Marketing Plan for Snap Fitness Essay

Executive Summary With today’s society stressing a greater demand for flexibility, and ease of access to goods and services, a trend has emerged for extended trading hours for service organizations. One of the main profiteers of this trend is gym franchises. With over 1 billion people in the global population being overweight, and the still present economic uncertainty leading to longer working hours for most people, there is a demand for less rigid opening and closing hours of gyms. Consequently, the boom of the 24 hour gym came about. 3C’s Analysis The following section contains an analysis of the company, customer and competitors of Snap Fitness. Analysis of the Company The Snap Fitness franchise has become a global leader within the budget health club industry since starting in 2003. It has since established a large client base of over 1 million members in over 2000 clubs worldwide and 100 clubs throughout Australia (Sloan, 2014). Snap Fitness provides a 24/7 service with limited staffed contact hours ranging from 30 to 40 hours per week, and utilises a â€Å"no-contract† payment system. Additional services include high quality targeted fitness classes, nutritional consultation and access to accredited Personal Trainers. Snap Fitness was ranked by Entrepreneur Magazine as No.1 â€Å"Best in Category’ for fitness franchises in 2009. As well, Inc. Magazine at No. 16 on its annual â€Å"Inc 500† which is a list ranked by Inc Magazine of privately owned businesses. (Snap Fitness, 2014) Customer Analysis A gym can essentially recruit any type of person interested in fitness to sign up because of the variety of services offered, such as weights, cardio machines, group fitness sessions, dieticians etc.. This being said, 60-70% of Snap Fitness customers in Australia are already â€Å"experienced gym users who just want to get in and get started† upon joining (Australian Leisure, 2010). This leaves around 30-40% of members to be inexperienced gym users  that will require help getting started, whether this is by group fitness sessions or personal training sessions. Snaps Fitness offers low prices and the gyms are open 24/7 meaning potential Snap Fitness members are seeking convenience rather than quality. Snap Fitness doesn’t have facilities such as saunas and pools etc. that other gyms such as Fitness First regularly feature and the size of these gyms are smaller in comparison to other big gyms such as Goodlife, and Genesis. This means that Snap Fitness will generally attract people who work out recreationally a few times a week as opposed to a bodybuilder who is training for competitions and would benefit from these additional services. In Australia 13% of the total adult population participate in fitness activities. Within this segment the most significant demographic is the age group bracket is 15 to 34 years in both the female and male segments and females aged 34 to 54 years. Overall there is greater female (16% of the population) participation then male (9.4% of the population) across all age brackets (Australian Bureau, 2009). Analysis of the Competitor With the market for gym-goers being so extensive, there exists steep competition between gyms for patrons. One such competitor of Snap Fitness is Jetts gym. A membership with Jetts is slightly more expensive than Snap, costing $13.95 per week, with an additional joining fee of $89 and $59 for an access card. Jetts also offer an advance 12 month membership, costing $549, paid in one lump sum at the time of joining. Jetts offers its members 24/7 access to all of its 200+ clubs in Australia with the use of the swipe card, delivering a high level of convenience for its members (see figure 1.2). However with Jetts, as opposed to Snap Fitness, once the card is registered in the security system, no further registration is required to gain entry to multiple clubs – the card is usable immediately, creating convenience for its members. (Jetts, 2014) However, unlike Snap Fitness, Jetts has no member benefits to retail outlets or other service centres. Jetts has received a Canstar award t wo years running. For the years of 2012 and 2013, Jetts was voted as the No.1 gym chain in Australia for customer satisfaction. (Jetts, 2014) Another similarly competitive gym is Stepz. As well as operating 24/7, Stepz is entirely Australia owned, with clubs only within Australia. While this, to some people, would be a selling point, it  also poses a threat to Stepz whereby is creates less convenience for its patrons by having fewer clubs members can attend (see figure 1.2). (Stepz, 2014) A Stepz Memberships costs $13 a week, with a one-off joining fee of $89, payable upfront and an access card fee of $55, with which the member has access to any Stepz club Australia-wide. (Stepz, 2014) As too with Jetts, Stepz has no membership perks for gym members that exist outside the gym, i.e., retail discounts, etc. Stepz employs a tactic whereby the number of members allowed to enrol in each club is limited. This is done to provide the members with a more personalized service, and the staff can cater to the members needs more specifically. Also, by limiting the number of patrons, it ensures that there will rarely be a wait time to use gym equipment. (Stepz, 2014) In today’s market, there exist other types of rival services in the gym racket. Not gyms that offer round-the-clock service, rather gyms that cater specifically to the specialty needs of their patrons – gyms such as Curves. Curves is a specially designed gym catering explicitly to the needs of women. Founded in 1992 in Texas, today Curves has clubs in over 70 countries, with over 300 clubs in Australia alone. Curves is the largest company being analysed in this competitor analysis (see figure 1.2). Memberships at Curves cost $18.24 a week, with a $149 joining fee. By far – out of Snap, Jetts and Stepz – Curves is the most expensive gym (see figure 1.1). However, Curves, unlike the others, has tailor-made programs targeted directly at women, for women, by women. This creates a community among the club members and enables the staff and trainers of Curves to have a competitive edge in the service industry, offering a one-of-a-kind service catering only to the needs of women. (Curves, 2014) Gyms such as Curves and Contours (another gym aimed specifically at the needs of women) has created a whole new market segment, which poses a threat to existing generic gyms, and even those that are 24 hours. Gyms that are specially designed for women may take business away from other gyms such as Snap, as a result of such gyms not exhibiting greater dedication or focus to individual needs of groups in the market segment (ie. Female gym-goers). Analysis of the 4P’s: Product Membership entitles the user access to all the gym equipment (including  cardio and weights), group workout sessions and, one initial free PT introduction session with a qualified instructor including; a weight and measure, guidance while using machines and an initial workout plan. Optional membership add-ons include PT sessions, consults with a qualified dietician and 8 week challenges. Price Single membership, joint membership and family memberships are available. The price for single membership is $25 a fortnight; this currently includes group workout sessions and access to all types of training equipment. Joint and family memberships are generally charged at a discounted rate such as $17 each a fortnight for a family membership consisting of a husband and wife. A membership with Snap is not a lock-in contract, and in addition to the fortnightly fee there is a one-off joining fee of $99, paid upfront and a further $29 for the Snap access card. Place A typical location for a Snap Fitness outlet is a high profile business strip or mall, with cafes, small convenience stores and a post office. Locations normally have access to close parking and provide a well lit exterior to ensure the safety of clients using the premise during irregular hours. Currently the most successful Snap Fitness business is located in Milton and through location analysis it was found that Snap Fitness Strathpine also possesses many of these important location characteristics (Australian Leisure, 2010). Promotion Snap Fitness promotes itself as a convenient (open 24/7 and membership grants access to any Snap Fitness location) and budget gym with a focus on physical wellbeing of young adults. Snap Fitness often has one core promotion consisting of a limited, one time offer of free joining and 1 week free gym access. If this offer is not running potential members do still get a free one day trial. Snap Fitness also have offers for current gym members such as â€Å"refer a friend† and get a month free. A consistent message present throughout promotional material is that there are no membership contracts. This means that if a member wants to leave it is a simple process and will be no cancellation fee. With a gym membership to Snap Fitness Strathpine, the member receives perks from organizations affiliated with Snap Strathpine. These benefits include a buy one, get one free scheme at the Strathpine Hyperbowl bowling alley, a 10% discount at Mega Choice and Mega Party variety stores, lunch deals at Outback Jacks Bar & Grill, and more. (Snap Fitness, 2014) Analysis of Customer Service Strategies (People/Processes) Quality customer service is key to an organisations survival in today’s market. For gym owners, the revenue source is in direct proportion to the membership base; i.e., if gym owners aren’t able to get people through the door, their profits will plummet. In order to ensure a gym maintains a competitive edge in the fitness industry, it is essential to provide a consistent level of high quality customer service. This plays a crucial