Help Desk Institute to Professional Knowledge and Development Research Paper

Help Desk Institute to Professional Knowledge and Development - Research Paper Example The first section gives an overview of HDI - what it does and its role in the technical support industry. The next section gives an explanation of the contributions of HDI towards increasing the professional knowledge and abilities of its members. This paper concludes with a discussion on how the knowledge and skills acquired from HDI can have a significant impact on my chosen career path. At the core of HDI’s creation is the desire to help individuals in the IT service and support profession improve their practices and increase work efficiency. As expressed in its mission statement, HDI aims to â€Å"lead and promote support professionals by empowering members through access to timely and valuable industry information, encouraging member collaboration, establishing open standards and providing globally recognized certification and training programs† (Migliazza, 2008, para. 1). HDI, therefore, provides a venue for technical support and service professionals to come together and discuss the prevalent issues and problems in the help desk, as well as share best practices in an effort to find solutions to these problems. HDI also has a wealth of information from reports, research and articles from experts that provide relevant and up-to-date data about the latest trends in help desk services, as well as benchmarking tools. Each year, HDI gathers experts and leaders in the field of technical support and service during its annual conference and expo in a spirit of learning and participation. Furthermore, HDI offers standards-based training and certification programs that are internationally recognized. As pointed out by Baschab and Piot (2007), â€Å"sponsoring help desk staff for HDI certification is a worthwhile investment in their productivity, and sends a clear message to the team about the major importance of their role in the IT department† (p. 276).  Training and certifications will propel me to advance in my career path in the technical support and service field.   Of course, there is undoubtedly a wealth of insights gathered from my work experience.   The theoretical knowledge will put these insights in context, strengthening its validity and allowing me to innovate as I learn more about the theory behind the practice.   Training also prepares me to deal with multiple clients from various fields with different bac kgrounds, an important tool in this profession.   Becoming a member of HDI membership will help me keep abreast with the latest developments in the help desk profession.   Having a venue for discussion and collaboration with other professionals will allow me to contribute to the improvement of the profession.

Cuban Revolution Essay Example for Free

Cuban Revolution Essay My name is Juan Luis Sanchez and had lived well in my country Cuba before this new regime by a tyrant they call Fidel Castro. Although Fulgencio Batista was harsh and corrupt, my life was not very bad. Now it seems that things have changed quite a bit here in Havana. We have become what they call a communist state, and we have no political companion here in the western hemisphere. I was one who was opposed to the corruption I saw in Batista’s government, and though I wanted in some ways to help the peasants raise their standard of living, I was not prepared to have mine lowered in the process. I also was a bit disgruntled at the way the United States had a heavy hand in the politics of my country Cuba, but I am not sure now that Cuba will be in a very good position having incurred the wrath of such a powerful neighbor. This rift has apparently been sealed by a socialist tie we seemed to have developed with the sworn enemies of the United States, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR). Many of my comrades are no longer here in Cuba. I have not been able to find many of my professional friends—my personal attorney, family physician and several of my business partners, I have been told, have fled the country because of the threat that this new regime poses to their livelihood. Many of them now live in Miami, Florida. I am now experiencing what must have been the fears of my comrades that made them flee. My businesses relied heavily on several other business that were funded by U. S. nationals and that have come under attack in this new regime. My business, which was growing in the 1940’s and 1950’s, has been experiencing problems since the heavy U. S. ownership of 35% of the sugar industry has been altered. My business’s strategy seems to have changed greatly. It no longer sends a large portion of its produce to the United States, as relations between Cuba and the U. S. have broken down. This problem seems to be very serious, as I have read about a Bay of Pigs incident in which the United States lent support to some Cuban exiles in an attempt to overthrow Castro’s government. I also hear of a Cold War between the United States and the USSR in which our country has become involved. Recently, the USSR has removed some warheads and missiles from our territory, as the United States had threatened to invade Cuba if those things had remained. Though I have spoken of the business I used to run as â€Å"my business† I no longer seem to be in charge of it. When I showed up at the office, no one acknowledged me and I was not allowed to go in. The few comrades I had left in Cuba reported that their businesses had been taken away from them and were placed under the direction of the government. All the profits go to the government, which then rations out wages to former business owners. Our wages have been capped. All my extended property, I came to find, no longer belongs to me and I have lost my large house. Now I have to live in much smaller quarters and share the premises with other persons with whom I am not acquainted. The Cuban economy seems to be doing well, though I have heard that in the last decade (the 1960’s) it had experienced some trouble. Now, we have been receiving some help from the USSR as our investments and trade have now become heavily tied with this and other communist countries of Europe. Our large sugar industry, though no longer able to serve the United States, is guaranteed a market in these European communist states. Though officially the economy is doing well, I have become aware of a shadow economy that exists here in Cuba. It shades the fact that the U. S. dollar receives a higher value on the black market than it does on the official market. Still, the country does possess wealth, which it pours into governmental policies and the military. Though I should probably be relieved that the country is generating wealth, I am very uncomfortable with the fact that all that I have worked for in the past years has been taken from me. I feel I am entitled to a share in all the wealth that is being generated within the economy, yet I am allowed to share in none of this. I have lost all freedom to enjoy the fruit of my former and current labor. In fact, I find that the freedoms of Cubans have been curtailed to the extent that no voluntary organizations exist, nor is there any real scope for the common educated professional (or any common man) to enter the political arena. I, who once was heavily involved in the political aspects of my community, have now only a few alternatives for membership in organizations. I can become a member of one of two organizations of the Cuban Catholic Bishops known as a Carita, or I may involve myself in one of a few other religious institutions dedicated to Jewish, African, or Masonic religions. I have no dissenting voice when it comes to politics. Though this was largely the case under Batista, it now appears to be even more so. Apart from the friends I learned to have migrated, I have been told in secret that two of them were imprisoned for speaking out against the new regime. Yet, despite all the problems I have found and the freedoms that have been stripped from me, I have also noticed some very strange yet progressive occurrences here in Cuba. These seem to be in favor of those who were once peasants. I remember the days when, especially during sugar’s off-season, many peasants were in danger of starving to death because they were out of work. Even I had no choice but to lay off during that period many who worked for me. Now their lives seem to have improved, as they receive from the state rations that last all year round. Schools have only recently resumed operation here in Havana. I have been told that all the teachers and students had been temporarily sent to rural areas in order to teach the peasants there to read and write. As a result, our nation’s literacy rate has risen rapidly. Almost all the persons here can read and write at this point, and the literacy crash program is said to be almost complete. At this rate, literacy is expected to be at 95% by the 1990’s. The streets are also much cleaner here than they were before I woke up to this reality. We, as citizens, have all been made responsible for the cleanliness of our community. I myself have been placed in a group and am required to participate in sanitation activities. The healthcare appears to have improved the lives of the peasants, whom I had had a desire to help before the revolution took place. Indeed, some of those who worked for me had enjoyed the benefits of being seen by my personal physician. Despite this, I was well aware that many of their children died at early ages and that this fact was represented in a large portion of the population—an overwhelming number that I alone could not possible have hoped to reach. Now it seems that governmental reforms have helped solve this problem, as our infant mortality rate has dropped to about 9. 8 per 1000 live births. This is among the lowest rate in the entire world. We also have a system of health care that ranks as the best in Latin America, and our life expectancy has recently climbed to the levels boasted by the United States. Although my personal physician is no longer available, I find that I too do not have to worry very much about basic healthcare needs, as the Cuban state is now in charge of providing this to all its citizens. This is of great help to me, as I no longer find myself with the resources necessary to pay for these kinds of necessities on my own. Yet, although I am grateful for the help of the government in this area, I cannot help but remember the times when I as an upper-classed business owner could afford to pay for this and so much more. Luis, J. G. (2000). Cuban Revolution Reader: A Document History. Ocean Press.

