Royal Enfield

Royal Enfield – Brand Rejuvenation of Motorcycle in India The year 2000 could have been decisive. That was when the board of directors at Eicher Motors decided to either shut down or sell off Royal Enfield – the company's Chennai-based motorcycle division, which manufactured the iconic Bullet motorbikes. For all its reputation, the sales of the bike was down to 2,000 units a month against the plant's installed capacity of 6,000; losses had been mounting for years. Just one person stood up to the board, insisting Royal Enfield should get another chance.He was Siddhartha Lal, a third generation member of the Delhi-based Lal family, promoters of the Eicher group of companies. Lal, then 26, was an unabashed Bullet fan: he even rode a red coloured Bullet while leading the baraat (procession) to his wedding venue, instead of the traditional horse. â€Å"The board agreed to give me a chance,† says Lal. â€Å"It was not because of its confidence in me, but because the b usiness was doing so badly it could hardly get any worse. † Lal felt Royal Enfield could still be saved. The bike had its reputation, a cult following, an instantly recognisable build, and aspirational value.Changes had to be made to keep up with the times and make the bike more acceptable, and there in lay the problem. Royal Enfield fans liked the bikes exactly the way they had always been. â€Å"We needed changes to attract new customers but by doing so risked losing existing ones,† says R. L. Ravichandran, whom Lal brought in as CEO in 2005 as part of his revival effort. Ravichandran had earlier worked with both TVS Motor and Bajaj Auto. â€Å"We were in a peculiar situation,† he adds. Rejuvenating Times The change had to be a calibrated one.The mistaken notions of prospective customers had to be addressed, and any reservations about Bullet and Thunderbird, which was launched in 2002, removed. At the same time, Lal and Ravichandran were clear that the individu ality of Royal Enfield bikes should not be compromised. â€Å"We did not want to go down the commuter route, but instead looked at the leisure segment,† says Ravichandran. Retaining the bikes' rugged looks was a given, including the build, the design of the head lamp and the petrol tank. But should the gears be shifted close to the rider's left foot – as in most bikes – or retained on the right side?The question gave Lal and his team many sleepless nights, since long time users were dead opposed to the change. The engine was another thorny question. The old cast iron engine was a relic of the past. Its separate gear box and oil sump design made it prone to oil leaks and it seized up very often. Its ability to meet increasingly strict emission norms was also suspect. A modern aluminium engine would eliminate these problems, but it would lack the old engine's pronounced vibrations and beat – which Royal Enfield customers loved.Laws of physics made it imposs ible to replicate these with the new engine. The new engine had 30 per cent fewer parts and produced 30 per cent more power than the old, with better fuel efficiency. By 2010, all Royal Enfield models had begun to use the new engine. Two other problems needed to be addressed: the quality of some of the components Royal Enfield bikes were using, and the sales experience. The case is prepared by Prof. Sanjay Patro and Aby Abraham, XLRI Jamshedpur for academic purpose only. It is not to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a business situation To tackle the first, shop floor process were fine e ses e-tuned, whil suppliers w exhorte to le were ed improve qua ality levels. R Royal Enfield also embar d rked on a larg scale inter exercise to tone ge rnal e up performa ance. â€Å"We de eclared 2006 as the year o getting bac to the bas of ck sics,† says Ravichandra â€Å"We also formed a fie quality ra an. eld apid action fo to bridg the gap bet orce ge tween custo mer expectations an the reality nd y. † Slowly, the tide turned. E t Engine relate problems and oil leaka ed ages in the b bikes were tackled first.By 2008 de ealers were reporting lo ower worklo oads in the workshops. Warranty c claims fell sharply too. Royal Enfi ield also beg conduct gan ting marquee rides to promote leisu biking. e ure â€Å"Such steps removed the fears abou our produc reliability some customers may h ut cts' y have had,† says Venki Padmanabh han, who su ucceeded R Ravichandran as CEO e n earlier this year after Ravichandra was eleva an ated to the b board of Eich Motors. To improve sales exper her e rience new expanded. company-ow wned sho owrooms were la aunched and dea alershipsIn October 2008, Roya Enfield lau al unched in G Germany its newly desig gned 500cc Classic mod – inspire by J2, a del ed 1950 model Bullet – wit the new engine. It was a success, th admired fo its pe for erformance and fuel economy. Emboldened Lal launch it in In d, hed ndia in Nove ember 2009 initially as a 350 cc b bike, priced at Rs 1. 20 lakh. This proved a hit too. â€Å"Now, our capacit utilisation is 100 per t , ty n cent. Yet there is a six month waiting period for hs deliveries,† says Venk â€Å"We pla to doub our cap ki. an ble pacity soon to 1. 5 lak bikes. kh Changing T Times According to industry body, the Soc ciety of India Automob Manufac an bile cturers, the In ndian twost l e wheeler industry is expected to pos an annual growth of 11-12 per cent, and the market is expected to double ever four years till 2020. A ry s According to data from Nomura and Crisil, as o d 0 wo-wheelers were sold in India 20 011-12. Vehi icles in the executive many as 10 million tw segment form the bulk of sales at 6. 5 million, f med k 6 followed by the economy segment (1. 8 million) y and premium segment (1 million). m 1. The recent series of hike in the price of petrol h s es have played a significant role in the sa of twoale wheeler s, ac ccording to S SIAM, as mo first-time four-wheel buyers in rural India and tier II ost e ler n and tier III c cities have d deferred their purchases. Two-wheelers account for a very h high 76 per cent of mar rket share in the autom n mobile sector in Asia’s third-largest economy. Passenger r t vehicles account for 16. 2 per cent. 25 According to a recent H t Human Deve elopment Re eport by UN NDP, India i one of the youngest is e nations with the median age being 29 yrs by the year 2020.A the pene h And etration figur of 35% res Urban and 1 14% rural in ndicates that there going to be a per g riod of grow in the tw wheeler wth wo market. Challenging Times g The compet tition in high ‘cc' two wheeler seg her gment is heat ting up. Bajaj (Pulsar 35 NS, Rs 50 1. 75 lakh), Yamaha (Sp ports bike F FZ1, a 998cc motorcycle, at a price tag of Rs 8. 7 lakh), c e Kawasaki N Ninja 650, etc are burning the rubber t enthrall In c g to ndian youths. 2 Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Direc tor of Bajaj Auto, the 2nd Largest Motor cycle manufacturing Company of India, said â€Å"We have recognized the different needs of the customers of our high end bikes.To cater to these needs we have established separate stores called as â€Å"Bajaj Probiking Showrooms at in the major cities across the country. The Kawasaki Bajaj Ninja is available exclusively through Probiking Showrooms. † Bajaj has joined hands with KTM of Austria a bike manufacturer since 1934 and has brought higher end motorcycles in India under the brand KTM Duke. Hero Moto Corp after separation of its ties with Honda has become more aggressive. Honda charting out its solo journey wants to bring the best of the world to one of the fasted growing market of India. These are the few competitors to name.Many more will follow. Entry of Harley Davidson into India added new flavour to the higher end segment. HarleyDavidson India commenced operations in August 2009 and appointed the first dealership in July 201 0. Since early 2011, Harley-Davidson has been assembling motorcycles in India at its CKD (Completely-Knocked-Down) assembly unit at Bawal in Haryana. India is the second country where Harley-Davidson has CKD assembly operations outside the US, after Brazil. Harley-Davidson currently offers a range of 14 models from each of its 5 families – Sportster, Dyna, Softail, V-Rod and Touring.Each of the five Harley-Davidson motorcycle families boasts of a distinct character and caters to the varied sensibilities of the broad range of customers. Road Ahead Siddharth Lal observed that it grew at 42% and could sell 74,626 bikes during the year 2011. Venki is excited about the fact that demand has more than doubled and Enfield can supply and he is not bothered about the market share figures as they see themselves in a different league. In his words ‘it is more about the context of the product†, the product-market ‘. â€Å"Royal Enfield is a leisure brand that it enables customer to enjoy leisure†. It is an involving and engaging motor cycle† . The bike demands for continued caring kind of interaction from its riders that leads them to develop a emotional bond. Today, Royal Enfield's problems are of a different kind. It needs to scale up without diluting brand equity. From being the most expensive bike on Indian roads, today it faces challenges from iconic global brands such as Harley-Davidson which has entered the Indian market. With other competitors getting battle ready,how can it hold on to customers through the waiting period of six to eight months.Driving change when the chips are down is easy, when there is no other option. In Royal Enfield's case the? What would be your recommendations to Mr. Venki Padmamnabhan, CEO, with regard to its future roadmap, Product strategy, Brand Management /engagement and Marketing strategy? 3 Exhibit 1 Production figures for 2012 Jan-12 Hero Motocorp Ltd. 458848 7303 Royal Enfield 76 Harley David's Feb-12 479927 8005 116 Mar-12 502208 9004 104 Apr-12 485325 9013 104 May-12 515627 9256 100 Jun-12 517848 9265 74 Jul-12 469951 10057 90 Aug-12 401194 10237 86 Sep-12 367869 10255 87 Oct-12 426307 10606 78Exhibit 2 Harley Davidson Bikes Price list India Harley Davidson Super Low Price In India : 5. 5 lakh Harley Davidson IRON 883 Price In India : 6. 5 lakh Harley Davidson 883 Roadster Price in India : 7. 5 lakh Harley Davidson Forty-Eight Price In India : 8. 5 lakh Harley Davidson Nightster Price In India : 9. 95 lakh Harley Davidson XR1200x Price In India : 11. 95 lakh Harley Davidson Street bob Price In India : 13. 95 lakh Harley Davidson Super Glide Custom Price In India : 15. 45 lakh Harley Davidson Fat Boy Price In India : 19. 2 lakh Harley Davidson FLSTFB Fat boy Special Price In India : 19. lakh Harley Davidson Haritage softail classic Price In India : 20. 2 lakh Harley Davidson Night ROD Special Price In India : 19. 55 lakh Harley Davidson Road king Price In India : 22. 45 lakh Harley Davidson Street glide Price In India : 24. 2 lakh Harley Davidson CVO ultra classic electra glide Price : 34. 95 lakh Exhibit 3 Royal Enfield Bikes Price List in India 2012 : Royal Enfield Classic Chrome – 1,67,000 Royal Enfield Desert Storm – 1,57,000 Royal Enfield Electra 5 S – 69,000 Royal Enfield Bullet 500 Classic 1,23,000 Royal Enfield Thunderbird K.S. 89,000 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 ES – 85,600 Royal Enfield Machismo 350 – 78,000 Royal Enfield Electra 4 S – 93,100 Royal Enfield Machismo 500 – 1,04,000 Royal Enfield Thunderbird S. S – 1,07,000 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 UCE – Rs. 99,500 Royal Enfield Electra Twinspark ES – Rs. 1,11,000 Royal Enfield Electra Twinspark KS – Rs. 1,07,000 Royal Enfield Thunderbird Twinspark – Rs. 1,16,000 Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500 – Rs. 1,66,000 4 -2: l Exhibit- Bajaj: Driving the Power Revolution with Pulsar 5 Exhibit: 3: Harley Davidsonâ€⠄¢s Advertisements in india t 6

