Bullying and Marsh Et Al Essay Example for Free

Bullying and Marsh Et Al Essay Everyday thousand of teens wake up terrified of attending school. About one in seven schools, a child is either a bully or a victim of bullying. Bullying is simply defined as a type of aggressive behavior that involves intent to cause harm and a power imbalance (Olweus, 1999). Bullying can range anywhere from psychological, physical (involving kicking and punching), verbal or cyber abuse. Bullying among children can be considered as a form of abuse’ (0-). It has been put forward that bullying is a division of aggressive behavior and has been further characterized as repetitive and ‘an inability on behalf of the victim to defend him or herself’ (Farrington, 1993, cited it Sapouna, 2008). We learn from Sapouna (2008) that bullying can take the form of ‘verbal (name calling), physical (hitting, kicking) or relational (deliberate exclusion from a group, spreading of malicious rumors). After extensive research in Scandinavia, Olweus(1993, cited in Kumpulainen et al.,1998) proposed that bullying can be carried out by one or more adolescents and usually occurs on repeated occasions, and to some extent, it occurs in all schools. Recently bullying amongst young people has gain notoriety in the press due to the extreme results it has had on certain young individuals. An example of this is Sian Yates, a 13 year old girl who committed suicide after repeated bullying (Daily Mail, 2007). Despite the press attention given to these cases, the extreme consequence of suicide does not occur in the majority of cases. Victims can suffer from a range of harmful effects such as humiliation, anxiety, depression, difficulty with interpersonal relationships, and emotional instability. This lead to the finding of Kumpulainen et al., (1998) that ‘bullying is a common phenomenon among children who are psychologically disturbed.’ The writer went on to say that there are ‘higher rates of psychological distress among both bullies and victims’ than those not involve. However, the literature is consistent in noting that the ‘bullied victims are the most troubled of the bully, victim, bully –vict im triad’ (Juvonen et al., 2003; Ma, 2001; Pellegrini, 2002; Pellegrini et al., 1999;Salmivalli Nieminen, 2002, cited in Cunningham, 2007). Should these lead agencies to focus more on protecting the victim? Some schools have decided that the way forward is to have zero tolerance policies. This may include all students who bully. However, if certain researcher’s numbers are correct it could mean excluding from school, forty percent of the school aged population. Given the widespread nature of the problem can zero tolerance really mean, â€Å"Zero tolerance†? We learn from the NHS ‘website teens for health’ (2008) that ‘anyone can be singled out by bullies.’ The NSPCC found that 31 per cent of children had been bullied at some point (Teens for health, 2008). This being the case, can anyone be bullied? Black and Jackson (2007) have put forward that there lies and ‘an imbalance of power’ between the parties involved in bullying. ‘The bully is stronger through social status, physical prowess, age, cognitive abilities or skill.’ Is this imbalance of power the sa me across the genders? There is an extensive body of literature that suggests that boys are more likely than girls to be bullies as well as victims (Nansel et al.2001; Boulton Smith, 1994; Boulton Underwood, 1992, cited in Marsh, Parada, Craven, Finger, 2004). This doesn’t mean girls cannot be bullies. Stephenson and Smith (1989, cited in Kumpulainen et al., 1998) found that girls as well as boys fitted into the ‘five main groups of people involved in bullying’. These are: ‘dominating bullies, anxious bullies, bully-victims, classical victims, and provocative victims.’ These traits were also found by Sourander,Helstelà ¤, Helenius and Piha (2000) to have clinical implications. Sourander et al., (2000) noted that ‘Bullying is especially associated with aggressive and antisocial behavior while victimization is associated with internalizing problems.’ Whitney and Smith, (1989, cited in Kumpulainen et al., 1998) found ‘bullies to be more prone to have criminal convictions later in life, and more likely to be involved in serious, recidivist crime’. Are criminal convections later in life a fair punishment for their actions? Or should something be done to help the bully? This leads to the question as what is the nature of these young people that make them prone to being a victim or a bully. In the search for a personality construct, many researchers have come to the agreement that ‘bullies are deficient in social information processing or may be intellectually disadvantaged’ (Besag, 1989, cited in Marsh et al., 2004). The work of Crick and Dodge (1994, cited in Marsh et al., 2004) explained that bullies responses to social situations are being met with a filtration process. This ‘cognitive filter’ is based on an aggressive individual interpreting neutral or ambiguous cues as hostile and therefore, making them more likely to engage in aggressive behaviors’ (Marsh et al., 2004). This was also seen to be the case in Bosworth, Espelage, and Simon (1999, cited in Marsh et al., 2004) when ‘a sample of adolescent high school students showed that misconduct, anger, and beliefs supportive of violence were significantly related to bullying behaviors’. Although bullying is an aggressive act, this does not imply that bullies and aggressive or conduct-disordered individuals are a homogenous group. Sutton et al (1999, cited in Marsh, 2004) put forward that bullies were part of a complex environment where they are require to ‘negotiate and attribute mental states to themselves and others to explain or predict their behavior.’ This idea contravenes the notion that ‘bullies are cognitively inept or simple in their inte ractions with peers’ (Sutton et al 1999, cited in Marsh, 2004). References â€Å"Bullying†. Violence Prevention. 1 Dec. 2012 http://www.violencepreventionworks.org/public/olweus_history.page Dawkins, J. L. (1996). Bullying, physical disability and the pediatric patient. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 38 603-612. Espelage, D. L., Holt M. K., Henkel, R. R. (2003). Examination of peer group contextuals effects on aggressive behavior during early adolescence. Child development, 74, 205-220. Pelligrini, A. D. (2002) Bullying and victimization in schools: A Dominance relations perspective . Educational Psychologist, 37, 151-163.

The effect of Levis online community

The effect of Levis online community Methodology This section of the dissertation will focus on the area of the research design, the methodology conducted and it will also relate to the sample used, methods choice and the methodology criticism. The research which focuses on an online Levis community will use qualitative work to examine how Levis brand personalities influence young Chinese consumers, how this online Levis community affects people who communicated with each other and may strengthen their brand loyalty. Research Design For this dissertation, there are increasingly young Chinese consumers wearing Levis jeans on whom I might conduct and exploratory study to generate possible explanations. Because this research is an exploratory research, the major emphasis is on the discovery of the ideas and insights of consumers. Churchill and Iacobucci (2005: p77) described the purposes of exploratory research and suggested it should include, â€Å"formulating a problem for more precise investigation or for developing hypotheses and gating information about the practical problems of carrying out relevant research.† It is widely acknowledged that while quantitative approach emphasize on theory testing which means using existing theory tested and measured a specific research context (Carson et al. 2001); in long-standing tradition, qualitative research are considered to be exploratory in nature because studies are characterized by flexibility with respect to the research used (Churchill and Iacobucci, 2005). Gordon and Langmaid (1988) demonstrated the differences between qualitative research and quantitative research. Qualitative research concerned with understanding things rather than with measuring them using quantitative research; and â€Å"qualitative research emphasis is on in-depth understanding of how, why and in what context certain phenomena occur; and what impacts upon or influences such phenomena†¦.conversely, quantitative research is more relevant where the research emphasis is on comparison.† (Carson et al. 2001: p66) According to the differences, by using a qualitative a pproach, more in-depth study in the research process could provide information and insights with much more detailed and thorough level than quantitative analysis approach (Weischedel et al. 2005). For this dissertation, the intention of the research is to seek human views at the root of empirical experience on Levis jeans. So the qualitative research approach is more suitable for this dissertation. Because qualitative research approach focus on things really happen as researchers and people experience them. Besides, some characteristics of qualitative research were mentioned by Gordon and Langmaid (1988) which includes small samples of consumers which may not represent large populations; a wide different of techniques to collect data, not just a structured â€Å"question-and-answer† format; and access to the ways in which consumers express themselves. For this dissertation, the samples will be chosen from the online Levis community and a semi-structured interview questionnaire will be conducted during the research. Meanwhile, qualitative research is often carried out to examine consumers attitudes and behaviour in relation with a product category, usually with the specific aim of understanding consumers relationships with a specific brand (Proctor 2005, Gordon and Langmaid 1988). Kozinets (2002) also believed qualitative methods are mostly useful for illustrating the rich symbolic world that cause peoples needs, desires, meanings, and choices. Due to the research objectives of th is dissertation are exploring the attitudes of Chinese consumers who like to wear Levis jeans and show loyalty to this brand as well as perspectives towards one Levis online community, While quantitative research might be used to find differences between Levis normal consumers and Levis fans, qualitative research could be used to examine the attitudes, feeling and motivations of the Levis fans. Although, qualitative research has some limitations and disadvantages, such as small sample size (Gordon and Langmaid, 1988) and free-flowing discussion can result qualitative research projects with many different thought (McDaniel and Gates 2006). There are still some main advantages for qualitative research: first, it is usually much