Systematized Integration of Credit Reference Agencies

Systematized Integration of Credit Reference Agencies Table of Contents (Jump to) Abstract Introduction The Problem Case Studies/Examples Nigeria Tanzania Kenya Uganda Solutions/Synthesis Conclusion With unprecedented growth and an increasingly competitive global community on the horizon, Africa’s economic revolution is intimately linked to their fiscal capabilities. It is within this broad spectrum of economic expansion that businesses and individuals are directly linked to their capacity to borrow and reinvest capital into sustainable endeavors. African nationals have endured centuries of political and economic turmoil, finally reaching a precipice from which to launch a reformative program which supports internal growth and global competition. Credit reference agencies play an intricate role in this restructuring, as provision of finance is entirely dependent on their historic records and the collaborative efforts of the loosely knit African banking community. This paper explores examples of internal frailties within the credit system and proposes solutions towards overcoming inadequate resources through systematized integration of credit reference agencies. As the British and French colonists sailed away from Africa’s northern shore, they left behind their legacy, one of tumult and uncertainty. The development of Africa’s political and economic structure in the wake of colonial oppression has been a difficult and war-stricken path, one which remains uncertain and ambiguous today. Ultimately, however, in order to support some of the world’s most populated regions, the foundation for economic security and opportunity must be laid and supported. Recognizing that the incidence of poverty throughout Africa is unacceptable and consistently counterproductive, the inefficiencies within the African conglomerate system demand revision; and through dramatic reform mechanisms, sustainable industry and globally directed participation will ensure that African nationals are given an opportunity to escape their impoverished existence. Yet there remain a wide range of conflicting solutions, many of which are directly related to the very colonial heritage which placed African countries in this predicament to begin with. The future of economic growth for these citizens is directly linked to the available funding which can be proffered for development of business and expansion of industry. Currently, funding methods are limited to informal requisition stemming from the family and friends of entrepreneurs seeking materials and startup capital. As banks hoard their capital in light of the extremely high number of historic defaults which they have endured, the industry must turn to more strategic methods of evaluating the potential recipient and continue to expand their lending operations. There is a pervasive lack of credit reference agencies throughout the African continent which continues to detract from bank confidence levels and the availability of funding for activation of economic growth. Given the competitive nat ure of the global environment, inspiring industrial advances should be at the forefront of governmental strategy as in order to maintain the recent financial successes which have sustained incremental poverty reduction, participation on a global scale is becoming a necessity. In spite of the hesitation and challenges which surrounds the creation of translatable credit reference agencies, the future of the African national depends on the wealth of information which they will come to retain. As enterprise is directly dependent on available investment funds, participants continue to seek methods of revenue generation, and through well-informed credit outlets, the participative nature of expanding economics will enable entrepreneurs and businesses to expand their berth and actively compete on a much more even playing field. As Africa as a whole continues to struggle against rampant economic instability, popular theories recognize a variety of insufficiencies, including lack of available infrastructure, inadequate educational facilities and programs, and limited health care opportunities as main failures within the collaborative regime. There is, however, another piece of the African economic puzzle which has yet to evolve to meet modern competitive expectations, and that is the systematized inclusion of credit reference agencies and their foundation support mechanisms in the development of commerce and private finance. From a historic perspective, the early development of credit initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa was entirely localized to a protective function of selective credit allocation. It was within this framework that central banks and government controlled credit mechanisms were strictly regulated, leading to substantial economic decline in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s (McDonald and Schumacher, 2007). Ultimately, banking institutions were used as a domestic funding mechanism for government programs and initiatives; however, this reduction of financial resources meant a limited availability of capital for private borrowers and desirous businesses. As developing economies evolve rapidly through a structure of industry generation, perhaps the most important component is found within the definitive walls of small to medium enterprise (SME’s), and their inclusion in growth and capital contribution is essential to stabilize a burgeoning economy (Quintyn, 2008). African economies developed in spite of lackluster credit programs, as government borrowing reformed dramatically to include the much more liquid and readily available foreign capital market in addition to foreign aid. Beraho (2007) cites the colonial legacy as a direct determinant of the modern economic frailties of Sub-Saharan Africa. Ultimately, the influence of colonial overseers was immediately entrenched in the assumed economic structure during periods of instability following the post-colonial independence. The extreme poverty which accompanied post-colonial activity left African nations rich in natural resources but limited in capacity for export and financial generation. In response, domestic debt, a form of government sustenance, has been credited with substantial reduction of available capital for lending purposes. Across Sub-Saharan Africa, the ratio of debt to broad money has held constant at 40%, dramatically reducing available financial resources for financing and supp orting private initiatives (Christensen, 2004). Escaping the confines of such imbalances has been a slow and difficult process; however, as foreign aid programs and the World Bank become increasingly involved, reform is slowly achieved. Mylenko (2008) notes that given the stabilization of the African macroeconomy as well as lower inflation and improved government treasury monitoring and regulation, banks have been increasingly able to turn towards lending opportunities. Africa is represented by the world’s most rapidly growing, yet equitably expiring population, and is limited by inefficiencies in their structural systems as they are characterized as â€Å"the world’s hardest working yet least productive† people (Kolo, 2006, p. 596). It is from this inefficient system that severe poverty has overwhelmed a diverse and frustrated people and continued limitations spawn from inappropriate fiscal programs and activities. There is a sustained movement towards more supportive programs, and much of the fiscal evolution over the past decades in Sub-Saharan Africa has been regulated and guided by intra-national monetary unions. Participants in the WAEMU (West African Economic and Monetary Union) include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo. Other monetary unions include the WAMZ (West African Monetary Zone) represented by Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, as well as the CEMAC (Economic and Monetary Union of Central Africa) inclusive of Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. It is extremely important to recognize these collaborative monetary efforts given the expanding nature of modern credit reference agencies, as bank collaboration intra-monetarily is a direct representation of the expansionary reality which demonstrates potential for additional corroboration. Analysis of performance in dicators over the history of these African Monetary Unions offers substantial implications for other developing nations. Comparatively, the average inflation differential equates to between 8 and 10 percentage points lower in comparison to other low to medium income nations (Gosh et al., 2006). Interestingly, researchers equate the majority of this reduction to monetary discipline, while approximately twenty percent is relative to international confidence levels given the combinative national participation (Gosh et al., 2006). The development of private finance over the past decade has occurred as a direct result of revised fiscal policies throughout the African continent including the combined efforts of multi-national partnerships. There remains, however, a significant piece of the credit market puzzle which has yet to evolve into a supportive and extensively viable practice, and that is the creation and practice of credit reference agencies. The nature of such entities is one from which both consumer and lender confidence is fully integrated into the business cycle and default is directly undermined by the framework of the system itself. Data demonstrates that the issuance of private sector credit in Sub-Saharan Africa declined in a period between 1980 and 2004 from 15.6 percent of GDP to 15.1; comparatively, growth rates in Asia more than doubled, elevating private sector credit levels to over 40 percent of GDP, and in Latin America, incidence grew by over 50 percent, elevating levels to over 20 percen t of GDP (â€Å"Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa,† 2008). There exists a pitfall of significant registry deficiency which continues to detract from the participative efforts of banks and credit reference agencies. Given the nature of Africa’s structural evolution, emphasis has slowly begun to shift towards national registries which incorporate accurate reference for mortgages and property data so as to accurately integrate collateral data into the developing structure of credit agencies (Sacerdoti, 2005). Ultimately, these registries