A Brief Note On Medical And Healthcare Ethics - 1822 Words

Ethics in Research Jaclyn Bzdusek HSC320 – Applied Medical and Healthcare Ethics Instructor Rick Hall Arizona State University August 3, 2015 Ethics in Research From bench to bedside Developing new treatments or studying physiological/pathophysiological processes require different methods of research. Some tests require humans and others require animals. How do we know when each one is necessary? Well, it really depends on the type of research that is being conducted. Animals are studied so that researchers can learn more about how living organisms work and how diseases affect their bodies. There are many laws in place in the U.S. to protect research animals and human subjects. At the moment there are no alternatives to conducting†¦show more content†¦In other words, they want animals to be tested with drugs and experimented on before they move on to test the human participants to protect the welfare of the humans. In order to protect the welfare of animals, they are not the initial test for medicines. Computers and test tubes are the initial screenings and tests in research studies to protect the human subjects and the animals. So I think that there are a lot of steps in the process before we get to animals and humans. Clinical Research Ethics Our history has plenty of examples of ethical violations in clinical research. It wasn’t until 1906 that the Pure Food and Drug Act was passed and started the road to protecting human participants in research. Before then, there were no regulations regarding the ethical usage of humans in research. There are several cases of what you could call unethical medical research studies in our history. From 1932-1972, the Tuskegee Syphilis Study (which was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health), studied the effects of untreated syphilis in 400 African American men by withholding treatment. The subjects were not even told that they were in an experiment and most of the subjects believed that they were getting treated for â€Å"bad blood†. During World War 2, concentration camp prisoners were conducted upon by the German scientists for research. On December 9, 1946, 23 scientists and administrators were put on trial for allowing these crimes against humanity and war crimes. The

LEARNERS AND LEARNING ASSIGNMENT 4 Essay - 1608 Words

LEARNERS AND LEARNING ASSIGNMENT 4 INTRODUCTION Students learning English as a foreign language are often confronted with the challenge of learning and using English effectively. Some students seem to cope with the difficulties of language learning with great success and neither little effort, while for others the task is neither an enjoyable nor a successful one. What is it that makes learning a new language so easy for some and so difficult for others? One reason is that â€Å"each student has his/her own preferred way of learning that is determined by his/her cultural and educational background and personality† (Shoebottom, 2007). BRIEF LESSON OUTLINE In this assignment I evaluated differences in learners’ responses and†¦show more content†¦By doing these various activities, I could avoid boredom and increase their interest levels during the one hour lesson. Williams (1999) cites the work of Gardner (1985) and defines motivation as consisting of effort, plus desire to achieve the goal of learning, plus favorable attitudes towards learning the language. A distinction is made between integrative (or intrinsic) orientation, which occurs when the learner wishes to identify with the culture of the target language, and instrumental (extrinsic) orientation, which occurs when motivation arises from external goals, such as passing exams, financial rewards, or furthering a career. Lamb, M. (2012) adds a third category: success in the task, which is a combination of satisfaction and reward.  PERSONALITY One of the challenges I faced teaching this lesson (in the beginning) was the discipline. I made clear right from the start of the lesson what the rules of the classroom were and the consequences of not behaving well, this made the students behavior in my classroom much better The personality of the group as a whole was of outgoing teenagers. They were eager to participate and even the shy ones contributed willingly in this lesson. A few of them, the extroverts, were the ones who volunteered more. Usually, these are the most prominent students, and this helped in modeling correctly for their peers. They had no problem in followingShow MoreRelatedThe Analysis : Fleming Mills1212 Words   |  5 Pagesdetermine students’ learning preference. The goal of each question is to place a reader in a situation they have experienced before and ask for their preferred action (Fleming Mills, 1992). Based on the answers provided, the VARK identifies a learning preference, which can include one of the four styles: visual, aural, read/write, or kinesthetic (Fleming Mills, 1992). After completing the questionnaire, VARK identified the read/write style as the preferred method of learning for this author. 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They are driven by social and media influence more than ever with the increased availability of information on technology. The new learner has to face a wider range of challenges compared to the learner of ten years ago, from the technology boom to the availability of information from the cyber world and from the education system. The question that comes to mind has the socio-economicalRead MoreUnit 2 Assignment P2 P3 M11036 Words   |  5 PagesNicky Edwards, Patricia Britto Issue Date: w/c 6th October 2014 Hand in date: 24th October 2014 Criteria 1st Referral Hand in Date 2nd Referral Hand in Date Grade Achieved Signed Dated by Lecturer P2 P3 M1 Learning Outcomes On completion of this unit a learner should: 2 Know discriminatory practices in health and social care Internal verification: Date: Signature: Remember! Your attention is drawn to the comments made in the student program guide with regard to bothRead MoreCelta