Pfizer Strageic Plan

OUTLINE FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN Please bullet your responses. Staple the completed assignment; do not spend any money binding the assignment. Make sure to respond to every item. I. GETTING STARTED A. Steps in Strategic Management Process Step 1 |Identify the organization’s mission, vision, and value statement | |Step 2 |Determine the firms main business and organizational objectives | |Step 3 |Conduct a SWOT analysis identifying the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats | |Step 4 |Construct a Competitive Profile Matrix (CPM) | |Step 5 |Construct an External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix | |Step 6 |Construct and Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) Matrix | |Step 7 |Construct a Value Chain Analysis | |Step 8 |Prepare a SPACE, BCG, TOWS Analysis, and QSPM Matrix | |Step 9 |Use the data above to weigh alternative strategies, make strategic recommendations, develop a plan of action | | |(implementation), and convey the ROI | |Step 10 |Construct Conting ency Plan | B. Information and/or materials used to complete assignment †¢ Resources used in completing the assignment are as follows: Strategic Management Concepts and Cases’ 12th edition textbook, S&P 500 website, Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg. com, Pfizer. com, Google Finance, Reuters. om, and Google search engine including the web pages cited on the Works Cited page. C. Time Frame †¢ My goal is to actively work on a portion of the outline everyday and have it completed to its entirety by the time it is due; therefore I will not have to rush to get it done last minute. D. Resources Needed – all resource your team used to complete this assignment †¢ FAMU database, online articles, company website. II. MANDATES (â€Å"MUSTS†) -CLARIFYING/UNDERSTANDING A. History/Evolution of the Organization †¢ Pfizer was founded in 1849 by Charles Pfizer and Charles Erhart in Brooklyn, New York and has remained dedicated to improving the health and well being o f individuals around the world.The demand for Pfizer’s products soared throughout the Civil War as the demand for painkillers, disinfectants and preservatives increased. In 2000, Pfizer and Warner-Lambert merge to form the new Pfizer, which created the world’s fastest growing Pharmaceutical company. In 2008, Jeff Kindler, Chairman and CEO of Pfizer, announces the next step in the company's evolution and outlines the company's plan to establish smaller operating units designed to enhance innovation and accountability, while drawing upon the advantages of Pfizer's scale and resources. On October 15, 2009, Pfizer acquires Wyeth, creating a company with a broad range of products and therapies that touch the lives of patients and consumers every day and at every stage of life.In 2010, Pfizer announces a diversified R platform named Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, supporting excellence in small molecules, large molecules and vaccine research and development. As ap art of the acquisition of Wyeth in 2009, Pfizer initially implemented a two-division structure for research and development (BioTherapeutics and PharmaTherapeutics) to ensure the progress and steady integration of both legacy organizations. Due to the speed and effectiveness of that integration, Pfizer progresses to this new model while maintaining the same breadth and research programs. On December 1 and 2 2011 Pfizer completed the acquisitions of Excaliard Pharmaceuticals and Ferrosan Consumer Health’s Business, respectively. B.Identify formal aspects of the organization †¢ Corporate Governance Include: Board of Directors, Board Committees, Code of Ethics, CEO/CFO Certifications, Executive Officers, Policy and Procedures for Accounting and Legal Complaints †¢ Pfizer has created two distinct research organizations. The PharmaTherapeutics Research & Development Group focuses on the discovery of small molecules and related modalities; and The BioTherapeutics Research & Development Group focuses on large-molecule research, including vaccines. The goal with Pfizer doing this is to maximize opportunities within the Biomedical research sector. †¢ Pfizer has also developed an enhanced commercial operating structure.Pfizer has nine diverse health care businesses: Primary Care, Specialty Care, Oncology, Emerging Markets, Established Products, Consumer Healthcare, Nutrition, Animal Health and Capsugel. Each of these businesses is led by an executive with clear accountability for results – from product development following proof of concept to providing access to patients and through to the end of the product's life cycle. B. Identify informal aspects & culture of the organization †¢ Pfizer is sustained on innovation, which seeks a nourishing environment in which ideas and perspectives can flourish. It is an array of unique characteristics, perspectives, and life experiences. Pfizer Colleague Resource Groups (CRGs) are organized by coll eagues who join together to provide a positive forum for professional development. By embracing diversity of thought and experience, our CRGs help drive innovation and build on our success. †¢ David Simmons, the president and general manager of the Established Products Business Unit at Pfizer. Simmons has been highly successful at building a new, non-traditional culture within Pfizer for his business unit. One example of this was that Simmons was able to product high quality drugs at affordable costs, and he did this as high grossing patents were near expiration III. VISION STATEMENT, MISSION STATEMENT & VALUES STATEMENT ANALYSES A. Vision StatementAt Pfizer, we're inspired by a single goal: your health. That's why we're dedicated to developing new, safe medicines to prevent and treat the world's most serious diseases. And why we are making them available to the people who need them most. We believe that from progress comes hope and the promise of a healthier world. B. Vision S tatement Analysis – Does it answer the question â€Å"What to do we want to become? † If not, revise it. If organization does not have one, create one. †¢ Yes, I believe that it answers the question as to what they want to become. Its states that they are dedicated to developing new ways to prevent and treat diseases. C. Values Statement Pfizer does not have a value statement. D. Value Statement Analysis – Does it represent the organization’s guiding principles? If not, revise it. If organization does not have one, create one. †¢ Pfizer will work to provide the best quality drugs that will cater to the most people. We will ensure that as a company we will work to do what is best for our patients, physicians and consumers. B. Mission Statement †¢ We will become the world's most valued company to patients, customers, colleagues, investors, business partners, and the communities where we work and live. D. Mission Statement Analysis – Do es it have the 9 components? If not, revise it to include all 9 components.If organization does not have one, create one. †¢ No, the mission statement does not include all the nine components. After revising the mission statement, it should be read: o We will become the world’s most valued company to patients, customers, colleagues, investors, business partners, and the communities where we work and live. We will ensure that we provide products of the best quality at affordable prices to all. We will work hard to ensure that we keep up with the needs and problems of our consumers and provide what is best. We will continue to promote the well-being of our consumers as well as the well-being of our shareholders and employees as well as promote diversity.We will keep abreast of the ever-changing technology to ensure that they needs of our consumers are met at all times and also that we will not become obsolete to our customers. We will forever be dedicated to developing new , safe medicines to prevent and treat the world's most serious diseases. And why we are making them available to the people who need them most. |List each of the 9 components |Excerpts from Mission Statement addressing the component | |1. Customers |We will work hard to ensure that we keep up with the needs and problems of our consumers and provide what is| | |best. | |2.Products or Services |We will ensure that we provide products of the best quality at affordable prices to all. | |3. Markets |We will ensure that we provide products of the best quality at affordable prices to all. | |4. Technology |We will keep abreast of the ever-changing technology to ensure that they needs of our consumers are met at | | |all times and also that we will not become obsolete to our customers. | |5. Concern for survival, growth, and profitability|We will keep abreast of the ever-changing technology to ensure that they needs of our consumers re met at | | |all times and also that we will not become obsolete to our customers. | |6. Philosophy |We will forever be dedicated to developing new, safe medicines to prevent and treat the world's most serious| | |diseases. And why we are making them available to the people who need them most. | |7. Self- Concept |We will become the world’s most valued company to patients, customers, colleagues, investors, business | | |partners, and the communities where we work and live. | |8.Concern for public image |We will continue to promote the well-being of our consumers as well as the well-being of our shareholders | | |and employees as well as promote diversity. | |9. Concern for employees |We will become the world’s most valued company to patients, customers, colleagues, investors, business | | |partners, and the communities where we work and live. | IV. ASSESSING EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT A. Identify Opportunities / Threats – Analyze trends in the following areas: political, legal, competitive, economic, social, cultural, demo graphic, technological, environmental, and governmental. Provide at least 1 opportunity & 1 threat for each of the 10 areas. Provide responses in bullet format. Political | |Opportunity |Threat | |Measures taken to close the Coverage gap also known as the donut hole may |New Health care Reform Bill was put in place 2010. This law requires drug | |result in people using more brand name drugs rather than buying generic. 9 |producers to make rebates to state Medicaid agencies based on their costs to | | |provide prescription drugs to Medicaid beneficiaries. | | |Constant pressure to lower prescription drug prices from the government2 | |Legal | |Opportunity |Threat | |Acquisitions and in-licensing /co-development opportunities such as recent |Expiration of Patents for drugs, face a loss of up to billions of dollars due | |acquisitions of Excaliard and Ferrosan Consumer Health’s Business in December |to generics taking market share.For example, Lipitor, which grossed 11 bil lion| |2011 may help Pfizer meet unmet needs of their customers. 23 |in revenues last year expired November 28, 2011. This means that other | | |companies are allowed to produce the generic version of the drug. 2 | | |Number of New Molecular Entities approved by the FDA has declined. In 2009, | | |NMEs approved were 26 and 2010 were 21. 2 | | |Beginning of 2011 was a series of new fees in the form of excise taxes payable | | |to the federal government. 12 | |Competitive | |Opportunity |Threat | |Barriers for additional companies to enter the market are high. 4 |French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis’ $20 billion acquisition of Genzyme Corp. | | |completed in April 2011 | | |Fierce competition among Pharmaceutical companies such as Proctor & Gamble and | | |Johnson & Johnson. | | |Japanese drug sales are also expected to expand with current sales of 60 | | |billion, 11% of the world market share. | |Economic | |Opportunity |Threat | |Demands for certain drugs are relatively in elastic. 4 |Based on the projected losses due to loss of market share, Pfizer has shed | | |53,000 and 61, 000 jobs in 2010 and 2009 respectively | | |The decline in spending in the US in the last few years | | |Revenue may be hurt by ongoing negative effects from U. S. ealth care reform | | |and austerity pricing in Europe | | |Inflation will cause an increase in cost and raise drug prices | | |Competition from newer, better drugs may be a threat to sales. For example, | | |Vivus is a new ED drug that may be able to compete with Viagra. 