Assingment 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Assingment 3 - Assignment Example As disclosed, they found that effective leaders have attributes, to wit: â€Å"(1) self-confident, well-integrated, and emotionally stable; (2) warm, sensitive and sympathetic toward other people and give practical, helpful suggestions; (3) intelligent in relation to the group members; (4) identify with the goals and values of the groups they lead; (5) want to take leadership responsibility and are competent in handling new situations; (6) can be relied on to perform leadership functions consistently; and (7) in elected or public positions, usually possess more enthusiasm and capacity for expression than other types of leaders† (Ross and Hendry 59-60). According to Martires and Fule, if a consistent relationship between leadership effectiveness and personality traits exist, as manifested in the traits approach to leadership, it would be easy to pinpoint people who could be effective leaders by testing whether these people possess such traits. However, no consistent pattern of relationship between traits and leadership ability were evidently found. In many instances, people who possess many of the traits do not become effective leaders while those who possess only a few can also be effective. As a result, the trait approach to leadership has lost much of its appeal. The behavioral approach was noted to endeavor finding answers to the question of what behaviors, actions, and skills make effective leadership possible. Compared to the trait approach, the behavioral approach has great practical usefulness since behavior, actions, and skills can be modified and learned. In this regard, the basic skills identified to be a must to be equi pped in effective leaders include: building credibility, communication, listening, assertiveness, conducting meetings, effective stress management, problem solving and improving creativity (Hughes, Ginnett and Curphy). The effects of personality and intelligence on the effectiveness of a leader have

SWOT Analysis of Regis Corporation Essay Example for Free

SWOT Analysis of Regis Corporation Essay Section I – Organizational History Regis Corporation, a Fortune 1000 company, specializes in beauty salons, hair restoration centers, and cosmetology education. The Company owns, franchises, or holds ownership interests in approximately 12,700 worldwide locations (Regis Corporation, 2009). Regis corporate and franchise locations operate under concepts such as Supercuts, Sassoon Salon, Regis Salons, MasterCuts, SmartStyle and Hair Club for Men and Women (Regis Corporation, 2009). In addition, Regis maintains an ownership interest in Provalliance, which operates salons primarily in Europe, under the brands of Jean Louis David, Franck Provost and Saint Algue. Regis also maintains ownership interests in Empire Education Group in the U.S. and MY Style concepts in Japan. System-wide, these and other concepts are located in the U.S. and in over 30 other countries in North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia (Regis Corporation, 2009). In its nearly 9,500 North American salons, Regis offers a wide range of hair care services including haircuts, styling and coloring, as well as a wide selection of professional hair care products (Regis Corporation, 2009). Through their 96 Hair Club for Men and Women locations, Regis also offers a comprehensive menu of hair restoration products and services (Regis Corporation, 2009). Section II – Strengths and Weaknesses I would consider two of Regis Corporation’s strengths to be their longevity brand recognition and salon geographic locations. Two of Regis Corporation’s weaknesses are poor management and poor management. Strength #1- Longevity Brand Recognition Regis began 88 years ago and since then has grown into a multi-billion dollar company. Regis Corporation owns several well-known brands such as SuperCuts, Master Cuts, Vidal Sassoon, and ProCuts. They also have their own complete hair care line of products called DesignLine. Strength #2- Salon Geographical Locations Regis strategically places all of their salons in locations with high customer traffic flow such as malls, shopping centers, and Wal-Mart Supercenters. Having salons located in these areas allows for customer flexibility as well as a highly visible location for potential walk-in clientele. Regis is also has salons operating in Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as over 400 salons operating internationally in Europe (Regis Corporation, 2009). Weakness #1- Poor Management After reading many