Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Dropping Out For Social Activism - 909 Words

The challenges that face college students today are vastly different from those in previous generations. Tuition at Michigan in 1960 cost less than $150 per semester. That left students who earned their degree move on to become contributing members of society without the burden of student loans weighing them down. Students today, however—even those who hold two part-time jobs—fall tens of thousands of dollars into debt, a burden that limits their career choices. Dropping out for social activism brings competitive disadvantage. The speedup of academic pressures dries up discretionary time that used to go to dreaming and exploring. Campuses are crowded with scrambling multitaskers for the most part too busy to protest the pace. Meanwhile, increases in the cost of college exceed inflation every year, intensifying the squeeze. We had different grievances. The curriculum was often irrelevant to the social crisis we perceived ourselves inheriting; it needed reform. Students were powerless under the paternal doctrine of in loco parentis; we wanted rights. Students were disenfranchised, even though men could be drafted; we needed the vote and alternatives to the draft. Structurally excluded, we went to the streets, to the outside, demanding change on the inside. It s an exaggeration, but only after strikes, rioting, and taking over buildings did colleges offer the mainstream menu of women s studies; black, Latino and Asian studies; queer studies; and environmental programs thatShow MoreRelatedTaking a Look at Ai Weiwei1760 Words   |  7 PagesCultural Revolution until his family moved back to Beijing. He studied animation at the Beijing Film Academy in 1978. After his studies he spent about twelve years in the United States and studied at the Parsons School of Design where he soon dropped out. For income he became a street artist, doing drawings on the side. When his father had become sick in 1993, Ai returned to Beijing from New York City. He then became the artist director and co-founder of the China Art Achieves and Warehouse. This isRead MoreThe Hippie Subculture Essay1440 Words   |  6 Pagesspiritually and socially to forever be known as one of the most memorable social movements of all time (Hippie Generation, 2003). Researchers classify social movements according to the type of change they seek (Aberle, 1966, Cameron, 1966, Blumer, 1969, as cited in Macionis, 2007). According to John Macionis, a social movement is when people commonly band together to create an organized activity that encourages or discourages social change (Macionis, 2008). In the case of this radical society, HippiesRead MoreShikhar Giri. Professor Sinclair. History-1302. 07 January,1580 Words   |  7 Pagesand the social safety net created by Social Security paled by European standards. President Roosevelt himself used to explored the appraisal of the New Arrangement before it was done. As clearing as his objectives was, they still on an essential level. The New Arrangement did not end the Misery. Nor did it out and out redistribute pay. It did, however, give Americans monetary security that they had never known. In the region of 1929 and 1932, the country and the world kept spiraling dropping into wretchednessRead MoreMalcolm X : An African American Pioneer1403 Words   |  6 Pagesdischarged from jail in 1952 to 40,000 individuals by 1960. Expressive, enthusiastic and a normally skilled and moving speaker, Malcolm X urged blacks to push off the shackles of prejudice by any methods important, including brutality. The searing social liberties pioneer broke with the gathering instantly before his death, February 21, 1965, at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan, where he had been get ready to convey a discourse. Malcolm X was conceived Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, NebraskaRead MorePenetration Testing For A Company1451 Words   |  6 Pagesthem to prevent perpetrators from attacking and harming the systems. An ethical hacker will require the permission of a company to legally carry out pen-testing on its systems to help them secure it better. In common terms he/she can be thought of as an inspector that is trying to check whether a certain system is performing as it should by finding out things that can harm or damage it. You might think â€Å"But, we already have IT staff and network/system administrators who are already doing that jobRead MoreEnvironment And Society : Whiskey1438 Words   |  6 PagesWater is an absolute necessity in everyday life, the maximum amount that a human being can go without water is around three days. In recent years the bottled water market has sky rocketed, making jaw dropping profit off of a molecule that most consider a human right. The 2009 do cumentary Tapped seeks out the origin of bottled water and the reason why consumers today are infatuated with plastic water bottles. The documentary also showcases where the water comes from, how it is effecting the environmentRead MoreFactors Influencing Student Protests During Institutions Of Higher Learning1557 Words   |  7 Pagesgreat deal of political involvement in student protests. As stated by Hanna (1971) students tend to be political activist due to their fear of failing and use political means in order to change their academicals fate, in such a way that political activism will not harm their future. Many students have either been dismissed, punished or had their bursaries stripped away for protests against the university. Students often stop their strike without having to address their demands. The worse ordeal isRead MoreObjectives Of The Sustainable Development Goals1494 Words   |  6 Pagesgoal is sufficient because it builds upon, and strengthens the template se t-up in the MDGs. Furthermore, the four proposed ways of implementation to achieve these targets