Syllabus Assessment Essay5688 Words   |  23 PagesTopic descriptions......................................................................................................................................................................................................... Topic 1 Learners and teachers, and the teaching and learning context.......................................................................................... Topic 2 Language analysis and awareness......................................................................................Read MoreWhy It Is Important That I Understand What Independent Learning1408 Words   |  6 Pageswhat independent learning is† â€Å"Independent learning skills are one of the secrets to success† (DAVIS OWEN, 2009 in FIELD, R., DUFFY, J. HUGGINS A. p: 1) As the author Meyer inform us there are many definitions for the term of â€Å"Independent learning† (MEYER et al, 2008). One of this terms is called â€Å"self-directed learning† but is more likely to use the term â€Å"self-regulated learning† instead (MEYER et al, 2008 p: 2). According to Michael Grahame Moore â€Å"Independent learning is an educational

Critical Reflection of Roles of Group Members-Samples for Students

Question: Analysis of and critical reflection of roles of group members. Critical analysis of professional practice issues, and participant involvement and feedback. Answer: Introduction Leadership forms an important part of our life. Leaders exist in every field. They are the people who excel at something and make a significant mark in the industry. Leaders guide, motivate and work together with their team and help them in their growth and development (Goleman, 2017). There are various great leaders across the globe who have change the shape of the world through their excellent leadership skills. Through this course I have learnt a lot about leadership and I strongly believe that there has been a massive improvement in my leadership ability. There were various activities which were conducted throughout the course which helped us analyze our leadership abilities as well as helped us improve upon the same. Through this report, I have attempted to reflect upon my journey throughout the course via the Gibbs reflective cycle. The rationale behind choosing this framework was to make it easier for the readers to understand my experience as well as cover all the important aspects of my learning. The group Through the course we have participated in various activities and organized two workshops where we were consultants. We worked in the group of four people. Our experience of working together has also taught me a lot about team work and leadership skills. As a group we were very comfortable with each other as we knew each other from a long time. Therefore, at the very beginning of the workshop we had established an open communication for all participants. We encouraged each other to speak freely about any concerns that a person may face. Transparent communication is essential in the success of any team dynamic (Levi, 2015). I have always been an introvert and therefore this kind of an encouragement also helped me get comfortable around my group members. We worked together and spent a lot of time in each others company. This helped me know these people better and develop a better rapport with them all. There were various activities and role plays that involved one of us to perform a leadership role. Our group dynamic was very flexible and everyone was given an equal work opportunity within the group. We performed an exercise coach, coaching and observer. The exercise and workshop done by us was very productive and helped us understand various leadership dynamics. In one of the activities, we discussed what leadership traits apply to us and I related most with Stodgill (1974). This was because I have always been an achiever, high on self-confidence and I take on responsibilities seriously. I am also very cooperative and understanding towards my team and often believe that I am able to have a significant a mount of influence on my people. All these traits were identified through CBC technique. It was a major help as it helped me a get a deeper insight about my own self. We are very different people with varied personalities. The three people that I worked with had personality types ESFP, ENFP, ESFJ and I am myself an ISFJ (Furnham, 2017). It was an immense learning experience to work with these people. There was a lot of mutual respect and admiration and we worked hard with the shared goal of learning. Conflicts As a group of people, we also faced a few conflicts. This was mostly owing to the different personality types and ego clashes. However, if there was a conflict or any kind of tension experienced by two people of the group, the other two tried to resolve the matter. We all understood that everyone is working towards a shared goal and we tried to respect each others opinions. Such conflicts within the group temporarily impact the groups overall performance and specifically disrupts the flow of communication (Yang Li, 2017). A conflict impacts the working environment of the group and spreads negativity. The good part was that since the very beginning, we had opened the gates to transparent communication and that largely helped us in resolving conflicts as and when they occurred. Workshops One of the activities that we conducted included how to put together a workshop. Therefore, We organized a workshop as consultants in the group of four. In the first workshop, we participated in a group development exercise and delivered a 10 minute training on leadership. This was my first experience at conducting a workshop and hence I learnt how to start the workshop and break the ice with a set of new participants. I also took additional roles. I was keeping time and informing people about time throughout their activity. I was also recording the session. There were a few exercises that we were unable to conduct due to limited resources. But overall the entire experience was that of immense