Regis employee reviews from glassdoor.com, the majority of cons the employees listed had to do the management. Employees described management as unconcerned with quality of stylists hired, unresponsive to employee’s needs and concerns, and low opportunity for advancement. Upper and lower level management need to be properly trained and incorporate employee empowerment which includes employee recognition, sharing leadership, and providing feedback (Glassdoor.com,). Weakness #2- Poor Customer Service After reviewing many customer reviews, many of the complaints were centered on customer service issues. Some customers complained they were rushed through their service and there were complaints of having to wait over an hour for their service even though they had an appointment. Bad customer service is bad for the hair business because you not only loose that one client; you also lose any future referrals from the client and it can develop a bad reputation for the salon itself (Glassdoor.com,). Section III – Opportunities and Threats Two current opportunities for Regis Corporation’s are their hair restoration businesses and the availability of real estate for new construction. Two of Regis Corporation’s current threats are the downturn of the general economic environment and their current negative same-store sales. Opportunity #1- Hair Restoration Business In December 2004, Regis Corporation acquired the Hair Club for Men and Women (Regis Corporation, 2009). Currently this industry is comprised with numerous locations domestically and internationally. By consolidating and expanding, this industry would generate a great deal of revenue. Growth plans for hair restoration include construction of a modest number of new locations in untapped markets domestically and internationally (Regis Corporation, 2009). Opportunity #2- Availability of Real Estate for New Construction The availability of real estate for new construction is an opportunity for Regis to continue to expand not only the new construction of salons but also the construction of new hair restoration centers. By adding new units in convenient locations with good visibility and customer traffic. The availability of real estate will allow Regis to achieve long-term growth objectives (Regis Corporation, 2009). Threat #1- Downturn of the General Economic Environment Downturn of the economic environment results in customers spending less and waiting longer between returning visits to the salon. General economic factors include interest rates, recession, inflation, deflation, tax rates and policy, energy costs, and unemployment trends (Regis Corporation, 2009). Visits to hair restoration centers would be greatly impacted by increases in unemployment rates and decreases in income levels (Regis Corporation, 2009). Threat #2- Negative Same-Store Sales Same-store sales is taking the amount of revenue generated by stores (open one year or more) over a certain period and then comparing it to an identical period in the past. Many factors affect same-store sales such as fashion trends, competition, or even weather conditions. Regis same-store sales have declined for the eleventh consecutive quarter to 2.3% (Zacks Investment Research, 2011). Continued declines in same-store sales performance may cause us to be in default of certain covenants in their financing arrangements (Zacks Investment Research, 2011). Section IV – Summary Regis is a well-known brand name and had been in business for over 80 years. Regis is one of the largest companies in the hair care industry holding about 2% of the worldwide market. Their salons are conveniently located in malls, shopping centers, and even within Wal-Mart Supercenters. They have salons located all across the United States and have expanded their business to Canada, Puerto Rico, and Europe. Regis needs to improve on their employee satisfaction in regards to management and need to focus on improving customer service relations. Regis’s newly acquired hair restoration line provides a great opportunity to consolidate and expand this industry in turn creating a great deal of revenue. The availability of real estate for new construction is also a great opportunity for Regis to expand in the construction of new salons and new hair restoration centers, which will allow Regis to achieve long-term growth objectives. A threat to Regis is the downturn of the economic environment, which results in consumers spending less and waiting longer between salon visits. If Regis same-store sales do not begin to improve it will have a huge impact on their financing arrangements.