further reinforces the objective (1). Thus, if the work that has been laid out in the MDG era continues with a sustained focus, there is no reason why the priority health had in the MDG era will decline post-2015. In the following years after the institution of the MDGs, health was given a primary focus, and global efforts wereRead MorePaul Mccartney s Contributions Of The Beatles Essay1594 Words   |  7 Pagesto lose their unified creative focus, and all four members began to develop their own individual ambitions. In 1969, Paul married his first wife Linda, whom he’d met in nightclub in London called The Bag O’Nails. During ten years of political and social strife, the Beatles expressed the hopes of their contemporaries for peace, love and music. Paul in particular would write more hits for the band than any other member. Songs like Hey Jude, Yesterday, Hello, Goodbye, Blackbird and Let It BeRead MoreThe Gap Between the Rich and the Poor in America Essay1580 Words   |  7 Pageshousehold income† but an economy this top heavy will not be able to succeed (Sachs, 2011, p. 30). The working classes are struggling with housing, wage, and employment issues. Rich individuals are ignoring these troubles, shipping their business operations out of the country, thus furthering the downward spiral of the economy (Sachs). To make matters worse, this has become in a large part a political issue, because the rich can influence candidates with funding, where the poor and working class cannot (Sachs)

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Family Structure Changes Essay - 1379 Words

Changes in Family Structure During the past few decades there have been major changes in the structure of the family. A family used to be represented by a married couple with children, generally of the same race and living under the same roof. The traditional family was known for its stability and unmarried people were considered to live a life of loneliness. Numerous people today still believe that the nuclear family is the best for raising children and even the media and television portray the best situations with the traditional family. Studies show that people in Canada and all around the world are freer than ever before to establish the kinds of family relationships that best work for them. More and more people choose†¦show more content†¦The media and our culture have managed managed to create and sustain a fear of marriage. Many singers today write songs about the â€Å"single life† and promote the idea that lots of money will help you find a partner easily. One of the main reasons why people choose not to marry is the fear of losing their independence. People want to be free of family responsibilities, they want to be able to go out and not feel tied down by their partner. They want to know they can leave any time they wish if the relationship doesn’t make them happy anymore. Men and women who grew up in a family where there was constant fighting are afraid of becoming just like their parents. Another reason why people choose not to marry is because their fear of failure. They consider that a â€Å"piece of paper† doesn’t mean anything and in case of divorce, they would add to the high number of already divorced couples. It is well known that the rising proportion of women who bear children out of wedlock has been increasing in the past decades. Government health officials say that 4 in 10 babies in the United States are born out of wedlock.[iv] This phenomenon was once associated with African-American women but it affects the white popul ation as well. Children who are raised in only-mother homes can suffer harmful consequences such as school suspension, abuse and drug addiction. Single-parent families are most popular in England,Show MoreRelatedChanges in Family Structure539 Words   |  2 Pages According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a family is a group of two or more people who reside together and who are related by birth, marriage, or adoption (U.S. Census Bureau). How would we fit what today’s society calls a â€Å"family† in this definition? Families no longer live together. Some live in different houses, different cities, and even different states. Children go long periods of time without seeing either mommy or daddy, sometimes both. We have become so adapt to a single-parent householdRead MoreTHE CHANGE IN FAMILY STRUCTURES essay2686 Words   |  11 Pages THE CHANGE IN THE FAMILIES FORMS AND FUNCIONS IN SOCIETY STUDENT’S NAME: TN ID: 1066385 INSTRUCTOR: GLORIA MICHALCHUK ESL 140 – COURSE # 7052-1 NOVEMBER 25th, 2003 THE CHANGE IN THE FAMILIES FORMS AND FUNCIONS IN SOCIETY Society is composed of many elements based on values, traditions, cultures, government’s policies etc.; and family is one of the main basic ingredients, forming the society. Therefore, as the society changes its element, family is also forced to change the flowRead MoreFamily Structure Changes And Child Behavior Problems Essay1444 Words   |  6 Pagesmisconception is that children who grow up in low income families end up being more susceptible to experience behavioral problems as they get older, in contrast to that of high income families which generally speaking, people believe children are better off. The report Associations between Family Structure Change and Child Behavior Problems: The Moderating Effect of Family Income challenges the false impression associated with low income families. The analysis was conducted by three experts from GeorgetownRead MoreThe Effect Of Family Structure Change On Children s Development931 Words   |  4 PagesThe influence of family str ucture change on children s development In recent decades, the changes in the structure of families cause public attention. Among those changes, children may experience non-marital childbirth, parents divorce or step-parent family in their process of growing. In order see how does the family