Compulsive Hoarding

Compulsive Hoarding Free Online Research Papers As little as 15 years ago, people with extremely cluttered homes were known as pack rats or collectors. There has been a growing problem where homes become so extremely full of possessions that it makes it impossible to use the rooms in the house for the purpose in which they were originally intended. No cooking in the kitchen, no family meals in the dining room, and no entertaining friends and family in the living room because all of these spaces are occupied by the treasures of a hoarder, practically floor to ceiling. â€Å"Compulsive Hoarding is a mental disorder marked by an obsessive need to acquire and keep things, even if the items are worthless, hazardous, or unsanitary. More than 3 million people are compulsive hoarders.† (Flynn, Chan, Severson, 2010) Hoarding can sometimes appear in early adolescence. If not addressed, it will usually get progressively worse. Some of the symptoms may include: -Cluttered living space; -Inability to discard items; -Keeping stacks of newspapers, magazines, or junk mail; -Moving items from one pile to another, without discarding anything; -Acquiring un-needed or useless items sometimes even trash; -Difficulty managing daily activities including procrastinating and trouble making decisions; -Difficulty organizing; -Perfectionism; -Excessive attachments to possessions and difficulty letting anyone touch or borrow them; -Limited or no social interactions. Hoarding can range from a harmless mess, to a life threatening condition. (Scheff, 2010) Triggers and Causes Family and Genetics Hoarding seems to run in families. Obviously, if one was raised by a hoarder, one is much more likely to be a hoarder, as many people often emulate the environment in which they were brought up. However, some research also points to a genetic link. â€Å"People with this problem tend to have a first degree relative who also does, so it might be genetic, or it might be a modeling effect.† Says Randy O. Frost, Ph.D., a psychologist at Smith College, North Hampton, Massachusetts. â€Å"Genetic research suggests that a region on chromosome 14 may be linked to compulsive hoarding in families with OCD. The study, carried out by a team from John Hopkins University School of Medicine in March 2007, analyzed samples from 999 OCD patients from 219 families. Families with 2 or more hoarding relatives showed a unique pattern on chromosome 14 where as other families’ OCD was linked to chromosome 3.† (Collingwood, 2009) Trauma Some people classified as hoarders may just be harmless pack rats until some kind of trauma occurs in their life. Often hoarding spirals out of control after the death of a loved one such as a parent, spouse, or child. Divorce can also trigger hoarding to manifest a previously underlying problem into a disaster. Compulsive Shopping Hoarding also highly correlates with compulsive shopping. Compulsive shopping also correlates with other characteristics of hoarding such as indecisiveness and perfectionism, which also correlates with OCD. Hoarding is not only characterized by the inability to discard items, but also by the obsessive way in which they are acquired. â€Å"It may be the case that compulsive shopping is one manifestation of an underlying pattern of mental activity that is part of a more general tendency towards compulsive acquisition.†(Murray, Close, Frost, 2010) Related Disorders OCD Hoarding has long been considered a symptom of OCD, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. However, in the last 10 years, psychologists have begun to notice a difference. Sometimes there is a person with OCD who has a tendency toward hoarding, and sometimes there are compulsive hoarders without OCD. It is estimated that at least 18 to 30 percent of people with OCD have hoarding tendencies. (Frost, Steketee, 2010) Although hoarding is not considered to be a disease in itself right now, this may all change soon. Experts have been debating if it is a symptom of OCD at all, and it may be recatagorized in the next edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). Some of the distinctions between Compulsive Hoarding and OCD may include the following: -Different from most patients suffering from OCD, most hoarders do not want help. This makes then also much more difficult to treat. -Medication seems to work far better for patients with other forms of OCD. -Hoarders have specific cognitive deficits not shared by people with other forms of OCD, such as the inability to categorize and make decisions. -Treatments for hoarding are more tedious and take longer than typical OCD treatments -Hoarding OCD is much more likely to suffer relapse than other types of OCD. (Elliot, 2009) OCPD Besides OCD, compulsive hoarding is also linked to other disorders and is even a diagnostic criteria for OCPD, or Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. One study suggests that almost twice as many hoarders meet the criteria for OCPD rather than OCD. Similarities between OCPD and hoarding include preoccupation with details, organizing and orderliness. Patients suffering from both disorders have very little insight into the severity of their disorder and most often do not recognize the negative impact of their behaviors on their lives. Hoarding may also correlate with disorders such as ADD and ADHD where people also have a great deal of difficulty focusing, making decisions, and organizing. (Wiegartz Carmin, 2010) Effects on Family and Home Living in the home of a hoarder is very stressful. Unlike people with other obsessive compulsive disorders, hoarding compulsions directly affect all other persons living in the house. Although the emotional effects of other OC related disorders can affect the family, it is generally indirect and can be avoided. Often it is just an inconvenience. Hoarding, however, profoundly affects all persons living under one roof. For example, the hoard more often than not, spills out from one room to another until all rooms, including the bathroom, and kitchen become un-useable. This is very unsanitary and unhealthy. Also, very often if something goes wrong with the plumbing or electricity, a hoarder may not hire professionals to come in and fix the problems due to embarrassment or inability to access the area. (Fugen, Slavin, Donelly, 2010) For the family of one who hoards, it is impossible to live in the same house and not experience emotional, or even physical trauma. Not only through the mess, but also because hoarders’ extreme need to control all aspects of the house cause extreme friction and tension. A primary cause of contention is the loss of usable living space in the shared areas of the home including the living room, dining room, bathrooms, hallways, kitchen, entry ways, yard, and even the bedrooms of other family members. The emotional effects of hoarding are very difficult on a marriage, and often end in divorce. (Fugen et al., 2010) Family members are forced to live in utter chaos. The hoarder assumes control of the entire house and does not allow their family members to make and decision about the home in which they live. This results in feelings of bitterness and resentment. Often, family members get so frustrated with the mess that they will attempt to organize, discard, and clean up without the knowledge or permission of the hoarder, resulting in big, blow out fights. The hoarder will become even worse due to this â€Å"deception† because they feel violated and disrespected. This causes them to become even more protective of their possessions. (Fugen et al., 2010) The hoarding behaviors of the parent of a child can severely affect the child’s life. Children are either not allowed or too embarrassed to have friends over which adversely effects their social development, leaving them feeling isolated. Children become withdrawn and depressed and tend to do poorly in school or even drop out. Children of hoarders are prone to become abusers of drugs and alcohol. (Fugen et al., 2010) Hoarding also affects the quality of life in the home from a health aspect. Individuals living in a hoarded house often suffer from headaches and respiratory problems. As clutter develops, it becomes impossible to dust or vacuum for years at a time. In addition, spilled liquids are often not cleaned up causing all manors of mold, fungus, and insect infestation. Also, the home is likely to become infested with rats and other vermin who will deposit feces and urine within the clutter causing a whole range of other health issues. (Fugen et al., 2010) Another safety hazard is the clutter itself which makes it difficult to move about the house. Pathways become blocked by fallen or new clutter and one could trip and fall and be seriously injured. Extreme clutter also puts the home at a significant risk of having a fire. Also because of the clutter, it would be extremely difficult for emergency personnel to rescue individuals trapped inside the house. The home of a hoarder could literally cave in. People often underestimate the weight of their possessions, and the floors and walls could be destroyed under the pressure of an extreme hoard. It is even more dangerous if the home has pets. Cats often not