Easy Jet( Airline company) e-marketing strategies Essay

Founded in the year 1995 Easy Jet has been a very fast growing company. In the year 1998 they sold their first seat through the internet and as of now almost 98% seats are sold online. This has made Easy Jet one of the foremost in the internet retailing. One of the foremost reasons the company went online is because it wanted to reduce and distribute costs. According to EasyJet.com (2008.a), the concept overview gives a overview of their e-marketing strategy, they are as follows:  · Reduction and distribution of costs which includes setting up their booking centres and manual labour.  · No tickets during travel. An email containing the booking reference itself is enough to board a plane. The further reduces tasks and costs of issuing, distribution, processing and reconciliation of tickets for every year.  · All operations are paperless thereby making the internet all the more useful for other businesses such as management and administration purposes. Mc Govern.G (2004) mentions that the e-marketing strategy needs to be logical must have substance and needs to have a lot of textual matter. In general it has to â€Å"be useful†. The main reason for its success is eCommerce and the way it has been used as a part of their business plan. The main reason for Easy Jet’s e-strategy was that the company wanted to â€Å"scale down its call centre operation† and sell most of their tickets online (2001). The use of the website has made their flights even cheaper when compared to their competitors. EasyJet.com (2008.b), gives an overview of the different ways that the internet is being used and how the customers are being benefited,  · Customers who book online receive discounts for each leg of the journey.  · They make it a point to put up all cheap flights online.  · Customers can search flights by fares and also view cheap flights that are available over two weeks.  · Customers can make their bookings online. Make any flight transfers, name changes and can request duplicate confirmations by email.  · Customers can also reschedule their flight bookings.  · The website also offers online check in for its passengers.  · The customer also has the option of selecting Speeding boarding which will enable the passenger to board the flight before all the other passengers.  · There are exclusive promotions for customers who are booking online. E-strategy is aimed at selective targeting of customer groups for promotions. According to Chaffey.D (2007) e-marketing strategy includes  · Segmentation and Targeting. Online customers are from different demographic locations, their needs and even behaviours are different. So the same e-strategy needs to be able to mould itself to specific requirements of the customer.  · Differentiation and Positioning. It is also important that the online product gives appropriate value for money. Competitors will have different value propositions and Easy Jet will have to be able to meet. Based on this some of the recommendations are as follows,  · The customer base needs to be expanded, by giving the customer more promotional benefits of online booking.  · E-marketing should not be seen as the sole marketing strategy but must be integrated as a part of the bigger marketing plan for the company.  · Enhance the experience of online booking by offering benefits, advantages and promotions.  · Make online booking a priority not a necessity. As they will have to retain the customer base of internet users as well as non-users.  · Need to start tie ups with other airlines so that they can expand into other countries.  · Their strategy needs to be able to handle and adopt to competition of airlines and new business models strategies of other companies which may or may not include e-strategy.  · The service of handling customer complaints and feedbacks should be effectively managed. So that feedbacks are positive and the complaints received are as minimal as possible.  · They should also have a plan in place if inflation occurs and if prices of products are affected. They need to be prepared with alternatives and substitutes.  · Change in political regulations and governments policies should have no or else minimal effect on the functioning of Easy Jet and its low prices.  · Easy Jet also needs to be environment friendly on and off air.  · They need to introduce their booking services by taking the technology of the internet to areas that do not have the facility. There are various kinds of e-tools that can be used on the internet. Some of the e-tools used by Easy Jet are listed below,  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Websites so that customers can surf through the pages and book, cancel or transfer flights.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   E-commerce to enable bookings online. There are other tools that are not being used by Easy Jet and these are listed as follows,  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Email. So that customers can have their on personal Easy Jet email id for a more personals online service.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   No chat and messenger service. A customer support executive can be online to help and guide the customer through the process of making transactions or else to assist in answering queries.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Communities and forums. These can help the customers to interact with other customers thereby enabling the company to understand and evaluate its services and customer satisfaction ratio.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The website can also include videos and sound clips to help customers who are physically disabled to still be able to use the internet to make bookings. Dr Chaffey.D (2008) suggests that there needs to be some core framework for assessment and that should include the product details, price competencies, introduce e-commerce transactions across different sites and promotions. This will then keep the customer in the virtual world as happy as in the real world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Easy Jet has a very has a very good future ahead but only if it can take up on some recommendations to better itself in the long run.

The Role of Stakeholders

Role of Stakeholder MGT/ 420 November 1, 2012 Roger Ellis Role of Stakeholder Quality management is an approach to managing a business that focuses not only on customers and profits, but also takes into consideration anyone who can influence the business to be more profitable. These might include employees, suppliers, investors, market analysts, government regulators and trade associations. These entities need to have a positive working relationship with one another and collaborate with each other to promote the business.Lack of collaboration between them can cause issues with the success of the business itself (Susienes & Vanegas, 2005). Quality management considers the actions of stakeholders to be very important in the overall success of the operation. R. Edward Freeman defines a stakeholder as â€Å"anyone that can be affected by a company’s actions, objectives, and policies. This includes both internal stakeholders, such as employees and managers, and external stakeholde rs, such as shareholders, suppliers, customers, surrounding communities, creditors, the government† (DowellDoGood, 2012).Stakeholders Stakeholders can be divided in two groups: internal stakeholders and external stakeholders. Internal stakeholders are the employees, from the upper managers to the production workers – anyone who works in the company and is a part of the business structure of the company itself. Internal stakeholders are also customers, suppliers, and shareholders. All of these groups make a difference in the growth of the company. Balancing these relationships that provide satisfaction in the long run is the focus of quality management structure.Employees need satisfaction with fair salaries ad benefits packages, customers need quality products and fair prices, suppliers need the opportunity to sell and make a profit, and, finally, shareholders want a return on their investments. Organizing meetings, communicating through E-mail, letters, and seeking con sensus on decisions made to facilitate each group’s needs, enable the business to have a common goal and smooth all internal and external conflicts. External stakeholders are the community, the government, business associations and political groups.All of these groups can have a strong influence on a business, regulating policies, laws and influencing customers to buy a product or service. Also, they can influence shareholders to be investors in the business, making a difference in the value of the company itself (Susienes & Vanegas, 2005). Two Examples The Department of Health and Human Services provides regulations to govern care in hospitals, medical centers, etc. The stakeholders in this organization are: patients, providers, payers, and public health professionals. The patients’ interest is to be provided with excellent care.FACCT (Foundation for Accountability) is an entity that addresses health care needs for the patient, and it is founded and lead by patients. IOM (Institute of Medicine) is a corporation that regulates the care delivered by providers. Medicare and Medicaid have programs that help patients to receive care and providers to be paid in order to continue operations. In addition, the National Committee of Quality Assurance and National Quality Forum assist in developing programs to improve health care, along with public health professionals who provide support by suggesting policies to improve care (HRSA, 2012).Another example of stakeholders being very proactive and an integrant part of an organization is the Watershed issue in the United States. Natural resource organizations for all the states involve stakeholders as their staff and to foster support in the community. Stakeholders include local organizations tired of being inactive when their water reserves in the city are being contaminated or ruined by discharge from farms or wastewater treatment plants. Other stakeholders are national environmental groups that support the organization by traveling around the States and motivating people to support their cause.Another organization of stakeholders is the business community – helping to save the environment by changing business operations to be environmentally safe and preserve water waste. Stakeholders also include government agencies which work as partners to preserve the watershed (Tonning & MacPherson, 2010). Conclusion Quality Management includes stakeholders in its structure as a vital element in the success of the business or organization that they are a part of.Stakeholders are any person or group who can aid or are a part of the organization with the purpose of bringing greater success to the business. Quality Management utilizes both external and internal resources as stakeholders to ensure that their organization has the necessary support and aid, which would cost more money and time if these resources were purchased outright. Instead, due to the common interest in making the organiza tion or business successful, this support is giving freely and with enthusiasm.This kind of help is priceless, considering the ramifications of knowledge and networking that it can bring to an organization. Involving stakeholders is brilliant and very useful.References Definition of Shareholders & Stakeholders. (2012). Do Well Do Good. Retrieved from http://dowelldogood. net/? p=545 HRSA U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2012). What are the roles of key stakeholders in QI? Retrieved from http://www. hrsa. gov/healthit/toolbox/HealthITAdoptiontoolbox/QualityImprovement/whatarerolesofkeystkholders. tml Susniene, D. , & Vanagas, P. (2005). ISSN 1392-2785 Engineering Economics2005. No 4 (44) Commerce of Engineering Decision- Integration of Total quality management into Stakeholders management Policy and Harmonization of their Interests. Retrieved from http://internet. ktu. lt/lt/mokslas/zurnalai/inzeko/44/1392-2758-2005-4-44-71. pdf Tonning, B. , & MacPherson, C. (2012). G etting in Step: Engaging and Involving Stakeholders in Waterwaste. Retrieved from http://cfpub. epa. gov/npstbx/files/stakeholderguide. pdf

A Ideal Partner

To be able to completely trust your life on a simple word from your partner is a soul quality of admiration. A man that I know is going to be there for me through all the complexities that life puts forward, pleasant and not so pleasant no matter what the consequences. Women have consistently been recognized for their desire and style of communication, for the means of expressing emotions, frustrations, and information exchange. The quality of sincerity is one that can be the foundation of a life long relationship. Commitment is a quality that forsaking all other, you are faithful to your partner in life and life-eternal. The quality of integrity is one that I hold very high on my standards for a man. Each of these proceeding characteristics contributes to a man of desire. The reasoning that I firmly believe this is because I†tmve found my ideal partner in my husband. The definition of sincere is to be free from pretence in behavior or feelings, to be genuine and honest. A man can be compassionate towards his friends or family. Having a man whom you can count on wholeheartedly by his word is irreplaceable. For my partner to risk his life or surrender himself on my behalf would be of complete aspiration. The perfect companion that would be for myself would be a man of sincerity, integrity, compassion, and commitment. The qualities that intrigue me are not of material or superficial possessions, but internal contentment and confidence.