role in member acquisition and retention. It is imperative that the quality of customer service is always top priority, to ensure repeat customers and positive word-of-mouth. (Fagan, 2013) A recent study has shown that customer referrals is the main reason why new customers hear about a business, or come into the business – with 30% of people stating a current member referred them. (Lewis, 2014) Snap Fitness offers a variety of customer services, such as being open 24 hours; having friendly, qualified staff; efficient handling of complaints; strong community presence through social initiatives and business partnerships; no lock-in contracts; 24 hour security surveillance; member benefits (i.e., retail discounts); and having innovative facilities to ensure convenience and comfort for members, such as having access to treadmills, cross trainers, rowing machines, free weights, shower and change rooms, bathroom amenities, stretching areas and group fitness rooms. (Snap, 2014) Snap’s main customer service strategies are promotions with neighbouring establishments, corporate tie ups, and social media facets. In March of this year, Peter Taunton, CEO of Snap Fitness, launched an initiative to coincide with National Public Health Week in the US. With word driven by the force of social media outlets, Snap Fitness, starting April 7, was offering seven days of free workouts, with no further obligations to Snap. This complimentary week was offered in support of public health and to get people motivated, and get potential members through  the door. (Taunton, 2014) With a strong presence within the community through ongoing social initiatives and partnerships with neighbouring establishments and other corporations, Snap fitness consolidates its standing as a people-friendly gym with a community-orientated outlook, making itself as attractive as possible for potential members. Analysis of the Service Environment One of the most significant problems Snap Fitness faces is during peak training times when the facilities are prone to becoming overcrowded (more demand than supply of equipment). Gym users dislike this mainly because of waiting times for machines and weights, and as a result some will completely avoid these peak times favouring a more secluded training environment. This is a difficult issue to resolve as Snap Fitness always wants more members, but at the same time if too many members are at the gym at a certain time members can become unsatisfied. Another issue with Snap Fitness is their process of making the entry cards inactive. It was found through a sentiment analysis (appendices) identified card denial as a significant area of dissatisfaction amongst users as often they have to come back during manned hours to resolve the problem. This problem stems from direct debits not clearing and is made worse by the fact that clients aren’t notified when this occurs (appendices blu eprint). Members of Snap Fitness have had to travel to the gym and be denied access, before realizing their card has been made inactive. A minor issue Snap Fitness faces is that its front counter is not always manned even during staffed hours. There are windows of time when all personal trainers who are in the gym are on the floor with clients, this could be for many reasons including assisting with a workout or maintenance to the facility. During this time if someone calls the gym or comes in to enquire about joining there may be no one available to meet these requests. This can lead to missed opportunities in gaining new clients, and a reputation for bad customer service. Recommendations In relation to the issue of equipment use during a session, one of the most viable solutions is to implement peak and off peak membership options. The way this would work is for people who choose to go to the gym during peak times would pay the rates currently being offered and would be able to also  go to the gym in off peak times. The members who purchase off peak membership are allowed access to the gyms at off peak hours for a discounted membership price. These members have the choice to attend during peak times when they swipe their card to enter the gym, however a small fee will be charged to their fortnightly bill enabling the membership to be flexible. It is worth noting that Snap Fitness aims to be a cheap, convenient gym, so without the option of expanding and adding more equipment, this is one of the best ways to encourage members to train at different times and prevent an overcrowded gym. The issue of card access can easily be solved through a change in the communication process meaning gym members should be informed if their payment doesn’t clear prior to the card being deactivated. This could be done by an automated text message or a phone call from a staff member at the gym. When a payment is declined Snap Fitness members should be given time (48 hours would be appropriate) to resolve this issue and make the payment. If a member still fails to make the payment after this 48 hour window they should then be informed that their card will no longer permit access to the gym until a payment is made. This will ensure members are always informed of when their payments don’t clear and if a member is unable to make this payment they can then contact Snap Fitness and work out a different payment method. A way for the manned counter be solved is having very clearly defined hours designated to man the desk (clear signage of hours at the shop front and on all adver tisement material including pamphlets). During this time there would always be someone answer phone calls and talk to people who physically enter the gym to respond to questions about joining. This way it’s clear when it is appropriate to enter the gym to ask questions in person and when the best time to call up would be. Phone messages should be kept track of and returned during these staffed desk hours to ensure all customer enquiries are being answered in a timely manner. From the evaluation conducted the recommendation with the most benefit would be introducing a distinction between on and off peak membership. This strategy could attract a lot of new members because people who train at off peak times at other gyms would see how cheap this option is and consider transferring. People already signed up to Snap Fitness could also be  interested in cheaper memberships and could change their workout times from on peak to off peak, which would reduce some of the clutter in the gym. This would then help to reduce overcrowded gyms during peak times, which would then increase the enjoyment of on peak members because they would have less waiting time for equipment. Currently the gym is often close to empty at off peak times and having this extra influx of people there at these odd hours is extra money Snap Fitness could capitalize on with its 24/7 system. Appendices Appendices 1: Price positioning map High Price Curves Snap Fitness Jetts Stepz Low Price Appendices 2: Size positioning map Large in size Curves Snap Jetts Stepz Small in size Small in size Appendices 3: SWOT Analysis SWOT Analysis Strengths Weakness Large established client base Known brand name Customised workouts Well trained staff/ PT’s Open 24/7 Can go to any Snap Fitness centre No contracts – monthly payment plan Yoga & fitness classes Range of machine types 7 day trial period Accredited dietician Lockers to secure valuables 8 week challenge programs – club bonding Limited staff resources – not always manned Waiting times for equipment in peak times Smaller gym – less equipment, space and more demand on staff Opportunities Threats Potential partnerships/ sponsors – currently have some with local businesses (e.g. cafe discount) New membership types e.g. based on consumption times/types Paying for one group class without buying a membership Additional services e.g. Steam room, juice bar New health trends – types of classes offered e.g. Zumba Community orientation Expand existing complexes Discounts for locals Widespread competition such as home gyms and other similar companies such as Jetts Unmotivated staff Decreased interest in fitness Being a small, budget gym expansion opportunities could deter clients as they prefer a smaller business Original Service Blueprint Within this blueprint several key bottlenecks were identified, these include contacting the gym Booking into sessions Equipment usage Updated Service Blueprint Reference List About Us – Overview. (2014). Retrieved 4th May, 2014, from http://www.curves.com.au/about-curves/ About Us. (2014). Retrieved 1st May, 2014, from http://www.snapfitness.com.au/about-us/ About Us. (2014). Retrieved 4th May, 2014, from http://stepzfitness.com.au/about-us/ Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2009). Feature article 2: health and fitness centres and gymnasia (no. 4156.0.55.001). Canberra, Australia. Australian Leisure: Snap Fitness Plans for 200 Clubs. (2010). Retrieved from Current Levels of Customer Satisfaction at a CrossFit Gym. Digital Commons @ USU. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1241&context=gradreports Curves Community. (2014). Retrieved 4th May, 2014, from http://www.curves.com.au/community/ Fagan, L. (2013, October 4). What is gym customer service? Retrieved from http://blog.gyminsight.com/2013/10/what-is-gym-customer-service/ http://global.factiva.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/redir/default.aspx?P=sa&an=NLJ00000 20140217ea2h0000q&cat=a&ep=ASE http://www.ausleisure.com.au/news/snap-fitness-plans-for-200-clubs Lewis, S. (2013). An Online Customer Service Survey to Determine Memberships. (2014). Retrieved 4th May, 2014, from http://stepzfitness.com.au/memberships/ Prices. (2014). Retrieved 3rd May, 2014, from http://www.jetts.com.au/prices Public Health Week. Retrieved from