find their litter box, if there even is one, and dogs cannot hold it long enough for their masters to navigate through the mess, leaving the animals to urinate and defecate throughout the house. The result is absolutely toxic. The hoarder becomes accustomed to the smells, and hardly notices a problem. The levels of ammonia make the air in the home unsafe to breathe, both for the animals and humans. Animal feces, mold, and fungus make it very dangerous to inhabit the house, and it may be reported and condemned by the city. (Fugen et al., 2010) Levels of Hoarding An official organizational assessment tool has been developed by a group known as the NSGD, or National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization. This clutter/hoarding scale was developed to give professional organizers and clinical psychologists specializing in chronic disorganization and hoarding definitive parameters. The parameters relate to specific health and safety issues. Five different levels have been established to measure the degree of squalor and severity that professionals may be dealing with. Within each different level, there are four specific categories which define the severity of clutter and hoarding potential. -Structure and zoning; -Pets and rodents; -Household functions: -Sanitation and cleanliness. (Delson, Govinsky, Prince, Shultz, 2003) Level I hoarder Household is considered standard. No special knowledge in working with the chronically disorganized is necessary. Level II hoarder Household requires professional organizers or related professionals to have additional knowledge and understanding of chronic disorganization. Level III hoarder Household may require services in addition to those a professional organizer and related professional can provide. Professional organizers and related professionals working with Level III households should have significant training in chronic disorganization and have developed a helpful community network of resources, especially mental health providers. Level IV hoarder Household needs the help of a professional organizer and a coordinated team of service providers. Psychological, medical issues or financial hardships are generally involved. Resources will be necessary to bring a household to a functioning level. These services may include pest control services, â€Å"crime scene cleaners†, financial counseling and licensed contractors and handy persons. Level V hoarder Professional organizers should not venture directly into working solo with this type of household. The Level V household may be under the care of a conservator or be an inherited estate of a mentally ill individual. Assistance is needed through the use of a multi-tasked team. These members may include social services and psychological/mental health representatives (not applicable if an inherited estate), conservator/trustee, building and zoning, fire and safety, landlord, legal aid and/or legal representatives. A written strategy needs to be outlined and contractual agreements made before proceeding. (Delson et al., 2003) Subtypes of Hoarding Animal Hoarding Animal Hoarding is a complex community health issue. It involves mental health, animal welfare and public safety concerns. In most cases, animal hoarders appear to believe they are helping their animals. They believe that any home is better than letting the animals die in a shelter. They are in denial and are able to convince other people that they are in control of the situation. Usually, animal hoarders are completely blind to the fact that they are not helping the animals, and they do not see the degree of suffering that they cause. Indications for an animal hoarder may be: -Owning many animals without knowing an exact number of how many; -Home is deteriorated and may have dirty windows, broken furniture, and holes in the floors and walls; -Extreme Clutter; -Strong smells of ammonia and the presence of urine, feces and vomit; -Animals are unsocialized, emaciated, and lethargic; -The presence of fleas and vermin; -Individual isolated themselves from the community and appears to also be in neglect themselves; -Individual insists all animals are loved and cared for, even in the presence of extreme distress and illness. (ASPCA 2010) Dr. Stephanie LaFarge, ASPCA Senior Director of Counseling Services says; â€Å"I have worked with many animal hoarders in their homes. Their mental illness allows them to maintain an absolute denial of the filth and suffering of the animals. They simply cannot see, smell, or react to the situation as a normal person would.† (ASPCA, 2010) Garbage Hoarding Some people suffering from compulsive hoarding are obsessed with collecting garbage. The term for this is syllogomania. These people will go as far as climbing into dumpster and removing trash to bring home with little to no insight as to how unsanitary their actions are. Often they believe that they are doing good for the world by saving what they consider to be useful items from going to the dump. In their minds, they plan to find use for these items at a later time, but instead just manage to turn their own home into a dump. Collectors Some compulsive hoarders do not just simply collect junk, but focus their attention on one or more type of useful items in copious amounts. Often these homes are not as unsanitary as the homes of garbage or animal hoarders. However, what starts out as a harmless collection may soon turn into an obsession. Collector/Hoarders are known to collect some of the following items; clothing, newspapers, magazines, books, toy trains, cameras, and personal items, just to name a few. These types of hoarders most likely also have a problem with compulsive shopping and may spend many hours and lots of money frequenting flea markets, thrift stores, and garage sales, and may also be hooked on home shopping channels and eBay. Case Studies Animal Hoarder â€Å"On Tuesday, November 9, 40 cats were seized from a mobile home in Tampa, Florida, that authorities called a â€Å"liter box without litter,† according to the St. Petersburg Times. After an anonymous tip led them to the property, officials entered the residence wearing protective gear to shield them from the smells of the unsanitary home. All of the cats were kept on one side of the mobile home where the windows were sealed and there was no ventilation. Many of the animals had conditions such as respiratory infections, open wounds and urine burns. The news source reports that ammonia levels begin to become unsafe at 25, and this home reached 38. Kevin Lamar Addison, who lived with the animals, was charged with five felony counts of animal cruelty and 40 counts of unlawful containment of an animal. (ASPCA, 2010) Garbage Hoarder Lloyd is an elderly man from California. He was told by his mother, during the Great Depression, â€Å"Don’t put anything on your plate that you can’t eat, and don’t waste anything.† Lloyd collects garbage from dumpsters and has a giant outdoor hoard of miscellaneous debris. Five years ago, it was so bad that the county came in and cleaned it up. They also fined him 50,000 dollars. This made him feel violated, and he began hoarding worse than ever. He ignored the huge fine, on continued to hoard his property. Now he is facing another fine of the same magnitude. Lloyd hoards everything including, but not limited to broken fans, construction garbage and debris, pieces of worthless broken furniture, paper, and empty boxes. Lloyd was originally a successful insurance salesman, but buckled under the pressure and began drinking. His family fell apart as he became controlling, violent, and abusive. Even after being sober for 35 years, his abusive and obsessive behaviors persist, and his family finds him difficult to love. Even when he is out with his grown daughter, he cannot resist removing items from garbage cans. Facing 100,000 dollars in fines, he agrees to get help. He could possibly lose everything. Lloyd’s situation is desperate. He sleeps in a trailer on his property that is also hoarded. He climbs in through a window to sleep, because all entry ways are blocked. He has no electricity, no running water, and no ventilation. He has not been inside his house for over a year. After seeing the grotesque situation in which Lloyd lives, Dr. Liz Moore, the clinical psychologist working on his case, has no choice but to get Adult protective services involved. During the clean up, Lloyd has problems parting with any garbage. He is hostile and agitated and is lamenting over every piece of trash. He has very little insight into his situation and is erratic, and could possibly be suffering from dementia. Lloyd is removed from the property for the last part of the cleanup to get as much done as possible. There is very little hope for Lloyd because of his negative mind set, age, and possibly his dementia. He will most likely be removed from his home by Adult Protective Services. It is not humane to continue to let him live alone. Sixty dumpsters were filled on his property, and only 25 percent of the hoard was removed. His property will most likely be surrendered to the county. (Flynn et al., 2010) Collector Theresa is a retired state worker, and a mother of six grown children. She