ZipCar Marketing Strategy

Abstract Zipcar is a company that allows incorporation of members to benefit from car sharing services. The company management is capable of attracting influential companies and businesses to its business.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on ZipCar Marketing Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Cambridge, Antje Danielson and robin chase found it in 2000. Its target markets are Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, London, new York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, san Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, Washington D.C. and Vancouver. By 2010, the company had attracted 8000 vehicles and 560,000 customers in urban centers. Each member pays a registration fee of $25 and $60 for services provided annually. A Zip card enables the customer use the car prepared in the order. The company caters for the gas, insurance, maintenance, parking and any other expenses incurred in the cause of using the car. The aim of the company is to reduce the costs incurred in transportation by allowing its customers to use other means of transportation such as walking and cycling and to preserve the environment by allowing sharing of one vehicle by many customers reducing pollution and jam caused by vehicles. Services and customers are inseparable hence, the company has to evaluate, analyze and implement marketing strategies to ensure survival and penetration of the company services in the target markets. Introduction The company attracts and maintains its customers through providing quality services to its customers. It offers 30 different models of cars at a time to provide a variety of products that cater for the different tastes and preferences of their customers. Due to the diversity of the customer needs and wants the company uses online and telephone to communicate to its customers and to offer instant services (Kirsner 1). This enables the company to provide its services an hour after the order is done and ease in payments of its customers by calculating the expenses according to the needs and wants of its customers. The company aims to increase their market share and at the same time maximize their profits (Kirsner 1).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The chief executive requested for research on the company’s environment, competitors, and customers to enable implementation of marketing strategies that enable the company to survive in the competitive market. The report is due on June 30, 2011. ZipCar Corporation ZipCar is the world’s leading company in car sharing services. Its services have won the attention of the media. Journals that support the company include Business Weeks, Time magazine, Wall Street journal, and New York Times. For example, the Business Week’s journal declared the company as the best leader of 2006 in car sharing network. The chief exec utive officer of the company, Scott Griffith holds senior positions in the influential companies such as Boeing Company, information America, an Atlanta based provider of online, public record information, business strategy and investment firm, Parthenon group, boutique, and public record information. The company has joint ventures with transit agencies, universities, and influential cities and state governments to broaden their services and increase awareness of their services to potential customers. The company ownership and management is by its shareholders. For instance, the chief executive officer (CEO) holds 3.92% of the company and 2.4 million shares (Kirsner 1). Methodology A current market analysis is done to enable the company penetrate and survive in the target markets. It focuses on the target market, competitors, and future performance of the company’s products and services (Stull 42) Market analysis questionnaire Due to the increasing competition in the car shar ing market, the company wants to find a solution that enables the company survive in the target market. The company wants to improve its profits by attracting and maintaining more customers and balancing its expenses. These solutions boost the company’s profits, which consequently leads to the growth of the company (Ireland 124). Analysis of the situation Study design The research used deductive approach to collect quantitative and qualitative data that is able to draw conclusions on measurable evidence. The aim of the study is to analyze the consumers buying process and its effects on the overall operations of the business (Kotler 57).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on ZipCar Marketing Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Focus group discussion The group discussion comprise of 3 customers and employees of ZipCar and hertz global company in an attempt to find solution on how to attract and maintain mo re customers to zip car company and test the accuracy of the information provided by the company and the customers (Kotler 54) Study population and sampling The study involves the management of ZipCar Company, its main competitors, and the consumers of the product or service. Systematic sampling avoids bias and to focus on the potential sources of information (Basenese 1) Data collection Primary data Face to face interviews: Interview guides ensured all the areas of the study are covered and all the necessary information is collected. It involves structured and unstructured questionnaires to boost the researcher’s interaction with the respondents (Gitman 168). Observation: The researcher collects supplementary data without bias on the information available for the researcher. The researcher collects information from experience and behavior conveyed by the respondents (Koontz 121). Secondary data: The relevant data on books, journals, magazine, papers, magazines, and previous lessons on marketing strategies is collected (Kotler 54) Data analysis methods The research collected qualitative and quantitative data analyzed in numerical and descriptive perspectives. A review of the books, magazines, papers, journal, and previous lessons provides data for interpretation and analysis of data relevant to the research objectives. The data undergoes preparation using statistical techniques to convert it into a form suitable for analysis. The techniques are data editing and data coding (Kotler 65). Findings Pestle analysis They are legal, political, social-cultural, technological changes, demographic, and natural forces influenced by external and uncontrollable factors like competitors, changes in interest rates, cultural factors, and government regulations.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The macro environment of any business is the major economic externalities beyond the business’s scope of influence, which influence the business decision-making and have an effect on performance and strategies. The factors exist in the whole economy as opposed to the economy of a specific business (Kotler 59). Political environment: The political environment involves the pressure groups, government agencies and legislations that limit the activities of an organization. It is a constitutional duty of governments to draft public policies that govern commerce. Recent legislations focus towards protecting competitor companies from each other, buffering consumers from unfair business practices and shielding interests of society against unrestrained business behavior. There is also an increased emphasis in the international market on social responsibility and ethics. Zipcar Company provides insurance in case of accidents of its vehicles to comply with the government laws and regula tions (Koontz 120). Economic environment: The economic environment involves those factors that affect the purchasing power and spending patterns of consumers. Given the current economic recession, both corporate and individual consumers are shoppers that are more careful. The economic classes skew and the general population divides into the affluent and the less prosperous. These classes highly influence the spending patterns in the market. Zipcar helps its members save some money when they use other means of transport when not in need of a car (Gitman 166). Social environment: Social environment includes institutions and other forces that affect the basic values, behaviors and preferences of the society. A marketer may want to capitalize on the changing values people have on themselves, others, organizations, society, nature and the universe; for example, they affect the consumer satisfaction and decision-making. The university, journals, magazines, and other influential organizati on boost the image of the company attracting more customers to the company (Stull 