Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Breast Cancer Cancer And Cancer - 981 Words

The Grand Rounds Research Project: Breast Cancer To hear you have breast cancer can be a very shocking thing. â€Å"Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women in America as of 2015† (breastcancer,2015). First step is to know what you are dealing with when your doctor believes you have cancer, you will want to know what cancer is and how your doctor can detect it. Next your doctor will go over different stages of breast cancer that will help come to a conclusion on your next step. Lastly you and your doctor will go over the different treatment plan that best fits you. This journey a women or man will take when being diagnosed with cancer is a long and hard one but, with the help from your doctors and the knowledge you can get through this. Carcinoma is a cancer that develops from the epithelial cells, which begins in the tissue that lines the outer and inner surface of the body. Breast cancer is a growth of mutated cells that forms in the lobules, the ducts, and also the stromal tissue of the breast. Stromal tissue is the fatty fibrous tissue that holds and supports the breast. The cause of these mutated cells is the change in the genes that is responsible of healthy cell growth. These genes can be inherited from family genetics or the most common way which is the aging process. With this process the healthy cells replace themselves with new ones and the old cells die out, but with family genetics and age these cells no longer die outShow MoreRelatedBreast Cancer : Cancer And Cancer Essay1433 Words   |  6 PagesBreast cancer is a carcinoma that develops due to malignant cells in the breast tissue. Cancerous cells are more likely to produce in the milk-producing ducts and the glands, ductal carcinoma, but in rare ca ses, breast cancer can develop in the stromal, fatty, tissues or surrounding lymph nodes, especially in the underarm (Breast Cancer). For women, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the 2nd leading cause of cancer death – behind skin cancer. While treatment or surgeries canRead MoreBreast Cancer : Cancer And Cancer1346 Words   |  6 Pagesinternational symbol for breast cancer support and awareness. Breast cancer knows neither racial boundaries nor age restrictions. Females of all ages and ethnicities can develop breast cancer and it is the leading most common cancer among women. Calling attention to this often fatal disease is important by supporting its victims, families and friends of victims, as well as raising funds for breast cancer research. Though males are not immune from developing a breast cancer, for the purposes of thisRead MoreBreast Cancer : Cancer And Cancer Essay1711 Words   |  7 Pagesacknowledge the health beings of a women is q uite scary knowing that in about 1 in 8 women in the U.S will develop breast cancer. By this year of 2016 going into 2017 there will approximately be 246,660 cases found. The 20th century is described to be the cancer century. One main cancer I wanted to talk about that has my full attention was breast cancer. The important ways of looking at breast cancer as a tremendous problem is because we are losing our women to this disease. Categorizing the main issues toRead MoreBreast Cancer : Cancer And Cancer946 Words   |  4 PagesSkylar Steinman Period 6 Ms. Jobsz 12 February , 2016 Breast Cancer It is commonly known that Breast Cancer is one of the most insidious diseases that mankind has had to deal with. With the discovery of the BRCA1( BReast Cancer gene one) and BRCA2 (BReast Cancer gene two) genes, breast cancer can be detected with a great amount of certainty on a genetic level in some women and men. 40,000 women and men die of breast cancer each year. Knowing this it is very important to try to detect the mutationRead MoreBreast Cancer : Cancer And Cancer1530 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Cancer† is the name for a group of diseases that start in the body at the cellular level. Even though there are many different kinds of cancer, they all begin with abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These abnormal cells lump together to form a mass of tissue or â€Å"malignant tumor†. Malignant means that it can spread to other parts of the body or Metastasize . If the breast is the original location of the cancer gr owth or malignant tumor, the tumorRead MoreBreast Cancer : Cancer And Cancer Essay1741 Words   |  7 Pages Internationally, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer related death amongst women. (CITE) Each year an estimated 1.7 million new cases are diagnosed worldwide, and more than 500,000 women will die of the disease. (CITE) According to (CITE), somewhere in the world one woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every 19 seconds and more than three women die of breast cancer every five minutes worldwide. (CITE) Breast cancer is a heterogeneous condition thatRead MoreBreast Cancer : Cancer And Cancer1714 Words   |  7 PagesBreast Cancer The twentieth century has often been called and known as the cancer century. The reason being is that throughout the century, there have been more than a hundred types of cancer discovered across the world. In addition to the discovery of these many cancers, there has been an enormous medical effort to fight all kinds of cancer across the world. In the early decades of the century, cancer was considered to be a fatal disease, resulting in a high number of deaths. Although manyRead MoreBreast Cancer : The Cancer Essay1722 Words   |  7 Pagesacknowledge the health beings of a women is quite scary knowing that in about 1 in 8 women in the U.S will develop breast cancer. By this year of 2016 going into 2017 there will approximately be 246,660 cases found. The 20th century is described to be the cancer century. One main cancer I wanted to talk about that has my full attention was breast cancer. The important ways of looking at breast cancer as a tremendous problem is because we are losing our women to this disease. Categorizing the main issues toRead MoreBreast Cancer : Cancer And Cancer1372 Words   |  6 PagesBreast Cancer Disease Overview Breast cancer is a disease in which certain cells in the breast become abnormal and multiply uncontrollably to form a tumor. Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. (Only skin cancer is more common.) About one in eight women in the United States will develop invasive breast cancer in her lifetime. Researchers estimate that more than 230,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in U.S. women in 2015. Cancers occur when aRead MoreBreast Cancer : Cancer And Cancer1471 Words   |  6 PagesBreast cancer Introduction to Breast cancer Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer only surpassed by lung cancer. It involves a cancerous tumour located inside the breast but spreads if treatment is not administered. (Evert et al 2011) Breast cancer can be treated if diagnosed in its early stages but becomes progressively more difficult upon reaching more advancing malignant stages. Breast cancer can be confused with being a female only disease however both sexes suffer. According

Monday, December 16, 2019

Investment and Debt Capacity Free Essays

Stock Repurchase Repurchase of stock can be viewed in each of the following way: investment, financing, shareholder distribution and control issue. Repurchase of stock can be a way to use firm’s excess debt capacity. By doing so, firm can lower the cost of equity financing. We will write a custom essay sample on Investment and Debt Capacity or any similar topic only for you Order Now If debt financing is more flexible and cheap, replace equity financing with debt financing is a good way to lower the weighted cost of capital. In this sense, such action is a financing issue because it controls the cost of financing. On the other hand, repurchase of stock can adjust shareholder distribution. If shareholders consist of most individual investors, they may require more dividends or other forms of profit sharing. Firm can repurchase stocks from such investors so that they can adjust their dividend policy. If management holds few shares of the company, they may lose their control over operating and strategy decisions. By repurchasing stocks, management could regain majority control over the company on strategic decisions. Finally, repurchase of stock is also an investment issue because it enables the firm to increase its return on equity by eliminating dilution effect. Higher return on equity will attract more favorable investors as well as better vendors. It has the same outcome of investing in businesses, so it can be viewed as an investment. Debt Capacity for Stock Repurchase From Exhibit 5, we get the total debt of Marriott at the end of 1979. We define total debt as sum of short-term loan, current portion of long-term debt, senior debt and capital leases. The average market price of Marriott in 1979 was $14. 9, and interest rate for Baa corporate debt was 12%. We assume that Marriott would repurchase stocks at price of $15 using 12% debt financing. Marriott used Adjusted EBIT over net interest as a measure for debt capacity, so we use such measure as well. The table above shows the main assumptions we make in the analysis. Before the stock repurchase, EBIT adjusted/Net interest rate was 6. 64, above the 5 times threshold Marriott set for itself. Because the net interest before repurchase was $27. 8 million, we conclude that adjusted EBIT was $184. 59 million. In 1979, additional debt from repurchase was $159 million, making the total debt $538. 83 million. Net interest after repurchase is the original net interest plus the 12% interest from new debt. Based on such analysis, the new adjusted EBIT/Net interest ratio is 3. 94, which is lower than 5. So we conclude Marriott may not have enough debt capacity to finance the stock repurchase. We further perform a scenario analysis. Suppose Marriott had just enough debt capacity, which means new adjusted EBIT/Net interest ratio equals 5. We find that repurchase price should be $7. 17 so that Marriott could utilize its debt capacity fully. We conclude that a repurchase price under $7. 17 is in fact transferring value to remaining group because they can share more future profits resulting from the concentrated equity. Yet a repurchase of $15 is way above $7. 17, which means selling shareholders have more value because they are compensated with higher return. Owned vs Managed Marriot has two options about the operation of hotel chains. First, it can own the hotel and enjoy the profit margin. Second, it can sell the hotel but retain management contracts so it controls the operation of such units. Following is the detailed decomposition of costs associated with two options. According to Exhibit 9, in 1978 the typical cost for a hotel room consists of improvement cost, furniture, fixtures and equipment cost, land cost, pre-opening cost and operating cost. For an owned hotel, Marriot had to pay the total cost for running the property, but if it is managed, Marriot only had operating cost because the buyer was responsible for the maintenance. In an attempt to emphasize more on return on invested capital rather than margins, Marriot sold some of their existing hotels and retained management contract to free up capital. Managed hotels had operating margin of 8%-10%, while owned had 15%. We assume 10% margin for managed hotels and 15% for owned hotels. To decide when to sell the property, we analyze the remaining present value of future cash flow of a hotel at different point of time in its life cycle. We further assume that when the hotel is sold, the selling price is set so that present value of future cash flow equals the 10% margin. We assume $50 revenue per room night of a typical 150-room hotel, and one year has 360 days. Sales level for each year in the life cycle connects to the occupancy rate. From the graph of Exhibit 9, we get different occupancy rate for the whole life cycle. It reaches the peak 100% at year 8, and after year 10, it declines almost linearly to 10% in year 30. We can see that if Marriot sells the hotel before opening, the selling price would be $1. 63 million at time 0. After the peak, let’s say, year 9, the selling price would be $ 1. 55 million at time 9. We can also see that in fact the max value of PV is at year 4, which has $2. 85 million in PV at 15% margin. Marriot would free up more capital if it sells the hotel before opening, but instead it would lose more operating profit. If Marriot is in short of capital, it could sell the hotel up-front so that the freed up capital can be invested in other profitable projects. Selling after the peak is a good choice if Marriot wants to enjoy the increasing operating profit before the peak. Shareholder value can be added if the return on freed-up capital exceeds the profit loss from selling the property. Recommendation Based on our analysis, we would recommend the company to investing in their core business to fully use their debt capacity. Since Marriott’s debt capacity is only able to repurchase 10. 6 million shares at a price significantly lower its current trading price (according to Exhibit 12). It is unlikely the repurchase strategy would take place as expected. The negative impact of false interpretation that the Marriott has reached its growth limit may not be offset even if the repurchase take place. To decide whether to invest in core business or diversify by acquisition we take a look of the hotel’s current state. The company now is operating in four main sectors, hotel group, contract food service, restaurant group theme parks and cruise ships other. Based on exhibit 3, all of MC’s sectors are doing well in the past few periods; Hotel group is still the main profit sector account for 51% of the total operating profit and 16. % of the gross margin. Theme park and restaurant sectors have contributed a lot to total revenue but at the same time involve more risk. The asset associated with that new business couldn’t be mortgaged easily. Marriott’s theme park alone was estimated to cost 80 million but double of the estimation eventually, the investment made MC to lower its debt credit level. If we use the extra de bt capacity on acquisition of new business, there could be a higher risk of availability and cost of long-term debt financing, which may cause MC to lower its debt credit even lower and increase its defalt risk. As a company mostly processioned in hotel management, invest in new businesses that required new management style also increases MC’s operating risk. Marriott’s hotel business has positioned itself to operate for customers whose travel plans were less subject to change than those of vacationers. Its historical operation has showed steady healthy growth even in recessions. Most of the sector’s assets are real estates and tends to appreciate over time rather than depreciate, it is easy to issue debt secured by hotel assets. Prevailing trends also indicate sighs of need of rapid room expansion. As MC’s major competitors Hilton and Holiday Inn are shifting their core business to a more diversified market, keep focus on core hotel business enable MC to maintain its own competitive advantage in operation. Overall we would suggest MC to use its excess debt capacity to invest in existing hotel with some clientele base but lower entry cost where the Marriott‘s acquisition can significantly improve the operation. To invest in such assets, there is low research and construction cost but easy to manage with sustainable growth. We believe that the best investment for corporation would be investing in the existing business. The hotel business was the most promising area for Marriott’s Corporation. When MC’s competitors expand their business into gambling and casino ventures, MC was more likely to expand in the traditional market. To invest in the hotel business, a large amount of external financing is needed. A large amount of Marriott hotels were managed rather than owned by the MC. Despite the MC could limited capital investment by holding the equity up to 50% so that they could increase the opportunity to be awarded the management contract, they might still need to cost a lot in investing more hotels. MC could also choose to expand their existing hotels. Those hotels have higher occupancy rate and higher local demand. Doing this expansion will need full capital investment in property. With high growth rate of hotel rooms, this investment seems valuable. However, this way of investment still needs large amount of external financing to support the expanding. Even though MC’s new hotels are profitable in the end, the cost of developing hotels is still required a big financing. In addition, due to the increasing inflation rate, the cost of equity and the cost of debt increased. Therefore, as inflation rate becomes higher, the unused debt capacity becomes less in the future. How to cite Investment and Debt Capacity, Essay examples

