Direct and Interactive Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Direct and Interactive Marketing - Essay Example Nonetheless, there is need for a market analysis in a bid to ascertain whether launching an on-line shopping facility later in 2013 will be profitable. Situation analysis Situation analysis is a collection of strategic tools for understanding both the internal and external market of W. M. Morrison Supermarket. Situation analysis tools include 5C analysis, SWOT, and Porter’s five forces amongst others (Kotler, 2009). The following is a situation analysis for W. M. Morrison Supermarket on the basis of the aforementioned three tools. A. 5C Analysis The 5C analysis of W. M. Morrison Supermarket includes the company, competitors, customers, collaborators, and climate (Kotler, 2009). It is important to note that W. M. Morrison Supermarket is supermarket chain that operates with a specific environment hence influenced by the above mentioned aspects. Company: W. M. Morrison Supermarket is considered as the 4th largest supermarket chain within the UK markets. Since 2002, Morrison has b een able to deliver 3000 varieties of perishable food as well as 600 brands of readymade meals to approximately 250,000 customers thus attracting a turnover of approximately $400m annually. In addition, Morrison enjoys the experience of click and collect sector, which it has a command of approximately 10% in the Fresh Direct, a New York-based entity. The enterprise’s main objective is to increase its sales through adopting new technologies that include internet or on-line selling (Davis & Reilly, 2010). In addition, W. M. Morrison Supermarket has experienced poor performance over the last period with sales reducing by approximately 2.5%. Nonetheless, W. M. Morrison Supermarket continues to enjoy its position within the market. Competitors: Morrison continues to face competition from some of the market leaders within the UK’s grocery retailers such as Tesco, Asda, Waitrose, and Sainsburys amongst other competitors. Whereas Tesco is regarded as the market leader, Sainsbu rys has an 18% market share and covers 88% of the UK’s grocery market, Asda has 33% of the online market and has 3 dark stores, and Waitrose sells online though Ocado, which is the biggest online only grocer in the UK (Davis & Reilly, 2010). These retailers within the UK’s grocery continue to offer stiff competition to Morrison especially taking into consideration that whereas the formers have online shops, the latter is yet to launch some online shops. Customers: Morrison targets the UK’s grocery market, which is believed to one of the fastest growing areas in retail. Amazingly, the UK’s grocery market accounts for approximately ?5.6 billion of a ?156.8 billion market, which is 3.57% of the total UK’s market (Kotler, 2009). However, positive trends have indicated a likelihood that the UK’s grocery market is likely to double to approximately ?11 billion in the next five years. It is this market that Morrison supermarket chain is targeting. I n addition, it is important to note that online customers have continued to increase. Online sales indicated a growth rate of 17.8% in 2012 during the Christmas seasons, which is the fastest ever experienced. Collaborators: Morrison continues to operate within the industry and market through the help of collaborators such as the Fresh Direct, which is a New York-based enterprise for distributing fresh farm produce in New York (Jones, 2012). In addition, Morrison has already

Plato and Socrates Essay Example for Free

Plato and Socrates Essay Socrates, in his conviction from the Athenian jury, was both innocent and guilty as charged. In Platos Five Dialogues, accounts of events ranging from just prior to Socrates entry into the courthouse up until his mouthful of hemlock, both points are represented. Socrates in dealing with moral law was not guilty of the crimes he was accused of by Meletus. Socrates was only guilty as charged because his peers had concluded him as such. The laws didnt find Socrates guilty; Socrates was guilty because his jurors enforced the laws. The law couldnt enforce itself. Socrates was accused of corrupting Athens youth, not believing in the gods of the city and creating his own gods. In the Euthyphro, Socrates defends himself against the blasphemous charges outside the courthouse to a priest Euthyphro. Socrates looks to the priest to tell him what exactly is pious so that he may educate himself as to why he would be perceived as impious. Found in the Apology, another of Platos Five Dialogues, Socrates aims to defend his principles to the five hundred and one person jury. Finally, the Crito, an account of Socrates final discussion with his good friend Crito, Socrates is offered an opportunity to escape the prison and his death sentence. As is known, Socrates rejected the suggestion. It is in the Euthyphro and the Apology that it can be deduced that Socrates is not guilty as charged, he had done nothing wrong and he properly defended himself. However, in the Crito, it is shown that Socrates is guilty only in the interpretation and enforcement of Athens laws through the court system and its jurors. Socrates accusations of being blasphemous are also seen as being treasonous. In the Euthyphro, Socrates is making his way into the courthouse; however, prior to entering he had a discussion with a young priest of Athens, Euthyphro. This dialogue relates religion and justice to one another and the manner in which they correlate. Euthyphro feels as though justice necessitates religion and Socrates feels the opposite, religion necessitates justice. Euthyphro claims that religion is everything, justice, habits, traditions, customs, cultures, etc. all are derived from religion. Socrates went on to question what exactly would be the definition of pious. Euthyphro offered Socrates three definitions of pious and in all three Socrates was able to successfully find fault. The first definition Euthyphro offered was that piety is the life he lives (5e). Socrates disputed this definition because he said that Euthyphros way of life may be pious, but it is not the definition of pious. If it were the exact definition, only Euthyphro would be pious. He said that Euthyphro did not understand the difference between a definition and an example. Next, Euthyphro says that piety is found in things that are dear to the gods (7a). Socrates again rejected Euthyphros definition of piety. The Greek gods were anthropomorphic; therefore, another may despise what would be dear to one god. This definition offered was not distinct. Finally, Euthyphro said that what is pious is what loved by the gods (9e). However, Euthyphro cant answer whether something is pious because it is loved or it is loved because it is pious. He cant conceive the difference between cause and effect. It is in the Euthyphro that Socrates begins his defense of his actions and principles to the reader. A priest cant give him a concise answer as to what is religious; therefore, how can anyone else, especially one less religiously guided than a priest, accuse him of blasphemous actions? In the Apology, Socrates aimed to do three things: defend his ideas and principles, continue to teach those who will open their mind and state that he knew regardless of what he said he was aware that all five hundred and one jurors knew who he was and disliked him. Socrates was well aware of the fact that he had made multiple enemies, he knew that the politicians, poets, rich and craftsmen all had reasons to dislike his actions. Socrates went as far as to accuse the jury as not trusting the gods because they had not believed the oracle when it said that Socrates was the wisest in all of Athens (20d-e). If the jury and the people of Athens believed the oracle, the word of the gods, then Socrates would not be on trial. In the Apology, or defense, Socrates aims to legally justify his actions. He is accused of three things: corrupting Athens youth, not believing in the gods of the city and making up new gods. All three charges can be related back to treason and a large penalty. Socrates almost laughs off the first charge of corrupting the youth. He made a sensible argument as to why that charge made no sense and had no base. He said that willingly corrupting the youth of Athens would only make his living there more difficult. Logically, no one would aim to make his or her home a more dangerous, corrupt place to live (25d). He then asks his accusers to present some sort of evidence, a corrupted youth. Socrates knew that none of his students would speak out against him. To defend himself against the second and third charges, Socrates simply says that his belief in any new gods would necessitate believing in the old gods because the new gods are derived from the old gods (26c). In the Apology, conceivably, Socrates defended himself decisively against the three legal charges brought upon him. He was able to offer sufficient resistance, with a lack of prosecuting evidence, against the allegations. Plato uses the Crito, a discussion between Socrates and Crito, to display exactly why, even though innocent, Socrates accepted the penalties bestowed upon him. Socrates has thoroughly justified his own decision to obey the opinions of the majority and serve out the sentence that his own city has deemed appropriate for his crimes. Throughout the dialogue Socrates is explaining his reasoning for not running from the government. Crito does not understand the madness of Socrates, Crito will do whatever it takes to help his friend to flee, instead of being exiled by the government. I do not think that what you are doing is right, to give up your life when you can save it, and to hasten your fate as your enemies would hasten it, and indeed have hastened it in their wish to destroy you (58c). Throughout the Crito, two major ideas are established in the discussion of the two friends. The first being that a person must decide whether the society in which they live has a just reasoning behind its own standards of right and wrong. It is also examined whether or not the person has the option to leave if they dont agree with the laws of the city. Socrates has lived his whole life in Athens; therefore, he feels that there is an implied contract between himself and the laws of Athens. Not one of our laws raises any obstacle or forbids him, if he is not satisfied with us or the city, if one of you wants to go and live in a colony or wants to go anywhere else, and keep his property (63d). Socrates states; that making a conscious choice or effort to remain under the influence of a society is an unconscious agreement with that society to live your life by its standards and virtues. The second concept established between Socrates and Crito is that a person must have pride in the life that he or she leads. If Socrates does not face the penalties enforced, it would be the same as him disrespecting his own morals and principles. He would have followed them until they led him to hardships, and then abandoned them. In this, Socrates feels that escaping to survive would only result in the death of his teachings, the reason why he lives. I am the kind of man who listens only to the argument that on reflection seems best to me. I cannot, now that this fate has come upon me, discard the arguments I used; they seen to me much the same (59b). In establishing basic questions of these two concepts, Socrates has precluded his own circumstance and attempted to prove to his companion Crito, that the choice that he has made is just. He states that his decision is justified by the fact that the laws and governing agents of the society must command a certain degree of respect. Any person who would unjustly disobey these laws creates a deliberate attempt to destroy them, as well as, the society that has imposed them. However, that whoever of you remains when he sees how we conduct our trials and manage the city in other ways, has in fact come to an agreement with us to obey our instructions (63e). If the decisions of the citys governing agents are not thoroughly respected as just and cohesive parts of society, the very structure by which the society stands is subject to collapse. Socrates was not guilty as charged; he had done nothing wrong, as seen in the Apology. Not even a priest could tell Socrates what he had done wrong religiously, Euthyphro wasnt even able to give Socrates a precise definition of piety. It is then questioned by Crito why Socrates would remain to face a penalty for a crime he did not commit. In the Crito, it is explained why, although innocent, Socrates must accept the penalties his peers have set upon him. It is his peers that will interpret and enforce the laws, not the law which will enforce it. Even if the enforcers dont deserve attention and respect because they have no real knowledge to the situation, Socrates had put himself under their judgment by going to the trial. Therefore, Socrates must respect the decisions made by the masses because the decisions are made to represent the laws, which demand each citizens respect.

