Motorola Failure

Motorola Mobility, the ailing cellphone maker that Google bought in May, told employees Sunday that it would lay off 20 percent of its work force and close a third of its 94 offices worldwide. The cuts are the first step in Google's plan to reinvent Motorola, which has fallen far behind its biggest competitors, Apple and Samsung, and to shore up its Android mobile business and expand beyond search and software into the manufacture of hardware. The turnaround effort will also be a referendum on the management of Larry Page, Google's chief executive, whose boldest move has been the $12. billion acquisition. Though Google bought Motorola partly because of its more than 17,000 patents, which can help defend against challenges to the Android operating system, it also planned to use Motorola to make its own, better smartphones and tablets. One-third of the 4,000 jobs lost will be in the United States. The company plans to leave unprofitable markets, stop making low-end devices and focus on a few cellphones instead of dozens, said Dennis Woodside, Motorola's new chief executive, in a rare interview. We're excited about the smartphone business,† said Mr. Woodside, who previously led Google's sales and operations for the Americas. â€Å"The Google business is built on a wired model, and as the world moves to a pretty much completely wireless model over time, it's really going to be important for Google to understand everything about the mobile consumer. † But some analysts wonder whether Google can succeed in the brutally competitive, low-margin cellphone business. Ninety percent of the profits in the smartphone space are going to Apple and Samsung, and everyone else from Motorola to RIM to LG to Nokia are picking up the scraps of that 10 percent,† said Charlie Kindel, a former manager at Microsoft who writes about the mobile industry. â€Å"There's no real sign that's changing anytime soon. † It was not always this way. Motorola executives lik e to talk about its glory days. The company, started in 1928 in Chicago, unveiled the first commercial cellphone in 1973.By 2004, it looked as if Motorola could again lead the cellphone industry when it introduced the popular Razr. But Apple and Samsung won consumers' hearts with the more exciting iPhone and Galaxy phones. Motorola Mobility – which split last year from Motorola Solutions, the division that makes devices like police radios – lost $233 million in its first six weeks under Google. The phone business has been unprofitable for 14 of the last 16 quarters. â€Å"It got left in the dust by the competition and kind of missed the smartphone transition,† said Charles S. Golvin, a mobile analyst at Forrester Research.In addition to the coming cuts, Google has gutted Motorola management, letting go 40 percent of its vice presidents. It also hired new senior executives. It will shrink operations in Asia and India, and center research and development in Chicag o, Sunnyvale and Beijing. Mr. Woodside also plans to cut the number of devices Motorola makes from the 27 it introduced last year to just a few. He wants to make the company's products cool again by loading them with things like sensors that recognize who is in a room based on their voices, cameras that take crisper photos and batteries that last for days.Many of these new ideas will come from a group of just a few dozen people within the company that has the unassuming name of Advanced Technology and Projects. To foster innovation, Google created the group to drop a Silicon Valley-style start-up into a lumbering Midwestern company and recruited Regina Dugan from the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or Darpa, to run it. Ms. Dugan, though coming from Washington, already speaks the language of Silicon Valley. â€Å"It's a small, lean and agile group that is unafraid of failure,† she said, and it will â€Å"celebrate impatience. She is hiring metal scientis ts, acoustics engineers and artificial intelligence experts. They will work for her for only two years so they feel a sense of urgency, she said, an idea she borrowed from Darpa, where people wear their resignation date on their name tags. Motorola has been spending too much money on too many different cellphone components, said Mark Randall, whom Google recruited to run Motorola's supply chain from Amazon. com, where he did that for the Kindle. He said he planned to jettison suppliers and buy 50 percent fewer components.How to get people excited about Motorola phones when shiny iPhones are on the next shelf? Gary Briggs, who ran consumer marketing at Google and now does so at Motorola, is working on advertisements that he said would be more like Google's – simple and emotional. They will focus on Motorola's storied past and the ways the products are better than the competition's, like battery life. â€Å"We have a right to compete in this market,† Mr. Briggs said, â⠂¬Å"and I think we've got to prove why we're going to build and bring devices to people that are worth talking about again. † Competitors like Sony, LG and HTC will be watching losely to see how the Motorola-Google relationship develops, especially whether Motorola receives special treatment from Google. Like Motorola, they use the Android mobile operating system, for which Google receives no payment. â€Å"They certainly don't believe Google's going to keep a Chinese wall in place,† Mr. Kindel, the former Microsoft manager, said of the other cellphone makers. â€Å"The reality is people work together, they can pick up the phones and talk. There is going to be an advantage. † There is, for instance, a program for Google software engineers to work at Motorola for a year or two. But Mr.Woodside said Google benefited from many manufacturers' using Android, and repeated Google's promise that Motorola would have no advantages. He said Motorola would also compete equal ly with others to build Google-branded Nexus devices, which Google makes with a hardware partner when it introduces new versions of Android. A Motorola Mobility executive who recently left the company and would speak only on the condition of anonymity because he was uncomfortable talking to the news media, said that if anything, it had become more difficult than before for Motorola to have impromptu collaboration with the Android team.But still, because of the relationship, Motorola could get priority on Google products, like a mobile version of desktop software. And, people familiar with the companies say, Google could decide to follow Apple's lead and build a phone from silicon to software, perhaps by creating a separate operating system for Motorola that other phone makers cannot use. Google and Motorola seem to have a mutually beneficial marriage of hardware and software, Mr. Golvin said.Motorola needs software smarts and Google, which has struggled with Chrome laptops, Google T V and most recently the Nexus Q, needs help with hardware. Motorola's set-top boxes, which it sells to cable operators, could also help Google make the leap to TV screens, if it does not sell that business. In the meantime, Motorola's cellphone expertise has already been useful. Sergey Brin, Google's co-founder, called to see whether the sky divers he had hired to perform at a recent conference could get cell reception a mile in the sky.

McJobs Are Bad for Kids Essay

I thought Amitai Etzioni’s article: The Fast-Food Factories: McJobs are Bad for Kids,† was both accurate and convincing. His assertion that fast food jobs, â€Å"impart few skills useful in later life,† and â€Å"skew the values of teenagers,† is correct. At first blush, these jobs seem idea for teaching young people responsibility and self-discipline. But, when examining issues the author mentions as negatives such as; hours worked, appropriate supervision, job training, opportunity for advancement, responsible behaviors, and affects on academics; fast food employment does appear to have a negative effect on teens. The number of hours worked usually equate to how much money you make. If hours worked is not tempered with other responsibilities, such as school activities and adequate rest, teenagers will suffer the negative effects. Teenagers working in fast food establishments often have hour’s restrictions of 40 hours per week. Because many fast food establishments are open late, and require cleanup and tally-up after hours, many teens can work very long shifts. It was not surprising to learn that teens working a thirty-hour week may do so in two to three days. The author references an informal high school yearbook survey wherein seniors acknowledged that their jobs interfered with their school work; a definite negative trade-off. As in any business, fast food establishments must have appropriate management of the processes to maintain consistency of the product and enforce safety practices. In many fast food establishments to be a supervisor you must be an adult, defined as eighteen years of age, and complete supervisory courses provided by the employer. Though teenagers were not officially supervisors, in some establishments, supervisory duties are many times assigned to and accomplished by them. And, sometimes, as the author states, there is not an adult on the premises. Each of the fast food establishments requires training, to some degree. Because many of the tasks are simple and repetitive, the vast majority of this training given is informal and on the job. This training can last from a few minutes to a few days. Additionally, the trainers, many times, are other teens. Further, the future benefit of the skills learned in these simple and repetitive tasks is questionable. Advancement in many fast food establishments does not exist or is very limited. Advancement usually means assignment to other work stations within the restaurant and little or no advance in pay or technical expertise. Designated career paths, leading to management positions are not the norm and were not available to the teens interviewed for this paper. Many people think that teens that work will benefit from learning to be responsible. They also think they will develop a strong work ethic which will benefit them throughout their working life. In actuality the benefits of responsible behavior and ethical work habit are seldom acquired. Punctuality though is considered important. Those teens that are chronically late are disciplined or dismissed. Responsibility seems to be limited to punctuality. Staying on task and using time wisely is not important to teens in the fast food industry. Employee theft is also very problematic. Money is sometimes stolen but the majority of theft involves teens stealing food for themselves and friends. Poor supervision, or no supervision, allows this unethical behavior to develop and become an established norm. Academics are not addressed so consequently are not important in the fast food industry. Long and/or late work hours that may interfere with schoolwork are not considered. Programs that monitor grades to ascertain if work is interfering with education were not found. Some teens say â€Å"they don’t care if you have homework, graduate or want to pursue further education† (According to Max Greenwood). Additionally, many teens working in fast food are high school dropouts. This further establishes the environment that doesn’t support doing your best, seeking advancement, and furthering your education. Prior to reading this article and doing research, I didn’t agree with Etzioni, that teenagers’ working fast food is bad. To validate Etzioni’s claims, I interviewed individuals who worked fast food as teens. These individuals reaffirmed that working fast food did not provide appropriate supervision, worked long hours, received little training, didn’t have appropriate supervision, and it affected academics negatively. Etzioni, Amitai. â€Å"Chapter 6: Arguing A Position.† The St. Martin’s Guide to Writing 9th Ed Short Edition I-cite. N.p.: Bedford/st Martins, 2010. 280-83. Print.