structure changes affect children s development. Many researches compare children from a two-biological-parent family and children who are not living with both biological parentsRead MoreDiscuss Changing Family Structures in the Uk and Give Examples of Sociological Theories That Provide Explanations as to Why and How Families Have Changed.1123 Words   |  5 Pageschanging family structures in the UK and give examples of sociological theories that provide explanations as to why and how families have changed. This essay will discuss the various family structures in society. It will give theoretical explanation as to why and how families have changed. The essay will also bring statistical, historical and political evidence to back up the reason for these changes. During the pre-industrial society the ‘extended family’ was the most common family structureRead MoreUnit 4 Sociology - The Weakening of the Family Structure893 Words   |  4 Pages The Weakening of the Family Structure Tenisha Greene American InterContinental Online Abstract Many expert sociologists have alluded to a weakening of the family structure of the years. In an effort to determine if their findings are true, the factors that influence the deterioration have to be examined. Such factors as unemployment, welfare, and the entertainment industry play a major role in the weakening families. â€Å"For if the family is becoming less viable economicallyRead MoreEssay about Models of Family Therapy1315 Words   |  6 Pagesbehavior. The theory views family as an emotional unit, and uses systems theory to describe interactions within the family. Bowen believed that humans are dependent and reactive to others. Family members may feel distant or disconnected from each other; this is not a fact, but merely a feeling. Family members profoundly affect each other’s feelings, actions, and thoughts, no matter how distant they may be feeling (Bowen Center, n.d.). Bowen describes the family as a multigenerational networkRead MoreBeing A Perfect Family System Within The Realms Of Human Nature935 Words   |  4 PagesThere is no existence of a perfect family system within the realms of human nature. In fact, it is common place for struggles to be encountered and as such through strife comes growth. Granted this pertains to the typical life occurrences, as unexpected deaths, employment changes, environmental adjustments, and social influences brought on by sociological shifts. These normally are short lived in comparison to more traumatic events such as substance abuse as an example. The SAMHSA (2004) notes thatRead MoreThe Evolution Of The American Family Essay1249 Words   |  5 PagesEvolution of the American Family Lisa Parris-Godley Introduction n the upcoming page’s I will answer the following questions. Why is family the most important agent of socialization? What caused the dramatic changes to the American family? What are the changes? I will discuss the differences in marriage and family, I will discuss how they are linked to class, race, gender, and personal choices. The purpose of this study is to explore the many different family functions and the paths thatRead MoreStructural Family Therapy : Family Structure1214 Words   |  5 PagesStructural Family Therapy considers family as a unit which grows and evolves with the passage of time and goes on to form culture and community (â€Å"What Is Structural Family Therapy and How It Works | New Health Advisor,† n.d.). Structural Family Therapy is based on three main principles. The first is family structure, the interactions among different families vary depending on inherent family rules. Each family member adjusts their behavior in accordance to the rules to make sure that the family system

Monday, December 9, 2019

Training and Development Public Service Management

Question: Discuss about the Report for Training and Development of Public Service Management. Answer: Introduction In Singapore, near the Changi Airport Casino (CAC), a third casino has opened recently. The purpose of the casino is to serve the travellers, thrill seekers, tourists and many more of them. The communication within the airport is also very smooth as the terminals are connected with Sky train (Pollock, Wick Jefferson, 2015). Therefore, the location for this casino was selected near the airport to provide the service to the tourists easily. It has almost 3000 employees and 2000 out of them are the full time dealers of casino, who were known as the croupiers. This assignment is focussing on the issue regarding the training program of the workers. The director of this company (CAC), Margaret Chan, who was also the director of the gaming activities of the company, has received the notice about the training session of the croupiers in her section. However, she was not interested in the training session as the previous experience was not good. Almost 100 croupiers were sent for the training and development session in the last time and they had experienced a very negative. Additionally, they have complained about it to her. She had to face many problems in running the business that time and had to face many losses (Sundstrom et al., 2015). Therefore, she is not interested in this time to send her croupiers to the Training Session. In this assignment, the study is emphasising on the issues faced by the company CAC. The problem was between the two directors of this company, the Gaming Operation Director and the director of Training and Development department, who were not agreeing in the matter of sending the croupiers to the training program. In the end of the study, there are some recommendations also provided for the company to improve the relationship between Margaret Chan and Caleb Tan as well as the situation. The mistakes done by the Director in the Training Session The main three areas where the Director of Training made the mistakes are - Transfer of Knowledge The employees who