raised her family in California and kept a clean home. All of the children had chores. Ten years after her kids were grown and gone; Theresa moved to Alabama and bought a house to be closer to her side of the family. Her husband stayed behind in California to continue to work. Three years ago, tragedy struck, and Theresa lost three family members in a short period of time. Alone and devastated, Theresa turned to shopping to ease her pain. Theresa frequented the thrift store two times per day. Her husband sent her $5,000 at a time. Her shopping got so out of control that she went through their entire life savings totaling $112,000 in one and a half years. Theresa believes the 3,000 designed purses that she owns will bring in a small fortune. She is counting on the sale of these items to save her from bankruptcy. Her husband worked two jobs his entire life to support the family. He retired two months ago, and moved to Alabama to be with Theresa. He was shocked by what he found. The house is hoarded floor to ceiling with clothes, purses, and shoes. Nobody is allowed to touch her possessions, she is controlling and possessive. Extremely in debt, and facing financial ruin, Theresa agrees to get help. Dr. Susan Chabaud, licensed clinical psychologist, specializing in OCD and hoarding comes on to help Theresa. She breaks down soon into the session, realizing what she has done. In addition to the pressure of her financial burden, Theresa is afraid her husband will leave her. She has tested his loyalty to the limit. Professional organizers arrive with dumpsters. The team begins removing items from the house. At first, things are going smoothly, but Theresa unravels when she notices things being thrown out. She breaks down, and the cleanup comes to a halt. Her family is afraid of her temper. When the crew leaves for the day, Theresa climbs into the dumpster and removes items. The next day, consignment experts arrive to assess the value of Theresa’s 3,000 purses. It is disappointing when they discover that most of her bags are designer imitations, and 95% are worthless. She is upset that she cannot get top dollar for her bags, and only walks away with $300. This will not prevent her from bankruptcy. Theresa is humbled by her situation, and the rest of the cleanup goes smoothly. Her husband is pleased with the progress and sticks by her side. Theresa is provided with after care funds, and uses them to get counseling. Her daughter steps in and intervenes financially to save them from ruin. (Flynn et al., 2010) Treatment Initial Assessment The first step in helping one who hoards overcome their affliction must be through a thorough psychiatric evaluation to rule out primary psychotic disorders such as, dementia, and major depression as a cause to the problem, since apathy, fatigue, or hopelessness could lead to failure to discard, clean, or organize possessions. The initial session should include an assessment of the amount of clutter, types of items acquired, usability of the space, health and safety hazards, beliefs about possessions, information processing deficits, avoidance behaviors, insight, motivation for treatment, social and occupational functioning, and activities of daily living. (Saxena 2008) Pharmacotherapy Hoarding symptoms may be treated with Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, or SRIs. A few studies of OCD patients have found that hoarding symptoms were not easily treated with these drugs, and responded poorly to them. Another study, however, found that compulsive hoarders responded equally well to SRIs as non-hoarding OCD patients, with signifigant improvements in shared symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and overall functioning. Similar proportions of hoarding and non-hoarding OCD patients responder strongly and partially. The proportions of people dropping out of the study were also similar. Compulsive hoarders who completed treatment showed a mean 31% decline in symptom severity. Hoarding symptoms improved as much as other OCD symptoms. (Saxena 2008) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Hartl, Frost, Steketee, and colleagues developed a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or, CBT treatment strategy based on their Cognitive/Behavioral model of compulsive hoarding. They are the leading researchers on the subject. They conceptualize hoarding as involving four main problem areas; -Information processing deficits; -Problems in forming emotional attachments; -Behavioral avoidance; -Erroneous beliefs about the nature of possessions. Treatment involves cognitive restructuring, decision making training and exposure and response prevention involving the discarding of clutter. After 20 weeks of treatment, five in seven patients had noticeable improvement in acquiring of new possessions, awareness of irrational reasons for saving possessions and organizational skill. The ability to discard possessions also improved, but more slowly. This study also demonstrated the need to address patient motivation and involve family members in treatment. (Saxena 2010) Conclusion A growing awareness has shed some light on the deeply rooted problems of compulsive hoarding. Hoarding is a serious condition that not only affects the individual with the problem, but also has a serious impact on the lives of all persons living in the home, as well as loved ones living outside the home who want to help, but do not know how. The issues of a hoarder are deeply seeded and not easily treated. In order to provide adequate treatment, several different levels of therapy are recommended, including; therapy with a clinical psychologist specializing in hoarding, professional organizers, and perhaps even drug therapy to reduce anxiety. Strong family support is also very important, as relapse is almost inevitable. Hoarding has long classified as a symptom of OCD, but research has shown strong evidence that it is its own entity with a unique profile of core symptoms, genetic markers, and neurobiology abnormalities that differ from those of OCD. Perhaps in the near future, compulsive hoarding will be classified as a separate disorder entirely. More research is recommended. References ASPCA (2010) www.aspca.org 11/12/2010 Collingwood, J., (2009) the Genetics of Compulsive Hoarding. www.psychcentral.com 11/06/2010 Delson, S., Glovinsky, C., Prince, T., Schultz, H. (2003) the NSGD Clutter Hoarding Scale Official Hoarding Assessment Tool. www.nsgcd.org 11/12/2010 Elliot, C., (2009) Hoarding OCD. www.psychcentral.com 11/17/2010 Flynn, N., Chan, M., Severson, D., (2010) AE Hoarders Fugen, N., Slavin, J., Donnelly, M. (2010) How Compulsive Hoarding Effects Families. www.ocfoundation.org 11/6/2010 Frost, R., Steketee, G., (2010) Hoarding: Clinical Aspects and Treatment Strategies. www.childrenofhoarders.com 11/03/2010 Murray-Close, M., Frost, R. (2010) the Nature of Compulsive Buying and Acquisition. www.sophiasmith.edu 11/15/2010 Saxena, S. (2008) Neurobiology and Treatment of Compulsive Hoarding. www.childrenofhoarders.com 11/12/2010 Scheff, S. (2010) Hoarding: It Usually Starts in Early Adolescence, Around Age 12, and it Tends to get Worse with Age. www.examiner.com 11/6/2010 Wiegartz, P. Carmin, C. (2010) Hoarding and OCPD. www.academyofct.org 11/17/2010 Research Papers on Compulsive Hoarding19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraStandardized TestingGenetic EngineeringThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseResearch Process Part OneRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever Product

Proteins and Vegetarians, Fats and Heart Disease Essay

Proteins and Vegetarians, Fats and Heart Disease - Essay Example Proteins are broken down into energy during some exercises or during starvation. Proteins maintain some of the processes in the body through substances made from proteins. Enzymes made from proteins facilitate the process of digestion. Breast feed milk used to feed children is made from proteins consumed by man. Vegetarians should ensure that they protein rich from breakfast to super time. Such foods include legumes, grains, nuts vegetables, and fats. The vegetarians should ensure that they consume adequate amounts of proteins in each serving. Other foods should also be served in the diet to ensure a balanced diet (Christophe Blecker, et al 225). Fats and Heart Disease The body stores energy through fat reservoirs in the body. These fats are used when the body needs energy. This fat is at least 10percent of an individual’s weight. Fats are used to transporting soluble nutrients around the body. Such nutrients include vitamin A, D, E and K. Fats located under the skin help insulate the body from temperature change. Fats form structural components of the cell such as the cell wall that regulates the movement of substances in the cell. Fats are used in the production of hormones that regulate body operations. Fats are used to producing milk used to feed newborns after pregnancy. Saturated fats are bad for health as they increase cholesterol levels. Increase in cholesterol clog vessels in a process called atherosclerosis. Cholesterol in heart vessels caused heart attacks (Vercambre, Grodstein, and Kang 1136).

