Thursday, October 31, 2019

Analysis LA Fitness in England Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Analysis LA Fitness in England - Essay Example The main reason behind expansion of LA Fitness is that it wants to offer a wide range of services in the new markets in order to ensure the success of the business in the international market as well. The company plans to expand in England. Some of the driving points, which would enable the company to expand its business in the foreign markets and achieve success, are given below: 1. The increasing awareness related to the health issues as well as concern towards obesity and its effects amongst the people of England, will act as one of the key element in acceptance of the business operations of LA Fitness in the country. 2. Increasing wish of controlling and maintaining weight, avoiding various health issues and reducing daily stress influences individuals to visit the health clubs almost regularly. This is one of the main reasons behind LA Fitness’s business expansion plans into the international market. 3. LA Fitness provides services to meet the needs of the customers and o ffer them facilities for most of their health and fitness needs. This would help them in achieving success in their business operations in the international market easily. 4. The consumers would be offered different exercise regimes. Well differentiated service offered by the company would enable it in developing recognition in the new market. LA Fitness provides customized training services for meeting the personal needs of each and every member and gives them chance to choose the best suitable work out for themselves. Industry Analysis using Porter’s Five Forces Analysis would help in understanding the reason behind the expansion of the company in the chosen Country. Porter’s Five Forces analysis Porter’s five forces analysis would help in performing the industry analysis of health and fitness industry in England (Alkhafaji, 2003; Porter, 1980; 1998). Competition from the existing firms- There are many health clubs in England, which offer health and fitness se rvices to the customers. Thus the competition from the existing firms is very high (David, 1986). However, LA Fitness provides customer friendly services to its members. It is better than its competitors, as it treats its customers as family members and provide them good training. The fitness market is having a growth of certain percentage every year. The company has huge scope of achieving competitive advantage over its competitors by expanding the fitness clubs and hiring large number of employees in the new market, who would provide good services. Bargaining power of buyers- The bargaining power of the buyers is very high in England as there are a large number of fitness clubs offering services to the customers (Davis, 2008). There are a large number of alternative options for them. This increases their bargaining power. Moreover, 10 to 15 percent of buyers of the health clubs do not renew their membership as they do not find it interesting anymore. LA Fitness would have to advan ce its services by utilization of latest technologies in order to retain its buyers in the new market. Threat of substitutes: There are various substitutes for health clubs. People can consume healthy food; go for cycling or walking after eating. There are many individuals who play sports regularly in order to stay healthy. Some of them do labor work, which keeps them physically fit. Some visit doctors and maintain fixed diet in order to remain aware of the nutrients.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

The Triad Essay Example for Free

The Triad Essay This paper seeks to analyze and discuss whether there is basis to agree to the proposition that the Triad is the fast track to company globalisation and standardisation. We will try to evaluate whether theory and evidence supports such proposition.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First we should know what is the Triad is.   Moore and Rugman (2005) in discussing, ‘Globalization is about Regionalization’ said that the word â€Å"triad† was coined by Japanese consultant and author Kenichi Ohmae which refers to the economies of Western Europe, North America and a small number of East Asian nations, particularly Japan. Moore and Rugman (2005) quoted Ohmae to have argued that these economies are the critical ones from a viewpoint of innovation, trade and investment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The classification of the countries into triad is based on the viewpoint of innovation, trade and investment.   This means that these countries would take the lead in introducing new products ahead of other countries in the world and it also happened that these few countries in the triad are ones   with high GDP according to the last available data from World Bank (Wikipedia- GDP, 2006) (Paraphrasing made).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus Moore and Rugman (2005) agreed with Wikipedia when they categorized a triad whereby MNEs around the world belongs.   They said: â€Å"The vast majority of Fortune 500 companies on which we could compile data (320 MNEs) are home-triad based, having only modest sales in the other two regions.   A set of 36 are â€Å"bi-regional,† with at least 20 percent of their sales in two parts of the triad.   Only 10 of the 500 are truly global, with at least 20 percent of their sales in all three parts of the triad.   Overall, this is a picture of regionalization, not globalization.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In proving the result of the study, Moore and Rugman (2005) they had examined the Fortune Global 500 which deals the largest firms by revenues in the world and found out that the intra-regional sales of 380 of the 500 firms were included in the list.   The author noted that these 380 firms account for 79.2% of the total revenues of all 500 firms.   Thus, researchers concluded that the average revenue for a firm in the top 500 was $28 billion, ranging from Wal-Mart at $220 billion to Takenaka at $10 billion and that the average sales revenue of a firm in the set of 380 firms was $29.2 billion.   Most notable too, is the authors’ finding that across these 380 firms, the average intra-regional sales represent 71.9% (Moore and Rugman, 2005) (Paraphrasing made).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Knowing what the triad is, we should know what globalization is. Jessup, (n.d.) said:   â€Å"Strategically, globalization refers to actors attempts to promote the global coordination of activities on a continuing basis within (but not necessarily across) different institutional orders or functional systems. Such attempts can be pursued through different material and social technologies on the interpersonal, inter-organizational, inter-institutional, or inter-systemic levels.†   The author gave the following examples to illustrate globalization: interpersonal networking; strategic alliances orchestrated by transnational enterprises (alliances which may include more local or regionally-based firms as well as not-for-profit organizations); the institutional design of international regimes to govern particular fields of action; and projects for world government or global governance. Further, Jessup, (n.d.) noted that the forms of coordination proposed for globalization vary widely and none are guaranteed to succeed witness the market-led globalization favoured by the World Bank, the horizontal global governance favoured by proponents (especially NGOs) of international regimes, and plans for more top-down inter-state (or even world) government.   Hence, he inferred that what is generally labelled nowadays as economic globalization rarely, if ever, involves full structural integration and strategic coordination across the globe (Paraphrasing made).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  The term globalization, however, has a very broad meaning for it could also mean cultural integration.   IEL (1999) thus stated that the degree of adaptation or resistance to foreign cultural schemata varies among societies, citing the Schumpeterian concept of creative destruction where there is there is a constant struggle between groups that wish to speed up the process of integrating new ideas, processes, and products and those who want to slow down the speed of losing existing norms (IEL, 1999) (Paraphrasing made).   Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We are then directed to know what standardization is.   Wikipedia (2006) defined standardization, â€Å"in the context related to technologies and industries, is the process of establishing a technical standard among competing entities in a market, where this will bring benefits without hurting competition. It can also be viewed as a mechanism for optimizing economic use of scarce resources such as forests, which are threatened by paper manufacture. As an example, all of Europe now uses 230 volt 50 Hz AC mains grids and GSM cell phones, and (at least officially) measures lengths in metres.†Ã‚   It added that in the context of social criticism and social sciences, standardization often means the process of establishing standards of various kinds, and improving efficiency to handle people, their interactions, cases, and so forth (Paraphrasing made).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After knowing the concepts, is there now basis to agree that the Triad is the fast track to company globalisation and standardisation?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the basis of the evidence presented that the countries belonging to the triad are the MNEs who have proven track records in their revenues as those belonging to top as per Fortune magazine, and relating now the same to concept of globalization which may be summarized as going to the global market through various means, we could say the triad is fast track to globalization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     As far as path to standardization is concerned, which could mean mechanism for optimizing economic use of scarce resources or improving efficiency to handle people and their interactions, we could also say that the triad is the obvious path because it is there where competing companies for globalization are found. It is argued that globalization produces competition leading to standardization.   Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hence, we could say that triad could really be a fast track for an aspiring company wanting to have globalization and standardization since the triad provides the venue and the opportunities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To conclude, it could be said that will eventually trigger globalization while the latter will result in economic integration of the whole world. .   Globalization is seen to promote further interdependence among countries in East Asian economies as they pass through different stages of development.   MNE being classified as triad-based MNEs indicate that triad first conquers first their own region or triad to sell their products before actually becoming global, hence a company must first become a major player in a country within the triad, then it becomes regional until it becomes global.   However, being part of the triad based does not mean that they will eventually become global, because strategy is still a choice.   Bibliography: Jessop, B. (n.d.) Reflections on Globalization and Its (Il)logic(s), Lancaster University, Department of Sociology{www document} URL   http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fss/sociology/papers/jessop-reflections-on-globalization.pdf, Accessed October 28,2006 International Economic Letter, Number 52 (1999), Globalism {www document} URL http://www.sba.oakland.edu/econpage/newsletters/NewsLetter52.htm ,   Accessed October 28,2006 Moore and Rugman (2005), Globalization is about Regionalization, Mcgill International Review, {www document}   URL   http://www.irsam.ca/mir/Moore%5B27-30%5D.pdf, Accessed October 28,2006   Wikipedia, 2006, Standardization {www document} URL   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standardization, Accessed December 8, 2006. Wikipedia, 2006, List of Countries by GDP, {www document} URL   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28PPP%29, Accessed October 28,2006

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Effect of Electromagnetic Field of Mobile Phones