are essential to establishing a standardized framework of collateral and credit reform. McDonald and Schumacher (2007) have determined that there is a complimentary relationship between credit issuance and the strength of creditor rights, namely the culpability and recoup potential given the incidence of default. As much of African credit heritage is characterized by default, there is little room for modern programs to allow continued systematic failures. The nature of credit reference agencies opportune an evolve structure from which to ensure compliance and stabilize a deviant legacy of poor payment history. The challenges which face Africa begin with its current lack of structural capacity, namely registration, standardized policy and legislation, and the volatile nature of government organizations. To overcome the credit crisis and define an effective program, evolution of African economic structures including opportunities for entrepreneurs and SME’s will be essential parts of the rehabilitiation. One method which has already generated support and shown long term successes is that of microenterprise and microfinance loans. Rhyne and Otero (1994) recognize that in spite of the arbitrary nature of its definition, that microenterprise is generally accepted as a company with less than ten employees and is relegated to the non-agricultural sector of the business community. Additionally, these businesses are oftentimes a source of income which arise where no alternative method for financial gain is available. Given the extreme impoverishment within the African borders, implementing s upportive programs is an essential tactic, one which will offer long term stability and positive reform mechanisms for a needy and desirous population. This paper seeks to identify some of the more prominent systematic failures within specific African infrastructures through specific case studies and devise strategy for evading, manipulating, and evolving such systems to meet financial demand and overcome the credit dilemma. Ultimately, the solutions herein recognize the necessity of credit reference agencies and through the integration of such programs, solutions can be drawn from which to prioritize their sustainability. As integrating credit bureaus and agencies into a frail infrastructure is a long term goal, identifying the key areas of potential failure prior to inception is essential to prudent and productive creation. Ultimately, the findings of this paper determine that given the nature of globalized capitalism, credit reference agencies offer a singular solution from which to pull Africa from the depths of poverty and define its prosperous multinational future. While foreign aid and government reform will assist to waylay many of Africa’s social problems, the only true option for overcoming extreme economic difficulties is through supportive initiatives which redistribute opportunities for wealth among the people who truly need sustainable financial sustenance. In order to ensure that such distribution is appropriately allocated, the historic nature of the credit reference agency will ensure that banks and credit corporations have adequate reference from which to offer the necessary funds for generation of commerce and industry. The following section represents a sample set of a diverse grouping of African participants. Each of these nations has undergone periods of remarkable recovery yet remains limited in this credit reference agency participation. While developmentally exploiting both natural and human resources to overcome the throes of poverty, these nations have yet to fully extract their legacy from the limiting factors which have undermined social and economic efforts for the past decades. Nigeria Nigeria represents a nation of over 144,700 million inhabitants of which over 54 percent currently live in abject poverty (World Bank, 2008). Endeavoring to stabilize their vacillating economy, government leaders have embarked upon a process of economic reform and consolidation over the past decade with decidedly positive results. Much of the evolution of this economy owes its legacy to the rising oil prices and increased exports in this area as demand continues to pay dividend to a resource rich Nigerian population. Unfortunately, there are other limiting constraints which continue to undermine rapid economic evolution on a broad scale, and as the population continues to grow at an annual rate of over 2.4%, there remains significant opportunity for developing internal modes of sustenance and advanced and sustainable industries to push the Nigerian economy forward (World Bank, 2008). Exemplary of the limiting factors now facing the Nigerian people, the lack of a substantial credit system, and importantly, credit reference agency, has historically undermined entrepreneurial efforts and small to medium enterprise, the keys to sustained economic growth. Before the 2005 consolidation period, over 20% of loans made by Nigerian banks were non-performing, as opposed to the remarkable decline of this negative incidence to just over 8.4% in 2007 (Corbett, 2008). It is a direct result of this negative outlook towards loan participants that the Credit Reference Company of Nigeria has been created in past years which utilizes a network of 11 banks to standardize the systematic handling of customer information and credit history. Pre-consolidation Nigerian banks could not fund long term projects due to their short term capital capabilities, in recent years, this process has now evolved to include 10-20 year loans, thereby enabling infrastructural development and social reform (Corbett 2008). As the majority of Nigerian nationals have limited desire to trust their savings to the banking system, much of the evolution over the past years has required significant adjustment in public perspective and a necessary increase in consumer confidence. In Nigeria, private sector credit and banking deposits have doubled since the 2005 banking consolidation and the number of banking branches have increased by over one third (IMF Country Report, 2008). As a testament to the efforts at financial modernization, the expansion of this banking network is a direct indication of a necessitated communication network, one which has the capacity to share consumer information and at the same time, retain the privacy of these participants. Indicative of the evolving perception regarding credit and modern purchasing methods, in 2004, Nigeria recorded less than 50,000 credit card transactions per month as opposed to the remarkable growth to over 51,000,000 per month that were recorded in March of 200 8 (â€Å"Nigeria; The Rise of the Card Payment System,† 2008). Yet these charges are not representative of an extension of credit and simply attest to the acceptance of electronic payment processing as inhabitants continue to support alternate modes of payment. Unfortunately, in spite of bank and economic reform, poverty levels are holding at approximately 55 percent of the Nigerian population, further exacerbated by limited resources available given the rising population and under capitalized infrastructural reform (IMF Country Report, 2008). It is within the incapacitated growth mechanisms that Nigerian credit reference agencies are most needed, as funding unprecedented reform requires the capabilities which can only be imbued through finance and bank funding mechanisms. Recognizing the SME’s hold a key to Nigerian development, there is continued support for credit based initiatives from which to extend financial opportunities to these developing industries. The IFC (International Finance Corporation), a World Bank affiliate continues offer its partnership as Nigeria strives to develop and maintain consumer data, their efforts intimately linked with the economic future of the nation. Tanzania Tanzania, a much smaller nation than Nigeria, is represented by a population of over 39.5 million inhabitants, over 36 percent of whom live below the poverty line (World Bank, 2008). Equally representative of the reformation efforts of developing African countries, Tanzania has endeavored to undergo structural evolution in the past few decades, actively pursuing economic opportunity for its population who continues to expand by around 2.6 percent annually. One of the most significant failures within the Tanzanian system has been the lack of property registry. The World Bank (2005) reported that 90 percent of nationals could not be located through property registry and only had six national offices at their disposal for registry purposes, each fraught with unnecessary and â€Å"irrelevant red tape.† Given this lack of registry foundation, there is little collateral leverage to be gained by participating in government registration programs, therefore, citizens do not find overwh elming motivation or desire to legalize their claims to land. Additionally, the World Bank (2005) notes that there is limited liquidity of property rights for similar reasons of registration difficulties and obscure transference policies, therefore, entrepreneurs have limited opportunity to leverage their properties and gain the initial financing needed for startup capital. Characteristic of more widespread African credit issues, only 4 percent of respondents in a recent survey claimed access to trade credit as a source of start-up finances, thereby placing all required resources directly at the informal level and limited to a partnered initiative between friends and private investors (Sharma and Upneja, 2005). This failure within the credit system is directly related to the lack of credit reference agencies and the supportive information they could provide; however, given the state of the Tanzanian recording structure, there seems to be a much more pressing issue of registry and records to overcome before such projects can become a reality. In addition to the failure to support corporate trade credit, there is an overall limitation which is obvious when considering the widespread state of Tanzanian credit. More formal data recognized private credit initiatives at 8 percent of GDP in 2005; however, comparatively Kenya’s private credit in the same period was over 23 percent of GDP (World Bank, 2005). The lack of lending directly correlates to the lack of creditor rights and available, traceable collateral for loans. As default rates continue to undermine any efforts towards credit system evolution, there