International Business news analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International Business news analysis - Essay Example e art† mathematical models currently used by economists which presupposed that household and ideal firm optimize their behavior with perfect rationality. In the end they revert back to Ricardian and Smith’s principle as a more plausible law to govern the market and international trade. Adam Smith originally meant that the mechanism of the invisible hand is a result of the market settling the distribution of goods and the prices between what the producers want to produce and what the consumers chooses freely what to consume within a given economy and across economies. As a result, producers will have to create goods that are cheaper to produce undermining competition and gain market share. On a bigger picture, Adam Smith’s invisible hand is comparable to David Ricardo’s idea of Comparative Advantage which is the guiding principle behind globalization of free trading across economies. Ricardo posited that countries will be better off if certain goods and services will be exported by countries that can produce them most efficiently. This is the main principle of outsourcing where a poor country will naturally have a cheap labor serving as its comparative advantage and would be willing to work for wages lower than those their rich counterpart countries which may have been more expensive if done in other countries. As a result, industry will naturally move to these countries as they make more profits by discounting on the labor cost as afforded by the poor country. This is the invisible hand at work in international trade whereby the invisible hand will â€Å"guide† and regulate international trade in the most beneficial manner by directing goods to be produced by more efficient countries so that everybody can benefit from it at a lower price and higher quality. The article however proposed a scenario what if invisible hand and its mechanism of comparative will no longer work because some economists thought of some brilliant mathematical models that

Public Tax Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Public Tax Policy - Essay Example Therefore, a public tax policy can be described as guidelines for actions that the executive or the administrative branches of a country’s governance should take. These actions are usually encompassed with essential principles and are usually of responsive nature (McGrail, Morgan, and Hertzman 160). As such, these actions are mostly adopted to respond to certain issues in a manner that can be identified as consistent with the country’s laws as well as customs of the institutions within that country. The stronghold of public policies in any country is the national law as well as the constitutional law, which is in most cases substantially established. In addition to this, the implementing legislation is also identified as fundamental to national policies. An example of this is the U.S federal code (McGrail, Morgan, and Hertzman 166). Judicial interpretations as well as the legislation authorized regulations make the rest of the substrates essential in establishing public taxpolicies. According to scholars, the most effective description of public policies is that they are a system of regulatory measures, funding priorities as well as actions taken with reference to a specified topic. It should not only be a topic but one that has been promulgated by the government representatives or the entity itself (Feehan 45). Commonly, the public policies are entailed such aspects as the judicial decisions, constitutions as well as in legislative acts (Howlett 36). II. Thesis Statement The purpose of this paper is to critically analyse the public tax policies adopted by the U.S and thereby determining if the founding fathers really made the right decisions concerning those policies (McGrail, Morgan, and Hertzman 170). III. Discussion Analysis of Govermental engagement in Public tax policies i. President’s Office In the US, the office of the president is usually mandated with the responsibility of ensuring that the government agents operate cohesively as well as optimumly with regard to govermantal projects. The funding of these projects comes from the public finances. Usually, the president designs the framework in from which implementation of the public tax policy will be done and passed to the U.S treasury and from there, this framework is released to the public (Feehan 46). In his Gettysburg address, Lincoln brought the U.S together while it was experiencing impairments. He did this by invoking the Founding fathers. This course of action can also be traceable in the actions of Franklin Roosevelt during his attempts to change the America’s social contract such that, apart from the security from hostility, he ensured that it also included the economic security which is a subject of a common good for the public (McGrail, Morgan, and Hertzman 176). Moreover, the process is usually multifaceted and it entails interplaying between individual groups as well as several individuals (Feehan 47). As such, these individuals and inter est groups engage themselves in collaborations in an effort to inflict an influence on the makers of the policies such that they will act in a certain manner. In an effort towards advancement of their aims, these interest groups and individuals utilize a wide range of tools as well as tactics. These include; mobilizing the affiliated parties on some issues, make explicit attempts not only to empower but also to educate the supporters as well as the opponents. In