Role of Cytokines in Schizophrenia

Role of Cytokines in Schizophrenia Introduction: Schizophrenia is a mental disorder. Over 1% of the world population is affected by this mental disorder (Bakhshi Chance, 2015). A cytokine hypothesis has been proposed, which elucidates the role of cytokines in this disease. Cytokines such as IL-6, TNF-ÃŽÂ ±, sIL-2R, and IL-1RA were found to be over-expressed by the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (Potvin et al., 2008; Goldsmith et al., 2016), in which interleukin-6 is considered to be the key player in schizophrenia. IL-6 has glycoprotein gp130 as a common membrane receptor and as a signal transducer, which can have both anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory effects (Scheller et al., 2011). The anti-inflammatory effects of interleukins present in the blood serum of patients with schizophrenia must be understood. Upcoming therapeutic research focuses on astrocytes due to their expression of class II MHC antigens and the production of pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The hypothesized outcome is that IL-6 also induces anti- inflammatory effects which help the astrocytes to maintain the homeostasis. This will enable the researchers to explore further the pathophysiology of schizophrenia based on the cytokine hypothesis. The effects of IL-6 on astrocytes will open the door to a new area of research and will help in exploring the effects. The impact of the research on Healthcare: According to the data and statistics from the community studies of the European Union (EU), 27% of the adult population experienced at least one mental disorder in the past year (World Health, 1992). In Ireland, both private healthcare sector and public healthcare sector exists to assist the people of Republic of Ireland during an illness (Book, 2007). The Irish legislations Health Act 2004 governs the public health care system which is responsible for the people living in Ireland (Pearson et al., 2012). In the year 2010, à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2,862 Euros was spent on the health of a single individual residing in Ireland of which 79% was provided by the Irish government (Pearson et al., 2012). Looking the statistics, it is summarized that nearly seven people out of 100 spend the money for treating schizophrenia that would be approximately à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬20,900 Euros. Biomarkers are biological markers such as viral proteins, cytokine, hormones, etc. which can be used as a measurable indicato r of the biological state or condition (OConnell et al., 2014).   The main challenges in the biomarkers identification of schizophrenia are the unknown pathophysiology. However, biomarkers such as cytokines are considered due to the development of new hypotheses such as the cytokine hypothesis (Mansur et al., 2012). Understanding the roles of IL-6 in schizophrenia, can be used as a biomarker for the initial clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia patients, and to help create individualized treatment plans. The timescale for a product launch: If the research is proven successful, IL-6 based biomarker assays and treatments will be developed as a product from pharmaceutical companies. The developed products such as biomarker assays for IL-6 over or under expression detection and anti-IL-6 drugs will undergo the process of ethical approval and clinical trials which include four major stages. They are pre-clinical trials, clinical trials (Phase I, II and III), ethical approval and marketing (Phase IV) which would take a period of 20 to 30 years (DiMasi et al., 2003). There are anti-IL-6 drugs already in the market for the treatment of diseases which are related to Auto-immunity and other immune-based diseases which can cross the blood-brain barrier. These drugs may take a period of 8 -15 years to is the anticipated timescale for the proposed benefits to come into the market for the utilization of the schizophrenia patients. The importance of the product: The anti-inflammatory effects of IL-6 occur due to classical signaling pathway in which IL-6 binds to the membrane-bound cell surface receptor (IL-6R). Trans-signaling pathway provides the pro-inflammatory implications of the IL-6 (Scheller et al., 2011). Blocking the Trans-signaling pathway of the IL-6 is the target for the anti-IL-6 drugs. This might hold the capabilities for the treatment of Schizophrenia. The biomarker assays for IL-6 detection may help a person to identify whether the person is susceptive to schizophrenia shortly. This can help the doctor to give personalized treatment for the person based on the medical technologies available. The importance of the IL-6 product can be understood from the article Young people have the highest rate of psychiatric admissions which was published in Irish Times on 21 July 2016. The article discussed the young people (20 to 24) who are getting admitted to psychiatric hospitals for the 2015 (Edwards, 2016). The major diseases diagnosed for the admission are schizophrenia, depression, alcoholic disorders and mania which increases day by day (Edwards, 2016). Correlation with public, governmental and business sectors Public awareness campaigns and outreach to the doctors is the primary step in spreading the importance of the IL-6 as a biomarker for schizophrenia research. The second phase would be to use the primary media tools such as newspaper and radios so that the people does not expect from the research or get panic or distressed by the research. If the product is ethically permitted and the research becomes a success a contract between a pharmaceutical company or a medical diagnostic device company for establishing the result in the society. The completed biomarker assays for IL-6 detection product would be straightforward and easy to use similar to us such as a blood sugar and cholesterol test which can be utilized by the public without the doctors supervision. Biomarker assay kinds of products are advertised in the media such as television, newspaper, the internet, etc. for the maximum dissemination of the product. In the case of anti-IL-6 drugs, a patent is claimed by the pharma company which owns the contract, and a certain amount of percentage is given as royalty to the researcher. The patent is registered in a common government body, and the prize is sometimes fixed by the government of the country which accepts the drug. Conclusion: Schizophrenia is perhaps the most daunting psychiatric disorder, characterized by its life-altering symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions. There is currently no precise explanation of its pathophysiology. Schizophrenia is explained as the biochemical imbalance in the brain which may exist due to many factors. Upcoming therapeutic research focuses on astrocytes due to its expression of class II MHC antigens and the production of pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines. By combining the Cytokine hypothesis and Neurodevelopmental hypothesis, it is possible to understand the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and the role of astrocytes in maintaining the homeostasis and cytoarchitecture of the brain. The cytokine IL-6 has been regarded as a pro-inflammatory cytokine, but it also has many anti-inflammatory and regenerative activities. Understanding the roles of IL-6 in schizophrenia can be used for the initial clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia patients, and to help create individuali zed treatment plans. Products such as biomarker assays for IL-6 and anti-IL-6 drugs can be developed for the treatment of schizophrenia from the research. The anticipated timescale for these drugs or assays to come into the market can take a period of 8 -15 years. A decade is not a big issue for the young people who are getting admitted to psychiatric hospitals diagnosed a schizophrenic patient. This can help the doctor to give personalized treatment for the person based on the medical technologies available. References: Bakhshi, K. Chance, S.A. (2015) The neuropathology of schizophrenia: A selective review of past studies and emerging themes in brain structure and cytoarchitecture. Neuroscience, 303, 82-102. Book, I.S. (2007) Irish Statute Book. DiMasi, J.A., Hansen, R.W. Grabowski, H.G. (2003) The price of innovation: new estimates of drug development costs. Journal of health economics, 22, 151-185. Edwards, E. (2016) Young people have highest rate of psychiatric admissions. In Secondary Edwards, E. (ed) Secondary Young people have highest rate of psychiatric admissions, pp. Pages, http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/young-people-have-highest-rate-of-psychiatric-admissions-1.2729673 (February 24, 2017). Goldsmith, D.R., Rapaport, M.H. Miller, B.J. (2016) A meta-analysis of blood cytokine network alterations in psychiatric patients: comparisons between schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. Mol Psychiatry, 21, 1696-1709. Mansur, R.B., Zugman, A., Asevedo, E.M., da Cunha, G.R., Bressan, R.A. Brietzke, E. (2012) Cytokines in schizophrenia: possible role of anti-inflammatory medications in clinical and preclinical stages. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci, 66, 247-260. OConnell, K.E., Thakore, J. Dev, K.K. (2014) Pro-inflammatory cytokine levels are raised in female schizophrenia patients treated with clozapine. Schizophr Res, 156, 1-8. Pearson, M., Lafortune, G. Vincent, F. (2012) Health spending in Europe falls for the first time in decades. In Secondary Pearson, M., Lafortune, G. Vincent, F. (eds) Secondary Health spending in Europe falls for the first time in decades, pp. Pages, http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/healthspendingineuropefallsforthefirsttimeindecades.htm (February 24, 2017). Potvin, S., Stip, E., Sepehry, A.A., Gendron, A., Bah, R. Kouassi, E. (2008) Inflammatory cytokine alterations in schizophrenia: a systematic quantitative review. Biol Psychiatry, 63, 801-808. Scheller, J., Chalaris, A., Schmidt-Arras, D. Rose-John, S. (2011) The pro- and anti-inflammatory properties of the cytokine interleukin-6. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1813, 878-888. World Health, O. (1992) The ICD-10 classification of mental and behavioural disorders : clinical descriptions and diagnostic guidelines. World Health Organization, Geneva.

Technological Improvements and Their Impact in America Essay -- essays

Improvements in agriculture, transportation, and communication between 1790 and 1860 were the stepping stones for a greater America. From the cotton gin, to the steamboat, to the telegraph, new innovations were appearing all over. America had finally begun to spread its wings and fly. Due to the fact that cotton had to be separated by hand, it was costly commodity. One person could barely separate a pound by hand over the course of a day. It was not until 1793, when Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin that production of cotton soared. A worker on a plantation could now produce fifty pounds of cotton a day, instead of just one. With the increase in cotton production, came the increase in slave labor, which was used to harvest the cotton crop, making each slave an increasingly valuable asset. Westward migration was also seen as cotton spread throughout western land like a wildfire. Almost immediately, cotton was transformed into a major export. ?Cotton exports averaged about $9 million annually from 1803 to 1807, about 22 percent of the value of all exports, from 1815 to 1819, they averaged over $23 million, or 39 percent of the total, and from the mid-1830s to 1860, they accounted for more than half the value of all exports in the nation.? (Tindall and Shi, 418) Eli?s invention inspired other people to attempt to make their own farming tools. ?The development of effective iron plows greatly eased the backbreaking job of tilling the soil.? (Tindall, 419) In 1819, Jethro Wood improved the iron plow by using separate replaceable parts. Improvements thereafter included John Deere?s steel plow (1837) and the chilled-iron steel plow of John Oliver (1855). In 1831, a primitive grain reaper was invented by Cyrus McCormi... ...l Morse?s 1832 invention. It is quite possible that more social changes were triggered by the telegraph, than from any other invention. Before the telegraph, communications were delivered by boat, train, horseback, or hand. Now, news and messages could be received immediately. Together, the improvements in agriculture, transportation, and communication changed the ways of economic, social, and political life. By the 1850s, farming had become a leading commercial activity. The standard of living for many farm families also improved. ?Undeveloped land dotted with scattered farms, primitive roads, and modest local markets was transformed into an engine of capitalist expansion, audacious investment, and global reach.? (Tindall, 432) Tindall, George Brown and David E. Shi. America: A Narrative History. Vol. One. 7th ed. New York: W W Norton & Company, 2007.