were appointed in the new opened Casino under the Changi Airport Casino have experience in this sector. Therefore, all of them knew the process of handling the customers in this sector. They are able to deal with the customers, the travellers, thrill seeker and many more at the gambling table. These croupiers knew the strategies to handle the customers of a casino without hampering the business. All of them had worked for the local casinos and gathered experience of working in a casino. Additionally, all o them have passed the interview process before joining the casino of CAC. Therefore, the knowledge is transferring from the past to present. They always work on the prior experiences and learning a human nature. Therefore, they have performed very well in this new job. The training session was arranged for the croupiers who were already know the basics of the work. The Director has arranged the wrong training material for the employees and therefore faced the probl em (Torraco, 2016). The employees have to be trained in the advanced level to improve their working procedures but they got training on the same basic level. This was the main issue about the decision of director for selecting wrong training topics. Ability of analysis the Training requirements Every training program should be arranged after doing the full research on the company and then have to start the program. However, in this case the director, Caleb Tan, has started the training session without doing any research about the background of the croupiers of the casino. Therefore, the director was not aware of their experience and working procedures. The training was set up on the basics for working in the casino. This subject was not perfect for the croupiers who were sent to the training program. They were sent with the expectation to be trained in the sectors of the new processes to improve their business as well as their working style (Mazerolle Dodge, 2015). However, they got a very basic training program that disappointed them as well as decreased the business. Therefore, it was the drawback of the director of setting the training subject without analysing the requirements of the employees as well as the business situation. Estimation of Training The training needs to be evaluated properly. When a training program is arranged, there is a requirement of the training has emerged surely in that time in the organisation. This can be for attaining more profit in future or to change some business procedures that are not working and customers do not like those (Denne et al., 2015). In this case, the development director has planned to train the croupiers on the process of handling the customers in a casino and on their leadership quality to team building. However, they all knew about these qualities in their previous work places and the training program did not help them at all. They were already worked as the full time casino dealers and they knew how to deal with the customers (Berman et al., 2015). Therefore, the evaluation of training should help the trainer to know the effectiveness of the training on the trainee that was not followed here. It was another fault of the director that led the training session not successful. If th e director tried to evaluate the training procedure whether it was affecting the employees or not then the problem was solved. The reason of dissatisfaction of the croupiers would be corrected then. However, this fault of the director has increased the problem. Wide literature is required to support the identified errors The trainer should know the previous activities of the company as well as the employees who will be taught in the training session. According to Olaniyi (2015), it helps the trainer to set the objectives of the training session and to make the strategies for the betterment of the organisational business. Therefore, according to this theory the director of Changi Airport Casino has to go through the history of the company to know the strategies that the company was following. On the other hand, the background of the croupiers should be analysed before setting the objectives of the program. The employees who were supposed to be trained in this training program were already experienced in this field and they knew the lessons that have taught in the training program. Therefore, it was a total time consuming and loss of time for the company as well as the employees. From the view point of Biech (2015), it can be said that the director has to check the interview procedure of the employees before setting the training program. This made the director able to know about the qualities and experiences of the croupiers and then the training session would be helpful for them without wasting their time. Recommendations to reduce the errors of the training session There are three areas where is a chance to improve the situation and to make the training session effective. These are 1) The Director should have recognised the problems of the company as well as the employees to set the objective of the Training program. As the program has set without interacting with the other members of the company and developing knowledge about the real needs, therefore, the session has been proved to be wrong both for the company and croupiers. Therefore, it can be recommended to that the Director should analyse the situation and the requirements of the employees and company before arranging any Training session in future to get results from that. 2) The training session has failed to achieve success as it has a wrong training objective for the employees who already have the knowledge. Therefore, the director should have gone through some procedures to get the knowledge about the employees and the business. Then Caleb Tan should have decided about the training session whether it was important or required or not. In order to know the real picture of the business and the croupiers the Director should have asked the customers to get their feedback about it. If the customers were asked about the casino then the Director could be able to know the business situation and the customers expectations from their staffs (Dodson, Kitburi Berge, 2015). Additionally, Tan could have interviewed the croupiers to test their knowledge about customer handling. These procedures would help the director to analyse the present situation. Therefore, the decision regarding the Training has been taken properly. However, the wrong training has demoralis ed the croupiers to improve their working policies. 