remains a substantial field of doubt which overwhelms banks and their lending efforts. Given the disconnect between small businesses and reception of credit from Tanzanian banks, the ability to start and maintain a business in the modern environment is extremely limited and continues to be undermined by a lack of capital. Most concerning is that given the lack of external funding, disposable income or working capital is thereby reintegrated into the business and utilized for daily refurbishments as available. Tanzanian business owners are therefore limited by both the economic factors which drive the success of their business, and their own personal integration into the business operations through consummation of personal finance, lack of new equipment and materials, and inability to improve upon current models to evolve standards to more modern efficiencies (Sharma and Upneja, 2005). These failures are a direct result of the Tanzanian credit crisis and requite the inclusion of a well positioned credit reporting agency in order to ensure that SME’s have sustaine d opportunities for generating much needed investment capital. One of the most remarkable advances which has sustained the fleeting, but evolving stability that is becoming visible within the Tanzanian infrastructure is the adjustment of government funding from domestic lending to foreign sources and foreign aid (Sharma and Upneja, 2005; World Bank, 2005). Eliminating this form of consequential taxation on bank reserves has expanded the Tanzanian opportunity for investment and greater private funding. Unfortunately, characteristic of other African nations, a lack of any form of credit reference agency prevents broad based credit dispersion among citizens and thereby limits loans to corporations and larger scale economic participants. Tanzania currently has plans to develop and establish an operational credit reference databank by the end of June, 2009 in order to extend credit into the private sector. The extension of private credit is currently projected to increase around 22 percent per year yet is entirely linked to governmental stability and internal mechanisms of fiscal policies (â€Å"United Republic of Tanzania: Third Review Under the Policy Support Instrument,† 2008). The nature of finance is derived from available resources which can be distributed for a nominal return. Given the current state of government spending, this opportunity is more realistic today than it has ever been; however, the Tanzanian government must evade the pitfalls of internal borrowing in order to enable these funds to be distributed among industrial participants, thereby facilitating the expansion of industry and inclusion of additional commerce in the resource limited business sector. Kenya Kenya is a nation of similar size to Tanzania, boasting a population of just over 36.6 million people, yet over 55.5 percent of these inhabitants live below the poverty line (Population Reference Bureau, 2008). Most significant in Kenya’s modern history, political unrest and lacking economic growth have continued to undermine efforts of reform and population support mechanisms. Credit considerations are simply another indication of the limited capabilities which a tumultuous nation has to overcome its financial and social deficits. In 2003, over one third of all bank loans were considered non-performing (NPL’s), directly undermining the lending power of institutions, as well as enhancing the proclivity for default among participants (â€Å"Kenya: Bankers Unveil Plan to Keep Tabs on Borrowers,† 2007). In spite of the frail political economy, currently the development of a credit reference bureau is in its advanced stages, as recognizing the merits of such collabor ative information sharing, Kenyan banks actively seek to minimize risk and improve their loan to repayment ratios. Remarkably, in Kenya, over recent decades exceptional opportunities have evolved for entrepreneurial credit extension as startup capital and materials costs represent a substantial portion of business success ratios. Kenyan extension of credit is significantly higher than other African regions as over 85 percent of businesses currently have opportunity to borrow from their providers (World Bank, 2004). These surveyed corporations, while a representation of Kenyan businesses, offer an optimistic perspective on the future of industry and finance. Given the relative youth of the Kenyan population with 4 out of every 10 citizens being under the age of 15, there is substantial opportunity to ensure that financial resources are available for these growing future business owners (Population reference Bureau, 2008). Ultimately, Kenya presents a fairly optimistic outlook for the future of credit extension and opportunities for broad scale industrial financing; however, the completion and full integration of their credit reference bureau stands to offer the most reliable statistics after its inception later this year. Uganda Uganda, a nation of 29.9 million citizens, has continued to experience substantial population growth over the past decade, holding near 3.2 percent, a number significantly advanced from other referenced African nations (World Bank, 2008). Of significant concern to the development of a progressive Ugandan infrastructure, trade credit plays an intricate part in sustaining emerging business and defining industrial evolution. Current statistics demonstrate that only 60 percent of firms have access to this capital as material providers must, themselves, be supplied with the external financial means from banking institutions to extend such credit (World Bank, 2004). When firms are afforded the opportunity to borrow directly from banking institutions, the interest fees associated with such loans are oftentimes overwhelmingly costly and therefore, detract from the efficacy of such endeavors. Overwhelmingly, the inadequacies within the Ugandan credit structure can be directly attributed to a lack of credit tracking mechanisms, and thereby, the capacity for benchmarking and substantiation of creditworthiness. Researchers note that over 40 percent of all loans held in Uganda have a maturity date of one year or less; and of those firms who to receive loans, over 60 percent of all participants are required to post collateral as a loan prerequisite (World Bank, 2004). Essentially, this extreme precedence of default aversion represents an obvious inadequacy in the Ugandan credit reporting system, as given more stringent standards and a confluence of bank participants, protection mechanisms would become fully integrated with the reporting system, providing a deterrence net to reduce defaults through natural and appropriate fiscal processes. Characteristic of many African nations, the pervasive nation of credit doubt in terms of default and repayment potential is an indication of the necessity for credit reference agency construction. As lenders seek to develop new streams of available capital, Ugandan SME’s represent an expanding opportunity, however, they will require support from struc tural evolution in order to ensure their continued operation. There are extreme challenges presented by the African credit woes, most of which will not be overcome through foreign aid or current infrastructure development programs. Indicated by the nations herein, there is substantial need for integration of credit reference agencies into the structure of these modernizing nations; specifically, there is a need for support of small to medium enterprise and the merits of developing an economy through advanced and evolving industry. Ultimately, determining a singular solution to the credit crisis is impossible, however, by coupling several key zones of evolution into a targeted plan of action, the potential for sustained advancement becomes a much more plausible reality. Quintyn (2008) noted that other developing nations who have evolved through similar credit challenges have utilized a form of hub and spoke credit agency system from which to operate these units with limited startup capital required for each branch. In its â€Å"Regional Economic Outlook† (2008), the IMF recognizes that there is a need for leveraged reference agencies, specifically those who are sustained by a technologically advanced central hub yet localize their economy of scale operations in areas of public access. Given the limited nature of credit agencies, a hub and spoke system would reduced the cost of a credit report by $ 2-5 and allow firms the opportunity to extend credit more freely given the support base of their regional offices. The IMF (2008) also recognizes that current credit offerings are only 200,000 people out of every 15 million, a direct result of a lack of credit data and agency interaction within the modern banking structure. In order to overcome the geographical, political, and economic constraints which undermine the constructs of a successful African credit program, the continuity of credit reporting policies across geographic lines must be maintained. While banking unions have taken the initiative to link participants, there remain additional opportunities for broad scale communication expansion and technically advanced sharing techniques which protect both the consumer and the bank from fraud. In spite of the banking cooperatives which are integrated into the Western and Central African economic structures, there remains a difficult framework for monetary exchange outside of these conglomerates. Pervasive in widespread Sub-Saharan fiscal analysis, the necessity of a central banking structure continues to challenge unorganized methods of bank-dominated financial systems. The application of such a combinative operation is one which would assist in the integration of regional credit reference agencies with centralized control mechanisms. This transformation of the informal structure into a more systematized and coordinated pragmatism would generate synergies between monetary policy and banking oversight, thereby establishing a supervisory committee while propagating a bank dominated industry (Quintyn, 2008). The central oversight which is lacking in terms of African banks is basically a function of communicable objectives, a framework which is essential when considering the n ature of investing in economic futures. African capacity for growth is readily foreseeable, however, there must be an active pursuit of this evolution, one which directly integrates the unique partnerships of a banking network and captures communicative data which is readily available across geographic lines. There is a continued deficit within the African lending structure, one which demands reform and challenges banks to contin