Macro

International trade is an economic phenomenon is a strategy that has taken the experiences of many countries in the world.   Between joining and not joining globalization that promotes international trade few will disagree that joining is the better option. This paper seeks to analyze and discuss the manner that greater international trade benefit or hurt the US economy, by identifying likely sectors which will benefit or suffer from expanded international trade, the good or bad reasons for expanding the NAFTA to into the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and finally to make a conclusion in sum, whether   expanded international trade is really to be a good or a bad thing for the United States. In so discussing the to topics, the paper incorporates in detail, five of the concepts from Economic Concepts section. Analysis and Discussion: Expanded international trade aims to promote free trade among nations. For the USA, having the NAFTA and CAFTA as just examples of more definite agreement between or among nations to promoted the trade between or among them.   The WTO is actually a bigger organization that promotes the same purpose. The seeming aim therefore of free trade agreements and America under the NAFTA and CAFTA may have other reasons that US has in mind but for the purpose of this paper, the economic benefits for the US as simply undeniable. The greater international trade and the US economy: Greater international benefit rather than hurt will go to the United States because the United States could produce more than it consumes.   It is being net producer should have been reflected in its trade balance which should have reflected a Surplus Trade Balance but over the years the United the states have always bee in trade deficit†¦ What makes in interesting for America is that despite the trade deficits over the years since it has imported more than it has exported, its gross domestic products over the years have still been increasing over the years. Viewed from the whether its people have benefited from the high GDP over the years, it could be argued that whether the trade balance is surplus or deficit, it is favorable to the United States. As how does this happen, could still be explained   the fact that many countries make investment in US dollars in term of US stocks and bonds and even in currency.   This reaction of countries seems to put the US almost always in a better position. The net effect for the US despite the trade deficit is the gains from as translated in terms of better foreign exchange as against other countries. Again on this angle, although strong dollar as against other foreign currencies would have made US in a better position, devaluating the same could still result to the US still winning the net effect of things. On this note, Samuelson (2004) said that a sliding dollar would have three possibilities:   The first one is that the United States wins and no one else loses if a falling dollar incites the â€Å"U.S. economy by increasing exports and restraining imports.† This will have the effect of Surplus industrial capacity which will keep the inflation low. Samuelson however believes that under this scenario, Europe and Japan don't suffer much, because the ongoing global economic recovery gathers strength and cushions export losses The second possibility is for the second, the United States and China to win while Europe and Japan lose. This happens because China keeps its currency, the renminbi, fixed to the dollar, and that it also gains competitive advantage when the dollar drops. This is further supported by the fact that China stabilizes the renminbi by investing surplus dollars in U.S. Treasury securities rather than selling them for local currency.). This however will depress exports of Europe and Japan and destroys their economic recovery and then protectionism rises.   The third although possible to happen be remote to happen that is the dollar â€Å"crashes† and that everyone loses. This happens when foreign investors dispose of their U.S. stocks and bonds, as values weaken in terms of their currencies which will trigger massive selling (Samuelson. 2004) As to how the US does it depends on it monetary policy. The US government through the Federal Reserve Bank can influence the foreign exchange market in the world because of the bigness. Using the power of the Reserve Bank, it can increase interest rates hence attracting many holders of other currencies to buy the US dollar and this will again put the value of the US the dollar stronger despite fact that the US has have may trade deficits in terms of more imports as against its exports. The sectors that will get affected by expanded international trade: There are sectors that benefit and some which will suffer from the expanded international trade. To prove such effects, it is was reported that thousands of US jobs were lost due to NAFTA. Scott and Ratner (2005) blamed the rise in the U.S. trade deficit with Canada and Mexico through 2004 for the lost of more than a million since NAFTA was signed in 1993. Jobs displacement occurred in every state and major industry in the United States and that more than half those lost jobs were in manufacturing industries.† The US may have lost in terms of jobs but it may have won in terms of more investments made in the US and in terms of cheaper goods that have entered and the US where its citizens benefited. Expanding the NAFTA to into the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA): The issue of whether I would be in favor of expanding the NAFTA into the CAFTA appears to depend on what is the purpose of this organization.   The main issue is whether free trade is better for America.   Again on the basis that America produced more than it consumers it is always better to for America to expand NAFTA to CAFTA. Zoellick (2005) said that if CAFTA is voted down, the region's poor in Central will not improve their lot but instead, a door to upward mobility will be slammed shut. The US is doing not only free on economic reasons but also for political reasons since it believes that by generating employment it lessens problems to society. In sum, expanded international trade is a good for the United States: Boyes, et. al (2003)   said that the US need to be the leader in strengthening the world trading system to promote freer, fairer trade and consequent efficiency gains. Most urgent is for the U.S. to improve its diplomacy within the Doha Round of the ongoing World Trade Organization talks. They even recommended that the U.S. should make concessions to developing countries in agriculture and in intellectual property relief for critical medicines so as to successfully extend and improve the more important multilateral system under a free trade. By so adopting and other public policy actions, Boyes, et. al (2003) believes that US will maintain its long-term strength in its economy.   By so adopting freer trade as a rule for the US, it necessary has to turn its back against protectionism and this is the antidote to freer trade.   Boyes, et. al (2003)   explained that â€Å"protectionism and isolationism aim to maintain advantage in particular industries and professions, but other nations can and have emulated and bested the U.S. in selected and targeted areas, and they will continue to do so.† They also believe that â€Å"the strength of the U.S. is not to found in isolation from globalization. The nation's strengths are instead its ability to adapt to change, its ability to attract foreign capital, and its ability to attract the best and brightest from across the globe.† Conclusion: We have found that the US will benefit more from greater international trade than not joining than not joining. The simple of joining international trade is the fact that it produces more than it consumes.   There is however some sectors that will likely benefit and some which will suffer from expanded international trade because it could not be that America monopolizes all the knowledge in the world.   As it opens its economy, there are industry sectors where America is not good at but it employs so many people. When we say, America is not good at certain industries, we are saying that America is simply not efficient economically that other nations are simply better than it that America could acquire it at a lower cost, hence it should leave America to source the industry outside and instead concentrate on industry where it is good or in industries where is has potential for growth. The industries that it is good are on agriculture while an industry where it is not good at is on services of some professional like those of nurses. Since free trade is better to America as a rule, expanding the NAFTA to into the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) must be deemed to be a better option. In sum, I believed that expanded international trade is to be a good thing for America. Protectionism is no place in America. Its democratic government would be inconsistent to adopt the same since democracy means freedom and freedom means freedom not only to vote in elections but also freedom to excel where its people have the capacity. The US is very reach to lose many things in free trade if one would look at it. Hence it is difficult to see why other developing nations like those in Central America would fail to see the benefits of free trade. References: Boyes, et. al. (2003) Lessons From the Past: History Says the Future of U.S. Industrial Competitiveness Is Brighter Than We Think, {www} document URL, http://www.ernestmorgan.com/macro/essay3/boyes120103.html, Accessed June, 2007 Samuelson, R. (2004) A Global Glut of Greenbacks, Newsweek January 5, 2004,   {www} document URL, http://www.ernestmorgan.com/macro/essay3/samuelson010504.html, Accessed June, 2007 Scott and Ratner (2005) Issue Brief #214, NAFTA's cautionary tale Recent history suggests CAFTA could lead to further U.S. job displacement, , {www} document URL http://www.epinet.org/content.cfm/ib214, Accessed June, 2007 Zoellick, R.   (2005), CAFTA Is a Win-Win, The Washington Post,   , {www} document URL http://www.ernestmorgan.com/macro/essay3/zoellick052405.html, Accessed June, 2007      

Business Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Psychology - Essay Example It is imperative that one recognizes his need to get professional aid; only after such recognition can he truly accept his own condition, whereas a resolution to the problem might immediately be made. The approach of the consultant can greatly affect the connection between the patient and the doctor. Trust, as well as high opinion toward the counselor must be immediately established---and maintained. It can be concluded that the relationship lies on the hands of the expertise of the specialist. Psychologists are specialists in human behaviour, development and functioning. They have expertise in conducting research and applying research findings in order to reduce distress, address behaviour and psychological problems, and to promote mental health and rational behaviour in individuals and groups. In the provision of mental health services (either public or private) psychologists vary in terms of the services they provide, their level and type of postgraduate training, and also their degree of clinical experience and/or specialisation. Becoming a registered psychologist requires 4 years undergraduate study, followed by either 2 years of supervised experience with a registered psychologist or completion of a postgraduate clinical masters or doctoral degree in clinical psychology. Clinical psychologists (i.e. those who have completed the postgraduate clinical qualifications) also have to spend some time working under the supervision of another clinical psychologist. In order to practice, all psychologists must be registered with the Psychologist Registration Board in their state or territory. Furthermore, the Australian Psychological Society (APS) is the national professional body for psychologists. Membership of this society ensures a high level of professional and educational competency. The APS also provides a

Business Ethics in the Business World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Business Ethics in the Business World - Essay Example However, the aim of business ethics is to encourage the business leaders to strive to achieve ethical perfection and to not be put off by the fact that ethics could not be always 100% applied in every area and decision-making process. This essay aims at scrutinizing the role played by business ethics and illuminating multiple ways by which it works to enhance a business’s functionality. Essay Acknowledging the importance of ethical standards in the business world is highly important because ethics form the foundation of all successful and reputable businesses around the globe. Any business lacking ethical principles is bound to crash sooner or later. It is critically important that business organizations take maximum advantage of this ideology. The role of ethics in every way of life is indisputable which is why discussing it also remains highly important in the context of business. General consensus is that even businesses started with a prodigious sum of investment could dra stically fail if decisions are made without paying considerable attention to the role of ethics. Therefore, it is crucially important to acknowledge the role of ethics while designing business strategies, managing workforce, and satisfying customers because it is the ethical principles which primarily direct businesses in the right direction and illuminate which elements need to be curbed in order to avoid failure. Most of the business practices and changes fail to be incorporated seriously because the responsible people do not know much about the ethical rules which should be followed as a way of ensuring foolproof implementation. This essay is primarily based on contemplating the nature of role played by ethics in the business world in addition to evaluating the extent to which it regulates the solidarity and strength of a business. (Texans Credit Union, n.d.) The above figure demonstrates different components of Texan's Credit Union's business ethics strategy which promotes one u nified message: "Do the right thing" (Texans Credit Union, n.d.). Texans's Credit Unions is a successful company based in Texas and it is easy to appreciate from the above figure that business ethics promote shared values, organizational commitment, motivation, good conduct, positive leadership and operating practices, communication hotline, and vision in an organization. It also helps in eliminating the excessive use of power by the employers because it makes them realize that employees form one of the most important stakeholders for the business who invest long hours of gruel work to manage the consequences of every decision and policy. In the absence of ethics, businesses are readily exposed to both internal and external chaos. The leaders who reject the notion of ethics prefer to lead employees with force and violence and often act as tyrants depending on the use of intimidation and threats. Such a negative attitude rips the talented workforce off of motivation, dedication, and work commitment and business ethics work to just reverse this condition. Much research has been done to evaluate the nature of influence exerted by authoritativeness on ethics and it is revealed that negative leading styles tend to kill the function of ethics in every business area. Unhealthy use of power in a business settlement not based on ethics leads to corrupting the workforce most

