap, the opening of casinos did not significantly change overall levels. Similar patterns are observed in terms of bankruptcy rates and crime levels, presence of casinos had no observable incremental effect, macro factors seem to play much significant role (Koo Jun et al, 2007). This research also used regression models, designed to control differences in initial conditions between casino and non-casino counties and separate the effects of casinos on the social cost variables: crime rate, personal bankruptcy rate and unemployment, results showed that there might be some casino effects but they are unimportant (Koo Jun et al, 2007). We can conclude this research that gambling does not have significant and catastrophic effects on socially destructive behavior, even recognizing direct connection between them is difficult, so there is no reason to declare it unlawful and sacrifice financial benefits of it. Now the essence of gambling must be studied. Gambling: normal adolescent activity or pathologic addiction? abstract by Selekman Janice 2008, explains essence of gaming. Gambling sometimes referred as Gaming, is defined as the practice of playing games of chance or betting in the hope of winning money or something of value, it involves risk and uncertainty (Verbeke and Kittrick-Nathan,2007) Most adolescent gamblers are considered as recreational, who gamble for the purposes of entertainment, but of the 80% gamblers 10-15% are at risk of development of a gambling problem and 3-8% are considered to be problem or pathological gamblers (Derevensky and Gupta, 2007) in adult population only 1.5% are problematic gamblers (Labrie and Shaffer). The median age for starting gambling is 11-13 years, when small amounts of money are readily accessible, when local environment accepts such behavior and rules of the game are understandable to a child and he/she plays to win money, gain status and resp ect among friends, escape stress, relieve boredom. While gambling they feel more control of the situation, more independence and self reliability (Jacobs, 2004) But at some phase recreational gambling becomes problematic, impulse-control disorders take place and can be characterized by following criteria suggested by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual: Preoccupied with gambling. Needs to gamble with increasing amounts of money. Has repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, stop gambling. Is restless or irritable. Gambles as a way of escaping from problems or of relieving a dystrophic mood. Chases ones loses. Lies to conceal the extent of involvement in gambling in gambling Has committed illegal acts such as forgery, fraud, theftà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Has jeopardized or lost a significant relationship, job or career opportunity because of gambling. Relies on others to provide money to relieve a desperate financial situation.(American Psychiatric Association, 2000) Pathological gamblers are at increased risk for use of alcohol and drugs, they have symptoms of anxiety and depression, sudden change in mood and school performance, they sell expensive possessions and are unable to count for money (Griffiths and Wood, 2005). It is worthwhile now to scrutinize problem gambling and prediction of gambling behavior in more details. Abstract The prediction of gambling behavior and problem gambling from attitudes and perceived norms by Susan M, Moore is useful in this sense. In the study by Moore the aim was to test the Theory of Reasoned Action, central hypotheses were that attitudes and subjective norms would predict intentions and intention-behavior. Survey designed to measure gambling attitudes, subjective norms, gambling intention, gambling behavior and problem gambling was completed by 215 participants (mean age 22). Results showed that: Most respondents approved of moderate gambling and hold that some gambling should be legal, but they were against too much gambling and endorsed to set limits on gambling opportunities. Realizing figure 2 we find out that family and friends have a great impact on gamblers, and gamblers are often surrounded by gaming friends and family members, and disapproval of their behavior comes from family members not from friends (Moore M. Susan; Ohtsuka Keis 1999) As frequency of gambling behavior in the sample shows very few of the sample regularly engaged in any type of gambling, but at a low level there has been widespread engagement in gambling. Survey also showed that not all gamblers, that game more frequently than they intend, are problematic, so correlation between gambling frequency and problem gambling was, moderately high but not corresponding: (Moore M. Susan; Ohtsuka Keis) And finally with table five, there is expressed gambling intention, frequency and problem as independent variables and potential predictors are sex, age, attitudes to gambling, subjective norms, intention to gamble. Regression analyses showed intention to gamble was significantly predicted by attitudes and subjective norms: more positive attitudes greater intention to gamble. Also males, people with strong intentions and positive subjective norms are more likely to engage in this activity. (Moore M. Susan; Ohtsuka Keis, Social behavior and personality, 1999) Gambling behavior and problem gambling is partly predicted and influenced by independent factors, but is it stable or characterized by progression? It was helpful for me to answer these questions by contemplating longitudinal studies reviewed by Debi A. Laplant et al in the abstract named: Stability and progression of disordered gambling: lessons from longitudinal studies. Stability tendency for individuals to stay at one diagnostic level opposed to moving to another improved or worsened level (Laplante A Debi et al 2008). this review found out that in contrary to conventional wisdom individuals can recover from disordered gambling (contrary to persistence assumption), like the other one that holds that individuals who have gambling problems are not more likely to worsen than individuals without gambling problems (contrary to progression assumption), so this review demonstrates that disordered gambling is unstable and not persistent, that means that professional and conventional wis dom about problem gambling have no empirical support. This review by Laplante A Debi was based on 5 peer reviewed articles (Abbott et al, Defuentes-Merillas et al, Shaffeer and Hall, Slutske et al, and Winters et al) which used various time points, populations and measures of problem gambling: In the above figure level 0-1 represents no gambling or gambling without problems, level 2 subclinical gambling problems, level 3 gambling problems. Then were developed cross tabs classification of gambling courses: improving decreased number of gambling problems; worsening increased number of gambling problems; stable consistent gambling problems across all time points (there were different time points and large time span) and variable fluctuation of gambling problems without consistent direction. As this figure shows Level 3 or problem gamblers who reduced their level of severity exceeded the studies corresponding margin of error, in each study proportion of level 3 gamblers improving was greater than zero. Results are similar for Level 2 gamblers, who reduced level of severity and their number exceeded corresponding margin of error. Improving was greater than zero. (Table2, Debi A. Laplante et al) it confirms that gambling behavior is not persistent, as problem gamblers reveal tendencies of improving in each study. We can conclude that these longitudinal studies with short-term and long-term periods indicate that while healthy gambling behavior appears to be stable, individuals with gambling problems experience movement from different levels of severity of gambling disorder to other more or less severe levels. Now as we have covered main issues, structure and characteristics of gambling we should pay more attention to segment of population which is frequently involved in gambling and pathological gambling yields disastrous consequences for them. As a bottom line we can use article by Emily M. Verbeke and Karin Dittrick-Nathan-Student gambling. Gambling is an addictive behavior that is often hidden but erodes students quality of life; it has increased significantly among adolescents, who have grown up in a society where it is legal and widely accepted.