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Risk Analysis Model Strategies with Remanufacturing

Question: Describe about the Application of adversarial risk analysis model in pricing strategies with remanufacturing. Answer: 1. The initial price level of Sheridan in the year 1982 was set at $ 3.90 for the 104 carpet. When the price was increased from this level it observed that company suffered severe loss due to this decision. The marketing manager of the company Mel Walters also estimated that the company will be able to sell more than 630000 square yard of the carpets in the beginning of the year 1983. The company was further sure that it would be able to sell more than 150000 yard of the carpet material if it decided to drop the price back to $ 3.90. It was evident the the company would suffer loss in the share price if it decided to hold back the prices at $ 5.20 per carpet (Wu and Cheng-Han). The product was considered superior to many products when it was compared with other carpets in the market. Hence Walters was confident that even the price remained at $5.20, Sheridan will be able to sell a minimum of 65000 yard of the carpet volume. Despite of the fact that the company will be able to attract lot of customers at a price point of $ 5.20, it is not feasible for the company to set the price level of the carpet at this price range (Huang et al.). It was observed that the companys percentage share in the sale of the carpet in the year 1981 and 1982 was approximately 35% (192000/549000*100) and 181000/517500*100). At this point it can be observed that Sheridans pricing strategy was set at 5.20 which are same as the competitors pricing strategy. In the selling season at the end of the year 1982 the company decided to increase the price per square yard from $3.90 to $ 5.20 there was the fall observed in the overall selling price of the company with a sale volume of only 30% (135000/450000*100). Later on in the season it was further observed that the company was able to sell only 22.22%. (112500/562500*100) this decrease in the percentage of the company showed that it is not a good decision for the company to sell the existing carpets at a rate of $ 5.20. The previous decisions of the company lead to the reduction in the sales volume when the pricing strategy was set at $ 5.20 (Sato et al.). It was also observed by Rosen that the decision to keep the price at $ 3.20 would not impact on the competitors policy to set the price level. The other companies in the same line of the business will keep the same price of $ 3.90 and due to the specialized product quality of the company the company will be able to increase the sale volume and generate more amount of revenue. This would not have been possible if the company decided to keep the price level to $3.20. This was possible as there was no interdependence between the sales and other suppliers of the carpet existing in the market (Deng et al.). 2: If the company decided to holds its share price at $ 3.90, Sheridan needs to sell a total quantity of $ 41250 and will be able to earn a gross profit of $ 214500. The calculation of the same has been illustrated with the diagram as follows: Statement of Cost Profit:- Quantity : 150000 units Particulars Amount per unit Total Amount Sales Amount (A) : 3.90 585000 Cost of Goods Sold : Raw Material 0.52 78000 Materials Spoilage 0.049 7350 Direct Labor 0.962 144300 PRIME COST (B) 1.531 229650 Direct Depertment Overhead 0.13 19500 Indirect Department Overhead 0.52 78000 General Overhead 0.289 43350 FACTORY OVERHEAD ( C) 0.939 140850 COST OF GOODS SOLD (D=B+C) 2.47 370500 Gross Pofit (A-D) 1.43 214500 Calculation for Required Quantity:- Particulars Details Sale Price Per Unit 5.2 Total Gross Profit 214500 Required Sales Quanity 41250 3. Based on the available information it can be observed that there was no major interdependence between the sale of the carpets with the other carpets available for sale. It was observed that the company will be able to sell more than 630000 yard of the carpet material at a price per unit of $3.90. In this way the company would be able to keep the price competitive and at the same time able to achieve higher amount of sale and generate more revenue. This decision is ideal for the company in the beginning if the selling season of the year 1981 and the till the beginning of the selling season in the year 1982. The company may decide to increase the price per carpet in the end of the selling season 1982 this will enable the company to achieve higher amount of revenue (Oh et al.). 4. The companys decision to raise the price level at the end of the year 1982 was a good one as Sheridan was able to increase the volume of sales. In the year 1980 it was observed that the market share of Sheridan rose from 34.97% to 34.99% in the year 11981. Despite of this fact the sale revenue was observed to decrease from 1939600 to 1111500, this depicted a reduction in the sales volume by -42.69%. In the year 1982 the company decided to increase the selling price per unit and it was observed that the company was able to increase the total sales amount by 15.79%. Despite of the fact that companys market share and change in the total market share experienced a decrease, the company was able to increase the total sales volume by 1287000. Hence this shows that the companys decision to raise the price level in the year January of 1982 was a good one (Shen et al.). In the show the rationale and the comparison for consideration of this decision is shown below with the following details: Selling Season Industry Total Sale of Sheridan Market Share Change in Market Share Sheridan's Selling Price per Unit Total Sales Volume Change in Sales Volume 1980-1 549000 192000 5.2 998400 1980-2 517500 181000 5.2 941200 1980 1066500 373000 34.97% 1939600 1981-1 387000 135500 3.9 528450 1981-2 427500 149500 3.9 583050 1981 814500 285000 34.99% 0.017% 1111500 -42.69% 1982-1 450000 135000 5.2 702000 1982-2 562500 112500 5.2 585000 1982 1012500 247500 24.44% -10.546% 1287000 15.79% Reference List :- Deng, Liurui, and Bolin Ma. "Application of adversarial risk analysis model in pricing strategies with remanufacturing."Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management, vol. 8, Vicenc Fernandez, Barcelona, 2015..doi:10.3926/jiem.1223 Huang, Hu, and Hua Ke. "Pricing decision problem for substitutable products based on uncertainty theory."Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, 2014..doi:10.1007/s10845-014-0991-7 Oh, Sechan, James Rhodes, and Ray Strong. "Impact of cost uncertainty on pricing decisions under risk aversion."European Journal of Operational Research, vol. 253, Elsevier Sequoia S.A, Amsterdam, 2016..doi:10.1016/j.ejor.2016.02.034 Sato, Kimitoshi, and Katsushige Sawaki. "A continuous-time dynamic pricing model knowing the competitors pricing strategy."European Journal of Operational Research, vol. 229, 2013..doi:10.1016/j.ejor.2013.02.022 Shen, Luxi, et al. "Overpredicting and Underprofiting in Pricing Decisions."Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, vol. 25, Wiley Subscription Services, Inc, Chichester, 2012..doi:10.1002/bdm.746 Wu, Cheng-Han. "Product-design and pricing strategies with remanufacturing."European Journal of Operational Research, vol. 222, Elsevier B.V, Amsterdam, 2012..doi:10.1016/j.ejor.2012.04.031

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Softball, not only a sport but my life. free essay sample

Life is like a sporting event. The effort you put into practice are the result you see in the final event. There are both positives and negatives, but I have discovered that when things are negative is when you learn the most and grow as a player and as a person. In any sport you have people that will influence you that are on you team and your opponents. I have learned that once you get passed the obstacles, you flourish as a person. To me softball just hasn’t been a sport it has been my life and at times all I really had to look forward to. Throughout middle school softball really wasn’t my thing but once I got into high school it turned into my sport the only thing I ever wanted to do. It was the only sport that had ever challenged me mentally and made me learn real life lessons as well. We will write a custom essay sample on Softball, not only a sport but my life. or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page My freshman year was the hardest year of my life especially the beginning. My rock the person I looked up to had gotten remarried and was moving out of the state to West Virginia. My dad leaving had impacted me greatly leaving me feeling lonely and upset about things I never had been upset about before. But luckily for me I found an outlet that helped me get through my struggles as a person. When I felt sad I had a team to make me smile, or mad I had something different to focus on. Softball taught me to trust people more and be more open. Softball at that point in life was not just a sport but it was my life my only way of feeling satisfied with me as a person but also with everything at home. The coaches and teammates I had throughout high school inspired me to be better, push the limit, and strive to be the best. At practice I not only wanted to survive my conditioning workouts but do them to my fullest potential and push the limit. Soon after that I not only found myself wanted to use my fullest potential on the field but with everything I did in life school work, chores, and just at being a friend. I had struggled with two things in softball keeping a positive attitude and hitting. So I kept working on my hitting and got disciplined at the plate only picking pitches I was sure I could get a piece of. This discipline helped me with everything making good decisions, completing my homework to my fullest potential, and being the best person I could possibly be. My positive attitude was harder to work on though. It took me lots of growing up and mental determination to push through only relying on the negatives and look at all the good things I had done. By defeating my negative toughest hurdle I had become an optimistic and positive person. Softball has helped to be determined, be the best possible person I can be, and figure out how to through tough things in life. Constantly being in a competitive environment had helped me in the classroom and with life a lways wanting to be my best. Without softball being there to push me I don’t believe I would be where I am at in my life today, a hardworking confident optimistic person always striving to be my best and work harder to get better at any task I am trying to complete. For me softball was not just a game it was my foundation my everything, something I could never leave behind.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Wireless Carriers in the United States