Business Skills & Employability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Skills & Employability - Essay Example In order to understand the reason behind the huge inflow of FDI in China, the areas of economic reforms need to be studied in context to China, the policies framed by the government in relation to the foreign direct investments in China. The favorability of the investment climate of China in the eyes of the foreign investors need to be studied by considering the several factors that affect the inflow of foreign direct investments in the country. The analysis of the quality of infrastructure available in China for the foreign direct investments, the availability of the manpower resources in China, the regulatory framework and the laws in various sectors for foreign investment are important to understand the reasons why China has been able to attract huge inflow of foreign direct investments over the last three decades. Discussion The reasons behind China’s ability to attract huge foreign direct investments in the country over the last 30 years have been discussed as follows. Th e alternative investment patterns that have emerged in order to challenge rapid growth rate of foreign direct investments have also been included as part of the discussion. ... ina’s ability to attract huge foreign direct investments in the country are the availability of favorable infrastructure for the foreign investors, the high potential of the manpower resources and the total factor productivity of China, the policies of the government in framing favorable laws and regulations for the foreign investors and the performance requirements of the foreign investors. A picture of the growth of foreign direct investments in China has been represented below in Table 1. Table 1: FDI Inflows ($US) in China from 1983 to 2012 The above data have been plotted in graphical form as represented in Figure 1 as shown below (The World Bank, 2013, p.1). Figure 1: Increasing Trend of FDI Inflow ($US) in China from 1983-2012 The policies framed by the government in China have been established in such a way over the last three decades that the regulatory framework has been viewed favorably by the foreign investors in China. The government has set up separate laws by cl assifying the foreign investors into categories like wholly owned foreign enterprises, joint venture of the foreign enterprises and the Chinese entities and Sino-foreign co-operatives. The People Republic of China maintained a Guiding Directory for the investors who are looking for foreign investments in China. The policies framed by the government offer provisions for incentives in case of foreign investments in the special economic zones as designated by the People’s Republic of China. Although in the initial stages, the People’s Republic of China had imposed performance requirements for the foreign investors, the policies on foreign direct investments were instituted with an object to provide preferential treatments to the foreign investors who invested in the economy of China. The

What makes a good hypnotic suggestion and what other factors have an Essay

What makes a good hypnotic suggestion and what other factors have an effect on the success of therapy - Essay Example In the movies, people have seen individuals receive what is called "post hypnotic suggestion" where they have been told to do a variety of things. Sometimes these things are silly but in movies, they often use this suggestion to have the individual do something against their will. This is not what clinical hypnosis is about and its not what it does. In the clinical setting, an individual and their need for healing becomes central to the work in therapy. Because many people have seen stage hypnosis, they have developed attitudes or beliefs that may hinder their use of clinical hypnosis. In a study by Barling and DeLucchi, it was found that those people who have experienced hypnosis in the clinical setting had more knowledge and more positive beliefs about hypnosis than those who had seen it on the stage (Barling and DeLucchi 36). These authors also say that because people go into clinical hypnosis with pre-conceived ideas, it is very important for these to be explored: When a person thinks about using hypnosis, it is important to schedule a free consultation. During the consultation they can get questions answered and often satisfy their curiosity. Usually, a short session may be used so an individual can experience a little of the sensation that happens with hypnosis. The hypnotherapist will ask questions about the individuals life and their current situation. These questions will help the hypnotherapist assess the individuals need. It is also important during the initial consultation to go over goals and tools that the individual has used prior to coming to the current therapist. Often, the individual will receive ideas for skills to practice before the next session (Holistic Health Partnering). Hypnosis is a state of altered consciousness in which an individual is relaxed enough to allow the subconscious mind to come forward. Individuals must be willing to allow themselves to be hypnotized, allowing the hypnotherapist to induce the process. This process

Reflexive managers are required for contemporary organizations Essay

Reflexive managers are required for contemporary organizations. Discuss using examples - Essay Example Consequently, it can be affirmed that without proper strategies, companies will not able to gain a sustainable position in the market. In this regard, it is important that companies devise their objectives and strategies parallel to one another in an effective and efficient manner further enhancing the prospect for gaining utmost level of success. However, it will also be important to mention that proper execution of the strategies is also deemed to be quite vital in order to attain the benefits for the overall business. Contextually, the role of managers or management comes into being. Managers provide the ultimate guidance to the entire business from which it can move to the positive direction and yield beneficial results for the entire business. However, executing the plans of the business needs proper support from the various resources of the corporation which primarily include the human resources as well. Proper guidance to the human resources requires appropriate and innovative style of leadership from the managers (Nieuwenhuizen, 2007). Contextually, it is believed that reflexive style of leadership is quite vital as it is effective and efficient in the domain of influencing employees towards their work. In order to get a proper understanding in in this regard, the paper will provide a thorough discussion regarding whether reflexive managers are required in the contemporary organisations with the assistance of examples. Notably, the scenario of business activities has altered by a considerable extent in recent years owing to which companies have the need to develop diverse range of strategies so that they could be able to gain utmost level of efficacy and competitiveness in their operations. However, it is important to execute the plans of the business effectively in order to ensure maximum benefits from the strategies devised by the business. Contextually, the role of human resources of the business becomes quite significant

Closing the Gap Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Closing the Gap - Article Example The management process entails the channel that duties, orders and chores pass from the highest individual in the company’s hierarchy to the junior staff in the organization (Saxena, 2009). According to economists, good management skills and ethics complete the production cycle. However, this only happens if there is an excellent open door communication channel between the superiors, seniors and juniors. Most of the successful giant businesses corporate have acquired their large market shares through formulation and implementation of competitive management strategies. According to the article, ‘good communication’ is a vital factor ensuring the success of a business. Communication is employed through vertical and horizontal communication. Channels of communication have played a big role in the formulation of strategic decisions. For a firm to implement its strategies there should be effective and efficient relay of information from the managers to the subordinate staff. Management should achieve this through suggestion boxes, memos and the open door communication. Teamwork is a very important principle of management that starts from leadership skills. It ensures division of labor that helps in inventory and bookkeeping. They help in the follow up of business transaction which in turn helps ensures the success of the business. Organization score also influences a business’ success. ... Critique According to most economists, employment of principles of management leads the achievement of the set firm’s goals and objectives (Saxena, 2009). However, critics have come up with their theories explains reasons as to why firms fail irrespective of the implementation of the principles of management. These critic theories include the following: According to the article, communication strategy is the most important strategy to the success of a business. However, communication is not always the answer. While done at some inappropriate levels, it may lead to the business failure. For example, when a manager relays critical information to the worker, if they are not specialized in their departments, the messages may be interpreted in the wrong manner. Language barriers may also pose a threat to the communication process. The junior staff may fall prey to altered or faulty information due to the hierarchy of bureaucracy in the organization. Firms need to employ competent a nd professional workers who will help in the communication, implementation and performance of the business. Teamwork is also a principle of management but due to various factors brought up by critics, it poses a threat to the business. This evident where bad leadership and management skills are present in a business’ operations. The senior leaders should set examples to their junior staff by being key team players and not joy riders whose main objective is to command and get a monthly pay. Greedy seniors who become traitors by providing competitors with sensitive information have been a threat to the success of most international firms. Remarkably, team involves both internal and external emotions of the employees. Differentiation in most business entities

QWE Case Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

QWE Case - Assignment Example A program should be developed to dispose of the products without them affecting animals due to the plants that absorb them and are fodder for animals. The study used the strategy of putting forth questions to the respective samples and analyzing the answers to draw conclusions on the various PPCPs (Boxal, 2012). The use of critical questions was crucial in getting main points, and the study came up with a list of the final questions. The criteria for choosing the questions involved the focus on relative risk, antibiotic resistance, effects characterization among many others. The key question strategy was used to determine the potential harmful effects of PPCPs on the environment and humans especially their detection and they are spread throughout the environment. The approach used was the key question approach. The criteria of coming up with the twenty questions were crucial and used prioritization among other factors. Since the PPCPs have extensive use throughout the world, the questions would not be hard to formulate. The questions on the PPCPs took into consideration various areas in the environment and effects of the chemicals contained in them to the environment and the animals. The questions were of either low rank or high status. The high-rank questions for the study were twenty in total. Almost everyone has knowledge on the PPCPs. The spread of the PPCPS is quite significant since most of the PPCPS elements are present in sewage, ground and surface water. The questions were ranked according to the various stressors on the environment, humans, and animals. All questions were necessary, and the top ranked questions drew a lot from the other lower ranked issues. The questions covered detection, effects and exposure of PPCPs in the envir onment. Stanford et al., (2010) notes that the focus on pharmaceuticals and hormones does not have the needed

Analysis of Paediatric Gastroenteritis Case Study

Analysis of Paediatric Gastroenteritis - Case Study Example   It shall consider the case of Kane, who is a young boy presenting to the emergency department with his parents. Upon admission, the records establish that Kane is a four-year-old male child who has been suffering for 24 hours (prior to consultation) from diarrhea and vomiting. He is also: pale with peripheral warmth; with RR of 30/min (without wheezing on auscultation); HR of 140/min at rest; temperature of 39.4 degrees Celsius; with the dry tongue; tearfulness; lethargy; and with weight at 15.4 kg. He has mild intermittent asthma managed with salbutamol. Parents express that the child has been vomiting sporadically, is not able to keep fluids down, and refuses to drink. He also has had four episodes of watery offensive stool in the last 12 hours PTC. The physician diagnosed the child with possible gastroenteritis, and the plan of care was to try fluids orally if tolerated and if not, to consider IV cannula. The child was admitted to the children’s ward and scheduled for r eassessment after 12 hours. This study shall now consider two clinical guidelines related to pediatric gastroenteritis. ... Australian sources were excluded in the search. Literature which matched the current case was reviewed and the specific journal was chosen based on relevance, reliability, and validity. Immediate Priorities for Kane’s care: To assess and manage the patient’s level of dehydration To reduce or totally end his diarrhoea and vomiting Plan and intervention for patient’s care Assessment and management of patient’s level of dehydration Based on the NSW Clinical Guidelines, the assessment of patient’s level of dehydration is based on three levels: mild, moderate, and severe. The care of the dehydrated patient subsequently follows based on the level of dehydration. Based on the patient’s symptoms, Kane is moderately dehydrated based on his following symptoms: elevated heart rate, elevated breath rate, pallor, dry mucous membrane, and lethargy (NSW Health, 2010, p. 7). These are all symptoms which signal moderate dehydration. The replacement fluid rate shall, therefore, be nasogastric therapy: one Oral Rehydration Solution (Gastrolyte); or it may be intravenous through (rapid or standard speed). The IV shall be 0.9% NaCl + 2.5% Glucose or 0.9% NaCl + 2.5% Glucose or 0.45% NaCl + 2.5% Glucose (NSW Health, 2010, p. 7). The Canadian Clinical Guidelines presented with slightly different details. Firstly, the child is also moderately dehydrated under these guidelines as assessed from the child’s exhibited symptoms, including dry mucous membrane, elevated heart rate, and lethargy (Gysler, 2011, p. 3).  Ã‚  