Common Microorganisms Essay examples -- essays research papers

INTRODUCTION Microorganisms such as bacteria, fungus, mold, and yeast are present and common in almost every environment on earth. The normally microscopic organisms can easily be seen using differing types of agar, which creates an ideal environment for the organisms to form colonies, which are groups of hundreds of organisms that can be seen with the naked eye. In order to see individual microorganisms, it is necessary to use the magnification of a high-powered microscope. These techniques of microbiology are used in the following five experiments. The first experiment used Trypticase Soy Nutrient Agar (TSA), which can grow a wide variety of organisms and contains casein and soybean meal and a minute NaCl, to study the effectiveness of alcohol as a skin antiseptic. The second experiment tested the effectiveness of different kinds of mouthwashes as antiseptics using TSA as well. Experiment number three explored the normal human flora existing on skin and in nasal cavities, and two types of agar were used, including TSA and Mannitol Salt Agar, which contains manitol sugar, phenol red, and 7.5% NaCl. Mannitol Salt Agar tests for the presence of staphylococci bacteria that can survive in the salt that inhibits the growth of most other bacteria. Some forms of staph bacteria ferment mannitol and produce a yellow color around the colonies, which can easily be seen against the red background. The fourth experiment studied the number of bacteria in a diluted sa mple of uncooked hamburger meat using nutrient agar and a Quebec counter to count the colonies. The final experiment involved the growth of yeast cells under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. MATERIALS - Trypticase Soy Nutrient Agar -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mannitol Salt Agar -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sterile alcohol swab -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Listerine mouthwash -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tubes of nutrient agar -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Diluted hamburger meat -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Quebec colony counter -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Apple juice -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anaerobic yeast culture -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hemacytometer -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Iodine METHODS Experiment 1. Effectiveness of alcohol as an antiseptic 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All experiments must be done in a sterile environment; Lysol can be used to sterilize the a... ...ide had a lot of large tan colonies and dense, small colonies. The Listerine side seemed to destroy all most all of these small colonies, but the larger colonies were actually more numerous. The other mouth washes used were salt water rinse and Scope. The salt water did almost no damage to the bacteria, and the Scope killed the most.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In experiment three, there were a lot of different kinds of organisms persent on the agar. On the plate that contained nasal micro-organisms, large yellow colonies appeared on the Mannitol Salt Agar, indicating Staphylococcus aureus. On the TSA side, small creamy white colonies were also present. These could possibly be yeast. On the plate that contained the skin swab, there was a large amount of large, fuzzy white and black growth, which is mold. There was a single light-orange colony on the TSA side, possibly a growth of Flavobacterium.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the fourth experiment, there were a number of different kinds of colonies on the EMB plate with the meat swab. There were black dots, which indicate the presence of E-coli, pink dots, which indicate lactose-fermenters, and a few white and gray colonies.

Natural disaster case study

There were many problems but the main issue was in the following: The Decision making In both incidents was not rational Lack of planning for unexpected problems, although as mentioned In the two cases weather problems can be predicted approximately, so a solid plan should have been made. Problem Justification Although Roomer's decision is a legal and rational decision from his point of view, yet it was not an ethical one and it was biased.His decision was utilitarian it was meant for the greater good for the company not taking into consideration the rights of the customers and he didn't care which affected the image of his company in the media, this will eventually lead to decrease in the revenues for the upcoming years as the company have lost its image. Same goes for Melanin, his company was not prepared for a predictable environmental factor although they claim to be the best in customer service among all the other companies.They didn't only fail in managing the crisis when happe ned which is a failure and a lack of planning but also their reaction after the problem was not rational. In spite of the negative feedback they achieved they didn't try to make It up and apologize, they offered a refund which more people though weekending, Melanin Insisted that they didn't make a mistake that they should recover which again defiantly affected the goodwill of the company and cost him his job.Suggested Alternatives Nationwide First Alternative For Nationwide, they could have called for Press conference with all the media and admit that they won't be able to provide everyone with all their money as this way they would bankrupted, instead they would work on helping their customers based on the severity of their case giving priority for those who suffered total loss. Evaluation of this solution: Pros: This way Nationwide will help Improve their Image which will assure a better relation with customer and thus more revenues In the future Cons: Nationwide will suffer from a short term financial crisis.Second Alternative Nationwide would pay the full insurance amount of money to those who agree on signing a long-term contract with Nationwide. Evaluation of this solution: Pros: This will help the families damaged from the hurricane and will guarantee Nationwide a steady Income on a long period of time Cons: This Solution will cost Nationwide a lot of money which will put them In a serious financial risk.Third Alternative For Nationwide, after the damage have happened they could have Issued a press release explaining why they had to take these actions and offering help to the homes, they could do so by partnering with a furniture provider who would be interested in reliving the damaged families also. Evaluation of this solution: Pros: this attempt will show Nationwide trials to help the society which will help their image of Nationwide however with a lower cost.Cons: Nationwide will try to fix the problem by paying money along with another company which will decrease the cost, ND help in repairing the damage done for their image Recommendation: I would go with the first alternative, as it will lead to a win-win situation for most of the customers in addition to Nationwide. It will also help in fixing the damage done to the goodwill of the company.Stubble Stubble, should organize a press conference showing their sincere apology and compassion to the pain their passenger had to endure as result of this unexpected event and announcing their plan to avoid these incidents in the future Evaluation of this solution: Pros: This way the company will save its image and goodwill which will assure a teeter relation with customer without having to endure a financial crisis Cons: Some customers may not accept the apology asking for compensations.Second Alternative Stubble should send a personalized apology to each person who was trapped on their planes accompanied with an incentive of free miles to be used in the next year. Pros: Stubble this w ay will gain the respect of their customers saving their goodwill, and ensuring that a percentage of them will use them during the next year which leads too profit for them. Cons: It will be a financial liability on the company for the short period of time, having to distribute all the free miles.Third Alternative Full refund to the passengers who were affected, with a press conference explaining the reasons behind the problem and the procedures taken to avoid it in the future. Pros: This way will help Stubble to protect their reputation, and retain their customers. Cons: refunding all the passengers will be a financial burden. Recommendation I would go with the second alternative, as it will help in the damage control for the reputation of the company with a guarantee that at least a percentage of them will be using their services in the next year, with a minimal amount of money invested in this process.

Book Review: I know Why The Caged Birds Sing

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Essay The book we recently read was called, â€Å"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings†, written by Maya Angelou. This was a memoir about Maya Angelou’s life from age 3 to 17. The story was about Maya’s life living with her brother and grandmother who she called, â€Å"Momma† in Stamps, Arkansas. Then later in her life, she ended up living in St. Louis with her mother, San Francisco with her Father, and even living in a car at a junkyard. She was faced with confusion in her later years as a teen and became pregnant and had a little boy. Through the years, there were many people who had an impact on Marguerite’s life.I believe that Momma, Mrs. Flowers, and Mr. Freeman had a huge impact on Marguerite’s life whether it was positive or negative. One person that was very influential on Marguerite’s life was Momma. She had a positive effect on Marguerite’s life. Momma owned the only store in the black sectio n of Stamps which was the life center of the community with a friendly atmosphere and Momma served as a â€Å"community leader†. She was a strong woman who took care things and raised Bailey and Marguerite with strong morals. â€Å"But Momma convinced us that not only was cleanliness next to Godliness, dirtiness was the inventor of misery. (Angelou pg. 26/27) Momma cherished Christian values and had strict rules. â€Å"Since Momma told us that the less you say to whitefolks (or even powhitetrash) the better, Bailey and I would stand, solemn, quiet, in the displaced air. † (Angelou pg. 27) Momma didn’t let the powhitetrash run all over her when they were constantly mocking her and flashing themselves. She kept her dignity and she said a proper goodbye to them with a, â€Å"Bye, Miz Helen, bye, Miz Ruth, bye, Miz Eloise. † (Angelou pg. 31) Marguerite learned from Momma the ways to get away from the racial tension during this tough period.The 2nd person tha t had an influence on Marguerite’s life was Mrs. Flowers. She was the aristocrat of Black Stamps and was also one of Marguerite’s idols. Although Mrs. Flowers would never laugh, Marguerite loved when she would smile at her often. Mrs. Flowers made Marguerite feel special and took interest , â€Å"I was liked, and what a difference it made. I was respected not as Mrs. Henderson’s grandchild or Bailey’s sister but for just being Marguerite Johnson. †(Angelou pg. 98). Mrs. Flowers had a positive effect on Marguerite’s life and she tries to take Marguerite out of her silence by trying to teach her to have a voice.Marguerite respected that Mrs. Flowers encouraged her for her love of literature. Mrs. Flowers was an inspiration to Marguerite because she had dignity and was always true to herself. â€Å"It would be safe to say that she made me proud to be Negro, just by being herself. † (Angelou pg. 92) Marguerite learned from Mrs. Flowers th at it’s okay to have a voice and to speak and be heard. The 3rd person to have an affect on Marguerite’s life was Mr. Freeman. When Marguerite and Bailey left the Stamps they arrived to St. Louis where Mother lived. Mother’s boyfriend, Mr. Freeman, lived with them as well. While in St.Louis, Mr. Freeman raped and sexually molested Marguerite. It started out with a hug which deeply affected Marguerite. â€Å"He held me so softly that I wished he wouldn’t ever let me go. I felt at home. † (Angelou pg. 71) She was left in confusion because his physical touch made her feel wanted and before that she had never felt loved. Mr. Freeman gave her the wrong kind of love and Marguerite was confused about what love really was. He completely took advantage of Marguerite and her need for physical affection. â€Å"Then there was the pain. A breaking and entering when even the senses are town apart.The act of rape on an eight-year-old body is a matter of the need le giving because the camel can’t. The child gives, because the body can, and the mind of the violator cannot. † (pg. 76) He selfishly violated Marguerite’s purity. Later, Mr. Freeman was murdered and Marguerite felt guilty and responsible for his death. Mr. Freeman negatively affected Marguerite’s childhood. Maya kind of learned what love was and experienced a lot of emotions throughout this entire occurrence. I believe that Momma, Mrs. Flowers, and Mr. Freeman had a huge impact on Marguerite’s life whether it was positive or negative.Momma basically raised Marguerite and Bailey to the best of her ability regarding everything they do with Christian morals. Mrs. Flowers made Marguerite feel special and encouraged her to read out loud more and more. Mr. Freeman raped Marguerite at 8 years old and ever since then she felt guilty and conscious of the actions that took place. Throughout Maya Angelou’s life, the contact with those 3 characters mad e her learn many things about herself. She learned to open up and conquer many obstacles and by the end of the story Maya completely blossomed. MLA: Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.New York: Random House, 1969. Print. Angelou, Maya. â€Å"5. † I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. New York: Random House, 1969. 26-27. Print. Angelou, Maya. â€Å"5. † I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. New York: Random House, 1969. 27. Print. Angelou, Maya. â€Å"15. † I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. New York: Random House, 1969. 92. Print. Angelou, Maya. â€Å"15. † I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. New York: Random House, 1969. 98. Print. Angelou, Maya. â€Å"11. † I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. New York: Random House, 1969. 72. Print. Angelou, Maya. â€Å"12. † I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. New York: Random House, 1969. 76. Print.