cheaper than quantitative research; second, there is no better way to understand the in-depth motivations and feelings of consumers (Proctor, 2005). According to these main advantages, the qualitative research will be developed during the research process. Secondary Data It is very important to understand market and brand background before doing research. So secondary data plays a crucial role in understanding this such as the market assessment of Levis in China as well as supports the research analysis. There are two types of secondary data. The first one is called internal database which means the company itself (Levis Company) and the second one is called external database which means other organizations or persons (McDaniel and Gates, 2006). In the dissertation, secondary data such as Levis annual report and GMID will be used to study the situation of Levis in China. Because Levis Company has a significant business performance in the world, some public media such as website, newspaper even textbook will be consulted to gain contextual information on this brand. The second data information we are looking for in this topic will also be conducted in the dissertation to strengthen the reality and accuracy of the market orientation. Sampling Sampling means using information which was obtained from a subset (a sample) to estimate about various characteristics of the total population (McDaniel and Gates, 2006). This research aims to seek the reason of young Chinese people like to wearing Levis jeans; therefore non-probability is appropriate to represent this purpose in small sample units. Because the respondence in non-probability samples is more rational representative if collected in a careful process. (McDaniel and Gates, 2006; Proctor, 2005) But the main problem of non-probability is the accuracy and the range of sample units (Forrest, 2003). Meanwhile, the results of using non-probability samples may not be projected to the total population (Proctor, 2005). Meanwhile the samples of this dissertation will be chosen from an online Levis community. McDaniel and Gates (2006) demonstrated the advantages of the Internet Sampling which included â€Å"target respondents can complete the survey at their convenience; the interview can be administered under software control; data collection is inexpensive.† (p315) However Chen and Hinton (1999) argued, online interviewing may include some sampling biases that should be thought by researchers considering the method; research methods are limited in their ability to survey members of the researchers target population because the motivation of potential interviewees to agree to being studied using the proposed method; and the ability of the method to include selected interviewees. In this project, interviewees will be obtained from their different levels in the online Levis community. The â€Å"level† in this Levis online community means the favorite level they like Levis jeans through t heir contributions such as Levis jeans photos they uploaded in this online community; Levis products introduction they wrote in this community, their own feelings about Levis products shared in this online community. The higher level they obtained means the more experience they had on Levis. The reason for choosing different level people is trying to investigate different voices and feedbacks as well as support the research objective to give further suggestions. In-depth Online Interview Qualitative researchers who use interviews as data collection tools believe that they can, â€Å"investigate elements of the social by asking people to talk and to gather or construct knowledge by listening to and interpreting what they say and to how they say it† (Mason, 2002: 225). For this project, by using interview method, it could examine interviewees feeling about Levis brand. Several researchers have found the usefulness of the internet to design and conduct qualitative research projects and online data collection methods are increasingly used (Gruber et. al. 2008). In this dissertation, I will focus on an online Levis Community and the netnography method which is used will be text-based online individual depth interviews with open ended questions. Interviewing is an important qualitative approach, because it is a highly personal process which means creating through personal communication. In-depth interviewing is defined by Neuman (1994: p246) as a social relationship a short-term, secondary social interaction between two strangers with the explicit purpose of one person obtaining specific information from the other. The use of in-depth interviews was seen as a suitable methodology which could obtain rich data through a detailed and open discussion with consumers and decision makers (OConnor and Madge, 2004). In many fields, online in-depth interview and face-to-face in-depth interview are similar processes for the researcher and both can be considered â€Å"†¦ conversations with a purpose† (Burgess, 1984: p102). However, there are still some differences between online interview and face-to-face interview. OConnor and Madge (2003) stated, comparing with face-to-face interview which would be impractical, costly and time consuming; online interview is conducted on the Internet, so that it has lower cost and is a convenient way to carry out. For this dissertation, because all the interviewees are young Chinese people, they are familiar with online environment; they are good at using chatting software such as MSN Messenger and QQ. Meanwhile, online interview method could avoid geographical problems. Gruber et al. (2008: p257) also mentioned, â€Å"Online interviews are cheaper to conduct than traditional interviews as there are no travel, venue renting and accommodation expenses. Researchers do not have to tape and transcribe online interviews as the online chat programmes that are used to conduct interviews automatically generate interview transcripts, which allow a quicker analysis of data; further, the whole interviewing process may be less stressful and more convenient for respondents as they can be interviewed at home or at work in a familiar and non-threatening environment.