Marketing Plan for Day Care Operations the Making of CareMax Childrens Center, Hazel Green, Alabama

Background Summary CareMax children’s center is a limited liability company (LLC) located in Hazel Green, Alabama, and operated by the George Williamson family. CareMax has largely concentrated its activities in the provision of daycare services for the Hazel Green community of an estimated 4,200 residents and 1,340 households as of July 2007 (City-Data.Com, 2010).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Marketing Plan for Day Care Operations: the Making of CareMax Children’s Center, Hazel Green, Alabama specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The center was carefully designed and developed after the realization that professional childcare is a necessity in every civilization, from small towns to large cities. From its inception, the center has been received warmly by the community especially due to its multifaceted nature and capacity to offer timely, flexible, and individualized day care services to the minors in different age categories. CareMax Center officially opened for business in 2003, with a license to provide daycare services for thirty-five children. Presently, CareMax is licensed for seventy children aged six weeks to six years. 62 children are currently enrolled at the center, representing 88.6 percent enrollment level. The center appreciates the fact that children need to be treated with warmth and respect. Its mission statement is to provide high quality childcare services with a bias on developmentally appropriate activities for the minors under our care. The key rudiments of CareMax’s business concern are as follows: Diversified services — the center has increasingly diversified its services to maintain competitive advantage while ensuring that parents of children with specialized needs benefit from our exceptional services. Convenient location — the center is located at the heart of Hazel Green community, and is easily accessible from all directions. Its magnificent buildings and stupendous age-appropriate play stations reveals the center’s dedication to the wellbeing and comfort of children, and also serves to instill a permanent unique image on the mindsets of parents about the center’s capacity to offer splendid services and care to their children Investment in employees — Given the labor-intensive nature prevalent in the industry, CareMax has invested heavily in the number and quality of its employees to keep in line with its tradition and mission of offering high quality childcare with a view of assisting the child attain the fullest potential during the formative years of development. The center has 10 full-time members of staff and 2 CPR certified supervisors. CareMax has also engaged the services of a nursing officer to cater for the health needs of children under our care. All our staff members have contributed individually and collectively to the success of CareMax. Quality services — CareM ax is extremely aware that parents are increasingly relying on independent rating services or recommendations from friends about the quality of services offered by daycare operators (Lownes-Jackson, 2004). As such, the center has invested heavily in developing superior capacity to ensure daycare services are delivered in a highly efficient environment that ensure core values and procedures are stringently followed by caregivers in the process of satisfying customers’ needs. Quality services have enabled the center to retain its competitive advantage as the preferred daycare services provider in the wider Hazel Green’s area, Alabama. Strong financial muscle — CareMax has been able to maintain a strong financial might despite low levels in the industry occasioned by high operating costs. This has been primarily achieved by maintaining steady growth through aggressive advertisement and the admirable reputation the center has been able to create for itself. The stro ng financial background has enabled the center to continue offering quality services to preschoolers despite the high overhead costs. Customers The George Williamson family first initiated the child development center with a view of giving quality childcare to low-income families living within Hazel Green’s community, Alabama. The racial makeup within the community is predominantly white, with blacks accounting for less than 3 percent of the population in the area (City-Data.Com, 2010). The original mission was to offer children from low-income families a stable, inspiring, and loving environment during their formative years of development. The perception that lower income parents could not afford to pay for quality childcare while they worked greatly influenced the philosophy and value system under which the center operated during its early years. CareMax center has greatly evolved in its customer portfolio to serve all kinds of working parents with preschool children. Howe ver, the center still retains special fees structure for low-income families that may require its services. This has served to endear the center to the community, making it to become part-and-parcel of Hazel Green’s community.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Its major customers include parents working in organizations, hospitals, local and regional schools, government agencies, and other service-oriented firms. Some of the needs these customers have in requesting the services of the center include: Need to continue working while still nurturing a preschool child — statistics reveal that 65 percent of all mothers in the US with children under the age of five years are actively engaged in the workforce. These children require specialized services and attention, and CareMax center offers both. Security concerns — some parents are apprehensive about leavin g their children under the care of nannies and relatives. At CareMax, the security of children is of paramount importance, and no incidence of inappropriate handling has been reported to the authorities for the eight years the facility has been in operation. Individual development of children — parents need their children to encounter experiences that will advance their physical, social, emotional, spiritual and cognitive development. Not only does the environment at CareMax guarantees all the above, but it also promotes independence, enhanced self-esteem, constructive problem solving, and positive feelings of self-worth among the preschoolers. Products CareMax center mainly concerns itself with offering products in terms of providing daycare services for children in the wider Hazel Green’s region, Alabama. The center offers unique and diversified services to children in three broad age categories, namely 6 weeks to 1 year; 1 year to 3 years; and 3 years to 6 years. T he services offered at CareMax includes not only the particular services presented for sale to parents with preschool children, but also the reputation, image, and other innovative services offered by the institution such as puzzle and coloring areas (Lownes-Jackson, 2004). The main services of catering for the children’s individual development are