The most appropriate strategy for the segmented UK market Essay

The most appropriate strategy for the segmented UK market - Essay Example 112). This is the initial tip in attaining a feasible market for these products. The company should, first of all, deal with feasible products for introduction into the market. In this sense, it better to deal with t-shirts and simple top clothes. Additionally, it should concern with jeans clothes and jackets. A modern addition to the same pertains to khaki products. This is because they possess perpetuity in fashion world. In this sense, the products face a high certainty of sales. In terms of style and design, it is essential that the company separates its clothes products in terms of functionality and appearance. However, the functionality will rely on appearance and psychology games as pertains to the customers. For example, there could be light denim for hot weather. On the other hand, heavily designed denim would be for cold weather. In another sense, there could be workman oriented clothes or street articulated clothes. Additionally, there could be quality differences in terms of costs. In terms of denim products, fine clothes would represent better quality. However, this should occur within a range of fineness that remains fashionable for the young age. This means that the company should not compromise on the quality because the same would necessitate a divergent range of prices. In close relation to the same the company should entail various sizes to clothes. ... However, a market study should entail average prices for both female and male markets. For instance, there is a recent preference for fitting clothes among the male markets. This means that should all cloths should strive towards average definition of size. In terms of prices, there are few factors to consider in the same. To begin with, there should be range of prices that customers should be aware. In this sense, the fashion line creates a sense of quality and affordability of the same. Market segments are divisible into two vital aspects. For instance, the marketing team should consider the lower income sections. In addition to the same, the marketing team should consider the higher income groups. This is achievable in terms of placement and distribution. In higher income neighborhoods, they should set higher prices. That is because such a group considers high quality which is to coincide with prices. Low prices might connote poor quality of clothes. However, there is a highly fas hion conscious group among the high income earners. This group would be slightly price sensitive thereby the prices should be reasonable in order that the fashion line does not lose the group. In terms of low income neighborhoods, the stores should have slightly higher prices than the average consumer prices in such areas. This should be higher by only 20 percent. This is because such consumers would perceive such clothes as of better quality than their daily products. In terms of promotion, there would be notable aspects to the same. To begin with, the clothes market is a wide one that needs marketing techniques that reach an extensive audience. The immediate audience for such products would pertain to the UK consumers. It is crucial to note that the marketing

Analyze the article Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Analyze the article - Assignment Example Green building is an approach used by environmentalist and engineers to come up with eco-friendly structures that are sustainable. According to GSA (2010), green building techniques and materials for construction of buildings determine the level of energy consumption and other resources in the environment. To support this argument, they carried out research that showed a decline in the cost of energy consumption being below 45 percent, and water use had dropped below 39% in the US. Green building will help come up with eco-friendly industries and residential structures that will cut down pollution and emission of gases by industries, which lead to global warming. Recycling and reuse of material such as wood, fiber and plastics ensure the environment is safe. Moreover, use of solar panels in green building cuts down the demand for hydroelectric power and diesel generated power. This consequently leads to alternative use of energy sources for applications that depend solely on fossil f uel, which is a leading pollutant. Sustainability is a responsibility we cannot neglect if we want our future generation to live in a clean place. This technology in green building holds a solution to the many problems we face today on energy consumption, pollution and global warming. I concur with the fact that green building is an eco-friendly development that industries and individuals should emulate to save the

The Major Sources Of Economic Income Many Areas Of The World Tourism Essay