Plato biography

Greece had given to us many ideas, inventions and genial persons, and now days it is difficult to imagine our world without them. One of the most famous names of that age was Plato. He was philosopher, mathematic and teacher. Never the less, a few persons know why actually he was so famous. So, do you know where words â€Å"Academy' and Ð’Â «BenefitÐ’Â » came from or who created â€Å"Metaphysics† as field of science?Unfortunately, the extant data, which showed dates and place of Plat's definitely were sweep away by wind of history, but sorority of historians and sources indicate what it was in period between 429 to 423 BC in Athens. As well as we know, Athens was city-state in Ancient Greece, also many historians calling it â€Å"Heart of Greece† or â€Å"Cradle of knowledge†. We can conclude that place of born play an important role at formation of Plat's personality, along with his family was rich and very influential.High social status of his family gave to him opportunity to have best education. As Plato said lately: quickness of mind and modesty as a boy, and the â€Å"first fruits of his youth infused with hard work and love of duty†, and he had learned grammar, music, gymnastic and philosophy. Until 409 BC, Plato was studying at his teacher Socrates; moreover Socrates had big influence at his views of life. Plato was loyal follower and disciple of his teacher, also he created all main ideas with Socratic help. From 409 BC to 404 BC, Plato was in military service.In 403 BC, he returned to Athens, and he was trying himself at political career. Unfortunately, In 399 BC his teacher and friend Socrates had died. It was as knife to Palates back. After this tragic event, Plato disappointed In politics, he and there follower of Socrates left Athens and started to travel. As well as we can see from historical sources Plato travel was from 399 BC to 387 BC, during his travel he visited Italy, Libya, Serene and Egypt, while he was writing and exchanging of knowledge with other great scientists and philosopher.In the year 387 BC, then he came back to Athens, Plato founded his school and called Academy. This Academy gave to us a lot of great people, and one of them was Aristotle. In 367 BC, Plato arrived to Syracuse and become a personal tutor of Dionysus II. Furthermore, Plato reamed about state where Philosophers will have reins of government, but not bowl with poison. Unfortunately, the war broke his utopians dreams In 360 BC, after that he came back to Athens and stayed there until his dead In 347 BC.Plato biography By Tossing-Too career. Unfortunately, in 399 BC his teacher and friend Socrates had died. It was as knife to Plat's back. After this tragic event, Plato disappointed in politics, he and In 367 SC, Plato with poison. Unfortunately, the war broke his utopians dreams in 360 BC, after that he came back to Athens and stayed there until his dead in 347 BC.

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Fairy Tales Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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How will technology and social media influence or change recruitment Essay

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Teen Pregnancy Leads to Adoption Essay Example for Free

Teen Pregnancy Leads to Adoption Essay Teen Pregnancy is a problem in todays society. There appears to be a lack of support and teen mothers dont know their options. I feel that many teens today are unaware of the dangers of unprotected sex and what the outcomes are in this process. To bring another life into this world without proper care and attention that they need is not a good thing at all. Keeping the child is a big step but is also a benefit at times. It’s only beneficial when the teen mom is one hundred percent sure that they are ready for this new life to come into their world and to give them the attention they need. Because teen pregnancy is so common in the United States there needs to be a solution to people that have no support for the child. People that have no support after having the child, should consider adoption for the best of the child. Babies are great. They are all loving, cute and make the best cuddle buddy but who knew taking care of a baby would be so much work. Most teens don’t think of a baby being so hard to take care of a child at sixteen years old because they have never taken care of one all by themselves before, but it’s more work than you could ever expect. Babies take so much energy to take care of from waking up every three hours, changing diapers, feeding them, buying them the things the need to giving them all you attention. Being a teen mom you must give your full attention to them, this is why most teens fail at being a teen mom because teens are young and like their attention on other things. Most teens get pregnant because they have lack of knowledge of birth control and protection. Most teens don’t discuss these things with their partner, that’s why teen pregnancy is so popular now days. By age fifteen, thirteen percent of teens have had sex at least once, could be more. Almost half of the United States have had sex by age fifteen some even at fourteen (Friedman). Most teens can talk to anybody about sex besides their partners or their parents, which parents and partners are the most important people to talk to in this situation. You have to be open and willing to talk to absolutely anyone so you feel comfortable. Some teens think that their crushes are true love and that’s when unprotected sex happens because you don’t know the other person as well as you think you do. When teens get pregnant they have multiple risk factors. Some factors are growing up in a single-parent family, living in poverty or high-poverty neighborhood having low attachments to school, and having parents with low educational attainment to teach their children on their own (Mayard). Most teens normally grow their children up in a very poor place because they have no money to support the child. This happens to a lot of teens in the world today. Just about every year about one million teenagers in the United States become pregnant at a very young age and out of these only thirteen percent are planned pregnancies (Mayard). The whole reason for open adoption is to offer opportunity to learn, without someone teasing you because you don’t have any parents if you’re an adopted child (DeMatteo). Some people love the whole adoption thing and want to bring new kinds in to have a home and to feel loved, but you need to get licensed for being a foster parent to be able to take these kids in. To become a foster parenet you need to get a license and to do that you need to attend an open house, which is where you do background checks and assessments to see if your place and family is safe enough for a child. Then you have to have thirty hours of training for ten weeks. After doing this they determine if you get your license or not. If you do, your license are good for two years so after your two years are up you need to renew them (DeMatteo). Becoming a foster parent is really important these days because there are a lot of kids that don’t have homes. Throughout the entire state statistics show that there are four thousand one hundred and forty eight kids in a foster or other care today. Children in foster homes â€Å"age out† or become too old to be in foster care when they turn eighteen because they are officially a legal adult and have their own choices to make. When these kids come out of foster care and they tell people that they are adopted and do not know their biological family, some kids find that bad, but it’s not. People think those kids that are adopted are different from everyone else but they are not any different. They do the same exact stuff as us and function just as well. Most kids are proud to be adopted because they know their biological parents wanted the best for them. The children know their parents will still be there for them but just thought that open adoption would be the best possible solution. Open adoption is probably the best way to go not closed adoption. Open adoption allows the biological parents and child to see and talk to each other but closed adoption doesn’t. Open adoption lets the parents see who their child is going to and closed adoption just puts the child somewhere. Parents in open adoption tend to have better health towards this than the parents in closed adoption. They don’t go through a lot of grief for years they may have grief for maybe 5 months at the most (Silber). The adoptive parents and birthparents gain trust in each other over the years. In open adoption the adoptees has their questions answered right away because they adoptive parents have access to anything. In closed adoption those kids with questions are left there clueless because they have no access to records or anything. The children in open adoption love to hear that their birthparents are coming to see then but in closed adoption those words hurt the child because they don’t know the true story why they got put up for adoption. In closed adoption it may take seven to ten years to adopt a child and in open adoption it could take a couple of days (Silber).