Wireless Carriers in the United States Historical Strategic Issues When it comes to wireless carriers in the United States the most common historical strategic issues revolves around price, performance, and customer service.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Wireless Carriers in the United States specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The key players in this industry had to mindful of all three factors because the consumers in the U.S. market can easily switch to another carrier if they are not satisfied with the value they are getting for their money and the kind of service that they believe they deserve. Take for example the ability to SMS or to text one another. There was a time when this type of service was non-existent in North America (Gow Smith, p.58). The key players in the industry had to balance all three in order to increase their market share. Their strategists cannot afford to simply focus on price because their competitors are willing to lower thei r own prices as well in order to attract more customers and yet at the same time make their offer much better by improving the customer service aspect of the business. Among the key players in the industry, a reliable service is already a given, and yet users of wireless communications technology are also looking for cheaper rates and if possible the capability to buy a mobile phone at a lower cost. The price of the plan or the service is affected by the operational costs incurred by the wireless carrier. Thus, streamlining the operations and finding ways to lower overhead costs is a permanent fixture of a company-wide strategy. There are many things to consider in this regard such as technology and regulations stipulated by the Federal Government. There is a need to acquire the appropriate technology in order to maintain a certain level of performance. This is a major source of expenditure for the company. Furthermore, new laws regarding tariffs and other forms of taxes can easily limit the capability of wireless carriers to offer cheaper plans and better rates for their consumers.Advertising Looking for essay on communication strategies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In order to maintain quality service, wireless carriers had to be contented with relatively lower profit margins (Abell, p.1). This explains why the wireless carrier business is a very competitive industry. Key players in this industry may be forced to accept a smaller profit margin. On the bright side, these firms are not expected to slow down in the next few years because of the phenomenal growth in the number of people using mobile phones (Kavoori Arceneaux, p.155). Key Players and their Operations According to a respected market research agency there are four major players in the wireless telecom carrier industry and these are: Verizon Wireless; ATT Inc.; Sprint Nextel Corporation; and Deutsche Telekom AG (IBISWorld, p.1). The rankings change all the time because of the competitive nature of the industry there is a constant need to do mergers or buy-out the competition. But as of March of March of 2011 ATT is considered the largest wireless company in the United States (Abell, p.1). ATT earned this distinction when it decided to purchase T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom for $39 billion and as a result the combined entity is now one third larger than former number one Verizon Wireless (Abell, p.1). The significance of this new development is seen in how ATT has now more than twice the subscriber as Sprint Nextel (Abell, p.1). Nevertheless, ATT cannot afford to rest on its laurels so to speak because subscribers can easily change carriers if they believe they can get a better deal. Strategic Change Consumers should expect constant change when it comes to the strategies employed by wireless carriers. Strategic change is always dependent upon price, performance and customer service; there is a need for constant adjustment in order to please as many subscribers as possible. It is imperative to retain loyal customers while at the same time attract new subscribers and take a bigger piece of the market. Wireless companies had to skillfully balance price, performance and customer service. The CEOs of these firms knew very well what is expected of them and it is to deliver the best value to increase the profitability of the company and achieving all of that without spending too much. The most dreaded scenario is to see loyal subscribers transfer allegiance to another wireless company. When it comes to the price war it can be argued that wireless companies already demonstrated their willingness to lower the price of their plans. Thus, the crucial battle is all about performance and customer service. The significance of these two factors can be seen when a wireless company begins to experience success and the increased number of subscribers puts a toll into their infrastructure. As a res ult the most common strategic change taking place in recent years is the ability to consolidate, to merge with other companies and to buy-out the competition. According to one analyst the primary reason why ATT had to acquire T-Mobile USA is due to its connectivity issues and the perception that it is not a reliable wireless company (Abell, p.1)Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Wireless Carriers in the United States specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is of course due to the fact that ATT has an existing business partnership with Apple and this has resulted in the 80-fold increase in its wireless-data usage (Abell, p.1). By acquiring T-Mobile USA, ATT hopes to address this perception problem. Strategic change in the U.S. wireless carrier industry is heavily affected by the mobile phone phenomenon (Grant Meadows, p.316). Consider the following research findings: â€Å"Adolescents use the cell phone to network with peers. For adults, family and security drive use† (Grant Meadows, p.316). The mobile phone is not only a communication tool but has now become a mobile computer and in turn became a reliable source of news, information, entertainment, social networking using wireless applications and the World-Wide-Web to interconnect and download information. In addition, the mobile phone has become a status symbol and an extension of the self. For instance, â€Å"adolescents are the most active in reinventing wireless technology as a personal medium and a social prop for self-presentation †¦ fashion attentiveness affects the purchase, use and replacement of cell phones† (Grant Meadows, p.316). This observation was corroborated by an interesting discovery made a research group. In their study they found out that Verizon Wireless is the leader when it comes to customer service and performance in 2008 (Carton, p.1). Respondents were interviewed with regards to dropped calls. Resp ondents also provided feedback when it comes to cellular service provider satisfaction rating. In both instances Verizon Wireless came on top and yet subscribers are switching over to ATT. The major reason why ATT has more subscribers than Verizon Wireless in 2008 is attributed to what the company can offer in terms of mobile phones. ATT subscribers can choose a deal where the company enables them to own an iPhone and this is the main reason why revenue is up.Advertising Looking for essay on communication strategies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Strategic change must be focused on price, performance and customer service. But competitors in the wireless carrier industry must also focus on how they can provide better phones on top of the great deals they are offering their subscribers and potential clients. These firms had to realize that â€Å"the cell phone is characteristically identified with new modes of mobility, personalization, identity, and individual and group relations† (Kavoori Arceneaux, p.155). This is nothing new because Nokia in the past decade made a statement with regards to their unconventional designs and made the realization that mobile phones must be associated with lifestyle and emotional appeal (Gow Smith, p.60). This is a feature of the wireless communication business that should become a major focus of strategic change. It is therefore crucial to consider how a wireless carrier can provide more services related to the personalization of the mobile phone. Subscribers are no longer contented w ith having a mobile phone. They also wanted the device to express their identity and personality. The ability to download applications to enhance the usability of the mobile phone should be a major source of income for telecom companies. Strategic change must be done in such a way that a firm continues to eliminate any form of waste; it is imperative to streamline operations to increase the profitability of the company. On the other hand these firms must realize the power of the consumers to switch carriers in an instant. This is the beauty and challenge of wireless communication technology. It is no longer enough to provide a reliable communication platform it is also important to understand how mobile phones had revolutionized 21st century living and therefore all the CEOs working within this industry had to acknowledge that style and substance goes hand-in-hand when it comes to wireless telecommunication services. Abell, John. ATT to Buy T-Mobile, Becomes the No.1 U.S. Wireless Company. Web. Carton, Paul. Verizon Wireless Leads in Performance, but ATT Takes Market  Share. 2008. Web. Gow, Gordon and Richard Smith. Mobile and Wireless Communications: An  Introduction. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2006. Grant, August and Jennifer Meadows. Communication Technology Update. Vol. 10. MA: Focal Press, 2006. IBISWorld. Wireless Telecommunications Carriers in the US. Web. Kavoori, Anandam and Noah Arceneaux. The Cell Phone Readers: Essays in Social  Transformation. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2007.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Biography of Thomas Adams, American Inventor