3 | |Social | |Opportunity |Threat | |450 million Americans are over the age of 65 and healthcare spending is the |Number of NMEs approved by the FDA has declined12 | |highest among these individuals2 | | |Humana and Pfizer Form Research Partnership to Improve Health Care Delivery for| | |Seniors in 2011. | | |Cultural | |Opportunity |Threat | |Like GlaxoSmithKline and Abbott Labs in particular — Pfizer has its sights on |Number of legis lative proposals seeking to allow importation of medicines into | |developing countries for a revenue bump. 13 |the U. S. and revenues could be affected | |Demographic | |Opportunity |Threat | |Asian drug sales are also expected to expand.For example, Takeda |77 million people by 2031 will be enrolled in Medicare and Health care and | |Pharmaceutical Company, Asia's biggest drug maker, reported an 18 percent jump |Medicare will not be able to finance this many people2 | |in first-quarter profit, helped by the sale of new medicines in the beginning | | |of 2011. 9 | | |Technological | |Opportunity |Threat | |Pfizer has plenty of drugs in its pipeline with blockbuster potential. 3 | | |Environmental | |Opportunity |Threat | |Adoption of new environmental strategies to be more socially responsible |Adverse effect on drug prices due to threat of imported drugs and threat of | | |counterfeited drugs due to importing and exporting. | B. Monitor Major Stakeholders/Stakeholder Analys is – Customers, Competitors (list at least 3 of the organizations major competitors, Individuals in the community, Employees, Stockholders, etc. 1. Identify Stakeholders |Identify Internal Stakeholders |Identify External Stakeholders | |Ian C.Reed- President, CEO, Director |Johnson & Johnson | |Frank A. D’Amelio- CFO, EVP of Business Ops. |JP Morgan Chase & Co | |Mikael Dolsten- Pfizer Worldwide R&D |Northern Trust | |Freda- Lewis Hall- EVP, Chief Medical Officer |Proctor & Gamble | 2. Stakeholder Matrix – classify the internal & external stakeholders identified above into the appropriate boxes. High Interest/Importance, High Influence |High Interest/Importance, Low Influence | |Ian Reed |Proctor & Gamble | |Frank D’Amelio |Johnson & Johnson | |JP Morgan Chase & Co |Dow Chemical | |State Street Corporation |Merck and Co Inc. | | |Customers | | Employees | |Low Interest/Importance, High Influence |Low Interest/Importance, Low Influence | |Governme nt |Lenders | |Insurance Companies |Suppliers | | | | | | | | | | 3. Stakeholder Analysis |Stakeholder |Responsibility of |What does organization |Stakeholder’s potential |Stakeholders’ perceived |Stakeholder Management | | |Stakeholder to the |expect the stakeholder to |impact on the organization |attitudes and/or risks to |Strategy (SMS) | | |organization |provide? (high, medium, or low) |the organization | | | | | | | |N/A | |Investors |Fund the organization |Provide funding and |High |High Risk; Conservative | | | | |liquidity to the | |Attitude | | | | |organization | | | | | |Strategic plans and |Provide expertise, | |High Risk; Positive |Bottom-Up | |Employees |operations.Supports the|knowledge and value |High |Attitude | | | |functionality and | | | | | | |operational processes | | | | | | |Make critical decisions |Provide conceptual |High |High risk; Conservative |Top-down | |Shareholders | |knowledge and top-down flow| |Attitude | | | | |of decision maki ng | | | | | |Meet market demands |Provide products and | |Medium Risk; Positive |N/A | |Suppliers | |services |Medium |Attitude | | External Factor Evaluation |Opportunities | | | | | |Weight |Rating (1-4) |Weighted Score | |1. Measures taken to close the donut hole may result in people using more brand |. 07 |3 |. 1 | |name drugs rather than buying generic | | | | |2. Acquisitions and in-licensing /co-development opportunities |. 06 |4 |. 24 | |3. 450 million Americans are over the age of 65 and healthcare spending is the |. 07 |4 |. 28 | |highest among these individuals | | | | |4. Expansion of the biologic pharmacy market. |. 07 |4 |. 28 | |5. Bought King pharmaceutical for $3. 6 billion which would open up more |. 06 |4 |. 4 | |manufacture and sales adding to the capital of the company (Carrie, 2009). | | | | |6. Barriers for additional companies to enter into market are high |. 05 |4 |. 20 | |7. Demands for certain drugs are relatively inelastic. |. 07 |4 |. 28 | |Threats | | | | |8. Japanese drug sales are also expected to expand with current sales of 60 |. 08 |2 |. 6 | |billion, 11% of the world market share. | | | | |9. In 2009, Pfizer got assessed a 2. 3 billion fine for which they employed illegal|. 08 |1 |. 08 | |marketing strategies. | | | | |10. Large manufacture and low research for new inductions in the market could |. 07 |2 |. 14 | |decline the profitability. | | | | |11. Constant pressure to lower prescription drug prices from the government |. 5 |2 |. 1 | |12. Number of NMEs approved by the FDA has declined |. 04 |2 |. 08 | |13. The decline in spending in the US in the last few years |. 07 |1 |. 07 | |14. Inflation will cause an increase in cost and raise drug prices |. 06 |1 |. 06 | |15. Number of legislative proposals seeking to allow importation of medicines into|. 05 |2 |. 1 | |the U. S. nd revenues could be affected | | | | |16. 77 million people by 2031 will be enrolled in Medicare and Health care and |. 06 |2 |. 12 | |Medicare will not be able to finance this many people | | | | | | |Total |2. 64 | Pfizer seems to be taking advantage of the opportunities presented as well as avoiding threats but there is still room for improvement.For example, Pfizer seems to be taking advantage of some of the acquisitions that they have had over the last two years. They are seizing the opportunities of the expanding biological pharmacy market. Starting with the acquisition of Wyeth in 2009 and then the acquisitions of Excaliard and Ferrosan Consumer Health’s Business. Pfizer saw that they were not meeting the needs of some of their customers but their competitors were. Excaliard is a privately owned biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel drugs for the treatment of skin fibrosis, more commonly referred to as skin scarring. Ferrosan Consumer Health’s Business focuses on dietary supplements and lifestyle products.In addition to this, although New Molecular Entities approved by the FDA have declined, Pfizer has managed to get 3 drugs approved by the FDA in 2011 alone. Lastly, Pfizer has responded relatively well to the governmental pressure of lowering their prices as well as the Lipitor patent expiring at the end of November. Pfizer has implemented multiple rebate and discount programs to help assist their consumers. For example, Pfizer has recently partnered with Wal-Mart to offer a $4 prescription program allowing consumers to obtain their prescriptions at that low price. This helps to mitigate the complete loss of revenue and market share if consumers were to go to generic all together.I believe that the reason Pfizer did not receive a score of higher than a 3 was because a lot of these new policies have been recent (2010, 2011) and Pfizer seems to be trying to figure out how to remain profitable as well as cater to their consumers and these acquisitions are all relatively new and Pfizer seems to be just getting adjusted. Competitive Profile Matrix | |Pfizer |Johnson & Joh nson |Eli Lilly | |Critical Success Factors |Weight |Rating |Weighted Score |Rating |Weighted |Rating |Weighted Score | | | | | | |Score | | | |Organizational Structure |. 05 |2 |. 10 |4 |. 20 |1 |. 5 | |Price Competitiveness |. 10 |3 |. 30 |3 |. 30 |3 |. 30 | |Advertising |. 04 |1 |. 04 |1 |. 04 |4 |. 16 | |Product Quality |. 10 |3 |. 30 |3 |. 30 |3 |. 30 | |Sales Distribution |. 10 |4 |. 40 |3 |. 30 |2 |. 0 | |Customer Loyalty |. 03 |3 |. 09 |3 |. 09 |3 |. 09 | |Global Expansion |. 11 |4 |. 44 |3 |. 33 |2 |. 22 | |Market Share |. 11 |4 |. 44 |4 |. 44 |3 |. 33 | |Demographics |. 03 |3 |. 09 |3 |. 09 |3 |. 9 | |Financial Position |. 15 |4 |. 60 |3 |. 45 |2 |. 30 | |Research and Development |. 13 |4 |. 52 |4 |. 52 |3 |. 39 | |Innovation |. 10 |3 |. 30 |3 |. 30 |2 |. 20 | |Total |1. 00 | |3. 52 | |3. 16 | |2. 58 |From constructing the Competitive Profile Matrix, it is apparent that Pfizer is the strongest among the three competitors compared. V. ASSESSING INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT A. Stren gths/Weaknesses |Management | |Strength |Weakness | |In June 2011, Pfizer announced strategic partnerships with ICON plc and PAREXEL|Sometimes Pfizer may have to discontinue the production of drugs; therefore the| |International Corporation, both of which will serve as strategic providers of |demand for that drug increases. |clinical trial implementation services over a five-year period beginning in | | |June 2011 | | |Adoption of new environmental strategies to be more socially responsible | | |Working with numerous companies to do collaborative work in research and | | |development. | | |Pfizer is continually developing new strategies such as plant restructuring and| | |energy master plan. | |Pfizer is divided into multiple sectors so that most leaders have a specific | | |rather than general role. | | |Pfizer expects to increase its market share from 4% to 6% by reinforcing its | | |leadership, expanding developments in high growth markets, building leadership | | |in oncology and taking advantage of R&D in Asia and other countries. | |Marketing | |Strength |Weakness | |Renewed emphasis in the faster growing fields of specialty pharmaceuticals, |Co marketing with other pharmaceutical companies may slow down its global | |biologics, vaccines, and, in some cases, even generics. |growth. | |Its number one pharmaceutical from sales point of view and its marketing |Decreased amount of advertising | |infrastructure is well established throughout the world. | | |Pfizer as six markets, which include Brazil, China, Mexico, Turkey, Russia, and| | |India. | |For the ninth consecutive year, the Pfizer Pharmaceutical Sales Force was voted| | |as first overall in Verispan's â€Å"Pharmaceutical Sales Force Structures. | | |Human Resources | |Strength |Weakness | |Global working network with 95,000 workers |According the glassdoor. om, the company morale is at an all time low | |Accounting/Financials | |Strength |Weakness | |7. 5% ranking corporation market share | Prices, according to the federal government, are too high and are currently | |Sales have increased from 16. 02% in 2008 to 22. 89% in 2010. |trying to get Pfizer to cut their prices. | |High budget pharmaceutical industries having the revenue of $50 billion |Lowest Earnings per Share among competitors. For example, Pfizer has an EPS of | | |$. 48 and Johnson & Johnson and Eli Lilly have an EPS of $1. 5 and $1. 11, | | |respectively. | | |The integration of large acquisitions including a pair by Pfizer — hasn’t | | |resulted in s great return on equity. | | |Each new drug can cost as much as $1 billion to develop, with no guarantee of | | |success. |Internal Technology | |Strength |Weakness | |Due to the expectation of the drugs expiring and the decline and market share, |Delays caused by regulations and the unsuccessful completion of clinical trials| |Pfizer has focused most of the R&D on Biotech based treatments |reduce the potential recovery and returns of investme nts such as R&D. | |Their research and development sector is highly established and in good | | |strength. | | |Renewed emphasis in the faster growing fields of specialty pharmaceuticals, | | |biologics, vaccines, and, in some cases, even generics. | | |Pfizer Announces Licensing Agreement With Puma Biotechnology, Inc.For The | | |Development And Commercialization Of Neratinib, An Investigational Pan-HER | | |Inhibitor | | |U. S. Food And Drug Administration Approves Pfizer’s XALKORI ® (crizotinib) As | | |First And Only Therapy Specifically For Patients With Locally Advanced Or | | |Metastatic ALK-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. | | | | |Other | |Strength |Weakness | |Chance to acquire new patents for new technological products |Currently only serving American, European and Asian markets. They are not | |Pfizer has been public in its efforts to address climate change. Our Energy and|serving African or Australian markets. | |Climate Change Program seeks to minimize the cost and operational restrictions | | |arising from a carbon-constrained environment, reduce Pfizer's contribution to | | |GHG emissions, and assess the risk presented to Pfizer's operations from the | | |potential physical changes resulting from a warming global climate. | |Pfizer has committed to ensure that their quality is top notch and no | | |counterfeit products have been purchased by their consumers. | | |Pfizer is committed to its outsourcing. The key considerations for outsourcing | | |decisions include the ability to supply and capacity flexibility, regulatory | | |compliance and safe practices, technology and cost competiveness. | | |Pfizer has a structure for quality.Some components include creating, | | |implementing, and upholding standard operating procedures for trial execution, | | |a quality scientific and medical design of the protocol, clinical investigator | | |and site pre-assessment and selection, regulatory agency and ethics committee | | |approval, dev eloping and providing appropriate informed consent, adequate | | |recording and reporting of data, periodic monitoring and audits. | | B. Value Chain Analysis – Graphically depict the organization’s value chain |Infrastructure: | |-Pfizer's Executive Leadership Team is the company's senior-most leadership and decision-making management body. It brings together our top leaders to focus on major | |financial, strategic and operational decisions for the company. | |-The Governance structure of Pfizer consists of an Executive Board (CEO, CFO, President), Board of Directors (Dennis Ausiello, Michael S.Brown), Shareholders (JPMorgan,| |Northern Trust, Ian Reed, State Street Corporation). | |-Pfizer has made several initiatives to ensure a diverse company culture. They also have recognized their responsibility towards their customers. Certain policies | |include: Business conduct, Lobbying and Political contributions, Sales and Marketing, Research and clinical trials, workpl ace standards, and laboratory animal care. 10 | |Human Resource Management: | |Pfizer has agreements with different universities and recruit from different areas of study. This serves to create a diverse environment and fosters a challenging and | |open culture.Some of their values with regards to their employees are: sustain focus on performance, create an inclusive environment, exchange open discussion and | |debate, manage change, develop people, and align across Pfizer. 