Case study journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case study journal - Essay Example This paper explores the three learning and teaching strategies as discussed by as discussed in the book. The book explains how effective learning among students is achieved. Collaboration is among the key elements that have been given much emphasis in this chapter. The author states that collaboration helps students to be receptive to challenging assignments, develop crucial skills in cooperation. It also builds a community of learners who are responsible for each other’s learning rather creating a competitive environment which alienates some students, particularly those who perform poorly in class (Willems & Gonzalez-DeHass, 2006). Students’ engagement is also substantially improved by allowing students to learn in pairs or groups. Learning in groups requires them to share ideas and interact in an effective manner. However, accomplishing collaborative learning is faced with challenges such as inequities that exist in the social system of a classroom. In his case, students who perform well dominate groups formed during collaborative learning while poor performers are unable to convince other group members. According to the author, the main elements of effective learning include collaboration, self-regulation and constructivist learning. Constructivism is categorized into two; physiological constructivism and social constructivism. Under physiological constructivism, people use information, help from other persons and from other resources to develop problem solving strategies and mental models, while Social constructivism makes people perceive learning as a participative activity Inquiry based learning and problem based learning are other effective approaches that improves the learning process. Inquiry based learning involves asking students guide questions that are related to the curriculum where by the chosen questions guide students towards a common understanding. It also engages students in the inquiry by allowing them to make

The Kiss Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Kiss - Essay Example She sees his continuation of desire as a weakness, her ability to pull away a sign of strength. Therefore, she views him with pity, her own strength giving her a feeling of superiority. She has discovered that the experience was not overwhelming, that she could maintain her own control during the event and that within this she has conquered her own thoughts about the possibility of having the imposition of desire. She says â€Å"she was pleased to discover that it was an unexceptional experience†, thus she finds that the experience did not affect her in such a way that she would become a victim of it (Perkins and Perkins 2539). As she turns away, her reminiscent comments suggest that she has had a profound moment, but not through the sensuality of the kiss, but through the realization that she is immune to the intent of the kiss. Her power is in not giving into her desire, her control through her detachment. Thus, she now knows how to remain in power and in control. Works Cite d Perkins, George, and Barbara Perkins, editors. The American Tradition in Literature, Volume II, 12th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007

Pearl Group of India Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Pearl Group of India - Case Study Example In the situation where world markets are contracting due to the recession the company needs to rectify the situation immediately or it is like to suffer irreversible losses. Â  The company has ample resources but the Board of Directors is convinced that some of its resources need to be reviewed for efficiency and results. To achieve such Functional capability and efficiency, the Board mandated the management to organize all its operations that were spread over a wide geographical area. They were given a time frame of twelve months to complete this exercise. Â  It is understood that the way to achieving efficiencies lies in Technology up-gradation. This was the most important, yet the weakest of all resources they have. To overcome this issue it was agreed that the best option was to have an integrated ERP solution and to discard the several smaller software packages. This would result in the seamless flow of data from point to point and instant information will be possible. This would form the backbone of the efficient organization. The ERP would provide the required system that was missing and would bring back resilience and efficiency in the organization. Most losses occur due to bad decisions that rely on inaccurate data or on assumptions only; therefore the biggest benefit of an ERP is whoever receives a meaningful report is able to take informed decision and thus ensure an increase in productivity and profits. Â  Use of computers has become universal and small packages have been developed to Inventory Management system. These are very versatile and give good and fast results and perform well when used in smaller organizations. When large organizations use them they are found short of requirements on several counts.

Register Nurse interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Register Nurse interview - Essay Example According to the RN, the use of interpersonal communication in the nursing practice takes into account the personality and character traits of the communicating parties. Communicators, the message, feedback, context, and channel (West & Turner, 2007) are the elements that the RN attributed to interpersonal communication process. The use of these elements in the nursing practice allows information to be collected and given relative to the underlying need, issue, or concern between the registered nurse and the patient/client. In my future career as a registered nurse, interpersonal communication will be expected to enhance my duty and responsibility discharge. Interpersonal communication will essentially enhance attitude and behavior influence, maintain professional relationships in the nursing setting, enable personal expression and understanding of nursing needs, foster emotional support, enhance decision making and problem solving, and regulate power (Bach & Grant, 2011). In the light of the aforementioned expectations, my career as a registered nurse stands a chance to be effective and efficient. The interview was an eye-opener to what is expected of me in the nursing

Sociology- Egoistic Suicide Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sociology- Egoistic Suicide - Research Paper Example The sociologist’s contribution to our understanding of suicide â€Å"is the relationship between society and the person who commits suicide† (Holmes & Holmes 25). According to Durkheim, egoistic suicide is illustrated by the â€Å"greater rate of suicide among modern individuals in the liberal, more educated, more well-to-do classes† (Lemert 46). This type of suicide is caused not by knowledge and education itself, but by the individual becoming too individualistic as a result of modern society’s failure to integrate the individual and provide moral protection. Egoistic suicide is sometimes the outcome of a person no longer finding a basis for existence in life. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to examine Durkheim’s theory of egoistic suicide, identify the similarities and differences between egoistic suicide and other types of suicide, and discuss Durkheim’s theory on the rates of egoistic suicides. Emile Durkheim’s Theo ry of Egoistic Suicide In Durkheim’s (1951) book on suicide, the sociologist delineated the fundamental differences in rates and types of suicide between traditional and modern societies (Appelrouth & Edles 111). Egoistic suicide results from a pathological weakening of the bonds between an individual and the social group. According to Durkheim’s theory, the two explanatory variables are integration and regulation. In societies where integration is low egoistic suicide results; when integration is high altruistic suicide results; when regulation is low anomic suicide results; and when regulation is high fatalistic suicide results† (Breault & Barkey 321). The extent of regulation in society depends on the extent of its control on the emotions and motivations of individual members. Breault & Barkey (p.321) conducted a comparative cross-national test of Durkheim’s theory of egoistic suicide involving indicators of religious, family, and political integration; while excluding the theory of regulation. The results of the study showed that the relationships between religious integration and suicide, family integration and suicide, and between political integration and suicide are inversely proportional. Further, the relationships between the independent and dependent variables are strong and very significant. Together, the researchers’ indicators of relgious, family and political integration explain about 76 percent of the variation in international rates of suicide. Egoistic Suicide in Relation to the other Types of Suicide A similarity between anomic and egoistic suicide is that both spring from the individual’s inadequate engagement with society. In egoistic suicide there is a lack of interactions in society and collective or group activity in the person’s life, thereby causing an emptiness deprived of purpose and meaning. However, in anomic suicide, society’s influence on controlling an individual’s p assions is lacking, causing an absence of a check-rein (Lemert 47). Thus, in egoistic suicide life may have been unbearable because of excessive self-discipline, while in anomic suicide life may have been unbearable due to inadequate self-discipline (Broom & Selznick 30). Similarly, there is both likeness and difference between egoistic and fatalistic suicide, because in both types one of the components is a lack of integration with society as a result of which life becomes devoid of meaning. However, in fatalistic suicide the person suffers a trapped feeling, and believes there is no escape (Lemert 47). In egoistic suicide there is no cause the individual dies for, the most important factor is the individual. This person

Histhopathological change in human cerebellum in motor neuron disease Literature review

Histhopathological change in human cerebellum in motor neuron disease patients - Literature review Example In most brain functions, the motor controls are crossed such that the right motor cortex controls the left side of the body while the left motor cortex controls the right side of the body. The axons of the neurons in these cortexes must therefore split into two at some point during their decline into the spinal cord in order to shift sides. The splitting of the axons takes place at the junction between the spinal cord and the medulla oblongata. It is this crossover that will lead to paralysis on one side of the body when the other side of the brain ends up with stroke or injuries. The cerebellum is connected and joined to the brain by three peduncles and divided into three parts including vestibulocerebellum, spinocerebellum and cerebrocerebellum. It contains much cortex which is very much folded and whose interior matter is enclosed in a white substance and has cerebellar nuclei. It is not easy to define which parts of the cerebral cortex are motor in nature, however there are various cortical regions where if stimulated leads to movement. The three parts of the cerebellum are responsible for the regulation of reflexes and equilibrium control as well as motor sequences programming. Besides this, they plan and start all voluntary movements in the body. The infection of the cerebellum will ultimately cause motor symptoms. The cerebellar disease produces various symptoms depending on the parts. The lateral hemispheres of the cerebellum are responsible for limp movement control. The midline of the cerebellum also referred to the vermis is responsible for movements of the eye, voice control and axial functions. The vestibulocerebellum controls vestibular functions. Therefore the damage to the lateral hemispheres causes tremor symptoms which are rhythmic are mainly on voluntary movements. Injuries on the vermis cause effects on the axial motor. This can be seen through defections in the head and trunk or problems in the eye movements or with

Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sociology - Essay Example American Dream This ethos that nationally binds the United States was drafted from the United States declaration of Independence. It is rooted in creating freedom in the society. The American dream is aimed at creating freedom that achieves success and prosperity in the national endeavors. The America dream is focused on creating a full, better and richer life for all the people. This statement refers to equity in opportunity to people regardless of social divisions in the society. Given the opportunity, everyone is believed to be able to achieve, no matter their circumstances or social stratifications. The dream from the United States declaration of Independence emphasizes on equity among men and women, based on inalienable rights. Therefore, all people have equal rights to liberty, life and pursuit of happiness. This brings about equity in the society, as highlighted in the texts. Social Inequality in America American has a social inequity stratification system ranging from class, gender and politics. These factors are determined by power, which is the authority vested upon a person to make the other carry out duties, according to the rules and legislation. This power is also known as the authority that it is willingly dissipated or legitimate. At the same time, coercion or illegitimate power is the taken under force. Property is another factor of inequality that is based on one’s possession. It is generally the measure of social class. Finally, prestige marks another factor of inequality where one’s position in the society is determined (Domhoff 3). In American today, prestige is tied to the occupation one is undertaking, that is the lawyers, doctors and teacher. Normally, prestige is tied to the social class. Despite her move towards the dream, America has not yet achieved her equity in most of these areas. Up to date, America still suffers gender inequality in some areas that are characterized in the early work of Loe. Women are still treated as sex objects in some working places to date, especially in bars and restaurants (Williams 74). Despite the changes in time, the conception of a woman has not much changed, according to Loe in these places the women are â€Å"‘objectified victims’ of sexualized workplaces, but are also architects of gender, power and sexuality in such setting† (Williams 73). The general achievement of equity of women in these workplaces has never been a success. The structure of these places still treat the employed bar waitress as ‘cheerleaders’ since their work is to entertain men (Williams 75). Some employment companies still go for recruitment based on the ideology of â€Å"women jobs† (Williams 73). This job matches them due to their sex segregation. This is typically a social inequality that has rooted in many job posts in America. In addition, the dressing style expected among the women is a pattern that reveals their sex nature that Loe referred to i n the Bazoom uniform, just to make a woman sexy before men (Williams 81). Gender inequality in jobs takes some wide variations, where in some instances women are still not accepted in some jobs due to their gender. For instance, jobs like the clerical work today is majorly associated with women just like the waitress and bar attendants in the Bazoom since they need individual who â€Å"act like a woman† (Williams 82). Inequity still prevails in most places in America. The segregation in language, race and

Coursework 8 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

8 - Coursework Example For example, the inhabitants could have cooperated and authorized this as a rule to be followed by all. 6.1: A top down hierarchy came up, under a king’s supervision. Common-pool resources were managed according to tradition and rituals as a means of avoiding overexploitation. However, the traditions did not materialize. 6.2: Group cooperation among societies disintegrated into competition and mutual suspicion. For instance, the reciprocity and trust among tribes disintegrated just like the king’s autonomy to give orders and enforcing them (Diamond, 1995). B. 1. Due to overpopulation, there was deforestation, which in turn led to soil erosion and nutrient leaching, soil evaporation, wind damage, and final crop yield reduction. This meant that food was insufficient to sustain the population as a result of low harvest and competition for the same. There was also class conflict, where the king was accused of the incapability to avert environmental collapse. Power was then assumed by the warrior class. Jointly, destabilization and inadequate response to circumstances as well as the deterioration of resources combined to cause collapse. 2. Just like Islanders, the current human population struggles to balance between preventing the harmful effects of practices like deforestation, soil erosion, and energy conservation. Most societies in the developing world are overpopulated and this continues to be a challenge to the limited amount of food produced. The historical account of Easter Island serves as a warning sign in regard to the need to address environmental issues in such a way that, it illustrates how lack of thoughtful environmental stewardship and careful planning can lead to failure of sustainable management of