45). Technological environment: Technological environment consists of forces that affect the technology of creating new products, markets and opportunities in organizations. This environment is perhaps the one with most influence in this industry. In the marketing planning, the marketer should be keen the opportunities being availed by technological changes and avoid products that are likely to get outdated rapidly. The company provides zip cards to enable their customers access their services, for example, paying bills and opening the door of the car. The company uses internet and telephone to communicate to its customers (Koontz 119). Natural resources: Natural resources include natural resources such as raw materials or energy sources needed by both the organization and the consumer. The company caters for expenses of fuel (Kirsner 1). Demographic environment: Demographic factors include the study o f human population in terms of size, location, race, and occupation. The company focuses their target market in the urban centers on working class consumers (Basenese 1). SWOT analysis Strengths: ZipCar Company has ability to recognize customer needs and wants more than the consumers themselves expect. This makes the company to offer quality products and services to enhance customer experience, awareness, and relationship with their customers. The company has joint ventures with influential organizations creating a positive image and pride of their products and services. The company’s reliance on technology in its activities of reservations, maintenance, billing, and customer services improves customers’ satisfaction and sense of belonging. Extension of services to the disabled people increases its market share (Kirsner 1). Weaknesses: The diversity of its markets gives room for misunderstandings and mismanagement of the company. The company incurs more expenses as the number of customers increase. Investments cater for the demands of its customers but there is no guarantee of revenue enough to cover the costs incurred. The company’s shareholders demands and expectations on payments are very high limiting the growth of the company (Basenese 1). Opportunities: The chief executive officer of the company, Scott Griffith holds senior positions in influential companies attracting more potential consumers to the company’s products and services. The company produces quality and variety of products that attracts and maintains more customers enabling the company improve its market share. The target customers are in diverse markets hence the capability of improving its profits once the company penetrates in the market. The company targets the working class since they use vehicles on daily basis and people spending leisure on weekends to ensure maximum utilization of its resources to maximize profits. Universities provide a good foundation for future development of the company as the graduates seek for their services. The company parks their cars in high exposure areas such as subway stations in the city increasing the awareness and attraction of the company’s services (Gitman 167). Threats: Diversity of the target market increases challenges of competition to the company due to the increase in the number of competitors. New entry companies whose car sharing services form a small portion of their overall profits has greater chances of fast growth in the business increasing competition in the market and later the price lowers. Rising price of fuel, insurance, and maintenance terminate the proceedings of the company leading to more expenditure of the company. This consequently leads to rise in the price of their services loosing some of their customers not willing to spend on that service (Basenese 1). Market Segmentation Geographical segmentation: ZipCar Company established its target market in 21 countries. They t arget city centers where there is large exposure of customers. Demographic segmentation: ZipCar Company targets the working class since they use vehicles on daily basis and can afford to purchase their services. The company targets universities to create future potential customers from the graduates. Psychographic segmentation: ZipCar Company provides vehicles for leisure during weekends. It also provides services to long distance travelers incurring the expenses of insurance, fuel, and maintenance of the vehicle. Behavioral segmentation: ZipCar Company provides quality and variety of products to cater for the different tastes and preferences of their customers to ensure customer brand loyalty. Consumer behavior Consumer behavior are all the buying habits and patterns reflected by an individual, group or society towards a given product or service (Kotler 56) Trends influencing consumer behavior Instant society: Customers of ZipCar make orders one hour before they reach the service d estination to find their services ready for use (Kirsner 1). Technology: The customers have zip cards to open the vehicles and for billing their expenses to satisfy their expectations on the company’s services (Kirsner 1). Consumer freedom of choice: The consumers make their own decisions on the company to purchase its services. Zipcar creates a good customer experience relationship, and freedom of expression to ensure brand loyalty. Since the customers travel to the service provider, they make choices about the company to purchase the service (Kirsner 1). Increased consumer awareness: Consumers are more educated and informed about the rights and needs that the company has to satisfy hence provide quality services to its customers that attract and maintain them (Basenese 1). Increased levels of economic development: Customers know how to budget on their expenses hence match their satisfaction with the price before they make their purchase decision (Kirsner 1). Changes in soci al cultural factors: ZipCar Company only offers its services to its members to ensure security of their vehicles due to collapse of morals in the society. The customers need vehicles to travel to leisure destinations on weekends due to increased social networking. The company relies on influential organizations and people to help attract customers to their organizations (Basenese 1). IE-marketing activities: Customers make orders while still far from the company to have their services ready on time and to make travelling plans at ease (Kirsner 1). Conclusion This is a sensitive market hence every marketing strategy used by the company reflects in its overall operations. Car sharing reduces parking commotion in cities and provides services to its customers. Since the benefits are intangible, the company focuses on satisfying their customers to maintain and improve its market share. Consumers’ great influence is value, utility, and benefit of the product or service. The decisio n- making process involves stages that the marketer can influence and intervene to attract customers. Recommendations The marketer should trigger the need of the consumer and know the time to emphasize its product or service to consumers to survive in the market. The marketers should put efforts to establish its distribution channels and the location of the business to access more customers to improve profits. Markets should have a comprehensive marketing strategy to produce better results and acquire customer loyalty. The company should take time to analyze its competitors in order to formulate and implement programs that are customer focused. The marketer should identify changing goals of consumer trends in future consumer behavior to ensure a good future performance of the company. The researcher should conduct effective and reliable market research to help the company making the right decision in the process of marketing its product or service. Works Cited Basenese, Louis. Zipca r, Inc.: steer clear of the â€Å"winner’s curse† (Part 2). 2011. Web. Gitman, Lawrence. The future of business: the essentials. Boston: Cengage Learning. 2008. Ireland, Duane. Entrepreneurship: successfully launching new ventures. Upper Sandle River: Pearson Prentice Hall. 2006. Print. Kirsner, Scott. A little zipcar history, as company files for initial public offerings. 2011. Web. Koontz. Essentials of management 8E. New York: Tata McGraw-Hill Education. 1990. Kotler, Philip. Principles of marketing. French’s Forest: Pearson Education Australia, 2009. Stull, Craig. Tuned in: uncover the extraordinary opportunities that lead to business breakthroughs. New York: John Wiley and Sons. 2008. Print. This report on ZipCar Marketing Strategy was written and submitted by user Kyra T. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. 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Free Essays on Urbainization