Are People Inherently Honest? Essay

There are numerous theories that attempt to explain the motivation behind people acting in certain ways. This paper will address three of these theories, apply these theories to how people choose to behave honestly or dishonestly, and will attempt to determine whether or not people are inherently honest. Before looking into the motivation behind people’s decision to be honest, it is important to define some key terms in order to fully understand and explore what it means to be inherently honest. Merriam-Webster defines honest as â€Å"free from fraud or deception,† or simply put, truthful. It defines inherent as â€Å"belonging by nature or habit. † The majority of people simply associate something being inherent as ‘natural’ or ‘innate’. Interestingly, this definition expands our view on what one may consider ‘inherent’ by noting how past habits can also play a vital role in how one behaves. Now that we have defined what honesty and inherent behaviour entails, we can now look at the various theories that attempt to identify the motivation behind people behaving honestly. One of these theories is the fact that humans choose to act honestly or not based on what we feel is ‘morally good’ or the ‘right thing to do’ according to a very personal set of rules and morals. An individual’s behaviours are heavily influenced in order to satisfy this individual set of rules. Of course, there are a number of positions one can take on when defining this set of rules. Deontologists would argue that one should be honest one hundred percent of the time, regardless of the situation. They believe that it is ones’ moral obligation to behave honestly and have a duty of adhering to this universal rule. On the other hand, utilitarianism claims that the decision to act honestly or dishonestly varies depending on the situation, considering all costs, benefits, and consequences that will result from the behaviour. Regardless of the person’s moral standpoint, their choice to behave honestly or not is strongly influenced by their personal, or inherent, set of behaviours that they consider morally ‘right’. This supports the argument that people are in fact inherently honest. Another theory that attempts to explain the motivation behind behaving honestly is focused on the consequences that will result from behaving honestly or dishonestly. Uri Gneezy’s paper on the role of consequences in lying looks at how different benefits and costs influence one’s decision to behave honestly or dishonestly. From his studies, he comes to a number of conclusions describing how people conduct a cost-benefit analysis when deciding to lie or not. First, he finds that people are particularly sensitive to their personal gain when deciding to lie, meaning that they place a high priority on personal gain in their cost-benefit analysis. He also finds that people also tend to lie less when the lie harms another party. However, this harm plays less of a role in choosing not to lie compared to the increased gains from lying. This suggests that the marginal personal gain from a lie is greater than the marginal harm that is caused from the lie. Because people are constantly trying to maximize their personal utility, these findings display how one will behave dishonestly when doing so maximizes their utility. This suggests that people do not inherently behave honestly, but rather behave in a way that will create the most personal gain. A third theory that explains how people behave is based on the image that is associated with behaving honestly or dishonestly, as well as the use of excuses to justify dishonesty. There tends to be a negative stigma attached with lying; therefore, people are inclined to be honest simply to maintain a positive image of themself. There are a number of ways to look at this. First, people have a natural desire to see themselves in a positive light and like to feel that they are doing what is right. Much of this plays into the previously discussed individual set of morals that people have and doing what they consider ‘morally right’. However, there are cases when people create excuses to justify to themselves that acting dishonestly is the right thing to do. For example, if a man lies by telling his pregnant wife that she doesn’t look overweight, he will justify this lie to himself by claiming that he doesn’t want to hurt her feelings, maintaining a positive image of himself. In addition, people will tend to lie less to avoid making a bad impression to others. Similarly to above, people may use excuses to justify acting dishonestly, simply to maintain their positive impression on others. This shows that in order to maintain a positive impression of oneself on oneself as well as on others, people are inclined to behave honestly and are willing to make excuses to justify acting dishonestly to maintain this impression. This suggests that due to the natural desire to create and maintain a positive impression, people are inherently honest. The above theories and discussion suggest both that people are and are not inherently honest. This is precisely why many social scientists have difficulty in this area. On one hand, people behave honestly to satisfy their personal set of morals and to promote a positive image of themselves (in their own as well as others’ eyes), but are willing to be dishonest if it results in enough personal gain to justify the lie. From this, we conclude that one cannot make an overarching statement claiming that people are or are not inherently honest. Whether a person is inherently honest depends on how they weigh and balance the importance of their morals, personal gain, their self-image, and the image they want to portray to others.

Napster1 essays

Napster1 essays In order to find out why problem arouse in music industry around the Napster, we need to find out what is Napster? Napster is a database program that located on a computer server in San Mateo, CA. Napster community have more than 38 million users. Each of these 38 million users include in their computers variety of songs in MP3 format. The songs range from every musical type from classical to rap. Consumers use compact discs to make their own MP3 files, and then add them to their shared music profile in their Napster software. Again, Napster does not hold the copyrighted material on their servers; it is stored on the computer of users. The people are controlling what music they share among each other. Napster has a disclaimer on its transfer page warning people not to break copyright laws. Napster also has the right to prevent anyone from using their database service if they are found to have broken the copyright laws. I believe that people should be able to download music off Napster because it's just like the VCR, radio, and tape, it is a good way to promote music and a way for new artists to be heard. According to David Grohl (napster.com) "it's the same as turning on the radio." You listen to different songs, except you choose which ones you want to listen to. If they shut down Napster, will they shut down the radio? You're doing the same thing on Napster that you would do at the concert. It's just more suitable to do it in your own home. Why would artists want to ban Napster when it promotes their music? Napster could help people hear your new songs and if they like them you'll make money and become famous. In addition, according to Madonna "Napster could be a great way for people to hear your music who wouldn't have the chance to hear it on the radio." Chuck D, (napster.com) says, "We should think of Napster as a kind of radioa promotional tool that can help artists who don't have their musi c played on mainstream radio ...

Free Essays on Downsizing

SECTION 1: PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS We will take AT &T as an example. â€Å" In 1992, AT &T downsized to remain competitive in the global market. They released 18,000 human operators and replaced them with automated machines.†2 The performance problem by human resource management is simply poor planning. Management did not realize the potential problems that lay ahead for the company as a whole. If downsizing is not effectively planned, managed or implemented it can cause a number of consequences. The consequences up for discussion are: 1. Downsizing causes resentment and resistance in surviving employees 2. Downsizing if not handled carefully will cause financial set backs HR management must handle employees, both survivors and former, with kid gloves. Downsizing means more than passing out pink slips. Steps must be taken to ensure that the remaining staff feels comfortable so that performance levels do not drop. It is also important to keep the loyalty of former employees simply because they now have become potential customers. Remaining employees may show signs of inadequacy. They are faced with new responsibilities and positions. They may feel as though they are next to be fired if they do not perform well. Some employees may feel that being fired is inevitable so why even try. Some employees, however, may take this opportunity to step up and show their real skills. AT&T may face lost revenues or increased costs due to its downsizing. The performance problem that affects this is whether or not the survivors can handle their new responsibilities. The survivors left behind after downsizing might not be able to carry the workload left behind. Where there were three people doing a particular job, it is now left to one person to accomplish. It is possible then for the workload to fall behind, therefore costing the company more money. Training one person to do the job of three will take time out of the... Free Essays on Downsizing Free Essays on Downsizing SECTION 1: PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS We will take AT &T as an example. â€Å" In 1992, AT &T downsized to remain competitive in the global market. They released 18,000 human operators and replaced them with automated machines.†2 The performance problem by human resource management is simply poor planning. Management did not realize the potential problems that lay ahead for the company as a whole. If downsizing is not effectively planned, managed or implemented it can cause a number of consequences. The consequences up for discussion are: 1. Downsizing causes resentment and resistance in surviving employees 2. Downsizing if not handled carefully will cause financial set backs HR management must handle employees, both survivors and former, with kid gloves. Downsizing means more than passing out pink slips. Steps must be taken to ensure that the remaining staff feels comfortable so that performance levels do not drop. It is also important to keep the loyalty of former employees simply because they now have become potential customers. Remaining employees may show signs of inadequacy. They are faced with new responsibilities and positions. They may feel as though they are next to be fired if they do not perform well. Some employees may feel that being fired is inevitable so why even try. Some employees, however, may take this opportunity to step up and show their real skills. AT&T may face lost revenues or increased costs due to its downsizing. The performance problem that affects this is whether or not the survivors can handle their new responsibilities. The survivors left behind after downsizing might not be able to carry the workload left behind. Where there were three people doing a particular job, it is now left to one person to accomplish. It is possible then for the workload to fall behind, therefore costing the company more money. Training one person to do the job of three will take time out of the...

plaque assay essays

plaque assay essays Title: Exercise Seven Plaque Assay for Determination of Phage Titre One of the most numerous microorganisms known to man is viruses and these acellular agents can infect all types of cellular organisms. Viruses are considered infectious elements that contain a single type of nucleic acid but require a host cells metabolism to replicate. They are typified by both an extracellular state and an intracellular state. (Madigan et al, 2003; Prescott et al, 2002). The classification of viruses can be extended further, by focusing on a specific group known as Bacteriophages. These are viruses that infect bacterial cells and use them as their host. Those viruses that infect Eschericha coli are known as Coliphages and are identified by type numbers ie. T2, T4 and T7. (Prescott et al, 2002; Reddy, 2002). Temperate bacteriophages not only infect bacteria but can also establish a lysogenic relationship rather than immediately lysing their hosts. The DNA of the invading phage has two possible fates: reproduction leading to generation of new phage particles and lysis of the cell or integration into the host chromosome. Here it is replicated passively with the host DNA a process known as lysogeny. Some coliphages (although not exclusively) are temperate bacteriophages. (Lehninger et al, 1992; Madigan Despite the diversity in viral structures, most viruses complete similar stages in the viral lifecycle. Excluding the lysogenic pathway for the moment, a typical viral lifecycle can be categorized into five stages: 2. Penetration: by either the whole virion or just the nucleic acid 3. Synthesis of nucleic acid and proteins: where the hosts metabolism is utilized 4. Assembly: of structural subunits and packaging It should be noted that these are generalized stages and that viruses go about a ...

