Psychology Disorder and Its Treatment

Introduction In the current world, psychological disorders have become very common given the prevailing lifestyle. Among those commonly affected by the psychological disorders are those in the media especially the movie actors, journalists, and musicians. One such person is Britney Spears who was recently diagnosed with a psychological disorder known as Bipolar disorder.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Psychology Disorder and Its Treatment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Since she was a media personality, the public had her condition exaggerated with some arguing that she her mental state had exploded. However, the doctor attending her confirmed that Britney Spears was suffering from bipolar disorder. This paper is therefore an exploration of the psychological disorder that Spears is suffering from by looking at the condition and the treatment that it should be accorded. Summary of the Disorder Bipolar disorder just like most of the other psychological disorders is associated with psychological defects affecting the brain of the human being. Theses defects are normally triggered by several factors that could either be environmental, genetic, or natural factors just to mention a few. Bipolar disorder is normally characterized by periods of extreme happiness, which could be followed, by periods of extreme depression and vice versa (Nolen-Hoeksema, et al, 2009). The sessions are highly dependent on the current activity of the individual including what they could be experiencing during the different times. In that case, the individual responds to the existing conditions at high levels of the perception. For instance, when faced with difficult circumstances, the person could be extremely depressed. On the other hand, good news to the individual could be received with extreme happiness. As such, the sessions of extreme happiness and depression normally have a significant influence on th e life of the individual. As for the case of Britney Spears, the bipolar disorder has significantly affected her music career given the uncouth behavior she has pertained due to the disorder. For example, she has all types of dramas during stage performances as well as in her private life (Celizic, 2008, p.1). This is attributable to the endless list of actions that she was accused of having committed. She began with shaving her long locks unexpectedly and thereafter causally walking into a tattoo parlor to get a new tattoo (Rentz, 2009, p.1). The following, Britney was involved in several accidents all brought about by the disorder. Following the many accidents, Britney had several cases in the court, most of which she missed the court hearings. At one instance in 2008, â€Å"Britney locked herself in the bathroom of her home with her small children, refusing to come out. It shifted into a police standoff with full media attention.Advertising Looking for research paper on psy chology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Eventually, Britney was carried out of the home on a stretcher and taken to Cedars Sinai Medical Center† (Rentz, 2009, p.1). Given all these misbehaving, Britney was denied the custody of her children since her actions proved her irresponsible. It is evident that people suffering from bipolar condition cannot make good parents given the fact that they tend to be extremely emotional (Nolen-Hoeksema, et al, 2009). They may be too soft on the children and at other times being very tough. This is not the ideal case of a parent as they (parents) are expected to be compromising among other qualities. The court was therefore justified in denying Britney the custody of her children. Despite the fact that Britney loves her children, it is clear that her mental disability is an obstacle to her making of proper judgment regarding the life of her children. In addition to this, Jamie Spears, the fa ther of Britney Spears was given the authority to conserve and take care of Britney Spears’ estate. The bipolar disorder that Britney Spears suffers from has been linked to various causes, with some indicating that she suffered from postpartum depression after both her pregnancies, something that could have contributed to her current condition. For instance, sources have claimed that her condition grew even worse after the last child was born. This is because she did not need any help from anybody around her. Nevertheless, Doctors indicate that bipolar disorder â€Å"usually starts in young adulthood from age 18 through early twenties. Up until that point, the person appears to be pretty normal, but it’s like a ticking bomb† (Wihlborg, 2008, p.1). Some of Britney’s close friends have claimed that she has been seen taking anti-anxiety medication given the fact that her condition leads to an unbalanced mind. Treatment of the Disorder The most important thin g about bipolar disorder is early diagnosis so that treatment is started early. Given the fact that the signs of bipolar disorder are distinctive makes it easy to diagnose as bipolar disorder patient. Nevertheless, it is important that physicians or doctors conduct the diagnosis to avoid wrong diagnosis (Yatham, 2010). Once the doctor or physician has diagnosed the condition, treatment begins immediately. Just like most of the psychological disorders, patients of bipolar disorder are taken to rehabilitation centers where treatment therapy takes place. The treatment of bipolar disorder is normally two fold, involving pharmacological and psychological treatment methods. The type of treatment is normally dependent on the severity of the condition with some patients undergoing one type of treatment while for others a combination of both medications.