Body Fat and Eating Disorders Paper Essay Example for Free

Body Fat and Eating Disorders Paper Essay Obese people have an overall morality rate almost twice that of non obese people. They are more than three times as likely to develop diabetes. Obesity is associated with unhealthy cholesterol levels and impaired heart function. It is estimated that if all Americans had a healthy body composition, the incidence of coronary heart disease would drop by 25%. Other health risks associated with obesity include hypertension, many kinds of cancer, impaired immune function, gallbladder and kidney diseases, and bone and joint disorders. These risk from obesity increase with its severity, and they are much more likely to occur in people who are more than twice their desirable body weight. Body Fat The distribution of body fat is also an important indicator of future health. People who tend to gain weight in the abdominal area have risk of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke twice as high as those who tend to gain weight hip area. The reason for this increase risk is not entirely clear, but it appears that fat in the abdomen is more easily mobilized and sent into the bloodstream, increasing disease related blood fat levels. In addition to risking physical health, obesity can impair psychological health. Being perceived as fat can be the source of ridicule, ostracism, and sometimes discrimination from others; it can contribute to psychological problems such as depression and low self esteem. For some, the stigma associated with obesity can give rise to a negative body image, body dissatisfaction, and eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. What Influence Behavior Obesity is an result of intricate interactions of biology, behavior, and environment. Recent hypothesis in the scientific community suggest the current obesity epidemic is being driven largely by environmental factors (high energy/ high fat foods, fast foods consumption, television watching, â€Å"super sized† portions) rather than biological ones. Individuals are bombarded with images and offers of high fat, high calorie, high palatable, convenient, and inexpensive foods. Today’s stressful lifestyles compound the effects of environmental factors by impairing weight loss efforts and by promoting fat storage. Health Problems Associated with Anorexia Nervosa, and Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge eating disorder. When it comes to Anorexia Nervosa, and the cycle of self starvation. The body is denied the essential nutrients it needs to function normally. It can cause an abnormally slow heart rate, and low blood pressure. When it comes to Bulimia Nervosa, and the recurrent binge and purge cycles of bulimia can affect the entire digestive system ad can lead to electrolyte and chemical imbalances in the body that affect the heart and other major organ functions. Electrolytes imbalances that can lead to irregular heartbeats and possibly heart failure and death. When it comes to Binge eating disorder often result in the same health risk associated with clinical obesity. High blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, secondary diabetes, gallbladder disease, and heart disease as a result of elevated triglyceride levels. Conclusion When it comes to eating disorders sometimes your regular medical doctor is not the best one for treating these disorders. You may need to seek the help of a psychologist, because there are usually some mental issues involved in eating disorders. References: Eating Disorders Health Consequences, By John M. Grohol, Psy.D, Jun.1, (2010), Retrieved from, www.psychcentral.com Health Risk of Excess Body Fat, n.a., n.d., Retrieved from, www.teach.valosta.edu Environmental and Life Influences on Obesity, By P.J. Brantley, V.H. Myers, H.J. Roy, Jan., (2005), Retrieved from, www.ncbi.nim.nih.gov

Micro Marketing Environmental Forces

Micro Marketing Environmental Forces The LG 60PK250 Plasma HDTV was launched less than a year ago and is currently within its growth stage. To continue its growth process, a differentiated marketing strategy has been implemented in which the company should make use of annual holidays such as Christmas and Wimbledon for advertising campaigns. Moreover, a marketing strategy change has been recommended for the next 12 months that involves achieving a wider distribution network. This will be done by not only focusing on retailing outlets but also focusing on expansion into supermarkets such as Tesco with the use of competitive pricing strategies. Introduction LG electronics is a consumer electronics company that was founded in 1958 as GoldStar (LG, 2010). They product Koreas first ever consumer radios, TVs refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners and were renamed as LG Electronics in 1995 (LG, 2010). Since then LG has become one of the leading electronic brands through continuous innovative product development, evolving technologies and their easy going ethos of making our customers lives better and easier-happier, even through increased functionality and fun (LG, 2010). LG was the company that produced the worlds first 60-inch plasma TV in 1998 (LG, 2010). The LG 60PK250 60 Full HD Plasma TV was launched in March 2010. Although it is a relatively new product with a well-established brand name and company, it is a plasma screen television and an appropriate marketing strategy will need to be applied in order to ensure the success of the product and prolong its life cycle. The report will analyse the internal and external marketing environment of the television industry within the UK by focusing on what makes up the internal and external environment, LGs main competitors and consumer buyer behaviour. It will use relevant theories and concepts to assess different aspects of the market and from this an appropriate marketing mix for the next 12 months will we developed and recommended to try and ensure success of the Television within the UK television industry. Macro marketing environmental forces Marketing Environment Organizations can succeed if they match their products and services to the marketing environment. A companys marketing environment consists of the actors and forces outside marketing that affect marketing managements ability to develop and maintain successful transactions with its target consumers (Kotler et al. 2001, p. 116). The Marketing environment is made up of the Micro Environment and Macro Environment. Micro marketing environmental forces Political Buyers Economic and competitive Competitors The business Legal Company Suppliers Customer Marketing interme- Techno- logical Publics diaries Regulatory Societal/Green (Adapted from Dibb et al., 2006, p. 90) Micro environment The micro environment comprises all those individuals and organizations that affect the operation of a business on a day-to-day basis (CIM, 2002). Below are all the areas that make up the marketing environment applied to LG. Customers In order to generate profit, it is necessary to create a customer (CIM, 2002). It is important to predict what customers will require rather than wait and follow them. To create products and services that not only meet customers needs but also benefit them is of high importance. LG Electronics is one of the worlds largest electronics manufacturers, producing a large variety of consumer electronics and IT products. They strive to improve their customers lives with intelligent products, intuitive functionality and excellent performance. LGs customers take pride in owning an object of excellence and take comfort in knowing theyve made a smart, informed purchase, every time (LG, 2010). LG keeps close relationships with its customers in more than 180 countries through the four basic elements: values, promise, benefits, and personality. Based on a principle of creating value for customers, LG Electronics is safely providing products that customers want, offering differentiated services, and protecting customer information (LG, 2010). Source: LG, 2010 (See appendix 4 for details) Competitors A successful company is one that provides greater customer value and satisfaction than its competitors. LG has some top direct competitors like Sony, Samsung, Philips, Panasonic or Sharp. However, the Group, with its new topic Worlds only maintain nutrition television and declaration as digitally yours to express to the consumers that it majorly addresses the consumer obligation and make things simpler to them, has become a very mighty business in the television