Electric Commuter Train Or Commuter Rail Tourism Essay

Electric Commuter Train Or Commuter Rail Tourism Essay Electric commuter train or commuter rail is a passenger rail transport service between a city center and commuter towns that draw large numbers of people who travel on a daily basis. Commuter trains are usually optimized for maximum passenger volume, in most cases without sacrificing too much comfort and luggage space, though they seldom have all the amenities of long-distance trains. This service provided by the government in order to give more convenience towards people for urban and rural areas to move (White, 2002). The service is able to meets the requirement and desire through the perception of Malaysian citizen towards the service quality of commuter train by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB). The service quality in the commuter train can be measured by SERVQUAL dimension which is focuses in term of tangibles, reliability and responsiveness (Parasuraman et. al., 1985). According to Wiki, SERVQUAL was originally measured on 10 aspects of  service quality: reliability, respo nsiveness, competence, access, courtesy, communication, credibility, security, understanding the  customer  and tangibles. It measures the gap between customer expectations and experience. The service quality of the commuter train becomes important issue in order to have better and comfortable environment. The service quality of the public transport in that area seems unsatisfied and average level, which are physical facilities in term of cleanliness and comfortableness, punctuality, frequencies and responsiveness of the driver and conductor of the public transports. Is it the services quality of the commuter train is really implemented well in this country whether in urban or rural areas? This is because more allocation provided to reconstruct the quality of public transport. Therefore these researches try to investigate the perception of the Malaysian citizen towards the service qualities of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB). Background of the study In Malaysia, KTM commuter is the one of the electrified commuter train service that operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB). It was first introduced in 1995 to cater people especially in Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding suburban areas and it is a popular mode of transport for people who are working in Kuala Lumpur as they can travel to the city without being caught in traffic congestion. KTM commuter is currently the most profitable passenger service offered by KTMB, contributing RM84.63 million to group revenue in 2006, higher than KTM Intercitys profit of RM70.94 million in the same year (Nathan and Darshini, 2007). KTM commuter has attracted a significant number of passengers in the transportation market. According to the Ministry of Transport Malaysia 2008 Statistics; the annual ridership for KTM commuter was 36,557 millions of passengers (MOT, 2008). This study is important for KTMB generally and KTM commuter specifically to improve their services especially trains services. Having the information gathered from this study, they can look for effective ways in overcoming these problems and be more competitive in their services since the respondents for this study are KTM commuter customers themselves. From the findings of this study, the management can be made aware of the problems that they are facing everyday and the come up with proactive actions to provide better services to the customers. In return, the customers will enjoy a better quality of services in the future. Research objectives The objectives of the study are: To assess the service quality perceived by passengers of Malaysian citizen who ride the KTM commuter To examine factors influencing the good services provided by KTM commuter. Problem statement The current issues and problems regards in the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) public transports is the time arrival and time travel delaying. Many customers or passengers when went and used that service they was not satisfied with the service quality provided by this KTM B after used the KTM commuter service in term of punctuality and frequencies of train arrive. This issue showed even the public transportation is modernized and in the urban areas but service quality is still lacking and not well implemented. This will lead to negative perception and not satisfy the consumer using the public transports (Karen Thompson, Peter Schofield 2002). The problem of time arrival delaying was related with the other problem which is the space in the KTM commuter. This is because insufficient space to carry more passengers and others whereby the congestion occurred. Nowadays people out there mostly using a public transport like commuter as their transport so, the chance of increase passenger s are higher than before. So when the space of KTM commuter limited and crowded it will become worse to passengers to use and went it. Significant of the study Today the need for an efficient and effective public transportation service like KTM commuter is becoming more importance in order to overcome these problems especially in the Klang Valley. Besides that, many transportation companies are competing with each other to attract as many customers and gain more profit. It is imperative that KTM commuter needs to become more progressive and aggressive to compete with the competitors because nowadays, customers are becoming more demanding with the quality of the service. The want value for money that is they expect the service quality that they received from the service providers equals or exceeds what they had paid for (Mitra Lagerstrom, 2002). Reliability is focusing on frequencies and punctuality of the public transport arrives on time and able to meet the perception expectation of the user. Reliability means the ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately (Parasuraman, et. al., 1988). The measuring arrival of the pu blic transport at the destination on time is of limited usefulness and will give positive impact towards the public expectation and perceptions. The