Neutralization Theory free essay sample

The neutralization theory holds that people learn the values, attitude and techniques to criminal behavior through hidden values. They also argue that most criminals are not always involved with crime; they would actually drift from on behavior to another, sometimes deviant and sometimes conventional. David Matza was born on May 1, 1930 in New York City. He received his B. A at the College of New York. In addition, he received his M. A Ph. D at the University of Princeton. Matza proposed that people live their lives on a range somewhere between freedom and restraint. This development is by which a person drifts from one behavior to another, he called is drifting. He mainly focused on juvenile delinquency. Matza argued that delinquents drift between conventional and unconventional behavior. What does this mean? It means that people drift when they sense guilt, they developed a technique of neutralization so the avoid feeling guilty. We will write a custom essay sample on Neutralization Theory or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Gresham Sykes, an American criminologist. Sykes was born on May 26, 1922; earned his bachelors of Art at Princeton University and a Ph. D. at Northwestern University. Sykes taught at Universities such as Dartmouth, Princeton and Northwestern before becoming a professor of sociology at the University of Virginia. Sykes and Matza claimed that delinquents use techniques of excuses to neutralize their deviant behavior. One of the motions of using these methods is that an individual is able to protect his or her self-concept while committing delinquent acts. In 1978, Sykes and Matza wanted to expand Sutherland theory of differential association, which is summarized as: criminal or delinquent ehavior involves the learning of (a) techniques of committing crime and (b) motives, drives, rationalizations, and attitudes favorable to the violation of law (Sykes Matza, p. 664). Sutherland argued that an individual could be skilled to follow patterns of criminal performance. To expand their theory of neutralization Matza and Sykes came up with five techniques of neutralization. The denial of responsibility â€Å"I didn’t mean it; it wasn’t my fa ult†. This occurs when an individual asserts the delinquent act but to outside forces their acts are beyond their control. The deviant believes he was helplessly driven into deviance, and under the same circumstances any other person would have done the same actions. An example is when they view their deviance as an accident or see themselves as a victim. â€Å"I beat him up because he started, he was harassing me and calling me names, so he started it† The denial of the Injury â€Å"No harm, no foul†. Criminal law has made a distinction between crimes that are wrong in themselves and acts that are illegal but not immoral, and the delinquent can make the same kind of distinction in evaluating the wrongfulness of his behavior (Sykes Matza, 1957, p. 67). The deviant uses this technique to convince themselves and their accuser that their deviation was inoffensive, leading to no real damage. Their excuse usually comes in the form of it wasnt wrong because no one got hurt. An example is when the deviant considers vandalism mischief or gang fighting a private quarrel, or driving drunk done all in good fun simply because they did not hit anyone. For example when a homosexual is attacked, the deviant is not wrong because the person claims is a form of right revenge or punishment. The condemnation of the condemners â€Å"Everybody does it; you have no right to judge me; they are just as bad†. The delinquent shifts the focus of attention from his own deviant acts to the motives and behaviors of those who disapprove of his violations (Sykes Matza, 1957, p. 668). Deviants say that other people have no right to judge. They will often accuse others by being hypocrites, and have done the same or worse themselves. The offender sees the world as a corrupt place, a dog-eat-dog code. Police are hypocrites because they are dishonest and crooked; they are looking for delinquents when they are just as guilty. The appeal to higher loyalties â€Å"My friends depended on me, what was I going to do?! ; Only cowards back down†. Internal and external social controls may be neutralized by sacrificing the demands of the larger society for the demands of the smaller groups to which the delinquent belongs such as the sibling pair, the gang, or the friendship clique (Sykes Matza, 1957, p. 69). The deviant feels he/she must break the law to benefit their family or small group. The technique comes into play when the delinquent gets in trouble for protecting or helping someone, what they did was by far more important than to follow the norms of society. I had to help my friend beat up that guy, or else he would have gotten hurt! Wouldnt you do the same thing? They suggest the act was for the greater good that would justify their actions. Now let me emerge these five techniques in one case. On January 17, 2000, Sckeena Marbury, her sister Lakeisha Wilson-Bey and six other women killed Tomika Blackwell. It was concluded on the case that this was an act of revenge. Marbury and he sister were sentences to 36 years in prison for the murder. The night of January 17, 2000 According to Marbury, Blackwell unfairly attacked her, she told her sister and hours later Marbury, Wilson and six other friends went to Blackwell’s apartment and killed her with a butcher knife and two baseball bats. Denial of responsibility in this case is used the actions were beyond their control. Although she did not tell her sister and friends she had picked up a fight and lost, she instead claimed she was unfairly attacked. The denial of the injury can’t really be explained since someone was clearly hurt. The Denial of the victim can be explained since Marbury lied to her sister and six friends stating that she was unfairly attacked, they believed Blackwell had it coming and she deserved what she got. The appeal to higher loyalties, the women felt it was their duty as a friend and family to defend Marbury. The loyalty to each other’s friendship was greater than the punishment they would get. In conclusion, these women may not be labeled as hardened criminals, or have previously killed anyone. But they believed the killing was justified and they neutralized the crime. These techniques allow them to neutralize and suspend their commitment to societal values, providing them with the freedom to commit. Sykes and Matza based their theoretical model on the following four observations; 1. Delinquents express guilt over illegal acts. 2. Delinquents frequently respect and admire honest, law- abiding individuals. 3. A line is drawn between those whom they can victimize and those they cannot. 4. Delinquents will propose that he/she is a victim of circumstance and that he/she is pushed or pulled into situations beyond his/her control (it wasn’t my fault)† Matza went further into his theory; he theorized the juveniles drift from orthodox to delinquent behavior. He claimed that once the crime is committed the delinquent feels culpability and must balance their performance by returning to act in a law-abiding manner. He also explained how the will of committing a crime when preparation and desperation where present. Preparation happens when a criminal act is constant, once the delinquent realizes the criminal act can be achieved and is possible. Desperation occurs when the feeling of being helpless and it encourages them to take control. .