Biography of Thomas Adams, American Inventor Thomas Adams (May 4, 1818–February 7, 1905) was an American inventor. In 1871, he patented a machine that could mass produce chewing gum from chicle. Adams later worked with businessman William Wrigley, Jr. to establish the American Chicle Company, which experienced great success in the chewing gum industry. Fast Facts: Thomas Adams Known For: Adams was an American inventor who founded the chewing gum industry.Born: May 4, 1818 in New York CityDied: February 7, 1905 in New York City Early Life Thomas Adams was born on May 4, 1818, in New York City. There is little recorded information about his early life; however, it is known that he dabbled in various trades- including glassmaking- before eventually becoming a photographer. Experiments With Chicle During the 1850s, Adams was living in New York and working as a secretary for Antonio de Santa Anna. The Mexican general was in exile, living with Adams in his Staten Island home. Adams noticed that Santa Anna liked to chew the gum of the Manilkara tree, which was known as chicle. Such natural products had been used as chewing gum for thousands of years by groups such as the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Aztecs. In North America, chewing gum had long been used by Native Americans, from whom British settlers eventually adopted the practice. Later, businessman and inventor John B. Curtis became the first person to sell gum commercially. His gum was made from sweetened paraffin wax. It was Santa Anna who suggested that the unsuccessful but inventive photographer Adams experiment with chicle from Mexico. Santa Anna felt that chicle could be used to make a synthetic rubber tire. Santa Anna had friends in Mexico who would be able to supply the product cheaply to Adams. Before making chewing gum, Thomas Adams first tried to turn chicle into synthetic rubber products. At the time, natural rubber was expensive; a synthetic alternative would have been extremely useful to many manufacturers and would have guaranteed its inventor great wealth. Adams attempted to make toys, masks, rain boots, and bicycle tires out of the chicle from Mexican sapodilla trees, but every experiment failed. Adams became disheartened by his failure to use chicle as a rubber substitute. He felt he had wasted about a years worth of work. One day, Adams noticed a girl buying White Mountain paraffin wax chewing gum for a penny at the corner drugstore. He recalled that chicle was used as chewing gum in Mexico and thought this would be a way to use his surplus chicle. According to a 1944 speech given by Adams grandson Horatio at a banquet for the American Chicle Company, Adams proposed to prepare an experimental batch, which the pharmacist at the drugstore agreed to sample. Adams came home from the meeting and told his son Thomas Jr. about his idea. His son, excited by the proposition, suggested that the two manufacture several boxes of chicle chewing gum and give the product a name and a label. Thomas Jr. was a salesman (he sold tailoring supplies and sometimes traveled as far west as the Mississippi River), and he offered to take the chewing gum on his next trip to see if he could sell it. Chewing Gum In 1869, Adams was inspired to turn his surplus stock into chewing gum by adding flavoring to the chicle. Shortly after, he opened the worlds first chewing gum factory. In February 1871, Adams New York Gum went on sale in drug stores for a penny a piece. The gumballs came in wrappers of different colors in a box with a picture of New Yorks City Hall on the cover. The venture was such a success that Adams was driven to design a machine that could mass-produce the gum, allowing him to fill larger orders. He received a patent for this device in 1871. According to The Encyclopedia of New York City, Adams sold his original gum  with the slogan Adams New York Gum No. 1 - Snapping and Stretching.  In 1888, a new Adams chewing gum called Tutti-Frutti became the first gum to be sold in a  vending machine. The machines were located in New York City subway stations and also sold other varieties of Adams gum.  Adams products proved to be very popular, much more so than the existing gum products on the market, and he quickly dominated his competitors. His company debuted Black Jack (a licorice-flavored gum) in 1884 and Chiclets (named after chicle) in 1899. Adams merged his company with other gum manufacturers from the United States and Canada in 1899 to form the American Chicle Company, of which he was the first chairman. Other companies that merged into it included W.J. White and Son, Beeman Chemical Company, Kisme Gum, and S.T. Briton. The rising popularity of chewing gum in the decades that followed led scientists to develop new synthetic versions; nevertheless, some old-fashioned chicle varieties are still manufactured and sold today. Death Adams eventually stepped down from his leadership position at the American Chicle Company, though he remained on the board of directors into his late 80s. He died on February 7, 1905, in New York. Legacy Adams was not the inventor of chewing gum. Nevertheless, his invention of a device for mass producing chewing gum, along with his efforts to promote it, gave birth to the chewing gum industry in the United States. One of his products- Chiclets, first introduced in 1900- is still sold around the world today. In 2018, chewing gum sales totaled about $4 billion in the United States. The American Chicle Company was purchased by a pharmaceutical company in 1962. In 1997, the company was renamed Adams in honor of its founder; it is currently owned by the confectionery conglomerate Cadbury, which is based in England. Sources Dulken, Stephen Van.  American Inventions: a History of Curious, Extraordinary, and Just Plain Useful Patents. New York University Press, 2004.McCarthy, Meghan.  Pop!: The Invention of Bubble Gum. Simon Schuster, 2010.Segrave, Kerry.  Chewing Gum in America, 1850-1920: the Rise of an Industry. McFarland Co., 2015.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Stock Market Advice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Stock Market Advice - Essay Example Efficient Market Hypothesis postulates that "only fundamental factors, such as profits or dividends ought to affect share prices" (Stock Market). But this is true only in an ideal situation - a perfect market - which is hardly the case. Over shorter periods, there are wide variations in stock prices on account of any number of reasons, some of which are not even technical in nature. The stock market is driven by investor confidence - and that is a matter of personal choice that cannot be predicted. The general mass of investors invests with a 'herd mentality'. Inexperienced players can rarely, if ever, 'time the market' and hence generally incur losses. Warren Buffet has said in his biography that, "...despite all this available information, [analysis, 'hot' tips, blogs etc], investors find it increasingly difficult to profit." He continues, "...Sometimes there appears to be no rhyme or reason to the market, only folly". The market crash of 1987, resulting in a 22.6 percent drop in t he Dow Jones Index, could not be traced to any specific cause, and is just one example of this 'folly'.Since timing appears to be the critical factor, it follows that one's holdings have to be monitored continuously. Non-performing assets have to be divested and new stocks acquired based on the intrinsic value of each stock arrived at after careful study and keeping in mind market sentiment. Investing in the stock market is not like investing in instrument offering fixed returns, where once the initial investment is made it does not have to be looked at again until its maturity. Some stocks may hardly show any movement, others may show steady appreciation, while others may have depreciated when it comes to selling them. Nevertheless, it is equally true that stocks as a general rule have almost always appreciated over the long term.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Smart Card LLC Marketing Plan Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Smart Card LLC Marketing Plan - Coursework Example Today, the smart card users’ indices reveal the fact that at least one smart card per person is manufactured and inducted for the purpose of electronic transfer of the data related to banking and other areas of personalized information transmission. The companies dealing in smart card manufacture in the US are now focusing on the wide range development of the scope of smart cards in almost all walks of life unlike the exclusive use for banking transactions earlier. The scope of using a smart card is now identified as of a broad spectrum irrespective of the nature of the data processing. Various companies have emerged as the global providers of smart cards on the wake of its unlimited possibilities of exploring areas of health care, defense systems, transportation, cyber technologies, asset tracking and critical investigations. The most important feature of a smart card is the personalized digital signature used in it which guarantees an optimum safe documentation through ident ical subscriber modules. As an answer to many a reader’s anxiety as to whether the researchers have contributed sufficient attention to the focus area of smart card in business solutions, it is important to know that the Smartcard LLC has been rendering services to the field of smart card based information processing for over the past twenty years. Smartcard LLC’s Smartcard Marketing Solutions ensures the guaranteed leverage of existing cardholder and customer base, and s a result, the issuance and the use of smartcards is exploding globally. It is this time the company should emerge as a global leader by taking the head role of the deal and set up various centers of market research. Smartcard LLC has now started its operations based on market research on aiding the intellectual demands of all sorts of business right from inception formulation to operation software of the organization. The company’s existing methodology for initiating promotional programs of sma rtcard sales is time consuming and expensive with little reward in the form of market share; as such, it evolves multiple ideas to meet the challenges posed by the rapidly growing demand for smart cards across the globe. The researchers are exploring the possibilities of making a business from schools, colleges, hospitals, paid service stations and areas of frequent customer interaction while acknowledging its superior benefits of storage of more personal data base when compared to the magnetic straps of the bank cards and identity cards traditionally used in business operations. Smartcard LLC is now focusing on the opportunities of smartcard industry in the concept of consumer retention schemes like frequency programs introduced by giant business corporations like banking, hospitals and insurance firms by maintaining a retained relationship with them through interim alerts on new products and services in the market. The recent studies on marketing strategies reveal that there has b een a substantial reduction in the market share of advertisements on televised programs as well as the print media owing to the emergence of smart card based advertisement. This program is highly effective in saving money and time spent on promoting the products of companies and in most cases, it can easily cross the tussle of customer’

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Personal development Plan Essay Example for Free

Personal development Plan Essay Capital is generally referred by the people to the financial assets and resources, however besides the money; personal capital is also a part of capital. Capital is basically the ability to do something and it allows a person to make his own selections and if it is not available, it is very hard or almost impossible for one to make selections. To evaluate the performance of an individual, capital is an important concept. However, personal performance is not normally termed as capital but it does function in the same way as the financial resources but as for the financial resources, we must build up these resources if we want to accomplish something but the personal capital of an individual is his skills, intelligence, his network of contacts, education, or relationships, etc. (Productivity 501, 2007). We have certain options from where we can choose and these options are interdependent on the amount of capital we have actually acquired. For instance, let’s consider the skill capital. This can further be explained by an example of the skill to perform a particular task to accomplish a particular goal. This can also be to sail all around the world. However, this can only be made possible if the person knows how to sail. If this person does not even know how to sail in a lake along with strong winds, he would never be able to sail around the world. Same applies to the other skills that come under personal capital. Personal capital is something that an individual need to develop personally and is not present in a person from the start. This is basically about polishing the skills you already have in you and is all about increasing our skills as well as the level of intelligence that can be done by various activities such as by reading, studying, taking courses, etc. As for the relationships, they can be improved by investing some more time in them. In order to build up a relationship, giving time, taking care of the person and showing love is very essential and without all these factors it would be hard to maintain any relationship as these are the core factors that are required to make up and then to handle a relationship. To increase our network of contacts, it is a must that we reach out people after which we must stay in contact with them because just reaching them out won’t work effectively. Therefore, we must also remember our past acquaintances and should keep in touch with them as well. The activities mentioned above helps to increase our personal capital and so it also increases the opportunities that we might get.   According to Tom Peters, â€Å"everyone lives by selling something.†Ã‚   (Peters, 1999). People normally retreat when they hear about the word sales as it sounds devious. However, when you convince the other person and you sell, it develops more pleasure and satisfaction and it is all about moving your resources to the ones who need them. Personal capital is basically an ability in a person to make a difference and it can be either processing ability or leverage. The processing ability is basically the extent to which a person achieves a desired result with the resources available to him. It is all about achieving a task based on the thinking skills, energy, character of a person, the level of knowledge and know-how about an activity, thus it is all about achieving the targets within the given resources. This furthermore increases the value of a person as when an individual is different from the others and is able to do tasks effectively, it gives him an edge over others and this can even be his core competency. For instance, let us consider an example of a person who has stared with a new job and as the job is new, the person would need some guidance in order to achieve the targets. Therefore, as assistance is needed by the employee, the results would not be totally based on his skills but later after the employee develops understanding and know-how; he would be able to do the same task without getting help from any other person and can work independently. This shows that his processing ability has been increased. The second part of personal capital is leverage, it raises the productivity of others by using your expertise and further explaining it, we can say that it amplifies your processing ability through others and this can either be done by coaching an employee who is new or by guiding him with the way in which the task is to be performed. Leverage can be measured in a way as our ability to transfer our knowledge to the other party, for example leverage of an economics teacher who teaches the course at a university can be judged in way how he teaches the student and does that really benefit the student or not i.e. does it increase the knowledge of the student or not. Furthermore it is also about using your own previous experience to teach the new employees and help them out to reduce chances of errors or mistakes and when this is achieved, a person achieves leverage. Personal capital can only be built only by learning and trying, it is about the way in which an individual is supposed to take a process and further turn it into a better work process and it is also about adding value to the ideas proposed by the others. People can take courses that could help them to increase knowledge and their processing ability and the way they can share their knowledge that in turn increases their leverage. The reason why personal capital should be built is because of the value we place in making a difference in the tasks we are assigned and the better personal capital an individual has, the better can he perform and achieve he desired goal. Moreover, people have better personal capital will also be able to accomplish tasks that are more complex and challenging.   This is not just the only requirement; however a person should keep on improving his personal capital so that they can benefit from it and fulfill his responsibilities as a team member. Being creative is to turn the ideas that erupt into your mind into a reality and for consists of two aspects that have to be considered. The first one is the ability to think that a person has and the other is to actually create that particular idea. For creative thinking, innovation is a must. This basically means to implement the idea that has been though of. However, if some one has ideas but he does not implement them, he would be considered imaginative and not creative. Therefore, the crux of this paragraph is that there is no use of thinking if you are not doing what you have thought about. (Linda, n.d.) Moreover, creativity can also be defined as something that is new and it therefore requires both zeal as well as dedication. People usually determine certain symbols and myths from creativity that further reveals the hidden points of life. (Rollo May, The Courage to Create) According to another author, a product is only creative when it is novel and appropriate. Moreover, he states that a new product shows its originality, however it cannot be predicted. Creativity of a product basically depends on the concept. The bigger it is, more the ideas are generated and so creativity increases. (Sternberg Lubart, Defying the Crowd) Creativity can be used for the purpose of economic development, at work and everywhere. The resources available to us in the world are limited but the demands of the people are unlimited. Creative ideas only come in such case when our resources are restricted and as a popular saying of an economist and a social philosopher says that â€Å"Invention is the mother of necessity.† (Thorstein Veblen, 1857 1929). However, time and budget can limit creativity. In today’s world creativity is taken as something more than just an artistic expression as it was perceived to be in the previous centuries. However, now it is also essential in many other areas as well. It can be used just anywhere, in a very small thing such as to make a loft or a professional canvas painter. However, creativity can be taken differently by different people who are engaged in different tasks. Constant learning enhances the creativity in a person. Moreover, we should explore different techniques that can help us in improving our creativity. We should brainstorm ideas, do mind-mapping and meditation, etc. I would also say that creativity is basically a mental process that is all about creating new ideas but its originality and appropriateness should not be affected in any way. Creativity is also referred as a divergent thought from the scientific point of view and can be studied from various point of views such as in some of the aspects such as behavioral psychology, social psychology, psychometrics, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, philosophy, history, economics, design research, business, management, etc. (Linda, n.d.) There are certain questions that one must ask oneself for personal development.  · What’s the history of a person and repercussions for contributions in the past.  · Where we are and what have we gained? (Instead of, What have we lost?)  · What needs to be changed, such as structures to encourage and support learning and innovation?  · What needs to change in my leadership style to foster more of a learning culture? When and where should I practice being a learner? Once we ask those questions to you, one must also consider some of the things mentioned below.  · Hierarchy is not inherently a problem.  · Technical hierarchy not social hierarchy.  · Acknowledge power power dynamics. The more open this is, the less it will be a subtext of interaction.  · Be in the role of teacher, when the authority in a particular skill or situation, and of learner when not.  · Trust, trust, trust. Trying to control everything accomplishes the opposite.  · Communication Interaction must be encouraged as it is essential for personal development.  · Documentation Document learning in one area or project such that it can be shared with other areas and projects. The personal vision of a person is very important as this further develops goal awareness and social orientation. The personal vision of an individual helps them to guide their lives and also provides the direction that is essential to make a choice about the career. It thus, helps to show a way to a person and so it is important for us to identify our personal visions. A personal vision is basically written focusing on the life of person i.e. the joys and the sadness’s filled in their life, what they have achieved and how they have achieved, their contribution, what makes them, their brilliance as well as heritage. Personal vision in turn develops goal awareness as once you identify the personal vision is it easier for a person to focus more on his goals and what he wants to do in life. Moreover, it also develops social orientation in a way that a person cares more about the well being of the society and so he makes sure that their needs are being taken care of and they are satisfied. Other than that, an individual should also have the capacity to working together with other individuals and for this it is necessary that he develops communication, interactive skills and development orientation. The skills and performance of an individual must be upgraded continually and meeting this requirement involves training and development activities and appraising performance for the purposes of giving feedback and motivating people to perform at their best. Training usually refers to teaching lower level employees how to perform their present jobs, while development involves teaching managers and professional employees broader skills needed for their present and future jobs. Individuals must take training to enhance their individual performance that would then increase their productivity. It should focus on developing management skills/development and supervisory skills, technical skills and communication skills. Orientation training programs should be designed for individuals because they are typically used to familiarize them with certain things such as the general policies, procedures, culture and the like. All this results in reputed benefits such as increased morale of an individual; he becomes more productive, lower costs and the like. Team training is also important because it recognizes to facilitate individuals working together. It teaches the people, the skills they to work together and also facilitates their interaction that further focuses on technical, interpersonal and team interaction skills. Communication is very important because it is the only mode through which there can be an exchange of ideas between people but for this they need to interact with other people. They need to form their social groups, talk to their mates and develop orientation that helps to familiarize them with other people. Moreover, concreteness is important too. In this comes openness to change, operational effectiveness and responsiveness challenge. To be concrete basically means to be specific. While making a personal development plan it is also essential to be concrete. An individual cannot do each and everything. Some might be good as some tasks and some might be good at some tasks and so it is not necessary that all people can do the same work well. This in turn develops core competency. In the world today, changes are being made like in every second. However, it does take time for people to adjust to change and people are usually resistant to change but in the end they do have to accept the change. Therefore, it is necessary that one must be flexible and be able to adjust to change well.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