Releasing Protected Health Information Essay Example for Free

Releasing Protected Health Information Essay When it comes to the handling of patient’s records and them being released, it is not an easy process. It is very important for each patient that opts to have their information released for whatever reason sign a release form stating that they authorize their information being released. There are times in which a patient’s records can be released without having their authorization. In this case, the records can be requested from government agencies, legal agencies or a representative, and a research that may subpoena a medical profession for this information. Every person that becomes a patient in a healthcare facility is protected by something called HIPAA. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law passed by Congress that amended â€Å"the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve portability and continuity of health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets, to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in health insurance and health care delivery, to promote the use of medical savings accounts, to improve access to long-term care services and coverage, to simplify the administration of health insurance, and for other purposes,† according to Essential of Healthcare Management (2011). HIPAA is a set of rules that address the use of privacy and confidentiality of an individual’s health records. Any facility that practices with the care of a patient is subject to the privacy rule of HIPAA. The covered entities would be considered privacy and disclosure of information as protected health information. The covered entity is required to obtain an individual’s authorization prior to disclosing any health information. Every patient when seen by a healthcare professional is made aware of their rights to how they want their medical information to be used. The reason for this is to keep patients information private and protected.  What it does allow is some information to be able to be transferred with the patient from physician to physician so that they the physician can know something about the patient to help them in the best way that they can. There are different circumstances by which agencies or covered entities have the right or legal obligation to access or obtain Patient’s Healthcare Information (PHI). PHI is under the HIPAA that gives the privacy regulation the privacy that should remain between the patient and doctor. Under some circumstances the gove rnment has the right or legal obligation to a patient’s medical records. Any health care data for analysis in support of policy, planning, regulatory or management functions, it is permitted to disclose information to other government agencies for health data systems (according to http://www.ncdhhs.gov/healthit/exchange/NCLaws_alignment.pdf). Any non-covered government entities may only maintain a limited amount of data sets of information. This is so that the identifiers (name, address and Social Security numbers) can be removed before the government agency receives them. When files are usually authorized to the law officials, it may be because the person can be a victim of domestic violence to a government authority, abuse, and neglect. In a case like the patient is informed that their information has been released unless the health facility believes that a serious harm will occur or the person may portray to themselves. Researchers may need to use files without being authorized to do so if they need to find a treatment for the person. Trying to receive the approval from a patient can be time consuming by which can getting a glimpse at the files and starting the job is much easier. I believe that no matter what kind of storage that is placed on medical records, it is secured and should be assessable when needed. Law official/ researchers are able to subpoena records due to research or something. I believe that they should be authorized to obtain records without a patient’s authority depending on the case. I believe that having records subpoena should go by a base-to-base case. I believe that privacy safeguards are adequate to support the law agencies, researchers, and government agencies of having them be able to obtain information about a patient even without their consent. I believe that in the long run, it makes it easier for some of these agencies to be able to do their job without any interruptions and debater. Before starting this class, I did not know as much as I do now. I believe that the HIPAA law  is something that protects patients from their PHI being exposed to the wrong people. It is something that is great that is in place! References Green, M. A., Bowie, M. J. (2011). Essentials of Health Information Management (2nd ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar, Cengage Learning. Legal Requirements for Consent to Disclose Patient Information. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.ncdhhs.gov/healthit/exchange/NCLaws_alignment.pdf U.S. Department Health Human Services. (2013). Retrieved from http://ww

Tescos Performance Based On Financial Ratios Commerce Essay

Tescos Performance Based On Financial Ratios Commerce Essay This research proposal studies on the factors which Tesco in their current profitability and meet it short-term financial obligation. Tesco also look strong for the employees motivation and the company competitive exists. Tesco was founded in year 1919 by Jack Cohen and the first Tesco name appeared in year 1929 (Tesco, 2010). Nowadays, the Britian leading retailer is Tesco and also United Kingdom based international supermarket chain (TESCO, 2010 and Tesco House, n.d.). They operating over 4,800 stores globally and employing over 472,094 people (Checksure, n.d.). At the beginning, they specializing in food, now move into areas like clothes, consumer electronics, consumer financial services, selling and renting DVDs, compact discs and music downloads, internet service and consumer telecoms (Tesco House, n.d.). They have 588 supermarkets and 257 are superstores. Besides that, they operates in 13 countries such as Republic of Ireland, Hungary Czech Republic, Slovakia, Turkey and Poland in Europe, China, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, India, and the U.S. (Tesco, 2010). The key towards Tesco success was related to their financial position which consists of generate a return on its resource, able to meet its short-term financial obligations and the efficiency ratios. Usually, the financial ratios analysis is including profitability, liquidity and investment ratios. Its normally used to analysis company performance which analyzes the success, failure and progress of company business. (Woods, 1999). In addition, it can also calculate for a company to be compared with other companies and own companies own past figures (Jiao and Bhalotra, 2007). Profitability ratios determine that the companys able to generate a return on its resource (missouribusiness.net, n.d.). Besides that, profitability shows proportion is advantageous business, measuring the overall performance was investigated, the profits of the company, can be used to test how your company operation, compares the current performance and the record of the past (Jiao and Bhalotra, 2007). It including gross profit, net profit margin, return on assets, and return on equity. The gross profit margin is indicates how well the company be able to generate a return at the gross profit level (Missouribusiness.net., n.d.). The gross profit margin considers the firms cost of goods sold, but does not include other costs (Netmba.com, n.d.). The formula for calculate the gross profit margin which is gross profit margin equal sales minus cost of goods sold divide by sales and multiply 100 percent. The formula calculates for net profit margin is net profit divide total sales also can call net sales and multiply 100 percent. However, this ratio ability provides a significant investment, indicate its sales business ability covers the smallest fixed cost and remains an acceptable profit (Missouribusiness.net, n.d). Formula calculation for return on assets is net incomes before taxes divide by total assets and multiply by 100 percent. This ratio display the effectively of the firms assets able being used to generate profits (Netmba.com, n.d.). In addition, low return on assets (ROA) indicates inefficient management, adverse when a high ROA which mean efficient in management (Barry, n.d.). Otherwise, this ratio in public company normally report return on assets to their shareholders, cause to tell them how well when using its assets to produce income. The return on equity (ROE) also knows as return on investment (ROI). The calculation compete for ROE which is return on equity equal net profit before taxes divide by shareholder equity multiply by 100 percent. These ratios usually indicate how well the company is utilizing its equity in investment and normally will higher than return on assets. According to proficient, if those companies hope their business growth in future, therefore, their ratio needs at least 10 to 14 percent in ROI (Barry, n.d.). This is a good figure to compare beside competitors or an industry average. For example, if the ratio is lower which mean that they meager management performance. In other words, a high return on investment indicates that management is doing well. Liquidity ratios is show how quick the company able to convert assets to cash, and pay off interest (Carter, 2010). Furthermore, the low levels of liquidity ratio can demonstrate poor management for grown up company (Netmba.com, n.d.). Besides that, its providing with useful limit for business managers to help them regulate their borrowing and spending (Barry, n.d.). The main liquidity ratios are the current ratio and quick ratio. Current ratio is also called the working capital ratio (Missouribusiness.net, n.d.). It is the number of times a companys current assets exceed its current liabilities, which is an indication of the solvency of that business (Auerbach, n.d.). The formula to compute the current ratio which is total Current Assets divide total Current Liabilities. A general rule of thumb for current ratio should be at least 2:1 (Missouribusiness.net, n.d.). A lower current ratio determines that the company may not be ability to pay its invoices on time, while a higher ratio means that company has money in cash or safe investment that could be put to better use in business (Barry, n.d.). The quick ratio is also called the acid test ratio (Missouribusiness.net, n.d.). It indicates the extent to which company could pay current liabilities without relying on the sale of inventory (Missouribusiness.net, n.d.). A general rule of thumb states that the ratio should be 1 to 1 or 1:1 (Missouribusiness.net, n.d.). If it is higher, the company may be keeping too much cash on hand or have a poor collection program for accounts receivable (Barry, n.d.). If it is lower, it may indicate that the company relies too heavily on inventory to meet its obligations. The formula for compete quick ratio is current assets minus inventory and divide current liabilities. 