The Major Sources Of Economic Income Many Areas Of The World Tourism Essay Mallorca is the largest of the Balearic Island, at a size of 3,667 square Kilometres and is located off the South-east coast of Spain. The islands coastline stretches for 550 km, and has a climate of hot summers and mild winters with average temperatures reaching 21 Celsius. Mallorcas current population is just over 790,000, and the official language is either Catalan or Spanish, although due to the increasing number of tourists many young Mallorcans can speak some English and German. Tourism in Mallorca began to grow rapidly in the 1950s, with 98,000 tourists visiting the island. By 1995 almost three million tourists had visited, and by 2001 more than 19,200,000 people had visited the island by air, with another 1.5 million visiting by sea. The main attractions to Mallorca for tourists are sandy beaches, the weather, tourist infrastructure and for some, the many clubs located on the island. In total there are three million beds available on the island, which is more than enough for three times the local population. Since this huge rise in the number of tourists, tourism has become the main form of income for Mallorcans and tourism accounts for 85% of the islands income (Jackson et al 1999). The summer months is the peak season for tourists visiting the island, while during the spring, winter and autumn it is cooler and cheaper. Normally the winter caters for those with second homes on the island, and also elderly holidays. The consequences of mass, concentrated tourism in Mallorca has however led to many problems on the island. Tourists have a very negative impact on Mallorcas environment. On a field course to Mallorca in 2007, it discovered that at peak times of the year, 25 tons of sand is carried from Es Trenc beach by tourists in their towels, toes and shoes. Tourists also cause water shortages across through swimming pools, hotels and golf courses. Tourists also tend to shower a lot more often than the host population. This is very damaging for Mallorca as water then has to be shipped in from main land which can be very costly. Mallorca also has a lot of air pollution. Amazingly Mallorcans own the most number of cars per head in Europe. In CalviÃÆ'   alone there are eight hundred cars per thousand of the population. According to the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), seventy million cars pass through CalviÃÆ'   each year. Fifty million of these are driven by tourists. Also of course there is the amount of litter that tourists leave behind which has a major impact on the environment and wild life. However, the cost to Mallorcas environment has been blinded, at least until recently, by the great economic prosperity that tourism has brought to the island. Mallorcas economy is heavily reliant on tourism (85% of income).Tourism is an integrated and fragmented product, meaning that money from tourists goes directly to hotels, restaurants and shops. This expenditure coming from tourists can also have indirect benefits with improvements to infrastructure and community services (Mathieson et al 1992). This has been proved in Mallorca because Mallorcans enjoy some of the highest living standards in Spain. Tourism in Mallorca is also the main employer, and Mallorcas employment levels are very low because of the tourism industry and also the current housing and construction boom, to cater for more tourists. However, Mallorca has become far too reliant on tourism as its main source of income. Should the tourism industry for what ever reason collapse in Mallorca, then the economy could pot entially be devastated. With the current financial crisis, tourism has already fallen by 15% ( Unger SalÃÆ' ¨n 2009). Also with high seasonal variation, should a tourist business not be successful during the peak season (summer), then it will be very hard to survive financially through the winter months. The tourism boom in Mallorca has also led to a 30% increase in the price of land, partially due to homes being built with black money. This has forced many young Mallorcans to leave the island in search of affordable land to live on. This potentially has effects for the future of Mallorca as young people are seen as being initiative and are being forced off the island. As you can see, past and even some present tourism practices are not sustainable in Mallorca. However, since the end of the 1980s to present the regional and national government policies have worked hard to try and make tourism in Mallorca more sustainable. The WTO defines sustainable tourism as Å“meeting the needs of present tourist and host regions while protecting and enhancing the opportunity for the future  (1992). Perhaps a definition of sustainable tourism more relevant to Mallorca would be Å“Tourism should be sustained without having an effect on other activities within the area. It should not hog or displace the current economy but should complement and bolster it. It should help diversify the economy rather than replacing certain aspects of it . Can Mallorca actually achieve sustainable tourism? Since the mid 1980s, and even more so during the 1990s, government policies have been trying to make tourism in Mallorca sustainable. During the 1970s tourism in Mallorca was seen as a job creator, and the effects on the environment were ignored. The government first began to notice the problems associated with tourism during the recession in 1974. Visitor numbers were at their lowest levels since the Franco regime, and it began to show on the island (The Mallorca Tourist Board 2006). In 1983 the Balearics were given full autonomy to establish its own tourism policy, independent from Central Government in