Notes On Larkin And Abse

Arguably this poem is not simply a misogynistic view on woman however is in fact a satirical poem which mocks modernity through quantifying love as expressed in the use of the line ‘gave a ten Guinea-ring'.  Larkin was a well known hater of the modern world and to an extent the romanticised idea of ‘love' as seen in ‘Self's the man' and ‘Mr Bleaney', so through the use of the conversationalist tone that the persona of the poem creates the reader is presented with the concept of this poem either expressing Larkin's flippantly misogynistic attitude toward women, (through derogatory language ‘bosomy Rose') or his cynical satirical view of the modern day ideals of love. The fur gloves symbolize concealment, remoteness, barriers to intimacy, and perhaps a touch of risque eroticism too.The lucky charms reference conveys a sense that it was fortunate the relationship with bosomy rose never developed, perhaps. I revel in Larkins ambiguities. We think this has misogynistic attitudes as he objectifies women and referes to them only by their physical features. He also reduces her to her †fur gloves†. Mann this is a bad poem, a story of two hookers in my opinion. †¢ Both wild oats and Dockery and son have a persona which appears inferior. †¢ Wild oats says that the choices you make in life have less to do with personal disposition or want, more to do with what you are allowed to do within your social structure.The persona in wild oats doesn’t seem to be in the same social group as the ‘bosomy English rose’ and even though he would rather speak to her, he is forced to speak to the girl in ‘specs’, this is emphasised with the worlds ‘ I could†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ which suggests that he was unable to speak to the other girl. He could also be saying at this point that your appearance may change who you are allowed to do, or who you can talk to. Social bias? †¢ Hard ‘S’ and ‘C’ sounds create a sense of deflation. †¢ The word ‘But’ again creates deflation and a sense of regret. Is he saying here that our lack of confidence limits our decisions?‘so I thought’ – shows a that the speaker doubts his past decisions which were based on a lack of confidence. †¢ However, he did write over 400 letters to the supposedly ugly girl and even though the relationship didn’t work maybe he is saying here that even if you don’t like the decisions you make at the time, it might work out for the best. There is even a possibility of marriage as a ring is mentioned, but that’s all the marriage reference in the poem. †¢ The last line ‘unlucky charms, perhaps’ may suggest that there is a sense of mysticism guiding our lives.Can charms effect what happens in our lives!? †¢ ‘Agreement †¦ I was too selfish, withdraw and easily bored to love’ again shows a lack of self-confidence, the persona has agreed that he is the one at fault. Does a lack of self-belief ruin things as well? †¢ Playing it safe †¦ the persona goes with the person that he is less intimidated by! †¢ More sense of fate, the girls me to where he worked, so he didn’t seek them out, they came to him. I think that he shouldn't bang the tidy bird in the cathedral cities as it's not very religious purley a god like man, Philip Larkin is a literacy genius..: Wild Oats :. Wild Oats by Philip Larkin explains that a person, over the course of time, comes to realize that his greatest desires are unattainable, and second best things will have to suffice. The central purpose of this poem is to show that love is one of these great desires and despite flashes of promise it contains scarcely anything that is more than fragmentary. Through tone, diction, and irony, Larkin reveals the terrible human hopes and cold realities that which love inspires. The Encarta Dictionary defines the word rose as a prickly bush with ornamental flowers.In thinking about roses one pictures its gorgeous petals and often forgets about the prickly stem on which it sits. This word is used in both, the first and third stanzas, to depict the beautiful woman who the narrator falls in love with. Her beautiful face and body allure him into affection, leading him to overlook her harsh thorns. Ironically rose also means favourable, comfortable, or easy circumstances a definition that is the complete opposite of what the unattainable lover instigates in the narrator’s life. The speaker also useswords such as cathedral, ring, and clergy in the second stanza, to implicitly state (does not explicitly state for he is ashamed) that he proposes to the beautiful lover, and is denied many times. In the third stanza, Larkins creative use of the word snaps in describing the pictures of his lover he carries around. Instead of simply calling them pictures or photographs, he substitute s a word that resembles what the woman in the picture did to his heart! In the last lines of the first stanza the speaker ends with But it was the friend I took out.Considering he rambles on about how beautiful and great her friend it is confusing and ironic that he chooses the girl in specs. The speaker continues on in the second stanza and says I believe I met beautiful twice. The uncertainty of how many times he met her is not genuine and is only meant to look like he does not consider or remember how many times they met, when realistically it is all he cares about. In the third stanza the speaker states, Well, useful to get that learnt. This is attempt by the speaker to alleviate the cold reality of the complete loss of his desire in trying to say that he learned a valuable lesson about love.However, this is contradictory because he settled for the girl in specs as a result of knowing that the beautiful girl was unattainable from the beginning. .: Philip Larkin :. Philip Larkin: Bracing Rather Than Depressing Philip Larkin was born August 9, 1922 in Coventry, an industrial city in central England. He was the second son of Sydney Larkin, the city treasurer. He attended King Henry VIII School and then went on to study at St. Johns College in Oxford, where he began to appreciate and explore poetry.Larkin grew up in an era marked by severe economic depression followed by World War II. The Encycolpedia of World Biography portrays the memories of Larkins youth as sensitive and introspective, full of loneliness and passivity. These feelings of destitution are reflected in his poems. Although it was nearly impossible for anyone to catch a break during this time period, Larkin was blessed with terrible eyesight, resulting in exemption from the military (206). While the war was still in progress Larkin graduated from St. Johns College in Oxford in 1943 (206).Soon after graduating, Larkin embodied a counteraction to the wartime poetry which he saw as emotionally over blown and technically sloppy (207). Larkin not only had to revolutionize the poems but the way the readers experienced the poem as well. In her article First Boredom, Then Fear: The Life of Philip Larkin Felicity Walsh explains that Larkin lived in a culture that expected people to live private lives and have private thoughts. Larkin published a series of poems hoping to build a reputation for himself, but they went unnoticed. However, his streak of bad luck soon came to an end.According to the anthology Poetry Speaks, the publication of Larkins 1955 volume of The Less Decieved marked one of the most remarkable turnarounds in literary history and instantly established him as the leading poet of a new generation of voices, a group that would come to be known as The Movement (262). This group of poets mastered the technique of building strong, unique poems out of the everyday details of life, and Larkin, largely influenced by the poetry of Thomas Hardy, proved himself a master of this style. In postwar Britain, Larkins starkly and candid lines sparked recognition among a disenchanted generation (139).British Writers states that life, for Larkin and, implicitly, for all of us, is something lived mundanely, with a gradually accumulating certainty that its golden prizes are sheer illusion, that second best things will have to suffice (275). In his article Philip Larkin, W. S. Di Piero affirms Larkins great subject is romanticism gone sour- in nature, household, and heart. His poems tell us that while were born dreamers, we must know our limits and curb unreasonable aspiration, even though we are enticed by its appeal (45). Larkin addresses the sad facts of life: the difficulty, and the loneliness that often proceeds.Yes in facing these bleak prospects squarely, Larkin manages to be bracing rather than depressing (139). It is interesting that his poems about how rewards and goals in life are deceptions would in turn fulfill his own ambitions. Philip Larkin, the accl aimed British poet, received many awards that include honorary doctorates from Oxford University, the CBE, and the German Shakespeare-Preis. He was Chairman of the Booker Prize Panel, was made a member of the Companion of Literature, and served on the Literature Panel of the Arts Council.What lead to such achievement? He filled his works with appropriate, disconcerting humor, mastered the use of diction and imagery, and incorporated his own Philip Larkin portrays a theme of loneliness in the poem ‘Mr. Bleaney'. Not only does the story within the poem suggest a feeling of solitude and emptiness, Larkin also deliberately uses language and techniques to emphasise the theme he's going for. First of all, the title itself is of a person who's first name we do not know. It creates a sense that it is irrelevant and that ‘Mr.Bleaney' isn't of much importance. The lack of strong syllables in the title makes it sound monotonous giving the impression of boredom, of a life lacking ex citement. The poem, throughout, is a big metaphor of Mr. Bleaney's life. The way the room is described doesn't really make an impression and shows how rough and lonely it must have been to live there. For example, Larkin uses the words ‘littered' and ‘upright'. Also he talks about a ‘sixty-watt bulb', which states how his surroundings weren't very bright, like how his life must have had little inspiration.Larkin reinforces this by describing a repetitive habit of Mr. Bleaney visiting the same family members every year. ‘The Frinton folk put him up for summer holidays' – the poet gives the feeling that Mr. Bleaney wasn't really wanted there and that they're just putting up with him. It suggests that they are most probably forced to look after him, out of pity maybe. Along with the lack of excitement in his life, Larkin also portrays Mr. Bleaney as very reliant on the people around him. The quote ‘they moved him' not only symbolises death and hints that Mr.Bleaney has passed away but also that he was unable to make decisions for himself. ‘One hired box' evokes the images of a coffin, again leading the reader to think that Mr. Bleaney has indeed passed away. Prior to this, Larkin describes the room's curtains as ‘thin and frayed', which could be a metaphor of Mr. Bleaney's past condition and it could be argued that he died of some sort of illness. The use of two characters, being the landlord and the buyer of the old room, ensures that the poem is based on reality. The pessimistic view of the assumed buyer shows lack of pride.The quote ‘I lie where Mr. Bleaney lay' suggests that even though his presumptions of what the man's life must have been like aren't very assuring, his is no different either. He is in the same position. He also has to rent that shabby room like Mr. Bleaney did, showing that he isn't rich enough to own a place of his own too. He is also presumably alone in renting that room, suggesting t hat he doesn't have many friends either. The enjambaments used to carry sentences on symbolises the pointless existence of Mr. Bleaney, having to continue living a dull and tedious life.The lack of obvious similes and metaphors again suggests boredom and lack of inspiration. In the last phrase, the buyer says ‘I don't know', which states how even though he can deduce this man's life by how he used to live and what he's got to show of his previous existence (‘that how we live measures our own nature'), he still cannot be sure exactly who he was and what he was like when he was alive. I personally think that Larkin had a hidden message between the lines of this poem, which is not to judge anyone when you know very little about themIn Philip Larkin’s collection, ‘The Whitsun Weddings’ and Dannie Abse’s collection ‘Welsh Retrospective’, both poets create a sense of place as they write about their own environments. Larkin uses a more de tached observation as he uses a third person viewpoint, seen in ‘Here’ and ‘The Whitsun Weddings’, where he shows the journey of life. This differs to Abse, who presents a personal connection with the place and in the poems ‘Last Visit to 198 Cathedral Road’ and ‘Return to Cardiff’; Abse uses these places to evoke memories.