Free Essays on Smoking

Here’s a problem. January 1st marked the start of the Nova Scotia version of the popular smoking ban. It is now illegal to smoke in any public place before 9:00 p.m. Restaurants and bars are responsible for policing the law: they must build enclosed smoking rooms, or ban evening smoking altogether. This is being done for the sole purpose of protecting the helpless serving staff, who are indentured to their employers, and are powerless to control the conditions of their employment. The government must act to protect them from the effects of second hand smoke, a known carcinogen. For their part, the serving staff are also generally against the smoking ban, because they fear for the viability of their places of work, and the potential drop in tipping customers. Restaurant and bar owners are up in arms, citing the potential loss of business, or the expense of adding dedicated smoking rooms, usually estimated to be between $10-25 large. The forecast is for most places to go the non-smoking route. (I say forecast because the city hasn’t started enforcing the law yet. There’s a grace period of a few months first. Also, the opposition Liberal party of Nova Scotia is vowing to ban smoking altogether if they win the next provincial election. Given the uncertainty, some restauranteurs don’t know whether to shit or wind their watches.) Given the uncertainty, some restauranteurs don’t know whether to shit or wind their watches. On the surface, this appears a reasonable compromise. Hard drinking, social smokers can puff away well into the morning, staff pursuing big tips can choose to serve them, employees preferring a smoke-free environment can work the day shift, and moderate non-smokers can stop in at the tavern on a Tuesday afternoon and come out smelling of only hops and barley. Sounds reasonable. I’m totally for it. And that’s the problem. I can’t reconcile the positive benefits I look to enjoy with the interventionist... Free Essays on Smoking Free Essays on Smoking Le tabagisme est tr ¨Ã‚ ¥s mauvaise pour la sant ¨Ã‚ ¥ mais beaucoup de gens choissisent  ¨Ã‚ ¤ fumer. Pourquoi commencent  ¨C t ¡Ã‚ ¯ils? Normalement les enfants sont influ ¨Ã‚ ¥ par les adultes qui fument et commencent parce-qu ¡Ã‚ ¯ils pensent que c ¡Ã‚ ¯est plus adulte, car cela a une image  ¡Ã‚ ®cool ¡Ã‚ ¯, parce-qu ¡Ã‚ ¯ils s ¡Ã‚ ¯enuient, pour faire comme les autres, parce-que c ¡Ã‚ ¯est interdit, et  ¨Ã‚ ¤ garder la ligne. Un autre raison aussi est que ils pensent que l ¡Ã‚ ¯aide dans la vie car les cigarettes tranquille les nerves. Mais je crois il y a autres m ¨Ã‚ ¥thodes pour faire relachement, par exemple  ¨Ã‚ ¥couter la musique tranquille. Methodes que ne cause pas de nombreux cancer, par example le cancer des poumons ou la cancer de la gorge! Les cigarettes coutent cheret laisse un odeur tr ¨Ã‚ ¥s mauvaise sur le fumeur. Il y a beaucoup de raisson contre le tabagisme, alors pourquoi est il y a beaucoup de fumeurs? La plupart d ¡Ã‚ ¯eux savent les risques de fumer mais quand meme encore  ¨Ã‚ ¤ fumer car ils sont accro. C ¡Ã‚ ¯est la nicotine dans la cigarette que rend accro. Mais c ¡Ã‚ ¯est possible  ¨Ã‚ ¤ arreter de fumer avec beaucoup de volont ¨Ã‚ ¥ at aussi Il y a methods medicales. Par contre je pense-que fumer est un choix individual, c ¡Ã‚ ¯est leur vie, mais les fumeurs doivent respecter les non-fumeurs car ils polluer l ¡Ã‚ ¯air quand ils fument. Il y a une loi anti-tabac que  ¨Ã‚ ¥t ¨Ã‚ ¥ cr ¨Ã‚ ¥Ã‚ ¨Ã‚ ¥e pour proteger les droit des nonfumeurs et aussi pour reduir la consommation de cigarettes dans les lieux publics. Ce disons que il est interdit en France de fumer dans les lieux publics et pour les restaurants et cetera ils doient avoir des espaces  ¡Ã‚ ®fumeurs ¡Ã‚ ¯ et  ¡Ã‚ ®non-fumeurs ¡Ã‚ ¯. Elle permet aux non-fumeurs d ¡Ã‚ ¯avoir le droit l ¨Ã‚ ¥gal de repirer de l ¡Ã‚ ¯air pur, mais c ¡Ã‚ ¯est tres difficile  ¨Ã‚ ¤ reguler.... Free Essays on Smoking In reading the articles, â€Å"Make fast food smoke free† from USA Today and â€Å"Don’t overact to smoke† by Brennan M. Dawson I realized that both articles were making arguments about the same subject, â€Å"smoking in fast food restaurants†, but the USA Today article argued that smoking should not be allowed what so ever in these public restaurants and Dawson’s article argued that the cigarette smoke in the smoking sections of these restaurants do not cause harm to individual and therefore should be allowed. The USA Today article was clearly a stronger argument than Dawson’s article. The conclusion of the USA Today newspaper article was â€Å"Other restaurants, and not just the fast food places, should fall in line with barring smoking†. The writer of this article gave several different strong reasons for why smoking should be banned from the restaurants. First being that a quarter of the customers and forty percent of the employees are under the age of 18. Also second hand smoke is a carcinogen and it is blamed for killing and estimated 44,ooo people a year. Third, He stated that the the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that second hand smoke causes up to 1 million asthma attacks and 300,000 respiratory infections that lead to 15,000 hospitalizations among children every year. The writer of the article also supports his conclusion by stating that all restaurants should protect their workers and customers and that if they don’t government should step in. In Dawson’s â€Å"Don’t overreact to smoke† article his argument made sense to me but not strongly supported. His conclusion is that â€Å"with non-smoking sections available and visits brief, there shouldn’t be any problem with allowing the smoking sections affecting other patron’s health. This conclusion has absolutely no support in the article. He states that â€Å"Anyone knowledgeable† would tell you that a whiff of the smoke is not likely to drift to th... Free Essays on Smoking Here’s a problem. January 1st marked the start of the Nova Scotia version of the popular smoking ban. It is now illegal to smoke in any public place before 9:00 p.m. Restaurants and bars are responsible for policing the law: they must build enclosed smoking rooms, or ban evening smoking altogether. This is being done for the sole purpose of protecting the helpless serving staff, who are indentured to their employers, and are powerless to control the conditions of their employment. The government must act to protect them from the effects of second hand smoke, a known carcinogen. For their part, the serving staff are also generally against the smoking ban, because they fear for the viability of their places of work, and the potential drop in tipping customers. Restaurant and bar owners are up in arms, citing the potential loss of business, or the expense of adding dedicated smoking rooms, usually estimated to be between $10-25 large. The forecast is for most places to go the non-smoking route. (I say forecast because the city hasn’t started enforcing the law yet. There’s a grace period of a few months first. Also, the opposition Liberal party of Nova Scotia is vowing to ban smoking altogether if they win the next provincial election. Given the uncertainty, some restauranteurs don’t know whether to shit or wind their watches.) Given the uncertainty, some restauranteurs don’t know whether to shit or wind their watches. On the surface, this appears a reasonable compromise. Hard drinking, social smokers can puff away well into the morning, staff pursuing big tips can choose to serve them, employees preferring a smoke-free environment can work the day shift, and moderate non-smokers can stop in at the tavern on a Tuesday afternoon and come out smelling of only hops and barley. Sounds reasonable. I’m totally for it. And that’s the problem. I can’t reconcile the positive benefits I look to enjoy with the interventionist... Free Essays on Smoking Smoking People who smoke are risking many different types off ill diseases. Many people who smoke don’t know the effects that they are causing to their body. Smoking is a disgusting habit, and people need to stop. I am going to show you why people in general need to stop smoking cigarettes. First of all, smoking pollutes the air around you. This makes it a very uncomfortable atmosphere for the non-smokers around. I know this from personal experience. Pretty much all my friends smoke. I do not smoke, but I take in so much second hand smoke that my lungs are just as bad as a smokers. Clearly, smoking is a very disgusting habit. After one has been smoking for a few years, his/her teeth start to turn yellow, skin begins to tarnish, and appearance begins to look worse. For example, my girlfriend smokes cigarettes and after she smokes she will always go to kiss me just to make me mad because her mouth tastes like and ashtray. It is so nasty. Next, smoking causes many diseases. Lung cancer, cancer of the larynx, cancer of the mouth, esophagus, and pancreas are just a few of the many different cancers that smoking causes. These days, many young people start smoking very early in their life. Mostly because they think that they look cool doing it in front of other people. This will soon lead to addiction. Once they are addicted they will gradually damage their body throughout their lives. Smoking hurts young people’s ability to perform physical activities. The resting heart rates of young adult smokers are two to three beats per minute faster than nonsmokers. This means that a smoker’s heart is working twice as hard as a nonsmoker. Just think how much longer you will live, if you don’t smoke. My mother is a smoker. She has been smoking for over 20 years now. I asked her why she doesn’t try to quit. She told me that she is addicted and it would be too hard to even try to quit. She said that is ...