punctuality measured in term of time arrival and departure is important elements in reliability service quality of dimension. Theoretical framework Speed Punctuality Service quality Space Frequency Safety Reliability Train operationDEPENDENT VARIABLES Comfort INDEPENDENT VARIABLES Research hypothesis There are three hypothesis developed in this study: Hypothesis 1 : There is a significant difference between dimension of tangible and service quality of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) Hypothesis 2 : There is a significant difference between dimension of reliability and service quality of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) Hypothesis 3 : There is a significant difference between dimension of responsiveness and service quality of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) Task 2 (LOC 3 : AC 3) Introduction Literature review is a documentation of a comprehensive review of the published and unpublished work from secondary sources of data in the areas of specific interest to the researcher. Past research on the phenomenon under investigation must play key role in the process of problem formulation. Literature review Customer satisfaction According to our team survey , most of the people satisfied with KTMB services meanwhile there are some services that KTMB are not doing well in their job customer satisfaction are important because customer are judging by services based on pricing that KTMB create. KTMB also have to improve their services based on doing a survey, give a recommendation to customer itself, on other hand the customer also have to give their opinion on what there want or like. Customer loyalty Customer loyalty always follows satisfaction, which is determined from the service quality offered by the KTMB. It is also one of the most frequently used indicators to measure the success of a marketing strategy. Research methodology Introduction The word methodology is the method that any researcher used with appropriate steps, method, technique and tools together with the approaches taken in the research process. Data collection Primary data Primary data is used for this research and the data is obtained using self-administered questionnaires. The questionnaire comprised of two sections. The first section is designed to capture the respondents demographic. The questions asked in this section are related to the respondents gender, nationality, ethnicity, age, marital status, and occupation. The second section is designed to measure the customers perceptions towards various dimensions of services performance in KTM commuter service. The questionnaires are distributed among customers on board the train and those waiting for trains in the stations between 8 October to 10 October 2010. The sample for this study consists of 50 respondent in Batang Benar station. Secondary data According Kotler and Armstrong, secondary data can be defined as information that already exists somewhere, having been collected for another purpose. It may be available from internal sources, or may have been collected and published by another organization. Secondary data usually can be obtained more quickly and at lower price than primary data as researchers can gain the needed data in form of government reports and statistics, company reports and accounts, articles or journals in internet and reports in newspapers. Besides, the data that has been collected can be used to get a new perspective on the current study, to compare the work from previous findings or to use as a reference for future study. The table below shows the secondary sources that will be used in carrying out the research. Sources Explanation Books Literary work by professionals that relates to the food and beverage industry, guides on conducting research projects, as well as information on data of previously conducted research. Internet The internet offers unlimited sources of information that caters to all topic areas. Journals Journals are a good source of secondary data, as they may contain vital information of a certain period of time. Past Research Data from previous research can be used to compare the statistics and other information Task 3 (LOC 3 : AC 4 and LOC 4 : AC 1 and AC 2) Here are more ideas as to how to solve the problem on transportation. This research can understand for simplicity why KTMB designate their routes Seremban-Rawang and Sentul-Port Klang. But being so rigid about it can lead to adverse effects. Most people who take the KTM commuter are doing it to get in and out of the city (e.g. Subang Jaya-Sentral). Or users who just want to travel down the line (e.g. Seremban-Kajang). Although there must be people who use it to cross the Klang Valley (e.g. Seremban-Rawang), they are not in the majority. The way the service routes are designed, it seems silly why these trains have to make one full journey back and forth each branch for every run. Actual fact, delays at one part of the system can lead to other trains being delayed elsewhere, further down the line. For example, a Rawang-Seremban service might be delayed simply because somewhere in Kajang, there is a delay. In other words, researcher suggesting that the operations of these services should be made somewhat a bit more independent to each other. KTMB should consider introducing a variety of routes. Other than that, at not so busy hours, they should maintain their current service routes, as usual. But at peak hours: Seremban-Tasik Selatan Passengers take the Sri Petaling LRT or KLIA Transit to continue their journeys. Rawang-Bank Negara Passengers take the Sri Petaling and Ampang LRT to continue their southward journeys. Reduce service on the Sentul KTM branch passengers can hope off at Bank Negara to continue on the Sri Petaling and Ampang LRT. Introduce express services that bypass not-so busy stations. Introduce services that start and terminate at busy stations like Subang Jaya, Serdang etc. Construct a Komuter station at Abdullah Hukum to allow westerly passengers to bypass Sentral (and finally putting Abdullah Hukum to good use). Continue serving the usual full Rawang-Seremban and Sentul-Port Klang routes but at low frequencies. With the savings