Spain. This was a major step on the road to sustainability as local government could be far more effective in distributing sustainable policies as they know what the most problematic areas are. Following autonomous government decrees came a series of policies to make Mallorca a more sustainable tourist destination. Work by Estaban Bardolet suggests that Mallorcas aims were to Å“protect the environment, limit growth, improve quality of services, infrastructure and product . These aims will be useful in order to find out how effective Mallorca has been about becoming more sustainable. To find out just how effective sustainable policy in Mallorca has been, the essay will be split into sub sections, firstly looking at ËÅ"environmental protection, then ËÅ"limiting growth and finally ËÅ"improving the quality of product. Environmental Protection The first law on protecting the environment came in 1984 with ËÅ"protecting natural areas of special interest, which limited tourism development and protected natural resources, and was followed by a law on Å“territorial planning  in 1987. The 1987 law was very important, as it was the first law put into place that regulated the construction of hotels and other buildings, which in the past had been allowed to be built almost anywhere (Middleton et al 2001). Before this law was put into place, many new constructions were built on the beach front, which severely damaged the ecology of the sand dunes. In 1988, a wetland area of approximately 2,580 ha with a perimeter of 32 km was been created at SAlbufera. It was created in to help preserve Mallorcas natural environment and animal habitats. Since then the area has been declared a ZEPA, Bird Special Protection Zone, a Biosphere and a Ramsar site. Tourists are attracted to the area to see the rare bird species, which is ironic because the area was created to stop the mass tourist development and conserve the environment in the area. This was one of the very first environmental policies introduced by local government in the Balearics, and was followed up in 1991 with the law on Å“Natural Areas  which put 33% of territory in the Balearic Islands under protection. This law proved very significant as it prevented any construction on these areas of land, and therefore preventing further damage to the natural environment. In 1997 the government expanded its 1987 policy on territorial planning to focus on more long term planning for all activities and to encourage higher quality tourism without depleting natural resources this came through work with Local Agenda 21, which will be discussed later using CalviÃÆ'   as an example. Also a Å“Law of Rural Land  was passed which put a cap on the amount of tourist villas and second homes which were allowed to be developed in rural areas. However, there was no evidence to suggest that this law lessened construction of tourist homes in rural areas and there has also been an increase in the refurbishment of old farm houses, which has further weakened the presence of agriculture in rural areas of Mallorca. In 2002, the Government of the Balearic Islands launched a tourist eco tax to help counteract the environmental problems caused by tourists. The tax amounted to an extra à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1 per day, per adult (over 16) and would be collected by registered tourist accommodation (Middleton et al 2001). However the tax was abandoned in 2003 following a change in government. During its brief time the tax helped raise à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬25 million, which was used to help clean up Mallorcas environment (geographypages.co.uk). However the abolishment of the tax did show that the government were not fully committed to helping improve Mallorcas environment. Limiting Growth One of Mallorcas main problems as a tourist destination was its over crowdedness and frequently exceeding the carrying capacity. One of the first government policies to limit growth came in 1984 with ËÅ"Decree Cladera I. This policy demanded that 30m ² of land for individual tourist beds and that some of the land was to be used for leisure. (Batle et al 1999). Then in 1987 the ËÅ"Decree Cladera II expanded the required land to 60m ² and introduced a new minimum quality hotel standard. These policies were very successful as they limited the growth of cheap, poor quality hotels on the island. However, it can also be argued that this would simply cause a greater number of tourists to the island, because by the 1990s, people had more disposable incomes, and no longer had to look for cheap, poor quality accommodation whilst on holiday as they could now afford much better. In 1997 the Å“D  plan was introduced which highlighted the need to promote off peak tourism to the island. The Mallorcan government worked hard to advertise and promote off peak visits to the island to try and relieve some of the pressure during the summer months. The plan has been reasonably effective with more people, especially the elderly visiting the island during the winter months. However there is still far too much pressure on the islands resources during the summer to say this plan has been effective. In 1999 the Balearics Government introduced a new Tourism Law which brought together previous legislative acts. The new law