A Fable by Mark Twain

A Fable by Mark Twain One of the basic exercises (or progymnasmata) practiced by students of classical rhetoric was the fable- a fictional story meant to teach a moral lesson. What lesson about the nature of perception is contained in A Fable, by American humorist Mark Twain? A Fable by Mark Twain Once upon a time, an artist who had painted a small and very beautiful picture placed it so that he could see it in the mirror. He said, This doubles the distance and softens it, and it is twice as lovely as it was before. The animals out in the woods heard of this through the housecat, who was greatly admired by them because he was so learned, and so refined and civilized, and so polite and high-bred, and could tell them so much which they didnt know before, and were not certain about afterward. They were much excited about this new piece of gossip, and they asked questions, so as to get at a full understanding of it. They asked what a picture was, and the cat explained. It is a flat thing, he said; wonderfully flat, marvelously flat, enchantingly flat and elegant. And, oh, so beautiful! That excited them almost to a frenzy, and they said they would give the world to see it. Then the bear asked: What is it that makes it so beautiful? It is the looks of it, said the cat. This filled them with admiration and uncertainty, and they were more excited than ever. Then the cow asked: What is a mirror? It is a hole in the wall, said the cat. You look in it, and there you see the picture, and it is so dainty and charming and ethereal and inspiring in its unimaginable beauty that your head turns round and round, and you almost swoon with ecstasy. The ass had not said anything as yet; he now began to throw doubts. He said there had never been anything as beautiful as this before, and probably wasnt now. He said that when it took a whole basketful of sesquipedalian adjectives to whoop up a thing of beauty, it was time for suspicion. It was easy to see that these doubts were having an effect upon the animals, so the cat went off offended. The subject was dropped for a couple of days, but in the meantime, curiosity was taking a fresh start, and there was a revival of interest perceptible. Then the animals assailed the ass for spoiling what could possibly have been a pleasure to them, on a mere suspicion that the picture was not beautiful, without any evidence that such was the case. The ass was not troubled; he was calm, and said there was one way to find out who was in the right, himself or the cat: he would go and look in that hole, and come back and tell what he found there. The animals felt relieved and grateful and asked him to go at oncewhich he did. But he did not know where he ought to stand; and so, through error, he stood between the picture and the mirror. The result was that the picture had no chance, and didnt show up. He returned home and said: The cat lied. There was nothing in that hole but an ass. There wasnt a sign of a flat thing visible. It was a handsome ass, and friendly, but just an ass, and nothing more. The elephant asked: Did you see it good and clear? Were you close to it? I saw it good and clear, O Hathi, King of Beasts. I was so close that I touched noses with it. This is very strange, said the elephant; the cat was always truthful beforeas far as we could make out. Let another witness try. Go, Baloo, look in the hole, and come and report. So the bear went. When he came back, he said: Both the cat and the ass have lied; there was nothing in the hole but a bear. Great was the surprise and puzzlement of the animals. Each was now anxious to make the test himself and get at the straight truth. The elephant sent them one at a time. First, the cow. She found nothing in the hole but a cow. The tiger found nothing in it but a tiger. The lion found nothing in it but a lion. The leopard found nothing in it but a leopard. The camel found a camel, and nothing more. Then Hathi was wroth, and said he would have the truth, if he had to go and fetch it himself. When he returned, he abused his whole subjectry for liars, and was in an unappeasable fury with the moral and mental blindness of the cat. He said that anybody but a near-sighted fool could see that there was nothing in the hole but an elephant. MORAL, BY THE CAT You can find in a text whatever you bring, if you will stand between it and the mirror of your imagination. You may not see your ears, but they will be there.

standard costing Essays

Benefits of the variance analysis/ standard costing Essays Benefits of the variance analysis/ standard costing Paper Benefits of the variance analysis/ standard costing Paper There are several benefits of the variance analysis; the variance analysis compares actual costs against budget. If actual performance is better than standard there is said to be a favourable costs variance. E. g. If standard labour cost is 36 but actually works out to be   32 theres a favourable difference of   4. This means that the costs are lower than expected. However if actual performance is worse than standard this is said to be an adverse or unfavourable variance. Variances are a method of control and can show if the firm is running efficiently. Variances can also be a motivating factor for the staff as if an adverse exists staff must work hard to change the adverse into a favourable in the future. Variance analysis is also classed as a method of appraisal as staff can easily know if they have done well when the variance is favourable. Staff can monitor their progress and assess how well they are performing. Variance analysis helps and is a tool of, Planning function. Control function. Motivating function The variance analysis can be used on any expenditure of the business. There are a number of advantages of using this techniques. By calculating variances a firm such as JCC can identify areas of weakness and inefficient practice. If a variance appears to be too high than it can be investigated using an approach called management by exception. This can allow tolerance in the control system. Some firms only investigate variances if they are more than 5 to 10% different from the standard . Disadvantages of the variance analysis/ standard costing It can be difficult sometimes to forecast as obtaining the numbers can be difficulty and costly. Variance analysis can also de motivate staff as it could restrict permanent improvements as the worker might achieve goal and not do more. Variances could also restrict the idea of continuous improvement as just meeting targets and not doing more could de motivate staff and company performance. In some cases to carry out standard costing it can require a business to gather large amount of information. The process can be time consuming and in some cases expensive. Most firms use standards costing as an ongoing process so the costs are ongoing. There are some unforeseen consequences with standard costing. A member of staff in order to achieve a favourable variance might purchase cheap poorer quality materials. This would bring the costs down but it could effect sales as product made with poor material. This could damage the reputation of the firm and losses as low sales. The variances have occurred due to many factors such as the decline in sales, material costs, labour costs and even the marketing of the product. The variances have occurred as the market is in decline and the firm is only aiming its product at the older segment and not at the younger age as they are more interested in computer games. The product is not targeted at the new market but only for those in there 40 60s. Another cause that I believe has resulted in the poor variances is the special order being lost probably due to the firm not meeting production deadlines so as a result the variance has occurred. I believe is the main reason why the variances have occurred and this is because of the machinery is said to be old and not reliable and also the variance targets could be set too high or even too low so this must be investigated to a further extent. The material variance resulted in an adverse this is probably due to the price of the material, the price of the materials could have increased so firm should of searched out for a new cheaper supplier. The budgeted amount was 490 whilst the actual amount was 342 so there was an adverse of 58. More material was used than predicted this I think was probably due to a lot of wastage or even workers making mistakes and wasting materials. Another reason for this variance could be the theft of the material. I think the firm did not take advantage of bulk buying so major discounts were lost and could have resulted in the adverse variance. The material costs could also have been budgeted too low and the firm did not realise the increase in prices, wastage so this could have also hindered the variance. The labour variance also showed an adverse, as the budgeted was 96 whilst the actual came to 105 meaning an adverse of 9. This is another adverse in the firms variance analysis and is caused by the ageing workforce I feel. Most of workers are in their later age and could suffer form illnesses. The main reason I feel the variances have occurred is due to the old machinery the firm owns as it could have broken down and valuable man-hours had been lost whilst the machinery was being fixed. Labour time management and training could also have occurred the variances as the workers could be poorly trained and could not carry lout the tasks in the required times. The power variance is shown to be a favourable in the analysis as budgeted was 4. 8 and actual was 4 so a favourable of 0. 8. This is a positive variance but it is only achieved as the firm has only produced fewer goods as machinery kept on breaking down. The variance could also have been set too low so even as this is a positive variance it musty still be investigated as why it has occurred as a positive. The fixed production cost variance is a favourable by . The budgeted amount was 50 whilst the actual came to 48. This has occurred probably due to good management or even a reduction in fixed costs. If a firm keeps its fixed costs too low they might be emitting vital functions of the business that could reduce the firms efficiency and in return could suffer high costs to the business in the loss of productive efficiency and sales by keeping fixed costs deliberately low. On the bases of my variance analysis I will recommend the following suggestions to the firm so the variances could be minimised. In order to minimise the variances the firm must recognise its operations. The sales variance was relatively high so the firm needs to concentrate and improve the marketing effect. The firms could take such actions as an increase in its advertising campaign, so it is increasing the knowledge of its product. To improve the variance the firm could target a new segment the younger generation with newer model cars and benefits. By effective marketing research and approach the firm should target new customers who would want these benefits. The firm main aim should be effective marketing especially at the newly identified 40 to 60 year olds. Ongoing marketing will increase potential sales thus higher profits can be achieved. The firm is selling nostalgia so variances could be achieved through effective management and by improving standard costs and the overall efficiency of the business. The firm must ensure that the budget costs are equal to actual costs and this can by done effective market research and planning that will result in a efficient firm. All extensive favourable variances that have occurred I feel must be investigated as they could have been set too low and the firm did not budget effectively. The firms number one aim should be to enforce accurate budgets and team working, training and also investment into new machinery and the results will show up in profits. Cellular production could also be used to create job deepening and widening as a result the average work day will became more interesting and worker will work more effectively and also less absentees. By training workers and working effectively the firm would benefit from correct budgets and profit. Bulk buying and extensive market research is vital to successful and must be fully met. I will now construct a sales forecast for the next year. Jan Feb March April May June Low low increase 10000 10000 15000 18000 20000 30000 July Aug September October November Decline high 20000 25000 25000 51000 80000 Dec Total 388800 for year predicted are. High 84800 I came to the above sales forecast conclusions that I have created y referring to the appendix 2 in case study that I had. By using the sales variance I have predicted that that sales will fall. The sales forecast above are my predictions but I have also taken into account the declining market, as children are less interested in toys and more in computer games. So I have decided to have a 10% decline in the sales predictions. I have taken 10% of the original sales prediction of 432000 from last year. The new total I have come to is 388800. A 10% decline. Later on sales that I have predicted should increase as the firm has identified the new market of 40to 60 years olds who are interested in model cars and also the exporting form Taiwan could help the increase of sales. Ensuring that the above recommendations made by me are taken into account. Of effective marketing and management, the control of budget, thus the sales should increase. I must reiterate that marketing should be an ongoing process so the consumers can be informed of what is new and available. The highest sales will be made at Christmas due to the festive season. This is the time of the year where JCC needs to get its marketing policy precise as most firms take advantage of the holiday season and launch many products. At the beginning of the year the sales are very low but gradually they will increase this would be due to the firm employing effective marketing and attracting a new segment. Based on the figures presented in appendix 1 I will calculate the monthly profit using marginal costing.