Monitoring Meeting the Needs of Customers

Monitoring Meeting the Needs of Customers Task 1 a) Describe the different type of customers in your selected organisation, identify their needs and expectations External customers are those who purchase the product through the distributors and require after sales service either through the regular servicing of the cars or when the car does not meet their expectations through mechanical breakdown. The Mercedes-Benz product is targeted at the executive level and high standards are expected as the company has a â€Å"reputation for quality, value retention and prestige† (Mercedes-Benz 2004, p. 1). They have highlighted a desire to gain more of the fleet car market and have researched the needs and expectations of the fleet managers and found that the concept of depreciation is more important to them than the initial cost of the car (Mercedes-Benz 2004). Mercedes-Benz has introduced an incentive system for fleet managers to encourage them to purchase from the company. This includes offering a wide range of potential products and a choice in how the financial incentives are paid. In addition to the fleet managers, Mercedes-Benz also supplies individuals. In many ways, their needs will be similar to the fleet managers but, as they themselves will be the end user, their specific needs have to be identified and fulfilled. Mercedes-Benz fulfils this through the promotion of their brand as a status symbol. Mercedes-Benz also markets vans and offer a comprehensive package to allow customers to add additional features to their van during manufacture to ensure it will be able to meet their exact needs. Since 1992, they have also offered a database of used Mercedes-Benz vans for sale which assists the existing customers in selling their vehicle and attracts new ones into Mercedes-Benz ownership. The concept of internal customers includes the employees. Mercedes-Benz offers a comprehensive apprenticeship system to its technician and parts specialists which includes training programmes carried out at the new Mercedes-Benz National Apprentice Academy leading to nationally recognised qualifications. They believe their scheme is â€Å"one of the best apprenticeship training schemes in the UK† (Mercedes-Benz website). Mercedes-Benz sell their products through a series of dealerships as these can also be classed as internal customers. The dealerships need the support of the parent company to be able to provide what they have agreed with the customer. Mercedes-Benz must ensure it has a good, open relationship with it’s dealerships as the relationship is of mutual benefit. b) Give example of how this organisation ensure that their customer receive accurate and reliable information about their services? The Mercedes-Benz group market their product through a range of dealerships each of whom is allowed a large degree of autonomy in how they operate. They are supported by Mercedes-Benz through their website, probably the first port of call for an individual contemplating purchasing one of their cars. The parent company also offers advice and guidance to their distributors and provides practical support in terms of finance package options. On the main company website there is the facility to locate the nearest dealership to the potential customer. These dealerships also have their own websites where the customer can find the information they require or contact the dealership to make enquiries. The employees responsible to dealing with customer queries have extensive training on an ongoing basis to ensure their knowledge is current. c) How does this organisation measure how successful their customer services is? Each of the dealerships is able to introduce their own system of measuring customer satisfaction. A common method used is that of collecting feedback. The Inchcape dealership, for example, has â€Å"robust processes (to) ensure every customer is contacted following their visit, and the feedback is used daily to improve and enhance the quality of their service delivery where necessary† (Inchcape 2006, p. 1). Mercedes-Benz has a range of Key Performance Indicators which cover areas such as sales, customer satisfaction levels and service performance which each dealership is required to report on at regular intervals. Task 2 Sticking with the organisation that you are already familiar with, carry out further investigation and illustrate five things that are going well and three that are not going so well. to do this Successful techniques include monitoring sales levels, having people dedicated to the collection and collation of customer service data, incentives for individuals to provide outstanding customer service and a strategy of providing a consistent level of service through using a dedicated call centre. Improvements that could be made are offering a free call number for customer comments and the introduction of a nationwide customer satisfaction incentive. It would also be beneficial to obtain feedback from people who expressed an interest in buying the product but did not make a purchase to determine why they did not make a purchase and to identify how a sale could be secured in the future. a) Explain how monitoring and evaluating of customer services is carried out. Mercedes Benz express a high level of commitment to providing outstanding customer service and have introduced several initiatives and projects to encourage this. These include â€Å"regular staff CSI (Customer Satisfaction Indicators) meetings, introducing customer service objectives, CSI league tables, and reward and