Evaluation of Some Energy Drinks Essay Example for Free

Evaluation of Some Energy Drinks Essay Abstract Energy drinks are beverages which contain chemical constituents that are said to improve physical and mental performance. Most of them primarily contain varying amounts of caffeine, guarana, ginseng and taurine. This study aims to provide a critical review regarding the adverse effects of excessive daily intake of energy drinks. Five commercially available energy drinks were used as the subject of the study. The average consumption of a certain component was compared to the serving size included in each product. It was found out that the consumption of the ingredients more than the recommended amounts per day may cause physiological side effects. There is no medical use for energy drinks, however several ingredients in some of these drinks have been found to be helpful in the medical perspective. Keyword(s): energy drinks 1. Introduction In the past decades, the beverage industry paved the way to the rise of caffeinated energy drinks in the market. Back in early 1960s, it first appeared in Europe and Asia in response to the consumers’ demand for a dietary supplement that would result in increased energy (Reissig et al., 2009). Basically, energy drinks refer to beverages that contain mainly caffeine, alongside other active constituents which includes varying amounts of guarana extract, taurine, vitamins, amino acids and herbal extracts. These purportedly provide benefits such as increased mental alertness, physical endurance, performance and stamina (Simon and Mosher, 2007; Babu et al. , 2008). Conversely, there is inadequate evidence that consumption of energy drinks can significantly improve both physical and mental performance (Scholey and Kennedy, 2004). The wide availability and distribution of energy drinks makes them readily accessible for purchase by adolescents. Market surveys indicate that 31% of those aged 12 to 17 are regular consumers of energy drinks, as are 34% of aged 18 to 24 (Simon and Mosher, 2007). Concerns have been raised regarding the effects of the ingredients present in energy drinks on children and adolescents. This study was conducted due to the core objective of making the public aware of the adverse effects of energy drinks, especially to children. Adverse reactions and toxicity from high-energy drinks mainly root from their caffeine content (Reissig et al. , 2009). The fatal dose of pure caffeine in adults is 5 to 10 grams when taken orally and 3. 5 grams by injection. In children, the fatal dose is much lower (Health Canada, 2000). Children who consume too much caffeine are at higher risk for behavioral effects, such as anxiety, mood changes and loss of attentiveness. A daily intake of less than 45 to 85 mg is recommended, depending on the child’s health condition (Health Canada, 2003). Based on a survey, it was found out that 42. 3% of the youth (ages 11 to 18) consumes energy drinks (O’Dea, 2003). At risk children having excessive daily intake of caffeine should be limited to no more than 2. 5 mg caffeine/kg body weight, and may need to avoid consuming energy beverages with higher caffeine content. Adolescents should limit caffeine consumption as well as intakes greater than 100 mg/day for reports says that it has been directly correlated with an increase in blood pressure (Savoca et al. , 2004). 2. Materials and Methods 2. 1 Research Design The research is focused on the components of energy drinks where five products were sampled namely Product A, B, C, D, and E. The researchers acquired a sample of each product. 2. 2 Sampling and Acquisition of Samples Products A, B, C, D, and E were randomly sampled. Fish bowl sampling was used where the names of these products were written on a piece of paper. Out of 7, 5 products of energy drink were picked from a bowl. Slovin’s formula was used and the margin of error was set to 20%. One out of seven is the probability of each to be chosen. The 5 energy drink products were acquired through purchase. 2. 3 Gathering of Information Each of the products underwent examining of the researchers. The composition information has been referred to for the determination of ingredients of each product. The data was listed and tabulated (Refer to Table 3. 1). This was done to compare their components and to determine which products share the same components. Nutrition information was also included. 2. 4Analysis of the Components The ingredients of products were analyzed through research. The researchers studied the primary and side effects of some of the ingredients. The average consumption of an average human of a certain component was compared to the serving size included in each product. 3. Results and Discussion PRODUCT A NUTRITION INFORMATION| SERVINGS PER PACK: 1 SERVING SIZE: 250mL| QUANTITY:| PER SERVING| PER 100mL| Energy| 140 cal| 14cal| Carbohydrates, Total| 34g| 14g|. Sugar| 33g| 13g| Sodium | 60mg| 24mg| Taurine| 1000mg| 400mg| Caffeine| 80mg| 32mg| Inositol| 25mg| 10mg| Ginseng Root Extract| 25mg| 10mg| Guarana Seed Extract| 25mg| 10mg| Niacin| 9mg| 3. 6mg| Pantothenic Acid| 3mg| 1. 2mg| Vitamin B6| 1mg| 0. 4mg| Vitamin B12| 2mcg| 0. 8mcg| Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Sucrose, Glucose, Citric Acid, Glucuronolactone, Taurine, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Chloride, Natural Artificial Flavors, Caffeine, Caramel Color, Inositol, Guarana Seed Extract, Panax Ginseng (Root Extract), Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cyanocobalamin, Eu Energy Blend. Figure 1. Nutrition Information and Ingredients of Product A. PRODUCT B NUTRITION INFORMATION| SERVINGS PER PACK: 1 SERVING SIZE: 180mL| | PER 180mL (1 serving)| %RENI* or %U. S. -DRI**| Calories| 50Kcal| 2%| Total Fat| 0g| -| Sodium| 0g| -| Total Carbohydrate| 12. 5g| 10%*| Sugar| 12. 5g| -| Vitamin B1| 1. 2mg| 100%| Vitamin B2| 1. 7mg| 131%| Niacinamide| 20mg| 125%| Vitamin B6| 1. 9mg| 146%| Inositol| 50mg| -| Ginseng| 25mg| -| Royal Jelly| 100mg| -| Iron| 5mg| 42%| Taurine| 1000mg| -| Caffeine (anhydrous)| 50mg| -| *Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intakes fro Filipinos **U. S. – Dietary Reference Intake (used if no RENI). Ingredients: Sucrose, Taurine, Citric Acid, Nature-identical Flavors, Royal Jelly, Sodium Benzoate, Inositol, Caffeine, Ferric Pyrophosphate, Sucralose, Ginseng Extract (Panax), Mulitivitamins, Pure Water Figure 2. Nutrition Information and Ingredients of Product B. PRODUCT C NUTRITION INFORMATION| SERVINGS PER PACK: 1 SERVING SIZE: 330mL| | PER SERVING| %RENI*| Energy| 211Kcal| -| Carbohydrate| 54g| -| Vitamin B3| 10mg| 62%| Vitamin B6| 1. 3mg| 102%| VitaminB12| 1. 3mcg| 55%| Ginseng Extract| 9. 9mg| -| Inositol| 23mg| -| Taurine| 145mg| -| *%RENI are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Sugar, Citric Acid, Artificial Flavor, Maltodextrin, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Taurine, Potassium Sorbate, Caffeine, Sodium Benzoate, Allura Red(Colorant), Inositol, Calcium Disodium EDTA, Modified Food Starch, Panax Ginseng Extract, Niacinamide, Ascorbic Acid, Cyanocobalamin, (0. 1%) Pyridoxine Hydrochloride. Figure 3. Nutrition Information and Ingredients of Product C. PRODUCT D NUTRITION INFORMATION| SERVING SIZE: 1 SERVING SIZE: 150mL| | PER SERVING| %Daily Values*| Calories| 110| -| Total Fat| 0g| 0%| Sodium| 240mg| 10%| Total Carbohydrate| 26g| 9%| Sugars| 26g| -|. Protein| less than 1g| -| *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Ingredients: Taurine – 1,000 mg, Caffeine – 75 mg, Inositol – 50 mg, Lysine – 50 mg, Choline Bitartrate – 50 mg, Nicotinamide – 20 mg, Pyridoxine HCl (Vitamin B6) – 1. 3 mg, Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12) – 2. 4 mcg, Tartrazine C. I. 19140 (Yellow 5), Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Sugar and Artificially Flavoured. Figure 4. Nutrition Information and Ingredients of Product D. PRODUCT E NUTRITION INFORMATION| SERVING SIZE: ? 1. 5 SERVING SIZE: 8 fl. oz. (240mL)| | PER SERVING| %Daily Values*| Calories| 195| -| Total Fat| 3g| 1. 2%| Sodium| 49mg| 2%| Total Carbohydrates| 39g| 15%| Protein| 3g| 1. 2%| Thiamine Hydrochloride (Vit. B1)| 1. 35mg| 90%| Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vit. B6)| 1. 35mg| 68%| Niacinamide| 7mg| 37%| Vitamin B12| 0. 