commerce in the present years. Consumer approval has been the centred topic from the development stage to the maturity stage and augmented product: 5 year warranty time span and productive after sales service along with call centres are provided by the Group might also be the reason why competitors could not trounce LG in periods of sales for many years. LG also has some indirect competitors that can damage, to a degree, its television market such as internet, PS series, or high tech products like the I-phone, I-pad, etc. Intermediaries are organizations that help a company promote, sell and distribution its products to target customers. They can be wholesalers, retailers, distribution firms, marketing agencies, or financial intermediaries. Effective intermediaries, is crucial for a firms marketing success. Televisions, from LGs agency located at Noida, are dispatched to the local agency dealer, and then to the consumers. However, the Group values a selective circulation convention where products drop into the hands of only couple of intermediaries, not one or all. This assists the business in having a good market treatment with more command and less cost than those of intensive distribution. Suppliers are the key component in transformation of materials to final products and services. It is important to review how suppliers, manufacturers and intermediaries co-operate with each other. LG establishes the win win management with its business partners in which LG has always been trying to grow alongside its suppliers by strengthening their competitiveness. Still, it re-established its strategic direction for purchasing and refurbished its support division for suppliers to effectively deal with the recent economic crisis as any responsible business partner would do in a similar situation (LG, 2010). Importantly, LG is committed to the Eco Supply Chain to develop eco-products under the Green program. It is operated in coordination with partner firms who supply parts, raw materials, and other materials to establish themselves as environmentally friendly companies. The television LG 60PK250 60 Full HD Plasma is an eco-design that shows harmonized cooperation between LG and its suppliers, in which resource consumption is reduced, components are recyclable, and safe materials are facilitated (See appendix 3 for details). Shareholders are the ones who have supported, are currently supporting, or may support the organization in the future (Palmer, 2009, p.45). They provide funds to the firm to finance its financial and non financial performance. LG has experienced a consecutive increase in investment by domestic investors between 2005 2008, while investment by foreigners has decreased and investment by the Group remains sustainable. LGs Shareholder Composition Source: LG, 2010 (See appendix 1 for details) Employees are involved in a companys marketing plans, in which groups of people must be taken into consideration: top managers, finance staffs, RD staffs, purchasing staffs, or manufacturing and accounting staffs. On the way to Great Company, Great People, LG believes that only great people can create a great company. LGs workplace is the space of solidarity, creativity, and freedom. LG strives for greatness in what it has recognized as People Leadership which concerns with market dominance achieved by selecting and nurturing talented team players able to internalize and execute innovation across the board (LG, 2010). (See appendix 2 for details) Macro EnvironmentThe macro environment, also known as the external environment, comprises general trends and forces which may not immediately affect the relationships that a company has with its customers, suppliers, and intermediaries, but sooner or later, as this environment changes, these trends and forces will alter the nature of such micro level relationships (Palmer, 2009, p.51). The macro environment is beyond the control of the marketers, but it is evaluated to help a company make decisions and plans. Macro environment could be divided into a set of subject areas frequently used in the UK SLEPT: Socio cultural environment Legal environment Economic environment Political environment Technological environment SLEPT Analysis(CIM, 2002) Socio cultural environment: is fundamental to a businesss operation in a specific community. It is crucial for a company to keep up with the changing needs of customers. Demographic environment Demography is the study of populations in terms of their size and characteristics. (Palmer, 2002, p. 59) We can sub-divide the demographic environment into following categories: Population size and growth trends Age sex structure Changing family Number of educated people Increasing diversity The TV LG 60PK250 60 Full HD Plasma is a high tech innovation with eco design, which can be listed as one of LGs prides. It might be an ideal product for young age groups who are focused on style and dominant features, or for older age groups who are interested in energy saving functionality. The TV can also attract both males and females who are looking for bigger screen size, better picture quality, and digital ready TV. LG might expect the highest sale of this TV to be to households who have children aged 5-9, or households with family size 5+ (Mintel, 2009). However, the Group should never look for a higher sale of this model compared with that of LCD TV because LCD TV is always likely to be the first choice for all ages, sex, or occupations. Cultural changes Cultural environment is made up of institutions and factors that affect each societys values, attitudes, perception, behaviours, and so on. Marketers must be aware of cultural influences and changes across societies in order to renew the firm and adapt to the changing needs of customers. Some culture groups should be considered within a society: ethnic and racial cultures, religious cultures and classes (CIM, 2002). Cultural values are always important and highly appreciated in a society. Shifts in cultural values during years will lead to a change in customers philosophy of life, and then result in consumption habits. Nowadays, changes in audio-visual culture have resulted in differences in buyer behaviour. The TV LG 60PK250 Full HD Plasma is an evidence for a shift from basic need to self esteem need of consumers. LG TVs with reputation, high technology and high quality are always every customers desire. However, they are most preferred by high socio economic groups. It is the development of society that situates LG in the competition against other celebrated brands in which its products need to have competitive advantages to survive in the changing and challenging market. Social trends Social changes involve changes in the nature, attitudes and habits of society. Social changes are continually happening, and trends can be identified (CIM, 2002). Rising living standards: higher incomes, proper and developed services in recent time can result in higher expenditure, wider ownership of luxury products like LG 60PK250 60 Full HD Societys attitude to business: LG always strives to be consistent and systematic in full scale implementation of social activities on raising environmental awareness, alleviating global famine and combating infectious diseases. Fundraising and volunteer work are the key points of the Groups goals and operation system. The workforce: high skilled labours are needed for not only LG but also other manufacturers in the macro economy. Besides, there have been changes from manual jobs to an increasing intellectual employment. LG has a vision of expected core capabilities of its employees: Product leadership refers to the ability to develop creative, top-quality products, using specialized new technologies. Market leadership refers to the ability to achieve top ranking, worldwide, thanks to a formidable market presence in countries across the globe. People leadership refers to the market dominance achieved by selecting and nurturing talented team players able to internalize and execute innovation across the board. (LG, 2010) Political and legal environment: is treated as an unpredictable element in a companys marketing environment. It comprises government, politicians, and pressure groups. Changes in government policies or changes of government can exert great impacts on businesses performance. Legislation is a part of political process. It covers all aspects of an organizations operation. Laws and regulations are adopted by the government, in which some basic issues of economic policies are recognized: criminal law, Health and safety law, company law, tort, legal framework, employment law, contract, consumer protection, data protection. (CIM, 2002) LG is headquartered in Seoul, Korea functioning 60 subsidiaries in 34 nations and making its products to consumers in more than 180 countries. Therefore, it will be affected to some extend if there is any change in these countries politics, especially in Asian countries and Middle East. However, LG is always committed to basic laws and regulations on corporate business such as customers health guarantee, customers information protection, environmental protection, employee right protection, and so on. Economic environment: A state of economy in which a company operates, where trade should always be at the very heart of performance. Economic environment includes factors that can influence consumer buying power and spending patterns. A company should keep an eye of both regional or national economic changes as well as movement in the global economy. The main aspects of economic environment are: Income distribution and purchasing power Consumer spending patterns Market competitiveness Business cycle: recession, inflation, unemployment, fluctuation of exchange rate, etc Before a luxury product like LG 60PK250 Full HD Plasma appeared in the market, economic factors would have been taken into cautious consideration. According to Mintel (2009), there has been a trend of higher personal disposable income and consumer expenditure since 2004. This could be a good sign for LG if customers can afford that type of TV. However, the global economy has not escaped from the recession. Therefore, the product sale could be damaged by customers attitude if they delay their purchase. Moreover, the TV market is becoming competitive when a wide range of available products are introduced by numerous manufacturers. The TV market has to face a rising number of different technological products like online video. This could make customers confused when making their purchase. The lower average price may also have benefited customers but it is not a good sign for the producer because deeper price cuts can cause market values to drop off much more steeply, especially with lar ge screen TVs like the LG 60PK250 Full HD Plasma. Technological environment: As human society develops, technological change happens. Technological development can create favourable conditions for productivity and business efficiency. New technologies provide new markets and opportunities but sometimes they can affect a firms determination towards whether or not to invest in radical new or high technologies to achieve their targets. Shifts in technologies are sometimes problematic to several organizations. However, companies operate in an environment where technology changes must be adapted quickly to the business for improvement and innovation. They should pay attention to pace of technological change, RD budgets, concentration on minor improvements, and increased regulations (Kotler et al. 2001). LG Electronics is a company that thrives on innovation. It is reinforcing centre competencies to father its status as the Digital Leader. LG is now developing its Smart Technology which creates convenience and adds joy to customers lives. Smart Technology is a development philosophy that embraces sensitive communication with customers in order to provide products that everybody wants to use, and easily can. (LG UK, 2010) Competitor analysisThe television market consists of highly competitive players, who are continuously innovating (Mintel, 2009). Competitor analysis is essential to be able to plan effective marketing strategies. According to Kotler and Armstrong (2004) there are 3 steps to analysing competitors: Selecting which competitors to attack or avoid Assessing competitors objectives, strategies, strengths and weaknesses, and reaction patterns Identifying the companys competitors Porters five forces is a strategic tool used to assess an industrys competitive environment based on the strengths of five generalised forces (Henry, 2008). These five forces are: threat of new entrants, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, threat of substitute products, and amount of rivalry among firms in the industry (Henry, 2008). In this case, Porters five forces can be used as an effective tool to analyse the competitor threats LG would face in the television market. New Entrants Economies of scale Government policy Capital requirements Proprietary products/technologies Threat of new entrants Buyers Price/total purchases Buyer concentration verses firm concentration Ability to backward integrate Price sensitivity Competitors Market volumes/shares Market sectors/product/ service type Market responses Bargaining power of suppliers Suppliers Differentiation of inputs Supplier concentration Threat of forward integration Switching costs Bargaining power of buyers Substitutes Switching costs and propensity to substitute Relative price performance of substitutes Threat of substitutes (Adapted from Baines, Fill and Page, 2008, p. 74) The television manufacturing industry faces intense segment rivalry due to the fact that few players dominate the market. The main competitors in the television industry are LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba, with LG being one of the best (Mintel, 2009). Company Brands LG LG Panasonic Panasonic, Viera Samsung Samsung Sony Sony, Bravia Toshiba Toshiba, Regza (Mintel, 2009) In the case of being threatened by new entrants, as mentioned before, the TV market is a well-established industry that is highly competitive and requires constant innovation and technological investment. This makes it an industry with high entry barriers (Kotler and Keller, 2006) therefore it is not an easy market to enter, especially when competing with a company as established as LG. Suppliers bargaining power increases when there are a few substitutes and when there are fewer suppliers in the industry (Kotler and Keller, 2006). High costs and the importance of the product has an impact on their bargaining power as well. Televisions are considered a necessity in most homes and are an important product therefore suppliers will have some form of bargaining power however the television industry is large and will have a large number of suppliers therefore switching suppliers would be easy to do, which means that LG will have more power over its suppliers because they are a well-established and large consumer electronics company and suppliers would not want to lose business to such a mass producing company. In the case of buyers one of the main reasons their bargaining power increases is when they have many options (Kotler and Keller, 2006). When purchasing a television, a customer considers every aspect of the product because it a long term and expensive purchase (Mintel, 2009). Consumers have a wide range of products and features to choose from when trying to buy a HD Plasma TV. Plasma screens are becoming increasingly unpopular and are the least published type of screen nowadays (Mintel, 2009), therefore in the case of this particular product consumers will have high bargaining power because of high choice and plenty of manufacturers with different prices, for example currys and PC World. However, since the recession the amount of people willing to pay high prices for the latest technology has reduced and price has become the most important factor (Mintel, 2009). The threat of substitute products within the television industry can be argued. It would be considered low because a television is considered an essential and few efficient substitutes are available. However, PC screens have become an increasingly popular substitute for video (Mintel, 2009). People within the UK are using more and more internet technology and online streaming websites to watch TV. Companies like Sony and Toshiba are releasing televisions that are internet compatible (Mintel, 2009) and the LG 60 HD Plasma TV will not be able to keep up. Larger TV screens have also become less popular since the recession (Mintel, 2009) which will make it harder for LG to ensure the televisions success. Due to the fact that the television industry is dominant by a small number of well established large firms that produce a range of products but have slightly different quality standards, features and style. Therefore the market can be described as a Differentiated Oligopoly (Kotler). In this case companies are better focusing on one attribute and attracting the