Effect of Electromagnetic Field of Mobile Phones Introduction Mobile phones have become indispensable as communication tools in the present world. From 1990 to 2013, worldwide mobile phone subscriptions grew from 12.4 million to over 6.8 billion, penetrating more than 95% of the global population and reaching the bottom of the economic pyramid to cater to the lower socioeconomic groups as well (International Telecomunication union, Geneva). The Indian telecom industry has undergone market liberalization at a very rapid pace and grown since 1990. Today, India has become one of the fastest growing telecom markets in the world. India is the world’s second largest mobile phone user base with over 929.37 million users in the year 2012 (Mittal Anuj 2013) (TRAI). Widespread mobile phone ownership and usage has aroused public concern over possible harmful biological effects of their use. Electromagnetic frequencies of mobile phones emit radiations between the 800 MHz and 2000 MHz, which causes excitation and rotation of water molecules and some other organic molecules, hence causing thermal and non-thermal effects on humans (Frey AH, 1998). Effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) transmitted by mobile phones over human health, is a matter of public and scientific concern. Burning sensation and sensation of warmth around the ear (Oftedal G 2000), headache (Frey AH, 1998), sleep disturbance (Borbely AA, 1999), changes in the cognitive functions and neural activity (Preece AW,1999) (Hamblin DL, 2004), as well as changes such as decrease in the cerebral blood flow and alteration in functioning of blood brain barrier has been reported as the effects of mobile phones use. (Fritze K) (Haarala C, 2003). The potential carcinogenic effects of radiations emitted from mobile phones is controversial (Repacholi MH, 1997) (Moulder JE, 1999). Therefore, any biological effect related to mobile phone use, should be considered as a high-priority health issue. The hearing system is in the close proximity to the mobile phone so hearing system is potentially the most affected target for thermal and non-thermal effects. The external ear provides the route by which electro-magnetic frequencies from mobile phones reach the peripheral and central auditory system, which leads to relatively high energy deposition in the ear. The auditory system and particularly the cochlear outer hair cells (OHC) are known to be highly sensitive to a variety of exogenous and endogenous factors. Externally applied electrical and magnetic fields are known to produce some hearing sensation in the ear (Watanabe Y, 2000). Proximity of ear to electromagnetic source may lead to even larger damage and side effects such as hearing loss. One report, released from researchers at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India, revealed that people who talk on a cell phone for more than an hour a day were found to have suffered losses of hig h-frequency hearing (Panda NK, 2010). However, little attention has been paid to the effects of electromagnetic field (EMF) of mobile phones on hearing. Till date, the interaction between electromagnetic fields (EMF) emitted by mobile phones and auditory function is not well established. Clear conclusions cannot be drawn from studies available, about the presence or absence of effects because of the limited sample sizes and short duration of studies. Despite of all these evidence, only recently, some studies have analyzed the effects of mobile phones on the human auditory system. However, the results are not consistent and are variable among different study designs. Only limited research data concerning interaction between EMF emitted by mobile phones and auditory function and possible impact on hearing, are available in the literature. The animal experiment, distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) did not show statistically significant changes on the outer hair cells functionality of adult as well as developing rats exposed to EMF at 900-1800 MHz frequencies for 1–2 h per day for 30 days(Parazzini M,2002) (Kizilay A, 2003). No appreciable change was seen in evoked otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) and none of the subjects reported a deterioration in hearing threshold level after 10 minutes exposure to the EMFs emitted by mobile phones in a recent human experiment to study the effects of the EMF of mobile phones on hearing status(Ozturan O, 2002). Other studies based on the brainstem evoked audiometry response (BERA) concluded that 30 minutes of mobile phone use has no adverse effect on the human auditory system(Arai N) (Gà ¡bor Stefanics, 2007). These small number of publications show that there is a big gap in the knowledge of potential biological effects of cellular phone use on hearing. Mobile phone is based on the two way radio communication between a portable handset and closest base station. Cellular system divides the city into small cells, which vary from hundreds of metre in densely populated areas, to kilometres in the sparsely populated areas. Each cell has abase stationthat consists of a tower and a small building containing the radio equipment. A cell phone is aduplexdevice, which means that there are two different frequencies, one for talking and another separate frequency for listening. Therefore, both persons can talk on the call at the same time. Mobile phones operate withincells, and they can switch cells as from one cell to another as we move around from one place to another. This gives cell phones this incredible range, because the call is transferred between the base stations (cell) without interruption. The radio communications utilizes electromagnetic waves at frequency around 900 MHz to carry information via small change in the wave’s frequency. A base station antenna typically radiates the radiations of about 60 Watts and a handset emits the radiations of 1-2 Watts. The antenna of a mobile phone emits radiations equally in all directions but a base station, unlike cell phone, produces a beam that is much more directional. There are two common technologies used by mobile-phone networks for transmitting information: TDMA [(Time Division Multiple Access) also known as GSM(Global System for Mobile communications)] does it by chopping the signals into sequential time frames. Each user of the channel takes turns to transmit and receive signals. In reality, only one person is using the channel at a given point of time. One of the important features of GSM system is theSubscriber Identity Module (SIM card). The SIM is a small, detachablesmart card, which contains the users subscription information (i.e. validity and talktime) and phone book. This allows the user to retain his or her information while switching mobile phone handsets. Alternatively, the user can also change service provider while retaining the handset, by changing the SIM card. GSM is currently the market leader in mobile phone industry (Michel Mouly, 1992). CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) The CDMA is based on spread spectrum technology which uses the whole bandwidth available. This allows each user to transmit frequency to the entire spectrum at all the time. CDMA uses a type of digital modulation called spread spectrum. CDMA spreads the voice data over the channel in a random fashion. The receiver undoes this randomization and collects the bits together to produce the sound. CDMA is an example ofmultiple accesses, in which several transmitters can send information over a single communication channel at the same time. This allows several users to share a band of frequencies (Andrew J, 1995). GSM phones emit continuous wave pulses, so there is a great need to reduce the exposures to electromagnetic fields emitted from the cell phones with â€Å"continuous wave pulses†. On the other hand CDMA cell phones do not produce these pulses. GSM phones emit about 28 times more radiation when compared to the CDMA mobile phones. Therefore, GSM phones are more biologically harmful as compared to CDMA. Subtle deleterious effects to hearing can be assessed by modalities such as BERA, otoacoustic emission (OAE) and Pure tone audiometry, which measure the cochlear and retrocochlear , outer hair cochlear cell and middle ear functions respectively. In the evaluation of the functional status of auditory nerve and brainstem auditory sensory pathway Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response is a simple and effective method. It is a noninvasive and reproducible method that requires less cooperation of patient and measures the specific part of the auditory pathway. It is not significantly affected by state of consciousness, drugs and variety of environmental factors including other sensory inputs to cortex. BERA is an objective diagnostic tool widely used in modern neurophysiology. It represents the electrical events generated along the auditory pathway which is recorded from the scalp. These responses include several waves related to the specific areas of auditory pathway. Latencies of these waves reflect the neural conduction velocity at corresponding levels of auditory brainstem. Pure tone  audiometry  (PTA) is the keyhearing testused to identifyhearing threshold levels of an individual, enabling determination of the degree, type and configuration of ahearing loss. Thus, it provides the basis for diagnosis and management. PTA is a subjective, behavioral measurement of hearing threshold, as it relies on patient response topure tonestimuli. Therefore, PTA is used on adults and children old enough to cooperate with the test procedure. The initial laboratory exploration of OAEs coincided with, and contributed to, the rapid development of a new understanding of cochlear function. Numerous experiments have demonstrated that OAE are intimately associated with a key feature of the cochlear mechanism that has become known as the â€Å"cochlear amplifier†(Cooper NP, 1997). With OAEs it is possible to demonstrate cochlear mechanical frequency selectivity and nonlinearity and to observe the depression of cochlear activity caused by noise, drugs and medial olivocochlear stimulation. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES This study is designed to evaluate the potential effects of electromagnetic field of mobile phones on human ear. Assessment of hearing threshold by pure tone audiometry and there comparison in users and non-users. Assessment of auditory pathway by Brainstem Evoked Response Auditory (BERA), and there comparison in mobile phone users and non-users. Assessment of cochlear function by recording the otoacoustic emissions produced from outer hair cells of inner ear, and there comparison in mobile phone users and non-users.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Van Doren :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The scientific revolution had a huge influence as to why people thought they could be God. Van Doren explains how parts of science led these individuals to believe that they could be God if they could understand how the world worked and why it worked that way. He explains that there are five parts of science. These parts of science were biology, physics, mathematics, chemistry, and psychology. With the knowledge of these five parts of science, people thought they could answer any questions by using scientific method and play the role of God in explaining how the world works, why it works that way, what the world was made up of, and also what people think and why they think a certain way in certain situations. Biology allowed people to know the make up of the world and people. Physics and mathematics allowed individuals to see how the world worked and why it worked a certain way. Psychology showed the people that we could figure out what and how people thought by d oing experiments on groups of people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Van Doren explains how these five parts of science are not better than any certain one. He explains how everyone in that day believed that the world was flat and not round as we know it today. He explains how they thought that science is the one method that will allow them to arrive at the â€Å"truth.† He explains how science was a common thing that â€Å"everyday people† could understand. This led many to believe that they could answer a lot of questions thus making them think they could be God. Van Doren tells us that there are three assumption of science. The first assumption of science is that we can describe what goes on in a physical world. He explained how scientists are both honest and humble. They never claim more than they can prove and love to talk about their findings with other scientists or poets. This first assumption gives people the ideas that we can know what is going on in the physical world, why it goes that way, and how it works . The second assumption of science is we can explain why something is happening. This deals more with actual things and not ideas or feelings as Van Doren said. This assumption dealt more with the issues concerning the external world and its working rather than the inner part and how it works.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Concept of Service Profit Chain for Apple