6 Job Skills You Need To Be A Sales Associate

6 Job Skills You Need To Be A Sales Associate So you want to make it as a sales associate. If you’re looking for a position in the current economy, you’re going to want to be as marketable as possible to rise above your competition. Given the broad responsibilities that will likely end up being yours, you’ll want to be as versatile as possible; that way you can work anywhere. Here are some of the most important skills you’ll need. Keep in mind that many of these skills might be things you’ve already accumulated by work experience in other fields- or just your natural inclinations. Keep an open mind as to how to adapt your existing skills to the sales field- or how to beef up any arenas in which you may be lacking.1. OrganizationNot to be underestimated. You’ll be providing customer service, keeping track of customers and preferences, as well as the preferred filing, inventory, and documentation systems for your company. You might even be tasked with ensuring that merchandise is displayed well, which requires a certain amount of visual/spacial organizational skills.2. Money HandlingYou’ll want to be well versed in monetary transactions, particularly if you plan to be a cashier or handle payments. Be adept at money-tracking software programs, and have a bit of fast math in your head for making change. And learn to handle credit card transactions.3. CommunicationThis applies not just to within your colleagues, but also to your customer or client base. You’ll need to be good in all forms of communication: verbal, written, and visual. Communication skills are necessary for customer relations and also for surprising tasks like record keeping.4. SellingSales requires you to sell things. Bottom line. If you don’t have these skills, you’d better acquire them fast- or start looking for work in a different field. You’ll want to rely on your communication skills, plus your attention to detail, and you’ll also want to make sure you real ly know your product inside and out. Basic accounting and stock knowledge are a plus. But people skills, i.e. your interpersonal skills and fluency, are tantamount.5. LiteracyYou will need to write and speak, and you will be judged by your ability to do so clearly, effectively, and persuasively. You’ll also want to be literate in basic math and technology. Basically: never let a customer get the impression that they’re smarter than you at any point during your interaction. As the point of contact, and the liaison with other team members and your company at large, you’ll need to be effective when you transmit information.6. Personal MasteryIf you’re not the kind of person who’s always striving to be better- to look better, to think faster, to do better- then sales might not be the most ideal fit for you. Start cultivating your enthusiasm, flexibility, positivity, cleanliness, punctuality, team focus, politeness, persuasiveness, multitasking skills, friendliness, and efficiency. Keep honing your best personal attributes, working to compensate for weaknesses, learning new things, knowing more, doing more, developing your talents, and you’ll go far.

Conduct and interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Conduct and interview - Essay Example Women have always gotten very minimal opportunities to be involved in working in heavy industrial areas as this position is seen to mainly suit the men. Apparently, there are also very few women expertise involved in the same sector due to the perception that this is a male dominated area. In most instances, women will only be given the minor positions in such industrial areas and even the pay is seen to be less. The perception being that, it is just a favor for such women to be in such areas of expertise otherwise they are very vulnerable. Currently, there is an expert woman in chemical engineering who filed a complaint over not being given an equal opportunity in an interview for a position. This is still an evidence of some job areas being considered womanly or manly and thus the reason to this interview is of high value in order to understand gender issues at work places. Description of the interview This interview was conducted on the twenty ninth of March, 2013. The interview w as conducted at Shed Pharmaceuticals Company. It was only possible to carry out the interview after consulting with the senior human resource person in this company. I was given one of the offices that belong to the chief pharmacist as it offered more privacy and the interviewee also needed to be in a more comfortable situation without any distractions that would impede getting the correct information from the employee (Barret, 2006). The interviewee was a thirty eight year old at the highlight of her work career. Her name is Joan and she has two children one at age twelve, while the last born at age seven years. She lives as a single mother and thus she has to take care of her family needs which include providing education, food and shelter for the children. I particularly chose this interviewee because of the nature of position that she has in this company. She is one of the senior analysts of the pharmaceutical products that are produced in the company. She went through so much i n order to get to this position; therefore, she can tell best what some of the challenges are as a woman she has gone through during the highlight of her career. She is also the only woman in a team of five senior analysts and thus, it is what comes from her experience from working in a team of men whereby she is the only woman. Joan is also one the most convenient individual to contact for the interview as she has been in such a position under gender disparity in work places. More so, her area of specialization has always been perceived to be a male dominated area. Therefore, she is the most ideal individual for this type of interview. Summary of responses to the questions The ten questions were divided into three basic areas. Therefore, the summary will give a summary of the ten questions into the questions with the same agenda being made into one. One compacted questions during the interview process was based on opportunities given to women to express themselves and get a positio n in an interview. The main ideas under these questions involve the concept that women should be given even an upper hand during interviews especially in a situation that there are less women vying for the same position. I linked this to the notion that, less women are found in such areas of expertise and thus they should stand even better positions for positions like what Joan possessed. Her response According to Joan, yes

Midterm1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Midterm1 - Assignment Example These abiotic factors are broadly classified  into three categories climatic factors, edaphic factors and inorganic substances. Climatic factors include the climate regime and physical factors of the environment such as humidity, atmospheric temperature, wind and light among others. Edaphic factors are related to the structure and composition of soil including its chemical and physical properties such as soil profile, soil type, minerals, soil water, soil organisms and organic matter. The last category of inorganic and organic substances include; water, sulphur, phosphorous, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and human substances. Biotic factors comprise of the living part of the ecosystem. They include any living thing that affects another organism (eoearth.org). Biotic community is divided into heterotrophs, authotrophs and saprotrophs. Autotrophs also known as producers or convertors are photosynthetic plant, generally bearing chlorophyll, which produces high-energy complex organic compounds form inorganic raw materials. In terrestrial ecosystem, autotrophs are mainly rooted plants. Floating plants e.g. phytoplankton and shallow water rooted plants are the autotrophs in aquatic ecosystem. Heterotrophs are known as consumers, which are generally animals feeding on other organisms. They consist of mainly carnivores and herbivores. Lastly, saprotrophs break down complex organic compounds of dead matter. ... These roles are because of natural processes of a total ecological sub-system of that it is a part. In turn, this natural processes result to complex interactions among abiotic and biotic components of ecosystems through the general driving forces of energy and matter (Fisher al et, 648). Ecosystem has four basic functions; regulatory functions, habitat functions, production functions and information functions. Regulatory group of functions relates to the capacity of both natural and semi-natural ecosystems to regulate essential ecological processes by bio-geochemical cycles and other biosphere processes. Natural ecosystems provide habitat functions. Wild plants and animals take refuge in the natural ecosystem. Consequently, this contributes to conservation of genetic and biological diversity in the evolutional process. It also regulates change and stability of a region. Another function is the production function. Photosynthesis and nutrient uptake by autotrophs converts carbon diox ide, energy, nutrients and water into a wide variety of carbohydrate structure, which are later used by secondary producers to make an even bigger variety of living biomass. This diversity in structure of carbohydrate provides many ecosystems with goods for human consumption. Lastly natural ecosystem provide an essential ‘reference function’ and lead to maintenance of human health by providing opportunities for spiritual enrichment, reflection, aesthetic and recreation experience. The Diablo Range is a mountain range, located in the eastern San Franciso Bay area south to the Salinas Valley area of northern California. It is perceived as an intact ecosystem has it has both biotic and abiotic