A Defense of Epicurius :: Essays Papers

You did What? To Whom? When? A defense of Epicurius. There have been many attempts at formulating a theory that accounts for our intuitions regarding the harm of death. Most theories attempt to account for this intuition by attributing the harm of death to a deprivation of some sort. That is a person is harmed when she dies because she is deprived of some good thing. This paper is a defense of Epicurius's argument regarding death as a response to deprivation theories. Before I enter into the argument proper, two statements should be made. First, I do not intend to defend hedonism in this paper. Although, I am uncomfortable defending any particular thing as having intrinsic value, I am inclined to say there must be some things other than pleasure that have intrinsic value (and the converse). However, this rejection of hedonism is in no way relevant to my defense of this argument, because the loss of goods has no bearing on death, regardless of what exactly the goods are. Second, I will define death as follows: the permanent end to existence. Since existence is a binary property (either there exists something that corresponds to x or there does not), this means that death must be instantaneous. For at any given moment one could ask, "Does Kai exist?" and receive an answer, we can narrow the time of death to an instant. Thus, death mimics a function of the form: f(x) = 1 if x < 1; f(x) = 0 if x > 1. The idea is that at every point after 1 you are dead, but at every point up to and including 1 you are alive. In other words, there is no point at which you are not either alive or dead and no point at which you are both. Now that's done. Epicurius's argument is essentially that there is no point at which we are harmed by death, and therefore death is not bad. Specifically, he formulates his argument in the following way: 1. Death is not bad for the victim before death. 2. Death is not bad for the victim after death. 3. Thus, there is no time at which death is bad for the victim. 4. Thus, death cannot be bad for the victim. A defense of Premise (1) is not hard. Since my death has not yet occurred it is impossible for it to act as a cause of anything that is occurring now.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Double Jeopardy: Necessary for Justice

This essay will argue that the amendments made to the double jeopardy rule were necessary to improve justice. It will first show that the amendments improve the possibility of achieving justice on principle and for victims by holding the guilty accountable. It will then proceed to examine claims that the implementation of the amendments can create injustice, arguing that the benefits for justice outweigh the costs of such injustices. Thirdly, the essay will discuss how the amendments, including the retrospective effect, improve justice as new DNA evidence is discovered.Finally, it will analyze improvements to justice through the amendments’ positive effects on the justice system. 1. Holding the guilty accountable In the Third Report of the Home Affairs Select Committee, it was stated that ‘the whole point of a criminal justice system is to bring criminals to justice’. The double jeopardy rule contradicts this, giving guilty individuals effective ‘immunity fr om conviction and punishment’ after acquittal. The adjustments hold such individuals legally accountable for their actions indefinitely, as opposed to until the verdict is announced.Hence although it is unlikely that all acquitted criminals will be brought to justice, justice is still improved in principle as they remain liable for their wrongdoings. The most tangible form of justice attainable from the amendments would be for victims and their family and friends. The double jeopardy rule creates an imbalance in the justice system as it protects in absolute terms the rights of the defendant over that of the victim and their families as in the case of Julie Hogg.The availability of appeal for defendants causes further injustice as the double jeopardy rule prevents retrials in the same situations in reverse scenarios. The amendments bring a balance to the justice system by attaining justice for victims and their families and taking their rights into account. 2. Interests of jus tice outweigh potential injustices against defendants There is a need to consider possible injustices against the defendant to ascertain whether such amendments ultimately advance justice, including buse of the amendments by prosecutors and investigators for personal vendettas and the acquitted defendant’s right to ‘repose’ through finality. By allowing only one appeal application and the strict approach towards the appeals process, an abuse of the process without merit would be highly difficult. Absolute finality for the defendant would unjustly give the defendant exclusive immunity. A victim can never be sure that they will not be summoned to testify again in court. The law also does not prohibit civil lawsuits against the defendant, which conflicts with the principles of ‘repose’.As they are not absolute and at times unjust, the abovementioned concerns take a subordinate role in the interests of justice. 3. DNA evidence and need for retrospective inclusion for justice Recent scientific developments could be instrumental in bringing guilty individuals to justice. The House of Commons references a scenario where DNA development caused retrospective identification of a criminal. It is with these developments in mind that amendments to the double jeopardy principle are necessary as it presents opportunities to achieve justice where it was previously impossible.Not including the retrospective provision would be severely unjust as it would cause benefits from the abovementioned developments to be lost and creates ‘arbitrary distinction(s) between persons who happened to have been acquitted before and after the relevant date’. 4. Positive ramifications for the justice system The way the justice system operates and is perceived is essential to the preservation of justice. The appearance of criminals who are untouchable by the law causes the law to look impotent and ‘may undermine public confidence in the criminal justice system’.The amendments to the double jeopardy rule maintain public trust in the justice system, with courts accepting a margin for error. The double jeopardy rule in effect allows a system where ‘judges are unaccountable to the appeal courts as to a crucial aspect of their responsibilities, at the same time providing them with greater powers’. The judicial body can make mistakes and past statistics on successful appeals support this notion. As such, the amendments to the double jeopardy principle improve justice by creating a more accountable system that is open to amendment.In conclusion, the amendments to the double jeopardy rule were a necessity in improving justice and creating more opportunities for justice to be achieved. It is however important to maintain the accuracy of the outcome of the retrials in order to minimize the potential for injustice, and with careful application and implementation of the amendments, the benefits for justice should be significant.BibliographyArticles Barkham, P. The Stephen Lawrence case (1999) The Guardian, http://www. guardian. co. uk/uk/1999/feb/23/lawrence. ukcrime9

Saturday, November 9, 2019

It205 Week 4 Checkpoint

How does email benefit an organization? I believe that email is a great benefit to most companies because it allows ideas and or attachments to be shared instantly. Why might an organization limit how an employee uses email during work hours? By limiting email usage during work hours it decreases the chance of clients being overcharged for work hours and also decreases the chance of loss of profit due to an employee’s attention being somewhere other than work. What is an emails path once it leaves an organization? Depending on the company it could go directly to the person it is addressed to or it could go through the IT department then to the person it is addressed to. What is the effect of instant messaging on organizational networks? Instant messaging can be a very useful tool as long and it isn’t taken advantage of, it could be used to send mass messages to all employees and or messages to individuals who may not be in the same building when working on projects. What are benefits and drawbacks of using instant messaging in an organization? A benefit would be that it is instant unlike email that may take a while, and has to be checked. A drawback can be used with that same example it is instant so files and or information that is not supposed to be viewed by outside individuals can be transmitted instantly. What are the drawbacks and benefits of webpage and search engine use in an organization? A benefit would be information for research being very accessible via websites and search engines A drawback would be these tools being abused and people using them for reasons outside of work. Should managers monitor employee email and internet usage? Why or why not? I think that management should monitor email and internet usage during work hours because of loss of revenue due to employees being on the web instead of being productive. Also to protect the organization from potential liability of what may or may not be transmitted or received on the organization’s server/ IP.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Movie Review a Few Good Men Essays