Race and Ethnicity in Childhood Obesity Essay

Many early life risk factors for childhood obesity are more prevalent among blacks and Hispanics than among whites and may explain the higher prevalence of obesity among racial/ethnic minority children. Eliminating racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care is a national priority, and obesity is a prime target. During the last 30 years in the United States, the prevalence of obesity among children has dramatically increased, sparing no age group. Obesity in childhood is associated with adverse cardio-metabolic outcomes such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and type II diabetes and with other long-term adverse outcomes, including both physical and psychosocial consequences. By the preschool years, racial/ethnic disparities in obesity prevalence are already present, suggesting that disparities in childhood obesity prevalence have their origins in the earliest stages of life. Several risk factors during pregnancy are associated with increased risk of offspring obesity, including excessive maternal gestational weight gain, gestational diabetes, and smoking during pregnancy, antenatal depression, and biological stress. During infancy and early childhood, rapid infant weight gain, infant feeding practices, sleep duration, child’s diet, physical activity, and sedentary practices are associated with the development of obesity. Studies have found substantial racial/ethnic differences in many of these early life risk factors for childhood obesity. It is possible that racial/ethnic differences in early life risk factors for obesity might contribute to the high prevalence of obesity among minority preschool-age children and beyond. Understanding these differences may help inform the design of clinical and public health interventions and policies to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity and eliminate disparities among racial/ethnic minority children. Race and Ethnicity in Childhood Obesity Race is a group whose inherited physical characteristics distinguish it from other groups. Races refer to broad division of people based on their biological characteristics such as color of skin, color of hair and their facial features. These differences developed among humans in prehistoric times due to different groups of people developing in different parts of the world isolated from each other. Originally all humans in the world belonged to one of the other of these pure races. However in today’s world it is difficult to find people of that time. Most of the people living now have mixed racial ancestry. Ethnicity refers to the common characteristics of a group of people that distinguish them from most other people of the same society. Ethnicity is based on commonality of ancestry, culture, language, nationality, or religion, or a combination of these things. Biological characteristics that play a part in racial differences may be visible in an ethnic group, but these characteristic do not form a criteria for defining an ethnic group. Although childhood obesity is increasing in all ethnic and racial groups, its prevalence is higher in nonwhite populations. The reasons for the differences in prevalence of obesity among groups are complex, likely involving genetics, physiology, culture, socioeconomic status, environment and interactions among these variables as well as others not fully recognized. The relationship between race and ethnicity in childhood obesity is that obesity disproportionately affects certain minority youth populations. NHANES found that African American and Mexican American adolescents ages 12-19 were more likely to be overweight, at 21 percent and 23 percent respectively, than non-Hispanic White adolescents (14 percent). In children 6-11 years old, 22 percent of Mexican American children were overweight, whereas 20 percent of African American children and 14 percent of non-Hispanic White children were overweight. In addition to the children and teens that were overweight in 1999-2002, another 15 percent were at risk of becoming overweight. In a national survey of American Indian children 5-18 years old, 39 percent were found to be overweight or at risk for overweight. In most of the states examined, blacks had the highest prevalence (number of existing cases in a defined group of people during a specific time period) of obesity, followed by Hispanics, and then whites. Greater prevalence’s of obesity for non-Hispanic blacks and whites were found in the Midwest and South. Among Hispanics lower prevalence was observed in the Northeast compared to other regions. At least three reasons may account for the racial and ethnic differences in obesity. First, racial and ethnic groups differ in behaviors that contribute to weight gain; second explanation may be differences in individual attitudes and cultural norms related to body weight. A third explanation may be differences in access to affordable, healthful foods and safe locations to be physically active; this limited access may negatively impact diet and physical activity levels. An ethnic group as subpopulations is that low -income and some racial and ethnic subpopulations are more likely to suffer from obesity. Inequities in the physical and social environment may contribute to disparities in pediatric obesity, but there is little empirical evidence to date. This study explored whether neighborhood-level socioeconomic factors attenuate racial and ethnic disparities in obesity among youth in the USA and whether individual-level socioeconomic status (SES) interacts with neighborhood deprivation. In addition, although some of the risk factors for obesity are relatively ubiquitous in settings where American children and youth spend their time in the mall or at home, epidemiologic evidence shows that African-American, Hispanic/ Latino, American Indian/Alaska. Native, and Pacific Islander populations and children experiencing poverty are more likely to live in environments with inadequate support for health-promoting behaviors. Assessing the impact of these different environments presents an enormous challenge for tracking progress against obesity in diverse populations. Racial/ethnic minority children bear a disproportionate share of the burden of obesity and its related comorbidities. The degree of obesity also differs among racial/ethnic minority children. Compared to non-Hispanic white children, non-Hispanic black girls and Hispanic boys had almost 2-fold greater odds of being severely obese. The urban populations of the United States are at a higher risk for obesity than their suburban and rural counterparts. The ethnicity of the urban residents plays a factor in their obesity. In the USA the prevalence of overweight among children aged 4–12 years rose twice as fast in Hispanic and African–American groups compared with white groups over the period 1986–1998. The socioeconomic aspect of the urban area neighborhoods is also a larger factor in the obesity of American urban youth. Culture can influence the utilization of health services; affecting the likelihood that childhood obesity can be prevented or effectively treated in specific ethnic groups. Although physical activity is obviously important in energy balance, intensive physical activity interventions in obese children have produced only small changes in body weight, with somewhat greater changes in metabolic and cardiovascular indexes. Obesity is disproportionately prevalent among racial/ethnic minority children and recent trends suggest these disparities are widening. Our findings suggest that modifiable risk factors throughout the life course, including factors during infancy and early childhood, as well as social conditions in childhood and trans-generational obesity, are critical to understanding how disparities in childhood obesity arise. They also imply that efforts to eliminate racial/ethnic disparities in childhood obesity should focus on preventing these early life risk factors within the socio-environmental context in which they occur. Studies of race and health frequently invoke racism, prejudice, and discrimination as possible reasons for high levels of morbidity and mortality among black and among other racial and ethnic minorities. Obesity is highly stigmatized in our society. Overweight and obese individuals are vulnerable to negative bias, prejudice and discrimination in many different settings, including the workplace, educational institutions, and health care facilities and even within interpersonal relationships. Despite the increasing prevalence of obesity, it appears that incidences of weight discrimination are only becoming worse. Obesity now affects one in five children in the United States. Discrimination against overweight children begins early in childhood and becomes progressively institutionalized. Because obese children tend to be taller than their no overweight peers, they are apt to be viewed as more mature. The inappropriate expectations that result may have an adverse effect on their socialization. References Reilly JJ, Armstrong J, Dorosty AR, et al. Early life risk factors for obesity in childhood: cohort study. BMJ. 2005; 330(7504): 1357 http://pediatrics. aappublications. org/content/125/4/686. full Kimbro RT, Brooks-Gunn J, McLanahan S. Racial and ethnic differentials in overweight and obesity among 3-year-old children. Am J Public Health. 2007; 97(2): 298–305 Wang YC, Gortmaker SL, Taveras EM. Trends and racial/ethnic disparities in severe obesity among US children and adolescents, 1976-2006. International journal of pediatric obesity : IJPO : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity. 2010 Mar 17; http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC3835398/ http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/books/NBK24680/ Puhl, R. M. , Andreyeva, T. , & Brownell, K. D (2008). Perceptions of weight discrimination: prevalence and comparison to race and gender discrimination in America. International Journal of Obesity. doi: 10. 1038/ijo. 2008. 22 http://www. obesityaction. org/educational-resources/resource-articles-2/weight-bias/weight- discrimination-a-socially-acceptable-injustice.