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Psychology Disorder and Its Treatment specifically for you for on ly $16.05 $11/page Learn More During treatment, the patients are normally given mood stabilizers at the initial stages of the treatment in order to regulate the periods of depression and mania. Some of the commonly prescribed stabilizers include Lithium, Depakote, and Tegretol among others. Once the depression has been regulated through the use of the mood stabilizers, psychological treatment then sets in whereby the patients are counseled on how to deal with the condition. Nevertheless, despite the much effort that physicians and psychologists do in order to help the bipolar disorder patients recover, some have proven to be uncooperative. For instance, studies have indicated that most of the patients resist from taking the medication given their maniac condition, which makes them unaware of their condition. Additionally, other patients have been noted to quit taking the medication when the symptoms disappear without knowing that they could recur. Other than this, oth er obstacles underlie the treatment of bipolar disorder hence requiring the intervention of searchers and medical practitioners. For instance, in the recent past, new treatments have been found out that help treat the bipolar disorder. These include Modafinil, Tamoxifen, and Riluzole just to mention a few. Conclusion From the discussion above, it is clear that bipolar disorder is a condition that could affect the career of an individual like the case of Britney Spears. As such, it is significance that the condition is treated to prevent further damage like it has done with Britney Spears. Research has indicated that Britney has been in and out rehabilitation centers, which should not be the case since a patient is normally expected to be in the rehab until fully recovery. Just like in other bipolar disorder patients, Britney deserves to undergo both pharmacological and psychological treatments since her case is very severe as per the detailed cases enlisted earlier in the paper. Ref erence List Celizic, M. (2008). Sources: Spears suffering from bipolar disorder. Web. Nolen-Hoeksema, S et al. (2009). Atkinson and Hilgard’s Introduction to Psychology,  15th Edition. Stamford: Cengage Learning.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Rentz, A. (2009). Britney Spears: Suspected Bipolar Disorder. Web. Wihlborg, U. (2008). Britney Suffers from Psychological Disease. Web. Yatham, L. (2010). Bipolar Disorder: Clinical and Neurobiological Foundations. West Sussex, U.K. John Wiley Sons. This research paper on Psychology Disorder and Its Treatment was written and submitted by user Temperance Boyer to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Google Earth and Archaeology

Google Earth and Archaeology Google Earth, software that uses high resolution satellite images of the entire planet to allow the user to get an incredible moving aerial view of our world, has stimulated some serious applications in archaeologyand seriously good fun for fans of archaeology.One of the reasons I love flying in airplanes is the view you get from the window. Soaring over vast tracks of land and getting a glimpse of large archaeological sites (if you know what to look for, and the weather is right, and youre on the right side of the plane), is one of the great modern pleasures of the world today. Sadly, security issues and rising costs have sucked most of the fun out of airline trips these days. And, lets face it, even when all the climatological forces are right, there just arent any labels on the ground to tell you what youre looking at anyway. Google Earth Placemarks and Archaeology But, using Google Earth and capitalizing on the talent and time of people like JQ Jacobs, you can see high resolution satellite photographs of the world, and easily find and investigate archaeological wonders like Machu Picchu, slowly floating down the mountains or racing through the narrow valley of the Inca trail like a Jedi knight, all without leaving your computer.Essentially, Google Earth (or just GE) is an extremely detailed, high resolution map of the world. Its users add labels called placemarkers to the map, indicating cities and restaurants and sports arenas and geocaching