The Marketing Strategy Of Grupo Bimbo - 995 Words

Grupo Bimbo started introducing the Bimbo bread line into the U.S. market by providing the Mexican brand of bread to Mexican owned shops in mainly areas of the southern border regions of the U.S. that had large Latino populations, figuring that product familiarity with Latinos would establish a foothold in the U.S. This tactic fell short of the initial goal and a growth strategy was developed that would be different from what was in place at the time. They developed a growth strategy for entering the U.S. market for bakery products in hopes that it would be able to serve the market without the implications of exporting bakery products from its bakeries in Mexico. The decision to expand into the United States was defined by the attitude that Grupo Bimbo would become the predator in a market where smaller bakeries are routinely gobbled up by larger bakeries, considering the white bread market in the U.S. was losing ground to health-conscious consumers looking to purchase healthier prod ucts. We are always looking at opportunities to increase our presence in the Americas, where we are concentrating at the moment, said Daniel Servitje, Grupo Bimbo s president. We are open to looking into ways to strengthen our position in the United States (Gori, 2000). While he acknowledged that the United States market is far different, Mr. Servitje said his company has strong brand recognition among Hispanic consumers. An estimated twenty million Mexicans andShow MoreRelatedMy Life1439 Words   |  6 PagesGrupo BimBo To paraphrase Gehmawat, the world is not flat it’s semi-globalized, In order to understand the global environement where Grupo Bimbo intervene, a CAGE analysis based on the framework developed by Ghemawat will be performed at a country level (Mexico – USA Mexico – China) and also at a food industry level. Armed with this analyisis we will check the relevance of each of the AAA strategy (Ghemawat, redefining global value), the recommended strategy will be then submitted to the 4I’sRead MoreBusiness Analysis : Bimbo Bakeries Usa2109 Words   |  9 PagesBimbo Bakeries USA, headquartered in Horsham, Pennsylvania is the United States affiliate of Grupo Industrial Bimbo, founded in Mexico City, Mexico. Though Grupo Bimbo is now a multinational corporation, it began as a single family-owned bakery in Mexico City called â€Å"El Molino†. Lorenzo Servitje Sendra worked with his father in the family bakery throughout his childhood, but when his father died in 1936 he had to take over. Lorenzo was educated and ambitious, and together with three of his familyRead MoreA Brief Note On Grupo Industrial Bimbo ( Bimbo )2631 Words   |  11 PagesExecutive Summary Grupo Industrial Bimbo (Bimbo) has been successful as a baking company for the past several years. With their focus on remaining positioned as just a â€Å"baking company,† they have acquired and partnered with several different companies to defragment the industry and expand their product lines and capabilities. This paper will explore the current successful strategies that Bimbo is utilizing, the threats that Bimbo is facing, and finally give some recommendations on moving forwardRead MoreReflection on Impact of Emerging Markets on Marketing: Rethinking Existing Perspectives and Practices1858 Words   |  8 Pagestheory and the practice of marketing. The reason is very simple; marketing is a discipline that was developed in the concept of industrialized (developed) markets meaning that most of the marketing tools are designed to work specifically in industrialized markets (Sheth, 2011). Therefore, adapting most of what is known about marketing is necessary to succeed in ne w markets and new marketing research approaches need to be taken. The article Impact of Emerging Markets on Marketing: Rethinking Existing PerspectivesRead MoreThe Sustainable Century By Design Or Disaster9705 Words   |  39 Pages The Sustainable Century by Design or Disaster Priorities, Strategies, Tactics Musings for More Better Corporate Sustainability in a Global Economyi Copyright @ 2015 by Marc de Sousa-Shields All rights reserved. In accordance with the US Copy Right Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of Marc de Sousa Shields and or the publisher constitutions unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you wouldRead MoreThe Sustainable Century By Design Or Disaster9705 Words   |  39 Pages The Sustainable Century by Design or Disaster Priorities, Strategies, Tactics Musings for More Better Corporate Sustainability in a Global Economyi Copyright @ 2015 by Marc de Sousa-Shields All rights reserved. In accordance with the US Copy Right Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of Marc de Sousa Shields and or the publisher constitutions unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would

Gulf Carriers Destabilise Alliances Free Essays

With much ceremony, Qatar Airways became the first of the large Sulfated c aeries to enter a global airline alliance by joining Enroll, led by American Airlines and British Main. Ways. Sign up now â€Å"Becoming a member Of Enroll is one of the most significant landmarks in Qatar Airways’ history,† declared Kafka AH Baker, the airline’s chief executive. We will write a custom essay sample on Gulf Carriers Destabilise Alliances or any similar topic only for you Order Now This move highlights how the fastenings, steamrollered Gulf carriers – E emirates Airlines, Edited Airways and Qatar Airways – are no longer viewed with universal hostility by western airlines. First is our new essential daily email briefing of the best stories from across the web But Emirates and Edited are unlikely to be joining one Of the three global aril en alliances – Enroll, Steam and Star Alliance – in the near future. These two carriers, based in D baa and ABA Dhabi, respectively, are pursuing their own partnerships – actions that are destabilize Eng the alliances and could play an influential role in reducing the importance of these groups. The alliances were established in the 1 9905 because foreign ownership rules often prohibited carriers room combining via crossbred mergers. Even the biggest carriers knew they could not fly to all big cities, so airlines formed alliances that in effect bolted their networks together to offer destinations worldwide – notably to business travelers. These alliances were supposed to be clubs that looked after their respective interests, but last year Santa – a founding member of Enroll -? sent showplaces through the industry by agreeing to form a fare aching partnership with Emirates. Founded in 1985 and now flying to more than 130 destinations with the world s largest fleet of wideband passenger jets, Emirates has inflicted financial pain on longhand carriers in the US, Europe and Asia – include inning Santa. But the Australian carrier is hoping the collaboration with Emirates will play a key role in restoring its international pop orations to profit. At the heart of the partnership is a icosahedra that gives Santa passengers a much greater choice of routes between Australia and Europe, the Middle East and Africa because they can fly on Emirates’ jets. How to cite Gulf Carriers Destabilise Alliances, Papers