(Emily M. Verbeke) As article points out problem or compulsive gambling is characterized by: increasing preoccupation with gambling, a need to bet more money more frequently, restlessness or irritability, increasing bets to make up previous losses and loss of control over gambling activity. Result of problem gambling can be low grades absenteeism, poor concentrationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Emily M. Verbeke) (Then we will discuss this in more details). Although regulations forbid anyone under 18 to play, illegal gambling takes place out of controlled areas. There are several reasons why adolescents gamble: for recreation, to socialize, to win money, to experience thrill, to relieve depression or simply to escape from problems at home or university. Youths who have certain personality characteristics, such as extreme impulsivity, extroversion, sensation-seeking behaviors or low self-esteem may be at higher risk of developing a gambling problem and they have higher rates of depression and suicide attempts. Prevention and intervention activities must me carried out by teachers, mental health professionals, coaches, parents to communicate to students about negative effects of gambling and change a positive attitude towards gaming as a harmless behavior (Emily M. Verbeke). College students gambling behavior: when does it become harmful? by Jeremiah Weinstock et al is another useful abstract which gives us beneficial information about student gambling. 159 college students were interviewed, who also completed demographic questionnaire. Patterns of gambling behavior associated with pathological gambling gambling more than 1.2 times per month, gambling more than 2.1 hours per month, intending to wager more than 6.1% of monthly income and wagering more than 10.5% of monthly income. Pathological gambling was also associated with the combination of psychological distress, gambling frequency and a history of parental gambling problems (Jeremiah Weinstock). Pathological student gamblers report poorer academic performance and greater risk taking, like alcohol consumption, nicotine use, illicit drug use and unprotected sex, than recreational or non-gamblers (Weinstock et al). Also Weinstock et al found that 50% of students who gambled at least once a month expe rienced problems related to their gambling. In this study 160 students were participating, 18 years or older, the sample was diverse in both demographic characteristics and gambling behavior. Study showed that the most common gambling activities were cards (58.3%), slots (48.1%), sports betting (33.1%) and games of skill (26.3%). Questionnaire filled in by participants asked for GPA, monthly income, ethnicity, sex, marital status and age, also whether their parents gambled or not. Questionnaire also included other behavioral variables like Gambling frequency, duration, Gambling Plan Adherence index and episodes when amount risked exceeded amount intended to risk. On the basis of diagnostic interview participants were classified as pathological or non-pathological gamblers. As shown in table 1, pathological gamblers are significantly more likely to report a parent with a gambling problem history, a lower GPA, greater psychological distress than were non-pathological gamblers. This numbers identify several strong behavioral indicators, highlighting a behavior associated with pathological gambling: risking more than 10% of monthly income, gambling more than once a month and gambling more than 2 hours per month were related to pathological gambling status in college students. As study showed demographic variables play small role in pathological gambling status, behavioral and psychological variables are more influential and such behavioral indicators can be utilized to assess, prevent and intervene in problematic gambling behavior in college students. Pathological gambling among students is further analyzed by Randy Stinchfield in the article Problem and pathological gambling among college students. Article is divided into four sections, overview of problem and pathological gambling, risk and protective factors associated with student gambling, problem gambling screening and assessment instruments, prevention and intervention approaches. Problem gambling individuals life is disrupted by gambling, gambling takes precedence over other activities and individual experiences adverse consequences. Pathological gambling is a psychiatric diagnosis (Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders-American psychiatric association). Three cardinal signs of pathological gambling are: preoccupation with gambling and obtaining money with which to gamble, loss of control of ones gambling and continuation of gambling despite negative consequences such as losing large sums of money. Experimenting with gambling, regular gambling, excessive g ambling are types of student gambling. Many college student gambles, but only small percentage becomes problem gamblers (Winters, Bengston, Dorr 1998). Rates of gambling and problem gambling remained stable over time, but there was a shift from illegal games to legalized games (Winters 1995). How many college students are problem gamblers? 9.3% of men and 2.4% of women(Shaffer, Hall 1997 SOGS),other study 4.9%men 1%women(Winters, Bengston, Dorr 1998) another study 8.5%men, 1.9% women (Engwall, Hunter, Steinberg 2004). What about risk and protective factors associated with gambling? Out of all possible risks, most salient is substance use, abuse, dependence. The link between alcohol, illicit drug, and tobacco use and gambling and problem gambling are strong (Clark, 2003; Engwall 2004). Heavy alcohol use was highly predictive of problem gambling, particularly size of bets made while gambling, unanticipated withdrawal of extra money at the casino and loss of more money than could be afforded (Giacopassi 1998). In terms of gender, males are more involved in gambling that women (Kveitel and Allen, 1998) males also have higher rate of problem gambling than females (Ladoucer 1994). Ethnicity, like gender is another salient risk factor, studies have shown that African-Americans and Asian-Americans tend to gamble more then European-Americans. Other important risk factors can also be listed: students overall level of gambling activity, general gambling veracity, tendency to minimize losses, general academic performance, typical leisure or extracurricular activities and parental or guardian history of gamblingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Randy Stinchfield 2006). Now briefly discuss about pathological gambling assessment instruments. Most commonly is used the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), the content of SOGS includes items that inquire about spending more time or money on gambling than intended, hiding evidence of ones gambling, arguing with family members about ones gambling borrowing money. The twenty item SOGS is scored by summing the number of items endorsed, a cut score of 5 or more indicates PPG. Second item is the Gambling Behavior Interview (GBI) 76 item instrument designed to measure signs and symptoms of problem gambling. GBI is made up of eight content domains: Gambling attitudes, Gambling frequency of different games, Time and money spent gambling, gambling frequency at different venues, SOGS, DSM diagnostic criteria, Research diagnostic items and demographics.