Segregation In Urban Areas Since urbanization began in European cities, there has always been segregation, either by class, socio-economic status, political affiliation, etc. In modern American cities stratification is most heavily linked to class or race. There are many reasons that segregation in cities take place, and we will explore the more prevalent ideas of social stratification. When urban centers in America were beginning to take shape, people moved in droves to these industrial metropolises to find work and success. We studied earlier the effects of this mass immigration to cities and saw the horrid living conditions that people endured to find work. The overcrowding of cities made ghettos obvious and wealth was not directly associated with the masses of people moving in. Through the years, urban areas grew with new suburban towns encircling the city. Wealthier people inhabited these suburban areas with the ability to move in and out of cities at their own will. Cities became a melting pot of cultures in a small area. People of the same ethnic background often moved into neighborhoods in which their own culture was dominant as to fit in and feel more at home. These areas are obvious in places such as Libman 2 Chinatown, or â€Å"Little Italy†. Southie, in Boston is dominated by the working class Irish people that came to the American cities as many others did: looking for work, and the American Dream. These social groupings are one way that cities become segregated. This segregation is not the discriminatory term that we usually attribute to the phrase, but the separation of social groups. â€Å"The city in the 1920’s was often a battleground as various groups within the population struggled for social and cultural authority.† New laws in urban centers gave way to a new cultural group as well: criminals. Organized crime in the 1920’s was widespread; â€Å"In New York, Chicago, Detroit, and other ci... Free Essays on Urbainization Free Essays on Urbainization Segregation In Urban Areas Since urbanization began in European cities, there has always been segregation, either by class, socio-economic status, political affiliation, etc. In modern American cities stratification is most heavily linked to class or race. There are many reasons that segregation in cities take place, and we will explore the more prevalent ideas of social stratification. When urban centers in America were beginning to take shape, people moved in droves to these industrial metropolises to find work and success. We studied earlier the effects of this mass immigration to cities and saw the horrid living conditions that people endured to find work. The overcrowding of cities made ghettos obvious and wealth was not directly associated with the masses of people moving in. Through the years, urban areas grew with new suburban towns encircling the city. Wealthier people inhabited these suburban areas with the ability to move in and out of cities at their own will. Cities became a melting pot of cultures in a small area. People of the same ethnic background often moved into neighborhoods in which their own culture was dominant as to fit in and feel more at home. These areas are obvious in places such as Libman 2 Chinatown, or â€Å"Little Italy†. Southie, in Boston is dominated by the working class Irish people that came to the American cities as many others did: looking for work, and the American Dream. These social groupings are one way that cities become segregated. This segregation is not the discriminatory term that we usually attribute to the phrase, but the separation of social groups. â€Å"The city in the 1920’s was often a battleground as various groups within the population struggled for social and cultural authority.† New laws in urban centers gave way to a new cultural group as well: criminals. Organized crime in the 1920’s was widespread; â€Å"In New York, Chicago, Detroit, and other ci...