of rolling stock, couple those together to serve busy routes. The delays experienced by KTM commuter users seem to be with regards to clashing intercity and freight trains, and usually this is most severe in KL, from the Jalan Bangsar Junction to Jalan Kuching. Naturally the most sensible thing would be to schedule all trains, and make sure they follow their schedules. But they dont, for reasons sometimes beyond KTMs control. There is the issue of different grades of service on different lines. KLIA Transit, being the most posh, followed by the LRTs and Monorail and the KTM commuter at the bottom. And with this, also have different fares for similar journeys. For example, for the journey Bandar Tasik Selatan to KL Sentral Komuter RM1.00 KLIA Transit RM4.20 Sentul to Bandaraya/Bank Negara (although Sentul KTM and LRT are at different places) Komuter RM1.00 LRT RM1.40 It is also inevitable that KTM has to Improve on its scheduling and also further computerization with traffic control. Increase in capacity by acquiring more rolling stock to articulate the current trains and to have more train sets in service. Improve its station quality as well as integration with other rail lines. C:UsersANNA HBCRDesktopKlktm.gif Finding To find effectiveness of KTMB as a public transportation KTMB was an effective way to travel as a public transportation. KTMB was the respondents choice as a public transportation to travel around Rawang-Seremban, Sentul-Port Klang. Alternative public transportation that the respondents choose was bus. To identify the areas covered by KTMB KTMB covers the area that the respondents were going therefore it showed that the respondent were happy and satisfied with the areas covered by KTMB. The areas that had been covered by KTMB was close to the respondent workplace and to Mid Valley which one of a top spot for tourist and people to shop and hang out. To compare the fare of KTMB with other public transportation The researcher found out that the respondent were satisfied with the ticket price of KTMB compared with the price of other public transportation. The factor that many respondents were satisfied was the fare price is cheaper than taking other public transportation. KTMB was close to the place that many respondents were going therefore KTMB was the majority respondents choice of transportation. To analyze the frequency of travelers using KTMB transportation The researcher found out that the travelling frequency for KTMB was adequate for respondents as many of the respondents used this service to travel around Rawang-Seremban, Sentul-Port Klang. Important factor would be that the respondents used this service because their workplace is situated in KL Central, Mid Valley and etc also to avoid traffic jams. Gantt Chart for Research Project Proposal Activity Start Date Duration (days) End Date Proposal 14/9/2011 3 17/9/2011 Survey Methodology 14/9/2011 1 15/9/2011 Literature Review: 18/9/2011 12 10/9/2011 Authors 18/9/2011 7 25/9/2011 Government Publications 27/9/2011 7 4/10/2011 Questionnaire Preparation 5/10/2011 1 6/10/2011 Interview and Survey 6/10/2011 2 8/10/2011 Tally and Analyze Survey Questionnaire 8/10/2011 1 9/10/2011 End Discussion and Conclusion 9/10/2011 1 10/10/2011 14/9/2011 8/10/2011 25/10/2011 6/10/2011 Proposal Survey Methodology Literature Review: Authors Government Publications Questionnaire Preparation Interview and Survey Tally and Analyze Survey à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ End Discussion and Conclusion Start Date Duration (days) Task 4 (LOC 4 : AC 3) Conclusion and recommendation Findings of this study have important practical to management of quality of the Malaysian rail services. This study demonstrates the usefulness as a measure of service quality. The measurement scale also serves to identify symptoms and the underlying problems that inhibit the effective provision of quality services in rail transport. Once the attributes of rail services from the customers perspective are more clearly known and understood, its service providers will be in a better position to anticipate consumer requirements rather than to react to consumer dissatisfaction. The attributes of reliability and tangibles have been identified by respondents to be the most important dimensions of service quality. These two dimensions were also found to have the highest gap (perception minus expectation), implying that customers expectation of reliability and tangibles dimensions of the railway services are not met by KTMB. Although these findings cannot be generalized to the overall passenger profile, KTMB should use it as an impetus to assess their services, particularly to study ways of improving on their reliability and tangibles dimensions. KTMB management could start by improving on staff training, especially to train their staff to be more professional and courteous when dealing with customers. The public confidence of KTMB has to be gained and the best way is for the management to look at improving on aspects such as reliability of services, improving physical facilities, training of staff and communicating precise information on train schedules. In view of the intense competition in the transport sector with the opening of the North-South Highway, it is imperative that the management of KTMB carry out more research to discover any shortfalls in service quality and to take necessary corrective measures in case of a shortfall. This could ensure that the service quality of KTMB provides the best to its consumers in order to compete effectively with other modes of transport. As the consumer plays a key role in the definition and evaluation of the quality of rail services offered, managers of KTMB should incorporate consumer expectations and perceptions in the formulation of effective long-term marketing strategy. KTM should improved the train service in terms of the punctuality and provide a suitable frequency (for example: every 10 minutes) to reduce congestion at the stations especially during peak hours. This study also recommends that future researchers should come out with the focus groups to compare the opinion between KTMB users with other transportation mode users.