2 | |Research and Development: | |Pfizer is prioritizing its research and development efforts in areas with the greatest scientific and commercial promise: immunology and inflammation, oncology, | |cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, neuroscience and pain, and vaccines.Through major research efforts across multiple modalities including small molecules, | |biologics and vaccines. | |Pfizer has set up the phases of clinical development from making the drug to administering the drug through clinical trials and then manufacturing and selling the drugs. | |2 | |Procurement: | |Pfizer is expected to increase outsourced manufacturing of products from approximately 17 percent to 30 percent over the next three years. Key considerations for | |outsourcing decisions include the ability to supply, capacity flexibility, cost competitiveness,and technology. | |Inbound Logistics: |Operations: |Outbound Logistics: |Marketing and Sales: |Service: | |Pfizer procurement professionals |-Pfizer has nine diverse health|-Pfizer has trained over 95 |-Channels of marketing include:|-Pfizer is committed to providing a | |regularly |care businesses: Primary Care, |percent of colleagues worldwide|Television, print ad and online|quality drug to their customers. | |engage with suppliers to reinforce |Specialty Care, Oncology, |in basic problem solving, which|ads. Pfizer has created programs such as | |Pfizer’s expectations in all |Emerging Markets, Established |has resulted in over 8,000 |-Pharmaceutical sa les |the $4 Wal-Mart prescription program| |operational business areas. This |Products, Consumer Healthcare, |improvement |representatives are among the |to provide their drugs at a fraction| |collaboration leads |Nutrition, Animal Health and |projects across the world in |top in the nation. They receive|of the cost. | |to improvement projects with |Capsugel†. 8 |the last five |extensive training so they are |- | |significant performance benefits, | |years. Significant improvements|knowledgeable of the drugs. | |such as reduced | |to Pfizer’s |They have knowledge of Pfizer | | |packaging and transportation costs, | |key products have delivered a |products as well as their | | |and elimination of undesirable | |40 percent reduction in both |competitors. 2 | | |chemicals through process | |the time to make and ship the | | | |improvements†. 8 | |product as well as allowing a | | | | | |reduction in inventory†. 8 | | | Primary Activities Financial Ratios: Finan cial Ratios |Pfizer Inc |Industry |S&P 500 |How Pfizer is doing in | | | | | |comparison to the industry? | |Growth Rate % | | | | | |Sales (Qtr vs. year ago Qtr) |7. 5 |5. 90 |14. 40 |Better | |Net Income (YTD vs. YTD) NA |NA |NA | | |Net Income (Qtr vs. year ago Qtr) |185. 10 |66. 00 |46. 30 |Better | |Sales (5 Year Annual Avg) |7. 42 |7. 59 |8. 28 |Worse | |Net Income (5-Year Annual Avg) |1. 68 |2. 38 |8. 48 |Worse | |Dividends (5-Year Annual Avg) |-1. 08 |9. 81 |5. 9 |Worse | | | | | | | |Financial Condition | | | | | |Debt/Equity Ratio |. 46 |1. 14 |1. 05 |Better | |Current Ratio |2. 3 |1. 7 |1. 4 |Better | |Quick Ratio |1. 9 |1. 4 |1. 0 |Better | |Interest Coverage |9. 6 |23. 5 |316. |Worse | | | | | | | |Investment Returns % | | | | | |Return on Equity |11. 4 |30. 0 |26. 3 |Worse | |Return on Assets |5. 2 |8. 8 |8. 9 |Worse | |Return on Capital |6. 1 |11. 7 |11. 9 |Worse | | | | | | |Management Efficiency | | | | | |Income/Employee |91,763 |84,518 |130,228 |Better | |Re venue/Employee |616,998 |539,073 |1 Mil |Better | |Receivable Turnover |4. 5 |5. 5 |15. 9 |Worse | |Assets Turnover |0. 4 |0. 6 |0. |Better | |Inventory Turnover |1. 8 |2. 7 |12. 5 |Worse | * http://moneycentral. msn. com/investor/invsub/results/compare. asp? symbol=pfe* C. Assess all Functional areas using the internal checklists Management Audit Checklist – Give an example for each response |1. Does the organization use strategic management concepts? |Yes, Pfizer is continually developing new strategies such as plant restructuring and | | |energy master plan.For example, In June 2011, Pfizer announced strategic partnerships | | |with ICON plc and PAREXEL International Corporation, both of which will serve as strategic| | |providers of clinical trial implementation services over a five-year period beginning in | | |June 2011 | |2. Are organization objectives and goals measurable and well |Yes, some of Pfizer’s goals include maximizing opportunities in Biomedical res earch, | |communicated? |forging relationships with ey customers, etc. | |3. Do managers at all hierarchical levels plan effectively? |Yes, Pfizer is divided into multiple sectors so that most leaders have a specific rather | | |than general role. Pfizer is divided into 2 sectors, the PharmaTherapeutics Research & | | |Development Group and the BioTherapeutics Research & Development Group. Each sector has | | |its own managers; therefore it becomes easier to be able to plan effectively. | |4.Is the organization’s structure appropriate? |Yes, their leadership brings together top leaders to focus on major financial, operational| | |and strategic decisions. They have managers for every sector who work specifically to | | |foster the success of that sector. This creates an atmosphere for managers and employees | | |to focus on their specific sector rather than divide their attention. | |5. Are job descriptions and job specifications clear? Yes, Pfizer provides a detailed descript ion of the top managers and what they do as well | | |as what they expect from all their employees. | |6. Is employee morale high? |No, according to glassdoor. com, the employee morale is at an all time low. | |7. Is employee turnover and absenteeism low? |Yes, Pfizer currently has over 110,000 employees and they have managed to maintain their | | |staff turnover at a rate lower than 10% per year for the past 10 years, despite the | | |industry's average rate of 15%. | |8.Are organizational reward and control mechanisms effective? |Yes, Pfizer has recently raised its salary for its employees from the 50th to the 75th | | |percentile of markets rates. | Marketing Audit Checklist – Give an example for each response |1. Are markets segmented effectively? |Yes, Pfizer as six markets which include Brazil, China, Mexico, Turkey, Russia, and India | |2. Is the organization positioned well among competitors? |Yes, Pfizer ranks #2 right behind Proctor and Gamble | |3. Has the organiza tion’s market share been increasing? Yes, Pfizer expects to increase its market share from 4% to 6% by reinforcing its | | |leadership, expanding developments in high growth markets, building leadership in oncology| | |and taking advantage of R&D in Asia and other countries. | |4. Are present channels of distribution reliable and |No, according to Pfizer. com, globalization has made channels of distribution easy targets | |cost-effective? |for counterfeiting products. Drug Importation also poses a difficult task of closely | | |monitoring these drugs to prevent counterfeiting and damaged goods. | |5. Does the organization have an effective sales organization? Yes, For the ninth consecutive year, the Pfizer Pharmaceutical Sales Force was voted as | | |first overall in Verispan's â€Å"Pharmaceutical Sales Force Structures. | |6. Does the organization conduct market research? |Yes, this is the basis for their business. They have to research the causes and effects | | |for the drugs that they manufacture and produce. | |7. Are the organization’s products and services priced |No, the federal government has been trying to get Pfizer to decrease its prices to be more| |appropriately? |affordable for customers. | |8.Does the organization have an effective promotion, advertising,|Yes, Pfizer products have become a household name for most. Pfizer has a marketing | |and publicity strategy? |strength in major geographical and therapeutic areas. | |9. Is marketing planning and budgeting effective? |Yes, one of Pfizer’s plans is to cut the budget of R by 12 million dollars by the end of| | |2012. | |10. Do the organization’s marketing managers have adequate |Yes, from inspection of the top marketing managers, they all have experience prior to | |experience and training? |Pfizer. | |11.Are product quality and customer service good? |Yes, Pfizer has committed to ensure that their quality is top notch and no counterfeit | | |products have been pur chased by their consumers. They have implemented numerous plans in | | |order to assure top quality. This stems from their procurement strategies such as making | | |sure that their suppliers only produce the utmost quality of products. | Finance Audit Checklist – Give an example for each response |1.Where is the organization financially strong & weak as |Yes, the company has a high gross profit margin at 81. 5%, which indicates a strong | |indicated by financial ratio analyses? |position in the market. | |2. Can the organization raise needed short-term capital? |Yes, their operating activity ratios for the most part have improved. For example, their | | |inventory turnover decreased in 2009 to 4. 03 but then increased in 2010 to 8. 07. | |3. Can the organization raise needed long-term capital through |Yes, most of the company’s ratios seemed to have decreased in 2009, but most recuperated | |debt and/or equity? |in 2010. For xample, total asset turnover decreased in 2 009 to 0. 23 but then increased in| | |2010 to 0. 35. | |4. Does the organization have sufficient working capital? |Yes, the company’s working capital increased since 2009. In 2010, the working capital was | | |$18,991 million. | |5. Are capital budgeting procedures effective? |Yes, the company has decided to cut back in R costs in order to save capital | |6. Are dividend payout policies reasonable? |No, the payout for dividends is currently $. 20 per share which is $. 3 less than its | | |number one competitor, Proctor & Gamble | |7. Does the organization have good relations with its investors |Yes, all the financials are reported online and there is a sense of transparency with the | |and stockholders? |investors and the company. | |8. Are the organization’s financial managers experienced and well |Yes, all managers have experience prior to working at Pfizer | |trained? | | R Audit Checklist – Give an example for each response |1.Does the organization have R facilities? Are they adequate? |Yes, Pfizer has the world’s largest research. Pfizer has six main research locations, | | |which include: New York, California, Massachusetts, Connecticut, UK and Missouri. | |2. If outside R organizations are used, are they cost-effective? |N/A, Pfizer does not use outside R organizations. | |3. Are the organization’s R personnel well qualified? |Yes, Pfizer has a rigorous screening process for their scientists that work in R. This | | |is done to ensure a quality product. | |4. Are management information and computer systems adequate? Yes, Pfizer engaged PA Consulting Group to create and implement a rapid, insightful | | |information management solution that would help the company manage and derive value from | | |the wealth of project and agreement information. 14 | |5. Is communication between R and other organizational units |Yes, communication has to be effective when it comes to R and the other sectors. This | |effective? |has to be done to ensure safe, effective products. | |6. Are present products technologically competitive? |Yes, Pfizer has some of the leading medications in areas such as Internal Medicine.The | | |drug Lipitor is the leading drug for the reduction of cholesterol in the industry as of | |