Toyota study (Strategic Management) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Toyota study (Strategic Management) - Essay Example To almost anyone you turn to, strategy is a course of action, it is a plan or a way of doing things unique to a particular organisation or identical to other organisations. It is some sort of consciously intended guidelines to deal with a situation. In management, however "strategy is a unified, comprehensive, and integrated plan.designed to ensure that the basic objectives of the enterprise are achieved" (Mintzberg H. et al 2003:4). According to Johnson et al (2005), taking a business from where it is to the future or desired state involves some strategic decisions and choices. Strategic choices are concerned with decisions about future state of organisations. Strategic advantages are not always achieved by competition alone. Collaboration between potential buyers and sellers and some other dealers turn to be very beneficial and advantageous when negotiation and contracting costs reduces (JSW: 2005:261) Corporate level strategy is more concern with product diversity, market diversity, corporate parenting and managing portfolio. As our client have restriction on product diversity based upon contract conditions with the respective supplier, and the lack of portfolio of business to operate upon we will concentrate our corporate decision based on market diversity and corporate parenting roles. Questions like, Should we grow Which business unit should we grow How do we grow the business unit And what activities must be given up by our client to grow The choices include, collaboration, or international expansion, diversification or development of traditional Toyota brand. Expanding into more eco-friendly vehicles. The international strategy of Toyota Company also takes into account the value adding services it provides to its partners and dealers in different countries. By adding value to its partners Toyota increases its market potential and customer base in different geographical locations. By maintaining long-term relationship with its dealers and stakeholders the company meets one of its major objectives. The company has increasing used partners worldwide to benefit from its generic focus and cost leadership strategy. To the company, "offering inexpensive but durables cars and is essential for customer's satisfaction. By working with partners in different locations, Toyota has gained lasting competitive advantage over its competitors. Because of synergistic gains resulting from such partnership, the company as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This is consistent with Javidan (1998:6) finding that successful organisation demonstrate a particular set of mindset. To these organisations, collaboration and partnering is viewed as an opportunity not a threat. The company unique resources which include its patents, trademark, resources rights (Cotton), strategic

Marketing Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Marketing Plan - Assignment Example Barclays' business mission is geared towards delivering top quarterly total shareholder returns as compared to its competitors(Kinnear, 1996) consistently over time and it seeks to manage marketing its products for value. The Macroenvironment has been very favourable to the implementation of the Barclays bank Platinum credit card launch in 2007. Its 20% share in the market has kept the encroaching competitors(Drucker, 1980) at bay. The Marketing mix of product, price, place and promotion have aided each other in the accomplishment of the company's ultimate goal of getting a big chunk of the new credit card clients starting in 2007. The strengths of the company like the well established Barclays bank as well as the opportunities to service new clients have helped in the forecast of getting a large share of Platinum credit card market. The weaknesses and the threats to the Barclays credit card has only a very minor miniscule effect on the forecasted sales of Platinum credit cards in 2007. The marketing objectives(Thompson, 1999) are to get a big chunk of the credit card market wi... The company will target its current clients and also look for new clients. 2.5 Budget, Marketing Mix The budget of 80,000 a month will be used for advertising in the radio, newspapers and television. This is a small budget because the company is banking on their satisfied clients' word of mouth advertising to help increase the sales(Irwin, 2000) of Barclays Platinum credit card. 3. Business Mission. Barclays' business mission1 is geared towards delivering top quarterly total shareholder returns as compared to its competitors consistently over time and it seeks to manage marketing its products for value. Recently Barclays integrated its Barclaycard credit card business with its personal lending businesses to create a single entity focused on meeting customer needs for credit according to UK Consumer finance. Barclaycard's strategy is to leverage the assets and capabilities of the new combined business to increase "share of wallet" through cross-selling to the larger customer base. The card issuer is also pushing into new markets internationally and forming partnerships and alliances to extend the brand appeal. Barclaycard is already the largest single credit card brand in the UK, with 10.8 million customers. 4. External Marketing Audit 4.1 Macroenvironment. 4.11 Economic. The business performance of Barclaycard is very outstanding, economically. It is currently one of the leading credit card businesses in Europe. Also, In addition to its operations in the UK, Barclaycard is has profitably entered the active booming credit card market in Germany, Spain, Greece, France, Italy and across Africa. Barclaycard has been offering the same full range of credit card services to individual and corporate customers it has been well

Art History Video Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Art History Video - Essay Example It appears dark, but this is not due to its lack of maintenance but since it is made out of porous sandstone. Stained glass windows are also a prominent feature in the video. The bells of the cathedral are also evident in the video, and some appear very heavy yet fascinating. Tower stairs of the cathedral have been portrayed to be extremely steep, but still they leave a very great impression on the writer. Generally, the view of this huge Church is very breathtaking; its large size, well painted windows on the outside, deep stairs and the general breathtaking. This cathedral has also has beautiful mosaic patterns and an overall grandeur. Built at around the 12th and 13th centuries, the cathedral is one of German’s greatest architectural constructions. This masterpiece is situated at the heart of Cologne, and it is the third tallest cathedral all over the world. Its construction began in 1248 and then it took a total of 600 years for the cathedral to be completed. It was completed in 1880. The building was constructed so remarkably in such a way that, even in the Second World War when German cities were flattened by bombings, the cathedral still remained, standing tall. The cathedral has many treasures but the four principle treasures are the shrine of the three holy kings, Gero Cross, Modern Mosaic Glass Window and Milan Madonna. What is striking about this cathedral is its gigantic size that it has occupied in the center of the city of Cologne. This has given it aesthetic value, but the windows have been decorated amazingly which has added to the aesthetic value of the building. Building projects nowadays and in the Middle Ages are very different. In the present world, housing projects are a very common occurrence and it takes a few years to complete the construction. However, Cologne Cathedral took a total of about 600 years which implies that considerable amounts of energy and hard labor were used in ensuring

Cluster Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Cluster Analysis - Essay Example There are various statistics associated with cluster analysis which are used for analyzing the data. Clustering can be hierarchical or non hierarchal and these are further classified into various methods. Hierarchal clustering is developed as a tree like structure. This method can be either agglomerative or divisive. In agglomerative clustering each object is formed as a separate cluster which is formed by grouping into bigger clusters and the process is continued till all the cases form as members of a single cluster. In agglomerative method, the various methods such as linkage methods, error sum of squares or variance and central methods are used. Linkage method includes single linkage, complete linkage and average linkage. The single linkage method is based on the minimum distance. The complete linkage is based on the maximum distance. And the average linkage is based on the average distance between all pairs of objects, so that one member of the pair is from each of the clusters. Variance method is used to minimize the within -cluster variance. Ward's procedure is a variance method where the squared euclidean distance to the cluster means is minimized. In the centroid method the distance between the two clusters is computed as the distance between their centroids. Generally the average linkage and Ward's method are supposed to perform better than other procedures. Now we shall discuss the various statistics associated with cluster analysis. Agglomerative schedule gives information on the cases being combined at each stage of a hierarchical clustering. The mean value of the variable associated with all cases in a cluster is known as cluster centroid. Dendogram is a tree like graph which displays the result of cluster analysis. The clusters which are joined together are represented by vertical lines. The position of line indicates the distance where the clusters are joined. This graph is a generally read from left to right. The distance between cluster centers indicates how the pairs of clusters are separated. If the clusters are widely separated and distinct then they are desirable. Icicle diagram is a graph, which displays the clustering results. It is called as icicles which hang from the eaves of a house. The columns represent the cases being clustered and the rows correspond to the number of clusters. This diagram is read from bottom to top. In this case chestnut ridge club clustering is considered on the attitude of the respondents in terms of joining a club. And the respondents expressed on a scale of 1-5, the objective here is group similar cases and to measures how similar or different the case are. The approach is to measure similarity in terms of distance between pairs of objects. There are different methods to measure the distance. These methods can be used to measure and the results can be compared. In hierarchical clustering agglomerative clustering is selected and Wards procedure is used to measure the distance. Generally the choice of clustering method and choice of a distance measure are related. Here the variables are measured on a five-point scale. The Wards linkage method is used to find the average distance between all pairs of objects. In this variance method the squared Euclidean distance to the cluster means is minimized. The important outputs obtained here are agglomeration schedule which shows the number of clusters combined at each

Realisms Depiction of International Relations Essay

Realisms Depiction of International Relations - Essay Example Therefore, in entering any agreement with any country, a state is always aware of the likelihood of cheating and the potential comparative gain that might result from the arrangement (Simpson 2001). Due this fear, courtiers must act to safeguard their interest so that in case of partners’ noncompliance with the bilateral or multilateral agreement, the state is not exposed to economic or security risks (Grieco 1999). Such a move should not translate into limiting cooperation with other states, but as a measure that will protect the country from exploitation by its partners. Realism has also developed to accommodate new trends that characterize international relations. Economic globalization has made it a must for cooperation as opposed to isolation of country from outside influence. Industrialized countries have been able to reap a lot of benefit due to this improved cooperation with other states (Jackson & Sorensen 2007). Such cooperation has become apparent especially with co untries like USA, which traditional follows the realist ideology to increase its interaction with others for greater influence and economic gains. Although globalization has made cooperation among countries inevitable, different countries do not trade on the same platform. Some countries benefit more than the other does in any international agreement. Since every country is serving its interest in the agreement, some countries are bound to gain more than the others do, as is mostly the case when developed countries trade with third world countries. Developed countries use their superior economic and technological power to get cheap raw material from developing countries and then sale the processed... This essay stresses that international organization presented by liberal institutionalism cannot stop countries from acting according to the balance of power system, calculating how each of their moves affects their relative position in the in global arena where stiff completion is the order of the day. Realists argue that international institutions cannot provide a muscular and timely response to aggression by power hungry states. A good example of this is the Syrian case where the government has taken part in the bombing of civilian habitats killing many yet the international institutions could not move in to stop the killing. Another key example of failure for liberal institutionalism to depict international relations is the failure of international institutions to act on the threat that North Korea’s accumulation of nuclear energy post to international security. Therefore, countries protect their interests by trusting in their own power and not on an international authorit y This paper makes a conlusion that international relations are guided by the need of states to get the best out of its interactions with other states. To achieve this, states will seek to protect their economic interests and further their influence in the international politics. The failure of international institutions to be tough on aggressive states has increased the need for countries to act in their best interest due to the stiff competition in international politics and economy. Only the established balance of power can dictate how far a state can advance its interests.