people concerned with it (Kotler) LG has been an innovator in the television industry for a long time. Amongst many other innovations, they were the first to product a 60 plasma TV (LG, 2010). Therefore although there is high pressure within the industry LG is constantly keeping up with it by focusing on their customer needs. In 2008 they introduced their new global brand identity as Stylish design and smart technology, in products that fit our consumers lives (LG, 2010). The PLC theory is based on the idea that every product goes through a life cycle from its introduction onto a market, to its decline and withdrawal from the market (Hoffman et al., 2009). The traditional PLC curve consists of 4 stages: Introduction, Growth, Maturity and Decline (book?). Product Life Cycle (PLC) Traditional Product life cycle Introduction Growth Maturity Decline  £ Sales The product life cycle can be a useful tool in analysing how a product is doing and for a firm to manage its portfolio of products (Palmer, 2008). It is also useful in helping make strategic decisions about the marketing strategy of a product and the best way to market it while it goes through the stages because the marketing mix varies at each stage. It is more descriptive rather than predictive (website). The life-cycle of different products vary, and it can be difficult to identify the stage at which the product lies in a PLC. The shape of a PLC varies as well and depends on the marketing strategies being applied to the product, as well as whether it is a product form, product class or brand that is being considered (Palmer, 2004). A television is a product class and usually has a lifecycle of about 70 years however it is easier to identify the life-cyle of a product form for example plasma TVs. HDTV is relatively new technology that is likely to be in its growth stage and has a lot of potential for the future however plasma is an older technology that is now most likely to be in its decline stage (website). LEDs and LCDs are much more popular and 3D TVs and OLED technology are being introduced as well. HDTVs lifecycle is predicted to grow and evolve over the next two decades due to the prediction and development of HDTV LCDs, OLEDs, 3D TVs, Laser TVs and Holographic TV (Squidoo, 2010). The LG 60PK250 60 HDTV is likely to fit into the growth stage of the traditional PLC as it was launched in March 2010 and combines HDTV technology with Plasma screen technology. The right kind of marketing strategy can be applied to help extend its life-cycle. (Refer to appendix 5) BCG MatrixThe Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix is a tool that was developed in order to analyse the portfolio of an organisation to assess the products position according to its growth rate and its relative market share (Henry, 2008). It can be used to help make strategic decisions about their products and how to maximise returns on them (Henry, 2008). The growth rate is determined by looking at the growth rate of the economy and its market share is refers to its competitive position within the industry (Henry, 2008) The position of the LG 60PK250 HDTV can only be estimated based on the knowledge available. It is a relatively new product and is priced quite high. A lot of people would rather pay that money towards purchasing an LCD screen, however all the major retailers such as Argos, Currys, PC World etc. sell the television. LG also has a well-established brand and a loyal network of customers. For these reasons the television is likely to be a cash cow. Its market share would be relatively high due to being an LG TV as well as the fact that it is a HDTV. However its market growth is likely to be low due to the overall economic recession and PC screen technology replacing televisions. However the BCG matrix assesses performance based on only these two factors. It overemphasizes the importance of market share and market dominance (Henry, 2008, p. 241). It also relies on managers judgements (Henry, 2008) and does not take into consideration other internal or external factors that could determine the success of the product. However it is a useful tool to use in conjunction with other strategic theories such as the PLC curve before. SWOT AnalysisA SWOT analysis is a framework used to assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an organisation and its marketing environment (Palmer, 2004). The strengths and weaknesses consider the internal environment and the opportunities and threats are linked to the external environment (Henry, 2008). SWOT Analysis of the LG 60PK250 60 HD TV Strengths Well established and popular TV Brand Big screen size Built in freeview Currently in intro/growth Weaknesses Plasma screen technology declining Expensive due to screen size No innovative technology Opportunities Popularity of HD TVs Potential for growth Increasing sales due to end of recession Threats Similar products available at different prices High competition PC/online video streaming technology taking over Innovative technology taking over for example 3D and OLED TVs A SWOT analysis can be useful for the general and competitive external and internal environment however it does not take into account unpredictable changes or events in the external environment (Henry, 2008). It helps identify weaknesses and opportunities for which strategies can then be developed to make improvements. However, some of the limitations of a SWOT analysis are, it is hard to identify what is a threat and what is an opportunity, sometimes the same thing can be a strength or a weakness and the analysis can be too focused within the industry boundary (Henry, 2008, p. 120). In this case the SWOT analysis is stronger as it has been used in conjunction with a PEST analysis which was conducted to analyse the external environment in detail. Buyer Behaviour If organizations want to survive in a challenging market, customers should be always at the very heart of their operation. Marketers are expected to be aware of what consumers are thinking, what they need and what they want to buy. Basic insights into buyer behaviour can be seen as a versatile key to unlock all those thorny questions. The model of buying behaviour Evaluation of alternatives Information research Purchase decision Post-purchase behaviour Need recognition Source: Kotler and Armstrong, 2004, p. 198 The model is designed to synthesize and coordinate relevant concepts that reflect the problem solving progress inside the emotional consumer. The three main components of the model are: input, process (buyers black box) and output (Kotler et al. 2001, p.191). The input The input component rests on external influences which can be observed as sources of information affecting consumers product related values, attitudes, and behaviour. Firms marketing efforts and other stimuli like socio cultural environment, economic environment, technological environment and political environment are chief among those. Marketing Efforts The firms marketing activities are direct components that play a pivotal role in persuading consumers to buy and use products of a manufacturer. Marketing strategies consists of products, promotion, price, and channels of distribution. We will have an in-depth insight into the marketing efforts of the product LG 60PK250 60 Full HD Plasma TV in the session marketing mix later, but some key points can be identified as: Product: The TV can be classified as a consumer product generally acquired by the last consumers for individual consumption. It is an amazing innovation of LG which allows customers to enjoy creativity, high technology, convenience and other great values. The TV could be a big opponent against a number of other high tech TV series in the market in 2010 because of its outstanding features providing superb crystal clear picture quality perfect for bringing the cinema experience home, or converting the living room to a sports stadium. Promotion: LG foremost advocating of the product is through publicity crusades on TV, publish newspapers, hoardings and the internet. Price: According to Mintel 2009, 86% of customers consider the prices of products as their first priority. The price of LG 60PK250 60 Full HD Plasma is quite high (more than 1000GBP), and this could be a disadvantage f

Understanding the negative attitude of the public towards police