The traditional material known as aluminum

The traditional material known as aluminum is often too soft to meet the requirements of certain applications, especially when considering aeronautic applications. These structural demanding applications thereby require the making of aluminum alloys which are structurally tough materials. Aluminum alloys are made to increase mechanical strength, increase corrosion resistance of the material, and thus increase overall shock survivability of the material (Subodh, K. D. , 2007).Here, we are concerned with Aluminum alloys 2024 and 7075 which are particularly used in aircraft structures, and aerospace applications. The review presents the similarities and differences of each material with regards to their chemistry, processing, and heat treatment measures. Aluminum 2024 The aluminum 2024 was first introduced in 1931, and was available as an alclad sheet and plate forms. Due to its high corrosion resistance, the material is often used in areas of an aircraft where fatigue resistance and st rength are required. Those areas include fuselage, wings, shear webs, and ribs of an aircraft.As an alloy, aluminum 2024 is made up of several materials among which are aluminum, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and silicon. Such a composition gives the ending material adequate mechanical and thermal properties demanded for aircraft structural components. However, the material is also used for truck wheels, screw machine products, scientific instruments, and orthopedic equipment. Overall, the aluminum 2024 material may be used in any application where there is a need for high strength to weight ration materials, and/or structures.

Optical Camouflage

OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE ABSTRACT: The advancement in science is making what we may have thought of as impossible, probable. Humans may become invisible as the extra terrestrials which are considered to be probably invisible. A new technology provides a way to this. In this paper a scientific technology that is used to implement this idea is presented. The optical camouflage technology is one of the famous scientific technologies which helps in the invention of a new type of cloak called the invisible cloak. This is one of the big revolutions created in the area of virtual reality.It is just a concept of reflection of light by the cloak. The person who wears this cloak will feel as just what he feels with the ordinary cloaks but the person will be invisible to the outside environment. This is the main advantage of this cloak. There are many other interesting features present in this paper about this cloak. CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION: Chaitanya Institute of Engineering & Technology Page 1 OPT ICAL CAMOUFLAGE Although optical is a term that technically refers to all forms of light, most proposed forms of optical camouflage would only provide invisibility in the visible portion of the spectrum.The research on the concept of invisibility was started in 1977 and was very successfully accomplished in 2003. Initially Professor Tachi from the University of Tokyo said that he had first had the idea of developing something to make objects invisible in 1977. But the imag e was flat and unrealistic. He came up with retro-reflective material which causes the coat to act as a screen and gives a transparent – or invisible – effect. Similarly, Duke University is using microwave beam deflection, making it appear almost as if nothing were there at all. If you’ve seen the movie â€Å"Harry Potter† then you may recognize the idea of an invisibility cloak. CHAPTER 2 : OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE: Optical camouflage is a hypothetical type of active camouflage currently onl y in a very primitive stage of development. The idea is relatively straightforward: to create the illusion of invisibility by covering an object with something that projects the scene directly behind that Chaitanya Institute of Engineering & Technology Page 2 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE object. Optical camouflage is a kind of active camouflage which completely envelopes the wearer.It displays an image of the scene on the side opposite the viewer on it, so that the viewer can â€Å"see through† the wearer, rendering the wearer invisible. Although optical is a term that technically refers to all forms of light, most proposed forms of optical camouflage would only provide invisibility in the visible portion of the spectrum. Prototype examples and proposed designs of optical camouflage devices range back to the late eighties at least, and the concept began to appear in fiction in the late nineties. CHAPTER 2. 1 : Components of the Optical Camouflage:Optical camouflage doesn't work by way of magic. It works by taking advantage of something called augmented-reality technology. Augmented-reality systems add computergenerated information to a user's sensory perceptions. Most augmented-reality systems require that users look through a special viewing apparatus to see a real-world scene enhanced with synthesized graphics. They also require a powerful computer. Optical camouflage requires these things, as well, but it also requires several other components. ? A garment made from highly reflective material A video camera ? A computer ? A projector ? A special, half-silvered mirror called a combiner; which is the viewing screen CHAPTER 2. 2 : The Cloak: Chaitanya Institute of Engineering & Technology Page 3 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE It is made up of retro-reflective material. It has an observer that receives more of the reflected light and therefore sees a brighter reflection. It can be seen far away and outside in bright sunlight. CHAPTER 2. 3 : Other components: †¢ The camer a captures the digital video behind the person with the cloak. †¢The computer synthesizes the graphics and superimposes them on a real-world image. †¢ The projector shines a light beam through an opening controlled by a device called an iris diaphragm. †¢ The combiner (special mirror) is used to both reflect the projected image toward the cloak and let light rays bouncing off the cloak to return to the viewer’s eye. Chaitanya Institute of Engineering & Technology Page 4 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE CHAPTER 3 : CONCEPT OF INVISIBILITY CLOAK: Chaitanya Institute of Engineering & Technology Page 5 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE 1.The cloak that enables optical camouflage to work is made from a special material known as retro-reflective material. 2. A retro-reflective material is covered with thousands and thousands of small beads. When light strikes one of these beads, the light rays bounce back exactly in the same direction from which they came. 3. To understand why this is unique, lo ok at how light reflects off of other types of surfaces. A rough surface creates a diffused reflection because the incident (incoming) light rays get scattered in many different directions.A perfectly smooth surface, like that of a mirror, creates what is known as a specular reflection — a reflection in which incident light rays and reflected light rays form the exact same angle with the mirror surface. In retroreflection, the glass beads act like prisms, bending the light rays by a process known as refraction. This causes the reflected light rays to travel back along the same path as the incident light rays. The result: An observer situated at the light source receives more of the reflected light and therefore sees a brighter reflection.Chaitanya Institute of Engineering & Technology Page 6 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE CHAPTER 4 : WORKING: Chaitanya Institute of Engineering & Technology Page 7 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE Once a person puts on the cloak made with the retro-reflective material, here's the sequence of events: †¢ A digital video camera captures the scene behind the person wearing the cloak. †¢ The computer processes the captured image and makes the calculations necessary to adjust the still image or video so it will look realistic when it is projected. The projector receives the enhanced image from the computer and shines the image through a pinhole-sized opening onto the combiner. †¢ The silvered half of the mirror, which is completely reflective, bounces the projected image toward the person wearing the cloak. Chaitanya Institute of Engineering & Technology Page 8 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE †¢ The cloak acts like a movie screen, reflecting light directly back to the source, which in this case is the mirror. †¢ Light rays bouncing off of the cloak pass through the transparent part of the mirror and fall on the user's eyes.Remember that the light rays bouncing off of the cloak contain the image of the scene that exists behind the person wear ing the cloak. †¢ The person wearing the cloak appears invisible because the background scene is being displayed onto the retro-reflective material. At the same time, light rays from the rest of the world are allowed reach the user's eyes, making it seem as if an invisible person exists in an otherwise normal-looking world. CHAPTER 4. 1 : Key Challenges: †¢ Practicality smaller computer integrated replacement of projector combiner. †¢ Purchase patent or license. †¢High costs. †¢ Very small cameras and projectors CHAPTER 5 : MUTUAL TELEXISTENCE: Chaitanya Institute of Engineering & Technology Page 9 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE CHAPTER 5. 1 :How mutual telexistence works: Chaitanya Institute of Engineering & Technology Page 10 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE †¢ Human user A is at one location while his telexistence robot A is at another location with human user B. †¢ Human user B is at one location while his telexistence robot B is at another location with human user A. à ¢â‚¬ ¢ Both telexistence robots are covered in retro-reflective material so that they act like screens. With video cameras and projectors at each location, the images of the two human users are projected onto their respective robots in the remote locations. †¢ This gives each human the perception that he is working with another human instead of a robot. †¢ Right now, mutual telexistence is science fiction, but it won't be for long as scientists continue to push the boundaries of the technology. CHAPTER 6 : REAL WORLD APPLICATIONS: Chaitanya Institute of Engineering & Technology Page 11 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE †¢ Doctors performing surgery could use optical camouflage to see through their hands and instruments to the underlying tissue. Providing a view of the outside in windowless rooms is one of the more fanciful applications of the technology, but one that might improve the psychological well-being of people in such environments. †¢ Pilots landing a plane could use t his technology to make cockpit floors transparent. This would enable them to see the runway and the landing gear simply by glancing down. †¢ Drivers backing up cars could benefit one day from optical camouflage. A quick glance backward through a transparent rear hatch or tailgate would make it easy to know when to stop.CHAPTER 7 : OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE SEEN IN: ? Ghost in the Shell. ? 2000 video game Deus Ex. Chaitanya Institute of Engineering & Technology Page 12 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE ? 2002 James Bond movie Die Another Day ? Metal Gear Solid and Halo video game series. ? The video game Phantom Crash. ? The Predator movie. CHAPTER 8 : ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES ADVANTAGES: Chaitanya Institute of Engineering & Technology Page 13 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE ? Optical Camouflage can be used on surgical globes or equipments so they don’t block surgeon’s view during delicate operations. ?In aviation, cockpit floors could become ‘invisible' to assist pilots during landing. DISA DVANTAGES: ? The weak point of this technique is that the observer needs to look through a half-mirror. ? The current system needs a half-mirror and projectors, which were fixed on the ground. CHAPTER 9 : CONCLUSION: Now all of us have had a small tour of the interesting world of optical camouflage. A lot of interesting thing have been done and already we have seen that anyone can be almost invisible Chaitanya Institute of Engineering & Technology Page 14 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE ith this technology. Though we are still facing challenges with practicality, licensing and high costs the future promises us a lot more. To make an object literally vanish before a person's eyes, a cloak would have to simultaneously interact with all of the wavelengths, or colours, that make up light. That technology would require much more intricate and tiny meta-material structures, which scientists have yet to devise. Research work is going on and soon we will have even more astonishing results. Chaitanya Ins titute of Engineering & Technology Page 15