learning. When I was a participant in the workshop, it was difficult for me to understand the relevancy of various theories. However, when I conducted the workshop as a consultant I got a clearer picture. We learnt about the LMX framework that taught us the importance of an effective leader member relationship. Firstly, we were asked to decide upon a leader of our choice. There were various cards and since I had read immensely about Steve Jobs, I suggested that we select Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs is a transformational leader who built a firm from the scratch. He always led by example and attracted a wide range of followers and team members through his charisma, honest and passion (Abraham, 2014). We also discussed about transformational leadership. One interesting thing to note was that everyone was talking about what they expected from the other person rather than perceiving themselves as a transformational leader. Upon further research, we established that this is one of the limitations of the theory and there is an ongoing academic debate for the same. We also discussed the case study The unmanageable star (Harvard Business Review, 2013). Different people had to offer different opinions about the case. The case had to right or wrong answers but it was interesting to see the opinions of people with different personalities. The case was also a learning experience for us because it helped me understand that despite delivering numbers and performance in a business, people management skill is also highly crucial (Notgrass, 2014). The second workshop that we conducted was on situational leadership. There were three main players in the scenario, managing director, a newly appointed manager who needs to prove himself and new managers who are losing their management status. The HR manager is an observer in the scenario. This role play helped me understand different thinking processes of different people. I understood the situational leadership theory and the behavior of the manager was also very inspiring. Self The course and the workshop have been a source of immense learning for me. There are various aspects of my personality that I need to work upon in order to be a successful leader in life. At the same point of time, there are various aspects of my personality that would help me in enhancing my leadership abilities. We also discussed how coaching helps in developing oneself and how can we help develop others through coaching. My ability to empathize and connect with people is one of my biggest strengths. I try to remain calm in the situations of conflicts and I try to find the best and the most effective solution to a problem. As a leader, I try to take my team together and help in the personal growth and development of all my team members. I put efforts in ensuring that they all have equal performance opportunity. On the other hand, my communication skills are that aspect of my personality that I need to work upon. Communication skills will help the leaders in motivating, guiding and building a deeper connection with their teammates (Men, 2014). I tried my level best to actively participate in all the group activities and ensure that the group works towards a shared goal. Despite being an introvert, I worked towards establishing a positive connect with my team members. My overall experience throughout the course has been a positive one. I have learnt a lot in this journey and I will make sure that I work towards improving my leadership abilities. Besides communication skills, I also need to make sure that I remain patient and calm as this will enable me to take the most rationale step in any given situation. Future For the future, I have a small action plan in mind which would help me develop myself as a leader. I need to work upon breaking my barriers and begin communicating with new people on a daily basis. This will help me become comfortable in my communication with people and will also help me in connecting with my team mates in a better manner. I would also work towards building Mann (1995)s traits of a leader and work upon my extroversion, dominance, adjustment and conservatism. I learnt that my empathy, people management skills, creativity and the ability to lead by example are my biggest strengths in the leadership role that I would attain. I have also understood the importance of creating a positive environment in the workplace. Little can be achieved in a team if the team dynamics between really talented people is very negative. Leadership is a very important part of ones life and I am truly grateful to this course for having introduced me to the concept in such a positive and productive manner. I am sure that the learnings that I have gained in these workshops will enhance my leadership abilities and help me in becoming a great leader to an even better team in the future. References Abraham, M. (2014).Five Leadership skills that made Steve Jobs transform Apple. GRIN Verlag. Furnham, A. (2017). Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). InEncyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences(pp. 1-4). Springer International Publishing. Goleman, D. (2017).Leadership That Gets Results (Harvard Business Review Classics). Harvard Business Press. Harvard Business review, (2013), The Unmanageable star performer, https://hbr.org/2013/02/case-study-the-unmanageable-st, retrieved on 27 February, 2018. Levi, D. (2015).Group dynamics for teams. Sage Publications. Men, L. R. (2014). Why leadership matters to internal communication: Linking transformational leadership, symmetrical communication, and employee outcomes.Journal of Public Relations Research,26(3), 256-279. Notgrass, D. (2014). The relationship between followers perceived quality of relationship and preferred leadership style.Leadership Organization Development Journal,35(7), 605-621. Yang, I., Li, M. (2017). Can absent leadership be positive in team conflicts? An examination of leaders avoidance behavior in China.International Journal of Conflict Management,28(2), 146-165.