Systems Analysis: History, Concepts And Theories

Systems Analysis: History, Concepts And Theories One could unarguably suggest that systems exist, in various forms, since the dawn of time. From the Solar System, to our planets ecosystem, to the human societies where people gathered into teams to hunt animals or farm the land to be able to survive, all are prime examples of thousand years old systems. By definition, a system could be described as any entity, conceptual or physical, which consists of interdependent parts (Ackoff, 1960). As the human-controlled systems (i.e. society, organizations, information systems and business systems) started to become increasingly more complex, various issues appeared like an increase of costs, harder maintenance and more administrative complexities. The need to overcome and solve all these problems led to the appearance of the field of Systems Analysis. Systems Analysis: History, Concepts Theories The analysis, as defined in the Oxford Dictionary, is the separation of a substance into parts for study and interpretation; detailed examination. Subsequently, Systems Analysis could be described as the early process in the development of a new system, or the evaluation of an old one, where the analysts try to investigate a given situation, identify the main problems that need to be solved, break them up into sub-problems if needed, and finally recommend the most efficient and costless way to solve them (Yeates et al, 1994; Silver et al, 1989; Bingham et al, 1978). Plato once said: the beginning is the most important part of work. Nowadays, Platos words are proved far from wrong in the case of developing or evaluating a system. The first steps of working on a new project are probably the most important ones to guarantee any fair chance of success. This is the main reason why many organizations, companies and governments prefer to spend a significant amount of money in the early stag es of development, in order to be able to minimize the risk of potential disaster later on (Daniels et al, 1981). After all, the sooner a mistake is identified, the sooner it will be fixed, saving a lot of effort, time and money. There are many types of human-controlled systems, as previously mentioned, ranging from large-scale, complex human societies (whose boundaries are usually not so easy to define as they constantly interact with other societies near them), to small-scale computer information systems (whose boundaries are easier to define). Although each key author and researcher tried to describe his own concept of what analysis is and why it is critical to apply it in the development process, their thoughts and views share many common elements. Depending on the type of system they concentrated on, various definitions where given. To begin with, Systems Analysis is the process of investigating a systems boundaries, users, processes, inputs and outputs with the aim of suggesting more efficient and economical ways to solve the problems in question (Silver et al, 1989). Another, more general suggestion is that Systems Analysis refers to an orderly, structured process for identifying and solving problems (Gore et al, 1983). Finally, according to George Marshall in his book Systems Analysis and Design: Alternative Structured Approaches, Systems Analysis is the process of defining precisely what a computer system should do (Marshall, 1986). Igor Hawryszkiewycz describes in his book Introduction to Systems Analysis and Design that analysis is mainly used in order to effectively understand the structure of a system and what its requirements are (Hawryszkiewycz, 1994). John Bingham in his book A Handbook of Systems Analysis describes the analysis in six steps: the project selection, the feasibility study, the definition phase, the design phase, the implementation phase and finally the evaluation phase (Bingham et al, 1978). Perhaps one of the most straightforward explanations of Systems Analysis main objective is that it aims to transform user needs into specifications for programmers (Marshall, 1989). To achieve this, the systems analyst has to complete five tasks and responsibilities: to plan, investigate, understand, document and communicate with the rest of the team (Yeates et al, 1994). Firstly and probably most importantly too, the analyst must study the feasibility of the system. This means that he has to thoroughly search and decide if it is humanly possible to develop the system and how much effort in time and money it will cost to do so. Second step is to discuss with the systems target group and find out their needs in order to be able to understand and elicit the requirements. Third step is to research the existing data, human recourses and available computer procedures to find out the limitations, techniques or methods that will be used in the later stages of development. Usually from this phase and on the analyst works close together with the designers, programmers and testers in order to establish a successful communication between the team and share feedback with them (Parkin, 1980; Daniels et al, 1981; Open University, 1982). Although the human-controllable systems are in existence ages now, Systems Analysis as a scientific field is quite more recent, and its roots can be traced back a few decades. Before computers became mainstream, the first analysts where using more traditional approaches to analyze and solve the given problems. They followed two main steps: firstly they analyzed the projects requirements and secondly they specified these requirements. Although this practice was logical and theoretically correct, it depended too much on the human factor, which means it was prone to mistakes. Among the disadvantages of the traditional approach was that it required vast amounts of written documentation, many times there was a lack of communication between the analysts and the designers and last but not least it was very time consuming. All these negatives caused a great number of system development projects to face difficulties during the analysis phase in the 1970s (Yeates et al, 1994). Researchers in the field of Systems Analysis, in an effort to overcome all the problems caused by the traditional approach, focused their attention to develop new, more efficient methods of analysis. The result of the above efforts was a structured approach to analysis (Yourdon, 1976; DeMarco, 1979; Bansler, 1993). This approach, as described in the book Systems Analysis and Design by Don Yeates et al, follows three general principles: modeling, partitioning and iteration. Modeling is the extended use of models, diagrams, data flow charts and other graphic representations, which aim to provide a non-confusing, realistic image of the system to the rest of the development team. Partitioning is the method of dividing the system in question to sub-systems with the aim of making them more understandable to the rest of the team. Moreover, partitioning helps the analyst to decide which part of the whole problem every member of the team will be given to solve. Iteration is the method of cons tantly repeating the analysis stage, as many times as needed, in order to reach the best possible solution. The need for iteration arises from the fact that it is rare for a system to be represented correctly the first time, as many repetitions are usually needed, in order to achieve a standard of accuracy (Yeates et al, 1994). Following the appearance of a more