Issues In Policing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Issues In Policing - Essay Example The justice department issues a directive that the so called â€Å"bad apple syndrome† whereby we blame the problems plaguing the police force on a few bad elements is misguided. Consent decrees require that police are held accountable for their actions whether they are at work or anywhere else. They can also be referred to as settlement agreements, consent judgments or stipulated agreements. A consent decree originates from an order given by a judge, which expresses a voluntary agreement by all the individuals involved in a lawsuit or case. Consent decrees arise when the participating parties want to avoid a court trial. Court trials can be long, tiresome and expensive, however, consent decrees are issued because of their ability to obtain results are similar to a court trial (The United States Department of Justice, 2014). Consent decrees can also arise due to the following reasons. There are no financial costs incurred (legal fees) because both parties forgo a trial. A trial is unpredictable, and both parties try to avoid the uncertainties surrounding a court trial. It is good because the necessity of proof and guilt is not required. Consent decrees are mostly favored because the parties involved have control over the remedial plan. They allow both parties to decide on how best to remedy their issues. Consent decrees allow them to implement their agreements voluntaril y rather than by force, and since they hold the same outcome as a court trial, any disregard for the decree is seen more as a violation of the law. It is because the parties involved are bound by the consent decree. A pattern of practice refers to a lawsuit. It is whereby a plaintiff attempts to show that the accused individual(s) or defendants have systematically engaged in prejudiced activities. The plaintiff must provide proof to show that the defendant`s behavior forms a pattern within the routine practices (Pallitto & Weaver, 2007). Discriminatory activities

The number of international tourists arrival to Malaysia

The number of international tourists arrival to Malaysia Economic of Malaysia is growing rapidly in this few years; Malaysia has a lot of natural resources, such as tin, palm oil and rubber. Therefore, the natural resources can be the largest sources of income in Malaysia; it can help Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increasing and earning foreign exchange and tourism is the second largest sources income of foreign exchange. Tourism plays an important role for Malaysia. Tourism industry effects positively on the economy besides it can increase in foreign exchange earnings, would help promote new investments in the country, and it can increased the employment opportunities. In 1999, Malaysia tourism board has come out one campaign called Malaysia Truly Asia, it success to bringing in over 7.9 million of tourists into Malaysia and receipts around RM 12.3 billion revenue and the revenue and tourist arrival number are keep increasing year by year. According to Tourism Malaysia official website, their objective is to promote Malaysia as an outstanding tourist destination. They aim to showcase Malaysias unique wonders, attractions and cultures, develop domestic tourism and enhance Malaysias share of the market for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE). Their ultimate goal is to increase the number of foreign tourists to Malaysia, extend the average length of their stay and increase Malaysias tourism revenue. (Tourism Malaysia Official Website, 2010) Malaysia government was also allocated amount of fund to tourism industry besides providing sufficient basic infrastructure. In 2006, tourism Malaysia received 30% more funding for advertising and other promotions in preparation for Visit Malaysia Year in 2007. The Malaysian government will spend RM1.8 billion under the Ninth Malaysian Plan (2006-2010), on upgrading tourist destinations and infrastructure, as well as on marketing promotions in major source markets. (Government Malaysia, 2006) Tourism can bring in a lot of foreign exchange and creating many job opportunity, therefore it play an important roles in Malaysia economy. Tourism must work with state government, regional and local community planning and the economic development. Economic impacts are also important in marketing and management decisions. According to 2005 data from World Tourism Organization (WTO), Malaysia places 14th in the ranking of counties either by international tourism arrivals. International tourism arrivals in Malaysia increased from 7.9 million in 1999 to 23.6 million in 2009, representing an average annual growth about 15.7 million and the growth of tourist receipts has been even more spectacular, rising from RM 12.3 billion in 1999 to RM 53.4 billion in 2009 with an annual growth about RM 41.1 billion (Malaysia Tourism Statistics, 2010). In 2010, Malaysias tourism is expected to generate RM 98 billion of economic activity. The industrys direct and indirect effect of travel and tourism in Malaysia in 2010 was expected to account for 37 billion of GDP (equivalent to 5.1% of total GDP) and 597,000 jobs (5.3% of total employment). However, since the tourism touches all the sectors of the economy, it bring a real impact is even greater. The travel and tourism sector generated RM 98 billion in economy GDP (equivalent to 13.4 of total GDP), export revenue, services and merchandise representing RM 89 billion (equivalent to 12.7% of total exports), economy employment representing 1,331,000 jobs (11.9% of total employment) and it making tourism in Malaysia is the second largest contributor of foreign exchange earnings to the country after the manufacturing sector. (WTTC, 2010) Problem Statements The problem is economy will bring many positive and negative impacts to tourism in Malaysia. When year 1997 and 2007, global economic crisis were happening, it affects all the industry, tourism also affected by it. During the crisis, everyone will faced financial problem therefore there are less people willing to travel, so that it will affect the tourist arrival in Malaysia. Due to financial crisis, in 1998 tourist arrival in Malaysia only has 5.8 million. The tourism industry will affected by the economic problem, once the economic conditions was bad, many tourism industry like hotel, travel agency and restaurant, they will cut cost for example, cut down manpower, some of the hotel and travel agencys private bus or car driver, tour leader and staff for cost saving, therefore in that financial crisis years many people losing their job. After the financial crisis in 1997, tourism Malaysia trying to increase the tourist arrival and receipts, therefore, in 1999 the financial condition in Asia are growing slowly, Malaysia tourism board come out one campaign Malaysia Truly Asia, is promote Malaysia to the world and attract more foreign tourists and encourage local people travel within Malaysia, promote inbound tourism and domestic tourism. In 2001, September 11terroism attacks issue was happen in America, there are less Europe tourists come to Asia country travel and do investment, on that period Malaysia economic will affect by that reason. Terrorism picks tourism as their target because tourism is one of the main resources from income and it has generated relationship which leads to political, social and economical issues. Nowadays, because of this financial crisis tourism has dropped with many foreign tourists are cutting their spending, and for business tourism, in order to cost cutting policies and have to reduced corporate travels to overseas to having their meeting, they using internet video conferencing and telephone conferences. Those small travel agencies company have feel to the decline in reservation and bookings, they need to cut down their manpower, if they havent to do so, the company will bankrupt or facing many debts they owing. Same with the hotels with low occupancies, they will ask their staff to work for lesser hours and will reduce their wages. Tourism plays an important role in Malaysias economic. The effects of global economic crisis reaches many countries that are cant imagine. Only when the global economy gains strength and gets the financial more stable it will have a better future for tourism industry in Malaysia. Research Objectives 1. To understand the positive and negative impacts of economic towards tourism in Malaysia. 2. Analyze how economic affect the tourism industry. 3. Understanding the tourist behaviour in spending during the travelling period. 4. To evaluate the economic impacts of changes in tourism demand. 5. To understand the development of economic on tourism in Malaysia. 6. Analyze how important that the economic for tourism industry. 7. To evaluate the economic impacts of changes in tourism supply. 1.4 Research Questions 1. What is economic impact? 2. What are the positive and negative impacts of economic to tourism? 3. What are the effects of the economic to tourism? 4. How much earnings of foreign exchange towards tourism? 5. Who get the benefits of the tourism? 1.5 Theoretical and Conceptual Framework 1.5.1 Theoretical Framework In this research will discuss about the economic impacts on tourism in Malaysia. Due to tourism is second largest sources income of foreign exchange, therefore economic can bring a lot of impacts to tourism industry. In addition, the tourism also will bring many impact to the economic, this both of the sectors must be related. Economic in Malaysia is relying on the natural resources and many investors come from other country, tourism can attract more investors to Malaysia. Besides that, tourism can increase the foreign exchange earnings, taxes revenue and create many job opportunities; it can help to decrease Malaysias unemployment rate. . Economic impacts have divided into positive and negative impacts to the tourism industry and local community. Positive impacts help the development of some rural area and local community, increasing the job opportunity and can change the living standard. Tourism industry involved to two types of sectors, which is direct tourism industry like hotel and restaurant the result can directly affect of the sectors and indirect tourism industry like manufacturing and supplier. Both of the sectors are important for tourism and economic, it can affect to the all parties in economic. Under Ninth Malaysia Plan, tourism industry has allocated around RM 1 billion to upgrade and create more facilities and infrastructure and for promoting funds, it really can helps the development of tourism industry. 