Color of Republican Party - Why Its Red

Color of Republican Party - Why It's Red The color associated with the Republican Party is red, though not because the party chose it. The association between red and Republican began with the advent of color television and network news on Election Day several decades ago and has stuck with the GOP ever since. Youve heard the terms red state, for example.  A red state is one that consistently votes Republican in elections for governor and president. Conversely, a blue state is one that reliably sides with Democrats in those races. Swing states are a whole different story and can be described as either pink or purple depending on their political leanings. So why is the color red associated with Republicans?   Heres the story. First Use of Red for Republican The first use of the terms red state  to connote a Republican state came about a week before the 2000 presidential election between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore, according to The Washington Posts Paul Farhi. The Post scoured  newspaper and magazine archives and television news broadcast transcripts dating back to 1980 for the phrase and found that the first instances could be  traced NBCs Today show and  subsequent  discussions between  Matt Lauer  and  Tim Russert  during the election season on MSNBC. Wrote Farhi: As the 2000 election became a 36-day recount debacle, the commentariat magically reached consensus on the proper colors. Newspapers began discussing the race in the larger, abstract context of red vs. blue. The deal may have been sealed when Letterman suggested a week after the vote that a compromise would make George W. Bush president of the red states and Al Gore head of the blue ones. No Consensus on Colors Before 2000 Before the 2000 president election, television networks didnt stick to any particular theme when illustrating which candidates and which parties won which states. In fact, many rotated the colors: One year Republicans would be red and the next year Republicans would be blue. Neither party really wanted to claim red as its color because of its association with communism. According to Smithsonian  magazine: Before the epic election of 2000, there was no uniformity in the maps that television stations, newspapers or magazines used to illustrate presidential elections. Pretty much everyone embraced red and blue, but which color represented which party varied, sometimes by organization, sometimes by election cycle. Newspapers including The New York Times and USA Today jumped on the Republican-red and Democrat-blue theme that year, too, and stuck with it. Both published color-coded maps of results by county. Counties that sided with Bush appeared red in the newspapers. Counties that voted for Gore were shaded in blue. The explanation Archie Tse, a senior graphics editor for the Times, gave to Smithsonian  for his choice of colors for each party was fairly straightforward: â€Å"I just decided  red  begins with ‘r,’  Republican  begins with ‘r.’ It was a more natural association.  There wasn’t much discussion about it.† Why Republicans are Forever Red The color red has stuck and is now permanently associated with Republicans. Since the 2000 election, for example, the website  RedState has become a popular source of news and information for right-leaning readers. RedState describes itself as the leading conservative, political news blog for right of center activists. The color blue is now permanently associated with Democrats. The website ActBlue, for example, helps connect political donors to Democratic candidates of their choice and has become a substantial force in how campaigns are financed.

Middle childhood development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Middle childhood development - Essay Example The son is portrayed as so understanding when he ask his father if it was his fault that the mother left but he came to appreciate his father’s effort though he does not deserve the kind of treatment he undergoes as a child. The movie gives the emotional and physical connection between the father and the son even during hard times. The movie also highlights the meaning of happiness and love which most people have always taken for granted though searched by everyone around the world. It also shows that the dreams of the child come true no matter the situation. Chris realizes his error and encourages his son to pursue any dream after squashing his son’s dream of becoming a professional basketball player. The child requires emotional, psychological and physical connections with everyone around them. When the going went hard and they get evicted from their home to stay in the streets of California, the child cried because he misses the home environment. The father is seen beyond being only a protector and a provider but he became the father that his child needed him to be. They did not give up and we realize that family is the strongest thing to have and with forgiveness you will always together. Based on these characters and all they went through, setting your heart and mind on something will definitely make you accomplish it (Riley, 2008). The importance of social development is evident in all stages of child’s life and a child with strong social development foundation easily manages his personal feelings, understands others needs and feelings as well as positive interaction with others. The movie demonstrates the social development depicted between the father where the son understands the situation of the father after they had been abandoned by their mother, he understands the situation and appreciates the effort of his father, Christopher asks his dad whether it was his

Product Reliability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Product Reliability - Essay Example 56)†. In today’s development of industrial products, reliability concerns are not addressed properly in the prior steps of the process (Prabhakar and Osteras 121). The reliability of the products also depends on two manufacturing items: the technical decisions made in the early stages and the consequence of commercial results in the final stages. An engineer can employ effective methodology for reliable performance and specification in order to make a better decision. Product reliability develops a structure that joins reliable specifications, both design and materials, and product performance in the manufacture of new product products (Prabhakar and Osteras 81). Product reliability depends on the design, material used for a product and the manufacturing process. Design refers to the  act  of creating a layout or convention for constructing an object or system as in architectural blueprints, engineering drawing, business process and circuit diagrams. It may also be d efined as a strategy employed to achieve a unique goal or expectation. Potential Stages for Design Reviews (â€Å"Blueprints for Product Reliability†) ... The term is sometimes used to refer to components with specific physical properties that are used as inputs in manufacturing of products. In this context, materials are the components used to make product – computers, cars, buildings etc. Some applications require a product to have specific types of material properties such as load resistant steels for bridges, cranes or buildings. Cars, for instance, use aluminum as it is light, so the car consumes less fuel, corrosion resistance and aluminum alloys are easier to manufacture and use. Polystyrene with the recycling code 6 or Styrofoam cups, plates, carryout containers is petroleum-based plastics. They can release potentially toxic breakdown products, particularly when heated. Ceramic, glass, paper or safer plastics like numbers 1, 2 or 5 are a better alternative. Using the wrong material can result in a catastrophic failure that can harm life or environment (Chitale 154). Product Life Cycle Cost Impact. (â€Å"Blueprints for Product Reliability†) Manufacturing is the process of producing goods for use sale using machinery, labor and tools. This term may refer to a series of human activity such as handicraft, or high tech, but is most used in reference to industrial production, where raw materials are turned into finished products on a large scale. The finished products can be used  to make  more complex products such as household appliances, aircraft or automobiles, or sold to wholesalers, who in turn sell them to retailers who then sell them to end users. Manufacturing has many categories such as casting for engine blocks, molding for beams, forming as in press for panels, machining for drilling and

