Organizational Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Organizational Issues - Essay Example The company gives a provision for daycare where children are kept safe when their guardians are away to school or work. The company acts as a custodian of the community’s interest and profits. The external pressure has not entirely had an effect on the organizational ethics of the company. The external pressure would have informed the organization’s leader to opt to research employees with potential. A good number of organizations need to know the entire background of workers to avoid unnecessary turnarounds by the employees. The Greyston’s hiring process is a thing many firms have considered outdated. External pressures have transformed the ethics somehow in another way. The organization concentrates highly on community of its origin. The community does have problems with assistance provided where it is needed much by the company. The community members have faced problems in the past and have no variety of options where they can choose from mainly in the market of jobs. Moreover, the community do not enjoy from the option of daycare either. The company has made it possible for the children to be taken care of in educational facilities that are safe. The issues are associated to personal and organizational decisions as they are role models. The company illustrates to the workers on how they are supposed to live in the community. The firm gives the employees second chances despite of the problems they might have caused in the past. By doing this the company tries to show the community that one should always be given a second chance to correct the situation. The company also provides education and daycares portraying social responsibility. The company aids the community in educating and taking care of the children. All this is an example to the society on how they should live. Greyston Bakery always has a slogan that gives an inspiration. It states that a company is bounded

Energy Drinks Market in Denmark Essay Example for Free

Energy Drinks Market in Denmark Essay 1. Introduction Danish soft drinks sales have recorded positive volume growth in recent years. Strong volume growth was recorded in energy drinks sales attributed to the aggressive marketing and new product launches. Some of the major players in the Danish energy drink market are Burn and Red Bull. Accordingly, the main aim of this report will be to identify and analyze the possible ways for Burn energy drink product to compete with the world famous energy drink Red Bull which has recently entered into Danish energy drink market in 2009. 1. 1 Problem Description In 2009, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration approved the increase of caffeine level in energy drink. This has given a wide-open-door for beverage companies to develop in this segment. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Red bull the world’s most famous energy drink company, started to compete within the Danish energy drink market. On the other hand, Coca-cola Denmark also considered it as an opportunity to further develop product chain of its energy drink Burn. In Denmark, Burn has been dominating the energy drink market so far but now with the entry of Red Bull into the market it will now have to strategically develop its marketing mix to find a better way to compete with Red Bull and maintain its dominant position. 1. 2 Problem Statement We define the problem question for our research as follows: How could Burn compete with Red Bull on the Danish energy drink market? To support main question we have formulated some sub questions. They are as follows: 1. 2. 1 What is the preference of customers between Burn and Red Bull? 1. 2. 2 How should Burn products be developed and how should they be priced? 1. 2. 3 How should Coca-cola Denmark promote and distribute Burn? 1. 3 Definitions 1. 3. 1 Energy drink Energy drink can be defined as a drink or the beverage that contains higher doses of caffeine and other stimulating agents that give you instant energy. The doses of the caffeine and the stimulants are legally approved by the government health authorities. The main purpose of drinking an Energy drink is to get an instant energy to your body. 1. 3. 2 Burn energy drink. Burn Energy Drink is a functional beverage, mixture of 14 ingredients that come in a 16 ounce can and is available at almost every grocery store or convenience store across Denmark. It is one of the products of Coca-Cola Company. 1. 3. 3 Red Bull energy drink Red Bull Energy Drink is a functional beverage, specially developed for periods of increased mental and physical exertion. It can be drunk in virtually any situation: during sports, at work, whilst driving and during leisure activities. 1. 4 Demarcations (Scope and limitation of the study) As every report has its limitations, this report is also subject to various limitations. This report is based on two products, Burn and Red Bull which are the products of The Coca-Cola Company and The Red Bull Company respectively. These two companies have various product categories; however this report will be focused only on those two products among wide category of energy drink in energy drink sector. As far as the market place is concerned, this report is limited to the Danish market. Most of the consumers of energy drinks in Danish market are mainly the younger people aged 18-25. Considering this fact we have selected this age group as our target group. 2 Theoretical Background. This section of the report helps to provide the broad theoretical framework used for interpreting the research presented in this report. Various marketing theories have been applied as a background in this report. Theory of Market segmentation is used to analyze Burn and Red Bull in the Danish Market. To analyze the competition between Burn and Red Bull, Competitor Benchmark Analysis is used. Finally Using the theory of Marketing Mix (4 Ps), recommendation to Burn has been made to successfully develop its marketing campaign so that it can increase its sales and compete with Red Bull. 2. 