Solutions To Environmental Pollution Environmental Sciences Essay

Solutions To Environmental Pollution Environmental Sciences Essay It is believed that globalization has numerous benefits to the economy of China. In recent decades, China has witnessed rapid economic growth due to economic reforms. Its GDP has increased by more than seven percent per annum. However the fact that globalization negatively affects the environment cannot be ignored. Apparently China is witnessing serous environmental problems. Not only do these problems impair the progress in the economic development but also have harmful effects on the peoples health. The government of China can consider formulating clear policies, educate the masses concerning these issues and using technology to tackle these problems. Some of the pollutions that need to be tackled include; water, soil and air pollution. T1. Soil Erosion 1. Background Globalization has had a significant effect on the soil. This is because it causes deforestation which then leads to soil erosion. The end result is desertification. Desertification for instance is caused by different reasons depending on the area. They include population pressure, socioeconomic factors, policy, and international trade as well as land use patterns. Globalization decreases land productivity hence leading to degradation. As people clear forests so as to create space for mans activities like urbanization and agriculture, the land is left bare. There is nothing to hold the soil together. Such land is prone to soil erosion which if it persists could lead to desertification. Erosion degenerates land hence making it less productive. For farming activities lower the soil organic matter. This usually causes poor soil structure hence increasing the vulnerability of the soil to erosion. China is widely known for its extensive mining activities. There activities have rendered the land bare and hence makes it vulnerable to erosion. 2. Solutions: To tackle this problem, the government needs to educate the masses on the dangers of deforestation and the importance of planting trees. The mining activities are supposed to be controlled so as to prevent the problem from escalating. People need to be taught on the best farming processes that will render the soil vulnerable to erosion. Gabions could also be built in areas that are adversely affected by the problem of erosion. T 2. Land pollution Background Land pollution occurs when hazardous wastes are disposed on the land. Such substances could be urban wastes, agricultural chemicals, fertilizers, industrial wastes and radioactive substances. Such chemicals contaminate the land surface as well as the soil and hence may render the land unsuitable for farming (Engelking 2007, p. 52). This occurs when the urban waste matter is discriminately dumped. The mining processes may also contribute to the process. Such chemicals can lead to respiratory problems, skin complications, birth defects, and even cancer (Engelking, 2009). Solutions The problem of land pollution can be tackled by educating the Citizens of China on the hazard posed by littering the environment. The items that are used domestically could be recycled or reused. People should dispose the waste matter in the right manner. Organic waste has to be disposed in non residential areas while the inorganic matter should be recycled. T3. Water pollution Background This involves the contamination of water bodies. This kind of pollution affects organisms and plants in these water bodies. This damages individual species as well as the biological communities. This form of pollution occurs whenever pollutants are discharged into the bodies without undergoing treatment to remove the harmful compounds. Considering the fact that China is an industrialized nation, factories frequently opt to discharge their affluent into these water bodies. About 90% of the cities in China suffer from water this kind of pollution. Some of the organic water pollutants include detergents, chloroforms, and food processing waste, herbicides and insecticides, petroleum volatile organic compounds. Most of the inorganic pollution is caused by sulfur dioxide, ammonia, chemical wastes, fertilizers, heavy metal substances and silt (Hart, 2007). Solutions This problem can be checked by treating those wastes that are deposited to the water bodies. The sewage systems in especially in urban centers should be kept in good condition so as to prevent the organic waste from trickling into the water bodies. Erosion control measures should be employed to minimize the surface run-off. Farmers need not to overuse the agricultural chemicals. T4. Air Pollution Background Air pollution involves the emission of toxic fumes into the air. Everyone in way contributes to air pollution in his/her capacity. Carbon dioxide is among the main pollutants of the air. This gas forms a big percentage of the gases that are emitted in many factories across China. Combustion of fossil fuels and deforestation greatly contribute towards the increased levels of this gas in the atmosphere. It is also emitted during any volcanic activity. It is a major contributor towards global warming. Most automobiles, air jets, and marine vessels also release fume to the atmosphere. Other pollutants include Aerosol sprays, nuclear fumes. Other dangerous gases that pollute the air include carbon monoxide and Sulfur dioxide. Air pollution can cause acid rain, which occurs whenever sulfur dioxide combines with Nitrogen dioxide (Hart 2006, p. 62). Solution This problem can be fixed through reducing the number of automobiles, recycling products, avoiding so much of the fire cracker use; Companies have to treat the gases before they release them into the atmosphere. All these forms of pollutions can be reduced if the government will enact and implement policies that are geared towards reducing the pollution. Companies should embrace social corporate responsibility by embracing environmental friendly policies. Globalization in general should be embraced cautiously because some of its effects could be very harmful to humanity.

Teenage Runaways :: Journalistic Essays

Teenage Runaways A news bulletin flashed across the television. Interrupting my favorite program, a news reporter announced, "Missing teenagers." The reporter went on to state that a group of young teenagers had been reported missing for the last twenty-four hours. It was later reported that the teenagers had run away, and they had left a note demanding more independence. The teenagers were from wealthier homes; therefore, the parents of the missing children could not understand the reason their children left home. The teenagers later stated, "We are almost grown; give us our space." Teenage runaways are becoming a problem in America. Each year, many teenagers run away from home because of troubles with discipline, communication, and attention. The first girl that the news reporter interviewed said, "The discipline in my house is out of control." The girl continued to give examples to back up her statement. She said that she couldn't be two minutes late for her curfew. She would be grounded a week for every minute she was late. There were to be no phone calls after 9:30 p.m. She couldn't talk to boys on the phone at all. If she was caught breaking the rules, she lost all of her telephone privileges. She had to have an adult with her at all times. Her last statement was, "I know my parents are doing all of this out of love, but give it a rest. Let me grow up!" The reporter asked another girl a few questions. The girl began the interview with the statement, "My parents do not understand me. I know they are trying, but give me a break. They want to talk to me all the time. Our communication is outrageous." The girl continued to tell the news reporter about the problem. She said that her mother wanted to know about everything going on in her life. Her mother wanted to talk about her sexual experiences; she wanted to know how it felt to be drunk, and her mom would ask her daughter to share her spiritual thoughts with her. "My mom wants to be my friend. I understand that, but some things are better left unsaid," the girl said in closing. The last teenager that the reporter talked to was a young boy.

Sylvia Plaths Poem Daddy Essay -- Sylvia Plath Daddy Poetry Poem Essa

Sylvia Plath's Poem "Daddy" Overbearing fathers who dominant their children’s lives dispose of comfort and security and instead cause irreversible damage. Sylvia Plath writes about her own experiences dealing with her authoritarian father in â€Å"Daddy.† In this poem, Plath utilizes literary devices like allusion, child-like diction, and dualistic organization to communicate her bitterness in this theme of resentment and scorn. Plath’s usage of allusion calls the reader to bring their own knowledge to the poem. She uses this device so that the reader can recall information without Plath needing to fully state the scenario. One of the first allusions which Plath uses is in the first stanza when she writes â€Å"black shoe in which I have lived like a foot.† She alludes to the nursery rhyme of the old woman who lived in a shoe. In the end of the nursery rhyme, the old woman â€Å"whips [her children] all soundly and sends them to bed,† comparing to Plath’s own experience with an emotionally distant father. She communicates his preoccupation with discipline and neglect of care and supp...

Wilson Disease Essay example -- Health, Homeostatis

A patient presented with symptoms that suggested she might be schizophrenic. With many conditions mimicking schizophrenia, the doctor reviewed the notes from the family and noticed the patient had missed an eye doctor appointment. The physician, very aware an exam could confirm or refute a diagnosis, requested an eye examination be performed. Kayser-Fleischer rings were present in the cornea of her eyes. These rings are deposits of copper and sulfur granules and are greenish-gold in color. They are not always present; however, when they are, they are a classic identifier of Wilson disease. (Holtz, 2006, pp.108-109) Therefore, the eye exam confirmed a diagnosis of Wilson disease for this patient. While working in England during the early 1900’s, Alexander Kinnear Wilson, an American neurologist, described the disease. (Schilsky & Brewer, 2009) As with many things, because he was the one who originally described it, it is named after him. Wilson disease is also referred to as hepatolenticular degeneration. (Mayo Clinic, 2009). It is a genetic, chronic disease that stores up excess copper in the liver. Accumulation of excess copper begins at birth. (Children’s Hospital of Pittsburg, 2010) Copper is an essential trace metal vital to human health, requiring a small, regular intake to maintain homeostatis. According to Copperinfo (2011), â€Å"At least 20 enzymes contain copper and at least 10 of these require copper to function.† The brain, the skin, the heart and the immune system all need copper. Ingested copper is absorbed in the stomach and small intestine. From there, it enters the bloodstream, making its way to the liver. (Copperinfo, 2011) A healthy liver serves as a filter. Part of its functionality is metabolizing carbohydr... ...cinnati Children’s Hospital, 2009). A normal liver adequately filters and removes toxins from the body through the urine or bile. A lack of copper homeostatis in a diseased, damaged liver obstructs this process. This excess accumulation of copper in the liver is Wilson disease. Inherited mutated genes, one from each parent, cause the disease. If only one mutated gene is passed on, then the individual is just a carrier and will never be diagnosed with Wilson disease. It is prevalent worldwide, including several different ethnic groups. It most often affects children and teens from ages 10 to 20 years old. Occasionally there are exceptions and we see diagnoses of Wilson’s in children as young as three and adults over the age of 50. Treatment is available that, if continued for a lifetime, will maintain copper homeostatis and the patient will live a good life.

New York Day Women in Krik? Krack!