tailored to meet the specific requirements of each age category and any other specialized requirements that may be dictated by the parents or guardians of children with special needs. The center provides entertainment and quality food to the children while they are in attendance. In addition to its core function of offering quality childcare, the center offers the following services to reinforce its earnings: Transportation services to and from the center for the children Specialized pre-arranged elderly care Operates an elementary school Pre-college counseling through its College Mentorship Programme Matching the Products with t he needs of Customers CareMax center exercises an open-door business policy whereby all parents and guardians with children at the school are invited after every two months to give their views on how childcare should be offered. Little children have very specialized needs, and thus the center benefits immensely from the frequent interactions between the parents and the administration, not mentioning the fact that such meetings offer a platform for the parents to expressively state their needs, and for the management to act decisively in developing products that will match up to the stated needs. Such an interaction has greatly assisted the child development center to remain ever conscious of the ever changing business environment. The center is always prepared to alter its operations and change direction when the needs of its major clients – the parents – demands so.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Marketing Plan for Day Care Operations: the Mak ing of CareMax Children’s Center, Hazel Green, Alabama specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Product Development The center takes cognizance of the fact that it must continually develop new products and services if it is to remain relevant in modern-day competitive environment (Lownes-Jackson, 2004). Towards this objective, the parents are involved in the development of new services for their children, and are adequately informed about the advantages and disadvantages of the new services in terms of assisting the children to develop healthily in all critical facets of life. CareMax takes extraordinary measures to ensure that new services are safe and of relevance to the children’s learning capabilities according to regulations stated by the authorities. CareMax center is particularly keen to involve parents in the process of concept development since they form the center’s target market. The center is always keen to in corporate productive views presented by the parents and guardians especially in the features to be incorporated in the service (Ulrich Eppinger, 1999). This way, the new service is able to benefit the children in a more productive manner. In equal measure, the new product or service is expected to affect the parents in terms of pricing. The child development center therefore feels obliged to consult them so that their views and worries may be taken into account. Pricing CareMax children’s center realizes that the prices charged to its major clients, the parents, directly affect the performance and success of the institution (Entrepreneur Media, 2010). As such, the center is at the forefront in attempting to maintain a pricing policy that is fair and commensurate to the services offered while ensuring that major operations, processes, and profitability of the enterprise are not put into jeopardy. The center constantly reviews the prices offered, adjusting them appropriately t o satisfy the target market. This equilibrium in the business context is realized through the employment of the following procedures: Pricing Strategy CareMax center employs penetration pricing strategy to market its services to its customers. When new services are developed at the center, the introductory prices are always offered at a lower price than what is offered by other industry players for the same or similar service to attract more customers while allowing the existing customers to enjoy the entire promotional package (Lownes-Jackson, 2004). The prices may be adjusted later to reflect actual market trends.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is within the mandate of the management of CareMax center to determine the specific prices for each of the products and services on offer. To determine the prices, the center always employs the following principles: All prices must have the capacity to cover costs and profits The most efficient way to lower prices is to lower operational costs Prices of products and services must be reviewed regularly to ensure they offer a true reflection of the dynamics of cost, competition, target market demand and profit objectives (Entrepreneur Media, 2010). After objective considerations are made regarding the above factors, the child development center utilizes both competitive and markup pricing strategies for purposes of offering authentic pricing schedule, which is both age and needs specific. Competitive pricing is basically used to charge general accommodation charges for the children in line with the current prices at the market (Entrepreneur Media, 2010). For example, last year, t he center was charging $25 per hour for taking care of toddlers from 6 weeks old to 1 year. A market research initiated by the center for purposes of price appraisal revealed that all the other centers in Hazel Green were charging the same. As such, the center could not raise its fees. CareMax center utilizes markup pricing strategy to price some of its value-added services. The center calculates its markup price by adding a set amount of money to the cost of the service. For example, the center offers specialized meals to children depending on the ability of parents to pay for the specialized services. When charging for the special meals, the center adds a fixed amount of money to the actual cost of the meals to be charged to customers as the official price of the meals (Entrepreneur Media, 2010). In general, however, the center always reviews its prices: When a new service is introduced in the market When costs of operation changes When competitors adjust their prices When the st ate of economy experience either slump or inflation Price position At CareMax center, we greatly take cognizance of the fact that market demands and issues of supply and demand of our services institute real pressure on how we position our prices. As a small business, the center very much rely on issues of profitability, market value of services offered, and competitions to position prices according to the requirements of its target customers (Brand Positioning – price, 2006). Some of the objectives evaluated by the center while making decision on price position include: Profit maximization – Economic conditions (elasticity, competition) Market share – Government regulations and actions Leadership – Social concerns (seasonality) Service quality – Survival CareMax center is always keen to maintain a perfect equilibrium between the price ceiling and the price floor of its major services to keep its customers under lock-and-key while at the same