The Service-Profit Chain Today by by James L. Heskett, W. Earl Sasser, Joseph Wheeler Relevance Today The service-profit chain (SPC) is as relevant today as it was when we wrote about it in â€Å"Putting the Service-Profit Chain to Work,† in the March 1994 issue of Harvard Business Review. In fact, three of the co-authors of that article have since left the academy to apply SPC principles in the business world. Company Examples Highly successful companies like Bouygues Telecom in France (now the third largest in its markets in the ten years since its founding) and ING DIRECT (now the 17th largest bank in the U.S. after just seven years) have been created since then, based on service-profit chain (SPC) relationships. Others, such as Rackspace Hosting (engaged in Web site design and management), Westpac (one of Australia’s leading banks), CEMEX (one of the world’s largest cement companies, based in Mexico), Harrah’s Entertainment (a leader in branded casino entertainment, based in Reno, Nevada), and Baptist Health Care (a not-for-profit health care organization centered in northwest Florida and southern Alabama), have been revitalized through actions suggested by SPC relationships.Positive examples of SPC practice are commonly found in companies at the top of Fortune’s 100 Best Places to Work and the Wall Street Journal’s best-performing companies. Other companies, such as Circuit City, provide examples of what happens when organizations manage themselves into a â€Å"doom loop† of negative SPC relationships. In March 2007, Circuit City announced that it would replace 3,400 of its more experienced, higher-paid salespeople with new, lower-paid hires. In so doing, it damaged customer satisfaction and ultimately suffered the financial consequences. Service-Profit Chain AnalysisIn the past 14 years literally hundreds of academic studies have examined one or more of the seven links in the service-profit chain we describ ed in our 1994 article. (David Maister, author of Practice What You Preach: What Managers Must Do to Create a High Achievement Culture (New York: The Free Press, 2001), proved in an extensive study the cause-and-effect relationships that exist between various elements of the SPC. ) Of the studies that have been done, all but a handful have confirmed the relationships in all kinds of for-profit and not-for-profit service activities.Some researchers have taken issue with certain of our hypotheses. In particular, several have found weak or negative relationships between employee satisfaction and productivity and between customer satisfaction and financial measures. In part, this can be explained by sudden management actions that have not yet been fully felt throughout the SPC. For example, changes in such things as staffing policies and organizational structure produce effects that may temporarily disrupt relationships between measures of employee and customer satisfaction. The Importa nce of All the Links in the ChainAs we have continued our work, we have learned, among other things, that: * An organization and its leadership can’t â€Å"cherry pick† ideas or focus on single relationships in the SPC; for maximum effectiveness, all of them must be addressed. * Firms performing well on one SPC dimension are probably doing well on others, too. * It all begins with the first link between the quality of the workplace and employee satisfaction. This link includes such variables as employee selection and recognition, as well as amenities and benefits designed to help employees achieve results for customers and themselves.Companies such as SAS (a leader in business intelligence and predictive analytics software, headquartered in Cary, NC) and Wegmans supermarkets (a regional chain centered in the northeast U. S. ) that invest deeply in workplace quality are consistently found near the top of the list of best places to work in the US. * There are patterns of practice that lead to SPC success. For example, many best-practice organizations have been built on teams of employees with latitude to hire, develop, and, if necessary, fire team members and with responsibility for the growth and profitability of a piece of the business. Customers that we termed â€Å"apostles† in 1994 drive most or all of a firm’s profits through what we have more recently come to think of as the five Rs of customer or employee â€Å"ownership†: retention, related sales, referral, recruitment, and research and development. Wegmans Supermarkets Take the case of Wegmans supermarkets. The company’s mission is to â€Å"set our goal to be the very best at serving our customers. Every action we take should be made with our customers in mind. We also believe that we can achieve our goal only if we fulfill the needs of our own people. At Wegmans, these are more than just words. According to Fortune, Wegmans has ranked in the top five places t o work in the U. S. for several years. In part, this is because CEO Danny Wegman and his team seek to create exciting experiences — centered around food — for both their employees and their customers. This even involves sending selected employees to Europe to study the practices of chefs creating gourmet cuisine. After interacting with employees, a surprising number of the company’s customers apply for jobs, self-selecting into an organization they believe in.A substantial portion of the company’s marketing effort fosters word-of-mouth referrals from existing customers. Ideas for new food items, recipes, and presentations are regularly solicited from and provided by customers and employees. As a result, Wegmans delivers unmatched value in spite of prices that are sometimes higher than competitors’. This, in turn, leads to profitable performance and growth in a very competitive business. Customers and Employees as â€Å"Apostles†Following the publication of â€Å"Putting the Service-Profit Chain to Work,† the work of two of us (Heskett and Sasser, in cooperation with Joe Wheeler) has focused on the payoffs from applying service-profit chain concepts to groups of employees and customers that exhibit what we call â€Å"owner† behaviors. Findings from this work will comprise the contents of our new book, The Ownership Quotient, to be published by Harvard Business Press later in 2008. These employees and customers aren’t just satisfied, loyal, and willing to recommend a company or its products or services to others.They are â€Å"apostles† who actually recruit others to an organization–either as a place to work or to bring their business. And they recommend improvements in how a product is designed or a service delivered, often through constructive complaints that are noted, processed, and acted upon by companies that foster â€Å"owner† behaviors. Our attention to â€Å"ownersâ₠¬  was captured when we found that in the organizations we have studied so far, a customer/owner is worth more than a hundred price-sensitive, non-loyal customers.Organizations that understand this, such as Harrah’s Entertainment and Rackspace Hosting, have designed ways of identifying and catering to customer/owners, often by creating ownership attitudes among their employees. These organizations build ownership in a number of ways: * They organize around cross-functional teams of employees, each of which is responsible for managing itself and developing relationships with a group of dedicated customers. (For example, at Rackspace Hosting, teams of â€Å"Rackers† are responsible for building business relationships with assigned groups of customers seeking help in managing their Web sites. * They carefully select the customers they will serve. (For example, at ING DIRECT, desired customers for on-line banking are targeted and others are â€Å"fired. †) * They u se firm-wide databases that enable employees to share information in order to tailor products and services to customer needs. (For example, Harrah’s Entertainment has a Total Rewards customer database. ) * They understand and meet individual customer needs and interests. (For example, employees at Build-A-Bear Workshops are trained to look for and respond to needs of individual customers in the store itself, as well as those who visit the company’s Web site. * They often engage customers in the delivery of a product. (For example, IKEA customers are encouraged to transport and assemble their furniture purchases themselves. ) * They identify values, behaviors, measures, and actions necessary to build and maintain an ownership mentality. (For example, Baptist Health Care has identified the critical elements of its organizational culture: integrity, vision, innovation, superior service, stewardship, and teamwork. ) Concept of Service Profit Chain for Apple The Service-Profit Chain Today by by James L. Heskett, W. Earl Sasser, Joseph Wheeler Relevance Today The service-profit chain (SPC) is as relevant today as it was when we wrote about it in â€Å"Putting the Service-Profit Chain to Work,† in the March 1994 issue of Harvard Business Review. In fact, three of the co-authors of that article have since left the academy to apply SPC principles in the business world. Company Examples Highly successful companies like Bouygues Telecom in France (now the third largest in its markets in the ten years since its founding) and ING DIRECT (now the 17th largest bank in the U.S. after just seven years) have been created since then, based on service-profit chain (SPC) relationships. Others, such as Rackspace Hosting (engaged in Web site design and management), Westpac (one of Australia’s leading banks), CEMEX (one of the world’s largest cement companies, based in Mexico), Harrah’s Entertainment (a leader in branded casino entertainment, based in Reno, Nevada), and Baptist Health Care (a not-for-profit health care organization centered in northwest Florida and southern Alabama), have been revitalized through actions suggested by SPC relationships.Positive examples of SPC practice are commonly found in companies at the top of Fortune’s 100 Best Places to Work and the Wall Street Journal’s best-performing companies. Other companies, such as Circuit City, provide examples of what happens when organizations manage themselves into a â€Å"doom loop† of negative SPC relationships. In March 2007, Circuit City announced that it would replace 3,400 of its more experienced, higher-paid salespeople with new, lower-paid hires. In so doing, it damaged customer satisfaction and ultimately suffered the financial consequences. Service-Profit Chain AnalysisIn the past 14 years literally hundreds of academic studies have examined one or more of the seven links in the service-profit chain we describ ed in our 1994 article. (David Maister, author of Practice What You Preach: What Managers Must Do to Create a High Achievement Culture (New York: The Free Press, 2001), proved in an extensive study the cause-and-effect relationships that exist between various elements of the SPC. ) Of the studies that have been done, all but a handful have confirmed the relationships in all kinds of for-profit and not-for-profit service activities.Some researchers have taken issue with certain of our hypotheses. In particular, several have found weak or negative relationships between employee satisfaction and productivity and between customer satisfaction and financial measures. In part, this can be explained by sudden management actions that have not yet been fully felt throughout the SPC. For example, changes in such things as staffing policies and organizational structure produce effects that may temporarily disrupt relationships between measures of employee and customer satisfaction. The Importa nce of All the Links in the ChainAs we have continued our work, we have learned, among other things, that: * An organization and its leadership can’t â€Å"cherry pick† ideas or focus on single relationships in the SPC; for maximum effectiveness, all of them must be addressed. * Firms performing well on one SPC dimension are probably doing well on others, too. * It all begins with the first link between the quality of the workplace and employee satisfaction. This link includes such variables as employee selection and recognition, as well as amenities and benefits designed to help employees achieve results for customers and themselves.Companies such as SAS (a leader in business intelligence and predictive analytics software, headquartered in Cary, NC) and Wegmans supermarkets (a regional chain centered in the northeast U. S. ) that invest deeply in workplace quality are consistently found near the top of the list of best places to work in the US. * There are patterns of practice that lead to SPC success. For example, many best-practice organizations have been built on teams of employees with latitude to hire, develop, and, if necessary, fire team members and with responsibility for the growth and profitability of a piece of the business. Customers that we termed â€Å"apostles† in 1994 drive most or all of a firm’s profits through what we have more recently come to think of as the five Rs of customer or employee â€Å"ownership†: retention, related sales, referral, recruitment, and research and development. Wegmans Supermarkets Take the case of Wegmans supermarkets. The company’s mission is to â€Å"set our goal to be the very best at serving our customers. Every action we take should be made with our customers in mind. We also believe that we can achieve our goal only if we fulfill the needs of our own people. At Wegmans, these are more than just words. According to Fortune, Wegmans has ranked in the top five places t o work in the U. S. for several years. In part, this is because CEO Danny Wegman and his team seek to create exciting experiences — centered around food — for both their employees and their customers. This even involves sending selected employees to Europe to study the practices of chefs creating gourmet cuisine. After interacting with employees, a surprising number of the company’s customers apply for jobs, self-selecting into an organization they believe in.A substantial portion of the company’s marketing effort fosters word-of-mouth referrals from existing customers. Ideas for new food items, recipes, and presentations are regularly solicited from and provided by customers and employees. As a result, Wegmans delivers unmatched value in spite of prices that are sometimes higher than competitors’. This, in turn, leads to profitable performance and growth in a very competitive business. Customers and Employees as â€Å"Apostles†Following the publication of â€Å"Putting the Service-Profit Chain to Work,† the work of two of us (Heskett and Sasser, in cooperation with Joe Wheeler) has focused on the payoffs from applying service-profit chain concepts to groups of employees and customers that exhibit what we call â€Å"owner† behaviors. Findings from this work will comprise the contents of our new book, The Ownership Quotient, to be published by Harvard Business Press later in 2008. These employees and customers aren’t just satisfied, loyal, and willing to recommend a company or its products or services to others.They are â€Å"apostles† who actually recruit others to an organization–either as a place to work or to bring their business. And they recommend improvements in how a product is designed or a service delivered, often through constructive complaints that are noted, processed, and acted upon by companies that foster â€Å"owner† behaviors. Our attention to â€Å"ownersâ₠¬  was captured when we found that in the organizations we have studied so far, a customer/owner is worth more than a hundred price-sensitive, non-loyal customers.Organizations that understand this, such as Harrah’s Entertainment and Rackspace Hosting, have designed ways of identifying and catering to customer/owners, often by creating ownership attitudes among their employees. These organizations build ownership in a number of ways: * They organize around cross-functional teams of employees, each of which is responsible for managing itself and developing relationships with a group of dedicated customers. (For example, at Rackspace Hosting, teams of â€Å"Rackers† are responsible for building business relationships with assigned groups of customers seeking help in managing their Web sites. * They carefully select the customers they will serve. (For example, at ING DIRECT, desired customers for on-line banking are targeted and others are â€Å"fired. †) * They u se firm-wide databases that enable employees to share information in order to tailor products and services to customer needs. (For example, Harrah’s Entertainment has a Total Rewards customer database. ) * They understand and meet individual customer needs and interests. (For example, employees at Build-A-Bear Workshops are trained to look for and respond to needs of individual customers in the store itself, as well as those who visit the company’s Web site. * They often engage customers in the delivery of a product. (For example, IKEA customers are encouraged to transport and assemble their furniture purchases themselves. ) * They identify values, behaviors, measures, and actions necessary to build and maintain an ownership mentality. (For example, Baptist Health Care has identified the critical elements of its organizational culture: integrity, vision, innovation, superior service, stewardship, and teamwork. )