Reading Log and Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reading Log and Case Study - Essay Example The most important resource available to organisations is human resource and their conducive functioning is ensured by a suitable organisational culture and climate. 2. Key insights (200 words) The state of the economy mandates that various organisations have to merge with each other in order to forge their survival. On the other hand, certain other organisations are trying to go for a change in their business operations through business process innovation. In order to support both kinds of activities, it is essential that organisations enhance their operating organisational culture and climate by innovating within its framework. The transition from one organisational cultural state to another cultural state is not only cumbersome but requires dedicated effort on multiple fronts. In order to make organisational culture and climate change a success it has to be adapted well to the existing organisational culture and organisational climate. This ensures that the transition between cult ural states is smooth and does not affect business operations negatively. In order to make the transition as smooth as possible, it is advisable to study the various involved sub-cultures within organisations in detail to identify possible transition problems. The resistance to change in organisational cultures is a present reality and needs to be dealt with on realistic footing. How can you key insights be applied in practice (200 words) In order to deal with organisation change on a stronger footing, it is necessary to implement organisational cultural change with greater understanding of the underlying sub cultures that would provide resistance to change. It is necessary to provide employees with means of feedback to gauge their assessment of the organisation’s culture and climate in order to develop new changes. Employee feedback could be received using questionnaires, surveys, one on one meeting by senior management and other similar methods. Once employee perception of existing organisational culture and climate is established, this baseline can then be used to plot a new direction for movement. During any major or minor organisational culture or climate change resistance will be encountered. The senior management of the business has to find avenues that will invite resistance from employees and then deal with these problems accordingly. For example, senior employees may show reluctance to upgrade their IT skills so the management would need to provide them with more intuitive and easy to use IT systems. These gaps and deficits must be assessed as realistically as possible and the use of external experts should not be ruled out. Case Study 1. How would you characterise current staff behaviour at the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Bank? The current staff behaviour at Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Bank is characterised by a twofold description – the older staff is sticking to its old working values while the new staff is trying to innovate and incre ase competitiveness. Overall staff behaviour characterises the struggle between the old guard and the new innovators. 2. Do you feel that their behaviour is attributable to the changes that have taken place, and why? The behaviour of the staff is purely an outcome of the structural change at the bank given the merger. Instead of the staff being at loggerheads because of differentiated cultures from two organisations, the staff is in a struggle because change is being imposed and resisted. Older members

Assignment- Drowning in a Sea of Information Essay

Assignment- Drowning in a Sea of Information - Essay Example computers. While information overload is certainly a reality, artificial intelligence and other mechanisms which allow the sorting and prioritization of information can help in reducing this burden. In essence, the problem is to develop such systems which are as intelligent or perhaps more intelligent than human beings. The business side of the problem of information overload can be handled through data mining and the application of relevance which allow companies and business professional to decide which information is important and which is not. At the present time in the field of artificial intelligence, it is reasonable to say that while some AI systems mimic human intelligence, there is no system in the world which surpasses a human in all aspects of thought, intelligence or even social interaction. However, it is also plausible to say that the rate of development of current machines means that at some point the future, there will certainly be a time when AI based systems become more intelligent than the humans who created them in the first place. Kurzweil’s The Age of Spiritual Machines (1999) presents a very detailed look at the future of artificial intelligence in terms of where they are going and what can be expected of them in coming decades. He focuses on machine intelligence and shows that the evolution of machines has taken a similar path to the evolution of biological creatures but at a much more accelerated pace. Kurzweil describes how computational and processing power has grown exponentially in the past and records were broken as expectations were shattered. For instance, it was once thought that no computer would ever be able to beat a grand master champion at chess but the best human player in the world has been defeated by a computer specifically created for that purpose. For machines which are specifically created to handle

Gender Roles in Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gender Roles in Society - Essay Example Girls are encouraged to play with dolls and boys on the contrary engage in activities which suit their gender. â€Å"While both mothers and fathers contribute to the gender stereotyping of their children, fathers have been found to reinforce gender stereotypes more often than mothers.† (Ruble, 1988) These were some of the socio-cultural and biological factors which affect gender role development. Sexuality and Sexual Orientation â€Å"Sexuality  has three stages: Desire is an interest in being sexual. Excitement is the state of arousal that sexual stimulation causes. And orgasm is sexual pleasure's peaking. A sexual disorder occurs when there's a problem in at least one of these stages.† (Sexuality) Sexual orientation refers to the disposition of men towards women and vice-versa. This attraction gets redefined at times when men get attracted towards other men and women get attracted towards other women. Sexual orientation is very closely connected with personal identi ty; one chooses an ideal partner depending on their compatibility and gets romantically involved with that person. There are many factors that can easily influence sexual orientation. Loneliness and sadness is the most common cause of homosexuality, child abuse can also significantly alter the sexual orientation of a person. When peers reject a person during his adolescence, the person becomes lonely and starts seeking the company of someone who can help. Weak masculine identity is another cause of homosexual temptation, fear and mistrust is another common cause which can determine one’s sexual orientation. Some people become sexually compulsive and that is how their sexual orientation changes. Trauma during childhood is another common cause of homosexuality; other important causes... The book Two Ways A Woman Can Get Hurt sheds light upon how media presents women in advertisements and in other forms. The researcher states that the author of the book is aghast, that today women are presented as sex objects in advertisements and she also points out that this has a devastating effect on young children watching these advertisements, the same children grow up thinking women to be nothing more than sex objects and they start exploiting women and the same also becomes a vicious cycle. The author also points to the fact that women are shown to have an orgasm when doing their hair and this is extremely serious according to the author but the advertisements take this least seriously and the same has serious ramifications on the mindsets of the people watching these adverts. Men and women are treated very differently in our society and this is a very serious issue, women often treated as nothing more than sex objects, on the other hand men dominate in almost every area, the se differences still prevail in our society but we often turn a blind eye towards them and move on. The researcher also focuses on the sexuality, that has three stages, that were analyzed in the study. It is then concluded that it is time to bring about a drastic change and to restore parity in the society, because women have suffered a lot in the past and we must ensure now that they do not suffer anymore in the future, but bringing these changes still remains a big challenge not only in the United States, but around the world.

Hardware and Software Specifications Table Assignment

Hardware and Software Specifications Table - Assignment Example But, the need and want of executives to have latest technology on their desk on a consistent basis makes middle and technological management of the company to search for the best alternative and they do not have the option and luxury to misfire because top dollars of the company are usually at the stake in these kinds of matters. Therefore, they always search the local and international market for suitable and reasonable piece of technology that has the power and ability to serve multiple needs and wants of the senior-child of the company. The world of technology is changing rapidly and due to this reason, the companies attempt to acquire latest technology in order to minimize their obsolesce costs in the long run prospective. Nevertheless, it is a common but wrongly enforced belief that the machine that has all the state of the art components is the best. The abovementioned statement is illogical because in most number of cases, we do not require a heuristic machine in all dimension s and we ought to focus on the essentials. The plan that we are going to develop is going to value the essentials and invest in them as well. But, when it comes to nonessentials and luxuries then, we should opt for least expensive items in order to sponsor both efficiency and effectiveness. The technological solution that we are going to propose will sport state of the art video conferencing infrastructure and video cards with a wide screen laptops so that our President and his team should never face a problem in screen viewing while tele communicating. The company’s administration has decided to buy an array of products that can be resold at a reasonable price so that the company can recover some percentage of the cost of items’ depreciation. Moreover, the basic and fundamental purpose of the newly acquired technological intervention is to provide the executive with swift and reliable internet connectivity and experience. The paramount importance will be given to mana ge the cost and benefit of the product so that the notion of efficiency and effectiveness will be well served. Additionally, the focal point of the buying and installing new equipment in the President’s office is a challenge to say the least because it has to conform to the requirements of President’s job while it should also be according to his liking in majority of its features. The man in question is a practicality oriented one and therefore, he always values productivity over showoffs and unproductive investments. Nonetheless, the company’s technical management will look to get a powerful device whose ability to conduct and support video conferencing must be excellent and the price dimension must also be reasonable. The idea is to strike a balance cost and benefit of the product reasonably. Table 1 Hardware Components Input Devices Attributes Associated Org. need Keyboard The standardized laptops featured soft keyed keyboards Create and edit documents in MS office Mouse The company will use external mouse because they are user friendly Create and edit documents in MS office Scanner The state of the art Laser scanners will be acquired Sending documents via emails and saving documents in pdf Digital Camera The 5.0 megapixel cameras will be purchased To take

Gender Roles in Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gender Roles in Society - Essay Example Girls are encouraged to play with dolls and boys on the contrary engage in activities which suit their gender. â€Å"While both mothers and fathers contribute to the gender stereotyping of their children, fathers have been found to reinforce gender stereotypes more often than mothers.† (Ruble, 1988) These were some of the socio-cultural and biological factors which affect gender role development. Sexuality and Sexual Orientation â€Å"Sexuality  has three stages: Desire is an interest in being sexual. Excitement is the state of arousal that sexual stimulation causes. And orgasm is sexual pleasure's peaking. A sexual disorder occurs when there's a problem in at least one of these stages.† (Sexuality) Sexual orientation refers to the disposition of men towards women and vice-versa. This attraction gets redefined at times when men get attracted towards other men and women get attracted towards other women. Sexual orientation is very closely connected with personal identi ty; one chooses an ideal partner depending on their compatibility and gets romantically involved with that person. There are many factors that can easily influence sexual orientation. Loneliness and sadness is the most common cause of homosexuality, child abuse can also significantly alter the sexual orientation of a person. When peers reject a person during his adolescence, the person becomes lonely and starts seeking the company of someone who can help. Weak masculine identity is another cause of homosexual temptation, fear and mistrust is another common cause which can determine one’s sexual orientation. Some people become sexually compulsive and that is how their sexual orientation changes. Trauma during childhood is another common cause of homosexuality; other important causes... The book Two Ways A Woman Can Get Hurt sheds light upon how media presents women in advertisements and in other forms. The researcher states that the author of the book is aghast, that today women are presented as sex objects in advertisements and she also points out that this has a devastating effect on young children watching these advertisements, the same children grow up thinking women to be nothing more than sex objects and they start exploiting women and the same also becomes a vicious cycle. The author also points to the fact that women are shown to have an orgasm when doing their hair and this is extremely serious according to the author but the advertisements take this least seriously and the same has serious ramifications on the mindsets of the people watching these adverts. Men and women are treated very differently in our society and this is a very serious issue, women often treated as nothing more than sex objects, on the other hand men dominate in almost every area, the se differences still prevail in our society but we often turn a blind eye towards them and move on. The researcher also focuses on the sexuality, that has three stages, that were analyzed in the study. It is then concluded that it is time to bring about a drastic change and to restore parity in the society, because women have suffered a lot in the past and we must ensure now that they do not suffer anymore in the future, but bringing these changes still remains a big challenge not only in the United States, but around the world.