† Another advantage by conducting online interview for this project is the interviewees are the members of Levis online community. Qualitative on-line research, such as on-line in-depth interview, is particularly useful when the target population is small, very specialized in its skills, and difficult to find and recruit (Miller Dickson, 2001). On the other side, online interview also exist in some limitations and disadvantages. OConnor and Madge (2002) argued, although online interview could obtain rich and valuable to the researchers, there are many problems of online research so that online research should not be exaggerated and researchers should be aware of these problems. Firstly, Chen and Hinton (1999) concerned about limited samples and limited data during the online research process. They believed this sample limited problems could lead to non-specialized interviewing, such as the general assessment of a group which did not be defined because their access to the Internet. For this dissertation, the sample will be chosen in one online Levis community and the interviewees are members of this community. The second disadvantage is that online interview may receive less attention of interviewees and may not make interviewers to create rapport which is important to create a relationship with interviewees who are then wil ling to share information. (Chen and Hinton 1999; Gruber et al. 2008; OConnor and Madge 2003). The online interview is difference between face-to-face interview because online interview happened when both interviewer and interviewee fact to computer screen. â€Å"It may be that distractions result in respondents not being fully engaged with the interview whilst dealing with interruptions of which the interviewer may not be aware. In the face-to-face setting the interviewer can respond immediately to external factors, perhaps by suspending the interview, whereas the virtual interviewer, unable to see what is happening, may carry on regardless, not aware that s/he does not have the full attention of the respondent † (OConnor and Madge, 2003: p137) Gruber et al. (2008) demonstrated, during the online interview, because both of interviewer and interviewee face to computer screen, they cannot receive each others respondence such as body language, head nodding and facial expression s, as a result, researchers developing online interviewers can not able to observe if interviewees are losing interest in the chat or if they are annoyed or unclear about a particular question. As a result, there is no rapport was created. For this project, because the MSN messenger softer ware will be used as interview tool, this problem will also happen during this online interview process. Summary By summary, this research will focus on solely qualitative methodology. Secondary data will be used for an early stage of understood of the background of Levis in China. Online in-depth interview will be conducted in the exploration the reason of different consumers in one online Levis community like wearing Levis jeans. The limitations and disadvantages of online interview and sampling were also discussed in this chapter.

Marketing Case Study Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing BTEC Coursework

Marketing Case Study Marketing Mix: The term marketing mix is used to describe the all the options available to the marketing manager in order to market a particular good or service. It is often referred to as the 4P’s(i.e Product, Place, Promotion, and Place) The Product Variable: This aspect of the marketing mix deals with researching consumers’ product wants and designing a product with the desired characteristics. This is a very important element of the marketing mix because it directly involves creating products and services that satisfy consumers’ needs and wants. The Place Variable: To satisfy consumers (i.e their needs and wants), products must be available at the right time and in a convenient location. In dealing with the place aspect, a marketing manager seeks to make products available in the quantities desired to as many consumers as possible. The Promotion Variable: This aspect relates to methods used to inform one or more groups of people about an organisation and its products. Promotion can be aimed at increasing public awareness of an organisation and of new or existing products. It can also be used to educate consumers about product features or to urge people to take an interest in that product. The Price Variable: This aspect of the marketing mix relates to the activities associated with establishing pricing policies and determining product prices. Price is a critical component of the marketing mix because consumers are concerned about t...