1 Market segmentation. Market segmentation will be identified by taking into consideration the demographic variables (like gender, different age group and life style) and geographical locations (various cities of Denmark) like Center of Copenhagen, Sj? lland, Fyn and Jylland 2. 2 Competitive Benchmark Analysis Competitive benchmark of Burn will be made with its direct competitor, Red Bull. For this we will take various factors which are flavor, taste, brand, price, place (convenient to buy), packaging and effectiveness of the products. During our group discussion these factors came up as the most relevant criteria for making competitive benchmark. Accordingly, respondents were asked to rate and evaluate both Burn and Red Bull on those factors during the online survey. 2. 3 Marketing Mix (4 Ps) Marketing Mix i. e. 4 Ps will be taken as theoretical base for providing recommendation to Burn after the analysis of data and findings are presented. Accordingly, Product, Price, Place and Promotion Strategy will be presented in order for Burn to successfully compete against its rival Red Bull. Then after, the conclusion will be made. 3 Methodology Description This section of the report gives information about the stages that we went through while doing the research and writing the report. 3. 1 Research Design We chose exploratory design as our research design. We have a research problem which is unstructured. We do not have enough information about our topic for which we have to investigate more on our topic. Both Qualitative and quantitative data collection methods are used. To gain more and more information and insights about the problem topic, Qualitative research design was chosen. Using qualitative data collection method, it became easier for us to change translate and reformulate our unstructured questions. Quantitative method is also used in order to check the validity of the results obtained from qualitative method. For quantitative data collection we tried to get as many respondents as possible who can represent the total population. 3. 2 Primary and secondary data collection For this research we have chosen both Qualitative and Quantitative data collection method for primary data. Similarly, wherever required, we have also used secondary data from the articles, publications and website of the company as well as blogs and other relevant news articles. 3. 3 Qualitative data collection To collect the qualitative data, a focus group interview was conducted. We prepared the interview guide for the focus group which is attached in the appendix. The focus group contained 11 members who are the students from 2nd semester class at Niels Brock. After the completion of interview process we also took a blind test among the focus group interview participants plus 15 other students. Students were chosen randomly. Each of them were given to drink two glasses, one filled with Burn and another filled with Red Bull and were asked which one they like and how they taste. The responses from the participants were used for the analysis. 3. 4 Quantitative data collection To collect quantitative data, we prepared structured questionnaire. It consisted of 15 questions (open and closed ended questions). We posted our research questionnaire in the Facebook blogs and invited 600 Facebook users through simple random method. We got only 116 responses and of which only 77 respondents answered all questions of questionnaire. So in this research 77 respondents are our total number of observation. In other words our sample size is 77 which represent the total population of energy drink customers in Denmark. 4 Presentation and analysis of data The presentation and analysis of data has been categorized as Market segmentation and Competitor Benchmark. 4. 1 Market Segmentation of energy drinks 4. 1. 1 Analysis of Focused group interview: During the focused group interview, 11 participants were asked about the consumption of energy drink every week. Among the participants, 1 participant consumes 5 or more cans per week. 4 respondents consume 3 to 4 cans and 1-2 cans as well. Whereas, 2 respondents consume less than 1 can of energy drink. Thus their consumption habit is around 1-4 cans per week. When there was a discussion about the occasions during which they consume the energy drink, most of the answers was during workout, training or going to sports and when mixing with alcohol. There was also a discussion about having coffee instead of energy drink when one is tired. 6 participants said that they prefer coffee whereas others preferred energy drink. Regarding price, most of the respondents voted for cheaper one, less than 20 DKK and between15-17 DKK. 4. 1. 2 Analysis of Online questionnaire survey The willingness of various age groups towards energy drink is illustrated in the diagram below. It shows that 56% of respondents from age group 18 to 25 years are interested in energy drink. Figure 1 Willingness of various age-groups towards energy drink Source: Appendix 4 Similarly, 20% of respondents from the age group below 18 and 26-35 years age group showed their interest in energy drink. But only 4% of the elderly respondents are interested in energy drink. Thus, it can be seen that the highest number of people from the age group 18-25 years are interested in the energy drink. Figure 2 Willingness towards energy drink by gender Source: Appendix 5 The above figure shows that 68% of male population is interested in energy drink whereas only 32% of female population is interested in Energy drink. Figure 3 Willingness towards energy drink by location Source: Appendix 6 According to the above figure, most of the respondents from center of Copenhagen are interested in energy drink. 