Nascine Coote English 102 Mrs. Tracy Nashel â€Å"New York Day Women† Suzette is curious mother about her mother, more than she is about her. It’s clearly that Suzette and her mother have conversations and gets along with just minor issues. However Suzette mother always assumes her daughter is fine and everything is going well for her. It’s clear that Suzette does not know a lot about her mother, and probably was not that close to her. One example is when Suzette was following her mother she stated â€Å"she didn’t know her mother her mother ate frankfurters,† but knows her mother should not eat nothing with sodium.Suzette’s mother is not interested in he daughter. Suzette’s mother was not too much interested in her personal life she always watch lottery on channel 11, and is okay with denture and claims her significant other does not kiss her as he use to, she have conversation with herself while in the kitchen peeling the skin off th e poultry. Suzette’s mother told her daughter how of a good stewardess she would be and how she know she was doing well in school so she didn’t evening had to find out anything from her teacher.The Narrator was curious to see what her was about and follows her to a park to find out what she was up to and she found out she attends to other peoples kids and bought food for him and gave more loving and interest in him that she ever receive. One example was when she peak in his big bird book as if she was very interested. Her daughter must be surprised by this because she has never showed interest in her especially the parents-teachers associate meetings she should have attended when she was a student in school. The Narrator also describes her mother family back home in Haiti.She lost six of her seven sisters in Ville Rose and never fined the strength to return for their funerals. She had a conversation with her daughter about sending clothes to Haiti, but she never really send those clothes and never travel back to Haiti. Suzette’s mother had plans of doing good deeds but never have a will to fulfill them. She does not seem to shows a lot of interest in her family, but rather other people and their well being. Suzette’s close attention, while she observed her mother with another child. She feeds the lady’s child with food she bought and Suzette also observed this.She also observe how easily the child hand slip into her mother’s hands easily like he knows her for a long time â€Å" when he raises his face he look at her as if he looking at the sky† maybe this work because of her height or something else that was not clear. The child’s face was very happy when she gave him the soda, she helps him to do everything for example put the straw in his drink and not just assume he got it like how she would do her own daughter in assuming she is doing well because she just want to believe so.She also takes interest in the book he had, but she never did in Suzette’s parent’s teachers meetings. The Narrator mother will tell her the most wonderful things in the world, but she doesn’t really goes the extra miles to make sure she was doing well in school, she also trusted her daughter to be great and take responsibility for her own studies and to make her proud. Suzette was curious about her mother mission and finally examine how she interest with other people’s kids which is way different from how she interacted with her.

Dynamometer

The wattmeter is an electrodynamic instrument for measuring the electric power or the supply rate of electrical energy of any given circuit. The device consists of a pair of fixed coils, known as current coils, and a movable coil known as the potential coil. The current coils are connected in series with the circuit, while the potential coil is connected in parallel. Also, on analog wattmeters, the potential coil carries a needle that moves over a scale to indicate the measurement. A current flowing through the current coil generates an electromagnetic field around the coil. The strength of this field is proportional to the line current and in phase with it. The potential coil has, as a general rule, a high-value resistor connected in series with it to reduce the current that flows through it. The result of this arrangement is that on a dc circuit, the deflection of the needle is proportional to both the current and the voltage, thus conforming to the equation W=VA or P=EI. On an ac circuit the deflection is proportional to the average instantaneous product of voltage and current, thus measuring true power, and possibly (depending on load characteristics) showing a different reading to that obtained by simply multiplying the readings showing on a stand-alone voltmeter and a stand-alone ammeter in the same circuit. The two circuits of a wattmeter are likely to be damaged by excessive current. The ammeter and voltmeter are both vulnerable to overheating – in case of an overload, their pointers will be driven off scale – but in the wattmeter, either or even both the current and potential circuits can overheat without the pointer approaching the end of the scale! This is because the position of the pointer depends on the power factor, voltage and current. Thus, a circuit with a low power factor will give a low reading on the wattmeter, even when both of its circuits are loaded to the maximum safety limit. Therefore, a wattmeter is rated not only in watts, but also in volts and amperes. Retrieved from â€Å"http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Wattmeter† (A dynamometer consists of an absorption (or absorber/driver) unit, and usually includes a means for measuring torque and rotational speed. An absorption unit consists of some type of rotor in a housing. The rotor is coupled to the engine or other equipment under test and is free to rotate at whatever speed is required for the test. Some means is provided to develop a braking torque between dynamometer's rotor and housing. The means for developing torque can be frictional, hydraulic, electromagnetic etc. according to the type of absorption/driver unit. One means for measuring torque is to mount the dynamometer housing so that is free to turn except that it is restrained by a torque arm. The housing can be made free to rotate by using trunnions connected to each end of the housing to support the dyno in pedestal mounted trunnion bearings. The torque arm is connected to the dyno housing and a weighing scales is positioned so that it measures the force exerted by the dyno housing in attempting to rotate. The torque is the force indicated by the scales multiplied by the length of the torque arm measured from the center of the dynamometer. A load cell transducer can be substituted for the scales in order to provide an electrical signal that is proportional to torque. Another means for measuring torque is to connect the engine to the dynamometer through a torque sensing coupling or torque transducer. A torque transducer provides an electrical signal that is proportional to torque. With electrical absorption units, it is possible to determine torque by measuring the current drawn (or generated) by the absorber/driver. This is generally a less accurate method, but it may be adequate for some purposes. A wide variety of tachometers are available for measuring speed. Some types can provide an electrical signal that is proportional to speed. When torque and speed signals are available, test data can be transmitted to a data acquisition system rather than being recorded manually. Speed and torque signals can also be recorded by a chart recorder or plotter. ) Power in an electric circuit is the product (multiplication) of voltage and current, so any meter designed to measure power must account for both of these variables. A special meter movement designed especially for power measurement is called the dynamometer movement, and is similar to a D'Arsonval or Weston movement in that a lightweight coil of wire is attached to the pointer mechanism. However, unlike the D'Arsonval or Weston movement, another (stationary) coil is used instead of a permanent magnet to provide the magnetic field for the moving coil to react against. The moving coil is generally energized by the voltage in the circuit, while the stationary coil is generally energized by the current in the circuit. A dynamometer movement connected in a circuit looks something like this: [pic] The top (horizontal) coil of wire measures load current while the bottom (vertical) coil measures load voltage. Just like the lightweight moving coils of voltmeter movements, the (moving) voltage coil of a dynamometer is typically connected in series with a range resistor so that full load voltage is not applied to it. Likewise, the (stationary) current coil of a dynamometer may have precision shunt resistors to divide the load current around it. With custom-built dynamometer movements, shunt resistors are less likely to be needed because the stationary coil can be constructed with as heavy of wire as needed without impacting meter response, unlike the moving coil which must be constructed of lightweight wire for minimum inertia.

Importance of Vocational Education Essay

Vocational education (education based on occupation or employment) (also known as vocational education and training or VET) is education that prepares people for specific trades, crafts and careers at various levels from a trade, a craft, technician, or a professional position in engineering, accountancy, nursing, medicine, architecture, pharmacy, law etc. Craft vocations are usually based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation. It is sometimes referred to as technical education as the trainee directly develops expertise in a particular group of techniques. In the UK some higher technician engineering positions that require 4-5 year apprenticeship require academic study to HNC / HND or higher City & Guilds level. Vocational education may be classified as teaching procedural knowledge. This can be contrasted with declarative knowledge, as used in education in a usually broader scientific field, which might concentrate on theory and abstract conceptual knowledge, characteristic of tertiary education. Vocational education can be at the secondary, post-secondary level, further education level and can interact with the apprenticeship system. Increasingly, vocational education can be recognised in terms of recognition of prior learning and partial academic credit towards tertiary education (e. g. , at a university) as credit; however, it is rarely considered in its own form to fall under the traditional definition of higher education. Vocational education is related to the age-old apprenticeship system of learning. Apprenticeships are designed for many levels of work from manual trades to high knowledge work. However, as the labor market becomes more specialized and economies demand higher levels of skill, governments and businesses are increasingly investing in the future of vocational education through publicly funded training organizations and subsidized apprenticeship or traineeship initiatives for businesses. At the post-secondary level vocational education is typically provided by an institute of technology, university, or by a local community college. Vocational education has diversified over the 20th century and now exists in industries such as retail, tourism, information technology, funeral services and cosmetics, as well as in the traditional crafts and cottage industries.