4.0 Significance of study: Basically, this study is seen vital as in it helps Tesco to do their financial performance more effectively. Regarding on that, it more related to the financial ratio analysis whether in term of profitability, liquidity and investment ratios that Tesco would take in for their effective management. Furthermore, this study also could acts as references for other retails that going to develop in the future as well to enhance competitive advantages. 5.0 Literature Review: Part A 5.1 Profitability ratios Profitability ratios are an indication of companys overall efficiency and performances. According to the calculation of annual report, the Tesco gross profit margin from year 2009 (7.76%) to 2010 (8.10%) increases 0.34 percent. During year 2010, Tesco net profit margin increasing 0.14 percent from 3.97 percent to 4.11 percent (Tesco, 2010). It indicates Tesco every year able to grown their revenues (Wearden, 2010). This is because they believe that having a good profitability the companies now can operate well in worldwide markets. Besides that, the profitability also provided information for investor to let the investors to know how well they company is going to evolution (Beginnermoneyinvesting.com, n.d.). Not only Tesco using this ratios and Carrefour S.A also use this ratio method. Because the Carrefour believe that improve in the profitability, it will efficient to the businesses running. Therefore, Tesco and Carrefour believed that using past data as a benchmark to make a concl usion as to why the profitability is increasing and decreasing, so that the company can go well (Mysmp.com, n.d.). For example, during the fiscal year in 2008, the Tesco had a better sales growth rate, so that they company moving up from number four to number three in the ranking in the world. When hold on more of retaining, its profits would cope with future external market challenges (Fresh Easy Buzz, 2010). 5.2 Investment Ratios Return on equity also known as return on investment (ROI). This ratio widely use by company because it ability to indications how efficiently the money invested in a company is providing a return to those investors (finpipe.com). In addition, the investor will through by ROE to get information what they need to make a sound decision (Winters, 2002). The investors normally will look for positive ROE, before making any kind of investment and also use to compare different investment options by an investment advisor (Dogra, n.d.). During 2010, Tesco ROE is 12.04 if compare to 2009 (11.98%) it increase around 0.06 percent. Besides that, Carrefour also emphasis on ROE, because investor is their money income if their ROE is not well that will influence their business and will affect them to expand in international business in worldwide. Therefore, the equity also look more to the operational and profitability ratios which to determine future profits that will accrue to the shareholder and t he shareholders compare the profitability of different projects by looking into their return on investment ratios (Dogra, n.d. and finpipe.com, n.d.). According to Shannon report (2010), Tesco CEO Terry Leahy announcement that the 145 store Fresh Easy should become profitable in fiscal 2013. Because of this announcement it causes the return on equity growth. In addition, a sharp improvement in Asia markets like Thailand and Korea able to helped drive sales growth. Return on Assets is evaluate to use get a feel for how well a company using their assets to generate income (money-zine.com, n.d.). During year 2010, Tesco ROA increase around 0.5 percent from 6.4 percent to 6.9 percent, because of the amortization charge on intangible assets arising acquisition. It also causes the group trading profits increase. In addition, they release cash from property through a sequence of joint ventures and other sale and leaseback transaction. Therefore, these transactions so far is completed which with pension funds, property companies and other investors would have delivered aggregate proceeds of  £2.2bn (Tesco, 2010). 5.3 Liquidity ratios Liquidity ratios are determined of a company ability to meet its debts (Winters, 2002). Liquidity ratios have current ratio and quick ratio. Current ratio is help company to see their able to pay their current debts without going against future earnings. In year 2009, Tesco current ratio 2009 is 0.77: 1 and year 2010 is 0.74:1. However, we can realize that current ratio from 2010 is decrease. This is because they always have new markets to invest in. The Tesco CEO Terry Leahy increase in borrowing ratios when spearheaded  £6.6 billion of spending on expansion, including the  £958 million takeover of South Koreas Homever supermarket chain. Although, Tescos facing debt is high but they feel it still very healthy balance sheet (Bloomberg, 2009). Quick ratio is show of the companys ability to make the payments on current obligation. Quick ratio for Tesco in year 2009 is 0.61:1 and year 2010 is 0.56:1. It shows that year 2010 ratio is decrease. This is because during that period they facing financial crisis. Although their ratio is decrease but they still can pay the debts because of they repaid their debt more early and use that was earning little interest to buy back higher interest-bearing corporate bonds (Tesco, 2010). Part B 5.4 Competition Besides that, competition in the worlds market is more important because it enables help the company assess intelligently the business environment in which the firm operates. This is because if without competition, the company unable to improve as in no competitive advantage. The competition enables the management to identify the companys weak points which to helps the firm to concentrate on the areas it needs to improve. The Main competitors of the Tesco are Carrefour S.A., J Sainsbury plc, Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC and so on (Datamonitor, 2004). These are the main competitors in business strategies and the value markets. In other words, it also can help the company to know what kinds of actions are required to development with the competitive position in the industry (Articlesbase.com, n.d). 5.5 Motivation Employees are considered the important asset of a company. Based on that, the key of business success is general relying on employees. Employees are considered the important asset of a company. Based on that, the key of business success is general relying on employees. Tesco mission is work as a team, trust and respect each other, listen, support and say thank you, and share knowledge and experience to customers. Above all they want their employees everyone at Tesco can enjoy their work. Besides that, the Tesco believe that if you treat people well they will give great service so they customer able to enjoy their shopping trip. Tesco know their employees can work better when they are given the space to make decisions and take responsibility. They also encourage their employees to learn from their mistakes and challenge conventional thinking (Tesco, 2010). 6.0 Methodology: Theoretical framework for this study is: Gross Profit Margin (IV) DB Total Assets Turnover (IV) Net Profit Margin (IV) Return on Assets (IV) Stock Turnover Period (IV) Tesco Performance (DV) Quick Ratio (IV) Return on Equity (IV) Current Ratio (IV) In this case, the Tesco performance is dependent and financial ratios are independent. Generally, secondary data collection is going to be done in order to help achieve the objectives in this study. It can through by annual report to do a comparatives which how well the Tesco performance in current year and previous year. In addition, they can highlight the variances in past budget, so that they can improve in following year through by these problems. (Words count: 2061) Reference lists Auerbach. A., n.d. How To Analyze Your Business Using Financial Ratios. [Online] Available at: ,http://www.esmalloffice.com/SBR_template.cfm?DocNumber=PL12_1500.htm> [Accessed 26 October 2010] Barry. C.C., n.d. Financial Ratios. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 27 October 2010] Beginnermoneyinvesting.com, n.d. Profitability Ratios. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 14 November 2010] Bloomberg, 2009. Tescos debt-fueled growth sparks investor backlash. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 29 October 2010] Carter. M., 2010. The Purpose of Financial Ratios. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 27 October 2010] Checksure, n.d. Tesco Plc and History of Tesco Plc. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 26 October 2010] Datamonitor, 2004. Tesco PLC. [pdf] Available at: [Accessed 15 November 2010] Dogra. A., n.d. Return on Assets Ratio. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 14 November 2010] Finpipe.com, n.d. Financial ratio analysis. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 4 November 2010] Fresh Easy Buzz, 2010. Tesco Drops From Third to Fourth Place in Important Global Retailing Ranking Despite Having Higher Sales Growth Than Rival. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 29 October 2010] Jiao. K. and Bhalotra. K., 2007. Financial Analysis J Sainsbury Plc. [pdf] Available at: [Accessed 27 October 2010] Kulkarni. A., n.d. Return on Equity Ratio. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 14 November 2010] Missouribusiness.net, n.d. Financial Ratios. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 27 October 2010] Money-zine.com, n.d. Investment Ratios. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 14 November 2010] Mysmp.com, n.d. Profitability Ratios. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 14 November 2010] Netmba.com, n.d. Financial Ratios. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 27 October 2010] Shannon. S., 2010. Tesco First-Half Profit Gains as International Sales Rebound. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 29 October 2010] Tesco, 2010. About TESCO. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 25 October 2010] Tesco, 2010. Annual report 2009 2010. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 28 November 2010] Tesco, 2010. Annual report 2009 2010. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 28 November 2010] Tesco, 2010. Creating good jobs and careers. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 15 November 2010] Tesco, 2010. Group performance. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 29 October 2010] Tesco House, n.d. Tesco Plc Business Information, Profile, and History. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 17 October 2010] Wearden. G., 2009. Tesco reports weak sales growth. The company is still planning to hire around 10,000 people during 2009 more than Sainsburys and Morrisons together. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 30 October 2010] Wearden. G., 2009. Tesco unveils record profits of  £3bn. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 28 October 2010] Wearden. G., 2010. Tesco rings up record profits. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 28 October 2010] Winters. A., 2002. Investment tips: what are key investment ratios? [Online] Available at: [Accessed 14 November 2010] Executive Summary:http://www.scribd.com/doc/39455198/TESCO-Financial-Analysis

