Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Economics questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Economics questions - Assignment Example new or used durable good, the importance of branding and quality in her decision, and her decision to purchase an item that has a warranty or guarantee . A risk-averse customer will trade savings for decreased risk; she will thus be less likely to buy used goods, good she perceives to be of an inferior quality or brand, and more likely to invest in a durable, expensive good which in its price includes a warranty or service guarantee for a period of time. . b. [10 marks] A refrigerator company includes a warranty that provides for free service and repairs during the first two years of ownership of any new refrigerator. The number of reported repairs rises after the warranties are introduced. Explain why this has occurred, referring to both the concepts of moral hazard and adverse selection. This phenomenon can be understood using the concept of moral hazard, in that customers who perceive the warranty to be ââ¬Å"freeâ⬠or included in the price of the good, might have purchased a refrigerator with or without a warranty, experience the cost of using that warranty once they have purchased the good to be zero. Therefore, problems that might otherwise have been tolerated (such as cosmetic defects), or repaired at the cost of the consumer (such as small parts) are now reportable, warranty-covered repairs. This phenomenon might also be explained by adverse selection, namely that under certain conditions customers and vendors may have differential access to information. Customers may be aware of conditions they intend to expose the refrigerator to (such as extreme heat) that will likely shorten its lifespan or durability, but which the vendor and guarantor of the warranty is unaware of. Customers with such undisclosed intentions may be more drawn to manufacturers offering warranties and thus become over-represented in population of customers once the warranty is introduced. c. [5 marks] In order to solve the problem of excessive repair requests in (b), the
Monday, October 28, 2019
Marketing and Its Components Essay Example for Free
Marketing and Its Components Essay Environmental analysis of UK: In order to achieve success in implementing some marketing plan, PEST analysis plays a major role because it allows the organizations to do a complete analysis of political, economic, social and technological aspects of the organization and the evidence can be taken from the example of Tesco UK. The success factor of Tesco can be analyzed from the marketing strategy it has assumed in order to deal with the potential customers of United Kingdoms. However, this company has taken all the basic concepts of marketing under consideration while making its strategic plan. Here is the PEST analysis of Tesco UK. Political: The organizations which have political backup and keeps the political aspects under consideration while marketing its service get promulgation within no time. For instance, Tesco is an international supermarket; its policies are always compatible to the regions in which it provides its services. In UK, it has also kept this thing under consideration and thatââ¬â¢s why, got exceptional response from the customers. In this regard, following steps have been taken: â⬠¢It has fulfilled legislative requirements of United Kingdoms â⬠¢There is no violation of Labor law, environmental law, trade law, health and tariff restrictions â⬠¢Policies have been developed keeping the political scenarios under consideration â⬠¢Tesco has also developed its own ethical and sustainability policy keeping the national ethical policy of UK in view Economic: Since UK market is one of the most sensitive markets of the world, economic sustainability is another factor that needs thorough analysis in order to deal with any marketing situation. Most of the consumer within UK requires a product that suits not only their lifestyle but also their budget. Though brand loyalty and trust is also a positive factor that can be regarded as a strong reason for the success of this organization, still some consumers find it difficult to buy costly products. Tesco UK has also kept this thing in view and provided different solutions in the form of competitive prices and sales. However, the economic analysis of Tesco indicates â⬠¢Potential investment of company authorities within UK â⬠¢Payment of taxes on each product â⬠¢Adoption of sensitive price strategy â⬠¢Paying interest rate â⬠¢Extensive participation in regional economic growth Social: The analysis of social factors of Tesco UK is as followed: â⬠¢Targeting young people for product marketing â⬠¢Increasing demand of the international products due to increasing migrants â⬠¢Multi-cultural customers â⬠¢Bargaining power of customers â⬠¢Safety issues like inability of customers to understand product precautions Technological: As far as technological factors are concerned, Tesco has also kept this aspect under consideration while marketing its services in United Kingdoms. â⬠¢Automatic payment system â⬠¢Auto-checking while entering and exiting from supermarket â⬠¢Use of electronic system for cash and balance â⬠¢Implementation of safety cameras in supermarkets â⬠¢Wireless devices â⬠¢RFID Control of Tesco over environmental factors: As far as the environmental factors that are beyond the control of Tesco UK are concerned, it is the competitive forces, suppliers, customers, inflation ratio and technological advancement which have affected sustainability of Tesco in one way or other. Competitors: Potential competitors of Tesco UK are as followed: â⬠¢Wal-Mart â⬠¢Costcutter â⬠¢Carrefour As far as online competitors are concerned, they involve â⬠¢Ebay UK â⬠¢Amazon UK Customer: Another aspect that is beyond the control of Tesco UK is bargaining power of customers. The demands of customers vary with the passage of time and Tesco UK has to assume change management strategy keeping the changing demands of the customers. In this regard, the factors that can affect Tesco directly involve â⬠¢Bargaining power of customers