The International Student Association ( Misa ) Lounge On...

When I initially found out that I was interviewing Josh for my one-to-one I wasn’t too stoked on the idea. I was a bit worried that our session together might not be as personal as I would like and that he would find it hard to open up because of our differences. I originally asked him to meet me at the Minnesota International Student Association (MISA) lounge on the second floor of Coffman Union. MISA is a space specifically catered to International students and multi-cultural students so I assumed it would be different from what Josh might be accustomed to. When Josh arrived at the MISA lounge the room was occupied by a student group event, so I took him to the room right next door, the Asian Student Union lounge. By the way Josh looked around the room, I could tell that he was a little uncomfortable by the â€Å"Asianess† of the room, so I asked him if he would rather do the interview somewhere else. He replied back that he was fine with the space so we carried on wi th our 1 on 1. To begin with, I asked Josh to tell me his story and share some significant moments in his life. It was a very vague question and I didn’t expect much contend from his answers. He began with the very nonspecific details about his childhood growing up in Woodbury, MN and how lived a very â€Å"normal† life. He talked about how he participated in soccer, baseball and hockey and how sports kept him occupied while growing up. I felt that he wasn’t sharing much so I asked him the question again about a

Compensation Practices Apple Corporation - 2260 Words

Compensation practices Apple Apple Corporation was formally known as Apple Computer, Inc. It is an American based multinational organization. Organization s base camp situated in Cupertino, California. Macintosh creates, outlines, and offers PC programming, shop gadgets, and PCs. One of its most famous items is the Mac line of PCs, iPhone, iPad, and iPod. Some of its product incorporates iTunes, media program OS X, and the iOS are working frameworks. The organization was begun on April 1, 1976, and enlisted as Apple Computer on January 3, 1977. Computer was taken from its before name in the year 2007. It was proposed to mirror organization s new thoughtfulness regarding client gadgets after the presentation of the iPhone. Apple is world s second greatest data innovation organization by income after Samsung Electronics. It is additionally world s number three organization in telephone making after Nokia and Samsung. In the year 2008, the organization was the most respected organization by United States nationals. Toward the end of 2012, the organization had 394 retail locations all spread in 14 nations. It made Apple organization be the second biggest traded on an open market organization comprehensively by business sector capitalization. In January 2013, the organization was assessed to be worth 414 bln USD. As of September 29, 2012, the organization had a sum of 72,800 permanent full-time representatives. 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Dijkstra Paper Free Essays

(A Look Back at) Go To Statement Considered Harmful Edsger Dijkstra wrote a Letter to the Editor of Communications in 1968, criticizing the excessive use of the go to statement in programming languages. Instead, he encouraged his fellow computer scientists to consider structured programming. The letter, originally entitled â€Å"A Case Against the Goto Statement,† was published in the March 1968 issue under the headline â€Å"Go To Statement Considered Harmful. We will write a custom essay sample on Dijkstra Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now † It would become the most legendary CACM â€Å"Letter† of all time; â€Å"Considered Harmful† would develop into an iconic catch-all. Dijkstra’s comments sparked an editorial debate that spanned these pages for over 20 years. In honor of the occasion, we republish here the original letter that started it all. Editor: For a number of years I have been familiar with the observation that the quality of programmers is a decreasing function of the density of go to statements in the programs they produce. More recently I discovered why the use of the go to statement has such disastrous effects, and I became convinced that the go to statement should be abolished from all â€Å"higher level† programming languages (i. e. verything except, perhaps, plain machine code). At that time I did not attach too much importance to this discovery; I now submit my considerations for publication because in very recent discussions in which the subject turned up, I have been urged to do so. My first remark is that, although the programmer’s activity ends when he has constructed a correct program, the process taking pla ce under control of his program is the true subject matter of his activity, for it is this process that has to accomplish the desired effect; it is this process that in its dynamic behavior has to satisfy the desired specifications. Yet, once the program has been made, the â€Å"making† of the corresponding process is delegated to the machine. My second remark is that our intellectual powers are rather geared to master static relations and that our powers to visualize processes evolving in time are relatively poorly developed. For that reason we should do (as wise programmers aware of our limitations) our utmost to shorten the conceptual gap between the static program and the dynamic process, to make the correspondence between the program (spread out in text space) and the process (spread out in time) as trivial as possible. Let us now consider how we can characterize the progress of a process. (You may think about this question in a very concrete manner: suppose that a process, considered as a time succession of actions, is stopped after an arbitrary action, what data do we have to fix in order that we can redo the process until the very same point? ) If the program text is a pure concatenation of, say, assignment statements (for the purpose of this discussion regarded as the descriptions of single actions) it is sufficient to point in the program text to a point between two successive action descriptions. In the absence of go to statements I can permit myself the syntactic ambiguity in the last three words of the previous sentence: if we parse them as â€Å"successive (action descriptions) â€Å"we mean successive in text space; if we parse as â€Å"(successive action) descriptions† we mean successive in time. ) Let us 7 PAUL WATSON COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM January 2008/Vol. 51, No. 1 Forum c all such a pointer to a suitable place in the text a â€Å"textual index. † When we include conditional clauses (if B then A), alternative clauses (if B then A1 else A2), choice clauses as introduced by C. A. R. Hoare (case[i] of (A1, A2, †¦ , An)), or conditional expressions as introduced by J. McCarthy (B1__ E1, B2 __ E2, †¦ , Bn __ En), the fact remains that the progress of the process remains characterized by a single textual index. As soon as we include in our language procedures we must admit that a single textual index is no longer sufficient. In the case that a textual index points to the interior of a procedure body the dynamic progress is only characterized when we also give to which call of the procedure we refer. With the inclusion of procedures we can characterize the progress of the process via a sequence of textual indices, the length of this sequence being equal to the dynamic depth of procedure calling. Let us now consider repetition clauses (like, while B repeat A or repeat A until B). Logically speaking, such clauses are now superfluous, because we can express repetition with the aid of recursive procedures. For reasons of realism I don’t wish to exclude them: on the one hand, repetition clauses can be implemented quite comfortably with present day finite equipment; on the other hand, the reasoning pattern known as â€Å"induction† makes us well quipped to retain our intellectual grasp on the processes generated by repetition clauses. With the inclusion of the repetition clauses 8 textual indices are no longer sufficient to describe the dynamic progress of the process. With each entry into a repetition clause, however, we can associate a socalled â€Å"dynamic index,â₠¬  inexorably counting the ordinal number of the corresponding current repetition. As repetition clauses (just as procedure calls) may be applied nestedly, we find that now the progress of the process can always be uniquely characterized by a (mixed) sequence of textual and/or dynamic indices. The main point is that the values of these indices are outside programmer’s control; they are generated (either by the write-up of his program or by the dynamic evolution of the process) whether he wishes or not. They provide independent coordinates in which to describe the progress of the process. Why do we need such independent coordinates? The reason is—and this seems to be inherent to sequential processes—that we can interpret the value of a variable only with respect to the progress of the process. If we wish to count the number, n say, of people in an initially empty room, we can achieve this by increasing n by one whenever we see someone entering the room. In the inbetween moment that we have observed someone entering the room but have not yet performed the subsequent increase of n, its value equals the number of people in the room minus one! The unbridled use of the go to statement has an immediate consequence that it becomes terribly hard to find a meaningful set of coordinates in which to describe he process progress. Usually, people take into account as well the values of some well chosen variables, but this is out of the question because it is relative to the progress that the meaning of these values is to be understood! With the go to statement one can, of course, still describe the progress uniquely by a counter counting the number of actions performed since program start (viz. a kind of normalized clock). The difficulty is that such a coordinate, although unique, is u tterly unhelpful. In such a coordinate system it becomes an extremely complicated affair to define all those points of progress where, say, n equals the number of persons in the room minus one! The go to statement as it stands is just too primitive; it is too much an invitation to make a mess of one’s program. One can regard and appreciate the clauses considered as bridling its use. I do not claim that the clauses mentioned are exhaustive in the sense that they will satisfy all needs, but whatever clauses are suggested (e. g. bortion clauses) they should satisfy the requirement that a programmer independent coordinate system can be maintained to describe the process in a helpful and manageable way. It is hard to end this with a fair acknowledgment. Am I to judge by whom my thinking has been influenced? It is fairly obvious that I am not uninfluenced by Peter Landin and Christopher Strachey. Finally I should like to record (as I remember it quite distinctly) how Heinz Zemanek at the pre-ALGOL me eting in early 1959 in Copenhagen quite explic- January 2008/Vol. 1, No. 1 COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM itly expressed his doubts whether the go to statement should be treated on equal syntactic footing with the assignment statement. To a modest extent I blame myself for not having then drawn the consequences of his remark. The remark about the undesirability of the go to statement is far from new. I remember having read the explicit recommendation to restrict the use of the go to statement to alarm exits, but I have not been able to trace it; presumably, it has been made by C. A. R. Hoare. In [1, Sec. 3. . 1. ] Wirth and Hoare together make a remark in the same direction in motivating the case construction: â€Å"Like the conditional, it mirrors the dynamic structure of a program more clearly than go to statements and switches, and it eliminates the need for introducing a large number of labels in the program. † In [2] Guiseppe Jacopini seems to have proved the (logical) superf luousness of the go to statement. The exercise to translate an arbitrary flow diagram more or less mechanically into a jumpless one, however, is not to be recommended. Then the resulting flow diagram cannot be expected to be more transparent than the original one. REFERENCES 1. Wirth, Niklaus, and Hoare, C. A. R. A contribution to the development of ALGOL. Comm. ACM 9 (June 1966), 413–432. 2. Bohn, Corrado, and Jacopini, Guiseppe. Flow Diagrams, Turing machines and languages with only two formation rules. Comm. ACM 9 (May 1966) 366–371. Coming Next Month in COMMUNICATIONS Alternate Reality Gaming IT Diffusion in Developing Countries Are People Biased in their Use of Search Engines? The Factors that Affect Knowledge-Sharing Behavior Alternative Scenarios to the â€Å"Banner† Years Municipal Broadband Wireless Networks The Myths and Truths about Wireless Security Managing Large Collections of Data Mining Models Women and Men in IT: Alike or Different? EDSGER W. DIJKSTRA Technological University Eindhoven, The Netherlands Communications of the ACM March 1968, Vol. 11, No. 3, pg 147 COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM January 2008/Vol. 51, No. 1 9 How to cite Dijkstra Paper, Essay examples