Ch 3 Kidwell

CHAPTER 3 THE RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA AND INTEREST RATES How is an increase in the cash rate likely to affect mortgage interest rates? Increases will be announced almost immediately in variable rates. How is an increase in the cash rate likely to affect imports An increase in the cash rate may attract an additional flow in of foreign investment funds which will increase the AUD exchange rate. Foreign goods priced in a currency against which the AUD has appreciated will be cheaper in AUD terms and thus the quantity of the goods sold may will increase.How is an increase in the cash rate likely to affect the exchange rate? An increase in the cash rate may attract an additional inflow of foreign investment funds which will increase the AUD exchange rate (appreciate the currency). 20. Will a drop in the cash rate affect inflation? Explain. Theoretically it will. A drop in the cash rate will stimulate borrowing, investment and economic activity. The increased demand for resources will pu t upward pressure on the prices of resources and may lead to inflation. Answers to in-chapter questions 3. What is likely to happen to the monetary base when (a) Centrelink credits age pension to pensioners’ bank accounts? – increase in money supply, (b) the RBA buys government securities from Australian investors and (c) banks raise funds by an overseas note issue?A – increase in money supply B – increase in money supply C – no change as if the payments are received in forex, then they exchange the currency for AUD already in the money supply. If the payments are received in AUD, then other agents have already exchanged the forex for AUD. 3. Why do the financial markets pay so much attention to the cash rate? The cash rate reflects the monetary policy stance and the influence the RBA is trying to exert on the level of economic activity. It also has a significant impact on consumer and business confidence, willingness to invest and spend and abilit y to service their debt. 3. 4 Describe the likely consequences for GDP growth when the RBA sells CGS to raise funds for the Commonwealth Government A sale of CGS will reduce the supply of money in the economy all other things being equal.This will lead to increased in interest rates as money supply reduces. Higher interest rates reduce the spending power of consumers and business. This results in less spending, investment and a general decline in asset values as spending tightens. Consumers and business are also likely to become more conservative as rates increase. This would then limit GDP growth. It also must be consider for what purpose the funds will be used and this may mitigate the restrictive monetary policy position.

Future of Singapore Public Housing Loan

Abstract The Singapore government together with the housing finance consider the public housing as one of the various achievements they have accomplished. Public housing accommodates more than 80% of the residents in Singapore. A majority of the residents, close to 90%, is designed as Housing Development flats (HDB). In an effort to improve the current housing state in Singapore, the housing finance and the government has introduced various schemes and substitute schemes alike. The schemes have encouraged the resident into becoming homeowners in addition to ensuring that they did not default their mortgage payment. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) is responsible for the dealings and management of the public housing program in Singapore. The local town council oversees the daily management activities. They also ensure planning and development of the public housing in addition to selling and resale of the houses as well as offering financial mortgage. Introduction Singapore Public Housing finance loan borrowing has dropped four folds in the recent year. Owing to a myriad of factors, the number of loan applicants for the public housing allocation has significantly reduced as compared to the numbers associated with the previous application. The government estimates that the number may rise in next coming years if market curbs are softened, such as loan repayment schemes on interest rates and application. A future projection of the public housing finance loan interest indicates a downward trend in the near future owing to the stiff competition put in place by private property owners (Ong, 2010). It is imperative, therefore, to reduce the public housing loan rate in order to attract new property owners while increasing the resale of the previously owned property. Currently, the resale price of previously owned units on the public housing has dropped by 1.3%. The government has not taken any measures to ensure that this market situation is controlled, but is examining the matter in order to employ proper strategy to enable Singapore citizens to own homes. In case the current prices of property remain stagnant at 57%, it is estimated that the public housing loan rate will rise. The number of public housing owners is estimated to gradually increase in case the current rate does not drop in the near future (Ong, 2010). The Housing and Development Board (HDB) is responsible for the dealings and management of the public housing program in Singapore. The local town council oversees the daily management activities. They also ensure planning and development of the public housing in addition to selling and resale of the houses as well as offering financial mortgage. The paper discusses an examination of the privatization of HDB and reasons behind