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

HRM in a Changing Environment: The Challenges Essay

Today’s organizations are facing challenges upon following levels: i. Environmental Challenges ii. Organizational Challenges iii. Individual Challenges i. Environmental Challenges Environmental challenges refer to forces external to the firm that are largely beyond management’s control but influence organizational performance. They include: rapid change, the internet revolution, workforce diversity, globalization, legislation, evolving work and family roles, and skill shortages and the rise of the service sector. Six important environmental challenges today are: a) Rapid change, b) Work force diversity, c) Globalization, d) Legislation, e) Technology f) Evolving work and family roles, g) Skill shortages and the rise of the service sector a) Rapid Change Many organizations face a volatile environment in which change is nearly constant. If they are to survive and prosper, they need to adapt to change quickly and effectively. Human resources are almost always at the heart of an effective response system. Here are a few examples of how HR policies can help or hinder a firm grappling with external change: b) Work Force Diversity. All these trends present both a significant challenge and a real opportunity for managers. Firms that formulate and implement HR strategies that capitalize on employee diversity are more likely to survive and prosper. c) Globalization. One of the most dramatic challenges facing as they enter the twenty-first century is how to compete against foreign firms, both domestically and abroad. Many companies are already being compelled to think globally, something that doesn’t come easily to firms long accustomed to doing business in a large and expanding domestic market with minimal foreign competition. Weak response to international competition may be resulting in upwards layoffs in every year. Human resources can play a critical role in a business’s ability to compete head-to-head with foreign producers. The implications of a global economy on human resource management are many. Here are a few examples: Worldwide company culture Some firms try to develop a global company identity to smooth over cultural differences between domestic employees and those in international operations. Minimizing these differences increases cooperation and can have a strong impact on the bottom line. For instance, the head of human resources at the European division of Colgate Palmolive notes, â€Å"We try to build a common corporate culture. We want them all to be Colgaters.† Global alliances† Some firms actively engage in international alliances with foreign firms or acquire companies overseas to take advantage of global markets. Making such alliances work requires a highly trained and devoted staff. For instance, Phillips (a Netherlands lighting and electronics firm) became the largest lighting manufacturer in the world by establishing a joint venture with AT&T and making several key acquisitions. These illustrations show how firms can use HR strategies to gain a worldwide competitive advantage. d) Legislation Much of the growth in the HR function over the past three decades may be attributed to its crucial role in keeping the company out of trouble with the law. Most firms are deeply concerned with potential liability resulting from personnel decisions that may violate laws enacted by the state legislatures, and/or local governments. These laws are constantly interpreted in thousands of cases brought before government agencies, federal courts, state courts, and t Supreme Court. How successfully a firm manages its human resources depends to a large extent on its ability to deal effectively with government regulations. Operating within the legal framework requires keeping track of the external legal environment and developing internal systems (for example, supervisory training and grievance procedures) to ensure compliance and minimize complaints. Many firms are now developing formal policies on sexual harassment and establishing internal administrative channels to deal with alleged incidents before employees feel the need to file a lawsuit. Legislation often has a differential impact on public- and private sector organizations. (Public sector is another term for governmental agencies; private sector refers to all other types of organizations.) Some legislation applies only to public-sector organizations. For instance, affirmative action requirements are typically limited to public organizations and to organizations that do contract work for them. However, much legislation applies to both public- and private sector organizations. In fact, it’s difficult to think of any HR practices that are not influenced by government regulations. e) Technology The world has never before seen such rapid technological changes as are presently occurring in the computer and telecommunications industries. One estimate is that technological change is occurring so rapidly that individuals may have to change their entire skills three or four times in their career. The advances being made, affect every area of a business including human resource management. f) Evolving Work and Family Roles The proportion of dual-career families, in which both wife and husband (or both members of a couple) work, is increasing every year. Unfortunately, women face the double burden of working at home and on the job, devoting 42 hours per week on average to the office and an additional 30 hours at home to children. This compares to 43 hours spent working in the office and only 12 hours at home for men. More and more companies are introducing â€Å"family-friendly† programs that give them a competitive advantage in the labor market. These programs are HR tactics that companies use to hire and retain the best-qualified employees, male or female, and they are very likely to payoff. For instance, among the well known organizations / firms, half of all recruits are women, but only 5% of partners are women. Major talent is being wasted as many women drop out after lengthy training because they have decided that the demanding 10- to 12-year partner track requires a total sacrifice of family life. These firms have started to change their policies and are already seeing gains as a result. Different companies have recently begun offering child-care and eldercare referral services as well to facilitate women workers as well as are introducing alternative scheduling to allow employees some flexibility in their work hours. g) Skill Shortages and the Rise of the Service Sector. Expansion of service-sector employment is linked to a number of factors, including changes in consumer tastes and preferences, legal and regulatory changes, advances in science and technology that have eliminated many manufacturing jobs, and changes in the way businesses are organized and managed. Service, technical, and managerial positions that require college degrees will make up half of all manufacturing and service jobs by 2000. Unfortunately, most available workers will be too unskilled to fill those jobs. Even now, many companies complain that the supply of skilled labor is dwindling and that they must provide their employees with basic training to make up for the shortcomings of the public education system. To rectify these shortcomings, companies currently spend large amount year on a wide variety of training programs. HRM in changing environment With the evolution of the study of HRM, it is no more mere an academic discipline rather an important factor of organizational success in the practical field. Today HRM needs to sense, respond and deal with all the issues of the organization at different levels and prove its worth. HRM has to deal with all the challenges that organization faces and these are at the following levels: †¢ Environmental Challenges (Seven) 1. Rapid Change 2. Work Force Diversity 3. Globalization 4. Legislation 5. Technology 6. Evolving Work and Family Roles 7. Skill Shortages and the Rise of the Service Sector †¢ Organizational Challenges (Four) 1. Controlling Costs 2. Improving Quality 3. Creating Distinctive Capabilities 4. Restructuring †¢ Individual Challenges 1. Productivity 2. Empowerment 3. Brain Drain 4. Ethics and Social Responsibility 5. Job Insecurity 6. Matching People and Organizations Research

Imaginative Michelangelo- Agony and the Ecstacy essays

Imaginative Michelangelo- Agony and the Ecstacy essays Irvine Stones novel The Agony and the Ecstasy captures the life and work of Michelangelo the artist. Within the biographical novel are themes that signify the artists talent and expression by form of his masterpieces as well as his life experience. Such themes as Transcendence/Permanence, Communication/Commentary, Self Expression/Self Exaltation, and Patronage/Functionality, intervene throughout the novel and serve us a way to recognize credible attributes of the artist. A few astounding creations that expose the four themes include the famous Pieta, Sistine chapel, and Hercules. A tremendous amount of detail and care is evident in numerous works of Michelangelo, yet the Pieta is one that stands apart for such recognition. The amount of time put towards the piece emphasizes the sincerity of the artists passion. By observing the Pietas emotion driven subject, Mary and Jesus, a moment of transcendence is breeched. Taking a year and half to complete, Michelangelo was able to portray Mary as young and filled with compassion as she was in his conception. He could not conceive of her as a woman in her mid 50s, old, wrinkled, broken in body and face by labor of worry. His image of the Virgin had always been that of a young woman, even as the memory of his mother. (pg.342). Here, in the Pieta, the artist was able to transcend time and enter into an eternal and ideal picture that was in his mind. It is also noted that such transcendence in the Pieta overlaps the theme of Self-Expression/Self Exaltation as Marys beauty is contrasted with his own mothers. Similar to t he emotion driven portrayal of Mary, Michelangelo dealt with the sorrowful subject entwined with Christs crucifixion. The Pieta was the end, the preordained conclusion of everything that Mary had decided in that fateful hour God had allotted to her.(pg.327).The way in which Michelangelo brought ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Spanish Verb Book essays

Spanish Verb Book essays The following section will be the present you are implying that the action is occurring at the present time. For example: Joseph reads the book. The "reads" in the sentence shows that Joseph is in the process of reading the book. Canta muy bien. She sings very well. Hablo espa viajar - to travel cantar - to sing ayudar - to help hablar - to speak viajo viajamos canto cantamos ayudo ayudamos hablo hablamos viajas - cantas - ayudas - hablas - viaja viajan canta cantan ayuda ayudan habla habla hablan Regular AR's are the most common of all verbs, to use them, remove the "ar" ending and insert the appropriate ending on the chart: o for "i ___", as for "you ___", a for "he/she ___", amos for "we ___", an for "they ___". You can also use the following chart for the respective endings. Da el perro Mike. He gives the dog to Mike. Yo quiero a estar un abogado. I want to be a lawyer o for singular Ella est mi amiga. She is my friend. Yo doy tà º este carro. I give you this car. Irregular AR's truly have no rule, to use them you must learn the specific way each is conjugated. See the conjugations above. Pieso el dinero. I am thinking about the money. Cierra el libro. He closes the book. Ellos empiezan a leer. They begin to read. Yo recomiendo el pollo. I recommend the chicken. pensar - to think cerrar - to close nevar - to show empezar - to begin pieso pensamos cierro cerramos nievo nevamos empiezo empezamos piesas - cierras - nievas - empiezas - piesa piensan cierra cierran nieva nievan empieza empiezan The AR stem-changers (e - ie) are a type of verb. To conjugate them you simply change the last e in the stem (which means all the parts of the verb but the "ar" ending) to an ie, then you remove the "ar" ending and add the appropriate ending. However there is one exception, in first person plural you do not change the e ...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

GDP of Russia (full topic follows) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

GDP of Russia (full topic follows) - Essay Example The paper will examine the various causes of the change in the GDP during this period. The effect of each cause on the Russian GDP will be examined both individually and collectively. The feasibility of developing a mechanism to test whether the identified factors are indeed critical will be examined in detail. The economic policy of the Russian government with special relevance to property rights, taxation, regulations regarding the entry of private players in various sectors including sectors like energy (which is a crucial aspect of the Russian national infrastructure) is also a crucial to the study of the Russian GDP level over the past decade. The establishment of a macroeconomic structure, the reform agenda of the government and its implementation by the Duma, the oil prices in the international market, the value of the Russian rouble during the period of the study is the other aspects which will have a bearing on the study (Korhonen 1998). We will cover the various sectors contributing to the Russian GDP in the next section, in this section; we will analyze the various types of expenditures which contribute to the GDP. The domestic consumption or the private consumption includes the expenditure incurred by a family on a recurring basis like food, rent, medicinal expenses etc. This is difficult to quantify (McKinsey Global Institute 1999). Next component is Capital investment, the hallmark of capital investment is that money is exchanged for either goods or services; another important hallmark is that after the exchange, there is no liability on the provider of the goods or services for repayment at a later stage (McKinsey Global Institute 1999). After having quantified the domestic and the private sector, it is essential to quantify the expenditure incurred by the government. As a rule it includes the salaries paid to the government servants and the expenses incurred by the government towards the infrastructure establ ishment. An important aspect to be borne in mind while estimating the GDP is that all expenditure which does not translate either into physical goods or services provided is not included into the GDP. This includes savings in banks, mutual funds, investments in stock markets etc (McKinsey Global Institute 1999). The final type of expenditure is the net exports. This is the net difference between the exports and imports of the country (World Bank 2002). The above model attempts to estimate GDP based on the expenditures, we can attempt to quantify the GDP based on the income generated by the economy. In this model, the various parameters of importance are the Gross Operating Surplus (GOS) calculated from the gross profits of the incorporated businesses, the Gross Mixed Income (GMI) which measures the gross profits of the various unincorporated businesses and finally the Compensation of Employees (COE) which measures the total compensation paid to all the workers in both the public and the private sectors. This sector also includes the contributions of the employers to the various social security schemes on behalf of their employees. The total of all these factors is an approximation of the total GDP quantified on the basis of the income model (World Bank 2002). Estimation of various Parameters of the Russian GDP It is important to establish the various param

Friday, October 18, 2019

Differentiate a nation, a state, and a nation-state Essay

Differentiate a nation, a state, and a nation-state - Essay Example Ethnic nations originate from common races configured by similar traditions. The Japanese group of people is an ethnic nation of Yamato. Civic nation entails dissimilar population of different ethnic groups sharing a common belonging. The United States is an exemplary of civic nation since the country’s population is a diverse combination without common ancestry, similar language groups or dominant religion. A state refers to a given country with self-governing political units that hold elite jurisdiction over a given territory or region. The defining terms of a state include the population, given boundaries, and absolute sovereignty. The mandates of the said country maintains jurisdiction over the given population within a territory. â€Å"States or countries are independent political units that claim exclusive jurisdiction over defined territories and over all of the people and activities within them† (Dahlman & William 410). Different governments lack the power to exercise the absolute authority. As such, the state enhances or forces applicable patterns of a population’s activity to obey the rules provided in a certain political map. Cultural aspects define the organization of a said state in any portioning of a state. States exercise absolute sovereignty where a democratic space entails exclusive rights to the available population. â€Å"The idea that a state has the exclusive right to rule over a demarcated space and all the people and resources within it is known as sovereignty† (Dahlman & William 412). State features include transferred self-governing powers to a central government structure. The population of a state exhibit common identities with related origins. The nation state refers to a given state that rules a region with a population arising from united cultures. The concept of nation states embraces the initial development of nations that later attain protective states. The nation state focuses on dominate

Interpreting Financial Results Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interpreting Financial Results - Essay Example l turnover reduced in the year 2011 and 2012 .The working capital ratio also reduced in the year 2013.This ratio indicates the extent to which, the working capital has been utilized in the creation of sales revenue. This is computed by dividing the total number of the days by the inventory turnover. ITT Co.s average inventory processing period increased in the year 2011 and 2012.However, the ratio slightly reduced in the year 2013. This is the sum of the inventory-processing period plus the average revenue collection period. Boeing Co.s operating cycle improved from 2011 to 2012 but then deteriorated significantly from 2012 to 2013. Average Payables Payment Period is the period the company takes to pay its creditors. The payment period is computed by dividing the total number of payables by payable turnover ratio. ITT Co.s average payables payment period reduced in the year 2011 and 2012 (Bruce, 2009).Additionally, the ratio also reduced in the year