Use the STAR Method to answer any interview question

Use the STAR Method to answer any interview question It’s interview day. You’ve worked on your handshake, your eye contact, your head-to-toe professional outfit. You know your resume backwards and forwards, and you’ve reviewed the job description so many times you can practically see it when you close your eyes. So, you’re ready. And then in the interview, you get a question you weren’t necessarily expecting: â€Å"Tell me about a time when you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Argh, the dreaded behavioral questions. Now what? First, don’t panic. You can answer any question an interviewer throws your way, without grinding the whole thing to a halt. It’s as simple as being a STAR.What’s the STAR Method  and  how  do  you  use  it?STAR is a method you can use to frame an answer quickly and efficiently. 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That way, when you’re asked, â€Å"Tell me about at time you showed leadership,† you will already have a list of relevant points ready to go.Relevance is the key- you don’t want to start rambling about something that doesn’t really fit what the interviewer is asking. So the quick internal check should be, â€Å"I think this is the right story- does it answer what’s being asked?†And if you need a bit of time to think things over, say so- it’s okay to ask for a minute to think things over. â€Å"That’s a really great question; I’d like to think about it for a minute!† You don’t want your contemplation to go too long, but taking 30 seconds to gather your thoughts will lead to a better answer.Set the sceneThis doesn’t have to be an elaborate, cinematic story. 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That was a great feeling.And if you picked an example that didn’t necessarily have a happy ending (because hey, sometimes that’s the only anecdote that fits), be sure to talk about what you did gain from the situation.Although it was difficult   while I worked to resolve the issue, it taught me that nothing is more important than providing a superior customer experience.It was definitely a learning experience, and having worked with such a demanding client, I know I can work with anyone to get the job done.Like with your other STAR points, a couple of sentences should be all you need to summarize and wrap up your story.Practice beforehandIf you’re not all that comfortable with storytelling, this is definitely a skill you can build before you’re in the interview hot seat. Just like with body language or your handshake, practice until it becomes second nature! Grab a trusted person who can ask you general behavioral questions, and apply the STAR method to your conversation. 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Economic analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Juicy essay Essay Example for Free

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An excerpt from the song, after Notorious became popular, â€Å"Living life without fear, putting 5 karats in my baby girl’s ear, lunches, brunches, interviews by the pool† This was an important transformation in his life because he went from a gangster on the streets and slinging drugs, to a rich rap star. Another quote from the song was, â€Å"Phone bill about 2 G’s flat, no need to worry my accountant handles that.† With all the wealth that he accumulated, he was carefree living. He went from struggling to put food on the table for his family to letting businessmen handle all his financial decisions. He had seen the way that wealth could change people. Also in the song he mentioned, â€Å"50 inch screen, money green leather sofa, got two rides, a limousine with a chauffer.† The way that Biggie spent his money was typical to any other person that made it from rags to riches. He went from wondering if he would have a meal to eat, to spending money on lavish things. The end of Biggie’s career came on March 3, 1997 when he was shot several times outside of an album release party in Los Angeles. He came out to a shoot music video for the song â€Å"Hypnotize† off his album â€Å"Ready To Die†. With the past beef that he had with west coast rappers, the trip out to California wasn’t encouraged. He died six days later in the hospital. Through out Biggie’s life, there were a couple strong  characteristics that he left behind. He left behind a strong work ethic with an attitude that nobody could out work him. When he died, it was a tough loss in the rap world because he had been very influential amongst rappers that had come from tough childhoods and lived in tough areas. He was a perfect example of emerging from a life of poverty and becoming successful and extremely wealthy. The Notorious B.I.G. à ¢Ã¯â€šâ‚¬ Juicy Lyrics. Rap Genius. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2012. http://rapgenius.com/The-notorious-big-juicy-lyrics The Notorious B.I.G. Billboard. Rovi Corporation, 9 Mar. 2010. Web. 18 Sept. 2012. . Duke, Alan. FBI Reveals Documents in Biggie Smalls Death Probe. CNN. CNN, 08 Apr. 2011. Web. 18 Sept. 2012. .

Achilles: The Tragic Hero Essay -- The Iliad Essays

When researching heroes of classic literature it is impossible to ignore Achilles from The Iliad by Homer. Starting from the time that his mother Thetis dipped him in the River Styx, making his body practically invincible, it was obvious that the Greeks had a hero in the making (Achilles, 173). His physical strength and persistence to extinguish the Trojan society is untouched by any other figure in mythology (Achilles, 173). In The Iliad Achilles is not only a hero, but a tragic hero who experiences a downfall and realizes that it is a direct result of his actions. Along with this basic definition of what it means to be a tragic hero, there are also three notable characteristics. Tragic heroes exhibit â€Å"fatal ignorance†, are â€Å"prompted by will or circumstance†, and are involved in a â€Å"binding obligation† (Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature, 1126). These three aspects can be synthesized into the idea that tragic heroes make one or more errors, resulting from ignorance or a personal impediment and are obligated to live out their error(s) in the form of a downfall. Achilles in The Iliad by Homer is a tragic hero because he exhibits â€Å"fatal ignorance†, is â€Å"prompted by will or circumstance†, and is involved in a â€Å"binding obligation† throughout the entire poem. Achilles is a tragic hero because he displays ignorance towards his surroundings in The Iliad. At the beginning of the epic, â€Å"Achilles is presented with not one but two fates: to die gloriously at Troy or to live anonymously at home† (Harris, 262). With this decision Achilles decides to join the Greek forces and go to war against Troy. This, of course, guarantees his pre-mature death and proves how illogical and unstable his mind was during this time, for h... ... made poor decisions that led to his downfall and could have easily prevented himself from his early death in the Trojan War; this makes him a tragic hero in The Iliad. Works Cited "Achilles." Epics for Students. Ed. Marie Lazzari. Detroit: Gale, 1997. 173. Print. Hamilton, Edith. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. Warner Books ed. New York: Warner, 1999. Print. Harris, Stephen L., and Gloria Platzer. Classical Mythology: Images and Insights. 2nd ed. N.p.: Mayfield Publishing Co., 1998. Print. Homer. The Iliad. Trans. W. H. D. Rouse. New York: New American Library, 2007. Print. Knox, Bernard. "Achilles." Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism. Ed. Lynn M. Zott. Vol. 61. Detroit: Gale, 1990. 129-50. Literature Resource Center. Web. 11 Oct. 2015. Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature. Springfield: Merriam-Webster, 1995. Print.