sites, all using a fairly sophisticated Geographic Information System client. After theyve created the placemarkers, the users post a link to them on one of the bulletin boards at Google Earth. But dont let the GIS connection scare you off! After installation and a little fussing with the interface, you too can zoom along the narrow steep-sided Inca trail in Peru or poke around the landscape at Stonehenge or take a visual tour of castles in Europe. Or if youve got the time to study up, you too can add placemarkers of your own.JQ Jacobs has long been a contributor of quality content about archaeology on the Internet. With a wink, he warns would-be users, Im glimpsing a possible forthcoming chronic disorder, Google Earth Addiction. In February of 2006, Jacobs began posting placemark files on his website, marking several archaeological sites with a concentration on Hopewellian earthworks of the American northeast. Another user on Google Earth is simply known as H21, who has assembled placemarkers for castles in France, and Roman and Greek amphitheatres. Some of the site placemarkers on Google Earth are simple location points, but others have lots of information attachedso be careful, like anywhere else on the Internet, there be dragons, er, inaccuracies. Survey Techniques and Google Earth On a more serious but downright exciting note, GE has also been used successfully to survey for archaeological sites. Searching for crop marks on aerial photos is a time-tested way to identify possible archaeological sites, so it seems reasonable that high resolution satellite imagery would be a fruitful source of identification. Sure enough, researcher Scott Madry, who is leading one of the oldest large-scale remote sensing projects on the planet called GIS and Remote Sensing for Archaeology: Burgundy, France, has had great success identifying archaeological sites using Google Earth. Sitting in his office at Chapel Hill, Madry used Google Earth to identify over 100 possible sites in France; fully 25% of those were previously unrecorded. Find the Archaeology Game Find the Archaeology is a game on the Google Earth community bulletin board where people post an aerial photograph of an archaeological site and players must figure out where in the world it is or what in the world it is. The answerif its been discoveredwill be in postings at the bottom of the page; sometimes printed in white lettering so if you see the words in white click and drag your mouse over the area. There simply isnt yet a very good structure to the bulletin board, so Ive collected several of the game entries in Find the Archaeology.  Sign in to Google Earth to play; you dont need to have Google Earth installed to guess. There is a bit of a process to trying Google Earth; but its well worth the effort. First, make sure you have the recommended hardware to use Google Earth without driving you and your computer crazy. Then, download and install Google Earth to your computer. Once it has been installed, go to JQs site and click on one of the links where hes created placemarks, follow another link in my collection, or simply search the Illustrated History bulletin board at Google Earth.After youve clicked on a placemark link, Google Earth will open and a marvelous image of the planet will spin to find the site and zoom in. Before flying in Google Earth, turn on the GE Community and Terrain layers; youll find a series of layers in the left hand menu. Use your mouse wheel to zoom in closer or farther away. Click and drag to move the map east or west, north or south. Tilt the image or spin the globe by using the cross-compass in the upper right hand corner.Placemarkers added by Google Earth users are indica ted by an icon such as a yellow thumbtack. Click on an i icon for detailed information, ground-level photos or further links for information. A blue-and-white cross indicates a ground level photograph. Some of the links take you to part of a Wikipedia entry. Users can also integrate data and media with geographic location in GE. For some Eastern Woodlands mound groups, Jacobs utilized his own GPS readings, linking online photography in the appropriate placemarks, and adding overlay placemarks with old Squier and Davis survey maps to display mounds now destroyed in their place.If you really get ambitious, sign up for a Google Earth Community account and read their guidelines. Placemarks you contribute will appear on Google Earth when they update. There is a fairly steep learning curve to understanding how to add placemarks, but it can be done. More details on how to use Google Earth can be found at Google Earth on About, from Abouts guide to Google Marziah Karch, or JQs Ancient Placemarkers page, or Abouts Space guide Nick Gr eenes Google Earth page. Flying and Google Earth Flying may not be an option for many of us these days, but this latest option from Google allows us to get much of the joy of flying without the hassle of going through security. And what a great way to learn about archaeology!