Different Sociological Perspectives Essay Example for Free

Different Sociological Perspectives Essay Critically Analyse and Evalute The Different Sociological Perspectives On The Types of Family And Households In Britain. Evaluate Their Functions And Roles. To What Extent Do They Take Into Account The Diversity of Family Types In Britain? In this essay I will be looking at the different sociological theories as they relate to the family household, functions and roles. The socialists include The Functionalist , The Marxist, The Feminists, The New Rights and The Post Modernisms. There is an array of different family types. These include the nuclear family, reconstituted family/step family, single parent family, cultural family, and even more so in the modern times an evolution of different and alternative family types are getting more common such as gay families. The nuclear family is seen as the most traditional family type. It is one where you have a married couple with children, whereby the male is the head of the household and the sole breadwinner and the female takes on the responsibilities of the household and the care of the children. This type of family was a very common type in the early days compared to the present period in the Europe however, according to Browne (n.d), Pakistani and Bangladeshi families are most likely to live in the traditional nuclear family type. In modern days with divorce on the increase nuclear family types have been replaced with reconstituted families and single parented families. Reconstituted families consist of separated or divorced people who enter a new relationship with someone that already has children. Single parented families are one that consists of one parent that takes care of the child. According to Browne (n.d) ninety per cent of this type of family is headed by women. The nuclear family is the family type that is regarded to the Functionalist, Marxists and the New Rights as the most ideal. The main functionalists’ theories of the family are G.P Murdock and Talcott Parsons. They view the family as a tool in order for the society to function. Ken Browne (n.d) suggests that the Functionalists believe that the development of an individual is helped by the upbringing from the family. The reason why Parsons believes in the nuclear family is because he believes that the male and the female both serve a role within the family that benefits society. He believes that the female has an expressive role whereby the females’ nature is to be emotionally supportive to her children and husband, providing them with love and nurture. The males’ role is to be instrumental, whereby his duty is to be the provider of the family. Browne (n.d) suggests that Parsons states that the male instrumental role can cause stress and anxiety in which the females’ expressive role takes place in order to soothe her husbands’ tension. The problem with this view is that the functionalists do not take into account that now in modern times we have an array of family types and family roles have been reversed. For instance, it is very common now for a woman to have a job and be the breadwinner in helping maintain the family. It is also very common for men to be the main carer of the home and the children, especially when you take into account that the rise of unemployed men is high due to the recession, and as a result of this, men are actually taking expressive role into action and the female the instrumental role. And also the nuclear family is now decreasing. The tradition of children within a marriage isn’t as common as it was in the past as now cohabitation is a common family type. Also divorce rates are high resulting in reconstituted families and single families. The expression for the instrumental and expressive roles isn’t as valid when you apply them into the roles of the sexes, as now with the increase of different family types the roles can be reversed or one parent could provide the instrumental and expressive role. Marxists do not view the family as acting in the interest of society as a whole but more in the form of a superstructure that benefits the capitalist system. â€Å"Marxist see the family within the framework of a capitalist society, which is based on private property, driven by profit and is riddled with conflict between social classes with opposing interest†. (Browne pg 123) According to the Marxists the industrial aspects and the reproduction of people and generations contributes to the system by them working to maintain the economic system. This view on the family fails to take into account the sociological benefits a family can have outside of the industrial perspective. Brown (n.d) states that Engles, an early Marxists, believed that the monogamous practice of the nuclear family guarantees the paternity of the children, therefore ensuring that private property was passed down to the right people. There is also the perception that women married for material gain as, like t he functionalists, they believed men should be the breadwinners and women should stay home and take care of the children. As their view concentrates mainly on the structural perspectives to society they fail to take into account the emotional side of the family and the fact that couples do actual marry for love. As I mentioned earlier, it is now very common for women to work and earn their own money and to be independent therefore minimising Engles’ view on the perception that women married for money and security. Their view on the importance of the nuclear family suggests they do not recognise the wide diversity in the families we now have today