Nike Inc., Marketing Masters Essay Example For Students

Nike Inc., Marketing Masters Essay Basketball players wanna be like Mike, but shoe companies wanna be like NIKE. NIKE is the worlds #1 company and controls more than 40% of the US athletic shoe market. The company designs and sells shoes for just about every sport, including baseball, volleyball, cheerleading, and wrestling. NIKE also sells Cole Haan dress and casual shoes and a line of athletic wear and equipment, such as hockey sticks, skates, and timepieces. In addition, it operates NIKETOWN shoe and sportswear stores and is opening JORDAN in store outlets in suburban markets. NIKE sells its product to about 19,000 US accountants, in about 140 other countries, and online. Chairman, CEO, and co-founder Phil Knight owns. Nike Co. is very interesting, as well is a popular brand. Nike, pronounced NI-KEY, is the winged goddess of victory according to Greek mythology. She sat at the side of Zeus, the ruler of the Olympian pantheon, in Olympia. A mystical presence, symbolizing victorious encounters, NIKE presided over historys earliest battlefields. A Greek would say, When we go to battle, and win, we say it is NIKE. Synonymous with honored conquest; NIKE is the twentieth century footwear that lifts the worlds greatest athletes to new levels of mastery and achievement. The NIKE swoosh embodies the spirit of the winged goddess who inspired the most courageous and chivalrous warriors at the dawn of civilization. Among artistic representations of Nike are the sculpture by Paeonius (c. 424 BC) and the Nike of Samothrace. Rhodians probably erected the latter, discovered on Samothrace in 1863 and now in the Louvre Museum, Paris, about 203 BC to commemorate a sea battle. Excavations have shown that the sculpture was placed alighting on a flagship, which was set in the ground in such a way that it appeared to float. If you were to break the word NIKE down, you would get Ni-key. The pronunciation for Nike is nI-kE. Its function is noun, and its etymology is Greek NiKE. If you defined the word NIKE, you would find out that it means the Greek goddess of victory. Another meaning and definition of a word is SWOOSHING. Main entry: Swoosh, function is noun, and it is an act or instance of swooshing. The origin of the swoosh dates back as far as 1971. Phil Knight was supplementing his modest income from Blue Ribbon Sports Inc. by teaching an accountant class at Portland State University. There he met Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student, who was working on a multi-perspective drawing assignment in the hallway. He offered her a couple of bucks per hour if she would do some design work for his small company. This all happened because Representatives from Japan were coming for a presentation and Phil wanted some charts and graphs to show them according to Davidson. Apparently this wasnt the last time Phil had asked Carolyn Davidson to create a design for him and Blue ribbon Sports. According to Davidson again, Phil had asked her to work on a shoe stripe because supposedly Phil needed more inventory control. (In spring of 1992, the first shoe with the Nike Swoosh was introduced) There have always been numerous predictions and questions asked about what Nike pays its people. An average salary for a Nike Spokesman (Tiger woods) is $55,555 dollars per day, which adds up to 20,277,575 dollars in a one years earned salary. Other salaries of Nike employees such as an Indonesian factory worker who is making shoes makes $1. 25 per day and an on average of $456. 5 per year. Lastly, Nike CEO Phil Knight is worth roughly over $5. 8 billion dollars. Nike ads like any other businesses require interpretation. Some of this reading goes on at the conscious level, some unconsciously. As opposed to extremists on either side of the interpretative question, I fall most nearly to the constructivist point of view in that I view meaning as interplay between text and the reader. Ads work on a variety of different levels including, but not limited to, sign typology, paradigmatic meaning, psychological appeals, emotion, roles, values/beliefs, and knowledge. Again, the impact of an ad comes from the interplay between these various aspects of make-up and the readers own notions about him/herself and the world. Rubber-soled shoes were first mass-marketed as canvas-top sneakers by U. S. Rubber, with its keds in 1917. But the elevation of athletic shoe manufacture to both a science and a fashion was due largely due to Phil Knight and Steve Bowerman of Oregon. In 1958, Phil Knight, a business major a the University of Oregon, and a miler on the track team, shared with his coach, Bill Bowerman, a dissatisfaction with the clumsiness of American running shoes. They formed a company in 1964 to market a lighter and more comfortable shoe designed by Bowerman. In 1968, this company became NIKE, Inc. named for the Greek goddess of Victory. At first, Knight and Bowerman sold their shoes in person, at track meets across the Western US. Their company thrived through a classic combination of entrepreneurship and innovation. Bowermans most memorable technical breakthrough was the optimal traction of the waffle soles he invented by shaping rubber in the waffle iron in his kitchen (1972). Other essential innovations were the wedged heel, the cushioned mid-sole, and nylon uppers. Knights first great marketing ploy was announcing that four of the top seven finishers in the marathon at the 1972 Olympic Trials had worn Nikes (the first three runners, in fact, had worn West German Adidas). Through the 80s and 90s, NIKEs advertisements helped make it by far the foremost retailer of athletic shoes world-wide, thanks to the endorsements from superstars like Michael Jordan, and the catchy slogans like Just Do It. After dozens of years, patents and commercials, NIKE and its competitors created an absolute mania for elaborate athletic shoes, in the US and aboard. Though fashion remains a matter of taste, it is undeniable that both world-class athletes and even the average aerobics enthusiast owe a debt to the innovations of Phil knight and Bill Bowerman and to the industry they inspired. Phil Knight is the founder and CEO of the athletic gear company Nike. Knight and Nike helped start a sports business and revolution in the 1970s changing old- fashioned tennis shoes into highly specialized equipment and promoting them as symbols of athletic prowess and success. Nikes success made Knight one of the Americas wealthiest men. In the 1990s he was the subject of frequent protests over allegedly poor working conditions at Nike manufacturing plants in Asia. Phil Knight was born on February 24, 1938. He is as well married. His position in Nike is Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman, Nike Inc. His educational background is Business Administration, University of Oregon (1959); M. B. A. , Stanford University (1962). His favorite personal sports are tennis, running, and golf. A co-founder of Nike and former University of Oregon miler with a personal best 4:10, Phil Knight received an MBA from Stanford University. His masters work provided the outline for the business that would become Nike, the worlds number-one sports fitness company. His theory? High-quality running shoes could be designed in the United States, manufactured in Asia, and then sold in America at lower prices than the then-popular West German-made running shoes. With a $500 investment matched by his co-founder and former coach Bill Bowerman, Knight began Blue Ribbon Sports (Nike progenitor) in 1964. Off to an uncertain start, he sold his shoes out of his back of a station wagon but continued to practice as a C. P. A. and teach at Portland State, Univ. until 1969. The Cortez, the first shoe to appear under Nike brand, arrived on the athletic scene in 1972. Since then, Knight has inspired numerous innovations in the business of sports, including future-based ordering; substantial investment in long-term product research and development; national media reinforcement of performance and styling ties between product and athletes, and the creation of a customer- service program supported by a full-time technical team. Melissa King Argumentative EssayThere are no health benefits, so many workers must choose between buying food and taking their kids to the doctor. Lisa Jones quit because of sexual harassment at the factory. In a quote by Lisa Jones I started thinking, how am I going to raise my little girl to have self-respect if I dont have it, she said. This is a sweatshop. They make uniforms that many cities purchase with tax dollars. The major retail chains and big name apparel companies call the shots in the clothing industry. By constantly driving down the price they will pay for goods, they force sweatshop conditions on sewing factories. That means higher profits for the retail and apparel giants, not lower prices for consumers. Five department stores chains account for nearly two-thirds of all department store sales in the U. S. Those retail chains have tremendous power over the companies that make the clothing the stores sell. Most of the garment factories, here and around the world, couldnt stay in business if they lost the business of the retail giants. Thats why the big retailers could stop sweatshops if they wanted to, or if they had to. When these retailers demand quality merchandise and on-time delivery, they get them. If they also demanded that every garment had to be made under decent conditions, there is no question that things would improve fast. In the fall of 1999, an Indonesian human rights organization interviewed 3,500 workers in Nike contractor factories in Indonesia about their pay and working conditions. The survey, conducted by Indonesias Urban Community Mission in conjunction with U. S. based Press for Change, was the most comprehensive investigation of working conditions in Nikes Indonesian plants in three years. Here are some of their findings: Cruel Treatment: 57 percent of Nike athletic shoe workers and 59 percent of Nike clothing workers reported that they had seen workers being shouted at or subjected to cruel treatment by their supervisors. Examples of abuse that workers cited included wage deductions, having their ears pulled, being pinched or slapped, being forced to run around the factory or having to stand for hours in factory yards (known as being dried in the sun). As punishment on the job, workers were made to clean the toilets. Reported verbal abuse included the Indonesian equivalent of phrases like You Dog, and other vulgar words like this one that should not be repeated. Forced Overtime: Workers most common complaint was being forced to work excessive overtime more than 72 hours per week during peak periods. Nikes code of conduct calls for working hours to be limited to 60 hours. Poverty Wages for Shoe Workers: The second most serious complaint cited by footwear workers was low wages. The vast majority of Nike shoe workers interviewed told surveyors their basic wages at the time of the survey were between $33 U. S. (Rp 251,000) and $39 U. S. (Rp 300,000) per month which comes to about 16 19 cents an hour. This wage does not even come close to covering the costs of a familys basic human needs. Since these interviews, the cost of living has continued to deteriorate, and Nike contractors increases in the nominal wage have not been adequate to account for inflation and currency devaluation. Even Lower Wages for Apparel Workers. Nike apparel workers in Indonesia earn even less than Nike footwear workers. The survey found that 31 percent of the 1,200 Nike apparel workers interviewed earned less than the equivalent of $33 U. S. dollars per month (Rp 250,000). That is 25% percent less than what even Nike says that it takes to meet one persons minimum physical needs, without taking into consideration providing for family members or savings. According to surveyors: Workers struggling to survive on wages this low are in a desperate position. Shoe giant Nike has suspended a manager in its Ho Chi Minh City factory in response to a labor groups charge of worker abuse in Vietnamese manufacturing plants. A U. S. -based company spokesman told USA Today that a manager had been suspended for abusing workers. The paper reported that labor activist Thuyen Nguyen of U. S. -based Vietnam Labor Watch inspected Nike facilities in Vietnam last month in escorted and surprise visits. Nguyen said he found violations of minimum wage and overtime laws as well as physical mistreatment of workers. His 12-page report on working conditions in Vietnam is the latest in a series of troubles Nike has faced with its subcontractors in Vietnam. Last year, a South Korean factory floor manager working for Nike subcontractor Sam Yang Co. was convicted of beating Vietnamese employees with a shoe. At least 250 Vietnamese employees walked off the job at the Sam Yang factory last week to protest poor working conditions and low wages, state-run media reported. Workers at the factory work in overheated and a noisy environment, the official Laborer newspaper reported. The requirements from the health care department for labor conditions have not been met. A second Nike subcontractor, Taiwanese firm Pou Chen Vietnam Enterprise, has been cited for physically abusing workers at its plant. Among other things, a floor manager at the Pou Chen plant forced 56 women employees to run laps as punishment for wearing non-regulation shoes. Vietnamese press at the time of the incident said 12 of them fainted and were taken to a hospital. That incident occurred on March 8, International Womens Day. The manager accused of making women run laps has been suspended, Nike spokesman McLain Ramsey told USA Today. Nike has repeatedly come under criticism for not clamping down on poor labor conditions in factories it hires to produce its line of footwear and apparel. While Nike claims it is trying to monitor and enforce its code of conduct, its current approach to monitoring and enforcement is simply not working, the paper quoted Nguyen as saying. Ramsey confirmed Nguyens visit to the Ho Chi Minh City plant and also told the paper that Nike officials are as distressed as he is about the report. Nike has a full investigation going and encouraged local police to do the same, he told the paper. In the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, a senior labor official reiterated complaints that workers in Nike-contracted factories faced inhumane treatment. Violations of labor rights generally are occurring in their smaller contractor joint venture or wholly-owned ventures in which the Vietnamese side has minimal control, said Tu Le, a senior official from the Vietnam Labor Union. Nguyens report was to be released today in New York. Just weeks ahead of the report, Nike announced it had hired former U. N. Ambassador Andrew Young and his Goodworks International group to review a new code of conduct for the companys overseas factories. The measure was aimed at quelling mounting criticism that working conditions at factories in Indonesia and Vietnam were substandard. Nike uses five manufacturing plants in Vietnam, where it takes advantage of low-cost labor and relatively high production standards. About 3 percent of Nikes output is produced in Vietnam, a Nike spokesman said in an earlier interview. Michael Jordan became the first athletic mega businessman. His role as a spokesman for Nike turned that athletic-shoe and- apparel company into the world leader, earning both him and Nike millions of dollars.