Marketing Plan for Day Care Operations the Making of CareMax Childrens Center, Hazel Green, Alabama

Background Summary CareMax children’s center is a limited liability company (LLC) located in Hazel Green, Alabama, and operated by the George Williamson family. CareMax has largely concentrated its activities in the provision of daycare services for the Hazel Green community of an estimated 4,200 residents and 1,340 households as of July 2007 (City-Data.Com, 2010).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Marketing Plan for Day Care Operations: the Making of CareMax Children’s Center, Hazel Green, Alabama specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The center was carefully designed and developed after the realization that professional childcare is a necessity in every civilization, from small towns to large cities. From its inception, the center has been received warmly by the community especially due to its multifaceted nature and capacity to offer timely, flexible, and individualized day care services to the minors in different age categories. CareMax Center officially opened for business in 2003, with a license to provide daycare services for thirty-five children. Presently, CareMax is licensed for seventy children aged six weeks to six years. 62 children are currently enrolled at the center, representing 88.6 percent enrollment level. The center appreciates the fact that children need to be treated with warmth and respect. Its mission statement is to provide high quality childcare services with a bias on developmentally appropriate activities for the minors under our care. The key rudiments of CareMax’s business concern are as follows: Diversified services — the center has increasingly diversified its services to maintain competitive advantage while ensuring that parents of children with specialized needs benefit from our exceptional services. Convenient location — the center is located at the heart of Hazel Green community, and is easily accessible from all directions. Its magnificent buildings and stupendous age-appropriate play stations reveals the center’s dedication to the wellbeing and comfort of children, and also serves to instill a permanent unique image on the mindsets of parents about the center’s capacity to offer splendid services and care to their children Investment in employees — Given the labor-intensive nature prevalent in the industry, CareMax has invested heavily in the number and quality of its employees to keep in line with its tradition and mission of offering high quality childcare with a view of assisting the child attain the fullest potential during the formative years of development. The center has 10 full-time members of staff and 2 CPR certified supervisors. CareMax has also engaged the services of a nursing officer to cater for the health needs of children under our care. All our staff members have contributed individually and collectively to the success of CareMax. Quality services — CareM ax is extremely aware that parents are increasingly relying on independent rating services or recommendations from friends about the quality of services offered by daycare operators (Lownes-Jackson, 2004). As such, the center has invested heavily in developing superior capacity to ensure daycare services are delivered in a highly efficient environment that ensure core values and procedures are stringently followed by caregivers in the process of satisfying customers’ needs. Quality services have enabled the center to retain its competitive advantage as the preferred daycare services provider in the wider Hazel Green’s area, Alabama. Strong financial muscle — CareMax has been able to maintain a strong financial might despite low levels in the industry occasioned by high operating costs. This has been primarily achieved by maintaining steady growth through aggressive advertisement and the admirable reputation the center has been able to create for itself. The stro ng financial background has enabled the center to continue offering quality services to preschoolers despite the high overhead costs. Customers The George Williamson family first initiated the child development center with a view of giving quality childcare to low-income families living within Hazel Green’s community, Alabama. The racial makeup within the community is predominantly white, with blacks accounting for less than 3 percent of the population in the area (City-Data.Com, 2010). The original mission was to offer children from low-income families a stable, inspiring, and loving environment during their formative years of development. The perception that lower income parents could not afford to pay for quality childcare while they worked greatly influenced the philosophy and value system under which the center operated during its early years. CareMax center has greatly evolved in its customer portfolio to serve all kinds of working parents with preschool children. Howe ver, the center still retains special fees structure for low-income families that may require its services. This has served to endear the center to the community, making it to become part-and-parcel of Hazel Green’s community.