Lehninger Principles Biochemistry Macmillan -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Lehninger Principles Biochemistry Macmillan? Answer: Introduction: The term "allosteric" is derived from two Greek work, "allos" meaning "other" and "stereos" meaning "solid". Allosteric protein aids in feedback inhibition (FI). FI is defined as a process of enzyme inhibition in an ongoing biosynthetic pathway via the action of the end-product of that pathway. For example biosynthesis of D from A is catalyzed via a series of enzyme from Enz1 to Enz3. High concentration of D3 inhibits the conversion A to A. Here D is an allosteric protein that binds to the allosteric site of the enzyme (Enz1) and thereby modulating the catalytic site leading to enzyme inhibition. This kind of inhibition is known as negative allosteric inhibition and D is a negative allosteric inhibitor with no structural similarity with the A (substrate of Enz1) (Murray 2009). In this report, phosphor-fructo-kinase-1 (PFK1) will be used as an example to explain allosteric protein and enzyme inhibition mechanism. PFK-1 is the major regulatory enzyme in the biochemical process of glycolysis. It helps in the conversion of Fructose 6-phosphate to fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and uses pyrophosphate (PPi) and not ATP as the phosphate group donor (Murray 2009). The activity is PFK-1 increases whenever the ATP supply of the cell is decreased or when ATP is broken down into ADP or AMP. The action of PFK is inhibited when there is ample supply of ATP inside the cell. Thus here high concentration of ATP (final product of glycolysis) is acting as an allosteric inhibitor of PFK, inhibiting its effective binding with Fructose 6-phosphate (substrate) to produce Fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. ATP inhibits PFK-1 by binding to an allosteric site and thereby lowering the affinity of PFK-1 for Fructose 6-phosphate. On the other hand, AMP and ADP increase in concentration within the cell whenas the utilization of ATP outpaces the production. Thus, again AMP and ADP binds allosterically to relief the inhibition of PFK-1 as imposed by ATP. All these effects amalgamates to generate higher enzymatic activity when AMP and ADP accumulates and on contraty, when ATP accumulates in cell, it lowers the enzymatic activity (Murray 2009). Citrate (an ionized from of citric acid) is a major intermediate in the aerobic oxidation of fatty acids, pyruvate and amino acids and acts a key allosteric regulator of PFK-1. High concentration of citrate increases the inhibitory effect of ATP on PFK. This in turn reduces the flow of glucose through the glycolysis biochemical process. In other words, it can be said that the citrate acts as an intracellular signal that notifies the cell that it is meeting its current requirement for all the available energy-yielding metabolism via oxidation of fats and proteins (Nelson, Lehninger and Cox 2008). Fructose 2,6 bisphosphate is another allosteric effectors for PFK-1 and thus helps in maintaining hormonal regulation of glyconeogenesis and glycolysis. Fructose 2,6-bisphosphate binds to its allosteric site of PFK-1 and increases its (PFK-1) enzymatic affinity towards fructose 6-phosphate and thereby reducing the effect of allosteric inhibitor (ATP) on PFK-1. Thus Fructose 2,6-bisphosphate is positive allosteric regulator and ATP is negative allosteric regulator of PFK-1 (Murray 2009). References Murray, R.K., 2009. Harper's illustrated biochemistry (26th edition). Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill; Medical Publishing Division Nelson, D.L., Lehninger, A.L. and Cox, M.M., 2008.Lehninger principles of biochemistry. Macmillan

Teenage Wasteland By Anne Tyler Essays - The Line,

Teenage Wasteland By Anne Tyler Building Blocks of a Family The short story Teenage Wasteland by Anne Tyler is a revealing story about the trials of a mother and her son. Donny is what is known as a problem child, and Daisy cannot to seem to figure out what his problem is. Through many attempts she tries to reach to him through counselors, and outside help. This story reveals a lack of communication, feelings of inadequacy, and lack of parental control. Daisy reminisces on what Donny used to look like. He used to have blond hair -almost white- cut shorter than the other children's so that on his crown a little cowlick always stood up to catch the light (Schwiebert 286). Times changed, and so did Donny. As he grew older, his hair grew darker, and he wore it longer - past his collar even (Schwiebert 286). Danny is having some problems at school. It seems that he does not concentrate, or put forth the right amount of effort. Daisy learns from Donny's principal that? Donny was noisy, lazy, and disruptive? (Schwiebert 287). Daisy explains to the principal that her and her husband, Matt, have tried what they can. We don't let him watch TV on school nights. We don't let him talk on the phone till he's finished his Cox-2 homework. But he tells us that he doesn't have any homework or he did it all in study hall. How are we to know what to believe? (Schwiebert 287) The principal gives Daisy the idea to check his assignments everyday. This wears down on Daisy and she becomes less involved in her daughter's life, and short towards her husband. By the time her husband, Matt, came home, she'd be snappish. She would recite the day's hardships? Matt would look surprised and confused, and Daisy would gradually wind down. There was no way, really, to convey how exhausting all this was. (Schwiebert 287) The lines of communication were broken. People were frustrated, and couldn't express themselves the way they should have. Especially Donny. In December, the school called again. This time they wanted Matt to come as well. (Schwiebert 287) Donny had run into more trouble. He had cut classes on at least three occasions. Smoked in the furnace room. Helped Sonny Barnett break into a freshman's locker. And last week, during athletics, he and three friends had been seen off school grounds; when they returned, the coach had smelled beer on their breath. (Schwiebert 287) Had anything that Daisy was doing getting through to him? Was it her fault? Had she really done all that she could have? She longed - she ached - for a time machine. Given one more chance, she'd do it perfectly? (Schwiebert 288) Daisy felt useless. She carried all the blame, and thought that she was the reason for Donny's downfall. Maybe if she had done things differently, it wouldn't be this way. It was arranged that Donny would visit a psychologist for testing. Daisy felt beaten. Cox-3 The psychologist said Donny had no serious emotional problems. He was merely going through a difficult period in his life. He required some academic help and a better sense of self-worth. The psychologist recommended Calvin Beadle, a tutor with considerable psychological training. (Schwiebert 288) Cal's presence is welcomed at first. Just look at Donny's face when they picked him up: alight and full of interest. (Schwiebert 289) Slowly he begins maneuvering into the aspects of Donny's life. The tutor had set down so many rules! They were not allowed any questions at all about any aspect of school, nor were they to speak with his teachers. (Schwiebert 290) Cal was eliminating them from Donny's life. Daisy did not notice this until she received a concerned phone call from one of Donny's teachers. The teacher explained that Donny's grades were not getting any better since the tutor, and that hey were better when she was involved with his homework. When Daisy explains to her that that th e tutor handles these things now, the teacher replies, 'I always deal directly with that parents. You are the parent,' Miss Evans said slowly and distinctly. (Scwiebert 290) As Donny spends more time with Cal, the problems seem

Assassin Bugs in the Garden

Assassin Bugs in the Garden Assassin bugs get their name from their predatory habits. Gardeners consider them beneficial insects because their voracious appetites for other bugs keep pests under control. All About Assassin Bugs Assassin bugs use piercing, sucking mouthparts to feed and have long, slender antennae. A short, three-segmented beak distinguishes Reduviids from other true bugs, which generally have beaks with four segments. Their heads are often tapered behind the eyes, so they look like they have a long neck. Reduviids vary in size, from just a few millimeters in length to over three centimeters. Some assassin bugs seem rather bland in brown or black, while others sport elaborate markings and brighter colors. The front legs of assassin bugs are designed for catching prey. When threatened, assassin bugs may inflict a painful bite, so be careful handling them. Classification of Assassin Bugs Kingdom – AnimaliaPhylum – ArthropodaClass – InsectaOrder – HemipteraFamily – Reduviidae The Assassin Bug Diet Most assassin bugs prey on other small invertebrates. A few parasitic Reduviids, like the well-known kissing bugs, suck the blood of vertebrates, including humans. The Assasin Bug Life Cycle Assassin bugs, like other Hemipterans, undergo incomplete metamorphosis with three stages- egg, nymph, and adult. The female lays clusters of eggs on plants. Wingless nymphs hatch from the eggs and molt several times to reach adulthood in about two months. Assassin bugs living in colder climates usually overwinter as adults. Special Adaptations and Defenses Toxins in the assassin bugs saliva paralyze its prey. Many have sticky hairs on their front legs, which help them grasp other insects. Some assassin bug nymphs camouflage themselves with debris, from dust bunnies to insect carcasses. Assassin bugs do whatever it takes to catch a meal. Many employ specialized behaviors or modified body parts designed to fool their prey. One termite-hunting species in Costa Rica uses the dead termite carcasses as bait to attract live ones, then pounces on the unsuspecting insect and eats it. Certain assassin bugs in southeast Asia will stick their hairy front legs in tree resin, and use it to attract bees. Range and Distribution of Assassin Bugs A cosmopolitan family of insects, assassin bugs live throughout the world. They are particularly diverse in the tropics. Scientists describe 6,600 distinct species, with over 100 types of assassin bugs living in North America.

Recent Direction of Monetary Policy in a Country of Your Choice Essay

Recent Direction of Monetary Policy in a Country of Your Choice - Essay Example Presently, the Reserve Bank executes the functions of the monetary policies in the USA for the purpose of controlling significant issues such as inflation, unemployment, and investment trends among others (Mankiw, 1997). Notably, there lie several purposes of the monetary policies that have been transformed periodically. The various guidelines of the government of a particular country possessed a noteworthy role in the economy in which the central bank acts for the purpose of executing the monetary or fiscal policies to a large extent. The chief motives of executing the monetary policies are to enhance the progression as well as the advancement of a country, decreasing the rate of unemployment and maintaining stable prices of different commodities (Reserve Bank of New Zealand, 2007). Monetary or fiscal policies are often related with certain important factors including the facilities of credit and the rate of interests among others. It can be stated that the monetary guiding principl es establish a kind of interrelation amid the rate of the interest charges which indicates toward the price or charge at which money can be borrowed and also toward the overall money supply in an economy (Taylor, 2001). In this paper, a brief idea regarding the conception of monetary policy along with its recent direction prevailing in an economy is taken into concern. In this regards, this paper will focus on presenting a brief overview of monetary policies prevailing in USA specifying its recent direction. A Brief Overview of Monetary Policies in USA Monetary policy of any nation is defined as the management of money supply and interest charges that are executed by the central banks of various countries to control the rising commodity prices as well as to diminish the rate of unemployment to a certain extent. From an in-depth point of view, it can be inferred that the monetary policies have a considerable impact upon the demand in an economy which in turn tend to affect the rate o f interest charges (Patnaik, 2007). It is in this context that the substantial increase in the rate of interests makes the finance lending abilities of an individual more costly where the organizations as well as the firms hold fewer inventories. Moreover, a rise in the interest charges also influences the investment initiatives of an individual as well as of any industry participant to be more costly. Subsequently, the assets tend to lose its real value (Floyd, 2010). Furthermore, in relation to the financial reforms considered in the USA, the role and the importance of the monetary policies have posed greater attention as a major economic growth driver. Notably, the adequate functioning of the monetary policies is to sustain a stable and low inflation rate in the economy. The significances as well as the purposes of the monetary policies have increasingly become the prime importance of the policy makers in the USA for the purpose of introducing certain policies that would support to maintain a stable and low inflation rate (Friedman, 1968). The broad aims or targets of the monetary policies are to attain rapid rate of financial progression and advancement of the economy, making sure to preserve the stability of price into the economy. It also aims at generating more employment prospects and promoting distributive integrity towards the economy (Rangarajan, 1997). The issue of stability of prices, a low and a steady price situation among others are also fundamentally regarded as a necessary element for the purpose of enhancing as well as raising the productivity and growth of an economy (Rangarajan, 1997). Moreover, the other purposes of the monetary policies include stabilizing the rate of inter