time guaranteeing the competitive advantage of the center. The equilibrium is achieved by undertaking extensive market research to shed light on industry patterns and current prices offered by competitors for similar services. The center is vehemently aware that the demand of its services will decline if the price position stupendously moves towards the price ceiling (Diamantopoulos, 2003). At the same time, the center may fail to realize enough profits to boost its operations if the price balance plummets towards the price floor. As such, a perfect balance must be maintained to safeguard the interests of both the parents and the center. The figure below reveals a five-year average price position for toddlers under one year old. Price Sensitivity CareMax center is not often affected by issues relating to price sensitivity since its primary concern is the provision of affordable quality care to children in relatively dissimilar age categories. The prices are flexible depending on the pa rent’s ability to pay, and in line with the center’s traditional philosophy of catering for low-income bracket in the community. In this perspective, while price is viewed as an important factor by parents in making decisions on whether to use its services, the center has resoundingly responded by making the prices and modes of payment as flexible as possible. In this industry, parents have diverse reservation prices they are prepared to pay for services rendered (Diamantopoulos 2003). However, the center is purposing to standardize prices in the long-term to match particular age categories, leaving the flexibility clause to parents that are in need of services but are unable to pay using current market rates due to their social economic standing. Place/Distribution For a business offering childcare services such as CareMax, location is a major factor in any place considerations (Lownes-Jackson, 2004). CareMax center is located at the heart of Hazel Green Community, an d is easily accessible any time of the day from all directions. Parents from the surrounding suburbs can easily access the facility for convenience, while a perimeter fence has been elected to ensure the safety of children. Further, the center was purposely built in its present location, which is away from major traffic routes, to ensure the safety of children. This way, the parents, while undertaking the daily work-related activities, can be assured that their children are in one of the safest locations in Hazel Green. The playing areas are magnificently designed, and buildings uniquely decorated with pictures of animals, plants, and maps that not only serve as major attractions for children, but also assist in the general learning process. In addition, these designs leaves a permanent image on the minds of its target market – parents and guardians – that CareMax is indeed the place where their children can be assisted to gain maximum potential in this very critical p hase of development. The location and design strategies are working perfectly well, and no major changes are intended in the near future. Promotion The child development center is fully aware that to break even in this industry, it has to continue persuading the parents, its target market, about existing and new services on offer for their children. Towards the realization of this noteworthy objective, CareMax utilizes both direct and indirect methods of promotion (Lownes-Jackson, 2004). In direct promotion, the center utilizes the following: Advertising Publicity Special events sales in thank giving days and open days. The company also utilizes the following strategies in its indirect promotion programs: Public relations Customer relations Customer/client services Service packaging Advertising The center takes cognizance of the fact that advertising is particularly important if the promotional strategies are to achieve their intended objective – that of attracting new cu stomers while ensuring that existing clients are not poached by competitors (Lownes-Jackson, 2004). New and exiting customers must be made aware of new services whenever they hit the market. In this perspective, CareMax center utilizes the following advertising mediums: Local newspaper Local and regional magazines Community radio Fliers and brochures Specialty items such as calendars Market Research From time to time, CareMax center undertakes market research with a view of evaluating and identifying key areas that need adjustments, specifically in marketing of services, target markets, and competitions (Lownes-Jackson, 2004). This information is fundamentally important as it assists the managements to identify: Groups to be included in the target market Demographic characteristics of new and potential clients Customer spending habits Presently, the center is undertaking a primary market research to ascertain the reception and viability of a service package introduced last summe r. The package, known as ‘the CareMax All Rounder’ was intended to make the parents pay for all the services rendered at a premium instead of paying differently as if there are two centers offering different services under one name. The package has not been received warmly by the parents, and the telephone survey has been instituted to establish the reasons why this is so. Conclusion The future of CareMax looks bright if recent projections and market trends are anything to go by. The child development center has been able to create a brand name that is synonymous to the quality and flexibility of services offered. The heavy investments made by the institution in terms of staff members, children’s learning and playing areas, diversification of services to include transportation of the minors to and from school, and assiduous and conscientious management of the center has gone a long way in winning the hearts of many parents and guardians of children within Hazel G reen’s community, Alabama. The center has remained profitable despite huge overhead costs associated with the industry. Undeniably, catering for young children is a labor-intensive undertaking; but the center has continued raking considerable profits due to sound management principles. At CareMax center, we always shine†¦and shine above the rest. Reference List Brand positioning – price. (2006). Web. City-Data.Com. (2010). Hazel Green, Alabama. Retrieved from http://www.city-data.com/city/Hazel-Green-Alabama.html Diamantopoulos, A. (2003). Pricing. In: M.J. Baker (Eds). The marketing book. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN: 0750655364 Entrepreneur Media, Inc. (2010). Pricing a product. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/pricing-a-product Lownes-Jackson, M.G. (2004). Starting a child care center. London: A business of your Own. ISBN: 094326717X Ulrich, K., Eppinger, S. (1999). Product design and development, 2nd Ed. McGraw-Hill/Irwin. ISBN: 007229647X This report on Marketing Plan for Day Care Operations: the Making of CareMax Children’s Center, Hazel Green, Alabama was written and submitted by user Esmeralda Mcgowan 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. You can donate your paper here.