structured and formal way of analyzing a system, researchers were trying to come up with various models, which held a central role for Systems Analysis. These models, if strictly followed, would significantly enhance the development process. The early software development models though, such as the Waterfall Model (Royce, 1970), did not allow a lot of room for feedback and changes because of their linear structure. In contrast to these early models, modified approaches like the V-Model (German Ministry of Defense, 1992) and the Spiral Model (Boehm, 1988) gave the analyst the flexibility to interact with the rest of the team even in the later development phases. This is particularly important for the sole reason that, as discussed earlier, Systems Analysis is one of the most crucial phases during a systems creation. By providing the team the option to interact with the analyst on the go, it can minimize the time needed for system revision and most im portantly save a lot of time and money. Although return of investment and risk minimization are two of the most salient reasons of why Systems Analysis is so important, there are a lot more benefits to be gained in the long term. The efficiency of the project team is greatly enhanced as goals are reached faster and the available resources are used more wisely. Furthermore, errors are recognized earlier which translates to less time invested in testing during the final phases of a project, which in its own turn leads again to more profit (Silver et al, 1989). It is very important also to mention that nowadays systems become so complex that usually consist of multiple subsystems, each one playing a key role in the whole process. These subsystems coexist and highly depend on each other. Any change that may occur in any of them could affect multiple other subsystems of the whole. It is critical for the analysts to spend a considerable amount of time and effort to understand the system as one single entity and identify all of its problems. Only after a thorough study of the system they will be able to really understand its purpose and support the development team in creating a system that will be safe, robust and effective (Hawryszkiewycz, 1994). In 1994, a study by the Standish Group provides a better understanding of how valuable the correct application of analysis during a systems development phase is. The company studied eight thousand software projects undertaken by 350 different companies in order to see how successful the development process was. The results were disastrous as around 31% of the projects were cancelled before they make it to the production phase (Standish, 1994). When in further study, these companies were asked about the reasons for these failures, more than 54% answered that it was various problems during the analysis phase (Standish, 1995). Systems analysis though is not a cure-all medicine. Like all approaches in system development, it has its own disadvantages and limitations. Some company, for example, could have so many internal problems, financial or not, that a single Systems Analysis, even the best one possible, could not be enough to save it from bankruptcy. Another disadvantage is that Systems Analysis costs a lot of money and time (Silver et al, 1989). Although, it has been proven many times that projects that went through a thorough System Analysis phase had greater chances to become successful, its still not a guarantee. As the human factor never stops to play a vital role in the whole development process, there is always the risk that something is mistakenly overlooked (i.e. a bug in the code that escapes the final testing phase), which leads to a fault product in the production line, which in turn leads to less sales or even stigmatize the organizations good name. Conclusion Systems Analysis has become a necessity, a highly important and integral tool that development teams, governments and companies use to enhance their productivity and raise their profit margins (Silver et al, 1989). As people say: money makes the world go round, and this is especially true nowadays that organizations put even more effort to identify and satisfy their needs in the most effective and efficient way. Systems and projects become even more sophisticated, even more advanced, even more complex and even more critical for the safety of the users. Developers must be able to adapt in this ever-changing environment if they want to survive in the highly competitive world of today. For all these reasons, Systems Analysis continues to play a key role, and researchers are trying constantly to find new ways to make it even more efficient in the future.

Avon Case Study

Avon Products, Inc. (Avon) is based in New York. The firm engages in the manufacture and marketing of beauty and complimentary products primarily in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.Avon’s products are classified into three product categories: Beauty, Beauty Plus, and Beyond Beauty. The Beauty category consists of cosmetics, fragrances, skin care, and toiletries; Beauty Plus includes fashion jewelry, watches, apparel, and accessories; and Beyond Beauty comprises home products, gift and decorative products, candles, and toys.The company sells and markets its products through a combination of direct selling, marketing by independent Avon representatives, and via its consumer Web site, avon. com. Avon was one of the prominent direct sales companies in the beauty products industry.Started in the late 1800s by David McConnell, the company sold a wide variety of beauty-related products to homemakers through its direct sales agents. However, by the 1980s, the co mpany had lost its luster and performance began to falter. A failed diversification strategy made it the target of several takeover attempts.Turnaround efforts were initiated in the 1990s under then CEO James Preston and continued by his successor Charles Perrin, however, they failed to make a significant impact. Performance began to improve only after Andrea Jung became the CEO of the company in 1999. Andrea Jung became president and CEO of Avon in 1999 and has totally revamped the company. Under her leadership, the company has updated its product line, launched new advertising, and created a new image. Avon’s sales have increased by 30 %, profits 40%, and the stock price has dramatically improved.Jung’s has been able to align the firm’s core capabilities with its strategic targets which has lead to phenomenal results. It appears that Jung has been able to establish a clear vision for the firm that has been incorporated in every aspect of the firm’s oper ating system.This vision is shared by all employees and representatives of Avon priming the company for continued success. Other strategies of Jung include cost cutting by reducing number of raw material suppliers, shifting production from smaller plants to larger ones, moving manufacturing from high cost nations like Great Britain to lower cost countries such as Poland.As mentioned in the Avon case study, the e-representative initiative also has helped Avon cut costs. The direct sellers are asked to fill in the order online. Avon’s brand has definitely resonated for women through the years.During the 1980s, the company began to diversify by investing in retirement properties and healthcare products, and launching catalogs for men and children. During the initial stages of this strategy, Avon started to remove itself from its core market of selling to women. The results were downward revenue trends and slow growth throughout the 1990's which resulted in several takeover bids. Unfortunately, Sears Roebuck and JC Penny do not really resonate well with being a carrier of women’s beauty supplies. The name â€Å"Sears† have been associated with appliance and not beauty products. The move of aligning with this companies and trying to sell higher end beauty products will only push Avon in the opposite direction that it should be heading, which is to move back towards tailoring to women domestically and globally. Over the years, Avon has experienced several problems leveraging its brand in many of its product lines.As a result, positive net sales and earnings growth for the past five years have been in single digits and steadily declining year after year. Specific problem areas are stagnated sales, slow earnings growth, limited distribution capabilities and shift in personal care preferences and spending habits.Andrea Jung’s proposal to expand into certain retail markets will only perpetuate Avon’s trend of declining net sales. The pr oposed plan will indeed create an additional distribution outlet and cater to this market