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Cell Phones, Sexting and Teenagers - 2233 Words

I. INTRODUCTION A. Cell Phones, Sexting, and Teenagers The personal cell phone unheard of in the beginning of the last century, has forever changed the way people communicate. Some of our nation’s teenagers are being caught in the crossfire between technology and the law. Teenagers are charged with possession and distribution of child pornography when caught using cell phone technology to share with others intimate, provocative, seductive, or sexually explicit photos of themselves. Radley Balko writes of the absurdness of these prosecutions in his article, Ruining Kids to Save Them. While technology continues to rapidly grow, legislative processes lack the ability to keep pace. Laws that promote the public policy of keeping our nation’s children safe from sexual predators, are used to prosecute teenagers for participating in an activity called sexting. The numbers in a 2009 poll taken by the Pew Internet and American Life Project show 71% of children, 12 – 17 owned cell phones, which they are actively using to sext. In 2008, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy concluded that one in five teenagers has â€Å"electronically sent, or posted online, nude or semi-nude pictures or video of themselves.† In 2009, a survey conducted by Cox Communications revealed that nineteen percent of teens from ages thirteen to eighteen engaged in sexting. This note analyzes how state governments have responded to the rising number of sexting teenagersShow MoreRelatedThe Sexting Phenomenon Essay1198 Words   |  5 PagesCell phones are common objects found in the pockets and bags of almost everyone one in the world. Recently, cell phones have been getting teens and adults into trouble. Most individuals send and receive text messages. The newest trend among some individuals is â€Å"sex-texting† or à ¢â‚¬Å"sexting.† Sexting is a dangerous yet contagious phenomenon contaminating the lives of teens and adults all over the country, if not the world. This phenomenon can have serious consequences. Even after surveying 1300Read MoreSexting: Mobile Phone and Highly Charged Issues Essay1111 Words   |  5 PagesTeen â€Å"Sexting† Sexting – teens sending sexually explicit photos of themselves via cell phones, email, or instand message – has become the latest in a line of highly charged issues involving kids and the internet. Sexting has become a widespread occurance that has destroyed lives and has caused emotional distress to many teenagers and young adults. Sexting gives teenagers the feeling of acceptance and the chance to be popular by gaining attention but what they fail to realize is the attention theyRead MoreTechnology Is The Answer On Technology966 Words   |  4 Pagesbut it’s actually stunning it. My generation is using technology for all the wrong reasons; sexting, texting while driving and walking, social media and video games etc. In recent years the new phenomenon among teens has been sexting. To try and take control of this the court systems have started to charge teens for sexting. Just in September a North Carolina Teenage couple faced felony charges for sexting. Studies show that 39% of all teens have said that they have sent sexually suggestive messagesRead MoreWhy Teenagers Send These Sexual Messages And Photos895 Words   |  4 PagesToday we live in a world where technology and social media are a big platform in our lives. Smart phones, iPads, and Tablets along with the internet provides many of positive ways to connect and communicate with others. Young adults were born into the generation of advanced technology which can also have possible negative effects. Sexting is the well-known meaning of sharing explicit photographs, text messages, and sexual content through digital devices, cellular devices or over the internet. AccordingRead MoreThe Negative Effects of Social Networking on Teenagers1547 Words   |  6 PagesInstagram are used excessively in teenagers’ society. It is a new socialization for them. It is true that the social network is a decent method to communicate with friends. However, social networking has negative effects on teenagers in regard to their academic outcomes, their socialization, and their behavior. First of all, overusing social networking in adolescences has direct impact on academic outcomes. Nowadays, social networking has turn into norm for teenagers. Some teens think that it is necessaryRead MoreSexting: Virtual Abuse of the Human Body Essay1293 Words   |  6 PagesSexting: Virtual Abuse of the Human Body While the increased access to technology over the recent years provides almost every consumer with new communication tools at his or her fingertips, it also leads to negative effects. â€Å"Sexting† has become extremely popular, especially among teenage consumers. This new action is said to be any sexually explicit messages or pictures between cell phones. Sexting has become so emotionally and physically dangerous that there have been cases where suicide or otherRead MoreCell Phones Are A Influential Way Of Communication923 Words   |  4 PagesIn the world today, cell phones are being used more than ever before. Everywhere you go, cell phones are present, and its users range from almost all ages. There is no avoiding the fact that cell phones are a prominent way of communication. They have become so influential in peoples’ everyday lives that many can not imagine life without a cell phone. Cell phones are not necessarily a bad tool, when used in moderation. Cell phon es are changing the way people communicate and the way they live theirRead MoreSexting1555 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The sexting trend is gaining popularity with both teens and adults. Haag and Cummings (2010), define sexting as â€Å"the sending of sexually explicit messages and/ or photos, primarily between mobile phones† (p.1). However, sexually explicit messages and photos can be sent through social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and over various electronic devices, such as tablets. Although sexting between consenting adults is considered an acceptable activity, both adultsRead MoreCyberbullying And Its Effects On Society Essay1731 Words   |  7 PagesCyberbullying is a prevalent issue in our society due to the rise of technology. Teenagers and children are more connected to the internet than ever before and are in danger of cyber bullying. People can be bullied for a multitude of reasons, the number seeming to grow every year. Some children are cyberbullied because of their physical appearance, sexual orientation, for sexting, for their mental disabilities or for simply existing. This form of bullying is so dangerous because it is very difficultRead More How Is Text Messaging Affecting Teen Literacy and Other Aspects of their Life700 Words   |  3 Pages Almost a generation of teens have access to a phone with text messages. They spend so much time shorting words, they lose the ability to be literate. Teenagers today are more worried about their phones, in school or out of school, causing them to drop their grades and get them in lots of trouble. The telephone was invented in 1870 by Gray and Bell, who then battled over the true inventor of the telephone, which Bell won. Bell then began experimenting with electrical signs, which brought the

Domestic Violence And Its Effects On Society - 1163 Words

Domestic violence can be describe as one of the most gruesome and misunderstood crime in our society. It can be as simple as verbal abuse and as complicated as a homicide where we walk a thin line between intentional harm and self-defence. There are two distinctive differences or stages of domestic violence. The first being some sort of â€Å"controlling behaviour explained as a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape and regulating their everyday behaviour.† (Oonagh Gay, 2015). This controlling behaviour can either stay as such or excel as what is called a â€Å"coercive behaviour: an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim.† (Oonagh, 2015). It is quite unsettling to find out victims are of any age, race, gender or social economic backgrounds. Even though, society believes women are the primarily victims of this crime; often men also find themselves being victims. However, are they the only ones? What can be said about the children involved that may not experience the abuse first hand, but are victims of seeing the horror of conjugal violence? The families of both parties: the abused and the abuser? Family of the victim may feel powerless in wanting to help their daughter/son,Show MoreRelatedDomestic Violence And Its Effects On Society1745 Words   |  7 Pages Domestic Violence in Literature Domestic violence entails transgressions that tend to exhibit regular occurrence worldwide. Domestic violence is substantially attributable to the psychological, physical, mental, and sexual forms of suffering or anguish. Domestic violence further refers to the family violence or spousal abuse that defines the evident pattern of violent behaviors executed by one spouse to the other in the close affiliations that include courtships, matrimony, family, or individualsRead MoreDomestic Violence And Its Effects On Society1204 Words   |  5 Pages a.INTRODUCTION Domestic violence is defined as a violent behavior or an act of abuse between couples in the home. It is called family violence. Usually most women are harmed and the witnesses of this violence are also effected. This abuse is frowned upon in todays society. In Chile domestic violence wasn t taken seriously because of the cultural norm which was that men controlled the women. There are many treatments for the abuse but they are only focused on the victim; the one committing theRead MoreDomestic Violence And Its Effects On Society1649 Words   |  7 PagesIn America most cases of Domestic Violence are never actually reported, many times these cases go unheard and the victims suffer in silence. The worn out cries of a battered woman as she lays on the ground clutching herself and begging her significant other to just stop. The bruises and cuts that remain unreported due to the victim claiming they accidentally fell yet again. The abusers tend to make the victim almost entirely depend able on them. An abuser will do this to gain control and to createRead MoreDomestic Violence And Its Effects On Society869 Words   |  4 Pagesimbalance of neurotransmitters can impact an individual’s development and overall self-image. Equally, an individual’s experience with domestic violence and its horrific ramifications can also impact a person’s psychological, emotional, physical, and social growth. Domestic Violence Domestic violence, is a virulent calamity that has woven its way into our society for thousands of years. It is not biased to a particular race, group, or culture. Grievously, it