as not all families are nuclear. Reconstituted families, in some cases property or money could be shared equally amongst step-children and paternal children, this also indicates that Engles hadn’t taken to account the varieties of the different family types. However, in most Muslim marriages they tend to be arranged and due to the strong religious influence divorce rates are dramatically low in comparison with European and Afro-Caribbean marriages . Due to the nuclear family setting in Muslim marriages, Engles theory would best describes them. Browne (n.d) states that the Marxist Feminist has an extended view on the Marxist perspective as the feminists focuses mainly on the female contribution to the family. They highlight the key issues on the negative effects of family life towards women, e.g. domestic violence, which the Functionalist and the Marxists do not acknowledge. Radical Feminist highlights that patriarchy is the cause of restriction on women. They highlight that the duty that women undertake as carer of children restricts them in their workplace and that the upbringing they give to their children socializes them so that they are fit for the working environment. They believe that women’s unpaid domestic labour benefits the capitalist system. The key problem with the Marxist feminists is that they do not take into account the diversity of modern families. It’s as if they assume that every family consists of a heterosexual nuclear family. Gay families as well as other types of families are not even taken into account in this view. Browne suggests that they also paint a very negative perspective of family life making the family to the woman a burden when in reality not all women feel this way. Some women love the fact that they are considered in their family as the main nurturer, and in other families the roles are shared equally between the mother and father as it very common for both parents to work. With this said as women have their own source of income women are less obliged to remain with their partner if they are unhappy, highlighting the fact that, according to Browne (n.d) , 70 per cent of women initiate divorces. The New Right theory is politically themed as opposed to socially. They believe that the decline in the traditional nuclear family contributes to various social problems such as spending on welfare, underachievement and the existence of the ‘underclass’ (criminals). The New Right do not take into account that some nuclear families do also have their problems. The feminists have addressed that domestic violence does take place within the nuclear family. This in turn could affect a child to the point where that child is deeply affected by these incidents within the family home which results him/her to be a nuisance to society in which case, a single parented family would indeed lessen the problems as the domestic problem would have been taken out of the equation. The functions of the New Rights are just indeed theories that all of which do not have any evidence to back them up. The Post Modernisms embraces every family type and states that no family structure should be considered as more desirable than others. They state that an individual can experience various family structures throughout their lifespan. Although the Post Modernism’s theory does not discriminate households that are deemed as ‘not ideal for society’ by other socialist groups, they appear not to have any boundaries which can be detrimental for society and the individual as they do not enforce a degree of structure. The commonality between all the sociological theories that I have discussed so far is that none of them have taken into account the cultural differences and views of the family. The nuclear family is not universally accepted. An example of this shown by (FAMILY AND HOUSEHOLD BOOKLET-NO AUTHOR/DATE) mentions that Kibbutz, an Israeli family type, is one that consists of the community taking on the responsibility of the family as opposed to the parents. (THE BOOK STATES) â€Å"In the early Kibbutzim, childrearing was separated as much as possible from the marriage relationship, with children kept apart from their natural parents for much of the time and brought up in the children’s house by metapelets†¦. It is one of the most famous and successful attempts to establish an alternative to the family†. (p117) The Jewish way of life proves that other family type such as theirs can be successful, shadowing the Nuclear family type status to be the most effective way of family life. Another example as to why cultural differences have been overlooked is that Polygyny tends to be quite common in the Muslim culture. This type of family setting would not go in the favour of what the Marxist stand for as the Marxist believes in the monogamy setting where one husband and one wife is all that is required. The fact that socialists’ still use theories from the earlier period shows that their perspectives are very old fashioned and dated. In the earlier days the numbers of ethnic minorities, homosexuality and divorce in Great Britain was considerably lower to the numbers of today. This suggests that the perspectives were aimed solely for the European nuclear society. As the number of ethnic minorities, homosexuality and divorce features so largely in Britain, the perspectives is in some need of amending as they do not benefit people from different family types and cultures. Bibliography Aiken Dave; Chapman Steve: Moore Stephen, (n.d), Sociology AS For AQA Browne Ken, (n.d), Sociology for AS AQA 3rd Edition New Right and Postmodernist, (n.d), To introduce New Right and Postmodernist perspectives on the nuclear family, available at: http://www.educationforum.co.uk/sociology_2/post.htm Postmodern Sociology, (n.d), available at: http://www.allaboutworldview.org/postmodern-sociology.htm