Analyst Report on Bridgestone Tyres Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analyst Report on Bridgestone Tyres - Essay Example The net income Bridgestone Corp performed extraordinarily In Europe where sales increased by 17% followed by Americans where sales increased by 1%. However, the net sales in Japan remain unchanged compared to 2011. The total assets of the company increased by 14% to 3,038.3 billion in 2012; this increase in the assets by financed by a 12% increase in the total liabilities and 3% increased in the total equity. The company returns showed a strong growth as well. The return on stockholders’ equity increased by 4.6 percentage points to 13.7% and return on assets increased by 2.2 percentage points to 6.0% in 2012. The company promises significant returns as well as strong value addition in future. Company Profile Ticker symbol: 5108.T Mission Statement: Serving Society with Superior Quality Corporate headquarters: Tokyo, Japan Date of Incorporation: March 1st, 1931 Public Auditor: Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited Name of CEO: Masaaki Tsuya Name of CFO: Koki Takahashi Stock classifi cations: Common Stock Authorized: 1,450,000,000 shares Issued: 813,102,321 shares Exchange: Tokyo Stock Exchange Dividends: 21.9 billion Industry Profile Market Sector The company belongs to the Consumer Discretionary Sector. It is a sector of the economy that comprises businesses that sell non-essential products or services. Leaders Toyota Motor Corp Comcast Corp Amazon.com Inc Industry The company belongs to the Auto Components Industry. The industry comprise companies that supply low value to high value component to auto makers around the world. Stock Comparison with Competitors Bridgestone Corporation’s stock has shown a remarkable growth since January 2012 as compared to Pirelli’s and Goodyear’s stock as shown in the figure. The graph notes some of the major events – dividends, earnings and news. The news article states that the company has invested billions of yen into the research and development to produce tyres with maximized durability and value . The company, currently, has invested millions of yen into a new North American desert plant to extract a new form of natural rubber for tyre manufacturing. This stresses that the company continues to strive hard fpr excellence. The graph shows that company has continued to announce dividends and interim dividends at year ends and half year ends respectively. This has strengthened the belief of the investors in the stock value. Likewise, the company announced promising earnings which has allowed the company to maintain number one position in the global tyre market. Both the dividends and earnings have an impact on the stock price – in this case, the company’s stock price has risen par the competitors’ value after continuously posting strong earninsg and dividends. Market Capitalization Company Market Capitalization Bridgestone Corp 20.24B Goodyear 3.9B Continental 27B Michelin 14.4B Market capitalization is basically the market value of the company’s out standing shares. It determines the size of the company which allows for conclusion on asset allocation and risk factor. The analysis shows Bridgestone Corp has the largest capitalization compared to its three giant competitors – Goodyear, Continental AG and Michelin. With the capitalization of â‚ ¬20.24 billion, it falls in the ‘large cap’ pool of companies with a strong asset allocation and less risk. Global Presence Bridgestone Corpo

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Response Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 20

Response - Assignment Example The CEO’s meeting with Jose in Las Vegas is, indeed an educative experience. Jose displays a positive behavior one that workers should emulate when inducting new employees in the firm. Firm but fair; Jose introduces Kim to various roles, some of which do not befit a manager according to Kim. Interestingly, Jose would not hire Kim, and Kim learns that he is growing older by the day after finding some of the simplest tasks somewhat challenging. The outcome of this interaction teaches leaders that they should respect the work done by junior employees. They should set goals while considering workers’ varied abilities. At times, a manager must realize that the tasks they allocate need special expertise and should recognize the input of the workers. Kim is utterly defeated to undertake the cashier job and has to compensate the customers for the time wasted, and he learns a lot. Just like Kim, contemporary managers should notice the significant input of their workers. The fact that Carrie the director of operations does deliveries accentuates the enormous input of the personnel. After all the challenges he faced, and learning about the staunch sacrifices some of the staff has to make to deliver excellent performance to the company, Kim’s life is completely changed. Encouraged by the events, he resorts to rewarding good work by giving the four employees congratulatory incentives. Therefore, once in a while, company bosses ought to casually interact with the staff. This way, they not only have to appreciate the increasing financial figures, but also learn to recognize the individuals behind those

Proposed Plan for Future Development for IKEA Coursework - 1

Proposed Plan for Future Development for IKEA - Coursework Example Environmental sensitiveness of the company is well recognized by consumers. The other companies that specialize in Nordic furniture design the in the US, whose prices are comparatively very high are Design Within Reach, Minimalista, Boconcept and Tema. But, the strategy of IKEA is to target middle-class families on a global level with a variety of designs, quality and price. Companies like Sears, JC-Penny, Flanigan and Raymour are competitors to IKEA in the USA. Competitors in Europe include companies like John Lewis, Argos, B&Q and TESCO. Apart from furniture, the extensive range of products of IKEA includes lighting, textiles & rugs, Kitchenware, flooring, storage furniture, beds and mattresses tools and hardware. The IKEA Concept is based on offering a wide range of well designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them as mentioned in the website of Inter IKEA Systems B.V. The IKEA Concept guides the way IKEA products are designed, manufactured, transported, sold and assembled. 2 IKEA's business strategy hinges on sustainability and environmental design. The sustainability programs of IKEA envisage social, environmental and economic issues. Strengths and weaknesses of a company are mostly related to internal aspects. The internal environment of IKEA in terms of competitive advantage, market position and financial resources, is by and large conducive for a sustainable growth. The competitive advantage of a company arises out of several factors and the business plan which is very difficult to duplicate and the absence alternate products available cheaply enable IKEA to exploit the opportunities effectively and overcome the external threats. IKEA has established a name for itself with designs, quality and competitive pricing in the markets world over.  

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Analyst Report on Bridgestone Tyres Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analyst Report on Bridgestone Tyres - Essay Example The net income Bridgestone Corp performed extraordinarily In Europe where sales increased by 17% followed by Americans where sales increased by 1%. However, the net sales in Japan remain unchanged compared to 2011. The total assets of the company increased by 14% to 3,038.3 billion in 2012; this increase in the assets by financed by a 12% increase in the total liabilities and 3% increased in the total equity. The company returns showed a strong growth as well. The return on stockholders’ equity increased by 4.6 percentage points to 13.7% and return on assets increased by 2.2 percentage points to 6.0% in 2012. The company promises significant returns as well as strong value addition in future. Company Profile Ticker symbol: 5108.T Mission Statement: Serving Society with Superior Quality Corporate headquarters: Tokyo, Japan Date of Incorporation: March 1st, 1931 Public Auditor: Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited Name of CEO: Masaaki Tsuya Name of CFO: Koki Takahashi Stock classifi cations: Common Stock Authorized: 1,450,000,000 shares Issued: 813,102,321 shares Exchange: Tokyo Stock Exchange Dividends: 21.9 billion Industry Profile Market Sector The company belongs to the Consumer Discretionary Sector. It is a sector of the economy that comprises businesses that sell non-essential products or services. Leaders Toyota Motor Corp Comcast Corp Amazon.com Inc Industry The company belongs to the Auto Components Industry. The industry comprise companies that supply low value to high value component to auto makers around the world. Stock Comparison with Competitors Bridgestone Corporation’s stock has shown a remarkable growth since January 2012 as compared to Pirelli’s and Goodyear’s stock as shown in the figure. The graph notes some of the major events – dividends, earnings and news. The news article states that the company has invested billions of yen into the research and development to produce tyres with maximized durability and value . The company, currently, has invested millions of yen into a new North American desert plant to extract a new form of natural rubber for tyre manufacturing. This stresses that the company continues to strive hard fpr excellence. The graph shows that company has continued to announce dividends and interim dividends at year ends and half year ends respectively. This has strengthened the belief of the investors in the stock value. Likewise, the company announced promising earnings which has allowed the company to maintain number one position in the global tyre market. Both the dividends and earnings have an impact on the stock price – in this case, the company’s stock price has risen par the competitors’ value after continuously posting strong earninsg and dividends. Market Capitalization Company Market Capitalization Bridgestone Corp 20.24B Goodyear 3.9B Continental 27B Michelin 14.4B Market capitalization is basically the market value of the company’s out standing shares. It determines the size of the company which allows for conclusion on asset allocation and risk factor. The analysis shows Bridgestone Corp has the largest capitalization compared to its three giant competitors – Goodyear, Continental AG and Michelin. With the capitalization of â‚ ¬20.24 billion, it falls in the ‘large cap’ pool of companies with a strong asset allocation and less risk. Global Presence Bridgestone Corpo

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Proposed Plan for Future Development for IKEA Coursework - 1

Proposed Plan for Future Development for IKEA - Coursework Example Environmental sensitiveness of the company is well recognized by consumers. The other companies that specialize in Nordic furniture design the in the US, whose prices are comparatively very high are Design Within Reach, Minimalista, Boconcept and Tema. But, the strategy of IKEA is to target middle-class families on a global level with a variety of designs, quality and price. Companies like Sears, JC-Penny, Flanigan and Raymour are competitors to IKEA in the USA. Competitors in Europe include companies like John Lewis, Argos, B&Q and TESCO. Apart from furniture, the extensive range of products of IKEA includes lighting, textiles & rugs, Kitchenware, flooring, storage furniture, beds and mattresses tools and hardware. The IKEA Concept is based on offering a wide range of well designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them as mentioned in the website of Inter IKEA Systems B.V. The IKEA Concept guides the way IKEA products are designed, manufactured, transported, sold and assembled. 2 IKEA's business strategy hinges on sustainability and environmental design. The sustainability programs of IKEA envisage social, environmental and economic issues. Strengths and weaknesses of a company are mostly related to internal aspects. The internal environment of IKEA in terms of competitive advantage, market position and financial resources, is by and large conducive for a sustainable growth. The competitive advantage of a company arises out of several factors and the business plan which is very difficult to duplicate and the absence alternate products available cheaply enable IKEA to exploit the opportunities effectively and overcome the external threats. IKEA has established a name for itself with designs, quality and competitive pricing in the markets world over.  

Planning to Live Your Life Your Way Essay Example for Free

Planning to Live Your Life Your Way Essay Goal setting is a formal process for personal planning. By setting goals on a routine basis you decide what you want to achieve, and then move step by-step towards the achievement of these goals. The process of setting goals and targets allows you to choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know what you have to concentrate on to do it. You also know what is merely a distraction. Goal setting is a standard technique used by top-level athletes, successful business-people and achievers in all fields. It gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation. It focuses your acquisition of knowledge and helps you to organize your resources. By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals. You can see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long pointless grind. By setting goals, you will also raise your self-confidence, as you recognize your ability and competence in achieving the goals that you have set. The process of achieving goals and seeing this achievement gives you confidence that you will be able to achieve higher and more difficult goals. Goals are set on a number of different levels: First you decide what you want to do with your life and what large-scale goals you want to achieve. Second, you break these down into the smaller and smaller targets that you must hit so that you reach your lifetime goals. Finally, once you have your plan, you start working towards achieving it. Starting to Set Personal Goals This section explains how to set personal goals. It starts with your lifetime goals, and then works through a series of lower level plans culminating in a daily to-do list. By setting up this structure of plans you can break even the biggest life goal down into a number of small tasks that you need to do each day to reach the lifetime goals. Your Lifetime Goals The first step in setting personal goals is to consider what you want to achieve in your lifetime, as setting Lifetime goals gives you the overall perspective that shapes all other aspects of your decision making. How to Start to Achieve Your LifetimeGoals Once you have set your lifetime goals, set a 25 year plan of smaller goals that you should complete if you are to reach your lifetime plan. Then set a 5 year plan, 1 year plan, 6 month plan, and 1 month plan of progressively smaller goals that you should reach to achieve your lifetime goals. Each of these should be based on the previous plan. Finally set a daily to-do list of things that you should do today to work towards your lifetime goals. At an early stage these goals may be to read books and gather information on the achievement of your goals. This will help you to improve the quality and realism of your goal setting. Finally review your plans, and make sure that they fit the way in which you want to live your life.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Movie Analysis Of Slumdog Millionaire Film Studies Essay