Sleep Cycle Essay Example

Sleep Cycle Essay Its natural to blame sleep problems on stress or physical changes that come with age. But many cases of either sleeplessness or poor sleep are caused by a handful of specific problems, most of them fixable with lifestyle changes or the help of a doctor. Here, five little-known causes of sleep problems and what to do about them. 1. Light How it disrupts sleep: You probably already know that when you stay up late under bright lights, you interrupt your bodys natural sleep-wake cycle, because light tricks your brain into remaining in daylight mode. Less well known is that the light from computer screens and iPads shining directly into your eyes at close range is especially troublesome. Why? Part of the problem is that the light from these devices is at the blue end of the spectrum, which scientists believe is particularly disruptive to circadian rhythms. Blue light, although common during the day, doesnt occur naturally during the evening. Similarly, light shining in your eyes while you sleep even very small amounts coming from, say, a lighted clock makes your brain think its morning and emerge out of deep sleep. Darkness triggers production of the hormone melatonin, the hormone that triggers sleepiness and the onset of sleep. Light prevents this release or shuts it off. The evidence: Studies have long shown that shift workers and those who work late at night have poorer sleep and higher incidences of certain conditions associated with lack of sleep than those who regularly sleep eight or nine hours at night. A recent study published in Cancer Causes amp; Control, for example, found that the countries generating the most light at night have the highest incidence of breast cancer. We will write a custom essay sample on Sleep Cycle specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sleep Cycle specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sleep Cycle specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer And studies at the Light Research Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia have found that the use of computers, lighted readers, and TVs at close range is tied to a higher incidence of sleeplessness. Whos at risk: Everyone exposed to light shortly before bed or during sleep. Light is also bad for hearts, which need deep sleep to recharge. Surprising fact: Every year theres a spike in the number of heart attacks just after the start of daylight savings time in the spring. What to do: Dim the lights and turn off all lighted screens at least an hour before bed. If you use a reading light, make sure its not any brighter than necessary and doesnt shine in your eyes. Do a light police room check: Are there streetlights outside your windows? Use blackout curtains or shades and make sure they fit the windows tightly so no light seeps in around the edge. Charge laptops, phones, cameras, and other devices in another room. Use an alarm clock without a lighted dial, or turn it to face the wall. Keep a flashlight next to your bed and use it whenever you have to get up to use the bathroom or let the dog out and be careful to point it away from yourself so you dont look into the beam. Dont turn on an overhead light, and never use nightlights. If you must use a laptop, turn down the screen brightness as low as you can tolerate and prop the laptop as far away from you as your typing arms will reach. If you love eReaders, try a Kindle or other device with a screen thats not backlit. 2. Pain How it disrupts sleep: Just about any kind of pain signals sent by the brain jaw pain, headaches, back pain, or arthritis, for example disrupt sleep, lifting you from the deep, restful REM cycle into lighter sleep or causing you to sleep fitfully and partially wake up over and over, which experts call microarousals. The evidence: Surveys of chronic pain sufferers reveal that between 60 and 90 percent sleep poorly. But many dont realize that their pain is the cause of their poor sleep. This can become a vicious cycle, says Thomas Roth of the Sleep Disorders and Research Center at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, because even partial sleep disruptions can increase sensitivity to pain. In other words, even mild pain causes poor sleep, which in turn leads to more pain. Whos at risk: Anyone who suffers chronically painful conditions such as arthritis, back or neck pain, jaw alignment problems, dental pain, fibromyalgia, headaches, or any other type of chronic pain. Note: The p ain doesnt need to be severe; studies show that even mild pain disrupts sleep. According to Roth, frequent microarousals can occur throughout the night without your being aware of them. The result is that you never attain deep REM cycle sleep and wake up feeling tired and grumpy, but you dont know why. What to do: Take steps to treat your pain proactively. Using over-the-counter pain relief is a start, but its always best to consult with a doctor and develop a comprehensive pain-relief program. For example, you may need physical therapy to combat back and neck pain, or migraine medication if your frequent headaches might be migraines. If bruxism (teeth grinding) or jaw clenching is leading to jaw pain, a mouth guard is often the solution. 3. Disrupted breathing How it disrupts sleep: When oxygen flow to the brain is interrupted, your brain sends a warning signal that wakes you up either fully or partially, causing fitful sleep or preventing deep, restful sleep. The result: You wake feeling like you didnt sleep well, even if you were out for nine hours straight. The best known version of this is apnea, which is a complete stoppage of breathing. A much more common and less recognized problem is upper airway resistance syndrome, or UARS. In UARS, structural blockages somewhere in the airway nasal congestion, your tongue falling back and blocking the back of the throat, or just having a smaller airway to begin with begin to interfere with the flow of air. What happens is that you wake up over and over again without knowing it, but the sleep interruptions last only a few seconds, too short to be detected by a standard sleep apnea test. The evidence: Even subtle levels of restricted breathing can lead to deep brain stimulation and arousals that prevent your ability to stay in deep sleep, says otolaryngologist Steven Park, an otolaryngologist and author of Sleep, Interrupted: A Physician Reveals the #1 Reason Why So Many of Us Are Sick and Tired. You dont realize youre waking up, but your brain wakes up, so its now in a light sleep. We see people who are waking up 100 times a night. Whos at risk: People who breathe through their mouths or have chronic congestion, such as from asthma or allergies. If you sleep more poorly on your back, this can be a sign of UARS, because when you sleep on your back your tongue is more likely to sink back and block the entrance to your throat. If you have a narrow face, a thin neck, or had extensive orthodontic work to correct a crowded jaw, youre likely to be at particular risk for UARS, says Park. What to do: Start with some self-tests. Try using pillows to keep yourself on your side, or put a tennis ball in the back pocket of pajama bottoms, so you cant sleep on your back. If your nose often feels stuffed up, you might find relief with breathing strips, available at the drugstore. Another option is to try is a device designed to hold the nostrils open; brand names include Nozovent and Breathe with Eez. A saline nasal spray works for many people. If you have congestion due to seasonal allergies, try an antihistamine. (But if you take one that can act as a stimulant, such as Claritin or Sudafed, dont take it too close to bedtime. ) If none of these help, ask your doctor to refer you to an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist, who can evaluate whether youre a candidate for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), a nasal mask that delivers air directly through your airways. An ENT can also determine whether tongue position is causing your UARS, in which case a dental device that pushes the jaw and tongue forward can help. For many people, losing a few pounds can be the ticket to better sleep, since excess weight is linked to all kinds of breathing problems, including UARS, snoring, and sleep apnea. 4. Medications How they disrupt sleep: Medications sometimes have side effects that trigger sleeplessness or interfere with deep sleep. Most common culprits: asthma medications, corticosteroids, blood pressure medications, and antidepressants. Also, many ingredients in common medications act as stimulants. They may cause jitteriness during the day and trigger sleeplessness or prevent deep sleep at night. Example: Bronchodilators like albuterol and salmeterol, commonly used to treat asthma, bronchitis, and COPD, can amp you up and interfere with sleep, yet patients are often directed to use them at the end of the day. Other common medications that can interfere with sleep include SSRIs, such as Prozac and Paxil, and beta-blockers taken for high blood pressure and heart disease. Sometimes medications sabotage your sleep indirectly. Diuretics, for example, can interfere with sleep by causing you to use the bathroom at night. Tagamet (generic name cimetidine), taken to control reflux and ulcers, can cause sleeplessness, especially when combined with caffeine or other medications. Like many side effects, sleeplessness from medications can affect some people but not others; Propecia, used to treat hair loss, and the antihistamine loratadine (brand name Claritin) are both known to cause sleeplessness in a percentage of those who take them. Some people react to opioid pain medications with rebound sleeplessness, feeling sleepy at first but then waking up and being unable to get back to sleep. The evidence: Although every medication is tested for side effects during the FDA approval process, in many cases evidence of side effects mounts over time as a drug enters more widespread use. Albuterol has been widely reported to cause restlessness, nervousness, and sleeplessness. An article in the European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology also found that beta-blockers interfere with melatonin release. Recent studies have found that Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, and other SSRIs affect sleep in a significant number of patients. If youre using an antidepressant, be sure to talk to your psychiatrist about any possible sleep problems and ask about alternative antidepressants if this is an issue. Whos at risk: Those taking regular medication for a chronic condition such as asthma, depression, high blood pressure, or pain. A medication that you take once is less likely to cause an ongoing sleep issue because you take it for a short period of time and are more likely to notice the side effect. When you have a chronic condition, youre more likely to attribute any sleep problems to the condition rather than the treatment. What to do: Any time youre prescribed a new medication, ask the doctor to discuss in detail all side effects you should be alert to. Its always a good idea to ask both the doctor and the pharmacist, How will this medication affect my sleep? Because some medications cause sleepiness, some interfere with sleep, and some do both, asking the question in an open-ended way will get you the most information. 5. Depression How it disrupts sleep: Fatigue is one of the most prevalent symptoms of depression, yet many people dont realize how closely related depression and poor sleep can be. Depression wreaks havoc with your natural biological rhythms; many people with depression have trouble getting out of bed in the morning, and they oversleep or get fatigued and nap during the day. Yet their sleep is fitful and of poor quality, so despite spending more hours ostensibly sleeping or trying to sleep, they dont feel well rested. Then at night, depression sufferers often have trouble maintaining a regular bedtime routine. Having slept late in the morning or napped late in the day, they may not feel sleepy. Anxiety, which often accompanies depression, may cause excessive late-night worry that contributes to sleeplessness. The evidence: Because the relationship between depression and insomnia is a chicken-and-egg cycle, experts have studied it from both directions. Psychological studies have found that a high proportion of those with depression suffer from either sleeplessness or disrupted sleep, and a recent study by the University of Maryland found that 40 to 60 percent of people Sleep Cycle Essay Example Sleep Cycle Essay Its natural to blame sleep problems on stress or physical changes that come with age. But many cases of either sleeplessness or poor sleep are caused by a handful of specific problems, most of them fixable with lifestyle changes or the help of a doctor. Here, five little-known causes of sleep problems and what to do about them. 1. Light How it disrupts sleep: You probably already know that when you stay up late under bright lights, you interrupt your bodys natural sleep-wake cycle, because light tricks your brain into remaining in daylight mode. Less well known is that the light from computer screens and iPads shining directly into your eyes at close range is especially troublesome. Why? Part of the problem is that the light from these devices is at the blue end of the spectrum, which scientists believe is particularly disruptive to circadian rhythms. Blue light, although common during the day, doesnt occur naturally during the evening. Similarly, light shining in your eyes while you sleep even very small amounts coming from, say, a lighted clock makes your brain think its morning and emerge out of deep sleep. Darkness triggers production of the hormone melatonin, the hormone that triggers sleepiness and the onset of sleep. Light prevents this release or shuts it off. The evidence: Studies have long shown that shift workers and those who work late at night have poorer sleep and higher incidences of certain conditions associated with lack of sleep than those who regularly sleep eight or nine hours at night. A recent study published in Cancer Causes amp; Control, for example, found that the countries generating the most light at night have the highest incidence of breast cancer. We will write a custom essay sample on Sleep Cycle specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sleep Cycle specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sleep Cycle specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer And studies at the Light Research Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia have found that the use of computers, lighted readers, and TVs at close range is tied to a higher incidence of sleeplessness. Whos at risk: Everyone exposed to light shortly before bed or during sleep. Light is also bad for hearts, which need deep sleep to recharge. Surprising fact: Every year theres a spike in the number of heart attacks just after the start of daylight savings time in the spring. What to do: Dim the lights and turn off all lighted screens at least an hour before bed. If you use a reading light, make sure its not any brighter than necessary and doesnt shine in your eyes. Do a light police room check: Are there streetlights outside your windows? Use blackout curtains or shades and make sure they fit the windows tightly so no light seeps in around the edge. Charge laptops, phones, cameras, and other devices in another room. Use an alarm clock without a lighted dial, or turn it to face the wall. Keep a flashlight next to your bed and use it whenever you have to get up to use the bathroom or let the dog out and be careful to point it away from yourself so you dont look into the beam. Dont turn on an overhead light, and never use nightlights. If you must use a laptop, turn down the screen brightness as low as you can tolerate and prop the laptop as far away from you as your typing arms will reach. If you love eReaders, try a Kindle or other device with a screen thats not backlit. 2. Pain How it disrupts sleep: Just about any kind of pain signals sent by the brain jaw pain, headaches, back pain, or arthritis, for example disrupt sleep, lifting you from the deep, restful REM cycle into lighter sleep or causing you to sleep fitfully and partially wake up over and over, which experts call microarousals. The evidence: Surveys of chronic pain sufferers reveal that between 60 and 90 percent sleep poorly. But many dont realize that their pain is the cause of their poor sleep. This can become a vicious cycle, says Thomas Roth of the Sleep Disorders and Research Center at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, because even partial sleep disruptions can increase sensitivity to pain. In other words, even mild pain causes poor sleep, which in turn leads to more pain. Whos at risk: Anyone who suffers chronically painful conditions such as arthritis, back or neck pain, jaw alignment problems, dental pain, fibromyalgia, headaches, or any other type of chronic pain. Note: The p ain doesnt need to be severe; studies show that even mild pain disrupts sleep. According to Roth, frequent microarousals can occur throughout the night without your being aware of them. The result is that you never attain deep REM cycle sleep and wake up feeling tired and grumpy, but you dont know why. What to do: Take steps to treat your pain proactively. Using over-the-counter pain relief is a start, but its always best to consult with a doctor and develop a comprehensive pain-relief program. For example, you may need physical therapy to combat back and neck pain, or migraine medication if your frequent headaches might be migraines. If bruxism (teeth grinding) or jaw clenching is leading to jaw pain, a mouth guard is often the solution. 3. Disrupted breathing How it disrupts sleep: When oxygen flow to the brain is interrupted, your brain sends a warning signal that wakes you up either fully or partially, causing fitful sleep or preventing deep, restful sleep. The result: You wake feeling like you didnt sleep well, even if you were out for nine hours straight. The best known version of this is apnea, which is a complete stoppage of breathing. A much more common and less recognized problem is upper airway resistance syndrome, or UARS. In UARS, structural blockages somewhere in the airway nasal congestion, your tongue falling back and blocking the back of the throat, or just having a smaller airway to begin with begin to interfere with the flow of air. What happens is that you wake up over and over again without knowing it, but the sleep interruptions last only a few seconds, too short to be detected by a standard sleep apnea test. The evidence: Even subtle levels of restricted breathing can lead to deep brain stimulation and arousals that prevent your ability to stay in deep sleep, says otolaryngologist Steven Park, an otolaryngologist and author of Sleep, Interrupted: A Physician Reveals the #1 Reason Why So Many of Us Are Sick and Tired. You dont realize youre waking up, but your brain wakes up, so its now in a light sleep. We see people who are waking up 100 times a night. Whos at risk: People who breathe through their mouths or have chronic congestion, such as from asthma or allergies. If you sleep more poorly on your back, this can be a sign of UARS, because when you sleep on your back your tongue is more likely to sink back and block the entrance to your throat. If you have a narrow face, a thin neck, or had extensive orthodontic work to correct a crowded jaw, youre likely to be at particular risk for UARS, says Park. What to do: Start with some self-tests. Try using pillows to keep yourself on your side, or put a tennis ball in the back pocket of pajama bottoms, so you cant sleep on your back. If your nose often feels stuffed up, you might find relief with breathing strips, available at the drugstore. Another option is to try is a device designed to hold the nostrils open; brand names include Nozovent and Breathe with Eez. A saline nasal spray works for many people. If you have congestion due to seasonal allergies, try an antihistamine. (But if you take one that can act as a stimulant, such as Claritin or Sudafed, dont take it too close to bedtime. ) If none of these help, ask your doctor to refer you to an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist, who can evaluate whether youre a candidate for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), a nasal mask that delivers air directly through your airways. An ENT can also determine whether tongue position is causing your UARS, in which case a dental device that pushes the jaw and tongue forward can help. For many people, losing a few pounds can be the ticket to better sleep, since excess weight is linked to all kinds of breathing problems, including UARS, snoring, and sleep apnea. 4. Medications How they disrupt sleep: Medications sometimes have side effects that trigger sleeplessness or interfere with deep sleep. Most common culprits: asthma medications, corticosteroids, blood pressure medications, and antidepressants. Also, many ingredients in common medications act as stimulants. They may cause jitteriness during the day and trigger sleeplessness or prevent deep sleep at night. Example: Bronchodilators like albuterol and salmeterol, commonly used to treat asthma, bronchitis, and COPD, can amp you up and interfere with sleep, yet patients are often directed to use them at the end of the day. Other common medications that can interfere with sleep include SSRIs, such as Prozac and Paxil, and beta-blockers taken for high blood pressure and heart disease. Sometimes medications sabotage your sleep indirectly. Diuretics, for example, can interfere with sleep by causing you to use the bathroom at night. Tagamet (generic name cimetidine), taken to control reflux and ulcers, can cause sleeplessness, especially when combined with caffeine or other medications. Like many side effects, sleeplessness from medications can affect some people but not others; Propecia, used to treat hair loss, and the antihistamine loratadine (brand name Claritin) are both known to cause sleeplessness in a percentage of those who take them. Some people react to opioid pain medications with rebound sleeplessness, feeling sleepy at first but then waking up and being unable to get back to sleep. The evidence: Although every medication is tested for side effects during the FDA approval process, in many cases evidence of side effects mounts over time as a drug enters more widespread use. Albuterol has been widely reported to cause restlessness, nervousness, and sleeplessness. An article in the European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology also found that beta-blockers interfere with melatonin release. Recent studies have found that Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, and other SSRIs affect sleep in a significant number of patients. If youre using an antidepressant, be sure to talk to your psychiatrist about any possible sleep problems and ask about alternative antidepressants if this is an issue. Whos at risk: Those taking regular medication for a chronic condition such as asthma, depression, high blood pressure, or pain. A medication that you take once is less likely to cause an ongoing sleep issue because you take it for a short period of time and are more likely to notice the side effect. When you have a chronic condition, youre more likely to attribute any sleep problems to the condition rather than the treatment. What to do: Any time youre prescribed a new medication, ask the doctor to discuss in detail all side effects you should be alert to. Its always a good idea to ask both the doctor and the pharmacist, How will this medication affect my sleep? Because some medications cause sleepiness, some interfere with sleep, and some do both, asking the question in an open-ended way will get you the most information. 5. Depression How it disrupts sleep: Fatigue is one of the most prevalent symptoms of depression, yet many people dont realize how closely related depression and poor sleep can be. Depression wreaks havoc with your natural biological rhythms; many people with depression have trouble getting out of bed in the morning, and they oversleep or get fatigued and nap during the day. Yet their sleep is fitful and of poor quality, so despite spending more hours ostensibly sleeping or trying to sleep, they dont feel well rested. Then at night, depression sufferers often have trouble maintaining a regular bedtime routine. Having slept late in the morning or napped late in the day, they may not feel sleepy. Anxiety, which often accompanies depression, may cause excessive late-night worry that contributes to sleeplessness. The evidence: Because the relationship between depression and insomnia is a chicken-and-egg cycle, experts have studied it from both directions. Psychological studies have found that a high proportion of those with depression suffer from either sleeplessness or disrupted sleep, and a recent study by the University of Maryland found that 40 to 60 percent of people