it, with projection to loan in the coming years and how one can become a public house owner in Singapore. Privatization of HDB Loan to Consumer Bank The main aim of the privatisation of Housing and Development Board mortgage loan to consumer banks in Singapore was to curb the price competition through inculcation thereby increasing the performance of the banking sector within the economy. The mortgage yield was not sufficient to meet the standards set by HDB, thus the privatisation of the HDB mortgage became imperative (Adams, 2014). Moreover, the private sector’s better performance and management of the economy was an added reason for the privatization as compared to the public sector’s ability in managing and performance. With the privation of the HDB loans to consumer banks, the annual interest rate returns have since increased and projections show that they will continue to increase in the coming year. This therefore eliminates the high rate hurdle previously presented by HDB through the elimination and minimization of the government regulation on the HDB housing projects. (Li, 2014). Financier of Mortgage loan: Interest rates Homebuyer with potential can choose to buy a home with either a HBO loan or Bank loan. The payment scheme chosen will determine the selection of the mortgage partner from which the mortgage loan will be received. Homeowners are able to apply for mortgage loans through HBO and Consumer banks. The above options for loan financier are in place in order to enable potential buyers to decide which best fits their financial capability. In addition, HDB plays the role of a financier to flat owners by giving mortgage loans. This has enabled Singapore residents to acquire public houses easily and faster with the help of HDB mortgage loan. From a financier’s point of view, a homebuyer applying for a mortgage loan is required to have met their credit assessment and this is assessed with their current system of standard mortgage application. For an eligible flat buyer to have access to a concessionary loan, they must have an HDB Eligibility Letter (HLE) confirming that they are capable of making repayments. This is important because it accesses one’s potential ability to pay back his loan with constraining their personal budget. Before anyone can purchase a flat, they must have a letter of eligibility of HDB. HBO concessionary loan interest is 2.6% which is only 0.1% higher than the Central Provident Fund (CPF). It seems important tor e-examine the interest rate of HBO quarterly in comparison to CPF interes t rate to ensure that it stays roughly the same level. This type of system design helps to provide an easier scheme for the mortgagor to service their loan payment, and ensure they constantly pay without defaults. This interest rate of the HBO loan has been in existence for over 15 years (Ong, 2010). Contrary to this, banks interest rate is currently 1%. The interest is dynamic and not constant because it is determined by a number of other factors which affects the operation of the bank such as its business strategy, the prevailing market situation and commercial decisions. It is determined jointly by all the financial institution in Singapore. This system make it unreliable because it is not constant, it keeps fluctuating based on the above mentioned factors. Even though HBO mortgage offer low amount of loans, HBO mortgage scheme remain the most suitable financier to mortgage loan. Unfortunately, and since the privatisation of HBO, all those who wish to finance their resale and acquisition of HBO public housing will have to apply loans to various banks licensed by the monetary fund to give mortgage loans to public housing acquisition and resale. Immigration There are benefits to being a citizen in Singapore. Singapore is one of the major cities in Asia in terms of wealth and culture. To buy and rent an HBD flat, one has to be 21 years or older and a citizen to Singapore. Another benefit that the citizens of Singapore are entitled to is obtain loans at concessionary interest rate with HBO to help them in obtaining the flats. In addition to this, they are also offers for citizens who obtain public houses for the first time such as subsidies, for instance grants offered by the government as a cushion to aid those buying public houses. Citizens also enjoy lower rates for houses repairs (Adams, 2014). Conclusion In conclusion, the number of public house owners in Singapore is bound to increase in the near future with increase in mortgage. The performance of HDB’s hurdle interest is expected to increase on an annual basis with the privatisation to consumer banks to aid in the mortgage loan financing. This has facilitated the process of solving the housing problem in Singapore owing to the fact that the government has provided a more reliable and efficient option to help people buy property. Although the current market is not promising, the government is working hard to curb the situation and enable more Singapore in the coming year to own public house. This will enable them to deal with the housing problems and concentrate in development of other sectors of the economy thereby increase their national income and dominate in the leading economy (Li, 2014). Bibliography Adams, J. (2014, October 10). Bleeding the banks. Retrieved October 31, 2014. Li Sen, S. (2014, October 3). Spike in bad home loans swells Singapore banks’ NPLs. Retrieved October 31, 2014. Ong, S. (2010). Housing affordability and upward mobility from public to private housing in Singapore. Singapore: S.E. Ong].