Cloning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Cloning - Essay Example ifferent contexts in biological research but in its most simple and strict sense, it refers to a precise genetic copy of a molecule, cell, plant, animal, or human being. In some of these contexts, cloning refers to established technologies that have been part of agricultural practice for a very long time and currently form an important part of the foundations of modern biological research† (Nussbaum & Sunstein, 1998, p. 1). Although this method has created many live successes, it has proved significantly less likely to generate successful instances of pregnancy than those conceived naturally via sexual intercourse. Additionally, the majority of cloned mammals have had some form of birth defect. Mammals do not replicate their own DNA through the natural process. This occurs only by cloning which presents both scientific and ethical implications. â€Å"The prospect of such replication for humans has resulted in the most controversial debate about reproduction ever to be taken up in western civilization† (McGee, 2001). Plants create offspring through replication by the natural method. When mammals replicate DNA by artificial means the practice is complex both technically and socially speaking. Those who are in opposition to cloning humans contend that this unnatural form of reproduction has a tremendous potential for basing dubious procreation decisions with regard to the genetic engineering of children. Their worry is that the traditional family is in jeopardy of evolving in a bizarre, unfamiliar and socially undesirable direction. Supporters of cloning procedures say that it may possibly, among other attributes, serve society as a valuable alternative infertility treatment. The cloning of animals has provoked the debate regarding the social, legal and ethical aspects concerning human cloning. Because of failure rate as compared to the customary conception method in animal testing, scholars, scientists and politicians usually agree that human experiments

Advanced Database Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Advanced Database Systems - Essay Example Additionally, all of these computers are connected with each other and every system has the capability to process the data individually thus helping local systems. In addition, each of the systems contributes in running a single or many wide-reaching database applications. However, a distributed database is not installed on a single location completely. But, it is divided throughout a network of computers that are physically detached and linked via communications medium. However, these types of system require accessing data from a single place. Thus, the distributed nature of the database is unknown to its clients as well as this simplicity appears itself in a different means. In more simple words, a distributed database (DDB) is a set of numerous, reasonably organized databases, spread over a large size computer network. A distributed DBMS is the computer application software that helps manage the distributed database as well as enables the sharing apparent to the clients. Moreover, the term of distributed database system (DDBS) is normally utilized to state both distributed database systems as well as distributed database management system. Furthermore, the distributed database management systems are similar to the distributed file systems in a sense that they help access distributed data (Oracle Corporation, 2003), (Camarinha-Matos, 2010), (Borysowich, 2007) and (Ozsu, 2010). This report discusses some legal and ethical issues that need to be considered when introducing a distributed database system. In this connection this report will analyze the legal and ethical issues that apply to distributed and relational databases. DISTRIBUTED DATABASE After the emergence of the distributed networks (which later on became more and more popular), the need for the development of distributed database management systems turned out to be more critical. In this regard, a distributed system differs from a centralized structure in one main feature: The information and data i s frequently in the command of data are distributed/dispersed over two or additional distantly scattered places. On the other hand, distributed database management systems are exposed to a lot of security challenges more than that exist within a centralized DBMS. Additionally, the improvement of proper distributed database security has been challenging through the comparatively new development of the object-oriented database paradigm. Moreover, this innovative paradigm is not able to be disregarded. Thus, it has been formed to tackle with the rising complication of the data stored in current business or corporate database structures (Coy, 1996) and (Camarinha-Matos, 2010). Distributed systems basically allow users to access files that are placed on different computer systems. Additionally, this data has no obvious organization as well as the relationships between data in diverse files are not handled by the system and are the client’s duty. In this scenario, a distributed dat abase system is developed on the basis of a design (normally called schema) that describes together the arrangement of the distributed data, as well as the relations between the data. In addition, this design can be expressed with a number of data models, such as object-oriented or relational data model. In this regard, a distributed database management system encompasses all the tasks of a database management system. For instance, it offers advanced transaction management, declarative query capability and integrity implementation. However, in fact distributed database management systems differ from transaction processing systems due to the fact that transaction proce

Being A Student Essay Example for Free

Being A Student Essay Being a student is a full time job. Students work five days a week, seven hours a day. There is a constant load of work that is given to us, and there is a strict set of rules. Being a student is similar to working at a full time job in many ways. Like working adults, students follow a grueling daily routine, which includes waking up early in the morning, focusing for long hours at a time, having to complete a strenuous work load, dealing with unfair teachers or bosses, an extremely high level of stress, a lot of procrastination, and loss of sleep, among others. These are all problems that students and working adults must deal with on a daily basis, but not all similarities between the day of a student and the day of a working adult are negative. Both students and most working adults go through similar ups and downs throughout a typical day, but there is one profession in particular that is so similar to the job of a student that both students and this specific type of working adult are doing their jobs in the same buildings every day. Students and teachers are alike in so many different ways. If one were to observe the similarities in the days of students and teachers, the observations would include both arriving at a school some time between seven o’clock and eight o’clock in the morning, both going to class throughout the day, both having lunch breaks in cafeterias, both being involved in athletics after school, both having the weekends off, as well as spring break, winter break, summer break, and most holidays, both facing daily academic challenges, and both going home at night to do work in order to prepare for the next day. Students and teachers work together in harmony on a daily basis, learning from each other and becoming better people. Neither could prosper in a school environment without the other. Without teachers, students would not be able to learn, and they would have no one to keep them in line when necessary. Without students, teachers would not have a purpose for working in their profession because they would not have anyone to teach. They depend on each other, and, while learning is a full time job for students, and teaching is a full time job for teachers, both bond over their time spent working and learning together at school every day.