Dicussion on movie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Dicussion on movie - Essay Example In this film, ultimate gender performance is apparent in the way each manages realize their respective motives whereby Toby becomes a distinguished porn actor and Bree waitress in a place where there earlier her role encompassed washing dishes. Both key character deem they represent the opposite of what they are based on gender. Toby while indulging oneself into the acts of gay appears to be the recipient who through his charm arouses those of the same orientation. This is also evident with Bree who through her conduct all males whom she encounters end up exhibiting interests in without suspecting anything except that kid in the hotel. The latter among all other scenes is the sole incident, which I can concretely contend Bree utterly failed but all others she managed to masquerade as a woman. Conversely, Toby is successful all through and no incident where he seems to contradict who he is evident in the easily prostates to supplement their budget and lie proceeds were from selling drugs. In the film, the essence of nudity encompasses unveiling controversial aspects used to develop varied scenes constituting the entire movie as well as satiating audiences’ curiosity. For instance, Toby through nudity manages to know exactly Bree’s condition, which from the onset of the film viewers could only hear through discussion. In addition, nudity serves the role of advancing plots such that the film continues to progress, which is evident with the case of Toby having known who exactly Bree is an incident of rift between them develops until reconciliation in the end of the film. The film though its scenes might seem different from that of â€Å"The Hitch-Hiker (1953)† there earlier I watched, their general basis encompasses how the involved and key characters manage to scrutinize the reality of each other . In both films, there are hitchhikers

Week 6 Team Part Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week 6 Team Part - Essay Example An alternative solution the company may pursue in order to increase its revenues is to expand internationally. The expansion can occur in different ways. The simplest solution that requires the least amount of resources is exporting. The main product the company sales, batteries, are a homogenous product which is needed by everyone around the world. The world’s population is 6.6 billion. The combined population of America and Germany is 393 million. This data means that Larson Inc. has only been able to penetrate 6% of the marketplace. The firm may experience some economic growth if the domestic economies of Germany and the United States improve. Batteries are needed to power all electrical devices. One of the largest industries in the world is the cellular phone industry. In 2010 there is an estimated 4.7 billion cellular phone users worldwide (Plunkett Research, 2010). These phones need batteries to be powered up. There are also thousands of other types of products that util ize batteries. The extra money the company generates during an expansion can be used to develop new products or services. A second economic option for Larson Inc. is to encounter a decrease in its revenues. When a country has negative growth domestic product for two consecutive quarters it enters into a recession. During a recession a business such as Larson may experience a decline in its overall sales numbers. A strategic approach utilized by managers during a recession is to implement cost cutting initiatives. Layoffs in personnel are a short term cost cutting solution that many companies use to decrease its expenses. Investing money in more efficient equipment can lower the cost of producing goods. Typically during bad economic times managers are hesitant to invest money in capital goods. Outsourcing contracts can help companies lower its cost per unit. Workers in countries like China earn less than a tenth of what American workers make. The third economic

SPSS Analsis for Corporate social performance and results description Assignment - 1

SPSS Analsis for Corporate social performance and results description - Assignment Example We can conclude that the differences between condition Means are likely due to chance and not likely due to the independent variable manipulation. We now check for significance difference in the mean social disclosure between the two groups (B2C and B2B). From the table below, the p-value for Lavene’s test is 0.163 (a value greater than 5% significance level, this means that the variability in the two conditions is about the same we therefore assume equal variances and use the p-value assuming equal variances. The p-value is 0.064 (a value greater than 5% significance level), we fail to reject the null hypothesis and conclude that there is no statistically significant difference between the two conditions (B2C and B2B). We can conclude that the differences between condition Means (for the employee turnover %) are likely due to chance and not likely due to the independent variable manipulation. We now check for significance difference in the mean social disclosure between the two groups (B2C and B2B). From the table below, the p-value for Lavene’s test is 0.026 (a value less than 5% significance level, this means that the variability in the two conditions is different we therefore assume unequal variances and use the p-value assuming equal variances. The p-value is 0.332 (a value greater than 5% significance level), we fail to reject the null hypothesis and conclude that there is no statistically significant difference between the two conditions (B2C and B2B). We can conclude that the differences between condition Means (for the community spend) are likely due to chance and not likely due to the independent variable manipulation. We now check for significance difference in the mean social disclosure between the two groups (B2C and B2B). From the table below, the p-value for Lavene’s test is 0.578 (a value greater than 5% significance level, this means that the variability in the two conditions is about the same we therefore assume

300 word essay, history of history 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

300 word , history of history 4 - Essay Example IV concentrated on fighting the Romans and the Spaniards5, and neglected his duties and vows as the Pope and his expectations as a Church leader6. However, soon, due to certain events7, he underwent a radical shift in his approach towards his office, and from then onwards, expended all his efforts and all his life in establishing rules and practices that were aimed at reviving the lost spirit of the Church8. Renke cites several examples of the reforms that Paul IV introduced as part of his reforms, such as reinstituting the government officials and clergy9, and making the practices of the Church more strict and binding upon the public as well as the clergy10. Renke writes in a very theatrical style11, and presents the history of Papacy with a lot of earnest and interest, which is evident through his writing. However, he merely presents his own opinions about the events that occurred, and his own perceptions about the actions of the Pope and other individuals whom he has mentioned in his book12, rather than citing the incidences themselves and leaving the judgment and conclusion to the readers. Therefore, his writing style is clearly biased towards a certain standpoint, and his writing cannot be claimed to be critical or analytical in nature. It is, nevertheless, quite entertaining and absorbing, and makes the reading of historical anecdotes quite interesting to the general

Mergers and acquisitions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Mergers and acquisitions - Essay Example Concerning this particular aspect, this paper presents a case study analysis of three recent mergers at a cross-border level, i.e. Johnson & Johnsons acquisition of Synthes GmbH, Microsoft Corporations acquisition of Skype Technologies, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC)s acquisition of Nexen Inc. The study signifies that culture, business industry trends and also governmental policies among other attributes play a vital role as a cause of M&As performed by these companies. M&As are often considered as an important strategic function in the modern day business context where recent studies have revealed that companies principally tend to use the strategy of M&A with the intention of enhancing their performances in terms of profitability, greater market share attainment, better resources allocation, risk diversification as well as business expansion. Various factors have been identified in this context to be influencing the performances of companies and therefore, motivating organisational leaders towards the adoption of M&A strategies such as economic and political trade policies enactments as well as social functions. Moreover, globalisation as well as advancement of technology has influenced companies to adopt this strategy in order to perform effectively in the increasingly competitive global market (Coeurdacier & et. al., 2009). In this regard, companies have adopted M&A strategies with the objective of improving competitiveness as well as growth of its market share. It is in this context that M&A strategies assist companies in restructuring its business operations in order to improve its business performances in the global realm (Directors & Boards, 2006). Additionally, it has been observed that the strategy of M&As assist companies in acquiring larger market share, better resources accessibility and an enhanced competitive position within a short term period, thus minimising many hazards which are commonly witnessed by modern day

FOREX (Foreign Exchange Market ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

FOREX (Foreign Exchange Market ) - Essay Example When UK joined the ERM, her DM rate stood at 2.95, slightly above the minimum requirement for the euro zone (Friedman and Woodford 182). In a bid to migrate the ERM loss, UK should have tried not to overvalue the pound. The overvaluation caused ripples in economic markets, allowing speculators to make profits at the expense of economic failure. Drawing from the above diagram, UK government could have migrated losses by avoiding buying of pounds using foreign exchange reserves. As the diagram suggests, 1990 and 1992 exhibits inhibited economic growth and significantly high inflation. Artificial overvaluation of the pound under such circumstances proved catastrophic to the UK. By 1992, UK base rates were on a decline trend as the above diagram suggests. However, the actual scenario on the ground was different. UK had revised interest rates upwards, an aspect that further accelerated economic failure. In response, UK left ERM, cut interest rates, and embarked on economic growth stimulation through inflation reduction, housing market corrections, and employment

300 word essay, history of history 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

300 word , history of history 4 - Essay Example IV concentrated on fighting the Romans and the Spaniards5, and neglected his duties and vows as the Pope and his expectations as a Church leader6. However, soon, due to certain events7, he underwent a radical shift in his approach towards his office, and from then onwards, expended all his efforts and all his life in establishing rules and practices that were aimed at reviving the lost spirit of the Church8. Renke cites several examples of the reforms that Paul IV introduced as part of his reforms, such as reinstituting the government officials and clergy9, and making the practices of the Church more strict and binding upon the public as well as the clergy10. Renke writes in a very theatrical style11, and presents the history of Papacy with a lot of earnest and interest, which is evident through his writing. However, he merely presents his own opinions about the events that occurred, and his own perceptions about the actions of the Pope and other individuals whom he has mentioned in his book12, rather than citing the incidences themselves and leaving the judgment and conclusion to the readers. Therefore, his writing style is clearly biased towards a certain standpoint, and his writing cannot be claimed to be critical or analytical in nature. It is, nevertheless, quite entertaining and absorbing, and makes the reading of historical anecdotes quite interesting to the general

FOREX (Foreign Exchange Market ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