Understanding the negative attitude of the public towards police As chief of a medium size city in the United States, you are aware that the citizens in your community have a lower than expected opinion of the effectiveness of the police department. Design a research proposal that will provide for a randomized public survey in an attempt to understand the nature and extent of the negative public opinion. Include in your plan a sample survey instrument that would be used in the research. Include in your plan, proposed hypotheses and how these hypotheses will be tested. The researcher will attempt to design a research proposal by using a randomized public survey in an attempt to try and understand the negative attitude of the public toward the police department. With this method prospective participants are chosen by chance rather than by choice. The researcher will also include in the research proposal a proposed hypothesis, an explanation of how this hypothesis will be tested and a sample survey. INTRODUCTION The researcher is always amazed to see that there are many individuals who are more than willing to serve their community in ways that are many times without thanks and dangerous. Among these elite individuals are law enforcement officers. In general many of us are not aware that they are present until some news headline shows up saying that there is a problem or that something or the other went wrong. We as a society need to understand the stress and strain of the law enforcement community that serves us and it is important that we support them. The researcher for one cannot imagine an individual running toward danger when for the most part many of us will choose to run away. So what really happens in law enforcement when there is a less than favorable story and the community begins to focus their entire attention on the incident? It is the researchers belief that from the perspective of individual officers there may be a lot of is a lot of concern and assumption of what is going to happen. There may be a lot of pressure, especially if the individual(s) in question end up in front of a Grand Jury or other court proceeding, not to mention the fact that if there is a civil action it can go on for years. So in essence, does this have an impact on how these law enforcement officers approach their job and or their community? When one really thinks about it, often times the entire enforcement department is suspect when there are a few officers in question. Many believe that there is always some concern that depending on the situation the impact could be negative. There could be a lack of focus. It could be very distracting. It could create doubt about ones supp ort or role. The individual or organization could be hesitant to engage or be proactive in the work they have been challenged or asked to do in the service to their community (Rice, 2010). Its not very often that the publics opinion of police departments is positive. Corruption, unethical behavior, Police brutality, and excessive use of force are all part of the negative views that the public have about law enforcement officers. These types of behavior of law enforcement have had a huge impact on the manner in which the public view law enforcement and the opinion that they have of them. Because of the tactless lack of judgment of some law enforcement officers, the uprightness of the profession of law enforcement officers has become a bit shaded. Lets face it; it is not always news-worthy when the good guys are doing a good job, its really that simple. The media has great influence on the interest of public opinion because they make the determination of what will be seen and what will not. The researcher has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly with the law enforcement department in my city. It is the researchers personal experience with law enforcement officers has been nothing but stellar, helpful, professional, and informative. The researcher do however think that law enforcement departments have their fair share of good and bad, but its the bad that gets the attention and when the public grabs a hold of it they take it and run. Studies have found that the characteristic of a neighborhood and the interaction that they have with law enforcement are factors that have the most influence of the opinion that the public have on law enforcement. The study, conducted in Los Angeles, found that residents from neighborhoods perceived to be crime ridden, dangerous, and disorderly were less likely to approve of the police. In contrast, residents who had informal personal contact with police were more likely to express approval. Race and ethnicity, factors cited as influential in other studies, were not found to be as important as community disorder in determining the publics satisfaction with police (Maxon, Hennigan, Sloane, 2003). HYPOTHESIS If a civilian review board is put in place there will be a change in the opinion of the public regarding law enforcement and there will be less complaints from citizens on a whole. There are major differences between the number of citizens who convey that they are dissatisfied with law enforcement and those who officially make complaints. Many will argue that a lot of citizens do not go on to the next stage in lodging a complaint because they are of the belief that a full investigation will not take place and nothing will happen. Some citizens also may fear retaliation from law enforcement. Supporters of civilian review boards is of the strong belief that the public will be more likely to have more confidence in a process when a complaint is made to a group of civilians rather than by forwarding their concerns to a unit in a police force, and this in turn could increase the number of complaints (An examination of, 2006). AREA DESCRIPTION The sample for the study will be taken from four of the New York Citys Police Departments (LAPDs) 18 geographic areas. The areas will be chosen to reflect comparable rates of reported property and violent crimes and demographic profiles, in particular income and race/ethnicity. Included in the survey will be one delegate from each of the four (4) administrative bureaus. On the other hand, the four chosen areas are not, and are also not intended to be representative of the entire city. Area A will be in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. This area has one of the highest rates of violent crime in the city, and it is estimated that it is more than four times higher than any of the other areas that would be included in the survey. In census taken in 1995, area A consisted of about 120,000 residents, of that number sixty percent (60%) were black and thirty-five percent (35%) were of Latino descent. Latinos have shifted into this area that was traditionally black in large numbers. Household incomes were reported among residents as follows: Eighty-five percent (85%) had household incomes below $45,000 and forty-three percent (43%) below $15,000 (U. S. Department, 2003). Area B will be the Brownsville area of Brooklyn. The violent crime rate in this area is the second, and is infested by the biggest population of gang in the city, comprising of more than 8,000 gang members, consisting of about 45 gangs. Area B, nonetheless, has a below average rate for property crime between the four areas chosen for the. Area B is mainly comprised of eighty-four percent (84%) Hispanics with low income and many of its residents live in households that are multigenerational. In the census done in 1995 eighty percent (80%) of these residents reported household incomes as follows: thirty-two percent (32%) below $45,000 and thirty-two percent (32%) below $15,000 (U. S. Department, 2003). Area C will be on the west side of the city. It has a somewhat violent crime rate that is low but among the areas to be surveyed, the rate of property crimes is the highest. Area C has an estimated 220,000 residents and is culturally mixed. Whites account for sixty-one percent, Latino twenty-two percent, Asians ten percent, and Blacks six percent. In the census done in 1991 residents reported the following incomes: Fifty-eight percent (58%) had incomes under $45,000 and seventeen percent (17%) had incomes below $15,000 (U. S. Department, 2003). Area D will be in the Chelsea Piers area. The violent crime rate in this area is very low and the property crime rate is the second lowest (higher than area B). This area comprises of seventy -three percent (73%) whites, seventeen percent (17%) Latinos and eight percent (8%) Asians. The incomes of residents in this area is higher that the other three (3) areas to be surveyed. In the census done in 1991 the reported incomes were as follows: fifty percent (50%) had