segment. However, the question to examine is at what expense or cost will Avon endure making this decision?Avon has faced tremendous pitfalls marketing its product lines to effectively increase brand loyalty and recognition. Examples of this include the hair care product line. Avon did not effectively develop products for ethnic hair types. Additionally, Avon did not have a hair coloring product line. As a result, Avon suffered in building brand awareness and loyalty with the younger generation as well as the older generation that also demanded this product. Avon has lost loyalty and brand recognition as a result of its decision to diversify into different industries and different product lines.This has resulted in a loss of market share drastically affecting annual profit margins. To examine the previous question of what cost will Avon endure deciding to move into the retail markets? It is cle ar and evident; the cost will be a further extension of the existing internal problems that Avon faces. Deciding to move into the retail market to create a store inside a store is not in Avon’s best interest. This move would be a further expansion of Avon’s previous decisions to diversify into markets that do not have synergy and thus will hurt the overall branding of the company.Finally, implementing Andrea Jung’s proposal to enter the retail market would be detrimental to the already fragile state of Avon’s brand awareness, recognition and loyalty. Another factor for the underperformance of Avon in the late 1990s is its failure to develop the online business. For the fear of alienating its labor force, Avon downplayed the importance of developing the e-business. A company cannot ignore the environment and expect to be successful in the long run.Due to its internal struggle with the internet strategy, Avon fell behind other less established companies in taking advantage of the explosive growth of the internet Avon’s approach should build on original direction and implementations however expanding as necessary to fit current trends and environmental assessments.The focus should be on existing internal structures to build, create and advance current product lines. Avon’s focus should also exist in the field of technology to increase online selling opportunities, update internet technology and to re-brand themselves to be a leader of online sells.To accomplish this, strategy should focus on expanding kiosks globally and domestically. The expansion will leverage Avon by appealing to the market segment requesting additional distribution channels. This strategy will allow for trained beauty consultants to offer advice, education and samples thus increasing brand awareness and loyalty.Kiosks will have minimal start up cost and lower overheads. Focusing on product lines and catering to the needs and wants of each demographic group will prevent the previous pitfalls of lack of integration and decreased brand awareness and loyalty.Keeping Avon’s product offering separate and distinct will help existing challenges of branding. Focusing on technology improvements and online sales, Avon will have an opportunity to emerge as a leader in this area, thus adding additional channels of distribution and appealing to the overwhelming need.Under Andrea Jung’s leadership, Avon has faced a number of challenges. Some of these challenges were addressed successfully and others were not. In the early part of 2000, the management team had the daunting task of choosing an appropriate strategy for the immediate and long-term future for the company.One setback was a decrease in the firm’s growth rate to single digits and stagnated earnings. Avon’s CEO, Andrea Jung, was presented with a multitude of options that ranged from distributing through other departments stores, establishing kiosks, to overh auling the firm’s e-business. Jung was right in acknowledging that Avon’s core competency is direct selling and its major strength is its brand name. By refocusing on the core competency, improving efficiencies, and adapting to the environment with new initiatives, Avon could overcome the hurdles of the past and turn the company in the new direction.This case discussed the revival of Avon under Andrea Jung.1) What is your assessment of Andrea Jung’s performance as chief strategist at Avon Products? What has she done well? What overall grade would you give Andrea Jung for the job she has done as CEO? Answer:My assessment of Andrea Jung’s performance as chief strategists at Avon products is that she has done excellent job. Her first task was to hit the streets of her neighborhood, ringing doorbells, to better understand the desires of customers and needs of sales agents. She pushed for the addition of attractive new products to Avon and its sales representa tives.Andrea listened to the customers and grew global beauty category sales by new product development, sampling and more up-to-date advertising. The company was in serious trouble with annual sale growth of less than 1.5 percent and a crashing stock price during the general economic boon in history. Jung took the role of Avon lady to better understand what customers thought about company’s product and within field of direct sales model. . Avon’s grand strategy under the leadership of Andrea Jung has its merits and is the grand strategy is properly focused and directed.Andrea Jung has clearly directed the successful transformation of Avon Products Inc. by defining its vision as the company for women. With grand strategies in-place she is revitalizing Avon’s reputation as the world’s foremost direct seller of beauty products while leading the company into exciting new lines of businesses, launching a series of bold and image enhancing initiatives, and exp anding career opportunities for people around the world. The strategic plan in place has its merits and the grand strategy is properly focused and directed. Currently, Avon is the world’s leading direct seller of beauty and related products, with $7.7 billion in annual revenues.Avon markets to women around the world through 4. 9 million independent sales representatives. The evidence shows that Jung’s grand strategies were sound. The argument that the grand strategies were not optimal and needed to be refocused was weak due to the overall improvement of company performance and increase in shareholder wealth. Andrea Jung’s charismatic communication skills and management direction has catapulted Avon as a leader in the global beauty and cosmetic market. I would like to give Andrea Jung an â€Å"A† for the job as she has done her job well as CEO.She developed great strategy for Avon that helped to increase in sales. Andrea Jung outlined new vision and strate gic plan for Avon that call for highly innovative new products, build new line of business, critical link as internet in direct selling model and update its direct sales model to better fit 21st century. At age 40 Jung become CEO and in 2001, at age 42 she listed fourth on Fortune’s ranking of the 50 most powerful Women in American Business.2) What is Andre Jung’s strategic vision for Avon? Do you approve of the company’s new strategic direction? Why was it time for Avon to fundamentally change direction? Answer:Andrea Jung’s strategic vision for Avon was for them to be the company that understands and satisfies the product, service and self fulfillment needs for woman globally. I think their new strategic direction made sense. She knew products had to be made to fill the needs of different age group and races. It was time for Avon to become more modern and up-to-date. Jung’s view of new Avon was that of a company beyond selling cosmetics as truste d product which is needed by any women. She was in customer convenient strategy in beauty and financial services.She insisted that supporting women touches not only beauty, but health, fitness, self empowerment and most important financial independence. Yes, Avon’s new strategic direction would launch an entirely new line of business, the development of innovative products, new packaging, new channels to the distribution, a new approach to supply chain management, new sales models and new approaches to image building. When Andrea Jung became Avon’s new CEO in November 1999, the company’s annual sales growth had slowed to less than 1. 