Can machines think Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Can machines think - Essay Example The complexity of the process of thinking is evident in the very fact that the meaning of the word ‘to think’ can be interpreted in so many different ways. The definition of the process of thinking is also left open-ended enough to accommodate as many if not infinitely more choices and applicability. However, scientists who are involved in what can be termed as thinking capability or ‘Artificial Intelligence’ in machines work on â€Å"the premise that all cognitive activity can be explained in terms of computation. This premise has a long and illustrious tradition in Western philosophy, starting with Aristotle and Plato, who believed that thought, like any other physical phenomenon, can be unraveled using scientific observation and logical inference. Gottfried Leibniz, who equated thought with calculation, set the stage for George Boole’s treatise on propositional logic boldly titled â€Å"The Laws of Thought.† The advent of computers and the progress made in symbolic computation led to a new branch of computer science envisioned in Alan Turing’s â€Å"Computing Machinery and Intelligence.† (Reddy, 1996, p. 86) The answer to the question ‘Can machines think?’ will therefore depend on two fundamental conceptions. First, the definition of the term ‘thinking’ or ‘to think’ will have to be fixed in the context of the man-machine equation, and second and more important, it will have to be determined whether machines are capable of thinking in the context of this definition, and if they are, then to what extent they are capable of doing so in comparison to human beings. Since the faculty of thinking is directly related to intelligence, the capability of thinking, either in man or machine, will also be a function of intelligence. Human intelligence is thus translated to Artificial Intelligence (IA) in machines. The world at large is divided into two distinct camps which hold radically opposing views on the capability of

What is the relation between reason and ethics Essay

What is the relation between reason and ethics - Essay Example Notably, Plato identified the hierarchy of forms in which ethical behavior which he denoted as the form of the good was at the topmost position in the hierarchy. In his argument, he asserted that ethical behavior denoted as true goodness only existed in the intelligible domain. Therefore, such true goodness which refers to ethics can only be understood by the intellect or reason. This is the reason why Plato highlighted that one must use the power of reason I order to exhibit ethical behavior. However, this perspective is challenged by the fact that it is God who gives command of what is ethically right. This changes the role of the power of reason and poses an additional question whether ethics depend on obedience to God. According to Plato and Aristotle, reason remains to be a core defining aspect of humanity and is of critical contribution to ethical behavior (102). Other philosophers have expanded the argument linking reason with ethics highlighting that, an agent in this case an individual must have explanatory and justification reasons for taking a certain action. One’s actions may violate certain rules, but are subject to excuse if the individual offers a rational explanation of a stronger obligation than that indicated in the rule. Therefore, this means that individuals can rely on the power of reason to justify their actions. This argument is partly based on the views of Aristotle, who highlighted that a virtuous life must take into consideration the power of reason. According to him, there two kinds of reason existed; one of them was an intellectual reason which determines what is true or false (78). On the other hand, practical reason helps an individual decide on the right way to do things. Both of these types of reasons determine the action of an individual and hence affect the affects the ethics of that

Architecture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Architecture - Research Paper Example 56). Michael Webb joined the project with the contribution of his unique ideas and designs. Other members who joined the Archigram include Warren Chalk, Dennis Crompton and Ron Heron. Together, they proposed new ways of living that sought to explore the possibilities of new technologies while overthrowing modernist dogma of form follows function (Rattenbury, Robert, and Kieran 1995) Michael Webbs Drive-in Housing in 1966 explores the car and popular lifestyles that point out the behavioral changes in the society and bring out the redundancy of normal fixed buildings. This project entails an insight into the possible utilization of cars as mobile and serviced constituent parts that make up adaptable dwelling systems that consist of cars, drive-in buildings and other necessary services. It is a preliminary study that shades light on the design of techniques such as automated construction, servicing and dismantling methods usually used on the development of large buildings. The building in the project has a design large enough to house component production units in its establishment. The production units manufacture plastic panels that are molded and reinforced, which arrive to their position in the structure when folded up, and then open out to provide utilizable floor space (Ethapane 3). In this project, Webb prefers to use plastic as a constructional material instead of steel mainly because of the fact that plastic has more advantages of on-site production of components that steel. The idea is to transport the raw materials to one of the ports and then pump them through pipelines that lead to the production unit on the site of construction. This is not possible in the case of steel because one has to develop complete units at the production factory usually located at great distances away from the construction site (Ethapane 3). After the construction, completed drive-in homes will have the fixed service units at variable distances with

Global Business Environment - the Banking Sector of Pakistan vs Essay

Global Business Environment - the Banking Sector of Pakistan vs. Uk&Greece - Essay Example 1.2 The Crisis Chain The global financial crisis brought about a tremendous and dramatic turn around in the banking sector across the world and there were hardly any economies that remained unaffected by the same. Not just the banking sector, but the sub-prime mortgage crisis brought about a chain of crisis causing a high velocity downfall in real estate, stock exchanges, and insurance companies as well – many big names fell apart, bail out packages were developed in order to reduce the impact, inflation went sky rocketing, and at the end of the chain, consumers lost loads and loads of money. Krugman (2009) states that a situation came where economists describe that there were empty houses in the US, and homeless people outside the same – showing the reduced purchasing power, and high prices of land and mortgage. Economists call the year 2008 as the ‘Global Financial Earthquake’. This era was known as the most depressive economic scenario since after the Gr eat Depression of the early 30s. This assignment aims at discussing and comparing how the environmental and macroeconomic variables in countries like UK, Greece, and Pakistan have affected the banking sector in these respective regions. ... It shows the linkage of financial markets with government, the employment (or unemployment), organizations and corporate, households, and the commodities markets. There is strong co-relation between these entities and any jolt, can lead to a drastic effect on all the others. 2. Analysis of Banking Sector in UK 2.1 PLEST Analysis Paulson (2011) states that the global financial earthquake of 2008 ripped apart the exceptionally high growth of the previous years, closing the huge names of the financial sector close to bankruptcy. In terms of the banking sector in the UK, the banks are rather politically and legally secured – as UK is recognized as the pioneer of financial system globally. The banking sector is also technologically fairly sound. The 2008 decline was primarily witnessed due to the drastic changes in the economic and social habits and norms of the population. Primarily a sub-set of the sub-prime mortgage crisis that initiated the panic, UK’s economy took a dow nturn. The primary cause of this being the over -spending habits that had embedded in the norms of the society, which was in turn, was caused by the easy presence and availability of the credit cards. Lewis (2011) states that most of the consumers had over spent their budgets in expectation of their future cash flows, which did not happen as bankruptcy became a common feature, employees were laid off in one go, salary, were reduced, and big names like JP Morgan, Lehman Brothers, etc. went off the hook. Government ultimately intervened with bail out packages to assist in the survival of the financial backbone of the economy. 2.2 Macroeconomic Indicators There are three primary macroeconomic