1.5.2 Conceptual Framework Economic in Malaysia Tourism in Malaysia Direct Effects Economic Impact of Tourism Indirect Effects 1.6 Significance of the Study We need to know how important that economic for tourism industry. Tourism is one of the major industries in the world. In year 2010, the tourism economy contributes US$ 5,834.5 billion to global GDP, is around 9.3% of the total of global GDP. This is expected to growth to US $ 11,270 billion, is around 9.7% for the total of global GDP by 2020. The directly and indirectly industry supports over 235 million jobs in 2010 in global and the total is forecast to increase to just over 303 million in 2020. The global tourism investment is estimated at US$1,255.5 billion in 2010 and should reach US$2,722.3 billion by 2020. (WTTC, 2010) This all figure it means that the tourism is very important for economic, it helps the global economic gain strength in financial crisis and makes it more stable. International tourism can become a major foreign exchange earner for many low income countries like Cambodia, Indonesia, India and Africa. Many countries are trying to develop tourism sector and increase the number of incoming visitors because international tourism brings a lot of foreign exchange to the host country. In Malaysia, tourism was important to economic, it creates around 1,331,000 jobs in 2010, and it helps Malaysias job opportunities increasing and the tourism investment brings around RM 19.9 billion revenue in 2010, it should reach RM 49.8 billion in 2020. The economic impacts of tourism usually focus on the related tourism sectors that change in sales, income and employment. Besides that, this study is make us to know and understand that economic can influence many tourism industry, it affect the income of foreign exchange, gross domestic profit (GDP), and the job opportunities within the country. There are some primary tourism sectors like lodging, dining restaurant, transportations, and retail shops are affected directly by economic. 1.7 Scope and Limitation This study is about the impacts of economic that bring to tourism. This research focus more on how economic affects the tourism and will discuss the positive and negative impacts. This study will cover the spending behaviour of international tourist in Malaysia, tourism demand in Malaysia, and many aspects of the economic impacts of tourism in Malaysia and will related with many tourism sectors. In order to complete this study, all the information will be found in internet, newspapers, magazine and journals. Although, the information about the economy of tourism in Malaysia is very limited, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) which is the forum of the business leaders in the travel and tourism industry through by this internet website can get a lot of information about the economic impact of tourism in Malaysia. CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Development of economic on tourism in Malaysia Before Malaysia independence in 1957, Malaysias economy is more focus in tin, rubber, and palm oil and petroleum products. On that period, tourism industry havent fully affects on Malaysia economy, but after independence, the Malaysia government has attention on develop of tourism industry, therefore on 1972 Malaysia government established Tourist Development Corporation of Malaysia (TDC), to the tourism developing programme. However, Malaysia government focus more on tourism industry on 1980s, because of the decrease in oil and world economic crisis. Tourism industry not only affects positively on economy also affect the increase foreign exchange earnings, taxes revenues and job opportunities on 1980s. Consequently, the government was established one more department called The Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism on 1987 and TDC has merged to this department become to the Ministry of Tourism in 2004. In order to encourage and improve private and local investment in tourism industry government was launched two types of funds to help the investors on 2001, which is Tourism Infrastructure Fund with allocation of RM 700 million and Special Fund for Tourism Infrastructure with allocation of RM 400 million. Nevertheless, in 2005 the government increase the Tourism Infrastructure funds to RM 1.2 billion. (Government Malaysia, 2006) In 1980, international tourist of arrivals in Malaysia only 2.3million and the receipts revenue were RM 7 billion but its increase year by year. In 1999, Malaysia Tourism board has launched one campaign call Malaysia Truly Asia; it is a program that promotes Malaysia to worldwide tourist. Due to this campaign, Malaysia receipts 7.9 million of international tourist arrivals in Malaysia and receipts around RM 12.3 billion revenue. Moreover, during year 2001 until 2005 there have many terrorism attacks issue and natural disaster occur, it affect the growth of tourism industry and economy in Malaysia, especially on year 2003 and year 2004 there have terrorism and SARS issue in that two years the economic and tourism industry in Malaysia was decline, therefore Tourism Malaysia was launched Visit Malaysia Year on 2007, its success to increase the international tourists arrivals numbers to 20.9 million and receipts around RM 46.1 billion revenue.( Tourism Malaysia Statistics, 2010). Figure 1, it shows that during year 2000 to 2009 international tourists arrivals to Malaysia and receipts, it increase year by year. In order to develop tourism in Malaysia, Tourism Malaysia was launched one campaign that can stimulate the economic in Malaysia. The campaign is called Malaysia My Second Home Programme (MM2H), which is promoted by the government of Malaysia, this programme is encourage and allow the foreigners come to Malaysia to invest and stay in Malaysia for long time. This programme bring a lot of foreign exchange and investors to Malaysia, it can helps the economy and increase the job opportunities in Malaysia. Besides that, Ministry of Tourism Malaysia work with many sectors to launch many programmes to helps the economy and tourism such as student tourism programme which attract more overseas student come to Malaysia having education once they come to Malaysia to study, there can earn more foreign exchange; this programme is collaboration with Minister of Education. Under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (2006-2010), because of the revenue of foreign exchange are keep growing and for maintain it government Malaysia will develop Malaysia as a main international tourist destination while will enhancing domestic tourism during 2006 to 2010. Besides that, under the Ninth Malaysia Plan one of the main programmes is the government will allocate RM 1 billion of an expenditure of improving access and facilities for tourist arrivals, upgrade and maintaining the public and tourist infrastructure and on some marketing campaigns in major source markets. On the other hand, government Malaysia started to develop Malaysia as a regional centre for health tourism, it can attract more and difference of investment and visitor come and Malaysia for travel and invest.(Government Malaysia, 2006) According to Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Ng Yan Yan saying that Tourism Malaysia is target to attract around 2.4 million of international tourist arrival to Malaysia in year 2010, and more focus in Middle East, China and India because these country they are more sufficient visibility and will promote and encourage them join the MM2H programme and invest in Malaysia. 2.2 Changes of Tourism Demand and Tourism Supply Nowadays, tourist behaviours are keeping changing therefore the tourism demand and tourism supply also need to change. Changes of the tourism supply may take to two forms; one is a quantity change which is the number of the new facilities, attraction and shopping complex or the expansions and contraction in capacity. Once the tourists increase, the demand also will increase therefore the quantity form must keep changing to satisfy and fulfil tourists demand like create more new facilities and infrastructure like airports and tourist attractions. Another form is quality changes, which is respect to the environment and the local infrastructure and public services that support to the tourism or the local tourism products and services. The environment and economic are keep changing and getting better, so that tourists demand and their aspects are getting higher, such as the quality of accommodation, food and beverage of the restaurant and satisfaction of the service. In spite of, fulfil tourists satisfaction all the infrastructure and services must be more standard. However, the changes of tourist demand is the tourists arrivals population changes, changes in the competitive position or marketing of the region and the changing of the consumers tastes and preferences, their shopping activity and the method of spending. The income will effect to the tourist expenditure, during the financial crisis period no matter is international tourist or domestic tourist their income are affected by the financial crisis therefore when they went to travel or shopping they wont spend too much and some of them are less to go travel and shopping. Other than that, the changes of demand also include the competitive, it also will affect the tourists arrival for Malaysia and it will directly affect the economic. Every year, many countries will launch out their own tourism year to attract international tourist to visit to their country and promote their country. Therefore, it will affect the number of tourists arrival. For understand more about the international tourist demand. The volume and the evolution of tourist flows are investigated by using the number of international tourist arrivals for the year of 2005 -2009. Figure 2, it show that the international tourist arrivals to the Malaysia during 2005-2009. In year 2005, there have 16.4 million of tourist arrivals to Malaysia, and year 2009 there have 23.6 million of tourist arrival to Malaysia it increase around 7.2 million. In that period, the number of arrivals are growing slowing due to there have many natural disaster occur and financial crisis. In year 2009, Malaysia receipts a lot of Asias tourist, therefore the tourist demand was changing. There are many Europe tourist is flow out to other country, so that in 2009 Europe tourist has decrease. In Table 1, it show that the importance of the Asia markets according to 2009 data on numbers of tourists arrivals. The major tourism market for Malaysia is focus on Asia Pacific; especially Singapore represents more than 50% of tourist arrivals, second is Indonesia represent around 12% of total Asias tourist arrivals. 