Movie Review a Few Good Men Essays Movie Review a Few Good Men Paper Movie Review a Few Good Men Paper The movie â€Å"A Few Good Men† was a great story of a young attorney who was in the Navy, called to defend some Marines who were suspected of murdering a fellow Marine. During the investigation, it is discovered that the Marines practice something called a â€Å"Code Red†. The code red is an unofficial disciplinary measure, imposed by a marine squad when a member offends against the units esprit de corps. Having been gagged, bound and beaten, the marine dies at his colleagues hands. The argument of the suspects was that it was a direct command that they carry out this code red against a fellow Marine who was not living up to the stringent agenda of the Marine Corp. and they were following the command. Eventually it came out that the person who asked for the code red to be carried out was the Colonel. Jack Nicholson’s character as the Colonel had committed a crime and what he did was unethical in the eyes of both the law and the United States Marine Corps. The question here was whether or not what he did could be proved. A very long and thorough investigation ensued to find out the truth about what happened the night that the Marine died. One of the observations made was that the man who died was suffering from a heart ailment and because of that ailment, it caused his death. It was argued that what was done would not have killed someone normally, but because of his bad heart, he was not able to survive the punishment. Expert witnesses were brought in, including doctors, who testified that a man in his condition should not have endured the physical tests he had. Marines are expected to be a part of a team and each member of that team has a specific responsibility to his or her fellow soldiers. If one member of that team does not live up to his or her responsibilities, the rest of the team will suffer because of it. His squad was suffering and wanted to make him pay. They did not think that the outcome would be death. The characters (who were lawyers) played by Tom Cruise and Demi Moore made a trip to Cuba where the dead soldier had been stationed and wanted to conduct their own investigation. While there, they met with the Colonel in charge of the squad that the dead soldier was a part of. The Colonel (Jessup) played by Jack Nicholson was fully cooperating until he was asked about the code red and some flight records. He got very defensive and angry. When the trial began, he was called to testify by the defense. One other soldier, a Lt. Col. who worked under the Colonel, told the attorneys that the Col. was the one who called the code red. The lawyers knew they would have a hard time getting him to confess and to directly ask him in open court could get them in trouble. They took a chance and after several questions, he was asked if called the code red. He flat out admitted it and the mystery was solved. Unfortunately for the men on trial, they were dishonorably discharged from the Marine Corp. The younger of the two men, Pfc. Downey, did not understand why he was dismissed because he had followed a command from his superior officer, Lance Cpl. Dawson. It basically went through a chain of commands and although Downey did not get the command directly from Col. Jessup, he did not distinguish the difference between his superior officer and that of the Col. The Marines are trained to fight for those weaker than themselves and Dawson and Downey did not fight for the dead Marine. They were the cause of his death. The ethical framework in this movie follows that of utilitarianism. The lawyers in the case were defending the Marines for committing a murder. But because the men were only doing that as a command from their superior officers, it was not necessarily viewed as being a bad thing. Their intention was not to kill a fellow Marine, but to teach him a lesson about teamwork. These soldiers were following an order. In the Marine Corp. if orders are not followed, people can get hurt or killed. There is no question with the Marines about following an order. They must do it. Although what they did was a crime, the argument was that they were following an order and could not say no. And again, they were not intending to kill their fellow soldier. (Virtue Ethics and Leadership) Their order was to tie up the officer, stuff a rag in his mouth, and leave him like that until they felt he had learned his lesson. Upon doing this and along with his heart condition caused his death from something called Lactic Acidosis. (Too much acid in the body due to the buildup of lactic acid in the body). Lactic acidosis occurs when cells make lactic acid from glucose faster than it can be metabolized. The key signs of lactic acidosis include unusually deep and rapid breathing, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Lactic acidosis is a feature of different disorders. It is an important sign of diabetes that is out of control. It is also a rare but dreaded adverse reaction from the drug metformin (Glucophage) for type 2 diabetes. (Definition of Lactic Acidosis) Dawson and Downey were doing what they believed to be a good thing for their squad and thought they would be helping the fellow soldier get more on the ball, so to speak and live up to the high expectations of the Marine Corp. Although the outcome was that the two accused men were not guilty of murder, they were guilty of conduct unbecoming a Marine and were dishonorably discharged. It seems as though the procedure used to help these men in court were somewhat effective, however the outcome was not what they would have chosen for themselves. They did not want to be discharged from the Marines because that is the job they chose to do and wanted to defend their country. To them, the outcome was not justice. These two soldiers wanted everyone to believe, as they did, that they did nothing more than follow a command. The Col. as of course, found guilty as well and would be charged as such, as was Lt. Kendrick who was the officer that gave the order to Lance Cpl. Dawson. In turn, Dawson gave that order to Downey. Downey does not distinguish between the chain of command and therefore, he took it as a direct order from Lt. Kendrick. Perhaps if the focus of the trial was more on Col. Jessup and Lt. Kendrick and th eir roles in the death, Dawson and Downey may not have been discharged. If it had been shown more that Dawson and Downey were simply following a direct command then they may not have had to serve the time they did. If the lawyers had used the teleological view then it is possible the soldiers would be acquitted of all charges. Teleological moral systems are characterized primarily by a focus on the consequences which any action might have. When people make choices which result in the correct consequences, then they are acting morally. If the focus of this movie had been on the morals being just, then the outcome could have been very different. (Deontological, Teleological and Virtue Ethics) The general public love to get inside the mind of attorneys on television because they like to be able to solve crimes and defend those they think to e innocent themselves. In a movie like â€Å"A Few Good Men†, sympathy is given to the accused soldiers and the people watching the movie rooted for them and wanted to see them acquitted. Just watching gave everyone the idea that these men were in fact innocent of the charges they were accused of, even if it was not decided upon in court. Because the vie wers were able to see each side of the case as it was being shown, they were able to make their own decisions. That type of viewing makes movies fun to watch, when people are able to decide for themselves who should be the guilty and not guilty parties. Sadly, not all outcomes of real trials work this way and perhaps in real life these men would have had to serve more time in prison. References Cpt. Praff, C. A. (1996, November) Virtue Ethics and Leadership retrieved on February 17, 2008 from usafa. edu/isme/JSCOPE98/PFAFF98. htm Definition of Lactic Acidosis (2004, 23 February) retrieved on February 17, 2008 from medterms. com/script/main/art. asp? articlekey=20521 (2008) Deontological, Teleological and Virtue Ethics retrieved on February 17, 2008 from http://atheism. about. com/library/FAQs/phil/blfaq_phileth_sys. htm

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

A Helpful and Concise Summary of Othello Act 1

A Helpful and Concise Summary of 'Othello' Act 1 Hold tight and delve into William Shakespeares tragedy Othello with this summary of Act 1.  This analysis covers  the entire play, starting from the opening scene in which the prolific playwright wastes no time  establishing Iagos hatred of Othello. Better understand  this beautifully written drama  with this  scene-by-scene guide. Act 1, Scene 1 In Venice Iago and Roderigo discuss Othello. Roderigo immediately addresses  Iago’s disdain for Othello; â€Å"Thou told’st me thou didst hold him in thy hate,† he says. Iago complains that instead of employing him as his lieutenant, Othello employed Michael Cassio who has no experience for the job. Iago was employed as a mere ensign to Othello. Roderigo responds; â€Å"By heaven, I rather would have been his hangman.† Iago tells Roderigo that he will stay in Othello’s service only to exact revenge upon him when the time is right. Iago and Roderigo do not refer to Othello by name in this scene but rather by his race; calling him the moor or the thick lips. The pair plot to inform Brabanzio, Desdemona’s father, that his daughter has run off with Othello and married him and that he is an unsuitable match, citing his race and impulsivity. The audience discovers that Roderigo is in love with Desdemona, as Brabanzio points out he has already warned him off her; â€Å"In honest plainness thou hast heard me say my daughter is not for thee.† This explains Roderigo’s hatred of Othello. The pair goad Brabanzio, and Iago says, â€Å"I am the one sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs.† Brabanzio checks Desdemona’s room and discovers she is missing. He launches a full-scale search for his daughter and regretfully tells Roderigo that he would prefer him to be his daughters husband and not Othello; â€Å"O would you had had her.† Iago resolves to leave, as he does not want his master to know he has double-crossed him. Brabanzio promises Roderigo that he will reward him for his efforts. â€Å"Oh, good Roderigo. I will deserve your pains,† he says. Act 1, Scene 2 Iago tells Othello that Desdemona’s father and Roderigo are pursuing him. Iago lies, telling Othello that he challenged them.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Nay, but he prated, and spoke such scurvy and provoking terms against your honor that with the little godliness I have, I did full hard forbear him,† he says. Othello answers that his honor and services to the state speak for themselves, and he will convince Brabanzio that he is a good match for his daughter. He tells Iago that he loves Desdemona. Cassio and his officers enter, and Iago tries to convince Othello that it is his enemy, and he should hide. But Othello shows strength of character by staying. â€Å"I must be found. My parts, my title, and my perfect soul shall manifest me rightly,† he says. Cassio explains that the Duke needs to speak to Othello about the conflict in Cyprus. Iago tells Cassio about Othello’s marriage. Brabanzio arrives with swords drawn. Iago draws his sword on Roderigo knowing that they have the same intention and that Roderigo will not kill him but will collude with the pretense. Brabanzio is angry that Othello has eloped with his daughter and again uses his race to put him down, saying that it is ridiculous to think she turned down wealthy and worthy gentleman to run off with him. â€Å"She shunned the wealthy curled darlings of our nation, †¦t’incur a general mock, run from her guardage to the sooty bosom of such a thing as thou,† he says. Brabanzio also accuses Othello of drugging his daughter. Brabanzio wants to put Othello in prison, but Othello says that the Duke requires his services and will also need to speak to him, so they decide to go to the Duke together to decide Othello’s fate.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

The Europe history after 1st world war Research Paper

The Europe history after 1st world war - Research Paper Example During the 20th century there was sporadic social, cultural and economic change in Europe due to the industrial revolution that started in Britain during the 18th century and later spread to the whole world.The 2 world wars and a great economic depression controlled most of the first quarter of the 20th century2. The First World War was fought for 4 years, from the year 1914 to 1918. The war was fought between the entente powers that included the Belgium, France, Russia, Britain, Greece, Italy, Romania, and the United States of America against the Central powers which comprised of countries such as Germany, the Ottoman Empire, Austria, and Hungary3. The war claimed the lives of over 15 million civilians and military men. It is estimated that over 59 million military men were called to service during the war. Later on the great revolution in Russia destroyed the Transits Monarchy and replaced it with the Soviet Union. Additionally, the Ottoman Empire broke up forming separate nations and most of these nations had their boundaries re-drawn4. A treaty was written, known as the Treaty of Versailles. It marked the end of World War 1, but was harsh on the Germans, blaming them for the full responsibility of the war, hence imposed heavy sanctions on the country. High depts. Incurred in the First World War and loans given Germany caused great economic instability and havoc within Europe between the years 1920 to 1930. In the Soviet Union, people were dying of famine that had partly been contributed by Stalin’s regime. At the end of the 1st World War, the German economy suffered and this is because of the harsh conditions that were placed on it, by the treaty of Versailles, whose intention was to end the First World War. Hitler got into power in the year 1933, and begun his great campaign of building a great Germany. In the year 1929, the crash of Wall Street brought about the great depression that was experienced worldwide. Aided by elements such as