(National Collegiate Association, 2004). At the end of this article are recommendations for practitioners at colleges and universities: Monitor student gambling behavior, extent of gambling, illegal gambling and problem gambling. Develop student policies for gambling that emphasize rehabilitation not punishment. Conduct research into the cause, development, maintenance and cessation of problem gambling, with an emphasis on risk and protective factors. Develop and evaluate prevention programs and messages designed for students. Provide treatment services for students who have already developed a gambling problem. (Randy Stinfield, William Hanson, Douglas Olson, 2006). Correlates of college student gambling are worthwhile to analyze. Article named Correlates of college student gambling in the United States by Richard A. LAbrie et al gives some profitable information about it. Primary research questions which were answered: Will a nationally representative survey of gambling among college students confirm the concept that college students are at high risk for gambling problems? And will the problem behaviors and the risk factors conform to those of alcohol abuse and thereby support the persistence of a problem behavior syndrome (Richard A Labrie). Research used 2001 CAS self-administered questionnaire, which repeated standard questions used in 1993, 1997, 1999 surveys. The survey questionnaire asked, during the past school year, how often did you bet or spend money on each of the following gambling activities: Betting on professional sports, Betting on college sports, Betting on horse or dog racing, Casino gambling, Betting on the lottery or the num bers, Internet betting or gambling, Betting with a bookie, Playing cards, dice, or other games of chance. The 2001 CAS collected data from 120 colleges, 10765 students, to improve the representativeness of the sample; data were weighted to the gender, age and race/ethnicity distribution at the schools. Approximately 52% of men and 33% of women reported that they gambled, the most popular type of gambling was playing the lottery (25%), 30% reported casino gambling, 13% gambling with playing cards and dice. Gambling venues for men: lottery, playing cards, betting on sports, skill games and casino gambling, women preferred lottery, casinos, slot machines, bingo, and playing cards. Men are about 4 times more likely than women to have bet on sports and played games of skill for money, 3 times more likely to have bet on animals and twice as likely to have gambled in the stock market and played dice games (Douglas Engwall 2000). Of the students who gambled, 45% participated in only 1 type of gambling activity, the majority of student gamblers restricted their gambling to 1or 2 types (Richard A Labrie 2001). Students also answered questions about time spent on various activities in the past 30 days, these questions provided with an opportunity to evaluate the demographic and other factors that distinguished students who gambled from those who did not. Results showed that three demographic variables significantly predicted college student gambling for the total sample. Being male was the strongest demographic predictor of being a gambler, followed by being older than 20 years, and finally by having parents who had not completed the 4 year college. For men but not women, being white was a significant predictor of being a gambler, for women but not men having never been married was also significant predictor (Richard A Labrie 2001). Other covariates: those students whose families did not disapprove of drinking were more likely to gamble. Students who gamble intensely consider parties to be very important and religion and art less important. Male gamblers consider athletics to be very important. Men who lived in fraternity houses were more likely to be gamblers; having a grade average less than a B+ was more common among gamblers and also having 5 or more close friends was one of the predictors. Alcohol related behavior were the strongest risk correlates of gambling. Use of marijuana and illicit drugs also predicted gambling. Students of both sexes were more likely to be gamblers if they watched a great deal of television, spent time on a computer for non-academic reasons, studied less than 3 hours a day (Richard A Labrie 2001) The results of this nationally representative survey of gambling among college students do not indicate that students are at high risk for gambling problems, fewer college students in the 2001 CAS gambled in the last school year than adults in the last year. The CAS also found that 2.6% of students gambled frequently. Although findings reported in this article do not indicate a large national gambling problem among students, promotion of gambling could change a current situation. As we noted several times, intensive alcohol usage is most significant predictor of gambling behavior, so decision of choosing article The co-occurrence of alcohol use and gambling activities in first-year college students by Matthew P. Martens. Study written in this article was participated by 908 first-year college students, who were surveyed in 2005; research showed that alcohol use and alcohol-related risks were related to gambling frequency and peak gambling loss. National studies have indicated that approximately 40% of US students engaged in heavy episodic drinking, with men consuming more alcohol than women. In this study Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was used as a measure of alcohol use. AUDIT is a 10-item measure designed to assess alcohol consumption, dependence symptoms and alcohol related risks and problems. To assess gambling behaviors, participants completed a 7-item inventory, these items were taken from the South Oaks Gambling Screen, six items as sessed gambling activities: playing cards for money, betting on horses or sports betting, playing slot machines, playing casino games, playing the lottery and playing a game of skill. The mean AUDIT score among participants was 8.61, men reported higher total scores than women (Matthew P. Martens 2005), results also showed that most played gambling activity was lottery games(55%) followed by playing cards for money(44%) and games of skill(26%), men reported gambling more frequently and having a greater peak gambling loss than did women. Goal of this study was to examine the co-occurrence of alcohol use and gambling. Table 2 shows the correlation between AUDIT scores and gambling variables, correlation between AUDIT and gambling frequency was 0.29 indicating the co-occurrence. By assessing differences in gambling behaviors between high-risk drinkers, low risk drinkers and abstainers, analysis of results indicated that high-risk drinkers gambled significantly more often than did others and had higher peak gambling loss. The finding of this study was that alcohol-related variables (use, dependence and alcohol related risks) and gambling frequency and peak gambling loss co-occurred in a group of