5 percent and its stock price had fallen from a high of $55 to a three year low $25.The strategies initiated by Charles Perrin had resulted in some improvement in 1998 with modest sales growth, but in late 1999 Avon was in need of bold direction. When Perrin resigned because of his lack in direct sales limitation, Andrea Jung need a fundamental change in direction. Jung understood the desires of customers and needs of sales agents. She heard the customer grips over product colors, mishandled orders, unattractive packaging, lack of innovative products and confusing promotions.Ultimately she discovered the structural obstacles to achieve in success. Policies for placing orders made difficult for sales agents to increase sales volume and commissions. When Andrea Jung stepped in as CEO of Avon, she brought with her many new, fresh ideas that helped make Avon what it is today. Her strategy didn’t agree with what consultants thought, but she willingly took risks to enforce what she believed to be the best strategy for Avon. We believe that her strategy was good, solid foundation that will continue to keep Avon at the top as America’s number one selling Cosmetic and Beauty Company.3) What is your assessment to the financial and strategic objectives Jung has set for Avon? Do they contain too much stretch ? Too little stretch? Answer:Several things happened once Andrea Jung was named CEO of Avon. First, she decided to reverse the current trend of losing sales. She did this by creating a strategy that would turn the company around. Jung’s suggested strategy to partner with Sears and JC Penney department stores was an idea that would help to promote the strategy she had come up with. It would introduce a new, upscale product line, thus increasing profits, sales and nationwide exposure to the baby boomer segment. Retail selling increased with in-store customer traffic and expected growth of spending power to 16 percent within five years.Face-to-face selling comprised 79.7 percent of direct selling, preferred among senior citizens. The marketing budget would be increased to target customer traffic at Sears and JC Penney. Investment costs were limited to $15 – 20 million to launch retail products, with a bulk of expenses being absorbed by the department store. Avon’s strengths would help increase global recognition of brand name and image. Jung suggested promoting certified Beauty Advisors in department stores and increased incentives for sales representatives.In addition, having department stores sell via the Internet would increase the channels of distribution, thus increasing consumer loyalty. Reduce inventory level while improving service to representatives which increase the forecasting accuracy and order fill rate in supply chain management. Strategy provides opportunity for sales representatives to increase their income and greater career opportunities through sales leadership. Develop E- commerce opportunity for Avon and sales representatives, improving operating margins 50-100 basis points though business process redesign.Another strategy is growing global beauty category sales through in new product development, advertising and sampling. All these factors would affect Avon’s long-term goals by forcing Jung to find new, creative ways to stay fresh in the market. Jung had created a strategic plan that met the vision of Avon; she had created goals that were measurable and geared toward future company growth. The goals seemed to be obtainable in the current business market. In addition, Jung’s idea that technology may be the answer was in response to a changing business environment which included movement toward e-business.This ideal would be synergistic and build upon their present success. It is too little stretch because the objectives were not set boldly and aggressively high. These goals were not impossible targets.4) What have been the key elements of Avon’s strategy been under previous CEOs? What new and different strategy elements have been initiated by Andrea Jung? How well does Andrea Jung’s new strategy seem to match features of the global cosmetics industry and Avon’s resource strength, competitive capabilities, and culture? Answer:Key elements to Avon’s strategy under previous CEO were set to sell directly to consumers via independent sales representatives working on commission. Avon catered to mostly upper middle income females and focused almost exclusively on US cosmetic market.Andrea Jung initiated expansion into markets outside US making Avon products available online, and began selling Avon products through retail channels. She also instituted a more upscale packaging to match the look of prestige cosmetic brands. She focused on a low cost/ low price strategy and focus to sale to low and middle income families.Andrea’s new strategy was likely to improve Avon’s financial performance and help build a competitive advantage. Her approach is sensible in light of what competitors are doing and the position they hold in the market place.Avon is highly backward integrated, self-manufacturing many of the items that they sell. This causes the competitive pressures of suppliers to be weak. Avon can get supplies from many parts of t he world because they have entered foreign markets and produce products in different countries. A lot of Avon’s supplies such as packaging, may be easily substituted if a supplier raised prices.Under Andrea Jung’s direction, Avon is focusing on developing nations especially China. Many developing countries are more receptive to direct selling by women since jobs with Avon are opportunities for women who want to be independent in the male dominated cultures. Avon has also recognized that the demographics has changed and recruiting younger women to sell to the younger customer base. Competitive pressures stemming from customer buying power is moderate because switching costs are low and customers have the ability to fulfill their needs by switching brands.Buyers tend to be well informed about Avon’s product prices and costs largely due to the Internet and this put customers at a position of higher bargaining power. Customers do not pose a threat of integrating bac kwards, because it would not be easy for women to develop their own make-up, perfume or skin care products. Due to the direct selling business model, there is an extremely large number of buyers. Another Avon objective that aims to alleviate pressures coming from competing sellers includes consists of reinventing their antiquated image.Realizing this, Jung endorsed the Williams sisters. Venus and Serena Williams were popular teen icons that portrayed the image where Jung hoped to achieve for Avon; young, powerful, and ambitious.5) How well has Avon’s new strategy been implemented so far? What are Avon’s strategy successes so far? What problems or missteps do you see? How important has Susan Kropf been to Avon’s implementation efforts? Was she a good choice as chief operating officer? Why or why not? Answer:Andrea Jung’s highly successful career would not be possible without effective and insightful management.†Throughout Jung’s ambitious expa nsion, her management style was to emphasize open communication, goal orientation, and feedback from her sales force. † Avon routinely brings in the top performing sales reps from across the globe to Avon’s headquarters in New York City in order to gather first hand feedback from the employees in the field. Ms. Jung herself even attempted to sale Avon’s products as a traditional Avon lady. An attempt she acknowledges was not one of her more successful endeavors. The attempt however, showed Ms. Jung’s commitment to understanding all aspect’s of the Avon business. A common theme in Ms.Jung’s leadership speeches encourage women empowerment and promote a belief that more women will continue to hold key executive roles. Under Ms. Jung’s leadership, Avon management supports flexible work schedules and encourages employees to create a healthy balance between work and family responsibilities.There are a number of missteps that Avon has taken u nder Andrea Jung’s leadership. They include partnering with companies that image does not adequately match Avon’s and the company’s problems with launching its online business segment. Recently, Avon announced plans to partner with Sears and JC Penney’s.One of the potential negative aspects for Avon partnering with JC Penny and Sears would be the possible lowering of brand name for Avon. The company ran the risk of possible further reduction of its brand name. † Since its inception Avon has worked very hard in tailoring its niche market towards women. Ms. Kropf’s most recent responsibilities included certain global staff functions. She retained responsibility for global marketing as well as the companywide Business Process Redesign efforts that have freed up nearly $400 million in the past three years for reinvestment in consumer brand building and other growth initiatives.Yes, Susan Kropf was a good choice as a chief operating officer of Avo n Products Inc. with full