Gun Control Essays (1597 words) - Gun Politics In The United States

Gun Control Essays (1597 words) - Gun Politics In The United States Gun Control : The failure of Gun Control Laws Americans are faced with an ever-growing problem of violence. Our streets have become a battleground where the elderly are beaten for their social security checks, where terrified women are viciously attacked and raped, where teenage gangster shoot it out for a patch of turf to sell their illegal drugs, and where innocent children are caught daily in the crossfire of drive-by shootings. We cannot ignore the damage that these criminals are doing to our society, and we must take actions to stop these horrors. However, the efforts by some misguided individuals to eliminate the legal ownership of firearms does not address the real problem at hand, and simply disarms the innocent law abiding citizens who are most in need of a form of self-defense. To fully understand the reasons behind the gun control efforts, we must look at the history of our country, and the role firearms have played in it. The second amendment to the Constitution of the United States makes firearm ownership legal in this country. There were good reasons for this freedom, reasons which persist today. Firearms in the new world were used initially for hunting, and occasionally for self-defense. However, when the colonist felt that the burden of British oppression was too much for them to bear, they picked up their personal firearms and went to war. Standing against the British armies, these rebels found themselves opposed by the greatest military force in the world at that time. The 18th century witnessed the height of the British Empire, but the rough band of colonial freedom fighters discovered the power on the Minuteman, the average American gun owner. These Minuteman, so named because they would pick up their personal guns and jump to the defense of their country on a minutes notice, served a major part in winning the American Revolution. The founding fathers of the country understood that an armed populace was instrumental in fighting off oppression, and they made the right to keep and bear arms a constitutionally guaranteed right(The Gunin American 14-25)Over the years, some of the reasons for owning firearms have changed. As our country grow into a strong nation, we expanded westward, exploring the wilderness, and building new towns on the frontier. Typically, these new towns were far away from the centers of civilization, and the only law they had was dispensed by townsfolk through the barrel of a gun. Crime existed, but could be minimized when the townspeople fought back against the criminals. Eventually, these organized townspeople developed police forces as their towns grew in size. Fewer people carried their firearms on the street, but the firearms were always there, ready to be used in self-defense(27-39) It was after the Civil War that the first gun-control advocates came into existence. These southern leaders who were afraid that the newly freed black slaves would assert their newfound political rights, and these leaders wanted to make it easier to oppress the free blacks(41) This oppression was accomplished by passing laws making it illegal in many places or black people to own firearms. With that effort, they assured themselves that the black population would be subject to their control, and world not have the ability to fight back. At the same time, the people who were most intent on denying black people their basic rights walked around with their firearms, making it impossible to resist their efforts. An unarmed man stands little chance against and armed one, and these armed men saw their plans work completely. It was a full century before the civil rights activists of the 1960s were able to restore the constitutional freedoms that blacks in this country were granted in the 1860s(46). Todays gun control activists are a slightly different breed. They claim that gun violence in this country has gotten to a point where something must be done to stop it. They would like to see criminals disarmed, and they want the random violence to stop(Edel 77). I agree with their sentiments. However, they are going about it in the wrong way. While claiming that they want to take guns out of the hands of criminals, they work to pass legislation that world take the guns out of the hands of law abiding citizens instead. For this reason the efforts at gun control do not address the real problem of crime. The simple definition of a criminal is someone who does not obey the law. The simple definition of a law abiding

Childhood obesity and advertising

Childhood obesity and advertising Introduction Obesity in children has become a major concern in most parts of the world. This escalation in the rate at which the young generation is being affected by the scourge has prompted the urge of answering questions concerning the causes of obesity and its possible preventive measures.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Childhood obesity and advertising specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More While this is the case, some theorists and experts believe that there exists a relationship between obesity and junk food, which is widely advertised through the media. This essay explores the relationship between obesity in children and marketing of junk food. Child obesity Before discussing the relationship between child obesity and marketing of junk food through the media, it is paramount to understand the meaning of obesity and some of its effects in human beings, especially in children. In its simplicity, obesity refers to a case where one has excess body fat. Although there is no conventional definition of child obesity, many nutritionists base their definition on body mass index, commonly denoted as BMI (CDC 2012). In other cases, child obesity is described as body weight that is higher than the normal weight of a child with the same height by at least 20%. Unlike in previous years when cases of obesity were rare, it has become one of the most common health complications affecting young people in America and several First World countries. According to the American Obesity Association, approximately fifteen percent of adolescents and children in the United States are obese, with the number expected to rise (American Psychological Association 2012). Why should the world be bothered with child obesity? The truth of the matter is that obesity has a wide range of effects, which make it a global health threat. Obesity exposes victims to health, social and emotional problems, which may haunt them throughout their lives (CDC 2012). Additionally, obese children have a higher likelihood of developing obesity when they advance into adulthood. This exposes them to severe and fatal health complications like heart attack, diabetes and high blood pressure. In this line of thought, there are several factors, which are believed to cause child obesity in the world today.