Adolescents on Mental Illness :: essays research papers

Watson, Amy C., Otey, Emeline, Westbrook, Anne L., Gardner, April L., Lamb, Theodore A., Corrigan, Patrick W., & Fenton, Wayne S. (2004). Changing Middle Schoolers’ Attitudes About Mental Illness Through Education. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 30, 563-572. Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This article shows the attitudes and intellect of Middle Schoolers about Mental Illness. The investigators are interested in the amount of improvement that the Middle Schoolers receive after being well-informed and educated about Mental Illness. They are especially interested in the changes in the attitudes of the pupils that think pessimistically about Mental Illness. Finding out if a curriculum informing the students about Mental Illness would significantly impact them is the other main interest of the investigators.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Previous studies show that many adults are almost naturally prejudice to people with Mental Illnesses. Most adults automatically stereotype them as people that are dangerous, shouldn’t be talked to, and have a slim-to-none chance of recovering. This comes from their lack of knowledge of Mental Illness growing up. In their childhood, they see Mental Illness as a disturbance and sway away from anything related to it. This concept is truly an unnoticed act of discrimination. Ultimately, the goal of the experiment was to find out how the minds of the students change toward Mental Illness after more knowledge of it is found out. The investigators supposed that there would be a bit of knowledge or at least some awareness of Mental Illness in the students’ minds. They figured that there would be many pessimists in the group (students that initially think negatively about Mental Illness.) Also, they assumed that the curriculum would benefit all of the students (especially the ones with the negative attitudes.) Method   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The investigators used The Science of Mental Illness curriculum to educate the students. This curriculum consists of unique scientific discoveries and case studies that help students understand the link between the sciences and their applications to health care. Some parts of the curriculum are classic, lecture-style teachings and some are more interactive including online programs and situations on video clips. The variety of the curriculum keeps the students interested throughout the 5-week program.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Helping the students understand that Mental Illness can be diagnosed and treated very well (unlike they might have thought) is one of the curriculum’s main goals. The other is to make the students more aware of Mental Illness and understand its different aspects. The curriculum is broken up into 5 lessons that cover everything from the brain’s functions to recognizing Mental Illness to methods of treatment.

Beowulf: Christian Vs Pagan Influence Essay -- Epic of Beowulf Essays

The European epic, Beowulf, was written sometime in the eighth century in England. This time period provides us with an idea for the mixture of Christian and pagan elements because of an English society that was in the process of converting from Paganism to Christianity. Examples of Pagan and Christian traditions are presented all throughout literature. Many of the influences deal with what it going on in the world, when the piece is written. When Beowulf was written, St. Augustine had just come over to try and convert the Anglo-Saxon people to Christianity; although the conversion succeeded it was a shallow conversion, and there were still people following the Pagan ways. The fact that Christianity and Paganism are so closely combined in the epic explains the reasons for Beowulf’s Christian and pagan influences. Blending in among Beowulf's triumphs against the three key creatures, we also see Christian virtues being instilled upon the listeners. The good qualities of loyalty, humility, sacrifice for the good of others, and sympathy for those less fortunate are seen woven into the text as well as the negative consequences from greed and pride. In a thorough analysis of Beowulf, the Christian and pagan elements, represented in the characters and their journeys through various countries, creates an epic adventure filled with superhuman qualities and Christian ideals that often parallel themselves to biblical characters and events. The pagan elements of the epic are evident in a couple of the characters’ superhuman qualities during the first two parts of the poem. Beowulf is seen as a superhero and takes it upon himself to use his strength to defeat Grendel and save the Danes from the turmoil that has haunted them for the past... ...and his mother, despite being non-human. The author of Beowulf was extremely effective in combining pagan and Christian ideas in the poem. The ability and technique of combining two different elements into his characters makes the epic interesting to read. In mixing Christian and pagan ideas, the eighth century author was able to dramatically enhance the characters with Christian values and pagan ideals. Although the pagan elements greatly influenced the story, the addition of Christian influences and parallels to the Bible make this European epic famous for the adventures, conflicts, and heroism that take place in a time of religious transition. Today, one can still see the Pagan influences in common life. Each time Beowulf succeeded he related it to either Paganism or Christianity. Whether it is one God, or many Gods, the people all had their common belief system.