History of Nail Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History of Nail Care - Essay Example In ancient Egypt, the color of the nails of an individual determined his/her status and class – it was an emblem of importance. While individuals of lower rank were only permitted to wear pale colors on their nails; queens and kings wore deep red (Trapp, 13 and David, para1). During the reign of Queen Nefertiti, red nail colors symbolized the status of royals. Furthermore, the famous queen Cleopatra who ruled Egypt always painted her nails with a rusty red color, which was only set aside for the queen (HubPages Inc., para2). Similarly, in ancient China, fingernails played an important role in identifying the nobles. Individuals who held high status wore long nails as a symbol of their status, and their nail color revealed their social class. Silver and gold colors were an emblem of highest power and rank, while red and black represented boldness and strength. The common people, on the other hand, used pale tones, and they symbolized weakness. The Chinese came up with a nail polish made from gum Arabic, beeswax, gelatin, and egg whites around 3,000 B.C. In Chou Dynasty, Chinese individuals of highest status and ranks painted their nails with silver and gold polish in 600 B.C. During the 15th Century, Chinese Ming Dynasty’s leaders painted their nails red and black. Before the battle in Babylon, early Rome and Egypt, military commanders spent hours curling and lacquering their hair and painting their nails and their lips with the same color (HubPages Inc., para3 and Trapp, 13). Nail care started being a part of glamour and fashion in the 19th century. With the technological and social advancements, new nail care tools started surfacing in Europe. A foot doctor by the name Sitts devised a wooden manicure apparatus in the year 1830. Prior to his invention, people used acid, scissors, metal rod, among others for manicure. During this period, slightly pointed nail styles or almond-shaped nails were common. The

Market Research Essay Example for Free

Market Research Essay The management process through which goods and services move from concept to the customer. As a practice, it consists in coordination of four elements called 4Ps: (1) identification, selection, and development of a product, (2) determination of its price, (3) selection of a distribution channel to reach the customers place, and (4) development and implementation of a promotional strategy. As a philosophy, marketing is based on thinking about the business in terms of customer needs and their satisfaction. Marketing differs from selling because (in the words of Harvard Business Schools emeritus professor of marketing Theodore C. Levitt) Selling concerns itself with the tricks and techniques of getting people to exchange their cash for your product. It is not concerned with the values that the exchange is all about. And it does not, as marketing invariably does, view the entire business process as consisting of a tightly integrated effort to discover, create, arouse, and satisfy customer needs. Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/marketing.html#ixzz25h1HF3mw Marketing, Advertising and Sales a definition Marketing is not advertising. Marketing is finding out what people want, why they want it and how much they’ll spend. Dont confuse marketing with advertising. Advertising is the promotion of a service or product or company. It features a strong call to action and promotes the benefits of that being advertised. . Product/Service †¢ What does the customer want from the product/service? What needs does it satisfy? †¢What features does it have to meet these needs? †¢Are there any features youve missed out? †¢Are you including costly features that the customer wont actually use? †¢How and where will the customer use it? †¢What does it look like? How will customers experience it? †¢What size(s), color(s), and so on, should it be? †¢What is it to be called? †¢How is it branded? †¢How is it differentiated versus your competitors? †¢What is the most it can cost to provide, and still be sold sufficiently profitably? (See also Price, below). Place †¢ Where do buyers look for your product or service? †¢If they look in a store, what kind? A specialist boutique or in a supermarket, or both? Or online? Or direct, via a catalogue? †¢How can you access the right distribution channels? †¢Do you need to use a sales force? Or attend trade fairs? Or make online submissions? Or send samples to catalogue companies? †¢What do you competitors do, and how can you learn from that and/or differentiate? Price †¢ What is the value of the product or service to the buyer? †¢Are there established price points for products or services in this area? †¢Is the customer price sensitive? Will a small decrease in price gain you extra market share? Or will a small increase be indiscernible, and so gain you extra profit margin? †¢What discounts should be offered to trade customers, or to other specific segments of your market? †¢How will your price compare with your competitors? Promotion †¢ Where and when can you get across your marketing messages to your target market? †¢Will you reach your audience by advertising in the press, or on TV, or radio, or on billboards? By using direct marketing mailshot? Through PR? On the Internet? †¢When is the best time to promote? Is there seasonality in the market? Are there any wider environmental issues that suggest or dictate the timing of your market launch, or the timing of subsequent promotions? †¢How do your competitors do their promotions? And how does that influence your choice of promotional activity? The 4Ps model is just one of many marketing mix lists that have been developed over the years. And, whilst the questions we have listed above are key, they are just a subset of the detailed probing that may be required to optimize your marketing mix. Amongst the other marketing mix models have been developed over the years is Boom and Bitners 7Ps, sometimes called the extended marketing mix, which include the first 4 Ps, plus people, processes and physical layout decisions.