â⬠¢Recession â⬠¢Limited budget of customers â⬠¢Changing requirements according to the trend Inflation ratio: Inflation ratio is another aspect which is beyond the control of Tesco UK since there are several factors which contribute in such cases and if this supermarket gives potential discounts on each product that threats the sustainability of their relation with suppliers. However, this thing is controlled to a small extent through providing different packages and sales in low seasons, Technological advancement: Since with the advancement in technology, consumers are also attracting towards online shopping, online platforms have taken the position of strong competitors. A consumer seeks ease through purchasing products from online portal that can deliver the objects at home. Though Tesco also has its own web portal yet the technological advancement makes it complex for this organization to adopt appropriate strategy in each country. However, through adopting timely change management strategy, this organization can deal with such situation. Section 2: Creating and sustaining competitive advantages: Tesco is the third largest grocery store of the worlds and there are ample potential competitors which can be regarded as the core competent of this organization. However, still this organization has been gaining competitive advantages through sustaining and assuming competitive advantage strategy. As far as the core competitors of Tesco in this industry are concerned, Wal-Mart and Carrefour are two leading organizations that compete with Tesco on global level. The reason why it had remained on third position is that it had initiated its service after a long time. However, it is the competitive advantages which it has sustained in regional as well as global competitive market that it has been positioned on third rank among all supermarkets of the world. As far as the strategies in order to gain competitive advantage are concerned, there are several creative and sustainable competitive strategies which can be developed in order to gain competitive advantage in this industry. In this regard, Porterââ¬â¢s generic strategies can be utilized because all the successful organizations like Wal-Mart and Carrefour have gained such position only through assuming exceptional competitive strategy. The first strategy that can be promulgated in this regard is cost leadership strategy which would enable Tesco to offer its services and products to not only national but international consumers and markets in lowest cost. For this purpose, they would also have to control the overall cost of the operations so that they can easily maintain investment and this price control strategy never affects this organization in one way or other. Through assuming this strategy, Tesco would be able to generate not only potential profit but also competitive advantage as well. If Tesco would use differentiation strategy as indicated by Porter, it would enable this organization to offer its products and services to its customers promulgating unique features and value added services that would attract potential customers a lot. This would also give competitive advantage in the form of brand loyalty of customers and double profit. Differentiation can be generated through assuming novel technological feature, providing value added service, exceptional customer service etc. Another option to create and sustain competitive advantage in local as well as international markets is market penetration. For instance, for Tesco, it might be difficult to assume differentiation or cost leadership strategy since it requires price maintenance. It can also make its marketing sources exceptional. For this purpose, as indicated in Ansoff Matrix, market penetration strategy would prove ample lucrative. It means this organization can gain competitive advantages through penetrating in existing market, find potential sources for promulgating its products and services and then focusing on internal efficiencies in order to come up with the requirements of the consumers. Nevertheless, Tesco can gain competitive advantage through assuming cost leadership and differentiation strategy in global market since it would enable this organization to compete with global giants. However, market penetrations strategy would work if this organization wants to create and sustain exceptional position in local markets like that of United Kingdoms and China. However, it cannot be stated that Tesco used to utilize such strategies without doing market analysis. In this regard, Tesco does market analysis through assessing its market position and contemporary ratio of market growth which enables it to analyze which strategy would enable it to compete on global as well as local level and in this regard, the significance of BCG matrix cannot be neglected. Some organizations used to employ all these strategies collaboratively and consider that there will be competitive advantage that is a wrong notion. Thatââ¬â¢s why most of them stuck in the middle and ultimately find it difficult to sort out the best option. This is not the case with Tesco since itââ¬â¢s a global organization and its management has exceptional expertise in dealing with such kind of situation assuming the best strategy that can generate passive competitive advantages. Hence, these are some of the potential options which an organization can utilize for competing with the strongest competitor in its relevant industry but before assuming any particular strategy, the organization needs to have its portfolio analysis as well. the examples of Tesco, Wal-Mart and Carrefour can be taken as evidence in this regard since Tesco has assumed strategic option through analyzing its contemporary position in global market and hence, gained successful position as well, Section 3: Product life cycle: A product life cycle possesses different stages like introduction, growth, maturity and decline. However, the marketing strategies vary according to the changing stage of product life cycle and the organizations that use appropriate strategic options according to the requirements of the contemporary scenario, get