Gun on campus position paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gun on campus position paper - Essay Example Campus is among the safest havens in American society. This year pro-gun organizations will again work to overturn campus bans on guns, including in Florida and Texas, where the debate on the issue has been persistent. AASCU with a backing of 370 colleges and universities in 41 states is engaged in a campaign to keep guns off campus. As articulated in its Public Policy Agenda, AASCU opposes state legislation that seeks to strip institutional and system authority to regulate concealed weapons on campus. Three divides exists in the United States. First, five states, which include Colorado, Mississippi, Oregon, Utah, and Wisconsin have laws allowing â€Å"concealed carry† at public colleges and universities. The rest consists of 21 states that do not permit concealed weapons on campuses and 24 leaving the colleges to decide on their gun regulations. The aftermath of Virginia Tech massacre in 2007 left 33 people dead (Guys and guns amok: domestic terrorism and school shootings from the Oklahoma City Bombing to the Virginia Tech massacre, 2008). A similar incidence at Northern Illinois University resulted in the death of six people. Many views were generated concerning campus gun policies in the state legislatures. Progressive increase in the number of states permitting concealed carry at public institutions has been recorded in the last decade (Smith, 2012). For instance, in 2011 and 2012, state lawmakers presented about 34 bills lobbying for concealed handguns on campuses. Mos t of those bills failed to pass. As different concerns arise from the need to permit concealed carry, many of the bills are back on the docket this year. According to the American Council of Education article, two Supreme Court cases have broadened the application of the Second Amendment, which is the right to bear arms. While most states incorporate this right in their constitutions, the decision in McDonald v. Chicago held

Individual Business Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Individual Business Report - Essay Example Our Mission: The mission of Lancome male skin care is to offer and supply products and services that will improve the physical appearance of men while maintaining their masculinity, and this promotes appreciation of gender diversity and presentable male appearance in the society. Value proposition Lancome male skin care is in a very competitive market structure that requires great value propositions. In this case, it strives to ensure that the clients enjoy high-end skin care products with affordable prices with a satisfactory feedback. This will boost its client numbers and expand its market base. The Opportunities Lancome male skin care has a lot of advantages that gives it a competitive advantage over similar companies and this entails: †¢ Differentiated skin care products that capture the male client preference diversity †¢ A multi-choice of high-end products and service offer at a significantly cheaper price compared to the competitors hence attracting more clients â⠂¬ ¢ Ability to meet immediate demand of customers on products supply and service delivery †¢ Easily approachable services that are reliable and meets the desires of the clients. Target Market The typical consumers of Lancome male skin care include: †¢ Urban male dwellers most of whom are average earners or are elite socioeconomic groups †¢ Clients with middle class annual income estimated at more than $ 50,000/year †¢ Most of the customers love their body appearance and skin texture †¢ Most of the clients show interest in fashionable so that they can gain confidence, feel relaxed, attractive and maintain masculinity. †¢ Most of the customers targeted are male life-longing men in the age bracket ranging from 15-35 years age group. These individuals are still at the heights of seeking appearance Clients’ needs that the firm seeks to meet include; †¢ Provisional of services that will make the clients show their sensitivity to fashion and their personalities at home †¢ Provision of products that will be consistent with the fashion and standard quality as per the client’s taste †¢ Ensure that the prices of the services and products are affordable †¢ Offer more services under same product package at a fairly cheap price as this will substantially save the consumers their money. The Marketing Mix The concept of marketing in this case is vital for the survival of Lancome male skin care. The first approach is to analyze the feature of the products so that potential customers and the existing ones can be made aware of the wide variety on offer. These features include: †¢ High quality premium/materials that are modern and fashionable to the customers †¢ Variety of product combinations and selections to the clients †¢ Ultramodern and safety guaranteed skin care products with immediate results Service features This is Lancome male skin care policy recommendation that emphasizing on expansion of the existing services and optimizing satisfaction of the desires of the customers. These include; †¢ Customized products pre-order so that each client attains his desirable features in a product met †¢ Help various clients in other facial lifting products and safety precautions †¢ Offer online transaction and shopping by the clients. †¢

Effect of RAS Polymorphism on Essential Blood Pressure

Effect of RAS Polymorphism on Essential Blood Pressure Pharmacogenetic Association of RAS Polymorphism on Essential Blood Pressure in Relation to Enalapril/Lisinopril among Malay male newly diagnosed hypertensives Abstract Objective: It has been suggested that genetic backgrounds, which have an association with essential hypertension, may also determine the responsiveness to ACE inhibitor. We determined the association of angiotensin-converting enzyme (I/D, G2350A), angiotensinogen (M235T, T174M and A-6G) and renin (Bg/I and Mbo/I) gene polymorphisms with essential hypertension and the relationship between genetic variant of interest and high blood pressure response to ACE inhibitor (enalapril, lisinopril) in patients with essential hypertension subjects from Seremban, Malaysia. Methods: A newly hypertensive Malay male population (n=142) was recruited for a mono-trophy[ah1] pharmacogenetic study. Hypertensive patients were treated with ACEI drugs, particularly enalapril or lisinopril alone. We differentiated between those who controlled their HT with those who did not. Each group’s characteristics were compared to determine the risk of non-controlled HT associated with RAS polymorphisms by adjusting for different variables. Results: Statistically significant associations of I, G, T and M alleles were observed with essential hypertension in I/D, G2350A, M235T, and T175M. The decrease in systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure after 24 weeks of treatment of the patients carrying II, GG, and TT genotypes was greater than the groups carrying DD, AA, MM and MM genotypes. In contrast, no significant difference was shown between renin gene polymorphisms (Bg/I and MboI). Conclusions: Although this study shows a possible association of polymorphisms of RAAS genes[ah2] with the risk of non-controlled HT in ACEI-treated patients and indicates the importance of all components in this system in regulating HT, it needs to be replicated in other data sources. Keywords: Essential hypertension; renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system; single-nucleotide polymorphism; ACE inhibitors; pharmacogenetic INTRODUCTION Essential hypertension (EH) is an increasingly important medical and public health issue [1]. In Malaysia, the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2013 has shown that the prevalence of hypertension in adults ≠¥18 years increased from 33.2% in 2006 to 35.7% in 2013 [2]. Furthermore, the prevalence increased from 42.6% to 43.5% for those >30 years old. Unfortunately, 60.6% of total hypertensives were â€Å"undiagnosed† [3]. These poor rates of high blood pressure (BP) control are not explained by the lack of treatment, as one study estimated approximately 30% of treated hypertensive patients take one antihypertensive drug, 40% take two antihypertensive drugs and 30% take three or more antihypertensive drugs [4]. These data suggest that the present trial and error approach for high blood pressure management is suboptimal, and alternative approaches for identifying the optimal antihypertensive regimen in a specific patient are needed. Using genetic make-up of an indiv idual along with the association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors for hypertensive response offers a new preventive approach to lower adverse drug interaction risk. A renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is an important component of blood pressure regulation, and it has been suspected to be involved in hypertension [5]. Moreover, the major active peptide of the RAS is angiotensin II. Produced from the precursor molecule, angiotensinogen (AGT), via an enzyme cascade involving ACE enzyme, angiotensin II exerts numerous effects on the homeostatic regulation of blood pressure, the vast majority of which are mediated via the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) [6]. The presence of polymorphisms in the ACE, AGT and renin (REN) genes of the RAS has been associated with adverse EH changes in several studies [7,8,9]. For example, the insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphisms of the ACE gene have been associated with increased blood pressure, urinary albumin excretion (UAE) and target-organ damage in hypertensive patients [10]. Moreover, ACE G2350A gene polymorphisms in exon 17 were reported as a remarkable genetic variant mostly associated through hypertension with an average increase of 3.2 mmHg in SBP by having the G allele [11]. It has been reported that the presence of A-6G polymorphism of AGT gene among Chinese hypertensives increased body weight gain in hypertensive patients [12]. The Mb/I and Bg/I polymorphisms of the REN gene have been associated with hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, aortic stiffness and exaggerated vasoconstriction; additionally, the Bg/I polymorphism in the same gene appears to confer protection against the development of microalbuminuria in patients with hypertension [13]. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the impact of four RAS gene polymorphisms on the antihypertensive response in newly detected hypertensives receiving two ACEIs (enalapril and lisinopril). The polymorphisms investigated were A-6G, the A for G substitution of the AGT gene 6 nucleotides upstream from the start site; the ACE I/D polymorphism corresponding to an insertion or deletion of a 287bp alu repeat; and two polymorphisms of the REN gene, Bg/I and MboI and both in the coding area of intron 9. There are compelling reasons hypothesizing that variations in genes of the system may be predictive of variations in BP response. Therefore, genetic variation of the RAS has been investigated in relation to antihypertensive response to ACE inhibitors in various population and dosage (Table 1) as the most common lowering BP agent in Malaysia [14]; however, previously publications have had somewhat conflicting results elsewhere [15-19]. We hypothesized those genetic polymorphisms in RAS genes, including ACE I/D, G2350A, AGT M235T, T174M, A-6G along with REN MboI and Bg/I were associated with the incidence of EHT. Therefore, the aim of this pharmacogenetic study was to investigate the association between seven RAS gene polymorphisms of interest among 142 newly diagnosed Malay male hypertensives that never took BP medications. They were treated once daily for 24 weeks with 20 mg of enalapril or lisinopril. MATERIAL AND METHODS Patient Populations Malay male patients >18 years of age with three-generation Malay family who were newly diagnosed with essential mild-to-moderate hypertension were collected from clinics for non-communicable disease Seremban, Malaysia. The information includes age (25-60 years old), onset (25-60 years old), systolic BP > 140 mmHg and a diastolic BP > 90 mmHg on 2 consecutive visits for those untreated, absence of secondary forms of hypertension. Subjects with a history of diabetes mellitus, renal failure and major infectious disease were excluded. They had no metabolic or endocrine disorder, as well as any acute illness. They were not on any antihypertensive treatment and were drug-naive patients. Written informed consent was obtained from each patient before being included in the clinical trial, and patient’s identity was kept strictly confidential. A specific consent form was requested for genetic testing permission. BLOOD PRESSURE REDUCTION PATTERN Lifestyle Modification For patients, lifestyle modification for a period of three months was advised. The patients were seen three times during this period to assess the efficacy of the non-pharmacological management including weight loss, regular exercise, and ingestion of a high-fiber, low-fat, and low-salt diet. Follow-up Mon-trophy[ah3] Management Dispensed ACEIs (lisinopril or enalapril) on the same date for individuals have recorded. Each patient received lisinopril or enalapril (20 mg, once daily) for 24 weeks on a regular basis. Patients’ BP was measured using the same device and protocol; follow-up visits were made 12 times (once per two weeks). Of the 152 patients, 10 lost to the follow-up along monitoring due to relocation, travelling and/or change of medication. Eventually 142 hypertensives (92.6%) completed the study. This subsample was divided into two groups; individuals whose HT was not controlled as the non-responded (n=35), and individuals whose HT was under control as the responded (n=107). Figure 1 presents how responded and non-responded HT groups are categorized. Fig. 1. The flowchart of sample collection. Genotyping procedures A blood sample was taken in two separate tubes; one was used for colorimetric analysis of total cholesterol (TC), high density lipid profile (HDL), low density lipid profile (LDL), triacylglycerol (TG) and fasting glucose (FBG) using Diays Commercial Kits (Diagnostic System, GmBH, D66559 Holzheim, Germany), and the other test tube contained venous blood samples collected on EDTA was subjected to DNA extraction, which was obtained from individuals in the morning after a minimum of 8 hours fasting at the time of randomization. Eventually, the samples were stored at -20 °C for further molecular and biochemical analysis. DNAs were extracted from 5 mL blood samples as explained elsewhere [20]. ACE I/D polymorphism was genotyped using DNA amplification with oligonucleotides as described elsewhere [21]. For ACE G2350A, DNA amplification followed the approach by Zhu et al. [22]. Reactions were conducted using DNA amplification in a final volume of 25 mL containing 20 pmol of each primer, 0.4 mmol/L of each deoxynucleotide triphosphate (dNTP), 2 mmol/L of MgCl2, 1XTaq buffer and one unit of NEB Taq DNA polymerase (New England Biolabs, Beverly, MA, USA). The PCR cycling conditions were carried out in an iCycler machine (BioRad Laboratories, Hercules, CA, USA). Were chosen[ah4] for genotyping using the polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) approach, and the details are presented in Table 2. Eventually, DNA fragments were stained in ethidium bromide and visualized by Alpha Imager (Alpha Innotech, San Leandro, CA, USA) under ultraviolet (UV) light. Statistical Analysis SPSS 20 statistical package (SPSS, Chicago, USA) was used for analysis. Allele frequencies were calculated from the genotypes of all subjects. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) was assessed by χ2 analysis. Continuous data are presented as mean  ± SD. Differences between groups were tested by an χ2 test for qualitative parameters and by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). All tests were two-tailed and the values of p