2.3 Economic impacts of Tourism in Malaysia When discussing the economic impacts of tourism, will touch on how the economic affect the tourism and how the tourism industry influence the economic. In year 1997 to 2000, the global economic downturn, it serious to affect the tourism industry in Malaysia, in year 2000 the international tourist arrivals only get 10.2 million and receipt 17.8 billion of revenue. On that financial crisis period, many tourism industry were facing financial problem it is because the economy of that period is unstable, there are less people are going travel all around the world. The hotel and the travel agencies will facing cant get their room occupancy and less booking and reservations problem, so they need to cut down their manpower, and they offer their workers to work less hours and paying low salary or hire labour that from other country because their salary and wages is cheaper than local labour, therefore many local people losing their jobs. Due to economy downturn, there are less tourist come to Malaysia to travel, the foreign exchange earnings and tax revenue and job opportunities are decline and decrease. Once the local peoples income is affected, they will reduce to expend their money, it will influence many industries. According to Archer (1989) states that economic impact analysis is an economic approach used to measure inter alia the amount of income, government revenue, employment and imports generated in an economy by the direct and secondary effects of the tourist expenditure. Direct effects is the tourist paying and spending their money directly flow through the economy or the tourism sectors, for example, the tourist spent RM 1500 for lodging and this amount of money will directly affect the sales in the hotel sector, and the hotel will using this money to pay for labour wages and salary and paying various government taxes and charges. Secondary effect is the sales, and job resulting from the activity generated other companies or industry of the economic system because of the demand of the tourism industry. For example, the hotel need to buys cutlery and cooking material from supplier to deliver the services to their customers. The cutlery and cooking material supplier also need to buys raw materials and machinery from other industries, therefore the sales of the supplier and other industries, income and job opportunities is related and come from direct effect. On the other hand, tourism industry can contribute many foreign exchange, gross domestic product (GDP), government taxes revenue and job opportunities to Malaysia. Every year, Malaysia received many tourists that come from other country, once the tourist come to Malaysia to travel it will bring a lot of foreign exchange, increase Malaysias gross domestic product (GDP) and increase government taxes revenue. 2.4 Positive and negative impacts Once discuss about impact of certain issue, there have positive and negative impacts will be discussed. The positive and negative impacts are must related to the local community, because local community playing an important role in tourism and economic. Without local community, the tourism and economic cant get their target. Positive impacts: (1) Increasing the gross domestic product (GDP), increase foreign exchange earnings and increase government revenue like taxes collection Tourism can bring many foreign exchanges to Malaysia, and it also increases the gross domestic product within Malaysia. Once the foreign tourist come to Malaysia travel they will spend and they will pay the government taxes and charge while they staying in hotel or they went to shopping, it can increase the taxes and charges revenue of Malaysia. (2) Contribute and increase job opportunities Tourism can contribute a lot of job opportunities, once the economy growth the tourism sectors such as hotel, restaurant, theme park, travel agencies and etc, they will hire more workers to fulfil their requirements. Tourism is a more seasonal industry, because there have peak season and shoulder season in a year. When peak season, many tourism sectors will hire more workers or wants their workers work overtime and they will increase their wages and salaries. (3) Increase local community income and improving the living standard In some rural area and some place that is create as tourist attraction, therefore it will attract many tourist go to visit and travel. Tourism brings a lot of tourist to that place it helps the economy on that area more thriving and prosperous because once many tourists go there, the local community have a chance to earn money and satisfy the tourist demand. Once the local communitys income increase, their living standard also will improve. (4) Improves and increase investments, development and infrastructure Tourism not only can bring a lot of foreign exchange, it also can bring a lot of investment to Malaysia. There are many international hotel come to invest in Malaysia, they will invest to local hotel or open new hotel. It will attract more investors to come Malaysia to invest other industry, and it can increase Malaysias international investment. When there many tourist and investors come and visit Malaysia, they will using and evaluate the facilities and infrastructure, it will effect Malaysias goodwill. Therefore, government will develop and upgrade some of the facilities and infrastructure, it not only benefit to the tourist, and local community also will get the benefit of it. Negative impacts: (1) Inflation Tourism developments often generate inflationary effects on local economies relating to land, property and goods. The prices of goods, services, land and housing will increase because of the tourism. If all the prices of the goods and services are increasing but the local communitys income didnt increase, therefore their living standard will be affected. (2) Increases potential for imported labour Because of the tourism is a seasonal industry, there have peak season and low season in a year. Therefore, when in low season or on financial crisis many tourism sectors will hire labour that come from third country because their wages and salaries are cheap and lower than the local people. Nowadays, many restaurant, theme park and hotel are hiring many imported labour, so that it will affect local communitys job opportunities. (3) Leakage Leakage is means repatriation of profits generated from foreign capital investment or capital flight. A leakage will occurs is when the money will flow out to the economy of a region because a local consumer has purchased a product from an outside supplier. For example, if a theme park needs to buy a playing machine like roller coaster but it couldnt found in Malaysia, therefore they need to buy it from other country. Due to that kind of reason, there are many money will flow out to the country. Another reason is Tourism Malaysia need to promote Malaysia to all around the world, therefore they need to do promotion in overseas, and government will spend a lot of money to advertise in overseas, so that the money will goes to other country. CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 General Methodology This study will use quantitative analyse technique. Quantitative technique is suitable for researcher or hotelier to monitor customer satisfaction and estimate the growth of international tourist arrival, economic analysis, tourist demand and receipts on the local economy. (Shane Hall, 2010) For measure customers satisfaction of services or tourist demand will using satisfaction surveys to complete it. Other than satisfaction survey, also survey of tourist profile, which is to measure the tourist profile such as country of origin, length of stay and details of expenditure and etc. Those survey will printed on questionnaire form, will asking the tourist to rate the satisfaction of the services, their experience, the quality of accommodations or food and will ask the tourist come for which country, how much they willing to spend during the trip and income. 3.2 Research Design In this research will analyze the number of international tourists arrival to Malaysia, how it affects to economic. The dependant variables is the tourism demand, in this tourism demand is include the number of tourist arrivals, tourist expenditure and number of tourist nights. To measure the volume of the tourism is to use the number of tourist arrivals in Malaysia from other country. The number of tourist arrivals can clearly to show the demand for tourism. In this study, all the international tourists arrivals statistics is published by Ministry of Tourism Malaysia. Moreover, the independent variables are the tourist income, changes of employment and number of investment etc. 3.3 Sources of Data In this research all the data is using secondary data, which is the data is from Ministry of Tourism Malaysia. 3.3.1 Secondary Data All methods of data collection can supply quantitative data (numbers, statistics or financial) or qualitative data (usually words or text). Quantitative data may often be presented in tabular or graphical form. Secondary data is data that has already been collected by someone else for a different purpose to yours. For example, this could mean using: data collected by a hotel on its customers through its guest history system data supplied by a marketing organisation annual company reports government statistics. Surveysgo interview government, tourism board to get the data primary is something tat u will do for get ur own date secondary is date tat get from perious researcher 3.4 Sampling Technique 3.4.1 Respondents 3.5 Statistical Treatment of Data Measure customer satisfaction by using satisfaction surveys. A high level of customer satisfaction is an important outcome measure for hospitality-related businesses, such as hotels, restaurants, and resorts. Satisfaction surveys can be printed on a postcard-sized form with questions asking customers to rate their satisfaction with various aspects of their visit, such as quality of accommodations, food and service. The surveys can ask customers to rate their experience with a Likert scale of responses (e.g., excellent, good, fair, poor). These responses can be numerically coded in a spreadsheet and analyzed with frequency distributions and descriptive statistics. Estimate the impact of the hospitality and tourism industry by using input-output analysis. This matrix-based method of economic analysis shows how parts of a system are affected by changes in one part of a system. The hospitality industry consists of different sectors, including hotels, restaurants, resorts, convention facilities, airlines, and other sectors. Each of these sectors can be thought of as inputs that combine to produce a local or regional economic impact. Use longitudinal methods of analysis, such as time-series regression techniques, to analyze the hospitality industry over time. Managers of hospitality and tourism-related businesses are likely to encounter longitudinal data, such as sales figures over multiple years, average daily hotel rates compared to other hotels, restaurant and hotel sales figures over a number of years, or hotel occupancy rates. Regression, which analyzes the impact of one of more independent variables over an outcome (dependent variable) of interest, such as sales or occupancy rates, provides a useful technique of analysis.