students: Consuming large amounts of alcohol may make it more likely that a student chooses to gamble or it could negatively affect a students gambling-related decision. Similarly students may drink more heavily when they are engaged in gambling activity. (Matthew P. Martens et al, journal of American college health 2005). As we noticed lotteries are most common form of gambling and they are readily available to students, so next article is Predictors of lottery gambling among American college students by Beverly A. Browne and Daniel J. Brown. In this study gambling behavior of 288 American college students was examined and it was found that student lottery gambling was related to having parents and friends who were lottery gamblers. Students who were frequent lottery gamblers were more likely to participate in other forms of gambling. Discriminator analyses using parental gambling, peer gambling, games played, sex and locus of control could predict frequency of lottery playing for 72% of gamblers and non-gamblers. A small body of research that addressed the relationships between gambling and personality (Reviewed by Kusyszyn, 1984) indicated that college students who gambled on lotteries were similar to non-gamblers in characteristics such as intelligence, psychoneurotic tendencies and extroversion, m ale college students who gambled were found to be more secure, masculine and happy but less socially responsible. People who believe in luck may be more likely to gamble. The personality trait of locus of control has been linked to believing in chance rather than individual control over ones destiny (Rotter, 1966; Rotter, 1972). The sample of this research consisted of 288 students, as attitudes toward gambling might vary with nationality the sample was restricted to persons from the USA. The respondents completed a self-administered questionnaire that asked about gambling practices and the gambling of parents and friends. Results showed that almost 80% of the sample had purchased lottery tickets at one time or another; only 2% reported that they were frequent lottery players and 63% as occasional players. The average age of subjects when they bought their first ticket was 17.7 years, 31% of students reported that they had played lottery illegally before the age of 18. Responses als o showed that 61% of college students played the same frequency as they did before they came to college, so college environment is not motivator of gambling. Study used discriminator analyses to determine how well a combination of variables would predict lottery playing behavior. The analyses indicated that the combination of other gambling, parental gambling, peer gambling, sex, and locus of control could predict gambling status. Most predictive variables were engaging in other gambling, parental gambling, and peer gambling. Gaming peers may promote tendencies to gamble; nevertheless other influences (time, money, knowledge) may constrain those tendencies. Review gave me a great deal of information around gambling to make conclusions, researches indicated legal gambling is not directly connected to unemployment growth, crime rate or personal bankruptcy, it is not significant influencer, so if we consider those benefits expressed in huge taxation revenues, developed services, and employment in casinos, we can find legal gambling acceptable and sometimes necessary too. Those funds received from taxation will stimulate economic growth and result in greater GDP. On the other hand, it is persons legal right to gamble, if he is above 18 years and has desire, so it would be less than democratic to abolish gaming as a purpose of evading excessive or pathological gambling. I perfectly realize negative effects and bad sides of gambling, mainly influencing adolescents and problem gamblers, as excessive gambling frequently results in disruption of private life, psychological distress, big debts, failures at jobs, universities and in relationships with relativesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ so population must be informed about it timely, and then people will make informed choice to gamble or not. Restrictions in age must be controlled strictly; juveniles under 18 years must not be allowed to gamble at all, not only in casinos but anywhere. It means that illegal gambling must be eliminated, also in schools and universities have to be conducted monitoring of student gambling behavior, prevention programs must be developed and policies should emphasize not punishment of those who became problem gamblers but rehabilitation. By looking at predictors of gambling behavior profile of prospective problem gambler can be created, people who fit this profile noticed and eliminate threat until it becomes dangerous. In some dimensions gambling has negative effects on society as a whole(social distress) so there is one view and I agree with it that gambling ventures can be removed

Ernest Hemingway :: essays research papers

Ernest Hemingway was a major American novelist and short story writer whose principal themes were violence, machismo, and the nature of what is called now “male bonding.'; His renowned style for his firmly non-intellectual fiction is characterized by understatement and terse dialogue (Riley 231). Hemingway had a life that included him running away several times. Hemingway had many jobs before becoming a novelist and short story writer. He also had many influences, from his father’s suicide to painters that influenced his writings. Ernest Hemingway, an American novelist and short story writer, whose style is characterized by crispness, childish dialogue and emotional understatement that has made him a major novelist and short story writer (Riley 231).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ernest Hemingway was born in Oak Park, Illinois on July, 21 1899 to his mother Grace Hall and his father Clarence Edmonds Hemingway (Rood 187). Even though he was born into a upper-middle class family, he single handedly revised the Byronic stereotype of the artist-adventurer (Lesniak 20). Hemingway’s childhood was rarely mentioned, other then that he tried to run away from home several times when he was still in high school (Lesniak 23). After Hemingway graduated from Oak Park High School, he went to work, in 1917, as a reporter at the Kansas City Star. In 1918 he enlisted as an ambulance driver for the Red Cross in Italy. In 1920 he starts working as a reporter and a foreign correspondent for Toronto. After being an ambulance driver in Italy in World War I, he converted to Catholicism and he often referred to himself for the rest of his life as “a rotten Catholic'; (Lesnaik 20). Hemingway married four times during his life, each time to a Midwestern American girl. First he married Hadley Richardson on September 3, 1921. On May 10, 1927 he married Pauline Pfeiffer. On November 21, 1940 he married Martha Gellhorn. Finally on March 14, 1946 he married Mary Walsh. He regarded the end of a marriage as a personal defeat (Rood 187).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hemingway had many kinds of figures. He was a craftsman dedicated to the art of letters who rarely wavered in his adherence to the highest standards of artistic probity. He also significantly influenced twentieth century writing on all levels through his pronouncements and the principles of professionalism which he introduced and lived. Hemingway was also a night-club roisterer, a slick and chromatically unreal advertisement in the rotogravures, unfairly “good copy'; for the gossip columnists, public brawler and braggart, and the “batter’d.