God Grew tired of us Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

God Grew tired of us - Essay Example Even as the film specializes in this particular historic incidence, it allures to similar distress faced by innocent civilians in other African countries as a result of political fallout and persistent warfare. As they persistently strive to endure or at least survive the distress, hope is seemingly lost along with faith and the promise of better days. Written in their faces are memoirs of despair, misery, and desolation. They look up to God only He is seemingly absent or ignorant of their plight. Even as all hope seems lost, there appears to be some hope in humanity as witnessed in the actions of well-wishers and the humanitarian assistance offered by Red Cross and the UN. The fleeing men found some reprieve as the exodus took a detour heading south into Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp. As one of the worst humanitarian crises in the Horn of Africa, the exodus from Sudan offers various perspectives on the role of humanity and how our actions have consequences on others. Love, compassion, and kindness may be lost on some of us but it still runs deep among a passionate minority of

Nuclear Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nuclear - Research Paper Example What followed was a struggle with the nuclear energy dichotomy and appreciating the drawbacks and benefits associated with this type of energy. What still remains a puzzle is whether nuclear energy has more benefits to mankind compared to its disadvantages. This research paper will focus on the benefits, drawbacks and safety use of nuclear energy. The process of generating nuclear energy is believed to be the cleanest of all processes causing the least impact on the environment. This follows the fact that the nuclear plants do not emit harmful gases like nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide to the environment. This makes nuclear energy emission free energy that does not affect water, air and land resources. Nuclear energy is used in radiation and isotopes techniques mostly in agriculture. Nuclear energy is also used in human health for the treatment of cancer by radiotherapy application. Gamma emissions on the other hand are applied in the sterilization of supplies in medicine such as bandages, cotton and gloves used for burn dressing and surgery. Radioisotopes are actively used in the tracing of pollutants that are found in air as they easily trace the residue thus ensuring safe and healthy environment. The process of decaying of the radioisotopes leads to the emission of large amounts of energy that can be appl ied in controlling the heart pacemaker (Rutherford 67) Nuclear weapons have also been observed to use minimum fuel as it makes use of small amounts of uranium which exist in high reserves on the earth surface and will be available for more than 100 years to come. Nuclear energy can be used in the proliferation and production of nuclear weapons and such weapons have been used by super powers to dictate, cause tension and cause massive destructions and killings in different countries. The waste that comes from

Is Cloning Playing God?

Is Cloning Playing God? Imagine sitting down, all of the sudden, you look to your left, and what do you see. Yourself, as a seven-year-old child, but wait a minute, you are 30 years of age. This child is genetically identical to you, however, his parents are not yours; and although you see many similarities, this child is acting in a way you have never acted. This child as you can see knows more about technology than you did at that age. Why? The answers is simple, this seven-year-old child is growing in a different era an era where technology is necessary. So is this child really your clone or? This child has a different set of parents than you, yet this child does not have one single gene from them. Is it cloning a human being playing God? Scientists have been experimenting with cloning for at least forty years; however, it was not until February 24, 1997 and the news of the successful cloning of Dolly the sheep from mammary cells of an adult sheep, that reaction emerged from around the world. Now a day, we have heard of other animals, such as sheep, mice, cows, pigs, goats, dogs, and cats, as well as other things have been cloned with no condemnation. Conversely, the possibility of human cloning is for most an abomination. The idea of cloning humans has created a mixed of emotions, including confusion in society. Cloning for most of the people, means changing the history of humanity. Even though, Ian William, the Scotland scientist that cloned the sheep, agree to never clone humans, thirty hours after the news of Dolly circle the world, a bill was passed in New York by Legislator, John Marchi, to make human cloning illegal. Furthermore, other scientists, physicians, conservative ministers, and rabbis joined the Thou Shalt Not Clone Humans movement; and among the reasons to banned cloning were the human rights to have a set of biological parents (Pence 23). Almost globally but mostly in the USA and Europe there is a devastating agreement, stating that human cloning is unethical; therefore, it should be prohibited by law. On the other hand, there is not a clear explanation or reasons to explain as to why cloning breaks societys basic moral principles. Answering the how clones are created question can shed a light and might provide a reason in favor or against it. In early 1970s, the breakthrough in medical ethics (bioethics) has attracted many philosophers because it seems to help answer questions about the beginning and end of life, which is something that philosophers have continually thought about. Modern science and technology continue to raise new questions of morality, death, and new ways of reproducing the human kind. On the other hand, philosophy is about questioning assumptions. The status quo has dictated that is unthinkable to clone humans. To which philosophy responds: Unthinkable? Let us think about that (Pence 35) . Creating a human through cloning is very different from creating humans through in vitro or IVF (under glass fertilization). Cloning is considered asexual reproduction because unlike the other two methods mentioned where an individual is created from two different sets of 23 chromosomes, the individual created through cloning would have the same 46 chromosomes as the donor. Cloning implies the removal of the nucleus of an oocyte (egg) and introducing the donors