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Its major customers include parents working in organizations, hospitals, local and regional schools, government agencies, and other service-oriented firms. Some of the needs these customers have in requesting the services of the center include: Need to continue working while still nurturing a preschool child — statistics reveal that 65 percent of all mothers in the US with children under the age of five years are actively engaged in the workforce. These children require specialized services and attention, and CareMax center offers both. Security concerns — some parents are apprehensive about leavin g their children under the care of nannies and relatives. At CareMax, the security of children is of paramount importance, and no incidence of inappropriate handling has been reported to the authorities for the eight years the facility has been in operation. Individual development of children — parents need their children to encounter experiences that will advance their physical, social, emotional, spiritual and cognitive development. Not only does the environment at CareMax guarantees all the above, but it also promotes independence, enhanced self-esteem, constructive problem solving, and positive feelings of self-worth among the preschoolers. Products CareMax center mainly concerns itself with offering products in terms of providing daycare services for children in the wider Hazel Green’s region, Alabama. The center offers unique and diversified services to children in three broad age categories, namely 6 weeks to 1 year; 1 year to 3 years; and 3 years to 6 years. T he services offered at CareMax includes not only the particular services presented for sale to parents with preschool children, but also the reputation, image, and other innovative services offered by the institution such as puzzle and coloring areas (Lownes-Jackson, 2004). The main services of catering for the children’s individual development are tailored to meet the specific requirements of each age category and any other specialized requirements that may be dictated by the parents or guardians of children with special needs. The center provides entertainment and quality food to the children while they are in attendance. In addition to its core function of offering quality childcare, the center offers the following services to reinforce its earnings: Transportation services to and from the center for the children Specialized pre-arranged elderly care Operates an elementary school Pre-college counseling through its College Mentorship Programme Matching the Products with t he needs of Customers CareMax center exercises an open-door business policy whereby all parents and guardians with children at the school are invited after every two months to give their views on how childcare should be offered. Little children have very specialized needs, and thus the center benefits immensely from the frequent interactions between the parents and the administration, not mentioning the fact that such meetings offer a platform for the parents to expressively state their needs, and for the management to act decisively in developing products that will match up to the stated needs. Such an interaction has greatly assisted the child development center to remain ever conscious of the ever changing business environment. The center is always prepared to alter its operations and change direction when the needs of its major clients – the parents – demands so.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Marketing Plan for Day Care Operations: the Mak ing of CareMax Children’s Center, Hazel Green, Alabama specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Product Development The center takes cognizance of the fact that it must continually develop new products and services if it is to remain relevant in modern-day competitive environment (Lownes-Jackson, 2004). Towards this objective, the parents are involved in the development of new services for their children, and are adequately informed about the advantages and disadvantages of the new services in terms of assisting the children to develop healthily in all critical facets of life. CareMax takes extraordinary measures to ensure that new services are safe and of relevance to the children’s learning capabilities according to regulations stated by the authorities. CareMax center is particularly keen to involve parents in the process of concept development since they form the center’s target market. The center is always keen to in corporate productive views presented by the parents and guardians especially in the features to be incorporated in the service (Ulrich Eppinger, 1999). This way, the new service is able to benefit the children in a more productive manner. In equal measure, the new product or service is expected to affect the parents in terms of pricing. The child development center therefore feels obliged to consult them so that their views and worries may be taken into account. Pricing CareMax children’s center realizes that the prices charged to its major clients, the parents, directly affect the performance and success of the institution (Entrepreneur Media, 2010). As such, the center is at the forefront in attempting to maintain a pricing policy that is fair and commensurate to the services offered while ensuring that major operations, processes, and profitability of the enterprise are not put into jeopardy. The center constantly reviews the prices offered, adjusting them appropriately t o satisfy the target market. This equilibrium in the business context is realized through the employment of the following procedures: Pricing Strategy CareMax center employs penetration pricing strategy to market its services to its customers. When new services are developed at the center, the introductory prices are always offered at a lower price than what is offered by other industry players for the same or similar service to attract more customers while allowing the existing customers to enjoy the entire promotional package (Lownes-Jackson, 2004). The prices may be adjusted later to reflect actual market trends.