Factors Affecting the Oxidation of Iron Alloys

Factors Affecting the Oxidation of Iron Alloys Abstract This paper is about the prevention of the formation of Iron Oxide. For the purpose of this investigation three coatings have been electroplated to the steel electrodes. The electrodes were then placed next to a salt solution approximately the same as that of ocean water .The mass changes in the metal were then measured and placed into a data table. From this data table I made a column graph to clearly show how the effects of each of the coatings had on the rate of oxidation of the steel electrodes. The mass change of the electrodes was shown through the measuring of these electrodes both before and after the two week space of time in which they were allowed to rust. The results that were obtained from the investigation have proved to be conclusive with the hypothesis that was suggested. This shows that the best way of protecting metal from corrosion was through the usage of copper as a complete coating of the electrode. This action also showed that current methods of galvanization protected some areas but as soon as there was any disturbance in the surface of the metal the corrosion of the iron took hold and rust was formed where the zinc oxide layer receded from. The overall way that the three coatings worked was that copper was the best followed by zing and finally the nickel coating proved to be worst actually accelerating the decomposition of the steel electrode. Introduction The destruction of steel around the ocean’s salty air has been a consistent battle by both fishermen and mariners throughout history. Growing up around the ocean has left me with little doubt about the destructive power of the oceans salty air. The formation of Iron III Oxide and Iron II Oxide more commonly known as rust has always been a problem affecting the local ocean side businesses. The problem of rusting has been around for thousands of years from when man first began to create things made of steel. The first early processes to prevent rusting were to simply cover the metal in animal fat or oil this hydrophobic covering was the main way in which materials were treated to prevent the buildup of iron oxide. The invention of electroplating of metals changed how metals were treated thereafter. Having and interest in maritime transport and seeing how the massive hulls of ships were constructed from steel. Steel has tendency to rust as well as to become highly susceptible to the effects of salt water. Salt water is an aqueous sodium chloride solution acts as an electrolyte solution which allows for rusting to occur at a more significant rate. The prevention of rusting of the hulls of ships is to attach zinc blocks to the hulls of ships. I became aware of this method because one day as I was diving I saw a round block that was attached to the engine of our skiff. When I asked what it was my father told me it was a zinc block. The zinc block reacts with the salt water to create a basic solution which prevents the formation of the iron oxide on the hulls of these tankers. Another method that is commonly used by mariners to combat the ever-present effects of the oxidation on the building materials is a process known as galvanization. Galvanization is the process by which a thin layer of zinc is electrically fused onto the surface of the steel. This fusing of zinc to the surface of the steel is known as electroplating. The electro plating of various metals t o the surface of steel has been used as both a way to decorate the steel and as a ways of protecting the surfaces from either corrosion or the buildup of an oxide layer. The usage of copper as a coating was originally used when huge sheets of hammered copper were affixed to the hulls of ships to prevent drill worms from entering the wood as well as to prevent the buildup of bio fouling organic material such as moss or barnacles because copper oxide is mildly poisonous. I wanted to investigate whether metals that experienced similar resistance to oxidation also proved to be beneficial in the coating of steel to prevent the buildup the damaging iron oxides. I have also seen that nickel copper and zinc have each been used in the coating of metals for both the purposes of chemical prevention of degradation of coated metal to decorative uses. Back ground information The composition of sea water (sodium chloride solution) Ocean water is usually around 35 parts per thousand of salt vs water this means that the sodium chloride content in salt water is around 3.5% of the total volume. Therefore in 1 kg of salt water there is 35grams of salt. (Seawater 01 Apr 2014) The composition of steel Steel is an iron alloy which consists of: Plain Steel Carbon 1.35% Is used to strengthen the iron in the composition of steel Manganese 1.65% Is to react with the sulphur in the composition of steel and this reaction increases the heat resistance of the steel. Phosphorous .04% Used to reduce the corrosion present on the surface of the steel Sulfur .05% May cause steel to become too porous and prone to cracking if the manganese mixture is not correct. Silicon .06% Acts as a deoxidizer in the steel making process (â€Å"Steel† January 06 2014) Rusting chemical equations: [The rusting of iron is an electrochemical process that begins with the transfer of electrons from iron to oxygen. The iron is the reducing agent (gives up electrons) while the oxygen is the oxidizing agent (gains electrons). The rate of corrosion is affected by water and accelerated by electrolytes, as illustrated by the effects of road salt on the corrosion of automobiles. The key reaction is the reduction of oxygen: O2 + 4à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…  e− + 2à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…  H2O → 4à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…  OH− Because it forms hydroxide ions, this process is strongly affected by the presence of acid. Indeed, the corrosion of most metals by oxygen is accelerated at low pH. Providing the electrons for the above reaction is the oxidation of iron that may be described as follows: Fe → Fe2+ + 2à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…  e− The following redox reaction also occurs in the presence of water and is crucial to the formation of rust: 4à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…  Fe2+ + O2 → 4à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…  Fe3+ + 2à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…  O2−]†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦(1) (Dufour , 01 Mar. 2014) The reasoning behind why the coatings work A galvanic anode is the main component of a galvanic cathode protection system. This protection system is usually referred to a (CP) system. The usage of a more reactive metal to be sacrificed instead of the metallic structure is known as sacrificial. The sacrificial anode is usually made from a metal that has a higher electric potential than that of the object being protected. This electrical potential causes the sacrificial anode to be corroded instead of the other ferrous material. Electro plating definition/ Apparatus [Electroplating is a process that uses electrical current to reduce dissolved metal cations so that they form a coherent metal coating on an electrode. The term is also used for electrical oxidation of anions onto a solid substrate, as in the formation silver chloride on silver wire to make silver/silver-chloride electrodes. Electroplating is primarily used to change the surface properties of an object (e.g. abrasion and wear resistance, corrosion protection, lubricity, aesthetic qualities, etc.), but may also be used to build up thickness on undersized parts or to form objects by electroforming.]†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (2) (Dufour 01 2014) This apparatus is used in the majority of tanks which is used to be able to coat metals with the ions in the solution. This is done when an electrical charge is applied to the apparatus and causes a flow in the ions of solution. This flow of elections causes the ions dissolved in the solution to coat the surface of the target metal. The usage of the same metal as is dissolved in solution insures that the overall concentration of ions in solution never diminishes and ensures that there is a continuous flow of the ions in the electrolyte solution. The oxidation processes of copper, nickel, And zinc Copper 2 CuSO4+ 2 Na2CO3+ H2O → Cu2(OH)2CO3+ 2 Na2SO4+ CO2 Nickel 2Ni(s) + Oà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¡(g) → 2NiO(s) Zinc 2Zn(s) + O2(g) → 2ZnO(s) Both nickel and zinc do not react with water however the constant dissociation of the ions in salt water create a thin layer around the metals which is resistant to corrosion. Copper does the same thing as these other two metals however it does react with air and water to from a (patina) this patina is copper oxide layer. This copper oxide layer turns green and a highly resistant coating that is in susceptible further chemical oxidation. Research question How do different metal coatings affect the rate of Iron oxides forming on the surface of iron and iron alloys? The research question is to determine how through the plating of several different metals onto a steel strip the rate at which these steel strips become oxidized to become Iron oxide. To investigate the rate I am going to take these strips of steel, ensure that they are free of any oxidation, and coat them with exactly the same mass of each of the metals (Copper, Nickel, and Zinc). After measuring the mass of each of these cleaned pieces of metal I am then going to set up an electrolytic cell and plate three steel strips with copper. Then three with nickel ,then three with zinc and finally have three test strips to investigate how much of a difference ,if any, the coatings help the Steel to resist the formation of iron oxide Hypothesis I Believe that the copper coating will be the most proficient in saving the steel beneath it from any and all corrosion, The zinc would be second best in the prevention in the buildup of the rust as it would act as a sacrificial anode, finally when the nickel plated metal is to be weighed I believe that it will have seen the greatest increase in mass out of the differently coated metal strips. The copper coating would experience the least amount of corrosion. This is because the copper would form a small amount of oxide around the entire steel strip. This protective layer is the main reason that the steel strip would not be affected as much as the other metals. However if there is a piece of the protective coating that may become scratched there would be a significant increase in the rate of rusting by the steel strip. This significant increase in the overall rate of rusting is due to the fact that the iron alloy namely steel would act as a sacrificial anode and this particular trait would cause the formation of iron oxide to increase. The zinc coating would experience a very different accumulation of the oxidation. This is because the zinc will act as a Cathode protection system of the overall strip of steel. This protection system would cause an initial gain in mass however the sacrificial nature of the zinc, once all of the zinc has reacted, the iron would begin to rust. The nickel would be the least effective because it is even less reactive than the copper. This means that the effectiveness of the nickel would further increase the effectiveness of the steel as becoming a sacrificial anode this sacrificial anode would mean that rather than the iron being protected by the nickel the nickel would be protected by the corrosion of the steel strip. Variables Controlled The temperature of the solutions being electrolyised This may have increased the rate at which the electrodes were coated with the copper, nickel and zinc The salt content of the water the samples were placed next to This may have changed and there would have been an increase in the production of rust on the steel electrodes The balance that the masses were measured on Different balances may have changed the readings of the masses of the electrodes The molarity/ concentration of the solutions used to electroplate the steel electrodes A difference in the concentration of the solutions used may have caused excess etching of the steel and may have caused certain electrodes to become more or less oxidized. The mass of the electrodes that were electrolyised The mass of the electrodes was attempted to be kept the same however they were slightly different but each one was recorded. Independent The amount of time for which the electrodes were left to rust. Dependent The mass of rusting / oxidation present after two weeks Apparatus Methodology-Experimentation Placement of the steel cathode and the metal solutions source metal as an anode. Make sure both the steel strip and the copper anode as free of any corrosion/ oxidation before the submersion of the electrodes Make a 1 molar solution of copper sulphate /zinc chloride/Nickel chloride Fill a 100 cm ³ beaker with the .5 molar solution of the metal salt solution. Place a 2 volt charge onto the system Electrolyize till there is a thorough coating around the entire steel strip The coating will add around .5 grams of weight to the steel strip. Then take the electrode and gently place it on a piece of paper towel. Wait until the coated steel strip has dried thoroughly If necessary use steel wool to clean away any scum/ produce a shiny surface on the electro plated surfaces. Place the metal strips where they are exposed to both moisture and sodium chloride solution approximately the same as sea water.(22ppt) Measure the mass change of the metal after 2 weeks make any other observations such as color change. Raw data Copper Zinc Nickel Steel untreated (Control) Analyised Data-Graph Analysis of the graph This graph shows that the copper was the best at preventing the overall gain in the mass of the steel electrode. This prevention in the gaining of mass was mainly due to the fact that the copper made a complete coating around the entire steel electrode. This coating proved to create a thin film of copper oxide shown to be present on the surface of the electrode because of a slight green color that was beginning to form around the corners of the electrode. The zinc proved to be worse than even the control this was due to the fact that the zinc oxide formed also had mass and then the steel also started to become oxidized by the time the two weeks had passed. Although the areas of the electrode which were covered in the zinc oxide there was no iron oxide. The surface of the electrode was spotted with dark brownish red patches this means that there were small rust patches along with the zinc oxide which accounts for the slightly higher mass than that of the control. The reasoning behind why the nickel plated steel electrode had a high mass increase is because of the tendency of the sacrificial anode to be the most reactive metal. The nickel was a lot less reactive than the steel electrode. The fact that the steel electrode was higher along the reactivity series than that of the nickel used caused the steel to become â€Å"sacrificed† in the place of the nickel. This reason is why the steel was most affected in the coating containing the nickel. Conclusion After my testing the hypothesis was proven to be correct. This proving of the hypothesis allowed for me to be able to ascertain that the best way in which to treat steel was with a complete copper covering and secondly with a zinc coating . These two ways in which the metals may be treated are feasible in the fact that zinc bars are usually attached to underwater structures this prevention is known as CP system. This CP prevention is highly affective however it requires a lot of up keep and it does not completely protect the entire surface of the steel as was seen by my testing results. The only one of the results that seemed to have completely worked was the copper coating. The coating of the steel by copper created a hydrophobic coating of copper oxide. The copper oxide had a slight increase in the mass measured by the balance. This slight increase in the mass was due to the fact that the salty air was not able to reach the steel electrode. This prevention ultimately allowed for th e electrode to become protected from the oxidation. The overall way in which the metals were protected is going to allow for me to take my findings and apply them to the everyday usage in which I have begun to realize that we use both electrolysis and oxidation prevention on a daily basis. Possible improvements The amounts of retests as well as the length of testing may be increased this increase in length of testing can allow to see the amount of time taken for the complete disintegration of the metal. The increase of testing of the metals will allow for the in accurate nature for these results as well as the nature by which the metals have been protected from the corrosion. The accuracy of the testing may have been increased through the usage of metal which may have been free of corrosion unlike the metal which I have used. The metal that I used for my expirement had already been heavily corroded and I had to clean it with strong acid as well as to use some sand paper to clean the surface of the metal. After the cleaning of the metal I was only able to remove some of the corrosion. This major limitation of my expirement was that I wasn’t able to clean the corrosion which might have caused the copper coating not to adhere to the surface of the electrode. Finally the most major limit ation of my expirement was the time I had in which to complete the experiments. Firstly I had to wait for the materials to arrive for which to be able begin my expirement, my chemicals as well to get the metal strips cut from a long sheet. Bibliography Jim, Dufour. Electroplating.Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 01 Mar. 2014. Web. 06 Jan. 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroplating>. Rust.Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 01 Aug. 2014. Web. 09 Jan. 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rust>. Seawater.Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 01 Apr. 2014. Web. 06 Jan. 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seawater American Experience: TVs Most-watched History Series.PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2014. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/streamliners-steel/>.