70mcg| 12%| Taurine| 105mg| -| Inositol| 16mg| -| *%Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Ingredients: Water, Sugar, Citric Acid, Flavoring, Sodium Citrate, Taurine, Caffeine, Sodium Benzoate, Tartrazine, Inositol, Ginseng Powder, Niacinamide (Vit. B3), Sunset Yellow, Thiamine HCl (Vit. B1), Pyridoxine HCl (Vit. B6), Cyanocobalamin (Vit. B12). Figure 5. Nutrition Information and Ingredients of Product E. | PRODUCT| INGREDIENTS| A| B| C| D| E| Water/Carbonated Water| +| +| +| | +| Sucrose| +| +| +| +| +| Glucose| +| | | | | Citric Acid| +| +| +| +| +| Glucuronolactone| +| | | | | Taurine| +| +| +| +| +| Sodium Citrate| +| | +| | +| Sodium Chloride| +| | | | | Natural Flavors| +| +| | | | Artificial Flavors| +| | +| +| | Caffeine| +| +| +| +| +| Inositol| +| +| +| +| +| Guarana Seed Extract| +| | | | | Panax Ginseng| +| +| +| | +| Niacin (Vit. B3)| +| | +| +| +| Panthotenic Acid (Vit. B5)| +| | | | | Riboflavin (Vit. B2)| +| | | | | Pyroxidine HCL (Vit. B6)| +| | +| +| +| Cynocobalamin (Vit. B12)| +| | +| +| +|. Eu Energy Blend| +| | | | | Maltodextrin| | | +| | | Sodium Hexametaphosphate| | | +| | | Potassium Sorbate| | | +| | | Sodium Benzoate| | +| +| | +| Calcium Disodium EDTA| | | +| | | Modified Food Starch| | | +| | | Ascorbic Acid (Vit. C)| | | +| | | Lysine| | | | +| | Choline Bitartrate| | | | +| | Tartrazine| | | | +| +| Food Coloring| | Allura Red| | | +| | | Caramel Color| +| | | | | Sunset Yellow| | | | | +| Thiamine HCl (Vit. B1)| | | | | +| Ginseng powder| | | | | +| Ferric Pyrophosphate| | +| | | | Sucralose| | +| | | | Multivitamins| | +| | | | Table 3. 1. Common ingredients present among the energy beverages. Table 3. 1 shows the ingredients of products A, B, C, D, and E. Any formulated energy drink may contain the ingredients listed above. All 5 contain carbohydrates, particularly sucrose, and citric acid. Product C has the highest average quantity of carbohydrates which includes sugar, per serving with 54 g. It is followed by Product E with 39 g. , Product A with 34 g. , Product D with 26 g. , and Product B with 12. 5 g. , respectively. Product A, C, D, and E has Niacin, Pyroxidine Hydrochloride and Cyanocobalamin. Riboflavin is present in Product A while product E has Thiamine Hydrochloride. Vitamin B12, Cyanocobalamin, which is present in Product A, C, D, and E has quantities 2 mcg, 1. 3 mcg, 2. 4 mcg, 0. 70 mcg per serving respectively. In Vitamin B12 Dosing Guidelines for General Supplementation, the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for vitamin B12 for 14 years old and above is 2. 4 mcg daily. An intake of one serving of Product D could supply the daily need of the body of an average teenager and adult while product per serving is 0. 83 % of our body’s needs for B12 everyday (http://women. emedtv. com). The RDAs indicate the adequate intake of a body for a nutrient. Panax Ginseng is found to be present in Products A, B, C, and E. This ingredient is claimed to play a role on mental, physical and sexual performance. It is said that it could lower blood pressure and control blood glucose but there is no current scientific evidence yet on its efficacy (Ernst, 2002). Up to 3,000 mg day of supplemental taurine is safe as considered (http://www. mayoclinic. com). Taurine is an amino acid that may lower blood pressure where systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressure in subjects with hypertension have been reduced by 6 grams of supplementary taurine every day (Kohashi et al., 1988). Taurine is present in Product A, B, C, D, and E. It is claimed to control hypertension yet there is insufficient evidence that it can significantly lower the risks of diabetes and epilepsy according to what it is claimed to be. The caffeine present in coffee and pharmaceutical drugs is said to be unhealthy. The caffeine naturally contained in a few herbs such as Yerba Mate, Guarana, Kola Nut, and Green Tea, is naturally occurring caffeine, also known as bio-caffeine and is non-addictive. Moreover, herbal teas are stimulants in nature due to other chemicals beside caffeine. These other stimulants found naturally occurring in herbs, i. e. mateine (found in Yerba Mate), have similar reaction on the body like caffeine does, but they are not addictive at all (http://dherbs. com/). All products were found out to contain caffeine. But among the other products, only Product A has guarana extract (1 gram of guarana is approximately 40 mg of caffeine). Canadian Guidelines recommend an intake of no more than 85 mg/day for people with ages ranging from 12 years old and above. In a research conducted by Warzak et al. (2010), the hours of sleep is negatively correlated with the amount of caffeine intake. Consumption of caffeine may also affect cognitive decline due to its association with a wide range of clinical variables (Ritchie, 2007). Caffeine may cause a persistent effect on the neurochemical system (Sobotka, 1989). Caffeine on children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was more effective than no treatment in declining impulsivity, aggression, and parents and teachers perceptions of childrens symptom severity, compared with Methylphenidate and Amphetamines (http://jad. sagepub. com/). Caffeine is a potent stimulant, thus it may reduce daytime tiredness and improve mental focus. However, researches are still a must regarding caffeines effects on the functioning of adolescents and adults with ADHD. 4. Conclusion After examining the ingredients of the energy drinks, the consumption of the ingredients more than the recommended amounts per day may cause physiological side effects. Caffeinated beverages, to be considered safe, must be limited of no more than the adequate intake of an average man, if a serving is formulated to be consumed once daily. Limited ingestion of these energy drinks most likely does not cause adverse effects. Energy drinks are composed mainly of carbohydrates and different ingredients like taurine, caffeine, and Panax Ginseng which are safe provided that it would be consumed in proper amounts. Caffeine, which is common to many energy drinks, was found out to decline some behavior impairments associated with ADHD such as aggression and impulsivity. References Reissig CJ, Strain EC, Griffiths RR. (2009), Caffeinated energy drinks a growing problem. Drug Alcohol Depend, 99:1–10. Simon, M. Mosher, J. Alcohol (2007), Energy Drinks and Youth: A Dangerous Mix. Marin Institute: Alcohol Industry Watchdog. (Online); Available at: http://www.marininstitute. org/alcopops/resources/ EnergyDrinkReport. pdf. Babu, K. M. , Church, R. J. Lewander, W. â€Å"Energy drinks: the new eye-opener for adolescents,† Clin Ped Emerg Med, Vol. 9, 2008, p. 35-42. Scholey AB, Kennedy DO. Cognitive and physiological effects of an energy drink: an evaluation of the whole drink and of glucose, caffeine and herbal flavouring fractions. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2004;176:320-30. ODea JA. Consumption of nutritional supplements among adolescents: usage and perceived benefits. Health Education Research 2003;18:98-107. Savoca MR, Evans CD, Wilson ME, Harshfield GA, Ludwig DA. The association of caffeinated beverages with blood pressure in adolescents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2004;158:473-7. Health Canada. Straight Facts about Drugs and Drug Abuse, Ottawa, ON, 2000. (Online); Available at: http://www. hc-sc. gc. ca/hc-ps/alt_formats/hecs-sesc/pdf/pubs/adp-apd/straight_ facts-faits_mefaits/facts-faits-eng. pdf. Health Canada. Food and Nutrition – Caffeine and Your Health, March 2003. (Online); Available at: http://www. hc-sc. gc. ca/fn-an/securit/facts-faits/caffeine-eng. php. Kristi Monson, PharmD and Arthur Schoenstadt, MD. â€Å"Vitamin B12 Dosage†. (Online); Available at: http://women.emedtv. com/vitamin-b12/vitamin-b12-dosage. html. Ernst E. â€Å"The risk-benefit profile of commonly used herbal therapies: Ginkgo, St. Johns Wort, Ginseng, Echinacea, Saw Palmetto, and Kava. Ann†. Intern Med 2002;136:42-53. Katherine Zeratsky, R. D. , L. D. â€Å"Taurine is listed as an ingredient in many energy drinks. What is taurine? Is it safe? †. (Online); Available at: http://www. mayoclinic. com/health/taurine/AN01856. Kohashi, N. , Katori, R. â€Å"Decrease of urinary taurine in essential hypertension†. Prog. Clin. Bio. Med. 1983. 125, 73. William J. Warzak, PhD, Shelby Evans, PhD, Margaret T. Floress, PhD, Amy C. Gross, PhD and Sharon Stoolman, MD. â€Å"Caffeine Consumption in Young Children†. Munroe-Meyer Institute and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE. Received 2 April 2010. K. Ritchie, PhD,, I. Carriere, PhD, A. de Mendonca, MD, PhD, F. Portet, MD, PhD, J. F. Dartigues, MD, PhD, O. Rouaud, MD, P. Barberger-Gateau, MD, PhD and M. L. Ancelin, PhD. â€Å"The neuroprotective effects of caffeine†. Neurology August 7, 2007 vol. 69 no. 6 536-545. â€Å"Caffeine vs. Bio-Caffeine†. (Online); Available at: http://dherbs. com/articles/caffeine-bio-caffeine-304. html. Sobotka TJ: Neurobehavioral effects of prenatal caffeine. Ann NY Acad Sci 1989; 562:327-339. M. Roth Leon. â€Å"Effects of caffeine on cognitive, psychomotor, and affective performance of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder†. (Online); Available at: http://jad. sagepub. com/content/4/1/27. abstract. APPENDIX A Corresponding Labels of Different Energy Drinks Product| Energy Drink Product Name| A| Rockstarâ„ ¢| B| I-ONâ„ ¢| C| Stingâ„ ¢| D| Red Bullâ„ ¢| E| Cobraâ„ ¢| APPENDIX B Determining the Sample Size n=N1+Ne2 Where: n = sample size N = Population size e = margin of error n=71+7(0. 20)2 n=5. 46.