Divorce Essay -- Social Issues, Children

Divorce is viewed differently by many people. Sometimes this is due to experiences, what others have said, or looking at studies that are not always accurate. However, not everyone can have the same views about marriage ending in divorce. In the article, â€Å"No Easy Answers: Why the Popular View of Divorce Is Wrong† by Constance Ahrons she shows her view on divorce. Ahrons believes that divorce does not have long-lasting damaging effects on children (65). Divorce can affect children in the family but the way the decisions are made is what will change the way the kids are influenced. First of all, opposing viewpoints say that divorce can cause the child to feel like their life is not going to be the same. In contrast, this is not a highly supported statement. One thing that is commonly stated about divorce is, once two married parents with children decide to divorce, that they are no longer a family (66). Although, they may not be living together in the same house it does not mean they are still not a family. No matter what, the parents will always be linked to each other because of the children. Is that not the definition of a family? In addition, assumptions are made that if people are married with kids that they are an ideal family This is not the case, if the marriage is not working out and is only causing problems amongst the parents and kids than that is not considered a family either. Divorce does not cause children to lose their family, if anything it helps to fix them. Moreover, people say that kids feel like their life will have to change drastically because; they will have to lose one of their parents. Divorce does not mean that the children will drop a relationship with one of their parents. Some divorces may be like... ...e fairly small or big but either way the child is changed in some way. No matter how people view divorce, there is no wrong viewpoint. In the end, the effects are rarely long-term on the children. In conclusion, divorce is an extremely diverse subject, and it is going to be viewed in a different way by many individuals based on their experiences. Sometimes divorce can be the best thing for the couple as well as the child. If a marriage is only there for the child then that could affect them just as much as a divorce (65). The outcome on how serious the effects are on a child after divorce can vary. It is all revolved on how the parents handle the divorce; what decisions and choices they chose to make will change the way the child is affected. When it comes down to it, â€Å"you can choose to see your family as rearranged, or you can choose to see it as broken† (62).

Dahlia Case Study Essay

OVERVIEW 1.Time Context The problem has to be solved by the year 1985. 2.Viewpoint Mr. Chua Boon Kang and Mr. Leong Sim Lam 3.Major Policy Statement Dahlia Furniture Private Limited is a local furniture industry, which supplies usually kitchen cabinets, wall units, bedrooms set and dining set. It also has metal and wood furniture sets. 4.Background of the Case a.The Company Dahlia Furniture made its entrance into the furniture industry in 1972 as subcontractors to two large furniture concerns, Ching Lin and Diethelm. It supplied mainly wall units and kitchen cabinets while bedrooms sets and dining sets were subcontracted out or obtained from local suppliers. Business went well and the company decided to branch into retailing. The business was successful in its operation especially during the time when Singapore conducted a massive public housing programs. In fact their sales increased from $4,800,000.00 to $5,500,000 in 1980 to 1981. However, during that year, the company’s sales declined especially in 1983 in which it reached only $289,000.00, and somehow recovered in 1984. Contributory factors to the decline in sales include mismanagement of Mr. Lim. Because of this, reorganizations were happening and most of the employees resigned. Also furniture industry was very competitive. b.The Industry Furniture industry in Singapore began only as an extension of the country’s oldest industry which is the sawmilling. But the demand for the furniture expanded which led to it as the leading local industry. The growth of the local furniture industry has been closely linked to the growth of the country’s construction and building industry. There are now more than 200 establishments manufacturing furniture of which 59 are both manufacturers and exporters of wooden knock-down, 35 rattan and 12 steel furniture. There has been a change in the attitude towards purchase of furniture. Fashion trend has been the latest consideration of the customers. Singporeans have become more willing to spend money to decorate their homes. 5.Environmental Analysis a.SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS †¢Safe Environment †¢Good quality of the products †¢Run the new division with the present set of designers. †¢Dahlia Furniture line was of a higher quality and price than those of other retailers. †¢Dahlia’s furniture line is more for those who want exclusivity. †¢Retail outlets are now carrying wider range of furniture. †¢Dahlias is considered as one of sophisticated furniture dealer with exclusive design for their customers. †¢Dahlia has a long experience in the field of furniture. Since 1972 they are in this field and they have worked at almost all levels of the industry like subcontracting, importing, manufacturing and retailing. †¢They have good support from local manufacturers who are in turn also working as their sub contractor. †¢The company has taken timely decision to go to retail market to get sizeable customers from medium to high class range. WEAKNESSES: †¢The company is in need of competent managers that would be of great help to the success of the furniture company. †¢Dahlia Furniture has the previous dilemma of filling their showroom with salable imported furniture and disregarding the domestic demand that the great impact in the performance of sales. †¢Dahlia has no advertisement. †¢Dahlia’s market share has become eroded by some big players in the decreasing revenues from current product †¢Poor management †¢Many workers resigned due to Ang Mo Kio Factory’s failure in. OPPORTUNITIES †¢Domestic demands for furniture rise by about twelve percent annually †¢ Increasing demand in exports to United States, Australia, Canada, Western Europe and in the Middle East. †¢Singaporeans are more willing to spend money to decorate their homes. THREATS †¢Intense competition between domestic U.S. manufacturers. †¢Powerful competitors. †¢Other companies offer lower prices b.Competitor Analysis Dahlia Furniture, aside from its manufacturing operations, aides the maintenance on the supply of their inventories to some of the local suppliers. Some of them are manufacturers while others are retailers who have their own showrooms. They can be possible competitors of Dahlia. Other competitors comprise of foreign manufacturers and retailers. Some of these are Ikea , Fly, Homestead and soon to operate Scandinavian, Italian, Japanese and American manufacturers. 