Heinz Kohuts Theories and Practice

Heinz Kohuts Theories and Practice Heinz Kohut: The Man and His Work Although not as well known as his contemporary Sigmund Freud, Heinz Kohut is equally famous among his peers for his exploration of narcissism and the client’s need for empathy and understanding from his or her therapist. The aim of this paper is to describe the theory and practice of Heinz Kohut and his influence over the author’s practice, both describing the psychological mechanisms that drove Kohut to this line of thinking along with brief vignettes of the author’s own psychobiography that led her to include some of his theory into her work with clients. Usually, far more is known about a psychoanalyst’s work than about his life or persona. Scholars have found it useful to examine the life of a theorist to gain insight into how he may have come to the conclusions he had, especially as there is currently no grand unified theory of therapy. In one of Kohut’s biographies, Siegel (1996) described him as a walking contradiction that has more than a healthy dose of self-love. â€Å"Kohut seemed a strange mixture of aloof, aristocratic and almost puritanical austerity in a warmly responsive and considerate person. He was a very private person and was careful how he let himself appear in public. I never saw him sloppily dressed and I know that he corrected and edited his writings again and again before he was satisfied to release them for publication. He was properly discreet about his health and few of his friends knew that during the last decade of his life he was suffering from a chronic leukaemia in remission. Long before the contemporary popularity of exercise and jogging, Kohut ran, not jogged, his prescribed miles several times a week. He ate sparingly to maintain a trim figure.† Another biographer described him as someone with a profound zest for life that often ‘enraged people or hurt them badly with his intense narcissism (Strozier 2004, p. 12). Perhaps he noticed these traits quite strongly in himself which is why he became fixated on creating a theory of development with narcissism at the core. As a perfectionist, he carefully controlled how others would perceive himself as Siegel stated above. This fastidiousness may have stemmed from his personal history. As the child of two German Jews living under the sword of Damocles that was Adolf Hitler, and the German Imperium of the early twentieth century, the family had to assimilate as best as they possibly could into the society. Europe had long been hostile toward the Jewish Diaspora and conformity was a matter of life and death. Thus, there is a need to develop two selves: the public self and the private self. According to Strozier’s biography, in addition to his legal name, he also had a sep arate name to be used within the confines of his religious community (2004). His further study of the development of narcissism originated in the wholesale rejection of the academic community when he sought to begin his didactic analysis, in order to eventually become a psychoanalyst. The committee cited his narcissism as a bar to entry but his biographer noted that there were several narcissistic psychoanalysts in the 1940’s and suggested that his rejection may have been linked to his rather unorthodox sexual practices (Strozier 2004). In the time that he flourished, he and a few of his contemporaries placed a strong emphasis on the importance of the therapist’s relationship with the client. First is the premise of non-defensiveness. The adoption of an open posture enables the clients to open up and speak freely without fear of being rejected or humiliated, even if the client should express reservations about the therapist herself (Kahn 1997). Although this is extremely difficult to achieve in practice because therapists, like the general population, have ‘sore spots’ and strong value systems that they usually defend quite vigorously. However, once the therapist learns non-defensiveness, the client would feel comfortable speaking about any issue because she feels that her therapist would unconditionally support her. In early psychoanalysis, taking such a humanistic stance was seen as a bold move as psychoanalysts were careful to cultivate a detached, observational role—ensuring a noticeab le emotional distance between therapist and patient. Especially obvious, was the notion of authority—that because the therapist was the expert, his interpretation (as most psychoanalysts at the time were male) was unquestionably correct in the mind of the patient. Kohut fell into the trap himself until he finally stopped and listened to an especially difficult client. In his notes, he writes: I was inclined to argue with the patient about the correctness of my interpretations and to suspect the presence of stubborn hidden resistances†¦For a long time I insisted†¦ that the patient’s reproaches related to specific transference fantasies and wishes on the Oedipal level†¦She became [even more] violently angry, and furiously accused me of undermining her†¦and†¦wrecking her analysis (Kohut qt. Kahn 1997, p. 89). As it turned out, those so-called resistances were his client’s attempts to communicate the reality of her childhood and being constantly misunderstood and ignored. This breakthrough could not have come until Kohut stopped offering interpretations and started to truly hear where she was coming