success in product marketing. On first stage, organizations used to apply marketing Mix elements in which, it suggests specifications of products, appropriate price, promotion strategies and place where it can gain successful position. Different examples can be seen in the form of Toyota motors, McDonald fast food industry and Tesco service providers in this regard. For example, Toyota wants to launch one of its product, the initial strategy that it would adopt will be determining price specifying promotion strategy and place, promulgating product specifications. Product: design, specification, how it works, extra benefits of using it etc Price: initially the cost would be low since this new product would take time to make its position in the markets. Promotion: this section would indicate promotional strategies like launching product providing value added services Place: this section indicates the best market for promulgating new vehicle like United Kingdoms, Canada etc. The second stage is referred to as Growth stage. At this point, the strategic plan differentiated through assuming growth strategy like market development etc. For instance, when Tesco opened new store in China, it achieved growth status through developing market and for that purpose, it affiliated itself with one of the regional supermarkets that enabled this supermarket to have potential growth in new market. The third stage is referred to maturity stage. On this stage, the product or service got its mature status and for its sustainability, different strategies are adopted in order to maintain its position through assuming change management strategy if required. Market penetration strategy is considered the best option in such cases since through constant penetration in market, the contemporary position of the product and service is analyzed. For instance, in UK markets, environment changes are uncertain and this thing affects the requirements of consumers. So, Tesco UK constantly do market penetration in order to sustain its position and cope with competitors. Last stage is referred to the decline stage and it is considered the death of the product. However, some companies assume differentiation and diffusion of innovation strategy in order to sustain its product and regain its mature stage. The example can be taken from McDonalds India. Its product for non-vegetarian though gained ample success in the beginning but soon, customers fed up with it. McDonalds India assumed differentiation strategy and attracted customers through introducing vegetarian burgers and deals. Diffusion of innovation strategy: Diffusion of innovation is one of the effective strategies that can regenerate lost position of a product. Through promulgating product marketing its innovative features, organization can easily cope with decline stage of PLC. There are several examples which can be quoted for proving the authenticity of this strategy With the propagation of KFC and PizzaHut, customers transformed their concentration from McDonalds and this thing affected its profitability ratio badly. The management of McDonalds contemplated to regain its position and ultimately found diffusion of innovation as the best source to deal with this issue. Finally, they introduced McFlurry which attracted most of their customers back. Hence, this thing not only made it possible for the organization to get its customers back but the profitability ratio also increased simultaneously. Hence, marketing strategy plays a major role in developing and sustaining products or services in local as well as global markets but along with using innovative strategy, the organization should also have potential to assume change management strategy according to the contemporary requirements.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
The Alamo :: essays research papers
To understand the real battle, one must appreciate its strategic context in the Texas Revolution.qv In December 1835 a Federalist army of Texan (or Texian,qv as they were called) immigrants, American volunteers, and their Tejanoqv allies had captured the town from a Centralist force during the siege of Bexar.qv With that victory, a majority of the Texan volunteers of the "Army of the People" left service and returned to their families. Nevertheless, many officials of the provisional governmentqv feared the Centralists would mount a spring offensive. Two main roads led into Texas from the Mexican interior. The first was the Atascosito Road,qv which stretched from Matamoros on the Rio Grande northward through San Patricio, Goliad, Victoria, and finally into the heart of Austin's colony. The second was the Old San Antonio Road,qv a camino real that crossed the Rio Grande at Paso de Francia (the San Antonio Crossingqv) and wound northeastward through San Antonio de Bà ©xar, B astrop, Nacogdoches, San Augustine, and across the Sabine River into Louisiana. Two forts blocked these approaches into Texas: Presidio La Bahà a (Nuestra Seà ±ora de Loreto Presidio) at Goliad and the Alamo at San Antonio. Each installation functioned as a frontier picket guard, ready to alert the Texas settlements of an enemy advance. James Clinton Neillqv received command of the Bexar garrison. Some ninety miles to the southeast, James Walker Fannin, Jr.,qv subsequently took command at Goliad. Most Texan settlers had returned to the comforts of home and hearth. Consequently, newly arrived American volunteers-some of whom counted their time in Texas by the week-constituted a majority of the troops at Goliad and Bexar. Both Neill and Fannin determined to stall the Centralists on the frontier. Still, they labored under no delusions. Without speedy reinforcements, neither the Alamo nor Presidio La Bahà a could long withstand a siege. At Bexar were some twenty-one artillery pieces of various caliber. Because of his artillery experience and his regular army commission, Neill was a logical choice to command. Throughout January he did his best to fortify the mission fort on the outskirts of town. Maj. Green B. Jameson,qv chief engineer at the Alamo, installed most of the cannons on the walls. Jameson boasted to Gen. Sam Houstonqv that if the Centralists stormed the Alamo, the defenders could "whip 10 to 1 with our artillery." Such predictions proved excessively optimistic. Far from the bulk of Texas settlements, the Bexar garrison suffered from a lack of even basic provender.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Henry Morton Stanley