stopped bed capacity for all of the Balearic Islands (Middleton et al 2001). This is very important because by decreasing, or stopping increases in the amount of tourist beds, you effectively reduce tourism growth on the island. The new law also set about limiting further development in urban areas, except for all ready approved sites. The most important act to come from this new law was to make any construction closer than 500 meters of the sea shore forbidden (in 1988 the Spanish Government had previously set it at 100 meters) (Middleton et al 2001). This again was very important as the construction of hotels and other tourist buildings along the seashore had on the past been destroying the coast line. On a fieldtrip to Mallorca in 2007 an examination of how construction had affected the ecology of sand dunes at Es Trenc took place. The sand dunes examined wer e very unhealthy, due to the fact that a hotel had been built on it at . Improving quality of product At the end of the 1980s began the International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade. In 1988 the External Support Agencies (ESAs) Collaborative Council was established to help co-ordinate water sanitation. Following the establishment of this council the Å“Global Sanitation Plan  was introduced in 1989 and was to be completed by 1997 at a cost of US$200 million (Bardolet). As a result new water sewage systems were built in Mallorca which helped keep the sea clean. The plan was very successful in keeping beaches clean as by the end of the 20th Century, fifty beaches in the Balearics had been awarded ËÅ"Blue Flag status. However the plan was not completely successful as there is a worry that the water table may have been contaminated by water that has not been recycled properly. In 1990 a plan to ËÅ"embellish tourist resorts was introduced. Over US$100 million was invested to coastal areas to make walkways, lighting and green spaces along the seaside. The plan was very successful as it made coastal areas aesthetically very attractive to tourists. However, many local people living in the sea side areas dislike it as it has made seaside areas very urbanised. In 1994 the Balearic Government introduced the Hotel Accomodation Modernisation plan. The plan stated that hotels built before 1984 were to be inspected and then renovated. The government set a deadline of completion of renovation by 1997. Any hotels which did not comply would be shut down, however by 1997 30% of hotels had not yet been finished so the deadline was extended to 1999 (Bardolet). The renovation work cost just under US$800 million. However this plan greatly improved Mallorcas tourist accommodation, as combined with other acts, the emphasis on accommodation was now on quality rather than quantity. In 1996 the ËÅ"Law on Modernisation of the Complementary Tourism Supply was introduced to run along side the previous plan of 1994 however this law was aimed at the catering sector. Again this improved the quality of product as it improved the standards of the catering industry, and there for improving the quality of experience for tourists. Case study Calvi CalviÃÆ'   has grown as a tourism resort since the 1960s and is now the second largest urban area in Mallorca after Palma. CalviÃÆ'  s economy is highly reliant on tourism, with 95% of jobs being tourist-related. Average family incomes are 130% the national average, and 105% the European average (United Nations publication 2003). However, years of mass growth has led to environmental damage, aging leisure facilities and poor quality services for tourists (AquilÃÆ' ³ 2005). CalviÃÆ'   was becoming overcrowded with its population 3,000 to 40,000 inhabitants over a short period of time (CalviÃÆ'   Local Agenda 21). The first consequences of this were seen between 1988 and 1990 when tourism fell by 20%, CalviÃÆ'   was losing its competitiveness as a tourist resort. CalviÃÆ'   had become unsustainable because damage caused to its natural environment, especially along coastal areas. The area suffered water shortages, air pollution and had problems with extensive amounts of rubbish. It also had very poor transportation links and lacked diverse employment opportunities as most of the population was employed in the tourism industry. However, biggest problem was tat CalviÃÆ'   had greatly exceeded its carrying capacity, and could no longer cope with the number of tourists visiting the area in the high season. To reinstate CalviÃÆ'   as a major tourist destination in Mallorca, local councillors along with the Spanish Ministry for Tourism developed Å“The CalviÃÆ'   Plan for Tourists Excellence  at the start of the early 1990s (CalviÃÆ'   Local Agenda 21; Bustamante 1999). The plan had three main points, clear buildings along coastal areas, promote off-peak tourist practices and to train the population in employment in the tourism industry. However the plan did have its limitations. It is argues that it did not look at the long term development of the area, and merely wanted to deal with trying to once again boost tourist areas. It was also not properly co-ordinated in terms of economic, social and environmental interaction. The failure of Å“CalviÃÆ'   Plan for Tourists Excellence  led to the adoption of CalviÃÆ'   Local Agenda 21, one of the main sustainable policy