incomes above $45,000 and twenty-six percent (26%) had incomes above $75,000 (U. S. Department, 2003). METHODOLOGY The researcher will conduct the survey via mail and face to face interviews. Residential addresses will be acquired from lists at the citywide utility service and will be coded to allow the collection of addresses inside the four (4) geographic regions. The survey will comprise of a random sample of five hundred and seventy (5,570) addresses. The procedures for the survey will be taken from Dillmans Total Design Approach (Hoddinott, Bass, 1986), in addition to five contacts with possible survey respondents. A postcard notice will be sent in advance, four survey mailings of which two will contain an incentive of $1.00, and a thank you and or reminder notice will be sent following the mailing of the first survey. All survey materials mailed will include Spanish translations. The researcher will offer other languages in the event that one is needed. Mail surveys let the respondent answer at their own leisure, rather than at the habitually inconvenient instant they are contacted for a phone or personal interview. Because of this, mail surveys are not considered as intrusive as other kinds of interviews. The downside is time! Mail surveys take longer than other kinds. The researcher will need to wait several weeks after mailing out questionnaires before he or she can be sure that they have gotten most of the responses. The face to face method will include personal interviews which have the ability to let the interviewee see the respondent face to face, it also has the ability to find the target population, and longer interviews may be tolerated by the respondent. Particularly with in-home interviews that have been arranged in advance, people may be willing to talk longer face-to-face than to someone on the phone. The down side to this is that personal interviews usually cost more per interview than other methods. This is particularly true of in-home interviews, where travel time is a major factor. The survey will summarize two (2) types of contact that the public has with law enforcement officers: formal contact and informal contact. The formal contacts will include residents calling the police departments in an attempt to ask for service, when residents are questioned by law enforcement officers about a potential crime that was committed. The informal contacts that residents has with law enforcement will include conversations with police officers who are on patrol and interactions that residents have with law enforcement at community meetings, youth activities sponsored by the police, and fairs about community and public safety. The measure of job approval will be based on a six-question scale which will be transformed from Skogans work in Chicago, which will ask residents how well police in their neighborhood and solve problems, help victims, and prevent crime (Skogan, 1998). The measure of the demeanor of law enforcement officers will be formed from five questions that asked respondents whether police were trustworthy, fair, helpful or respectful, and whether or not they seemed concerned. The study will focus on four issues that appeared to have an influence on the opinion of the public on police departments. The four issues will include the following: The perceptions that residents have about the amount of crime, chaos and confusion in their neighborhood and the sense that neighbors have of common trust and responsibility. The formal and informal contacts that residents have with law enforcement and their previous experience as victims of property and violent crimes if any. The demographic characteristics of residents; and The role that the media play in the perception that the public has on law enforcement. TREATMENT OF THE DATA The data received from the survey will be presented in pie charts, and rating scales which will show the percentage of individuals in each group and their opinion regarding law enforcement. Based on the results received it could show that there may be a need for more surveys to be done in order to understand the publics opinion of law enforcement because the acceptance of law enforcement authority by the public is essential for the maintenance of public order. Also, when the public has confidence in law enforcement it could lead to cooperation between law enforcement and the public at large, and this in turn can increase the effectiveness of policing. It is important for the public to trust and support law enforcement because this will be crucial when it comes to law enforcements expansion and maintenance. STATEMENT OF LIMITATIONS In order to measure the activities of local law enforcement, the sensitive measurement of public opinion is important. When law enforcement and the community exchange information it can foster a law enforcement-community partnership that can be tailored to specific concerns of the community (Maxon, Hennigan, Sloane, 2003). The publics opinion of law enforcements activities, fear, crime, and identifying strengths and problems in the community is an important representation of law enforcement. Surveys need to be done on a regular basis in order to further understand these issues. Independent organizations are the ones who should be responsible for conducting these surveys in order to prevent responses that are biased. If these surveys are conducted over a number of years then this will allow for a better understanding of the publics opinion of law enforcement. When community residents are surveyed, this can provide important information regarding the publics opinion of the activities of law enforcement. As the above survey will show, this kind of survey will provide a surprising amount of valuable information regarding the relationship between the public and law enforcement. This information can assist in directing both law enforcement and the public alike and assist in monitoring the effectiveness of law enforcement interventions. CONCLUSION Data from research shows that the public will have more trust in citizens like themselves rather than law enforcement and that they will be more than willing to file a complaint; Citizens will be more unprejudiced when it comes to assessing complaints from other citizens; Their impartiality will bring into being a higher percentage of valid complaints that will discourage and aid in reducing instances of misconduct by law enforcement; and because of these actions the public, will have more confidence in law enforcement. Many law enforcement officers accept having a citizens review board as something to be anticipated and stated their willingness to work with members of the public (An examination of, 2006). The predicament for civilian review boards is that a good number of them do not have the clout and authority or the funds to make the first move on independent investigations of law enforcement nor to deliver judgments on complaints. For the most part all they can typically do is evaluate an investigation that was performed by law enforcement and put together commendations about punishment. Very rare do they have any final say over the decisions of law enforcement management (An examination of, 2006). All in all, the majority of research studies suggest that if civilian review boards are given enough funds there is a much superior possibility that their work will have an impact on the conduct of law enforcement officers and this will in turn increase the publics confidence in the police. Even as there appear to be a broad-spectrum agreement that civilian review is a necessity in order to set up boundaries for law enforcement in a society that is democratic, this technique of citizens becoming engaged in law enforcement needs, to a greater extent, to be developed further if it is to be proven successful (An examination of, 2006). Three of the most important issues are: Instituting and simplifying the level of authority that civilian review boards will hold and their level of independence from law enforcement; Making sure that they get enough resources to Ensuring they obtain adequate resources to accomplish their goals; and Investigating ways of addressing the numerous facets of racism by law enforcement. The main goal of civilian review boards is to accomplish a better balance between the publics participation in law enforcement so that they are held answerable to the public, and enhancing the independence of the police so that public order can be preserved in a peaceful and democratic society (An examination of, 2006).