Obamacare Penalty and Minimum Insurance Requirements

Obamacare Penalty and Minimum Insurance Requirements The federal tax penalty for not being enrolled in an Affordable Care Act (ACA)-qualified health insurance plan was eliminated by the Donald Trump administration in 2019. However, persons who received a penalty for not having health insurance in 2018 will still have to pay the penalty on their 2019 tax returns. According to U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the 2018 tax penalty for not having health insurance is $695 for adults and $347.50 for children or 2% of your yearly income, whichever amount is more. While there will no longer be a federal tax penalty for going uninsured or choosing a plan that is not ACA-compliant after the 2019 tax filing season, several states, including New Jersey, Massachusetts, Vermont, and the District of Columbia, have their own health insurance penalties that are assessed when people do not have insurance that complies with that state’s laws. The Now Phased-out Obamacare Tax Penalty By March 31, 2014, almost all Americans who could afford it were required by Obamacare - the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to have a health insurance plan or pay an annual tax penalty. Here is what you need to know about the Obamacare tax penalty and what kind of insurance coverage you need to avoid paying it. Obamacare is complicated. A wrong decision can cost you money. As a result, it is critical that all questions regarding Obamacare be directed to your health care provider, your health insurance plan or to your states Obamacare Health Insurance Marketplace.Questions can also be submitted by calling Healthcare.gov at toll-free 1-800-318-2596 (TTY: 1-855-889-4325), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.During the great Obamacare bill debate, Obamacare supporter Senator Nancy Pelosi (D-California) infamously said lawmakers needed to pass the bill so we can find out whats in it. She was right. Nearly five years after it became law, Obamacare continues to confuse Americans in great numbers. [ Yes, Obamacare Does Apply to Members of Congress ]Â   So complicated is the law, that each of the state Health Insurance Marketplaces will employ Obamacare Navigators to help uninsured people meet their Obamacare obligation by enrolling in the qualified health insurance plan that best meets their medical needs at an affordable cost. Minimum Insurance Coverage Required Whether you have health insurance now or buy it through one of the Obamacare state Insurance Marketplaces, your insurance plan must cover 10 minimum essential health care services. These are: outpatient services; emergency services; hospitalization; maternity/newborn care; mental health and substance abuse services; prescription drugs; rehabilitation (for injuries, disabilities or chronic conditions); lab services; preventive/wellness programs and chronic disease management; and pediatric services.If you have or buy a health plan that does not pay for those minimum essential services it may not qualify as coverage under Obamacare and you may have to pay the penalty.In general, the following types of health care plans will qualify as coverage: Any plan purchased through one of the state Insurance Marketplace and employer-provided insurance plans, including plans for retirees;Medicare and Medicaid;Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP);Military TRICARE;Veterans health care programs; andPeace Corps volunteer plans Other plans may also qualify and all questions regarding minimum coverage and plan qualification should be directed to your states insurance Marketplace Exchange. The Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum Plans Health insurance plans available through all Obamacare state Insurance Marketplace offer four levels of coverage: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. While bronze and silver level plans will have the lowest monthly premium payments, out-of-pocked co-pay costs for things like doctor visits and prescriptions will be higher. Bronze and silver level plans will pay for about 60% to 70% of your medical costs.Gold and platinum plans will have higher monthly premiums, but lower co-pay costs, and will pay for about 80% to 90% of your medical costs.Under Obamacare, you cannot be turned down for health insurance or forced to pay more for it because you have an existing medical condition. In addition, once you have insurance, the plan cannot refuse to cover treatment for your pre-existing conditions. Coverage for pre-existing conditions begins immediately.Once again, it is the job of the Obamacare Navigators to help you select a plan offering the best coverage at a price you can afford.Very Important - Open Enrollment: Each year, there will be an annual open enrollment period after which you will not be able to purchase insurance through the state Insurance Marketplaces until the next annual open enrollment period, unless you have a qualifying life event. For 2014, the open enrollment period is October 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014. For 2015 and later years, the open enrollment period will be October 15 to December 7 of the previous year. Who Does Not Have to Have Insurance? Some people are exempt from the requirement to have health insurance. These are: prison inmates, undocumented immigrants, members of federally-recognized American Indian tribes, persons with religious objections, and low-income persons not required to file federal income tax returns.Religious exemptions include members of health care sharing ministries and members of federally-recognized religious sect with religion-based objections to health insurance. The Penalty: Resistance is Futile and Expensive Attention health insurance procrastinators and resistors: As time goes by, the Obamacare penalty