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During the Meiji Restoration, Japan transformed into a strong industrialized nation by adopting the Western political, cultural, and technological ideas. Japan was the â€Å"only non-Western country to industrialize in the nineteenth century and that, moreover, she did so in an extremely short time† (Sugiyama 1). Japan’s social, political, and economic aspects were all affected by the Western technologies to transform Japan into an industrialized nation (Wittner 1). By adopting the Western ideas during the Meiji Restoration, Japan has turned into a powerful industrialized nation by becoming an â€Å"international political player in the 1880s† (Wittner 1). Prior to the Meiji Restoration, the Western powers viewed Japan as the backward nation because â€Å"in terms of military strength and economic development, Japan was indeed far behind the Western nations† (Hane and Perez 84). The Meiji government feared that Western nations would colonize Japan because they had already done it to other Asian countries by using military forces (Hane and Perez 84). The Meiji government’s fear came out to be true when the Western powers imposed unequal commercial treaties on Japan. Because of these unequal treaties Japan was â€Å"deprived of the right to regulate tariffs, and Western residents in the treaty ports were granted the privilege of extraterritoriality† (Hane and Perez 84). However, these unequal treaties were significant to the Meiji Restoration because they became the foundation of Japan’s industrial revolution by providing Japan with the access not only to Western technologies but also to political, cultural, and social ideas (Hane and Perez 82). Moreover, the treaties were important to Japan’s economic future because they increased the Japan’s econom... ...Restoration was the telephone. Iwadare Kunihiko established Nihon Denki (Nippon Electric Co., also known as NEC) by teaming up with the Western Electric (WE) of the United States (Odagiri and Goto 161). Kunihiko and NEC adopted WE’s technology and communication equipment, which helped expand the production of telephones (Odagiri and Goto 162). The telephone production was important for Japan’s industrialization because communication became easier. Many people were able to keep in touch with their friends and families who live far away by simply calling them. The telephone was also important for business because it sped up the commercial transactions. As more people are using the telephone, more private owned telephone companies were operated to raise profits. The American telephone technology brought industrialization in Japan by increasing the telephone production.

Camera Phones and Invasion of Privacy Essay -- Exploratory Essays Rese

Camera Phones and Invasion of Privacy    â€Å"New technology has†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.placed all of us in an electronic fishbowl in which our habits, tastes and activities are watched and recorded.† as told by Simson Garfinkel (Ojeda). In the 21st century it is easy to awe people with new technology. Take two popular gadgets, merge them into a single point-and-click device, and then watch the world go nuts over it. This is a fact that will never change. Technology in this world is growing every day and there are products being discovered every moment to satisfy the needs of the consumer or make their living more luxurious. Camera mobile phones are only a recent invention but they sure have the world going gaga over them already. Technology threatens privacy, but who doesn’t like technology? The teenagers of this generation are crazy behind new technologies of any kind such as a good music system for their rooms or good mobile phones with many features. Any such products within their reach will be in their hands in no time. All of these things are good, but in a way they are dangerous and threaten privacy. For instance if we do have a music system with a lot of wattage pumping out of it, the neighbor will surely come running after you because it threatens his or her privacy. In the same way, the mobile phones also have so many features; that some or the other feature might not be safe to use for the privacy of the public like a phone with an integrated digital camera. Although concept of introducing a digital camera in a mobile phone is a recent discovery, people today enjoy the luxury of this concept day in and day out all over the world. It may seem that a camera phone would be no different than having a cell phone and a camera, but in truth, ... ... crackdown on camera phones.† BBC News. 20 July 2004. 16 November 2004 . * Batista, Elisa.   â€Å"New Privacy Menace: Cell Phones?† Wired News. 17 February 2003.   16 November 2004 .   * Belson, Ken. â€Å"When Etiquette Isn't Enough, a Cell phone Cone of Silence.† New York Times. 7 November 2004:page 2. Week In Review Desk.   * Hamilton, Anita. â€Å"CAMERA PHONES.† Time. 2003. 16 November 2004 .   * Harvey, Fiona. â€Å"Camera Phones, Privacy Concerns Not Clicking.† Los Angeles Times. 3 November 2003:A19. Business. * Napolitano, Jo. â€Å" Hold It Right There, And Drop That Camera.† New York Times. 11 December 2003:Circuits.   * Ojeda, Auriana. Civil Liberties Text. Green heaven Press, 2004.

Essay --

INT. CLASS ROOM 303 EXT. ALFRED NEW YORK - AFTERNOON ENTER FRAME, DANIEL STANDs BY A WHITE BOARD POINTING TO THE LIGHT POSITIONS, EACH TURNING ON AS HE POINTS TO IT. A VOICE OVER IS HEARD. VOICEOVER HELLO EVERYONE, THIS VIDEO WILL HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE BASICS OF PRODUCTION WITH US TODAY WE HAVE DANIEL. HI DANIEL THE THREE COMPONENTS TO 3 POINT LIGHTING ARE... YOUR KEY LIGHT; WHICH IS THE MAIN ILLUMINATOR IN THE SCENE AND CAUSE THE STRONGEST SHADOWS... NEXT IS YOUR FILL LIGHT, THE FILL LIGHT IS FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDE AND IS USUALLY A LITTLE LOWER, ITS MAIN PURPOSE IS TO ILLUMINATE THE DARKER SHADOWS CASTED FROM THE KEY LIGHT... LASTLY IS THE BACKLIGHT, THE BACKLIGHT HIGH LIGHTS THE CONTOURS OF THE SUBJECT AND GIVES A SENCE OF DEPTH. CUT TO: TWO X MARKS ARE PLACED ON THE FLOOR SIGNIFYING WERE DANIEL AND RANDY WILL WALK TO. AFTER ARIVEING AT THERE DESIGNATED SPOT THE TWO WILL LOOK TO BE HAVING A CONVERSATION AS A VOICE OVER IS USED. VOICEOVER NOW WE WILL TALK ABOUT BLOCKING BLOCKING IS THE PLAN OF ACTION MADE BY THE DIRECTOR FOR WHICH THE ACTORS WILL FOLLOW AS CAN BE SEEN, THE "X" ... Essay -- INT. CLASS ROOM 303 EXT. ALFRED NEW YORK - AFTERNOON ENTER FRAME, DANIEL STANDs BY A WHITE BOARD POINTING TO THE LIGHT POSITIONS, EACH TURNING ON AS HE POINTS TO IT. A VOICE OVER IS HEARD. VOICEOVER HELLO EVERYONE, THIS VIDEO WILL HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE BASICS OF PRODUCTION WITH US TODAY WE HAVE DANIEL. HI DANIEL THE THREE COMPONENTS TO 3 POINT LIGHTING ARE... YOUR KEY LIGHT; WHICH IS THE MAIN ILLUMINATOR IN THE SCENE AND CAUSE THE STRONGEST SHADOWS... NEXT IS YOUR FILL LIGHT, THE FILL LIGHT IS FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDE AND IS USUALLY A LITTLE LOWER, ITS MAIN PURPOSE IS TO ILLUMINATE THE DARKER SHADOWS CASTED FROM THE KEY LIGHT... LASTLY IS THE BACKLIGHT, THE BACKLIGHT HIGH LIGHTS THE CONTOURS OF THE SUBJECT AND GIVES A SENCE OF DEPTH. CUT TO: TWO X MARKS ARE PLACED ON THE FLOOR SIGNIFYING WERE DANIEL AND RANDY WILL WALK TO. AFTER ARIVEING AT THERE DESIGNATED SPOT THE TWO WILL LOOK TO BE HAVING A CONVERSATION AS A VOICE OVER IS USED. VOICEOVER NOW WE WILL TALK ABOUT BLOCKING BLOCKING IS THE PLAN OF ACTION MADE BY THE DIRECTOR FOR WHICH THE ACTORS WILL FOLLOW AS CAN BE SEEN, THE "X" ...

Racism in Australia Essay

One in five people living in Australia have experienced racist abuse During the past year, 1 in 5 people living in Australia was a target of racial discrimination (around 4.6 million people). This is an increase from 1 in 8 the previous year (Source). 1 in 5 people living in Australia has been a target of verbal racial abuse (Source). Verbal abuse is the most common form of racism (Source). Nearly half of all Australian residents from a culturally and linguistically diverse background have experienced racism at some time in their life (Source). 7 in 10 teenagers have experienced racism (Source). 3 in 4 Indigenous Australians regularly experience racism (Source). Denial of racism in Australia Australia has a culture of denial when it comes to racism. We’ve created an infographic to explain this simply. It is based on the findings in the report Denial of racism and its implication for location action by Jacqueline Nelson, University of Western Sydney, 2013. Denial of racism in Australia perpetuates racist behaviour (Source). Conversely, increased awareness and acknowledgment of racism reduces it (Source). Speaking up reduces racism by helping perpetrators understand that their views are in the minority (Source), making them less likely to engage in prejudice and stereotyping behaviour (Source). Half of us are positive about cultural diversity While five in ten of us are positive about cultural diversity, four in ten are ambivalent about cultural diversity. One in ten have racist attitudes (Source). One in seven people living in Australia are against the concept of multiculturalism (Source). Three in ten people do not believe that immigrants make Australia stronger (Source), and one in three believe there are some cultural groups that do not belong in Australia (Source: VicHealth 2007). How does racism in Australia affect us? Cross-cultural tension affects everybody in our society. A range of health problems including high blood pressure and heart disease, depression, anxiety, low birth rate and premature birth can all be caused directly by people’s personal experiences of racism (Source). It also affects people’s employment and housing opportunities. For example, to get as many job interviews as an Anglo applicant, an Indigenous person must submit 35% more applications, a Chinese person 68% more, an Italian person 12% more, and a Middle Eastern person 64% more applications (Source). Racism can lead to violence, as seen in Melbourne and Sydney during the past decade. The Tourism Forecasting Committee says the number of Indians applying for student visas to Australia has plummeted by 46% due to racially-motivated attacks. This is a potential economic loss to Australia of up to $78 million. A solution to racism in Australia Most people know the solution to gender inequality requires both males and females to take action. Similarly, the solution to race inequality requires commitment and participation by everyone regardless of their cultural origin. This goal is achievable by working on both a local and national scale, in a range of settings, simultaneously. All Together Now’s contribution is to create innovative, evidence-based, and and effective social marketing aimed at preventing racism.

Mr Bean

Mr Bean is a series of fourteen shows based around the character of Mr Bean, a grown man who seems to have been born yesterday. The character is played by the versatile comedic star Rowan Atkinson. The programmes were filmed between 1990 and 1995, with the franchise also spawning a number of short specials, an cartoon version, and two feature-length films. Bean is supposedly a grown man but is outstandingly childish; his juvenile behaviour brings him into trouble with alarming regularity.He bumbles along in life with great abandon and seems oblivious to the havoc he causes. Moreover, in a childish way, everything is exciting, and everything must be played with. Even (especially? ) those things that he shouldn't, like the Christmas displays in Harrods! Whilst he rarely speaks (visual humour being the main strength of this sitcom), his occasional vocal offerings expose his voice to be as socially unacceptable as his behaviour, and as amusing as his trademark tweed blazer.Bean's residen ce alters between different episodes, but he never progresses beyond a small, one-or-two room grubby flat, which he shares with his sole friend; Teddy, his teddy bear, who rather worryingly Bean seems to think can communicate with him! He also has a long-term (and long-suffering) girlfriend, Irma Gobb (although whether or not he understands the concepts of romance and intimacy is uncertain).Other people he encounters, he tends to quickly worry with his eccentric behaviour. Indeed, the title sequence might suggest that he's an extra-terrestrial; he finds it difficult to cope with everyday situations, and seems to be learning how to live life each time he does something which to most people would be quite simple (like sit an exam; go to church; stuff a turkey etc. ). The fact that his presence disturbs TV reception would support this theory.The thing which makes Bean so worrying to those who encounter him, and so intriguing and hilarious to we the viewers, is that it's very difficult to work out who he actually is; it could, of course, just be that he lacks social skills, but we don't know what actually motivates him; what his hopes and dreams and fears are; what makes him tick. The fascination as we watch this peculiar specimen go about his daily existence is often captivating and constantly hilarious.