FOREX (Foreign Exchange Market ) - Essay Example When UK joined the ERM, her DM rate stood at 2.95, slightly above the minimum requirement for the euro zone (Friedman and Woodford 182). In a bid to migrate the ERM loss, UK should have tried not to overvalue the pound. The overvaluation caused ripples in economic markets, allowing speculators to make profits at the expense of economic failure. Drawing from the above diagram, UK government could have migrated losses by avoiding buying of pounds using foreign exchange reserves. As the diagram suggests, 1990 and 1992 exhibits inhibited economic growth and significantly high inflation. Artificial overvaluation of the pound under such circumstances proved catastrophic to the UK. By 1992, UK base rates were on a decline trend as the above diagram suggests. However, the actual scenario on the ground was different. UK had revised interest rates upwards, an aspect that further accelerated economic failure. In response, UK left ERM, cut interest rates, and embarked on economic growth stimulation through inflation reduction, housing market corrections, and employment

Psychological and Ethical Egoism Essay Example for Free

Psychological and Ethical Egoism Essay Egoism is the teleological theory within the proximities of ethics which is allied to setting greatest good, pleasure and benefit for a single person. It comes as a contrast of altruism whose strictness is not self-centered. However altruism incorporates the interest of others in deriving absolute pleasure for a group of people or the contemporary society. Egoism can of necessity be viewed under different contexts with prevalence to the implication of drive into pleasure. Psychological egoism: This is the term that is taken to apply the aspect of human motivations as centered in self-interest. According to this view, any action despite its scores of altruism is governed by the motivations of personal desire that come from the psychological overview of the specific agent. This could incorporate aspects of desire by the agent such as avoiding the notion of been guilty, creating motives of desire for rewards or developing motives towards personal happiness. However, psychological egoism is developed as a synchronization effect of claiming the thresholds that define the scores of human nature. Since this claim in support of human nature is of necessity universal, it follows that the persuasion towards acting to a certain episode is driven by motives of personal desires and motivations (David, Jennifer, 2003, p. 58). Generally, psychological egoism underscores the phenomenological ascertainment of actions as founded on models of pure altruism. However, every action accrues some specific benefits to the fundamentals of an individual person. For example, helping a friend would yield personal happiness in the long run. The theory argues that the help that people give to the others is still motivated by personal interest and not purely aimed at creating happiness and satisfaction to the others. The principles of this theory are based on non-normative theoretical background that explains on the subjective phenomena of how things should primarily be. The basic provisions of psychological egoism is that the ultimate motive that ignites an individual towards making his/her voluntary actions is the in held desire of attaining personal pleasure as well as avoiding any possible effects and possibilities of pain (David, Jennifer, 2003, p. 3). In its proponents, psychological egoism argues that all altruistic actins are by themselves centered on parameters and motives of self interest and selfishness. These acts are only instrumental in having the aspects of motives towards self interest. The ultimate goal of egoism is therefore to achieve good feelings on personal pleasure which could consequently help in reducing and avoiding any probable scores of pain. Ethical egoism: It is the doctrine with its foundations based on the motives of selfishness as an acute score in the plain of human virtues. The theory has its propositions on the aspect that a person’s actions should ideally be modeled by personal interest. The foundations of ethical egoism are restoring the normative valuation of social phenomenon. Comparatively therefore, the truth value of ethical egoism outscores that of psychological egoism in that if it holds true, then psychological egoism would subjectively be untrue. It is a deviation from the principles inclined in altruism which propose on the ideals of the good for the contemporary society or group of people. According to the theory, when the societal resources are focused more precisely towards satisfying the interest of a person, greater efficiency and functionality of the existing social structures would therefore be felt. Consequently, the end results of this process are greater happiness in the contemporary society in the long run after each individual acts to create proximities of personal interests and happiness (David, Jennifer, 2003, p. 71). The principle code of ethical egoism is providing the rationale for a persons action in his/he own interest. This is however acceptable despite any controversial prospects in leading to conflicts between the parameters of interest and values of the others within the society. The basic difference that exists between ethical egoism and psychological egoism is that ethical egoism argues that an individual should presumably act in accordance to one’s self-interest. However, psychological egoism has its value that individuals can primarily act within the scores of their motives held in self-interests. Primarily therefore, ethical egoism governs persons in acting according to the requirements of their personal interests. Accordingly, its advancement conflicts with the basics and principles of ethical altruism when the latter presupposes the role of an individual in helping and serving the other people within the societal context (David, Jennifer, 2003, p. 71) . Conceptually however, ethical egoism is not founded on the disregard of the basic well being of the other people by the specific moral agent. Either, it does not disregard the rejection of the agent in refraining from the causal behavior that creates moral deliberation for the others. The basic creations and models of ethical egoism have been formulated on the basics of three scopes of understandings which are the universal, personal and individual. An individual egoist would proclaim that individuals should basically do that which creates benefits to them. A personal egoist would argue that their actions should be based on motives of their self-interest. Additionally, universal egoist would claim that all the people should act according to the principles that are by there on creating the aspect of own interest (David, Jennifer, 2003, p. 76).