Hindu Religious Traditions Essay -- essays research papers

Hindu Religious Traditions Most people in the world derive their religious beliefs and traditions from their parents and peer influences. From a religious point of view, â€Å"There are many definitions for the term ‘religion’ in common usage. [Broadly defined], in order to include the greatest number of belief systems: ‘Religion is any specific system of belief about deity, often involving rituals, a code of ethics, and a philosophy of life’† (Robinson, 1996). However, in examining Hinduism, it is difficult to label the practices as a religion. This paper will expound upon the Hindu traditions, taking into account the characteristics of sacred elements, their meaning, and significance. Hindu Traditions â€Å"For thousands of years people have associated objects in the sky, the Earth, and aspects of their physical world with the gods and goddesses of their culture† (Windows Team, 2000, Mythology). The Hindu culture is no different with the association of several gods and goddesses acknowledged through their traditional worship. Worshipping the many gods and goddesses makes Hinduism difficult to comprehend the many elements of the tradition. The worship of many gods and goddesses is rooted in henotheism. â€Å"Belief in one god without denying the existence of others† (Yahooligans! Reference, 2000). This way of worship is what makes Hinduism complex and hard to understand. In addition, what makes Hinduism even more complex, is that fact that it is also â€Å"viewed as a monotheistic religion, because it recognizes only one supreme God: the panentheistic principle of Brahman that all reality is a unity. The entire universe is seen as one divine entity who is simultaneously at one with the universe and who transcends it as well. [Still others] view Hinduism as Trinitarian because Brahman is simultaneously visualized as a triad - - one God with three persons† (Robinson, 1995): †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Brahma the Creator who is continuing to create new realities; †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vishnu, (Krishna) the Preserver, who preserves these new creations. Whenever Dharma (eternal order, righteousness, religion, law, and duty) is threatened, Vishnu travels from heaven to earth in one of ten incarnations; †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shiva, the Destroyer, is at times compassionate, erotic, and destructive. Sacred Elements Thus, it is understandable, based on the various gods worshipped in Hinduism that one must look at th... ... largest religion. Retrieved June 13, 2005 from Religious Tolerance Website on the World Wide Web: http://www.religioustolerance.org/hinduism.htm Robinson, B.A. (1995). Hinduism: A general introduction. Retrieved June 13, 2005 from Religious Tolerance Website on the World Wide Web: http://www.religioustolerance.org/hinduism2.htm Robinson, B.A. (1996). About specific religions, faith groups, ethical systems, etc. Retrieved May 31, 2005 from Religious Tolerance Website on the World Wide Web: http://www.religioustolerance.org/var_rel.htm Windows Team (2000). Mythology. Retrieved May 31, 2005 from Windows to the Universe Database on the World Wide Web: http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link%3D/mythology/mythology.html%26edu%3Dmid Windows Team (2000). Surya. Retrieved June 13, 2005 from Windows to the Universe Database on the World Wide Web: http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/mythology/surya_sun.html Yahooligans! Reference (2000). The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed. Retrieved June 13, 2005 from Houghton Mifflin Company on the World Wide Web:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entries/13/h0151300.html

Internet Piracy: Theft of Intellectual Property Essay -- Copyright Vio

Piracy is a form of theft. Specifically, it refers to the unauthorized copying or use of intellectual property. Intellectual property is knowledge or expression that is owned by someone. There are three major types of intellectual property: 1) creative works, including music, written material, movies, and software, which are protected by copyright law; 2) inventions, which are protected by patent law; and 3) brand-name products, which are protected by trademarks. Many of the issues surrounding piracy have to do with the difference between intellectual property and physical property. A CD, for example, is a piece of physical property, but the songs on the CD are intellectual property. A customer in a record store can purchase a CD, but someone else still owns, or more precisely, has the copyright to the songs on the CD. Piracy is primarily a problem for the entertainment and software industries, and therefore piracy most often involves violations of copyright law. Copyright is a legal right that protects creative works from being reproduced, performed, or disseminated without permission of the copyright owner. Essentially, a copyright gives its owner the exclusive right to make copies of the material in question. Physical piracy-the copying and illegal sale of hard-copy CDs, videotapes, and DVDs-costs the music industry over $4 billion a year worldwide and the movie industry more than $3.5 billion. These numbers do not factor in the growing (and difficult to measure) problem of Internet piracy, in which music and movies are transferred to digital format and copies are made of the resulting computer file. Journalist Charles C. Mann explains why Internet piracy has the potential to be vastly more damaging to copyright industr... ...ple's physical property, there is clearly a social benefit from the wide dissemination of intellectual propertyÂâ€"i.e., ideas and their expressions. In Naughton's view, online file sharing does not qualify as "piracy" at all: We have to remind legislators that intellectual property rights are a socially-conferred privilege rather than an inalienable right, that copying is not always evil (and in some cases is actually socially beneficial) and that there is a huge difference between wholesale ‘piracy'Ââ€"the mass-production and sale of illegal copies of protected worksÂâ€"and the filesharing that most internet users go in for. Although online file sharing debuted in 1999, lawmakers and copyright industries are just beginning to address the myriad questions the practice has generated. In At Issue: Internet Piracy, authors attempt to answer some of those questions.