The Wrong Question

The Wrong Question I come back from a conference with all sorts of fodder for editorials, sometimes for a great article to pitch a magazine. A lot of times too much material, but thats part of what makes conferences energizing and rejuvenating. They provide spark. Like your teachers said in school, or shouldve said if they didnt, is there is never a stupid question. At a conference, all questions should be welcomed. But that doesnt mean that some questions arent the wrong ones to ask. For instance, one writer asked, Lets say I just quit my job and have this book to sell. How can I make enough money to live off of? I was moderating the panel, so I seized control first. I wanted to answer this one. I actually wanted to pull this writer aside and talk specifics with him. This was a very cart-before-the-horse question. First, a writer leaves the day job only after he has made specific plans on what he will write, how he will market it, and what income he can expect to come in. Books are not quick money makers, at least not until you have a platform and have multiple books under your belt, and even then, only if youve mastered indie publishing. There are So many steps there to take BEFORE you quit the day job. Items to consider before you quit the day job to be a writer: 1) How much money have you made writing while still on the day job. If youve made $5,000 while working ten hours a week, then hopefully youll make $20,000 while working forty hours. Whoa. Doesnt sound like much, does it? Then stick to the day job until youve raised how much you make part-timing it. When youre making $10,000 or $20,000 part-time, then you might have something. Dont try to convince yourself that full-time will enable you to make way more . . . more than the hourly basis youre making part-time. Because writing full-time will involve administrative tasks like taxes, computer maintenance, and self-promotion that eat up your time without pay. 2) Make sure you have solid health insurance. One broken arm and no insurance can derail you time-wise and financially, to the point youd kill to have that day job back again. 3) What writing income can you develop in addition to book revenues? Im a believer in any writer freelancing, because one That writer didnt ask a stupid question. It turned into quite the good discussion. Asking a question that had its priorities screwed up became a learning tool for the entire room. Ask any question, because often the wrong question can turn into the right one.

Ghost Hunting is Pure Fiction

Ghost Hunting is Pure Fiction It is interesting that in a time of increasing secularism and a renewed interest in rationality and skepticism, many people still believe in ghosts. Even many of the same people who dont believe in other supernatural entities maintain a belief in ghosts. Ghost hunting is still popular today, with reality  television  shows featuring ghost hunters and ghost hunting specialists that people can literally hire in order to inspect their own homes for ghosts. However, there is no evidence that ghosts even exist or that the  techniques  of ghost hunters are more than pure fiction. The popularity of ghost hunting and the belief in ghosts is not evidence of anything other than the desire to believe in ghosts. The Lack of Evidence for Ghosts and Ghost Hunting One of the reasons why the belief in ghosts persists is that ghosts are often considered invisible. Invisible things are harder to disprove. Many of the superstitions that have lasted a long time are invisible. People can simply claim that the thing in question does exist and that people cant prove that it doesnt exist, thus hiding behind the problem of knowing. Its easier to make this argument with entities that are invisible, intangible, and otherwise nearly beyond detection. People end up with functionally no evidence for them or against them, and the believer can simply appeal to the problem of knowing and win the argument on a technicality. Ghosts Manifest as Electromagnetic Radiation Of course, ghost hunters supposedly say that they can locate ghosts, so they do believe that there is something that separates areas that have ghosts from areas that dont have ghosts. They believe that there is evidence for ghosts. However, the evidence that they do choose could very easily be explained by something else. They use devices all the time that supposedly can be used to pinpoint the location of a ghost. However, these devices are usually just detecting electromagnetic radiation. The electromagnetic radiation levels in a building can vary depending on surrounding or distant power sources and not just the ones that the ghost hunters have immediately identified. One of the biggest tricks of their trade is very easily debunked. You will definitely enjoy reading these articles: Is Science Atheistic? Ghostwriting Can Science Go Too Far? Education and  Pursuit of Right Wisdom Environmental Education and Green Citizenship Extraordinary Claims Require High Standards of Evidence The belief in ghosts is an extraordinary claim that requires equally extraordinary evidence. Ghost hunters have electromagnetic radiation and noises. The existence of ghosts would mean that it was possible for a human consciousness to exist outside of the brain. Scientists have a hard time even quantifying human consciousness, and all evidence suggests that it is a product of mental functioning. As such, it could not exist without brain matter. Electromagnetic radiation and noises are insufficient to explain something as unlikely as ghosts. Old houses are often structurally unsound and they will make funny noises. The human brain is primed to look for patterns. Patterns of noises can easily be imagined as being caused by ghosts in the minds of people who believe in ghosts. People who believe in ghosts will look for even the slightest evidence that ghosts exist in a bias known as confirmation bias. The belief in ghosts is popular because ghosts are defined in such a way that it is difficult to completely discredit their existence. The problem of knowing is an unsolved philosophical problem. However, in order to believe in ghosts or ghost hunting, people need to get some evidence that ghosts exist. The idea that it is possible for human consciousness to exist outside of the body seems to contradict all that is known about human neurology. Ghost hunters will use the noises and electromagnetic radiation in old houses to justify the existence of ghosts. However, finding out that ghosts exist would require scientists to revise their entire understanding of the human brain. Electromagnetic radiation and random noises are easily explained away. They cannot be used as evidence for anything other than the complicated nature of the environment that people are trying to understand.