Nathan C. Thompson EUH1001 Feb 28, 2012 Dr. W. Moody Henry Morton Stanley Born John Rowlands in Wales, or as those of his time knew him as Henry Morton Stanley; was the illegitimate son of John Rowlands and Elizabeth Parry. He grew up partly in the charge of reluctant relatives, partly in St. Asaph Workhouse. After his interlude of dependence on relatives, he sailed from Liverpool as a cabin boy, landing at New Orleans in 1859. There Rowlands was befriended by a merchant, Henry Hope Stanley, whose first and last names the boy adopted in an apparent effort to make a fresh start in life with a new identity; ââ¬Å"Mortonâ⬠was added later.For some years Stanley led a roving life; a soldier in the American Civil War, a seaman on merchant ships and in the U. S. Navy, a journalist in the early days of frontier expansion. In 1867 Stanley offered his services to James Gordon Bennett of the New York Herald as a special correspondent with the British expeditionary force sent against Tewo dros II of Ethiopia, and Stanley was the first to report the fall of Magdala in 1868.An assignment to report the Spanish Civil War followed, and in 1869 he received instructions to undertake a roving commission in the Middle East, which was to include the relief of Dr. David Livingstone, of whom little had been heard since his departure for Africa in 1866 to search for the source of the Nile. On Jan. 6, 1871, Stanley reached Zanzibar, the starting point for expeditions to the interior, and, intent on a scoop, left on March 21 without disclosing his intentions.His secretive conduct caused much offense to the authorities, especially to Sir John Kirk, the British consul, who had been having difficulty in making contact with Livingstone. Leading a well-equipped caravan and backed by American money, Stanley forced his way through country disturbed by fighting and stricken by sickness to Ujiji on Lake Tanganyika, Livingstone's last known port of call. There he found the old hero, ill and short of supplies, and greeted him with the famous words ââ¬Å"Dr. Livingstone, I presume? A cordial friendship sprang up between the two men, and when Stanley returned to the coast he dispatched fresh supplies to enable Livingstone to carry on. The older man's quest ended a year later with his death in the swamps of Lake Bangweulu still vainly seeking the Nile in a region that in fact gives rise to the Congo (Zaire) River. When Livingstone died in 1873, Stanley resolved to take up the exploration of Africa where he had left off. The problem of the Nile sources and the nature of the central African lakes had been only partly solved by earlier explorers.Stanley secured financial backing from the New York Herald and the Daily Telegraph of London for an expedition to pursue the quest, and the caravan left Zanzibar on Nov. 12, 1874, heading for Lake Victoria. His visit to King Mutesa I of Buganda led to the admission of Christian missionaries to the area in 1877 and to the eventual est ablishment of a British protectorate in Uganda. Circumnavigating Lake Victoria, Stanley confirmed the explorer John H. Speke's estimate of its size and importance.Skirmishes with suspicious tribes people on the lakeshore, which resulted in a number of casualties, gave rise in England to criticism of this new kind of traveler with his journalist's outlook and forceful methods. Lake Tanganyika was next explored and found to have no connection with the Nile system. Stanley and his men pressed on west to the Lualaba River (the very river that Livingstone had hoped was the Nile but that proved to be the headstream of the Congo).There they joined forces with the Arab trader Tippu Tib, who accompanied them for a few laps downriver, then left Stanley to fight his way first to Stanley Pool (now Malebo Pool) and then (partly overland) down to the great cataracts he named Livingstone Falls. Stanley and his men reached the sea on Aug. 12, 1877. Failing to enlist British interests in the develop ment of the Congo, Stanley took service with the king of Belgium, Leopold II, whose secret ambition it was to annex the region for himself.From August 1879 to June 1884 Stanley was in the Congo basin, where he built a road from the lower Congo up to Stanley Pool and launched steamers on the upper river. (It is from this period, when Stanley persevered in the face of great difficulties, that he earned, from his men, the nickname of Bula Matari [ââ¬Å"Breaker of Rocksâ⬠]). Originally under international auspices, Stanley's work was to pave the way for the creation of the Congo Free State, under the sovereignty of King Leopold.Author Laura Benet does not disappoint us with this extensive study formerly know John Rowlands in Wales, Stanley's boyhood was harried by poverty, by relatives who treated him as a thorn in the side and by tough years in a workhouse- not the best of conditions for growing up. Amazingly unembittered by this, John went as a youth to New Orleans and had the g ood fortune to go to work for Henry Morton Stanley, a southern merchant who adopted him and whose name John later took. Still another set back, the Civil War, was not enough to dispirit the new Henry Stanley, who found himself in post war years a reporter for the New York Herald.First assignments sent him to Abyssinia and Spain and then the hunt for Livingstone geared the rest of his life as the reporter explorer who left his mark on the opening up of Africa. For an exciting biography, the author dug deep into Stanley's life and made him a full personality in these pages, without ignoring the challenges each journey entailed. I personally found this book to be a very interesting read, it kept me intrigued and involved with an attraction that intensified with each depiction of the stories.I would recommend this book to all readers young and old. For the summary I chose stories about Stanley's most memorable adventures like the search for Livingston, the journey through Africa, and Ki ng Leopold's covert purchase of African territory for best locations. Those stories really helped put Stanley into greatness due to the impact they made, he saved David Livingston, a Nation hero; also help jump start the ââ¬Å"Race for Africaâ⬠for King Leopold; all this aside from the fact that he was quite the reporter/adventure/identity thief.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Hudson Bay Company