Insanity in Shakespeares Hamlet - The Madness of Hamlet Essay

The Madness of Hamlet    William Shakespeare, in the tragedy Hamlet, designed two characters who exhibit symptoms of madness: Ophelia and the prince. Hamlet states his own madness as intentional, purposeful, for the carrying out of the ghost’s admonition. But does Hamlet’s pretended insanity actually touch on real, actual insanity from time to time, or is it consistent? Phyllis Abrahms and Alan Brody in â€Å"Hamlet and the Elizabethan Revenge Tragedy Formula† consider the madness of the hero to be completely feigned and not real: Hamlet is a masterpiece not because it conforms to a set of conventions but because it takes those conventions and transmutes them into the pure gold of vital, relevant meaning. Hamlet’s feigned madness, for instance, becomes the touchstone for an illumination of the mysterious nature of sanity itself. (44-45) Hamlet’s first words in the play say that Claudius is "A little more than kin and less than kind," indicating a dissimilarity in values between the new king and himself – introducing into the story a psychological problem, a refusal to conform, which lays the groundwork, or previews, the upcoming pretended madness. As the future king of Denmark, the hero is expected to maintain a good working relationship with the present king, Claudius. But this is not so. Even before the apparition of the ghost, Hamlet has a very sour relationship with his uncle and stepfather, Claudius. Hamlet’s first soliloquy deepens the psychological rift between the prince and the world at large, but especially women; it emphasizes the frailty of women – an obvious reference to his mother’s hasty and incestuous marriage to her husband’s brother: Must I remember? why, she would hang on him,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As if... ...: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1986. Rpt. of â€Å"O’erdoing Termagant: An Approach to Shakespearean Mimesis.† The Yale Review 63, no.3 (Spring 1974). Foakes, R.A.. â€Å"The Play’s Courtly Setting.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. of â€Å"Hamlet and the Court of Elsinore.† Shakespeare Survey: An Annual Survey of Shakespearean Study and Production. No. 9. Ed. Allardyce Nicoll. Cambridge, Eng.: Cambridge University Press, 1956. Rosenberg, Marvin. â€Å"Laertes: An Impulsive but Earnest Young Aristocrat.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Masks of Hamlet. Newark, NJ: University of Delaware Press, 1992. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html

Market Entry Timing Strategy Essay

Empirical study (Robinson and Fornell, 1985) shows that first mover 20%, early followers 17%, and late entrants 13% market share. Robinson (1988) believes that the order of entry alone explain 8.9% of the variation in market shares. It has been shown that the longer the elapsed time between entry of the first mover and that of later entrants, the more opportunities becomes available to the first mover to achieve cost and differentiation advantages. A longer response time provides the first mover to promote awareness and trial that contribute to category learning and for consumers to integrate into their memory additional information through media and WoM. Lieberman and Montgomery (1988) believe that first-mover advantages arise from three primary sources: Technological leadership, pre-emption of assets, and buyer switching costs. Technological leadership provides a learning curve, where unit production fall with cumulative output, which generates a sustainable cost advantage for the early entrant if learning can be kept proprietary and the firm can maintain leadership in market share. If the first-mover has superior information, it may be able to purchase assets at market prices below those that will prevail later in the evolution of the market, such as natural resources and retailing or manufacturing locations. Where there is room for only a limited number of profitable firms, the first-mover can often select the most attractive niches and may be able to take strategic actions that limit the amount of space available for subsequent entrants. With switching costs, late entrants must invest extra resources to attract customers away from the first-mover firm. Buyer may rationally stick with the first brand they encounter that performs the job satisfactorily. Brand loyalty of this sort may be particularly strong for low-cost convenience goods. Thus, late entrants must have a truly superior product, or else advertise more frequently or more creatively. Schnaars (1986) implies that the early bird normally catches and retains the worm. ‘Me-too’ products introduced by later entrants were much more likely to fail. Second entrants obtain on the average only about three-quarters of the market share of the pioneer, and later entrants are able to capture progressively smaller shares. Consumers tend to know and favour the pioneering product, they have no reason to experiment with subsequent entries. These cost advantages put later entrants at a competitive disadvantage, and pioneers may be able to erect entry barriers that lock out subsequent entrants. Late entrants can also find that the field is crowded and the market offers little opportunity. However, a well-conceived ‘second-but-better’ entry, backed by aggressive advertising, may be able to surpass the pioneer’s entry. Later entrants must be better in terms of performance or price, or both, if they are to have any chance of success. Many firms with str ong market orientation seem to embrace later entry. No one entry strategy proved best in all situations. Primary benefit for the pioneer is to build an unassailable position before later entrants recognize the promise of the market or are willing to take the risks of an early entry. It is most appropriate when image and reputation are important to the customer, experience effects are important and not easily copied, brand loyalty accrues to the pioneer, and cost advantages can be obtained by early commitment to suppliers and channels. It carriers many risks, because almost every aspect of an emerging market is unknown. Many pioneers end up pursuing false leads that later entrants are able to avoid. Thus it must be willing to commit a great deal of money – for R&D and educate customers’. The chances of a pioneer getting the product right for the first time are almost nil. One study found that it takes seven to eight years on the average before a firm that enters a new line of business actually turns a profit. Golder and Tellis (1993) state that for pioneers, consumer-based advantage relate to the benefits that can be delivered from the way consumers first choose and then repurchase the product. The pioneer may become the standard for the product category, and a pioneer can lock-in some customers in categories that have high switching costs. Seventy percent of market leaders are pioneers, and almost half of all pioneers are market leaders. Second firm to enter the market would obtain only 71% as much market share as the pioneer, and third firm to enter would obtain only 58% as much. On the other hand, they believe that if later entrants can leapfrog pioneers with superior technology, positioning, or brand names, firms could better off entering late. Evidence shows that the advantages of being first-in are almost equally balanced by the many pitfalls and disadvantages. Kerin, Vradarajan, and Peterson (1992) state that one can achieve first-mover status by producing a new product, use a new process, and/or enter a new market. They distinguish between two perspectives: the economic-analytical and the behavioural. The former indicates that the pioneer creates barriers to entry so it becomes costly for others to follow, this in turn lengthens the lead time, thus enabling the first mover to benefit initially from no competition, and being more experienced once new entrants emerge. From the behavioural view, the first mover communication is more effective and it obtains reputational advantage. Through purchase and trial, customers can become more reluctant to switch. Similarly, there are economic and behavioural views on market contingencies. From the former perspective, the uncertainty of product demands can lower resource commitments and reduce cost advantage due to scale, but small scale operations are more efficient. A first mover can influence how attributes are valued, define the ideal attribute combination, and ultimately influence consumer’s preferences to its benefit over later entrants. The industry relies heavily on advertising and marketing, thus early consumer exposures to advertising is even more beneficial. The technology changes quickly, so the legal protection and experience advantage decreases. From the behavioural perspective, products can be easily evaluated before purchase, so the purchase and trial benefits decrease. The cost of evaluating a product and making a purchase mistake is lower, hence switching costs decreases. But when consumers need to invest in special, related assets, the switching costs increase. However, following firms may benefit from the ability to free-ride on first-mover investments, resolution of technological and market uncertainty, technological discontinuities that provide ‘gate-ways’ for new entry, and various types of incumbent inertia. They can achieve a CA by influencing consumers’ preferences rather than responding to them, such by moving away from the pioneer and develop a more desirable position. Early entrants’ main benefit is to learn from the pioneer’s experience, and avoid many of the onerous costs, along with being able to assess the market’s reaction to the pioneer’s entry. Many early entrants have relied on some combination of marketing clout, product enhancement and low-cost production. Later entries can benefit from the passage of time. If the product form is changing rapidly and standardization has not been achieved, the later entrant may be able to leapfrog earlier entrants by introducing a superior product, backed by market clout. The later entrant can gain a sizable share of proven growth marketing by capitalizing on the low-cost production of me-too products. Many foreign companies pursue this strategy. Late entrant is risky when earlier entrants are able to erect entry barriers, or the market is already flooded with products that leave no room for enhancement. Level Brother’s Persil entered the tablet detergent market as a pioneer, whereby P&G’s Ariel entered as a follower. The former achieved satisfying customers that stuck to the brand, despite low switching costs. It built a brand image that indicated it was the best, it was innovative and technological advanced. It increased customer choice, which could lead to increased satisfaction and loyalty. Persil soon enjoyed large or monopoly market-share in the category, and had potentially highest share after followers enter. Moreover, entering early allowed it to learn from experiences, with more time for trial and error. By entering first, it could create barriers for entry in the retail through shelf-space, and have patent on technology. Persil also set rules for competition on features, benefits and added services. It could also set the price value based or cost based, thus deciding the market. Ariel, on the hand, had the opportunity to assess the market profitability upon entrance, and needed less knowledge to educate the market. It could learn from Persil’s mistakes in terms of pricing, and had less risk to brand equity. Ariel also enjoyed lower R&D costs and could free-ride on Persil’s effort, in addition to develop a better product. The saved time can be used for optimal positioning. The two competitors were competing heavily on the price per wash, higher and lowering accordingly to each other, starting at 22.0p and 28.0p respectively in 1999, both finishing at 20.0p in 2004, but Ariel did better in the end through learning. In conclusion, one can say that faster entry into the industry does not necessary guarantee absolute competitive advantage. The magnitude of first-mover advantage depends on the degree of fit between the environmental opportunity and the first-mover’s skills and resources. Market pioneering is not a strategy that is appropriate for all firms. In organizational reality, firms are more often a later entrant than a pioneer.