from. While this was one of his more important breakthroughs in the practice of modern therapy, his theory of on the development of the self had drawn many admirers and critics, as he views the development of narcissism with the growth of the self as one-and-the-same. However, a healthy sense of self-love is necessary to flourish, many psychologists and lay-people view narcissism as a pathological elevation of the self at the expense of others at worst, or at best a defence-mechanism against low-self esteem. On Self-Psychology According to Kohut, the grandiose self is the ‘child’s second attempt to regain the lost blissful state by creating a sense of perfection within the self. In this effort, all imperfection is assigned to the world outside’ (Siegel 1996, p. 86). For a child’s psyche, this is a survival mechanism as acknowledging imperfection or flaws within the self causes tremendous amount of psychic pain. This was especially true for one of my clients. Over time, we discovered that she could only feel worthy of respect by projecting this ‘grandiose self’-image’ of success and invincibility—not because she necessarily believes she is superior to others, but because she fears rejection by her peers and contempt from her subordinates should people discover who she really was. According to Kohut, clinging to the grandiose self usually happens if a child’s primary caretaker is not very empathic or the child has been exposed trauma at this time ( Siegel 2006). Part of her therapy includes discovering who this self is. Because she had constructed several layers of false identity, she does not know who she is, as her self-concept was buried in shame, humiliation, and neglect. Most of the patients in the author’s work have exhibited signs of an ‘injured grandiose self’, which necessitated a heavy emphasis on empathy and a mirror-transference over the course of treatment. Applying the Theory: A Case Study For the sake of privacy, no one’s name would be released, so this paper will refer to the author’s client as Nadia. She had been in therapy for several weeks because she had experienced a series of unfortunate events, which made her reflect further upon her life. Her relationships have unhealthy patterns where a suitor would appear to put her on a pedestal during the courtship phase and then when things became settled, she would break off the relationship in search of the next man that would make her feel as special. She has lapsed into a deep depression because her life had taken a course other than what she had envisioned her ‘destiny’ would entail with respect to her career and acquiring certain status symbols (i.e. house and nice car). She withdrew from family and friends not able to face the humiliation that comes with life’s setbacks, partially because she would always speak of how wonderful her life was. Meeting her own expectations and those of her family had become a compulsion as it served to validate her existence and her superiority over others that were somewhat less driven. The author’s role in the interaction is small, but significant. With patients such as Nadia, it is just necessary to listen and establish a sense of twinship—that is, cultivate the feeling that she and I are very similar, having very similar expectations of life. Initially, those seeking therapy are searching for someone to validate them and human nature being what it is, they will not feel understood by someone that seems drastically different confiding in those that are most like themselves, but this tendency is even more pronounced in the narcissist. The client must feel that it is all right to share her feelings; because she is certain that they would be understood unconditionally. According to Kohut, in the mirror/alter-ego transference: â€Å"The patient experiences you as like himself; his thoughts seem to be present in you also, and what’s going on in him he feels is going on in you too. When he feels distant, you are distant from him too. When he is enr aged, he feels you are enraged too† (Kohut, Tolpin Topin, 1996, p. 34). Intriguingly enough, narcissism often provides the patient an unparalleled degree of connectedness as she views the other as an extension of herself and loves her because she loves herself. Conversely, she may hate her therapist because she may reflect back aspects of herself that she does not like. Sometimes, when the client no longer views the therapist as a mirror-object, but another person, the therapy sessions would end because she would no longer take any narcissistic pleasure in understanding herself, however that separation may signal the beginning of deeper changes to come. According to Kohut, once the client becomes subconsciously aware that the therapist and client are two separate entities, she proceeds to narcissistic projection—where she projects aspects of herself unto the therapist (Kohut, Tolpin Tolpin 1996). The therapist then must work through the reasons why her client is sendi ng forth those particular emotions and then encourage her to reflect upon her emotions and the events of the past that brought them out and caused the client to project those emotions onto her, whether those emotions are positive or negative. Reflections To a small extent, the therapist must attempt to keep this interest in play as long as possible for significant change to occur. That does not necessarily mean that a client will be cured—in fact, a cure may not be desirable because narcissism is often necessary for life in the competitive, individualistic cultures of Western nations. This is not a rare practice for psychotherapists to control how