The Bay ââ¬â You are the Buyerâ⬠¦ Assignment Erica Hobb Sarah Walkington As a Buyer for the Bay, I would ensure that these new brands that I was bringing in to my department would be productive by researching every brand and making sure there on the same trend line that we are trying to follow. Knowing your target market is also a key element when introducing new brands.The selection factors that I would look at when choosing what brands to bring into my store would be dependent on the season, fit, colour or pattern, durability of garment or product, price, versatility/multi-use, designer label/prestige factor and quality of construction. When deciding what brands to get rid of and which ones to keep, this would be solved by knowing which products are successful and which ones are not. Also which brands are going to match the new reconstruction of our company the Bay and which brands fits in with the new theme and which ones are outdated.In my opinion, the different factors o f the two retailers are: The Bay is very Canadian based, not just because it started in Canada but because even their window displays are reflective to a Canadian theme, where as Holt Renfrew is known for being a high end retailer selling brands and products that are available and sold in other retail stores. The Bay has added over 250 new brands and 90% of which are exclusive to the Bay in Canada. Another factor that is different between the two retailers is their pricing.Holt Renfrew is designed for people with lavish lifestyles and an eye for expensive designer clothing where as The Bay ranges from all price points. The Bay has style and affordable merchandise. Also the customer service you find at both retailers are very different. When going into Holt Renfrew, your getting the whole shopping experience. Employees almost tend to smother you making sure everything you need is at there service where the Bay is more low key.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Formal vs. Informal English (Why and When Grammar Matters)
Formal vs. Informal English (Why and When Grammar Matters) Formal vs. Informal English (Why and When Grammar Matters) Lately, thereââ¬â¢s been a lot of debate about whether correcting peopleââ¬â¢s grammar makes you a snob (or, in the words of one commentator, ââ¬Å"patronizing, pretentious and just plain wrongâ⬠). As proofreaders, this puts us in a difficult position: On the one hand, we donââ¬â¢t want to be ââ¬Å"patronizing, pretentious and just plain wrong.â⬠On the other hand, weââ¬â¢re basically professional pedants, using our knowledge of English to help people communicate. Please dont call us grammar Nazis, by the way. Were very much against fascism, even the grammatical kind. Perhaps the real question is when itââ¬â¢s appropriate to insist on particular grammatical standards. First, though, we should consider the difference between formal and informal English. Formal English Formal English sticks to the prescribed rules of spelling and grammar. This is far more common in writing than speech, especially academic writing and in professional settings. In this kind of English, itââ¬â¢s typical to: Use conventional grammar and spelling Avoid contractions (e.g., ââ¬Å"donââ¬â¢tâ⬠or ââ¬Å"shouldââ¬â¢veâ⬠) and slang Use academic or technical language Always use complete sentences, as well as longer or more complex sentences Require consistent use of terminology/punctuation This kind of writing can seem ââ¬Å"snobby,â⬠especially if the author uses very obscure words or complicated sentences. But a good writer will use formal English to ensure clarity and precision. The advantage of formal English is that it helps people in a particular field or subject area to communicate by providing a standard style of writing. This is why colleges use academic English, but being able to use formal language is valuable elsewhere, too. The important thing is knowing when to use formal English: e.g. at work, in college papers, when communicating with authority figures, etc. Its also useful for talking with the Queen of England. Admittedly, this isnt a daily issue for most people. Informal English Informal English essentially refers to forms of written or spoken English that donââ¬â¢t stick closely to conventional spelling and grammar or that use a lot of slang and informal words. This is the kind of everyday language we use when talking with friends or emailing someone we know well. There is, obviously enough, no standard form of informal English, since it simply refers to non-standard English, which can even encompass ââ¬Å"txtspkâ⬠! Theres no such thing as formal txtspk. So far. Does Grammar Really Matter? When using formal English, yes, grammar and spelling are important. Itââ¬â¢s not that formal English is inherently ââ¬Å"betterâ⬠regardless of the circumstances; itââ¬â¢s simply that using formal English in professional or academic settings aids communication and clarity. By comparison, mistakes like mixing up ââ¬Å"theirâ⬠and ââ¬Å"theyââ¬â¢reâ⬠in a college paper could imply a lack of care or attention, even if the reader can tell what you intended. However, if youââ¬â¢re just hanging out with friends and you feel an urge to tell someone off for splitting an infinitive, it could seem insulting or annoying to the person youââ¬â¢re correcting. Thus, if grammar matters more to you than your friends, feel free to be as pedantic as you like. Otherwise, it might be best to save formal English for when it really counts. If you already carry a red pen for correcting mistakes wherever you go, you might want to try a career in proofreading.