has an everlasting negative impact onRead MoreDomestic Violence And Its Effects On Society1859 Words   |  8 Pagesdoors. Domestic violence kills. The facts are startling; one in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime, and those are just the cases that are reported. In the past weeks, America’s eye has been fixated on the NFL and the Capital Justice Departments prosecution of Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice and Greg Hardy. They were all indicted on allegations of domestic violence and abuse. Each year, another stack of players are arrested, or â€Å"caught† with a history of domestic violenceRead MoreDomestic Violence And Its Effects On Society904 Words   |  4 Pagesout of every four women will go through domestic violence situations in life. (safehorizon.com) Dome stic violence is aggressive behavior towards someone else at home or in a relationship. This can happen at home between spouses/partners or parents and children. Domestic violence should be given more acknowledgment in the media and in classrooms so that people are aware of what is happening. If we do not continue to advocate for victims and educate society, victims will continue to suffer physicallyRead MoreDomestic Violence And Its Effects On Society2241 Words   |  9 PagesDomestic violence, a highly prevalent, almost authorized, legally penalized, almost always hidden heinous crime, has been a matter of concern in many countries. More so in India, as every 2 in 5 women face domestic violence in India and about once every five minutes an incident of domestic violence is reported in India, under its legal definition of cruelty by husband or his relatives. Although it is gender neutral, domestic violence is usually perpetrated against women and hence it becomes essentialRead Mor eDomestic Violence And Its Effects On Society1360 Words   |  6 Pagesissue of domestic violence. Defined by domesticviolence.org (2012) as a behavior â€Å"used by one person in a relationship to control the other†, domestic violence can be physical, emotional, sexual, verbal, or even financial. Although the issue of abusers being punished is a significant one, it must be realized that there are victims, and those victims need help. Some countries have no concern or sympathy for victims, as more than twenty countries have no laws against abuse (Domestic Violence in DevelopingRead MoreDomestic Violence And Its Effects On Society1431 Words   |  6 PagesDomestic violence is that dark little secret kept by your neighbor, your friend, your family member, or even yourself. It touches the lives of men, women, and children in every ethnic and economic group on the face of the earth. In order to stem the tide of this egregious and infectious behavior we cannot consider it so lely a women’s issue. It is as much a men’s issue as it is a women’s issue, maybe more so, and can only be effectively addressed if we enlist and encourage the help of familyRead MoreDomestic Violence And Its Effects On Society1720 Words   |  7 PagesTo date, although domestic violence has been researched, the law remains a constraint to victims’ growth and stability. The laws and programs provided in today’s society are limited and affect the victims exit from domestic violence relationships. Further research could propel an initiation of better-developed laws and programs and cause a great impact in how victims respond to domestic violence. Few studies have researched how successful domestic violence victims have been with the legal process

Understanding consumer behaviour in business Free Essays

INTRODUCTION The question of how understanding consumer behaviour informs business success is a vital issue. According to Parkinson (1982) with the analysis of 16 British and German machine tool manufacturer and 129 of their customer, the consumer behaviour in Germany determine the business success of the German machine tool industry. This suggests that the study of consumer helps a firm or organisation improve their strategies in order to provide the best services for them. We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding consumer behaviour in business or any similar topic only for you Order Now The customers are the major determining factor of a business. They need to be satisfied in order to keep patronising which brings about the growth and development of a business. After all, it is a consumer who decides what a business is. When you understand the behaviour of consumers, you can create products and services that provide the consumers with more value. And then you can market those products and services in ways that the consumers’ understand. The entire idea of reviewing consumer behaviour is to persuade customers’ to purchase. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the connection between consumer behaviour and business success. To achieve this certain factors needs to be considered and they are; the consumer buying process which are problem recognition, information research, evaluation of alternative, final purchase decision and post purchase behaviour. Also, personality, lifestyle, culture, emotions and satisfaction to mention a few needs to be put into consideration because the customers are from different geographical locations with different perspectives. Having considered all this, a business can then build a connection with the consumer which will bring about sales and development which is the aim of all business. This composition will concentrate on how the satisfaction and emotion of the consumers improves the success of a business. The essay argues that the understanding consumer behaviour through satisfaction and emotion informs business success. To understand your consumer; research are made which is the emotional and satisfaction research. The emotional brings about hidden attitudes, motivation and feelings while satisfaction tells us about the future needs and ideas for a new product. Firstly, a definition of terms will be presented; next, examples will be analysed .Then, the arguments against how understanding consumer behaviour informs business success. Understanding of consumer behaviour involves gathering of information from Economics, Marketing, Psychology and sociology. CONSUMERS According to Loudon D.L and Della Bitta A.J, A consumer is anyone who involves in physical activities of evaluating, acquiring, using or disposing of goods and services. A consumer is one who purchases a product or services from a particular organisation or firm. A customer is always defined in terms of a specific product or company. Customers may explain their satisfaction with a product or service in terms of specific aspects such as the product qualities, price, customer service, or a combination of these features. In order words, the consumer needs to be motivated and satisfied with the product or a service for them to patronize which brings about sales and growth between specific aspects of satisfaction and overall satisfaction. CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR Consumer behaviour is useful to distinguish the outcome of a business. Consumer behaviour teaches companies of all sizes about the consumption patterns of their consumers as well as the internal and external influences that can affect the customers. Consumer behaviour reflects the totality of consumer’s decision with respect to the purchase, consumption and disposition of goods, services, time and ideas over time. Recognise consumer behaviour, you create products and services that provide the consumers with more value. Studying consumer behaviour is to motivate customers to purchase goods and services and to meet consumer emotions. Recognize consumer behaviour and explain the usefulness to better the marketability of an organisation or firm, explain your values, and increase your sales. BUSINESS SUCCESS The business is advised to identify and build a relationship with the customers. Understanding the consumers brings about growth and development. The business success requires the ability to know the weakness and strength. An organisation is advised to work on the strength instead of fixing the weakness. They should be able to adapt to all condition in order words tackle all problems as they come. In Conclusion, the organisations to meet the demand of their customers, they are advised to be productive which can be achieved through technology, automation, outsourcing and improving business sources. Having done all the above-mentioned, there will be an increase in purchase which helps in the success of the business. CONSUMER SATISFACTION Customer satisfaction has received considerable attention in the marketing literature and practice in recent years (Oliver, Westbrook and Oliver, Price et al).The cooperating with customers serves as a strategy in order to gain access to getting information on their needs and wants. Customer satisfaction can be described as a thinking process where customers consider whether their products, services and process needs are considered. Consumer satisfaction is defined as a post-consumption evaluation that a chosen alternative at least meets or exceed the expectations. According to Anderson, Satisfaction is a generally evaluation of performance based on all prior experiences with a firm. Customer satisfaction surveys can generate valuable information that enables an organisation to compare performance in different time period.Satisfaction measurement can make customers more satisfied as they receive position attention that they feel they are listened to. In order words, attention is given to customer satisfaction as a corporate goal.Szymanski,Spiro and Weitz suggests that The business plays a vital role in diagnosing and addressing customers’ needs and in sharpening the overall evaluation of the way in which the discrete exchange level. Hegebarth similarly argued that if contact centre capture and analyse customer interactions and share them throughout the organisation, as enormous opportunity exists in understanding customer needs and expectation, identifying opportunities and proactively addressing improvement areas. Aderson and Sullivan suggest that customers’ satisfaction is the overall or global judgement regarding the extent to which products and services performance match expectations. When a business has a close contact with the consumers, this influences the customers experience and creates a relationship satisfaction because consumer related information can only be obtained from consumers themselves. According to Beatty et al Customer-oriented business with customer understanding, proper customer care with trustworthy behaviour and reliable personal service are liable to building long term relationship with the customers. Winsted,Price et al recommend the important dimension of business that helps consumers perspective. They are mutual understanding, authenticity, extra