Growth Opportunities for Indian Automotive Manufacturers

Growth Opportunities for Indian Automotive Manufacturers Free Online Research Papers Being one of the important contributors to world economies, the automotive industry has been subject to globalization in the western world for a long time now. Need for high resource commitments, nature of the industry (scale sensitivity), the current stage in the industry life cycle, increasing competition and declining unit profit margins have forced automobile manufacturers to merge, form alliances or co-operate in the field of RD, production , marketing and distribution. The formation of global oligopolies first by regional consolidation and then on a global scale has been evident from the spate of mergers and strategic alliances. In the backdrop of mega mergers there has also been a change in the strategies of the global component suppliers. With the tierization of suppliers, the Tier 1 suppliers (those who directly supply to the OEM’s) have increasingly taken on the role of module integrators and have come under severe cost pressure from OEM’s as a direct result. The OEM–vendor relationship has changed drastically over the last five years and it is now cost not allegiances, which determine who carmaker, buys from. Thus they too have taken the consolidation route to survive in the times of intense cost competition. The above trends have prompted them to look at emerging countries for component and vehicle manufacture due to the inherent advantages in production and potentially large markets. As it makes less sense to focus on the geographical origins of the components or assemblage (as long as the brand guarantees as certain level of quality), there has been a gradual re-orientation in the perspective of automobile manufacturers. Research Papers on Growth Opportunities for Indian Automotive ManufacturersOpen Architechture a white paperBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfDefinition of Export QuotasTwilight of the UAWPETSTEL analysis of IndiaIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductThe Project Managment Office SystemGenetic EngineeringRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and

Ethics Essay Essays - Social Philosophy, Normative Ethics, Ethics

Ethics Essay Essays - Social Philosophy, Normative Ethics, Ethics Ethics Essay Ethics and Social Responsibility/ETH316 What is ethics? (Boylan, 2009) stated, ethics is the science concerning the right and wrong of human action. Ethics comes from the Greek word ethos, meaning the way things should be. Ethics refers more to public life or the workplace. This paper will discuss the similarities and differences between virtue theory, utilitarianism, and deontological ethics; it will also cover how each theory addresses ethics and morality; as well as my personal experiences between virtues, values, and moral concepts as they relate to one of the theories. Virtue theory (which is also known as virtue ethics) are character traits that make up a moral life, it is based upon good being a result of pursuit of excellence (Boylan, 2009). Virtue ethics can be used to determine the rightness or wrongness of an action by relating the choice to character traits. Utilitarianism is the view that what we ought to do morally is producing the greatest possible utility for the greatest possible number of people (Boylan, 2009). Utilitarians contend that the greater good of people is more important than the individual. One must be selfless and follow the path that leads to the greater good of the group by overlooking one's own needs and desires. Deontological ethics describes ones moral duty is based upon principles of reason and action (Boylan, 2009). One must act by the guidelines without thought to the consequences bestowed upon them or anyone else in order to maintain morality. An action is right regardless of the consequences of the action. With this theory it is either right or wrong no in between. The relationship between virtues, values and moral concepts as related to utilitarianism ethics are discussed in this example. While living in a condo you have certain rules everyone must follow and when a problem comes up everyone have to meet about it. Well one day they was a problem with some work that the condo association wanted everyone to help pay for. The problem was that several people of the group didnt want to do it and felt that it was unfair to make everyone pay for something that smaller group wasnt benefitting from. But because the majority of the group was ok with it, the condo association billed everyone. I say this is the utilitarianism theory because even though a small part of them didnt want to help the largest of the group did and the association felt that it was better overall to have the work done. These theories of virtue ethics, utilitarianism and deontology ethics all have several things in common, they all have their own way of outlining what values are virtuous and in what way are they right and wrong. All three drive for maintaining the best standards of moral value in regards to their own moral values. They are different for every circumstance and they may not always agree. References Boylan, M. (2009). Basic ethics: Basic ethics in action (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Ethics Essay PAGE 4 Running head: Ethics Essay PAGE 1

A)The Hurricanes Pauline on the cost of South Pacific is caused for Research Paper

A)The Hurricanes Pauline on the cost of South Pacific is caused for the climate changed or is human responsible( what causes and effects) - Research Paper Example Hurricane Pauline struck the south pacific coast on October 5 1997. The winds were at a speed of 135 miles per hour, enough to shatter everything that came in its path and take more than 200 lives in the process. Hurricane Pauline affected a large area of Mexico and dissipated on October 10 1997. While hurricanes are considered to have a history as old as the existence of this very world, their frequency has increased in the recent past, an important point for the rapidly growing world to give a thought to. Are we humans responsible for their increased frequency or is it just nature showing its wrath upon us. Many of the researchers and scientists have raised questions on the progress of the world and global warming. There have been debates concerning the relation of global warming and increased number of hurricanes than ever. Indeed some of the researchers have been able to prove that global warming has somewhat a role in this increased number of hurricanes and their disastrous effect. It has also been proposed and later proved that climate change has major role in the power dissipation of Atlantic system of hurricanes. These climate changes either natural or not have an important affect in the increased activity of hurricanes in the Atlantic region (Emanuel, 2007). It has also been told that human activities in the Atlantic area have been shown to cause detectable or undetectable changes that might have been leading to increased hurricane activity in that region. Hurricane Pauline that destroyed cities and took hundreds of lives was followed by Hurricane Katrina and many other in the later years specifically in areas where an annual rise in temperature was recorded showing the role of global warming directly and humans indirectly in causing hurricanes. To conclude, we humans have been progressing rather too rapidly, at a pace at which we might leave everything

Ayurvedic Medicine Used as Alternative Therapy in Modern Medicine Essay

Ayurvedic Medicine Used as Alternative Therapy in Modern Medicine - Essay Example This was traditional medicine to treat fever, cough and diarrhea. People were encouraged to suppress natural urges which was considered as unhealthy by moderating the amount and quantity of food intake, sleep and sexual intercourses to ensure healthy body at all times. Gregory (2004) states that alternative medicine refers to treatment of diseases using methods such as massage therapy or herbal use. This practice is being highly appreciated by learning institutions who teach about it. Importance Frawley and Ranade (2001) states that herbal method as one of the alternative method has been well embraced by many communities in the world hence rendering the use of Ayurvedic medicine easy and of great importance. People consider this method efficient since it is less costly and also has few side effects. This method also have seem to treat a variety of diseases which lead people to prefer using it since he will only require one drug to heal so many diseases. This alternative is readily av ailable since most of these herbs are found free of charge in the forests and other bushy areas within the society. This method has been considered to be less demanding because it does not require highly qualified personnel to administer the medicine. This method is also effective since it is not selective with the age bracket hence can be used by all people within the community. Unlike the artificial drugs these medicines do not lead to very adverse side effects. It does not have the time limits hence one can use it as long as he wants. This therapeutic method is easily acceptable to be used by people because it is mostly orally administered which is the most preferred method. This method can not react while using other methods hence gives it another advantage of it to be considered above the other method. This method is reliable since one can get it from various places. Frawley and Ranade (2001) argues that this method is used even by the illiterate people in the society since the instructions given are clear and simple to be understood hence very low cases of overdosing. Since this method is given by people who are locals in the community the patients respect the instructions given no deviations since there is sense of belonging. At times there is reinforcement of this method by the religious people and other important people in the society hence the patients look forward to embrace this method to the fullest. Lad (2012) says that Ayurvedic medicine does not demand one to go to hospital for the treatment he can get the treatment while at home. Diagnosis According to Lad (2012) the patient who was recommended for use of this drug was to be carefully examined and undergo through various diagnosis procedures using all body senses by the health profession administering the drug; since each component of the body had the ability to influence others either negatively or positively. This aspect was to be carefully considered during the drug diagnosis and therapy. V arious things were to be checked such as the body composition, any disorder, body stability and all other body systemic functions. The systemic composition and functioning was checked so that to prevent any adverse side effect that would arise while on medication. The body was to be considered compatible to the drug for one to be in a position to use the drug. There were various criteria that were

Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Analysis - Essay Example However, King Alfonso’s most important request was that Portuguese merchants stop making Congo a transit for slaves. He requested that they do not accept free men being traded as slaves. King Alfonso always made reference to God’s service in his letters. However, he also reiterated his problem of losing control over his people. In his first letter, he wrote, â€Å"vassals†¦.beginning to claim their independence.† This was due to the fact that his people were beginning to see how good free life is as they see from the lives of the Portuguese merchants. Also, this could be attributed to the fact that they were now able to obtain goods that were previously forbidden from them. King Alfonso believes that his kingdom is an extension of Portugal and that they must be given the same attention by the Portuguese King as he would give to his native land. Furthermore, Alfonso’s letters demonstrate the dependence of his kingdom on Portugal which may be seen as the same reason why he never requested that slave trade be ended or that Portugal vacate his kingdom immediately. Lastly, King Alfonso knows that without the Portuguese and the practice of Christianity his reign will be in jeopardy. Christopher Columbus’ journal serves as a window into his travels. It reflects his views regarding the places he visits and the people he meets. For instance, his journal relates his experience upon meeting the people of the new world. He described these people as people with very well-formed and handsome bodies, short coarse hair similar to the tail of a horse, and people that wear various colors of paint in different places on their face and body. He also noted their distinct complexion which was neither black nor white. Most importantly, Columbus described them as being â€Å"poor in everything.† He probably attributed such to the fact that they willingly accepted even the littlest of items that were given to them. He noted that what they were giving

Hybrid cars Essay Example for Free

Hybrid cars Essay Industrialization has contributed to high-energy consumption across the world. The developed countries consume the larger share due to more industries that operate there. The release of pollutant substances into the atmosphere has led to global warming whose dangerous effects are already being felt today. The motor industry, being one of the largest pollutants, has been seeking new technologies that would lead to less pollution. The amounts of carbon dioxide by the motor industry are large enough for the industry to get concerned. In the early days, most cars were solely powered by fuel combustion engines alone. Such vehicles did not have much power as the new hybrid engines of nowadays. The fuel engines also produced large quantities of harmful gases. With the current debate on environmental issues, car manufacturers have resulted to developing more energy efficient vehicles that will produce equal or more power as earlier engines but with less harmful effects. The idea of developing hybrid car engines was borne from the successful introduction of hybrid powertrains. These hybrid powertrains were found more fuel efficient and this triggered car manufacturers to adopting the technology to the car industry (Haan et al, 2006). Hybrid cars are those cars whose engines use more than one power sources. Much criticism as well as commendation of these hybrid cars has been witnessed. The main issues of contention are the fuel efficiency of the hybrid vehicles over other engine cars and the effect of the hybrid cars on the economy. Some authors have argued that as much as hybrid vehicles lead to fuel efficiency, there are counter effects that negate any gains made. Studies have been done to quantify these factors to authenticate the allegations and interesting findings have come up. () In a study by Haan and others, they aimed at assessing the extent to which hybrid cars had changed people’s choice of buying cars. It had been argued that the introduction of hybrid cars led to people abandoning the fuel efficient vehicles they used earlier in favour of hybrid cars. The study was an assessment of the various ways that policy makers in different countries intended to address issues of pollution by cars. Several measures had been proposed and they centered on reducing the demand for cars, reducing energy consumption per vehicle per distance in kilometers and reduction of carbon emissions (Haan, 1082). Hybrid cars were considered energy efficient and that fewer pollutants were released (http://www. activehybrid. com). It was, however, generally argued that the hybrid cars had other counter effects. The study by Haan sought to quantify this. This suggests that there was an argument that hybrid cars, for some reason, were bought as additional cars thus increasing the number of cars owned by a household. Governments aim at reducing number of cars per household and hybrid cars worked against this principle. Following this argument, there was a general view that the lesser taxes charged on hybrid cars had led to the influx of the cars into the markets. (http://www. activehybrid. com/). The results of the study indicate that hybrid cars indeed reduce emissions. If a government is to effectively reduce the amount of emissions from the motor industry, hybrid cars have to be adopted. Policy should, therefore, allow more hybrid cars and to encourage this, tax reductions on hybrid cars should be sustained. The study further identified that hybrid cars do not increase the number of cars per household. The increment that was recorded was due to other factors unassociated with hybrid cars themselves. The findings of this study quell fears that hybrid cars have an overall effect that harm the economy (http://www. activehybrid. com/Why-Hybrids-are-the-Vehicles-of-Choice-these-days. html). Authors expressed that it was insufficient to evaluate a vehicle’s pollution level without considering other factors involved in the vehicle’s life cycle. Authors expressed a need of focusing not only on the output emission levels of the final product but also on the processes involved in developing these cars. Economic factors had to be considered to justify the efficiency of any type of car engine including hybrid. The cost aspect also had to be checked, to assess the economic viability of the car engines, the prices of having batteries was analyzed, fuel costs also, and driving range (Granovskii, 1186). Granovskii and others carried out a study to assess the environmental factors. The study sought to quantity the amounts of greenhouse gases related by each of the types of engines considered. The various other pollutants emitted in the manufacture and repair of batteries were also analyzed. The results of this study show that in comparison with the electric car, hybrid car was superior in car emission produced. More pollutants were released. The prices of electric cars were less than those of hybrid cars. There results suggest that if electric power would be generated and conserved in the car engines, the gains from such an electric engine would be more than that from hybrid cars. However, the study found that no car engine was superior to all other on all fronts. On every aspect the different cars engines should advantages over others. The hydrogen engine, though, did not have any advantage over other engine types except that it had least pollution. The study further indicated that when natural gases are used for generation of electricity in an engine, the hybrid is better than other engine types (Anderson). Manufacturers had further developed intelligent technology that enabled cars to sense their environments and adjust their fuel consumption levels. The developers of this technology strongly believed that this technology was the most fuel efficient that should be adopted to replace the hybrid cars. The new technology engine was proposed as fuel saving and less pollutant than all other engine types. A review of literature in a study done by Manzie and others reveal that hybrid cars had high initial costs that dispelled many customers from buying them. Hybrid engines had been found to be more fuel efficient in trains and this technology was extended to the cars. The study by Manzie focused on identifying any benefits realized from the use of hybrid and communication technologies in fuel economy. A situation model was used in evaluation of the fuel economy of combining these two technologies. The study was carried out in Australia. The hybrid model used in this consisted of the hybrid electric vehicle. The speed of the vehicle was evaluated when the technologies are combined. Several control procedures were put to ensure the result are not skewed to any side (http://www. hybrid-vehicles. net/). The results of the study indicate that there were significant improvements in fuel economizing. Less fuel was consumed by the hybrid vehicles. Telematics, which combine intelligent capabilities in a car, were found to be cost effective and fuel efficient. The results also indicate that there may be challenges in adopting the new telematics technology because it affects overtaking between intelligent and unintelligent cars. The study indicated that hybrid systems alone consumed less fuel. A combination of hybrid and telematics technology to create an intelligent hybrid car led to more improvements in fuel consumption. There are benefits that are associated with the hybrid cars. Studies have shown that these cars consume less fuel, release fewer pollutants and have more power. Today the hybrid model car engines are being improved their capabilities. Hybrid cars are environmental friend. These cars are also cheap enabling people to acquire vehicles fast and save money to do other important things. The hybrid cars have now found their way into United States military operations (Mehney). It is evident from the above analysis that hybrid vehicles consume less energy than combustion engines. The evidence is not only in theory but has been supported by empirical evidence. The several control measures applied in each study ensure that the results are a true representation of the actual situation. Hybrid cars have all evidently been found to release fewer pollutants into the atmosphere. In fact, this is the technology that every country serious on reducing pollution should emphasize on. The criticism of the hybrid cars has not presented empirical evidence to authenticate allegations. Most of these allegations are generalizations. It seems that the hybrid technology poses a threat to some manufacturers and that is why they resist it. The technology, however, has revealed its evidence and we can go by it. Manufacturers need to focus on building energy efficient cars such as the hybrid ones. Works Cited Granovskii, Mikhail. , Dincer, Ibrahim and Marc A. Rosen. â€Å"Economic and environmental comparison of conventional, hybrid, electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles† Journal of Power Sources. Volume 159, 2, (2006): 1186-1193. Haan, Peter. , Peters, Anja and Scholz W. Roland. †The Automobile Industry Sustainability† Journal of Cleaner Production. Volume 15, 11-12, (2006): 1076-1084. â€Å"Hybrid cars are an excellent choice! † 2007 Hybrid Cars Blog 15 August 2007 http://www. activehybrid. com/ â€Å"Hybrid Vehicles† 2005, 15 August 2007 http://www. hybrid-vehicles. net/ . Manzie, Chris. , Watson, Harry and Halgamuge, Saman. â€Å"Fuel economy improvements for urban driving: Hybrid vs. intelligent vehicles† Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies Volume 15, Issue 1, 2007: 1-16. Mehney, Paul. â€Å"Public Affairs Officer Army Unveils First Hybrid-Electric Propulsion System for New Combat Vehicles,† Aug 15, 2007. US Army. 15 August 2007 http://www. army. mil/-newsreleases/2007/08/15/4424-army-unveils-first-hybrid-electric-propulsion-system-for-new-combat-vehicles/. Anderson, Tony. â€Å"Proven Ways to Increase Your Gas Mileage†, July 1, 2007, 15 august 2007 http://www. gasmileagemanual. com/? gclid=CO3UhKPF940CFQWIlAodGRsjMA. â€Å"Why Hybrids Are The Vehicles Of Choice These Days. † 15 August 2007, http://www. activehybrid. com/Why-Hybrids-are-the-Vehicles-of-Choice-these-days. html.