Juvenile Justice System

The juvenile justice system and parents across America struggle on a day-to-day basis with their children and substance abuse. It is stated that four out of every five children arrested within the system are under the influence of a substance (alcohol or drugs) when committing the crimes that forced them to be detained and arrested (Alcoholism. about. com, 2010). It is reported within the textbook that seventy-three percent of high school seniors had used alcohol within the past year, which makes the possibility of teenagers entering the juvenile justice system even higher (Siegel & Welsh, 2009).It is also believed that we as a society, does not provide the adequate support to those youth that are using controlled substances; which could in turn result in a more positive outcome, versus a decline in their behavior from initial arrest (Alcholism. about. com, 2010). This is a very true statement because in 2009, the SAMSHA reported that 374,000 citizens were treated for substance abuse between the ages of eighteen to twenty-four; that does not include the amount of individuals who did not seek help and those that were even younger.It also does not tell the story about how many of those individuals started using controlled substances at an earlier age as a juvenile (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, n. d. ). According to Joseph Califano, Jr. , we are writing of the younger Americans by releasing them back into society without attending to their substance abuse needs (Alcholism. about. com, 2010). As an American, it is notable that social status plays a vital role in why juveniles embark into the realm of substance abuse.When children aren’t accepted by their peers, they tend to lash out and try things to make their peers accept them, or hide in a corner and not seek any help because they want to be left alone (Siegel & Welsh, 2009). Social disorganization plays another vital role in why juveniles resort to substance abuse. Because t he United States has so many different juvenile justices systems, it is hard to be held accountable for the different practices taking place, and the fact that non of the practices are helping one hundred percent of the time is unacceptable (Alcoholism. bout. com, 2010). Many juveniles fall into the system, and because there is limited help for them within their state/system, they become long time offenders and turn their adult careers into offending and spend the majority of their lives in adult prison institutions (Alcoholism. about. com, 2010). It is estimated that if provided the proper treatment, juvenile course could save a whopping $14 Billion per year (Alcoholism. about. om, 2010), but it is up to the state and local governments to put the time, efforts and resources into the system to help rehabilitate the youth while they are young, because at some point, the rehabilitation slows or stops completely. It is and always has been difficult to judge whether punishing juveniles was more acceptable than rehabilitating them, but numbers in the state of California has declined to show that rehabilitating is the most viable option to release the strain on our justice system and over crowding in prisons (Mellon, 2008).At times, the most viable option is not the best, but in this situation, it is believed that if you truly want to help youth and keep them on the path of becoming responsible citizens, it is very much necessary to rehabilitate them and coach them early in their childhoods. If we wait until after they commit a crime and become a reactive society, the numbers will blossom into a flower that does not glorify our country.Adults who commit violent crimes that are not first time offenders, they generally had a record as a juvenile that was never addressed and rehabilitated (Deitch, Barstow, Lukens, & Reyna, n. d. ). Although rehabilitation is not always the answer, it can definitely help solve the equation. Alcoholism. about. com. , (2010). Most Juvenil e Offenders use Drugs, Alcohol. Retrieved February 6, 2012, from http://alcoholism. about. com/od/teens/a/blcasa041007. htm Deitch, M. , Barstow, A. , Lukens, L. Reyna, R. , (n. d. ). From Time Out to Hard Time: Young Children in the Adult Criminal Justice System. Retrieved February 6, 2012 from http://www. utexas. edu/lbj/archive/news/images/file/From%20Time%20Out%20to%20Hard%20Time-revised%20final. pdf Mellen, G. , (2008). A Historic Struggle: Punishment or Rehabilitation. Retrieved February 6, 2012, from http://www. presstelegram. com/justice/ci_9327709 Siegel, L. J, & Welsh, B. C. , (2009). Juvenile Delinquency –Theory, Practice and Law. California.