Concept Paper Interior Design

CONCEPT PAPER (ONE-BEDROOM CONDOMINIUM UNIT) 1. DESIGN PHILOSOPHY Design a space that is worth-living, aesthetically functional, and innovatively efficient and one that complements the user’s personality, defines his attitude and suits his lifestyle. 2. DESIGN RATIONALE The client is a 32 years old female executive who is a workaholic and is very successful computer analyst. She wants her condominium unit to be a restful, relaxing place and a refuge from the office and the busy cosmopolitan ambience of Makati City. Her desired space must be efficient, functional and equipped with the ease of technology. . DESIGN OBJECTIVE ? Be able to execute the design of the condominium unit that corresponds to the client’s desires and requirements ? Be able to design the space that is harmonious and unified yet fully functional, efficient and innovative ? Be able to match the required technological advances to the desired design of the space 4. DESIGN CONCEPT Design the condominium u nit with a simple yet sophisticated style to suit the profile of the client and use soothing color schemes to make the space a sanctuary and a place to feel maximum rest away from the city’s busy ambience. . STYLE Contemporary Zen Style 6. DESIGN STRATEGY Use a color scheme that can be soothing and relaxing like blues and greens but balance it with neutral colors to make the space sophisticated. Place furniture pieces that are of clean-lines to avoid busy or cluttered space and that will also add to the room’s lightness for maximum relaxation. Put additional innovative features inside the condominium unit to adhere to the client’s requirement of technological convenience.

Marketing Situational Analysis Essay Essay

The following essay is a situation analysis of the macro-environment for a Melbourne based Australian phone cover manufacturing organisation, called Kind. Kind creates a range of covers for all types of mobile phones which are recyclable, biodegradable and trendy. Kind conducts their own research, development, design and manufacture. The organisation was founded by a group of generation Y, tech savvy and environmentally conscious people who saw an opportunity to create accessories in an industry considered to be consumerist. A view supported by Downie and Glazebrook (2007), â€Å"Mobile phones have been described as the ultimate example of consumerism.†(p. 1). Kind’s idea for their latest range of covers specifically include hypo colour, (cover changes colour when activated by heating or cooling through personal touch), mood sensitive covers (cover changes colour relative to the emotion being felt by the person), and gel moulded covers with finger grips. They believe their value proposition is to provide a range of products that offer their customers socially responsible fun, feelings and functionality by being a customer-centred company. The following discussion under the sub-headings will analyse the six components of the mobile phone industry macro-environment specifically identifying trends that may impact Kind’s target market, marketing-mix and planned marketing strategies. Demographic â€Å"The demographic environment shows a changing age structure in the population, changing family patterns, geographic population shifts, a better-educated and more-white-collar population, and increasing ethnic diversity.†, (Kotler, Brown, Adam, Burton & Armstrong, 2010, p. 160). This holds true for Kind’s market in Australia with the population ageing, birth rates falling and increased life expectancy, older people are predicted to outnumber younger people by 2050. This may pose a potential threat to Kind’s target market in that there will be greater competition for customers entering the market or more creativity required to find new markets. Kind may need to expand their product range to cater for the older generations with covers that address issues like restricted mobility and loss of coordination from conditions such as arthritis. Reinforced by Kotler, et al., (2010) â€Å"The Boomer market will only grow in importance in coming years, as more boomer reach retirement age.† (p. 145). This is a trend that Kind should keep a close eye on and begin research and development in. Looking at Australia’s current family pattern Kotler, et al., (2010), states â€Å"smaller family sizes resulting from a desire to improve personal living standards, the increased number of women working outside the home†, (p. 141), supports the view that there is market for the mobile phone industry because the parents feel there is a security need to stay connected to their children. â€Å"For children aged 5-8 years, almost all of them (95%) used their mobile phone more to contact family† (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010). This new group is otherwise referred to as â€Å"’tweens’ aged between six and 13.† (Downie & Glazebrook, 2007, p. 1). It must be noted that Kotler, et al., (2010) defines the tweens as aged between 10 and 14, regardless, this group is increasing in market share and are demonstrating a trend towards strong purchases of entertainment products. Added pressure is placed on parents by the tweens who have grown up accustom to consumerism and â€Å"are motivated by status and aesthetics in their purchasing decision.