Abercrombie and Fitch Analysis

Abercrombie and Fitch Analysis 1. Introduction The following report explores the company Abercrombie Fitch within its US and UK market. Key external factors have been explored such as PEST, SWOT, TOWS and the companies competitors, as well as Porters Generic strategies and Ansoff Matrix. SMART Objectives have then been formulated considering all of the above factors and then a Strategic Plan, Implementation Measurement of each SMART Objective has been created. 1.2 Company Background Abercrombie and Fitch were founded in 1892 by David T Abercrombie and offered prestigious sporting and outdoor clothing for males and females. Today the company is an upmarket US fashion retailer striving to offer their consumers casual luxury to the 18-22 year old market segment. The company has over 300 stores in the US and is also situated in the UK, Japan, Canada and Italy. They also have ongoing plans to expand into other foreign markets such as Asia in the near future. Abercrombie Fitch have three subsidiary sister companies consisting of: Abercrombie: very similar to the main brand but for children aged 7-14 Hollister Co: for teenagers 14-18 offering lower priced products to Abercrombie Fitch but very similar in style Gilly Hicks: offering lounge wear, underwear and a body care range for people aged 18+. Abercrombie Fitch also had a subsidiary company called Ruehl No.925 which offered clothing products to the 25+ age segment, however the store closed at the beginning of 2010 as it did not take off. 2. External Analysis- PEST Factors Table 1: PEST 2.1 Political/Legal Import Duty: As Abercrombie Fitch manufacture their products within the USA and Asia, products that are imported into the UK accrue an import duty. Import duty is calculated on the type of goods, their value and the country of origin. (Business Link 2010) If the product is made up of 20% or more of parts from other countries then this has to be stated to the countries customs as this may affect the price of the import duty. Labelling: As Abercrombie Fitchs products are imported from the US to the UK the company needs to ensure that all their clothing products meet the UK labelling requirements stated in the Textile Products (Indication of Fibre Content) Regulations 1986, to ensure that they are in accordance with the law. Employment law: The UK has very strict employment laws against discrimination. Abercrombie Fitch were recently faced with a law suit in June 2009 when an employee was allegedly told that her prosthetic limb was not in accordance with the companies look policy. The employee aimed to sue the company for  £20,000 for discrimination against her disability. It is important for Abercrombie Fitch and their employees to be aware of UK legislations as high profile law suits could affect their image leading to bad publicity. 2.2 Economic The Recession: Although some reports may state that the recent recession may be drawing to an end, Abercrombie Fitchs latest Fiscal-fourth quarter earnings (Talley 2010) paint a different picture as they fell 31% (Talley 2010) due to the continuing decline in their sales. This is due to the company not being prepared to reduce their prices during the recession, forcing their customers to look for cheaper competitors (see Competitor Audit for detailed list of competitors). UK Pricing: Abercrombie Fitch are constantly striving to maintain and promote the prestige image they have successfully created in the US in the UK. However when the UK flagship store in London opened in 2007 the company was criticised for over pricing, as the products cost double those offered in the US stores. This could have had a major impact on the companys success in the UK. However, so far they have found that their consumers have had strong brand loyalty to them and have been willing to pay the price for the products. Although as mentioned above, the companys earnings have been affected by the recession. 2.3 Socio-Cultural Sexual Imagery: Over the years Abercrombie Fitch have been attacked about their sexually explicit advertising within their advertising campaigns and quarterly catalogue. It is against many different religions values and beliefs for example the Muslim religion to show sexual or naked imagery within advertisements. Therefore Abercrombie Fitch need to be aware of the different values and beliefs different communities and religions have in order not to offend anyone. Market research should be undertaken as to what the best form of advertising is for any new campaigns and to determine what type of imagery should be used. However in many westernised countries, shock advertising works well and this is what they use. The company strives to be different and stand out in any which way they can. Ageing Population: With increasing life expectancy and an aging population prominent across the world, it is unwise for Abercrombie Fitch to continue into their future just focusing on consumers aged 18-22. With the recent failure of their high end brand Ruehl No.925 which focused on consumers aged 25-35 a strategy to re-brand and reinvent Ruehl may be a wise decision for the company. 2.4 Technological Internet online purchasing: With the ever increasing popularity of the internet and consumer online purchasing, it has meant that Abercrombie Fitch have been able to advertise their products to consumers via their website and also allowing the consumer to purchase products, if they wish to, around the world. Online advertisement is an excellent way to catch a younger target audiences attention. Improvement of Transport: Transport has changed dramatically over the past 50years. Roads have improved and with many more flights take off each day from large airports, companies are seeing quicker delivery times for products that are sent by sea, road and air. This is good news for Abercrombie Fitch as their products are reaching consumers quicker. As the companys products spend a lot of time in transport, some of the manufactured goods are imported from Asia then dispatched around the world to their many stores. 3. External Analysis- Competitor Audit As Abercrombie Fitch are situated in many different global markets the following competitor audit will focus on Abercrombie Fitchs main competitors in the UK and the US. 3.1 US Competitors: 3.1.1 American Eagle Outfitters American Eagle Outfitters is Abercrombie Fitchs main competitor in the US. Like Abercrombie Fitch they target 18-22 year olds, offering young fashionable products to their consumers. They have a larger range of products than Abercrombie Fitch but are not seen to be as prestigious. Unlike Abercrombie Fitch, some consumers find the American Eagles shopping experience much more pleasant, as the music is quieter and there is more lighting. The company recently opened a store in the UK in London. 3.1.2 Aeropostele Aeropostele is cheaper than Abercrombie Fitch, however it is still seen as one of their main competitors as they target the same market segment. Like American Eagle they have a large range of clothing products and accessories for the male and female markey which Abercrombie Fitch do not offer. 3.2 UK Competitors: 3.2.1 Jack Wills Like Abercrombie Fitch Jack Wills target segment is 18-22 year olds. The company call themselves the University Outfitters and often situate their stores in University towns. Although Jack Wills call themselves this name under 18s are also found to be keen Jack Wills wearers. However the company do not have a strong market share in the UK as they are seen to offer, like Abercrombie Fitch specialised clothing. 3.2.2 Urban Outfitters Urban Outfitters offer branded clothing to a unique market. Unlike Abercrombie Fitch they offer edgy, different styled fashion products to their competitor, targeting the same age segment. Urban Outfitters is a very popular US company and is very up and coming in the UK in London. 3.2.3 Hollister Although Hollister is a sister company to Abercrombie Fitch, there seems to have been some inter-company competitiveness in the UK. Abercrombie Fitch have only one store in the UK situated in London whereas Hollister have ten stores situated around the country. Although in the US Hollister targets 14-18 year olds, many older people in the UK have been wearing the brand due to accessibility of the store, as travelling to London to purchase Abercrombie Fitch clothing is not an option for some people they choose to wear the next best thing which is clothing from Abercrombie Fitchs sister company Hollister. 4. SWOT Analysis 4.1 Strengths Strong portfolio of brands other than the main Abercrombie Fitch brand appealing to consumers aged 9- 24 Annual Abercrombie Fitch Challenge which raises money for charities and organisations, raising their profile Sponsor of the Elite Racing Team In 2007 offered $75,000 scholarships to the National Society of High School Scholars Expansion plans in Canada, Europe and Asia The ability to capture 18-22 year olds attention and condition them into wanting the brands products In 2007 the company had a 2.3% market share of the US clothing retail market which put them at 3rd largest market share. In 2008 Abercrombie Fitch started modifying and upgrading their information systems 4.2 Weaknesses Money being lost to counterfeit products Company portrays a sexual image, this is not acceptable in some countries and societies Look Policy often seen to be too strict by employees With the recent closure of Ruehl No.925 there is no longer an Abercrombie store that appeals to consumers aged 25+ Expensive prices in the UK compared to US Many law suits have been seen due to Discrimination Many of the loyal customers feel that too many people are now wearing the brand and it is starting to lose its prestigious image The recent upgrading and modification on information systems within the business is a long process and could affect day to day running of the business 4.3 Opportunities Celebrity endorsements Increase brand awareness New range of products for pre 9 year olds Reinvent Ruehl No.925 and recapture the 25+ market segment Increase market share Increase sales outside of the two main selling seasons of August and November/December Completely new product launch Female jewellery Recapture prestigious image with new range Larger sizes Male and female watches Introduce real looking models (models sized UK 12+) as it is not how the clothes look on the individual, it is how they make the individual feel In store music album available to purchase Change shopping experience to include, more lighting, quieter music, clothes more readily available Completely rebrand company image from casual to smart wear e.g. suits Expansion into Eastern Europe 4.4 Threats Threat of substitution due to high prices Import taxes may rise Piracy in foreign waters, potential threat of loss of stock Economical/political change in countries in which Abercrombie Fitch operate Law suits against company for example acts of discrimination Exchange rates could affect companies profitability Change in fashion trends The availability and price of raw materials could affect the cost of manufacturing Due to global warming unforeseeable weather changes could affect consumer preference on products 5. SWOT to TOWS Table 3: SWOT to TOWS Internal elements External elements Organisational Strengths Organisational Weaknesses Strategic Options Environmental Opportunities (and risks) Strengths into opportunities: Strong portfolio of brands other than the main Abercrombie Fitch brand appealing to consumers aged 9-24. Therefore Abercrombie Fitch have the brand power to be able to introduce other product ranges into the existing markets Annual Abercrombie Fitch Challenge which raises money for charities and organisations. The Annual challenge could be made bigger, therefore raising more money for charities. The Annual event could even be brought into other countries in which the company are present to raise money for their charities Sponsor of the Elite Racing Team, this is not widely known that they sponsor the team. Therefore awareness could be increased thus enhancing brand awareness of the company In 2007 offered $75,000 scholarships to the National Society of High School Scholars. Scholarships could also be offered in other countries in which the company are present in to similar schools Expansion plans in Canada, Europe and Asia means that profits are to increase as well as brand awareness The ability to capture 18-22 year olds attention and condition them into wanting the brands products. Abercrombie Fitch have the ability to condition their customers into needing their products, therefore if a limited edition range of products were to be realised, consumer would respond to this well In 2007 the company had a 2.3% market share of the US clothing retail market, thus making them the 3rd largest market share in the US. Having the 3rd largest market share in the US gives the company the opportunity to strive to have the second largest or even beat the Gap and have the largest market share. Abercrombie Fitch should also look to increase their UK market share as currently they are not seen to be strong competition to UK brands In 2008 Abercrombie Fitch started modifying and upgrading their information systems. This therefore means that the company will soon have stronger information systems thus meaning smoother and easier running of the company Weakness into opportunities: Money being lost to counterfeit products. Abercrombie need to ensure that all products have copyright and anyone who counterfeits their products have a law suit brought upon them Company portrays a sexual image, this is not acceptable in some countries and societies, therefore Abercrombie could look towards toning down the sexual imagery within countries and societies that find this offensive Look Policy often seen to be too strict by employees. The company