Our War On Drugs Essay

A drug can be described as a chemical substance that influences how an individual’s body and mind works (Rees 2005 p. 5). It is uncommon today to hear the word drugs on televisions and read them in magazines. Drugs are virtually everywhere and there is continual development of these drugs. They are used by people for various reasons ranging from medicinal to recreational purposes. Drugs that are taken as medicines include antibiotics and penicillin among others. However some drugs are illegal. They include: cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana, cannabis, heroin, crack, methamphetamines, LSD (acid), alcohol and magic mushrooms. These illegal drugs are also known as recreational drugs and many are gotten from plants growth in various parts of the world. Amphetamines are drugs that can be inhaled, or eaten in form of tables. Heroin is smoked or taken as an injection. Marijuana on the other hand consists of a brown resin. It is mostly smoked in cigarettes and it can also be eaten (Rees 2005 p. 30). Abuse of drug use is known as drug addiction. When a person constantly takes these illegal drugs for recreational purposes this addiction develops as a process and not instantly. Addiction to drugs affects individuals of multicultural, geographically diverse, across gender and racial classes. The initial steps are very moderate but their increased use results to a state of life threatening situation. Withdrawals are hardly achieved as the issue becomes of medical concern. Those who abuse drugs have their various reasons. They argue that drugs help them alleviate stress, boosts their morale and confidence, makes them feel good about themselves among many other things. Drug abuse has various adverse effects. Some of the effects include rises in blood pressure, vomiting, impairs memory and judgment capability of an individual. Other effects are poor decision making, accidents, impaired health and poor relationships. The consequences of these are physical, psychological and emotional instability on the drug abuser. The individual hence suffers from depression (Rick 2005 p30) A large number of people who abuse drugs decide to quit at some point but this is often difficult since once a person is addicted to drugs, it is almost impossible to avoid taking them as they mostly experience withdrawal symptoms. The symptoms are for instance body aches, sweating, and flu in the case of heroin. Nicotine on the other hand results to fatigue and premature aging affecting the skin, body shape and body weight. On the other hand, fast withdrawals could result to dangerous impacts. For instance tranquilizers could be dangerous resulting in high blood pressure, vomiting, temperature and stomach cramps (Rees 2005 p. 42) Our War on Drugs The war on drugs is a move undertaken by the United States including help from other participating countries whose priority is to eliminate trade in illegal drugs. It traces its origin way back in 1880 where there was a memorandum of understanding between United States and China to prohibit trade in opium between the two countries (http://www. nh-dwi. com/caip-213. htm). Today in America, mostly the youth experiment with these illegal drugs and they do it for various reasons. Some do it for recreational purposes whereas others are simply addicts as they cannot do without them. The United States government and the general public have become concerned about drug abuse and addiction. The government became more concerned about the issue in the 1960s when the youth mostly college students protested against the Vietnam war and in the 1960s and 1970s they began using licit and illicit drugs on a large scale for the first time (Fleckenstein Hanson & Venturelli 2005 p. 125). As a starting point the United States government introduced new strategies for tackling this issue of drug use and abuse. These strategies include demand reduction, inoculation, supply reduction, interdiction and drug courts. The use of drug courts has become a common strategy. The supply reduction is a strategy aimed at reducing and controlling supply of illegal drugs. Demand reduction aims at reducing the individuals’ tendencies to abuse drugs especially the youth. It places emphasis on reforming behaviors. Inoculation on the other hand attempts to protect drug users by informing them on their responsibilities. Drug courts on the other hand integrate incentives, sanctions, treatment and ensure that nonviolent drug addicts are placed in rehabilitation programs. Lastly interdiction is a policy aimed at stopping the supply of these illicit drugs (Fleckenstein, Hanson & Venturelli, 2005 p. 25). In the United States of America, there are quite a number of law enforcements Acts on drugs that have been established to control drug abuse. They include: Harrison Acts that looks into the production, sale, importation and distribution of opium. The other Act is the Narcotic Drug Import and Export Act aimed at alleviating use of narcotics but it is exceptional for medicinal and other legitimate use. Heroin Act of 1924 prohibited the manufacturing of drugs. The Marijuana Tax Act also controlled the production, sale and distribution of marijuana. The Opium Pappy Control Act restricted the cultivation of opium poppies in the United States except if one is licensed to do so. Narcotics control act on the other hand intended to establish suffer penalties to individuals who broke the marijuana or narcotics laws. Drug Abuse Control Amendments (DACA) was established to adopt stuff controls over barbiturates, amphetamines, LSD among others moreover; the Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Act (NARA) was established to rehabilitate drug addicts in the three programs that is voluntary, sentencing to death addicts who are convicted and the pretrial civil commitment. In 1988, the Anti-Drug Abuse Act introduced the office of National Drug Control to oversee policies on research controlling drug abuse. Lastly the 2000 Drug Addiction Treatment Act gave a go ahead to physicians to prescribe narcotics for the treatment of oploid addiction (Fleckenstein, Hanson & Venturelli, 2005 p. 135). The white House National Drug Control Strategy in 2006 declared it stand and wish to balance the reduction in supply and demand of illegal drugs in the United States of America. It also outlined programs intended to curb abuse of drugs. In the same year, the National Drug Control Strategy pointed out its aim of supporting random student testing, intervention, screening, prevention, treatment and support for drug courts examining methamphetamines and making the United States southwest border secure (uninfo. state. gov/xarchives/display. gtm/? p. ). Another regulatory law enforcement body concerning drug abuse in the United States is the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Its mission is to control drugs and provide laws and regulations regarding drug abuse. The National Drug control Strategy established a ten year plan to reduce drug abuse. It also aims at reducing America’s demand for drugs by offering treatment and supply through law enactments (http://www. usembassy-mexico. gov/bbfbfdossier-combDrogas. htm). The above drug laws indiscriminate use of drugs and it is through the legislation that licit and illicit drugs are determined. The government of the United States tries to meet public needs and control pressure through these rules and regulations. Due to the advancement in technology in today’s society, trained experts and government agencies provide information and protection on drug abuse. Are we winning the war on drugs? In my opinion, I do not believe that we are winning the war on drugs. I have based my judgment according to various reasons. Since the prohibition of drug abuse in 1937 in the United States of America; marijuana once considered for Mexican immigrants has been actively used by 20-37% of the youth in the United States. The same applies to the use of cocaine, ecstasy and methamphetamines (World Drug Report, 2000). The continual trade in drugs is also another factor that has severely affected efforts by the government to prevent drug abuse and addiction. The United States of America is largely affected more so because of its population and largest budget that focuses on enforcement. President George W. Bush in February 2002 established a National Drug Control Strategy based on the Principles of stopping the usage of drugs, disrupting the market and curing America’s drug addicts (Policy and Program Development, 2002). Evidence also shows that the criminal law in the United States has had only small success in preventing drug abuse. It is approximated that in 2004, 39% of students in the 12th grade used an illicit-drug, 34% was marijuana, cocaine 5% and LSD 2%. Also, those aged 12 and above who use illegal drugs as estimated by National Survey is 19. 5 million in the United States (Fleckenstein, Hanson & Venturelli, 2005 p. 140). In the United States, family structures have changed considerably having half of all women working outside home and the divorce rate is quite high. This has affected the nurturing of children by all these single parents. Family and friends have also contributed to the increasing drug abuses since they are ready to bail out and offer excuses for those who have been convicted (Fleckenstein, Hanson & Venturelli, 2005 p. 40). To conclude, it is therefore evident that the war on drugs is still far from being over. It is therefore essential that the society works hard to stop abuse of drugs which is causing deaths on a massive scale. It is essential for individuals to know that the effects of drugs on the social life, economic life, emotional and spiritual life are adverse. The extreme case of addiction to these drugs is the exposure of the individual person to death.