Answers To Digestion Review Questions

Which row in the chart below identifies the lettered substances in this process? 4. The diagram below represents a plant cell. 7. Base your answer to the following question on Which activity is illustrated in the diagram of an mamba shown below? A) congestion C) respiration For the process of photosynthesis, the arrow labeled A would most likely represent the direction of movement of B) synthesis D) ingestion 8. The diagram below represents a sequence of events that occurs in living things. Carbon dioxide, water, and solar energy oxygen, sugar, and solar energy carbon dioxide, oxygen, and heat energy sugar, water, and heat energy 5.Base your answer to the following question on The diagram below represents a cross section of a plant Structure. Letter X represents Which letter indicates the region where most photosynthesis takes place? 6. All of the cell shapes shown in the diagrams below have the same volume. Which form could absorb nutrients most efficiently and quickly? A) inorganic molecules B) organic molecules C) biological catalysts D) simple sugars 9. The diagram below represents a series of events that occur in living cells. Which molecule is indicated by X? A) glucose C) carbon dioxide B) AT p D) protein 12.Base your answer to the following question on Which process is illustrated in the diagrams below? A) circulation C) peristalsis B) absorption Base your answers to questions 13 through 15 on on the diagram below of the human digestive system and on your knowledge of biology. 10. The diagram below represents a beaker containing a solution of various molecules involved in digestion. Which structures represent products of digestion? A) A and D C) B and E B) B and C D) D and E 1 1 . Which process increases the surface area of foods prior to chemical digestion? Hydration synthesis excretion mechanical digestion diffusion 13. In which structure does the initial hydrolysis (chemical digestion) of carbohydrates occur? 14. From which structure are glucose and amino acids normally absorbed into the circulatory system (the blood)? 15. In which structure does extracurricular(outside of the cell) chemical digestion of protein begin? 16. Before starch can enter a cell, it must be absorbed by simple sugars diffused into simple sugars digested to form simple sugars actively transported by simple sugars 17.Which molecule can diffuse from the digestive tract not the human bloodstream without first being digested? A) protein C) fat B) starch D) glucose 18. Teeth chewing food into smaller digestible pieces is known as chemical digestion circulation regulation 19. Base your answer to the following question on The diagram below represents a portion of the human body. The principal function of structure X is to produce salivary enzymes secrete sex hormones absorb water digest bile 20. Base your answer to the following question on the diagram and graph below and on your knowledge of biology.The diagram represents the human digestive system. Pepsin and trying are human digestive enzymes. The graph indicates that pepsin would function best in the A) mouth B) stomach C) small intestine 21 . Which structures secrete chemicals utilized for the completion of digestion within the small intestine? Liver and pancreas slumberous and villa esophagi and alveoli gallbladder and pharynx 22. Which foods should be included in a balanced diet as a good source of roughage? Red meat and poultry fresh fruits and vegetables eggs and milk products animal fat and plant oil 23.If a person was unable to break down food particles into molecules that loud be absorbed by the body, you would predict A) there is a malfunction with the digestive system B) there is a malfunction with the excretory system C) there is a malfunction with the reproductive system D) there is a malfunction with the circulatory system D) large intestine 24. Feces is usually about 40 percent water and 60 percent solid matter. Reducing the water content to 20 percent would most likely r esult in A) ulcers C) diarrhea B) appendicitis D) constipation 25.Base your answer to the following question on select the organ, chosen from the diagram below, that is most loosely related to that malfunction. A painful condition results from erosion of the surface of this organ by gastric juices. 26. Base your answer to the following question on The diagram below illustrates a biochemical process that occurs in organisms. The substance labeled â€Å"catalyst† is also known as A) a hormone C) an antibody B) an enzyme D) an inorganic compound 27. Base your answer to the following question on In the reaction illustrated in the diagram below, which structure represents the enzyme? 28.

Auditing Ethics

The natural setting, that we are predominantly in an imperfect world, brings about the question of ethics in many spheres of the human endeavor, including auditing.It is therefore a pre-liquisite for all auditors in any organization to understand and give concerted considerations to the human factor (both within the organization and outside) as they conduct ethically sensitive audits as well as determining the required audit coverage. It is common practice for most organizations to have some postulated ethical guidance procedures-the codes of ethics- the comprehensive principles and values statement that should serve as a daily guide to auditors in their daily work.This gives an outline regarding not only the ethical requirements but also the professional obligations that should be emphasized whenever any critical decisions relating to the business proceedings are to be made (Matthias, 2004, 16).There should be prior, clear communication and reinforcement of such ethical codes among the suppliers, customers, and employees (including the internal and external auditors). However, the extent and the nature of any audit coverage are critically determined by the management’s degree of commitment to high ethical and integrity standards.DiscussionIt is paramount to understand at this point that there are several risk factors that are involved in the process of auditing ethics. This implies that the auditors must be well conversant with all the functional fields in an organization so as to identify activities and functions in which ethical implications would pose the greatest risks. After such risks have been identified, a value (such as low, medium or high) is assigned to facilitate proper allocation of audit efforts (Usoff, 2001, 21).Among the most considered risks by auditors include, but are not limited to the following: ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sensitive data/information disclosure ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Perceived business loss ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Adverse publicity ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Probable injury to employers, employees, and/customers and ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Adverse legal implications.Some areas are imperatively more risk prone than others and auditors should therefore allocate them more ethical auditing time. One of these is the procurement and purchasing department in most, if not all enterprises. Red flags must always be raised in times when larger gratuities and gifts are offered by suppliers. These also include other nominal gifts offered, and every employee who is involved in purchases must be thoroughly reminded of the company policy on gratuities and gifts.Another are that require careful consideration at all times is the environmental, health issues, and safety department. An elaborate example deliberate audit denial is the Soviet’s Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident which they refused to acknowledge until other European neighbors complained ab out the nuclear fallouts.Environmental issues have been among the major challenges to industries world wide, with many other stakeholders such as the media, the public and regulatory bodies demanding apt responses on the part of the companies to make responsible precautions (Caplan, 2003, 14).