recognition schemes for all employees† (Inchape 2006). Data is also collected from the call centre. b) How has this improved the service for the customer, the organisations own prospects and for its employees? Customer service has improved as any issues can be identified and corrected at an early stage, thereby ensuring that future customers receive an ever-increasing service level. Trends can also be seen and proactively managed. The Mercedes-Benz organisation relies both keeping current customers and attracting new business. By developing a good reputation for their customers service levels, people are more likely to buy their product. This increases the sales and profitability for the business which benefit’s the employees as it gives them job security and provides a good benefits package. c) Make constructive comments or suggestions of what improvement that can be made for the future. As the Mercedes-Benz business operates through a series of dealerships, it would be of benefit for there to be more interaction between the dealerships. Whilst currently Mercedes-Benz itself consolidates the information and shares it between dealerships, it would be useful for the dealerships to be able to speak to each other more directly to discuss specific points as there may be different expectations in different geographical areas. Task 3 Now customer services is crucial to the survival of most organisation. Most organisations have invested a lot of money in making sure that they get this right. a) What strategies have been used by your organisation to display a confidential approach when delivering customer service to their customer? (Confidential)All customer information is kept confidential with access only being allowed to those who need it to be able to do their jobs. The information is held on a computer database which is password protected. (Confident) The employees of the business, especially those dealing directly with potential new customers must be confident and competent in their role. To ensure this happens, they are given extensive training in presentation and communication skills and are also made aware of the numerous benefits of the product to be able to answer any questions the potential customer may have. The employees are encouraged to have a belief in the product that it is a high quality, status symbol. b) Explain why presenting, interpersonal and communication skills are important in delivering effective service to customers The person dealing with the customer directly must be able to project the right image for the company. As the target market for Mercedes-Benz is at the executive level, they expect a professional approach from the company’s representatives. Their role may involve a mixture of providing factual information, advice and descriptions and must be done in a manner which promotes a sale. The individual needs to be able to present information clearly and in a manner appropriate to their audience. They also need to use interpersonal skills to assist them to develop a form of relationship with the customer to be able to ensure they can tailor their message to that specific person and to make the customer feel at ease. As well as being competent in providing the information the customer requires, they need to be able to do it in a way that is tailored to the person to whom they are speaking and have good listening skills to listen carefully to questions and comments from the customer. Th ey also need to have knowledge of non verbal communication such as body language and be able to use techniques to overcome barriers to communication. Task 4 a) Focusing on two groups of key external which is the customer and maybe distributors and the internal customer which is the employee and the organisation of this organisation, analyse and evaluate how the organisation anticipates and meets the needs of these customers in range of situations. The customer’s needs are fulfilled in several ways and Mercedes-Benz prides itself on being able to offer additional services beyond those offered by their competitors. One example of this is the efficient record keeping service they have for regular maintenance of the vehicle which enables reminders to be sent to customers and ensures the quick diagnosis of ongoing problems. This is known as the ASSYST (Active Service System) which advises the owner when a service is due. A further example is the provision of an â€Å"end of life† service. There are strict legal requirements as to how a motor vehicle can be disposed of and Mercedes-Benz offer a free service to their customers providing the â€Å"certificate of destruction† that is required by law. Mercedes-Benz constantly reviews the car market and is able to develop it’s range to ensure it meets the needs of the consumer. They also identify new markets which may be available to them. 80% of the Mercedes-Benz service centres operate for 24 hours a day Monday to Friday thus providing a better level of service for their customers (Mercedes-Benz website). The dealerships are given full support by Mercedes-Benz to allow them to be able to market the product successfully. Mercedes-Benz has a good relationship with their dealerships which allows them to be able to communicate openly and share any concerns or ideas. Mercedes-Benz ensures all it’s employees have the skills necessary to be proficient in their job by providing on-going training and development. Where possible these programmes lead to nationally recognised qualifications thereby allowing the individuals to develop their careers elsewhere should there