Movie Analysis Of Slumdog Millionaire Film Studies Essay The object that I have chosen is a film called Slumdog Millionaire (2008). The movie, directed by Danny Boyle, received 8 Oscar awards for excellence in the fields like Direction, Cinematography, Film Editing, Sound Mixing, Original Score and Original Song. The movie is an adaption of a novel Q A written by the proclaimed Indian author and diplomat, Vikas Swarup. The movie is set in an Indian backdrop and the story revolves around an uneducated Muslim boy named Jamaal, and about his journey from the slums in a typical rags to riches background. The story begins with Jamaal and his brothers life in slums, and how they were left homeless after a Hindu Muslim riot which kills their mother. It continues with their journey to other cities and finally ends at Kaun Banega Crorepati (Indian adaption of Who Wants to be a Millionaire) where he wins the contest using the knowledge he had picked up during his impoverished life. Other than the several accolades, the film also faced criticism for the ugly potrayal of India and the abusive language that was used. In the following paragraphs, I would be analyzing the movie in terms of genres that it potrayed. Genre is a French term used for type. It is a term that has existed since very early times in cinema. Some frequently used genres are romance, crime, comedy , fantasy or actuality, drama, thriller, horror, suspense, cowboy, art/ independent(class note). Basically it is a repetition of certain features while making a film, that later act as a genesis for its identification under a specific genre. But gradually, it was realized that such a narrowed down approach of filmmaking and categorization lead to productions that were repetitive and predictable. Thus arose the need for genre films to be not just more of the same but also something different. This lead to an interesting phenomenon of categorizing the same movie in various genres like drama, action, mystery etc. Such movies are called multi genre films. It has been claimed that the more recent movies target consciously for genre cross-over. This concept of cross-over results in multi genre films that can be described as postmodern in terms of cinema. The amalgamation of genres leads to mixing of the already existing genres and thus generates new possibilities. The mixing together of genres is often referred to as bricolage, and such films are called hybrids. In bricolage, one can often observe elements of various different films that are grouped together. Why? Why limit a film to one set of emotions when it has the potential to explore so much more? Danny Boyle The concept of multi genres can be clearly seen in the movie Slumdog Millionaire. The genres identified are romance, drama and crime. The story told in the film seems to be a retold from the movie Salaam Bombay, which is story of a young boy Chaipu who is left homeless and lives on the streets of Bombay. The story is about how he survives by doing odd jobs at a very young age and struggles to overcome the harsh reality of the metropolitan that is Bombay. One can easily draw a parallel between Chaipu in Salaaam Bombay and Jamaals character in Slumdog Millionaire (Infact the first reaction of Indian audience to Slumdog Millionaire was its comparison to Salaam Bombay). The other elements of the movie such as the underworld, crime and Hindu-Muslim riots in the city of Mumbai have been portrayed in a far more realistic way in movies Satya [INSERT YEAR] , Sadak[] and Bombay[]. The ending of the movie is rather happy where Jamaal finally reunites with his ladylove and also miraculously wins the show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. These joyful endings have been prevalent in cinema for a long time. The theme of the movie is formulaic and seems to be a repetition of the previous movies based on the same lines. Genres can also be discussed in relation to industry, market and the audience. The industry makes film as long as there is a demand from the audience. The categorization of films into genres basically enables the industry to divide the range of movies that be made and thus sets a clear demarcation. The study of movies of different genres in the market gives a good idea of the response of the audience and thus on the basis of this study of most profitable response, movie of the same genre are made. A particular type of genre movie tries to specialize at the majority of the levels so as to maximize the possibility of profits. Analyzing Slumdog Millionaire in this light we can notice that the use of locations, props, actors has been carefully chosen according to the genre and script of the movie. As the movie is about a young, homeless, uneducated Indian boy and all the hardships he goes through, it was very crucial for the movie to use the appropriate locations and props. The location chosen for the shooting was the city of Mumbai itself. The young star cast of the are the in fact children of the slums which lends a very original effect to the movie. The director very cleverly chose the other actors as well keeping in mind the International and the Indian audience. The actors are mostly debutants and fit completely in the non-glamorous portrayals of the roles. The international audiences have a stereo typical image of the Asian cinema and the director has kept this in mind while choosing the various aspects of the movie Genre films have a deep impact on the social and cultural contexts. These films act as cultural products; which might carry the dominant and prevalent ideologies of the society in which they are produced. Though more than often films are not a reflection of the real society but instead are based on common perception of the society. The following two texts relate to the genre in movies. I have tried to analyze Slumdog Millionaire in the light of these two texts: Moral issues are raised, questions are asked and answers given. We are invited to evaluate a characters actions and imaginary solutions are offered to real problems within the society If we look at the movie Slumdog Millionaire, it has showcased many problems like poverty, crime, trickery and deception in a rather exaggerated way and in the end the solution offered an imaginary solution would make sense only in a fantasy land. An instance of the imaginary solution in the movie is that the boy who grew up without any education whatsoever starts tricking non hindi speaking tourists with impeccable English and later in the movie locates his brother using a computer. This is just something fantastical which fills people with hope and optimism, and makes them believe that there is a solution all problems. This is something that definitely does not happen in the real world, but the movie came out at a time when the world was witnessing one of the greatest recessions of all time, and almost everybody faces a bleak future. At this time, the movie gave the solution to the society that it so much wanted to believe. It could be claimed that such films (genre movies) are not reflections of society but are particular perceptions of a society. How we see such films might ultimately be determined by whether or not recurring patterns and themes can be identified In Slumdog Millionaire, the director has made use of the emotions of audience. It is made in way that it draws sympathy from the Western world and re-affirms their age old opinion about India. The plot in the movie doesnt speak about anything that a modern developing economy boasts of (a common example of this is the fact that many foreigners still think of India as a land of snake charmers in US, whereas I am yet to see a single snake charmer in my 24 years of stay in India). Genre films sometimes challenge dominant ideas, question cultural values and this just leaves a more positive and optimistic effect on people as they do not find themselves helplessly tied to a societys belief system. In this context the film Slumdog Millionaire challenges the fact that an uneducated and lowly placed person in society can get as big a success as winning the mega jackpot. This theme subtly re-assures the audience that despite their short comings, they could also be the next Jamaal. Also, in an u nderlying theme of the Good overcoming the evil makes the movie adjust to the perception of the audience. The fact that Jamaal even after being embroiled in so many nasty incidents and pot holes of crime and vulgarity, remains good, and ultimately wins the jackpot. This plays on the audiences wish to see the ending that they sub-consciously believe in, and want to see on screen, even if that doesnt make much sense in reality. To conclude, we can say that Slumdog Millionaire is a movie that was packaged very deftly into the genres that were decided for it by the movie-makers. From the point of view of culture, audience and industry, the movie weaves itself perfectly into the landscape it aspires to project itself into. The movie was hit on a global scale, and after analyzing the intelligent inter-play of genres, the underlying rags to riches theme, satisfying the audiences sub-conscious desires irrespective of location and releasing at a time when the world was in recession, seems but a powerful potion for a massive on on-screen success.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The Transformation of a King Essay -- Literary Analysis

Debatable is the story of Prince Hal and how he undergoes a transformation so infinite we may have difficulty comprehending the struggles he endured. Throughout the course of events in Henry IV, Part I, By William Shakespeare, first impressions of the characters are depicted and remain strong during most of the play. From the beginning of the play it is understood that Hal is an immature extrovert who sees no need for careful behaviors. Unlike his father, King Henry IV, Hal puts forth insufficient effort to prove he can hold the power that will eventually be his when he succeeds his father in the throne. Throughout the play there is controversy between the King and Hal as a direct result of Hal’s performance as a Prince. From gallivanting in the tavern, to fighting in the battle of Shrewsbury, Hal becomes the son that King Henry has been pressuring him to be all along. The father/son relationship is a significant theme in this play, alongside Prince Hal’s other relationships with important male figures such as Hotspur and Falstaff. Falstaff is one of the favorites of this play, rather obvious that he is the brunt of a multitude of jokes; somehow maintains certain poise. On the other hand, we have Hotspur, a talented and brave young man the King wishes were his son: â€Å"That some night-tripping fairy had exchanged/ In cradle-clothes our children where they lay/ And called mine â€Å"Percy,† his â€Å"Plantagenet†!/ Then would I have his Harry, and he mine† (1.1.86-89). Both Hotspur and Hal are the intended future leaders of their country, but Hal doesn’t seem to understand his role in its entirety (at least his actions haven’t proven his maturity to the likes of King Henry IV). The King would prefer Hal act in a more appropriate manner when... ...ove to his father that he has what it takes to be the next king, but in the end his father couldn’t be more pleased with Hal’s performance. Works Cited Kastan, David Scott. Introduction. King Henry IV, Part I. London: Arden, 2002. 44-51. Print. Kastan, David Scott. "The King Hath Many Marching in His Coat." 1 Henry IV. By William Shakespeare. Ed. Gordon McMullan. 3rd ed. New York: Norton, 2003. 330-346. Print. Khan, Coppelia. â€Å"Masculine Identifies.† 1 Henry IV. By William Shakespeare. Ed. Gordon McMullan. 3rd ed. New York: Norton, 2003. 330-346. Print. Reno, Raymond H. â€Å"Hotspur: The Integration of Character and Theme.† Henry the Fourth, Part I, by William Shakespeare. Ed. James L. Sanderson. 2nd ed. New York: Norton, 1969. 235-244. Print. Shakespeare, William. 1 Henry IV. Ed. Gordon McMullan. 3rd ed. New York: Norton, 2003. Print.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

indias safest cars :: essays research papers

How often do you wake up to the news of a road accident that killed a few people in some part of the country? Almost everyday, right? Then you quickly browse through the other news and life goes on. Every year, over 80,000 people die on Indian roads; every five road accidents leave one dead. Yet, it's just a statistic, which hardly changes our apathy towards road safety. Yes, road safety is an unpleasant, boring subject, but remember, it affects us all. How safe is the car you are driving or about to buy? How does one rate safety and who does it? We have compiled some information on a handful of cars that are available across the world and are also on sale in India, and their safety features and test results. We think you have the right to know. First, a little backgrounder. By law, all cars have to be tested and have to meet certain standards to be street legal. New Car Assessment Programmes (NCAPs) are carried out by various testing agencies in the United States, Europe, Japan and Australia amongst other countries. The European NCAP carries out the most stringent crash tests, as well as pedestrian and child safety tests vis-Ã  -vis other assessment programmes. Euro NCAP is a collaboration between governmental and automotive associations and is overseen by the FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile). The money for these expensive tests comes from the EU, by which the widest possible range of models can be assessed. Euro NCAP carries out frontal offset, side impact and pole test and has a simple rating system that awards stars out of five. This rating system makes it easy to interpret safety standards in cars before people go out to buy them. Over and above this, manufacturers can go ahead and carry out further tests that are not required by legislation and choose to incorporate these additional safety features. Let's then see how the cars have fared now. The Hyundai Accent GLS got an adult occupant rating of 2.5 stars and a pedestrian test rating of 2 stars. The levels of chest injury in adult occupants was exceptionally high, and hence the Accent missed out a full third star. Moreover, this car was fitted with a driver side airbag. For cars sold in Europe, side airbags come as an option. Accents are also equipped with Isofix anchorages and are electronically assisted by ABS and EBD.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Hiroshima- Book Report