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Should Beijing really be hosting the Olympics and would you go Explain Essay

Should Beijing really be hosting the Olympics and would you go Explain - Essay Example Since their inception, the modern games have been infused with politics, boycotts, and threats of non-participation. Some people see the games as a way of promoting and legitimizing the host city. Athletes may face an ethical dilemma by participating in a country where there are severe human rights violations. Still, the Olympic idealists hold the standard of de Coubertin and insist that politics and social issues remain clear of the games. These competing opinions on the value and purpose of the games have almost never been as pronounced as they are when we discuss the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The decision to hold the Olympics in China has been met with a series of protests that object to their history of oppression and violations of basic civil rights. While there are legitimate objections to the selection process, the ideals of sport, international cooperation, and cultural interaction makes Beijing an appropriate choice for the 2008 Olympics. The importance of the Olympics and the selection of the host city should not be underestimated. It offers economic advantage to the city in the way of tourism as well as an opportunity to exhibit the city’s and the host country’s best face. The enormous worldwide interest in the games can be seen by the escalating broadcast revenues and the attendant increase in viewership in recent years (see Appendix A). This also opens up the door to give a country an opportunity to present a faà §ade while they ignore the reality that lies just beyond the borders of the games. Will the world see the sweatshops and hardships that lay beyond the broadcasts, or will they only be shown the glossy face of the â€Å"New China† (See Appendix B)? Determining where fact meets propaganda is one of the challenges faced by the IOC, the media, and the viewing public. The biggest objection to Beijing hosting the Olympics is their dismal record on human rights. There has been evidence

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Menu planning and product development (Unit 25) Essay

Menu planning and product development (Unit 25) - Essay Example The product development aspect is denoted to be one of the reasons for promoting the existing and new products, which mainly falls into the procedure of recipe testing. This could be the other basic principle of recipe development. Apart from the above discussed principles, evaluation is also regarded as the other prime principle of recipe development. Justifiably, recipes are mainly evaluated to observe the responses and the ways these can be improved for obtaining better results (Butler, 2014; Cole, 2011). The below depicted pictorial illustration provides a better idea about the varied principles of recipe development. The aspects influencing the decisions related to menu planning are often viewed to play imperative role for hotel and restaurant industry. In recent years, it can be ascertained that the taste of the customers/individuals has greatly changed and is incessantly transforming. Thus, it is to be ensured that nutrients and balanced diets are incorporated within a menu to serve customers efficiently. Nowadays, the customers are much concerned towards calorie food contents that require to be taken into concern while making decisions relating to menu planning (Hodder Education, 2014). There lay broad assortment of factors that may influence the menu planning decisions. In recent years, children, elderly people and teenagers have different dietary needs and thus it is necessary to make effective menu planning decisions. In this regard, the diverse kinds of meals, their respective texture and taste are noted to be influencing the decisions of menu planning at large. Apart from these, food gar nishing, kitchen type and capability of staff members are also considered to be the imperative factors influencing menu planning decisions by a considerable degree. Price must also be kept on top most priority as it mainly affects the menu

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Factors affecting customer perception of Nestle in Pakistan