goes up.In 2014, the penalty for not having a qualified health insurance plan is 1% of your annual income or $95 per adult, whichever is higher. Have kids? The penalty for uninsured children in 2014 is $47.50 per child, with a maximum per-family penalty of $285.In 2015, the penalty increases to the higher of 2% of your annual income or $325 per adult.By 2016, the penalty goes up to 2.5% of income or $695 per adult, with a maximum penalty of $2,085 per family.After 2016, the amount of the penalty will be adjusted for inflation.The amount of the annual penalty is based on the number if days or months you go without health insurance after March 31. If you have insurance for part of the year, the penalty will be prorated and if you are covered for at least 9 months during the year, you will not pay a penalty.Along with paying the Obamacare penalty, uninsured persons will continue to be financ ially responsible for 100% of their health care costs. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that even in 2016, more than 6 million people will pay the government a combined $7 billion in Obamacare fines. Of course, revenue from these fines is essential to paying for many of the free health care services provided for under Obamacare. If You Need Financial Help To help make mandatory health insurance more affordable to people who cant afford it in the first place, the federal government is providing two subsides for qualifying low-income individuals and families. The two subsides are: tax credits, to help pay monthly premiums and cost-sharing to help out-of-pocket expenses. Individuals and families can qualify of either or both subsidies. Some people with very low incomes may wind up paying very small premiums or even no premiums at all.Qualifications for insurance subsidies are based on annual income and vary from state to state. The only way to apply for a subsidy is through one of the state insurance Marketplaces. When you apply for insurance, the Marketplace will help you calculate your modified adjusted gross income and determine of you qualify for a subsidy. The Exchange will also determine if you qualify for Medicare, Medicaid or a state-based health assistance plan.

Top 9 Stress Relieving Activities at Work That’ll Keep You Happy

Top 9 Stress Relieving Activities at Work That’ll Keep You Happy Ever wish a stress superhero could save you from chaotic meetings, fast approaching deadlines, never ending projects or traffic jams? Well, you can become your own stress-busting superhero. Here are some quick and easy stress relieving activities at work that will keep you happy and productive! Feel free to share this with your friends and coworkers. Who knows? You might be helping that friend from a rough time.1. Go WalkingDid you know walking for even 10 minutes after 3 hours at your desk can lift your mood by 40%?!   If the weather is nice outside, you can just step outside and walk around the block or to the nearest park. Walking will not only make you live longer, but also give you more energy throughout the day. I highly recommend going out for a walk after lunch, and then once in the afternoon to break up the day.via [imgur.com]2. Listen to MusicThe best part about music is that when you listen to it, you will start relating yourself to the lyrics of the song, and make you f eel on â€Å"top of the world†. The beats of music will help enhancing your mood and relaxing your muscles. So put on a headphone and start listening to your favorite beats.via [wallpaper]3. Healthy SnacksEating delicious and healthy snacks will keep your stress level low. It will have exceptional positive change in you and even people around you. Your good mood will send positive vibes at your workplace. So start packing healthy snacks and you will be happy all day.While eating don’t stuff your mouth.document.createElement('video');https://www.thejobnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/BaX1BSU.webmvia [imgur.com]4. Stretch Your Body Regularly5.  Put Loved Ones’ Pictures On Your DeskSpending time with your family is a great stress buster. Having a picture of your loved ones on your desk will remind all the great times you had with your family and it will automatically bring a smile to your face. It will boost your productivity throughout the day.via [imgur.c om]6. Browse the InternetTake a break from your usual work, and just head over to a stock photography site to look at pleasant photos of nature. Google has a Art Project site that features the best art collection. My personal favorites are these sites: Cuteoverload, The Thoughts Room.7. YogaYoga and breathing exercise are the best technique to de-stress. Check out this video to learn how you can change your mood for good.8. Quick napWhat do Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison all have in common? They all made important contributions to the advancement of mankind, and they were all avid power nappers. A power nap of 15 – 20 minutes can do wonder to your health and helps you to focus on your work. It recharges your body and mind to a more successful and productive day.9. SmileJust smile and you will feel the difference!  Feel free to share this with your friends and coworkers by simply retweeting this. Who knows? You might be helping that friend from a rough time.Sometimes you just need to go for a walk – 9 stress relieving activities at work http://t.co/NqMXWyxpMV #TJNTips pic.twitter.com/8IK32h1Z2c- TheJobNetwork (@TheJobNetwork) October 5, 2015

Students parking should be free Speech or Presentation