nucleus. Keeping in mind that a nucleus is what holds genetic data; and by removing the original nucleus and inserting the donor, this process creates a new artificial cell with the potential to be used to develop a new human being (clone). Scientists would have to biochemically manipulate the process in order for the cell body (oocyte) to accept the new nucleus. After this process is of reproductive cloning is completed in a laboratory setting, this oocyte has to then be implanted in a womans uterus for the embryo to fully de velop (Pence 15). In the natural creation of a human being, the oocyte (from the female) and the sperm (from a male) unite in a process called fertilization. Each the oocyte and the sperm have a nucleus, which hold genetic data from each one of the parents. Unlike cloning, there is no separation or removal of the oocytes nucleus, thus, creating a new and unique human being, with a different genotype. Another subject for discussion is the idea of utilizing artificial uterus to grow these embryos; thus, denying the fetus of bonding with the mother. Then again, a clone would not be considered human, unless a real flesh-and blood female gestate such embryo (Tannert 238). On another matter, humans already produce natural clones. Monozygotic twins are the natural production humans trough the same fertilized cell. The division of the cell into two genetically identical individuals is considered normal but rarely; and although identical, they are not flawless copies. Furthermore, they are still the product of a natural process of fertilization and mutation and not cloning or biochemically manipulation. Therefore, the genetic material has gone through an intertwine process to create a new genotype ( (Tannert 239). Alternatively, an embryo produced in a laboratory, has been artificially constructed by human action. A manipulation that might grow up into a human, but considered an object. There are no possibilities of random mutation, as in the monozygotic twins, because to be considered a clone, it has to be genetically identical to the donor. Therefore, the argument becomes one of ethical evaluation giving a point to a legal ban on reproductive human cloning because we must not enforce ones genetic identity to another individual. Humans for the most part strive for autonomy; and so, by cloning we are restricting the cloned individual of some of the basic components of human survival; thus violating what constitutionally guarantee human rights. Whether it is life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, which the US Declaration of Independence lists as the unalienable rights of humankind; whether it is libertà ©, à ©galità ©, fraternità ©, the famous motto of the French revolution; or whether it is the simple and elegant statement that The dignity of man is sacrosanct, the first sentence of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany (Tannert 238). If one uses Immanuel Kant philosophies and adds the science of cloning, cloning uses one persons genetic material (to clone) as a vehicle to achieve the needs of another person (the person cloning). Therefore, one can say that this process is unethical and why it should be forbidden. On the other hand, for example, the first IVF baby born in England in 1978 is a normal woman. At first, the idea of producing humans in a tube was insane because of possible birth defects, since then thousands of kids have been born utilizing this method. The same people arguing against it in the past were the same people arguing against cloning. The National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC) has also suggested a federal law to sanction any effort to create a human by cloning. This organization utilized the Americans illogical reservation of human cloning as a motive for a ban. The fears come from fictional movies and novels of human cloning, as well as, not being able to trust scientists. Arguments against human cloning thus far have been based on human emotions and ethics rather than facts. Emotions, however, can change with evidences. Artificial insemination for example, was once looked at as a deviance, now considered a social norm. Also, genetic testing for Down syndrome thro ugh amniocenteses because selection of pregnancy was an option. Cloning can offer some benefits: It can help scientist to comprehend how cells age; it can help with treating mitochondrial DNA diseases; and more importantly can eliminate the use of embryos for research. This could be accomplished by using the de-differentiated cell in the normal stage without fusing them to an egg, to create an embryo for reproductive experiments (Pence 46). There is also Polly the sheep, the first cloned animal to have a human gene in 1997. Polly was able to produce a human protein in the milk; to help individuals, such as hemophiliacs and bone diseases suffers that are not able to produce it. (CNN interactive). With Wilmuts techniques and discoveries, there is the possibility of new therapies to help sick people, for example, the alteration of a gene can help the treatment of cystic fibrosis and the transplant of pigs organs to dying humans could be genetically altered to reduce rejection (Pence 22). Scientists agreed that the possibility of having an identical genetic person is nearly impossible: Even clone cells, with identical set of genes, vary somewhat in shape or coloration. the jump is made from molecules to cells, complexity jumps exponentially because molecules can be combined in thousands upon thousands of ways from cells (Pence 31) Therefore, even if scientists try to play God, the odds of reproducing identical cells are close to zero. People should be given an opportunity to hear both sides of the arguments in favor or against it, and then vote on what they think is correct. The cloning techniques need to be perfected, the odds of a human cloned survival is poor and uncertain; furthermore, no one can guarantee perfect babies with no birth defects, but then again, even though natural fertilization, no one can guarantee a perfect baby. Human cloning it might look like playing God; however, God is a God of perfection, and that is something no human can ever achieve. Every single time the debate comes up-after Ian Wilmuts first cloning experimentations on mammals, after the Raelians claim to have cloned a human being, and in recent times, in the stir of the South Korean cloning scandal-the community, legislators and the media all express a profound apprehension with human cloning (Pence 16).