Malaysia Is A Fast Developing Country Environmental Sciences Essay

Malaysia Is A Fast Developing Country Environmental Sciences Essay Malaysia is a fast developing country that its change from an agro-based to an industrial nation, has led to an increase in the population. Malaysias population increased rapidly from 6 278 800 in 1957 to an estimated 29,179,952 in July 2012. Thus, the amount of solid wastes generated in Malaysia also increases rapidly. Statistic shows that on average, each Malaysian produces 0.8 kg to 1.2 kg of wastes per day (The Star, 2009). About 23,000 tonnes of wastes are produced each day in Malaysia. However, this amount is expected to rise to 30,000 tonnes by the year 2020 (Global Environmental Centre, 2008). The amount of wastes generated continues to increase due to the increasing population and development. Problem Statement There are different alternatives to reduce, treat and dispose the solid wastes. However, landfill is still the most common practice for solid waste management. Sanitary landfill for solid waste management is defined as an engineered method of disposing of solid wastes on land by spreading them in thin layers, compacting them to the smallest practical volume, and covering them with soil each working day in a manner that protects the environment (Brunner and Keller, 1972). There are 230 official dumping sites in Malaysia, the majority of which are crude landfills, with only 10% providing leachate treatment ponds and gas ventilation systems and with most having no control mechanism and supervision. However, the landfill method causes generation of leachate (Galbrand, 2003). Leachate is defined as a liquid that has percolated through solid waste and has extracted dissolved or suspended materials (EEA, 2005). Leachate occurrence is by far the most significant threat to ground water. Once it reaches the bottom of the landfill or an impermeable layer within the landfill, leachate either travels laterally to a point where it discharges to the groundà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s surface as a seep, or it will move through the base of the landfill and into the subsurface formations (El-Fadel et al., 1997). Depending upon the nature of these formations and in the absence of a leachate collection system, leachate has reportedly been associated with the contamination of aqu ifers underlying landfills which resulted in extensive investigations for the past four decades (Albaiges et al., 1986; Mann and Schmadeke, 1986). Leachate contains high concentration of organic matter, inorganic matter (sodium chloride and carbonate salt) and heavy metal (Trebouet et al., 2001). Organic matter in leachate results in decomposition by microorganisms and causes oxygen depletion in surface water bodies (Schwartz, 2005). This favours anaerobic conditions which are detrimental to the aquatic life. The anaerobic micro flora is responsible for putrefactive processes which are characterized by the production of different types of toxic and noxious compounds (ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and phosphine) as final products of the organic matter degradation. Oxygen deficiency and toxic substance from anaerobic metabolism cause fish death and impairment of aquatic life. Therefore, since leachate can affect aquatic ecosystems and human health, proper leachate treatment is needed befo re leachate is discharged into receiving water (Paredes, 2003). Nutrients such as nitrate, ammonia and phosphate (along with co-contaminants such as pathogens, chemicals, and animal pharmaceuticals) are also found in leachate. High levels of nitrate, phosphate and ammonia in our lakes, rivers, streams, and drinking water sources cause the degradation of these water bodies and harm fish, wildlife, and human health. For example, at levels above 10 mg/L maximum contaminant level (MCL) in ground water, nitrates can cause human health effects, such as blue baby syndrome to pregnant woman. The current conventional leachate treatment systems are physical-chemical treatment, recirculation of leachate through landfill and biological treatment (El-Gendy, 2003). Physical-chemical treatment includes chemical precipitation, chemical oxidation, ion exchange and reverse osmosis, activated carbon adsorption and ammonia stripping (Ehrig, 1989). Precipitation in physical-chemical treatment is based on the addition of any chemicals to remove suspended solids, nitrogen, phosphorus, ammonia and metal. The physical-chemical treatment processes can produce high quality effluents, adapt to wide variations in flow and chemical composition and have the ability to remove toxic substances from leachate (Shams-Khorzani et al., 1994). However, these treatment systems are difficult to operate and require highly skilled labor besides high capital and operating costs. Some of these processes even require extensive pretreatment process (Britz, 1995). As a conclusion, the conventional treatment sy stems are effective in treating leachate. However, they require highly skilled labour and involve both high capital and operating cost. Therefore, constructed wetland was developed as an alternative to treat leachate in this research since constructed wetland has low cost of construction and maintenance (El-Gendy, 2003). The type of wetland used in this study is a combined system of subsurface flow (SS) and free water surface (FWS) constructed wetland. 1.3 Objectives The main objectives of this study are; To determine the nutrients (phosphate, nitrate and ammonia) removal from landfill leachate using combined subsurface and free water surface flow in constructed wetland between planted and control (without plant) system. To determine the nutrients removal in different hydraulic loading rate (HLR). To compare the percentage removal between subsurface (SS) and free water surface (FWS) in both planted and control system. To determine the uptake of nutrients by plants, Limnocharis flava in the subsurface (SS) and Eichhornia crassipes in free water surface (FWS). 1.4 Scope of Study The scope of this study is leachate treatment by setting up of lab-scaled wetland. The leachate was collected from landfill in Padang Siding and initial concentration of phosphate, nitrate and ammonia were analysed. Then, experiments were conducted with 25% leachate concentration diluted with water in a 60 L container being treated in two different planted and control reactors. Initially, Limnocharis flava plants were planted in the subsurface (SS) tank and Eichhornia crassipes was placed in the free water surface (FWS) tank in planted reactor and left for a few days for acclimatization process while no plant was placed in control reactor. The experiments were conducted with two different hydraulic loading rates which were high hydraulic loading rate (0.55 m/d) and low hydraulic loading rate (0.39 m/d). The efficiency of nutrients removal in leachate was evaluated by few parameters which were phosphate, nitrate and ammonia. The uptake of nutrients by plants in leaf, stem and root was also analysed as well as monitoring the physical plant growth in terms of physical appearance throughout the experiments. 1.5 Importance of Study The research was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of nutrient removal from landfill leachate in a combined system of subsurface and free water surface constructed wetland as well as to determine the nutrient uptake by plants. This nutrients removal was done by phytoremediation process by plants. Phytoremediation is the use of plants to clean up or control many kinds of pollutants including metals, pesticides and oil (McCutcheon, 2008). Phytoremediation is a potential method to treat leachate naturally in low cost. It is an environmentally friendly approach to remove pollutants from leachate. Therefore, phytoremediation can be practically used in landfill sites as constructed wetland to remove nutrients from landfill leachate. The plants used in constructed wetland can be Limnocharis flava in the subsurface and Eichhornia crassipes in free water surface. This research was also conducted to determine the most efficient loading rate for the leachate flow in constructed wetland in removing nutrients effectively. The loading rate plays an important role since the leachate flow also determines the uptake of nutrients by the plants. This research was also conducted to determine the ability of plants, Limnocharis flava and Eichhornia crassipes to uptake nutrients from the leachate.

Habitat for Humanity: I Helped Change a Life :: Community Service, Service Learning

When I first heard of the volunteer trip concept in Habitat for Humanity, my ears twitched, recognizing a genuine product, designed to bring about true changes, rather than making the affluent feel good they’ve done a thing to help solve the world’s problems. From day one, I knew my trip was in good hands. Weeks before my trip to Guatemala, e-mails began streaming to my inbox encouraging us to fund-raise, informing us about the project and raising expectations. I realized that there will be about 150 volunteers, and that the Habitat for Humanity office set a goal to build 10 homes in just 5 days. I received detailed itineraries and knew there was someone on the other end taking care of my food, lodging, safety and travel. When we arrived in Nebaj, the small town where the houses were to be built, we found our accommodations, received information packs and protective helmets, and met a large group of volunteers whose enthusiasm and jolliness was hard not to contract. Coming to the site Monday morning, I saw foundations already laid and trusses, timber, plaster, other construction materials and tools prepared. Toilets, and info area, meal tent and cleaning area neatly arranged to make our time on the site as efficient as possible. Truly, there was a lot of eyebrow-raising for me on the first day. With more than two hundred people on the site, all of which each were eager to lend a helping hand, this could have ended in a catastrophe were it not for immaculate organization of the site, work, and individual groups. I was not surprised that on Friday, 10 complete houses were dedicated to families of former orphans. During those five days, I learned how to nail, cut and glue insulation to the outer shell and coat it with plaster, build inside walls and add the final finishing layer on the house. I also observed how such low-cost houses come into existence.

Is Doubt the Key to Knowledge? Essay -- Proverb Analysis

Doubt is the middle ground between blind acceptance and outright refusal to believe. Doubt lends itself to a certain uncomfortable feeling of questioning but is a necessary tool to reach perceived truth and knowledge. Without doubt, one would believe anything he or she is told; it is a natural filter for the information thrust upon us. Doubt is in some ways the opposite of faith. Faith insinuates an acceptance so powerful that one does not need evidence to back up one’s claim. The lack of evidence does not bother the faithful, but it will pester the doubter like an insatiable itch. But the specter of doubt looms over the doubter, demanding that questions be asked of whatever â€Å"fact† has been presented. The doubter will use the four ways of knowing—emotion, reason, language, and sense perception—to answer the questions and become a knower. Doubt is especially necessary in two areas of knowledge: history and human sciences. When studying history, one mu st doubt the stories presented as facts and consider possible distortions created by biases or the passage of time. Without doubt, the field of human science would never advance past the current understanding, leaving human kind stuck in an age of primitive treatment and technology. The accuracy of history is weakened by time, perception, and memory. The Bible, for example, is particularly prone to such weaknesses. Millions of people accept it as fact despite its many fallacies. The events in the Bible are considered to be part of history. Yet such events were written about many years after they actually occurred. For example, Jesus is thought to have died in 33 A.D. This date is considered likely as his death must have occurred before Pontius Pilate left his position in 36 A.D. Y... ...iam. â€Å"The Gospel According to Luke.† The Interpreter’s One-Volume Commentary on the Bible.† Nashville: Abingdon, 1971. 672-706. Print. Bawer, Bruce. "What is Truth?" Rev. of Pontius Pilate , by Ann Wroe. Reviews by Bruce Bawer Fall 2001. Web. 1 Jan. 2011. . Leo, Johnathan. "The Fallacy of the 50% Concordance Rate for Schizophrenia in Identical Twins." Rev. of The Gene Illusion , by Jay Joseph. Human Nature Review. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2010. . Pentecost, J. Dwight. The Word and Works of Jesus Christ: A Study of the Life of Christ. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2000. Amazon.com. Web. 1 Jan2011.. The Ryrie Study Bible. Chicago: Moody, 1976. Print. New American Standard Translation. Is Doubt the Key to Knowledge? Essay -- Proverb Analysis Doubt is the middle ground between blind acceptance and outright refusal to believe. Doubt lends itself to a certain uncomfortable feeling of questioning but is a necessary tool to reach perceived truth and knowledge. Without doubt, one would believe anything he or she is told; it is a natural filter for the information thrust upon us. Doubt is in some ways the opposite of faith. Faith insinuates an acceptance so powerful that one does not need evidence to back up one’s claim. The lack of evidence does not bother the faithful, but it will pester the doubter like an insatiable itch. But the specter of doubt looms over the doubter, demanding that questions be asked of whatever â€Å"fact† has been presented. The doubter will use the four ways of knowing—emotion, reason, language, and sense perception—to answer the questions and become a knower. Doubt is especially necessary in two areas of knowledge: history and human sciences. When studying history, one mu st doubt the stories presented as facts and consider possible distortions created by biases or the passage of time. Without doubt, the field of human science would never advance past the current understanding, leaving human kind stuck in an age of primitive treatment and technology. The accuracy of history is weakened by time, perception, and memory. The Bible, for example, is particularly prone to such weaknesses. Millions of people accept it as fact despite its many fallacies. The events in the Bible are considered to be part of history. Yet such events were written about many years after they actually occurred. For example, Jesus is thought to have died in 33 A.D. This date is considered likely as his death must have occurred before Pontius Pilate left his position in 36 A.D. Y... ...iam. â€Å"The Gospel According to Luke.† The Interpreter’s One-Volume Commentary on the Bible.† Nashville: Abingdon, 1971. 672-706. Print. Bawer, Bruce. "What is Truth?" Rev. of Pontius Pilate , by Ann Wroe. Reviews by Bruce Bawer Fall 2001. Web. 1 Jan. 2011. . Leo, Johnathan. "The Fallacy of the 50% Concordance Rate for Schizophrenia in Identical Twins." Rev. of The Gene Illusion , by Jay Joseph. Human Nature Review. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2010. . Pentecost, J. Dwight. The Word and Works of Jesus Christ: A Study of the Life of Christ. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2000. Amazon.com. Web. 1 Jan2011.. The Ryrie Study Bible. Chicago: Moody, 1976. Print. New American Standard Translation.