3) Every training program should have to follow the evaluating process strictly. In this case, the director has not followed the evaluating process to verify the effectiveness of the training. Caleb tan has not tried to check the trainees whether they were getting helped by the program or not. If it was evaluated by the director regularly then the problem was detected in the starting of the training session. Director should conduct survey on the trainees in order to know about their progress in the training and to get their feedback about the training program. This survey would have helped to understand about their dissatisfaction and time wasting. Therefore, it was a great mistake of the director not to assess the effectiveness of the training. Thus, it is hereby recommended to check and evaluate the process of the training and the effectiveness of it to overcome this kind of situations. Evidence of research and application of theories to support the recommendations According to Khan et al. (2016), the training sessions are arranged to overcome the poor situations of any organisation and to measure the ability of its employees to improve the business. In this casino the director has not checked the present situation of the company and started a training session with 100 croupiers of it. This has led to failure of the training session obviously. As per the report, the director should have recognised the drawbacks of the company and then develop the training program for the required areas. Instead of that the training was given to them who were already trained in the sector (Turner, 2015).The theories from Pande (2015), has stated that the training should not emphasised on the customer handling procedures, team making, team leading etc rather it would have been given to develop their skills of customer handling that should increase the business. The director must have arranged for practical sessions that the trainees could develop their interest i n training. Tan would allow the croupiers those who are under training to handle the consumers and enhance their skills under the direction of expert. Working Relations with the Director of Operations Strategies that can be acquired to improve the relationship between Director of Training and Director of Operation The relationship between the two directors in this case was not in good terms due to the failure of the previous training session. They should have to develop a good communication between them to know the progress and requirements of each other. Director of Training should have asked the Director of Operation about the croupiers experience and work progress before setting the training plan (Chandrasiri Fernando, 2015). Likewise, the Director of Operation should have helped the Director of Training by providing the real situation and requirements of the company. Measures supported by literature research and theories As opined by Pollock, Wick and Jefferson (2015), to run an organisation the relationships between the directors must be maintained properly, otherwise the organisation have to face many problems regarding this. One of the mostly faced problems is the miscommunication between departments. In this case, the training session was proved to be wrong due to this communication gap between director of operations and director of training. Therefore, developing a healthy relationship between them is very essential for the betterment of the company. Conclusion The study has analysed the importance of the communication between the departments in an organisation in order to improve the overall business. The case study of the casino under CAC has explained the outcome of independent decisions taken by the two Directors. The directors has not discussed about the requirements and drawbacks of the organisation to resolve those issues rather developed individual plans for giving training to the croupiers. Therefore, both the directors should consult each other and figure out if the training session would be required for the croupiers and then set the training program. Reference List Berman, E. M., Bowman, J. S., West, J. P., Van Wart, M. R. (2015).Human resource management in public service: Paradoxes, processes, and problems. Sage Publications. Biech, E. (2015).Training and Development for Dummies. John Wiley Sons. Chandrasiri, M. S., Fernando, N. G. (2015). Training and Development Framework to Improve Employee Job Performance in Public Sector Banks in Sri Lanka. Denne, L., Jones, E., Lowe, K., Brown, F. J., Hughes, J. C. (2015). Putting positive behavioural support into practice: the challenges of workforce training and development.International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support,5(2), 43-54. Dodson, M. N., Kitburi, K., Berge, Z. L. (2015). Possibilities for MOOCs in Corporate Training and Development.Performance Improvement,54(10), 14-21 Khan, A. A., Abbasi, S. O. B. H., Waseem, R. M., Ayaz, M., Ijaz, M. (2016). Impact of Training and Development of Employees on Employee Performance through Job Satisfaction: A Study of Telecom Sector of Pakistan.Business Management and Strategy,7(1), 29-46. Mazerolle, S. M., Dodge, T. (2015). Role of clinical education experiences on athletic training students' development of professional commitment.Athletic