Essay on human resource developement

Essay on human resource developement Essay on human resource developement The Aural Learner Sally is an aural learner. She noticed that she has to read aloud. Nakelya found out when she was young, probably during her elementary school years. To get ready for tests and or quizzes, she would have to read and write everything down and repeat aloud several times for memorizing purposes. Nakelya has taken online courses before and has done fairly well, even though aural learners have difficulty with this. The way she goes about it when writing is to read aloud what she writes, to see if it sounds good. Learning Strategies According to Fleming (2011), the aural learning style is when, â€Å"a preference for information that is "heard or spoken.† Students with this modality report that they learn best from lectures, tutorials, tapes, group discussion, email, using mobile phones, speaking, web chat and talking things through. It includes talking out loud as well as talking with yourself. Often people with this preference want to sort things out by speaking, rather than sorting things out and then speaking. Recommendations If you know which learning style you or a person you are working with have, can help be a better student, worker, or teacher. To learn and retain more information, it is important to use the learning style that that person has. For example according to Priddy (n.d.), â€Å"the aural learner could have more difficulty in an online class†. Research was made by Diaz and Cartal (1999), and their outcome was that the people that are more

Test-Optional Colleges that Dont Require SATs

Test-Optional Colleges that Dont Require SATs If you got low SAT scores or low ACT scores, or if you simply didnt take the exam in time for application deadlines, realize that hundreds of test-optional colleges do not require entrance exams as part of their admissions applications. The list below is just a sampling of the roughly 850 four-year colleges that do not require the SAT or ACT. I have, however, included most of the highly selective schools that dont require scores. To see a complete list, visit the FairTest website. Also be sure to check out my list of 20 Great Colleges for Students with Low SAT Scores. Colleges dont use test scores for many reasons. Some technical schools, music schools and art schools dont see the ACT and SAT as good measures of the types of skills they require. Other schools recognize that the SAT and ACT limit their applicant pools and give an unfair advantage to students from schools or families that can afford test prep courses. You will also find on the FairTest list that many schools with strong religious affiliations do not require standardized tests. Admissions policies change frequently, so check with each school for the latest testing guidelines. Also, realize that some of the schools below are test-optional only for students who meet certain GPA or class rank requirements. Schools that dont require the ACT or SAT for some or all applicants American UniversityArizona State University at TempeArkansas State UniversityAustin Peay State UniversityBard CollegeBates CollegeBennington CollegeBowdoin CollegeCalifornia State University at Bakersfield, Chico, Dominguez Hills, East Bay, Fresno, Fullerton, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Monterey Bay, Northridge, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Marcos, and StanislausBrandeis UniversityBryn Mawr CollegeClark UniversityCollege of the AtlanticCollege of the Holy CrossConnecticut CollegeDenison UniversityDePaul UniversityDickinson CollegeDrew UniversityEast Tennessee State UniversityEastern Kentucky UniversityFairfield UniversityFranklin and Marshall CollegeFurman UniversityGeorge Mason UniversityGettysburg CollegeGoddard CollegeGoucher CollegeGuilford CollegeGustavus Adolphus CollegeHampshire CollegeHobart and William Smith CollegesHofstra UniversityIllinois CollegeIndiana State UniversityIthaca CollegeJuniata CollegeKansas State University (scores required for out-of-state applicants)Kings College Knox CollegeLake Forest CollegeLawrence UniversityLewis Clark CollegeLoyola College in MarylandMarist CollegeMiddle Tennessee State UniversityMiddlebury College (SAT2 required if SAT1 is not used)Minnesota State UniversityMount Holyoke CollegeMuhlenberg CollegeNazareth CollegeNew School (scores required for some programs)Northern Arizona UniversityOhio State University at ATI Wooster, Mansfield, Marion, Newark (scores required for out-of-state applicants)Oklahoma State University, StillwaterOld Dominion UniversityPitzer CollegePresbyterian CollegeProvidence CollegeRobert Morris UniversityRoger Williams UniversityRollins CollegeSt. Johns College (Annapolis and Sante Fe)Sarah Lawrence