Hiroshima – John Hersey Book Report – Natalie Kirby Hiroshima by John Hersey is a collection of biographies from six survivors from the bombing of Hiroshima. John Hersey wrote this book as an essay at first, but then the New York newspaper made a big deal out of it and how good it was. So a few months later he got it published. The setting of this book is in Hiroshima, Japan during the bombing (1945) and after the bombing.John Hersey wrote this book to tell what these six people were doing when the bomb hit, how they survived, what their reaction was to the damage and the aftermath of their lives. This book wasn’t all that interesting but I liked the part where Mr. Tanimoto was running to get to his church and city. Along the why he found his wife and their new born infant, yet he did not embrace them instead he simply said, â€Å"Oh, good your safe. † Then he listened to his wife tell him how she got out and where she was heading.After that the two split up again. I think it is interesting how shock can affect people. In this book John Hersey explains what each person was doing during the day minutes before the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. All of the six people were going about their business on what they thought was going to be a normal day. Miss. Toshnki Sasaki was a clerk in the East Asia Tin Works, Dr. Masakazu was a physician a few family problems, Mrs. Hatsuyo Nakamura was a Tailor’s widow, Father Wilhelm Kliensorge was a German priest, Dr.Terufumi Sasaki was a young surgeon, and Mr. Kiyoshi Tanimoto was a pastor of the Hiroshima Methodist Church. All of them experienced an extremely bright flash that momentarily blinded them. Seconds later they were pushed out away from the center were the bomb was dropped. Most of them were buried under the debris of the buildings they were in or standing right next to. Then they all went into shock and migrated to the park, which was not affected by the bomb, for shelter many grabb ed clothes and food that was still good.As the people went to the park they suffered many problems caused by the radiation in the bomb and had to make many hospital visits. The last part of the book is the aftermath and how the people lived their lives after the bombing. This book was a very informational, however I would not recommend it to someone looking for an action filled or just a good read. Also I would only recommend this book to 8th graders and higher.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Apple’s After-Sales Service Essay

Apple call center: Apple call center has 20000 telephones, is the world’s largest call center, the incoming calls are more than 1800000 every day and the numbers are increasing. It can be seen Apple’s after-sales service is also one of his strengths Customer Loyalty At a very general level, loyalty is something that consumers may exhibit to brands, services, stores, product categories, and activities. There are two advantages of customer loyalty programs. One is to increase sales revenues by raising purchase levels, and increasing the range of products bought from the supplier. The other is more defensive –– by building a closer bond between the brand and current customers it is hoped to maintain the current customer base. While loyalty programs can have many other peripheral goals – such as furthering cross-selling, creating databases, aiding trade relations, assisting brand PRï ¼Ë†public relationsï ¼â€°, establishing alliances, etc. Apple is a fantastic example of leveraging customer loyalty pillars, but the most important takeaway is that it is relevant to their customers. They know who their customers are, what they want and how to make them feel like Apple understands them. You can’t just try to mimic Apple- you need to know what pillars are important to your own customers in order to generate loyalty. Brand Image Speaking of apple’s brand image, I must mention Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs is a very important person for Apple and for all the stock holders as it means billions in stock price for them Shareholder requests for more CSRï ¼Ë†Corporation Social Responsibilityï ¼â€°Apple goes green Corporate adaptability. Although he died, but people still worship him. Apple has a strong brand image, which enables it to command a premium price for its products and gives it an edge over regional as well as global competitors. The Apple brand is well recognized amongst most consumers. Apple’s products enjoy a high level of brand awareness and brand recognition throughout all its markets. Moreover, the company’s brand ranking, as per Interbrand, has been improving in recent years. Apple’s brand value jumped 84 percent to $153.3 billion in 2011, mostly due to the iPad’s wild popularity and the iPhone’s continued growth. Apple leverages its brand image to differentiate its product offering and drive sales. The company’s strong brand enables it to command a premium pricing and create significant demand for its products such as iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad. For instance, the company sold 300,000 iPads on the first day of its launch in the US in April 2010. Strong brand image gives the company an edge over regional competitors and other global competitors such as Sony.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Adult Health History and Examination Essay Sample