Phases of Liquid Crystals

Phases of Liquid Crystals Introduction to Liquid Crystals A liquid crystal is a thermodynamic stable phase characterized by anisotropy of properties Without the existence of a three-dimensional crystal lattice, generally lying in the temperature Range between the solid and isotropic liquid phase, hence the term mesophase. Liquid crystal materials are unique in their properties and uses. As research into this field Continues and as new applications are developed, liquid crystals will play an important role in Modern technology. This tutorial provides an introduction to the science and applications of these materials. The term liquid crystal signifies a state of aggregation that is intermediate between the crystalline solid and the amorphous liquid. As a rule a substance in this state is strongly anisotropic some of its properties and yet exhibits a certain degree of fluidity, which in some case may be comparable to that of an ordinary liquid. The first observations of liquid crystalline or mesomorphic behaviour were made towards the end of the last century by reinitzer and lehmann. What are Liquid Crystals? Liquid crystal materials generally have several common characteristics. Among these are a rodlike molecular structure, rigidness of the long axis, and strong dipole and/or easily polarizable substituents. A dipole is present when we have two equal electric or magnetic charges of opposite sign, separated by a small distance. In the electric case, the dipole moment is given by the product of one charge and the distance of separation. Applies to charge and current distributions as well. In the electric case, a displacement of charge distribution produces a dipole moment, as in a molecule. The distinguishing characteristic of the liquid crystalline state is the tendency of the molecules (mesogens) to point along a common axis, called the director (the molecular direction of preferred orientation in liquid crystalline mesophases). This is in contrast to molecules in the liquid phase, which have no intrinsic order. In the solid state, molecules are highly ordered and have little translational freedom. The characteristic orientational order of the liquid crystal state is between the traditional solid and liquid phases and this is the origin of the term mesogenic state, used synonymously with liquid crystal state. Note the average alignment of the molecules for each phase in the following diagram. A mesogen is rigid rodlike or disclike molecules which are components of liquid crystalline materials. It is sometimes difficult to determine whether a material is in a crystal or liquid crystal state. Crystalline materials demonstrate long range periodic order in three dimensions. By definition, an isotropic (Having properties that are the same regardless of the direction of measurement. In the isotropic state, all directions are indistinguishable from each other)liquid has no orientational order. Substances that arent as ordered as a solid, yet have some degree of alignment are properly called liquid crystals. Liquid Crystal Phases Liquid crystal phases are formed by a wide variety of molecules. They can be divided into two classes, thermo tropic and allotropic. Transitions to thermotropic phases are initiated by changes in temperature, while those to lyotropic phases can also be initiated by changes in concentration. Thermotropic Phases Thermotropic liquid crystals can generally be formed by prolate (calamitic) molecules or oblate (discotic) molecules. Liquid crystal phases formed by calamitic molecules fall into three different categories: nematic, chiral nematic, and smectic. Nematic Liquid Crystal Phase The simplest liquid crystal phase is called the nematic phase (N). It is characterized by a high degree of long range orientational order but no translational order. Molecules in a nematic phase spontaneously order with their (for calamitic molecules) long axes roughly parallel. Schematic diagram of a nematic liquid crystal A uniformly aligned nematic has a preferred direction, often described in terms of a unit vector called the director. More generally a bulk nematic will contain domains. The orientation of the director is constant in each domain but is different in different domains. Viewed under a polarizing microscope the defect regions linking these domains appear as dark threads Chiral Nematic Liquid Crystal Phase Chiral molecules can also form nematic phases called chiral nematic (or cholesteric) phases (N*). This phase shows nematic ordering but the preferred direction rotates throughout the sample. The axis of this rotation is normal to the director. An example of this is shown in Fig (b). The distance over which the director rotates by 360 is called the chiral pitch and is generally of the order of hundreds of nanometres, the wavelength of visible light. A non-chiral nematic phase can be thought of as a chiral nematic with an infinite pitch. Fig (b). Smectic Liquid Crystal Phases Smectic phases have further degrees of order compared to the nematic phase. In the simplest smectic phase, the smectic-A (SmA) phase, the molecules order into layers, with the layer normal parallel to the director. Within the layers, liquid like structure remains, as shown in Fig. 1.3. Closely related to the SmA phase is the smectic-C (SmC) phase. Here the molecules form a layer structure but the long axes of the molecules, and hence the director, lies at an angle to the layer normal, as shown in Fig. 1.4. There are many other smectic phases which have long range order within the layers Smectic phases can also be formed by chiral molecules, leading to chiral smectic phases. Discotic Liquid Crystal Phases Liquid crystal phases formed by discotic molecules fall into three different categories: discotic nematic, discotic chiral nematic, and columnar. The discotic nematic is similar in structure to the calamitic nematic, although in this case the short axes of the molecules tend to lie parallel. The same holds for the discotic chiral nematic phases. Columnar phases are the discotic equivalent of the smectic phase. Here the molecules form columns. In the simplest case the short axes of the molecules lie parallel to the axis of the column and the columns are randomly distributed in space. More complicated discotic phases exist, where the short molecular axes lie at an angle to the column and translational order exists between the columns, analogous to the more complicated smectic phases. Other Thermotropic Phases Most of the phases exhibited by low molecular mass liquid crystals are described above. Recently however there has been much interest in the so-called `banana phases formed by bent-core molecules Some of these phases are chiral although the molecules forming them are achiral. Some high molecular mass polymers, liquid crystalline polymers (LCP), can also form liquid crystal phases. These fall into two categories depending on where the mesogenic part of the molecule is located. If the mesogenic unit is contained within the main polymer chain then it is termed a main chain liquid crystal polymer (MCLCP). These fall into two categories depending on where the mesogenic part of the molecule is located. If the mesogenic unit is contained within the main polymer chain then it is termed a main chain liquid crystal polymer (MCLCP). Lyotropic Liquid Crystal Phases Lyotropic liquid crystal phases are formed by amphiphilic molecules. These often consist of a polar head group attached to one or more non-polar chains and are often known as surfactants (surface active agents). A schematic is shown in Fig. 1.5. When these are dissolved in an appropriate solvent they self-assemble so the polar (hydrophilic) heads protect the non-polar (hydrophobic) tails. These structures are known as micelles. At low surfactant concentrations these are roughly spherical, as shown in Fig. 1.6. As the surfactant Concentration increases then other phases are formed. These include the hexagonal phase where the amphiphiles form cylinders that pack in a hexagonal array and the lamellar phase where the amphiphiles form a bilayer structure. Structure-Property Relationships in Liquid Crystals Despite this there exists only a poor understanding of how changes in molecular structure affect material properties. For liquid crystals this is complicated by several factors. Firstly, liquid crystal phases are formed by materials from the whole spectrum of chemical classes: organic, organometallic, and biological molecules can all form liquid crystal phases. Secondly, mesogenic molecules are generally quite large. A typical low mass mesogen will have from about 40-100 atoms. For liquid crystalline polymers and dendrimers this can be closer to a few thousand atoms. Liquid crystals tend to be flexible. This inhibits crystallization, preventing the direct transition from an isotropic liquid to a crystalline solid. It also leads to a large degree of conformational freedom, so properties are generally determined by more than just the equilibrium structure. Finally liquid crystal molecules often contain disparate parts (such as alkyl and perfluoroalkyl chains) that can have a large effect on the phase behaviour. Investigation of these factors by experimental or theoretical means should hopefully lead to a better understanding of structure-property relationships in liquid crystals. In principle the relationship between molecular structure and macroscopic properties can be investigated through the synthesis of series of similar mesogenic compounds. This however can be time consuming and may involve many difficult and expensive syntheses. Thus, the ability to determine the properties of a molecular structure before synthesis would be desirable. It is here that simulations can play an important role. Simulations on general molecular models can be used to find features that can lead to a particular property or phase. Atomistic simulations can be used to determine material properties of a particular molecular structure. Chemical Properties of Liquid Crystals Liquid crystals can be classified into two main categories: thermotropic liquid crystals, And lyotropic liquid crystals. These two types of liquid crystals are distinguished by the mechanisms that drive their self-organization, but they are also similar in many ways. Thermotropic transactions occur in most liquid crystals, and they are defined by the fact that the transitions to the liquid crystalline state are induced thermally. That is, one can arrive at the Liquid crystalline state by raising the temperature of a solid and/or lowering the temperature of a Liquid. Thermotropic liquid crystals can be classified into two types: enantiotropic liquid crystals, Which can be changed into the liquid crystal state from either lowering the temperature of a Liquid or raising of the temperature of a solid, and monotropic liquid crystals, which can only be Changed into the liquid crystal state from either an increase in the temperature of a solid or a Decrease in the temperature of a liquid, but not both. In general, thermotropic mesophases occur Because of anisotropic dispersion forces between the molecules and because of packing Interactions. In contrast to thermotropic mesophases, lyotropic liquid crystal transitions occur with the Influence of solvents, not by a change in temperature. Lyotropic mesophases occur as a result of Solvent-induced aggregation of the constituent mesogens into micellar structures. Lyotropic mesogens are typically amphiphilic, meaning that they are composed of both lyophilic (solventattracting) And lyophobic (solvent-repelling) parts. This causes them to form into micellar structures in the presence of a solvent, since the lyophobic ends will stay together as the lyophilic ends extend outward toward the solution. As the concentration of the solution is increased and The solution is cooled, the micelles increase in size and eventually coalesce. This separates the newly formed liquid crystalline state from the solvent. A very large number of chemical compounds are known to exhibit one or several liquid crystalline phases. Despite significant differences in chemical composition, these molecules have some common features in chemical and physical properties. There are two types of thermotropic liquid crystals: discotics and rod-shaped molecules. Discotics are flat disc-like molecules consisting of a core of adjacent aromatic rings. This allows for two dimensional columnar ordering. Rod-shaped molecules have an elongated, anisotropic geometry which allows for preferential alignment along one spatial direction. The rod-like low molar mass (LMM) liquid crystals, such as 5CB shown in the following Diagram: require an extended conformation of the molecule which must be maintained through the rigidityand linearity of its constituents. That is, in order for a molecule to display the characteristics of a liquid crystal, it must be rigid and rod-shaped. This is accomplished by the interconnection of two rigid cyclic units. The interconnecting group should cause the resulting compound to have a linear planar conformation. Linking units containing multiple bonds such as -(CH=N)-, -N=N-, -(CH=CH)n-, -CH=N-N=CH-, etc. are used since they restrict the freedom of rotation. These groups can conjugate with phenylene rings, enhancing the anisotropic polarizability. This increases the molecular length and maintains the rigidity. Applications of Liquid Crystals Liquid crystal technology has had a major effect many areas of science and engineering, as well as device technology. Applications for this special kind of material are still being discovered and continue to provide effective solutions to many different problems. Liquid Crystal Displays The most common application of liquid crystal technology is liquid crystal displays (LCDs.) This Field has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry, and many significant scientific and Engineering discoveries have been made. Liquid Crystal Thermometers As demonstrated earlier, chiral nematic (cholesteric) liquid crystals reflect light with a wavelength equal to the pitch. Because the pitch is dependent upon temperature, the color reflected also is dependent upon temperature. Liquid crystals make it possible to accurately gauge temperature just by looking at the color of the thermometer. By mixing different compounds, a device for practically any temperature range can be built. The mood ring, a popular novelty a few years ago, took advantage of the unique ability of the chiral nematic liquid crystal. More important and practical applications have been developed in such diverse areas as medicine and electronics. Special liquid crystal devices can be attached to the skin to show a map of temperatures. This is useful because often physical problems, such as tumors, have a different temperature than the surrounding tissue. Liquid crystal temperature sensors can also be used to find bad connections on a circuit board by detecting the cha racteristic higher temperature Optical Imaging An application of liquid crystals that is only now being explored is optical imaging and recording. In this technology, a liquid crystal cell is placed between two layers of photo conductor. Light is applied to the photoconductor, which increases the materials conductivity. This causes an electric field to develop in the liquid crystal corresponding to the Intensity of the light. The electric pattern can be transmitted by an electrode, which enables the Image to be recorded. This technology is still being developed and is one of the most promising Areas of liquid crystal research. Other Liquid Crystal Applications Liquid crystals have a multitude of other uses. They are used for nondestructive mechanical Testing of materials under stress. This technique is also used for the visualization of RF (radio frequency) waves in waveguides. They are used in medical applications where, for example, transient pressure transmitted by a walking foot on the ground is measured. Low molar mass (LMM) liquid crystals have applications including erasable optical disks, full color electronic slides for computer-aided drawing (CAD), and light modulators for color electronic imaging. As new properties and types of liquid crystals are investigated and researched, these materials are sure to gain increasing importance in industrial and scientific applications.

Brave New World and Frankenstein - Conflicts Between Scientific Knowledge and Social Responsibilit :: Frankenstein Essays

Brave New World and Frankenstein - Conflicts Between Scientific Knowledge and Social Responsibility Letter From the Savage ( Brave New World) to Victor Frankenstein ( Frankenstein) Dear Dr. Victor Frankenstein, Your response to my last letter was very prompt. As you know, ever since I set foot into this brave new world, my life has been a disaster. The society of this new world saddens me. The people who occupy this land feel no passion towards anything wonderful or beautiful. There is nothing natural about them. All they feel passionate about is their filthy soma in which I have attempted to free them of its chains (Huxley 210). It was the same dreadful drug that poisoned the body and soul of my beloved mother (Huxley 211). This new world is the resultant the pursuit of scientific knowledge. The Ford conducted this experiment with the intentions of gaining a better understanding of science. Just as you made your dreadful creature, the Ford created something more hideous. I believe your intentions and the Ford’s intentions are pure and true, both of you never thought of the consequences. It is hard to believe that this world was created out of passion when none exists in this society. Frankenstein, your passion for your creation caused you to stay up day and night, but you never thought of the outcome. Your drive for grasping scientific knowledge made you create another human being without even thinking of the consequences. You released your creature out into a world it was not familiar with and it caused havoc in your life. If you were more responsible in your actions, your creature would not have caused such destruction in your life. The creature does not understand the society in wh ich you live. The creation of your creature was science itself, but the passion behind it was found in your drive for mastering life. The intention of understanding life was lost in the uncontrollable obsession you had with creating another human being. This hideous new world was the outcome of an experiment of science. The creation of this dispassionate world was the result of the Ford’s pursuit in scientific knowledge. At this point the world has become unreal and has been corrupted. The values of these inhabitants and their morals are completely foreign to me.

Analysis of Marks and Spencer :: Retail Company England Marketing Essays

This is a report on Marks and Spencer a well known retail company in the UK. Marks and Spencer has also recently been in the news for falling profit and sales in 1999/2000. So Marks and Spencer is now on its way to recovery. It’s famous for setting the highest of standards in the retail industry, pioneering its own charge card and generating such snob value on its products, yet controlling prices to bring their products within most people's reach. Marks and Spencer has extended its brand overseas where it continues to achieve substantial growth. This is likely to be its main source of growth in the near and long term future as the company develops its franchise business. There are around 628 locations for Marks and Spencer’s. The company makes great weight of how it is run - first class customer service, operating efficiency (through economies of scale), long-term partnership with suppliers, financial services, staff rewards and overall packages the best in the high street. Following a wide-ranging and detailed strategic review of its business, the Board of Marks & Spencer has announced significant changes to the Group strategy and structure. The Board and management team is committed to restoring profitable growth. This will be achieved by total focus on the recovery of the UK Retail business. The organisation has always monitored its performance by first making clear objectives for the business. Without clear objectives it is difficult to evaluate what a marketing plan is trying to achieve or whether the plan has been successful. It is usual to translate marketing objectives into quantifiable â€Å"result areas†, such as market share, market penetration or growth of sales. Some of these may be further broken down into specific sales volumes, value goals or geographical targets. Marketing objectives allow Marks and Spencer to have a basis for evaluation which can then be analysed after a certain period of time. Each department most make sure that the organisational activities are co-ordinated in such a way that marketing objectives are met. Every organisation including Marks and Spencer involved in a marketing activity is faced with a number of constraints which seem to hinder their performances when monitored. Internal constraints relate to the resources available for Marks and Spencer, while External constraints involve a series of factors within the business environment that limit in one way or another, the organisation’s activities. Examples are below: Ø Consumers Ø Competitors Ø Economy Ø The law Marks and Spencer seem to monitor their performance by being market focused as they research all these constraints fully and will try to find solutions that enable it to turn weaknesses into their strengths threats into opportunities.