Marketing Article Summaries Essay

The article Sustainability: It Should Be About More Than the Bottom Line on Forbes.com discusses the topic of the triple bottom line. The article discusses the idea that being ecologically friendly can be conducive to a strong financial bottom line, as well as a social and environmental one. The main point of the article is that if all organizations followed the principles of the triple bottom line, it would lead to a higher quality of life for all, with less government interventions into the way business is done. The first words in the article are â€Å"Going green can be profitable†, and this is an important thing to remember. Being socially conscious and environmentally friendly can positively impact the bottom line of an organization. This has mistakenly led some organizations to decide that the most effective way to contribute to society and the earth is to create a focus on how to reduce costs and increase profits environmentally. An approach that is much more encompassing of the true meaning of the triple bottom line is rather than having a profit first mentality, having a sustainably effective approach that truly focuses on the needs of the people, the planet and also profit. The organizations that are taking this to heart are not strictly looking into profit. They integrate sustainability into the heart of their company and go from there. They are measured by all three areas; not simply profit. The organizations that are truly putting into practice the triple bottom line are not considering the environmental initiatives as â€Å"special programs – as mere window dressing†; they realize these approaches are not enough. They are making much more intensive entire organizational changes. Sustainble performance is a part of everything that the organization does. It comes into play in dealing with employee management as well as how work gets done. It is evident everywhere. Companies who have made this work realize that in order to continue to realize profits, we need to look at how the world will be in 50 years. There are many organizations that have the profit mentality. Everything is done for that one main bottom line. They are looking for an immediate financial payoff in the decisions that they make. Things may look good from the outside, but their environmental commitments do not trickle through to the very being of the organization. The hard thing to change from the financial bottom line to the triple bottom line is that leadership from the top down need to buy in to the idea. The entire way of managing needs to change. In the beginning, it may not result in things being run the most profitably. One of the reasons that this approach should be adopted is that the more common place it is, the less the government will need to be involved with the decisions in the private sector or business. In the course Marketing Principles, this very topic is discussed in Chapter 1. Not only can the triple bottom line be profitable, it can be considered to be a competitive advantage in today’s marketplace. I believe that the author’s perspective is right on. The organizations really need to focus their change on all three important segments. Our world is not full of infinite resources, and we need to take responsibility for ensuring it lasts. Society is becoming more aware of this, and it is playing an important part in the decisions we make every day. I believe that corporations who do not embrace this concept wholeheartedly will suffer financially because of it. Organizations which are not currently following the idea of a triple bottom line really need to consider the implications of such a decision. The world is changing, and organizations need to change along with it. Gone are the days that all we have to worry about is the bottom line. Organizations who do not come on board will find themselves lacking in the one area they so painstakingly tried to preserve – their financial bottom line. Edward E. Lawler III. â€Å"Sustainability: It Should Be About More Than The Bottom Line.† 15 Mar. 2012. Forbes.com. Web. 23 Feb. 2013. http://www.forbes.com/sites/edwardlawler/2012/03/15/sustainability-it-should-be-about-more-than-the-bottom-line/ Jaime Friesen Steve Renton Marketing Principles February 24, 2013 Social Media Marketing Strategy The article Developing your Social Media Strategy on Investment Executive discusses how to develop your social media strategy. The most important thing to remember is to set goals and to identify with your audience. The biggest problem that exists is that organizations try to jump on the social media marketing bandwagon with no set plan. Your social media marketing strategy needs to be as well thought out as the rest of your marketing plan. A social media marketing attempt will not be successful if you just make it up as you go. A specific plan is needed. Firstly, you need to decide exactly what you are trying to do with regards to social media. The following tips are offered in the article: †¢ Create a plan – At a set time every month, set aside time to go over your social media goals. You need to find the gaps and opportunities that need to be addressed , and develop your monthly plan according to that. †¢ Focus on one platform at a time – If you start by getting on every site out there, it will get too confusing. Remind yourself who your target market is, and focus on the best one for that target market. †¢ Get approval – ensure that you are not posting things that need prior approval. Keep things general, and avoid making specific recommendations. †¢ Push for education – if you feel like you don’t know enough, ask for more education. This is a topic that really relates to marketing right now. Social media is the way of marketing for the future. Unfortunately for most organizations, this means all new rules. Social media has changed things drastically. Marketing now requires a whole new way of doing things. People are no longer just wandering down to the local store and trusting that they know best. They now have the entire world at their fingertips, and this is resulting in a well educated consumer. They will compare brands, reviews, prices, etc. all without leaving the house. This article is really discussing social networks and marketing planning in the Marketing Principles course. This concept discusses how many organizations have started to incorporate social networks into their marketing plans and strategies. The main things they are used for is to promote brands or to be watching for product / service complaints. I think that this article has a very important point. Social media is something that seems to be inescapable for a lot of people. It is something relatively new, which can create a problem for marketers who have been around for a long time. Preconceived ideas of how marketing has always been done need to be put aside. This is a whole new ball game. The interesting thing about social media is that everyone can participate in it. I think this is what leads to people jumping right in without thinking about it. It just looks so easy. I agree that this is not the best idea. Marketing is such an important thing that we need to keep in mind what our marketing plan is. Keep the goals of the company at the forefront and use this idea to come up with your specific social media marketing strategy. I think it’s a great idea to revisit this monthly. Social media is everywhere, and can be an effective, inexpensive tool for marketers, but it is important to remember that it still needs to be a well thought out part of the marketing plan. Brent Jolly. â€Å"Developing Your Social Media Strategy.† 24 Oct. 2012. Investment Executive. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. http://www.investmentexecutive.com/-/developing-your-social-media-strategy?redirect=%2Fbuilding-your-business%2Fsales-marketing%3Fp_p_id%3Dsearch_WAR_search10%26p_p_lifecycle%3D0%26p_p_state%3Dnormal%26p_p_mode%3Dview%26p_p_col_id%3Dcolumn-1%26p_p_col_count%3D1%26_search_WAR_search10_search%3Dgeneric Jaime Friesen Steve Renton Marketing Principles February 24, 2013 Ritz-Carlton: A Guest Relationship Management Program To continue and expand its reputation for superior service, Ritz-Carlton put into place a guest relationship management program that helps identify, profile and please as many valued guests as possible. This is detailed in the article â€Å"For Ritz-Carlton, It All Begins with Customer Knowledge†. Customer Relationship Management has evolved in the past 20 years. In the past, there were no computers to track everything, and it had to be done manually, which was not the most effective way to ensure that we had the most accurate, up to date information. Today is a different day. There is specialized software available to the hotel service industry to enable them to identify, profile and please guests. Luxury hotels especially need to provide this superior service. Guests do not come there strictly for the amenities, they want staff to know their name and their preferences. In order to do this, a solid system is needed for storing and accessing information. For Ritz-Carlton, extraordinary service to