Communication theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Communication theory - Essay Example With clearer concepts and objective understanding of matters, people are in a better position to play their individualistic and collective roles in the development of a civilized society. In most of the organizations in the contemporary age, communication with confidence and authority has become quite critical (Holmes, 2011). The organization in which I work is to much extent, a functional organization where different departments have well defined responsibilities, so people from different departments do not usually interact with one another. In addition to the organization having a functional organization structure, there were several other factors that have played their role in discouraging interaction among employees. Such factors included but were not limited to differences of gender, age and culture. Employees from different culture have had presumed conceptions about their coworkers from different cultures and would not change their conceptions in the organizational context. Al so, employees from opposite genders would hesitate to communicate with one another. This was giving rise to interpersonal conflicts with various employees assuming irrational things about one another as a result of lack of communication until the new project manager brought about some drastic changes in the system of flow of communication within the organization.

The Criminal Justice System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Criminal Justice System - Essay Example lations (LegalMatch, 2012) â€Å"Theft or common theft, assault and battery, drink driving, vandalism, public drunkenness, resisting arrests, obstructing or resisting a police officer, trespassing, disorderly conduct, breach of the peace, failure to appear in court, prostitutionâ€Å". These crimes normally have a penalty of no longer than one year and are not considered to be serious offenses. The serious offenses normally fall under felony charges such as (LegalMatch, 2012) â€Å"murder/homicide, rape, drug trafficking, child abuse, gun possession, burglary, money laundering, and child pornography†. Such serious offenses are considered highly serious and have punishments that vary from state to state, depending upon the courts deemed severity of the offense. Having clearly defined the difference of the two crimes based upon the description of offenses, it is safe to say that one would much rather be accused of a misdemeanor rather than a felony. That is if one finds himself facing legal action as a result of his own personal actions or reactions to situations concerning him. As per the police records submitted to us, you were charged with a Misdemeanor Breach of Peace charge. This was charge was the result of your involvement in the bar room brawl that occurred at last Friday between your boyfriend and another bar patron. You have asked me to advise you with regard to what kind of penalty you are looking at and for how long. I am please to inform you that since you are charged with a misdemeanor, your penalty will not be longer than one year. Our federal government has indicated that the punishment for misdemeanor offense such as yours â€Å"... carry a maximum punishment of one year of incarceration usually is served in a local jail. â€Å" (wiseGeek, 2012). I therefore advice you not to worry as there is even a very strong possibility that, should you plead guilty or be found guilty of involvement in the misdemeanor charge, â€Å"If a jail sentence is imposed, it is

The kinetic theory Essay Example for Free

The kinetic theory Essay In this investigation, I will be studying the factors that affect the rate of reaction. In this case, the reaction between hydrochloric acid and sodium thiosulphate. Na2S2O3 (aq)+ 2HCl(aq) 2NaCl(aq)+S(s)+SO2(g) When hydrochloric acid is added to sodium thiosulphate, the chemicals react giving solid sulphur as one of the products. This is a precipitation reaction. By watching the speed at which the sulphur has formed, we can find out the rate of reaction. A cross can be marked on a piece of paper, and a flask of sodium thiosulphate can be placed on top. By adding hydrochloric acid to the sodium thiosulphate, we can time how long it takes for the view of the cross to become obscured by the sulphur. We can then find out the rate of the reaction. What is Rate? Chemical reactions can be seen everywhere, whether an explosion, which is extremely fast, to something very slow, like the rusting of a metal. It is not enough just to know whether something is fast or slow however. Rate is a measure of the change that happens in a single unit of time. For example, if a car travels 40 km in half an hour, it is travelling at 80 km/h. For a chemical reaction to take place, some bonds in the reactants must be broken. The colliding particles must have enough energy to break these bonds. This minimum amount of energy is called the activation energy. Only the very fastest moving particles have enough energy to break bonds. In gases, liquids and in solution, the particles move at a range of speeds. Some are moving very slowly and others are moving very fast. To react, particles must collide with enough energy and in the correct orientation for bonds to be broken. If there is not enough kinetic energy, the particles barely touch, and the reaction does not happen. If the kinetic energy of the particles is just right, they hit each other and form new bonds. For a reaction to take place, the alignment of the molecules must also be correct. If two or more molecules collide, but are not orientated correctly, a reaction cannot take place. Variables Concentration of Thio If the concentration of thio is increased, the rate of reaction is also increased. This is because in dilute acid, there are not many acid particles. This means there is a more remote chance of an acid particle, hitting a sodium thiosulphate particle. In a more concentrated acid, there are more acid particles. There is now more chance of an acid particle colliding with a sodium thiosulphate particle, and so more chance of a collision. I have chosen this variable to use, as it will be possible to get a wide range of results with relative ease. I also feel that there will be a significant enough range of values in the results to make an effective graph. I could change this variable by adding water to the sodium thiosulphate to make it less concentrated. I will need to keep the volume constant throughout the experiment, so I could, for example use 40 cm3 of sodium thiosulphate and 10 cm3 of water, and then 30/20 etc. Temperature At low temperatures, particles of reacting substances do not have much energy. However, when the substances are heated, the particles take in energy. This causes them to move faster and collide more often. The collisions have more energy; so more collisions are successful. Therefore, the rate of reaction increases. This is called the kinetic theory. A reaction goes approximately twice as fast when the temperature is increased by 10 degrees. This is why it is important to keep this variable constant . To do this; I will need to do the experiment on the same day if possible. This ensures that the differences in room temperature, however small, do not affect the rate of reaction. Surface Area In a reaction containing a solid, its surface area has a large effect on the rate of reaction. If the surface area of the solid is small, the acid particles can only collide with the atoms in the outer layer of the solid. But if the solid has a large surface area, much more of the atoms are exposed, so there is a greater chance of one of these atoms colliding with an acid particle, and increasing the rate of reaction. However, in my experiment, I will not be using any solids, so this variable will not affect my experiment. Use of a Catalyst A catalyst is a substance that changes the rate of a chemical reaction but remains chemically unchanged itself. It does this by lowering the activation energy; this is the amount of energy needed in order to achieve a successful collision.

Genetic Observations Through The Studies Of Hybrid Corn, Single Gene Es

Genetic Observations Through The Studies of Hybrid Corn, Single Gene Human Traits, and Fruit Flies   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The basic foundation of modern genetics was led by Gregor Mendel (Corcos, 1993). Mendel was not the first to experiment with heredity, and our Lyman Briggs biology class will not be the last to deal with genetics. Genetics is the science of heredity. In our lab, we had three main objectives. First, we evaluated our data on monohybrid and dihybrid corn cross seed counts against Mendel’s theoretical expectations of independent assortment and the segregation of alleles. Next, we used the Hardy-Weinberg Theorem to provide a theoretically expected value for allele frequencies for single human gene traits. Lastly, we dealt with Drosophila melanogaster and we examined red and white eye alleles to determine if this gene is sex-linked or autosomal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the mid 1800’s Mendel bred garden peas to study inheritance. He choose these plants because of their well defined characteristics and the ability to be grown and crossed (Campbell, 1996). Mendel wanted to know the genetic basis for variation among individuals and what accounted for the transmission of traits from generation to generation. Mendel followed traits for the P generation, F1 generation, and F2 generation. The P generation is the original true-breeding parents. Their hybrid offspring is the F1 generation, the first filial. The F2 generation is the second filial and is the self- pollination of the F1 hybrids. It was predominantly his research on the F2 generation that led to Mendel’s Law of Segregation and Law of Independent Assortment (Campbell, 1996).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mendel’s Law of Segregation states that alleles sort into separate gametes. He formed this through performing monohybrid crosses. The F2 generation will have a 3:1 phenotypic ratio. By considering more than one trait Mendel formed his Law of Independent Assortment. He questioned whether traits were inherited independently or dependently. By performing dihybrid crosses he found that genes are independent and will form all possible combinations . Crossing two different traits resulted in a 9:3:3:1 phenotypic ratio (Campbell, 1996).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Thomas Hunt Morgan also had a major contribution in the study of inheritance. He was the first to associate a sp... ...ross, Mendel’s Law of Independent Assortment illustrated that four possible phenotypes form a 9:3:3:1 phenotypic ratio. For the single gene human traits experiment, we used the Hardy-Weinberg Theorem and equation to find the allele frequencies. For the experiment with Drosophila melanogaster we examined a fruit fly cross between red-eyed males and white-eyed females. We determined that this trait is sex-linked when the offspring were red-eyed females and white-eyed males. Throughout the genetics lab each purpose was determined and explained. A lot was learned about Mendel, genetics, and the hereditary process that makes us who we are today. Cited Literature Campbell, N.A. 1996. Biology. The Benjamin Cummings Publishing Co., New York, pp. 238-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  279. Corcos, Alain F. and Floyd V. Monaghan. 1993. Gregor Mendel’s Experiments on Plant Hybrids.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rutgers University Press, New Jersey, pp. 45-46, 76, 105-112, 133. Davis, M. 1996. Genetics. LBS 144 Laboratory Manual. The Lyman Briggs School, Michigan   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  State University, East Lansing, pp. 25-36.

Macbeth Essay

Women have a very strong influence on their husbands and husbands will usually take their wives opinions in important matters. Lady Macbeth was the dominant of the two characters. She had very strong persuasive skills over Macbeth and though show her control of Macbeth in public, in private she often uses emotional and testing his manliness to manipulate him to do what he wants. Lady Macbeth is the more evil character than Macbeth in the play through her ambition, cruelty, and manipulation. Lady Macbeth used her words to control Macbeth throughout the entire play and caused him to do many things he wouldn’t have normally done like kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth mocks Macbeth and his manliness throughout the play to get him to do exactly what she wants like for him to kill â€Å"What beast was’t, then, that made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man; And, to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man.† Macbeth being a man in the era he grew up in being the most manly you could be was very important so a women questioning his manliness would have set most men over the edge especially someone as persuasive as Lady Macbeth Lady Macbeth has many delusional moments in the play that lead readers to believe she is either crazy or evil. She talks about being infected with evilness to killing babies throughout the play. â€Å"I have given suck, and know How tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums, And dash’d the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done to this.† Lady Macbeth in my opinion is a sociopath with her not feeling remorse for anything her and her husband do no matter the effect it has on other individuals. She fits the profile of a sociopath with the abilities to manipulate people easily and have no shame doing it but also feel nothing towards anyone or anything she harms. Lady Macbeth also is a very private person that is very submissive when with other people and does not show her evil and dark side to anyone other then her husband. She is also very protective over a Macbeth and would do anything to protect him from being found out for murdering Duncan. Lady Macbeth is both responsiple for the death of Duncan and is also the cause of Macbeth becoming insane throughout the course of the play. She is a silver tounged women who knows how to manipulate for her own self gain. Through these point I think that she is not only responsible for duncans death but is more evil then Macbeth.