be no opportunities for them within the organisation. Mercedes-Benz ensures it can provide a competitive benefits package to it’s employees helping not only to retain the high calibre employees but also to attract new ones. This strategy extends throughout the business rather than just being limited to those who have direct customer contact. b) Analyse using example, how effective customer service benefits the customers, the organisation and its employees The ASSYST system allows the customer to be able to plan the periods when their vehicle requires regular servicing and this allows them to make better use of their time. This also benefits Mercedes-Benz themselves as they can plan their workloads more efficiently if the customers plan and book their servicing in early. This further benefits the employees as their workload is more consistent and easier to manage. Through identifying the specific needs of the fleet managers, Mercedes-Benz believe that the fleet manager’s organisations will be able to attract and retain higher quality executives by offering them a Mercedes-Benz company car. This benefits Mercedes-Benz and their employees through higher sales and greater profitability. All the initiatives designed to improve customer service will additionally benefit the organisation and it’s employees as greater customer satisfaction will lead to more repeat business and new customers and this increases sales and profitability. A business that is growing and profitable is able to offer it’s employees a greater level of job security, better prospects in terms of career advancement and training and an attractive and competitive pay and benefits package. References. Inchcape. (2006). Inchcape Receive top Customer Service Awards Accolade. Accessed at: http://www.inchcape.co.uk/PressDetail.aspx?Documentid=98 on 22/02/07. Mercedes-Benz. (2004). Mercedes-Benz Not Just Executive Cars Anymore. In Business Briefing: Exploration and Production. The Oil and Gas Review 2004. Accessed at: http://www.touchbriefings.com/pdf/951/mercedes_tech.pdf on 22/02/07. Mercedes-Benz. (Date not given). Accessed at: http://www2.mercedes-benz.co.uk on 22/02/07

Essay --

Over the course of this semester I learned a lot about myself as a writer. I was forced to change my thought process, view towards writing, and evaluate my own work over the semester. English 1010 was my first college writing course and it provided me with more freedom than I previously had in high school. During my senior year in high school especially I always felt limited and the topics we wrote about were not relevant. I really enjoyed being able to incorporate my voice in each essay and I believe I developed more of a personal style as time progressed. Lastly by completing this course I accomplished my goal which was to learn the tools needed to produce well written work and become a better writer. While completing each essay other students and I were given the opportunity to engage in peer review. This helped each student by giving other writers the chance to provide their perspective of how the context of the paper can be improved or if it needs additional details. Whether the comments were negative or positive it helps because it is unbiased and can ensures that by correctin...

Journal Reading :: essays research papers

Introduction: Journaling is a powerful thing; there are many different uses for a Journal, everything from personal thoughts to keeping an expedition written down for later resource. Many people don’t use Journals which is unfortunate, my focus in this paper is to show the different areas of Journaling and to possibly make it a part of your life. Thesis: My thesis statement is to show the importance of journaling in leadership and other positions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Getting started, it doesn’t take much to get started, all you need is a pen or pencil, preferably a pencil incase you need to change something, but a wise teacher once told me that his mom asked him a very interesting question, â€Å" What do you use on crossword puzzles, a pen or a pencil,† she then later stated â€Å" I always do mine in pen,† now the reason behind her always doing it in pen is so you know you did it write the first time, and you feel confident in that. The next thing you would or should need is something to write on, this can be anything from a purchased store journal to napkin from a restaurant, although having a booklet of napkins may seem absurd, it doesn’t matter as long as it’s something to take your thoughts down on. The other thing that you should have is a positive attitude, trust me it is helpful in all aspects of life, a great man once said, â€Å" The greatest discovery of my generation is that hum an being can alter their lives by altering their attitude of mind by William James.† (Pg.88 John Maxwell The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a leader). That’s about all it should take to start a effective journal, so stay focused as we will be going through the Purpose of Journaling. The first area I would like to delve into is the thinking aspect of Journaling. I don’t know about you, but I like to think, it makes me feel like I’m the smartest man in the world. I took this class called Practicum Seminar Leadership and for the class we had to go on a solo trip for about 3 days, by ourselves, and I thought a lot while I was out there and I wish I had, had a journal to keep all my thoughts down in, because some of them were lost, but I came out of there with a deep understanding of what it means to be positive.