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They include genetic, dietary habits, socioeconomic factors and lack of exercises (American Psychological Association 2012). On the other hand, marketing of junk food has been associated with the rising cases of child obesity in America and around the world. The following segment explains this relationship between media ads and dietary habits in children. Childhood obesity and advertising Due to the advancement in technology, 21st century children are exposed to a wide range of media and are known to spend a lot of time in front of television sets, computers and video game screens. According to the American Psychological Association, there is a direct connection between junk food adverts and increasing levels of obesity among children (American Psychological Association 2012). This is based on the fact that young children, who have become active media customers, do not have the ability to draw a line between advertising and programming (Lovelock, Patterson Wirtz 2011). Additionally, children below the age of eight years do not understand why junk food companies make adverts with a persuasive intention. As a result, many psychologists argue that junk food adverts, which target children within such vulnerable age groups is exploitative. Unlike adults, children are known to have extraordinary ability to remember media content, which they feed on (Are Commercials Making You a Junk-Food Freak 2010). Notably, it has been found that children gain specific product pre ference with even a single advert, and this increases when repetitive ads are displayed by the media. Consequently, the preferences affect tastes among children and their requests to parents, which end up influencing their budget decisions (Lovelock, Patterson Wirtz 2011). Unlike adults who are bombarded with an array of ads ranging from clothing to cars, children are always exposed to high concentration of junk food ads. According to research, 32% of junk adverts usually carry candy foods, 31% cereals and 9% fast food content (Caroli et al. 2004). Although it might sound unrealistic to some people, researchers have found out that up to eleven food adverts can be aired in one hour especially during weekend morning shows on television, when most children are at home. These results imply that a child in such environment is exposed to one junk food advert in every five minutes of his or her TV watching (Lovelock, Patterson Wirtz 2011).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Childhood obesity and advertising specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One common feature in most junk stuffs advertised is the insufficiency of body nutrients. Although initial foodstuffs had high levels of sugar, these have been replaced with snack foods, which are known to have high-fat content. While most of the researches done on the impact of junk ads on children are rarely made public, it has clearly been proven that TV adverts affect purchase preferences for most children around the world (Lovelock, Patterson Wirtz 2011). Amazingly, fast food companies spent unbelievable amount of money on junk adverts, which strictly target children within the vulnerable age bracket. Many marketing executives believe that children under the age of twelve years can spend $35 billion of their cash and influence over $200 billion of household expenditure. In essence, marketers believe that the current generation is a huge consumer group, which c an draw the attention of any business-oriented person as a target market. As a result, children and young adults spend a lot of their money and influence people around them, including parents, siblings and friends to spend on junk products (Caroli et al. 2004). Although parents may have their influence, it has been found that junk ads have boosted the ability of kids to convince their parents and influence their purchase patterns. In addition, the time spent by children watching television is usually proportional to their influence and the frequency of requesting for junk foods from parents (Are Commercials Making You a Junk-Food Freak 2010). This implies that the amount of commercial ads, which a child is exposed to, is principal in influencing their feeding and preference trends. Importantly, requests made by children while moving around in a supermarket with parents or siblings have a higher likelihood of influencing purchases made than those made elsewhere (Lovelock, Patterson Wirtz 2011). In some cases, children who are as young as three years old get influenced by TV adverts through their parents’ decisions. Parents with such young children expose their children to high-caloric products, which are commonly advertised on television. In some experiments with different sets of foods such as junk and fruits, children preferred those foods, which they were frequently exposed to (Lovelock, Patterson Wirtz 2011).Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is to say that those who get exposed to balanced meals end up adopting proper eating habits. Moreover, marketers tend to embed junk commercials with images of items mostly preferred by children. For example, common junk ads carry famous cartoons to win the attention of children and influence their choice of food. In the context of junk foods and commercials, it is essential to analyze how media personalities, celebrities and role models influence the eating habits of many children in the world. In recent studies, it has been found that there is a steady increase in the number of junk ads, which are being done by TV and movie characters. As a result, most fast food outlets concentrate on ads that carry public personalities, which are highly recognized by young children (Lovelock, Patterson Wirtz 2011). To further the attention of children and parents, McDonald’s has partnered with Disney to allow the use of Disney toys in marketing its Happy Meals. Another way through wh ich adverts promote poor eating habits and childhood obesity is through media presentation of body images. In most cases, televisions, movies and magazines have preferred thinner bodies as compared to natural and healthy body images, a trend that has been known to influence children and young adults. This negative representation causes children to ignore healthy eating, especially when thin and celebrated characters feature adverts (Lovelock, Patterson Wirtz 2011). This analogy concurs with research findings, linking poor eating disorders to media ads. As a matter of fact, the influence occurs since children receive contradicting dietary messages, regarding healthy eating and the definition of an ideal body image in the world today. From such ads, the impression generated is the desire for a thinner body, coupled with fatty, sugary and salty foodstuffs, which are significantly blamed for rising cases of obesity (Caroli et al. 2004). From this analysis, it is evident that marketing of junk food contributes to increasing cases of child obesity in the world today. Coupled with massive usage of digital media, children spent a lot of their time watching TV shows, which are flooded with junk food commercials (Lovelock, Patterson Wirtz 2011). It therefore presents a complex problem in finding a solution, which may involve law makers, junk food manufactures, media owners and parents. References American Psychological Association 2012, The Impact of food advertising on Childhood obesity https://www.apa.org/topics/kids-media/food. Are Commercials Making You a Junk-Food Freak? 2010, Scholastic Scope, vol. 59 no. 7, pp. 14-15. Caroli, M, Argentieri, L, Cardone, M Masi, A 2004, Role of television in childhood obesity prevention, International Journal of Obesity Related Metabolic Disorders, vol. 28 no. 1, pp. 104-108. CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2012, https://www.cdc.gov/. Lovelock, H, Patterson, P Wirtz, J 2011, Services marketing: an Asia Pacific and Australian perspective, Pearson Australia, Frenchs Forest, NSW.