Decision Making at the Top: The All Star Essay

Sunru Yong prepared this case solely as a basis for class discussion and not as an endorsement, a source of primary data, or an illustration of effective or ineffective management. This case, though based on real events, is fictionalized, and any resemblance to actual persons or entities is coincidental. There are occasional references to actual companies in the narration. Copyright  © 2008 President and Fellows of Harvard College. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685, write Harvard Business Publishing, Boston, MA 02163, or go to http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu. This publication may not be digitized, photocopied, or otherwise reproduced, posted, or transmitted, without the permission of Harvard Business School. M I C H A E L B E E R S U N R U Y O N G TerraCog Global Positioning Systems: Conflict and Communication on Project Aerial Emma Richardson squinted at the TerraCog GPS (Global Positioning System) prototype in her hand. She zoomed in until the display showed a clearer satellite photo of the lake 200 feet in front of her and into which her Labrador had already happily bounded. Most weekends, Richardson made the hike to the lake to clear her mind and, on occasion, to test new GPS models from her employer, TerraCog, Inc. Unfortunately, with the â€Å"Project Aerial† launch meeting scheduled for the next day, it was difficult to enjoy this particular hike. Emma wondered how to get all parties to reach an agreement on the price point for Aerial. TerraCog had started losing share to a competitor, Posthaste, and it was imperative to get the new product to market. Arriving at the lake, Richardson gave in to the urge to check her phone and grimaced as she noticed two new voicemails. The first message was from Allen  Roth, the director of design & development (see Exhibits 1 and 2 for an organizational chart and brief biographies of key managers): â€Å"Emma, it’s Allen. Listen, Tony and I have been over these cost numbers on Aerial. We cut all that we could and we ended up with only a 7% or 8% reduction to cost. Unfortunately, I don’t think this will get us to the price point that Sales is looking for. But I don’t need to remind you that we gave Sales the features and functionality they wanted in Aerial, so I’m not going back now to ask my team to do the impossible. We’ll hash it out tomorrow, but I figured it best you hear it from me.† The second message was from her boss, Richard Fiero, the company president: â€Å"Emma, I wanted to check on Aerial. I heard grumbling from Ed and the sales team on Friday. They seemed frustrated with Tony Barren’s production team. Make sure Production has its act together. Tony should know he’s on thin ice after the recent production fiasco on that sonar project-he’s got to succeed on Aerial. We need to have Aerial on shelves at the start of Q3. Some board members are worried, so Aerial will be near the top of the agenda at the board meeting next month.† 2184 A P R I L 1 1 , 2 0 0 8 For the exclusive use of B. Shi This document is authorized for use only by Bixi Shi in Organizational Behavior- Fall 2014 taught by Elaine Wong University of California – Riverside from October 2014 to December 2014. 2184 | TerraCog Global Positioning Systems: Conflict and Communication on Project Aerial 2 BRIEFCASES | HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL Neither message was encouraging. The Aerial meeting the next day, involving  the sales, design & development, and production departments, was now guaranteed to be contentious. It was March 2008-only two months since Richardson had been promoted to executive vice president. Fiero had tasked her with moving TerraCog toward greater operational alignment and increasing cross-departmental cooperation. Richardson had already been tested by both inventory problems and quality issues, which had led to significant tension between the U.S. headquarters in Chicago and the production team in Shenzhen, China. Now, disagreement over the proposed price point for Aerial threatened to derail the launch of the prototype in her hand. Company and Industry History TerraCog was a privately held company specializing in high-quality Global Positioning System (GPS) and fishing sonar equipment. Founded in 1977, TerraCog got its start manufacturing high-end sonar equipment for serious sport fishermen and boaters. In the late 1990s, the company had introduced its first GPS products, marketed specifically to hunters, hikers, and campers. Management believed that it was the company’s skill at translating retailer and user feedback into exceptional product design and functionality that fueled the growth of its GPS business. Through attentive channel management and, as Fiero put it, â€Å"a deep understanding of what specialty retailers needed,† TerraCog had developed strong relationships with its key accounts. Fiero also believed that TerraCog’s grasp of its consumers’ preferences and usage had given it an edge over GPS manufacturers whose core business was in automotive applications. The firm had built its GPS line for the serious outdoor enthusiasts’ market, and the products had won plaudits for durability and value-added features like the integrated compass and barometric altimeter. Moreover, industry reports indicated that the TerraCog GPS outperformed competing products on navigation. TerraCog’s proprietary firmware-a custom computer program embedded into hardware that â€Å"ran† functions-optimized the GPS chipset’s Wide Area Augmentation System  capability, which provided more precise navigation. The company was not always first to market. In fact, TerraCog had found it was free to lag in technological innovation with little risk because, when the company finally introduced new products, they surpassed those of competitors in addressing customer needs. Customer word-of-mouth recommendations had given TerraCog strong momentum with its handheld GPS. In early 2007, TerraCog prepared to enter new, underserved GPS sub-markets, including cycling and fitness applications. â€Å"Google Earthâ„ ¢ for your GPS† At the Summer 2006 Outdoor Retailer Show-the biggest trade show for vendors of outdoor goods-a competitor, Posthaste, had unveiled a GPS prototype called â€Å"BirdsI† that displayed satellite imagery. The imagery was not live, but rather static satellite photographs that had been â€Å"stitched† into a single view. This was a marked improvement on the simple, vector-based graphics used by the rest of the industry (see Exhibit 3 for a comparison). This did not impress the TerraCog team. The imagery was crisp and had a certain visual appeal, but TerraCog’s research showed that BirdsI technology did not offer substantive performance improvement over the standard maps in TerraCog’s GPS system. Furthermore, the TerraCog team was convinced that Posthaste’s receiver lagged TerraCog’s product in both accuracy and reception quality. While the TerraCog team dismissed the Posthaste concept, a number of key buyers and product reviewers found it an exciting innovation. One magazine reviewer observed, â€Å"Imagine having For the exclusive use of B. Shi This document is authorized for use only by Bixi Shi in Organizational Behavior- Fall 2014 taught by Elaine Wong University of California – Riverside from October 2014 to December 2014. TerraCog Global Positioning Systems: Conflict and Communication on Project Aerial | 2184 HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL | BRIEFCASES 3 Google Earthâ„ ¢ built into your GPS-it’s much more compelling to look at an actual satellite image than to have yellow for land, blue blobs for water, and grey squiggles for roads.† Based on the buzz, TerraCog’s executives debated whether to upgrade to satellite imagery. However, they realized that adding the feature to the existing GPS platform required upgrades to processor speed and memory, as well as new firmware. After some deliberation, the company dropped the idea as a non-essential fad. TerraCog’s management remained confident that the company’s core customers were discerning purchasers who would value durability and performance over dressed-up graphics. In October 2006, with much fanfare, Posthaste introduced BirdsI as â€Å"the only handheld GPS with satellite imagery.† BirdsI had an exclusive launch at two major national outdoor retailers, both of which were key accounts for TerraCog. Within two months, TerraCog’s sales representatives in the field reported impressive sell-through rates for BirdsI nationwide. While the product’s success surprised TerraCog, management attributed it to the ebullience of the holiday shopping season. The TerraCog team was confident that the popularity of BirdsI wouldn’t last. Project Aerial However, by spring 2007 TerraCog’s sales reps were noticing increasing customer demand for a GPS with satellite imagery like BirdsI. Ed Pryor, vice-president of sales, began pressing for a reversal of the decision not to develop the product. â€Å"It’s embarrassing to have no answers for our retailers when they ask for our version of this,† he said. â€Å"Look at it from our perspective. We’ve changed the compensation plan for the whole Sales team-including me-so we take a real hit if we don’t reach our sales targets. Customers now want something different, and I can’t tell my reps we have no  plans to develop the product they need to hit those targets.† In response to these repeated requests, TerraCog’s president, Richard Fiero, changed his mind on satellite imagery, if only to satisfy the â€Å"gadget† appeal of such an innovation. The initiative was dubbed Project Aerial. In order to speed development and avoid the costs of new moldings and major reconfiguration, the team decided to redesign within the existing GPS platform. Shortly after making the decision to proceed with Aerial, Fiero and Pryor met with Allen Roth, director of design & development. Roth brought his key managers to the meeting: Cory Wu, who oversaw software and firmware, and Alice Gorga, who managed hardware design. RICHARD FIERO: Allen, we’re obviously in a hurry to get to market. But we don’t want something slapped together – let’s make sure we get this product completely right the first time. Our reputation for quality is paramount. ALLEN ROTH: Understood. Are we including all the same features that we have in our current GPS line? ED PRYOR: Yes. We plan to offer Aerial at approximately a $50 retail premium to the current top- of-the-line GPS, so it’s important to maintain the same high-end functionality. ALLEN ROTH: What about speed? Satellite imagery requires a lot of processing power, so without some serious juicing, Aerial might run slower than you’d like. ED PRYOR: I think we’ll be okay there, Allen. Our consumers are tech-savvy-they know there’s an inherent trade-off to get more sophisticated graphics. As the meeting ended, Roth indicated that they would have to do some careful planning to keep costs as low as possible, but he was sure the product design could be completed by year’s end. At that point, they could hand it off to production to develop detailed cost estimates, which would allow the  sales team, in consultation with finance, to determine pricing and develop a go-to-market plan. For the exclusive use of B. Shi This document is authorized for use only by Bixi Shi in Organizational Behavior- Fall 2014 taught by Elaine Wong University of California – Riverside from October 2014 to December 2014. 