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is within the mandate of the management of CareMax center to determine the specific prices for each of the products and services on offer. To determine the prices, the center always employs the following principles: All prices must have the capacity to cover costs and profits The most efficient way to lower prices is to lower operational costs Prices of products and services must be reviewed regularly to ensure they offer a true reflection of the dynamics of cost, competition, target market demand and profit objectives (Entrepreneur Media, 2010). After objective considerations are made regarding the above factors, the child development center utilizes both competitive and markup pricing strategies for purposes of offering authentic pricing schedule, which is both age and needs specific. Competitive pricing is basically used to charge general accommodation charges for the children in line with the current prices at the market (Entrepreneur Media, 2010). For example, last year, t he center was charging $25 per hour for taking care of toddlers from 6 weeks old to 1 year. A market research initiated by the center for purposes of price appraisal revealed that all the other centers in Hazel Green were charging the same. As such, the center could not raise its fees. CareMax center utilizes markup pricing strategy to price some of its value-added services. The center calculates its markup price by adding a set amount of money to the cost of the service. For example, the center offers specialized meals to children depending on the ability of parents to pay for the specialized services. When charging for the special meals, the center adds a fixed amount of money to the actual cost of the meals to be charged to customers as the official price of the meals (Entrepreneur Media, 2010). In general, however, the center always reviews its prices: When a new service is introduced in the market When costs of operation changes When competitors adjust their prices When the st ate of economy experience either slump or inflation Price position At CareMax center, we greatly take cognizance of the fact that market demands and issues of supply and demand of our services institute real pressure on how we position our prices. As a small business, the center very much rely on issues of profitability, market value of services offered, and competitions to position prices according to the requirements of its target customers (Brand Positioning – price, 2006). Some of the objectives evaluated by the center while making decision on price position include: Profit maximization – Economic conditions (elasticity, competition) Market share – Government regulations and actions Leadership – Social concerns (seasonality) Service quality – Survival CareMax center is always keen to maintain a perfect equilibrium between the price ceiling and the price floor of its major services to keep its customers under lock-and-key while at the same time guaranteeing the competitive advantage of the center. The equilibrium is achieved by undertaking extensive market research to shed light on industry patterns and current prices offered by competitors for similar services. The center is vehemently aware that the demand of its services will decline if the price position stupendously moves towards the price ceiling (Diamantopoulos, 2003). At the same time, the center may fail to realize enough profits to boost its operations if the price balance plummets towards the price floor. As such, a perfect balance must be maintained to safeguard the interests of both the parents and the center. The figure below reveals a five-year average price position for toddlers under one year old. Price Sensitivity CareMax center is not often affected by issues relating to price sensitivity since its primary concern is the provision of affordable quality care to children in relatively dissimilar age categories. The prices are flexible depending on the pa rent’s ability to pay, and in line with the center’s traditional philosophy of catering for low-income bracket in the community. In this perspective, while price is viewed as an important factor by parents in making decisions on whether to use its services, the center has resoundingly responded by making the prices and modes of payment as flexible as possible. In this industry, parents have diverse reservation prices they are prepared to pay for services rendered (Diamantopoulos 2003). However, the center is purposing to standardize prices in the long-term to match particular age categories, leaving the flexibility clause to parents that are in need of services but are unable to pay using current market rates due to their social economic standing. Place/Distribution