Poems comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Poems comparison - Essay Example There is no irony or sarcasm in this poem, when compared with the other two. Barbie Doll refers to the chilling stereotyping a young girl, growing up, is subject to. She is expected to conform to unrealistic standards of beauty and behavior, to become a pleasing, plastic, plaything, and forget her own individuality. In the process, the girl loses her self-esteem and resorts to suicide. The only time that she is able to conform to society’s norms is after her death—which implies that these norms are killing. This urge to be stylish is referred to in Titanic as well. The urge is so strong that it is not unlikely that people, if given a chance might actually choose to voyage again on the doomed Titanic, just to be able to go down grandly! There are only two instances in the poem, where the poet uses some kind of literary flourish, by characterizing puberty as â€Å"magic† (a metaphor) and describing the girl’s good nature wearing out â€Å"like a fan belt† (a simile). However, beneath the mere presentation of facts lurks a suppressed emotion, which the reader relates to, and the result is therefore an evoking of similar emotion. Titanic, however, has no underlying emotion. The poem mocks at people’s tendency to pursue blindly, that which is considered fashionable—like lemmings rushing to a mindless death. But it certainly invokes in the reader, by its mocking style, a horror of our tendency to want to conform to the fashion of the day, irrespective of consequences. The poem highlights how modern media romanticizes even the most terrible of events, and the power of the media over our lives. Both Titanic and Barbie Doll are written in the third person, to achieve distance in the presentation, while Philadelphia, in the first person, immediately establishes emotional proximity with the reader. However, the first two poems have a certain tension, which evoke further

Controversy - School Of The Americas Research Paper

Controversy - School Of The Americas - Research Paper Example   Till 1995 most of the wars in Latin America had settled down. At that time the US support for the region was commendable. Several aid packages from the US had also helped Americas in reaching political and economic stability in the region. The prominent aid programs included the Brady debt Relief Proposal which helped the Americas in ending the long period of debt induced recession. Other aid proposals included NAFTA and a 1995 rescue package led by Washington that helped in restoring economic stability in Mexico (Hakim, 2006). However, critics are of the view that despite all the efforts made by the US the foreign policy of the US towards Latin America is without any sense of direction. The relationship has further gone down after the 9/11 incident. Washington has lost its interest in the Latin American affairs and seems only to interfere when the trouble becomes unbearable. With this background, it is obvious that the Washington policies would lose their support in the region. Only a few states of Latin Americans are of the view that the US is a dependable partner and can actually play a positive role in solving the Latin American affairs. Currently the critics are of the view that the US relations with Latin America are at the lowest stage and the failure of the US policies in Latin America, the stubborn attitude of the US over several issues and the reluctance of the Clinton and Bush administration to accept the strong domestic constituencies are indicative of the failure of the US in the region.

Motivation and Employee Satisfaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Motivation and Employee Satisfaction - Essay Example The researcher has done the internship programme at Phoenix Ltd. where the objective of his project was motivation and employee satisfaction. Since the author worked at the HR department of the company; he was under HR Executive assisting him/her in selection and recruitment of employees, motivating the existing employees and providing them different pieces of training and development programmes. The researcher believes as work is undone without proper motivation. So, he tried to instill the same thinking among the employees by giving them prep-talks and encouraging them. The first step towards motivation started with asking them what they want out of their jobs. This meant interacting with them on a regular basis which gave the author an idea about their perspective towards their personal goals. The employees also shared their opinions about the improvement of their roles. The researcher also had to adopt a different approach to motivating employees depending on their age. The resea rcher had also given the task of planning different recreational activities like outdoor trips or indoor games to bring in some amount of fun to help them in getting rid of their monotonous job. Along with this, the author had to make sure that the employees were interacting with each other. He also had to plan for an office party where the employees were rewarded and appreciated according to their performances. At the party, the author also had to give them inspirational speeches to motivate them. The researcher also defined them the vision, mission, and strategies of the company. During the author’s internship period, there were also given the flexibility to choose their own working hours. This showed that the company trusts them. They even came up to the author to discuss their work-related problems. The researcher then discussed this problem with his mentor who resolved it afterward.