Don’t Worry, Be Happy Essay

â€Å"It will soon pass whatever it is. Don’t worry, be happy. † These are the epic words of Bobby McFerrin from the song: Don’t worry, be happy. In today’s life style our society thrives off of each other’s negativity. We are in a constant spiral of humanity due to the fact we don’t look to the better side of reality but to the ugly face of our pessimistic lives. Our lifestyles revolve the pain and loss we encounter, we need to take up the or at least grasp the concepts that lie in the melodies of Bobby McFerrin’s hit single. The meaning, history and relevance to today’s society will be analyzed. Don’t worry, be happy is a song released by Bobby McFerrin in conjunction with the film Cocktail in 1988. The song is an international feel good anthem for listeners all around. It focuses on the emphasis of looking past your troubles and remaining positive. Whether it be materialistic or emotional, one cannot let themselves be brought down because as a society we are all in a way or another connected and experience the toppling domino effect causing your peers also to come crashing down. According to a study conducted by the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, 96 pairs of college roommates during 2 assessment sessions. The roommates of depressed target students became more depressed themselves over the course of the study. In relation to the song when you worry your face will frown and that will bring everybody down. Also McFerrin even offers to help the listener seek happiness, symbolizing that there is always some hope and the listener need only to reach out and seek it to achieve it. In general the song is telling the listener to promote the positive rather than the negative in one’s life, a concept that the people of today lack.

Computer Crime essays

Computer Crime essays New times bring new crimes. It's a story as old as humanity and as new as the Internet. First comes cars, then car thieves follow. Telephones are followed by telephone fraud. Now we've got computers . . .. To make home, school, and office life easier, society relies on computers. As a result of this dependency, computer use grows everyday. Along with the growing use of computers comes widespread computer crime. With the Internet becoming increasingly popular, more and more people are becoming computer literate, and networks are becoming more readily accessible. The rise in computer crime can easily be blamed upon the increasing number of users. The Internet is widely deemed as a new community and "wild" electric frontier. Either way you look at it, the Internet offers cover for con artists, ground for grifters, and plenty of places where larceny can lurk. It provides the same opportunities for crime that the real world offers. Internet crimes, however, carry their own intricacies and innovations. These online crimes take advantage of the very same technologies that make the Internet possible. The most common crimes committed on the Internet are the same basic variations of the four main time-tested, real-world crimes: Forgery (of E-mail), assault (on your Web site, E-mail box, or computer system), fraud (cyberscams), and robbery (theft of valuable information). Various types of people commit computer crimes. The two most familiar being hackers and crackers. A hacker is a person who enjoys exploring the details of a programmable system and how to stretch their capabilities; one who programs enthusiastically, even obsessively. A cracker is one who breaks security on a system. Although hackers and crackers both break into computer systems, their motives are different. Hackers seem to break into computer systems for the intellectual challenge. Crackers are considered malicious with the intention of harming or causing damage to a compute...

A Comparison of Pro-Life and Pro-Choice Views on Abortion

A Comparison of Pro-Life and Pro-Choice Views on Abortion Abortion: Pro-Choice or Pro-Life â€Å"But oh, thrice guilty is he who drove her to desperation which impelled her to the crime [abortion]† (Susan B. Anthony, 1869). In the Scott, Foresman Advanced Dictionary, Thorndike and Barnhart defined abortion as the removal of a developing embryo or fetus from the uterus to terminate a pregnancy before birth resulting in death of the fetus (3). The abortion issue has become one of the world’s most controversial problems of today. This issue is divided into two sides, pro-life and pro-choice. They focus on different aspects of receiving an abortion. At one end we have the pro-choice advocate those who focus on women’s right. The pro-choice supporters have reason to believe the fetus is only a potential human being. It has no right whatsoever, because the right belongs to the woman carrying the fetus, and it is she who decides on the length of time of the pregnancy. On the other end we have the pro-life those who oppose abortion and focus on the fetus rights. They believe the fetus is a human being and has just as much legal right as the parents. The Bible states that everybody was created in the image of God. Therefore, taking the life of an innocent child is like killing the image of God. In the Bible, God said that thou shall not murder. Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus has defined murder as the unlawful and intentional killing of a human being (133). Is abortion moral or immoral? According to pro-life supporters, the unborn child is entrusted to the protection and care of the mother carrying it. Daniels 3 Time it is the mother herself who makes the choice of whether or not the child should be aborted. The decision to abort the child may have come from problems dealing with the health of the mother or standard or living for the family. However, these excuses never justify the intentional killing of an innocent person. Many people claim that an embryo is not considered human life. Supporters believe that human life starts at the fertilization of the ovum. Human life is sacred at every moment of existence. In the opinion of pro-choicer advocate, birth is not always the right choice, because it may be â€Å"socially disfunctional, morally irresponsible, or even cruel.† (Abortion, 24) Many women who knew that life would only bring pain for their children choose to have an abortion. They feel that it would be better if the child wasn’t born at all. Even though it kills human life, abortion is in fact, the moral choice to make when would be mothers are as certain that their present circumstances do not enable them to raise a would-be child responsibly. Contrary to popular accusations it is not the decision to abort, but the decision to have a child that is treated with the insufficient gravity in our society (Quinn, Abortion, 25). To many pro-life advocates, abortion is a form of holocaust. They have compared abortion to the Nazi’s termination of the Jews. The number of aborted babies is staggering: 4,000 on a daily basis, over 1.6million annually, and over 30 million in the 20 years after the United States Supreme court gave it proabortion decision in 1973. Daniels 4 Yearly basis from 50 to 60 million abortions have been performed worldwide. The Nazi’s killed at least six million Jews. The Nazi’s killed the Jews and, instead of burying them they put them in crematory ovens and huge ditches. Burning in hospital furnaces or city incinerators exposes of many of the aborted babies. Pro-life groups prefer that the bodies be disposed with dignity, a Christian burial. Pro-choicest Don Sloan believes that an embryo is not a baby because it can only exist inside a woman’s uterus. Some people think of abortion as a self-defense rather than a murder because the woman is defending her health, her way of life, and her piece of mind against something that is not wanted. Sloan, like other pro-choice supporters, believe that everyone have a right and a say-so in the abortion issue. School officials are not allowed to hand out aspirin to children without the permission of the parents, so why should they be able to have an abortion without consent? To pro-lifers, parents should be involved in abortion decision-making for teens because legally, they are responsible. The idea of notifying parents in advance when any of discussion goes on with regard to their children health and welfare and that includes abortion. As long as the parents are responsible for their sexuality laws are written to stipulate what is right and wrong. And when it comes to a law that affects parental rights, I think there is a responsibility to come out on the side of the parents (Gow, Abortion, 96). Daniels 5 Parental notification is one of these troubling topics that confound many. Many states such as Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, and Kansas require parental notification before a minor is required to obtain an abortion. States were parental consent is required include Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Ohio. Pro-choicers feel that these laws are unconstitutional and they are a violation of the pregnant child. They feel that this could harm the girls’ health and may drive the teen to have an illegal abortion to avoid telling their parents. Legislators who disagree with abortion believe that the parental-consent laws will scare teens into abstinence. However, in states with these laws, sexual intercourse rates don’t decrease, but their health risks, however, increases. Young people are frightened by these laws only when they have become impregnated and need help desperately. There is evidence that teenagers who do no involve their parents [in deciding about abortion] believe that involving their parents would not be their own best interests or try to protect their parents (Abortion, 98). V. Many people believe that rape justifies abortion. To them, pregnancies resulting from rape are bothersome and involuntary, and should be approached by providing suitable counseling. On the other hand, the pro-life advocates feel that rape doesn’t justify abortion. Opponents of abortion rights walk a fine line when they condone any abortion. Based on their own definition, they are guilty of being accessories to â€Å"murder† in certain circumstances by accepting rape and incest exceptions (Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights, 135). Daniels 6 It is not moral to hate a person because of the way they were conceived. Rape is a violent act received by a woman. That makes her an innocent victim. Abortion, no matter the reason, is a violent act received by an unborn child from the woman carrying it. What does this makes the unborn child? With an average of 1.5 million abortions performed every year since its legalization in 1973, abortion is the most common surgical procedure for women. Most medical professionals agree that the earlier an abortion is performed, the safer it is for the woman. The pro-life advocates have shown studies that women who have had abortions have a 50 percent increased risk for breast cancer. This increased revealed by the studies means that women face a higher risk of dying from the effects of an abortion than of dying in childbirth. The first trimester of a normal pregnancy is marked by a surge of hormones from the mother’s ovaries, which makes her breast grow. The high estrogen levels of early pregnancy interact with hormones of late pregnancy and produces breast milk. If the pregnancy is terminated artificially, the growth-stimulating effects of the estrogen surge help primitive and abnormal cells to grow in possible cancers. However, the pro-choice supporters have found that many medical studies have shown that a woman’s reproductive history affects her risk of breast cancer. The risks associated with abortion are insignificant compared with other well-documented breast cancer risks, such as alcohol consumption and weight. Furthermore, studies on the link between breast cancer and abortion have reached contradictory conclusions. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution states that everyone has the freedom of speech, or of press. Daniels 7 Opinions. There are many questions people should consider about the issue of abortion. They are as follows: Is this process immoral; Should rights be restricted; Can abortion be justified; and is this a safe process.