Neurological System concerns. caput hurts. giddiness. paroxysms. shudders. failing. numbness. prickling. trouble speech production. and trouble get downing etc. . medicine ) : Neurologically JP is integral. Alert ox3 clear address with no vacillations. c/o concerns and giddiness on occasion. upon originating in the am. She admits being â€Å"little stressed to household situations† and revolving displacements ( DAYS/NIGHTS ) . Suggested to seek EAP ( Employee Assistance Program ) at work Head and Neck ( hurting. concerns. head/neck hurt. cervix hurting. lumps/swelling. surgeries on head/neck. medicines: LH has full ROM to make out and caput. closes her eyes and able to keep her weaponries and hands out without rocking. LH takes Motrin 800mg for concerns. Motrin ( isobutylphenyl propionic acid ) is a no steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ( NSAID ) . It works by cut downing endocrines that cause redness and hurting in the organic structure. This medical specialty may besides do se rious effects on the tummy or bowels. including shed blooding or perforation ( forming of a hole ) . These conditions can be fatal and can happen without warning while you are taking Motrin. particularly in older grownups. Nursing Drug Handbook ( 2013 ) Eyes ( oculus hurting. blurred vision. history of crossed eyes. redness/swelling in eyes. irrigating. rupturing. injury/surgery to oculus. glaucoma proving. vision trial. spectacless or contacts. medicines: LH has myopia and astigmia. She wears spectacless for rectification and contact lenses for aesthetics. no familial history of glaucoma. last oculus test on Sept 12. with no jobs. Ears ( otalgia or other ear hurting. history of ear infections. discharge from ears. history of surgery. trouble hearing. environmental noise exposure. dizziness. medicines: LH states â€Å"better than norm. † â€Å"I can’t see. but I sure can hear† . Denies tinnutitis. or being subjected to loud noises. She has had no surgeries or infections. Nose. Mouth. and Throat ( discharge. sores or lesions. hurting. epistaxiss. shed blooding gu ms. sore pharynx. allergic reactions. surgeries. usual dental attention. medicines: LH joke physiological reaction integral. unwritten mucosa moist. tap integral. Teeth intact. pits noted on 2 back dentition. last dental test was Jan2012. with a pit filled. discussed the demand to floss more. she brushes daily and after repasts. Reports frequent rhinorrhea and rhinal congestion. during the spring and summer. She self-treats this with over the antagonistic Claritin-D 10/200mg LH feels that she has seasonal allergic reactions. she refuses allergy proving. LH provinces â€Å"I do non necessitate to be poked to cognize I have hay fever† . Reinforced to LH the drug categorization and side effects of Claritin D. The decongestant in Claritin-D is Pseudoephedrine sulphate. which is the man-made salt of one of the of course happening dextrorotatory. diastereomers of ephedrine. It is classified as an indirect adrenergic aminoalkane. and is in the amphetamine category. Nursing Drug Handbook ( 2013 ) The American Dental Association recommends that grownups brush their dentitions two times a twenty-four hours. Research has shown that infections in t he oral cavity may be associated with bosom disease. shot. diabetes. pneumonia and other wellness jobs that are common in older grownups ( American Dental Association. 2012 ) Skin. Hair and Nails ( skin disease. alterations in colour. alterations in a mole. inordinate waterlessness or wet. itchiness. bruising. and roseola or lesions. recent hair loss. altering nails. environmental hazards/exposures. medicines ) : LH has soft. lissome warm tegument. LH has old acne marking over facial country stated â€Å"I had truly bad hickeies when I was younger and used to picked them. but I have non had any issues in years† . LH besides has thinning hair â€Å"I have had had it for years† . Maternal History of Alopecia and thinning hair. LH female parent started losing hair in teens. LH uses Rogaine shampoo 3 times a hebdomad. Women see more dramatic. localized hair thinning. even a noticeable bald topographic point. This status is called male form phalacrosis. or androgenous alopecia ( AGA ) . and it is the most common signifier of hair loss in both work forces and adult females. It about ever occurs on the top and sides of the caput and above the brow. and may besides affect inordinate hair growing on the face and other countries on the organic structure. though the scope of badness is broad. WebMD. com. Rogaine dilates blood vass in the scalp. which may better hair follicle map and stimulate hair growing. Rogaine is used to handle male pattern phalacrosis in patients who are sing bit by bit thinning hair on the top of the caput. World Wide Web. drugs. com Breasts and Axilla ( hurting or tenderness. balls. nipple discharge. roseola. swelling. injury or hurt to breast. mammography. breast self-exam. medicines ) : LH denies implants. injury or hurt LH stated â€Å"I would love saline implants. I breast fed both of my kids â€Å"She performs self-breast tests in the shower monthly. and her physician test her annual for her physical. Her last mammogram was April 2012. Mammogram is a low-dose x-ray test of the chests to look for alterations that are non normal. The consequences are recorded on x-ray movie or straight into a computing machine for a physician called a radiotherapist to analyze. Womenshealth. gov Peripheral Vascular and Lymphatic System ( leg hurting. spasms. and skin alterations in weaponries or legs. swelling in legs or mortise joints. conceited secretory organs. medicines ) : LH studies that she does non hold leg spasms or hurting. but that she does hold â€Å"varicose veins† . LH denies usage of compaction hosiery. Promote to utilize compaction hosiery. when standing and sitting for long periods. Cardiovascular System ( chest hurting or stringency. SOB. cough. swelling of pess or custodies. household history of cardiac disease. tyre easy. self-history of bosom disease. medicines ) : LH denies shortness of breath. weariness or puffiness of appendages. LH has a maternal and paternal history of high blood pressure. LH understands the branchings of familial history of high blood force per unit area. Denies chest hurting. Hypertension occurs when the blood force per unit area. or force of blood forcing against the blood vas walls. gets excessively high and corsets that manner. It occurs most frequently in African-Americans. The top figure. or systolic blood force per unit area. occurs when the bosom pumps or contracts. The bottom figure. or diastolic blood force per unit area. occurs when the bosom is resting or loosen uping. Most wellness professionals agree t hat the upper scope of normal blood force per unit area should be 130/80 or less. World Wide Web. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. gov Thorax and Lungs ( cough. SOB. hurting on inspiration or termination. chest hurting with external respiration. history of lung disease. smoking history. living/working conditions that affect take a breathing. last TB skin trial. grippe shooting. pneumococcal vaccinum. chest x-ray. medicines ) : LH denies COPD. asthma. bronchitis. No history of smoke. Last TB trial was October 2012 for occupation annually testing. Musculoskeletal System ( joint hurting ; stiffness ; swelling. heat. inflammation in articulations ; restriction of motion ; musculus hurting or cramping ; malformation of bone or articulation ; accidents or injury to castanetss ; back hurting ; trouble with activity of day-to-day life. medicines ) : LH had a right articulatio genus arthroscopy on January 11. 2013. She has been ramble oning 3x hebdomadal for the past 18 old ages. The articulatio genus surgery was for normal wear and rupture due to running on difficult surfaces. LH has full read-only memory on left appendage. LH is presently taking Nucynta 50mg for hurting alleviation. Tapentadol ( trade names: Nucynta ) is a centrally moving analgetic with a double manner of action as an agonist of the ?-opioid receptor and as a norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitor. It is besides an agonist of the ?2 receptor. though the map of this orphan receptor remains controversial. W hile its analgetic actions have been compared to tramadol and oxycodone. its general authority is someplace between tramadol and morphia in effectivity. It has opioid and nonopioid activity in a individual compound. Nursing Drug Handbook ( 2013 ) . Knee arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical process in which an scrutiny and sometimes intervention of harm of the inside of a joint is performed utilizing an arthroscopy. a type of endoscopy that is inserted into the joint through a little scratch. Arthroscopic processs can be performed either to measure or to handle many orthopaedic conditions including lacerate floating gristle. lacerate surface gristle. ACL Reconstruction. and paring damaged gristle. Gastrointestinal System ( alteration in appetite – addition or loss ; trouble swallowing ; nutrients non tolerated ; abdominal hurting ; sickness or emesis ; frequence of BM ; history of GI disease. ulcers. and medicines ) : LH denies any issues of digestion ; she eats 2 full repasts daily ( breakfast and dinner ) and bites between. largely fruits and nuts. LH is 67 inches and 148 pound. Genitourinary System ( recent alteratio n. frequence. urgency. nycturia. dysuria. polyuria. oliguria. hesitance or straining. urine colour. narrowed watercourse. incontinency. history of urinary disease. hurting in wing. inguen. suprapubic part or low back ) : LH denies any urinary frequence. dysuria or polyuria at this clip. Physical Examination ( Comprehensive scrutiny of each system. Record findings. ) Neurological System ( test of all 12 cranial nervousnesss. motor and centripetal appraisals ) : Luteinizing hormone is able to smile. smirk and wink without trouble. Her face is symmetrical with no nonvoluntary motions ( i. e. jerking ) . She able to place odors and gustatory sensation without trouble. All cranial nervousnesss are integral. Head and Neck ( feel the skull. inspect the cervix. inspect the face. feel the lymph nodes. feel the windpipe. palpate and auscultate windpipe and thyroid secretory organ ) : Trachea is clear. thyroid is midline integral. Lymph nodes are little and non-visible LH’s caput is circular and is normocephalic. with no tenderness upon tactual exploration. She has dry thinning hair. Eyes ( test ocular sharp-sightedness. ocular Fieldss. excess optic musculus map. inspects external oculus constructions. inspect anterior orb constructions. inspect optic fundus ) : Luteinizing hormone has symmetrical black. thinning superciliums. with evenly topographic point dark brown eyes that appear level. Her sclerotic coat are white and moist. her students are PERRLA 3mm. Both conjunctivae are pink. and no ulcers are noted. There is a positive corneal physiological reaction noted. She is able read a Snelling oculus chart top line with her spectacless on. and so she can read the smallest line. No nys tagmus noted. Ears ( inspect external construction. otoscopic scrutiny. inspect tympanic membrane. and trial hearing sharp-sightedness ) : her ear lobes are symmetrical. bean shaped. The pinnule recoils. Small metal balls noted in lobes. Auricles are holding a steadfast gristle on tactual exploration. with no tenderness. No discharge noted. with little chocolate-brown ruddy earwaxs noted in left ear. the membrane is level. and pearly grey in colour Nose. Mouth. and Throat ( Inspect and feel the olfactory organ. palpates the sinus country. inspect the oral cavity. inspect the pharynx ) : LHs olfactory organ is midline without discharge. The rhinal septum is midline. The rhinal mucous membrane is ruddy pink. Both nares are patent. The frontal and maxillary sinusitis is integral no tenderness upon tactual exploration. No Temporomandibular crepitus noted. Chewing gums are pinkish. without shed blooding. Withdrawing gums noted on lower forepart dentitions. Dental carries in back dentition and no halitosis. Tongue pink moist intact has no lesions or varicosities. JP is able to travel her lingua freely. Gag physiological reaction is integral. Her tonsils were removed at age 4. Her windpipe is midline. with no nodules. Her thyroid is non tangible. She has scope of full gesture in her cervix. Skin. Hair and Nails ( inspect and palpate tegument. temperature. wet. lesions. inspect and palpate hair. distribution. texture. inspect and palpate nails. contour. colour. learn introspection techniques ) : Skin colour is brown. supple and warm. There is a midline cicatrix noted on lower venters. good healed and integral. Nails manicured. pink with Polish in topographic point. Breasts and Axilla ( deferred ) Peripheral Vascular and Lymphatic System ( inspect weaponries. symmetricalness. pulsations ; inspect legs. venous form. varicosities. pulsations. colour. swelling. and balls ) : LH legs are warm. integral. green broken venas noted on the dorsum of both legs. integral. Radial pulsations are tangible. strong. and equal. Roentgen 56. L58Her legs show no venous engorgement. Bilateral pedal pulses 2+ . strong. Cardiovascular System ( inspect and palpate carotid arterias. jugular venous system. precordium heaving or lift. apical urge ; auscultate rate and beat ; place S1 and S2. any excess bosom sounds. mutter ) : No jugular vena dilatation. No lift. heave. or pulsing over the aortal. pneumonic. or mitral valves. Heart sounds are strong and regular. with S1S2 hearable at all anatomic sites. Apical rate 58 Sinus Bradycardia no ectopy. jugular venas distention noted. Thorax and Lungs ( inspect thoracic coop. symmetricalness. haptic fremitus. windpipe ; feel symmetrical enlargement ; percussion of anterior. sidelong and posterior. unnatural take a breathing sounds ) : Lung sounds clear bilaterally throughout lung Fieldss Musculoskeletal System ( inspect cervical spinal column for size. contour. swelling. mass. malformation. hurting. scope of gesture ; inspect shoulders for size. colour. contour. swelling. mass. malformation. hurting. scope of gesture ; inspect cubituss for size. colour. contour. swelling. mass. malformation. hurting. scope of gesture ; inspect carpus and custodies for size. colour. contour. swelling. mass. malformation. hurting. scope of gesture ; inspect hips for size. colour. contour. swelling. mass. malformation. hurting. scope of gesture ; inspect articulatio genuss for size. colour. contour. swelling. mass. malformation. hurting. scope of gesture ; in spect mortise joints and pess for size. colour. contour. swelling. mass. malformation. hurting and scope of gesture ) : Extremities are equal in size. with equal contraction. and no nonvoluntary motions. LH is able to counter act gravitation and opposition on ROM. Reflexes integral and strong. All appendages can execute full scope of gesture. There is no hydrops and no crepitus. Extremity colour is even. Gastrointestinal System ( contour of venters. general symmetricalness. skin colour and status. pulsing and motion. navel. hair distribution ; auscultate intestine sound ; . percuss all four quarter-circles ; percuss boundary line of liver ; light tactual exploration in all four quadrants– musculus wall. tenderness. hypertrophied variety meats. multitudes. bounce tenderness. CVA tenderness ) : Contour is level with no seeable vermiculation. Skin is pink with striae noted on lower abdominal quarter-circles. No aortal pulsing noted. No tenderness. with intestine sound noted in all 4 quarter-circles underactive. Abdomen soft and level. The liver can non be palpated. Tension is smooth and consistent with no musculus guarding. Genitourinary System ( deferred ) FHP AssessmentCognitive-Perceptual Form: LH wears spectacless for disciplinary vision. has long term and short term callback. Learns best by listening. she is able to hear and compose without trouble. LH is frequently distracted by place state of affairss and emphasis. LH is sing uncomfortableness for her right articulatio genus. she utilizing heat battalions and hurting medicine. Nutritional-Metabolic Form: Luteinizing hormone watches her Na. fat and sugar consumption. She is non dieting ; nevertheless her end is to keep her weight within 5lbs of the mark Harmonizing to the American Heart Association 2012. cholesterin is governable. and a major factor in hazard for coronary arteria disease. shot. and bosom onslaught ( AHA. 2012 ) . Sexuality-Reproductive Form: LH is Gravida 2. Para 2 Abortions 0. She has 2 grownup boies. and 1 grandson. LH is premenopausal and denies complications except for the occasional â€Å"hot flash† . LH is non utilizing any medicines â€Å"I’m allowing it happen naturally† . LH is married this is her 3rd hubby. been married for 8 old ages and is sexually active and monogamous. Pattern of Elimination: LH studies daily bowel motions. with occasional irregularity. She uses prune juice and Metamucil. Pattern of Activity and Exercise: LH was running 3x hebdomadal until the process she is presently making Physical Therapy 2x hebdomad for 6 hebdomads. She lifts manus weights daily. Pattern of Sleep and Rest: LH sleeps 5-6 hours daily without sleep AIDSs. Pattern of Self-Perception and Self-Concept: LH is seting to her function as charge nurse at dark. keeping her function as married woman. grandma and female parent. LH has 1 brother. who she speaks to weekly and her female parent 3x weekly. Both of whom lives in another province. LH states â€Å"I experience better than most adult females my age† Situation ( ground for seeking attention. patient statements ) : LH is a 47 year-old African American female. She is 67 inches and 149lbs. She is position postop right articulatio genus arthroscopy Right articulatio genus uncomfortableness. right articulatio genus with one dressing. LH uncomfortableness degree is 4/10. pounding when up ambulating. Background ( wellness and household history. recent observations ) : The patient has a history of right articulatio genus hurting after ramble oning Assessment ( appraisal of wellness province or jobs. nursing diagnosing ) : VSS= T 36. 1. P58. BP 106/58. Patient faces upon walking. Gait steady. ambulating with crutches full weight bearing on right articulatio genus. No Pedal pulses +2. habitue. Students are PERRLA. Lung sounds are clear bilaterally throughout lung Fieldss and bosom rate is regular 58 SB with S1S2 hearable. Recommendation ( diagnostic rating. follow-up attention. patient instruction learning including wellness publicity instruction ) : instruction on hurting direction. manus rinsing and exercising. Continue with Physical therapy Patient instruction on the usage of anti-thrombotic hosiery. when standing and walking for long periods. Stretching musculuss prior to exerting. Stretching the musculuss and sin ews that surround the articulations to better flexibleness. Nursing DiagnosisNursing Diagnosis: Impaired Physical Mobility R/T to diminish ROM of right articulatio genus 1 hebdomad station op. Intervention 1: Educate LH to halt running on difficult surfaces or activity instantly and describe to the doctor if she experiences the undermentioned symptoms: new or worsened strength or increased frequence of discomfort Rationale: Runing on difficult surfaces causes. the articulations and sinews to go worn and loses the synovial fluid around the joint. Patient Result: LH will hold less uncomfortableness when running. Intervention 2: LH will go on with physical therapy for opposition exercising preparation. including abdominal crunch. leg imperativeness. leg extension. leg coil. calf imperativenesss. Rationale: Six months of opposition exercising greatly increased their aerophilic capacity. perchance from increased skeletal musculus strength and flexibleness. Decision LH has healthy behaviours sing physical wellness. However. she needs to develop better ways to alleviate emphasis. ( i. e. talking with a counsellor. reading books. go toing church ) . Besides LH needs to better her sleeping hours. by developing sleep clip rites ( i. e. turn off Television. turn off visible radiations. and cover the Windowss ) . LH will pull off her uncomfortableness. by go oning on hurting medicine as prescribed. and follow up with sawbones assignments as directed. Suggested LH utilize local YMCA for H2O exercising. less tenseness on the articulatio genuss. LH will be go toing church and bible survey to assist with get bying mechanisms. Mentions Carpenito L. J. ( 2011 ) . Nursing Diagnosis Handbook: An Evidence-Based Guide toPlaning Care ( 14th ed. ) . Wolters. Kluwer. AHA. ( 2012 ) . Preventing Heart Disease. Retrieved Aug 7. 2012. from American Heart Association: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. bosom. org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Conditions_UCM_001087_SubHomePage. jsp American Dental Association. ( 2012 ) . Retrieved Sept 26. 2012. from Mouth Healthy: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. mouthhealthy. org/en/adults Cluett. J. ( 2012 ) . Knee Pain. Retrieved Sept 28. 2012. from About Orthopedicss: hypertext transfer protocol: //orthopedics. about. com/cs/hipsurgery/a/hippain. htm Jarvis. C. ( 2012 ) . Physical Examination A ; Health Assessment ( 6 ed. ) . St Louis: Saunders. hypertext transfer protocol: //www. webmd. com/pain-management/knee-pain/runners-knee