CollegeSewanee: The University of the SouthSmith CollegeSouth Dakota State UniversityState University of New York at PotsdamStetson UniversityStonehill CollegeSusquehanna UniversityTemple UniversityUnion CollegeUniversity of Alaska at Anchorage, Fairbanks and SoutheastUniversity of ArizonaUniversity of A rkansas at Fortsmith, Little Rock, Monticello and Pine Bluff University of Idaho at MoscowUniversity of Kansas at LawrenceUniversity of Maine at Augusta, Farmington, Ft. Kent and Presque IsleUniversity of Minnesota at Crookston, Duluth and MorrisUniversity of MississippiUniversity of Montana at Missoula and WesternUniversity of Nebraska at Kearney and LincolnUniversity of Nevada at Las Vegas and RenoUniversity of Texas at Arlington, Brownsville, Dallas, El Paso, Pan American, San Antonio and TylerUrsinus CollegeWake Forest UniversityWashington CollegeWashington and Jefferson CollegeWesleyan UniversityWestern Kentucky UniversityWheaton College (MA)Wittenberg UniversityWhitworth UniversityWorcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) When applying to schools, be sure to read their policies carefully. Some state schools on the list do require scores from out-of-state applicants. Other schools dont require scores for admissions, but they do use the scores for awarding academic scholarships.

Kipling's White Man's Burden Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Kipling's White Man's Burden - Essay Example Rudyard Kipling is trying to show the negative attitudes of Europeans towards imperialism. Africans were considered as savages and a burden by them. This is a racial point of view. Africans are considered as crazy, devilish, and dumb people. Africans are treated as a burden of the Europeans, but at the same time, they also think that it is their responsibility to help Africans out. Kipling is simply justifying American’s coming in Africa and taking over the African lives. This reflects that he does not believe in the concept of equality. For him, not every person holds equal rights and some have fewer rights than others, simply because they are less humane. He is encouraging the concept of imperialism. He believes that the Africans are simply ungrateful people. Help is being granted to them, yet they are retaliating against it. 2. Kipling addressed this poem to the Americans in relation to their recent colonization of Philippines. I believe that Kipling really thinks that it i s the responsibility of the civilized nations to those they have conquered. While using the term â€Å"white man’s burden†, he is trying to explain the fact that the European ancestry (or the American one, for that matter) has more opportunities and chances for better education and has more political influence than the natives had. Had Kipling written this poem earlier, he would have argued against colonial imperialism. He was born in the time when native people have already been conquered. It seems as if Kipling is trying to get across the message that no gratitude or corporation in return for the improvement of the lives should be expected. When Kipling uses the phrase â€Å"Take up the White man’s Burden†, it has two meanings. It is naturally considered a duty towards the primitive, impoverished people and that the do-gooder has to bear the resulting ingratitude. Kipling’s assumption regarding the laziness and backwardness of the Filipinos might be considered as racist and patronizing to many modern day readers. But it simply was not meant to offend the people. Kipling was simply trying to explain the difficulties which the Americans faced. The issues, which were then raised by Kipling, seem to be relevant in today’s world. The world is not made a better place without sacrifices and hard work. In addition, the welcome mat is not always rolled out for those who want to change the world for the better. 3. Kipling has offered defense throughout the poem. He thinks that imperialism can work out for the best if it is executed correctly. The poem was meant to discuss not only the American response to the Philippines but also towards the European countries – that they should share medicines and wealth to reduce the misfortunes, illnesses, and famines which are polluting Africa. At first, imperialism might seem to be very striking, but it can have various definitions, depending on the way it is being executed. So muc h emphasis on the execution is placed so that dual meaning is not derived out of Kipling’s prose. He strongly believes that if imperialism is implemented in the correct way, than it can preserve cultures. It is possible only if the wealth is shared and medicine is practiced properly. However, it was not seen the way Kipling had interpreted. The wealthy defined civilization. White men are considered wealthy and hence