Philedelphia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Philedelphia - Essay Example Popularly known as the Global Exhibition of Arts, the culture associates with the manufacture of mine and soil products. The exhibition is the first most important universal Fair held in the United States, which took place on 10th May 1876 occupying a two hundred and eighty five acre tract of the Fairmount Park thus overlooking the river Schuylkill (Exhibition, 2012). The twenty seven year old German immigrant by the name of Hermann J. Schwarzmann had an opportunity to design the fairgrounds that he did exclusively. The ground hosted thirty seven nations and many industrial exhibitions which occupied over two hundred and fifty pavilions belonging to individuals (Exhibition, 2012). The exhibition attracted almost nine million visitors while the population of the United States was forty six million. The exhibition had a lasting accomplishment as there was the introduction of industrial Universal power in America. The industrial power concealed the potency and production of many industrialized nations. Philadelphia became the central city the industrial and cultural practices in America (Exhibition, 2012). The visitors attending the exhibition loomed the fairgrounds mostly from east by means of either horse-drawn trolley or the railway across the today Gerald Avenue Bridge (Exhibition, 2012). There was a glass and steel dome of the Memorial Hall on the Schuylkill river near the exhibition grounds whose flag- studded the towers of the major building grew as the wooded slope of Fairmount Park. The complete site and size of the structures are breathtaking in their natural setting (Exhibition, 2012). As advised, the visitors arrived from the Railway of Pennsylvania Depot recognized as the Parkside Avenue today. They were to arrive promptly for the opening at 9:00 AM, and they had to pay fifty cents for entrance

Phineas Gage Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Phineas Gage - Research Paper Example Human beings can speak and learn every day and learn new daily activities. Human being also solves problems and makes decisions based on their judgment (Fleischman, 2004). There are different types of cognitive functions. Memory and learning are examples of cognitive functions of the brain. Problem solving, perception and movement of various body parts are examples of cognitive functions. Learning of new activities and words, reading and speaking often get coordinated by the brain. These functions differentiate the human beings from other species. Theses cognitive functions originate from the cerebrum part of the brain. The cerebrum comprises of the temporal lobes, frontal lobes, occipital lobes and the parietal lobes. These areas of the cerebrum have different functions (Macmillian, 2002). The Phineas Gage accident clearly explained the functions of the brain in the cognitive functioning. Gage got the brain injuries while he was excavating rocks that he would later use for construct ing railway tracks. The rail roads injured Gage with some of his workmate during construction of the rail roads. Gage got severe brain damage. He got treated, but later became left with a permanent brain damage. The accident affected his brain thus affecting all his daily activities. Doctors that treated Gage noticed that he behaved different after the accident. This led to the doctors examining Gage’s skull to find out what was wrong that Gage was responding differently after treatment following the accident (Linden, 2007). This accident helped to explain the importance of the brain in cognitive functions. After the accident, Gage personality changed. He started acting differently from his earlier actions. Gage lost his personality. The doctors examined the brain and found out that the left frontal lobe of the cerebrum coordinates the personality development. This showed that Gage left frontal part of his cerebrum got damaged. This affected his personality development, hence the reason why there was a loose in his personality. The doctors examined the lesion in the brain and made a conclusion that, the left frontal part of the brain controlled the personality of human beings. So, Gage left frontal part of his cerebrum got damaged explaining why he lost his personality (Linden, 2007). Gage could not make rational decisions and his emotions were unstable. After the accident, doctors treated Gage, but he did not fully recover from the treatment. The doctors discovered how Gage decisions and emotions got affected. This encouraged the doctors to examine the human brain and find out what affected his decision making and his emotions. The doctors found out that the right plus the left prefrontal cortices of the brain remained damaged. This showed that the cortices were responsible for the functioning of human emotions and decision making (Fleischman, 2004). The doctors examined the left and right prefrontal cortices and came up with a conclusion that they wer e responsible for the coordination of emotions and decision making in human beings. The study revealed how the human brain works. Different parts of the brain often get associated with its cognitive functioning. One of the cognitive functions of the brain is to coordinate the emotions and decision making the human being. The study of the brain by the doctors enabled the doctors understand the functioning of the brain. This brain study led to understanding the functioning of

Volkswagen Strategic Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Volkswagen Strategic Management - Case Study Example VW group have 8 automobile brands with 44 vehicle and component production plants in European countries as well as in six countries in America; Asia & Africa. Sales operations spread around 150 countries across the globe. The group has eight major brands of vehicles namely Volkswagen passenger cars, Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini SEAT, Skoda and Volkswagen commercial Vehicles- each deal autonomously with their own vehicle business includes development and production to marketing & servicing (Accessed from the website www.volkswagen.com). 1. As part of the corporate governance and strategic management, VW group has adopted various strategic choices. Strategic fit is developing strategy by identifying opportunities in the business environment and adopting resources and competences to take advantage of these (Porter, 1980). Strategic choices are concerned with decisions about an organization's future and the way in which it needs to respond to the market pressure and influences. At different level of organization, executives are faced with choices as to how to meet the expectations of stakeholders' whilst satisfying the needs and expectation of the users, often-in competition with other organizations. Hannan & Freeman (1977) suggest that as organizations, adaptor of a particular environment they become less flexible. Organization's choices are constrained not only by an explicit cultural dimension in the sense of what we believe around here but also by what skills and resources are available and in what context those s kills and resources become valuable. Prahalad & Bettis (1986) argue that organizations have dominant logics and that these logics are based on the mental maps developed in the organizations core business. Michel Porter's (1985) five forces strategies low cost strategies and strategic choices are some of the strategies have been adopted for competitive advantages for the organizations. Campbell-Hunt (2000) suggests that differentiation can take on number of forms based on marketing variables, sales variables, quality reputation variable and product innovation variables. Sustainable competitive advantage depends on companies being able to develop and protect resource advantages by focusing on particular market position. Finally, organization's ability to succeed in a business arena depends on is ability to develop a market position that is supported by appropriate assets and capabilities. Strategic choices include corporate strategy, Business or competitive strategy and directions and methods of development. Corporate level strategy (Andrews, 1987) is concerned with the overall purpose and scope of an organization and how value will be added to different parts of (business units) the organizations. Corporate level strategy includes portfolio decisions extent of diversity and management and control of subsidiaries. The second level can be thought of in terms of business unit strategy (Hall, 1978) which is about how to complete successfully in particular markets. Business strategy includes sustainability, competitive advantages competitive strategy and strategies in hyper-competitive conditions. Finally, the directions and methods of development include market development, product development, diversification, acquisitions alliances as well as critical success criteria. It also includes the concept of suitability, acceptability and