Monday, October 21, 2019
The Effects of Divorce on Children Essay
The Effects of Divorce on Children Essay The Effects of Divorce on Children Essay Example The Effects of Divorce on Children Essay Example The effects of divorce can differ depending on many factors, among which the most important are the behavior of parents and the age and gender of children. It is à essential for children to maintain a contact with both of the parents afterwards. The absence or existence of such a contact usually depends on the relations, on their experience and education in the sphere of childrenââ¬â¢s psychology. Married and Divorced Parents Therefore, the assumption of the research paper is that those children, whose parents pay attention to childrenââ¬â¢s interests more than to those of their own, and stay cooperative regardless their separation, feel less negative impact from the divorce than those, who get a possibility to communicate with only one parent. The school children aged 13 to 18, who could communicate with both of their parents were compared to those, who were sensitized against the non-custodial parent, were interviewed for the following research. The following spheres of life were analyzed: sociability, intimate relations, educational achievements at school, parent-children relations. According to the statistics more and more families suffer from divorces each year. Regardless the further behavior of the parents and their relations, for children this is loss of the family that they knew. Numerous research findings prove that divorce negatively affects children on both psychological and physiological levels. However, the scholars research the impact of divorce on psychological adjustment of children in majority of cases. Consequently, the psychologists have investigated the influence of divorce on relations with parents, quality of intimate relationships in future, achievements in various spheres, alcohol and drugs abuse etc. and have proved that the impact of divorce can become a long-term psychological trauma for children (e.g. Ahrons, 2007; Amato, 2001; Allison, 1989; Kruk, 2010; Moon, 2011; Mustonen, 2011; Velez et al., 2011). Therefore, it is necessary to discuss the situation from different points of view considering the attitude of the parents and reaction o f juvenilesà to it. These effects are closely interconnected; that is why both can help to find the way to avoid the possible negative consequences of divorce or at least minimize them. Paying attention to the change of the childrenââ¬â¢s reaction depending on their age, it is necessary to emphasize the work of Demo (1988). For his research the children, who participated in the investigation, were divided into groups according to their age: infants, toddlers, 3-5 years old, 6-9 years old, 10-12 years old, 13-18 years old. Consequently, it was proved that the reaction of children on divorce can be different: they can feel sad, guilty, angry, anxious or even physically sick. Their gender and age are the factors, which contribute a lot to their reaction. For instance, the adolescents from 13 to 18 years create a group, where the reaction is usually filled with the feelings of anger, sadness, and anxiety (Demo, 1988). Since the period of adolescence is associated with growing up, formation of morality and experimentation, it is important that the parents are those, who show an example of the adult behavior. The rules and limits set by the family in this period are ve ry important for the teenagersââ¬â¢ behavior and development. Consequently, lack of a parent can for different reasons make these rules unclear or changeable and cause moral or psychological health violations. Children regard the divorce as a great change, which means the loss of a parent. Consequently, it is important for a child to keep contact with both parents. Gindes in his article proves the idea of both parentsââ¬â¢ importance on the example of relocation of parents (Gindes, 1998). Divorce lowers childrenââ¬â¢s sense of security and stability; two closest people become not equally accessible to a child anymore. à Gindes (1998) states that after the divorce ââ¬Å"the foundation of the childââ¬â¢s world is splinteredâ⬠. Therefore, in his article he proves that for the proper further childââ¬â¢s development, it is necessary to have a strong positive relationship with both parents, who are not hostile, but amicable towards each other. The best possible after-divorce scenario includes regular communication with a non-residential parent and cooperation of mother and father. Gindes (1998) shows that relocation is important in the mobile society and to what the divorced parents should pay attention in case it is needed. Another example presenting the importance of spending time with a non-custodial parent is provided in the article of Eymann et al (2009). The findings of this research acknowledge that the life of children from intact and divorce families differs and is influenced significantly by the childââ¬â¢s sex, time spent with non-residential parent, who is more often a father and the parentsââ¬â¢ education. Since the participants of the research were mothers and children from divorced families, it showed that the time spent with fathers was significantly lower. At the same time the quality of family relations, social emotional functioning and behavior, self-esteem, mental health and behavior were significantly lower. Consequently, the above mentioned findings prove again that psychosocial quality of childrenââ¬â¢s life at school-age is significantly influenced by parentââ¬â¢s education and attitude towards their childââ¬â¢s interests. The nextà research based on the interview of 118 married and 114 divorced parents provided by Moon (2011) is also worth attention for in the given research paper and supports Eymannââ¬â¢s hypotheses. Moon (2011) proves that the behavior and experience of parents are of great importance by handling the divorce effects for children. Having analyzed the attitude of parents towards the influence of divorce on psychology of their children, Moon came to the conclusion that married parents believe that their divorce would have more negative effects on children than divorced parents do. Consequently, they pay more attention to their childrenââ¬â¢s interests and problems than to those of their own. In order to lessen the negative effects of divorce, it is important to find out the reasons evoking them. Hence, Amato in his article (2001) presented an updated research of the impact of divorce on children in the 1990s. His hypothesis was that the effects of divorce had lessened in the 1990s, and some factors, which are responsible for that change, are as follows: sophistication of the studies in the sphere divorce; as it got easier to divorce, less troubled families were being included in the divorced population; more extensive interventions. Explaining the adjustment problems in adolescence between children of divorced and two-parent families Simons et al. (1999) emphasized such factors as parental conflict, family income, psychological adjustment of the custodial parent, practice of a custodial parent, as well as the non-custodial parent involvement. His research was based on the series of questionnaires defining parental factors, among which the following were marked: income, parenting practices, parents depression and conflict, and childrens adjustment problems. As a result, the