68% respondents from the Copenhagen region and 32% respondents from Sj? land region showed interest in energy drink. While analysisng the age wise consumption of energy drink which is illustrated in the figure below it has been seen that the data is bit conflicting. Figure 4 Age wise consumption of energy drink Source: Appendix 7 As shown by the diagram, those who almost never drink energy drinks are higher in age group 18 to 25 years. But again, those drinking from 1-2 cans per week are also higher number in age category 18-25 years but less compared to those who never drink. But what can be concluded that those who drinks energy drinks they normally consume 12 cans per week and are higher in 18-25 years category. Analyzing the preferred occasions when customers usually like to drink energy drink, the research show that customers usually prefer it to mix with alcohol as their first preference and then drinking when they are tired. Figure 5 Occasional preference of Energy Drink by gender Source: Appendix 8 The above graph shows most of both females and males consume energy drink when they mix with alcohol. 22 females out of 35 female respondents (63%) and 19 males out of 42 male respondents (45%) said they consume it when they mix with alcohol. Similarly 43% of female and 40 % of male respondents answered that they take energy drink when they are tired. Likewise, 11% female and 33% male said that they take it when they go to sports. 14% of female and 21% of male chose energy drink when they are thirsty and 6% of female and 7% of male chose for other occasions. Figure 6 Customers willingness to pay for the energy drink Source: Appendix 9. Relating to the price it can be clearly seen from the figure above that 18-25 years age group which is the target customers for energy drinks are willing to pay 16-20 DKK for the energy drinks where as 26-35 years age group are willing to pay 10-15 DKK for the drink. 4. 2 Competitor Benchmark (Burn and Red Bull) 4. 2. 1 Analysis of Focused group interview: During the focused group interview, 8 out of 11 participants preferred Red Bull. Only 3 preferred Burn. When there was a discussion of product features like taste, flavor and effectiveness of the products; participants said that effectiveness of the product is important. During the blind test 26 participants were made to taste both Burn and Red Bull drinks blindfolded. Table 1 Preference of product by tasting without knowing the product (Blind Test) BurnRed BullBoth Total no. of participant (26)9152 The research showed that Red Bull was highly preferred by the participants with 58% appreciating the taste of Red Bull. Burn was preferred by only 35% of the participants. 4. 2. 2 Analysis of Online questionnaire survey The illustration of various measures to which the consumer gave importance when buying energy drink is shown in the figure below. Figure 7 Customers’ emphasis when buying energy drink. Source: Appendix 10 We found data of customers according to the importance they give to various measures or elements when they want to buy an energy drink. The above graph shows that 53% of the total respondents said flavor is very important when they buy energy drink. About taste, 60% said it is very important. None of the respondents said that it is not important at all. Talking about brand, only 19% said very important, 34% said important, 30% said not so important and 17% said not important at all. About price, 51 %( more than half population) said that it is very important. Only 5% said not so important and no respondents said that it is not important at all. So far as convenient place to buy is concerned, 29% said very important, 54% said important. When packaging is concerned 16% said very important, 29% said important 39% said not so important and 16% said not important at all. When it is about effectiveness, 44% said it is very important, 38% said important. Thus the analysis shows that flavor, taste, price, convenient buying options and effectiveness of the drinks are important for customers where as brand and packaging are not that important in buying decision. Based on the various factors to which the consumers give preference when buying energy drinks, comparative analysis between Burn and Red Bull has been carried out. This can be described from the figure given below. We asked the respondents to evaluate Burn and Red Bull giving them 4 options (Very Good, Good, Bad, Very Bad). But here in the analysis we have taken only two options as we think these two options are sufficient for comparative analysis. Figure 8 Comparison of Burn and Red Bull based on the various factors Source: Appendix 11 The above figure shows the customers preference between Burn and Red Bull on the various factors which are important for their buying decision. 34% of the total respondents said the flavor of Burn is good and 23% said very good while 48% and 29% said the flavor of Red Bull is good and very good respectively. Similarly, 39% and 13% of the total respondents said the taste of Burn is good and very good respectively while 52% and 29% respectively chose good and very good for the taste of Red Bull. As far as brand is considered, 39% and 26% said the Burn brand is good and very good respectively while 42% and 45% said Red Bull brand is good and very good respectively. When it is about price, 27% and 12% chose good and very good for Burn while 16% and 12% for Red Bull. 35% and 23% of total population said Burn is good and very good respectively when considering convenient to buy whereas for Red Bull it is 38% and 17% respectively. About packaging 36% and 22% answered good and very good for Burn while for Red Bull its 45% and 18%. Finally for the effectiveness of the product, 39% and 18% respectively chose good and very good for Burn while it is 45% and 25% for Red Bull. Thus the analysis shows that customers highly prefer Red Bull while relating to flavor, taste, and brand. On the other hand, with relating to price, convenient to buy and nice packaging, customers seemed to prefer Burn. So far as the effectiveness is concerned, Preference towards Red Bull is high but the difference is not so much. 5 Findings and summary of the analysis According to the analysis presented above, it can be seen that the energy drink market segmentation is more concentrated on the costumers between age group of 18-25 and that the customers are dominantly male rather than female. Looking at the geographic distribution the market segment is undoubtedly concentrated on Copenhagen with