Marriage †Cause and Effect Essay

Growing up children are surrounded with a fairy tale life, the ‘happily ever after. ’ As girls we are supposed to wait for our prince charming and he will love us forever; and for boys it is finding and rescuing a beautiful princess who can cook, clean, and is loved by all creatures. That is what marriage is based off of as a child, but that perspective changes once we get a small grasp of the concept of love and we really see what marriage is. Marriage is not something anyone goes into lightly and maybe our expectations of the fairy tale life are why divorce is so commonly sought. There are many reason whys people get married; for love, money, status or because it is the ‘right’ thing to do. For those who marry for love, it is because you share common ground with the other person. They will become your other half as they will have the same beliefs, passions and values as you. After dating and being together for a while we learn that marriage and children are next on the check list. So the marriage is set and a ceremony held and they live ‘happily ever after’, but what most couples do not grasp after they are married is that there is not a sense of pure individualism any more. When married what is mine is yours and yours is mine. There are no longer ‘his’ or ‘her’ problems; they evolve into ‘us’ problems. Hence these individual problems root into a bigger problem- communication. When couples are able to talk they are likely to solve their problems, but disagreements due to the lack of communication can often lead to arguments. Not being able to communicate can be simply caused by the differences of being a male and female, but if the couple wants to move forward in their lives together and be able to relate to each other, than learning how to converse is important. When we do not feel understood, we react, whether it is silently, verbally, or with action; but not once does it occur to us that the other person is also trying to be understood. Thus the relationship will continue in a cycle of poor communication leading in most likely a divorce. Communication is important in all relationships regardless if the relationship is intended for love or other personal gains. Some males and females try to cash in by being greedy and choosing to get married for money; when they choose a partner that they can depend on for life. Most of victims are singers, self-employed businessmen/women, actresses, or elder rich singles. Although they may not be forced into the marriage, these wealthy persons are unaware of the ulterior motives of their partner. The effect of marrying only for love is the eventual unfold of the lies and deceits of the particular partner. Another effect is if that rich person loses their wealth, the outcome is all the same. Depending if the person lost wealth or the ‘victim’ finds out the true motive of the relationship they will most likely divorce this person and continue on their search for true love or money. Another reason why a couple would get married is because it is ‘the right thing to do’, which usually means that there is a child out of wedlock. The purpose of getting married for a child is so that the child will get the right idea; fall in love, get married, have a child. Another objective is that the couple who is not necessarily in love is trying to build love from this child/union. The outcome of this method is that the child ends up driving the couple apart, because of the demand and needs. The primary care taker cannot be solely committed to their lover because the child needs attention and care for their own well-being. If one person feels there is not enough attention they might be unfaithful and/or just leave. Trying to build love in a relationship where time is precious and cannot be spent just between the two people is extremely hard and most of those relationships fall through because there will be a lack of commitment. There are many reasons why people choose to get married and the outcome of those reasons depends solely on the level of commitment and how well the couple interacts with each other. Growing up with the ideal that there is a Prince charming or a beautiful damsel in distress and living ‘happily ever after’ is not a realistic approach to a marriage, for marriages take more work than what appears. There is a level of trust, honesty, and most importantly communication that needs to be met in order for it to be successful, but unfortunately in these times where people have been accustomed to shotgun weddings, the divorce happens just as fast.