attention, competence and meeting minimum standards of the consumers. With this, positive association between social regard and customer satisfaction are expected. Furthermore, several actions which are closely related to social regard increases customer satisfaction. According to Gremler and Gwinner (2000) an enjoyable interaction and personal connection on satisfaction with the company yield an encouraging outcome. The former variables included aspects such as â€Å"this employee relates well to me† or â€Å"this person has taken a personal interest in me†. Similarly, Van Dolen et al. (2002) found a positive effect of the â€Å"social competence† perceived by the customer on the customer’s encounter satisfaction, where social competence included aspects such as â€Å"the employee pays special attention to me†. On the other hand, recent results from Butcher et al. (2003) suggest a positive relationship between social regard and service satisfaction. Based on previous findings and taking into account that in a service context employees’ actions are an important driver of customer satisfaction (e.g., Price et al., 1995; Winsted, 1997; Van Dolen et al., 2002;Maxham and Netemeywer, 2003).The interaction with consumers as regards satisfaction has an impact on the business because working on the information increases organizational effec tiveness and also performance. With reference to Cisco,they used three types of data for customer satisfaction practice which were The Annual customers Satisfaction Survey Interviews with the targeted customer segments coupled with the internal brainstorming sessions. Records of individual transaction data. The survey indicated a broad problem, the detailed interviews showed the problem in detail and the transactional data indicates whether actions have achieved desired outcome. The brainstorming session help to identify the new opportunities. This has not only lead to customer loyalty but also profitability. CONSUMER EMOTION Customers attitude reveal the softer code of the business. Much of customers attitude about a brand are based on emotional connection they have formed with the company. Winkielman and Berridge (2004) argues that emotions, even if genuinely unconscious, may drive behaviour and reactions.Consumer use emotion in making good decision and to take effective action.Emotions play a highly motivating role in consumer behaviour. Emotions give us deeper understanding of the experimental aspects of consumption and are associated with the degree of consumer satisfaction by a strongly influential relationship.Consumers are typically and highly emotional about some brands and products while others are incompletely attached and indifferent about others.Consumers emotional connections have a specific and fairly simple structure regardless of the nature of the particular emotions involved. Bagozzi et al (1999) define emotions as mental states of readiness that arises from cognitive appraisals of events or one’s own thought.Furthermore Oliver (1997) suggests that emotion coexist with various thinking judgement which produces satisfaction and is important in understanding consumers consumption experiences. Emotion tends to have an influence on quality perception and customer behaviour (Liljander and Strandvik,1997).Positive emotions leads to positive word-of-mouth behaviour,while negative emotions may result to complaining behaviour.Customers respond to an event in certain ways in order to maintain positive emotion and to avoid negative emotions(Stauss and Neuhaus).An emotional reaction is part of the favourable experience (Cronin 2003,Sherry 1998).Oliver (1997) claims that the role of emotions is gaining attention as a central element in service quality management. Consumer emotion such as pleasure and sorrow are simple, primitive motivations in the consumer situ ation, and they are also critical factors in our choice of products and services. Consumer emotion shows that customer’s feelings of enjoyment serves as the best predictor of customers’ loyalty, while feelings of happiness serve as the best predictor of relationship quality. The business plays an important role in the delivery of service quality as well as the formation of the satisfaction. People remember emotional experience better than most other element of a brand experience. However, satisfaction influences the customers behavioural responses in form of customer loyalty, word -of ­-mouth, or switching behaviour. Oliver suggests that the role of emotion is to gain attention as a central element in service quality management.Consumer begin to form a strong emotional bond with an organisation after they experience multiple episode of helpful and enjoyable service.As customers become more confident in their relationship with companies,additional helpful experiences stimulate even stronger and more enduring emotional attachment toward the company.Furthermore,emotional connections are not only the province of certain ‘emotional’ categories or brands.Consumers are emotional about checking accounts and discount merchandise,not just about soft drinks and expensive fountain pens.Bank of America and Wal-Mart create emotional connections just as surely as Jeblue and Ipod.They do it in different ways depending on the people than the product but the result is the same. In conclusion, customers use emotion to make good decision and act effectively. THE LINK BETWEEN CONSUMER SATISFACTION AND CONSUMER EMOTION Emotions may be classified as a core component of satisfaction, since there is a positive relationship between customer satisfaction and brand loyalty,and customer satisfaction incorporates cognitive and emotional component because emotion influence behaviour,therefore positive emotions would increase the emotional satisfaction of clients with any service industry.Decision making process of customers is also affected by emotions, as positive would result in a positive attitude or behaviour towards a brand.The emotional satisfaction of the consumers can be increased by providing unique services to the consumers. Jacoby and Chestnut (1987) suggests that Services or products provided by an organisation must be unique in order to meet the satisfaction of the consumers. Bagozzi (1999)found that when customers are provided with unique products or services to meet their needs they show greater willingness to pay more in the future due to the positive emotions they have with the brand. When a high quality of service is rendered to customers, they are comfortable and therefore customers who are emotionally satisfied are likely to recommend the services to others Hui (2007).Satisfying the psychological needs of the customers,their promotes positive attitude towards the organisation while the emotional satisfaction leads to an increase in customers appreciation towards the firm.Consumer satisfaction and emotion encourages the consumers to be loyal to the firms with respect to goods or services provided.The business needs to be responsive to the consumers needs and wants which makes them happy.Understanding the consumer is vital in order to provide better,faster and more services.The determinant of getting customers involved so as to enhance their awareness, exception and assurance through active participation has been a common policy to obtain reasonable level of quality of and satisfaction with the organisation. With reference to global competition advance in technology has improved what create a standard level of service. Volvo started with a companywide education programme to boost customer satisfaction awareness. The company combined qualitative research on customer motivation with customer satisfaction research. It also organises direct customer contact by production and design teams meeting with the customers and the senior managers visiting dealers and the consumers regularly. Besides, Volvo does additional qualitative customer research to track consumers shifting perceptions about key product attributes. ARGUMENT AGAINST Consumer behaviour measurement has both benefits and limitations. This part of the essay will describe the limitations of consumer satisfaction and consumer behaviour which simply means the negative emotions and dissatisfaction. This is linked the opposite decision of the consumers to leave or discontinue with a particular firm or organisation. This may result to complaining behaviour from the consumers. According to Andreasen(1999) suggest that negative consumer behaviour caused by the business results in consumer exit which creates a state of tension that affects the success of the business. It affects several desirable outcomes like customer loyalty,word of mouth promotion and purchases(Fornell,Oliver and Swan) Mihelis et al argues that customers satisfaction is a dynamic parameter of business organisation and is affected by the changes in customer’s preference and expectations.Poor treatment towards the customers leads to lack of satisfaction will leads the customer to other organisation where they will be satisfied.This could lead to image tarnish when the customers complain to friends and partners.Concentration of business on solving financial issues makes them neglect their customers. This causes negative impact on a brand which makes the customers seek for better services from other organisations.If firms fail to develop strategies for managing consumer reaction,they face alienating and losing customer.Customers often only contact customer service or help line when something has gone wrong or they need problem solved, when such happens they are already in negative mood. This negative mood tends to fuel the negative perception of dealing with organisation’s customer servi ce personnel and reduce the customer’s zone of tolerance. It is therefore important for organisations to be willing to listen to the consumers and show understanding with empathy to customers’ predicament rather than leaving them unattended to. However, analysis seems to imply that emotions are brands that either inspire or does not, sports cars and perfumes are emotional while office supplies and households are not. The company faces major problem when it seeks to understand how the customers connect with the brands emotionally because emotions are treated as what can be sensed but not measured scientifically. When measures emotions are proposed, they are complex and difficult to administer. They organisations rely on strategies that are not always easy to replicate, like nonverbal photo sorts or deep psychological projective probing. In addition, while these measures may correlate with consumers stated intention, they may fail to provide sort of evidence that is dema nded in the boardroom.The problem of lengthy and complex questionnaire which are time consuming and difficult to develop consist of complex data which may be useful in improving quality shortfall but rarely shed