Training Education Journal,10(2), 138-145. Olaniyi, T. K. (2015). SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS: IMPERATIVE FOR AVIATION TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE EMERGING NIGERIAN ECONOMY.SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT,6(1). Pande, S. S. (2015). A comparative study of employee training and development practices of selected public and private hospitals in pcmc area. Pollock, R. V., Wick, C. W., Jefferson, A. (2015).The six disciplines of breakthrough learning: How to turn training and development into business results. John Wiley Sons. Sundstrom, E. D., Lounsbury, J. W., Gibson, L. W., Huang, J. L. (2015). Personality Traits and Career Satisfaction in Training and Development Occupations: Toward a Distinctive TD Personality Profile.Human Resource Development Quarterly Torraco, R. J. (2016). Early history of the fields of practice of training and development and organization development.Advances in Developing Human Resources, 1523422316659898. Turner, A. J. (2015).Generational cohort experiences with training and development: A phenomenological study. NORTHCENTRAL UNIVERSITY.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Used Books Business

Abstract There is a huge demand for used books because it is easy to acquire cheap books that are still in good condition. It is therefore high time to develop an online bookstore because of the low-risk involved. However, there are three things to consider.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Used Books Business specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More First, the existence of a reliable procurement team that can locate and procure quality used books at a low price. Secondly, there is a need for a reliable group of IT workers that that can develop and maintain a website. Finally, a group of workers that can help maintain a brick and mortar store as starting point for marketing and advertising. Introduction The rapid change in technology has made it possible to establish an online business with minimum risks. The cost of creating an online presence is insignificant (Leo, 2009). The only thing needed to do is a plan and hard w ork. One of the more remarkable business ideas is to sell used books online. According to one commentary, â€Å"Sellers of used books help build a better world by preserving and spreading knowledge †¦ helps communities by conserving resources, reducing the waste going to landfills, and making books more affordable (Weber, year, p.7). It is therefore one of those businesses that enable the entrepreneur to make money and do something that is worthwhile. The following is a description of the integrated marketing plan that proves its viability. The target market will be all the consumers of used books in the United States. The inspiration for creating an online used bookstore comes from the success of Amazon the biggest online seller of books, both new and used. In 2002 alone, the founder of Amazon acknowledged that fifteen percent of the orders in the quarter are for used products (Windwalker 2002, p.14). According to one report, â€Å"Used book sales on the Internet jumped 33 p ercent in 2004 †¦ now, one of every 12 books sold is a used book and two-thirds are purchased online with a total annual sales of $609 million (Weber, 2006, p.7). Even if it is relatively easy to establish an online business selling books there is enough opportunities to make it a worthwhile endeavor. Target Market and Competition This business anticipates serving the needs of all potential customers in the United States. The majority is composed of Caucasians around 80% of the population followed by African Americans, around 14% of the population. The rest of the target market is composed of Hispanics and Asians. The specific target market however is the group of consumers with income that are in the range of $50,000 to $100,000. The average age of the potential consumer is 33 years old.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The biggest competitor are established online sell ers such as Amazon with a market share of 22.6% (Minzesheimer, 2011). The second largest is Barnes Noble with a market share of 17.3% (Minzesheimer , 2011). This is followed by independent book sellers with a 6% share of the market and then Books-A-Million with a market share of 3% (Minzesheimer, 2011). Borders used to be a dominant competitor but it has filed bankruptcy and all stores are closed. Based on these figures it is easy to ascertain that there is still a huge market for used books. Even if online businesses will sprout up overnight, there is still a market that demands for the availability of used books online. Integrated Marketing Plan There are several ways to look for and collect used book that can in turn be sold online. Procurement teams must look into the following: 1) library sales; 2) estate sales; 3) used bookstore; 4) remainder distributors; 5) postal service auctions; 6) Treasury Department auctions; book fairs; 7) bargain tables; 8) classified ads; 9) thrift shops and 10) garage or yard sales. After collecting the books the next thing to do is to sort and classify using a system that enables easy presentation online. This business can create a competitive advantage by developing a website with a search-engine optimized content therefore it is easier for consumers to locate hard-to-find books. This strategy is a response to the dominant position of Amazon and Barnes Noble. These superstores with a significant online presence has one major disadvantage and it is the numerous selection of books with a listing that may prove difficult to go through without the ability to properly use the search feature of the website. The proposed online store on the other hand has a website designed for easy use. It begins with a search-engine optimized content and therefore when a consumer types the name of