Lord of the Flies: Fear of the Unknown Essay example -- William Goldin

A distressing emotion aroused by impending evil and pain, whether the threat is real or imagined is described as fear. Fear is what William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies encompasses. By taking three major examples from the novel, fear will be considered on different levels: Simon’s having no instance of fear, Ralph’s fear of isolation on the island, and Jack’s fear of being powerless. Fear can make people behave in ways that are foreign to them, whether their fear is real or imagined. In response to fear, people may act defensively by attacking, fear can either stop one from doing something, or it can make one behave in an irrational erratic manner. On contrary from all the other boys on the island Simon, a Christ like figure in the novel, did not fear the ‘beastie’ or the unknown. â€Å"Maybe there is a beast....maybe it's only us† Simon explained. (p. 97) The fear of the unknown in the novel contributes to the boys’ terror of the beast, the beast is an imaginary figure which lays in all of the boys’ minds and haunts them. Golding uses the beast as a symbol of the evil that exists in every creature. "You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you? Close, close close! I'm the reason why it's no go? Why things are the way they are?" The sow head announced to Simon to be the â€Å"lord of the flies†. The â€Å"lord of the flies† is a figure of the devil, and brings out all the evil and fear in people. It wants you to fear it, but if you don’t believe in the â€Å"lord of the flies† nothing can happen to you. Therefore Simon didn’t fall into the trap, but the beast killed him, meaning the other boys on the island did. Simon discovered that the beast is in fact just a dead parachute man before he died and ran down to tell the boys about his finding. When Sim... ...t. By physically punishing the boys, they will fear Jack, so they will obey him "We’ve got to have rules and obey them" (P.47). In closing, fear can make people act in ways that are unfamiliar to them, whether their fear is valid or imaginary. In reply to fear, people may act defensively by being violent, fear can either stop one from doing something, or it can make one behave in an absurd unpredictable behaviour. As revealed, fear is demonstrated in the â€Å"Lord of the Flies† in three major ways: Simon’s lack of fear, Ralph’s fear of being isolated, and Jacks vast fear of being over powered by Ralph. Evil and fear is brought to the island by the boys themselves believed Golding. The world will essentially always have the same problem until every human being on the earth is unblemished, until there is no more evil or fear in the world. Obviously fear isn’t over rated.

Swisher Mower Case

Swisher Mower and Machine Company Problem: Wayne Swisher the new president and CEO of Swisher Mower Company (SMC), is unsure of what the future holds for his firm. He was contacted by a major national retail merchandising chain about a private-brand distribution arrangement. Wayne Swisher needs to determine if he should accept the offer that was proposed by the national retail merchandising chain or reject it and continue on normal business. SWOT: Strengths: †¢Facilities have an annual production capacity of 10,000 riding mower units on a single 40-hour-per-week shift. †¢Developed great loyalty with dealers and distributors. Produced the first zero turning radius riding mower. †¢Produce high-quality mowers that are reliable and have great longevity. †¢Remained profitable since its founding. Weaknesses: †¢Limited distribution channels to only nonmetropolitan areas. †¢Produce mid-engine riding mowers while front engine mowers are more powerful and can hand le the bigger jobs. †¢Relies heavily and their Ride King and their T-44 trail mower only accounted for 8. 2 % of SMC’s total sales. Opportunities: †¢Plans to develop a walk behind trimmer and edger. †¢Have distributor arrangements in parts of Europe and the South Pacific which made up 5% of total sales. SMC could develop a riding snow thrower with their zero turn radius for the winter months. †¢Private brand distribution. †¢Sales projections for 1995 and 1996 are increasing from previous years. Threats: †¢Sales trends seem to be up and down. The sales are currently on the rise but history shows they could drop. †¢Ten manufactures make up the major competition in the riding lawn mower market. †¢Private label riding lawn mowers have captured a growing percentage of unit sales. †¢Developing a new product, the trim-max, shows that the riding lawn mower is in the mature or decline phase of the product life cycle. Critical Issues: †¢Industry statistics show that the riding mower sales are up and down. Currently, the market is on the