2184 | TerraCog Global Positioning Systems: Conflict and Communication on Project Aerial 4 BRIEFCASES | HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL Given the manufacturing lead-time, TerraCog expected to get Aerial to stores by the 2008 holiday season (see Exhibit 4 for timeline of events). The product development team members did not greet the Aerial decision with enthusiasm. First, they felt that a redesign of the total platform-including firmware, external case, internal components, and TFT (thin-film transistor) display-was feasible if management could extend time to market by six more months; the resulting product would be superior and the project would be more stimulating technically to the team members. Second, they had several other ideas for new products that they believed would position TerraCog to capitalize on growth in cycling and fitness GPS applications, and Project Aerial was forcing them to put aside these more exciting projects. Finally, with company co-founder Harold Whistler preparing for retirement, Roth was eager to prove his readiness to be the next VP of design & development. The Aerial project impeded his building of a product line he could truly call his own. Aerial Pre-Launch Meeting As promised, the design team completed Aerial by the end of 2007. Late in January 2008, the production team received the design specifications it  needed to establish production methods, conduct a pilot run, and estimate costs. As the new executive vice president, Emma Richardson was tasked with overseeing the product launch. She scheduled a launch meeting in early March with sales, production, and design & development. In the past, Fiero and Whistler had been very involved in new products and tended to make quick decisions. TerraCog’s growth forced Fiero to take a step back from the launch process, while Whistler had cut back to part-time hours. There were many more employees involved in Aerial than in past product launches, and Richardson worried that the size of the group might threaten the focus and thwart decision making. She needed to finalize decisions on costs, pricing, and initial production volume. At the start of the pre-launch meeting on March 7, Richardson looked down the table, seeing Ed Pryor, Allen Roth, production director Tony Barren, Cory Wu representing software and firmware, and Alice Gorga representing hardware. Richardson opened the meeting by asking Barren to present his cost estimates. Barren looked around grimly and did not mince words: â€Å"This thing’s expensive to build. It looks the same, but Aerial’s got higher-end components and it’s more complex to manufacture.† He gave a high-level overview of product-cost breakdown and concluded by saying, â€Å"I’ll be blunt. You’re going to have to sell this product for a lot more than you thought. If anything, we have been too aggressive in our cost estimate. We can’t lower it beyond what I’ve presented.† ED PRYOR: I know you think your estimates are sound, but that isn’t going to help us. With these numbers, we would have to sell Aerial for $550 to maintain our margin. We’d be two years late to market with a price point $100 over BirdsI. CORY WU: Tony, those cost estimates are surprisingly high. We tweaked the firmware without overhauling it, so it’s basically the same components. It doesn’t seem justified that the costs should come out as you say. ALICE GORGA: I’m not sure, Cory. Those costs look realistic, given how my  team upgraded the hardware. Sales probably just needs to reconsider how to position this thing. I think – ED PRYOR: Wait, are we here to talk about positioning or pricing? Fiero and I already figured out how we’ll position the product, so let’s just get the pricing straightened out. For the exclusive use of B. Shi This document is authorized for use only by Bixi Shi in Organizational Behavior- Fall 2014 taught by Elaine Wong University of California – Riverside from October 2014 to December 2014. TerraCog Global Positioning Systems: Conflict and Communication on Project Aerial | 2184 HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL | BRIEFCASES 5 TONY BARREN: Well, we don’t perform miracles. The cost won’t change, and I’m not going to cut corners in production. I had my head handed to me the last time we had quality issues. ED PRYOR: Allen, your designers must be able to tweak something, right? Hate to say it, but maybe you guys need to go back to the drawing board and figure out how to solve this problem. ALLEN ROTH: Ed, we’re well into a couple of other projects now. Frankly, I don’t think this is Sales’ call to make. We already put other projects on hold for Aerial, and we’ve given you what you requested. The discussion continued, but it became clear the group was at an impasse. Richardson suggested ending the meeting: â€Å"Why don’t we wrap it up for now and meet again next week? In the meantime Tony and the Design team should look for opportunities to cut these costs.† As the meeting adjourned, Pryor announced to the room, â€Å"If we can’t lower these costs and fix the finances on Aerial, I can’t sell it. I won’t try.† Resumption of Aerial Pre-Launch Meeting One Week Later Roth and Barren had spent much of the intervening week reviewing the cost estimates. When the team re-gathered on March 14, the participants seated themselves around the conference table (see Exhibit 5 for a seating chart). Becky Timmons, the CFO, was in attendance. At the last minute, Harold Whistler also decided to join the meeting. As Emma Richardson passed out copies of the new cost estimates, she explained that Roth and Barren had agreed to make minor changes to the Aerial prototype, and that they now felt it could be produced for approximately 8% less than the prior week’s estimate. On this basis, the Aerial could be priced at $475, about $100 more than the current full-featured TerraCog GPS. A long silence followed, then Cory Wu spoke up. â€Å"Eight percent-that’s all? I don’t understand it. I’d like to know where the differences lie between our costs and PostHaste’s on BirdsI. There’s got to be room for more cuts.† Barren snorted derisively. â€Å"You can’t wish away the costs,† he said. â€Å"We’ve cut what we can. Last time we got pressured into being too aggressive on cost estimates and then we got burned when the price of plastic went through the roof. I’m not making that mistake again.† Allen Roth concurred, pointing to the drivers of the cost increase: â€Å"Incorporating the satellite imagery requires five times as much memory as our standard graphics. That increases cost-but if you cut it, you undermine Aerial’s value proposition. Then we also did some reconfiguration internally, and that increases the labor required to put one of these together.† He paused, surveying the frustrated faces around him. â€Å"I don’t like the situation any more than the rest of you do, but we’ve got to be realistic. Look at the numbers in front of you-there’s nothing we can do to further reduce costs.† As everyone scrutinized the new cost estimates, the meeting broke into several conversations. Ed Pryor and Richardson huddled together, while Allen Roth and Tony Barren carried on a conversation with Harold Whistler. After several minutes, Richardson realized she needed to get the discussion back on track. She addressed the entire group, saying, â€Å"We have the estimates, so we just have to set a price that makes sense for the company. What do you think, Ed?† ED PRYOR: We have to consider the selling price of the Aerial relative to competition. Posthaste is selling at around $250 to dealers, which means they retail for around $400. Garmin just announced For the exclusive use of B. Shi This document is authorized for use only by Bixi Shi in Organizational Behavior- Fall 2014 taught by Elaine Wong University of California – Riverside from October 2014 to December 2014. 2184 | TerraCog Global Positioning Systems: Conflict and Communication on Project Aerial 6 BRIEFCASES | HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL their satellite-image version, which will hit shelves at somewhere around $395 MSRP. You all are talking about $475 retail, and that’s too high. We have to be in the ball park with our list price or we’ll be shut out of the game. EMMA RICHARDSON: What should list price be? ED PRYOR: $425 tops-but we should be lower than that if we are going to be aggressive at recapturing lost share. Let’s not kid ourselves. The way we’re trending, same-store sales will be down 10% this year. And this is with the GPS handheld market growing. HAROLD WHISTLER: What if we relax our margin requirements for once? BECKY TIMMONS: Absolutely not. We’re cutting it close already. HAROLD WHISTLER: Okay, then how about a redesign? Let’s go to market with what we have, and I’ll have my team take another look at possible changes that we can incorporate later. ALLEN ROTH: I’m afraid that’s wishful thinking, Harold. Given the product requirements the sales team called for, the cost is as low as it will get. CORY WU: I don’t know about that. The changes we made to meet sales’ requirements were not enormous. Why would they contribute to such a large increase in projected labor costs? TONY BARREN: Cory, you and Harold can run the numbers for yourself. Then you’ll see that these high costs are real. BECKY TIMMONS: I’d still feel more comfortable if we could price it at $500 retail. With fuel costs still rising, the cost to get these here from Shenzhen will only increase, and we run the risk of our margins really getting squeezed. ED PRYOR: Becky, you don’t understand how competitive this market is! Even at $475, why would anyone give us shelf space? We are late to market and we’d be pricing at a substantial premium. And is the product superior enough to justify that premium? I’ve been trying out our prototypes and I’m concerned about the speed. The update speed is terrible, and switching between functions is just – ALLEN ROTH: Come on, don’t start talking speed now. We were clear from the start that we would trade some speed to get new functionality and features. ED PRYOR: Well, my sales managers are going to be fuming. Fiero told them  Aerial would be available at $400, and now you are talking about a minimum of $75 more than that. I still want to see Cory or Harold take a crack at reducing unit cost. Emma Richardson took a deep breath. The company needed a â€Å"go/no-go† decision on the existing Aerial, and whether to do so at a competitive price in the hope that costs might be cut in the future, or at a high price. She wondered fleetingly what the consequences might be if the company abandoned Aerial altogether. As things stood, the arguments and finger-pointing were bound to continue, and the group would never come to a decision on its own.