† (Downie & Glazebrook, 2007, p. 1). This trend may be met by the inter-changeability of mobile phone covers because they are an economical means of maintaining the tweens attention and status with their existing phones. An economical argument for parents to easily identify with and one which Kind can target. Kind has a product that appeals to a variety of demographic group for varying reasons. The youth group, often further defined as Generation X and Y demonstrate trends which Kind should consider when analysing their target market. Generation X is environmentally conscious, financially wary, value quality and is well educated, contributing to the growth in white-collar population significantly. Generation Y are technically savvy, communicate using mobile phone, email and chat rooms and have driven the â€Å"Markets for teens’ toys and games, clothes, furniture and food† (Kotler, et al., 2010, p. 144). Whilst they are often viewed as selfish, statistics support the fact that they are â€Å"a civic-minded generation with a conscience†, (McQueen, 2007, p. 43). â€Å"figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics which showed that in 2002, 28% of young people aged 18-24 had undertaken voluntary work in the previous 12 months†, (McQueen, 2007, p. 43). A response to these characteristics may be a marketing-mix which communicates the social conscious benefits of Kind’s products whilst promoting the professional business use it also contains and the interchange ability making the product fun, easily. Kind would be remiss to not target the civic-mindedness of Generation Y by setting up a charity fund or trade-in cover exchange that gives something back to the community. Given Kind’s target market is Australia wide, population changes between states is not really relevant. However, shifts between rural and urban areas should be considered given the Australia Bureau of Statistics (2010) reports increases in urban population and decline in rural populations, particularly those affected by drought. The relevance in this statistic is that more households with access to mobile phones are located in the metropolitan area, Australia Bureau of Statistics (2010). Economic In developed countries such as Australia, mobile phones are moving towards no longer being considered a luxury item and more one of necessity given the use of mobile phones as the preferred method of communication for generation Yers and white-collar Xers use as a business tool. The Bureau of Australian Statistics (2007) survey results have indicated a 7.7% growth in communications services each year on average with most of this attributed to the household use of mobile phone and internet services. This is relevant to the consumer spending habit in the current economic context which has affected income levels and household expenditure. â€Å"More recently, the global financial crisis has led to a sharp decline in demand for luxury products, as more people have become unemployed, or are unsure of their job security.† (Kotler, et al., 2010, p. 149). This is a win-win situation for a mobile phone cover manufacturer given that sales will continue at a steady rate or if people do decide to maintain an existing mobile phone, they will want to ensure that it is adequately protected to last longer or give it a new look, therefore the consumers spending pattern is less likely to alter for this kind of product. Natural Environment Kind creates a range of covers for all types of mobile phones which are recyclable and biodegradable which would place their products in a very favourable position from a pollutant perspective. â€Å"Some trend analysts believe that the decade after 2010 will be seen as the ‘Earth Decade’ and that protection of the natural environment will be the main worldwide issue facing business and the public.† (Kotler, et al., 2010, p. 151). Kind would be wise to examine their use of non-renewable resource they may use in the production of their products as well as the operations of their organisation. It is not just about the products they product being environmentally friendly, but the way in which they produce them as well. Knowing their carbon footprint and those within their supply and distribution chains would speak volumes. Even the way in which they market their products could be an opportunity to reinforce their green message, i.e. no use of print media in the marketing-mix. Kind has to also keep up with the issues affecting the mobile phone issues, such as the growing public concern of the mineral tantalum use in mobile phones. Research using Wikipedia (2010), reports that this is a product which is mined, with great affect on the natural environment. Exports of this mineral have been cited as helping to finance present-day civic conflict over areas in the Congo which are abundant in natural resources. Kind may find benefit in highlight the fact that the use of their product protects the longevity of a mobile phone, thus minimising the reliance on mining and people may actually view a purchase of this product as actually helping the people in Congo. Technological The fast pace of technological advance is probably the most challenging aspect to Kind’s products. Given the current variety of shapes and sizes of mobile phones in the market and the constant stream of new models, keeping up with this market requires Kind to be highly adaptable and have the ability to implement changes in products quickly. It may be savvy to target only the most popular makes and models dependant on the demographic being targeted. Political â€Å"The political environment consists of laws, government agencies and pressure groups that influence and limit various organisations and individuals in a given society.