Factors affecting customer perception of Nestle in Pakistan Research Paradigm: My research is qualitative as well as quantitative. The major portion of the research is qualitative as most of the data is non-numeric, used in theory building, having small sample size and the results are not generalized. The assessment of income levels are covered under quantitative paradigm. Basic information is qualitative in nature but I have operationalised all the variables to measure them quantitatively. I have measured the scores using nominal and ordinal scales. E.g. for measuring the scores of customer perception i have used the Likert scale where score ranges from 1, indicating strongly disagree , to 5, very strongly agree. Therefore in mine research both approaches are moving side by side. My research is deductive as i have stated the problem statement initially and then have broken down the statement into parts research questions. i selected the sample size of 18 and have made a sampling framework and questionnaire, collected the data and analyzed it using SPSS and qualitative methods and have made conclusions. It is interpretive research as i have taken samples data and then interpret it according to peoples thinking, knowledge and preferences, this suggest more flexible approach to data collection. The research is non-experimental as i did not focus on the control or focus group. i have conducted the research for existing group i.e. Social Economic Classes. The survey is conducted in natural setting the sampling technique is the non probability sampling technique , and i have used convenience and quota sampling for this purpose ( see figure 1) The research is mixture of descriptive and exploratory research as it describes the factors affecting customer perception and exploratory as measures the magnitude and direction of relations between variables. The Research Objective This research is significant for Nestle as they can judge the perception of their customers and to judge how customer respond when company launches new variant, nestle can use it for analyzing the acceptability of iron added milk. It can also analyze the product life cycle stages and can make defensive strategies to maintain its position as a market leader like nestle this study is useful for any packaged milk company as it can use it for competitor analysis. Furthermore, any company who want to launch iron added milk in the market can use it for checking customer response and perception of customers. i will analyze the factors that make up customers perception; companies can work on those factors to make their products differentiated from the market. Data Preparation, Reduction and transformation: The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors that affect customer perception leading towards purchase decision about Nestle Milkpak with Iron. We extracted some factors from literature review and used those factors in building questionnaire. The extracted factors are customer knowledge, quality, availability, price, promotion, packaging and positioning. These factors lead to customer perception which ultimately leads to the purchase decision of Milkpak with Iron. Each factor is used in multiple questions in order to extract result from different dimensions. For instance, customer perception is operationalised through questions 9 and 14 of the questionnaire. (See questionnaire in Appendix) Coneceptual Framework Detailed Framework Customer Perception Customer Sophistication Customer Knowledge Importance of Iron for body Milkpak Iron Brand Image Quality Packaging Purchase Decision Milk Benefits Promotion The independent variables are; Promotion, Packaging, Quality, Brand, Importance of Iron for body, Customer Sophistication, Benefits, Milk, Customer Knowledge, Milkpak. These variables can affect the level of intensity in the dependent variable Perception which ultimately leads towards another dependent variable i.e. Purchase Decision. The above variables are operationalized through questionnaire using different scales. The summary of operationalization is given below: Factors Question Numbers Operationalization Tools (Scales) Functionality Q14 Ordinal scale Price Q10 Ordinal scale Packaging Q11 Ordinal Scale Availability Q13 Ordinal Scale Benefits Q9 Ordinal Scale Brand recall Q4, Q5,Q6 Nominal Scale Milk and Milkpak usage Q2, Q3,Q7,Q8 Nominal Scale Purchase Q1, Q13 Nominal Scale For data collection i have approached members from three SECs (Socio-Economic Classes) who use milkpak with iron. i divided my samples in two age groups the young one between age of 16 to 30 and the aged group ranging from 30 to 45. The rationale behind selection of these two groups is their influence on Purchase decision. i approached individuals using milkpak with iron. The questionnaire i prepared contained the nominal and ordinal scales. Initial questions of questionnaire are about the usage, purchase pattern and brand recall. The scale used for this purpose is the nominal scale. The last consists of the question which is measured by Ordinal Scale. Analysis: i have made descriptive stats for analysis in the beginning .In the initial questions i have calculated the central tendency and frequencies to find how Milkpak with iron is positioned as well as to find purchase intention and retention level of its users. For the second half of our report i have used inferential statistics. i have stated our null and alternative hypothesis. Then i checked the level of significance and found the correlation between customer perception and individual factors which make up customer perception. (See our data sheet in annexure) Descriptive Statistics: My first question in survey is about the retail outlet. The rationale for including this question is that i can analyze from which SEC (A, B or C) and age group, the customer belongs. It can help companies to give better understanding from where the target market shops. Companies can apply better promotional techniques on those outlets to have a competitive edge. From the data given below i observed that my target market purchase milk from departmental and general stores. Purchase Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Departmental Store 5 27.8 27.8 27.8 Super Market 3 16.7 16.7 44.4 General Store 5 27.8 27.8 72.2 Retail Store 1 5.6 5.6 77.8 Pharmacy 4 22.2 22.2 100.0 Total 18 100.0 100.0 Second and third question is about the average consumption of packaged milk and Milkpak consumption. These questions help the company to make distribution strategies according to the demand of SKUs Statistics consumption Consumption Of Milkpak N Valid 18 18 Missing 0 0 Mean 3.6111 2.6667 Consumption of Packaged Milk Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 Liter 4 22.2 22.2 22.2 1.5 Liter 3 16.7 16.7 38.9 2 Liters 7 38.9 38.9 77.8 Any other 4 22.2 22.2 100.0 Total 18 100.0 100.0 Consumption of Milkpak Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1/2 Liters 5 27.8 27.8 27.8 1 Liter 6 33.3 33.3 61.1 2 Liters 4 22.2 22.2 83.3 Any other 3 16.7 16.7 100.0 Total 18 100.0 100.0 From the above data i concluded that the average consumption of packaged milk is 3.6 and average consumption of Milkpak with iron is 2.66. Demand for packaged milk SKU is more for 2Liters pack and demand for 1Liter Milkpak pack is more than other SKUs. Question number 4, 5 and 6 are designed to test brand recall and evaluation of advertising campaigns of MilkPak with Iron compared to other brands. Question number 4 evaluates the likability of Ads of milkpak as compared to other brands, fifth question evaluates the add frequency and question number 6 evaluates brand recall. Likability of Ads: Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Olpers 11 61.1 61.1 61.1 Good Milk 1 5.6 5.6 66.7 Nestle Milkpak With iron 5 27.8 27.8 94.4 Any Other 1 5.6 5.6 100.0 Total 18 100.0 100.0 Frequency of Ads Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Hala 1 5.6 5.6 5.6 Haleeb 1 5.6 5.6 11.1 Olpers 10 55.6 55.6 66.7 Good Milk 1 5.6 5.6 72.2 Nestle Milkpak With iron 4 22.2 22.2 94.4 Any Other 1 5.6 5.6 100.0 Total 18 100.0 100.0 Brand Recall Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Today 1 5.6 5.6 5.6 Within Last 7 Days 9 50.0 50.0 55.6 Within this Month 4 22.2 22.2 77.8 More than a month Ago 4 22.2 22.2 100.0 Total 18 100.0 100.0 From the above data i have analyzed that the likeability, Recall and Ad frequency of Nestle milkpak with iron is less than Olpers which is the direct competitor of Milkpak, but is more than other brands in the market. According to the table of brand Recall more than 50% of the respondents have seen the ad in the week the response is taken. Question 7 and 8 measure the usage of Milkpak compared to other brands. Question number 8 is more specific it measures the how many people use milkpak for other uses like for making desserts more than other brands Usage of MilkPak as compared to other brands Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Olpers 7 38.9 38.9 38.9 Good Milk 1 5.6 5.6 44.4 Nestle Milkpak With iron 8 44.4 44.4 88.9 Any Other 2 11.1 11.1 100.0 Total 18 100.0 100.0 Usage of Milkpak for alternative purposes Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Haleeb 2 11.1 11.1 11.1 Olpers 4 22.2 22.2 33.3 Candia 1 5.6 5.6 38.9 Gourmet 1 5.6 5.6 44.4 Nurpur 1 5.6 5.6 50.0 Nestle Milkpak With iron 7 38.9 38.9 88.9 Any Other 2 11.1 11.1 100.0 Total 18 100.0 100.0 From the data and charts given above i have inferred that people use Milkpak more than other brands either for dessert making or for taking milk. Frequency of Milkpak is more than other brands in both cases. Question 13 is about the purchase intention, recommendation and brand switching. For these questions yes is coded as 1, No as 2, dont know as 3. First table evaluates purchase intention. In this table 77% of the Respondents say that they will repurchase the brand. Second table describes that 72% of the Respondents will refer this brand to others. Third table describes the switching trend if respondents will not find this brand. This is alarming for the company that respondents may switch. Company should strive hard to increase its brand loyalty. Purchase Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 14 77.8 77.8 77.8 2 3 16.7 16.7 94.4 3 1 5.6 5.6 100.0 Total 18 100.0 100.0 Refer Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1.00 13 72.2 72.2 72.2 2.00 3 16.7 16.7 88.9 3.00 2 11.1 11.1 100.0 Total 18 100.0 100.0 Switching Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1.00 14 77.8 77.8 77.8 2.00 4 22.2 22.2 100.0 Total 18 100.0 100.0 Inferential Statistics: In this part i have found the correlation between customer perception and the factors which make up the customer perception. There are five factors which make up the customer perception which i have included in our research. These factors include functionality, price, promotion, availability and benefits. i have used SPSS for finding correlations. For interpretation two important aspects are magnitude and direction of correlation. Coefficient of correlation is the magnitude of correlation and sign of coefficient of correlation determines the direction of correlation. Method of Correlation and coefficient of correlation: my data is not normally distributed so i will use Kendalls tau-b Correlation coefficients range in value from -1 (a perfect negative relationship) and +1 (a perfect positive relationship). A value of 0 indicates no linear relationship Test of Significance: If the relationship is known in advance i can use one tailed but here i dont know the relation in advance so i will use two tailed Probabilities. Flag significant correlations: Correlation coefficients significant at the 0.05 level are identified with a single asterisk, and those significant at the 0.01 level are identified with two asterisks. The data sheet is given below. In this sheet i have included customer perception and factors affecting customer perception. Hypothesis Statement 1: H0 (Null Hypothesis): There is no relationship between customer perception and functionality. H1 (Alternative Hypothesis): There is a relationship between Customer Perception and Functionality. Nonparametric Correlations Functionality and perception: Functionality Perception Kendalls tau_b Functionality Correlation Coefficient 1.000 .431(*) Sig. (2-tailed) . .018 N 18 18 Perception Correlation Coefficient .431(*) 1.000 Sig. (2-tailed) .018 . N 18 18 * Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed). Interpretation: Magnitude: The correlation coefficient between functionality and customer perception is 0.431 which is nearly moderate. Direction: The sign with coefficient of correlation is positive which shows there is a direct relation between them which shows, as Functionality increases perception gets strong Significance: The significance level i defined was 0.05 and table shows the significance level of 0.018 which is less than 0.05 so i will reject our null hypothesis and will say that there is a positive relationship between Functionality and Perception. Hypothesis Statement 2: H0 (Null Hypothesis): There is no relationship between Customer Perception and Price. H1 (Alternative Hypothesis): There is relationship between customer perception and price Nonparametric Correlations Price and perception: Perception Price Kendalls tau_b Perception Correlation Coefficient 1.000 .628(**) Sig. (2-tailed) . .000 N 18 18 Price Correlation Coefficient .628(**) 1.000 Sig. (2-tailed) .000 . N 18 18 ** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). Interpretation: Magnitude: The correlation coefficient between price and customer perception is 0.628 which is nearly moderate. Direction: The sign with coefficient of correlation is positive which shows there is a direct relation between them. As price increases people perceive, its quality is getting better. Significance: The significance level i defined was 0.01 and table shows the significance level of 0.00 which is less than 0.01 so i will reject my null hypothesis and will say that there is a positive correlation between Price and Perception. Price of Milkpak plays important role in its perception and positioning. Hypothesis Statement 3: H0 (Null Hypothesis): There is no a relationship between Customer Perception and Promotion. H1 (Alternative Hypothesis): There is a relationship between customer perception and promotion. Nonparametric Correlations Promotion and perception: Perception Promotion Kendalls tau_b Perception Correlation Coefficient 1.000 .415(*) Sig. (2-tailed) . .026 N 18 18 Promotion Correlation Coefficient .415(*) 1.000 Sig. (2-tailed) .026 . N 18 18 * Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed). Interpretation: Magnitude: The correlation coefficient between promotion and customer perception is 0.415 which is nearly moderate. Direction: The sign with coefficient of correlation is positive which shows there is a direct relation between them. As promotion increases perception of people get better. Significance: The significance level i defined was 0.05 and table shows the significance level of 0.026 which is less than 0.05 so i will reject our null hypothesis and will say that there is a positive correlation between Promotion and Perception. Hypothesis Statement 4: H0 (Null Hypothesis): There is no relationship between Customer Perception and availability. H1 (Alternative Hypothesis): There is a relationship between customer perception and availability. Nonparametric Correlations Availability and perception: Perception Availability Perception Kendalls tau_b Correlation 1 .572(*) .013 N 18 18 Availibility Kendalls tau_b Correlation .572(*) 1 Sig. (2-tailed) .013 N 18 18 * Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed). Interpretation: Magnitude: The correlation coefficient between availability and customer perception is 0.572 which is nearly moderate. Direction: The sign with coefficient of correlation is positive which shows there is a direct relation between them. People perceive it as a good brand if its available in their locality or they find it on the stores from where they shop Significance: The significance level i defined was 0.05 and table shows the significance level of 0.013 which is less than 0.05 so i will reject my null hypothesis and will say that there is a positive correlation between availability and Perception. Hypothesis Statement 5: H0 (Null Hypothesis): There is no relationship between customer perception and Benefits. H1 (Alternative Hypothesis): There is a relationship between customer perception and benifits. Nonparametric Correlations Benefits and perception: Perception Benefits Kendalls tau_b Perception Correlation Coefficient 1.000 .669(**) Sig. (2-tailed) . .000 N 18 18 Benefits Correlation Coefficient .669(**) 1.000 Sig. (2-tailed) .000 . N 18 18 ** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). Interpretation: Magnitude: The correlation coefficient between benefits and customer perception is 0.669 which is nearly moderate. Direction: The sign with coefficient of correlation is positive which shows there is a direct relation between them. As there are more benefits people perceive it as a better product. Significance: The significance level i defined was 0.01 and table shows the significance level of 0.00 which is less than 0.01 so i will reject our null hypothesis and will say that there is a positive correlation between Benefits and Perception. Findings This research is significant for Nestle as they can judge the perception of their customers. Data analysis has given outputs for the factors that were extracted from literature review and then measured through questionnaires. Following results are inferred from the data analysis: Mostly purchases are made from the departmental and general store. Mostly selling SKU of Milkpak is 1 liter while the average consumption of milk per day is 2 liters for most of the respondents. Most of the people like Olpers ad while Milkpaks ad likeability is at 2nd rank. The people, who are not a regular user of Milkpak, prefer Milkpak for desserts. The most important factor among all the independent factors that effect customer perception is Milkpak Benefits. Most of the respondents say that they will repurchase the brand. Most of the respondents say that they will refer this brand further to others. Most of the people are likely to switch in case of Milkpak unavailability. Explanation and Reflection The findings are based upon the following extracted facts: Most of the respondents buy Milkpak from departmental and general store which reflects that Nestle must give special attention to the availability of Milkpak in such stores. The mean usage of milk is 3.6 in which the consumption of Milkpak is 2.6. The average use of milk per day is 2 liters in which 1 liter is of Milkpak. The usage behaviour of Milkpak is 44.4% with frequency 8 as compared to Olpers (38.9% and 7 respectively). Milkpaks ad likeability is 27.8% with frequency of 5 (among respondents) as compared to Olpers likeability and frequency i.e. 61.1 and 11 respectively. The advertisement ratio of Milkpak is 22.2% with frequency 4 as compared to Olpers i.e. 55.6% and 10 respectively. Olpers, stepped into the market by launching a massive campaign featuring some of the biggest stars in Pakistan. Billboards went up at key locations in the major cities, and soon the brand had become a voice above the media clutter-a voice that differentiated Olpers brand from the others. This heavy media campaigning has led Olpers to position it strongly in the minds of customers and to grab market share within few years and is now the biggest competitors of Milkpak. Milkpak must take this position and promotion factor into account in order to retain its customers. 77% of the Respondents say that they will repurchase the brand which shows customer satisfaction and trust towards Milkpak. 72% respondents are willing to refer Milkpak to others which shows high recommendation rate and is beneficial for Milkpak. The only alarming statistics in purchase factor is its loyalty measure and intension to switch to other brands. 77% of the respondents are of the view that they will switch to other brand in case of unavailability. This vulnerability shows the lack of customer loyalty towards Milkpak and importance of distribution network for packaged milk brands. This problem can be coped by introducing customer loyality programs and better positioning strategies. Relationship of Factors with Customer Perception The magnitude of our all independent variables i.e. functionality, price, promotion, availability and benifits is 0.431, 0.628, 0.415, 0.572 and 0.669 respectively. The correlation range of all the factors with customer perception is moderate. The maximum magnitude is of benefits (0.669) which shows that the perception is affected through benefits the most. For instance, Milkpaks taste, purity, density and nutrition are the factors which the respondents prefer when they have to make decision about Milk and the data shows that most of the respondents are of the opinion that Milkpak provide all of these factors. The minimum magnitude is of promotion (0.415) which shows that Milkpaks advertisement is not that creative. They have to increase their promotional budget in order to position themselves more strongly as compared to the other brands. For instance, Olpers spend a lot on Below the Line (BTL) promotional activities for example, activities like reaching out to the different locations in various cities and having the housewives participate in learning and showcasing milk-based recipes which intends to create and maintain loyalty amongst the brands users. Milkpak must also adopt such promotional activites instead of traditional TV campaigning in order to increase the customer perception and loyalty regarding Nestle Milkpak brand. Limitations and Mistakes Following are the limitations of my report. Time Span People are reluctant to respond Access to data Cost (Paid Articles) Generalizability Lack of Expertise As it is a pilot study and I am not expert, i did not have idea that how i will relate the proposal with the original findings, i found number of lacking in my proposal, so to make it perfect, i had to make some changes in our research questions, conceptual framework and hypothesis as well and finally with come up with this report.