A Comparative Study: Quality of Life in Rural and Urban Communities Essay

Happiness, life satisfaction, and subjective well-being are closely connected to quality of life. Accordingly, quality of life is defined based on different approaches. It can depend if the approach is objective or subjective or if the approach is negative or positive. It can also be defined according to its use, either in academic writing or everyday life. Thus, quality of life has no exact or universal definition (Susniene & Jurkauskas, 2009). Quality of Life (QoL) is usually referred to the definition of the World Health Organization (WHO) (1997) as the â€Å"individuals’ perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns† and â€Å"a broad ranging concept extended in a complex way by the person’s physical health, psychological state, level of independence, social relationships, personal beliefs, and the relationship to salient features of their environment. † The Dictionary of Human Geography 5th Edition (2009) defines that quality of life has the following dimensions: income, wealth and employment, built environment, physical and mental health, education, social disorganization, social belonging, and recreation and leisure. Quality of life is a broad multidimensional concept that also includes subjective evaluation and perception. It is defined in different ways in varying disciplines by individuals or groups. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (2013), the quality of life in the Philippines ranked 114th out of the 187 countries in year 2012. It is unchanged for two consecutive years from year 2011. The Philippines’ HDI was lower than Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore but higher than Indonesia and Vietnam. UNDP uses the Human Development Index (HDI) to measure quality of life with three dimensions specifically health, education, and income. Looking at where the Philippines ranked in comparison with the quality of life of other countries, it seems that the country is falling behind. It is quite interesting then to determine the QoL in the local perspective specifically in Batangas City. Unexpectedly, Batangas City, which is where the study was conducted, commits itself in improving quality of life of its citizen, and it is stated in their mission: â€Å"To improve the quality of life of the citizen through sustained efforts to attain a balance agro-industrial development; to generate more employment opportunities and adequately provide the basic infrastructure utilities, facilities and social services necessary for a robust community. † Thus, the mission reflects how the local government of Batangas City values the quality of life of their contemporaries. This study can provide assessment of QoL in terms of the four indicators of the study and can project the effect of the government’s effort in uplifting the life of the people. In the researchers’ search for related literatures and studies, they have found out that this inquiry about Batanguenos’ quality of life is the first of its kind in the locality. The government does not have any available research studies in the past tackling about QoL or any direct means of measuring it. Hence, this undertaking is a stepping stone in closely monitoring improvement in the people’s way of life. This study will benefit the local government, future researchers, academic institutions, and, above all, the residents of Batangas City. The researchers embarked in this study to provide a comparative assessment on the quality of life between rural and urban communities in Batangas City as well as to look at the perception of residents about satisfaction in life with regard to certain indicators. Since each individual innately pursue happiness and life satisfaction that constituted in obtaining QoL, the interest of the researchers were aroused. The researchers aimed to provide a thorough examination on people’s QoL for both rural and urban communities on the basis of the four indicators of the study. Moreover, they also wanted to compare and contrast the QoL of respondents in terms of their profile to find association in it. Being the first study about quality of life in the province of Batangas and the latest assessment of living condition in the country for years, this study wished to contribute in enhancing the Filipino lives and to serve its purpose as an instrument in promoting good life for each and every citizen of the Philippines. Statement of the Problem This study aimed to know the quality of life in rural and urban barangays of Batangas City to provide a comparative examination of life among people living in two different communities. More specifically, it sought to answer the following questions: 1. What is the profile of respondents in terms of: 1. 1 sex; 1. 2 age; 1. 3 civil status; 1. 4 educational attainment; and 1. 5 type of community? 2. How can quality of life of respondents be assessed in terms of: 2. 1 built environment; 2. 2 physical and mental health; 2. 3 social belonging; and 2. 4 recreation and leisure? 3. Is there a significant relationship between the profile of respondents and their quality of life? 4. Is there a significant difference in the quality of life between rural and urban communities? 