Environmental Impacts On Pfizer Business Operation Commerce Essay

Environmental Impacts On Pfizer Business Operation Commerce Essay The operations management is involved in all types of organizations and it is considered as a core value of the organization. Business is a typical field where operations management fits in. However, several other fields require good understanding of operations management such as industry, Healthcare, education, and governmental sectors. The scientific background of these sectors is quite different from each other but the managers in these fields usually share same management qualification. The pharmaceutical companies always reflect the field of science and rarely been thought of their highly demand of operations management. Sales and researches are the main activities in pharmaceutical companies which require certain procedures to be carried out in a specific sequence. Despite its scientific background, pharmaceutical companies procedure would reflect the operations in this type of organization; thus, managing these operations are highly demanded to avoid errors. Pharmaceutical companies are one type that host scientific from several backgrounds. Despite its necessity for high sales achievement, pharmaceutical companies aim to keep their image as a trusted source of information and adding values to the health care culture. As a result, operations in Pharmaceutical companies require indeed a high level of operation management, and challenges that apply to organizations in the business field are applied here as well. Operations management consists of several aspects such strategy, process design, planning and control, supply chain management, and improvement which could be applied on the laboratory work. However, the current study will emphasis only on three aspects related to operations management, which are IT and decision making, performance measurements, and productivity, in the Pharmaceutical companies. Pharmaceutical companies now face a lot of challenges which need more agility to react properly with. Many of those problems are external and unpredicted as what is going to be discussed later. Literature review Information Technology (IT) and Decision Making The emergence of Information Technology (IT) as most efficient tool made the communication, monitoring operations and performance, and managing data easier than before. Sometimes it is used as a product delivery medium in software developing companies for example. As consequence, it becomes a powerful for tool that influences the decision makers for its accuracy and clarity. Numerous researches have been carried out that showed the significant influence of IT on the decision makers. This section will covered various aspects related to IT and decision making in different type of organizations. One obvious example of using IT is the internal communication within an organization. Anderson carried out hypothesis testing research to study the effect of enhanced telecommunication capability on performance while practicing improved strategic decision making and improved coordination of strategic actions. The study investigated the influence of internal communication by using computer networks (Intranet) and external communication through (Internet). The investigation was associated with two strategic decision making approaches (autonomous and participatory) alongside the strategic planning. In order to assess probable environmental contingencies, two different industrial settings that are characterized by low and high levels of dynamism and complexity were used to test the relationship. The use of intranet showed positive association with innovation in less dynamic and complex industries. Whereas internet use indicated positive association with profitability and innovation, but companies following participatory decision approach. On the other hand, the combination of intranet usage and autonomous decision approach was found positively associated with high profitability and sales growth in highly dynamic and complex industries. The combination of internet usage and participatory decision making was found positively associated with higher innovation. Finally, the study revealed that using both internet and participation are highly related to innovation in general. Also, use of Intranet and autonomy has a positive relation with the economic efficiency in dynamic and complex industries. The effect of IT in term of network speed was found to influence the decision making of medical personnel. Networking specialists execute an empirical investigation by constructing testbed to control the network impairment levels. A video obtained from a medical institution was used as well as physicians who evaluated the contribution of video quality to their diagnosis. Despite the utilization of one video and small number of physicians, investigators concluded that medical decision making capability are dependent on video frames instead of overall video quality. Internet . The study was able to show the significant effect of one small aspect of computer networking on the decision making of medical personnel. The effect of IT on strategic decisions in the industrial companies was studied. Executives from thirteen companies in The Netherlands and in Germany were interviewed. Information about decision process followed in thirty two recent decisions . Executives found to apply a rational approach while collecting and using ample information. The structured decision-making process undergoes number of distinct phases before decision is made. The necessary information gathered by IT increases confidence and reduces uncertainty. Authors stated clearly that circumstantial evidence was obtain about changes in the decision making process. The underlying causes of these changes were regarded to developments in new information acquisition and analysis methods, ex. Internet use became common practice. The study revealed that with more relevant information available, decision making process can be controlled efficiently in addition to facilitating rational decision making. The necessity of IT is not restricted to industrial or business firms, the role of information delivery enhances decision-making capabilities of Indian farmers within Indian Tobacoo Companys, e-Choupal initiative . E-Choupal implemented information communication technology (ICT) to increase information deliver among farmers in different areas. On various agricultural practices across the agricultural supply chain, users of e-Choupal significantly show better decision-making aptitudes compared to non e-Choupal users. The study emphasizes the importance of designing information communication technology (ICT) which enables information systems to suit different socio-demographic groups. It is obvious that implementing up-to-date applications in business firm become a priority in highly competitive market. Business environment remain changing every while and required modifiable and scalable IT application to adapt itself instantly when it is required. Often, a dramatic change in market environment requires essential system upgrade. However, decision for investing in system upgrade sometimes remains tough task for managers in term of cost and time to upgrade. Mukherji et.al. clarifies a decision support model able to determine the optimal time and choice of upgrades. Their analysis confirmed that feasible continuous upgrading is not always optimal strategy when the cost is significant. They suggest that necessary upgrade has to take place after measuring the gap between current technology and new technology. As the gap increases and reaches a critical threshold, system upgrade become essential and company priority. Performance Measurements In its general meaning, performance measurement is action of measuring and evaluating particular process of the entire operations performance. Therefore, organizations performance is most important concern for stockholders and company owners. This activity is a helpful tool to know how effective the current operations are as well as how much the organization meets the market demands. Performance measurements vary according to the organization field. Some measurements are very critical at particular organizations and useless in others. A literature review was performed on supply chain performance measurement recommended the adaptation of partnership development, collaboration, agility, flexibility, information productivity and business excellence metrics in performance measurement system. The study indicated further research is required as the environment of this business is changing . Along the same way, most of performance measurement systems practiced is proposed to improve the productivity only. As a result, managers utilize insufficient measures to increase performance, which in turn does not reflect the reason of using this tool. Developing a performance measurement remains challenge. The desired performance measurement system needs to serve both purposes, improved performance and accountability . The human factor was found to play a significant role in improving performance. In practice, performance measurements serve the higher level managers who monitor the overall organization and therefore draw the suitable strategy. Involving managers on the operation level showed a significant impact on performance. It is the consequent enhancing the employees beliefs in performance measurements system and the commitment of operation managers to performance improvement . Authors adopted a developmental approach for performance measurement based on five principles. Among these, building on employees professionalism, transparency and employee ownership, and outside facilitators were more toward employees and leadership rather than measurements themselves. (I advise to remove the below part as Pfizer RD is only in USA Europe and not relevant to the focus case of Pfizer Gulf States) Performance Measurements vs. RD In the field of research and development (RD), defining performance measurement system is very critical and was found to be challenging mission. It is still uncommon among RD organizations. Avoiding the under or over estimating performance is more important issue when it reaches decision making level and motivates people in RD companies. Designing effective performance measurement system properly found hard to achieve and was regarded to the lack of intensive studies in actual context, such as pharmaceutical research field in a biotech company . In healthcare organization, selecting an appropriate performance measurement system is still unresolved issue. One study suggested that performance measurement system has to be sensitive to both changes in the external and internal environment of such organization . Authors proposed a framework that measures performance from both multi and interrelated perspective, specifically effectiveness, flexibility, and efficiency. An early effort seeking a proper definition for performance measurement system for RD activities took place but it was very difficult. The most likely reason is the uncontrollable factors which influence the measurement elements used and hence delay the assessment. These studies was focused mainly on performance measurement such as dimensions of performance to be controlled and the metric measurement of such performance . The drawback of these studies is the ignorance of managerial and organizational meaning of each measure. Taking them into consideration would allow an appropriate use of each measure. This approach will lead to better RD performance analysis with respect to the organizations strategy. Later, Kerssens-van Drongelen and Bilderbeek applied the same idea using Balance Scorecard (BSC) to RD, a performance measurement method that link all four measurements to each other and was suggested by Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton . In general, numerous attempts was found in the literature suggest that efficient performance measurements depend desperately on the type organization and should take its internal and external environment into account. Performance Productivity Measures In principle, productivity is a measurement that used to evaluate the performance. It is necessary to implement various processes in performance measurement but it is more important to include at least one process that has a significant influence on the productivity. They are quite linked to each other and derive confusion often. Performance measurement is highly demanded when goals achievement is under assessment in the top managerial level. It illustrates how efficient the resources are used so it has high impact on the company overall. Productivity Measuring productivity is a challenge and is a result of many factors contributing separately or together. A ratio of output to input is a basic measurement company performance. Thus, variety of ratios can be defined based on the measurements type such as physical or financial terms as well as type of resources implemented in performance assessment . A ratio of current output to current inputs will yield the production technical efficiency. A ratio of current outputs to the maximum possible outputs for a given set of inputs will yield the production cost efficiency. A ratio of current inputs to the minimum possible inputs for a given output level will yield the production capacity utilization efficiency. Therefore, the relationships of productivity propose that productivity ratios are interlinked with various internal processes. It is influenced by the mixture of input factors. Input resource is a combination of capital, labor, etc. and every type of resource has its own effect on productivity to a certain level. Likewise, non-production labor (e.g., product designer, engineers, administrators, and quality inspectors) was found to have a value in manufacturing plants productivity. However, a comparison of the effect of non-production labor with other input resources was not investigated deeply. As a result, lacking the understanding of individual input resources affect might lead to mismanage resource investment hinder the growth of productivity afterward. In this manner, a study was conducted to examine relative elasticity of three input resources on factory productivity (production workers, non-production workers, and capital equipment) away from comparing relative productivity levels . 508 samples from 16 countries were used in the study. Authors developed three hypotheses: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Non-production workers or capital equipment, have higher elasticity than production workers in most countries studied. This finding suggests factories studied are more automated and require non-production workers to support output. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ In developed countries, concentrating the investment on capital equipment showed a significant impact on output, which means that improved productivity is a consequence of improved capital investment. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Some countries have higher levels of non-production employee elasticity than other countries. How do you measure the productivity or evaluate the total performance in an organization of professional functions such as purchasing, accounting, personnel, and data processing? Operations Challenges Pfizer Inc. Pfizer was founded by Cousins Charles Pfizer and Charles Erhart in 1849. Since that time, it has remained dedicated to the discovery and development of disease treatment and healthcare improvement. The company focuses on meeting the worlds diverse health needs and continually evolves to keep pace with the needs and expectations of its stakeholders and society as a whole. The production of Penicillin, Pfizer Helpful Answers, and Medicine Safety website are strong evidence of Pfizers flexibility. Pfizers Executive Leadership Team is the companys senior-most leadership and decision-making body. It brings together top leaders to focus on major financial, strategic and operational decisions. A series of decisions has been made by this team which provides extra evidence of Pfizers high flexibility management. One example is the establishment of two distinct research bodies, Pharma Therapeutics Research Development Group and BioTherapeutics Research Development Group. The decision was made to maximize new opportunities in biomedical research, and bring more innovative medicines to more patients more quickly. Pharma Therapeutics Research Development focuses on the discovery of small molecules and related modalities where BioTherapeutics Research Development Group focuses on large-molecule research such as vaccines. Pfizer has also developed an enhanced commercial operating structure and 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 managed by an executive who has strong accountability through the entire processes that start at product development level to proof of concept followed by providing access to patients all the way to the end of product life cycle. The businesses are supported by resources to pursue attractive growth opportunities and to deliver benefits to everyone require certain medications around the world. The strategy was made to enable rapid investment on opportunities which would develop the business in turn. The strategy was focused on supporting new successful medicines, increasing partnerships with key customers, entering co-promotion and licensing agreements, investing in new technologies, and acquiring new products and services from outside the company. Environmental Challenges Pfizers Evolution Product uniqueness was the cornerstone of pharmaceutical product success but the whole environment has been changed. The high competition and patency expiration were the most underlying causes the recent dramatic changes in pharmaceutical market. For example, Lipitor Norvasc, the widely used medicines for cholesterol hypertension, is not restricted within Pfizer anymore. These changes placed a huge force on Pfizer to move from a Product Focused company to a Customer Focused company. This mind shift was clearly reflected on the strategies as well as plans operation, which will be discussed shortly in the following context: Information technology its effects on operation decisions Performance measurements which satisfy all stakeholders Performance productivity measures its framework Pfizers Operations and Current Challenges Information Technology and Decision Making It is very crucial for Operations Managers to have clear, consistent reliable data to be able to make right and precise decisions. The role of IT is to make these data manageable and usable rapidly and accurately. Accordingly, decisions are usually about budget setting, processes, performance improvement, and revenue analysis within the company. Many examples would illustrate the importance of IT in Pfizer: 1. Business Technology Department: The information technology solutions unit. 2. Weighting Matrix Project: Customer targeting -segmentation program. 3. e-SMART: Sales force comprehensive reporting system. 4. Gulf States Portal: A Portal where all the different aspects of the commercial activities (Sales, Marketing logistics) executed are analyzed together to measure our ROI. Performance Measurements: A set of performance measures was used by the company to monitor the daily and the short term and long term performance. It ensures how close the company operations are to the right track in terms of achieving the strategic objectives resources usage. These measurements consider all the stakeholders. Performance measurements are dubbed Key performance Indicators or KPIs. The KPIs is helpful signs for an operations manager in Pfizer Gulf States to judge the operation and pinpoint errors. Pfizers Performance Measures: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Financial achievements: Evaluate revenues and profits of short and medium term and monitor sales and overheads to ensuring they match the plans. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ On time commitments achievements: in terms of on time supply to the accounts and on time payments to the internal suppliers and on time payments of salaries and expenses of the employees à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Consistency of performance in the operations: Observing fluctuation in the performance. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Budget restricting processes: The company operates within the budget or not? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Risk and change management: plan the company response to risks or changes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Clear guidelines for the operations: clarity of the processes in each department i.e. criteria of hiring people and qualification of people recruited à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Discipline of the company employees: in terms of in and out timings, and their complying with the values and ethics of the company à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Optimization of the company design: Evaluate the company structure to estimate the future needs i.e. establishment of key account management department à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Data reliability: evaluate data reliability and accuracy The need for a performance measurements framework: Performance measurements are all interrelated and interlinked with each other, so they are all encompassed together for achieving the goals. Analysis of the Operation Challenges Information Technology in the Operations Decision Areas Business Technology Department Offering innovative IT solutions improved the performance of several processes and helped in achieving the overall Pfizer Gulf States objectives. Developing an automated dash board where all the data (sales, consumption stocks, and market data) are encompassed on regular basis to enable both operations manager and senior managers make the right decision forecast. It allows a rapid response to any risk or change before it virtually harms the performance. Weighting Matrix Project It has an essential role in stating the concept of (customer focused) company. The system filters the costumers to different layers by weighting them according to coverage area and value of investment. The system then suggest particular layer to be focused on. e-SMART Reporting system enables all the operations processes of the field force (sales teams) to be reported. The system delivers and analyzes both field force activities performance and feedback. It enables senior managers make their decisions about operations reforms or changes. Gulf Portals The latest innovation of the company is the Gulf Portals that evaluate the performance of the operation processes. Gulf Portals is deep analysis achieved by comparing directly the input of the company to the output. Gulf Portals receives all the information about the number of visits, and number of activities investment per account, Then it compare those data to the revenue of each account. For example, if a sales person has 2 accounts A B, and he spent 2000 visits equally for those account annually. Account A achieved 30% of the total budget, while Account B achieved 70%, so was that the optimal exploitation of the time effort? The answer is no, hence we need to reallocate visits between these 2 account, and the same is true regarding any other resource. So, its a matter of reallocating the company resources for a better outcome. Performance Measurement to Satisfy Various Stakeholder Groups According to Pfizer operations manager, KPIs has to be a real measurement for the job description of operations manager as it is summarized below: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Participating with senior managers in plans setup, forecast and budgets à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Aligning the resources of Enabling Functions (HR, Finance, Logistics and IT) with the opposite part (commercial parties) of the Core Functions(Sales, Marketing and medical) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Facilitating decision making related to employees, investments and strategies in all the departments à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Continuing improvement of the process à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Re-engineering the company design when needed to cope with changes and risks. Performance objectives or KPIs has to satisfy all stakeholders, internally and externally, for reasons shown below: Financial objectives are vital to satisfy the senior managers and external audits because every business will end up with the level of profits. Moreover, on time commitments is a common interest for all stakeholders such as employees, senior managements, internal suppliers and customers which become priority according to customer focused strategy. Senior managers concern is performance long term consistency and prepared for market dynamics. Reducing the operation cost will increase the net profit directly and will satisfy the senior management and the audits. Having clear guidelines to follow and to minimize errors may occur within the operations. Discipline of the employees is a good indicator the people compliance inside the company to the rules and strategies applied. Company design is a crucial issue for reacting with the changes. For instance, new regulations in the market, based on new policies and cost cutting, gave Pfizer an indication of the necessity to establish new department called (Key Account Management) to focus on the key accounts and to secure the business. Reliable data is the basis of any successful plan and determining the achievements also needed by stakeholders. The Need for a Performance Measurements Framework Productivity is part of performance measurements as it is the ultimate goal of the company. The direct link between each performance measurement and represented productivity measurement can be noticed. Financial achievements: improvement in achieving financial goals is an indication of productivity increment, the more Pfizer achieves goals with cost effective the more its productive On time commitments achievements: on time commitment allows more product consumption and prescriptions loss. It increases the demand and the sales consequently. More Commitment with suppliers will force them to be restricted to time frame which enables smooth steadiness supply to maintain Pfizers productivity. Along the same way, employees will becaome more motivated to achieve their target, which is a very important element for improving productivity. Consistency of performance in the operations: Consistency ensures high productivity level and avoids backlog. For example, satisfying the customers demands and expedite their shipments by increasing performance of some products would help increasing sales. Budget restricting processes: complying with budget is certainly a synonym for doing the best cheaply. So, restricting with budget leads to optimum use of the resources and ends up with increasing the profit. Risk and change management: It reflects the reliability and the agility of the company to react properly to any change or risk to keep the company productive and profitable constantly. That is, fast reaction to the exclusion of one product from Health Authority Formulary will help the company to return it to the Formulary after two weeks only to secure the business. Clear guidelines for the operations: Understanding operations guidelines is critical to do the job correctly within time frame to reach high level of professionalism. Along the same way, it minimizes errors and failure in the operations, reduces the cost, and raises performance and productivity. For instance, setting up a criterion for marketing approvals prevents time and investment loss. Discipline of the company employees: According to Pfizer ethics and laws, employees discipline minimizes errors and reduces loss. if a product manager put an off-label indication for a medicine in a campaign, the company will be entitled to millions of dollars as a penalty. Also ensuring that employees effort will be reflected on the productivity. Optimization of the company design: A proper design maximizes the use of human resources. The recent restructure of business units in Pfizer to serve customer focused strategy showed better performance and productivity. Also creating new departments helped the company in maintaining business growth, such as the key account managers dept. which allowed the company to build relationships to the decision makers in the market. Data reliability: data can be used to show an adequate description of productivity and performance; however, it demands high level of accuracy and consistency to give the company a clear vision to current situation. Finally, we can say that performance measurements are closely related to the productivity so that to achieve the company goals. The need for clear framework that includes satisfaction of the internal and external stakeholders was achieved by Pfizers management (see figure 1). Figure 1. Performance Measurements used by Pfizer Conclusions Comparison of Case with Theory Information Technology and Decision Making Pfizer Gulf States has improved its business operations in the past two years through the utilization of tailored IT solutions to fit in pharmaceutical industry in the Gulf. Considering customer centricity, the operational decisions which was made to expose both resources and established projects to the right customer within precise program was successfully achieved. Managers utilized right applications that were fed with data about the market which interpreted significant information about the market demand and business opportunities. The holistic approach application analyzes sales, projects, and competition performance data to retrieve clear guidance for operations managers. The integration of this approach highlighted areas where alignment across different functions is required. Therefore, it ensures successful execution and customer satisfaction for service and value added programs Performance measurement to satisfy various stakeholder groups: The satisfaction of the various stakeholders has been always the prime objective of the executive team in any successful organisation, especially in pharmaceutical industry. Hence, the operations managers are always keen to have clear KPI to both internal team members and relevant stakeholders. These managers ensure successful execution of the different tactics corresponded to the relevant strategies to meet the companys objectives. At Pfizer Gulf States, as a part of the Pfizer Global company, various stakeholders within Pfizer Africa Middle East leadership team expect clear KPIs that ensure operational objectives along with the overall business objectives. These KPIs focus on measuring the level of employees engagement with clear metrics every year. Therefore, proper evaluation and continious improvement to employees performance. The Need for a Performance Measurement Framework In matrix structured organizations, ensuring alignment across all functions working together to create deliver the service or product is vital for business success. A framework of KPIs and productivity measures has proven to be with a synergic effect on business revenues in Pfizer Gulf States. Working on growth opportunities which was sought out from the market potential is linked with clear framework for the KPIs. This clarity enables operations manager to make adjustments and follow up easily. Recommendations With no doubt, IT showed positive impact in operations within Pfizer Gulf States. Nevertheless, it indicates the success of movement toward more innovative approaches in utilizing IT with more concentration on customer information. Basically, it analyzes costumers data for