the book, author, or ISBN number, the site can provide relevant results. A key advantage is none other than low prices and speed of delivery. The imp roved response time is due to the size of the operation and the fact that it is easier to respond to e-mail and other customer inquiries because it is still a small operation. Nevertheless, as the company grows it is imperative to maintain these features in order to sustain high customer satisfaction. Aside from an online presence there is a need to have a physical store that can be the starting point of aggressive marketing and advertising. The store must have prominent signs that can attract the attention of potential customers. There is also the need to pay for billboards and radio advertisements. Online presence can be intensified by developing blogs that has links to the online store. Therefore, the main strategy is to grow the business slowly with minimal exposure.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Used Books Business specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The brick and mortar operation is simply a foothold into t he used books market. It jumpstarts the process but the focus should always be on the online store. A significant part of the resources must be used to improve the website and develop better online tools that make it easier for consumers to locate what they need. The company must also invest in developing a more cost-efficient way of locating and buying used books. It has been mentioned earlier that one of the main sources are remainder distributors because of the huge volume of books available through this mechanism of dealing with used books. However, it can also be a trap because the store can acquire a great number of books that are difficult to sell. The goal of the procurement team is not only to establish a cost-efficient protocol to locate and purchase books but also to determine if these books can still be sold for a profit (Ellis, 2006). The ultimate goal is to minimize the number of books in the inventory because storage space costs money. Therefore, the procurement team must develop the ability to determine if a particular book is still in demand. There is no use buying books that only end up in storage facilities. The procurement team must focus on the following genres: a) fiction books; b) sci-fi books; c) children’s books; d) biography books; and e) business books. It is relatively easy to determine if a particular fiction novel is still in demand. There are certain websites that can be used to determine the popularity of a particular title. It is also relatively easy to determine the popularity of a certain author. Sci-fi books on the other hand require an in-depth study in order to understand the needs of the target market when it comes to this genre. Biography books must be purchased based on the date it was published. A biography book that was published five years ago is difficult to sell because of the condition of the book and the relevance of the content. For example a book about George W. Bush written five years ago has little app eal as compared to books written after he stepped down from the presidency. On the other hand there are biography books that continue to be in demand and therefore procurement teams must take note of best sellers and other titles that are sought after by book collectors and enthusiasts.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Business books must be judged based on the relevance of the content. There are so many business concepts that have become popular in a span of a year and then become obsolete a few months later. Therefore, the best seller’s list is not a reliable indicator that a particular business book continues to be in demand a few years later. The procurement team must therefore have knowledge about recent trends in the business world and determine not only the popularity of the authors but also the business ideas and leadership strategies that has captured the attention of the general public. This business requires the participation of dedicated employees. It is therefore imperative to develop a hiring process that will determine the kind of workers that can thrive in this type of business. The procurement team is a key component of the business for they must have the ability to locate quality books at a low price. They must maintain a collection that can generate sustained growth. The second most important component of the workforce is the workers that are in-charge of the online business. They must possess the necessary IT skills to develop the website and troubleshoot the system 24 hours a day and seven days a week. The third most important component of the workforce is the employees that are in-charge of maintaining the brick and mortar store. Conclusion The used books industry is a growing industry. Although there are dominant competitors in the market, statistics show that they can only cover half the share of the market. There are still many people who are new to the concept of buying used books online. There is therefore room for a company that makes it easier for customers to search the books that they need online. Aside from low prices this company will develop tools that make online shopping for used books easy and fulfilling. References Ellis, I. (2006). Book finds: how to find, buy, and sell used and rare books. New York: Penguin Books. Leo, P. (2009) . Selling online. CA: P L Publications. Minzesheimer, B. (2011). Is there hope for small bookstores in a digital age? Retrieved from https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2011-02-10-1Abookstores10_CV_N.htm Weber, S. (2006). The home-based bookstore. New York: WeberBooks. Windwalker, S. (2002). Selling used books online. MA: Harvard Perspective Press. This essay on Used Books Business was written and submitted by user Kolby Mays to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.