instruments to come from Rio de Janeiro in 1992 (AguilÃÆ' ³ 2005). A strategy was put forward in 1996. The main aim of this policy was long term tourism .and local sustainable development with protecting and enhancing the environment being the main objective (Molz 2004). Ten action plans were devised, and forty initiatives were put into action. This approach meant a new integrated approach to tourism between local council, national council and Non Government Organisations NGOs working together to make CalviÃÆ'   a more sustainable destination. It also allowed for resident participation, one of the key features of sustainable development (Bell et al 1999). The sustainable action plan through ËÅ"CalviÃÆ'   Local Agenda 21 has been very successful in making CalviÃÆ'   a more sustainable tourist resort and in attracting tourists back to the area. In 2000 1.6 million people visited CalviÃÆ'  , from which 86% came from abroad (CalviÃÆ'   Local Agenda 21). Conclusion In the Twenty First Century, Mallorca has developed itself into a high quality tourist resort, partly due to the efforts and policies put into place by the governments of the late 1980s and 1990s. In 2004, there were 180 hotels and agroturismos (transformed traditional Mallorcan fincas) had been built inland (Cox 2005). At first this may seem like a bad thing, as tourist developments are taking up even more land. However, this type of tourism accommodation is marketed to the eco-friendly tourist, who cares about their own impact on the tourist destination. This type of tourism is also of a very high quality, and also limits growth and overcrowding as the carrying capacity of these resorts is low. However, being so far inland the tourist is more likely to use a car to get to other areas because they are not in walking distance. This type of tourism is much more sustainable than the traditional sun, sea and sand holidays that had previously been associated with Mallorca. Mallorca has now emerged as a high quality tourist destination, challenging the traditional views of a bargain holiday destination. Mallorca now boasts five-star resorts, luxury hotels and very high quality restaurants. The service industry has also gained from higher class tourism, especially catering. In 2006 Mallorca had six Michelin- starred restaurants (businessweek.com 2006). However, Mallorca still suffers from the stereotypical idea that the island is a cheap holiday destination offering beaches and cheap drink. Some government policies such as the eco-tax have failed, while others have not done enough to tackle problems such as the environmental damage caused by years of irresponsible tourist development plans. Some policies and work from groups in the 1990s have helped Mallorca become aware that tourist practices can not continue. However, there is still much work to be done in order to make Mallorca a fully sustainable holiday destination.

The Limitations of Gender Roles and Gender Equality :: Equality Feminism Discrimination Essays

The Limitations of Gender Roles and Gender Equality Just how different are men and women? Everyone acknowledges that there are significant differences between males and females, even if they are only physical. Others see not only the physical but also the social, emotional and intellectual differences between male and female. Gender roles by definition are the social norms that dictate what is socially appropriate male and female behavior. In early American culture it was common for a women's job to be a submissive homemaker in clear contrast to the males aggressive breadwinner role. The seventies marked the beginning of the Woman's Movement and the end of the ideals we held on what it is to be a "man" and what it is to be a "woman". Women were no longer like the stereotypical homemaker, always offering a hot meal for her family, but were instead out burning bras and protesting inequality. No one disputes that the Women's Movement began but there is a disagreement on whether or not it should come to an end. One of the Women's Movement primary goals was to invalidate gender roles in the sense that women were secondary to men. The fact that gender roles exist is indisputable. Gender roles influence women and men in virtually every area of life including family and occupation. Early into childhood girls and boys are treated differently in families, schools and other institutions. Girls are encouraged to play with dolls and playhouse type of toys while boys will often play with trucks and army toys. Boys are played with in a rough manner and told to "tough it out" when they get hurt. Girls are taught to be more passive and expressive with their feelings. Whether these gender roles are fair or not, is where the argument begins. Does the fact that we are treated differently based on our sex prevent us from reaching equality or are we treated differently because we are different by nature? We are indeed raised differently, but does the fact that a boy is given a blue room and a girl is given a pink room mean that a girl is being sleighted? The outdated, sexist gender roles that dehumanize women are extinct, the ones that presently exist are the ones that are true. "Males are better in math while females are better in English.

Personal and Imaginative Writing: The Big Splash!