to some extent also in Sj? land. However, the other fact is also that since Copenhagen is the largest city with dense population this result is quite obvious. The other important findings of the study regarding the life style of the customers relating to the consumption of energy drinks is that energy drinks are excessively consumed as a mix in alcohol and then it is consumed while people get tired. Also energy drinks are often consumed just 1 or 2 cans per week. Normally customers are willing to pay 16-20 DKK for the drink. The analysis shows that in general the customers give high importance to the flavor, taste, price, effectiveness and buying convenience while making their buying decisions of energy drinks and that the brand and packaging are not of importance for the customers. Keeping this in mind the competitor benchmark of Burn and Red Bull Red Bull clearly shows that though Red Bull being a new entrant in the Danish market it has succeeded in taking good share of energy drink market in Denmark. Red Bull is preferred by customers in terms of its flavor, taste which are important factor in general for customers while making their buying decisions. Similarly, with the effectiveness as well Red Bull is preferred by customers in comparison to Burn. Burn is preferred by customers in packaging which not of important factor for customers. But Burn still dominate Red Bull in terms of its easy availability at stores which is due to the fact that it is distributed by Carlsberg Brewery which is considered to have a very strong distribution channel in Danish market. (footnote) Again at price Burn is rated better owing to the fact that they are cheaper than Red Bull. Of course with the brand Red Bull is rated much better as it is an internationally recognized brand. 6 Recommendations Based on above findings following recommendations have been suggested for Burn to improve its products, promotion and pricing strategy. The recommendations will be based on the marketing mix (4 Ps) which is product, price, place and promotion. 6. 1 Product Since the research findings show that Red Bull has dominant preference by customers in terms of flavor, taste and effectiveness, therefore Burn has to come up with innovative product development in order to provide added value to its product so that customers preferences divert towards Burn. Therefore, considerable amount of resources and time should be spent on research and development of variety of flavors and appealing taste with its product. Since the market segment of the energy drink is mostly 18-25 years old and that they consume it as mix in alcohol so the taste preference of these age group should be taken into consideration and the flavor and taste should be developed which is appealing while mixing with alcohol as well. 6. 2 Price Relating to the price, Burn is cheaper that Red Bull and realizing the fact that Red Bull is gaining market share it is wise to maintain its low price strategy. 6. 3 Place The research show Burn with strong placement but since strong distribution channel is its one of core competencies it has to fully utilize this competences to move ahead form Red Bull to place its products at all the convenient stores. The major priority should be given to Copenhagen since it’s the main market segment but again taking advantage of its well managed distribution channel it should also focus on other cities where Red Bull are not able to reach due to lack of experience with the Danish market. 6. 4 Promotion A well planned advertising strategy should be developed mainly targeting on the 18-25 years age group and again the male customers who are the major customers of energy drinks. Though Red Bull is world recognized brand, Burn also has its brand reputation as it is a product of world class Coca Cola Company. Thus advertising campaign should also be focused to create awareness of the Coca Cola brand among the customers while promoting Burn which can positively influence customers’ choice. 7 Conclusion Based on the research analysis and findings, it can be concluded that within the Danish energy drinks market Burn is definitely getting a tough competition from Red Bull despite the fact the Red Bull is a new entrant in Danish market. Its global brand recognition has provided Red Bull with competitive strength which can be a serious threat to Burn in coming future. Therefore it is a must for Burn to take timely action and initiate necessary marketing strategies to compete with Red Bull. Burn has low price advantage as well as strong distribution channel which provide Burn with an edge in the competitive market and therefore it needs to look more into product development and promotion strategy in order to compete with Red Bull and thus gain success in the competitive energy drink market. 8. References Books David Jobber. (2007). Principles and Practice of Marketing. UK. McGraw-Hill Education Pervez GH, Kjell Gr. (2005). Research Methods in Business Studies. UK. Pearson Education Bryman, A. and Bell, E. (2007). Business Research Methods. 2nd Ed. UK. Oxford University Press Burns, A. C. and Bush, R. F. (2006) Marketing Research, 5th ed. , Prentice Hall Kotler, P. and Keller, K. L. (2006) Marketing Management, 12th ed. , Prentice Hall Svend Hollensen, (2007) Global Marketing – a decision-oriented approach, Websites http://www. euromonitor. com/Soft_Drinks_in_Denmark http://advantageaustria. org/dk/news/local/Red-Bull-und-Shark. en. jsp http://www. aeofooddrink. com/34. php http://www. dietspotlight. com/burn-energy-drink-review/ http://www. redbull. com/cs/Satellite/en_INT/Products/Red-Bull-Energy-Drink-021242751115866?p=1242745950125#/product-FAQ 9 Appendices Appendix. 1 Questionnaire Dear respondents, we make this survey in order to obtain more comprehensive knowledge about the energy drink sector in Denmark, particularly the two big brands: Burn and RedBull. So we would highly appreciate if you spend a few minutes answering our questionnaire. Your information will be treated anonymously! 