Pestel Analysis Of Various Factors Eu Matters Economics Essay

Pestel Analysis Of Various Factors Eu Matters Economics Essay The financial markets are the pivotal function of a modern economy. By aiming towards an increased level of integration, there will be a more efficient allocation of economic resources and long term economic performance (European Commission, 2005). It has therefore been the EUs policy to complete a single market in financial services (being a crucial part of the Lisbon Economic Process  [1]  ) for addressing EUs global competitiveness. Since the economic crash and subsequent global crisis there have been calls for closer monitoring of the financial system and better EU coordination. With the failure of the Lisbon Strategy outlined in 2000 (Wyplosz, 2010), many parties has urged a relook at the model particularly with the global economic crisis afflicting the EU. With the collapse of US investment bank Lehman Brothers in September 2008, there has been no shortage of politicians rushing to describe what is to be done differently in the financial sector in future (Dullien Herr, 2010). The financial crisis has made it clear that the financial markets are in clear need of reforms and a far more effective regulation to govern the future growth of the financial markets in the EU. While the topic has now focused on the Eurozone crisis, the financial market regulation at both national and EU level, has been experiencing a great deal of changes for which some of the important areas of the EU market regulation, ongoing process and most significant plans evaluated. The strength and confidence in financial markets will need to be re-established as pointed out by the Director General (2010). The European Commission has presented several draft directives that is undergoing evaluation by the decision making bodies around Europe. Unlike the US, the EU has had several attempts in harmonising the financial markets (through the Lisbon Process) albeit not entirely successful. While all the financial institutions in Europe are very closely linked to each other, there has been a lack of a uniform basic regulation for financial supervision as national governments tend to pursue those which is in the best interest of their country rather than the region. This therefore allowed institutions from neighbouring countries to enter into risky transactions in those markets with tight supervision but greater access of capital. The European Commissions directives are now letting several of the directives be considered for legislative purposes. Higher capital requirements for banks. Establishment of an European ratings agency that independently evaluate securities of issuers. New rules for Derivatives Trading and Securitisation Creation of a European System for Financial Supervision with a Risk Board being set up alongside those issues mandatory instructions to national supervisory authorities. This however will be a challenge to the EU as such measures would potentially affect the sovereignty of individual national governments to pursue internal policies, something which several European nations are not willing to give in as seen in the Greek crisis. Such directives are not expected to be introduced by end 2010 with expectations gathering that these directives themselves will be watered down from its original form making it toothless for enforcement purposes (Dullien Herr, 2010). Business Cycles Despite coming out of the recession in the 3rd Quarter of 2009 (European Commission, 2010), confidence in the industry is relatively low despite the positive growth generated compared to 2008. Current momentum suggest that recovery of economic activity will continue in coming months although the European Commission has cautioned on the fragility state (European Commission, 2010) [Insert Graph 2] Consumer sector wise, confidence improved from its decline in May 2010 with unemployment fears receding and a generally positive optimism on the general economic situation. This however remains below the long term average which reflect the cautious sentiment adopted by consumers. [Insert Graph 3] Beyond the rebound, recovery is proving to be slower than in past cases. The EU, like other developed economies will struggle with its aftermath for some time in the future (European Commission, 2010) Savings Rate Savings rate are generally higher amongst several EU nations as compared to US household in general (Harvey, 2004). There has been a decline in recent years as per researcher Tina Aridas (2010) from the Global Finance Magazine, the magazine hasd stated that between 2007 and 2008, the European Unions household saving rate was lower than in the euro area, due mainly to the low saving rates in the UK and the Baltic countries. The US saving rate was low compared with both the EU and the euro area. With the passing of the worst effects of the global crisis from 2008, EU households are again faced with the Euro confidence crisis that constraints the regions ability to recover faster than other regions (as it struggles to with unemployment, high deficits and generally bearish economic prospects outlook) (IMF, 2010). The general household will now need to brace themselves for further cuts in income as major EU member nations embarks on tough public spending cuts (Traynor, 2010). Recovery Eur opean economies are expected to be gradual and uneven as most of the savings gain from budgets cuts is utilised for loan repayment for the past debts incurred. SOCIAL Demographics Based on the latest 2008 projections done by the Commission of the European Communities (EUR-LEX), the EU is facing unprecedented changes in the populations. This development would represent a challenge for the governments to review and adapt existing policies as it continues to shape the social structure of the EU population. Demographic ageing, i.e. the increase in the proportion of older people, is above all the result of significant economic, social and medical progress giving EU citizens the opportunity to live a long life in comfort and security which is not without precedent in the regions history (EUR-LEX, 2006). This has become one of the main challenges for the EU as the following demographic trends observed throughout the member countries with various magnitudes. Fertility rate: Fertility rate at the last estimates for 2008 by EUR-LEX stands at just over 1.5 children with a growth forecast 1.57 by 2030 (2009, p.21). In all EU countries, the fertility rate would likely remain below the natural replacement rate of 2.1 births per woman that is needed in order for each generation to replace itself. A period of slow growth and in most cases- actual decline in the population of working age in the region will constraint countries ability to grow from within (due to human capital constraint). Mortality rate: The Life expectancy has been rising steadily since the 20th Century, with an increase of two and a half years per decade in the countries around the world holding the record of highest life expectancy (EUR-LEX, 2008). The EU projects that life expectancy for male would increase by 8.5 years over the projection period, from 76 Years originally in 2008 to 84.5 by 2060 (EUR-LEX, 2009). For the female, life expectancy at birth would increase by 6.9 years, from 82.1 in 2008 to 89 in 2060, marking a narrowing life expectancy gap between both genders. Most of these increases in life expectancy itself (from birth) will come from recent EU member states (Estonia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia etc). Children in the EU today will face a high chance of living to their 80s or 90s in the long term especially if they are from Western Europe with mid-high socio-economic status. Net Migration: Migration already plays a predominant role in population growth today: in many Member States, the size of net migration determines whether the population still grows or has entered a stage of decline (EUR-LEX, 2009). Annual net inflows to the EU are assumed to total 59 million people, of which the bulk (46.2 million) would be concentrated in the euro area. The trend according to the EUR-LEX study, assumes that this will decelerate over the projection period, falling from about 1,680,000 people in 2008 (equivalent to 0.33% of the EU population) to 980,000 by 2020 and thereafter to some 800,000 people by 2060 (0.16% of the EU population). Interviews conducted with respondent concur with the migration trend noting that the continued need for foreign talent to drive further economic growth in the EU. It is therefore only a matter of time for EU to work towards a harmonised migration policy for its member states to consider for ensuring a sustainable growth between its own EU citizens with those from outside non-EU countries. Net migration flows are assumed to be concentrated in a few destination countries: Italy, Spain, Germany, and the UK. Making full use of the global labour supply through net migration will be increasingly important and requires ensuring that immigrants are effectively integrated into the EUs economy and society for today and the future. Education Education and training have an important place in the Lisbon strategy for jobs and growth (European Commission, 2009). EUR-LEX studies expect that the ratio of children and young people to the working-age population will shrink over the coming decade. Nonetheless, the education and training systems in the EU are generally improving. The EU benchmark  [2]  on mathematics, science and technology graduates was already reached before 2005. New growth has been registered in maths, science and technology graduates which were more than the original target set. Although good, benchmarks on early school leaving, completion of upper secondary education and lifelong learning were the opposite with literacy rate amongst young children on the decline. The respective countries will now need more effective national effective to address this fall. Entrepreneurial Spirit The Commission defines Entrepreneurship as the mind set and process [needed] to create and develop economic activity by blending risk-taking, creativity and/or innovation with sound management, within a new or an existing organisation (EurActiv.Com, 2004). SMEs are considered the backbone of the European economy, providing jobs for millions of European citizens and are the basis for economic innovation. Back in 2004, conditions for SMEs and start-up companies are not as favorable in the EU as they are in the US making entrepreneurial initiative and risk-taking less developed. EU citizens are almost evenly divided in their preference for being self-employed or having employee status with many still preferring the comfort of being a salaried employee (European Commission, 2009). In general results showed that from 2007 to 2009, EU citizens view on entrepreneurs are mixed with almost all countries more likely to agree that entrepreneurs are only concerned with profit or that they exploi ted other peoples work to their own benefit. The population in general prefer to either save the money or use it to buy a house or to repay their mortgage rather embark on risk taking ventures that threaten their way of life. The high level of migrants from countries to particularly wealthy EU Member States will however serve to showcase the entrepreneurial spirit in the economy. As many arrive with the intention of making a better life for themselves and their families, the majority of the SMEs arising comes mainly from this group of people, there will certainly be no lack of such entrepreneurial spirit in the EU in the near future. Lifestyle changes Recent evidence shows that in industrialised countries people do not only enjoy longer life expectancy, but they are also experiencing better health conditions in old age due to both healthier lifestyles and more effective pharmaceuticals allowing people with chronic diseases to control the adverse effects of illness (European Commission, 2009). The continuing improvements of the populations healthy ageing in the EU reflect the desire for a sustainable lifestyles, healthy environment amongst the people moving forward. With the Maastrich Treaty, the explicit mentioning of public health as an area of competence of the EU reinforces the expectation that having a sustainable, healthy lifestyle will be the way forward for the EU. Clearly, pharmaceutical drugs (patent or otherwise) will continue to provide a vital service to the EU population. Changing household and family trends need to be taken into account as the number of low income, single parent families increases. As a result of the higher involvement of woman in the work force (either due to higher education or contribute to existing family income), the economic crisis along with the spending cuts instituted at present is expected to create a more prudent, budget oriented household as the situation forces families to rein in their spending for essentials. Healthy lifestyles will become a more viable daily practice as a preventive measure against sickness as compared to incurring medical bills in the household due to illness. Social Mobility A simple meaning on the term social mobility refers to the degree to which an individual or groups status is able to change in terms of position in the social hierarchy. Population with the greatest access to education and adopting a more tolerant, if not more open attitude towards the society will tend to experience a higher level of social improvement (Blanden et al, 2005). Historically, the EU social mobility are mixed based on Blandens research study (2005) and Breen (2004) as countries like the UK and Ireland seen as generally more rigid with any mobility associated with parental income and educational attainment. Over the years since the formation of the EU, the mass migration of citizens with different social background has presented a difficulty task in further upgrading their mobility within the society. With the economic crisis, the younger generations in EU member states will now struggle to scale upward especially with the loss of family income and limited government supp ort marking a risk that any cycle of poverty that an individual household will face is repeated. This is more so as essential cost such as health care becomes more costly towards a household attempts toward improving living standards while aiming to scale towards a better way of life for themselves. Altitude towards generics vs patented drugs Our interview with Dr. [David Lu] and subsequent research revealed that the acceptance of generic drug by patients throughout EU are different. Since the mid-1990s, dispensing of generic drugs has been largely different amongst member states of the EU with countries like UK, Germany, Sweden and Netherlands having a wide acceptance of generic medicines dispensed in its healthcare system (WHO, 1997) as compare to France, Italy and Belgium. Based on our discussion, these were due to the perception build in patients mind on the generics effectiveness and reimbursement incentives given to doctors and pharmacists for sale of these products. This has remained a barrier by many in the generic business towards successfully penetrating the market. Researchers have pointed out on the need for a harmonised pricing mechanism to help generics manufacturers obtain higher market share (Burgermeister,2006). All interviewees are however, sceptical of such standardisation and are in agreement that such step by the EU will be unlikely owing to the