they are perceived by their clients, as it is often necessary to project an image of competence as well as physical and mental health in order to increase credibility with them. However, there is the danger of seeming intimidating and unapproachable because clients usually cannot relate to someone that seems perfectly conscientious and undisturbed by the world at all times. They need a mirror to reflect and validate a more empowered version of their self-images. This is where empathy becomes all the more significant in practice. The therapist must always maintain her image as a compe tent professional, but she should be able to convey that she is capable of putting herself into another’s situation and then helping her clients from a position of strength. Biography Greenberg, J.R. Mitchell, S.A. (1983), Object Relations in Psychoanalytic Theory, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press Kahn, M. (1997), Between Therapist and Client: The New Relationship. New York, NY: Henry Holt Company, LLC Kohut, H., Tolpin, P., Tolpin, M. (1996), Heinz Kohut: The Chicago Institute Lectures, Hillsdale, NJ: The Analytic Press Siegel, A.M. (1996), Heinz Kohut and the Psychology of the Self, London: Routledge Strozier, C.B. (2004), Heinz Kohut: The Making of a Psychoanalyst, Chicago, IL: Farrar, Straus Giroux, LLC

Early Entry into the NBA Causes a Negative Impact on Professional Sport

     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Abstract:   Basketball players who enter the NBA early are not ready for the NBA. Early entry into the NBA by high school and college basketball players has had a negative affect on the college basketball program, the NBA, and the players themselves. Each year the number of early entries in the NBA rises more and more. In 1997, 47 basketball players entered the NBA draft early, and the number has risen since then. The college basketball program is drained of talent due to players leaving early. The high school players that go directly into the NBA are hurting the college program because they never contribute to the college program at all. The NBA now has to deal with a higher level of immaturity and disrespect by young players. College basketball players obtain a certain amount of respect and maturity in college. The players suffer by not grasping the concept of learning due to lack of education. Many analysts say that entering the NBA before finishing a fo ur-year program is entering too early. The NBA commissioner, David Stern, has begun to work on ways to encourage players to go to and stay in college. High school and college basketball players have started to enter the NBA earlier and earlier as the year's progress. In general, this is resulting in a negative effect to the college programs, the NBA, and the players themselves. Before 1994 there were usually only eight to ten early entries into the NBA. The number grew to 18 in 1995, and an astonishing 40 players in 1996, and 47 in 1997. The number of early entries in the NBA grows to the point where it is a problem that needs to be dealt with by the NBA players association. College basketball is in serious trouble. Of course, any sport would be when it's marquee s... ...arper, 1994. Curtis, Jake. "The Young and the Restless." San Francisco Chronicle 8 May 1996: E1 Clarkston, Michael. "From Boys to Men." The Toronto Star 28 May 1997: B6 Feldman, Robert. Understanding Psychology. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2000. Henderson, John. "Skippin' School." The Denver Post 11 March 1999: D1 Livingston, Bill. "Young NBA Players Learn on the Job." The Plain Dealer 17 December 1997: D1 May, Peter. "Exorbitant Salaries." The Boston Globe 11 July 1999: E2 McCallum, Jack. "Going, Going, Gone." Sports Illustrated 20 July 1996: C4 Pensa, Patty. "Early Departures." The Columbus Dispatch 4 July 1999: E2 Wann, Daniel. "Team Identification." Journal of Sports Behavior 7 June 2000: 23 Wilbon, Michael. "Draft Pool." The Washington Post 3 May 2001: D1 Wolff, Alexander. "Impossible Dream." Sports Illustrated 2 July 1997: C4

The Masque of the Red Death Essay -- essays research papers

To begin I would like to state that this is the first time I have had the experience of reading Poe and as such the reading process was greatly intriguing. The short story I chose was the Masque of the Red Death, which I found to be very dark and vile. From the beginning of the story to the end I found great concentration on the issues of life and death, among other things, which made the story very dynamic for its size. Another point of interest I found in the story was Poe’s concentration on historical accuracy as he successfully attempts to illustrate the feudal system at its best. However, two aspects of Poe’s writing that I did not exactly enjoy was the use of obscure words and seemingly long sentence which can some times take away from the flow of the story but overall it was enjoyable. In this short story Poe successfully illustrates matters of life and death specifically through imagery and projection of morals through diction and mood. This is important to make note of because Poe provides very vivid and precise images pertaining to the message he is trying to convey. The concentration on colour is the most prominent element throughout the story. The use of the colored chambers was greatly effective in delivering its massage of night and day. However, while the implicit theme of the coloured chambers are in fact night and day it again relates back to the more larger theme life and death and the rooms symbolize that progression through life, starting with birth (the...