5. What activity can be proposed to promote the quality of life of Batangas City residents? Scope, Delimitation and Limitation of the Study This study focused on the comparative assessment of rural and urban quality of life in Batangas City. Specifically, the study was designed to measure QoL in terms of the four indicators of the study namely built environment, physical and mental health, social belonging, and recreation and leisure. The study identified the association between the profile of respondents and their QoL. The profile variables included sex, age, civil status, educational attainment, and type of community. Moreover, this study would provide a comparative examination of QoL in rural and urban communities in Batangas City. Respondents of the study came from the first five locations in Batangas City determined in terms of population. The first five barangays with the highest population in rural and urban communities served as the research environment of the study. Rural communities comprised of Balete, Tingga Labac, Tabangao Ambulong, San Jose Sico, and Sampaga while urban communities included Sta. Rita Karsada, Poblacion, Alangilan, Bolbok, and Cuta. The study was conducted from April 2013 to October 2013. This study did not seek to include other locations in Batangas City which were not mentioned above. This study did not cover the whole situation of the province of Batangas or other cities and municipalities therein in terms of quality of life. Factors such as income, wealth and employment, education, and social disorganization were not measured in this study. Significance of the Study This comparative study on the quality of life of rural and urban communities aims to provide awareness on the QoL between rural and urban barangays in Batangas City. It also seeks to provide awareness on the present condition of the life of the people of Batangas to better understand the things that need to be improved and developed. This study will benefit researchers, students, the academe, and the community. This study would pave the way for the possibility of determining and closely investigating certain indicators of quality of life in both rural and urban communities. It would also generate information on how the profile of respondents relates to QoL. More specifically, this study would be of significant use to the following: To the people of Batangas, this undertaking is a reflection of the most recent real life situation of the people of Batangas City that exposes the life they have today. This would help them better understand the living conditions they have and how to improve or enhance it. To local government officials and offices, this study would serve as a framework for their future projects and activities related to improving or enhancing quality of life. To the City of Batangas, this study would provide a written reflection of the present condition of the city of Batangas and the mirrored situation of the past and present. It would benefit Batangas because this study would serve as the shadow of the life the people has today. Batangas State University, this study would be a proof that Borbonians have the capability of producing quality, relevant, and scientific research study. To the College of Arts and Sciences, this study would be another accomplishment of academic excellence and would serve as an evidence of the quality education that this university can offer. This thesis would be an addition to the pool of knowledge generated in this institution. To Psychology students, this would serve as a basis for future researchers focused in the examination and analysis of life and ways to improve or enhance it. To future researchers, this study would serve as a reference for future studies about quality of life concerned with the following domains: built environment, physical and mental health, social belonging, and recreation and leisure.

Lost Boys by James Garbarino: A Review

Through the ‘Lost Boys, by Dr. James Garbarino discusses the phenomenon of youth violence in America, with emphasis on understanding its causes as a major tool for dealing with the menace. This essay seeks to explore the main points and arguments pointed about in the book, ways in which society has failed in curbing the disorder, and what can be done to INTRODUCTION: A TYPICAL SCENARIO A 15-year African American Ken lived in the inner-city trouble zone of Los Angeles, with parents who are both poor and uncaring. He grew up to protect himself, seeing the world as an unsafe place: He saw form his point of view, that life is unbearable and one must be aggressive to make your way through life, especially to possess the material things that mattered to him. He understood that he was not cared for by his parents, but seen as an outsider; he was detached. On many occasions when he was young, he had been abused by his father, bullied seriously at school and for that he developed an aggressive approach to living as he grew up. He also hated his father for his violent activities and unwholesome behavior of drinking and smoking. At his age, he got hooked up in a gang of five boys who called themselves ‘Fox Army’. Because of his dedication to these gang activities, his performance at school dwindled. For this, his father expresses serious harsh words on him, telling him he would never be anything good in life. In the whole of this picture stood a fearful mother who was always quiet and strictly aligned to the father’s opinion. Ken wondered on several occasions why he and his siblings were treated as such. He was ashamed of himself and his family. Having being threatened by his violent father with guns on several occasions, he felt the gun was a tool to silence enemies. In the gang, they all seem to share the same experiences of parental neglect and abuse, depression and confusion about the essence of living. They never felt any emotions nor did they perceive anything positive about schooling, family and other things around them. They share same schema of life: fight to protect yourself, enemies are out there in the world planning to eliminate you. The faster of us win to survive