findings showed a close connection between the childrenââ¬â¢s adjustment problems and the divorce of their parents. In the case of the boys conduct problems, the research showed a significant relationship with parenting practices, which were likely to be impaired because of the divorce. In the case of girls conduct problems, a parental conflict had a significant impact. Paying attention to childrenââ¬â¢s depression, it is necessary to ma rk out that according to Simon et al. (1999) the boys were not affected by the mediating variables. At the same time the girlsââ¬â¢ depressive states were à influenced by the mothers. Therefore, it is obvious that the divorce and the parental conflict have a significant negative impact on childrenââ¬â¢s behavior in the period of adolescence. The impact on girls differs from that one on boys in long-term perspective. Mustonen et al (2011) in the article described how the parental divorce influenced the quality of intimate relationships and psychosocial resources in the future. The research was based on questionnaires of children from the divorced families at the age of 16 and later of 32 years. Consequently, the scholars concluded that men and women from the divorced families more often separated at the age of 32 than those from the intact families. However, the parental divorce affected daughters more than sons. Women, who suffered from the parental divorce in childhood, had poorer relations with their parents in adolescence. Moreover, they were characterized by lower self-esteem and social support satisfaction.à The gender divergence can be caused by the fact that after the divorce, in most cases, the mothers are the residential parents. Consequently, the daughters absorb their negative attitude towards marriage. Ano ther possible reason is the difference in psychosocial resources. It such case, it is possible to state that men are less impressionable by the negative impact of parental divorce than women. The next research, which proves the inappropriateness of bringing children into parental conflicts, was held by Ben-Amy (2012). The research was based on the survey of 118 individuals, whose well-being was analyzed according to 5 domains: self-sufficiency, alcohol abuse, depression, attachment, and self-esteem. Consequently, it was found out that the attempts of one parent to turn a child against another one caused lower self-sufficiency, lower self-esteem, a lack or low level of secure attachments, and more frequent lifetime depressions. The domain that, according to the provided research, was not influenced by parental post-divorce disputes was alcohol abuse. As a result, the psychological amicable atmosphere between two parents is obviously contributing much to the health of children. Taking into consideration another point of view, not only childrenââ¬â¢s gender difference, but also the parentsââ¬â¢ one is important in divorce studies. Therefore, it is important to regard not only the relations of parents between each other, but the attitude of fathers and mothers towards children. The mothers become the residential parents more often than the fathers. They usually à participate more in the childrenââ¬â¢s upbringing than fathers. Hence, the warm and positive relations with mothers have a positive impact on the à development. The research described in the article of Velez et al (2011) shows that child-mother relationship are connected with the processes and improves coping efficacy and active coping. Nevertheless, the relations with fathers are not less important. The assumption that fathers stay indifferent to the loss of relations with children or to the usual to them atmosphere is erroneous. For instance, Kruk in his article (2010) provided the exp erimental evidences that fathersââ¬â¢ psychological reaction toà a possible loss of child-father relations is quite strong. à As in most cases mothers become custodial parents after the divorce, fathers can feel lonely and depressed. The suicide rate after divorce among fathers is much higher than among mothers. The article also emphasized the psychological perspectives of father-child bonds, which determined their participation in child care (Kruk, 2010). The responsibilities are divided between both parents, and during the last decade the fathers have become more involved into it. Consequently, fatherââ¬â¢s influence to childââ¬â¢s sex-role, intellectual, moral development, achievements motivation, social competence is very essential. The relations of the parents after the divorce, such as parentsââ¬â¢ remarrying and cohabiting also have an impact on the further life of the children, not only right after the divorce, but also in the long-term perspective. Ahrons (2007) in his research of such influence interviewed the children twenty years after the divorce and has reported the evidences that children, whose parents were cooperative, had better relations with parents and other family members. This is an important fact for the future success in life and less negative emotions during the lifespan. Indeed, the researches mentioned above provide numerous evidences that a family plays a great role in childrenââ¬â¢s psychological development on all levels. The divorce is a negative event, which destroys the friendly atmosphere between the parents and, therefore, influences the further childââ¬â¢s behavior. In order to prevent the negative consequences, which can result in deterioration on the level of à academic achievements, conduct, psychological adjustment, self-concept, and social relations, it is necessary to provide a child with necessary for them mother-child and father-child relations, which are obviously equally important. Therefore, even if divorce took place in the family the image of the parents, who stay happy, support friendly relations and discuss their childrenââ¬Ës problems, should become helpful to avoid the negative consequences of divorce. In the current research children from the divorced families were interviewed, and the influence of parentsââ¬â¢ relation on their behavior in the society, intimate relations, educational achievements, self-evaluation were researched. The participants were divided according to their parentsââ¬â¢ post-divorce relations and gender. They were interviewed with the help of closed-ended questions, which indicated how the absence of communication with one of the parents influenced different spheres of their lives. Therefore, taking into consideration the previous researches of the divorce negative effects on children, it is necessary to investigate how they can be minimized. The findings show which sphere of childrenââ¬â¢s life is influenced more; and why parents should stay cooperative and amicable towards each other after the divorce. Participants In order to test the hypothesis that the post-divorce communication of parents has an impact on childrenââ¬â¢s psychological state, the age group of adolescents aged 13-18 was interviewed.