Chariots of Fire :: essays research papers

Chariots of Fire Assignment 1. In the movie, Chariots of Fire, Eric Liddell most strongly observed the 3rd commandment of not playing sport on the Sabbath, as the Sabbath is seen as a day of rest. This was seen on the Sunday of the Olympics when he refused to race. The second commandment Eric Liddell most strongly observed was the †¦ 2. The Sabbath is designed as a day of rest after working for six days, no work including sport is to be performed on this day. When God created the earth, he set aside the seventh day as a day of rest after all the hard work he had done. 3. Eric Liddell did not compete in his heat at the Olympics on the Sunday which led up to the major running event because he placed God before his sport and God’s rule was that the Sabbath was to be a day of rest. 4. Harold Abraham is a Jewish man who valued his athletics a lot more than his Jewish religion. On the other hand, Eric Liddell was the complete opposite and was a strong Christian and valued this more than his athletics. The sacrifice Eric made for Christianity was very big for him as he had to miss a vital heat. Harold on the other hand was much more focused on running than anything else in his life. He put the activity of running first even before those that he loved including his wife and his Jewish religion. Harold became depressed whenever he lost a race and took running to a serious level where he almost did not even consider religion part of his life. Even though Harold seemed to work harder throughout the film to become a better runner Eric seemed to be the victor in every encounter the two had, this could have been because of God’s blessing to Eric for following in Christianity more than Harold. 4. This movie reflects on the pictures in the ‘Two Ways We Choose To Live’ because Eric Liddell chose to put Christianity before anything else including running which was one of his passions, this is an example of what God wants us to do.