6.Present Company Departmental Plans a.Product Planning Dahlia mainly supplies wall units and kitchen cabinets. It subcontracts local suppliers of bedroom sets and dining sets. b.Market Planning Dahlia Furniture advertises in Straights Times. In connection to its retailing operations, Dahlia rented a showroom to a department store in Orchard area, in Bukit Timah area and Upper Thompson area c.Production Planning The purchase of Upper Thompson and Ang Mo Kio factories are sought to increase the company’s supply. d.Manpower Planning Dahlia acquired two factories namely Ang Mo Kio and Upper Thompson. The workers of these two factories were also hired. Staffs: Sales person11 persons Clerical workers4 persons Production workers (Thompson Factory)6 persons e.Organizational Planning Dahlia Furnitures is managed by Mr. Chua and Mr. Leong. Other staffs of the company are as follows: Personnel Position †¢Chua Soo Lee General Administartion †¢Robert LamProduction and General Management PROBLEM RESOLUTION 1.Background of the Case On August 1984, Mr. Chua Boon Kang and Mr. Leong Sim Lam bought over Peter Lim’s forty six percent (46%) stake at Dahlia Furniture Private Limited. Although co-owners at one time, Mr. Chua and Mr. Leong have found Mr. Lim’s management of the company to be unsatisfactory. Some reorganization took place as most of the production workers who were doing subcontracting orders solely for Dahlia had resigned due to poor company performance in 1982. Dahlia also sold off seventy five thousand dollars ($75,000) worth of machinery used for mass producing furniture which was previously purchased by a former Managing Director, who has since left the company. Now at the helm, both are uncertain about the long term direction of the company. Meanwhile, they are both concerned over maintaining sales growth in a highly competitive industry. 2.Statement of the Problem What should the management do to maintain sales growth and improve company’s position in a highly competitive industry? 3.Statement of Objectives oLong term – To become the largest manufacturer of furniture and exporter in the furniture industry. oShort term – To maximize the profit of the company. 4.Areas of Consideration ïÆ' ¼Taxes applied to importation: The Singaporean government imposes 5%import duties for goods imported in the country. This area should be taken into consideration because this will affect the entity’s expenses when such importation has been made. ïÆ' ¼The government’s policy regarding foreign labor: In the production of the furniture , the company needs to employ the services of the laborers. The company should determine the amount of labor force needed and if there is a need to avail of the foreign laborers’ services because the government of Singapore discourages the use of foreign labor. ïÆ' ¼Competition : With the advent of the furniture industry in Singapore , more and more competing manufacturers and retailers come to exist not just from the local but as well as with the foreign brands. ïÆ' ¼Trend in the furniture industry: It should be noted that the market demands in Singapore largely depends on the buyers’ perspective of what is the â€Å"in- thing† in the fashion of the furniture industry. The company should be always updated with these current trends so that they will not be left b ehind by other contenders. 5.Alternative Courses of Action 1.Find a competent person to be the General Manager of the company 2.Intensify advertisements of the company – in the domestic and international market through joining product conventions, trade expos, putting up advertisements in local and foreign furniture and interior design magazines , broadsheets and home- Television shopping. 3.To formulate a proportionate inventory acquisition with some products imported and some manufactured, to drive away competition and at the same time, maintain its present image, also to reach all brackets of prospective clientele. 6.Analysis of Alternatives ALTERNATIVE 1 Advantages: †¢When a General Manager for the company is hired, the over- all operations will be supervised – from the production, especially to the sales operation will be given the right attention. †¢Necessary solutions will be implemented in to solve the problems of the company with the right person to handle the position and monitor the operations Disadvantages: †¢The company finds it hard to keep a competent GM to handle the operations of the company either he leaves the company to start his own business or leaves the management for another company. †¢There is a risk that the person positioned as GM be a future competitor just like what happened to one of their previous GM who decided to run his own furniture company. ALTERNATIVE 2 Advantages: †¢Intensive advertisements and promotions in domestic and international market will be the easiest gauge for the company to set awareness to the market the existence of the firm in the furniture industry. †¢Advertisements in all media forms can reach wide-range of customers, from all walks of life. Likewise joining trade expos in which the company can showcase their products and attract future clients. Disadvantages: †¢Putting-up advertisements would be costly, especially those which are shown on high class magazines or the TV channels. The company should limit expenses during this time because the company is just recovering from their losses from past years operations. †¢The market, especially the international market in which the company wishes to conquer, is highly competitive and a huge battlefield for the company. Advertisements may not be enough to outwit the competitors. ALTERNATIVE 3 Advantages: †¢Costs related to importations will be toned down because only proportionate of the inventory is imported and the remaining inventories are manufactured by the company. †¢Cost to overhead and labor will be regulated †¢The company will not have to depend largely on the local suppliers which could possibly be competitors in the long run. †¢The company could cater to middle class clients as well as the mass. †¢Insufficiency of the supply will be eliminated because the goods imported will cover up for the deficit in the manufactured goods or vice versa when imported goods have been delivered in delay. Disadvantages: †¢With the intuition that Singaporeans prefer the imported goods than those of locally made products, the goods manufactured by the company will be disregarded and will turn to change in the proportionate inventory rate. †¢The company will still incur costs for productions and importations 7.Decision Statement After further analysis of the alternatives presented, it will be best for the company to use Alternative 3 which is to formulate a proportionate inventory acquisition with some products imported and some manufactured, to drive away competition and at the same time, maintain its present image, also to reach all brackets of prospective clientele. The last alternative would best fit to answer the problem of the company regarding its inventories, maximizing profit returns and improvement of the company’s position. It should be noted that the company has a dilemma of filling up their showrooms because of the resignation of the workers in one of the factory of the company, the Ang Mo Kio so they turned out to importing goods. In turn, only the medium-class clients and upper income gainers become its customers. With proportionate inventory acquisitions, the company can control overhead, labor and importation costs. In that way, the company will minimize operating expenses leaving the company with greater profits. In using the third alternative, the company can also cater to both the middle class clients for they prefer imported furniture and the mass client for lower priced furniture which are locally made, therefore expanding the market of Dahlia. IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM 1.Action Plans a.Long-term action plans ï‚ §Putting –up additional showrooms for the mass clientele and for the middle class customers b.Short-term action plans ï‚ §Expansion of the company’s market through advertising and promotions 2.Proposed Company Operational Plans a.Product planning ï‚ §The company should produce unique furniture designs which will attract the customers b.Market planning ï‚ §Intensify advertising and promotion schemes for furniture products not just on the Straight Times for those middle class customers but to other forms of media so that it can reach other people from all walks of life. c.Production planning ï‚ §Upon expansion of the production, Dahlia should re-avail of machineries that will be used for the additional production of furniture d.Manpower planning ï‚ §The company will employ additional laborers to keep up for the additional inventory requirements. e.Organizational planning ï‚ §The management should hire a competent person to be designated in the position of the General Manager. 