Nz Fitness Industry

Within New Zealand a growing number of people are using the fitness industry as a convenient means of improving and maintaining their well-being. In recent times a market boom has taken place with more and more gyms being built throughout the country, and with them new business opportunities arising. One of the most renown gyms in New Zealand, Les Mills is an example of one of these modern business franchises.In the 43 years since Phillip Mills family started running their first Les Mills gym in New Zealand, the gym has since gone international with over 14,000 gyms now spread throughout 75 countries worldwide and an estimated net worth of (†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. ) (citation). It is estimated that in New Zealand alone the gym industry generated over (†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. ) in 2008 (citation). Along with the increase in gyms being established a large proportion of the fitness industry is now focusing on nutrition as an additional market for generating profit.This report serves to a nalyse and interpret both individual markets along with relevant figures, and will outline the potential future business prospects for investment or creating a new franchise in both markets. New Zealand has a large fitness industry as exercise has become a very important part of everyday life. Today’s gym goers are opting for low frills operators trading away high end services in favour of convenience, price and flexible contracts.With more than 10% of New Zealand’s population now seeing an exercise professional regularly, there is a total of 400,000 people on average seeing 1500 exercise professionals on a regular basis. (cited) Some of the top gyms in New Zealand are Les Mills, Next generation and Jetts. Les Mills has a competitive advantage of having fun while exercise via the fitness classes that are suitable for all ages and sizes, such as Body Combat. Les Mills is a large firm that has privately owned companies headquarters in Auckland only which are valued at $1 30 million.Les Mills believes that by 2020 they will open a further of 10 gyms in Auckland (cited Mills). The health and fitness market has been described as blandly premium as there is little deffirentiation between service offerings, indicating that there is opportunity for competitive advantage to be achieved through quality. In order to open a new franchise sufficient funds must be available. Competition exist with a newly opened Les Mills Britomart, which was set up with a total cost of $10 million dollars. Margins are very slim for smaller gyms, so would need to be a large player to be successful. Nz Fitness Industry Within New Zealand a growing number of people are using the fitness industry as a convenient means of improving and maintaining their well-being. In recent times a market boom has taken place with more and more gyms being built throughout the country, and with them new business opportunities arising. One of the most renown gyms in New Zealand, Les Mills is an example of one of these modern business franchises.In the 43 years since Phillip Mills family started running their first Les Mills gym in New Zealand, the gym has since gone international with over 14,000 gyms now spread throughout 75 countries worldwide and an estimated net worth of (†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. ) (citation). It is estimated that in New Zealand alone the gym industry generated over (†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. ) in 2008 (citation). Along with the increase in gyms being established a large proportion of the fitness industry is now focusing on nutrition as an additional market for generating profit.This report serves to a nalyse and interpret both individual markets along with relevant figures, and will outline the potential future business prospects for investment or creating a new franchise in both markets. New Zealand has a large fitness industry as exercise has become a very important part of everyday life. Today’s gym goers are opting for low frills operators trading away high end services in favour of convenience, price and flexible contracts.With more than 10% of New Zealand’s population now seeing an exercise professional regularly, there is a total of 400,000 people on average seeing 1500 exercise professionals on a regular basis. (cited) Some of the top gyms in New Zealand are Les Mills, Next generation and Jetts. Les Mills has a competitive advantage of having fun while exercise via the fitness classes that are suitable for all ages and sizes, such as Body Combat. Les Mills is a large firm that has privately owned companies headquarters in Auckland only which are valued at $1 30 million.Les Mills believes that by 2020 they will open a further of 10 gyms in Auckland (cited Mills). The health and fitness market has been described as blandly premium as there is little deffirentiation between service offerings, indicating that there is opportunity for competitive advantage to be achieved through quality. In order to open a new franchise sufficient funds must be available. Competition exist with a newly opened Les Mills Britomart, which was set up with a total cost of $10 million dollars. Margins are very slim for smaller gyms, so would need to be a large player to be successful.