Alzheimer Disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Alzheimer Disease - Essay Example Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia that attacks the brain and accounts for 60 to 80 percent of cases. The more gradual form, with slow progress of symptoms, begins around ages 65 to 70 and affects approximately 1%-6% of the AD patients. See Table 1.1. About 60% of early-onset AD is familial, with 13% being inherited due to family history [Rocca et al 1991, Campion et al 1999]. A rapidly progressive form begins around ages 36 to 45. Both sexes are affected usually beginning in middle age and older adults, but women are more likely to develop Alzheimer's than men, as women live longer, on average, than men. According to the research from the Aging, Demographics and Memory Study (ADAMS), 14% of all people aged 71 and older have dementia. The estimate done in 2008, states that 2.4 million women and 1 million men aged 71 and older have dementia. As many as 5.3 million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer's. This figure includes 5.1 million people aged 65 and older and 200,000 individuals under age 65 who have younger-onset Alzheimer's. Based on these estimates, approximately 500,000 Americans under age 65 have Alzheimer's or other dementia. Of these, about more than 46% are estimated to have Alzheimer's disease. See Table 1.2 AD is a genetically complex and heterogeneous disorder. Particularly for genetic studies, Alzheimer's disease is often categorized according to age. ... Commonly knowm as the "Mild Cognitive impairment". (Petersen et al. 1999) Mild cognitive impairment is a major focus of research to facilitate early intervention while functional status is preserved. It can be further classified into Psychiatric Genetics or Molecular Genetics. Late on-set Familial AD: According to Smoller, Sheidley and tsuang, the research evidence proves the presence of additional AD genes. For example, the family history (Payami et al, 1997) or monozygotic twin status (Bergem et al, 1997) remains after APOE4 is controlled for. Also, a segregation analysis points to the existence if many additional late on-set AD genes (Daw et al, 2000) and the peak age at onset is in the 60's. Linkage analysis has provided several clues to where such AD genes may reside (reviewed in Bertram and tanzi 2004; Kamboh 2004). Other than the APOE region on chromosomes 9, 10 and 12. (Blacker et al 2003); Myers et al 2002). More than 200 genes have been tested for association with AD, with discouraging results (Alzheimer research Forum 2005; Kamboh 2004). There is a possibility of huge understanding in AD genetics. The discovery of the APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2 has contributed greatly to the AD, and at least 20 drugs are in the process of development in genetics research. These may help in early detection and intervention and further prevention. In addition, the study can help in providing genetic counseling and genetic testing for patients with family history. Early-onset familial AD (EOFAD): Early-onset cases can occur in families with generally late-onset disease (Brickell et al 2006). At least three subtypes of molecular genetics EOFAD (AD1, AD3, and AD4) have been identified based on the causative gene.

Business strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Business strategy - Essay Example Porter’s value chain provides an important tool for a tool for developing and sustaining competitive advantage for a company. It underlines the need for creating and retailing value for the organisation. Value, in general, can be defined in respect of customers, employees and owners or other stakeholders. Value addition is considered an important ingredient in dealing with the competitions, as it provides the organisation with a strategic tool. An individual’s beliefs or conceptions about what is desirable, good or bad – forms the value system (Kotler, 1974). Innovation, excellence and value go hand in hand in today’s competitive environment. Customers and the target market are crucial stakeholders for any organisation. Configuring value means defining, creating, branding and pricing the offer. The company can acquire competitive advantage on its rivals on account of marketing efforts, brand building, value creation, innovation, operational efficiencies etc. But more important is to sustain the advantage. The value configuration describes how value is created in a company for its customers, how the most important business processes function to create value for customers and the way a particular company/ organization conducts its business. Some of the value addition gradually takes the form of threshold competencies for the organisation, and the consumer starts expecting these value additions from the company. The process of value creation encompasses managing quality in the entire chain of processes leading to the production of final product or service. Quality in essence is delivering superior value to the customer. The value phenomenon is complicated and multifaceted. The term â€Å"value† can be defined in different ways according to the adopted perspective of th e analysis: it is possible to determine a â€Å"customer value†, a â€Å"firm value†, a â€Å"stakeholder value† (Mele and Colurci, 2006). For the companies to identify their sustainable