The Merger of LINKdotNET and Mobilink

The Merger of LINKdotNET and Mobilink On daily basis we face several problems and we take certain steps or decisions to resolve those problems. Some decisions are proved to be good and useful and some result in loss however, the skill of problem solving and decision making power improves with the passage of time. Similarly in organizations, management has to take several decisions to resolve different problems in order to have smooth functionality of daily operations and above all for a continuous stream of profits. There are different models available in the literature for resolving the problems and making the decisions. This document is aimed to understand the decision making and problem solving tools and techniques. In this document identification of the problem in a renowned organization operating in Pakistan is done and analysis of the decisions taken to resolve that problem is conducted. The models used for decision making in response to the problem faced by the organization are also discussed along with the limita tions and shortcomings of those models. In the end a personal evaluation is done that explored skills gained by me personally after completing this brief research study on a particular organization (Simon, 1956). Company Overview Mobilink Infinity and LINKdotNET Mobilink is the leading telecommunication service provider operating in Pakistan. It is subsidiary of Orascom Telecom that is an Egyptian company. Mobilink is serving Pakistani market since 1994 and as per the latest report from PTA (Pakistan Telecommunication Authority) Mobilink is a market leader with a market share of 31% (www.pta.gov.pk, 2010). Mobilink was only providing voice services to its customers before October 2008, when it launched Mobilink Infinity a WiMAX broadband service in one city Karachi. With high quality services and competitive pricing plans, Mobilink Infinity gained a subscriber base of more than 20,000 (www.mobilinkinfinity.com, 2010). Mobilink Infinity was being operated as a separate unit named Broad Band Unit. The major strength of the organization is its quality customer services which have set new benchmarks in Pakistan and set the new trends which were never practices before. Mobilinks broadband unit continued the same practice and delivered the service s with the same quality customer services, that is the reason that company was able to get a major market share just in one city (www.mobilinkinfinity.com, 2010). Another subsidiary of Orascom Telecom for providing broadband services in different countries is LINKdotNET. LINkdotNET commenced its operation in Pakistan by acquiring two already existing Internet Service Providers (ISPs) named as World Online (WOL) Telecom Limited and Dancom Online. LINKdotNET merged the resources of these two companies and by putting in more investment launched its operations officially on 02 February, 2008. LINKdotNET was offering its services in more than 130 cities in Pakistan and in two years this company raised its customer base up to 35,000. LINKdotNET provided services for both home and commercial users and was the second largest broadband service provider in Pakistan after PTCL (Pakistan Telecommunication Limited) (www.link.net.pk , 2010). The company got a tremendous response from the customers after its launch, but the poor management and lack of managerial skills the company failed to deliver the services as they promised. The result was that in the fi rst year of its operations the company gained a very bad reputation in the market and customers started to leave to the other service providers. However, in corporate sector LINKdotNET was still the major broadband service provider (www.link.net.pk , 2010). Background of the Problem To cater to the needs of the Broadband Internet market Orascom Telecom was operating two of its subsidiaries in Pakistan, one with the name of Mobilink Broadband Business Unit (BBU) which was mainly catering to the needs of WiMAX Internet users and was operating only in Karachi, and other was LINKdotNET with was operating in DSL, Dialup and Corporate Business Solutions for data and internet market with its operation in all major cities in Pakistan. Both of the companies were serving the same market, which was broadband internet market, to the users of same profile and almost same geographical regions. Both of the companies were independent and there was no coordination in any department, both of the companies had their separate departments, same target market and were treating each other as competitors, while both companies belonged to same parent company. This situation was causing different problems to the parent company such as confusion in the minds of consumer; high operational cost, and high marketing costs, diagram below will help understand the scenario of that time. Orascom Telecom Subsidiaries Source: (Author, 2010) Problem Identification By looking at the above diagram we it has been made clear the two companies were working in one market serving same kind of customer and with same organizational structure, at the time where competition was intense in the market, and due to increase in the operating costs and shrinking margins the profitability of the company was going down, and such structure was creating following problems for the organization. Presence of identical departments were creating increased human resource costs Marketing costs were high because of the separate marketing departments were targeting same customers and were virtually acting as competitors. Business operation costs were high because of separate network management, separate network procurement, and separate inventory management. Ambiguity in the mind of employees and consumers, who were confused about the status of both of subsidiaries, resulting in damage of brand in the eyes of customers. Managerial Decision Making Models Application In the below lines author will explore the current theories on different decision making models developed by management commentators and then author will explore the decision making process adopted by the management of Orascom Telecom, then this decision making process will be critically analyzed on managerial decision making models. Author will see which model was applies how the application of that model helped the management to make best possible decision regarding the problem identified earlier. Decision Making Models There are two decision making models that are widely used my managers in making their decision regarding their day to day business problems, one is rational decision making model and other is non-rationale decision making model (Bazerman Max, 1994). Rationale Model Rationale decision making is one the best known and most used approach, this model revolves around the thinking process and which is also called cognitive process, this model involves several steps which are explained below, there are several pros and cons of this model which are also described in below lines, this model focuses on problem solving where problem is already identified and clear in the minds of management (Bazerman Max, 1994). Rationale Decision Making Steps Source : (Author, 2010) As described in diagram above rationale decision making involves fives steps, the first step is to identify the problem, this step involves the careful analysis of the situation presented to the organization and then by this analysis the actual problem which is the cause of this situation is identified. Second step is to set the criteria for desired results required, this criteria is set to achieve the minimization of unwanted situation or elimination of them, this step is also called benchmarking of results (Gelatt, 1991). The thirds step is to find all possible solutions of the problem, this step involves the collection of all possible solutions to get rid of the current problem, this step is followed by the fourth step that is examining each of the decision option on the pre defined criteria of desired results. The final step is to identify the best possible solution to the problem and then apply that decision, and by doing this ration decision making process ends (John, 2001). Pros and Cons of Model This model supposes, before the application of the solution, that there is one best solution and hence adapts the perfectionist approach, more over critical evaluation of each and every option delays the decision making which some time cause the loses to business where external environment is turbulent (Graham, 1993). This model also take this assumption that every effect of every option can be predicted without having it tested in reality, and consequences and future implications of each decision related option are left on the discretion of decision maker (Simon, 1956). Rationale decision making requires the decision to be dependent upon the cognitive abilities and imagination of the decision maker, more over this model also require the extended time and information for the decision to be made (Bazerman Max, 1994). Non-Rationale Model Non-rationale models are the second widely used decision making models, in below lines author shall explore the main characteristics of these models. Non-Rationale Models Source: (Author, 2010) Satisficing Decision Making This is one the approaches adapted as non-rationale decision making, this approach aims for satisfying solution for the problem, rather than going for the most optimized approach, this approach is used when lengthy procedures of decision making like information needs, and evaluation of alternatives are to be avoided (Gelatt, 1991). Incremental Decision Making This decision making is required when problem at hand requires quick decision making, in this case managers make rather small responses to the problem and instead of completely eliminating it they reduce it to minimum level (John, 2001). Garbage-Can Decision Making This approach is used when the problem is clearly defined or the managers do not know what to do, this method uses trial and error approach and different solutions are tested on the basis of randomness, this approach is also used where there is emergency situation and management was not prepared to handle such situation (John, 2001). Approach Solution Employed by Orascom Telecom In below lines author will critically explore the decision making approach employed by Orascom Telecom the cater to the problem presented earlier, the problem faced by the organization was not urgent and turbulent in nature, rather its nature was more of strategic, for this kind of problem, rationale decision making is best to utilize, as the company had the time and information resources required to make such decision making, they logically opted for this and decision was made by using rationale decision making, in below lines we shall see that what decision was made how it was made by using said model. To explore this author will take step-by-step approach and will see that how each step was applied. Identification of Problem During the time in which both of the subsidiaries of Orascom Telecom were operating separately in the same market, management started to identify the problem that their profitability was decreasing due to increase in operating costs. At the same time the competition level in market was at its peak, prices were going down because of heavy competition and so was profit margins, the only way to increase or sustain profitability was to reduce costs. But Orascom Telecom was operating at redundant hierarchy by deploying two separate companies in the same market . In this scenario to sustain profitability was a challenge that management had face and to deal with they had no other option but to review their strategic business management in the broadband industry of Pakistan . Criteria Setting for Result Since Orascom Telecoms profitability was decreasing because of the high operating costs involved the criteria set for results was to increase profitability by reducing costs. Management had a clear understanding that business was growing at time as so was growing the market, but at the other hand competition was also increasing because of the entrance of new player in broadband internet market. So there was no chance of increasing profitability by increasing price and customer base. So the criteria set by the management to increase profitability by reducing costs was well justified and was based on rationality. List of Solutions At that time management of organization had two solutions to cater with this problem, the first one was to examine the profitability and operations of each of subsidiary and then close the operations of one subsidiary with less customer base and profitability. By doing this management can hand over one business to the other one and then get rid of unnecessary costs. The other solution that management was looking at to merge the operations of both of the subsidiaries and then form a new organization under the umbrella of their already well established GSM brand name Mobilink, since both the subsidiaries had same organizational structure and operational departments merger of both can be done without much disturbance in daily business operations. Examination of Each Solution Management of Orascom Telecom examined both of the solutions and their careful examination revealed following shortcomings and advantages of both of the solutions. The first which was to close the business of one unit and continue with the other one was not good for the overall image of the organization, this could have brought the negative messages for the consumer and could have hurt the brand image, the other short coming was the Mobilink BBU has the license of operating in WiMAX business and LINKdotNET had the license of operating in DSL and other high end technologies, and Orascom Telecom wanted to remain in both of the markets. So the closing of one operation would have resulted in loss of licenses and getting out of the business, however this solution could have reduced their operating costs and increase their profitability but with the above mentioned risks. Other solution which was merger of both of the unit into one consolidated unit was also expected to reduce costs by creating synergies and single operations at every department level by eliminating duel use of resources and duel costs, along with meeting the predefined selection criteria this solution also had certain benefits like merging both of the units and then re-launching operation with a big-bang was expected to bring a positive message to the potential customers that a large operator has merged their different operations and now they are in position to serve them even better. The other benefit that this solution could bring is the use of licenses of both of the subsidiaries and empowering the organization to use the full ground to play on. By employing this solution company could play in WiMAX market as well as DSL and other high end technology markets. Selection of Best Solution After the examination of the above mentioned solution choices, management decided to go for the second option and Mobilink BBU and LINKdotNET were merged for Mobilink Infinity in June 2009. After the merger, all relevant departments were merges and single point resources utilization and synergies with their GSM side of business were made possible, yes solution also resulted in layoffs but the number of employees losing jobs were less than the number could have been in case of selection of option one. Mobilink Infinity was launched to provide WiMAX and all other services that both of the organization were offering to both corporate and residential clients, that decision was able to achieve the desired results also came with the benefits of increased brand image, more clarity in employees and consumer perception of the company, so far it has been observed that companys business is growing and their profitability is increasing, and this decision is turning out to be successful one. Limitations of Process Employed Orascom Telecom employed the solution by opting for rationale decision making process, this decision turned out to be a successful decision but there are some limitations that needed to be taken care of and author have identified, by taking care of such limitations this decision could have been executed well and results could have been more fruitful, below author have discussed few limitations that are inherent in the decision (Bazerman Max, 1994). As rationale decision making is a lengthy process so it took a long time for management to complete this process, the evaluation of each option took more than a year and at the same time marketing of both subsidiaries were kept on hold, however the business didnt stop and they were selling to their customers but without marketing support (Gelatt, 1991). That time the competition in market was intense and there needed the full marketing support for any organization to win the market share, but the decision to hold all marketing activities for both of the subsidiaries and then taking one year to reach on any conclusion badly affected the business, the competition kept on building their brands, new comer were also aggressive that is why their business went down rapidly during the decision making process. Since this decision was made in the Egypt head quarters and same decision making process was in use to globally merge their broadband entities with their GSM entities, this factor also played its role in making this happen in a long time. The overall time taken by this decision was more than expected and suggested, that caused the business to miss some opportunities in the market that competition grabbed (Gelatt, 1991). Another shortcoming that author have observed with this methodology that this model is a step by step process and management cannot jump on to any other step without completing the previous one, even they know what is required and what is to be achieved and how it can be achieved they have to follow all the necessary procedures that again result in more time consuming. Since Orascom Telecom is a large organization, and they cannot afford their business to hold at any stage that is why they were unable to explore more options as solutions and only stick to two decision related options mentioned earlier, there could have been other option instead of closing and merging the business, but their evaluation stage would have cost them more loss in business that is why they were sticking to only two solutions to the defined problem (John, 2001). Another limitation with the model employed by Orascom Telecom was that this model does not support the creative decisions, since the result area is already defined and business managers are bounded with their rationality, they tend to seek and explore the decision that makes common sense and could be sold to management, to achieve the desired result of a problem there are always some run of the mill solution that pop-up in managers mind, and by following this rationale model, and in try to be rationale managers tend to ignore the creative ideas to problems that in one look may not make sense but after careful examination could have benefitted the organization more than the usual solutions(John, 2001). So there is a inherent limitation in rationale decision making model that is leads the manager to only stick to their rationale and make the decision that are acceptable in masses and ignore the creative options that come into mind, another reason of ignoring creative decision is that rationale model is already and lengthy process to follow and managers tend to stay away from creative process because such ideas would require them to evaluate and predict their implications, and this again will result in extended time taken in decision making and managers have the pressure to make the decision on time so that problem can be rectified in due time (Graham, 1993). How to Company Could Avoid Limitations As author mentioned above that decision making process took more than a year to get reached on, organization had to suffer their valuable opportunities that could have been exploited otherwise, and the solution to this limitation, in author point of view is that they should have employed the parallel analysis techniques, instead of deploying all the resources to one step at one time, they could have increased the number of managers working on the this problem and then ask them to parallel on each step, in this way the amount of time consumed in making decision could be reduced to few months. This could have also achieved by employing dedicated resources to this situation and realizing the fact the competitive environment in Pakistan in different from the competitive environment in Egypt and by using dedicated resources in Pakistan and by doing parallel analysis and execution of the process they could have achieved the desired results in minimum time(Graham, 1993). Another problem with the approach employed by the organization was to keep everything on hold for the period of decision making, while the external competitive environment was turbulent and competitive, their decision to hold all marketing activities for the period of transition was not effective, by doing this they lost the market opportunities and they position as leading telecom player was compromised. In order to avoid such situation they should have keep on giving marketing support to their products and by the time of reaching to any solution and actually launching the new entity formed they would have not missed the market (John, 2001). How this Module Affected My Decision Making Participation is this module has positively affected my problem solving and decision making abilities, as student of management and in daily life, on work or otherwise, we daily face different problems with different level of complexities, some problem are of critical nature and some are not that important, for some problems immediate decision making is required and for some problems we need a complex decision making for which time is also required, we also face the situations where we even dont know what the actual problem is, and all this happens on continues basis and in regular intervals. This module has transformed the way I used to look at the different situations, it has also taught me that there is a solution to every problem no matter how complex it may seem in first time, after going through this module I have learned that how a complex situation can be turned into a favorable situation by carefully analyzing it, how to find the actual problem by doing root cause analysis, and not to judge any situation on its face view. I have also learned that after finding the actual problem what approached that I can employee as road map to finding the solution to my problem, I have gone through various exercise that have taught me that how I can find solution and answer to various problem on my professional life and how I can use different decision making model on my working and then in my personal life. I have also came to know that which model of decision making and problem solving best suits the different situation, how to handle problems which are of immediate nature, how to solve problem which have long term affect, by going through this module I am confident on my decision making and problem solving abilities and I can use them in my professional and personal life. Conclusion This paper was aimed to explore the various decision making models and their applications by analyzing a real time problem case study that author have made on Pakistans leading telecom company Mobilink which is a subsidiary of one the largest telecom operators in the world Orascom Telecom. In this paper, author have examined real time problem which the organization had to face, while operating broadband industry of Pakistan and being a market leader they were running two of their subsidiaries with different names and operations but in the same market, and that dual operation was badly hitting their profitability. To cater to this problem organization then employed the rationale decision making model and after going through the process of decision making, they decided to merge the operations of both of the organization, later on author has examined the limitations in the study and then discussed the steps that can be taken to avoid such shortcomings. Later in this paper author have discussed that how participation in this module have affected his decision making and problem solving abilities and how author can use the knowledge and experience gained from this module in his personal and professional life.