Distributive education

Model stores exist in distributive education laboratories.
They are intended to be realistic simulations of a typical retail
store in which all functions of marketing and distribution are
practical, and in which the majority of the graduates of the program
will gain employment and develop careers. The use of the model store
as a training laboratory is not fulfilled because a significant
element necessary for business operation has not been provided to
accompany the physical equipment. A system of management for the
model store laboratory is the missing element that must be provided
before the model store can be a realistic approximation of that which
it was intended to represent.
There exists a subordinate need to provide an opportunity
to develop interests for careers and provide experiences in the area
of business services such as advertising, public relations and
marketing research. These experiences are not now practicable
within the scope of the model store. They are not generally provided
for in the use the model store as learning experiences.
Further, a need exists to provide a management plan for
providing full-scale participation in all DECA activities. The
breadth of activities and extent of competitive opportunities in
DECA have become so great that a plan of involvement is necessary
before the secondary school chapter can fully realize the benefits
provided as learning activities.
The purpose of this study is to provide a sys tem of management
through which the model store in the distributive education laboratory
becomes an authentic representation of a marketing business enterprise.
The results of this study will take the form of a student-oriented handbook in which will be constructed and described a Marketing/
Management Model for Distributive Education.
A secondary purpose of this study is to expand the learning
activities of the model store in order to prepare more students
for careers in the area of business services for the marketing
process - -specifically: advertising, public relations and
marketing research.
A third purpose is to aid full - scale participation in the
DECA program of youth activities by providing a "management
treatment" of the chapter- of-the-year competitive effort.

The Distributive Education program has its roots in
both educatio and distribution. This environment encompasses
Distributive Education as an educational service to
marketing and distribution. Distributive Education has as
one of its purposes a commitment to teach the skills and competencies
needed for employment of secondary and post-secondary students for careers in marketing and distribution.
In the past few years Distributive Education has seen the
advent of the Interstate Distributive Education Curriculum
Consortium (IDECC). This study dealt with an analysis of 76
jobs in distribution and the creation of Learning Activities
Packages (LAP's) that would develop 983 technical competencies
needed to master the 76 jobs. The competency areas developed included: advertising, communications, display, human
relations, mathematics, merchandising, operations and management,
product and service technology, and selling.
Related to all other areas of instruction and to all competencies
needed in distributive employment are certain economic
understandings. These understandings should facilitate the distributive process by serving as a basis for management
decisions and by enabling employees to comprehend the reasons
for certain processes and procedures. The economic understandings
and concepts have never been integrated into the
IDECC system.
The purpose of this project is to integr ate economic
understandings and concepts of our free enterprise system into
the Learning Activity Packages of the Intersiate Distributive
Education Curriculum Consortium.
This study proves conclusively that a Distributive Education
student needs some knowledge of economic understandings
and concepts. He does not need to be extensively exposed to
economics in the form of the focus of a course but should
know those economic concepts which are necessary to master the
983 technical competencies in the IDECC system and which will
enable a Distributive Education student to perform adequetely
as an employee entering a job area in the field of marketing and
distribution.
The highlights of this study are a complete list of economic concepts which a Distributive Education student should know,
and a competency - concept matrix which matches each competency
in the IDECC system with an economic concept.