A Class Struggle in Desperate Times Essay

John Steinbeck’s novel entitled The Grapes of Wrath is a story which depicts the spirit and dignity of a person during the most desperate of situations. The novel is a fictional account of the life of the Joad family on their way to the Promised Land of California from the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma during the 1930s (Steinbeck 2). The family, similar to several other sharecroppers and farmers living in Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and other states at the time of the dust bowl and the Great Depression were forced to leave their lands (Steinbeck 3). When it was first published in April 14, 1939, it quickly became a bestselling novel (Steiner 2). Although there were those who criticized the novel for apparently being basically sentimental and still others dismissed it as another example of social journalism or documentation more than it is a novel, most critics recognize the literary value of Steinbeck’s work. In fact, the author even received a Pulitzer Prize for his work the following year (Steiner 2). The novel is an attack on capitalism as it is about the plight of the migrant workers. It condemned cruel industrialism and monopoly capitalism (Choi 90). The theme of finding a home entwined with the political issues of the time is of the essence. This is because even though the story primarily has a political undertone, the author nevertheless explores the reason behind the migration of people, how they struggle to find their new homes while seeking to find out how it can really be done. The novel was written at a time the United States was struggling to survive a severe economic depression (Steinbeck 3). People all over the country have practically lost everything they own. The farming areas located at the Midwest experienced the worst consequence of such crisis. Soil depletion was brought about by poor farming practices. As a result, farmers who depend on it for survival were forced to seek for other ways to support their families. Moreover, the prices as well as markets for the crops have dropped. These events produced a significant change in agriculture of the region. Small farm lands merged with bigger and more commercial ones. Manual labor has been replaced by mechanical means. The country experienced dry soil erosion brought about by mighty wind blows and endured serious food crisis during middle part of the 1930s. The condition produced what came to be known as the â€Å"dust bowl† in Colorado, Kansa, Texas, and Oklahoma. The farmers together with their families were driven out of the land they depend on for years of survival. They traveled all the way to California, whose fertile land presents the promise of a better life. Unfortunately, life in the so-called Promised Land has not been good to them either. They suffered oppression, resentment, low wages, and unemployment. They were accused as communist in a land they counted on to rescue them from the ill-fated life they left back home (Steinbeck 3). Steinbeck traveled with the migrants to gain a first-hand experience of the unfortunate life they had to live. In writing the novel, the author sought more than just to illustrate the class struggle at the time of the Great Depression. He even presented a critical analysis of the policies that had been the root cause of their misfortune. In this regard, the characters portrayed in the story usually come out as classic heroes or romanticized models. He did this on purpose instead of utilizing his characters to investigate the individual human psyche. Rather, he presents his characters as personification of the universal struggles and principles of the human race. Hence, The Grapes of Wrath serves as an account of the Great Depression as it was an assessment of the social and fiscal system that contributed to the emergence of this particular period in American history. Works Cited Choi, Jungsun. â€Å"John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath: Home-Seeking and the Ambiguity of the Ending. † Journal of British American Studies 14 (2006): 89-110. Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002. Steiner, Bernd. A Survey of John Steinbeck’s â€Å"The Grapes of Wrath. † Munich: GRIN Verlag, 2007.

Balanced Scorecard Assignment and Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Balanced Scorecard Assignment and Paper - Essay Example The report will also define the segments which need to be addressed by the baby shop in order to enhance its business. The balanced scorecard is an extension of traditional financial measures. Financial measures are solely not enough as they only provide information about the past events. These were applicable for the companies in the industrial age when investments in long-term capabilities and customer relationships were not given any preferences. In the modern technological age only financial measures are not adequate. In order to remain competitive and successful in business it is important for a business to create future value through investment in customers, suppliers, employees, processes, technology, and innovation."Â   (Balanced Scorecard Institute, 2009)Â   c. Customer value: Continuous customer support through online and telephonic support. With the changing business attitudes a need of rebounding between the customers and the business corporations is also felt. The call centers are seen as an important instrument in order to explain the sales executives what is being required by the customers in shape of products and services and hence improving the sales by targeting the actual requirements of the customers. The following advantages are attached with the use of call centers There must be a continued effort to improve all business and production processes. Quality improvement projects, such as on-time delivery, order entry efficiency, billing error rate, customer satisfaction, cycle time, scrap reduction, and supplier management, are good places to begin technical techniques such as SPC, benchmarking, quality function deployment, and designed experiments are excellent for problem solving. Employee involvement should be encouraged on every step of organisational planning, from decision making to implement change in the organisation. A program can be found effective when the employers guarantee the involvement of the employees at each

Business organisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business organisation - Essay Example As such a firm’s response to market changes is structured by its form of capitalism, which has its own features like particular management structure, systems, culture, and legal governing bodies. Thus, success and failure of an enterprise depends on its investment strategy in different system structures and personnel. Accordingly, the British SMEs follow the personal form of capitalism. It is significant to verify how this personal form of capitalism has helped the British SMEs to flourish. Let’s consider some stats on British SMEs in this regard (Chandler [1990]. According to BT Business special report by Bourne (July 2007), importance of small businesses in British economy can be judged from the number of enterprises in the UK, which is 4.3 million, 99.3% of which have less than 50 employees on their roll. Small businesses generate about 10.3 million jobs in the UK, which is 46.8% of all jobs. Turnover of 36.4% UK businesses is above  £800 billion annually. Technology is a big reason according to BT Business report in the expansion in SME’s and it is an add-on to the smaller businesses tradition of collectively working by building further on personal relationships. By getting their business online, SMEs are trying to scale the ladder of progress. Some stats to consider: 60% businesses have online presence, 2% use the online medium for advertisement, 9% are listed on other websites, 8% have a totally dedicated online strategy and 21% have no web presence. About three-quarters of small businesses (74%) view the internet as an important tool in achieving their business targets in the approaching 5 years and 63% businesses assume that they can better compete with bigger players and varied markets through internet. Personal capital being the plus factor of British businesses, they work in the direction of personal relationship and winning the faith of their customers,

Food taboos in Nigeria and their nutritional effects Research Paper

Food taboos in Nigeria and their nutritional effects - Research Paper Example This study â€Å"Food taboos in Nigeria and their nutritional effects† focuses on the eating behavioural qualities of people in Nigeria and the problems of malnutrition of due to the lack of awareness and education. Talking about Nigeria, it is an under developed country with a huge amount of population, in terms of population it stands at tenth place in the world. It is divided into different ethnic groups each having their own culture and beliefs. Each of the group has different taboos mostly regarding children, pregnant women and mothers and people follow them like a sacred religion. Due to such reasons many parts of Nigeria are either suffering from malnutrition or have high infant mortality rate, people are uneducated and do not know the significance of adding a particular food in their diets. They do what they have seen their ancestors doing for ages. For example, people in most part of Nigeria do not include meat and eggs in their children’s diet, they believe th at adding such eatables would make them thieves. The logic behind such insane thought is that since meat, eggs are expensive food items, and they cannot afford it so if children get used to eating them just to fulfil their desire, they will start stealing because of such myths. Nigeria falls into the countries with one of the highest maternal mortality rate and every year millions are spent to improve the health sector but despite of this there has not been much change. It has been noticed that all such taboos are primarily related to foods of animal origin. Meat contains approximately 18% protein which is very high plus it is rich in phosphorus, moderate in iron content, and is an important source of niacin and riboflavin. Especially fresh meat contains ascorbic acid which prevents scurvy. Eggs which are forbidden to pregnant women contain proteins, vitamin A and thiamine. Cutting short all these important nutrition from the diet results in a handicapped society. It has been observ ed that some 170 thousand Nigerian women die as a result of following such food related taboos (UNCIEF, 2001). The most common causes of death include hemorrhage, sepsis, anemia and others. Hemorrhage is particularly caused when a mother is anemic; a condition marked by lowered production of red blood cells which have a

An Allegory of Divine Wisdom and the Fine Arts by Paolo de' Matteis & Essay

An Allegory of Divine Wisdom and the Fine Arts by Paolo de' Matteis & Pictura by Frans van Mieris the Elder - Essay Example The essay "An Allegory of Divine Wisdom and the Fine Arts by Paolo de' Matteis & Pictura by Frans van Mieris the Elder" explores paintings by Divine Wisdom, Paolo de' Matteis and Frans van Mieris the Elder. Divine Wisdom is a conglomeration of many subjects to include men, women, angelic beings, and artifacts of a compass and a drawing, clock, laurel wreath, and paddle while Pictura is of a lone woman holding a palette, brushes, and a small plaster sculpture for a model for larger works. Hanging from her neck is a mask on a chain. Divine wisdom suggests a hierarchy of the disciplines where Science is paramount before Painting and Architecture, which may point to the necessity for these two fields of human interest to uphold principles, facts, and knowledge. But these may have to be tempered with Virtue, Time (the clock) and Truth (the unfolding canvass). On the other hand Pictura is said to refer to the Arts and seems to warn of the capacity of art itself to deceive sights through th e art of illusions as suggested by the mask. Both paintings expectedly were influenced by the stylistic characteristics of their period, the masters with whom the painters worked, and the clients of these painters. Paolo trained under Luca Giordano which explains his leanings toward naturalism, a trademark of the Neapolitan school. In his Divine wisdom, he employed the delicate graceful manner (the hand of Science, for example), an influence of a French master, but â€Å"broke into baroque† as exemplified by the rich his work.