Iago and Angelo as the Hypocrites of Shakespeares Othello Essay examp

Few plot elements inspire such an emotional reaction in readers as does hypocrisy. Not only do readers feel genuine anger at the actions of the hypocritical character, but they also feel deep sympathy for the Hester Prynnes of the stories they read. This tandem of anger and sympathy is a powerful tool for an author to use to draw readers into his or her tale, because creating an emotional response in one’s audience is the best way to make them identify with the story. The response of the readers to these situations is a fascinating one. Perhaps the reader remembers a time when s/he was the victim of a two-faced action. Perhaps stories about hypocrisy evoke a sense of moral outrage or awaken a sense of justice in the reader. Perhaps the reader is simply fascinated with having a secret that s/he is unable to tell. For whatever reason, authors have carefully woven threads of hypocrisy into the fabric of their stories since the very dawn of literature. Some of the best examples o f this skill (as indeed of many others) come from the writings of William Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s astute observations of human nature coupled with his amazing word craftsmanship have created some of the most memorable hypocrite characters in all of literature. From the twisted, jealous, hatred of Iago in Othello to the lusty self-righteousness of Angelo in Measure for Measure, we can glean a sense of Shakespeare’s masterful manipulation of hypocrisy to create a tempting tale. Iago and Angelo are true hypocrites. In Othello, we are first introduced to Iago, a military officer under the command of the Othello, a well-respected Moorish captain. Iago’s hatred for Othello is revealed in the very first lines of the play, when it is revealed that he has been... ...haracters who exhibit hypocrisy. Whether it is anger at the hypocrite or empathy for the victim, a good author or playwright can capitalize on this tendency but constructing a plot with a few hypocritical timbers. Shakespeare was a master at such structures, introducing two of them in Othello and Measure for Measure. Iago and Angelo are both men of relatively high rank whose own hypocrisies lead to their downfalls. Iago’s hypocrisy permeates every facet of his character, including loyalty, friendships, and marital relations. Angelo, meanwhile, falls victim to his desires and commits one major hypocritical action, exhibiting both lust and lawlessness. The fact that these two plays are driven by these hypocritical actions is a testament to the ability of hypocrisy to promote a response in an audience, and a testament to the Bard’s incomparable playwriting skills. Â   Iago and Angelo as the Hypocrites of Shakespeare's Othello Essay examp Few plot elements inspire such an emotional reaction in readers as does hypocrisy. Not only do readers feel genuine anger at the actions of the hypocritical character, but they also feel deep sympathy for the Hester Prynnes of the stories they read. This tandem of anger and sympathy is a powerful tool for an author to use to draw readers into his or her tale, because creating an emotional response in one’s audience is the best way to make them identify with the story. The response of the readers to these situations is a fascinating one. Perhaps the reader remembers a time when s/he was the victim of a two-faced action. Perhaps stories about hypocrisy evoke a sense of moral outrage or awaken a sense of justice in the reader. Perhaps the reader is simply fascinated with having a secret that s/he is unable to tell. For whatever reason, authors have carefully woven threads of hypocrisy into the fabric of their stories since the very dawn of literature. Some of the best examples o f this skill (as indeed of many others) come from the writings of William Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s astute observations of human nature coupled with his amazing word craftsmanship have created some of the most memorable hypocrite characters in all of literature. From the twisted, jealous, hatred of Iago in Othello to the lusty self-righteousness of Angelo in Measure for Measure, we can glean a sense of Shakespeare’s masterful manipulation of hypocrisy to create a tempting tale. Iago and Angelo are true hypocrites. In Othello, we are first introduced to Iago, a military officer under the command of the Othello, a well-respected Moorish captain. Iago’s hatred for Othello is revealed in the very first lines of the play, when it is revealed that he has been... ...haracters who exhibit hypocrisy. Whether it is anger at the hypocrite or empathy for the victim, a good author or playwright can capitalize on this tendency but constructing a plot with a few hypocritical timbers. Shakespeare was a master at such structures, introducing two of them in Othello and Measure for Measure. Iago and Angelo are both men of relatively high rank whose own hypocrisies lead to their downfalls. Iago’s hypocrisy permeates every facet of his character, including loyalty, friendships, and marital relations. Angelo, meanwhile, falls victim to his desires and commits one major hypocritical action, exhibiting both lust and lawlessness. The fact that these two plays are driven by these hypocritical actions is a testament to the ability of hypocrisy to promote a response in an audience, and a testament to the Bard’s incomparable playwriting skills. Â  

SWOT analysis of Samsung Mobile in China Essay

Strengths Weaknesses ï ¼  Six Sigma’s Quality Control ï ¼  Product Design of Fashion and Beauty ï ¼  Advanced Technology and Innovative Capability ï ¼  Peculiar Strategy to Attract Talent ï ¼  Excellent International Brand Image ï ¼ Operating strategy is conservative, and there is supplier shortage ï ¼ Low contribution rate to the low-end consumer market ï ¼ Rely heavily on Android System ,there is instability factor. Opportunities Threats ï ¼  With advancement of digital technology, there is enormous room for commercial development ï ¼  Huge Potential for Development of Smart-phone market ï ¼  Apple has become Samsung’s strong competitor at the high-end, popular mobile phone market ï ¼  In the mid-to-low price range market, there is Nokia Strengths: 1. The first of Samsung Mobile’s strengths lies in Six Sigma Production, Which is as follows: a. Emphasizing on utilizing grassroots and front line workers for quality control functions b. Emphasizing on strengthening the early stages of production management; Focus on stages of product design, production of samples and adjustment of product c. Paying attention to continuous and stable production of goods to ensure quality d. Using QCC methods to improve quality e. Utilizing quality control education for employees 2. The second strength is in Samsung’s product design that combines Personalized exterior with humanized design. Along with its innovative  features, Samsung’s sleek designs have made Samsung mobile devices a popular choice among the masses. Samsung’s tactic of making bigger screens for its smartphone devices, particularly the Galaxy Note series, has been a big part of its success in differentiating the brand from its competitors. The big screams have become trendy and appealing. 3. Samsung’s lead in technology and innovation comprise its third strength a. Leading the digital fusion revolution – Digital Company b. Subsidizing mobile operating platforms, self-application (AP) processors, and screens 4. Samsung’s fourth strength lies in its strategy to attract the world’s best talent. a. Attracting genius talents through unique talents b. Making public service activities required courses for staff c. Implementing career training for employees d. Using four principles to determine salary – importance of job post, social identity, comparison to original salary, and creation of value 5. Samsung’s fifth strength lies in its brand image. Samsung is named as top rising brand by Inter brand and is the 9th most valuable brand with value nearly $33 billion. It has risen by 40% from 2011 to 2012. Samsung has been able to transform its brand image from a â€Å"value for money† brand to an innovative leader that â€Å"cares for everybody.† Samsung has tried its best to build a contrast between its biggest competitors Apple as a â€Å"self-centered brand† versus itself, a brand that cares for everybody. For example, a recent ad for the Samsung Galaxy S3 shows images of married couples and families with kids, in an attempt to attract a broader audience with slogans like â€Å"designed for humans, inspired by nature.† Weaknesses: 1. The first weakness lies in Samsung’s operating strategy. Samsung does not want to establish business relationships with many suppliers, and this is one of the reasons why Samsung’s development is restricted. Even though Samsung defends this by saying that it is better able to protect its intellectual properties this way, in current time’s environment with fierce  competition, companies with more suppliers are more competitive. Thus, Samsung needs to be more flexible in the company’s operating strategies. 2. Another of Samsung’s weaknesses also lies in not targeting low-end consumer market. Samsung focus on product fashion, so the price is relatively high. And Working in the WiBro (Wireless Broadband access service) and DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) market, but return on investment cycle is long. 3. Samsung’s reliance on the Android operating system (OS) is another weakness. Android phones are extremely customizable and they give you the freedom to experiment to your heart’s desire. One inevitable side effect of this freedom, however, is that sometimes your phone encounters a problem or two. Maybe it won’t boot or maybe it randomly shuts down. Maybe you lost a critical file and now some features won’t work. Opportunities: 1. The first opportunity is that with advancement of digital technology, there is enormous room for commercial development. a. In the digital age – the age of electronic information – there are two major stars: mobile phones and the Internet b. With the advent of the digital age, consumers desire high quality of mobile phone products c. Chinese communication consumers develops rapidly 2. Samsung also has an opportunity in the smart phone market’s development potential. a. The release of Apple iPhones began the wave of smart-phones b. In the mobile Internet age, every large mobile phone manufacturer and operator has promoted and popularized mid-to-low price range smart-phones. China is leading the arrival of the era of smartphone evaluation. Threats: 1. The first threat to Samsung is ï ¼  Apple has become Samsung’s strong competitor at the high-end, popular mobile phone market Apple’s cell phone has a high-end and popular image, and shares high similarity with Samsung. Thus, more than the mid and low-end markets, Samsung experiences a greater  impact from Apple’s competition at the high-end market. Considering mobile phone products of different smart-phone price ranges, Apple attracts greater user interest and has more product competitiveness than Samsung, despite the larger numbers of Samsung mobile phones on the market. This is related to Apple’s unprecedented brand appeal and affiliated operator support force. 2. The second threat to Samsung is ï ¼ In the mid-to-low price range market, there is Nokia a. According to statistics, Nokia had attracted a larger amount of user interest than Samsung at the mid-to-low end mobile phone market, in both the overall and smart-phone market. b. Nokia’s mobile phone market share relies mostly relies on the mid/low-end mobile products. In the past two years, with Nokia’s decline on the mobile phone, particularly high-end smart-phone market. c. The mid/low-end market has become the last sector of the market where Nokia has a lead. Nokia naturally will not ignore this.