The soft wind whistled its melody in my ears, the sun shone brightly in my face as I skipped towards Bruce Castle Park with my sister Daniella, my brother Marcell and my Daddy. My sister was eleven, my brother was ten and I was seven, so I was the baby at the time. I was so excited to get into the park, I heard loads of screaming and shouting babies, toddlers and children, I saw a long queue at the ice-cream van. All I wanted to do was get into the park and join the fun. My sister, brother and I ran towards the park anticipating, leaving my dad strolling behind. I pushed open the black shiny gate to get into the park and dragged my brother and sister with me. The first thing that caught my eyes was the large swimming pool. There were plenty of children splashing, screaming and shouting in there; they looked like they were really enjoying themselves. I wanted to go and join in. I ran towards the fun, feeling excited. I heard my dad calling, but I ignored her because I wanted to get in the pool, even thought I didn't have my swim suit. My dad called me and told me to go back over to him, I was angry because I was so close to joining in the fun. As I walked towards my dad I kept on looking back at all the children enjoying themselves in the pool. When I got over to my dad he simply told me to take my sister to the pool with me because my brother and him were going to play football. My sister didn't want to play, so I agreed. Once again I made my way over to the pool, it looked so colourful because of all the different coloured swim suits. I told my sister how thrilled I was to go and play in the pool. She was also thrilled but explained to me that we could not get into the pool because we had no swim suits and no change of clothes. I was disappointed but concurred without any choice. We got to the pool and the atmosphere was great: loud, colourful and fun. All of the children were playing together. My sister and I looked at each other, grinned and hopped onto the inner pool edge, rolled up our trouser legs and began to walk around the inner edge of the pool. Other children told us to get in, but we couldn't, so we explained to them why, they were let down but accepted it. They were very nice and friendly children. Daniella and I wanted to dip out feet in so we had to be really careful and dip only put feet in. The water was as cold as ice, and clear like crystals, it felt so good. Daniella and I carried on walking around the inner edge of the pool. We were getting wet because of the children splashing, but that was no worry, because the sun was blazing hot and our clothes would dry in no time. I had a feeling that someone would pull us in or we would fall in, so I was careful with my every step. My dad yelled to us to come over and have some snacks and juice, my sister and I rushed so we could get back to the pool as soon as possible. We hurried back over to the pool as our new friends waited. Daniella and I carried on playing on the inner pool edge, but I began to get bored so I had a fantastic idea. I explained it to my new friends. The game was called bulldog. What you had do was my sister and I had to throw the ball and aim it at the people in the pool. Whoever it hit had to come on our team and help get the people in the pool out, leaving a winner. The game began and we were all enjoying it, Daniella and I were really skilled at getting people out. Round 1 of water bulldog had finished, so we decided to play Round 2. We had to be careful because the inner edge of the pool was socking wet. I aimed the ball at one of my friends in the pool and got him out, so he had to come and join my sister and I. My friend in the pool threw the ball to me but it was a short throw, so I tried to stretch and catch the ball, I felt myself stumble so I grabbed onto Daniella and we both fell into the pool and made a big splash! My sister and I looked at each other and exploded with laughter, it was like a laughing fit, we could not stop laughing. The water was freezing cold, I could feel my goose pimples rising all over my body. I struggled to get out of the pool as my clothes were dripping wet and dragging me back down into the pool. When I finally got out I helped my sister to get out as she was struggling too. We had to go and tell my dad what had happened, neither of us knew if he was going to shout or laugh, so we walked over in suspense. Daniella and I held each others hands tight as we left our footprints behind us. When we got to our dad and brother Marcell they were in stitches before we could tell our story. My sister and I were relieved. Dad asked us what happened so we both took it in turns to explain. They both kept teasing us after we had told them; it didn't bother us because we found it funny too. The sun was still sizzling hot like sausages on the fire, so my sister and I decided to lay down on the bright green grass and try and get our clothes dry. We laid there for approximately thirty minutes but our clothes didn't seem to be drying quick enough, so we told our dad that we were bored and wanted to go home. , so we did. Because out clothes were still wet Daniella had to wear my dad's vest, and I had to wear his t-shirt on the way home. They looked like dresses because they were down to our ankles, but it looked cute. Once again the giggles began, what an excellent end to a great day out.