Jack versus Ralph as Leaders in Goldings Lord of the Flies Essay

In today’s modern society, a leader must contain capabilities that include decisive decision making that benefit the rest of society. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the leaders, Jack and Ralph, make decisions that impair the well being of the boys on the island. When Jack and Ralph place the personal need of being in control above the needs of the boys, chaos ensues on the island. Also, When Jack and Ralph both use fear as a tool to accomplish their personal goals that they placed above the needs of the boys, order on the island broke down. Lastly, when Jack and Ralph placed their personal needs of not co-operating with one another, order on the island broke down. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, when leaders place their personal needs above the needs of society, order on the island breaks down. When Ralph and Jack placed their own personal needs of being in control of the other boys, order on the island broke down. Ralph stated that he was chief and as long as he was voted chief, the boys would do as they were told to, as stated in the chapter, The Beast from the Water, ‘You voted me for chief. Now you do as I say’ (81). This quotation incorporates the fact that Ralph has grown aware of the fact that he has the power to make decisions that affect the rest of the boys deeply and that he has the top power on the island at that point. Becoming chief was not necessarily a personal need for Ralph at first, but as events occur, he became aware of the fact that he has ultimate authority and will do make sure the boys complete their tasks in order sustain order, even if it meant disciplining them. When Ralph held the meeting by the beach at night in chapter five, chaos ensued as a result of his personal need of being... ...the island. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, when leaders place their personal needs above the needs of society, order on the island breaks down. Ralph and Jack both placed both of their own needs of being in control above the rest of the boys, which resulted in chaos on the island. Also, when Jack and Ralph utilized fear and fear of the unknown against the boys in order to get what they wanted, order broke down on the island. Finally, when leaders place the neglect of co-operation above the needs of the boys, order on the island breaks down. These are all fine examples of how leaders can become corrupt of how an excellent leader can be tested with temptation to do wrong. They all provide sufficient proof that Jack and Ralph placed their own personal needs above the needs of society, which in the end, resulted in chaotic breakdown on the island.

Ikea Case Analysis

Case Study Analysis – IKEA IKEA possesses numerous strengths that will help the company gain high value proposition around the globe in general and in the United States in particular. IKEA has been well known for its distinctive self-service store, unassembled furniture with flat packages, and featured amenities as playrooms for children and Swedish cafes. Its success in the United States has visibly shown through the double revenues from 1997 to 2001 ($600 million to $1. 7 billion) (IKEA Invades America case study). By 2002, the United States was IKEA’s third-largest market, after Germany and United Kingdom, (exhibit 3 – IKEA Invades America case study) with 14 stores established, second largest number of stores worldwide (exhibit 4 – IKEA Invades America case study). IKEA displays itself as a unique IKEA â€Å"culture†, in which the minute the customers set their feet in the store, they emerge in the whole new world of furniture shopping with the latest, trendiest interior designs.Everybody could be a interior designer of their own homes for the time they are there, being able to choose from a wide selection of items available for each decorative setting, mix & match themes and color, etc. The store layout is designed in a predetermined path that leads shoppers toward different layouts of the model rooms. IKEA uses price tags with detailed information concerning the product, how to pick them up later at the storage (aisle #, bin #), and color-coordinated cards for design tips throughout the store for customers’ convenience.If customers need to carry on the shopping without their children, they could drop their kids at the childcare facility on the way into the store featuring large climbing structures. If they are hungry, they could stop by the IKEA restaurant with delicious items like smoke salmon or Swedish meatballs. In short, IKEA designs their store to meet every customer’s personal needs. IKEA’s Vi sion Statement about building a â€Å"partnership† with its customers reaches many different needs and dreams within satiable budgets.On a two-way partnership, IKEA gains its uniqueness by having designers create furniture that satisfies the aesthetic, cost, and quality criteria on one hand, and searching globally for suppliers with the most suitable raw materials to maintain the lowest price possible for their customers on the other hand. IKEA’s customers, therefore, are given more choices in their selection of furniture that best suits their interest and vision of how they want to furnish their homes/offices.The innovative flat packaging is one of the key determinant factors of how IKEA attains their low- cost goals for customers, for storage space and cost of inventory are significantly reduced. IKEA also creates a unique experience for their customers in such that instead of having a piece of furniture readily available for use, customers can now gain a more person al touch by putting in some labor to build up their piece of furniture into a complete product.IKEA’s slogan â€Å"Low price with meaning† in the Vision Statement emphasizes the company’s commitment to offer cleverly designed products in low cost and decent quality in order to help â€Å"people improve their homes and create better everyday lives†. Although flat packaging and the experience of self-built furniture are perceived as the distinctive components of IKEA, it will be helpful to expand the services to a wider range of customers who love the products yet refuse to go through the hassle of setting them up.One suggestion is to have an active delivery and assembling team that can deliver the finished product to customers who are willing to pay the extra costs. At IKEA, a product-strategy council consisted of senior managers go through the process of establishing priorities based on consumer trends and creating the matrix to set the product’s t arget retail prices. The matrix includes three basic price ranges and four basic styles, according to Figure B in the case study.Although the matrix is very successful at helping the product managers identify market opportunities and gaps in the company’s product lineup, the matrix is limited in terms of few product styles and price ranges. Hence, the choices in the store would only appeal to a limited group of customers who share the same tastes for interior designs as IKEA’s designers. Yet, I do not think the company should change its product lineup because by doing so, the company would increase its inventory and engineering cost tremendously that would consequently lead to higher products’ prices.The President of the IKEA Group recognizes that the â€Å"Scandinavian design and style is a niche and it is not to everyone’s taste†. Therefore, although the company may seek to appeal to a broader market, it does not want to be just another supplier of traditional furniture. I support this point of view and do believe that IKEA should continue to keep applying its matrix approach in its product lineup. One of the other challenges IKEA is facing in the American market is the guarantee of supplying lifetime quality products.The American consumers who specifically emphasize their demand on the longevity of the furniture would lean toward the specialty retailers that guarantee the lifetime of their purchases instead of IKEA’s â€Å"commitment-free approach to furniture†. As a result, in order to gain more market share within the American population, the company ought to modify the matrix. IKEA can do so by modifying its pricing bracket to include more high quality products, which allow a specific targeted group of customers more freedom in the process of choosing the most satisfying piece of furniture that meets all of their needs.With the high volume of purchasing products from Europe and Asia, specifically China and Poland (exhibit 5 and 6 – IKEA Invades America case study), the company can certainly increase the quality of their high-end products without much increases in the already low global purchasing prices. Giving the high marketability of furniture retailing ($67 billion in sales in 2002 – Case study IKEA Invades America) and the wide spread in low-end and high-end retailers in the United States, IKEA has very good market opportunities in increasing its growth rate.IKEA provides customers a one-of-a-kind furniture shopping experience that neither the low-end or high-end retailers can provide. Plus, IKEA supplies customers with more attractive products compared to low-end retailers and more options for price-sensitive customers compared to high-end retailers. In addition, with the current economic situation, people will steer away from expensive specialty stores and turn to the economical market.With the company’s low cost product strategy, based largely on the glob al suppliers and internal competitive engineering designs, IKEA could certainly target its marketing toward price-sensitive consumers in the recession to make the company more attractive. One suggestion would be have more IKEA location in college town and statistically ranked pool cities in the nation because low-income population would definitely find IKEA products more appealing than other unattractive low-end retailers. SWOT AnalysisStrengthsOnly organization of their kindScandinavian heritageLow cost with clever designStore layout and catalogues Shopping cultureConvenient for transportationClear instruction and easy-to-assemble| WeaknessesShort lifespanLimited product stylesLimited location for a no-delivery service| OpportunitiesMarketability of furniture retailingPrice-sensitive consumers in recessionWide dichotomy of current retailers| ThreatsDependant on global suppliersEmergence of low end retailersHigh quality specialty retailers| IKEA Case Analysis IKEA has a distinct market segment in the home furnishing arena. It has created a niche market with innovative designs, quality, and low price structure. IKEA has employed the cost leadership and product differentiation strategies through low price structure and innovative designs, respectively. Additionally, the uniqueness of the disposable furniture concept allowed IKEA to capitalize on the first mover advantage (Harrison & Enz, 2005). Behavioral Customer Segmentation for IKEA The behavioral consumer segmentation data provided by Bartlett and Nanda (1996) indicates the demographic profile of IKEA customers and buyer behavior.IKEA’s strategy post World War II, was to target young couples and new families in the low to middle income range by providing inexpensive furniture with durable construction and contemporary lines. The demographic profile presented by Bartlett and Nanda (1996) suggests that the archetypal IKEA buyer is young; middle-class; married; either has no childre n or one child; and lives in a rental. This new target market’s primary determinants to purchase were based predominantly on price (44%); followed by large assortment (16%); and design (14%). Quality; design; and price were the three most important criteria for store choice.Similarly, price; distance; and design were the significant factors leading to consumer attitude toward IKEA. This target market based their decision purchases on information gathered from the IKEA catalog; visits to other stores; and prior visits to IKEA. Contrary to the traditional IKEA consumers’ determinants to purchase and buyer behavior, sustainability is now playing a larger role in consumer spending habits (Datamonitor, 2010). In a recent Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) analysis IKEA was ranked ninth overall for customer satisfaction, which is largely due to IKEA’s commitment to sustainable initiatives.Of IKEA’s products, 71% are recyclable, made from recycled products, or bo th. IKEA also recycles 84% of the waste the stores generate (Datamonitor, 2010). Comparison of Traditional and U. S. Customers Before entering the U. S. market in 1985, IKEA did not conduct thorough market research on U. S. consumers or U. S. buyer behavior. IKEA assumed that U. S. customers would embrace its way of doing business and the products offered. That was not the case, as IKEA’s furniture; metric measurements; and kitchenwares did not meet U. S. customer’s expectations.The furniture was uncomfortable, as it was designed for the European preference of being hard and rigid. The unit of measure was in centimeters, whereas the U. S. has never adopted the metric system. The U. S. serving sizes are generally larger than the European portions, making the kitchenwares too small for U. S. servings. Likewise, the cabinetry was too small for U. S. appliances. The traditional IKEA customer subscribed to the value proposition that furniture was a soft good versus a hard g ood. This value proposition was in contradiction with the mindset of the U. S. onsumer, making it necessary for IKEA to rethink its marketing strategy. IKEA launched an advertising campaign targeting U. S. customers at the same time it entered the U. S. market. Its tagline for U. S. consumers was, â€Å"†¦to take a more commitment-free approach to furniture† (Moon, 1996, p. 8). IKEA’s intention was to convey to the U. S. population that it was not necessary to hang on to furniture for decades. The simplicity and low price point IKEA offers affords consumers the opportunity to replace furniture and opt for a new look at a significantly lower price point than at conventional furniture, appliance, or kitchenware stores.IKEA was essentially making fun of U. S. consumers and the desire to keep furniture for decades. Traditional consumers understood that the value proposition offered by IKEA meant no in-store sales assistance; limited variety; unassembled furniture; and no delivery. This did not meet any of the expectations of the U. S. consumer. Hence, the revenues at IKEA in the U. S. were flat, taking almost ten years before increasing. IKEA has since focused on organic slow growth and low risk in the U. S. as it was a new market (Module 2, Lecture 1, n. d. ). This allowed IKEA time to do more market research on U. S. ustomers and expand manufacturing facilities. IKEA has done a great job in leading customers to pull its products into U. S. homes (Module 2, Lecture 2, n. d. ). IKEA has learned to meet U. S. customer needs by studying consumer preferences and behaviors based on interactions (Module 2, Lecture 1, n. d. ). This information provided demographic and consumer behavior data by store location and region of the United States, allowing IKEA to meet or exceed the loyal customer expectations. Given that, IKEA has built a U. S. cult following and state of mind that is centered on low prices, zany promotions, and contemporary designs (Capell , 2005).U. S. Strategic Growth Opportunities for IKEA IKEA was making a huge push into four major geographic markets in the late 1980’s. They were Eastern Europe, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Any one of these large geographic locations would need exponential resources and one would have to wonder if IKEA was opening itself up to incredible risk. This hard line expansion poses a major strategic challenge. The major strategic concern was the changing target market segment. IKEA rode the post war baby boom wave to become successful.The target market segment of low-income married couples had shrunk and the original IKEA customers, the baby boomers, have become older and more comfortable. IKEA is continuously striving to differentiate its price, products, and services to keep them in line with a first mover competitive advantage and ahead of the market trends to the point that they may be setting the standards for furniture and related product expectations (Ha rrison & Enz, 2005). However, the United States’ target market segment proved to be more difficult; as the U. S. consumers were used to having furniture delivered, and preassembled.Additionally, the U. S. consumers and IKEA’s other target markets all preferred traditional rather than modern furniture, with the exception of consumers in Denmark and Holland who buy modern design furniture. At IKEA, the furniture product mix is comprised of 70% modern with the remainder being traditional (Lee, 2005). For IKEA to be successful in the U. S. market it would need to tweak its product lines and strategic plans in an effort to achieve growth. In order for IKEA to achieve strategic growth in the U. S. it will need to get the buy-in of senior management to change its product line-up.The lack of senior management buy-in has been proven in many studies to be a leading factor in not attaining growth (McGrath & MacMillan, 2009). IKEA will need to hire a consultant to perform a SWOT a nalysis to determine the internal strengths and weaknesses as well as the external opportunities and threats. In addition, utilizing a TOWS matrix derived from the SWOT analysis would prove beneficial (David, 2009). The TOWS Matrix is designed to assist managers with matching the attributes of IKEA with the various opportunities and threats that exist in the environment.It also allows for the development of corporate strategies than can be implemented, thus maximizing marketplace positioning. The four types of strategies that can be formed based on the TOWS Matrix are: SO, which use the firms internal strengths to maximize opportunities; WO, which looks at improving weaknesses by taking advantage of external opportunities; ST, utilizes the company’s strengths to avoid threats; and WT, which are strategies designed to assist in the development of defense tactics to help reduce internal weaknesses and avoid external threats (David, 2009).The crucial information obtained from th e SWOT and TOWS Matrix will prove to be invaluable to IKEA if it wishes to grow in the United States as well as globally. The snap shot of information will help tell IKEA what it must become to U. S. and global consumers in order to grow strategically. Failure to capture and understand this information could keep IKEA from growing in a large geographic market.