and see the light of another day. To see another to get others, use illegal means to make money and acquire material possessions in an attempt to use such things to eliminate the deep-seated feelings of worthlessness and shame. They were eager to make money by all means; so, they got into illegal drug sales. They also started smoking and drinking, adventures they felt would relieve them of the burden they carried. In no time, they had access to the guns of their parents for protection. Even with these, Ken did not make as much money as his friends. He got really frustrated and distressed because he needed the money to add up to that he got from his parents to stay in school. He woke up one morning by hammering slaps of his violent father who accused him of theft. He was guilty of the offence; yet, he denied it. His father started threatening hi with guns again. He left his bedroom and headed to the sitting where he kept his gun: he reached for it, and with it, killed his parents. In this vexation, he started saying all sorts of things like: ‘Fox soldier, go for the bait. Kill the enemy with sharpened teeth of the fox. Go and deal with the wicked world’ He kicked the main entrance door open and shot in the crowd of school children going early to school. He shot continuously, until he became so vexed and put the gun into his head, pulled the trigger and said, ‘it all ends here’. As the noise of the approaching cop intensifies, he pulled the trigger and shot himself. It was reported that five people died including Ken. The news was carried by a local newspaper. The only national daily that featured it described the teenager as ‘brutal’ and ‘horribly terrible’. And that was where it ended. Nobody wanted to know more. ‘WHAT IS NOT SEEN AT THE SCENE’ The main intention of the writer is to draw the attention of the Public to the menace of youth homicide with emphasis on understanding what is not seen at the scene, as a tool to stemming its tide. The scenario created above typifies the main point and arguments enunciated in the ‘Lost Boys’. The ideas launched in the text were based on statistical date from reliable sources, the experiences of those who have been affected in one way or the other by acts of youth violence and a ‘systematic’ approach to understanding what is not seen at the scene of the incident. He also drew ideas from the research and writings of other experts in the field to arrive at the following salient points: Youth violence is a major societal disorder that is quite extensive. However, it is obscured from its staggering reality by the national homicide picture which is reportedly stable. Lethal violence is common among the poor African-Americans and Hispanics, those who form the minority groups, with only few cases by Americans. These groups are concentrated in the inner city and suburbs of the South. As a result of those involved, the media and the general Public ignore ‘making sense’ of such crimes giving limited attention to it. This is claimed to be as a result of racism and class bias, as well as the perceived immunity Native Americans think they have. With the current tide of the menace sweeping to the abode of the ‘immunized’, he argues that no one is really immune. The current incidents recorded with new white faces awakened the Public to the reality of the issue: white teenagers are joining the train. With this pointed established, everyone sees a problem to be checked and it is easier to do. Having established that everyone is endangered, he seeks to lay a foundation for finding lasting solutions. First, he emphasizes the need to understand why the killers kill others and themselves. He believes that this would invariably be achieved by learning from the lives and experiences of those who have lived with it for the past two decades. Drawing form this point of strength where everyone’s attention is drawn, he shows that the accumulation of risk factors such as smoking, involvement in gang activity and illegal drug deals, access to guns, family history of violence, psychiatric disorders is central to the distorted behavior of killers.   He emphasizes that the causes of youth violence are complex and cannot be associated with a single factor. He notes that culprits are no animals but humans who have been strongly influenced by risk factors they grew with, and only live to bury their deep-seated shame by acts of violence; they are like Ken, who did not see any cogent reason for living. THE WAY OUT Having stated the reality of violence, the ‘Southern’ location of its prevalence because of prevailing factors and the lessons of the past, he then proposes ways of dealing with the violence: Both the individual and the community, are involved.   The individual needs proper parental care, protection, training and mentoring; these would help to build a strong self-image and create positive outlook to life. The home is the first community that is pertinent in building a good child: this should be stable, loving and full of positive affirmations for the growing child; necessary needs should also be met. The government has a major role to play; it should enact laws that reduce crime, promote community campaigns against violence and crime, provide funds for educational and health institutions. A credible and fair justice system must be on present. He particularly suggested a ‘Visiting Nurse Program’. He also emphasized good working relationships between professionals involved with the menace of youth violence. In conclusion, a society who fails to wake up to the roar of a wandering lion by getting hunters ready, should be prepared to dance to the music of the Vulture that would feast on their carcasses.