profit-and-loss responsibility for all of Avon’s worldwide operations, including global marketing and supply chain. Susan has played a critical role in Avon’s success by sharing her insights on Avon’s rich history and the company’s successful strategies for sustaining brand power for over a century. Susan Kropf reconfigured the value chain thereby cutting costs of non-value adding areas.6) Has Andrea Jung been effective in evaluating the company’s performances, monitoring new developments, and initiating corrective adjustments?Does Andrea Jung appear to have Personal traits well suited to refining and fine-tuning the company’s strategy and implementation efforts? Are her strengths better suited to instituting sweeping changes and quickly moving to a new project? Answer:Andrea Jung represents a great strength to Avon Products Inc. Regardless of gender, any CEO who can take a company with a 50 percent drop in share pr ice and raise company stock by 164 percent in five short years shows insightful leadership and effective management. In addition to the financial success, Ms. Jung has also played a vital role in Avon’s public relations arena.She shows an amazing ability to connect with a variety of shareholders and the public. Her ability to communicate with all levels of an internationally diverse Avon staff and public contribute to Avon’s ability to successfully implement strategic changes in direction.Yes, Andrea Jung’s vision of what she wanted to accomplish as CEO of Avon included a strategy to; improve brand image, introduce new products, increase use of the internet as a channel of distribution, provide greater incentives and opportunities for the sales force, reduce unnecessary costs in the value chain, and continue to expand into global markets.Product innovation was a large part of Jung’s strategy for Avon. In fact, in 1999 she challenged Avon’s R&D team to develop a new product within two years. In less than one year Avon introduced Anew Retroactive, an anti-aging skin cream. It achieved record sales for Avon and led to the development of other successful lines of business.In less than one year Avon introduced Anew Retroactive, an anti-aging skin cream. It achieved record sales for Avon and led to the development of other successful lines of business. For example, Avon Wellness products exceeded sales estimates by 300%.One problem that Avon faces is the strong competition within fields they are trying to expand into. Avon is marketing a nutritional product line called Wellness, which includes vitamins, supplements, bars, etc. This market is competitively strong. Being ahead of the industry in introducing new products combined with the company’s already strong market position could further improve Avon’s brand equity and therefore revenues. In particular, Avon should continue to integrate sales representative into all aspects of sales. This is Avon’s own key success factor and what sets them apart from their competitors.With the growing popularity of the internet as an outlet of commerce, Jung was compelled to implement internet sales into her strategy, realizing that the â€Å"Avon Lady† is the distinctive core competency for Avon in new projects.7) What additional actions would you recommend Andrea Jung take to help the company to achieve its long term strategic and financial objectives? Are any changes needed in the company’s vision? Its objectives? Its strategy? Its implementation efforts? What challenges might the new strategy present to Avon’s top management team? What risks do you see? Answer:Based on demographic data, China holds 20% of the world’s population. This represents a vast market of which Avon has only begun to cover. Avon should continue to focus on the expansion of retail outlet sales in China. Also, because the only sales in China are gener ated through retail outlets, Avon should further develop their Beauty Advisors training. Europe should also be a continued focus for Avon. Industry leader, L’Oreal’s attributes 50% of their total sales to the European market. Avon had a successful growth rate in Europe but only 23% of the total 2003 sales came from Europe.There is still room to expand in this market. Based on one of the industry’s key success factors, product innovation, Avon should focus even more resources on R&D especially in the areas of anti-aging products and teen products. Because 23 million teenagers have an average weekly disposable income of $85, Avon should continue with innovative teen marketing such as the current â€Å"mark† brand but also work on products for problem teen skin. Avon Products Inc under the leadership of CEO Andrea Jung is at a point where there are opportunities for growth for the organization. However Ms.Jung appears to be indisposed towards taking steps to take advantage of Avon’s position. Also her approach is flawed. Let’s take a look at her approach and then also look at viable alternatives. Andrea advocates: partnering with Sears and JC Penny department stores so as to create a store-within-a-store, Avon products.Based on this, the board of directors felt that Jung’s original options did not provide the same amount of increased sales and revenues, attraction to increased clientele base, motivation and acceptance by current sales representatives, or increase shareholder wealth as the consultant’s options did.The consultant’s options provided a means to Avon Products, Inc. to become a household name to those whom were not attracted by limited previous distribution channels, and Jung’s choices of re-invigorating the brand, instituting beauty advisory training, expanding multilevel sales programs or partnering with department stores. Kiosks were admittedly a risk. At $6,000 per kiosk and lack of information on kiosk performance, Andrea indicated these would be too expensive.Perhaps a trial run of a low number of kiosks in the environment would settle this question. In conclusion, the Avon CEO strategy did not impress as very well thought out and it was a good thing she went to the review board first. Avon should stick with their bread and butter – the sales representatives as it is the channel where they were recognized and where they became one of the largest beauty products in the world. The website should be a complement to the services that Avon offers. Recommendations:For promoting direct-sales through consumer and the business; one is to offer incentives to its customers and second is to motivate the business to promoting its products by advertisements, establishing sales competition for employees, participating in conventions, and by endorsing franchise of its products to retail stores.Promoting Avon’s products and high chance of increasing direct-s ales is to offer incentives to its consumers. Incentives provide a positive motivational influence to encourage and excite buyers to buy the products. Such incentives, appropriate for this situation, are coupons, rebates, product samples and awards.Coupons can be attached in mail, beauty magazines, newspapers, and advertisements on mail or on the internet company’s official website. Rebates can be offered also to attract more buyers to buy the products.Rebates can be advertised also on coupons through mail or the internet. Another successful way of attracting consumers is by offering samples of Avon’s cosmetic products, which can be done door-todoor or attached on an advertisement through mail. Finally, awards through prizes, contests or sweepstakes can offer consumers the chance to win something small or big like cash or free-trips.Also, prizes can be offering a free gift whenever a consumers purchase one of Avon’s products. This last incentive option attracts more attention from consumers than the three other options. Motivate the Avon business to reach its goals of promoting its products and gaining sales through advertisements, sales competition, participating in conventions and endorsing franchise. Advertising is the key to attracting consumers and the outcome is high sales. Such advertisement is done through media (television), mail, or the internet.The more awareness from the public of the company likely to attract more buyers and the outcome is high sales. The next option is to encourage Avon’s sales representatives with awards/prizes that reached their sales goals within a period of time.Another is participating in conventions and this is more likely to increase sales through direct contact with customers. Last is to endorse franchise of Avon’s products with small and big cosmetic-related retail stores, such as Macy, JC Penny, etc. This option can be most likely increase sales and in turn profit which is any companyà ¢â‚¬â„¢s ultimate aim.