1. How interested are you in energy drinks? oVery interested oInterested oNot very interested oNot intererested at all 2. How often do you drink energy drinks? oAlmost never oFrom 1 2 cans per week. oFrom 2-5 cans per week oMore than 5 cans per week 3. ON WHAT OCCASIONS DO YOU DRINK ENERGY DRINKS? oWhen Im tired oWhen Im thirsty oWhen I go to sports oWhen I mix with alcohol oOther (please specify in the box below) 4. Where do you often buy energy drinks? oIn the super markets oIn the bars oIn Seven Eleven oIn small shops (eg: gas station, kiosk etc) oOther (please specify in the box) 5. How much would you like to pay for an energy drink? o10 15 Kr o16 20 Kr o21 25 Kr oMore than 25 Kr 6. How important are the following factors when you buy energy drinks? Very important Important Not so important not important at all Good flavor Good taste Good brand Reasonable price Convenient to buy Nice packaging The effectiveness of the drinks 7. Which of these brands do you know? oBurn oRed Bull oNone of them 8. Which one of these brands do you prefer? oBurn oRed Bull oNone of them 9. How do you evaluate RED BULL in the following factors? Very goodGoodNot good-not badBad Very bad Brand Taste Flavor Price Convenient to buy Packaging Effectiveness 10. Do you have any recommendations for RED BULL to better meet your satisfaction? oI dont know oIm already very satisfied oI would recommend as follows: 11. How do you evaluate BURN in the following factors? Very good Good Not good-not bad Bad Very bad Brand Taste Flavor Price Convenient to buy Packaging Effectiveness 12. Do you have any recommendations for BURN to better meet your satisfaction? oI dont know oIm already very satisfied! oI would recommend as follows: 13. What is your age? oYounger than 18 years old oFrom 18 25 years old oFrom 26 35 years old 14. What is your gender? oMale oFemale 15. Which part of Denmark do you live in? oCenter of Copenhagen oSj? lland oFyn oJylland Appendix 2 Interview guide for focus group What criteria do people choose when they buy energy drink products? Are different flavors important? What occasion do they drink energy drink? Eg: when they’re tired, or mix with strong alcohol, etc. What product name(s) do they like? Why? Do they know Burn/Red Bull? Where do they buy? Do they like Burn/Red Bull products? How much should a can of energy drink cost? Appendix 3 Fokus gruppe analyse 2. Semester klasse Niels Brock Lien, Niraj, Silas og Michelle Market research Alle kender begge 11 deltager 8 ud af 11 kan lide red bull Dog viste det at 6 ud af 11 faktisk kun valgte Red Bull efter blinde smagning Smagen er bedre, burn er for sodt. (inden smagning af begge m? rker) Hvor mange energidrinks drikker du per uge? 1 drikker 4-5 cans a week 4 3-4 cans 4 1-2 cans 2 mindre end 1 Hvornar drikker du energidrinks? Sprut, tr? ning, Det er meget i forhold til det at man drikker alkohol. Enighed blandt minimum 8 af deltagerne Dog drikker mange det ogsa hvis de er tr? tte eller skal til tr? ning efter en lang dag i skole. Kaffe frem for energi drink hvis man kan lide det hvis man er tr? t og skal videre, dette mener 6 ud af 11 af deltagerne hvor de andre ikke kan lide kaffe eller mener at en energi drik er bedre†¦ Hvor meget vil du betale for en energidrink? Ikke mere end 20kr, mellem15-17kr ca er de fleste villige til at betale Men ville kobe den billigste hvis de stod mod hinanden pa hylden i super marked. Energien er mere vigtig end smagen. Irriterende reklamer – for meget nogenhed – provokerende reklamer – mener 2 af deltagerne, Red Bull promoverer ikke sadan (I Dk hvert fald).

Essay --

What is a fable? A fable is a short story in which characters within the book are played by animals. All fables carry a moral of some kind. Animal Farm, a novel by George Orwell, is a fable in the sense that it incorporates characteristics of a fable, such as giving animals, human qualities and the inclusion of several morals is accounted for as well. Although Animal Farm’s morals are not merely stated, it bears a significant deal regarding the concept of the story. The main morals are all tied together by some form of power. Power is the driving force behind the animal society, once abused, an indication of collapse will be evident. Through the pigs’ abuse of language to strengthen their dominance on the farm, Orwell conveys the power of manipulation in language. For example, Squealer takes the sheep away to teach them a new chant, â€Å"Four legs good two legs better†. The continuous incantation planted in the animal’s mind signified the start of a change. In many ways, they are governed by the pigs more than before, their ideas suggested and their minds are molded. The distortion of the meaning of language ultimately brainwashed them into forming ideas that compliment what the pigs want them to think. Another incident of the pig’s manipulation occurs after the rumor about the pigs taking the apples and milk for themselves. Squealer claimed that the pigs were doing so for the sake of the animals, he also stated that â€Å"milk and apples†¦ contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig† and â€Å"Jones would come back!† if they â€Å"failed in [their] duty† (42). This form of propaganda/ threat works in the favor of the pigs because the majority would rather comply and accept the current conditions than have Jones back. The pig... ...al gains. They were never honest with their words or actions until they settle into the temptation of power completely. And once they do, corruption will be seen a lot more often. Power is the force that upholds the structure of Animal Farm and when leaders indulge themselves in excessive power, the structure will be ruined, allowing these leaders with absolute force. Animal Farm is an allegory of the Russian Revolution and a cautionary tale warning readers of the pitfalls of revolution. Although, it doesn’t only concern the Russians, it applies to any form of totalitarian government because of the universal structure of power. It all works the same way, power is obtained, greed for power encourages manipulation and intimidation and a totalitarian is formed. In that sense, any hopes of creating a utopian society based on the equality of all animals is eradicated.