The pros and cons of a database management system (DBMS) for a new a newly established multi-campus

This assignment is an attempt to present a position paper about the pros and cons of a database management system (DBMS) for a new a newly established multi-campus Mpokeleshi University library in Muchinga province of Zambia. It further gives sufficiently clear arguments to enable the vice-chancellor make an informed decision on the way forward. The paper will first define the major concepts under review before outlining the pros and cons of a database management system (DBMS) and finally give sufficiently clear arguments to enable the vice-chancellor make an informed decision on the way forward.DEFINITIONS OF MAJOR CONCEPTSTo begin with are the definitions of major concepts under review and these are pros and cons, and database management system (DBMS). According to the oxford university dictionary, pros and cons mean advantages and disadvantages or arguments for and against something. A database management system (DBMS) on the other hand can be broken down and be defined as single concepts as follows: ‘data’ are the raw facts or figures which are processed to get the information. A database is a collection of data stored in a standardized format, designed to be processed, shared by different users and may have single or multiple tables organized in rows and columns.Therefore, a database management system (DBMS) can be defined as â€Å" a software that defines a database, stores the data and supports a query language, produces reports, and creates data entry forms†, (Laudon, 2000:221). Others have defined a database management system as a complex set of software programs that controls the organization, storage, management, and retrieval of data in a database.ADVANTAGES OF DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMSDatabase management system (DBMS) is a central system which provides a common interface between the data and the various front-end programs in the application. It also provides a central location for the whole data in the application to reside. D atabase management system (DBMS) has several advantages and among them includes minimal data redundancy: since the whole data resides in one central database, the various programs in the application can access data in different data files. Therefore, data present in one file need not be duplicated in another file thus reducing data  redundancy which in turn leads to better data consistency (O’brien, 2003).The other notable advantage of database management system (DBMS) is data integration: since related data is stored in one single database, enforcing data integrity is much easier. Moreover, the functions of the database management system (DBMS) can be used to enforce the integrity rules with minimum programming in the application programs. Data sharing is another advantage of a database management system (DBMS): Related data can be shared across programs since the data is stored in a centralized manner. Even new applications can be developed to operate against the same dat a since several users can access and use the same data for different purposes, provided they are authorized users, as you might be aware that databases are normally protected by passwords to avoid unauthorized users from accessing and or manipulating such database content (Date, 2003:268-276).Enforcement of standards and better controls are also achieved due to the centralized nature of the system. Standards in the organization and structure of data files is required, and is also easy in a data system since it is one single set of programs which is always interacting with the data files. Another advantage which gives database management system (DBMS) a plus is application development ease: the application programmer need not build the functions for handling issues like concurrent access, security, data integrity to mention but a few, the programmer instead only needs to implement the application business rules.This hence brings in application development ease because addition of add itional functional modules becomes easier than in file-based systems. Nijssen, (1976:158) outlines that data independence is yet another merit of database management system (DBMS): He outlines that data independence is isolating an upper level from the changes in the organization or structure of a lower level. For example, if changes in the file organization of a data file do not demand for changes in the functions in the database management system (DBMS) or in the application programs, data independence is achieved. He further defines that data as immunity of applications to change in physical representation and access techniques.The provision of data independence is one of the major objectives of database systems due to the architectural nature of a database management system (DBMS) which can be viewed as a three level system comprising the internal or physical level where the data resides, the  conceptual level which the level of the DBMS functions and last but not the least th e external level which is the level of application programs or the end users. Due to the centralized nature of a database management system (DBMS) maintenance cost is reduced thus accounting for yet another advantage of DBMS.It is generally acceptable that it costs much less to create a system of smaller computers with the equivalent power as a single large and expensive computer. This makes it more cost-effective for corporate divisions and departments to obtain separate and less expensive computers. It is also much more cost-effective to add workstations to a network than to update a mainframe system. Another dimension of cost reduction is taking advantage of economies of scale. It is generally argued that the cost of processing and maintenance of individual and geographically remote systems may be expensive as opposed to processing and maintaining a centralized system which may be much economical because the technical expertise required for running such a complex system can be ce ntralized or concentrated at one site hence reducing the cost which could have been incurred for running separate and geographically remote systems (Conolly, 1997).DISADVANTAGES OF DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMSDespite the various advantages of database management systems (DBMS), it is worth pointing out that it has its own shortcomings or disadvantages or rather