Conspicuous consumption Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Conspicuous consumption - Research Paper Example Tastes and preferences were the principal determinants for the purchase of lavish goods. Exceptionally luxurious products that maintained good quality where desired more. Income did not have a bearing on the decision to purchase luxurious goods, as many people were not fascinated by the price of goods. The Chinese middle class engage in conspicuous consumption so that they can maintain a high standing in the society. They are more westernized and stylish thus seeking to be more exceptional than the other Chinese. Recently, China has witnessed a steady annual growth rate of 10%. This rise has propelled China to an economic powerhouse in less than three decades. Because of China’s rise, approximately 500 million people were raised above the poverty line (Frith, 2010). The middle class did not only resort to unfeasible high-end lifestyles but also changed from a saving to a spending culture. Conspicuous consumption is more pronounced in China because it has a relatively high number of young millionaires. Chinese millionaires lie at the age of 39 years being younger than their international peers are. These millionaires consume luxury goods in order to maintain their professional relationships and high social ranks (Dorothea, M2011). Chinese people are known for bragging in society through ownership of luxurious commodities. They greatly value success, wealth, and social status through displaying expensive watches, jewelry and cars to gain respect from the commoners. Chinese ‘little emperors’ are also an important factor contributing to conspicuous consumption of luxurious goods in China. These young consumers are a result of the one child policy that was adopted in the 1970’s. Those born during that period are without siblings therefore being the focus of attention of parents (Dorothea, M2011). They were brought up as spoilt children who got what they wanted, when they wanted it. It is for this

Mission and Vision Statements and the Companys Strategic Direction Research Paper

Mission and Vision Statements and the Companys Strategic Direction - Research Paper Example However, it has developed and adopted a unique system known as â€Å"The HP Way†. This is a unique ideology or philosophy that refers to the way things are done at HP (Lacy & Mullins, 2002). Therefore, although the company lacks clear mission and vision statements, the elements of these are captured in the company’s shared values and corporate objectives. These are stated below. Although HP lacks specific mission and vision statements, the shared values and corporate objectives have some of the key elements of effective mission and vision statements. To evaluate HP’s mission and vision statements as captured in â€Å"The HP Way†, an evaluation matrix will be important. The evaluation matrix below (Table 1) comprises of three columns. The first column contains the salient elements of the mission statement based on Zainbooks website. According to the website, mission statements should contain at least nine elements including; One of HP’s corporate objectives is customer loyalty, which shows the company’s commitment to providing value and highest quality to win customer loyalty and respect. However, the objective does not specify the company’s customers. The growth element is clearly stated in HP’s corporate objectives. One of the company’s corporate objectives is growth, which explains the company’s nature of identifying and seizing growth opportunities. Through its market leadership corporate objective, HP is committed to becoming the market leader through its competitive advantages in developing and delivering innovative and useful solutions, products, and services. The strategic direction is an important element in ensuring the success of a company. A company without a strategic direction is like a plane without a pilot that moves haphazardly. Such a business, like the plane, is likely to collapse. HP has had a clear strategic direction over the years since its formation. The growth and success of the company is proof of this.

Why Quit Smoking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Why Quit Smoking - Essay Example Recent studies about tobacco smoking have revealed that it is a leading cause of lung cancer and other respiratory diseases. For the record, these lung cancer and other respiratory diseases were virtually unknown up until the surge of cigarette sales during World War II. Now lung cancer is considered as one of the leading killer diseases of the 21st century, killing an estimate of 3 million people around the world annually. Millions of people still continue to smoke tobacco despite its harmful effects to their health. But there are some smokers who want to quit their ugly habit, these are those smokers who have suddenly realized the negative effects of smoking and have decided to lead on a healthier nicotine free life through the help of various quitting methods. These individuals themselves have decided not just to quit smoking for themselves but also for the welfare of other smokers who wishes to kick the bad habit out of their system. Discussed herein are the dangers of tobacco smoking along with the various ways in which a smoker can quit this ugly habit in exchange for a healthier and happier life. Cigars and cigarettes are the primary sources of carcinogenic (cancer-causing) smoke. What distinguishes the two is that cigars are typically made from a single tobacco leaf without any wrappings or filter added to it while cigarettes are smaller versions of cigars. A typical cigarette is made up of tobacco leaf shreds wrapped in a special paper attached to a filter on one end. While cigarettes are widely available, cigars are usually sold in specialty stores equipped with humidors to preserve those. Differences aside both are still major sources of carcinogens and other substances that pose major health threats for humans Smokers have given various reasons on why they smoke. Many smoke for the sake of smoking. Some smoke to alleviate their self-destructive while others smoke because they are addicted to nicotine. Other smokers are bit more casual, saying that they smoke because they want to lessen the stress they experience in their daily lives. Whatever the reason is, most smokers will stick on the habit for the rest of their lives while developing various smoking related symptoms and diseases. A significant number of smokers on the other hand, have realized the various negative health and environmental effects of smoking and thus decided to quit smoking. Cigarette smoke inhaled by the smokers themselves is called mainstream smoke and it is reported to increase the risk of many types of cancer, which includes lip cancer, oral cancer, cancer of the esophagus, cancer of the pancreas, cancer of the larynx , cancer of the lungs; uterine and cervix cancers, cancer of the urinary bladder; and kidney cancer. On the other hand, smoke inhaled by non-smokers is called second-hand smoke. The effects of second-hand smoke seems to be much worse than mainstream smoke, the U.S. Surgeon General has updated some evidences showing that second-hand smoke causes heart disease and lung cancer in adults while it also causes sudden infant death syndrome and respiratory problems in infants and children respectively. It also found out that there is no "risk-free" level of second hand that exists; even the briefest exposure to secondhand smoke is enough to increase that risk of acquiring cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in adults. The only solution to this