Ancient Greek Deities and Their Human Characteristics Essay

The ancient Greek Gods and their myths have existed in the human imagination and spirit for as long as man has had the ability to pass down their fables. Since before the dawn of recorded events, when man was limited to oral communications, the people of ancient Greece recounted to each other and to succeeding generations a variety of myths and legends surrounding the everlasting anecdotes of these magnetizing heroes. Some of these stories were told for pure entertainment as shepherds would do to pass the time while tending to their flock. Others were etiological in nature, as renowned philosophers, such as Socrates and his prize student Plato, would discuss; debating their meaning or interpretation of life, love, and existence. There are even present day university courses being held in order to discuss the lives of these supernatural beings. These deities have been passed around for thousands of years, and have yet to cease capturing the interest of the human spirit. Man has always been fascinated by these great immortals and moreover by the stories surrounding them, and since universities based their coursework on the Latin and Greek, it was natural for psychoanalysis and medical diagnoses to create names from these fables. Their charm and allure is accentuated by their recognizable human attributes. Ancient Greek Gods, like man, have been known to love and lust, to be jealous and seek revenge, to be bitter and even petty, characteristics common to everyday man, making them memorable. The Greeks would relate the stories of these omnipotent entities who act capriciously, frivolously, and even immorally, making them unforgettable, their legends transcended time and culture. They were nothing like any deity known to man then or now. The ancient Greeks would seek haven and ask for forgiveness from these familiar sorts of Gods because the Gods understood the problems that plagued man. They assumed that if a mere mortal succumbs to the seduction of revenge, and seeks refuge in the Gods and Goddess, the Gods would have nothing but understanding since they themselves made the very same mistakes. The ancient Greeks began using the stories as an explanation for man’s eccentric and erratic behavior; using stories such as Pandora to explain evil in the world, and woman’s inherent curious nature. Though they lack the religious seriousness one might expect from a god, the sort of seriousness found in the Judeo-Christian’s image of God, they are nonetheless still omnipotent, in the eyes of ancient Greece. Of course the Judeo- Christians believed in one god, monotheism, while the ancient Greeks believed in many, polytheism. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, are three of the oldest, and most popular religions in the world today. The majority of the world’s view on how a deity would or should behave comes from these three faiths. These religions are monotheistic, believing in one and only one God. These religions are also considered to be Abrahamic, explained by the Encyclopedia Britannica to mean that all three identify with and emphasize that they trace their common origin back to Abraham, or recognize a spiritual tradition identified with him. The majority of the world’s population, 54% according to the ranking of the world religions by Preston Hunter (Hunter) identify with these religions, they believe in the scriptures brought down by their creator, and related back to them by a prophet, or in certain sects of Christianity, the Lord himself. In every one of these scriptures God is described as pure, divine, all knowing, all seeing, and moreover, unlike any human, God is not petty or jealous. His love for his creation is merely platonic, the way one might love a creation of his own. There is no gender; God is not male, nor female. In both Judaism and Islam, the word â€Å"God† is replaced by the genderless form â€Å"Allah† or â€Å"Ellah†, both meaning â€Å"The One†. He has no flaws, or errors, he does not mingle or mix with lessor beings, most of all he does not procreate with his creations. In some sects of Christianity, God has a son, Jesus, but even then it was defined as a conception like no other; from the womb of the Immaculate Conception (Mary, daughter of Amram) herself, and only to prove His existence and platonic love for His creations. â€Å"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.† John 3:16. – King James Bible Islam and Judaism argue that He has no family, no sons (except a Trinity-form Jesus), no daughters, no mother, and no father. There is none that came before Him, and none shall come after him. He is the one and only creator of the Heavens and earth. The Torah, the Hebrew bible bestowed upon Moses, the leader (and prophet) of the chosen people of Israel, mentions in chapter 45 verses six through seven: â€Å"I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create evil. I am the Lord, that does all these things.† (Is. 45:6-7) Also described in chapter 112 verses two through five, of the Quran, the holy scripture of the Islamic faith sent down upon Mohammed [peace and blessings be upon him] the last prophet, â€Å"Say: [Oh Mohammed] He, Allah, is One. Allah is He on Whom all depend. He begets not, nor is He begotten; and none is like Him.† (Surah 112 Ikhlas – Unity – vs. 2-5) In all of these religions the theory of God is that he is alone, without gender or partner, but in ancient Greece, the gods were many and of both genders, every aspect of the heavens and the earth were split among twelve deities. Some overlapped, sometimes causing feuds; while others were alone in their ruling. Before the twelve Olympians ruled there were other gods, and a beginning before the beginning. The mystery of how the universe was created is a challenging question that has been puzzling man since man first pondered upon it. Various explanations have been given throughout ancient times. Rhoda A. Hendricks, author of several books on classic civilization, recounts Hesiod’s (a Greek oral poet thought to have been alive between 750 – 650 B.C.) Version which closely resembles Gneisses â€Å"First of all Chaos came into being, and then Gaea, the broad Earth, the ever certain support of all the deathless gods who dwell on the summit of snowy Olympus, and also dark Tartarus in the innermost part of the broad-path earth, and also Eros, the fairest of the immortal gods, who relaxes the limbs and overpowers the resolution and thoughtful determination in the hearts of all the gods and all mankind† Gaea, Earth, united with Uranus, heaven, creating the Titans, six gods and Goddess. Among them was Cronus, their youngest son and the cause of the Titan’s downfall. Destroying his father and taking the crown Cronus became the supreme ruler. With his sister Rhea as his new bride, Cronus fathered six of the major Greek deities – Zeus, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Demeter, and Hestia. The tradition for takeover was set, for Zeus followed in his father’s steps of killing the current ruler, Cronus, and marring his sister, Hera. From Hera and Zeus came Ares, the God of war, Hephaestus, the god of fire, and metal work, and Hebe, the Goddess of Youth (Hendricks). Being the philanderer he was known to be, Zeus had father many other Gods, and Goddess. Though the Greeks say Chaos was put in order, and the Earth was settled, I believe it had only begun, for these twelve Olympians (two more to be born later from Zeus) would create chaos like no man has ever known. Being Gods, supreme rulers of all that is supernatural and earthly, one would assume that humans were beneath them, but that was not the case for some of the gods. Instead of being above mankind they acted as though they were among the vulnerable; constantly battling each other in petty contests, than seeking a mortal’s approval. They would meddle and mingle with the fate of man just to satisfy their egos. For example the story of Helen of Troy was set off by a chain of events caused by the Gods being petty and narcissistic. Some might think of the downfall of Troy with the Trojan horse was the fault of Paris for being selfish, taking Helen away from Sparta and back to Troy with him. But poor Paris had no control of fate, but Zeus did. The story of Troy and also the beauty contest is a good example of how the human-like behaviors are involved. Helen of Troy was the daughter of Zeus and Leda, an earthly woman married to the king of Tyndareus. Zeus, the king of the Olympians and ancient Greece’s very own Casanova, was infatuated with this magnificent woman. Ignoring the fact that she was married, and that he would be committing adultery, Zeus came down from Mount Olympus in the form of a swan and took advantage of unsuspecting Leda. From that night she bore his half-immortal children, one of which was Helen. Helen was said to be a beauty that no man had ever seen. She was compared to Aphrodite herself, the Goddess of love and eternal beauty; being part immortal didn’t hurt either. She was the bride of Menelaus the king of Sparta, and she was soon to be the love interest of Paris. But Paris wouldn’t have been able to take Helen from Menelaus if not for Aphrodite’s assistance. Paris, Prince of Troy, was asked by Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite to judge a beauty contest. Again this was the doing of Zeus, for he had instructed Hermes, the messenger to the gods, to lead the Goddess to Paris to be the judge. Each of the Goddess promised him a reward if they chose them as the winner. Hera offered to make him the ruler over all man if she were chosen; Athena ensured him victory in all his battles, but it was Aphrodite’s offer that had won him over. The Goddess of beauty had promised the hand and heart of another beauty, Helen. And so as the story goes, Paris sweeps Helen off her feet and brings her home to Troy, focusing Menelaus to seek his brother’s aid in avenge his honor and reclaim his bride. The story does not end there, the Gods continue to meddle in the lives of their subjects; Athena, Hera and Poseidon frequently helped the Greeks, while Aphrodite and Ares defended the city of Troy (Hendricks), but sadly Troy is defeated in the end. In that one story along, we find the Gods behaving in petty and vengeful ways. They’ve ruining the lives of hundreds to satisfy their own selfish psyche. Zeus takes his way with Leda, knowing fully what this will cause. Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena put Paris in a predicament he cannot win, and later Athena and Hera go against him and his people for simply disagreeing with them. At times the gods were simply selfish, and other times they were genuine. Some gods honestly and truly loved the mortals that prayed to them. These sympathetic gods would defy their elders and find ways to make their love immortal so they may join them in Mount Olympus. In the story of Psyche and Eros, (Cupid) Eros fell in love with Psyche, a mortal princess whose astounding beauty earned the anger of Aphrodite. Cupid, the son of Aphrodite and Ares (the god of war), was the god of desire, affection, and erotic love. Annoyed with Psyche, Aphrodite sent Cupid to prick her with one of his arrows which would have forced her to fall in love with the most hideous man in all of Greece; this only shows another great example of the god’s petty jealousness. Cupid went to do as he was instructed, but instead of putting Psyche under a spell, he accidently pricks himself and he is bound by the love spell of his own arrows. Aphrodite had forbidden Eros to be with mortal woman, which was hypocritical considering she herself had many affairs with mortal men, and so had her father Zeus. Of course Eros defies his mother and goes off to see Psyche anyways. The myths and legends from those times had done more than fascinate man; they inspired us to name medical and psychological terms after them. Things like phobia, which is usually defined as a persistent fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer commits to great lengths in order to avoid their fear. Typically this was disproportional to the actual danger posed, often being recognized as irrational. In the event the phobia cannot be avoided entirely the sufferer will endure the situation or object with marked distress and significant interference in social or occupational activities. A famous and common phobia is arachnophobia, the fear of spiders and other arachnids, such as scorpions. This came from the story of Arachne and Athena. Arachne was a great mortal weaver who boasted that her skill was greater than that of Athena, goddess of wisdom and strategy. Arachne refused to acknowledge that her knowledge came in part from the goddess. Offended by Arachne’s arrogance, Athena set a contest between the two weavers. According to the recordings by Ovid, a Roman poet and collector of classic ancient Greek myths, the goddess was so envious of the magnificent tapestry and the mortal weaver’s success, and perhaps offended by the girl’s choice of subjects (the loves and transgressions of the gods), that she destroyed the tapestry and loom and slashed the girl’s face. The brown haired goddess Raged at the girl’s success, struck through her loom, tore down the scenes of wayward joys in heaven. Ultimately, the goddess turned Arachne into a spider. A commonly used term of psychology is narcissism, the love and interest of only one’s self. This comes from the story of Echo and Narcissus as it is written in Thomas Bulfinch’s Stories of Gods and Hero’s. Narcissus was a handsome Greek youth who rejected the desperate advances of the nymph Echo. As punishment, he was doomed to fall in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. Unable to consummate his love, Narcissus â€Å"lay gazing enraptured into the pool, hour after hour† (Graves), and finally changed into a flower that bears his name, the Narcissus. According to the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, narcissistic personality disorder is defined as â€Å"an individual who is excessively preoccupied with issues of personal adequacy, power, prestige and vanity.† In other words can’t see anything past one’s own problems. Thanks to the psychoanalysis of Sigmund Freud, the story of Oedipus has become one of the most widely known psychological Greek myths in the modern world. However, because of Freud’s ‘Oedipus Complex’, many modern readers focus on his apparent love of his mother and hatred for his father; this in fact is not true to the Greek mythological tradition of Oedipus. As told by Robert Graves in The Greek Myths part II, Oedipus’s birth father Laius was married to Iocaste and ruled over Thebes. Grieved by his prolonged childlessness, he secretly consulted the Delphic Oracle, which informed him that this seeming misfortune was a blessing, because any child born to Iocaste would become his murderer. In an attempt to prevent this prophecy’s fulfillment, upon the birth of the boy Laius had his ankles pinned together so that he could not crawl ( causing his ankles to swell and giving him his name Oedipus, translated to be swollen ankles); he then gave the boy to a servant to pass onto a shepherd from Corinth and then to another shepherd so on till he was in Polybus. Eventually Oedipus was adopted by the King and Queen of Polybus; because they two were childless they decided to raise him to be their own. Several years later Oedipus left Polybus in search of his birth place and parents. Soon he came upon a road and was rudely told off by his biological father, which he had no knowledge of at the time. The two engaged in a battle resulting in the death of Laius, unintentionally fulfilling the prophecy of his father’s death. Upon arriving in the city of Thebus after solving the sphinx’s riddle Oedipus was crowned king and was given the mourning queen as a bride He again unaware of their biological connection. He continues to rule as the King of Thebus, but once he found out that he married his mother and killed his father, he gouged his eyes out and wandered the desert for ages. As the story goes on we find elements of psychological disorders but, Oedipus himself did not suffer from Sigmund’s theory of what Oedipus complex was. In all this one can find the contrast between the Greek deities and the Abrahamic Gods. The contrast between the Abrahamic and the Greek gods has been shown to be extreme . The Abrahamic religions had the monotheistic God who was all-powerful and all-knowing. Although the Torah and Bible describe him as â€Å"jealous,† it was seen as meaning that he expected a strict following of the laws that he gave to the people. The Abrahamic God’s reasons behind the love and punishment were unclear to the followers, this was a test of their faith. God was not understood completely but was followed wholeheartedly. The Greek gods had behaviors that were very easily understood by the people. They acted in very human ways, although the â€Å"lightning bolt† of Zeus could not be defended against. Their stories relay their human like personalities. They would get angry over insults made by their subjects (Athena); they let their lusts carry them away (Aphrodite, and Zeus); they engage in petty feuds with one another (Aphrodite, Athena, Hera). Moreover, the Greek gods appear to humans and mingle with them, helping or hindering them and at times, making love with them. The Olympic Gods had the same physical and emotional characteristics as us. Mortal women could compare to Aphrodite’s beauty and Zeus could be out witted and fooled. Jealousy, anger, bitterness as well as love and compassion were signature characteristics of the God’s personalities. WORK CITIED: SOURCES 1. According to Greek Mythology: Pandora