Benihana Company Essay Example for Free

Benihana Company Essay Helping our guests feel welcome is as important as our cooking. And it is just as great a skill. Ever striving for excellence in hospitality, it is truly our restaurant family who has built Benihanas success. Company History: Benihana, Inc. owns and licenses restaurants in the Benihana and Benihana Grill chain of Japanese dinnerhouses. The restaurants specialize in an exhibition-style of Japanese cooking called teppanyaki. Customers sit around a communal table at which a Benihana chef slices their seafood, steak, chicken, and vegetables with lightning speed, grills their meal right in front of them, and then tosses it accurately onto their plates. The restaurants are decorated with Samurai armor and valuable art, and Shoji rice paper screens partition the dining areas. For the fiscal year ending March 31, 1996, the company had sales of over $81 million, an all-time high. By December 1996, Benihana operated a total of 49 licensed and wholly owned restaurants in 20 states as well as in Bogota, Columbia, and Aruba, Netherlands Antilles. Early History, from Tokyo to New York The founder of Benihana, Inc. was a 25-year-old Olympic wrestler from Japan named Hiroaki Rocky Aoki. He got his start in the restaurant business by working after school in his familys coffee shop in downtown Tokyo. His mother named the family business Benihana after a red flower that survived the bombing of Tokyo during World War II. Rocky was a scrapper, defending himself in the streets and schoolyards against bigger boys. He got hooked on wrestling, became a national university champion, and earned a place on the 1960 Olympic team. Although he didnt compete because he was over his weight limit, he did fall in love with New York when the plane stopped there on the way to the Games in Rome. That fall he left Japan for the United States. In 1964, Aoki graduated from New York Community Colleges School of Hotel and Restaurant Management. During the summer he earned money driving the only ice cream truck in Harlem. The job was not easy, as he explained in an article in Management Review. Every time I robbed, I get up earlier the next day and work later to make up. Every time I lose money, I get more challenge. With that philosophy, he managed to save $10,000 during the summer, which, along with a loan, was enough to start his first restaurant, Benihana of Tokyo. Aokis concept for his new restaurant, derived from specialty restaurants he knew of in Japan, was part entertainment and part food service. He wanted to offer Americans food they were familiar with, such as chicken, steak, and shrimp, prepared in a novel setting. He chose the teppanyaki tablea stainless steel grill surrounded by a wooden eating surfacewhere customers could watch a knife-wielding, joke-telling chef prepare and serve their food. His parents and brothers came from Japan to help him get started. Unfortunately, New Yorkers equated Japanese food with raw fish and werent comfortable sitting at a table with strangers. They ignored the midtown Manhattan eatery until the restaurant critic of the New York Herald Tribune gave it a glowing review. Suddenly, everyone in New York, including the Beatles and Muhammad Ali, wanted to sit around one of Benihana of Tokyos four teppanyaki tables. Within six months after the review the restaurant had paid for itself, and Aoki quickly opened another restaurant in a larger, fancier building. The new location provided the same teppanyaki-style cooking but was decorated with valuable art, Samurai armor, heavy wooden ceiling beams brought from Japan by Aokis father, and sliding Shoji screens to provide some privacy. 1965-80: Building a Company The Benihana concept combined reasonable prices with good food, and, by preparing what was eaten right at the table, held waste to a minimum. Profits were good, and, in 1968, Aoki opened his first Benihana of Tokyo outside New York Cityin downtown Chicago. That location made $700,000 in its first year and continued to be one of the companys top earning outlets. Between 1969 and 1972, the company opened six more of its own restaurants and licensed franchisees to open another ten. In a joint venture with the Las Vegas Hilton, the company developed Benihana Village, a 38,000-square-foot complex of restaurants, bars, and other entertainment venues. In 1972, the company grossed $12 million and the Harvard Business School selected Benihana of Tokyo as a case study of an entrepreneurial success story. With business going so well, Rocky Aoki could devote time to his other interests which included racing balloons and powerboats, collecting items ranging from vintage cars to slot machines and learning backgammon. Rocky wanted to play, Joel Schwartz, the companys president, explained in a 1989 Forbes article. To help oversee the chains operations and expansion, Aoki brought in a management company, Hardwicke Cos., as a partner in 1976. The relationship lasted only four years and, in 1980, Aoki ended the partnership, paying $3.7 million to break the contract. As Rod Willis of Management Review explained in a 1986 article, He [Aoki] felt the companys management style clashed with his predominately Oriental workforce, and he wanted to maintain control over each restaurants quality. The following year Aoki settled, without admitting any guilt, a Securities and Exchange Commission charge that he had improperly traded in Hardwicke stock while serving as vice-president of Hardwicke. The 1980s: Ups and Downs To help pay off the debt incurred in the split with Hardwicke, Aoki decided to take part of the company public. He accomplished this by having Benihana of Tokyo (BOT) form Benihana National Corporation (BNC) in 1982 and then taking the latter company public the following year. Investors paid the Miami-based BNC $11 for a unit consisting of two common shares and a warrant to buy another at $6. With the $5.5 million raised by selling half a million of these units, BNC bought 11 restaurants from Aoki in exchange for 60 percent of the BNC common stock and $2.5 million to pay BOTs debt. Later in the year, BNC bought another three restaurants from BOT for $7 million. In spite of the new corporate structure, Benihana of Tokyo and Benihana National Corporation remained under the management of the same group of executives. As corporate president, Joel Schwartz continued to oversee the day to day operation of both companies. Aoki, who served as chairman of both entities, retained 51 percent of the common stock in BNC and kept about 30 restaurants in the privately held BOT. Aoki developed new concepts for the Benihana food chain but he also continued to play hard, becoming a championship-level backgammon player and setting a world record in off-shore powerboat racing. The Double Eagle V, a 400,000 cubic-foot gas balloon, displayed the Benihana logo as it became the first crewed balloon to successfully cross the Pacific Ocean, with Aoki as one of the crew members. One of Aokis new concepts was Benihana National Classics, a line of Chinese gourmet frozen foods, introduced in 1984 and sold in supermarkets. Chinese cuisine was chosen when the company found that Japanese food didnt freeze well. Within a year the Classics were the best-selling Oriental frozen foods in the United States, with sales in one quarter alone reaching more than $40 million and profits climbing to over $4 million. The companys stock took off, going as high as $21.50 in 1985. In December of that year, Restaurant and Institution magazine named Benihana of Tokyo the most popular family-style restaurant in America. At that time, Benihana of Tokyo and Benihana National together operated or franchised restaurants in 60 locations, from Seattle to New Jersey, serving a total of 25,000 customers a day. Benihana Nationals frozen food success quickly attracted the attention of major food companies. When Campbell Soup and Stouffers began offering their own lines of Oriental frozen foods, however, Benihana couldnt compete. The company lost $11 million on frozen foods between 1985 and 1987 and finally sold the business, for $4.5 million, to the small company that had been producing the dinners for them. Frozen food, however, was not Aokis only new idea. In 1985, Benihana National opened its first seafood restaurant, The Big Splash, just north of Miami. Aoki believed the sea would be the primary supplier of food in the future, and, borrowing an idea from a Malaysian fish market, came up with the concept of a seafood marketplace/restaurant. Customers could choose from hundreds of varieties of fresh seafood, decide how they wanted it cooked, and watch it being prepared. The idea was so popular initially that a second Big Splash was opened. The seafood restaurants soon experienced difficulty, however, registering losses of $2.7 million during 1987. The wide variety of options ran completely counter to the tight focus and minimal waste of the Benihana steakhouses. At the Miami location, the majority of customers were retirees who resented the high prices and preferred to eat fish they were familiar with. All we sold was salmon and red snapper, Aoki told Eric Schmukler in a March 1989 Forbes article. The company closed its Big Splash outlets in March 1988. The 1988 fiscal year was a hard one for Benihana, as the company recorded a loss of nearly $7 million. Despite the companys financial problems with Classics and Big Splash, the Benihana restaurants themselves were still popular. By the end of fiscal 1989, the publicly owned Benihana National Corp. reported profits of some $1.8 million on sales of $34 million at its 20 restaurants, with Aokis privately-held Benihana of Tokyo taking in similar revenues. 1990-94: Making a Turnaround Rocky Aoki kicked off the new decade by opening a gallery in one of the Miami Benihana restaurants to display a portion of what was becoming known in the art world as the Rocky Aoki Collection. Having spent more than a year consolidating his diverse collections, Aoki told Antiques Collecting, I think its a natural to have a gallery here. More than 90,000 people eat in this restaurant every year; why not provide them with something beautiful to look at, not to mention buy, if they so desire. In a 300-square-foot space that had been the restaurants gift shop, diners could view etchings by Icarts, lamps by Tiffany and Handel, and bronzes by Remington. The publicity about Aokis collection helped generate business for the restaurant, and overall company revenues continued to grow. Profits, however, were less than a million dollars a year, and BNC stock fell below $1 a share. Angry at the situation, some shareholders sued. As Marilyn Alva reported in a 1992 Restaurant Business article, the shareholders claimed Aoki and his management team were in a conflict of interest by managing the two companies. The complainants further maintained that Benihana management had misappropriated the assets of Benihana National Corporation, passing them through Benihana of Tokyo for their personal benefit. The shareholders, however, were ultimately unsuccessful in trying to take control of the company away from Aoki. Meanwhile, Benihana management took advantage of a health-conscious American publics growing interest in Japanese food and entertainment. With the tag line, We have been the restaurant of the 90s since the 60s, Aoki and Schwartz instituted a major advertising campaign stressing the fact that Benihana had always offered healthful food. Soon afterwards, in 1993, the Atlanta Benihana of Tokyo restaurant added an 18-seat sushi bar and 35-seat Karaoke dining room to draw more customers on weekday nights. Despite the higher labor and food costs associated with sushi, the company reported an increase in beverage sales, and a lot of sampling of the $.99 sushi pieces by people waiting to eat at the traditional teppanyaki tables. Learning from its experience a decade earlier, in 1994 Benihana National Corp. decided to get into the frozen food business again. This time, however, by entering into a licensing agreement with Campbell Soup Co., the company hooked up with a major marketer rather than trying to compete with the big names. The new product was a line of frozen stir-fry kits featuring the Benihana trademark. The dinners served six people and sold for about $8.00. As Peter McMullin, an analyst with Southeast Research Partners, told Florida Review.Net, This time the strategy makes sense because it is linking with a high profile food company to help strengthen the distribution side and offsetting the razor-thin margins of retail by manufacturing with a low cost producer like Campbell. By the end of the fiscal year, revenues were over $70 million, with profits up 41 percent to $2.4 million. 1995 and Beyond: A New Company At the beginning of 1995, Benihana National announced it would buy Aokis 21 Benihana of Tokyo restaurants on the U.S. mainland, along with the U.S. rights to the Benihana trademark, for about $6.15 million. On May 16, a newly created subsidiary, Benihana Inc., acquired the BOT restaurants and, through a merger, simultaneously acquired Benihana National. BNC shareholders received one share in the new holding company for each of their shares of Benihana National. Aoki continued to serve as chairman of the new company and Schwartz as president. Benihana Inc. now owned or licensed the 43 Benihana restaurants in the continental United States along with a franchise in Honolulu. It also had the rights to develop or license Benihana restaurants in Central and South America and the Caribbean Islands. Aoki kept private his Benihana of Tokyo restaurants in Hawaii, Britain, and Thailand. During 1995, the new company took several steps to attract more customers. Benihana introduced weekend luncheon service and, following the success in Atlanta, opened sushi bars in seven locations. The company also instituted a national Karaoke contest for its patrons. In the fall, the company opened its first smaller format unit, called the Benihana Grill, in Sacramento. At 3,800 square feet, the Grill format was less than half the size of the traditional Benihana, and enabled the company to open units in smaller locations, particularly in urban areas. Schwartz had been refining this format since 1989 as an alternative to the companys more common free-standing, special use restaurant buildings. The Benihana Grill was designed to accommodate 10 to 12 teppanyaki tables, compared to the 18 tables in the typical Benihana. Analyst Peter McMullin remarked, Initial indications are encouraging even before the grand opening. With the lower capital costs of approximately $500,000 versus a stan d-alone restaurant cost of $2 million, this could become an enormous growth vehicle for Benihana. The new hours and offerings helped increase guest counts in existing restaurants by 8.7 percent and same store sales by an average of 7.7 percent for fiscal 1996. This rise, plus the addition of the Benihana of Tokyo restaurants and the new Benihana Grill, resulted in annual revenues of over $81 million. Benihanas growth came primarily from increased traffic in its existing restaurants, and the company continued to support that strategy. Early in 1996, in an effort to gain a larger share of the ethnic market, the company launched Spanish-language television advertisements in Miami and Los Angeles. In May, Benihana kicked off a two-year, $5 million ad campaign, focusing on the entertainment value of teppanyaki cooking. We want to bring the Benihana name to a different audience, company president Joel Schwartz told Nations Restaurant News in a May 6, 1996 article. The ads show that Benihana is a place the entire family can come to and have a good timea place they will see the chef perform and flip shrimp. Individual restaurants also developed innovative marketing techniques. A visit and meal at the Benihana in Bethesda, Maryland, for example, is one of the activities in the countys social studies curriculum for third graders learning about Japan. The company did not depend entirely on its existing restaurants for growth. During 1996, it also signed leases for several more Benihana Grills and expanded its franchise operations, including restaurants in Bogota, Columbia, and Aruba, Netherlands Antilles. Benihanas track record of steady growth in same store sales, rising customer count, and profitability appeared to be continuing into the late 1990s as revenues for the first half of fiscal 1997 were up over eight percent from the year before. Further Reading: Alva, Marilyn, Very Rocky Business: Aoki Besieged by Shareholder Suits, Restaurant Business, February 10, 1992. Benihana Buying Founder Aokis Units, Nations Restaurant News, January 16, 1995, p. 14. Benihana Profits Rise 67% for First Nine Months of Fiscal 95, Nations Restaurant News, February 12, 1996, p. 12. Benihana Testing Stir-Fry Kits, Supermarket News, October 17, 1994, p. 28.

Most recently computers Essay Example for Free

Most recently computers Essay Art is indefinable because of its constant evolution. This evolution has taken place because art inherently has an aspect of human contribution and, therefore, is subject to progression in ways as numerous as its very creators changes. There are two main reasons that illustrate the fact that art is indefinable. These reasons are that art has a changing role in society, and that the various production methods of art endlessly transform. The first of the reasons is crucial because it shows that art, as a result of the human artist, will necessarily change when its human maker changes. This is what allows for art to have a specific time setting in which it will have a particular meaning and importance. Thus, because of the infusion of an artist into their art, the piece will in some degree convey a glimpse of a changing social environment. This environment may never be relevant again after that specific point in time, indirectly illustrating history and change. The second reason for illustration again focuses on how the involvement of procedural evolution does not allow for the permanent defining of art, in this case in regards to the applied art production methods. Most recently computers have revolutionized some forms of art. It has also created a new movement through the application of technology in new and unique ways to the creation process. If art had been permanently defined prior to this new use of computers it would have stifled what has become a new and exciting branch of art, and as a consequence could have limited future productions from unimagined advancements. An inflexible and permanent definition of art as a result of the aforementioned reasons is detrimental to the progression of art that is crucial to its very continuance. And as a result of this constant evolution art is indefinable.