should therefore hold in store meetings to gather information as to what the employees find strict about the policy, then this should be raised in the Annual conference With the recent closure of Ruehl No.925 there is no longer an Abercrombie store that appeals to consumers aged 25+. Therefore information by the means of market research should be gathered from consumers as why they felt the brand failed. As well as information from store staff and stakeholders. The company could then formulate strategies to rebrand Ruehl No.925 thus penetrating the 25+ age market once again Expensive prices in the UK compared to US. Consumers are currently prepared to pay the higher prices that are at present in the UK, if the situation changes then the company should investigate the price of importing the clothes into the UK against the price they are charging and the profit that is being made. If profit is high then the company could look towards lowering their UK prices Many law suits have been seen due to discrimination. Increased awareness should be made about discrimination within the work place and more minority groups should also be introduced into the company. Many of the loyal customers feel that too many people are now wearing the brand and it is starting to lose its prestigious image. Therefore a new prestigious range could be introduced to encourage said consumers back to the brand Environmental Threats Strengths used to minimise threats: Threat of substitution due to high prices. However one of Abercrombie Fitchs strengths is that they have the ability to catch their target audiences attention and make the consumers feel they need the products Import taxes may rise. However the company are constantly expanding therefore profits should rise thus meaning if import taxes should rise it should not affect the company substantially Change in fashion trends. As Abercrombie Fitch have a strong market share within the US, it would be wise to assume that they have an excellent team of fashion forecasters that would be able to foresee this potential threat. This strength can also be used for the threat of, due to global warming unforeseeable weather changes could affect consumer preference of products Strategies to deal with weaknesses and threats: Competitive pricing should be brought in to reduce the threat of substitution due to high prices Import taxes may rise. As mentioned in the previous box, if import taxes do rise then the company should be okay as they are continuing to expand thus increasing profits, which overall should even out the rise of import tax if it should occur Law suits against company. Abercrombie Fitch need to ensure that the company is always running professionally to ensure that further law suits do not arise Exchange rates could affect companys profitability. The company need to be constantly aware of exchange rates and understand that stock being sold in an unstable political and economical market could lose value The availability and price of raw materials could affect the cost of manufacturing. Therefore Abercrombie Fitch need to ensure they are obtaining their raw materials at the best price available 6. Porters Generic Strategies Diagram 1: Abercrombie Fitch and Porters Generic Strategies Abercrombie Fitch now Focus Abercrombie Fitch for the future Middle of the Road Differentiation Cost Leadership Porter (1980) identified four types of generic strategies for a company to be competitively successful. The four strategies consisted of Cost Leadership, Focus, Differentiation and Middle of the Road. Abercrombie Fitch are currently using the generic strategy of Focus as they have a small range of clothing products focused on a specific market segment of 18-22 year olds. For the future the company should aim to move not entirely away from focus but slightly towards Differentiation, thus enhancing their products durability and perception 7. Ansoff Matrix Table 4: Abercrombie Fitch Ansoff Matrix Current Products New Products Current Market Male and Female : clothing swimwear belts rubber flip flops leather flip flops Female: classic scarves handbags signature totes signature scents, 8, Classic, 41 (perfume) and Wakely Male: boxer shorts underwear necklaces bracelets signature scents, Fierce, 41 (cologne) and Colden Womens jewellery Male and Female watches Music C.D of in store music A range of male and female winter shoes Bags for males Pyjamas New Market Expansion into foreign market for example Eastern Europe Abercrombie Fitch catalogue in which products can be ordered similar to Next Directory or Littlewoods catalogue Products available in large department stores within the UK for example John Lewis, House of Frasier, Selfridges and Harrods. A range of smart male and female clothing products Hair care products Abercrombie Fitch bottled water Surf boards Male and female clothing for age group 25+ Larger sizes 8. SMART Objectives Abercrombie Fitchs SMART objectives run over the limited period from 2010-2013. In the world of Beauty and Fashion 3-6months would be considered a shot term objective. 12-25 months a medium objective and 36+ months a long term objective. This is a very different time frame to other types of businesses, as fashion and beauty trends move very quickly, usually with the seasons. Therefore companies such as Abercrombie Fitch need to be thinking quickly about fashion changes. The following SMART objectives are listed in hierarchy, with the first objective being the objective that Abercrombie Fitch should definitely consider proceeding with if they had to choose one. Given the present economic climate, it may be in Abercrombie Fitchs best interest to wait until the end of the recession is completely in sight before producing any new products as bringing out a new product is a high risk. SMART Objective Target Segment Risk 1) Introduce a range of womens jewellery complementary to the companies style of casual luxury, consisting of 15 pieces by 1st November 2010 Women aged 18-22, educated, with reasonably comfortable income Medium Risk 2) Launch a new prestigious clothing range to re-capture higher end income consumers by 1st may 2011 Men and Women aged 18-22, educated, with high income Low Risk 3) Trail introduction of larger UK womens sizes 12-16 for clothing products in London flagship store by 1st March 2013 Women aged 18-22, educated, with reasonably comfortable income, that could not shop at the store before due to the size Large actually being the equivalent to a UK 10 High Risk If objective 3 is successful then 4) Trial introduction of integration of 2 real models within advertisements and in store staff within London flagship store by 12th June 2013 Men and Women aged 18-22, educated, with reasonably comfortable income. The advertisements and new models will aim to attract real size women in the UK sizes 12-16 High Risk 9. Strategic Plan, Implementation Measurement of SMART Objectives 9.1 SMART Objective 1 SMART Objective Porters Strategy Market Segment/ Ansoff 1) Introduce a range of womens jewellery complimentary to the companys style of casual luxury, consisting of 15 pieces by 1st November 2010 Between Focus and Differentiation Women aged 18-22, educated, with reasonably comfortable income. New Product/Current Market Product The jewellery will be in the companies style of casual luxury, items such as beaded bracelets, necklaces and earrings will be designed in accordance with market research results and offered to consumers in store and online Price Market Skimming Strategy high price offered and only gradually lowered Place Products will be available in all Abercrombie Fitch Flag ship stores around the world and on website. If successful will be brought into all other stores Promotion Direct Marketing- television adverts, magazine advertisements, in store advertisement. Celebrity endorsement Physical Evidence The Abercrombie Fitch logo of the Moose will remain present Process Products will be sent from the manufactures to Head office then distributed to the Flag Ship stores around the world People Abercrombie Fitch already make male jewellery, therefore a female specialist will be employed and work alongside the male specialist in order to create male and female jewellery products that work in harmony Measurement Small targets should be set in order to ensure the successful completion of the Objective. As the objective is short term, monthly meetings should also take place to ensure targets are being met. 9.2 SMART Objective 2 SMART Objective Porters Strategy Market Segment/ Ansoff 2) Launch a new prestigious male and female clothing range to re-capture higher end income consumers by 1st may 2011 Focus Men and Women aged 18-22, educated, with high income New Product/ New Market Product A range of male and female clothes aimed at recapturing the wealthier consumers offering them a prestigious brand once again. Once market research has be undertaken then this will determine the types of clothing products needed. Price Pricing to reflect product differentiation- price will be higher than the standard brands products Place Products will first be launched in the flag ship stores around the world and then brought into all other stores if found to be successful Promotion Direct Marketing- television advertisements, magazine advertisements, in store advertisement. Celebrity endorsement Physical Evidence The Abercrombie Fitch logo of the Moose will remain present Process Products will be sent from the manufactures to Head office then distributed to the Flag Ship stores around the world People Ruehl No.925 employees will be interviewed and asked why they feel the brand failed. Constructive criticism will be taken away and applied to making the new prestigious range successful. A person with strong knowledge of prestige brands and turn around strategies would be useful Measurement Once market research has been undertaken a target should be set as to when the first designs will be available for viewing. Then more targets set as to when the collection will be finished. Monthly meetings should be undertaken to ensure that targets are being met and to run through any problems that may arise that could affect the objective being met on time. 9.3 SMART Objective 3 SMART Objective Porters Strategy Market Segment/ Ansoff 3) Trail introduction of larger UK womens sizes 12-16 for clothing products in London flagship store by 1st March 2013 Between Focus and Differentiation Women aged 18-22, educated, with reasonably comfortable income, that could not shop at the store before due to the size Large actually being the equivalent to a UK 10 New Product/ New Market Product As well as the usual 0-10 UK womens clothing sizes being produced the company will also introduce sizes 12-16. These sizes are the most common female sizes in the UK and should be greatly accepted Price Market Skimming- high price offered and only gradually lowered Place The new sizes will be introduced into the UKs London flagship store. If found to be successful then new objectives will be set for the introduction of the sizes across the world Promotion Small in store advertisements within UK London flag ship store Physical Evidence The Abercrombie Fitch logo of the Moose will remain present Process Products will be manufactured then distributed straight to UK flag ship store in order to cut out the middle man (The US head office) Products will have to be checked in order to ensure that they are 100% before retailing People Someone with strong knowledge on female sizing in the UK Measurement Targets set and meeting undertaken to ensure that procedures are running smoothly to meeting the objective. In the first year 4 meetings will take place and then one every month in the years to follow until the object end date 9.4 SMART Objective 4 SMART Objective Porters Strategy Market Segment/ Ansoff 4) Trial introduction of integration of 2 real models within advertisements and in store staff within London flagship store by 12th June 2013 Between Focus and Differentiation Men and Women aged 18-22, educated, with reasonably comfortable income. The advertisements and new models will aim to attract real size women in the UK sizes 12-16 New Product/ New Market Product Introduction of real size models sizes 12+ within companies Marketing/Advertising campaigns and in store staff Price Price will be based on price of advertising campaign and cost of new in store staff Place Advertisements with real size models will be trialled in the UKs London flagship store. Real size models will also be hired alongside the skinny in store staff Promotion Large advertisements including real size models within direct marketing such as, magazines, television advertisements, internet and in store. As well as London buses Physical Evidence The Abercrombie Fitch logo of the Moose will remain present Process real size models casted for advertisement and for in store staff People Someone who can sympathise with the fact that clothes should not be about what you look like in them, but how you feel in them. And understand that not everyone is a size 0 model. Bring realism to the company Measurement Small targets should be set in order to ensure the successful completion of the Objective. As the objective is long term, 4 meetings will take place in the 1st year and then monthly meetings will take place in the second and thrid year to ensure targets are being met. 10. Conclusion In conclusion after considering Abercrombie Fitchs external environment as well as Porters Generic strategies and Ansoff Matrix, four SMART Objectives have been formulated and a Strategic Plan, Implementation Measurement of each SMART Objective has also been created. If Abercrombie Fitch should decide to implement any of the SMART Objectives suggested in the near future, then the current external environment should be examined as different situations may have arisen.