Students parking should be free - Speech or Presentation Example II. Orientation Phase: As a student, I require paying money for several purposes such as tuition fees, college fees, semester fees and other purchasing items. In my personal viewpoint, education is definitely a worthy investment, but the most frustrating aspect is parking space where I need to pay certain amount of fees in order to get a permit (University of Hertfordshire, â€Å"Student Car Parking for Academic Year 2013/2014†). Transition: Thus, today I will talk about the reasons for which parking should be free for students. Body I. I will begin by telling the reasons for imposing parking fees in universities. II. In major universities and colleges, students are required to obtain permits in order to park their vehicles. Universities provide several paid parking options for junior students, senior students and faculties. The parking time and parking slots are specified by the institutions. There is a need to pay certain amount of fees ranging from minimum US$5 to maximum U S$12 for one day as parking charges for a specified period of time. The charges also depend on the parking places. After the specific time, students require to pay extra charges in order to park the vehicles (Pennstate University, â€Å"Student Parking Information†). Transition: In simple words, the reason for parking fees is low availability of land. Since the level of space in educational institutions is limited, they encourage vehicle pooling through imposing charges. The key focus with respect to parking fee is to ensure sustainability which is of great concern for students who are going to experience the miserable impact of land and space in upcoming days. By imposing rentals or fees for parking, these institutions encourage the use of bicycle or other options of transportation beyond vehicles. However, imposing parking fee is not a proposed solution for this problem (Yglesias, â€Å"Colleges Should Focus on Teaching Students, Not Giving Them Subsidized Parking Spacesâ € ). III. In this context, I would prefer to mention that the requirement of parking is reflected by maximum amount of money a person is prepared to pay to park his/her vehicle, rather than to move without vehicle. Thus, the people with most urgent requirements face problems to pay fee than the people with least urgent requirements. Accordingly, there is a requirement to understand the urgency of parking for students with those individuals who do not necessitate parking (Living Economics, â€Å"Should parking be free†). Transition: I am conscious regarding the economic situation of the present century. There is a limited amount of parking and the demand for parking is quite high. Thus, universities have established parking pass system so that they can minimize the demand of parking and encourage students to use other forms of transportation or to use other parking facilities. Parking also allows institutions to earn a considerable amount of revenue. However, concerning the increased cost of education in terms of higher tuition fees and higher cost of living, this extra fee for parking is unjustifiable for students (Gubeli, â€Å"Parking Pass Should be Free†). IV. Although the fee of parking appears to be small but students who require paying thousands of dollars for educational purposes, the fee can act as a great financial burden. In this context, I would prefer to mention that the money which is collected as a way of parking fee cannot provide the solution

Management Work and Society Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Management Work and Society - Research Paper Example But at the same time there are many factors that prevent career choice options from being achieved. These factors include age, gender, race and education etc. All these factors might restrict a person’s career choice options. We will try to shed more light on these factors in the text below. Our discussion will include differences between achieved and ascribed roles. The main theories of occupational choices will also be examined and how these theories relate to the different roles. Objective and subjective constraints on occupational choice will be elaborated upon. Our discussion will also include analysis of the possible ways to reduce barriers for exercising career choice. Finally future organization and their effects on career choices will be examined. Differences between Achieved and Ascribed Roles A role is defined as a set of behaviour that is followed by a person acting in a social situation. The concept of role is very important because they have a huge impact on the behaviour of a person observing any role. Doctors and nurses are more responsible because they have a huge responsibility (saving people’s lives) so any person who is a doctor or a nurse will try to be responsible. Roles are of two types; they can be achieved or ascribed. Ascribed roles are those that are assigned to a person from inheritance. These roles are not based on merit but are based on the traits which are beyond one’s control (Stark, R. 2007). Achieved roles on the other hand are based on merit and personal skill. A person’s personal efforts and abilities have a role to play in his or her achieved roles. Gender, age, nationality etc. are some of the ascribed roles. These roles are involuntary in nature. Achieved role include doctors, engineers, criminals, footballers etc. These roles are based on one’s personal abilities and are voluntary in nature. Both of these roles have an impact on career choice. Due to some ascribed roles like gender and a ge a person might not be able to pursue a profession like baseball. Key Theories of Occupational Choice There are two main approaches that explain how a person chooses his or her occupation. These include developmental approach of occupational choice and structural approach. There is another theory called impulse or accidental theory of occupational choice. All three of these theories attempt to explain how a person chooses profession. Accidental theory of occupational choice gives a very simple explanation of career choice. It says that people choose their