Position Supporting Stem Cell Research Essay Example for Free

Position Supporting Stem Cell Research Essay Cells that can make a distinction into a variety of cell types are called stem cells and comprise embryonic stem (ES) cells and adult stem cells. Since ES cells can turn into a new organism or can differentiate into any tissue type, they are said to be â€Å"totipotent.† Adult stem cells, conversely, as they cannot turn into any type of tissue, are said to be â€Å"pluripotent.† For instance, bone marrow stem cells can turn into red blood cells, T-lymphocytes, or B-lymphocytes, however not muscle or bone cells. Nerve stem cells can as well turn into different types of nerve tissue. Stem cell research attempts to engineer tissues from the bodys stem cells to replace defective, damaged, or aging tissues. In 1998, scientists were capable to grow human ES cells indefinitely. Since then, researchers have performed stem cell experiments on mammals and have had some achievement in repairing spinal chord injuries in mice. Since scientists cannot use federal funds to carry out research on embryos, private corporations, most particularly the Geron Corporation, have funded ES cell research. Geron, awaiting possible ethical concerns, appointed its own ethics advisory board. The Clinton administration sought to loosen the interpretation of the ban on embryo research to permit the government to sponsor research on the use of ES cells once they were available. President G. W. Bush had made the decision to permit use merely of about sixty existing cell lines, and not the production of embryonic cell lines particularly made for the purpose of use for stem cells[1]. The majority of the stem cell procedures proposed to date would employ the ES cells from embryos formed by couples in fertility clinics. In the United States, thousands of embryos are discarded each year as IVF couples cannot use all of their embryos. A couple may make three-hundred embryos in an attempt give birth to one child. One more approach to stem cell research suggests that researchers make embryos for scientific and medical purposes. This approach, recognized as therapeutic cloning, or somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), engrosses transferring the nucleus from a cell in a persons body into an enucleated egg[2]. The ES cells from this new embryo would match the tissue in the persons body, therefore avoiding the potential tissue rejection problems that might occur in stem cell therapy. The potential of stem cell research is huge, for the reason that so many diseases result from tissue damage. Stem cell research could bring about advances in treating paralysis, diabetes, heart disease, pancreatitis, Parkinsons disease, liver disease, arthritis, as well as many further conditions. [3] Thus human pluripotent stem cell research is very important as firstly it propose help in understanding the actions that take place during normal human development. The understanding of human cell development could make possible further understandings regarding how abnormalities such as cancer occur. Secondly this research helps us to find out why some cells turn into heart cells whereas other cells turn into blood cells. Although it has been previously recognized that a gene turning on and off is central to cell development, however it is not recognized what makes these gene turn on and offstem cell research will most probably give a possible explanation. In a realistic sense this could make possible further understandings of cell development abnormalities. Thirdly pure samples of specific cell types could be used for testing different chemical compounds so as to develop medicines to treat disease[4]. This would make more efficient the process of medical testing in order that merely medicines that have a helpful effect on cell lines would be tested on animals and humans. And most significantly this research could be very helpful for cell transplantation therapies. Theoretically, stem cells could be grown into replacements for diseased or destroyed cells[5]. This would permit medical science to get to the bottom of diseases of organ failure for instance diabetes as well as neurological disorders for instance Parkinsons disease. The main protest to this promising research has to do with the source of ES cells. ES cells can be acquired from aborted embryos, embryos remaining after infertility treatments (IVF), embryos created only for research by IVF techniques, and from SCNT techniques (that is therapeutic cloning)[6]. To get ES cells, consequently, one have to either create embryos that will be used, manipulated, or destroyed, or one have to get embryos leftover from infertility treatments. However here is where the abortion debate resurfaces, as these techniques would engross treating embryos as mere things or objects and would not give embryos the esteem they deserve, as said by some critics. That is to say that a proper, fair and realistic account of what comes out of the freezer is a 5-day-old ball of about 150 cells, and of that the researchers will want to use about 30. What comes out of the freezer is unquestionably human tissue however it is not human. That ball of cells has no hope at all of becoming a human being without further intervention. One must not confuse the existence of a chance of becoming a human being with actually being human. The tissue can be likened to organs taken from a lately deceased person for transplant. Neither the organ nor the tissue is dead; it is human tissue but it is not human. One may say the same of sperm, for instance, every sperm must be protected that is available for the reason that it might, under circumstances where other things have to happen, become a human. That is practically the same thought. What has to happen there is that the sperm has to meet with an egg to fertilize that egg, which then has to be looked after. What has to happen with a 5-day-old ball of cells in which the egg and sperm have previously met is that it after that has to be implanted in a woman and stay there for nine months. In both cases nothing is going to happen unless other things are brought into play. It is a very strong view that it is not being talked about a human, rather about human tissue that will with the intervention of others, and only with the intervention of others, has the chance of becoming human. A parents right must be supported to demand that any of these untouched fertilized eggs be left untouched for afterward use or not be used for research. Very few, if any, parents who have had the advantage of the IVF program would refuse the chance for spare fertilized eggs to be used. They themselves turned to the wonders of science to give them what apparently nature was otherwise going to deny them, those who through the wonders of science have had what must have been their greatest dream realized would definitely not deny the chance for science to make better things for others. After all, how many fertilized eggs at varying stages of development were used in the IVF programs to get to the point where one could have a successful IVF program? [7] Some supporters of this bill do not deny where one is now with the science. He just wants science to have the opportunity to take him to further and better places. One cannot say that there is no practical application of this now, so not do the research. That is the equal of saying to a child that you are not permitted to swim in the pool until you have learned to swim. How can one possibly refuse to do research on the basis that he does not have the researchers outcomes? One can not get those outcomes until he proceeds with the research. So, again, one must be very much on the side of proceeding with stem cell research. Some of the objections which have their foundation in a religious view held by their proponents. Living by a decent set of values is far more vital than defending the doctrine of one church over another. If you lead a good life and if there is a kingdom of heaven you will be welcome into his or heaven. Your religion is your business and no-one elses. When you make your religion an issue, you drag it into the political domain and you tarnish it. It follows that we attach very little importance or interest to arguments over religious dogma. Similarly, we do not turn to the state to legislate for one religious view over another. Without doubt, we can clearly see the risks of adopting a view that your religion is the right one and the rest of the world must be converted. This point is quite simple: each to his own religion. If you say to one that doing something is against Gods will, then he will respond by assuring you that, if God is annoyed, God will punish whoever has done that thing. The state should never be used as Gods enforcer. Over the years, as we have been approaching 50, we can assure you that we have every confidence in Gods capability to settle accounts. It has not been our experience that he or she usually waits until you are dead. Numerous people who have done the wrong thing have met their maker in a practical sense while they were still alive[8]. In brief, we are talking about fertilized eggs that are in the freezer. They have not the slightest chance of becoming human unless they are accepted by the mother to be carried for 9 months. We are talking about fertilized eggs where that is not the case. The outcome is that they are either going in the bin or going to be used for the betterment of mankind. My other proposition is that we cannot now say whether the science is good or bad. We do not know where the science is going to take us. Science of itself is not fundamentally good or bad; it is what we do with it that will make that case. We have to understand that the benefits of this research may take years to come. That merely makes us say: start more quickly. We simply ask those who, due to their religious beliefs, have a very authentic concern regarding this bill to accept that they are entitled to follow their religious beliefs; they are not entitled to demand by legislation that everybody else does the same. References: Adil E. Shamoo, David B. Resnik. Responsible Conduct of Research; Oxford University Press, 2003 Daniel Callahan. What Price Better Health? Hazards of the Research Imperative; University of California Press, 2003 John Harris. On Cloning; Routledge, 2004 Sandra Braman. Biotechnology and Communication: The Meta-Technologies of Information; Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004 Thomas Kemp. â€Å"The Stem Cell Debate: A Veblenian Perspective†; Journal of Economic Issues, Vol. 38, 2004. [1] Daniel Callahanpg 55 [2] John Harris, pg 90 [3] Daniel Callahan, pg 67-69 [4] Thomas Kemp, pg 6 [5] ibid [6] John Harris, pg 78-79 [7] Sandra Braman, pg 105 [8] Adil E. Shamoo, David B. Resnik, pg 210

Triple Sugar Test in Microbiology Essay Example for Free

Triple Sugar Test in Microbiology Essay Triple sugar-iron (TSI) agar test- designed to differentiate among the different groups or genera of the Enterobacteriaceae, which are all gram-negative bacilli capable of fermenting glucose with the production of acid a. Differentiation is made on the basis of differences in carbohydrate fermentation patterns and hydrogen sulfide production. To facilitate observation of carbohydrate utilization patterns- TSI agar slants contain lactose and sucrose (1%) concentrations and glucose (0.1%) concentration which permits detection of the utilization of this substrate only. The acid base indicator phenol red- also incorporated to detect carbohydrate fermentation that is indicated by a change in color of the medium from orange-red to yellow in the presence of acids. a. Method to inoculate slant: stab and streak procedure which requires insertion of sterile straight needle from the base of the slant into the butt. Upon withdrawal, the slanted surface of the medium is streaked. Determining activities of the organism: a. Alkaline slant (red) and acid butt (yellow) with or without gas production (breaks in the agar butt): Only glucose fermentation has occurred. Glucose was degraded first. Since this substrate is minimally present, the small amount of acid produced on the slant surface is oxidized rapidly. Peptones in the medium are used in production of alkali. In the butt the acid reaction is maintained because of reduced O2 tension and slower growth of the organism. b.Acid slant (yellow) and acid butt (yellow) with or without gas production: Lactose and or sucrose fermentation has occurred. Since these substances are present in higher concentrations, they serve as the substrates for continued fermentative activities with maintenance of an acid reaction in both slant and butt. c.Alkaline slant (red) and alkaline butt (red) or no change (orange-red) butt- No carbohydrate fermentation has occurred. Instead peptones are catabolized under anaerobic and or aerobic conditions resulting in an alkaline pH due to production of ammonia. If only aerobic degradation of peptones occur, the alkaline reaction is evidenced only on the slant surface. If there is aerobic and anaerobic utilization of peptone, the alkaline reaction is present on the slant and the butt.