different political, social and cultural environment that EU members are. Generic drug manufacturers will need to continue tailoring different marketing strategies to increase patients trust in their products accordingly and not adopt a standard approach for the member states if it intends to compete effectively for the market share. TECHNOLOGY Recent Technology Developments: In this modern age, the pace of technological changes is accelerating at a rapid pace. The generic drug industry is of no exception with the following technological factors that currently in the limelight. Internet The further rapid expansion of the internet to new retail lines such as online pharmacies or also known as mail-order pharmacy has enabled patients to consider a cheaper alternative to purchase medicines. Such services would tend to promote generic alternatives through offering of price and product range comparativeness when patients access their websites. Whilst the cost and convenience aspects have long been an attractive feature for the online aspect of this business, several worrying factors have emerged as a result. Counterfeit medicine This problem was first addressed in 1985 (Pharmaceutical Technology Europe, 2010) in the World Health Organisation (WHO) meeting with experts. With the explosion of e-commerce from the year 2000, the problem has increased substantially with the magnitude difficult to access due to the variety of the information sources available (WHO, 2010). While the European Commission proposed several features to be present on the medicines (i.e. mass serialisation, seals etc) (British Generics Association, 2010), counterfeit medicine remains a growing threat. Currently, counterfeiters tend to focus on expensive patented drugs rather than generics but as global acceptance on online purchasing increases, counterfeit drugs are increasingly being detected in the supply chain marking a issue of concern for generic manufacturers as any products discovered as counterfeit can easily harm patient confidence in the generic brand besides endangering lifes. As over 50% of the medicines purchased online are f ound to be counterfeit (WHO, 2010), monitoring of counterfeit drugs particularly those purchase from cyberspace has become a necessity for the pharmaceutical industry. Patient Data Protection Usage of online purchasing for medicines by patients on illegitimate sites has resulted in the risk of private and personal health information being disclosed publicly to unscrupulous operators (Berstein, 1999). The issue of spamming has become a major concern for most internet users as likewise for the sick and vulnerable patients that choose to source cheaper medication which in this case, is the generic drugs available. Private health and financial information (i.e. credit card numbers) can be compromised to criminals that puts the pharmaceutical companies with bad publicity should anything occurs. New Products and Research Development (RD) Expenditure Increasingly, the RD spending by the pharmaceutical industry has been on a decline forcing leading drug manufacturers to rely on existing lines of drugs for revenue generation (Kollewe, 2010). Based on a report by CMR International disclosed in The Guardian newspaper, the level of RD spending had slipped by 0.3% in 2009 following a 6.6% drop in 2008, marking an increasingly difficult period as leading pharmaceutical companies shows only 7% of sales originating from new drug launched in the past 5 years. A decline in the success rates for new drugs to be introduced into the market is a major factor as the industry faces a patent cliff  [3]   for which generic manufacturers will increasingly benefit. In recognition of this, pharmaceutical groups have embarked on MA routes with smaller firms, joint development with academic institutions / commercial competitors for new drugs while reducing costs incurring activity. Introduction of blockbuster drugs such as Pfizers Lipitor has been s tagnant with generic drug makers from India and China crowding the pharmaceutical scene making it tougher to incur healthy margins that finances RD expenditures for future drugs. Preventive Healthcare As stated in an interview with Ms Angela Farrell (2010), preventive healthcare would a normal trend as medical cost continues to increase. As with having more elderly people in the population anywhere now in the EU at present, the prevalence of chronic and serious medical conditions remains on the rise. It is therefore no surprise that this becomes an area for further focus by the state government that seeks to control its existing healthcare budget (Hewitt Associates, 2010). Unlike the US healthcare system, EU states adopts a universal provision of heath care with at least, the basic terms of heath care, provided free to its citizens (Przywara, 2010). Therefore the WHO has pointed out that if not successfully prevented and managed, they will become the most expensive problems faced by our health care systems (WHO, 2010). Because several diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases are linked by common preventable risk factors, healthca re authorities around the world (including EU) has found it more cost-effective to put preventive practices into action rather than continue with responsive-oriented healthcare. Other than providing information, education, programmes and support to those in risk-groups and the general population, Ms Angela has provided us several useful insights into the other developments in this segment. Genomics testing Since the discovery of DNA and the associated study of it, this has been marked as one of the major breakthroughs in genetic testing (Amgen Scholars, 2009). Utilising technological advances over the years, genomics testing allows for a more-accurate diagnosis of genetic diseases and therefore facilitates early treatment at an earlier stage. It also provides patients with both an understanding of possible risks for certain diseases and possible preventive measures long before the diseases even forms within a humans body. Genomics testing in Europe however, suffers from a lack of widespread acceptance as compared to the US (Ramanathan, 2008) owing to the protection laws governing the genetic data obtained from such test. The processing of genetic data in Europe has been subjected to stronger protection as provided in the in the Directive 95/46/EC and the national laws of the EU member states implementing it (Ramanathan, 2008). However, as EU residents healthcare cost mounts, the develo pment of an integrated knowledge base combining the insights of sciences, humanities and social sciences will be required to inform policy and to plan for the rational implementation of new healthcare services. EU health communities has recognised the benefits of genomics testing for healthcare prevention with the need for a strong integrated, interdisciplinary European links to manage the sheer volume and complexity of this emerging genomic knowledge, and the speed of technological development (EUPHA, 2010). The EU themselves has viewed genomics in a more positive manner as seen in one of its main theme for the Sixth Framework Programme (that funds research work on genomic studies on diseases) to exploit this knowledge to human health besides economy growth benefit (CORDIS, 2009). Genomics testing will continue to grow as more benefits are uncovered from researchers in the EU with long term plans by the EC being provided towards nurturing such growth. There are multiple benefits for both pharmaceutical and generic makers as pointed out by Philips et al (2004). According to the research carried out, genomics is likely to provide a multitude of new drug targets, enable the development of drugs that avoid problematic genetic variants in drug-metabolizing enzymes, and increase the development of preventive interventions for patients identified as being at higher risk for future disease (Philips et al, 2004, p.428). Interviewee, Ms Angela has pointed out the interest of many in the medical field to create a more targeted form of treatment. Genomics allows this as it allow drug therapies with greater efficiency and safety, which of course leads to higher price due to the added value it brings to patients. Genetic profiling in patients enrolled during the early testing phase for drugs will allow for shorter testing time that can increased approval chances with the health authorities. Drugs that previously were unsuccessful can be re-exam ined by targeting them to patients with specific genetic profiles i.e. niche drugs. Generic drug makers will eventually benefit as such avenues open wider markets for patients upon expiry of patents or if possible, spurn development of niche drugs rather than reliance on original drug makers. Drug delivery system An area that has become increasingly popular within the pharmaceutical industry based on interviews with Ms Angela and Mr. Gregor. It is reported that at present, failure of drugs clinical trial are mainly through the failure to deliver the compounds to the area it is needed most without going through some interaction with the human body along the way (Cientifica,2007). It is therefore considered a very valuable and important development for any technology that enables direct delivery of drug compounds without triggering any or no side-effects on the patients. One of the EU market focus is currently on the nanotechnology-enabled drug delivery system for patients. While there are delivery system using laser, injection, spray being practiced, nano particles are receiving particular attention owing to more development going on in this field. Drug development is a very costly affair for patent holders especially with the decline of new drugs being uncovered each year. Many new scale biot ech companies have become acquisition targets owing to keen interest towards this subject. The future of nanotechnology is in a completely uncharted territory. It is almost impossible to predict everything that nanoscience will bring to the world considering that this is such a young science field today (Nanogloss, 2009). The field however is viewed as a revolutionary advancement but potentially controversial with its ability to bring materials to life. Religious and ethical issues aside, scientist are hoping that the further understanding of this technology would contribute towards improving population heathcare globally in future. If successful, pharmaceutical companies would view it as its next line of income as existing drug making expertise dry up. Biotechnology With 20% of new drugs launched from market each year derive from biotechnology (EFPIA, 2009), the biotechnology field has long been a promising development for the medical and healthcare purpose. Areas such as pharmacogenomics, nanotechnology, stem cells and gene therapy are becoming part a growing emphasis by medical professions. With a vision of improving design and production of drugs within a humans genetic makeup, this has become a new alternative for medicine as previous reliance on convention drugs (through use of chemical reactions) for treating illness have become scarce and increasingly difficult to produce. Using biomedicine, which create drugs based on the living molecules that are associated with specific genes and diseases, EU scientists under the JRC-EU  [4]  in 2007 has pointed out encouraging responds towards treatment of genetically inherited diseases such as hepatitis B, cancer and diabetes. JRC further pointed out the human medicine and heathcare are the most prominent field for modern biotechnology with a high share of publications and patents targeted towards this sector (2007). The direct and indirect elements of RD works for biotechnology would add towards EUs GVA  [5]  and improving state of heath for EU citizens as part of the context of the ECs objective of making the EU the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion (JRC-EU, 2007, p.5). Numerous researches suggest that biotechnology can offer patients more and better healthcare choices. The biomedical healthcare industry is viewed as the pharmaceutical industrys external RD centre and source of product innovation (EMCC, 2005). However, the strength of the biomedical healthcare industry differs widely between European countries. As of 2003, the UK is considered to have the most mature industry as compared to other EU states (EMCC, 2005) but this has narrowed as other EU states nurtures their own industry. This is due to availability of more resources (both human and capital) increases over the years. At this time, there has been a lack of attempts towards producing generic versions of the biotechnology drugs. Many of these drugs are very expensive because they are so difficult to produce owing to complex molecules involved (Montgomery, 2009). Furthermore, regulatory guidelines are still lacking on existing bio-medicines due to the different arrangement governing both the US and EU member states (Manley, 2006). However as expertise and experience continue to grow (especially with the campaign by EGAs biosimilar drugs), it would be a matter of time before biotechnology because part of the patient healthcare in the EU and the world. Incremental Disruptive technologies To practitioners in the drug industry, incremental (or sustainable) technologies will come in form of mostly new drugs for an existing class with similar action mechanism but differ in features such as, therapeutic profile, metabolism, adverse effects, dosing schedules, delivery systems, for example (GSK, 2008). Incremental technologies are this sense, is seen as innovation capacity, which is according to Wertheimer Santella, the lifeblood of the pharmaceutical industry (2009). The current issue surrounding this subject matter has largely pertained to criticism that the developments of me-too  [6]   drugs were time wasting and a drag of existing resources (RD, money etc) towards fleecing unsuspecting consumers (Wertheimer Santella, 2009) particularly as the patented drugs life is ending. Generic manufacturers in the US and Europe has been particularly vocal towards this practice as it alleges pharmaceutical companies uses this to extend patent lifespan through introduction of small changes that deprives generic manufacturers access to such drugs (and therefore an anti-competitive practice). It is therefore a contentious issue as both individual corporations such as GSK and its trade representative in EU, EFPIA contin ues to debate this publicly and with the European Commission. Other incremental technologies that serve to complement the medical drug industry arises from rapidly improving testing, diagnostic, and other technologies (Brill Robbins, 2005) which allows better and more targeted drugs in the heath care sector thus ensuring the continued relevance of conventional medical drugs in the market. Disruptive Technology here is both a worry for patented and generic manufacturers as witnessed by the continued interest in biotechnology as the new alternative in medical discovery. With the continued dearth in significant creation of blockbuster drugs from conventional pharmaceutical research, EU policy makers has continued to show further interest in biomedicine thru policy development initiatives such as funding (EFB, 2010). Pharmaceutical giants too, has gradually increased RD capacity in this field with many companies embarking on MA activities with existing biomedical companies (i.e. Pfizers acquisition of Wyeth) besides growing internal re