The Leader as a Strategist Report

The Leader as a Strategist Report Holly A. Shones Argosy University Perspectives in Change Leadership B6027 A01 Dr. Karen Ivy April 22, 2012 In late 2009 Mayo Clinic (MC) updated the vision, mission and strategy of the institution to better align with the ever changing healthcare industry. The primary value at MC is â€Å"the needs of the patient come first†. The mission is â€Å"to inspire hope and contribute to health and well-being by providing the best care to every patient through integrated clinical practice, education and research†.The vision is â€Å"Mayo Clinic will provide an unparalleled experience as the most trusted partner for health care†. The four strategic requirements at MC are â€Å"solution and hope, trusted and affordable, knowledge to delivery, and transforming health care delivery† (Mayo, 2012a). According to Porter (1996) it can be useful for a company to look at the history of the business and implement the strategy of the past wit h a modern twist. An approach such as this can help to re-energize a company’s strategy and gain the commitment of the employees to carry out the strategies in their daily activities.The idea of â€Å"the needs of the patient come first† was originally attributed to Dr. William Mayo. By aligning the vision, mission and strategy of the institution around the value of the Mayo brothers, MC is able to inspire employees to work towards the goal of the mission statement. In the past MC relied on reputation and word of mouth to attract new patients. The patients had to travel to a physical location for a consultation and/or treatment. The institution did not advertise and was very low key.Only in the past several years has MC considered how to reach the large market population which is unable to access healthcare from MC with such a narrow view of the target market segment. The economic situation of the late 2000’s and the uncertainty of healthcare reimbursements has required MC to take a new look at possible patient populations in order to remain competitive in today’s market. The new motto at MC for targeting customers is â€Å"Mayo here, there and everywhere† (Mayo, 2008). MC is expanding its target market to include populations other than the core business of patients visiting the physical sites.MC is now expanding the target market to include people globally through partnerships in other countries including India, Sweden and the Czech Republic (Springer, 2011). The institution even has a space at the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN in order to reach more patients with health and wellness information (Adams, 2011). The healthcare industry is becoming increasingly more customer driven rather than physician driven. MC is starting to utilize the Internet to reach out everywhere to empower people to take control of their healthcare decisions.Patients are using the Internet to research medical issues. They want to be informed and understand the choices in their own healthcare plan. MC provides accurate information on diseases and possible treatments via the Internet. Another way MC has expanded beyond its physical walls is through a collaborative venture with an outside partner to create medical applications for cellular phones (Pesek, 2012). The institution is working on e-Consults and AskMayoExpert sites so physicians at other locations can tap into the knowledge of the MC team.The institution is expanding its sphere of knowledge through an affiliated practice network in several locations within the United States. The affiliated practice network allows other medical institutions within the network the ability to draw on MC’s knowledge. Through the creation of affiliated practice networks MC’s â€Å"new strategy is to extend the Mayo Clinic's geographic reach without building costly new facilities, spending money to acquire hospitals or consolidating with another health system† (Tockne ll, 2011) and at the same time meeting the needs of the patient here, there and everywhere.Another recent addition to MC is The Center for Social Media to bring to the forefront the importance of social media use in healthcare for this generation and the generations to come. With the new target market strategy MC will continue to grow and come closer to the vision of the institution. â€Å"Strategy is the creation of a unique and valuable position, involving a different set of activities† (Porter, 1996, p. 68). MC has delivered value to patients through its integrated approach to healthcare. The physicians are compensated a flat rate salary rather than compensated based on number of patients seen or procedures done.The physicians are able to fully focus on the patient’s medical issues during consultations without considering their own financial gain from the visit. Dr. William Mayo stated in a speech in 1910 â€Å"The best interest of the patient is the only interest to be considered† (Fox, 2010). This statement has been a cornerstone of the Mayo culture and work practice since its inception. Through the team based approach of Mayo’s model of care, MC is able to provide superior care compared to other institutions which do not have the team knowledge.Mayo is able to perform similar activities in different ways compared to other healthcare institutions due to the team based philosophy and the integrated approach to healthcare delivery. Porter (1996) considers this key to strategic positioning. MC’s sustainability is different from the competitors due to the reputation of the institution. MC is able to attract and retain a well qualified workforce in all areas. MC was rated as the third top hospital in the nation in 2011(U. S. News ; World Report, 2011).In addition, MC ranked 71 out of the top 100 companies to work for this year (CNNMoney, 2012). MC is able to build on the institutions past reputation to create their unique pos ition in the healthcare market. MC has implemented several new areas or themes to stay ahead of the competitors, also. MC is focused on innovation within healthcare with the creation of the Center for Innovation. To align with the four strategies, MC is investing in cutting edge research and continuing education. The institution recently created three new Centers.The Center for Regenerative Medicine which is focused on ways to healing damaged tissue and organs, the Center for the Science of Healthcare Delivery which is focused on using scientific method to bring efficiencies to medicine, and the Center for Individualized Medicine which is focused on â€Å"leveraging genetic knowledge to find treatments, identify risks, or determine the right drug or dosage for patients† (Discovery’s Edge, 2012). By remaining at the forefront of discovery and translational science MC is able to stay ahead of the competition.The investment into the innovative centers will be the conduit which will allow MC to be able to achieve the mission of providing the best care to every patient through integrated clinical practice, education and research. The strengths of MC as a formidable competitor are abundant, but there is always room for improvement. Dr. William Mayo stated â€Å"If we are satisfied, we are lost† (Mayo, 2011). Table 1 is a SWOT analysis of Mayo Clinic. One of the most important strengths for MC would be its reputation as a world class healthcare facility which helps to reinforce brand recognition.Our reputation has been built on the institution’s patient centered approach to healthcare, education, training and team environment. The institutional reputation has helped with recruitment of quality staff, also. In order to recruit and retain staff, MC offers many career development opportunities such as tuition assistance, continuing education classes and other seminars to increase staff satisfaction. Compensation trends for job classifications are monitored on a yearly basis and salaries are adjusted every year to stay competitive as a way to attract and retain quality employees. Mayo’s strong financial performance is another strength.MC had an operating margin of 6. 5 percent in 2010. In 2011 the operating margin increased to more than 7 percent (Mayo, 2012b). Since Mayo is a non-profit organization the profit is reinvested into the future of healthcare. MC announced the institution will reinvest $3. 5 billion on capital projects in the next five years which will be spent on information technology, equipment, facilities and other strategic investments (Snowbeck, 2012). With such a great financial performance, MC is able to act on opportunities such as telemedicine and cutting edge research to strengthen their position in the healthcare market.The use of electronic medical records (EMR) at MC is an important strength. It enhances the collaboration between teams by allowing any staff member who needs access to a pa tient’s medical record to have immediate access to the data. The EMR system increases efficiency and quality of care for the patient. SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS * Brand recognition * Reputation * Patient-centered approach * Strong financial performance * Quality of staff * Electronic medical record integration. Three shield concept – Practice, Research, Education * Senior leadership’s commitment to the vision and strategic plan| WEAKNESSES * Decision making process – execution of plans are slow * One Mayo concept slow to implementation * Quality differences perceived across campuses * Size of institution continues to grow increasing communication challenges * Geographical location| OPPORTUNITIES * Ability to be a leader in healthcare reform – influence government * Pioneer in healthcare delivery science * Innovation through new strategic initiatives * Telemedicine * Scientific advances with new technologies| THREATS * Healthcare reform/every changing political climate * Aging population * Increasing healthcare expense vs. diminishing healthcare reimbursements * Competitive market * Reliance on philanthropic gifts * Increased dissatisfaction in healthcare among the general population | Table 1 – Mayo Clinic SWOT Analysis Some of the weaknesses which MC faces are related to the size of the institution and the philosophy surrounding decision making. MC is a consensus led institution with many levels of oversight committees.Projects are vetted by many individuals within the organization before they are approved. Mayo thinks about their reputation and is risk adverse in many decisions made. As the institution continues to grow it is becoming more of a challenge to communicate throughout the organization in a personal way. MC continues to add small healthcare sites into the Mayo Clinic Health System. Leadership is working towards a one Mayo concept, but it is a slow process to integrate the newly acquired institutions within Ma yo. Each new site has different systems and processes which must be integrated into Mayo’s system. As Mayo expands its presence there is a perceived quality difference by other campuses.As an example, I am working on a project within the Institutional Review Board (IRB) to integrate four new Mayo Clinic health sites into the electronic system. The sites will be able to submit research protocol applications electronically at an enterprise level rather than each site approving their own research protocols. I have seen first-hand that staff at one location does not believe the quality of the review of the protocols at another site is sufficient. Attitudes such as this can lead to a breakdown of teamwork across the sites. The geographical location of MC can be seen as a weakness, also. The campuses are not located in large metropolitan locations. The weakness will decrease as the use of telemedicine increases. Exciting opportunities in healthcare are happening at MC.With the disc ussion of healthcare reform at the governmental level, MC has been tapped as a resource for discussion surrounding what healthcare should look like in the future. The institution can influence future governmental decisions on healthcare to spread the mission and vision of our institution. As MC continues to invest in the new strategic initiatives of healthcare delivery, regenerative medicine and individualized medicine the doors of opportunity to change health care delivery and increase translational science to practice in a shorter time than in the past. With new technologies healthcare is changing on a daily basis which allows for many new opportunities for discovery of better ways to meet the patient’s needs. Telemedicine is an area of great opportunity for Mayo, also.It could become a fast, efficient way to diagnose and treat patients which cannot physically travel to a MC campus. MC faces threats in the healthcare industry, though. The current state of healthcare reform is in flux. The political climate is continually changing. In addition, healthcare expenses continue to rise as reimbursements continue to decline. The payer mix is changing as the baby boomers are covered by Medicare. Medicare reimbursement is less than the other payers. As the population ages, revenue will decrease. The institution must discover new ways to increase efficiency and quality at the same time. Another financial weakness is the fact that a large portion of Mayo’s research funding comes from the National Institute of Health.As an employee in the research arena, I know the institution does not know what the next year’s governmental budget will be. Each year the selection of grant recipients grows more competitive with fewer grants awarded. Loss of the research funding would have a huge impact on the institution. Another threat is the reliance on philanthropic gifts to support Mayo’s mission. In 2011 $318 million was donated to support Mayo (Snowbeck, 2012). A poor economic climate can cause a decrease of benefactor gifts which would be a threat to the continued success of MC. Finally, the general dissatisfaction in healthcare among the general population could be perceived as a threat to the institution.MC must realize that healthcare can no longer be a physician driven business, but must become a customer driven business. The internal environment at MC is team based and focused on collaboration to accomplish our key value of â€Å"the needs of the patient come first†. MC is a physician led institution. The person in the CEO position must have an MD. The structure of the institution is team orientated. The Board of Trustees determines the direction of MC operations and strategic plan. The Board of Governors is the executive committee of the Board of Trustees. There are Management Teams throughout the institution to ensure the strategies and operation directive are effectively executed by all departments under Mayo leader ship.Executive Operations Committees direct the daily operations within the institution. These board and committees are part of Administration. The Management Teams and Executive Operations Committees are present for all three shields at MC. There are Chairs for each department within the three shields to help with the daily direction of operations. The direction of the institution comes from top leadership, but each department is given flexibility to determine the best way to accomplish the strategies set by the institution. To help reinforce the strategies, MC has adopted a project plan template which includes a section which requires the project group to think about how they will accomplish MC’s strategy with each project.Figure 1 is an example of the project charter (Mayo, n. d. ). Strategic Alignment| People| Processes| Create the healthcare workforce of the future that sustains Mayo’s values (People) D1. Improve staff’s ability to deliver high value care a . Facilities/Equipment b. Training/support for process changes * Implement individual provider scorecards including quality and cost metrics (outcomes, safety, service, cost, competence, adherence to standardized practice guidelines) * Invest in continuous staff development to improve staff satisfaction and retention * Increase diversity of staff and development of diverse staff * Improve leadership training and mentoring Increase the number and skill of physicians and clinical and basic scientists engaged in generating new knowledge * Increase our capacity and skill in comparative effectiveness and health care delivery research| Transform Mayo Clinic’s knowledge management and healthcare delivery process (Process) * Provide solutions and hope for patients a. Clinical Trials b. Implement Individualized Medicine into the practice c. Regenerative medicine d. Advance commercialization of research discoveries research discoveries * Standardize, improve effectiveness (outcomes, sa fety, service), and reduce cost a. Standardization b. Outcomes ; Safety c. Service d.Manage to Reimbursement * Explore new payment mechanisms * Generate, evaluate, integrate, and manage knowledge and information a. Information b. Knowledge c. Delivery * Create global value-adding relationships, alliances, and partnerships a. Patients and Consumers b. Providers C6. Increase our offerings for health and healthy living| Primary Operating Objective (Choose one from above, need sub-objective where applicable):| Secondary Operating Objective Optional (Choose one from above, need sub-objective where applicable):| Figure 1 – Project Charter Example In some ways MC is ahead of the curve by the use of systems to coordinate work throughout the organization. In other areas it is still a work in process.The EMR system is an excellent example of systems working to enhance communication, collaboration and coordinating between groups in the institution which aligns with the strategies of the institution. Finance has been working on a system to help with financial management forecasting and planning. The system is rather new and all of the functionality of the system is not being utilized at the current moment. The culture at Mayo is consensus and collaboration. The organizational culture is an enabler for the institution’s strategy in most cases. All employees are able to speak up and discover areas which need improvement. They are also given the chance to create solutions.MC works diligently to communicate the strategy to everyone. They create internal videos highlighting the vision, mission and strategies of the institution called â€Å"The Mayo Effect. There is a website dedicated to the subject. The culture at Mayo is everyone plays a part in the needs of the patient come first even if you do not have any patient contact. There is a sense of pride to be part of such a noble cause. Sometimes the culture can be a hindrance to the strategy, though. Innovation can be difficult at times in a consensus driven institution. By the time everyone agrees or accepts an idea, another group outside of Mayo could have run with the innovative idea.Another issue is the risk aversion created with consensus decision making. When you are risk averse, it is difficult to be innovative. Mayo incorporates Kouses and Posner’s five practices of exemplary leadership throughout the institution. The following summary highlights some of the ways Mayo has been able to model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act and encourage the heart. Modeling the Way * Setting a positive example: The founders (Will and Charles Mayo) strong belief in helping individuals, researching for solutions, and educating future care givers. Later generations of healthcare individuals are also highlighted. Achieve small wins by creating opportunities: Staff, physicians, and administration are empowered to promote and/or implement cost saving ide as or patient centered healthcare improvements. * Stand up for what you believe in: Mayo’s Three Shields are displayed throughout the organization reminding employees of practice, research, and education. Inspiring a Shared Vision * Envision an uplifting future: Websites and media promote a patient advances, success stories, and innovation improvements. * Let others know how you feel: Patients, external/internal focus groups, and external organizations are regularly polled for feedback, which is used to improve the organization. Believe in the organization: â€Å"We can do anything we set our mind to† is often a common quote used by staff. Challenging the Process * Search for Opportunities: Teams of improvement agents are available to evaluate and act upon suggestions. * Experiment and Take Risks and Challenge the Status Quo: Funding a leading â€Å"Center of Innovation† * Adopt the â€Å"great idea† of others: Entire division devoted to quality improveme nts throughout the entire institution. Enabling Others to Act * Always say â€Å"we†: In publications, both print and electronic, â€Å"we† is commonly used. â€Å"One Mayo† philosophy. * Strengthen people by making them heroes: Mayo allows staff time off to volunteer.It is not uncommon to find physicians playing music for patients, management in blue jackets directing patients, or staff donating blood. * Value teamwork and trust: Consensus and collaboration are key words within the organization. Encouraging the Heart * Recognize individual contributions: Mayo recognizes volunteers and staff who go to extraordinary lengths to support patients or make a difference in healthcare delivery. * Celebrate team accomplishments: â€Å"Team excellence† awards are distributed and highlighted throughout the organization. * Motivate others: Management are encouraged to write â€Å"thank you† notes to staff and may include a small discretionary gift card as reco gnition. Overall, Mayo is taking great strides towards achieving some lofty strategic goals.As long as everyone continues to remember the patient’s needs come first when making decisions which will ultimately affect outcomes, Mayo will stay competitive in the healthcare industry while at the same time delivering the best healthcare outcomes to people throughout the world. References Adams, J. (2011, August 10). Mayo Clinic opening high-tech outpost at the Mall of America. Retrieved from http://www. startribune. com/business/127497038. html CNNMoney (2012). 100 Best Companies to Work For. Retrieved from http://money. cnn. com/magazines/fortune/best-companies/2012/full_list/ Discovery’s Edge (2012). Research Centers. Retrieved from http://discoverysedge. mayo. edu/de11-1-research-centers. cfm Fox, F. (2010, December 2). Clinic Guide. Retrieved from http://www. clinicguide. org/the-best-interest-of-the-patient-is-the-only-inter