3.Other problems and proposed solutions †¢Strict competition in the industry oDahlia Furniture should develop innovative products so that they can have an edge over other manufacturers. The management should know its target market. In that way they can cater what their clients wish to have and in return they can develop goodwill and loyalty among their customers. OVERVIEW 1.Time Context The problem has to be solved by the year 1985. 2.Viewpoint Mr. Chua Boon Kang and Mr. Leong Sim Lam 3.Major Policy Statement Dahlia Furniture Private Limited is a local furniture industry, which supplies usually kitchen cabinets, wall units, bedrooms set and dining set. It also has metal and wood furniture sets. 4.Background of the Case a.The Company Dahlia Furniture made its entrance into the furniture industry in 1972 as subcontractors to two large furniture concerns, Ching Lin and Diethelm. It supplied mainly wall units and kitchen cabinets while bedrooms sets and dining sets were subcontracted out or obtained from local suppliers. Business went well and the company decided to branch into retailing. The business was successful in its operation especially during the time when Singapore conducted a massive public housing programs. In fact their sales increased from $4,800,000.00 to $5,500,000 in 1980 to 1981. However, during that year, the company’s sales declined especially in 1983 in which it reached only $289,000.00, and somehow recovered in 1984. Contributory factors to the decline in sales include mismanagement of Mr. Lim. Because of this, reorganizations were happening and most of the employees resigned. Also furniture industry was very competitive. b.The Industry Furniture industry in Singapore began only as an extension of the country’s oldest industry which is the sawmilling. But the demand for the furniture expanded which led to it as the leading local industry. The growth of the local furniture industry has been closely linked to the growth of the country’s construction and building industry. There are now more than 200 establishments manufacturing furniture of which 59 are both manufacturers and exporters of wooden knock-down, 35 rattan and 12 steel furniture. There has been a change in the attitude towards purchase of furniture. Fashion trend has been the latest consideration of the customers. Singporeans have become more willing to spend money to decorate their homes. 5.Environmental Analysis a.SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS †¢Safe Environment †¢Good quality of the products †¢Run the new division with the present set of designers. †¢Dahlia Furniture line was of a higher quality and price than those of other retailers. †¢Dahlia’s furniture line is more for those who want exclusivity. †¢Retail outlets are now carrying wider range of furniture. †¢Dahlias is considered as one of sophisticated furniture dealer with exclusive design for their customers. †¢Dahlia has a long experience in the field of furniture. Since 1972 they are in this field and they have worked at almost all levels of the industry like subcontracting, importing, manufacturing and retailing. †¢They have good support from local manufacturers who are in turn also working as their sub contractor. †¢The company has taken timely decision to go to retail market to get sizeable customers from medium to high class range. WEAKNESSES: †¢The company is in need of competent managers that would be of great help to the success of the furniture company. †¢Dahlia Furniture has the previous dilemma of filling their showroom with salable imported furniture and disregarding the domestic demand that the great impact in the performance of sales. †¢Dahlia has no advertisement. †¢Dahlia’s market share has become eroded by some big players in the decreasing revenues from current product †¢Poor management †¢Many workers resigned due to Ang Mo Kio Factory’s failure in. OPPORTUNITIES †¢Domestic demands for furniture rise by about twelve percent annually †¢ Increasing demand in exports to United States, Australia, Canada, Western Europe and in the Middle East. †¢Singaporeans are more willing to spend money to decorate their homes. THREATS †¢Intense competition between domestic U.S. manufacturers. †¢Powerful competitors. †¢Other companies offer lower prices b.Competitor Analysis Dahlia Furniture, aside from its manufacturing operations, aides the maintenance on the supply of their inventories to some of the local suppliers. Some of them are manufacturers while others are retailers who have their own showrooms. They can be possible competitors of Dahlia. Other competitors comprise of foreign manufacturers and retailers. Some of these are Ikea , Fly, Homestead and soon to operate Scandinavian, Italian, Japanese and American manufacturers. 6.Present Company Departmental Plans a.Product Planning Dahlia mainly supplies wall units and kitchen cabinets. It subcontracts local suppliers of bedroom sets and dining sets. b.Market Planning Dahlia Furniture advertises in Straights Times. In connection to its retailing operations, Dahlia rented a showroom to a department store in Orchard area, in Bukit Timah area and Upper Thompson area c.Production Planning The purchase of Upper Thompson and Ang Mo Kio factories are sought to increase the company’s supply. d.Manpower Planning Dahlia acquired two factories namely Ang Mo Kio and Upper Thompson. The workers of these two factories were also hired. Staffs: Sales person11 persons Clerical workers4 persons Production workers (Thompson Factory)6 persons e.Organizational Planning Dahlia Furnitures is managed by Mr. Chua and Mr. Leong. Other staffs of the company are as follows: Personnel Position †¢Chua Soo Lee General Administartion †¢Robert LamProduction and General Management PROBLEM RESOLUTION 1.Background of the Case On August 1984, Mr. Chua Boon Kang and Mr. Leong Sim Lam bought over Peter Lim’s forty six percent (46%) stake at Dahlia Furniture Private Limited. Although co-owners at one time, Mr. Chua and Mr. Leong have found Mr. Lim’s management of the company to be unsatisfactory. Some reorganization took place as most of the production workers who were doing subcontracting orders solely for Dahlia had resigned due to poor company performance in 1982. Dahlia also sold off seventy five thousand dollars ($75,000) worth of machinery used for mass producing furniture which was previously purchased by a former Managing Director, who has since left the company. Now at the helm, both are uncertain about the long term direction of the company. Meanwhile, they are both concerned over maintaining sales growth in a highly competitive industry. 