You will prepare and submit a term paper on Funeral Industry. Your paper should be a minimum of 1500 words in length.

You will prepare and submit a term paper on Funeral Industry. Your paper should be a minimum of 1500 words in length. In addition, the ancient funeral directors are getting older and dying. This leads to emergence of more dynamic and responsive funeral directors who are flexible and innovative.

The external forces are numerous. They include increasing competition, changing consumer preferences, changes in government policies, changes in technology, consolidation, and division of labor. According to Garces-Foley (221), the division of labor has contributed significantly to the changes in the American Funeral Industry. In the eighteenth century, traders provided goods and services necessary for preparing the body for burial while the family prepared and disposed of the body. Division of labor precipitated increased competition in the funeral industry. However, in the nineteenth century, funeral directors and the undertakers emerged. Funeral directors prepared the body for burial. undertakers disposed of the bodies while carpenters provided coffins. Secondly, changes in consumer preferences played a role in changing the whole funeral industry in the world. Embalming began to gain popularity and public approval in the nineteenth century. Most people prefer cremation currently as compared to the past when people embalmed and buried the deceased. Thirdly, policies regulating the industry changed considerably after the 1970’s. The funeral directors were portrayed has salesperson selling unnecessary funeral products and services at the expense of the consumers. As a result, the Federal Trade Commission enacted policies and statutes that made it mandatory for all funeral directors to provide a breakdown of all prices of their prices and goods. Therefore, people can purchase caskets and other funeral goods and services from other providers who are more affordable. Fourthly, the changing technology has led to changes in the funeral industry. Internet availability has led to cyber funerals proceeding.