An Ecological Theory Applied to Aging Essay

Ecological theories of human development consider the complex interactions between humans and their changing social and physical environments. Every member of society experiences these interactions in a different manner, depending on factors such as the amount of resources available to them or the interconnectedness of their support system at birth. As people age and as the macrosystem itself changes in response to events, people within the system shift to occupy different positions in society. People’s psychological reactions to their evolving statuses reflect the culmination of a lifetime’s worth of experiences. At each juncture within people’s lives, their statuses are subject to norms and rules belonging to society. Understood from the vantage of Bronfenbrenner’s ecolological systems approach, initial transactions in a person’s life are the result of direct interrelationships between the infant and members of the microsystem (church, family, peers, school, neighborhood, play area, and health services). Microsystems, in turn, are shaped by a host of higher-up systems, which are also acting on each other at the same time. When the children in Bronfenbrenner’s model mature into adulthood, they are likely to occupy new roles within the macrosystem. These acquired roles may be transient because familial roles, career placement, financial status and other factors may vary throughout people’s lifetimes. Age, however, is one factor that invariably affects people’s lives, and society – to a large part – determines the extent of that effect. Deep-rooted in the mentality of members of a system are beliefs about which members are suited to which roles. If a society assigns a value to the knowledge gained through a lifetime of experience, then people in late adulthood and beyond will perceive themselves as vital. Alternatively, if a society chooses not to recognize that elders have an important contribution to make in society, then the elders of that society may internalize those beliefs and feel valueless. In the United States, common stereotypes of the elderly are that they are poorly able to meet the physical and mental demands of performing routine tasks. However, as medical science improves, people are living into their  hundreds and remaining active. In addition, various forms of martial arts are practiced to enhance balance, coordination, and flexibility, and cardiovascular exercise strengthens the heart, body, and elevates mood levels. Because of a heightened awareness of the positive effects of keeping a healthy diet and exercising regularly, in many cases, people can continue to function physically and mentally at high levels. An ecological theory of human development would recognize recent changes, such as increased longevity and improved functionality, as the catalyst for the development of new late adulthood roles and altered definitions of late adulthood. Cognitive development throughout the lifespan, or fluid intelligence, is valued above accumulated stores of intelligence, or crystallized intelligence, in some ecological systems. In a system that seeks ways of applying the wisdom of age, mentors and apprentices benefit from the transference of knowledge and perspective. In agriculture-based communities, where apprenticeships are integral to the continuity of life, members view hastiness and rapid decision-making as immature qualities; whereas, forethought and the ability to absorb the totality of a situation are the attributes of old age. In certain Black African societies, elders in the community are regarded as founts of knowledge. In traditional Latin societies, it is believed that older members of society possess inner-strength and can pass that quality along to younger generations. Individuals in these societies depend on their elderly and base many of their personal, social, and job-related decisions on the utterances of elder s in the community. In technology-based societies, crystallized intelligence is undervalued because adaptation is seen as more important to the sustenance of economic development. Those who fall behind in terms of technological instrumentality and rapid response rate are perceived as slow instead of as thoughtful. Furthermore, the uniform sentence order and grammar of English restricts the range of expression available to many elderly people. In a macrosystem in which speed and the delivery are prized more than the content of the message, senior citizens and their contributions are marginalized. The effect is that society’s message to seniors – that they are slow and  ineffectual – becomes an internalized belief of everyone in society. In many other cultures, such as Arab ones, the treatment of aged people in society seems to be the reverse of how older people are treated in the U.S. In these countries, the religion and culture serve as the rational basis for assigning seniors authority in deciding on household matters. It is expected in traditional societies that the young provide care for and honor their aging family members. In societies with Confucian based ideologies, such as Korea, the hierarchy of respect is based on age, with the eldest members of society receiving the most esteem. The exosystem in these societies is tipped in the direction of considering the importance of elders and their influence. All microsystems, mesosystems, and individuals tap into this human resource because the macrosystems endorse the idea that the elderly in society are indispensable. Microsystems in many countries are successful at integrating the services that seniors provide into the caregiving structure. In many Asian and African societies, grandparents live in the same house as parents and children. Whereas the commonly held belief in the U.S. is that grandparents’ excessive indulging of their grandchildren may negatively affect children’s personalities and achievement in school, it has been found that in China educated grandparents have a positive effect on their grandchildren’s academic performance. In the U.S., grandparents may play an important