its guests has always been a number one priority, and has put them at an advantage above other luxury hotels. In order to keep up their advantage, the company implemented a guest relationship management program back in 1998 called CLASS – Customer Loyalty Anticipation and Satisfaction System. This system brought more consistency and ease of usage to the process. Each of their hotels employ a guest recognition manager, who is the repeat guest expert; however all other hotel staff are responsible for paying attention to the guest preferences and letting the guest recognition office know. CLASS is something that makes business easier for them. When a customer in the database calls to book a room, all their relevant booking preferences are available to assist in the reservation process. Then, this information is accessed again prior to arrival to prepare for the guests arrival. The guest recognition team reviews the profiles of the guests that are coming in, and prepares and distributes a report outlining each departments’ role with respect to that guest. Most of the work is done at one time, and transfers to where it is needed. The information that goes into the CLASS system is all garnered from employees. Each employee is issued a â€Å"guest preference pad†. They note any guest preferences on the pad, which are then sent into the guest recognition office. A hotline is also available to share this information. The vision for the near future is that employees will be able to access CLASS on their own, thereby adding to the efficiency of the program. They are investigating portable technology, such as handheld devices. The most important part of this process s the employees. The system is only as effective as the employees who are providing the necessary information to make the system work. This article is discussing the importance of Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and how Ritz-Carlton has made this work for them. I was actually quite surprised by this article. It seems like such simple way to be gathering the information. It seems so 1998, which is when they implemented this system. I would have expected a long updated system by now. I would guess that this would be quite effective, as long as the staff members are diligent in providing guest preferences. The main thing in my mind is that they need to keep their employees happy in order for this to work. I do agree that this does provide superior customer service. Michelle Delio. â€Å"For Ritz-Carlton, It All Begins with Customer Knowledge.† 17 Apr. 2000. Destination CRM.com. Web. 25 Feb. 2013. http://www.destinationcrm.com/Articles/CRM-News/Daily-News/For-Ritz-Carlton-It-All-Begins-with-Customer-Knowledge-47424.aspx

Mis Management Information System

True or False 1. Developing a new product, fulfilling an order, and hiring a new employee are examples of business processes. TRUE 2. A fully digital firm produces only digital goods or services. FALSE Â   3. An adhocracy is a knowledge-based organization where goods and services depend on the expertise and knowledge of professionals. 4. From the point of view of economics, information systems technology can be viewed as a factor of production that can be substituted for traditional capital and labor. 5.IT infrastructure technology is purely a set of physical devices and software applications that are required to operate the entire enterprise. 6. Client/server computing is a widely used form of centralized processing. 7. In green computing, reducing computer power consumption is a top priority. 8. In an efficient customer response system, digital answering systems are used to monitor and respond to customer inquiries. 9. In the strategy of product differentiation, information systems are used to enable new products and services. 10.Information technology (IT) consists of all the hardware that a firm needs to use in order to achieve its business objectives, whereas information systems consist of all the software and business processes needed. FALSE 11. Information systems literacy describes the behavioral approach to information systems, whereas computer literacy describes the technical approach. FALSE 12. The dimensions of information systems are management, organizations, and information technology. TRUE 13. Business processes are logically related tasks for accomplishing tasks that have been formally encoded by an organization. 14. A substantial part of management responsibility is creative work driven by new knowledge and information. 15. Intranets allow firms to work easily with third-party suppliers and vendors. 16. An IT infrastructure provides the platform on which the firm can build its information systems. Multiple Choice 1. The six important business objectives of information technology are new products, services, and business models; customer and supplier intimacy; survival; competitive advantage; operational excellence; andA)improved flexibility.B)improved decision making.C)improved business practices.D)improved efficiency.2. Which of the following objectives best describes the business strategy behind the development of smart grid initiatives by power companies, as discussed in the chapter case?A)operational excellenceB)new products and servicesC)competitive advantageD)customer support3. The three activities in an information system that produce the information organizations use to control operations areA)information retrieval, research, and analysis.B)input, output, and feedback.C)input, processing, and output.D)data analysis, processing, and feedback.4.Networking and telecommunications technologies, along with computer hardware, software, data management technology, and the people required to ru n and manage them, constitute an organization'sA)data management environment.B)networked environment.C)IT infrastructure.D)information system.5. The Internet raises the bargaining power of customers byA)creating new opportunities for building loyal customer bases.B)making more products available.C)making information available to everyone.D)lowering transaction costs.6. How would you determine the market demand for your firm's IT services?A)Perform a TCO analysis.B)Benchmark your services.C)Hold focus groups to assess your services.D)Analyze sales returns on key investments.7. The process of presenting a set of computing resources (such as computing power or data storage) so that they can all be accessed in ways that are not restricted by physical configuration or geographic location is calledA)cloud computing.B)autonomic computing.C)virtualization.D)multicore processing.8. Which of the following are environmental actors that interact with an organization and its information systems? A)customersB)suppliersC)regulatory agenciesD)all of the above

Should School Athletes Have Drug Tests - 1301 Words

Should School Athletes have to take Drug Tests â€Å"17% of teens drink, smoke, and use drugs during the day in the United States.†(Adler) This is the result of the absence of drug testing in our community, especially in our school. An analysis fact from CDC’s objective Terry Pechacek states that 50 million people do drugs in the united states and 4 million of them are underage and the majority of them are in a high school athletic. Citizens predict that this percentage number will slowly pullulate and gradually more high school athletes will be exposed to drugs. Schools should allow drug tests to be permitted on high school athletes because taking drugs are unfair to the sport, drugs harm the body mentally and physically, and it can ruin future opportunities for athletes if they get scholarships to universities. Alternatively, there is a problem if schools ban steroids and perform drug tests on student athletes. â€Å"Parents and coaches can be anxious about nur ses and physicians testing on there kids.†(Bates). The parents could actually put a restraining order or even sue the physicians or nurses because they are testing on student athletes even though they don t know what they are testing on. Nurses and physicians have to have certain information on the drug to test student athletes and some dont have the actual experience or requirements to do so. Coaches can be violated for nurses testing on student athletes even though the athletes might of not done anything yet.Show MoreRelatedMandatory Drug Testing for Student Athletes Essay966 Words   |  4 Pages In many high schools around the country, student athletes are using drugs. â€Å"The percent of students that have drunk alcohol is 72.5% while the number of students who have used marijuana is 36.8%† (Report: Nearly Half of High School Students Using Drugs, Alcohol). The students believe that since they are athletes that they do not need to abide by the rules because they feel more superior and that the narcotic will not hurt or affect them. Implementing random drug tests for athletes will create aRead MoreDrug Testing Essay1328 Words   |  6 PagesEven though drug testing is very expensive, ALL high school’s athletes should be tested because drugs are bad for your health and very addictive. A simple drug test could save many lives. 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