2.Statement of the Problem What should the management do to maintain sales growth and improve company’s position in a highly competitive industry? 3.Statement of Objectives oLong term – To become the largest manufacturer of furniture and exporter in the furniture industry. oShort term – To maximize the profit of the company. 4.Areas of Consideration ïÆ' ¼Taxes applied to importation: The Singaporean government imposes 5%import duties for goods imported in the country. This area should be taken into consideration because this will affect the entity’s expenses when such importation has been made. ïÆ' ¼The government’s policy regarding foreign labor: In the production of the furniture , the company needs to employ the services of the laborers. The company should determine the amount of labor force needed and if there is a need to avail of the foreign laborers’ services because the government of Singapore discourages the use of foreign labor. ïÆ' ¼Competition : With the advent of the furniture industry in Singapore , more and more competing manufacturers and retailers come to exist not just from the local but as well as with the foreign brands. ïÆ' ¼Trend in the furniture industry: It should be noted that the market demands in Singapore largely depends on the buyers’ perspective of what is the â€Å"in- thing† in the fashion of the furniture industry. The company should be always updated with these current trends so that they will not be left behind by other contenders. 5.Alternative Courses of Action 1.Find a competent person to be the General Manager of the company 2.Intensify advertisements of the company – in the domestic and international market through joining product conventions, trade expos, putting up advertisements in local and foreign furniture and interior design magazines , broadsheets and home- Television shopping. 3.To formulate a proportionate inventory acquisition with some products imported and some manufactured, to drive away competition and at the same time, maintain its present image, also to reach all brackets of prospective clientele. 6.Analysis of Alternatives ALTERNATIVE 1 Advantages: †¢When a General Manager for the company is hired, the over- all operations will be supervised – from the production, especially to the sales operation will be given the right attention. †¢Necessary solutions will be implemented in to solve the problems of the company with the right person to handle the position and monitor the operations Disadvantages: †¢The company finds it hard to keep a competent GM to handle the operations of the company either he leaves the company to start his own business or leaves the management for another company. †¢There is a risk that the person positioned as GM be a future competitor just like what happened to one of their previous GM who decided to run his own furniture company. ALTERNATIVE 2 Advantages: †¢Intensive advertisements and promotions in domestic and international market will be the easiest gauge for the company to set awareness to the market the existence of the firm in the furniture industry. †¢Advertisements in all media forms can reach wide-range of customers, from all walks of life. Likewise joining trade expos in which the company can showcase their products and attract future clients. Disadvantages: †¢Putting-up advertisements would be costly, especially those which are shown on high class magazines or the TV channels. The company should limit expenses during this time because the company is just recovering from their losses from past years operations. †¢The market, especially the international market in which the company wishes to conquer, is highly competitive and a huge battlefield for the company. Advertisements may not be enough to outwit the competitors. ALTERNATIVE 3 Advantages: †¢Costs related to importations will be toned down because only proportionate of the inventory is imported and the remaining inventories are manufactured by the company. †¢Cost to overhead and labor will be regulated †¢The company will not have to depend largely on the local suppliers which could possibly be competitors in the long run. †¢The company could cater to middle class clients as well as the mass. †¢Insufficiency of the supply will be eliminated because the goods imported will cover up for the deficit in the manufactured goods or vice versa when imported goods have been delivered in delay. Disadvantages: †¢With the intuition that Singaporeans prefer the imported goods than those of locally made products, the goods manufactured by the company will be disregarded and will turn to change in the proportionate inventory rate. †¢The company will still incur costs for productions and importations 7.Decision Statement After further analysis of the alternatives presented, it will be best for the company to use Alternative 3 which is to formulate a proportionate inventory acquisition with some products imported and some manufactured, to drive away competition and at the same time, maintain its present image, also to reach all brackets of prospective clientele. The last alternative would best fit to answer the problem of the company regarding its inventories, maximizing profit returns and improvement of the company’s position. It should be noted that the company has a dilemma of filling up their showrooms because of the resignation of the workers in one of the factory of the company, the Ang Mo Kio so they turned out to importing goods. In turn, only the medium-class clients and upper income gainers become its customers. With proportionate inventory acquisitions, the company can control overhead, labor and importation costs. In that way, the company will minimize operating expenses leaving the company with greater profits. In using the third alternative, the company can also cater to both the middle class clients for they prefer imported furniture and the mass client for lower priced furniture which are locally made, therefore expanding the market of Dahlia. IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM 1.Action Plans a.Long-term action plans ï‚ §Putting –up additional showrooms for the mass clientele and for the middle class customers b.Short-term action plans ï‚ §Expansion of the company’s market through advertising and promotions 2.Proposed Company Operational Plans a.Product planning ï‚ §The company should produce unique furniture designs which will attract the customers b.Market planning ï‚ §Intensify advertising and promotion schemes for furniture products not just on the Straight Times for those middle class customers but to other forms of media so that it can reach other people from all walks of life. c.Production planning ï‚ §Upon expansion of the production, Dahlia should re-avail of machineries that will be used for the additional production of furniture d.Manpower planning ï‚ §The company will employ additional laborers to keep up for the additional inventory requirements. e.Organizational planning ï‚ §The management should hire a competent person to be designated in the position of the General Manager. 3.Other problems and proposed solutions †¢Strict competition in the industry oDahlia Furniture should develop innovative products so that they can have an edge over other manufacturers. The management should know its target market. In that way they can cater what their clients wish to have and in return they can develop goodwill and loyalty among their customers.