role in parenting children in single-parent headed homes. Additionally, parents look forward to becoming grandparents, and a study conducted by Brubaker showed that 80% of grandparents were happy with their grandparenting roles. Just as these eager parents delight in assuming new roles as grandparents in life, so are there many things to look forward to as one approaches late adulthood. Dependi ng on the macrosystem one is part of aging can be perceived as a positive or negative prospect. The extent to which a macrosystem views the importance and necessity of caring for aged ones can dictate the quality of life for seniors, particularly for those who are afflicted by poor physical health or forms dementia brought on and exacerbated by old age. In the US, middle-aged  adults find themselves â€Å"sandwiched† between caring for their children and their parents. The financial and emotional burden put on these middle-aged adults further begs a solution to the need for a better system of caring for the elderly. The issues seem especially pressing in industrialized nations, where traditional ideas about caring for older family members are either nonexistent or eroding. In China, a nation in the midst of industrialization, as rural-to-urban shift increases, parents and grandparents are being left behind. In Latin cultures, filial bonds and intergenerational teaching are perpetuated by a macrosystem that espouses religious belief and traditional norms. In countries trying to balance industrialization and tradition, managing care for aging populations presents a problem, especially in countries such as Italy and Japan, where the declining birthrate presents a challenge for this generation of youths An individual’s microsystem system shapes the pattern of interactions to follow for the rest of that person’s life, Shifts in familial status, shifts in occupational status, issues related specifically to aging, external events, and the set of values and beliefs embodied by the macrosystem all contribute to the quality of people’s perceived well being. Senior citizens’ well-being is often related to the quality of their interactions within their microsystems. Depending on the structure of the macrosystem and sometimes on the individual’s accessibility to resources, social support systems may consist of children and grandchildren of the individual, other elderly members of the community, or community members of all ages who seek the guidance of elders. Ecological systems theories provide a framework for identifying the elements of the system and within the individual that account for reasons why individuals behave and think the way they do. Shortcomings in the systems, such as with the treatment of elders, are apparent when macrosystems are compared side by side. This society’s values and beliefs will have to accommodate more positive associations with old age before the majority of elders can enjoy meaningful, productive, and satisfying lives.

The experiences of family members who provide care for their relatives with Alzheimer’s disease

Taking care of an elderly relative can be quite challenging. When this relative is diagnosed with a terminal condition, with no known opportunity for recovery additional challenges are added. Alzheimer’s disease is a debilitating condition which paralyzes the patient’s ability to function normally and thus require personal care from either a nursing professional or an at-home care provider in the form of a family member.Since the survival rate with the disease could reach to as much as 15 to 20 years (Coen et al. , 1999), caring for an AD patient is a long-term commitment. The experiences encountered by these caregivers must be quite unique and would of course vary among families. It is useful therefore to discover some of the commonly challenges faced by caregivers in order to obtain a better understanding of the issue and to develop appropriate strategies to address the issues.2. 0 Literature Review Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia among ol der people (Coen, O’Boyle, Swanwick & Coakley, 1999).Dementia is a slow-onset neurodegenerative disorder marked by a severe decline of cognitive abilities (Ward, 2007) with obvious effects on daily life, mostly memory, which seriously affects a person's ability to carry out daily activities. AD begins slowly. It first involves the parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language. People with AD may have trouble remembering things that happened recently or names of people they know.According to Carradice, Beail & Shankland (2003) this disease is more common among those persons older than eighty years. Given that there is a noted increase in life expectancy where more and more persons are living longer it is quite understandable that the incidents of dementia are also increasing (Zarit & Edwards, 1996). The prognosis for elderly patients with AD is quite dismal. While there are treatment options available that may improve some of the behavioural and cognitive ill ef fectives of the disease.No treatment current exists that will halt the progression of the disease of lead to full recovery (Mittelman, 2002). In order to ensure that the condition is controlled as far as possible and that AD patients are well cared for long-term care options have to be sought. While there are countless long-term care institutions, many with qualified nursing and other medical personnel to cater to the needs of the AD patient, most AD patients are given this long-term care within the domestic situation, primarily by family members (Coen et al., 1999). Research indicates that family members are the ones who are more often than not responsible for providing care for their relatives with Alzheimer’s disease (Mittelman, 2002; Tettelman & Watts, 2004 and Caregiving & Alzheimer’s Disease, 2004). In fact health professions usually feel it best that the elderly continue living at home for as long as possible (Teeri, Leino-Kilpi & Valimaki, 2006), and the elderl y themselves also desire to be home (Aggarwal, 2003).Additionally researchers have often