rise but history shows it could drop. †¢SMC is a customer oriented company and Max Swisher’s wants to maintain a small company image. †¢The Ride King mower is in its mature or decline stage. †¢SMC produces high quality products that have a simple design for easy customer use and maintenance. †¢Private-label riding lawn mowers sales account for 40% of SMC sales. Private-label mowers account for 65 to 75% of the total industry sales. †¢75% of SMC’s sales are made in nonmetropolitan areas. Alternatives: AlternativeProsConsCost †¢Accept the offer from the major national retail merchandise chain for distribution of a private-brand. †¢The chain will cover all freight costs †¢The chain will do all advertising †¢The chain wants a sample order of 700 units and will place an order of approximately 8,200 units per year. †¢Distribution will broaden to metropolitan areas. †¢Chain wants to purchase the mowers at a price 5% lower than SMC’s manufactures. †¢No seasonal or promotional discounts. †¢SMC is liable for all personal injury claims. †¢Sales of SMC mowers by the chain could cannibalize existing sales. See Exhibit 1 †¢Reject the offer from the major national retail merchandise chain for distribution of a private-brand. †¢This would remain at the status quo. †¢Net Income is $430,200. †¢SMC could concentrate on developing the Trim-Max. †¢Will not get the exposure to the metropolitan areas. †¢If SMC rejects the offer, the chain may present the offer to some one else and this would increase their competition. †¢Private label mowers currently account for 65 to 75% of the total industry sales. SMC will maintain status quo and profit around $400,000 †¢More aggressively advertise the Ride King to try to gain market share in the metropolitan areas. Not necessary†¢This would gain a bigger percentage of the market share. †¢75% of SMC’s sales are made in non-metropolitan areas. SMC has this area covered pretty well. Could be the right time to move to metropolitan areas. †¢Advertising costs will go up. †¢Will need to produce more mowers therefore labor costs will go up. †¢Will need a bigger sales force. †¢Produce the new trimmer and edger product. Not necessary. The major decision is accept or reject the offer. †¢Ride King is in the mature or decline stage of product life cycle it may be time to introduce a new product. Walk behind trimmer is not on the market yet. †¢Labor costs will go up. †¢Storage costs may go up. †¢R&D will go up. †¢New products are sometimes tough to get on the market. Recommendations: I would recommend that SMC reject the offer put on the table by the major national retail merchandising chain that was asking about private band distribution for SMCà ¢â‚¬â„¢s line of riding lawn mowers. As shown in exhibit 1 net income decreases by a great deal. SMC’s current gross profit margin is 15% and this would decrease to 2%. There are also a few other negatives to accepting the offer that will cost SMC money. Sales of SMC mowers by the national chain merchandiser could cannibalize some of their existing sales and this is projected to be about 300 units per year. Also, the liabilities will go up on the SMC balance sheet because the chain wants SMC to assume all liabilities if any worker is hurt while using the mowerproducing the mowers. There are a few good reasons to accept the offer by the chain but I think the cons out weight the pros in this case. I think that SMC should try and advertise their Ride King more aggressively to the metropolitan areas while they are developing their new trimmer and edger product. Firms want to develop new products to stay profitable. Each product has a life cycle and when one product reaches its mature stage and starts to decline it is the best time to introduce a new product. This is the situation that SMC is looking at right now. I think the Ride King is mature and will start to decline. If SMC introduced the Trim-Max they will still be gaining profits because it will be going through its growing stage. They would be the first to the market with a walk behind trimmer. SMC is known for making high quality products and they should not have a problem introducing a trimmer to the market. Based on the information in the case SMC produces many different mowers that are mid-engine riding mowers. These are less powerful mowers and are great for use in metropolitan areas. This would be a great way to market their mowers and get them into the metropolitan areas easier. The national merchandising chain thought that there was a demand in the metropolitan areas for riding lawn mowers but the terms of their contract were not benefiting SMC. If SMC can get their mowers into these areas through their distributors without the national chain putting a private label on them they will become much more profitable.