† (Kotler, et al., 2010, p. 155). Given that Kind is a manufacturing business, distributing Australia wide, they need to keep abreast of developments which may affect manufacturing and marketing throughout all the States and Territory. Kind will be required to ensure that any packaging they develop conforms with current legislation along with any competitions run Australia wide meet all the State laws on gaming and lotteries. Again, in with reference to the mobile phone industry, who are in media reports regarding concerns over public health risks from the radio waves they emit causing an uncommon form of brain tumour as discussed by Lavelle (2005), Kind could assign some research and development actions towards addressing a solution to these concerns. This could be view by consumers as dangerous positioning as they are actually agreeing with a pressure group that there is a risk and attacking the market that directly feeds them. Cultural â€Å"The cultural environment shows long-run trends towards the use of branded products as a means of self-expression, decreasing organisational loyalty, an increasing appreciation for nature, and a search for more meaningful and enduring values.† (Kotler, et al., 2010, p. 160). Kind produces products which fit this trend fantastically as long as they market their environmental and social conscience and continue to develop products which allow the consumer to express themselves. The cultural environment is made up of secondary beliefs. Central to societies need to communicate is the belief that they cannot do so unless they have a mobile phone. It could be argued that the secondary belief is that they have to look good and have the trendiest cover while they do it supported by Kotler, et al., (2010). â€Å"Many people use products, brands and services as a means of self-expression†, (p. 157). There may also be an opportunity for Kind to tap into the different subcultures as they are open to shifts in values and are impacted by popular activities. The possibilities are endless for Kind, in that if their organisation is highly adaptable, and new product lines can be easily implemented, they can keep pace with these subcultures. For example, monthly covers with the latest number one hit music artist on it. Kind can decide to take a proactive approach to the marketing and really build their products into something that shapes public opinion. As an example, the health risk on mobile phones and the potential for Kind to capitalise on providing a solution may seem risky but they are could make a real statement, leading the way and would be shaping the public opinion. Conclusion Kind’s analysis of target market has demonstrated that are a few areas demographically that hold value. These are the change in age structure with Baby Boomer demands on a solution for mobility and coordination issues, Gen X parents demanding to feel safer by being connected to their children, but notably highly influence in their purchasing decisions by the status and aesthetic tweens and finally the youth groups demanding to be socially networked via technology. Economic trends are not of great concern on these target markets as the need to communicate using mobile phones is demonstrating continued strong growth. The predicted trend towards the ‘Earth Decade’ being the main worldwide issue provides the greatest opportunity for Kind. Their marketing-mix, product range and company values are well positioned to maximise the benefits associated with this trend. Kind is in an industry that is at the forefront of technological advances and must pay close attention to ensure that they maintain connection meaning they may have to restrict their product line to only the most popular makes and models. Political and cultural trends on the health risks associated with mobile phones are a concern to the target market. However, the consumers appear to be remaining ignorant. This could be an opportunity for Kind, but the risks associated with this should be carefully researched before taking any action. The long-run trend towards an appreciation of nature and products being used to express ones self is primed for the products that Kind produces. Further supported by the secondary belief that people have to look good while they communicate using their phone is an almost perfect market for Kind’s products. The adaptability of Kind’s products and organisation can easily lend itself to different subcultures and any such changes within them. In summary, Kind’s value proposition, to provide a range of products that offer their customers socially responsible fun, feelings and functionality by being a customer-centred company, has a large potential market with what appears to be matched by an actual market. The key is to translate this into demand. References Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2010). Measures of Australia’s Progress, Communication, Children and Mobile Phones, Australia. Cat. No. 1370.0. 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