à The children from the divorced families (10 persons, whose parents were cooperative and amicable, 10 persons, whose parents were struggling against each other, age range: 13-18) were found with the help of social networks and asked to participate in the research. The interview was anonymous, confidential, ethical, private, and the response rate was 100%. For testing of the second hypothesis that the gender of children is influential for the results, each stratum of 10 persons consisted of 5 male and 5 female representatives. Research design To gain the evidences of the influence of the parental conflicts or communication after the divorce on their children, and uncover the spheres of the strongest influence on children, a qualitative research based on the analysis of twenty interviews was held. Materials and Procedure To collect data for the research, all the participants were provided with the same questionnaire lists of eight closed-ended questions, which investigated childrenââ¬â¢s mental state on the level of behavior in the society, educational achievements, intimate relations, child-parents relations. The list for the observatory groups included a total of eight questions, each of which had two possible answers defining high or low levels of the events or feelings accordingly. The sampling method chosen for the research was a probability stratified sampling method, which reduces sampling error. As it was mentioned above, the questions were closed-ended, aimed to compare the levels of intimate relations, child-parental relations, educational achievements, and confliction society position of the children of divorce, who were treated in different ways. The answers were sent through the e-mail and afterwards grouped according to 2 strata and analyzed according to 4 spheres of influence. After wards, as the previous researches of the scholars proved that there exists the difference between male and female reaction on the divorce (e.g. Allison, 1989; Simons, 1999; Velez, 2011; Kruk, 2010), it was necessary to compare the answers of the gender subgroups of both strata. The results of the research were depicted in the diagrams presented in attachment (see Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3). Measures According to the data analysis, the average age of all the participants was 14, 5 years. This age group is referred to as adolescents, and, in general, is characterized by high emotionality and the main norms and aims establishment, which is important to take into account for the further discussion. The calculations showed that regarding the behavior of the first stratum of the society, 90% of the participants were bent to conflicts and rarely took part in the social school life while the index for children from the second group was only 20%. The education achievements were average for both strata and got 8 and 7 points out of 10 possible accordingly. Regarding the intimate relations it was calculated that the children of those parents, who struggle after the divorce feel lonely 40% more often than of those, who cooperate with each other and have a lower index of friendsââ¬â¢ number, which was calculated as 2 for the first group and 5 for the second one. 100% of the interviewed ch ildren from the first stratum stated that they lacked the communication with a non-residential parent. Only 10% of the second group participants answered positively to this question. Comparing the data considering gender differences it is important to mention that 100% of girls from the first stratum appeared to be bent to conflicts and did not take part in social events, and only 80% of boys answered the questions in the same way. The points for education achievements for boys and girls were not very different and were calculated as 8. The index of loneliness was higher among girls, 100% of answered that felt lonely often. 80% was the index of the boys, who answered the same questions. The number of friends among both genders did not differ. 100% of both male and female participants lacked communication with their non-custodial parents (see Figure 2). Regarding the difference between male and female participants from the second stratum, the indicators of three spheres were different: education achievements, intimate relations, lack of parental attention (see Figure 3). Results The findings of the research show how the behavior of the parents influences the childrenââ¬â¢s life after divorce. It is obvious that sensitizing the children against a non-residential parent and inter parental conflicts after the divorce have a negative influence on the childââ¬â¢s development. Comparing two strata, the difference between which lies in the parental behavior, it is necessary to emphasize that the sphere of relations between a child and is influenced the most. 100% of the participants, who did not have the possibility to communicate with a non-custodial parent, felt the lack of attention and communication with them. Among those, whose parents were amicable and cooperative, only 10 % of the participants answered the question positively. All of them were female representatives. This can be explained by girlsââ¬â¢ higher level of emotionality and sensitivity. The next sphere dealt with difficulties in intimate relations. The participants of the first stratum we re obviously less communicative and had fewer friends. Again the index for the female representatives was higher than the male one. The educational achievements of the children were not influenced by the parentsââ¬â¢ behavior. Proneness to conflicts among children from the first group was much higher. It means that children from the divorced families lose the ability to avoid and soothe the conflicts and do not tend to participate in the social life. Comparing to the second stratum, the representatives of the first one were less communicative and bent to loneliness and conflicts. Finally, the communication between children and their parents, usually non-custodial ones, is the sphere, which is influenced the most. It is more difficult for them to adjust in the childrenââ¬â¢s group and they are more introvert. Discussion The results of the research present the evidences of the negative effects of divorce on children. Though the divorce itself appears to be a psychological trauma for the parents as well, its effects can be minimized with the help of influence on their post-divorce behavior. That is why it is necessary to make the parents aware of the peculiarities of the child psychology and importance of communication with both of the parents. As the adolescent age group needs to be investigated, the research was based on the answers of children, whose average age was 14,5. The parental conflicts and behavior in general obviously have an impact on the mentioned spheres of childrenââ¬â¢s lives. The parent-child relations are influenced the most and the educational achievements of children are influenced the least. Nevertheless, the indexes can be not accurate. It is important to mention that judging the influence of parental behavior on such spheres as adjustment in the society, educational achievements, intimate relations, lack of parental attention for the adolescentsââ¬â¢ group should take into account the peculiarities of their age. The number of the participants was not high. Consequently, it is difficult to calculate the accurate percentage. Moreover, it is necessary to question the parents of the participants to get more precise results. To sum it up, regardless the inaccuracy of some indexes, the research contributes to the studies of the divorce effects on children and gives evidences that parents should put the childrenââ¬â¢s interests prior to those of their own. Moreover, educating parents about the effect of divorce on their children should influence their decisions and post-divorce behavior positively.
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