For a business offering childcare services such as CareMax, location is a major factor in any place considerations (Lownes-Jackson, 2004). CareMax center is located at the heart of Hazel Green Community, an d is easily accessible any time of the day from all directions. Parents from the surrounding suburbs can easily access the facility for convenience, while a perimeter fence has been elected to ensure the safety of children. Further, the center was purposely built in its present location, which is away from major traffic routes, to ensure the safety of children. This way, the parents, while undertaking the daily work-related activities, can be assured that their children are in one of the safest locations in Hazel Green. The playing areas are magnificently designed, and buildings uniquely decorated with pictures of animals, plants, and maps that not only serve as major attractions for children, but also assist in the general learning process. In addition, these designs leaves a permanent image on the minds of its target market – parents and guardians – that CareMax is indeed the place where their children can be assisted to gain maximum potential in this very critical p hase of development. The location and design strategies are working perfectly well, and no major changes are intended in the near future. Promotion The child development center is fully aware that to break even in this industry, it has to continue persuading the parents, its target market, about existing and new services on offer for their children. Towards the realization of this noteworthy objective, CareMax utilizes both direct and indirect methods of promotion (Lownes-Jackson, 2004). In direct promotion, the center utilizes the following: Advertising Publicity Special events sales in thank giving days and open days. The company also utilizes the following strategies in its indirect promotion programs: Public relations Customer relations Customer/client services Service packaging Advertising The center takes cognizance of the fact that advertising is particularly important if the promotional strategies are to achieve their intended objective – that of attracting new cu stomers while ensuring that existing clients are not poached by competitors (Lownes-Jackson, 2004). New and exiting customers must be made aware of new services whenever they hit the market. In this perspective, CareMax center utilizes the following advertising mediums: Local newspaper Local and regional magazines Community radio Fliers and brochures Specialty items such as calendars Market Research From time to time, CareMax center undertakes market research with a view of evaluating and identifying key areas that need adjustments, specifically in marketing of services, target markets, and competitions (Lownes-Jackson, 2004). This information is fundamentally important as it assists the managements to identify: Groups to be included in the target market Demographic characteristics of new and potential clients Customer spending habits Presently, the center is undertaking a primary market research to ascertain the reception and viability of a service package introduced last summe r. The package, known as ‘the CareMax All Rounder’ was intended to make the parents pay for all the services rendered at a premium instead of paying differently as if there are two centers offering different services under one name. The package has not been received warmly by the parents, and the telephone survey has been instituted to establish the reasons why this is so. Conclusion The future of CareMax looks bright if recent projections and market trends are anything to go by. The child development center has been able to create a brand name that is synonymous to the quality and flexibility of services offered. The heavy investments made by the institution in terms of staff members, children’s learning and playing areas, diversification of services to include transportation of the minors to and from school, and assiduous and conscientious management of the center has gone a long way in winning the hearts of many parents and guardians of children within Hazel G reen’s community, Alabama. The center has remained profitable despite huge overhead costs associated with the industry. Undeniably, catering for young children is a labor-intensive undertaking; but the center has continued raking considerable profits due to sound management principles. At CareMax center, we always shine†¦and shine above the rest. Reference List Brand positioning – price. (2006). Web. City-Data.Com. (2010). Hazel Green, Alabama. Retrieved from http://www.city-data.com/city/Hazel-Green-Alabama.html Diamantopoulos, A. (2003). Pricing. In: M.J. Baker (Eds). The marketing book. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN: 0750655364 Entrepreneur Media, Inc. (2010). Pricing a product. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/pricing-a-product Lownes-Jackson, M.G. (2004). Starting a child care center. London: A business of your Own. ISBN: 094326717X Ulrich, K., Eppinger, S. (1999). Product design and development, 2nd Ed. McGraw-Hill/Irwin. ISBN: 007229647X This report on Marketing Plan for Day Care Operations: the Making of CareMax Children’s Center, Hazel Green, Alabama was written and submitted by user Esmeralda Mcgowan 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.