profession simply because of external factors that are beyond their control. Chance plays a role in occupational choice according to this theory. If we consider this theory to be true then all people become what they are simply because of events that are not in their control. The choices are voluntary but these choices are not because of interest in a particular field or goal of personal development rather they are an outcome of uncontrollable events. The achieved roles of a person according to this theory are also because of factors that are not controlled by the person. Uncertain events determine even the achieved roles of a person. It is however important to note that a personal merit of a person still plays a role after the choice of occupation but the choice itself is characterized by accident or chance. There is some empirical evidence that supports this theory as many famous people choose the

Write on Topics You are Passionate About :: Teaching Writing Education Essays

Write on Topics You are Passionate About How do I become a better writer? Is it by proofreading and listening to my teachers? Does it come in time? Or should the question be what do I write better about? Do I write better about scientific garbage or idea and topics I can actually relate to. I will go with the latter. I write better about topics I am passionate about. For example, I can write more vividly about cheerleading and soccer than I ever could about evolution. Let us focus on becoming a better writer again. I watch television and go to movies frequently. I occasionally read books. Reasonably, engaging in visual entertainment and reading other authors’ work aid in my writing style. The shows I watch and the books I read are usually about topics I am interested in or passionate about. Specifically, the movie Pleasanteville, the television show Felicity, and two books A Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger and A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean help me to become a better writer. To begin with, Pleasanteville is an interesting movie that can easily be paralleled to the first book of the Bible, Genesis and to the civil rights movement of the 1960’s in the United States. The movie depicts two people bringing "color" to the lives of many. The "color", however, must come from sin. Therefore, the new "coloreds" are banned from the Garden of Eden so to speak. This is also very similar to the colored people being banned from public buildings and events for being different. These two topics, the Bible and civil rights of humans in general are of great interest to me. Hence, I paid attention to detail on how the director presented his ideas to the audience. By learning his techniques and agreeing or disagreeing with them can help me write better by simply applying his work to mine. Additionally, the television show Felicity is a show about college freshman students straight out of high school. The show focuses on relationships and hardships that a college freshman will encounter. Considering the fact that I am technically a college freshman myself, it is only natural that I allow this show to intrigue me. In particular, one episode caught my attention. This episode dealt with the issues of boundaries in a friendship and lightly touched on the issue of date rape.

Methods Armitage and Duffy Use to Convey Their Ideas About Essay

Both Carol Ann Duffy and Simon Armitage use a range of methods in their exploration of the theme of change. Duffy’s poems tend to be more personal although in her poems about change, such as ‘Pluto’ and ‘The Captain of the 1964 Top of the Form Team’ she writes in a male voice which then distances her from the speaker. Armitage writes more universal poems, few of which are written of personal experiences in the first person. Both write about change in a mostly negative manner, particularly seen in ‘Pluto’, ‘The Captain of the 1964 Top of the Form Team’ and ‘Afterword. The use of form and structure contributes considerably to the exploration of the theme of change. It is used variably through their poetry. In ‘Man with a Golf Ball Heart’ by Armitage, he uses what could be a sonnet to express change. The poem has fourteen lines and at the sixth line begins with ‘but’ which signals change. It could therefore be a modernised petrarchan sonnet. This would be appropriate as one of the poem’s themes is change and would be an original way to explore that theme. The poem is written in prose-like free verse as Armitage is telling a story of what happened when he opened up a golf ball and is then likening it the man’s heart. By doing so he uses more description and creates clear visual images. The graphic description of the golf ball uses words such as ‘bitter’, ‘bad’ and ‘weep’ which have negative connotations. The view of change in this poem is negative and tells of how the man became. The prose technique is again used by Armitage in ‘Goalkeeper with a Cigarette’ in which the poem is written entirely in that style. This poem is a detailed description of an old-fashioned goalkeeper and therefore is helped by this writing style. By using an effective description technique Armitage is able to explore the theme of change in a different way in that this poem looks upon change in a nostalgic way that is not negative. However, in the poem ‘Afterword’ Armitage uses a very different structural technique. It is written in three quatrains and a couplet which is organised in a style preferred by Duffy. This is used as the poem is quite  straightforward in its description of when two twins become distanced. It does not look at how, merely focuses on an instance when they are reunited. The structure then enhances the simplicity of the poem. The tone of the poem is less romantic than that of Duffy’s work. Its tone is cold. Alliteration accentuates the ‘f’ sound in the first stanza which sounds harsh. This highlights change as it is not a tone that one would associate with twins who grew up together so therefore a change must have occurred. It also uses lots of rhyme where the words are matched up, in a way that twins are. In the second stanza all the rhymed words rhyme with twin. The rhyme also creates a steady internal rhythm. Carol Ann Duffy also uses form and structure to accentuate meaning. It is used in a very particular way in ‘Pluto’. In this poem the layout is different to others. Rather than the normal organised stanzas they are uneven and the second and third stanzas are indented. Duffy does this to represent a change in tense. This is done quite dramatically, as the style is very different to her preferred method, and so emphasises the change in tense and the emotions the speaker is feeling in being different to how he once was. His thoughts are written in italics which further adds to the uneven form of the poem. The form and structural techniques used in ‘The Captain of the 1964 Top of the Form Team’ more like Duffy’s style. The stanzas are organised and all are end stopped. It looks organised on the page and is preferred by Duffy. The first three stanzas are spoken as if from the past and the final stanza jumps to the present, therefore highlighting a change in the speaker’s life. Duffy uses italics again here to highlight quiz questions, answers and sounds. This breaks up the rhythm of the poem which could be a reflection of the speaker’s dissatisfied attitude to his current state and how his mind is still in the past before the change to his life occurred. Duffy again uses organised stanzas in ‘Before You Were Mine’ which are five lines long and each is end stopped. The way the poem is told is unusual as it is talking about the future from the perspective of a child before that child was born. The change in the poem is therefore told from a different  and unusual angle. This method compares how the speaker’s mother was to how she is now. Both Armitage and Duffy use register and lexis to give their poems a certain feel. In ‘The Captain of the 1964 Top of the Form Team’ Duffy uses words with connotations such as ‘satchel’ and mentions icons such as the ‘Supremes’ in order to give the poem a 1960s feel. This highlights the change from ‘then’ to ‘now’. The poem has a negative view towards change shown in its negative tone and register. The speaker is bitter about how his life has turned out. This is revealed in Duffy’s lexical choice such as referring to his children as ‘thick’ only because they do not know what their father does. Duffy distances this poem from herself by using a man as the speaker and therefore making the poem more universal. They also both use an informal register and colloquial expressions. These can be seen in ‘Goalkeeper with a Cigarette’ by Armitage and ‘Before You Were Mine’ by Duffy. In ‘Goalkeeper with a Cigarette’ the poem has a nostalgic, ‘good old days’ theme and so in keeping with that theme the lexis used is old fashioned. Duffy chooses colloquial expressions such as ‘jersey’ and ‘cadging’. The register is informal in ‘Before You Were Mine’ as Duffy is talking directly to her mother. She also uses colloquial language such as ‘eh?’ By using this register both Armitage and Duffy suggest times gone by and therefore change to what exists now. Such as, people do not particularly wear jerseys anymore. A technique also used by both is that of metaphorical language and, more specifically, imagery and symbolism. Armitage uses symbolism and metaphors in ‘Man with a Golf Ball Heart’ as he uses the metaphor of the golf ball to symbolise the man’s heart and the change it went through; how it was an apple once. This particular poem is all a metaphor for the man’s heart, however, in other poems by both Armitage and Duffy symbolism and metaphors are used more to create certain images. In ‘Goalkeeper with a Cigarette’ it is used to create a certain image. By using phrases such as ‘pouch of tobacco and skins’ and ‘sausage-man gloves’ a clear picture of the keeper is formed in the reader’s mind. Further imagery is used in ‘Afterword’ when Armitage describes how the brother’s relationship has become. He writes: ‘each eyeing the other through a telescope which had once been a mirror.’ Armitage uses the metaphors of mirror and telescope to highlight the distance that has grown between them. Duffy uses imagery in a similar way. In ‘Before You Were Mine’ she likens her mother to Marilyn Monroe. This creates an instant image of what her mother may have been like, or how the speaker saw her. In ‘Pluto’ Duffy uses imagery in a way more similar to that of ‘Man with a Golf Ball Heart’. The way the speaker is feeling is compared to the existence of Pluto. Pluto is imagined to be a very lonely, dark place. This is likened to the existence of the old man, alone in a Home. He refers to ‘another world out there’ which can be taken as a double meaning for both Pluto and his previous life which now feels like another world away. By creating this metaphor Duffy is able to illustrate the emotions of the speaker. She also creates images for physical descriptions such as ‘brown coins on my face the size of ha’pennies’. Using metaphorical language in these poems contributes to the exploration of change. By creating images it forms comparisons of what was and what is and shows the difference between them. It highlights the changes that have taken places and the speaker’s view of them. Duffy and Armitage have different general styles in their writing techniques. Both use different themes, tones and forms. However in their poems which portray their ideas of change they often both use similar techniques to each other, although each maintains their own style and none  of the poems could be confused for one of the others’.