light on customers expectation and delights.The consumers have problem understanding the questionnaire and therefore hard to interpret. RECOMMENDATION To ensure that all customers are satisfied,the service provider should avoid biasness,prejudice or discrimination against some customers.Developing a genuine desire and passion to serve others with skills and knowledge to serve their customers excellently.The business should engage in collection of customers opinion on services they render.The personnel dealing directly with the customers improves their satisfaction ,training and seminar should be conducted so that the best quality of service is delivered.High quality of services leads to customer satisfaction.The immediate response to customers complain increases emotional satisfaction as assurance that problems are solved on time which helps them retain their customers which increases loyalty(Hofstede 1994).According to Patterson (1999) customers express brand association through behaviour.Brand associations are represented as emotional impression in the memory such that customers are emotionally satisfied by services received whic h gives no room considering an alternative. Supphellen suggests emotional brand association increases brand loyalty by becoming the dominating determinant of choices.Retaining customers is cheaper compared to attracting new ones.A business usually puts emphasis on the relationship between the consumers perceptions about the quality of the service they receive.Information of data from consumers promotes the improvement of services which inturn increase brand loyalty.Customer loyalty to a certain brand varies in industries and markets(Quelch and Harding,1996).The relationship between a customer and the brand determines the loyalty of the customer to brand(Bluestein 2003). Personalization, friendliness ,flexibility ,efforts and respect helps organisation increase their brand loyalty so as to have long-term relationship with them. CONCLUSION It is a challenge for the organisations to ensure that clients are provided with the best quality services. This promotes the psychological, physical and emotional satisfaction of the clients. All customers’ aim at getting value for their money when they purchase a product or on service rendered. Research established the relationship between consumer emotion and consumer satisfaction in organisation show that high levels of satisfaction increases brand loyalty. Consumers are faced with an array of product selection and competition is fierce among companies. This is why your understanding of consumer behaviour is vital to the success of your business. When you understand your consumer better than the competition you have a greater chance of winning their business. Understanding of life satisfaction including the emotional aspects and their relationship to consumption should enable a business to target consumer in a more meaningful way.Companies that have created successful emot ional connection with their customers benefit in cash flow, make profit and improve market share. Emotional connection can be measured, enhanced and managed. The investigation into how customer survey should take account of emotional satisfaction of customers in order to have a better understanding of how to monitor and improve upon the psychological and emotional aspects providing a quality service in any organisation. REFERENCE Consumer Behavior: The Basics Customer satisfaction: review of literature and application to the product-service systems;Final report to the Society for Non-Traditional Technology, Japan (Oksana Mont,Andrius Plepys) imperative How to cite Understanding consumer behaviour in business, Essay examples

Evaluation of the Health Status of a Particular Community Sample

Question: Write a Report on the Steps Involved in Undertaking a Community Assesssment. Answer: Introduction Community assessment refers to an organized evaluation of the health status of a particular community or population in the society. Community health assessment is a very important process because it can help in identifying the health needs of the community before coming up with appropriate strategies to address them. It is a systematic process that is done by following a well-outlined procedure. There are many steps involved in community health assessment. Step One The first step in the assessment is the creation of the assessment team. Here, the team of experts and personnel involved in the assessment process is established and assembled together. It is necessary to do so because no assessment can be conducted without having a well organized team. Once it has been established, the team members should be properly inducted and trained on the tasks, roles, and responsibilities to undertake during the assessment (Schifferdecker, et al., 2016). Step Two The second step in the community health assessment is the identification and provision of resources that will be utilized during the activity. An assessment is a complex activity that requires adequate resources. A lot of resources such as money, assets, and other supplies should be utilized during the assessment period. For example, to study the health indicators of a community, tools like video recorders, stationery, voice recorders, mobile phones, and vehicles might be used (Krist, et al., 2016). Therefore, before rolling out the exercise, it is advisable to identify and search for all the necessary resources that will help in the process. Step Three The third step in the community health assessment is the identification and involvement of the local community partners. Community participation is an important activity that should not be overlooked when engaging in a health assessment initiative. It is important for the local community members to be actively involved in the process because of different reasons. Apart from health issues affecting them, the community members can help in providing useful information on how the issues can be addressed (McKenzie, et al., 2016). At the same time, the involvement of community participation can guarantee the success of the process because it can be accepted and approved by the community. Step Four The fourth step in the community health assessment is the gathering, and analysis of the data. Once all the prerequisite preparations are made, the next thing to do is to engage in the collection of data. To do so, a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods can be applied to help in collecting the community demographic profile data pertaining to income, education, culture, ethnicity, age, and gender (Morse, 2016). After the collection of the data, it should be analyzed using the most appropriate instruments before it is eventually presented to the target audience. Step Five The fifth step in the community health assessment is the setting of health priorities. As already hinted, the major aim of the community health assessment is to identify and resolve the health issues that affect the community. Therefore, after the collection and analysis of data, the next thing to do is to come up with viable strategies that can be applied to solve the problem. Here, all the issues will have to be tabled and addressed in order of priority. Prioritization is important at this stage because each problem should be handled depending on the magnitude of the threat posed to the community (Clark, et al., 2016). The prioritization of the needs will be achieved by consulting the community members who have a sound knowledge of the health issues affecting them. Step Six The sixth step in the community health assessment is the clarification of the health issues identified during the assessment process. Since the major aim of the assessment is to identify and resolve the heath issues affecting the community, it is important for the personnel involved in the process to explain more about it. When the data collection and analysis process is completed, the involved parties, authorities, and the community members should be informed on the progress (Eldredge, et al., 2016). Clarification is important because it equips the parties with accurate updates on the health issues and recommendations made after the assessment. Step Seven The seventh step in the community health assessment is the setting of goals and evaluation of the progress. Here, the assessment team has to assemble together and come up with realistic goals that should be met at the very end of the assessment. Goal setting is a core activity in the assessment procedure because it can help in ensuring that everything is conducted objectively. It can make the team to be committed and focused on accomplishing the target. However, in order t ensures that the goals achieved, each of the steps achieved should be measured (Abildgaard, Saksvik Nielsen, 2016). This can help in determining the extent to which the goals and objectives are accomplished. Step Eight The eighth stage in the community health assessment is the choosing of identification of the implementation strategies to be adopted. When everything is done as outlined here, the next thing to do is to come up with the most suitable strategies to adopt in order to address the health issues affecting the community. This simply means the provision of recommendations to be adopted in order to help the community to deal with the situation (Tu, Humphries Lear, 2016). Once the recommendations are given, the assessment process should be completed by the development of the community health assessment document before it is eventually availed for implementation. Conclusion In conclusion, community health assessment is a noble exercise that should always be undertaken. It is a crucial initiative that can help in the identification of the health challenges as well as coming up with strategies on how to deal with them so as to improve peoples health. However, for it to be a success, the assessment process should be done by following all the procedures beginning with the creation of the assessment team, identification of resources, engagement of community embers, collection analysis of data, goal setting, evaluation, and development of the community health assessment document. References Abildgaard, J. S., Saksvik, P. ., Nielsen, K. (2016). How to measure the intervention process? An assessment of qualitative and quantitative approaches to data collection in the process evaluation of organizational interventions. Frontiers in Psychology, 7. Clark, M. M., et al., (2016). Improvements in Health Behaviors, Eating Self-Efficacy, and Goal- Setting Skills Following Participation in Wellness Coaching. American Journal of Health Promotion, 30(6), 458-464. Eldredge, L. K. B., et al., (2016). Planning health promotion programs: an intervention mapping approach. New York: John Wiley Sons. Krist, A. H., et al., (2016). 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