challenges, and some of them include confidentiality, privacy and security: It is worth noting that when information is centralized and is accessed by a huge number of users remotely, the possibility of abuse are often more, as opposed to a conventional data processing system, thereby compromising the levels of confidentiality, privacy and security. Therefore, to reduce the chance of unauthorized users from accessing and abusing sensitive information, it is necessary to take technical, administrative, and possibly legal measures to curb such abuse if a database management system (DBMS) is to continue to serve its intended purp ose of informing, entertaining and indeed educating the masses (Laudon, 2004:223).Similarly, since the database is accessible to many users remotely, adequate controls are needed to control unauthorized users from updating data on the database if data quality and data integrity are to be maintained. Additionally, with the increased number of users accessing data directly, there are greater  opportunities for the users to damage the database unless there are suitable controls put in place to ensure data accessibility and quality is not compromised. Enterprise vulnerability is yet another challenge of a database management system (DBMS). It is worth noting that centralizing all the data of an enterprise in one database may mean that such a database becomes an indispensable and a reliable resource.Therefore, the survival of the enterprise may depend on reliable information being available on its database all the time. If the risk of possible damage is left unchecked by overlooking ad equate maintenance and upgrading, the whole enterprise therefore becomes vulnerable to higher impact of failure. According to (Conolly, 1997:689), complexity and cost account for another demerit of a database management system (DBMS). It is common knowledge that a complex conceptual design process needs multiple external well qualified staff with the necessary technical expertise, who are in most instances scarce and possibly expensive to hire.The fact that a complex system requires additional and or new hardware and software for maintenance and or upgrading which are expensive even worsens the prohibitive cost of running an effective database management system (DBMS) for small enterprises as they normally struggle with cost justification for making such huge investments in the infrastructure, or backup and recovery in cases of damage and or failure of the system.JUSTIFICATION FOR A DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR A MULTI-CAMPUS UNIVERSITY LIBRARYDespite the above outlined disadvanta ges of database management systems (DBMS), it is worth noting that the advantages of DBMS outweigh the disadvantages and some of the weaknesses should be viewed as mere challenges of database management systems (DBMS) as opposed to being disadvantages because they can be mitigated. For example, the challenges of cost of running a complex database management system can be mitigated by cutting the relative cost of data transmission across the network by introducing local access.It may be much more economical to partition the application and perform the processing locally at each site or rather at each at each campus library of the multi-campus university. Furthermore, the challenge of prohibitive cost of kick starting and or running a complex database management system (DBMS) can also be minimized by the application of what is known as the â€Å"Grosh’s law† of economics which argues that: computing power is calculated according to the square of the  cost of the equipm ent: three times the cost could provide nine times of power, which is why it costs much less to create a system of small computers with the equivalent power of a single large computer.This makes it more cost-effective for corporate divisions and departments to obtain small separate computers, which in this case can be equated to running a small and cost-effective library networks at each site of the multi-campus university (Conolly, 1997:688). He goes on to argue that a distributed database management system (DDBMS) could be ideal for a multi-campus university library as opposed to a centralized database management system (CDBMS) due to improved availability and improved reliability.On the one hand, improved availability is enhanced in the sense that unlike in a centralized database management system (CDBMS) where a computer failure can terminate the operations of the database management system (DBMS), conversely, a failure at one site of a distributed database management system (DD BMS) or a failure of a communication link making same sites inaccessible does not render the entire system inoperable. It is however impressive to note that in this type of a system, if a single node fails, the system may be able to reroute the failed node’s request to another site hence improving availability to various users of a multi-campus university library.On the other hand, improved reliability is also achieved because data may be replicated so that it exists in more than one site, similarly, the failure of a node or a communication link does not necessarily make the data inaccessible to various users of a multi-campus university library. Last but not the least, in a multi-campus library setup, data can physically reside nearest to where it is most often accessed, thus providing users with local control of the data that they interact with. This results in local autonomy of the data allowing users to enforce locally the policies regarding access to and or manipulation of their database management system (DBMS).CONCLUSIONIn conclusion, database management systems (DBMS) have continued to make data arrangement, storage, access and retrieval much easier than it used to be in the olden days. With the emergency of the relational model of database management systems (which is a software that is used to create and use a relational database-which in turn is a database that conforms to the relational model, and refers to a database’s data and schema), much of the  big challenge associated with handling large and complex databases has been reduced. With the continued and advances in research, it is highly expectant that more and advanced database management products will be availed on the market to improve on the existing ones hence further minimizing the challenges of running a complex database management system.