criticized institutions on the basis that often many elderly are registered in these institutions against their wishes and are also often unhappy in these non-private situations (Teeri et al. , 2006). However for those relatives who opt to provide care for AD patients there are considerable day to day strains and difficulties that they face. The financial burden is one of the most apparent. Grahm (2001) highlights that the costs of taking care of an elderly relative are very overwhelming, particularly one who has suffered a stroke or who has AD.Statistics suggest that the usual cost of taking care of an elderly relative ranges between $148 and $158 billion dollars (Caregiving & Alzheimer’s, 2004). Most research has, however, discovered that the greatest challenges for at home caregivers to elderly AD patients is not so much the financial burden, but the psychosocial and emotional difficul ties faced by these caregivers. Thus considerable attention has been paid not only to the dismal prognosis of those suffering from the disease but also those who have to provide at-home care for Alzheimer’s patients.Various researchers have attempted to isolate the various challenges faced by caregivers of AD patients. Grahm (2001) contends that the pressures faced by caregivers are of both an emotional and physical nature. Gwyther (as cited in Caregiving & Alzheimer’s Disease, 2004) mentions chronic stress and decrease health as one of the ill effects of caring for the elderly. Tettleman and Watts (2004) also allude to stress in additional to mental strain as issues of concern faced by these caregivers.Anxiety (Caregiving & Alzheimer’s Disease, 2004), fatigue and depression (Mittelman, 2002) and psychological distress (Carradice et al. , 2003) are other issues commonly noted in the literature. The preoccupation of researchers examining this disease is, therefor e, not only on the debilitating effects that it has on the patient but also the demands that are placed on caregivers who are required to take care of these patients. Evidently caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease at home is not without its challenges as significant strains are put on the caregivers.Each individual situation where a family member is responsible for taking care of a relative with Alzheimer’s disease comes with its own challenges and it is very difficult to generalize specifically about the experiences of these caregivers. This study will seek to identify and categorize some of the more common experiences shared by them. This research will be of considerable importance to medical practitioners who have to interact with patients and their families as well as to the individual family members/caregivers.The findings from this research will be useful to current caregivers in helping them realize that other persons face the same challenges as they do and therefore a network of caregivers facing similar problems could be formed where they formulate strategies to deal with problems together. Medical professional would also have this information and could share this with new caregivers that enter their offices in order to prepare them for the challenges ahead. 3. 0 Research design and justificationConsiderable research has been conducted on the problems associated with Alzheimer’s and challenges that have been associated with caring for a patient with Alzheimer’s disease. Previous research has highlighted the challenges faced by caregivers of ill relative but not much research has focused specifically on the condition of Alzheimer’s disease (Teeri et al. , 2006). Where research was specific to Alzheimer’s disease, the focus on caregivers was not specific to family members providing this kind of care, but generalized on the various categories of caregivers including compensated professionals (Ellor, 20 05; Teeri et al., 2006). Further, research has failed to classify the problems faced by these family caregivers and place them into meaningful categories (Mittelman, 2002; Caregiving & Alzheimer’s Disease, 2004). This will be a qualitative study explaining the common experiences of family members who are caring for elderly relatives at home. Where other researchers were not specific to Alzheimer’s disease this research will be exclusive to this category of caregivers. The experiences of a cross-section of such caregivers will be compared and analyzed for common themes.Unlike previous researchers this study will conduct a comprehensive categorization of the most common experiences based on the information garnered from the caregivers. The information gathering instrument will be primarily interviews. The use of interviews to gather information has long been lauded by researchers. Interviews may either be structured where the researcher directs the line of the conversati on with specific questions requiring direct responses. Unstructured interviews allow the researcher to approach the interviewee with a general objective and allowing the conversation to flow in whatever direction it will.Both of these interview tactics have their benefits. The first forces the respondent to focus specifically on the information that is required for the purposes of the research. The second type allows the research to gather a vast amount of information, even information that was unanticipated when the research was being prepared. For the purposes of this research the unstructured interview would be quite useful as the research does not wish to restrict the extent of the responses given by the interviewees.This research will therefore add to the wealth of knowledge about the nature of Alzheimer’s disease and the direct and indirect effects it has on patient and family. This research will also help to improve understanding of the role that caregivers fulfil and the challenges they face in dealing with ill and elderly relatives, specifically those who have Alzheimer’s disease. Respondents will not be restricted in the type of responses they produce thereby allowing the researcher to get a comprehensive and true picture of the real lived situation of caring for an AD patient.