A study on pathological gambling as an addiction

A study on pathological gambling as an addiction It has been found that between 70 to ninety percent of adults gamble at some point in their life. (Ladoucer, 1991). These figures are from Canada but can be genralised to most developed civilisations. According to the DSM criteria pathological gambling is am impulse control disorder, which is displayed by a persistent and uncontrolled gambling, failure to stop gambling, feeling withdrawal symptoms and uneasiness when not aloud to take part in a gambling activity and finally increased gambling. (ref). The increased availability of gambling opportunities often makes this a hard condition to recover from, as well as increasing the amount of people suffering from pathological gambling(ref). Pathological gambling causes the obvious financial problems (ref), but like any other addiction it causes social problems as well (ref). Along with this pathological gambling has been linked in some cases to higher rates of suicide attempts (ref). Pathological gambling is classified as a behavioural addiction, rather than a chemical addiction. Although seemingly different these both manifest in the same way, that is the enduring engagement in uncontrolled self-destructive behaviour, despite its negative consequences (ref). There are many different theories of behavioural addiction, in particular pathological gambling and how it should be treated, which will be critically reviewed and considered. It would seem that in the seemingly distant past psychodynamic approaches such as those put forward by Freud and Bergler were prevalent. Since then many approaches and theories to the causes of pathological gambling have been found, these models include; the medical model, some behavioural models, psychological models, cognitive behavioural approaches and of coarse biological, physiological and models of personality. Some of these models are reviewed and considered in greater depth. To start with psychodynamic approaches will be looked at. As is commonly known amongst academic community, these approaches are relatively old, mostly carried out in the early 1900s. Due to the age of these theories and the pace at which theories are changed these psychodynamic approaches may seem quite irrelevant. It is important to gain an understanding of this area as some theories take a basis from psychodynamic approaches. According to the psychodynamic approach, gambling is a way of expressing feelings connected with the pre-genital psychosexual stages (Greenson). In true psychodynamic style pathological gamblers often feel that they have been denied the attention and love they deserved from their parents and as a result need erotic satisfaction, which in tern seems to create a need for excitement and pleasure, as well as a promise of gain. According to psychodynamic theories gambling caters for these needs (Simmel 1920). So in a nut shell gambling is a substitute for feelings of subconscious sexual conflicts. Arguably the founder of psychodynamics, Freud (1928), reported that gamblers do not play to win money, quite the opposite. In fact Freud states that gamblers gamble to loose in order to provide a self-inflicted punishment for the guilt carried with an over compulsion to masturbate, which can be related to an Oedipal conflict. This idea put forward by Freud seems quite masochistic, in the way that that the gambler is actually taking part to loose and there for punish themselves. Bergler (1967) agreed with Freud in the respect that a gambler unconsciously desires to lose. Bergler had a different opinion on why compulsive gamblers get addicted. This is that in their unconscious they dislike authority figures, who during childhood, made them consider the reality pleasure instead of the pleasure principle. These could be parental figures or teachers. This unconscious feeling causes them to try and almost rebel against the people who support the reality p rinciple as well as he principle its self, this in turn causes a need to punish themselves as a bi-product of having too much built up unconscious aggression. So far only the very surface of the psychodynamic approach towards pathological gambling has been looked at. In summary according to the psychodynamic approach there seems to be three ideas to explain pathological gambling an unconscious substitute for pre-genital libidinal and aggressive outlets associated with Oedipal conflicts, a desire for punishment in reaction to the guilt, and a means for recurrent re-enactments, but not resolutions, of the conflict (Allcock, 1986, p. 262). So these being the main ideas a treatment plan can be called upon. Treatments of pathological gamblers offered by the psychodynamic approach are concerned with the narcissistic personality and the related characteristics. Psychoanalysis has been used in an attempt to try and help pathological gamblers, but in most cases have failed. Berglers (1957) study is one of the more classic studies and showed a 75% rate of success. This though was only based on 30% of the overall group looking for treatment, meaning that it was in fact a lot lower than 75%. Another issue is the lack of follow up treatment given, with no information given about possible relapses. This is not the only study where this is the case. In a review Greenberg (1980) stated Effectiveness rates of gamblers treated psychoanalytically have ranked from poor to guarded optimism. This simply means that results are not very good or are shadowed by other factors, such as selection bias and lack of follow ups. It would seem that a lot of the studies and journals available to view for the psycho dynamic approach deal with small sample sizes and do not have important experimental factors, such as control groups. This causes problems with generalisability and also shows why the psychodynamic approach was disregarded as a treatment for behavioural conditions, this coupled with their lack of consideration for social factors. The next theory that will be looked at is the disease or medical model. This is often seen as a very black and white model (Blume, 1987), meaning that its ether on or off, someone either has a condition or they dont, there is no in-between. Every condition is viewed as a disease. So in terms of pathological gambling, the gambler is pathological or quite simply is not. The disease model, as the name suggests, views pathological gambling as a disease and so the cause is physiological, and pathological gamblers are often predisposed. According to Blume, being a disease, addictive conditions, such as gambling, manifests through stages of development, has signs characteristic to the condition and has symptoms, much like a disease. This is all out of the persons conscious control, not so different to the psychodynamic ideas. This concept of a disease suggest that the condition worsens, which will eventually require treatment in order to prevent worsening. It is thought that the physiological underpinning means that there is no out right cure and that it is irreversible. This means that according to the disease model that the most appropriate treatment is abstinence, similar to that of alcohol (ref). This seems like an odd treatment, as it would suggests that there is in fact no real way of recovering, just a treatment. This model is not used so much now(refbig paper), but is more of a halfway house with other theories, such as the biological explanations of pathological gambling. The biological approach to pathological gambling is, in relative terms a rather new theory. It is made up of many components to try and explain different aspects of pathological gambling. These all make the same assumption that a physiological cause is behind addiction, much like both the psychodynamic and the disease model. The first aspect with in the biological approach to be considered is that of hemispheric dysregulation (Goldstein et al, 1985). By comparing EEG patterns of recovered pathological gamblers, Goldstein observe that pathological gamblers EEG readings where similar to those of patients suffering with ADHD (Carlton and Goldstein, 1987). This means that they had a shorter attention span, frontal lobe lesions. This is also very similar to findings of alcoholism which have also led to more reported symptoms of ADHD symptoms with in the population of problem gamblers (Rugle and Melamed, 1993). This all seems very convincing, but the original 1985 study by Goldstein was only carried out on eight participants, such a small study provides problems with generalisability. Other suggestions are that it is connected to faults in the neurotransmitter systems (Blanco et al, 2000). This includes the Serotoneric system, which as the name suggests holds the function of serotonin release. If this is not functioning, to a healthy level, then psychiatric syndromes, such as impaired impulse control, can become present. This has been linked with pathological gambling (Blanco et al, 1996). Later research by Berg et al (1997) failed to support these findings, stating in the following wel used quote, risk-taking does not have a unitary neurochemical correlate. If risk-taking is a form of loss of control over impulse, it follows that impulse control is not merely a simple function of the neural serotonin systems. (p.475). Links have also be found in DNA, supporting the biological idea Perez de Castro (1999). According to Brunner et al (1993) these is a link between genetic deficit coding and impulsivity, possibly providing a good explanation. The increased release of Dopamine has also been linked to pathological gambling (Berg et al 2007), this is much like a positive reinforcement. It can though also be linked to a negative inforcment, with more gambling causing a withdrawal, which creates the release of more dopamine, not unlike that of an opiate withdrawal (Berg, 1997). The evidence for the biological approach seems quite strong. There is a few outstanding issues that need to be looked at. For example almost all of the above studies use male participants. This creates an issue as whether they can be used with women. The samples are also very small in most cases. The main problem that can be observed in all the studies in this area is whether the biological processes cause the addiction of the addiction its self, causes these biological processes. So as can be seen the medical/disease model and the biological model are both very similar but can be separated in the way that the biological model believes that pathological gambling can be treated with certain drugs. So far all models, with the exception of psychodynamic, have been based on biological internal processes. The cognitive social learning and behavioural theories are based on external and behavioural processes. The learning theories suggest that gambling is a learned behaviour that has resulted from both operant and classical conditioning. According to the behavioural view point there are a mixture of different positive reinforcement these are, the amount of money that is won (Moran, 1979), excitement gained (Brown, 1986). Obviously there are also negative reinforcement, namely the escapism that gambling can produce (Diskin, 1997). Some how though theses models dont seem complete. They can not explain punishments, like the cost of gambling, as discouraging to the gambler, which using a classic behavioural model it would be. Despite this, studies into using behavioural theories of addiction as treatment have been very successful. Behavioral treatment studies have, however, provided some of the most comprehensive treatment literature on PG. Treatments based on learning principles (i.e., behavior modification) have involved aversion therapy using physical or imaginal stimuli (Barker; Barker and Goorney), controlled gambling/behavioral counseling (Dickerson Weeks, 1979), positive reinforcement of gambling abstinence, paradoxical intention (Victor Krug, 1967), covert sensitization (Bannister and Cotler), and imaginal desensitization (McConaghy, Armstrong, Blaszczynski, Allcock, 1983). These have been administered singularly or in combination. However, due to methodological shortcomings in such studies, it is difficult to assess how effective these treatments are. Most of these treatment studies have small sample sizes and limited follow-up periods. They have unspecified or poorly operationalized dependent variables/criteria for successful outcome or treatment objectives (Allcock, 1986). Also, there is usually a lack of controlled comparisons of one treatment with another or with a placebo procedure, or combinations of several techniques are used concurrently so that identification of the active component is impossible (Blaszczynski Silove, 1995).

The Characters Metamorphoses In Shakespeare’s Tempest-Universe Essays

The Characters' Metamorphoses In Shakespeare’s Tempest-Universe In the play The Tempest, Shakespeare provides a unique and alternate universe for his characters to function in on the magical island. In this universe there are both native characters: Prospero, Miranda, Ariel, and Caliban, who have lived on the island previously, and external world characters, namely: Alonso, Ferdinand, Antonio, Sebastian, Stephano, Trinculo, and Gonzalo, who have been forced upon the island. While the different characters' histories cross paths in the past, the clear and present division between the two groups' immediate situation represents the division in their differing kind of spiritual journey. That is, while the natives seek rejuvenation from isolation outward, the shipwrecked characters seek rejuvenation from the outside world inward, on an island of solitude. As David Bevington notes in the introduction to the Bantam edition of the text: Shakespeare creates in The Tempest an idealized world of imagination, a place of magical rejuvenation like the forests of A Midsummer Night's Dream and As You Like It. Yet the journey is no escape from reality, for the island shows men what they are and what they ought to be. Even its location juxtaposes "real" world with idealized landscape: like Plato's New Atlantis or Thomas More's Utopia, Shakespeare's island is to be found both somewhere and nowhere. (xvii) In this Tempest-universe Prospero rules as a kind of artist-king, creator, and magician. Invested with these qualities he represents the God-figure of the universe, effecting change in others, while consistently demonstrating God-like qualities in himself: the ability to perform miracles, grace, and forgiveness. Ul... ...and Dreamworks, 2000. -Eliot, T.S. The Complete Poems and Plays. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1980. -Howse, Ernest Marshall. Spiritual Values in Shakespeare. New York: Abingdon Press, 1955. -Hunter, Robert Grams. Shakespeare and the Comedy of Forgiveness. New York: Columiba University Press, 1966. -Knight, G. Wilson. Myth and Miracle: An Essay on the Mystic Symbolism of Shakepeare. London: Ed. J. Burrow & Co., LTD., 1929. -Shakespeare, William. The Norton Shakespeare: As You Like It. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1997. -Shakespeare, William. The Norton Shakespeare: Hamlet. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1997. -Shakespeare, William. The Norton Shakespeare: Macbeth. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1997. -West, Robert H. Ceremonial Magic in The Tempest. Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press, 1964.