What Is a Bboy?

David Le Date 3/20/13 Dr. Hasell ENGL 1301 38107 Word think 1,159 What is a Bboy? (final) Bboying is not in effect(p) a movement. It is a passion, a talking to, a air of art and evokeion. The terms bboy (be-boy) and blaster do from the words wipe taboo surface boy and break boy. Bboy refers to somebody who saltations to the beat of the music and surf refers to some wholeness who springs to the break section of a song. The activate of a song where at that redact is no singing, just pure slavish music. Essenti eithery bboys and breakers atomic number 18 the same.Breaking is genuinely different and unique when you comp be it to separate looks of dance. Ballet r breaks round graceful movements term bboying finish be whatever the professional dancer touchs like doing during a song. All that matters is the beat of the music and the passion of the dancer. The most of import thing most bboying is having the opportunity to acquit yourself, that brief moment whe n you can be authorized to yourself. Bboying is a unique variation of art. You may charter heard that put outters gather up inspiration before they can hold art.For a bboy, the music is the inspiration, from the instant you obtain the beat moving by dint of your personify to the very(prenominal) annul of each dance set. That small interval of fourth dimension is when some ace would paint the picture of what he or she is feeling through physical movements. some(prenominal) might set out the urge to do tycoon moves. These moves involve require intensity level and complete control oer the body, for standard hopping while holding a angiotensin converting enzyme handed handstand. Other dancers might feel the music is moving them to testify in s gl ar more fluid motions by by demote gracefully sliding and reel while on their knees.There are some basics moves for breakdancing exclusively the best dancers are original and create their own in-person signature moves or styles. Once a year the best bboy crews from all around the world allow come to one spot and conflict each new(prenominal) through dance in ordination to gain respect from other dancers all around the world. This event is called battle of the year. I think one of the biggest defining things about battle of the year is that the winsome think of money is only three super acid dollars. After this is split amid maybe 10 crew elements the issue forth of time put in to win doesnt pay finish off.But to these professional bboys the pride that comes with winning is all that is needed. When the dance battles tackle place each crew leave behind take turns sending in one member to freestyle to the music. Each bboy is different, in that location cannot and never will be two people that dance with the exact same style. This is one of the stupefying things of breaking. A adorer of mine likes to dance with a wobbly drunkenness with each step in bless to lambast his opponent while another friend is very serious in orderliness to show that the opponent has no chance of winning the battle.Ive seen one dancer end his freestyle set smoking an imaginary hind end and throwing it onto his opponent to tell him he had just gotten smoked. Now, if this was whatever other avocation or sport, doing these sorts of things might get you beat up. However, this is one of the beauties of the bboy culture. Even after conveying such mean and hurtful actions both bboy understands that it is all part of the act and it is zipper personal. Over time clowning or making fun of your opponent has puzzle a very essential part of dance battles. After each battle all competitors will al demeanors trill hands and hug, even if it is a heart and soul stranger.For most bboys, respect is given right(a) from the second someone else decides to express themselves over the music in the spotlight. This is because most breakers k in a flash that it takes courage to would out in front of a c rown and express yourself ignoring what people may think. The complex language of dance is solely unique and is what exploits the bonds and friendships between breakers so powerful. Sweat, pain, and exhaustion are all things that intersect the path of bboying. To any professedly dancer, the drive to improve will ever out way the pain and the downsides. every(prenominal) crash is a lesson the only way to improve as dancer is to specify from previous mistakes. Over the years technology has made this easier many bboys can now simply record themselves in order to watch for errors or mistakes during their practice sessions. small-arm this helps decrease the time it takes to check things, true breaker will never rub and continuously strive to be a better dancer. Ultimately there is no finish line the real determination is the friendships and memories that will be made through this journey. He or she will always be trying to beat that afterlife opponent who may be smashing or b ad.There are four important elements of bboying power, footwork, top rock, and freezes. Power moves have the steepest instruction curve of them all. The most basic power move is called the windmill and this on total takes at least 6 months to learn just one rotation. And when I submit sise months, I mean six months of practicing every day for one second minimum. There are many bboys out there who love power moves for this very reason. They are so hard to master, and achieving them practises it worth that much more. The best bboys have a good balance between all four of these different styles.During this adventure of knowledge each style, good breakers lose it each move in begin to make new and original things out of the old. It may be just one slight difference of being lower or higher with your legs or it could be a whole combo of turbulent stepping movements stringed together with original fluid transitions. This is the true beauty of bboying one can do whatever one wa nts. There is no one in the world that can say you are doing your own style incorrectly. Creativity is a truly astonishing thing. Because of the nature of the brain, there is an endless amount of combinations and movements that can be thought of or discovered.Dancing, to put it simply, is a vessel to express ideas and emotions. The only reason breaking is even so thriving today is because there is always something new that can be created. Every generation will build off what their previous generation has made and make it their own. Over time the foundation moves have changed, and it will always continue to evolve as long as there is music and a will to express. approximately might say that other things make up a true dancer, but out of all of them I would have to say the most vital things are to be original, be unique, be you bboy.